#lee Songbaek x reader

[sanijoys]

My bby Lee Songbaek (⁠◍⁠•⁠ᴗ⁠•⁠◍⁠)⁠❤

I want to make him so fluffy af oneshot just for him UvU

I'm in skol tho :')

[enihk-writes]

[sincerely]

anon asked: Literally anything lee songbaek x mount hua reader pls I'm desperate it's so empty out there :,))))

pairing: lee songbaek x gn!they/them!reader

summary: he somehow found himself becoming pen-pals with a certain medic of a certain rival sect. not really friends, not really lovers, but this feeling he has in his heart is indeed genuine.

word count: 4.49k

author's note: gender wasn't really specified so im going to make the reader gender neutral,,,, (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡

═══════════════

the first time the two met it was during the annual huazhong competition. zhongnan arrived at the gates of mount hua not really expecting much from the disciples there — all of whom were leagues beneath their skill level, of whom still needed the financial aid of zhongnan to even hold this silly competition in the mount hua sect grounds in the first place.

it was his first time going to this competition. up till then, he'd only ever heard about it from his senior brothers, they were always saying how laughable it was to see them struggle against them so pitifully.

deep down he's never really liked the way they mocked the weak. it felt so... petty and it certainly wasn't an attitude becoming of a martial artist in a taoist sect.

to him, at least.

the one time he had voiced his thoughts in the middle of these re-tellings, he'd gotten a dirty look from his peers and older sect brothers. it was gone within a split second though, with the boys laughing in amusement at how naive and innocent his thinking was.

it's been a few years since that time.

as he steps into the derelict sect falling apart at its seams, he passes by the other third-grade disciples of mount hua all of whom were in the middle of training. he spots a familiar face looking on at them coldly, wasn't he jin geumryong sa-hyung's younger brother? the one that ran away from home a few years ago?

baek cheon-ah, come here.

so he goes by baek cheon. lee songbaek's eyes glance over to the person who had called out to the boy. all he saw was the back of their black uniform. they stood with their back straight and shoulders squared — the stereotypical picture of a proud disciple of their sect. even more so with the younger surrounding them with a quiet look of esteem shining in their eyes.

he keeps looking at their back, hoping that maybe they might turn around to look over in his direction. he could hear snickers from his sect brothers nudging at his shin, their voices pitched higher to tease him about somebody catching their uptight junior's eye.

rather than them catching his eye, he likes to think that it was he who caught their attention. their gazes meeting each other despite the crowd — irises coloured in the deep blue of a night sky levelling with the clearness of a spring's day. two kids who by all accounts, follow the same teaching path... when stripped to its bare bones. yet here they were, standing on each end of the competitors' court as representatives of their sects' bitter rivalry.

these two couldn't have been any more different.

their gazes on each other didn't break for a long time even as he had already passed by them, and even as he made his way up the steep steps to the guest houses. lee songbaek found himself unable to pull away from the trance that person had put him in.

senior...?

baek sang called out to them curiously.

hm. looks like zhongnan's brought in new faces to the competition.

═══════════════

the next morning came rather quickly.

the competitions started quickly without much delay or fanfare. zhongnan breezed through each of their rounds, every match-up lasting for less than a minute. some were only at a few seconds. the longest was the match between jin geumryong sa-hyung and his younger brother. but even that one lasted for one and a half minutes. and the other was not even using his full strength, instead opting to toy with his younger brother's psyche, yet baek cheon couldn't keep up with that?

lee songbaek had to say that he was sorely disappointed with the state of mount hua's martial arts. he could understand now why his senior brothers would mock the disciples here.

so then why would the sects bother to organise this event every year? why would mount hua willingly put themselves through this humiliation each year with their repeated failures? was this their way of learning and growing? it was all so strange to him.

his brows furrow and his eyes, once again, meet the same spring-like ones he saw from yesterday. there they stood on the other side of the stage, arms folded and leaning against the wall — alone. they weren't standing huddled together with the rest of their juniors. he presumed it might be from the air of iciness that perpetually surrounded them.

and that same coldness was now directed straight at him.

hey, who's that asshole looking at you like that?

shouldn't we teach them a lesson?

tch. some arrogance from a no-name sect.

his sect brothers talked amongst themselves, clearly noticing the hostility directed at their own. talking about how they weren't going to let this disrespect slide, though in reality? his sect brothers just wanted an excuse to beat up more mount hua disciples, under the guise of a competition. probably because that's the only time they are stronger than their opponents. lee songbaek thinks to himself.

he laughed it off, not wanting to cause any trouble. he tells the boys that he didn't want to fight anyone for no good reason. he wasn't a hooligan, he was a martial artist. and he would like to live by that proper etiquette.

besides, they don't look like the fighting type.

he says, trying to convince them to drop this matter.

it works, and the boys draw their attention to the ongoing match, which ended as quickly and as predictably as all the other ones. he tried to ignore the grumbles under their breaths.

tch. who does this guy think he is — acting all upright and moral.

don't pay attention to guys like him.

yeah, he's always been a little weird.

lee songbaek glances over at the other side of the stage again. this time their gaze was a twinge softer. still cold, but not as harsh.

the competition was over by midday. and as everyone gathered to leave, he almost bumps into them. hands full with the stack of stools they were to bring back to the dining hall.

i'll help you with that.

he says as his fingers barely brushed past theirs to take ahold of half their load. they pause, deliberating on what to say next, mind forming a biting remark to rebute his help. yet the presence of the other zhongnan disciples around them made them hold back their sharp tongue.

follow me.

they croak out, stepping skillfully between the gaps as they make their way towards the dining hall. lee songbaek hurriedly follows behind as closely as he could, his face and the back of his neck burning up as his sect brothers hoot, holler and whistle after him.

away from the crowd, he finds himself alone with them in the dining hall's small storage closet. his heart skips a beat, his senses all too aware of the person right next to him.

do you like me?

lee songbaek feels his breath hitch.

i asked if you liked me.

they look over at him, arms folded across their chest, an impassive expression sitting on their face. and in his eyes, not looking stoked at the possibility that a rival sect's disciple might have caught feelings for them in less then a day.

i... i'm not too sure myself.

he replied quietly.

they stayed silent. choosing to look ahead through the open doorway at the line of zhongnan sect members leaving through mount hua's red gates. he followed their line of sight, wondering if he should leave as well, go back and pretend that nothing happened here.

an idea hits him right then, having him scramble through his bag for a good minute before he finally fished out a thin blue rope — the same as the one he used to tie over his bracer to keep it in place.

he holds out his hand, hoping that they would catch on and place their hand in his. they do so, albeit hesitantly, fortunately for him. his fingers thick as they may be with callouses from practising his swordsmanship were still long and slender. they watch as those slender fingers of his circle their wrist, thumb in their palm, holding their hand open for him to cover it with his own. passing on his little gift to them in the process.

there was so much more he wanted to say to them. if he sent them letters would they oppose to it? he thinks about the mere notion of a zhongnan disciple corresponding with a mount hua disciple, and he thinks about the reactions of the people around either of them. no doubt it won't be a sunshine and rainbows affair.

may i... send you letters?

he wasn't sure if this was the right way to court someone.

do whatever you want.

they mumble, turning to hide their embarrassed face from his astute stares. they weren't good at hiding it seems, he didn't miss out on the way the corner of their lip twitched upwards ever so slightly.

lee songbaek feels his heart stir a little more.

═══════════════

a month or two passed with no word from him. they felt a little foolish to still harbour onto the hope that he'd remember them, even if for a brief moment.

senior, there's mail addressed to you.

their eyes widen as a junior sister trots up to them with a package — whatever was meant for them hidden under the layer of white linen cloth wrapped and tied securely with a brown rope. they wonder if they had failed to conceal their excitement, with how said junior sister giggled at the bursting sparkle in their eyes.

thanking the girl quickly, they grabbed the package and headed straight to the privacy of their work desk in the medical hall. nobody really came around here at this time of the day, and besides, their room wasn't safe from everyone's nosiness.

i hope you haven't forgotten about me.

holding the parchment in their shaky hands, they read the greetings written out in neat lines.

i feel embarrassed that i didn't write to you as soon as i said i would. could you find it in your heart to forgive me? perhaps the gifts i've sent along with the letter could sweeten the apology?

they look down, splayed across the white package cloth were small pouches, all filled with various trinkets. some were tea leaves, one contained dried herbs and they even found a bell while the remaining two pouches were filled with various sweets.

i hope the gifts are to your liking. hopefully i haven't stepped out of line with any of them, i wasn't too sure on what you would have liked considering we don't really know each other. if you are willing, may i learn more about you in your reply?

it even harder to ignore this growing need to want him to notice them even more. think about them more. they wanted to pick up their brush and tell him all about themselves, every little flaw and perk about them. they wanted to know if his little interest would die out or grow stronger from it. what about him? what did he like, what was he like? last time he was here, there was a faded scent of pine lingering on him.

he's back at zhongnan now, so maybe that scent of pine would be stronger. if they asked, would he...

they shake their head to rid themselves of their thoughts.

for now, they'll send him a simple reply. there's no need to rush. the both of them still had plenty of time.'

═══════════════

lee songbaek stares at the letter dropped onto his lap. the instructor had handed it over to him after that morning's training without much explanation other than a simple before i forget.

oh... open it!

read it aloud for the rest of us!

the other disciples clamour around him, curious about the mail their somewhat eccentric sect brother had received. he laughed nervously, really not wanting them to poke their noses into his business where they didn't belong. but he obliged reluctantly, nonetheless.

first, i'd like to thank you for your letter. here i was thinking you'd forgotten all about me. i'm glad to see that you hadn't.

even though the greeting was prim, proper and polite — that messiness of the cursive calligraphy did little to hide their writer's true heart. a person who had been waiting eagerly for him.

lee songbaek clutches the letter close to his chest. his sect brothers need not see the rest of the contents of the letter addressed to him.

he gets up to run to a more secluded location, amongst the other's boos and insults, away from all of them just so that he could read the words that person wrote to him so earnestly.

they wrote to him. they wanted him to read their words, so what right did his sect brothers think they had to ask him to read them what they had sent for his eyes only. he didn't want to betray their trust behind their back like this.

i don't have anything to give you right now, but i'll prepare well so that when you send another letter to me, i have something for you too. so just like you want to know more about me, could you let me know a little more about you as well?

he slumps down the walls of the back gates. he likes to think they might have been frazzled while writing their reply, hence the messy handwriting. his thumb traces across the lines on the parchment, eyes darting across their next lines.

i don't hold any grudge for your late letter, it's not like i was waiting or hoping that you'd remember.

liar.

i haven't had time to try the things you've sent me, so i can't tell you if i like them or not. you need not fret, none of your gifts were out of line. if anything, i work in the medical hall. so your tea, herbs and flowers are of use to me in some way.

so that explains why they smell of smokey ginseng at that time.

the medical hall huh. he ponders, wondering if he should see what ingredients his sect's own medical hall uses. he wanted to be of use to them again, just like the first time.

no... he didn't want the people around him to get too curious and find out he was talking to someone from mount hua. the disciples here weren't above accusing him of being a traitor to their sect even without the proof nor evidence.

before i sign off, i want to know if you like sweets, by any chance? if you do, then i think i might have something for you, if you don't that's alright. i can always think of something else.

he folds the letter back into it's original shape. he was itching to return to his room and write out his reply, but that would have to wait for when night falls after the day's training was over.

tomorrow morning, he'll use the excuse of going on an errand to see the folk doctor in the village over. maybe he could learn a thing or two from that old man. if he's lucky, he might even get some seeds that he could send to them.

═════════��═════

this back-and-forth lasted longer than either of them thought it would. he's gotten tea and honey they procured themselves, and they've gotten countless herb pouches and seeds from him. there was once when they wrote to him, saying that they'd have to stop writing to him since their ink was running out, and in his next letter he sent them a set of inkstones in an embellished box. they had to rub their eyes to see that they hadn't been dreaming. just how much money did that man have?

they felt bad, maybe a little sheepish for receiving something that expensive from him. they even said so in their reply. and all lee songbaek had to say to that was,

write to me more often.

they read those lines over and over again, laughing at the absurdity of it all. was this all that he wanted from them? was it really that simple? they still couldn't believe it.

they weren't so dense that they didn't know he was trying to pursue them. it's just...

most men would have expected their love interests to repay their expensive gifts with something they deemed worthwhile. something for all that trouble these men had to go through for their so-called beloveds. a soddy excuse to have the other warm their beds.

so for a man like him to expect nothing other than their continued correspondence in return — this was all too good to be true.

but then again, all of his letters to them had always shown genuine interest in their likes, dislikes, hobbies and their petty worries. he's always read through their words, responding to each sentence they've written with the same sincerity each time. even the things they don't remember writing about.

did they deserve that sort of admiration from a guy like that?

═══════════════

if anyone ever asked lee songbaek about the medic from mount hua, he'd talk about them with stars in his eyes. he hasn't seen them for a few years at this point, mainly out of his own violation with how he wasn't fond of the huazhong contest, but they've been writing to each other despite all of that.

he could recite all the medicinal properties of wild plants growing on mountains, and he could tell anyone on and on for hours about all that person's writing quirks — the way their handwriting gets messier when they feel strongly about something, the little dots they'd draw at the edges of the paper as decoration, the fact that they weren't that great at spacing out their lines to the point that words get crammed at the end...

yet there was still so much he didn't know about them. how did they look like now? has he grown even taller than they did? what do they like to eat now? their voice, face, eyes all of the things he can't see beyond that one memory... how does it look like now? if they met face-to-face then, how would they react to each other? would their conversations be as animated as they were on paper?

perhaps he should join this year's contest. but to come along after not wanting to for so long, won't the others find it strange?

maybe he was a little lucky that that opportunity presented itself not that long after, though it was in a rather painful way.

═══════════════

the next time he would find himself at the familiar red gates for that year's huazhong contest, he was there for two reasons. one was to see them, the other was to have a chance to spar with the third-grade disciple chung myung one more time. he mentioned this in passing when he sent a letter after the incident. they... weren't frugal with their scathing remarks.

honestly, you deserved it.

ouch.

why are you, the grown adult in this case mind you, picking fights with a teenager anyways? what happened to being a respectable martial artist or whatever that phrase you like to say huh? where'd that go? shameless bastard, even if the two of us are friendly with each other, i'm not going to feel sorry that happened to you.

he scoffs, smiling fondly at the letter in his hands. they're right, he did deserve the consequences from that day — even if they hadn't said so in their letter. he glances over at his belongings scattered on his bed. this was the morning he and other disciples were setting off to mount hua together with one of their sect elders. he's heard through the grapevine about this being the last competition they'd hold.

lee songbaek had a feeling it actually won't work out the way the elders had intended.

whatever. he'd be lying if he said he wasn't looking forward to seeing them again. he wonders if anything about them has changed. would the two of them talk as comfortably as they do in writing? he hoped he could surprise them a little when he showed his face again.

═══════════════

zhongnan arrived at mount hua without much fanfare other than the narrowly avoided incident with the infamous chung myung. the zongnan disciples felt their feathers get ruffled, grumbling all the way up the steps to their guest house about the rude behavior of a child who was barely past fifteen.

that same night, while the guests were enjoying the banquet set out for them and the mount hua disciples were in the regular dining hall having dinner — they were organizing their supplies quietly in the medical hall, skipping their meals to finish up the work needed before tomorrow's competition. their ears perk up at the sound of unfamiliar footsteps coming their way. who in the world would find them this late at night? their hand reached for the hilt of their sword.

compared to the others, they weren't the fighting sort. though that was not an excuse for the devil incarnate that entered the sect recently. training their stamina along with the others every morning, shovelling down breakfast and then swinging their sword a thousand times until late afternoon, lunch and then it was time for another thousand swings for the rest while they went back to the medical hall to study for the physicians' exam held once every four years in the royal palace. it was a gruelling routine. one that they didn't mention in any of their letters, not exactly seeing the point in complaining.

eh?

they stood frozen in their spot, sword halfway drawn out. the perpetrator laughs at the doorway sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. he would be lying if he said that he wasn't a little shocked himself.

i hope you haven't forgotten about me.

lee songbaek asks quietly. facing his side, though he steals a glance at them from the corner of his eye.

they stand frozen in place as he walks over slowly, carefully placing one foot down before the other until he was standing face-to-face with them.

it's you... i thought... you never said that you would...

voice shaky, hands covering their heated face — they were a mess. if lee songbaek had came here with the intent to surprise them, then he has certainly succeeded.

i'm sorry if i startled you. can i look at you... please?

his hands reach up to hold theirs, fingers intertwining with each other's. he thinks they leaned forward, and he does too, closer and closer until his lips brushed on theirs, noses bumping against each other with a little gasp of surprise.

do it properly.

they mutter, hands escaping his hold to wrap their arms around his neck, fingers playing with the ribbon that held his hair together as they pull him down for a proper kiss.

the world was still for the brief moment the two were sharing. he wraps his arms around their waist, hugging them closer towards him. the warmth of their body pressed against his chest, his hair had grown loose around his head — the long strands falling over his face, but he was a little too distracted by the kiss to bother.

they were the first to break off, stepping back to get some air, giggling when he leaned forward instinctively.

what was that about?

lee songbaek asked, breathless and a little dazed.

i wonder...

they reply, mumbling softly.

awkwardly, the two backed off from the other, each taking a shaky step back to let what just happened sink in. they were both lucky it was the middle of the night when no one was around. otherwise, their little unplanned rendezvous would have become the hot scandal of the century, and there were going to be people who would lose their minds over it. a zhongnan and mount hua disciple, a zhongnan and mount hua disciple?

still, they didn't really hate that kiss.

what... does this make us now?

they asked him, deciding to break the silence first. not caring too much about the weight of the question.

they were right. what does this make the two of them? not yet lovers, even if the groundwork for that sort of relationship was there. not exactly friends, they weren't close but yet were familiar enough with each other to be more than mere acquaintances.

it seems, for now, they have to sit back and let time tell.

their hand that tucked his hair behind his ear was gentle, tender, almost. fingertips lingering at the side of his face, just ghosting over his cheek. he closed his eyes as the back of their hand caressed his face, trailing down to his chin and falling back to their side.

you should go to bed.

i will.

i'm not going to wish you good luck for tomorrow since our sects are competing against each other. and i'm quite loyal to mine.

it's okay.

lee songbaek couldn't help the smile growing on his face. right, they were still rivals. rivals that shared a kiss, but that's just how things are sometimes, wasn't it?

he left the medical hall with a slight spring in his step, hair down and the scent of smokey ginseng mixed with fresh plum blossoms still lingering on his clothes — it looked like he might have to stay up and walk around until the smell was gone.

can't have his sect brothers getting too curious now, could he?

═══════════════

the final results of the competition had already been determined the moment chung myung had challenged his senior brothers, still drunk on the highs of past successes, not yet brought down to earth. lee songbaek felt as though he'd been enlightened by this whole experience, the incident at the trading company and right now at the contest. he knew there was something he had to do the moment he got back to his sect.

chung myung had told him how lonely the path he's chosen would be. but that didn't matter to him.

it's not that i want to walk this path. rather, it's because this is the path i must walk.

he says, eyes glancing past chung myung towards the familiar back of that person. his other reason was to become someone they wouldn't be ashamed of.

but nobody else needed to know that.

lee songbaek left mount hua that day, busy with plans for the future, and deep down in his heart, looking forward to the next time he'd get to meet them again.

maybe by that time, they would be able to place a better name to this feeling brewing between them these past few years.

but who knows, really?

[bunbitti]

Saw an instagram clip about Fangs of Fortune and got interested enough to watch some, and then learned about an e-shou (reddit post cataloguing the demon/beast types; I forgot what the English captions translated it to) aka a rabbit-like beast that likes to speak lies and rarely says the truth; in the show, the human form of one was said by the FL to be affirming the saying that a person is better at lying the cuter they are

The e-shou in the show also only seems to be able to speak the opposite of the truth/opposite of what her heart wants, with the exception being right before death

Anyway-

Headcanons of Songbaek and an e-shou reader

Of course, you take interest in him. He's cute

Unfortunately it's not like you're the sort of beast that's in the Nanman Beast Palace (at least you can otherwise be seen as human??), so a creature that always has to lie and can take a human form is probably seen more like a demon. Demons are seen as bad (see that war about a hundred years ago)

So you can only admire that cutie pie handsome martial artist from afar while living in your little spot near Xian and pretending that you're mute to get around that dang speaking = lying issue, since telling the truth requires a lot of effort if you're not on death's door

Your clumsy butt bumps into him

"Screw off!"

...

That was supposed to be "I'm sorry". And now you can't act like you're mute

Your hands fly to your mouth and you bow really low

He's confused. You just insulted him and now you're bowing? He's never heard of this sort of problem before (plus there hasn't been much reason for him to read through manuals about the descriptions of demons and beasts), yet here you are

"Uh.. it's alright. Are you okay?"

For now, he might as well give you the benefit of the doubt (your panicked eyes tell him that wasn't a thing you wanted to do, so an entire misunderstanding arc is unlikely; even when he learns what you are, he figures that someone as violent as Chungmyung can be good, so you having good intentions is also very possible)

You nod, and point at him to ask him the same in return

Of course he's okay. This is Songbaek. He's not going to topple over from bumping into a single person

Eventually he learns about your very strong tendency to say the opposite of the truth and encourages you to just talk; he'll figure it out and translate it mentally, and he doesn't want you having to wave your hands at him all of the time (and your voice is nice)

"That's boring" = "that's very cool"

Then insults become compliments when he's practicing or talking about something with you

Sometimes he has to make himself not translate things to their opposite when everyone else talks to him (almost got himself in a fight)

Romance-wise - if he says "I love you", you say "I hate you" and he nods and snuggles you closer

Intimate times are more awkward with consent; in the moment, of course, his mind won't be as good at going for the opposite, so anything wild is off the table and he's careful to let you initiate or do something like closing the distance for a kiss, etc

Songbaek tries to go to you instead of having you go to him, and only when he's sure the others will leave him alone (relatively easy during that period of time where they ostracized him for going back to the original Zhongnan techniques), because having to introduce someone as a beast that usually only lies is awkward, and also saying you're hanging out with or dating this peculiar being is only going to bring a lot of questions and remarks he doesn't have the energy for dealing with yet; he does eventually do so (we're acting like there won't be a war), but sneaking you in as an odd-looking rabbit also becomes a habit for bedtime

Heavens forbid you die, let alone away from him, but if it happens, he deserves hearing that genuine "I love you" from your lips before you're gone forever

Would keep that little core thing you leave behind after your body fades into floating particles - why would he leave behind the last tangible part of you he has? He's keeping that thing and talks to it sometimes like Chungmyung talks to his dead sahyung

[bunbitti]

Dammit if I have the energy I'll have to put 이송백 in this at some point (I don't think I have particularly niche activities but my brain is wonky and I literally slapped a giant hare into the world for him to nap with in one short fic and also applied some random thing from a side character in a show I've only watched like 2 episodes of to headcanons so close enough??)

if you have a niche sport/job/hobby it’s your sacred duty to make the most specific incomprehensible AUs with the characters you like. no more coffeeshop aus no more college aus you have to put those guys in a microbial lab. your fave is a high school english teacher. that show is about bowling now sorry. THIS IS MANDATORY!!!

[bunbitti]

warm

songbaek x cryptid!reader (idk what I'm doing, why did my first fic with Songbaek on here have to be weird); platonic

~500 words

tw: none

Songbaek had been searching for a new spot to train, since it seemed more and more people had been stealing his spots. Not that he'd ever mind being asked to help his fellow disciples with training, but could they maybe stop outright replacing him in whatever place he decided to train? A little consistency would be nice once in a while, but he figured it would be a good test of his discipline to be flexible.

He wandered out past the sect grounds a little farther than he normally would for training, and found a cave.

It was snowing. Snow never stopped him from training before.

He'd also never seen this cave before, but also he'd never gone in this specific direction before. Huh. Surely one of the others would've seen it before, though..?

Maybe he'd peek in to make sure things were safe before focusing on his training.

He found a massive rabbit curled up inside. Not massive as in one of the larger rabbit breeds, but so large that it was probably a few times larger than him if it'd also stood up on its hind legs. If he went off its fur color, maybe it was a snowshoe hare instead? But they shouldn't exist in this part of the world?? Well, a massive hare shouldn't exist in any part of the world, and here it was, so he decided to dismiss that discrepancy.

"..."

It shifted, and he flinched. He shouldn't have flinched, but it had opened its eyes and blinked at him before stretching its legs and yawning.

He never thought an animal yawning should be so terrifying, but it had sharp teeth next to the teeth a hare would normally have. Why did the hare have the canines of a wildcat?!

He was about to back away, but it reached out and snagged him in its strangely hand-like paws and pulled him into his cave. Songbaek had only had the thought once before, when Chungmyung had defeated him in a spar years ago with the aura of a vengeful demon, but was this how he would die? To a carnivorous giant hare in a cave he should've left alone?

Songbaek found himself surrounded by fluff. He vaguely felt the body heat of the cryptid seeping into his body, and he couldn't do anything but relax. The cozy heat contrasting with the frigid cold outside was making him want to fall asleep already. He tried to stay awake, but his strict discipline did nothing to help him.

His eyes drooped shut.

Songbaek woke up hours later. The hare was sleeping again, and he was being cuddled like a child would cling onto a stuffed animal or doll. But it was somehow the best sleep of his life, better than the countless times he'd passed out from the exhaustion of training, or for any other reason.

Huh.

Weeks later, Zhongnan disciples started to wonder where Songbaek went in the middle of the night when he claimed he couldn't sleep.

[bunbitti]

Me and 이송백 (I have gotten too fast at typing his name wtf)

He so big I want to know what it's like to hug a big man (I have only ever come into physical contact with people around my size or slightly larger)

Fck I gotta draw that man

I HAVE to post this here too...y'all selfshippers are so strong and real, tysm....

[sanijoys]

Still haven't created next chapter

But the idea of modern Lee Songbaek as a photographer and reader being his muse (⁠��⁠♡⁠∀⁠♡)

Delulu moment frfr

[enihk-writes]

[kiss, kiss, kiss, 단 하루도 빼먹지 말고]

based on lyrics from day 1 by red velvet

paring: various!hwasan men x gn!reader

(OR) various!hwasan men x preferred pairing free for all, ambiguous, can be them with anybody of your choice (i.e. tangchung / whiterust / cmxilso)

summary: short headcanons of where they like to kiss their beloveds

characters: geumjon (pbss) // geumhyeop (mhdd) // chung mun // tang bo // tang gunak // baek cheon // jin geumryong // lee songbaek // namgung dowi // jang ilso // chung jin

author's note: gagged when i typed the word beloved oh god when i say i get physically sick writing sappy romance i mean it yall my stomach is having issues rn....................... listening to rizzotto's sexyback cover on repeat and day 1 at the same time for maximum effect............ (looking like an insane homebody) also i feel like i should apologize to soso for this... yanno... just in case uhhhh what else???? AHHHHHHHHHH DEUKAE COMEBACK ON THE 22ND SO IM GOING MIA!!! I LOVE ROTBB BUT I LOVE MY GIRLS MORE!!!!!!! RAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHH I AM A FEMINIST FIRST!!!!!! AND A C0CK SUCKER 2ND!!!!!!

GEUMJON is still very immature at heart so, kisses from him are more innocent and well, somewhat child-like. he's not experienced with things like this so he mostly settles for impromptu cheek kisses whenever he's the one initiating. surprisingly conservative, won't go any further than innocuous touches unless the relationship is established to be romantic with the intention to marry. even then, out in public especially under broad daylight, he won't be the first to make a move even if he really, really wants to.

GEUMHYEOP is quieter, more grounded and direct. he doesn't like to waste time. if he has the urge to kiss his partner, he will. it doesn't matter where they are, he would cup their cheeks in his hands and give them a proper kiss on their lips... unless they are both in the middle of an important discussion or in a room with the others. he still has some basic manners and decency to not embarrass the other one. expanding on the way he goes about it — he likes to observe his partner's face, and remember their every detail because he recognises that memory is unreliable and hopes that doing this would burn their image in his mind for good. doesn't seek out for kisses often but doesn't push away his partner's advances. if he does seek them out, it's more likely because he's going through something at that moment and isn't in the mood to talk about it yet.

JANG ILSO is the complete opposite. no shame, no patience. they could be in the middle of a conversation with someone else or out and about in public under broad daylight. it's either he gets a kiss from his partner now or he will have them wait until he's back in the mood. doesn't really care if it pisses the other off... lowkey gets off on their anger. very tall guy so he likes to grab his partner's chin and tilt their head backwards so he can lean down and give a short peck, sometimes the kisses are more heated and lasts far longer — so they often end up in... situations... no matter where he is with his partner...

CHUNG MUN is the type of guy someone brings home to meet their parents. will not make a move, not even hand-holding until he gets explicit permission from his partner. date-to-marry type, and super conservative. even after having their first kiss, will not do that again unless it was during the wedding ceremony, wedding night and subsequent special occasions relating to his partner. prefers to convey his affections through interlocking fingers with his partner, and when they are alone, he'd bring them up to his lips and kiss their knuckles tenderly.

CHUNG JIN can often be found in between rows of bookshelves taking archives. that's also usually the place where he shares kisses with his partner. most times it's a quick peck on their eyelid as he walks past them, other times it's a brief nuzzle of the side of their head. ever so often, when he was staying late to transcribe the pages and pages of text, he'd take breaks by leaning on their shoulder, enjoying his moment of shut-eye. and it's during these times when he would turn his head and pepper kisses on the other's jaw. if he's feeling a little bold, he would block their faces from the window view with an open book — leaning in with apologies for his lack of attention these days as he pulls them in for a kiss.

TANG BO... is a wild card. if he's the initiator, he likes to be playful about it. always a tease, and thoroughly enjoying the reactions he pulls from his partner. if the roles flip and he finds himself on the receiving end, would be stunned into silence. all the other has to do is kiss him, not anything one-and-done — it has to be a proper and genuine kind of kiss on the bridge of his nose, more specifically the spot between his eyebrows. he tends to stay up late and it does create tension that results in headaches in that area because of that. so when he feels his partner's tender touch, this guy is putty. for all that cockiness, he is the easiest to come undone.

TANG GUNAK... an older man with experience for sure. he has children for fucks sake, let's be realistic here. doesn't matter how much brainpower his duties as the head takes up, he is very attentive to his partner's likes, dislikes, wants and needs. always acts according to the results of those observations. but in his downtime, when he is going to bed, he finds himself enjoying the embrace of his partner. resting his head on their chest, listening to their heartbeat because well, one might never know if they could have a heart attack soon or not. will always place a kiss on the other's chest, right over their heart just before he falls asleep.

NAMGUNG DOWI. a good guy. an earnest guy. really trying his best. he's not good at this romance thing... please be patient with him... if things so south, he tends to use his face card to have his partner forgive him. and they do, because he's insanely good at pulling the sad, kicked, wet puppy face. when that happens, he would happily kiss them over and over again on every corner of their face, or well, whatever parts he can reach. he did make them sit on his lap without any wiggle room.

LEE SONGBAEK prefers hugging more than kissing. partly because he's surrounded by kids so any grown-up action would have him be the brunt of their teasing for weeks. his partner is mostly understanding, maybe a little spiffed when it seems like they might kiss but a child waddles into their vicinity. he feels sorry for disappointing his partner, and often hugs the other from behind, muttering a string of apologies into their hair. eventually pecking the small bundle of nerves at the back of their ear, and the top of their jaw — his surefire way of leaving them a little hot and bothered.

JIN GEUMRYONG suffers from emotional constipation to an extent. so it goes without saying, his partner has to be blessed with communication skills that can honestly end all wars. he is strict, mostly stern, but he means well. and his partner has been by his side long enough to understand that. he feels sorry they've chosen to stay regardless. he isn't one to let lose until it's time to rest, so it's only in these times they get to see his unguarded sides. downturned eyes that look at his partner wistfully, he would hug them and rest his chin on the crown of their head. occasionally moves down to press his lips on that spot as one hand cradles his partner's neck, fingers playing with their strands of hair.

BAEK CHEON is undoubtedly a little pathetic. it's endearing, but it's still hard to watch sometimes. poor man still trips over his words and stumbles on his feet when he wants to ask his partner for a kiss. just one kiss please? god. it's hard to say no to a handsome face on the verge of tears... he's lucky they weren't a sadist. or well, trying not to be. it's so hard fighting those urges, that they ask him to reward their efforts. his pale face grows bright red, but he complies with his partner's request anyways. it's a timid kiss on their forehead that goes down the bridge of their nose, then the tip of it. he coyly kisses their cheeks, steering away from the other's lips so obviously that they lose patience and pull him in. he melts far too quickly into this, hands going all over his partner's body, tugging on their clothes. tsk, sly boy. so he had planned for this to happen, and like a fool they fell for his siren song.

[blossoming-mind-palace]

MASTERLIST

Created on 5/3/24, last updated on 3/30/25

*Before sending asks please remember that I treat requests like suggestions, and they're never guaranteed to get done. I work a full-time job and have a life outside of this, so answering EVERY request is insanely difficult for me. Sorry if that disappoints you.

*Also I don't want minors interacting with my shit. If I find out you're under 18 I will obliterate you on sight.

*My biggest no-nos are non-con, incest, and pedophilia. I'm also not a big fan of writing angst, but it's not completely off the table. I don't accept requests for canon x canon fics but I might post about them occasionally.

Fandoms I write for:

Return of the Blossoming Blade

SFW

Chung Myung x Reader: "Not Jealous!"

Chung Myung x Fem! Reader: "100 Years and a Promise" Part 1

Chung Myung x Fem! Reader: "100 Years and a Promise" Part 2

Chung Myung x Fem! Reader: "100 Years and a Promise" Part 3

Chung Myung x Fem! Reader: “100 Years and a Promise” Part 4 (SFW Finale)

Chung Myung x Reader: "Let it Snow"

PBSS! Chung Myung x Reader: "Under the Saint's Wing" Part 1

PBSS! Chung Myung x Reader: “Under the Saint’s Wing” Part 2

Chung Myung x Reader: “Peaches”

Chung Myung with a Pregnant S/O

Chung Myung and his S/O having Twins (Part 1)

Chung Myung and his S/O having Twins (Part 2/Mom’s Side)

Chung Myung's SFW Alphabet

Chung Myung Adopting Yu Iseol (Modern AU)

Baek Cheon's SFW Alphabet

Various Characters with a Chubby S/O

Yu Iseol General Heacanons

Tang Bo x Fem! Reader: “One Hell of a Woman”

Tang Bo SFW Alphabet

Modern AU with all Characters

NSFW

Chung Myung's NSFW Alphabet

Chung Myung x Reader: "The Best Motivator"

Chung Myung x Reader: "Match my Freak"

Chung Myung x Reader: “100 Years and a Promise” NSFW Sequel

Baek Cheon's NSFW Alphabet

Baek Cheon x Reader: "Stressed Out"

Lee Songbaek’s NSFW Alphabet

Everyone's First Time Headcanons

Everyone Reacting to Reader in Compromising Position

OC Master List

[bunbitti]

rules and stuff

I take ~3 requests at a time, also don't rush me pls

Taken: 0/3

Long ahh rules only bc it would waste less time for all of us to have ppl asking for stuff I can't write well for

Main interests at the moment (for tldr):

Honkai Star Rail

Zenless Zone Zero

Return of the Blossoming Blade/Return of the Mount Hua Sect

Male characters

Fandoms I know/might write for (may be updated later when I think of more):

Honkai Star Rail

Zenless Zone Zero

Return of the Blossoming Blade/Return of the Mount Hua Sect

Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint

The World After the Fall

Detroit: Become Human

Maybe other manhwas/series if I've read them (you can try asking if it's not on the list, I can and will write for side characters if I'm attached to them enough lmao)

Fandoms that are a maybe:

Jujutsu Kaisen

The Avengers

Naruto

Attack on Titan

Haikyuu!!

Harry Potter

Undertale/Deltarune

Fandoms I don't write for (this means I either definitely have not read or interacted with the series or don't see myself writing for it much/at all, so that you don't waste your time asking)

Miraculous Ladybug

Boruto

Percy Jackson

Disney, Pixar, etc. movies and stuff?? I didn't have a childhood if you couldn't tell already, and I also don't really watch movies

other sports animes (I'm sorry I just never watched them and I wouldn't have the time to start)

Characters I can do (predominantly male, I can't guarantee any quality for female characters):

HSR - Gepard, Sampo, Dr. Ratio, Aventurine, Boothill, Sunday, Jiaoqiu, Moze, Mydei, MAYBE Jing Yuan, Argenti, Luocha, Dan Heng, Welt, etc.

ZZZ - Wise, Anton, Billy Kid, Lycaon, Seth, Lighter, Harumasa

ROTBB - Lee Songbaek/Isongbaek/이소백 (x reader-only for him, no ships; there's not enough x-reader and plenty of ship fics for him already), MAYBE main characters/anyone else

ORV - most people, just not x-reader beyond platonic because I can't really see it

TWAF - Carlton/Karlton, maybe others

DBH - Connor, RK900, Hank, Gavin, others maybe

Topics I can do:

sfw, fluff, headcanons, etc.

nsfw (I might not be so good at the explicit stuff, but we can try)

AUs - soulmate, college/modern, royalty, etc.

depression/similar topics (only because I'm likely depressed)

character x reader, if I like that character enough and/or could see them in a relationship with the reader; platonic and romantic both allowed

some ships, only if I'm confident I can pull it off

Topics I won't do:

dubcon/noncon/toxic/abusive stuff (especially between shipped characters or in x-reader relationships) beyond what is already in character, I've had enough of that abusive stuff irl, I don't need it in my writing (having it in a backstory is ok as long as we're doing recovery/healing from it or something)

gore? idk

pedo/zoo/etc.

nsfw if the character(s) is/are minor(s), regardless of if they're shipped with another minor

mental illnesses/other conditions that I'm not familiar with and wouldn't be confident in getting accurate

aging up characters (unless we're talking about canonical versions that exist, like post-timeskip in Haikyuu where characters have jobs and/or are in uni)

whatever I'm not comfortable with

x reader:

unless otherwise requested or stated, will be gender neutral

if it's important to you, you can specify details about the reader (height, size, other physical characteristics, backstory, etc.), otherwise unfortunately I am not a mind reader

likely in 2nd or 3rd person, very unlikely to be 1st person

General:

the more specific you are in the request, the better (sometimes I worry about not getting things how people were thinking of it in their heads lmao)

will probably be short-ish (see the lengths of existing fics) unless by some miracle I have more inspiration

I may be inconsistent af, haha

Don't request nsfw if you're a minor, and don't interact with my nsfw content if you're a minor

Uhh yeah, this should be it, I'll update it when rules change

[enihk-writes]

hello this is enihk-writes

i go by the name eni here online. my most used pronouns are she/they, but i actually lean more towards being agender so really any pronouns are okay with me! last i checked, my mbti is infj, but i have heard of things like that changing so don't quote me on that. i am a '01 liner, so you do the math on how old i am lol

i write for a few different fandoms, all of which can be found under the tag #eni's fandom list

all of my writing can be found under #enihkwrites and the main masterlist for all my work can be found under the line

i also use AO3 to post most of my longer, multi-chapter works using the pseud enihk (2871) if you want to see what else i have

there are no rules in terms of requests, anything goes as long as it's not nsfw/smut though asking for dead-dove-do-not-eat darker content is okay, i will still vet through and avoid what i am uncomfortable with. something to note is that i am very slow to update so do take that in mind if you want to send in a request

other tags i often use are #eni's small talk corner for talking about anything and everything. the tag #enihkposts is more for shit-posting or for updates for my wips, keke it's like russian roulette

bye-bye and see you when i see you ♡

LONG-FORM FICS

🌸화산귀환 | Return of the Blossoming Blade🌸

[thunder bolts in a clear sky] — UPDATING mhdd!chung myung x afab!she/her!reader (QUEER-PLATONIC)

[what comes after] — MOVING + UPDATING pbss!chung myung x tang bo (EVERYONE LIVES AU)

🌞🌛原神 | Genshin Impact🌜🌞

an outlander's field's notes : PART 1 [tales of a coffee shop in another world] — WIP + MOVING everyone + ambiguous!she/her!reader (CHARACTER STUDY)

an outlander's field's notes : PART 2 [a sinner's ode] — WIP old teyvat + afab!she/her!reader + fem!OC (WORLD BUILDING)

ONE-SHOTS, DRABBLES AND OTHER SHORT-FORM FICS

🌸화산귀환 | Return of the Blossoming Blade🌸

[homecoming] pbss!chung myung x gn!they/them!reader

[i got my red dress on tonight, dancing in the dark, in the pale moonlight] baek cheon x afab!she/her!reader [PART 01 ║ PART 02]

[日久见人心] mhdd!chung myung + afab!she/her!reader (PLATONIC)

[alone at the edge of the universe humming a tune] mhdd!chung myung (CHARACTER FOCUS)

[you look so pretty and i love this view] yu iseol x afab!she/her!reader

[kiss, kiss, kiss, 단 하루도 빼먹지 말고] various!hwasan men x gn!reader (OR) various!hwasan men x preferred pairing

[when i was still the one you want] various!hwasan characters x gn!reader

建筑部长老 / ARCHITECT!READER (SERIES) [hard to recall] pbss!chung myung x gn!they/them!reader

인권유린상자 / STUCK IN A BOX (SERIES?) [needed proximity] baek cheon x afab!reader (+18 MATURE / SMUT CONTENT)

[sincerely] lee songbaek x gn!they/them!reader

[eyes closed] baek cheon x afab!reader (+18 MATURE / SMUT CONTENT)

[shared body] pre-possessed!cho sam (HEADCANNONS / THOUGHTS)

[haunting] tang bo x chung myung

[at the end of a burnt wick] tang bo x afab!she/her!reader

除夕 / LUNAR NEW YEAR'S EVE (SEASONAL FICS) [before the year ends] various!hwasan men x gn!reader

[someone older] older!multi-fandom men (TANG GUNAK) x gn!they/them!reader

[rotbb headcanons_001] pbss!chung myung , mhdd!chung myung (HOW HE REJECTS SOMEONE)

[rotbb headcanons_002] tang bo x chung myung (TANG BO'S PALM LINES HEADCANONS)

🌠崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail🌠

[of yearnful kisses and an un-relinquished old flame] blade/ren x gn!reader

[forget-me-not] jing yuan x gn!reader

[someone older] older!multi-fandom men (JING YUAN) x gn!they/them!reader

🌞🌛原神 | Genshin Impact🌜🌞

[17:24] albedo x gn!reader

[so this is love, so this is what makes life divine] various!genshin men x gn!reader

[someone older] older!multi-fandom men (ZHONGLI + NEUVILETTE) x gn!they/them!reader

🧪終わりのセラフ | Owari no Seraph | Seraph of the End🧪

[tangerine] shinya x gn!reader

[island] shinya x gn!reader

👺광마회귀 | Return of the Mad Demon👺

[someone older] older!multi-fandom men (DOKGO) x gn!they/them!reader

🥽🚧明日方舟 | Arknights🚧🥽

[someone older] older!multi-fandom men (CHONGYUE) x gn!they/them!reader

⏱⏳重返未来：1999 | Reverse: 1999⏳���

[someone older] older!multi-fandom men (SHAMANE) x gn!they/them!reader

👊🔮呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen🔮👊

[someone older] older!multi-fandom men (HIGURUMA) x gn!they/them!reader

🧧🀄極楽街三番通の件 | Gokurakugai Sanban-doori no Ken🀄🧧

[someone older] older!multi-fandom men (RYU) x gn!they/them!reader

[blossoming-mind-palace]

Genuinely curious, but do you only do BeakCheon and Cheongmyeong x reader? Or do you do other characters from ROTMHS?

I'll write for those two, Jo Geol, Yu Iseol, Yunjong, Lee Songbaek, and Geumryong Jin!

Unfortunately I'm a webtoon only reader so please don't request anything spoiler-y.

[enihk-writes]

Literally anything lee songbaek x mount hua reader pls I'm desperate it's so empty out there :,))))

MY FIRST ASK RAAFGGGHHH!!!!! *strips and runs into the woods butt naked, screaming*

i'm currently writing it right now,,, and by the looks of it, i think it's going to be a decent length!!! i took some inspiration from violet evergarden (the letter-writing part) so hopefully you'll see it before the end of this week anon!!!

[rathesy]

I AM SO DOWN BAD RN

[kiss, kiss, kiss, 단 하루도 빼먹지 말고]

prompt: based on lyrics from day 1 by red velvet

paring: various!hwasan men x gn!reader

(OR) various!hwasan men x preferred pairing free for all, ambiguous, can be them with anybody of your choice (i.e. tangchung / whiterust / cmxilso)

summary: short headcanons of where they like to kiss their beloveds

characters: geumjon (pbss) // geumhyeop (mhdd) // chung mun // tang bo // tang gunak // baek cheon // jin geumryong // lee songbaek // namgung dowi // jang ilso // chung jin

author's note: gagged when i typed the word beloved oh god when i say i get physically sick writing sappy romance i mean it yall my stomach is having issues rn....................... listening to rizzotto's sexyback cover on repeat and day 1 at the same time for maximum effect............ (looking like an insane homebody) also i feel like i should apologize to soso for this... yanno... just in case uhhhh what else???? AHHHHHHHHHH DEUKAE COMEBACK ON THE 22ND SO IM GOING MIA!!! I LOVE ROTBB BUT I LOVE MY GIRLS MORE!!!!!!! RAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHH I AM A FEMINIST FIRST!!!!!! AND A C0CK SUCKER 2ND!!!!!!

GEUMJON is still very immature at heart so, kisses from him are more innocent and well, somewhat child-like. he's not experienced with things like this so he mostly settles for impromptu cheek kisses whenever he's the one initiating. surprisingly conservative, won't go any further than innocuous touches unless the relationship is established to be romantic with the intention to marry. even then, out in public especially under broad daylight, he won't be the first to make a move even if he really, really wants to.

GEUMHYEOP is quieter, more grounded and direct. he doesn't like to waste time. if he has the urge to kiss his partner, he will. it doesn't matter where they are, he would cup their cheeks in his hands and give them a proper kiss on their lips... unless they are both in the middle of an important discussion or in a room with the others. he still has some basic manners and decency to not embarrass the other one. expanding on the way he goes about it — he likes to observe his partner's face, and remember their every detail because he recognises that memory is unreliable and hopes that doing this would burn their image in his mind for good. doesn't seek out for kisses often but doesn't push away his partner's advances. if he does seek them out, it's more likely because he's going through something at that moment and isn't in the mood to talk about it yet.

JANG ILSO is the complete opposite. no shame, no patience. they could be in the middle of a conversation with someone else or out and about in public under broad daylight. it's either he gets a kiss from his partner now or he will have them wait until he's back in the mood. doesn't really care if it pisses the other off... lowkey gets off on their anger. very tall guy so he likes to grab his partner's chin and tilt their head backwards so he can lean down and give a short peck, sometimes the kisses are more heated and lasts far longer — so they often end up in... situations... no matter where he is with his partner...

CHUNG MUN is the type of guy someone brings home to meet their parents. will not make a move, not even hand-holding until he gets explicit permission from his partner. date-to-marry type, and super conservative. even after having their first kiss, will not do that again unless it was during the wedding ceremony, wedding night and subsequent special occasions relating to his partner. prefers to convey his affections through interlocking fingers with his partner, and when they are alone, he'd bring them up to his lips and kiss their knuckles tenderly.

CHUNG JIN can often be found in between rows of bookshelves taking archives. that's also usually the place where he shares kisses with his partner. most times it's a quick peck on their eyelid as he walks past them, other times it's a brief nuzzle of the side of their head. ever so often, when he was staying late to transcribe the pages and pages of text, he'd take breaks by leaning on their shoulder, enjoying his moment of shut-eye. and it's during these times when he would turn his head and pepper kisses on the other's jaw. if he's feeling a little bold, he would block their faces from the window view with an open book — leaning in with apologies for his lack of attention these days as he pulls them in for a kiss.

TANG BO... is a wild card. if he's the initiator, he likes to be playful about it. always a tease, and thoroughly enjoying the reactions he pulls from his partner. if the roles flip and he finds himself on the receiving end, would be stunned into silence. all the other has to do is kiss him, not anything one-and-done — it has to be a proper and genuine kind of kiss on the bridge of his nose, more specifically the spot between his eyebrows. he tends to stay up late and it does create tension that results in headaches in that area because of that. so when he feels his partner's tender touch, this guy is putty. for all that cockiness, he is the easiest to come undone.

TANG GUNAK... an older man with experience for sure. he has children for fucks sake, let's be realistic here. doesn't matter how much brainpower his duties as the head takes up, he is very attentive to his partner's likes, dislikes, wants and needs. always acts according to the results of those observations. but in his downtime, when he is going to bed, he finds himself enjoying the embrace of his partner. resting his head on their chest, listening to their heartbeat because well, one might never know if they could have a heart attack soon or not. will always place a kiss on the other's chest, right over their heart just before he falls asleep.

NAMGUNG DOWI. a good guy. an earnest guy. really trying his best. he's not good at this romance thing... please be patient with him... if things so south, he tends to use his face card to have his partner forgive him. and they do, because he's insanely good at pulling the sad, kicked, wet puppy face. when that happens, he would happily kiss them over and over again on every corner of their face, or well, whatever parts he can reach. he did make them sit on his lap without any wiggle room.

LEE SONGBAEK prefers hugging more than kissing. partly because he's surrounded by kids so any grown-up action would have him be the brunt of their teasing for weeks. his partner is mostly understanding, maybe a little spiffed when it seems like they might kiss but a child waddles into their vicinity. he feels sorry for disappointing his partner, and often hugs the other from behind, muttering a string of apologies into their hair. eventually pecking the small bundle of nerves at the back of their ear, and the top of their jaw — his surefire way of leaving them a little hot and bothered.

JIN GEUMRYONG suffers from emotional constipation to an extent. so it goes without saying, his partner has to be blessed with communication skills that can honestly end all wars. he is strict, mostly stern, but he means well. and his partner has been by his side long enough to understand that. he feels sorry they've chosen to stay regardless. he isn't one to let lose until it's time to rest, so it's only in these times they get to see his unguarded sides. downturned eyes that look at his partner wistfully, he would hug them and rest his chin on the crown of their head. occasionally moves down to press his lips on that spot as one hand cradles his partner's neck, fingers playing with their strands of hair.

BAEK CHEON is undoubtedly a little pathetic. it's endearing, but it's still hard to watch sometimes. poor man still trips over his words and stumbles on his feet when he wants to ask his partner for a kiss. just one kiss please? god. it's hard to say no to a handsome face on the verge of tears... he's lucky they weren't a sadist. or well, trying not to be. it's so hard fighting those urges, that they ask him to reward their efforts. his pale face grows bright red, but he complies with his partner's request anyways. it's a timid kiss on their forehead that goes down the bridge of their nose, then the tip of it. he coyly kisses their cheeks, steering away from the other's lips so obviously that they lose patience and pull him in. he melts far too quickly into this, hands going all over his partner's body, tugging on their clothes. tsk, sly boy. so he had planned for this to happen, and like a fool they fell for his siren song.

[gemoyo]

PEAK 😭😭🔥🔥 #why is stuff bout him so dry #lee songbaek x reader

[sincerely]

anon asked: Literally anything lee songbaek x mount hua reader pls I'm desperate it's so empty out there :,))))

pairing: lee songbaek x gn!they/them!reader

summary: he somehow found himself becoming pen-pals with a certain medic of a certain rival sect. not really friends, not really lovers, but this feeling he has in his heart is indeed genuine.

word count: 4.49k

author's note: gender wasn't really specified so im going to make the reader gender neutral,,,, (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡

═══════════════

the first time the two met it was during the annual huazhong competition. zhongnan arrived at the gates of mount hua not really expecting much from the disciples there — all of whom were leagues beneath their skill level, of whom still needed the financial aid of zhongnan to even hold this silly competition in the mount hua sect grounds in the first place.

it was his first time going to this competition. up till then, he'd only ever heard about it from his senior brothers, they were always saying how laughable it was to see them struggle against them so pitifully.

deep down he's never really liked the way they mocked the weak. it felt so... petty and it certainly wasn't an attitude becoming of a martial artist in a taoist sect.

to him, at least.

the one time he had voiced his thoughts in the middle of these re-tellings, he'd gotten a dirty look from his peers and older sect brothers. it was gone within a split second though, with the boys laughing in amusement at how naive and innocent his thinking was.

it's been a few years since that time.

as he steps into the derelict sect falling apart at its seams, he passes by the other third-grade disciples of mount hua all of whom were in the middle of training. he spots a familiar face looking on at them coldly, wasn't he jin geumryong sa-hyung's younger brother? the one that ran away from home a few years ago?

baek cheon-ah, come here.

so he goes by baek cheon. lee songbaek's eyes glance over to the person who had called out to the boy. all he saw was the back of their black uniform. they stood with their back straight and shoulders squared — the stereotypical picture of a proud disciple of their sect. even more so with the younger surrounding them with a quiet look of esteem shining in their eyes.

he keeps looking at their back, hoping that maybe they might turn around to look over in his direction. he could hear snickers from his sect brothers nudging at his shin, their voices pitched higher to tease him about somebody catching their uptight junior's eye.

rather than them catching his eye, he likes to think that it was he who caught their attention. their gazes meeting each other despite the crowd — irises coloured in the deep blue of a night sky levelling with the clearness of a spring's day. two kids who by all accounts, follow the same teaching path... when stripped to its bare bones. yet here they were, standing on each end of the competitors' court as representatives of their sects' bitter rivalry.

these two couldn't have been any more different.

their gazes on each other didn't break for a long time even as he had already passed by them, and even as he made his way up the steep steps to the guest houses. lee songbaek found himself unable to pull away from the trance that person had put him in.

senior...?

baek sang called out to them curiously.

hm. looks like zhongnan's brought in new faces to the competition.

═══════════════

the next morning came rather quickly.

the competitions started quickly without much delay or fanfare. zhongnan breezed through each of their rounds, every match-up lasting for less than a minute. some were only at a few seconds. the longest was the match between jin geumryong sa-hyung and his younger brother. but even that one lasted for one and a half minutes. and the other was not even using his full strength, instead opting to toy with his younger brother's psyche, yet baek cheon couldn't keep up with that?

lee songbaek had to say that he was sorely disappointed with the state of mount hua's martial arts. he could understand now why his senior brothers would mock the disciples here.

so then why would the sects bother to organise this event every year? why would mount hua willingly put themselves through this humiliation each year with their repeated failures? was this their way of learning and growing? it was all so strange to him.

his brows furrow and his eyes, once again, meet the same spring-like ones he saw from yesterday. there they stood on the other side of the stage, arms folded and leaning against the wall — alone. they weren't standing huddled together with the rest of their juniors. he presumed it might be from the air of iciness that perpetually surrounded them.

and that same coldness was now directed straight at him.

hey, who's that asshole looking at you like that?

shouldn't we teach them a lesson?

tch. some arrogance from a no-name sect.

his sect brothers talked amongst themselves, clearly noticing the hostility directed at their own. talking about how they weren't going to let this disrespect slide, though in reality? his sect brothers just wanted an excuse to beat up more mount hua disciples, under the guise of a competition. probably because that's the only time they are stronger than their opponents. lee songbaek thinks to himself.

he laughed it off, not wanting to cause any trouble. he tells the boys that he didn't want to fight anyone for no good reason. he wasn't a hooligan, he was a martial artist. and he would like to live by that proper etiquette.

besides, they don't look like the fighting type.

he says, trying to convince them to drop this matter.

it works, and the boys draw their attention to the ongoing match, which ended as quickly and as predictably as all the other ones. he tried to ignore the grumbles under their breaths.

tch. who does this guy think he is — acting all upright and moral.

don't pay attention to guys like him.

yeah, he's always been a little weird.

lee songbaek glances over at the other side of the stage again. this time their gaze was a twinge softer. still cold, but not as harsh.

the competition was over by midday. and as everyone gathered to leave, he almost bumps into them. hands full with the stack of stools they were to bring back to the dining hall.

i'll help you with that.

he says as his fingers barely brushed past theirs to take ahold of half their load. they pause, deliberating on what to say next, mind forming a biting remark to rebute his help. yet the presence of the other zhongnan disciples around them made them hold back their sharp tongue.

follow me.

they croak out, stepping skillfully between the gaps as they make their way towards the dining hall. lee songbaek hurriedly follows behind as closely as he could, his face and the back of his neck burning up as his sect brothers hoot, holler and whistle after him.

away from the crowd, he finds himself alone with them in the dining hall's small storage closet. his heart skips a beat, his senses all too aware of the person right next to him.

do you like me?

lee songbaek feels his breath hitch.

i asked if you liked me.

they look over at him, arms folded across their chest, an impassive expression sitting on their face. and in his eyes, not looking stoked at the possibility that a rival sect's disciple might have caught feelings for them in less then a day.

i... i'm not too sure myself.

he replied quietly.

they stayed silent. choosing to look ahead through the open doorway at the line of zhongnan sect members leaving through mount hua's red gates. he followed their line of sight, wondering if he should leave as well, go back and pretend that nothing happened here.

an idea hits him right then, having him scramble through his bag for a good minute before he finally fished out a thin blue rope — the same as the one he used to tie over his bracer to keep it in place.

he holds out his hand, hoping that they would catch on and place their hand in his. they do so, albeit hesitantly, fortunately for him. his fingers thick as they may be with callouses from practising his swordsmanship were still long and slender. they watch as those slender fingers of his circle their wrist, thumb in their palm, holding their hand open for him to cover it with his own. passing on his little gift to them in the process.

there was so much more he wanted to say to them. if he sent them letters would they oppose to it? he thinks about the mere notion of a zhongnan disciple corresponding with a mount hua disciple, and he thinks about the reactions of the people around either of them. no doubt it won't be a sunshine and rainbows affair.

may i... send you letters?

he wasn't sure if this was the right way to court someone.

do whatever you want.

they mumble, turning to hide their embarrassed face from his astute stares. they weren't good at hiding it seems, he didn't miss out on the way the corner of their lip twitched upwards ever so slightly.

lee songbaek feels his heart stir a little more.

═══════════════

a month or two passed with no word from him. they felt a little foolish to still harbour onto the hope that he'd remember them, even if for a brief moment.

senior, there's mail addressed to you.

their eyes widen as a junior sister trots up to them with a package — whatever was meant for them hidden under the layer of white linen cloth wrapped and tied securely with a brown rope. they wonder if they had failed to conceal their excitement, with how said junior sister giggled at the bursting sparkle in their eyes.

thanking the girl quickly, they grabbed the package and headed straight to the privacy of their work desk in the medical hall. nobody really came around here at this time of the day, and besides, their room wasn't safe from everyone's nosiness.

i hope you haven't forgotten about me.

holding the parchment in their shaky hands, they read the greetings written out in neat lines.

i feel embarrassed that i didn't write to you as soon as i said i would. could you find it in your heart to forgive me? perhaps the gifts i've sent along with the letter could sweeten the apology?

they look down, splayed across the white package cloth were small pouches, all filled with various trinkets. some were tea leaves, one contained dried herbs and they even found a bell while the remaining two pouches were filled with various sweets.

i hope the gifts are to your liking. hopefully i haven't stepped out of line with any of them, i wasn't too sure on what you would have liked considering we don't really know each other. if you are willing, may i learn more about you in your reply?

it even harder to ignore this growing need to want him to notice them even more. think about them more. they wanted to pick up their brush and tell him all about themselves, every little flaw and perk about them. they wanted to know if his little interest would die out or grow stronger from it. what about him? what did he like, what was he like? last time he was here, there was a faded scent of pine lingering on him.

he's back at zhongnan now, so maybe that scent of pine would be stronger. if they asked, would he...

they shake their head to rid themselves of their thoughts.

for now, they'll send him a simple reply. there's no need to rush. the both of them still had plenty of time.'

═══════════════

lee songbaek stares at the letter dropped onto his lap. the instructor had handed it over to him after that morning's training without much explanation other than a simple before i forget.

oh... open it!

read it aloud for the rest of us!

the other disciples clamour around him, curious about the mail their somewhat eccentric sect brother had received. he laughed nervously, really not wanting them to poke their noses into his business where they didn't belong. but he obliged reluctantly, nonetheless.

first, i'd like to thank you for your letter. here i was thinking you'd forgotten all about me. i'm glad to see that you hadn't.

even though the greeting was prim, proper and polite — that messiness of the cursive calligraphy did little to hide their writer's true heart. a person who had been waiting eagerly for him.

lee songbaek clutches the letter close to his chest. his sect brothers need not see the rest of the contents of the letter addressed to him.

he gets up to run to a more secluded location, amongst the other's boos and insults, away from all of them just so that he could read the words that person wrote to him so earnestly.

they wrote to him. they wanted him to read their words, so what right did his sect brothers think they had to ask him to read them what they had sent for his eyes only. he didn't want to betray their trust behind their back like this.

i don't have anything to give you right now, but i'll prepare well so that when you send another letter to me, i have something for you too. so just like you want to know more about me, could you let me know a little more about you as well?

he slumps down the walls of the back gates. he likes to think they might have been frazzled while writing their reply, hence the messy handwriting. his thumb traces across the lines on the parchment, eyes darting across their next lines.

i don't hold any grudge for your late letter, it's not like i was waiting or hoping that you'd remember.

liar.

i haven't had time to try the things you've sent me, so i can't tell you if i like them or not. you need not fret, none of your gifts were out of line. if anything, i work in the medical hall. so your tea, herbs and flowers are of use to me in some way.

so that explains why they smell of smokey ginseng at that time.

the medical hall huh. he ponders, wondering if he should see what ingredients his sect's own medical hall uses. he wanted to be of use to them again, just like the first time.

no... he didn't want the people around him to get too curious and find out he was talking to someone from mount hua. the disciples here weren't above accusing him of being a traitor to their sect even without the proof nor evidence.

before i sign off, i want to know if you like sweets, by any chance? if you do, then i think i might have something for you, if you don't that's alright. i can always think of something else.

he folds the letter back into it's original shape. he was itching to return to his room and write out his reply, but that would have to wait for when night falls after the day's training was over.

tomorrow morning, he'll use the excuse of going on an errand to see the folk doctor in the village over. maybe he could learn a thing or two from that old man. if he's lucky, he might even get some seeds that he could send to them.

═══════════════

this back-and-forth lasted longer than either of them thought it would. he's gotten tea and honey they procured themselves, and they've gotten countless herb pouches and seeds from him. there was once when they wrote to him, saying that they'd have to stop writing to him since their ink was running out, and in his next letter he sent them a set of inkstones in an embellished box. they had to rub their eyes to see that they hadn't been dreaming. just how much money did that man have?

they felt bad, maybe a little sheepish for receiving something that expensive from him. they even said so in their reply. and all lee songbaek had to say to that was,

write to me more often.

they read those lines over and over again, laughing at the absurdity of it all. was this all that he wanted from them? was it really that simple? they still couldn't believe it.

they weren't so dense that they didn't know he was trying to pursue them. it's just...

most men would have expected their love interests to repay their expensive gifts with something they deemed worthwhile. something for all that trouble these men had to go through for their so-called beloveds. a soddy excuse to have the other warm their beds.

so for a man like him to expect nothing other than their continued correspondence in return — this was all too good to be true.

but then again, all of his letters to them had always shown genuine interest in their likes, dislikes, hobbies and their petty worries. he's always read through their words, responding to each sentence they've written with the same sincerity each time. even the things they don't remember writing about.

did they deserve that sort of admiration from a guy like that?

═══════════════

if anyone ever asked lee songbaek about the medic from mount hua, he'd talk about them with stars in his eyes. he hasn't seen them for a few years at this point, mainly out of his own violation with how he wasn't fond of the huazhong contest, but they've been writing to each other despite all of that.

he could recite all the medicinal properties of wild plants growing on mountains, and he could tell anyone on and on for hours about all that person's writing quirks — the way their handwriting gets messier when they feel strongly about something, the little dots they'd draw at the edges of the paper as decoration, the fact that they weren't that great at spacing out their lines to the point that words get crammed at the end...

yet there was still so much he didn't know about them. how did they look like now? has he grown even taller than they did? what do they like to eat now? their voice, face, eyes all of the things he can't see beyond that one memory... how does it look like now? if they met face-to-face then, how would they react to each other? would their conversations be as animated as they were on paper?

perhaps he should join this year's contest. but to come along after not wanting to for so long, won't the others find it strange?

maybe he was a little lucky that that opportunity presented itself not that long after, though it was in a rather painful way.

═══════════════

the next time he would find himself at the familiar red gates for that year's huazhong contest, he was there for two reasons. one was to see them, the other was to have a chance to spar with the third-grade disciple chung myung one more time. he mentioned this in passing when he sent a letter after the incident. they... weren't frugal with their scathing remarks.

honestly, you deserved it.

ouch.

why are you, the grown adult in this case mind you, picking fights with a teenager anyways? what happened to being a respectable martial artist or whatever that phrase you like to say huh? where'd that go? shameless bastard, even if the two of us are friendly with each other, i'm not going to feel sorry that happened to you.

he scoffs, smiling fondly at the letter in his hands. they're right, he did deserve the consequences from that day — even if they hadn't said so in their letter. he glances over at his belongings scattered on his bed. this was the morning he and other disciples were setting off to mount hua together with one of their sect elders. he's heard through the grapevine about this being the last competition they'd hold.

lee songbaek had a feeling it actually won't work out the way the elders had intended.

whatever. he'd be lying if he said he wasn't looking forward to seeing them again. he wonders if anything about them has changed. would the two of them talk as comfortably as they do in writing? he hoped he could surprise them a little when he showed his face again.

═══════════════

zhongnan arrived at mount hua without much fanfare other than the narrowly avoided incident with the infamous chung myung. the zongnan disciples felt their feathers get ruffled, grumbling all the way up the steps to their guest house about the rude behavior of a child who was barely past fifteen.

that same night, while the guests were enjoying the banquet set out for them and the mount hua disciples were in the regular dining hall having dinner — they were organizing their supplies quietly in the medical hall, skipping their meals to finish up the work needed before tomorrow's competition. their ears perk up at the sound of unfamiliar footsteps coming their way. who in the world would find them this late at night? their hand reached for the hilt of their sword.

compared to the others, they weren't the fighting sort. though that was not an excuse for the devil incarnate that entered the sect recently. training their stamina along with the others every morning, shovelling down breakfast and then swinging their sword a thousand times until late afternoon, lunch and then it was time for another thousand swings for the rest while they went back to the medical hall to study for the physicians' exam held once every four years in the royal palace. it was a gruelling routine. one that they didn't mention in any of their letters, not exactly seeing the point in complaining.

eh?

they stood frozen in their spot, sword halfway drawn out. the perpetrator laughs at the doorway sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. he would be lying if he said that he wasn't a little shocked himself.

i hope you haven't forgotten about me.

lee songbaek asks quietly. facing his side, though he steals a glance at them from the corner of his eye.

they stand frozen in place as he walks over slowly, carefully placing one foot down before the other until he was standing face-to-face with them.

it's you... i thought... you never said that you would...

voice shaky, hands covering their heated face — they were a mess. if lee songbaek had came here with the intent to surprise them, then he has certainly succeeded.

i'm sorry if i startled you. can i look at you... please?

his hands reach up to hold theirs, fingers intertwining with each other's. he thinks they leaned forward, and he does too, closer and closer until his lips brushed on theirs, noses bumping against each other with a little gasp of surprise.

do it properly.

they mutter, hands escaping his hold to wrap their arms around his neck, fingers playing with the ribbon that held his hair together as they pull him down for a proper kiss.

the world was still for the brief moment the two were sharing. he wraps his arms around their waist, hugging them closer towards him. the warmth of their body pressed against his chest, his hair had grown loose around his head — the long strands falling over his face, but he was a little too distracted by the kiss to bother.

they were the first to break off, stepping back to get some air, giggling when he leaned forward instinctively.

what was that about?

lee songbaek asked, breathless and a little dazed.

i wonder...

they reply, mumbling softly.

awkwardly, the two backed off from the other, each taking a shaky step back to let what just happened sink in. they were both lucky it was the middle of the night when no one was around. otherwise, their little unplanned rendezvous would have become the hot scandal of the century, and there were going to be people who would lose their minds over it. a zhongnan and mount hua disciple, a zhongnan and mount hua disciple?

still, they didn't really hate that kiss.

what... does this make us now?

they asked him, deciding to break the silence first. not caring too much about the weight of the question.

they were right. what does this make the two of them? not yet lovers, even if the groundwork for that sort of relationship was there. not exactly friends, they weren't close but yet were familiar enough with each other to be more than mere acquaintances.

it seems, for now, they have to sit back and let time tell.

their hand that tucked his hair behind his ear was gentle, tender, almost. fingertips lingering at the side of his face, just ghosting over his cheek. he closed his eyes as the back of their hand caressed his face, trailing down to his chin and falling back to their side.

you should go to bed.

i will.

i'm not going to wish you good luck for tomorrow since our sects are competing against each other. and i'm quite loyal to mine.

it's okay.

lee songbaek couldn't help the smile growing on his face. right, they were still rivals. rivals that shared a kiss, but that's just how things are sometimes, wasn't it?

he left the medical hall with a slight spring in his step, hair down and the scent of smokey ginseng mixed with fresh plum blossoms still lingering on his clothes — it looked like he might have to stay up and walk around until the smell was gone.

can't have his sect brothers getting too curious now, could he?

═══════════════

the final results of the competition had already been determined the moment chung myung had challenged his senior brothers, still drunk on the highs of past successes, not yet brought down to earth. lee songbaek felt as though he'd been enlightened by this whole experience, the incident at the trading company and right now at the contest. he knew there was something he had to do the moment he got back to his sect.

chung myung had told him how lonely the path he's chosen would be. but that didn't matter to him.

it's not that i want to walk this path. rather, it's because this is the path i must walk.

he says, eyes glancing past chung myung towards the familiar back of that person. his other reason was to become someone they wouldn't be ashamed of.

but nobody else needed to know that.

lee songbaek left mount hua that day, busy with plans for the future, and deep down in his heart, looking forward to the next time he'd get to meet them again.

maybe by that time, they would be able to place a better name to this feeling brewing between them these past few years.

but who knows, really?