#if i manage to finish this project in time

[wonyology]

Blueprints Of Us (m!reader x IVE's WONYOUNG) - part I

Summary: A heartbroken architect. An ambitious girl. They didn't know each other existed - until the day they met in Hong Kong. What began as a pleasant encounter slowly turns into something neither of them planned: a connection, and perhaps... a new beginning.

tags(?): fluff, post heartbreak stuff, wony being beautiful, i don't even know man

WONYOUNG x yourself/Original Male Character

Word count: ~10k - big shoutout to @stewpidcheescatarinabluu for the hong kong suggestion, i tried something new this time so... hopefully u guys like it. also, i know nothing about architect. as always, enjoying reading!

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

Incheon International Airport

It was 11:00PM, you sat quietly at Gate 21, the ice americano in your hand somehow tasted really bland now. Too bland. The terminal was quiet, not the peaceful quiet kind - just empty. A few other passengers sat scattered across the rows of seats, some half asleep, others just looked dead inside, just like you. You weren’t in a rush since your flight to Hong Kong wouldn’t board for another 40 minutes. Moments like these just sucked somehow. 

You scrolled through your phone again. Nothing to check, Just the usual emails from work, maybe too many unread group chats that you didn’t even bother to open in days, and that message - still sitting on top of your Kakao like it was waiting for you to accept the truth. 

[내지민이🩵]

(My Jiminie🩵)

im sorry oppa

let’s not keep dragging this out

you know we’ve been over for a while

You stared at it for a moment. No typing dots. No follow-up.

It was from your now ex-girlfriend, Jimin - Yu Jimin, your hoobae from SNU. You met on campus, she was in Interior Design and you were finishing up your architecture degree. She was popular - the looks, the bright energy, the bubbly personality, she had it all. People noticed her. A lot of guys chased after her. But somehow, she’d only looked at you. She was the one who confessed first - bold, smiling, a little nervous. You still remembered the way she’d asked if you always looked that serious, even when the sky looked nice. Somehow you’d ended up together. For almost 2 years. At one point, Jimin was even talking about moving in together. But… it hadn’t been good for a while. She said she’d been tired and you had no better excuse than ‘I’ve been busy’. You weren’t cheating. You weren’t lying. You loved her too much for that.

But last night - the look in Jimin’s eyes told you she was serious. You got down your knees in the middle of the street, apologizing and begging her for one last chance with tears in your eyes. You never thought you’d ever be that desperate, pleading guy in a drama. You never really begged for anything before. But last night, you begged for her. Jimin cried too, but she still walked away. No yelling, no accusations. She said it hurt too much to keep this relationship alive. She didn’t hate you but she couldn’t survive loving you like this anymore.

You cried too. Harder than you ever had. So much that you weren’t even sure if you could make it to Hong Kong today. But somehow you managed. 

Your studio, DPR, was young but quickly gained a reputation for its thoughtful and unique design. It was catching attention, even getting shortlisted for awards in the recent months. You’d joined it after graduating from SNU - one of their only rare junior hires as the team started expanding. The founder - your boss, Yu Barom, was only in his late 30s - maybe a bit young for his field but respected by many for his work. There was something easy about talking with him - not quite a mentor, more of a close friend. He noticed the shift in you for the past few months but he never pushed. When a partner in Hong Kong invited your studio to consult on a small renovation project, he offered it to you.

“Take the job, Haejoon-ah.” he said. “Explore Hong Kong a bit, maybe get lost for a few days. Might help.”

You knew it wasn’t about the project. Still, you were thankful for the chance - not just for work but also for his understanding behind it. You were still lost in that thought when the boarding announcement echoed through the terminal. Well… enough sadness. It was time to get your shit together and board the plane.

Somewhere in the sky, you found yourself staring out the window, watching Korea disappear into clouds. Becoming an architect was never really something you planned - maybe not at first. But you were good with your hands, better with space than words and building things just felt like the one thing you could make sense of the world around you. You weren’t from money, nothing was ever handed to you easily. But you worked your way up, maybe got lucky along the way - through school, through military service, through sleepless nights at SNU until you ended up here. Thirty years old. Employed straight after university, luckily, in this economy. Respected. And still somehow feeling like something or maybe someone was missing in your life.

The next few days passed in a blur - full of site visits, meetings and late night drafts. The renovation project wasn’t anything massive - just a quiet redesign of a small hotel tucked along Sheung Wan. The work culture in Hong Kong was a bit fast paced but nothing you couldn’t keep up with. You spent your days listening, observing and sketching like you always did. Hong Kong was packed but beautiful, chaotic and sharp-edged in a way Seoul wasn’t.

A bit like that game, Sleeping Dogs. Minus the kungfu part. Underrated game.

Until that day, your early meeting had been canceled and you decided to wander around with no purpose, letting the city carry you away. At some point, you ended up at Tsim Sha Tsui harbor, the scenery looked exactly like those in the 90s Hong Kong movies. And there, tucked at the end of the Star Ferry Pier was a clean, minimalist cafe. You’d seen a bunch of those cafes before. Clean concrete, soft wood counters, art gallery vibes. A cup of coffee won’t hurt. But damn, Hong Kong was fucking expensive. You wandered near the window to calm yourself down while watching the world move. The bitterness hit a bit but you didn’t mind. Not there for the coffee anyway. 

Then she walked in. She took your breath the moment she got into your vision. She was wearing a matching cream and navy stripes crochet set. The cropped cardigan clung lightly to her shoulders, unbuttoned to show the black top underneath. Her high waisted shorts helped compliment her long legs, making her already tall frame even more attractive. Her long hair was braided over one shoulder, giving her look a retro but not too old fashioned vibe. A thin choker with a small pendant was wrapped around her neck, and those earrings just made her look so elegant and rich.  But the main point of her look was the glasses. She walked in while adjusting them - casual but confident, like she knew people were watching her. She looked like she’d just stepped out of a fashion magazine. She ordered in English, voice soft but confident? Sounded a bit American? Tourist?

You didn’t really care at first, not until she ran into trouble while paying. Her card wasn’t going through. She shifted awkwardly and laughed it off with the barista then muttered something out of frustration. In Korean, loud enough for you to hear.

“아 뭐야, 또 왜 이래…?”

(What the hell, again…?)

Korean!

Before you could think of anything else, you stood up and walked to the counter, phone already in hand.

“It’s ok. I’ll pay for her.” you said in English - more confident than you thought.

 She turned, blinking in surprise.

“Oh no! Please, you don’t have to…” in English again.

You shook head slightly and switched back to Korean.

“I’m Korean, too. It’s fine.” 

She hesitated for a second then offered a small bow with a tint of pink on her cheeks.

“Ah… thank you so much. Really.” voice now relieved. “I didn’t expect to run into a Korean here.”

“Me neither.” you offered a small smile.

She took her drink from the counter then just stood there clutching her cup of coffee with both hands for a moment. She wasn’t moving away. Her eyes flickered around the cafe then landed back on you.

Shit… she’s so beautiful.

You glanced at an empty table near the window.

“Do you… want to sit with me?” you asked, hoping you didn’t sound too desperate.

“Ah-umm…” she was caught off guard for a second, eyes dropping to her drink then back to you. Then she let out a soft laugh.

“I mean… yeah. Sure.”

The both of you moved to sit down, she carefully placed her cup of coffee before adjusting her cardigan slightly. You noticed how she kept tucking those few strands of her behind her ear, like she was nervous of something. Neither of you said anything for a moment. 

“I swear I’m not usually this clumsy.” she finally spoke first, the corners of her lips curling slightly.

“No, you’re doing fine.” you smiled.

She nodded, taking a sip of coffee before smiling again.

“...Can I ask for your name?” her voice was a bit more confident now. “Feels weird just saying ‘thank you’ to a stranger.”

You chuckled under your breath. 

“Yeah, it’s true. I’m Haejoon. Han Haejoon. And you?”

“I’m Jang Wonyoung.”

“Nice name. It suits you a lot.” you meant it.

There was a beat. Then she tilted her head, slightly blushing.

“Can I ask how old are you, Haejoon-ssi? Just… you know. So we know how to talk.”

You smiled.

“I’m thirty, in Korean age. International… twenty nine.”

“I’m twenty two, so… Oppa?” she replied immediately, her eyes were sparkling - like she was testing you, waiting for a reaction.

Fuck.

You coughed. Only once. Just enough to embarrass yourself. You then looked down at your coffee like it suddenly needed your attention.

“That’s fine. I mean, if you’re comfortable with that…”

You scratched the back of your neck.

“Or not. I don’t… mmm, whatever works best for you.”

She laughed - really laughed this time, covering her mouth with two hands. She was clearly enjoying how flustered you got.

“You’re really shy for someone who just rescued me with a cup of coffee, oppa.” she teased.

You raised one eyebrow, trying to recover.

“Yeah, well. Confidence is situational sometimes.”

Wonyoung took another sip of her drink, eyes quietly scanning you from head to toe then landing back on your eyes.

“You don’t look like a tourist, oppa.” she said, tilting her head. “Are you living here?”

You shook your head. “No, I’m here for work. A short project.”

She nodded slowly, fingers playing with her cup. 

“I thought so. You look like you just stepped out of a meeting or something.”

You glanced at yourself - slightly dark tailored suit, the shirt still stiff from rushing in the morning.

“Too obvious?” you asked, smirking.

“A little.” she grinned. “But in a good way. Sharp. Clean hairstyle. Professional. Korean vibe, definitely.”

“Thanks… I think.”

She covered her laugh with her hands again. Feminine. Effortless. Drawing you right in.

“Where do you live in Korea, oppa?” her tone still playful but curious.

“Uhm, Seoul.” you replied. “Mapo-gu side. Not too far from Yeonnam-dong.”

“No way. I live over there too. Right on the edge of Yeonnam, close to Mangwon market.” she gasped a bit.

“Really?” you blinked.

“Um, my friends and I are actually planning to open a floral studio somewhere around that area.”

You leaned back, surprised but kind of amused.

“That’s fairly close.”

“Fate?” she teased.

“Are you stalking me or something?” you narrowed your eyes, taking a risky shot.

Wonyoung gasped, clearly playing it for effect.

“Oh no… I’ve been caught. I guess I’ll have to find a new victim.”

You laughed, shaking your head.

“Nah, you don’t look like the criminal type.”

She sipped her drink with a small smile. “That’s how we criminals get you.”

You leaned forward a little, resting your forearms on the table.

“Floral Studio? Is that your full time job?”

She pouted her lips a bit before answering. 

“Kind of. Maybe not yet. I just finished school a few months ago. Took a break to travel around with my friends before… you know, real life hits.”

“Graduated from?”

“Ewha” she replied. “Fine Arts. I focused on stuff like fabric theory or styling but ended up falling in love with floral work along the way. I guess it also makes sense because I’ve liked it since I was a kid.”

“Floral work… Like not exactly a florist but arrangements and stuff?” you hummed. 

Wonyoung nodded, swirling her coffee around.

“Yup, like styling, visual work… Maybe it sounds a bit corny but I like how flowers can change the vibe of a place. I did a few stuff with bridal studios, concept shops, even a magazine shoot, once. I guess it just clicked along the way.”

You leaned back again, amazed.

“So not a shop that only sells flowers.”

She smiled.

“Definitely not that. I don’t just want to sell flowers. I want to create spaces and atmosphere that bring memories or scent to people. Does that even make sense?”

“Actually, yeah. It does.” you gave her a small nod, impressed.

There was a brief pause before she spoke up again. 

“I don’t know if it’ll work yet,” she said, looking down at her cup then back at you. “But we’re giving it a shot.”

“And ‘we’ is…?”

“My friends. Two of them. We’ve been dreaming about it for a long time now. I’m actually traveling around Hong Kong with them right now.”

“That’s brave. Really.”

Wonyoung smiled at your words, cheeks faintly pink - then she suddenly looked away and pressed her lips into her cup before speaking up again.

“Why did I just overshare like that?” she mumbled. “I don’t usually talk this much with people I just met.”

“It’s okay. I don’t mind. It was nice to hear.”

She glanced at you from under her lashes, a little flustered. Then, she straightened.

“Anyway. What about you, oppa? What’s your job? Besides saving girls with card problems and drinking coffee at expensive places.”

“I’m an architect.” you let out a soft laugh, shaking your head.

“Ah, called it.” her eyes lit up.

“You guessed?” you blinked.

“Nice tailored suit. Clean look. Sharp eyes. You’re either an architect or a rich guy who works in finance. Or IT.”

You raised a brow. “Are you always this observant?”

“Only when I’m bored.” she smiled again, this time relaxed.

Then she paused, eyes narrowing.

“Wait. If you think I’m that observant… guess my MBTI, oppa.”

You let out a quiet laugh.

“We’re moving on to MBTI already?”

“It’s fun, oppa. Every Korean has to do this. C’mon, one guess.” she said, leaning in.

You studied Wonyoung for a second. Confident posture. Confident speech. The way she caught herself oversharing but owned it anyway. Stylish. So goddamn beautiful, too.

“You gotta be an E…”

Her eyes sparkled a bit.

“EN… No, ES… ESTJ.”

Her mouth dropped open.

“How?

“Confident. Bright energy. I’d say organized but a bit dramatic. The good kind. I’d say stylish too but that doesn’t really count in MBTI.” you just smiled, taking a sip of your coffee like it was obvious.

I got a bit lucky too, Wonyoung-ah.

Wonyoung squinted at you.

“Okay, wait. That’s scary. I’m an actual ESTJ.”

“I’m good, right? Got it on the first try.”

“I’m suspicious now.” she said, narrowing her eyes playfully. “Do you just study MBTIs in your free time?”

“Nope. An architect’s instinct. I worked with many different types of people too.”

She smiled. “Alright, my turn. Let me guess yours.”

You leaned back, enjoying her presence.

Wonyoung’s lips slightly pursed in thought.

“You’re definitely not an E. Too calm. Quiet but not too awkward. You seem like you hate small talk but… listen well. Hmm..”

Here’s your chance. 

You saw your chance and went right for it. 

“Maybe I do hate small talk.” you said, your voice steady. 

“Just… not with you, apparently.” 

Smooth. 

Wonyoung’s eyes widened just a bit - not expecting that. She blinked then let out a lovely laugh, flustered but pulling her hands up to cover her face.

“...Wow, okay.”

“That was smooth, oppa. You don’t really seem like the flirty type.”

You shrugged, a faint smirk playing at the corner of your mouth.

“No, I’m not. Also, confidence is situational, remember?”

Wonyoung shook her head, laughing into her hands for a second before finally lowering them again. Her cheeks were a soft shade of pink, eyes still amused.

“I swear, if this is how you talk to every girl you meet…”

You raised both your hands in defense.

“I swear on my architect degree, from SNU - you’re the first.”

Wonyoung blinked.

“Wait. Seoul National University?”

You nodded.

“No way.” she stared at you for a second, genuinely taken aback.

“Why? Is that surprising?” you smiled, a little unsure.

“Yeah, that’s like the SNU. Our country’s top school so… you must be something yourself.”

You chuckled, shy now.

“Well… yeah. It wasn’t easy.”

She shook her head slowly, lips parting a little.

“That’s seriously impressive, oppa. I’m kind of… wow. No wonder you’re all quiet and mysterious.”

You laughed under your breath.

“Mysterious? That’s a first.”

“You’ve got that hidden backstory energy, oppa. Do you like, build buildings and stuff?” she asked, sipping her drink.

You smiled at her wording.

“Not exactly. I don’t physically go out with a hammer, if that’s what you’re picturing. I design them. Sometimes interior stuff too.”

Wonyoung laughed, covering her smile again with her hand - a habit you were finding endearing. But it was her eyes that got you. The way they shut lightly when she smiled or laughed, crinkling just a bit at the corner - genuine. Soft. Like the kind of laugh that showed she wasn’t pretending with you. You didn’t mean to stare, but you did. Just a bit longer than you should have.

“Do I have something on my face, oppa?”

“Nothing… Uh, your eyes look pretty when you laugh.”

She paused, her ears turning pink.

“...Well, that’s nice of you to say that.”

You were now aware of how warm your face felt too.

“I mean, it’s true.”

You leaned back slightly, gaze drifting toward the window before returning to Wonyoung. An awkward pause before you spoke.

“Anyway… yeah. I’m taking the architectural license exam this August. And then two other stages… at the end of the year. Then if things go well, I will finally be a licensed architect.”

“Hmm… that’s a big deal, isn’t it?” Wonyoung blinked, clearly impressed.

“It’s… a long time coming.”

“That’s amazing,” her voice sounded so genuine. “Like, really impressive. You must’ve worked so hard for this.”

You shrugged. Wonyoung’s words hit deeper than you expected. She then leaned forward, resting her chin in one hand with her eyes on you.

“I don’t know. There’s something really attractive about people who build things. Like it’s not just work… Care, thought, vision…”

You let her words settle in the space, trying to figure out what this beautiful girl is trying to do. Then she tilted her head slightly with her chin still resting in her palm.

“Wait… can I ask you something a bit random?”

“Sure.” you replied, curious.

“Did you do your military service already? Or are you one of those guys who contribute something big to the country and get exempt status?”

You laughed, it did catch you off guard a little.

“I’m not that lucky. I did mine right after high school.”

“Wow, so you got it out of the way early.” her eyes widened a bit. 

“So if someone dates you now, oppa… They don’t have to worry about you disappearing for two years?”

“That’s one way to… put it.” you said with a low laugh. “Guess I’m low risk that way.”

She nodded, like she was seriously considering it.

“Good to know.”

A short pause came again. Wonyoung glanced at you, down at her coffee, swirling around for a bit. Then she spoke with her eyes still on the cup - quieter this time.

“Umm… can I have your number, oppa?”

She peeked up at you, her tone casual but her cheeks a little pink. 

“Just in case I need to repay you for the coffee. Or, you know… if you feel like talking again.”

You smiled - couldn’t help it.

“Sure,” you said while pulling out your phone. “I’d love to meet you again.”

She took your phone gently, fingers moving quickly as she typed something in.

“Oh - do you want my Instagram too, oppa?” she asked, glancing up with a slight tilt of her head. “Just in case Kakao feels too formal.”

“Sure. Just head into the app and follow your account.” you chuckled.

She did exactly that, tapping around before handing it back to you. You looked at the contact name and had to bite a laugh back.

워녕이녕이🐰

(Wonyoungie🐰)

“A bunny?” you asked.

She looked smug, proud of herself. 

“People say I look like one.”

“Hmm, accurate.”

You barely had time to glance up when two other girls walked in - both stylish, maybe around Wonyoung’s age, laughing about something between them. One girl spotted her first.

“Wonyoung-ah!”

Wonyoung turned, eyes lighting up.

“Oh, unnie. Here!”

But then, the other girl’s gaze shifted to you - and paused. Recognition ran straight to your brain instantly.

“Haejoon-oppa?”

“Yena?”

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

The four of you ended up at the same table, drinks in hands. Yena sat between you and Wonyoung, occasionally throwing glances your way, while Hyewon, her other friend, chimed in now and then with curiosity. 

Yena and you had always had a nice relationship - playful jabs, easy conversation and banter, which was easy when you did military service with her older brother years ago. She’d seen you through highs and lows. Wonyoung seemed both surprised and amused - not uncomfortable. If anything, she looked a little more relaxed now, sipping her coffee as conversations bounced around. Then, in a moment when the other two were distracted, Yena leaned in closer to you while lowering her voice.

“Oppa… are you cheating on Jimin in Hong Kong?”

You froze a bit, the question hitting harder than it should’ve. You absolutely forgot about Jimin when Wonyoung got here. Which was incredible - considering Jimin was on your mind 24/7 ever since you landed in Hong Kong.

“No.” you swallowed once. “We broke up like almost two weeks ago.”

Yena’s brow lifted. “Really?”

You nodded slowly.

“Just before I left for Hong Kong. She didn’t tell anyone yet, I guess.”

She leaned back slightly, eyes scanning your face, maybe she was trying to figure out if you were serious or you were considering cheating on Jimin with the girl sitting next to her. You met Yena’s gaze. You weren’t in the mood to defend yourself - especially when things already ended the way it did.

“Damn. I’m sorry.” her voice genuine, a mix of apology and shock.

“I mean… it hadn’t been good for a while.”

Yena didn’t press further. She just nodded the turned back toward the others, tone shifting back to light as if nothing just happened. Then, you felt Wonyoung glancing at you - her gaze was curious. She hadn’t heard the exchange. But something told you she noticed the shift in your face. And you weren’t sure if that made you uneasy or a little more drawn to her. 

How did I forget about Jimin so easily when you got here?

The conversation drifted back into easier topics - the weather, their trip, stuff in Hong Kong. You stayed mostly quiet, letting the girls talk, sipping your coffee while catching Wonyoung’s gaze looking at you now and then. Then, Yena suggested, casually.

“Oh, oppa. We’re going to eat somewhere at those skyline places tonight. Wanna come?”

Wonyoung looked at you. Her lips pressed like she was trying not to smile but the tiniest spark lit up in her eyes. She didn’t say anything right away, but the others knew.

You looked at Hyewon.

“Are you sure?”

She just smiled and shrugged, totally chill. 

“It’s fine, oppa. More people, more food.”

Yena raised an eyebrow at you, half a smirk on her face - clearly excited.

“Soooo?”

Your gaze turned to Wonyoung, who now was clearly staring right at you.

“Umm… yeah, I’m in.”

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

You sat on your bed in the nice hotel room that Barom booked for you, studio money - crazy money by the way. You were still in your suit, tie slightly loosened now. A lot went through your mind after you left the cafe. For some reason, you didn’t want to be alone with your thoughts for too long. Like usual, you tapped into your contacts and hit call on your favorite person whenever you were in a situation like this

[다빈형] (Dabin-hyung)

He picked up on the third ring.

“Uh. You alive over there? In lovely Hong Kong?” 

“Barely.” you let out a breath, tired. “Also, hyung, are you on the toilet?”

“I’m efficient with my time, man.” he said, completely unbothered. “What’s up? You miss me or are you in trouble right now?”

You rubbed your face. “No, not really.” “Got time to walk around Hong Kong yet? You’ve been there for like one, two weeks?”

“Barely.”

“Site visits killed you already?”

“Nope, not that.” you lied back on the back, staring at the ceiling. 

“I met someone today.”

There was a short pause. Then a groan came from the other line.

“Damn… Don’t tell me you fell in love mid site visit like that. Is she from Hong Kong? Or is it a he? Wait… is it a he?”

“Hyung, shut up. It’s not like that. I just… I don’t know. I feel weird.”

“What kind of weird?”

You hesitated.

“Good weird, I think... Bad timing.”

“You thinking about her again?” Dabin hummed knowingly.

You didn’t even have to mention who her was.

“I forgot about Jimin today,” you said. “Just… like completely forgot. The second this girl walked in.”

“Is she from Hong Kong?”

“Uh… no, from Korea. Seoul. Lives near Yeonnam-dong too. Super weird.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I’m not kidding.”

“She’s traveling with her two friends. One of them is a close friend of mine, I enlisted with her brother at the same time.”

“That’s really weird.”

“Yeah, but this girl… She’s bubbly, cute, beautiful… said she’s about to open a floral studio with her friends. There’s something about her, flirty but just enough. She… uh.” you trailed off, suddenly self conscious. 

“She called me oppa like five minutes after meeting me. I swear, hyung, my brain just shut off right there.”

A snort came from the other line.

“Jesus Christ. You’re down bad.” he said, his American accent popping off.

“I’m not, hyung.”

“You are, Haejoon-ah. You forgot your ex for hours because the way a pretty stranger said oppa sounded so sweet. That’s not normal, at least for you.”

You groaned, dragging a hand over your face.

“I’m just… confused, okay? I didn’t plan for this.”

“No one plans to fall in love in foreign land, Haejoon-ah. It just happens.”

You laughed, maybe at yourself.

“She’s different, hyung. She’s bold but sweet, confident but also shy. She actually listened when I talked about my architecture license exam - like, really listened.”

“Huh… that’s a first. You rant for hours about this and it always scares women off.”

“C’mon, man.”

A beat passed, then Dabin’s voice softened.

“Look, I get it. You’re in a weird place - post breakup, in Hong Kong, maybe tired from all the work. But it feels ok to feel something, even if you don’t know what it is yet. Just overthink it too much.”

You closed your eyes for a second.

“I’m having dinner with them tonight.”

“Already? I thought you’re shy and all.”

“No, not like that. Yena’s there. Our mutual friend. She invited me.”

“And you said yes.”

You hesitated. “Well… yeah.”

“Good.” he sounded satisfied. 

“At worst, free dinner and maybe a decent view. At best, you get a second chance at romance.”

You didn’t reply to him right away.

“Maybe I’m her type.” you added under your breath. 

“The way she talked to me… you know.”

Another snort.

“You’re so screwed.”

You stayed quiet for a second, and he didn’t let that slide.

“Seriously, though - this is why you can’t do casual, Haejoon-ah. You were built to be a hopeless romantic.”

“I’m not-” you groaned.

“You are, dumbass.” he cut in, in English, then the latter part back in Korean. 

“You look and act quiet all the time but deep down you want to be in love. You just won’t admit it.”

You turned around on the bed.

“She smiled so prettily, hyung.”

“Oh god.”

“I’m serious.”

“I know. That’s what makes this fun to watch.”

You smiled a little.

“Shut up and get out of the toilet, man.”

“Already did. I multitask really well.”

You shook your head. 

“Anyway, thanks hyung.”

“Anytime, man. Don’t overthink stuff. You always do that. Wear something good and enjoy the dinner. You’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, I overthink a lot.”

“Yeah, go impress your floral girl. I’m out.”

And he hung up. You stayed there for a moment longer, staring at the ceiling again. Maybe you were really screwed. But you didn’t hate the feeling.

The steam still lingered faintly in the bathroom mirror when you stepped out of the shower. Were you nervous? Not too sure. You dried off and ran your hands through your hair and sprayed on a bit of cologne. Then you reached for the shirt - the striped Oxford you’d laid out before the shower. Clean lines, soft fabric. It slipped on easy, giving a casual but sharp vibe - yeah, you’d pulled this off before. You rolled the sleeves and went for the white trousers. Not quite clean fit but slightly wide legged, relaxed. Your shoes were black, polished, a little more formal but complimented the look well. Casual, comfortable, but presentable. Just the right line between effortless and intentional, you thought so.

You were reaching for your watch and glasses when your phone buzzed on the bed. It was Dabin.

[다빈형]

don’t chicken out man

just act like your normal self and you’ll be fine 

You stared at the screen, lips twitching. Typical. You slid on your watch, put on the glasses and gave yourself one last look in the mirror. You didn’t forget to grab the wallet before reaching for the door.

Let’s see where the night goes.

The elevator doors slid open, and you stepped into what felt like another world. Hong Kong was really like those 90s movies, or even better. The restaurant wasn’t open air, it didn’t need to be with this kind of view. Glasses stretched from floor to ceiling, wrapping around the entire dining space, revealing the Hong Kong skyline in its night glory. The scenery below shimmered like jewels, skyscrapers glowing in all kinds of colors as the city exhaled into the night. On the far side, Victoria Peak…is it Victoria Peak?... cast a quiet silhouette against the fading sunset. Inside, the lighting was soft and warm - elegant and expansive. It was decorated with polished floors and golden accents. Everything didn’t feel loud - just intentional, to emphasize that quiet luxury vibe. A curved bar hugged one side of the room. Every detail, from the wine bottles gleaming to the jazz music felt like it was designed to make you stay longer and spend more. 

You scanned around the space - there they were. Near the window, seated at probably one of the best tables in the restaurant, Wonyoung along with Hyewon and Yena looked like they really belonged there. And next to Wonyoung, an empty seat was waiting for you. Here we go. You exhaled once, calming yourself before walking toward them.

Yena spotted you first as she lit up and raised one hand, half standing from her seat.

“Oppa! Over here.”

Hyewon turned and gave you a small, friendly wave. 

Wonyoung looked up at you briefly then dropped her gaze with a small smile. A bit shy, maybe. You reached for the table. She was wearing a tweed mini-dress, the kind of clothing that looked straight out of a Milan runway but still fit her like it was custom made. Those golden sequin trimming sat at the collar, cuffs, and hem - giving her look a playful yet youthful, elegant vibe.  It caught the warm restaurant lighting so well whenever she moved. Her hair was down, long  and softly curled over one shoulder. Her bangs emphasized her features so well, giving her an almost doll like vibe. But it wasn’t just about the look. The way she carried herself - composed, like she was completely at ease in this kind of place. 

This girl must come from royalty.

You found yourself smiling at Wonyoung before you even realized it.

“Sorry, I’m late.” you said, adjusting your watch out of habit. “Hong Kong traffic was insane.” 

Yena scoffed dramatically.

“We were about to order without you, oppa.”

“Yah, you were not.” Hyewon added with a laugh, nudging Yena lightly.

Wonyoung didn’t say anything, fingers fiddling with her wine glass before looking up at you again.

“At least you made it.” she smiled.

You scratch the back of your neck out of habit.

“Yeah… wouldn’t want to miss the view,”  you said, eyes flicking briefly to hers before quickly adding.

“I mean, the city - the skyline.”

Wonyoung looked like she was trying not to smile too much. You nodded towards the empty seat toward the empty seat beside her.

“This one mine?”

“Obviously, oppa.” Yena smirked. “Where else?”

You then carefully slid into the seat beside Wonyoung - close enough to catch the subtle perfume she wore, faint but lingering. Deadly. Her arm brushed lightly against yours as she shifted, and neither of you moved away too quickly. 

“Glad you could make it.” she whispered loud enough for the two of you to hear.

You turned your head, this time not able to look her in the eyes.

“Me too. You look stunning by the way.”

That made her pause for just a short beat. Then her smile appeared - a little shy, a little warm.

“You don’t look too bad yourself, oppa.” Wonyoung tilted her head. 

“That shirt looks really good on you.”

It was your turn to be shy, unsure whether to thank or deflect this time, but-

“So how’s Hong Kong treating you, oppa?” Yuna cut in, her eyes glinting as she leaned across the table with her face in her palm. “Working hard? Or just pretending to?”

You exhaled, wasn’t even sure if you were thankful or disappointed with this vibe shift.

“Umm… both, I guess. It’s not a big project but we’re packing in as much as we can.”

“What’s the project again?” Hyewon asked, curious.

“A small hotel in Sheung Wan. Mostly renovation. Nothing massive but enough to keep me up the past few nights.”

Wonyoung gave you a knowing glance.

“Sounds like you don’t get enough sleep.”

The corner of your mouth was tugging upward.

“Yeah, well… comes with the job, I guess. Can’t really complain.”

She hummed softly in response - like she understood more than she let on.

“Still… I hope you get at least one good night here. Would be a waste otherwise.”

You glanced at her, something light but still meaningful passed between the two of you.

“Sooo” Yena cut in, eyes sharp with curiosity. “What’s it like back in Korea? Your job, I mean. You said your studio’s in Seoul, right?”

“Yeah,” you nodded. “It’s on Mapo-gu side. I got snapped up right after I finished the five year program, it was hell - honestly.”

“Architecture major?” Hyewon asked. 

You nodded. “Yeah, SNU. Lucky enough to land the job straight out. The team’s pretty tight - a younger studio but we’ve been gaining attention lately. That’s why I can’t sleep these days.”

“Ooh, smart and stable.” Yena said with a fake dramatic tone. “Sounds like someone’s type.”

Wonyoung muttered something under her breath, half laughing.

You ignored the burning feeling on your ears and continued. 

“The pay’s not insane, but good enough for me to afford a nice apartment, help my family and still have enough to save… or splurge once in a while. I’m taking the architect license exam this year so… hopefully better pay after that.”

“Help your family?” Hyewon repeated. “That’s really good of you.”

You nodded, now a little self conscious under the weight of their attention. 

“I mean… they did a lot for me. Wouldn’t be here without them.”

Wonyoung gently traced the rim of her wine glass. The way she looked at you had changed. Warmer. Respectful, maybe. Enough to kill you.

“And what do you splurge on, oppa?” Yena swooped back in with a grin. “Don’t say boring stuff like books or anything like that.”

You chuckled.

“I mean… I bought a nice car off from a friend a year ago. Sometimes… travel, hobbies if I have time. And, you know - those dinners where my friends drag me out and the wine list has names I can’t even pronounce but I pretend anyway.”

That earned a laugh from Hyewon.

Wonyoung tilted her head.

 “Ooh, red or white, oppa?”

You raised your eyebrows. 

“I mean, they taste the same to me. Anything is fine, depends on the company.”

Wonyoung blinked before looking away at the Hong Kong skyline with a breathy laugh, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear like she was trying to compose herself.

“Oh, wow.” Yena muttered. 

“You really are someone’s type.”

You looked down at your glass. You didn’t mean to put it like that. Whatever the case was, it lingered in the air between you and Wonyoung, even as Hyewon and Yena picked the conversation back up.

“Okay, we need food before I get drunk. Who’s hungry now?” Hyewon was already looking at the waiter.

You relaxed into your seat, feeling Wonyoung leaning closer to you. But neither of you pulled away.

By the time the food arrived, the atmosphere had settled into something warmer. Comfortable. It came with good drinks and beautiful Hong Kong city lights, with laughter spilling out between bites. You were swirling your wine glass absentmindedly, half listening to Yena and Hyewon debate over where to go after this. Then the conversation drifted again.

“So how was that spot you and Yena-unnie went to see? The one near the bookstore?” Hyewon turned to Wonyoung as she asked. Wonyoung’s face lit up instantly.

“Oh, it was actually so cute.” she said, nodding. “In Yeonnam-dong, not too big but the lighting’s really great. Especially in the afternoon.”

“And the outside looks beautiful too.” Yena added, grinning. “We were already planning a small coffee counter in front and Instagram photo spots.”

Hyewon looked impressed. 

“You two were out there for like, what, over two hours?”

“Over one hour, unnie.” Wonyoung replied, smiling. “But we saw the vision.”

You looked between them, your architect side was genuinely intrigued now.

“Sounds like a solid location.”

“It is,” Wonyoung said, her voice certain. “We’ve been talking about this studio for so long, it finally feels like it’s happening.”

“We’re just basically waiting on the right person to help us design it,” Yena added, throwing glances your way.

Hyewon caught the way Yena looked at you and smirked. “You’re not even subtle now.”

You raised your eyebrows, not saying anything yet. Wonyoung, however, didn’t look away.

“We had someone before, but the timing didn’t work out. So…” she said, calm. “We’re open to new ideas.”

Then she tilted her head just slightly, her eyes meeting yours.

“Or maybe the right person’s already here.”

A short pause arrived at the table. You exhaled a small laugh, surprised but not at all opposed.

“That sounds a lot like a pitch.”

She smirked, smiling into her wine glass. You glanced down at your plate, suddenly a little more aware of how warm your face felt.

“I mean, I could show you guys some on the projects I’ve worked on. If you’re curious.”

Wonyoung looked up first. 

“Really, oppa?”

“Yeah, I got a few files on my phone. Not all flashy, but solid enough.”

“Solid enough?” Yena said. “You’re underselling yourself, oppa.”

“I’m just saying.” you muttered, “They’re not exactly viral cafe material or anything.”

“Still.” Wonyoung said, her tone softer now. “We’d love to see them.”

Her gaze lingered, warm and steady. She really meant it.

“We’re serious.” she added. “Send them later. Or show us now if you want.”

You hesitated for half a second, then reached into your pocket and pulled out your phone, unlocking it with a swipe.

“...Okay. Just don’t expect an aesthetic Pinterest board.”

Yena immediately. “Don’t worry, oppa. We’re not like that.”

You opened an app and tapped into a folder you hadn’t shared with anyone in a while now - site photos, render stuff, construction shots and a few finished interior works. Some cafes, a private rooftop home renovation, even a small art gallery for a chaebol’s daughter tucked in some corner of Gangnam-gu, that project paid really well. All designed just the way you liked it.

The three of them scooted in without hesitation, gathering on your side of the table. Yena leaned over your right shoulder. Hyewon peered in from across the table, leaning closer to get a better look. And Wonyoung - she was right next to you, too close. You could smell her perfume again. Then, without warning, she shifted even closer and rested her chin or your shoulder, like it was nothing. You felt like you were clinically dead. Her fingers reached out for the cuff of your rolled up sleeve. She began fidgeting with the fabric - gently folding it up and down, smoothing it out like it needed her help. Like she knew she was clearly setting every nerve in your arm on fire. Your breath stopped for a moment and your heart felt like it forgot how to beat. No one else seemed to notice.

For the next fifteen minutes, the restaurant faded out. They asked about your lighting choices, space planning, even what kind of clients you dealt with. 

“You can go into the other folder. There are more pictures…uh, easier to see how they turned out.” you said.

Wonyoung lifted her chin slightly and reached forward, tapping the screen.

“This one?”

“Yeah, that’s the finished shot.”

Her eyes scanned the photo, then she smiled - drawing you in.

“I like how you designed this space,” she pointed at a spot on the screen. “It feels like a nice touch. Like it’s lived in.”

And then - as if it was the most natural thing in the world - she replaced the hand that had been playing with your sleeves with the other one, letting her fingers drift along the back of your hand. She traced small circles there. You knew, she was actively trapping you with the gentlest, most casual touch in history. 

She’s got you good now.

You didn’t even know how to feel anymore. She didn’t look at you but her fingers never stopped moving. Yena and Hyewon, on the other hand, were busy talking and discussing about how the design would fit into their studio - where the flower prep area could be, how much the light could control the whole space, how their storage area could be hidden. And then, Yena swiped one more time before pausing. 

That photo. You were standing in the middle of a large gallery, dressed sharp and clean. On one side, Moon Seo-yoon - the chaebol’s daughter - radiant in a white jumpsuit. On the other side, her supermodel friend, Lee Gawon. Their arms hooked through yours and leaning a little too close to your shoulder, Gawon's face tilted toward yours like she had something to tell you.

Oh fuck. That wasn’t supposed to be in there.

“Wait, oppa.” Yena gasped. “Is that you?”

You cleared your throat, dreading this already.

“Uh, yeah, The small art gallery for the chaebol’s daughter I told you guys about a few minutes ago. That’s… uh, Moon Seo-yoon. The opening for her art gallery.”

Hyewon leaned in closer to confirm. “The Shinsegae girl?! You worked with her?”

“Uh… yeah,” you muttered, the wine glass suddenly looked so interesting.

Yena squinted at the screen. “Is that… Gawon?! The model Gawon?!”

You nodded slowly. 

“Yeah, she’s friends with Seo-yoon. That was…kind of a last-minute invite.”

Yena let out a low whistle. “You really are in the higher society, oppa.” 

“No, I’m not that kind of person. I just… work with them a lot.”

And just as you were mentally preparing for another disaster to strike, you felt Wonyoung’s fingers rhythm change - no more circles. She pinched the skin near your knuckle.

Once.

Twice.

Quick. Barely painful but somehow definitely felt too territorial. You turned your head slowly to look at her, your eyes wide. Wonyoung wasn’t looking at you - her face was perfectly neutral, like she was just watching Yena scrolling on the phone and nothing else. She nodded, playing along. You felt like she just claimed ownership of you in front of her two best friends. But her fingers returned to exactly where they were moments ago, this time resting against yours. 

And then, just as your heart began to settle, Wonyoung launched another attack. You felt a soft pressure on your shoe, the tip of hers stepping lightly on yours under the table.  Just enough to let you know she was there. That she knew exactly what she was doing. You couldn’t move. Not when she had a hold of your hand and foot.

Your ears were burning. Your chest was tight. You hadn’t felt like this in a long time.

Wonyoung said nothing. Then-

“Wait-” Yena spoke up, rescuing you from the moment. “Is that who I think it is?”

Hyewon gasped. “No way.”

“Huh?” you blinked, dazed.

“This one.” Yena turned the photo to show a photo of you, maybe a few months ago. You, standing inside of what looked like a sleek, private room. Behind you were works of art - like actual pieces from international artists, you didn’t know who they were but their paintings seemed too expensive for you. They didn’t pay attention to that. But more importantly, right beside you stood T.O.P from BIGBANG, hand over your shoulders, smiling while wearing sunglasses even indoors. To your left, an actor and some directors. Well, not an ameteur actor. It was the Lee Byung-hun. Yena looked at you, mouth open.

“Oppa. You know T.O.P and Lee Byung-hun? Why does he have his arm over your shoulder like you two hang out?”

“It was his gallery room at his house.” you replied, the pressure of Wonyoung was still on yours, like she was still making a silent claim. 

“I helped… uh, worked on that. Not alone, obviously. But he was really cool. I've been a big fan of BIGBANG since I was a kid so…”

“You were at his house?” Hyewon asked, eyes wide.

“Just for meetings and other stuff.” you said quickly. “And a few celebrations.”

Yena shook her head in disbelief. 

“Is this normal for you? Like high profile people and celebrities?”

You let out a breath, thinking of what to say. “No, not really. Our studio does a lot of stuff for those people, private commissions and stuff. I just happened to end up working with them sometimes.” you replied, trying to keep your voice casual.

None of those celebrities, those clients had ever made you feel as dismantled as you felt right now - under Wonyoung’s control. Still, you haven’t said a thing. No one else noticed the power struggle happening at the table, except the two of you. Wonyoung was winning. Effortlessly. Quietly.

Eventually, Yena passed your phone back with a shocked look in her eyes, muttering something about reevaluating her life. Hyewon sipped her drink and leaned back, stretching. Everyone shifted in her seats, the dinner settled back to its normal rhythm. Wonyoung drew her hand back and sat properly in her chair, crossed one leg over the other and turned her head towards you - her eyes soft and her voice calm.

“Oppa.” she opened, casually. “About the floral studio…”

You looked over at her, trying not to look too hopeful.

“Would you, you know… maybe help us with it?”

Her tone was light, but she didn’t smile this time. Like she really meant it.

“We want something warm and open. Something people walk into and just feel good by already being there. I think…” she paused, searching your face. “You get what we’re going for.”

There came the offer. No teasing anymore. Just honesty. You blinked twice before answering.

“Yeah… of course, I’d love to. Need a call to my boss but he trusts me.”

And this time, Wonyoung smiled. 

Damn, she’s beautiful.

Before either of you could say anything, Yena clapped her hands together.

“Then let’s celebrate. More drinks. Yayyy!”

Hyewon raised her glass. 

“Yayy! Cheers to our studio.”

“And to our new architect oppa who we found in Hong Kong.” Yena added, raising her glass.

You laughed under your breath as your glass clinked with theirs. Wonyoung took a sip, this one longer than the last ones. A few minutes passed in relaxed chatter, then Yena turned to Wonyoung, who was now resting her cheek on one hand, the other playing with her glass.

“Wonyoung-ah,” Yena said, suspiciously. “Are you okay? You know you’re a light drinker.”

“I’m fine, unnie.” Wonyoung replied, too quickly as she straightened up in her seat. “Totally fine.”

“You say that everytime.” Hyewon laughed.

“She’s almost at that stage.” Yena explained to you.

“She’s about to get all red, pouty and whiny. It’s slowly coming now.”

“I don’t pout.” Wonyoung mumbled in her breath, definitely pouting. You bit back a smile and looked into the scenery before she caught it. 

When the bill came and the plates were cleared, the mood stayed light. Yena stretched and stood up, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

“We were gonna walk around a bit before heading back to the hotel. Maybe grab something light to eat along the way.”

Hyewon then turned to you.

“You should come with us, oppa. You’re already out, might as well stay longer, right?”

Wonyoung looked up at you then, eyes softer, sparkling under the warm lights. You paused.

“Yeah. Sure… Why not?”

The Hong Kong night air had cooled down just enough for the walk to feel nice. The four of you strolled along the Tsim Tsa Tsui Promenade, shoes tapping against the stone path as the city night life goes on in the background. Stunning. The skyline glittered on the other side of the water - skyscrapers lit up in colors, typical Hong Kong. 

Yena and Hyewon had drifted ahead, laughing at something between them. You knew it wasn’t an accident. They didn’t walk too fast - just far enough to leave you and Wonyoung behind. Wonyoung? She was blushing now - cheeks flushed, eyes sparkling from the wine, her steps were slower and a bit uneven. She was still very elegant. But her restraint was on a thin line, in the most dangerous way possible. And then, this girl reached for your shirt collar. Two fingers, light grip. Enough to pull you down, her lips were close to your ear, too close. You stiffened, holding back your breath.

And then, she whispered, slow and warm:

“...I know about your ex, oppa.”

Your heart dropped, heavy.

What the fuck?

“Yu Jimin.” she added. “Yena-unnie told me about her.”

You didn’t move any further. Well, you couldn’t anyway.

“She was beautiful, you know.” Wonyoung murmured, candies to your ear. 

“I spent like thirty minutes stalking her Instagram when I got back from the cafe.”

Her breath was so soft, hitting your ear and neck. Warm too. Her words did things to you that you couldn’t describe.

“Perfect skin. Beautiful face. The kind of girl that people noticed even when she’s not trying. Nice… body, too.”

You swallowed hard. You didn’t know what that tone of her was. Jealousy? Bitterness? That made it even worse. Then, Wonyoung let out a quietest laugh, enough to kill you.

“I was really sad when I thought you were one of those guys, you know? Fresh out of a breakup, walking around all polished and lonely. Looking for some new girl to satisfy your needs.”

No, I’m definitely not that type of guy.

She paused then pulled back slightly - just enough to tilt her head and look up at you, lashes heavy, smile lazy from too much wine.

“Oppa, you’re not those guys, right? 환승연애*…?”

*환승연애/hwanseung yeonae: like transit love, when some one’s fresh off a relationship, starting a new one but still deeply in love with the previous lover. Popular term recently in Korean, it went off due to a few dating programs.

Those words hit harder than any punch you ever took. You were about to answer, opening your mouth when Wonyoung cut in. 

“Yena-unnie vouched for you. Said you were a really nice, serious guy. Proper. Mature. The kind of man who does not play around. Just my type, oppa.” her smile widened, just enough.

And then she slid her hand up, slowly, calculated - the one that had been resting at her side, brushing over your chest before moving up to your throat, tracing around. Then, she hooked her finger at the second button of your shirt and unbuttoned it. Just one. But it felt like she had just stripped away all of your remaining confidence. Wonyoung then looked up, her voice low, dangerous.

“I’ve never been in a relationship before.”

You blinked.

“And I’ve never acted like this around anyone before…sober or drunk.”

And then she decided to finish you off with one last action. She poked you on your chest - right where your heart was - a few times, lightly.

“So… you better gain my trust, oppa.”

Wonyoung didn’t wait for a reply. She knew she had you in the palm of her hand. She turned and kept walking to catch up with Hyewon and Yena. Her hair was flowing in the wind, shining under the city glow.

Am I in a 90s Hong Kong romance?

You stood there for a few seconds. Breath shallow, chest burning. One button undone. Wonyoung did all that to you in just under one day. You dragged your hand over your face and exhaled.

Fuck…

The four of you eventually reached the end of the promenade, a quieter area where Yena was calling for the rides, Hyewon humming something while scrolling on her phone. Wonyoung was leaning slightly against a railing, Miu Miu bag over her shoulder. This girl looked far too classy and elegant to be tipsy - until you walked to her. She turned to you when you approached, eyes a bit wide, lips pouting in that dreamy, tipsy fashion. 

She could kill a thousand men with that look.

“Oppa.” she muttered. 

“Was I crazy… or annoying today?”

You blinked. “What do you mean?”

“Just wondering.” She leaned in again - the same way she had all night. 

“I don’t act this way normally. Or touch that much. Or…”

Her voice dropped, sultry but still had you waiting.

“...look at someone like this before. I just want to let you know that.”

Without waiting for your answer, she reached up to adjust the collar of your shirt, her knuckles intentionally brushing your jaw.

“I’m a little drunk.” she whispered, cheeks blazing. What were you supposed to say now? 

“But I still know what I’m doing, oppa.”

Her eyes wide, glassy, shining under the city glow. You could feel that lingering closeness. Then Yena called her, standing near a car. Wonyoung blinked slowly, like she didn’t want to let go before taking a small step back. One hand brushing her hair, the other playing with her expensive bag. Before she left, she said just one more thing. An order. Her voice low, sultry.

“Don’t disappear on me, okay?”

And then she walked away. You were now at a new chapter in your life.

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

That night, you were on your bed. The hotel ceiling felt like it was spinning slowly above. Not from the wine, you were sure. You were on your phone, looking at her Instagram.

@for_everyoung10 - she already hit the follow button when you gave her your phone to add her contacts. She had already followed you back too.

140K followers. Not a celebrity. Not an influencer. Just… Jang Wonyoung. She wasn’t exactly a model either. But you could tell a few small local brands already caught on - tagged her in photoshoots for linen clothing, soft pastel colored clothing, “princess core” type of fashion. Nothing over the top. All clean, natural. Wonyoung looked like she belonged in every frame. You scrolled. Slowly.

A few GRWM (get ready with me) vlogs in her reels.

“Hi guys, get ready with me to…”

“Today I’m going for a smart casual look…”

“I’m using this foundation from…”

Fuck… her voice is so addicting.

A few clips of her dancing around with Yena and Hyewon somewhere.

A few clips of her trying out new cafes with her other friends.

You kept going. You didn’t even know you were smiling. Or that your chest was beating irregularly. What the hell was she doing to you? You were still staring at her feed when it hit you.

Shit. The studio.

You had casually agreed to a design project on the spot - with a girl who’d unbuttoned your shirt, poked your heart and walked off like she hadn’t messed up your whole system. You sighed before tapping on the group chat with Dabin and Barom.

[You]

you guys up?

[바롬보스] (Barom Boss)

barely. why? don’t tell me u got arrested in hongkong?

[다빈형]

is it that girl again?

it’s 12am in korea rn

[You]

video?

The screen flashed. Incoming video call. You answered.

Barom’s face filled the top corner, probably on his bed too. Dabin joined later - his face already grinning.

“Okay.” Barom said. “Talk.”

You rolled over on the bed.

“Hyung, I may have… accepted another project.”

Dabin squinted. “Define may have.”

Barom raised a brow. “Define project”

You sighed. 

“A floral studio. In words. In Yeonnam-dong.”

Then Barom broke into a laugh, switching to English with his Australian accent.

“A what? Since when do you design flower shops?”

“Since he met that dreamy girl this morning.” Dabin added, not without laughing.

“Why do I have to talk to you guys in English everytime?” you said.

“Deal with it. I’m your boss, us two are 교포*.” Barom replied.

*교포/gyopo: ethnic Korean but born and raised/living in foreign countries.

“Heritage.” Dabin said.

“So what’s the story? Client fell for your crisp suit and mysterious vibe.” Barom asked.

“Nothing like that.” you replied.

“Tell us.”

“So they’re just starting the studio - flower based shop, maybe a small coffee counter at the front, photo friendly interior. It’s been a passion project for them. They had someone to work on it but it didn’t work out. Wonyoung - the girl, asked me over dinner. I said yes before thinking too much about it.”

“Wonyoung?” Barom asked, confused.

“The girl I’m… you know.” you replied, rubbing your temple.

Barom nodded, like he understood exactly what you meant.

“Look, I get it. Your performance over the past few months has been solid. And honestly, we don’t have a crazy load right now. You’ve been clean on deadlines since day one. As long as it doesn’t clash with other projects, I’m okay with it. But…”

He stared right at you through the screen.

“Don’t take the job just because she’s pretty. That shit doesn’t end well.”

Dabin nodded.

“Yeah, especially with you, man.”

“C’mon, man.” you replied.

“But hey, I trust you. When you come back from Hong Kong, talk to me more about this and if it’s okay, I’ll send you out to lead this project. Like usual, you do most of the work and I just take a look at it before signing it off. Perfect teamwork.”

“Hey, thanks, man. I appreciate this trip, you know. After the break up and all that.”

Barom nodded, understanding your position.

“Yeah, you needed a break. Honestly, I should’ve made you take one sooner.”

“You almost worked yourself into death.” Dabin added.

“C’mon man…” you sighed.

“So how did you meet this girl?” Barom asked.

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

After 30 minutes of video call, you set the phone down on your chest, exhaling slowly to calm yourself down. For a second, it was quiet before your phone buzzed.

[워녕이녕이🐰] sent you 2 images

You didn’t even have the chance to text her first. This girl always managed to surprise you. You tapped on the notification.

Wonyoung on her bed - makeup still there, cheeks a little flushed, long hair splayed around in that messy perfect way. The light was warm. Soft. Your brain short circuited immediately. Still staring when another text came. Stunning.

[워녕이녕이🐰] 

do i look cute?

hyewon unnie took it for me

she said i looked like i was in a drama  ㅋㅋㅋ

You hovered over the keyboard. Typing before you backspaced. Rewrote it.

[You]

i think you just ended me

[워녕이녕이🐰] 

so should i post it on insta?

or…

keep this between us?

like a gift for u

Your heart skipped. You didn’t even know how to answer.

Damn… she got you good.

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

yayy!! wony is the best!!! so i tried something new. at least that's what i thought. pls let me know what u guys think about this. i had a lot of fun writing this. thanks for reading!!

[ac1dmeow]

Do you have any general hc for Powder or Jinx? I’m curious about your ideas 🍒

general headcanons 4 jinx & pow ✧˚ ⋆｡˚*ੈ𑁍༘⋆

notes: sfw, fluff, very little angst, little mentions of x f!reader, mentions of alcohol, not a v long list :,( srry

🌸 : ̗̀➛ powder

༯ she does math equations for fun because she’s a loonie. yes she’s teased for it even by ekko who’s equally a nerd but just hides it better. you think it’s incredibly hot how effortlessly smart she is

༯ she loves heading to the lake during summer and spending the day there basking in the sun’s warmth and cooling off in the calm waters

༯ she likes drawing on people to give them temporary tattoos (she has the decency to not draw a penis)

༯ she low-key loves her florals but enjoys adding a neon twist!! that goes for doodling, sewing, painting, pillow covers, etc

༯ she still can’t get the hang of cutting her own hair but she’s accepted it at this point. she lets you do it from time to time :>

༯ after vi passed away in the accident, mylo finally locked the fuck in and dropped the jackass act. it took some time because it had became habit, but soon the two including claggor grew much closer as family

༯ as grown ups mylo now actually really respects powder which is deserved

༯ powder i think studies something along the margins of mechanics at the academy. she’s there building things, wielding metal, using complex math and quantum physics to invent complicated machines/trinkets bigger and smaller. the girl is gettin them hands dirty in those classrooms

༯ possibly has a dorm there during the school year located on one of the middle floors, which she decorates similarly to her bedroom at home; neatly made purple bedsheets, random boxes and tools such as hammers and wrenches scattered about, a cluttered desk stained with ink and blemished with unknown scratches, posters of her favourite artists, drawings and sticky notes with doodles of you and her surrounded by hearts or other random illustrations

༯ despite the obvious busyness in her dorm, she still always manages to find the time to keep it clean and smelling nice. she never leaves food around to go bad, there’s minimal dust, she keeps the curtains drawn and windows open to let in the fresh air while a candle or incense burns

༯ yet somehow she’s terrible with plants

༯ powder lacks sleep sometimes not because she struggles to, but because she gets so hyper focused on her projects (both school and personal ones) and chasing that feeling of accomplishment, that she wants to get them finished as soon as possible. and that includes pulling an all nighter if she has to. she’s a healthy girl, and she puts the well-being of others on a high pedestal as well because she cares. but sometimes she un-admittedly forgets about herself and lets slide the consequences of her risky choices

༯ she has to be physically forced to bed. sometimes—especially if she’s high on her fourth cup of coffee—you gotta fight tooth and nail to tuck her into her bed and under the damn covers. other nights you’re lucky and she’s so exhausted that she allows herself to be dragged like a brainless zombie back to bed

༯ she’s an early bird! likes to get up at 8:00 or 9:00 am to brush her teeth, shower (she showers at night occasionally before bed), and get dressed to get a head start on her day

༯ she usually follows a schedule to plan her days ahead, especially if she knows that she’ll have a lot going on. it helps her feel organized and clear headed, so she has a calendar at home and a notebook that she takes with her every where to jot things down

༯ our sweet girl likes to doodle and skrapbook :3 because she’s a cute little artist. in fact, she shares one with her girlfriend (you), so you guys can document the story of your journeys together ^.^

༯ she collects wild flowers on her random trips outside to place them in vases in her room. she likes the smell and the look of them

༯ when you two are on walks she’ll stop to pick one and tuck it behind your ear and call you “princess pollen”. ‘cause get it? pollen? flowers have pollen? yeah

༯ she keeps polaroid photos taped on her walls above her bed, and a memory box full of them underneath her bed

༯ she really likes to collect and cherish small things. so the memory box under her bed is also filled with more obvious things like friendship bracelets, to lesser obvious things like an old cherry lipgloss (it was the lipgloss you were wearing when you two kissed for the first time)

༯ despite her quieter and more composed nature, i think she still likes to let loose once in a while to go to an upbeat concert and drink with friends

༯ that being said, she’s responsible with her alcohol but she doesn’t have a hard time getting crunk. she’s usually the one holding onto you or others to prevent them from tipping over, but she’s been on the other end a few times herself

༯ in fact one time she fell into a bunch of flower pots in front of a florist’s shop and got yelled at when they broke and the dirt spilled everywhere. she had to get lifted back onto her feet and you and other drunk friends had to pull her away while apologizing profusely

༯ to end powder’s section on a sadder note (sorry), she had a time in her life as a young teen where she struggled while questioning her sexuality. (even though I headcanon the planet arcane takes place on doesn’t have labels on sexuality, i do think some forms of homophobia could potentially exist)

༯ the worst part of it though was coming to the realization that she liked you, her best friend since childhood. and she feared so much that it would be ruined and she’d lose you if her feelings came to the surface and got revealed :,(

༯ but now you’re thriving and cute wonderful girlfriends, yippiee!! <3

🌸 : ̗̀➛ jinx

༯ she never learned her lesson and still tries to eat soap to find out if it tastes god

༯ never expect her to show up on time. she’s on her own schedule

༯ she’s scatterbrained most of the time. but can get very focused on her projects, and she locks in when she’s in combat in the blink of an eye

༯ i think sevika trained her how to fight while growing up, even if it wasn’t super often. because i believe jinx would’ve been a bit reluctant to allow her to teach her due to feeling weak in comparison

༯ building upon that, receiving help from people is something she avoids in general because again, it makes her feel weak and dependent which she relates with ‘powder’. it can even be something she does subconsciously without really noticing until someone points it out

༯ she’s definitely prone to getting hyper fixated. it could be about the smallest thing and could last for who knows how long. and then suddenly it’s gone like it was never on her mind

༯ has loved the stars since childhood! even though now she doesn’t really talk about them anymore. i think it has something to do with never having had the privilege of being able to see the sky clearly all that much while growing up. and to her, the stars look peaceful and quiet all the while emanating their own natural warm light during a prolonged time of chilled darkness

༯ she has a BIG fear of ending up alone. who woulda thought!

༯ she’s bad with small talk. absolutely hates it because she thinks it’s boring. wanna charm her or have a proper conversation with her? don’t start with that nonsense or else she’s throwing a smoke bomb at you for her own theatrics and jumping away laughing

༯ gives in to the intrusive thoughts. the ones that tell her to take a bite out of a block of butter or stick a finger in peanut butter

༯ struggles with sleep but when she does she sleeps like a bear in hibernation. if you pour a glass of water over her face all you’re getting is gurgles without an eye batted

༯ to add onto her sleeping habits, she suddenly turns into a professional contortionist in her sleep. she’s half off the bed, head having moved to the other end sometime halfway through the night, legs facing the opposite direction of her torso. she’s been found sleeping like this more than once. however once in a while she’ll sleep in a fetal position the whole night

༯ she also clings like a koala, her limbs stay wrapped around you in a protective vice grip for the majority of the night. yet it feels so comfortable every time. her body manages to make you feel warm and content while you fall asleep with a small smile and your face buried in her shirt

༯ you can always hear her approaching with those big ass boots she wears. but there will be odd times where you literally don’t hear her at all and she scares the soul out of you even without meaning to

༯ she’ll pat the top of your head as she walks passed you! tee-hee 🤭

༯ she blasts her music in her hideout all the time while working or doing the most mundane tasks. i think we all know this though

༯ lord knows where she gets it all, but her bed always has a messy pile of blankets and pillows on it yet it’s one of the most comfortable spots you’ll sit or lay on

༯ this might be a debatable one but i imagine she came across that giant fan room one day when she needed to clear her head and desperately find a place to hide by herself. it’s not located that anywhere near the last drop either

༯ somehow she still faces noice complaints despite being far away enough from other people and the public

༯ she likes to collect things like powder does, however the things she collects from you are posted up in her base like trophies. she likes her privacy, yes. but when it comes to you, she shows you off all the time. she relishes in being able to brag about it and laugh in the faces of jealous men who wish they can have you but they can’t. because you’re hers she she’s yours

༯ she low-key doesn’t know how to swim that well but she still manages somehow. she has no fear. if she can drink water she can float in water.

༯ she kinda likes the rain too. if you get caught in it or there’s nothing else you two are doing inside, she’ll drag you into an open area and dance with you

a/n: i always end up thinking of even more later </3 so ask me again whenever these are nice to think about !!

[svt-ara]

⋆｡𖦹°‧𓂅 DINO and his USEFUL NOONA

synopsis࣪ › a fan-made video where it shows ( some ) of the cutest clips between the seventeen's maknae and group's only noona— dive into these 22 min. and 19 sec. of chanra

ᯓ★ 𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦/𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗡 dino being made fun of (lol nothing new), mention of food, mild alchool use | ๋⸝⸝⸝⸝ 𝗪𝗖 3.0k | ๋⸝⸝⸝⸝ 𝗔𝗡 some of the scenes are sliiiiightly different from the actual ones just to make the "boring" part shorter iykyk. half proofread (sorry got lazy)

[ additional subtitles ]

ⓘ masterlist, youtube masterlist

🎬 ⌗000 , INTRODUCTION — ❝ how do you feel about having only one noona ? ❞

set ⤹ ask in a box: seventeen , part 1

mingyu smirks sightly as he is about to read the frist question for the maknae written on the white paper between his fingers.

"how do you feel about having only one noona?"

hoshi's laugh and curious hums from the others fill the room. from his seat, dino lets out an enthusiastic "ooh~" likes he's been waiting for this moment the whole life.

he pauses, think for a second and then:

"it's kind of a flex-" he doesn't even get to finish because the reactions are quick. dokyeom stands up from his chair clapping loudly, like it's a standing ovation, but blends into the noise of the other members laughing or teasing the maknae.

and ara is just there, trying ( and failing ) to hide from everyone eyes because her face is probably all red— she is a flex?!

"let me exlpain, let me explain" dino tries to talk over the noise that fades soon after, hands in the air like he's calming a crowd. "she is balance" he tries again, but he just get back other chuckles he decides to ignore this time.

"twelve hyungs is like being in a group project without a manager, but one noona ? she feels like the manager" ara, briefly shown on camera, is smiling proudly — though the flush on her cheeks gives her away.

[ shy shy shy ]

"so, you're basically saying she's not part of the group" woozi chimes in, barely containing his laugh flustering the maknae. "no no no, that's not what i meant- ayy. can i say something serious without being interrupted?" he complains, barely holding a smile for the hilarious situation. he finally recives some nods, so he clears his throat drammatically and continues.

"she knows how to help and when let me figure things out. but honestly, when she is angry she might be scarier than all the members combined" he chuckles galancing her way, his mind thinking about those moments. ara stares at him wide-eyed, mouth half-open but nothing cames out— just the corner of her lips lifting.

[ the women was too stunned to speak ]

"you said you were being serious!" seungkwan shouts, the laughter returns, full volume this time. but dino raises a hand, smiling soft now, and adds.

"one noona is more than enough. i don't need other, she makes up for like... twenty"

[ happy ending ]

🎬 ⌗001 — ❝ what were you saying ? ❞

set ⤹ going seventeen - treasure island: 14 raiders , part 2

some of the members were spread out on a blanket, eating like they hadn't seen food in days, while casual chattering about the treasure hunt they were doing today.

ara wasn't really part of the conversation— not fully. she was just listening, jumping into the conversation every now and then— but honestly, the bowl of ramyeon in her hand was taking all of her attention now. she was sitting cross-legged beside dino, who was fully involved into the conversation— loud and animated.

"i want to shoot a TTT" dino suddently says, changing the whole point of the conversation they were just having, but getting ara's attention anyway.

"it was the only time i..." she galanced his side profile, waiting. the breeze catched his dyed blond hair, messing it up a little. her mouth was full of ramyeon, her right hand perfectly still and holding the chopstics between her fingers mid-air— like she'd paused everything as dino spoke.

[ tries to open up ]

"is there more ramyeon?" joshua's voice cuts through whatever the maknae was in the middle of saying, making ara slightly flinch and gaining a laugh from seungkwan.

she blinks and galances around confused for a moment, before shifting her attention back to him again. "what were you saying?" he quietly looks at her for a second, then shrugs.

"nothing, really" he says with a small shake of his head, but she frowns not happy with that answer. "ya~ come on, tell me. don't be like this" she push his shoulder lightly, wanting him to continue what passed unnoticed.

[ caring noona ]

he cutely lowers his head, the corners of his mouth curving up before telling her was he was about to say.

[ bros lowkey happy with the attention but will never ever admits it ]

🎬 ⌗002 — ❝ let's go, dino ! ❞

set ⤹ game caterer x seventeen 2-1

the super-store game with na pd had been going on for what felt like forever. most of the members were already placed on the side, who sat and who standing up, watching closely the last ones still in the game— somewhat jeonghan, seungkwan, vernon and dino.

ara patiently sat on the chair beside woozi, leg crossed and hands resting on her laps, waiting for the maknae turn — curious about the game he is going to play.

[ it's dino the razor ]

"i'ts proverb relay" na pd says, getting a breath of pure relief from dino. not exactly the same reaction as the others, not encouraging him. "oh, he's out" many voices overlapped, already assuming he would lose.

the frist one ara heard was woozi, because he's right beside her, gaining a silent chuckle from her. without even looking, she lightly hits his arm. "let's go, dino!" she decides to cheer him up, her hand on the side of her mouth like he is meters away.

dino briefly turned his head with a confident grin painted on his lips. someone— probably jeonghan, protested in the background. hoshi fake-gasp and mingyu sighs, like he had just been betrayed. "that's favoritism" he mutters under his breath, shaking his head.

[ spoiler: he got it wrong ]

🎬 ⌗003 — ❝ but sometimes there was ara... ❞

set ⤹ eunchaestardiary ep. 25

"how it feels to have 12 older brothers and even an older sister?" eunchae curiously asked, getting from dino a sudden "oh~" somewhere between understanding and a tragic sound— making the youngest chuckle, waiting for his answer.

"i had so many things to say back in the day" he hesitated for a moment, not knowing if he should've gone into details. but after the girl encouraged him, he spoke up again. "they pranked a lot, they would deliberately say mean stuff" dino uncounciously pouted while explaining.

"i would get hurt by them and then be like this-" he demostrared the exact face— full pout, head lowered, looking down at the floor like a kicked puppy.

"but sometimes there was ara..." dino pauses, his voice soften a little because of the memory snuck up to him. eunchae tilts her head to the side, watching him curiously. a smile tugged the corner of his mouth.

"i mean, she wasn't, like, protecting me 24/7 or anything-" he waves his hand dismissively, clearing it up. "but, she just had this way of showing up exactly when i needed it" he shrugs, trying to keep it casual, like it wasn't a big deal.

"like, when some of the hyungs would gang up and say i messed up at something-" he paused, remembering those times. "she wouldn't defend me right away, but later she'd just walk past and be like 'you were right, btw'" dino smiles at the way eunchae's eyes widen sightly.

"she sounds scary" she genuinely says, making the boy giggles. "she kinda was when she did that," he nods, agreeing with her "but she also was the one who knew when i was really upset, and not just joking around" he pauses again, then adds under his breath.

"and she bought me food, which helps"

[ theyre so cutie patootie coded ]

🎬 ⌗004 — ❝ give him time ! ❞

set ⤹ going seventeen - i know & don't know , part 1

ara stand beside seungkwan, one arm loosely laced through his while her hands tucked deep down into her jacket pockets, searching for warmth. some of the members were sprinting toward them, making her giggle under her breath as they looked a bit stupid.

"its been a while, don't know" dino was the frist one to speak as they stopped in front of them. ara could already sense the relentless bickering about to start, another normal day in seventeen.

"he went to going elementary and you went to sevong elementary" jeonghan chimed into the conversation after a while, getting a quick and hilarious answer from mingyu. "you haven't grown".

that one sent ara, she couldn't help but to find that really funny, covering her mouth with her sleeve. but she still had a role to play— noona duties. she wasn't quick enough tho.

before she could even say anything, seungkwan was already on it, "he's going through a growth spurt!". ara belives he isn't just laughing, but defending him just because theyre on the same team.

but she didn't wait another second as she takes some steps foward and lock eyes with the tallest,"ya, you have to give him time! ". she said, as she pointed her finger straight at mingyu.

[ girl is ready to throw hands ]

dino was somewhere between a flustered and triumphant mess, seungkwan leaned into her like he'd just been personal validated, "say it louder!". ara didn't even looked back, she stood her ground— dramatic and honestly kinda of useless, but it's the thought that counts after all.

🎬 ⌗005 — ❝ why would you have pants this long? ❞

set ⤹ inside seventeen - thunder

the air in the dance pratice room was lit, jokes were throw around and laughter filled the space. they were midway through the frist run of the chorus, everyone slightly out of breath and sweats layering on their foreheads.

ara was off the side, a little far from the center position, where dino was sliding into with a smooth transition mid-step. except, his foot got caught on his own long pants, and then a thud echoed through the walls.

the full volume laughter filled the room immediately, but ara was genuinely confused— she blinked once, then again looking at seungkwan body launching on top of dino with his endlessy laugh.

then she collected the pieces togheter, hearing someone talking about his pants. ara hold back a smile, approaching the boy who was still sitting on the floor with legs streached out in front of him.

she crouched in front of him and reached for the ends of his pants, "why would you have pants this long?" . the way they pooled over his shoes like a broken curtain just made her sigh more. he just pressed his lips togheter, his shoulders trembling cleary stuggling with holding his laughter.

her fingers folded the hems, tucking the extra fabric so it would at least behave for the rest of the choreo. she was fast, members still being loud around them— and when she was over, she tapped the top of his head messing with his hair.

[ dino's second mom ]

🎬 ⌗006 — ❝ you're adorable ❞

set ⤹ going seventeen - TTT part 2 , hyperealism ver.

ttt was probably one of the funniest content to record, ara would just drink and sing karaoke endlessy— it didn't even felt like work.

after the too many drinking games, ara was knocked down— she even lost the count of how many shots she had taken, not like she would care. she was draped halfway across the table, holding her soju glass like it was a microphone.

she would slur something every now and then, but none was really capable of understand what she was talking about— but probably it was something with no sense at all.

dino, who was sitting on the chair beside her, looked at her with an unfazed gaze— the time they acknowledge theyre going to film a ttt, we already know ara is going to be a whole mess.

"noona," dino said carefully, not knowing if his voice could startle the girl, "how many fingers am i holding up?". the boy, holding up three fingers, asked. ara squinted her eyes, leaned fowards and even blinked many times but, nothing to do— her vision was too blurred.

[ now the maknae is taking care of the noona wtf ]

"you're adorable" she said instead, deciding to ignore the question. dino blinked, confused at what he heard, but as he tried to speak again— ara was too fast. "you're like, so good. like, really. you always try so hard and you don't even complain and that's so— like, respectable".

and then, like her behavior was the most normal thing in the world, she leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed. "i swear, i'm not that drunk" she whispered, closing her eyes hoping the headache would eventually go away.

dino unfazed expression was now replaced with a smile, not knowing if to blush or laugh at the mess she was. "she might start crying soon" s.coups, who watched all the weird interaction, laughed pointing at ara.

[ fun fact: ara didn't cry, but she do asked dino to sing a love song with her ten minutes later ]

🎬 ⌗007 — ❝ wait, i'll keep you company ❞

set ⤹ going seventeen - boomily outing , part 2

ara was mostly just chilling around since she had nothing to do. cooking definitely wasn't one of her strong suit, so she let the other handle the hardesr work. she was comfortably seated on the stairs beside mingyu and jeonghan, messing with his fluffy hair.

"dino's been standing at that microwave for like, twenty minutes now" mingyu said, galancing toward the open door where, from their spot, you could clearly see dino staring at something heating up. he looked really— really, bored.

"dino, close the door or bugs will come inside" mingyu shouted and like a puppy, he reached the door— but got stopped by ara before he could close it. "wait, i'll keep you company" she got up from her seat with a soft stretch, and padded over before he could close it.

with a little smile, she slipped inside beside him and pulled it shut behind her. she walked over him casually slipping beside him, looking at the food draped over the counter. "you didn't have to come in if you were having fun".

ara shrugged, brushing her hair behind her ear as she leaned against the counter. "we were just chilling anyway, and you looked insanely bored" ara's arms where folded loosely crossed across her chest, dino finger tapping the counter creating a small rhythm.

"then, you could've just chilled" he offered, looking at her. "ay~ don't worry. this felt funnier anyway, i'm okay with that" she was too overwhelmed with his cutesy and worried face, she couldn't resist but lightly pinch one of his cheek.

dino was so flustered at that he didn't even hear the microwave sounds, so ara tilted her head and gave him a look. "you gonna get that or are you waiting for it to cool down in there?"

🎬 ⌗008 — ❝ say please ❞

set ⤹ svt record #2

the camera was fixed on dino at frist, explaining something about the music video they were just recording. he even showed the other members rolling their group dance part, and ara was one of them.

"let's see the members monitoring" cut to handheld, dino's point of view, the camera shook slightly as he made his was toward the group. the screen showed some of the members, and then he showed ara— focused and slightly bend forward as she watched the monitor playback of their dance shoot.

she didn't noticed him, nor heard him, so ofcurse he got as closer as humanly possible. the camera hovered just cenimetres away from her cheek. "oh!" she gasped sharply, turning and nearly bumping right into him.

"you scared me!" eyes wide, voice breathy, one hand flying straight to her chest. the camera shook a little as dino brust into a quiet laughter behind it, clearly proud of himself. "you should've seen your face".

ara squinted her eyes at the camera with disbelief, "why youre like this" but she didn't go an answers as he just continued giggling— until she reached for the camera and tried to cover the lens with her hand.

"give me that" she muttered, "say please"

🎬 ⌗009 — ❝ why did you take your jacket off? ❞

set ⤹ inside seventeen - rock with you , mv behind

a cut to a clip of dino out in the dark, jacket draped over one arm, was shown. he was trying to show his outfit for the music video. "it's giving main caratcher-" he tried to say, but got interrupted.

from the edge of the frame ara suddently popped in— a paper cup between her hands, her head tilted and eyes squinted.

"why did you take your jacket off?" she asked bluntly, completely ignoring the camera. dino blinked, caught off guard, "i was showing my outfit to carats" he replied, poiting at the camera still recording.

she didn't even look. instead, she walked up to him gently pulling the edge of his sleeve, then made a face. "you're cold, you're literally freezing" she complained, touching his cold hands. "i'm passionately showing my outfit" he defended

[ he was trying to be cool ]

ara rolled her eyes and held out her cup, "hot tea, take a sip before you get sick" and he took it without a word, trying to hide the tiny smile tugging at his lips. she nooded produly, then reached for his leather jacked and laid it back over his shoulders.

one hand gave a quick adjustment, the other patted his shoulder with a proud smile directed right at the camera. then turned and walked off just as quickly as she came. dino watched her go, then turned back to the camera, lifting the cup ara gave to him. "anyway, it's still giving main caratcher... just warmer"

🎬 ⌗010 , BONUS CLIP — ❝ i think dino forgot that ❞

set ⤹ weverse livestream

it was one of those random weverse lives. ara and dino were just sitting in the girl's living room side by side on the floor, leg crossed and a low table in front of them filled with many takeout boxes already open when they went on live.

the comment section was rolling really fast, she barely had the time to read some of them— but when she finally did. "i'm dying, dino let her talk", ara silently giggled reading that, trying to not get caught dino's attention.

he was too focused on what he was saying to notice what ara was on anyway. he was endlessy talking a lot, switching subject every two minutes. that's when an idea crossed her mind.

"in the second chorus of the new set, if you watch really closely, you'll see hoshi hyung almost tripped and he even tried to cover it up but-" ara didn't even blinked, she just took a spoonful of rice, nooded at the camera, and shoved it directly into his mouth mid-sentence.

"mfh-?" she smiled sweetly at him, before turning back the camera, "this was supposted to be also a muckbang, but i think dino forgot that". dino looked at her like he's been personally betrayed, bliking in shock.

"i was making a point tho" he mumbled under his breath. "and i was feeding you, you can do both" she said with a grin, already going for a second bite. and when he opened his mouth to talk, she raised her spoon again— dino immediatly shut.

[bintheredreamedthat]

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⋆.˚ 𝘛𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘔𝘢𝘺 𝘈𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘺

pairings: therapist!soobin x officeworker!reader

summary: it was supposed to be something mandatory. you weren’t supposed to catch feelings for your therapist. now, you were starting to wonder if he was letting you get away with things no other patient of his would. because when he tells you you’re hard to read, it doesn’t sound like a professional observation. it sounds like a challenge. and the worst part? you think you want him to lose.

genre: one-sided enemies to lovers LOL, forced proximity, eventual smut, dom!soobin, nonidol!au, reader is stubborn asf, more to add on later.

note: the nurse finally let me out of my room....teehee. this is my first series and I'm so excited to write this. the tags aren't completely finished yet bc I'm not quite sure where I want to go with this. I really wanted to write something yandere but I'm still testing out the waters of this account...please let me know where you'd like to see this go! ALSO, thank you guys for all the love and support on my last fanfic omg T.T it meant so much to me! lots of love <3 ramble finished.

part one | part two(comingsoon)

------

You’ve been working at MOA Solutions for almost three years now. It was a mid-sized tech company, nestled in the heart of the city. It was the kind of place that prided itself on innovation and fast deadlines. 

Your desk was tucked away in the corner, a small island of organized chaos surrounded by buzzing coworkers. You preferred it that way as it gave you a semblance of control in a place that felt anything but.

Your role as a project coordinator meant juggling expectations from every direction—clients demanding miracles, managers breathing down your neck, and a team that looks to you for answers. It was exhausting, but you liked the challenge. It made you feel competent, even if your confidence didn’t always show.

The truth is, you’ve never been good at asking for help. You’re fiercely independent, the kind of person who buries problems beneath layers of sarcasm and late-night overwork. Vulnerability felt like a weakness you couldn’t afford.

That’s why the announcement blindsides you.

An all-staff email pops up one Monday morning, announcing a new initiative: Mandatory mental health check-ins. Starting next week, everyone must attend a series of therapy sessions with the company’s newly hired licensed therapist.

The message was carefully worded, but the reason was clear: last quarter, one of the junior developers had a breakdown at their desk, overwhelmed by stress and anxiety. The incident shook the company. 

You stare at the screen, the words blurring as your brows furrow. Therapy? At work? Mandatory?

You didn’t need a stranger telling you how to fix your problems. You believed this would be old news by your first session; therefore, you never gave it more thought. 

But then the days passed, and the email still lingered in your mind like a shadow you couldn't shake. At work, conversations buzz around you, hushed whispers about the junior developer, sympathy mixed with tension, rumors of the burnout spreading like wildfire.

You caught yourself glancing toward the counseling services door more times than you’d admit, each time stepping back before your feet could move forward. 

The day of your first session arrived faster than you’d like.

You woke up that morning with a knot in your stomach, the kind that only tightens every time you think about meeting deadlines. You dressed carefully, opting for your usual armor: neat, professional clothes that make you feel invisible yet in control.

You sat at your desk, trying to focus, but the minutes crawled by. Your calendar notification blinks, reminding you: Therapy session at 3:00 PM.

You stared at it as if it were a challenge. 

The clock ticks closer, and every step toward the counseling office feels heavier than the last. You replay the announcement in your mind. Mandatory. Mental health check-ins. New licensed therapist. You wonder what kind of person they hired for this job. Is it someone warm and understanding? Or just another corporate cog sent to analyze its employees' every move?

You hesitate outside the counseling office door, the plaque gleaming softly under the fluorescent lights: Employee Wellness Services. You take a deep breath, knocking once. The door opens before you can step back.

“Hello, ” a calm voice says. You look up.

There he was—tall, composed, with a quiet kindness in his eyes that unsettles you. He wore a blue button-up shirt, sleeves rolled up just past the elbows, tucked neatly into some dark pants. He was wearing glasses, ones that made him look studious yet surprisingly charming. 

“Come in,” he says, stepping aside.

You step inside the room cautiously, half-expecting it to smell like a doctor’s office or desperation. Instead, it was… warm. A soft lamp glows in the corner, taking the edge off the clinical overheads. The air was clean, not scented. There’s a single framed print of a landscape on the wall, and you can’t decide if it’s thoughtful or strategically bland.

Your eyes flick to the man across the room—the so-called therapist. He closes the door behind you with a soft click, no fanfare.

You took the seat nearest the window. It felt like the better option somehow, an escape route, maybe. His chair was angled across from yours, not directly opposite. Strategic again, less confrontational. You saw what he was doing.

He picked up a tablet from the side table but didn’t tap on it yet, and folded his hands loosely in his lap, his legs crossed, in a casual pose. Comfortable. He waits for a moment before speaking, as if letting the silence stretch just long enough to see what you’ll do with it.

You don’t do anything. You stare back.

“I’m Soobin,” he says eventually, voice calm but not too soft. "Licensed clinical therapist. I’ve been contracted here to provide temporary support for MOA’s mental health initiative.”

You nod once, short and tight. “I read the email.”

A pause. He smiles, polite but unreadable. “Right.”

Another pause.

“Would you prefer I call you by your full name, or—?”

You say your name before he finishes the question, not because you were feeling generous, but because you wanted to get this over with. He repeats it with perfect clarity, no mispronunciation or hesitation. That annoyed you a little more than it should.

You crossed your legs, leaning back like you’re just here to waste thirty minutes and not unravel your entire life.

“So,” he says carefully, “before we begin, I want to make it clear that nothing you say here will be shared with your supervisors, your team, or anyone outside this room. This space is confidential.”

You nod again, slower this time. “Unless I’m a danger to myself or others. Yeah. Got it.” A flicker of something passes across his face; surprise, maybe. Approval? You don’t want either.

He nods anyway. “Exactly.” He taps the screen on his tablet, then sets it aside again without looking at it. He seemed less interested in jotting notes and more interested in reading to you. You don't like that.

“So,” he says again, “what would you like to get out of these sessions?”

You barked a quiet laugh, sharp and dry. “I’d like them to not exist.”

That earns the smallest shift in his posture, not a flinch nor offense. Something more like acknowledgment.

“To be honest,” you continue, “I think this whole thing is performative. The company panics because someone cracked under the pressure, and instead of easing workloads, they send us to therapy like it’ll fix burnout.” You didn’t mean to say that much; it tumbled out like it had been waiting. You could feel your heartbeat in your ears.

Soobin doesn’t react. He didn't try to argue; instead, he just listened. After a moment, he tilts his head slightly. “You’re not wrong.”

You blinked. He lets that sit.

Then, softly, “There’s truth in what you’re saying. Sometimes companies try to manage appearances instead of systems.” That… wasn’t the answer you expected.

You narrowed your eyes. “You agree with me?”

“I understand what you’re saying,” he replies evenly. “But I also think that doesn’t make this space useless. If anything, it means this space is even more important.”

You don’t say anything. He waits patiently, unruffled. God, you hate how unbothered he was. You leaned back again, studying him. He doesn’t fidget. He doesn’t force conversation. He just is. Like still water.

“You’re really good at this,” you mutter, then tack on, “the whole therapist thing.” That earns the smallest, faintest smile. “I’d hope so.”

“Do you actually care,” you ask, more sharply than you mean to, “or are you just paid to?”

Another silence. This one was heavier. When he spoke, it was slower, quieter, yet not unsure.

“I care,” he says. “Even if I wasn’t paid to.”

Something in your chest pulls tight. You shift in your seat, uncomfortable with the softness of it, with how quickly the heat behind your ribs changes from irritation to something else. You cast your eyes toward the window. “That’s convenient.”

Soobin just lets the moment settle between you. Somehow, that unnerved you more than any forced empathy would have. You glanced at the clock. Ten minutes down. Twenty to go.

You couldn't decide if you wanted to get up and walk out or ask him to keep talking. Neither felt like something you’d normally do; you were already in dangerous territory.

You don’t like the way the quiet stretches between you. It’s not uncomfortable exactly, at least, not the kind that made your skin crawl, but it left too much space for you to hear yourself think. And you’ve worked very hard to avoid doing that lately.

So you shift gears.

“So… Soobin,” you say, trying not to sound like you’re testing the name out loud even though you were. “How long have you been doing this? Therapy--I mean.” There’s a beat before he answers, just enough to make you feel as though he was deciding how much to give you.

“Six years,” he says. "Started in private practice. I’ve worked with all kinds of people — students, couples, professionals. Corporate settings are new to me, though.”

You hum. “So this is your first time working inside a company?”

“It is.”

“Do you like it?” That’s the first time you saw him pause, the first genuine hesitation. Not long but just long enough for you to witness. His lips tug faintly, but it wasn't quite a smile.

“I like being useful,” he says finally.

You snort. “That’s a very neutral answer.”

He shrugs lightly. “It’s an honest one.”

He was being impossible. Not in an overtly aggravating way, or in the cocky, smug therapist you were envisioning. In the infuriatingly good at not reacting way. You couldn't rattle him. You weren't even sure he could be rattled. It makes you want to try harder. Which was annoying in and of itself.

“Do you always just… sit there?” you ask, tilting your head. “Or do you ever actually talk about yourself?”

He studies you. “This space is for you.”

You roll your eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard that one before. Still sounds like a cop-out.”

Another pause. Then, with deliberate calm, he says, “I think sometimes people ask about me when what they really want is distance.”

Your jaw tightens just slightly. “That’s very therapist of you.”

He doesn’t flinch. “You’d rather I lie?”

You glared at the carpet. It was a nice carpet. Probably chosen to feel soft and safe, and it had you wondering just how many people have yet to cry into it.

“I just think it’s weird,” you mumble. “Talking about myself to someone who won’t even say what kind of music he likes.”

That gets the faintest flicker of something across his face. Amusement, maybe. He leans back a little, hands still relaxed in his lap.

“I like R&B,” he says. “And the occasional oldies playlist.”

You blink. He meets your gaze, expression unreadable.

“Happy now?” he adds. You don’t answer. But for the first time since entering the room, your mouth twitches at the corners. You’re not smiling, obviously. It was just… something. You settle into the arm of the chair slightly, a casual shift that says I could be here or not, it doesn’t really matter to me.

But inside, you’re keeping count of the minutes. Of how many questions you can throw back at him before he circles back to you. You’ve been in enough meetings, smoothed over enough client calls to know how to control a conversation without looking like you're in charge.

The trick was to keep them talking.

“You don’t look like a therapist,” you say next, watching him for a reaction. He tilts his head, eyes warm but cautious.

“What do therapists look like?”

“I don’t know. Older. Slightly burnt out. Cardigan energy.”

His mouth twitches. “I’ll take that as a compliment.” 

You shrug, tapping your fingers along the edge of the armrest like you were bored, even though you’re anything but. He doesn’t fall for it. Yet, he doesn’t get defensive; he just waits once again. You press on, voice light. “Do you like working with people who don’t want to be here?”

“That’s most people,” he says simply.

“Do you psychoanalyze everyone you meet?”

“No.”

You narrow your eyes. “But you’re analyzing me.”

“I’m listening to you.”

“Same thing.”

“Not really.”

You bite the inside of your cheek to keep from reacting. He’s too good. So you double down.

“Alright, what’s your favorite part of the job?” you ask, folding your arms. “Let’s get into your psyche instead of mine.” Soobin pauses again. He wasn't thrown—more like he was weighing whether answering you was worth it.

 “Helping people name things they’ve never said out loud.” That catches you off guard.

“What, like secrets?” You blink at him.

“Sometimes. But more often, it’s the quiet stuff,” he replies. “Feelings they’ve minimized. Thoughts they’ve learned to ignore. Patterns they didn’t realize were patterns.”

You shift uncomfortably. “Sounds invasive.”

“It can be,” he admits. “But it’s not about forcing anything. It’s about inviting people to see themselves differently.”

You scoff. “Sounds like a tagline.”

He doesn't smile this time. “You’re very good at deflecting.” You freeze. He had said it like a fact. It wasn't a dig at you, but was addressed like… a truth, gently dropped into the middle of the room.

“I’m good at staying on topic,” you correct, trying to sound flippant.

“You haven’t stayed on topic once.”

You glance at the clock.

Just five more minutes

Five more minutes and you won’t have to be in this stupid chair with this too-calm man and his wire-frame glasses and rolled sleeves and maddening patience. Soobin sits back a little. Still no notebook. 

“I’m not going to push you,” he says. “You can come in here and talk about music or cardigans or the weather if that’s what feels safest. But I’ll always be listening. And I’ll always circle back to you — eventually.”

You don’t say anything. He doesn’t fill the silence this time. It stretches between you, no longer hostile, but still poses no comfort.  You glance at the clock again.

Two minutes.

He notices. Of course he does.

“You don’t have to come in with answers,” he says finally. “You don’t even have to come in with honesty. But if you keep showing up, I think something will shift.”

You rise from your seat before he can finish the sentence.

“I showed up, didn’t I?” you say coolly. He nods, standing too. “You did.”

You head for the door, hand on the handle, before you thought to look back. He was still standing there, his face holding no smugness or claiming himself as the victor. Just calm.

You hated how that made you feel. 

“Same time next week?” he asks. You hesitate for a half-second too long.

“…Yeah,” you mutter. “Sure.”

And then you’re gone, walking quickly back toward your desk. You didn’t say a single real thing in there. Didn’t give him anything. And yet, somehow, it feels like he saw right through you.

—

You don’t go straight back to your desk.

You take the long way, through the break room, past the stairwell, around the quiet hallway that no one uses after 3 p.m. You swipe your badge through the side door and step out into the alley behind the building, where the loading dock smells like cardboard and burnt cigarettes.

The air is sharp against your skin. You pull out your phone and check it, even though there are no notifications, just something to do with your hands.

For some reason, you felt... weird. Not in the way you thought you would. You weren't upset or shaken. You were just aware, in that awful, itchy way that made you want to peel your own thoughts off like wet clothes.

He didn’t say anything that personal. Yet, somehow, it still felt like something cracked open.

You thought about the way he looked at you when you asked if he was analyzing you. Calm. Like he knew exactly what you were doing, and didn’t take the bait.

You hated how quiet he was—that everything didn't feel like a performance.

And you especially hate that somewhere in the middle of asking dumb questions about his taste in music, you started listening like it mattered.

Your phone vibrates. A message from one of your team leads.

Can you circle back to the client doc before EOD? Small changes. You don’t respond right away. Just staring at the words, letting them float in front of you. Eventually, you tap out a quick on it and head back in.

When you reach your desk, your coworker, Mira,  leans over the divider with an eyebrow raised. “Well?”

You pause mid-sit. “Well, what?”

She gives you a look. “Therapy.”

You shrug. “He’s fine.”

“Fine?” she echoes, clearly unsatisfied. “That’s it?”

“I don’t know. Tall. Glasses. Probably drinks green tea.”

Mira hums. “Hot?”

You glare. “He’s a therapist.”

“That wasn’t a no.” You don’t answer. She backs off with a grin, satisfied enough. You turned back to your monitor and tried to dive into your edits, but your eyes kept flicking to the calendar — to the next placeholder where your name sits beside Counseling Session – Week Two.

It was just a line of text, but it felt like a countdown.

—-

You almost don’t go. You stare at the calendar invite for a good ten minutes before finally grabbing your badge and muttering something about "a check-in" to Mira, who gives you a knowing smirk and a you’ll text me everything look you pretend not to see.

You take the stairs instead of the elevator this time, maybe hoping it’ll slow your heart down. Maybe it’ll give you time to think of something clever to say before you walk into that room again, not because you want to impress him (you don’t), but because if you don’t steer the conversation, you’re afraid of where it’ll go.

The door’s already cracked open when you get there. Soobin looks up from his tablet as you knock once and step inside. No glasses today. His hair’s a little messy, like he ran a hand through it too many times before you showed up. He still looks irritatingly composed.

"Welcome back," he says simply, gesturing to the same seat as last time. “Come in.”

You hesitate a beat before sitting. Same room. Same lamp. Same too-soft chair that makes you feel like it’s trying to receive your trauma, like it’s Wi-Fi.

"You came back," Soobin says, not as a pleasantry — more like a quiet acknowledgment.

You glance at him. "Didn’t have a choice." He nods like he expected that answer.

“I figured,” he says. “Still. I’m glad you did.” 

You hate that that lands. You shift in your seat and fold your arms, eyes scanning the room like something about it might have changed in the past week. It hasn’t.

“So,” he says, “how have things been since last time?” You shoot him a look. “You think one session fixed me?”

“I don’t expect that,” he replies easily. You fidget with the zipper on your sleeve. “I’ve been busy.”

He waits. Just like last time. You wait too. You're better at silence than he was; you can ride it out.

But instead of filling it, Soobin speaks again, not about you. “I’ve been thinking about something you said,” he begins.

You glance up, caught off guard. “Which part?”

“That this whole setup feels performative.” Your shoulders stiffen.

“I don’t disagree,” he continues. “And I think it’s fair to feel skeptical of being told when and how to process things. Especially when it doesn’t come from you.”

You narrow your eyes. “You’re not trying to convince me this is actually worth it?”

“Would it work if I did?”

You hate that he always throws your questions back at you like that. You hate that it works. You lean back, legs crossed, and say flatly, “You like playing this game, don’t you?”

“I’m not playing anything.”

“Right. Because you’re perfectly neutral. A vessel for all my emotional insights.” 

He lifts an eyebrow, and something like quiet amusement flickers across his face. “I’m here to help you get to your own insights. Not hand them to you.”

You scoff. “So basically you’re like a mirror with a psychology degree.”

Soobin doesn’t rise to the bait. Instead, he nods once. “That’s one way to put it.”

You sigh, eyes drifting to the window. The light’s colder today, clouded. You wonder if it’s going to rain.

“I didn’t think about this place once all week,” you lie.

“Mhm,” he hums. You glance at him. “What does that mean?”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You hummed.” He tilts his head. “Did it bother you?”

You exhale sharply through your nose. “You are so annoying.” That actually gets a smile out of him. A real one. Small and quick, but still there.  It does something to your stomach you don’t want to name.

“I’ll take that as progress,” he says.

“It’s not.”

“Noted.”  You go quiet again. This time, it’s heavier. Not just defensiveness — something closer to... fatigue. Eventually, you ask, “Do you ever get tired of this?”

Soobin’s brow lifts. “This?”

“Holding everyone else’s shit all the time.” He looks at you a long moment, not looking away to dismiss it.

“Sometimes,” he says honestly. “But I chose this work. No one forced it on me. And even when it’s hard, it’s... real.”

You don’t know what to do with that answer. So you go for the easiest thing: deflect.

“You’re very full of wisdom for someone who looks like he should still be in college.”

Soobin laughs quietly. “You’re not the first person to say that.”

“And yet you still roll your sleeves up like you’re trying to intimidate people with your forearms.”

He laughs again. Actually laughs. It’s soft, low, a little surprised, like he hadn’t expected to enjoy that. You blink.  You didn’t mean for it to come across as a joke, and you definitely didn’t mean for him to laugh like that, as if you’d said something funny, not defensive. Your stomach twists.

He sobers a little. “If talking to me isn’t helping,” he says, more gently now, “you can say that. You’re not obligated to stay.”

You pause. You look at him. No smugness, no corporate gloss. Just a man sitting in a chair, offering a space you don’t quite know what to do with yet.

“I don’t know if it’s helping,” you say honestly. That’s the most honest thing you’ve said in two sessions.

Soobin nods. “That’s okay. You’re allowed to not know yet.” 

You glance at the clock. Four minutes left. He doesn’t rush to fill the silence, even with only a few minutes left. You can feel his eyes on you, but not in the heavy way most people look, not expectant or searching. Just... there. Waiting, like he’s leaving the door cracked open if you want to walk through it.

You don’t. Of course you don’t.

So you say, “Same time next week?” His mouth lifts slightly. “If you’re willing.”

“I’m contractually obligated, remember?”

“Right,” he says softly. “The contract.”

You glance at him, his sleeves still rolled up, the collar of his shirt slightly rumpled now, like even he’s not immune to time. You don’t thank him because that would feel like giving something away, so you just nod once briskly and step out the door.

“Next time,” he says softly, voice low but mischievous, “I might have to up my game. Can’t have you thinking I’m too predictable.”

You freeze for a moment, caught between rolling your eyes and laughing. He meets your glance, the smile deepening, like he’s dared you to guess what that means.

You clear your throat, a small laugh slipping out. 

What were you doing?

Without another word, you turn and walk away, that sly smile lingering in your mind longer than you’d like.

But something stays with you. You noticed the way he laughed. You hate that you want to hear it again. You walk faster, as if distance could fix this.

Back at your desk, Mira peeks at you over the divider again.

“Well?” she asks. You roll your eyes. “Still a therapist. Still a waste of time.”

And before she can say anything else, you put your headphones in and crank the volume.  You’ve always been good at shutting things out. But this time..it was harder than it should be.

-----

i love you nonchalant soobin <3

[beef-brisket]

((⚠️tw: violence, unwanted touches, Lilith being a bitch and Lucifer being useless⚠️))

Lucifer glared: Oh, fuck you, Lilith. I'm surprised to see that you managed to claw yourself out of some swamp to grace me with your presence. What do I owe the displeasure?

The queen laughed: I came to speak with you! Is that so bad? Perhaps for me, but you should be begging for even one word from me! But, oh Lu Lu, I have... quite the proposition for you~.

He couldn't help but growl when Lilith disappeared in a flash of smoke before ending up behind him and running her fingers through his hair.

It was something that used to relax him, something that she onlt did when she was happy. But now, it made him sick.

Lucifer stepped back: Don't touch me.

Lilith: Come now, Lucifer. Don't be like that! You've always been a reasonable man, and my proposal will benefit you greatly.

Lucifer: ...Go on.

Lilith smiled: Even with your... tense relationship with the new king, you should understand that this isn't right.

Lucifer: ...What isn't...?

Lilith: This! Him! He isn't meant to be king. He isn't meant to be ANYTHING. Deep down, I know you still loath him, Lucifer. Your pride surely can't handle being some... lap dog for a man who took your place. And he dares pretend to do it better. Better than the sin of Pride, himself. Surely, I'm not the only one who sees something wrong with that picture~.

He watched as Lilith walked closer before cupping his face: I can help you take back your throne, Lucifer.

Lucifer: ...He gave me the throne- I ruined everything- our daughter turned her back on me-!

Lilith glared: Because she's weak. This is HELL. This place is meant to be chaotic! A punishment for the damned- there's a reason why everything appears to "fall apart" when you rule, because you are this realms true ruler. You create chaos. Hell needs CHAOS. NOT ORDER. Adam is weak and will easily fall back into Heaven's hands, he'll kneal and bow to the angels just like he did in Eden...

Lilith smiled softly and ran her sharp claws sweetly along Lucifer's face: But you, you stood for what was right. You didn't cave, no matter what Heaven did to you. Don't take this lying down. Don't let him steal what is rightfully yours.

Lucifer: ...What... what should I do...?

Lilith: Make a deal with me, darling. Let us be one again, I'll give you my power. It won't be enough to kill him, but it'll be enough to trap him... and then I'll finish the job. Hell will then take his power and deliver it to you. It's rightful king~. Let Heaven fear you once more, Lucifer. Let humanity bathe in your rule... kiss me, my darling Devil. Seal the deal. Take back your throne.

Lucifer soaked in her words, his pride suddenly felt as broken as the day he saw Adam as king. It stung, it burned. It felt wrong. Even now.

He wanted his throne back. Permanently, not on borrowed time. And no matter what he or Lilith would do to Adam would be less gruesome than what he did to Lucifer. And Charlie.

Looking into Lilith's violet eyes, he made his decision.

-

Adam: Sorry about that, Lucifer- oh.

The king looked around the now empty room. That was embarrassing. Hopefully, no one saw him talk to himself.

Maybe Lucifer went to another room. This was his daughters hotel, after all. So perhaps there were a few things of hers somewhere.

Sitting down, Adam went through a few bits of paper. This was such a huge project, but it was good to put the imps to work. And they looked happy to do it.

Adam screamed as something long and sharp cut through his spine and breastbone before stabbing into the floor. His legs went limp, making it hard to try and pull himself up off the spear.

He couldn't stop the silver shackles that appeared on his wrists, and as he felt his power drain, he felt something cold and heavy attach to his neck. And the last of his power was gone.

Lilith: My my, don't you look a tad stuck~.

Adam hated that he was crying too hard to be able to speak, but he couldn't stop the tears. And they only got worse as the pain built.

Lilith: Let's get a better look at you. You're at a very awkward angle there, Addie~.

Snapping her fingers, the chains connected to the cuffs pulled Adam off the spear and pinned him to the wall. His arms were pulled above his head, making the burn in his chest even worse.

Lilith sauntered over, and cupped his face: You took my darling husband's title. His job. His life. And I, Adam, won't stand for it. Now, if you want to get out this... only mildly bloody, you'll stay nice and still. No struggling! Like you did in Eden~.

Adam: I-I told you- I don't k-know much- of Eden- I don't know y-you-!

Lilith: Oh, darling... how could you forget me~?

-

Lucifer stood outside and listened to Adam's screams and begs. He hated how good it sounded. He hated how he felt like a coward. Standing here, letting Adam get hurt. But he hurt his daughter... and even if she won't love him again, that was more than enough reason for Adam to suffer.

He didn't know how long it's been since the screaming started. But his legs were burning and aching with how long he'd been standing. But eventually, it stopped. And the door cracked open.

Lilith: Oh darling~. It's your time to shine~!

Slowly, Lucifer opened the door and stood there in shock. He didn't even register Lilith placing an angelic metal blade in his hand.

Lilith: One stab darling, and you'll end this. For good~. You'll be king again. Hell's power will once again be yours. This... cursed angel form of yours, will be replaced by the perfection you became when you fell all those years ago~.

He still stared at Adam. His stomach was cut open, his insides spread across the floor in front of him. Not to mention the other heap of deep cups around his body. Lilith had stripped him. Fully. His horns were torn off, covering his face in a pale shimmery red blood. In fact, nearly his whole body was covered.

Lucifer's body ached as he looked at Adam, and more and more wounds seemed to catch his attention the longer he looked. He felt a particular ping to his back when he saw that Adam's tail had been skinned.

Lilith leaned in close, her lips touched Lucifer's ear: Do you see how he's looking at you~?

His eyes dragged up to Adam's. The kings golden eyes burned into his with a look he hadn't seen in a long time. That's when it clicked.

Lilith: I've made him remember everything~. He knows who you are, Lucifer~. And don't worry, my king~.

She ran her hand down Lucifer's body, squeezing once she got to his clothed cock: I made sure he wouldn't forget again~.

((Yes, I know Lucifer doesn't have ears- but ew! The side of his head much be fucked up- so boom! Ears! Sue me later 😝))

HI IT'S ME-! I HAVE AN AU FOR YOU!

God of War!au

👀👀👀

It's set during the extermination. Adam and Lucifer's fight is like Thor and Kratos' fight.

Adam: You think you can fall down here, start a family, and get a clean slate after all of the shit you caused?!

Lucifer glares, struggling to hit back Adam's axe.

Adam: That's not how it works! You're a destroyer, like me!

Lucifer's quickly lost strength, and Adam manages to smack him over the head with his axe, killing him.

Everyone screams as Lucifer falls back, golden blood running down his head.

Adam: Oh no. I say when we're done, asshole!

Lucifer's eyes snap open as Adam shoots holy light into him. He convulsed on the ground as his senses started coming back.

Lucifer: S-Sto-.

Adam: Fight. Me. Asshole. Like you fucking mean it.

@beef-brisket

(Interesting)

Lucifer: A, Adam n, n, no-

Adam growled: I have had enough of this! You WILL fight me!!!

Lucifer may be battered and bruised and barely able to lift a single finger but because of his pride he was unable to beg for mercy.

Lucifer: D, do it! ...pussy!

That was it as Adam felt all his hatred and rage boil down to him in that point with one clean cut, Lucifer's head rolled down.

The demons and angels could only watch as Adam proceeded to chop Lucifer's body into piece after piece.

When Charlie finally realized what Adam was doing after her moment of shock had passed she screamed.

Her screams echoed across the pride as everyone shook from her mournful cry.

Adam stopped what he was doing and turned to the princess, watching her with a mere raised brow. She trampled forward, ready to enact vengeance on her fallen father.

However, Adam was ready for her.

He had been the moment she was born.

When she had gotten close enough he shot a powerful beam of holy light in her direction, disintegrating her entire existence.

The so-called anti-Christ was nothing more than a pile of ash.

Vaggie: CHARLIE!!!

Oh yeah, he almost forgot about the traitor.

He flew right up to her and decided that an extra punishment would be in order. He was no longer taking disrespect from a former soldier.

He held her in a vice grip and refused to let go. He saw the demons around her moving quickly to attack him, but he moved faster.

He took off to the sky high above. But not too far away that she wouldn't be able to see what was to happen.

Adam: NOW!!!

The sinner's eyes widened as the remaining exorcist girls sliced the hotel's residents with their spears.

The former soldier could only watch in despair as the people she had grown close to were butchered and mutilated before her.

Vaggie: NOOOO!!!!!

Adam: You only have yourself to blame, Vaggie.

He then gripped onto the base of her wings and started to swing her around. He threw her so hard that soon she could feel the familiar sting of her wings separating from her body.

When her dizziness dissipated, she could see Adam smiling cruelly at her while he held onto the only thing that gave her the ability to fly.

She screamed as she hurdled towards the earth. Was this what it was like to feel true helplessness?

When she had reached the near ground, she was met with only the steel of angelic metal. She gasped as she began to cough up blood.

How could this have happened? They were the good guys. They were supposed to win.

Good prevails evil.

That's how the story goes...or at least how it's supposed to.

Her vision began to blur as she began to feel cold. She saw two figures approach her. Immediately telling who it was when she heard her voice.

Lute: A debt has been paid...But I think I'll make do on my promise.

She unsheathed her sword and, with one swoop, cut out her good eye. Watching it pop right out as at long last the traitor was dead.

In the midst of it all, there was Adam with his right hand standing by proudly. The cannibal army left not too long ago. Not wanting to take any chances with their souls.

However, too bad for them Adam wasn't finished. In fact, he was just getting started.

Adam: I have had enough.

[inkyami]

Worked on a book dedicated to slavic folklore antagonists and the way their image shifted with time.

Baba Yaga in her latest form — how you may see her portrayed nowadays in fairy tales, cartoons and toys. Quite a charming one compared to the original character.

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[asundayasundaykeepsthedoctoraway]

First Sunday of the year, have a Sunday!

[micia-posts-stuff]

THE FINAL DEV-ELOPMENT part 26

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Masterpost

[thatcatbasil]

snack?

[spookythesillyfella]

if i ever say that i dont like digitaltime . thatz not me – a skinwalker haz violently murdered me and stolen my identity – immediately seek shelter

[lost-in-violet]

i have evil evil art block and it is very bad because i am supposed to be way further along on a very important SCHOOL art project than i currently am, but imposter syndrome is absolutely killing me.

all of that to say that i will be resorting to the sacred, ancient artist life hack of finding inspiration through drawing what i am currently obsessed with, which is eastern redbud trees, wooden childhood forts, and… ethoslab.

please stay tuned for the result of my tomfoolery

[lizardaintwizardbutawitch]

And that is season one of TMA, just in time for me to go to bed.

Wish me luck on the project we have to send by 12 PM tomorrow!

[hopetorun]

baby's first sweater.* it's a brighter seafoam color in person, this is what i get for taking pictures at like 5 pm in a room that gets morning sun

*more of a top really but that makes it sound less impressive than i feel it should be

[hayconrisa]

finals are kicking my ass so ive been away BUT exciting news i convinced my design prof (the goat miranda) to let me do my final motion graphics project on unwind. so. unwind tv show title sequence coming soon who cheered

[onesnoopyaday]

Snoopy #51

21/11/2024

[roald-ragin]

Gonna have 9 days off after tomorrow and at least one will be just zoned out playing video games.