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onyourhyuck · 1 year ago

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Worth It. | N.JM

— Prologue: “Is it okay if i stay over tonight? You’re sure? I don’t want to overstep your boundaries.”

— Summary: Where you spend the night at each other’s houses for the first time and despite being told to be comfortable you are being very careful.

— Genre: Fluffy smut. First time staying over type of trope. New established relationship. Jaemin is such a green flag. ugh best boyfriend goals. Rookie couples. Heavy makeouts. Soft soft protected sex. Hand holding while they do it.

— Notes:

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There is always a first time in everything when you get in a brand new relationship with someone. You’re always trying to be super careful to not do the wrong move because you don’t want things to go bad.

It can be very nerve wrecking. There’s the first time holding hands which is always kind of awkward at first because none of you are used to holding hands. Or the first time having your kiss, it’s always so short and difficult to pull away from.

And then there is coming over to your boyfriend’s house for the first time.

You’re between the border of trying not to make it obvious that you’re uncomfortable but also trying to get used to your brand new environment. You see your boyfriend has been with you for only five months. Nearly six months. He’s been over to your house for dinner before but it never once crossed his mind until recently that now he realised; you never been over to his house.

Jaemin really loves spending time with you and he wants you to be comfortable. So when you walk inside the house you take your shoes off and try to be as formal and polite as possible.

That was the first time you came over to his house. You ended up being super formal that day and Jaemin always told you to be comfortable and not feel weird about the new surroundings.

But now that you came over once, you started coming over during the evenings. Your second time over at your boyfriend’s house you’re slightly more comfortable than before.

You’re slowly adjusting. “Hey babe? Is it okay if i move your pillows in a different position?” You call out from his bedroom.

Jaemin from the living room raised an eyebrow wondering why do you even have to ask? You could just do what you wish with the pillows. “You don’t have to ask me! Do what you want.” He calls out as his attention was on whatever was playing on the television screen.

You smile a little. He was always telling you to do what you want since he wants to make his house feeling like it’s your home too now.

But it’s difficult to get used to.

Scrolling through your phone as you adjust the pillows into the position you want you’re noticing the time. It’s getting nearly late and you’re wondering when do you have to leave? Your boyfriend hasn’t really asked you what time yet you will leave. You don’t have a time set either. You’re waiting for Jaemin to kick you out but he wasn’t really planning to have you leave anytime soon.

So the more time goes by it’s very late and you’re contemplating by staying over his house now. Surely it wouldn’t hurt to stay over?

You don’t want to leave your boyfriend since you enjoy being with him and his presence alone was the most important thing to you. But you don’t want to take away his privacy from Jaemin either. So now you’re debating if staying was the right option.

The bed creaks when you stand up walking out of the bedroom as you approach the couch where your boyfriend was seen watching the screen. Jaemin smiles and wraps his arms around your waist when you approach running his sweet fingertips down your back and under your shirt feeling your bare skin. You took notice of this habit; your boyfriend really likes feeling your smooth skin. He loves skin to skin contact. And he dislikes feeling the clothes on you.

You smile a bit. “Hey, it’s getting late.” Jaemin hums in response at your words as he wasn’t saying much but enjoying your presence at the same time.

“Yeah it is nearly 10.00 at night.” Jaemin says softly in his deep natural voice. You wonder if he can even more attractive than this.

You’re getting shy now since you’re trying to find an opportunity to ask your boyfriend for permission. But why was it so darn hard?

You’re getting shy for no reason, you’re also stressing about the fact if you’re being too clingy or if you’re being too pushy. You don’t want to be either of those things and you value that space was very important in a relationship. This relationship you have with Jaemin was something you take very personal in your heart. You want this to work.

So far your relationship was nothing but good. You both grow and help each other grow together and individually as well.

Jaemin was the perfect example for you. He makes you feel valued and appreciated. Unlike in the past you’ve never gotten so many compliments by a man until you’ve met Jaemin. And he really makes sure to let you know everyday that you’re important and that you deserve everything.

The thoughts in your head were overcrowding your actual thinking so now you are staring at your boyfriend and your voice comes out slightly small and timid too.

“Can I stay over tonight?” You whisper as you don’t want Jaemin to feel like he has to keep you around.

Your boyfriend wasn’t expecting you to even ask. He didn’t want you to ask this question either because he thought you would be staying anyways. It was late and there’s no way in the world that he will let you leave his house at ten in the night. It’s not that he doesn’t trust that you can get home, it’s more like Jaemin was more or so worried for your safety. He doesn’t trust the world out there and he’d rather have you sleep with him on the bed than have you sleep alone tonight too. You’re everything to him.

“Baby you don’t even have to ask me. My home is now your home, I told you this before.” Jaemin’s expression was a mixture of surprise and bluntness as if you didn’t even have to ask him this right now. Your hands were slowly kissed on the back as Jaemin pants his puckering eyes down there with his soft mouth.

Your cheeks grew a slight pinkish shade across your skin like it was a waterfall spreading everywhere on the land.

Jaemin has so many ways to make you think he’s so perfect. Beyond perfect actually. The word perfect wasn’t enough to describe him.

You slowly exhale. “Is it okay if i stay over tonight? You’re sure? I don’t want to overstep your boundaries.”

Your worried eyes meet Jaemin’s as he can see that you’re trying to be respectful here. You’re the type of person to be extremely cautious and Jaemin really finds this to be thoughtful of you. But at the same time you don’t need to be.

“I don’t have any boundaries when it comes to you. Do what you want okay? If you’re hungry you can take what you want from my fridge. You can even take my clothes, I am fine with whatever you want.”

He was telling you this as if this was all so easy. You’re almost unable to process that you can get away with anything right now but you don’t know what to do with that privilege.

You almost feel like you don’t deserve it. You whisper a little as you’re unable to think much more. Your boyfriend’s loving eyes watching you makes all sorts of emotions run to your face.

“Jaemin I’m just being cautious. I don’t want to make you think that I’m too clingy or pushy.” You say as you’re holding your running thoughts on pause.

He can’t believe you’re here thinking that he would ever see you as being ‘too clingy’. If anything Jaemin wants you to be clingy to him without a second question!

“Okay I think I need you to rethink your words right now.” Jaemin said with a chuckle.

What he said sounded like a warning. You blink your eyes in innocent confusion. “What—?”

He brushed his lips away from your hands and slowly stands up suddenly he was lifting you and you let out a soft sudden sigh as you’re wondering what was happening right now. Your own boyfriend carried you to the bedroom, placing your dead weight on the bed as he crawled on top giving you soft kisses on your cheeks and forehead. Out of nowhere you’re having all these physical kiss-attacks and you’re here unable to take much more.

Jaemin saw your hands fiddling around in places as you’re growing more and more ticklish with the way his lips were planting between your skin and skin. Your own body was struggling to contain what your boyfriend was making you feel. He pins your hands on the side of the bed against the two pillows surface, you’re here breathing heavily as you’re also giggling a little.

When he heard that giggle of yours Jaemin wanted to ascend and have you repeat that giggle again and again and again — until he is sick of it.

You’re unable to contain the way your stomach was doing flips on its own. The way the emotions turning inside your guts. Your abdomen clenching with each loving touch your boyfriend holds on you and gives it without needing anything else from you. All your boyfriend wants from you is you to smile. Feelings inside your stomach boils like a pot on a burning stove, and your legs were digging into the duvet covers while the room was holding all your protesting soft noises and laughs together.

“Ahh Jaemin this isn’t fair. So unfair. You can��t use your strength and kisses against me.” You’re trailing with mumbles.

He smirks against your neck where he nuzzles his nose into your nape smelling your scent, inhaling it as you always smell so good. You smell like peace. You bring him peace.

Jaemin whispers teasingly. “Oh but you don’t seem to be complaining when I give you them.”

“We were having a serious conversation about me staying over!”

You say with your cheeks growing red. Jaemin knew his teasing always tends to get under your skin. The boy above you pulls away his head from your nape to gaze into your eyes.

“And I said it’s completely acceptable.” He softly pressed a loving kiss on your forehead and then hovers over your untouched lips.

“It’s worth it.” He adds, before he pressed a loving and deep long kiss on your lips that look so kissable from the above view.

When he told you this you’re wondering if your boyfriend means it and then you feel the rushing emotions in the kiss, and you just know now that he was being sincere and genuine.

Your boyfriend didn’t care about anything else but wanting you to stay over. You’re now understanding his point. You don’t have to be so uptight and worry if you’re doing something wrong. Because Jaemin knows you have the truest intentions of kindness for him and that’s all he needs from you.

The kiss overtakes you both in a magical world where you sense everything behind measures of your love. Jaemin didn’t hold back. He lets you know just how much he wants to kiss you. Just how much he could kiss you forever if he could. Jaemin pressed the tongue into the surface of your romantic kiss while his hands cupping your face slide down your jawline reaching over your neck where the shirt you wore starts to be tugged in. It falls off your beautiful figure when you say up letting your boyfriend do what he wants now. Your eyes are pressed closed while your entire mind was on the continual pleasure from the kiss that keeps going on.

Words of affirmation he told you beforehand were on a replay like a radio station in your head. It somehow puts you on ease too. You love that Jaemin’s affirmations were made to calm you down as well as show you that your overthinking doesn’t need to be used when he’s nearby.

You can rely on him. You can do anything with him and Jaemin would be more than happy to do it for you. As long as you’re happy and comfortable, he gets to spend his time with you.

The hands slide down to your hips after your lower sweats were pulled down and Jaemin’s mouth breaks apart temporarily only to brush over your beautiful breasts that came out of your bra. His tongue runs down your nipples giving it a gentle suck before detaching from your tits to go up and kiss you once again in a hungry makeout.

You feel all sorts of sensations run down when your legs spread open when his hands run down your inner thighs and Jaemin’s middle fingertip pressed against the pantie lining above your clit.

Soft moan comes out of your mouth as your head leans back and your eyes fell down watching his hand where it’s at. “Should I stretch you out?”

Jaemin asked you quietly as your eyes look up at him. “Yeah please.” You give him a little nod and he leans in kissing your cheek. “Okay baby.”

Whenever he calls you all these sweet loving pet names it makes you feel really small in the best way possible. You feel like a small lost puppy around Jaemin.

He had the ability to make you feel loved, too loved. Your hips buckle forward once Jaemin slips off your panties to your ankles and throws them somewhere on the floor in his bedroom, without a single care. The only thing his focus was really on was the sight of your heavenly pussy, ready to be devoured in everything he has for you.

Brushing the palm on top he thrusts in his middle fingertip first, your head hung back a little as you’re adjusting to the stretching of your velvet compressing walls.

“Fuck…” You murmur into your palm while your boyfriend was trying to be as careful but enough to give you some pleasure too.

The second finger came in when he heard you moan. It shown that you must’ve lined the way his short nails brushed along your bouncy walls inside. Jaemin loves hearing your breathy voice too. Especially when you’re on the brick of cumming right there and then.

He might be soft with you outside the bedroom, and he was also a little soft with you in the bedroom activities too. But he can be slightly more gruff about it too.

Jaemin can really be dominating in the bedroom. It’s like he shines differently when he is fucking your soul out of you. But you don’t mind it when he can be a little more rough with you, because his sweet voice always said the most soft loving things to you. Despite the way he can really have you begging.

Thrusting a few more times, Jaemin pulls the fingers out licking them clean with his mouth before leaning over and sitting upwards to go open one of the drawers next to the bed.

You whimper at the loss of your boyfriend’s fingers but your eyes gracefully follow his silhouette seeing what he was pulling out.

He smirks when he saw your eyes fixated on the packet of condoms. Jaemin rips one open as he slips off his boxers.

“You want to put it on for me?” He asked you as you looked eager when you saw his manhood spring up against is stomach hitting the surface on it.

Your boyfriend was quite big. You won’t lie but you can’t deny the fact that Jaemin was built perfectly. He was long but not too long. He was perfectly thick in the right areas and you drool over the sight of your boyfriend’s manshood. Your hand brushed the condom down and Jaemin bites his bottom lip watching your small hands dressing the condom on his hard boner.

“That’s it, good girl.”

Your face grew a million shades redder hearing your boyfriend’s deep nasal voice echoing the praise to your ears giving you a kiss on your cheek, lowering himself down he pushed your legs up a little until they sit on top of his shoulders. Folding you into a position to his liking he wanted to get the right deepness and the richness of your body to the fullest because tonight — your boyfriend is going to prove to you why it is worth it staying over.

The gnashing movements created between your two bodies connecting as one made your body move forward as the length piercingly increases in and out of your entrance. Just the mere thickness alone has you thinking you’re going to rip apart with the overwhelming burning sensation. You however love the fact that you can feel the stinging pleasure because eventually the same sting turns into something else.

Your mouth shatters apart from your moans. The carnal length barely inside you for more than a few minutes has your mind starting to wander on its own. Foggiest invades your brain. Your cheeks are burning hot like they are scorched by the sun itself. The sight of your boyfriend’s darkly lit eyes staring you down like you’re a prey he had his eyes on for so long excites you.

“Oh fuck… Jaemin…”

Hearing his name leaving your lips like a flying letter, it was almost empowering. You give him so much power over you.

Jaemin smirks leaning down giving your collarbones a few sucks stringing from his teeth and balm lips. “You like this?” He asked you.

But he didn’t expect you to answer considering you’re unable to. The moans keep coming out of you instead.

He knows you liked it too, it is written on your beautiful face like a giant billboard you’d see on middle of the road.

The sensation can not compare to anything the two of you ever experienced and that’s what makes this so much more special and enjoyable.

It is the raw sight of your own love growing to its deepest lusts and hormones. Your body has never met such a perfect combination with anyone before and Jaemin was just so perfect.

He was perfect at giving and not expecting anything back. His pleasure came from seeing you mooch over his cock that is thrusting into you so deeply until you cannot take it anymore.

The fact that you’re looking even more and more beautiful the further more your squeezing carries him through the sensual movements, Jaemin was taking his sweet time with you. He loves seeing your feverish smile and your eyes closing every time the inch of his front tip was peeking into a zone of your weak spot that makes you squirm with more intensity.

You’re brushing your stomach inwards the moment Jaemin dig deeper going down even more while your hands roam around his shoulder blades and your mouth opens up. “Ahh squeezing me so much Y/n…” Jaemin‘a hushed groans were telling you how much he was enjoying the way you feel.

Your warmth emitting from your body on the outside and on the inside, as well as how wet you’re feeling down there makes his cock stand out even more. Jaemin was aroused by the simplest things however which was the way your eyes never broke eye contact.

He smiles leaning down kissing you softly again but this time your hands connect. He moves up his fingers attaching them around yours while on the sides they’re pinning.

He sighs deeply as he strikes himself slowly going in an upwards motion, he clenched his eyes shut. “God… I won’t last if you keep doing this to me.”

You drawl out your mouth running it down his neck while pressing kisses down his adam’s apple which makes Jaemin shiver.

The things you do to him makes him go crazy even more. You’re driving him off the edge.

“Hhhghr… I’m so close.” He quietly turned to you when your head pressed down on the pillows and you suck on your stomach with each of your boyfriends incoming sensual thrusts.

They feel slow yet powerful. Jaemin’s head hung low with his messy black hair while you’re here breathing more heavily as your breath quickens. The mattress becomes wrinkled as the bedsheets were following each of your silhouettes.

The darkness of the room becomes inevitable but the sight of your boyfriend’s expression when he finally feels the surging urge to come never leaves your memory.

Jaemin hissed. “Fuck—” Moving the hips upwards. “I’m cumming—” he slowly whispers moving down on you again. “Ah fuck m’cumming Y/n…”

You’re leaning back your sluggish body when the warm filling of your boyfriend releasing inside the plastic rubber. You’re feeling his hands clench on your fingers tight as his gaze grows black mixing in with stare.

He feels like he was seeing stars and his ears were shutting out every sound, all he could hear was small rings.

Jaemin deeply exhales as he leans down to get the opportunity to kiss your tempting lips once more. Your lips kiss back in slow motion while you feel his hand relax in the hold.

You whisper your sighs against his lips, while your boyfriend pulls away to look at your face brushing your hand on your hair.

“It was worth it.” Jaemin says with a smile. “Right?” He’d ask you knowing the real answer already.

“Mhm it was Worth It.” You tell him.

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@onyourhyuck please refer from translating copyrighting and plagiarising my work thank youu! Reblog this fic and follow me for more updates it helps a girl out.

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tqmies · 1 year ago

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Baseball (& Other Disasters)

Description. Everyone admired Mark Lee, starting pitcher of your school’s baseball team and famed ladies man. You, on the other hand, only know him as the boy who broke your dorm lobbies microwave the first time you met.

Too bad that was all it took to grow an embarrassingly huge crush on him.

So when he comes to you, in need of a new baseball manager, how could you say no to that face? (Spoiler: You couldn’t)

Pairings. Mark Lee x Female Reader

Genre. Romance, F2L, Idiots to lovers, Mutual Pining

Warnings. Cursing, An awkward scene of you walking in on the deed being done, suggestive comments, (I think that’s it?)

Word count. 10k ...

Note: I had so much fun writing this, sorry if it seems like it moved too fast, I didn’t want it to be too long since it’s been sitting in my drafts forever! Anyways, enjoy and remember feedback is always appreciated <3

Mark Lee is out fifty dollars, a phone bill, and most recently, a baseball manager. And he’s about to pull his hair out, because seriously, who quits right before the season starts? Not to help that he could’ve never seen it coming.

Kim Jungwoo, their former manager, had quite literally bailed on them. He was a player who injured his ankle, so he settled on the manager position, hoping one day to become a coach. His excuse was simple now though, he graduated university a few years ago, and was ready to move on. Mark just thinks the passion for the sport was gone, but you don’t just lose it overnight? How had no one seen it coming?

There was no point on dwelling on it, Mark shakes his head. Jungwoo was gone, and they needed a new manager stat. Unfortunately, Coach had kind of put that responsibility on Mark’s shoulders. But what did he know about this anyways? He had enough on his plate already to be scouring Indeed dot com for a baseball manager. Why couldn’t the assistant coach do it? Isn’t that was Doyoung was for, to do stuff like this?

And the worst part? He has two weeks to find someone, which is pretty much impossible. Especially considering that they would still have to train the manager to adjust to their schedules and learn their positions.

In short, Mark really hated Kim Jungwoo right now.

You on the other hand, had not a worry in the world. Well, at this moment at least. Your only problem was the fact that you had to boil your ramen in the common kitchen, instead of being able to just pop it in the microwave. Yeah, you have Mark Lee to thank that for.

You remember it like it was yesterday, (it was two months ago), when Mark Lee practically blew up your microwave. And even after an attempt to plead with the floor’s RA, they ultimately deemed it unsafe to have one on your floor. Which meant no more Hot Pockets, Cup ‘O Noodles, or soggy pizza. A tragedy for a college student.

Understandably, most people were annoyed with Mark’s accident, but it didn’t last very long anyways. It’s hard to hate the boy who led your school games to constant victories the year before. Overall, Mark was just a likable person.

Before that day, you didn’t even know Mark had played baseball. You didn’t care a lot for sports, opting to keep up only with your friend Chenle’s obsession, basketball. But even then, you didn’t know much about either sport.

To you, Mark Lee was just the guy who awkwardly spoke while putting ranch on his salad. He was introducing himself, asking why you were up cooking at three am as well, before shifting back to his food. He then started telling you how he liked his salads with boiled eggs on top, a good source of protein according to his coach. By the time you realized the microwave was on, with the egg inside, it was already too late.

It literally burst in the microwave, causing a rather unpleasant smell to spread throughout the common floor. Your face scrunched in disgust as you trashed the ravioli you were waiting to cook in there. “You put a boiled egg in the microwave?”

“To heat it up!” He had defended, staring at the messy appliance in horror.

“For 50 seconds?!”

He raised his hands, eyes wide. “I like them hot!”

Foolishly, that also happened to be the exact day you fell for Mark Lee. Something about his slight awkwardness, and the fumble of his hands when he spoke. You would’ve never guessed what kind of reputation he had held.

Your best friend, Yeri stops you there with the raise of her hand. She chews aggressively on her chicken while shaking her head and swallowing. “You’re such a loser.”

You laugh as you fake a pout, “Stop! Don’t tease me.”

“I can’t believe that’s what made you like him.” She furrows her brows. “There’s so many other reasons to like him, that’s all.”

You twirl your ramen on your plastic fork, sitting in the dining hall so you could eat with Yeri. (She had always offered to buy you a meal, but this food was a rip off! The pricing was crazy and you’d die before you let her buy two meals, call you a good friend.)

“You know I have a thing for awkward boys.” You speaks truthfully, because the point was supported by your track record of crushes on other shy boys.

“Well,” Yeri begins, knowing she’s about to get shot down. “You should try talking to him, as more than a friend.”

“Never!” You shriek, not believing she had even suggested that. “You know, I’m content with admiring from afar.”

“Which is why you’re still single!” She puts another forkful in her mouth before mumbling. “He’s nice, you should at least try.”

But you were a person of your word, you were not going to make the first move with Mark. That’s just the kind of person you were, you weren’t going to put yourself out there only to be rejected!

Or worse, have your confession accepted.

You see, due to never confessing, you had never had a boyfriend. That left you sorely inexperienced in the dating world. Meaning if you ever did ever ask someone on a date, you’d have no idea what to do on it. That would just likely lead you into a breakdown over the entire thing, which you would like to avoid.

You didn’t mind being single too much either, you had two great best friends who you could count on. The other actually just arrived right now, taking his seat as he looks at the two of you. “What? Did I interrupt something?”

“Just them avoiding talking to their crush.”

“Again?” Chenle laughs as he shakes his head. “I didn’t even know you had a crush.”

“I don’t.” You deny, glancing at Yeri. “I just think he’s cute.”

Yeri raises her fork in defense, stating matter-of-factly. “Everyone think’s Mark Lee is cute.”

“He’s not even all that.” Chenle dismisses, pulling out his phone to play some mobile game. “You could do better.”

“Better? Than Mark Lee?” Yeri’s jaw drops, and your glad she sees your side. Well, half the female population of your university did anyways.

“Who could be better?” You scoff, counting off your fingers. “Mark is talented, funny, and super cute! He’s like the entire package!”

“Yeah, you definitely have a crush on him.” Chenle says, turning his attention away from his (regrettably) best friends.

“But seriously, who wouldn’t want Mark?” Yeri nods, “You have the right idea.”

“I know, when have I ever liked someone questionable?” You ask, noting their lack of faith in your taste.

“Well..” Yeri starts and you sigh, knowing where she’s going with it. “Na Jaemin.”

“That was before I knew he was..” You trail, your nose scrunching, not wishing to reminisce on that phase of affection.

Chenle stops you, narrowing his eyes. “Don’t you dare call him a slut!”

“I wasn’t going to call him a-”

“Liar!” The boy yells, not even letting you finish. “Don’t talk bad about my friend!”

“I wasn’t going to! You’re the one who assumed I was going to call him a slut!”

“Cause you were!” Yeri instigates, laughing at you two.

“I wasn’t.” You maintain. Your crush on Jaemin was short lived anyways. You had seen him donning a basketball jersey, playing along side your friend on the first day of the semester.

Yeri would say you had heart eyes bursting out the moment you spotted him, you’d disagree, but he had definitely caught your attention. Unfortunately, it was only a matter of time before you found out he definitely wasn’t the type to be tied down. Not that it bothered you or anything, like you stated previously, you weren’t going to make a move.

Though, it was kind of hard to crush on a boy with a different girl around his arm everyday. Eh, not exactly your taste.

“Anyways, Mark has a ton of girl’s chasing after him. Thought you didn’t like guys like that.” Chenle states, attention not moving from whatever shooting game he’s engaged in.

“The difference is that Mark clearly hasn’t spoken to a single one of those fangirls in his life.” Yeri points out, never having seen it happen.

“You’re not that dumb are you?” Chenle finally puts his phone down. “Mark definitely messes around with all of them.”

“What does it matter?”

“Is this because your girl is one of his little fans?” You ridicule and Chenle shoots you a killer glare. The girl he liked, Nagyung, was one of the girls who’d attend baseball games just to see Mark. All of the girls in that section were recognized because they’d always start screaming from the stands when Mark would make a pitch. Squeals and cheers just for him to look their way.

You were one interaction away from joining them.

“What does he have that I don’t?!” Chenle throws his head back at the reminder.”Wish I had fans bringing me lunch every day too. I’d never have to eat with you fools again.”

You contemplate throwing your hot ramen on him as you narrow your eyes. “You’re no longer invited.”

“Hey!” Chenle whines.

Yeri pushes your shoulder lightly as she ignores your friends pleas. “I’m serious about talking to him! You’ll never know if you don’t try.”

“Yeri, just because you’ve had like 200 hundred boyfriends doesn’t mean we all want to!” Chenle digs, making a face at her.

“200?!” She yelps before her face goes straight. “I’d say 400 is more accurate.”

“Yeri!” You widen your eyes as she giggles. It was no secret your best friends was far more experienced in the dating realm than you were. Even Chenle had a girlfriend here and there.

Yeri even had a boyfriend now, an exchange student named Sicheng who she learned Mandarin for. They’d been steady together for about two years now, her ‘crazy highschool days’ were over and she was ready to settle down. All her words.

“Well it doesn’t matter now, clearly Sicheng and I are gonna get married-”

“Yes and have a million babies and live in a big house,” You interrupt her, reciting the statement you’ve heard so many times. “We know.”

“That could be you and Mark!” She nods, winking.

“Please, babies? You won’t even talk to him, and he’s like the nicest guy in the world.” Chenle scoffs, sipping from his drink, and that hits you particularly hard.

“You know what?” You say boldly, quirking a brow. “I will talk to him! I’ll show you.”

You have not shown Chenle.

It’s only been two days but you had yet to spot Mark anywhere, let alone strike up a conversation with the boy. It’s not like you two were close or anything, did he even know your name? Would he remember you? Were you just severely overthinking this? Definitely.

Even if Mark didn’t remember you, he’s not the type to act all weird about it. He’d likely try to greet you back and start a conversation, or at least that’s what you keep telling yourself.

Because here he is, in the very area where you first met him (And that exploded egg.) In the common kitchen. And you’re about to fall over.

He’s wearing glasses while dressed in sweatpants, since it is midnight after all, and staring at something on his laptop. The bright blue light illuminating his features as he sits in the dimly lit area, eating something from a takeout container. Eyes heavy from clear exhaustion as he presses on the temple of his forehead. And yet you think you’ve never seen him look cuter.

You walk in steadily, ready to boil some instant oatmeal. (It was all you had found in your dorm, you don’t even remember buying it.) Mark looks up, smiling as he makes eye contact with you.

That damn famous smile.

“Hey stranger.” He greets, looking you up and down discreetly. “Haven’t seen you here in a while.”

You laugh, “Decided maybe it’d be best to stay away from here for a minute.”

“I don’t blame you.” He nods, holding his hands up in defeat as his eyes flicker back to his laptop.

“So, big project coming up or?” You say, turning to open your oatmeal, grimacing at the powder on your hands as you wipe it off. This is your attempt at starting a conversation that would hopefully go better than it did last time.

“Not exactly.” He drags, scrolling on his mouse pad.

“Is that Zip Recruiter?” You giggle, looking over your shoulder as his laptop faces you. “Job hunting?”

He shakes his head, before realizing you couldn’t see him. “No, actually. I’m job.. hiring.”

You hum in acknowledgement, even though you didn’t know what he meant.

“I have a week and a half to find the team a new manager.” Mark elaborates, sighing as he leans back into his chair. “Nothing but dead ends so far.”

“Is it that hard to find candidates?” You ask, genuinely curious. Also, had Kim Jungwoo quit? You had seen him around campus a few times, mostly chatting up Yeri, but he seemed to be super loyal to his team. What had changed, and so suddenly?

Mark continues looking. “Only two people have responded to my posting so far. One had a criminal background and the other wanted higher pay.”

“That sucks.” You stir your food. “Have you thought about hiring a student?”

Mark turns to look back at you. “I don’t know. Coach didn’t want to do that again after Jungwoo, but maybe if they had all the qualifications then he wouldn’t mind.”

“Cool,” You speak absentmindedly. “I’m sure you’ll find someone soon.”

“What about you?”

You glad you weren’t facing him or else you would’ve surely agreed to it in an instant. You regain your senses as you notice your spoon falling into the hot mixture, almost burning yourself as you retrieve it. “Oh- Uh, Mark I don’t think I’d be a good fit.”

And you assume that’s enough to drop the subject but he actually closes his laptop as he continues. “But Chenle mentioned something about you managing your team in high school.”

First things first, you were going to kill Chenle! Leave it up to him to meddle in this, when did he even speak to Mark? And now he was going around lying to him?

Sure, you had vaguely helped your friend take baseball stats in highschool once; but it was nothing like this. How did Chenle even remember that?

You need to get it together and say no, there is no way in the world you could be a baseball manager. For several reasons, one being that you only know surface level things on the sport. Two, your schedule is hectic enough as it is without being apart of a team. And three? You’d have to deal with Mark Lee more often than you’d ever imagined.

Well, the last one didn’t sound so bad.

Mark takes in your silence. “Maybe just think over it, it pays well and we travel a lot. It could be fun.”

You want to throw something, why was this even an option for him? “It’s just, my time as a manager was very brief. Don’t you want someone more confident in what they’re doing?”

Mark’s mouth draws into a thin line. “Well, we’re really pressed for time right now, and you have experience. We’re short on options, plus I kinda know you.”

“So you’re trusting me with the fate of your entire team,” You start, closing your eyes. “Because you kinda know me.”

He foolishly nods, before getting up. “It’s not a hard job I promise! I’m sure you’d have no trouble with it!”

You open your mouth.“Mark-”

“Consider it?” He speaks as he now stands next to you. Your eyes pretending to be engrossed with the stupid oatmeal in front of you. You’re trying your hardest not to give away how nervous you are, you’d never been this close to him before. Sure, you could only see him from the corner of your eye, but you know he’s watching your face as he awaits an answer. “Please?”

He is so cute.

“I’ll do it.” You blurt, before you can stop the words from tumbling out.

His eyes light up, a smile growing. “What? Really?”

No! Not really, I’m just an idiot who’s weak to such a perfect boy in front of me. I’m taking it back before it’s too late! Sorry, maybe I can help you find someone else! That’s what you should be saying.

Yet nothing comes out, as you just nod. Idiot, you think. You know this is a terrible idea but you’re too far in now! (Not really, you’re just dramatic.) But you’d be damned if you were the one to wipe such a pretty smile off his face.

“Woah, okay. I’ll have coach do the paperwork and then I’ll email you the schedule.” He sighs in relief, before looking at you and placing his hand on your shoulder. “Thank you, I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

You really wish he had said that in a different context.

Knocking on the apartment door harshly, your anger fizzles down a bit when Park Jisung, Chenle’s roommate, opens the door. “Oh hey, what are-”

“Is Chenle home?” You ask, not seeing him in the kitchen as you look through the door. The poor boy looks confused, you usually love small talk with him.

“Well, yeah but he’s-”

“Thanks.” You mutter before you push past the boy, ignoring any words that followed. Jisung took note of the look on your face though, and decided he did not want to stand in your way, definitely not.

You don’t even bother to knock, swinging Chenle’s door open with full force. Though you quickly regret it, as you’re met with a half naked Chenle with a girl on top of him. Well, that’s definitely not Nagyung.

You shield you eyes before yelling. “Dammit Chenle! Where are your clothes?”

“Oh my god,” The girl squeaks before pulling away, picking up her shirt as she clutches it in front of her chest. “You said I was the only one!”

“You are-” Chenle begins but is interrupted by a slap on his face. He sits there, stunned at the sudden action as she gets off of him. The girl runs out of the room, grabbing her phone off his desk and running past a startled Jisung, who gapes in the doorway.

“Was that-”

“Shut up Jisung!” And you register the sound’s of Chenle running after her, too afraid of seeing his penis again that you don’t open your eyes until he’s gone.

The front door slams and you look at Jisung, who just shrugs and smiles awkwardly. “So that was- um...”

“What the fuck.” Chenle storms back in the living room, pants halfway on, before approaching you, pointing a finger in your chest. “You just cock blocked me!”

“You fucking idiot.” You spout back. “I’m only here because of what you told Mark!”

“Are you kidding?!” He responds, scoffing as Jisung look’s around confused. Truthfully, Chenle had barely remembered what he had even said to Mark. “I was trying to help you!”

“I don’t need your help!”

Chenle rolls his eyes, you’re acting like he did the worst thing in the world. “Whatever! So sue me, I just wanted you to actually speak to him!”

“Oh I definitely will now because I’m the new fucking baseball manager.” You drop, the two males staring at you in awe. Jisung looks confused and Chenle genuinely looks like he’s seen a ghost.

Chenle himself swears his jaw dropped and rolled on the floor beneath him. “What?!” He exclaims, running his hands through his hair.

Jisung raises a brow at that, ignoring as Chenle has a meltdown in the corner of their shared living room, before turning to look at you. He had never seen you at any of the games when he went to see his friends, so he didn’t think you wanted anything to do with that. “You like baseball?”

“Hardly.” You groan, facing the youngest boy. “But Mark was being all nice, and he had that cute smile and-”

“So you said yes?!” Chenle raises his voice, throwing his hands up. “I was just trying to get you to talk to him, not to invade his team!”

“This is you’re fault! You know I can’t say no to him!” You whine, and Chenle literally is at a loss of what to say. Out of all the possible outcomes, he didn’t think you’d actually ever take up the spot.

“Okay,” He tries to calm down, nervously pacing around as he tries to think rationally. “Well, what now?”

You shrug, whining before throwing yourself on his couch. “I don’t know, I think I dug myself in this inescapable hole.”

“Deep,” Jisung agrees and earns a slap on the arm from an annoyed Chenle.

Even if he was upset about having blue balls, he did feel for his best friend. He knew you didn’t do super well in high pressure situations, and in front of a crush too? You were toast.

“Shit! You know nothing about baseball! What were you thinking?” Chenle exclaims, as he throws himself on his couch.

“You were the one who told him about me helping Gowon with paperwork back in high school! How do you even remember that?” You ask, sitting next to him on the dingy couch.

He gives you a dirty look, as if you should’ve known why. “Because I had a crush on her, duh! Could’ve remembered anything related to her.”

“Well excuse me,” You press sarcastically. “You crush on anything with legs.”

“And I still never had a crush on you, says a lot.” He responds, and you’re about to start throwing punches at the insult.

“I did.” Jisung speaks out of no where, you two looking at him wordlessly, and you forgot he was here. Wait, did he just admit to liking you before? He opens his mouth again, “If that helps?”

“No Jisung, why would that help?” Chenle exasperated as he furrows his brows, shakes his head. He couldn’t believe his closest friends were all idiots.

“What I was saying,” Jisung elaborates. “Is that you’re a catch. I’m sure Mark will come to his senses sooner rather than later. Maybe joining his team is a good thing, forced proximity and whatever.”

“You’ve been playing too many otome games.” Chenle scoffs and the younger male starts stuttering defenses. Maybe he did download too many dating simulators.

You just nod, albeit awkwardly. He did kind of have a point though. “Thanks, I guess.”

Jisung just shrugs and scurries off to his room, you and Chenle watching as he does so. Chenle clears his throat before speaking. “That was weird as hell.”

But you had other things to worry about, one being getting home to your safe warm bed. Especially after seeing your best friend naked, you felt the need to bleach your eyes, at least three times. Maybe four for good measure, hopefully it’ll erase your memory too.

Unfortunately, this didn’t happen, as you had spotted into problem number one on your way out of Chenle’s apartment complex.

He’s dressed in casual attire, adjusting his backpack it sits too loosely on his shoulders. You hope he doesn’t see you, as you’re still a little flustered from the previous events.

But you wish isn’t granted as he yells your name across the parking lot. Waving to you animatedly as he stands with another boy beside him. You offer a small wave back, hoping you can run to your car after this, but all thoughts of a quick escape are down the drain the minute he jogs up to you.

You pretend to be enamored in your phone, calmly as Mark gets closer. “Hey! What are you doing around here?” He asks, looking happy to see you.

“Oh I had to come see Chenle for something.” You nod, avoiding eye contact.

He looks down for a minute before speaking again. “Nice! Oh, this is Haechan by the way. He’s our second baseman.”

Mark nudges the aforementioned male, and you suddenly come to notice him. You had barely even taken note of the male, giving him a nod as he looks back at you with a smirk. “Nice to meet you, Mark says you’ll be at practice on Monday?”

You smile, “I will.”

“Great, then we won’t bother you-” Mark begins but Haechan isn’t done talking. Somethings brewing in that boys head, and you’re a little nervous about it.

“Actually, Mark and I were just heading up to my place to discuss the opposing teams stats for the first game. Mark likes to brainstorm possible plays, so if you’re not busy, you should join us.” He proposes, and you can see Mark’s eyes widening.

You almost short circuit at the sudden invitation, and you assume its pretty obvious. If not by your facial expression then definitely by the way your hands got a little shaky. Also, of course it was your luck that Haechan had lived here!

“You don’t have to!” Mark cuts in, waving his hands. He doesn’t want you to feel pressured into spending your Saturday afternoon with them. “You’re probably busy, it’s not a big deal.”

You shake your head. “I wouldn’t want to intrude anyways.”

“It’s not intruding.” Haechan speaks up, crossing his arms. “I invited you, plus we always had Jungwoo’s opinion on these things.”

You look between the boys, Mark smiling and Haechan awaiting an answer. You assume you look like a lost puppy, pleading eyes looking for an escape.

But this is Mark you’re talking about, and possible time with Mark is at stake here! Not forgetting the fact that you’re also his team manager. “Okay, sure.”

Haechan adjusts his glasses, perched on his face, and turns as he leads the way. You’re too busy in your phone though, texting the group chat about the sudden update.

You: You two will never guess who I’m with

Yerim <3: i have your location idiot, you’re with chenle

Lele: She left like five minutes ago..

Yerim <3: wtf

Yerim <3: then who

Lele: Bitch I know you see the texts

You: CHILL I’m listening to Haechan talk about his flat screen tv

Lele: LEE HAECHAN? THE GUY WHO LIVES DOWNSTAIRS?

Lele: Who are you

Yerim <3: LMAO what

You: Mark is here...

Yerim <3: i expect a 3 page paper about this encounter on my desk tomorrow morning, mla format 12 point arial font

You giggle at the last text and shove your phone in your pocket, attention on Haechan as he flips his laptop towards the you and Mark. You’re seated on the floor around a small table in his living room. Mark opting to sit next to you as Haechan sits across. The male has a playback of their game against this school last season playing on the tv behind him.

You have to admit, the two seem as determined as ever. The game wasn’t for another two weeks and yet they were already getting familiar with the other teams players. This was nothing like the high school level you had dealt with, and you were admittedly a little lost.

Mark often turns to you, handing you papers to which you just nod and skim over. You’re struggling to remember what they numbers mean but fake it till you make it, right?

Eventually, Haechan abandons the footage, in favor of talking your head off. But you were honestly thankful for the change of pace, one more home run review and you would’ve exploded.

“Two weeks and then I’ll be on a beach after we take home the win.” He nods, and you can tell he’s already looking forward it.

“That’s assuming we win.” Mark jabs him with his elbow, pulling him out of his day dream.

“The beach?” You ask, wondering why he would be there.

“The Cyclones school is about a five minute drive from a beach. Every time we play them, we head there after. Just have to sneak past coach and we’re home free.” Haechan says, enthusiastically referring to their upcoming opponent.

“Would you want to come?” Mark speaks, a little anxious as he lands his gaze on you.

“Oh, I don’t know. I wouldn’t want to get caught by coach at my first game with you guys.” You speak, smiling nervously.

“What, like how we caught you?” Haechan raises his brows, but you don’t get what he’s referring to.

“Caught?” You ask, looking to the other male for answers.

“Haechan.” Mark warns, sending the male a glare.

The male doesn’t heed his warning though. “We caught you slipping out of Chenle’s! So you’re the mystery hookup, huh?”

“Mystery hookup?!” You exclaim, before processing what he said.

“Yeah! Chenle told us he was going to bang some, and I quote, ‘sweet ass’ today.” Haechan nods, winking at you.

You just about throw up in your mouth. “Oh God, no! He wasn’t talking about me!”

Mark looks towards you, head whipping around almost comically. “He wasn’t?”

“No,” You admit, recalling the embarrassing situation that occurred. “Actually I kind of walked in on him and the so-called sweet ass earlier.”

That sends Haechan into a fit of laughter. “No way!”

You nod reluctantly. “I went over trying to talk to him about an issue we had, but I opened the door and - Actually, I’d rather not remember it.”

“So that’s why you were running out all flustered.” Haechan laughs even harder. “I thought you were trying to avoid being seen.”

“Oh come on,” You giggle back. “I’d never sleep with Chenle, we’re just friends.”

“Just friends,” Haechan subtly (not really) nudges Mark.

“We should really get back to the plays.”

Coach Minho was a lot nicer than he looked, or at least, that’s what you deduced. The players would say he ruled the batting cages with an iron fist, and you’d seen it in action a couple times, but he was always kind to you.

Even when you asked questions about things that any old baseball manager should clearly know, he never berated you, only explaining the concept and sending you on your way.

Assistant Coach Doyoung, on the other hand, was a little more wary of you. He didn’t speak to you beyond two or three words, and when he did? It was usually to doubt your abilities as a manager, but you just figured he was frustrated.

He did have to deal more with the manager more one-on-one, so you figured he was just having trouble adjusting. He kept you in line though, correcting any mistakes and issues you had right away, even if he made an offhanded comment. You heard the boys say he was a tough love kind of person too, so maybe he was hard on you cause he wanted you to do well.

Or at least you hoped so.

The team was a whole different story. Really, you only knew Mark and Haechan, and that was barely. Either way, they couldn’t be on your side when you were handling other problems, so you were basically all alone.

Xiaojun, one of the designated hitters, came up to you on your first day.

And then decided you were his new best friend.

It was nice too, to have someone else on the team that was on your side. Most of the boys hadn’t opened up yet, most doubted your inability to manage the team as well, for reasons you really don’t care to get into.

But thankfully, once Xiaojun had warmed up to you, some of the others followed suit. So now you could say you could count on a handful of them when Doyoung got a little too aggressive.

Currently, he was showing you pictures of his dog Bella at six in the morning as you all waited to board the bus. You’re usually not a morning person, but with Xiaojun’s infectious smile, you couldn’t help but coo at Bella as well.

Their first game is today at seven, and to say they were nervous was an understatement. Yangyang, your third basemen, was pretty much shaking as he boarded the bus ahead of you two. This was his first time starting so you’d give him credit for that.

You were outside the bus as the others loaded up, rushing in to take naps you presume, but you were waiting on two missing pieces of your team.

Namely Mark and Haechan.

Would it kill those two to be punctual? If you learned anything over the past few weeks it was yes, it would kill them.

You sigh in relief as Mark and Haechan finally arrive, and the two profusely apologize to Doyoung, who just watches with a scowl as he sips his coffee.

“Coach isn’t even here yet, just get on the bus.” The older male directs them and they nod as he walks into the bus himself.

“You guys seriously got here ten minutes before we had to leave?” You ask, still groggy from such an early hour.

“You think this just happens without beauty sleep?” Haechan lolls his head, and you almost laugh at his appearance. He clearly intends to sleep as hes dressed in pajamas and a neck pillow, with a eye mask in his hands.

“Oh lord, get in the bus Haechan.” You speak, and he obliges, too tired to fight back.

But as he steps on, he looks back. “Come sit with me Xiaojun.”

“No thanks.” He replies, narrowing his eyes. “I’m gonna sit with our dear manager.”

You smile but Haechan shakes his head, getting off the bus momentarily to grab Xiaojun. “Keep your mouth shut.”

You stare with wide eyes as you watch them, weird. You finally allow yourself to look at Mark, and he’s wearing black Nike sweatpants and a simple white t-shirt with the school’s name on it. Yet you think he looks great, and you almost voice it.

“You look very.. awake.” You smile, surprised at your save.

He chuckles. “I’m really excited. Well, nervous but also very excited.”

“Can’t wait to see you in a real game, you’re gonna kill it.”

His eyes light up, “Thank you-”

“Alright kids, lets go.” A voice speaks as he slaps his hand on Mark’s shoulder. You hadn't even seen Coach Minho arrive, but he just offers you a nod as he gets onto the vehicle itself.

You just follow behind, and coach takes his seat in the very front, across from Doyoung. You’re not sure where you’re supposed to sit, so you tap Minho’s shoulder. “Do I sit in the front?”

“You could, Doyoung has an open seat next to him.” He replies, and you look over to a undesirable sight. Doyoung’s furrowed brows as he looks over a playbook, grinding his teeth as he scribbles something down. You can see it going two ways, either he makes you study plays the entire way, or he calls you incompetent again.

Minho must notice hesitance on your face because he offers you another option. “Or you could always fit a seat among the players.”

And you nod, looking behind you and struggling to see an unclaimed seat. Oh, well there’s one next to Mark. To Mark?! Could you last a two hour ride next to Mark without fainting or embarrassing yourself? Or worse, exposing your feelings.

“Haechan! Psst,” You speak, careful not to bother the others around him, and shaking his shoulders. He pulls his eye mask down to give you a bored look.

“How can I help you?”

“Let me sit there.”

“No way! I’m not getting up.”

“Please,” You beg, coming up with an explanation. “I want to uh, look at more photos of Xiaojun’s dog!”

“Just go sit next to Mark.” He says, pulling his mask down as he ignores both you and Xiaojun’s protests.

Xiaojun just shrugs, “Sorry. I can send you more pictures though!”

You just nod and defeated, you begin your walk towards Mark. You see the light of his phone illuminating his face, and you place your bag on the side.

“Oh hey, I’m surprised you didn’t sit with Doyoung.” He whispers, pulling up his arm rest so there’s no divide between you two. You almost heat up at the move, why would he do that?!

“Hm well, I didn’t want to bother him, he seems busy.”

“Wanna watch this movie with me?” He asks, handing you a headphone before you can even accept his offer. “I moved the arm rest cause it would’ve gotten in the way.”

“What movie is it?” You inquire, but nonetheless take the headphone.

“The Truman Show.”

“Jim Carrey? I love that movie!”

“No way,” Mark perks up. “Yo, I’ve been trying to get someone to watch it with me but everyone says it looks boring.”

“Nothing is boring about accepting the reality of the world as it’s presented.” You quote, as Mark’s eyes widen.

“It’s as simple as that.” He finishes, staring at you. “You can quote it too, that’s so sick.”

“Thanks, I guess I’ve just seen it so many times.”

“You’re seriously so cool,” Mark begins, leaning over. “You know that?”

“I’ve been told.” You giggle, and he laughs as well.

He gets quiet as he looks down. “You know, I never got to thank you for like, saving my ass.”

“You don’t have to thank me, the money is thanks enough.” You state, lips stretched as he agrees.

“I told you it payed well, even if you have to read until your head spins.”

“You could say that again.”

“Will you two be quiet?!” A voice groans, and it’s Haechan from three seats away, being shushed by Lee Jeno.

“Will you mind your business? That’s what the headphones are for!” Mark retorts, and the boy sends him glare before digging through his bag for the mentioned headphones, but not before flipping you two off.

Mark turns back to you, “You know, I made an egg this morning.”

“Hopefully not in the microwave.” You comment, and his nose wrinkles at the memory.

He shakes his head, “No, definitely not.”

“Then it probably came out really well.”

“You think so?”

“As long as you didn’t blow anything up..” You say, moving to face him. “Then I’d say it was a success.”

Mark grins at that, then turns to press play on his phone. The only matter now was, why was his heart beating so hard?

...

“Bottom of the ninth.” The announcers voice echoes, as his voice fills the baseball field. You’re just about biting your nails as he comes onto the intercom again. “Bases loaded, and the Neo’s are leading, but if the Cyclones hit one out of the park, they’ll take home the win.”

The score board read ‘Cyclones 7 - Neo’s 8′ And it’s been an amazing game so far. You never thought you’d be this into baseball, but since you have a front row seat in the dugout? You finally understood the hype.

But now there was a lot on the line, if this batter made a good hit, then your team would be toast. What a great first game.

The batter is Jung Woo-Young, and you’ve seen his stats. He’s not one to be messed with, and they definitely saved such a killer batter for last.

But you had your star pitcher on the field! One that could throw an amazingly accurate, yet fast, curve ball. You’d be fine!

And you’re telling this to Lee Jeno, while he nods along to your nervous rambling, but he’s clearly not really listening as you chew the skin on your nails.

And Wooyoung hits.

“No no no!” You exclaim, standing from the bench as you feel the boys beside you do the same. Everyone’s eyes darting to the ball in the air, looking far too out of reach.

You can hear the collective sighs of the team around you, as well as Doyoung’s mutter of disappointment, already dismissing the game in his mind.

Across the field, Mark’s trying his hardest not to shit his pants. But his eyes trickle over to Haechan in the outfield, and as the boy runs, farther and farther. Everyone’s attention on him as they wait.

And Haechan catches the ball.

You swore the entire place erupted in cheers, watching as the boys around you rush out to the field. You smile at the sight until Yangyang grabs your wrist and yanks you along the way, Xiaojun pushing your back as your feet hit the grass.

Even Doyoung’s face is light up as he follows behind you all.

A few seconds later and the announcer proclaims your victory, then suddenly Haechan is tossed into the air, held up by some of the other boys.

“Haechan! Haechan! Haechan!” You join the chanting in unison, waving your hands in the air with the rest. It’s a euphoric moment, filled with only joy. You spot Mark as he cheers, looking genuinely excited from such a win, and you can’t help but smile dumbly.

When the team finally calms down, Coach Minho gives them a great speech. And yes, Doyoung chirps on about how one win doesn’t mean they can slack off now. But you swear you heard him mutter a “Good job.”

You’re ready to walk back towards the locker room, ready to shower after such a long day (Minus the fact that you hadn't even played.) and take a nap. Though when you turn, all you see are expectant faces.

“What?” You blink, wondering what the staring was for.

“C’mon, you have to give a speech!” Haechan shouts out, practically jumping up. Doyoung and Minho give you a nod, like you were expected to as well. What were you even supposed to say?

“Um, good job?” You smile, and their faces remain bored.

“A real speech!” Someone shouts from the team.

“You guys all did great.” You admit, letting your honest thoughts carry you. Every word being genuine. “Even though it was such a close game, but when we thought all hope was gone, you guys pulled through! I know I’ve only been your manager for a short time, but I see the dedication and heart you all put into the games. Thank you for giving me such a strong team to be apart of! Let’s widen that gap, yeah?”

“Yeah!” They collectively shout back, slapping each others backs in congratulations. Yangyang and Xiaojun even hold each and pretend to cry at your words.

You just roll your eyes as they all walk past you, high fiving some of the other members as they stroll by. Mark stops in front of you though, “We’re meeting in Jeno and Haechan’s room in an hour, don’t let coach spot you. Or worse, Doyoung.”

You stare back in confusion as he sighs in defeat, he just leans in as he whispers. “The beach, remember?”

You let out an Oh and nod your head, shooting Mark a thumbs up as confirmation. How could you say no to him?!

“Oh, by the way, I’m sure you already know but you did great out there today.” You smile, heart beating fast in your chest.

“Thank you, that means a lot coming from you.” He responds before being dragged away by his teammates. But not before flashing you that famous damn smile.

...

“The beach?” Yeri screeches over the phone as you updated her on the latest plans. “With tons of hot - Probably shirtless - Baseball boys in the middle of the night?”

“Are you really thirsting over them right now? I’m calling Sincheng.” Chenle, who is also on the FaceTime call, scrunches his nose.

“You know I love my honey bear-” She defends but her pet names are cut off by your groans of annoyance. “Please shut up Yeri.”

“Whatever, never mind the others, have you made a move on Mark yet?”

You sigh. “Well we talk.. a little bit more?”

“Oh lord.” Chenle comments.

“That’s a step in the right direction!” Yeri confirms.

“It doesn’t even matter, I’m not even sure I want to make a move. I have no clue what I’m doing.” You rant, face palming.

Chenle snorts. “Oh we know.”

“Maybe try and get some one-on-one time with him at the beach, that could help?” Yeri suggests, and you nod.

Though it was shaping up to be harder of a task than you had initially thought. Yes, Haechan caught the winning ball, but Mark was always the MVP. You learned that at these gatherings, even impromptu ones, Mark was the star.

You were debating why you even came out, was it really necessary? Was it worth losing a few hours of sleep to see Mark? Why even ask that?! The answer was definitely yes.

Haechan currently held out a beer from a cooler towards you, attempting to shove it in your grip to which you shake your head. “I don’t drink.”

“What?!” Xiaojun exclaims from a few feet away, spilling some of them liquid he was dousing in his mouth from the keg someone had quickly picked up from the store.

“Also, I don’t want to deal with a massive hangover when we leave tomorrow at six again.” You shrug, to which Haechan narrows his eyes. “Okay, Doyoung.”

You just giggle and gaze into the dark water. Noting how some players are splashing each other, as others violently throw their friends into the water.

They were all dressed in swimming attire, you sticking out as you wear simple shorts and a t-shirt. In your defense, you had no intentions on coming to the beach before, you had barely even packed a clean shirt in your overnight bag. So you stay away from the water, instead standing by a makeshift bonfire as you laugh to yourself, it wasn’t even cold enough for a fire.

Mark was in the water as well, surrounded by others as they drop him playfully into a face full of the sea water. He laughs and returns the favor, and you have to stop yourself before he catches you staring. God, you were so down bad.

“So Mark, huh?” A voice springs you from your attention on the male. You had barely noticed anyone had even approached you.

“Uh, I’m sorry?” You ask, confused.

It’s Jeong Jaehyun, smirking as he realizes he’s caught you. “It’s just that..” You stand, still very puzzled as he continues.

He takes a deep breath. “You have about ten other boys with their abs on display to ogle on the beach, and yet you’re drooling over Mark Lee in a dri-fit Nike shirt.”

You turn away as you avoid eye contact, defending. “I’m not drooling.”

“Yeah, and I don’t have eyes.” He remarks sarcastically as he rolls his eyes. “But, if you’re not into Mark.. does that mean I could have a chance?”

And you’re sweating on the inside because, yes you have a raging crush on Mark Lee who is swimming only a few feet away, but Jeong Jaehyun is currently leaning in as he’s dripping wet from the water. And even worse?

He’s shirtless.

You’re only human, you think as you attempt to curb the heat rising up in your body from the close proximity. You’re actually about to reject him when, “Hey, back up! You know that’s Mark’s girl.”

The nickname getting lost on you as you look for the source of the voice, but wait, did you just get referred to as Mark’s?

And Yangyang is clumsily stumbling towards you two, making steps in the stand as he positions himself between you guys. Jaehyun leans back, “She said no, she’s free game!”

Yangyang shoots him as scowl as he points his finger at the latter’s face. “We all know it, don’t act stupid Jaehyun.”

“What’s going on?” Lee Jeno approaches, wanting to simmer down the weird tension happening.

“Nothing-” You start.

Though you’re interrupted by a seemingly already-drunk Yangyang. “Jaehyun’s trying to hit on Mark’s girl.”

There it was again, the declaration that made you heat up ten times more than what you felt when Jaehyun leaned it. Just the simple words feeding your silly delusions of belonging to Mark Lee.

“Oh, so Jaehyun has a death wish.” Jeno declares, shrugging as he walks back the other way.

“What are you guys talking about?!” You let out, looking towards Yangyang as he seems sure to spill his guts sometime soon. You just hope its information and not his lunch.

You, however, make the mistake of glancing back at the sea. You spot Mark staring back at you, eyes wide as he looks away fast. He undoubtedly heard what was said and definitely thought you were a freak now.

“I don’t know.” Yangyang slurs. “Mark has some weird alpha claim on you, starts growling when someone gets too close.”

Jaehyun laughs. “Mark doesn’t do that.”

“You’re right, he’s too nice to do that, but I can see it in his eyes! He does that in his brain!” Yangyang speaks, nodding as he tries to convince you. “Everyone knows why he asked you to be manager in the first place!”

“Well it doesn’t matter, she should still be able to talk to whoever she wants. Right?” Jaehyun asks as his eyes meet yours.

“Actually.. I sorta have a crush on Mark.”

“You what?!” Xiaojun stalks over, Haechan right behind him. Had they both heard that?

“I fucking knew it!” Haechan squeaks, fist pumping into the air.

Xiaojun stands there with his jaw dropped, unnerved. “My money was on Jeno..”

“Is that why you joined the team?”

“No-” You deny but you can tell they’re not going to believe you.

“Liar!” Haechan gasps, “It’s okay to admit it!”

“No seriously! I felt kinda bad that you guys were like abandoned and I wanted to help!” You explain, trying your very best to lie. It was somewhat the truth, just that Mark had helped sway your decision tremendously.

“Sure, not buying it.” Xiaojun shrugs, waddling his drunken body back to the log he was sitting on.

You really hope they’re all too drunk to remember this later, judging by the way they all gather you into a group hug and ruffle your hair while stupidly laughing.

So much for one on one time with Mark.

They were not too drunk, you learned after yet another teasing jab was pointed your way by the team. They’d do things like whistle when you and Mark were in close proximity, or very obviously nudge you when Mark was about to pitch. You weren’t sure how the news had spread like wild fire among the team, but it was annoying and you were sure you were going to pass out if they shoved you and Mark together one more time.

Mark, on the other hand, doesn’t notice at all. In fact, he thinks everything’s proceeding as normal, well except for what Haechan had just said to Yangyang when they thought Mark hadn’t walked in yet.

It had to be a joke right? They weren’t serious were they?

Well, now Mark had to find out. He couldn’t just brush that off, and knowing Haechan, he’d be happy to fill Mark in (Not really, he just can’t keep a secret, that’s why the two are best friends).

He catches the male after practice, both of them bidding you goodbye after a particularly rigorous training day. Haechan says something to him as they both enter the parking lot but it’s lost on Mark as he turns to his friend. “Why did you say she liked me?”

Haechan looks perfectly caught off guard, rushing to save face. “Who?”

“Our manager, Haechan. I heard what you said to Yangyang earlier, what’s with that?” Mark scowls, upset Haechan was spreading rumors.

“Shit! You weren’t supposed to find out!” Haechan exclaims, running his hands through his hair. “You can’t say anything!”

Mark’s stunned at this, did Haechan really expect him to side with him? “I’m not going to help you be an asshole to her.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re trying to start some rumor about her liking me-”

“Huh? Mark she told us she liked you.”

Mark deadpans, out of all the excuses he’d expected from Haechan, he hadn’t expected that. “What?”

“You thought I was lying?”

Mark looks down at his hands, he was serious?. “A little.”

“You think that low of me?!” Haechan pretends to be offended, but Mark knows better than to let him change the subject.

“Wait let me get this straight, you know for sure she likes me?”

“Yes.”

Mark shoots him a glare. “And you didn’t tell me?”

“No.”

“Why not?” Mark throws his hands up, and he can’t understand why Haechan would keep this from him. Some friend he was!

“It’s not my place!” Haechan complains as he rolls his eyes. “And we swore we wouldn’t say anything!”

“But you know I have the biggest crush on her!” Mark facepalms, groaning before realization dawns on him. “Hold on, did you say we? Other people know she likes me?”

“She was loud about it.” Haechan shrugs.

Mark smiles to himself a bit. He had to say, the thought of you proudly admitting your crush on him to the others made his heart stupidly swell up a bit. “Why did she trust you guys anyways?”

“She didn’t really, I think she was rejecting Jaehyun and it slipped out.”

And Mark can’t believe that at all.

Well firstly, he couldn’t believe you had liked him at all. You liked loser sport fanatic Mark Lee? Yeah right.

Secondly, you passed up on a chance with Jeong Jaehyun for him? Mark had eyes, and he saw how other girls on campus went insane for the male. But you sidelined him for Mark?

He was losing his mind.

“Mark? Hello - Earth to Mark?” His best friend pulls him out of thinking.

“What Haechan?”

“Well now that you know, are you finally going to ask her out?” Haechan crosses his arms, not knowing what to think. He knew Mark was confident in himself for the most part, on and off the field. But for some reason, when it came to you? The poor boy was an entirely different version of himself.

In other words, Mark was putty in your hands.

“I don’t know man, you know how she is about relationships.” Mark replies, having heard your boyfriend qualms on the late night bus ride back, something about being scared of confessions in general.

“I know,” Haechan responds, teasing his friend. “But she’s crazy about you, and you’re batshit insane about her. I’d say it’s worth a shot.”

The ball is in his court now, and he’s never been one too well with aim.

“-And then I confessed my feelings about him to the entire team while he was in the ocean.” You finish recounting your nightmare come to life from the other night to your friends.

Chenle’s eyes grow comically wide as Yeri gapes her mouth open at you, both at a loss for words. Your girl friend just slowly shakes her head, staring in disbelief.

Chenle can feel his left eye twitching. “So.. you can tell everyone else about your feelings.. but not him?!”

You want to bang your head against the table. “...Yes?”

“You rejected Jaehyun?!” Yeri spouts, and Chenle hits her in her arm. “Ouch! Nothing wrong with that, you’re just more whipped for Mark than I thought.”

“I just really don’t want him to find out.” You put your head in your hands.

“Well he’s coming this way.” Yeri says, and you realize she’s looking directly behind you. It’s a public courtyard, of course Mark could just be passing through right?

Well maybe not, especially with how he’s directly coming towards you. Oh no.

Relax, it was probably just to speak about something baseball related.

“Hi Chenle, Yeri.” He greets the two as he approaches, while you look at him expectantly. He finally meets your eyes. “Hey.”

“Hey?”

He nervously rocks on the balls of his feet. “Can we talk?”

Talk? Talk about what? Baseball? ..Hopefully.

“Sure.” You squeak, ignoring pointed looks from your best friends as you try your best to not seem like you were shitting your pants.

“Yeah! Um- Chenle, we have to go feed Daegal right?” Yeri says loudly, shooting you a little wink as she awkwardly drags Chenle away.

“But I wanted to see-” Chenle protests, Yeri returning a punch into the boys arm, much like he did earlier. And you almost laugh at the sight, of course the boy who started all of this wanted to witness your demise.

Mark takes a seat on the bench beside you, “I don’t want to throw him under the bus but Haechan told me something yesterday.”

Your heart drops to your stomach, of course Haechan said something! “Oh really?”

“I actually wasn’t supposed to hear but then I confronted him about it. He’s horrible at keeping secrets.” Mark laughs, but he won’t meet your eyes.

Oh no, here it comes. Your very first rejection.

You stay silent as Mark goes on. “I’m really flattered and-”

“Oh my God, could you do this anymore staged?” Your eyes widen as Mark looks confused. “What?”

“How many times did you rehearse rejecting me in front of the mirror? Goodness, did Haechan help you practice what you were going to say?” You tease, wanting to keep everything light but Mark wasn’t giving.

“What do you mean?”

“That’s a text book rejection Mark, saying you’re flattered but you don’t see me that way.” You respond, trying your best to hide your aching heart under a joke.

“Is that really a thing people say?” And Mark know’s he fucked up.

“Well-”

“I like you too.” Mark lets out, not wanting anything to be caught in confusion. He had heard of way too many instances where confessions went wrong, he had to make it crystal clear. “I’ve liked you since that first day we met.”

“S-since the first day we met?” You repeat, face growing hot.

“Well, probably since before that. I always thought you were pretty when I would see you in the commons, and then that night when we first met, I learned you were even prettier up close. Actually, it’s your fault we don’t have a microwave.” He chuckles as you sit bewildered.

“My fault?”

“You were so pretty that I got distracted and forgot about the stupid egg. But you know, I wasn’t too upset about the situation since it got you to talk to me.” Mark admits, looking to face you.

He continues. “I was actually scared I’d never get to talk to you again, so when I saw you with Chenle, I started asking him about you a lot. Then he dropped the ball about you having taken stats for a team before, and I knew I had to ask you.”

“And you asked me to be your manager because you had a crush on me?” You smile, scooting closer to him.

“And you said yes because you had a crush on me?” He teases, cocking his head to the side.

“Touche.” You cross your arms. “So are you going to ask me on a date or not?”

“Oh shit- Of course.” He clears his throat as he beats himself up mentally for not already asking. “So-”

“Yes Mark, I’d love to finally get to go on a date with the boy I’ve been embarrassingly crushing on for way too long.” You smirk. “As long as you swear to protect me from your fangirls.”

“You have my word.”

“Does this mean I can’t be your manager anymore?”

“Just don’t pull a Jungwoo on us, not sure anything else matters.”

“Not like you can be picky right now anyways!”

“What-”

“My jersey!” Mark speaks, holding up the garment to your face as you stand there awkwardly.

“Babe,” You begin but your sweet boyfriend is too excited to hear anything about it, not even paying attention to the looks the rest of the team are giving him.

“You can wear it to every game now and cheer me on! And we’ll be like the campus sports couple and everyone-” He says enthusiastically before you cut him off.

“Mark, I can’t wear that.” You say, watching his smile fall.

“Why?” He frowns.

“I have a uniform.”

“Right.” Mark nods as he slowly lowers his jersey. He had been so excited about having you don his number that he didn’t even think about how you literally wear a manager required uniform to all of the games. “But then how will number fifteen on the other team know you’re mine?”

“Number fifteen?” You ask, quizzically.

“Yeah! The one who always stares at you!”

“Does he? I didn’t even notice.” You state truthfully, but it was a little silly to see Mark get all jealous. Could you blame him? He had ran around in heart shaped circles around you for too long to let number fifteen think he had a chance.

Mark groans. “Are you serious?”

“Sorry, but I only watch you on the field.” You smile and Mark is about to lean in for a kiss.

Too bad Haechan interrupts, ruining the moment. “Bullshit! You take stats, you watch all of us on the field.”

Mark pulls back, and gives you a look telling you to deny it.

“He’s right.”

“Baby-” He whines.

“It’s my job Mark!”

In embarrassment, he buries his face into your shoulder and you giggle a little. You weren’t sure of what you had been so afraid of before. Mark made you feel safe, made you feel loved. Even so that your fear of navigating a relationship was taking over by your adoration for him. Loving was a little easier with someone like Mark around.

“What did I say?! Strictly no P.D.A. on the field!” Doyoung’s voice echoes throughout the field.

“God, we need to get him a girlfriend.” Mark mutters as you watch Coach Minho tell Doyoung to loosen up.

“We have playoffs to win!” Doyoung states to the older male.

“Happy players mean good results on the field!” Coach responds, as Doyoung gives him a look like he grew three heads. “That’s not statistically proven!”

“Come on Markie, we have playoffs to win.”

“Yeah, and we have number fifteen to jump.”

“I promise I have no idea who that is.”

“If you did then I’d be way more upset.”

2K notes · View notes

sunflowerhyuckie · 1 month ago

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3) Yangyang the freaky guy

pairings: main- haechan x fem!oc, side- mark x fem!oc, renjun x fem!oc, giselle x karina.

genre: smau, written, fluff, angst (minor), bsf-to-lovers, fake dating, friendship, crack, non idol au.

warnings: pls check the Masterlist!

taglist: open!! pls send an ask or comment to be added!

a/n: yangyang 🤨🤨🤨 wonder how the party will go..

Masterlist

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winwintea · 2 months ago

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winwintea's super SEXY and COOL rec-list

author’s note ↬ i really need to start saving and liking half of the fics i read bc i end up not being able to find them again... a lot of these are smut (bc i am a whore sometimes) so mdni with those tagged with s!

last updated ↬ september 11th, 2024

𝐊𝐄𝐘 ↬

f — 𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐟𝐟

a — 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭

h — 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞/𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫

s— 𝗌𝗆𝗎𝗍/𝗆𝖺𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖾

𝖭𝖢𝖳 𝖣𝖱𝖤𝖠𝖬

𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐋𝐄𝐄 ↬

𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐱𝐢𝐞 𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭 by @sehunniepotwrites ↳ disneyland au | f | 11.9k words

There are so many ways your friend group could have chosen to celebrate your graduation from university but they chose the one way that fit their childlike antics most of all–going to Disneyland. With all the screams of joy and laughter filing the atmosphere, you see why people call it The Happiest Place on Earth. It’s where magic comes alive, hearts soar to the skies, and where dreams come true. With your dream job already lined up for you once you get back from this vacation, you wonder if your last and wildest fantasy–the one that carries Mark Lee endearingly close to your heart–will take flight. (But don’t worry; your best friends, with a little help of pixie dust, are determined to make it come alive by the end of night.)

perfection like literally. i love disney. so so so much.

𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞 by @yojeongin ↳ husband au | s | 19.5k words

all mark ever does is use weaponized incompetence to get out of small tasks you ask of him. when he finally realizes you resort to his close friends to do what he can’t— nothing can prepare him for what’s in your pandora box; now karma is set in motion.

toxic as hell... i didn't know what to think of myself after this. but it's extremely well written.

𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨 by @hazyhae ↳ plug + stoner au | a, f, s | 14.4k words

a high slip up cost you mark lee years ago, and you’ve spent years burying your memories of him ever since. the universe has other plans for you when your old friend starts a new career, smoking his way back into your life.

love love their work, even has a whole post dedicated to explaining weed basics 101 which i appreciate. A LOT

𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 by @spiderm444rk↳ smau | f | ongoing

you, as the promising journalism student of NCUT, were more than willing to join the school magazine when you got offered. to your disappointment, the only section they let you have is the anonymous confessions one - which is mostly really, really boring. i mean, who even posts any cool confessions nowadays ? especially in a damn college magazine ? they only offered you the job no one else wanted. on the other hand, mark, a business student, was never more annoyed with the choice of his major. sure, business is cool and hopefully it’ll earn him money, but it’s not something he could really get into. he always wanted to do music. but after long considering, he chose business instead, to make sure he gets a real job in the future. and he doubts that choice was correct more and more every day. once the school band announces they’re looking for a new guitarist, he’s absolutely ready to apply until he reads the ‘music students only’ part. pissed off, he starts typing a message to the gc, but it ends up going to a different number - and you finally get to help some poor random stranger who confessed with something interesting.

sucker for mark lee and bands 😋😋

𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐞𝐛𝐬 by @https-lvesick ↳ spiderman smau | a, f | ongoing

toronto has never been so chaotic, but things are working out since the spiders appeared to save the citizens. spiderman and silk are the city's biggest saviours and they count on them to keep them safe, even the police. but, aside from their big responsibilities, they’re just teenagers, trying to be themselves and keep their grades good, trying to have a social life and maybe a love life as successful as their superhero life. but… what’s easier to tell? that you have a crush on your best friend or that you’re a mutant superhero?

so so so so hyped for this since it started and excited for it still... a spiderman smau is just so good especially for mark <33

𝐇𝐔𝐀𝐍𝐆 𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐉𝐔𝐍 ↬

𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 by @strrykais ↳ fantasy au + smau | f, a | ongoing

did you know that angels walk the earth before they get accepted into heaven, being tasked to watch over a human and complete their assignment. renjun was excited to finally have the chance to earn his wings, until he finds out his task is getting you to love life. a very depressed girl meets a very desperate boy, can they learn that maybe staying on earth isn't such a bad thing after all.

so hyped for this one actually even though it's the newest one on this list i think.

𝐨𝐧𝐞. 𝐭𝐰𝐨. 𝐭𝐞𝐧. by @zchl ↳ angsty little drabble | a | 1k words

(doesnt have a summary) renjun in the hospital, you're waiting for news.

literally broke me.

𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 by @hwanchaesong ↳ exes to lovers | a, f | 1.1k words

[part of the after hours series] Y'all bring gravity to shame because even with its constant pull of 9.81 m/s^2, it still can't put your drunken pieces back together.

the series is so good check it out. this one is my fav though, it's just honestly a scenario i've never thought about before.

𝐋𝐄𝐄 𝐉𝐄𝐍𝐎 ↬

𝐢 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 by @hazyhae ↳ fwb to lovers + plug!jeno | f, a, s | 4.7k words

jeno doesn't think he's ever felt this restless in his life. maybe he's been smoking a bad batch of flower, or maybe it's the fact that you haven't knocked on his door in over a month.

oh god. jeno isn't even one of my ults or wreckers but damn this hits the spot actually?

8 𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 by @nanaxwii ↳ friends to lovers | f, a, | 1.3k words

Why do all good stories come to an end? Why don’t we try to make it work? It just takes 8 letters to fix it all, or does it…?

loving this one... it's filled with tooth rotting fluff that's so cute omg... i love them.

𝐋𝐄𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐇𝐘𝐔𝐂𝐊 ↬

𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫 by @lyvhie ↳ established relationship | f | 2k words

you just want to show your boyfriend how important he is to you.

like the title it's literally so sweet... tooth-rotting fluff

𝐩𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞 by @lqfiles ↳ smau | f | ongoing

after getting evicted out of your old place, you're left with no other choice but to look for a cheaper alternative. which is how you end up becoming neighbors with lee haechan, who has a passion for music and disturbing whatever peace and quiet there is. or in which you found yourself a very nice apartment, the only issue? your neighbor is your friend's somewhat ex-situationship who won't stop playing his guitar at 2 am in the night.

you will absolutely shit yourself reading this (in a good way dare i say?)

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐧 by @diorcities ↳ ballet au | s, h | 20.9k words

docile bodies loaded with lethal venom and betrayals are commonplace in the prestigious academy, and you happen to be their new prey when you're given the starring role with the smooth seducer with the devil's carved grin that everyone desperately desires: haechan

probably the filthiest one on this list? read the tags before reading, might be too much. it's just extremely poetic...

𝐍𝐀 𝐉𝐀𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐍 ↬

𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 by @polarisjisung ↳ fighter au | a, f | 2.7k words

it's routine— you patch up his wounds and watch them heal, he salts your wounds but doesn't stick around long enough to watch them grow.

i hate you for this hua (esp part 2) but i also love to drown in angst

𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭 by @markiemelon ↳ friends to lovers(?) au | f | idk lol

going over to jaem's house to crash a couple of times leads to something...

this was so sweet omg

𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭 by @polarisjisung ↳ enemies to lovers smau | f, a | ongoing

going ovevery college student has their struggles, but raising her younger brother has Y/N top of the list, struggling her way through college whilst balancing her academics and basketball captaincy is difficult no doubt and with Jaemin, her ex best friend and captain of the guys basketball team, and his growing one sided hatred towards her, it doesn't seem to be getting any easierer to jaem's house to crash a couple of times leads to something...

unfortunately i cannot put cherry flavored, but this is just as good. check it out!!!

𝐙𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐍𝐋𝐄 ↬

𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐧 by @lowkeychenle ↳ friends to lovers(?) au | s, f, a | 9k words

Chenle is everything you want--everything you need. Somehow, the thought of him manages to pull you back in even after you were free. Messy kisses, late night trysts, and him tracing the word 'mine' on your thigh--barely anything, so how could you possibly be guilty as sin? (based on Guilty As Sin? by Taylor Swift)

fucked me over so badly.

𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭! by @wonbin-truther ↳ idol smau | f | smau

idol chenle x idol reader try to avoid dating rumors

this was SOO FUNNY

𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 by @lyvhie ↳ established relationship | s | 2.5k words

a stupid little game seems to be enough to make you speak with recklessness and throw reason out of the window in the heat of the moment. but since you were unwilling to be so easily placated, chenle was decided to talk some sense into you.

i fully choked the day i read this. had to take a breather omg 😵😵

𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐞 by @mins-fins ↳ royalty au | f, a | 22.7k words

where crown prince zhong chenle, forced into a marriage with a woman he doesn't like and riddled with complicated feelings, finds solace in the palace's very own medic, you.

actually such a sucker for royalty fics... and chenle is so prince coded

𝐝𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐮𝐭𝐲 by @aehyei ↳ parallel universe + time traveling au | f, a | 6.4k words

After a long day of stressful practice, Chenle finds himself in deep sleep on his bed and wakes up when a strange child that came from nowhere jumped on him—scaring him in the progress. To add to everything, the young idol learns that he just traveled to the future and is able to meet his future daughter. But will Chenle be able to be that great husband and father when he doesn’t even have a single clue on what’s going on?

one of my ABSOLUTE FAVORITES I HAVE EVER READ. if you're gonna read any of these read this.

𝐒𝐄𝐑Á 𝐔𝐍𝐀 𝐍𝐎𝐂𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐎𝐋𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄 by @galacticseonghwa ↳ biker smau | f, a, s | ongoing

your friends were all you needed, they were your brothers from another mother they loved to say. but that all went to shit after ricky dragged you to one of his motorbike sprints. who are you to say no when ricky's opponent claws his way into your inner circle and present himself as your dream man?

really really good and underrated... i love chenle can you tell...

𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 by @chenlesfavorite ↳ motorcyclist smau | f, a | ongoing

working night shifts 24/7 at the convenience store while also supporting your boyfriend’s obsession with watching motorcyclists race is not easy, but little did you know that one of the bikers that he loves soon gets involved with you.

wdym this is ending soon... no way.... im gonna cry wtf

𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐉𝐈𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐆 ↬

𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐮𝐫 𝐮𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 by @aehyei ↳ high school au | f | 7.2k words

You love stories. If anyone would ask, you’d rather live in it then wake up another day in a world where everyone’s having the love story you’ve been daydreaming about. Of course falling in love with your best friend never came across your mind so it was a bit of a mess when you realized Jisung didn’t only view you as a ‘friend’.

so so so so sos sos cute omfghsdjsah

𝐝𝐫𝐮𝐦 𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐢𝐝 by @jirsungs ↳ college smau | f | completed

a story about a college student enjoying her life in school perfectly fine, until one of her friends drags the group along to watch their school's band perform. little did she know that day would be marked as the day her whole world turned upside down because of a particular, nonchalant, and difficult drummer boy. a drummer boy who spilled his entire drink on her brand new outfit at a party and never came back.

i actually binged this in a day bc it was so good

𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝 by @babbymochiiii ↳ discord call au (if you know where this is going...) | s | ??? words

you and jisung have discord date night, where things take a turn.

sorry guys im.. a little shameless sometimes...

𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑

𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐉𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐒𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐆 ↬

𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡 by @jaysng ↳ friends to lovers | f | idk lol

jay and mute reader both seem to like each other, just when he thinks that his confession was a pure failure the reader does something surprising.

this was just so sweet i literally fell in love with him all over again

𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞 by @yeonzzzn ↳ zombie apocalypse au | f, h, a, s | 26.2k words

in the middle of the apocalypse, you and jay find each other in a situation of life and death, using the protection of each other to get to the next safe zone. unfortunately for the both of you, things take a turn once secrets get revealed and the fight for survival becomes greater.

probably one of my personal favorites on this list teehee. i love jay park.

𝐖𝐄𝐍 𝐉𝐔𝐍𝐇𝐔𝐈 ↬

𝐩𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨 by @wheeboo ↳ dark + psychiatric facility au | f, a, h | 12.8k words

in which a new patient is assigned for treatment under your care, and you begin to put the puzzles and pieces together to a past case that you thought to have ceased away from your mind.

literally had me gripping the edge of my seat as i read this

𝐋𝐄𝐄 𝐒𝐎𝐇𝐄𝐄 ↬

𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐨 by @wonbin-truther ↳ influencers smau | f, a | ongoing

sohee was a well known streamer, having grown his fanbase over covid with the game minecraft and slowly branched into other games along with sponsorships and modeling offers. he was also well known for being your number one twitter fanboy, never missing one of your posts even if fashion wasn't his greatest interest. what happens when a modeling gig brings him face to face with you?

this was a really sweet smau omfg... and sohee streamer just makes so much sense...

𝐉𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐉𝐀𝐄𝐇𝐘𝐔𝐍 ↬

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 by @sehunniepot ↳ disneyland cast member au | f, a, h | 12.8k words

in which a new patient is assigned for treatment under your care, and you begin to put the puzzles and pieces together to a past case that you thought to have ceased away from your mind.

if y'all have anything disney related send my way cause i'll literally eat it all up. JUST LIKE THIS ONE.

𝐌𝐀𝐄𝐃𝐀 𝐑𝐈𝐊𝐔 ↬

𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐝 by @slytherinshua ↳ established relationship | f | ~500 words

jealous riku over seiji from whisper of the heart

i need more riku content omfg. ALSO THIS IS PERFECT? ITS JUST A DRABBLE BUT I LOVE IT SO MUCH?

SEND ME UR FICS SO I CAN READ THEM BTW !!!! i'll try to update this as often as i can... or maybe make more depending on the amount on here, but thank you all so much for the wonderful stories <33

178 notes · View notes

saythenametotheworld · 3 months ago

Text

Risk | l.jn [1]

Genre: college au; crush-at-first-sight Synopsis: Firmly convinced that Love-at-First-Sight is a hoax, you never expected to be proven wrong when the universe decided to throw you, quite literally, into Lee Jeno's lap. Pairing: NCT Lee Jeno x Reader Warnings: slow burn—I know, classic Cali work. Notes: Can I interest you with another two-part fic that's also a slow burn? No? Alright. Here's the first 14.7k words! Song prompt was Risk by Gracie Abrams <3 (btw i did not proofread this)

[Part 2]

You first met Jeno Lee on a particularly cool autumn afternoon. The kind of day where the wind carried a crispness that hinted at the coming winter, and the leaves crunched underfoot in vibrant shades of red, orange, and gold. The public library—where you spent most of the school break had always been quiet, but today, it was more silent than usual, the heavy wooden doors muffling the outside world’s chill.

You found yourself in the farthest corner of the library, where the oldest books resided, their spines faded and worn from years of eager hands. You stepped onto a ladder, reaching for a book that had been buried on the highest shelf, just out of reach. The book wasn’t anything special, except for the pretty spine and an interesting title that piqued your curiosity.

Your fingertips brushed the spine, but as you tried to pull it free, it resisted. Frowning, you gave it a stronger tug, unaware that on the other side of the shelf, someone else had their fingers wrapped around the very same book.

Thinking it was simply stuck in the array, you tried again, exerting all of your strength on one last tug. The book suddenly gave way, sending you off balance. Your heart leaped into your throat as you toppled backward, the ladder slipping beneath your feet. You had just enough time to gasp before you felt yourself falling, bracing for the cold, hard floor to meet you.

But instead of hitting the ground, you landed in something warm and solid. Strong arms caught you, holding you securely as you blinked up in surprise, your breath coming in short.

And that’s when you saw him.

It felt like the world had shifted into a dreamy haze—one of those cinematic moments when time slows down as the female lead and her love interest lock eyes for the first time. The world seemed to blur around you, blocking out everything and everyone, and sweet background music was playing in your head.

His eyes were the first thing you noticed—deep and warm, dark brown in color, flecked with gold that seemed to catch the light in just the right way. His dark hair fell in soft waves across his forehead, slightly tousled, as if he’d just run his fingers through it. His jawline was sharp, but softened by the slight smile that curved his lips as he looked down at you.

He was effortlessly handsome, in the kind of way that made your heart skip a beat and your stomach flip all at once.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice warm and soothing, with a hint of genuine concern.

“Huh?” you questioned, your own voice sounding like a switch that abruptly snapped you back to reality. The dreamy haze dissipated, and you were left with the stark, embarrassing reality of the moment. You realized you were still cradled in his arms, your hands resting against his chest. Your face flushed as you scrambled to get down, muttering apologies.

“Woah, careful,” he said as he gently set you back on your feet, his hands lingering on your arms for just a second longer than necessary.

“I’m sorry about that,” you managed to stammer, your voice barely above a whisper. “The uh… the book! It was stuck.”

“Yeah, you almost got hurt there,” he smiled, a slow, genuine smile that made your heart flutter.

You glanced down at the book he was holding—the one you’d been reaching for, and then back up at him, a blush creeping into your cheeks. “Thanks. For catching me. And for this.”

He chuckled softly, and the sound was like music, smooth and easy. “No problem. I just happened to pass by.”

“Well, lucky me,” you replied, chuckling bashfully. For a moment, you both stood there, the library around you fading into the background. There was something in his gaze, a spark of recognition that made you feel like you knew each other, even though this was the first time you’d met.

Is this the part where you tell him your name? Maybe not? Shouldn’t he be asking for yours?

“Right. See you around then,” he said while you were busy thinking to yourself. Before you could gather your wits to say anything back, he gave you an acknowledging nod and walked away.

You stood there, dumbfounded, watching him go. It wasn’t until he disappeared around the corner that you realized you should have asked for his name. Your heart was racing, and you were feeling a mix of gratitude and something else, something that made your cheeks warm and your thoughts scatter.

You kept wondering who he was, where he was from, and if he lived in town. His image haunted your thoughts, making it hard to focus on anything else. At night, you lay in bed, replaying the scene, his warm eyes and gentle smile etched into your memory.

Who was he? And why did your heart feel like it was doing somersaults? Clearly, you should know by now what that means: you have a huge, massive, gigantic crush on this guy. And you don’t even know his name yet!

Funnily enough, you never saw him again after that. In the remaining days of your break, you frequented the library, asked your friends about him, and even went on night outs hoping he’d show up. But you had no luck. Was it really possible not to see each other again after that day? Maybe he didn’t live there. Your town was small, the kind of place where everyone knows everybody. There was no way you wouldn’t have known if someone like that lived nearby. Maybe he was just passing through.

That was probably it. As you traveled back to the city for the start of the semester, you knew you would never see him again. It might be easier to think he didn’t exist at all. It was a little frustrating, but you decided to let it go.

Yet it seemed like the universe wasn’t ready for you to let it all go.

On one particularly cold and rainy afternoon, you stood outside a diner in the city, frantically waving your hand at a taxi cab. Your umbrella might have been keeping your head dry, but the strong gusts of wind blew tiny drops of rain all over your jeans and boots. After several occupied taxis passed by, seeing one finally pull over in front of you almost made you cry with joy.

“Apartment X on 46th Street, please,” you told the driver as soon as you slid inside, barely managing to close the door behind you. You sighed in relief, your heart slowing down as the warm air of the cab wrapped around you.

But just as you were about to settle in, the door was suddenly yanked open. Startled, you glanced back, and your breath caught in your throat.

A man peeked his head into the cab, his messy hair plastered to his forehead, drenched from the rain. But despite his soaked appearance, that smile was unmistakable—a smile you easily recognized even after all this time. The rain pounded against the cab roof, but all you could hear was the sound of your own heartbeat, echoing in your ears.

Jeno’s smile widened as he took in your surprised expression. “Sorry to barge in like this, but it’s pouring out here. Mind if I share the cab with you?”

“Sure,” you said softly, audible enough for him to slide into the seat next to you. You caught a whiff of his perfume—fresh, woodsy, intoxicating. Instinct made you scoot over slightly, trying to make room without seeming too eager.

The cab started moving, and silence filled the space between you. You could feel your pulse quicken as you stole glances at him, but he seemed oblivious, focused instead on his phone. He looked just as handsome as you remembered—maybe even more so—though it had only been a few months since you last saw him. Somehow, it felt like you were seeing him for the first time. And there was something in his demeanor that sent a sinking feeling to your stomach.

He didn’t remember you.

You were sure of it now. The way he had smiled, the casual politeness in his tone, all pointed to a simple truth—you were just another stranger sharing a cab on a rainy day.

You knew you should say something—anything. Start some small talk, maybe a simple “hi.” Would that be weird? It shouldn’t be, right? You’re sharing a space, after all, and a small one at that. You could remind him of the time he caught you in his arms like you were in a rom-com flick or something.

Making friends had always been easy for you, but with him, every conversation starter seemed silly or wrong, and the fear of making a bad impression held you back. What if he thought you were odd for remembering? What if he didn’t care?

Then again, how could you possibly form a deeper connection with him if you wouldn’t even talk to him? Was he really so attractive to leave you dumbfounded each time? You took a peek to confirm and ended up meeting his gaze when you glanced at each other at the same time. You smiled meekly before quietly looking away.

The answer was simply a ‘yes’.

Your thoughts were interrupted by the taxi driver’s voice. “Where to, young man?” he asked, glancing back at Jeno.

Jeno appeared to think for a second. “Is the road to NCIT still inaccessible?”

Your ears perked up at the mention of your university. Did he go there too?

“I don’t think so,” the driver replied, shaking his head slightly. “But I’ll try to get as close as possible. Taco Bell near the intersection alright with you?”

“That would be good, thanks.”

Your mind raced with questions. Does he go to NCIT too? You could ask him about it, maybe bring up the sinkhole that had appeared on the road near campus a few days ago. But once again, your nerves got the better of you. All you could do was scroll through your phone, pretending to be engrossed in social media as you tried not to gawk at him.

The cab came to a stop sooner than you expected. You noticed Jeno shifting beside you, preparing to get out.

“Thanks a lot,” he told the driver, handing over his fare. Then, to your surprise, he turned to you with a warm smile. “Thanks to you too. Stay warm.”

And just like that, he was gone. The door clicked shut, and you were left in the backseat, feeling mild annoyance and disappointment. You stared at the space where he had just been, your thoughts swirling with frustration.

Seriously? You thought to yourself, trying to keep the frustration from bubbling over. You’d let him slip away without saying anything. Ugh, how could you be so awkward? A tiny part of you wanted to throw a little tantrum and scold yourself at the same time.

As the cab started moving again, you slumped back in the seat, watching the rain streak down the windows. It was a little bit of a letdown, but you sighed and shook your head, deciding to laugh it off. He was just a fleeting, unexpected moment in your otherwise uneventful day. A quick ray of sunshine, maybe.

In itself, it was a relief to know that he was in the same city. Hunting him down should be easy. For now, you’d just have to let this go and move on.

“No, you’re not—” Sienna gestured quote marks in the air. “—‘hunting him down’, whatever that means.

“Why not?” you whined, slumping back on your bed.

Your flatmate sighed in exasperation, crossing her hands over her chest as she stared you down. “It’s weird and stalkerish. Get to know him like a normal human being.”

You had told her about Jeno, from the first encounter with him back in your hometown to the cab ride with him earlier that day. “That’s the thing. I can’t because I don’t know him at all. I don’t even have his name,” you told her.

“Yes, and you’re an idiot for that,” she chastised, sitting next to you on the bed.

You groaned, narrowing your eyes at the ceiling. “You are absolutely correct,” you said, shutting your eyes as you flail your hands in the air.

“Let it go. If he does go to NCIT, then you’ll see him again and you’ll talk to him like a proper girl,” said Sienna, tapping the space between your eyebrows.

Normally, if something like that happened to you, you would just let it go. Not that it has happened before, but if it did, you would just let it go. Not this one. You can’t. Somehow, you were convinced that you crossed paths with him for a reason.

So, against Sienna’s advice, you hunted him down. It was outside a diner where you met him again, and he got off near your university. Assuming you were around the same age, he most probably went to NCIT too.

“If he was, you would’ve met him already,” said Sienna, alluding to your congenial personality and tendency to befriend just anyone.

“That’s the thing! I do not know him, so he’s probably a new student. If he isn’t, then he’s probably from the Sci-Tech building,” you told her.

“Sci-Tech? Why Sci-Tech?”

You looked at her like the answer to her question should be obvious enough. “Because I don’t go there.”

Sienna snorted. “Your deduction skills are spot on,” she said sarcastically.

There was only one place in uni that you never frequented, the Science and Technology building. It was because you had no reason to go there. That building was for NCIT’s specialized programs, which were programs in Natural Sciences and Technology. It housed departments like Engineering and Mathematics, Biology, Computer Sciences, and the like. As a Foreign Languages student, you have everything you need and everywhere you have to be in both the Arts and Social Sciences building. There was no reason to go elsewhere. But that might change if your suspicion turns out to be right.

So as soon as Monday rolled in, you headed to the said building with one goal in mind—to see if your mystery man was there. The halls weren’t entirely unfamiliar; you’d seen them before during your freshman tour of the campus. But the faces were new, unfamiliar, and you found yourself smiling at those you recognized.

The task was simple—look around, find out if Jeno’s there, get to know him, and done. If you happened to bump into your friends from this building, you’d tell them you were looking for them. No way were you going to let anyone know you were on a “hunt” for a boy.

“Are you lost?” said a guy’s voice from behind you.

You sighed and rolled your eyes before turning to face him. Smiling, you said, “I was just looking for you, Renjun.”

Renjun cocked an eyebrow at you. “Why? What did you do?”

You clutched your chest, pretending to be offended. “Nothing? I just came to see you. Lunch is on me today.”

His face softened but he still scoffed. “Why didn’t you just text me instead of coming all the way here?”

“I had to remind you because you’re old and forgetful,” you joked, falling into step beside him as he started walking.

“I’m not old and forgetful,” he muttered, though you just giggled, clinging onto his arm.

Your eyes scanned the halls, peeking into classrooms, but there was no sign of Jeno so far. Meanwhile, Renjun was complaining about Haechan and Yangyang spreading the flu virus all weekend.

“Thank God they’re okay now,” he grumbled. “I can’t last another day babying those grownups.”

“Why don’t you kick them out?” you said absentmindedly.

Renjun hummed as if seriously considering the idea. “I would if I could pay all 1500 by myself. Even the rent is annoyingly expensive.”

“Then why not move to the on-campus dorm?” you suggested, though you knew he was just complaining for the sake of it.

“It sucks.”

Just as you rounded the corner to the stairs, you spotted Jeno in the crowd. You gasped softly, your heart doing a little flip. There he was, just as handsome as he had been last weekend. You were right, after all—he really was from this building.

You watched him from a distance, talking animatedly to a few other students in front of an open classroom. You couldn’t help but stare, your heart doing a little flip as you took in his easy smile and the way he casually leaned against the doorway like he belonged there—like he belonged everywhere. Nothing of note could be said about his good looks, except that he continued to be as handsome as he did last weekend. He laughed along with the rest of his classmates, eyes crinkling cutely.

“What are you staring at?” Renjun asked, following your gaze. “Ah, I knew you had ulterior motives for coming here. Which one is it? Hyunjin? Jeno? Soobin?”

You glanced back at Renjun, grinning from ear to ear. “Which one is Soobin?”

He scoffed. “You came all the way here and you don’t even know his name?”

“I know Hyunjin,” you said, shaking your head. You pointed at the guy in the grey hoodie. “That one. Is that Soobin?”

“That’s Jeno Lee.”

You gasped, covering your mouth in mock shock. “His name is Jeno? Oh my god! It suits him so well.”

“And? Did you come here for him?” Renjun asked, raising an eyebrow as he peered at Jeno and his group. “Should I call him over?”

“No!” you exclaimed, quickly tugging him back. “Do you two know each other?”

He nodded. “Yeah, he’s Jaemin’s friend from high school.”

At this point, your smile was probably blinding Renjun with how bright it was. But before you could pester him for more details, he slipped away with a quick wave, escaping to his classes.

Information was easy to obtain from your friends. Barely a day had passed but you have learned all the important things you needed to learn about him. He was new at the university, having enrolled here only last semester. Four months ago, he was dating this cute girl from Biology but they broke up only a month later. No one knew why, but they did break up. He used to play basketball and still does. He’s an Electronic Engineering student and is said to be very intelligent. You also found out that he currently shares an apartment with Jaemin and Mark.

That night, you lay on your bed, phone in hand, scrolling through his profile. He was active on it, posting mostly about his workouts in his Stories and getting tagged in posts by friends. He played basketball for his previous school and based on the posts and comments from his friends, he was great at it. There were pictures of him with his team, others mid-game, looking focused and determined. There were also pictures of him just hanging out with lots of different people; some faces were recurring, but it was mostly different people.

You couldn’t help but wonder if this was how all crushes felt—silly and intense all at once, like a tiny spark that refused to fizzle out.

“I wonder if he’s as nice as he seems,” you thought, your heart fluttering as you looked at a photo of him laughing with his friends. His smile was the same one that had made your heart skip a beat the first time you saw it.

You tapped on the profiles of his friends, searching for clues about Jeno’s life. It was easy to tell which ones were close to him, and which ones weren’t. You even scrolled through the profiles of girls who seemed too close to him in pictures, hoping he wasn’t dating any of them. Based on your little “research”, he is single right now with plenty of admirers commenting on his photos.

You noted every detail, hoping to find common interests. His love for basketball intrigued you, and maybe you could strike up a conversation about it if you ever got the chance. Well, that is if you even knew a thing about basketball. You weren’t a big fan of the sport, but you would be if it was Jeno playing. If he was on your school’s basketball team, you would have joined the cheer squad. You didn’t have the skill for it, but you would have tried nonetheless.

A soft sigh escaped your lips as you let your imagination run wild. You closed your eyes, allowing the faint light from your phone to fade into the darkness of your room. Images of Jeno’s smile and the sound of his voice played in your mind like a cherished memory. The idea of seeing him again made your heart swell with excitement, looking forward to the next few days.

Then, realizing how far down the rabbit hole of your crush you’d fallen, you couldn’t help but laugh at yourself. “Get it together,” you murmured, shaking your head with a grin. But even as you tried to reel yourself in, the excitement of possibly seeing him again was too much to suppress.

There was no denying it now. You told your girlfriends that you had fallen in love with Jeno Lee from the Sci-Tech building.

“It was love at first sight. I just know it,” you said dreamily, twirling in front of the mirror.

Kayla raised an eyebrow. “You said love at first sight is a scam.”

“I know what I said,” you sighed, knowing she was right. You were a skeptic when it came to love at first sight. Sure, you liked romance and were a massive fan of romcoms. But love at first sight in real life? Total BS. “Obviously, I was wrong. I have to admit that now,” you added, a mixture of disbelief and excitement swirling within you. Part of you still couldn’t believe how quickly your feelings had changed.

Kayla and Sienna exchanged glances. Sienna smirked, her tone playful as she asked, “Are you sure you weren’t just blinded by his looks? That can happen to some.”

“Well… He did look handsome, but I’m sure it was more than just that.” You walked back to your dresser, sporting a reminiscent smile. “I know it sounds crazy, but there was just something about him. I can’t explain it. It’s like… like he was meant to be there.”

Kayla rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t hide her grin. “Next thing you know, you’ll be writing love letters and doodling his name in your notebook.”

You laughed, shaking your head, but a part of you couldn’t deny it. Maybe you would. “Hey, if it comes to that, don’t judge me,” you said, a teasing glint in your eyes.

“Yo! I have arrived!” came Haechan’s voice from outside your bedroom door, followed by heavy knocks. “Come on, come out now before I change my mind and leave your asses.”

You opened the door and raised an eyebrow at him, leaning on the doorframe as you sized him up. “First of all, the car isn’t yours. Second, how dare you bring your shoes in here.”

“Move. I’m not here for your ugly mug. I need my baby,” he retorted, trying to push you out of the way, but you wouldn’t budge.

“You move,” you shot back, playfully pushing his chest and sending him back a few paces.

Sienna giggled as she brushed past you. “You guys never stop fighting, do you?” she asked rhetorically, knowing full well the answer was ‘yes.’

“I hate her so much,” Haechan muttered to Sienna as she greeted him with a soft kiss on the cheek. “How are you putting up with her?”

You rolled your eyes at their PDA. “The real question is, how is she putting up with you,” you quipped, turning on your heel to fetch your stuff.

Yangyang’s SUV was parked outside, and you could make out Renjun’s figure sitting in the shotgun. As the four of you boarded the car, Yangyang glanced back at you in the backseat, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

“Hey, I heard you’re seeing someone from Sci-Tech. Is that true?” he asked, his tone teasing.

You furrowed your brows in confusion, about to respond, when Renjun sighed exasperatedly from the front seat. “I said she went to see someone,” he corrected, his voice calm but laced with mock annoyance.

Yangyang turned to Renjun, feigning innocence. “Isn’t that the same thing?”

“No, dumbass,” Renjun shot back, rolling his eyes.

“Wow. Renjun, you’re a fucking tattletale,” you blurted, pretending to be offended but unable to keep the smile off your face.

Renjun just shrugged. “Let’s just go,” he said, his tone final but light, signaling the end of the banter as Yangyang pulled out of the driveway.

On rainy days, you often carpooled with Yangyang, who generously offered to drive you safely to school. While the sinkhole repairs were still ongoing, the city had found a detour that made it possible for cars to access the street where NCIT is.

“How much longer do you think it’s gonna take?” Renjun asked as you passed by the sinkhole.

“Hopefully not long. The traffic in this part of the city is a nightmare,” you replied, leaning forward to peer through the space between Renjun and Yangyang as you looked outside.

“Mark’s asking if we’re still going to Felize’s for lunch today,” Haechan said, his eyes glued to his phone.

“Of course, man. We haven’t eaten at Felize’s in ages,” Yangyang replied with a sigh. “I miss their quesadillas.”

“Who else is coming?” Sienna asked, peeking at her boyfriend’s phone.

“No one else. Just Mark, Jaemin, and maybe Jeno.”

Your stomach did a little flip at the mention of Jeno’s name. “You’re going to Felize’s and you never told me?” you accused, feigning indignation.

Kayla cocked an eyebrow at you. “We talked about it in the group chat last week.”

“Why didn’t I know that?”

“Because you never check your messages,” Renjun said, not missing a beat.

Haechan chimed in, “And you rarely show up to our invitations anyway.”

“I do sometimes!” you insisted.

“Rarely,” Renjun shot back, smirking.

You grinned. “Well, today is your lucky day!”

“Oh, shut up. You just want to see Jeno,” Renjun teased, his smirk widening.

“Jeno?” Haechan repeated, his eyes narrowing as he looked at you suspiciously. “Do you like Jeno?”

“Mind your own business, alright?” you shot back.

After a long day of classes, you and your friends finally made your way to Felize’s. The familiar scent of sizzling fajitas and freshly baked tortillas greeted you as you stepped inside the cozy, dimly lit restaurant. It was a favorite hangout spot, a place where you could unwind and enjoy some of the best Mexican food in town.

The group quickly spotted Mark and Jaemin already seated at a booth near the window, waving them over. You all crammed into the booth, the chatter flowing easily as menus were passed around—even though you all knew what you were going to order.

As you looked around the restaurant, your excitement started to wane. You scanned the tables, hoping to catch a glimpse of Jeno, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Jaemin noticed your expression first and grinned. “What’s with the long face? You look like you lost something.”

You tried to play it off, shrugging. “Nothing. Just thought it would be more crowded.”

Haechan chuckled. “She was expecting someone in particular.”

“Someone whose name rhymes with… Den-o?” Kayla teased, her grin widening.

You rolled your eyes, but the small smile on your face gave you away. “Okay, fine, maybe I thought Jeno would be here. But I’m not disappointed. Just… mildly inconvenienced.”

“Mildly inconvenienced,” Yangyang mocked with a playful smirk. “I can practically see the broken heart emojis floating above your head.”

“Yo! Wait, what’s going on?” Mark asked, holding up his palms. Turning to you, he asked, “Do you like Jeno?”

“No,” you denied, but you were grinning from ear-to-ear. “Who is he anyway?”

“No, seriously,” Mark pressed, eye gleaming with interest as he turned to your other friends for answers. “Seriously? Since when?”

“Not long,” you replied, hoping they'd move on. “Just very recently.”

“Recently? Alright, that makes sense. We’ve been flatmates since he got here. I was wondering why you never told us,” Mark said, nodding..

“Right? I didn’t even know there were three of you in that apartment!” you groaned.

Jaemin smiled at you. “Too bad he isn’t here. He had other things to do.”

Renjun, ever the instigator, leaned back in his seat with a knowing smile. “You know, if you really want to see him, you could just text him and ask where he is. He might appreciate the effort.”

Mark nodded in agreement, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “Yeah, or maybe we should’ve just kidnapped him and brought him here ourselves.”

Yangyang added with a grin, “Or better yet, we can all show up at his place with food and be like, ‘Hey, you missed out!’”

Haechan’s laughter was an insult to you. “Does he even know you? I heard you get tongue-tied at the mere sight of him!”

There was a chorus of disbelief from the boys at your table. Jaemin asked, still shocked, “You? Tongue-tied?”

Kayla chuckled softly. “Come on, guys. Don’t tease her like that. She’s just a bit shy.”

“Oh god,” Yangyang exclaimed, rubbing his arms. “I got goosebumps hearing you say that.”

“Yeah, ‘shy’ and ‘you’ don’t belong in the same sentence,” added Haechan, pointing his finger at you.

You groaned, half-laughing as you covered your face with your hands. “You guys are the worst.”

“But you love us anyway,” Sienna said, patting your shoulder.

“Yeah, yeah,” you muttered, though the smile on your face gave you away. Even though Jeno wasn’t there, you couldn’t help but enjoy the moment with your friends.

With the midterms fast approaching, you momentarily forgot about Jeno, focusing instead in making notes and studying. Instead of the campus library, you opted to the city library. You liked it there. It’s quieter, with fewer students, and more books to choose from. Except this time, instead of maintaining your streak as a recognized Most Diligent Reader—third place overall last year—you buried yourself in notes and textbooks.

One particularly slow weekend, you were absorbed in your study when you thought your eyes were playing tricks on you. There, leaning against one of the towering old bookshelves, was Jeno. He held a book in one hand, and his other hand twirled a pen absentmindedly. Your heart leaped to your throat, and a wave of nerves washed over you.

You quietly observed Jeno from behind the cover of your textbook, trying to focus on your notes. But despite your best intentions, your gaze kept drifting towards him. The way he casually flipped through pages and twirled his pen seemed to make time stand still. You watched as he moved from the shelves to a table across the room, burying his head into the book. You tried to concentrate, but your efforts were in vain as your mind wandered back to him.

The next day, you were back at the city library, hoping for another glimpse of him. To your surprise, Jeno was there again, looking just as engrossed in his studies as before. You couldn’t help but think that maybe he enjoyed this library as much as you did. Although that day, he studied little and slept most of the day.

One afternoon, Sienna showed up and immediately noticed your distracted state. She took one look at you and followed your gaze, rolling her eyes when she saw Jeno.

“Seriously?” Sienna said, sitting down next to you and grabbing your notes. “You’re here to study, not to gawk at some guy.”

You blushed, trying to regain your composure. “I’m not gawking. I’m just—”

“Just talk to him,” Sienna interrupted, her tone a mix of exasperation and encouragement. “He’s right there. How hard can it be?”

You felt your cheeks grow warmer. “I can’t just walk up to him. I’m—” You hesitated, searching for the right words. “I’m shy.”

Sienna raised an eyebrow. “You? You’re never shy.”

“I know,” you admitted, feeling a bit flustered. “It’s just… different with him. I don’t know why.”

Sienna sighed dramatically. “Fine, I’ll do it for you then. But you owe me coffee.”

You shot up from your seat, grabbing her arm to stop her. “No, wait! Please don’t.”

Sienna looked at you, puzzled. “Are you sure? He seems like a really nice guy. It wouldn’t hurt to just say hi.”

You shook your head, giving her a pleading look. “I don’t want to rush things. Just let me handle it.”

Sienna studied you for a moment, then sighed and relented. “Alright, alright. I won’t push it. But you better get on with it soon, or I’m going to start making plans for you.”

You breathed a sigh of relief, and Sienna returned to her seat, shaking her head but with a smile. You knew you needed to muster the courage to talk to Jeno on your own terms, but now is not the right time yet. Of course that’s just an excuse, but you wanted to believe it.

Once more, you found yourself at the city library, where you spotted Jeno studying with Jaemin. You decided to sit at a table right behind them, carefully positioning yourself so that Jaemin’s back was to you. This way, you could observe Jeno without risking being seen by your friend.

As you settled into your seat, you pulled out your notes and pretended to study, though your attention was primarily focused on Jeno. You discreetly stole glances over the top of your book, trying to catch glimpses of his expressions and the way he animatedly explained something to Jaemin. You found yourself fixated on his lips, the way they moved and the way they’re so pink and plump.

Just as you were lost in the sight of him, Jeno’s gaze flicked in your direction, his eyes meeting yours for a brief moment. Your heart skipped a beat, and you quickly ducked behind your book, pretending to be engrossed in your notes. You could almost feel your cheeks heating up, and you cursed yourself for being so obvious. Surely, he didn’t realize you’d been staring at him, right?

You were probably wrong. He definitely saw that.

Trying to regain your composure, you forced yourself to focus on your studies, though your mind kept drifting back to that fleeting moment of eye contact. You stole another glance from behind the cover of your book, only to find that Jeno had returned to his conversation with Jaemin, seemingly unaware of your presence. You let out a quiet sigh of relief, but the excitement and nervousness of the encounter lingered, making it hard to concentrate on anything other than him.

Exams arrived, and you couldn’t help but regret not studying as diligently as you should have. You knew you wouldn’t fail any of them, but you braced yourself for some disappointing scores. That did not stop you from attending an off-campus house party though.

The party was in full swing when you arrived, and you were having a blast with your girlfriends. Amid the laughter and music, you spotted Jeno with his group of friends. Your friends, in high spirits, decided to make a bet involving a game of flip-cup. The stakes were simple: if you lose, you had to go up and talk to Jeno.

“News travel fast,” you snickered, eyeing Sienna in particular.

Sienna shrugged nonchalantly. “Wasn’t me. They found out by themselves.”

“Yeah, you weren’t as slick as you thought,” said Olive, tossing the cup towards you.

“Don’t worry, babe,” said Kayla, squeezing your shoulder gently. “No one’s ratting you out.”

As the game progressed, you tried your best to lose, but Flip Cup just so happened to be one of those games you were oddly good at. Every time you thought you were about to lose, you somehow managed to pull through.

“Oh, come on! Just let her lose already,” Kayla teased from the sidelines, clearly enjoying the spectacle.

“You’re actually scared to talk to Jeno, are you?” Sienna asked with a grin, playfully nudging you. “There’s no way you’re this good.”

“I’m not scared!” you protested, though you were starting to sweat. “I’m just… strategically holding back.”

Your friends exchanged amused glances, clearly not buying your excuse. “You know what? I don’t even need this,” you said with a dramatic flair, taking a big swig of the spiked punch in your red cup. “I’m gonna go talk to him right now.”

“Oooh,” your friends chorused.

With newfound confidence, you made your way toward Jeno’s group. He stood by the music console with a few others, talking and laughing. You clenched and unclenched your fists, trying to squeeze out the nervousness that was starting to creep back in. The closer you got, the more your heart pounded, your palms growing clammy.

It would be easier if he was alone, you thought and it was like the universe heard your plea because his friends walked away from him, rushing somewhere else while cheering. You took a deep breath, trying to muster up the courage to approach him. Just when you were almost within reach, Haechan unexpectedly passed by.

Without thinking, you grabbed his arm, veering off course. “Hi! I’ve been looking for you!” you blurted out, trying to sound casual.

Haechan blinked at you, baffled. “What? Why? What did I do?”

You forced a smile, dragging him further away from Jeno’s group. “Nothing. Just wanted to catch up with you!”

Haechan gave you a suspicious look, noting how you kept glancing over your shoulder. “What’s going on? You’re acting weird.”

When you were safely out of sight, you finally let go of Haechan and waved him off. “Go away.”

Haechan pointed at himself in mock disbelief. “Me? Go away? You’re the one who dragged me over here!”

“Well, thanks for your service. I don’t need you anymore,” you quipped, turning on your heel and heading back to your girlfriends. You were welcomed by their disappointed gazes.

“That was so anticlimactic,” Kayla remarked, shaking her head.

“Oh, shut up,” you sighed, rolling your eyes, though you couldn’t hide the rueful smile tugging at your lips.

The rest of the night passed in a blur of laughter and drinks. By the time you got home, you were drunk but wide awake, whining to your friends as you sprawled out on the living room carpet. Squinting up at the ceiling, you muttered, “I’m home.”

“Yeah, you are,” Sienna replied, nodding as she watched you.

You pointed at the lightbulb above you. “But I don’t see Jeno Lee. He should be here.”

“He probably would be if you didn’t chicken out at the last minute,” Sienna scolded, shaking her head. “And you’re not in your bedroom, dumbass. Get up!”

You groaned, closing your eyes as you smiled. “Next time... maybe.”

Sienna rolled her eyes and nudged you with her foot. “Yeah, sure. We’ll believe it when we see it.”

Days passed with you casually crossing paths with Jeno more often. It was like the universe had decided to make him appear everywhere you went. You noticed that you both arrived on campus around the same time, late in the morning at 10:30. He was often at the quad, surrounded by friends or just passing by. Each glimpse of him was like a small thrill, a bright spot in your routine school day.

The public library was a hit-or-miss; sometimes he was there, and other times he wasn’t. Still, you went there every day out of habit, mainly to read and also to see him if he happened to be there.

You got to know him in this way, piecing together bits of his life through observations and casual conversations with others. You learned about his friends, his classes, and his easygoing personality. He seemed to be well-liked by everyone, always ready with a smile or a kind word.

But there was one place you rarely saw him: the food court. It has been a while since you found out about him, and despite having mutual friends, you have yet to talk to him or share the same space. Today, you walked into the food court and scanned the place for any sign of him, only to be disappointed by his absence.

You settled on the chair next to Kayla, fixing your bag. Sliding next to you, Kayla whispered, “You look glum. Haven’t seen your crush today yet?”

You rolled your eyes at her mischievous grin. “No. And I’m not glum at all! Especially not because of that.”

Sienna snickered from her spot next to Haechan. “Yeah, you are totally glum because of that.”

Just as you were about to retort, you caught sight of Jeno walking into the cafeteria. Your heart skipped a beat as you watched him navigate through the crowd, his easy smile drawing you in. He greeted a few friends with casual high-fives and settled into a seat with a group of students—Mark, Jaemin, and Yangyang among them.

Kayla nudged you, a knowing look in her eyes. “There he is.”

“Yeah, don’t care,” you said, but the grin spreading across your face was a clear contradiction of your words.

Haechan shuddered exaggeratedly. “You’re so creepy when you smile like that.”

You shot him a glare. “And? How about making yourself useful to me for once and make it so that we can have lunch together?”

Haechan flashed a challenging smirk. “Think you can handle it?”

You scoffed, rolling your eyes as you opened your salad. “Never mind. I don’t need your help. I can manage my own love life.”

“Sure you can,” he jeered. “Isn’t that why you still haven’t talked to him after all this time?”

You were about to snap back when Sienna interjected, “Table manners, sweethearts.”

Haechan rolled his eyes, then mimed zipping his lips. “Your friend is annoying,” he muttered to Sienna.

“And your boyfriend is super annoying,” you retorted.

“Your friend is ultra—” Haechan started, but Sienna cut him off.

“Stop it,” Sienna chided sternly. He quickly complied, pretending to lock his lips. “Ugh, kids.”

In the afternoon, as you were walking through the Arts building, you spotted a familiar figure down the hallway. It was Jeno! Your stomach fluttered, and you couldn’t help but wonder what he was doing there. Curiosity got the best of you, and after some subtle investigation—okay, maybe a little eavesdropping—you discovered the reason. He had taken up Carpentry as an elective!

To make things even better, you were in that class! You had chosen it just for fun, but with Jeno there, your mind raced with possibilities as you found something new to look forward to. Did this mean you’d see him more often? What should you do? You have no idea yet, for now, you must go to class.

When saw him there, you could barely keep your eyes off him but you had to try. Though you didn’t have any chances to talk yet, you were content with just seeing him there, sharing the same space.

Later, you told Sienna and Kayla about it, your head floating in the clouds out of sheer joy. They exchanged amused looks, teasing you mercilessly about your "carpenter crush," but they understood your fascination, even if they enjoyed poking fun at you.

Carpentry was scheduled every Tuesday and Thursday. On Thursday, as you were heading to class, you found yourself walking behind him. He was talking to one of his friends, his laughter echoing in the hallway. You couldn’t help but smile, feeling a warm glow inside.

In class, you worked on your project, stealing glances at Jeno every now and then. The room smelled of clay, and the sound of tools clinking filled the air. He was focused on his own work, unaware of your silent admiration. It was enough for now, you told yourself. Just being near him was enough.

But as you worked on your project, sneaking glances at him, you knew this was just the beginning. There was a quiet contentment in being near him, but a part of you couldn’t help but hope for more—just one conversation, one chance to see if your feelings were more than just a crush.

“What are your plans for the Sports Fest?” Kayla asked, nudging your arm. “I’ll be doing Badminton Doubles with Olive.”

In the living room of your apartment, you and your friends gathered around the coffee table, eating takeout from a fast food restaurant. Everyone in your close circle was there, and you had asked them to bring Jeno but apparently, he had plans.

You waved your hand dismissively as you swallowed your food. “Hard pass. I’m still healing from that awful injury last year,” you replied, massaging your right wrist.

During last year’s sports fest, you played volleyball for your department. You remembered the sharp pain as you fell on your arm, the way your wrist twisted awkwardly beneath you. It had long since healed, but the memory of that day still lingered, leaving you with an irrational fear of getting hurt again. It was an awful experience that you would rather not relive.

“I thought you’re completely healed?” asked Mark, taking your hand to examine your wrist. “Did you break a bone? I thought it was just a sprain.”

“I’m just exaggerating,” you snickered, retracting your hand. “My wrist is healed but my heart is not. It’s called trauma.”

“Yeah, I know what it’s called,” Mark chuckled.

You eyed him curiously. “What about you? Basketball?”

Mark nodded, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Honestly, I can’t wait to kick Yangyang’s ass.”

Across the room on the leather couch, Yangyang was gobbling his burger. Unable to speak with his mouth full, he flipped a middle finger at Mark, who just laughed.

“Ah, I almost forgot!” Mark exclaimed, looking at you with widened eyes. “Jeno’s playing too!”

The mention of Jeno made your face light up. “He is?”

“Look at you all bright and excited,” Jaemin teased.

Renjun smirked, patting his hands as he finished his food. “Watch her betray her department and cheer for a different team again. Like she did last year for her ex.”

“Oh my god!” you exclaimed, covering your ears and closing your eyes. “No bad words on the dinner table.”

Sienna leaned in with a smirk. “Wanna bet she’d cheer for the Humanities Department this year?”

Kayla chimed in, “Pass. We all know she’d support Jeno no matter what.”

You rolled your eyes, but the thought lingered. “We’ll see,” you mumbled, hiding your smile behind another bite of food. “I’ll be there for all your games, though. Moral support and all.”

The three-day Sports Fest dawned on NCIT with a strong air of festivity and excitement. Banners and streamers hung around the campus, bearing the crests and colors of each department. For the first two days, you cheered and supported your friends in their respective sports, while making sure not to miss each one of Jeno’s basketball games. In between games, you enjoyed the booths that the clubs had set up on the campus grounds. There were food stalls with a variety of snacks and meal sets. There were fair games with plush toys for prizes. Your favorite was the photobooth where you and your friends took lots of pictures to commemorate the event.

The last day of the event was for championships. To showcase the camaraderie of the student body, everyone dressed in the colors of their respective departments, and the entire campus thrummed with cheers and enthusiasm for the day.

You wore a vivid blue shirt bearing the crest of the Humanities Department and throughout the day, you moved courts cheering for your friends in their respective sports. Haechan did well in his soccer game, and Kayla seemed to have secured the silver for your department. But the highlight of your day was the basketball championship.

It was a match between the Humanities Department and the Engineering Department. The covered court was booming with cheers from the students who filled up the bleachers. The school band played an upbeat tune, adding to the festive atmosphere. You and your friends went early to get the best seats to watch the game. The blue flaglets in your hand blended with everyone else on your side of the court. On the other, green long balloons were cheering for the Engineering department.

Players were warming up down at the court, stretching, and doing practice shooting before the game officially began. Mark spotted your group and waved two hands at you.

“Boo!” Yangyang jeered beside you with his thumbs down. He was salty after his Business Department lost to Engineering yesterday.

You looked for Jeno among the different faces. There he was, dressed in his uniform—white and green jersey, matching shorts, and sneakers that seemed to gleam under the bright lights. The uniform hugged his athletic build, showcasing his toned muscles and broad shoulders. He blended in with the team but the way he moved with an easy grace and confident stride made him stand out even more in your eyes.

“Close your mouth!” Jaemin teased, earning a chorus of laughter from your friends. “We don’t want Jeno to see you drooling.”

You quickly clamped your mouth shut, feeling your cheeks heat up as Sienna nudged you with a knowing smile. Still, you couldn’t take your eyes off Jeno. The way he carried himself and the way his eyes sparkled with excitement made him look even more captivating. It was as if he was glowing, radiating an aura of coolness and charisma.

As the final minutes before the game ticked away, the energy in the court grew higher. You could feel your pulse quicken in sync with the rising tension in the air. The earlier games and festivities had been thrilling, but this match was the one you’d been waiting for. You couldn’t help but wonder if Jeno had noticed you in the crowd during his previous games, or if he was too focused on the game to even glance your way. The thought made your heart race, but you pushed it aside, deciding to enjoy the view instead.

As the game started, the energy in the court surged to new heights. You were on the edge of your seat, your heart pounding in time with the rhythm of the game. The Humanities Department was strong, but your eyes were only on Jeno and his team. Every time the Engineering Department scored, you couldn’t help but leap to your feet, waving your blue flaglets as if they were green.

“Go, Engineering!” you shouted, your voice ringing out loud and clear among the crowd. You were so absorbed in cheering for Jeno that you didn’t even notice the confused looks from your own department. It was strange, even to you, seeing someone in the vivid blue of Humanities cheering so passionately for the opposing team.

It didn’t take long for Jeno to notice your enthusiastic support. During a brief pause in the game, he glanced in your direction. Your heart skipped a beat as your eyes met, and a slow, amused smile spread across his face. You could feel your cheeks flush, but you couldn’t stop yourself from smiling back, your heart soaring.

Throughout the game, you continued to cheer louder than anyone else, your voice echoing across the court. Every time Jeno glanced your way, you felt a thrill shoot through you, making you cheer even louder. At one point, he made a particularly impressive play—a quick steal and a flawless layup—that had you jumping to your feet with a wild cheer.

As he jogged back down the court, he caught your eye again and flashed you another smile, a playful glint in his eyes that sent you straight to cloud nine. It was as if the rest of the world had faded away, leaving just the two of you in a bubble of shared glances and silent connections.

“Are you even from Humanities?” Yangyang teased, nudging you with his elbow. “You might as well be wearing green.”

You just laughed, too giddy to care about the odd looks you were getting. Nothing else mattered at that moment. All you could think about was Jeno—how his every move seemed effortless, how his smiles made you feel like you were the only one in the crowd.

The game continued, but you were already winning in your own way, basking in the warmth of Jeno’s attention. Mark had been grinning mischievously at you, clearly amused by your bold display.

The game was intense, with both teams neck and neck until the final quarter. The tension in the air was palpable, every dribble and pass holding the crowd in suspense. You were on your feet almost the entire time, cheering your heart out for the Engineering team, and especially for Jeno. With every basket, your voice rose above the rest, earning even more curious and amused glances from those around you.

As the clock ticked down the final seconds, the Engineering team managed to pull ahead by just a few points. The crowd roared as Jeno’s team scored the winning basket, securing the championship title. You screamed with joy, jumping up and down, waving your flaglets wildly. It didn’t matter that you were in blue—you felt like you were part of the victory too.

After the game, as the teams shook hands and congratulated each other, you noticed Mark heading your way, with Jeno walking right beside him. Your heart skipped a beat again, and you tried to calm your racing thoughts as they approached.

Mark grinned widely as he reached you. “Hey, Jeno,” he said, turning to his friend, “I’ve got to introduce you to the loudest cheerleader you had out there today.”

You felt a blush creeping up your neck as Mark gestured toward you. Jeno’s eyes sparkled with recognition, and that familiar smile curved on his lips.

“I am honored,” Jeno said, his voice warm and teasing. “I could hear you all the way from the court. Thanks for the support, even though you’re… clearly not from Engineering.”

You laughed, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. “I couldn’t help it,” you admitted, grinning up at him. “You guys were just too good.”

Jeno chuckled, running a hand through his hair. “We appreciate it. You should consider switching departments,” he added playfully.

You shook your head, still smiling. “I’m pretty attached to Humanities. I’ll always root for you though.”

“Good to know,” Jeno said, his eyes meeting yours with a softness that made your heart flutter all over again.

Mark smirked, clearly pleased with himself for setting up this interaction. “You guys are coming to the party tonight, right?”

You shrugged, glancing at your friends behind you. “We wouldn’t miss it!” you replied, trying to keep your voice steady.

“Great,” Jeno said, his smile widening. “Let’s celebrate, then.”

As the crowd began to disperse and the festivities moved off the court, you couldn’t believe your luck. As you walked out of the court, surrounded by friends and buzzing with excitement, you couldn’t help but feel like something wonderful had begun.

“The ship is finally sailing!” Kayla chimed as you exited the campus together with Sienna.

“About damn time!” Sienna exclaimed and the three of you squealed in excitement.

Tonight, you will talk to Jeno Lee. You had finally made up your mind about it. It should be so hard now, considering he now knows of your existence and you two had already been introduced.

You arrived at the provided address with Kayla, wrapped in thick coats due to the cold weather. The house was a sprawling two-story with a large backyard, and it was already rowdy. Music blared from the speakers set up on the patio, and the air was filled with the sounds of laughter and chatter.

Inside, the party was in full swing and you had to lose your coats due to the hotter atmosphere. The living room was packed with students, some lounging on plush sofas while others danced to the beat of the music. Red solo cups and plates of snacks were scattered everywhere, and the whole house was filled with the aroma of pizza and chips. Green LED lights and the Engineering department’s green banners added a nice touch.

You were there to have fun, that’s a given. But you were mainly there to see Jeno, you wouldn’t deny that fact. It wasn’t hard to find him. He was standing near the snack table, talking and laughing with a group of friends. He seemed to be in high spirits, smiling and looking handsome under the warm glow of the lights.

He moved across the room, catching your eye, and for a moment, you froze, wondering if he noticed you. When he settled on a single couch and pulled out his phone, you took this as your cue to approach him.

“Okay. Calm down,” you told yourself, steadying your breathing. “You’re just gonna say hi. Tell him he did great at the game or something.”

With your heart pounding, you started walking towards him, rehearsing your words in your mind. Just as you were about five steps away, you noticed a girl walk up to Jeno. She had a confident stride and a friendly smile. Your steps faltered, and you hesitated, watching as they exchanged a few words. And then, in a moment that felt like it was stretching on forever, they kissed.

It was a brief but unmistakable kiss, a tender connection that spoke volumes. His hand around her waist was firm, and the smile he gave her should have been sweet, but it was painful for you to look at.

Your heart sank, and the world around you seemed to blur. The warmth of the party, the music, and the lively chatter all faded into a distant hum. A cold, empty feeling settled in your chest, making it hard to breathe. It felt as though someone had pressed pause on your world, leaving you standing on the edge of a scene you could no longer be a part of.

You turned away quickly, embarrassed and worried someone might notice you gawking. You took a deep breath, lifted your chin, and walked the opposite way, pretending you hadn’t seen anything. But the image was seared into your mind, refusing to fade.

You forced a smile at some students who recognized you, but your heart was aching so badly that you felt like crying. The excitement of the evening had dimmed, replaced by a feeling of quiet sadness. Still, you forced yourself to stay, determined not to let the moment ruin the night entirely. You were supposed to have fun here, after all, however difficult that might be now.

“Hey, you okay?” Kayla suddenly appeared by your side, his eyes searching your face.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” you lied, forcing another smile. “Just needed some air.”

Kayla didn’t seem convinced, but she didn’t push it. Instead, she looped her arm through yours. “Let’s find something to drink.”

You nodded, grateful for the distraction. The two of you made your way to the kitchen, where a group of students were mixing drinks and chatting loudly. You grabbed a soda and pretended to listen to the conversations around you, though your mind kept drifting back to what you had just witnessed.

After a few minutes, Kayla nudged you. “There’s Sienna and Haechan! Let’s go say hi.”

You followed her gaze and spotted the couple near the back door, laughing with a group of students. She greeted you both with a big hug, immediately noticing your mood.

“What’s up?” Sienna asked, her brow furrowed in concern.

You shrugged, trying to downplay it. “Just tired.”

Sienna eyed you for a moment before nodding. “Well, this party better wake you up! Come on, let’s dance.”

You allowed yourself to be dragged to the makeshift dance floor, where the music was louder, and the energy was infectious. You danced along with Kayla and Sienna, trying to lose yourself in the rhythm. For a moment, it worked. You laughed and moved to the beat, letting the music drown out your thoughts.

But it wasn’t long before your mind wandered back to Jeno. You caught glimpses of him across the room, and each time, the image of him with that girl played on repeat in your head. It hurt more than you wanted to admit.

As the night wore on, you found yourself sitting on the living room couch, watching people play, talk, and drink. Your mind floated to space, consumed by thoughts of Jeno. Everything had gone so wrong so fast. Suddenly, this whole crush thing felt ridiculous and stupid. How classic of you to jump into something without carefully measuring the fall.

Just as you were about to drown in your thoughts, Mark appeared from the crowd, smiling as he skipped over to you and plopped down on the couch beside you. “There you are! Having fun?”

“Hey,” you said weakly, trying to muster some enthusiasm. But Mark’s scowl told you that you weren’t fooling him.

“Apparently not. Is everything okay?” Mark asked, concern etched across his face.

You hesitated, then let out a bitter laugh. “Yeah. Just… tired,” you replied, chuckling softly as you leaned your head on his shoulder. “I should probably just go home.”

“Why? Shouldn’t you be talking to Jeno right now?”

“Ugh, forget it. I don’t like him anymore.”

Mark winced. “What happened? Did you find an ick that made you cringe?”

You exhaled sharply, glaring at him. “Go away if you’re just gonna talk about Jeno all night.”

“Alright, fine. I won’t,” he chuckled heartily, raising his hands in surrender. Then, he offered you his bottle of beer with a grin.

Without hesitating, you grabbed it and chugged the contents in one go. The cold liquid burned down your throat, and you burped a little too loudly, causing Mark to burst out laughing. You were annoyed at first, but his laughter was contagious, and soon enough, you found yourself laughing along with him. The heavy weight on your chest lifted even only for a moment, replaced by a warmth that spread through you, making everything a little more bearable.

It wasn’t difficult at all to push Jeno out of your mind: you just had to focus on other things. Mornings began with the shrill ring of the alarm, followed by a hasty breakfast and the walk to school. Classes became a sanctuary of focus. The workload was manageable, and you found a rhythm in balancing your assignments with extracurricular activities. You continued to be the congenial girl that you are, making friends here and there while keeping up with old ones.

Carpentry class, however, was a different story. Jeno sat just a few tables away, his presence a constant, aching reminder. You occasionally caught glimpses of him, but your gazes never lingered anymore, concentrating instead on your projects.

Lunchtimes were spent mostly with Kayla and Sienna—Haechan too since he couldn’t seem to stand being away from his girlfriend. You shared stories and laughter over cafeteria food that ranged from surprisingly decent to downright questionable. You talk about your classes, your adjustments, and, occasionally, the lingering shadow of your crush. They couldn’t believe their ears when you said you didn’t like him anymore. When you refused to tell them why, they didn’t press for an answer.

Afternoons were reserved for your favorite spot in the public library. It was your quiet retreat, and if Jeno happened to be there, you hardly noticed. Your focus was on your reading and studies, pushing aside any lingering thoughts of him.

Evenings are quieter. You come home, tired but content, and reflect on the day’s events. You sit at your desk, do your homework, and occasionally glance at social media, where Jeno’s updates serve as a bittersweet reminder of a failed romance—not that it even began in the first place.

Fate had other plans though. Like a prank just to rain on your parade, you were paired with Jeno for a Carpentry project.

If this had happened before you discovered he was taken, you would have been over the moon with excitement, thrilled by the prospect of working closely with him. But now, all you could feel was apprehension and awkwardness.

“Looks like we’re partners,” he said, his heart-melting smile making it impossible to ignore the flutter in your chest.

“Yeah, looks like it,” you replied, striving for nonchalance despite the storm of emotions brewing inside you.

As you both settled at a table, the world seemed to shrink to just the two of you and the project before you. You mentally scolded yourself, determined not to fall back into the crazy crush you’d put behind you.

“So, where do we start?” you asked, pulling out your notebook and your pen case out of your bag.

Before responding, Jeno tilted his head slightly, studying you with a curious expression. “You don’t remember me, do you?”

Nervousness engulfed you. “What do you mean?” you asked, trying to keep your voice steady.

“The taxi cab a few months back,” he said, a smile tugging at his lips. “It was pouring and I barged into your cab.”

You laughed shyly. “Of course. I remember.”

He nodded, leaning back slightly. “What about before that?”

“Before?” you asked stupidly, racking your brain.

“The library. You fell, and I—”

“Ah!” you exclaimed, suddenly recalling the day you first met him. You laughed softly, shaking your head. “How could I forget?”

Jeno chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “So, you remembered? Why didn’t you say anything?”

You scoffed. “Why didn’t you?”

He shrugged. “I thought you might not recognize me.”

Oh god, Jeno, if you only knew, you thought, suppressing a smile. “Well, now we know,” you said in feigned indifference. There was a moment of silence, a comfortable one, where the two of you simply looked at each other, a newfound connection sparking between you.

“So,” you said, breaking the silence with a smile. You pressed a thumb on the sheet handed to you by Mr. Harris. “Shall we get started?”

“Sure,” he replied, his smile widening.

This could be it—the beginning of something new, a chance to turn a long-held crush into a real connection. And you would have been ready for it if not for the fact that he had a girlfriend. So you pushed your feelings aside and resolved to not step out of the line.

What started as an academic collaboration soon turned into something more comfortable and natural. You got to know each other in the few days you spent working together so far. Your task was to create a fully functional reclining chair, and from the outset, it was clear that this was going to be a challenging project. The first day, you both laid out the design, Jeno’s enthusiasm was infectious and it was clear that he was enjoying this class, unlike you who only signed up for fun.

“I think we should go with a sleek, modern look,” he suggested, his eyes bright with excitement. You nodded in agreement, appreciating his vision and passion for the project.

Jeno was surprisingly meticulous with his measurements and cuts, his focus sharp and his explanations clear. You found his dedication impressive and his passion for the craft endearing. He showed you how to properly measure and cut the wood. His patience and willingness to teach made the learning process enjoyable.

One afternoon, as you worked on sanding the wooden pieces, Jeno shared a story about his childhood, describing how his father used to involve him in small woodworking projects around the house. His eyes lit up with nostalgia, and you could see the joy in his voice as he spoke. It was a side of him you hadn’t seen before, and it made you appreciate him even more.

In return, you told him about your own experiences, your hobbies, and the challenges you faced when balancing school and extracurriculars. Jeno listened intently, his smile genuine and his responses thoughtful. The conversation flowed easily, and you found yourself laughing more than you had in a long time.

During these sessions, you learned that Jeno was more than just a charming basketball player. He was kind, thoughtful, and had a dry sense of humor that made you chuckle. You also discovered that he was a great listener, always eager to hear your thoughts and ideas. Despite your resolve to forget about your crush, you couldn’t deny that he was easy to talk to and genuinely pleasant to be around. Funny how it was so much easier to get to know him and talk to him now that you decided to forget having a crush on him.

Still, there was no point in hoping to make a special connection with someone who’s taken.

“You were really good at it,” you told him once when you happened to talk about the Engineering Department’s basketball win. You were in the workshop, watching him color the sketch you made for your project.

“Not good enough to be MVP,” he said, shaking his head without lifting his head. “Speaking of, you were really supportive then.”

You shrugged, mentally rolling your eyes at how silly you were at the time. “I’m a fan of Mark’s when it comes to basketball,” you said, saving face with a harmless lie. “You were amazing too, so I thought you deserved the cheers.”

Jeno chuckled heartily, eyes crinkling as he looked up at you momentarily. The mole under his eye was a cute distraction. “You’re praising me too much. I should take you out to dinner.”

You flashed a deadpan expression before you burst out laughing. Jeno watched you with a goofy grin.

“I guess that was too fast, huh? Should I have gone for coffee instead?” he said and you could swear he was flirting with you.

Rolling your eyes, you brushed your assumptions aside. “I am tempted. But I must decline.”

He shrugged, taking your rejection in stride. “I’ll try again tomorrow then.”

“Charming,” you mocked. “It’s a shame you’re in a relationship. I would have accepted.”

Jeno’s hand froze on the sketchpad, looking up at you with a confused expression. “I’m in a relationship? Since when?”

“Since—” you paused, realizing the tone of his voice just now. “Wait, you’re not?”

You stared at each other, confusion and bewilderment visible on your faces. Before either of you could break the silence, Mr. Harris arrived to dismiss the class.

“I have to go,” you told him, gathering your stuff in haste before rushing out of the room.

The living room of Renjun, Haechan, and Yangyang’s shared apartment was peaceful, the slow melodic music playing in the background bringing a tranquil vibe to the space. Sitting on the carpeted floor with their heads resting on the couch were Haechan, Jaemin, and Mark. The three of them had sheet masks on their faces, and on the coffee table sat a humidifier fogging the room with a sweet citrusy vanilla scent.

Renjun sat on the sofa, reading a book while also wearing a sheet mask. From the small kitchen, Sienna emerged with a glass of water.

“How’s it going?” she asked, beaming at the calming view of her friends taking care of their skin. It was her idea, of course. They do this once every two weeks, even calling it Spa Day.

“I look forward to this every time, Sienna,” said Jaemin before taking a deep breath.

Kayla appeared next to Sienna with a smirk. “You’re doing God’s work, S. I doubt these boys would recognize a moisturizer if it smacked them on the face.”

“Or a sunscreen,” Sienna added and the two shared a laugh. “They’re running late, aren’t they?” she asked, referring to you and Yangyang.

“Well, Yangyang said he’s opting out because he needs to be somewhere today. As for our girl—” Kayla was cut off by the loud sound of the door slamming open. The sound briefly shattered the tranquility of the atmosphere, catching everyone off-guard and even causing Renjun to jolt up from his seat.

All eyes turned to the doorway where you stood with your hand on the door, huffing as if you’d been running. Your eyes were wide and color seemed to have been drained from your face.

“Speak of the devil,” Kayla quipped, walking over to you.

Haechan tutted sternly. “Did you really have to slam the door like that? You’re so dramatic.”

Ignoring Haechan’s taunting, you walked into the flat and stood in front of Jaemin and Mark, who both looked up at you curiously.

“What’s up?” Jaemin asked, grinning.

“Tell me. Does Jeno have a girlfriend?”

Mark’s brows furrowed. “Not that I know of,” he said, turning to Jaemin for confirmation.

Jaemin shook his head at Mark and turned to you. “No. He doesn’t.”

You dropped your bag on the floor and knelt next to Jaemin, placing your shaking hands on his forearm. “But I saw him kiss this gorgeous girl at the Engineering party last month.”

“Really?” he questioned. He pondered for a moment and you shook his arms impatiently. “Last month? Then it must have been Camille from Com-Sci.”

“Do you know her?” you asked, confusion and concern evident.

“Yeah, she asked Jeno out, but he turned her down. I thought they might have hooked up, but Jeno said nothing happened,” Jaemin explained.

You cast a suspicious gaze at him. “Are you lying?”

Jaemin scoffed. “No. Why would I lie to you?”

“So, he’s single?” you asked, your voice tinged with relief.

“Pretty much,” Jaemin confirmed.

“Does he… you know… sleep around?” you asked hesitantly.

Jaemin chuckled, shaking his head. “Not as far as I know. But if he did, I’d rather not talk about his sex life.”

You rose to your feet, heading for the couch and slumping on it, face first. Thoughts raced in your head, so many of them at the same time that it was almost incoherent.

Mark turned to you on the couch. “Wait, you said you didn’t like him anymore? Was that the reason?”

“Oh my god!” Kayla exclaimed, realization slowly dawning on your friends.

“You saw him kiss a girl?” Renjun recalled, looking lost and confused. “And thought she was his girlfriend?”

“Yes,” you said, your voice muffled by the soft couch. You flailed your arms and kicked your legs in frustration. “God! I was so stupid!”

Sienna sat on the couch, taking your head and gently placing it on her lap. “No, you’re not. It was a completely normal reaction. I’d think he’s dating someone too if I saw him kiss her.”

“Right?” you blurted, lifting your head to see her face. You shifted on the couch, sitting up properly. “But that was a total miss, wasn’t it?”

“Kind of,” Sienna shrugged.

“Yeah, you should have just asked,” Mark added, smoothing out the sheet mask on his face.

Kayla sat on your other side. “So if he’s single, does that mean you can take another shot at him? You guys know each other now, right?”

You smiled sheepishly. “I don’t know. I’m kinda bummed now. Although I’m gonna be honest, I’m relieved that he’s single. I just… lost the motivation.”

“You still like him though, right?” Sienna asked.

You nodded and the girls exchanged looks. Kayla said, “Then what’s stopping you now?”

The realization began to settle in. Maybe things weren’t as complicated as you’d thought. This could very well be the universe giving you a second chance. Perhaps now you can approach him without the weight of false assumptions.

You shook your head slowly, processing the revelation. “What am I even gonna do about it? It’s not like I had a shot in the first place.”

Jaemin chuckled mischievously. “I don’t know why you’re saying that, but I think you have a clear shot.”

“Yeah. You can’t give up now after everything you’ve done so far!”

Haechan giggled beside Sienna. “Did anyone else notice that whenever we do Spa Day, we get juicy girl conversations like this?”

Leave it to Haechan to ruin an otherwise lovely moment. As you laughed along with your friends, you felt a renewed sense of hope. Maybe this time, things could turn out differently.

The familiar scent of freshly cut wood and the sound of saws and sanders filled the air as you entered the Carpentry workshop. Your eyes scanned the room, landing on Jeno. He was already there, engrossed in his work, brows furrowed in concentration as he shaped a piece of wood.

Oddly, it felt gratifying to see him now knowing he wasn’t actually in love with someone. The sight of him always made your heart race, but today it felt different—more hopeful. You walked over to your workstation, trying to appear casual while stealing glances at him.

Jeno looked up and caught your eye, giving you a small, friendly nod. You returned the gesture, feeling a warm flutter in your chest. The knowledge that Jeno was single was a game-changer, but pursuing a relationship with him was an entirely different dilemma. You first needed to figure out if he even liked you at all.

Just the thought of being rejected was already bruising your pride and crushing your spirit. For now, you were resolved to act as normally as possible around him and avoid revealing your feelings.

You smiled, feeling a little self-conscious. Relax, you told yourself. It’s not like he—or anyone else—can read your mind. “Actually, yeah. Could you show me how to get this joint right?”

“Sure thing,” he said, his voice calm and patient. He walked over, and you held your breath nervously as he stood close to you. Trying to focus on his instructions, you found your gaze fixated on his lips.

“You got that?” he asked, eyes meeting yours.

You blinked, surprised and confused. “Sorry?”

Jeno chuckled lightly. “It’ll be easier if I just show you. Here.”

He took your hands in his, placing them on the piece of wood. The warmth from his skin seeped onto yours, sending a blush to your already burning cheeks. You mentally scolded yourself for being awkward and reminded yourself to breathe or you’d pass out.

Unaware of your mental struggle, Jeno guided your hands deftly, showing you the right angle. “See? It’s all about the angle,” he said, glancing up and catching your gaze. You quickly looked away, cheeks flushing.

“Got it,” you mumbled, attempting to steady your racing heart. Whatever happened to not being obvious? you screamed in your head.

As he continued to explain, you found yourself relaxing, letting his steady presence and soothing voice calm your nerves. You managed to follow his instructions, feeling a small surge of triumph when you finally got it right.

“There you go,” Jeno said with a smile, his eyes twinkling with approval. “You’re a natural.”

“Thanks,” you replied, trying to sound casual despite the butterflies in your stomach.

“Anytime,” he said, still standing close.

As days turned into weeks, you found yourself admiring Jeno more and more. His dedication to the project was evident in every detail, from the meticulous sanding of each piece to the careful assembly of the frame. He was not just talented but also incredibly kind and encouraging, always ready with a smile or a reassuring word when you struggled with a task.

One afternoon, as you both worked on the chair’s reclining mechanism, Jeno glanced over at you, his expression thoughtful. “You’ve got a real knack for this,” he said, his voice warm with sincerity. “I’m impressed.”

Your heart fluttered at his compliment, and you felt a rush of gratitude. “Thanks, Jeno. I couldn’t have done it without your help,” you replied, meeting his gaze.

Your admiration for him grew with each shared glance and quiet conversation. During breaks, you chatted about everything from school to personal interests, laughing together over jokes and enjoying companionable silence. The air between you was charged with a growing sense of familiarity and ease.

“Do you have any hobbies outside of this?” he asked one day, genuinely curious.

“I love photography,” you admitted, feeling more comfortable sharing your passions with him. “Though I’m not very good at it. I like to sketch too, sometimes.”

“Oh yeah. The sketch you made for this chair was awesome. It looked like you can actually touch the details,” Jeno said, a smile spreading across his face.

“Yeah, you already told me that,” you chimed.

“Maybe you could show me some of your work sometime.”

“Hmm. I only show it to my close friends,” you teased, grinning at him when he clutched his chest pretending to be hurt by your words.

“Four weeks of being partners and I still don’t count as a close friend?” he questioned, face contorted in mock offense and curiosity.

“You're overreacting. Four weeks is only eight days for us, Jeno Lee. We have Carpentry class on Tuesdays and Thursdays only.”

“But we worked on this outside class last Friday.”

“Once. That’s nine days. Still not a lot of time,” you quipped. It was gradual but the boundaries between project partners and friends began to blur for you and Jeno, which is why you now feel comfortable just hanging out and joking around like this. Although you’re still gaga about him and get butterflies over the smallest gestures, you no longer get tongue-tied or nervous around him.

You went from sneaking glances at him in the cafeteria to sharing lunch together twice. From admiring him quietly in the quad or the library to smiling and saying ‘Hi’. You were definitely friends now, although not as close. It was a welcome change, making you look forward to every school day.

One particularly memorable afternoon, you both struggled with the final adjustments to the chair. You have been working on this mechanism for a while now and still couldn’t get it to work properly. You’ve done everything you possibly could, even getting hands-on help from your professor.

“Now, then,” Mr Harris said, wiping the sweat on his forehead. “Try that again.”

You nodded, feeling a surge of determination. Working together, you managed to align the pieces perfectly, and the chair finally reclined smoothly. There were quiet gasps in the classroom while you and Jeno stared at each other with mouths hanging open.

“Oh my god!” you exclaimed, hands flying over your mouth. Quietly, you added, “We did it.”

Jeno’s smile was warm and relieved. “We did it,” he echoed.

.Overwhelmed with joy, you threw your arms around his neck, and he hugged you back, lifting you slightly off your feet. Realizing belatedly that you were hugging Jeno made you hyper-aware of the moment. You shyly pulled away, glancing anywhere but at him. Mr. Harris was clapping behind him, making you smile gratefully.

Being lifted made you hyper-aware, realizing belatedly that you were hugging Jeno. You shyly pulled away, glancing anywhere else but Jeno. Mr Harris was clapping behind him, making you smile gratefully.

“Thanks, sir!” you told your professor.

“Mr. Harris was putting you up for failure when he assigned you the reclining chair,” one of your classmates quipped, walking over to examine your work.

You laughed lightly, watching your other classmates approach your worktable. Your eyes met Jeno’s among your classmates, and he showed you a thumbs-up which you returned with a smile. Your heart was beating wildly in your chest as your mind replayed the part where you were hugging Jeno over and over.

Jeno approached you with a proud smile in his eyes. “We did it!” he said, giving you a high-five that lingered just a moment longer than necessary. The brief contact sent a thrill through you, a reminder of how much you enjoyed being close to him.

Mr. Harris announced that the projects would be judged by other professors, which would impact your grades. Every pair had completed their pieces—tables, lamps, chairs, and more. While yours might not be the prettiest, you hoped it would get the recognition it deserved.

After class, as students cleaned up, Jeno pointed out something that made you laugh. “You’ve got a lot of pens and pencils,” he said, eyebrows raised and eyes wide. “Like, a lot.”

“That’s not even half of them. I keep buying them for no reason. It’s hoarding at this point,” you admitted with a sheepish grin.

“Hmm. I see,” he responded, still amused. He leaned on the worktable, his backpack slung over one shoulder. “You must write a lot. Or draw.”

“Like I told you before, I sketch. And I do write, but not as much as you think. Even if I did, the sheer volume of pens I have is excessive. I think I need to see a psychiatrist for this,” you joked, shaking your head.

Jeno shook his head, “I don’t think so. Everyone is allowed their own harmless obsession. Mine is probably weirder.”

Your curiosity piqued, you asked, “Oh really? What’s yours?”

He hesitated, a glint of embarrassment in his eyes. “Nah, you don’t wanna know.”

Sometimes it was frustrating that Jeno was completely clueless about your massive crush on him. If he had even the slightest clue, he’d know you were definitely—absolutely—totally, interested in anything and everything about him.

“Actually, I do,” you replied, trying to tone down your interest to the Not-So-Obsessed-With-Him Level.

Jeno looked away, scratching his nape. “Forget it. Let’s just go.”

“Oh come on, you can’t say something like that and then not tell me!” you protested, playfully nudging him.

After some pestering, he finally confessed, “When I was in high school, I liked keeping confetti.”

“Confetti?”

“Not just any confetti. Only the ones from our basketball games. The ones where we win. Like a little memento.”

You smiled at his revelation, zipping your bag after you finished packing your stuff. “That’s actually really cute.”

“No, it’s not,” he said, looking away shyly with his ears reddening out of embarrassment.

“It is!” you insisted, letting him take your bag after he stopped you from wearing it over your shoulder. “Didn’t you say everyone is allowed their own harmless obsessions?”

“Alright… I guess?” Jeno shrugged, a shy smile making his cheeks burn. You walked out of the classroom together, your bag in his hand. “I have them in small ziplock bags.”

You couldn’t help but laugh. “Why ziplock bags? Don’t you have a jar or something?”

“I do, but it’s easier to organize them with ziplock bags.”

“How about a scrapbook? You could glue them in and write about them.”

“Uh… no thanks. I’m not at all artistic or craftsy.”

“You were good with woodworking though.”

“That’s different.”

The project is nearly complete. You realized how much you cherished these moments with Jeno. The reclining chair, with its smooth lines and functional elegance, stood as a testament to your combined efforts and growing friendship. But more than that, it symbolized the bond you had forged through hard work, shared dreams, and mutual respect. The realization filled you with a quiet sense of joy and hope that this closeness would continue to grow even after the project ended.

[To be continued in Part 2]

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