#everyone deserves a kim mingyu in their life

[beomcoups]

Food Wars pt. 1

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: You and Mingyu are rival but friendly chefs competing for a spot to be an executive chef at a new location in Madrid. This position would change your life; no matter how attractive he is, you WILL get that spot.

𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: chef!Mingyu x chef!reader

𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: fluff, angst, suggestive (next part will be spicier, I promise), coworkers to lovers au, 18+

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: cursing, kissing, mention of death (nothing graphic), suggestive grabs of the hips and ass 💀

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬: 7.2k

𝐀𝐍: Part 1 is heeeeeeere! This is apart of the world tour collab hosted by @svthub. Part 2 will be posted soon. There are alot of people here who helped me cultivate this fic and assure me that what I wrote didn't suck lol. Thank you @wooahaeproductions, @seokgyuu, @hobeemin and @hannieween for looking at bits of this for me. Also thank you to @highvern , @cheolism , @okiedokrie @bitchlessdino @gyupremacy for shooting ideas with me (ahem, cologne!) and finally @milfgyuu , I know you want to be tagged in anything related to your man :)

You knew it would come to this, and as good as you are at hiding your poker face, you are annoyed. A food competition, really? You almost burst out with laughter when Rich, the restaurant's owner of The Palm Cuisine, told you. The Palm Cuisine is one of the most popular restaurants in the U.S., with three locations in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami. He is opening a new restaurant in Madrid, Spain, and wants to take one of the sous chefs to make them the executive chef. You are the better chef, and everyone knows it, but in the spirit of “fairness,” you have to go against another person for the owner to make their decision. That other person is no other than Kim Mingyu, the golden boy of the restaurant who is almost as good as you in the kitchen. Almost.

It’s not like the position was directly promised to you, but deep down, you always assumed it would be yours. You have been there the longest, know the menu from top to bottom, and have even stayed extra nights you didn’t have to for the benefit of the restaurant and the team. You eat, breathe and shit this place. It feels like a slap to the face. “Put the knives down, girlie,” your coworker and good friend Shena nudges you. 

You sigh, gently setting down the knives you used to cut your potatoes. “I’m fine,” you whisper, turning around and rolling your eyes. “I am totally fucking fine.” You close your eyes and take a small, deep breath, centering yourself before returning to reality. Disappointment would be an understatement if you had to describe how you feel. The Palm Cuisine is the first and only restaurant you have worked at as a chef, starting as a prep cook and working your way up to sous. You always imagined yourself making it to executive chef—overseeing the restaurant's menu, preparation, cooking, ordering, and operations. The place specializes in Spanish food, and you can confidently say you could plan a Spanish menu with your eyes closed. Tapas, gazpacho, paellas, you name it, you’ve done it. And yet, you must constantly prove to everyone (mainly the men) that you deserve to be here. It’s exhausting. You can feel everyone’s eyes on you, wondering if you will snap and break a rolling pin or cry in the bathroom.  Instead of giving them the satisfaction, you turn around with a beaming smile. “Well,” you quirk an eyebrow. “Let the food war begin!” “Oh, splendid!” Rich squeals. “I was worried you would be upset.” “Why would I be upset?” You cock your head. “I mean, it’s only fair, right?” He chuckles nervously, and you fight the urge to roll your eyes. “Why don’t you and Mingyu come into my office, and we can discuss it further?” You nod as he beckons Mingyu over and follows him into his mid-size office. It smells of fresh linen, courtesy of a scented oil on his bookshelf. It looks like a typical place of work, complete with a desk, laptop, and hundreds of documents related to the restaurant. It’s cold in contrast to the warmth of the fires in the kitchen, and you long to be back in front of the heat, cooking from your heart.

You’ve been cooking since you were ten, watching your grandmother in the kitchen slave away for all the major holidays. You remember how it felt when you made your first apple pie - how you went to the local market and bought the freshest green apples you could find and cut them up like she did, adding the right amounts of nutmeg, brown sugar, and other needed ingredients. You made your own crust and watched everyone marvel at your dessert. You guess you could say that your grandmother stirred your love for cooking. God, you miss her. 

You hear Mingyu shuffle behind you, the scent of chocolate and cream greeting you before he does. You nod, moving to the seat furthest away from the door to give yourself space. You don’t hate Mingyu; you two are friendly with each other and help each other out when needed. He’s always treated you with respect and never condescended you when you made a suggestion. Your eyes undoubtedly work, and you would be a liar if you didn’t admit he is handsome. His model-like looks, toned body, great hair, and he just happens to be a good cook? It’s almost not fair. But fortunately for you, you haven’t fallen for his charms. He’s the golden retriever that everyone wants to be around. Well, except for you.

“So,” Rich starts as he shuts the door. I want you to know that I respect both of you, and it was tough to make this decision; hence, we are doing this. Plus, it’ll be fun, bring up the morale of the restaurant while we’re in Madrid—” “Wait,” you hold your hand up. “Are we going to do this in Madrid?” “Well, yes,” he says casually. “It’s only fitting we do it there. It’ll give you a chance to feel the vibe of the area and get some fresh ingredients. Lord knows you can’t get it here in the city.”

Mingyu chuckles, and you instinctively dig your thumb into your palm, your mind already thinking of the cost of a ticket, hotel space, etc. Rich can be a dramatic pain in the ass sometimes.

“We will cover everything, of course; all you need to do is be ready for international travel. You can bring one person from the restaurant as your assistant. Oh, and here is some paperwork you will need to fill out.” Several minutes later, with all the paperwork signed and details worked out, you shuffle out of the office one by one. Rich leaves first, rushing out like a bat out of hell, his wooden smell following him and the tension in your chest. You’re plagued with thoughts about coming up with a menu, packing to leave, and who’s going to watch your cat Grey while you’re gone. You feel undervalued, still bothered that you even have to do this. Does your many years of being here not mean anything to Rich? Is your cooking not good enough? Why keep hinting that you could have something bigger here just to string you along? All of this frustrates you with a passion. 

You need a fucking drink. 

Your nose wiggles at the smell of rich chocolate, your mouth salivates, and your stomach rumbles shortly after. You have a terrible habit of not eating when hungry as you focus on making food and serving others. While your mind is on food, you aren’t paying attention to Mingyu in front of you, bumping into his back. Your face grows hot with embarrassment, refusing to meet the gaze of your competitor for your dream job. “Hey.” His deep voice knocks you out of your mental fog. 

“W-what’s up?” You stumble through your words. “I just want to say it’s an honor going toe-to-toe with you for this spot. There wouldn’t be any other person I would want to go against. You’re a great chef.” 

For that tiny moment, you felt seen and appreciated. Aside from Shena, no one seemed to care about the hard work you put into The Palm Cuisine, and you thought about quitting so many times. But despite being unappreciated, you love the food, the culture, and the customers that come in. You can’t imagine yourself anywhere else.

“Thanks,” you clear your throat. “You’re good too.” Mingyu nods, a strand of hair falling over his forehead. Seeing him up close, you have to admit, he’s attractive. You get why everyone trips over their feet when he’s around. You have much more discipline than that despite the vibrations through your body. “Also, you need to eat,” he says matter-of-factly. “I heard your stomach before you bumped into me.”

Whatever spell you were temporarily under ceased immediately, knocking you back into reality.

“Ladies first,” he says, moving out of the way to let you through. His hand lightly touches your back as you walk by, making that part of you hot as if it were touched by something warm. You return to your stations, cleaning them off to be ready for the customers who are set to come in later. “What was that about?” Shena pops up beside you, eyeing you suspiciously. “Just some stuff about this unnecessary competition and getting an assistant to help me and whatnot,” you shrug. 

“Wow, that’s kind of grand,” she looks perplexed as if you are telling a joke. 

You nod, grab a granola nearby, and take a bite, curbing your hunger a bit. 

“So…” you let your voice trail off in suspense. “How about you come with me to Spain?”

Your morning sucked. You barely slept, and when you finally did, you woke up to three missed alarms and was running an hour late. You had less than a week to plan to leave the country and spent most of your night packing for ten days and making sure your cat, Grey, would be comfortable while you were gone. He is a rescue; you adopted him from the animal shelter when you volunteered with Shena a year ago. He was your cuddle buddy; you haven’t been without him for more than a day. “I’m going to miss you, buddy,” you give him a good scratch. He purrs lazily, curling himself into a ball and going back to sleep. You are grateful that Shena’s girlfriend, Lumina, offered to come over and feed him while you were gone. You were considering dropping him off at one of those pet daycares for the week or hiring a cat sitter, but she came through in the nick of time. She works at the animal shelter you adopted her, and coincidentally, that’s where she and Shena met and fell in love. 

It was nice seeing them fall for each other. It was like watching a silly, quirky rom-com play out in front of you. You see the magic in Shena’s eyes when she looks at Lumina, the warmth in her voice when she talks about her. Shena described Lumina as a warm hug on a rainy day, and you could believe that. They are made for each other. 

You hear a notification on your phone telling you your Uber is outside. You send a quick text to Lumina, giving her the code to your door, and give one last look around before you go across the ocean. “Bye, Grey,” you whisper, ensuring the door is locked before leaving.

Silvery-white clouds rolled into the early morning sky as you walked to your Uber, the ground wet from the fresh rain a few hours before. The smell of rain has always soothed you; the clean, earthy petrichor wakes you up a bit more. You quickly greet the driver, putting on your AirPods and playing a playlist you made. You watch the remaining droplets of rain left on the window roll away as your driver cruises down the highway. Where you come from, it hardly rains as it's primarily hot year round. On the rare occasions when it did, you would open your bedroom window, sit in your bed, and watch the water hit the Oleander flowers in your backyard. It was one of your two favorite smells in the world, the other being apple pie. 

Mixed in with your annoyance about having to have a competition to prove yourself as a chef, you are looking forward to leaving the country. You have never been to Spain before, let alone Europe. You have traveled and seen a few things, but Mexico is the farthest you have gone. You spent much time last night looking up main attractions, museums, and local areas to see if you have the time. You want to visit the local markets and taste the local food. Rich set up all of your travel and living arrangements, and all you have to do is show up and cook. You are going to make the most of your time there. Who knows when you will be able to travel again? At the very least, you plan on coming out of this thing, winning it all.

“We’re here.” 

When you look up, the airport entrance pulls up to your right. The ride feels shorter than it is, but you are lost in thought about many things. You thank your driver, grab your suitcases, and walk to the airline’s front desk to turn your bags in. You arrived with thirty minutes left to spare, and there was a long line already; it wasn’t even 8 am. You can’t help but yawn as you hand over your bags to the agents, fatigue and the lack of sleep kicking your ass. 

“You’re all set,” the agent hands over your printed ticket. “Have a safe trip.” You nod, heading towards security and breezing through the checkpoints before arriving in front of the underground train. Your purse feels heavy on your shoulder, and your eyelids threaten to close as you stand. You usually have good sleep management, but you stressed over this trip all night. What if you come all the way out to Spain for nothing? You don’t think you could continue to work for Rich anymore. It would hurt too much. 

The train comes shortly after, and you shuffle inside, trying to find a seat in the back before it is taken. You see one and settle down, your shoulders dropping as you finally sit down. You lean your head on the cold pole, hopeful that closing your eyes for a minute will give you some of your energy back.

“Are you as tired as I am?” You recognize that voice, annoyance slowly creeping in as your longing for a bit of solitude is interrupted. 

“Mingyu, what a surprise,” you mutter without cracking an eye open. 

“How did you know it was me?”

“Your voice. It’s one of a kind,” you deadpan.

He chuckles as the train flicks forward, sitting next to you. You begrudgingly pull out your ticket, realizing you will not get to relax until you’re sitting on that plane. Noting the concourse you need to get off on, you look ahead, counting the stops you have until you have to get off. Mingyu hums softly, adjusting his backpack and pulling out his headphones.  

“Have you ever flown first class before?”

Your head snaps his way, not registering what he’s saying. “What?” “First class? Have you ever been?” “I-uh, no,” you stumble through your words. “Why does it matter?”

“Uh, did you even look at where you’re sitting?”

“Well, yes?” you say incredulously, looking at your ticket again. “Of course, I know where I’m sitting—”

You don’t finish that sentence; instead, your mouth forms a small “o,” unaware that you would be sitting in first class. You have never flown in those seats before, the closest being business class a couple of rows behind the curtain. Those tickets were not cheap, and you only purchased them because you wanted to treat yourself to graduating culinary school, which you were able to do by saving all of your tips from your waitressing job. 

You don’t like admitting that you were wrong, and you aren’t going to admit it now. Instead, you rake your fingers in your hair, nodding and shoving your ticket in your back pocket. 

“You’re welcome,” Mingyu taunts you, nudging your shoulder. “Yeah, yeah,” you shake your head. 

You can barely suppress your smile, saved by the announcement that your concourse is approaching. You both rise out of your seats, moving towards the doors before the train jerks suddenly, making you fall forward into Mingyu. He grabs your hips, holding you steady until you’ve caught your balance. Your breasts are pressed against his chest, and your body is hypersensitive to his inadvertent touch. His grip is firm and protective, bringing an unexpected tingle to your core. You couldn’t feel more thankful that you were looking down; you couldn’t look him in the eye out of embarrassment. You don’t even have a crush on this guy, yet you feel hot and bothered.

“Be careful, princess,” he crouches low enough for your ears only. “We don’t need you flailing around this train.”

“Don’t do that,” you scoff. “Don’t call me princess.”

“Why?”

The train doors open, and you calmly remove his hands from you, gazing deep into his eyes.

“Because I’m far from that.”

You walk away before he has a chance to respond, looking for the gate you need to be at. Bitchiness aside, you stand on what you said. You aren’t some helpless person waiting in a tower for someone to come save you or give you a handout. You’ve worked hard for everyone to see you more than a woman, as it already has a stigma.  The constant belittling of your intelligence, being told to “wait your turn,” you are done with it. You’ve taken control of your destiny your life, and you will not be treated like some delicate little girl waiting to be saved from a castle… no matter how hot the knight is.

You feel relieved when you find your gate and a familiar face sitting with her iPad in her hand. As if she felt you coming, Shena looks up and waves you over to where she is sitting. Dressed in mint green sweats and matching crocs, she stands out in front of the dull black seats.

“There you are,” she greets you with a hug. “It’s not like you to be late. I sent you a text wondering where you were.”

“You did?”

You pull out your phone, and sure enough, you have received one unread message from her. She must have sent it when you were on the train, distracted by Mingyu and his hands on your body. It’s not like you to get riled up, and it ticks you off that it happened with him, of all people. Your life is a joke. 

You plop down next to her, cocking your head back in exhaustion. Before fully relaxing, you feel the seat beside you shift, followed by the smell of light cologne and chocolate. Looking over, you see Mingyu adjusting his bag before setting it on the ground. He is holding a small chocolate bar and taking a small bite, savoring the decadent treat as he licks his lips. You look away before being caught, chagrined that you were staring at him for that long. What is with you?

“Oh hey there, Gyu,” Shena waves at him. “I didn’t see you there.”

“Oh, I just got here,” he smiles. “I had to find my way to the gate since this one here is a speed walker.”

“Oh? You guys arrived together?”

“Not together, together,” you emphasize. “We just happened to be on the same train, that’s all.” 

You purposely avoid Shena’s eye contact, clearing your throat and changing the subject. 

“Did you notice we are flying first class?”

“Yeah!” Shena beams, pulling out her ticket. “I’ve never been out of the country, let alone first class. Lumina was bummed she couldn’t tag along. The shelter has her tied up, and it is kinda last minute.”

“Aww,” you rub her knee. “There will always be a next time, right?”

Shena nods, and the flight attendants announce they are about to start boarding, starting with first class. You pop out of your seat first, grab your things, and stand in line. Anticipation drills in your heart, wanting nothing more than to sit in some very comfortable seats and sleep throughout this 8-plus hour flight. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Mingyu behind you, his eyes boring a hole in the back of your head. He leans in closer, the hairs standing on the back of your neck as his lips barely touch your ear. 

“I know you’re not a princess,” he whispers. “You’ve proven to be more than that. But that doesn’t mean you don’t need someone to care for you sometimes.”

You were next in line and couldn’t respond without the flight attendants giving you weird looks. Instead, as they check your ticket, you do what you know best: bite your tongue, smile, and push it aside. 

Madrid is exquisite; it is everything you saw on your Pinterest board and more. You’ve been here a few days and are in love. You are surrounded by gorgeous cerulean waters, good weather, and historic sites you always wanted to see as a child. The Almudena Cathedral, one of the most prominent catholic churches in the world, took your breath away when you went to visit. The  Francisco de Cubas architecture throughout made you appreciate art more, one of the most beauteous works you have ever seen in person.

You also took time to visit the local market, talking with the locals about their lives and picking up fresh food to try out different dishes for the competition. Shena was a big help, taking over in Spanish if you needed help and also giving fresh ideas on what to cook. You knew a bit of Spanish to get around the city and ask questions, but coming from a Spanish-speaking household, Shena could convey your ideas in ways you couldn’t understand. You will be forever grateful for that. 

“It looks like we’re here.” Rich called you both to the restaurant this evening to show you around and tell you where your cooking stations would be. The restaurant stood atop a hill, with small walk-up steps made of stone mosaics. Surrounded by boutique shops and a couple of markets, this was the only restaurant on the block; you couldn’t miss it. You understood quickly why Rich took this location. He meets you at the entrance, greeting each other in dos besos. 

“Welcome, let me show you around. Mingyu is already here.” You walk into the small waiting area before entering a gorgeous main dining area with walls made of Spanish moss brick. The bar is neatly placed in the middle, already loaded with the finest wines and other liquors. The dining tables and chairs are made of mahogany, giving you a vibe that you are back home in the country. 

“Ah, there he is,” Rich looks to your right.

Mingyu walks up, wearing a white beater accentuating his well-toned arms and acid-blue jeans that hit him perfectly. You couldn’t stop ogling him if you wanted to; you would’ve thought he was a model off the street if you didn't know him. His eyes scan Rich and Shena before landing on you, a slight smirk on his lips that only you seem to notice. Ever since your encounter at the airport, he’s been on your mind, and you hate it. You still feel his hands on your hips on the train, as if he imprinted on you.  

“I’m sorry,” he says. “I had to find the bathroom.” “No worries,” Rich waves him off. “Let me show you around.” 

He takes you to where your cooking stations would be, explaining how everything was set up and where to find your ingredients so you could prepare them. The competition is in three days, giving you enough time to finish your menu and prep before the big day. The kitchen is magnificent, a sight straight out of your daydreams: stainless steel appliances, expensive cast irons, and utensils you’ve always wanted that were way out of your budget. You may hate the idea of this competition, but working at this location would be a dream come true. 

“Imagine if we got to work here,” Shena whispers. “I’ve only seen kitchens like these on Master Chef.” You nod in agreement, your fingers barely grasping the counter's surface. Rich finishes showing you around and asks everyone what their plans are leading up to the big day.  “Nothing, just prepping and looking around the city a bit more,” you shrug. “Well, that sounds boring! ” He exclaims. “Madrid has such a fun nightlife. It would be a shame for you to miss out. As a matter of fact, why don’t you kids go to Kapital tomorrow? I can get you a table, and you can let loose.”

“Well, shit, okay!” Shena pipes up before you can respond. 

You groan internally, not in the mood to be body-to-body against strangers, sweating your hair out during loud music. You don’t see yourself having fun until this whole thing is over. How does this guy expect you to relax? It’s not like his dreams are on the line. You look over at Mingyu, who matches your gaze, leaning against one of the refrigerators. 

“Yeah,” his eyes finally tear away from you. “I’m down.”

You’re the only one left who hasn’t given an answer, and everyone is looking at you expecting one. 

“Okay, let’s do it,” you mask your disdain with a smile. 

“Great!” He claps his hands in excitement. “I will send you the details later and get you set up. Have fun.” 

Rich walks you out, and you ask for the bathroom. You need a moment to pee and think in peace. He points you toward one, and you walk into the grand bathroom decorated with an old European interior that was undoubtedly above your salary. You walk to the furthest stall away from the door, rubbing your temples as you do what you need to do. For the most part, you handle stress well. You compartmentalize your feelings about what needs to be done, and you’ve been fine. Even now, with this competition vastly approaching and Mingyu somehow encompassing your thoughts when you’re around him, you’re fine. You haven’t cracked.

You aren’t sure why this is affecting you so much. You still think about when he touched you on the train and how your body felt alive. You haven’t been with anyone in a long time. Is your body so desperate for intimacy that you melt at the first person who gives you attention? No, that can’t be it. You’ve been fine all this time. Why is Mingyu getting under your skin? Shaking those thoughts away, you wash your hands and look at yourself in the mirror, taking a deep breath. Swinging the door wide open, you are met by the man who has been plaguing your thoughts since you’ve been here. He was waiting for you, his back leaned against the wall, fiddling with a toothpick in his mouth. 

“Rich and Shena are waiting for you… you can get kind of lost here,” Mingyu says. 

“Mmhmm,” you nod slowly. “Well, let’s go.” The walk back to the front feels longer than it is. He hums a soft tune as he strides beside you, like he’s your equal, your partner. You wouldn’t admit this out loud, but you feel comfortable. 

“So, what have you been doing since you’ve landed?” Mingyu asks.

“I did some sightseeing,” you respond. “I visited the Almudena Cathedral and the local markets with Shena and got some ingredients for the competition. Oh, and worked on the menu.” “That’s it?” Mingyu looks surprised. “There is so much more of Madrid you have to see.” “Well, it’s not like I have a lot of time to go out there and explore,” you defend yourself. “Plus, I can’t really relax with this thing coming up.” You point at the kitchen. “How do you do it?” “How about I show you?” 

You stop dead in your tracks a few feet away from the door. 

“What do you mean show me?” You eye him suspiciously. “I’m going to pick you and Shena up tomorrow, and we will explore together. There’s so much the world has to offer besides cooking and work.”

“How are you gonna do that?”

“You’ll see.”

You both walk outside, and Shena sits at one of the tables, talking candidly on the phone. Rich is nowhere to be found. The moon peeks over the horizon, the white orb’s light shining over the waters. Normally, you wouldn't agree to such a thing, but he has a point. Maybe you should live a little. “You are something. You know that?

Mingyu shrugs, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I just believe in living life to the fullest. We don’t know how long we may have.”

You eye him more, studying his face in hopes that you can find a false truth and be more at ease. When you don’t, it does the opposite of relaxing you; it makes you nervous. You might be starting to like this guy.

Fine,” you sigh. “I’ll send you the address.”

“He’s here!” You check yourself out in the mirror, smoothing the middle of your blue floral white dress. You opted to wear your hair in a low bun, matching earrings, and a necklace you’ve had for years.  Sliding on your white sandals, you grab your purse and leave your room. “Phew!” Shena whistles at you. “Qué guapa estás!”

You roll your eyes playfully as she pops out of her seat, sporting a white top and blue jeans, accessorized with a light cardigan and a simple gold necklace. You usually wouldn’t dress up this nice for an outing with friends (and Mingyu), but you wanted to be prepared for anything, and it would kill you if you were underdressed. Plus, you were going to be in Europe! Why wouldn’t you want to be prepared?

You walk out of your Airbnb and meet Mingyu as he comes in. He is dressed casually in a white collared shirt and black shorts, the slight breeze lifting his shirt and exposing his abs. It took a lot of brainpower to look away, instead diverting your attention to the inside of your purse. He looks tanned and relaxed, as if he is one with Madrid. If only you could relax like that. 

“Hey, Gyu,” Shena waves. “Thank you for leading the way on this grand adventure.” 

“No problem,” Mingyu smiled. “I want this to be a fun day, and I figured we have a driver, so why not?”

He looks at you, and your heart patters. The sun and slight breeze do not help your plight as you fight internally against acknowledging how sexy he looks. You hate your body for the way it’s betraying you right now, feeling inadvertently turned on. 

“You look pretty,” he marveled at you. 

“Thanks,” you nod sheepishly, walking to the black car behind him. “Let’s get going, shall we?”

There is a tiny bit of you that wants you to look good for him, to be seen that you put in the effort. When you get in the car, you greet the driver, sitting in the back row, hoping he will get the hint that you want to be left to yourself and your thoughts. But that didn’t work that way, as he climbs in and sits right next to you, with Shena seated in the row in front. His cologne is light, different from the usual sweet, chocolatey smell you’re accustomed to when he’s around. It’s enchanting, exciting, and further puts you in a mood. “So where are we going?” Shena probed, snapping on her seatbelt. “The Royal Palace,” Mingyu announced. “They have a tour, and I figured we could get lunch afterward.”

The driver pulls off, and you gaze outside the window, admiring the beautiful architecture of Madrid. Visiting the Royal Palace was on your bucket list, but you didn’t think you would have time. You’ve seen the pictures on Pinterest and talked to some locals at the restaurant who have been, but you’ve always been told that tickets are hard to get. You never thought it would be attainable for you.

“What are you thinking about?” Mingyu’s deep voice infiltrates your thoughts. 

“Nothing, really,” you say, smoothing out your dress. “I am just enjoying the foreign atmosphere.” 

“Foreign atmosphere?” Mingyu chuckles. “That’s an interesting way of saying you enjoy the view.”

“Well, are we not in a foreign place?” You retort. 

“Well, yes.”

“Alright then.” You look back out the window, biting your lip to hold back a grin. You are thankful for the soft tunes from the car radio, letting the reggaeton beats drown out your very loud thoughts. Mingyu gets you riled up in a way that no one can. He doesn’t frustrate you in ways like the other men do at the restaurant. Deep down, it’s not in an ill manner; he is just like the golden retriever: nudging your leg with a bone in his mouth, begging you to play with him.

“I brought you something,” he nudges your shoulder. “I know you didn’t eat.” You look down and see that he is holding a granola bar coated with vanilla and almonds, poking out of a sandwich bag. The sweet smell is heaven to your nose, and your mouth slightly salivates. He tapes Shena on the shoulder, handing her one of her own.

“You made this?” Shena probes, carefully taking it from him. “This is really sweet.”

You take a small bite of it, and your taste buds do a happy dance. The vanilla was freshly made, and you taste the granola, almond, and sweet spices used to make this perfect bar. You aren’t big on breakfast, as you’re used to getting up and moving on the go, but occasionally, you will grab a granola bar and eat it on your breaks at work, this one explicitly being your favorite. Maybe Mingyu knows you better than you thought.

“You’re right,” you confessed. “I hadn’t eaten anything. Thank you.” The car pulls to a stop, arriving at the grandiose building known as The Royal Palace. You wait until everyone leaves the vehicle, barely climbing out without tripping over your feet. Standing outside of the gates, you are in awe. You aren’t sure if it’s dopamine, but the air suddenly feels different and almost cleaner. You scrambled into your purse, pulling out your portable camera to photograph the palace. This place may not be one of the world's seven wonders, but in your heart, it is. “Oooo, let’s take pictures while we are here,” Shena squeals.

She pulls you and Mingyu close to her, takes over the camera, and snaps a few photos together and separately. Usually, you would be annoyed if it was someone else, but she is your best friend. You can let her get away with a few things. Mingyu goes to the booth to confirm they have arrived, returning with three tickets to take inside. “We can go in through a separate entrance since I got the tickets ahead of time,” he announces. You flip through the pictures through the camera, excited to take more. You feel his eyes bore into you, and you suddenly feel hot. 

“What are you looking at?” You say, putting your camera away. 

“Your smile,” he confesses with a cheeky grin. “I want to see it more often.”

You gaze at each other for a moment, your mouth parted with much to say and nothing at the same time. Mingyu keeps leaving you speechless, and you aren’t mad about it anymore.

“Are you two gonna keep staring at each other lovingly, or are we gonna do this thing?” Shena’s words snap you out of your reverie, and Mingyu chuckles, shoving his hands in his pockets. You walk over to her, linking your arm with yours. 

“There is nothing loving going on.”

“Sure, whatever you say,” she rolls her eyes. “Let’s go look at some royalty.”

When you planned for this trip, you set a time to visit the Almudena Cathedral, visit the local markets, and plan your menu. You weren’t going to hold Shena to that standard even though she is your assistant. You thought you would be fine if you focused on nothing but food and didn’t get distracted. Mingyu, however, might be proving you wrong. 

You sit at his Airbnb, watching him make lunch for you and Shena. He insisted on making something instead of eating out somewhere, and who are you to turn down a free meal? The Royal Palace was everything you imagined, learning about the history of Spain beyond what was in your textbooks in high school. You consider yourself a history buff, wanting to learn more about the world across the different seas. You’ve had that desire when you were a little girl, sitting on your grandmother’s lap and listening to her stories from when she traveled as a young adult. She never got to visit Spain, but she talked about it a lot, being that they were world conquerors (or, as you like to say, colonizers) back in the day. You really miss her. 

Mingyu sets your plate in front of you, a fried calamari sandwich with a side of garlicky mayo and fries he made himself. He tops it off with a small squeeze of lemon juice, just as you like it. When you make this at the restaurant, you always add lemon juice on top to give it more depth, but instead of the mayo, you have paprika-spiced tomato sauce on the side. Either way, this shows that Mingyu has been paying attention when you felt incognito. 

“Dig in,” he announces, sitting next to you at the island bar. 

It’s a comfortable silence between you three, munching away at your well-seasoned meal. If you had to be honest with yourself, it’s the best sandwich you have ever had. He fried the calamari in olive oil, turning it every minute or so because it doesn’t take that long to cook. He apparently had the calamari sitting in milk in the refrigerator since this morning, allowing it to tenderize before mixing it with his own seasoning flour. You and Shena offered to help, but he turned you down, stating you were his guests and he wanted to treat you to something good before you went out later that night. 

“This was really good,” Shena praises him as she wipes her mouth with a napkin. “You have to come over again and make these for Lumina and me.”

“Anything for you two,” he teases. “As long as you keep making those margaritas.” They howl in laughter, and you feel a bit awkward as if they have an inside joke that you aren’t a part of. You smile politely, finishing off the last bit of your food before getting off your stool and grabbing your plate to wash. 

“Aht aht,” Shena blurts, scrambling out of her seat. “I will be handling the cleanup. You two sit out there and act like you like each other.”

Your eyes throw darts at her for that last sentence, and she blows you a kiss as you walk to the balcony for some fresh air. The warm sun is welcome on your skin, the warmth taking away the chill you have in your bones from inside. You stare out into the sea, watching the boats go back and forth from the ports, the busy life from the markets a site to behold. You feel completely at peace for the first time since you’ve been here. 

“Do you mind if I join you?” Mingyu pokes his head out from the balcony door, holding a pink lemonade decorated with an umbrella. 

“Sure, if you are bringing that,” you quip, pointing at the drink. 

“Of course, princess,” he jests back.

As you take the drink, you raise an eyebrow, debating whether you should be annoyed at that nickname or amused that he’s teasing you. He stands comfortably next to you, admiring the cerulean blue waters in front of you. 

“This place is beautiful, isn’t it?” He sighs heavily. “I don’t want to leave.” 

You look at him, his happy-go-lucky nature replaced by a look of sadness and longing. It’s unnerving, as you have always seen him with a warm orange aura around him. His hands grip the gate as he takes a softer, deeper breath, turning to face you. 

“Can I ask you something?”

You nod slowly, your anxiety ticking up about what he wants to ask. 

“What got you into cooking?”

You look away, staring back into the calm sea. No one has bothered to ask you anything personally about yourself besides Shena and Lumina, and you are unsure how to respond. It would mean opening a part of you to someone new, and you haven’t done that in a long time. It means that you would have to relieve your past and start trusting him, and you are scared of that. 

Stepping across the magical line of faith and hope, you take a sip of your lemonade. “My grandma used to cook a lot growing up, and I would sit in the kitchen and watch her. Whatever you wanted, she could make it. My parents weren’t around, and she was the one who raised me. I eventually started cooking with her, which spurned my love for cooking, but mainly because I was doing it with her.” You pause, your breath shaky as you relive one of the hardest moments of your life. “On Christmas, I found her unconscious beside her chair. Apparently, she had a stroke and didn’t have oxygen for fifteen minutes before I saw her. I did everything I could to save her by hooking her with her oxygen machine before the paramedics arrived, but it was too late. She was declared brain dead.”

Hot tears fall down your cheeks, and you wipe them away quickly, embarrassed that you let yourself reach this point in front of Mingyu. He pulls you into his arms, allowing you to cry a little in his arms. Unbeknownst to you, Shena walks out and notices your tears, but Mingyu shushes her quietly, allowing you to grieve just a little bit longer. You regain your composure, giving yourself some space and adjusting his shirt. “I ruined your shirt,” you pout. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I did that.” 

“Don’t worry about it,” he smiled softly. “You need something to lean on, and I’m glad I got to be that for you.”

Gazing into his eyes, you see the familiar warm orange swirling in his little orbs. Inadvertently, you move closer to him, your heart and body overruling your mind for once. Mingyu responds kindly, pulling you closer to him with his hands dangerously on your hips. 

“Is it okay if I—”

“Mingyu, do it before I change my mind.”

His lips press against yours, and your legs almost buckle. It is soft and tentative, as if he is playing it safe in case you want out. But you don’t; instead, you kiss him deeper. It is as if something takes over you, and you can’t stop. Call it desire, passion, or any other synonym, but it’s what you feel. You want him, and so does he. His hands travel lower, giving your butt a soft squeeze, and you accidentally moan in his mouth. You think he likes it, though, because his bulge is hardening against your center. 

“If we don’t stop, there is no coming back from this,” he breathes.

Your mind regains consciousness at those words; you know he is right. With one last kiss, you begrudgingly pull away, walking back inside and squarely bumping into Shena. 

“Whoa, where’s the fire?” She joked while taking a good look at you. 

“Nothing, let’s just go,” you insist. “We still have to get ready for tonight and all.”

Shena looks at you and the balcony suspiciously but doesn’t say anything; honestly, you appreciate that. You don’t know how you can answer any questions she may throw at you. All you know right now is Mingyu drives you fucking crazy. 

Part 2 will be coming soon. Likes, reblogs, and feedback are much appreciated :)

tag: @nonuify

[atinystraynstay]

Guardian Angel - Jeon Wonwoo

Synopsis: Wonwoo is a mysterious individual. Not that he tried to be, but he always had his guard up. He didn't want to fall casualty to a world that could turn so cold. Can you be the one person that finds the secret passage into his world?

Pairing: College Student!Jeon Wonwoo x fem. reader

Genre: "I'm here for you" girl meets "I'm not good at opening up" boy

Inspired by @aaniag - thanks for tagging me in this post ♡ cannot wait to bring all of these into reality First Encounters Mini Series: #1: #2: #3: #4: Wonwoo #5: Jeonghan #6: #7: #8: Dino

Warnings: mentions alcohol consumption

Word Count: 3.7k

Being friends with Kim Mingyu came with a lot of perks. You always had an invite to the biggest parties on campus, knew someone who could walk you home when you had a bit too much to drink, and a constant study partner who would bring coffee to the study sessions.

On the outside, it is easy to assume you and Mingyu were a couple. And you knew one day, Mingyu would make a woman very happy. I mean, he was the poster child of what it means to be a Golden Retriever Boyfriend.

Yet, you have never been attracted to Mingyu like that. Of course, he treated you like royalty, but in some ways, he was showing you the way you deserved to be treated. Mingyu was always the one to give you dating and relationship advice, which was extremely helpful given he was able to give the male perspective. And vice versa, you were always there to hype up and encourage Mingyu to go after women he found attractive. Despite the confidence he exudes, he was a rather shy individual.

Your friendship with Mingyu was a prized possession in your life, and you never wanted to do something to risk. Even though you had a crush on his best friend, Jeon Wonwoo.

Unlike Mingyu, you knew next to nothing about Wonwoo. You often saw him every now and then when he was out with Mingyu, but the two of you never seemed to exchange words. There was just something about him that lured you in.

And you were hoping tonight would be the opportunity to change that.

For the past few weeks, you have been trying to gather intel on Wonwoo. Most of the time when you hung out with Mingyu, you asked about his best friend. It didn't take long for the giant man to put the puzzle pieces together. Instantly, Mingyu devised a plan to try to get his two favorite people together.

Midterms would be coming to an end on Friday, and he knew everyone would want to come out and celebrate. Rather than going to the bars, Mingyu suggested he hosted a house party filled with his closest friends. Both so everyone could be comfortable and enjoy themselves, but also so Wonwoo might open up more during the party. He wasn't the type of guy who preferred going out on the weekends. Often, his weekends were filled with either studying or playing video games. Mingyu was almost certain that a house party could get his introverted best friend to come out of his room.

After sending different outfit options to Mingyu, and each text was responded with "looks good," you decided on a black jeans and a black, long-sleeved crop top. You wore gold jewelry for the comparison, but also decided to wear your hair down for now. You did keep a white scrunchie around your wrist, in case you or someone else might need it throughout the night.

Your goal was to look presentable, but not too over the top. It was a house party, after all. Tonight would be a great opportuntiy not just to hang out with friends you haven't seen in a while, but also maybe know Wonwoo on a deeper level. While yes, you did like him, you were unsure of where his mind was at. Even Mingyu was clueless on Wonwoo's love life as it was a topic rarely they engaged in. Being friends with Wonwoo could always be the start.

With a bottle of vodka and a bottle of Berry Lemonade held by your hip, your free hand knocked on the door. You could already hear music and chatter coming from inside. Growing out of hopping from frat house to frat house, house parties were becoming more of your comfort zone. Maybe that's what it meant to be an upperclassman?

"Hi Barbie!" "Hi Ken!"

Mingyu quickly retrieved one of the bottles from you, making your load lighter. You could have managed carrying both, but that was Mingyu just being himself. He wrapped his free arm around you to pull you into a hug. "Woah, you're wearing perfume tonight? Must really want to impress someone."

Quickly, you pulled back from the embrace and slapped his chest. Your eyes narrowed on him before he broke out into a fit of laughter. Yeah, Mingyu definitely was not your boyfriend.

"You do look great though, y/n!" "Not half bad yourself, Gyu," you laughed.

The two of you ventured into the kitchen after closing the door. Mingyu's parties never got too crazy. He always knew who was invited, and it was always known nobody else unless an invite was extended by Mingyu himself or you asked if you could bring someone along with you. He just never liked the unpredictability of strangers entering his home. Wonwoo and him also despised the clean-up afterwards too when people didn't respect their home. That was one way to never get invited again.

Upon entering the kitchen, you were greeted with cheers. Both from the guys invested in the game of Flip Cup but also by the ones that noticed you. Seungkwan, Dino, and Hoshi were all grinning at you. Currently, it seemed like Seungcheol and Joshua were going head-to-head in a match with Dokyeom and Jeonghan waiting there turn. Vernon, Minghao, Jun, and Woozi were all spectating. All that was missing was Wonwoo.

Noticing you take a headcount, Mingyu grinned. He's gotten to know you all too well over the course of your friendship. "He's out back on the patio," he whispered into his ear.

He must have been able to escape with the guys distracted, and the bodies that filled the first floor of their college townhouse apartment.

"Y/n! Wanna take a shot?" Hoshi shouted to you. "Hell yeah."

A little liquid courage never hurt. Mingyu chuckled as he got to work preparing your mixed drinks for the two of you. Hoshi was eagerly pouring out shots for the 14 people. He must still think Wonwoo is in the room.

"Hey, where's Wonwoo?" DK finally asked once he finished his turn with flip cup. "Oh, I think he must have slipped outside," Mingyu quickly responded. "I can go check on him after," you offered.

It was not unusual for you to take on almost a 'mother' role. Like Mingyu, you liked being there for people. You liked when people felt uncomfortable around you or that you could help someone out, no matter how big the task might be.

"That's our eomma," Dino shouted.

You rolled your eyes playfully but couldn't wipe the smile off your face. It did really feel good to be seen in positive light.

Mingyu placed your red solo cups in front of you. You smiled at the sight of your mixed drink, knowing that it would help the liquor slid down your throat. You weren't the biggest fan of vodka, but if you had something to chase? You were golden. Plus, you were now able to take your drink and able to slip away to find Wonwoo.

"Alright fuckers, some of us are seniors. Top dogs, but we always have our pack to support us. " Hoshi began. Oh boy.

Promptly, DK started barking which encouraged the rest of the boys to join in. Sometimes you question why you are friends with them, but you knew they were all irreplaceable.

"I just love you guys so much." Uh oh. Looks like Hoshi has already had a bit more to drink than the rest of the group. "Here's the last few months before we become boring."

The shot glasses dropped down to the table before meeting all of your lips. You cringed a bit at the feeling of straight vodka hitting your mouth but quickly swallowed. With your free hand, you were able to rid of the taste with the mixed drink which made you immediately relax. You sighed as you could already feel how warm your stomach felt from the liquor entering your system.

"Go get your boy," Mingyu teased you in a hushed tone. "HEY! Secrets makes frenemies and I want us all to be besties," Hoshi shouted as he caught you and Mingyu talking. "Relax, tiger. I'm just telling her where I think Wonwoo ran off to."

Hoshi seemed to relax before instantly distracted by the next game Jun proposed. Mingyu sighed, knowing he was going to be on Hoshi duty tonight. Again. You patted his shoulder comfortingly before slipping away to the porch.

Keeping your drink above your head, so you wouldn't accidentally spill or drop it on anyone or anything, you navigated through the crowd of people. For someone who liked to keep parties small, there was always a large turn out for Mr. Popular. You offered friendly smiles at familiar faces, as you kept your eyes locked on the back patio.

As the people around you began to dissipate, you saw a figure sitting on the steps of the back porch. It wasn't much of a porch really. Just a set of wooden steps with a deck, but it was like luxury to any college student. It also is why people favorited Mingyu's spot for partying on the weekends.

You were able to easily identify the person outside just based off the broad shoulders. It has been quite a few weeks since you last saw Mingyu, but you liked seeing how long his hair has gotten since then. You always thought he looked better with a bit of length to his haircut.

Gently, you slid the back patio door hoping not to startle him. He did, however, whip his head around to see who was responsible but then immediately relaxed when he saw it was you. While you two were not close yet, he recognized you. Wonwoo also knew just how important you were to Mingyu, so you were never seen as a threat. Quite frankly, he just didn't know how to approach you since the two of you had not had a proper conversation one-on-one.

"Oh hi, y/n," he called out gently. His voice was always calm in his deep tone. It was oe of the things you adored about Wonwoo. His voice was calm to you like the ocean, and you always seemed to cling onto every word he spoke.

"Hey Wonwoo," you said in your usual tone, not wanting to be perceived as a threat. "Mind if I join you?"

His eyes slightly widened as he heard you. Only the guys ever really approached Wonwoo, so it was a bit surprising that someone would want to accompany him.

"Oh um sure."

Wonwoo scooted over from where he was sitting, offering his spot for you. You smiled appreciatively before fully stepping into the patio. You closed the door behind you, both to respect Wonwoo's privacy and to keep the house warm. It was apparent that Wonwoo had wondered out here for a reason, so you wanted to respectful and show through your actions you were someone he could trust. You also were not wanting to hear Mingyu nagging at you for causing the electricity bill to rise in the month of March.

Slowly, you made your way over until you sat down next to him. You set your drink but the edge, so if you accidentally spilled, it could go into the grass rather than the cute boy beside you.

"Enjoying the party?" Wonwoo asked in a soft tone.

It wasn't monotone. It was his usual deep tone. But as he spoke, you noticed that his gaze was seemed to be locked on the moon above the two of you. It was still a bit chilly when the sun was hidden, but you were comfortable. The alcohol definitely aiding.

"Yeah, actually. Much better than being coped up studying," you joked.

"Yeah, I feel you," he sighed. You watched the way he pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose. It was such a little thing, something he probably doesn't even think about it. Yet, you found it to be the most adorable thing. "You're in the political science program, right?"

Your heart undeniably did a little flip knowing that he remembered that detail to you. Maybe Mingyu has held up his promise and talked to Wonwoo about you, not just saying he had to make you feel more at ease. You nodded your head as you looked over at hi. It was just a habit of yours. You didn't expect him to look over at you, but you wanted to show him that you were present in the moment and ready to listen to whatever he wanted to say. Or even if you two just sat here in silence for a little. There was just something screaming within you that you he needed you tonight.

You just had no idea that he knew anything about you given that you only were on first name basis.

"Yeah," you spoke softly, unable to wipe the gentle smile on your face. "And you're in the computer science program?"

Wonwoo nodded, smiling a bit as well. Wonwoo never was the guy he thought people took interest in. Honestly, every day, he feels just blessed to say he has some of the best friends who want to drag him out of his bedroom. Most people might not even notice his absence. And Wonwoo did that subconsciously, just as a defense mechanism. He has been on the receiving end of bullying and life's unfortunate events. He just found himself isolating more as a way to cope.

"If you don't mind me asking," you began, biting your lip. "Why are you out here by yourself? Is everything ok?" "I think?"

You couldn't help but frown at Wonwoo's response. You were too familiar with the uncertain feeling and knew how troubling it can be. While everyone faces their own difficulties in life, you never liked hearing that other people are struggling.

"I just," he began to open it up.

Now you were the surprised on. Never before would you expect to be Wonwoo's confidant, but you knew it was a job title of upmost importance. You just hoped your surprised expression was not portrayed on your face. If Wonwoo needed someone to vent to, you'd gladly step up.

He glanced at you to see if you were listening. Satisfied to see your eyes on him with a soft gaze, he let out a shaky breath. For the first time in a while, he felt like he was able to confide in someone. He knew the guys were always in his corner, but he ever wished to worry them too much. To some extent, Wonwoo prided himself in his own ability to take care of himself.

It was just that he's been struggling for some time.

"Everything is changing," he chuckled almost out of self-pity. "It's just been hitting me that all of this," he motioned to the party behind him. "Will not be here in a few months. Hell, not even in a few weeks since we all graduate soon. I know I should be in there partying it up, living in the present but I cannot help but think of how we all won't be together like this and it makes me sad."

It was almost like looking into the future as Wonwoo described his inner turmoil. You and Mingyu, and a few of the other guys, were still had another year or two left in college. However, Wonwoo and the other guys would be graduating this upcoming May.

"Do you know where the other guys have decided to go?" You asked in a quite tone. You hope you weren't upsetting him by your questions.

Wonwoo slowly nodded. "Yeah, I think Seungcheol and Jeonghan are moving to the city. Seungkwan has talked about moving in with them once he graduates next year. Joshua and Jun have jobs lined up in their hometowns, so they'll be moving out probably at the end of May. Hoshi? I have no clue. He hasn't even applied to any jobs yet. And Woozi and I have been applying to graduate schools. He's leaning towards business and I think I want to go in a more software engineering route."

"Have you heard back from any schools yet?"

Wonwoo couldn't fight the smile creeping on his face. He knew you cared deeply about Mingyu's friends, but he never thought he would be looped into that circle. He always kept his distance just because it was just convenient, it's what he knew. It also kept him safe in a world filled with chaos and unpredictability.

"Yeah, I actually heard from two schools, so I'm trying to decide. One of the schools is here."

He whispered the last part. It spoke volumes to you. The thought of Wonwoo staying here meant that you might be able to make things work with Wonwoo. That is, if he was opened to the idea of you dating.

"Like part of me wants to run away from here," he explained.

While you weren't quite at the same stage as life, you understood the need. It was part of the reason why you chose to go away for university whereas all your high school classmates chose more local programs. You wanted a change of scenery, a new beginning.

"So much has changed since freshman year. I'm definitely not the same person I was. I've had my challenges like losing my mom a year and a half ago," he explained. "And all those hard times happened while I was here, so I almost have a need to move and leave the pain behind.

His casual mentioning of his mother's passing brought back memories. You remember how all the guys rallied behind Wonwoo. Some of them even skipped final presentations and exams in order to be there for Wonwoo at the funeral. You knew it wasn't in your place to attend the funeral, but you cooked a warm cooked meal for all of them. It was Wonwoo's favorite dish. It at least wanted to do a nice gesture, so Wonwoo knew he wasn't alone. You still remember dropping the dish off with Mingyu with re-heating instructions.

To this day, he has no idea how that dish arrived. He just figured one of the guys ordered DoorDash.

While Mingyu begged you to stay, so you could give it to Wonwoo himself, you didn't want to overstep. You knew grief takes all shapes and forms, os you thought the best thing you could do was give the space for Wonwoo to feel his emotions.

Little did you know he's been harboring those emotions this whole time, almost two years later.

'But then part of me worries about the younger guys. I don't want them to feel abandoned. I don't want the group to fall apart once we all move, and it feels like if I stay here then I can keep us together even while the other guys go off."

"Almost like you are the glue that keeps them all together?" "Yeah, I guess that's the best way to explain it." "But Wonwoo, what keeps you together?"

He furrowed his eyebrows as he fully looked at you. What an odd question. And based on his reaction, you felt the need to elaborate.

"I mean, it's great that you always look out for everyone. You're a real nurturer," you explained.

Wonwoo has never been described in such light before. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep the blush from overtaking his cheeks. He shrugged though as if it was no big deal.

"But what are you doing to take care of yourself? I'm not asking you to make a decision now to either stay or go because going to grad school is a big decision. Congratulations, by the way. That's incredible!"

How could you always see the positive side of things? How hasn't life damaged your spirit like it has for him? How could you see good in him when he often failed to see it in himself?

"I know it's easy to feel like you need to harbor your own emotions because it's easy. But Wonwoo, that shit can break you."

Woah. Who would have thought y/n could swear.

"I'm always going to be here if you need me, you know. I'm not just Mingyu's friend, but I could like to consider us friends too, if that is something you'd like. I'm always here if you need a place to vent, especially if it's away from the guys. I know they can be…" you trailed off.

You didn't want to offend Wonwoo as that was his core group of friends. You were just a side character brought in every now and then.

"A lot," Wonwoo finished for you.

You both shared a laugh as you nodded, confirming to Wonwoo that was the word you were looking for. Silence fell over the two of you for a moment. All that could be heard was the sound of people laughing from within the house and the crickets chirping in the backyard. It was peaceful.

"You know, I've always wanted to say more than hello to you, y/n. Thank you for letting me vent. I wasn't expecting for it all to just spew out like that," he confessed.

Looking at him, you nodded a blush had fully taken over his cheeks but a wide smile remained on his lips. He looked too adorable. The moonlight was highlight his facial features which left you starstruck. He truly was built like a God.

You scooted closer so you could wrap your arms around Wonwoo. He tried his best not to let his body go tense. Wonwoo just wasn't accustomed to someone showing him affection in such a physical way. To be honest, he couldn't remember the last time he actually had a hug.

Slowly, his arms wrapped around you to pull you in closer. You didn't mind his hold on you was a bit tight. He clearly needed it. Your head rested on his shoulder, which allowed you to get a whiff of his cologne. Teakwood and oak. It made your heart fluttered.

But what really sealed the deal was feeling Wonwoo's head rest on top of yours gently.

"Always here for you, Wonwoo." "Promise?" He whispered. "I promise."

[bluewhitehues]

Hug | Kim Mingyu

Summary: You secretly like your bestfriend chan,he has no idea and sets you up on a blind date with his friend and hyung Mingyu.

Genre: Angst? (Little bit), comfort, strangers to lovers, fluff

Warning: mentions of anxiety

Pairing: Idol Kim Mingyu × (f) reader

Part 7

The next time you meet mingyu is at Chan's birthday party. After a month, because you both have been so busy, but you've been texting each other meanwhile and needless to say you're much more closer to each other than before.

You arrive at the venue and greet everyone.You didn't see mingyu there yet, and wonwoo is missing as well that means they're may be late .

Chan had told you earlier on the call that he's going to introduce his girlfriend to you and the boys today at the party and he's been so excited about it saying 'I've already told her a lot about you guys and I've feeling you're gonna love her,she's sweet.'

And when you approach Chan, she's there as well.

"Heyy, Happy Birthday birthday boy." You say smiling at him.

"Y/n you're here!!! Thank you." He says exitedly smiling, extending his arms and enveloping you in a hug. You hug him back smiling.Then you give him his gift, he thanks you.

"Yunjin come here.." he says motioning his girlfriend.

"Y/n this is yunjin my girlfriend and yunjin this is y/n my bestfriend.. " he says introducing you both excitedly and kind of nervously.

"Hey finally ..it's so nice to meet you." you say smiling at her brightly because she really seems nice and you hope she really is cause chan deserves nothing less.

"Hey nice to meet you too,he talks about you and the boys a lot" she returns your big smile.

"Yeah, they're like the most important people in my life, so you've to know them" he says smiling softly at her.

You smile at them,"And he talks about you too, he really likes you."

She blushes a little at that, looking at him saying"really.?... I'm glad to know that." Then he also blushes.

The party is starting to get crowded and more people are coming towards chan to greet him,so you excuse yourself to go sit somewhere, he asks if you will be ok.. knowing you don't really like crowded places and parties. You assure him you'll be ok saying,"the other guys are here I'll talk to them don't worry about me." you pat his shoulder and go towards a table. You sit there with a drink looking at everyone, these things are really not your type, you feel uneasy at such big parties, it was bearable the other times because chan was there with you to talk to you and all..and you're trying not to think about that cause one: it's his party and he can't be with you.And second: now he has someone he'll be with from now onwards, and honestly he can't be with you everytime anyway.

The other boys are busy as well conversing with everyone, you wished atleast mingyu was here but then you think what if he ignores you.. and your uneasiness just keeps increasing, you're thinking you'll just go home in few minutes. With having no-one to talk with you, you're feeling out of the place, like you're the only one different from the whole world. Amidst of your overthinking you didn't notice Mingyu entering the party, first he went to chan, greeted him and he spotted you straight away and was coming to you but people kept talking to him, he didn't get to go towards you but he's been noticing you and your nervous/ anxious state ...he thinks is it because Chan's girlfriend is here? But he wants to go to you and comfort you whatever the reason is...

You get up to go the bar for a drink to ease up your nerves. At that moment Mingyu comes to you patting your shoulder to get your attention, you flinch looking back.

"Did I scare you ..sorryyy" he says looking at you.

And you both stop for a moment just looking at each other because it's been a month and god have you missed each other ...You totally did...

" Hey...you're late" you say looking up at him.

"Why? were you looking for me?" He asks giving you a playful smile. He expects you to say no but you actually nod at him. "I was..I met everyone and you weren't there" and you just look so adorable and your puppy eyes are melting his insides. He coos at you saying aww and hugging you.And it was so sudden you didn't expect it, and looks like he didn't either cause he goes stiff and his hands halt at your shoulders, he's pulling back panicking ,eyes wide ,"sorry I just- I didn't mean to- I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable" he says in one go making you shush him. He can't make you uncomfortable..he just can't have bad intentions, he's the type who'd think about others a lot,more than himself sometimes.

"Noo hey.. you didn't make me uncomfortable at all it's ok... in fact I actually needed a hug." You admit, looking down, holding his pinky finger in your hand. He looks at you and then down at your hands. He quickly envelopes your small hand in his big one,stroking his thumb over your knuckles.

You'd have actually cried if he had hugged you any longer , you just feel so exhausted, your social battery is out.

"Hey look at me..are you ok what happened ?" He asks concerned.

"Nothing just .. I don't really like big parties and crowded places it makes me uneasy ..and also I felt out of place .. everyone was talking among themselves..and my social battery is kinda out"

Well Mingyu has seen you in parties before and he has noticed you're not really a party person, you always looked somwhat uneasy.

"Ohh.. it's not because of Chan's girlfriend is it? Like did you guys talk ? Sorry if I'm wrong." He don't know why he wanted to ask that, cause you did say you liked chan and seeing him with his girlfriend must've been hard for you, he thinks.

You look up at him shaking your head, "Noo why'd you think that ,it's nothing like that..we did talk chan introduced us and she was sweet, she's nice." "And besides I want chan to be happy, just because I had a crush on him it doesn't mean I'll be jealous or something like that. It's not like that at all and first of all he looks so happy with her, I'm not that selfish to think about myself..I can assure you right now the only concern I've about them is, I hope she doesn't break his heart and it works out between them cause that idiot deserves nothing less." You say giving him a little smile.

And he notices how you said 'had a crush' the past tense...blame him for focusing on that only.

"Ok my bad..but I'm glad to know that's not the case..I don't want you to hurt...in any way..." He says looking at you with such a intensity,such adoration.

You're blushing but you smile at that looking at him.

Then he says,"Also, from now onwards you don't have to worry about being lonely or uneasy in parties and all ..cause I'll be here and I won't leave you alone ..even for a minute." And god did your heart flutter at that. Because this means a lot to you.

"What if you're just saying it? " You ask quirking your eyebrows at him in question, but your eyes somewhat vulnerable.

He notices that and squeezes your hands,still stroking them.

He shakes his head with a small smile playing on his lips, saying "You'll see it then, I'll prove it to you with my actions."

"I'd love to see that then" you smile at him, you don't notice it but your eyes are filled with tears, they're not falling but they're there..and he just..he wants to make everything alright for you.

"I forgot to tell you ...you look beautiful" he says with a smile. "Thank you, you look handsome yourself." you say with a shy smile.

"I know right, I actually got late because I couldn't stop staring at the mirror" he says sheepishly making you laugh, that's exactly what he wanted to hear.

He smiles admiring you dreamily.

"Annoying as always" you say and he chuckles, suddenly pulling one of your hand to pull you in a hug, you place that hand on his arm,still surprised a little. He pats your head while hugging you, he guides your interlocked hands, placing yours at his waist and his at your waist.. and to you it all feels to intimate. And he's no different, his heart is beating so fast you can feel it..and he feels yours as well.

He sighs closing his eyes..he wanted to hold you from so long it's like he has waited for this since forever. He feels content ...with you in his arms, he has this urge to protect you from the whole world, he won't let any hurt come to you.

You hug for minutes and when you pull back.. both yours and his eyes are teary ..yours are still vulnerable. "What are you doing to me, don't do this" you say in a small voice.

"What am I doing?" he asks, may be he has an idea what you're saying but he wants to hear it from you.

" Being this nice to me, taking care of me and all this ..you've been nothing but nice to me even after our first encounter at the blind date."

He nods at you saying, "Yeah and I told you that day ..I've feelings for you ..I like you and I didn't do all this to woo you..I genuinely want you to be happy and well. I worry about you, I want only good things to happen to you and I just I want to take care of you..tell me you understand that.." he says with vulnerable eyes.

You nod at him saying, " I know you wouldn't do that just to woo me ...but what if I say it did work that way?" You build the courage to say, "what if I started to like you as well?" you ask tilting your head to side, looking up at him. He's confused at first then his eyes go wide . "What?? You're not kidding right ..don't play with my heart like that." He says with a small voice.

You shake your head at him squeezing his hand in yours "No I'm not kidding..at all.You did something to me Kim Mingyu, I keep waiting for you to text me these days and when you do, I get so happy and even tho it's Chan's birthday today, I kept thinking how I'll get to meet you today after a whole month..I kept looking for you today ...and god right now I hate you a little because you're making me say it like this but I want you to know that ...that I'm serious ..not kidding" you say nervously. And he could literally cry his heart out right now cause he didn't expect you'll say something like this to him ..not anytime soon atleast ...but you did. And he doesn't know what to say .."I - I- god I really like you y/n ..I can't believe you just said that ..I'm so - I'm so happy right now" he says laughing a little.

And you hide your face in both of your hands groaning a little, because you've never confessed to a guy .. and now when you did, you feel embarassed a little. He giggles at you, removing your hands from your face .. "Hey come on, you can't hide now ..not after saying that"

"Uh this is so embarrassing,it's all your fault I don't know why I always talk everything out with you ..I've got no filter and it just came out" you whine.

He coos at you,"Awww I'm sooooo glad I do that to you ..and you can't take this one back".. he says like he's threatening you, but he doesn't look like it at all.

"I'm not taking it back" you assure him.

He pulls you closer to him, " yeah good cause I won't let you." He whispers looking in your eyes.

And your damn heart starts doing somersaults, so you push him away a little panicked, looking anywhere but at him. And god he just wants to hide you from the whole world, cause you areeeee adorableeee. He laughs at you.."Behave" you say to him. "Ok ma'am" he says smiling at you,holding your hand again.

"So.. now what? We can't just say we're friends after this, cause friends don't confess to each other.." You ask looking at him nervously shifting from one leg to another. "Now? Now we date ..cause I'm not letting you go anywhere. Do you know how long I've waited for this day?! So ..Would you like to be my girlfriend y/n? Cause I really adore you..I want to take care of you and I'll treat you well....I'll prove it to you..." He says looking at you nervously. His eyes are holding so much sincerity in them.

And god this is the first time a guy is asking you out like this , and it is so intense with his words and those eyes it feels like he's proposing you for marriage, but it's just Kim Mingyu ..he's that charming naturally. Your heart is beating so fast and the fact that you're about to be in a relationship for the first time ..it's just- it couldn't get any better than this.

You nod at him, "I'd very much like it.Also Would you like to be my boyfriend?" You ask tilting your head, giving him a sheepish smile with that adorable blush on your cheeks.

And fuckkkk Mingyu is soooo gone for you. He just can't take it anymore and the fact that he'll be finally having you to himself, he feels like he's in cloud nine. He gives you a big big smile, laughing a little saying "I would love to be your boyfriend" he pulls you in a tight hug. He wanted to kiss you so bad when you asked him back, but he won't rush you like that. He's swaying you from side to side because that big puppy is so so happy. You laugh at him, patting his back with both of your hands. You pull back just enough to look at his eyes and he also looks at you.

"I've one warning for you tho." You say with playful smile but you feel vulnerable inside. He notices that and asks you, "and what would it be?" He asks quirking his eyebrows.

"You can't break my heart." You say looking at his eyes, he squeezes your hand saying "I won't ,but how's that a warning?"

"Because I'll look crazy saying you can't break my heart or I'll kill you" you say groaning a little.

And he bursts out laughing at you.

"Oh my god ..all you'll look is adorable y/n, not crazy at all" he's still laughing at you.

"I'm telling you don't underestimate me, don't say I didn't warn you before." you say still firm at your point.

"Ok I'll keep that in mind" he says wiping the corners of his eyes because he laughed so much ...

"But seriously ..I'd rather die than hurt you ..so don't worry..I'll not break your heart and hey if you don't remember, I'm the one who likes you more so I should be scared about you breaking my heart" he says playfully.

"Ok point understood..but I won't hurt you as well." You give him a reassuring smile.

All this while there's seungkwan standing a few feet away from you two, he finally talks, "ok are you both done ? Cause I've been standing here since last five minutes to call you two .. Chan's waiting for you both.. he has to cut the cake" and you both flinch at his voice looking at him.. then Mingyu smiles at him "Seungkwan-ahh that's why you're my favourite, thank you for being considerate..let's goooo."

Seungkwan smiles at you two. Mingyu looks at you saying let's go, you walk while holding hands.

You've a shy smile on your face you just can't look up, it feels so surreal. Meanwhile Mingyu, he has a big big smile on his face and when all the members notice you two and they give Mingyu all the teasing looks, he can't help but get shy. Seokmin has his hands clasped on his mouth in shock.

You try to be as nonchalant as you can ignoring them. But when you both go to stand beside everyone and chan sees you coming , you avoid his eyes as well cause you know you can't keep it cool if you look at him, he's gonna tease you a lot. You already feel tired thinking about that.

But he talks, "Here you both are.. I was waiting, let's cut the cake now" he says with a big smile, he feels so happy for you both. His blind date hasn't been a fail after all.

Part8

A/N: This update is so so special for me😭🥺💘 hope you all enjoy it as well.

Next part will be posted in next two days.

Me after this update:

[euphor1a]

besties wanted jk n mingyu so i gib jk n mingyu🤩

— or, a small bit of the very messy outline of my death the junggyu fic™. totally unedited and raw (intentional). kept that way so that one can feel the original vibes i was feeling when i was brainstorming this on a random 3 am 😙

fwb popular!jk & campus crush jock!mg 

jk is popular for very obvious (? or is it) reasons 🤭, almost made him a fuckboy but nah not really. man’s terrified of commitment so he used to sleep around often, kinda.

but then he finds our oc and *cough* *cough* legitimately falls. still not willing to commit tho 🙄 hence the “fwb” (at least that’s what he convinced himself)

our poor oc... sigh. let’s just say they’re on different pages :/ and our girl is tired of jk’s bs, desperately trying to gather herself and actually move on.

SHE DESERVES SOMEONE WHO ACTUALLY WANTS TO BE W HER!!!!

incoming our campus crush kim mingyu 😍

man’s so fine that everyone can feel themselves physically swooning when he’s around 😫

he’s also a jock 😼, not entirely sure which sport i want him to play though... (?🏀)

NOW NOW!! this man is one of those guys who rejects all advances but his love-life is pretty much non-existent (sounds like the biggest lie but yes,,,)

rumor says he used to be nasty nasty at first apparently 👀 but then he found better people as friends and changed 🤨? did a total 180°?

on this random evening after a session, oc asks jk to help her make mg jealous (?) idk she just needs his ✨ATTENTIONNNNNN✨!!! am i self-projecting? am i?

oc always knew him (who wouldn’t), but she was introduced face to face with theeee kmg by jk 🤠

she actually got pretty close to jk’s friend group cause she tagged along w jk to group hang outs frequently (fyi, it was jeon jungkook who would drag her w him 💀)

and 👉🏼👈🏼 she developed this silly little crush on mg 🙈

later on, as oc realized jeon jk is hellbent on staying “friends”, she decided to give other people a chance.

she secretly hopes that if she dates someone else, maybe jk can see and come back to his MFING SENSES

but anyway, our girl is a bit too deep into the mingyu rabbit-hole by now also 😔✋🏼

sulky n pouty jk being mad about oc liking mg… cause guess what!? junggyu homies 😔✊🏼

hmm…. jk still fucking oc in the midst of that ish cuz why not 🫣 n he’s mad too so kinda hate fucking? anyway — oc convinces jk bc she is a simp for mg same girl i feel u and jk agrees half-heartedly cause he would actually give her the whole world 🙄 just stupid ass simps everywhere!!

jk thinks that mg will never say yes 🙃 so deep down he’s like making plans about how he’s gonna absolutely destroy oc and punish her once she gets her heart broken by the campus crush 🥴

like??? BITCH LOOK WHOS TALKING? men are so dense sometimes like WHAT EVEN CANT YOU SEE THAT YOU HURT OC TOO (maybe in a worse way tbh)

sigh... so anyway.

mg thinks oc is prettiest ever & attractive asf and he gets butterflies and stuff when she’s around 🥰🦋 but he never made a move bc he knows there’s sumn fishy going on between oc n his friend 😩

SURPRISE! that man has been pining over oc from who knows when 😦

no one except him knows about it though 😔 (well... you guys know now)

moving forward 👾

jk being grumpy n fighting oc every 10 secs for the dumbest things bc she fell for his bff out of all people 🤡 (but jk is an asshole too cuz bro should’ve stopped saying shit like “we are nothing but friends”?? like yk you can’t just expect a girl to be your fwb for the rest of your life?? 🙄 plus she caught feelings for you n you were a dumb bitch abt it... she deserves to be loved, verbally, physically, mentally and in all the ways 😔🥺)

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... i think i spoiled a bit too much 😵‍💫! but yea here you go!! if you have any thoughts about this, feel free to share them through asks or comments! i’d love to hear them! and, for this once, i request to not rb 🙈! i wouldn’t be the most comfortable seeing this reblogged 😭

[hoshi-island]

jess, my love, this is the first ever svt fic i’ve ever read; and that makes you the inaugural post on this new side-blog of mine. here’s a crown because you deserve some sort of prize: 👑

coincidentally, this is also the first fic of yours i’ve ever read. i’m not giving myself a crown because this is my prize. either kim mingyu was made for friends-to-lovers AUs or friends-to-lovers AUs were made for kim mingyu — i’m not qualified to determine which of these is true, but i know one of them has to be!!

you pulled me in immediately with the self-depreciation. i’m always a sucker for mc’s who call themselves out, and for a parenthetical narrator popping in to tell us what’s what. for example:

Ever since that awful (read: not that bad, you were just a dramatic teenager) break-up you went through in your second year of high school just before Valentine’s Day.

gold, already! and we’re, what, two sentences in?

i’m also seeing another one of my favorite things, which is the “i don’t really care much about xyz thing but you do, so sign me up” aspect of friendship. this very specific dynamic means so, so much to me:

It wasn’t as much for him as you and you knew that.

the fact that he buys into this and swoops in with mc’s favorite snacks because he knows that this holiday matters to her is so 🫠

i’d like to place an order for this mingyu and i will pay extra for expedited international shipping. okay, great, thanks!

okay, i’m getting on my soap box to scream about this:

That’s when you always chime in to remind everyone that Valentine’s Day is about love, not just romantic relationships. You and Mingyu do love each other, always have. Why not celebrate that?

THIS IS THEEEEEE TAKE™️! normalizing being a lil in love with your friends! that’s the purest form of love, in my unprofessional opinion, and i’m so geeked that mc is about 👏🏻 that 👏🏻 life. 👏🏻

the cute lil banter! the fact that he calls mc “the attention monster”! i feel seen.

i love this mingyu being so food-motivated that the butter snatching makes him pout, and the appearance of their order immediately derails his train of thought. gaaaaah, must protect!!! at all costs!!

this exchange made me snort because omg, this is peak friendship:

“Can I ask you something?” he asks, grabbing a bite of cake with his fork. “Not sure when we started asking if we could ask questions, but go on,” you say.  “What’s the real reason you didn’t give Jeonghan a chance?” Mingyu asks and that makes you look up suddenly. “I already told you,” you answer. “Not sure when we started avoiding answering things, but go on,” he says, throwing your line back at you.

i’m such a sucker for one character parroting what the other said in order to roast them. 10/10 choice for this dialogue.

aaaah! i love that mingyu clarifies that he hasn’t been in love with mc for the past ten years. it’s so important to me that he wasn’t simply over there pining, but that he ventured out on his lil romantic walkabout. he saw what was out there and chose not to pursue any of it further 😭

and then! you proceeded to hit me with another one of my favorite things:

And then he’s sliding over on the couch, gently tucking a piece of your hair behind your ear, so careful like he can’t tell if it’s all really happening. So cautious.

big, clumsy doofus (affectionate) being so uncharacteristically careful with something/someone they don’t want to break. please come peel me off the floor — i am weak.

scratch that last. i am dead:

“You know I’d never drop you,” he assures you, voice low.

[user hoshi-island has left the server]

the juxtaposition! of such an excitable goof! moving so slowly! oh my god. mc is right; he is a menace to society. criminal!

Mingyu has always had a thing about praise.

straight to jail for this. mingyu with a praise kink has ruined me and i will simply never recover. 🚨 good 🚨 boy 🚨 alert 🚨

so, when i read him calling mc “baby,” my stupid little heart fluttered. apparently, i wasn’t the only one, because:

Why did him calling you baby make your brain short circuit?

mc 🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 going a bit stupid when this word slips out 🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 me.

the bit about him knowing mc has an IUD made me squeal. i would be 0% surprised if he drove her for the appointment, or was there afterwards with pain relievers and snacks when she was done — and he likely listened without complaint when she inevitably bitched about how sore she was. regardless, i am down supreme for this mingyu.

actually, i am down in the sub-basement, babbling incoherently at this ending:

“So, I guess we’re doing this,” you say, watching his face closely. “Yeah, we are,” he agrees, no room for argument. “I’m not letting go of you now.” You lay back down and bury your face in his side. You’re not sure what else to say. “Hey, Mingyu?” “Hmm?” he says. You feel it more than hear it. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

this was the perfect way to wrap up this fic. seriously, the level of comfort you have to have with sometime to be this matter-of-fact and nonchalant…. ugh. UGH!

in summary:

fool for you | kmg (18+)

where you and mingyu have a pact to always spend valentine's day together when you're single pairing: kim mingyu x f.reader genre: friends to lovers; fluff, smut rating: explicit; minors DNI warning: mentions of drinking (they're not drunk), some swearing, mingyu is described as a puppy, kissing, light marking, mentions of some biting, fingering, oral sex (f and m receiving), vaginal sex, unprotected sex (be safe), one use of a pet name (baby), i think that's it but if you see something else, lemme know! word count: ~4.8k a/n: this is for a valentine's day collab by the lovely @playmetheclassics @here4btsfics and @missgeniality. thank you for planning this. and to one of my favorite people, @ugh-yoongi this is for you, happy love day! banner credit: @classicscreations, thank you bby

It’s always been like this with you and your best friend since you were teenagers. Ever since that awful (read: not that bad, you were just a dramatic teenager) break-up you went through in your second year of high school just before Valentine’s Day. All because your boyfriend didn’t want to have to buy you anything. Which was dumb, you think, because you were teenagers and you weren’t exactly expecting some grand gesture. Not when you’d been dating for less than a year. 

But you were upset in that angsty teenager kind of way and Mingyu swooped in to try and fix it, in true best friend fashion. He showed up at your house that night with all your favorite snacks and some movie that you couldn’t remember. What you did remember, though, was your promise to always be each other’s Valentine’s date if you were both single. It wasn’t as much for him as you and you knew that. You couldn’t help it, you just loved love and the idea of spending the day with someone special. Which he was to you. 

Now it’s been 10 years since you made the promise to each other. Those 10 years have seen you both through finishing high school, going to college, countless dates, and so much change. The only thing that hasn’t changed is always making time for each other, no matter what else was going on. Mingyu is your best friend and you know you’re his. You’re sure nothing can change that.

And since you’re both actually adults now (kind of), you can go out to dinner for Valentine’s Day at a nice place with good food. Some of your other friends think it’s weird, that you go out on what’s essentially a date on the “most romantic” day of the year. That’s when you always chime in to remind everyone that Valentine’s Day is about love, not just romantic relationships. You and Mingyu do love each other, always have. Why not celebrate that?

“Cheers to another year spent with my favorite person,” you say and raise the glass of champagne, a complimentary one for all reservations that night. 

“Yeah I guess you’re okay,” Mingyu agrees when he clinks his glass against yours. 

“Wow, I see how it is,” you retort and he smiles. 

“I’m always happy when we get to do this, you know that,” Mingyu says.

“Maybe,” you shrug, “doesn’t hurt to hear it again.”

“Ah yes, the attention monster reappears,” Mingyu says and you roll your eyes without any real annoyance behind it.

“Hey, I was really good when you were dating Nayeon,” you protest. “I just like getting to hang out with my best friend.”

“You’re right,” he concedes. 

You’re expecting him to say more because you haven’t really talked about the breakup even though it’s been about a month. “That’s it?”

“What?” he asks, reaching for a roll in the center of the table. 

“I just, I don’t know, we haven’t really talked about what happened with her,” you say. 

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Mingyu says. It’s more of a shrug than anything as he grabs a roll. “You knew we were having problems.”

This kind of sparks your interest, so you pull the butter away before he can reach it. At first, a look of betrayal flashes across his face. Playful, of course. And then he’s pouting. God, he’s such a puppy sometimes. Just a giant goofball who has no idea how big he is.

“I know you were having problems,” you finally say to correct him. “Last time I saw you and her together, she seemed happy.”

Mingyu just looks at you for a second. “She didn’t like my friends and it just got old. I was sick of having to justify hanging out with them.”

“Well your friends are idiots,” you say and hand over the butter. 

“And to think they always talk about how much they love you,” he says and you laugh. 

“I love them too, but they’re still idiots. Both can be true,” you say. 

“Yeah, well, Nayeon didn’t see it that way, so,” Mingyu trails off with a shrug. 

You reach a hand across the table and his hand meets yours instinctively. “I know I joke around with you, but I am sorry. I just want you to be happy.”

“I am,” he insists and you frown. “Come on, I’ve still got you and some amazing friends. I’m good.”

“Okay,” you agree and reluctantly pull your hand back.

“Besides, I think it’s you we need to talk about,” he says and your brow furrows. 

“What about me?” you ask, a little nervous to hear the answer because it is Mingyu, after all.

“Did you forget that it was Seokmin who introduced you to Jeonghan?” Mingyu asks and he’s got that little smirk that you really fucking hate sometimes. Shithead.

“I didn’t forget,” you say and pretend to find the drink menu interesting even though you’ve already ordered.

“Nope, sorry,” Mingyu says and plucks the menu from your hand. “I told you about Nayeon.”

“You two dated for like 9 months? It wasn’t the same?” you point out incredulously.

“And you ghosted him,” Mingyu barks out with a laugh. “The poor guy, he was heartbroken.”

“Oh, he was not,” you scoff. “There wasn’t any spark.”

“That damn spark,” Mingyu says with a shake of his head. 

And because sometimes life is actually fair, the appetizer shows up and distracts Mingyu from any further line of questioning. He’s been wanting to try this restaurant since it opened. You’re not really sure why he never went with Nayeon. It’s a win for you though. And Mingyu loves food. He’s an incredible cook, but who would ever mind someone else cooking for them? 

It’s also kind of cute. Mingyu is this giant ball of energy, exactly like the puppy you compared him to earlier. More like a golden retriever actually, because he can be smart and also very dumb. He’s always moving until he passes out. He’s fiercely loyal. But when he’s happy and eating something like this, he just kind of slows down, gets focused. There’s something endearing about it.

Dessert is always the same for the two of you too. You pretend that you only want a bite or two of whatever Mingyu orders and end up eating most of it while he pouts until you order something else. Part of you thinks that you should just order two to start, the other part kind of likes your little tradition. There are a lot of things that you like doing with Mingyu. This is your favorite though, this stupid little Valentine’s Day tradition. Maybe it’s the comfort or the safety. Maybe it’s knowing that even if you’re dating someone shitty, Mingyu will always be there.

“Can I ask you something?” he asks, grabbing a bite of cake with his fork.

“Not sure when we started asking if we could ask questions, but go on,” you say. 

“What’s the real reason you didn’t give Jeonghan a chance?” Mingyu asks and that makes you look up suddenly.

“I already told you,” you answer.

“Not sure when we started avoiding answering things, but go on,” he says, throwing your line back at you.

“I mean, it’s true, I didn’t feel a spark and I don’t know,” you say as you search for the words. “I guess I just don’t wanna be wasting my time dating someone when it’s not going to go anywhere.”

“You never know though,” he says and you can’t really pinpoint the emotion.

“I don’t know,” you say and think for a second. “Have you ever just gone on a date and been sitting across from someone that’s nice and smart and funny and attractive, literally everything you should want but…it’s just, not there?”

Mingyu chuckles even though it’s not really funny. “Yeah, I guess I have.”

“And, okay, like part of me was also thinking that this holiday was coming up. So I either had to just shut it down or agree to do something with him,” you say and look down, embarrassed about what you’re going to admit. “I just kind of thought I’d rather spend tonight with you, someone I know I like being around, rather than in some sort of new, probably undefined, relationship with him. Like what if he picked a shitty restaurant or made shitty plans? What if we run out of things to talk about?”

“Wait, you turned him down so you could spend Valentine’s Day with me?” Mingyu asks, eyes wide.

“Come on, not like that,” you say and ignore the fluttering in your stomach. “Just, I don’t know, we always have fun.”

“You like doing this with me,” Mingyu says and you roll your eyes.

“Course I do, Gyu,” you answer easily.

“What if it was like that, though?” he asks and you cock your head to the side. “Like what if we were on a date and it wasn’t just another Valentine’s Day with friends?”

“Mingyu, we’re not…” you start and falter at the look on his face. “Are you serious?” 

“You do realize that I’ve actually never been in a relationship on Valentine’s Day, right?” he asks and that stupid smirk is back. 

“You must’ve been, we haven’t done this every year,” you say and you’re trying to wrack your brain to see if it’s true. 

“No, you’re right, we haven’t. We’ve missed 3 since we made the deal when we were fifteen, all when you were in a relationship,” Mingyu says and you’re at a loss for words. 

“Does that mean…?” you try to ask but your mouth just can’t see to catch up with your brain and your heart. 

“Do you wanna get out of here and go back to my apartment? It might be easier to talk there,” he says and you just nod. 

It’s a lot of information to process and for once, Mingyu is quiet by your side. His hand is firm around yours, which doesn’t feel like a big deal because you’ve held hands for years. Except that it’s entirely different now. And when he needs it back so he can actually drive with both his hands, a part of you misses the comfort of it. Misses the security. 

You’re quiet in the elevator and on the walk to his front door, quiet as you walk through the doorway. Even the apartment is quiet, which is surprising given how loud one of Mingyu’s roommates tends to be. But the place is empty, apparently, as Mingyu tells you when he breaks the silence to ask if he can take your coat to hang it up. It’s a strange feeling for a lot of reasons. Right now it’s strange to have Mingyu taking care of you when it’s usually the other way around.

It’s quiet again as you walk the familiar path to the living room to sit down while Mingyu makes you a cup of tea. When he hands it to you, you know that it’ll be perfect because Mingyu’s been your best friend for over a decade and he knows everything about you. And that’s when you realize. Maybe he knew this too. Maybe he’s a step ahead of you in realizing there are real feelings here. Maybe he’s the one you can depend on. 

“How long?” you ask, figuring you need to speak eventually.

“Have I liked you?” he asks, needing clarification. You only nod. When he doesn’t answer immediately, you look over at him. Study his face in profile before he answers. “It’s kind of a long answer, I guess. I had a crush on you that first Valentine’s Day, but I figured you also just needed a friend. And I realized how much I did love our friendship. Plus we were kids.”

He takes a breath to collect his thoughts. “I haven’t been in love with you for 10 years, just to be clear,” he says and chuckles. “Not that I haven’t thought about it either. Mostly it’s just been that you were my best friend and we went on these little friend dates and I didn’t think too deeply about it.”

“Did something change?” you ask, still not ready to address your own feelings. 

“I’m not sure how to explain it. Nayeon and I were just kind of throwing out things for Valentine’s Day even though it was still over a month away. And she made a comment about how she hoped you’d have someone so you wouldn’t be missing me,” Mingyu says and frowns. 

“She isn’t exactly the first to not like it,” you say quietly. 

“It wasn’t even that, it was all me,” Mingyu says honestly. “I started to think about how I wouldn’t get to spend it with you and that was…a wake-up call. Nayeon and I broke it off not much after that. And honestly, what I said about my friends was true. She hated Seokmin.”

“How does anyone hate him? He’s a sunshine baby,” you say and Mingyu laughs. “Minghao I get, maybe, because he can be mean if he doesn’t like you. But not Seokmin.”

“Right?” he agrees. “So I was thinking about you and us and trying to sort things out when Seokmin said he was going to introduce you to Jeonghan and my heart broke. I couldn’t imagine having just broken it off with Nayeon only to still not get to see you for our tradition. That’s when I knew for sure. And we aren’t kids anymore.”

“So, like, what do we do now?” you ask, and Mingyu studies you for a moment.

“What do you want to do?” he asks. “I mean, are you…oh my god, why is this so hard? I just told you how I felt but I don’t know…”

He’s rambling and it’s incredibly endearing because he doesn’t usually get flustered like this. It also makes you realize that he’s laid everything out while you’ve said almost nothing. You rest a hand on his leg to stop him from stuttering through things. “Hey, I realize I didn’t say this. But I do have feelings for you too.”

“You do?” Mingyu asks, his whole face lighting up.

“Yeah, dummy, that’s what I really meant when I was talking about sitting across from Jeonghan not feeling the spark. He’s a great guy but he’s not you,” you say easily. 

“What do we do now?” Mingyu asks, making you laugh. 

“I mean like I really wanna kiss you, so,” you say, watching as his eyes go wide, just for a moment. 

And then he’s sliding over on the couch, gently tucking a piece of your hair behind your ear, so careful like he can’t tell if it’s all really happening. So cautious. It’s at odds with your best friend who’s always tripping over his own feet and never seems to know just how big he is. Your whole body is hyper-aware of his and even though he admitted his feelings first, you’re still a little worried that this isn’t real either. When his lips finally meet yours, it occurs to you just how many times you’ve imagined this. How many times you’ve looked at his lips and wondered if they were soft or what they would feel like against yours. How many times you’ve wondered about his hands running over your body.

His lips feel better than you expected, the perfect mix of soft and firm against your own. One of his large hands cups the side of your face, fingers curling around behind your ear. You’re not even sure which one of you deepens the kiss, you’re only aware that your tongues are moving together and that it’s making you feel a little light-headed. The angle is awkward but you’re not sure you really care. You’re kissing your best friend and it’s everything you’ve ever needed and nothing like you thought. 

He pulls away and you’re a little embarrassed by the way your lips chase after his, a little unused to being the one that pouts in this relationship. Yet that’s exactly what you do when you see him just looking at you.

“Is this actually happening?” he asks. You let out of huff of air.

“Well not now, since you stopped kissing me,” you say. You expect him to laugh or roll his eyes. Instead, he only looks fond. So incredibly fond. 

“Never would’ve pegged you as the pouty, whiny type,” Mingyu says. Now you’re the one that rolls your eyes.

“I’m leaving,” you announce and get up. 

You’re actually a little surprised when he lets you stand up and take a few steps toward the door. There’s a chance for your stomach to drop, just a little bit. And then he’s grabbing your arm to spin you around to him. 

Fuck, he’s tall. Which you’ve always known, but it’s different when he’s crowding your space and caging you between his arms. Your back is against the wall when you finally tilt your head up to look at him. Whatever playful glint that had been in his eyes earlier is gone. There’s no question that he wants you as much as you want him, maybe more. 

You pull his face down to yours to kiss him again, harder this time, let your hands tangle in his hair that he’s finally grown out after literal years of asking him. His hands grip your hips, just on the right side of too hard. 

And, okay, you don’t want to complain, but Mingyu genuinely is a giant and it’s kind of hard on your neck to crane it so you can continue kissing him. Just as you start to rise up on your tiptoes, Mingyu’s hands move from your hips down to the backs of your thighs. You gasp into his mouth when he picks you up, balancing you against the wall. It’s nothing but heat between the two of you when you wrap your legs around his waist, trying to help him keep you held up.

“Fuck this,” he says quietly as he pulls you away from the wall. 

You squeak at losing your backrest and wrap your arms around his neck tighter like you’re afraid to fall. He just chuckles.

“You know I’d never drop you,” he assures you, voice low. 

Even though he said it, you’re expecting him to deposit you on the bed. He doesn’t. He’s so gentle when he places you on the edge of his bed and you’re wondering where all the restraint is coming from. You sure as hell don’t have this kind of control.

Almost on their own, your hands reach for his shirt and he watches as you unbutton it carefully, sliding it down his arms. It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve seen him shirtless (and you’ve seen him shirtless a lot), he’s still beautiful. So beautiful that you don’t realize he’s reaching for the hem of your dress, that’s already almost at your hips from him picking you up, removing it quickly before unclasping your bra just as quickly. It leaves you almost completely exposed, only your underwear left. The urge to be shy is brief when you see the way he’s looking at you. You spare a moment to consider if anyone’s ever looked at you like that (they haven’t, you’re sure). 

This time the kiss you get is actually quick before his mouth moves down over your body. He sucks one of your nipples between his teeth and your back arches in response. And there’s something a little weird about it all. There’s nobody in the world you know better than Mingyu, with his endless energy and restlessness. But you didn’t know this side of him. The side where he takes his time, slows down so every moment feels more important, focuses on you and you alone. 

You don’t stop him as he continues to move down your body and nips along the way. It doesn’t matter that he’s marking you up, doesn’t make you pause like it has before with anyone else. Not that anyone is going to be seeing these marks anyway, since he’s currently focusing on your inner thigh. And fuck, it feels good, but you’re also a little impatient, a little needy when your hand knots in his long hair again. Without even seeing his face, you know he’s smiling. Smirking, probably. He doesn’t have to tell you that he loves to see you whiny for him. 

(He does anyway, though, because he’s still a menace to society and to you specifically. He doesn’t have to tease you either, but he does that too, making you beg before he removes your underwear.)

“Mingyu please,” you beg, already reduced to this. 

His legs on yours from between your legs and you let out a heavy breath. His eyes are still on you when he asks, “what is it you’re asking for?”

“Something, anything,” you say because you’re no longer too proud to beg. You can yell at him for it later. Right now you just need. 

A second later, he gives you what you asked for. He runs his tongue up your folds lazily, too slow. It’s deliberate, you know. And you know that you should appreciate that he’s not in a rush. It’s just that you’re so on edge and this isn’t helping. Maybe he can tell by the way your hand tightens in his hair or the way you moan or even the way you squirm with his tongue inside you. Whatever it is, something makes him speed up and praises fall easily from your lips. The praises only seem to push him on, which isn’t surprising. Mingyu has always had a thing about praise. 

Mingyu slides a finger inside your cunt without much warning and it’s all too much. You never really paid that much attention to his hands (which was good for your sanity, probably). But his long finger moves quickly inside your cunt and you clench around him without meaning too. He hums against your clit, makes it feel like a praise. When he slides a second finger in, you’re not sure how much longer you’ll last. The rhythm of his fingers sliding inside you along with his mouth on your clit is driving you wild. 

He curls his fingers inside of you and thrusts faster, not teasing now, certainly not dragging it out. It’s silent permission for you to let go. The orgasm rips through you and you fall back onto the bed, dully aware of him guiding you through it. You’re breathing heavily when you feel his fingers slide out and prop yourself up in time to see him put his fingers in his own mouth. And fuck, okay that’s also really hot. 

You lean forward to undo his pants. Those fall to the floor with his boxer briefs and your eyes go a little wide. He’s bigger than you’re expecting, not that you’ve spent much time thinking about him. Now he’s the one that looks a little shy, even though it was you that was just coming on his tongue. 

He goes to grip his cock and you snap out of it, gently moving his hand away. Instead, you lean forward to spit on the tip, spreading it along his length, thinking you might tease him. Just a little bit. Your strokes are slow, at least at first, and he just watches, seems to be caught up in the moment. Until he gets impatient and jerks a little into your hand, even though you can tell he’s trying not to. 

You just look up at him, watch his eyes on you as you take his cock into your mouth. Mingyu gathers your hair in his hands, but lets you go at your own pace. Slowly, you find your rhythm, taking as much into your mouth as you can. Mingyu seems to like to give praise as much as he likes to receive it, though, because it falls out of his mouth between his groans.

“Baby, hang on,” Mingyu says and gently pulls himself back. Your eyes go wide for a second before registering that his look is just want. “Can I…I mean, I really want to fuck you. Fuck, I really want to feel you.”

That, almost more than anything else, goes straight to your core. You know you’re already getting wet again but why does he have to look like that when he says it? Why does he have to look like this is more than he’s ever experience? Why did him calling you baby make your brain short circuit? 

“God, yes Mingyu, yes, I want to feel you inside me,” you manage to say as you’re moving back into the center of the bed. 

Mingyu is reaching for his bedside table the next second and you watch him. There’s a part of you that knows it’s best to be safe, knows that you never know. But the other part, the much louder part, just wants to feel him. It’s the part that knows even though he could be a fuckboy, he’s not. Knows he doesn’t sleep around. So you tell him you’ve got an IUD, even though he already knows, and not to worry. He checks, because he cares about you more than he knows how to express, but there’s a part of him that’s excited too.

He’s hovering over you the next second, pressing kisses against every bit of your skin his lips come into contact with. He only stops for a second to line himself up at your entrance, slides the tip between your folds and comments on how wet you are again. As soon as he presses the tip into your cunt, his lips are on yours again, catching the moans. Or maybe distracting you from how big he is inside of you. 

You’re thankful for this side of him, the side that’s so careful with you, the side that’s much more in control of his body than you’ve seen anywhere else. Thankful because he’s moving slowly, letting you adjust. And because you know neither of you are going to last that long once he actually does start moving. 

“Please,” you nearly whisper, fingers digging into Mingyu’s arms. 

It’s all he needs, though. He starts moving, slowly snapping his hips as he thrusts into you. It’s all so much. You’re not sure you’ve ever felt this much while fucking someone. You love to love and love feelings, but sex has always been somehow separate for you. Not that you don’t feel during sex. It’s just that you’ve always been able to separate the feelings. You can’t imagine doing that now and maybe that’s because none of them were Mingyu.

You know he wants to make it last, you do too, but it’s all just really overwhelming. So you focus on this moment, on how he speeds up, how his breath sounds so close to you, the way his muscles contract with each movement, on the way he stretches you. You dig your nails into his arms to keep yourself grounded and he groans. He picks up his pace a little more, pulling almost all the way out before thrusting all the way in, making you scream out. 

It feels like it all happens too fast. You’re still sensitive from your first orgasm. And you know Mingyu is close too, can feel the way his thrusts falter. You clench around him, let him know you’re close, say whatever comes out. Most of it is probably incoherent, you think. But he understands anyway, is right there with you. Your second orgasm rips through you even harder than the first. Mingyu thrusts through it, releasing into you in the process. 

It’s a few minutes later, after you’ve both somewhat caught your breath and he’s pulled out of you, that you fully realize what’s happening. Mingyu has one hand behind his head and the other arm around you, eyes closed. You prop yourself up on your elbow to look at him, appreciate all his features up close for what feels like the first time in all your years of friendship. He opens his eyes and meets yours. It’s the best smile you can ever remember seeing. 

“So, I guess we’re doing this,” you say, watching his face closely.

“Yeah, we are,” he agrees, no room for argument. “I’m not letting go of you now.”

You lay back down and bury your face in his side. You’re not sure what else to say. “Hey, Mingyu?”

“Hmm?” he says. You feel it more than hear it.

“Happy Valentine’s Day.” 

this ended up being a little longer than i meant, but let me know your thoughts <3

[jaemified]

puppy love - kim mingyu

“enjoy it while you got it”

pairing ; football captain mingyu x nerdy fem reader

genre ; ANGST, fluff, drama, slice of life, suggestive, strangers to lovers, lovers to strangers

warnings ; puppy love, literally gut wrenching heartbreak, swearing, mention of whatever was meant to be a one night stand, reader starts off as a virgin, mention of fwb

wordcount ; 2.4k

synopsis ; you don’t care much for dating, but kim mingyu is an exception. even if you already know puppy love doesnt last

note (8.7.23) - literally not for the weak #clickbait

read below the cut !

puppy love (noun)

intense, but relatively shallow romantic attachment associated with adolescents.

or that’s how wikipedia described it, anyway.

to you, it was so much more.

kim mingyu didnt care much for sex.

kim mingyu didnt care much for anything at all, really. unless it was you, or football.

it felt all too real to the point you could’ve fooled yourself into thinking it was real love.

or maybe it was, but you just didn’t want to tell yourself that.

dating was always to much of a burden for you. you knew high school relationships hardly last. so it was unlikely for you to give in to kim mingyu.

he really had you under some sort of spell, didnt he?

sure many thought of him as a playboy, but it was never true, just rumors

to you, he was so much more.

you never cared for hookups, but it was almost impossible to not give in to those eyes.

those stupidly perfect, brown pretty eyes, that sparkled whenever they had met yours.

you were just there for a good time, finals were over and it was your junior year, it’s natural to want to have fun.

but there you were. you found yourself under kim mingyu late at night with only a few of the remaining party guests downstairs.

the soft lighting kissing his honey skin, giving you the best view of his stupidly perfect face.

“first time?” he asked, kissing your cheek before he looked into your eyes with the prettiest smile. the most genuine one a guy had given you at that.

“is that a bad thing?”

“course not sweetheart. everyone was a virgin at some point right?”

you nodded slowly, watching as he pulled his white tee over his head, your eyes glued to his beautifully toned body.

“then, let me take care of you for tonight.” he whispered, before turning out the light.

kim mingyu was meant to be a one time thing. kim mingyu was supposed to be someone you were bound to forget.

but, then again.

kim mingyu wasnt meant to take your virginity. kim mingyu wasnt supposed to treat you so well that it had you begging for more.

so yet again, you found yourself under him once more. again, and again, and again.

before mingyu called a stop to it.

whatever your situation was.

“what’s wrong?” you asked worriedly.

“i want to end this, arrangement.”

you nearly choked on your lemonade.

“w-what?” you spoke, but in the end it barely came out above a whisper.

“this friends with benefits thing or whatever you wanna call it. not cause you don’t like you!” he quickly reassured, “but because i really do, a little too much though.”

mingyu took in a deep breath, watching your face before reaching out to hold your hand under the table.

“i know i was your first, but we never were with each other unless its fucking. so i dont want you to think im taking advantage of you. i dont want to continue this unless you’re ready to take it to the next step. because you deserve more then a shitty.. fuck.. buddy? like me.”

you smiled as you felt all your worries leave your mind.

“of course im ready. ive never been so sure of it.”

you were right, you were never sure of anything else.

of course some girls were jealous of you, and some girls talked about you behind your back about how you were dating the supposed fuckboy,

but you knew the truth and that’s all that matters.

there wasnt a single dull moment with him. he never failed to make you feel loved despite always being busy with getting his grades up, and football.

luckily, you were always there for him, tutoring him whenever he needed it while he’d teach you how to throw and catch.

everything was perfect.

until it wasnt.

so, then came senior year.

stress induced depression happened to everyone, couples breaking up, etc etc.

you and mingyu didn’t want that, you didn’t want to be like ‘everyone else’.

but you cant control fate.

finals coming up, desperately trying to keep grades constant and stable while working hard on extracurriculars to earn as much extra credit as you could, while mingyu was staying out late for overtime practice, playing even bigger games to earn scholarships while still trying to take in everything you had taught him so he could ace finals.

in the end, he wasn’t able to keep his gpa above a 3.4 and was kicked off the football team, forfeiting his position to shitty guys like lee dongmin.

you always felt a little guilty, thinking you were slightly responsible for him getting distracted from his studies.

you always watched him practice, sitting on the bleachers while you did homework.

you were in shock at how aggressively he threw the ball down, before storming off into the locker room.

immediately packing up your stuff, you rushed quickly behind him and watched as he tugged his jersey off, throwing it against the wall as he snatched his duffle, barely acknowledging you other then a kiss on the forehead.

you grabbed his jersey, tucking it into your backpack before following him out.

you had offered to drive as he was never able to focus while so tense, yet he just wanted to go home, not wanting you to stress out as he knew you don’t like driving.

it was the worst night of his life.

you watched as he quietly cried on your bed, tears rolling down his cheeks as he wrote down the notes you gave him.

you put down your papers and took his notebook from him, letting him cry into your arms as he hugged you tightly.

he didn’t know who he was without his title.

from then on, you both did your best to support each other as best as you could, but it only got harder from here.

mingyu was still salty, though without football he was able to do other things and focus on his grades, and you.

he hadn’t even realized how distant he was over the past few months.

you thought, if you could get through that, you could get through anything.

wrong.

lately, you didn’t know where it was coming from, but you both were beginning to argue more and more before neither of you couldn’t take it anymore.

you took him out to his favorite restaurant before breaking it to him.

“what’s wrong? i know that look y/n.”

you bit your lip, shaking your leg as you felt your self grow more and more nervous.

mingyu placed his hand on your thigh to get you to stop, “you can tell me anything.” he told you, masking his own concern with his worry for you.

“i dont think this is gonna work out anymore.”

you felt your heart drop to your stomach at the way mingyus smile fell.

“whats wrong? you cant be serious. whatever you’re going through i can help you with, because we always get through anything together... dont we?” he asked with a taste of uncertainty at the end.

“its not that. i just can’t do this anymore with the amount of stress we’re under with college applications, finals, studying, or- fucking, anything! its not that i dont care for you, i do, but its too much of a burden.”

…shit

“..im a burden..?” mingyu questioned, rubbing his nose with the back of his hand.

damn. if only you could turn back the time.

“gyu, you know that’s not what i meant-”

“do you ever really mean anything though?” he interrupted. “i tell you i love you, you never say it back. i try extra hard in anything for you because i don’t want to disappoint you knowing your standards, i lost my position as team captain because of you, and im the burden??” he scoffed, crossing his arms in disbelief as he shook his head.

he stood up from the table and grabbed his black hoodie, ready to walk out the door before you gripped his wrist.

“mingyu.”

“goodbye, y/n.”

and there it was.

you heard the way girls laughed whenever you came up as a topic, talking bad both behind your back and to your face.

“he really did fuck then dip.” “didnt he lose his football career ‘cause of her?” “mingyu literally made her!”

but you couldn’t bring yourself to care.

like mingyu.

of course he heard what they said, but he couldn’t bring himself to feel any pity for you. ‘you brought this on yourself’, he thought.

you both graduated with ease, you being able to focus more without him, and mingyu being able to join more after school tutoring programs with his free time.

eventually, you grew apart thanks to going to different universities over hundreds of miles apart.

you were given an amazing opportunity to attend stanford on full scholarship to study biochem, while he was able to pursue a basketball career in ucla.

you almost forgot about him.

but how could you?

a month into summer after you both graduated college, you moved to los angeles to be with your new boyfriend, joshua hong.

great guy, so sweet and such a gentleman, however you couldn’t help but think of someone else.

he knew about mingyu, just not everything-everything.

so, craving a late night snack, you and your boyfriend walked from your shared apartment to the nearest convenience store to buy whatever it was you wanted, until you heard an all too familiar voice.

kim mingyu.

you felt your heart ready to break out of your ribs when you saw him.

you were about to turn around but it was to late, he had already seen you.

“y/n?”

you took in a deep breath before forcing a smile.

“mingyu! hi. it’s been a while.” you spoke through your teeth, tightly gripping the drink in your hand.

“yeah.. it has, hasn’t it.”

you sighed, knowing it wasn’t gonna get any better from here on out, so you decided the least you could do was try to be cool with him knowing you couldn’t undo what you did.

“okay. listen. I know it was selfish on my end to say what I did despite all you sacrificed for me. im sorry. im just hoping we could be on good terms?”

“actually, y/n-”

“y/n?” joshua interrupted as he walked in from around the shelf.

“whos this?” mingyu asked with a confused expression.

“mingyu. this is joshua hong-” “her boyfriend.” he finished.

“oh, hey. nice to meet you man. hey listen, im gonna go but it was nice seeing you.” mingyu awkwardly announced before quickly turning around to check out.

you sighed in exhaustion (and slight relief) after he left as josh could only pull you into a hug and reassure you.

eventually you and joshua split. not that you were on bad terms or anything, he got a new job under an entertainment company back home in korea and your passport had just expired, but he knew you didnt handle long distance well.

so you found yourself missing mingyu again, regretting everything before you learned he had a new girlfriend of his own, as did most of your friends.

before you knew it, 3 years had gone by since graduation and you were now 25. everyone around you seemed to be occupied with either a great job or a great partner, yet you were still alone.

and you were still missing mingyu, that seemed to be the one thing that hadn’t changed over the years.

but then again, that’s just puppy love.

[wooahaes]

sweet night [pt.6]

pairing: non-idol!mingyu x fem!reader

word count: 3.6k~

warnings: joshua confronts reader. reader and mingyu have a lil bit of skinship and also a fake date together.

daisy’s notes: every time i bring up seungkwan in a part i feel the need to go “nonono just trust me” lmao

summary:  As the adopted daughter of the Kim family and current heir to the company, you have it all. An arranged marriage with your soon-to-be fiance who you truly fell in love with, respect from your workers for being good at your job, a good relationship with both your family and your good friends... What more could you want out of life? And yet all it takes is one night for everything to fall down, and one man to help pick up the pieces. 

< previous part || masterlist || next part >

One of the last people you expected to have a casual lunch with was Joshua Hong.

Your relationship with him was reserved typically for business. He was one of Seungkwan’s friends who you always considered yourself to be on good terms with, and you admittedly considered him a little more than just a business partner at times. He had tried to check on you during the disastrous engagement party (he didn’t pursue you, sure, but he at least asked if you were alright), and he’d been there for you and Seungkwan in the past. You didn’t work closely with him, though, and you admittedly hadn’t spoken to him since that party. He picked the restaurant--one of the nicer ones in the city with a lovely view, and he had greeted you politely.

It wasn’t until the waiter brought your entrees and left you to yourselves that the air changed between you two. “If you’re trying to get back at Seungkwan, I recommend you quit it.”

You nearly dropped your fork, looking away from your food to see how cold he’d suddenly turned. The two of you were alone now, sat close to the windows. Joshua had asked for these seats, claiming he preferred the view. You realized it was intentional: you were isolated in a sense, the only other people around being a couple a few tables away and the staff.

“Mingyu’s my friend, too,” he continued. “Neither of them deserve this treatment. I don’t know what you’re planning, but if you really are using Mingyu--”

You just stared at him a moment longer, at a loss for words. Using Mingyu...? “Joshua--”

“I mean it,” he said. “I like you. You’ve always been nice. But this isn’t right, and we both know it.”

Were you just using Mingyu...? It was his idea to begin with, but was going along with it taking advantage of him? Was flaunting a fake love in front of other people to try and make this relationship look like more than just business a mistake? You forced an uneasy smile, and you were positive Joshua could see through it. “Are you taking Seungkwan’s side in this?” You fought to keep your tone even. “Should we pretend he hasn’t been seeing somebody else behind my back? That he didn’t propose to them publicly in front of everyone when everyone expected us to get engaged?”

“You don’t know the full story,” he said, words sharper than intended--he had backed off immediately, realizing how imposing he’d been becoming. He took a deep breath, slowly exhaling before he met your gaze again. “What Seungkwan did was wrong. All of us know it and we’ve talked to him about it and we’ve told him he should have talked to you. But you and I both know that it isn’t fair to use Mingyu to get back at him--”

“Mister Hong,” you cut him off there. “I don’t think you understand the position I’m in compared to you and your friends. The expectations people have are different for me because of my family. They expect me to get married, just as Yoon’s family expected him to. Would you be confronting me like this if it were Yoon Jeonghan I was supposed to be seeing?”

“That’s different,” he said. “You don’t know Jeonghan. It would be purely business if you were engaged to him--”

“And it’s business now, Hong.” You rested your hands in your lap, fingers curled tight around your other hand. “Why do you think it was my idea to get engaged to Mingyu? He saw that my parents were pushing me toward an engagement and decided our business would thrive together. Unlike other people, he actually wants me to be happy, too. If you had to marry a stranger or your best friend because your family and business expects you to do what’s best for the company, wouldn’t you choose the person you would be happier with?”

Joshua pressed his lips into a thin line. “I don’t agree with it,” he said. “But I understand.”

“Is this really why you invited me here?” You frowned at him. “Just to confront me?”

He said nothing at first. But you watched him debate, brows slightly furrowed until he finally looked up at you. “I almost thought you’d been cheating on Seungkwan, too.”

Red-hot anger surged through you instantly. Despite it, you managed to keep calm as you responded with a sharp “You what?”

“You wouldn’t. And neither would Mingyu.” Joshua looked at you. “I know you’re still mad at Seungkwan, but.. I don’t think you need to do anything like that with Mingyu to make him hurt worse. You’re better than that. He’s already hurting right now.”

Without thinking, you flagged down a waiter and asked for your meal to be boxed. He took your plate, immediately promising to take care of it before he started to head off. Joshua stopped him before he could get too far, already citing your favorite dessert off the menu to be added. Once the waiter was gone, he turned back to you.

“I’ll take care of it,” Joshua said. “Thank you for meeting with me at all.”

You had a few minutes. So you hesitated, wondering whether you should ask or not before finally calling Joshua’s name. “Everyone keeps telling me I should talk to Seungkwan.”

“You should. I know it probably seems like we’re all trying to get you to forgive him,” he said, voice softer than before. “We aren’t. No one expects you to forgive him at all. But there’s some things he should tell you himself.”

You traced the carved handles of your chair, fingers gliding over the smooth dark wood. Anything to avoid looking at Joshua, at anyone until you had to leave. “Mingyu said that Seungkwan loved me, despite what he did. I don’t know if I can believe him.”

Something seemed to click. “It’s the last thing you want to hear, I’m sure,” Joshua said, “but... Seungkwan told me that he’ll always love you. It just can’t be you.”

“It has to be them.” You finally looked back up. “Right? He loves them more. Seungkwan knew that neither of us would be happy if we got married.”

“You’ve thought about this.”

You did. It haunted your late night thoughts every single night. Seungkwan had loved you, but it’d be cruel to marry you when he wasn’t completely yours. When he couldn’t promise that his heart belonged to only you, the way you had always hoped it was. You couldn’t blame him for loving someone else: all you wanted was to know. To not be made a fool of. Mingyu had said he’d only actively done anything (and you knew, in your heart, that “anything” was never too far, even though it was still cheating) for four months. That he had loved them for years. You knew that from the first day you had met his childhood friend, from the doting way he always cared for them. There were rare nights where Seungkwan would leave you with a kiss and a promise he’d be back--that they needed him. But that was never exclusive to them. He’d left for other friends, too. That was the kind of person Seungkwan was.

Maybe that was why you never faced it. Seungkwan was so loving toward everyone that you didn’t want to acknowledge how much farther it seemed to go for that one person.

“He let me go in the worst way,” you said. “And I’ll never forgive him for that.”

Joshua nodded. “I didn’t expect you to.”

“If Seungkwan wants to explain things, tell him that I’ll call him when I’m ready.” You were sure Seungkwan already knew that, but...

You needed to prepare to hear the full story.

Mingyu was laid across his couch on his stomach as he watched you, head resting in his hand as you moved to and fro. If you were going to live with Mingyu from now on, you wanted to add a little bit of yourself into his home. One day you were sure the two of you would pack it up and move somewhere bigger, somewhere nicer, but that was yet to come. He liked the way you were adding books onto his shelves, little trinkets that he’d watched you box up and leave aside until today.

“Why not?”

And Mingyu had just asked you on a date. Not a real date, according to him, but he wanted to spoil you a bit before your eventual proposal-and-wedding. You had turned him down immediately, and purposefully kept your back to him as you continued to decorate. If you looked at him, he’d give you the puppy dog eyes, and you’d have to admit that you didn’t want him to feel like he had to.

“It’s not a 'real' marriage,” you said. “We don’t have to stage dates right now. We can do that later. Which reminds me... If you want to have some kind of mistress, you can,” you looked back over your shoulder. “Just because we’re in this deal doesn’t mean you can’t sneak around or whatever--”

“I don’t want to, but thanks,” he said. “I’m a loyal fake husband.” He laughed softly, before sitting up. “But really... Why can’t we go out?”

You frowned at him, folding your arms over your chest. “Because it isn’t real.”

“And?”

“You’re asking me on a date.” Why couldn’t he see that? He didn’t need to pretend with you. You were more than fine with having dinner with him every night and having your platonic intimacy that way. Dates felt... different, fake or not. “Our marriage isn’t real or loving or anything.”

Mingyu stood up, and made his way across the room to you. “I think,” he began, stopping in front of you, taking your hands. “You love me. I love you. Even if it isn’t romantic,” he pulled you into his arms, “it means it’s a loving marriage. Just... different.”

For a moment, you swore you saw a blip of pain behind his eyes. But it rippled away, disappearing and being replaced with that same love he always had for you as your best friend. “You know what I mean.”

“I also want to be a good fake boyfriend to you,” he said. “So... If we’re going to do this,” he swayed with you, “let me romance you the right way. Even if it’s fake, let’s have fun together. Okay? You,” he took your face into his hands, “should make a list of all the dates you didn’t get to go on before. We’ll do them together.”

Seungkwan didn’t turn down many date ideas. But sometimes there were things he wasn’t interested in or it’d be too much effort to go through--a sentiment you had at times, too. Sometimes dates just... couldn’t happen. Life got in the way. You and Seungkwan had always made the best of it. You’d be lying if you said it didn’t leave you yearning sometimes, though. He had promised that once the two of you were married, you’d go through the list if you made it. You never had, but now, with Mingyu...?

Maybe you should.

“Then you have to make a list, too.” You rested your hands against his chest, his hands resting around your waist now as he swayed with you. You make us look like a couple, you thought. Although whether it was your fault or Mingyu’s, you couldn’t be sure. “It isn’t fair if we only go places I want to go.”

“Then I will. But tonight...”

Oh. Mingyu had plans. “Mingyu--”

“There’s a boat cruise I want us to take,” he said. “We can sample food and enjoy the scenery. No pressure for anything. We’re just... us,” he said. “Okay?”

That sounded nicer than you thought it would. Just you and Mingyu being nothing but yourselves next to one another. The cozy way the two of you were now. 

“We don’t have to go,” he said. “I can cancel the reservations--”

“I’ll go,” you said, stepping back. “I’ll go change, then.”

You almost missed the fond way Mingyu watched you leave. He turned, going into his bedroom to change into one of his nicer suits. If you had said no, he would have dropped it right then and there. Maybe it was selfish to take you on a date when he had (well-hid, in his opinion) feelings for you. But...

You deserved the world in his opinion. Mingyu couldn’t give it to you, but he’d bring you what little joy he’d be able to in the meantime. If that meant he’d take you wherever you wanted to go, then that’d just be one more part of it.

The moment you walked out of your room to meet him, Mingyu felt his heart ache. You’d been more preoccupied with fixing your earrings than paying attention to him, standing there waiting to see you again, but your presence always lit up the world for him. Even with your brows furrowed and lips pursed as you continued to fiddle with it--those hoops always gave you trouble, after all, but you loved them too much to not wear them every chance you could--all Mingyu could do was admire how much your favorite color complimented you. Sometimes, if he was in a romantic enough mood, he thought the color had been made for you. Like it was meant to be.

You stopped messing with it, looking up to see him as you lit up with a smile. “Do I look nice?”

Of course you did. Even when you were brokenhearted and sobbing, Mingyu thought you were one of the most beautiful people in the world. He took your hand, pressing a kiss against it--cheesy, but it made you laugh. “Enchanting.”

“Ooh, Mingyu’s using his big words. You don’t have to make me fall in love with you, you know,” you teased. “But thank you,” you continued past him toward the front door, “you clean up nice, too.”

Mingyu could only smile at you, remembering why he fell in love with you to begin with. Not everyone was allowed to see this side of you: playful but loving. Seungkwan did. Mingyu was certain that Chan did, too, and so did your brother. Mingyu liked the side of you that wasn’t holding up this image of someone who felt the need to be perfect (in his eyes, you already were: all of your imperfections were something he wholeheartedly embraced as your best friend first and someone who was in love with you second).

While you sampled the food aboard the ship about an hour later, Mingyu merely stood back and wondered how he’d propose to you. As much as he could see the appeal of proposing where everyone could see, it felt... wrong. Like he was going to parade around your engagement as some huge spectacle. He’d figure out what you’d like, even if he had to ask you the right questions to do it.

“So...” You had started after you returned to him with a full plate (tiny as they may be) for the two of you to share together outside. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

He looked back at you, having been caught up in watching the scenery. “I wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t.”

“I know,” you said. “It still feels unfair to you.”

“I never really knew what I’d be doing, to be honest.” He looked back out, watching the slow crawl of the city as the boat continued along. “My parents wanted me to marry someone that’d benefit the company. I think they were glad it’s you.”

“But what about love?” You asked. Mingyu was just as much a romantic at heart as you were. He’d always told you he wanted to marry for love, too.

He grew quiet for a while. “If I had to marry someone tomorrow, I’d still pick you. I’d rather marry one of my best friends than marry a stranger and hope that I learn to love them.”

“Are you sure about that?”

Mingyu turned back to meet your gaze. “I’d marry you right now if you asked,” he said. “I mean it when I say I’d rather have a happy marriage with you than struggle with a stranger.”

(And he didn’t say that he always thought he’d see someone else marry you. That if it was Seungkwan, he would have been okay with it because the two of you were so in love: Mingyu knew you would have been happy, had things gone the way everyone thought they would.)

He could see a smile tugging at the corner of your lips, that pretty flustered expression crossing your face: the fighting of a smile, for once, but the way you’d hold his gaze before immediately looking away. “I think I’d pick you, too,” you said quietly. “At least we’ll be happy.” Then you sighed wistfully, staring off into the distance--past the city at some unknown life that Mingyu wished he could see, too. “Do you ever wonder how things would be if things were different? If our lives were more normal? Or... if Kibum hadn’t left the company.” You sighed. “Would we even know each other?”

“I think we would,” Mingyu reached across the table, taking your hand in his own. “I think... We’re soulmates.” He paused for a moment, the pressure of silence weighing heavily between the two of you.

Soulmates...?

“Like with Wonwoo,” Mingyu said a moment later. “I think we’d find a way to be friends somehow. Wonwoo and I would have been friends no matter what. I think we’d be the same way.”

“Are you sure?” You said. Mingyu’s hand was warm. You honestly didn’t mind it staying over your own. “The city’s big.”

He nodded. “But I think we were always meant to be here,” he curled his fingers around your hand, “in each other’s lives.”

You couldn’t help but smile at the thought, a familiar flutter in your chest. You ignored it, staring ahead at the path that ran alongside the river. “Sometimes,” you started, turning to gaze at Mingyu’s profile. No wonder so many people called him handsome. Against the city, with the twinkling lights of the ship, you thought that maybe you’d fall in love with him, too. “I think about if we would have met at night.” You nodded toward the path. “Maybe you’d be out for a jog, and I’d be coming home from work. And... I think you’d bump into me, because you’re clumsy.” You giggled, and Mingyu met your eyes a moment later before smiling. “But you’d help me up and we’d start talking.”

“Really?” He said. “And?”

“And then you’d fall for me because you’re a sap, and we’d be the leads in some drama that you’d cry over.” You teased, but you liked the way he laughed softly.

Mingyu looked at you the way Seungkwan used to. “I think anyone could fall for you.”

The sentiment made you smile, chest warm. You only hoped that Mingyu was right. If he was okay with you seeing someone else in the future, when your heart was ready to love again... You’d let him find love, if that was what he wanted, after all. You were sure he was. “Loyal fake husband” or not... Mingyu deserved to be happy. Your marriage would only give him so much.

“What would you be doing now if it weren’t for the company?” He asked, still gazing at you. “Have you thought about it?”

What would you do...? Between getting through school and immediately starting work, you hadn’t really explored many options. You liked business because you were good at it, but what about you? What about what you wanted?

“I think...” You pressed your lips together for a moment, humming as you thought the question over more. “I’d go back to school and study more,” you said. “Or maybe I’d travel. There’s a lot of places I want to see.”

“Like?”

You weren’t sure. “Maybe I’ll make a list of those, too.” You looked at Mingyu, a playful smile on your lips, “For our honeymoon.”

“You should,”  Mingyu said, completely serious. “We’ll pick a place together, but we can make a list.”

Something about the night made this feel different in a way you weren’t sure you wanted. Kim Mingyu was one of your best friends, a savior when you needed him to be, and, at the core, just a man in a similar enough position to you. His parents wanted him to marry well, too, didn’t they? Mingyu had told you about dates. About arrangements his parents had made for him--talks of doing the same for his sister, too, when she got older--that he was never a fan of. Things were different, yes, because of who you were... but it was hard to deny that Mingyu stood in a situation similar to yours. That other people did, too. That... Seungkwan did, too.

You pushed that thought aside. Seungkwan had defied plans--and perhaps this was your way of doing it properly. To follow a path that you chose by picking Mingyu, who picked you, too. Yet when he looked at you with that fond look he always held for you, questioning whether you were cold--and already shrugging off his jacket before you could think the question over--you felt your thoughts dragging themselves back up.

Guilt, in its harshest form. Despite everything, you had always hoped Mingyu would be someone who found love in the end. Mingyu loved you like a friend, of that much you were sure, but what about a loving marriage? You couldn’t give that to him. He draped his jacket over your shoulders, fingers grazing your skin in the process. He stood behind you for a moment, staring out at the lights of the city, hands resting on your shoulders.

Mingyu would pick you if he had to marry someone tomorrow. You reached up, hands resting over his own. If you had to make the decision... You’d pick him, too.

general taglist: @wonuziex​ @twancingyunhao​

sweet night taglist: @twogyuu @itsveronicaxxx @caratluvie  @xxluckydreamsxx @onlyasgoodasitgets

[gyuphorias]

SVT &&. ROMANCE TROPES

PAIRING — ot13 svt / reader

WORD COUNT — 0.8k+

GENRE &&. WARNINGS — romance, fluff &&. no warnings

FROM THE AUTHOR — as a connoisseur of books, especially contemporary romance, i feel that it is my duty to assign seventeen some of my favorite tropes. (also sorry for being away so long this summer has been ... less than great but we're powering through)

— seungcheol &&. billionaire / ceo

choi seungcheol is the heir to some company or another. you're an emotional companion, a secretary, maybe just a college student with big dreams. maybe he's got conditions to fulfill before he receives his dues: grow up, hold down a steady relationship, prove that he's mature enough to head up a multi billion dollar company.

— jeonghan &&. forced proximity

for as long as you've known yoon jeonghan, you've found him a pain to be around, argumentative and sharp at the edges. even since day one, you longed for the life that was distinctly before jeonghan. you've made a point of keeping your distance until you're forced into a position where you have to spend time with the only man on earth who has ever compelled you to commit a violent crime against another human being.

— joshua &&. best friend's brother

when you were younger, you never really gave a fuck about your best friend's older brother. he was just some guy lurking on the outermost parts of your peripheral, a ghost of your childhood memories. just a few years older than you, he was always expressly off-limits, per the best friend law. after he graduated and left for college, you never thought much of him... until you reconnect later in life.

— jun &&. will they, won't they

maybe you're best friends, just acquaintances, playful rivals. any way you cut it, you and moon junhui are playing circles around each other. you've both got feelings for the other, but due to incompetency, nervousness, both, or something else entirely, you won't admit it. the onlookers have a bet going on.

— hoshi &&. love at first sight

kwon soonyoung loves loud and he loves hard, and the first time he sees you, he knows he has to make you his. you're wary and quarrelsome about his feelings, truly putting him on the ropes to prove it to you that he loves you the way he says he does. he's over the top and annoying, but at some point, it becomes endearing instead of irritating.

— wonwoo &&. strangers to lovers

he's a student circulation assistant at your campus library, you're a frequent patron to use the nice macbooks and editing software provided to you through your college tuition, always booking your study rooms and equipment for you. alternatively, you're the sweet barista who gives him extra whipped cream on all of his cold drinks or slips him a fudge brownie every once in a while, free of charge. they're small kindnesses, but sweet.

— woozi &&. i hate everyone but you

you and lee jihoon are an unlikely pairing; a chemistry-biology double major and a music major just don't come together so well in some people's minds. he's quiet and closed off, content to be with someone in complete silence, with an air of "everyone in the world sucks." that's the jihoon everyone else sees, but you get a different version of him, a special version that's reserved just for you.

— dk &&. slow burn

lee seokmin is every bit the hopeless romantic. he reads contemporary romance, loves romcoms, and fawns over relationship videos on tiktok. whether you start out as strangers or friends, your relationship with him takes a while to turn into full-out romance, but it's certainly worth the wait, especially for a man who gets all of his smooth lines and tricks from his romance novels.

— mingyu &&. second chance

your first romantic foray with kim mingyu really wasn't that bad: he loved you, took care of you, treated you the way you deserved to be treated. but you were at different points in your life, you wanted different things, so you broke up. when you cross paths again, you've got a lot more in common now than you used to.

— the8 &&. grumpy / sunshine

xu minghao has always had a bit of an... attitude problem, at least according to most of the people who have ever talked about him around you. at first glance, you'd believe it - he's prim, proper with an air of superiority that surrounds him. the more time you spend around him, though, the more he drops that guard around you.

— seungkwan &&. enemies / rivals to lovers

childhood slights or adult disagreements, academic rivals or professional competition. boo seungkwan has been your arch nemesis for as long as you care to remember. you long for the days you've deemed b.s., before seungkwan, which is fitting considering he's full of bullshit. your relationship is turblent, to say the least, but the people around you are tired of putting up with it.

— vernon &&. one of us is famous / celebrity

maybe vernon chwe is still a kpop idol, maybe a famous video game streamer, maybe something else. whatever his occupation may be, he's the famous one and you're seemingly the only person on the face of the earth who is both chronically online and completely unaware of who he is, despite his status. it doesn't irritate him, perse, but rather intrigued.

— dino &&. bad boy / good girl

lee chan is the town heathen, the boy with nothing to lose, no success in the foreseeable future. truthfully, he's an enigma who has always intrigued you, the town sweetheart, the one with everything to gain. your parents, of course, warned you to stay away from him when you were younger, but now that you're an adult, they can't stop you from unraveling the mystery of him.

© gyuphorias, 2022. please do not copy, repost, or translate my work without my permission.

[milfgyuu]

♡ S V T | master list.

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PLEASE READ: Formerly Jinyoungsir & Bubblebeom. All stories marked with [M] contain explicit 18+ sexual content.

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→ 🩷: fluff | ✨: mild spice | 🍋: smut 18+ | ⛈️: angst | 🧸: comfort | 🧡: humor | 💥: action/violence | 🫧: misc imagine/drabble/etc

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˖ ⁺ ‧₊˚ ♡ group mini series ♡ ˚₊‧ ⁺ ˖

✧ SVT x Harry’s House

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˖ ⁺ ‧₊˚ ♡ choi seungcheol (s.coups) ♡ ˚₊‧ ⁺ ˖

✧ Remind Me - who does cheol think he is and why is he acting like your boyfriend? bc he is??? oh…🩷✨

✧ By The Fire - you’re afraid of spooky stories and choi seungcheol knows it. 🧡✨

✧ Matilda - it’s your wedding day and the weight of your familial traumas are weighing down on you. ⛈️🧸

✧ Girl Dad #1 - csc the youtube learning dad 🫧🩷

✧ Girl Dad #2 - csc the ballet dad 🫧🩷

✧ Lowlifes [M] - hot illegal crime ring leader is also just a guy that’s been in love with you since forever. 🍋💥🩷

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˖ ⁺ ‧₊˚ ♡ yoon jeonghan ♡ ˚₊‧ ⁺ ˖

✧ Wicked Delights [M] - a pair of creepy, cooky, mysterious, and spooky lovers celebrate All Hallows Eve together. 🧡🍋

✧ Little Freak - jeonghan has never once been good enough for you but you have never once cared. ⛈️🧸

✧ He's the Fun Parent - aka the extra child 🫧🧡

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˖ ⁺ ‧₊˚ ♡ joshua hong ♡ ˚₊‧ ⁺ ˖

✧ Vanilla [M] - does joshua have a secret or did you just block it out in hopes of ignoring your feelings? 🩷🍋 (series)

✧ Is That Allowed? - joshua helps you choose a halloween costume even though he doesn’t like to dress up. 🧡✨

✧ Boyfriends - joshua has watched you run back to someone who continually takes advantage of you and he’s over it. ⛈️🧸

✧ Untitled Timestamp - time to recharge 🫧🧸🩷

✧ Something Soothing - beware…it’s soft dad joshua 🫧🩷

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˖ ⁺ ‧₊˚ ♡ wen junhui ♡ ˚₊‧ ⁺ ˖

✧ Lovers & Friends [M] [f2l, fwb!au, smut] blurred lines are clarified when you find yourself between lovers & friends. 🩷🍋

✧ What’s My Age Again? [M] - jun is a dumbass but he’s your dumbass and you like him that way. 🧡🩷🍋

✧ The Yo-Nut Slasher - your fav Yo-Nut employees are back and more terrified than ever! 🧡🩷💥

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˖ ⁺ ‧₊˚ ♡ kwon soonyoung (hoshi) ♡ ˚₊‧ ⁺ ˖

✧ Yes, Baby [M] - hoshi catching you moaning his name sounds like a nightmare until it happens and things go much differently than you’d think. 🍋🧡

✧ Lovers Lane [M] - are you ever really too old to hook up at lovers lane? that’s still up for debate. 🍋🧡

✧ New Dad - extra fluffy & sweet 🫧🩷

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

˖ ⁺ ‧₊˚ ♡ lee jihoon (woozi) ♡ ˚₊‧ ⁺ ˖

✧ Love of My Life - jihoon is a famous musician who seems to have everything but the girl he left behind. ☔️🧸🩷

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

˖ ⁺ ‧₊˚ ♡ jeon wonwoo ♡ ˚₊‧ ⁺ ˖

✧ Heart & Seoul [M] - Series Master List. 🩷🧸☔️💥🍋

✧ Getting Closer [M] One | Two | Three (series) in which your relationship with your two roommates is redefined in a big way that benefits everyone. 🩷🍋

✧ Satellite - you left him four months ago because he deserved more but the universe brings you back together again. ☔️🧸

✧ As a Partner 🫧🩷

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

˖ ⁺ ‧₊˚ ♡ xu minghao (the8) ♡ ˚₊‧ ⁺ ˖

✧ How Deep? - the story of falling in love with a siren, both lovers with a curse of their own. ☔️🧸

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

˖ ⁺ ‧₊˚ ♡ kim mingyu ♡ ˚₊‧ ⁺ ˖

✧ Lovers & Friends [M] - blurred lines are clarified when you find yourself between lovers & friends. 🍋

✧ Little Bird [M] - your husband has a tendency to baby you and you’ve got to break him of it. 🩷🍋

✧ Old Fashioned [M] - husband!gyu plans an anniversary surprise with your daughter’s help. 🩷🍋

✧ Nobody Like You [M] - empty ring fingers meet across the bar & lace together in a quiet hotel suite. 🍋

✧ At Your Service [M] - this was really just an excuse to write mingyu in a skirt. 🧡🍋

✧ Hot Wheels [M] - if mingyu was actually an employee at my local skating rink in the 90's it would still be open today. 🧡🩷🍋

✧ Getting Closer [M] One | Two | Three (series) in which your relationship with your two roommates is redefined in a big way that benefits everyone. 🩷🍋

✧ Fake Text #1 🫧✨

✧ As a Partner 🫧🩷

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

˖ ⁺ ‧₊˚ ♡ lee seokmin (dk) ♡ ˚₊‧ ⁺ ˖

✧ Parenting Handbook - spending the day with your husband and kids at the carnival prompts a very serious question. 🩷

✧ Butterflies - soulmate!au 🫧🩷

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

˖ ⁺ ‧₊˚ ♡ chwe hansol (vernon) ♡ ˚₊‧ ⁺ ˖

✧ Seeking A Soul [M] - it’s all hallows’ eve and something is different about your best friend vernon. 👻🍋 (demon!au)

✧ Daylight [M] - he’s cursing the daylight because you’re in his bed every night and gone in the morning. ☔️🍋🩷

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

˖ ⁺ ‧₊˚ ♡ lee chan (dino) ♡ ˚₊‧ ⁺ ˖

✧ Worth A Shot - someone breaks out a yearbook and you try to soothe your bf chan’s ego. 🫧🧡

✧ Bitchless [M] - lee chan is most definitely NOT bitchless and he’ll prove it. 🧡🍋🩷

✧ Double Dare - chan is determined to spook you right into his arms. 👻🧡✨

✧ As It Was [M] - the ghost of your lover appears as if fate is giving you a second chance, even if it’s not the same as it was. ☔️🩷🍋

✧ Partner Traits 🫧🩷

✧ Partner Traits #2 🫧🩷🧸

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••˖ ⁺ ‧₊˚ ♡ misc group content ♡ ˚₊‧ ⁺ ˖

✧ SVT Blurbs: Ass or Tiddies? 🫧🧡✨

✧ SVT Blurbs: Dumb Shower Habits 🫧🧡

✧ SVT as Classic Horror Roles/Tropes 🫧🧡

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

♥︎ | Main M.List | Updated 08/22/24 ♥︎

→ Please do NOT copy, repost, or translate, any of my works here on tumblr or on any other platforms! All stories are copyrighted, Milfgyuu, 2019. ©️

[beomcoups]

Food Wars (teaser)

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: You and Mingyu are rival but friendly chefs competing for a spot to be an executive chef at a new location in Madrid. This position would change your life; no matter how attractive he is, you WILL get that spot.

𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: chef!Mingyu x chef!reader

𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: fluff, angst, eventual smut, 18+

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: cursing (more warnings will be in actual fic)

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬: 1455 (just for the teaser, fic will be longer)

𝐀𝐍: This fic is for the world tour collab hosted by @svthub. Part 1 of the actual fic will be posted on July 21st. Thank you to everyone who helped me brainstorm ideas. I will tag everyone in the actual fic :)

You knew it would come to this, and as good as you are at hiding your poker face, you are pissed. A food competition, really? You almost burst out with laughter when Rich, the restaurant's owner of The Palm Cuisine, said it. The Palm Cuisine is one of the most popular restaurants in the U.S., with three locations in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami. He is opening a new restaurant in Madrid, Spain, and wants to take one of the sous chefs to make an executive chef. You are the better chef, and everyone knows it, but in the spirit of “fairness,” you have to go against another person for the owner to make their decision. That other person is no other than Kim Mingyu, the golden boy of the restaurant who is almost as good as you in the kitchen. Almost.

It’s not like the position was directly promised to you, but deep down, you always assumed it would be yours. You have been there the longest, know the menu from top to bottom, and have even stayed extra nights you didn’t have to for the benefit of the restaurant and the team. You eat, breathe and shit this place. It feels like a slap in the face. “Put the knives down, girlie,” your coworker and good friend Shena nudges you. 

You sigh, gently setting down the knives you used to cut your potatoes. “I’m fine,” you whisper, turning around and rolling your eyes. “I am totally fucking fine.” You close your eyes and take a small, deep breath, centering yourself before returning to reality. Disappointment would be an understatement if you had to describe how you feel. The Palm Cuisine is the first and only restaurant you have worked at, starting as a prep cook and working your way up to sous. You always imagined yourself making it to Executive chef—overseeing the restaurant's menu, preparation, cooking, ordering, and operations. The place specializes in Spanish food, and you can confidently say you can plan a Spanish menu with your eyes closed. Tapas, gazpacho, paellas, you name it, you’ve done it. And yet, you must constantly prove to everyone (mainly the men) that you deserve to be here. It’s exhausting. You can feel everyone’s eyes on you, wondering if you will snap and break a rolling pin or cry in the bathroom.  Instead of giving them the satisfaction, you turn around with a beaming smile. “Well,” you quirk an eyebrow. “Let the food war begin!” “Oh, splendid!” Rich squeals. “I was worried you would be upset.” “Why would I be upset?” You cock your head. “I mean, it’s only fair, right?” He chuckles nervously, and you fight the urge to roll your eyes. “Why don’t you and Mingyu come into my office, and we can discuss it further?” You nod as he beckons Mingyu over and follows him into his mid-size office. It smells of fresh linen, courtesy of a scented oil on his bookshelf. It looked like a typical place of work, complete with a desk, laptop, and hundreds of documents related to the restaurant. It’s cold in contrast to the warmth of the fires in the kitchen, and you long to be back in front of the heat, cooking from your heart.

 You’ve been cooking since you were ten, watching your grandmother in the kitchen slave away for all the major holidays. You remember how it felt when you made your first apple pie. You went to the local market and bought the freshest green apples you could find. You cut them up like she did, adding the right amounts of nutmeg, brown sugar, and other needed ingredients. You made your own crust and watched everyone marvel at your dessert. You guess you could say that your grandmother stirred your love for cooking. God, you miss her. 

You hear Mingyu shuffle behind you, the scent of chocolate and cream greeting you before he does. You nod, moving to the seat furthest away from the door to give yourself space. You don’t hate Mingyu; you two are friendly with each other and help each other out when needed. He’s always treated you with respect and never condescended you when you made a suggestion. Your eyes undoubtedly work, and you would be a liar if you didn’t admit he is handsome. His model-like looks, toned body, great hair, and he just happens to be a good cook? It’s almost not fair. But fortunately for you, you haven’t fallen for his charms. He’s the golden retriever that everyone wants to be around. Well, except for you.

“So,” Rich starts as he shuts the door. I want you to know that I respect both of you, and it was tough to make this decision; hence, we are doing this. Plus, it’ll be fun, bring up the morale of the restaurant while we’re in Madrid—” “Wait,” you hold your hand up. “Are we going to do this in Madrid?” “Well, yes,” he says casually. “It’s only fitting we do it in there. It’ll give you a chance to feel the vibe of the area and get some fresh ingredients. Lord knows you can’t get it here in the city.”

Mingyu chuckles, and you instinctively dig your thumb into your palm, your mind already thinking of the cost of a ticket, hotel space, etc. 

“We will cover everything, of course; all you need to do is be ready for international travel. You can bring one person from the restaurant as your assistant. Oh, and here is some paperwork you will need to fill out.” Several minutes later, with all the paperwork signed and details worked out, you shuffle out of the office one by one. Rich leaves first, rushing out like a bat out of hell, his wooden smell following him and the tension in your chest. You’re plagued with thoughts about coming up with a menu, packing to leave, and who’s going to watch your cat Grey while you’re gone. You feel undervalued, still bothered that you even have to do this. Does your many years of being here not mean anything to Rich? Is your cooking not good enough? Why keep hinting that you could have something bigger here just to string you along? All of this frustrates you with a passion. 

You need a fucking drink. 

Your nose wiggles at the smell of rich chocolate, your mouth salivates, and your stomach rumbles shortly after. You have a terrible habit of not eating when hungry as you focus on making food and serving others. While your mind is on food, you aren’t paying attention to Mingyu in front of you, bumping into his back. Your face grows hot with embarrassment, refusing to meet the gaze of your competitor for your dream job. “Hey.” His deep voice knocks you out of your mental fog. 

“W-what’s up?” You stumble through your words. “I just want to say it’s an honor going toe-to-toe with you for this spot. There wouldn’t be any other person I would want to go against. You’re a great chef.” 

For that tiny moment, you felt seen and appreciated. Aside from Shena, no one seemed to care about the hard work you put into The Palm Cuisine, and you thought about quitting so many times. But despite being unappreciated, you love the food, the culture, and the customers that come in. You can’t imagine yourself anywhere else.

“Thanks,” you clear your throat. “You’re good too.” Mingyu nods, a strand of hair falling over his forehead. Seeing him up close, you have to admit, he’s attractive. You get why everyone trips over their feet when he’s around. You have much more discipline than that despite the vibrations through your body. “Also, you need to eat,” he says matter-of-factly. “I heard your stomach before you bumped into me.”

Whatever spell you were temporarily under ceased immediately, knocking you back into reality.

“Ladies first,” he says, moving out of the way to let you through. His hand lightly touches your back as you walk by, making that part of you hot as if it were touched by something warm. You return to your stations, cleaning off your station to be ready for the customers set to come in later on. “What was that about?” Shena pops up beside you, eyeing you suspiciously. “Just some stuff about this unnecessary competition and getting an assistant to help me and whatnot,” you shrug. 

“Wow, that’s kind of grand,” she looks perplexed as if you are telling a joke. 

You nod, grab a banana nearby, and take a bite, curbing your hunger a bit.  “So…” you let your voice trail off in suspense. “How about you come with me to Spain?”

[maximura]

KPOP BIASES AS: BAND ERA

Choi Seungcheol: Julian Casablancas is a spiritual Godfather to Seungcheol. If you don’t get it, then oh well whatever nevermind. Their old videos are in bad quality but it doesn’t actually matter. If Coups was in a band, it’d be this band. But secretly, he wants to be this song. 

Bang Chan: Well if he’s going to insist on Nirvana then so be it. But it’s like watching a teddy bear in a mosh pit. It’s been 30 years and I still cannot believe Kurt sounds like that live.

Choi Beomgyu: I just know in my heart that he has jammed to this at least once in his life. 

Kim Hongjoong: Genre defining. If Ateez was a rock band, it’d be this band doing this song in this era. And that’s just about the highest order compliment I could give them. 

Hwang Hyunjin: Barbie would’ve been a Hole stan. They’re both more metal than the vast majority of male rock bands. There I said it. 

Han Jisung: Jisus Of Suburbia. This is the rock song I’ve always assigned to him in my head. I want him to cover it so bad. I think he could easily sing every chapter of the story. 

King Taemin: Queen.

Choi Yeonjun: I know they’ve done an emo rock era but I’m going to need a punk rock era. Specifically channelling Our Holy Lady of Way. I really need to see Yeonjun in a proper punk era. 

Park Seonghwa: Only pretty songs for Seonghwa. 

Song Mingi: This bassline is what Mingi sounds like to me. 

Kim Mingyu: I’ve always felt very warm optimistic energy from Mingyu so that’s why he gets this classic. 

Seo Changbin: The best acoustic live set ever recorded. 

Jeon Wonwoo: This is the only song I had for him because this is what he sounds like in my head. I’m the woman in the audience having a religious experience. Amen. 

Choi San: But this song? It sounds chaotic and jarring but the melodic payoff is so euphoric and satisfying. There’s not much metal in KPOP but if any group can bring on the MetalPocalypse, it’s definitely Ateez. 

Kang Taehyun: It is absolutely necessary for everyone to watch all 9:16 minutes of this video. This is my favourite GNR song and my favourite guitar solo and my favourite music video. Please pay it the respect it deserves. 

[wonlouvre]

pairing: doctor!wonwoo x lawyer!female oc genre: modern royalty, arranged marriage, fluff and angst word count: 3.7k WARNINGS: hospital setting, mentions of surgery/operation, blood, violence

a/n: so, this is it guys. the final part of ifliys :( i would like to extend my sincere thank yous to each and everyone who have read, liked, commented and shared this series. this is the very first fanfic i was able to finish/complete because of the support, love and motivation you all gave as i wrote this. don’t worry! there is an epilogue and i will announce what i have in store for them in the near future. in the meantime, this is part ten. thank you very much!

ten: moonlight | masterlist

The Queen is talkative. That’s one of the many quirks she has that you noticed when you were growing up. It’s not the uncomfortable or annoying kind of talkative. You really don’t know how to exactly put it, but she’s talkative in an elegant and easy-going way. One time, she decided to take a walk on a particularly busy street with only one member of the security detail assigned to tail her a few meters behind. She told you the whole story, excitedly. She was casually strolling and asking typical questions like what time is it to some vendors, passersby and the like. She even held a conversation about olive oil that lasted a good twenty minutes until the stranger she was talking to recognized who she was. You can tell that she had a blast as she laughed all through the evening. 

Spending time with her gradually dwindled because of your job paired with your official duties as the Crowned Princess. But when opportunity arises, you make sure to make it worth the wait. Conversations are easy with her because she’s trustworthy and most importantly, she’s your mother. She usually asks you random, yet unexpectedly relevant questions whenever the two of you share a cup of coffee or tea or when you go shopping and even now is no different, as you’re about to choose the right fabric for your wedding dress. 

“Describe the person that brings the best out of you.”

Ah, here we go. Your mother is surely not distracting you but her intent stares as she props her arm against the armrest of the white couch she’s sitting on is definitely pulling you away from the matter at hand. The look on your eyes is telling her really? and she fires back with an expecting one telling you a silent, “well? Come on. Tell me.”

You snort and shake your head, bringing your attention back to the table. You’re not denying your mother an answer because you know who to describe. It’s not that hard to figure out and you know she’s smart enough to know.

Jeon Wonwoo.

“How do you want me to describe? Personality or physical features?” You ask back and humor her as you fiddle with one lace material. 

“Both,” she challenges with a mischievous grin and you’re not one to back down. 

“Well, the person is quite tall and sharp in terms of physical features,” you start, doing your best to describe him implicitly. “Has a way with words, but they are all genuine and honest.”

Unbeknownst to you, your mother’s fond smile confirms your assumption that she is smart and that she knows who you’re talking about. But she presses on, loving how you describe this mysterious person. 

“What about those features then? How do they help you?”

You thought for a moment and when the right words came to mind, you didn’t hesitate to say, “They inspire me to do and be better not only for myself but for everyone else. Mostly it’s their genuineness and honesty that inspires me.”

You and your mother laugh together at your last sentence. 

It’s true though. After witnessing Wonwoo in the light of his Kingdom, something tugged at your heartstrings. You don’t exactly remember when, maybe it was around high school, but you remember adamantly telling your friends that you would want to be with someone that will bring the best out in you. Someone that can fuel your desire to be of service for the greater good. It sounds awfully used too often and you’re sure you’re not the only one who thinks this way, but as you have already said, it’s the truth.

Despite the circumstances, you found that someone. You found Wonwoo.

A few seconds later, Jeongyeon comes in with a knock and announces, “Your Majesty, Prince Wonwoo has arrived.”

Your eyes spring up at the name, distracted once again. And when you see the “tall” and “sharp” Prince, you’re quick to your feet and run towards him. He stumbles a little when you jump at him in a tight hug, arms clinging around his neck. Nonetheless, he smiles and welcomes your enthusiastic embrace with a soft smooch on the side of your head. 

“Wait,” you abruptly pull away. “You’re not supposed to be here, though.”

Wonwoo acts dumb, tilting his head to the side. “What do you mean? Her Majesty invited me to be here.”

“Calm down, Y/N,” you hear the culprit say behind your back as she stands up to greet her future son-in-law. “There’s no dress yet. It’s okay for him to be here.”

You subtly roll your eyes. You’re not one to be superficial but if there were a dress already, she’d take her words back. You return your arms back to Wonwoo’s waist and lean your chin against his chest, your lips pulling into a pout. He leans down to meet your lips with a quick peck but your mother was quicker to push you aside and to take her turn in giving him a hug. 

Your jaw drops and your pout is exchanged with a scowl. 

Wonwoo tries his best to hold his laughter but to no avail, fails as he formally greets the Queen. “Good afternoon, Your Majesty.” 

“Always good to see you, my Prince,” the Queen replies and gently pats his cheek. “And now that you’re here, I can finally take my leave.”

“Leave? We haven’t even picked a fabric yet,” you remind her and stand in between them. 

“Honey, you have been going back and forth since nine in the morning,” she retaliates and walks back to the couch to pick her bag up. “Let’s schedule for another day. Unless you want Wonwoo to leave and we continue.”

Your stance immediately takes a hundred eighty degree turn. “You know what, you’re right. Let’s clear Saturday next week and we’ll take it from there.”

“I thought so.”

With a knowing wink, the Queen takes off.

That memory was from about three weeks ago after your visit and vacation at Wonwoo’s Kingdom. Wedding planning was back and the two of you went your separate ways for the time being to prepare your respective attire and accessories. Wonwoo didn’t know you had that conversation with the Queen not until she told him here at the hospital where you lie unconscious and fighting for your life.

The Royal Hospital was once again swarmed with a plethora of men in black suits because the Crowned Princess of the Kingdom has been shot twice, one on her shoulder and another on her left leg. It was a failed attempt in assassinating the King but Kim Mingyu took the opportunity to target your vulnerability and let his men shoot you instead as if it was his plan b. Kim Mingyu, whom he never desires to meet, is finally in police custody. He didn’t try to elude his impending arrest. In fact, he knew he would get arrested. He just wanted to toy with people until he couldn’t anymore. 

Wonwoo has no words to spare to describe him and seeing his face and hearing his name everywhere and everytime is just making his blood boil. 

The Queen has never left the hospital from the moment she arrived while you were undergoing operation up to being placed in a private room. She was calm when Wonwoo stood up from the bench to respectfully address her. She just nodded her head when he couldn’t say a word without his lips trembling and enveloped him in a warm hug as he cried on her shoulder. 

She told him that the two of you haven’t spoken since your father’s arrest and it has been unbearably painful and challenging. She acknowledges how terrible and neglecting she has been as a mother when she knows how absolutely difficult this is for you. It’s even more heartbreaking because you never once complained. Instead you respected her silence and distance. She regrets her absence and seeing you lying on a bed, looking so cold and fragile is making her world completely fall apart.

“Wonwoo, I’m so sorry that this happened,” the Queen solemnly says and holds his hand tightly. “The Kingdom promises that everyone involved will be held accountable.”

Wonwoo nods. “I understand, Your Majesty. Our Kingdom will do so as well.”

“I also want you to know that Y/N never wanted to end the engagement,” she adds. “She was just afraid that someone like her doesn’t deserve to receive your love.”

Wonwoo didn’t know that you looked up to him. If anyone should be admired, it should be you because you were ready to drop everything just to uphold justice. It’s been three days after the operation and you still haven’t opened your eyes. The operation was successful. No artery nor major organs were damaged, but you did lose a lot of blood. Just like the Queen, Wonwoo has been by your side, patiently waiting. Right now despite your stable condition, he still feels like dying. 

The love of his life almost died before his eyes. 

Wonwoo rests his head on the small space beside your arm, similar to the first time he took care of you a few months back. He gazes at your peaceful face, silently begging for you to wake up. He wants to kiss, hear and hug you again. He wants to be with you again. 

“Wonwoo.”

He sits up straight at the sound of his name and finds the Queen sadly smiling at him.

“How about you go back to your apartment for today?” She suggests, taking the seat on your other side. “Take a long shower and have some shut eye? Hmmm?”

Wonwoo bites his bottom lip, hesitant to leave and not have his eyes on you. He badly wants to stay and be here when you finally wake up. But the Queen is right. You’re safe now so he has nothing to worry about anymore. 

Slowly, he stands up from the chair he’s been sitting on for who knows how long. He clasps his one hand around yours while the other sweeps the hair that’s covering your forehead and lands a gentle kiss there. You’re starting to warm up and that’s a relief. 

He talks to you every single day, hoping you’d hear his voice. For now, he’ll keep it to himself.

I love you.

Later in the evening, you find your mother quietly dozing off, her head swaying from left to right and vice versa as she remains upright on the couch placed near the wall. You blink your eyes and adapt to the sudden brightness greeting your senses. You try to move your head and take in your surroundings and after a few minutes of contemplating, you recognize where you’re at and remember everything. 

Dad.

Your violent gasp immediately roused your mother from her sleep and seeing you struggling to sit made her jolt up and hurry beside you. 

“Darling,” she calls and holds your thrashing arms down, worried that you’d worsen your wounds. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”

“Dad,” you voice out against the dryness of your throat. “Mom, where’s dad?”

“He’s okay too.” You can see the tears welling up on her eyes as she caresses your hair and gently pulls you in a hug. “He’s safe.”

Together, you shed the tears of anguish that you have been holding back for so long.

The King couldn’t be here because the court didn’t allow his appeal to accompany nor visit you even just for a day. He couldn’t even carry his daughter’s body to the ambulance because he was handcuffed and heavily guarded. He couldn’t even protect his daughter from the harmful consequences of his mistakes. Your mother told you that he desperately wants to be by your side and you do know that. You’re way past his inability to be here and that’s none of your concern anymore. As long as he is safe, you’re more than content. 

The trial has been rescheduled for next week and your father has to be detained until then. You’ll try to visit him again once you’re discharged and together with that, you’d also find the strength to accompany him at his trial. 

Your mother was firm on staying and insisting that she’s fine when you tried to urge her to go home, but you can clearly tell how tired she is from the lack of sleep so you didn’t let her win. It’s already late in the night when she finally gave in. Your mother kisses your cheek one last time after the doctor assessed your condition. Jeongyeon would stick around for the evening in her stead. Poor girl cried so much the moment she saw you widely awake.

Once it’s only the two of you left, Jeongyeon helped you sit on a wheelchair and wheeled you next to the window before she left to grab some extra bottled water. You can’t stand properly yet because of the wound on your leg so a wheelchair is necessary if you want to be mobile. You’re starting to feel the back pain after lying down for so long, you need to move. The doctor was a bit apprehensive about allowing you to leave your bed, but gave in when you promised to stay inside the room. 

The moon, shining in all its glory, up in the dark sky looked so enticing, you had to take a closer look. The three days went by so fast and running through all that ensued leaves a sickening sensation down to your stomach. You shake your head, not wanting to relive the frightening memories.

Your attention goes back to the moon and one person comes to mind. 

It makes you selfishly wonder if he ever visited once or asked and worried about you as you bring your hand up to your neck. When you don’t feel the lifebuoy pendant, your heart skips a beat. You then looked down to your hand, your engagement ring is also not on your finger. You frown, growing upset. They could have removed it, but it should be back to you by now. You looked around the room, hoping to find your precious gems within reach. Just in time before you could wheel yourself around to search for them, you hear the door open.

“Hey Jeongyeon, have you seen my necklace and ring?” You ask to the void as you tilt your head back to the moon.

When you don’t hear any answer other than the sound of heavy breathing, you remove your gaze from the window to see who came in if it’s not your assistant. To your surprise it’s no other than,

“Wonwoo.”

Wonwoo didn’t keep count of the exact times, but he knows how long and how much he begged just to hear your voice call his name once again. He didn’t even have the chance to change from his sweatpants and sleeveless shirt when he received the call from Soonyoung (whom Jeongyeon told to). Honestly? He didn’t bother at all because he just wanted to be right here at this moment. 

To be with you. 

He takes slow steps as he calms his breathing. Meanwhile, you remained seated and let him come to you. You’d run to him just like you did back then, but your leg wouldn’t appreciate that. 

It felt like forever for Wonwoo to get to you. But when he finally drops on the floor and lightly rests his head on your lap, there’s no reason for him to complain anymore. 

Your tears fall again for the nth time tonight. You caress his wet locks, probably from the mixture of his shower and sweat. He cries too because you can feel it seeping against the pants you’re wearing. He wraps his arms around your lap, careful from crashing his weight. You, on the other hand, bend your head down to kiss the crown of his head.

Both of your hearts are shouting, finally. 

The beautiful moonlight shines on the two of you as you both silently settle down there for a moment, not giving a care in the world because this is just what you’ve been yearning for and you’re not allowing anyone nor anything to steal this away ever again.

Your long face doesn’t go unnoticed by Wonwoo and he knows why you’re pulling it against him. But no, he is not falling for it. Instead he ignores your silent plea and continues tucking you back on the bed. You glance up at him and try to win him again with your attempt at puppy dog eyes and when he doesn’t, you give up.

“You know that this bed is too small to fit two bodies, Y/N,” he states the obvious and drags a chair to sit on. “I know you’re smart enough to see that.”

You huff and pull the covers closer to your chin. If it wasn’t for the wound on your shoulder, you’d turn your back against him. 

Wonwoo just rolls his eyes at your antics and holds your hand under the warm blanket. 

After your short reunion, Wonwoo decided to get you back to your bed because it was nearing one o’clock in the morning. You haven’t brought up what happened and it’s alright because you still have another chance to do so. Hopefully.

“I’m sorry, Wonwoo,” you whisper under your breath but his ears can hear your words. 

He nods and kisses the back of your hand. “I know, baby. It’s not your fault.”

Baby.

You never use pet names or terms of endearment and hearing him say it for the first time almost made you faint. It’s an exaggeration but you’re weak at the moment and anything that flusters your heart can potentially weaken your whole body. 

Wonwoo then brings something out from his pockets and your eyes brighten at the sight of the necklace he gave you. He chuckles when he sees your excited expression and stands up. His fingers tenderly graze the skin of your neck when he puts it back to where it rightfully belongs. 

“I thought I lost it,” you say, holding the pendant between your fingers.

He sits back down and what he mutters next makes you feel a twinge of guilt. 

“I thought I lost you.”

You sigh and coax him to you, grasping the hand enclosed to yours. “Come here.” 

This time you let him take the small space on your bed. You sit up as well so that you can reach his height. He helps you and once you’re comfortably situated, you wrap your arms around his waist and rest your head on his chest. 

Wonwoo smiles at your affection and lets his hand smooth against your hair. You have always been brave when it comes to touching him and he’ll never forget how you kissed him on the lips first. He’s so glad and relieved you’re finally awake. He doesn’t think he can go on for another day without you. And now that you’re holding each other like this, he wishes for this night to never end. 

“I’ll probably not inherit the throne,” you say against his shirt. “I don’t think your family would want you to marry an abolished monarch.”

Wonwoo’s hand drops and he breathes out a disappointed sigh. He is not having this conversation with you right now. Why must you ruin the moment? 

When you don’t feel his hand against you anymore, you look up and steal a kiss under his chin. However, that doesn’t suffice because he’s still upset and it’s evident on the frown adorning his handsome face.

“But I realized I love you, so if it means I have to beg all the way to their Majesties for your hand then—”

Wonwoo doesn’t let you continue and shuts you up with a searing kiss. He softly squeezes your cheeks with one of his hands, almost as if commanding you to pucker your lips. Your eyes widened in surprise but when he put his other hand at the side of your neck, you surrendered. 

It’s no secret that you and Wonwoo kiss. Oftentimes they’re just quick brushes, but sometimes they get a little bit more intense, deeper. You won’t get into detail though, because that’s a story to tell for some other time. 

For now, you eagerly meet Wonwoo’s passion as he lays you back down on the bed, of course with caution. He doesn’t fully drop his weight on top of you, one arm carrying his upper body while the other gingerly cupping one side of your face. 

His chest is firm and his shoulder broad as you grip your hands on them and continue kissing him. You should be asleep by now because you are still recovering. But Wonwoo is a doctor himself, right? So if he took the initiative to kiss you until sunrise, then it must be alright. 

Okay, maybe it’s wrong to mock his profession like that. But, you’re just grateful to kiss him like this again. Because the last time you shared one, tears were streaming down your face and you two were on the verge of breaking up. 

“I should really put you to sleep now,” Wonwoo whispers against your lips, breathless. 

You hold your laughter, still basking in his taste. When you open your eyes, Wonwoo is already hoisting himself back up. Your lips draw into a pout again and the cause of it just rolls his eyes.

“I promise there will be more, but for now rest, okay?” He pinches your cheek lightly and sits back on the chair. 

“You can take the couch,” you tell him.

“Sleep, Y/N.”

You no longer defy and close your eyes. 

You remember the first time he commanded you those words and looking back, they are all fond memories of your then developing relationship. There were many questions when you and Wonwoo got along so well and so fast. There were many doubts and insecurities. The two of you shared those in silence, which could have endangered your hearts. However, even though your relationship was shaken and tested, the two of you persevered. 

For you, Wonwoo persevered and words and actions are not enough to thank him. You couldn’t have overcome this without his support and patience. So from now on, against all odds, you’ll do exactly the same.

[bbangsoonie]

sewol ferry - april 16, 2014

잊지 않을게요. 꼭 기억 할게요. 🎗

tw: death, tragedy

seven years ago today, 476 passengers and crew boarded the sewol ferry and only 172 returned. 325 of the passengers were high school students excited to embark on a field trip they had been looking forward to.

the sinking of the sewol ferry was an avoidable tragedy. inspections of the ship were inaccurate due to falsified documents. cargo was 1,155.7 tons over the limit. warnings about the ship’s stability were dismissed with threats. there weren’t enough life jackets. passengers weren’t taught how to properly use the few life jackets that were available.

the crew made announcements telling the passengers to stay still, even as the ferry was beginning to sink. even as water began pouring inside. even as the crew themselves abandoned ship.

korea is a culture that heavily emphasizes listening to elders. so when authorities told the students to stay trapped inside, they obeyed. they disregarded their instincts to flee and trusted the people who sacrificed them to save themselves. only those who went against the adults were the ones who survived. many of the bodies that were recovered were found bloodied and with broken bones. proof of their frantic attempts to escape and survive.

every year, it breaks my heart to hear the voicemails the kids left behind. their last text messages to their families. their videos that they filmed, unaware of their impending death.

the government was slow and inefficient in their rescue operations. civilians had to take matters into their own hands. more than half of the survivors were rescued by fishing boats and other commercial vessels.

there are many conspiracy theories as to why this was handled so messily. this incident was also the last straw that pushed the then-president’s impeachment. but i won’t delve too deep into that here. because today, i want to honor and remember the victims.

i still remember watching this on the news. waiting for updates on the internet. praying that everyone would come back safe and sound to their families. i remember seeing the devastated parents waiting for their children to come home.

294 people were declared dead. 5 people are still missing to this day.

5 families did not get the closure they deserved. 5 families are still pained with the grief of not being able to put their loved ones to rest.

kang mingyu, the vice president of the high school students, couldn’t bear the guilt of surviving and committed suicide two days later.

kim gwanhong, a diver who voluntarily rescued passengers, was haunted by the bodies he couldn’t save and committed suicide in 2016 after suffering from injuries during search and rescue operations that made him unable to work.

if you are able to, please check out these videos to inform yourself about the tragedy and to remember the lives lost and ruined.

🎗Meeting a survivor from S. Korea’s biggest maritime disaster: Sewol Ferry Tragedy ↳ hear the story from the perspective of a student survivor

Sewol Ferry Remember song🎗️( 세올 페리 기억해, 노래) ↳ i really want to translate some of the letters left on the desks. it truly hurts to read them ↳ “to: jooeun unnie, hi unnie! i’m dawoon’s little sister. i can’t see you often now but i hope you get along with my brother there too~” ↳ “kim jean, where are you? you’re alive, right? i miss you so much your name won’t leave my lips.. we have to go eat 3 cm pizza. we promised to go get nose surgery together in the winter. hurry up, i’ll hug you. it’s cold. i miss you so much.. i really love you. i believe in you. you have to come back. you have to, okay? from, hyeran who loves you the most” ↳ “woohyuk, my lovely nephew. it must be cold, right? i know it’s dark in the ship but stay strong. you have to stay strong. you have to stay alive until we save you”

Inside The Worst Modern-Day Tragedy In Korea: 5 Year Anniversary Of The Sewol | ASIAN BOSS ↳ this documentary does a great job of covering the tragedy. if you want to learn more in depth about what happened, you should watch this video

seven years ago, i was 14. these students were 16/17 (korean age 18).

seven years later, i am now 20 yet these students are still 16/17.

i mourn for their stolen youth. i pray that they have found peace.

there are still so many unanswered questions about this tragedy. it wasn’t until november 2019 that another investigation was opened. but by then, 3 years had already passed. 3 years of unbearable and indescribable pain.

every april, i take a moment to remember this tragic day. i actually cried so hard while writing this post. it doesn’t hurt any less each year.

[jesusagrees]

Kim Mingyu x OP

So, the past few days have been really stressful on everyone especially carats, with all the accusations going around for various idols and artists, even actors/actresses...just mess. 

I normally don’t jump the gun and even post or say anything until full statements and details have been released, most times I don’t even say anything at all, but this actually really bothered me. Here’s why:

So, a couple days ago I made a post about something in the OP for Mingyu’s allegations, now I’m not going to go into full detail about her post or mention everything because I’m sure everyone by now has read the most accurate translation that went around and it doesn’t matter to keep bringing it up. But there was one thing that really bothered me in her post, ONE BIG thing she mentioned that I was able to discuss with many people who reached out to me from my post-which I thank because I got the courage to talk about it some more and post my thoughts. So here it is.

The therapist. 

OP mentioned she wasn’t planning on even mentioning Mingyu or saying anything but her therapist encouraged her to saying it could lead to ‘more future harm for her’.  What type of therapist, in their right mind, would take this very vulnerable and obviously mentally unstable person, let alone their PATIENT, and tell them to go start some shit with a very popular and well known idol. Just. WHY? WHO? 

OP kept mentioning in her post Mingyu didn’t really do anything to her or say anything to her just the classroom and teachers would tell him to stop. He would make inappropriate jokes as your average 10-13 year old does. She never really accused him of doing anything to her and really kept mentioning he didn’t but she was still hurt and offended. She also said he wasn’t the cause of her trauma nor was he the reason why she was in therapy, and she mentioned some other things that didn’t add up to me but I am not going to go into detail too much because I think everyone at this point knows now.

But OP mentioned things and I do feel really bad for her but it’s like, if you were going to say he wasn’t the cause of a lot of your stress and trauma, your therapy, why even mention him in the first place? Why bring it up? And then not even want to clear it up WITH HIM but instead refuse and decline the moment to clear things up? I understand being hurt, stressed, and probably embarrassed over everything and gosh dang do I feel sorry for her because I do believe she’s a big victim here but NOT because of Mingyu. Her own frikin therapist encouraged her to start this and she listened. 

THAT is my problem. This therapist. If anything Mingyu and OP are major victims here and this therapist needs to be held accountable. It sounds to me this therapist took advantage of this very vulnerable and mentally unstable person, someone who TRUSTED them and came to them for help. Someone who is clearly probably regretting a lot right now and probably doing even WORSE. Someone who was already really traumatized and probably even more now. And don’t get me started on Mingyu too. 

Let alone this was this persons PATIENT. Their own patient and it looks to me like they took advantage of their own patient and saw an opportunity to twist and stir things up. Pledis can potentially sue and since OP does not want to even meet or get in contact with anyone that is really not looking good on her and she’s getting it even worse. Her own therapist!!!!!

I hope people see this and realize that what OP said with their therapist means she’s a victim too. I hope people stop hating her and encourage her to hold her therapist accountable...actually, I hope people just leave the OP alone. Same with Mingyu. What’s done is done and it doesn’t need anymore attention if Mingyu didn’t do anything. If she doesn’t want his apology he doesn’t need to stress for one. But I just hope people can move on and drop this for now. 

And I hope OP and Mingyu can move on without any regrets and go back to living. They deserve to be happy and full of joy too.

I hope that therapist gets fired. 

That’s all. I’m not going to comment more on the issue and I’m just going to go back in my lane and hope for the best for these two people. This really sucks for them and I hope people can start sending them love and support. You don’t have to support Mingyu or Seventeen if you don’t want to, but I wish people would stop trying to turn this into one big mess. Stop trying to say Mingyu is this and that, or that the OP is this and that. WE. DON’T. GET. THAT. SAY! We don’t know them. We don’t know these people nor were we there. 

This whole cancel culture has to stop and people need to realize we aren’t God. We cannot play God. We are allowed to have our own opinions on things but that doesn’t mean we decide what happens. This witch hunt has to stop. Take a look at yourselves, see for yourself how perfect you’ve been in your life. See how you’re without mistake. Thing is, we’re all human and we all make mistakes. We have all hurt people in our lives and we will continue to at some point. The only thing we can do is grow from mistakes and learn to take responsibility for our actions. It doesn’t get better as you get older, but it can be better if you grow and it isn’t hard to just be a decent human being. I hope whoever read this take that into account and really reads these words. Nobody is perfect, and nobody needs to be. 

[rosie-moons]

Beauty and the Beast 1 {} Tale as Old as Time || myg

~Pairing: worstboyfriendever!yoongi x travelenthusiast!reader

~Genre: Angst with a sprinkle of fluff

~Word Count: 3.4k

~Warnings: yoongi being the worst boyfriend 😥😥😥, reader crying 😔😔😔, very cliche scenes, a breakup (not the major part though), yoongi crying 😢😢😢, yoongi cheating on reader (YOONGI I SWORE IF YOU HURT OUR OC LIKE THIS I WOULD PUNCH YOU TILL YOU BLEED but you’re saved for the sake of this story 😡😡😡), reader being too forgiving, swearing

~A/N: well. i just had to give you guys angst after dp, didn't i? i know yoongi's stupid in here but pls don't get mad at him bc he's my bb and i love him too much 🥺. also HOMOPHOBES STAY AWAY, CHOHEE AND NARI ARE MY BABES AND I'LL PROTECT THEM NO MATTER WHAT!

~''~

In your relationship, Yoongi had always been the beast.

Missing dates, drinking at the bar and getting wasted almost every night, overall just fucking around… it was common sense that this was what boyfriends were supposed to do, right?

“Right.” was what you always thought- that boys were uncaring and stupid and undeserving of any love.

Well, any love except for yours.

Somehow, Yoongi always thought that you didn't deserve him, that you were the ugly, cold-hearted beast, that you were supposed to love him without anything in return.

And you always thought he was right; forgiving him after his sobbing apologies again and again, taking care of him after drunken nights again and again, convincing yourself that he really did love you again and again- until you decided this couldn’t go on.

No, you had a life outside of Yoongi.

You had dreams.

You had friends, a good social life, a whole group of boys who’d give you the universe if it meant you could be with them.

Why did you choose Yoongi though?

Why not any of those boys, some of whom were more attractive, more caring, treated you better?

~’’~

“Soulmates,” your best friend Nari huffed, turning her head to look at you. You were having a long-anticipated spa night together, cool cucumber slices resting on your tired eyes and some sort of coconut scented oatmeal mush plastered over your face. “You gotta stop believing in that shit, Y/N.”

You sighed.

“I’m trying, okay? It’s just that… I think… I think believing that one day someone will love you for eternity is better than living every day in heartache. At least it gives you hope, a reason to smile, I guess. Don’t you think so too?”

Nari paused for a minute, nodding subtly as she chowed on a cucumber slice. “Now that I think about it, I guess you’re right…”

You smiled, proud that you’d convinced her.

“...but nah, I still think you should face reality more than your imagination, you really have your head up in the clouds too much. All those fairytales- you know why they’re called fairytales and not realistic tales or something? Because they’re just to lull kids to sleep, all that perfect romance doesn’t exist,” her expression softened. “Hey, I really didn't mean to upset you... I was just- are you thinking about him again?”

You shut your eyes tightly, trying to stop the overflow of tears threatening to spill out. “I… no, I’m not. I just… I don’t…”

“Hey, Y/N, it’s alright…” She immediately scrambled off her massage chair, coming over to yours and pulling you into her arms. “He’s a stupid fucker who doesn’t deserve you. There’s so many good guys who’ll die to be with you, Y/N, I’m sure even Seventeen’s Mingyu would date you if you gave him a chance. Really!”

You sniffled, burying your face in your friend’s chest. “Not everyone’s obsessed with Seventeen like you, Nari.”

“Well,” She hmph’ed. “Are there any K-pop groups you like, then?”

“No.”

“How about TXT? Enhypen? Astro? You like none of them?”

“Enhypen’s okay, I guess…”

“There we go! Okay, okay, who’s your favorite member?”

“The one with the really nice smile.”

“All of them have nice smiles, Y/N. Do you know his name?”

“Uh… Sun-something. I think his last name is Kim.”

“Sunoo? You like Sunoo? OMG! OMG! MY BEST FRIEND LIKES SUNOO!” Nari jumps off the massage chair, making “whoop whoop” noises as she dances across the spa room.

A beautiful raven-haired spa attendant creaks open the door, stepping in. “Hello, ladies. I hope you’re enjoying your evening. I just heard… something, and was wondering if you’re doing okay.”

Nari freezes with her left foot still in the air, arms bent in an awkward position. She coughs, blushing as she scrambled to a standing position. “Yes, um, we’re doing fine. Thank you, er…” Her eyes flicker down to the attendant’s nametag, “Chohee ♥” scribbled in pretty cursive handwriting. “...Chohee.”

You flashed your signature wide smile, giving her a thumbs up. “Yep! Nari just gets excited easily, everything’s okay!”

She smiles back, pretty pink lips devoid of any lip gloss or lipstick. “Alright, then. Call me if you need anything!”

“Wait!” Nari calls after her as she proceeds to shut the door. “How are we supposed to call you if we don’t have your number?”

Chohee laughs awkwardly. “Oh… haha… I meant, like, physically call me, not, like, with a phone… haha… but… I mean… like...” She takes a page from the tiny notebook in her pocket, writing something on it. She hands it over to Nari. “Here’s my number, just don’t… spam me… or anything… um…” She clears her throat. “I hope we can… be… friends… or… something…”

Nari smiles shyly, accepting the paper. “Yeah… thanks, Chohee. Um, it was great meeting you…”

They giggle dumbly together before a shrill “CHOHEE! WE HAVE CUSTOMERS WAITING, YOU KNOW!” interrupts the glassy moment. Chohee immediately jumps back into professionalism, clearing her throat. “Sorry, uh… Nari…? Was that it?”

Nari nods.

“Yeah. Nari. Um, I have to go…”

“Oh, we shouldn’t be interrupting your work, should we?” She laughs. “Thanks for… uh… everything…”

“No problem.” They giggle again. “I really have to get going though… Bye.”

“Bye, Chohee.”

“CHOHEE SEO! IF YOU DON’T GET YOUR BUTT OVER HERE NOW YOU’RE FIRED! DO YOU HEAR ME?”

Chohee’s eyes widen. “Oop, gotta go. Bye!” She runs off, Nari yelling one last “BYE!” as she waves.

When she finally closes the door and meets your eyes, she’s practically jumping up and down, heated cheeks glowing a fiery red.

You quirk an eyebrow. “Now do you believe in fairytale love?”

She coughs, picking at a scratchy stud on her arm. “I… no… I mean… maybe…”

You clap your hands once, grinning as you watch your friend’s face burn hotter. “Well, would you look at that! For once, I’m not the one that’s crazily in love and stupidly giddy!”

“Stop, Y/N!” She whines, playfully hitting your arm. “And plus, um, our face masks are hardening. It’s time to wash them off. I’m going to the bathroom. Um. Bye!”

And she’s taking off towards the bathroom, the sound of running water jolting you from your thoughts about… him.

Yoongi.

You bite your lip, wondering how pathetic you could possibly be. He doesn’t love you. He probably has a girlfriend and is about to get engaged. He probably doesn’t even remember you.

You look up at the blinding white ceiling, the soothing forest sounds playing from the speaker you forgot about now your only source of comfort.

Because the last two were “probably”’s, but the first one was a fact- Yoongi didn’t love you, and he never did.

~’’~

“For the last time, Nari, I’m 100% sure she likes you back. Just text her, tell her to meet up with you, confess at some cute caf-”

“No, Y/N! You don’t get it, I’m, like, really, really sure she likes the coffee shop server we met the other day, they were practically making out and- oh god, don’t even remind me about the lovey dovey googly eyes!” Nari stomps her foot childishly as you sigh for the upteenth time.

“Nari, just-” Your eyes widen, a brilliant yet sneaky-ish idea popping into your head. “Actually, it’s okay if you don’t want to just yet. I advise you to go take a shower though, wouldn’t want to be stinky, right?”

“But I’m not going anywhere special-”

“HAHAHAHAHA it doesn’t matter HAHAHAHA just go, go take a shower, go go go right now!”

“You’re acting weird…”

“HAHAHAHA am I now?”

“Um. Yeah. Alright. I’ll go shower. Bye.”

“BYE!”

“You’re being very enthusiastic.”

“Am I?”

“Yeah… bye though.”

It was an ordinary Saturday morning with Nari lounging at your place, complaining that Chohee wasn’t paying attention to her. So you’d tried to convince her to confess- which didn’t work, by the way.

Anyway, with Nari now in the shower and screaming along to “Chandelier” by Sia, you were ready to launch your plan into action.

Swiping her phone off the counter, you typed in the password (which she’d told you, as you told her yours as well) as fast as your glittery fake nailed thumbs could manage, plastic click-clacking against the oil-smudged screen. Nari had a habit of never washing her hands before texting, even after some good ol’ cheetos or fried chicken.

You click on the Textalk app and swipe down until you find Chohee’s contact (written “Chohee baby ♥❦✶⭑").

10:42 am

Nari Lee said: hey chohee :) u there? Chohee baby ♥❦✶⭑ said: nari Chohee baby ♥❦✶⭑ said: r u ok Nari Lee said: of course im ok :D Chohee baby ♥❦✶⭑ said: O-o hmm but u never use emoticons Nari Lee said: oh i just found out that i like them haha

10:43 am

Chohee baby ♥❦✶⭑ said: *raises eyebrow* Chohee baby ♥❦✶⭑ said: ok yeah im here, wassup? Nari Lee said: so… i was just wondering if ur free today for lunch, i have something to say to u Chohee baby ♥❦✶⭑ said: oh yeah ofc! where?

10:44 am

Nari Lee said: um how about magnolia cafe? @12? Chohee baby ♥❦✶⭑ said: awesome! ill be there <3 Nari Lee said: sweet!

~’’~

“So…” You say, casually sliding into Nari’s room. She’s in a fluffy white bathrobe, brushing her hair and singing to herself. “What do you say for lunch at the Magnolia Cafe today?”

She shrugs. “Why not? I just showered, anyway.”

You smirk evilly. “Great! Make sure to put on some makeup and wear something nice.”

“Got it!”

~’’~

“Y/N!” Nari whisper-yells to you. “What in the name of my fuckin’ soggy underwear is Chohee doing here?!”

You hum, unbothered, as you skim over the menu. “How should I know? Anyway, I’m going to order some brunch. How about you?”

“Y/N! Ugh, shut the fuck up, I’m having a life threatening crisis right now! And why is she looking at me? And waving?”

You just smirk, shrugging. “Oops, gotta use the toilet. Bye!” You then dash off towards an empty table right behind theirs, wanting to laugh like a commando mad scientist. Your plan was done, and now it’s just time to see if it works.

Chohee walks over to Nari, and you see her visibly gulp. “Hey, Nari! You said there was something important you wanted to say to me?”

“Uh… I don’t… no? I don’t have anything to say?”

“Oh? Ah, I see. You’re making it suspenseful. Haha, I think I’ve had enough suspense. Spill!”

“Um… I like omelets?”

“What?”

“I… I like plants?”

“Excuse me?”

“Uh, I like you- WHAT AM I SAYING?!” Nari’s hand flies up to cover her mouth. Chohee furrows her brows.

“You… like me? Like, like like me? As more than a friend?”

“I-”

Chohee leans over the table and kisses her full on the lips, the sight so endearing you chuck out your phone and snap 18 photos. When they separate, Chohee’s grinning, Nari’s face a dark crimson and her bottom lip trembling. She touches it.

“You… kissed… me…”

“Mhm.”

“So does that mean-”

“I’d love to go out with you, Nari.”

And they’re giggling again.

~’’~

“HAVE A SAFE TRIP!!” Nari and Chohee call after you for the 26th time, waving like maniacs. You smile.

“I WILL!”

This was going to be the most exciting 2 weeks of your lifetime- you were going to Italy.

Italy.

~’’~

The small coffee shop is cute, light Italian jazz music playing in the background. The wooden walls are adorned with pictures of the owner’s family, the sweet smell of coffee beans drifting in the air.

To put it simply, it’s perfect.

Perfect for an exhausted coffee lover like you.

“A latte, please-” You pause when the server furrows his brow.

“You… eh… wan’ coffee wit’ milk, no? Not jus’ milk?”

“I mean, um…” You immediately pull up your phone and type into Google Translate. “... caffe latte.”

He nods. “Non c’e problema!” And a minute later, your latte is in your hands, the delicious smell wafting up your nostrils.

You sit down on a cushioned seat, marveling at the decorations and how cozy and warm it makes you feel. Taking a sip of your drink, you smile.

The moment is peaceful and happy, the chatter of the other customers fading in your ears as you just smile. No one to interrupt your daydreaming, no one to come over and call your name-

“Y/N?”

Your eyes shoot up, a familiar pair of cat-like ones staring at you. His hair is black as night, swept carelessly against his perfect forehead. His cute pink lips are jutted out in a tiny pout, pale moonlight skin practically shining. He’s ethereal, and hasn’t changed one bit.

“Y/N?” He says again, tilting his head slightly.

“O-oh. Um. Hey, Y-Yoongi, um, didn’t expect to see you here…” You laugh nervously, scratching the back of your head.

He laughs too, sitting down in the seat opposite yours with a black espresso in his hands. “Yeah, I found a job here. You?”

“I’m on vacation.”

“Cool.”

You stare at each other, having nothing to say. It’s like you want to stretch this moment out forever, stretch it until it erases all the horrible things he said and did to you.

He speaks again. “How long has it been?”

“What?”

He closes his eyes, clasping the mug between his hands tightly. “How-how long has it been- since I last saw you?”

You look down at your lap. “2 years.”

Silence.

“I’m sorry, Y/N.”

Your eyes start to wet, a lone tear slipping past your eyelids. There was no barrier now, more droplets following the first one’s lead and cascading down your cheek. “Stop.”

He doesn’t stop, instead choosing to nab at your heartstrings with more words. “I’m so sorry, I only realized how bad I fucked up when you left… I never stopped thinking about you, Y/N, I thought about you every fucking day-”

“Stop it now-”

“And I realized that I love you more than anything, that you were the treasure I held onto without even knowing I valued you that much. Why do you think I chose to come to Italy? Because I knew it was always your dream to visit here, and I hoped I would run into you somehow. I lived like that, in heartbreak and hope and desperate love and whatever the fuck else every single day, just praying you’d forgive me, praying that you’d come here and tell me that you still love me-”

“Yoongi.” You stand up, slamming the table. Your chest is heaving, breathing heavily as you try to take in everything that he said. “Stop. It. Stop saying sorry. “Sorry.” So what? Sorry won’t help anything, I don’t love you and we are over. In fact, there is not even a “we” anymore. You are you and I am me, completely separate, all ties cut, whatever you want to call it.”

“Y/N-” Yoongi’s voice is desperate, those forlorn eyes swimming with melancholy. You cut him off.

“Shut up, Yoongi!” His lip trembles, looking up at you. You feel a pang of guilt, but throw it away along with all your other feelings. Everyone at the coffee shop is looking at you two, the server mumbling something.

You don’t care.

No, you don’t care about anything.

Not about how much you missed him, how much your heart ached, how much you wanted to just fling yourself into his arms and kiss him- convinced he was a changed man.

Not about how he was pleading you right now, fat droplets rolling down his blanched cheeks as he whispered “I love you”’s over and over again.

Not about how the coffee shop server was hurriedly jogging towards you, incomprehensible Italian filling the air.

This was supposed to be a safe place.

The sweet scent and lulling conversations you fell in love with just moments ago, replaced with bitter words and the sound of tears.

You don't care.

You don't care.

You don't care.

Why are you crying, then? Why are those salty droplets cascading down your face? Why are you fighting so hard between your heart and your brain, trying to decide which to listen to?

Should you take him back, act like nothing has happened like your heart tells you to? Or should you give him the ignorance he deserves, leave the coffee shop and try to forget about this whole catastrophe like your brain says?

"Do you love him? Yes, you do. So choose me, your heart."

"Choose me, Y/N, your brain. I'm telling you to be rational."

You shut your heart out, brain taking over control. Yoongi deserves this. This of indifference, apatheticness, maybe even hatred.

“I don't love you, Yoongi.”

And you were out.

~''~

That night in your hotel room, you cry and cry and cry until the familiar “ding a ling ding a ling ding a ling ding dong” of a Textalk video call wakes you up from your thoughts.

You pick up, wiping all your tears until there is no trace of them left. “H-hey, Nari,” You hiccuped.

“Y/N, what is going on?” Nari’s eyebrows are furrowed as she tries to read your face. “It’s the first day of your dream vacation and you’re crying? Tell me what happened, please.”

“Yeah, you don’t look too good…” Chohee chimes in, sticking her head into the screen. “Don’t tell me you were robbed or something? Oh, no. No no no no. Please let it not be that.”

You smile halfheartedly, trying to change the subject. “Hey, Chohee. Staying the night?”

She nods, concern still painted over her face. “Mhm. But that’s not important, can you please just tell us what happened? It’s okay if it’s something small or stupid, we’re your friends and we’ll be here for you no matter what. We’re just… really concerned, and-”

“Yoongi.” Nari says suddenly, eyes wide.

“W-what? Y-Yoongi? What- what about him? I-I mean, I d-didn’t run into him, I-I’m just a-asking…” Your eyes are wider than cantaloupes, praying she wasn’t some psychic and had mystical powers or whatever.

She sits up from her previous lying-on-her-stomach position abruptly, looking at your stunned state. “Yoongi… do you remember he said he always wanted to visit Italy? He… was he there? Did you run into him?”

You are unable to speak, stuttering as your lip trembles. “Y-yes.”

Chohee and Nari both scream.

“THE WHAT?!”

“YOU RAN INTO YOONGI?!”

“Guys!” You yell, trying to somewhat calm them down (although you needed calming down yourself, too). “Stop! It wasn’t much, okay? Just- just some… talking, and then I left! That’s all!”

They look at each other, not sure whether to believe your explanation or not. Chohee opens her mouth a few times, as though pondering if she should speak or not- and no words come out.

“Really!” You exclaim, trying to convince them. You throw your hands up into the air for exaggeration, trying your hardest to look like you’re telling the truth. “We were like, um, best friends! Like nothing happened! And the coffee server didn’t come and shoo us out! He didn’t! And Yoongi didn’t cry or apologize or anything!”

Nari sighs. “Look, Y/N. I’m only saying I believe you because if I don’t you’ll bug me forever. But seriously, as your best friends, Chohee and I hereby promise to smack Yoongi in the face and shove skunk poop up his pretty nose. Right?” she looks at Chohee expectantly.

Chohee nods. “Yep. And don’t forget about the eating facial cream and drowning in turnip juice part. Y/N, I don’t care who it is, but if they dare to hurt you I will not hesitate to knock their teeth out.”

“If they even dare to insult you in any way, I’ll help Chohee knock their teeth out. I'll do most of the work, obviously, since... actually…” Nari pauses, biting her lip as she thinks. “Maybe, if it’s Mingyu that insults you, I’ll let him go…”

Chohee smacks her arm, rolling her eyes as Nari yelling a loud “what was that for?”. “For heaven’s sake, Nari! That totally ruined the moment.”

Nari shrugs, shooting Chohee a glare. “What, are we shooting a drama or something?”

You smile, looking down into your lap as your two friends bicker and give each other friendly smacks.

Maybe, just maybe, this world wasn’t unfair to you after all- you found happiness outside of Yoongi and the world of romance.

Maybe.

~''~

~''~

~''~

Okay. I did okay with the ending, right???? I did okay with the plot, right???? I didn't make Yoongi too horrible, right????

Right.

Okay.

Welp, anyway, remember to check my blog for updates on when part 2 is coming!

-*+ Rose +*-

[chimswae]

BTS Caretaker CH21

Summary: She may think she has Bangtan Sonyeondan wrapped around her fingers. She may think it is easy to love the members equally without hurting any soul. She may think the boys wont fall head over heels for her. She assumes it is okay to show a little love and affection towards the boys, what if she gets it all wrong? What if it only brings more complication to her already complicated life? Can she survive their charms? Will she be able to resist them? What if they just wont let her go?

- Pairing: BTS x Oc ( Yoongi x OC, Jungkook x OC)

- Genre: Fluff, Slight Angst, Romance, Idol!au

- Word Count: 6, 707

- Author Note: I missed the date of posting new chapter again, okay so caught up with work :< aish, but it is okay i am updating now!

Previous | Next

Chapter 21

It was a long silence between them, neither the boys nor Seul dared to utter anything. To begin with, what was they supposed to say at first place. The Jungkook and Seul relationship or Jimin’s sudden outburst. As much as they wanted to bring Yoongi’s side of the story into the picture, they thought it was out of context. Yoongi’s issues had nothing to do with them, yet one of the reasons that trigger Jimin’s anger was related to Yoongi after all.

For once Namjoon had never feel burdened with the responsibility as the leader of BTS until today. Firstly, he had to unravel the tense between Jungkook, Jimin and Seul. The atmosphere between the four walls were suffocating him, and he could tell everyone felt the same. He held his breath for a long time before exhaling a deep sigh garnering everyone’s eyes on him “Alright. Let’s get thing straight” glancing at the maknae whom sat across him. Seul felt her heart being torn apart from this impromptu confrontation. To be frank, she was not ready to be questioned this way especially when it came to her and Jungkook status.

“Jung, is there something going on between you and Seul?” Namjoon probed. Gulping away her nervousness, Seul was being surrounded by a group of man who appeared to be very protective over the youngest member of their group. Yoongi looked like he was ready to swing his baseball bat and beat some shit outta Jungkook and Jimin. His eyes never left Seul ever since the scene at her workplace. Not that he cared, yet it was bothersome to be remembered by it. Learning the truth behind Jungkook’s disappearance at night stung his heart even more.

Jungkook is one step ahead him. Yoongi groaned in frustration.

Jungkook stammered “Seul and I…We became friends because I am their frequent customer there. I spent my time there to draw” he pressed his palms together searching for strength to face his members’ wrath.

“You become friends and as far as I am concern friends don’t kiss, that is too affectionate. What is the meaning behind those kiss? ” Jin leaned his back on the seat, tilting his head to take a good look of Seul expression. Now that they had came to this, he feared to hear the truth.

Jungkook and Seul relationship would be the beginning or the end of him.

Chewing her chapped lips, Seul fingers fidgeted unconsciously at the end of her pink sweater. Her rapid breathing was drawing Hoseok attention who appeared to sit just beside her, he leaned over whispering softly “Are you okay Seul? You don’t look good” his voice was as soft as his sunny smile. It managed to calm her down a little.

She nodded, squishing her eyes tight for a moment before opened it again only to be welcomed by Hoseok’s round eyes “I can manage this, thank you Hoseok” she flashed a weak smile. He returned to his seat with a small smile and gave his attention on Jungkook and Namjoon.

“What I know it was not a mistake. Those kisses are real. I…like Seul” Jungkook’s confession earned different reaction from the floor. Some were scoffing away, some were too dumbfounded to even react, and some were stayed frozen in their seat shooting Jungkook a judgemental look. That was not definitely in their dictionary. What changed Jungkook to be this confident and super determined of his own feelings?

Jungkook’s eyes met Seul confused one, making Jimin rolled his eyes in his seat. Salty Park Jimin about to open his mouth to say something, but his fellow 95 liner friend already jumped in “Do you see her as a woman, Jungkook? Someone that you wish to own” upon hearing Taehyung’s last word, Seul blushed madly. The thought of being owned by someone never occurred to her some more, the person is a member from famous idols of the century. Crazy as it sound Seul couldn’t stop her heart from making weird noise inside.

They only needed one nod from Jungkook to confirm everything, so they could make sense out from this situation. Jungkook had never been so open to them when it came to his own feelings. To witness the younger guy being bluntly honest about his inner feeling gave some sense of relief to the hyungs. Over the years Jungkook was known to be very introvert and he did not talk to strangers unless he felt comfortable with them. Jungkook had few friends in the industry like GOT7’s Yugyeom and Seventeen’s Mingyu yet it did not stop him to get out from his comfort zone. Part of them were grateful of his feeling for Seul, it was a good start for Jungkook to be more open to other options in life. However, it also worrisome considering it involved commitment and serious relationship.

Each of the members had a mixed feeling about this Jungkook liking Seul thing. To break it down, Namjoon main concerned was whether this relationship Jungkook plan to have with Seul is healthy. After his failed relationship with Hyemi, he did not want others to experience the pain of losing someone whom he thought important in life only to be left hanging without words. Not to mention as a leader and a brother of Jungkook, he did not want Jungkook to get hurt. Relationship involved commitment, was Jungkook ready to carry the burden on his shoulder?

Kim Seokjin. He was neutral. People couldn’t read through him as he always appears optimistic and positive to everyone. Internally he’s suffering from the confession. He did show his interest on Seul because their friendship started off pretty normal that involved no fight. Nowadays, Seokjin enjoyed Seul’s presence around him apart from his 92-line squad and his game squad, Jin had Seul to listen the worries that he had whenever he couldn’t talk it out with his members or other friends. Seul is a good listener. As he learnt that one of the members revealed his feeling openly to Seul, was this a sign to back off before things got complicated later on?

When it came to Hoseok, this was his second-time meeting Seul so he did not have any issues with her. He knew Seul was a nice girl and worth to be loved by many. She deserved all the love from the world. If there’s one thing that bothered Hoseok would be her genuine intention in befriending them. Not that Hoseok wanted to question her integrity, but the world is a scary place. They could not just bluntly trust people that they barely knew especially Seul. Even though she’s a daughter of Mrs Hwang their original caretaker whom treated them like their own son these past few years, they shouldn’t depend on that one factor only. It was a matter of fact that people could be toxic without they realized, just like Son Hyemi.

Sitting with his mouth sealed tight on the armrest was Taehyung. His expression did not give away any worries or emotions pertaining to this issue, but he still found it a little over the top for his sane mind to comprehend. Without doubt, he was attracted of Seul at first place became the reason why he snapped her picture and kept it on his night stand. That small crush that he had for Seul was still unclear, it needed to be shaped. Considering things had changed now, would it be better for him to eradicate this small crush he had for Seul before it became contagious to his heart? He did not want any heartbreak in the future wasn’t he.

Jimin on the other hand looked distressed in his seat. His protective instinct for Jungkook earlier on was soon replaced by annoyance. Annoyance of his own discomfort to the idea of there was another guy liking Seul and it happened to be Jungkook. The only difference between them, Jungkook had guts to sort his feeling out when he didn’t. That Jimin saw Seul more than just a friend was evident. But he refused to conform to the reality of life. It was a reticent, very private feeling which he had no intention to reveal just yet.

Yoongi was complicating things around him and his true feelings that he had for Seul. Everyone could literally see how possessive he was over Seul, yet he denied that fact at all cost. The fact that he used revenge to steal kisses from Seul, Yoongi was actually trying to confirm his own feeling. At first, he assumed it was a mere admiration towards Seul’s sassiness however it turned into something deeper not long after. He was dragging himself down into the deepest pit of the dark hole in his heart. Wanting to escape, yet he failed. As a result, Yoongi came out pretty hard and aggressive on Seul even though he wasn’t intended to hurt her. It came out neutral because he was not ready to embrace the truth. The truth might hit him a little hard on his face, so Yoongi was afraid to take the risk. With this Jungkook thing, Yoongi realized he must do something about this before too late.

“So, answer him, do you see Seul as a woman or is it a mere admiration?” Jin broke the long silence desperate to hear the answer though he’s not really keen of listening to it.

Nodding with a soft sigh “I see her as a woman and I like her because she is Seul” that was enough to melt Seul’s heart again as blush crept up warming her cheeks. Why was she being weak again? Now since they had settled with Jungkook, seven pair of eyes landed on her. She was in deep shit.

“Seul, do you know Jungkook is Jungkook?” the leader raised his eyebrow in question.

“No, I don’t. He was wearing mask 24/7 how do you expect me to notice that is him?” her voice broke a little due to the intensity that she felt inside her.

Jimin found the chance to butt in with a sarcastic remark “Funny thing is, you are a fan. How can you not know Jungkook even from his eyes?” he glowered.

Seul looked so piss as she glared at Jimin “Funny thing, I am not Jungkook’s fan. Neither of you are my favourite. How do you expect me to remember your eyes when I messed up your faces and names” the corner of Yoongi’s lips were tugged into a smirk. Ji Seul makes a comeback, as expected. He complimented in his head admiring her sassiness.

Pursing his lips sulkily, Jimin shook his head giving up on his argument with Seul already. She was impossible to beat especially when it involved to defending herself. Seul always know what to say.

Namjoon continued “Alright. You have no idea it is Jungkook, so you befriend him. Both of you become friend and Jungkook apparently reveal his feelings for you. How about your feelings? Do you like Jungkook that way?” upon hearing that question, Seul turned pale.

Taehyung scrutinized her expression with so much interest trying to read through her but to no avail. Would it be possible that she did not see Jungkook more than a friend? A spark of hope lightens his heart a little. Taehyung was up for any possibility.

“I repeat, do you like Jungkook more than just a friend?” Namjoon pressed. He was acting like a father-in-law making other cringe in their seat. Yoongi small eyes were watching Seul every little move, causing her to shift uncomfortably under his hard gaze. This did not work at all. She did not have the answers with her. Everything happened too fast.

Seul heaved a heavy sigh “I don’t know. I am not sure. My feelings for Jungkook are still ambiguous, I can’t exactly tell whether it is more than just a friend. It is still too early to decide it, I am sorry Jungkook” she threw an apologetic look at Jungkook.

He felt a heavy tug on his heart, but he managed to pull a soft smile on his face “Don’t be sorry Seul. I told you I don’t want to push you, we can still work on this” Seul bit her lower lips, lowering her gaze shyly. Jungkook would not give up on his feeling for Seul that easily. It took a lot of courage to embrace this new side of him, to give up on it just like that would be a waste.

“Someone got friend zoned” Hoseok joked to light up the mood.

“I AM NOT-“ “SHE ISNT-“ they were surprised to see Jungkook and Seul perfect timing. Seul’s cheeks turned into fifty shades of red realizing she was indirectly admitting to the fact that she was interested in Jungkook as well though she needed time to figure it out.

“You are reconsidering Jungkook’s feelings?” Taehyung’s eyes glimmered in curiosity.

Jungkook rubbed his neck, holding back his bunny smile “Yes I am. I need time. I am not used to this” Seul mumbled timidly. Jimin was hurt by her answers, now it was obvious Seul might end up liking Jungkook for real is he didn’t do anything about it.  What should he do again to fix this mess that he created?

“But, that doesn’t mean you have confirmed your true feelings for Jungkook right?” Yoongi’s hoarse voice baffled everyone. The older guy had chosen to keep his mouth shut all the time, hence to hear something coming from him was intimidating. Because after all, though Yoongi did not say it aloud about his feeling for Seul, all of them knew that guy had a thing for her. Jungkook realized it too. He had been stealing glance at Yoongi during their conversation, and his attention was on Seul most of the time.

Jungkook was not alone in this complicated battle. With Yoongi came into the picture, Jungkook was mentally ready to fight healthily.

“We can say that” not letting Yoongi’s stare penetrated her heart, Seul avoided his gaze at all cost.

Smiling with full of gratification, Yoongi arose from his seat “Then this conversation is over. That is all I need to hear” he gave one final look at Seul sending chill down her spine. She watched his body disappeared behind the door to his room leaving only six members around her.

“I am leaving too” muttering lowly, Jimin left the scene without saying much as Hoseok decided to tail him. He sensed something was wrong with Jimin, so he excused himself to investigate further. Taehyung followed not long after “I will see you later Seul..” he smiled warmly making his way stealthily to his room.

Jin was contemplating whether to be honest about his discomfort, in the end he chose to just shut it and give it a long thought before expressing it out. “Seul just stay over tonight, it is late. We don’t want you to walk in the dark alone. I will prepare the room for you” Jin stood up leaving the scene giving Seul no chance to protest. She grunted softly under her breath refusing the idea of staying over there today. Bad start.

Confused, Namjoon ran his fingers in his lock accompanied by a soft hum “Jungkook can you give us space? I need to talk with Seul alone” he turned to the younger guy that immediately nod with a small sigh.

Seul looked up with a small smile “Thank you Jungkook. Go rest” her sincerity made Jungkook fall head over heels for her again. A simple attention from Seul managed to crush another wall inside him, he craved for it.

“You too, see you in the morning. I hope. Good night Seul” his steps were heavy, even though this issue was settled due to the long talk, it still makes him nervous. After making sure Jungkook was nowhere to be seen around them, Namjoon shifted his attention back on the drained girl in front of him. His heart softened as his eyes landed on Seul’s distressed face.  

“Seul-ah I won’t stop you or Jungkook. It is up to both of you to decide. Remember, if you hurt Jungkook you will have to face me. Do not give him a false hope even though it is okay for both of you to consider the options in front of you. I don’t want to see Jungkook broken-hearted”

“And, I have to warn you before things get out of hand. It is not just Jungkook’s feelings matter in this but others too. I can see another person in the room who actually like you just as much” Seul blinked with an unreadable expression.

“What do you mean by that” she retorted in disbelief. Did Namjoon just imply there were other BTS members liking her other than Jungkook? How was this even real? Seul felt so unreal at the moment. The impossibility only happened in dramas or movies. Since this occurred to her, she had no idea how to react to it.

Namjoon pressed his lips into thin line “You will find out soon. I am not the one who should tell you that. Just, make sure to not hurt anyone or yourself Seul-ah. Love is a scary thing. It is complicated. You can’t stop your feelings from loving someone, so give it a chance. Give the person a chance. Then you decide” he hinted.

“I am sorry Namjoon for causing this mess. I hope you are not being too hard on Jimin, he is right to doubt me. You guys barely knew me, so I understood Jimin. Even though part of me wanted to hit him hard for calling me a bitch. How dare he called me that” she grinded her teeth showing of her resentment over Jimin’s choice of word.

Chuckling softly, Namjoon nodded with an amused face “Don’t worry about Jimin. We fought a lot, then we made up the next day. This was nothing. Forgive Jimin and his foul mouth, he could be a little too vulgar when he got angry”

“He is protecting Jungkook that is normal. Your bonds are too strong even I couldn’t break that. I am glad Jimin decided to cuss at me instead of letting it slip off from his mind. That shows how much he cared for his members” she threw the compliments earnestly. It was true, it offended her, but she tried to see the bigger picture of it.

Namjoon had a proud smile on his face to hear someone admiring their brotherhood. It made him realized their bonds were no joke and he mentally agreed to Seul’s words. The tense in the room was diminishing and Seul finally able to breathe normally. Jin approached the two “The room is ready Seul, you should rest. I have prepared clean sweat and shirt on the bed for you to change. Don’t worry it is new, wear it” he beamed.

“Can i… not stay? This is uncomfortable” she murmured.

“What nonsense is that. No way, it is 4 in the morning. Just stay, we won’t let you go home at this time” Namjoon voice was stern and dominating. No wonder he’s the leader.

Seul eyes quivered uncomfortably, showing off her concern about the idea of a girl staying in an idol house “I don’t want to get caught by your manager, that would be bad. They have no idea about me replacing my mother” she tried to make up excuses to escape this place.

“We will be leaving around 10 for practice so, hyung won’t be here until the schedule. Don’t worry, leave before that” Jin showed no sign of giving up too, cornering the latter in process. “Just stay Seul, you don’t want to wear yourself out at work later. Go get some rest, the room is down the hall, just across Jimin and Hoseok” he gave a light pat on her head.

Seul finally gave in and nodded “Fine, I will stay just because I feel bad for what happened today. Thank you Jin. Good night both of you” she bid them a good night and made her way cautiously to the guest room.

Ji Seul, what will change after today. Seul made a mental note on it and decided to call it a day. She deserved a long rest after the therapy talk with Namjoon.

 --------------

Tossing her body under the duvet, Seul found it was hard to fall asleep. It must be due to the new surroundings, with that she sat up groggily leaving the queen size bed for a moment to get warm drinks for herself. The hallway was quiet and dead, and she was sure the boys were already asleep at this time.

Seul glanced at the clock on the wall and muttered “It is just 5, ugh” she hugged her body, dragging her lazy feet to the kitchen. She made herself a hot cocoa in hope after this she could shut her eyes for two hours before sun rose again.

As she was about to leave with a cup of cocoa in her hand, she saw light flooding out from the open door of one of the rooms. She walked silently towards the source of light making sure her feet on the ground did not produce any unwanted sound.  The room was a private lounge room for the boys to chill when they have times, it was decorated with music equipment at the corner, book shelves and a small purple billiard table. Across the book shelves there was a L-shape sofa to complete the room.

Seul peeked her head a little searching for familiar faces inside but only to be welcomed by an empty room. Straighten herself back to her original trance, she reached out for the switch light to turn it off. To her sheer surprise, a pair of hand wrapped securely around her wrist preventing her from moving. Startled, Seul’s eyes searched from the owner of the hand who stood few steps from her.

“Jimin…” she exhaled.

Jimin’s eyes looked sleepily and there were few strands of hair stuck out making him to appear super cute. To top that, he was wearing a cute blue pyjama with stars and moon design printed on it. Seul mentally judging Jimin’s appearance as well as trying to get a hold of herself from fangirling over this look.

“Can’t sleep?” he signalled the drinks in her hand with a flat smile.

“Yes.. do you want some I can make you one?” she offered.

Declining it politely, Jimin brought Seul’s hand down and looked at her way a little too intense. Her breath hitched in process like it was about to pop off any second by now “We can share” he suggested.

“Urm..Sure…” Jimin tugged her  hand softly, bringing her inside the room to the sofa. Both of them sat down awkwardly side by side, and it made her felt uneasy. Jimin held back his tongue finding a perfect word to start this conversation. He couldn’t sleep because the guilt was slowly eating him up. He had a hard time to get Seul out of his mind.

Licking his lower lips, Jimin fisted his pyjama stealing glance at Seul’s side profile that never ceased to amaze him. A soft smile crept on his face, but as soon as their eyes locked, it rendered him speechless. Words that came out from Seul’s mouth only went pass through him, his attention was on her soft lips. The stain of hot cocoa at the corner of her lips made his mind went wild for a moment. He had to urge to kiss her but quickly shrug the thought off from his mind.

“Jimin..I said, do you want to take a sip?” her brows quirked in confusion.

Jimin removed the mug from her hand and took a long sip of the hot drinks without looking at her. It was not his intention to have a weird thought on Seul, yet he couldn’t help but to think that way. His hand was shaking a little, and his grip on the mug was about to slip off but Seul fast reflex avoided any accident happen.

She sat the mug down on the coffee table, sending a worried glance at Jimin “Jimin are you alright?” she whispered. Seul touched his forehead with the back of her hand, flustering Jimin even more “I..am alright… Just cold…” he coughed away the lump on his throat.

“Do you want me to turn on the heater?” Seul was about to get up until she felt him holding her down not allowing her to move even an inch. She blushed at the closeness of their face and body. Watching her this up close caused uproar in his heart, his eyes travelled from her eyes to her cute nose down to her lips again.

Jimin ran his hand to her jaw, giving a soft trace around the skin that tingled her heart. She held back her own heavy breathing, letting her eyes roamed freely on Jimin’s face. He stroked his thumb over her lips, stroking it effortlessly slow caused the latter to mewl a little under his magic touch.

Seul was aware, she’s supposed to be upset of Jimin. They hadn’t talk about what happened at the café, and it was so wrong to be this close to each other. Where was the tense between them again? How could it diminish that easily?

Her eyes fluttered open upon feeling Jimin strong gaze on her, and she was indeed right. Jimin eyes sparked under the light, looking dashing as always even without his makeup. He would always appear beautiful in front of her. Resting his forehead against Seul, he murmured awfully low “Seul-ah..I am sorry..for everything” it surprised her once again. Wow, Jimin is full of surprise.

“I didn’t mean to yell at you or call you with those horrible names. I was protecting Jungkook and..myself I guess..It was hard to admit to my own feeling Seul-ah” he continued.

Protecting himself? Seul flinched.

Seul smiled meekly as her fingers unconsciously tangled with his free hand on his lap, fiddling around casually “I understand. And I want to apologize too. It is my fault that this happen. You have the right to question me, because I am a stranger. Just don’t call me bitch, I really hated it” her lower lips puckered out a little showing her protest.

Jimin’s soft chuckle ease the tension that she felt earlier with him “I need to control my anger next time. I am sorry that I vent it out on you. In fact, I have something to tell you Seul” Seul face fell with anticipation.

What else would she hear today?

“Seul-ah” he called out softly, sitting up straight.

For the umpteenth time today, Seul’s face started to lose its colour again.

Interlacing their hand together, Jimin took a deep breath before breaking the eerie silence again “Since it come to this, I will play it fair beside Jungkook” he professed.

“What do you mean by that” she looked at him clueless.

“I see you as a woman...”

“……..”

“I like you a lot Seul. More than you imagine. This feeling is torturing me” Seul lips quivered letting the emotions overflowed her. Then it hit him hard, so this was the thing that Namjoon hinted her earlier. Jimin was another someone in BTS who had similar feelings as Jungkook.

Seul squeaked “Jimin..I…don’t know, it is just-“ he hushed her, shaking his head slowly.

“Don’t… I want to play it fair as I mention. You don’t get to decide now. We will give this thing a time. I don’t mind, as long as you allow me to show my genuine feelings for you. Will you?”

“Jimin..I might not be worth fighting for” she looked down on their intertwined hands, giving him a soft squish.

He sighed “Yes you are. I deny my feelings enough Seul and I am not doing that again. It only hurts you and I. That is not worth it,  I am embracing my feelings that I have for you. Let me fight along with Jungkook” Seul heaved a tired sigh.

“I don’t want you to get hurt. I don’t want Jungkook to get hurt. What if, this only bring pain rather than happiness?” she expressed her worries. Even though, it was indeed true you couldn’t stop yourself from falling in love, but this issue was more than just that. It involved a lot of thing.

“We will manage that. I talked this out with Jungkook”

Her eyes rounded in sheer surprise “You did? When?” she inquired.

“Urm… as soon as the talk with Namjoon hyung ended. Jungkook is more than just a friend, he is my family. We talked about this. Seul, it is not like we plan to fall in love with the same person. It is coincidence. We will be able to manage this without hatred” Jimin convinced.

Seul needed a moment to decipher this whole thing. The idea of being in the middle of Jimin and Jungkook was so bad making her unsure of herself. If this only involved these two guys then it would be fine to her, but what if someone else resurfaced and professed the same thing, like Yoongi. She shrugged off the thought of the possibility being fight over again by another member.

“Jimin..I am not sure, I am scared of the future”

“Then lets live the present, that is important. Do not think about the future”

“At the end of the day, I will still have to choose” she protested.

“And when that day come, we will ready our heart Seul-ah. It is long way to go, do not let the future hold us back” he whispered, caressing her cheeks lovingly.

It never dawns on her to experience this kind of thing this year, what a mess. Did her decision to replace her mother as BTS Caretaker only to cause chaos rather than promoting peace?

Seul sighed, resting her head against his shoulder seeking for comfort and warmth. This thing was draining her energy, she felt numb. Jimin wrapped his arm automatically around her shoulder, bringing her close to his chest “I am sorry if this is too much for you to handle Seul” he rubbed his arm, planting soft kiss on top of her head.

Curling up in his embrace, Seul buried her face at the crook of his neck, inhaling his sweet manly scent “I am sorry that I can’t give both of you the answer that you want” she mumbled against his skin.

“Why are you sorry? We don’t need the answers now, we only need your presence around us. That is enough” he soothed his lock, smiling ear to ear at their close proximity. He had been dreaming doing this thing with Seul, having her in her arms and cuddling on the sofa. It felt unreal.

“Thank you Seul..”

“And what is that for?”

“For existing and allowing me to experience this”

Seul smiled to herself “That line is so cliché Jim. And, thank you for having that kind of feeling for me. ” he beamed. Jimin locked his arms around her tighter, nuzzling her hair in process. Whatever it takes, Jimin would never deny his true feelings anymore. He’s willing to see how far this could go. Only that he was not able to see what the future beholds, it never stops him.

Her lids started to grow heavy, and she found herself enjoying Jimin’s warmth around her. Was this a start of everything? She did question herself what change after today. Guess, Seul had to live with the fact that in one day she received two confessions from an unexpected male.

Her life was about to get interesting.

 -----------------

When Jimin woke up it was eight in the morning, they had cuddled on the couch and fallen asleep. Jimin smiled to himself admiring Seul’s sleeping face, he felt a warmth that he never experiences before. Seul looked exhausted and calm in his embrace. His moist lips landed on top of her head to get her to wake up.

Few minutes later, she roused herself and with her eyes perfectly shut, he could see her sweet smile on her face “Did we fell asleep here?” she stretched a little, burying her face shyly in his chest.

Jimin chuckled, stroking her back gently “Yes, but we did get a good sleep anyway” Seul nodded and sat up followed by Jimin afterwards. As soon as her eyes landed on Jimin’s morning hair, she giggled and leaned closer. Raking her fingers in his soft lock, she stroked it gently, fixing it a little while Jimin was too busy staring at her.

“There you are set to go” she exclaimed. Her chirpy voice lightens up his world, what a good way to start a new day. “Oh shoot, it is late I need to clean the house and prepare you guys breakfast. I hope Jin is not awake yet” she combed her hair getting ready to leave.

“You go out first I will come out later. You don’t want to be bombarded by questions this early” he pinched her nose. Scrunching her nose cutely, she gave in with the idea. Seul arose from her feet and as she was about to leave, she skipped quickly to his side.

Dazed Jimin gave her a questionable look, she closed the gap between them, planting a soft kiss on his cheek. He turned giddy over it and she heard her whisper “You said to give both of you a chance. So, I am giving both of you a chance. Good morning Jimin” with those last word, she skidded outside the room with a bright pink face.

Jimin buried himself once again under the soft blanket, letting himself fanboying over this small tingly feeling that he had this early. He would never regret his decision. Just like he said, he would only live the present for now. The future was still far ahead, anything could happen until then. If he worries the future now, it would be no fun in dealing with his every day’s life.

 ------------------

Jin blinked at the figure who just walked pass him and he called her out before she could disappear further “Seul, you are awake?” she jolted and turned to face Jin nervously.

“Are you awake already? I am so sorry, I overslept Jin. Let me prepare the breakfast!” she walked over to Jin with guilt.

“Hey don’t worry Seul. It is my duty. Today, I want you to eat my cooking. May I know why are you coming out from that way?” he blinked, taking a good look at Seul’s flushed face.

Seul rubbed her arms, trying to find perfect answers which did not sound suspicious “I couldn’t sleep yesterday. I stayed in the lounge until I fell asleep” Jin lips was formed into an ‘o’ shape with a bright smile.

“Good morning hyu-“Jimin cleared his throat realizing the older guy had woken up and was interrogating Seul. She cursed in her head in frustration when she heard Jimin’s voice boomed across the hall. That called for another trouble.

Jin eyed the two suspiciously “And why are you not in your room, may I ask?” he probed with a hint of jealousy.

“I…fall asleep in Jungkook’s room.. We got carried away and we really had a long talk” he lied. Jimin and Seul exchanged nervous glance as both of them felt their brain momentarily froze due to Jin’s sudden appearance this morning.

“Really? Hurm.. Okay then.. go wash up and wake up others” a sigh of relief escaped from their lips. Jin bought it and that was good enough. Fleeing from the scene, Jimin quickly entered his room before he could ask him more question.

Jin travelled his eyes to Seul “You too go wash up. I will prepare breakfast for us alright?” he hushed her out from his territory causing the girl to pout in protest. She complied to Jin’s request anyways because after all, he almost caught her red handed a few second ago. How awful would it be if Jin found out Jimin and her fell asleep on the couch together?

Everyone was in the dining room an hour later, and for some reason the thick atmosphere was no longer there. Instead, the breakfast turned out to be lively and filled with laughter from every corner. The boys made Seul felt comfortable and she was grateful none of them brought up the sensitive topic anymore. So, they had decided to follow the flow and not to pressure themselves over petty things. Since Jimin and Jungkook had decided to play it nicely, there was nothing to be worried off.

Hoseok on the other hand had the time of his life, goofing around with Seul which she enjoyed every second the guy cracked his silly jokes. In fact, Kim Taehyung also showed his silly side making everyone cringe at his randomness. Everyone had opened up to each other and to have Seul in the picture gave more colours to their already meaningful life. After breakfast, Seul cleaned up the place like she usually does but only this time the boys offered their hands to help.

No matter how much she insisted of doing it alone, they were all stubborn. They only allowed her to do the laundry and cleaned the living room and their private lounge. Namjoon ordered his members to clean their own room which they complied without any complain. Even for the lazy bum Jungkook, surprisingly he was the first one to finish off the cleaning. Therefore, he went to Seul helping her with the laundry.

She had given up to nag or show her protest, so she let the boy to help. In exchanged of that, Seul had a good chat with Jungkook. It felt better to have conversation with Jungkook without his mask on. This felt too real to be truth, but this guy was down to earth. Every Bangtan members was not as snobby as she thought they appeared to be. They were not just effortlessly beautiful, but they were kind and relatable.

Relatable, that was the perfect way to describe them.

After good one-hour spring cleaning with Bangtan, they were ready to leave for their practice. Seul too was getting ready to leave for work, she bowed showing off her gratitude for letting her stay over a day “Thank you for letting me stay” she smiled.

“Need I to remind you this is your workplace too. Don’t be formal. We are glad to have you around” Jin ruffled her hair only to receive a low protest from Seul. She shot him a glare for messing up her hair. Jin raised his hand in defeat and shrugged.

“It is fun to clean the dorm with you Seul. Will we be able to meet you again next time?” Taehyung had a big fat smile across his face causing to squeal over his cuteness. “Of course, there will always be next time” she jabbed his arm playfully.

“Leave before your manager come up hunting you down. Have a good day ahead everyone” she waved as she watched one by one of them leaving. Jungkook gave her a brief hug with a wink, causing her to blush instantly.

She deadpanned mentally, trying to get used to his affection towards him.

Yoongi was fall behind and the sight in front of him, annoyed him to the core. He shoved his hand in his pocket pulling out a small paper resembled the sticky note. Scrutinizing his straight face, Seul looked down on her hand when he slipped the note on her palm.

“What is this?”

“Tomorrow, 4PM. Bungee jumping. It is a date” he dashed off without saying more. Seul gawked not believing what she just heard few seconds ago. Did Yoongi just ask her out for a date? It came to her realization; the small note was an admission ticket to the bungee jumping thing.

Does it mean, it isn’t just Jimin. Yoongi too? She grunted under her sharp breath. Seul was making sense out of this again. How was it possible to have three guys chasing after her fragile heart?

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