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ririkookiemonster · 3 months ago

Text

Be with me- JJK

Summary: Breaking up with Jungkook was supposed to be your freedom from his obsession, but he’s never been one to let go easily. His presence lingers, stalking you even in places you thought were safe. When you finally agree to meet him after the break up, what should have been a simple talk turns into a moment where you 'keep your promise'.

Pairing: yandere ex bf jungkook x ex gf y/n

Genre: smut

Warnings: yandere tendencies, unprotected sex, jk is a freak, dirty talk, voyeurism, rough sex, manipulation, stalking, dub con, sex while being unconscious, recording while fucking, tit slapping, name calling, nipple sucking, groping, jerking off, cumming inside, fighting, jungkook is crazy about yn.

Word count: 8.4k+

Writer: riri🧞

Writer's note: ⚠️this fic contains sensitive contents, which may be triggering to some readers, including adults. please refrain from reading if any of the warnings trigger you. if you still proceed to read my fic, you're on your own. i will not be responsible for your ass, respectfully.⚠️

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You knew you were royally fucked when you laid in your ex’s arms that night, him stroking your hair softly as he drew invisible circles on the small of your back. This was it again. He was back in your life. You let him. You didn’t had a choice.

Thats when you realized

The only way to get rid of Jungkook,

Was to be with Jungkook...

You were a beautiful woman, with big eyes, a perfect body, pearly white teeth, and certainly popular among men. Jungkook absolutely hated how other men ogled you. You were his woman, not theirs. He couldn’t stand how you laughed with your male friends, or how your girlfriends giggled whenever a man eyed you from head to toe. He despised it. And you hated how overprotective he was.

His intense jealousy often ruined social events, and slowly, you began to isolate yourself from friends. You feared his angry outbursts more than you enjoyed your social life.

“Why were you talking to him for so long? Don’t you know how much it hurts me to see you with someone else? You belong with me, only me.”

He insisted on knowing your whereabouts, your schedules, and even installed a tracking app on your phone, claiming it was for your own safety. Jungkook loved you so much that he couldn’t bear the thought of you getting into any ‘trouble’. The world was too dangerous.

“I just worry about you so much. This way, I can always make sure you’re safe. You don’t mind, do you? It’s because I love you.”

His constant checking on you started to feel more like surveillance than care. You hated it, but you loved him.

At first, you found his constant attention flattering, but his possessive grip on your hand felt tighter with each passing day, as if he feared you might slip away if he let go.

“I can’t stand being away from you for even a moment. The thought of anyone else seeing you, talking to you… it drives me crazy. You’re mine, and I need you to know that.”

Jungkook wasn’t always like this, you swore to your friends. You knew he was a great boyfriend. They just didn’t know him the way you did. He took care of you, wanted to protect you from everything in this world. You were his heart. He often bought you gifts to show his love for you. You loved when he gave you a beautiful necklace, a token of his love for you that you were supposed to wear all the time.

“This necklace is a piece of my heart, Y/N. I want you to wear it always, so everyone knows you’re taken. Promise me you won’t ever take it off.”

As time went by, what seemed like a romantic gesture became a chain, a constant reminder of his possessiveness and ownership over you. Jungkook would get so upset if you ever forgot to wear it. Why did you have to remove it in the first place? Didn’t you love him enough to keep his necklace close to your heart?

“He’s too controlling!” your friends said, but Jungkook wasn’t controlling. He just wanted you to himself. You’re his girlfriend, right?

Jungkook wasn’t possessive or controlling, but he didn’t like when you snapped at him for being too possessive and controlling. Mind you, he was just teaching the guy a lesson for asking to buy you a drink. He had to teach him a lesson. So what if he broke his nose? So what if he threw a few punches? Nobody flirts with HIS woman.

“he wasn’t flirting with me!”

“Oh, shut up, Y/N! He clearly wanted to get into your pants!” Jungkook snapped.

You scoffed at his remark. Was he serious? So what if the man was flirting? He didn’t know you were taken. And even if he did, he didn’t deserve to get beaten up so brutally that the bar had to kick you both out and ban your entry in the future.

“This happens every time, Y/N! Every. fucking. time!” Jungkook was fuming.

“I don’t like it when they see you like you’re a piece of meat. Can’t you see how beautiful you are, baby? A body so flawless, men can’t help but be drawn to you. You’re mine… and I don’t like to share what’s mine…”

Damn. There he was again, turning a heated argument into an emotional conversation in the blink of an eye. You hated how smooth he was, how he’d come closer and wrap his arms around you, whispering sweet apologies in your ear. You hated how you always gave in to his embrace. It was like this every time. Your friends wanted you to break up with him, but he always had you like this. In his arms, where he glided his hand down to cup your ass firmly, giving it a possessive squeeze.

You hated how hot he was… so uncontrollably hot. And you hated how this night was going to end… yet again.

“F-fuck!” you whimpered at the animalistic pace Jungkook was pounding into you. Jungkook groans as your cunt wraps around him so wet and perfectly, grinding on him back and forth.

“You love it slut? Looking like a cock hungry slut for my dick. Gonna bust my nut right fucking now because of how wet you are.” Jungkook groaned, maintaining his pace, pounding hard and fast into to.

“O-only for y-your dick daddy! so big and hard” you mewled, a tiny droplet of tear falling out of your eye at the pleasure.

Jungkook was fucking good at fucking good.

“Yeah? gonna make make you cum so hard whore, you’ll forget your own name.” He moaned out, not slowing down his face. He loved the dirty talk during sex. and so did you. it was fucking hot.

Jungkook knew you were close when he felt you tightening around him. He took his camera, like he always did, and turned it on to record your precious expressions of the pleasure that he gave you.

He loved recording you.

And you loved to get recorded.

Jungkook thought you were the most beautiful woman in the world. Looked so fucking cock riding out your climax as your face contorted, letting out a thread of profanities from your mouth. He loved to keep a record of your beautiful tapes. Only for hime; Only for his eyes to see.

He kissed your temple lightly, cradling you in his arms after doing the deed. You looked so angelic after the afterglow.

“You did so amazing baby… so pretty moaning my name like that. i could listen to you for years.” Jungkook said, playing her tape, replaying her sweet moans again and again. Fuck, he means when he says that.

“Tell me Y/N, would you let me record you sleeping, baby…?”

You hummed lightly, lying boneless in his arms humming at whatever stupid request he was making. You were used to him rambling, you had jeon wrapped around your fingers.

“Really babe? you'd let me fucking record you while i use your body while you're asleep?”

Jungkook asked, excitement evident in his voice. Just the thought of recording your tape while youre sleeping… it turned him on so much.

“Promise me Y/N. You wont back off, right?”

“Alright, baby…” you murmured softly, your voice laced with exhaustion.

“You can’t back off now,” he whispered, his breath warm against your ear, eliciting another sleepy hum from you. He pressed a tender kiss to your temple, his fingers gently combing through your soft locks until you slipped into a much-needed, peaceful slumber. After what felt like an eternity, he carefully disentangled himself from your embrace and sat up, his back resting against the headboard of your bed.

Jungkook reached over to the nightstand, picking up his camera with a reverent touch. He lowered the volume to ensure your sleep remained undisturbed. His eyes gleamed with possessive pride as he played the video he had recorded just moments ago. Your face, captured in the throes of pleasure he had bestowed upon you, was a sight that fueled his obsession. He couldn’t resist the allure of watching his recordings of you over and over. To him, you looked utterly captivating, a vision of raw sensuality.

He was consumed by an all-encompassing obsession. He’d rewind the tapes countless times just to hear his name fall from your lips again. Each repetition sent shivers of satisfaction down his spine. He could lose himself in those recordings for days, weeks, even months, relishing in the intimacy they captured.

Only he deserved to see you like this. Only he had the right to make you scream in ecstasy. Only he was entitled to touch you in such intimate ways. He wanted to be the sole possessor of your every touch, every glance, every breath. The thought of anyone else witnessing your beauty, your vulnerability, was unbearable. You were his. His woman. He was your lover, your protector, your everything. Only he deserved to see your pictures and videos.

Hell, only he deserved to see you at all...

7:47 PM

You turned your phone screen off after checking the time, stretching your back as you rubbed your sore eyes. You got up from your chair, feeling your spine crackle and pop with relief. After all, you had been hunched over your laptop for the past two hours, grinding away at your English assignment. Even though they were enjoyable in their own way, but they could be a real headache, especially when it came to meeting Professor Smith's sky-high standards. She was a tough cookie, but thats what made her challenging assignments even more interesting. You wandered over to the window, taking a moment to breathe in the fresh air and clear your head now that you were free for the rest of the weekend.

You were hungry. After working your ass off on that assignment, you were finally free for the rest of the weekend. There was nothing better than cooking up something for yourself and sinking down on your bed to watch Bridgerton. The night was still young. You could hear the faint sounds of crickets coming from your bedroom windows, even though they were locked. you slowly opened the windows and felt the cool air caressing your face in the moonlight. You loved summer nights. You loved how lively they were and how the cool breeze flowed through the balcony of your apartment building, even though it was a hot season.

You slipped on your slippers, intent on cooking something quick for the night, when the faint glow of your phone screen caught your eye, indicating a notification received on silent mode. Curiosity piqued, you picked it up and saw a new message from an unknown number. The message was short, just a few cryptic words that sent a shiver down your spine. You couldn’t shake the strange feeling that crept up in your chest as you read it, like someone unseen was watching, waiting for your response.

[Unknown]: “All done with work, baby?”

You didn’t know who this person was or how they knew you were free now. A strange unease settled over you, but you couldn’t quite pinpoint why. Maybe it was curiosity, or perhaps a nagging sense of denial that urged you to dismiss "it". Taking a slow, deep breath, you hesitated before finally deciding to text the person back.

[You]: “Who is this?”

You hit the send button after which you got a reply almost immediately.

[Unknown]: “It’s me, babe. JK.”

So it was him again. “What did he want now?" You muttered to yourself, a mix of frustration and anxiety rising within. It had been three months since you finally ended things with him, discovering the invasive cameras he had installed in your home to monitor your every move. He didn't stop there; he even sabotaged your social media, deleting precious memories and controlling what you could share, claiming you were only meant for "his eyes" to see. You couldn't tolerate his manipulative and possessive behavior any longer, and that was when you finally decided to cut ties for good.

You still remembered how he acted up on the day you decided to end things with him...

“You cant do this to me! I love you!”

“I don’t care Jungkook! What you did was unforgivable. We’re done.”

Your words broke Jungkook. His hands were shaking, eyes filled with tears. He gave you your everything and you were breaking up with him, like nothing mattered to you. All he wanted was to protect you from everyone. You were his.

“No, we’re not done, Y/N. We are not done.”

He sees you stand near the window, looking out at the city lights, your arms crossed defensively. He’s sitting on the couch, his eyes fixed on you, a mix of desperation and anger in his gaze.

"I can't do this anymore. This-whatever this is-it's not love. It's suffocating.” You declared, your voice firm.

"I did all of that because I love you, dammit! I can't stand the thought of anyone else seeing you, touching you, being near you. You're mine, and I need to protect yo—“

”Protect me!? Really, Jungkook?” You scoff, turning to look at him, all desperate. You knew he was shaking, but didn’t know why. It could be sadness, anger or desperation. But you refused to gave in. “Protect me by Sabotaging my social media? Protect me by tracking my phone? By deleting my online presence? You deleted my emails, Jungkook!”

“This isn’t true, baby. I just want the best for you, pleas—”

“Get out of my house, Jungkook.” You cut Jungkook off. You knew you had pissed him off, but this needed to be done.

Jungkook didn’t like how straight off asked him to leave your apartment. You never told him what to do. so why now? he didn’t like it one bit. He stood up abruptly, knocking over the coffee table in his anger. His face contorted with rage and desperation.

"You can't leave me! I won't let you. You need me. No one else will love you like I do. You know that." Jungkook spat. “If you loved me, You’d have known i was doing this for us, Y/N! Goddamit!”

You flinched at his words, but your relsove did not harden.

“Get out before i report you for stalking and spying”

Jungkook’s face hardened.

“so you’ll report my love now, huh?" He narrowed his eyes, taking some calculative steps towards you.

“You’ll get no one, Y/N mark my words. No one who’ll love you like me. I have always loved you. I have always cared you for you. I have always wanted to protect you. cant you see that baby? i have always loved you, my angel. I can change, just give me a chance…” He spoke, his fingers gently brushing against your cheek.

You flinched at his touch, your resolve hardening. You did feel a little sad about the situation, but you knew you had to do it. You had to distance yourself from him. Whatever this was, it wasn’t healthy.

"It's too late for that. You need help, and I can't give it to you. Leave.”

“You think you’ll ever find someone like me, little brat? No one will want you! Because they dont love you the way i do! so stop being a bitch.”

“Jungkook. leave.”

He stared at her for a long moment, his eyes filled with a mix of hurt and fury.

“This isn’t over, Y/N.” Jungkook spoke as hep turned and walked out the door, slamming it behind him.

Jungkook didn’t take the breakup well. He was absolutely shattered when you ended things with him. He never expected it from you, and the shock was too much for him to handle. In the days following the breakup, his messages became relentless. He would text you at all hours, begging you to take him back, saying he couldn’t imagine life without you. At first, you tried to respond politely, but his persistence became overwhelming. It felt like every time you looked at your phone, there was another message from him, each one more desperate than the last. Eventually, you couldn’t take it anymore. His constant pleas were starting to get under your skin, and you needed space to move on. So, you blocked his number, hoping that would be the end of it. Since then, the silence had been a relief. But a small part of you couldn’t help but wonder if he had really given up, or if he was just biding his time.

Till today.

He was texting you with a new number…

[You]: What do you want, Jungkook?

[Unknown]: i just want to talk, Y/N.

[Unknown]: please...

[You]: No

[Unknown]: i want to make it right baby… i am not asking you to take me back. just please see me this once.

[Unknown]: just want a closure

[Unknown]: if you ever loved me you’d do this

[Unknown]: lets talk for the last time baby

[Unknown]: like adults

You sighed reading his messages. You knew he was watching you. there was no point in ignoring him. you just wanted to get this over with. You still loved jungkook but staying together with him was a BIG NO for you. You took a deep breath and typed out your next text.

[You]: Just talk right?

[Unknown]: yesss baby just wanna talk. don’t expect you to take me back

[Unknown]: miss your face

[Unknown]: let me see you for the last time :(

[Unknown]: i am outside your apartment building. know you are free right now.

[You]: Fine. But dont get your hopes up.

[Unknown]: i wont, i wont baby. be right there

You nervously started fidgeting around your room, playing with your fingers and pacing back and forth. It was sinking in just how dumb a decision you had made by inviting your ex over to talk. Not just any ex, but him. Jungkook. The thought of him coming over filled you with a mix of dread and curiosity. How did he even know you were free right now? You decided to push that unsettling question aside, focusing instead on the fact that Jungkook could arrive at any moment.

In a rush, you dashed to the bathroom to brush your tangled hair, hoping to look at least somewhat presentable, regardless of your relationship status. Anxiety spread through your body like wildfire as you heard the doorbell ring.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Jungkook was here.

And YOU gave him the permission to do so.

But you wanted to get this over with. nothing else. theres no way you and jungkook would get back together, he knew that too. it was just a friendly talk and you both will part ways after that. Taking a deep breath, you slowly walked over to the door.

Heart pounding, you opened the door to find Jungkook standing there, a small smile playing on his lips. "Hey," he greeted softly, holding up a takeout bag. "I brought us some food.

Thought we could eat and talk things through."

Food. Were we going to have a long chat?

You forced a smile, stepping aside to let him in. "Hey, thanks. That's really thoughtful of you." As he walked past, you caught a whiff of his familiar cologne, stirring up a whirlwind of memories.

You both settled on the couch, the tension in the air thick enough to cut with a knife.

Jungkook unpacked the food, handing you a container. "I got your favorite teokbokki" he said, his voice gentle, almost apologetic. "I remember you always loved this place."

He remembers…

You took the container, your hands trembling slightly. "Thanks, Jungkook. I appreciate it." You hadn't eaten all day and your stomach growled in protest, but a part of you was reluctant to accept anything from him.

Jungkook noticed your hesitation and frowned slightly. "What's wrong? He questioned. “You don't trust me?"

Absolutely not.

"It's not that," you lied, forcing a laugh. "I'm just not that hungry."

His eyes darkened for a moment, but he quickly masked it with a reassuring smile. "Come on, just a few bites. I promise, it's safe. I wont kill you or something." He said nonchalantly, making you gasp. You didn’t trust this man one bit. But you needed to get things over with.

Reluctantly, you picked up a fork and poked at the food. Your stomach growled again, louder this time, and you gave in. "Fine, but just a little." The corners of Jungkook’s lips turned upward at your decision.As you took a bite, Jungkook watched you intently, a strange glint in his eyes. "See? Not so bad, right?" You nodded, chewing slowly. "Yeah, it's good."

He relaxed slightly,opening his own container and taking a bite. "I've missed you, you know," he admitted after a moment, his eyes meeting yours. "I know things ended badly between us, but l've been thinking about you a lot."

You swallowed hard, your mind racing. "I've missed you too, Jungkook. But a lot has happened. It's not that simple. Especially after what you did. it makes me want to rethink my choices that why even are you in my house in the first place."

"I know," he replied, his voice earnest. "But i love you, Y/N. i really do. I might a been a little controlling but i never thought anything bad about you. I just wanted to look out for you, baby.” Jungkook sighed, before continuing. “But I want to make it right. I want to fix things between us."

You continued to eat, each bite filling your empty stomach but doing little to ease your nerves. The food tasted a little strange, but you brushed it off, just like you brushed off his bullshit. You didn’t wanna have this ‘i DiD wHaT i DiD bEcAUsE i LoVe YoU’.

"So, what have you been up to?" you asked, trying to start a conversation.

"Just the usual," he said, shrugging. "Work, gym, thinking about you. You know, the usual."

You laughed lightly, though it felt forced. "Yeah, I know the feeling."

After a few minutes of normal conversation. You did ease yourself a little in his presence. He didn’t seem too persuasive. Maybe he really just wanted to have a conversation. Though, it was unlike Jungkook but he did seem less Jungkook-ish this evening. And it wasn’t normal.

a normal Jungkook, a normal conversation and this bad headache.

Nothing was normal.

You started to feel dizzy, your vision blurring. "Jungkook... I don't feel so good," you mumbled, dropping your fork. Jungkook's expression shifted, a frown forming on his lips, along with a crease forming between his eyebrows. He was worried.

But was he? A hint of something dark flashing in his eyes. But he didn’t wanted to show it to you. Yet.

"Maybe you should lie down," he suggested, his voice smooth. "I'll take care of you." He said, getting up to hold you by your shoulders lightly.You tried to stand, but your legs gave out, and Jungkook caught you, his grip firm.

“Shh… its okay… you’re gonna be alright. Just a little headache and dizziness for an hour or so. you wont get unconscious, don’t worry baby.” He cooed, slowly guiding you towards your bedroom

Panic started to rise as you started to breathe heavy, your body growing heavier. Though you were still conscious, you had almost no control over your body. “What did you do?" you whispered.

"Shh," he soothed, brushing a strand of hair from your face as he laid you on the bed. "It's just something to help you relax. We need to talk, really talk, without any distractions. Gotta talk about your fake promises that you made with me, pudding."

Your vision blurred, and you fought to stay in control. "Jungkook, please..."

Your vision swam as Jungkook's words echoed in your ears, his tone shifting from gentle persuasion to something more intense. "I did everything to love you. Protect you. even built a shrine for our love." he murmured, his grip tightening on your arm. "But you left me. You broke your promise."

Fear and confusion clouded your mind, but his proximity and the drug's effects left you unable to resist. "Jungkook…" you managed weakly, your voice barely audible. He leaned closer, his breath hot against your ear.

"I can't let you go, i wont let you go," he whispered, his fingers tracing along your jawline. "You made a huge mistake by breaking up with me, Y/N. And i’ll make you regret it today. You’re mine.”

You swallowed hard, the weight of his words pressing down on you. Despite the fear of his threat, a part of you recognized the desperation in his eyes, a twisted kind of love. obsession.

"Okay," you finally breathed out weakly, hoping to calm him down, to keep yourself safe. Maybe agreeing was the safest option for now, a way to gain his trust. Deep down, you knew this was far from over, you played along, hoping to keep yourself safe from his dangerously twisted self.

His expression softened slightly, a manic gleam in his eyes as he pulled you closer. "I knew you'd understand. Had no choice. Gotta love you some more. Need to keep our promises alive." he murmured, a dangerous edge to his voice. Though his embrace was not something you should enjoy at the moment, you felt a surge of relief mixed with dread.

Your mind raced as Jungkook's grip on you tightened, his words cutting through the haze of the drug. "You're mine, Y/N." he whispered, his voice a chilling blend of possessiveness and longing. "No one else can have you."

You forced yourself to stay calm, nodding weakly in agreement."I know, Jungkook, I belong to you.” You managed to say, your voice trembling.

He nodded, a dark satisfaction crossing his features. "That's right," he murmured, his hand trailing possessively down your arm. "We'll fix everything. Just you and me."

You flinched inwardly at the intensity of his gaze, his touch sending shivers down your spine. "I'm sorry for leaving, kookie. I couldn’t see how much you were looking out for me." you offered softly, desperate to placate him, to find a way out of this nightmare.

Kookie. He missed that. He smiled, a hint of warmth in his gaze, contradicting his devious smile.

"You'll make it up to me, I won't let you go again." He insisted, his voice firm.

As his words sank in, a sinking feeling settled in your stomach. You knew this wasn't right, that you shouldn't have to endure this kind of control. But for now, you had to play along You were drugged by this man. And he was crazy.

Jungkook leaned in closer, his lips brushing against your ear. "You're mine forever," he breathed, his grip on you unyielding. "And I'll do whatever it takes to keep you." Fear mingled with resignation as you nodded weakly, hoping beyond hope that this little act of yours would finally set you free in the future.

"You have to understand," Jungkook continued, his voice low and urgent. "I can't let anyone else have you. If you try to leave again, I'll... I'll do things you wouldn't like, and you know how persuasive i can be, baby…" His words sent a chill down your spine, the threat hanging heavy in the air.

"Kookie, I didn't mean to hurt you. I just needed some time."

His expression darkened, his grip on you tightening almost imperceptibly. "Time? You had all the time in the world with me," he growled softly.

"But you ignored everything i did for you, Chose to walk away. You made me promise things, and you broke them."

Tears welled up in your eyes as you struggled to find the right words, to calm him down without provoking him further, despite being hazed. "I'm sorry," you slurred, your voice breaking. "I never meant to hurt you, baby…"

He studied you for a moment, his gaze intense and searching.

"I know," he finally said, his tone softening slightly. "That's why l'm giving you another chance…”

You sighed in relief, only to gasp after.

“Remember babe? You promised to let me record you…sleeping”

“P-promised you…?

“Tell me Y/N, would you let me record you sleeping, baby…?”

You hummed lightly, lying boneless in his arms.

“Really babe? youd let me fucking record you while i use your body while you’re asleep?”

“Promise me Y/N. You wont back off, right?”

“Alright, baby…”

“You can’t back off now.”

“Y/N?” Jungkook shaked you lightly, dizziness evident in your eyes.

“Yeah..?”

“I wanna fuck you and record you while you’re asleep. You wanted to earn my forgiveness, right? We can start off by completing the promises you made.” Jungkook said, almost in a quiet tone, staring right into your eyes.

You gulped in nervousness over his words. You had no choice.

You wanted to save yourself from Jungkook

and that could be only done

by being Jungkook’s…

You nodded sofly, a hint of small smile playing on your lips, as you stared at his beautiful brown eyes.

Jungkook looks so sweet. Too sweet that you almost forgot who he really is.

“Of course kookie… I’d do anything to earn your forgiveness…”

Jungkook slowly slumps down your unconscious body on the bed. He felt a surge of excitement, as he was finally be able to do what he had been wanting to, from a long time, and youd finally be able to keep your promise.

Promises aren’t meant to be broken, you both know that. Jungkook loved how he still had you in his arms even after everything that happened. Thats the power of the shrine he made at his home of your knick knacks. He knew his love held an immense power as you, the love of his life had finally decided to open your eyes and see what Jungkook was doing for you.

He was your savior. Your lover. Your life.

If it hadn’t been him, you’d have been so lost. so hurt, so vulnerable, so messed up. Mind you, you could have even be murdered by someone.

Or by Jungkook, if you weren’t his.

But you had Jungkook

He was your life. He knows it.

He stared down at your soft body, lying unconscious on your pink sheets, that smells like vanilla. Jungkook knew you loved him and wanted to prove it when you agreed to take on the sleeping pill 10 minutes ago. You were his. His to use, his to love, his to fuck.

It didn’t take Jungkook long to strip your clothes away from your body, laying you in nothing but your light pink cotton lingerie in front of his gaze. Even though he had seen you without them countless times, (well in the past), it felt like he went through a jolt of electricity, sending shivers straight to his spine, a smirk to his lips.

Jungkook's smirk turns into a wicked grin as he looks down at your unconscious body, his fingers staring to trace over the smooth texture of your skin. His eyes glint with excitement and desire, once seeing your fluffy breasts, his cock standing in salute.

"Fuck, you have amazing tits, baby..."

Jungkook mumbles to himself, as he takes a second to admire them before pulling your bra down to free your tits. Wasting no time, He leaned down, taking the soft flesh in his mouth, his lips wrapped around your nipple, sucking softly, swallowing around it, tongue flicking it inside his mouth. They were for him to squeeze, kiss, lick and pinch, after all.

He couldn’t get enough of you, like ever. And so, for a brief moment, he pulled away, releasing your wet and tortured nub, as we walks to his drawers, taking out the same camera he used everytime you to did stuff together.

"This is going to be so fucking hot. I am going to make you mine again, baby. I missed you so much…"

Jungkook turned on the camera. The small red light near the lens indicated the video had started recording. Jungkook makes his way to the bed again, where you were lying there completely at his mercy. He slowly settles himself down beside you, moving the camera closer to your body, recording every inch of you as if he was doing it for the first time. It was Getting hot. You were hot. Jungkook gulped as he slowly removed his white tee, showing off his soft traces of abs and the tattooed arm. He added a few more to his sleeve tattoo collection when you two were not together. Jungkook turned on the air conditioner and sets the temperature on 24. Perfect.

He drifts his attention back to you, his hands move up to your already freed and sucked tits, touching and squeezing them, making sure to get a close-up. His mouth finds a way to your neck, taking in a whiff as he kissed it slowly, his lips wet against your neck. His fingers knead into the flesh of your tits, nipples hard in his palm as he relieves his stress.

He then moves his hand down to your panties, slowly pulling them off as he continues to film. He lets out a satisfied hum when he sees a patch of slick on your panties, not much, but enough to say that you were turned on. In this state. This was how Jungkook made you feel. You were utterly the doe eyed boy’s, in every possible state. This is what true love is. He slowly moved your thighs away, taking a close up of your pussy. Hell, it wasn’t freshly waxed. Jungkook knew you liked to keep it clean whenever you both would get intimate. His heart almost swell in pride as he got a proof that you weren’t fucking anyone all this time. (Not that he didn’t knew it already, he always kept tabs on you.) It still had a soft little patch of hair, but not enough of to make an obstacle to film those luscious lips and needly clit of yours.

Jungkook starts to touch your cunt, filming his finger’s movement. He starts to rub your clit, watching your reaction, not that he expected any. He starts to whisper filthy things while recording the sinful act.

“Look how wet she’s for me. She’s so fucking hot. Fuck,"

The sight of your now slick wet cunt, being teased by his slender fingers made him extremely tight in the pants. Fuck, it was hard to jerk off to the footages of you in your room, doing your thing when Jungkook used to find ways to get his Y/N back. He had missed you so much. God knows how many times he had came in front of monitor just by seeing you change into your pajamas every night. Or when you crossed your legs while watching TV in the couch, wearing his favorite pink tank top.

He lost a month’s worth cum when he saw you playing with yourself with the toy HE gifted you. That was the only toy you owned. Only that thing was allowed to enter you whenever Jungkook wasn’t around. You were using his toy. Why? You wanted him. You need him. You needed Jungkook, isnt that why you used His replacement to calm yourself down. Why didn’t you use your fingers? They weren’t long enough? wrong. they didn’t satisfy you? No. Jungkook knew why. You obviously missed him. You wanted him back.

Jungkook continues to touch and record himself pleasuring you, his own desire growing with each passing moment. He slowly starts to finger you, starting with one finger, soon followed by a second one, making sure to capture the slick movements, the camera moving a little due to the jerks produced by his other hand working on you. "This is so hot, she's practically begging for it,"

Jungkook continues to finger you and suck on your nipples while the camera captures everything. How wet your pussy was. The slick. The wet sounds. Jungkook’s grunts. Your soft breathing followed but a few straggled breaths. Everything . "Look at her, she loves it. Such a dirty slut. My pretty Y/N. She needs my cock inside her."

Jungkook pulls his fingers out of you, admiring the wetness and a sticky thread of your juices joined between his fingers before bringing them to his mouth and sucking on them, followed by a satisfied hum as if just tasted a forbidden fruit. Well, technically yes, the only difference is this fruit wasn’t forbidden. It was completely his.

Jungkook then moves the camera away from your pussy and focuses it on himself as he undoes his pants, the metal of his belt makes a soft click sound as he pulls down his Blue Calvin Klein Denim jeans, followed the the pair of his black Calvin Klein Boxers. His painfully hard cock was already standing parallel to the floor, the veins on it as swollen as the bulbous head, sparkling with a drop of precum. He slowly start to touch his thick length while recording himself.

“You want this… My filthy Y/N. You want my cock inside you.”

Jungkook starts to jerk off, his hand moving vigorously over his shafts, focusing the camera to your body time to time.

“She doesn't know it but she is a slut. My slut.”

“She was stupid to even think about leaving me.”

“She missed me so much. I am going to fuck her so hard to show how much she means to me.”

Jungkook knew he couldn’t take it anymore. You were in front of his eyes after a long time. he needed to be inside you, and fuck you like he means it. He focuses the camera on your body once again and spreads your legs wide open, positioning his hips against yours, his hard and heavy cock being brushed against your folds. Jungkook groaned as he pushed the tip in, head being thrown back as he basked in the feeling of your tight walls. It always felt like first time whenever he fucked you.

“Fuck! Shit! Y/N I missed this cunt.”

In one swift movement he enters you fully, burying himself to the hilt. He can barely contain himself, his fingers dig in your waist as he fucks his cock inside you, his mouth letting out a guttural moan, pulling his length back just to pound into you again. and again. and again. The sound of your thighs meeting fills the room, with soft grunts and mewls of pleasure escaping Jungkook’s mouth, his eyes solely focused on the sight of your round tits bouncing with every thrust. So pretty, so round, so soft, all his.

Jungkook lips turn into a twisted crescent at the sight. Unable to hold himself any longer, he starts to squeeze and slap your unconscious tits, causing them to become red, which only fuels his desire to slap and squeeze them more, just how you loved it.

“You’re my cunt, bitch. Gonna Fuck this fact into you.”

Jungkook had noticed that you had started to stir a little, maybe the the reaction of the pill was slowly wearing off. He found you moaning unconsciously at the feeling of his cock pounding facts into you to the hilt.

“M-mhhh…k-kook ahh-“ He heard you mumble incoherently, feeling your walls clench around him tightly.

“Such a slut, just woke up and you’re already about to cum? You missed my dick that much baby?” Jungkook groaned, his thrusts becoming erratic as he chases down his own orgasm. It took him all his might not to bust a nut just right then at the feeling of you clenching around him so tightly.

“Gonna cum in you, you want that, right love?” Jungkook said, his hips never stopping to move against yours, as you slowly started to feel faint trickles of your orgasm, which got stronger and stronger with Jungkook’s pounding. You gasped loudly as he thrusted himself in you for the last time, emptying thick ropes of his cum inside you and filling you to the brim.

The room was quiet, the only thing that could be heard was the humming of air conditioner, and both of your soft breathing, as you lay on the bed beside, your back firmly pressed against his chest. You still felt a little drowsy due to the effect that pill had on you, but Jungkook had made sure to clean you up and change you to your comfortable pjs. The purple satin ones.

His face was buried in the crook of your neck, his fingers playing with the chain of your ‘pendant’ that Jungkook had bought you tonight as a gift for your union since you threw the last one.

“…do you forgive me ggukie…?” You mumbled, earning a soft hum from him.

“I forgive you, Y/N. But if this happens again-"

“It wont happen again.” You cut him off. “I promise, kook.”

His smile returned, though it lacked warmth. "Good," he said, his voice tinged with possessive satisfaction. "Now, let's forget about everything else. It's just you and me now, Y/N No one fucking else. I’ll kill them if anyone gets between us, Y/N.”

You hummed, finally surrendering to the situation that has you caught up in a fucking cycle. And you knew.

The only way to get rid of Jungkook,

was to be with Jungkook.

Jungkook felt you slowly drifting away, so he shifts you in such a way that you were lying on your back. He sat up, his back pressed against the headboard. He reached to the night stand and grabbed his camera, to see how you kept your promise to earn his forgiveness.

TAGLIST:

@rispwr @jkslipppiercing @jmstoesblog @iarchmybaculaa @frmisnow @lovelyglares @kookiecrumb @luvismenu @whatifyoulivelikethat @paletangerine @erotica-ficx @tatumrileyslover @chaelvrx @smartkookiee @jeonswifey @heinlous @urmomluvsrose @velvetskize @elithenium @jeonaissance @jeonlvly

🖇️CLICK HERE TO BE ADDED IN MY TAGLIST OR JUST DM ME🖇️

i was supposed to post this on halloween 😭 but had been so so busy with college. my exams are coming up so I won't be able to post as much, please keep supporting.

please like and reblog

-riri🫐

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luludeluluramblings · 6 months ago

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Smalltown!Neglected!Meta!Reader x Yandere!Batfam ☁️ Part Three

☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️

Part One ☁️ Part Two ☁️ Part Four ☁️ Part Five ☁️ Part Six ☁️ Part Seven ☁️ Part Eight

☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️

A/N: I’m realizing I’m struggling to find a good breaking point for reader, cause I want reader to break. I’m terrible at coming up with conflict though. (I’m not much of a writer, but I’m trying.)

A/N: There will be Romantic Yanderes. But, we’ll get to that later when we talk about each yandere. (Most will be platonic or start platonically at least.)

A/N: Hopefully y’all are noticing that Reader is in this constant state of just trying to cope. (If I wrote it correctly, that is.)

Warning(s): Yandere themes, Obsessive behavior

☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️

So, Reader’s childhood crush shows up looking fine and kind

Alfred informs the others of the unexpected guest.

Bruce isn’t home, Damian is out with Jon. Stephanie and Cass are busy in Gotham, Duke’s out on Patrol, Dick’s in Bludhaven, Jason meeting this guy is a bad idea, and Barbara’s at work.

Tim, being the only one home on a rare break (in reality working cases in the Batcave) is practically ordered to scope this guy out.

Which annoys Tim, because Reader is just fawning over their old crush and the truck.

The truck is surprising, not something he expected Reader to want. But, reader is practically crying over it.

Tim would have just brushed it off, but he notices how this guy keeps touching reader.

Practically clings to Reader. Even sniffing unaware teary eyed reader. (Teary eyed reader is…. Cute.)

Tim makes eye contact with this guy, and he looks… smug. Like he won the grand prize.

And, it pisses Tim off. (Why is he so smug? What does he know that I don’t?)

Childhood crush isn’t staying long, he’s going to catch a flight back to the smalltown.

Reader happily offers to drive him to the airport and Tim just hops in the backseat of the truck. (Why? Oh, I just want to get out of the manor for a bit. Hope you don’t mind.)

Childhood crush is peeved, but hides it from Reader. (Tim can tell. He’s a detective, it’s his job.)

The entire ride is Reader and Childhood crush reminiscing and catching up on smalltown gossip.

Tim is listening in on everything with intrest, realizing he knows practically NOTHING about reader. (Didn’t bother researching cause he was pissed and didn’t consider reader worth the effort when he had more important things to do.)

Now, he’s getting to see a side of Reader that no one in Gotham has really seen yet.

Reader is funny, approachable, a hint of a flirt, apparently sings, loves to spend time with people they care about, and a slight geek.

Tim is a bit entranced/intrigued. But, his biggest concern is Childhood crush.

Why is this guy so possessive of reader? What does he know that Tim doesn’t? Something’s amiss, and he’s going to figure it out.

(And, maybe he should get to know Reader some more. They’re trying to make him feel comfortable in the truck, including him in conversation, sharing happy memories and information with him, willingly. It’s nice. It’s soothing.)

Eventually, Childhood crush is dropped off at the airport. But, not after he tells reader, there will always be a place back home for them and to come home soon. We miss you. I miss you. Come Home.

The ride back to the manor is done in comfortable silence. Or, at least, to Reader.

For Tim, he has a lot to think about.

What does he know about Reader? What more is there to Reader? He wants to know more. He wants to know everything.

He asks questions on the way back, occasionally breaking the silence.

Reader happily answers, expecting this will change things between them.

It does for Tim, but not as much for Reader.

Tim jumps into discovering everything he can as soon as he gets back to the BatComputer, but he’s not ignoring reader anymore. He’s almost friendly. (He’s still busy as mess. Not much time to hangout.)

Which makes reader feel better, because Duke and Cassandra disappear for about two weeks after that. (Mission.)

Reader worries and wonders where they are.

Bruce says the two are taking a ‘small vacation’.

(Reader knows he’s probably lying, but in the off chance he isn’t, Reader feels a bit put out.)

Reader is really leaning on those phone calls to their friends and family. They spend hours talking on the phone while pacing the halls, their room, and the garden.

Everyone back in the town wants them home. They miss Reader soooo much. They just understand reader more than these rich city people.

They can’t wait for reader to come home visit.

Damian and Reader eventually have a confrontation.

Damian finds Reader cooking in the kitchen.

(Alfred lets Reader cook, and Reader helps occasionally with dinner and meals.)

Reader offers food to Damian, a peace offering.

Damian, obviously, rejects it.

Doesn’t matter that he’s vegetarian or if he’s not hungry, he was going to reject it regardless.

And then he verbally tears into reader.

Insulting everything about them, the food, their actions, their attitude, their clothing.

Nothing is off limits. (Damian’s had a bad day and is pent up. He wants an outlet and Reader is right there and the object of most of his doubts.)

Reader shuts down. Going cold and looking startlingly blank. (Eerily reminding Damian of Batman Bruce.)

After this all attempts for Reader to bond with Damian stop.

(Sometimes you just gotta cut your losses.)

It doesn’t help that Damian one day hears Reader on the phone when they’re pacing the halls.

Talking sweetly and softly to someone in such a loving voice. Before hanging up with an ‘I love you.’

Damian initially begins to try to interrogate reader. (Who was that? Are you having relations with someone? Does Bruce know?)

Only for reader to bluntly state that they were talking to their younger brother and it’s none of Damian’s business before brushing past him.

Damian would grab at them, but he’s a bit stunned.

He knew Reader had another brother. Bruce was going to try to bring him to the manor. (Still is trying to bring him to the manor.)

But, now doubts start to creep in.

Because he wants that. That unconditional love Reader so willingly gives to their brother.

He wants that love. He wants someone to say ‘I love you’ to him like it’s as easy as breathing.

Damian brushes it off at the moment, but it sits with him. (He’ll fix things eventually. He’ll apologize. He’ll have that one day. He will.)

#yandere dc #yandere batfamily #yandere tim drake #yandere batfam #dc x reader #yandere batfam x reader #yandere bruce wayne #yandere damian wayne #platonic batfam #yandere batfamily x reader #batfamily x reader #batfam x reader #platonic yandere #smalltown!reader

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chateaaa · 7 months ago

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☆ What dating the blue lock characters feels like (pt 2)

Dating Sae Itoshi includes matching earrings, having your initial dangling in his dominant leg (so every time he scores he dedicates the goals to you), having you in the back of his phone, being mean to everyone but you, buying you everything you want, giving you his password to all his socials, buying you flowers every week, slow dancing in the rain, watching hello kitty with you, kissing you on the back of your hand <3

Dating Shidou Ryusui includes bear hugs!!, slapping your ass every time he gets a chance, biting you randomly, love hate relationship, "shut up" x "make me", would try to be romantic (it does not work), would always expect you watching his games, looking at you in the crowd if he scores a goal, making boys near you cry because he dosnt want them to steal you away from him

Dating Otoya Eita includes kissing you on the neck, painting each other's nails in the color of black, wearing a pink scrunchie you gave him as a joke he now won't remove it from his arm, giving you his hoodie, acts of service, only wearing this specific perfume when you guys meet, pocky game (he would purposely lose)

Dating Tabito Karasu includes flirting with you in front of your friends, matching lego heart keychain, giving you cute random things and saying "my chick number 7 gave this to me, i don't need it so you can have it" that's a lie, he spended 3 days deciding what to give you, carrying you like a sack around, matching sneakers

Dating Alexis Ness includes worshipping you like a goddess, loving every single part of you, carrying an extra ponytail for you, buying you snacks, being very possessive, always wanting to wear matching clothes, words of affirmation and physical touch!!, telling his teamates about how good and kind you are, literally making you experience any kind of dates ex: beach dates, museum dates, stargazing dates, always wanting to touch any part of your body; arms, cheeks, hands

Dating Hiori Yo includes arcade dates!!, winning you stuff toys in claw machines, gaming dates, photobooth dates, physical touch and quality time!!, cuddling while raining, playing games even if your horrible, the beds in minecraft being side by side, carrying you in literally any game, sending you spotify lyrics that he thinks relates to your relationship with him, watching netflix together during summer vacation

Dating Noel Noa includes waking up during weekends with him serving you breakfast in bed, carrying you around like a teddy, all love language, gifting you extravagant gifts everyday, leaving you colorful sticky notes in the counter everyday with daily reminders such as "don't forget to drink water" or "i'm going home late, you should sleep early today"

Dating Ikki Nikko includes only letting you touch his hair, cafe dates, letting you have his drink if you like it more, gifting you a giant teddy on your birthday, would always update you through chat, sending you spotify playlists, handwritten letters, sending memes to eachother, dreaming about being married and adopting 5 cats

Dating Yukimiya Kenyu includes neck kisses!, ranting about all his problems to you at 3 am while cuddling, taking pictures of you every time you go out, his wallpaper being you (he changes his wallpaper every week), just because flowers, photographer x model, always having your favorite food in his bag

Dating Charles Chevalier includes painting each other's nails with the eye color of each other, him only listening to you, sunshine x grumpy, always asking for headpats, booping your nose, watching disney every night before going to bed, expecting you to feed him every time you go out

idk guys kasasu and otoya feels ooc, I THINK IT'S VERY HARD TO WRITE ABOUT THEM SINCE I FEEL LIKE THEY'RE RED FLAGS AND I REALLY DON'T KNOW ABOUT THEIR PERSONALITY THAT MUCH..... (sorry karasu and otoya fans 😔😔) but anw hope you all still like it ☝🏻🤓

btw PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE SUGGEST ANYTHING TO WRITE IM HAVING WRITERS BLOCK LOL

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jjoongiesbetter · 6 months ago

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✎ᝰ. mon's ateez fic recommendations (part 1)!

mdni!

│hi there! i haven't read much lately so the first part came across as a bit shorter than i expected but the next ones will surely be longer!

— as a writer myself, i just wanted to take a moment to thank all the authors for sharing such incredible writing, your hard work is truly appreciated! thank you for sharing your writing with us! ♡

──────── ♡⸝⸝

⤷ kim hongjoong x reader

♡┆ugh, as if by @ennysbookstore; the whole mini-series is just amazing and i enjoyed each part a lot! once i started i couldn't stop reading! loved how well hongjoong was written! the build-up of the first part was top-notch! and the character development... i should thank the author on my knees for writing this masterpiece. one of the best authors out there! definitely will read again!

♡┆swapped by @daisykihannie; the prompt is just so fun and interesting, one of the most creative ones i stumbled across! i haven't read something like this before. enjoyed it very very much!

♡┆punching bag by @mulloey; i must admit it was so just so undeniably hot, angry hongjoong and also so well-written! you will find me re-reading it an unholy amount of times.

♡┆clumsy hearts, steady love by @edenesth; WHAT IF I TELL YOU I CRIED? i already commented on this one on my main but im going to repeat myself! incredibly written, hongjoong suits the concept so well, my heart hurt a bit while reading but it's hongjoong, of course, i forgive him. somehow still very cute.

⤷ jeong yunho x reader

♡┆active recovery by @k-hotchoisan; y'all so i was always so shy about commenting on smut but tbh don't we all read it? author killed it yet again! got me hot, bothered and i am starting to consider a gym subscription!

♡┆the drill by @byuntrash101; look i know this one was posted last year, and i am so mad for not reading it sooner😭 i loved the storyline, wooyoung as a side character was just so funny, yunho without rizz altered my brain chemistry. i can't lie i was thinking about this fic for days after i read it! it's the perfect blend of fun and smut.

♡┆private lessons by @bombuni; i must admit i love professor yunho and it is always a pleasure finding and reading such fics, especially when it's as good as this one! (would love to see a part two one day)

♡┆muffled by @desirehorizon; the plot!!! the writing!!! the smut!!! and it was funny too!!! what more can i want? perfect!! imma say it once again but i enjoyed every word of this fic!!! can't wait to read more from the author!

⤷ song mingi x reader

♡┆still your biggest fan by @byuntrash101; good god it was just so incredibly hot, we need to appreciate the idea because it surely is creative! who doesn't just love teasing mingi? let's agree that we all do.

♡┆sour candy by @0097linersb; loved the idea🙂‍↕️ needy mingi is my favorite mingi, it was very very hot. you better find the time and read it!

⤷ choi jongho x reader

♡┆minor nuisance by @everyonewooeverywhere; i tell you they are in love love! trust me, you definitely need to read this one! jongho was just so sweet, a great fluff/smut combo and now i need jongho in my life even more :(

♡┆freestyle lap by @bro-atz; we all should know by now that bro is just simply one of the best when it comes to smut and they never, never disappoint. i definitely needed to read this one after i saw that pool jongho pics. if you haven't read it yet, what are you even doing?

♡┆falling and sleeping by @seonghwaddict; it was posted earlier this year but i just had to include it :( it was just utterly cute, jongho is adorable. well-written, and melted my poor heart.

multiple members:

⤷ choi jongho x kang yeosang x reader

♡┆the post show high by @bombuni; i must shamelessly admit while reading it i felt like the author somehow got into my brain and just picked one of my fantasies, hope it's not tmi. so saying i loved it it's an understatement! one of my favorite authors for real!

pairings:

⤷ kim hongjoong x jeong yunho (hohong)

ao3 ♡┆darling, you will bury me (before i bury you) by SunshineAndRayne; cute cute cute! i loved every letter of it, yunho is so whipped and i am living for it!

ao3 ♡┆waiting for you by marspacz; i absolutely loved this one so much! my heart needed this, had me smiling the entire time i was reading! and then the shotgun scene—damn, that was hot!

#mon's recommendations ᡣ𐭩 #ateez fic recs #ateez x reader #ateez fics recs #ateez au recs #ateez smut #hongjoong x reader #yunho x reader #mingi x reader #jongho x reader

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whumptober · 5 months ago

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Anatomy of a Whumptober Prompt

We get a lot of questions about prompts, so I thought this might be a helpful post for how to break down a Whumptober prompt and get ideas.

Each day of Whumptober has 4 prompts: a theme trope, then three ideas. You can use any one, two, three, or all four in your work. Each day’s prompts loosely relate to each other but could also be taken individually. They can be interpreted as literally or figuratively as you want.

Let’s look at an example. I’m a writer, so I’m going to talk in terms of storywriting, but just remember that this challenge is open to all sorts of creative works, including art, gifsets, headcannons, crafts, or whatever else you can think of.

ICARUS

cage | “You'll say you'd never let me fall from hopes so high” | crash landing

(Fiona Apple, Never is a Promise)

So the theme is Icarus, with additional prompts of a place, a song lyric, and a situation. Taken together, you could write a story of Icarus, who was caged with his father Daedelus, flew too close to the sun on the hope of freedom, and crashed fatally to earth. But you could also look at each prompt in isolation for ideas.

Icarus:

themes of hubris

themes of freedom from captivity

winged characters

a child trying to prove themselves to a parent figure and failing

Cage:

being literally caged

feeling figuratively caged

breaking free of something (literal or figurative)

themes of imprisonment and freedom or false freedom

“You'll say you'd never let me fall from hopes so high”:

regret

promises made or broken

an accident and its aftermath

bitterness after betrayal

guilt after betrayal or accident

Crash landing:

literally falling from a height

being high (drugs, mania, medications, love, sugar) and crashing

plane/helicopter/airship/dragon/spaceship/winged creature crash

an angel falling to earth or hell

comet or meteor impact

This isn’t an exhaustive list, but just some brainstorming ideas I could come up with quickly. In a few of my fandoms, I could write about Bucky’s fall from the train and Steve’s guilt (MCU), Basch fon Ronsenburg’s fall from grace or languishing in a cage for treason (FFXII), Sephiroth summoning Meteor (FFVII), Chell being dragged back into Aperture after thinking she’s free (Portal), a dragonrider battle (ASOIAF/HoD), crashing into the Chionthar after victory (BG3), Geralt coming down after battle when the potions wear off (The Witcher). Any of these scenarios could be inspired by one or more of the four prompts for that day – my problem is always deciding which one I want to use!

“But Yenn,” you say, “what if I can’t think of anything for any parts of the prompt, or I don’t like the prompts, or they’re too much for me in some way?” No problem! We also have a list of 15 alternatives that can be substituted for any day (once per prompt). If you’re still stuck, you can always come on Discord and ask for brainstorming help. Everyone is super nice there, especially for a community of people that live to put blorbos in discomfort.

I hope this post helps give people ideas. We’re working hard to get everything together and should release the prompts in a couple of weeks! In the meantime, our 2024 playlist will be loading soon...

#mod yenn #whumptober #prompts

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joooooniecore · 8 days ago

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Confessed by the wrong person

scoupsxfem!reader, best friends to lovers, happy ending

PLOT: a reunion changes everything between you and your best friend Seungcheol. A revengeful confession. Will you both be able to find each other back? Or drift apart?

WARNINGS: smut, explicit language, bodily fluids mentioned, tiny bullying? smut has been marked(skip if uncomfortable)

______________________________________________________________

CTRL+A and backspace. These two are the only things you have known for the past two months. Being an author is fun they said. You would call yourself kind of a newbie author who rose into fame through her debut book. You are a romance book writer but recently you are trying to do something a little different for your fifth book. A mystery thriller encapsuled in a romance book. Its different and hence you are unable to think of any possible plots. A tenuous job. Your agent was kind enough to give you six months' time to finish this book. Your other books were doing great so you could sit back and relax a bit while working on this book.

The doorbell was what brought you out of your endless turmoil. You groaned a bit while getting up from the office chair that have by now moulded itself to the shape of your body. Your hips cracking a bit as you walked up to the door to see who it was. Opening the door widely, you are welcomed by a very happy Choi Seungcheol.

Seungcheol has been your best friend for ages. You both went to the same high school and later attended the same university. It was always you both. From the awkward teenage phase to the pressure of university projects. You both never left each other's sides and everyone around you knew that. You were a duo. A duo many loved but also many hated. The hate list mostly included Seungcheol's dates. All of them miraculously hated you even if you rarely met him. You weren't exactly the type of person who would try to be in her male friend's arms pretending to be platonic. You maintained distance and never sabotaged his dates.

Even if you were in love with him.

"I bought food, now move.", Seungcheol said as he pushed past you and kept the food on the dining table before taking his usual spot on the couch.

"Why are you here?", you asked clearly confused.

"Why? Can't I meet my best friend?", Seungcheol feigned a pout.

You rolled your eyes before replying, "No idiot. I strongly believe that one should work on weekdays."

Seungcheol shrugged his shoulders before replying, "I am the boss so..."

Seungcheol took over his dad's company once he completed his studies. It was his lifelong dream to become a business man. His dad is a very lenient man and actually never pressured Seungcheol into inheriting his company but Seungcheol wanted to do that. So now, with his dad retired, he is the current CEO of the company. You were actually proud of him for achieving something like that at such a young age.

You checked the packets he had bought and it was mostly snacks. You picked out two packets of chips and sat beside him before handing him one.

"How is your book coming along?", Seungcheol asked between bites.

"It's umm well not going great.", you answered with not much confidence in your voice.

"Why? What's wrong?", Seungcheol asked.

"I am unable to create the plot.", you truthfully confessed. You have been struggling to arrange the plot for over a month now and it was killing you from inside. Normally you struggle with writing lines but it has never happened to you that you have not a single plot idea in mind.

"You will be fine. Don't worry.", Seungcheol said as he patted your back.

"Are you going to the reunion?", Seungcheol asked.

The reunion. That is something you have been dreading for quite some time. You love your classmates, there is no lie in that. But you hated that one girl who had once been your entire life. Your ex best friend. The girl you shared everything with. The girl who was there on your highs and lows and the girl who was the only one who knew how you harbored a tiny crush for your male best friend. Haewon.

You and Haewon became close very quickly and were each other's solace. You both went to classes together and even shared weekends at each other's dorm rooms. Seungcheol being in the different department actually gave you less time to meet him so most of your time was taken over by Haewon. Then she started expanding her friend circle. She would talk to the more popular girls of the department and hang out with them more often. The meet ups increased and slowly she abandoned you. She became mean, closed off and somewhat invincible.

You tried to talk with her many times, reminding her about the friendship you both shared but nothing bothered her. She was proud of being one of the famous girls in the class and you were simply a dark spot in her ever so flashy life. You gave up. After that one fight which has been the nastiest fight you have ever encountered, you walked out of her life and planned on never looking back.

"I am not sure Cheol.", you said clearly not willing to face Haewon and her new friends. You knew they will be there, showing off the successes they have had after university.

"Come on. I have no one else to go with.", Seungcheol nagged.

"Don't lie. Jeonghan is going, I know.", your grumbled.

"Yes, but we both know that he is going to flirt all night.", Seungcheol reasoned.

You chuckled a bit after remembering how good Jeonghan is at flirting with literally anyone he finds attractive. You thought for a bit, and seeing how Seungcheol really has no one to go with, you agreed. He jumped on you, hugging you tight as if you saved him from some sort of apocalypse.

______________________________________________________________

The next few days went by in a blur. You were added to the reunion group and you were fearing to even look at the members of the group. The reunion was actually going to be a weekend long trip to a nearby beach city. A simple weekend with old friends sounded so fun if you omitted that one group of people. You decided to not think about it.

It was one morning when you woke up earlier than you do and went out for a walk in the park. You normally exercised at home or in the gym that was attached to your apartment complex but you felt like you need some fresh air. As you walked through the beautiful scenery of the park, you could see many people who have come for morning walks, jogs or even to take their dog out. There were elderly people exercising in the middle of the green ground and you kind of found it peaceful.

After rounding the entire park two times, you decided to sit on a bench and rest. A little while later, you felt someone sit beside you but you were so engrossed in thinking about the plot that you barely noticed.

"Want a drink?", came the deep voice from beside you.

You whipped your head to see Seungcheol smiling at you. His forehead was glistening with sweat from exercising or running laps and he was wearing a sleeveless t-shirt for god's sake. His biceps proudly on display and his abs and rigid chest slightly visible through the sweat dripping shirt that was stuck to his body like a glove.

You gulped a bit, trying to maintain your composure and nodded your head. He took out an energy drink from his backpack and handed it over to you not before opening the can by himself.

"There you go.", he said with a tender smile.

These were the kind of things that Seungcheol did which made your heart flutter. He would pay for your dinners, send food to your house, buy you expensive gifts and even run to you whenever you need him. He was a gentleman through and through. You have never seen him miss a chance to open the car door for you. You normally looked at these things through a platonic eye but at certain moments they urged you to ask him "What are we?"

You took the drink and chugged it down in one go, coughing a bit when the strong acid hit the back of your throat.

"Easy there love.", Seungcheol said as he patted your back to help you control your reactions. The warmth of his hand on your back did nothing but send shivers down your spine. Your heart skipped a beat as you tried to control yourself.

"You run here?", you asked after you have controlled your hiccups.

"Yes. I always come here for running. Great place.", Seungcheol explained as he himself took a sip of the drink he was holding.

"Why have I never known about this?", you asked.

"Well maybe because rich people go to apartment attached gyms.", he joked, elbowing you.

"Yah! You are rich too!", you pouted.

"I live in a house, not apartment.", he smirked.

You rolled your eyes and hit him in the chest which did nothing to him. Instead, it made your imagination go wild when your hands laid flat on his chest even if it were for a fraction of second. The hardness of his muscles imprinted on your palm as you flinched a bit and laughed nervously.

"When will you go home?", he asked after a while.

"In a bit.", you replied, enjoying the nature around you.

"Let me walk you back to your house.", Seungcheol said as he got up.

"I can walk back myself.", you said as you also got up and started walking but couldn't reach far as he held your elbow firmly and pulled you closer to him.

"W-What's wrong?", you asked, internally cursing at how you stuttered.

"You see that man over there.", he said as he subtly pointed at this very strange man.

"Yeah? What about him?", you asked.

"He has been eyeing you since past ten minutes. Its only eight in the morning and the streets are empty. Let me. Please.", he practically begged you.

You nodded and started walking with him. And as if on cue, the man eyed you, trying to find a way to see if Seungcheol was going to be with you and that felt like a gut punch. You hated how men thought of women as easy targets, almost trying to attack even if it is in the broad daylight.

After reaching the apartment door, you asked Seungcheol to come in for breakfast which he declined saying that he needs to run some errands before he visits his office.

The rest of the day went by quickly as you sat on your desk and thought of plots. You were actually elated when you thought of a good plot and even discussed it with your agent who gave you a green signal. You racked your brain for ideas and finally by evening, your first chapter was done and you have almost decided eighty percent of the ending.

A phone call took you out of your zone as you picked up the phone to find Jeonghan calling.

"Hello Jeonghan-ah!", you smiled.

"Hie! I have been meaning to call you. How have you been?", Jeonghan said.

"I have been great. What about you?", you asked.

"Great. I heard you are coming to the reunion with Seungcheol.", he said and you could hear the teasing in his voice.

Jeonghan is someone you can never hide something from. He will know and there is no denying in that. The first day he saw you and Seungcheol together at that one party, he came up to you and bombarded you with questions and you quickly complied and told him about your feelings. He laughed and said that Seungcheol was really dumb to miss on a girl like you which you were not sure if was true or not. Why would Seungcheol regret it? You are no one special. And with his money and looks, Choi Seungcheol can date anyone he wants. Then why you?

"I am going yes.", you answered with a sigh.

"Come on it will be fun. So, you both entering like a couple or...?", Jeonghan asked.

"No! We are going as friends Jeonghan.", you answered through gritted teeth.

"Wow stupid people. Anyways, just so you know, I won't let Haewon and her minions ruin this trip for you.", Jeonghan firmly confirmed.

______________________________________________________________

The day of the reunion came closer and your heart started beating faster. You were stressed about your book itself and on top of that you haven't packed anything for your trip. Everything was a mess and it overwhelmed you. You panicked so much that you lied down on the ground in your living room and cried. Finally, when you realized that the panic wasn't going away, you called Seungcheol.

"Hello?", came Seungcheol's husky voice.

"Hey umm are you busy?", you asked, clearly unsure of how you should say this.

"A bit. Why?", said Seungcheol

"Oh. Then no worries.", you quickly said.

"____. What happened?", Seungcheol demanded sternly.

"Its nothing important.", you tried to dismiss the situation.

"You say it or I come there and find out myself.", he warned.

"I was just having a panic attack as everything was overwhelming me so I thought of calling you.", you explained.

"Are you okay now? Do I need to come right now?", Seungcheol asked, clearly concerned.

"I am fine now.", you said.

"Okay. Listen to me carefully. I want you to take some rest and give me half an hour. I will come to you by then.", Seungcheol explained.

"No. Its not required.", you reasoned.

"Just listen to me once.", Seungcheol groaned and you agreed.

Half an hour later, Seungcheol was actually standing in your living room, helping you sort through your dresses with the help of his sister. She commented on every dress and was glad enough to help you pick some good ones.

"Thank you Seunghee.", you said as you smiled at her through the phone.

"Noona, can I talk to you for a second. Go to the other room.", she said.

"Why? I also want to hear it.", Seungcheol visibly pouted.

"No dummy. I want to have a girl talk.", Seunghee rolled her eyes.

You gladly took the phone from Seungcheol's hands and went to your bedroom before plugging your headphone in.

"What is it?", you finally asked.

"You remember the red dress that I rejected?", she asked and you nodded. It's a bodycon, mini dress with shimmery design and looks absolutely great on you. You were actually disheartened when Seunghee said no to it.

"Pack that when Seungcheol goes back home.", she said with a smirk.

"Huh? Why?", you asked, clearly confused.

"You are dumb enough to not see that my brother likes you.", Seunghee rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time.

"What? He doesn't!", you whisper yelled.

"Trust me this one time please. Take that dress and wear it on the night of party. Please.", she pleaded with those glistening eyes that you can never say no to. Seunghee was someone you immensely adored and so you easily caved in.

After the conversation, you handed the phone back to Seungcheol and when he asked about what his sister said, you denied it saying it was related to some girly stuffs that he won't be interested in. You have heard many people say that Seungcheol might like you but for the first time you let someone's words actually affect you. Seunghee's words were enough to put a seed of doubt in your mind and you started seeing everything Seungcheol did from a different perspective.

______________________________________________________________

The journey to the beach town was nothing special. Everyone boarded the train and went there, clearly not sitting side by side. You saw Haewon once but she was soon off to a different coach with her friends. It felt like a relief to you. The rest of the journey went by you and Seungcheol eating, reading, listening to songs and laughing while remembering your college days.

The hotel was pleasant looking. It looked over the beach and gave an amazing view of the sea. You have always been a beach person and finding out that your room overlooked the ocean made you all giddy from inside. After setting your luggage in your room, you went to the attached balcony to enjoy the view. Seungcheol knocked on your door and informed you that everyone is planning to eat something before resting for the evening.

You had some food and sat at the farthest corner, clearly trying to avoid Haewon. You only looked up when Seungcheol sat across you with his food and when someone came by you to greet you and talk with you for a bit. Most of the people who came on the trip were nice. They talked with you with the same enthusiasm that they showed during your college days. Jeonghan was coming later in the evening because he had to get some job done before he catches the train.

The rest of the evening went along without any more interactions. You locked yourself in your room and worked on the book. You have made quite some progress and were actually proud with how good it was coming out. You busied yourself with finished at least the initial segments of the story, weaving most of the mystery and romance that were the main focus of your book.

After dinner you were too tired to even keep up with most of the conversations and you decided to call it a day.

The next day, everyone decided to hit the beach. Jeonghan was finally here and you along with Seungcheol decided to go together. You weren't exactly feeling comfortable in wearing a bikini so you decided on a tank cropped top and some shorts.

As you walked out of your room, you felt someone eyeing you as you turned to see Seungcheol leaning against one of the pillars in the main reception area. He gave you a lazy smile as he walked up to you.

"Good morning.", he said in a soft voice and your heart skipped a beat.

"Morning. Where is Jeonghan?", you asked, trying to compose yourself.

"He is already gone. You are late madam.", he teased and you simply rolled your eyes before walking out of the door, followed by Seungcheol who was simply smiling from ear to ear.

As soon as you stepped on the sand, you saw Haewon and her friends in bikini, lying on beach towels and tanning themselves. You decided to maintain a distance and sit a bit farther near other classmates. They gladly welcomed you and soon you were laughing and chatting happily with them. They even congratulated you for your successful releases. One of the girls even brought one of your books with her on the trip and you were happy enough to sign it for her. It felt good to see people actually being happy seeing you succeed.

"I didn't see you in the hotel last night.", came a high-pitched voice from behind you.

You turned to see Haewon standing there and just said, "I had an early dinner."

"Why? Growing old I see. Or is it your boring books that make you old?", she smirked and you really had no idea why she hated you so much.

You just smiled at her and that seemed to infuriate her more as she walked off.

"I don't like her.", said one of the classmates and all you could was simply agree.

The tension didn't die down from there. Every time you went past her and her friends; they would glare at you. From commenting on your looks to almost faking their concern about your weight gain. You have seen and heard many such things and this was not going to ruin you. Past you would have broken down and cried for days but present you was successful and had a very strong mental grip.

"You know why Haewon hates you so much?", Jeonghan asked as soon as he sat beside you.

You both were currently in the hotel garden that was beautifully decorated with all kinds of flowers.

"Because I am boring?", you answered unsure.

"No! She doesn't care about that.", Jeonghan laughed.

"Then why? I haven't done a thing to her.", you reasoned.

"She likes Seungcheol. Let me tell you a secret. She confessed to Seungcheol on the graduation day.", Jeonghan whispered.

Your eyes went wide as you gasped, "What? Seungcheol never said me that."

Jeonghan laughed a bit and said, "Yes. He knew you hated her and so he just didn't want to bother you more. He rejected her."

"Really? For me?", you were shocked by this new information.

"Yes. He said to her that he can't accept it because of what she has done to you and hence Haewon hates you. Because Seungcheol chose you over her.", Jeonghan concluded.

With this information in mind, you felt like you should infuriate her more. The plan was approved by Jeonghan and he even told you to glam up. It was Saturday and everyone will be gathering in the party hall of the hotel for a reunion party before they go back home the next day.

You decided to wear the red dress and even called Seunghee to help you with your makeup. She was more than happy to help. She told you to leave your hair open and un-styled because it looked good in its natural wavey form. She told you to do subtle makeup but put some bold red lipstick. The dress did the rest of the job as it hugged your curves perfectly. Finally strapping in the high heels, you were ready to go.

Seungcheol was already at the party when you entered with Jeonghan. The moment you entered, you saw Seungcheol get up and walk to you.

Jeonghan whispered a little 'enjoy' and left your side to talk with someone else.

Your breath hitched when you saw Seungcheol check you out from top to bottom. His hot gaze never leaving your figure as he took long strides and in a mere matter of minutes was standing in front of you, towering you even if you were wearing high heels.

"Hi.", you finally said.

"Wow. You- I mean don't take in the wrong way but you look very pretty.", Seungcheol sighed, his hot breath fanning your face.

"Thank you. You also don't look bad.", you teased and he smirked.

You both sat near the bar and ordered few drinks. Laughing and judging everyone that came here. You both shared a bond that nothing could break and at these moments you wished for him to stay in your life forever. Even if you never confess, you would want him to stay as a friend.

"Let's play truth and dare.", someone yelled and everyone agreed, soon huddling into a circle.

You sat in between Seungcheol and Jeonghan on the chair and someone spun the bottle. The game continued for like thirty minutes or so before it finally landed in between you and Mina, Haewon's friend. Your breath hitched as you saw Haewon smirk before whispering something to her friend.

You chose truth just to play it safe.

"Tell me a secret of yours that no one knows about?", she asked.

You racked your brain a bit and finally said, "Umm I write better when sitting in my bathtub."

There were some giggles and relief washed over you. Seungcheol looked at you as if you have offended him and said, "What? How do you use your laptop in that situation?" and you simply just flipped him off.

"Come one ____, you know we want something worse.", Mina smirked.

Your eyes went wide as you said, "I-I don't have such secrets."

"Seriously? You don't? You are not secretly harboring a crush on someone for years now?", challenged Mina and you knew you were fucked.

Seungcheol went stiff beside you as you saw him slightly retract his hands that were originally resting on the back rest of your chair. You quickly felt the loss of warmth that was coming from his hand over your shoulders.

"I-no I don't.", you answered but the slight tremor in your voice gave it away.

This time Haewon stepped in, meaning to ruin you for once and for all as she simply said, "So you are telling me that you are not in love with your best friend?"

That was the final nail on your coffin. You stiffened as you could only look down. Your mind raced as everyone around you hollered. As if on cue, Seungcheol rested his hand on your back and you flinched. You got up, murmuring a small 'excuse me' and left the party even though you could hear your friends call you. Without thinking anything you ran straight to your room and while you fumbled with the keys, you felt a presence behind you.

You turned around to see Seungcheol standing there, breathing heavily as if he has run hundred miles.

"Damn woman. How can you walk so fast in those heels?", he managed to breath normally.

"I- can you leave me alone please?", you pleaded.

"No. We both know that we need to talk.", he answered sternly and you were left with no option but to welcome him inside.

He sat on the bed and patted the space beside him for you to sit. The closeness caused shivers down your spine as you sat down.

"Listen-", he was about to start talking but you stopped him and spoke first.

"I know. I am sorry for hiding it. I didn't want to ruin our friendship and its fine that you don't have feelings for me. You can end the friendship if you want. I was just scared to confess because I knew you would never like someone lik-", this time you were cut off but not by his words, rather by his lips. On yours.

!!SMUT STARTS FROM HERE!!

Without realizing what was happening, you kissed him back. The kiss soon escalated as you both devoured each other's mouth before creating a distance only to breath.

"W-Wha- What was that?", you stammered.

"I didn't know how to shut you up darling.", Seungcheol said with an easy smile.

His fingers were placed on your hip as he firmly kneaded the skin and it sent shivers down your spine. Even if you were wearing clothes, you could feel the warmth of his hand right across your skin.

"I- you? Why would you?", you were at loss of words.

"I have liked you for a long time too. I also didn't want to ruin our friendship and hence I went on all those meaningless dates so that I could move on from you which never happened. I never moved on from you. You were it for me and I should have confessed sooner. I am sorry."

His confession made you blush as you closed the distance and kissed him. Your body molding with his as he pulled you on his lap, your dress riding up a bit as you sat on his thighs.

"This dress has been driving me insane all night.", Seungcheol groaned as he firmly gripped your hips and made you grind on his lap. You moaned in response as your slowly moved your hips in a rhythmic motion.

"The moment I saw you, I wanted to slam you against a wall and kiss you dumb.", said Seungcheol as he stared at your eyes with nothing but lust.

"Then what are you waiting for? Kiss me dumb.", you teased as you dipped your head a bit but didn't exactly kiss him.

This seemed to work wonders as he groaned and kissed you harshly. It wasn't a sweet kiss. This kiss was all teeth. It was a storm after a calm day. It was like the oceans that gushed and hit the shore harshly. His tongue played like waves inside your mouth as his hands grazed over every part of your body, as if memorizing you.

Seungcheol found the chain of the dress and slowly pulled it down, as you got out of it. The dress bunching up near your hips only.

"Fuck.", Seungcheol whispered as he saw the lingerie you were wearing.

"Please tell me that it is a matching set.", he pleaded and you nodded shyly.

"Did you wear this for me?", Seungcheol smirked.

"Kind of. Jeonghan said to see how you would react if I wear the dress.", you explained shyly.

"Oh, I will react. I will react very well.", his voice turned huskier as he cupped your clothed breast and took one in his mouth. With the material still in between his tongue and your breast, it created a delicious friction that made you grind your hips more.

"Fuck I will go crazy. You are so responsive baby.", He whispered against your skin as he unhooked the bra.

"Seungcheol...", you moaned.

"What is it darling?"

"Please Seungcheol.", you had no idea what you were begging for.

"What do you want?", he smirked as he picked you up and threw you on the bed before hovering over you.

"Take it off please. Take your shirt off.", you begged.

Seungcheol delivered. He stood on his knees and in a painfully slow pace, unbuttoned his shirt before throwing it aside. You were welcomed with his toned chest. You audibly moaned and that seemed to boast Seungcheol's ego.

"Loving the view?", he teased

"Of course.", you said as you did a come-hither motion to which he complied.

He dipped his head and trailed kisses down your chest. Starting from your neck, he marked every inch of your skin as you writhed under him. With an agonizing slow pace his mouth finally hovered over your core, which earned a moan from you.

"Please. Seungcheol, please.", you moaned.

"Patience baby.", Seungcheol chuckled and finally teased your core with his tongue which slowly turned into more aggressive licks as he devoured you. All you could do was moan and writhe which also got restricted when he used his left hand to hold your hips down with one strong grip.

Soon you were coming undone on his tongue, as your body shook and all you could do was moan his name.

"I love when you moan my name.", Seungcheol said as he looked at you, his chin glistening with your juices which made you even more aroused.

Suddenly you sat up and pushed him down on bed, before unbuckling his belt and rubbing his throbbing member over the fabric of his underwear. He let out a guttural moan and you smirked in victory. Having such a big strong man moan under you felt so good that you almost got wet again.

"Don't tease me love.", Seungcheol groaned and who were you to deny him.

You quickly dragged his pants and underwear down in one go and his dick sprang up, standing proud and thick.

"Fuck you are big.", you moaned as you moved your palm up and down the length before giving the tip kitten licks.

You took his whole dick in and bobbed your head while consecutively using your hand to create more friction. Seungcheol's fingers went through your hair before gripping it tight to control the bobbing of your head, fucking your mouth deep. Your eyes glistened with tears as you moaned at the feeling of being used by him.

"Fuck baby. You take me so well.", moaned Seungcheol before picking you up in one go and throwing you on the bed again.

"So wet from just sucking me?", Seungcheol teased before sinking two of his fingers in.

"Seungcheol, please fuck me. I don't need your fingers right now.", you moaned and Seungcheol obliged.

"I-I don't have condoms.", Seungcheol confessed shyly.

"It's okay. I am on birth control and clean.", you said to which he simply smiled and kissed you.

"I am also clean so, can I?", he asked and you nodded.

Lining his dick to your core, he slowly sunk in, giving you time to adjust.

"Fuck you are so tight.", he groaned, his eyebrows furrowing as he let out a disgruntled sigh.

"Seungcheol...", you moaned his name as you supported yourself by holding his biceps.

"Keep saying my name. Let everyone know who is fucking you right.", Seungcheol demanded and you moaned his name loud.

"Cheol fuck.", you whispered as you moaned and groaned.

"That's it. Baby, cum for me. Cum all over my cock. Cream me fuck.", Seungcheol whimpered as he kept his pace steady and firm.

Within seconds you were reaching your high again as you creamed his cock. Seungcheol pace didn't slow as he kept pounding into you, making a mess out of you. Your juices were everywhere as sweat formed on your forehead. Seungcheol dipped his head, as your foreheads were against each other and whispered, "I am gonna cum baby."

"Then cum Cheol. Cum inside me. Fill me up.", you said in a lust laden voice and that was Seungcheol's undoing as he came inside you.

!!SMUT ENDS HERE!!

After catching his breath, he lied down beside you for a bit before getting up to bring a warm water-soaked towel to clean you and then clean himself. After showering, you wore Seungcheol's shirt and lied down on the soft bed. Seungcheol joined you as he pulled your back against his chest and nuzzled into the crook of your neck.

"I love you.", he whispered and your heart melted.

"I love you too Cheollie.", you smiled as he giggled.

Then Seungcheol started laughing as you turned your head and gave him a questioning look.

"We are idiots, aren't we?", he giggled and you laughed along with him.

"You know what I am thinking?", you said.

"What?", asked Seungcheol.

"Haewon's face when she sees us hand in hand in the morning.", you smirked and Seungcheol gave a hearty laugh.

"You are a menace my love.", he teased and then you both dozed off.

______________________________________________________________

Author's note: First of all, ignore any sort of typos or grammatical mistakes. I am still trying to get a hang of this app as I have never made such long posts on this app before. Now, I love best friends to lovers trope so much and hence I really wanted to write this. I dreamed about this plot and I needed to write it down. I hope everyone enjoys it.

#seventeen #scoups x reader #scoups smut #scoups seventeen #scoups fluff #scoups imagines #svt #seungcheol #choi seungcheol #seungcheol smut #seungcheol x reader #seventeen seungcheol #seungcheol fluff #svt scoups #scoups

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markrosewater · 8 months ago

Text

Elegance

Here’s my original article for Elegance.

This is a topic I’ve wanted to write about for a long time. Ironically, the words needed to explain the concept kept the column from being elegant. So I did what all artists do. I found a way to say a lot in a little space.

Enjoy,

Mark Rosewater

[NOTE: EACH OF THE ABOVE FIFTY WORDS IS HYPERLINKED. BELOW IS THE FIFTY HYPER LINKS. THE HEADERS SHOULDN’T BE ON THE LINKED PAGE. I’M JUST INCLUDING THEM SO YOU KNOW WHAT EACH LINK IS.]

ELEGANCE

Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary has five definitions for elegance:

• refined grace or dignified propriety

• tasteful richness of design or ornamentation

• dignified, gracefulness or restrained beauty of style

• scientific precision, neatness and simplicity

• something that is elegant

The common elements appear to be dignity, simplicity, and taste.

THIS

Elegance requires thinking, but it also requires feeling. Elegant prose is judged by how it makes the reader feel. It needs to generate a sense of calm that puts the reader at ease. Everything in your writing should feel as if it was carefully positioned to create the proper effect.

Pound for pound, the writer’s greatest writing tool is the verb. Nouns add substance and adjectives add flourish, but it’s the verb that drives the sentence. Choose a strong, descriptive verb and the sentence has flair and purpose. Choose a weak one and the sentence lacks any sense of drama.

Here’s a little game to test an elegance relevant skill (based on an old game called Inklings). Randomly choose a noun. Try to convey that noun to the other players using the least number of letters possible. You’ll be surprised how much you can communicate in just a few letters.

TOPIC

One of the greatest stumbling blocks to elegance is the inability to choose a single focus. Elegance requires simplicity. Simplicity requires a single purpose of thought. This means that elegance starts before you write a single word. A good sculptor must know his image before he picks up his chisel.

I’VE

One of the common misconceptions of elegance is that it requires a writer to be fancy. Elegance though is more about familiarity than formality. You shouldn’t be afraid of friendlier language such as slang or contractions, assuming that such language adds an element of ease rather than one of laziness.

WANTED

An important element of elegance is a sense of passion. Brevity does not mean pulling away emotionally from words, but rather the opposite. When you find yourself limited to fewer words, you must pack each individual word with extra emotional punch. You are not reducing your message, simply your messenger.

A good tool in understanding elegance is studying poetry. Poetry is the most concise of all written art forms. It strives to maximize impact while minimizing expression. Each word carries the burden of evoking some essence of the poet’s message. If it cannot carry its own weight, it is excised.

WRITE

To be an elegant writer, you have to become a student of prose. You have to study the mechanics of language to understand how it can be shaped. Once you have learned how to transfer the feeling in your head into meaningful words, you are on the path to elegance.

ABOUT

Be careful not to fall in love with ambiguity. While intoxicating in its beauty, it is the enemy of elegance. Remember, the goal is not to make the reader struggle for comprehension. Rather it is to lead them to the obvious conclusion. Elegance should be used to illuminate, not confuse.

FOR

Elegant prose requires connecting with your reader. To do this, you have to understand who that reader is. Nothing should come before this task. It needs to be done before writing can begin. I like to compare this to planning a trip. Maps are useless until you know your destination.

Another major key to elegance is the understanding of the importance of the tiniest detail. Just as a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, a piece of prose is only as tight as its messiest detail. A good writer doesn’t stop at the nouns, verbs and adjectives.

LONG

Don’t confuse elegance with brevity. Elegant things are short not because they have to be but because the difficulty to craft an elegant piece of prose combined with the limitations of time forces writers to be brief. Elegant novels, for example, do exist, but they are few and far between.

TIME

To quote Roman orator (and letter writer) Marcus T. Cicero, “If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter.”

Simplicity takes more time not less. Anyone can get a point across with ten thousand words. But a true artist can do it in ten (or possibly fifty).

IRONICALLY

Irony is a potent tool for commentary. Its genius lies in the fact that it comments not on what is, but rather on what isn’t. Like all good humor, irony makes you laugh. But like the best type of humor, it also makes you think. It’s both funny and funny.

THE

Elegance in writing is about more than words. Equally important is how the words are woven together. Tempo, pacing, rhythm – these are the tools that set the mood for the piece. Try reading aloud your text. The natural beat of language is more suited for the ear than the eye.

WORDS

To realize the power of words, you must first understand how they work. Art is expressive; words are connotative. That is, words draw their power from their ability to extract different ideas from different people. A circle is a circle, but the concept of “scary” varies from person to person.

NEEDED

Elegance is not the result of any one attribute. It is the combination of numerous factors coming together in harmony. This is why it’s such a hard skill to master. Most people can pat their head or rub their tummy. But put them together and it’s not quite so easy.

An elegant piece of prose needs to hit the reader at a gut level. Often they won’t know exactly why they like it, but they will recognize that something about the piece moves them. There are many types of writing where subtlety is lost. Elegant writing isn’t one of them.

EXPLAIN

There are many ways for you to explain an idea. The most elegant one though is not through definition but by example. By connecting your idea to one already known by the reader, you’re leaving the work of teaching to someone in the past. Education is hard. Comparison is easy.

THE

If writing is like building a house, the structure is like the foundation. Its design will dictate how the house is built. If it’s faulty, no amount of fancy brickwork will undo the damage. So take the time to ensure your structure is building the kind of prose you want.

CONCEPT

Never underestimate the power of a concept. An important part of elegance is condensing big ideas into little words. This is far from an easy task. It often takes a genius an entire lifetime to create a truly innovative concept. So take advantage of all their hard work and inspiration.

KEPT

A common barrier to elegance is the belief that only one way will work. Often a writer is unable to abandon a beloved piece of prose even when evidence demonstrates otherwise. If something doesn’t add to the larger sense of the piece, you have to learn to let it go.

THE

Readers notice things at a minute level far beyond their mind’s ability to interpret. This means that although they may not consciously notice many of your tiny details, they will do so unconsciously. Aesthetics teach us that it’s this unconscious structure that will determine whether or not it feels “right”.

COLUMN

All communicators, whether through speaking or print, need to find a voice. A voice provides familiarity and it teaches the listener or reader how to more quickly absorb the information. Elegance is all about the conservation of ideas. Having a pre-learned voice to guide you is a very valuable tool.

FROM

I’ve spent some time talking about understanding your reader. But there is one more person who is even more important to understand – yourself. Writing is about sharing your ideas with others. If you haven’t spent the time to figure out what you think, how can you possibly communicate it?

BEING

“A picture is worth a thousand words.”

Or so the saying goes. What the cliché forgets to mention is how many words a single word is worth. For example, take the word “being”. To capture the essence of what “being” represents is tens of thousands of words if not more.

ELEGANT

What is the value of being elegant? Why should you care? Elegance adds aesthetics. It evokes poetry. It grants beauty. Elegant prose draws the reader closer because it gives them something to not just learn but to admire. Good prose stimulates the head, but elegant prose resonates in the heart.

Who, what, where, when, how - all important questions. But for a writer they pale next to why. If you don’t understand the reasoning beneath the surface, the other details are irrelevant. The act of elegance is cementing the why. It’s taking the purpose and engraining it into the piece.

Elegance is a very personal thing. If something doesn’t resonate with you, there’s no way for it to resonate with your reader. Writing is an art, not a science. There is no rulebook for how things must be done. If your instincts are telling you that something isn’t working, listen.

DID

An important tool in your toolbox is time. Elegance cannot be rushed. Mental ruts only get deeper the harder you focus on them. Make sure to work time into your schedule so you are able to walk away from your writing. An hour next week is worth a day today.

WHAT

Don’t let attention to detail pull you away from having a larger sense of what you’re writing. Take this column as an example. While I spent a lot of time fine tuning each entry I never lost sight of the effect they created when all the entries were put together.

ALL

Elegance requires taking a holistic view of writing. Every word, every sentence, every paragraph is a piece in a larger puzzle. It’s not enough to understand the impact of a single element. You must understand how any two elements interact if you want to understand the potency of your text.

ARTISTS

Elegance and art are very intertwined. Both seek to achieve a similar goal: to illuminate and inspire with a conservation of expression. If you’re trying to be elegant, I think it helps to think of yourself as an artist. The instinct for the latter mirrors the needs of the former.

An important part of any writing is understanding the feeling you’re trying to evoke. And then realizing what mechanic tools you have available to evoke that feeling. Diction, verb tense, sentence length, alliteration, word flow, phonetic juxtaposition – each of these will control the mood and tone of your piece.

A writer’s life is the ultimate fodder. Don’t be ashamed to plumb your own experiences. You understand them deeper and more personally than anyone else. No painter would refuse to use his finest paints. And, as a bonus, by using your own experiences, you will become better educated about yourself.

FOUND

Don’t forget that the act of revealing is also an act of exploration. Don’t be afraid if you learn more than the reader you’re trying to educate. Writing is not an exact science. (Or even an exact art.) Often you will find that the road to salvation has a fork.

Your future is paved with your past. If you want to learn how to grow as a writer, you need to look back at what you’ve written. With time and a detached eye, your will find your mistakes become clearer. Remember that it’s failure, not success, that bests drives education.

WAY

The problem with looking for a single solution is that you’ll never find more than one. And the first one isn’t always the best. But if you’re open to the possibility that every problem has an infinite number of answers, you’ll have the freedom of choosing the solution you want.

Sentences are filled with freeloaders. Because writers seem to love overwriting. (I include myself in this camp.) Make sure to create time for the editor side of you to prune unnecessary words. If a word can be excised without any harm to the sentence, it has no right being there.

SAY

I’m spending my time today talking about elegance in prose, but most of what I’m saying is applicable in speech. The key difference is that prose has less defining attributes like appearance or tone. The key to elegant speech is making people focus on the words rather than everything else.

It’s ironic that something designed to be so simple can be so complex. But that, my faithful readers, is the joy (and mystery) of elegance. Like an onion, elegance has numerous layers that reveal themselves as you slowly peel them away. Oh yeah, and it can sometimes make you cry.

LOT

An interesting exercise is to look at each word you’re using and think about how much content is loaded in that word. Then explore what other words exist that fulfill the same role but with added content. Once you’ve found the word you can’t best, move onto the next word.

A good way to get better at understanding elegance is to look for it in every day life. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised where and how often you find it. Study each example carefully and try to see if you can put your finger on what makes it work.

Writing is a shared endeavor. No one owns the words. If someone uses a technique that works, there’s no shame in borrowing it. Like science, writing creates technology that’s brought back to the group to spur further advancements. Elegance is hard enough to accomplish without refusing to use the toolbox.

LITTLE

How big should a piece of text be if you want it to be elegant? The answer is as big as it needs to be – and not a word more. Just think of it as playing the game Jenga. Keep pulling words out of your prose until it collapses.

SPACE

One of the most important lessons in art is learning the value of negative space, the idea that the eyes are equally drawn to what isn’t there. Prose has a very similar quality. When writing pay careful attention to what you aren’t saying. Often it will speak the loudest volume.

ENJOY

For some reason people tend to equate dignity with seriousness. And as such they come to the false conclusion that elegance has no room for humor. Ironic as humor is one of the most elegant of styles. A good joke is no longer than is necessary to do its job.

MARK

As is always true when I head off the beaten path, I am curious to hear your feedback. What did you think of this article? Was it entertaining? Was it educational? Did you actually read all fifty links? And if not, why not?

Tell me. Inquiring mind wants to know.

ROSEWATER

I couldn’t end this week’s column without my trademark closing. I mean, how inelegant would that be?

Join me next week when I go from being a letter man to a Letterman.

Until then, may you learn to appreciate now just the “what” but the “how” and “why”.

Mark Rosewater

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hederasgarden · 5 months ago

Text

Series: Bound - Part 1

Summary: When a dangerous situation pushes you out of the only home you've never known, you take refuge with an unruly pack of wolves. Tyler Owens might not be the alpha you think you want, but he’s the one you need. [Werewolf!Tyler Owens x Human!F!Reader | 2.3K]

Rating: Mature, 18+ only. Magical realism, supernatural themes, violence, and angst. Future chapters will include explicit sexual content This series will include untagged themes and elements.

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who patiently helped me write this including @mermaidxatxheart @a-reader-and-a-writer @blue-aconite and @clairewritesandrambles. The beautiful banner was created by @writercole.

Please comment or reblog if you enjoyed this and want to see more. Or scream at me in my inbox. That always makes my day.

Masterlist

The rain comes in droves, the wipers on your car barely able to keep up with the deluge. Anxiety grows with every passing second, fear blooming in your chest when you glance in the rearview mirror. You half expect to see lights from another car but the road remains empty. You should be relieved but all you feel is mounting unease as you navigate the winding gravel path. The lack of moonlight makes it hard to see much of anything.

Your hands tremble on the steering wheel, and you grip it tighter, leaning forward to navigate a sharp turn. It's difficult to see beyond the narrow beam of your headlights, and despite the growing sense of panic, you’re forced to follow the winding path slowly. Suddenly, the dense thicket of trees gives way to a large clearing, where a massive wooden cabin stands in the center. Warm light spills through the bay windows onto a wrap-around porch, illuminating a line of rocking chairs.

You cut the engine, but pause with your hand on the door. Coming here seemed like the best option earlier, but now in the moment, your courage flags. You know from experience that lingering too long on that doubt will consume you, and the truth is, there are no other choices. You push the door open and sprint for the porch, the cold rain soaking through your clothes. There hadn’t been time to grab a raincoat when you left home in a hurry. Besides the car and the hastily packed duffle bag in the backseat, you have nothing—no personal belongings, not even the necklace with your mother’s wedding ring.

As soon as your boots hit the bottom step, the front door swings open. A young wolf with shoulder-length brown hair stands there, a bag of chips in hand. He tilts his head, taking in your disheveled and drenched appearance while he pops another chip into his mouth. You can only imagine how you must look to him, a half-drowned human seeking refuge on his porch.

"Hey," he greets. "Can I help you?”

You climb the final two steps and straighten your shoulders, trying to muster some courage. “I need to see Alpha Owens.” You pause and then add, "Please.”

The young man leans in, his nose twitching as he not-so-subtly takes in your scent. "Yeah, sure. Wait here," he instructs, closing the door.

You wrap your arms around yourself, seeking some warmth and comfort. It’s hard not to think about the last time you were here over four years ago with your father when the cabin was still under construction. Back then no one thought much of Tyler Owens and his small, ragtag pack of lone wolves. The Alphas’ council had dismissed them as insignificant and unworthy of attention. In your father’s world, those bitten and not born held little power, and the idea of Tyler becoming an Alpha of a pack seemed improbable at best.

Despite this, your father kept a semi-friendly relationship with Tyler over the years, mostly because their lands bordered each other. No one, certainly not even your father, could have predicted how Tyler’s pack would grow the way it had or how he’d become a formidable Alpha with exactly the kind of strength you needed now.

When the door opens again, Tyler stands in the entryway. His honey-blonde hair has grown longer, nearly touching the collar of his shirt, and his sharp jawline is obscured by a light beard. He's dressed casually in a pair of jeans, feet bare. You stare until he clears his throat.

"I’m not sure if you remember me..." you begin, but he interrupts with a smile.

"I remember you," he says kindly. "I was sorry to hear about your father's passing. He was a good man and a great Alpha."

His words stir up the familiar ache of grief in your chest, threatening to choke off your response. It’s only been four months since you lost your father and you feel adrift without him. A nod is all you can manage for a long moment before you’re able to speak again. “I'm here because I need your help. I need sanctuary."

Tyler’s expression shifts to one of surprise, his brows drawing together in confusion. When he doesn’t speak for a long moment, you hurry to add, “It’s just for the night. I promise I’ll leave in the morning.”

"You need sanctuary from your father's pack?" He questions.

You shake your head. "It's not his anymore."

Without thinking, you touch the unmarked skin of your throat, and Tyler’s gaze follows the movement.

“What about Daniel?” Tyler questions.

"He’s dead.”

Tyler's brow wrinkles, his sharp little "What?" nearly lost as the wind picks up.

Although you were never in love with your father’s chosen heir, Daniel was good and kind. You liked to think those feelings might have come with enough time but that’s impossible now. You should be grieving him too but it's hard to feel much more than numbness and horror when you think of what happened to him.

“Let’s talk inside," Tyler urges, cupping your elbow to draw you closer as he surveys the darkness behind you, his green eyes flashing golden. Relief washes over you at the invitation.

Inside the foyer you’re overly aware of the wet squelch of your shoes against the hardwood floors and the water dripping from your clothes. The young wolf who greeted you earlier observes from a doorway to your left, exchanging a meaningful look with Tyler that you’re all too familiar with. The nonverbal communication an Alpha could share with their pack was something your father often utilized to dole out commands.

A light touch on your elbow draws your attention back to Tyler, who guides you into a spacious living room filled with couches and mismatched throw rugs. He urges you closer to the fireplace until its comforting warmth reaches you. You stay like that, staring into the flames until Tyler speaks again but when you turn to face him, you realize he’s addressing the young wolf who hands him a towel and steaming mug.

“Thanks, Boone.”

“Aye, aye captain,” Boone replies, giving his Alpha a sloppy salute before leaving.

You stare at Tyler, shocked by the casual way the other wolf addressed him. His only response is a raised brow as he offers you the towel. You take it, drying your face and hands. There’s nothing to be done for your clothes.

“Here,” he directs, hooking his leg around a chair to pull it closer. “Sit.”

“I’m drenched.”

He quirks a brow. “Sweetheart, it’s a chair, not my grandmother’s hope chest.”

You lower yourself gingerly and accept the mug of tea Tyler presses into your hands. Though you’re not especially thirsty, you take it, finding the warmth that seeps through the ceramic soothing.

“Tell me what happened,” he encourages.

“Daniel died three days ago. Sheriff Riggs—” you falter, your eyes darting nervously behind Tyler as if mentioning the man's name might summon him. Your voice trembles as you continue, now barely more than a whisper. “The sheriff says it was a car accident, but h-he—” your voice fizzles out, your throat tightening around the words you want to say.

“You can tell me. Whatever it is.”

You shake your head and look up at the ceiling, fighting to keep the tears at bay. The lump in your throat that’s been there since Daniel died feels like it's choking you. Telling the truth would be a relief but it’s dangerous. To accuse another Alpha without proof….

“I can’t.”

Tyler says your name softly, placing a reassuring hand on your shoulder. Everything about him, from his tone to the expression on his face is gentle and encouraging. “I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s going on.”

“I think… I think Scott had him killed.” The words tumble out before you can stop them, and as soon as they’re spoken, you wish you could take them back.

“Scott?” He repeats, his brows knitting together as he tries to place the name.

"Scott was expected to be my father's heir, until, out of the blue, he chose Daniel a few months ago.”

You never liked Scott, always wary of his ambitious and calculating nature. While most wolves were feared for the beast within, Scott’s human side set him apart. He was cunning and careful. Every move he made seemed designed to advance his own interests, often at the expense of others. You had half-expected him to leave the pack and start his own after being passed over for the coveted position of your father’s second. Instead, he stayed, and now you realize he was biding his time.

“That’s a serious accusation,” Tyler says, his tone guarded.

You shrink back as if trying to distance yourself from the weight of your words. Tyler’s nostrils flare, and you wonder if it’s the acrid tang of your anxiety or the sourness of your fear he smells on you.

“It’s not that I doubt you,” he adds quickly, “but I need to know what makes you think Scott is responsible.”

"Scott was careful not to show it but he was angry my dad chose Daniel.” You take a deep breath, summoning the courage to reveal what you’ve kept to yourself since Sheriff Riggs delivered the news to your pack three days ago. “The official report said Daniel was drunk, but I saw him earlier that night. He was sober.”

Thinking about the last time you saw Daniel brings a sharp, painful sting to your chest. You didn’t see it at first, too caught up in your grief, but Daniel was the right choice to replace your father, handling things with the same calm confidence as his predecessor. It’s still hard to believe that the man who looked at you with those sweet, hopeful eyes, that promised he would be everything your father envisioned, is dead.

“It’s possible he went out after you saw him,” Tyler suggests.

You breathe out sharply, shaking your head. “He wouldn’t, not with so much going on. He was a good Alpha. He was focused on the pack."

Tyler seems on the verge of saying something more but then he nods and gives you a soft, “Okay.”

You look away from him, trying to gather your thoughts. You need him to understand, to believe what you’re about to say.

“Scott’s uncle is the sheriff,” you continue. “He was the first to arrive at the scene of the accident. He and Scott have always been close.”

Tyler’s brow furrows as he processes your words. “So you’re saying Riggs might have altered the report?”

“I don’t know,” you admit. “All I know is that with Daniel gone, Scott finally has what he’s always wanted—what he believed he was owed.”

“Do you think Scott would hurt you?”

“I don’t think so. He needs me to win over the rest of the pack.” Scott certainly had his supporters, his uncle chief among them, but your father’s influence ran deep. The pack would expect to see you at the side of the next alpha. “But,” you continue, thinking of what drove you to run tonight, “I don’t think he plans on waiting to make me his mate.”

Tyler’s lip curls in disgust at your unspoken meaning. “You mean he intends to force you.”

“Yes,” you whisper, stomach churning at the idea of being bonded to a man like Scott. Someone who saw you as a means to an end to solidify his own power. Daniel was so different, allowing you time to grieve and adjust after your father’s passing before even broaching the subject. Part of you wonders if he would still be alive if you hadn’t waited to establish your bond— or if he would have just died sooner.

“Well, that’s not going to happen,” Tyler assures you, tilting his head to catch your eye and hold your gaze. “As long as you’re here, you’re safe.”

“You’ll let me stay?”

You didn’t really think he’d turn you away—after all, that’s why you came to him. Still, there was always a chance. Wolves were loyal to one another. You were painfully human.

“I’d never turn away a lady in need,” Tyler says with a grin, that easy confidence you remember surfacing before his expression turns serious again. “Will Scott know to look for you here?”

“No. He probably expects me to seek out another Alpha on the council.”

“That’s good,” Tyler says. “But I gotta ask, why did you come to me? Your father has many friends you could have turned to.”

"They would have sent me back," you explain simply. “Scott’s the new Alpha. In their eyes, I belong with him."

“Well,” Tyler begins, a small grin on his face, “I’m flattered you chose the charming but rogue Alpha over the law-abiding ones.”

His response startles a watery laugh out of you, a foreign feeling after all the grief and fear that’s kept you company these last few months. “I also chose you because my father always respected you.”

“Even when the others didn’t,” Tyler agrees. “I’ll always be thankful for that.”

You share a small, bittersweet smile with him and exhale, your shoulders slumping. Suddenly, you feel exhausted.

“Now come on, let’s get you out of your wet clothes. In the morning we can figure out what to do.”

“We?” you ask, surprised.

Tyler flashes you a brilliant smile, leaning in close as if sharing a secret. “Didn’t you hear? Our pack is fond of strays. You’re one of us now, sweetheart.”

#tyler owens x reader #tyler owens x you #tyler owens #twisters #twisters fanfic

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songmingisthighs · 21 days ago

Text

Pitiful, You’re Pitiful

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ch. vii

group : ateez

pairing : aged up!wooyoung × aged up!reader

genre : angst, mature

word count : 3.4 k

warning : mentions of miscarraige, negative depiction of wooyoung, cheating

a/n : i finally got over my writer's block for this series.

a/a/n : happy new year

buy me coffee ?

For the first time in weeks, you woke up feeling better, lighter even.

It wasn't just because for the first time in a while, you had slept on a real bed instead of your couch.

It was Dayoung's idea which surprised you. She had come to you a couple of nights prior, avoiding your eyes and blushing which made you almost equally nervous because she seemed like she was going to confess to a crime. It was Woohyun who told you that Dayoung had suggested for you three to sleep together in Woohyun's room (because you wouldn't want to sleep in a teenage girl's room filled with posters of whichever band she was fawning over staring at you at the dead of night and her dirty laundry strewn everywhere like a modern art installation) where she had taken her and Woohyun's mattresses, put them together in a way you three could be comfortable.

To say that you were beyond touched was an understatement but knowing that it was your daughter, you knew you needed to play it cool or else she wouldn't want to take credit. So while you wanted to sob while hugging your daughter, you simply nudged her shoulder and made a lame joke to which she rolled her eyes and called you a nerd but didn't bother to hide her amused smile.

For the first time ever, you slept through the night between your children; Woohyun was firmly attached to your side with his limbs wrapped around your body and Dayoung facing the other side but she kept her body close to you. Even though you were having such a rough time with your husband, you felt somewhat happy that your children were getting close to you.

On top of that, you were somewhat amused that Wooyoung had been showing considerable shame through the whole ordeal. He had the decency to skulk around whenever he saw you and took care of himself and his own needs without bothering you. Sure, you still include his portion when you cook and you still urge your children to spend time with their father (no matter how reluctant Dayoung was), but it was as if you both were separated.

It was hard living as such because you still loved Wooyoung no matter his mistake. You knew you could never tell any one of your friends about your feelings because they would remind you how he cheated on you with his own employee, how he used your miscarriage against you, and how he was just an overall asshole, completely skipping over the fact that you had spent almost two decades together, completely skipping over how you two shared so much love for each other, completely skipping over your history, and completely skipping over the fact that the two of you were bound together forever through your children. To say that you should lose all the love you have had and still have for your husband is to say that you should turn your back on the pieces of your husband in your children. It was to say that you should not find joy in the way Woohyun cackles like his dad or you should not be touched by the way Dayoung show her love and care by doing something for someone. Your friends, especially your girlfriends would not understand your predicament and they never will.

That's why you went to the one person you know might.

"Thanks for sparing your time for me," you smiled sheepishly at Yunho who chuckled as he sat himself down with his cup of coffee. "Hey, you're saving me from having to deal with the academy's internal business so I should thank you," he pointed out.

You had a feeling that one of the things he meant was the situation you created, the possible internal People investigation and possibly Harin trying to fight the academy back because as promised, her reputation was absolutely tarnished. Not to mention Wooyoung being put on leave for his injured back and then being put on administrative leave for his inappropriate action must have ruined their internal scheduling. Along with the entire mood of the academy, considerably.

"How are things? How are the guys there?" You asked after taking a sip of your peach tea. Yunho pursed his lips, mulling over how to share the discourse between the friend group. How was he supposed to tell you that everyone was split by their own convictions; Hongjoong who only focused on the operations of the business, Seonghwa who was worried about what was right after facing you himself, Yunho who was obviously on your side, Yeosang who felt conflicted and in disbelief over his friend's action, San who felt completely betrayed as a man of big moral and feelings, Mingi who kept making comparisons of what he would and wouldn't do if he was Wooyoung like a show of moral superiority, and Jongho who was just tired of the drama and wanted the workplace to return to its normalcy without all the cheating.

"The guys are focused on their own things, we can't seem to meet up a lot outside of work these days," Yunho smiled, hoping that it would satisfy your curiosity. Seeing as to how you simply nodded and didn't ask any follow-up questions, Yunho felt a bit glad. Or, he did felt glad until you suddenly cleared your throat and the aura shifted to a more serious one. "I actually called you because I have something to talk about and I couldn't think of anyone other than you to talk to." Yunho was quite surprised because you two had never gotten to a level of friendship where you would talk about secrets or break big news to each other. To be quite frank, the two of you had never really shared anything personal, ever. You two were connected through Wooyoung and neither one of you had initiated a more platonically intimate relationship. Heck, you both don't even have each other's numbers saved and you had to look for it from the group chat Seonghwa made for Hongjoong's surprise birthday party two years ago. Yunho loved you as his friend's wife and he had grown considerable admiration for you for supporting Wooyoung all these years which was why Wooyoung's betrayal of you hit him so hard.

With an eyebrow raised, Yunho stared at you, trying to see whether he should brace himself for bad news or good news. The two of you sat slightly tense, facing each other while the rest of the cafe went on, oblivious to your situation.

"I'm pregnant."

Silence.

The sound of the coffee machine whirring and steam hissing along with other customers that was so prominent suddenly died down in Yunho's ears and he couldn't help but stare at you with wide eyes and jaw hanging open. His brain was trying so hard to process your words, repeating what you said over and over again as if it was something hard to comprehend but it isn't, it absolutely isn't.

"Hello?" You waved a hand in front of Yunho, trying to break his trance, "Yunho, did you hear me?"

Yunho seem to broke out of his trance once you called his name with a shake of his head. When your words finally sunk in, Yunho gasped and rushed out of his chair to hug you, taking you completely by surprise. "Oh my God, congratulations, (y/n)! Your third child, finally!" he shakily exhaled out of excitement. His energy rubbed off on you because at his congratulatory sentiment, you chuckled and patted him on the back, "Thank you so much, Yunho, I truly appreciate it."

Once Yunho got back to his seat, another realization dawned on him. "Wait, when did this happen? With what's going on with you and Wooyoung, how is this gonna work?" he asked, genuinely concerned. His questions didn't catch you by surprise as it was also something you had been thinking about a lot recently. "If you're asking me when I last slept with Wooyoung, I will actually buy a bagel and smack you with it," Yunho couldn't help but chuckle at your feistiness, "But... About how this is going to work with me and Wooyoung... I actually don't know. Hell, even if we don't put the baby in question, I don't know how things are going to be like with Wooyoung," you sighed. Yunho pursed his lips, thinking, "Well, have you thought about it before? Are you still going to stay with him?" Had someone else asked that question, you would have taken somewhat of an offence because the question would have most definitely come from a place of judgment, like as if you don't know that divorce is an option and that they would bring up some spiel about women empowerment, girl power, and equality as if those had anything to do with your situation as if there was only you and he in the equation and not your two children. But you know Yunho meant well and his question came out of curiosity and worry. "Honestly, I don't think I want to leave Wooyoung over this," you said, voice low and eyes glued to your intertwined fingers as if ashamed or scared that Yunho would react badly to your answer.

Thankfully, Yunho nodded at your answer knowingly and in full understanding, "Because you two had been together for so long and had been in love for so long that you can't imagine a life without him." Your head snapped up and almost immediately, a huge wave of relief washed over you, "Exactly. I... I can't just leave him, he's my husband for goodness sake, to me, that means something because when I said my wedding vows, I really meant it!" "So, you still uphold the part where you said 'through snotty nose and cheesy prose, I'll love you and your stubby toes'?" Yunho teased, making you roll your eyes, "Of course, you'd remember the part that mentioned toes. You're not beating your feetish allegations here, Yunho," you pointed back teasingly, causing Yunho to laugh.

When his laughter died down, he went back to being serious but still maintaining casualness as to not stress you out. "But really, have you... Tried imagining a life without him?"

At that, you closed your eyes and released a long exhale. "I see... Myself doing my normal routine; waking up, preparing breakfast, getting the kids up. This, this is not my current house, this is a small, cozy apartment somewhere in a neighbourhood that's not too packed and is very kid-friendly. It's cute, I can tell I decorate it but the kids have their things everywhere; Woohyun has his drawings on the fridge, and Dayoung has her things strewn on the couch. I see the kids, Dayoung and Woohyun running out of their rooms, heading straight for the food and,,, and... and there he is, our new baby in his playpen. He looked around one, with the brightest smile and gosh, he has Wooyoung's mole under his eye, a real copy of him and I love him so much. I see all this... Togetherness but I feel incomplete, like something is missing. There is so much happiness but my smile never seems to reach my eyes. I feel... Empty inside. Then... The bell rang. I open the door and I see Wooyoung, standing alone. He looked... Tired. He usually wear sharp, clean outfits but this time he's just wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants and he look... Sad. Like me. He came in and the kids greeted him, saying that they missed him and two five days was too long. Wooyoung went to play with the baby and I felt... Weird. I wanted to talk to him, I wanted to ask how he was doing and why he looked so... Fragile. But instead, I hid in the kitchen, pretending to be so occupied by the dishes. The kids then came out with their bags, asking me to not forget the things that needed tending over the weekend. The more they spoke about what they had planned with Wooyoung for the weekend, the harder it was for me to breathe. There's this... Nagging thought in my head that while the baby can't go with them now, he's going to be able to go with them soon to stay at Wooyoung's and it hurts to think that I would be spending days without my children, I would be missing days I could spend with them until they grow up and have their own lives. I imagine... It would be even harder for Wooyoung because he'd have even fewer days with them than I do and it's sad. It's so, so sad. I could see Wooyoung looking at me and vice versa. There is so much emotion, so many things unsaid. But with the things that happened, the decisions we took..." You slowly opened your eyes and felt your eyes sting, "And I don't want there to be such pain in my family."

Seeing you cry made Yunho's heart clench but he knew that his capabilities to help you were limited so he rushed to the cashier with a stack of tissue and offered it to you, making you chuckle at the amount he brought. "Sorry, I... I didn't mean to cry," you shakily said, cheeks burning out of embarrassment. Yunho immediately shook his head, "No, this is nothing compared to Mingi bawling because his favourite anime was ending," he scoffed. Knowing how passionate Mingi was with his anime, you knew how bad his crying must have been and you couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of a 6 ft man needing to be comforted like a baby in public.

Once you wiped all the tears and snot away, Yunho opened his mouth again, "I don't mean to make this seem so negative nor am I steering you into a certain direction or opinion, I just want to cover all the bases," you nodded in understanding, "Have you considered that it might not be that bad? I've seen other people who were better off being divorced and their kids seem all the better for it." To that, you couldn't help but smile softly, "Wooyoung and I are not like other people, our family was never like other people's."

Hearing you still felt so strongly about Wooyoung despite everything, brought a feeling of newfound respect in Yunho for you. A lot of people had been talking in the academy, people who were not in their inner circle that the reason why Wooyoung was not back to work yet was because you had left him and with what people know, they found entertainment it, deeming that he deserved to be left. While they tried their best to shut the conversation down, they couldn't help but have their opinion slightly swayed, skewed in your favour but leaning more towards condemning their own friend due to his action. They started putting themselves in your shoes, thinking what they would do had they been in your situation, had they been betrayed the way you had been. All of them imagined, and thought, and analyzed, and guessed, but here you were, the actual person who was experiencing the actual event, showing more humanity than anyone else ever could.

"I don't really talk about this, but my family has a past with cheating and while everyone acted like it was no big thing, I reacted rather poorly. I was one of those people who claimed that anyone who had been cheated should just leave their partner who cheated, I was rather adamant and I voiced my opinion rather obnoxiously. Because of that, I received a harsh talking to because my opinion, my belief was hurting the person who actually had to endure the pain. I was told that divorce should be plan zzz because marriage is a TON of work and people have the right to not want to do a lot of work but they should not get married. I was told that no one can come into marriage thinking "I could just get a divorce" because then your subconscious is already tainted and you will end up working your marriage towards a divorce. I was told that hard work happens every day in a marriage, not just when you go through hard things. When I got married, I learned what that actually meant because one day I was all lovey-dovey and so in love and I couldn't get enough of Wooyoung and the next, I wanted to strangle him just because he was breathing wrong when he was sleeping. Not to mention the kids, you know, people think that Woohyun is an angel, but he has his demons and Dayoung, as much as she's a handful, has her sweet moments too. I worked so hard for my marriage, my family. So in conclusion, I am... Painfully aware of what Wooyoung did and how it affected me and I don't think I can forgive him now but maybe it will happen... When or if I start working hard towards it. But I will never forget."

"So... You're really staying with him?" Yunho asked. You weren't sure what to answer because honestly, you're aware that any sane person with any self-respect who knew they could never forget what their partner did would have run far far away and started anew, those with or without children. So why couldn't you? Instead, you shrugged at Yunho, "I don't know, I'll have to see how we're going to work through this," you stated. "And... The baby?" "I'm planning on going to the hospital today to get the baby checked out. With what has been going on, I haven't had the time for a check-up since the last time." Yunho furrowed his eyebrows at your statement, "Last time? When was 'last time'?" "Remember the first time we found out Wooyoung was cheating on me? When he first hurt his back and Harin pretended to be his wife?"

For the second time that day, Yunho felt his jaw hang open in surprise. "You've known you were pregnant for so long and you didn't tell anyone!?" he screeched. "Well, I didn't know what to say or who to tell! It wasn't like the moment was right, I was stressed, under a lot of pressure, and I had now-things to worry about and deal with!" you defended.

Yunho slumped on his chair and huffed. "Well... When are you planning on telling Wooyoung about the baby? Do you need help or company?" he offered. You smiled and shrugged, "I'm planning on telling him with the ultrasound of the baby but I have to deal with getting Dayoung and Woohyun from the academy so it's-" "Hey, I can help get them!" Yunho said. You raised an eyebrow at him, "What?" "Yeah, yeah! I totally can help you get Dayoung and Woohyun from the academy! I'm going back there after this anyways, so it's perfect!" The way he got excited at the prospect of helping you was endearing and it helped made you feel... Seen.

"No, no, Yunho, I can't let you do that because Woohyun can be a handful and Dayoung finishes her classes an hour after Woohyun so you're gonna have to entertain Woohyun for a bit so-" "Which will be fine since I promised to teach him some new games!"

It was clear that Yunho was trying so hard to be useful. Not that usually he isn't, but you really didn't want to bother him.

"I don't know..." You sighed.

Yunho leaned on the table, looking into your eyes, "I can assure you that I can do this and I want to help. Please? So you'll have one thing less to worry about."

How could you say no when he was being so nice?

With a final sigh, you nodded. "Fine, but once any of them give you trouble-" "I'll send them to you in a bag," Yunho assured, saluting you. You rolled your eyes at him, "Bags might not be enough to contain them," you teased, causing Yunho to chuckle.

You said your goodbyes to each other, hugging in front of the cafe while thanking each other. You, because Yunho spared his time to talk, and Yunho, because you shared some very personal information and trusted him.

When you got into your car, you leaned back and closed your eyes as you waited for the engine to properly turn on. Whilst waiting, you felt your phone vibrate and you noticed it was a message from Wooyoung.

'Hey, I know you're out right now but I think we need to talk when you come back.'

"That makes two of us, bud," you scoffed before you tossed your phone to the passenger seat. Huffing one last time, you looked down at your stomach and smiled a little.

"Let's go give your daddy the heart attack he's due."

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thegoatsongs · 5 months ago

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Mina Harker's comments about The New Woman in Dracula have generated much discussion. Among her comments, she says: "Some of the “New Women” writers will some day start an idea that men and women should be allowed to see each other asleep before proposing or accepting. But I suppose the New Woman won’t condescend in future to accept; she will do the proposing herself. And a nice job she will make of it, too! There’s some consolation in that."

The topic of women proposing gets explored in another Stoker novel, The Man or The Gates Of Life (1905)

The main character is a young woman, Stephen Norman. She's very outspoken about women's right to make choices, including proposing to men. Her foil is her Auntie, who is a conventional woman. Here, Stephen claims to her Auntie that if a woman isn't married to the man she wants, it's her own fault.

"Her fault? My dear, what if no man asks her?" This seemed to her own mind a poser. "Still her own fault! Why doesn’t she ask him?" Her aunt’s lorgnon was dropped in horrified amazement. Stephen went on impassively. "Certainly! Why shouldn’t she? Marriage is a union. As it is in the eye of the law a civil contract, either party to it should be at liberty to originate the matter. If a woman is not free to think of a man in all ways, how is she to judge of the suitability of their union? And if she is free in theory, why not free to undertake if necessary the initiative in a matter so momentous to herself?" The old lady actually groaned and wrung her hands; she was horrified at such sentiments. They were daring enough to think; but to put them in words! . . . "Oh, my dear, my dear!" she moaned, "be careful what you say. Some one might hear you who would not understand, as I do, that you are talking theory." Stephen’s habit of thought stood to her here. She saw that her aunt was distressed, and as she did not wish to pain her unduly, was willing to divert the immediate channel of her fear. She took the hand which lay in her lap and held it firmly whilst she smiled in the loving old eyes. "Of course, Auntie dear, it is theory. But still it is a theory which I hold very strongly!"

Stephen asks her Auntie why she never married (she didn't love any of her suitors, so she refused them) and if she was ever in love with a man:

"And why did you refuse them?" The tone was wheedling, and the elder woman loved to hear it. Wheedling is the courtship, by the young of the old. "Because, my dear, I didn’t love them." "But tell me, Auntie, was there never any one that you did love?" "Ah! my dear, that is a different matter. That is the real tragedy of a woman’s life." In flooding reminiscent thought she forgot her remonstrating; her voice became full of natural pathos: "To love; and be helpless! To wait, and wait, and wait; with your heart all aflame! To hope, and hope; till time seems to have passed away, and all the world to stand still on your hopeless misery! To know that a word might open up Heaven; and yet to have to remain mute! To keep back the glances that could enlighten; to modulate the tones that might betray! To see all you hoped for passing away . . . to another! . . . " Stephen bent over and kissed her, then standing up said: "I understand! Isn’t it wrong, Auntie, that there should be such tragedies? Should not that glance be given? Why should that tone be checked? Why should one be mute when a single word might, would, avert the tragedy? Is it not possible, Auntie, that there is something wrong in our social system when such things can happen; and can happen so often? "Some day women must learn their own strength, as well as they have learned their own weakness. They are taught this latter from their cradles up; but no one ever seems to teach them wherein their power lies. They have to learn this for themselves."

Stephen may have too progressive ideas, but she's still very gentle with her Auntie even while she's disagreeing, because she sees her Auntie is too scared that Stephen might get in trouble for her ideas:

"Why should good women’s lives be wrecked for a convention? Why in the blind following of some society fetish should life lose its charm, its possibilities? Why should love eat its heart out, in vain? The time will come when women will not be afraid to speak to men, as they should speak, as free and equal. Surely if a woman is to be the equal and lifelong companion of a man, the closest to him—nay, the only one really close to him: the mother of his children—she should be free at the very outset to show her inclination to him just as he would to her. Don’t be frightened, Auntie dear; your eyes are paining me! . . . There! perhaps I said too much. But after all it is only theory. Take for your comfort, Auntie dear, that I am free an heart-whole. You need not fear for me; I can see what your dear eyes tell me."

This all puts Mina's comments into perspective. Aside, Mina is an etiquette schoolteacher. And even at the start, she gradually breaks more conventions, however reluctantly, like when she chooses to let Jonathan hold her arm as they walk, over obeying to convention.

#mina harker #mina murray #stephen norman #dracula daily #related #dracula #bram stoker #gothic literature #gothlit #edwardian literature #feminism #1900s #jonathan harker

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svt-luna · 4 months ago

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ʚིᵋ ⋆ GAME CATERERS X SVT ࣪ ! ˓ ౨ৎ ࣪˖ ─── episode 2-2.

Game Caterers x SEVENTEEN

synopsis: Episode 2-2! We officially begin the next segment— the music quiz with chaotic team groupings, team names, and competitive music quizzes for the competitive members.

surprise!! double post for this very special day!! in honor of Jeonghan’s birthday today, I finished this chapter for you, my lovelies! I hope you guys enjoy it! until the next one! all the love 🤍💛💚

╰ ౨ৎ LUNA-VERSE MASTERLIST

╰౨ৎ fan reactions ╰ ౨ৎ game caterers masterlist

[added captions are in brackets] ღ

bold dialogues are spoken in english ღ

After a refreshing break, the members of SEVENTEEN slowly trickled back onto the set, now subtly different from the previous round. The bright lights illuminated the space, highlighting pairs of chairs spread evenly across the room, each with a small table placed neatly in front. The casual energy from earlier seemed to linger in the air, but now there was an unspoken anticipation.

[SEVENTEEN is waiting again after the 'Super' Store]

Luna and Jeonghan strolled back together, a comfortable ease between them as they made their way to the chairs. Their steps were unhurried, but there was a spark of playfulness in Luna’s eyes. Without warning, she skipped ahead of him, her light steps carrying her straight to the chair beside Jun.

[Bunny hop, hop, hop!]

Flashing a grin over her shoulder, she dropped into the seat and leaned back, clearly satisfied with her choice. Jeonghan, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, sauntered toward the chair separated from Luna’s but still positioned right next to hers. He settled down, casting a glance in her direction, the unspoken connection between them palpable even as they sat apart.

Jun glanced between Luna and Jeonghan, his brows raised in curiosity. "Is this a team game? One desk per team?" he asked, his voice thoughtful.

Jeonghan shrugged nonchalantly, leaning back into his chair. "I don't know," he replied casually, glancing at Luna.

Luna smirked and turned to Jun, "Are we a team then?" Her playful tone made Jun chuckle as he shrugged again, clearly just as clueless.

"I love it," Mingyu chimed in with a grin as he sat down nearby.

"This is so much fun," Dokyeom added enthusiastically, settling into the seat beside Jeonghan.

Jeonghan combed his fingers through his hair and nodded, joining in, "I know, it's fun." His laid-back demeanor added to the lightheartedness filling the room.

“I love it too" Luna exclaimed, leaning forward in her seat, the excitement evident in her voice.

"I'm having so much fun here." Seungkwan joined in as he seated next to Mingyu.

As the group exchanged their sentiments, Seungkwan suddenly turned toward PD Na, who sat nearby overseeing the setup for the next game. "You should call us again," Seungkwan called out, his tone eager.

"What?" PD Na replied, looking slightly confused, not catching what Seungkwan had said.

Jeonghan leaned forward, repeating with a laugh, "Give us a call again," which earned more laughter from the crew, including PD Na, who was amused by their antics.

[That was the best compliment ever]

"I want to be funnier," Mingyu confessed with a grin, shifting in his seat.

"We should try harder," Dokyeom agreed, leaning toward Mingyu as if to conspire.

One of the writers, clearly entertained by their banter, chimed in, "How can it be funnier than Omega-3?"

The mention of Jeonghan’s earlier answer during the quiz segment sparked immediate laughter. Luna, sitting on her phone while her hair stylist adjusted a few strands, giggled, remembering Jeonghan's hilarious ‘Omega-3’ answer from earlier. "No one can top that," she said with a wide smile as her stylist finished up.

PD Na, sensing the lighthearted mood, looked at them and asked teasingly, "Does that make you more jealous than the prizes?"

"I want to be funny," Mingyu repeated, pouting slightly.

"I'm jealous when someone's funny," Dokyeom added, his face scrunching up in exaggerated frustration.

PD Na mimicked Seungkwan’s earlier reaction, "Seungkwan was like, 'Oh, I should’ve got that.'"

[What a bummer]

Seungkwan could only laugh at the impersonation, while Wonwoo, ever calm and composed, chimed in, "I have to say, I was jealous." His deadpan delivery earned nods and more chuckles from the crew.

[They're jealous of people who are funny]

SEVENTEEN's break was nearing its end, and the set was slowly returning to life. Each member was doing their own thing— some sitting quietly, some talking to each other, while others scrolled through their phones.

Luna, however, was fully focused on Jun’s phone, which he had handed over so she could play a game.

[Pre-game game]

Both of their eyes were glued to the screen, fingers tapping in sync as they whispered in excitement. Their hair stylists stood by, fixing their hair or adding small touches to their makeup as they continued the game.

“Wait, wait! Go left!” Luna whispered urgently to herself, her hand swiping across the screen.

Jun leaned closer, trying not to laugh as their stylist added some hairspray to his hair. "You have to tap faster, Jiyeonie”

“I’m tapping! I’m tapping!” Luna’s eyes widened as she tried to clear the level, her concentration unwavering.

[They are not fighting]

The two were so focused that they barely noticed the rest of the room.

From their right side, Mingyu, Seungkwan, Dokyeom, and Jeonghan were passing the time by singing lines from their song 'Super.' Their voices melded together in a playful harmony, each taking turns with their individual parts, filling the air with soft but familiar melodies.

Luna managed to clear the level, her face lighting up in victory. “We did it!” she whispered to Jun, flashing a triumphant grin.

“Nice!” Jun smiled back, equally pleased with their success.

In the midst of the relaxed atmosphere, the voice of a staff member suddenly echoed through the room. "Audio director, did you raise the volume?" she asked, her voice carrying across the set.

"Yes," came the reply from the audio director, confirming the sound adjustments.

Before anyone could process what was happening, the opening beats of the BSS sub-unit’s song, 'Just Do It', blared through the speakers, startling the members from their casual conversations and games.

[Suddenly playing 'Just do it' by BSS]

Immediately, Hoshi, Seungkwan, and Dokyeom— the trio behind the song— sprung into action, instinctively singing along in their seats.

[Automatic response]

[For some reason, they just start singing]

As the song’s energy hit the room, several members started to join in. Jeonghan and Mingyu bopped along to the rhythm, while Luna, still seated, began singing the lyrics softly to herself, her body swaying with the beat. A couple of members even started to do the dance moves, half-committed but grinning as they moved in sync.

Then, as the chorus approached, a collective understanding seemed to wash over the room. Without needing to say a word, all fourteen members suddenly stood up from their seats, moving to the center in perfect unison to dance to the chorus.

“All of a sudden? But I just fixed my hair,” Seungkwan said, still confused, as he took his place at the front next to Hoshi and Dokyeom. “Just do it!” he called out with a grin, and at once, the members snapped into perfect synchronization for the chorus choreography.

[How scary]

The sight of all fourteen members dancing in unison brought laughter from PD Na, who was clearly enjoying the chaos unfolding in front of him. "Good job," he said, amused.

Seungkwan, ever the showman, took the opportunity to engage an invisible audience, as if they were back on stage. “Are you ready to have fun?” he shouted, mimicking their concert hype routine, his voice full of energy.

"What are you doing?" PD Na asked, laughing in confusion.

Dokyeom joined in, keeping the playful atmosphere alive. “Send lots of love to The Game Caterers: SEVENTEEN Special!” he called out, playing along with the mock concert vibe.

[No matter what we play, they dance, sing and speak automatically]

Just as the chorus ended, and everyone was catching their breath, PD Na pulled out a whistle from seemingly nowhere and blew it loudly, startling the members once more. “Two people!” he exclaimed over the noise.

Instantly, the members understood the next game— they needed to pair off. Chaos erupted as everyone scrambled to find a partner. Some ran across the room, while others grabbed whoever was closest.

Luna, who was nearest to Joshua, instinctively grabbed his arm, pulling him into a tight hug as they partnered up, just like the rest of the members who hurried to find a match. The pairs stood together, laughing and a bit breathless, still surprised by the sudden instructions.

“The person next to you is your partner,” PD Na announced with a grin.

[Oh]

There was an immediate chorus of responses from the members. Some hummed in approval, pleased with their pairing, while others groaned in playful reluctance, clearly unsure of their chances in the upcoming game. A mix of excitement and apprehension rippled through the group.

Luna and Joshua exchanged a glance before chuckling at their sudden fate as partners. They high-fived each other, and Joshua smiled, “Nice.”

“I think it's a music quiz. I’m not that confident,” Luna admitted, her brow furrowed slightly in concern.

Joshua gently pulled her toward their seats, positioned between Woozi and S.Coups’ team on one side and Dokyeom and Jun’s team on the other. “Don’t worry, I’m not good at it either,” Joshua reassured her, his easygoing tone making her giggle as they took their spots.

One by one, each pair started to settle into their designated seats. Seungkwan and Hoshi, who were still hyped from their spontaneous dance earlier, plopped into their chairs with grins. Mingyu and Jeonghan sat down next to each other, while Dino and Wonwoo silently found their seats, their quiet but confident energy contrasting with the others. Vernon and Minghao, always laid-back, took their seats in sync, effortlessly cool. Meanwhile, Woozi and S.Coups, ever the reliable duo, exchanged a few words before settling in. On the other side of Luna and Joshua, Dokyeom and Jun were still buzzing from their earlier excitement, whispering to each other as they sat down.

Once all the members settled into their seats, PD Na leaned forward with a curious look and asked, “Were you attracted to your partner by instinct?”

A few chuckles spread through the room as the members nodded in response, clearly reflecting on the hasty pairings. “Yes,” they answered in unison, playful smiles lingering on their faces.

“I said it out of nowhere,” PD Na recalled, earning more nods from the group, everyone in agreement about the abrupt nature of the instruction.

“You’re going to play a game as a team now,” PD Na announced, and the room immediately erupted in cheers and clapping. The energy was palpable, with every pair anticipating what was coming next.

“I’m sure you’re sitting with the person you have chemistry with,” PD Na teased, and the members, still buzzing from their spontaneous bonding, nodded eagerly. But then, PD Na's tone shifted slightly. “But… you may have something you don’t like about your partner. Let’s talk about one flaw of your partner.”

[Let's talk about each other's flaws]

The room fell into playful groans and laughter, knowing they were about to enter dangerous territory. PD Na gave them a few minutes to discuss privately with their partner, and almost immediately, whispered conversations broke out between the pairs.

Luna turned to Joshua with a grin. “Your flaws? You have none,” she said confidently, reaching up to smooth out a stray piece of his hair, her touch gentle as she adjusted it in place.

Joshua couldn't help but smile, flattered by her words. “You don’t either,” he replied, the sincerity clear in his voice.

But Luna, never one to let a moment go to waste, leaned in closer with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Your flaw is… you never age,” she teased, her smile growing as she met his gaze.

Joshua laughed at her playful jab, but before he could respond, she raised an eyebrow, daring him to come up with something better. “Your flaw is…” Joshua trailed off, glancing at her as if trying to seriously figure it out, his lips curving into a grin. “There really is none… that’s annoying. That’s the flaw.”

Luna burst out laughing at his cheeky comment and gave him a light nudge on the arm, shaking her head. “You can go harsher than that,” she challenged, still grinning, her eyes sparkling with humor.

Their laughter mixed with the sounds of the other teams discussing, each pair deep in their own conversation about flaws that weren't really flaws at all.

As soon as the time for brainstorming ended, PD Na called for attention, and the room quieted down. “Let’s start introducing the flaws,” he said with an eager smile, ready to hear what the teams had come up with.

The first pair to go was Mingyu and Jeonghan, both looking slightly amused by the eyes on them.

“Did you team up again?” S.Coups asked, his voice filled with playful disbelief. He shook his head, clearly amazed by the coincidence.

“You're meant to be,” Dokyeom chimed in with a grin. “I can't believe they teamed up again.”

[Mingyu and Jeonghan are always together]

Mingyu and Jeonghan exchanged a quick glance, trying to keep a straight face.

[What does Mingyu think Jeonghan's flaw is?]

Finally, Mingyu started the discussion, unable to hold back his laughter. “You need to stop burping,” he said, directing the comment to Jeonghan.

Laughter erupted throughout the room, the sudden bluntness of it catching everyone off guard.

[The unexpected biological flaw]

Jeonghan, in his usual relaxed way, simply nodded, lazily acknowledging it with a small shrug.

[The unexpected flaw of the good-looking face]

“It’s going to take a long time to talk about it,” Mingyu continued, shaking his head. “I'll just say he needs to stop burping.”

PD Na, chuckling along with the rest of the room, nodded in agreement.

[What does Jeonghan think Mingyu's flaw is?]

Jeonghan took a moment to think before coming up with his own response. “Don't fart after taking protein,” he said to Mingyu, causing the room to explode in laughter. The joke hit even harder than the first, especially with the way Jeonghan said it so nonchalantly. PD Na and the rest of the crew couldn’t stop laughing, their amusement echoing around the room.

“That’s an amazing start,” Luna said, chuckling at the ridiculous yet hilarious exchange.

“You had to say it,” Dokyeom added, nodding in approval as if Jeonghan’s comment had sealed the deal.

“They’re about physiology,” Seungkwan pointed out, wiping away tears from laughing.

“They’re perfect,” Minghao added with a grin, pointing at Mingyu and Jeonghan. “One comes from up, the other comes from down.”

[Fart] [Burp]

That sparked another round of laughter, especially from Mingyu, who decided to lean into the joke. “Can you play ‘Up&Down’ by EXID?” he asked, his tone completely deadpan, which only made the room laugh even harder.

[Giving up]

“I don’t care about the show anymore. I give up now,” Mingyu added, still keeping the deadpan expression, throwing his hands in mock surrender.

“‘Up&Down,’” Minghao repeated through giggles, and as if on cue, Vernon started singing the chorus of the song quietly to himself, making the atmosphere even more lighthearted and fun.

[We don't know how to wrap this up]

As the laughter died down from Mingyu and Jeonghan’s playful exchange, PD Na turned his attention to Vernon and Minghao. “Alright, next up, Vernon and The8,” he announced, giving the pair a nod to start.

[Next is Vernon and The8]

Vernon glanced at Minghao, an amused smile on his face as he reached over to gently tug at one of Minghao’s dangling earrings.

“The8,” Vernon began, trying to keep a straight face. “I don’t like your earrings.”

[The8's flaw: ugly earrings]

The unusual “flaw” caught everyone off guard, and laughter erupted around the room. Even Minghao looked surprised, his hand instinctively reaching up to touch the earrings Vernon had pointed out.

“You’re disrespecting him right in his face,” Wonwoo chuckled from his seat, shaking his head in disbelief.

Minghao, still grinning, turned his attention fully toward Vernon. He scanned him up and down in silence, as though seriously considering what flaw to pick. The room held its breath for a moment, everyone waiting for his response.

[Scanning]

“He’s looking for flaws,” Wonwoo pointed out again, gesturing toward Minghao.

After a brief pause, Minghao finally spoke, his voice calm and matter-of-fact. “There’s nothing,” he said, immediately making Vernon shy. The rest of the members burst into an exaggerated chorus of “Ooohh,” leaning into the moment.

“That’s his flaw,” Minghao added with a small smile, a hint of teasing in his tone.

“Cute,” Luna mumbled under her breath, just loud enough for Joshua to hear, who chuckled softly beside her.

Vernon, laughing along, tried to play it cool. “My flaw is that I have no flaw,” he joked, still slightly bashful from the attention.

“That’s perfect,” Jeonghan chimed in with a laugh, fully enjoying the banter.

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Minghao said, shaking his head, still amused by the whole situation.

Vernon chuckled, glancing back at Minghao. “Sorry about the earrings,” he offered, his grin widening.

Minghao smiled back, nodding his head with a lighthearted response, “Good job,” acknowledging the playful exchange as the rest of the group continued to giggle at their dynamic.

As the laughter died down, PD Na turned his attention to the next team. "Woozi," he said, his tone encouraging, "what do you think S.Coups' flaw is?"

Woozi paused for a second, his eyes drifting toward S.Coups, who waited with a playful smirk. "There isn't much," Woozi started, making S.Coups raise an eyebrow. But then Woozi continued, “But how can you get Park Bo Gum wrong?”

[Refer to SEVENTEEN Special Clip 1-3]

The reminder of S.Coups’ mistake from the earlier game sent everyone into another fit of laughter. Even S.Coups dropped his head down, sheepishly grinning at the memory.

“You were disappointed that he doesn’t know the name?” PD Na asked, clarifying Woozi’s point as the chuckles continued around the room. Woozi nodded, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

S.Coups, still laughing at himself, took a moment to collect his thoughts. Then PD Na turned to him, “S.Coups, what do you think his flaw is?”

S.Coups looked at Woozi, eyes softening. Without missing a beat, he responded, “There’s none. I’m always grateful. I love him so much.”

The room filled with a warm, appreciative atmosphere as Woozi’s face lit up with a smile, his laugh light and sincere. “Oh, thank you,” he replied, slightly flustered by the sudden display of affection from S.Coups.

[They sound old]

“Alright, moving on,” PD Na said, his tone playful as they moved on to the next team, Seungkwan and Hoshi. “Seungkwan, what do you think Hoshi’s flaw is?”

Without hesitation, Seungkwan jumped in. “You exaggerate when you mimic me.”

This drew a series of chuckles from the group. Hoshi nodded in agreement, his expression slightly guilty but amused.

[Don't exaggerate when you mimic me]

“So he goes overboard?” PD Na asked, clarifying Seungkwan’s point with a raised eyebrow. Seungkwan nodded again, more emphatically this time.

Turning to Hoshi, PD Na said, “Hoshi, anything you want to say about Seungkwan?”

Hoshi stood up, his actions drawing an immediate laugh from PD Na and the writers nearby.

[Going overboard]

"Oh no, he stood up," Luna giggled, sensing Hoshi’s dramatic flair about to take center stage.

Hoshi, now at the front of the table, began, “Seungkwan goes overboard to be funny.”

"He does," The entire room nodded in unison, agreeing with Hoshi’s assessment, with several murmurs of acknowledgment echoing through the space.

[Everyone agrees]

"Because I’m worried about the show," Seungkwan defended himself, nodding, but the grin on his face betrayed how much he was enjoying the back-and-forth.

As the focus shifted to the next pair, PD Na turned his gaze toward Wonwoo and Dino. The room fell into a comfortable silence, waiting to see what Dino had to say.

[What does Dino think Wonwoo's flaw is?]

Dino looked at Wonwoo thoughtfully before speaking, "Wonwoo… You need to speak."

[Silence]

The statement immediately drew chuckles around the table, Wonwoo smiling shyly at the mention of his introverted nature.

Dino continued, shaking his head with a playful grin, "He never talks."

PD Na, grinning, leaned forward as if the revelation suddenly clicked. “Oh,” he said with exaggerated understanding, making the group laugh again.

Now it was Wonwoo’s turn, and he seemed to take a second to gather his thoughts, his expression as calm and introspective as ever.

[A chance to talk]

After a brief pause, he turned to Dino and, in his typical understated tone, said, "I get that he's healthy because he's young, but he needs to drink less."

Dino’s reaction was priceless— his eyes widened in disbelief, clearly taken aback by the unexpected observation. The room burst into laughter at Dino’s dramatic reaction.

[Falsely charged]

From her seat, Luna couldn't help but nod along, her voice cutting through the noise, "He's right."

Her playful but firm agreement sent another wave of laughter through the group, with everyone knowing how much Luna disapproved of her members’ excessive drinking habits.

Wonwoo's shy smile widened as he noticed the support. Amid the laughter, S.Coups leaned toward Wonwoo and jokingly added, “Tell him to stop wearing sleeveless t-shirts.”

Dino, trying to defend himself, protested with a slightly exasperated tone, “I don't drink that much. I don't drink as much as you think.”

The room erupted again, this time with Seungkwan, Woozi, and Jeonghan chuckling while PD Na nodded in amusement.

“He’s worried as your friend,” Jeonghan chimed in from the other table, still laughing. “The youngest is always the healthiest,” Jeonghan added, his words punctuated by the light-hearted tone everyone carried.

"His liver is healthy," S.Coups followed up with mock sincerity, sending another ripple of laughter through the room.

"The youngest is a drunkard and a shaver," Woozi said, chuckling, making even Dino laugh at himself.

“We only say what’s true,” Seungkwan added with a wide grin.

“SEVENTEEN doesn’t lie,” Jeonghan said, turning toward PD Na as if to emphasize his point, his playful tone drawing even more laughter from the room.

As it moved on to Jun and Dokyeom's turn, the atmosphere in the room was buzzing with curiosity. Jun took a moment to gather his thoughts before looking at Dokyeom and saying, “Sometimes Dokyeom practices singing out of nowhere.”

The members instantly erupted in laughter, understanding exactly what Jun meant. Dokyeom’s habit of bursting into song without warning was no secret to anyone.

Jun continued, gesturing with his hands as if reenacting the moment, “He suddenly goes…” Jun let out a scream-like imitation of one of Dokyeom’s powerful high notes, which only made Dokyeom laugh even harder, throwing his head back.

[Screaming]

“Sometimes he sings out of nowhere. That scares me big time,” Jun explained with wide eyes, clearly exaggerating his reaction for comedic effect.

PD Na, remembering his own experiences, nodded, chuckling as he chimed in, “I heard a few songs too.” His words were met with more laughter as everyone could imagine Dokyeom’s voice echoing unexpectedly.

“All of a sudden, while he’s walking,” PD Na added, his tone half-surprised as if just realizing the randomness of it all.

[As loud as an emergency alert message]

Jun nodded vigorously, taking advantage of the moment. “I can’t complain because he’s practicing. But I’ll take this chance to…” He trailed off, pretending to offer some criticism.

Before Jun could finish, Dokyeom, still laughing, held up his hands in surrender. “Okay, I’ll try to keep quiet.”

Jun immediately shook his head, “No, tell me instead,” he replied playfully, sending everyone into giggles.

“‘I’m going to sing now,’” PD Na provided an example.

Dokyeom, clearly in on the joke, grinned and said, “I’m going to sing now,” mimicking the formal announcement.

“That’s right,” Jun nodded, satisfied with the playful arrangement they’d come to.

[Emergency alert message: DK's going to start singing soon]

From her seat, Luna chuckled and, in an amused tone, added, “I mean, if I had Dokyeomie's voice, I wouldn’t shut up either.” Her playful remark drew laughter from Joshua and Dokyeom, who couldn’t resist smiling at the compliment as Luna winked his way.

[Bunny doesn't mind DK's singing]

After the laughter died down, PD Na turned to Dokyeom and said, “You can talk about Jun.”

Dokyeom paused for a moment before speaking, “Jun is kind and innocent. He’s all nice, but he’s kind of short-tempered. He loses his temper quite easily. He should try not to get angry so easily.”

The members, who had witnessed Jun’s short fuse in certain situations, voiced their agreement almost immediately.

“Angry Jun,” Woozi muttered, nodding, which prompted Vernon to repeat it with a grin, “Angry Jun.”

Curious, PD Na leaned in, intrigued. “What made him lose his temper recently?” he asked.

Dokyeom thought for a second, then said, “When we were practicing choreography…” His words immediately drew laughter from Joshua, who clearly knew where the story was heading. “When we were practicing, we’re like, ‘Isn’t that #5?’” Mimicking Jun with an exaggerated seriousness, Dokyeom suddenly said in a stern voice, “‘Never.’”

[Mimicking Jun]

The imitation was spot on, and everyone burst out laughing, especially Joshua, who could barely contain himself.

“That’s what he does,” Dokyeom said, grinning widely as the room continued to roar with laughter.

PD Na, whose cheeks looked like it was going to tear open from laughing so much, clapped his hands. “You’re so good at mimicking him.”

From across the table, Minghao playfully warned, “Dokyeom, you’re dead now,” which made Dokyeom chuckle nervously, glancing at Jun beside him.

Joshua, grinning, pointed at Jun, who was sitting silently but smiling through the entire exchange. “He’s already angry.”

“He’s getting there,” Seungkwan quipped, pointing as well, sending another wave of laughter around the room.

“Jun’s angry,” Vernon added, nodding with mock seriousness, as Jun continued to laugh along, taking the teasing in stride

[That's his look before losing his temper]

As it finally came down to the last pair, Luna and Joshua, the room fell silent with anticipation, knowing this was going to be an entertaining exchange.

PD Na, grinning, leaned forward. “Luna, what do you think Joshua's flaw is?” he asked, setting the stage.

Luna turned toward Joshua, who sat beside her, the two sharing a brief look before Luna spoke. “Honestly, Shua has no flaws…” she trailed off, her tone sounding genuine, but the playful glint in her eyes said otherwise.

Joshua, already sensing the joke that was about to land, braced himself with a smile. Luna gave him a knowing look, one that seemed to say, Here it comes— just as they had planned earlier. “But, there’s one,” Luna deadpanned, her voice turning serious as she continued, “He thinks no one looks as young as he does.”

[The best baby face ever]

The room exploded with laughter at the sharp contrast in tone. Joshua could only laugh along, while PD Na and the writers chuckled, amused by how easily Luna delivered the playful jab. The members, who knew all too well about Joshua’s confidence in his youthful appearance, agreed instantly.

“Yes, that’s true,” Seungkwan chimed in, nodding.

“Really?” S.Coups added with a grin, turning toward Joshua as if surprised by this revelation.

PD Na, still chuckling, turned to Luna, “Is he annoying?” he asked as if confirming her statement.

Without missing a beat, Joshua nodded and said, “I’m annoying.”

Luna, clearly enjoying herself, continued, “And he knows he’s handsome. He keeps talking about it.”

[Stop showing off]

The group burst into more laughter, especially since Luna’s teasing tone made it clear she was only joking. Joshua, still laughing, couldn't deny the truth behind her playful words.

“Do you really think you look young?” S.Coups asked, now fully engaged in the banter.

Joshua, trying to defend himself, replied, “Among us.”

“Among us?” S.Coups repeated, raising an eyebrow in mock surprise. “You think you look young among us?”

The tension built as Luna, laughing but ready to jump into the fray, interjected as she pointed at herself, “Among all of us? Isn’t it me?”

Joshua, sticking to his point, quickly clarified, “Among people born in 1995.”

At this, Jeonghan, sitting quietly across from them, couldn’t hold back any longer. “I look the youngest among people born in 1995,” he spat out, almost incredulous at Joshua’s statement.

[Glaring]

The room broke into laughter again, the dynamic between the two quickly escalating into a playful spat.

Joshua whipped around to face Jeonghan, his expression shocked. “What?”

“I look the youngest,” S.Coups retorted, jumping into the fray and pointing to himself confidently.

[A fight occurs]

Now, the three ‘95-liners— Joshua, Jeonghan, and S.Coups— looked at each other in shock, each convinced that they were the youngest-looking.

[They're all serious]

PD Na could only laugh, pointing at the trio as they sat frozen in their disbelief. Meanwhile, Dino, the actual youngest, sat quietly to the side, looking over the entire situation with an air of exasperation as if wondering how they could argue over something so trivial.

[Dino is used to this]

Woozi, observing the scene unfold, chuckled and commented dryly, “They’re all alike.”

“Without your makeup, you all have bags under your eyes,” Seungkwan added, his voice dripping with sarcasm, which only deepened the laughter in the room.

At this, Joshua turned to Seungkwan, eyes narrowing in playful retaliation. “Ya! People think you’re the leader, Seungkwan,” he said, pointing at him.

S.Coups, laughing, joined in. “People think you’re the oldest,” he added, piling onto the playful accusations.

All the while, Luna sat back in her seat, chuckling to herself, clearly shocked at how far the banter had spiraled from her simple comment.

“No one thinks you’re the youngest,” Joshua finished, his tone light but teasing.

Seungkwan, always quick on his feet, stood up suddenly, grabbing the edge of the table in front of him and lifting it as if to use it as a shield.

[Defense]

The members howled in laughter as he swung the table around, pretending to aim it at Joshua and S.Coups. Joshua raised his hands in defense, laughing even harder. Meanwhile, Jeonghan remained silent, watching the chaos unfold with a calm smile, seemingly amused but determined to stay out of the fray.

“Stay out of this,” Joshua playfully told him, still laughing.

Hoshi, who was sitting close by, turned to PD Na and nodded. “People think Seungkwan is the oldest,” he said, joining in on the teasing.

Seungkwan, slowly putting the table back down, nodded along, grinning as he played along. “Right. That’s true.”

[Seungkwan is the second youngest]

“That’s true, though,” Minghao agreed from across the room, causing more laughter to ripple through the group.

Mingyu, still chuckling, glanced around and asked, “Really? Doesn’t Seungkwan look young?”

Jeonghan, never one to miss an opportunity for a quick remark, shook his head. “No.”

Seungkwan, attempting to defend himself, waved a hand dramatically. “People later realize that I’m cute, but if they don’t know me…”

He barely got the words out before Dino, sitting quietly up until now, cut him off with a firm, “No,” sending another wave of laughter through the room as everyone agreed.

[The real youngest finds it absurd]

Determined not to give up, Seungkwan stood up again and, with a mock-serious expression, looked around the room. “Is there any CARAT here?” he called out, pointing to the empty space beside him as if searching for a fan to back him up.

Silence met his question.

[Quiet]

“There’s none,” Seungkwan pouted dramatically, his expression exaggerated as he sat back down, making the group laugh even harder.

[No personal comments on set]

As the laughter from Seungkwan’s playful antics subsided, PD Na smiled, sensing that the energy in the room was still high. He glanced toward Joshua, signaling for the next round. "Alright, finally, Joshua, what do you think Luna’s flaw is?" he asked with a teasing grin, knowing this would be just as entertaining.

[What does Joshua think of Luna?]

Without missing a beat, Joshua, who had been waiting for this moment, immediately said, “Jiyeonie…she’s annoying too.”

His words were delivered with such deadpan precision that the entire room burst into laughter, Luna included. She threw her head back, clapping her hands in pure amusement as her laughter filled the space, the suddenness of his comment catching everyone off guard.

[They are both annoying]

PD Na, chuckling at Joshua’s quick response, raised an eyebrow. “What about her is annoying?”

Joshua turned to Luna, giving her a knowing look, as if they had discussed this moment before. There was a playful sparkle in his eyes, the kind that hinted at affection wrapped in humor.

He began to explain, his tone light but sincere, “Jiyeonie is perfect at everything.”

Luna, catching onto the impending compliment, glanced at him with curiosity while the others leaned in to hear what he had to say.

“She’s beautiful inside and out. She’s talented, she can sing, dance, rap…” Joshua listed, his voice softening slightly, as if recounting all the things he admired about her.

The members nodded along, acknowledging the truth in his words.

[They agree]

“She has good luck,” he continued, his tone growing a little more playful as he stacked compliments upon compliments. Joshua paused, and then with a smirk, delivered the final blow: “It’s annoying.”

[He's strange]

The room exploded into laughter again, louder this time, as the members clutched their sides, finding his reasoning both absurd and hilarious. Luna, already overcome with laughter, clung to Joshua’s arm as she tried not to fall off her chair, gripping him tightly to steady herself as her legs weakened from laughing too much.

“Sometimes she would be minding her own business,” Joshua continued with a playful shrug, still keeping his tone as if he was making a very serious confession, “and I look at her, and in the back of my head, I’m like, ‘she’s annoying.’”

This time, Luna was nearly doubled over, her laughter uncontrollable as she leaned into Joshua, barely able to catch her breath. The members couldn’t help but join in, their own laughter filling the room, while Joshua simply smiled, clearly proud of his comedic timing.

PD Na, chuckling as well, nodded in amusement. “She’s annoying because of that,” he said, clarifying the absurd logic, while trying to catch his breath.

Joshua nodded seriously, as if confirming a fact. “Exactly.”

It took Luna a moment to calm herself down. She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, still giggling under her breath. Once she finally composed herself, she looked at Joshua with a fond smile, her voice still light with amusement. “Thank you,” she said, playfully acknowledging his “compliment”.

Joshua chuckled softly in response, the banter between them easy and affectionate, the kind that only close friends shared.

As the room’s laughter began to settle, PD Na smiled knowingly and addressed the group. “The things you just said— you could say that because you're friends. But for you to keep that in mind and fix it, that will be your slogans for the quiz.”

A collective “Ahh” of realization rippled through the members as the meaning sank in. The flaws they had just jokingly mentioned were going to become their slogans for the entire quiz.

Jeonghan scoffed out a laugh, a mix of amusement and disbelief. “That’s my slogan?” he said, half to himself as if still wrapping his head around it.

Mingyu, sitting nearby, let out a sigh as he too came to terms with the situation. “We were only trying to be funny,” he said, shaking his head with a hint of playful regret.

It dawned on him that their slogan might end up being “Fart and Burp,” which made the room chuckle again at the absurdity.

[Flaw: fart & burp]

Luna, having enjoyed the playful atmosphere, turned to Joshua with a smile, the humor of the situation not lost on her. “Ours isn’t that bad,” she said lightly, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

Joshua, always calm and composed, nodded in agreement. “I know, right?” he replied, sharing in her relief as they both realized they had managed to avoid the more embarrassing slogans.

Meanwhile, S.Coups, sitting with Woozi, grinned mischievously as he leaned toward his partner. “Let’s go with ‘Park Bo Gum’,” he joked, referencing the actor with a laugh.

Woozi, catching onto the joke, chuckled along. “Park Bo Gum,” he agreed, shaking his head.

PD Na, catching the banter between S.Coups and Woozi, raised his voice with a smile. “In case you decide it on your own, we chose it for you.”

At that moment, a couple of staff members appeared, stepping forward with name plaques for each team. These were folded pieces of paper with the teams' slogans written on them. As they placed the plaques on each team's table, the members eagerly reached for their signs.

Luna and Joshua picked up theirs, glancing down at the slogan they had unknowingly created. The two began chuckling at each other as they read it. The mix of humor and disbelief was clear on their faces.

“What is this?” Luna said between giggles, nudging Joshua lightly. “Doesn’t this make us sound so full of ourselves?”

Joshua, still holding the paper, gave a soft laugh. “No, it’s okay. It’s not that bad,” he said, reassuring her, though his grin suggested that he also found it a bit ridiculous.

Around the room, the members’ reactions were mixed. Some of them loved how funny and stupid their slogans were, clearly enjoying the lightheartedness. Others, like Jeonghan, Mingyu, and S.coups, were playfully whining and complaining, asking PD Na if they could change their slogans.

PD Na, of course, refused with a cheeky grin, only making the situation funnier. The playful complaints and reactions continued as the atmosphere remained full of laughter, with everyone leaning into the absurdity of the situation, preparing themselves for whatever quiz was coming next.

As soon as the laughter from their slogan reveals had subsided, it was time to test out their team slogans.

[Let's try your slogans]

First up were Seungkwan and Hoshi, sitting near the front of the set. With enthusiasm, the two tested their slogan brimming with energy. “Go Overboard For Show!” they shouted in unison, clearly embodying the spirit of their slogan.

PD Na chuckled, nodding approvingly. “Good job,” he praised, before moving his gaze to the next table. “Next… 1, 2, 3.”

Mingyu and Jeonghan, knowing what was coming, stifled a scoff before saying their slogan together, “Burp And Fart.” The entire room erupted into laughter, the absurdity of their slogan too much to contain.

Even PD Na couldn’t help but laugh. “Nice,” he said between chuckles, quickly composing himself before gesturing toward the next team. “1, 2, 3,” PD Na counted down for Dino and Wonwoo, who sat straight in their seats.

“Drink Less And Talk More,” they chimed, their tones calm but clearly amused by their ridiculous motto.

PD Na, still amused, gave them a nod. “Good,” he said before glancing over at Vernon and Minghao’s table. “Alright… 1, 2, 3.”

“I Don’t Like Your Earrings,” Vernon and Minghao deadpanned, eliciting a fresh wave of laughter from everyone, especially PD Na, who found their flat delivery the funniest of all.

“But I like them,” Minghao shyly added, his hand instinctively touching his earrings with a proud smile.

Jun, sitting at the end of the line, leaned forward with a playful grin. “Their slogan is so short,” he pointed out, only adding to the light-hearted teasing.

“Aren’t they cool?” Minghao responded, still touching his earrings with a hint of uncertainty.

Luna nodded at him with a smirk. “It’s the coolest, so cool, Hao,” she said, her voice laced with amusement, drawing a grin from the quiet idol.

PD Na then turned to the next team, S.Coups and Woozi. “1, 2, 3.”

S.Coups and Woozi took a deep breath before reciting their overly elaborate slogan, “I Don’t Know Who Park Bo Gum Is, But I Love Him And Cherish Him.”

The room burst into laughter yet again, S.Coups cringing at the overly dramatic line.

[He hates it]

“Their slogan is the worst one,” Luna commented between giggles, clearly enjoying the humor of it all.

PD Na moved on to the next team, now standing in front of Luna and Joshua’s table. He grinned as he counted down, “1, 2, 3.”

“We Are Too Perfect, It’s Annoying,” Luna and Joshua said in perfect sync, their voices full of mock arrogance, which sent the room into another wave of laughter.

The final team, DK and Jun, prepared themselves as PD Na gave the signal. “1, 2, 3.”

“I Get Worked Up And Lose My Temper Easily,” they said, prompting more snickers from the rest of the members.

As the slogans were finally revealed, the room continued to buzz with laughter and banter. Mingyu, shaking his head as if he couldn’t believe what had just happened, pointed at their team slogan and groaned. “Isn’t this worse?” he asked, half-laughing, half-complaining.

[Extremely stimulating]

“That’s something everyone does,” Dino chimed in, his tone a mix of logic and humor.

“The whole nation burps,” Seungkwan added in mock defense, his arms crossed as if presenting a valid point.

[He brings the whole nation into it]

“But it’s embarrassing,” Jeonghan said, shaking his head slightly with a small chuckle.

“It’s humiliating,” Mingyu followed, his voice teasing but still genuinely flustered. He laughed, his large frame shaking with the sound. “I feel like we’re still doing it.”

PD Na, amused by their antics, raised an eyebrow with a playful grin. “This will remain on YouTube forever,” he teased, making everyone laugh even harder.

Mingyu, not missing a beat, grinned mischievously as he leaned back in his chair. “I’m going to show my son later,” he joked, sending the group into yet another fit of laughter.

[That will create a distance between him and his son]

[They're going to play a game with these slogans]

The room was buzzing with anticipation as PD Na cleared his throat, grinning in that familiar, mischievous way that always meant something fun— and chaotic— was about to happen.

“Alright,” he announced. “It's time to reveal what game we’ll be playing.” He paused for effect before finally saying, “It's a music quiz.”

Immediately, the room exploded with excitement. The members clapped, voices overlapping as they reacted with gleeful energy.

“I love it!” Seungkwan exclaimed, dapping up with Hoshi who was equally as thrilled.

Jun, sitting a few seats down, gave a knowing nod. “This is what Seungkwan’s good at.”

Woozi chimed in, leaning back on his chair. “Seungkwan’s good at this,” he echoed, his calm demeanor not masking the playfulness in his tone.

[The member of Korea Music Copyright Association doesn't feel confident]

Luna chuckled, her head lowering slightly as she muttered to Joshua, “I’m terrible at this.”

Joshua, hearing her, chuckled too, shaking his head. “I am too,” he confessed, making Luna laugh even more at the mutual understanding of their inevitable failure.

[They are confident of their looks only]

“This is great!” Seungkwan nearly sang, his voice rising as he spoke, which Hoshi immediately mimicked, matching Seungkwan’s tone and enthusiasm, making everyone laugh again.

[The best players teamed up]

PD Na raised a hand, signaling for the members to settle down as he continued, now explaining the rules. “When I play the song, say your slogan. The first person is going to say the singer, and the next person has to say the title. Both people must get it right to win a point.”

The members listened attentively, some nodding here and there as they absorbed the instructions.

[For more details,they'll figure it out while playing]

PD Na wasn’t done. He leaned in, his voice dropping conspiratorially. “What matters the most,” he said slowly, “is the prize.”

That got everyone’s attention.

Both Jeonghan and Luna physically perked up in their seats, their curiosity now piqued. In perfect unison, they chorused, “Is there a prize?”

The two glanced at each other with matching smirks, clearly amused by their synchronized excitement. Luna leaned forward, catching Jeonghan’s gaze from across the room. He winked at her in reply, and she chuckled, shaking her head.

“What is it?” Minghao asked, voicing the curiosity that had taken over the room. His expression was intrigued, eager to know what the stakes were. “You’re spending a lot of money,” he added, his voice teasing but also genuinely curious.

Seungkwan, not missing a beat, grinned and gestured toward Hoshi, who was sitting beside him. “I get to play with a lucky boy today,” he said, referring to Hoshi, who had won both a Dyson hair dryer and a Korean beef set earlier in the previous game.

“I have Omega-3,” Mingyu pointed at Jeonghan with a laugh, alluding to Jeonghan's earlier answer in the previous quiz.

“I’m expecting something huge,” Seungkwan added, his excitement building as they all eagerly waited for PD Na to finally reveal what the prize would be.

[Here's the prize]

PD Na smiled, letting the suspense hang for just a moment longer before finally revealing, “It’s worth $1,000. For example, if you want something… we will pay for it.”

A wave of pleased reactions rippled through the room. The idea of a grand prize worth that much immediately captured everyone’s interest.

“For example,” PD Na continued, “two Dyson hair dryers. Then you can have one each.”

The members nodded, impressed by the prize's flexibility, but PD Na wasn’t done yet. “Or,” he added with a sly smile, “if it’s a mental wish, like something we can grant.”

[Producer Na's host coupon] [Or anything else we could grant]

With that, he handed out a piece of paper to each team, letting them know that they could write their prize of choice on it. The excitement in the room was palpable as the members huddled in their respective teams, whispering and muttering among themselves as they tried to come up with their wishes.

[Each team writes the prize they want and submit it]

[We'll give them a chance to pick one after mixing with 60 duds]

[Draw chances] [1st place, 5 times] [2nd place, 3 times] [3rd place, 2 times] [4th place, 1 time]

On the left side of the set, three teams began conspiring with each other. Woozi and S.Coups were the first to exchange glances and start scribbling something down, which caught Luna’s attention. She took a quick peek at their written wish and burst out laughing, trying to cover her mouth to keep it quiet.

“What?” Joshua whispered, leaning toward her curiously.

Luna, still chuckling, whispered something into Joshua’s ear, making him grin. Before they knew it, Dokyeom and Jun, who were seated nearby, had noticed the laughter and leaned in to join the conversation, their curiosity piqued by the sudden excitement.

Whatever the three teams were planning, it was clearly something mischievous, as they were all buzzing with excitement when they finally finished writing their wishes. Nobody else knew what had them so giddy, but it was clear that they were up to something.

Once all the teams had finished writing their wishes, they folded their papers and placed them into a small pouch filled with sixty duds.

PD Na reminded them, “If you pick someone else’s wish, you get to take it too.”

The members nodded in understanding, letting out a collective “oooh” in chorus, clearly intrigued by the added layer of fun.

“And the bonus prize,” PD Na announced, his voice rising with enthusiasm, “MHP: Most Hip Players.”

[The prize for most enthusiastic players]

This caused an even bigger stir among the members, their excitement peaking at the mention of a special bonus.

“You’ll get two chances,” PD Na added, watching as the members’ competitive spirits ignited.

Joshua nudged Luna playfully and said with a grin, “Jiyeon-ah, this is it.”

“Alright,” Luna chuckled, nodding in agreement.

[They aim for MHP]

“That’s our only hope,” Dokyeom murmured to Jun, clearly focused on the MHP title now.

“Can you win MHP?” Minghao asked Vernon, his expression filled with determination.

“Let’s do it,” Vernon replied, equally serious.

[They all want MHP more than 1st place]

Once the members heard about the bonus prize, they lost all sense of reality. The atmosphere shifted as whispers and hurried conversations filled the room. Everyone had their eyes on the special title now, scheming and strategizing in hushed tones.

[They're thinking about being funny when they have to solve the quiz]

[This is who SEVENTEEN is]

PD Na noticed the sudden surge of energy, chuckling as he watched the chaos unfold before him.

[We miscalculated the probability]

[This would bring a tremendous result]

[Their wish will be revealed after the game]

The air in the studio was thick with anticipation as the members of SEVENTEEN sat at the edge of their seats, eyes fixed on PD Na. Each one of them was ready, muscles tensed as if they were waiting for the starting signal of a race. The weight of the potential prize— and the glory of winning— hung heavily in the air.

[Music Quiz begins]

PD Na held up his hand, a sly grin on his face as he gestured toward the speakers. The tension built for a brief moment longer. And then, the faint sound of a song began to play— just the riser of the music, barely distinguishable.

[Here's Question #1]

For a second, everyone froze. Their ears perked, heads tilted slightly, straining to hear what song was coming up. The silence before the storm. Then, in a flash— almost too fast for the others to react— Seungkwan and Hoshi were already on their feet, hands shooting up in perfect sync as they screamed their slogan, "Go Overboard For Show!"

[As soon as the music plays]

Their voices rang out in unison, clear and loud, cutting through the silence. The room erupted in gasps, and the rest of the members could only watch in awe as the duo had beaten them to the punch, claiming the first chance to answer.

PD Na pointed at them, grinning. “Go Overboard For Show,” he said, “what’s your answer?”

Hoshi spoke first, his voice brimming with confidence. “SHINee,” he declared, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

Without missing a beat, Seungkwan followed up with, “‘Sherlock,’” his voice triumphant as the answer left his lips.

PD Na smiled, nodding. “You got it.”

In an instant, the familiar chorus of SHINee's 'Sherlock' burst through the speakers. Without hesitating for even a second, Seungkwan and Hoshi exchanged a glance, grinning like they had just won the lottery, before they bolted toward the front of the room.

As if possessed by pure adrenaline, they started dancing, moving through the iconic choreography with precise, practiced ease. Their feet shuffled across the floor, arms swaying to the beat, while their voices echoed as they sang along to the chorus.

[Full of adrenaline]

The rest of the members watched, amused yet unsurprised by the duo’s exuberant display. It was as if this level of excitement had become routine with Seungkwan and Hoshi.

PD Na sat back, arms folded, a chuckle escaping his lips as he witnessed the lively performance unfold before him. There was something endearing about how they threw themselves into the song, as though they were back on stage performing for a stadium full of fans.

[Singing with passion]

By the time the chorus ended, Seungkwan and Hoshi struck a final pose, arms extended and chests puffed out dramatically as they finished their impromptu performance.

[The ending pose]

The room erupted into applause, a mixture of cheers and laughter filling the air. Both of them were out of breath, their faces flushed from the exertion, but their eyes sparkled with satisfaction.

“They’re trying to win MHP too,” PD Na remarked with a chuckle, watching as the two performers made their way back to their seats.

[Going overboard]

“They were good,” Wonwoo commented, nodding with genuine appreciation for their effort.

Vernon added, “It’s not easy to beat them.”

Seungkwan, still panting from his earlier display, pointed a finger playfully at the rest of the group. “How dare you challenge me for a music quiz?” he declared, though the smirk on his face betrayed his playful teasing.

PD Na chuckled, “You danced till you pant. You got 1 point.”

Seungkwan dramatically wiped an imaginary bead of sweat from his forehead. “I worked so hard, but it’s only 1 point,” he sighed with exaggerated exhaustion, making the rest of the members burst into laughter. “Still, thank you,” Seungkwan added, his tone mock-solemn, which only caused more giggles to ripple through the room.

PD Na sat up front, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he watched the energy simmering among the members. “Here’s the next question,” he announced, his voice clear and steady.

On cue, the intro of a familiar song began playing through the speakers, causing a ripple of recognition among the group. It was a sound that at least all of them recognized, and the reaction was immediate— chaotic, even.

[It's a mess]

Five out of the seven teams shot to their feet, shouting their slogans in unison, their voices overlapping in a cacophony of noise. Laughter echoed around the room as the teams scrambled, each one determined to be the first to claim the answer. It was a mess— arms flailing, chairs squeaking, slogans filling the air as they all fought for the spotlight.

But in the middle of the frenzy, the fastest to react was Mingyu and Jeonghan. Their team slogan, much shorter and quicker to yell, cut through the chaos first. “Burp And Fart!” Mingyu yelled, his voice carrying above the others.

[Fart was faster by a split second]

There was a brief moment of stunned silence as the absurdity of the slogan sunk in. PD Na chuckled, raising his hand to acknowledge their speed. “You have to admit that ‘Burp And Fart’ was fast,” he said, giving credit where it was due.

Mingyu, eager to seize the opportunity, raised his hand, ready to say the artist’s name. His confidence radiated off of him as he prepared to answer. But before the words could leave his mouth, Jeonghan beat him to it. “TWICE,” Jeonghan declared, his tone confident and sure.

A chain of reactions immediately followed. There were gasps, yells, wide eyes, and some stifled laughter. Most of the members knew right away that Jeonghan had made a mistake, and Mingyu's face was a picture of shock. His eyes snapped to Jeonghan, disbelief etched into his expression.

“No, it’s not,” Luna chuckled softly from her seat, clearly amused by Jeonghan’s bold but incorrect answer. She raised her hand, prepared to shout her team’s slogan, but before she could, another voice rang out.

[It's not TWICE]

“I Get Worked Up And Lose My Temper Easily!” Dokyeom yelled, practically leaping out of his chair.

[Hyenas never miss the chance]

PD Na nodded, signaling for Dokyeom to give his answer. “Who’s the singer?” he asked.

“STAYC,” Dokyeom answered confidently, and a beat later, Jun followed up, “'ASAP.'”

“You got it,” PD Na confirmed with a grin. Immediately, the chorus of STAYC’s ‘ASAP’ began to play, filling the room with the upbeat, catchy tune.

At once, most of the members, except for Mingyu, Jeonghan, S.Coups, Woozi, and Luna, leaped from their seats and rushed to the front. They began dancing to the song, their movements enthusiastic and playful as they mimicked the choreography with varying degrees of accuracy.

[People aiming for MHP barge in]

The sight of SEVENTEEN, one of the most skilled performance groups, dancing to a girl group song brought waves of laughter through the room.

Luna, though staying seated, couldn’t resist moving along. Her shoulders swayed and her head bobbed to the beat as she grinned, enjoying the show from her spot. She even mimicked some of the hand gestures, laughing as she watched her fellow members execute the choreo with varying levels of precision and commitment.

PD Na, also amused, watched from up front, grinning broadly at the chaotic yet endearing scene unfolding in front of him.

[He loves his job]

The members danced with wild abandon, some more committed than others, while PD Na’s chuckles mixed with the melody.

Luna, still seated, couldn’t contain her amusement as she continued to watch, occasionally throwing in a little dance move from her seat. Her eyes sparkled as she saw the members letting loose and having fun.

When the song’s chorus ended, the dancers made their way back to their seats, still out of breath but beaming with satisfaction. The air was filled with post-performance energy, the room buzzing with excitement and laughter.

“Good job,” Luna said, turning to Joshua with a smile.

Joshua, still catching his breath from the unexpected performance, grinned back at her. “Thanks.”

Nearby, Dokyeom turned to Jun, his face lit up with excitement. “We got the answer. This is great!” he said, the pride in his voice evident. Jun gave a satisfied nod, a small grin tugging at his lips as they both settled back into their seats, ready for the next round.

As the members settled back into their seats, catching their breath after the chaotic dance, PD Na turned his attention to Jeonghan, a playful grin on his face. “What did you say earlier?” he asked, chuckling lightly, clearly referencing Jeonghan's earlier mistake.

Completely unfazed, Jeonghan leaned back in his chair and shrugged, his expression cool as ever. “We said TWICE,” he answered, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

[Absurd]

“I see why you said that,” Hoshi chimed in, noticing the similarities between the artists' sounds. He leaned forward, his face lit with amusement.

Mingyu, on the other hand, was still pouting, his arms crossed as he pointed accusingly at Jeonghan. “He should’ve stayed quiet,” he muttered, his tone playful but clearly teasing his teammate for the mix-up.

Jeonghan, noticing Mingyu’s sulking, turned toward Hoshi, his eyes narrowing mischievously. “What’s this one?” he asked, his hands moving in the familiar choreography that had caused his confusion earlier.

Hoshi immediately recognized the dance. “‘TT,’” he answered, his voice confident.

Seungkwan, always quick to pick up on details, leaned forward with a knowing look. “Because it’s the same producer,” he added, offering a possible reason for Jeonghan’s mix-up.

[It makes sense]

Despite the teasing, Mingyu’s pout remained, his expression still exaggeratedly wounded.

[Sullen]

Jeonghan, quick to catch on, rolled his eyes at his younger teammate. “Sometimes I get confused, you fucking punk,” he said with his whole chest before suddenly poking Mingyu on the head with the pen he’d been fiddling with in his hand.

The unexpected cursing caused a ripple of laughter from the members while the action earned a shocked chuckle from Mingyu, his eyes wide with surprise at Jeonghan’s nonchalant attitude.

[It's okay. They're SEVENTEEN]

From across the room, Luna sat with her chin resting in her hand, watching the playful back-and-forth with a soft smile. Her gaze was warm as if she were watching her favorite movie unfold in front of her. She chuckled quietly to herself, thoroughly entertained by the banter between the two.

[Bunny no. 1 is having a blast]

Still laughing softly, Seungkwan asked, “Were you confused for real?” His tone was light, clearly enjoying the exchange.

Jeonghan, still chuckling, shook his head. “No, I had no idea,” he admitted, patting and affectionately rubbing the spot on Mingyu’s head where he’d poked him, trying to soothe the mock wound.

[Patting]

Mingyu, now recovering from his playful scolding, quickly explained, “We made a rule. I said I’d say the singer, so he could say the title.” His voice was animated, and he mimicked Jeonghan’s earlier moment of confusion with dramatic flair. “Then he was like, ‘TWICE.’”

Jeonghan laughed again, this time shaking his head in disbelief. “I didn’t hear that rule,” he claimed, still grinning from ear to ear. His casual demeanor made everyone laugh even harder, as it was clear Jeonghan was hardly concerned with the mistake.

“They’re perfect,” Wonwoo remarked, his voice low but full of amusement as he watched the duo.

Mingyu, now on his feet and ready to move on from the mix-up, turned to Jeonghan, determination in his eyes. “Do it right. Let’s win this,” he said firmly, though the playful tone in his voice remained.

“I’ll stay quiet,” Jeonghan promised, though the grin on his face suggested that staying quiet wasn’t something he was particularly good at.

The room filled with more laughter as the members shifted in their seats, the light-hearted moment helping to keep the mood playful as they prepared for the next question.

“Are you ready?” PD Na asked, a teasing glint in his eyes as he scanned the members. Before anyone could even think to respond, an older-sounding intro to a song started playing through the speakers, its melody both nostalgic and unfamiliar.

“Hurry up. Say it,” Jeonghan whispered to Mingyu, his voice mockingly urgent, clearly poking fun at his teammate.

Another beat passed, and suddenly, two teams shot up, hands raised as their slogans rang out across the room.

“Go Overboard For Show!” Hoshi yelled first, his voice booming as he raised his hand, eyes locked in determination.

“I Don’t Know Who Park Bo Gum Is, But I Love Him And Cherish Him!” S.Coups followed a millisecond later, his slogan loud and filled with energy.

PD Na chuckled as he acknowledged the faster group. “‘Overboard’ was faster,” he said, pointing at Hoshi and Seungkwan’s team, causing the others to groan in playful disappointment. “1, 2, 3,” PD Na counted down, gesturing for them to answer.

“(G)I-DLE,” Hoshi said confidently, his face glowing with anticipation.

“Wrong,” PD Na immediately responded, crushing Hoshi’s hopes as Seungkwan groaned loudly.

“Burp And Fart!” Jeonghan raised his hand suddenly, cutting through the noise with his usual confident flair.

[Jeonghan never holds back]

Luna, who had been watching the chaos unfold, immediately started laughing, recognizing Jeonghan’s usual antics. She could tell he was up to something.

Jeonghan, rather than giving an answer, turned to Mingyu, his expression overly serious. “Mingyu, you said you’d go first,” he said with mock urgency, calling out Mingyu’s earlier claim that he would be the one to answer first, fully knowing that Mingyu had no idea what the answer was.

Mingyu, caught off guard, could only chuckle in disbelief, shaking his head. “What’s wrong with him?” he asked, his voice filled with exasperation but laced with humor as the rest of the members erupted into laughter.

Luna, who was watching this unfold, couldn’t contain herself. She burst into loud, cackling laughter, her head dropping onto the table as she shook with amusement.

The song intro continued playing, the melody filling the room as the members strained to make sense of it. The confusion was palpable as they exchanged glances, waiting for something recognizable. Luna voiced what was on everyone’s mind. “What is that?” she asked, her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to place the unfamiliar sound.

[Going over the melody]

“I have a feeling the sound will change,” Seungkwan said thoughtfully, his face showing focus. And as if on cue, the beat shifted, surprising everyone and causing a ripple of excitement and even more confusion.

[Even the K-pop professor doesn't know]

“What’s that?” Jun exclaimed, his eyes widening at the unexpected change in tempo.

[It's a familiar melody]

“It sounds like Cool’s song,” S.Coups suggested, tilting his head in thought. He seemed half sure, yet the room was filled with uncertainty.

“How come we don’t know?” Seungkwan added, sounding both amused and exasperated by how elusive the song was.

“Is this an idol song?” Dokyeom asked, a mix of curiosity and frustration lining his voice.

Luna, more perceptive, tried to reason with them, “It’s probably an older song.” Her guess seemed reasonable, especially given how much the tune didn’t match the newer, trendy hits they usually heard.

The beat started to speed up, and the lively rhythm quickly filled the air. Some members started bobbing their heads up and down, following the tempo, while still trying to recognize the song. A few seemed to catch onto the melody but couldn’t quite place it.

For a few seconds, they just listened. The intro continued teasing them, dancing on the edge of familiarity but not quite crossing into recognition—until Dino suddenly stood up, surprising everyone. “Drink Less and Talk More!” he yelled their slogan with an air of confidence. Wonwoo stood up next to him, far quieter but no less determined.

PD Na acknowledged their attempt with a nod. “Drink Less and Talk More,” he repeated.

“Zaza,” Wonwoo said the artist’s name, eyes narrowing as he tried to be sure.

“‘Inside the Bus,’” Dino quickly followed up with the song title.

“No,” PD Na said, shooting them down, and both Dino and Wonwoo sat back down, shaking their heads as the others laughed.

[It's a completely different song]

The song continued playing, growing more familiar to some and just as confusing to the others. Half the members looked frustrated as if the answer was just out of reach, while the rest looked utterly clueless, lost in the unfamiliar melody.

[They're in an unfavorable situation]

“People who know must be frustrated,” Seungkwan said, glancing around the room, his voice tinged with a hint of defeat.

“How come I don’t know this song?” S.Coups muttered to himself, clearly baffled.

PD Na was watching the chaos with amused eyes when he caught sight of Minghao craning his head toward their staff, clearly looking for clues.

Chuckling, he called him out. “The8, what are you looking at? What’s there?” His voice carried light amusement as the members turned their attention to Minghao, who was now trying to act innocent.

[Cheating straight up]

“I have no idea,” Minghao responded, his voice cool and nonchalant, though everyone knew he was up to something.

“The song is almost over,” Luna said with a sigh, clearly on the verge of giving up on this round. Her tone carried the same resigned frustration the others felt.

[The 1st verse is nearly over]

“We have no idea,” Minghao echoed, his words summing up the group’s collective bewilderment.

PD Na glanced around the room with a playful grin. “You all have a chance,” he said, encouraging the members as they remained perplexed by the song’s difficulty.

Without missing a beat, Jeonghan raised his hand, his tone casual but determined. “Can I try? Burp and Fart!” he called out his team’s quirky slogan, causing a few giggles to ripple through the room. PD Na pointed at him, giving him the floor.

[Burp raises his hand]

“Cool,” Jeonghan said confidently, standing up, naming the artist before Mingyu followed suit, standing up beside him and guessing, “‘Fate.’”

“You got it,” PD Na confirmed, and Jeonghan clapped nonchalantly, as though it was no big deal. Mingyu, on the other hand, was thrilled. He grabbed Jeonghan and dragged him to the front as the song’s chorus began to play.

[They got up to celebrate]

“What are we doing?” Jeonghan asked, letting himself be pulled along with little resistance. They linked their hands in a dramatic, over-the-top gesture and began to dance, a messy combination of jitterbug, waltz, and salsa. Their steps were comically uncoordinated, sending waves of laughter through the room.

[Jitterbug]

“Yes, we’re meant to be,” Mingyu declared, continuing to twirl Jeonghan around, who barely moved and only lazily followed his lead, adding to the absurdity of the dance.

“Yeah, it’s great,” Jeonghan said, nodding in mock enthusiasm as Mingyu kept the energy high.

From their seats, Seungkwan yelled, “Burp and fart, please!” teasing the duo who had now taken their choreography to even more ridiculous heights.

[We'll stop here for their reputation]

Finally, after the chorus ended, Jeonghan and Mingyu slowly walked back to their seats, laughter filling the room.

“I guessed, but it was still right,” Mingyu said, breathless but satisfied as he glanced at Jeonghan.

Jeonghan gave him a small nod of approval, still calm and composed as if the whole spectacle hadn’t happened.

[Team Burp And Fart got lucky]

“Next,” PD Na said, as a new song immediately began playing, its intro familiar to at least half of the group.

[Here is the next question]

Before anyone else could react, Luna stood up confidently, raising her hand with a triumphant declaration, “We’re Too Perfect, It’s Annoying!” Her quick movement surprised Joshua, who sat next to her, clearly unsure of the answer, his eyes widening in shock as he realized they had to answer together.

[Shocked deer]

“Yes, your answer?” PD Na acknowledged their team by pointing at them.

Luna barely glanced at Joshua, sensing his hesitation, before confidently announcing, “SUNMI” The members nodded, some clearly recognizing the song, but the real trick came right after.

Luna, with her back suddenly turned toward PD Na, slyly faced Joshua and mouthed the answer, “‘Gashina’,” while performing the song’s iconic finger-gun hand movement, signaling the choreo that would give it away. Joshua caught on quickly, chuckling at her not-so-secret tactics.

[What are they doing?]

The members noticed but said nothing, instead laughing quietly at Luna’s subtle cheating, particularly Jeonghan, whose smirk had grown into a proud, delighted grin. He always appreciated clever tricks like this.

Joshua, now filled with newfound confidence, stood up straight and said, “‘Gashina’.”

“You got it,” PD Na confirmed, unaware of Luna’s discreet coaching. As the song’s chorus filled the room, Luna and Joshua exchanged a quick celebration.

“Nice,” Luna said in english, high-fiving Joshua, who responded with, “Let’s go.”

Seungkwan, from his seat, tilted his head and scoffed with a laugh. “She’s shameless, really,” he teased, watching the two head to the front for their victory dance.

As the chorus of Sunmi’s ‘Gashina’ played, Luna took her position in the center, exuding confidence, while Joshua stayed a few steps behind, clearly reluctant to dance. “Come here,” Luna called, waiting for the iconic drop in the beat.

“I don’t know the dance!” Joshua laughed but cheered her on from a distance.

The second the beat hit, Luna’s demeanor completely shifted. Her body moved fluidly to the music, her sharp yet graceful movements perfectly matching the song’s energy.

[Scary shift]

She nailed the signature choreo — the finger-gun gesture aimed directly ahead, followed by the sharp turn and strut that Sunmi made famous. The members cheered loudly from the back, fully absorbed in Luna’s performance.

When the chorus ended, Luna gave a small bow, grinning as the members clapped and whistled in approval. She headed back to her seat, a satisfied look on her face.

As she crossed paths with Joshua, she pouted playfully, “Ya! You left me.”

Joshua chuckled, wrapping his arm around her shoulder as they made their way back. “No, I was there. You did well.” They both sat back down, still sharing the buzz of excitement from their win.

[What's the next question?]

The next round began, and all the members sat in anticipation, waiting for the song to play. As the intro of the new song echoed through the room, Dino’s hand shot up almost instantly, cutting through the initial few beats. “Drink Less And Talk More!” he shouted their team slogan with a burst of excitement. His sudden reaction caused everyone to turn toward him, their faces full of confusion.

PD Na acknowledged them, pointing to Dino’s team. “Drink Less And Talk More,”

“SEVENTEEN,” Dino confidently said, as if the artist was obvious.

At this, the rest of SEVENTEEN looked at each other, their confusion deepening. Was it really one of their songs?

[It's SEVENTEEN's song?]

“‘CLAP,’” Wonwoo stood up and declared the title with a surety that baffled the rest of the members even more.

PD Na, smiling knowingly, confirmed, “You got it.”

[It was 'CLAP'?]

Cheers erupted from Dino and Wonwoo, but the rest of the group remained frozen in place, looking at each other as though they had all missed some crucial detail.

“It’s ‘CLAP’?” Jun asked in disbelief, his voice echoing the collective confusion.

“How was that ‘CLAP’?” Luna asked, her brows furrowed as she tried to connect the intro they had heard to the familiar SEVENTEEN track.

“‘CLAP’?” Dokyeom repeated, looking equally lost.

“Why is it ‘CLAP’?” Jun asked again, glancing around as though someone else could provide the answer.

[Puzzled]

S.Coups and Joshua both suddenly straightened up, their eyes lighting up with realization. “It’s in the beginning of the music video,” they chorused, their voices overlapping in understanding.

Vernon groaned and stood up, pointing dramatically at PD Na. “Oh, the music… the music video,” he whined, realizing that the intro had been the sound effect used at the start of the ‘CLAP’ music video, not the main song itself.

The realization dawned on the rest of the group just as Dino and Wonwoo continued dancing to their own song.

[Despite the chaos they continue celebrating]

The chorus of ‘CLAP’ filled the room, and while the two danced excitedly in front, some of the other members started doing the choreography from their seats, unable to resist joining in despite their lingering confusion.

When the song ended, Dino and Wonwoo made their way back to their seats, satisfied with their win, grinning at the members who were still recovering from the surprise.

As soon as Dino and Wonwoo settled back into their seats, PD Na addressed them with a playful smile, “Congratulations to Drink Less And Talk More. The rest of you, what happened?”

Vernon was the first to jump in, pointing accusingly at PD Na, “That was the music video version!”

Woozi, shaking his finger thoughtfully, nodded in agreement. “That’s not the original music,” he reasoned, his tone carrying just a hint of disbelief.

Dino, still buzzing with the excitement of their win, elaborated, “In the music video, Woozi is standing in front of a store.”

“Right,” Vernon and Luna echoed, nodding along as they finally made sense of the confusion.

Vernon, still baffled by the trickery, repeated, “It’s the music video version.” He was clearly not over it yet, but his grin gave away his amusement.

PD Na shrugged, unfazed. “Someone still got it.”

Vernon chuckled in reluctant acceptance. “You’re right.”

At that, Jun raised his hand apologetically, his voide deep as he chukled, “Sorry. It’s our fault. Sorry.”

The room broke into laughter, the light-heartedness quickly spreading as PD Na turned to Woozi, who produced the song. “Woozi, what happened?”

Woozi chuckled before responding. “Since someone still got it, I can’t argue. If no one got it, I can try to argue. But since you got it, I have nothing to say,” he joked, eliciting even more laughter.

Hoshi leaned over to Seungkwan, muttering under his breath, “I thought it was (G)I-DLE.”

“We filmed the music video a long time ago,” Woozi explained, shaking his head as if recalling the time that had passed since then.

Minghao chimed in, looking at Dino with playful admiration. “Dino monitors music videos often. No wonder you were good at it.”

Seungkwan, never one to miss a chance to tease, leaned forward and declared with exaggerated seriousness, “Now that you all had a chance, we won’t cut you any slack anymore.”

His comment made Luna point at him and chuckle. Seungkwan’s playful competitiveness was always a source of amusement for her.

PD Na, watching the banter unfold, informed them with a knowing smile, “We got the music from everywhere.”

[There will be all kinds of songs]

The group nodded in understanding, now fully aware that they couldn’t rely on just the original versions of the songs anymore.

[Next song]

As they waited for the next song to play, the atmosphere buzzed with anticipation.

[As soon as it plays]

Then, a very familiar tune began to fill the room, immediately prompting all the teams, except S.Coups and Woozi, to spring to their feet. Hands shot into the air, slogans echoed in unison, but it was Seungkwan and Hoshi who were quickest.

“Go Overboard For Show!” Hoshi shouted triumphantly, earning an acknowledgment from PD Na, who pointed at them, waiting for their answer.

[Hoshi was accurate and fast]

“NewJeans,” Hoshi announced confidently, naming the artist.

“‘Hype Boy,’” Seungkwan added, already walking to the front with Hoshi before PD Na could even confirm, “You got it.”

As soon as they reached the center, the chorus started playing, and the two immediately began dancing in perfect sync, effortlessly hitting each move with the same energetic precision. The lively beat had an infectious effect— Minghao started dancing in his seat, and Vernon and Dino soon joined Hoshi and Seungkwan up front, effortlessly blending into the choreography.

[It's fun to play together]

Meanwhile, the rest of the group watched, with some dancing and singing along in their seats.

“How do they know everything?” S.Coups muttered, watching them with a mix of awe and amusement.

“I know,” Joshua agreed, equally impressed.

Jun, not to be outdone, added, “How are they good at it? They’re good.”

At the same time, without even trying, Luna and Dokyeom harmonized softly to the lyrics, “‘You know, I hype you, boy’,” their voices blending perfectly in unison.

PD Na, watching the scene with a grin, commented aloud, “You’re good. Why is that team so good?”

When the song ended, the group cheered, applauding Seungkwan and Hoshi as they made their way back to their seats.

Dino, still buzzing from the excitement, turned to PD Na with an expectant grin, “Do I get MHP?”

[They're ahead of everything]

“What?” PD Na asked, raising an eyebrow.

Before Dino could repeat himself, Jeonghan, ever the calm one, chimed in lazily, “It’ll be announced at the end.”

Dino nodded in understanding, though he looked eager for the results.

With a playful tone, PD Na then looked over at Jeonghan and Mingyu and teased, “Team ‘Burp And Fart’, you’re not likely to win MHP.”

Considering the fact that Jeonghan and Mingyu had been sitting out for most of the game, his comment was met with laughter from the group.

Jeonghan and Mingyu, however, only nodded in agreement. Jeonghan, ever laid-back, responded casually, “It’s okay. We’ll do our best to answer it.”

Mingyu, more serious, added with determination, “We’ll focus on the question.”

As the room fell silent, everyone waited for the next song. The moment the first beat dropped, Seungkwan was already on his feet, shouting their team slogan: “Go Overboard For Show!” The rest of the members could only gape in amazement at how fast he was.

[Seungkwan is dominant]

Hoshi stood up slowly next to him, struggling to recall the song’s title. “Gosh, wait,” Hoshi muttered under his breath, still trying to piece it together.

PD Na acknowledged them by pointing in their direction, and Seungkwan quickly blurted out the title to help his teammate, “‘Full Moon’!”

That was all Hoshi needed. “SUNMI!” Hoshi yelled, his face lighting up with recognition.

Just as Seungkwan was sprinting to the front, confident in their victory, PD Na’s voice rang out: “Wrong.”

Seungkwan collapsed dramatically onto the ground, completely shocked, and instantly, there was a loud chorus of yells from all the teams, trying to steal the answer. Both Luna and Joshua were among the first to raise their hands, but in their haste, they both forgot their team slogan, which made everyone laugh.

[Serious about stealing]

Vernon, however, shouted from the back, “I Don’t Like Your Earrings!” catching everyone off guard. PD Na turned to acknowledge their team.

“SUNMI,” Vernon confidently said, naming the artist. Minghao, picking up from there, added the correct title, “‘Full Moon.’”

Meanwhile, Dokyeom was leaning over to explain to a confused Jun why Hoshi and Seungkwan got it wrong. “You have to say the singer first,” Dokyeom said, giving Jun a knowing look.

“Aigo, that was a waste,” Luna muttered, shaking her head sympathetically at Hoshi and Seungkwan’s mistake.

PD Na nodded, smiling at Vernon and Minghao. “You got it.”

Realization dawned on Hoshi as he turned to Seungkwan. “Oh, I have to say the singer first,” he muttered, still processing their blunder.

The song began to play, and Vernon and Minghao danced to the few steps they knew, looping the same moves over and over again, causing the entire group to erupt in laughter.

[They repeat what they know]

“That’s all I know,” Vernon admitted with a shy smile, his usual confidence melting into humility.

“They’re so cute,” Luna commented, watching with a fond grin as the two shyly continued dancing.

As Minghao and Vernon made their way back to their seats, Seungkwan suddenly dashed up to the front and sang a quick part of the song, making everyone laugh even harder. “‘Perfect weather can’t get no better,’” he sang, dramatically bowing before retreating back to his seat.

[Leaving quickly]

“Did you go out there just to do that?” Hoshi asked Seungkwan with a chuckle.

Once everyone settled back down, Seungkwan, still curious, turned to PD Na. “Is it always the singer’s name first?” he asked.

PD Na nodded. “Yes, then you’re more likely to get it wrong. You might accidentally give away a hint with the title.”

“How did you know it was ‘Full Moon’?” Hoshi asked Seungkwan, still amazed by his teammate’s quick thinking.

Seungkwan simply shrugged, flashing a confident smile. “I know everything.”

[He answers all questions in less than a second]

“It’s impossible to beat Seungkwan in this game,” Mingyu said, shaking his head in disbelief.

[Next question]

The room was filled with anticipation as the next song prepared to play. Just as the riser barely touched the air, Seungkwan leaped to his feet once more, quickly followed by a bewildered Hoshi.

“Go Overboard For Show!” Seungkwan yelled with his usual energy. The other members could only watch in disbelief.

[He got it right away]

“This isn’t fair,” Mingyu muttered, shaking his head in resignation.

“He’s monopolizing,” Woozi added, half-amused, half-astonished.

“I didn’t even realize it played,” Luna said, her brows furrowed in confusion.

“How do you know?” Dokyeom and Jun chimed in unison, staring at Seungkwan as if he had some magical insight.

Seungkwan gave Hoshi a nudge, whispering, “You go first.”

“Who is it?” PD Na counted down, “1, 2, 3.”

“TOMORROW X TOGETHER!” Seungkwan blurted out the artist’s name, his arm wrapped around Hoshi in encouragement, hoping he’d get the title right.

“‘Run For You’? Is it?” Hoshi said hesitantly, clearly unsure, his confusion spreading across the room.

A wave of laughter broke out. “Run for who? Who’s you?” Seungkwan teased Hoshi, trying to contain his own laughter.

Vernon shot up to steal the chance, “I Don’t Like Your Earrings!”

“TXT,” Minghao said confidently, followed by Vernon who guessed the title, “‘Run To Me.’”

“Wrong!” PD Na said with a chuckle.

[The answer is 'Run Away']

Mingyu quickly raised his hand, jumping in. “Burp And Fart!” he shouted, the room filling with amusement.

“TXT,” Jeonghan said the artist’s name before Mingyu followed up with another guess, “‘Running For You.’”

“Wrong,” PD Na replied again.

[They have no clue]

“Sorry, TXT,” Mingyu apologized, laughing as the absurdity of it all sank in.

At this point, everyone was shouting out random guesses, trying their luck. Dino and Wonwoo were next, springing to their feet.

“Drink Less And Talk More!” Dino declared as PD Na turned to them.

“TXT,” Wonwoo said calmly.

“‘Running To You,’” Dino guessed.

“Wrong!” PD Na replied yet again.

It was chaos now, as S.Coups raised his hand with a determined look. “I Don’t Know Who Park Bo Gum Is, But I Love Him And Cherish Him,” he said their team slogan.

“TXT,” Woozi said, and then pointed to S.Coups for the title.

“‘Run… To You’?” S.Coups guessed.

“Wrong!” PD Na said, shaking his head.

Luna raised her hand, calling out her team slogan to try next. “We’re Too Perfect, It’s Annoying!”

“TXT,” Joshua said the artist’s name.

“‘Running With You,’” Luna guessed, hoping they were close this time.

“Wrong!” PD Na said once more, making Luna sigh in frustration. “What is happening?” she deadpanned, turning to Joshua, who could only chuckle in response.

[They are tired of running]

Dokyeom and Jun were the last ones who hadn’t tried yet.

[If they get it wrong,everyone gets a chance again]

“TXT,” Jun said, preparing to throw his hat in the ring.

“‘I Will Be Running For You,’” Dokyeom added with cautious optimism.

“You’re close!” PD Na said, making everyone sit up a little straighter.

Seungkwan, still determined, stood up and yelled their slogan again, “Go Overboard For Show!”

“TXT,” Seungkwan announced once more, and Hoshi finally, with newfound certainty, said, “‘Run Away’!”

[Perfect answer]

“You got it!” PD Na confirmed, and the room erupted in cheers.

Seungkwan and Hoshi made their way to the front, where they broke into the choreography for ‘Run Away’, the other members watching in amusement. Seungkwan took the lead with confidence, effortlessly dancing and singing along to the key movements of the choreography.

Hoshi, however, was a little more spontaneous— making things up as he went, copying Seungkwan’s steps on the fly while improvising in his usual comedic style.

[Free dance]

Vernon, watching from his seat, couldn’t help but laugh, pointing at Hoshi as he commented, “He doesn’t know.” The other members chuckled along, entertained by Hoshi’s attempts to keep up with Seungkwan.

Seungkwan, though, was in full control of the performance, his moves sharp and perfectly timed with the music, while Hoshi followed along, creating a hilarious contrast. The sight of the two dancing in sync— yet slightly off— had everyone grinning and clapping.

[No matter what Seungkwan does, he can copy it on the spot]

As the song ended, Seungkwan dramatically scooped Hoshi up, carrying him away as they both laughed and headed back to their seats. The room filled with cheers and applause, their teammates playfully shouting their names in encouragement.

[Next song]

As soon as the next song’s intro filled the area, Seungkwan shot up to his feet, shouting their team’s slogan, “Go Overboard For Show!” Hoshi hesitantly stood up next to him, looking petrified because he clearly didn’t recognize the tune.

The other members gaped at Seungkwan, stunned by his quick reflexes.

“What are you?” Jeonghan asked Seungkwan in disbelief.

[K-pop professor]

Luna giggled, pointing at Hoshi who stood frozen. “Hoshi doesn’t know.”

Seungkwan clapped his hands together once, his face tense as he physically struggled to remember the answer. “It’s that song… Jeonghan… Jiyeonie noona…” he muttered, his brain visibly working overtime as he pointed at Luna, drawing confused laughter from the group.

Both Luna and Jeonghan raised their eyebrows, confused by Seungkwan’s mention of their names. Luna leaned back, arms crossed.

[They are just as confused]

“What was it again?” Seungkwan asked her, still trying to guess the answer.

[Shamelessly asks her for the answer]

“How should I know? I didn’t hear it well, and even if I did, why would I tell you?” Luna shot back, making the whole group erupt in laughter.

Realizing he was stuck, Seungkwan chuckled and grabbed Hoshi’s arm, dragging him back to their seats in defeat.

[Gives up]

The song played again, and this time, Luna and Jeonghan both visibly lit up, saying “Ah” at the same time as the familiar tune clicked. The other members exchanged looks, starting to recognize the melody, but since it was in English, they hesitated on how to answer.

“Ah,” Luna smiled, raising her hand and calling out their team slogan, “We’re Too Perfect, It’s Annoying.”

PD Na pointed at her, acknowledging their team’s turn. Luna turned to Joshua, leaning closer to whisper, “Do you know the answer?”

Joshua nodded confidently, raising his hand to indicate he’d go first. “Ellie Goulding,” he said with certainty.

“‘Love Me Like You Do,’” Luna answered, her British accent adding flair to the title.

A few members playfully mimicked Joshua’s LA accent and Luna’s British one, as PD Na said, “You got it!”

Seungkwan groaned, “I knew the song, but I wasn’t sure of the title. Noona covered it before,” he whined.

Luna had indeed covered ‘Love Me Like You Do’ nearly two years ago, and it had become one of the most beloved videos among her fans. Her rendition was hauntingly beautiful, showcasing her powerful voice and emotional depth, and it was a favorite amongst their fanbase.

Joshua reached out, taking Luna’s hand to pull her up to the center. “There’s no dance to this,” she protested with a lighthearted chuckle.

“It’s okay,” Joshua reassured her as he twirled her around playfully.

[Improvising]

When the chorus played, the members all sang loudly, but in a teasing, over-the-top way, making everyone laugh.

[The most excited they have ever been]

Seungkwan, Hoshi, and Dokyeom suddenly stood up and began dancing playfully right in front of Jeonghan, their faces filled with mischievous smiles as they dragged him to join them.

Luna, still dancing with Joshua, didn’t notice at first.

Joshua had a teasing glint in his eyes as he looked over Luna’s shoulder. With a playful spin, he turned her around to face Jeonghan, who had been pulled up front.

Unseen by the cameras, Luna shot a warning look at Seungkwan, Hoshi, Joshua, and Dokyeom, silently telling them not to be too obvious.

Unbeknownst to the world, after Luna had covered the song, Jeonghan had half-jokingly, half-seriously told the members that this should be their wedding song— a detail that only made this moment more comical for those in the know.

The song ended with the sound of applause, and Luna and Joshua headed back to their seats. As she sat down, Luna felt eyes on her and looked up, locking gazes with Jeonghan from across the room. His eyes were focused, soft, with a silent understanding passing between them. It was as if they were having an entire conversation without saying a word.

After a moment, Jeonghan winked at her, causing Luna to blush slightly before she quickly looked away, her heart racing.

[The next question is for the world that only remembers 1st place]

“Let’s start,” PD Na said, signaling the beginning of the next round. The members settled back into their seats, waiting for the next song to play. As soon as a beat echoed through the room, Seungkwan and Hoshi sprang to their feet. At this point, the rest of the members weren’t even surprised.

[Overwhelming speed]

“Go Overboard For Show!” Seungkwan shouted with determination, while Hoshi clutched his head, clearly in pain trying to recall the song. The energy shifted, the others watching as the two fought to piece together the answer.

“1, 2, 3,” PD Na counted down, adding to the tension.

“I’ll say it. Wait,” Hoshi muttered, his brows furrowed as he seemed to dig deep into his memory, everyone waiting in suspense.

Finally, there was a beat of silence before Hoshi blurted, “BoA.”

Without missing a beat, Seungkwan followed, “’NO.1’!”

PD Na blinked, his expression confused. “Wrong.”

The two stood there, dumbfounded, shocked that they might’ve gotten it wrong. But PD Na quickly shook his head, realization dawning on his face. “I mean, you got it.” He chuckled, and the rest of the members joined in, laughing at the slight slip-up.

Seungkwan and Hoshi moved up front, ready to perform the dance. As they grabbed each other’s hands, they started spinning around dramatically, clearly enjoying their victory.

“We did this before,” S.Coups said from his seat, referring to the time they had covered this iconic BoA dance as a group.

“Didn’t we do this dance?” Wonwoo added, a hint of nostalgia in his voice.

[You totally did]

The chorus kicked in, but both Seungkwan and Hoshi visibly hesitated, their movements buffering as they tried to recall the choreography. They began doing random dance moves in unison, clearly lost.

[He barely remembers it]

“That’s ‘Candy’!” S.Coups pointed out, recognizing the choreography from an entirely different song.

Seungkwan, realizing they were floundering, suddenly started doing BLACKPINK’s ‘DDU-DU DDU-DU’ gun dance instead, causing an uproar of laughter as Hoshi, always quick on his feet, followed suit.

[DDU-DU?]

“‘Hit you with that DDU-DU DDU-DU,’” Seungkwan sang, throwing himself into the new routine, which only made everyone laugh harder.

[HYBE artist brings SM and YG together]

“He’s good at that,” Luna chuckled, watching them fondly from her seat, her eyes shining with amusement.

Seungkwan and Hoshi, realizing they’d lost all hope of remembering the original dance, gave up entirely. Instead, they started following the jib camera, performing as if they were shooting a dramatic music video, serenading the camera with exaggerated expressions.

[Seungkwan and Hoshi love the jimmy jib]

As the song ended, everyone clapped enthusiastically for the two, and the room filled with the sound of applause and cheers.

“Good job,” Minghao said with a grin as the two made their way back to their seats, both out of breath.

“We performed this song, but I can’t remember,” Seungkwan confessed, panting as he sat down.

Luna chuckled softly. “Your dance was better,” she teased.

Hoshi leaned toward Seungkwan, still catching his breath. “I almost got confused with S.E.S. I wasn’t sure if it was S.E.S. or BoA.”

The two shared a look, realizing how close they’d been to getting it wrong but also reveling in their playful performance as they rejoined the rest of the group.

As the next round began, the room fell into a quiet anticipation. The group listened intently, awaiting the song that would determine the next winners.

[A special question for Woozi]

Suddenly, a couple of familiar drum beats filled the air, and chaos erupted. Almost all the teams, except for S.Coups and Woozi, shot up from their seats. Dino and Wonwoo were the first to raise their hands and shout their slogan, though their voices got lost in the overlapping chorus of yells as the members all tried to shout over one another. Woozi remained seated, completely confused as he observed the spectacle unfolding around him.

In the middle of the commotion, Luna quickly raised her hand. In unison with Joshua, she shouted, “Me!” while Joshua yelled his own name, “Joshua!” Both of them got so caught up in the excitement that they completely forgot their slogan.

[What?]

“Drink Less and Talk More!” Dino yelled, his voice the clearest and fastest as he stood up alongside Wonwoo, who quietly followed suit.

Luna chuckled when she realized their mistake, grabbing the name tag paper from the table and playfully smacking Joshua with it. “Ya! We forgot the slogan,” she said, still laughing, as Joshua joined in, chuckling at their blunder.

“Team Drink Less and Talk More was faster,” PD Na confirmed with a nod.

“SEVENTEEN,” Dino said, confidently giving their own group name.

“‘FML,’” Wonwoo followed, delivering the title of their own song with equal confidence.

Mingyu, unsure of himself, stood up and said, “Burp and Fart,” as if expecting it to be wrong.

“No? It is,” Dino said, a bit confused but reassured by the reaction around him.

“You got it,” PD Na confirmed with a smile, giving Dino the win.

“Oh, you got it.” Mingyu said, shocked at Dino’s correct answer.

['FML' by SEVENTEEN]

[The double title song of SEVENTEEN's 10th mini album]

Dino and Wonwoo celebrated, heading up to the front as Woozi threw his head back in defeat, realizing that he was the only one who didn’t recognize their own song— especially a song he had produced himself.

Both Dino and Wonwoo started vibing to the song in front, the music filling the air. Since the song had no official choreography, the members were shocked at the sight.

“This isn’t even out yet,” Vernon said, eyebrows raised in disbelief.

“This song has no choreography,” Joshua pointed out, looking amused.

Dino, however, was completely in his element. He walked around with a sort of drunken swagger, while Wonwoo awkwardly paused to watch as Dino laid down dramatically on the ground, making the whole group laugh.

[He lied down]

Vernon stood up, making his way over to Dino, and gently pulled down Dino’s shirt, which had risen up during his dramatic flop to the floor.

Seungkwan, never one to miss an opportunity, walked up front and started acting like he and Dino were in a skit, playing along with Dino’s antics. He knelt beside Dino, patting his leg. “Sir, I called the chauffeur service. You should go home,” Seungkwan said in a concerned voice, making everyone burst into laughter.

“Just a bit more,” Dino played along, slurring his words like he was actually drunk.

“You can’t lie down here,” Seungkwan continued, keeping the act going.

“Just one more bottle,” Dino said again, playing the role to perfection.

“I already called the chauffeur service,” Seungkwan sighed, pulling him up and getting more laughs from the group.

“Let me just get the razor,” Dino joked as he allowed himself to be pulled to his feet.

“I’ll get you the razor,” Seungkwan responded, still in character.

“Okay,” Dino said, and they walked away, continuing the act.

“I already ordered it. I ordered six blades,” Seungkwan added, patting Dino on the back, keeping the joke going until the whole group was laughing uncontrollably.

“That goes perfectly with the song,” Dokyeom said, clapping his hands in amusement at the skit they had just performed.

PD Na, still laughing himself, turned to Woozi, who was chuckling in disbelief at his own failure. “Woozi,” PD Na said, drawing everyone’s attention to him.

“Woozi had no idea,” S.Coups added, teasing his fellow member.

“I’m in vain,” Woozi sighed, shaking his head.

“Because I have a lot of old-school samples, I thought it was something else,” Woozi explained, trying to defend himself. “I knew I was wrong. I was like, ‘Oh, right.’”

[Losing his mind]

Seungkwan and Luna, who had been watching the entire exchange, spoke in unison. “It hasn’t been released yet,” they said, sympathizing with Woozi’s confusion.

“I never expected it,” Vernon agreed, nodding along.

“I never saw it coming because it’s not released yet,” Woozi said again, shaking his hand in disbelief.

“And this has no choreography,” Wonwoo reminded everyone with a small smile.

“We haven’t practiced the choreography yet,” Vernon added, backing him up.

Woozi repeated once more, “This isn’t released yet. I never saw it coming.”

“He has an excuse for everything,” S.Coups teased, making the room erupt in laughter again.

“Stop. You talk too much. Too many excuses,” Seungkwan deadpanned, playfully shutting Woozi down, causing the whole group, including Woozi, to laugh even harder. Woozi threw his head back, laughing in defeat, realizing there was no escaping the teasing that day.

“Next question,” PD Na announced, his voice cutting through the lingering laughter.

[12th question]

The music for the next round began, and within just a few beats, chaos broke out. Every member shot up from their seats, hands in the air, shouting their slogans, eager to claim the answer.

[They all raise their hands quickly]

But Vernon and Minghao were the fastest.

“I Don’t Like Your Earrings!” Vernon called out, the speed of his response leaving everyone else in the dust.

“I Don’t Like Your Earrings,” PD Na acknowledged with a nod.

“G-DRAGON and Taeyang,” Minghao said confidently.

“‘Good Boy,’” Vernon finished the answer with the song title.

“You got it,” PD Na confirmed, allowing the duo to take the stage for the performance.

Minghao and Vernon moved to the front, preparing for the dance. “That was so easy,” Woozi whined from his seat, his expression one of playful regret.

“You might as well do your best,” Seungkwan urged them, referring to the iconic choreography they were about to perform.

“This is what we should’ve gotten,” Woozi groaned, feeling the sting of missing out on such a well-known song.

The familiar opening lines played, and the energy in the room shifted. As the lyrics ‘Put your hands in the air’ echoed through the speakers, everyone in the room followed suit, raising their hands in perfect sync with the words.

“‘How y’all feeling out there?’” Hoshi growled dramatically, mimicking the ad-libs, drawing laughter from the group.

“We even know the ad-libs,” Seungkwan commented, sounding impressed at their collective enthusiasm.

As the song progressed, Vernon and Minghao bounced along to the beat, getting ready for the iconic chorus dance. The rest of the members were already singing along, hyping up the two performers at the front. Some of the members, bopping in their seats, were already on their feet, fully immersed in the song.

As the chorus neared, Vernon and Minghao spun around, their movements hyping up the rest of the group. They danced with ease, executing the iconic choreo to perfection. Behind them, a few of the other members followed along, mimicking the moves, while the rest sang along, doing ad-libs and enjoying the moment.

When the beat dropped and the chorus hit, the room was filled with energy. Minghao and Vernon performed the dance flawlessly, while the rest cheered, some joining in with the choreography. The atmosphere was electric, as everyone got caught up in the nostalgic excitement of the song.

As the song ended, the members clapped and cheered, their applause loud and enthusiastic as Vernon and Minghao returned to their seats, looking pleased.

“They were great,” Dokyeom commented, still clapping.

“That was cool,” PD Na added, clearly impressed by their performance.

“I should’ve gotten that one,” Woozi lamented again, shaking his head.

“I underestimated Team Earrings,” PD Na teased, turning to Woozi and S.Coups’ team. “I thought you’d barely get any, but you’re doing better than I expected— whereas Woozi got nothing.”

“This is never easy,” Woozi said, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

“This isn’t easy,” Mingyu agreed from across the table, giving Woozi some backup.

“It’s okay,” S.Coups chimed in, offering a reassuring nod to his teammate.

“Okay, next question,” PD Na announced as the group prepared for the upcoming challenge. They waited expectantly for the next song to start, but instead of a melody, a doorbell sound echoed through the room.

“Mommy’s here,” Jeonghan teased, his usual playful tone making everyone chuckle.

“Who is it?” Minghao followed, leaning into the bit.

“Delivery,” Jun chimed in, not missing a beat.

“You can leave it at the door,” Seungkwan quipped, playing along as well, causing laughter to ripple across the room.

Suddenly, Dokyeom’s voice echoed as he confidently shouted, “I Get Worked Up And Lose My Temper Easily!” He stood, hands raised in triumph, clearly thinking he had nailed it.

PD Na pointed at him, waiting for his answer.

“Halli Galli?” Dokyeom guessed, looking hopeful. His answer caused the entire room to erupt into laughter.

“Wrong,” PD Na said, shaking his head.

Luna, laughing, added, “That’s a board game!”

[It is a board game]

“Isn’t it right?” Dokyeom laughed along, realizing his mistake.

“Wrong,” PD Na confirmed again, adding to the hilarity as the group continued laughing.

[They're lost]

They quieted down, listening more intently as the music played on. S.Coups stood up, raising his hand and saying their team’s slogan: “I Don’t Know Who Park Bo Gum Is, But I Love Him And Cherish Him.”

PD Na nodded at him, waiting for his answer.

“Sobangcha,” S.Coups guessed.

“Wrong,” PD Na said, and S.Coups groaned, “That’s not it,” as he sat back down, shaking his head.

The song kept playing, the tension in the room thickening. Some of the members seemed familiar with the tune but couldn’t quite place the title. Mingyu, in particular, was whining as he sat forward, the answer clearly on the tip of his tongue. Meanwhile, others like Wonwoo, Woozi, and S.Coups were thinking hard, brows furrowed in concentration.

[They've been doing this for a while]

Luna and Joshua, however, leaned back in their seats, both looking completely lost. “I have no idea,” Luna admitted, turning to Joshua.

“Me too,” Joshua chuckled, sharing her confusion.

“Let’s try to win the MHP at least,” Luna suggested, a grin forming as she teased him. “You have a high chance of winning it,” she said, making Joshua nod as he focused on the next strategy.

The song continued, and suddenly, Vernon stood up with his slogan ready, “I Don’t Like Your Earrings!” he shouted.

[Vernon raised his hand first]

Minghao, who had no clue, was startled by Vernon’s sudden movement, his face full of surprise.

[He's lost]

PD Na laughed, pointing at a shocked Minghao, “The8 doesn’t know why he’s up.”

The room erupted in laughter once again.

“Vernon, you have to say it first— 1, 2, 3,” PD Na counted down, waiting for the answer.

Vernon paused, looking at a clueless Minghao, then gestured toward Dino and Wonwoo’s team with a sheepish smile. “Can I make a concession?” he asked, making the group laugh harder.

“Are you making a concession?” Wonwoo stood up, chuckling as he crossed his arms.

Realizing he had no hope, Vernon gave up and grabbed Minghao’s hand to sit back down, shaking his head in defeat.

[They were nice enough to make a concession]

“Team Drink Less and Talk More?” PD Na offered, turning to Dino and Wonwoo’s team.

Dino sat frozen, clearly paralyzed by indecision, while Wonwoo managed to say the artist’s name, “Shim Soo Bong?”

“Wrong,” PD Na said.

Jeonghan, still seated, raised his hand and recited their slogan confidently, “Burp and Fart.”

[Burp was waiting for his chance]

PD Na acknowledged them, nodding.

“Yun Soo Il,” Jeonghan said, grinning slightly.

PD Na then counted down for Mingyu, “1, 2, 3.”

“‘Apartment,’” Mingyu said, the answer finally clicking into place.

“You got it!” PD Na confirmed, causing the members to gasp in disbelief. Mingyu and Jeonghan celebrated immediately, high-fiving with big smiles on their faces.

“How did you know?” Mingyu asked, turning to Jeonghan with curiosity.

“My dad’s favorite singer,” Jeonghan replied, as casual as ever.

[You're also a good son]

The song played again, and this time, a handful of the members went up to the front to freestyle dance to the old tune. Vernon, Minghao, Wonwoo— who was pulled up by Dino— Dokyeom, Seungkwan, Hoshi, and Jun all jumped up, eager to join the fun.

[There are always people who do this on 'National Singing Contest']

The rest of the members, including Mingyu, Jeonghan, Woozi, S.Coups, and Luna, sat back down, content to watch the others perform. Luna, however, gave Joshua a little nudge, pushing him forward to go dance.

“Go, go,” she urged, laughing as Joshua reluctantly joined the group.

[Under pressure]

As the members danced, most of them played up the comedic aspect, especially Joshua, who started mimicking a well-known meme. His exaggerated movements caused the members to burst out laughing, several pointing at him as they realized the similarities.

[Drunken Disney princes]

“Good job! Good job, Shua!” Luna cheered him on, her laughter contagious as she clapped for him.

Once the song ended, the members slowly returned to their seats, still chuckling and catching their breath. Luna continued clapping for Joshua as he plopped down next to her.

[Joshua won]

“Joshua, that was cool,” Seungkwan said, still smiling at his friend’s antics.

“We’ll give up on MHP,” Mingyu declared, shaking his head, a grin tugging at his lips.

Jeonghan nodded in agreement, both of them still relishing their small victory from earlier.

[We're out of energy]

As the lively atmosphere settled, the room buzzed with the afterglow of laughter and excitement. PD Na’s voice broke through the hum, preparing them for the next question. The members, some leaning forward eagerly while others relaxed back in their seats, prepared themselves for what was to come next.

The game wasn’t over yet, and the friendly competition had only just begun.

[To be continued in Clip 3-1]

ೃ⁀➷ comment or message me to be added to the tag list :)

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Taglist: @yeoberryx @minminghao @angie-x3 @jennwonwoo @k13endall @heeseungthel0ml @chisskaa @megumi2020 @yoonzzziino @lllucere @smh-anon @yveclipse @randomworker @bunnystrm @iamawkwardandshy @gratefulbunny1 @bmo-bri @syren-ash @megseungmin @multiplums @unlikelysublimekryptonite @night-storm7 @cookiearmy @seokqt @btskzfav @billboard-singer @junhuisworld @caturdayvibe @coralbatlampzonk @sof1eya @lyraea

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project-sekai-facts · 6 months ago

Note

Wait An/Kohane have outright stated romantic interest?

poor wording on my end bc they never actually say "an and kohane like each other romantically" but the evidence it very much there and it is clearly depicted and phrased in other ways. for example: the shoujo sparkle effect that is used for An from Kohane's POV.

This effect is often used on Haruka in Minori's imagination, which, well, let's just say it doesn't disprove that Kohane is attracted to An. While the effect is also used to show a character being cute or having a strong "idol" aura without any attraction attached, it's prettly clear the intent was to show Kohane's attraction. Also she was blushing.

Bonus points to the fact the wedding event has a underlying message (they say it on screen) about how marriage should be equal regardless of the genders of the couple [because gay marriage currently isn't legal in Japan].

There's also literally everything in Buddy Funny Spend Time. While almost all of the interactions in that event can be read as platonic if you really want to, they're written so you can interpret it as romantic if you choose to. And considering the featured pairs in this event were Minori/Haruka, An/Kohane, and (briefly) Shizuku/Airi, it's not like that reading isn't supported by the writers lol. There's one part where Minori and Kohane get jealous of how close Haruka and An are as childhood friends and aren't sure if they can amount to that, but they want to try. Doesn't necessarily have to be romantic but can be if you choose to read it as such.

When Kohane is visibly attracted to Haruka, An gets slightly jealous and says that her singing should be the only thing that makes Kohane react that way.

Haruka also points out that although An has always been super friendly she's never been like this with anyone until Kohane came into her life, and still keeps this behaviour Kohane-exclusive. An says it's because they're partners, which, kinda friendzones them, but kinda doesn't.

The word for partner used in the story - "aibou" - means, to put it in incredibly basic terms, coworkers. It's like the cowboy or detective word for partner, though I believe it comes up in shounen every so often (the genre vbs story is based on). In itself, aibou has no romantic connotation. But 3 of the partnerships we see in VBS' story have lots of interactions that easily read as having romantic undertones, so basically in the context of VBS story the nature of said partnerships becomes a little more ambiguous. The word is still platonic and that doesn't change, but you get the idea. Oh and VBS has recurring romantic soulmate imagery more on that later.

continuing on BFST, yeah they went on a date. which is strongly suggested to be a romantic date unlike how it's sometimes used platonically. like the other characters say An is "seeing someone", at least in the English translation, which is very much associated with romantic interest. Also the original Japanese for the "do you know who she's going out with" line uses the phrase デートの相手 which is the Japanese equivalent for the word "date" (as in a person/your date), so it's not really any different. they go on another one in Kick it up a notch and An's card story for the event. their relationship is never labelled or anything (probably bc this genre avoids that sorta thing for fan-related reasons) but this very much was a thing that happened.

(also when ken says partner he says aibou. so not partner /r but anyway it does clarify that this date is to do with their relationship on a different level to partners /p. ie: an's going on a date with kohane because she's cute not because she's her partner. language is fun)

Lastly back on that thing I said I'd come back to. The Walk on and on costumes have romantic soulmate symbolism included on them. The wings on the backs of the outfits are based on the mythical hiyoku bird, a one-winged bird that could only fly after meeting its other half. Kohane's costume has pink accents, one of the variants has accents in An's image color and the wings on the backs of those variants match up to each other. The card illstrations themselves also feature crows, which mate for life. While the symbolism is mostly associated with Toya, the Whip the Wimp Girl! cards take place in the same location as the woao cards which is pretty neat, and makes sense given the themes of both events. I've put both their gacha logos above as well. Oh and An's card for wtwg was. Something.

And Kohane got the valentine event this year and it was about her entering a contest to win limited edition chocolates for An I forgot about that until just now.

Have fun with that.

#asks #there's a lot more romantic tropes and other subtext-y moments this is just like. the main ones #someone wrote a really long list of it all on tvtropes. if you go on prsk's page there's a subpage called homoerotic subtext n it's there #idk some of it might be a bit reach-y i didn't read the entire thing lol but it's there for anyone that's interested

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cr-aspec-fest · 21 days ago

Text

CR Aspec Fest - Info & FAQs!

The Critical Role Aspec Fest is a month-long fanwork fest (with a prompt for each week) celebrating aromantic-spectrum and asexual-spectrum experiences!

Schedule and Prompts

WEEK 1 (Feb 1st-7th): Aro-spec

WEEK 2 (Feb 8th-14th): Ace-spec

WEEK 3 (Feb 15th-21st): Unconventional relationships

WEEK 4 (Feb 22nd-28th): Free week! Whatever your heart desires.

FAQs

(if something isn't answered here, please feel free to send an ask or message!)

Can I make something about a character being demisexual or demiromantic or (insert other label)? Can I make something about a character who's straight?

Absolutely - please do! Aspec is a very broad umbrella term, and this event is all about celebrating a variety of experiences that aren't well-represented in media. If it feels right to you, go for it. I'm not going to exclude any works from the fest just because they aren't relatable to me.

What types of fanworks can I make for the fest?

Anything! Be that fanfiction, fanart, meta, gifsets, edits etc. - everything is welcome! If you're writing fanfiction, you're encouraged to post to the AO3 collection here.

Which Critical Role characters can I make fanworks about?

Anyone in anything they've streamed - so the main campaigns, EXUs, Candela Obscura, Daggerheart or other oneshots!

Do I need to be aspec to join?

Definitely not, as long as you're coming in with the mindset of being respectful of our experiences. For one, I'm aromantic but not ace-spec - so making works about ace-spec experiences is naturally going to be more difficult for me, but entirely doable with a little bit of research! I think it's a great way to learn about others.

Why February? Why a whole month?

Yes, there are plenty of aspec weeks hosted in other fandoms, which are great and the inspiration for this event! But personally, I am both slow and busy, so making just one thing per week is much more achievable for me. I chose February because Aromantic Awareness Week is the week after Valentine's day, and this fest was originally going to take place during that time. I'm also unaware of any other fandom events happening in February (although please let me know otherwise, just for my own interest!). The fact that February splits so nicely into 4 whole weeks is an added bonus!

Would you like people to share around the existence of this fest?

(Okay, maybe this one's a bit of a cheat.) Yes please! Even if you don't plan on taking part, getting eyes on the existence of this event would be wonderful. This is the first fandom event I've ever hosted, and I don't have a huge platform among fic writers, who are likely the largest contingent of nerds (lovingly) who'd be interested in taking part in an event like this.

Other Rules

Please don't bash any ships or headcanons you don't like! Part of the fun of fandom is seeing the broad range of possible interpretations, and I'd always rather foster a sense of community rather than opposition.

Suggestive, NSFW and whump content is fully allowed, but must be tagged correctly for whatever platform you're posting on.

Fanworks should be focused on aspec experiences or characters, but other topics or characters can totally be included, and these experiences don't have to be super clear or well-labelled in-text (gods know that real-life experiences are often opaque and confusing) - it's your intention that matters. This is up to your discretion, really. As with the rule of thumb for AO3 tagging - if someone was viewing this for aspec content, would they be disappointed? If so, you can always rework it, or post it outside of this fest.

This account will be reblogging every fanwork made for the fest - just remember to tag us, and use the #CRAspecFest tag! If you don't have a tumblr account and want a post about your work to be included, send a message.

There'll be more posts on this account with ideas for how to approach the prompts, plus reminders at the start of each week, tagged #CRAspecFestPosts. All submission reblogs will be tagged #CRAspecFestWorks.

#CRAspecFestPosts #critical role #fandom event #critical role fanfiction #critical role fanart

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jnnul · 1 year ago

Text

ready for love

PAIRING ▸ lee jeno x fem!reader (ft. tbz's juyeon)

GENRES ▸ fluff, non!idol au, college au, slice of life, friends to lovers but also...it’s complicated?

WARNINGS ▸ uhh swearing, drinking (but legally), mentions of infidelity, there was supposed to be so much more but it just turned into a fluff piece sooo..., y/n is indecisive and jeno is stupid, they're a match made in heaven 🫶🏽, jeno is the loverboy of the century towards the end, they make out and a few allusions to sex but no graphics, is it just me or is that header really blurry

SUMMARY ▸ a boy who has never taken a relationship seriously. a girl who is seriously over relationships. when they end up finding each other, will they let their ideas of what a relationship should be like ruin their relationship before it even starts?

PLAYLIST ▸ ready for love - blackpink, lovin’ me - fifty fifty, siren - taeyeon, island - youha, hate that - key & taeyeon

WORD COUNT ▸ 19.5k words

AUTHOR’S NOTE ▸ oh hey it's that one fic i've been writing since july! which reminds me - if that ending looks familiar, it's because technically, this was supposed to come out right after that timestamp did oops.

as always, feedback, comments, etc. GREATLY encourage writers! if you felt any sort of way (in a good or bad way!) about this fic, pls leave feedback!

far too easy. a couple of lingering stares. a coincidental request on social media. a few well-placed messages. one date later and...done. he was in. hook, line, and sinker.

it was almost getting predictable. at first, lee jeno just wanted to have a little fun. it was never anything serious - and it definitely wasn't always about sex. truly. as distrustful as men had made themselves out to be within the past few thousands of years, jeno truly wasn't thinking with his dick when he got into relationships.

it was just about having fun. he just wanted to get to know people, do sohing romantic just for the experience, and maybe, get to know their body if the relationship felt so inclined.

there was never any delusion about what a relationship with jeno was like. it was two months, if you lasted that long, and every second of it made you feel alive like you never had before. but the honeymoon stage would pass and jeno would lose interest and soon, there would be a heartbroken girl left behind, even though she knew exactly what she was getting herself into.

and it wasn't as though they could really get mad at him. he was a sweetheart through and through and he would continue to say hi if they ever saw each other around and he had definitely saved a couple exes from some ugly encounters. jeno never meant to hurt anyone; it just happened soimes because he was such a good guy.

at least, that’s what you understood of your best friend. from his nights of drunken confessions and the few encounters you’d had with his ‘girlfriends’, you had surmised that jeno lee was just meant to be a serial casual dater.

you, quite frankly, were on the opposite end of the spectrum. after a few too many boyfriends who had turned out to be grade a douchebags, you had effectively sworn off men.

dating was just far too hard. the 'did he notice me?' stage where you dress up a little prettier than normal. and then the internal panic when they request you on instagram. the casual talking stage where you've already accidentally planned out the wedding. the date where you choose to move past all of the blatant red flags you see. and then the relationship, when the red flags become red banners the size of antarctica because goddamnit, how did you miss the fact that this man was a literal freudian case study.

so whenever jeno would introduce his newest girlfriend or go on about his many adventures (including the details about the not-so-family-friendly aspects), you couldn't help but feel a little pang of jealousy because where the hell was jeno finding such amazing relationships? and why the hell isn't he taking them seriously?

you're sure you couldn't even count the number of sweet girls you knew would've been perfect to take home to his mother you had been introduced to before they were gone the next week.

"and that's why i think you're an insufferable brat," you grumble, pointing a stick of celery at him threateningly. jeno snorts slightly, redirecting your celery to the hummus sitting next to where you were perched on his kitchen counter.

"you've been saying that for as long as we've been friends," he says, pouring a spoonful of soy sauce into the rice for the fried rice he was preparing for dinner.

"three years too many," you say, squinting your eyes at him suspiciously. "how have we actually stayed friends for three years when you're so...wishy-washy?"

jeno's roommate, na jaemin, rubs his eyes as he stumbles into the kitchen, saluting you sarcastically as he reaches into the fridge to grab an entire bowl of strawberries.

"what a burn, y/n. wishy-washy. yeah, i'll bet that really did a number on him, didn't it, jeno my boy?" jaemin snorts, pouting when he quite nearly drops the bowl of strawberries on his foot.

he also very nearly escapes decapitation by celery stick, ducking from your brutal aim.

"at least i don't have a mommy kink," you snide, salvaging what was left of your celery snack.

jaemin jabs a strawberry in your general direction with a look of indignant betrayal on his face.

"i thought we agreed to never speak of what was revealed during balkan night," jaemin hissed. "you promised, y/n!"

"i was crossing my fingers," you shrug, placating your best friend with an olive branch of a silly smile when he swears vengence by strawberry assault a second time.

"whatever," jaemin grumbles as he slinks back to the darkness of his room. jeno just shakes his head fondly, tossing in the vegetables the two of you had just chopped up into the fried rice.

"why do you always feel the need to rag on him like that?" jeno says, mixing the vegetables into the rice.

"why do you always feel the need to avoid taking a relationship seriously?" you counter, hopping down from your perch to throw out the now empty hummus container.

"you know, anyone hearing this conversation right now would think that you were the one not taking relationships not seriously instead of me," he says calmly, taking a spoonful of rice. he blows on it before reaching out to you, letting you taste-test the fried rice. you hum, sifting through the ingredients in the fridge as you analyze what the missing ingredient was. your eyes land on a small plastic container with finely chopped garlic inside, the realization clicking in your head.

"just because i'm a little youthful and you have the personality of a grandpa doesn't mean that you have to be the one who takes relationships too seriously," you say, sprinkling the garlic into the fried rice. jeno hands you the wooden spatula and lets you take over the cooking process as he finds three bowls for the three of you.

"whatever helps you sleep at night," jeno says with a soft chuckle.

"speaking of relationships though, i'm not going to be leeching off of you for dinner tonight," you say casually, offering a spoonful to jeno this time to let him taste your shared creation.

he flashes you a happy eye smile, retreating into the hallway to call jaemin out of his room for lunch.

"date?" jeno says, a strange look in his eye as he hands you your spoon (you had a preference for only eating with the singular small spoon in the entire apartment for some reason) with a knowing smile.

"somewhat? it's a double date but i'm only going for jimin because she really really likes the guy and she's afraid she's going to fuck it up if it's just the two of them," you explain, giving him a thumbs up for the successful food collaboration.

"do you know who it's with?" jaemin pipes up, seemingly refreshed after consuming an inhumane amount of strawberries.

you furrow your eyebrows, trying to recollect the name of the guy jimin mentioned that jaehyun was bringing before shaking your head.

"i think his name was jayeon? yeonju? juyeon? i don't know, i don't really remember. all i know is that jaehyun better be head over fucking heels for jimin by the end of the night," you say in between bites.

"juyeon? lee juyeon?" jaemin says suddenly, his spoon clattering as he drops it in his bowl. jeno and jaemin exchange a look that you don't miss and you definitely don't like.

"am i missing sohing here? do you guys know him?" you ask, the worry lines on your forehead having become near permanent. jeno shrugs, pushing his food around in an uncharacteristically hesitant manner.

"i mean i just heard that he was a bit of a heartbreaker when he was in college but i don't really think that it was that big of a deal," jaemin says finally. you roll your eyes, puffing out your chest sarcastically.

"i'm a big girl guys, don't worry. i can handle myself," you say, patting jeno's shoulder comfortingly as you move to wash your bowl. "and besides, i'm not actually going there to find the love of my life; i'm just going there to support jimin."

"just be careful, y/n." jeno gives you a quick little side-hug before disappearing into the living room to turn on some tv. you turn to jaemin but your question dies on your tongue when you see that jaemin is already staring at you with an unreadable expression.

"what's up with him?" you ask, when jaemin sighs, getting up to wash his dishes.

"jeno's worried for you," he says. you huff, watching jaemin put his washed bowl into the dishwasher.

"i get that, dipshit. what i don't get is why!" you exclaim, wincing when you realize that you're much louder than you had intended.

"because juyeon's just like jeno."

it's all jaemin says but it's all he needs to say because now, you finally understand.

+++

"now remember, i'm only coming with you for you, okay? if you ever want to just be with jaehyun by yourself, let me know and i'll be more than happy to head on my way out," you whisper to jimin as you flash a bright smile at jaehyun, who approaches the both of you with a dimpled smile as he tucks his car keys into his pocket.

"y/n! it's so good to see you after so long," jaehyun says, pulling you in for a friendly side hug.

"i know," you say, squeezing quickly before letting go. "can you believe it's already been a month since renjun's party?"

jaehyun furrows his eyebrows, shuffling so that he was standing next to jimin. "no, really? has it already been a month?"

he doesn't wait for you to answer, turning to jimin almost immediately. "it's been a month since i met you? why does it feel like i've known you my entire life?"

it takes all you have to turn to the side before fake gagging, unable to help the cringe that runs through your body from the cheesiness, jimin fighting back a giggle, but you can see that her cheeks are bright red.

"jae, for your sake and the beautiful ladies', i'm gonna have to pretend like you never said that," a deep voice says from behind you. the man steps into the light and you're sure that your eyes are about to fall out of their socket.

juyeon is one of the most attractive men you've ever seen. long, long legs that lead up to broad shoulders, beautiful eyes and lips that would make kylie jenner jealous. his dark hair is slicked back and he holds himself with a humble, quiet confidence that makes you ready to fall to your knees instantly. he turns to you and his cool demeanor is instantly broken when he smiles, his face glowing in the faint lights of the restaurant.

"hi, i'm juyeon," he says, sticking his hand out for you to shake. you stare at it for a moment before taking it.

"y/n. it's nice to meet you," you say dreamily, before coming to your senses and retracting your hand. you were here for jimin and jimin only. juyeon and his beautiful face would have to stay in the friend zone - especially if what jaemin had warned you about was true.

but just because you couldn't purchase doesn't mean you couldn't window shop.

"y/n," juyeon drawls, letting your name roll off of his tongue. "a pretty name for a pretty girl."

jimin can barely stifle a giggle at your dazed expression, elbowing you in the rib cage. you shake your head slightly, composing yourself once more. how in hell were you supposed to confine this man to the friend zone if everything he said threatened your very sanity?

"well, they say that you should never keep a pretty woman waiting," you say with coy smile, gesturing towards the restaurant. "shall we head inside?"

juyeon mock-bows while jaehyun opens the door and says, "ladies first."

you blow juyeon a kiss with a teasing smile, linking arms with jimin and sauntering into the restaurant. juvenile? perhaps. but where was the fun in being adult all the time?

the four of you make your way to where there's a receptionist standing behind a booth, jaehyun stating his name for the reservation.

"right this way, ladies and gentlemen," the receptionist says, gathering a handful of menus and leading you to your table.

"so jaehyun tells me you are a business major," juyeon says, falling in step beside you. you hum, shaking your head slightly.

"i was a business major; i double majored in finance and economics, but i graduated two months ago," you explain, thanking the waiter as you take your seat at the table. juyeon takes the seat next to you and jimin takes the seat on the other side so that you were sat directly across from jaehyun.

you're about to turn to jimin and say something only to find her enraptured by some fascinating conversation that her and jaehyun seemed to be having, turning back with a knowing smile.

"i'm sorry, i was under the impression that you were still in school since it's only march," juyeon says, handing you one of the menus the waiter had left on the table.

"i graduated early because of the overlap between my majors. i was required to keep up my grades for my scholarship anyway so i was able to build up credits fairly quickly," you explain, trying to ignore the spark of electricity that you feel when juyeon's fingers linger on yours.

"oh, so you were quite the academic," he says, running a hand through his hair. you determinedly stare at the menu, forcing down the hot flash that runs through your body when juyeon catches you watching.

"you could say so," you nod, scanning the menu. "how about you? what did you major in when you were in school?"

"i was your direct senior," juyeon begins, smiling when he sees the confusion on your face. "i was a finance major in college."

"no way! that's so interesting. where do you work now?" you ask once you put down the menu to meet his eyes. maybe jaemin and jeno were just being overprotective? it wouldn't be the first time they steered you away from heartbreak but juyeon seemed like such a sweet and genuine guy.

because juyeon's just like jeno.

that statement is enough to bring you back to your senses as you focus on what juyeon is saying, jimin and jaehyun still debating the difference between computer engineering and computer science (their respective majors) and which one was better.

nerds.

"i was at amazon up until last summer but i recently switched to a new company. it's a pretty small company but they specialize in cleaning the ocean of plastic and recycling the plastic for 3D printing. it's very niche but i didn't want to just be another finance bro that just worked for the sake of money, you know? i wanted to work with a good consciousness."

maybe curving juyeon from claiming a place in your already fragile heart would be a little more difficult than you expected. kind, environmentally aware and a chose ethical work? juyeon was already better than approximately 90% of your exes.

"how about you? have you started working yet? the market is pretty brutal for freshly graduated f&e people, from what my friends tell me." you nod, internally composing yourself and steeling yourself a little bit more to keep from falling into juyeon's charms.

just like jeno. the reminder is harsh, but it works like magic as you feel the butterflies in your stomach beginning to dissapate.

"it certainly is a lot more competitive than i think a lot of people anticipated. thankfully, i was able to connect to a sponsor during one of the scholarship banquets and was offered a position for right after school," you explained and juyeon's eyes turn from mild and observing to full of respect as he nods, almost approvingly.

"which company?" he asks, taking a sip of his water.

"i actually am working in the finance department at patagonia..."

+++

the night progresses almost too smoothly. once the food had come out, jaehyun and jimin finally seemed to come out of the bubble they were in and the conversation flowed so well, it was almost as though the four of you had known each other for years.

it was clear that jaehyun and juyeon were close, having met each other at work and instantly clicking. the easy back and forth between them allowed you and jimin relax a little more, allowing the conversation to turn to less formal subjects.

you find out that juyeon has a dog, much to your dismay.

"y/n loves dogs!" jimin exclaims, and you can feel your heart's walls crack a little further. there were many things you could handle - a cute boy with a dog? that was a little out of the realm of control.

"really? oh you'd love ray then - he's a big dog but he's got a lot of love. sort of a gentle giant," juyeon says, his eyes twinkling as he pulls out his phone to show you his wallpaper. it's a picture of him and ray curled up next to each other, sleeping in bed, both of them in the same exact position as they snored away.

"i swear, him and ray are the same soul in two different bodies. i've seen this guy have full on conversations with his dog. which would be weird but it kinda just works for them somehow. i kinda think that ray genuinely does understand juyeon," jaehyun snorts, nodding at juyeon's wallpaper. "that was when ray was still a puppy and he would copy every single thing that juyeon did."

juyeon shrugs, smiling as he tucks his phone back into his pocket. "not much has changed there, if i'm being honest."

you're about to say something about meeting ray when your phone rings abruptly, rudely interrupting the conversation. you frown as you flip your phone open, looking at the contact profile on the screen. jeno?

"hello?" you say as you answer the phone, pointing to the restroom as you excuse yourself from the table. from the corner of your eye, you can see the waiter coming with the bill for your table and you vaguely register the fact that only two cards are being put on the table (jaehyun's and juyeon's) as you make your way somewhere a little more private.

"hellooo? y/nnnn-ie? you stilllll at your, huh, date?" jeno slurs into your phone and you hear someone in the background, presumably jaemin, trying to convince jeno to stop himself from saying or doing something stupid.

"yes, jeno, i'm still at my date. that you interrupted, by the way," you say with a frustrated sigh. you check your watch and realize that it's only 9:30 PM and jeno does not sound like he's been taking it easy on the alcohol. "why are you drinking jen?"

"whattttt, so now i'm a shitty lover and i can't, heh, drink?" jeno grumbles into the phone and it's clear from the sudden silence in the background that jaemin has completely giving up on wrestling jeno's phone out of his hand. you had firsthand experience with drunk jeno - he turned into the hulk.

"jen, if you called me in the middle of my date to go off the rails about how you're a lonely fucker, i'm going to kill you," you hiss, smiling at the lady who comes into the restroom as you weren't threatening your best friend with murder.

"I'M NOT A LONELY FUCKER!"

oh, so this part jeno could say without hiccuping or slurring his words. fantastic. you sigh, switching your phone to the other ear as you wash your hands, getting ready to leave the restroom. there's a pregnant pause where no one says anything but you can hear the top gun theme song in the background so you know jeno's on the line.

"if - if i change, will you not go out with juyeon?" jeno mutters finally, just as you're leaving the restroom. "if i finally start getting serious about relationships, will you not go out with him? will you come home?"

you pause at that. jeno's always been the protective type. for all of his own playboy (even if technically he wasn't trying to be a playboy) charm, jeno genuinely wasn't very happy when you dated people. he wouldn't be rude to them and he certainly would never force you to break up with them but every time he would run into them, regardless of how long you had dated them, he always had something to say.

he looks like he jerks off to weird porn. definitely something about shampoo, a hot girl, and way too much viagra.

he has a small dick.

he makes his girlfriends lose weight even though he has a beer belly.

i'm not even gonna lie to you - i just hate the fact that he's balding.

most of the reasons that jeno gave you were kinda stupid. but ultimately, he was usually right about which people to avoid and even if he said it was because they were ugly and balding, it was usually because he knew that they weren't kind people on the inside.

it was because you just didn't have a great self-image, jeno used to say. if you saw yourself the way the rest of us - the way i see you, you'd never even give some of these assholes a chance, y/n. think of it as playboy experience about how to find the people actually worth your time.

but he had never said anything like this before. for all of the hazy comments and strange strength jeno developed when he was drunk, he had never said anything like this to you before. mostly because jaemin was really good at protecting his roommate from making stupid decisions but it was clear that even jaemin couldn't stop this.

"jen, you sound crazy right now," you say, rubbing your forehead. you step out of the restroom to see juyeon waiting at the table alone, as jimin and jaehyun seemingly already left together. "i don't really know what you're trying to say and quite frankly, i have no clue why you're acting like this. ask jaemin to make sure you're drinking a lot more water and we'll talk about this in the morning, alright?"

jeno doesn't say anything but from the shuffling in the background, you realize that jaemin has finally rose from his slump and was signaling something to jeno. good. maybe jaemin would be able to understand why the fuck jeno was acting like this.

there's an exchange of words, mostly jaemin berating jeno to hand over the phone as you hear a loud thump in the background before jaemin is speaking.

"hey, y/n it's me," jaemin says. it's clear that he's been drinking too but jaemin isn't too much of a drinker so he still sounds pretty levelheaded as he speaks.

"what's up with jeno, jaemin? why is he acting like that?" you ask, making your way over to the table slowly. you realize that juyeon is holding onto your coat and suddenly, you're not really sure about what to do. you don't know what it is about the simple fact that juyeon is holding your coat but the entire thing seems a little domestic. like the two of you actually were on a date.

"y/n, i'm gonna be so honest with you, i think it's best if you have some distance from jeno for a while. i think he's just getting in his head about stuff he shouldn't be and really, i think the only way he's gonna get over it or figure out how to talk to you about it if he has some distance."

how perfect. you sigh, running your hand through your hair as you smile at juyeon, who helps you put your coat over your shoulders, the scent of his cologne filling up your lungs. you decide that if it was distance that jeno wanted, it was distance jeno was going to get. quite frankly, this wasn't the first time jeno had randomly pulled away from you, even if it was the first time he had finally come close to clueing you into why.

it was clear that jeno didn't like you dating people - especially not juyeon. maybe even to the extent of jeno changing his own playboy ways to convince you otherwise of interacting with juyeon.

you had considered the fact that jeno might be interested in you romantically or that maybe he was jealous for your affections. but every time you thought that, jeno would come back from his faraway space with a new girl and a genuine twinkle in his eye and suddenly, everything was back to normal.

jeno simply was an overprotective person, you decided. and he would do whatever he thought was right to make sure that the people around him didn't get hurt.

it really did check out, honestly.

jeno was equally overprotective of everyone in his life because getting that close to him in the first place was a feat within itself. once you made it past that original barrier, however, he would be willing to give his life if he thought it would help even the slightest.

but...even so. this was weird.

either way, juyeon was opening the passenger door to his car and you were aimlessly climbing into it so any and all thoughts about jeno would have to wait until you made it down this slippery slope first. the last thing you needed in the morning was the honest to god gripping panic of doing the walk of shame.

juyeon doesn't seem like the type to expect a lady to put out because he bought her dinner but you can never be too careful. he seems to notice your apprehension because he asks you for your address upfront, raising three fingers in an oath.

"i promise to conduct no funny business and i will take you home safe and sound, y/n," he says solemnly, and the way his eyes sparkle in the light of the moon is enough to make your resolve melt a little bit as you laugh softly.

"alright juyeon. since you promised no funny business," you quip lightly, entering your address on the navigation screen next to the steering wheel.

juyeon squints at your address, which is fifteen minutes away, before looking at you strangely. "are you sure this is the right address? my building is right next door! i would've seen you at some point, and trust me, i'd never forget a face like yours."

"uh, yeah, this is my address. i'm usually never home though, since i'm always either with jimin or my friends jaemin and jeno," you say, watching as juyeon sets the car in reverse to pull out of the parking spot. his arm lifts, as though he were going to put it behind the headrest of your seat to do the classic flirting move to reverse. he sets it back down when he sees you staring at the screen (which had a rearview camera feed on it), realizing that it would be dumb to try and make a move in such a cliché way.

"jeno? jeno lee?" juyeon asks as you guys pull out of the parking spot. you glance at him sideways, wondering if he were going to offer the same cautionary tale that jaemin and jeno had presented to you.

"yeah. he's one of my best friends. do you know him?" you ask, already presuming the answer.

juyeon is silent, as though he's weighing options in his mind. should he be honest with you? should he preserve your feelings?

"i know of him. i don't know him all that well," juyeon says finally, and you know that juyeon has decided to take the third option. neutrality. and while you're tempted on asking him to expand, you really don't know him well enough to do that.

so you just leave the topic aside and wait for him to start a different conversation.

he does soon enough, but you know that his heart isn't in it anymore. you engage in polite smalltalk until he pulls up to your apartment complex. you thank him for driving you and are about to step out of the car when juyeon suddenly touches your wrist gently, afraid to make rude or rough gestures.

you pause, half out of the car as you turn to him with a quizzical smile.

"i had a good time getting to know you today, y/n. and i know that it was just an excuse for those two to go on a date without making it weird but i really did have a good time getting to know you. i hope that i didn't make a bad impression at the end." his eyes are shining under the dim lighting of the few rooms that are still lit up in your apartment complex.

you smile at him gently, shaking your head to assure him. "you didn't make a bad impression. i had a good time getting to know you too."

you're ready to step out of the car once more when juyeon's fingers on your wrist wrap around them, this time a little bit more firm on claiming your attention.

"i - i want to see you again. i've honestly never connected this well with someone before. would you be open to that?" juyeon asks. you pause for a moment before giving in. how could you say no to him when he was looking at you with such big, brown eyes with so much hope hidden in them?

but even as you give juyeon your number, you can practically hear the bright red warning signs in your mind - and for some reason, jeno was the one screaming every single one of those signs.

"good night y/n," juyeon says, his smile every inch as heartbreakingly charming as the moment you knew he'd be bad for you.

you offer a tight, cautious smile in return. "good night juyeon."

+++

for someone who was fiercely overprotective of his friends, jeno had a strange tendency of self-sabotaging his relationships with them. not all of them - mostly just you. he didn't know what it was about you but somehow, he always just seemed to be saying the wrong things at the wrong time.

jaemin seems to think that it's because jeno has feelings for you (which he most definitely does not) (at all) (for real).

it wasn't as though jeno didn't like when you went on dates. in fact, he liked to think that he was rather supportive. it was just that you had a tendency to pick out all of the shittiest men in seoul to date and quite frankly, jeno hated it.

and you knew that. you'd been dealing with jeno's strange tendencies for three years now. he knew that you knew that he'd call you by next week and everything would be back to normal. that's usually how it went when you went on a particularly serious date on any level. strange set of coincidences that jeno only seemed to fuck up the worst right before or after a date you were raving about.

huh.

"i'm telling you jeno, you have got to tell her the way you feel about her," jaemin says, tossing a water bottle at jeno. they're sitting on the floor in front of the tv, watching money heist halfheartedly. terrible show to be their 'let's talk about our feelings' show but jaemin and jeno never could have a conversation like that without some level of violent scheming occurring in the background.

"i don't feel any way about y/n, jaemin. honestly, it's getting really fucking annoying that you keep saying that i do," jeno says, digging his chopsticks into his chinese takeout food. jaemin rolls his eyes, sitting down next to jeno with his own box of takeout.

"i swear to god. why did you call her then? why did you call her on her date last night?" jaemin asks. jeno shrugs, setting his food down before sighing.

"i don't know, okay? i just...you know what happened with juyeon. i just can't imagine her going through something like that," jeno says softly. jaemin looks at him before clearing his throat, forcing jeno to look at him square in the eyes.

"look, i know that you and juyeon don't have the greatest past but you have got to let her find her person. who knows! maybe juyeon's changed in the last three years. you literally don't know him anymore. and besides, this isn't about juyeon and you know it. you did this when she got with daniel, and then sunghoon, and then even doyoung." jaemin shakes his head, trying to get jeno to understand his own feelings. "you're blind to it but every time she actually feels good about someone, you somehow need to take a break from her. why?"

jeno doesn't actually have the answer to that question. why, indeed, is the question of the night.

later that night, when jaemin has turned in (or rather, announced that he was going to sleep, only to sit in bed and occupy their shared netflix account for hours), jeno pulls out his phone and searches up three words.

we need space.

he searches in his messages and cringes when he sees the number of outgoing texts that have space (as in the number of times he's broken up with someone over text) in them. he filters all of the other people out except for you and it pisses him off that jaemin is right.

may 2020. the first time jeno had asked you for some space, when you'd asked daniel to be your boyfriend.

august 2021. the second time you guys had taken some space, when you'd gone on your first date with sunghoon.

september 2022. the third time that you had had to take a break from each other. when jeno had introduced you to doyoung with his own hands.

realistically, jeno knew that jaemin was right. and with the evidence staring at him so incriminatingly, there was no way to refute the accusations.

but as much as jeno had dated around, he still didn't know what or who he was looking for. sure he was attracted to you as a person and your, uh, physicality - but that didn't mean that you were the one for him. and if jeno were to pursue something with you that made him realize that you truly weren't what he was looking for after all, not only would he be losing you as a partner but he'd be losing you as a best friend too.

so he continues in the toxic cycle of taking a break from you every time he feels as though his feelings are getting too high in his chest for him to contain them and never giving you or jaemin an explanation of why.

jeno knew it was wrong. he knew that his life would be so much easier if he just came clean and you fell one way or another on the scale of 'already dated' and 'haven't dated yet' like most of the girls on campus. but it was different with you.

it'd always been different with you.

so jeno rolls over, and goes to bed, dreaming of you and juyeon holding hands on your first date alone. he's never had such a restless night of sleep in his life.

+++

you know that you're being a bad friend to jimin when she's pouting at you swirling your straw in your macchiato instead of listening to her rambles.

"come on, y/n. it's been three days. you know that jeno gets like this - it's not like this is new right?" jimin says, covering your hand with both of hers, blinking at you curiously.

you smile and shake your head. "yeah. i'm sorry. this is supposed to be about you and i'm just getting in my head about this shit."

jimin tuts, eyebrows furrowing in mock anger. "that's not what i mean and you know it. i'll talk about jaehyun whether you're listening or not and you and i both know that. i just - i guess i'm not sure why you're always so hung up over jeno doing this when you know that he's gonna do it."

"you're right. it's not new. and i'm sorry that it keeps coming up when i really hate that he does this but i just wish he would talk to me instead of shutting me out every time that something like this happens. it's just him and jaemin cooped up and talking to each other for a week before they go back to being normal. and i get it. they're guys. they need a break and they need to do guy things and take a break from girls or whatever the fuck straight boys do. but this is getting out of hand and ridiculous."

but you catch yourself, shaking your head once more as you focus on jimin. "thank you for letting me get that out of my system. now tell me what you were saying about jaehyun. i feel like i've lost my best friend to some random guy for the past three days!"

jimin eyes you for a moment longer (and you know that she's not going to let this go) but decides to take mercy on you.

"well, jaehyun and i have been doing really well, honestly! we've seen each other every single day for the last three days - which isn't that hard considering that we've been having sex all day in every square inch of his apartment." jimin sees the scandalized look on your face before laughing. "don't worry, he lives alone and we've actually been going on non-sexual dates too. we connect in more ways than one if you get what i mean."

you slap jimin's arm incredulously, looking around the cute little café that you were sitting in to make sure that no one was listening. no one was, of course, given that it was 11:30 am on a monday but that was besides the point.

"oh my god. so are you guys going to make it official or what?" you ask, leaning forward on your steepled fingers. jimin shrugs, leaning back in her chair languidly.

"i don't know. i mean, i really like our chemistry and i like where this is going but i'm not going to label it. i'm definitely not going to be the one to pop the 'what are we' question - that's gotta be him," jimin says. "even though i am so incredibly head over heels for him. so i would like to be his girlfriend. for realsies."

she adds on the last part almost as an afterthought when she sees your unbelieving face.

"i mean it! i really want to be more than just a situationship but i really can't be the one to initiate that. i'm tired of always having to express interest in others. i attract; i don't chase," jimin says with a catty smile and you can't help but grin at that.

maybe jeno was really onto something. girl time was amazing. maybe that's why jeno needed some space from you.

"i agree. and you know what, i don't want to knock it but that honestly doesn't seem all that strange, considering that your location has consistently been showing that you're at jaehyun's place for the past 72 hours," you say, laughing at her mischievously when she returns the favor with a slap to your arm.

"i don't know. yeah. anyway. speaking of jaehyun, or not really him, but his friend - not the point! jaehyun mentioned that you gave juyeon your number? and that you've been kinda talking?" jimin says, and now it's your turn to blush.

"no - i mean, yes. i did give him my number but it's honestly not like that. he seems great and all but jeno and jaemin seemed really spooked when i mentioned him. i trust them when it comes to boys. especially with my shitty taste in them," you say thoughtfully and jimin can't help but agree with that.

she checks her phone and groans, starting to shuffle her things together as she prepares to leave. "this has been so good but i have to get to class and you know how much of a pain in the ass professor joo is."

you also start to gather your belongings, slurping down the leftovers of your macchiato. "yeah. i think that my early lunch break is coming to an end anyway. i've got a meeting at 6 pm but we're still on for dinner and drinks this friday, right?"

jimin nods distractedly as she checks her phone to see if jaehyun had texted her. he hadn't. in the past four hours. she clicks her phone shut and looks at you with a determined look in her eyes.

"yes. for sure. you and i have a date this friday and i don't want you to cancel, you hear me? and do not let those investors keep my baby from me like they did last time," jimin says, wagging her pointer finger at you threateningly. you roll your eyes, pressing a kiss to her cheek as the two of you make your way out of the café.

"i hear you. no more investors past 7 pm on a friday," you say, raising your hands in surrender when jimin squints her eyes at you. she side hugs you before checking the time once more (therefore realizing that professor joo wasn't above calling her out in the middle of class) and scurrying off to snu, a block down from the café you were previously in.

you sigh, shaking your head fondly as you turn in the opposite direction to head to work.

+++

turns out, friday seems to be a very popular night. not only do you have back to back meetings from 4 pm to 7 pm, but juyeon and jimin have texted you multiple times to confirm or (try) to make plans for friday night.

and honestly you didn't really want to go out. in between the radio silence between you, jeno, jaemin (who only really communicated in really stupid tiktoks back and forth), juyeon's suave maneuvering you into agreeing to a raincheck to saturday for the date, and jimin lamenting the fact that jaehyun hadn't brought up the 'what are we' conversation, there was so much going on.

all you needed were your friends, chinese takeout, and a little bit of jane the virgin. or other soapy dramas to take your mind off of everything.

but you had promised jimin and you'd be damned if you were going to bail on your friend when she was already not feeling well.

and besides, you refused to be a corporate slave who canceled on her friends because she was married to her job. that's not why you had chosen this job. and that's definitely why you had decided to reject pre-med as a sophomore in college.

so you find yourself taking shots with jimin in her kitchen and...jaehyun and juyeon.

when you had walked into jimin's apartment with nachos and shooters of pink whitney to pregame, you really weren't expecting to be face to face with juyeon - or jaehyun, honestly, given that jimin had been so heartbroken over the fact that jaehyun hadn't initiated the conversation yet.

not to mention the fact that she had made sure that the two of you were going out in the first place because of the whole jaehyun fiasco. so when you come face to face with the last person on the planet who should be in jimin's apartment, you're more than a little confused.

"oh, hey y/n. long time no see," jaehyun says with an easy smile, dimples showing that he had no clue that you knew that your best friend was waiting on a kind of serious conversation with him. you manage a tight smile before pulling shooters out of your purse, putting all four of them down on the counter in front of you.

"yeah. i thought it'd be a little longer though. jimin, i thought we were having a girls night?" you ask, eyes flashing at her when you turn out of view from jaehyun and juyeon. jimin just shrugs helplessly as juyeon steps in.

"don't blame her. i was the one who asked if we could tag along for the night. i promise we won't cause any trouble," juyeon says, and you turn to look at him, only to see him looking straight at jaehyun. his eyes dart between jaehyun and jimin before finally landing on you and you take the hint.

"oh. no worries. yeah, no worries at all, actually. hey, you know what i actually wanted to confirm something about tomorrow's plans with you if i could steal you for a couple seconds?" you say, leaving no room for denial as you wrap your arm in his and walk the both of you to the balcony, closing the door behind you.

"thank you for understanding - jaehyun wants to talk to jimin today about making things official but he's been so nervous about it that he's been putting it off. i figured that it would be better for me to come with him to make sure he doesn't chicken out. and catch you guys before you leave so that he doesn't sit and ferment in his feelings any longer," juyeon explains slowly, sure to refrain from turning around to see how things were going inside.

you lean over the metal bars of the balcony, the cold sinking into your skin in a refreshing way, the april air finally warming up enough to go out without needing a literal winter jacket.

"ahh. good idea. don't tell her i told you this but she was worried that he really wasn't into her," you say. juyeon snorts, a sound that's almost unbecoming from a man so handsome.

"isn't into her? he's head over heels for her. i don't think it's taken him more than thirty minutes to get into a relationship with someone if he wanted to. the fact that he took over a week to figure out his feelings means that he's serious. more serious than i've ever seen him." juyeon seems thoughtful as he trails off, letting his words sit on his tongue in a way that almost feels like he can truly feel the weight of the words.

"hm. or is just unsure of how he feels," you say, and juyeon looks at you strangely, turning so that he was leaning on the railing, his gaze fixated on you.

"are you really that cynical about men?" he asks chidingly, and you shrug.

"yeah. i mean. i don't know. i'm best friends with two of them so i know first hand how fucked up men can be. trust me, i pray to god every day for more patience before i fuck jeno or jaemin up for good," you say, and you can feel juyeon's presence grow cold at the mention of your best friends.

when you look at him though, he has nothing but warmth in his eyes and he smiles at you. "i will admit that there are a lot of messed up things that guys have done but it's not fair to categorize all men due to the faults of a few."

"uh-huh. and when men turn into heartbreakers after getting fucked over by one girl...it's okay?" you say, raising an eyebrow and you can feel juyeon trying to physically retract his statement.

"no. no. it's definitely not okay to hurt other people because you've been hurt. but give us some credit, okay? some of us are trying our best," juyeon says, and you watch as his eyes fall to your lips before dragging them upwards again.

"some of us are just trying to find our other half."

you're silent for a moment, and the moment is all you need to push off of the railings and turn to juyeon with a sad smile. "look juyeon, you're a great guy and i hate to nip things in the bud - especially with someone i get along so well with. but my friends are the most important people in my life. so i don't know what happened between you, jeno, or jaemin but i know that if it really came down to it, they take precedence."

juyeon nods, like he'd been expecting you to say as much. how, you don't understand, given that your reasoning had come out of pretty much left field. and for no real reason too. but men are predictable, easy to read, and all it takes is one moment to understand their intentions.

"yeah. i know. i figured you'd pick them. not that i'm trying to guilt you for that or that i expect you to pick me or anything but i still tried my best, you know," juyeon says casually, giving you a thinly suppressed heartbroken smile. you melt slightly as you turn to him, giving him a half shrug.

"i'm sorry. i'm sure your other half would be so lucky to have you," you say gently. you look at your phone, where jimin has texted you saying that she's going to have to bail on girls night as her and jaehyun had decided to stay in for the night. juyeon seemingly gets a similar text because when you look back inside to the apartment, jaehyun is holding hands with jimin, who uses her free hand to wave sheepishly at you as they recede backwards where the bedroom was.

"i guess we've overstayed our welcome," juyeon says with a laugh, opening the balcony door as the two of you make your way back inside to grab any personal belongings and leave before you witnessed something that would end up scarring you forever.

you eye the shooters and then exchange a look with juyeon.

“i know we’re not - whatever but honestly, i think that you’re good company and this kind of night doesn’t deserve go wasted,” you say, grabbing the shooters and juyeon’s hand and dragging him out of jimin’s apartment when you hear the very telltale sign of a bedroom door shutting down the hall.

juyeon takes one look at the shooters in your hand and the glint in your eyes before taking the two of the little bottles you offer to him.

“i can’t believe i’m doing this right now,” juyeon mutters under his breath, but his smile is lighthearted.

“what, grown men can’t drink pink whitney?” you ask, throwing a shooter back and immediately regretting the fact that you don’t have chasers with you. you may not be an amateur on the night scene but alcohol still always needed a chaser.

“no,” juyeon says, knocking back both of them a little too smoothly. “i meant taking shots with the girl who rejected me in front of her best friend’s apartment where her best friend and my best friend are fucking.”

you look at him, searching for any sense of genuine discontentedness but the way that juyeon’s eyes curve into teasing crescents convince you otherwise.

it would be so easy to choose him. so incredibly easy. but jeno’s face flashes through your mind and you find yourself taking a step back, shaking your head when juyeon looks at you questioningly.

“to the club!”

+++

there are two things that you learn about juyeon by the time you’re another two shots deep: a) he is an absolute gentleman - not just to you, but to the other people around the two of you as well. b) he is a very flirtatious drunk.

in fact, he manages the very big, very linebacker looking bouncer to let him into the club even though his name wasn’t on the list with nothing but a charming smile and an absolute inability to keep from flirting with everything and anything in sight.

which is funny to watch, especially from the other side of the bouncer, because every time juyeon says something particularly risqué, you can see the bouncer’s ears go bright red before he finally relents and lets juyeon in.

but it’s somehow less funny when he’s using those lines on you. it somehow makes your head dizzy and it makes you forget why you turned him down in the first place. you’re half-convinced that this had been juyeon’s plan all along. to turn on the charm to the max so that when you’re under the lights (that honestly might invoke epilepsy; why the fuck were they flying around the place like that), you forget all about jeno.

it’s a bad decision, you repeat to yourself as you watch juyeon make his way through the crowd to where you’re standing in an isolated, somewhat calmer corner. jeno and jaemin warned you against him for a reason. protect your peace, y/n.

and even while you repeat that to yourself over and over again, when juyeon’s hand holds yours precariously as he pulls you into the growing mess of bodies, you find it harder and harder to convince yourself that that was the truth. god, he looks good.

his hair has fallen messily across his forehead, contrasting the way it had been carefully gelled back before. he’s rolled up the sleeves of his button up to reveal his forearms, and you feel no matter than a man as your eyes trail the depths that planes of his chest promise from where they peek out of his half unbuttoned shirt.

you’re vaguely aware that there are various people waiting for you to either make a move or to push him away once and for all. it felt like every single person in the club was fixated upon the two of you - do you want him or not? because you’re holding up the fucking line. for you and your friend.

and so you take the plunge.

you move his hand from where it was innocently resting on your wrist and place it on the small of your back, smiling when juyeon takes the hint and draws you closer to him so that your chest is pressed against his.

“hey beautiful,” juyeon breathes as he looks down at you, almost in disbelief. “what are you doing here?”

you know, even tipsy, that he’s looking for a real answer. and you don’t want to play him - you don’t want to add to the list of heartbreak.

“i’m looking for someone to keep me company tonight,” you say and look up at him through your lashes, a coy smile playing on your lips when juyeon’s breath falters as you do so. “just for the night though. you know anyone who might interested?”

juyeon pulls you impossibly closer and you register the copious amounts of men (for you) and women (for him) that are turning away from the two of you, more than a little disappointed.

“yeah, i might know someone.”

and with that, he spins you so that your back is pressed against his front, his arms caging you in protectively when he sees that a man is looking at you like he genuinely wants to eat you up.

you can feel your self-control slipping further and further away from you as the two of you just let the music fill you up, forgetting about your inhibitions as long as you had this music and him.

it’s too perfect though, and you realize as much when you make eye contact with jeno fucking lee across the club. right before he dips his head to whisper in some girl’s ear.

jaemin is right next to him, his arm laying casually on another girl and you can see the sheer panic in his eyes when he sees you, and then the confusion when he realizes just who you’re pressed up against. you watch as he leans over to whisper (yell; you’re sure that no one can whisper in an establishment threatening to break the sound barrier) something in jeno’s ear but he’s firmly shut down when jeno waves him off.

you scoff at that, turning around the pair of you around so that juyeon’s back was to the two idiots that you call your friends, now facing the dj booth.

the song switches to a much more upbeat song that you don’t recognize and you take it as your cue to push any and all thoughts of your friends out of your mind. you choose to give no apologies for the way that you spend your time - especially if your friends chose to give you no explanation for their behavior.

if they didn’t need to explain themselves, neither do you.

and it works for a while. for a while, all you can think of is the warmth that fills your body. from the alcohol, the heat of juyeon’s body pressed against yours, or even the excitement of the atmosphere; all if it is just so intoxicating.

you forget all about the fact act jeno and jaemin are just a few feet away, actively avoiding you (and doing a poor job of doing so) until juyeon spins you around, looking deep into your eyes in a way that makes you feel, heat rising to your cheeks as you watch his lips move.

“i know that you don’t want - honestly, whatever it is that you don’t want - but jeno and jaemin are here and you haven’t pushed me off of you. so i’m going to shoot my shot for one last time, y/n. and if you reject me this time, i think that we should go our separate ways,” juyeon says, his voice soft and gentle and yet somehow, you can hear every word he says with perfect clarity.

you honestly don’t know what to say. juyeon had caught you in a bad moment with jeno and jaemin. more specifically, jeno. you didn’t want that to cloud your judgement though. you had known juyeon for a total of maybe a week. you had known jeno and jaemin for years and for those years, their opinions on the men in your life had very rarely been wrong.

and yet, the boy that they had warned you against was pressed up against you and those two were on the other side of the club, arms wrapped around girls you knew they would forget about by the morning.

you sigh, stepping back from juyeon, the sheer ridiculousness of the situation making you sober up more than you want to. you hear the beat drop to ‘kiss me better’ by rihanna in the background building up and it seems like everything in the universe is just pushing you to give juyeon a chance.

but juyeon understand what you mean when you step away from him and he gives you one last, longing look before smiling, gently tugging you forward so that the two of you can make your way to a less crowded area.

“you wanna go home?” juyeon asks. you know that he’s asking for his own sake, almost as though he was asking for permission to get with someone else to nurse him through his rejection if you wouldn’t. but he’s a gentleman and he wouldn’t leave you for the wolves and so he asks you if you want to go home instead.

“yeah. i want to go home.”

juyeon nods, already pulling out his phone. “let me call you an uber. and y/n? i’m not upset. i’m just glad that i know i did everything i could. jeno’s a lucky guy for you to care this much about what he says and thinks.”

you want to disagree with him. he’s my friend. of course his opinions matter. sorry. it’s not personal. i actually liked spending time with you.

but even as these thoughts battle in your mind, you find yourself unable to say any of the words out loud.

jimin was your friend but that stopped you very rarely from doing whatever you wanted to do in the end. jaemin would often yell at you for your terrible affinity for working yourself to the bone and you brushed his concern to the side every time. but it was different with jeno. it had always been different with jeno.

you’re too drunk to think about the implications of any of that though so you just smile once again, leaning up to press a chaste kiss to juyeon’s cheek.

“you’re so good, juyeon. regardless of what anyone says.”

and with that, you step into the uber that has reached the club in record time and head home.

+++

you’re not surprised by the text you get from jimin in the morning. or the one from jaemin. in fact, there are only two texts that surprise you when you manage to finally look at your phone with clear enough eyes.

jiminy cricket: OMG i’m so sorry abt last night love!! heard you went out w juyeon tho ;) we need to debrief fr

jaejaeminna: sorry i didn’t get a chance to say hi before you left

juyeon lee: did you get home safe?

ur mom (jeno): can we talk?

you respond to jimin with a quick for sure, girlie! before stepping into the shower, electing to ignore the rest of the messages in your phone. your roommate, jessica, a girl that you barely interacted with, given that she was usually at her boyfriend’s place or you were at jeno’s or jimin’s had kindly left extra pancakes that she had clearly made before she dashed out of the house.

you munch on them slowly, sending her a message of profound gratitude as you try to digest the events of last night (as well as the delicious pancakes), making sure to tousle your hair every so often to get it to dry faster.

first, jimin and jaehyun had clearly made things somewhat official (or at least were on the same page) which meant that you probably wouldn’t have to try and help jimin decipher what that entire situation was. a win, really. second, you and juyeon had gone clubbing together and had shared more than one or two intimate moments. third, you shot him down once and for all. fourth, he still called you an uber and made sure you made it home safe. fifth, you saw jeno and jaemin at the club and neither of them said anything to you.

this was officially the longest that you had gone without speaking to jeno - or even jaemin.

even the stupid tiktok’s had faded away to nothingness by the end of last week from jaemin, which meant that something was so incredibly wrong, it wasn’t even funny.

also, jeno never said can we talk.

it was usually a much more casual wanna get chinese? or even a bring your stupid ass over here cause jaemin misses you. that was more his speed in his form of apology or trying to make it clear to you that the two of you were back to normal now. he’d never acknowledge the two or three days of radio silence, electing to just pretend that they never happened in the first place.

so going from not talking at all to suddenly such a loaded question was new and kind of surreal for you. not to mention that jaemin’s last text to you was also indicative that something was seriously off between the three of you. the text before that had been a tiktok of a man sitting in a car yelling, “it’s the way you act!” and now it was that he didn’t say hi at the club.

you sigh, debating all of your options carefully.

you were obviously going to have to talk to jeno about the situation at some point. and honestly, you were going to have to have a serious conversation about the fact that he would do this every so often because it’s getting way too much for you to handle. it wasn’t as though you were doing something wrong - jaemin would call you out on your behavior, even if jeno didn’t.

you were left to decipher what exactly it was that had jeno in such a pissy mood and you would have to try and figure out what it is on your own because he’s a grown man that doesn’t know what communication meant. for someone who always warned you against the toxicity of men, he was doing a pretty great job of showing you exactly why to avoid them.

pushing all thoughts of jeno and everything else to the side, you decide to take the day as a self-care day for yourself. lord knows that with everything you had going on, self-care was the one thing you desperately needed. of many things, really, but taking a walk and soul food was going to have to do.

you’re just putting on a face mask (one of the korean ones that you had had to sell your left foot to pay the shipping for) when your doorbell rings and you hate the way that you already know who’s at the door even before you step to the entryway, where the monitor is to see who is buzzing for you.

you’re greeted by jeno’s face, alone, looking worse for the wear as he ruffles his hair, shifting from foot to foot as he waits for you to either let him in or at least press the intercom to speak with him. you’re trying to make a decision and you know that decision, as trivial as it seems, would be what would set up your friendship with him in the future.

were you really going to give him another chance? even as he continued to mess up this hard?

you don’t say anything in the intercom but the faint buzzing noise that echoes in the monitor is response enough as jeno opens the door that has opened once you pressed the button, effectively solidifying your decision.

he was jeno. your jeno. you couldn’t just not listen to what he had to say.

the time that jeno takes to make it to the fourth floor where your apartment was seemed to have stretched on for eternity. you weren’t sure the last time that jeno had been in here (last weekend) but suddenly everything in the apartment was just too messy.

you panic and rush to clean everything in sight before you pause awkwardly. this is just jeno. the same boy who had come over and thrown up on your birthday after drinking too much at your party. the same boy who would be sitting in his room screaming into his headset as he played video games, having no regard for you and jaemin spending quality quiet time together.

and he was also the boy who asked for space when you needed him the most.

so you put down your weapon of choice (a swiffer mop) and wait for the eventual knock at the door that finally comes about a half second later. you take a deep breath before opening the door, coming face to face with your ‘best friend’ of the past three years.

the little monitor had done the damage little justice. the eyeballs under jeno’s eyes were deep and purple, with his cheekbones protruding a little more than you remember them to, and his gaze deep and sorrowful.

but somehow, you could look past all of that because your gaze is caught by something else - the purple and very telling hickey on his neck. he’s clearly made an attempt to cover it up with what you assume is whatever foundation you might have left at their place on the nights that you’re too lazy to come home before work. the attempt isn’t all that successful, given that your foundation is about three hundred shades too dark for his skin (which is as pale as a ghost around this time of year) but you appreciate the effort.

not really.

jeno looks uncharacteristically shy as he stands in the living room, having switched out his shoes for his slippers that he bought specifically for your apartment once him and jaemin started coming over more often. they usually fought over ‘jeno’s’ slippers (they had peaches on them while ‘jaemin’s’ had ducks) but jaemin usually conceded to jeno.

usually, he’d be sprawled out on the sofa with little more than a half-hearted ‘hey’ and bags of chinese takeout on the kitchen counter but you see none of that now. now, he looked like a lost puppy, shuffling awkwardly to stand next to the couch.

it would almost be funny if it weren’t for the fact that the two of you haven’t spoken in a week. or the hickey.

“has it ever occurred to you that we might act like more than friends?”

the question is sudden, breaking your nostalgia and bringing your train of thought to a screeching halt.

“excuse me?” your voice is calmer than you thought it would be in your head as you spin on your heel to look at jeno in the eye. he licks his lips, a nervous habit that he’d picked up from you, but his eyes don’t shift from yours, decidedly steady. he’s thought this for a while, you realize belatedly. it was just a question of how long and what that really meant.

“i mean you leave your foundation at my place and i buy slippers for yours. i can’t stand olives but when we get pizza, i get olives anyway so that you can pick them off of my slices and eat them. you don’t know your left from right but you still drive forty-five minutes down and back to the bakery to get iced lemon poundcake every time i’m upset.

“i can’t stand it when you meet a decent guy for once in your life and i go off the radar but we - i can’t spend more than a few days away from you. so, i’m always showing up at your apartment with chinese food when the last thing i want to do is hear about you raving about your new date who has a job at amazon and wears real rolex watches while i’m still eating instant ramen and trying to get a grip on life.

“the worst part is that i think i’ve always known. even last night, i was falling into my old pattern of using people to get over you, y/n. in between trying to figure out why i couldn’t click with anyone else besides you and trying to figure out why i feel so empty every time i feel like you’re slipping away from me, i think i figured it out. sure, i hate juyeon because of who he is and what he’s done in the past but i hate him even more because he used to be just like me. and now he’s changed so much and become such a good person. the fact that he’s the bigger, better, older, stronger version of me with his life together freaks me out so much because what if you replace me with him? and then i lose the one person i think i’ve ever properly fallen for and one of my best friends all in one go? and it’s all so selfish but when i have ever tried to hide myself from you, y/n?”

your mind is spinning. jeno is heaving by the end of his rambling. you can’t seem to find your grip on reality. everything is just wrong. it’s all wrong. everything is wrong. what?

jeno lee. playboy extraordinaire. mr. couldn’t be tied down. the boy who came home with a new broken heart in his jar of hearts that he hid deep inside his mind so he wouldn’t have to think of the unintentional consequences of having an unavailable pool of love.

and here he was, standing next to the couch in the living room, looking at you with so much anger, confusion, and sheer love in his eyes that you’re almost upset with yourself that you hadn’t seen it sooner. had he always looked at you like that?

you don’t know what to say though. you can’t even tell if he’s still talking, by the way that the blood is rushing in your head like an unforgiving tsunami has broken loose. you can’t hear anything, much too preoccupied with your own thoughts to even think of listening to his.

you vaguely register the fact that you and jeno are somehow sitting on opposite ends of the couch, a good entire seat away from each other. that was good, at least. you’re sure that your legs would’ve given out on you at some point if you had remained standing.

“why do you hate juyeon so much?”

the question doesn’t seem to faze him as much as you wished it would. what was it with men and not being stunned by the most random questions or thoughts you can come up with? it somewhat frustrated you that you couldn’t stun them with the same shock factor that they seemed to utilize on you.

jeno sighs, raking a hand through his messy hair as he struggles to come up with the right words to say. or honestly, any non-stupid words.

“juyeon was actually one of the reasons why i came to snu in the first place. he was kind of like my mentor - a guy that i looked up to a lot in high school. he was one of my older friend’s roommate so when i came to check out snu, he toured me around and showed me his entire lifestyle. i was a senior in high school back then and he was just a sophomore but i swear, i’d never clicked with someone that fast before.

“he’s always been super smart and incredibly charming. and back when i met him, as a stupid senior in high school, i thought that everything that he had was what i wanted. he had a new girl at his apartment any time he wanted and always seemed like he had the entire college wrapped around his finger.” jeno gets up, looking frustrated as he starts pacing back and forth between the walls of the living room of the apartment.

“long story short, i caught him making out with my girlfriend at the time over the summer between high school and college. and it all came crashing down. in hindsight, maybe i shouldn’t have hated him nearly as much as i did but the fact that i couldn’t see that he had no qualms of getting with anyone who wanted to get with him hurt me. everything i had idolized came crashing down when i saw the two of them.”

jeno stops pacing, looking down at his hands, rough and raw from the biting winds outside. “it just - it just hurt y/n. and it made it so incredibly easy to just not believe in love anymore. and then i met you and you came into college looking for the one and it was just so hard not to believe in love. when you said you were going out with juyeon, it took me back to the darkest parts of my past mentally. ridiculous? weak? yeah. i know. but i couldn’t help it.”

“it’s not weak or ridiculous, jeno,” you say gently, finding your voice once more. “i’m just hurt that you didn’t tell me before. i mean, i thought i was your best friend!”

jeno laughs drily, a grating sound that tugs at your heart strings. “but he’s gone clean, y/n. he’s everything that i couldn’t be and so much more. he’s near perfect. i couldn’t stop you from finding ‘the one’ that you’ve been dreaming about since i’ve known you. even if that meant that i finally had to let the past go. even if it meant that i had to give up on being able to love you.”

you can’t help the tears that spring to your eyes. “jeno…”

jeno shakes his head, looking at you with watery eyes, dragging his red hands across them roughly. “stop. i don’t need pity. i just…i just wanted clarity. have you always thought of me as a friend? was i making up everything in my head? did - did i imagine that we could’ve had something this whole time?”

you’re at a loss for words. jeno wasn’t wrong. you’d gone to the ends of the earth to make jeno happy. any time he was upset, you’d drop everything to go get that goddamn lemon cake. you couldn’t go more than a week without him. even if the entire world went to shit, you’d always thought that you and jeno would go down together, fighting side by side. if it really came down to choosing between your friends, some part of you knew that you’d always choose jeno before jaemin or jimin.

and some part of you wonders if you’d always had that much affection for him.

“i don’t know,” you say honestly. jeno’s face falls, and an awkward silence falls between the two of you, with his feet pointed to the door and muscles tensed to move. you know that if you don’t come up with the words to say something that’ll convince him to stay, you’ll have given him no reason to. you know he’s going to leave.

no matter what, you cannot lose jeno, you realize. he’s the one part of your life that cannot leave. he’s the person that buys slippers for your house. he’s the boy who can’t stand when he has to compete for your attention. he’s the man who’s shoulder you cry on when your heart suffers even the smallest scratch.

he’s your jeno.

“i don’t know,” you begin, rushing to continue when you see jeno’s crestfallen expression. “but it’s all so sudden, jeno. you’ve been thinking about your feelings for a long while. i’ve honestly never considered the possibility of - of us being more than friends. of being together. maybe i’ve had feelings for you this whole time without knowing. maybe my ‘one’ has been you this whole time. maybe we’re better off as friends! i don’t know anything.”

jeno’s breath catches as he realizes what the hidden implication in your words is.

“but i’m willing to find out if you are.”

+++

after the enlightening conversation that you’d had with jeno that morning, you’d made plans with him to go on a proper date on wednesday, a day that you had nothing but boring meetings and jeno only had two classes. the two of you had decided to first go on the date and then try to figure out how you felt about each other from there.

you’d also taken it upon yourself to curve juyeon once and for all. he was a great guy and you were sure that he’d be a great person to whoever he’s meant to be with but after reminding him that you were distinctly uninterested (and apologizing if you’d insinuated that you wanted to see him as an anything after that night), you’d deleted his number and all thoughts of him from your mind.

jaemin had been equally easy to make up with. you understood - after all, jaemin was jeno’s friend first and foremost. even if he didn’t necessarily agree with jeno and his tendencies, being his friend first meant that he had to prioritize jeno and his feelings. he was relieved to hear that jeno had finally grown the balls (verbatim) to confess the painstaking secret that he had been holding onto for the past three years.

“three years? he’s liked me since he met me? and you never said anything, jaemin?” you say incredulously, thanking the barista with a quick smile before grabbing your coffee, rushing to beat the morning sidewalk traffic as you walk to office.

jaemin’s face on your screen is mostly covered by his covers - a sign that he’s either skipping a class (ancient world history) or avoiding some work that he has to do. it was both, but he would concede neither to you.

“it wasn’t my place to say anything,” jaemin says finally, and you finally look at him properly through the little facetime box, watching him drag his hand over his face. he looks as though he’s aged about ten years in the time that you haven’t seen him - which was only a few days ago, technically.

“and besides, you saw us at the club. did it look like jeno was exercising any type of common sense? clearly not. he wasn’t ready to listen to the truth, no matter who was delivering it. so there was no point in trying to make him to his senses,” jaemin continues, wrapping his blanket around himself a little tighter. “it didn’t help that his coping mechanism thus far has been to just run away from his issues, forget they exist, and then use a distraction to pretend that he was never affected by it in the first place.”

you sigh. this much was obvious to you as well. the day that jeno had come over, that had been one of the first things that you had confronted him about. he had presented a similar explanation then as jaemin was now but even if he didn’t say anything, you knew that was the truth.

“that reminds me - jimin texted me this morning asking if you were okay. have you talked to her since friday night?” jaemin asks and you groan. in all of this mess, you had completely neglected to debrief jimin and fill her in on everything that was happening.

“oh shit, i completely forgot to call her,” you say, swiping into the company building, smiling as you pass a familiar face. “i’ll talk to her tonight.”

“yeah. she seemed kinda worried. apparently juyeon told jaehyun that you two had cut it off for good and told him about you seeing jeno and i at the club. i guess jaehyun went and told jimin,” he says sullenly. you roll your eyes at his dramatics.

“just because you’re the only one getting no action doesn’t mean that you have to be jealous of jimin,” you say.

“no - what? no! it’s not that. i’m single by choice, thank you very much. i could have a hundred girls lining up for me if i wanted,” he says, clearly miffed. you stifle a laugh; it was so easy to rile men up. “but it’s like a violation of bro code. jaehyun knows that jeno doesn’t fuck with juyeon and he also knows that jimin is one of your best friends. like what did he think? that jimin wouldn’t tell jeno and i or that she wouldn’t talk to you about it?”

you blink, completely lost. “i swear to god, i think guys have more complex interpersonal links than girls do. i followed like maybe 20% of what you said.”

jaemin sticks his tongue out at you childishly. “whatever. don’t you have a job to do?”

“don’t you have a class that you’re paying thousands of dollars to take to go to?”

“touché.”

with that, jaemin ends the call but even as you finally sit down in your little glass office, you know that he’s absolutely not going to go to that class. it didn’t help that you’d taken the class last semester and had handed him your notes. at this point, he basically only went to take the tests - after studying your notes for maybe 10 minutes right before.

you’re about to call jaemin again to make sure that he actually gets up to go to class when there’s a knock on the glass of your office.

“y/n? someone’s ordered breakfast for you,” haerin, an underpaid and quite frankly undervalued intern at your office, says. she’s holding a little pastry box and a straw without any coffee. “the person who dropped it off said that he figured you’d already have coffee but you probably forgot the straw.”

you don’t even need to hear the name of your mystery courier boy because you already know who it is.

jeno.

+++

“he brought you breakfast? to your office?” jimin asks incredulously. you had called her soon after haerin had handed you the breakfast (with your favorite pastry inside the box). you seriously needed to hear a girl’s perspective on all of this, even if it was coming from the most romantic person you knew.

“yeah. i mean he’s done it before - like during my first couple of weeks of working, remember how stressed i was? he bought me lunch and dropped it off at the office, back when i was just an intern running around and didn’t have time to go and get it myself.” you blink, looking at jimin worriedly. “that’s not weird, is it?”

jimin ponders for a moment before shaking her head. “i mean you guys were best friends. i’d do it for you. but i don’t know. i feel like guys and girls who are just friends are more like siblings and i feel like girls who are really close are basically like a married couple.”

“why do you and jaemin always say weird shit that confuses me?”

“no - it’s like…like with a truly platonic set of girl and guy friends, they’re always doing sibling-like things. for example, i think i’ve seen you nearly give jaemin a black eye for taking a bite out of your pizza. but if i wanted a bite of your pizza, you’d probably honestly give me the whole slice. i don’t know, but it’s a dynamic that i’ve seen with all of my female friends compared to my guy friends. but you and jeno have never been like that.”

“i have most definitely tried to fight jeno over pizza. i’m sure i’ve fought him over much less, to be honest,” you say and jimin shrugs.

“i’m not here to make you feel one way or another about him. your feelings are yours to figure out. but as an outsider looking in, even if you were to fight him about something stupid like that, it was because that’s how you guys talked to each other. it’s not like you’re actually going to rip that pizza away from him. in the end, if he really wanted it, you’d concede to him. you don’t really do that for siblings. it’s charged in a different way.

“i’d give up my life for my older sister. but if she even looks at me the wrong way, i’m ready to pull out her hair. or my younger brother? he genuinely gets pleasure out of making me have to redo my entire skincare routine because he switched around all of the labels. would he send me breakfast to my office just because? fuck no. would he give me his kidney in a heartbeat? hell yeah.”

jimin looks down before looking up at you once more. “and even if none of that was true, you don’t look at jeno like you look at jaemin.”

this startles you out of your own attempts of running parallels between what jimin was describing and how you and jaemin were or how you and jeno were.

“what do you mean? how do i look at jeno?” you say, your voice coming out shockingly soft and confused.

“you know how you were kicking yourself about not realizing how jeno looks at you? yeah. that’s how i feel looking at you looking at jeno. i didn’t want to say anything to you about it. honestly, mostly because i hated seeing you get down every time he would just disappear from your life. i don’t know that as your friend, i should be encouraging you at all. but he makes you more happy than i’ve seen anyone else make you,” jimin says. “and that’s reason enough for me to be happy for you. to tell you what you don’t realize yourself. even when you dated other people, you always looked at them differently than you looked at jeno.”

“how do i look at jeno, jimin.” it’s not a question and both you and jimin know that you know the answer to what you’re truly asking.

“you look at him like you’re finally ready to love. like you’re realizing again that maybe jeno was the one you’d been waiting for every time.”

+++

your first date with jeno had been a full course of a dumpster fire with a side of natural disaster.

after your (jimin induced) realization that maybe you’d actually had feelings for jeno longer you’d thought, you find yourself going through the day as if you were on autopilot. jeno sends you breakfast on tuesday and wednesday morning as well, although he doesn’t mention a word of it when the two of you are texting.

at least nothing had changed there, thus far. he still sent you those stupid reaction memes that he found on pinterest and never failed to make fun of your typos in the group chat with you, jaemin, jeno, and now jimin.

you hadn’t seen him since friday night but by the time wednesday rolls around, you wish that you had a little bit more time. you’re still reeling from your newfound enlightenment and some childish, hidden romantic side of you wants to bask in the uncertainty and the almost juvenile way that your heart beats a little faster whenever you think of the date tonight.

the two of you had decided that you were going to try and approach it as a truly romantic date, rather than the quick food runs that you were used to with him. which meant you were going to have to clean up and put on a dress - a sight that you’re sure jeno was truly not used to seeing after so long of you lounging around his apartment in sweats all day.

since this was the first proper date you were going on (you insisted that the date with juyeon didn’t count, since you had only gone with the intention of being a good friend to jimin.) in a good while, you’d called in the big guns for reinforcement. the only reinforcements you had, but that was besides the point.

“i still don’t get why you’re curling your hair. it looks so pretty naturally,” jimin laments, setting down the section of hair that she was working as she moves onto the next.

“i know. it’s kinda silly but i wanna feel cute - like i wanna look feminine and feel cute when i see jeno. it’s stupid and i swear it goes against everything feminism has taught me but i just want to feel and look like my inner girly-girl has been begging me to,” you explain, pouting when you catch jimin laughing through the reflection of the vanity mirror where you were sitting.

“baby, that’s not silly at all. and it doesn’t go against feminism to want to dress up and look cute! reminder: feminism is about empowering other women and helping everyone have the freedom to choose what they want for themselves. whether that’s dressing up cute or being a stay-at-home mom or being a working woman or some combination of all of the above and then some,” jimin says and then there’s a wicked glint in her eyes. “it’s also very feminist to get men to do your bidding, i think. and hey, if you have to put on a little black dress to do that, then i’m all for it.”

“you sound absolutely ridiculous,” you scoff, but a little smile tugs at the corner of your lips anyway.

“speaking of little black dresses, you’re wearing a matching set underneath, right?” jimin teases. you swat at her with your free hand that wasn’t applying glitter to your inner eye. “i’m holding a hot iron, you psycho!”

“jimin! i’m not going to have sex on the first date. not that i’m above it but jeno is different,” you say and jimin unfortunately catches the underlying longing tone in your words.

“oh he’s different, is he? girl, where having you been hiding all these feelings for so long?” she says and you find yourself not being able to come up with a rebuttal. honestly, you didn’t know how either of you had been so blind to your feelings for each other. and suddenly, a cold rush of fear runs down your spine.

you twist in your chair, ignoring jimin’s protest that she was almost done with your hair. “wait. you don’t think that this is a mistake, right? like what if he thinks that he has feelings for me but it’s been the chase this whole time. or what if we just don’t click like we think we will? what if i lose my friend and the person that i think i’ve liked for longer than i’d like to admit in one go.”

jimin’s expression turns serious at that. “y/n, you’ve only had a week to figure out your feelings. it’s okay if you want to raincheck and then go on the date when you’re more sure of how you feel, if that’s what you want.”

“that’s not what i want. i think that i actually have liked him for longer than i think. it’s just been so hard to realize that because he’s always been with someone and i’ve always been waiting for the one. it just scares me to think that maybe the one that i’ve been looking for is someone who actually doesn’t think that i’m the one, you know? i don’t know if i could live with losing him.” you blink furiously, willing yourself to not let a single tear fall and ruin all of your hard work for the past couple of hours.

“trust me, y/n, if you’re sure about your feelings and if he really is the one, then everything will work out. have a little faith in the universe.” no sooner does jimin say this, the buzzer rings and you and jimin look at each other in panic.

“it’s still 5:50! he said he was coming at 6:00!” you exclaim and jimin rushes to finish your hair. “you have to distract him! i still have to put my dress on!”

“oh my good lord, i forgot about that. okay, you focus on getting ready, i’m running!” jimin says, cursing when she trips over the cord to the curling iron as she’s running to open the door for jeno.

you shimmy out of your pajamas in hurried movements as you hear jimin say that jeno could come up but that the elevator was broken so he’d have to come up by stairs.

“there’s no sign that says the elevator is broken though,” you hear jeno say as you’re caught in one of the legs of your pajamas, shaking it off wildly as jimin tries to come up with a random explanation on why exactly the elevator had no sign.

“yeah, it actually just broke. like right now. like it was so recent that they didn’t have a chance to put a sign up yet. in fact, i bet that we’re in a space-time pocket and time just moves faster for you and slower for people inside. maybe this building is narnia or something,” jimin says. the room is silent for a moment before you hear the sound of the elevator dinging and you wince, your movements no doubt mirrored by jimin.

you can already see jeno’s amused smirk as jimin says that the elevators must’ve been repaired by the aliens in the space-time pocket. but they were living in a speed that was faster than human senses.

you’d seriously have to buy her a drink when this date was over, you think to yourself as you struggle to zip up the back of the dress. you don’t think that you’ve heard jimin pull out that much utter bullshit in one breath before.

you have heard jaemin say something similar before though, so it made sense that jeno was neither fazed nor taking her seriously. not that anyone could take that seriously, anyway.

you’ve finally managed to contort your body in the right position to zip up the dress when you hear the door open and jeno saying something to jimin.

“i know i’m early. and i know she’s definitely not ready. but i found these earrings in my apartment and i figured that she’d want to wear these. if i know her at all, she’s wearing black and she always says that she loves to wear these earrings with her black outfits.”

you open the door just slightly for jimin to slip into your bedroom and deposit the earrings in your hands.

“how do i look?” you whisper, waiting for jimin’s reaction with bated breath.

jimin smiles at you and wraps you up in a tight hug, careful not to wrinkle the silky fabric of your dress.

“like a dream.”

that works for you and you take a deep breath before opening to door to see jeno. it’s just jeno, you remind yourself. and although it’s not just jeno because you don’t know if he’s ever been just jeno to you, the words serve as a good reminder.

he’s jeno. your jeno. not someone to be afraid of. someone who’s seen every side of you and still wants to see more sides.

you walk into the living room, where jeno is sitting on the couch, scrolling through his phone (tiktok, as you can tell by sounds of football highlights). there’s a bouquet of flowers, gardenias, laying across his lap and he’s clearly cleaned himself well. he’s wearing a black button down and rolled up the sleeves to reveal the tattoo that he’d gotten halfway through freshman year.

it’s a tattoo of jeno’s favorite quote from his favorite movie, chappie. you are made for good.

he introduced you to the movie early into your friendship, and had been thrilled when he realized that you liked as much as he did. in fact, the same quote that he had gotten tattooed on his forearm was the one that you had custom-made for your phone case. huh.

how long had you and jeno been doing things like this? since the very beginning, you balk.

“you look beautiful.” jeno’s voice is low, softer than you remember and your instinct is to counter him and say that you always look beautiful but he looks a little too sweet under the light of skylights for you to find it in yourself to do so.

“thank you.” you lean closer, eyes crinkling into a smile when you recognize the cologne that jeno was wearing. “is that the cologne i got you in sophomore year?”

jeno nods and smiles with you. “jaemin said that my normal one was too…fuckboy.”

“the sauvage one? hell yeah, it is. i think that most girls have a trauma response to that cologne at this point,” you say, and suddenly everything is so simple again. it’s your jeno, after all.

“it’s a good thing i listened to jaemin, then.”

you cock your head and you’re vaguely sure that he means more than just his cologne choices.

“yeah, i guess it was.”

+++

pretty much everything from there went completely wrong. for one, jeno’s car (which was infamous for coming up with the most random issues at the worst times) had decided to blare with just about every warning known to man almost as soon as the two of you sit in the car.

by the time that jaemin arrives to where the two of you had pulled over to take the car to the car dealership, jimin offering her car instead, the two of you were already about thirty minutes late to your reservation.

it had taken a lot of persuasion on jeno’s end to convince the restaurant to let the two of you sit and eat anyway, although you were past half an hour late for your reservation. as if that weren’t enough, the restaurant refused to accommodate for your dietary restrictions (even though they promised that they did on their website!), causing you to only be able to order an overpriced caesar salad with maybe three vegetables and too much vinegar.

then, as you were leaving, you found out that the valet had parked pretty much on the other side of the country. and it was pouring rain. to the extent that your phone had gone off about three times with warnings that there was a flood watch in seoul.

which meant that jeno had had to book it to run to get the car and pull it up to the front of the restaurant, where you were waiting, shivering even with jeno’s jacket around your shoulders. and due to the layout of the restaurant’s front, you were forced to run in the run in the rain anyway to dive into the passenger seat of jimin’s car.

and yet, even with all of this, you couldn’t help but laugh. the date was perfect. every time something occurred, jeno handled it with ease, allowing you to just turn off your brain and let him take care of everything for you. he would always turn to you with a silly smile and another story of how the two of you always seemed to find yourselves in the most unbelievable situations.

through all of this, you finally understand what you had been thinking that you wanted this whole time in your wait for the one. not someone who made sure that everything was perfect and that the date was always planned out to the t.

no, it was someone who made you feel like you were having a good time, even when everything was going to shit.

you look at jeno, recounting some story about how jaemin and him had snuck into a wedding once to eat food after days of cooking instant ramen in their dorm in freshman year, laughing so hard that you could barely hear the pelting rain outside. and seeing him smile like that, feeling yourself smile like that, just because you knew that he was smiling, your heart finally felt at ease.

definitely not a platonic type of love, you decide.

“hey, you okay?” jeno asks, eyes trained on the road in front of him as he navigates to your apartment. “you seem kind of checked out.”

you smile, shaking your head. “yeah. i’m all good. i was…i was just thinking about how stupid i’d been to think that i’d been looking everywhere but right in front of me for ‘the one’ when i didn’t even know what i wanted.”

“yeah? what do you want?” jeno says, his grip on the steering wheel growing tighter as he waits nervously for your answer. you look at him and jeno has to fight himself to keep looking at the road when he wants nothing but to look at you and commit this vision of you to memory.

your glinting earrings and your twinkling eyes under the seoul night sky. your drenched dress and jeno’s jacket across your lap. your wet hair that still somehow looked sexy as you flipped it over your shoulder. your soft smile and seeing you finally look at him the way that he’d been looking at you this whole time. he wants to capture it all within his mind and never forget the way you were looking at him now.

“i want someone to make me feel like that even the stupidest situations were easy to overcome when i’m with them,” you say softly.

jeno pauses at that, heart beating a little too fast to be good for him. a smile tugs at his lips, no matter how stoic he tries to look. “oh? does this mean you think this date was a success?”

“i think this date was an utter flop,” you say drily and jeno rolls his eyes at that. “but i think my date was pretty great. i’m not going to lie, i’m still a little hungry though.”

“i still can’t believe that they gave you a bowl of lettuce and charged like $30 for that,” jeno says, shaking his fist dramatically. “i’m going to write a scathing yelp review.”

“i mean i didn’t have to pay so that yelp review’s all yours,” you say before turning to him with a sly smirk. “aren’t you going to ask what i’m hungry for though?”

“what do you mean? what are you hungry for?” he asks, turning onto your street.

“ramen. wanna eat ramen and go?”

jeno has to use all of his self-will to keep from hydroplaning as he pulls into your apartment complex. “y/n. you want me to eat ramen and go?”

“yeah. i meant that literally though. you wanna eat ramen and then maybe ramen?” you ask, batting your eyelashes innocently at him as he parks jimin’s car in your designated parking spot.

“uh, isn’t jimin at your place?” jeno asks, feeling his heart skip a beat when you shake your head no.

“jaehyun’s apartment is like two complexes down so she just walked over. why? you don’t want to eat ramen with me?” you say, faking a sullen pout. jeno rushes to correct himself, resting his hand on your thigh gently.

“look, y/n, i think that you’re incredibly attractive and i really like you. but that’s - that’s my issue. i like you so much that i don’t want to make you feel like i was trying to get in your pants and then do something that you or i regret. and i know that you’re probably just saying that to get a rise out of me but hear me when i say that i want to take things slow. for your sake, not mine.

“i’ve been thinking about my feelings for so long and i’ve been thinking about how in love with you i am for longer than you might think. to me, sex would kinda just be the next step in taking our relationship to the next level. but i know you. you’ve really only been thinking about this about us for the past week or so. i don’t want to make you feel like you’re obligated to like me if we sleep together. i know that sex isn’t just sex for girls; or maybe it is but isn’t for you, no matter how much you tell me otherwise. and i honestly don’t know where i’m going with any of this but y/n, my feelings for you are true.

“i want to take things slow because if we take that next step, i want it to be when you’re sure. when you’re sure of how you feel for me. maybe i’m not the one for you, y/n. and as much it kills me to say that, it’s a very real possibility. you deserve someone who’d bring down the moon and gift it to you if that’s what you wanted. and i know that i would do that for you. but i need you to believe that too. wholeheartedly. i’ll wait for you for as long as you need. you’re my person, y/n. i’ve waited three years - granted, three very controversial years - for you. i’ll wait three more if that’s what you need.”

you’d said the ramen thing very jokingly, only half-serious about your proposition. but hearing jeno now, you’re happy that you had. you’re not sure that jeno would’ve told you how felt about you and just how deep his feelings ran for you if you hadn’t. he was right, of course. he knew you better than anyone else, after all.

so you kiss him on the cheek good night and open the passenger side door.

you’re about to close the door behind you, ready to bid him goodbye for the night when you lean down to say something to him.

“thank you for waiting for me, jeno.”

+++

turns out, romantic jeno is just like just friends jeno. mostly because you don’t think that you’ve ever truly been just friends. he’s quiet, teases you at any given moment, and listens to you recount even the most boring stories about work.

you went on a couple more dates with all of the formalities before slowly growing more casual with each other once more. neither of you had brought up the topic of physical touch after that night but lately, it was getting harder and harder to find places on jeno’s face to kiss besides his lips.

not to mention that you’d caught jeno’s lingering gaze on your lips (among other things) more and more often. so, just like everything else in your relationship, your first kiss was completely unexpected.

jeno had come over with chinese takeout, since the two of you (honestly, you had made the decision and jeno was just along for the ride) had decided to start the indiana jones franchise together.

you didn’t know what it was. the tousled hair? the way his arm was casually tugging you into to his side, covering your entire side as you cuddled closer into him? the way he was only a breath away from you? the look in eyes when he tears his eyes away from to look at you with the sweetest gaze?

everything. all of the above. you lean up to peck him swiftly on the lips.

jeno freezes, eyes going round as his entire face turns bright red. it was hard to think that just two months ago, jeno had been walking around with a girl on either side of him at a frat party, the promise of a good night hidden in his smile when he looks like a deer caught in headlights at the slightest sign of physical touch.

“did - did you just kiss me?” he stutters, and you shrug playfully, looking back the movie in front of you. he shifts you so that you’re facing him, unable to look away as he turns to face you.

“i thought we’re taking it slow?” he asks and you smile coyly.

“a month and a half of dating wasn’t enough to convince you that i actually like you the way that you like me, jeno?”

that’s all jeno needs to hear because no sooner do you say this does jeno dip his head to press his lips to yours, gentle and undemanding. he’s soft and careful, almost as if he were afraid that you were going to disappear if he chased after you too hard.

but you’d been waiting long enough and this was jeno so you pull away from him, a horde of butterflies settling in your stomach when he chases after your lips, eyes still closed, as if he couldn’t bear to part from them.

“jeno, i’m going to do something and you have got to tell me if you want me to stop, okay?” you whisper against his lips softly and jeno nods, opening his eyes so that you can see the look of absolute love and trust in them.

you get up and hook your leg over both of his so that you were effectively sitting on his lap, poised dangerously so that you could part from him at the slightest sign of discomfort. it never comes, though because as soon as you do this, jeno pulls you in closer so that his chest was pressed flush against yours.

“are you sure?” he says, confirming for the last time as you see the last strings of his resolve snap.

“god, jeno, i love you. now please just kiss me.”

his lips are pressed against yours the second the words leave your mouth, a little rougher and more insistent than last time. his arms are wrapped around your back and waist, eyes closed and you lose yourself in the feeling of being so close to him.

needless to say, that night had been a long night.

+++

“i look like an idiot,” your boyfriend complains, checking himself out in the mirror of your vanity anyway. you giggle, pressing a kiss to his temple so that you don’t mess up his make-up, carefully dodging the stray glare that he offers you.

“you look beautiful, jeno. and besides, this is for a good cause, remember?” you remind him as you make sure that your costume looks good as well.

“i don’t remember what me dressing up as a spandex wearing animated character has to do with changing the world, but alright,” jeno grumbles, shifting uncomfortably as his ‘uniform’ seems to cling to all the wrong places.

“you say that now but you and i both know that the moment you see those kids at the hospital, you’re a sucker. tell me you aren’t going to practice your mr. incredible in the car,” you say cheekily, and jeno is unable to refute that. ever since you and him have been dating, you have often dragged him to events such as these.

at first, they were rather simple things, almost as if you were testing the waters with jeno. for example, when the two of you went on a date to a zoo in the beginning of your relationship, you casually mentioned that many zoos that didn’t treat their animals with love and respect.

then, soon after, you asked him to sign a ‘take down unethical zoo practices!’ petition. and then from there, jeno found himself at a protest to rally for the rights of beluga whales.

not that jeno had anything against whales (he actually came to be quite passionate about the mistreatment of them the more he went to these events), but the fact that you took the world’s issues to be your issues was simultaneously your biggest character flaw and strength.

and he loved you all the more for it.

“you know who you are?” jeno says, swiveling around in the chair to mean mug you. “you’re woo young woo from that one kdrama. and i’m that poor unsuspecting boyfriend who wants to spend time with his girlfriend but ends up at a whale protest anyway. that’s what cute girls like you and her do; you get our attention, make us fall in love, and then ba-bam! you use us as a bodyguard and backpack carrier at protests and rallies!”

you roll your eyes, leaning down so that you were now eye level with jeno, the both of you lovingly aware that the banter between the two of you was not a symbol of actual annoyance but rather, mutual appreciation. you, for having so much empathy. jeno, for being so patient.

your heart swells when jeno looks at you with such loving eyes, trust and admiration swimming behind his façade of annoyance. you lean forward, pressing your lips to his, involuntarily smiling when you feel jeno’s lips curve upwards as well.

he hums softly, pulling you close so that you’re practically sitting on his lap. gentle and strong. a little callous, but only so that the butterflies in your stomach seem to be rebelling against the confines of your stomach, as if they too want to be showered in the love of your kindhearted and wonderful boyfriend.

you want to melt into his embrace, as you usually do whenever you’re near jeno, but your phone buzzes and you sigh, pulling away from your boyfriend reluctantly.

“that’s jaemin. he’s asking, and i quote, ‘what the fuck are you guys doing i’ll whoop your ass if you don’t come soon i hate this fucking gru costume and the kids keep asking where you are’. you think we should get going maybe?” you say, raising your eyebrows at the series (of rather graphic) of emojis that depict you and jeno conveniently being pushed off a cliff.

jeno snorts at his best friend’s antics, his touch lingering on your waist as he leaves to go start the car. he waits for you to finish responding (with a threatening message of your own) before extending his arm without even looking, waiting for the comforting weight of you clinging to his arm as the two of you leave your shared home, walking into the buttery evening.

it truly couldn’t get much better than this.

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