#guys i wrote that fic đ
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good morning to you ray and you only because that hanma fic literally saved my life đđ
SUDHFWILEFHWRGB babe i miss u. BUT IM SO HAPPY U LIKED ITTT <33
#im so happy#guys i wrote that fic đ#thats MY work#omggg#[đđđŹ đ„đšđŻđ?]#[+đ đđ«đšđŠ -Wednesday-]
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i am going to review this asap but it looks DELICIOUS
okay so i finished and well ngl cried lolz
bigass rant in the tags!
you plus me | heeseung
SUMMARY: it's been six years since heeseung stopped being your friend and the thought of him tagging along an annual camping tradition makes you feel like the world is crashing around you. one misunderstanding and one trip later makes heeseung re-evaluate all he knows, and it makes you believe there might be life after love.
NOTES: tomorrow (october 26) is my bday lol and my gift to you all is this fic. enjoy :) x
PAIRING: heeseung x fem!reader (featuring enhypen)
WORD COUNT: 34.1K
WARNINGS: fluff, angst, mentions of poor relationships with parental figures, mentions of infidelity, bad friendships, smut in the form of: fingering, oral (f. receiving), creampie.
***
âPlease donât make me go.â
âY/N, you already said yes. Weâre only gonna be gone for a week.â
âI donât think this is a good idea, Jungwon. You just said that Heeseung is gonna be there.âÂ
Your best friend sighs and sits down on your bed, inspecting the duffle bag you have thatâs half-packed. Your clothes are haphazardly strewn all over your bedding while you plead with him to no avail. Youâre so desperate that you consider getting on your knees to beg.
âIâm sorry for telling you now, but he was able to get people to cover his shift last minute and paid for a spot on the kayaking rental.âÂ
âIf heâs going, Iâd rather save us all the trouble and stay at home.â Jungwon watches you cross your arms over your chest. âEvery time weâre in the same room, itâs just a matter of time before things become awkward.âÂ
âWeâll be outside in the suuuun,â Jungwon says, tilting his head to the side and giving you those amused eyes that he always gives you when heâs trying to convince you to do something with him. You scoff and look away. It almost works.Â
âI bet that itâll be worse since we have a few things planned with the guys already.â
âSo what? You two donât get along. Big deal. Weâve already made reservations to secure a spot on the campsite and set a deposit for kayak rentals.â
âWon, I think you and I view Heeseung very differently. He doesnât just not like me. He hates me.âÂ
âHate is a wrong word.âÂ
You huff. âI donât think you grasp just how weird it is every time weâre together. You could cut the tension with a knife.â
âSeriously, Y/N. Itâs one week. Iâm sure you can survive that. Youâve never missed a camping trip and itâs the first time all of our friends are coming.â Jungwon deadpans and throws a shirt towards your chest, which you hastily grab after being startled by his sudden movement. You know better than to argue with him when he gets like this. âJust help me pack your clothes, dude. Jayâs gonna be here to pick us up tomorrow morning, and you donât want to be under-packed.âÂ
You relent and grumble. âAre you still staying over?â
He nods. âMy apartmentâs in the opposite of where weâre going, and I didnât want to make him drive an extra twenty minutes since he needs to pick Riki up. Just need to drop Maeumi off at my momâs before coming back here. â Your eyes fall for a flat second before you squash that feeling down.
âI didnât invite you over, you know.âÂ
âNo, but donât pretend like youâre not excited,â Jungwon says with a laugh as he pulls your clothes out of the bag and starts to readjust the clothing youâve folded poorly. Seeing your best friend smile tugs a bit at your heartstrings and you canât say that you arenât happy to have him with you. âWe should get you packed now so you donât stress out later.âÂ
Begrudgingly, you allow Jungwon to sort out your clothes for you and pull last minute items youâve yet to pack. It annoys you watching him be so calm when youâre simmering with worry. But you know heâs rightâyouâve invested some money into this getaway, and itâll be the last big outing before you move away from Korea for a year-long job opportunity in Okayama before pursuing your Masterâs degree. Jungwon knows you a little too well, and sometimes it irks you.Â
The end-of-summer camping trip is always one for the books. For as long as you can remember, the two of you have been going camping just before everyone goes back to school to celebrate the beginning of a new academic year with your families. But this time, the trip wasnât just about continuing an annual tradition. It was also to commemorate a new chapter in your life.Â
Youâre a year older than Jungwon. Heâs known you since you were obsessed with learning how to double dutch, and youâve known him since he first learnt how to ride a bike. The two of you started out as neighbors when you moved into the house next to his, and his family had adopted your own like old friends, eventually inviting you and your parents into their annual camping tradition. Even when dynamics changed and people left, the tradition was the only thing that remained a constant for you.
This is the first summer that your loved ones announced they wouldnât be coming along. They all thought it was time for you to embark on new traditions with new people, and nobody seemed to mind the change that much except for you. Jungwon had been ecstatic about it since he invited his friend, Jake, to the camping trip last year. Youâd been wary at first since Jake is friends with Heeseung, but he never brought up your confusing arch-nemesis and chose to have a great trip before you all started university again. Â
Sure, you had a lot of fun. You might even consider last yearâs trip as one for the books. But your mom pulling out of the camping trip and everyone around you agreeing that it was for the best made you feel like your world was crumbling around you.
When you graduated university three months ago (Jungwon swears he didnât cry, but you know better than to believe him), the weight of leaving your home started to sink in. In the blink of an eye, Jungwon wouldnât be a twenty minute drive, and hanging out with all of your friends wouldnât be as easy as it once was. Youâd be in Japan all alone.
This past summer has been a whirlwind as you tried to do everything under the sun, savoring each moment until you wouldnât be able to anymore. Jungwonâs been a good sport about it, never once complaining when you drag him to your latest adventure. He deals with your sudden shift in mood from happy to sad, letting you cry on his shoulder and braving the cliche words you say when telling him youâll miss him a lot.Â
Unlike past seasons, this is the first summer you havenât seen Heeseung very often. Lee Heeseung, who usually keeps his head down and minds his business, always seems to have a bone to pick whenever his eyes settle on you. It confuses you to no end, and he keeps his quips to a minimum when your mutual friends are around, but it doesnât stop you from wondering what you mustâve done to make him act like that towards you. Itâs a shame because that small childhood crush you always had on him was squashed the first time he ignored your presence.Â
None of your friends comment on it much. Theyâre used to the dynamic between the both of you because it's been years of this. Elementary school saw the two of you become friends for the first time and middle school brought more friends into the group. It was in high school that things changed and Heeseung started ignoring you out of nowhere until one Thursday afternoon when heâd told you to leave him alone after pestering him about his change in behavior.Â
The odd tension followed you into university and continued to seep into your life. You donât think youâve ever been in a room with Heeseung where heâs been anything but nonchalant towards you, often acting like you arenât there to begin with. You do your best to put up with it and plaster a smile on your face, but six years have gone by, and you donât think you can handle a seventh. All of your friends seemed to have moved past it. You donât know why you canât.
âDonât think about Heeseung,â Jungwon says with a sigh. âIn fact, donât think at all. Let me handle everything and enjoy this trip before you move to Okayama, okay?â
âOkay, fine. But I want to see Maeumi.â
Jungwon snorts. âSheâs gonna be real pissed when she doesnât see you for a year, you know.â
âDonât remind me.â
Jungwon knows you like the back of your hand and has seen what you bring on these trips enough to know what you like to have in your duffle. He packs things you neglected to pull out because your mind has been elsewhere. As much as he wants to flick your head and tell you to quit overthinking so you can help him, he did tell you to let him handle everything.Â
Your best friend makes you triple check that the two of you didnât miss anything before heading back to his apartment to fetch Maeumi. She jumps into your arms when you squat to pick her up and wonât allow Jungwon to pet her white fur body while sheâs nestled against you. This fondness and the familiar jab of Jungwonâs elbow to your ribcage make your heart ache despite the sweet moment. Youâre really going to miss home.Â
Ever the concerned mothers your mom and Jungwonâs are, they send you with a tray full of sweets for the road. They make you tell them exactly when youâll be picked up and by who (âJongseong, Eomma,â Jungwon says for the umpteenth time) and when you plan to come back. His dad gives you a spare bucket hat for when youâre on the water and an old sweater from his college days when Jungwon complains about how you never pack enough layers. The gesture feels warm since you consider his father to be somewhat of your own.
Leaving them to go back to your house feels a bit bittersweet. A lot of your belongings sit in storage boxes in the garage from when you moved out of your campus apartment upon graduating. Jungwon decided to get an apartment for himself with the money he saved from his part-time job as a busboy at a local chain restaurant. Staying over with you makes it seem silly when you remember he used to live next door.Â
Itâs nine in the evening when the two of you get ready for bed. Jungwon puts your bags by the front door so neither of you would forget while you finish brushing your teeth. He grabs extra blankets from the linen closet and settles onto your L-shaped couch, pulling the fabric just underneath his chin. Your heart feels like itâs sinking in on itself when you think about how this might be the last time youâre able to be so casual around him.Â
âStop overthinking,â he says in the quiet of the night, as if he can hear the thoughts in your head. The living room lights are off and the moonlight is whatâs responsible for illuminating the space.Â
You refrain from throwing your pillow at him. âIâm not overthinking. Youâre overthinking.âÂ
Jungwon snorts. âWe both know thatâs not true. I know youâre scared about Okayama and I know thatâs why youâve been on edge about Heeseung. Youâre usually never this loud about it.â Like always, your best friend is right.Â
âItâs hard not to.â Your meek voice makes Jungwonâs heart lurch. âEverythingâs changed so fast. I feel like I didnât get enough time to properly say goodbye to everyone.â
âYouâll be in Japan, not America. Itâs not like weâll never see you.âÂ
âYeah, but I wonât be able to annoy you for boba and you wonât be coming over to have dinner with my mom and me." Jungwon frowns. Too caught up in making sure you were happy this summer, he hadnât given it that much thought. âI know I wonât be far, but Iâm scared that things will change too much.âÂ
For the first time today, Jungwon doesnât know what to say to make you feel better. âIâll miss you a lot.âÂ
âI know that, dummy. I guessâŠI feel like Iâve been dealing with a lifetime of shittiness and the universe wanted to throw another curveball at me.â Jungwonâs heart softens at your confession. Heâs used to your quick jabs and sarcastic humor. Knowing youâve more afraid than excited makes him upset.Â
âThe universe sucks,â he says, happy that it pulled a laugh out of you. âIâll always be a phone call away and youâll never have to worry about me ignoring you because we both know Iâm gonna blow up your texts anyway.âÂ
âI can always count on you to annoy the hell out of me.â You canât see his face, but no you already assume Jungwonâs sporting a shit-eating grin. Even if you both know the main reason why youâre afraid of living in Okayama, neither of you say it. Youâre grateful that Jungwon doesnât bring it up. âStill, though. You know how I am with change. Iâm really scared that Iâm going to hate it there and not have you to keep me company.â
âLife is crazy and unpredictable but that doesnât mean youâre going to be miserable. I mean, you did a pretty good job of making sure both of us had happy childhoods even though I know you were hurting when we were younger.âÂ
âItâs really hard not to have expectations or think badly about the future when I feel like I took everything for granted.âÂ
âI know, Bug,â Jungwon says, using a nickname from your childhood he reserves for when he thinks you need an extra bit of comfort. âBut youâre the best person I know. You didnât do anything wrong. Life justâŠgets in the way.âÂ
âYeah, I know.â
Jungwon is quiet for a moment. âJust please promise me youâll try to have fun, okay?â
âI know Iâll have fun, Wonnie. Iâm scared that Iâll have too much fun and be a sobbing wreck when we get back.âÂ
The two of you share a laugh. âAlright, fair. Promise me you wonât let Heeseung get under your skin.â
You groan. âIf he doesnât like me, thatâs fine. I donât need everyone to like me. But why go out of his way to act like Iâm scum of the Earth?â
âJust ignore him, okay?â Jungwon pleads. âI know itâs uncomfortable but he paid for a last minute spot. Iâll tell him to be mature about it too.âÂ
And, well, part of you believes Heeseung will listen to Jungwon. Despite being on the younger side in your shared friend group, everyone seemed to listen to your best friend most of the time. Jungwon has an authoritative aspect to himself when heâs refrained from being the silly, happy-go-lucky guy you all know him to be.Â
Itâs quiet for a brief moment with the wind gently tapping on the windows behind you. âI donât know why he doesnât like me.âÂ
Truthfully, neither does Jungwon. âIâm sorry heâs putting you in a tough spot.âÂ
âWon, sometimes I really wonder if he hates my guts. He doesnât talk to me and he never replies to my messages in the group chat. Itâs like I donât exist to him.â
âI think that might be a little extreme.âÂ
âItâs not and you know it.âÂ
Jungwon hums. âWell, at least youâll get away from him when you move to Okayama.â Just like that, all of your worries come flooding right back.
âYeah,â you say meekly. âIâll have Okayama.â
You donât see him, but you know Jungwonâs smiling since you agreed with him for the first time tonight. âThatâs more like it. You have your whole future ahead of yourself, dude. Heeseung is just a blimp. In three weeks, he wonât matter because youâll be having fun in Japan. Just think about that.âÂ
You try not to think about the fears and hesitations you have about starting anew. This time, you wouldnât be going back to university after the camping trip. Youâll have a week and a half back home before youâre boarding your flight and saying goodbye to the place youâve called home for the past two decades. Thinking about the future keeps you up until you hear Jungwonâs snores from the other side of the couch.Â
Unsure of when your mom will be coming home, you snuggle further into the cushions and curl yourself into a ball before falling asleep.Â
***
The next morning, Jungwon wakes up just before you do and you see him and your mom talking before they see you sit up. Barely noticing their hushed tones, you find yourself yawning more than normal and force the blankets off of your body. Your mom fixes you a cup of tea while Jungwon finishes packing, leaving you to freshen up and do the same.Â
âYou know, this trip will be good for you. I can feel it,â your mom says when you sip on your tea. Itâs hot and nearly burns your tongue, but you donât mind. Somehow, that sharp pain makes you feel even more alert than the strong brew.Â
âYou say that every year.âÂ
âYeah, but this time I wonât be with you.âÂ
She laughs when she hears you huff. âBaby, I know you love it when I come on these trips but weâll always have other ones. Weâll have next year too.âÂ
âI just donât get why you and Jungwonâs parents donât want to come on this one.âÂ
âLike we said all those months agoâitâs time for you guys to break tradition and spend some time with your friends before you move to Okayama. Next year, we can rent out the whole campsite if it means we can accommodate us, the Yangs, and your friends.âÂ
Frustration bubbles within you but youâre quick to shut that feeling. âI guess. It wonât be the same.â
âJakeâs going this year, right? You guys had a lot of fun last summer.âÂ
Well, she isnât wrong. âSure, yeah. I had fun with him.â Motherly instincts kick in and she bumps your hip with hers.Â
âI know youâre scared about moving and seeing Heeseung. But youâre much braver than you give yourself credit for. Sometimes people are meant to be lessons and maybe Heeseung is the biggest one of all.â
You throw a fake-disgusted look at her. âDid Jungwon put you up to this?â She laughs and shakes her head, bringing you into her arms. Her lips on the crown of your head feel warm and you donât shy away from her embrace.Â
âNo, but I carried you in my stomach and brought you to term. I like to think I know you pretty well.âÂ
You chuckle. âYeah, I guess you do. Iâll try not to let Heeseung bother me too much.âÂ
âJungwonâs pretty worried, even if he wonât say it. I told him to relax a little. This trip isnât supposed to stress anyone out. Itâs supposed to be a nice getaway before you go back to your normal life.âÂ
âI feel guilty for making Jungwon worry about me. I know heâs still friends with Heeseung, somewhat, even though nobody can figure out why he doesnât like me so much.âÂ
âThat old saying about boys being mean to their crushes is bullshit.âÂ
You pull away and gasp when you hear her swear. âEomma!â Â
âI used to swear like a sailor before I became a mom, you know.â Her eyes light up when she watches you giggle and from the corner of her eye, she can see Jungwon walking back into the living room.Â
âJayâs almost here,â he says, shoving his phone into his back pocket.Â
âDoes he want a cup of tea?âÂ
Jungwon shakes his head. âI think itâs better if we head out as soon as possible. We still have to pick up Riki and then we have a four hour drive to the campsite.âÂ
She looks at the two of you like she has stars in her eyes. Wordlessly, your mom pulls Jungwon underneath her other arm and kisses his forehead before kissing yours. âWhen did you two become so grown up, huh? It feels like just yesterday that Y/N stopped crying whenever she got papercuts.âÂ
Jungwon snickers. âShe still does.â
âHey!â
âAnd it feels like just yesterday that Jungwon stopped needing to sleep with a nightlight.â Jungwonâs cheeks turn pink and you snicker at him.Â
âTime flew by fast,â says Jungwon. She lets the two of you go and the doorbell rings. âThat must be Jay.âÂ
Indeed, Jay is standing behind the door and bows at your mom before she offers to help you both carry things to his car. They make small talk while the two of you put them into the trunk (he loves to cook while she loves to bake. Likewise, they enjoy talking about this with each other). Jayâs Jeep is far too expensive for you to wrap your head around, but you donât complain when he offers to drive you in it. A yellow rubber duck sits on his dashboard and it never fails to bring a smile to your face whenever you see it. You wave goodbye to your mom and stick your body halfway out the window until youâre restricted by the seat belt.
âCan we get coffee on the way?â you ask, yawning into your palm. Itâs eight oâclock and everyoneâs agreed to arrive around noon for lunch and to relax before sleeping.Â
âYeah, good idea. Letâs pick up Riki and then stop somewhere.âÂ
Jay plugs his phone into the aux cord at a red light and turns on some music. You like driving with him because you always discover new songs you obsess over for the next few days. It brings a pang in your heart when you think about how this will have to stop when you move to Japan. The two of you have created many playlist blends and heâs curated a few for you. While youâre not as musically inclined like your friends may be, Jay is the only person whoâs willing to break things down for you in depth so that you can understand them too. Itâs nice, especially when he talks about his own musical talents. You can see why he loves music so much and you donât mind if he sends you a million songs to listen to. He turns onto the freeway and you know youâre about to see Riki soon.
Heâs about to be a first-year in the university you graduated from. He moved to Korea from Japan a few weeks prior to get a lay of the land and become more comfortable in his surroundings. Originally planning on enjoying your summer until he reached out to you, your mother chided your decision and told you to help Riki move into his new dormitory.Â
It was the least you could do for your half-brother.Â
Begrudgingly, you spent a lot of time making sure Riki felt comfortable and settled in when you couldâve been soaking up the sun. Maybe thatâs why you were so adamant about hanging out with Jungwon whenever you could. Being around Riki made you feel drained because his mere presence was enough to remind you of why you started losing faith in people.Â
The dorms arenât too far from your house. The drive there is silent, save for the music coming from Jayâs stereo. It gives you plenty of time to think about what the next week or so might look like. Avoiding Heeseung is out of the question since there will be eight of you participating in the same activities together. Youâre not worried about having to watch over Riki too much either. Before moving to Korea, he met Jungwon the first summer he spent a few weeks vacationing here and they instantly became friends. He introduced Riki to the people youâd be camping with too. Without fail, the seven of them were always up to no good when he was in town.Â
Spending three weeks with him in your neighborhood felt like someone was trying to set your life ablaze. He was so young back then, barely speaking Korean until you had to translate conversations into Japanese for him. You tried to mask disdain for having to help him, but even then, Riki understood why you were hesitant to have him in your life. If he were in your position, heâd probably feel the same way about you.Â
He didnât come to Korea very often but started to when he had school recess for the holidays and summer breaks. Since he expressed an interest in attending university in Korea, it felt like the right decision to send Riki whenever school wasnât in session. Heâd stay with his paternal grandparents and saw you every so often when you were both invited to the same place. Neither of you made a real effort to keep up with each other on social media or over the phone. At this time, Riki followed you on Instagram and you hadnât bothered to follow him back. In all honesty, you didnât see the point.Â
You held a lot of resentment over Riki for things you know you canât blame him for. But with new life changes that came your way, Riki seemed like the perfect scapegoat. He feels it sometimes, the way you pull him in just to push him away when the moment gets too familiar. He shoves down his feelings, choosing to treasure when you laugh with him.Â
The two of you are doing somewhat better nowadays. You followed him back on Instagram the night after you dropped him off at the airport at the behest of your grandparents. They insisted Riki arrive at the airport four hours early despite the flightâs duration equating to two and a half hours. You suspected they wanted to force you into spending a little bit of alone time with your half-brother and get to know each other.Â
To your surprise, the two of you got along pretty well. Riki was a dweeb trying to mask himself as cool. You bought him ice cream (pretending like you didnât see him smiling so hard that he forced it off of his face) and sat in your car for two hours to talk. He found out you were a genius when it came to mathematics, a subject he did not excel in, and you found out heâs in a hip hop dance crew and wants to study dancing in Korea. Riki showed you a few clips of him dancing and from the corner of your eye, you could see how happy he was to be sharing this moment with you. It made your heart twinge and guilt crept up your spine when you think of all the times youâve blown him off. You said goodbye to him at the gate and he surprised you with the first hug heâs ever given you.Â
Still, itâs a bit awkward when the two of you spend any time together without your friends acting as buffers. It irks you that Riki and Heeseung get along so well because they share similar interests and are often awake at the same time, especially during the midnight hour. Part of you wondered if Heeseung would tell you all about your ârivalryâ and how the two of you didnât get along. If he did, Riki never let you know it because heâs been the same Riki youâve known since you first met him three years ago.Â
You can tell Heeseung is a bit irritated, too, that your half-brother still chooses to be nice to you. In fact, you realize heâs annoyed at everyone about this, especially Jungwon. You donât call him out on it because you know itâll spark a useless argument that makes you and everyone else feel upset. How Heeseung has the energy and stamina to avoid you for hours on end is strange to you.Â
You and Jungwon meet Riki at the front door while Jay gets out of the car to make room for his belongings and the lawn chairs his grandparents dropped off for this specific trip. Thereâs exactly eight of them and they somehow all fit into the rear with all of the other cooking gear heâs packed. You assume the other car has everything needed for pitching tents and fishing.
âHi,â Riki says before you can acknowledge him. He steps forward like heâs about to throw his arms around you but stops himself. âGood morning.âÂ
âMorning, Riki,â you say while grabbing the duffle bag from his shoulder. âLet me put this in the car. You and Wonnie can load the chairs.âÂ
âAye, aye, captain.âÂ
Itâs Rikiâs first time on the camping trip and you find yourself a bit more nervous with him coming. Heâs not someone whoâs been camping before and you wonder if any of the other guys are going to look out for him. Jungwon, for as responsible as he is, tends to turn into a younger version of himself when heâs with your half-brother. You furrow your eyebrows when you put his duffle bag in Jayâs trunk as he rearranges and waits for the two boys to load everything in before settling back into the car.Â
Riki and Jungwon immediately hop in the backseat and youâre quite pleased that you donât have to call shotgun. They talk about things you donât understand while Jay starts the car and resumes manning the aux cord. That strange feeling of nervousness creeps back into your stomach. You turn around and startle Riki when you look at him.Â
âDo you have everything you need?â you ask him.Â
âYes,â Riki says with a nod. âI have my water bottle, my Swiss army knife, and sunblock.âÂ
âBug spray?âÂ
âJungwon says heâs bringing a few bottles.â
âSwimming trunks?â
âCâMon, Y/N. Weâre gonna be camping by a lake. Thatâs the first thing I packed.â
âToothbrush?â
âSecond thing I packed.â
âEnough shirts and socks?â
âOkay,â Jay says, pulling your wrist to get you to look at the road. âRikiâs got everything he needs and if he doesnât, Iâm sure someone else would let him use or borrow it.â
âIâm just making sure heâs got everything so we donât need to stop somewhere,â you mutter, slinking into your seat while Jay sighs. You donât catch it, but Riki sits behind you with a happy smile on his face.Â
âRelax. Weâre trying to make the most before summer ends. You deserve that too.â You know Jayâs right. He smiles when you fix your posture and hands you his phone. âYou know my passcode. Queue up whatever you want.âÂ
You do just that, especially since Jungwon and Riki are engrossed in a conversation about God knows what. You think of interrupting them to ask what they want to listen to but ultimately decide to play a few songs you and Jay could jam out to and some from Jungwonâs playlists. You also try to remember the songs Riki has danced to in his Instagram videos and the musicians he posts on his stories and add them to the queue too.Â
âThanks for letting us come on this trip,â Jay tells you with chatter in the background, not once taking his eyes off of the road. âI know itâs a thing you and Jungwon do with your families.âÂ
âEh, it was bound to happen anyway. Jake was the only one here last summer and I knew it was a matter of time.âÂ
âStill, I know how youâve been feeling lately and it must be overwhelming to have so many people around you right now.â Damn. Jay is almost as receptive as Jungwon is.Â
You donât bother lying to him. âYeah, I think Iâm just scared about starting my life in Okayama. I know a few people but itâs not like here. I thought it was what I wanted to do when I accepted the position but now I canât help but feel like I made a mistake.âÂ
âItâs not a mistake if you believed in it enough to do it all those months ago. I mean, thereâs a reason why youâre moving.âÂ
âI guess.â
âYou donât give yourself enough credit, dude. Youâre like, a fucking wizard when it comes to numbers and even Jake is speechless. You know how he feels about math and physics.âÂ
That makes you laugh. âIt feels kinda nerdy to love math so much but fuck it. It got me a paid yearâs worth of employment before I earn my Masterâs.â
âSee? Not so bad, isnât it?â You suppose itâs not. âJunwon, can you please tell the others that weâre about to stop for coffee then be on our way?â You see the notifications on your phone.Â
wonton: we just picked up riki
jaeyunnie: whoâs we
wonton: me jay and yn
jaeyunnie: AYOOOOOOO YN
you: JAEYUNIE :DD
jaeyunnie: idk why i thought jay was driving alone. whatever this is about to be the best camping trip of my Life. even better than last year
sun sun: is it just me or is jake always really fucking dramatic. also iâm lowkey offended i wasnât invited last year âŠ
jaeyunnie: shut Up u know nothing about me sunoo. and u were in bejing how tf could you have gone with us
sun sun: so much attitude đ
fanghoon: yn save me PLEASE. iâm in a car filled with animals
sun sun: HEY
jaeyunnie: who are you calling an animal big guy ?
you: sunghoon what makes you think i can do thatÂ
you: jk come over here ~i will protect you~
fanghoon: Thank You. Itâs Literally 8am
jaeyunnie: u guys need to become morning people
you: pass
sun sun: PASSÂ
sun sun: noona we are the same đââïž
you: i know thatâs right
wonton: weâre gonna stop for coffee before heading to the campsiteÂ
jaeyunnie: oh shit we should make heeseung stop for coffee too
wonton: jay says to stop blowing up his phone in the group chat. weâll text you when we stop for gas and when weâve arrived. bye!!!
***
After one stop to fill up Jayâs gas tank (you paid for him as a thank you) and a snack run (Jungwon and Riki split the cost), the four of you are at the campsite in no time. Youâre all somewhat grateful that itâs a little bit cloudy outside because the sun was killing you on the two-hour mark of your road trip. The weather is a little cooler and you tug on the sweater that Jungwonâs dad gave you. Â
You see your other friends park just after you do. Jungwon and Riki are first to get out of the car and greet them like they havenât seen the group in years while you and Jay take your time getting out of your seats. Since when did your joints become so stiff? You blame it on the fact that you woke up from a nap just a few minutes before you arrived.Â
âThis place was hard to find,â you hear Heeseung say from a distance. You try not to let it dampen your mood.Â
âWhereâs Y/N?â Youâre sure that was Jake.Â
âWaking up, probably,â says Jungwon. âShe took a nap in the car and we just woke her up.âÂ
âThe drive wasnât even that long.â You assume your best friend gives Heeseung some kind of reaction before the latter apologizes quickly.Â
Jake is by the passenger door as you open it and looks at you like a dog who wants to be taken out on a walk. He holds the handle to the door and bounces in his shoes until you push yourself out of the car. The loud slamming of the door behind you makes you wince. Jake pulls you into a hug faster than you can process.Â
âI missed you dude,â Jake says. He puts his arm over your shoulder and slowly leads you to the group. âDid you have a good summer?â
âYou know, despite the incredibly hot weather that made me feel like I would sweat to death, summer wasnât so bad. How was Brisbane?â
âI missed the heat,â Jake says with a pout. âBut it was pretty good to be back home for a month. I really missed my parents and my brother.âÂ
âIâm sure they missed you too.â
Jungwon spots you. âYour eyes are so puffy.â He takes his thumbs and tries to put more color underneath your eyes and onto your cheeks. Riki, Sunoo, and Jay have slipped away to start setting up camp.
Jake laughs beside you when you swat Jungwonâs hands away and lets his own arms fall when you lurch forward to give him a taste of his own medicine. He always liked that Jungwon was able to bring out a childish side to you because heâs always seen you carry yourself like you had to shoulder the weight of the world. Watching you chase Jungwon as he tried to escape your pinching fingers made him a bit more happier knowing youâd have friends like him to return to when you came back from Japan.Â
Heeseung, however, rolls his eyes and speaks low. âSheâs so childish.âÂ
âDude,â Sunghoon sighs in exasperation. âWeâre gonna be with her for a week. You need to quit making those comments.âÂ
Heeseung shrugs. âWhat? Itâs not like she can hear what Iâm saying.âÂ
âYeah, but we can. Weâre friends with her too, Heeseung.âÂ
The eldest tries to hold in his disdain. âYeah, whatever. Iâll keep shit to myself.âÂ
âJust for now,â Jake encourages. âY/N never starts anything with you but sometimes you say something that goes a little too far. No one is asking you to be her best friend.â
âJust remember it was Y/Nâs mom and Jungwonâs parents who invited all of us,â Sunghoon reminds his friend. âWe wouldnât be here without them and if I recall correctly, you really wanted to come when you found out we were all planning to go.â Heeseung wants to argue and justify why heâs annoyed but canât find a good enough reason.Â
âYouâre right,â he relents. âIâll make nice but do not expect me to do shit for her.â
âWe arenât.â Sunghoon pats Heeseungâs back. âYouâve got this. Itâs supposed to be a fun trip before we all go back to reality. All we want is one week where you two donât create tension.âÂ
âI can do that.â Jake and Sunghoon share a look between the two of them when Heeseung isnât looking and pray that he means it.
When Jungwon decides heâs out of breath, he accepts his fate and runs into Sunghoonâs arms when you outstretch your arms to pinch his cheeks and pull them apart like heâs made out of dough. The broken laughter coming from your best friend makes you laugh too. Everyone, save for Heeseung, laughs when Jungwonâs face becomes distorted due to your fingers.Â
Eventually, you pull away from him and he starts to grab his duffle bag and the lawn chairs. The three of you follow suit once you realize youâre missing a few people. You lift your duffle over your shoulder and put on your hiking backpack while trying to hold more lawnshairs than you can carry.Â
âWoah,â Sunghoon says as he catches a falling chair. âLet me help.â
âThanks, Hoon. I donât know why I thought I could carry two chairs at once.âÂ
âYouâre strong but youâre also carrying a fuck ton of things.âÂ
He smiles at you and it makes you laugh. You havenât seen much of Sunghoon over the summer because heâs been working nonstop at a local ice rink, teaching kids how to skate in back to back summer classes. Sunghoon is sometimes too tired to hang out after work or falls asleep on your couch whenever he hangs out with you to watch movies. Your mom thinks itâs a bit endearing and never has the heart to wake him up. Between Sunghoonâs impromptu sleepovers, Jungwon and Sunooâs unannounced visits, Jayâs cooking and baking sessions in your kitchen, and Jake appearing out of nowhere every few nights for dinner, youâre starting to think your house might have an unspoken open door policy.Â
Heeseung is the only one who doesnât frequent your house if you donât count Riki, who doesnât spend enough time in Korea to become a permanent fixture. The only time Heeseung has been to your house is when he dropped Jungwon off after he had one too many to drink and heâd been adamant about going to your place because it was closer to the bar in comparison to your apartment. One awkward conversation later and Heeseung was out of your driveway. Jungwon woke up with a hangover the next morning and you were grateful your mother chose that weekend to take a girlâs trip with her best friends.
You donât invite Heeseung over like you do with the others. The only reason why you havenât deleted his phone number is because of the big group chat youâre in to discuss plans. He never responds to your texts in it and you donât respond to him unless absolutely necessary. Sometimes you catch him laughing at your messages only to retract it when he realizes itâs you who sent it. Itâs been six years of dealing with this and as much as it confuses you, part of you has learned to tune out this behavior and focus on the other friends you do share.Â
Sunghoon must know youâre thinking about his friend because he looks at you like heâs been trying to get your attention. âSorry,â you apologize. âWhat did you say?âÂ
âI said thanks for letting us crash your trip. I know this is something you and Jungwon do with your families every year. Canât help but feel a little special that we get to come along.âÂ
You coo at him. âDo you remember when you could barely look me in the eye, let alone tell me something as sweet as that?â Sunghoon rolls his eyes.Â
âOh, shut up. You know Iâm an introvert.â You bump your hip with his.Â
âIâm just messing with you. But in all seriousness, itâll be fun having you guys around.â
âIâm excited to see what you and Jungwon do every year.âÂ
âNothing too out of the ordinary. Swim, eat a lot of food, kayak, hike, the usual. But thereâs one spot we usually go to, just he and I, thatâs away from the main spot on the lake.âÂ
âHowâd you find it?â
âJungwon found it by accident when we were younger. He said it was gonna be our secret spot and told me not to tell our parents. I think the whole campground panicked for an hour or so until somebody found us in the clearing.âÂ
Sunghoon snorts. âYeah, that sounds like you two.âÂ
âThey told us to tell them where weâd be and promised to leave us alone if we gave them a heads up. Itâs not really noticeable if you donât know where to look, but itâs so beautiful. It leads to another part of the lake and itâs always so peaceful and quiet.âÂ
âIn that case, Iâm honored that youâre showing us.âÂ
âEh, itâs about time we add new members to the club.â
âOh?â He raises his eyebrow. âThereâs a club now?â
âMhm. Gotta pay me two fish to join.âÂ
âLike you know how to fish.â You bump your hip with his again.
âThere are things you guys donât know about me, Park. Just wait and see.âÂ
Sunghoon lets the conversation end when he finds himself at the campsite where Jay and Riki have started to organize things and make spots for tents. Itâll take a few trips for all of the supplies and camping gear to be fully unloaded so you each take turns until everything is sitting in a big pile, waiting to be sorted.Â
âOkay, Iâm a bit out of my depth,â says Sunoo, who kicks around a rock as he speaks. âI, for one, will need help pitching a tent.â
âIâll help you,â you say, nodding for him to come over.Â
âYou can pitch a tent?â Heeseung asks like he doesnât believe you.Â
You nod and pick up a bag. âYeah. I do this every year.â You donât say it with any bite in your tone but Heeseung, who forgot this fact, feels like an idiot for making a fool of himself in front of his friends. He chooses to look away from you for now.Â
âWe have three tents we need to put up,â Jay says. âIâm thinking we pitch those now, have a snack and water break, and then start to organize before we eat lunch.âÂ
âSounds good.â You agree. âIâd rather have everything set up so we can enjoy our evening. Besides, we should do this before it gets dark.âÂ
âRight.â Jungwon clears his throat and hands out each bag, assigning your friends based on the size of the tent. Everybody gets to work, clearing the flat ground of rocks and debris before deciding where your tents will go. You all hammer the groundsheet into the dirt before assembling the poles.
You teach Sunoo the basics and give him pointers when he struggles to connect the joints. Heâs learning much faster than he gives himself credit for because in no time, heâs jumping for joy when he finally manages to grasp what heâs supposed to be doing. Itâs nice to watch him be so happy over this, as Sunoo originally declined the invitation to go camping since he isn't a huge fan of the outdoors. But now itâs like you wouldâve never guessed that because heâs pretty quick to pick up your lessons.
Your tent is pitched up in no time. You roam around like a camp counselor to see if anybody needs help. Jake, Heeseung, Jay, and Jungwon seem to know what theyâre doing and have the biggest tent halfway set up. Sunghoon and Riki look like they need a bit of assistance. Sunghoonâs figuring it out quickly while Riki fumbles with his fingers.Â
âYou have to do it slowly,â you say from beside him. Riki hands you the attachments when you beckon him to hand it over and show him slowly. âLike this. See? If you do it slowly, theyâll catch easier and itâll be smoother when we feed them into the tent.âÂ
âOh.â Riki nods when your trick works. âThanks, Y/N.âÂ
The three of you pitch up your tent too, with Riki handing you the pegs to hammer them into the ground after zipping the door. Sunghoon dusts off his hands on his shorts and takes a big gulp from his water bottle. Sunooâs mom packed enough fruit and onigiri for a midday snack, and all eight of you feast quietly after exerting more power than anyone anticipated. You really need to start working out again.Â
âBefore we clear out and organize everything else, we should probably figure out who sleeps where,â Jungwon says. âThat way, we can put our stuff in our respective tents and have that out of the way.âÂ
âGood idea,â Jake says. âHow should we do this? Rock, paper, scissors?âÂ
âSure, but I think Y/N and I should share a tent.â Heeseung rolls his eyes at Jungwon and you see it from the corner of your vision.
âWhat?â Riki asks. âWhy?âÂ
âBecause all of you get too comfortable around her and forget she doesnât want to hear you snore or see your boxers in the morning.â Jungwon laughs. âItâll be easier since weâve been camping together anyway. Sheâs used to rooming with me and Iâm used to waking up next to a Zombie.âÂ
âI hate you.â Jungwon merely smiles at you. Â
âYou just want to get out of sharing a tent with three people,â says Sunghoon. Jungwon nods.Â
âThat too.âÂ
âRock, paper, scissors it is,â Sunoo says, getting his hands ready.Â
They all battle one another until the rooming situation is sorted. You and Jungwon will share a tent while Sunoo and Jay share the other smaller one. That leaves Jake, Sunghoon, Riki, and Heeseung sharing the big one. You all throw your belongings in before helping Jay organize the portable stove, chairs, and other things that need to be stored properly.Â
When all is said and done an hour later, Jay and Sunghoon start a barbecue. All of you are spent, sagging your bodies in the camping chairs that are positioned around the campfire. You know youâll need to fetch some wood from the outpost if you all want to have a bonfire. But that can be a task for later.
âYour mom makes the best onigiri,â Riki groans as he shoves another bite in his mouth. âIt reminds me so much of home.âÂ
Sunoo smiles proudly. âSheâs the best, isnât she?â Jake, who is busy stuffing his face with sliced watermelons, agrees. They pick at the leftovers from snack time and Jay chides them for it.
âDonât spoil yourselves too much or you wonât have an appetite for lunch.âÂ
âHeâs so bossy,â Riki says as he leans over towards you. âBut itâs kinda nice having someone who does shit and takes charge.âÂ
You nod. âMhm. Usually Jungwon and I are the ones spearheading everything but Jayâs got some camping experience. Iâm fine taking the backseat.âÂ
âDo you camp a lot? Besides this tradition, I mean.â Riki watches you shake your head.Â
âNo, not really. This is as much as I can handle. Itâs more like a gigantic lake house with hot showers and a few convenience stores miles away to replenish food if we run out of anything.â
âIt looks like you know what youâre doing.â
âThatâs because I do, Riki.âÂ
He blushes. âRight. Thanks for helping me with my tent earlier.âÂ
âDonât sweat it. Youâll be able to do it without my help in no time.â That brings a shimmer of hope to the younger boy sitting next to you.Â
Heeseung avoids looking at you when Riki purposefully sits beside you on the empty lawn chair. He doesnât completely understand why the younger boy likes you so much. Heeseng thinks youâre a nuisance and that you overstay your welcome at hangouts. But Riki clings to you like youâre his lifeline and he gets that youâre his half-sister and all, but you werenât the most welcoming to him when he started hanging out in Korea more often. Riki would never tell Heeseung the details about his past and he never tried to pry past what the youngest would reveal. Six years of avoiding you made him forget every single detail he once knew about you when youâd both been somewhat friendly towards one another.Â
There were some days when you wouldnât make room in your schedule to see Riki as often as heâd wanted you to and he lamented that to Heeseung. But every time heâd start to talk about how unfair it was for you to pick and choose when you got to see our younger brother, Riki would defend you every time. He didnât get it, feeling the frustration bubble to the surface before realizing that it wasnât his place to question why Riki acted the way he did. Sure, he was younger than Heeseung, but he respected family matters and didnât care about you enough to figure you out anyway.Â
He keeps these feelings to himself mostly. The friends you share donât really understand why he has a distaste for you and he refuses to elaborate because the memory is too painful, and instead chooses to bury these feelings. Itâs nobodyâs business anyway. He certainly doesnât want to start anything with Riki involved because he would feel guilty for putting him in an uncomfortable position, and because he knows heâd defend you regardless. Even though youâve made progress to open up yourself to Riki, Heeseung still scoffs whenever he sees the two of you together.Â
By the time lunch is done, all eight of you are crowded around a table built into the ground, feasting on meat and vegetables. Everybody thanks Jay for cooking and the seven of you agree to clean up after every meal so Jay doesnât have to work twice as hard. Youâre not sitting too far from Heeseung (to both of your dismay). Sunghoon purposely sat in between you both when he realized the other empty spots were filling up and didnât want to chance an uproar during mealtime.Â
âSo,â Sunoo starts to say after closing the bottle cap on his cola. âWhatâs on the agenda for today? Personally, I think we should take it easy until tomorrow.âÂ
âI agree.â Jungwon nods. âWeâve done a lot and drove for a while. I say we relax and do whatever until dinner.âÂ
âIâm going to nap, thatâs for sure.â You all snicker at Jay. Typical.Â
âMe too,â says Riki.Â
âIs anyone up for walking around the lake?â Jake asks.Â
âI could go,â Sunghoon says from next to you.Â
âSure,â you finally say, âwhy not.âÂ
âI think Iâll hang back here.â Heeseung says it almost immediately and it stings a bit. âIâll probably nap too.âÂ
âI want to read.â Sunoo changes the direction of the conversation before anyone can pick up on the awkwardness and you throw him a smile.Â
âI think Iâll join you.â Jungwon pulls a book from his backpack and the pair begin to brainstorm where they should sit. Natural chatter falls back into place and you focus on eating, as your stomach has been grumbling pretty loud.Â
Heeseung breaks the silence. âCan someone pass me the pineapple?â You donât register that your arm has moved on its own accord and pass the container to him. Heeseung gives you a look you canât decipher and itâs only then you realize what youâve done. Sunghoon gulps.Â
âThanks,â Heeseung mutters, taking the pineapple from your hands. Youâre pleasantly surprised he doesnât make a comment about how he isnât craving it anymore and watch him eat some from the corner or your eye.Â
By nightfall, all of you are too exhausted to sit around the campfire. The hot shower stalls provide the kind of warmth you would go crazy without and you find yourself contemplating underneath the water longer than youâd like to admit. A plethora of thoughts run across your mind and they drift from the events of today, Riki, Heeseung, and moving to Okayama. Your friends donât bring up the move and youâre grateful for that.Â
When you return from the shower and from brushing your teeth, Jungwon asks if youâre okay. You lie and say youâre fine but exhausted and he lets it go, too tired himself to pry the truth out of you. The last thing you think about is Heeseung. You send a silent prayer out into the universe and ask that the two of you are able to make nice during this camping trip. Then, you fall asleep.
***
Everybody is up bright and early after a good nightâs sleep. All of you agree todayâs the best day for a short hike to get used to the terrain before you explore harder trails. You and Jungwon know the hike like the back of your hand and lead the group expertly through trees and dirt pathways. All of you have a backpack for your essentials, and each of you has packed a portable lunch for when you reach the top of the peak at the end of the trail.Â
Halfway into the hike is not as uphill as you recalled it to be. The scenery is still breathtaking and you temporarily forget that Heeseung is burning eyes in the back of your skull. Last nightâs prayer seems to be working, as he hasnât said a word to you or argued with you when you started leading everybody towards the start of the hiking path. Youâre not sure whether his feelings about you changed or if he knows youâre the literal expert since you grew up here, but you donât think you care either way.Â
Heeseung makes a false step and twists his ankle. You hear the commotion behind you and turn around. He stumbles and a sharp edge of a branch catches his thigh, creating a gash that starts to bleed. Everyone crowds around him when they realize it and make him sit on a large rock and he feels like shouting at you to back away when you start to walk towards him.
âGuys, Iâm fine. Itâs not that bad.â He feels more embarrassed than hurt.Â
Jake looks concerned. âDude, your leg is bleeding.âÂ
âItâs just a cut.âÂ
âLet me inspect it.âÂ
You pull your backpack off of you and take out your water bottle and first aid kit. You drop to your knees to inspect the wound and Heeseung refrains from coughing at the awkward position from where heâs sitting. You donât seem phased by it, however, as you push up the fabric of his shorts and use your water bottle to clean the dirt from his wound.Â
Your face is somewhat close to his leg and he jumps when your hand touches his thigh. The guys mistake his sudden movements as pain and rush to help stabilize him. Heeseung insists that heâs fine and brushes them off of him. He wonât admit that his fidgeting is because the last thing he expected you to do was patch him up. He figures Jungwon would be good at that kind of stuff, not you.Â
Heeseung winces at the sudden contact of water in his wound. âOkay, maybe it hurts a little.â
âYou wonât need stitches or anything, but I should get you cleaned up and put a bandage on it.â
Heeseung watches as you do your best to clean it with the wipes you have and ointment that will keep any debris out. The wound isnât too gnarly but itâs no small papercut either. He watches as you expertly deal with the wound and keeps quiet, even though he feels uncomfortable and wishes he could turn back time to avoid any of this. Itâs awkward to know your hands are on him because he feels like ants are crawling up his leg.
âI think we should probably go back and rest a little,â says Jungwon. âWe can eat lunch there and maybe hang out for a bit.â
âGood idea,â Heeseung mutters when youâve stepped away from him. Sunghoon and Riki each help him up and allow the eldest to use them as crutches as he limps back to the base. He mutters a quiet âthank youâ in your direction and doesnât pay attention to see your reaction. You feel like you got your hopes up for nothing because he turns his back towards you before you can smile at him. Defeated, you try to put your best self on display and follow everybody back to your tents.Â
Heeseung decides to rest on the chairs and eat his lunch there. You arenât particularly eager to spend any time with him and figure heâd appreciate it if you werenât around while he recovered. You take your sack of lunch and tell Jungwon youâll be walking around the lake like you did yesterday. He tells you to be safe and then youâre on your way.Â
âHey, wait up!â You turn around to see Jake running until heâs caught up with you. Itâs a bit unfair how he barely runs out of breath when he jogs. Itâs definitely because heâs an athlete, but itâs still unfair.Â
âCare to join?âÂ
âCanât a guy accompany his friend on a nice, brisk walk?âÂ
That makes you laugh. âYeah, sure.â You fall in a quiet tandem enjoying the silence and the environment for a while. âI had a lot of fun camping last year. I think my favorite part was kayaking or when Jungwon accidentally dropped his entire sâmore in the fire.âÂ
You snicker at the memory. âHis mom was so mad that he kept eating the marshmallows.âÂ
âYeah, it was pretty funny. I still feel kind of embarrassed that I managed to flip over in my kayak somehow.âÂ
âEh, it makes for a good story.â
âItâs not my fault Jungwon slammed into me!â Jake defends when you begin to laugh. âSeriously, Y/N. How the fuck do you put up with that menace?âÂ
âThe same way you do, dummy.â
Jake bites into his sandwich. âI love Jungwon.â
âMe too.âÂ
âOur parents loved having you come too. Jungwonâs dad loves fishing with people.â
âI still canât believe how many we were able to catch. Iâm sad the guys werenât there because they keep shitting on me for not being able to catch any when we go together.âÂ
You bump your shoulder against his. âThey donât know what I know. Iâm sure my mom has pictures somewhere.âÂ
âHow is she, by the way?â Jake asks.Â
âEommaâs doing alright. She just got a huge bonus at work for managing a really difficult client and completing this campaign sheâs been working on. It stressed her out for months but Iâm happy if sheâs happy.âÂ
âThatâs awesome. Iâm happy for her.âÂ
âHow are things with your family? Howâs Layla?âÂ
âMy parents are actually on a trip to the States to see some family and my brother just got promoted at his job. Iâm super proud of him. He worked really hard for it. Laylaâs doing okay too. Sheâs staying with my cousin until I come back.âÂ
âI miss her.â
âShe probably misses you too.âÂ
The two of you settle into a comfortable pace and eat your lunches. There are no awkward moments with Jake. Something about his personality makes everyone around him divulge their deepest secrets and he always seems to know what to say, too. You havenât been close to him for very long but you know him well enough to know that heâll keep anything you say between the two of you.Â
âI know you probably feel a little awkward with Heeseung around but youâve been handling it really well.â Jakeâs tone softens and he looks straight ahead as he talks, breaking the temporary silence. âI donât know what goes on in his head half the time.âÂ
âI just wish I knew what I did so I can apologize and fix it. He gets mad every time I ask and accuses me of bringing up bad memories for him. I donât know what to do, Jake. It feels like he gets along with everybody in my life but me.âÂ
âWe all know Heeseungâs been through a lot and has trouble talking about them sometimes. Heâs been in therapy but we had to really convince him to set an appointment.âÂ
You scoff. âSounds like him.â Jake doesnât disagree.Â
âI guess I understand that having to deal with shitty cards makes a person go insane.â
âSure. I just wish I wasnât the scapegoat.â Jake winces but tries not to let you see.Â
âSorry youâre going through this. Sunghoon and I made him swear to be on his best behavior.âÂ
âItâs a little awkward still but at least he isnât picking a fight with me. Although, who knows how long thatâll last.â
âHave a little more faith in him, Y/N.â You deadpan and he holds his hand up in mock surrender. âOkay, next topic. How are you feeling about Japan?âÂ
Your shoulders slump. âAwful.âÂ
Jakeâs head quirks like he doesnât understand. âWhat do you mean? You were really excited when you got the job offer.âÂ
âI know butâŠit doesnât feel right anymore. My whole life is about to change and I donât know how I feel about that.â
âYou donât have to know anything. In fact, Iâd be a little worried if you had your shit figured out.â You punch his arm. âItâs really cool that youâre leaving Korea to pursue your dream. I know how hard it is to leave everything behind for a better opportunity.â
You look at him softly and nod because you know he empathizes with you. Back when you first met him, heâd moved from Australia to Korea because your university had one of the best physics programs in the world. He knew how to speak your native Korean but wasnât confident in conversing back then, and you had your fair share of mentoring him in formal greeting and the basics when it came to interacting with people. Jake definitely understands where youâre coming from and doesnât want you to feel alone.Â
âWeâll always be here for you too,â he reassures. âWe wonât be too far away and you can come home whenever you have the time and arenât working.âÂ
âI know, but it feels like everything in my life is changing at the same time and thereâs nothing I can do to stop it. I wish I was a freshman again. I wish I could turn back time and really enjoy my life before I make a life changing decision.âÂ
âYouâre really torn up about this, arenât you?â
Nodding, you look at the ground beneath you. âThere are so many things Iâve been dealing with over the past few years or so and it feels like Iâm giving up on things if I just leave. Everything feels so scary, you know? I feel like Iâm being suffocated every time I open my eyes.Â
âOn top of starting a new job in a place Iâm not that familiar with, Iâm leaving my mom behind. Iâve never lived farther than an hour away from her and I hate knowing that I wonât be able to see her whenever I want. Not to mention Riki studying in Korea means Iâll be spending even more time with him.â
Jake chooses not to comment and nods with his lips pressed into a thin line. He doesnât know whatâs going on between the two of you but has his suspicions after hearing your hushed conversations with Jungwon. Even before the two of you became as close as you are, Jake has always looked out for you because he knows Jungwon loves you like a sister. It was easy to tell that youâd fallen into some sort of depression as you graduated high school and barely managed to pull yourself out of it before graduating university.Â
Riki has always been a sore subject for you. Jake doesnât bring him up unless you do, no matter how much he adores the younger boy. The relationship you have with him is complicated but it tears him up inside to see Riki longing for you when the two of you are together. Jake knows thereâs a great deal of tension that follows both of you too. He could feel it the first time you brought up having a half-brother and started to put the pieces together.Â
âI love that Rikiâs more comfortable in Korea. I really do,â you confess. âI love that my friends get along with him too, but part of me is scared that youâll all forget about me since heâll be here to take my place.âÂ
âYou are not replaceable.â Jake looks at you when he says it. âYouâre about to chase your dream, Y/N. None of us will throw our friendship down the drain just because we wonât be able to see you everyday. Riki is great but heâs not you.â
Heâs pleased when you lift the corners of your mouth into a small smile. âThanks, Jake. I donât know where this fear came from.âÂ
âYouâre dealing with a lot. Itâs understandable. I donât know much about whatâs going on between you and Riki, and you donât have to tell me, but you should know that he loves you a lot and would never think about dishonoring you while youâre gone.âÂ
âI know. I have a lot of pent up emotions and therapy feels like it isnât working. I guess I should give myself some more time. But with the move, itâs been hard to focus on anything. I donât want Riki to feel like I donât want him in my life but itâs hard to make room for somebody you didnât know existed until a few years ago.âÂ
Jake nods. âYeah, I get that. It feels a bit weird making space for someone who calls himself your brother, isnât it?âÂ
âHe has every right to. I mean, heâs my half-brother. But I donât knowâŠI want to be at a place where I can look at him and not see how much my life has changed for the worst. Heâs such a talented kid with a bright future and I hate that I project my feelings onto him.âÂ
âBaby steps,â Jake reassures. âYouâve been through a lot of shit. Both you and your mom have and you've both handled it really well.âÂ
âIâm glad it looks that way because I feel like Iâm hanging on by a thread.âÂ
âWell, thatâs what it means to be in your early twenties.â  Â
The two of you decide to head back to the campsite when it starts to get warmer. You throw your trash in garbage bins before trotting back and see that Sunoo and Jay have left to go back hiking on the trail that you were on earlier in the day. Heeseung seems to fare better with his wound, which you see heâs managed to replace (thanks to Jungwon, no doubt). But his mood seems to worsen when he sees you and Jake walking side by side towards the group.Â
âHow was the lake?â Jungwon asks, sipping on a cola.
âPretty,â Jake replies. âThere werenât that many people there so it was a little empty.âÂ
âWe should probably discuss what we want to do for the rest of the day and plan some stuff for later this week. Itâll be a little warmer later in the week so I think we should save that. Thereâs a great spot where Y/N and I go fishing. We could do that later in the morning.â
âY/N, fishing?â Heeseung laughs. âIâd pay to see that.â
âWhat, you donât think I can fish?âÂ
He shrugs. âI didnât know you were a fan of the outdoors. You always had a nose in your textbooks so I thought that was it for you.âÂ
âWell, Heeseung, itâs not like the two of us know each other well enough to know these types of things.â He doesnât seem to like that answer.Â
âFishing tomorrow it is!â Jake interjects.Â
âI havenât gone fishing in a long time,â Riki laments. âItâll be nice to have trout for dinner.âÂ
âI think Jay brought a lot of seasoning and sides,â Jungwon says to the group. âWe can always go to the market a few miles down for anything else.âÂ
You tune out the rest of the conversation, feeling a bit tired from the walk and the heat thatâs starting to make you sweat. Youâre eternally grateful that your tent is covered in shade and contemplate on taking a nap when Jungwon waves at you.
âYou good, Y/N? You seem a little out of it.â You nod at Jungwon and take a seat next to the closest camp chair. You can feel Heeseung watching you and try not to slip as you sink down into the seat, crossing one of your legs over the other.Â
âYeah, Iâm fine. Just have a lot going on in my head. I think Iâm a little tired, tooâ
Heeseung scoffs quietly. âWeâre camping. What could you possibly be thinking about thatâs making Jungwon worried?â You curl into yourself as Jungwon chides his friend.Â
âIâm moving to Japan soon,â you tell him. Youâre not even sure that he knows this about you, figuring that one of your friends would tell him to you at some point. Neither of you communicate with one another unless you absolutely have to. You didnât see the point in telling him. âIâve been thinking a lot about that, I guess.â
An array of emotions seems to wash over him and, as always, you have a hard time trying to figure out what heâs feeling and thinking. âOh. So youâll be out of Korea?â
âYup.âÂ
âWhen are you leaving?âÂ
âDonât seem too excited,â Sunghoon says underneath a cough.
âIn a couple of weeks. I leave a little after we get back home.â Heeseung merely nods. He doesnât ask you why youâre moving or what part of Japan youâll be living in and you donât offer that information, feeling awkward with the tension ever since you and Jake arrived back at the campsite. Riki finishes eating and stands up to throw his trash away, providing something to look at in order to forget that Heeseung keeps trying to look away from you.Â
âY/Nâs gonna be an engineer,â Jungwon brags on your behalf. âSheâs taking a year off to work before getting her masterâs degree.âÂ
âDamn,â Riki whistles. âYouâre so smart.â You try to hide a smile.Â
âWhat are you gonna be working on?â Sunghoon asks.Â
âIâll be assisting other researchers in software development, particularly for space and aeronautics.â You nod once, feeling tense underneath everyoneâs stare. âI donât know what Iâll be doing specifically but thatâs why Iâm moving to Okayama.âÂ
âThatâs so cool!â Jake exclaims. Heseung rolls his eyes at his excited outburst and tries to avoid your eye. âYouâre gonna be amazing.âÂ
âI hope so. Itâs a great opportunity to work in my chosen field before I decide to continue in this career when I go back to school. I have so many interests within mathematics but this seems like the right place to start.â
âShit,â Sunghoon says as he slowly claps for dramatic effect. âI knew you were smart but youâre a fucking genius.â
âI wouldnât say geniusââ
âYou are, though.â Jungwon smiles at you and gives two thumbs up. âYouâre the smartest person I know, dude. This company is lucky to have you.â
âSo cool,â Jake says again. He bumps Heeseungâs shoulder with the back of his hand. âIsnât that right, Heseung?âÂ
âYeah, totally,â he says carelessly, giving you a half-hearted smile. His mouth doesnât quite reach his eyes and you refrain from audibly sighing.Â
âDonât you think Y/N was always the smartest person in our year?â Heeseung nods. Jake nudges his friend again.Â
âYes,â Heeseung says with a great amount of venom in his tone. He shakes off Jakeâs hand from his body abruptly, causing the younger boy to take a step back in shock. He looks at you and musters an insincere smile when he notices the rest of your friends watching. âY/N is so smart.âÂ
His sarcasm deafens your ears and makes your blood feel like it could be boiling beneath your skin. The atmosphere around you changes. Riki and Jungwon try to pretend like everything is normal while Jake and Sunghoon give Heeseung wide eyes as if to tell him to knock it off. You look at your lap, uncomfortable with the silence that washes over.Â
âWhyâs it so quiet?â Sunoo asks from behind you. The group collectively sighs and youâre all thankful that he and Jay returned from their hike to cut the tension.Â
âWe were just talking about what we wanted to do for the rest of the day,â Jungwon says before anyone can speak. âLetâs take it easy tonight and go fishing tomorrow.âÂ
âSounds good to me.â Jay takes a seat and takes a big gulp of water. âLetâs heat up some kimchi jjigae for dinner because I don't feel like cooking. Jakeâs mom made enough for all of us to have seconds.âÂ
None of you disagree. Feeling yourself grow more tired the more your friends converse with one another, you manage to catch Jungwonâs eye and nod at him before heading inside the tent.Â
***
Itâs not unusual for you to wake up with what feels like a heavy heart but youâre having a hard time pushing yourself off of the uncomfortable ground to get ready for the day. Jungwon is asleep beside you with his knee digging into your side but even that isnât enough to motivate you to leave the tent.Â
You mourn the loss of your mom and his parents accompanying you on this trip. As fun as hanging out with your friends are, having Heeseung constantly avoiding eye contact and muttering things underneath your breath has you feeling more on edge than you anticipated. It always feels like heâs waiting for you to mess up so he can get a word in or wait for the perfect moment to drop a subtle insult that only you can catch. Sunghoon and Jake in particular try their best to restrain him but that doesnât do much. Eating dinner was awkward and you blamed your quiet nature on sleeping too deeply.Â
Finally, you sit up in your spot and rub the sleep out of your eyes. It doesnât seem like any of the other guys are up and you pull a clock out to read the time. Itâs still early and the people around you are still waking up as well. Your movements seem to have woken up Jungwon, who yawns when he opens his eyes.
âMorning,â he croaks. âDid you sleep okay?â
âIt was fine. Woke up a few times because of people stepping on twigs, though.â
âYeah, same. I think Jake got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. Woke up to him walking by the tent.â Jungwon sits up and brushes the hair out of his eyes. âIâm so hungry thinking about all the trout weâre about to eat tonight.âÂ
âIf you catch any.â He swats your arm.Â
âI alway catch more than you.â
âNuh-uh. Last year I beat you by two fish.â
âY/N, Iâve caught more fish than you every year before that.âÂ
âShut up.âÂ
You hear Jungwon laughing as you exit the tent to freshen up at the bathhouse. There are a few people milling about when you walk towards the structure. Your mouth feels a bit grimey from your morning breath and the cold water that hits your face wakes you up immediately. When you turn around after youâve finished your morning routine, you collide right into Heeseung.
âWatch it.âÂ
âI didnât see you. Geez.â Your heart continues thumping as you grip your toiletry bag. Heeseung rolls his eyes and slips past you. Anger rises within you but you decide that itâs not worth getting so worked up over at this hour.Â
As time ticks by, the rest of your friend group emerge from their tents and gather around the campfire. You all wait for everyone to wake up and prepare themselves for the day, enjoying a nice breakfast with a cool breeze until youâre all ready to go fishing. You secure the bucket hat Jungwonâs dad gave you until it fits snugly over your head and forego a jacket, only packing the necessities while you wait for everybody else to gather their belongings before youâre all walking to the boathouse.Â
The instructors are the same from last year. You and Jungwon make small talk and explain that neither of your parents are here on this trip and you tell them about Japan when they ask you about life after college. Each of your friends introduce themselves and after a quick introduction, theyâre leading all eight of you out onto the dock.Â
There are enough boats for two pairs of three and one for two people. It seems as though you were too preoccupied talking to the employees because you realize the only boat left is one shared with Heeseung and Riki.Â
âOh,â comes your meek voice in realization as you watch the two step onto the boat.
âYou should man the engine,â the employee says as the two men get on before you. âYouâre more familiar.â
âI can steer,â Heeseung says. âIâve done it before.âÂ
âIâve watched Y/N steer these boats for a decade, son. Youâll definitely want her to do it.âÂ
Heeseung relents. Itâs a small victory, but a victory nonetheless,Â
You step onto the boat. Heeseung sits at the far end while Riki sits in the middle, holding onto the seat as you get your bearings. The three of you wave goodbye to the employees at the dock and you start to drive the boat out into the lake to catch up with the rest of your friends.
The open clearing away from the port is more beautiful than you can describe. With open waters and enough room to roam around, thereâs an array of directions to catch the most fish. The water is fairly calm with the exception of the ripples your boat makes. Riki and Heeseung donât say a word as you steer them towards a clear path with minimal boats and see the other guys scattered around the large body of water.Â
Neither of them argue with you about where to go, even though Heeseung is holding himself back. Bitter over having you steer, he knows itâs the logical answer since you know this place like the back of your hand. He instead chooses to bask in the sunlight and welcomes the spray of water on his face and body. The cool splashes are a nice contrast to the warm sunlight.Â
When you start to slow the boat down, the water around you becomes still as well. You turn the engine off and wait for the contraption to settle beneath you. The sound of water rippling against itself is enough to make you feel more at ease and you donât mind it when you see Heeseung start to assemble bait on the fishing poles.
âWhyâd you pick this place?â Riki asks.
âI caught a lot of fish here last year. I hope we can catch more this year.â
âMore than Jungwon?â
You smile. âYeah. He and I have this unspoken competition.â
âWhatâs the prize?â
âThereâs not really a prize. Itâs just something we do.â
âWhatâs the point of competing if thereâs no prize?â Heeseung interjects. You shrug.
âDunno. Itâs fun for us.â He doesnât say anything after that.Â
Itâs quiet for a while. The sound of birds chirping and faint chatter in the background fill the atmosphere but the three of you silently agree to refrain from talking once youâve all casted your reels. Riki, who is a bit excited to catch some fish, anxiously peers at the water below him every few minutes or so. He pulls back with a pout when he doesnât feel a tug on his line. The awkward tension somewhat dissipates and youâre able to forget that Heeseung is a few feet away from you. He angles his face towards the water and seems to be in his own bubble as you hold your fishing rod.Â
Growing up on this campsite means learning the virtue of patience and willing yourself to become more in tune with your surroundings. It was your father that first taught you that the most important rule to fishing was patience. Heâd tell you the fishes could sense urgency and impatience from underneath the water, and therefore they knew not to take your bait. It made sense to you at a young age. Every time youâd be on the water with him, youâd force yourself to slow down and calm your thoughts until the silence felt like a welcomed embrace.Â
That mantra of practicing patience seeps into your life now that your dad isnât in it anymore. Jungwonâs father had volunteered to go fishing with you the first year your own chose not to go on the annual camping trip. Everyone could tell how difficult it was for you and your mother to attend, but despite hardship and the change in dynamics, she didnât want either of you to lose any semblance of normalcy. Youâd argue that was the hardest week of your life. Jungwon, who is usually very organized and detail oriented, chose to let you lead the trip activities between the two of you and didnât complain once.
The two of you were in high school when your father left and Jungwon swears it was like somebody stole the sun from your eyes. Your studies became the sole focus of your life and even Heeseung was barely at the forefront of your mind anymore. Heâd watch you become detached from everything that didnât have to do with academics and extracurriculars. Focusing on college applications was the most important thing for you back then.Â
Of course, Jungwon and all of your friends gave you a bit of space to process new feelings and the change in household. Your father moved away and wasn't living in the house anymore. It started to become an empty shell, where neither you nor your mother could stand eating at the dining table because it brought up unwanted memories. Your dad wasnât here to help you with homework anymore and you could no longer hear your parents talk outside of your door until you fell asleep. The complete silence startled you. It still does sometimes, but youâve learned that grief is about facing your hardships until it isnât so scary anymore.Â
These trips are bittersweet every year. Fishing is a reminder of everything youâve lost. But lately, youâre starting to think about it as everything you could gain and then some. Â
âThe more you look down, the more the fish are gonna be scared,â you say, breaking the quiet atmosphere. Riki looks at you quizzically.Â
âReally?â
âNo, but youâre not gonna catch anything faster just by looking down.â His shoulders sag.Â
âWeâve been here for so long and nothing has tugged on my line.âÂ
âFishing is a game of chance. The fish choose to take your bait if it feels enticed enough.â As if on cue, your fishing rod starts to move. Riki watches you latch onto it while Heeseung turns back when he feels the boat rock underneath him and observes you too. You wrestle with it for a short while before reeling the fish above water and proudly hold it beside you. âPatience is the most important part of fishing. The fish finds you when you least expect it.â Heeseung snorts when you put the fish in the bucket. It takes a great deal out of you not to roll your eyes.Â
âYouâre so wise,â Riki mutters.Â
âI donât think Iâm wise, per se. I just think thereâs nothing else you can do when youâre in open water with nothing to distract you.âÂ
âIâm working on my patience. Moving to Korea made that pretty difficult for me.âÂ
âWell, youâre moving to a new country. Itâs something youâve never done before, you know? I bet packing was stressful.âÂ
âI hated every second of it,â he says as he rolls his eyes like youâve brought out an irritating memory. âI triple checked everything before leaving. I hope I didnât forget anything back home.âÂ
âAre you scared to start the semester?â
Riki thinks about it for a second. âKind of. My Korean is okay, but I still have trouble saying certain words. The culture is different, too. I need to get used to that more. I guess Iâm a bit sad that I had to leave my friends and family behind but itâs for the best, isnât it? I wanted this.âÂ
You find yourself nodding in agreement. âYeah. Itâs hard to leave everything you know behind.âÂ
âI cried when I said goodbye to my dance teachers,â Riki admits with a laugh. âI think it was the first time I did that in front of them. We kept bowing to each other until I had to go. Itâll be weird finding a new studio in Seoul but Iâm excited about it.âÂ
âYouâre an incredible dancer, Riki. Thereâs no doubt in my mind that youâll thrive here.âÂ
He tries to hide his blush. âThanks. Iâm happy that I know some people already but itâs not the same, you know?âÂ
âThatâs how I feel about moving to Okayama. I know itâll only be a year, but it feels like Iâll be there for a lifetime.âÂ
âDo you ever get scared that everything back home will change?â Heeseung, too, is curious about your answer.Â
âHonestly? Yeah. Sometimes it feels like everythingâs gonna change completely the second I step on that plane. I feel like everyone will forget me and move on.â
Riki looks back at the water. âI wonder if people back home think of me.âÂ
âThey do.â He looks back at you.
âEveryone here will think about you too.âÂ
A beat passes between the two of you and you start to see Riki for what he is: a smart, sensitive person who disguises himself as somebody who can mask his feelings. What you learn is that your half-brother wears his heart on his sleeve but is careful about who he gives himself too. Itâs something youâve noticed in the time youâve known him, but this trip is starting to make you think you two are more alike than not.Â
âWhat about you, Heeseung?â Riki asks, turning to look at the eldest. âWhat are you gonna be doing now that you graduated?âÂ
âI, uh, start working at a record label pretty soon.â He clears his throat. Knowing youâre looking at him makes this boat feel smaller all of the sudden.Â
âYou majored in music production, right?â Heeseung nods.Â
âYeah. Iâve always had an interest in music so I learned how to produce during freshman year and started taking it seriously.â
âIâll bet your perfect pitch helps you a lot.â Heeseung whips his gaze over to you when you speak and you feel your skin burn. You donât know if you shouldâve contributed to the conversation or not.Â
âSure does,â he says awkwardly, looking at the fishing rod between his legs. Heeseung remains quiet when Riki doesnât prod him further and looks back at the water in front of him. Even in the forced proximity, you still canât figure out why he chooses to be avoidant.Â
Heeseung, on the other hand, finds that thereâs much to contemplate about. His life has barely begun and yet he feels the weight of his future hanging in the balance. Heâs just moved into his first apartment and will need to furnish it when he gets back from the camping trip. Heâs got a mattress with no bed frame and a single loveseat his parents gave him. Aside from his gaming setup, Heeseungâs one bedroom apartment is completely bare.Â
Looking at it makes him worry for his future and being around you. You, someone heâs always assumed had it easy because you were academically gifted, makes Heeseung feel like heâs got to step up his game. He hasnât liked you ever since high school for reasons he justifies as perfectly valid. But high school was years ago and some of his anger has subsided. All thatâs left is a faint annoyance and he'd rather be anywhere than next to you. He only said yes to this trip because of the other people who were going as well.Â
Heâs kept his feelings simmering beneath the surface and chooses to focus on anything but you when he hears you talk. Itâs frustrating enough knowing you share a lot of mutual friends, even worse when some of his best friends are people you consider family. He hates that Jake is comfortable enough to hang out with you without anyone else present and loathes that Sunghoon actively wants to become closer to you after he realized the two of you share the same taste in cinema. He especially despises the fact that Riki looks up to you even though, in Heeseungâs eyes, youâve done nothing to earn it.Â
The young teenager met the eldest of the bunch at a bonfire the third time he came to Korea after your mom had forced you to bring him along. You told him absolutely no alcohol no matter if anyone else was going to be drinking and to say no if your friends offered him a beer. He watched you that night, the way you periodically looked at your half-brother but made a lame attempt to include him in conversation. Riki found fast friends in Sunoo and Jungwon after messing around in the shallow waters of the ocean. Heeseung decided that you didnât deserve that type of respect from Riki at that moment.Â
Itâs been years since then and heâs seen the two of you grow, albeit slowly. Even in his blind hatred for your existence, Heeseung has always wondered why Riki vies for your attention. In fact, what is it about you that makes everybody fawn over you? Why do you always seem to be the center of attention? Does nobody care about what you did to him all those years ago?
It keeps him up at night to know that nobody around him understands why heâs so angry at you. Above the root cause, you have everything you could ever want. You were the smartest girl in high school and university, and it was no question about what your future would look like. Youâd accepted a job opportunity right after graduating and it seemed as though things were merely handed to you without you working that hard for it. You didnât have to ask for anything. It always seemed as though people could read your mind and always gave you what you wanted.Â
Maybe coming to the camping trip was a mistake. Heâs been walking on eggshells around you this entire time and feels like heâs suffocating every time his friends laugh at your jokes. Heeseung bites his tongue when he feels himself getting worked up and finds that nothing can get his mind off of you no matter how hard he tries.Â
He wonders if you remember that day all those years ago. He wonders if you know just how hurtful words can be and how awful it is to be on the receiving end of utter despair and desperation. Heeseung has always known you to be somebody who knows exactly what you want, too. Teenage angst never stopped you from pursuing higher education. It seemed like you threw everything you had into academics and everyone rewarding you for it made Heeseung want to crumble. Nobody else thought of you the way he did.Â
But this is something heâd rather keep to himself. For as much as he refuses to be your friend, he knows nothing good will ever come out of trying to convince everyone you arenât someone who they should be friends with. After all, youâll be working in Okayama and with any luck, youâll make a permanent residence out of Japan.Â
Heeseung is distracted from his thoughts when Riki manages to catch a rather large fish. With your help, heâs able to reel it in and watches the younger boy become awestruck at its sheer size. Heeseung watches you congratulating Riki and celebrates this excitement with him as you put the fish in the bucket for safe keeping. It should warm his heart to see a friend of his so happy, but seeing you smiling next to him makes Heeseung feel all the more irritated. The three of you head back to the dock after another couple of hours and a few more dishes later.
Jungwon catches more fish than you do. All eight of you manage to acquire enough for dinner and breakfast in the morning. Jay and Jake have volunteered to help with cooking while the rest of you prepare side dishes and talk about fishing adventures from your time apart. You smile at the group halfway through the conversation, fondness blooming in your chest when everybody is laughing after having eaten dinner.Â
âGod, I swear I almost fell into the water trying to wrestle with the trout!â Jake shouts amongst the chaotic laughter. âIt felt like I was about to become one with the fish.âÂ
âI almost pushed his ass into the lake,â Jay snorts. âIt was so fucking funny.â
âIâm surprised Sunoo caught the most fish out of all of us.â Jungwon shrugs and bites into his sâmore.Â
âYouâre telling me,â Sunoo replies as he wipes chocolate from his lip. âThatâs my quota for this trip, though. Donât expect me to go fishing again.âÂ
âIâm not ready for this trip to end,â Riki says with a mixed sigh. âWeâve already been here for a couple of days and it feels like time is going by so fast.âÂ
âI start that consulting job the Monday we go back and Iâm excited for it, but Iâm also nervous. It hit me on the way back from the lake.â Jay rubs his face with his hands. âThis adult shit is scary, man.â
âDo you guys remember when we were all freshmen and had that awful orientation leader?â Heeseung asks. Those who were in the same year as him nod. âThat felt like just yesterday and now weâre about to be real adults.â
âJayâs going to become a financial consultant, youâre working at a record label, Sunghoonâs going to open up his own cafe someday, and Iâm about to start a fellowship at a research lab.â Jake shakes his head like he canât believe it. âNot to mention Y/Nâs moving to Japan for work. If you told me four years ago we would talk about the future like this, I wouldâve laughed.âÂ
âIt feels a bit weird knowing we arenât going back to school.â Sunghoon looks at the younger boys and laughs. âWell, sorry to you guys.âÂ
Sunoo speaks up with a pout. âItâll be weird not seeing you guys around campus. Iâll miss running into you on my way to class.âÂ
âSometimes I wish we could stay in college forever.â Jay reaches over and picks out another marshmallow to put on his stick. âIt sucked ass but it was nice living close to you guys.â
âIâm scared to go out there alone.â You tug at the zipper on your jacket and stare at your hands. âI feel like Iâm going to mess everything up and fail. Iâll come home and have nothing to show for myself.âÂ
âCouldnât have said it any better.â Sunghoon finishes off his sâmore and wipes the crumbs off of his lap. âI wish everything was simple and easy. We really had it good back then, didnât we?â
âDonât get too caught up in growing up too fast,â Jake says as he pinches Rikiâs cheeks for dramatic effect. The latter tries to dodge his touch but fails. He points to Jungwon and Sunoo. âYou guys need to make every minute count.â
Jungwon laughs. âYou sound like a Hallmark card.â
âYeah, but one day youâll be saying the same thing. Youâll go back to campus and you wonât see us walking around.â Jungwon remains quiet after that.Â
âYouâll all be fine.â Sunoo nods once and it feels like heâs smiling at everyone individually through the fire. âLife is scary but thereâs a reason why we believe in you.â
Jay nudges Sunoo with his knee. âSince when did you get so wise?â
âYou could learn a thing or two from me.â
The tension dissipates. Everyone finishes up their desserts and helps tidy up the campsite. Jake and Sunghoon put out the fire while the rest of you put the chairs away and throw out any leftover trash in the nearby garbage bin. One by one, the eight of you start to grow sleepier as time ticks by. You all let your younger friends wash up first as you stifle yawns and prepare your makeshift bedding while you wait.Â
It feels like forever to wait with Heeseung close to you. Everybody else bids you goodnight as you brush your teeth in the wash station and rinse your face of dirt and debris from earlier in the day. Heeseung is standing just a few feet away as he waits for you to finish up but knowing heâs watching you makes your heart rate increase. Your hands tremble as you turn the faucet off and itâs just your luck that you trip over yourself and hold onto Heeseung when you turn around to exit the washroom.Â
âWatch where youâre going, Y/N,â Heeseung snaps. He shrugs your hands off of him and pushes you away from his body.Â
âWhat the fuck is your problem with me?â If Heeseung is surprised by your sudden outburst, he doesnât show it. Your typically calm, non-confrontational demeanor is nowhere to be seen.Â
âWhy canât you walk properly?â he mocks.Â
âYou have been so passive aggressive towards me this entire trip. Hell, youâve been that way since we were in high school. What the fuck is your deal and why canât you man up and tell me why you hate me so much?âÂ
His expression sours. âYou have some nerve asking me that.âÂ
âWhy?! You wonât tell me what your deal is and I canât fix it if you donât communicate that with me. We have so many mutual friends who want us to get along and itâs fine if weâll never be friends, but really, Heeseung, youâre acting like a child.âÂ
Heeseungâs nostrils flare and it feels demeaning the way he has to look you down in order to meet your eyes. The twinge in your heart flares when he makes no effort to talk to you further. The tension in his shoulders rises and falls with every second that passes by and youâre starting to wonder if thereâs any way you can leave the trip early.Â
He doesnât say anything, though. Heeseung pulls away from you and enters the washroom, leaving you alone with your thoughts and the sound of water running. Years of pushing aside your feelings for the greater good of preserving the peace feels like theyâre suffocating you with every step you take as you talk back to your tent. The cold chill of the night bristles through your hair and your watery eyes make you stumble before unzipping your makeshift bedroom.Â
âY/N?â Jungwon asks, half-asleep. He sees you wipe your eyes as you turn away from him and put away your dirty clothes and toiletries. âWhatâs wrong?âÂ
âNothing.âÂ
He pushes himself up and hears the clip in your tone. With his eyes softening, Jungwon gently touches your shoulder and realizes that your eyes are red before you shut your flashlight off. âCome here.âÂ
Itâs somewhere between a command and a plea. Jungwon doesnât force you to speak as he pulls your body into his. He doesnât care that your tears are falling onto his arm and he doesnât mind that youâve settled your weight onto his chest. Your silent hiccups make his heart lurch and the best he can do is let you cling onto him in your time of need.Â
You donât get like this often. The last time he remembers you letting him hold you like this was a few days after your parentsâ divorce had been finalized. The tangerine-shaped pillow you had was the only thing keeping Jungwonâs back from aching as you spent what felt like hours sobbing between his arms, dirtying his shirt with your hot tears. His heart broke back then, too. Heâs not used to seeing you without a smile on your face and every crack in your demeanor lets him know youâre a dam thatâs about to burst.Â
It canât be easy to live knowing your father willingly left and chose to leave you behind. Nearly two decades of saying âI love youâ and championing his only daughter to be the best version of herself felt like it was all for naught the night he told you he wouldnât be living with you anymore. You could barely stand watching him pack his belongings and take everything valuable with him. You were unusually quiet during this period of time, too scared to make a sound and make things worse than they already were.Â
Jungwon knows you keep your heart locked away in a cage these days. Your friends know you like the back of their hands but itâs been getting harder and harder to coax you out of your shell. He knows it hasnât been easy with Heeseung within your main friend group and wishes he could do more to quell your anxieties about spending time with him, even if your other friends are there to shield you from his silent torment.Â
Your best friend softens a bit when you cling onto his arm, holding him like heâs your lifeline. He pushes his fingers through your hair the way heâs seen your mom do countless times and rocks your body back and forth until youâve started to calm down. He hears your shallow breaths and holds onto you for the fear that youâll think he doesnât want to comfort you if he lets you go.Â
âSorry.â Your voice is brittle and it makes his heart break.Â
âYou never have to be sorry, Bug. Are you okay?â You shake your head. âIs it something one of us did?â You nod. âWas it Heeseung?â He hates that you start to tear up again. âIâm sorry, Bug. Iâm so sorry.â
âI donât understand why he doesnât like me,â you hiccup. âI donât know what I did. How can I apologize when I donât know what Iâve done?âÂ
Jungwon sighs. Heâs with you on this one. âYouâre right. I donât know whatâs gotten into him recently but Iâm fed up with it too.âÂ
âWe donât need to be friends but I want him to stop pretending like I ruined his life.â Your best friend nods against you and pushes his cheek against the crown of your head. âSorry that I woke you up. I feel like a mess.â
âYouâre not a mess, Bug. Youâve been tied together with a smile for so long. Itâs only natural that you break down every once in a while.â
âYouâre very smart, Wonnie.âÂ
He laughs. âI know. Do you want to cry some more or go to sleep?â Jungwonâs tone lacks any humor tonight. Heâs concerned about you in a way that makes you feel like a porcelain doll and while you appreciate it when he pokes fun at you to show how comfortable he is with you, this feels just as nice.Â
âIâm ready to sleep.âÂ
You pull away from him and settle in your sleeping bag, welcoming the calmness that washes over you. Jungwon chooses to stay up just a smidge longer until heâs certain that youâre asleep before he closes his eyes, wishing for better days ahead of you.
***
The trees always seemed taller when you were younger. They stretched for miles and touched the sky from your point of view, almost as if they could reach the heavens above. You always wondered what it must be like to have lived as long as nature around you. The leaves and branches see all walks of life, from humans to animals, and keep many secrets hidden underneath its shaded areas. It almost feels like they whisper stories back to you when the wind shakes the weakest branches. You always try to listen.Â
When you find yourself hiking on another path around the lake, it becomes easier for you to clear your mind and think about all that lies before you. The sounds of birds chirping amongst the blue sky make the environment around you seem picturesque. In all of your ears camping here, you donât think youâve ever appreciated it the way you are at this very moment.Â
Your friends are scattered in front and behind you, each of them wrapped up in their own conversations. You can feel Jungwon look at you periodically but you silently let him know that youâre doing alright. He worries about you a lot and he has every reason to. Sometimes, you wonder if any part of you is holding him back because he spends so much time looking after you. It used to be the other way around with you watching after him at playgrounds and on your walk home from school. But with your father leaving as soon as you started trying to figure out who you were, it was like a switch had flipped.Â
Your best friend has had a few girlfriends here and there but none of them ever lasted long. He reminds you that heâs young and isnât looking for a life partner at this stage in his life, but you know he worries about you ever since the news of your dad leaving and Riki entering your life turned your world upside down. You wonder if youâre causing him too much stress.Â
He always reminds you that youâre the reason he has so many people that he loves. You introduced him to the majority of your friends on this camping trip. You were the one who introduced him to his first girlfriend and why he finds so much hope in all of the small things. Jungwon admires your resilience and ability to stand on your feet after youâve been knocked to the ground by an unseen force. Your tenacity pushes him to be a better person towards others and to himself, and heâll remind you every chance he gets. Jungwon believes that youâre okay for now. You know heâll be there to pick up the pieces if you need him to.
It brings you back to your future and how Jungwon wonât be physically present when you move to Japan. Youâve spent so much time with him and it made you happy when he was accepted into his bachelor program at your university. The two of you have always been close, whether it was because neither of you had siblings and found solace in each another or because of forced proximity from being neighbors, you donât know. It feels like youâll be saying goodbye to somebody who youâve always leaned on. It feels like youâre leaving him the way your dad left you.Â
Dealing with the overwhelming guilt of moving to Okayama, the city your father moved to when he left you and your mom, digs a hole deep inside of your chest every time you think about it. Itâs probably why you push off discussions about moving whenever you can and change the subject when other people bring it up. You try not to get too irritated whenever your mom talks to you about packing and everything else thatâs important when settling in a new country, like a work visa or financial burdens. But every conversation with her about your eventual move feels like a million needles are slowly pricking your skin. Every step feels heavier than the next.Â
Thereâs Heeseung, too, who has been plaguing your mind ever since you awoke. Itâs not unlike him to be cold towards you. In fact, youâve dealt with tuning him out and learned to ignore his quiet scoffs, paying attention to anyone who would give you some of their attention. The accumulation of life stress and the inevitable move has made it so your heart rate canât seem to be still at any time in the day. Heeseung doesnât make it any better by snapping at you for treading carefully. This feeling reminds you of the time you tiptoed around your father when you found out about his infidelity being the reason why he chose to leave you and your mother for Okayama. It feels like anticipating a bomb going off. Itâs never a matter of if, but when.Â
You donât remember when things changed but you remember it was abrupt and unannounced. One day, the two of you were laughing with bologna sandwiches for lunch and the next, Heeseung was ignoring you like the two of you had never been friends. His stare was just as cold as his tone when speaking. You could never catch his eye when you were with your group of friends and he refused to be alone with you. The hurt that came with his actions felt like a punch in the gut with all you were dealing with back home.Â
The reason why it was easy to tune out his friendship was purely because of prioritization. Dealing with empty rooms and the house feeling like a ghost was haunting the walls was by far a greater sadness than losing a friend. But even so, seeing Heeseung laugh with your friends and watching him excel in everything you used to support him in made you feel like you were being left behind. It hurt to attend his basketball games because he no longer looked for your eyes in the stands. He didnât acknowledge you when your group of friends would head to the nearby diner for a celebratory meal, and he didnât call you to say goodnight and to thank you for coming to his games and open practices anymore.Â
The ghost of your friendship lingered over you like an unwanted guest. It followed you into university after you committed to the same one and it seemed like neither of you could escape one another. Seeing him live a life that you werenât a part of made your reality sink inâthe few years he spent distancing himself from you wasnât merely a fluke or teenage angst. Heeseung wanted nothing to do with you. You had to learn how to be okay with that.Â
Still, you wish you were as tall as the trees around you. Maybe then Heeseung would tell you why he didnât like you anymore.Â
âY/N, watch out!âÂ
The warning nearly comes too late. You donât register a hissing sound until you see a reflection of scales and stumble backwards into somebody who seems to be caught off guard as much as you are. Jakeâs warning saved you from a nasty bite from a snake that has slithered away back between the trees but your heart stammers in your chest as you curl yourself further deeper into the person behind you.Â
You hate snakes. Youâre petrified of themÂ
Heeseung, to his misfortune, is the person youâve bumped into. He saw the snake just before Jake said his warning and felt his body freeze in the way yours didnât. He didnât have time to move aside and let Sunoo, who he was talking to, move to grab your body and pull you out of harmâs way. He feels your beating chest against his and looks down at you. Heeseung doesnât think heâs ever seen you like this before. It makes his stomach fall.Â
âY/N is really scared of snakes,â Jungwon says as he walks up to the two of you, offering a quick explanation before Heeseung could say anything about you clinging onto him. âShe got bit by one as a kid and it scared her pretty bad.â Heeseung doesnât push you away. Instead, he lets Jungwon pry you off of his body until youâre able to blink and come to your senses.Â
âSorry.â You throw an apology his way when Jungwon rubs your back. The rest of your friends, who seem to know about your fear, try to give you some space instead of crowding around you. A part of him wants to scoff. The other part of him feels bad for you. It almost makes him feel guilty for being so short with you last night.
âWeâre almost at the end of the trail anyway,â Jungwon says. âLetâs finish it and get some lunch.âÂ
When you all arrive back at the campsite, Jake pulls your water bottle out of your backpack and stands with you while Jungwon lets you stand right beside him in an attempt to calm yourself down. Jay and Sunghoon, not wanting to impede and make things uncomfortable, decide to go on another short hike and let you rest. The sight is a bit unnerving for Heeseung, who has generally only ever thought of you as this self righteous, confident person, to see you in such a state of shock that you could barely look him in the eye like you did the night before. Heâs used to you avoiding and ignoring him but he isnât accustomed to you scurrying away from anything or anyone.Â
Heâs a bit confused as to why he feels a little guilty for how he spoke to you last night. You were his friend before he decided you werenât and that feeling of concern is starting to creep back in. Heeseung watches the way you flinch when Jake tries to rub your shoulder and how Jungwon is the only person who seems to know how to get you to relax after the snake incident.Â
âIs she really that scared of snakes?â Heeseung asks Sunoo, who stands away from you to give you space. He pretends to be busy picking at his nails to let you have peace and not make you feel overcrowded with two of your friends already by your side.Â
âIf I tell you, are you going to use that against her?â Sunoo doesnât typically question Heeseung like this. It startles him but he shakes his head anyway.Â
âNo,â says Heeseung. âIâm not. Iâve never seen her act like that.â
Sunoo must think the elder is telling the truth. âWhen Y/N was very young, a snake bit her ankle when her parents werenât looking. She got scared and tripped over a rock or something, and her entire leg started to bleed and got a pretty bad gash from it. They rushed her to the emergency room and panicked because her leg was covered in blood.â
âThatâs it?â
Sunoo glares at Heeseung. âIt might not seem like a big deal to you, but that kind of stuff leaves an impression on you when youâre a kid, Heeseung. Sheâs been pretty terrified of snakes and blood ever since.âÂ
âHuh. I never knew that.â
âDonât go barking up that tree. Itâs bad enough that you hate her for no good reason.âÂ
Heeseung looks at Sunoo quizzically when he hears his friendâs harsh tone. âWhatâs the matter with you?âÂ
Sunoo scoffs. âMe? Whatâs the matter with you? I heard you and Y/N last night. You were an ass to her. Sheâs right, too. How can she apologize for hurting you if you never talk about what she did?Â
âSunooââ
âSave it, Heeseung.â He straightens his posture. âYouâre my friend and I love you, but youâve been really harsh on Y/N for the past few years. I thought the two of you drifted apart but you clearly have a vendetta against her.â
âI do not have a vendetta against Y/N.â Â
âSure. Whatever you say. Just remember that Y/Nâs the reason why youâre on this trip. One veto from her and Jungwon wouldâve kicked your ass to the curb. Youâre lucky she doesnât say this shit to anyone.âÂ
Heeseung looks at his shoes, feeling the heat in his body creep up his neck. He knows Sunooâs somewhat right. Youâre half the reason why this trip exists at all. Even if Jungwon brought the friend group along, itâs you who this campaign tradition belongs to as well. Heeseung bites his tongue and tries his best not to argue with Sunoo. Deep down, the elder knows that heâs been a bit harsh to you and sometimes finds himself regretting the venom he aims directly at you. But then he remembers that incident from all those years ago and feels his anger bubble up inside of him. He pulls his friend away so that none of you hear him.Â
âI have a reason not to like her okay?â Heeseung whispers through his teeth.Â
âWhat reason could you possibly have that justifies how shitty youâve been?â
Heeseung looks around like heâs afraid someoneâs listening in. âSecond semester, sophomore year of high school. You and Jake were with me doing homework right outside the front gate. We were waiting for my brother to pick us up from school when Y/N told Kim Chaewon that I would never amount to anything because I didnât have any talent and had to flirt with girls to get them to listen to my music.â
Sunoo looks at Heeseung like heâs sprouted a second head, who looks at the younger boy like heâs waiting for confirmation or validation of sorts with his eyebrows raised as if expecting a certain outcome. Instead, Sunoo slaps him on the back of his head with his palm and scowls.Â
âYou are so stupid, Heeseung.â
âWhat the fuck did I do?!â Heeseung soothes the spot where Sunoo hit him. âIt was messed up for her to say that. Why are you calling me stupid?â
âY/N didnât say that about you. Chaewon did.âÂ
Heeseungâs eyes grow comically wide. âI know what I heard.âÂ
âNo, you donât. I remember the moment youâre talking about. You left so fast and didnât stop when Jake and I called out for you. Chaewon couldn't get another word out because Y/N tore her a new one. Why do you think they arenât friends anymore?âÂ
âWellâŠBecause Y/N said that about me. Chaewon was my friend, too.âÂ
Sunoo shakes his head. âChaewon said that about you. Not Y/N.â
âThatâs not possibleâŠâ
âHow would you know? You werenât there. You left before you could hear the full argument.âÂ
âSunoo,â Heeseung says, voice quivering from a mixture of guilt and embarrassment. âPlease tell me thatâs not true.âÂ
âDo you know how stupid you look knowing you blew off Y/N, the person who defended you, and still talked to Chaewon?â Sunoo shakes his head at Heeseung. âYou ended your longest friendship over a misunderstanding and then got closer with the person who actually said those things about you. Imagine how Y/N mustâve felt.âÂ
Heeseungâs mind starts to recount the days after your argument with Chaewon and how heâd gone out of his way to ignore you in the aftermath. He never gave you an explanation about his absence and why he pulled away, citing that incident as the reason why you didnât deserve to know in the first place. He thinks about Chaewon and how he didnât think twice about it because his mind had already been made up. He was still friends with Chaewon, taking pictures with her at parties and talking to her whenever their friend groups hung out together. Not once did he spare a glance to you.Â
As his mind starts to wander into nostalgic territory, Heeseung feels his stomach plummet. The sudden urge to rectify his actions overwhelms him and heâs fighting tooth and nail not to cry on the spot.Â
When he looks at you now, quiet and hidden within your shared friends, Heeseung canât help but feel a bit guilty. He suddenly remembers the few moments where you showed a vulnerable side of yourself and allowed him to see you cry after a bad grade or when your middle school friends were being mean towards you. Heeseung recalls all the times heâs ever thought of you as somebody who puts on a brave face and stands back up after feeling the weight of the world crush you to the ground. He thinks about all of the times heâs ever made you feel insignificant to him and feels pins and needles in his footsteps. Heeseung finds himself walking towards you as heâs contemplating his feelings and Jungwon guards you, pushing you behind him.Â
âHey,â Heeseung says awkwardly. He tries to peek at you but doesnât like seeing you look so helpless. Pathetically, he offers a meek apology. âSorry about the snake.âÂ
âItâs fine. Sorry I grabbed you.â For the first time in a long time, Heeseung doesnât feel annoyed by the thought of you latching onto him.Â
âItâs okay. I, uhâŠwanted to know if you were fine.â Heeseung clears his throat. âIs there anything I can do?â His unfamiliar kindness confuses you and it confuses Jungwon too.
âYou know, maybe it would be a good idea if you left the campsite for a while,â Jake suggests from beside Heeseung. âYouâre a bit shaken up and you could probably use a change of scenery.âÂ
âThatâs not a bad idea, actually,â Jungwon agrees. âYou could leave for a few hours and come back once youâve calmed down, Bug.âÂ
You pick at your fingernails. âI feel so stupid for being so scared.â
âItâs not stupid, Y/N.â Jake tilts his head and looks at you with a pout. âItâs something youâre scared of and with good reason. I wouldâve been scared shitless if it was closer to me.â
âYou could go into town and get some ice cream,â says Jungwon. âYou should go to the beach by the highway for a little bit and get your mind off of it.âÂ
âI-I donât really want to go alone.â
Heeseung speaks before he can even think about what heâs saying.
âIâll go with you.â Jungwon and Jake whip their head to their friend.Â
âHeeseungââ
âI can drive us,â he says, mouth moving faster than his brain. âI wonât say anything, I swear. Iâll take her to the beach and ice cream if she wants to.âÂ
Jungwon hesitantly looks at Heeseung. âAreâŠAre you sure?âÂ
âYeah.â He lies straight through his teeth. He doesnât know if he can sit with you when his whole life has been turned upside down. But itâs too late to backtrack. âIâve been feeling a little restless here anyway.âÂ
âI donât knowâŠâ
âJay isnât here and he has his keys.â Jake looks at you and nudges your shoulder. âWhat do you want to do, Y/N?âÂ
You look up at Heeseung for the first time and he sucks in a breath. Itâs like youâre devoid of yourself, fear and anxiety clouding your eyes like youâre petrified to even speak. He watches you lick your lips slowly as if contemplating carefully. âI want to go.â
âBug, you donât have to.â
âI know, Wonnie.â You touch his arm and he relents. âI think I need to leave for a little bit and calm down. I should walk on the beach, or something.â
âI can come with you guys.â Riki, who has been silent during this ordeal, speaks up and appears to the other side of Heeseung. âI saw the beach just before we got here. It looks pretty.âÂ
âThatâs a good idea,â Jake nods, looking at you. He softens his tone. âWould that be alright with you?âÂ
You hum .âMhm. Yeah, thatâs fine. Let me get my wallet.âÂ
When you leave for your tent, Jungwon looks at Heeseung and stares at him with an expression he canât read. The silence is deafening and he awkwardly coughs, looking away from his younger friend.Â
âDonât fuck this up,â says Jungwon with a clipped tone. âYouâve been a dipshit and sheâs been putting up with it for the sake of everybody else. The last thing she needs is for you to make fun of her and make her feel even worse than she already does.âÂ
âI wonât, Jungwon. I swear.âÂ
âIâm choosing to trust you because youâre my friend too, despite everything you feel towards Y/N.â He nods at Riki. âYou, keep an eye out for them.â
âI wonât do or say anything,â Heeseung promises for a second time. You come back a moment later, oblivious to the tension.Â
âBe safe, yeah?â Heeseung hears the change in Jungwonâs tone when talking to you. âCall me if you need anything. Your phoneâs charged from the portable, right?â
âYeah.â You hold up your phone to show him. âIâll let you know when weâre coming back.âÂ
The beach itself is nestled towards the end of the highway where the sand meets the trees. The small shops around it bring a sense of nostalgia, especially when Heeseung parks in front of a large, tattered orange sign that says âICE CREAM SOLD HERE.â The three of you walk inside and Heeseung watches you look over the flavors.Â
âThey change the flavors all the time based on the season,â you say absentmindedly. The three of you are the only customers and he figures the employee must be in the back.Â
Itâs a bit strange to be spending time with you apart from everybody else. Even though Rikiâs accompanying the two of you, he hasn't been alone with you like this in years. You seem to be doing a little better with distance put between you and the campsite. Heeseung hopes the drive wasnât too terrible. His knuckles turned white with the grip he had on the steering wheel, too afraid to look into the rearview mirror for the fear of catching your eye. He wonders if youâd be able to read his mind in the way you once did.Â
You make small talk with the owner of the shop who recognizes you before ordering. Riki and Heeseung follow too, the youngest trying a few flavors before settling on one. You go to pay for your own until Riki pulls out his wallet and pays for the both of you. Heeseung watches the two of you argue before the owner accepts Rikiâs card. Heâs pulled out of his thoughts before paying for his own cup.Â
The beach is right next door and the three of you leave your shoes inside Heeseungâs trunk before stepping onto the warm sand. The sunâs high in the sky and Heeseungâs grateful that he chose to put on extra sunblock before leaving his tent. Riki follows you towards the water. He chooses to stay behind and give you both space even though his heart is telling him not to.Â
Heeseung has always believed in telling the truth because itâll always see the light at the end of the day. Heâs a fan of honesty and itâs something he values in all of his friends. He thought heâd found that in you ever since the day the two of you started becoming friends and felt his world shatter around him when he thought you were making fun of his aspirations to become a music producer. Youâd spent countless hours in his bedroom with him as he learned how to use proper equipment and went so far as to buy him a few things here and there disguised as birthday and Christmas gifts. You spent so much time listening to him grow as a musician in the comfort of his bedroom. The thought that you were pretending to care about him made Heeseung feel sick to his stomach. It wasn't hard for him to cut you off when he thought you betrayed him.
But now, life feels like itâs at a stand still. You stand before him and Heeseungâs throat closes up like heâs lost the ability to breathe. You might not even know that youâre the reason for his inner turmoil. You probably donât care. Why would you when heâs pushed you so far from armâs length? Heeseung sighs to himself and replays every single interaction heâs ever had with you after deciding to cut you out of his life. The guilt piles up on him before he can stop it from stacking until it eventually makes his skin feel like itâs been set on fire. Heâll have to sit with the fact that heâs made you out to be a cruel, terrible friend instead of the person who would defend him to hell and back.
What must you think of him now? For a long time, it took Heeseung great strength to push you into the far corners of his mind and stop seeking you out whenever you were near him. He trained himself to look away from you, the weight of your alleged words playing in the back of his mind whenever he felt the urge to talk to you like old times. Heeseung stopped communicating with you altogether, unfollowing you on all of your social media and physically removing you out of his life so he wouldnât have to see your face when he least expected it.Â
But now it feels like the last six years of his life have been a lie. Heâs been living in his own world, wrapped up in a delusion that only he was able to clearly see. The memory was too painful to say out loud let alone tell a soul. Heeseung kept his heart guarded and offered a brief explanation whenever your mutual friends asked why the two of you werenât close anymore and heâd shut you down if you tried to talk to him until your efforts ceased.Â
When he looks at you now, all he feels is regret.Â
Riki walks back towards Heeseung, whoâs perched on a bench right on the sand. His ice cream is discarded in the nearby trash can and Riki eats whateverâs left in his cup before tossing it away. The two of them sit in silence. Riki basks in the salt air and relishes in the sound of birds chirping and waves crashing onto the shore. Heeseung can only hear his heart beating in his ears.Â
âSheâs doing okay,â Riki says, breaking the silence. âI think her shock and adrenaline are wearing off.âÂ
âGood,â Heeseung nods. âThatâs really good.âÂ
âI could tell she wanted to be left alone after a little while. I hope sheâll be fine when we go back.âÂ
âIâm sure she will be.âÂ
Riki nods and looks back at you. âHave you ever seen her get like that?âÂ
âMaybe once or twice. We stopped being close in high school.âÂ
âOh, yeah. Right.âÂ
âBut she always bounced back,â Heeseung adds quickly. âLike you said, sheâll be fine.â
âI didnât even know she was scared of snakes.âÂ
Heeseung laughs. âMe either.â The silence permeates until Heeseung speaks again. âCan I ask you a question?âÂ
âSince when have you ever asked me if you could ask me something?âÂ
âFair point.â Heeseung rubs his palms against his thighs. âI donât really know where to start.â
âThe beginning is usually the best place.âÂ
âYou know how I feel about Y/N. How I felt about her. I told you so many times to stop expecting people to treat you the way you want to be treated if they didnât put in the effort to make you feel welcomed.â Heeseung looks at the younger boy. âWhy did you keep defending?âÂ
âAre you asking me because youâre worried about Y/N or because you have some weird thing with her?âÂ
âIâm asking because Iâm starting to think I was wrong about her.â Riki must think Heeseung is telling the truth because he nods after a moment.Â
âHow much do you know about Y/Nâs family life?â
âI know she has a mom and that Jungwonâs parents are like her own. I also know her parents got divorced and that her dad left just before she graduated high school.âÂ
âRight.â Riki coughs nervously. âHow much do you know about our relationship?âÂ
âYou two are half-siblings.âÂ
âThatâs all?âÂ
Heeseung shrugs. âI never questioned it.âÂ
âOkay, yeah. That makes sense.â Riki looks down at his lap like heâs trying to figure out what to say. âI donât really know if this is my place to say it but I want you to know so you can stop thinking Y/Nâs the Devil.âÂ
âI donât think sheâs the Devil.âÂ
Riki chuckles. âSure. To put it simply, she's my half-sister because her dad cheated on her mom with mine. Heâd go on business trips to Japan a few times a year and they hit it off after they met. One thing led to another and they started meeting up whenever he was back in town.Â
âThey had me a year after they first started their affair and I guess he was able to keep his life in Japan a secret until Y/N found pictures on her dadâs laptop. She saw pictures of us on vacations when her dad was supposed to be on work trips. I think she told her mom about it and thatâs around the time I found out he had another family too.âÂ
âWhat was going through your head back then?âÂ
âWell, my mom told me my dad had to live in Korea for work. I believed it until I was seven, maybe? Iâd always ask her questions as I got older but she either brushed me off or told me things that didnât add up. Heâd come more frequently the older I got. We didnât talk on the phone much when he was over in Korea, though, so seeing him in person used to be extra special.Â
âThen I found out that he had an affair because he came to live with us full time when I was twelve. My mom told me everything when he moved in and I felt like my entire life was a lie. I couldnât look at either of them the same.âÂ
âWowâŠI canât imagine going through that.â Heeseungâs words hang in the air.Â
âYeah. It was hard. I hated Y/N for a while. I hated that she got to see my dad more than I did when I found out. My friends used to make fun of me because he wasnât around for my dance competitions and showcases. I always defended him and said he was working in Korea to make a better life for us. Itâs what I believed at the time.âÂ
âAnd your mom let you believe all of that?â
Riki shrugs. âI guess so. She hated Y/N and her mom. She always talked down on them when my dad moved in and I felt that my anger was justified too. My mom hated the fact that my dad still wanted to keep Y/N in his life and wouldnât fully abandon her the way he did hid with his ex-wife. Some of his paycheck would go towards Y/Nâs college fund and my mom tried everything in her power to stop him from giving her money but he gave her an ultimatum, so she stopped complaining.Â
âHe took me to Korea once. I was fourteen, I think. I met my dadâs parents and we stayed with them for a while. I donât know why he took me there since I could barely speak the language but he said he wanted me to get to know where he grew up and integrate myself in the culture since he was trying to be a present father. That was the first time I met Y/N. I had my mind made up and decided I hated her the first time I saw her. She couldnât have been older than seventeen. I hated that she looked just like me.Â
âWhen we met for the first time, we didnât really get along. Both of us didnât talk and our dad tried so hard to form a bond between us but it didnât work. I didnât want anything to do with her because all I could think about was how she got to spend so much time with him while I only got to see him for a week or so a few times a year.âÂ
âWhat made you change your mind?â Heeseung asks.Â
âWhen we got back to Japan, my mom kept saying all of these mean things about Y/N and her family,â Riki continues. âI wasnât her biggest fan but the stuff she was saying was cruel and untrue. I knew it was pure jealousy and realized that my mom helped break up a perfectly good family. I mean, I knew it was my dadâs fault for cheating on his wife and leaving Y/N also, but coming to that realization made me think about how Y/N mustâve felt when she found out.â
âWowâŠI didnât know any of this.â
âAs far as I can tell, Jungwonâs the only person sheâs told.â Riki sighs and pushes his fingers through his hair. âAnyway, at that point, neither one of us cared to keep the relationship going. I didnât call her and she didnât call me. But the more my parents started living their lives like they hadnât made two people fall apart, the more I started to feel sorry for Y/N. I canât imagine finding out your dad cheated on your mom and then willingly left you for another family. Our dad brought me back to Korea a few times after that for winter and summer breaks to stay with his parents. He said he wanted me to experience life abroad. Heâd bring me to family events and I always felt so out of place.â
âWait, seriously?â Heeseung asks in disbelief.Â
âYeah, if you can believe it. I felt so guilty coming to these things. It was actually Y/Nâs mom who told her to start being more open to me. I canât explain how awful I felt when I realized she was making an effort to include me even though I was someone from her ex-husbandâs affair. When my dad was trying to get back in everyoneâs good graces, Y/Nâs mom was making sure I had enough food and water.
âI slowly started to realize that Y/N was hurting too. She had everything I wanted but it felt like I was the one who took that away from her. I thought, maybe if my mom wasnât pregnant with me, her dad wouldâve never continued the affair and she wouldâve never found out he cheated.â
âThatâs why you defend her, isnât it? Even when I thought she was being unfair?âÂ
Riki laughs. âYeah, man. Iâve known about her longer than sheâs known me and Iâve known about the affair longer than she has. Iâve had more time to get used to it. I donât blame her for pushing me away. If I found out I had a half-sibling because my dad cheated on my mom, I think Iâd react the same way.â Heeseungâs heart feels much heavier than it did prior to this conversation. âWeâve been getting better. She texts me first every now and then and she keeps up with my dancing stuff. Itâs not like weâre total strangers anymore. I mean, she likes me enough to let me be friends with you guys. Itâll just take some time.â
âDo you want her to be in your life? And do you want to be in hers?âÂ
Heeseung watches Riki nod without a second doubt. âAbsolutely. I love Y/N now. Sheâs my sister even if she only thinks of me as her half-brother. I know weâve had it rough in the past but she looks out for me. Y/Nâs smart and confident in all the ways I wish I could be. I love listening to her talk and I love learning new things about her. I always wished for a sibling and even though this isnât how I imagined it going, Iâm happy.âÂ
The two of them sit in another round of silence. Heeseung does his best to process everything Riki has just told him but it feels like thereâs too much information for him to digest all at once. He never knew any of this about you, too caught up in his own feelings about the misunderstanding. While he was giving you the cold shoulder, you were crumbling apart because your dad left for another family. If he knew any of this back then, Heeseung thinks he would be sympathetic. But he canât turn back the clock. He watches you stand by the water with your empty ice cream up in your hands and wonders what youâre thinking about.Â
âWait,â Heeseung says, cutting the silence for the umpteenth time. âYouâre from Okayama.â Riki nods. âYouâve lived in Okayama until you moved here.âÂ
âYeah, thatâs right.âÂ
âAnd Y/Nâs moving to Okayama for work.â Riki nods solemnly. âYouâre telling me Y/Nâs moving to the city your dad moved to when he left her?â The younger boy nods again. âShit.â
âWith everything going on in her life, I donât expect her to have it all figured out. Sure, it hurt when she didnât want to spend time with me but I donât think I can really be mad at her when this is how her life is. Okayama is a big city but the world is pretty small.â
âThatâs fucked up. Thatâs really, really fucked up.âÂ
âIâm pretty sure sheâs scared about running into our dad. Lord knows I came to study in Korea because I didnât want to be around him anymore,â Riki scoffs. âI know that I have my own shit to deal with and that Iâll probably need to find a therapist when I start school but for now, Iâll focus on Y/N. Iâm happy she let me come on this trip because I know how much camping with Jungwon means to her. I can somewhat empathize with her about moving to a place that didnât feel like home because of your dad.âÂ
Heeseung looks at Riki and doesnât expect him to look as tranquil as he does, but he looks at you like youâre the person giving him this grace and maturity. âFuck, Riki. Iâm really sorry that you had to deal with this. Do the other guys besides Jungwon know?â
âNot as much as you do, they just know something happened with my parents and thatâs why I donât want to go back to Okayama. I donât think Y/Nâs told anybody else, so please donât tell her you know.â
âI wonât,â Heeseung promises. âI swear on it.âÂ
âGood. I trust you and youâve been a good friend to me.âÂ
âSorry for giving you a hard time about her too.âÂ
âItâs fine now. JustâŠpromise me you wonât be so harsh on her. Sheâs been through a lot and I can tell sheâs really not happy about the move even though the job opportunity is really good for her career.âÂ
âOf course.âÂ
You walk back towards them and the two boys stand up and pretend as if they werenât speaking in depth about you. Heeseung, for the first time, smiles at you without restraint and it makes you feel confused as you shake off the sand and head back into his car.Â
On the entire drive back to the campsite, Heeseung lets Riki control the music and thinks about their previous conversation. He had no idea this is what you were dealing with and always thought you stopped talking to him because you didnât think it was worth being friends either. He doesnât remember much about the last few years of high school, apart from avoiding you when you were around, but now he wishes he wouldâve paid more attention. Even though whatâs past is past, Heeseung wishes he could turn back time and stop himself from making a false assumption.Â
He parks the car sooner than he realizes and Riki hands Heeseung back his phone. You step out of the car and look far better than you did before the impromptu trip. Heeseung canât help but jog after you.Â
âHey,â he calls out. Youâre pulled out of your thoughts when you hear his voice and look at him, perplexed. âAre you feeling better now?âÂ
âUm, yeah.â You look at Heeseung like you donât know what he wants from you and heâs starting to hate that heâs made you feel this way for so long.Â
âGood. Thatâs good.â Heeseung clears his throat. âI, uh, wanted to apologize for what I said to you last night. That was out of line. Iâm really sorry.â The gears turn in your head and he can see you processing his apology slowly.Â
âYeah, well, if you have a problem with me then you should either tell me why or leave me alone.â Your words lack any venom like they did last night but theyâre replaced with something more raw and callous. He almost wishes you would yell at him.Â
âI know.â He really does. âBut I really am sorry. For everything.â Heeseung canât find the words to elaborate how he feels, not when he sees your shared friends in front of him.Â
You look at him and he feels like you might as well be looking into his soul. Without another word, you leave him with his thoughts and rejoin the rest of the group.Â
***
Itâs nearing the end of the trip and Heeseung feels like he needs to get you alone to apologize for a million things. Guilt courses through his body when heâs awake and it only ceases when heâs asleep. He does his best to keep a straight face when heâs around everybody else and heâs sure theyâre all picking up on the fact that he hasnât been avoiding you like he did when you all first arrived.Â
But itâs hard to get you alone. He knows you likely wouldnât hear him out if he asked you to talk. Even so, he doesnât know if he knows everything he wants to say. Heeseung is sure everyone else will want to know why he asked to talk to you and make a big deal out of it too, but he canât say he blames them when heâs the one who has put so much tension between the two of you. Being nicer towards you with intention is not normal for Heeseung. He wishes that werenât the case.Â
Itâs a warm day outside and everybodyâs agreed to go kayaking in the lake. The water is calm and there are a few families and groups whoâve decided to do the same thing. Everybody fastens life vests and hops into their own kayak before setting out on the water.Â
Heeseung wants to enjoy being out on the water but his mind keeps coming back to you. He wonders deeply about the past he shares with you and what wouldâve been if he hadnât made those assumptions all those years ago. He knows heâs always been a bit too prideful for his own good, putting himself above the opinions of others without thinking twice. Heâs got tough skin and likes that heâs developed a sense of confidence and identity, especially because he wants to pursue a career in music, but now he wonders if heâs too confident.Â
The reason why your words hurt more than heâd care to admit is because he harbored a pathetic crush on you ever since you wrote him a letter for his thirteenth birthday. Heâd just gotten the hang of making music on GarageBand and by the time his birthday rolled around, Heeseung wanted to show some of his friends what heâd been learning after school. October came quickly and he invited his closest friends to his house for some cake and to jump in the large bouncy house his parents rented for him. The warm afternoon is forever etched into his memory because everyone Heeseung cared about in his first year being a teenager was there to support the beginning of his music interest.Â
Heeseung remembers the gift he unwrapped from you and your parents. It was a CD of his favorite album and one of those plastic statues with an award title etched into the base. It read âBEST MUSIC PRODUCERâ on it and Heeseung thought it was the best gift he received that year. What made that warm afternoon even more special was when you pulled him aside to give him a handwritten note. He remembers your shy voice telling him not to open it until everybody was gone and said you wanted to give the letter to him in private when nobody else was looking because your parents didnât know youâd done this. He kept that card on his desk until everybody left, promising to read it as soon as he was alone.Â
You wrote to his yearning heart, the side of him that wanted to make music so badly that heâd sit in his room until the late hour with a lamp shining over his desk to write songs until his hand hurt from holding his pen. Heeseung would hunch over his desk during school and scribble down lyrics in the margins of his assignments. It always felt like he was the only person who felt this way most times and felt like his peers couldnât understand why he loved making music so much. Reading your letter made Heeseung feel less alone, as if you were always watching over him and seeing his passion when he thought nobody else could.Â
That note alone solidified his blooming crush and suddenly, every love song he wrote was dedicated to you. Details about you were weaved into his songsâthe sound you made when you laughed, the stickers you used to collect, and the number on your childhood homeâit all became important to him. It was almost like Heeseung could talk to you through his music without saying a single word. He could let his songs do the talking for him.Â
Of course, thinking you were the one who said he didnât have any real talent made his hopes and dreams shatter into a million pieces. He always felt like your champion and that pursuing his passion wasnât so scary if he had you by his side. The world felt like it was crashing all around him to the point where he considered giving up on making music altogether. For that, he would never forgive you. But itâs different now. Heeseung knows youâre not to blame. The culpability doesnât lie on your shoulders, even if thatâs what Heeseung thought for all these years.Â
Heeseung roams around the lake in silence, letting the birds chirp uninterrupted. The sound of his boat sailing against the water beneath him does something to soothe his aching heart for the time being. He sees you not too far ahead with Sunghoon a bit behind you when he sees you reach for the paddle that fell from your grip. His heart stops when your kayak tips over when you've reached too far.Â
He wastes no time and rows his boat with all his might after hearing your yelp. His arms burn as he pushes through the water but before he can get any closer to you, Sunghoon has jumped out of his kayak to help you back to the surface. Heâs able to drag you to the shore nearby and takes off your life jacket when the two of you are sitting on the edge of dry land. Heeseung manages to haul your kayak and paddle while Jay, who also saw the incident, grabs Sunghoonâs. The two of them wordlessly make their way to you and Sunghoon.
Heeseung sees and hears you coughing but heâs also aware of the fact that youâre situated between Sunghoonâs arms. Heâs got you securely wrapped between him as you regain your breath. Itâs selfish to even consider the idea that he might be jealous but he canât help it, especially since youâre gripping onto his arms like heâs your lifeline.Â
âShit, Y/N,â Jay says as he takes his life jacket off. Heeseung does the same and parks his boat to get out of the water. âAre you okay?â
âMhm,â you mutter, catching your breath from the water thatâs still lodged in your throat. âJesus, I didnât think that would happen.â
âYou gave me a heart attack.â Sunhoon laughs from behind you but doesnât push you away just yet. Heeseung watches you.
âI got your boat and paddle,â he says pathetically, feeling awkward when the three of you look at him. âIâm glad youâre okay.âÂ
âThanks.â You cough when you speak and Sunghoon rubs your back gently. âWhy does this shit keep happening to me?âÂ
âMaybe Heeseungâs bad luck,â Sunghoon snickers. Thereâs no real animosity in his tone but Heeseung feels upset nonetheless.Â
âSorry,â he finds himself apologizing.Â
âIt wasnât your fault,â you tell him, leaning back against Sunghoon as you catch your breath. âI think thatâs enough kayaking for today, though.â
Jay laughs. âYeah, you can say that again. Iâm getting hungry anyway. Sunoo and Riki are probably complaining about that too.âÂ
At dinner, the eight of you sit around the fire as Jay, with the help of Riki and Sunoo, prepare and serve the food. The warm food satisfies everyone and everybody takes turns swapping stories about kayaking, and everybody laughs when Sunghoon recounts the story of you tipping over your boat. Riki keeps your plate full and tries to give you more meat but you shake your head. He pouts and you eventually relent, and that makes Heeseung smile.
He can feel Jungwon looking at him. The younger boy sits next to Heeseung and looks at him every so often, especially when you start talking or when the topic of discussion falls onto you. He ignores it to the best of his ability because heâs sure his friend has picked up on the fact that heâs not acting like heâs not interested anymore. When Jungwon pulls him aside when everybody leaves to get ready for bed, he isnât surprised.Â
âWhatâs up with you?â Jungwon asks quizzically. âDonât act like you donât know what I mean either, Heeseung. You were acting weird at dinner.âÂ
âTo make a long story short, the reason why I didnât like Y/N all this time was because I thought she was the one who said I would never make it in music. Sunoo told me it was Chaewon, not Y/N.âÂ
Jungwonâs eyes open comically. âThatâs the reason you didnât like Y/N?!â Heeseung smacks his shoulder and shushes him. âYou know if you just, like, told any of us why you were so mad at her, we couldâve solved this and you wouldnât have lost a friend.â Ouch.Â
âYeah,â Heeseung replies, looking at the ground below him, âI know. I feel like an idiot and I feel guilty. I want to make it right with her but Iâve acted like such an ass. I told myself it was for the better.â
âYou really were an ass,â Jungwon agrees. âDid you know she almost pulled out of this trip when she found out you were going?â
Heeseungâs shoulders slump. âI fucked up, Won. Youâre her best friend and I put you in an uncomfortable position too. Iâm sorry. I want to make things right but we havenât had a real conversation in years.âÂ
âYouâre going to have to do a lot more than apologize.â Jungwon sighs and beckons Heeseung to sit down on a log next to him. âShe doesnât hate you, Heeseung. Y/Nâs sensitive, you know? Sheâs sensitive in the way that she feels things pretty deeply and doesnât push things aside anymore. Back in high school, she went through something pretty life changing that forced her to shut down and all she wanted was to reach out to you but you iced her out.âÂ
âI feel awful. She has every right to hate me.â
âThatâs the thing, Heeseung. Y/N doesnât hate you. She doesnât understand what she did that made you pull away and sheâs hurt that you wonât talk to her about it. Sheâs done all she can trying to get through to you but sheâs given up because that didnât seem like it was going anywhere.â
âCan I ask you something?â Jungwon nods. âIfâŠIf I talked to her, apologized and tried to tell her what was going on at the time, do you think sheâd forgive me?âÂ
Heeseung waits for his friend to answer. âI think she would appreciate that you put in the effort to be there for her. She still cares about you even if she says she doesnât.â
âI donât know about that.âÂ
âI do. Iâm her best friend, Heeseung.â The elder nods. âWhat Iâm saying is this: All Y/N has ever wanted was for you to make an effort for her. When you stopped being her friend, she wondered for months if she was a bad person because you didnât talk to her about why you pulled away so suddenly. Apologizing doesnât mean the two of you will go back to the way you used to, but sheâll appreciate that over distancing yourself because you feel guilty.âÂ
That last part hurts to hear but he understands. âDo you think Y/N and I could ever be friends?âÂ
Jungown nods. âYeah, actually. I can tell that youâre being upfront with me right now. You know how she is. She values honesty and loyalty. Of everyone in our friend group, Y/N is the one whoâs really good at communicating and giving advice about that kind of stuff. She doesnât need you to go above and beyond for her. It might take time but I know sheâd appreciate it if you at least made an effort to talk to her and clear up some stuff.âÂ
Heeseung is lost in thought and barely hears Jungwon tell him heâll try his best to let the two of you talk tomorrow night after dinner. He doesnât know how to thank him other than to pull him into a tight embrace and cling onto the younger boy like heâs got something to lose. Jungwon seems to understand where Heeseung is coming fromâhe, too, has had his fair share of arguments with youâso he hugs him back as if to say everything will be alright.Â
When you wake up the next morning, a weird feeling settles in your chest. Jungwon is fast asleep when you leave the tent to get ready for the day after failing to fall asleep. The sun is already up and you donât know what time it is, but the morning is cold and the sweater you have on protects you from the chill nicely.Â
You see Heeseung at the wash station and grip your toiletry bag when he spots you. Awkwardly, you step into the bath house and turn the faucet on as he brushes his teeth, motioning yourself to do the same thing. He watches you from the mirror as you keep your eyeline straight in front of you. He wants to say something to you, perhaps âgood morningâ or âhow did you sleep?â but nothing seems good enough. You, on the other hand, feel like Heeseung may as well put you under a microscope.Â
âCan I help you?âÂ
He looks at you as if heâs been caught with his hand down the cookie jar. âN-No. Sorry.â You sigh and resume brushing your teeth when he spits and rinses his mouth of the toothpaste. âI mean what I said I was sorry. I really am.â
âFor which part? Cussing me out or avoiding me since high school?â You sound tired.Â
âAll of it,â he says quietly. You keep your head straight while he looks at you. âI have no excuse. Iâve been acting like a dick towards you and I feel awful.â You donât say anything. âIâŠI thought you were the one who said I wouldnât make it as a producer. I didnât know it was Chaewon who said it and that you were the one who defended me. I was stupid and angry, and I took it out on you without knowing the whole truth.Â
âI didnât find out until Sunoo told me yesterday. I didnât talk about that with anyone since we were friends, you know? I was so hurt but I didnât know that it was my fault for making myself feel like thatâŠAnd in turn, I made you feel like you didnât have a place in my life. Iâm so, so sorry that I treated you like you didnât mean anything to me when you did.âÂ
You donât look at him as you finish your morning routine. He stands there awkwardly, waiting for you to say something.Â
âI went through a lot of shit back then,â you say, turning to face him. âMy dad left just after you stopped talking to me and all I wanted to do was talk to you about it. You always knew what to say to make me feel better but then you started ignoring me like I never mattered to you. Do you know how badly that hurt to have one of my best friends stop giving a shit about me?Â
âI watched you hang out with our mutual friends. I watched you do really cool things with music but I did all of that on the sidelines because you never included me, even though I was the only person who really supported you., I donât think you really get that there were so many people back then who just wanted to be your friend because a few of your songs blew up on the internet. I watched you keep them close while you pushed me aside without giving me the chance to make up for whatever I did to make you upset.Â
âIâve spent the last few years trying to be okay with the fact that you didnât want to be friends anymore. I tried so hard to accept that you and I would only be people who saw each other in passing. But that hurt. It hurt so much to think you didnât care about me for one second and didnât care that I was upset too.âÂ
Your confession hangs in the air and Heeseung feels like crying when he sees that youâve started to tear up. You wipe them away aggressively, too embarrassed to be seen weeping in front of him.Â
âIâm sorry.â Heeseungâs voice cracks. âI am, Y/N. You were so good to me and I took that for granted.â
âYeah, you could say that.âÂ
âI canât make excuses for myself back then but I want you to know I own up to everything. Iâm sorry that I let you feel like that and wasnât mature enough to talk to you. I know Iâm too late, but you deserve an apology. You deserve more than that.âÂ
Heeseung thinks youâre going to storm past him like he did a few nights prior. He thinks you might spit in his face and tell him to go to hell. But all you do is stare at him in silence.Â
âIâve wanted to hear you say that for a long time,â you tell him. âSo thanks for that. I feel beyond hurt by everything you did and everything youâve ever said since we stopped being friends. All I have ever wanted was to be in the same room and not worry about if you wanted me there or not. This entire trip has felt like walking on eggshells around you.â He lets you step around him and out of the bath house.Â
âI donât hate you either, Heeseung. I know you probably think that I do but I don't.âÂ
***
The rest of your friends can tell somethingâs going on between the two of you but choose not to comment on it. Everybody is off doing their own thing, as today is the last day of camping, and nobody wants to accidentally spoil it. You and Jungwon decide to head over to your âsecret spot,â just the two of you, for old timeâs sake.
âIâll miss you when I leave Korea,â you say as the two of you sit on the ground. âI donât know how Iâm gonna do any of this without you, Wonnie.â
âI know youâre scared of the future and about your dad asking to see you, but youâve got to know that youâre stronger than any of us. Youâre like, a superhero, or something.âÂ
âNow youâre just being corny.âÂ
Jungwon laughs. âYeah, maybe I am. But seriously, Y/N, Iâve always liked that you were able to find some of your optimism again. You make me feel like things will get better for me too. I canât sit here and pretend I know what youâre going through, but Iâll always be here for you. My parents will too.â
âI still remember the look on their faces when my mom broke the news,â you snort. âThey looked like they were ready to go to prison for murder.âÂ
âIâve never seen them so angry. I felt like castrating your dad.âÂ
âDidnât we all?âÂ
âBut at least we got Riki out of it.â You smile fondly. Jungwon wants to tell you heâs proud of how far youâve come, but decides to keep that to himself for now.
âI love him, you know. Even if I donât really say it. I think it was hard for me to be able to say I loved him without feeling guilty. I thought I was betraying my mom if I gave Riki a chance and seeing her step up to be a parental figure when my dad was too busy mingling with our side of the family was hard. Weâve never talked about it but I know she doesnât hate Riki. She wouldnât have forced me to spend time with him if she did.
âHeâs such a bright kid and heâs so talented. It makes me happy when people recognize that too. He taught me a lot about prioritizing my feelings. Learning to re-evaluate my life when Riki showed up made me feel, I donât know, more mature? Like, I can be upset and still care about people because we all make mistakes and none of us asked to be here.âÂ
Jungwon lets a beat of silence pass before speaking. âDid Heeseung talk to you?â
âThis morning. Why do you ask?â
âWell, I saw him acting a bit different at the bonfire last night and asked him if anything happened. He told me why he was so mad at you for so long and said he wanted to apologize.â
âMen are so fucking stupid,â you sigh, bringing your knees to your chest. âI donât understand why he didnât talk to me in the first place.â
âMe either, honestly. But at least heâs making an effort. Isnât that what you said you wanted?âÂ
You nod. âYeah. Feelings are complicated. Iâve been angry for so long. I always thought Iâd yell at him and give him a piece of my mind, or something. I thought I would hate him and tell him to forget about me. But when he apologized, he said it in a way that made me believe he meant it. It didnât feel like he was bullshitting me. I felt stuck.âÂ
âWhat did you end up saying?âÂ
âI told him how hurt I was during that time and said I wished he was there for me like I was for him when I was dealing with my dad. I told him how I wished we couldâve talked it out.âÂ
âThatâs a good start.âÂ
âI donât think weâll ever go back to the way we were but I also know Heeseung. I know it took a lot out of him to set aside his pride and put somebody else first. I donât really know what Iâm gonna do now. All I know is Iâm tired of being upset and I want to feel okay.â
Jungwon nudges your shoulder with his. âYouâll be just fine. The universe moves for you, Y/N. Thereâs no way you wonât have a happy ending.â He watches you hide a smile.Â
âYou are such a sap.âÂ
âItâs what you love about me.âÂ
âUnfortunately.â Youâll really miss him. âI gotta take it one day at a time, right? Heeseung is going to be in my life for a long time since we share so many friends. Riki loves him too, and I guess I canât hate Heeseung too much for looking out for him. I donât think I have any room to think about it when I get back because Iâll be doing some last minute packing and getting ready to move.âÂ
âItâll be over before you know it. But even then, youâre going to have the best time in Okayama. Fuck your dad and all of the bad shit.â
âYeah,â you laugh. âFuck my dad.âÂ
The end of the trip is bittersweet. You start to tear up when you see the campsite completely empty and move slowly to pack everything in the cars. Heeseung notices but doesnât say anything, offering to grab whateverâs in your hands when he sees you looking out into the clearing for extended periods of time. He doesnât pretend to know what youâre feeling but he knows he doesnât like it when you cry.
He watches you get into Jayâs car and wishes that you could be comfortable sitting alone with him. While Jake mans the aux, Heeseung thinks about what might happen when you move away. Will the two of you remain how you are or will you grow apart? Is there any room for him in your life now that youâre off to explore a different part of the world? Will he ever be able to push past the gnawing feeling of pushing his pathetic crush on you down until he no longer thinks of you like that?
Heâs never admitted it, but those feelings he had towards you all those years ago never really went away. Heeseung doubled down on his irritation because doing otherwise would allow all of those romantic feelings to overwhelm him. He kept his head down around you because he knew one look at you would be enough to throw his inhibitions away and he was afraid he would risk everything heâs ever wanted just for you to tell him you love him too. Now that he knows everything was a misunderstanding, the grave loss weighs on him. Heâs got a million thoughts running through his mind and none of them seem to make any sense. These romantic feelings didnât lie dormant for all of these years, right?Â
The next week and a half feels like it passes by too quickly for the both of you. You finish packing the morning of your going away party that everyone helped set up and plan. Your mom, along with Jungwonâs parents, all of your friends and their parents, and Maeumi, presentes you with the kind of happiness you never want to forget. Even Heeseung, who shows up and gives you a letter when no one else is looking, makes you feel like you would be dearly missed. Youâre not sure that you enjoy being the center of attention, but everybodyâs kindness makes you feel like you deserve to be.Â
Itâs late when they leave and socializing makes you feel far more exhausted than you anticipated. Your flight is midday tomorrow but you try not to think about that. Heeseungâs letter sits on the edge of your bed and the green envelopeâyour favorite colorâstares at you like itâs begging you to open it. And open it you do.Â
Y/Nâ
I donât know where to start. Iâm sorry, first of all, for treating you the way I did. I was a sorry excuse for a friend. I shouldâve talked to you instead of jumping to conclusions and it doesnât matter that we were both young. Friends annoy each other but they donât disrespect one another. Iâm so sorry that I made you doubt yourself.Â
Iâll miss you a lot when youâre in Japan. We didnât get the chance to talk it out and I understand if you donât want anything to do with me after you leave. You deserve people who will be there for you. But please know Iâll always be rooting for you.Â
LastlyâŠI donât know if this is my place to say this but here goes nothing. Back when we were close, the one thing I loved about you was how passionate you were about life. You loved to learn and explore new things, and you always made me feel like I could feel that way too. I know youâre scared about Okayama for a number of reasons but youâre the strongest person I know. Youâll be just fine, even if you donât feel like you will be. Iâll be here for you whenever you need me. I mean it.
- Heeseung
For the first time in a while, you allow yourself to cry over Lee Heeseung and surprise yourself when you realize that you want him back.Â
***
At the airport, your mom helps you check in your luggage and asks if youâve got everything you need and makes you double check everything. Itâs reminiscent of the way you did with Riki before the camping trip. Youâre happy despite feeling a bit annoyed that sheâs making you take off your backpack. You donât totally mind it, though. She gives you a hug that feels like it could last a lifetime and letting her go is the hardest thing youâve ever done.Â
Everybody else gives you love, too. Sunoo is the first to hug you and makes you promise to bring him back some skincare and souvenirs the next time youâre able to get back to Korea. Jake embraces you next and gives you some words of encouragement while Jay does his best to pretend like he isnât sad by complaining about how there will be one less cook in the kitchen. You throw your arms around him anyway and pretend not to hear him sniffle. Sunghoon traps you in a bear hug and makes you promise to take as many photos as possible and says heâll look forward to seeing them. He, too, pretends like heâs not about to cry. You push your head onto his shoulder and give his hand a squeeze before he lets a few teardrops fall.Â
Jungwon is the most emotional of them all. He wipes away his free falling tears and crushes you in a hug, burying his head in your neck. âYou better come back, asshole. I canât believe youâre gonna leave me to chase your dreams. Thatâs so selfish of you.â You think you might cry too but laugh anyway.Â
âI love you so much, Wonnie.â He squeezes you like heâs afraid heâll forget what it feels like to be in your embrace until Jake pries him off of your body.Â
Riki stands awkwardly with his eyes to the floor and his hands in front of him. The taller boy feels as though his shoes are glued down but you see the way his gaze flickers as if heâs trying to figure out what to do next. It doesnât take much out of you to throw your arms around him and push yourself into his chest.Â
âIâm going to miss you a lot, Riki,â you tell him.
âReally?â You nod.Â
âI know I havenât been the best towards you but you need to know that Iâm so proud of you, okay? I loved getting to know you. I loved that you came on the trip and Iâm so fucking happy that youâre my brother. Out of everybody who couldâve popped into my life, Iâm so glad it was you.âÂ
Everybody watches Riki melt in front of them as he envelopes you right into him. You feel the weight of his shoulders relax and for the first time, you feel like youâre starting to wonder if this is what it feels like to have everything figured out.Â
âIâll come visit you,â he promises. âIâll come home for winter break.â
âStay with me. We can do all of the corny shit siblings do. Iâll even pay for everything.âÂ
Riki laughs but doesnât let you go. âYouâre the best, you know that? Even though it took you some time, I always thought of you like my sister. Iâm really happy to be around you.âÂ
The waterworks begin and Riki does his best to comfort you when he feels tears on his shirt. He feels somewhere in between empty and fulfilled knowing the two of you have made amends, but knowing you want to work towards the future is enough to make him confident that everything will be alright. He lets you go when he feels your arms loosen around him and aggressively wipes his own tears away.Â
When you look at Heeseung, the last thing he expects you to do is acknowledge him. He came to the airport because he wants you to know he meant everything in the letter he wrote. He stayed up all night to check for your texts but you hadnât said anything, and while he knew it was an emotional day for you because of all you were dealing with, a selfish part of him wanted to know what you thought about it.Â
You surprise Heeseung and yourself by engulfing him in a hug. The familiarity of his embrace makes you feel nostalgic and you canât help but cry right into his chest. Heeseung doesnât hesitate and brings his arms to wrap around your fragile body as you silently weep against him. He holds you tight and gently rocks your body like he used to all those years ago. You donât fight back either. Instead, you push your head deeper into him and hold him until your tears have stopped.Â
âI read your letter,â you say quietly. âWe have a lot to talk about but I appreciate everything you said, Heeseung. I tried to hate you but I could never bring myself to feel that way about you.â
âIâm really going to miss you. Can I be selfish?â Heeseung asks with a sob in his throat. âI wish I apologized sooner and I wish we had more time. But please, promise me that youâre going to try to have fun in Japan, okay? Youâre the best person I know, even if I didnât make you feel like it. Iâll always live with that regret but knowing youâll forget about me and make a life for yourself is enough.â
âI could never truly forget about you, Hee.â That nickname you used to call him makes Heeseungâs heart beat faster. âI donât want you out of my life. All these years I felt like thatâs what I wanted but I donât want that now. Be happy without me too, okay? Forget about me and follow that dream of yours.âÂ
Heeseung laughs sadly. âI donât think I could ever forget about you.â You step away from him and wipe your eyes for the umteenth time.Â
âWrite a song for me, then. And donât be a stranger, okay?âÂ
âOkay.â Heeseung swears on it. âI wonât.âÂ
A beat of silence passes before all seven of your friends push you into the middle of their group hug. It brings another round of tears to your eyes and Jungwonâs the one who lets you cry into him until your mom tells you itâs time to start boarding. Everybody gets one final goodbye before you disappear into the plane.Â
You smile at your phone when you settle into your seat.Â
lee heeseung: I miss you alreadyÂ
You miss him too.
***
Okayama is a dream until it isnât. You settled into your apartment and had one month before you started your job and went to all the places Riki recommended. You started to understand him a little better after moving and both of you find it hilarious that you two ended up living in each othersâ hometowns. You canât choose your siblings but youâd choose Riki in every lifetime.Â
You call your mom every so often and update her on life. Your friends keep you in the loop and FaceTime you when theyâre out together. It makes you feel like youâre back in Korea and while it isnât the same, you appreciate the effort anyway. Youâve made friends with your neighbors and a few girls you met when you went out drinking with your cousin the week you moved and it made braving a whole new country feel less daunting. Jungwon calls you everyday and you tease him for being such a clingy friend, but you both know you love it. You inform him about everything from the boring details to juicy work drama, and it feels like youâre sitting in his bedroom wearing face masks and eating junk food.Â
Heeseung has been a constant fixture in your life, too. You texted him the moment you landed and he kept the conversation going. You talk about everything, the past especially, and start to feel like things might be okay. Those butterflies that you had for him in high school made an appearance after three months in Japan and part of you wondered if you were a fool for bringing him back into your life after everything. All of your friends back in Korea tell you Heeseung is miserable without you and when they tease him in the big group chat, he doesnât deny it.
The friends you made seemed dividedâone half thought you should leave him in the dark while the other half swooned over his dedication to making things right. You donât really know what to think or how to feel, but you know youâre happy. Between phone calls and late night texts, you were always left with a smile on your face before bed.
Riki came back to Okayama for winter break and spent two weeks in your apartment. When the two of you werenât bickering as siblings do, you both stayed up way too late watching anime and watched him dance at his home studio. Riki even got you to attend a few classes (he tried not to laugh at your poor coordination skills but appreciated the effort anyway). You prefer to be in the audience.Â
Life seemed great until your dad made an appearance just before Christmas. He knew you were here from a single text message he never responded to before you moved to Okayama. The weight of his silence prepared you to be in Japan without him but his sudden appearance made you feel like everything changed for the worse. Riki went back to his childhood home to see his family and asked you to come with him after your dad had forced him. Your brother knows the intricate dynamic and you donât blame him for anything. Seeing your dad with his new family after sparse texts since he left felt like a punch in the gut. It soured your holidays and Riki spent the rest of his trip apologizing even though you told him there was no reason for him to be sorry. You dropped him off at the airport and told him youâd see him in the summertime.Â
The holidays came and went but the feelings youâve carried since then havenât disappeared, which brings you to the present. Heeseung is standing in the doorway of your apartment in Okayama, looking at you with those big, round doe eyes you always loved.Â
âHi,â he says breathlessly.Â
âHeeseungâŠWhat are you doing here?â He scratches the back of his neck.Â
âYouâve been going through a lot, you know? Every time we talked on the phone, you sounded like you were a thousand miles away and it killed me to know I couldnât do anything to make you feel better after the holidays with your dad. Jungwon and I have been talking about how much of an ass he is and how much we wish we could be here for you and the next thing I knew, he was encouraging me to buy the next flight out to see you,â Heeseung says in a single breath. âBut honestly? I just really, really fucking missed you.â
âYou flew all this way here? For me?â
âYeah.â Heeseung says it like itâs a no-brainer. âAlthough, now I feel kinda stupid. I realize Iâm putting you in a tough spot. But you know what? I think itâs worth it to know that youâre okay.âÂ
He looks at you but you donât say anything. Heeseung can see the gears turning inside of your head while you process his arrival. You look so cute in your sleep shorts and oversized shirt. He loves it when you call him via FaceTime because he gets to see all parts of youâgetting ready for work and winding down as you are now. It makes him feel like youâre pulling him right back into you.Â
You donât really need to say anything. You lurch yourself onto him and press your lips against his like itâs something youâve been waiting to do for the longest time. You probably have. Heeseung wraps his arms around you and lets his mouth melt against yours and doesnât complain about your boldness either. He welcomes it, even.Â
âYouâre so stupid,â you mutter against him, pulling him into your apartment and locking the door behind you. You kiss him repeatedly and he puts his hands on your waist as if to let you know heâs right there with you.Â
âWhy am I stupid, baby?â Heeseungâs voice paired with that nickname makes your knees buckle. Â
âYou can stay with me.â He feels you smile against your lips. âPlease justâŠstay here and donât go.âÂ
âIâm not going anywhere.âÂ
Heeseung drops his backpack onto the floor and lets you capture his mouth again. You taste so fresh with your cherry lip balm. He moans right into your mouth when you push him against your countertop and the feeling of his hands on your body makes you grow hotter as the seconds pass by. The ache between your legs starts to overwhelm you as his plump lips kiss you over and over again before he pushes them against your neck. Itâs too much in all of the right ways and youâre too aroused to even think straight. You start to pull yourself away from Heeseung and heâs about to ask if heâs going too fast when you grab your hand and lead him to your bedroom.Â
âY/N, wait,â Heeseung tries to say in between kisses. He loves the feeling of your warm mouth against him and feels himself starting to get worked up but he doesnât know if youâre thinking straight. Even though the two of you have talked nearly everyday, Heeseung doesnât know if this is moving too fast.Â
âIâm done waiting.â You pull away from him and reach for his hand, pushing his lengthy fingers past your shorts and underwear until he feels the wet slick starting to pool at your folds. Your hand moves his back and forth as he looks at you like youâve stunned him with a laser gun. Heeseungâs dick jumps in his pants and it takes him a second to move his fingers on his own accord. âI want you, Heeseung. Donât you want me too?â
His resolve crumbles. Heeseung nods with his mouth parted as he pushes his fingers inside you, your wetness allowing him to reach your depths immediately. You push yourself on your toes and put your hands on his chest, clinging onto him like youâre afraid heâd let you go if you donât. He thrusts his fingers with intention and hears your quiet whimpers when he leans his head down next to your mouth.
âYeah,â Heeseung says, lips touching the shell of your ear as his voice ripples through your body. âI want you.â
He pulls his hand away from you and smiles at the short whine from the loss of his touch. Heeseung loves how much you need him and heâs sure you can see how much he needs you too. A surge of confidence jolts within you as Heeseung looks down at your body like heâs ready to eat you alive. You peel off your shirt and shorts, leaving you in your underwear as Heeseung pulls his shirt over his head with a single hand.Â
âLie down,â Heeseung beckons. You do as he says and he sinks down to his knees and pries your legs apart, looking directly at you as he speaks. âGood girl.â He pulls your garments down your legs and the cool air hits your center as Heeseung looks down at you.Â
You donât have time to think about anything when he peppers soft kisses on your skin. His lips journey from the inside of your knee and he presses one small kiss to your slit before repeating the process on your other leg. Heeseung allows himself to get lost in the way your body reacts to his feather-like touches before descending down onto your folds.Â
Heeseungâs tongue feels like the closest thing to magic. He takes his time when licking you with his warm and wet muscle, canvassing every ridge with expert movements. You rake your fingers through his hair and tug gently at his soft roots, pulling a moan out of him that delivers a delicious shock up your spine. He puts your feet on his shoulders and plunges his tongue inside of you and grips your flesh with his fingertips until youâre coming undone on his mouth.Â
âSo fucking good,â he mutters to himself more than he does to you. He laps up your release and you find yourself a bit embarrassed that you were able to come so quickly, but the way he touches you makes it seem as though he already knew how to push your buttons. âYouâre so sweet, Y/N. I could eat you all day if youâd let me.âÂ
Heeseung trails his lips up your stomach and kisses you so tenderly that you feel as though your body must be made out of soft cotton. His lips find your left nipple and lets his tongue swirl over the bud before sucking on it with a gentle motion. He repeats the process on the other nub and flicks it, enjoying the soft sounds that come from you. Heeseung buries himself right into your neck but he doesnât kiss the skin like you think he will. Instead, he kisses you twice on your open neck before moving his body so that he can look down at you.Â
He bites his lip. It makes you feel exposed but somehow, it makes you feel all that more confident. Itâs like Heeseung is looking right through you with all of your worries and faults laid out for him to reject. But he doesnât. Likewise, Heeseung allows you to see him in his vulnerability and heâs ready to pack up his things and leave if you tell him you donât want this anymore. But you donât.Â
He descends on you once again, this time his lips pushing against you in a slow and sensual kiss. You feel the way he moves against you and savor the sounds your mouths make together. Heeseung brings his hand to brush strands of your hair away from your face as he kisses you and the gentle touch of his fingertips feels like it was always meant to be there.Â
âI need you.â Your back arches right into his chest as you speak. âDonât make me wait, Heeseung. Please, I justâŠI need you.âÂ
âIâll never make you wait. Never again,â he promises. Heeseung manages to rid himself of his pants and boxers and pushes himself between your legs until his dick is situated between your folds. Your arousal, paired with the precum oozing from his slit, provides the perfect balance of wetness that coats the entirety of his cock as he glides himself against you.Â
When his tip catches your hole, the sounds of your moans overpowers his refrain. He pushes inside of you slowly inch by inch, savoring the way you feel for the fear that he might never be able to do this again. You look so beautiful underneath him with his dick completely sheathed inside of you and when your legs wrap around his body to encourage him to move, Heeseung doesnât deny you of your pleasure.Â
Neither of you have ever had sex like thisâthe feeling of pure rawness echoes throughout the room between your breathy moans and the sound of skin pushing against one another. Your body is warm in the way he always imagined and his hands touch every inch of you as if to commit your silhouette to memory. In this moment, Heeseung feels as though the two of you are kindred spirits who found each other.
âYouâre so good for me,â Heeseung whispers into your neck as he thrusts into you. âSo fucking tight and wet.â He feels your arms wrap around his shoulders to keep him trapped between you but he canât say he minds all that much.Â
âI-Iâm so close,â you say in a broken moan.Â
âAlready, baby?â Heeseung says to tease you as he brings his head up to look down at you again. He pushes his hips against you faster and that surprised gasp you let out makes his balls clench.Â
âS-Shut up.âÂ
Your arms fall to the mattress as you claw at your sheets. Heeseung plans his elbows on either side of your head as he focuses all of his willpower towards fucking you with fast deep strokes, loving the way your mouth parts slightly and how your eyes are closed shut. His muscles flex as he pushes himself until youâre coming with a loud moan, and finds himself releasing inside of you the moment he feels you gushing around him.Â
You feel Heeseung press his tender lips against your forehead as you come down from your high while he continues to rock you through your release. Your cheeks are hot from the pleasure and the room is suddenly too warm with Heeseung on top of you. When you open your eyes, heâs looking at you like heâs seen a halo above your head. He canât really help it. Heeseung leans down to press a soft, gentle kiss against your lips to convey a job well down.Â
âI came so fast,â you whisper bashfully. You bite your lip but Heeseung tugs it away from your teeth to kiss you again.Â
âMe too.â Heeseung kisses your nose and relishes in the way you scrunch your face. âBut itâs okay. You deserve to feel good. I donât care how long or short it takes.â He places his hand on your face and rubs the apple of your cheek with his thumb.Â
âI really missed you.âÂ
âI missed you too, dummy,â Heeseung says before flicking your nose. He holds your jaw in place before kissing you again.Â
âWeâre gonna have to do a lot of making up, you know,â you mumble against his lips with a smile.Â
âOh yeah?âÂ
âMhm.â You push against his lips. Heeseung pushes his half-hard dick inside of you as your back arches right into him. Heâs there to catch you this time, his arm supporting your spine underneath you. âFuck!âÂ
âMy baby,â he whispers into you. âLet me make it up to you.âÂ
You let him.
***
EPILOGUE: THE FOLLOWING SPRING
âFor fuckâs sake, get your big ass head out of the way.â
Jay smacks Jakeâs shoulder. âYou can see just fine, stupid.â Sunghoon hits both of their shoulders.Â
âBoth of you, stop moving so much. You guys almost knocked my camera.â They mumble a quick apology before finding another thing to discuss.Â
âI feel like Iâm surrounded by children.â You sigh as Heeseung wraps his arms around your waist and lets his chin sit atop the crown of your head. He feels your body relax against him and smiles.Â
âWell you are, technically. Riki just stopped wearing diapers.âÂ
âI hate you so much, Heeseung,â the younger boy whines without any true malice. You laugh and squeeze Rikiâs hand. He canât find it in himself to be too mad at either of you.Â
âDo you guys see Jungwon and Sunoo?â Sunghoon asks with his camera at the ready. âI want to make sure I take as many pictures as possible.âÂ
âI donât think theyâre coming out yet,â says Jay.Â
âDuh.â Jake provokes him in a way you missed while you were in Okayama. It brings warmth to your heart when you see them bicker.Â
Jay turns to you. âY/N, have you given a second thought about moving in with Jake when you come back? I think youâd be better off if you kicked him to the streets.â
âHey!â Jake tackles Jay until heâs got his older friendâs neck between his arms. None of you pay too much attention and choose to wait for Jungwon and Sunoo.Â
âOur friends are another breed,â Heeseung mumbles against you as he kisses your cheek. âAre you sure you want to move back and be roommates with Jake and Jungwon?âÂ
âMhm. I miss you guys so much.âÂ
âBut you miss me the most, right?âÂ
âYes, baby.â You bring his hand up to your lips and kiss the back of it. âI missed you the most.âÂ
âThere they are!â Riki shouts.Â
Jungwon and Sunoo, clad in their caps and gowns, saunter their way out of the stadium before spotting your group. They make a run for it and push past the onlookers who search for their loved ones as well. Sunoo clings onto Jake while Jungwon finds his perch in Rikiâs arms as Sunghoon captures the beautiful moment on his digital camera.Â
âWe fucking did it!â Jungwon shouts as he pulls away. âSunoo, we did it!âÂ
âAbout damn time,â Sunoo replies as he rolls his eyes with a smile. âI felt like Iâd be there forever.âÂ
âWeâre so proud of you both.â Jay smiles and moves to hug each of them. âYou guys are amazing, seriously.âÂ
âI canât believe youâre leaving me.â Riki bumps hips with Sunoo. âThat seems unfair.âÂ
âLife is unfair.â Thereâs no real bite to his tone, just a bittersweet future. Sunoo hugs the taller boy.Â
âOh my God,â Jungwon says with his hand pressed to his mouth. âY/N is crying.âÂ
âNo Iâm not,â you say, even though you definitely are. Heeseung squeezes you tighter against him. âShut up, Jungwon. Iâm not crying.âÂ
âYou so are!â Riki shouts.Â
âIâm not crying. Seeing my best friends graduate college is not a good reason to cry, okay?!âÂ
Jungwon and Sunoo sport shit-eating grins. Heeseung lets you go as they engulf you in a hug while the younger of the two feels your hot tears on his cheek. He laughs and this moment starts to feel a bit nostalgic to him, as he acted the same way you did upon seeing you in your cap and gown.Â
âHey,â he says in a softer tone, pulling away from the two of you. âThanks for being here. I know taking time off was a little hard but weâre so happy you could come.â
âYeah,â Sunoo agrees. âTalking to you over the phone isnât enough. We missed you, you know?âÂ
You tear up again and wipe your nose before falling into them again. âI missed you too.â
âOh God,â Sunghoon laughs. âIf Y/Nâs crying then I know weâre in for it.âÂ
âHey!â Heeseung jokes, nudging his friend with his shoulder. âDonât talk about my girlfriend like that.â Although, he canât really disagree with Sunghoon.Â
âYouâre all so stupid for making me cry in public,â you say as you wipe your tears from your eyes. âIâm gonna look back at these pictures and my eyes will be all red and puffy.âÂ
âI feel like you and Heeseung might as well be our parents,â Sunoo says as Heeseung pulls him into a hug.
âWait, you guys should totally take a family photo.â Jake steps forward to arrange the four of you like a family portrait with Jungwon and Sunoo between you and Heeseung. âThere. Sunghoon, take a picture. This is so going on the fridge when we move in together.âÂ
Heeseung moves back next to you as the rest of your friends look at the photos on Sunghoonâs camera and take turns taking pictures of him with the graduates. He kisses your cheek and pulls you back into him.Â
âYou ready to come back to all this chaos?â
âMore than ready,â you affirm. âI loved Okayama, even though I had to deal with my dad and all of that stuff. But I missed my life here and the masters program over in Seoul is a good fit for me, you know? Plus, your apartment isnât too far from mine.âÂ
âI canât wait for you to move back.â Heeseung kisses your cheek again. âYour mom and I talked logistics about helping you move into the new apartment. Knowing you, Iâm sure youâll have another suitcase coming back with you.âÂ
âShut up.âÂ
âYou know Iâm right.âÂ
You blush and mumble. âYeahâŠYouâre right.âÂ
âYour mom and Jungwonâs parents talked about renting a bigger camp space this year, too. I think theyâre planning on having one huge trip this year now that most of us have graduated.âÂ
âI canât believe our last trip was almost a year ago. Thatâs insane because it feels like I moved to Japan just yesterday.âÂ
âI solemnly swear I will never be as stupid or dense as I was back then.â When you turn around to look at Heeseung, you know heâs telling the truth. You donât answer him verbally and choose to silence him with a pretty kiss. Itâs enough for the two of you.Â
âOi, love birds,â Jake calls, looking at you. âWe should find their parents. Your mom called me and I think she was crying.âÂ
You frown. âWhy didnât she call me?â Â
âShe said you were probably crying too,â Jake snickers.Â
âIs it too late to back out of being roommates?âÂ
âNope. Youâre stuck with me.âÂ
Heeseung squeezes your hand.Â
âAnd me.âÂ
As you look around, you canât help but feel as though this was always how it was meant to be.
âI wouldnât have it any other way.â
***
comments and reblogs are appreciated! xx
#so fristly - WE LOVE GOOD ENEMIES TO LOVERS WHEN THYE ARENT REALLY ENEMIES RRAHHHH#secondly - i love hw everyone is just a bigass family even though all the shit w yns father came up#thirdly - heesung is so fucking stupid!#but the smut scene? i had to read it a few times over and over again because his PASSION#he is so bf coded i cant#now from the top:#jay and teh masterchef ageda lets gooooo i would KILL for him to cook sth for me lmao#he is such a great ffirend here omg#jakey omg you described him so good all his behaviours that HIM#sunghoon being the biggest supporter he is PERDODT#sunoo ily babe#teh SASS#jungwon I CRIED HE IS SUCH A GRET FRIEND UNDERRATED MUCH?!?!?!?#he cares for everyone sm#i bawled my eyes out when he was speaking is this normal#riki DONT GIVE UPPPP he is so little (liek 10 times higher that me but you get it) and babyish so smol đ#it really pains me knowing taht he probs really thought that he is lacking or we (engenes) don't even like hi taht much#but to the point#âyou couldn't choose your own family but you would choose rikiâ you wrote sth liek that and THIS? IT BROKE ME#MY HEART IS TORN DAMN WHY DID IT HIT SO HARD#op ilysm for the whole fic i will be coming back to it and i realy have to stop because i might run out of tags lol#a111 recs enhypen#heesung#lee heesung#enhypen#mdni#okay i still can write so now guys lets all say in unisono OP YOU ARE TEH GREATEST FO RTHIS#i am in love w ur writing style đ
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Rough Ride (so rough)
â„Pairing: RE2!Leon x AFAB!Reader
â„Summary: What happens when you have to sit on Leon's lap for a very long and bumpy car ride? Leon's pants get soaked đ
â„CW: 18+, smut, sub!leon, dry humping, cumming in pants, overstimulation, crying kink, semi-public sex, sorta non-con at first? but both parties are consenting, 1.6k words
â„a/n: can you guys tell how much I like dry humping from the amount of times it shows up in all my fics? anyways RE2 Leon is so subby i need to make him cry so I wrote this. Also my requests are open if any of u leon sluts wanna request something đ Hope you guys enjoy! <3 pics are from pinterest
Leon Kennedy was utterly fucked. Both literally and figuratively. He was approximately one hour into the grand camping trip that your shared group of friends had planned, and it was already off to a bumpy start.
It started with the excessive amount of luggage you and Claire had decided to pack. The trunk was bursting at the seams, and the backseat was already crammed with more than it could reasonably hold, leaving the driver seat, the passenger seat, and a single seat in the back free for its intended use.
With Chris driving and Claire staking her claim on the passenger seat, that left you and Leon with the single seat to share.
And when you whispered a seductive âI guess weâll have to make do,â with a mischievous glint in your eye, Leon knew he was done for.
Before he could respond, he was shoved into the car, barely even registering that you were manoeuvring yourself into his lap, carefully trying to find a comfortable position.
At first, Leon was awkward. It wasnât every day that the girl he had a massive crush on was situated on his lap, and especially not for a 2 hour long drive like this one. But as you leaned against him and whispered a soft âRelax,â he eventually settled in, wrapping his arms around your waist and propping his chin on your shoulder.
The first hour was fine, enjoyable even. Leon had managed to stave off a massive boner, and everyone had been happy despite the luggage situation. But issues started to arise as Chris turned the car onto a bumpy gravel path in the woods.
âWeâre gonna be on this trail for about an hour and then we'll be at our camping spot. It might get a bit bumpy,â Chris muttered quietly, not wanting to wake up his sister who had dozed off against the window.
As the car drove deeper into the forest, the road became more uneven, causing you to bounce slightly in Leonâs lap. His cock started to twitch, the boner he managed to avoid coming to as all his attention was focused on that single point where your ass was softly bouncing on his cock.
Leon was flushed head to toe, his teeth worrying his lower lip as the rate of his breathing increased. His cock was now fully hard and leaking pre-cum in his boxers, and by some miracle, you hadn't noticed. Needing to feel more friction, he pushed his hips up slightly, softly grinding his hard dick against your ass, playing it off as shifting to a more comfortable position. He felt like such a pervert, getting off against your ass while you were completely oblivious, but the weight of you on top of him felt too good to stop.
He had managed not to make a sound, harshly biting down against his surely bruised lip any time he felt like moaning, but when Chris hit a particularly hard bump, causing you to bounce harshly back into his cock, he let out a barely audible whimper, right against your neck.
Leon stiffened, panicking as he was sure he got caught. You were going to realize what he had been doing, and you'd think he was a disgusting pervert, never wanting to see him again.
But as you turned your head slightly, concern etched on your features, and asked him if he was okay, Leon went lax with relief. You didnât know.
âY-yeah- Sorry I was just startled by the bump,â he stammered out.
You smiled softly, seemingly unaware of the turmoil raging inside him. âIt's okay. These roads are pretty rough. Just hold onto me if you need to, okay?â
Leon swallowed hard, nodding. âSure, thanks.â You leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek, then turned back around and shifted your hips, moving in a more comfortable position. Leonâs hold around your waist tightened and his dick twitched at the feeling of you moving against him.
The car continued to jostle along the uneven path, each bump sending another wave of sensation through Leonâs body. He tried to focus on anything elseâthe trees whipping past outside, the sound of Chris humming along to the radio, the soft snores of Claire asleep in the frontâbut his mind kept coming back to the warmth and pressure of you against his twitching cock.
Desperate to maintain some semblance of control, Leon shifted slightly, trying to find a position that would ease his arousal. It was useless. Every movement, every slight adjustment only heightened the friction, the pressing of your body against him his own personal torture.
Minutes felt like hours as the car bumped along the trail, each jolt a reminder of the situation Leon found himself in. To make matters worse, you began shifting, unknowingly pushing your ass against his cock continuously, and Leon couldn't help himself. He just had to cum, so he began grinding against you again, timing his thrusts with your shifting.
He closed his eyes as his thrusts got sloppier, the building heat in his gut reaching its peak. He knew he couldn't hold out for much longer, and he was careless with his sounds, his heavy breathing against your neck becoming louder and louder.
Leon's body tensed, and with a muffled groan, he came, his cock twitching as he spilled into his pants. Relief washed over him, but it was short-lived as the car continued to jostle along the path, your ass still bouncing in his lap, overstimulating his already sensitive cock.
His breathing grew ragged, and tears began to well up in his eyes. He couldn't take it anymore, the friction becoming unbearable, and he bit his lip hard, trying to stifle his whimpers.
Despite the overstimulation, the continued friction of your ass bouncing against him caused his cock to twitch and harden once more, much to his confusion and frustration. The sensations were too much to handle; his body was a mess of sensitivity and arousal, and he couldn't stop the tears that began to spill down his cheeks.
Leon's mind was a haze of pleasure and pain, the overstimulation blending into a desperate need for more. His hips involuntarily thrust upward, seeking more friction, even though it was torturous. Each bounce of your ass pushed him closer to the edge again, and he couldn't understand how he could be this turned on despite having just cum.
Minutes felt like hours, and Leon's body was on the brink of collapse. The continued friction, combined with his heightened sensitivity, pushed him to the edge once more. He tried to stay silent, but soft whimpers escaped his lips, tears streaming down his face as he clung to you, desperate and needy.
Just when he thought he couldn't take it anymore, you turned your head slightly, a smirk playing on your lips.
The realization hit him like a freight trainâyou knew. You had known all along. Your smirk widened as you watched him, your eyes dark with arousal.
You leaned in, your breath hot against his ear as you whispered, "You've been such a good boy, Leon."
Leon's breath hitched, his body trembling as your words sent a jolt of pleasure straight to his cock. He was overwhelmed, his senses on overdrive as you licked the tears from his face, your tongue tracing a path along his cheek.
Without warning, you began grinding against him, your hips moving in slow, deliberate circles. The friction was maddening, sending shockwaves of pleasure through his overstimulated cock. Leon's hands tightened around your waist, his nails digging into your skin as he fought to hold on.
"You like this, don't you?" you murmured, your voice dripping with teasing amusement. "Getting hard again so soon after cumming. Such a needy boy."
Leon could only nod, his voice failing him as you continued to grind against him, each movement sending him spiraling further into a state of desperate arousal. He was completely at your mercy, and he loved every second of it.
Your pace quickened, and Leon's breath came in short, ragged gasps. Each grind of your hips sent jolts of pleasure through his overstimulated body, and he clung to you as if you were his lifeline. His tears mingled with sweat, his entire world narrowing down to the intoxicating friction and your teasing whispers in his ear.
With a final, deliberate roll of your hips, you sent him over the edge again. Leon's body convulsed, his cries muffled against your shoulder as he came for the second time, his cock throbbing and spilling more cum into his already-soaked pants. His tears of overstimulation turned to tears of overwhelming pleasure, his entire being consumed by the raw, intense sensations. You held him tightly, a satisfied smirk on your lips as you licked away his tears, savoring the sweet taste of his submission.
As the last waves of his orgasm subsided, you continued to move gently, coaxing every last bit of pleasure from his exhausted body.
Leaning in close, you kissed him tenderly, a silent promise of many more games to come. In that moment, Leon knew he was utterly and completely yours, and he wouldn't have it any other way.
When they finally pulled up to the cabin, Chris hadn't even fully parked before Leon threw you off his lap and bolted for the door. His face was a deep shade of crimson, and he mumbled a halfhearted excuse about needing to use the washroom, doing his best to conceal the completely soaked front of his pants. As he disappeared inside, you couldn't help but laugh softly, the image of his flustered expression etched in your mind. You exchanged a knowing glance with Claire, who raised an eyebrow in silent question. Smiling innocently, you shrugged, already anticipating the next opportunity to tease Leon further.
#sub leon kennedy#leon kennedy x reader smut#leon kennedy x reader#leon kennedy smut#resident evil x reader#resident evil smut#resident evil fanfiction
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Water
Pairing: George Russell x Reader
Warnings: Cursing
Authors Note: a George win fic ur welcome
yn
liked by georgerussell63 sabrinacarpenter and 6,114,871 others
yn woman
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user1 oh my god she's so stunning I can't
user2 pretty pretty girl
user3 loml
user4 ahhh I love her
user5 my fav đ©”
sabrinacarpenter I'm in love with you
yn đ
user6 she's so beautiful I can not
user7 đ€©
user8 lmao George Russell in the likes đ like me too king â
user9 he's so real
user10 new music when
user11 MAKE ME SWEATTT
user12 MAKE ME HOTTERRRR
user13 prettyyyyy
user14 I think I love her
user15 lmao George Russells shooting for the stars here
tommyhilfiger â€ïžđ
liked by yn
user16 queen sh*t
user17 woman đ€©
âââââââââ
yn
liked by georgerussell63 lewishamilton and 6,998,881 others
yn water
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user18 I đ love đ her đ
user19 that color is so pretty on her
user20 đżđŠđżđŠđżđŠ
user21 love of my life
user22 my wife and bae frfr
user24 summer vibessssđ
user25 GAH DAYUM
user26 LMAO not Lewis also in the likes đ
user27 lol George recruited him
user28 THEY NEVER HAD A PRETTY GIRL FROM JOBURG
sabrinacarpenter the prettiest đ€©
yn no u
user29 GIRL I LOVE YOU
lewishamilton đ
yn đ
user30 girl wtf is Lewis doing
user31 RIGHT like what đ
user32 pretty pretty đ
user33 I know George is absolutely fuming over the Lewis yn notice
user34 he's singing that should be me right now
ââââââââ
yn added to their story
user34
now girl who tf is that
user35
NOT A MAN
PLEASE
user36
Girl⊠George Russell or nothing
user37
No one tell George
user38
Not my wife having a secret boyfriend???
ââââââââ
yn
liked by georgerussell63 alex_albon and 15,111,211 others
yn make me sweat
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user39 WHO TF IS THAT
user40 nah girl ur not slick
user41 she knows we can see him too right?
user42 JUMP SCARE
user43 not a manâŠđ
user44 can we talk about how pretty she is
user45 yeah, right? Every ones talking about the second slide but she looks so so good đ
user46 đ
user47 if that's anyone but George Russell I'm gonna end it all
user48 girl that is not him
user47 and how tf do you know that
user49 wait who's that
user47 an f1 driver who's been in her likes for a while
user49 he's just been in her likes??? Girl that is not him đđ
user47 a girl can dream đ
user50 so pretty đ
user51 George Russell is screaming somewhere
user52 why are yall talking about a man who was just in her likes a lot??? If she was rumoured to be daring every man who likes all her posts sheâd be dating like 200 guys đ
user53 my favorite girl
sabrinacarpenter soft-launching our relationship??? đ€
yn ofc bbg đ«¶
ââââââââ
georgerussell63
liked by yn lewishamilton and 9,007,887 others
georgerusell63 đ
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user54 GEORGE NO
user55 lmao, man saw yn got a man so he decided it was time to move on
user56 gotta respect it
user57 who is she đ„Č
user58 HEY KING
user59 lock in Russell, you're on my fantasy f1 team this weekend
user60 its not a George Russell post if he's not shirtless
user61 đđđ
user62 he looks rly good
user63 and who the hell is that
user64 not my husband finding a gf, rude đâ
user65 YN QUEEN DONT LOOK
user66 lmao she liked. I think she's happy her post didn't kill him
user67 why does no one think that that might litteraly by yn in the post
user66 cuz⊠that's unrealistic
user67 girl why???
user66 they would 100% not vibe, that man says things like âholy moly!â unironically and she wrote âwaterâ they are not the same đđ
user68 just glad he's happy đđ€
user69 pls win this weekend George I love you so much and you're the only thing keeping my Mercedes fan mind together
user70 king George lol
ââââââââ
yn added to their story
user71
QUEEN ARE YOU AT THE AUSTRIA GP???
user72
A Mercedes girl, so real
user73
Lmao George is gonna explode
user74
I need you and Lewis in a room together
My two favs đ„°
TWITTER
INSTAGRAM
yn added to their story
user75
BOYFRIEND SPOTTED
user76
Hey queenâŠ
Pls don't let lando winâŠđ
I'll give you my first-born đâ
user77
Don't let the sprint race fool you Bbg
We can win trust me
This isn't who they are
We are so fast
Don't let this represent Mercedes in your mind
user78
Don't let qualifying fool you queen
we are not fast
Do not keep your hopes up
We are going to crash and burn
Hopefully not literally
ââââââââ
TWITTER
INSTAGRAM
yn added to their story
user79
IS THAT KING GEORGE
user80
HOLY MOLY
ââââââââ
yn
đAustria
liked by georgerussell63 formula1 and 15,888,112 others
yn Geo!!! Im so so so proud of you, my love! I'm so grateful that I got to be there for your first win and just as thankful to see the second one. I see the work and the effort you put in week in and week out and I can not think of a person who deserves this more than you. You're so wonderful and perfect and there's no one I'd rather have spent the past two years with. One of the best experiences I've ever had was seeing the love of my life on the top step of the podium and I pray ill get to see it a lot more because I'll be by your side for every single one. I love you, congratulations baby â€ïž
(p.s. He's my only muse đ)
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user81 WOAHHHHHH
user82 GAH DAYUM HOLD ON A SECOND PLEASE
user83 holy shit
user84 2 years??? Be so fr
user85 you're kidding
user86 wait I love them
user87 lmao throw back to all of y'all saying they'd never date each other
user88 CONGRATULATIONS GEORGE
user89 AWWW I LOVE THEM
mercedesamgf1 weâre glad to have you queen đ«¶
liked by yn
user90 she calls him geo??? đđ«¶
user91 forget that, she called him baby đđ«¶
user92 wait, not my new favorite couple???
user93 QUEEN WAG
user94 girl, he's the wag
user95 TWO YEARSSSSSSS
lewishamilton đ«¶đœ
yn đ«¶đœ
user96 waitttttttt why are they so perfect
georgerussell63 thank you so much for being there, I love you â€ïž
yn i love you too, I'm so proud of you â€ïž
user97 WATER IS ABOUT GEORGE????
ââââââââââ
@casperlikej @evie-119
#scheduled#f1 fanfic#f1 x reader#f1 fic#f1 imagine#f1 x female reader#f1 x y/n#f1 x you#f1 smau#george russel x reader#george russel imagine#george Russel smau#mercedes x Reader#george Russel x fem!reader#george russell x reader#george russell x you#george russell smau
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Imagine if Y/n and tom blyth played Anya and Dimitri from Anastasia. đâïž
Anastasia || Tom Blyth x actress!reader
A/n: IM SO INLOVE W UR IDEA. also, if u havenât already seen Anastasia? wtf r u doing? WATCH IT RN. guys youâre gonna have to imagine a lot bc of the pics đ but dw I wrote whos supposed to be who so itâll make more sense!!! p.s should I do a fic where tom x actress!reader is in bridgerton?? đ send requests if u have any ideas.
Divider by @pommecita
~
y/n_y/l/n_fp
Liked by y/n_y/l/n, y/l/nupdates, and 297,484 others
Y/n and Tom spotted out in London today!! CAN WE TALK ABT HER HAIR OMG??? ITS RED?! AHHHHH
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user49: OMG SHE LIKED! CONGRATS
âïž y/n_y/l/n_fp: IM STILL IN SHOCK đź
user16: RED HAIR Y/N YESS
user037: what hair colour can she not pull off. lets be real here đ€·đ»ââïž
user88: theyâre still together? even after the rumours of her cheating on Tom w her co-star? đ
âïž y/n_y/l/n_fp: theyâre called rumours for a reason babes x
user20: EVERYONE GO WATCH âHERâ RN
âïž user643: y/n ate in that movie
âïž user017: itâs so good đ
âïž user03: she was so cringe in that movie đ
âïž user94: if it was so cringe, why should she be nominated for an Emmy then? đ
user55: maybe itâs for her upcoming film that she talked about in an interview?
~
mtv
Liked by madelyncline, rachelzegler, y/n_y/l/n, tomblyth and 14,307,583 others
itâs been announced that âit coupleâ Y/n Y/l/n and Tom Blyth will be playing Anya and Dimitri in Lockshinâs upcoming live action adaptation of Anastasia! Lockshin says to expect release dates soon.
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y/n_y/l/n: yayayyayayaa
madelyncline: Iâm so excited @y/n_y/l/n đ
âïž y/n_y/l/n: ME TOO!
user927: yaâll Iâve been waiting for them to do a live action movie of Anastasia. Just canât believe y/n and Tom will be in it đ
user05: OMG OMG OMG OMG
user2: THEYâRE PERFECT FOR ANYA AND DIMITRI
user73: finally theyâre in a movie together, canât wait to see their chemistry even more on screen!
user84: with Michael Lockshin directing and Y/n and Tom as the main characters, I just KNOW this movie is gonna be so good.
user10: SO HER RED HAIR WAS FOR THIS MOVIE?!
user42: y/n and tom are so anya and dimitri coded đ„č
~
More instagram posts (click here)
#tom blyth#fanfiction#tom blyth x reader#tom blyth x you#tom blyth x actress!reader#tom blyth x yn#tom blyth imagine#tom blyth fanfiction#coriolanus snow#the hunger games#coriolanus snow fanfiction#the hunger games the ballad of songbirds & snakes#actress reader#actress au#actress!reader#coriolanus fanfiction#tom blyth the man you are#boyfriend!tom blyth#young coriolanus snow#coriolanus snow x reader#coriolanus snow imagine#thosas
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â ËïœĄâౚà§Ë Encontrar tu media naranja
â„ pairing: lando norris x latina!fem!singer!reader
â„ synopsis: during one of your concerts a fan threw their phone up on stage. after you finished recording a video, you tried tossing it back to them and ended up accidentally hitting a world famous f1 driver in the face
â„ smau - none of the pictures are mine - face claim: alexa demie
â„ warnings: swearing, blood, accidental violence lol !!!
â„ a/n: if I had a nickel for every time I wrote a fanfic about finding love by getting hit in the face with object I'd have two nickels. which isn't a lot but it's weird that it happened twice. + ignore spelling errors in my Spanish please some of it autocorrected lol
â„ masterlist
You turned your back towards the crowd as people cheered. You raised the phone in your hand up high to get as many people in the video as possible. After you ended the recording, you clicked the phone off and tried tossing it back to the original fan that threw it on stage.
There was an audible gasp from the crowd around the barricades as the phone hit a man's face. You covered your gaping mouth with your hand as you realized what you'd just done.
Your jaw was still dropped as you tried to speak.
"ÂżEstĂĄs bien?" you questioned.
(are you okay?)
You panicked internally as you tried to think of what to do.
"Can we get him some help?" you said, turning your gaze towards a few security guards.
"Todo el mundo por favor retroceda."
(everyone please stand back)
Security walked the man and his party out of the stadium rendering you absolutely speechless.
"Uhm," you said into the mic. "Did you get your phone back?" you asked the initial fan with an embarrassed expression.
liked by carlossainz55, oscarpiastri, and 743,684 more
landonorris aftermath
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yourusername IM SO SORRY I HOPE YOU'RE DOING OK
user6 HOW HARD DID SHE THROW THAT PHONE đđđ
user9 miss girl can THROWWW
user1 y/n l/n baseball career when?
user7 girl needs to be pitching for the red sox, fuck đ
user5 I feel so bad for laughing so hard
user10 the piss poor bandages on his nose-
user4 why is there so much blood holy shit
user12 didn't know Lando was a fan of her
user14 pretty sure Carlos dragged him to her concert lol
user2 not his friends laughing at him đ
user18 someone drop the video
user16 is he okay?!?!
user17 meet cute đ
user1 WHY IS THIS IS SO FUNNY
Ë . Ęâ âč . ĘË . Ęâ§âË . Ęâ âč . ĘË . ĘË
Ë . Ęâ âč . ĘË . Ęâ§âË . Ęâ âč . ĘË . ĘË
Ë . Ęâ âč . ĘË . Ęâ§âË . Ęâ âč . ĘË . ĘË
Ë . Ęâ âč . ĘË . Ęâ§âË . Ęâ âč . ĘË . ĘË
liked by landonorris, carlossainz55, and 563,932 more
yourusername safe to say he forgave me
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user7 STUNNER
user1 you can throw a phone at my face any time đ€·ââïž
user6 LANDO NOWINS NO MORE
user9 I will never get over this đ
user18 it was just an inchident
user16 wait she wasn't wearing that while she was there??
user19 pretty sure that was a pic of her at whatever after parties they went to lol
user14 Florida nights are cold as fuck
user4 do you think Carlos is jealous of all the attention Lando is getting from her
user2 the poly fics write themselves
user10 oh my god YESSS!!!
user50 why does f1 invite celebrities that know nothing about the sport???
user12 not her wearing landos merch
user3 im sure he made her wear it lmaoo
user5 LANDO'S FIRST WIN
user17 P1 LETS FUCKING GO
Ë . Ęâ âč . ĘË . Ęâ§âË . Ęâ âč . ĘË . ĘË
-A Few Months Later-
liked by landonorris, yourbestfriend, and 238,849 more
yourusername @ landonorris
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carlossainz55 and this was the same guy who was complaining about going to her concert a few months ago
landonorris if I remember correctly that concert ended pretty badly for me
user12 you got a girlfriend out of it Iâd call that a win
user40 @/user12 they're not dating ???
user10 find someone who smiles at you the way they smile at each other
user9 theyâre so cute
user3 donât be shy drop the picture(s) he took of her
user7 I need him I fear
user8 đ±đ
user1 hes so cute
user13 just date already
user15 you're so pretty
user17 I will literally never forget her breaking his nose lmaooo
Ë . Ęâ âč . ĘË . Ęâ§âË . Ęâ âč . ĘË . ĘË
Ë . Ęâ âč . ĘË . Ęâ§âË . Ęâ âč . ĘË . ĘË
liked by landonorris, kaliuchis, carlossainz55, and 656,943 more
yourusername my new single "encontrar tu media naranja" is out now đ§Ą
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user8 ok but why does the guy in the music video look like lando...
user7 oh my god
user13 I see the vision
user9 YOURE ONTO SOMETHING
user1 Kali Uchis collab when?
user12 literally begging for a song with her, kali, and peso pluma
user3 orange sodas >>>
user24 đ±đ
user11 this song is so good đ§Ą
user18 who's the guy in the mv???
user19 shes gorgeous
user17 I love her
user25 wait this is the singer that broke lando's nose
user5 đ§Ąđ§Ąđ§Ą
Ë . Ęâ âč . ĘË . Ęâ§âË . Ęâ âč . ĘË . ĘË
liked by landonorris, yourbestfriend, carlossainz55 and 472,396 more
yourusername encontré a mi otra mitad
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landonorris te amo querida đ§Ą
yourusername đ§Ą
user5 bro's adorable
user2 encontrar tu media naranja? more like econtrar tu media papaya
user1 that's an interesting angle
user9 Lando still doesn't know how to make a heart with his hands lmao đ
user7 I FUCKING KNEW IT !!!
user11 YESSS
user14 and now they're married with five kids
user18 mom and dad
carlossainz55 formally known as lando "who's y/n?"Norris
landonorris ive grown since then
user12 fuck Romeo and Juliet I want what they have
user6 so the song WAS about lando
user8 and it all started with a phone đ±
user10 I'm tearing up
#đđđ'đ đđđđđ ౚà§#lando norris x reader#lando norris x you#lando norris x y/n#lando norris fluff#ln4 x y/n#ln4 x reader#ln4 x you#ln4 imagine#f1 smau#f1 social media au#f1 fic#f1 fanfic#formula 1 fic#formula 1 fanfic#formula one fic#formula one fanfic#lando norris x female reader#latina reader#singer reader#f1 rpf#rpf#fake tweets#fake texts
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I Can Do It With A Broken Heart | Matt Rempe (instagram edit)
summary: spending the season and offseason with your boyfriend matt rempe and his family - shared on instagram
warnings: none <3
face claims: phoebe dynevor (y/n) & simone ashley (shay)
a/n: another one!! this was my favourite instagram edit to create because when I wrote the fic, phoebe was my inspiration for y/n and her mannerisms so getting to portray her as y/n ( or you!) was so fun. also I forget the last name I gave shay so I made a new one lol
link to I can do it with a broken heart
âââââââââ ౚৠâââââââââ
liked by alleyrempe, shaymatthews, and others
yourusername so hard to stay away from NY đœ
tagged mattrempe
comments
user1 new york looks good on you
user2 IS THAT REMPE?
allyrempe love u and this
user3 stunning
yourbrothersusername matt đ
mattrempe my guy đđ»
user4 that JACKET yes
user5 youâre so cute
mattrempe look at you pretty girl
user6 YES I NEEDED THIS
liked by mattrempe, tessavirtue17 and others
yourusername back to it âžïžđ
comments
user1 I can feel the talent through the screen
shaymatthews ugh yesssss
tessavirtue17 doing gods work
user2 I fear nobody can compete with you
user3 what lip product is that?
user4 you make me want to become a figure skater
stephrempe love to see it
user5 baddie
mattrempe no yeah this is everything
nyrangers talented queen
liked by mattrempe, yourbrothersusername and others
yourusername always down for a selfie post (p.s. matt hates coffee whatâs up with that?)
comments
mattrempe itâs a normal thing to hate coffee babe
stephrempe no itâs not
user1 YES YOU ATE
user2 hot
user3 black coffee is DA BEST
_johnbeecher mattâs a baby
user4 you are stunning
shaymatthews youâre look stunning
user5 mirror selfies will always remain superior
user6 hottie
mattrempe but youre so gorgeous im bowing at the screen
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yourusername photo dump from the filming of teaching nhl players how to figure skate đ€© also peep my delicious avocado toast matt said reminded him of boogers - heâs ridiculous.
tagged mattrempe, shaymatthews & nhl
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user1 iâve been WAITING because I knew the two of you fell in love filming that
alleyrempe matt ruins everything- including avocado toast
mattrempe shut up
user2 heâs so BIG
user3 avocado toast is so good
user4 so cute
dawson1417 miss it
user5 my fav couple - straight out of a book â€ïž
nhl call us the best matchmakers
mattrempe youâre such a cuddle bug. iâm glad everyone knows it now
nyrangers mr. and mrs. rempire state building
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yourusername matt taught me how to play hockey and I accidentally highsticked himđ«Ł (see last pick for the damage)
tagged mattrempe
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user1 him tying your skates. Iâm SICK
nyrangers youâre in next game. suit up
user2 stop this is everything
user3 hahahhaha
mattrempe you should see the other guy (the stick is fine)
user4 but I already know you ate it up
shaymatthews and thatâs on period
user5 stop the little innocent smile đ€Ł
user6 hope they filmed this đ€đ»
_johnbeecher stay in your lane đ€ș
yourusername threatened?
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yourusername double fisting at the olympics honorary ceremony đ„đïž mom I made it
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user1 yes !!!!!!
user2 who can I send this to?
user3 đ
tessavirtue17 love love love
user4 so obsessed
mattrempe you look absolutely gorgeous
shaymatthews you are that BITCH đ
user5 the dress is GIVING
yourbrothersusername not the double fisting
mattrempe đșđșđșđș
user6 my icon đđ»
olympics not a party until y/n shows up
stephrempe proud of you
ilohnamaher too real i love you
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yourusername weekend getaway with alley đ (of course I couldnât not watch the playoffs though)
tagged alleyrempe
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user1 girl core
user2 to spend the weekend with y/n and alley đ©
alleyrempe need this for the rest of my life
user3 đ€©đ€©đ
mattrempe not the gas station photoshoot
alleyrempe not you being ugly
yourusername itâs couture baby
user4 this is so me coded
user5 beautiful girls
liked by yourusername, kandre.miller and others
mattrempe baevaction
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user1 the hottest couple
user2 she is so stunning
nyrangers rest up those fighting hands đ€đŒ
user3 youâre so lucky bro
kandre.miller đ€€
foxyclean simp
yourusername honey
user4 my fav ranger â€ïžđ
hartford_wolfpack all grown up đ„Č
user5 looks amazing
trocheck_21 ah young love
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yourusername a collection of some of my favourite vacation pics. had the best time with you â€ïž
tagged mattrempe
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user1 jealous omg
user2 my dream vacation
mattrempe shouldâve added you falling off the bike at the end
yourusername how dare you âŠ
user3 angel
user4 a talented and sexy queen
user5 đ€©đ€©
alleyrempe you two are so cute
willcuylle rempe gone soft
stephrempe mom says she thinks you are the cutest
youeusername love her and you â€ïž
user6 GOALS
liked by shaymatthews, alexlaff11 and others
yourusernane recently âïž
tagged mattrempe, shaymatthews & bostonskatingclub
comments
user1 you and shay are everything
user2 dream life
mattrempe look at my biceps holy fuck
yourusername babe.
user3 actually the most perfect human
user4 respectfully your boyfriend is hot
user5 need to see you competing again
shaymatthews YAS MY GIRL
bostonskatingclub so good to have you visit
user6 those cookies look phenomenal
mattrempe youâre amazing pretty
alleyrempe my fav girl
user7 you two are my roman empire
âââââââââ ౚৠâââââââââ
a/n: not spell checked đŹ make sure you check out the rest of the published insta edits for my fics and stay tuned for the upcoming ones đ€
I do not own any of these photos - full credits to original owners.
#đ âčËâ - cute and hughesy insta edit#hockey#nhl imagine#nhl x reader#hockey imagine#nhl fic#nhl fanfiction#nhl hockey#nhl#nhl blurb#nhl insta edit#nhledit#hockey insta edit#hockey blurb#matt rempe fic#matt rempe imagine#matt rempe x reader#matt rempe#matt rempe fanfic#matt rempe insta edit#new york rangers imagine
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i need a jay x reader (can be anything really, fic/drabble/hc whatever is easiest) where he's courting the reader the filipino way to win her heart đ fluff plz. also please please please, add a part where he's singing us a song he wrote for us if yk what i mean ;)
THANK KEW IN ADVANCE LEV IF U MAKE IT<3 hope ur having a good day and don't forget to take care of urself pooks đ
JAY â COURTING YOU
pairings : jay x f!reader đ content / warning(s) : fluff, courting/harana, jay is a absolute gentleman, fluff, non-idol au đ word count : 0.5k ă» archive áą..áą lev notes : took me a while to do this cause my brain was out of creativity >.> hope you like this mootie <3
you and jay met through a mutual friend, and since that first encounter, he's been completely smitten with you.
the two of you hit it off from the start, and jay, with his growing and intense feelings for you day by day, confesses to you during a party hosted by your mutual friend.
you didnât reject him; instead, you explained how you were unsure of your feelings. you knew him well enough to see he was a great guyâyou just werenât sure if you felt the same way yet.
he asks if youâll let him court you, to win your heart through his efforts. with no complaints, you agree to this arrangement.
he makes a lasting impression the very next day, showing up at your door with a bouquet of roses in hand, asking if youâd like to join him for a date.
he takes you to a museum, where you stroll around the exhibits together, allowing him to get to know you even more deeply. afterward, he drives you home safely, the evening ending on a warm note.
thatâs how the two of you fall into a routine: jay arrives at your door, taking you out on casual yet romantic dates, each outing another step in truly knowing each other.
two months pass by in a blur of shared moments and growing warmth between you. then, one fateful night, you receive a text from him, asking you to look out your window. you do just that, and there he isâyour jay, standing in your front yard, guitar in hand, surrounded by flowers scattered all around, creating a scene so romantic youâve only seen in movies.
as he strums his guitar and sings to you, butterflies erupt in your stomach, intensifying with every note. when he finishes, you head downstairs, to finally answer him.
he stands there bashfully, with his hands fidgetting behind him, waiting for you to say something. you give him a cheeky grin as you finally say what he's been wanting for you to say.
"i've gotta admit, you know how to make a girl feel special," you say, smiling. "i tried to take things slow, but youâve completely won me over, jay. iâd be crazy not to want to be with you. so⊠consider this my 'yes.' you're officially my boyfriend."
jayâs eyes light up the moment he hears your answer, his smile widening as relief and happiness wash over his face.
without missing a beat, he closes the space between you, his voice soft but filled with excitement, "you have no idea how long iâve been waiting to hear that," he says, a hint of laughter breaking through. "i promise, iâll make you happier than you can imagine."
in one smooth motion, he pulls you into a gentle hug, holding you as if to make sure this moment is real, whispering, "thank you for giving me a chance⊠for letting me be yours."
as he pulls back just enough to look at you, thereâs that familiar spark in his eyes, and with a teasing smile, he adds, "guess that makes me officially your boyfriend now, huh?"
you roll your eyes playfully at him as he repeats what you just said "yes, yes. you're now my boyfriend officially."
perm taglist.@honeybelleee @honeychocos @manaah02 @kozumesphone (open!) requests. open!
©levandright
#lev writes#áą..áą lev's request#đŠ lev moots#enhypen#enhypen x reader#enhypen fluff#enhypen drabbles#enhypen imagines#enhypen reactions#enhypen scenarios#enhypen soft hours#enhypen soft thoughts#enha x reader#enha imagines#enha drabble#enha scenarios#enha soft thoughts#enha soft hours#jay enhypen#enhypen jay#park jay#jay x reader#jongseong x reader#jay fluff#jongseong fluff
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Update Feyd Fantasy Finale âïž
The finale will be split into THREE parts. 2 will be released ASAP đđ» and the 3rd TBA (all in final stages of being edited) I wrote so much you guys said let it flow. Iâve literally been typing since then⊠just awaiting my beautiful proof reader/editor âđŒproof reader @faegoddessog đ«Šsmut consultant @burnthheparaphilia đ plot consultant @magicovento
Here you are some sneak peeks âșïž â„ïž (I split up the smut requests)
âŒïžSpoilers ahead if you have not read 1-4 âŒïž
Part 1 âą Part 2 âą Part 3 âą Part 4
Thank you for your patience đđŒâșïž
Part 5 Endless Empire NEW!
Feyd Rautha becomes the Baron of Giedi prime and inherits all the responsibilities it entails.
The former Baron Vladimir on his deathbed was enraged at how well you corrupted Feyd. Implanting him with the idea to kill his own uncle in order to ascend as Baron ahead of his time, (keeping you together) . His nephews love and obsession for you disgusts him. But he still wants his favorite prodigy to succeed⊠just without your interference.
He lays a treacherous plot to separate you from Feyd forever.
Smut requests âąFeyd initiating sex while you are distractedâą Feyd denying you an orgasm âąFeyd restraining himself to be gentleâąFeyd addicted to youâą Feyd makes love to you
Part 6 Brazen Baron
Feyd Rautha has a massive coronation. Excitement fills the air as his people look forward to a better future for the planet improving beyond his uncles reign.
Feyd begins blurring all the lines of his Harkonnen heritage for you. Everything he has been raised to value crumbles when heâs in your presence. You give him everything he never knew he desired and his infatuation for you becomes even deeper. His Lord in waiting takes notice and fears for his sanity and rational thought.
Will his undying love for you make him a great ruler or a passive counterfeit?
Smut Requets: Sex against a windowâąsex in the throne roomâą Dom Feyd âąSub Feyd âąFeyd wearing a collar âąFeyd being handcuffed for sexâąFeyd being whipped(with a crop!)âąsemi public sexâą Feyd BJâąsize kinkâą Feyd willing to give up his kingdom for youâą Feyd gives up his kink (what?!
Part 7 Honor & Heir COMPLETE
During your final month of pregnancy you and Feyd are summoned to the Emperors palace on the planet Kaitain by decree. Feyd is upset at any inconveniences to you with his unborn during this fragile time.
You reunite with your Reverend mother in the palatial gardens and a fated decision must be made. The stress of the decision is so great you go into labor. For Feyd his world stops. He drops all of his responsibilities with the Emperor to be by your side.
Requests: Feyd gentle with youâąFeyd adoring youâąFeyd forgoes his pleasure for your own âą face ridingâą Bene Gesserits kidnapping plotâągender revealâąFeyd as a father
More Input from you guys: â
Make it longer â
More talking â
Feyd loses his kink(Im crying) â
Happy ending please
âŹïžThank you for the feedback! â„ïžđâŹïž
Fic Tag List âïž
@faegoddessog @burnthheparaphilia @elvismylove04 @lindszeppelin @obsessedvibee @abswifey @jessica987 @hardcoredisneynerd @austiebuttbutt @oh-my-front-door @slowsweetlove @purejasmine @i5uckersblog @phil2135561 @lovereadingfanfic @steph-speaks @rougegenshin@maloribarnes1999 @meetmeatyourworst @moony-artemis @xxxstormyninixxx @prettypinkblogger @thegabbyh @magicovento @aoi-targaryen @austinswhitewolf @skinny-baby-4eva @mimsie95 @the-wanderer-2022 @jakesullyissopookie @francis-writes @shiranai-atsune @berlinalv @everyonelovesavalet @dacreshoney @caroline334 @szapizzapanda @berlinalv @landlockedmermaid77 @sophroniaclark @moonsoulk @lolllulroofl @emeraldsgirl @larrysdughter28 @alana4610
#feyd rautha x you#feyd rautha x#feyd rautha smut#feyd rautha x reader#feydrautha#feyd x reader#feyd smut#feyd rautha harkonnen#austin butler#austin butler fanfiction#austin butler smut#austin butler x reader#austinbutler#fanfic#austin butler smut fic#smut#austin butler fic#austin butler x fem!reader#feyd x you
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teeth
pairing: park sunghoon x fem!reader
synopsis: if you had known that talking to sunghoon at a club would lead to watching him kill the people you love, would you still talk to him?
genre: thriller (?), strangers to lovers
featuring: enhypen, yunjin, sakura, and chaewon of lsfm, yeonjun of txt, winter of aespa.
warnings: death. lots of death, murder scenes that arent graphic but still descriptive, lots of mentions of blood, attempted sexual assault, mentions of sexual assault, physical abuse, mentions of stalking, sunghoon and all of enhypen are literally murderers so⊠profanity, toxic relationship lol, sunghoon possessive as hell heâs crazy, sunghoon punches yeonjun a couple times, mentions of a knife. lmk if i missed anything!
word count: 18.5k
authorâs note, jakehands comeback and its with an 18k psychotic murderer sunghoon fic. blame enhypenâs concept film and daphne. this is heavily unedited so please ugnore any mistakes idk if i can be bothered to read through this. also PLEASE read the warnings. please im begging you. also i call winter by her real name âminjeongâ in thjs fic becauseâŠactually idk why. i just wrote it like that. u will also see many cameos of other idols that arent included in the featured and the reason for that is bcs the featured people are more Important and have dialouge! anyway. enjoyđ and Read The Warnings.
You werenât a frequent partygoer. You often preferred staying at home and watching whatever videos popped up on your Youtube Recommended. You usually watch Youtube video after Youtube video before you end up passing out with your phone reaching the 20% battery warning. You found comfort in the familiarity of your Youtube algorithm. But going to clubs? That was a whole other side of the world you didnât want to touch.
How unfortunate it was, for you, to have a friend like Huh Yunjin. She was everything you werenât; popular, friendly, a social butterfly, and a total partygoer -- if there was a party nearby, Yunjin was there. She loved parties, she loved alcohol, and she loved making out with girls and boys. Yunjin also enjoyed dragging you to said parties.
So, there you were. Standing in a club with Yunjin to your left and a girl named Sakura to your right. You had only met her a couple of minutes ago, but you were already enjoying her company. She had big eyes, kind of like the cat you had when you were younger. Her smile was extremely pretty so it was no wonder Yunjin always tried her hardest to make Sakura smile.
Sakura was in her last year of college. Soon, thanks to Jessica Day, sheâll have a teaching degree. Sakura was fun to talk to, and Yunjin made sure to include you in any conversation she had with a new face, but you still felt awkward and out of place in a club full of drunk college students clearly having the time of their lives.
âDidnât you hear?â Sakura exclaims next to you. She was talking to Kim Chaewon. You know of her -- softball captain, an SM Town model, and she moves through guys quicker than you expected.
âHear what?â
âThey found Jaehyunâs body,â Sakura says.
You find yourself more interested in Sakura and Chaewonâs conversation than the one Yunjin was trying to insert you in with another one of her friends named Somi. Jaehyun was the soccer teamâs captain for your college. He was also in his final year, and he was getting ready to lead the soccer team to victory at the upcoming championship in a few months. Last week, Jaeyun went missing.
âThey found his body?â Chaewon gasps. âWhere?â
âDown by the lake,â Sakura responds.
Chaewon gasps again. This eggs Sakura on, her voice dropping and you strain to hear the words she says over the loud booming music filling the club. âHe was stabbed twenty-one times,â is all you could hear Sakura say.
You stand straight and push yourself away from the wall you were leaning against. âIâm going to the bathroom,â you tell Yunjin, ducking to whisper it into her ear.
âOh!â Her untoned blonde hair shifts as she faces you, âdo you want me to come with? Itâs probably better if I come with --â
âIâll be okay.â
Yunjin narrows her eyes. âAre you sure? You do know about the recent murders, right?â
You give Yunjin a smile. âIâll be okay.â
Yunjin purses her lips. âCall me if you get into any trouble, okay?â
You roll your eyes and back away from Yunjin and her little group of friends. âOkay, mom.â
You push your way through the crowded dance floor to reach the other side of the club. Yunjin was telling you all about this club on the ride over. It was a popular club, usually filled up to its maximum capacity fifteen minutes after the clubâs doors opened. You could attest to that statement as the line you saw when you arrived at the club was already pretty long.
Since the club was a popular hotspot for young adults, every face you saw was a familiar face. People like Choi Yeonjun and Hwang Hyunjin, two of the most popular dancers on your campus, had taken over the dance floor. Girls and guys flocked to the pair of them like magnets and as you watched them move effortlessly on the dance floor, you couldnât help but wonder if they were exhausted.
Then, in the corner of the club, tucked away in a booth with cocktails in hand, sat Yuna and Lia, their eyes peering out into the crowded club and giggling as they conversed with each other in between taking sips of their drinks. They were clearly gossiping as their eyes focused on Mark Lee flirting with Choi Yena.
You duck into the hallway leading you to the bathroom. Here, it was less crowded and the music sounded further away. You could finally hear yourself breathe, and you could hear your footsteps. Pushing open the door to the femaleâs bathroom, youâre met with the sight of a small line beginning to form.
You smile at the girls in front of you and take your place beside them, resting on the wall beside the hand dryer. Fishing out your phone, you text Yunjin to let her know you reached the bathroom safely, before switching over to Candy Crush.
Youâre able to get to a stall in no time, and as you exit the stall, feeling a bit lighter, youâre shoved to the side as a girl with her hand covering her mouth and her friends all rush into the stall. The sound of retching echoes around the bathroom. You step up to the sink and wash your hands when someone nudges your shoulder.
âHere,â Bae Sumin hands you her mascara. Sheâs friends with Yunjin, thatâs how you know her. âYou should probably retouch your mascara. Have you been wiping your eyes?â
You look in the mirror. Your mascara was slightly smudged and you smile at Sumin. âOh, I didnât realize.â
Sumin smiles. âGirls help girls.â
You hand Sumin back her mascara after touching up your eyelashes and you exit the bathroom, adjusting the length of your black cocktail dress so it covers more of your thighs when you bump into something hard.
You squeak and stumble back, raising your head to see a person standing in front of you. His eyes are dark and his face is hardened. Not a single emotion escapes from the male figure in front of you and your stomach drops. Thereâs a sinister aura clouding him and your heartbeat quickens. âS-sorry,â you stutter meekly, your eyes dropping to your feet.
âItâs okay,â his voice is warm. It contrasts his appearance; icy face, black clothes, and eyes that raise goosebumps. âYou should look where youâre going next time. Especially in a club like this.â
You glance up and smile at the male in front of you. âIâll remember that.â
âI should probably apologize as well,â the male says after some thought, âIâm in a bit of a rush so I didnât see you. So, sorry, are you okay?â
Instead of your heart dropping to your gut, it begins to flutter.
Your cheeks redden. âOh. Iâm okay. Seriously. And you donât need to apologize!â
Thereâs a whisper of a smile on the maleâs face. âAlright. Enjoy the rest of your night, and stay safe.â
Your eyes follow the male as he rushes past you. âYou too!â You call out, your heart racing.
After gaining no response, you compose yourself and step back out into the club. Everything is the same as it was before; Lia and Yuna gossiping in the corner, Mark flirting with Yena, and Yeonjun and Hyunjin owning the dance floor.
Yunjin makes eye contact with you as you approach the small space Yunjin and her friends occupy against the wall of the club. She beams as you and all the nervousness and awkwardness filling your body float away. Maybe going to clubs and partying wasnât so bad.
â-
You groan and let your head drop onto the desk beneath you. The first lecture of the day just ended and even though you thought you were prepared for the course, this upcoming assignment proves how wrong you were. You would never be prepared for any of the assignments your creative writing class has.
Standing, you exit the classroom with your ears still ringing. After Yunjin had pulled you onto the dance floor, you found yourself dancing alongside Yeonjun. You allowed the older to put his hands on your hips as he guided you through the songs playing in the club and you found yourself having fun -- a lot more fun than you usually would have curled up on your bed watching Youtube video after Youtube video. As you think back to last night, you also remember the way your skin crawled with the feeling of someone watching you, but when you looked over your shoulder, you couldnât see anyone.
Shuddering, you step into the sun and begin your brisk walk over to the cafe where you regularly meet up with Yunjin after lectures. It was probably nothing. Since you were having so much fun last night, maybe your brain had decided to try and drag you back down into the pits of distaste and regret of entering unknown territory.
Entering the cafe, you smile at the barista and join Yunjin at your usual table. She was hunched over a piece of paper in front of you, her eyebrows drawn together. âWhy are you staring at the paper like that?â You ask, digging around in your shoulder bag.
âIâm writing lyrics,â Yunjin replies.
âWith your mind?â
âI wish,â Yunjin groans, leaning back on the chair.
You giggle and power up your laptop. At the same time, the cafe door jingles open and a breeze rushes through the room. Someone laughs loudly and your attention is drawn to the group of boys entering the cafe.
Yunjinâs eyes widen and she sits straight in her chair. âNo way. They come to this cafe too?â
You realize who the group of boys were -- Lee Heeseung, Park Jay, Sim Jake, and Park Sunghoon. Theyâre part of a larger group of seven. Often, whenever you mentioned the university you were attending to outsiders, immediately they thought of that group of seven. If your university was mentioned, seven names would be mentioned after.
You donât know much about the group. They keep to themselves and never mingle outside of their small social circle. You donât really see them around campus that much, but you are aware of how all of them excel in academics. Youâre aware that Sim Jake is on the soccer team. Youâre aware Lee Heeseung is on the ice hockey team, and youâre aware Park Sunghoon was a former figure skater.
Park Sunghoon.
Your eyes pass over the taller male and a realization strikes you. His handsome face; his cold aura; his silver hair and full lips -- you bumped into him at the club. You shrink in your seat and hang your head, muttering profanity.
Your cheeks flush when you think of his warm voice, and the gentle look in his eyes when he apologized. The contrasting nature of Sunghoon surprises you. You never thought someone with such a cold face would have such a warm voice -- a warm heart.
âYunjin,â you lean across the table, your voice quiet. âI bumped into Sunghoon last night. In the club.â
Yunjinâs jaw drops. âYou did?! Why didnât you tell me? He didnât hurt you, did he? Did he try to murder you?â
âHuh?â You were confused. âWhy would he want to murder me?â
âYou havenât heard the rumors?â Yunjin asks.
âJen, I only come to campus for my lectures,â you remind her.
âRight. Anyway, thereâs a rumor going around that Sunghoonâs the one doing all the murders. People think heâs some kind of psychopath.â
You raise your eyebrows and glance over at the group of four. Jake and Sunghoon are grinning as they tease Jay who stands between them. âPsychopath?â
âSunghoon was apparently seen with Jaehyun before he was reported missing,â Yunjin explains. âAnd apparently someone saw Sunghoon washing blood off his hands in a public bathroom a couple of nights back.â
You hum and sit back in your chair. âI donât think it was Sunghoon. He apologized to me last night even though I bumped into him.â
Yunjin purses her lips but doesnât say anything. You glance back over at the four boys and you immediately make eye contact with the topic of your conversation. Park Sunghoonâs staring back at you, his face is stoic, and your heart tremors. You attempt a hesitant smile and Sunghoonâs the first to look away.
â-
A week later you end up outside an unfamiliar house. Beside you, Yunjin is talking to a girl named Kazuha and youâre left alone to look up at the mansion-like house in front of you. People are still swarming in and out of the house and you begin to feel claustrophobic even though you havenât entered the house.
âJayâs house,â a voice says behind you. Turning around, you smile at Ryujin. Lia and Yeji are standing behind Ryujin, bickering with Seungmin and Hyunjin but you pay them no mind. âThe first party heâs thrown in a month. His parents banned parties in their family vacation house because of the last party. His parents are out of town for the next month, though, so Jayâs going to throw all the parties he can.â
âThis is their vacation home? Why do they need a vacation home in Seoul even though they live in Seoul?â You gaze back at the house in amazement.
âRich people,â Ryujin responds. âFilthy rich.â
Yunjin reaches out and grabs your forearm. She exchanges a few words with Ryujin and then youâre being pulled into the house. It was loud and overcrowded and everywhere you looked there was alcohol. Yunjin has to practically shout to talk to you, and the flashing party lights force you to squint as you look at the person talking to you.
Sakura was by your side once more and Chaewon was also there. Chaewon greets you with a smile and immediately launches back into her conversation with Sakura. With help from Sakura, you ease into their conversation and Yunjin shoves a plastic cup of some strong alcohol into your hand. Youâve only taken a sip and the bitter taste that spilled down your throat was an uncomfortable taste.
âJaehyunâs death has been ruled a homicide,â Sakura was saying, deeply interested in Jaehyunâs case. âThe police donât have any leads, though, so itâs basically a cold case.â
âHow do you know all this stuff?â You ask Sakura.
Sakura smiles and taps her ears. âI hear everything. Iâm easy to miss in a room.â
âSheâs like a mouse,â Chaewon giggles.
âA mouse draws attention,â you point out. âNo one likes mice.â
âIâm a fly on the wall, then,â Sakura cuts in. âWhatever I am, Iâm a professional eavesdropper and gossiper.â
âYunjin was telling me about the Park Sunghoon rumor,â you decide to test the waters. Surely Sakura and Chaewon know more about these rumors than Yunjin. âIs he really a psychopath? Did he really kill Jaehyun?â
âPark Sunghoon,â Chaewon says, rolling her eyes. âI grew up with him.â
âHe is a very cold person,â Sakura muses, sipping whatever was in her plastic cup.
âSunghoon was an odd boy,â Chaewon continues. âI donât think he has emotions. Or empathy. His sister broke her ankle and he forced her to walk home.â
âReally?â You gasp. Maybe, Park Sunghoon was a cold person with a cold heart.
âEven some of the lecturers are afraid of him,â Sakura says, her tone all-knowing. âThatâs why he easily passes hard classes -- theyâre all too afraid to fail him.â
âSunghoon liked killing things when he was younger,â Chaewon says, scowling. âI caught him stabbing a large rat and then opening up that rat.â Chaewon shudders. âThe look on his face when he caught me still haunts me to this day.â
âSunghoon also has a temper,â Sakura adds, âIâve heard from people heâs done group projects with, that he threatened them all if they didnât do his part of the project for him.â
You begin to feel queasy. The Park Sunghoon youâre hearing about from the people around you isnât the Park Sunghoon you encountered all those nights ago. The Park Sunghoon you encountered was warm. He has a warm voice, and his apology was warm.
You down the rest of the alcohol in your plastic cup even though you donât like the taste. âI need to pee,â you excuse yourself from Chaewon and Sakura and begin walking aimlessly. It would be nice if you were able to find a bathroom, but this house seems to be endless -- everywhere you walk, there are people dancing and kissing. Everywhere you walk, there is alcohol and familiar faces.
Eventually, you find some stairs and make your way up to the second floor. You pad down the hallway, the music still present but a lot more muffled. Aimlessly, you twist and turn through the maze of a hallway and eventually end up in an empty hallway.
Leaning against the wall behind you, you hang your head in your hands. All you can think about is the way Sunghoonâs eyes slightly softened when he apologized to you, and the gentle way he spoke to you when he apologized. You felt like you were going insane.
You hear quick footsteps approaching your empty hallway and you stiffen, your heart racing beneath your ribs. A familiar face rounds the corner and your face softens into a smile. Lee Jaeho was in your sociology class. He was kind to you, and always helped you study for the upcoming exams.
Jaeho seemed to be a bit dazed though. He wasnât walking straight and when he saw you, a bright smile broke out across his face. His words slur together when he greets you and pulls you into a hug, and you know heâs off his face drunk.
âI was looking for you!â Jaeho slurs as he pulls out of the hug, still gripping to your shoulders. âI was told you were in the bathroom but I couldnât find you! I got so worried, Y/N.â
âAh, Iâm sorry,â you apologize with a gentle smile.
âItâs okay,â Jaeho grips your hand in his and pulls you down the hallway.
âWhere are we going, Jaeho?â
âWe need some privacy.â
Your heart races. âOh. Why?â
Jaeho pulls open a door and pushes you inside. The door closes and Jaeho rests his back against the door. Your hands sweat and you rub them against your skirt. âJaeho?â You ask, unsure. âWhy are we in a room?â
âY/N,â Jaeho sounds sure of himself, even if heâs slurring his words. âI like you. Iâve liked you ever since we first talked in Freshman year.â
âOh,â you feel speechless, âthank you for telling me, Jaeho.â
âYou like me back, donât you?â
âOh,â you feel taken aback.
âI see the way you look at me.â Jaeho takes a step closer and you take a step back.
âWhat way do I look at you, Jaeho?â
Jaeho smiles but itâs a different smile. The smell of alcohol invades the room and your breath hitches. âYou look at me like you want me, Y/N. I want you to.â
The back of your knees hit the bed behind you and you fall back onto the bed. Jaeho hovers over you and you feel helpless. âJaeho,â you donât know what to say. âI donât like you like that. I think youâre a nice friend --â
âDonât fucking say that shit,â Jaeho growls. Within a few seconds, his whole demeanor changes and your helplessness turns into fear. He pushes you further back onto the bed and climbs on top. Instantly, your fight or flight response kicks in.
You squirm about on the bed as Jaeho tries to keep you still. Your legs kick up and you shake your head from side to side. âLet go of me, Jaeho,â you beg, your eyes burning.
âStop moving,â Jaeho hisses, his hands squeezing your arms tightly.
You cry out. âJaeho --â
One of Jaehoâs hands curls around your throat and you canât breathe. You attempt to gasp for air but it's pointless. Your legs still kick and your free hand tries to pull Jaehoâs hand away from your throat. Your eyes burn and tears begin to trail down the side of your face.
âYouâre such a fucking bitch,â Jaeho groans.
Jaeho loosens his hand from restricting your right hand to the bed and you take this second of freedom to slap Jaeho across the face. Since heâs drunk, his motor movement is unbalanced. His grip loosens around your throat in shock and you use both of your hands to push Jaeho away.
You scramble off the bed and race over to the door.
âY/N --â Jaeho calls your name. He grabs your wrist as you go to tug open the door.
âLet go of me,â you hiss, anger overtaking the fear.
âY/N -- Iâm sorry -- I --â Jaeho stumbles over his apology, the alcohol influencing his words and actions.
Turning back around, you see red and backhand Jaeho across the face. His head turns sharply to the side and his cheek begins to bleed -- the rings on your fingers mustâve cut into his skin from how hard you backhanded him.
Jaeho turns to look at you and fear replaces the anger you were feeling previously. With a racing heart, you tug open the door and race down the hallway, Jaeho calling your name as he follows you out. Tears stream down your face as you try to find your way back to the party. Maybe you shouldâve asked Yunjin to take you to the bathroom.
Impulsively, you open a door leading to another room and dive inside, shutting the door behind you. You slump against the wall beside the door and cover your mouth with your hand as Jaeho goes charging past the room. Your chest rises and falls rapidly and you canât stop the tears.
You donât know how long you spend in the dark room, your hand pressed to your mouth to muffle your whimpers, when the door opens suddenly. Your hand falls away from your mouth and you whimper as you fall away from the wall.
The silence is loud and you slowly look up, hoping who you see isnât Jaeho but Yunjin.
Park Sunghoon stands above you, frowning. âY/N?â
Your hands cover your face as you break out into sobs. Relief floods your body. Youâre glad that it wasnât Jaeho who opened that door, but Sunghoon -- who is perceived as a psychopathic murderer and you should probably feel even more afraid, but you donât. Because facing a suspected murderer is better than being assaulted at the hands of a friend.
Hands gently pull your own away from your face. A finger tilts your chin up and youâre looking at Sunghoon again. Heâs crouching in front of you, his eyes soft. His thumbs press against your cheeks and brush away the tears streaming down your cheeks. You feel warm in Sunghoonâs presence.
âY/N,â Sunghoon says your name again. âWhat happened?â His voice is light. Itâs not like Jaehoâs tough and demanding tone.
You only shake your head and cry some more in response. You can still feel the phantom squeeze of Jaehoâs hands on your throat.
The fingers curled around your chin tighten ever so slightly. âY/N,â Sunghoonâs voice is deeper and a bit demanding -- like Jaehoâs voice moments before, but you donât feel scared, you still feel safe. âTell me what happened.â
You inhale sharply and focus on Sunghoonâs face. His eyes are no longer soft, instead, theyâre the familiar darkness you saw when you first met him. His lips are screwed into a straight line. His face is cold, but his hands and his heart are warm. âJaeho,â you whisper. âHe --â gently, your hand brushes against your neck. âHe strangled me.â
Sunghoon doesnât say anything. His hands slip away from your face and he rises to his feet. âYour friends are worried about you, Y/N. Letâs go back to the party.â You take his outstretched hand and stand. You wipe away the last of your tears and follow Sunghoon out of the room.
âDid Jaeho do anything else?â Sunghoon asks. You have to quicken your pace to keep up with Sunghoonâs long strides. He easily moves through the house which reminds you that heâs friends with the owner of this house.
You donât say anything in response to Sunghoon. Should you tell him or not? Would he believe you or not? Would he excuse Jaehoâs actions by saying he was drunk and drunk people donât know what theyâre doing?
âY/N,â Sunghoon interrupts your thoughts. âI asked you a question.â
âHe didnât do anything else,â you say quietly.
Sunghoon huffs and grips your shoulders, forcing you to stop walking. The two of you stand in the middle of the dark hallway, Sunghoonâs face close to yours as he bends down to meet your eyes. âAre you sure?â
âWhy do you care so much?â You retort, curiosity finally appearing through the fear you felt. Why did Sunghoon care so much about you? And what Jaeho did to you? You donât even know Sunghoon. You just know he attends your college and hangs out with six other boys. (You also know about the rumors, but you donât care for them because Sunghoonâs shown heâs not the psychopathic murderer the rumors say he is.)
âBecause no man should ever lay his hands on a woman,â was Sunghoonâs response. âSo, Iâll ask you again. Did Jaeho do anything else?â
Sunghoonâs eyes shine with intent -- he meant what he said. You find some kind of relief looking into Sunghoonâs eyes, you would have someone on your side. âJaeho, he -- he said he liked me, and then he --â you break off your sentence and shrug. You canât seem to force the bitter words out of your mouth. He almost forced me to have sex with him.
âI understand,â Sunghoon says in response. He turns away, but you catch his hand.
âYou wonât tell anyone, will you?â You ask Sunghoon.
âDo you want me to?â
You shake your head. âPlease donât tell anyone. Donât tell my friends. Can you keep this between us? Please?â Your eyes are wide as you beg Sunghoon, and you grip his hand tightly. You really donât want anyone finding out about what happened between you and Jaeho.
Sunghoon smiles softly. âIâll take it to my grave, Y/N.â
âThank you, Sunghoon,â you sigh in relief.
âThereâs no need to thank me yet, Y/N,â Sunghoon hums. âWhich Jaeho are we talking about, by the way?â
âLee Jaeho,â you descend the stairs leading to the party with Sunghoon. The music sounds louder than it was before. âHe was in our Freshman sociology class.â
âI hated that class,â Sunghoon grumbles.
You giggle and Sunghoonâs eyes light up.
â-
The morning after, you exit your lecture with your phone buzzing away in your pocket. Jaeho had been trying to contact you all day, and now that it was late afternoon, you were beginning to grow tired of his spam messages.
Scowling, you reach into your pocket and pull out your phone. Jaehoâs messages fill up your lock screen and as you scroll through all his messages to try and find a worthwhile notification, the glare of the sun fades away.
âY/N.â
Looking up, Sunghoon is standing in the way of the sun beaming down on you. âSunghoon,â you were surprised to find the male outside your lecture. âWhat are you doing here?â
âI came to see you,â Sunghoon responds easily. âWhere are you going now?â
âTo the cafe on campus. I usually meet up with Yunjin there after all our lectures are finished,â you explain to Sunghoon as he falls into step beside you.
âIâll walk you there,â Sunghoon says, smiling softly.
Your heart flutters.
âHas Jaeho tried to talk to you?â Sunghoon asks.
Your smile is tight. âHeâs been messaging me all day. Itâs getting annoying.â
âWill you hear him out?â
âFuck no. Iâll never forgive him for what he did, even if he was drunk.â
âBeing drunk is no excuse, Y/N,â Sunghoon says.
You hum. âYeah. How do you even know who I am, anyway?â You look at Sunghoon eagerly, the curiosity within you brimming. Ever since Sunghoon uttered your name last night, you had been curious -- how did Sunghoon know who you were? And why did he care this badly about you? It wasnât like you were in the same circle as him. Youâve been holed up in your dorm for most of your college life, and the one time you go out to party, you somehow get involved with Park Sunghoon.
Sunghoon laughs like you just asked him an incredibly bizarre question. âY/N, we had classes together freshman year. Donât you remember?â
âOf course I remember!â You splutter, your cheeks heating up. âI didnât expect you to remember.â
Sunghoon raises an eyebrow. âYouâre not easy to forget, Y/N.â
Itâs like you forget how to function. Youâre not easy to forget. Who just says that? You canât breathe and you canât feel your heart beating. Your fingers feel numb and your stomach is an ocean of butterflies. And this is all because of Sunghoon. The so-called psychotic murderer.
âYou canât just say that, Sunghoon!â You exclaim, your cheeks heating up.
Sunghoon shrugs. âItâs true. You were the prettiest girl Iâve ever seen -- still the prettiest girl Iâve ever seen.â
(Sunghoonâs words were driving you crazy -- why? Because itâs been two years since your last relationship. Having someone talk about you like this is only furthering your growing infatuation with the taller, brooding boy.)
âI was always jealous whenever you talked to other guys.â
âExcuse me?â You were taken aback by this piece of news. Sunghoon was jealous? Back in freshman year?
âI wanted to be the one you talked to,â Sunghoon admits with ease. âI wanted all of your attention.â
You truly donât know what to think. Sunghoonâs words are driving you crazy. Thereâs so much to take in. Thereâs so much to discover you probably wonât sleep at all tonight.
âOh, weâre here,â Sunghoon doesnât sound too happy. Itâs a shame your heart feels the same way. You donât want to leave Sunghoonâs side, but from the way Yunjinâs looking at you from inside the cafe, you wonât be allowed to ditch this hangout.
âThank you for walking me, Sunghoon,â you say. âIt was nice talking to you.â
âLikewise. Do you have my number?â
Seriously. Sunghoon never fails to surprise you.
âNo.â
âDo you want my number?â
You pull out your phone in lieu of a response.
âText or call me if you see Jaeho,â Sunghoon says, waving goodbye after you exchange numbers. âIâll answer right away.â
You snort and Sunghoon frowns. âIâm serious, Y/N.â
You hate how his words warm you.
âSee you around, Sunghoon.â
âDefinitely,â Sunghoon grins and you step into the cafe, exhaling deeply.
â-
An alumnus of your university was found dead in the alleyway beside your dorm building. His name was Taeyong. You remember him as the senior that always vaped during his lectures. He was a nice guy, though, always ready to help out anyone who asked for help.
You canât help but shiver every time you pass by the crime scene all taped up with yellow tape hindering anyone from entering the scene. Itâs been a few days since Sunghoon walked you to the cafe -- that was also the day Taeyon was killed. His time of death was put at around 11:30 PM. His death has also been ruled as a homicide.
Youâve been texting Sunghoon often. Most of the texts are short and dry, but seeing Sunghoonâs text notifications amidst all of Jaehoâs makes your heart leap in excitement. Anything to do with Sunghoon sends your heart into overdrive after his smooth talking a couple of days back.
Other than Sunghoonâs texts brightening your day, youâve been on edge walking back to your dorm in the late hours of the evening. You canât help but feel like someoneâs watching you walk back to your dorm. Your spine always tingles and your heartbeat is loud in your ears as you walk home. You donât listen to music anymore, opting to stay alert in case youâre the next victim of whoever is killing the students who attend your university.
âYouâre still talking to Sunghoon?â Yunjin asks, peering over your shoulder as you text Sunghoon while you were both at the cafe.
âYep.â
âHeâs a murderer, Y/N.â
You snort and glance at Yunjin. âItâs rumored heâs a murderer. I donât understand why anyone would listen to what comes out of Minjeongâs mouth anyway. Sheâs always talking bullshit.â
âY/NâŠâ Yunjin sighs.
âI know,â you reply softly. âBut Iâm fine. Seriously. Sunghoon treats me nicely. You donât have to be so afraid, Jen. I know you mean well, but canât you trust me?â
âFine,â Yunjin scowls. âBut just so you know, I have an âI told you soâ ready.â
You grin. âOf course you do. I should probably get going, my shift starts soon.â You rise from your sit and wave goodbye to Yunjin as you exit the cafe. You work at a nearby convenience store, the owner of the convenience store was quite nice so you didnât mind working there, but the shifts you got were sometimes not ideal.
Today, you had the five to ten shift. When you got there, you exchanged a few words with your coworker that was leaving and then you begin to serve the customers entering the store. Slowly, the amount of customers entering the exiting the store dies down and you begin to pass the time by playing games on your phone.
Youâre so focused on the game youâre playing that you don't hear the familiar bell jingling to alert you to a new customer, nor do you hear voices loudly discussing what they wanted to buy. You curse under your breath as you fail the Candy Crush level once more, and someone clears their throat.
The familiar faces of Jay, Heeseung, and Jake all stare at you as a blush quickly rises to your cheeks. âOh. Hi! Sorry about that,â you push your phone out of view and begin to scan their items. âWould you like a bag?â
âSure,â Jay says.
Itâs awkward as you scan their items.
âYouâre Y/N, right?â Jay finally breaks the silence.
âYeah.â You donât know why your heart begins to race.
âWhy are you involving yourself with Sunghoon?â
âPardon?â You glance up at Jay, frowning.
âYouâre aware of the rumors, right?â Jay asks with a shrug, âI just donât know why you would hang around Sunghoon.â
You snort. âI think I should be the one asking you that. Youâre his friends, after all.â
âBrothers,â Jake pipes up. âWeâre brothers. We grew up together.â
âOh,â you smile at Jake. âThatâs cute.â
âLook,â Jay says, bringing your attention back to him. âAll Iâm saying is that you should be careful, Y/N.â
You ignore Jay and read out the total showing on your screen. âAre you trying to say thereâs some truth to those rumors?â You ask as Jay searches for his wallet.
Jay looks at you for a long time. You begin to feel uneasy and your stomach swoops. With the way Jayâs looking at you, there must be some kind of truth to the rumors swirling about. Maybe Sunghoon is a murderer. Maybe youâre his next victim.
You try to play off the unease you feel. âWhatever. Iâm my own person, I can make my own assumptions about people. I donât appreciate people telling me who I should and shouldnât talk to, or hang out with. Would you like your receipt?â
âSure,â Jay holds his hand out. âKeep the change, though. I donât need it.â
âSure, whatever.â You hate how easily Jay got underneath your skin.
âLook, Y/N, just be careful, okay?â Jay says gently. âYou have Sunghoonâs number, right?â
You nod your head.
âDonât be afraid to call it. See you around.â Jay nods his head at you and turns around, leaving the store with Jake. Heeseung hangs back and turns to you, smiling lightly. âCould I have the change? Jay may not need it, but I do.â
âSure,â you hand Heeseung the change.
âJay means well,â Heeseung says, pocketing the change. âHeâs just⊠overprotective.â
âI guess thatâs understandable.â
âAnd, seriously, donât hesitate to call Sunghoon when you need to escape aâŠsticky situation.â You watch as Heeseungâs face lights up while he talks and you feel as though youâre being left out of an inside joke.
âHeeseung,â Jake calls out, poking his head into the convenience store. âCâmon, we have things to do.â
âSee you, Y/N.â Heeseung salutes you goodbye before exiting the store, leaving you all alone.
The three boys leave you alone with your thoughts for the rest of your shift. Your shift rushes by quickly, and before you know it, youâre exiting the convenience store into the windy night. Shuddering, you tug your coat closer and begin your walk back to your dorm.
Pulling out your phone, you shoot Yunjin a text to let her know youâre on your way home. After pocketing your phone, a hand reaches out and clamps over your mouth before pulling you into a nearby alley. Your shrieks are muffled by the hand and your arms are restrained as youâre pulled further into the alley.
Youâre thrown onto the ground, your knees scraping the ground harshly, and your palms begin to sting. Huffing, you push your hair out of your face and look up to see Jaeho standing over you. Your eyes widen in fear and you struggle to stand. Your legs feel numb and your heart is racing at an incredible pace it makes you feel lightheaded.
âJaeho?â
âY/N,â Jaeho doesnât sound happy. The tone of his voice sets you on edge and you immediately begin to search for a way out. âWhy havenât you been responding to me?â
You look back at Jaeho. âYou pulled me into an alley to ask that?â
âDonât play with me, Y/N,â Jaeho threatens. âIf you scream no one will hear you.â He takes a step forward and you take a step back, hitting the cold brick wall.
âYouâre a piece of shit, Jaeho, thatâs why I wasnât responding.â
Jaeho slaps you across the face. It stings and you take a deep, shuddering breath. Your hands curl into fists and you try to keep your emotions under control.
âHow many more times do you want me to say sorry, Y/N? I was drunk, I wasnât thinking straight -- I didnât mean what I did that night. Why are you acting like such a bitch about it? You know you can reject me, right? Iâm not going to make a big deal about it.â
âIâve already rejected you, Jaeho,â you spit. âI did it the night you almost tried to have sex with me, and Iâve been doing it for the past few days by not responding to you. God, canât you take the hint? Iâm not interested. Youâre so stupid.â
Jaeho takes a step back and holds up his hands. âI obviously donât remember you rejecting me while I was drunk. But, thank you for finally giving me a clear rejection. Now, Iâll apologize once more. Sorry, Y/N. Can we be friends again?â
âWhy the fuck would I want to be friends with a rapist and an abuser, Jaeho?â
âYou fucking bitch --â
âGet away from me!â You shriek, using all your strength to push Jaeho back. He stumbles over the trash bags sitting behind him and thereâs a loud whacking sound as his head makes contact with the edge of the large garbage container. Jaeho slumps to the ground, not moving.
Youâre suspended in time. You stare at Jaehoâs lifeless body. Something weird simmers in your stomach and you contemplate turning and leaving Jaeho to rot away in this alley. A car backfiring sends the world spinning and you snap out of your daze.
âHoly shit. Fuck. Fuck. Jaeho?â You rush over to Jaeho and reach out to shake him. He flops around lifelessly. âThis is so not funny, Jaeho. Fuck. Wake up!â After a minute of trying to shake Jaeho awake, you sit back on your heels and bury your head in your hands. âFuck. Fuck. Fuck.â You repeat over and over.
Your hands shake as you pull out your phone. You open up Yunjinâs contact information but gnaw on your bottom lip as your finger hovers over the call button. You look back at Jaeho lying lifelessly in front of you, the side of his head bleeding profusely before you exit Yunjinâs contact and click on Sunghoonâs.
It only rings once.
âY/N?â
âOh my god. Sunghoon. I -- I need your help.â
âY/N? Where are you?â
âSunghoon, I think I just -- oh my god.â
âY/N. Where are you?â
You break out into loud sobs. âI didnât mean to do it. I swear, Sunghoon. I swear.â
âY/N --â
âIâm down some alley,â you say between your sobs. âI donât know where I am. Jaeho dragged me here.â
Sunghoon swears and you hear muffled voices. âStay where you are, Iâll find you.â The call ends and youâre left alone with Jaehoâs lifeless body. You try to muffle your sobs and steady the beating of your heart but it doesnât work as images of Jaeho hitting his head against the metal garbage container replay over and over.
âY/N.â A voice shouts down the alleyway some minutes later. Then you hear footsteps rapidly hitting the ground and slowly, Sunghoon comes into view. âY/N,â he says again, this time in relief.
Sunghoon pulls you up and cups your face gently. He wipes away your tears again and smooths out your hair. âWhat happened, Y/N? Are you hurt? Are you okay?â His rapid questions and the warm concern in his eyes make your head hurt. You just want to be in your dorm already, tucked beneath your blankets next to Yunjn.
âSunghoon,â you whisper. âIt was an accident. I didnât mean to kill him.â
âWhat? Kill who?â Sunghoonâs hands grip your face tighter and he pulls you close. His whole demeanor changes after hearing your previous words.
âBehind you.â
Sunghoon turns and finally sees Jaehoâs body -- except, you see him sitting up. You gasp and break free from Sunghoon, crouching down beside Jaeho. He blinks a couple of times and glances around his surroundings as though he was trying to remember how he got here.
âJaeho,â you cry out. âOh my god Iâm so sorry I didnât mean to --â
Jaeho grabs your wrist tightly, a vicious sneer carved on his face. âYou slut. Are you trying to kill me? Why would you fucking push me like that? Youâre not getting away with this, Y/N.â
âNo -- Jaeho -- I --â
âY/N. Move away.â
Looking over your shoulder, you see Sunghoon staring down at both of you with a cold expression. A metal pipe dangles in his right hand.
âSunghoon?â
âMove away,â he repeats, now looking at Jaeho.
You move to the side, Jaehoâs hand easily slipping away from your wrist.
âWhen did you get here?â Jaehoâs sneer falls off his face as Sunghoon corners him against the garbage container. Jaehoâs eyes flit over to you. âDid the fucking bitch call you? Of course she did. Y/N starts arguments she canât finish because sheâs pathetic. All bark no bite.â
Sunghoon crouches down in front of Jaeho and presses his fingers against the cut on the side of his head. Jaeho flinches. Pulling his fingers away, theyâre covered in blood, and the smile that spreads across Sunghoonâs face chills you to the bone.
Slowly, Sunghoon licks Jaehoâs blood off his fingers. You canât look away.
âWhat the fuck, man?â Jaeho exclaims.
Rising to his feet, the smile slips from Sunghoonâs face. He raises the metal pipe in his right hand and swings it through the air, whacking Jaeho in the head with it. The boy cries out and sprawls across the concrete, his hands coming up to clutch the side of his face.
Sunghoon doesnât stop. He swings the metal pole through the air and hits Jaeho again. And again. This time, with two hands. Jaeho canât defend himself as Sunghoon hits him in the head with the pole over and over again. You canât move, your hands covering your mouth as you watch blood splatter the concrete beneath Jaeho, the brick wall beside him, the garbage container behind him, and Sunghoon in front of him.
Sunghoon stops once Jaeho is no longer whimpering in pain. The bloody metal pole drops to the ground and Sunghoon turns around, brushing his hair away from his face. Thereâs a bloodlust look on his face that uproots your body and you begin to move away from Sunghoon as he steps forward.
âGet the fuck away from me,â you warn shakily.
Sunghoon doesnât listen and he continues to walk closer.
âIâm serious, Sunghoon. Why the fuck did you do that?â
âDo what, Y/N?â Sunghoon asks.
âIâm not in the mood for this. You just fucking murdered Jaeho.â
âHe was going to die anyway,â Sunghoon shrugs.
âWhat the fuck,â you whisper. âYouâre crazy.â
Sunghoon grins in response and you open your mouth to scream. In a matter of seconds Sunghoon has you pushed back up against the brick wall, a hand over mouth while his other arm is lightly pressed against your throat.
âAre you fucking dumb, Y/N?â Sunghoon hisses. âWhy the fuck would you scream? You do know this is now considered a crime scene, right? If you scream, youâll attract attention, and I donât think you want attention right now considering you watched me beat Jaeho to death.â
Reality finally sinks in for you. âOh my god,â you say. âYou killed Jaeho and I -- I watched. Oh my god. I didnât stop you. Oh my god.â Your head spins and everything feels woozy. Your knees give out but Sunghoon is there to catch you.
âY/N, listen to me,â Sunghoon demands. âLet me make a call. And then, Iâm going to walk you back to your dorm. Youâll take a shower, eat something, and maybe drink something, and then youâll go to bed, okay? Let me handle Jaeho. Iâll come for you when everything has been handled. Do not call or text me, okay?â
You donât say anything. You still feel like youâre floating.
Sunghoonâs hands squish your cheeks as he shakes your head from side to side. âY/N. Say something. I need to know you understand me.â
âYes.â You blurt. âOkay. I understand.â
Sunghoon smiles gently and you donât understand how he could smile like that after ruthlessly murdering someone. You feel Sunghoon kiss your forehead. âYou did a good job, okay?â Sunghoon pulls away from you and helps you to the ground, letting you draw your knees to your chest. âYou should always call me before you call anyone else, okay? Iâll always be there to help you.â
You nod your head.
Sunghoon tsks. âRepeat after me, Y/N. Youâll call me before you call anyone else.â
âIâll call you before I call anyone else,â you repeat in a small voice.
Sunghoon smiles, his hand running through your hair and caressing your cheek. âGood girl.â He stands and walks away, and you bury your head into your arms.
â-
Be normal is what Sunghoon whispered to you two days ago before he allowed you to enter your dorm. You needed to act normal and thatâs what you did. You made sure to engage with Yunjin and politely talk to any of her friends who hung out with the both of you during the two days after you watched Sunghoon murder Jaeho.
You havenât seen Sunghoon in two days, nor have you contacted him. Youâve seen his younger friends around campus but you donât have the confidence to approach them.
Youâre having nightmares now. Jaeho is always present and you always wake up sweating. You havenât gotten much sleep so you move through your school days zombie-like. The nightmare is always the same scenario; Jaehoâs chasing after you. He corners you in an alley and he beats you to death with the exact metal pole Sunghoon used on him.
News of Jaehoâs disappearance spread quickly across campus. His friends were the last to see him -- he had walked out of his apartment without telling them where he was going. At any mention of Jaeho, you freeze up. You canât help it.
The doors to your lecture theater swing open and youâre drawn back to the present. The headmaster of your university, who youâve only seen a few times, enters the lecture hall flanked by two policemen. A ripple of whispers runs through the lecture hall and your heart begins to beat quicker.
âIs L/N Y/N here today?â
All eyes turn to you and you shrink into your seat.
âMiss. Y/N would you please come with us? We have a few questions to ask,â one of the police officers addresses you. You pack up your things and slide out of your seat. Everyone is watching you as you walk over to the headmaster and the two policemen. You already know what this will be about.
Thereâs a brisk silent walk over to an empty lab. The headmaster exchanges a few words with the two policemen before he leaves you alone in their company. Your head is bowed as you sit at one of the tables, a microscope beside you and a petri dish in front of you.
âL/N Y/N?â One of the policemen asks.
You raise your head. âThatâs me.â
âIâm Officer Kim and this is Officer Jeong. We have a few questions for you regarding the disappearance of Lee Jaeho.â
You nod your head.
âFirst, Iâll ask you an easy question. What was Jaeho to you? A friend?â
You open your mouth but struggle to answer. Was Jaeho a friend? You think back to the night at the party when he lay his hands on you without your consent. He lost the privilege to be called a friend the moment he climbed on top of you -- but, he was drunk and he had apologized to you numerous times. Doesnât that restore the title of friendship?
âYeah, we were friends,â you agree softly.
Itâs silent as Officer Jeong notes some things down. âWe managed to retrieve Jaehoâs phone,â Officer Kim says, pulling out a sealed bag containing Jaehoâs phone. Your heart skips a beat and your eyes widen. They found his phone?
âHis phone?â You question.
Officer Kim nods his head. âWe found it discarded on the roadside. Obviously, itâs been smashed, but we were able to retrieve the chip.â Officer Kim eyes you. âDo you know what Iâm about to ask you?â
You donât respond. Your hands curl into fists beneath the table and your nails dig into your palms.
âWhy had Jaeho been texting you frequently up until his death? And why werenât you responding?â
âThatâs a private matter.â
Officer Kim smiles. âPrivate or not, we need to know.â
âI donât think you need to know.â You donât want to admit the truth. You donât want to tell the police that Jaeho had assaulted you. Admitting it to Sunghoon was terrifying enough but to officers of the law?
âCan I be frank, Y/N?â
âSure.â
âYouâre a prime suspect in this investigation. I think you might want to tell us everything you know, otherwise you may end up being convicted for something you didnât do.â
You lower your head and stare at the tabletop. Your fingernails dig deeper into your palm. âI wasnât responding because he assaulted me.â You were scared to look at the police officers. You were scared to see what their expressions were. âHe assaulted me and he was texting me apologies but I was ignoring him because I didnât want to forgive him.â
Itâs silent and you slowly look up. Officer Kim gives you a gentle smile. âThank you for telling us, Y/N.â
Officer Jeong writes something down and you nod your head. âI have another question for you,â you watch Officer Kim place a sheet of paper on the table. On the paper, is a printed-out screenshot of an Instagram DM.
âPark Sunghoon sent Jaeho a threatening message on Instagram two days before his death. Park Sunghoon mentioned you by name, telling Jaeho to stay away from you or he will do something he wonât regret. Did you know about this?â
You stare at the piece of paper and read Sunghoonâs message to Jaeho. Something swirls around in your stomach and you shift uncomfortably in your chair. âNo,â you respond. âI didnât know about that.â
âDo you have any idea as to why Park Sunghoon would send that message?â
âHe found me,â you say, swallowing thickly, âafter Jaeho assaulted me. I told him what happened. I didnât expect him to send Jaeho that message, heâs just a bitâŠ.â you think back to the night Jaeho was murdered. Sunghoon didnât hesitate to pick up your call, he found you in a matter of minutes, and he promised to take care of everything for you. âHeâs a bit overprotective.â
âAlright. Thank you.â Officer Kim slides the piece of paper away and clears his throat. âEarlier, we interrogated Park Sunghoon as he is the suspect at the top of our list. We were able to confiscate his phone for a few hours and we found that you had called him on the night of Jaehoâs disappearance at 10:10 for two minutes. Jaehoâs roommates told us Jaeho left the apartment at ten oâclock. Ten minutes before you made the call.â
âI did call him.â
âWhy?â
You have two choices -- do you tell the truth, or do you lie? Do you blame Sunghoon for Jaehoâs murder, or do you allow the blame to fall on someone else? Do you throw Sunghoon to the pack of wolves, or do you live in misery and guilt for the rest of your life?
âI called him because he usually walks me home at night,â you tell Officer Kim. âI work at a convenience store and my shift ends at ten. Ever since Jaeho assaulted me I have been scared to walk alone in the dark. Sunghoon offered to walk me home after each of my shifts.â
âOkay,â Officer Kim nods his head. âYour shift ends at ten, but you called him at ten past.â
âI was waiting for him. I canât walk home alone in the dark anymore, I get scared and sometimes have panic attacks. I donât care how long I waited for Sunghoon, I was just happy he eventually showed up after I called him.â
âOkay,â Officer Kim smiles once more. âThank you. One last question. How would you describe your relationship with Park Sunghoon?â
Youâre not sure what that has to do with the investigation, but you answer anyway. âItâsâŠComplicated.â
âAlright. Thank you for your time, Y/N.â
âNo problem. Can I go?â
âYes, you can. Weâll be in touch.â Officer Kim waves you goodbye. You gladly grab your bag and leave the classroom, exhaling in relief as you shut the door behind you.
âThey got you too, huh?â
You snap your head to the side. âSunghoon!â
The silver-haired boy grins and beckons you over to him. âHello, Y/N, long time no see?â
You scowl. âFuck you, Sunghoon.â
Sunghoon grabs your hand. âLetâs go somewhere private, Y/N. Thereâs a lot we need to talk about.â
âYeah,â you snort, âespecially about how youâre a fucking psychopathic murderer.â
Sunghoon grins at you from over your shoulder. You feel unsettled but you allow Sunghoon to drag you across campus. You thought you would be more angry seeing him, but instead you feel oddly comforted -- and that terrifies you.
â-
Sunghoon takes you to his apartment. Itâs flash like you expected, and Jake is lying on the couch in the living room when you enter. The television is blaring loudly as Jake watches some crime documentary on a channel youâve never heard of.
âDo you want anything to eat? Or drink?â Sunghoon asks.
âNo. I want to talk about what happened with Jaeho,â you hiss, glancing at Jake who was fully absorbed in the documentary.
âDonât worry about Jake,â Sunghoon informs you, pulling out a can of coca cola from the fridge. âHeâs also killed some people. He helped me with Jaeho, in fact.â
You stare at Sunghoon, and then at Jake. âWhat -- what the fuck.â
âI kill people, Jake kills people, Jay kills people -- we all kill people,â Sunghoon says bluntly.
You donât know what to say. You stare at Sunghoon, your bag dropping to the floor and your heart pounds in your chest. âWhy -- why are you telling me this? What if I go to the police?â
Sunghoon laughs, leaning against the kitchen counter. âYou wonât tell anyone, Y/N.â
âBut what if I do?â
Sunghoon smirks. âThen Iâll have to kill you. And I donât want to kill you, Y/N, youâre too pretty to be killed.â
âYouâre disgusting,â you spit.
âIâm disgusting and yet youâre standing in my apartment.â
You scowl at Sunghoon.
âHow did the interrogation go? What did Kim ask you?â
âHe asked me about Jaeho,â you reply, âI had to tell him about Jaeho assaulting me.â
âOh, Iâm sorry,â Sunghoon says gently.
âNo youâre not,â you retort. âYouâre a psychopath, you donât feel things.â
Sunghoon hums. âThatâs true, Y/N, but I feel things for you.â
âI also lied,â you tell Sunghoon. âThey asked me why I called you and I lied. Happy?â
Sunghoon beams. âVery.â He reaches out to pat your cheek. âYouâre a very good girl, Y/N.â
âWhatever,â you mumble, hating the way your heart leaps at Sunghoonâs words.
âSo,â Sunghoon gestures for you to take a seat at the dining table. âDo you have any questions?â
âHow much time do you have?â
âFor you? As much time as you want,â Sunghoon replies.
You scowl. âShut up.â
Sunghoon laughs and sips his drink. âSo?â
âFine. How did you know where I was?â
âEasy. Iâve been following you home most nights, but I couldnât that night because I was having a group meeting. Since I knew the path you take home, I was able to find you easily.â
You gape at Sunghoon. âYouâve been stalking me?â
Sunghoon shrugs. âWell, when you put it like that it doesnât sound good.â
âWhy have you been stalking me?â
âI was following you because I wanted to make sure you were safe,â Sunghoon replies smoothly.
âOh. Okay.â You know you should be throwing a fit and telling Sunghoon that stalking you was wrong, but the way Sunghoon smoothly admitted to stalking you, made your chest feel warm. You donât know how to describe it, but the idea of knowing Sunghoon was keeping you safe did something to you.
Sunghoon raises his eyebrows but he doesnât say anything.
âWhy did you kill Jaeho? Why are you a murderer? What the fuck is happening? Are you the one doing all the killings?â
âI killed Jaeho because he deserved it, Y/N,â Sunghoon says. âHe shouldnât be walking around without consequences for his actions.â
You eye Sunghoon as he talks, and a thrill runs up your spine. You donât know how to describe your emotions. You donât know how to describe the fire thatâs burning in the pit of your stomach. The way Sunghoon is speaking -- the way his eyes look -- itâs all so thrilling. A pretty face with a twisted mind. Something within you keens to know more. The idea that Sunghoon is willing to kill for you does something.
âKilling Jaehyun was easy,â Sunghoon grins. Itâs a maniacal grin. You shift in your seat and edge closer. âHe was indebted to Heeseung. Couldnât repay Heeseung, so we killed him.â
âJust like that?â You ask, your heart thumping wildly.
Sunghoon smiles at you. Itâs softer and he tilts his head, âjust like that, sweetheart.â
âYou killed Taeyong, too?â
Sunghoonâs smile reveals his teeth. His tongue licks his teeth and he calls out to Jake, who pokes his head over the back of the couch, his honey-blonde hair falling over his face. âYou killed Taeyong?â
Jakeâs grin is ecstatic. His eyes light up and he nods his head like how a dog wags their tail. âHell yeah, dude! You shouldâve been there, it was so fucking satisfying. Seeing him slump to the ground?â Jake presses a hand to his cheek and sighs. âIâd do it all over again.â Jake falls away from the back of the couch, tuning back into the documentary and you turn back to Sunghoon.
âYouâre all fucking crazy,â you exclaim, astonished and breathless.
âFucking crazy and doing what everyone else is afraid to.â Sunghoon reaches out and plays with the strings of your hoodie. You edge closer to Sunghoon and stare at him, all the anger you felt for a few minutes had evaporated. You felt a weird sense of comfort and longing. It made you feel sick, but the longing overpowered it. Sunghoon killed Jaeho for you. He followed you home to keep you safe. No oneâs done that before and any sane or rational person would fear for their life and beg the police to keep them safe but you -- you want to know how far Sunghoon will go.
âSo. No other reason for killing Jaeho? And for stalking me? And giving me your number?â
Sunghoon hums, his index finger brushing your chin as he wraps the string around his finger. âWell, I guess there is another reason.â
âWhich is?â
Sunghoon looks at you, his eyes dark and your gut drops to your feet. âI love you, Y/N,â his voice was deep and you feel goosebumps rise across your skin.
âYou donât know me, Sunghoon.â
âDo I have to know you to love you?â
You draw away from Sunghoon, the string unraveling from around his finger. âYouâre crazy.â
Sunghoon chuckles and leans back in his chair, pushing a hand through his hair. âI know. Thatâs all youâve said in the past five minutes. Do you have anything other than youâre crazy, to say?â
You stare at Sunghoon. You have many things to say, many sentences running through your mind. Where to begin? How do you say what youâre feeling? How do you admit to Sunghoon that you donât mind him doing all this for you?
You grab Sunghoon by the collar of his shirt and kiss him. It doesnât take long for Sunghoon to respond. His hands cup your face and he pulls you close, leaving you on the edge of your seat. You kiss him with everything in you. You give and Sunghoon takes. He stokes the fire burning within your stomach and you just want him to devour you. Sunghoon bites down on your bottom lip, his tongue slipping past your lips, and pleasure rushes through your bloodstream. You want more of Sunghoon. More more more more more --
Your phone vibrates against the table. You leave it, but it keeps on vibrating and Sunghoon is the one to part. You chase Sunghoonâs lips, but he keeps you away, his thumb resting against your bottom lip. âYou should answer that, Y/N.â
âOkay,â you say breathlessly. You reach for your phone, not taking your eyes off Sunghoon. âHello?â
âY/N,â Yunjin cries, jolting you. Her sob rips loudly through the phone and Sunghoon gives you a questioning look. Behind you, Jakeâs phone rings out and he groans, pausing the documentary to answer the phone. âHaechanâs dead, Y/N.â
â-
Itâs been two long days since the death of Haechan. Yunjin was in the library when it happened, thatâs why she called you sobbing. Haechan was only a couple of bookcases behind her when the murder occurred, and it really shook her up.
You had raced down to the campus library hot on Sunghoon and Jakeâs heels. The phone call Jake had got at the same time as you was from Heeseung, who was, in fact, the one who killed Haechan. When you arrived at the crime scene, Heeseung was talking with Beomgyu and Jeongin, tightly huddled next to each other.
Yunjin threw herself into your arms and sobbed against your shoulder as you watched Sunghoon and Jake usher Heeseung, Beomgyu, and Jeonging away from the library.
You havenât heard from Sunghoon since then and you feel like youâre going insane. Maybe kissing Sunghoon was the wrong idea, maybe you shouldnât have kissed him, maybe if you told him how you were feeling, he wouldnât be leaving you on delivered and never coming to class.
You stand in front of the full-length mirror in your dorm, brushing your hands against the black dress tightly hugging your features. Youâre going out tonight with a goal in mind; Sunghoon. You need to see Sunghoon, you need to pick up where you left off two days ago.
âYunjin,â you shake the girl lying in her bed asleep.
She groans and rolls over, rubbing her eyes. âY/N?â
âDo you want to come to the party Minhoâs throwing tonight? Itâs some birthday bash for Changbin at some club. Iâm hoping to see Sunghoon tonight, but Iâm sure Sakura will be there, sheâs friends with Minho, right?â
Yunjin stares at you for a very long time. âAre you fucking kidding me, Y/N?â
You stare at Yunjin, taken aback. âWhat?â
Yunjin scoffs and shakes her head. âI was literally almost murdered and all you care about is Sunghoon? You know, not once during the past two days did you check up on me, or offer a helping hand -- all you talked to me about was fucking Sunghoon. Some friend you are.â Yunjin rolls back over, her back facing you.
The silence in the room is loud. âIâll bring you back some ice cream, Yunjin,â you say in a meek tone. She doesnât respond, so you gently pad out of the dorm, shutting the door quietly behind you.
Walking out into the cool air, Yunjinâs words echo through your head. Had you really been that awful to her? When you think back to the past few days, all you can think about is Sunghoon, so maybe there was some truth to Yunjinâs words, maybe you were obsessed with Sunghoon at the moment, but surely you had offered comfort to Yunjin? She was your only friend, after all.
But, itâs whatever. If you somehow earn Sunghoonâs attention and buy ice cream tonight, then all the problems in your life will be solved.
The line in front of the club was already long. You didnât mind the long wait because you kept yourself occupied with thoughts of Sunghoon. Sunghoon, Sunghoon, Sunghoon. He was all you could think about. Flashes of deep brown eyes, flashes of silver (almost white) hair, and a pink mouth curved into a kissable smile. He was addictive.
Entering the club, you scan the crowd. It was dark so it was hard to make out faces, but you catch sight of familiar faces -- Soobin, Yeonjun, Yena, Yuri, Chaewon, Seungmin. But no Sunghoon. Cursing, you approach the bar and order a drink, your fingertips hitting the bartop in a rhythmic manner as you continue searching the club over and over.
Minutes pass by and still no sight of Sunghoon. You knock back your third drink of the night, your tongue licking up the last remnants of your drink when the crowd parts and Yeonjun approaches you, his hair now a deep blue.
âY/N,â Yeonjun smiles. âNice seeing you here.â
âYeonjun,â you smile back. âYou too.â
âYou look good tonight.â
âReally?â Looking over his shoulder, you finally see Sunghoon. Heâs talking to Minjeong. Bitch.
âReally,â Yeonjun agrees. âCare for a dance? With me?â
You take Yeonjunâs waiting hand and he leads you to the dance floor, pushing his way into the middle where the music is the loudest. The loud club music mixes with the alcohol consuming your bloodstream and you lose all inhibitions. Yeonjun easily guides you through the rhythm of the music and his hands carefully wander across your body.
Yeonjunâs lips carefully ghost over the back of your neck. You melt into his arms and tilt your head to the side, his lips falling onto the side of your neck, artfully decorating them in little kisses and bites, his hands gripping your waist tighter as your dancing begins to turn sensual.
Your hand cups the back of Yeonjunâs neck and you turn your head, your heart in your throat. Yeonjun pulls you closer -- if that was even possible -- and his breath is hot on your lips and then youâre being pulled apart. You stumble into the dancers in front of you, who grumble in annoyance but you shrug them off and glance to see who pulled you and Yeonjun apart.
Sunghoon is towering over Yeonjun, his eyes dark and aura brooding. You notice his hands are curled into fists and before Yeonjun could say anything, Sunghoon is punching him. You watch Sunghoon punch Yeonjun a few times before you sink into the crowd surrounding the one-sided fight that was occurring -- you couldnât bear to watch Sunghoon beat up Yeonjun, but you also know that Sunghoon will realize youâve left and heâll come for you.
You inhale deeply as you step out of the club. Itâs 12 AM and the streets of Seoul are still alive. You walk aimlessly through the streets to get your thoughts and feelings under control. When you eventually confront Sunghoon, you want to be able to say what you want to say without stumbling over your words.
Sharply, you turn down an alleyway and walk until you reach the dead end, turning around, you place your hands on your hips and glare into the dark night. âSunghoon, I know youâre there,â itâs silent for a few beats. âYou fucking piece of shit,â you tag on belatedly.
Still nothing.
âWhat gives you the right to punch Yeonjun after ignoring me for two days? You donât own me, Sunghoon. I can dance with whoever I want, and kiss whoever I want.â
Finally, you see Sunghoonâs figure appear at the end of the alley. He approaches you like how a lion stalks their prey, except you don't cower away. Sunghoonâs face is stoic, and his eyes are dark. His right hand is bloody but you donât care, you only care about what Sunghoon will say to you.
âYou canât kiss Yeonjun,â Sunghoon answers gruffly.
âWhy not?â You challenge.
Sunghoon grabs your face and kisses you in response. Itâs a rough kiss, one which surprises you. You stumble into the cool brick wall behind you as Sunghoon cages you. Sunghoonâs kiss is demanding and itâs leaving you breathless as you attempt to keep up with his passion. His hands wander across your body -- over your butt and your breasts, his hands going where you want them to go. You whimper as Sunghoon bites harshly on your bottom lip, drawing blood that tastes metallic but you donât care. You hook one leg around Sunghoonâs waist and push him closer to your body. You crave Sunghoonâs warmth.
Sunghoon draws away, and once again youâre left chasing his lips. âWhen you come to a club dressed like a slut, Y/N,â Sunghoon says, his voice rumbling deep in his chest, âguys will think theyâre able to kiss whatâs mine.â
âIâm not yours Sunghoon,â you whisper, letting Sunghoonâs thumb brush over your lip to wipe away the blood dripping down your chin. âWe kissed once.â
âI also stalked you. And Killed Jaeho for you,â Sunghoon reminds, his tone firm.
âI didnât ask you to do that,â you retort, âyou just did it.â
Sunghoon laughs and it chills you to the bone. âBut you liked me doing that. You liked the idea of me stalking you, and you liked watching me kill Jaeho.â
You canât deny it. Sunghoon kisses you again, but itâs gentle. His thumbs brush your cheeks in a soothing rhythm. Sunghoon moves his lips across your face -- he kisses your cheeks, your nose, your forehead, and then he dips down to kiss your throat. Raising his face to look at you, his eyes are soft. âYouâre mine, Y/N,â his voice is also softer like heâs trying to lull you into his warm embrace but he doesnât need to try. Youâre already aching for his warm embrace.
âAsk me,â you whisper, your voice trembling, âask me to be yours. Ask me to be your girlfriend. Ask me to love you.â
Sunghoon kisses you again. Heâs addicting.
âBe mine. Be my girlfriend, Y/N.â
You hum, smiling softly. âWill you take me out on dates?â
âIf you want to, then I will.â
You pull Sunghoon in for a kiss. âTake me on dates and Iâll love you. Itâs simple, Sunghoon.â
Sunghoon traces your lips with a gentle finger. âBeing mine has rules, Y/N,â he says in a low voice. âAnd if you break them, Iâll have to break you.â
Your pulse is loud in your ears. Anticipation hangs in the air. You want Sunghoon -- all of him. âIâll follow them,â you promise Sunghoon.
âYou donât even know what they are, Y/N,â Sunghoon chuckles.
âI donât have to know the rules to know I love you.â
Sunghoon kisses you desperately, your back digging painfully into the wall behind you, but you ignore the pain because Sunghoonâs warmth is overwhelming. âRule number one,â Sunghoon pants out, his lips moving against yours. âYouâre mine. Y/N.â
â-
Sunghoonâs presence has been overwhelming but itâs the good kind. All week you were around Sunghoon. Everywhere you went, Sunghoon was there. His rules were easy to follow -- when you see Sunghoon, you go to him, no matter if youâre with your friends. You canât talk to any other men aside from Sunghoon and his friends. If you want to go out, you have to ask Sunghoon for permission, because Sunghoon has to know where you are, and when youâre dressing up to go out to a club, Sunghoon has to approve your outfit, and above all, you listen to Sunghoon. You listen to what he says and do what he asks, no questions asked.
If you were the sane, logical girl from last year, you would be searching for a way out of Sunghoonâs obsessive grip but now -- now youâre a girl who craves this kind of attention, who finds a thrill in knowing that you have all of Sunghoonâs attention for yourself. You find a thrill in knowing Sunghoon would do anything for you, and it should disgust you, but it doesnât.
Sunghoonâs car rumbles gently beneath you. His hand grips your thigh possessively, the other lazily holding onto the steering wheel as he drives through Seoul. He was taking you on a date today, to a park to have a picnic.
âI like your skirt,â Sunghoon says, grinning as he pinches the hem of it.
You lay your hand over Sunghoonâs. âI wonder who picked it out.â
Sunghoon sneaks a look at you, his eyes dancing in amusement. âPerhaps you should give the person who picked it out a kiss.â
Giggling, you reach across the gap between you and Sunghoon and peck his cheek. âThank you,â you say gently against his ear. Sunghoonâs hand squeezes your thigh tightly. You giggle again and slump against the seat, staring out the window again.
Itâs a nice day. The sun is shining and thereâs a gentle breeze in the air that keeps you feeling comfortable. Sunghoon takes your hand and leads you through the park to a secluded area. He tells you to stand there and look pretty as he lays out the picnic blanket and the basket full of food he had picked out for the both of you.
Sunghoon helps you out of your shoes, and then he helps you get comfortable on the blanket. He keeps you tucked between his legs and you relax against his chest, his arms circling your waist and keeping you warm. The breeze tickles your shoulder and you giggle softly, and then you feel Sunghoon drop a kiss on that same shoulder.
âAre you feeling hungry, Y/N?â
âA bit. What did you pack?â
Sunghoon shifts, keeping one arm circled around your waist while he reaches to pull the basket closer to him. âI brought some fruit,â Sunghoon pulls out a mandarin. âIâll peel it for you,â Sunghoonâs mouth brushes your ear and you shiver.
You watch as Sunghoonâs hands deftly peel the mandarin for you. âOpen your mouth,â Sunghoon says. He feeds you each mandarin piece and your heart swells. Sunghoon was a dream. He was your dream. He was your ideal man -- Sunghoon would kill for you, maybe even die for you. But he was also sweet, and loving, and caring.
âTell me more about you,â Sunghoon says, his chin resting on your shoulder as you relax further into his embrace. âWhatâs your favorite color?â His fingers trace over your bare thigh. You ignore how it tickles.
âPink. I like soft pink. Not bright pink, but a mellow, warm pink.â
âI hate pink,â Sunghoon says, sounding amused.
âIâll make you love it.â
Sunghoon hums and kisses your shoulder. âI bet you will.â
âWhat about you?â You turn your head slightly to catch the side of Sunghoonâs face. âWhatâs your color?â
Sunghoon pulls away from your shoulder to look at you. He smiles. âI liked green, but these days I think I like the color of your eyes more.â
You blush and duck your head, covering your face with your hands. âShut up, Sunghoon.â
He laughs heartily, his chest moving against your back. He kisses the top of your head. âAny siblings?â
You shake your head. âIâm an only child. What about you?â
âI have a younger sister,â Sunghoons says, though the tone of his voice wishes he didnât.
Chaewonâs words from the party echo through your head. âIs it true you made your sister walk home with a broken ankle?â
Sunghoon scoffs. âShe deserved it.â He doesnât elaborate and you sit there in silence, letting his words simmer in the air. That shouldâve been a sign for you to leave Sunghoon behind, go to the police and beg for a restraining order, or attempt to flee the country. But, you choose to sit between Sunghoonâs legs and intertwine your fingers with Sunghoonâs.
âAnd your parents? Are you close with them?â You ask Sunghoon.
âI cut them off as soon as I got to college,â Sunghoon admits bluntly. âWhat about you?â He brushes some stray strands of hair behind your ear.
âIâm close with them,â you murmur, playing with Sunghoonâs fingers. âThey will probably want to meet you.â
âIâd love to meet them, then,â Sunghoon says, âafter all, they created you.â
Your giggle floats through the air and Sunghoon manhandles you around to face him so he can kiss you intensely. Youâre reeling from the sudden kiss, but soon you melt into the kiss, enjoying the feeling of Sunghoon warmly pressed against you.
Pulling away, you push your cheek against Sunghoonâs chest to listen to his heartbeat. Your legs are curled up as Sunghoon holds you close, playing with the ends of your hair. âSunghoon?â You ask gently and he hums in response. âHow did you -- why did you --â Sunghoon cuts you off to kiss you again. You let him kiss you for a while.
âThatâs a story for another day, Y/N,â Sunghoon murmurs, his forehead resting against yours. âLetâs not ruin the mood of our date, yeah?â
You can only agree.
â-
Youâre walking into a familiar club a couple of days later with Yunjin. Your eyes glance down at your phone once again, rereading Sunghoonâs texts. First, he approved of your outfit and complimented you so passionately you still blush as you read his message, and second, Sunghoon had told you heâd be arriving soon. Your stomach was on fire at just the thought of seeing Sunghoon again tonight, at a party.
Beside you, Yunjin looks at you before abandoning you in favor to seek out her friends. You let Yunjin go. Sheâs been giving you the cold shoulder ever since you never returned back to the dorm without the ice cream you promised her. Youâve also been blowing her off lately in favor to hang out with Sunghoon, but you could care less about Yunjinâs cold shoulder. You have Sunghoon to crawl back to at the end of the day, anyway.
You head for the bar and order a drink. You look out at the club, eyes trained on the entrance as you wait for Sunghoon. Minutes pass and the club continues to fill up. You keep checking your phone for a message from Sunghoon, but you still receive no text from him.
People pile up at the bar around you, and behind you, you hear a familiar, grating feminine voice. Shooting a side glance over your shoulder, you catch a glimpse of curly black hair and smoky eyeshadow. Minjeong sat behind you with her posse, and her voice was loud enough for you to hear.
âDid you hear the rumor about Sunghoon?â One of Minjeongâs friends asks her.
âWhich one? The one about him murdering Jaehyun, or the one about him being a freak?â Minjeong asks in her annoying snarky tone. Youâve never liked Minjeong, in fact, youâve always had a rivalry with her ever since high school. You two were the top students in your high school and when Senior year came around, both of you were vying for valedictorian. In the end, you snatched the spot from her, and from then, Minjeongâs been obsessed with stealing everything from you -- even your ex-boyfriend.
âNo, the one about his relationship with Y/N,â her friend clarifies. âPeople are saying heâs blackmailing her into being his girlfriend.â
Minjeong laughs loudly at that. âIf anything, Y/Nâs the one doing the blackmailing. Sheâs a pathetic freak. Though, Sunghoonâs more of a freak than her so itâs a perfect match!â
Her friends titter obnoxiously and you order another drink from the bar. Minjeong was beginning to get on your nerves for the thousandth time, except this time, you might end up doing something about it rather than being the one to take the high road.
âWhat did you mean when you called Sunghoon a freak?â Another one of Minjeongâs friends asks, her tone curious and it makes your blood boil. What right do Minjeong and her friends have talking about Sunghoon like that?
Minjeong snickers. âDidnât you hear? Apparently, in Freshmen year, he was caught entering a girlâs dorm and stealing all her underwear. When the campus security went through his room, they found all sorts of panties and porn magazines. Heâs a peeping tom, Jimin, a freak. I guess he and Y/N deserve each other.â
Slamming the glass holding your drink onto the bar, you turn in your chair and glare at Minjeong. All her friends freeze up at the sight of you, but Minjeong only smiles slyly. âIf I were you, I would watch your fucking mouth, Minjeong,â you warn.
âAll bark no bite,â Minjeong taunts.
All bark no bite. Jaeho said that before Sunghoon murdered him. Your blood boils. You hate that saying.
âSunghoonâs a fucking freak and you know it, Y/N.â
Grabbing your drink, you pour the remainder of the alcohol over Minjeongâs head. She shrieks and her friends flinch away. âSay that again.â You grab Minjeong by the shirt. âSay it, Minjeong.â
Minjeong opens her mouth, but nothing comes out. Rolling your eyes, you shove Minjeong off the barstool and she goes crashing to the ground. All her friends crowd around her, some shoot you dirty looks but you ignore them. Minjeong had it coming.
âY/N.â
Turning around, you see Yeonjun standing there with a swollen nose and a black eye. Your eyes widen and you glance around the room searching for Sunghoon. Where was Sunghoon?
âYeonjun, hi.â
âY/N, listen to me,â Yeonjun grabs your hand. You flinch and try to pull away, but Yeonjunâs grip only tightens. âYou need to get away from Sunghoon.â
âYeonjun, what the fuck --â
âY/N,â Yeonjunâs begging at this point. âYou donât deserve someone like him. Heâs a psychopath, Y/N, youâre not safe with him.â
You scoff and finally tug your hand out of Yeonjunâs. âThank you for the warning, Yeonjun, but I think I can make those kinds of decisions on my own.â
âY/N, you arenât listening. Sunghoonâs a fucking murderer--â
âSunghoon!â You beam as you see the silver-haired male appear behind Yeonjun.
Yeonjun tenses up and turns slightly to see Sunghoon towering over him. Sunghoon doesnât say anything as he brushes past Yeonjun and grips your wrist tightly, pulling you through the crowd and out of the club. You stumble over your feet in an attempt to catch up with Sunghoonâs fast pace and long legs.
âSunghoon!â You call but he ignores you. Once heâs free from the club, he veers to the right sharply and shoves you up against the side of the club. Youâre hidden away from the long line of people waiting to enter the club, the shadows protecting you from anyone who peers down this small alley in between two clubs.
âWhy the fuck were you talking to Yeonjun, Y/N?â Sunghoon glares at you, his eyes fiery.
Your heart skips a beat and you reach for Sunghoonâs hand. âSunghoon, I didnât want to talk to him.â
âDonât fucking lie, Y/N. I thought you understood my rules clearly. I specifically told you to not talk to Yeonjun.â Sunghoon was seething. Youâve never seen him this angry.
âSunghoon,â you try to placate him. âHe talked to me. I never want to disobey you, Sunghoon, you have to believe me. I donât want to talk to Yeonjun but he came up to me and started a conversation with me.â
âAre you telling the truth, Y/N?â
You nod your head. âOf course, Sunghoon. Youâre the only one I want.â
âGood girl,â Sunghoon breaks into a smile and cups your face with his hand, planting a kiss on your lips. âHead back into the club, I have something to take care of.â
âOkay,â you murmur, âbe safe?â
âI always am,â Sunghoon kisses you again. âYou look good tonight. Itâs a shame I canât be with you longer.â
âIâll wear this dress for you another night, I promise,â you smile at Sunghoon, squeezing his hand.
âAlright. Text me when youâre leaving the club. And text me when you get home.â
âOf course.â
â-
Walking through campus, something rustles underfoot. Glancing down, you see Yeonjunâs missing poster beneath your foot. Choi Yeonjun has been missing for the past three days. You screw up the missing poster and dump it in the nearest trash can. They wonât ever find Yeonjunâs body, Jay made sure to dispose of it carefully.
Sunghoon had called you the next morning after Yeonjun attempted to ward you away from Sunghoon. It didnât work, of course, because you loved Sunghoon and you wanted to be with him, psychopath or not. You and Sunghoon met up at a cafe on campus, he bought your breakfast for you and he explained why he had to leave you alone in the club.
Yeonjunâs death was all his fault. He had it coming.
After Sunghoon explained Yeonjunâs murder to you, you kissed him and said thank you. You knew you could always count on Sunghoon to protect you and keep you save from the people trying to interfere with your relationship.
Days passed after Sunghoon admitted to being the cause of Yeonjunâs disappearance. The hunt for Yeonjun is growing hopeless as each day passes and no one steps forward with any information regarding Yeonjunâs disappearance.
Youâre working at the convenience store again. Itâs a boring night but thankfully you only have an hour left. You flick through a magazine that was supposed to be on display in front of the counter but since there were no customers, you were passing time by snickering at the tabloid.
The door opens and the bell above it rings. Glancing up, you see Minjeong approaching you. You push the magazine to the side and wait for Minjeong to speak as she stands at the counter. Her eyes survey the gum sitting nearby, and she grabs a strawberry flavored packet.
âYou should keep a leash on your boytoy, Y/N,â Minjeon says nonchalantly, flicking through the same magazine you were previously reading.
âI donât need to listen to this shit from you.â
Minjeong hums. âI think you do. I saw him, a couple of nights back. The night you ruined my green dress at the club, remember?â
You smile. âI remember it fondly, Minjeong.â
âI think it was around three am? I saw your boyfriend fighting with Yeonjun. It didnât look like a friendly fight, Sunghoon was kind ofâŠscary,â Minjeong shrugs and your heart begins to slow down. âEventually, Yeonjun got into Sunghoonâs car.â Minjeong places the magazine back on the rack and looks at you. âKinda crazy, huh? That I saw Yeonjun hours before he was reported missing, and he was with your boyfriend.â
âYour total is three dollars.â
âThree dollars for a packet of gum?â Minjeong frowns.
You smile but itâs tight, unfriendly. âCapitalism, Minjeong.â
Minjeong hands you a five dollar note. âYou know whatâs even funnier?â
âWhat?â
âI saw Sunghoon later. I think it was 5 AM? I am a party girl, after all, and he was climbing out of his car alone.â
You give Minjeong back her change. âHave a good night, Minjeong.â
Minjeong tuts. âIâm not finished, Y/N. He was climbing out of the car covered in blood, Y/N. You know what that means, right? Your psychotic boyfriend murdered Yeonjun.â
You can hear the clock in the staff room ticking as you and Minjeong stand in silence. You donât know what to do. Youâre in shock. You canât believe Sunghoon had been so irresponsible. You canât let Sunghoon go to prison.
âWhy havenât you told the police yet?â You ask Minjeong.
Minjeong shrugs, tearing the plastic wrapping off the gum packeting. âI didnât believe what I saw at first. And then when I did, I wanted to talk to you before I went to the police.â
âWhy would you want to talk to me?â
âBecause the police might question you, Y/N,â Minjeong pulls out some gum and offers the packet to you. You shake your head. âAnd I donât know what your relationship with Sunghoon is like, but I know how hard it is to be in an abusive relationship and get questioned by the police. Theyâre ruthless.â
Finally, an out to this situation appears. You soften your eyes and fidget with your fingers, glancing away from Minjeong. âOh.â You stare really hard at a packet of chips, not bothering to blink as your eyes begin to water.
âY/N?â Minjeong asks softly.
âMinjeong. Can we -- can we not talk about this here? Can we meet somewhere privately?â
Minjeong nods her head. âOf course, Y/N.â
âAnd can you not tell anyone about us meeting up? I -- I donât want Sunghoon to know and I donât want you getting in trouble in case he finds out you know. .â
Minjeong nods eagerly. âOf course, Y/N. Where do you want to meet?â
âThereâs an alleyway not far down. Itâs across from the Chinese takeaway place. My shift ends at ten, so itâll take me a few minutes to get there.â
Minjeong smiles gently. âIâll wait for you, Y/N. Thank you for trusting me with whatever youâre about to tell me.â
You smile at Minjeong. âOf course.â
Minjeong bids you goodbye and when sheâs out of sight, you dry your eyes and reach for your phone, firing a quick text to Sunghoon. He answers back immediately and you grin, placing your phone down and reaching for the magazine you shoved aside.
The remainder of your shift passes by slowly. Your nerves get the better of you and by the time Seungmin arrives to take over, youâre racing out of the store. Your pulse is loud in your ears as you approach the alleyway where you told Minjeong to meet you.
You see her standing down the alleyway, a little way from the enterance. The glare of her phone lights up her face. Clearly distracted, you duck down and pick a broken brick up from the ground, hiding it behind your back as you walk over to Minjeong.
âY/N,â Minjeong smiles and turns off her phone, pocketing it. âHow are you?â
âI could be better,â you respond, keeping up your innocent, scared appearance. âI just didnât know what to do or who to tell,â you start, biting your lower lip nervously.
âItâs okay,â Minjeong reaches out to rub your arm. âYou can tell me.â
âSunghoon heâŠhe told me he murdered Yeonjun,â you confess to Minjeong.
Her eyes widen. âOh, Y/N.â
âI was terrified at first,â you continue, âbut then after a while, I thanked Sunghoon for doing that.â
âWhat?â Minjeong frowns, confused. âYou thanked Sunghoon forâŠmurdering Yeonjun?â
You shrug. âYeonjun had it coming.â
âY/N, what the fuck --â
âSorry, Minjeong, but you werenât supposed to see Sunghoon with Yeonjun,â you give her a smile before you swing your hand holding the brick through the air and smack Minjeong on the side of her head with it. Minjeong sprawls to the ground, her temple bleeding.
You drop the brick and pull out your phone, calmly dialing Sunghoonâs number as you stare at Minjeongâs unconscious body. âI knocked out Minjeong,â you tell Sunghoon, âshe saw you with Yeonjun the night you killed him.â
Sunghoon doesnât say anything. He hangs up and in seconds heâs by your side, staring down at Minjeongâs body. âDo you want to finish what you started, Y/N?â Sunghoon asks, picking up the brick, âor would you like me to finish?â
âYou can finish. Do you want me to call Jake?â
âYeah, tell him to get his ass down here with Jay and Heeseung and bring my car. Heâll know what to do.â Sunghoon hands you his phone and you turn away, not wanting to see Sunghoon bash Minjeongâs head with the brick.
Jake sounded eager as you talked to him on the phone. Fifteen minutes later, Jake appears with Jay and they jog down the alley. Sunghoonâs car is parked in front of the alley, blocking anyone from looking down the alley.
âWhereâs the body?â Jay asks.
âHeeseung couldnât make it,â Jake says as he, Sunghoon, and Jay crowd around Minjeongâs dead body. âHe had to handle something with Beomgyu and Jeongin. Probably a drug deal gone wrong.â
âOf-fucking-course,â mutters Sunghoon. âFucking stoners.â He glances over his shoulder. âGo wait in the car, Y/N. Jungwon will keep you company, and weâll talk about this later, okay?â
You nod your head and walk down the alley, opening the car door and sliding into the backseat. Jungwon sits in the driverâs seat, his fingers tapping the steering wheel as he glances out the tinted windows. âHey, Jungwon,â you place your bag on the car floor and pull out your phone to play Candy Crush to pass the time.
âHey. Killed Minjeong, huh?â
âKnocked her unconcious. Sunghoon killed her for me. She knew too much about Yeonjunâs disappearance. Came to me while I was working and confessed everything to me.â
Jungwon snorts. âHer first mistake. Why didnât she go to the police first?â
âI think she was concerned for me,â you respond absentmindedly. âThought I was in an abusive relationship with Sunghoon.â That gets a kick out of Jungwon and he laughs heartily.
âLittle does she know,â Jungwon sighs after getting his laughter under control, âyou and Sunghoon are a perfect match for each other.â
â-
Sliding into the passenger seat beside Sunghoon, he greets you with a kiss. It was the first day of spring break and Sunghoon was driving the both of you down to visit your parents. They were over the moon when you told them you had a boyfriend and told you they wanted to meet him over the break.
âTheyâll love you,â you reassure Sunghoon as he pulls away from the curb.âYouâll definitely win them over.â
Sunghoon grins, his dimple peeking. âEveryone loves me, Y/N.â
âI love you more though,â you respond, sulking.
Sunghoon takes your hand and kisses the top of it. âI know you do, Y/N.â
âOh!â You perk up, âYunjin wont be rooming with me after the break. Iâll have the dorm to myself for the rest of the semester and then Iâll have to move out. Should we move in together during the summer break, Sunghoon?â
Earlier, before Sunghoon came to pick you up, Yunjin broke the news to you. You were expecting this, now that you think about it. Ever since you began dating Sunghoon, you and Yunjin grew apart. She didnât approve of you dating Sunghoon, and you didnât like her disapproval. What was so wrong about you dating Sunghoon? Yunjin often complained whenever you blew her off, but as it became more frequent she began to leave you alone in the dorm like at the beginning of the year when the both of you werenât as close.
You didnât care than Yunjin held a grudge against you for blowing her off and dating Sunghoon because, at the end of the day, you always had Sunghoon and you would chose Sunghoon over any of your friends any day.
âI like that idea. Should we move in together?â
You nod your head. âIt would be so much fun living together, Sunghoon. Late nights, I can cook you dinner, and we can watch as many movies as we want! Maybe we could get a pet too!â
âA cat?â Sunghoon asks.
âAnything you want, Sunghoon,â you respond warmly. Sunghoon steals a kiss from you at the red light and you giggle, smiling bashfully and leaning forward to turn up the radio, the playlist Sunghoon made for the two of you playing.
The drive to your childhood home was only a couple of hours. Usually, the drive was boring since you had no one else to join you, but now that you had Sunghoon with you on the drive, he made it more fun. Cracking jokes and playing silly games with you, he left you breathless.
âHome sweet home,â you murmur as Sunghoon pulls up the driveway.
Sunghoon parks the car and pulls the keys out of the ignition. His hand cups your chin and guides your lips to his. He kisses you in his car, outside your house. âCute house,â Sunghoon says after leaving you breathless. âI can imagine you growing up here.â
You blush. The front door of your house opens and your mother and father step onto the porch, waving happily when they see you. âCome on,â you reach out to pinch Sunghoonâs cheek, âletâs meet the parents!â
Climbing out of the car, you rush up the porch to hug your parents. âI missed you so much, darling,â you mother says, petting your hair.
âI missed you more, mom,â you respond, pulling her in for another hug.
âMy baby girl,â your father says fondly, rubbing your cheek with the back of his hand. âHow have you been?â
You beam and hug your father tightly. âIâve been well. University has been so much fun. I miss your homecooked food, though.â
Your mother and father chuckle. âWeâre glad youâre back home, darling. This break will be so much fun.â
Glancing over your shoulder, you watch Sunghoon approach you and your parents. Your smile broadens and you tuck yourself into Sunghoonâs side, âthis is my boyfriend, Park Sunghoon.â
âItâs nice to meet you,â Sunghoon says, shaking your fatherâs hand.
âYou too, son,â your father says, âanyone who can make my daughter this happy is okay in my book.â
Sunghoon smiles, peeking down at you. âSeeing her happy makes me happy.â
Your father sends you a wink and you blush. Sunghoon takes your motherâs hand and kisses the back of her hand. âItâs a delight to meet you, Mrs. L/N, you created a wonderful daughter.â
Your motherâs laughter is light as it floats through the air. âCome on in, Iâll show you to your room and then you can unpack the car.â
Reaching for Sunghoonâs hand, you squeeze it gently as you step into your childhood home. Sunghoon squeeze your hand back, and when your parents werenât looking, he sneaks a kiss on your temple. The love in your heart for Sunghoon swells tenfold.
After moving everything from Sunghoonâs car and into the house, your father takes Sunghoon away to tinker in the garage while you sit in the kitchen, watching your mother prepare dinner. âRemind me long youâve been dating Sunghoon, sweetheart?â Your mother asks.
âThree weeks,â you respond.
âOh. I didnât know this was a new relationship. The way you spoke on the phone made it sound like youâve been with him for a while.â
You shrug, peeling the shell of a pistachio. âWeâve known each other for a long time. Three weeks feels like three months with Sunghoon. I love him. And didnât you tell me if you love someone, thatâs more than enough?â
Your mother sighs, kneading out the dough. âI guess so. Just, be careful, Y/N, okay? I donât want you to rush into a relationship and make a mistake that could cost your life.â
You giggle. âYou donât need to worry about me, mom, Sunghoon is the one for me.â
Your mother smiles at you from over her shoulder. âIâll take your word for it.â
Your father enters the kitchen and kisses your motherâs cheek as he reaches for the fridge. âSunghoonâs up in your room, Y/N, if you want to see him. Weâll call you down when dinnerâs ready,â you father says. âI need some alone time with your mother.â
You dash out of the kitchen and up the stairs to your childhood room. You burst into the room and leap onto your bed, crushing Sunghoon. He groans and pushes you off him as you giggle, flopping back on the bed beside him. âHow are you, Sunghoon?â
âIâm having fun. Your father is nice to talk to,â Sunghoon responds. âItâs making me miss my parents.â
You coo reach out to caress Sunghoonâs cheek. You throw your leg over Sunghoonâs waist and cuddle up to him, your hand falling down to rest on his chest. You close your eyes and begin to doze off, feeling relaxed and comfortable in Sunghoonâs embrace, but your boyfriend shakes you awake.
âY/N,â he says softly. âI have something for you.â He gently pulls you upright and turns to shift through his overnight bag. It doesnât take long for him to procure a small jewelry box and you gasp softly as Sunghoon turns to you with a big grin on his face.
âI saw this at the jewelry store yesterday. Jake was shopping for his mom since her birthday is coming up. I saw this and thought of you.â He opens the box and you gasp, staring at the thin gold ring sitting between the cushions.
Sunghoon takes it out and you hold out your hand. âItâs a promise ring,â Sunghoon tells you softly. âYouâre my forever, Y/N.â
âOh, Sunghoon,â you admire the ring. Itâs a small gold ring with a flower sitting in the middle. You donât recognize the flower so you look at Sunghoon in question.
âItâs your birth flower, Y/N,â Sunghoon explains, pinching your chin playfully.
âOh. I didnât even know such a thing as birth flowers existed.â
Sunghoon laughs loudly and leans forward to kiss you. âDonât worry, baby, I know everything about you.â
You laugh against his lips and draw him back in for a kiss. You spend the rest of your time with Sunghoon kissing him and admiring the ring in the golden sunlight until your father calls you both downstairs.
Dinner was enjoyable, though you could tell your parents felt a bit unsettled as you show them the promise ring Sunghoon got you, and how you both explained your plans to move in with each other next year. The unsettling feelings carries into the night when Sunghoon was up taking a shower and you were helping your parents clean up dinner.
âY/N, honey,â your father starts softly. âDonât you think youâre rushing this relationship?â
You glance up from where you were washing the dishes. âWhat? No? I love Sunghoon, and I want to be with him forever.â
Your parents share a look. âY/N,â your mother says, âare you sure?â
âWhy are you being like this?â You ask your parents, placing down the brush you were using to wash the dishes. âShouldnât you be excited for me? I finally have a boyfriend who loves me and cares for me.â
Your father nods. âWe are, but it just feels like youâre going too fast. Youâve only been dating for three weeks, Y/N.â
âBut I love him,â you insist. âI love Sunghoon. And youâve always told me that when I love someone, I shouldnât let them go.â
Your mother sighs heavily. âAlright. If you believe that you and Sunghoon will last, then weâll back off.â
âBut donât say that we didnât warn you,â your father adds.
You finish washing the dishes in silence. You donât bid your parents goodnight as you walk up to your room, your mood sour. Sunghoon was already in bed, tucked beneath the covers as he scrolled through his phone, probably replying to the group chat he has with his friends.
âHey,â you mutter, pulling out your pajamas.
âHey,â Sunghoon responds, placing down his phone. âAre you okay, Y/N?â
âNo,â you respond tersely, changing out of your clothes and into your pajamas in front of Sunghoon. âMy parents were being annoying.â
âOh?â
âIâll tell you about it after I finish washing up.â You grab your toothbrush and face wash and dash over to the bathroom next to your room, not wanting to bump into your parents. After finishing washing up, you crawl into bed with Sungoon and curl up next to him.
âWhatâs on your mind, Y/N?â Sunghoon brushes a hand through your hair.
âMy parents think weâre moving too fast,â you grumble. âTheyâre trying to tell me what to do in our relationship. Itâs annoying.â
âIâm sorry to hear that,â Sunghoon says gently. âWould you like me to talk to them?â
You shake your head. âNo, itâs okay, Sunghoon. Letâs just sleep. Weâll have them convinced that we arenât rushing this relationship by the end of the week.â
Sunghoon kisses your forehead and helps you lie down before pulling you close against his chest. âGoodnight, Y/N.â
âGoodnight, Sunghoon.â
You didnât get much sleep. You were standing in front of the milk at the nearby supermarket zoning out. After your mother asked you to get some milk, you began your slow, sleepy walk down to the nearest supermarket.
Sunghoon has been silent all morning and you hope what you told him last night didnât ruin his mood for the rest of the trip. Finally snapping out of your daze, you grab the milk your mother asked for, approached the register and paid.
You took your time walking home, enjoying the fresh morning air. You begin to plan how to prove to your parents that you and Sunghoonâs relationship wouldnât crash and burn in a few years. So far, the plan you thought of wasnât exactly going to prove to your parents that you and Sunghoon were a forever couple, but as your unlock the front door, you realize that you donât need your parentsâ approval. Itâs your life. Not theirs.
Putting the milk away, you realize how quiet the house is and a chill creeps up your spine. âMom?â You call out, âdad?â Thereâs no response. âSunghoon?â You search the first floor, but your parents were nowhere to be found. Climbing the stairs, you stay alert.
Sunghoon wasnât in your room, and your parents werenât in theirs either. You notice the bathroom door was shut and your heart begins to race. You hope that maybe your mother and father left to go on their morning walk and Sunghoon was taking a shower.
Pushing open the door to the bathroom you smell the metallic smell of blood before you see the scene in front of you. Your parents lay lifeless on the bathroom floor, their abdomen split open with the amount of stab wounds issued to their upper body. Blood is spilled across the floor, all over the cabinet and the white walls.
Sunghoon was on his knees, hovering over your father as he slashes at his chest a few more times. âSunghoon,â you whimper, your knees almost giving out.
The knife he was holding drops to the floor. He looks up at you and you gasp once again. Blood covers his face, it drips down his cheeks and his chin. You watch as Sunghoon reaches up to wipe the blood of his face, but his hand was also bloody. He drags his bloody hand across his mouth, getting rid of no blood. It was futile for him to wipe his bloody hand across his mouth. His hand drops back down into the pool of blood surrounding Sunghoon and your knees finally give out.
You collapse, your hands splashing the blood pooling at the entrance of the bathroom. âSunghoon,â you whisper. You canât take your eyes off the lifeless bodies of your mom and dad. âWhat did you do?â
Sunghoon beckons you over. Your body automatically moves to Sunghoon, blood seeping into the fabric of your jeans. Sunghoonâs bloody hands come up to cup your face. The blood is cool against your face, but you donât flinch away from Sunghoon.
He leans down and kisses you. All you can taste is the blood of your parents but you donât push Sunghoon away. You sink into the embrace of his kiss as youâre overcome with emotion you canât describe.
âI did this for you,â Sunghoon whispers, his bloody forehead touching yours.
âFor me?â You whisper back.
âEverything I do is for you, Y/N,â Sunghoon kisses you again. You grip his bloody t-shirt tightly. You donât care about your dead parents. A small part of your brain is happy theyâre dead. Now, you wonât be subjected to their judgemental stares for the rest of spring break. âIf I canât have you, no one can, Y/N. I promise you that.â
âI love you, Sunghoon,â you whisper, finally embracing Sunghoon and all of his craziness. Sunghoon would kill for you. Heâs proven himself over and over again. âYouâll only ever have me.â
âI know,â Sunghoon whispers back, his hand touching your hair.
âYouâd do anything for me, Sunghoon?â You ask.
âAnything,â Sunghoon answers, his lips brushing over yours.
âGood,â you smile.
authorâs note, heyâŠ..that was. a lot. idk what overcame me when i wrote this tbh. i was possessed by the ghost of sunghoon in the concept filmđ anyway. i hope you enjoyed this fic! idk if i liked the pacing of it but. oh well. also i dont even think this fic had a plot?? it was just me writing while thinking of sunghoonđ guys i promise one day i will post a Happy fic on tumblr with no death or murder or ambiguous endings𫶠anyways in case u wanted to know; sunghoon and y/n live happily ever after. idc if its inaccurate but sunghoon never gets caught murdering random people who touch y/nđ€·ââïž anyways leave ur thoughts! iâd love to read themđ©·
#enhypen#park sunghoon#park sunghoon x reader#enhypen angst#enhypen fluff#sunghoon angst#sunghoon fluff#sunghoon x reader#enhypen x reader#enhypen au#sunghoon
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But Daddy I love Him
instagram au.
â„ïž luke hughes x zegras! sister
â„ïž face claim: marsai martin
"They slammed the door on my whole world..the one thing I wanted"
yn.zegras
liked by lhughes_06, your.bsf and 79,098 others
yn.zegras slamming doors, hitting ignore!
your.bsf is that my bag...
âł yn.zegras no..
your.bsf YN IS THAT MY BAGGGG????
âł yn.zegras OKAY MAYBE
âł your.bsf OHHHH WOWWWW THIEF
âł yn.zegras i love youuuuuuuu :))))))))
your.bsf03 BOTEAAAAAAAAAA
âł yn.zegras says you.
lhughes_06 never ignore me!
âł yn.zegras never.
lhughes_06 oh wow.
lhughes_06 you're so pretty. I miss you. please, come back to me.
âł _quinnhughes lukey the simp.
âł seamsuscasey26 simp
âł adamfantilli simp
âł rutgermcgroarty simp
âł nick_moldenhauer simp
âł yn.zegras Luke don't listen to them, i love you my little simp.
liked by lhughes_06
devilforhughes where are jack and trevor? hopefully everything is okay.
user125 not her throwing shade in the caption..
zegrasfanpage I think her, Trevor and jack aren't talking, I heard rumors that they are arguing because of her dating Luke.
user98 I don't doubt it, kinda shitty of her to date Luke considering that their brothers are best friends.
devilforhughes and you're shitty for commenting that, let them be happy.
liked by yn.zegras, and lhughes_06
your.bsf
liked by yn.zegras and lhughes_06 and 6,678 others
your.bsf slamming doors and slamming drinks all girls night.
yn.zegras OH THE CAPTION IS GOOOOODDDDDDD.
yn.zegras guess who got the drunkest last night... hint it WASNT me.
âłyour.bsf MEEEEEEE..
lhughes_06 heard you got pretty smashed last night.
âł your.bsf luke you don't know shit (I was really smashed last night).
trevrozegras đ
âł your.bsf ariana what are you doing here?
your.bsf03 hot mama
âł your.bsf thank you babyyyy
user45 the fact that Trevor can comment on her best friends post but not his sister's posts is CRAZYYYY.
liked by yn.zegras
-----------------------------------âĄ-----------------------------------------
an: hiiiii lovesssss. NEW CHAPTERRRR! I wrote this while working LOLLL. I hope you all enjoyyyyyy. i love this chapter, i love this series soooo much, i'm so happy you guys are enjoying it as much as i am!!! I'm going to start writing blurbs for this series for in between chapter just to add more to luke and yn's story!! i'm going to work on fics this weekend, i'm sorry that there's been a lack of fics recently my job is taking everyyyyythingggg out of me, no time for anything BOOOOOO. but this weekend things will get done. anyways.. I'm sorry for always yapping LOLL. I hope you guys enjoyedddd, like and reblog if you'd like! as always much love <3
also!!!! send some blurbs in for me to answer if you'd like!!! mwah
tagsđ: @lukey-pookie-hughes43 @bruinsfan234 @bunbunbl0gs
#nhl fanfiction#nhl hockey#nhl imagine#nhl x reader#nhl fic#new jersey devils#luke hughes x reader#luke hughes fluff#luke hughes imagine#luke hughes fic
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Hi, thanks for checking out my writing!
I write purely for Din Djarin (though I read and rec other Pedro Pascal characters and other Star Wars media). Whilst not all my stories include smut, they usually contain adult themes and language, so theyâre suitable for over-18s only đ
My writing is extremely detailed and character-oriented, and I research and proofread/edit thoroughly. I never start publishing something until itâs fully written. As a result, producing content takes me a while, but I hope this ensures that my completed works are high-quality, immersive experiences for my readers.
Please feel free to join my tag list.
**The emojis assigned to each fic below indicate moods rather than specific genres and are open to interpretation**
PUBLISHED WORKS:
đ· Be-All And Endor [406,690 words]
My magnum opus; this is a novel-length slow burn set after season 2. Din has a bounty on Endor and gets more than he bargained for when Reader accidentally almost runs him down with her speeder in the forest. Over 1.6k kudos on AO3. [đ+đ„°+đ„”]
đ· Never Look Down [13,160 words]
Two-part mini-series set on Nevarro after season 3, wherein Din falls for Groguâs babysitter but resolves not to tell her⊠until a drunken misunderstanding results in some revelations. [đ+đ«Ł and a hint of đ„”]
đ· Din Djarin: The Contractor [1,001 words]
A silly little imagine-turned-one-shot that evolved from pics of Din holding a toolbox and the memory of Joel telling Ellie he used to be a contractor. Reader needs a repairman, and guess who shows up⊠[đĄ->đ]
đ· Wedding Day [178 words]
I noticed Dinâs very formal stance in a turbolift in s3e6, photoshopped him in front of a wedding arch, laughed at the obvious pun, and then wrote some questionable free-form poetry to post it with. [Pure đ„°]
đ· The Long Goodbye [45 words]
Flash fiction in 280 characters or less. An examination of why Ahsoka came looking for Din in âChapter 13: The Jediâ rather than waiting for him in Calodan like he asked. [đ„ș]
CURRENTLY BEING WRITTEN:
đ· Hush [âšdue for release Jan â25âš]
[snippet 1] [snippet 2] [snippet 3] I was assigned the genre âsecret relationshipâ in a roll-a-trope writing challenge, so this fic follows Din and Reader embarking on a clandestine liaison that they have to hide from Karga⊠because Reader is our favourite High Magistrateâs niece. Multi-chapter; features sneaking around, flimsy excuses, near misses, and furtive smut. [đđ€«đ„”]
đ· Held Is The Seed
[details & snippet] [snippet] A four-part smutty series. When a guy in a cantina claims Mandos make poor lovers, Reader leaps to Dinâs defence and lists several ways in which he could, in fact, be exceptionally talented in bed. Din overhears and later offers to prove her assumptions true one by one. [đ->đ„”]
đ· To See A Thousand Things
[details & snippet] [snippet - 1st one down] An extremely smutty, angsty piece based on five firsts and one last. Din has something casual going with a gun shop owner over the years, but they both discover that anything long-term will inevitably transform into something that runs deep. [đ„”+đ]
đ· Aruetiise
[snippet - 2nd one down] One-shot based on the idea of Din and Reader both coming up with reasons they canât be together, none of which are the same and all of which are idiotic. An argument finally leads to a conversation about it. [đ„șâŠđ„čđ„°]
đ· Final Sanctuary
[snippet - 3rd one down] [snippet] Smutty one-shot (will be lengthy) based on a fantasy Din has when his shipmate spills white dip on her chin, and how he manages to figure out flirting and make his fantasy a reality. [đ„”->đ„°]
đ· Din Djarin In Jarringly Domestic Situations
[details & snippet] [more details] Space romcom involving a series of encounters in which Din meets the woman of his dreams, but each time, itâs in an embarrassing or awkward situation. [đđłđ„Ž]
FIC REQUESTS:
Iâm very open to requests because having a deadline and someone waiting on me often helps motivate me to finish!
Iâm flexible in terms of content, but please bear in mind that smut takes me a lot longer to write, and I lean towards fluff rather than angst (though Iâm not opposed to the darker end of the scale). Iâm also not a fan of breeding kink (sorry, I firmly believe Din is a reluctant father who loves Grogu but would have to be brought around to the idea of one day having his own) or daddy kink. Otherwise, please feel free to suggest anything that takes your fancy!
Ideally, short prompts or ideas for one-shots are best because Iâm the girl who got over 400k words out of âslow burn set on Endorâ, so the more complex your request, the bigger the undertaking, the longer itâll take me to research and write (and the longer youâll be waiting).
HOW TO SUPPORT ME:
If youâve enjoyed my writing, please consider heading over to AO3 and adding some kudos to my fics there. Also, please consider reblogging any of my fics/series masterlists here on Tumblr. Both these actions increase visibility and help new readers to find my work long after publication. I donât have a Ko-fi because I value online encouragement and marketing assistance more than cold, hard cash.
I also see spinoff media as the highest form of flattery, so if you feel like doing anything creative based around the universes I write, rest assured Iâll be here cheering you on and crying over how much I love you! Itâs my dream for my writing to inspire others, whether itâs playing in my sandbox with me or crafting something of your own.
Thanks for your support; it means the galaxy to me! đđ©”
đ I do NOT consent for my stories to be copied/reposted on any other site, nor stolen, scraped or reworked by AI đ
#masterlist#jyarâika#din djarin#the mandalorian#star wars#mando#din djarin fanfiction#the mandalorian fanfiction#star wars fanfiction#mando fanfiction#din djarin x reader#the mandalorian x reader#mando x reader#din djarin smut#the mandalorian smut#mando smut#pedro pascal characters#pedro pascal characters fanfiction
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I need more Ville Valo fics đ© no one seems to do them anymore! I need another part to Love You To Death! đ
Love You To Death (Pt. 2)
Y/N makes the painful decision to leave the romance she found in Finland behind, but fate has different plans in mind. By fate, I mean Bam and Ville.
Ville Valo X Fem!Reader, (slight Bam Margera X Ville Valo if you squint?)
(Fluff, angst)
2.5k Words
Warnings: Highly suggestive content, alcohol, manipulation, power imbalance, toxic relationships, unwelcome flirting, creepy guys,
An: Thank you so much for the request!! I had a ball writing this and Iâm sure youâll enjoy t as well :) This was the first fic I wrote after finishing finals, so I hope this is up to par with my usual work! I really wanted to explore how Bam was affected by what was going on with Ville and how Ville feels almost protective of Y/N. As a note, thereâs a painting referenced in this fic that was based off of a real piece in the Philadelphia Museaum of art! Anyways, thank you so much for the request and please keep sending them in!
âYouâre not actually gonna stay with him, are you?â Bam raised an eyebrow at you from where he was laying against the hotel room mattress. Continuing to fill him in on what happened that night, you cracked open your own tiny mini bar liquor with a sigh, âNo, I mean- I canât.â Bending down to pick up the steadily growing pile of bottles at his bedside, you rolled your eyes, âI mean- itâs not like I could just pack up all my shit and move to Finland!â Trying to ignore your heartbeat thrumming in your ears, you went over the same thing you had been rolling around in your mind since you left Villeâs flat no more than an hour ago.
Tomorrow, you would be flying back home to Philly, away from Finland and away from him, and as well as you knew you couldnât stay, you didnât want to go. But as unobservant as he usually was, Bamâs liquor-addled mind made a connection there. He respected Ville. Ville was in love with you. You were friends with Bam. It would be so easy to earn himself a little easy cred with him if he set the two of you up- you know, play Cupid. âSo, you got his number?â
Too distracted with stress packing, you didnât give Bamâs question a second thought, âOf course I did. Why do you care?â Good. He gave you some BS about how Ville is his friend, and if you hadn't gotten his number, he would say youâre stupid, âI know heâs really hot, but I get it- heâs moving a little fast. I mean, you guys just met!â The lip service continued and you were lucky you couldnât see that smirk of his he was so not hiding. But Bamâs words hit a little closer to home than you expected and made you pause a bit. âYeah, yeah- I hear yaâŠâ
Bam was getting a thrill out of playing double agent- maybe more than he should. That night, far after he was sure you were out cold, guess who he was calling up? âVille, man- I got just the idea for you to win over Y/N!â His giddiness was a contrast to Villeâs half-drunk stupor he dove into after you left, still somehow as smooth as ever, âHmm?â Cupping his hand around the receiver in the dark, Bam went on a rambling, half coherent rant about this master plan of his, which Ville periodically hummed in agreement to. In both of their minds, it sounded pretty foolproof. And there you were, fast asleep about five feet away from where this whole trap intended for you was unfolding.
âćœĄ
Months later, once the initial flames of desire died down, you kept in touch with Ville in the form of constant phone calls that seemed to stretch on for eternities. Even if he didnt go on and on about this romanticized, poetic vision he had of the two of you together in the future, you couldnât help but find his voice so pleasant to listen to. It was hypnotic, the way he detailed something as mundane as how stunning the countryside in Finland was in the springtime, how plentiful and beautiful the wildflowers are there. âOf course, they couldnât compare to your beauty, my dear.â Ville purred his words in a way that almost made you blush and giggle.
Based on the low chuckle he let out at your reaction, you were sure he picked up on it. âThere is, however, something Iâd like to discuss with you, Y/N.â His voice took on a conspiratorial tone that made you listen a bit closer. âIâll be going on tour in a few weeks- and seeing as Iâll have a day off in Philadelphia, I was wondering if you would be interested in going out together?â Holy shit. You would be seeing him face to face- like, actually in person. âOh- of course Iâd be interested! That would be amazing!â A disbelieving grin spread across your face, your heart fluttering a little at the prospect, âI canât wait.â Ville seemed content with your enthusiasm and the way this was trending, letting out a hum of satisfaction, âNeither can I, darling.â
â
ćœĄ
Bam seemed pretty eager to get your ass out of the house the night before Ville was set to arrive in town. While you were perfectly content with spending the evening fucking around with him and the rest of the guys (because thatâs you usually did on a Friday night), for some reason he couldnât let that happen. âYâknow what? Iâm really not feelinâ like going out tonight.â Excuses like this were uncharacteristic of Bam, but you suspended your dislebeleif as he got up from where the two of you were watching tv on the couch, grabbing something off the kitchen table, âItâs ladyâs night at 15 North! I think you should go hang out with your girlfriends, have a few drinks, here-â
Turning around to where you had been following behind him, Bam shoved a handful of twenties into your hand and grinned, trying to sound nonchalant, âIt's on me!â Part of you wanted to question why the hell he did this big three sixty from how cold he was acting towards you in Finland. But another part of you, a part with a little less shame, knew not to look a gift horse in the mouth, especially when said horse was buying you and your friends drinks. Considering your options for a moment, you nodded, âYou know what? I will go out!â
âćœĄ
That whole thing with Ville just happening to have that time off in Philly wasn't nearly as coincidental as he made it out to be, but that wasnât the only dishonesty here. Even though they were more than capable of discussing it over the phone, Bam urged him to stop by the castle so they would have the opportunity to âtalk about it moreâ. Really, the whole thing was a ploy to keep Ville in one place with him and to show off the castle in one big effort to impress him. Though he was unaffected by his childish attempts to win his favor, Ville decided not to say anything on his thinly veiled intentions or tacky choices in interior design. Bam was giving him some pretty useful information, so it wouldnât be wise to write him off just yet.
Bam had told Ryan and the other guys the same excuse he told you, which they questioned even less. Adding to this web of lies was the fact Ville got in town a day earlier than he told you he would. You decided to stop by Bamâs to pick something up that you left there the previous night before retiring to your place, so you would only discover this fact when you stumbled through the door around the early AMâs to a figure in the darkness of the living room, lounging on the couch with a glass of something dark that he sat down on a table as you walked in. It was silent as you peered around a corner, still pretty tipsy. The light from the entryway illuminated this personâs silhouette enough for you to see a sliver of a swirling tattoo peek out from under a sleeve- one you instantly recognized. âVilleâŠ?â
âćœĄ
You shouldâve known; who else would look that good in the dark? Of course, you had a lot of questions for Ville, but he gave you the rundown after you nearly pounced on him, âWe arrived at a hotel around an hour ago, and while Midge and Linde- and the rest of the fellows were getting settled,â Ville ran his fingers through your hair idly while you pretty much sat on his lap, âBam rang me to ask if I would mind staying at his place for a night or two. Who am I to say no to that?â Gently taking your chin to tilt your head up, he pressed a kiss to your cheekbone, âAll the more time I get to spend with you, my love.â A hummingbird couldnât have caught Ville at work, the way he was playing you, and judging by the way you were blushing and melting onto his lap like warm butter, his charms were working their magic on you.
âAnyways,â Glancing down at you, he quickly brushed it off as if he wasnât just thrilled by how flustered he could make you with such a simple gesture, âI was wondering if youâd care to go out for drinks sometime?â Well, Bam had asked him if he wanted to continue their conversation tomorrow night over a few beers at Rexâs, which gave him the idea to ask you. Close enough. âOh, Iâd love to!â You giggled, laying back against his chest.
â
ćœĄ
There was pretty obvious confusion in Bamâs half awake gaze the next morning when he saw first you in the kitchen making yourself some toast, then Ville at the coffee maker. Why the hell were you here? Wait, did the two of youâŠ? âY/N?â He thought he was having some kind of weird dream- some nightmare, but nope, this was reality. âOh, hey Bam!â Turning around, you took a bite from your toast, âWhatâs up?â If the smirk on your face wasnât telling enough, the fact that the two of you were half dressed certainly was. âYou stayed here last night?â You could practically see Bamâs train of thought on his face as he looked between you and him, âOhhhhâŠâ Ville quietly chuckled at his reaction, not seeming to notice the traces of jealousy in his gaze.
âćœĄ
You were completely oblivious to the fact that there were serious art museums in Pennsylvania until Ville took you to one. Well, you knew there probably were some out there, but the thought never really crossed your mind that people actually go to these places. But there the two of you were, strolling through the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The only sounds that echoed off the tall ceilings of the exhibit hall were the clacking of rubber soles on marble and the hushed whispers among people who actually had opinions on this kind of art.
Sure, you appreciated the stuff, but Ville understood the meaning in seemingly any kind of art that you couldnât even begin to grasp. Stopping in his tracks, he turned to gaze at a painting that caught his eye: this Christophe GuĂ©rin piece titled L'Amour DĂ©sarmĂ©. You looked at it as well, trying to gather any meaning from what appeared to be a pretty straightforward subject: a woman holding a bow and arrow away from Cupid, who was reaching to grab it. Standing there a moment next to you, Ville spoke up in a low murmur, âEven though I feel the Metamorphoses is a bit overdone, Iâve always found paintings depicting them impactful...â He didnât even need to see you to visualize the confused look in your face from his words, so he explained. âSee, the woman, Venus, is disarming her son, Cupid- but what she doesnât know is that sheâs already been pierced by his arrow.â
Well, you gathered some of that on your own. âSo, now sheâs going to fall in love with someone?â Eyes no longer fixed on the painting, he turned to you as you still admired the art, completely oblivious, âYes. In the myth, itâs a mortal: Adonis. Itâs symbolic of love as an uncontrollable force-â In awe of the way he could just think so deeply about things, the double meaning of his words went completely over your head. âOne that binds people together beyond what can be grappled with or comprehended by you or IâŠâ
âćœĄ
You didnât really mind that Bam tagged along with the two of you to the bar after Ville finished the show that night, but you were starting to get an inkling that he did. Honestly, at this point, you didnât really care. Sure, you had known him for way longer than you knew Ville, but not in a million years could he hope to compare to him in your eyes- not now. It was like Bam was some child, constantly vying for attention, and it was starting to get on your nerves. Almost as much as that guy who had been flirting with you since Ville left to use the men's.
âYâknow, I saw you from across the bar over there âŠCan I buy you a drink?â Looking over to Bam for any hope of getting out of this situation, the only response you got from him was the cold shoulder as he glanced away, pretending not to know you. Asshole. Glancing away, now both angry at him and the guy, you replied flatly, âIâm with someone.â Still, he kept pressing, not getting the hint in the slightest, âI didnât ask who you were with- I wanted to buy you a drink.â
The aggression in his voice wouldâve put you on edge a little if it werenât for Villeâs return with incredible timing, sliding between you and the creep. âHope you weren't too lonely without me, love.â Having seen everything, he still paid the guy no mind, leaning in to press a sweet kiss to your lips. Too preoccupied with your little victory, you didnât notice that, barely out of your line of sight, this bitter look crossed Bamâs face as he took another swig of his drink.
â
ćœĄ
Ville had to leave the next morning. You knew that when he showed up, he would have to leave- you would be an idiot for thinking this could end in any other way, but you didnât want him to. There was no logic to how you felt, but yet again when did logic have anything to do with love? Bam wasn't awake, but even if he was heâd probably still be sulking in his room. He probably hated you now. But there you and Ville stood, in the living room at Castle Bam among all the dark velvet, the dim light of early day flooding in through the back window. âMy heart aches for you, Y/N.â Delicate features bathed in cool blue, he took your hand in his and his words came to you, deliberate and earnest. âBut you have a life to live. I have a tour to finish.â Your heart wept at his words. This whole situation with Ville- it was killing you. In three months, your life was turned upside down by a complete stranger, and you were helpless to do anything about it.
âNo more of whatâs keeping you here, and no more of whatâs pulling me away from you. If not today then some day, my dearâŠYou will be mine.â Lifting your hand to his lips, he pressed a kiss to your knuckle. âOnly mine.â
#ville valo#bam margera#him fanfiction#him fanfic#jackass#jackass fanfiction#jackass fanfic#fluff#ville valo x reader
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Any hcs on patrochilles sexting each other in the disasters au? đđ
Oh you bet I have many haha. I even wrote a little one-shot about it, you can read it here:
I feel like the fic pretty much sums it up, but let me share some more HCs:
- Patroclus is very reluctant to get into it at first. Achilles has always loved to leave little notes for him all over the house, sometimes even kinky ones, but them finally getting phones takes it to a whole other level. Achilles has never felt so powerful LOL now he can text Patroclus filthy little ideas and naughty pictures all day long đ
- As time goes by and Patroclus gets more comfortable sharing his thoughts, he actually becomes a dirty talk expert and just the right amount of assertive and dominating, and Achilles is aaaaall over that đ
- I also think they would be really into role play and trying out the occasional kink. Achilles might ask Patroclus to text him as he goes about his day, and Achilles will "order" him to do certain things (usually something innocent like choosing what he clothes he'll wear or what he should eat that day while they're apart) or guide him while he gets himself off, and vice versa. They actually take turns domming the other, they like experimenting and trying new things and getting out of their comfort zones, so Pat will often do it to Achilles too. They're both freaks like that đ©
- Achilles also finds it sooo fun to make Pat a little jealous sometimes. Like he might text him about this or that guy that hit on him at the gym or when he's out with his friends, and that leads to some insanely steamy sessions later on haha. It's all in good fun and neither of them takes it very seriously, they both have complete trust in the other and it's a turn on for both of them.
Thank you so much for this ask!!!
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ok so idk if this is a weird ahh request or nah đ but yk u don't have to do it if u don't want to!
anyways i wanna request for like a soukoku fanfic? like a SMUTTTTTTT fanfic đđ€ idk i've js been rlly into soukoku and i'm one horny ass mf so if u can then PLSSSSSSS DO đđ
LOL YES I COULD DO ITT, ALTHOUGH I DON'T THINK IT WILL BE A VERY GOOD FIC SINCE IT'S MY FIRST TIME MAKING A SMUT FIC ( except hc's đ ) AND MY ENGLISH IS NOT REALLY GOOD SO.
warnings: sex, overstimulation, aftercare, dom!dazai, sub!chuuya. Minors dni
author's note: sorry if it's not really that good, i tried my best and efforts writing this fic so if you do not like it pls do just scroll.
genre: smut/fanfic
Soukokuă ⥠ážáž : : ·Ë
fuck.. Dazai has been in it for hours, not giving him a break or pulling out of his now pink-cheeks ass.
moans and skin slapping has been echoing the room through the past hours, tears and drool falling from Chuuya's flushed cheeks from the non-stop abuse of Dazai's cock in his asshole. "ah.. you feel so good chibi.~" Dazai teases as he continues his onslaught on Chuuya's tight hole
Chuuya could only let out jumbled moans as if trying to make up a remark from Dazai's teasing, but his brain all mush now since Dazai can't even give him a single fucking break.
Dazai could only chuckle at this, hips thrusting deeper and deeper at his hole, knowing that Chuuya can't even really think cause of the continuous onslaught on his hole.
"what chibi?~, can't think of what to say hm?" Dazai teased again as he looks at Chuuya's twitching cock, knowing he's close to cumming for the 'nth time already.
"shut.. shut the fuck up, mackerel.." the only thing chuuya could say as he could feel his orgasm coming, his knuckles white due to how tight he's clutching at the cum-stained sheets.
a few thrust's Chuuya shoots out his seed, staining his lower abdomen. Dazai could only smirk from this as he continues to thrust in and out of Chuuya.
"f-fuck.. Dazai, it's too much..! s-slow.." Chuuya couldn't complete his sentence as he lets out a load moan, head leaning back and digging deeper into the pillow as his eyes roll in the back of his skull
Dazai let's out a low grunt kinda moan, meaning his close to cumming, making his pace fasten up to cum which leads to Chuuya sobbing due to the overstimulation he's feeling.
"D-dazai.. fuck.. mmh..! i can't take it anymore, please!" Chuuya begs as Dazai seems to go deaf-ears, keeping the fast pace up until a warm fluid paints Chuuya's gummy walls
Making Dazai slow down and pull out of Chuuya's hole, his body going limp onto the bed, trying to make his breath back to it's normal rhythm.
'til he felt Dazai's hands reach out om his throbbing cock and pumps it, making Chuuya sob as he could feel his overstimulation coming back.
Embarrassingly, it only took Dazai 5 pumps until he cums again, finally removing his hand off of Chuuya's limp cock.
"came already chibi? that was only five pumps." he teases the ginger haired man, giving him a middle finger in return and Dazai could only chuckle at this.
Brushing off hairs off of Chuuya's forehead with his non-cummed hand, giving it a kiss as he grabs a tissue, wiping his cum-stained hand before grabbing a new one and wiping off the cum at Chuuya's cock
before carrying him to the bathroom, filling it up with warm water as he places Chuuya in it, letting him sit in between Dazai's legs and washing off the bodily fluids off of him.
"you did so fucking good for me, Chibi..~"
 â  â â â  â â â  â â â  â â â  â â â  â  â â â 
idk what i wrote atp đ° but it's a little.. đŻđ»đźđȘđŽđ, LOL hope u guys liked this fic! pls do suggest if open <3
#bsd#bungou stray dogs#smut#japan#soukoku#sub!chuuya#dom!dazai#bsd dazai#bsd chuuya#chuuya nakahara#dazai x chuuya#dazai osamu#bungou stray dogs dazai#bungou stray dogs chuuya
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Eddie, rockstar, who goes on tours and gets raunchy letters from his fans. it also happens to make his wife jealous. she decides she's gonna show him how much better she is than some stupid explicit fan mail đ€· or something i know that's specific
omg I love this!!! And who doesnât love rockstar Eddie đ
I got a little excited with this one so I wrote a fic about it :p
I was thinking about doing something smutty but tb him a little burnt out with smut since its all ive focused on writing for the last couple of months and it's been pretty difficult to work on since Iâm constantly around people
But I hope you enjoy this!
No Exceptions
Genre- Fluff
Warnings- None :)
Tag List- @imagine-all-the-imagines, @esme-viridian, @munsonology
Word Count- 1.5k
You glanced over at Eddie laid on his bed in the back of the tour bus as you heard him try to hide a little giggle. He and the other guys were in their separate quarters, opening and reading all the fanmail they had been sent over the last few weeks.Â
Being a rockstar was a lot different than they had imagined it would be.
They thought it would be nothing but parties, girls, drinking and getting high whenever they pleased while just being able to hang out and jam for work. Instead it was full of long days of music writing and practicing, long drives to new venues, and barely any time for girls and weed. But Eddie didnât need any other girl by his side while he had you.Â
You always trusted him while they were out on the road, he wasnât the type to cheat or lie to you, but usually the gigs they had were only a state away. A few hour drive maximum. This was the first time they were supposed to have a show nearly halfway across the country. And Eddie insisted you go along with them.
He was so happy that he was finally living his dream of being a rockstar, and with all the support you always gave him he wouldnât dare want to experience this without you. The guys had no protests to him bringing you along, they loved having you around and always treated you with kindness and respect. Not to mention you could help find them the perfect girls while theyâre out on tour.Â
But over the last few hours the only stops theyâve made were at truck stops, gas stations, and fast food joints. Now they were just doing their own thing after getting a little bit of cabin fever and starting to get sick of constantly being around one another. They knew that was inevitable, especially being stuck on a cramped bus for hours on end, but for now they were all occupied with reading the dozens of letters they had gotten from their fans.Â
They were excited to read them all and see all the wonderful things their fans had to say about them, not to mention how excited Gareth, Jeff and Grant got when they saw how many girls were DYING to see them and detailing all of the things theyâd love to do if they ever got the chance. Eddie on the other hand always laughed at the letters he got that said things like that.Â
Though Corroded Coffin was still a newer up and coming band, they had their own little group of fans that knew all about you and Eddie.Â
You were that little groups power couple and they adored it whenever they saw you at a show, cheering on your man from right up front on the stage or watching him with loving eyes from backstage. Unfortunately, like all fanbases, there were a few girls who thought they would be able to steal Eddie away from you. Those were always his favorites. And lucky for you, he was giggling at the latest one he had just opened.
âWhatâre you giggling at?â You asked him with a smile before taking the letter from his hands and reading it to yourself, not being able to control the giggles in between nearly every word,
ââIf I had the chance to spend just one night with you, Iâd show you how insignificant that little groupie is and let you see what a real woman can doâ?â You nearly burst out laughing just from reading it.Â
âWait, you didnât even read the best part, look down at the bottom.â Eddie said in a fit of giggles as you laid next to him on his bed.Â
You glanced down at the end of the letter and you could feel the tears start to prick the corners of your eyes,
ââFrom your most devoted fan, Sandra Murphy. P.S. I may be 44 but I promise I have the stamina of a 20-year-old.ââÂ
The two of you were laughing so hard your stomachs were hurting.
âI think she might have a better shot at Wayne than with meâŠâ Eddie said as he tried his best to calm himself.
Those were always your favorite types of letters.
It had nothing to do with their age, how many shows theyâve been to, or how many times theyâve met the boys after a show, there was always that one handful of people who thought that no matter what they would be the one exception Eddie would make during your marriage They somehow assumed that he wanted anyone other than you. And that meant one of two things:
Eddie would ignore the letter and keep it in his collection of favorites, pulling it out whenever he needed a good laugh, or,
He would let you write back to them if they started to get threatening and always made sure to include a polaroid of the two of you.
He had his own little collections of all those letters.
He always kept all the letters from the fans that told him how much they looked up to him and all the little kids that would write to him and say how they wished they could be a rockstar just like him when they grew up. Letters from parents saying that his music was corrupting their children and turning them into satanic savages. Letters from crazed fans who were absolutely obsessed with him (those ones were usually put into a shredder). And of course, his favorites, the letters written to him by all the girls that thought with enough convincing they could get Eddie to leave you for them.
This one was definitely getting saved.
You slowly were able to calm yourselves down, a sharp turn made by the bus that almost knocked you both off the mattress was a big help for stopping the giggles, but you just couldnât help it.
âI donât know Eds, she sounds pretty convincing.â You said to him as you handed him back the letter,Â
âThink youâre gonna take her up on her offer? I mean, I donât want to step in between you and your âmost devoted fanâ.â
Eddie finished his giggles and tossed the letter away onto the floor as he grabbed at your waist and pulled you in close to him, the both of you secured on the bed to keep you from nearly tumbling off again,
âOh please, its not the first letter Iâve gotten like that and it definitely wonât be the last,â He held you close to him, arms draped around your waist as your arms went around his neck, his lips sweetly kissing you as your bodies shook from another bump in the road, âand like I said, she seems more like Waynes type than mineâŠâÂ
You giggled once more and kissed him back, your hand moving up to gently hold the back of his head, your fingers carefully tangling into his soft curls,
âMaybe you should do him a favor and let him be the one to write back to her. You never know, they might really hit it off.â
Eddie smiled,
âYou know, youâre right. I might have to give him a call at the next stop.â
âYouâre gonna call him at the next stop no matter what!â You lightly slapped his chest, âYou said you would call him at the last stop to check in and you never did! That was almost three hours ago Eds.â
âAlright, fine, Iâll call him when we get to the next stop.â Eddie raised his hand up, âScouts honor.â
âSweetie, you were never a scout, you canât keep saying that.â You said with another giggle at your lips.
âHey, if no one knows, it doesnât hurt anything.â
You smiled with one another as you lay in bed, holding each other close in your arms as the gentle rocking of the bus was starting to lull you both off to sleep. It had already been such a long drive, and you knew you had a long while to go until you reached your destination. A nap couldnât hurt anything. Eddie could always wait a little longer to call Wayne, he knew heâd be alright.Â
For now, all he wanted to do was enjoy the scene unfolding around him.
Laying in bed with the woman he loved, on a tour bus with his best friends on their way to a new gig at a new venue in a new place. He was finally living out his dream and though he knew there was always a price to pay when it came to fame and fortune, specifically having to give up the freedom of his personal life, but as long as it meant he got to spend the rest of his days with you it didn't matter.
All those fangirls would get from him is seeing how much he loved and adored you.
And being able to show you off to everyone he could was his favorite part of his new rockstar life.
#stranger things#stranger things 4#eddie munson#eddie munson x reader#eddie munson x yn#eddie munson x female reader#eddie munson fic#eddie munson fanfic#eddie munson fluff
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