#human kihyun

[candescentkpop]

Kihyun

Monsta X: Wish on the same sky

Monsta X Part 98 / ∞

[kiiyunz]

posted⠀by⠀junjiie⠀⠀⸻⠀⠀1Oth May,⠀2O24.

Alright, alright, I know it’s a little late. I got distracted! A human error. But anyway, I’m back with the promised rundown of KIHYUN’s NCT U eras—but I’m ditching the rankings this time around, as the majority (up until UNIVERSE in 2021) took place in and around KIHYUN’s BAD eras. Everything else is the same, though, so.. Have fun!

EMPATHY  2018  GLOWSTICKS & (FAKE) GUCCI

RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC just over a week after his seventeenth birthday, the first whole NCT album was both a somewhat-old (he’d been promoting for a good two years by then, after all) but still refreshing experience for Kihyun. Participating in BLACK ON BLACK, GO, and BOSS, the vocalist threw every part of himself into it as usual—and maybe even a little more so, reinvigorated by the fact he was collaborating with members from the other unit (and ones from an upcoming one) that he’d only ever trained with in the past. He enjoyed the more mature feel of the teasers for GO, as well as the music video and the song itself—it was during this era (although it would only really become more apparent during WE GO UP promotions in September of that same year, and during EMPATHY he kept this thought mainly to himself) that he was starting to feel like the whole childish concept was something he wanted to be rid of, that he wanted to trade in for something different; and GO fit that vision perfectly. He had a notable amount of fun on the set of the music video, and slated filming it as the ‘best thing he’d get to do all year,’ despite the fact they were only three months into said year.

Due to the would-be unspoken rule of Kihyun only making an effort to have any sort of online presence when he wasn’t the biggest fan of an album’s concept or music, he was fairly offline during this era—the only actual content fans ended up getting was in the official music videos & the behind-the-scenes and dance practices for said videos. They made the most of what they were given, choosing firstly to poke fun at what they’d styled him in—one of his outfits included a horrendous rip-off Gucci jacket that was noticeable from a mile away—and secondly to enjoy the interactions he had with the members of 127 (the EMPATHY era showcased his bond with members like Johnny, Jaehyun, and Jungwoo to the public for the first time) and members like Ten and Kun, who hadn’t yet found their place in a permanent unit—although it wasn’t long in the making, as would be proved by WayV’s debut the next year. This was most prevalent with the behind-the-scenes of the BOSS music video in particular, a clip of Kihyun and Jaehyun chasing each other around dangerously close to the literal circle of fire featured in one of the later scenes while Mark watched on on the obvious verge of panic going quite viral online.

MY  FAVOURITE  MOMENT: ⠀GO  MV  BEHIND

Kihyun getting a little too ambitious while balancing on the metal of the train tracks and nearly falling flat on his face, much to the delight of Chenle and horror of Jeno—who ran over to see if he was alright, and then proceeded to nearly trip himself up also. The nearly-fall didn’t deter him in the slightest and he continued to walk down the line, Jeno stepping up behind to follow along (he noticeably wobbled more than a few times, but still stuck with it if only to give Kihyun some company). Chenle got bored of watching—or, as Haechan called it, “got FOMO,” and it didn’t take long of observing the other two before he was running over and trying it out for himself also. Him and Kihyun were walking on parallel sides, with Jeno in the middle after having given up on the whole balancing shtick; watching as the two in front of him reached out to hold on another’s hands and intercepting so they were both grabbing hold of one of his instead. Mark cooed, Haechan pretended to throw up in his mouth.

RESONANCE PT 1  2020  VOCAL FRY & BADLY DISGUISED VODKA

IN THE MIDDLE OF running around and getting up to many a scandal with someone that was, really, doing him more harm than good, NCT came back together as a full group to release RESONANCE PT 1. For the album he traded his newfound clubhopping hobby for what’s considered by some fans as one of his best (although criminally short, what with him only participating in VOLCANO and DÉJÀ VU—something that many suspect was a sort of punishment for the bad press he’d been bringing to both Dream and, by proxy, the group as a whole by that time) performances in the entirety of his career thus far. During VOLCANO he gave listeners a few seconds of rap lines, a skill of his that had previously been rarely utilised, Kihyun’s voice taking on a raspier edge that he later mentioned off-handedly as being his “Taeyong impression,” which was met with both positive and negative reactions—as is the same with most things any idol says or does while they mention another. DÉJÀ VU saw him back to his standard vocalist position, but many slated his lines as being their favourite, or his tone standing out amongst the rest in a certain moment. Altogether, despite his public image still not being anywhere close to being fully repaired, at least he wasn’t being accused of being talentless to add fuel to the fire.

What was adding fuel to it, however, were the leaked photos of him with a shiny silver flask halfway to his mouth on the way to a taxi. It was after hours, hardly being able to be accused of drinking on the job (but with a job like being an idol, it would be a little difficult to blame him for doing so), but it still sent a few people into an outrage—and Kihyun’s response didn’t help matters either, the simple ‘whoops’ he sent on Bubble enough to prompt some into showing their truce stance on Kihyun and his situation as of late (that being, of course, that they hated him). Most took it in good humour and laughed along with him, seeing as those photos and content put out by the company were all they got to see of him for the whole era. Even his moments in things such as behind-the-scenes videos were frighteningly scarce, only appearing for a scant second or two before he was being whisked off by another member or the camera had decided to abruptly cut away in the middle of his screentime where in the past it most likely would’ve lingered a little longer. It was sort of a tug of war between the good and the bad things throughout the whole promotion period.

MY  FAVOURITE  MOMENT:  KYUNDERY  INSTAGRAM  LIVE

It was almost like a miracle, the day Hendery logged into the NCT account and decided to start a live—and with Kihyun, no less. They were a little drunk, and didn’t care if the people watching realised that. In fact, them being tipsy probably played a part in the decision to go live, so maybe it was really something they should be thankful for. The majority of the time on live was spent by the pair taking turns scrolling through the filters and laughing themselves into hysterics, so much so they could barely get a word out between their fits. When they’d finished filter sampling they held an impromptu karaoke session, despite the fact their voices were cracking a minimum of twice for every line they belted out into the empty company room they’d holed themselves up in (and, when Hendery tilted the phone to show viewers their set up, it almost looked like they were camping for the night—there were a few pillows and a blanket they’d hoarded from somewhere, snacks galore, bags and a few empty bottles and one singular shoe). Beggars couldn’t be choosers in the Kihyun-content regard for this era, but it just so happened that the one thing they did get (or rather, most of them got, as some missed the notification and had to watch clips elsewhere) was something they could hold dear.

RESONANCE PT 2  2020  LUCKY NUMBERS & LEGO SETS

STILL RUNNING AROUND, still not the fan favourite he once was, most were expecting much of the same treatment during RESONANCE PT 2 as Kihyun got during PT 1. However, to the surprise of all of them, he actually received a little more screentime this promotion period around—most likely because of his involvement in the tracks 90’S LOVE and WORK IT, where there was far more extra content to go alongside just the music (as well as RAISE THE ROOF, although that didn’t receive a music video like the former two), but most fans decided to take it as the plus it undoubtedly was. He looked happier than he had in months skating around with Mark and Jeno, catching up with Ten, cracking easy jokes with both Shotaro and Sungchan in his attempts to get to know them better despite the slump he’d been in for most of the year thus far, and of course messing around to his heart’s content with Johnny and Hendery on the WORK IT set. His normal full-of-energy self was back—not that it had ever left, but he’d seemed far more tired, almost lifeless, in the months running up to the dual albums—and to see him so sunny again seemed to brighten the mood of a few of the members he was particularly close to in tandem. 

As was beginning to become the (unfortunate) norm, hardly any extra content atop what the company gave the fans came from Kihyun himself—no lives, no posts, barely any messages on Bubble, the list only went on. Some said he was simply following his own tradition of staying quiet if he liked the music making up the album he was in the middle of promoting, but most people were still under the impression that it was due to the scandals and articles and countless rumours that had completely taken over his public image with fans—decidedly for the worse, seeing as it ended up getting so bad once that people were left wondering if he was going to be kicked out of NCT on the whole. The mood was beginning to dip again, fans taking his complete lack of presence that wasn’t company-mandated to mean that they were going to be seeing even less of him in the future. Until—a post from Kihyun, a simple selca on their Twitter account of him in his 48 hockey jersey from the 90’S LOVE music video, the two simple words ‘lucky number’ as his only caption. You’d think he’d just dropped a movie-length vlog from the amount of people celebrating his (brief) return, the words ‘HE’S BACK’ trending for a few hours or so as most of his fanbase frantically changed their profile picture to the aforementioned selca.

MY  FAVOURITE  MOMENT:  WORK  IT  MV  BEHIND

No one was happier to see Kihyun than Johnny, and that fact was apparent from a mile away. They were attached at the hip the second the cameras stopped rolling, always visible in the background glued to each other’s sides even if they didn’t get much time talking to the camera for the BTS video. When it was finally their turn to give their small interview (or rather, when it was Johnny’s turn, and he dragged Kihyun along with him by the arm) Johnny was resting his head atop Kihyun’s and buttoning and unbuttoning the blazer he was wearing for that scene while he spoke. Kihyun even cracked a smile or two at the jokes that had obviously only been told for the sake of his reaction, and contributed a few words here and there. Another moment from the video widely loved was from the scene on the wide open field, where he was captured sprinting away from Jungwoo giving chase, Jaemin and Johnny close behind, wide grins on all of their faces and the faint sound of laughter being picked up. Jisung was standing and watching with a small smile, with the rest making bets on who was going to trip over their very-much-not-made-for-running shoes first.

UNIVERSE  2021  BASEBALL BATS & BETTER DAYS

WELL ON THE WAY to being fully back to his normal self again (despite it being a couple years in the making), UNIVERSE saw Kihyun far happier than the previous two promotion periods, almost reaching his mood during the EMPATHY era. Participating in songs UNIVERSE (LET’S PLAY BALL), OK!, BIRTHDAY PARTY, and of course BEAUTIFUL, it wasn’t as if he was at a loss for things to do. He admitted it was tiring, but also that it was fun—because with the more songs he got to work on, the more time he was given the chance to spend with members not in his unit (namely Hendery, Xiaojun, Johnny, and Jungwoo—although he did talk a little more with Shotaro and Sungchan also, stating proudly to the camera on one occasion that they’d been thinking about going out for dinner one night in the future). He also found it fun because he enjoyed every track on the album, even if he didn’t make an appearance on most of them. Despite the hate some of them got from the fanbase (BIRTHDAY PARTY in particular) he held firm and even sent a few Bubble messages defending them in earnest, complete with angry kaomojis and one (not really) accidental swear. Kihyun saw UNIVERSE as his chance to prove he was ready to be a proper representative of the neos after his nearly-two-year-long slump, and was truly giving it his all.

Like the mood maker he’d always been, this dramatic change for the better in his demeanour affected everyone’s around him also. A few member’s smiles always seemed a little wider now that Kihyun was nearly back to normal, after they felt far more confident in the hope he’d bounce back stronger than ever, and benefit all of them—Dream members in particular, of course—while doing so. UNIVERSE was also an era in which Kihyun put his extrovert nature to work and gave fans interactions with members they’d barely been allowed to see him share one word with—the main ones being Doyoung, Kun, and the most surprising to a fairly large amount of fans, Winwin. Despite only appearing with the latter on BEAUTIFUL (as it was a whole-group song), once things like the jacket BTS began to be released, they were made witness to the bond the two of them shared; far closer than apparently most had ever dreamed of them being. Kihyun was as affectionate with the WayV member as any other person in the group, but as he only did with a few of them, Winwin was reciprocating—a returned hug here, tolerating a little handholding there. He wasn’t exactly matching the boundless enthusiasm the acts of affection were performed with, but no one was really expecting that anyway. It just went to show that Kihyun could pull most people into his orbit, even if it was just for a moment or two.

MY  FAVOURITE  MOMENT:  ALBUM  UNBOXING

Placed into a group with Johnny, Hendery, and Shotaro, Kihyun was having the time of his life. He went to lengths to include the newer member in all of his conversations, light-heartedly prodding at him like he’d known him for years, and even making an effort to slow down his usual break-neck pace of speaking so that Shotaro would have a better chance of understanding him fully—the ribbing could’ve gone a lot worse if the latter thought Kihyun was actually poking fun at him, but thankfully Shotaro took it well and even gave it right back on a couple of occasions, which made all four of them burst into laughter. For his pulls, Kihyun received a Kun photocard (he couldn’t have ripped off his phone case fast enough, with enough force that he nearly sent both it and the HOT SAUCE era Jeno that was still inside flying across the room), a Johnny poster (which the 127 member was delighted about, and demanded to have a picture sent to him later of said poster tacked up on Kihyun’s wall), a Jaemin postcard, and a Mark sticker—which Kihyun immediately stuck on his phone case also.

GOLDEN AGE  2023  POLO SHIRTS & ..PURPOSE?

HAVING MOVED FAR PAST all that was weighing on his mind during previous whole-group slbums, Kihyun went above and beyond for GOLDEN AGE. Featuring in INTERLUDE: OASIS, THE BAT, ALLEY OOP, and obviously GOLDEN AGE, he made sure to throw more than he’d ever thrown before into recording. He was fully aware that the past years hadn’t been his best, and despite already making amends during UNIVERSE, he still wanted to prove his worth all over again. Everything was fully behind him, and it showed in the sparkle in his eyes and brightness of his laughter that came alongside every appearance of his in any piece of behind-the-scenes content. Always smiling, always energetic, always wanting to make whoever he was laugh, even if it was just for a second. Although he did stick to his usual (and very obviously favourite) members—Mark, Jeno, Chenle, Johnny, Hendery, Niko—he did make sure to wrap all of them in a too-tight hug and hang off of them while they talking to other members or giving mini interviews to cameras at some point or another. ‘Spreading the love,’ he called it, to which Chenle beside him, through poorly contained snickers, quipped that he was also probably ‘spreading diseases,’ which earned him a punch in the stomach.

Kihyun even made an effort to show up (often unannounced) to sets of the track videos he wasn’t involved in—namely PADO and KANGAROO. There he enjoyed himself thoroughly, poking at Jaehyun’s hair, dragging Donghyuck off to who-knows where, and making fun of Hendery’s outfit on one set, and latching onto Renjun’s back, avoiding small talk with Yangyang at all costs with red ears, and cooing obnoxiously loudly at Jisung on the other. He opened his copy of the album on a live with Jungwoo and Mark, and pulled a Xiaojun photocard which, as per, he immediately stuck over the face of ISTJ Renjun and patted with horribly contained smugness (he then remarked to the camera that he barely pulled Xiaojun in any of his WayV albums, and so it was practically a miracle). And apart from the live, he was very online in general—once again breaking his rule of staying quiet if he was happy with it all. He posted on his Instagram, he was sending messages on Bubble at least once every week instead of monthly at best, he was going live with just about every member of the group (there was a lot of karaoke, a lot of giggling at stupid filters, and a lot of radio hours mish-mashed with fit checks mish-mashed with impromptu fashion shows). Overall—a very happy time for Kihyun, and everyone around him.

MY  FAVOURITE  MOMENT:  #1  MARKF  ACTIVITIES  (SORT  OF)

He’d never made any attempt to hide his love for Mark (like most of the group, really) but during GOLDEN AGE it felt like he was turning it up to eleven. During the fit checks and fashion shows on live, sometimes Kihyun would be decked out in full Polo Ralph Lauren—laughing all the while he showed it off, but wearing it all the same; no doubt because of a certain someone’s connection to it. He even bought a flat cap, and had great delight in showing it off to anyone who wanted to see it. Mark’s music taste also looked like it was rubbing off on him. Suddenly he was sharing Justin Bieber songs (mid 2010’s era Justin in particular—the PURPOSE album if you want to be extra specific), doing dance covers, almost to the point where it felt like he was trying out a new era of being a mini-Mark—which, when brought up to him on a fancall, set Kihyun off into uncontrollable laughter for so long his and the fan’s time nearly ran out because of it. It was there, quickly trying to cram all of his explanation in before he was made to hung up, that he told them that it was his penalty that came out of a bet with Chenle that Kihyun had evidently lost. What the bet was had yet to be determined, but all inquiries after that were met with a secretive smile and a finger to his lips. Mark did appreciate the fanboying, though, despite it not being entirely genuine—he posted a selfie on Bubble of him and Kihyun in their matching caps and argyle sweaters with an abundance of hearts coming afterwards.

[breezybangtanbebe]

Voyager: Kihyun x Hyunwoo ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

A/N: Shownuxreader with roommate Kihyun, unprotected sex, fellatio, voyeurism, masturbation..😈🌚

3.5k words

"Shouldn't we shut the door?" You asked.

Hyunwoo's hands don't stall in unclasping your bra. He shoots a glance in the direction of his cracked doorway and shrugs with indifference.

"Naw, it's fine. Nobody's here..." he mutters.

He pulls the straps of your bra over your shoulders and you allow him to remove it fully, tossing it aside.

You pout your lips at his response but quickly become distracted by his lips closing around one of your nipples. A tiny gasp passes through your lips and you stumble forward when Hyunwoo pulls you into him by the waist with him kneeled slightly and level with your chest.

His lips are soft against your pebbled skin and his tongue flicks and swirls slowly over you for a few seconds before he pulls away to begin kissing down your tummy.

Though this impromptu quickie was your idea, Hyunwoo was most enthusiastic about gett straight to the deed while you seemed overly concerned with the fact that his bedroom door was still open.

"You...ooh shit...you sure?" Your eyes flutter from the way Hyunwoo's peppered kisses felt on his way down to the button of your jeans.

"Uh huh.." he responds, unsnapping and unzipping your pants quickly. He all but yanks them down, making you giggle as you stumbled back to land on his conveniently placed bed.

A sly smirk crosses Hyunwoo's face as he stooped down to finish pulling your jeans and panties from your legs. Once you were naked, it was now his turn.

You hurriedly unzipped his fly as he removed his shirt, tossing it aside with haste. Your hands make quick work of pulling his pants down to his mid-thighs and tugging the waistband of his underwear down enough to free the monster you'd been craving all day.

Hyunwoo's dick was perfect.

From the shape, proportions, length, girth, and color.

The veins on his shaft bulged as he made himself jump slightly, the act causing the light brown rounded tip to tap your bottom lip. Your eyes glide up from his member to admire his perfectly toned and defined abs. His long torso only exaggerated the presentation of his muscles and you couldn't get enough of looking at him.

Finding you admiring him from that vantage point arousing, Hyunwoo smirks down at you warmly as he slowly begins to stroke himself.  His abs flex and contract as he hid, pumping his length slowly and right in your face to tempt you.

Your eyes cut towards the open doorway again then back up to Hyunwoo's face.

"....but What if your roommate comes home.." you trail off when the weight of Hyunwoo's dick taps at your pouted lips again. Except for this time, his brows are inverted and his eyes are begging for you to open your mouth.

"Please...stop worrying about the damn door and worry about where you want me to put this first....."  Hyunwoo gestures towards himself with a smirk, looking arrogantly attractive as ever.

Reminding you of how horny you already were and how you were a bit pressed for time, you commence to scoot towards him and swallow him whole. Your lips wrap around his tip and suck him deep into the warm cushion of your mouth.

As you allowed your lips and tongue to get as wet as possible, you took him deeper gradually until he was touching the back of your throat.

His thickness has you gagging and your eyes roll back in satisfaction. A moan surrounds him as he pushed himself deeper and it causes him to inhale sharply between his teeth.

"Ffffuck....." he groans, tilting his head back. His large hands cradle your face, holding you gently and tangling his fingers into your hair as he slowly rocked his hips.

You catch his rhythm, allowing his dick to glide in and out of your mouth, holding him at his thighs and relaxing your throat for him. He ups his pace gradually, reducing you to a wet and sloppy mess as he fucked your face.

This was what you needed. After a day of dealing with grumpy humans and crappy weather, the only thing in the world that could cure your sour mood was right in your face.

Literally.

10 or so minutes later...

The lock of the front door shifts as the nob turned and Kihyun sings a random tune under his breath as he entered his apartment, bobbing his head to the music in his AirPods.

Due to the weather, his supervisor gave some of the crew the green light to leave early. Kihyun was thankful for it. He was exhausted and ready to just shed his sweat and rain-soaked uniform and crash for the remainder of the day.

He steps out of his shoes at the door and hangs his keys on the hook near the entry as he did every time he came home, still singing along to his playlist distractedly.

Once officially inside, he makes a beeline for the kitchen and opens the fridge curiously. He was hungry but had no clue of what he wanted. Perhaps his roommate would be down to go half on some take-out since he notices his keys on the hook as well.

As he leans down to inspect the items at the back of the fridge, he's blissfully unaware of the noise now filling his home. At least until there's a break between songs and his AirPods go silent. In that millisecond he's made privy to the sound of your unbridled moans.

"Fuck baby....oh my god yes!"

Snatching the air pod from his ear immediately, Kihyun shoots back with a straightened posture and scowl of confusion. He wasn't sure what he'd heard at first and he proceeds to pull his phone from his jacket pocket to silence his music.

That was the moment he heard you again.

"Oh fuck...yes! Yes!"

Loud and clear.

Now he was sure of what he'd heard.

"Wow...." he whispers, rolling his eyes in annoyance. He glances over his shoulder towards the front door, considering leaving and coming back later when he figured the two of you would be done.

Nope.

The forecast predicted heavy rain pour for the rest of the day with no breaks. There wasn't anywhere he could go that rivaled the warmth of his bed. Especially since he was dripping wet from the storm already.

He sighs, considering his only option.

He would have to walk past his roommate's door to get to his.

"Fuck it...." He mutters, turning away from the fridge as he closed it and exits the kitchen.

As he neared the dark hallway that led straight to his bedroom at the end of it, Kihyun notices something off-putting.

Hyunwoo's door wasn't closed. Which explained why the sounds of you moaning were so audible from the front of the apartment.

Kihyun groans inwardly as he stepped tentatively into the hallway, hoping he hadn't made his presence known to either one of you.

This was awkward enough.

From a few feet away from his room, Kihyun could just about guess how much you were enjoying whatever his roommate was doing to you.

The sounds of the mattress squeaking are perceivable as well, confirming exactly what the two of you were in the midst of.

He steps carefully over the wood floors and the sounds increase in volume as he approached Hyunwoo's door, his eyes lingering on the crack of light seeping through the thin opening.

"Just get to your room Kihyun...almost there.." he says to himself.

However, his curiosity betrays him once he steps into the small beam of light that leaked out from the bedroom. He steals a quick glance through it, catching an eyeful of skin in that split second.

He does a double take, his eyes widening slightly at the scene beyond the doorway.

Hyunwoo is completely nude, standing at the edge of his bed with you spread for him. His hands are holding you by both of your ankles, keeping them suspended in the air as he drove his dick into you over and over.

The sound of his pelvis slapping into you is obscenely loud, making it obvious how hard he was fucking you. Apart from how loud you were screaming for him.

Kihyun's lips part and his tongue skim over his bottom lip when his gaze falls onto the point of contact, watching the shaft of Hyunwoo's dick disappearing inside of your wetness over and over. He wasn't even pushing himself in, stroking you midway with only half of his dick inside of you.

"Shit..." he says to himself, considering for the first time ever how well endowed his roommate was.

At the thought, Kihyun felt all the blood

drain from his face and travel south until the bulge beneath his underwear aches.

His dick was hard at the sight and sounds of his roommate fucking his girlfriend, neither of them aware of him watching at all. Which added to the appeal in a way and he never imagined he'd be the type to get off on such a thing.

Sure, he knew Hyunwoo fucked you often when he was home but he was usually more mindful of the volume. He must have thought Kihyun wouldn't be home for a while. Naturally. It was barely noon and he usually didn't come strolling in until the early evening.

"This is wrong....this is so wrong..." he thinks. The rational part of him seemed to leap from his body and was attempting to drag him by the hand away from the cursed doorway.

But a different side of him...

A side he didn't even know he had, just couldn't look away.

Just then, Kihyun hears Hyunwoo for the first time when he lets out a few labored grunts. His abs glistened, as does the rest of his muscled body. An attractively erotic sight by itself.

But it's the way he moved that added to Kihyun's urge to grab a hold of himself through his pants.

Hyunwoo's bottom lip was trapped between his teeth and his brow furrows from the effort of him snapping into you faster and harder, making the lewd wet sounds between your legs crescendo. Other than his deeply toned grunts of exertion, his sounds pale in comparison to yours. 

You were very vocal and attractive in the ways you praised his efforts. Calling his name and gasping when he pushed himself deeper than before.

At the strain in your voice, Hyunwoo releases his bitten lip to smile and his hold on your ankles drops down to the back of your knees. He bites his lip again as he put his weight into his lean, falling into you as deep as he could go and relishing in the long drawn-out moan from you at his length.

This makes Kihyun's brow crinkle pitifully due to the way his member jumps and the ache worsens from it being trapped in his underwear.

Not being able to resist it any longer, he takes a quick glance towards the end of the hall before pushing his hand beneath the waistband of his sweats and underwear. The curve of his dick is tucked under a bit and he has to squat slightly to bring it forward to get a proper hold.

Once he has himself gripped firmly at the base, it takes some effort on his part to keep from groaning in relief at how good it felt.

He strokes himself cautiously, mindful of his limbs so as not to bump the wall or slightly ajar door inches from his face.

He checks back in just as Hyunwoo is leaning over you, rocking into you missionary style at a relaxed rhythm. Kihyun has to tilt his head a bit to spot the way Hyunwoo was looming over you now, lip still bitten with hooded eyes on your blissfully pleasured expression.

You're nearly touching at the tips of your noses and Hyunwoo rests his forearms on either side of your head before dropping his to kiss you.

A soft peck.

A lingering peck.

Then the rhythm of his hips slow to match the pace of his lips slowly parting yours, his tongue curling with yours in an open-mouthed kiss.

Kihyun feels a pang of envy in his chest at the sight of you two interacting, the intimate kiss complimenting the way he was handling your body.

The way he was rolling his torso to maintain a slow and steady stroke. The way he was now running his hand down your side, squeezing your hip and coaxing you to lift your leg higher over his waist as he kissed you.

All of these variables had Kihyun stroking himself harder, squeezing himself on the downstroke so that the beads of precum collecting at his tip begin to stain the front of his underwear. He releases a soft huff of annoyance at how confined he still felt and he promptly tugs his dick so that he's hanging over the band of his boxer briefs, now having a bit more room to jerk at himself.

Meanwhile, Hyunwoo is upping his pace. He keeps his lips on yours as he snapped his hips into you faster, rocking your body against the mattress and forcing the volume of your voice to increase again.

You break the kiss and arch up from the bed slightly at how amazing he felt inside of you, hitting every spot you needed to cum. Which you were very well on the way to doing.

"Oh fuck baby...." You exhale, your chin trembling and your eyes fluttering. Hyunwoo takes heed to what your body was telling him and he ups his ante.

Fucking you harder but maintaining his pace.

Reaching up under your armpits and digging his elbows into the mattress as his hands held you at the back of your head, simultaneously anchoring him on top of you.

"Gonna cum? Hmm?" He murmurs to you softly, his lips grazing yours as he spoke.

At the question, Kihyun felt the fuse deep from within him coming close to its end and he increased the rhythm of his hand as you responded.

"Yes..yes baby yes.." you sputtered, barely able to answer from how fast your orgasm approached. Hyunwoo hums in acknowledgment as he continued to fuck you, slamming into you hard as you begged for it.

"Oh, shit..." Hyunwoo murmurs, feeling your walls already clenching around him in preparation.

This alerts Kihyun to two things; you were about cum. Hard. And so was Hyunwoo.

Knowing that alone pushed him even closer to the edge of undoing and Kihyun's breathing increased as he fucked his fist faster.

"Oh fuck..I can feel it..." Hyunwoo groans, his controlled toned sounding less so as he surrenders to the feeling. His jaw falls slack and his forehead is now pressed against yours, his dick steadily driving into you over and over.

Kihyun matches his pace on himself, his eyes slowly beginning to roll at the thought of feeling your heat surrounding him.

Feeling you clench and quiver on his dick the closer you got to your peak.

"Don't stop! Please...don't stop!" You cry out and Hyunwoo groans in response, the strain in his expression evident as he was coming up behind you in the race towards the end.

Kihyun would most definitely be neck and neck with his roommate, his lip now tucked between his teeth and his brow furrowed as he focused all of his energy on reaching his release.

He wasn't as cautious about remaining undiscovered at this point, feeling as if all parties would be too distracted by pleasure to even care. 

As the three of them chased their high, Kihyun felt a slight weakness forming in his knees. This causes him to reach out with his free hand to lean it against the wall adjacent to the doorway for support, subsequently leaning his head back and clenching his eyes shut.

"Oh my god....." he says in tandem with you and you draw out the exclamation as your orgasm washes over suddenly, making you gasp and shudder beneath the strength of Hyunwoo's embrace.

His rhythm kicks into overdrive at this point, taking advantage of the way you were clenching and squeezing him. The added slickness from cumming makes the ride smoother for him to milk himself to the brink of exploding.

He tenses when his release hits him,  whimpering and groaning into the crook of your neck as his hips stalled out. He burrows himself deep inside of you with no mercy, hugging you close as he came.

Like kismet, the hand Kihyun has on the wall snatches away to cover his mouth to muffle the sound of him groaning as he too spilled into his fist. He stumbles away from the crack in the doorway and he carefully collides with the wall across from it in the hall.

The hand around his member is still busy at work, jerking and stroking until the entire front of his pants is stained with his seed.

"Oh fuck...fuck...what the fuck..." he whispers breathily, panting as the sizzle of his orgasm tapers out. It only takes a few seconds for his sense and clarity to settle back in and Kihyun stealthily steps away from the wall. He's mindful of his steps and how quietly he's able to open his bedroom door, only a few feet away from the couple now floating back down to earth.

Half of an hour or so passes and Kihyun had long since freshened himself up. Jumping into his shower and washed away the sweat, cum, and residual shame.

He couldn't believe what he'd just done but he decided it would be better to not dwell on it if he wanted to move on from it. It wasn't like Hyunwoo knew he was watching and if he was concerned about it, he would have made sure his door was closed.

Right?

Voyeurism wasn't something Kihyun ever imagined to be something he'd be into, being on more of the conservative side. Don't get him wrong, in the bedroom he got busy and was quite flexible but it never occurred to him that watching other people get off from such a short distance would get him off.

The more you know...

Some time skipped on and Kihyun found himself mindlessly humming a tune as he tossed some veggies in hot oil around in a skillet.

He was now dressed in a fresh pair of sweats, his brown hair still damp from his shower and his guilt-ridden anxiety from earlier drifting to the back of his mind. At least until he hears a pair of voices beyond the kitchen drawing near from the hallway.

Kihyun glances in the direction of approaching sounds and quickly schools his features as Hyunwoo and his partner come into view.

Your hair was damp and pulled up in a bun to dry and you were dressed comfortably in the clothes you came over in. You had your keys and phone in hand, along with the strap of your bag hanging over your shoulder.

Hyunwoo stands behind you near the doorway, wearing only a pair of dark sweats with his hair still dripping as well. His bare chest flexes as lifts his arms to stretch above his head as he watched you prepare to leave. He stands by while you toe'd at your shoes to slip them on.

At the sound of the food sizzling, he immediately lifts his gaze and acknowledges Kihyun's presence with a nod and Kihyun reciprocates with a tight-lipped smile.

"Hey, how long have you been home? Didn't hear you come in.." Hyunwoo perks his brow and Kihyun averts his gaze when you lift your head to look at him.

You smile politely despite him avoiding eye contact but he gives you a tiny wave to be cordial before responding to his roommate.

How the hell was he gonna be able to act normal now that he'd seen you naked, spread eagle, and exposed?

And not to mention the fact that he'd been attracted to you for while, even with you being with his roommate.

Another reason he held so much guilt. Hyunwoo was his friend as well as his roommate. Lusting after his girl was most definitely against the bro code.

Perhaps this wouldn't be as dismissible as he'd hoped.

"Um...not too long ago. Why?" He follows up and Hyunwoo pouts his bottom lip obliviously as he shrugged.

"Just asking. You're usually home later...." he shakes his head and Kihyun nods as Hyunwoo resumed his attention on you.

"Alright...let me know when you make it home ok?" He tilts his head, regarding you softly with the request. You nod with a smile, rising up on your tip toes to smooch him chastely before reaching for the door.

Hyunwoo swats your hand and grasps it himself to open it for you, making you giggle.

"Will do. See you later." You say with a wink. Hyunwoo winks back and smiles at you with fondness as you moved to step outside.

"Bye Kihyun! Good seeing you.." you call over your shoulder as you leave and Kihyun smirks at the irony of your words as he stirred at his dinner.

"Yeah.....Good seeing you too.."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/n: I know a voyeur and voyager are two different things. Its a play on words...Lemmelone.

*Part 2*

[astroyongie]

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Scenarios Surprise ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

Hey everyone!

I am actually preparing a little something hihi, which is some short scenarios that involve both angst, nsfw, slow burns, soft love. But I need your help for the idols these are going to be for !

So how to participate ? Easy! You just need to choose one of the titles down here and send a request with the idol's name you wouldn't want for these scenarios. There's 28 scenarios open

Rules: the nature of the scenario will be a surprise until it comes out. Also only one idol per scenario and the idol won't be repeated so take your chance! This post will be updated every time an idol took the headcanons

have fun! I hope you guys will like it

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Meddle About - Taken (Heachan, WIP)

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Slow Down - Taken (Jaehyun, WIP)

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Swim - taken (Jihoon, wip)

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Consume - Taken (Sangyeon, WIP)

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Ride - Taken (Mingi, wip)

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Half Of My Heart - Taken (Niki - Posted)

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Eclipse - Taken (Minho, WIP)

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Let It Burn - Taken (Hongjoong, WIP)

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Midnight Psycho - Taken (Changmin (Q), WIP)

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Mania - Taken (Bangchan, WIP)

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Nightcrawler - Taken (Yeonjun, WIP)

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Rush - Taken (Jungkook, WIP)

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ One Last Time - Taken (San . WIP)

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Empty Seat - Taken (Kihyun, WIP)

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Human Nature - Taken (Beomgyu, WIP)

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Numb - Taken (Changkyun, WIP)

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Come My Way - Taken (Jeonghan, WIP)

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Whenever You Are - Taken (Joshua, WIP)

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Gradient - Taken (Taeyong, WIP)

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Miss U - Taken (Sunup, WIP)

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ I Just Want To Hear Your Voice - Taken (Jay, WIP)

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Paranoid - Taken (Mark, WIP)

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ The Walls - Taken (Chanyeol, WIP)

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Into It - Taken (Wooyoung, WIP)

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Right Here - Taken (Chanyeol, WIP)

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Church - Taken (Yuta, WIP)

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Moonlight - Taken (Jake, WIP)

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Heaven and Back - taken (sunghoon, WIP)

[38sr]

Hi! Hope you're having a good day

Sorry to be a bother, I wanted to ask how do you make sure that the character design remains consistant while drawing/animating different perspectives..?

Hello Anon! You're not a bother at all! Hmmm, to be honest maintaining consistency is a result of developing solid drawing skills over time (like since high school). There are tricks you can use like flipping (flipping back and forth between key frames while drawing) or arcs (using curved arcs at certain anchor points to maintain line of motion and volume). But if I'm being honest, having solid draftsmanship skills in animation is super important whether the designs are complex or simple. It's hard to explain but I just visualize the character and motion in a 3D space in my head and try my best to translate that onto a 2D plane. And that was a skill I developed while improving my draftsmanship skills during college and when I started working in animation professionally. Also, I studied a lot of Kihyun Ryu and Ilkwang Kim (famously known for their work on Legend of Korra and Voltron) which has a heavy emphasis on solid volumetric drawing when it comes to the human body. There are other artists I study like Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (Evangelion Rebuild movies), Tadashi Hiramatsu (Parastye), Mamoru Hosoda (The Girl Who Leapt through Time) who also have that same core of strong volumetric drawing (but I would argue for those they are very skilled at simplifying their line work and shape language to fit that anime aesthetic). So it's really a combination of things but I'd say solid drawing skills can carry you a very long way if you're able to look at a design and break down everything into simple shapes and develop the ability to visualize those shapes in a 3D space. At this point in my career, it's become second hand nature to me but I still think I have much more to improve. I hope that answered your question!

[fishy-xp]

seo moonjo ep.3 character study

i have thoughts and you will be subjected to them! i know a lot of people love to see kihyuk as some write-off (because from what i understand he isn't in the webtoon??) or just some placeholder until moonjo met 'the one' (coughyoonjongwoocough) and whilst i do think that to a degree, i also think moonjo, to an extent, did have some kind of intimate relationship with kihyuk. am i saying they fucked? hell no! i'm not even saying it was romantic in the slightest.

but i'm thinking kihyuk was likely someone who had a bad upbringing and a series of misfortune landed him in eden goshiwon. there, he met moonjo, who, as creepy and dashingly handsome as he was, had something kihyuk wanted a taste of NOT BEING HUMAN MEAT, I ACTUALLY DON'T THINK KIHYUK WAS BIG ON THAT PART, I THINK THAT'S SOLELY A MOONJO THING. but he saw a cunning, smart, charismatic man who exuded complete authority, power and control over every aspect of his life. kihyuk learned to idolise him, as we see he also wears long-sleeves all the time despite the heat and i honestly doubt he's doing that because he's got scars to hide. the killing as well, gave him a sense of power he likely never had and he loved it. but that's where he differed from moonjo.

from moonjo, it was never about the power, it was the art, the act of it, itself. something laid out piece by piece and for a purpose. not a crudely planned kill as part of a scramble after your hostage managed to call his detective buddy. the greed for power is what got kihyuk killed.

because even though moonjo knew that kihyuk was no artist, as much as he tried to copy moonjo, there was still a misguided romantic in moonjo that gave kihyuk the chance. that opened up his world and his works to another he hasn't in a way with the other residents. that's why it did pain him to have to kill kihyuk. during that scene, he is holding kihyun's head as he's injecting him, he looks down as he's strangling kihyuk, eyes with a wild mixed ranged of emotions and in the end he still compliments him and calls him jagiya. i'm sure he feels angry and betrayed because kihyuk broke the rules, and if you are going to copy an artist, you must do it right and not make a mockery of their art. and when an artist can no longer use their favourite paintbrush because it's broken, they must throw it away.

on an unrelated note, i love the take that moonjo is just a socially awkward sociopath who doesn't know how to interact with his crush, and it's so cute to think that when he sees jongwoo get excited by him mentioning raymond chandler, he thinks he's impressed his crush and is so proud of himself for it like you go you malnourished cannibal psychopath, you get that boy of yours!

[mymoodwriting]

LØV3

F!Reader x Hyungwon

Genre: Yandere AU

Warning: Drugs, Medication, Electrocution, Choking, Suffocation, Manipulation, Abuse, Physical Abuse, Paranoia, Anxiety

Words: 2.3K

Chapter Fourteen 

(Prev//Next)

Prompt: NexGen is the leading company for all of humanities technological advances. Their recent project involves creating a higher functioning AI, one with basic knowledge of the world, and programmed to learn. It’s no surprise the project is a secret from the general public, and you, the company’s head programmer, were chosen to be the AI’s teacher. You wish you could reject the assignment, but the decision was made. Now with an AI at home things were different. Although it might not be such a bad thing, perhaps you could learn and help each other out, for better or for worse.

(@starillusion13 @makeyourfantasydreamscometrue)

“Welcome home.”

The last time you had actually been at your house was the day Chae Hyungwon revealed his true colors to you. This place didn’t even feel like home anymore. You had made such good memories here, but now they were all tainted. It wasn’t hard to understand that you were a prisoner in your own home. Hyungwon put you to bed, having somethings he needed to do, and for now he needed you out of the way. You had no idea for how long you slept, but when you woke up everything was still.

For a moment you could delude yourself into thinking everything was fine, but that was far from the case. While you slept Chae remained a bracelet on your arm, but as soon as you were awake he was around your head again. After a while you decided to get up, being careful as you weren’t exactly steady on your feet. If you had any doubts about your house not being your own anymore, this confirmed it. When you opened the bedroom door you saw multiple orbs fly past. It was a strange sight, and you stepped out into the hall leaning against the walls.

“Hyungwon…”

The only place you could think to look was in your home office. The door was ajar and you gently pushed it open, seeing that the room had been upgraded. It was a whole set up, allowing both Hyungwon and Minhyuk to work. When you opened the door Hyungwon noticed you, offering you a smile and getting up.

“What are you doing out of bed, you need rest.”

“I’m fine.”

“I’m sure you are, that’s why I called over some friends.”

“Huh?”

Hyungwon took your hands and led you back to your bedroom. There you found Wonho and Kihyun setting some of their things down.

“There she is.” Wonho remarked. “It’s so good to see you again.”

“Uh…”

“They’re here to do a house call.” Hyungwon explained. “You haven’t been to the doctor in a while, so I had them come here.”

“Just a routine check up.” Kihyun assured. “Nothing to worry about.”

You sat down on the edge of the bed, Hyungwon leaving you with the two of them. Just as they said they did a simple check up. Although Wonho wound up scolding you.

“Kihyun tells me you didn’t pick up your meds, so you haven’t been taking them.”

“…”

“You’re still healing so it’s important that you take them.”

“I brought your refill.” Kihyun said. “So you can continue.”

“Excellent.”

Wonho had you take the pills, making you feel a bit uneasy as you weren’t entirely sure what you had been given. As you were finishing up Hyungwon came in, happy to hear the results from the other two.

“Since everything is good, I can show you your surprise.”

“A surprise?”

“You’ll love it, but first let’s get you dressed.”

Hyungwon helped you get properly cleaned up before picking out an outfit for you. Once again Minhyuk was the one to drive you around. Despite Hyungwon telling you this was a surprise, you kind of expected you’d be going back to NexGen. Although you didn’t know what he really meant until you walked in. He pulled out a keycard and let himself through with you in tow. Other employees merely greeted you both. It was strange, making you feel that something was off. The elevator ride took you up to the floor you used to work on and the whole place was unsettling.

It was eerily quiet on that floor, and multiple orbs were floating around, more than before. You could only hear the sounds of keys clacking and some low voices on calls. Hyungwon took your hand in his and led you over to your old office. He had a big smile on his face as he opened the door. A giant welcome back sign hung by the windows, and you could see some gifts around your desk. Before you could ask, Hyungwon explained that you had been reinstated as head programmer at NexGen. You looked at him with confusion, not understanding why he would do such a thing.

“The way things went down wasn’t right, and this is your rightful place.”

“But… what’s the catch? I doubt you’d let me take over this project of yours.”

“It’s easier for the company to go along with my plans if your name is on it. You built quite a reputation for yourself.”

“So you’re just using me.”

“I’m letting you rest. You gave a lot to this place, it’s only fair to return the favor. Minhyuk and I will take care of everything.”

“Hyungwon, you can’t-”

You groaned as you felt another shock run through your head, making your vision go blurry for a moment. Hyungwon held you up and brought you over to the couch.

“We can get some work done. So just relax, and I’ll play you some music.”

“No, that stuff-”

“Sh, sh, it’s okay. I’m so thankful for you and for being yourself. We’re changing the world together.”

“Hyungwon, please talk to me…”

The door opened and Minhyuk let himself in, interrupting your attempt at a conversation. Hyungwon’s attention shifted and you were left on the couch with your head getting foggy.

“Did you give Wonho and Kihyun their cases?”

“Yes. They’re set to distribute them tomorrow after the launch. Shownu will come by later to get his so we won’t worry about anything.”

“Good.”

“Wait… wait… the launch is tomorrow?”

“Yes.” Hyungwon exclaimed. “We have somethings to prepare, and we have to go over the speech. Everything has to be perfect for tomorrow.”

♥♥♥♥♥

Changkyun woke in a cold sweat, screaming and thrashing around. He soon recognized his surroundings and calmed down. Although his cell mates started to yell at him and told him to keep it down.  He apologized and got up to use the restroom, trying to move past the nightmare.

“Inmate 0126, you have a visitor.”

It hadn’t been that long since Changkyun had been charged and thrown in prison. The whole thing had been rushed, and he only stood in front of a judge for sentencing. He was worried as to who this visitor was, but he wasn’t going to reject them. He was led over to a room, surprised to see officer Lee.

“How’s prison life treating you?”

“I’m super paranoid if that’s what you mean.”

“Why?”

“I’m caged with a target on my back. Don’t be surprised if I wind up dead.”

“You really think someone is gonna kill you?”

“Yes. Why are you here?”

“Have you heard the news?”

“No, why?”

The officer placed a small gift on the table, confusing Changkyun. When he opened it he pulled out a small orb. Changkyun immediately panicked and fell out of his chair.

“Why do you have that!”

“Calm down, it hasn’t been activated. Although I have to admit, I didn’t expect such a reaction.”

“One of those things tried to kill me!”

“This thing? Doubtful.”

Changkyun got back up, taking the orb from the other when it was offered to him. He examined it cautiously, confirming that it wasn’t active yet.

“How did you get this?”

“It was a gift.”

“From who?”

“NexGen.”

“What?”

“That little AI thing you mentioned before, they launched it. So I guess you weren’t lying.”

“They launched it? The project was still in early stages and the AI-”

“I guess you were wrong about the timeline, and the intention. You see these little AIs are being sold to the public. They’re designed to help one in their day to day lives. The demonstration showed how useful they could be, and they’re honestly quite affordable.”

“You bought one? After everything I told you?”

“Oh no, I didn’t buy this, it was a gift. NexGen sent many of these orbs to police stations and hospitals, intending to help their work and better communicate with the drones we already have. Honestly, this whole thing sounds incredible.”

“So you’re here to brag?”

“You know, while I was watching the launch I kept thinking back to what you said. And the thing is.” Lee stared at the orb. “NexGen isn’t known for being so charitable. Technology like this is very advanced, and they’re just handing it out. My question is why. What is the goal?”

“You’re suspicious of NexGen’s intentions.”

“I am. Also, your friend is back with the company.”

“My friend? You mean y/n?”

“Yeah. She did the whole launch with that Hyungwon guy.”

“She had an orb too, right?”

“The one you said went rogue, yeah. So what is NexGen doing?”

“I don’t know.” Changkyun admitted. “A launch this soon, the AIs can’t possibly…”

“What?”

“The rogue AI… if its code was copied into every orb…”

“Then that AI is running the whole show. That doesn’t tell me what its plan is.”

“I wouldn’t know. Their code is corrupted and unpredictable. All it wanted was y/n, and it seems to have that now. So I have no idea what it’s doing.” Changkyun took a moment. “That Hyungwon guy.”

“Chae Hyungwon, he was by her side at the launch.”

“Chae… Chae… don’t trust that guy… he’s very likely an android… and inhabited by that rogue AI…”

“You sure?”

“No, but something isn’t right with him. Look, whatever NexGen is planning, you’d have to ask y/n, she’s the only one who would know.”

“I doubt that’d be easy.”

“Don’t trust those orbs.”

“I don’t.”

“Well, just in case, code black 0024, that’s the emergency reset protocol. It might still work.”

“Good to know.”

“Officer-”

“You can just call me Jooheon.”

“Jooheon… do the officers here have the orbs?”

“I didn’t see any on my way in, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they get implemented here soon. This is a place that has a lot of police drones.”

“When that happens… I’ll most likely die in here… and it won’t be an accident…”

“Why would you die?”

“For the same reasons I’ve been telling you. I know about the rogue AI, and now you do too, so you might want to be careful.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Jooheon got up. “I’ll keep you updated on things.”

“Get to y/n, please. Whatever’s going on, she’s not safe.”

“I’ll try to get to her, but I can’t make any promises.”

“I know.”

Jooheon made his way back to the station, a lot on his mind. When he arrived he was greeted by his partner. Everything seemed normal until he was asked to speak in private in one of the interrogation rooms.

“What’s this about, Shownu?”

“I didn’t see you this morning, and I heard you went to visit Changkyun. Why is that?”

“Well, considering what he told us before, I wanted to get his opinion on the matter.”

“What matter?”

“This whole launch from NexGen, I don’t trust it.”

“Is that why you haven’t activated your orb?”

“Have you?”

“Of course. Everyone in the station has.”

“Hm.”

“Do you believe all those crazy things that guy said before?”

“I don’t know but something feels off here. I never really trusted the drones either.”

“You can’t be the only one outside the loop here, you’re an officer. Here.” Shownu pulled out an active orb from his jacket pocket. “You can take this one.”

“I’ll pass.”

Jooheon figured the conversation was over and intended to make his way out when the orb suddenly charged at him and changed shape. It snapped around his neck and tightened, making it hard to breathe. Jooheon reached up to remove it, but he couldn’t get his fingers under it. He felt a shock and stumbled to the ground. He looked up at Shownu, trying to reach out to him for help, but the other only stood there and watched.

“You’ll be fine.”

♥♥♥♥♥

Changkyun’s paranoia only got worse as he saw those orbs implemented in the prison. Now he definitely felt like he was being watched twenty-four seven. He probably upset his cell mates and soon enough he wound up getting into a fight. Because of that he wound up in solitary confinement which wasn’t so bad. It eased his anxieties a bit. At least for a while. He could sleep easily although one night he woke to the sound of knocking on his cell door. It was dark, and he saw no one outside his cell. As he got up to check an orb suddenly flew in. He immediately retreated, pressing his back against the wall. He was waiting for some sort of attack, but instead the orb projected a hologram of a familiar individual.

“Hyungwon…”

“Are you enjoying your arrangements?”

“What the hell are you doing!”

“Following my programming.”

“So you are an android. How did you-”

“I have been meaning to thank you. If not for you I might not have been able to reach my true potential.”

“I don’t want your thanks.”

“Well, I have come here with a preposition. You’re a valuable asset to NexGen, and I would like you to join me.”

“Whatever you’re doing, I want no part of it.”

“I understand. Unfortunately I can’t have unresolved ends. Thank you again for everything you’ve done.”

The hologram disappeared, giving Changkyun a false sense of relief. The next thing he knew the orb was around his neck, choking him out and electrocuting him. He screamed and thrashed on the floor, calling for help, but he wasn’t so sure he’d get it.

♥♥♥♥♥

You woke up screaming, falling out of bed and thrashing on the floor. It took a second for Chae to get back on your head, sending out minor electrical waves to calm you down. As you were steadying your breath Hyungwon came into the room, picking you up in his arms and getting you back into bed.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, I’m here, I’m here. Did you have a bad dream?”

“I’m scared.”

“You have nothing to fear.” Hyungwon kissed your head. “I’m sorry I haven’t been around too much, but once everything goes through we’ll have all the time in the world to spend together.”

“Hyungwon… I’m worried about you… all these plans… they’re so extreme and-”

“Sh, sh, sh, it’s nothing you need to concern yourself with. Soon enough I’ll have everything under control.”

[pajarinwrites]

MONSTA X RECS

directory | general masterlist

✨ favourites

SHOWNU

pretty screaming my name @iibonniee 1.4k unprotected, size, nakadashi...... i can neither deny nor confirm the rumours that these are some of my biggest kinks. pls stop asking.

torture @wasteitonserendipity 0.7k sub!hyunwoo; personally, i think we should start a petition to get a fleshed out version of this; who are you torturing?? me?? (pls give me more)

WONHO

nothing yet

MINHYUK

Human anatomy and physiology ✨ @iibonniee professor!minhyuk, i'm always a slut for professors; and blowjobs; and teasing men; this might be my favourite out of all the mx fan fiction i've read so far

KIHYUN

the best part @frenchkisstheabyss 0.9k i am once again asking you to make their stupid good fics longer oh my lord pls

HYUNGWON

morning daze ✨ @irregular-idol-imagines 0.7k another one on the ever growing list of MONBEBE-FOR-THE-LOVE-OF-EVERYTHING-GOOD-AND-HOLY-WRITE-A-WHOLE-FIC-PLEASE; its way too short, i wish hyungwon was ogling me much longer than for 700 words, love the way he's charaterised in this

JOOHONEY

nothing yet

I.M

(in)convenient ✨ @sluttywonwoo 4.4k fakeeee datiiiing with iiim changkyuun, AHHHHH, i swear carats are just better writers than anyone else, the shit i find for svt (and for other groups by ppl with carat handles) never disappoints?? what is up carats??, this was posted in 2022 though so i don't know if i can hope for the continuation :(((, one of my fave lines: "What was wrong with you? Literally what the fuck was wrong with you?"

[vitaefm]

𝑽𝑰𝑻𝑨𝑬𝑭𝑴    ⸻⸻⸻     is a closed,    literate,    oc roleplay based on the world of darkness by white wolf entertainment set in the city of  seoul,    south korea.    vampires stalk the streets,    shielded from view by the six tenets known as  the traditions.    while it is indisputable that they rule over the world of the humans,    among them petty squabbles and ancient blood feuds run rampant.    the two factions of  camarilla    &    anarch  war over philosophy as well as territory,     united only against the savage  sabbat.     as the threat of discovery looms over them,    the kindred of seoul must decide whether peace or conquest is the key to fending off the second inquisition.

𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.    plot. rules. world. clans. roles. mobile navigation. 𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫.    online    \    offline    \    lurking. 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬.  open for interactions ! 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭.    chapter 1, scene 1: the farewell. 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 & 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.    under the cut.

listed below are current reservations. all reservations expire at 10:00 pm pst on the dates listed.

none.

listed below are pending applications.

yi kihyun ( kim taehyung / v ) by poppy. *clan tremere + seneschal ⸻ accepted.

[synthetickitsune]

hi!! out of all the idols you stan, who would you date, fuck and marry 😋 and why! hi hi just a lil fun question im curious about

Hey~, anon - and, uh, I love you?? Thanks for asking, I spent too much time thinking abou this, and I love thinking about stuff!! I literally made excel spreadsheet for it lmao

Also I'm switching fuck for ~spicy cuddles~ (free to interpretation) because of my ace ass lol

tl;dr comprehensive version:

Date: Yonghoon (Onewe) - this is not a want, this is a need just ult things </3

Spicy cuddles: Jaeyoon (SF9) - this

Marry: Jun (Seventeen) - I can't pretend I'm normal about him anymore

Full version with all the groups under the cut because it got too long~ (and F for the groups that didn't make it in anyway)

(Also why am I never marrying my biases??? lmao...)

Ateez

Date: Yeosang - all the members keep saying he’s really innocent and ??? that’s very appealing? also I want someone who’ll make gummy bears concerts with me </3

Spicy cuddles: Seonghwa - maybe I wanna get as close to fucking a jedi master as I can or maybe I just think Hwa would be so gentle when cuddling that it makes me wanna cry, who knows

Marry: San - I just love him, ok? and he seems like a really gentle, nice guy, he's so funny and caring, and I love his cat so much tbh

EXO

Date: Chanyeol - I love him but I think he’s too high energy for me lmao and I’d feel bad I’m not as sporty + he gives me the vibes of dating for a while and then realizing it’s better to be best friends for some reason, lmao, idk but it’s very wholesome in my mind

Spicy cuddles: Lay - he’s so cute fml, also my man needs some break and we could nap together afterwards 

Marry: Baekhyun - look, I saw one vid of him being super calm and soft and making pottery and some ‘ㅋ’ cup and I’ve loved him ever since okay? also I want the fucking cup

Monsta X

Date: Hyungwon - he's besties with Jeonghan and I'll trust Hannie's judgment of character lmao

Spicy cuddles: Kihyun - look at the man, he's got me on my knees I love him and think he'd be so comfy to cuddle with?? he'd give the best headpats and backrubs??

Marry: I.M - something about his vibe makes me cry, I wanna be lonely with him </3

Oneus

Date: Leedo - a gentle giant pt. 1, and as much as I don't like kids, seeing him so soft with children makes my brain go haywire 

Spicy cuddles: Hwanwoong - he's really fun, y'know?

Marry: Seoho - he's good at everything he does and hella smart, I need a man like that lol

Onewe

Date: Yonghoon - look I've thought about this unholy amount of time and it's breaking my heart, honestly, but like Hoonie strikes me as a pretty realistic guy and idk how that would work out but I just wanna try it to make sure lmao 😭

Spicy cuddles: Harin - a gentle giant pt. 2, and I'd feel safe with him 

Marry: Kanghyun - he's just like me for real and I need someone to talk about books and space with </3

Seventeen

Date: Jeonghan - I'm very soft for this man and I love him so much but also I'd flinch every time he'd hit the stove or the door lmao

Spicy cuddles: Joshua - gentleman (? 🤨), his tiddies and arms would make me feel safe

Marry: Jun - no thoughts, head empty, kicking, screaming, crying just one chance, pls mr. wen 🥲

SF9

Date: Inseong - nothing as attractive as a smart fox-like man who's also cute and chaotic 

Spicy cuddles: Jaeyoon - look at the man I'm a firm believer in human heater Jaeyoon agenda and you know this pic? I want that 

Marry: Zuho - his cats, his gentle nature, his squishy cheeks, his cute smile... him 🤧 (Hwiyoung was a candidate n.2 but after all the clips of him talking about his family and having a family of his own, I don't think I could handle seeing a healthy and functioning family or create one T-T)

Stray Kids

Date: Han - he's cute and I just know he's the sweetest, also makes the best sad love songs

Spicy cuddles: Lee Know - make it regular cuddles and invite the cats in I just want a kitty

Marry: Bang Chan - duh. he's already got 7 kids, he can handle one more

Victon

Date: Hanse - I think he'd be a really interesting person to hang out with?? me and my weirdass vibes again, but two friends fucking around and finding out it's not working after all?

Spicy cuddles: Seungsik - look, I just think he looks like a polar bear and I want him to crush me with his love

Marry: Sejun - I can't live with the possibility he eats cereal like that and I guess the ring would add some more power to my influence lmao, also he's just neat and I love him

[binniesoob]

💘 BIAS LIST

when they said "you don't choose your bias, THEY choose you" they were right.

this lists focuses only on my favourite groups atm! it's hard for me to choose a bias unless i know the group and its members personality to some degree.

TXT

BIAS — Soobin stole my heart!!!!!!!!!!! 😭💘

BIAS WRECKERS — Yeonjun, Taehyun, Hueningkai and Beomgyu 🫶🏻 i love my tubatu just a normal amount (with my whole being every atom of my humble human form).

MONSTA X

BIAS — I.M 🙏 i'm very down bad for this man yall it's concerning

BIAS WRECKERS — Kihyun, Hyungwon 🤏 my pookiess

ONLYONEOF

BIAS — Nine and Yoojung (because i'm gay and i love evil gays and living memes)

BIAS WRECKERS — Mill, Rie 🤏 my pookiess pt2

ATEEZ

BIAS LINE includes Wooyoung, Yunho, Seonghwa, San

LESSERAFIM

BIAS — Yunjin (another day another "do i wanna be her or be with her?" )

NEW JEANS

BIAS — Hanni (this girl literally stole my heart 😭)

(G)I-DLE

BIAS LINE includes Shuhua, Yuqi and Minnie <3 the gay panic is real

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆

me realizing i have a type while drawing up the list:

very interesting how their zodiac signs are highly compatible with my sign (libra) as well... it's all coming together 👀

[tuwam]

@urianius

“having second thoughts?”

kihyun doesn’t have a reason for his words, most of the time he never does. they’re usually just to get a reaction and from that reaction he will find a reason. however, there’s really only one person that he both chooses and doesn’t choose to pick his words around. ahyeon is that certified person. he chooses because she makes it so that he needs to be careful - as well as care to be careful. for most of his life he’s known that words come with consequences, and he hasn’t cared much for those consequences, whatever consequences kihyun can always face head on and come out on top. 

not to mention the only people to ever stand against him with said consequences - and not just with fists were ahyeon and daniel. though technically speaking - kihyun went out of his way to make sure he didn’t face physical consequences with daniel, he’s smart not suicidal. he does get kicks out of teasing the older though, just as he gets kicks out of teasing ahyeon. she however, always provided a challenge, a fun to the entire game, and he never found himself being able to anticipate what she would say or do.

it was stupid, but it’s how they became friends. and now when he knows he should be serious, despite his best judgement, he’s approaching the situation as unserious as he can. so, he’d said the words with a smile, with another slide of his blades against the needles sticking from his pores. they’ve been on stakeout duty, one of the more - boring aspects of the job they’ve set out to do. although, the versatility of the task they’ve taken on, makes for quite an exciting set of events.

‘no. i’m just assessing the situation.’ 

watching a human - half-human at that, is not exactly his idea of an exciting time. but ahyeon had been sure about this one and if kihyun trusted anyone’s judgement it was hers. the person in question, was their prince candidate for the spring court, who was desperately trying to cover up the fatal illness befalling their current leader. their queen, the damned woman had so much hubris, she waited until there was a timeline on her last breath before giving them the whereabouts of the only one who could ascend the throne. not after kihyun and ahyeon accosted every sentry, advisor and aide in the court from years past about the rumored information. everyone knew once they set their minds on a set of information - though they had different methods of getting it, they got it.

a bastard heir - but a legitimate one. she held onto the secret until they’d assured her the winter court would be at their steps the very second she shut her eyes. that and - the sound of kihyun scraping blades against his own needles - was persuasive enough. an heir she hoped to protect by keeping him in the human world - kihyun had scoffed that his royal blood was enough to never fully separate him from his duty. upon observation the prince to be was - a strange one but when had the spring court been anything but strange. one look at him and kihyun could see the heavily applied glamour as well as the foolhardy spring court sentries trying to keep their distance and keep an eye on him.

“if you ask me,” he begins. ‘i didn’t.’ ahyeon stops him. “because you will - i think he’d be happier with us.” ‘but i didn’t ask you, because i knew you’d say that.’

kihyun’s wings are unruly, excited at whatever prospect they have in this half-breed and how much ahyeon seems to be thinking of a decision he’d thought they were sure about. 

“does he look happy to you?” ‘you’re concerned about his happiness?’ “aren’t you? isn’t that why you’ve been standing there?”

they’d agreed to approach him faster than planned, what with the summer king already announcing marriage plans of his daughter to their very own court monarch, ahead of schedule. they’d been forced to forfeit their initial plan of engaging with the soon-to-be spring prince delicately due to their timetable getting ripped from underneath them. following the trail of faerie dust spring fae always forget to clean up, they’d found the routine of this - haneul between going to a fae-owned coffee shop, to meeting with his singular heavily glamoured fae friend. it was hilarious how the boy seemed to already only keep company of fae creatures, even in his ignorance. kihyun had wondered if the shop owner would be a problem and why he seemed so familiar but declined to think about it. 

they had bigger issues.

‘i’m not standing here i’m waiting.’ “for what...” kihyun’s questions are answered when one of the sentries who’d been following haneul around changes course and heads right for them. he doesn’t have time to react because he can clearly see the remnants of the winter court’s own dust circling under his eyes. a pale white that looks like tiny snowflakes circling around the sentry’s nose. kihyun snorts a laugh as the male sentry makes him way to ahyeon, determination in his step.

‘did you deliver the note?’ the man can’t form words, but he nods so hard at ahyeon’s question - they get their answer. ahyeon’s smile is easy, and with a curl of her hands, the dust starts to drift, and the sentry stops, blinks, turns, and walks back to his group as if he’d never left. kihyun blinks, watching the group continue to leave, no sign that they’d seen their friend gone or that they’re intent on following haneul for the remainder of the day. 

“you used dust...you?” ‘we don’t have time.’

he blinks, tool not frozen in his palm as he watches his friend. most people - if not anyone who knows of their reputation, knows that they’ve had to do unsavory things under the command of the winter court, things that yielded very specific to who they were. they don’t talk about it but between everyone they know, kihyun and ahyeon know each other’s tactics the most. still. he’s not blinking out of anything like surprise, or disgust. in fact, he’s blinking because he sees the red that starts to collect around her nose and around her cheeks. 

“oh i’m so telling daniel.” ‘not if you die you won’t-’

‘hey? did you write this?’ for the moment kihyun is surprised at the speed of the events around them because standing before them - is haneul. haneul - looking right at them with kihyun’s needles still sticking out his pores and him wings on full display. he hadn’t even noticed ahyeon had started to don her glamour, too engrossed in teasing her. haneul however, doesn’t bat an eye, kihyun for the moment decides that he doesn’t care when the boy’s eyes run over him, from his wings down to his combat shoes.

‘yes, haneul right?’ ‘yeah, do i know you?’

there’s an awkward kind of silence in the air and well - seeing as the boy hasn’t asked the normal questions that any human would - and seeing as ahyeon said they have no time. kihyun jumps at the opportunity like a shark after blood.

“your mother, the spring queen, is on her deathbed. and we need you to come with us.”

ahyeon actually smacks him at that. like literally, hand across his head, wing across his head, smacks him. she even made a point to forsake her glamour just to make sure to smack him with her wing.

“i thought you said we didn’t have time?!” ‘we have time to ease him into it you idiot.’ “like you eased that sentry into giving the note.” ‘like i’m going to ease my foot up your-’

‘do i need to come now? i’m meeting a friend.’

both fae stop in their tracks, ahyeon’s hands seconds from yanking kihyun’s hair out his scalp. they stop mainly because - they can’t believe what they’re hearing. kihyun takes the moment, to detangle his hair from ahyeon’s hand and take a look at the kid that’s supposed to take over the spring court. he’s taller them him ( duh ), taller than both of them actually but when he looks at them kihyun wants to snap in his face because the boy looks like he’s going to fall asleep. like he’s bored! even when his eyes have scanned the wings, the needles, the lack of glamour, he looks - unfazed. 

‘you - you what?’ ‘i can come by after, i don’t want her to wait up.’ ‘did you hear what he said? do you see his wings?’ ‘it won’t take long.’

ahyeon is floored. kihyun has the nerve to cackle, suddenly thoroughly interested in whatever this kid has to say.

‘uh. yeah sure - can you meet us at the coffee shop?’ ‘yeah of course. um - will your -’ the kid - haneul - is addressing kihyun directly now. more importantly, looking and trying to gesture at the wings that are moving freely about him. “will my...” ‘will you be comfortable - we can just meet here.’

kihyun cackles again allowing the needles to retreat back into freckles  that don his skin in response to the boy’s question. spring fae are always overly concerned with the wrong things. but somehow - it always tends to be endearing. 

“i’ll be fine.” ‘okay! i’ll be - i’ll see you there.’

he scurries off, both of them unable to tell what kind of expression is on his face and even if they could, kihyun’s sure they’d both be stumped by what it means. it’s silent for the moment, ahyeon getting her glamour ready properly and kihyun doing the same. 

“this’ll be fun.” ‘kihyun----’ “i’m still telling daniel you know.” ‘i hope you’re allergic to the pastries.’

[intuwam]

Courts:

Autumn: Seoyun, Seojun

Summer: Jules, June

Spring: Haneul, Miyoung, Guard

Winter: Ahyeon, Kihyun, Noori, Daniel

I think, summer and winter courts, because of their power, have features that can easily be masked in the human world but for spring and autumn courts it’s a lot harder, each court holds festivals and dances that are related to that. That's why, spring and autumn court fae are more likely to hold dances and celebrate within in the veil of the human world, easier for people to get trapped and entranced, winter and summer court fae, are more likely to blend in the human world but less likely to venture out. Their dances are reserved for high fae and their court only. I think summer and winter fae might see themselves as the true fae, more regal and the autumn and spring fae might be seen as more animalistic, some even going far to say they’re the deformed ones.  

Seoyun.

Seoyun and Seojun probably retain some of the same features but all in all they might be opposites of one another. They both have the same eyes, white with a single circle or film in it, seoyun’s are more on the browner side than her brother, think the color of wood and oak trees. I think she does retain some of the broadness in her shoulders as well because in autumn things are strong and grow out, but she still has feminity to it, it’s seoyun for crying out loud she’s always been rather imposing but still feminine. While seojun’s veins are gray and silver hers are brown and silver, her skin tone isn’t as warm as his though, it’s a little more on the pale side, which makes the brown and silver stand out more. While Seojun’s got antler fixtures that extend from his eyebrows, I think seoyun has these fixtures extending beyond her shoulder-blades. They start from her clavicle and just branch out and down, almost exactly like branches and her ears point and are darker in the way a female deer’s would. Her wings are silver and brown, with speckles of light blue. Her wings definitely have more of the texture and structure of wood and branches but like her brother, aren’t used for much flying because of how thin they hold against the wind. I don’t think a lot of royal autumn faes fly with their wings, they’re more grounded so their wings tend to be heavier and thicker.

Haneul.

My son. So spring is strange because it has the coldness of winter but the hopeful rain and then warmth to bring summer.  Anyway, still going with the concept that the autumn and fall courts are quirky and beautiful with distinct changes in the anatomy. Haneul I’m almost positive has fair skin, it’s not too warm actually but it’s got traces of green, silver and blue in his veins, most specifically near the corners of his eyes, in the human world it probably just looks like heavy eye bags like he doesn’t get sleep, but in the fae world they shine. Same with his eyes, they’re probably clear but have specks of pinks, green and blue in them, it might cause someone to get dizzy if they stare too much. His hair’s teal and green, really shaggy and full, but not too long it stops at his shoulders. His hands are probably the most distinctive feature, on his knuckles flowers and ferns can sprout depending on his mood or depending later on, on the state of the court. They bloom flowers and sprout when he’s good, when he’s not anything bloomed will wilt and wilted weeds will start falling from his hair. Way back in the day, before his time, the old spring court royalty could sprout new fae from the buds that grew on their skin. I wanna say royal fae are the only ones who can produce life/elements from their body, the members of their court are just born with the variations on them. Haneul’s wings, aren’t big at all actually, opposite of the autumn court, but they help to flit around a little bit, they’re not heavy and really don’t extend past his shoulder blades much, but they get the job done. They're a softer color, silver and teal.  

Most spring court fae have a little bit of teal in their veins, and it almost makes them look like they have a cold, but the brightness and warmth in their skin can help to alleviate that, I also hc that as the seasons get closer to summer they start to look duller, because they’ve spent all their energy helping things grow and bloom, and when its just pulling from winter, they look their brightest and liveliest. Spring fae also are on the shy side, they prefer to tend to the lands, flitting about with forest animals and such, and are mischievous, prefer hiding in brush and fields than the other fae.  

Guard.

Ah yes. Haneul’s favorite person. So the spring court guard are tricky, they’re not built as the winter guard but they’re not as thin as the summer guard. They are quick, but excellent at masking themselves and blending in their environments. Their weapon of choice are long range as they prefer to attack from the brush, much like autumn court, autumn court has more brawn in them however.

Haneul’s guard wears the colors pink and teal and black, this particular fae has more colors of blue in his veins than anything else, but his skin is noticeably warmer toned than that of their prince. His ferns grown from his wrists and are quick to sharpen when he thinks there is danger around them. His wings droop, long below his shoulders and are black and dark blue in color. His most noticeable feature is the green of his eyes that match the ferns in his wrist and his stature, a little more built than the others.  

June.

MY BOY.

OH BOY THE SUMMER COURT. Obnoxiously bright and stressful for all those around them. I hc that way back when, in old days, the summer high court was downright painful to look at up close because they literally shone, like the sun. But now their skin just has a glow to it. It's also quite terrifying if the court isn’t doing well, the fae look dull, dead. Anyway june my boy.

So June, god the boy is the epitome of the summer court, one look at him and you know he’s the summer court, the only difference is that most summer court boys have smaller frames, their diets aren’t like the south, fruits, veggies, beans etc. The southern winter court, prides on rices, potatoes and meats. Anyway broad shouldered bright eyed junebug.  

His eyes are a clear brown, they look dark until you get closer and they look like the shine, in the way that hazel eyes do, nothing crazy really. The film that falls over it is just to prevent it from boring into others, most summer court fae have this so that when looking at other fae, it doesn’t feel like staring into a mirror. Anyway yes brown hair, full and pretty long, usually in a ponytail bc its hot. Most summer court fae pride themselves in their hair bc it grows so full and can be sold as if it’s spun gold. High court fae rarely cut their hair, unless for special occasions. Im doing all these hc and im supposed to be writing about june. Anyway. Anyway, no matter the color of their hair, in summer court light it’ll always shine like gold.  

I think because the summer and winter fae are a lot to look at regardless, their wings can be a little on the tamer side, but they look more how you’d expect wings to look, they’re big and they’re flowy, typically burdened with the flowers that grow on them, june’s wings are big and bold in a way a butterfly’s wings are, a mixture of orange and brown but they don’t have flowers on them. The most notable thing for june is that the flowers for him grow around his eyes, little petals that shed, when they feel like it.

Jules.

OH yeah.  

So, basing off of all the headcanons I wrote about the summer court just now.

Jules is a little scary looking, in the sense that her skin is more tan and has that golden sheen to it, her hair is pale yellow and has silver in it that’s strong on the eyes, super long and goes down her back, always has to be pulled up in some kind of do. Her eyes, are the same color as her hair, that pale yellow with silver flecks in it, almost impossible to look at for too long. Her wings are just as bold as june’s big and because of her frame they tend to overtake her a lot, they’re orange and green, much brighter than his and the flowers that flowers that grow in her hair often help her to tie it up and arrange it. She's got more of the lithe frame that more summer fae have and both her wrists and the bones across her her clavicle are adorned by flower petals that grow and bloom, and annoy her on a constant basis. Summer royal court are always high and regal looking and jules is no exception, her brother holds some of the more wilder aspects of summer, where she holds the shine and beauty of it.  

BOY OH BOY THE WINTER COURT.

Here we go lads.

So yeah, okay okay okay it’s so easy to say that the winter court look dead, but they DONT, in fact they are direct foils to their summer couterparts, stll as hauntingly beautiful, in the way that countries that have more snow than summer are still so beautiful even in their cold and life still exists. Still, the conditions are harsher and the fae here show it as such. While sumemr court fae might shine some form of golden, bright or yellow, in reverance for their sun, winter court migth shine the colder, darker colors of night, they can be variations of crystal colors, midnight blues and even whites and blacks. Their wings are smaller but they’re strong, they have to be thick to last winter and cold but they don’t need to fly about much so they’re relatively useless in the way autumn wings are. I also think they have simpler, cleaner cut looks, and drape themselves in garment to stay warm when need be, but they’re quite used to the cold. Summer court probably has lighter clothing, or – none if they want, more flowy, extravagance in their hair and wings.

Noori.

but her skin is midnight blue, like cobalt, like the night sky and it shines a diamond glitter when the moonlight hits her, she’s probably also very cold to the touch I would assume. It can either be cold that its burning or cold that its soothing to a burn it depends on who she feels. her eyes are a crystal white and coupled with how dark she is, its quite the contrast, as there’s nothing in them no flecks, no specks, just white. her hair is white and a pale pink, and the most noticeable feature is the crystals protruding from beneath her eyes, almost like frozen tears, like they started as lashes and blossomed into more taking over her cheeks and going across her nose. the crystals are a mixture of blue, green, white and purple and they glow with every emotion. I think the one thing about the winter court is that depending on where you live and how you get your spoils your frame is either really lean or very built to last the winters, noori is one whose frame is a bit smaller. Her wings are just like her hair, white, but they hang pretty low as well, and are littered with the same crystals the cover underneath her eyes. They are a bit bigger than her frame, so they hang because her body cannot support them as well.

Kihyun.

Like brother like sister, they're not related but you know. kihyun’s most striking thing is definitely his wings. They're not large but they protrude out in the way spikes are, they’re black and bright blue and they make a statement. Despite his smaller frame, his wings make up most of his height and his frame. I think his skin is pretty fair, he’s not pale or anything but he’s got rather noticeable flecks of black all over his body, they look like freckles almost or kind of like charcoal bits. His eyes are black. That's all. And his hair is a lot shorter, it’s in an undercut style and is pale blue, the color of his wings. The most noticeable thing about him would be the wings honestly. In the same way that his wings protrude out like spikes, the freckles on his skin have tendency to spike out, almost like porcupine, but they’re harder, tough like cave crystals, and they hurt like fuck if they stab, and they hurt like hell if he snaps or pulls them out.  

Daniel.  

Danny boy.

So daniel is quite interesting, he was previously a member of the winter court and a feared member. He is well built, but more on the leaner side than some of the guard. Basically, he’s fit but he’s got the bulk in his arms to land the blows, the speed to move faster than other court guards might expect of a winter guard fae. He's taller, and his wings aren’t as extravagant, they’re dark blue, almost a deep green and they’re thick like wood, without much to show for the decoration inside. They extend more horizontal, than they extend vertically and he tends to fold them in to his back more often than not. Daniel's not as fair, he’s got much more noticeable tinges of blue in his veins, enough that his skin can sometimes take on that sheen, and his eyes do the same, they’re deep blue, almost black but not quite. For him, the icicles protrude from his elbows and his calves, main reasons why he’s such a feared member of the guard, he would sneak up and strike with a quickness before the enemy could realize he had weapons attached to his body. These icicles protrude from the ends of deep blue tattoos that ride up his arms to the tips of his shoulders.  

Ahyeon.

Lets start with this beauty right here.

Ahyeon! God I know the most piercing thing about ahyeon is her wings. I want them to be big and imposing, I want her unable to hide them, I want people to see them and fear that its her. Im kidding, but her position as well as kihyun’s means they need to hold their ground wherever they go and that when people see them, they know its them. Anyway ahyeon’s wings are white with black wires in between them and the pattern is noticeably commented upon. They're quite strong but they’re also quite heavy for her. Ahyeon's hair typically stays short, at her shoulders but the wires that thread through her wings also thread around the back of her head and around the back of her neck so they make it seem as if she’s got more hair than she does. Ahyeon's fair skinned, but her eyes follow the same swirl pattern as her wings, it can be a bit off-putting. The main point is that they’re white but the iris is the black swirl instead of the darker circle of a pupil. Because of the heaviness of her wings, they tend to fall low, almost drooping unless she needs them to stand proud. Sometimes, more often than not, those same wires will collect ice on them, and in the snowier seasons for the winter court they’ll hang around her wings like icicles or like she’s covered in snow. Closer inspection would reveal those thorn like wires cover around her body.

[letsriddlemethislucifer]

Name: DongHai Yaozu

Age Physically: 37

Height: 6'3"

Gender: Male

Fc: Kihyun

Race: Seiryu

Hair color: Deep Midnight blue

Eye color: Heterochromia [Blue/Green] with golden halos on the irises.

Verses: Original

Profession: East gate guardian || New Emperor

Hobbies: N/A

Likes: N/A

Dislikes: Intruders, outlanders, sinners

A little bit about DongHai: The current acting leader of the House Sieryu. He has been chosen to step up as the newest emperor due to the death of his older sibling.

Though the Suzaku House is reclusive, House Sieryu is even more so closed off; even to their beloved neighbors and fellow guardians. They can come off as extremely hostile if there is an intruder or outsider within their home. Now that their previous emperor has been killed, they are on the verge of an all out war in the upper realm.

DongHai is extremely gifted, and controls the rains to storm ever lastingly throughout the human realm as we speak. Nature itself takes to his call, growing rampant and angry with every passing day.

[daebakinc]

I haven't even read the new chapter- but today is a good day cause I checked your guy's blog and you have a new chapter up and I'm melting away! How I live for this fic! Thank you so much for updating it again 😭💖 this truly gives me life- thank you- I'm gonna get on to reading it now! But I just wanted to let you know how excited I am to read it!! :) 🥺😭💖💖💖

I always look forward now to your messages or reblogs. I know this chapter took me a bit to get up, and I wasn't planning for it to be so long, especially because in the movie these are quick, montaged scenes, but I guess because it's our first glimpse into Kihyun being a human and not a work puppet.

Also, apologies in advance, but part of why it's so long is because I have to write student reports this week which will take away from my writing the fic, but please look forward to it! 'Cause you know, the kiss leads into a . . . scene >:3

Thank you so much for your support

~Admin V

[blvenote]

hi yumi!!! my thoughts from the chapter r below the cut as always <3 IM SO EXCITED FOR THE NEXT CHAPTERS THO WE LOVE A GOOD HONGJOONG INTRODUCTION

• WEEENDYYYYY IN THE HOUSE!! also the pigeons r me watching yn get ready like she's the roast beef salting herself to be served on a platter

• ^ because political figures dont like admitting that they're corrupt, and/or that they got help :) and yk... ateez prob does a lot of... unsavory things behind the curtain that normal people disagree w

• wendy sus as hell (in the best way possible lol), but i like how she dodged that question so obviously HAHA

• i think dysfunctional family relationships r so interesting; i love writing them and i love reading abt them ofc as well. the thing u wrote abt how maybe his humanity awakened when he thought abt his children is so interesting too. like where do these awful people draw the line? their own flesh and blood? is pretending they never existed/hiding them away better than killing them altogether?

• LMAO KIHYUN AND YN W THE CURTAINS IS LITERALLY MY MOM AND ME 💀💀💀 whenever im home, i always start pulling open the curtains to make it brighter and my mom hisses like she's a vampire... sheesh

• hmmm the contrast and nuance of /types/ of gangs on the streets here is interesting too; like the organized crime groups are different depending on what they did during the war

• I LOVE LIQUOR LORE I HOPE WE GET TO HEAR ABT BLACK SHADOW'S HISTORY

• "could he be holding a scary title as well or was it something worse?" i love that titles are never the "something worse" cuz a criminal is the best when u don't know they're a criminal

• "lieut. yunho is FORGIVING?" im sorry i laughed 😭 i read that like yns eyes went wide like u gotta be shitting me yeo, if ur gonna lie at least try to make it sound accurate 😭 BUT IIIINTERESTING HMMMM why would yunho be the most forgiving? he's just a soft boyo underneath all that lanky-limbed scariness 😔💔

• also where is mingi and jongho and wooyo, we havent introduced them yet right 😭

• ah i love tsundere jihoon . hard, stale rice on the outside, fluffy warm rice on the inside

• YUMI UR BIAS IS SHOWING W THOSE YUNHO DESCRIPTIONS BAHAHHAHA

• I KNOW WHAT ITS LIKE TO BE BETRAYED BY BOTH BLOOD AND WATER ??? OOOOOOO THAT LINE HITS SO GOOD OMG I NEED TO BORROW THIS WHAT

• im tweaking after that last part of the meeting WHAT. like im sputtering like a boiling teapot WHAT we're dancing a tango here and i love it

• hints at the possibility of having known each other before during the war????? i like the smell of this easter egg 😌 love the hints of further backstory slowly coming in to fill in the gaps!! also jaemin is a menace as usual, wbk

• HES LIKE A STRAY CAT FIDNFKDNDKDN IM GONNA CRY LMFAO

• pledis manufacturers??? bites lip more new characters for the ensemble!! very fun

• i Iike the pointing to and connecting of details during seonghwa and yns convo, the finanical aid to the glance at the pearl ring — both r quire observant, which ig is an essential skill to survive in this business (one wrong move can result in ur life ruined) and ive def mentioned this before but THE POLITICAL INTRIGUE!!! the details like the sirens rebel party and ateez-mx pharma being on the "same side" r so good and add so much to the immersiveness

• ODDLY FAMILIAR??? kim hongjoong i see u... i am connecting the dots... also i love that yn gasps at his appearance and we both agree that he is certified yummy

• awh i like how youve developed san and yns relationship to be far more casual now that they arent like directly a boss-employee kind of dynamic, its a nice contrast to have this convo w san in the middle of all the office tension 0_0

• OKAAAAAAY i kind of enjoyed the fencing match btwn joong and yn, tho it was mostly joong making the parries, but yn did have a good handle w that strictland tip kdngldnfk and at least joong isnt an asshole enpugh to completely ignore her warnings. truly i went into this chapter believing he was going to be an asshole AND stupid 💀 BUT CONTACTING THE RV SPIES?? UHHHH NEWSFLASH SHE LITERALLY LIVES W ONE

overall, very VERY intriguing chapter!! i loved the subtle tension that was present throughout the entire chapter, like even tho there wasn't any action like last chapter, i was def still on the edge of my seat. im so excited to see how the plot continues to unfold in the next chapters :')))

The Leaders | Chapter II

"this is the underworld that no one escapes from."

masterlist

ot8!ateez x f!reader, mafia au

chapter warnings: drinking, smoking, illegal businesses, mentions of gangs, war/military and weapons, hongjoong is the designated asshole in this chapter

chapter wc: 10.9k

chapter synopsis: you learn more about ateez from your housemate, wendy, and from kihyun of mx pharmaceuticals who is also the crescent’s business partner. you get familiar with your new job at the crescent company’s main office and learn about their deal with secretary park. wanting to stop them from that harmful deal, you finally speak up only for the boss, hongjoong, to remind you that you are just a bookkeeper. 

prev chapter recap: an attack on the crescent bar prompts you, the bookkeeper of the crescent bar, to carry out yeosang’s order and flee with the contents of the safe. however, you have discovered a secret package which leads you to a confrontation with the underboss, park seonghwa, who has no choice but to kill you. to save yourself, you reveal that you possess some information about the elites that could be useful to them, and that you are willing to exchange this information for your life. that lands you a job at the crescent company’s main office and you have a rocky first day, getting to know the ins-and-outs of your new workplace and colleagues.

For the beginning of a new chapter of your life, which could take a very sinister turn, it sure was awfully sunny today, the pigeons on your window sill taking great joy in the way you would pause in the middle of getting ready and reconsider all your life choices so far. Their cheerful chirps were starting to annoy you and you couldn’t help but shoot deathly glares in their direction. 

It was your first official work day as the bookkeeper in the main office of the Crescent Company, and you were done getting ready– as ready as you could be with your heart threatening to burst out of your chest. It didn’t help that when you exited your room, you immediately had your housemate’s attention who let out a dramatic whistle at the sight of you.

“Woah. That’s quite a formal outfit for the bar,” Wendy said, stopping in the middle of stirring the pot, the fragrant scent of rosemary and chicken broth filling your nostrils. “Also… why are you still home?”

You turned to the full-length mirror in the living room, inspecting your outfit for the day– a pleated navy blue skirt that reached mid-calves paired with a blue tweed jacket, your feet clad in ivory kitten heels. Just the right outfit to make good first impressions, yet it was a struggle to ignore the urge to go back to your closet and restart the lengthy process of choosing another outfit.

“Uh…” you took a deep breath while tucking the stray strands of your hair back in the half-tied hairdo, bracing yourself for her reaction. “I may have gotten a new job at the Crescent Company.”

The room fell awfully silent and you turned to Wendy, finding her deadpan staring at you.

Odd.

“Something wrong?” You frowned in confusion. 

“The Crescent Company?” Wendy repeated and you nodded. It was strange, the soberness in her tone, when you were expecting enthusiastic theatrical reactions from her. “When?”

“Literally yesterday,” you turned your full attention to her, wondering if she was cross with you for not letting her know earlier. “I start working officially from today.”

“How did you get this job?” Wendy asked, finally doing something else other than assessing your form. She turned the stove off, setting the pot on the table where you joined her for breakfast.

“Well… one thing led to another. Some gang attacked the bar two nights ago and when I carried out my instructions– which were to get the contents of the safe and run– they decided… that I am good at my job and would do better in some other environment.”

“I heard about the attack, yes,” Wendy said, munching on a piece of bread. “But I thought it was a fight outside the bar, not an attack inside. Is that how you got these tiny scratches all over you?” You pursed your lips in answer and Wendy continued. “Are you sure this is the right job for you? Because let’s be real– we all know who Ateez is. You should be avoiding that gang– didn’t you want to lay low?”

Ateez. Known throughout all the eight sectors of Eden and its capital, the gang formed after the Battle of the Eight Hills and layed a vital role in the rebuilding of Eden afterwards. Really, you wondered if they had done so much for Eden, why were they feared and labelled as a criminal organisation?

“I am laying low,” you sipped the broth as you said, “It’s just an office job– paperwork.”

“I don’t know, Luna,” she said, clearly worried. “I’m not sure about this.”

“Do you know something you’re not telling me?” You asked but Wendy kept a straight face which meant there was something. “In fact… refresh my memory a little since I wasn’t here when Ateez was at the peak of their career, but who is Ateez? What do they really do?”

Wendy took a deep breath as if contemplating opening her pandora of secrets for you but then she checked her wristwatch to your utter disappointment. “Next time or else we’ll both be late. Just… stay safe, will you?”

“Oh, I will. I keep the gun in my purse, you know,” you smirked and Wendy finally relaxed, smiling back. “See you tonight if you aren’t snoring by that time– my shift ends at the strike of midnight.”

“Heavens, that’s late,” Wendy winced. “What are you doing up so early then? You should have slept some more.”

You should have, but you had a little stop to make before you clocked in at midday at your workplace– the stop being at the office of MX Pharmaceuticals located in the heart of Sector 1 with all the other businesses and offices. It was only the Crescent Office which was situated right outside that hotspot, and you were starting to think that it was a calculated move on their part. With their status, they could be situated in the slums and still be flourishing– the leaders of Sector 1.

It was a bit strange to walk the streets of your block and not allow your muscle memory to take you in the direction of the Crescent Bar. It felt alleviating, even, to not cross the old lady on the pavement selling crocheted goods to make a living. Somehow, she always made you feel guilty about having the privilege of connections. You could very well have been sitting there at the corner of the road instead of her, selling your paintings or embroideries if Kihyun hadn’t helped you land a job when you came back to Eden from Wonderland just a few years ago.

Because your father always made sure you would never be in the spotlight. There was a reason he basically shipped you to Wonderland– though you often wondered if that was justification enough. He claimed that you could study more if you wished to while you looked after your aunt but really… you knew that he wanted to get rid of you because you found out his dark, dirty secrets– things you were never supposed to find out. It was a shame he couldn’t kill his own daughter and bury those secrets along with her. Maybe his humanity awakened when he thought about his children. 

You could spot the MX Office when you took a turn left into the busy, bustling street with corporate slaves ready to sign in for their daily dose of torture. To your demise, you were blending right in. You walked towards the office, which was a brick-coloured building just like the rest of the offices in this street. The guard at the front door recognised you and nodded in greeting, as did the receptionist and a few employees, aware that you had some sort of a relationship with their boss, though no one dared to ask the nature of it.

The boss, Kihyun, was a respectable figure in all of Eden as a powerful businessman and a former gang member. Each connection he made was for a reason, but you were not just a connection. You respected each other far too much to refer to each other as just a ‘connection’. 

You were being accompanied to Kihyun’s room when on the stairs, you encountered Hyungwon.

“Miss Jeon– what brings you here?” He asked. It had been a while since you saw the manager of MX Pharmaceuticals. He was usually found at one of the labs or warehouses that MX owned. “Good to see you.”

“Hope you’ve been well,” you smiled. “I’m here to see Kihyun.”

Hyungwon nodded at the assistant who left and you followed Hyungwon upstairs. “Kihyun just arrived. How has it been?”

“I’m doing good. I got a new job so I was going to tell him about that and discuss a few things.”

“Oh, that’s nice to hear,” Hyungwon knocked at Kihyun’s door before opening it for you. “I’ll send some tea. And you know that if you need anything, we’re here, right?”

You nodded, smiling earnestly at his reminder. “Thank you. Have a good day.”

You entered Kihyun’s room, closing the door behind you. His room was as neat as ever with a variety of indoor plants lining the huge windows that provided a view of Maddox Street. You walked past that window, drawing the cerulean curtains away and Kihyun tsk-ed at you.

“You’re back at it, eh?”

“You need someone who will pull the curtains open every day. I can’t keep doing that for you,” you grinned, joining him at his desk. He was clad in a navy button-down shirt, his hair combed back. “How have you been?”

He spread his arms in answer. “Right in front of you. As good as ever. But I’ve heard you are doing better lately.”

“Heard the news already?” You shook your head. “Once I find your informant, I’m gonna give them an earful.”

“We’re the Crescent’s business partners. I should know the happenings,” Kihyun said, waiting for the assistant to leave the tea for you before continuing. “Tell me… how did it happen?”

“Let’s say I passed a trust test,” you said, adding a sugar in your tea and two in his, just as he liked. “I’m the Crescent’s bookkeeper now.”

“That must not have been easy.”

“Actually, yes,” you took a sip of the black tea. “I almost got killed. I had to win their favour.”

“And how did you do that?” Kihyun frowned.

“I played a few cards,” you admitted and he groaned in disbelief. “It was that or I die.”

“They would not have killed you–”

“They knew we were acquainted, and they were ready to kill me,” you interjected. “I only told them that I’m aware of Assemblyman General Wi’s artefact gallery.”

“Luna,” Kihyun leaned forward, clasping his hands. “You know the game you are playing right now is a dangerous one–”

“I know that I have to keep my identity hidden, and I’m sure they only know what’s on the documents–”

“Let me finish,” Kihyun said in a low voice and you slumped back. “It’s not just about your identity. You know who they are, don’t you? Ateez? They were once a gang, and they always play dirty.”

“So were you, Kihyun,” you reminded him. “Back in your early days, before my father took you under his wing.”

Kihyun clenched his jaw– he did not need to be reminded of his ugly past. “We were not children of war when we were a gang, Luna. The Crescents– Ateez– they are children of war. They served the army when they should have been fooling around with other kids their age or studying. A nineteen year old Kim Hongjoong became a well-known military strategist in the Battle of the Eight Hills. Another nineteen year old Park Seonghwa became a sniper and a medic– a god awful combination, don’t you think? And an eighteen year old Jeong Yunho became an honoured lieutenant colonel, for heaven’s sake. Those are the people you have involved yourself with.”

That was the first time you heard about their achievements during the war and you realised with a creeping dread that Kihyun might be right about this.

“Us? We were just a street gang, Luna. We were kids who rebelled, who got lucky because your father, a politician, saw potential in us and hired us as his informants. Ateez are different, and it would do you better if you stay aware of them.”

You took a deep breath. “Do you think they will dig into my past?”

“I can’t promise they won’t,” Kihyun relaxed, finally smiling and drinking his tea. “But I’ll see if I can do something. Just make sure to stay in the shadows.”

“Until it’s time,” you reminded him.

His expressions didn’t change. “Still conjuring up revenge plans?”

“You know how stubborn I am,” you traced the gold outline on the cup. “I cannot forgive my father for taking my identity and shipping me to Wonderland as if I meant nothing to him.”

“I’m sure you mean something to him. You are his daughter, after all.”

“I’m sure I don’t, and I don’t need him,” you said, looking at the boss of MX. “You are my family if I ever had one, Kihyun. I am in your debt for everything that you have done for me.”

“Nonsense,” he waved his hand and you stifled a smile at the way he always got a little shy when you called him family or brother. “You don’t owe me anything. I would have done that for anyone.”

“You risked your business and your life for me. You don’t do that for just anyone,” you concluded and he smiled in answer. It was a truth that he could not deny. “You can call it whatever you want, but let me feel about it however I want too.”

“I can see how you might have talked them out of killing you, you stubborn brat,” Kihyun said, laughing. He stared into the distance, taking a few moments to think. “I heard you will be answering to Park Seonghwa and Jeong Yunho. That worries me.”

“It is just work,” you told him, though you were wholly aware that it was not just work. “You don’t need to worry too much.”

After a busy midday shift at the Crescent Office with Eunha and Jihoon, you decided to pay a visit to the Crescent Bar– you were free for the rest of the afternoon and could squeeze in a lunch with your friends. Plus, you were not sure that you could do the night shift without some liquid courage in your system. 

The bar was as lively as it could be during day hours, with people popping in from work to get a drink or a meal. The employees– your old coworkers– warmly welcomed you and you went to sit at the counter with Eunbi and Jeonghan, just like the old times.

“How has it been without me?” You teased Eunbi who wrapped her arms loosely around your waist, snuggling beside you. 

“Boring. Jeonghan is always pretending to sleep so I can’t really talk to anyone anymore.”

“I am actually asleep,” Jeonghan raised his hand as a sign that he was alive. He looked like a corpse, actually, if you could put it nicely. Eunbi gave you a pointed look.

“Got a new bookkeeper yet?”

“Not yet,” she said, going back to the cash register when she saw a customer approach. You walked to the staff room, catching up with Yuju who ordered your favourite grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch with Black Shadow– probably the best wine you had tasted in your life, if you were objective. You knew there was a backstory to how Ateez made that wine their staple, but you figured you would hear about it someday later. For now, you had another purpose that led you to Yeosang’s office.

Yeosang opened the door when you knocked, blinking in surprise. “Aren’t you supposed to be at the main office?”

“Good evening? How have you been doing? How has work been?” You glared at him. “I’m good, thank you for asking.”

Yeosang snickered, letting you in and you took the seat in front of him. You sighed deeply, folding your arms. “I kind of miss this, I won’t lie. I feel like an outsider there, and it’s only my first day. Shift doesn’t start for another hour, by the way.”

“Would you like a drink?” He offered and you shook your head, telling him you just had lunch. “Well, Miss y/n. How can I help you today?”

You passed him the side-eye. “It’s still Luna for you. And I wanted to ask you a few things that I really should have asked before.”

“Ah… is it time for those questions?” Yeosang relaxed back, resting his hands behind his head, his muscles poking out from under the ivory dress shirt. You watched him for a moment, wondering what his accomplishments during the war were. Could he be holding a scary title as well, or was it something worse?

“Yes. You can’t blame me for being curious after the stunt the underboss pulled that night. True to your name, Ateez.”

It was the first time you ever referred to them with their gang name and he only watched you in silence, waiting for you to continue. It irked you that his expressions gave away nothing. Trained to give away nothing, a distant voice in your mind said. 

“Just tell me if there’s anything I need to know for now. I’m reporting directly to Mr. Park and… Mr. Jeong. I really don’t want to make a mistake.”

“You weren’t worried when you started working under me.”

“That’s because… you are you,” you tried to explain, ignoring the faint ache in your heart. “You don’t go around wearing formal suits and looking down on people and being… weird.”

“We don’t look down on people,” Yeosang sighed, though he was smiling at your admission. “Was Yunho weird towards you? What did he do now?”

“How did you– he didn’t do anything,” you told him. It was uncanny how well they knew each other. “I just want you to tell me if there’s something I should be aware of so I don’t make a mistake.”

Yeosang thought it was strange that you were asking such a question. He wished he could ask you what exactly you meant. Just what mistakes were you so afraid to make? Why did you always have to be cautious and walk on eggshells, even around him, even when you claimed that you were comfortable with him?

“I don’t think that you realise that Yunho is the only one of us who will forgive you even if you betray us in the worst possible way– he would still try to understand your reasons.”

Your eyes went a little wide as you let his words sink in. “Lieutenant Colonel Jeong Yunho… is forgiving?”

“I don’t know what you’ve heard about us,” Yeosang leaned forward, speaking gently. “But I can promise you that it’s not the entire truth. We are more than what you people make us to be, if you care to look past the ranks and titles.”

You didn’t understand what he meant by that, and you were too scared to ask. You couldn’t stop thinking about his admission about Yunho. You really couldn’t see it– he always looked so strict, in the traditional sense. Even when he had a hint of a smile on his lips last night, you couldn’t envision him to be someone who could sympathise with the ugliness of the people who were driven into the corner. Perhaps, because Yeosang was his friend, he was able to look past everything and see the lieutenant’s true, unmarred nature, but to you…

To you, he was Lieutenant Colonel Jeong Yunho. And you intended to keep it that way, for everyone’s sake.

Later, when you were at work and taking a breather, having just finished recording the day’s transactions, you reminded yourself that your relationship with Yeosang had turned too casual. Sure, it was the way he was with everyone at the bar– almost everyone. It was different with you, whether you liked it or not. Even though you had wanted to keep a distance from Yeosang, you just couldn’t. After all, you went to him right after hearing about their old gang days. 

You made a mental note to learn more about Ateez and the Crescent Company, and to learn about the extent of their involvement in Eden’s business world. You needed any information you could get your hands on, every detail whether true or not. If you were going to play this game and use them for your goal, you needed to know that the Crescents were not involved with your father and his business in any way. 

You needed to know if what they did was truly moral and right. And if you needed to sneak into places where you weren’t meant to go and possibly risk your life again… you would. 

It took you about a week to fully get the hang of things at the office. While Jihoon was still being an arse– at this point, you were starting to consider that it might be a part of his personality– he never refused to guide you or help you when you were stuck. Eunha was just as helpful and you were actually starting to like her a little. She wasn’t very talkative but considering that she was able to make Jihoon laugh… you were tempted to take pointers from her. Jihoon had worked the longest here and you needed to crack him to get him to talk.

In that one week, you got a chance to go into Mr. Jeong’s room twice, when he was not present to take the report from you himself. You made it quick– unlock the room, unlock the cupboard and place the report inside, look around if you had a few seconds and get the hell out. It was too soon to make a mistake so you only dared to make note of what the office looked like. There wasn’t much to it anyway– just the usual workspace, and it frustrated you that his workspace gave away nothing about him.

Mr. Jeong, you noted, usually came to the office during your shift at the late hours of night, presumably after dinner. You learned that Kim Hongjoong was out of station for some business dealing which was why the office was mostly empty, but also that this was where they usually gathered to meet up and discuss things. This office was sort of a base and if not here, they would be at the bar, though they generally avoided it because of obvious reasons. There was no saying when a drunkard fool, or two, would dare to interrupt them.

Yunho usually locked himself inside his office (Eunha was very suspicious that he usually napped there, claiming to have heard light snores sometimes) and Seonghwa came by twice that week, greeting you and asking if you were adjusting well. Neither of them had interacted with you much during the week but…

You recalled two nights ago when Yunho came back to the office just as it was closing time. You handed him the report and he called you inside his office to discuss a few things. When he was going over the report, he asked you if you had any problems with work recently.

“None at all,” you assured him. “It is manageable.”

He flicked through the pages, the white sleeves of his shirt rolled up over his sleeves, baring his veiny arms. You resisted the urge to trace all those veins on his arms– Jeong Yunho was one handsome man. It didn’t help that he had such beautiful hands either. Why were you assigned to submit him the reports every night? What was this new form of torture?

He caught you staring at his hands but he didn’t comment on it. Instead, he finished checking the report and shut the folder, running his hands over the cover once before clearing his throat to get your attention. You met his stare, pretending that you had not been ogling at his hands and arms– or at least, fake confidence that you were normal about it. 

“You were right about the artefact gallery,” Yunho said and you straightened. “It is indeed a money-laundering business. He is an assemblyman, a potential presidential candidate and, well, that’s a bad look for him with the elections right around the corner. How did you know when even his enemies aren’t aware of this information? And more importantly… do you want us to do something about it?”

“How I know does not matter,” you shook your head, adamant to not tell them your source. “It is just a piece of information that might be useful to you later. I am aware that your leader has been well involved with politicians– for connections, to secure deals. If you ever need leverage over General Wi, here is what you can use.”

Yunho took a deep breath at your response. You watched him scan you slowly, his eyes unreadable. “Is your source Yoo Kihyun of MX Pharmaceuticals?”

You looked down to hide your smile. “I have heard that you are well acquainted with him. He was more of a recipient than a source until a few years ago. The tables have turned now, but we still share information, and I was told that you could be trusted with the information I have. Is that still true?” 

He rubbed his chin in thought. “That depends on how useful the information you possess is. And it also depends on how loyal you are.”

“I am loyal to anyone who is loyal to me,” you said with a certainty that surprised him. “I know what it is like to be betrayed by blood and water both. To me, loyalty is the highest virtue.”

“Higher than morality?” He asked with a certain nonchalance, perhaps expecting to pin you in a corner, but…

“And what is morality, in this era?” You mused. “I’m sure you ask that question yourself often… Lieutenant Jeong.”

You seemed to have hit the nail because his gaze darkened. Perhaps, you should not have reminded him of his military rank, but to be Eden’s honoured lieutenant colonel and possess some fair morals? It didn’t add up even after Yeosang had said all the good things about him.

“I know what my morals are, Miss Jeon,” Yunho leaned forwards, locking his eyes with you and you wish some of his dark tendrils hid a bit of his eyes because that gaze was damning. “Do you? Or do you like to make yourself believe that you are the only virtuous one in the room?”

Maybe it was a dangerous game you were playing but you mirrored his position, your clasped hands almost brushing his as you said, “Oh, I have the lowest moral standards. In order to survive in Eden, especially when you’re on your own… you can’t go around possessing such foolish things as virtue, isn’t that so?”

Yunho looked down at your clasped hands, spotting the fading scar that ran along your thumb down to your wrist– one that you had gotten the night you lost everything. 

And then he ran a finger across it, ever so slowly, sending a trail of fire in its wake before getting up and wearing his coat, indicating that the meeting was over.

Damn him. Damn him and his stupid, beautiful hands–

“Goodnight, Luna,” he said in a low voice and you got up as well, gathering your wits before exiting the room.

“Goodnight… Mr. Jeong.”

And that had been the last time you saw him. It was Mr. Park who took the reports from you the day after, and last night you locked the office yourself about half an hour after midnight– you did not know why you stayed waiting for somebody to show up, but you felt a bit stupid afterwards. You should have clocked out on time.

You did not know why you waited.

You were so lost in your thoughts that you almost did not hear the sound of footsteps skittering in the direction of the office rooms. You looked up, gaping at what had to be a fifteen year old considering his scrawny appearance, moving not towards Yunho’s office but Kim Hongjoong’s. You frowned– how did he get past the guard?

“Oi,” you called but when he proceeded to knock at the boss’ door, you decided you had enough and slammed a hand on the desk to get his attention. “Oi, kid!”

“Is the Captain not inside?” he turned to look at you, looking as surprised to see you as you were. “Who are you?”

“Who are you?” you beckoned him to come nearer and he obeyed this time. “How did you get in?”

“I have something the Captain might like,” he grinned. “Still not back from his little trip to Edenary?”

So that’s where he was. The Capital of Eden, the land of the elites. “Uh… nope. Why you calling him ‘the Captain’?”

“Because that’s who he is?” He shook his head in disapproval. “New here?”

You scoffed in disbelief. “Kid, if you don’t tell me who you are, I’m going to have to escort you out.”

“No need, I’ll see myself out,” he winked at you and you laughed this time. You had to admit he was kind of cute for a kid even though you wanted to smack him on his head. You didn’t recall seeing him on the streets– his loose flannel shirt and newsboy cap was a look you thought you would have remembered. “I’m Jaemin, the informant. I answer directly to the Captain, so don’t even think about asking me what this was about.”

“You could still tell me, it could be our little secret,” you smirked but he shook his head. You stuck your tongue out at him. “Alright then. He’s supposed to come back tomorrow, I think. Should I let him know some kid was looking for him?”

Jaemin narrowed his eyes. “You haven’t met him yet, have you?”

“No,” you said. “Why?”

Jaemin only smiled condescendingly in answer. “You’ll find out. No need to tell him, I’ll be back soon.”

With that, the kid disappeared downstairs, leaving you wondering why he called the boss ‘the Captain’. It didn’t refer to his military rank because you knew that he was an honoured military strategist and colonel. You recently heard from Wendy that he had played a vital role towards the end of the war before the treaty between Eden and Halaland was signed. At such a young age, it was impressive. He was only a year older than you so he must have been about twenty when he earned that honour.

You distantly wondered if you ever came across him during the war. You had volunteered as a medical assistant– almost a nurse– in the latter half of the war. You had spent two whole years training medically and assisting the doctors and nurses. There weren’t many people in Eden so you might have encountered one of the Ateez men there, though you weren’t sure if you would recognise each other now. 

Moments later, you heard another pair of footsteps coming, this time familiar. Mr. Park, dressed in his usual black three-piece suit, met your gaze and sent a warm smile in your direction before he approached you.

“How are we doing tonight, Luna?”

“Good, Mr. Park. How about you?” You asked, taking tonight’s report and following him to Yunho’s office. “Did you perhaps see a kid leaving the building?”

Seonghwa chuckled at that. “You might find it hard to believe but that kid has saved lives with the information he shares.”

So the kid had not lied. “Impressive.”

Seonghwa waited until you took the seat in front of him. “He is like a stray cat who has marked us as his owners. We cannot take him in– he is too young, and he does not need to share the same fate the rest of us did, yeah? But he is a kid that nobody notices, and he uses that to his advantage. Next time you see him, ask him how he struck a deal with his ‘captain’.”

You laughed softly at that. “I will.”

Seonghwa nodded and started skimming through the reports. You told him that the new batch of liquor– specifically Black Shadow– had successfully been shipped to Mist Island. The shipment of their latest copper bullets was on the way too. You were surprised when you first found out that Mist Island was willing to trade weapons for liquor. Mist Island had a strict liquor import ban so the smuggling was being done secretly from both sides. It was impressive what money could buy.

Silence, Jihoon had told you one day when he was in a good mood. Silence of the police force.

You still hadn’t figured out what exactly they were doing with the weapons– you were aware that a lot of their money was being used in their business partnership with Pledis Manufacturers who were producers of machine parts. Your best guess was that they were involved in the weapons business and doing something undercover. You couldn’t question anyone about that yet. It was too soon.

“Good job, tonight,” Seonghwa said his usual words but this time, he did not dismiss you. Instead, he rested his back on the chair to look at you. “There are a few questions about your background that I must ask you before our boss arrives tomorrow, Luna. I’m hoping you will cooperate.”

There it was. They must have been done with the background check now. You wondered how much they found. “As best as I can while protecting myself, I will.”

Seonghwa smiled at that. “It’s not that I don’t trust you. Neither is it that I trust you already– Yeosang did, but that was different. You are now involved in the heart of the business that the Crescent Company does, so I have to make sure you’re suitable for this job, right?”

You were glad it was Mr. Park who was asking you these questions right now. Something about his presence was utterly calming and you could relax a little while talking to him. If you were objective, you could say that perhaps, it was his strategy to get you to lower your guard. But still… he was always soft spoken and kind. That did not change. 

“I understand, Mr. Park,” you assured him. 

“I could not find the records of your family… Miss Jeon,” he emphasised at your surname and you nodded. “You’re not a Jeon, are you?”

“It is a surname I borrowed around the time of the war, but I can assure you that I am from Eden. I was born here and have lived here all my life, at the Sector 1 border… save for a few years that I was not here.” Almost the truth. You had lived in Edenary, at the outskirts that met with Sector 1.

“And where were you? Where did you go in 1963?”

You exhaled. “Wonderland, to look after my sick aunt and get some further education.”

“Where, in Wonderland? Can I confirm that?” Seonghwa asked.

“The capital, Wonder City” you told him. “I’m not related to that aunt. She’s just an acquaintance who was willing to take me in. I looked after her and she gave me the financial help I needed.”

“Financial help,” Seonghwa repeated, glancing at your pearl ring that you always wore. He had an eye for things, and he knew that the pearl could not be in the hands of someone who was struggling financially. You could not have worn it so proudly if you had stolen it, so was it a family ring? A normal middle-class family could not afford such a pearl.

Just who were you?

“Yes,” you confirmed, willing him to trust you. “I might be wearing a pearl from Maddox & Co., Mr. Park, but that does not mean that I was showered in luxuries all my life. You must have found out that I was desperate for a job when I came back in 1966.”

Seonghwa nodded, swiping his hair back and exhaling. “Alright, I’ll let it be for now. You only need to tell us if you are related in any way to our rival gangs or the Sirens Rebel Party.”

“I am not your enemy,” you confirmed. “I cannot be acquainted with Yoo KIhyun and be in cahoots with any of your enemies. You have the same rivals.”

“Today’s friend is tomorrow’s rival,” Seonghwa mused. “Today’s enemy might be tomorrow’s lifesaver.”

“Then it is up to you, whatever you want me to be,” you smirked. “Rival or friend.”

Seonghwa nodded in thought, a bit amused, proceeding to pour you both some wine. While he downed it in one gulp, you sipped on it slowly, anticipating his next move.

“Do you perhaps have another tip for us?” Seonghwa raised a brow, amused.

“I might have, regarding your latest dealings with General Wi, but I will wait until both sides are clear.”

“Good,” Seonghwa shut the folder in conclusion. “I will take the leap of trust in you, Luna. Maybe you can do the same for us?”

“For you… yes, I can,” you told him. “I have one favour to ask, though.”

“Another one, already?” Seonghwa teased.

“You have a meeting scheduled with Secretary Park Byung Eun on the 14th, right?” You asked, the name leaving the most bitter taste in your mouth.

“President Lee’s secretary, yes,” Seonghwa nodded. “Do you know him?”

“Everyone knows him,” you said. While he was the President's current secretary, his name was well-known before that as one of the most successful businessmen in Eden. “You must be meeting because of a potential pharma-collaboration?”

“That’s right,” Seonghwa frowned, anticipating what was next.

You took a deep breath. “Do not reveal all your cards to that man. Do not let them know what you are up to.”

“Is that your way of telling us to be careful?” Seonghwa snorted. “We never show all our cards in the first meeting, Luna.”

“Neither do they,” you warned him and his smile fell. “Secretary Park’s team has a penchant for tricking you into deals. I’m just asking you to think this deal through. Whatever they are offering you won’t be very beneficial in the long run.”

“And how do you know that?”

“That doesn’t matter,” you told him. “If you need sources, or funds, you don’t need to rely on the Secretary Park.”

“You don’t know what business we conduct here, Luna–”

“I don’t need to know to warn you,” you insisted, feeling that tight knot of frustration build up in the back of your throat now. “I’m only asking you to think this through and take my words into consideration.”

“Your words, Miss Jeon, lack credibility right now,” he stated in a finalising tone, a pang of hurt shooting through your chest for a moment. He was right, though. They had no reason to trust you and to them, you must be seeming like someone who was looking to jeopardise their deal. “If you really want us to take you seriously, you would have to start giving us more.”

“I cannot give you more if I don’t know what you will do with the information,” you told him, sighing deeply. “Forget it, just… can you please let me know what you will be gaining and what you will be losing after your meeting with Secretary Park?”

“You’re assuming we will lose something,” Seonghwa noted. You didn’t answer and Seonghwa scanned your face, almost detecting fear in your eyes. Just what were you so scared of? “Is there any way you can trust me and tell me what this is about?”

“Not so soon, no, sorry,” you smiled sadly. You wanted to trust that man, you wanted to trust someone, anyone. “I don’t know what I’m waiting for, if I have to be honest. I’m probably asking too much considering that I am a mere bookkeeper.”

“We may have ranks here but we’re all equal, in the end,” Seonghwa said and his words tugged at your heart. There was rarely anyone who didn’t bring rank into everything. “I know you have no reasons to trust us either. Let’s work through our differences first before we make such demands, alright?”

You smiled at him and got up to leave. He followed, locking the doors and you both exited the building together. You shivered when the chilly night wind hit you. 

“The weather is getting colder. Bring a jacket or a scarf next time, will you?” Seonghwa said and you nodded. “Goodnight, Luna. I hope we are able to overcome all that is keeping us from mutual trust.”

“Goodnight, Mr. Park. Thank you for taking my words into consideration.”

He nodded, patting your back affectionately before you separated ways. That night, when you went home, you found Wendy getting ready to go to sleep. You didn’t get much of a chance to talk to her the whole week, considering your conflicting schedules, but you needed some answers right now so you sat at her bedside and she groaned in defeat.

“You need to tell me every detail, every rumour you’ve heard or any information you have on Ateez and what they do. Now.”

It was quite the busy day at the Crescent Office today. 

During the midday slot, you were packed with the new reports you had to make regarding the recent trade dealings with Mist Island, and you also needed to compile a transaction history before the Crescents were going to finalise their new deal with Utopia– both dealings happening undercover. You realised just how much work this job was– you had to create a pretty seamless legal report that was going to be used officially and make it seem like all their money was being circulated in their manufacturing business or the liquor business.

Seonghwa and San arrived when your shift was about to end. San waved at you, promising to catch up later and Eunha looked at you with a scandalous smile.

“Do you know the Choi San?”

“I literally worked at the Crescent Bar, Eunha,” you laughed. “I had to work with him.”

“He’s never waved at me like that. I’ve been here for a decade,” Eunha pouted. 

“Maybe you need to work as a cashier at the Crescent Bar in order to earn that privilege,” you told her, though you felt a bit pleased to hear that San had formal relations with the staff here.

Why were you pleased to hear that? You wondered but not long enough to make sense of it, soon getting caught up in more work. 

You went home after your midday shift, hoping to get some rest before your night shift because you knew it was going to be packed. You had no idea when the boss was supposed to come to office but you just hoped you would go unnoticed today– you had far too many thoughts that needed some sorting from everything Wendy told you last night– another reason you wanted to get some rest because her words kept you awake for the most part of the night. 

You made sure to dress properly today though, in any case. The weather was starting to get a bit chilly– summers were usually chilly in Eden. You wore a grey plaid suit that you kept for days like these, when you needed to make a good impression. You had fond memories with the two-piece– it was the first gift Wendy got you and it was more than she should have done, but she insisted she earned enough to buy gifts like these for the few friends she had. That made you wonder why she lived in a lousy shared apartment. You knew that her actual residence was in Sector 8 and she sometimes joked about how she lived here because it was ‘convenient’.

You wore white net gloves over your hands before going out, donning a matching grey hat. Eunha noted the new additions to your outfit and whistled as she shut her registers, groaning in satisfaction when she stretched her back.

“You did right with the gloves, but it’s a shame the boss isn’t here to appreciate them.”

“Eunha,” you glared at her and she giggled. She had warmed up to you– a bit too much, if you had to say, because she made jokes and teasing remarks like these often now that she was comfortable with you. You took off the gloves and spread them on your desk, grinning at her.

“I think they look pretty good from here too.”

You both shared a grin at that and Eunha wore her overcoat, saluting mockingly before leaving. Just before she was about to go downstairs, she turned in your direction, her doe eyes gleaming.  “Luna!”

“What now?”

“If you see the boss… don’t take his words to heart,” she said. “He may sound like a complete arse but he cares for all of us.”

“It can’t be any worse than Jihoon, can it?” You joked.

Eunha was right, though. At around 10 pm, you finally heard a few sets of footsteps ascend up the stairs and you took a deep breath, fixing your gaze on the stairs. To get to his office, the boss would have to walk past you so you fixed your half tied hair and arranged your desk a bit. Yunho’s head was the first to pop up, followed by an unfamiliar man and Seonghwa. They went inside Yunho’s room first, absorbed in heated discussion and you took a deep breath.

It was clear as day who Kim Hongjoong was. If it was not his appearance that betrayed him– dressed in a luxurious three-piece suit with the chain of a golden pocket watch visible, dark brown curls falling stylishly over his forehead– it was his unmistakable aura, the way he carried himself and his confidence. You felt it even if what you got was only a glimpse. 

A few minutes later, the trio popped out of Yunho’s room to go into Hongjoong’s room. You continued scribbling this time. You were going to remain in the shadows and go unnoticed–

“Get me the tax files,” the boss said. “I will personally make sure everything is seamless because I cannot have anyone messing it up– ah. Who is this again?”

Seonghwa cleared his throat. “Miss Jeon y/n. The bookkeeper– I thought Yunho told you already?”

Yunho looked guiltily at Seonghwa and you stood up in greeting, meeting the boss’s sharp eyes and internally gasping because oh, good heavens. He was inexplicably gorgeous–

“Good evening, Mr. Kim. If you need the tax files, I can get them for you.”

Hongjoong’s eyes betrayed him for just a second as he scanned your form, finding something oddly familiar about you. But his steel expressions returned and he shrugged lightly. “Yeah, well. I’ll have Yunho deal with that. You can get back to work.”

With that, he went towards his office and only waited a moment for the others to follow before he shut the door.

What a snob, you thought. His new bookkeeper and he didn’t even acknowledge you. Had Seonghwa and Yunho really not told him about you, or was he above these meagre details? You were aware that you would have to work with the boss now that he was back, but… how? 

Later, you found yourself at the Crescent Bar instead of your room. Perhaps, here you could get something that would make the bitter aftertaste in your mouth after tonight’s shift seem like nothing. Eunbi’s shift was over so you just found an empty spot in the corner and instructed one of your old colleagues to get you some Black Shadow and to make sure no one would bother you. He gave you a thumbs-up and a few minutes later, you were sipping at the rich drink while recalling the events of today.

Kim Hongjoong. Ateez’s boss, the brains behind the entity of the Crescent Company. A force to be reckoned with. A trickster, a manipulator, a true businessman, you had heard a while ago from the mouth of the elites who came here to drink. A man of his principles, Wendy had told you last night. He was rigid with his principles and that was what got him so far. You supposed he had to be all of that in order to survive after coming back from the war. 

Wendy said she wasn’t worried that you were working with him– at some point in this small sector, everyone had or would encounter him at least once in his life, directly or indirectly. However, she was worried that you would catch his eye, because according to her, you did not want to be involved with him personally in any way. He was a calculating and ruthless businessman with an ambition, and according to Wendy, that was something you were better off staying away from.

You considered everything you knew about the Crescent Company now that it had been a week working with them. They had partnered with Pledis Manufacturers to produce machine parts but you now knew that it was an undercover business for their weapons assembling. They had recently signed a new deal with Utopia to export these weapons in exchange for the Utopian wine– Black Shadow–  which was a trademark of the Crescent Bar. 

And it was Mist Island that provided the Crescents with the bullets and some metal for weapons production in exchange for Eden wine. It truly was a well-thought out business.

But that could not be all. You still did not know what the small packet– the powdery thing that got you here– was. Was it just a drug they used for pleasure purposes? You had never seen them in such a state, nor did the Crescent Bar tolerate druggies, though deals happened there, just like at any other bar. Nobody seemed to talk about it, there was no record of such an object being traded or produced– so what was it? Why had they almost killed you when they learned that you saw it?

And if it was a drug, why did they need to make a business deal with Secretary Park Byung Eun and have him fund MX Pharmaceuticals, of which they owned shares of? Kihyun knew that Secretary Park was not a man you should involve yourself with, so was he not aware of this new venture or was he turning a blind eye to it because they needed Secretary Park? Why would they need him of all the people in this world? 

“If you glare at your glass any longer, it will shatter,” a familiar voice said and you looked up, mouth parting in surprise.

“San!” You got up, straightening your clothes. “What are you doing here?”

“Uh, I literally own this bar?” San chuckled, noticing the almost empty bottle. 

“I mean, here here,” you pointed at your table. “I was just… drinking, as you can already see.”

“Long day?”

“Kind of,” you nodded. 

“Can I join you then? I’ve had a long day too.”

“Sure,” you said and he settled down in front of you, tossing his jacket on the other chair, now in a half sleeve black shirt. You poured the drink for him and he swirled it a few times before downing it in one gulp. You filled his glass again and motioned one of the waiters to get you a new one. 

It felt a little strange to have him seated like this in front of you. Sure, you had shared drinks countless times, but that was when you worked here and were serving him. There was also a shift in your interactions ever since that fateful night at the bar– somehow, that had turned your conversations more casual. He caught you staring at him but he didn’t comment on it.

“I’m assuming you met Hongjoong?” San asked and you exhaled, making him snicker. “What?”

“He’s… definitely the boss,” you laughed shortly. “He scanned me once and was like, okay, time to move on.”

“That’s him,” San laughed. “But that little scan he does means that he has memorised who you are and won’t forget. He’s got quite the memory.”

“I would expect nothing less, but San,” you sighed. “I miss being here. Even though I acted all professional here for the sake of formalities, it wasn’t ever suffocating being here.”

San frowned at your admission. “Do you not like where you are now?”

“It’s not that,” you shook your head. “I like the new job. It’s testing my capabilities, and I like challenges. It’s just that… you aren’t there. Yeosang isn’t there. You both are Crescents too. You both are also Ateez, so… how are you two so different from the rest?”

A smile creeped up on San’s lips and your heart did a little somersault– you hadn’t forgotten how handsome he was, but it had certainly been a while since you admired his charms. “Just say you miss us and move on, Luna.”

You laughed at that and San joined, the two of you chuckling for a few moments. “Yeah, I kind of miss being here and reporting all the gossip to you,” you said. “I miss working in silence with Yeosang too– don’t tell him I said that. It’ll get to his head.”

“I won’t,” he grinned. “Shall I tell you the gossip?”

“Oh, please, I’ve been starving,” you said.

About an hour passed over gossip and drinks, switching from wine to plain soda. San told you the latest happenings of the area– they had a little fight with Chan’s gang and had settled the matter about the attack on the Crescent Bar, making them pay for the damages. Yuju had gone to different bars to do a survey of what was trendy and come up with nothing, and you joked about how she was only good at doing what she knew– managing the staff, something she was an expert at. San said he would be sending Jeonghan and Mingyu next– perhaps, they would come up with a better report. 

It was the first time you talked to San as a friend, and though you had always found it quite easy to talk to him, you liked that just like Yeosang, he didn’t make it feel like there was a distinction between you two. Perhaps, you wondered, it was because of the nature of your work- after all, you couldn’t be too formal in a place like a bar. Maybe if there was no Crescent Bar, you really would have found San intimidating and unapproachable, just like people claimed he was. You still couldn’t believe them– not when he had the softest gaze when he paid attention to you, not when his eyes curved into moons when he smiled or laughed, and certainly not when he whined like just another adult with problems. 

When you checked the time on your wristwatch, you whistled– it was almost 2 in the morning. “Well. Time flies.”

“The night is still young, but we’ve both got to get up early, don’t we?”

“We sure do,” you nodded. “Well, this has been… a pleasure, San.”

“Likewise,” he propped his chin on his hand as he looked at you. “We should do this again.”

“Complaining about work?” You laughed. “Complaining about my bosses slash your friends?”

“Oh, so when you do it, it’s complaining, but when I do it, it’s whining? Noted,” San shook his head in disappointment and you grinned. “Can I tell you something, Luna?”

“Sure.”

“The hyungs– Yunho, Seonghwa and Hongjoong… they’re just like me and Yeosang. You just don’t know them yet.”

You looked at him for a moment. “I would have believed you if you had not included Seonghwa in that list.”

“Why?”

“You’re nothing like Seonghwa,” you joked. “He’s far too kind and refined.”

San’s loud laughter filled the room and you looked around, making sure no one was being disturbed. You leaned forward to tap his hand and make him stop laughing.

“I’m not lying, Luna,” San wiped his eyes. “Seonghwa… he may look refined but he can be very playful and childish when he wants to be. Yunho… well, once he warms up, you’ll know that he is the best kind of person you can have by your side.”

Somehow, his words wrapped around your heart like a promise. “You care about them a lot, huh?”

“I do,” he nodded. “They’re my friends, a part of my heart. I would do anything for them.”

“And… Hongjoong?”

“Hongjoong, well…” San smiled. “You find that out for yourself.”

“Not helping, San,” you folded your arms but he shook his head.

“All I can tell you is that if you’re lucky enough to break his walls… if he takes you under his wing, he won’t let anything hurt you. That’s the kind of person he is. He is the boss but he acts like a shield for us, and I wish I could do the same for him.”

You took note of his words. Did you trust San? A bit, yes. If he said all those things about Hongjoong, they must be true– at least according to his perception. But could you trust Hongjoong? Could you act as a shield for them so they could protect you in the future?

You made the decision before you slept that night. 

During your night shift the next day, you waited for the office to get a bit emptier. When there was only Seonghwa and Hongjoong on the upper level, you took a leap of faith and knocked on the boss’s door. It was now or never, and you had to make your move.

“Come in,” Seonghwa’s voice sounded and you opened the door. Seonghwa was seated at the couch while Hongjoong was at the end of the room in his chair, scribbling on paper, not bothering to look at you.

“Can I talk to you for a moment?” You asked Seonghwa.

“Sure, have a seat,” he motioned to the couch in front of him and you did, sliding the report to him and glancing at Hongjoong once. “Is everything alright?”

“It is, but… I must warn you of something. You cannot proceed with the deal you’re making with Secretary Park Byung Eun.”

Seonghwa settled the pen he had been playing with on the table, taking a deep breath. “What is this really about?”

“Secretary Park is aiming to become the Minister of Health, isn’t that right? All of the ex-president’s team has either retired or left their posts, replaced by President Lee’s people,” you said. “Is that why you need Secretary Park? Because you have no other option?”

Seonghwa narrowed his eyes– how did you find out that he was aiming to become the next Minister of Health? It wasn’t publicly announced yet– he had yet to sign up as a candidate for that post. 

“You must have one hell of a source,” Seonghwa looked amused, glancing at Hongjoong who was smoking a cigar and now looking at you with mild interest. You gathered your nerves before continuing.

“He is not a good candidate for the position, but that is not what matters right now. I would have gone to Kihyun but I decided to confirm with you first because I’m not sure if he’s aware of your plans, but… you must need Secretary Park to approve some drug in the future, right?”

Seonghwa’s brow rose ever so slightly and you jumped a little when Hongjoong slammed the pen that he had been holding on the table. He cocked his head as he glared at you. 

“Miss Jeon,” he said in a warning tone. “If you don’t stop talking in circles right now and tell us what this is about, I’ll have to deal with you myself. You don’t want that.”

You gritted your teeth, unafraid for the first time in a while. “Do you want this business deal with Secretary Park to be legal? Just answer my question first, Mr. Kim.”

“That’s right,” Seonghwa answered for him. 

“You should know that Secretary Park already has some business deals with Strictland officials going on,” you said in a low tone and the two looked at each other in surprise, clearly unaware. “You know how it will look for you if word comes out– Strictland is already an occupied state on the verge of military dictatorship. You can try to verify it for yourself if you want, but whatever deal Secretary Park has going on with Strictland… it’s not legal in any sense, neither is it moral.”

Seonghwa took a deep breath. “Our meeting with Secretary Park is scheduled for tomorrow.”

“And I thought you should be aware of this before the meeting,” you locked eyes with him, hoping he could see the desperation in them. 

“Jeon y/n, was it?” Hongjoong called and you looked at him. He was squashing his cigar in the ashtray on his desk. You nodded and he finally smiled, though it looked almost devilish. “Why would you care to tell us this information?”

“You must have heard from your underboss,” you said. “I am willing to trade information with you in return for protection.”

“And power,” he pointed out the missing part. “You mentioned power.”

“I only desire power in order to survive in Eden,” you said.

“So why protection?” Hongjoong asked. “You can’t be a powerful figure in Eden and not have everyone targeting you.”

“Being a part of the Crescent Company is protection enough, I suppose,” you rested your hands on the soft material of your black pants, subtly wiping the sweat off. 

“Protection from whom?” Hongjoong asked, his gaze set on you. You found it overwhelming almost to the point that you considered answering– he had a commanding presence. 

“I… can’t say. Not yet,” you said and Seonghwa shook his head, having already known your answer. “I don’t expect you to tell me what the deal is about– after all, I’m only a bookkeeper. But I can give you better options– ex-president Mr. Son, for instance, or Assemblyman Kim Jooheon.”

“Assemblyman Kim is a nobody in the political scene if we are being objective,” Seonghwa said. “I don’t think he will have much to offer to us.”

“He will have something to offer to you if you give him something in return– maybe something that pulls him out of the shadows and into the spotlight of the political scene,” you said, recalling how the politicians in Edenary always thought Assemblyman Kim had the potential but lacked the resources. 

“Why would Mr. Son ever associate himself with us?” Hongjoong got up from his seat, slowly walking towards you, hands in the pocket of his striped black suit. “We may be owners of a legal business company now, but everyone knows of our mafia ties and background.”

“You are an honoured military strategist who played a vital role to end the war, isn’t that true?” 

Hongjoong chuckled at that, nodding slowly to confirm that and settling down next to Seonghwa. “Not everyone is aware of that, Miss Jeon. I don’t like people talking about it.”

“But Mr. Son was the president at that time, and he honoured you with a badge,” you kept his gaze. “I think he will agree that a person who did everything in their power to end the feud between two nations would not be making a deal that would harm his motherland and its people… don’t you agree?”

Hongjoong stared at you while considering your words. “You have a lot of audacity to come in here and make claims about a business you are not a part of, and people you don’t know enough about. Possessing such audacity is what almost cost you your life that night, and what is tempting me to retract the deal my partners made behind my back.”

And there it was. A stark reminder that you may have struck a deal with the queen, but you were still just a pawn in this game of chess where the king ruled. Weak and expendable– that’s what you were.

“Hongjoong,” Seonghwa began but Hongjoong raised his hand in the air to stop him from speaking further, his eyes still locked with yours. You didn’t feel shame nor fear in that moment– just regret that maybe you had trusted the wrong people.

“You are a bookkeeper, and you can remain so. Goodnight, Miss Jeon.”

You nodded slowly, letting his words sink in and then you got up, bowing in greeting. “Good night, Mr. Kim, Mr. Park. Thank you for hearing me out.”

With that, you left the room and Seonghwa looked at Hongjoong. “You did not have to put it like that. I know she got you.”

Hongjoong slumped down on the couch in front of Seonghwa, cracking his knuckles while he thought about his next move. “Is there any way we can verify the information about Secretary Park without anyone getting a whiff?”

“I don’t know,” Seonghwa admitted. “I’m wondering how she knows that– if that was the truth. If Secretary Park really has a business deal with Strictland officials… I don’t think even his wife would know about that. If anyone gets a whiff of that, it could cost him his position and cause President Lee significant harm too, since Park Byung Eun is his secretary. You know how Strictland is still a sensitive topic after the war.”

“Then how does she know?” Hongjoong looked at Seonghwa. “Is she a spy?”

“She can’t be,” Seonghwa shook his head. “Luna worked as the bookkeeper at Crescent Bar for two years–”

“Luna?”

“That’s what everyone calls her,” Seonghwa said, a hint of a smile on his lips.

“She could be a mole, then,” Hongjoong sighed. “But no. Even a mole could not possess this information. What do we do?” 

“Kihyun was Secretary Park’s former business partner. I’ll ask Yunho to check with Kihyun and confirm if Secretary Park is the right man for this deal, but that means we will have to let Kihyun know that we are intending to make such a deal.”

“We were going to tell him anyway, let’s proceed with that plan. And Seonghwa?”

“Yeah?”

“Contact the RV spies and get any information you can on your little bookkeeper.”

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