#exo yixing story

[jongbross]

EXO members’ reaction on having a shy girlfriend around their (the idol’s) parents during family dinner 🤗

i think, fundamentally, all of them would try to reassure you somehow, like in their own way.

minseok: he would keep his hand attached to yours under the table, caressing your knuckles to make you feel less nervous. he would also ask his parents to go easy on you, as he knows how shy you can be.

junmyeon: whenever his parents aren't looking, he would lean in and whisper how well you're doing, besides giving you a kiss or two on your cheek. when you have to talk to his parents, answering questions or just being polite, junmyeon has the biggest smile on his face.

yixing: he lets his parents know that you're shy beforehand, so they won't pressure you in any type of way. he rarely presents a girlfriend to his parents, so when he does they know it's because that person means a lot to yixing - and the last thing he wants is for his parents to go all "are you the future mother of our grandchildren?" on you.

baekhyun: he tries to comfort you through physical touch as well, either is by resting a hand on your thigh or just being really, really close to you. he speaks about his mom with such love, i really think she might be a great person who can tell when someone's getting shy, so you can also count on her to make you feel better.

jongdae: his smiles are the only thing you need to know you're doing fine. like junmyeon, he would take his time to tell you to not worry, that his parents are loving you - which they truly were. he would also laugh a little bit harder at your jokes, just to make you win extra points with his parents.

chanyeol: i mean, have you seen him? have you seen his sister and mom? there's no way that family is making you feel uncomfortable. in fact, if chanyeol lets them know in advance that you're shy, his mom might even suggest you meet yoora first, and then her and his dad. but through it all, chanyeol has an arm around your shoulders and fingers brushing your arm.

kyungsoo: he can be quite shy himself, so he would ask his parents to please, just play it cool. he doesn't touch you or whatever, but he does give you little smiles from time to time. he also doesn't let his parents try any trick on you, which means that if any of them asks you something that might make you uncomfortable, he's more than ready to just say "mom/dad, don't". he respects your boundaries.

jongin: he tells you a million times that there's no reason for you to be that shy around his mom and sisters. having their approval over you means a lot to jongin, so he does everything he can to make you comfortable and talkative towards his family - he might even ask his mom to tell you embarrassing stories from his childhood, so you'll laugh and maybe loosen yourself a little bit.

sehun: similar to jongin, but their parents will tell you embarrassing stories about him on their own. he makes sure you're okay every minute, silently asking you if you wanna go home. he loves you to the point that, if you regret marking that dinner with his parents, he'll just excuse the two of you and mark it again in the future.

[okiecookie20]

EXO Theory Dftf (don't fight the feeling)

In this post I will try to point out and decode clues. I made some conclusions to arrange the eras in order. Let's start by analyzing the main theme.

• EXO was travelling to Exoplanet as seen in the dftf teaser pictures.

The word HISTORY is shown in several languages in the starting. The setting is similar to what we see in History mvs:

Exo evacuate EXOPLANET with the help of a spaceship. I believe that History, chronologically, happens before Dftf.

Here is Exo's Kcon Australia 2017 vcr which depicts their spacecraft was going to crash land.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by EXOPLANET (@wearexolina_)

The bright Exo logo at the end might be a symbolic representation of exoplanet. The spacecraft crash lands on one of the other extra terrestrial planets on which Power takes place. Notice how the exos don't have their powers in dftf which they acquire in the form of orbs in Power mv. Hence, Power happens after Dftf.

Now I'll talk about two main theories which lead to different conclusions for this section of the storyline:–

#1 The Emergency landing promo pics show them on different planets each representing the 6 members' (no Yixing🥲) powers. The album logo shows a radar locating the 9 members. It is also present in the vcr above. As part of their promotions, they released a game called EXO Ship Saga in which each mem has a different planet. The theme seems pretty straightforward: they travelled to different planets, maybe used escape-pods because they were going to crash land in the vcr above.

This theory might be able to explain the story of parallel universes as well as the ending of Power with Baek falling in an ocean.

#2 After reaching the planet shown in Power, they were scattered to different cities on Earth (Pathcodes) as comets seen in the beginning of Dftf. As of now, many of us are confused which of these happen in the chronology (they land in cities or on planets). They must have tried to evacuate it since the Red Force has come to know they are all together and have acquired their orbs. Let's go with the second theory: I believe Pathcode comes after Power.

Why? Proof: in Tao's pathcode, he was reading a newspaper and it said that 10 comets were visible near earth (ot10 era) hence they landed in different locations in Pathcodes.

The comet Kyungsoo saw in Dftf mv could be the one appearing in Let me In and explains their isolation in Sing For You.

At the end of Dftf mv, they approach a portal and there is falling snow in space?! This could be another hint that Sing For You comes later in the story and not before Dftf.

• In Ep 02. One giant leap teaser video, Kyungsoo is the only one who looks back with a robotic sound. Also, he is the only member emersed in green light in the concept pics of Dftf. Smth definitely seems off but we'll leave it at that for now.

From 2:56, they dance in the spaceship with some blinking red lights behind. These could be cctvs as I pointed out in Rover (mini theory) and Obsession. In this era too they are under surveillance.

• SM included easter eggs from previous releases (code numbers) which means a lot as the group has matured artistically alongwith more involvement in production and shares a great bond with their fans (releasing this album for EXO-Ls with Yixing🐑 during the drought❣️).

There were other things I wanted to discuss but due to the confusing timeline I tried my best understanding plot holes. This mv is undoubtedly connected to many others and with the possibility of parallel universes, it has become complex.

Of course I asked more questions than solving them hehe but I love Exo. Do share your thoughts & THANKS FOR READING! Also, missing SeKai😭❣️

[proudahgase-exol]

Would you babysit 5-10 year old Exo?

Xiumin:

He’s a well-behaved kid

Always doing his homework

Will help you clean

Shy at first but then he became super friendly

Likes to learn new things and teach you new things

Will correct you when you are wrong

Likes to be told how pretty he is

You better take him on his daily walks

He will refuse to eat if you don’t make something he likes

Junmyeon:

Sweetest little boy ever

Likes to help you in anyway he can

He might be rich but he’s humble

Really smart

shy at first

Makes wired jokes

He likes to look after others

You will always find him studying

Likes to keep his room clean and if you missed place something it will upset him

Yixing:

He’s a sweet friendly boy

Likes to play with his toys and pets

Always distracted and confused

Scary cat when it comes to animals

If he sees a bug he will freak out

Kind and like to help around

When you are out you have to hold his hand or carry him it makes him feel safe

Baekhyun:

He’s loud always yelling

Gets in trouble for his playful behavior

Likes to prank you

He’s so messy

He requires a lot of attention

Gets mad if you don’t give him attention

Kind of a brat

He will try to cut your hair multiple times

Can’t be quiet or seating for a second

Don’t let him have sugar or you won’t be able to handle him

Chen:

Well behaved kid

Quit most of the time

He’s a prankster though…

Will make you laugh all the time

If he trusts you he won’t shut up

Always whining about everything

Always ready to help you

Likes to be told he’s good at whatever he’s doing even if it’s a useless thing

Chanyeol:

He’s shy at first but don’t let that fool you

He’s so messy x2

Likes to scream and run around

Will run away from you if you don’t keep a close eye on him

Super friendly you have to be careful who he talks to

Will give you a hard time if you don’t let him have play dates at the park with his friends

If your are out grocery shopping you better keep an eye on him

You kind of have to put him on a leash because he wants to run around

Kyungsoo:

Be careful with him he’s unpredictable

Always quiet

Will sneak up on you and scare you

When he finally trusts you he will try his pranks on you

Don’t like loud noises or loud eaters

You better know how to deal with Him if you won't survive

If he doesn’t like what you cock he will stray up and tell you that your food is shit

Can’t stand being told what to do

Will bite you

Kai:

The most kindest sweetest loving boy ever

Likes to dance a lot

Will ask you to dance with him

Sensitive af

will cry if you try to scold him

Requires daily cuddles

Likes to be babied

He’s a sweet boy who likes to be told he’s a good boy

You better read him a bedtime story every night or he won’t sleep

Will fall asleep in wired places

Sehun:

He’s so annoying

Will get you in trouble for not letting him get his way

Will brag about how spoiled he is

You better buy him that chocolate or he will throw a tantrum

Will hide from you just to scare you

Acts like a good boy with his parents

When it’s just you two he will be a brat

You better never show up to babysit him empty-handed

You must have bubble tea for him ONLY

[theboytatu]

Omg I’m so happy you answered the Exo close ask because it is one of my FAVORITE topics!! This is ofc not to discredit your opinion at ALL I just like ranting about this. As someone who was a huge exo fan from like their predebut days to 2018 and then kinda left it behind- it has been crazy to see the dynamics change. ESPECIALLY following Yixing’s increased distance from the group ( I don’t think he’s in Exo but the dynamics definitely changed once he started to distance himself) in the early days I would definitely have said suho-Lay-Xiumin were the closest. Also Lay and Chen were well known for being absolute best friends, but that friendship actually seemed to fade after the others of China line left. Kai has gotten a lot closer to exo over the years imho. He was notorious predebut for not really getting along with exo outside of lay, which continuted sometime into debut. He’s always been interesting tho because out of everyone in exo he definitely gives the vibes that he’s not as dependent on the group and values his friendships outside of Exo. He is also the only member who Yixing has mentioned seeing in the past few years, and he even said on a reality show a few months ago that he speaks to Kai most frequently. Which is interesting considering they didn’t interact much during his last “active” years with the group. Kyungsoo and Baekhyun have DEFINITELY gotten closer over the years and it’s honestly been great to see. I would actually say Sehun and Kai have drifted apart over the years, and used to be closer back when they were lumped together all the time as the maknaes. Another notable pairing from the olden days is sehun and jongdae, which is interesting in today’s context. But I 100% agree that all of Exo has passed coworkers a while ago and that they are all friends!

Baekhyun being “Exo” is so true. He really has found a way to work himself into the hearts of everyone in that group though sheer persistence. CBX being incredibly close is so surprise. And neither is the former exo-m boys (jongdae and minseok) being close. I think all of your opinions are 100% correct I just wanted to talk about how the groups dynamics used to be back in the day lol since I was such a huge fan!

heyyyy tysm it's interesting to hear other povs about it - specially since you were here since the beginning lmaooo oh how i wish i could have been part of the fandom back then. i can't imagine how much everything has changed

very interesting to hear the lay side of the story! the kai thing is also a surprise to me cause I always felt the only thing they had in common back in the day was being the dancers of the group. just the other day i was talking to a friend about how to me the dynamic between ot8 and lay is like. seeing an old friend from high school you still have a lot of love for but if you met them for coffee it would definitely be a little awkward and you'd find you actually don't have much to talk about at all. lol

[lovesick-gxrls]

RELATIONSHIP WITH EXO-M

kim minseok (xiumin) x lee gaeun

parent #2

if you thought junmyeon was protective over gaeun, minseok is another level, glares at every man that comes near the girl without fail.

likes to baby her which she says she hates but secretly likes it

always making sure she’s ate and feeling good about herself by complimenting her 24/7

zhang yixing (lay) x lee gaeun

protector

gaeun would do anything to make yixing laugh, she knew he found it hard as a trainee and made sure to learn a few phrases in mandarin to help him feel more comfortable

yixing always makes sure to call her and catch up whenever he is in korea

even though they’ve grown apart over the last few years, gaeun will always be there for yixing if he ever needed her.

kim jongdae (chen) x lee gaeun

the favourite

jongdae is gaeun’s rock within the group, any time gaeun needs a good cry or has something bothering her she goes straight to jongdae who always gives her the best advice

she’s always the first person he shows his music to as she is very blunt but he likes that about her

is his favourite aunt to his baby

lu han, huang zitao (tao) x lee gaeun

old friends

gaeun was very close to the two chinese members despite joining the group late. with tao she was always there to listen to his troubles and luhan always made sure to check on her due to the harsh hate she had been receiving at the time

she understands why the left the group but it did hurt her when they were gone

they don’t speak much anymore, all of them drifting away and focusing on their careers, though every once in a while they’ll check in on each other

little note from me! i’m not including kr*s in this post and if he is mentioned in any future post with gaeun it’ll be in passing if it is vital for her story. fuck him

gaeun m.list | masterlist

[diverseinsertknet]

Navigation by K-pop Group Names A-F

Look for the reader insert fic you want at DiverseInsertKNet with links organized by Group Names A through F below. This list will regularly add groups and idols as more stories are reblogged to the network. Entries without a link are currently in the queue and waiting to be published. Desktop/web browser users- the original version of this post on DiverseInsertKNet will always be the most up to date.

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K-pop Group Names A-F

AB6IX- Jeon Woong

A.C.E- Kang Yuchan, Kim Byeongkwan, Kim Sehyoon, Lee Donghun, Park Junhee

ASTRO- Cha Eunwoo, Kim Myungjun, Moon Bin, Park Jinwoo, Park Minhyuk, Yoon Sanha

ATEEZ- Choi Jongho, Choi San, Jeong Yunho, Jung Wooyoung, Kang Yeosang, Kim Hongjoong, Park Seonghwa, Song Mingi

Block B- Ahn Jaehyo, Kim Yookwon, Lee Minhyuk, Lee Taeil, Park Kyung, Pyo Jihoon, Woo Jiho

BOYNEXTDOOR- Han Dongmin, Kim Donghyun, Kim Woonhak, Lee Sanghyeok, Myung Jaehyun, Park Sungho

BTOB- Im Hyunsik

BTS- Jeon Jungkook, Jung Hoseok, Kim Namjoon, Kim Seokjin, Kim Taehyung (V), Min Yoongi, Park Jimin

CRAVITY- Ahn Seongmin, Ham Wonjin, Kang Minhee, Kim Taeyoung, Koo Jungmo, Allen Ma, Park Serim, Seo Woobin, Song Hyeongjun

DAY6- Kang Younghyun, Kim Wonpil, Park Sungjin, Yoon Dowoon

DPR Ian Christian Yu

Dreamcatcher- Kim Minji

ENHYPEN- Kim Seonwoo, Lee Heeseung, Nishimura Riki, Park Jongseong, Park Sunghoon, Jake Sim, Yang Jungwon

EXO- Byun Baekhyun, Kim Jongdae, Kim Junmyeon, Kim Minseok, Oh Sehun, Park Chanyeol, Zhang Yixing

[mybiasisexo]

Hi! Hope u had a great day!

Can I just vent for a sec? If u don’t mind?

Okay here it goes… I rly need solo stans to shut. the. fuck. up. Like rly I do. As we know, Baek had his concert (which looked fantastic btw! I’m so proud of him!) and ofc, some of members came to show their support (im sure if Sehun and Jongin weren’t enlisted/busy they’d be there. Same goes for Yixing). However some miserable people wanted to use this ammunition or proof (whatever the fuck they want to call it) that the members don’t like each other, completely over analyzing their actions/words. Tbh, it’s mainly Kyungsoo and Baekhyun stans I see this from. Tho some other solo fandoms have been yapping about too. For some reason, they’ve gotten brave since Ksoo and CBX left sm (ofc I’m happy that they’re out of the shithole that’s sm). Like it’s 20-fucking-24! And yall still don’t believe that they like each other yet? Seriously? They’ve been together for nearly 15 years at this point. And they are FUCKING GROWN ASS ADULTS! If they didn’t like each other or want to be around each other, then they wouldn’t interact at all outside of work. Yet, how many times do we hear stories of ppl running into them while they’re on LITERAL “DATES” WITH EACH OTHER. Stop treating them like they’re in high school ffs! Every time any member is asked about exo during solo activities, they always say how they’re lucky to have them and that they’re family/brothers/lifelong friends.

If you don’t like the group or certain members, fine. That’s how you feel. I can’t change that. But you need to shut your damn mouths and show some respect! As the saying goes: if you have nothing nice to say, then don’t say anything at all. Just remember, any of them members would burn you all alive to keep the others warm. Without a second’s hesitation.

Sorry, damn, I rly needed to get this off my chest. Thanks for listening to my rant lol. 😂

Damn. Yknow I’ve been lucky enough to miss this discourse and I’m glad cause solo stans make me sad bro 😔. I truly can’t understand the concept when it comes to exo. They are one god dammit!!!!

But yeah you’re spitting nothing but facts! Exo have proven years ago that they are more than just coworkers and it’s such a tired argument. If they really didn’t care for each other they would disband. They’re literally staying with sm to remain together like ??? If that don’t prove their loyalty idk what does.

Solo stans can gag bro cause exo ain’t going anywhere and they love each other lmfaoooo like huh???

[rancidtae]

ARCADIA’S LULLABY | CHAPTER 3

Genre: Mafia AU. Vigilante AU. Sci-fi (AI). Warnings: Graphic violence, Strong language Pairing: exo & Original Female Character (Jung Jiah/Kang Rina) - Kim Minseok/Original Female Character - Zhang Yixing/Original Female Character Word count: 7k+ chapter summary: the rain pours relentlessly, but a different storm is just starting. Jiah meets Jongin at a birthday party, it's all harmless fun and magnetic sparks until it isn't, and he calls her the wrong name.

masterlist meet the characters

You wanna disappear in a crowd Just a stranger in a room Wanna change your colors just for the night With no word of it following you home

081222 - 5:43 pm

Things are quiet.

The story is still at the center of the news and online discussions. People have dissected every detail of Lee Chungjae's life to the point that he took down all his posts. In every sense of the word, he's the country's most hated man.

And candidate Lee's reassuring smile when reporters bring up the subject has started to crack.

But nothing else happens.

She's on edge. Let the storm hit already, for fuck's sake. 

Yixing finds her restlessness hilarious and texts her a screenshot of the weather app this morning. 90% chance of rain for the next three days.

It looks like Kuraokami answered your prayers.

In the midst of it all, he's been refusing to blend to the background of her mind, exploiting the fact that she's weak when it comes to a good meal. Most days he shows up to her door with takeout, and just yesterday he came with ingredients and made her eat her words about carbonara being the most overrated approach to noodle based recipes.

He’d laugh at her if he could see her now, standing outside the chronicle's building, struggling to get her buzzing phone from the inside of her bag.

A part of her hopes it's the blocked number from before.

But there's a name on the screen, and it puts a frown on her face.

“What do you want.” 

A chuckle spills through the line. “Resentment is a terrible thing, you know? It does the heart no good.”

“How would you know? You don't have one."

“I heard you paid someone a visit last night. I wanted to hear it from you.”

She scoffs up at the sky through her see-through umbrella.

"You want me to say I’m... what? Shaking in my boots? So you can rub one out to the sound of it?”

“Language, sunshine. Let’s keep things civil.”

“I tried to be civil, didn’t I? I even gave you a heads-up for old times’ sake, but then you decided to make things personal. So now I’m thinking that next time, I'll just let it blow in your face, make it surprise.” 

“Ah, there we go again with that. Why do you insist on calling it personal?”

“Why don’t you suck my dick, Namjoon?”

She hates that she can hear his poisonous smile, over so confident and collected.

“You walked into that room yourself. How is it fair to blame me for the consequences of your actions?”

He enjoyed it, he’s enjoying it even now, she knows. He denied any involvement in her encounter with a certain pair of recently debuted syndicate members, but hist hands were all over that stunt.

A blow like that, the same night she showed up to let him know she had info on his candidate’s son, and he expects her to believe destiny is just funny like that.

No fucking way.

Things may or may not have escalated to shattered wine glass and a deep burgundy stain on Jin's favorite artwork hanging on the wall.

“Can you get to the point? Some of us can’t afford to spend the day scheming, I have things to do.” she says, impatience seeping into her tone.

It's starting to rain, so her hair will start looking crazy in about three minutes.

“I was hoping you were bluffing.”

She laughs in a way that makes an older woman give her a nasty look.

“My hopes weren’t for us.”

Ah.

There it is. As grim as it is, it’s like a weight taken off her chest.

Her surroundings come back into focus. The narrow street. The stream of people walking past her, trying to get out of the rain as soon as possible. A girl brushing her shoulder, recording herself speaking in a foreign language. A taxi driver fighting with a delivery guy. A German shepherd with a yellow raincoat and little rubber boots, its nose against the side of a phone booth. 

“I see.” 

“Just now?” he has the gall to sigh, disappointed. “I thought you knew when you went to Yoongi looking for a 22. I guess you're not that good at seeing things beforehand anymore, not even when you start them.”

If she had to describe it, she’d say it’s a lot like a game of hide and seek with the kids from her street. Terrifying and exciting at the same time.

“Come to the hotel,” he suddenly says, much to her surprise “Stay here until things settle down.”

And if she had to sum Kim Namjoon up, this would be it. No one but him could give an invitation and a threat at the same time with such ease. Come, or else.

“No. I think I'll stay outside, see what comes out of it.”

Another deep sigh.

“I see. Have it your way, then. You have your fun, make sure to enjoy it.”

She hits the red button and finds that the cute dog with the rubber boots nowhere to be seen, as if it vanished off the street with its human. 

At least 13 different people stop her before reaching Kim Kibum's office. Even though her name wasn't credited, her co-workers know what it means when she disappears for weeks, and the kind of stories she chases. The vultures in her department rolling their eyes at the sight of her kind of give it away.

“I thought I told you to work from home until further notice,” he says as she locks the door behind her.

“What? I deliver the story of probably the year, and you don’t want to see my face anymore?”

"Don’t. I’ve had a long day” he huffs, pulling the blinds down. His office looks less cluttered than she remembers. Has it been that long since she clocked in? “You know there’s a reason why I asked you to lay low for a while.”

She drops her body on one of the chairs in front of his desk and grabs a heavy, fancy pen.

“Did you see? Lee Chungjae is living his best life in France pretending to care about free education. He’s out there taking pics with Rihanna.”

Her boss leans over, snatches the pen from her hands, and points it at her like a sword.

“And? What do you expect? That they lock him up as soon as the story comes out? We do our thing, the rest is up to the world. We’re a newspaper, not the league of justice.”

Earlier today she told Haneul something similar, just to calm him down. Now she knows how he felt.

“It’s been a week already.”

“No, it’s barely been a week” he corrects her, moving a storage box under his desk and stretching his waist like he just can’t wait for retirement. “You know how this is, Jiah.”

Yeah, she knows. Shitty. Working your ass off, dealing with red tape and censorship, putting everything on a plate only for the world to move on, people not give a shit, and those who are supposed to do something turn a blind eye and fill their pockets.

“Why is your stuff inside a box?" Even the fake Basquiat is missing, so she knows it's serious. "Are you quitting?”

“I’m moving to a new office,” he says, pausing before adding "Jongsuk quit today.”

The news hits her like an ice bucket.

“He turned in his resignation letter earlier."

"Fuck." she breathes. "Oh. Fuck."

"Talk about freedom of the press, huh?” he laughs bitterly, tapping his temple, shaking his head, his eyes turning red.

In terms of bad news, this is the kind that makes you very aware of the last meal you had.

The Chronicle’s had the same chief editor for nearly twelve years. It’s one of the country’s most respected newspapers, and Jung Jongsuk was a big part of the reason why. The idea of someone with enough power moving the right strings to get the man, the myth, the fucking legend fired just as means of revenge sets a chill down her spine.

It’s a petty but very clear act of revenge. A shame, considering he was damn good at his job and how much he cared about his staff.

She sucks on her teeth “What’s he gonna do?”

“No idea. He showed up earlier today and left as soon as he gave a speech. They want me to step in immediately. Can you believe it?”

She's out of words. Half wanting to congratulate him despite the sad circumstances of his promotion, half wondering what that means for her. He suddenly squints.

“You look terrible. Finals?”

“Done, I’m a free woman”

She's can't stop thinking about Chief Editor Jongsuk, how he was always like the cool stepdad that didn’t have to be too nice or too mean to get your respect, how he gave her a chance when she was just a freshman.

“Shouldn’t you be getting some sleep or, I don’t know... drinking your face off with your friends?”

Her hand slips inside her backpack. “Well, if you'd answered my calls, I would be doing one of those.”

She puts a small, puny handgun on the desk, and slides it in his direction.

“Are you—” he locks the door before lowering his voice to a hiss “Have you lost your mind? How did you get through security?”

“You said we need to be careful and this is what being careful looks like, take it.” she says, sliding it closer to him. It barely brushes the side of his keyboard.

“Are you crazy? Do not— ” he opens a drawer and pushes it inside like it burns to the touch, slamming it shut and leaning his body away, pressing one hand to his forehead. “Jiah, this is illegal”

“I’m the best investigative journalist you have, flirting with the illegal here and there is one of the many reasons why.” 

“This isn’t flirting with the illegal, for god's sake, this is raw dogging it, Jiah. This is an office. We’re a–”

“Im Haneul is about to get into witness protection, that’s why I’m giving you something to protect yourself with. Thank you, Jiah. You’re welcome, boss.”

He bites his lip, looking at the drawer with resentment before setting his eyes on her, dead serious.

“Is there something you’re not telling me? Did something happen?”

“It’s always better to be prepared. You know what they say about peace and quiet.”

“I don’t,” he deadpans “Is that some kind of gang lingo?”

She frowns. “Just what has Minho been telling you? I should pay him a little visit—”

“You’re not going anywhere near my staff.”

“Your staff? I’m your staff. He’s a sports reporter, you can walk into a bar anywhere in Itaewon and find a dozen replacements.”

He pinches the bridge of his nose, not denying it. “Did. Something. Happen.”

“I heard something. From a good source.”

“A good source.”

“Yeah, sometimes those are what we call confidential. So—” he fixes her with a look that makes her fear that his eyeballs will pop out of their sockets. “Fine, it was Kim Namjoon.”

He blinks at her. Throws his hands in the air and plops down on his seat.

“That's hilarious. If this doesn’t work for you, you can always pursue comedy. Now get the hell out of my office, I have to move my stuff to the other side of the floor.”

She stands up stretching her arms, giving him a once over and opening her mouth. He lifts a hand.

“I don't want to hear it. Go take a bath, get drunk, do drugs, get laid. You’re an undergrad student, not Chelsea Manning. Live a little.”

“Actually, I prefer Lisbeth Salander."

"Get out."

081222 - 06:55 pm

Something about the bleach fumes welcoming the moment she enters Lady’s Room is just– homely, and Wendy's threatening glare makes up for the stern mother figure she didn’t have growing up. 

“Don’t even think about it, boots off.”

She toes off her muddy boots, struggling not to spill anything on the heavy takeout bags, making her way to the back.

“How come he gets to keep them on?”

Taemin looks insane with a black cape covering his body and his hair all foiled up, Seulgi's hovering over him with the cutest concentrated frown. He wiggles is feet at her.

“Clean shoes privilege. Plus, I'm way cuter than you.”

She snaps a picture of him for future use while he's distracted explaining how he read somewhere that hair takes bleach better when you're stress-free, and that the end of his last semester is just the perfect moment.

“And of course you believed that, because it makes total sense”

“No, it’s true,” Seulgi says. “It’s also better when you’re in a good mood. That’s why I don’t like to take people fresh out of a bad breakup, the chemicals get all messed up.”

“Oh, he doesn’t need to worry about that,” she says off-handedly.

Taemin doesn’t like her tone. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Wendy answers before she can, flipping through receipts on the reception area. “It means that you need a relationship to go through a breakup. That’s usually how it works”

“I'll have you know that I have secondhand PTSD from you guys. I’m like one ride home with an angry couple away from giving up on monogamy.” 

“So, blue?”

“Silver.” He shows her a picture of a male idol with gray hair, wet styled. He's worried that if he goes too light it'll wash out his complexion.

She inspects his face in the floor to ceiling mirror “Nonsense, you’d look good in anything, buttercup.”

He smiles, always a slut for some validation. "You're coming to Sana’s party, right?”

She groans, plopping down on the chair next to him.

“Jiah, come on, it’s the last party of the semester. The last party before I graduate.”

She’s not swayed by his abuse of the last something before I graduate card. “I’m out of social battery, I'll kill the vibe.”

“We’ll pregame at my place and you’ll be good to go.”

“I can’t be bothered to go home and get changed.”

“Oh! You left the strappy shirt, you know? the one you didn’t know you were wearing backwards, and that leather skirt at my place, I threw them in the washing machine just for an occasion like this.”

“I’m seriously not feeling the vibe today.”

“Who cares, you attract people when you’re sulking.” he shrugs “Plus that’s the skirt you were wearing when you pulled that Romanian guy. We get free bottles every time you have your leg meat out.”

Seulgi slaps the side of his neck with her glove-covered hand. “Don’t pimp her out.”

“And this is why I suggested a ladies-only policy.”

“Interesting that you assume you fall in that category, but go on.” Taemin says, Jiah gasps in fabricated indignation. “And isn’t that reverse sexism?”

“It’s not like men are rushing to get in.”

Irene emerges from the office, walking past them with her all work and no fucking around face on, all her focus taken by her tablet.

“Oh, actually, we had a guy customer a few days ago and he was very happy with our services,” Seulgi says. Taemin and Jiah let out synchronized snorts.

Irene looks at them, going through the pile of papers Wendy handed her. “Grow up, you two."

Seulgi catches on, making a noise of disgust.

“So what did he want? A massage?”

Irene flips a page, scanning its contents. The warning is sharper this time. “Taemin.”

“He wanted a full-on transformation, so we went with silver,” Seulgi says, ignoring the quip, poking at his bleach covered hair with the pointy edge of her brush “It looked pretty good on him. It suited his personality.”

Taemin coos "Is that a crush I smell?"

Seulgi shrugs. "I'm just saying he fit the look, he was easy to talk to. Funny too. Asked a lot of questions about the salon, said a childhood friend of his co-owns one.”

"Huh, sounds boring to me." Taemin shrugs, not impressed. Seulgi and Jiah share a knowing look. He's platonically possessive to a fault, and being the only guy in their group only makes it worse.

Jiah smirks, spinning on the chair. "Sounds like your replacement to me."

He sticks his tongue at her “I was going to introduce you to someone tonight, traitor.”

Irene and Wendy sigh in relief, finally finding whatever it was they were looking for, high five-ing.

“I’m heartbroken.” She yawns. “I wasn’t planning on going anyway”

“You should go.“ Irene says, coming to stand behind her chair, playing with her hair. "You sure need it."

“What is it with people treating me like I’m some boring bitch lately?”

“Have you considered that you’ve been a boring bitch lately? We barely see you, you were supposed to help us look for a new place” Wendy complains, plopping on the other chair next to Taemin’s, spinning. "And you missed the anniversary party"

Nothing for her to do but take the shots. Seulgi steps in for her, an angel.

"Cut her some slack, she brought food. You know that’s sorry in her language."

"Alright, yeah.” Wendy agrees way too easily "And for the record, there's nothing wrong with being boring, Yeri can always use a boring figure in her life"

“I’m not going to a party to be on Yeri Sitting Duty.”

Taemin squints at her, walking to the washing station under Seulgi's orders, cape swooshing dramatically behind him. “But you’re coming, right?”

To be fair, she does feel bad about ghosting them for weeks.

“I swear to god, you better not ditch me for one of your Instagram famous friends."

He doesn't get a chance to reply, his calls for help fill the salon and Seulgi giggles like a sweet summer child discovering the joys of waterboarding. Irene's pleased to the point of pulling her phone out to record the scene, chortling.

081222 - 11:25 pm

One would assume that the only child of the owner of a massive Japanese architecture firm, who also happens to own several clubs in the city, can afford to throw a party with decent alcohol.

Her annoyance should be directed at Taemin for talking her into coming and proceeding to do exactly what she asked him not to.

He’s nowhere to be seen, and Party Yeri is at her peak, hands thrown in the air, dancing between a bunch of freshman girls with their phones out, the red light beams bouncing off her glittery top. 

“Not a dancer, or just not in the mood?” a voice interrupts.

She felt his presence before he approached her table. Some people are just hard to ignore, and with his simple silky shirt with a few buttons undone, pushed-back hair, and a flirty strand hanging on his forehead, he has a crowd of curious women and men alike following him with hungry eyes everywhere he goes.

“The second one.”

He smiles just like someone who's used to seeing others react to his looks.

Her first impression of him was jealousy for having better lips than her. She was too busy listening to Mina talk about her internship in Spain to pay too much attention to Taemin introducing the guy. Sitting at levels of handsomeness that don't require a personality, the man bored her without uttering a word.

But he's not hard to look at.

“So, how come we haven’t met before?”

“I don’t know, you tell me. Taemin says your presence is an exclusive experience." she sips her drink, he thinks it's funny. "Jiah, right?”

“And you’re Jongin, one of the dancing friends.” 

A guy approaches Yeri’s group, disgustingly scanning each girl like he’s trying to figure out who has the lowest standards. 

“Not a big fan of us?”

She considers her answer, watching the girls shrug him off before he can get too comfortable.

“I've learned to coexist with you people. It comes with the Taemin package.”

His little laugh is surprisingly childish for his masculine looks. The way he keeps looking at her face like he can't spare any bit of attention to their surroundings makes her feel like a bug under a microscope lens.

“Here's my theory, I think he might’ve been keeping you to himself for a bit there. But I’ve heard so many things about you that I kind of feel like I know you already."

Jiah doesn't know what to say to that, but holds his warm gaze and indulges in the view for a bit. Caramel skin, glowy under the strobe lights, painted red like a forbidden object of desire, or a character of a Japanese movie, waiting for his lover at a love hotel.

Handsome indeed. Nice jaw, soft nose, slightly arched eyebrows. 

“Good things, I hope.”

“Interesting things.” He says with a crooked grin. She cocks an eyebrow, but he beats her to it. “So, journalism. What’s that like?”

She gives him the generic answer she keeps for occasions like this; lots of reading, being on the phone, doing more with less. No one is ever satisfied. Neither the readers nor the editors nor yourself.

Ok. So maybe she assumed a lot of things. He's surprisingly great company, really easy to talk to. He owns a dance studio and teaches from time to time. Some of his students have made it to entertainment companies, and he tries not to seem cocky, but it's clear he's extremely proud of them. He’s very nonchalant about covering various styles, though he’s more interested in R&B these days. 

“Your day-to-day sounds like a lot of sitting behind a desk,” he comments. Being someone that works with his body, the idea must haunt him.

“Oh, god, no– I always feel like I’ll throw myself from the window if I spend too much time at the office. I’m on the investigation team, so I’m almost always out on the streets, harassing bureaucrats and stuff.” 

“That sounds... fun.”

“Riveting,” she promises. “It’s not bad, really. You go through the boring stuff and then when you get a good story, you remember why you do it, and… it’s a good feeling.”

“You know, usually when someone mentions journalism I think of people with thinning hair and marriage issues.” 

“Are you calling me old?”

“No. I was trying to say that you just took down a stereotype for me.” he pauses, pouting and looking up like he’s considering something “But you do give off an old soul vibe, sitting on your own, sulking like you’re here against your own will, ready to decimate anyone who dares come near you.”

She blinks at him, he’s holding back a smile, she can tell. Waiting for her reaction.

“Wow, so you’re just gonna call me a hag like that?”

He looks mildly surprised, worried, and amused all at the same time. “That’s not–”

“And if I look that scary, how come you’re here at my table?”

“Because you’re very attractive. It balances out the scary.”

She hums into her glass.

“And I’m very charming, I knew you’d be harmless.”

“Right.” He’s not entirely wrong. She’s always suspicious of extremely charming people, and the alarms are going off in her head.

“This is me hitting on you, off the record.” he continues, undeterred. She snorts. "And I say that because, as I’m sure you know, Taemin is possessive.”

She lifts and shakes a finger like an aunt at church when the pastor hits a mark. “Like a kid who doesn’t share his toys.”

Which reminds her, where’s that silver-haired menace?

“We’ll just have to ease him into it.”

“Uh-huh. This is flattering and all, I guess, but I’m married so–”

“Oh, that’s fine. I don’t get jealous” he shrugs, very serious about it. Which is unexpected, no one has ever reacted to the I'm married line like that. “I’m not gonna try to compete with your career.”

She's speechless, but in a good way, laughing at the audacity and shaking her head.

But then, just for a moment, he disappears.

There’s a quick, almost untraceable absence, even his smile falters.

Then he snaps back.

“Hey, you wanna get out for a bit? Get some fresh air? Looks like your friend’s gonna be busy for a while.”

Yeri was off her radar for a bit there, and now she’s got her arm threaded with the birthday girl herself. They’re moving away from the crowd, talking into each other's ears like they haven’t debriefed in months, probably headed to the bathroom.

Now that he mentions it, fresh air sounds nice. 

“Promise I’m all out of lines,” he adds.

It’s humid out on the street, but less stuffy and noisy. She pulls out a brand new pack of cigarettes and they get fire from a girl hanging around with her friends next to a motorcycle. Her kohl-stained eyes scan Jongin greedily while he leans over, hands cupping the flame.

She suddenly turns to look at her, right when Jongin leans back and thanks her, and winks.

If Jongin notices, he’s unbothered, much more concerned with moving around her to stand on the side of the street, wordlessly making them switch spots. The gentleman move is soon eclipsed by a sudden coughing fit.

It's so bad she feels kind of horrible about finding it amusing. He really just fucked up his smooth streak after one drag.

She offers to grab him a drink, but he shakes his head, grabbing her arm before she walks away. He swallows hard one, two, or three times, wiping the corners of his eyes.

"You good?"

"No." he rasps. “These are the kind that my grandfather used to smoke.”

“You could’ve said no.” she counters, patting his back. They’re strong, she didn’t warn him because she showed him the package.

“I was a victim of peer pressure.” he jokes after clearing his throat. “I was doing well, wasn’t I?”

“It’s ok. Choking on smoke like a high schooler makes you human.” she offers him as consolation. The coughing fit messed up his hair. he looks younger now, less of a threat. Maybe it’s just the fresh air, the relief of getting out of the crowd, and the nicotine easing her up. 

He asks if she smokes often, sounding like he doesn’t want to intrude, but a part of him will judge her if she says yes. Truthfully, she hasn’t in months, but it always hits a spot after a while, and people assume she’s too into it. 

“Work's stressing you out?”

“That’s what work is supposed to do, isn’t it?” 

He winces.

“Not to a level where you have to smoke like a war general.”

She grins at him sideways, the man who introduced her to this particular brand would have a few things to say about that sentence.

“I can deal with the stress, I only smoke when I get frustrated.”

“And does that happen often?”

“I don’t know? I guess. My boss says I’m too much of a control freak. He's a jerk, but sometimes it feels like he knows me better than I know myself.”

“Not great at teamwork, then?” he probes.

“No, I mean-- I’m not, but it’s not that.” she pauses. He’s waiting for her to elaborate. “I just wish I could do more sometimes, and not just document things from the sidelines. Does that make sense?”

“It absolutely does.” he assures. “I think I know what you mean.”

“I tried it, recently” she goes on, and she doesn’t know why she’s opening up to this guy. She’s not trying to turn him into her therapist, and she’s not even sure she wants to take him home at all. There’s too much going on in her mind at the moment, she wouldn’t be fully present anyway. It'd be a waste.

“And how did that go?”

“It was alright at the beginning. I've been helping someone– a friend who was gonna do something he'd regret. Actually, I'm not sure we're actually friends, but he's a great guy in a shitty situation.” she rambles, taking one last drag. “But then things went south in the worst way possible. It didn't even have anything to do with him, just personal baggage and terrible timing. I guess I had it coming.” 

He nods, deep in thought, letting a comfortable silence fall between them, just watching people walk past, going in and out of the club. She presses the butt against the sole of her boots, and tosses it in the trash.

“If it’s any help, I’m sure your friend is grateful. You did well helping him.” he says, and she remembers Yixing saying something similar. “And whatever happened, I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think.”

She shrugs. “It is what it is, right? Onwards and upwards.” 

He grins, pointing a finger at her. "That’s totally something my father would say.”

“So you ran out of lines and now you’re back to calling me old?”

“I only said that because I didn’t want to come off too strong, but if you insist.” He’s back on charming again, hands in the air like she’s just giving him no choice. The switch between kind to charming gives her whiplash.

A waste, really. A month ago she might’ve taken him home, let him make her coffee in the morning.

“I’m not insisting, I just asked you a question.”

He waves her off. “Bet you 5000 won I can kiss you without using my lips.”

It’s stupid. But he looks like the epitome of determination. Kohl girl behind him keeps looking at them over her shoulder, and without the meaningless rumble of the crowd to distract her, his voice turns out to be quite lovely.

So she tilts her chin at him, giving him the green light.

He takes two purposeful steps. She calls his bluff, refusing to back up against the wall. He gets close enough that he has to bend his head down to keep eye contact, and in a surprisingly smooth move, he places a short, harmless peck right on her lips. 

Then he backs up with a single step and pulls out a bill from his pocket.

“A great investment if you ask me.” he says.

She laughs despite herself. Not in the coy, flirted up way, but a full, honest, belly laugh.

The silver-haired menace himself emerges from the shadows with a cowboy hat on his head, thumbs hooked on his jeans. He’s glaring, a scowl on his lipstick-stained lips, focusing on the way Jiah bends over, hand on her tummy and all.

“What are you doing with my best friend? I’m asking both of you, by the way.” he demands.

“Where did you get that?” she asks him, fully recovered, flicking the hat.

Taemin grabs the bill from Jongin’s hand before he can put it away. Jongin raises his eyebrows at him, anticipating complaints for his actions, daring him even.

“Not that I don’t respect the hustle, but I think you’re underselling yourself, sweetie." he says, turning to Jongin like a parental figure setting limits. "A peck from our Jiah is easily worth 10000 won. Pay up.”

“Deal,” Jongin shrugs, reaching for his back pocket again, pulling out several bills, winking at her. "How many can I get for--"

“Alright, we get it, she gets it,” Taemin interrupts, putting an arm around his shoulders, and rubbing his chest distractedly. “I thought you were on Yeri Sitting Duty tonight.”

Jiah licks her thumb and wipes the lipstick marks on his jaw, much to Jongin's endless amusement

“She’s a big girl. You got some on your teeth, you harlot."

"Finally. I keep telling you girls, you baby her too much" he complains, licking his front teeth. "Someday you'll have to set her free, let her make some mistakes of her own. They build character, you know?"

"How wise of you." Jongin says. "Was that the logic behind this new look?"

"Some mistakes don't." Taemin continues, looking at her with crazy eyes, pointing at Jongin. "Some mistakes make your best friend uncomfortable and are off limits."

Jiah and Jongin look at each other. "You introduced us."

"Yes, and? I never said get chummy and explore each other's bodies, did I?"

“Nice tattoo, by the way.” She tells Jongin. She caught a glimpse when he got closer and thought it looked familiar. Then Taemin unknowingly moved the fabric on his chest out of the way and she got confirmation. “It’s the helm of awe, isn't it?”

Jongin mouth falls open, genuine shock taking over his features. Not many people know about runes or recognize them. Taemin tilts his head to the side, eyeing her curiously, suspiciously.

“How do you know that? I thought it was a snowflake.”

“I knew a girl who had one on the back of her neck. Hers was red though. Looked great when she put her hair up.”

Taemin releases Jongin from his clutches with an unconvinced hmph, taking off his hat and putting it on her head. Jongin quietly fixes his shirt.

"Oh. Oh. I think I saw Minho inside. You wanna piss him off?"

Well, that’s great. That’s just great. Super cool.

Jongin takes a look at her face and blurts out the question. "Who's that?"

"Her ex. She broke his heart, he started rumors that she's with the Yakuza." Jongin blinks in surprise, and Taemin looks like he wants to elaborate further. She stops him.

“What’s that grown man doing here?”

“You know he likes to hang around the youngsters and make people guess his age. So, you in?”

“Leave me out of it.” 

"Hear me out. I was thinking you and Jongin could walk around, right? Let him see you together, put on a little show. You know how his ears get red and his eyes bulge out when he's angry?” he's trying to contain his laugh, looking maniac. “I’ll buy you dinner, both of you. I’m serious.”

That’s her cue for a bathroom break. She puts the cowboy hat on Jongin’s head, not deterred by the way his eyes follow her on her way inside.

A sigh escapes her lips as the cold water runs over her hands. She smiles at a group of girls walking out of the door, their giggles reminding her of the task at hand—finding Yeri and making sure she's not too drunk to make semi-rational decisions.

Maybe she’ll try to talk her into ditching this place. Yixing's uncle's spot is not too far from here.

The possibility of running into her ex kind of makes her want to bolt. Not out of lingering feelings, she just doesn’t have the energy for that interaction. He has a way with sucking the like out of her.

There's only so much she can take of things beyond her control.

The bathroom door clicks. Something shifts in the air. The unsettling feeling of realizing she's not alone. She glances up at the mirror and catches a glimpse of him in the reflection.

Reacting on instinct, her hand snatches the decorative vase from the sink and hurls it at him. The man covers his face, not before grabbing her forearm and slamming her against the sink.

She puts her palms up to avoid hitting the mirror face first. It happens at once, suddenly he's grabbing her bag, and the next second the chain strap is pulling around her neck.

Her body bends back. His knee's pressed against her lower back. Either she’ll pass out or he’ll snap her in half.

She's not about to go down in a public bathroom. She pushes her shaky fingers under the chain, attempting to relieve some of the pressure.

Her vision' blurring, she's running out of oxygen and ideas. Tears well up. The muffled music starts fading.

There's a distant slam, a loud thump.

And thank fuck, release.

She catches her weight on the sink, gasps for air, almost crashes against the mirror again. She turns on wobbly legs and faces two bodies intertwined and struggling on the floor.

Her attacker’s dressed in all black, mask included, buzzcut, well built. The second man has his thighs wrapped around his head, snarling as he keeps him overpowered. A blue-grey silk shirt clings to his broad shoulders, thin black lines mark the skin on his chest.

The helm of awe.

He knocks the guy out with his thighs which... ok, impressive. With heaving breaths, his eyes land on her.

She runs. He grabs her arm before she can get through the door, and bends over when her knee finds his crotch.

Slamming the door behind her, she slaps her hands against the wall for support, still a bit dizzy, heart racing.

"Wait! Rina– please wait–"

Everything shuts down—her legs, the party, the whole city stops. She drops the plans of putting as much distance as possible between them, turns around and stomps in his direction.

Four letters, one word, a slap to the face.

“What did you just call me?” she demands, her face inches away from his. She doesn't recognize her own voice. He's pawing at his neck, pulling a chain for her to see, like that's gonna do something. "Who the fuck are you?"

"I know them. I know Yixing. You’re in danger, I’m here to help you." he sounds pained, trying to calm her down. She has no sympathy for him.

Hanging from the chain, a silver band morphs into two bony hands that hold a mint-colored ball. A ring, worn as a necklace. She recognizes it at once. She won that ring at some fair in Busan. Someone at school started a rumor that she joined the occult. Kyungsoo's mother thought she was a bad influence.

“We have to get you out of here. He has back up, they'll come soon."

Jiah exhales, relaxes her limbs. He mirrors the gesture, letting out a breath of relief.

Then she runs like her life depends on it. And it just might. She bumps into people, pushes them aside, desperately looking for an emergency exit she vaguely remembers from past situations that shouldn't be crossing her mind right now.

They come in handy, successfully leading her to the deserted alley.

But god, whatever version of it is out there, is just not letting her get away so easily. 

The years have granted him an extra couple of inches, not that he ever needed them. Maybe it's just the thick soles of his boots that scrape against the loose gravel. He stops, mirroring her shock for a fleeting second.

She grabs the closest thing available; a rusty, long, and thin metal thing that's heavy enough to give her some confidence. He’s staring at her, no traces left of the awe she saw before.

He's pointing a gun at her face.

"Drop it" he barks "Hands up, turn around and try not to be so damn difficult. In that order."

Frustrated, she snarls at herself, her jaw tightening until it hurts before throwing the stick to the ground. She turns around, facing the mold-infested wall. The last thing she sees is a torn-off poster of an underground rap collective.

His forearm presses to the back of her neck with no mercy. He searches for a weapon she's not carrying.

"That's for being so fucking stupid. Do you realize what you got yourself into?" he snaps, not giving her a chance to answer before he pulls her back by the back of her shirt and pushes her against the wall again.

"Ow– What the fuck, dude?" the rough, disgusting surface of the wall scratches the side of her face. She kicks her feet against the ground. "I wasn’t even– what the fuck was that for?"

"That's for making my mom worry about you, idiot."   

He finally lets her go, and she moves away from him, curses spilling from her mouth.

The exit door opens revealing Jongin—the impostor.

"What are you doing? We need to--"

They guards go up abruptly before her eyes. He raises his gun at her once again, this time with clear intent.

It'd be ugly, she imagines, being shot this up close. Her brains will end up on the floor, his clothes, maybe even his face. The Park Chanyeol she knew was an asshole most of the time, but he didn't have it in him to step on an ant or kill a spider even if his mother ordered him to, let alone shoot someone.

The inevitable fact is that they are strangers. She doesn't know who the time has turned him into, just like she’s no longer someone that he knows.

"Go ahead, big guy," she lifts her chin, rolls her shoulders. He’s looking at her like she's made of cellophane.

Someone takes the ground from under her. The ground is inevitable. Someone grabs her. Her shoulder feels wet, and her hands look for the source. When she looks down it, it’s stained red.

Did he just–

It can’t be. It doesn't hurt. It should hurt.

It all happens too quickly. There's a hissing sound. The impostor grips her tightly and says something.

Was her heartbeat always this loud? And did she really just get shot?

"Eyes open," The impostor orders. There's no escape with the world narrowed down to two walls. They’re closing in.

He keeps talking, telling her that it’s alright. Her heartbeat is drumming inside her head. It’s now supposed to do that, she shouldn’t feel this cold in August. A chill settles in her bones like she’s been running barefoot through deep snow in the woods, wearing nothing but a flimsy hospital gown.

Okay. Maybe she did get shot. And now they’re taking her away. But she can’t go down like this. Irene... the girls will wonder where she is, Yeri’s gonna burn the place down looking for her, Taemin’s too sensitive to deal with something like this, and Chanyeol–

He shot her.

And they keep calling her the wrong name.

"Rina, you have to...” 

thump 

“...be there...” 

thump 

“...right? C’mon...”

thump.

"Rina."

And then they kill the lights.

[cigaretteparfum-library]

Favourite Writers List

These are creators whose works I enjoy the most, listed in no particular order.

decantingstxrs Tumblr | Reblog

EXO writer and a beloved friend. One of the most skilled short fic and smut writer I've ever come across yet. :] Favourite works: This short Yixing/Minseok/Reader fic I requested with a prompt

moonshine-nightlight Tumblr | Reblog | AO3

Predominantly terato writer, or as I call it: monsterfic. Their story Sacrifice was the first I read, but the gripping slow-burn fantasy/historical Dale is my favourite. Favourite works: Nothing's Wrong With Dale - Tumblr | AO3

[what-if-nct]

heyy, so uh i just found out lucas left nct?? and idk man this hurts? nct was the first kpop group i really loved, and it's still my ult, and when instarted stanning in like 2019 lucas was one of the first members i liked, this doesnt feel right. weren't the gaslighting rumors started by notorious wayv sasaeng, and nothing was proved, in fact it was proven to be fake after just a few month but sm still kept lucas in the dungeon? and after he posts in insta you would think hes getting ready to be back in the group but no, out of nowhere he's kicked out?? he mightve also left himself because he's done with being in the dungeon or also the hate towards him and nct. still, all this while i had hope that he would come back to nct, and wayv, but like big oof rn. this is just how i feel, what do you think of this?

Okay I have like five asks about this so I'll just be responding to all of them here since yours is the first one. But I am honestly not surprised. As an exo-l I've seen this story once before and I didn't like the ending the first time. So since the beginning of his hiatus I kinda braced myself for this or SM holding him till the end of his contract then he just silently backs out. It could also be the same here where it was an amicable agreement where it wouldn't be the best cause the dust still hasn't settled. And there'd just be more risk with his public image tarnished.

And to be honest I still have no idea what the rumor really was like there were a bunch and they seemed to get worse as time went on. So not getting into that. It seems like his social media posts could have been to test if the waters had calmed and they probably just decided this was for the best. Now my thing is usually in this circumstance Chinese artists absolutely excel once they're solo like Jackson, Luhan, Tao, and Yixing. And I love to see it. But Lucas can't go back to China to work, and I'm not sure if he'll be able to work in Korea. He could probably get somewhere in the US as a model. But with him leaving it does seem like his career is completely over and if it was all started by a sasaeng that really sucks.

I hope Wayv is doing fine cause we don't know what's been going on behind the scenes and what they know or if they knew before we did. But I just want the best for the boys. And I just want them to have all the chances to succeed cause I know this whole thing really stunted them and held them back. But they're finally getting their footing again and I hope they all get the recognition they deserve I just want my boys to have all the success. Wayv is amazing and talented and thier discography is incredible. But also Wayv did so much for Winwin, I miss him but I love seeing how much his career is flourishing, he would not have had that in 127. But please just let him promote a comeback for more than a day. It's giving me flashbacks.

[jongbross]

There are eri who don’t love lightsaber?!?!?! I love that song and I love Star Wars! Tho, we don’t talk about the new movies… for obvious reasons.

Since we’re on the topic, what color lightsaber do you think each exo member would have and do you think they would be tempted by the dark side?

i never seen people liking it tbh 🥺 i'm glad you besties like it, that song deserves a looot ot love <3

blue lightsaber: minseok, jongdae, jongin, sehun

green lightsaber: junmyeon, yixing

grey lightsaber: baekhyun, chanyeol, kyungsoo

the ones that have grey lightsabers i see as grey jedi, obviously. personally, i think yixing, jongin and sehun were tempted by the dark side, but yixing and sehun are way too spiritual so the dark side couldn't break them, while jongin was still horrified with the stories that his masters told him, so he quickly found the way to the light again.

[yourdreamsyourwish-2]

So, I used to do weekly updates to let everyone know where I’m at, and since I also like polls I decided to do weekly polls/updates on what I’m working on.

I'm hoping to make it every Monday night for it to come out on Tuesday Mornings!

Requests status: OPEN For both Reactions & Scenarios

Things Coming this Week:

As of right now, Nothing is set in the Queue. I am still working on things. I haven't had the time to write anything but I hopefully will get back into the swing of things ASAP.

Working On:

Reactions: Working on Reactions 13-25. In the Meantime you can find the Masterlist here.

Scenarios: I have 18 (2 for each member) in the planning phases as of this moment. In the meantime you can find the Masterlist Here. [These will usually be either One Shots or 1-3 parts]

Universes: My Multiple Chapter Stories. The Main reason I came back to writing EXO Fanfic. These will not be Member x Reader. For these I either write in 3rd Person with OC characters or First Person. Also all the Member OC pairs will stay the same through out each series.

Currently Working on...

Rewriting an old Minseok Werewolf -> Basic Plot is done. Maybe between 5-15 Parts, won't be higher than 25.

On: Chapter One

Phase: First Draft

Exodus College -> Based on Romance Trope; each Member gets one. [Each member will have 10-15 chapters each plus an epilogue]

On: Series Planning

Phase: Planning

Exceptional Love Series -> Sci-fi fantasy based on EXO Lore; This is 9 different stories that build to a second phase of the story that I am planning on being 25-50 Chapters Minimally [This is also a rewriting a pervious work I had done before as well; All members will have 5 Chapters each. All basic plot outlines for phase I are done.]

First Story will be Light [Baekhyun - 5 Chapters]

On: Chapter 1

Phase: Editing

Fae Inspired -> (I made a World map...) This will be similar to Exceptional Love with each member getting their own story but unsure if I will do a Part II, with a bigger story. [if I do, it' won't be that big]

Phase: Planning [had to finish the map first ]

Other works from my old account I'm thinking of rewriting and working out: Greek God Series & EXODUS City (A Mafia theme)

Okay that's a lot of information, but I do want to hear back from you guys! Which Universe are you the most excited about!

Also for those who don't know, I do not include Tao, Luhan & Kris in any of my writings of one shots/reactions. If I do, it's in the past tense, and I usually have them die in the prologue or before the stories begin in my universes if and only if it makes sense for the plot overall. I have chosen to include only current EXO members. Yixing to me will always be EXO Member, he has made it clear how much the band has meant to him over the years. Even if he eventually leaves, I will probably include him in the future as well. If you don't like that well then...Thank you for stopping by!

[youngshiney]

im still reeling but tbf Jongdae can still be in the group activities if he wants to. Bobby just released a solo album, was in the iKon comeback, and is going to participate in the tour later this year/next. so like its feasible but itd depend on his wants/responsibilities

to answer the overall q tho, considering how many people/groups have left their companies but still stayed in the group in the past year or teo, it wouldnt surprise me if they continued to be Exo members. now to say if sm would let them participate is a different story and honestly probably not considering how Yixing hasnt shown up in years. snsd is different bc they were all focused on solo stuff for a while anyway before the contract renewals, and forever 1 was more a special album than a "hey we're still a whole group and making music". they probably wont drop a full album for years if they even ever do another

so what does it mean?? is exo disband or what 😭😭😭😭😭😭 cbx can sign with other contract but still can stay together as group right? like snsd?

i really hope they do what snsd did but i honestly have my doubts about some of them doing that 😔 i wouldn’t blame them if they decided not to either like let’s be realistic jongdae has a whole family does he really plan on doing this bg thing for much longer?

[fairyscribbles]

Sweet Dreams. (Yixing)

This lil’ dude has been in my dreams for far too many times... T_T (short but sweet while I try to finish a Junmyeon monster)

-

His lips were urgent on yours, not letting you catch a breath. The lack of oxygen made everything much more clear- the way he pressed you up against the wall, the way his fingers tugged on your hair to tilt your head up and the hardness that pressed against your thigh.

“Yi-Yixing…” you panted once he moved his ministrations down to your neck. He grunted in reply, already marking the virgin skin with purplish bruises.

“Yix-“ you tried to call out to him once again, but he covered your lips with his, squeezing the back of your thighs and pressing their bodies closer, making you gasp into the kiss. Yixing took the opportunity to slip his tongue between your lips, coaxing you to respond. You mewled, wrapping your fingers into his hair and tugging on its strands. Yixing took it as a sign to hoist you up, wrap your legs around his waist and push you away from the wall, guiding them to the bedroom. He wasted no time in throwing you on the mattress, grinding his hips against yours. He chuckled darkly at your moan, at the way your fists bunched into his shirt. He teased you with his tongue, tracing your lips lightly, but when you leaned up to kiss him, he backed away, making you cry out in frustration.

“What do you want?” his normally loving voice was rough and husky.

“You.” you moaned when his hips pressed against yours.

“You’ll have to beg.” he warned you, his teeth dragging down your abused neck. You wanted to touch him, to undress him, to feel him better but just as your hands reached up to rip his shirt off, his hands closed around your wrists and pinned them above your head, preventing your from touching him. You whimpered, fighting weakly against his hold, but he only grinned, opening your knees and his fingers teasingly running from them to your inner thighs, drawing small circles.

“Please, Yixing, please, just do it, I can’t wait, please…” you didn’t care anymore, your mind was crazy from lust and he loved it when you was in this state.

“Don’t worry, baby, I’ll make you feel so good.” he whispered into your ear, his finger finishing their journey and cupping you though your panties.

“Yixing!” you called out, sitting up all sweaty and panting.

“Huh? What’s wrong, jagi?” Yixing barely stirred from his sleep, rubbing at his eyes, when you realized it was all just a dream.

It was just a teasing nightmare.

[thedeviousdo]

Just As Usual..A Space Saga

Epilogue

Minseok stood in front of the large oval window that took up most of Sehun’s wall of his living quarters. Green and pink gasses from a nearby nebula filled the window, stars of all sizes blinked in and around it.

“Is everything of his packed?”

Minseok looked over his shoulder as Junmyeon came into the room. “Just finished the last box.” He looked over to the stack of boxes nearby, feeling the weight of the empty room.

Junmyeon stood at his side, eyes reflecting the twinkling space outside. “I’ll let Jongdae know so he can transport them home later.” He watched Minseok nod in the reflection of the window. “I read your report for Command. I agree with you, without the help of those few clones, we would’ve all died.”

“We were lucky.”

“That’s part of it, but we had a strong leader.” Junmyeon turned to look at Minseok, “You turned down Command about your own crew and getting your own ship, why?”

Minseok turned around to face the empty room, leaning his waist against the frame of the window. “This is my crew, my family.” He gave a small shrug, “This is where I belong, where I want to come back to after my time away.”

“If that’s what you want, then I’ll support it, but I believe you’ve more than earned your right to be a captain of your own crew.”

“One day. For now I want to be the psychiatrist for your crew, away from any leadership for some time.” Minseok gave him a small smile, “You still look like shit.”

Junmyeon ran a hand over his face, wincing at a few of the lingering bruises from his time with the clones. “It’s only been a day since we got back. Yixing healed everything that needed it, the rest my body will do on it’s own. Don’t worry, by the time you’re back in 2 months I’ll be back to my gorgeous self.”

“I don’t know, I think they permanently damaged your good looks.” Minseok smiled when Junmyeon barked a laugh, arm wrapping around his shoulder as they started to leave the room.

“You seeing that girl while you’re home?”

Minseok smiled, “I might make my way to see her after I drop Sehun off with his family.”

Junmyeon hit the button on the wall making the door slide open, “He said he doesn’t need you to babysit him on his journey home for his mandatory leave. Keeps telling me to tell you not to worry about it.”

“Well that won’t happen. He died in my arms and if Sora hadn’t helped Yixing, he would’ve stayed dead. He’s going to have to deal with it.”

“Still don’t know why he wanted to pack up most of his things.”

Minseok smiled, “He said he didn’t trust Chanyeol not to sell it off or take it as his own.”

“Sounds right.”

X

Lay looked over the information on his tablet, reading over how D.O. and Kai had both been retrieved from where they were left on the planet 2 days ago. Kai was found on a small island nearly a mile from where Jongin dropped him. D.O. had tried to claw through the stone box Kyungsoo put him in, and attacked several people before being sedated heavily when they let him out.

Both were secured and ready to head to the location Command had for high risk and dangerous offenders. Lay would make the journey with them, making sure they were locked up before heading to Wanvo to take over the care of the growing clones.

He looked up when he heard someone enter the air hangar. Kyungsoo and Jongin walked together towards where Lay was waiting by the shuttle. Jongin’s color was finally returning to his face, though Yixing was able to heal the more serious injuries, he was still littered with light bruises and cuts. As well as the healing of the mind he would have to get through from his times being tortured. All of them did. Jongin smiled at Lay before continuing over to where two metal boxes that housed Kai and D.O., pulling up a grid and reading over their physical scans.

Kyungsoo cleared his throat, digging into his pocket. “I um I made this for you.” He opened his palm to show a small black box. “I calibrated it so you have control of when you want to turn it on or off. I also had Yixing record things with his voice.” He watched as Lay took the small voice amplifier from his hand. “I tweaked it, so it won’t be his voice, not fully at least. So you can um have your own.”

Lay ran a finger over the small box, “Thank you, Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo shrugged his shoulders, “It didn’t take much. I just… thank you for your help, for helping Jongin and my brothers.”

“I wish I could’ve done something sooner for you all, but I’m happy to have been able to in the end.”

“Junmyeon said he offered you a place in the crew, when you’re done with the clones. Are you taking it?”

Lay smiled, “I want to see what the universe has to offer. Minseok offered to show me some of your planet if I’m done helping the clones before he leaves there in 2 months. I believe after that, I would very much like to join this crew and continue seeing what’s out there.”

X

Junmyeon looked around the main deck, sharing a look with each member of his crew. “Lay is on his way with D.O. and Kai to Xeno, where they will be locked up and hopefully the key lost. When he’s done with helping the new clones, he’ll make his way back to us and become one of the crew. He will be working as a communication specialist and reporting to Jongin. Also, Minseok escorted Sehun back home this morning. Minseok had requested to go on leave, which I think we all can understand. With what his body and mind went through dying and coming back, Sehun will be on mandatory leave per orders from Command.”

He waited while the others talked amongst themselves for a moment before continuing on. “Since the reason for our powers disappearing was due to the Red Force, Command has altered our mission. We will now be searching for Healers. As you know, Healers have always been a secluded people, and many left our planet after our powers disappeared. Especially after so many tried to use them to heal and bring back their powers.

Yixing is already reaching out to his community in hopes that they will help now or at least know where to start looking for others. Each one we find, we will help bring their powers back and request they help as many as others as they can. With their help we will start to heal as many of our people as possible until a cure can be created. Sora will also be working with any of the clones that had that ability as well. The more that can heal the faster our people can get back to the life they were born with.”

“What about the Red Force, about other clones being created?” Chanyeol asked from beside Yixing.

“What about Burrs? He escaped before we could retrieve him.” Kyungsoo asked, shaking his head when Jongin cursed about letting him go.

“That will be our next step. Once we get so many Healers up and going, we begin our hunt. Burrs and the others won’t get away that easily.” Junmyeon looked towards Yixing, “You said you had a cousin on Altomer, correct?”

“Yes, Captain. He’s reaching out to a few other Healers he knows on nearby planets.”

“Then we start there, let's set a course.”

X

Baekhyun looked up from his book at the sound of the alarm letting him know they were approaching their destination.

“Right on time Altomer.” he said around the bite of an apple still in his mouth. “Let’s take a look at you, you beautiful purple plan-” Baekhyun choked, eyes wide as he took in the approaching teal colored planet. He quickly scanned the surrounding area, eyes locking onto the distant purple planet to the far right of them.

“Shit... wrong planet.”

The End

Masterlist

I want to thank you all for not only reading this story but inspiring me to keep going. I wasn't expecting to write more than that very first post, I actually almost didn't post it. But you all made me want to continue, with all of the comments and likes/reblogs. You truly inspired me to continue building this world. It was an amazing experience writing this story, even with the ups and downs of getting my brain to work and create. You all have been here and supported me so much. This story is for you all, thank you for your love and time.

[mybiasisexo]

Girl… giiirl!!!

In love with that x-exo Lay fic 🤤 A part 2? Maybe? 👀 I literally felt asleep thinking again the whole story and creating my own sequel hahaha

So glad you loved it 🙏 !!! it really is a great concept for yixing 😭 such a versatile king! like my author note said, im burnt out bruh 😪. my writing plate is full and the foods getting stale 😅

but im curious on where youd think the story would go 👀 I can see yixing snitching lmao and the other boys are like 'girrrl tf you doin????' then she has to like defend herself but they dont trust her or even use her as bait or something 🤔