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loveau · 5 years ago

Text

enemies-to-lovers!hendery

request: Could I request an angsty enemies to lovers AU with Hendery or Ten? Thank you so much for posting your writing

others: lucas | yuta | renjun | jisung

it all started probably at some university party where a mutual friend or a friend of a friend introduced everyone in a group

since there were so many people, there wasn’t a lot of interaction to go on

but what you did know was that the dude named hendery???

yeah the most obnoxious person you’d ever met

and he thought you were the most judgmental person he’d ever met

to be fair his rowdiness comes with the friends he has nearby you’re bound to be the same way with yours

but it just seemed like he was so over the top and loud and it was annoying how you couldn’t have a conversation with your friends when he was literally screaming across the room

at the same time, however, hendery isn’t appreciative of your dramatic groans and eye rolls whenever he does anything and he feels so restricted from basically getting to have fun

and putting the both of the together in the same room is a chemical reaction that leads to an explosion

it basically started at that party and y’all were having fun and the mingling of groups was happening where everyone was getting to know each other

y’all didn’t really interact during the party besides hanging around the general area

but that didn’t stop you from giving each other the slight stink eye, which may have started on your part when he accidentally spilled some drink on your friend’s pants

and he thought nothing of it so he assumed you were just a stick in the mud and thought it was dumb you were there to cramp on his fun

obviously you hadn’t added each other on social media, so when hendery was doing something especially dumb you smirked and had been recording it

in all fairness it had started with you recording one of your friend’s rants about how nobody treats them right and how they deserve the perfect lover but there’s just trash people and their trash lists of who’s the best kisser or whatever

but all of a sudden your camera had switched to hendery’s group of friends where he was standing on top of a table and slipped off due to all of the snacks and drinks spilled on it

he ended up getting caught by his friends before he got hurt, but he clonked heads with one of them and was wincing while the others laughed or were more focused on whether or not he was okay

you were chuckling to yourself and captioned it ‘bet he doesn’t have any braincells if this is what keeps happening... makes sense alrdy tho 💀💀’

and you thought nothing of it until the next morning you’d woken up to a couple of messages and whatnot

you’d been debating whether or not you wanted to go to the bathroom and check later on during lunch after you spent some time to yourself but you chose to continue laying in bed and read through everything

a couple of the typical ‘what was the homework’, ‘lunch?’, and ‘did you know that this happened...’ type of things

but what caught your eye was the ‘hey, did you know that you have a bounty on your head rn?’

you were so confused because you had no clue what that was supposed to mean and typed back a simple ???

and one of your friends ten responded back pretty quickly and he was just like yeah, hendery apparently hates your guts rn so i suggest don’t run into him

you’re just like????? hUH????? who?????

he sends you a picture of himself and a whole group of others and he’s just like furthest dude on the left

you squint at your phone because wow ten you could have chosen a better picture or maybe screenshotted something huh

however once you recognize him, you’re like UH???? KnUcKLeheAD?

ten’s just like yeahh, apparently he found out about your story and has been asking everyone who you are

someone must have told him because ten sent you a screenshot of the story hendery posted that captioned your story with smth like

��this person rlly don’t have anything better to do besides play therapist for their friends at a p a r t y :///’

you’re gaping at the message and it’s so bad you sit up from bed so fast with your phone in the tightest grip

like what??? and followed by that there’s another screenshot of another story that basically was some poll or something about whether or not you were fun or some lame-o

you were fuming at that and saw the username in the stories ten sent you and basically looked him up and found out who hendery was

your phone was practically thrown to the other side of the bed as you got ready for the day

part of you was so confused as to who sent him the story but you were also really confused as to why he’d just project you onto his as if you’d see it (which you did soooo)

and you found yourself complaining to your friends about it like who would do that??? it was a joke anyways and plus why does he care when you barely know each other???

they’re all on your side of it too since most of them had met hendery that same night or only knew a couple of the other guys and him by extension

your food was feeling your wrath as you chewed on it and your friends tried to find a different subject to talk about

“hey, did you transfer classes like you wanted?

you finally smile at that and give a satisfied hum to them

“yep, i finally got out of that blasted quantum mechanics class or whatever”

“why were you in that anyways?????”

you shrug and it’s just confusing to you because you were trying to get an elective course in but they decided to put you in a big science class where people with big brains and bigger egos liked to flex their knowledge and lord it over you when you didn’t understand

“doesn’t matter!! i’m in advanced hip hop dancing now! no more 8am lectures about one dimensional applications anymore”

“but you still have to wake up at 8am to walk across campus to the theatre rooms?”

“it doesn’t matter if you like what you do”

which was the best part since you took hip hop last semester and had some background in dancing before, so the instructor suggest you move to intermediate

but the worst part was the voice you heard behind you

“oh no way in-”

you whipped around and saw the shocked and irritated look on the one and only hendery

“you!” you pointed your fork accusingly at him and he has the audacity to look offended and point both hands at himself

“me???”

“yeah you! who are you to put me on blast to social media even though i’m a total stranger to you?”

“exCUSE ME?????!! the same goes to YOU!”

“tHE sAmE GoES tO YOu. it was a joke, especially by someone you barely know!!!! i didn’t want to have to see your face first thing in the morning to find out you got butthurt because you bonked your head as a kid and wanted to reenact that??”

hendery almost revolts backwards and holds a finger up

“first of all? do you think i’m happy about getting to see you first thing in the morning either??? and do you think i’d be happy seeing you at 8am every other day?”

you quickly put two and two together and you’re clenching your teeth

“you don’t mean-”

“yeah, see you in advanced hip hop, lame-o”

you (and practically the entire lunch room alkfnskfn) are left in shock as hendery takes his leave without even ordering food

you sit there in shock and think all of a sudden you might not like hip hop anymore

and you’re complaining about it to ten as he sits across from you at dinner, a couple hours after your lunch and having enough time to sit on it

“i should have taken modern dancing with you........ or maybe even ballet 3 with sicheng?”

ten only laughs and you scowl as he attempts to keep his snickers quiet

“you wouldn’t have lasted more than two days. you’d be itching to get your feet moving faster than they can get their toes pointed”

you roll your eyes because he’s right. one of the best parts of dancing hip hop was that you felt you could lose control of yourself in a more reckless way than the other styles of dancing could

“i hate it when you’re right?”

ten smiles at you and pats your shoulder from across the table

you’re just internally screaming that you have to wake up at 8am to see hendery’s dumb face again

“why is it because i’m right so often?”

“no, because i tend to owe you money because i lost the bet”

he snickers and then offers his student id to you

you take it questioningly and he pats the hand that has the id in it

“take it out at the dance studio. they’ve closed it from regular students after 9 since someone decided it’d be funny to steal one of the mirrors”

you roll your eyes but smile gratefully at him

“gotta love TAs with their magical access for ‘tutoring hours’”

“hey they’re actually convenient for when it doesn’t fit someone’s schedule!”

you’re already walking towards the door by the time he says that and you look back cheekily

“tell me that again when you haven’t used it for a private picnic date with someone you met on tinder!”

by the time you reach the dance studio you’re absolutely giddy and so glad you wore comfortable clothing to dinner so you didn’t have to go back to change

your giddiness changed when you already saw somebody in the studio

and as fate would have it, of course hendery had to be there, jamming out to some 80s hip hop song

before you could turn around and leave, he spun around during once of the dances and opened his mouth in shock

“there is no way-”

“save it! i’m just as shocked as you are”

he huffs and turns off the music and stands with his arms folded

“well?”

“well what?”

he makes a face and over exaggerates your irritated one with a “wELl WhAt?!?!??!!!?!?”

you set your jaw and mimic his stance but the awaiting look in his eyes told you everything

“i’m not here to apologize if that’s what you’re thinking” you put a hand and put your other on your hip before he could say anything

at least he had enough respect to listen to your cue even though he exasperatedly threw his hands in the air and huffed loudly

“and even if i wanted to, i wasn’t so immature to go around asking everyone about who made me cry because they laughed when i decided to climb a table and almost fall because it was slippery”

“i didn’t cry” he’s got this childish tone to his voice and you know better than to instigate but the fiery look in his eyes only lights up one of your own

“i can give you a reason”

you don’t even realize you’ve stepped in the middle of the dance floor until he huffs out a laugh and meets you in the middle where you have your hands on your hips defiantly and a cocky smirk on your face

he hates it and you feel so powerful seeing him seethe

it only adds to your satisfaction that he ends the stare down by walking away rigidly

however it quickly melds into confusion when he turns the music on again, this time to a more recent song on the radio and one of the songs you were thinking of dancing to actually

he starts walking again, but in circles around you

he adds a spin here and there and a little kick of the leg

“what are you, constipated?”

he takes your comment in stride and backs away again to give you the floor

“you obviously came here to dance, and if you’re all talk about it then why don’t you up me one?”

“gladly”

there’s a bite in your tone but there’s even more snap in your hips

you don’t miss the way hendery’s eyes trail up and down as you flow into another move

you smirk once he trails back up to your eyes and instead of looking caught he only smirks right back

it peeves you a little how confident he looked now and he slowly clapped once you finished up another spin

“not bad for a freestyle”

you hate how much his ego has been stoked and you hate how you absolutely know how much he absolutely seemed to live for your annoyance with him

you two circled each other for a while, none of you really knowing who started moving first and why you both continued

but it was you who stepped forward first, and he responded in kind and it would have been so off putting that you both were so close

when he chuckled at your determined gaze you could practically feel his breath against your face

you felt the anger bubbling in your core once the warmth hit your cheeks

but a closer look at his eyes showed you that he was definitely affected by your snappiness with him and the irritation was practically pooling in his irises

“you know, for someone who’s in advanced hip hop you sure don’t seem good at motor functions. you could barely stand at that party”

“you know, having fun tends to have that effect. but you wouldn’t know. nobody does anything with you besides stand against a wall and try to talk over the music. there’s a reason why the lyrics are the only words you’re supposed to be hearing”

normally you’d bite your tongue and walk away or tell him he’s being the immature one once again, but those words were dumb and it mad you livid

“funny, for someone who claims to move so well yet you haven’t really shown me anything”

in a flurry of motion, hendery has grabbed your arm and spun you around so that you fall hard into his chest

you can hear a huff of effort from him as he twirls you out again and then back into him but with his hand at your waist

his cocky grin makes you almost growl at him, but you were too shocked to say anything

“cat got your tongue?”

he releases you and then dusts himself off

“you know when you want to act up.......”

he gets in your face and the cockiness as dissolved into the pure annoyance that you are already familiar with from feeling it yourself

“make sure you’re not just all talk.” he turns and grabs all his stuff, but he waves over his shoulder before he leaves “see you in class”

and oooooOOOOOH do you see him in class the next morning

the instructor has greeted you since you transferred in the class two weeks in

they were glad you decided to come in even though the class was already working on some dances and it would take a couple classes to see where you were at since it’d been a while and also with a different instructor

so..................

“hi, i’m hendery. i’m the student instructor/TA, i’ll bring you up to speed”

and GOSH did you feel so angry for waking up at 6am to have breakfast and having to walk across campus in the cold morning air just to figure out you’d have to work 1:1 with hendery for a couple of classes

and he wasn’t too happy about it either

mainly because he had some of your friends on his tail for blasting you on social media and all of a sudden it was talk of the two friend groups and even in some other circles

but while he was getting told off for being immature about it and even about being teased about his clumsiness and somewhat recklessness (which got old real fast)

you were also getting constantly teased by your “boringness” but also some people had the audacity to actually stop inviting you to some things because they thought so

little did you know hendery was sort of in the same boat because they were afraid he’d break something and when he heard that boy did he really want to

and both of your indirect interactions with each other in that method only fueled the spite you had with the direct contact with each other

the next couple of classes you purposely would hit him with an arm when you had it swung out or maybe accidentally stepping on his toes

but he was also quick to make sure to “accidentally” not teach you the full dance to a song or even give you the entirely wrong song to dance to

but the instructor assumed that it was because you were logged from all the physics shenanigans so they wanted hendery to run it through with you during class

you were practically seething over a lunch with your friends about all of this and they gave you tired glances

ten was the only one who seemed unfazed, as he was the only one in the two circles with direct connections to both of you

“i just don’t understand why this keeps happening. if he just wasn’t so immature and keeps insulting me about my way of spending time with friends then i’d stop fighting back”

“but you started it”

“we didn’t know each other, ten! it was just some light jabbing” you scoff at that because it was just so annoying at this point “besides, he was so obnoxious in the first place”

ten gives you an encouraging pat on the back

you groan and say you haven’t been able to spend a good weekend of fun in a couple of weeks thanks to wary eyes or not knowing where the parties are

“didn’t know you could have fun~”

you also smack ten but his cheeky grin lets him get away with it, like it does every time

but he soon makes up for it by giving you the location and time of another party by a friend of his and that he’d be there to hang with you

by the time you got there he was already tearing it up on the dance floor after taking one too many

he was all the more excited to see you though and had jumped into your arms happily and was laughing the whole time

“hey, you made it! you won’t believe who-”

but he was whisked away before you knew it

so you left to get something to drink on your own

somebody you vaguely knew recognized you and started chatting with you on the way

“hey, haven’t i seen you around before?”

“yeah..... i think we took physics together?”

“oh right!!!! i remember, you transferred out right?”

you knew where this was going since they obviously wanted to sound smarter in this situation

they had been your lab partner and it totally sucked to hear them complain about having someone ‘not competent enough to do anything’ as a partner

you only nod and listen to them ramble a little more, looking for someone familiar to latch onto so you could leave this conversation

until you heard

“i didn’t know you went to parties”

“uhhhh....... what made you think that?”

they shrug and they look amused to keep making jabs at you

“well, i heard you were kind of a stick in the mud. not to mention you don’t really do much at parties, so i figured it wasn’t your scene”

“what? excuse me??”

“oh. well i thought since you were a little slow in class then you wouldn’t be doing anything besides standing around. the dorm’s more your place, yeah?”

before you can go off on the dude, the person’s shoved against the wall and they’re not going anywhere

especially when hendery’s face is in theirs

“that’s enough, buddy. you’re a little harsh, no?”

they give out a nervous laugh and look around to see if anybody is going to come to their aid, but the others have decided to keep moving and ignore what’s going on

you on the other hand are shocked to find that hendery’s here, much more that he’s defending you in a sense

“whatT? didn’t you...... you know, start all of this?”

hendery rolls his eyes but shoves a little harder

you hate to say it, but you were feeling pretty proud of this

“first of all, they did”

“hey!”

“but second of all, you’ve been skating on thin ice ever since you thought it’d be funny to start insulting someone as your first interaction”

“that’s RICH coming from you” and the person’s right, but they’re also toeing the line reeeeeal far with agitating hendery

“oh yeah? i didn’t realize how much of a stuck up twerp i sounded like before i heard those words coming out of your mouth”

you merely watch on and hendery takes a glance out of the corner of his eye to look at you

there’s a hard glare in his eyes but they soften a bit once you come into sight

you’re................... confused????

but you also recognize the anger in his eyes since the person also began jabbing at hendery, so you were prepared for his next line

“by the way... you hungry?”

“huh?”

and hendery had raised his fist up and the person recoiled hard

but it never made contact.....

they timidly looked up to see the fist

he scoffed and straighted out his clothes as he backed away

“yeah, don’t act though if it’s just that. an act”

he walks away from the person and heads for you

“come on, let’s get you a drink”

you just stand there as he searches around for an empty cup and fills it with water quickly before walking you outside

you didn’t need to be pulled along to follow with him

you wanted answers

by the time you’re outside you just give him an expecting look with your eyebrows raised and he seems almost frustrated to admit his thoughts

“what, cat got your tongue this time?”

he chuckles as he remembers that one instance in the dance studio together but he hums, thinking of his next words

“i mean, i’m not sure how else to phrase it”

“i can wait. i don’t do much besides not have fun anyways”

at this he hangs his head

“okay, well i do feel bad about that. i didn’t realize how harsh those words all sounded until it was being played back to me”

“it took this long to figure out why i was upset by it and not just me being a ‘stick in the mud’?“

he nods and you can see instead of irritation.... there’s sincerity in his eyes now

a.......... sudden, but also welcome change

“yeah... well! no, not really.......... i kind of thought it was childish to keep this whole fighting thing going on, so......”

“why keep it on then?”

he shrugs and looks away, almost like he was embarrassed

“i......... really, really............. really liked the fiery look in your eyes whenever we’d bicker”

you laugh at that this time

“you thought it was hot?”

he almost whines out a “kinda!” but then groans and mumbles

your mischievous look makes him throw his hands up and he’s frustrated again but this time there’s a civil air between you two.... almost...... flirtatious

“yes! i thought it was attractive most of the way through... but even when you’re not mad..... you’re still pretty cute”

you find yourself blushing even though you’re practically glowing in amusement, but then you find yourself turning practically red when he defends himself with an almost equally red face

“and don’t lie!! i know you think i’m attractive too. i saw the way you were eyeing me when i was telling that person off. i was all macho man and you were swooning!”

“i was not!”

“i literally said don’t lie, didn’t i!”

and you keep throwing bickering comments back and forth, but it’s amusing and you both...... like it

after a while there’s a silence in between you before you make a light jab at hendery.... only this time it’s in a soft teasing kind of way

one that the both of you can stand and put smiles on your faces instead

“so you weren’t too chicken to actually land the hit?”

“shut up, i’ll fight if i have to”

“aww, even for me?”

and he’s silent at that but there’s a slight tint of pink you can make out from the lights outside

he purses his lips and decides now is the time to make the move to patch things between you two

“i still think there’s apologies left to be said”

“from both of us?”

“..... yeah”

and you hate to admit that you’ve also been super immature about it, but you’re pretty glad that it’s getting moved past now

but it was so awkward to just do this so suddenly

he notices the tension in between you and decides to make the first move

“okay........ let’s just start over..... hi, i’m hendery. i’ve seen you before. i’m the TA of your advanced hip hop class, right?”

“right! i think i can recall you staring at my butt a couple of times”

“shut up!!” he pushes you slightly but his grin tells you he’s not that shy to admit it and he’s goofing around now “besides...... can’t lie you’re kinda cute though”

and suddenly there’s a crash behind the two of you and you see ten bounding his way for you

“i cannOT believe it, wow! the two of you together and not ripping each other apart. BUT I knEW this would happen”

and you just look at each other like ?????????? huh?????

“that you would look so cUtE together!!!!! everything turned out juuuust right, like i thought it would since the beginning”

and all of a sudden you both made ten explain everything to the both of you

because ten had shared the initial stories to the other person, not thinking it’d go down like this

but most of it was forgiven since you were more distracted by hendery leaning against the railing and having that as an excuse to wrap his arm around you

and you were practically leaning into his side since it was ‘too cold outside’ while you were listening to ten ramble on and on about how his plan ended up being messy but he was living for it

while the both of you gave him an earful about how setting the two of you up could have been done where you didn’t hurt each other’s feelings for so long, he shut you up quickly with a

“oh please, you two bickered like an old married couple. with the way you guys act just get married already! some of those sparks weren’t just angry, there was some love in there too!”

“ten!”

“and do NOT get me started on the sexual tension-”

“TEN!”

#elli writes #nct #wayv #hendery #nct imagines #nct scenarios #wayv imagines #wayv scenarios #hendery imagines #hendery scenarios #nct angst #wayv angst #hendery angst #angst #neutral pronouns #enemies to lovers au

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fullsunalicia · 5 years ago

Note

hi!!! if requests are open can you write a crazy rich asians au with renjun ? thank u 💗 u write so well !! hope you have a great day !!

rags and riches - HRJ

renjun has always avoided talking about family with you. but when he jokingly drops to one knee and asks you to accompany him to a wedding after scaring you to death, you are led into the prosperous world of the huangs - you are just not sure if you‘re actually welcome there.

kind of mixed au, renjun is an idol but his family is still wealthy and they expect him to take over the family business when his career is done!

thank you so much for your request! it sounded so fun, and i loved writing it, though i’m kinda unsure on how it turned out! had to change lots so it wouldn’t be exactly like the movie, but i hope you will still enjoy it! 🤍

Huang Renjun loves you with all his heart. Always has, always will. There is not a moment where his eyes don‘t seem to sparkle as he watches you, his touch always careful and loving as if he was afraid of breaking you. Nonetheless, Renjun has never spoken about family with you, since it was a sensitive topic to him. And you have never bothered him, because you know there are families in the world that don‘t quite work as nicely as yours for example.

So when he begs you to accompany him to Dong Sicheng‘s wedding, where his entire family will be present, you are suffice to say, very shocked. (Not only did he scare you with a fake proposal, but he also topped it off by wanting to introduce you to his parents. Renjun should be glad you didn‘t pass out on the spot.)

„You‘re impossible,“ you mumble, though Renjun still hears you over all the noise in the restaurant. He filters it all out, all of his concentration and attention on you. It makes your heart flutter, and it makes it very hard to stay mad at him. „Absolutely impossible. Now I don‘t want to marry you, ever.“

„So harsh.“ Renjun scoops up a little bit of the dessert you both ordered and offers it to you. It‘s a little silly, but you like being fed by him, because this way you can ignore him and also still enjoy your food. He snickers as you welcome the fork in your mouth with a glare. „I‘m sorry! I like being dramatic once in a while. If you want me to, I‘ll get you a ring and make you Huang (y/n) right now. My mother is going to love you anyways.“

„No, absolutely not!“ Alarmed, you look up, fingers moving on their own accord to clasp around his wrist. Renjun drops the fork on his plate and cups your chin with his now free hand. The admiration in his eyes makes you feel a little dizzy, and you wonder how you‘ve managed to find the perfect man despite being having your heart broken so many times. With Renjun, you‘ve hit the jackpot, and you don‘t want to gamble your luck with him by marrying the man without his mother‘s blessing.

„So against marrying me? Ouch.“

„I‘d love to marry you, you big idiot.“ The words make a big grin appear on Renjun‘s face. So cunning. He knows exactly what to say to have you do his bidding, casually masking the fact that he‘s just as whipped for you as you are for him. You kiss his thumb when it swipes over your lower lip. He beams. „But I think if you‘re going to introduce me to your mother, we should wait with the marrying. Otherwise, she‘s going to disown you.“

You don‘t notice the way Renjun‘s face drops, because you‘re busy scraping the rest of your shared dessert from the plate. When you look up again and hold it to his lips, the grimace is already gone, replaced by a smirk, and you blush when his tongue swipes off the cream that remained on the offered fork. „What for? I‘m bringing her the perfect girl back home.“

As you both bicker back and forth as to how his mother would react, someone who knows Huang Renjun‘s face from their home in China passes you both and sneakily takes a picture. They don‘t know who you are, but they‘re going to find out - after all, the famous Huang heir is head over heels in love with you.

And nothing stays a secret long in the world of the rich.

❀ ❀ ❀

„This is a joke, right, Renjun? Renjun?“

Your boyfriend tugs you along, and you want to kiss the stupid smirk off his face. It‘s really infuriating that no matter what he does, it‘s attractive. „Come on, (y/n), we don‘t want to miss our flight.“

„Our first class flight? The one we can‘t afford?“

Warm fingers interlock with yours so Renjun can pull you to him. The moment he wraps an arm around your waist, you‘re putty in his hands, but you still crane your neck to look at him in confusion. This wasn‘t what you expected when your mother and you packed snacks for your expected economy flight so you wouldn‘t waste money on the ridiculous expensive ones. „I‘m an idol,“ is the only thing Renjun says. „Why wouldn‘t I be able to afford it?“

„You don‘t even fly first class with the Dreamies. Why would you be able to fly it now..?“

Really, you don‘t know what you‘ve gotten yourself into. But you can‘t complain when Renjun cups your face and kisses you like his life depends on it, even though you know he‘s just trying to distract you right now. And it works.

You want to kick him.

The rest of your power walk to the plane is spent silent, since the airport is packed with people and you wouldn‘t understand each other anyway. Your jaw almost drops when the flight attendant offers you champagne, but thanks to Renjun guiding you along, you manage to take it and follow him quietly into the private suite. Yes, you read correctly. Private. Suite.

„Please don‘t tell me you‘re secretly a yakuza and that‘s why you suddenly have so much money.“

Renjun laughs, but he doesn‘t allow you to sit in the seat that was reserved for you. He pulls you on his lap and buries his face in your neck, weirdly affectionate. You blame it on him trying to get out off this without sparing too much details. But there‘s no turning back now - he‘s already let slip too much, and you‘re getting kinda nervous at what you‘re being confronted with right now. „I‘m not part of the yakuza, baby,“ he answers, and you sigh in relief. He pinches your thigh as punishment that you‘d actually believe that. „My family has connections to this airline, friends they‘ve known for a long time. Really, I got the tickets for cheap.“

Hopefully, this ridiculous suite would cover you enough so nobody would see you guys clinging to each other. Renjun lets you take his face in between your hands, head falling back in obedience as you try to make him look you in the eyes. He looks like a prince straight out of the many paintings he creates in private, the flawed perfection of someone who was human, attractive and real. Renjun is what you call ethereal.

„You never told me what your parents do,“ you say, guilt already pooling in your stomach because you mentioned his parents. Bothering him is the least thing you want to do, but you‘re going to meet his family and you don‘t even know what they work as, what their life consists of. How they raised Renjun. Obviously, they must have done a very good job, because to you, Renjun is stunning. A good heart, with good intentions. Respectful. With humor. Confident.

Renjun hums. „Nothing interesting. Just... investments, real estate, that stuff.“

Your heart drops. Suddenly, the man who‘s lap you‘re sitting on doesn‘t want to look you in the eyes anymore, a fake yawn tumbling from his lips. „We should sleep. When we wake up, we‘ll already be there.“

„Your family‘s rich?“

He shifts below you, your waist suddenly his anchor. „Well, we can‘t complain.“

„That‘s what rich people always say,“ you respond almost immediately. „Oh, my god, Renjun. Why didn‘t you tell me? I mean, it doesn‘t matter to me, money‘s not everything... but it would‘ve been nice to know what I‘m getting into. What I should be expecting.“

He sighs, dejected. At the start of your relationship, Renjun had pleaded you to not ask much about his family because he preferred telling you stuff on his own accords. You‘ve heard lots about his favorite cousins and you remember sleepy retellings of things that happened in his childhood, but never ever had Renjun mentioned that his family was well-off. The thought makes your chest tighten. What if they were the stuck-up type? What if they didn‘t like you because you were still a student in university, barely submitting your essays on time?

The plane stutters in the air, champagne sloshing against your glasses dangerously close to the rim. Renjun grips your waist tighter. Almost as if you were apologizing for the intruding question about his parents, you lower your face to his so you can kiss his cheek, but Renjun moves his head and kisses you properly. The sound of suprise you make is drowned out by him pulling you closer, warm hands you‘ve known for many years moving to rest on your lower back and push you against him. Your own hands abandon his face so you can press them against the wall behind him and prop yourself up. Renjun tastes like alcohol and the chewing gum he had popped in his mouth earlier.

You part from each other when the glasses of champagne tip over and ruin the seat that was supposed to be yours, but Renjun only laughs it off and chases your lips again. This time, he doesn‘t stop until you‘ve forgotten your own name and the lingering shock of learning about his family‘s social standing.

❀ ❀ ❀

After a very warm welcome from Sicheng and his soon-to-be bride, they take you guys out to have dinner. You find out that her name is Yijie, and she‘s just as affectionate as you. The only difference is that no matter who it is, Yijie showers them with love and praise, while you need a while to warm your engine up and get to know others. That must be the reason Sicheng has fallen in love with her. She‘s so kind and cute, you almost want to coo at her.

Your dinner is spent on a streetfood market, where Renjun shows you around. A lot of people recognize him and start chatting him up, and the tips of Renjun‘s ears turn red when they speak to him in dialect and compliment him on having grown up well. The atmosphere is great. Before leaving the plane, you had been terribly afraid of not fitting in, but now, it‘s like you‘ve always been a part of their little group. Yijie rests her head on your shoulder while you feed Renjun and Sicheng feeds her, your boyfriend conversing with his childhood friend happily. It makes you happy, aswell. Happy for him to be home. To reconcile. To have family to come back to.

„You know,“ Yijie whispers in your ear. „I‘ve never seen Renjun so happy before. He hasn‘t stopped smiling since he walked out of the check-out.“

It‘s your turn to blush. Yijie giggles as you reach for your beer to cool down, and she sits up so she can look at you properly. „He‘s just glad to be home,“ yo mumble, but you can‘t deny that your heartbeat seems to speed up. You love Renjun. With every fiber of your being.

Your new friend waves you off. She seems absolutely sure with her assumption, and Yijie even nudges your shoulder as if to tease you. „Look at him!“ she tells you. „I‘m so glad he found you. You both seem like a perfect fit. Both Sicheng and I have been waiting for this for a long time, so thank you for blessing him with your existence. He‘s a lucky guy.“

The words make tears prick at your eyes. You hadn‘t expected such a warm welcome, so afraid of being rejected by people Renjun treasures and values. Silly you. They‘re accepting you with open arms.

But his friends are only the warm-up. You‘re yet to meet his mom.

❀ ❀ ❀

You‘re woken up by sneaky fingers dipping beneath the stolen shirt you‘ve plucked from Renjun yesterday, just seconds before the alarm rings that mentioned man set for himself. He groans and decides to ignore it, just like he ignores your „Get up, Sicheng‘s probably waiting for you“ so he can bunch up your shirt and leave kisses on your stomach.

Both of you had plans for today, and the next time he‘d be seeing you was in the evening to join him for the party his mother was holding. While Renjun would be busy fulfilling his duties as a best man, you‘d be paying a visit to a good college friend of yours who‘s been begging you for a long time come stay at her residence in China. Renjun‘s alarm continues to ring as he makes his way down to your hips, but you stop him just before you‘re unable to say no.

„Stand up, you fake friend.“

„Oh, come on.“ Renjun raises his head to look at you with a pout. The sunlight hits him just right, making his features look angelic, surreal. You wish eyes would be able to take pictures; you‘d want to capture this moment forever. „I‘m able to get you off and still be punctual to my meeting with Sicheng.“

„Go get ready before I kick you out of bed.“

„So bossy.“ Without warning, his fingers dip into the waistline of your panties, and he lets it snap against your skin, a loud laugh escaping his lips when you tackle him and pull him into the warm sheets. Laughter morphs into screams when you dig your fingers into his pretty waist to tickle him, hands grabbing your wrists to hold them together and pin them against his chest. „Rude,“ he gasps out.

You straighten your back and straddle his waist. His eyes roam over your curves, the wish to put his hands on them and grip them tightly evident in his eyes(he‘s weirdly infatuated with them), but he can‘t let you go without being tickled again. You grin. Game over.

Renjun rolls his eyes. „I‘ll get you back for this another time. Now, get off. I have to go be a best man.“

„Oh, really?“ Your wrists feel featherlight as he lets you go and you roll off, grabbing the sheets to cocoon yourself into them again. The mattress dips beneath Renjun as he stands up and stretches, the muscles in his back feathering after every move. „You should have told me. I thought that alarm was your daily reminder for morning sex.“

„Oh, shut up,“ he snickers, and you watch him get dressed. „When are you visiting Yuqi?“

Yuqi and you didn‘t share a single class, but you‘ve managed to bond over your addiction to coffeine. Over the span of two years, you guys had grown as close as sisters, and she‘s already been to several family gatherings of yours. She‘s your best friend in the entire world, and that‘s why she‘s been begging you to come meet her parents aswell, as they‘ve been eager to meet the girl who‘s been saving her daughter‘s ass before every exam. Though, she’s only met Renjun briefly. He didn’t visit your shared dorm often and Yuqi rarely accompanies you both when you hangout, because she hates thirdweeling.

You close your eyes. It‘s way too early in the morning, and you silently curse out Renjun‘s alarm for waking you up. „I don‘t know. I think I‘m invited for lunch..? I‘m pretty excited. I‘ve never ever seen Yuqi‘s parents before, so this is pretty new for me.“

„Just use it as practice,“ you hear Renjun say. The blankets are pulled off your body in a matter of seconds, and your boyfriend leans over you again for a goodbye kiss. You giggle into it as Renjun caresses the side of your face. „You‘ve never met mine, either. This way, you can atleast be a little bit prepared for this evening.“

You later learn that meeting Yuqi‘s parents was indeed good preparation. The gates of the Song reside open to reveal a giant mansion, and your tiny best friend rushes out to fling herself into your arms. You wrap your arms as tightly around her as you can, welcoming the immense warmth Yuqi always seems to emit.

„You came!“ Yuqi beams, slipping her hand into yours. Her dogs followed her outside, and they were now excitedly jumping and clawing at your knees. You want to reach out and scratch them behind their ears, but someone whistles as a signal for them to return. When you look up, you catch a glimpse of Yuqi‘s mother, who‘s as excited as her daughter. „There she is!“ the elderly woman cheers while she lifts her dogs onto her arms. She looks exactly like Yuqi, who now tugs you into this giant house. „I‘m so glad to meet my daughter‘s hero. Without you, she‘ll never be able to finish university.“

„Oh, thank you for the encouragement, mom. You‘re so kind. Is there anything else you‘d like to praise me on? My taste in friends, maybe?“

You giggle and card your fingers through Yuqi‘s hair. Both women are grinning at you heartily, and the scent of freshly cooked food lures you into the room at the end of the golden-decorated hall. Everything here screams expensive. Speaking of, you‘re pretty sure that just one of these jade lamps would be enough to pay off your rent for the month. Maybe it shouldn‘t suprise you that Renjun didn‘t mention his family‘s money, just like Yuqi did. After all, they are not their family, but their own person. Even though Yuqi‘s parents seemed to represent wealth, you know Yuqi pays everything herself, picking up more shifts than she can to be financially independent and make herself proud. You definitely are.

The food melts on your tongue, and Yuqi keeps loading more dishes onto your plate. Apparently to the Song parents, you‘re way too thin, and it‘s good that you came to eat. They‘re the perfect people to gain weight with. They laugh at that, but Yuqi just rolls her eyes.

„Well, (y/n), I don‘t see a ring on your finger!“ her father exclaims as he passes you some dumplings. Chinese food is the best, and even though you should probably slow down, the food‘s just too good. „You‘d be the perfect wife for our Yukhei. Isn‘t that right, Xuxi? These are the kind of women you should be pursuing. Smart and confident! Not those silly dancers you bring home every weekend.“

Yukhei doesn‘t seem to hear you. He‘s too concentrated on his phone, and you think you can see him swiping through Tinder. Yikes.

„Dad, I already told you,“ Yuqi reminds her father, and she opens her mouth to accept the raddish you‘re offering her. Obedient, she follows your order of chewing before talking. „She‘s here with her boyfriend. The boyfriend she‘s going to accompany to his friend‘s wedding, remember?“

„Doesn‘t matter! No ring, no problem.“ The elderly man nudges his son‘s shoulder, who only looks up quickly, furrows his brows at the sight of you and pays attention to his phone again. „I suppose it would be good to know the competition, Xuxi. Who‘s your boyfriend, little (y/n)? Maybe we know him. Word spreads fast in cities like these!“

„Yeah!“ Yuqi‘s mother chimes in, in the middle of feeding one of the dogs a nugget she took from the younger children. „We‘ve got some connections. There‘s not a family we don‘t know of!“

„Oh, well..“ You set your chopsticks down, smiling a little awkwardly. This situation was rather weird, but her parents were still very nice, so. „His name is Huang Renjun.“

At the mention of your boyfriend‘s name, suddenly the entire table‘s attention seems to be you. Yuqi drops fork and spoon loudly, and even Yukhei seems to have abandoned his phone in shock.

You scratch your head. His family doesn‘t have a bad reputation, do they? Maybe he does belong to the yakuza..

„The Renjun you‘re dating is Huang Renjun?“ Yuqi is the first to find her voice again. She sounds like she‘s in awe. You nod, confused. Shouldn‘t she know that? You speak of him like, always. But come to think of it, they‘ve never talked properly and maybe you didn‘t use last names. „Yeah...“ you trail off. „I‘m going to meet his mother at the party today. Why, what‘s wrong?“

„And you‘re wearing that? Oh, my god, (y/n), I can‘t believe you.“ Yuqi stands up, her precious meal forgotten. „I‘m going to have to take care of you, you lost cause. You should have told me this in advance!“

„The Huangs are the richest family there is!“ Yuqi‘s mom finally explains, and all the blood rushes into your cheeks. „They‘ve built their own empire here in Jilin. I can‘t even count the many buildings that belong to their company! The Huangs have lived here for the long time, and they have business branches in Korea, China and Japan. Do you know what old money is? They basically invented that term. There‘s rich, super rich, and then lastly the Huangs.“

All the information that‘s being poured onto you just makes you kind of want to vomit. Not a single word of that was ever mentioned to you by Renjun, and now you‘re terrified of stepping into that dinner party. After all, you‘re just (y/n), a part-time waitress and full-time student in Seoul. You and Yuqi are barely able to cover rent. You‘re lucky to get some free time in between studying and working. And the Huangs... You breathe out, your breath stuttering in your lungs out of nervousness.

Your best friends notices almost immediately, a glare etched into her eyes as she leads you away from the table and towards her dressing room. „Hey!“ she yells, breaking you out of that dark cloud in your mind where you had started to doubt your worth. „Just because they‘re filthy rich and you‘re not doesn‘t mean you‘re not worth of seeing them. You‘re dating Renjun, not his parents. If they‘ve got a problem with that, they can suck my dick. Renjun loves you. That‘s what matters.“

„Thank you,“ you mumble. She flicks your forehead. „Ouch!“

„Drop the emo-mode,“ she deadpans. „I‘ve got like two hours to make a miracle out of you. Why didn‘t you take that backless dress I bought you for your birthday? That would‘ve been perfect to flaunt your goddess body at that party!“

„I didn‘t want to meet his parents half-naked!“

„Why?“ Yuqi pinches your stomach. „You‘re hot.“

As you sit down on an armchair, she digs through the many dresses and clothes for the perfect outfit for you. Everything in here seems to sparkle, and you wonder how many gifts Yuqi has made you that were secretly really valuable without you knowing. Now you feel guilty about the stuff you‘ve been buying her... even though they were expensive to you.

Every now and then, she asks you about Renjun, or your spring break, and you‘re glad she doesn‘t mention his parents again. She spends the afternoon dolling you up like you were her favorite barbie, and she claps excitedly when she‘s done. „Oh my god, please cheat on Renjun with me,“ she begs you, and you jokingly punch her shoulder.

You do feel really good right now, though. The dress fits nicely, with a cleavage that didn‘t reveal too much. Most of your attire was discarded by Yuqi as she redressed you, but she left Renjun‘s necklace alone. He had gifted it to you on your third anniversary.

The drive to the party seems to wake up all the nerves in your brain again, nervousness flooding your entire consciousness. Even Yuqi seems to fidget, because „the Huangs are just that kind of intimidating“. That doesn‘t really help you.

„Oh my god,“ Yuqi mumbles under her breath. „Are you sure you entered the right address? I feel like someone‘s going to jump us out here and I‘ll die without ever seeing the legendary Huang residence.“

„Yuqi, your house is enormous.“

„Yes, it is. But my house and the Huang house? That‘s like comparing it to the fucking Queen‘s palace. It‘s not the same!“

„Will you stop dwelling on the fact that you‘re all rich?“

„You wanna be my sugar baby, (y/n)ie? I pay really well.“

„Shut that mouth or pay our rent, Song Yuqi,“ you tell her, and she laughs out loud. The laugh suddenly comes to a halt though when she yells out in suprise and you flinch in your seat.

„That‘s a guard“, Yuqi screeches as she looks out her window. Lo and behold, there‘s an intimidating man standing there who seemed to appear out of nowhere. Is... that a gun in his hands?... „Right. A guard. A guard for the Huangs. Very normal. Yeah.“ She breathes in and out, opening her window just an inch so the mysterious man can talk. „I, uhh, I‘m bringing Huang Renjun‘s girlfriend? (l/n) (y/n)? Tiny and really easy to embarrass? I mean Renjun by that.“

The man seems unfazed. He leans back from Yuqi‘s window and checks the list in his hands for your name, before he waves you guys along and the gates open, though you can barely see that in the darkness. Yuqi squeaks out a thank you and quickly gets the car moving.

„Oh, my god,“ you gasp and lean forward. Yuqi was right. This really is the Queen‘s palace.

A few moments later you finally reach the entrance, and you almost pass out at the sight Renjun presents you. Dressed in a suit and his hair styled, he approaches the car with a big grin. The door‘s already open when he reaches for you because you couldn‘t wait to get out and fall into his arms. He pulls you out of the car and right into his arms, lips finding yours on instinct. „You‘re beautiful,“ he whispers, all his love and honesty poured into the words. „Absolutely stunning. If I could, I‘d grab my brushes right now to paint you.“

„You kiss-up,“ you respond, accusing him in a joking manner, but really you‘re too busy admiring him. As if they were acting on their own, your fingers grip his tuxedo. „You clean up really well, I‘d say.... Rather ravishing.“

„Eat me,“ comes the instant answer, and you slap his shoulder. Idiot.

A cough is heard from inside the car. Renjun lets you go temporarily to peak his head through the door. „Fancy seeing you here, Song,“

„Fancy finding out that you‘re a Huang after you‘ve been dating my best friend for years,“ she huffs, but she‘s not being serious. Nonetheless, Renjun scratches the back of his head. “Should‘ve known something was wrong with you, Renjun. But anyways... I‘ve brought you your princess.“

„Thank you for taking care of her and driving here.“ Your boyfriend sounds serious, sincere. Yuqi laughs. „You‘re welcome, mate,“ she hums, „It really wasn‘t a problem. Then, I‘ll be on my way...“

„Would you like to stay for dinner?“

„Oh, I actually have dinner plans, I wouldn‘t like to impose...“

„You know you‘re always welcome, Yuqi, any friend of (y/n)‘s-„

„Of course I‘ll stay for dinner, what kind of question,“ interrupts Yuqi and slides out of the car, dropping the keys in some butler‘s hand who‘s going to park the car for her, and Renjun breaks out into laughter. That was to be expected. While Yuqi digs through the trunk of her car, Renjun turns to you, excited smile on his lips. “Are you ready to meet my mom?”

You try to smile, but it doesn’t reach your eyes, fear eating at your heart. “Of course I am. I want to thank her for blessing me with you.”

❀ ❀ ❀

You take everything you said about Yuqi’s hands back. This place is too big. You feel like you’ll get lost the second Renjun lets go of you, but there’s so many things you want to see and try. Desserts, finger food, alcohol. Lots of people came to attend the gathering, laughing, chattering away. No matter how focussed they were on a conversation, the second you stepped into a room, all eyes were on you.

“Come on,” Renjun whispers into your ear. “My mom’s probably in the kitchen. She wants everything to be perfect.”

The closer you get to the kitchen, the faster your heart pounds. If this continues, you’re going to die from a heart attack the second you look Mrs Huang in the face. There’s no turning back. You’re already here.

Mrs Huang is easily recognizable. Straight back, the same sharp eyes your boyfriend possesses. She’s dressed in a very beautiful gown, and it glimmers in the flickering lights of the kitchen; the light of the lightbulbs isn’t very strong. Her eyes meet yours only briefly before she firmly sets them onto her son and smiles at him, not looking at you again.

Uh oh.

“Renjun,” she says, and when she leans back, you see the pride in her eyes. Every mother would be proud to have such a perfect-picture son. The knowledge that he was perfect and adored by enemies and friends. Both mother and son’s smile is dazzling. Now you know who he got it from. “I’m so glad you could make it. You’re a year late.”

“Mom,” he laughs her off, hands holding hers tightly. Not for long, though. As always, an arm wraps around your waist to press your body against Renjun’s, and he drops a featherlight kiss to your temple. His mother doesn’t react. Not a smile, not a glare. But the second he looks at her again, a smile is plastered onto her lips. You lower your eyes. She doesn’t like you. “I’m busy. I know you expect me to take over dad’s work right away, but I like my job. And you like hearing me sing. Isn’t this a win-win situation?”

“Your dad’s not getting any younger, Renjun.” She reaches out to hold his shoulder. Since you walked into to the room, the woman hasn’t looked at you again. “You know we’d love to have you home.”

“I want you to meet someone special to me.” An honest smile spreads on your lips, but the one on hers isn’t very real. For Renjun, you still offer her your hand. “Mom, this is (y/n). (y/n), this is my mom. She’s been waiting for me to bring someone back home for a very long time, and I told her I was waiting for the right person.”

You don’t deserve Renjun - he’s too kind. While your cheeks heat up, you still never look away from his mother, and she grips your hand a little bit too tight. “I’m so glad to finally meet you,” you tell her.

“I’m sorry Renjun’s father couldn’t make it,” she responds. You try to ignore the way it stings that she doesn’t seem to accept you as her son’s girlfriend. “He was caught up with some work in Osaka, but I’m sure he’ll greet you next time. Renjun, could you go check on the dumplings while I get to know your girlfriend better?”

Renjun rolls his eyes and leans forward to kiss his mom on the cheek. “Please give her back to me in on piece,” he says. The sentence itself is supposed to be a joke, but Renjun sounds too serious. With that, he slides past her and disappears between the many cooks who are working in this heat.

You feel like you stepped into a lion’s den.

“So, (y/n).” Renjun’s mother crosses her arms in front of her chest, the pleasant smile wiped away from her face. “I’ve heard you’re still studying at an university. What are your plans for the future?”

“Oh, I’d like to become a teacher or a professor,” you explain. Though you’re not sure how this is going to work out if your grades don’t start to pick up soon. “My mother is one, aswell, so I always wanted to follow in her footsteps. She’s always working so hard. I aspire to be someone like that.”

“And your father?”

You gulp. “My ... father died before I was born.”

“I see. I’m very sorry to hear that,” Mrs Huang says, but she looks more disinterested than sorry. “Miss (l/n)... I’m sure you’re aware what kind of daughter in law I expect for the Huang family, don’t you? You must. You know my son.”

Your heart seems to freeze over. You wish Renjun would return already, but time is going by so slowly. You breathe in deeply. “Yes, I do.”

“Them you also know that I would never accept someone of your standing and upbringing. I’m sure you’re a very pleasant girl, but you know next to nothing about the world Renjun was brought up in. Not about the values we preach and not what is expected of us. Don’t you?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Exactly, my child.” The woman in front of you smiles, tight-lipped and fake. Tears are already forming in your eyes, but you refuse to do that in front of her, so you lower your head. “Please do yourself the favor and go before you get your heart broken. You know that this is the best thing for Renjun. If you were to stay, that would just be selfish.”

Selfish. Renjun’s shoes appear in your vision, and you quickly look up and smile at him, hoping that your eyes weren’t as glassy as they felt like. Mrs Huang gives you a last look.

“It was nice to meet you, (y/n).”

❀ ❀ ❀

You never want to leave this bed again.

After yesterday, you had crawled beneath the sheets, ashamed of how you had been treated. Like someone of low value. Cheap and tacky. Worthless. Renjun had tried over and over again to ask you what’s wrong, but it was kinda hard to tell your boyfriend that his mother seemed to hate you and that doesn’t really make her your best friend. You let him kiss your neck and your eyelids, but you don’t budge. At last, Renjun had sighed and wrapped you into his arms before heading to sleep.

The morning sun warms you up, like a warm blanket that was wrapped around your body. It cheers you up just so slightly, but the moment Renjun rouses, you’re sullen again.

You wish you had stayed home.

You’re turned around against your own will. “Please, talk to me,” Renjun mumbles, and when he cups your face with his hands, you sigh and close your eyes again. “What did my mother tell you? No matter what it is, you can tell me.”

You hide your face in Renjun’s neck. Falling in love with Renjun had been beyond easy. He treats you like the most precious thing in the world, and he drops everything and anything to be there for you when you need him. You remember once when you were laying in the hospital because of a cyst, he had immediately asked to have the rest of his week off so he could stay with you and take care of you. He had known that you were scared of being operated on and spent hours to calm you down.

He was just perfect to you. He was the cure you needed after years of swallowing poison. And now, you were on the verge of losing him, because you weren’t born with a silver spoon in your mouth.

Lips meet your temple in a calming manner, Renjun’s fingers loosening up the knots in your hair. You wish he would do the same with your heartstrings. “Renjun, we can’t be together anymore,” you mumble, heart shattering in your chest.

Renjun freezes below your touch. It doesn’t stay that way for long, though. He forces you to look at him and searches your eyes, and he makes his confusion evident by furrowing his brows. “What the hell are you talking about?”

You breathe in shakily. “I’m not good for you. Not... good enough.”

“You’re perfect to me.”

“But not to your mom,” you say quietly. Renjun sits up, and you do the same. As you look into his eyes, you realize how angry he’s getting by the second. “Is that it?” he exclaims. “I don’t care about what my mom thinks, (y/n). I’m ... I’m sick of having to apologize for my family. And that’s why I’m asking you to forget them and be with me. I’m not staying in China. I’m an idol, and I’m your boyfriend.”

You find his hands. They’re trembling from his fury. “Renjun, your dad isn’t getting any younger,” you repeat the words his mother had said to him. “And I don’t want to make you choose between family and me... I’d.. never forgive myself if it was my fault you can’t talk to your parents ever again.”

“(y/n)”, Renjun says, voice deadly serious. It snaps you out of your sorrow, as if you’d been drowning and he was tossing you a life ring. “Marry me.”

You roll your eyes. “Renjun, this isn’t funny.”

But your boyfriend isn’t joking around right now. He reaches beside you, fiddles with the nightstand and returns to you with a box in his hand. When he opens it, you gasp loudly and clap a hand over your mouth, tears welling up in your eyes.

“I wasn’t kidding.” He doesn’t even wait for your answer; Renjun tugs the ring out of its’ box and slides it on your finger, kissing it afterwards. “I’ve known from the start I was going to marry you. How couldn’t I? You’re so good to me, (y/n)... You love me for me and take care of me. You let me spoil you and spoil me rotten in return, even though I always tell you that you shouldn’t be wasting money on me. I can always be myself with you. (y/n), you.. You’re the first person that looks me into the eyes and sees me, my soul as bare as it is, and you decide to love that version of me with everything that came with it. My mother doesn’t get to decide who’ll walk down the aisle - you do. Even if you reject me.. If you don’t want to marry me..” He clutches your fingers, because his own are shaking and his voice is breaking from having to hold his tears back. “The ring is still yours, just like my heart. I’ve been keeping this for a long time. Whether you break my heart or cherish it is up to you. Because I love you.”

Some people meet in life by accident, and nevertheless the most beautiful relationships can blossom due to this little mishap. Loyalty and love will always be a good basis for those who maintain healthy contact with others. But some souls are meant for each other. They were intertwined with each other because of the universe, long before you even gave these strands names. They become family, friends, lovers, brothers in arms. A long time ago, someone in heaven had decided to have mercy on you. They had taken your rusty strand of iron and connected it to the most beautiful golden strand that has walked this earth, and that was Huang Renjun.

You cannot see the goodness of heaven, you can never grasp it. But you can feel its’ traces; in a warm hug, a loud laugh, into which you break out together, a happy memory. But it is always there - constant and forever. It’s right here, in this moment, captured forever in the silver ring wrapped around your finger.

“Of course I’ll marry you, Renjun,” you whispered. “Because I love you more than anything else in this world. And no one can hinder me from that, not even your mom.”

He breaks out into laughter at that, and now Renjun let the tears stream over his face. They flow as quickly as yours and you both scramble to hug each other, fitting together like missing puzzle pieces. Renjun cradles your head against his shoulder while you press him to you as tightly as you humanly can, whispering love declarations to each other in the golden light of the sun, making this the most perfect morning you’ve ever woken up to.

And there are thousands more to come.

#this is the longest thing i’ve ever written and it’s barely a third of the movie hhhh #dont hesitate to critize or give feedback; it helps me lots !!#i love u guys 🤍#huang renjun #nct dream #nct #huang renjun x reader #nct dream x reader #nct x reader #huang renjun fluff #nct dream fluff #nct fluff #huang renjun scenarios #nct dream scenarios #nct scenarios #nct 2018

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edgarwhitmanwilde · 1 year ago

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nobody absolutely nobody does it like renjun

Renjun (feat. Jaemin & Chenle) ♡ DREAM SKETCH: Page #7

#fool4nct #nct #nobody absolutely nobody does it like renjun

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donghyuwus · 5 years ago

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Renjun | Fortunate Events

pairing: renjun x gender neutral reader

genre: fluff, tiny bit of angst and some heated stuff at the end (don’t worry nothing special)

warnings: none really excpet the makeout session at the end :)

words: 2011

authors note: hihi, hope this one does show up in the tags *gives tumblr an annoyed face* anyways the beginning of this has been in my drafts for a while and i got bored and bold so i decided to finish it today. hope u guys like it :)

disclaimer: english is not my first language so sorry for my spelling or grammar mistakes, i tried my best.

“Are you sure you want to go?”

You glanced over at Renjun trough the mirror, who was sitting at the end of your bed. Concentrated he looked at his fingers which he was playing with. A frown was placed on his forehead and his lips were sticking out in a pout. Quietly you chuckled at him while shaking your head.

“You know he isn’t the worst, why do you dislike him so much?” While waiting for an answer you returned to getting yourself ready. A few days ago you had been asked on a date by Lee Jeno. To your surprise actually. You didn’t quite have a crush on him or anything, you never really developed crushes anymore since kindergarten. Honestly you didn’t know why, so you just settled with the thought that your mind was too busy with other stuff instead of guys. But when Jeno asked you out you thought you had to give it a try. Jeno was nice and quite good-looking so why not give it a go right? However you found it weird that he asked you since you always thought he liked someone else. Honestly the whole school thought so. But oh well, things change, am I right?

Behind you you heard the boy sigh before he stood up and walked over only to stop right behind you. His eyes scanned your reflection in the mirror and you could swear he smiled for a split second, only to it being replaced by the pout right after. “I know. Jeno is nice and all, but you don’t even like him. For a fact you never liked anyone y/n.” Annoyed you stopped what you were doing and turned around to look him right in the eye. “Stop with saying that Ren, don’t you want me to be happy or anything?”

His big eyes stared at you and you let out a pissed huff. “You know, I’ve could have gone on so many dates but I didn’t. Always because you had something important which caused me to cancel it and rush over to you. Only to my surprise it not being that important after all.” With big steps you stomped over to your jacket. Just as you were about to leave you turned around and looked at him. “Now tell me Renjun, what are you gonna say this time to make me stay?”

You could see his eyes looking down defeated and deep inside you could feel your heart break seeing him hurt. But you were holding strong. A few seconds passed by and you could see him opening his mouth, only to it being closed again right after. You huffed once again and as you closed the door you could swear he said something but you were too worked up to hear it.

As expected you arrived there way too early. Not wanting to go into the cinema alone you decided to wait outside. First it started with a few minutes, but minutes turned into hours and soon you were almost freezing and hurt. Honestly you didn't expect Jeno not to come, he wasn't the type to let someone hanging like that. So with a sigh you started thinking about options to go home. The busses already stopped riding for the day so that wouldn't be a solution, besides that you had already spent all your money on getting here, not bringing more because Jeno told you he would give you a ride back. Walking home wouldn't be that smart because it was cold, almost dark and way too far. Immediately someone popped up in your head, but being the stubborn and petty idiot you were you ignored the thought and instead thought that walking would be a good idea.

Not even 10 minutes later you were starting to lose feeling in your hands because of the cold and you were getting a bit too paranoid knowing you were all alone in the dark, on an empty road. So eventually you gave up the battle against yourself and grabbed your phone. You dialled in his number and waited for him to pick up, witch didn't take long.

"Y/n? Are you okay? Why are you calling? Aren't you with Jeno?” His voice sounded worried and petty at the same time and you frowned, why did this kid hate Jeno that much? You shuffled around a bit before answering.

“Well,, uh,, my date stood me up. Can you please pick me up? I'm freezing to death here.” Not even a second later he asked where you were and without saying anything else he hung up. It didn't take him long to arrive and when he did you could see his face full of worries as soon as he stepped out of the car to open the door for you.

When he closed the door after sitting down himself a silence fell over the both of you. His eyes went to look at you. Renjun has stared at you numerous of times. All those times nothing would resolve of them. But this time you could feel yourself tension up. You didn't dare to look at him for some reason. Maybe you were afraid he was gonna scold you for going out with someone he didn't want you to and ending up like this. Or maybe he would be disappointed.

“I’m sorry.” You froze at his words. From everything that you had predicted, you hadn’t expected this. Why wasn’t he mad because you didn't listen to him? Your eyes met his and in the soft light that came from some lanterns Renjun looked more beautiful than ever and you held in your breath while looking at his face. You have seen his face so many times, with all different emotions displayed on them. But for some reason the one he displayed now was foreign to you. It gave you a weird feeling in your stomach and you quickly shook your head before turning your eyes to the road.

“It’s okay,” you whispered, “after all I should have listened. Look at me now I'm an ice cube." You chuckled at yourself quietly as you stared at your fingers. Soon after a silence fell over the both of you and the only noise heard was the engine of the car as it was still on to provide some heat.

"Hey Ren-" you turned your head to look at him, only to swallow all your words because of the closeness of his face. His eyes stared into yours before they went down to your lips. Never in your life had you felt the things you were feeling in that moment. Since when did Renjun make you this nervous? Why was he even this close? Why did you want him to press his lips against yours?

He seemed to read your mind and started leaning in as he slowly closed your eyes. You mirrored his moves.

Ring.

Your lips almost touching and your faces inches apart you shot up when your phone ringed. A sigh escaped out of the boy next to you when you answered.

A familiar voice on the other line began speaking: 'Hey it's Jeno, I'm so sorry for what happened today. It's a long story but basically my best friend needed me, it was an emergency. I'll make it up to you another time, I promise.' It was silent for a moment on your side of the line, processing his words. 'It's okay Jeno, really. Is everything okay with your friend?' 'Yeah, yeah he is alright now. Anyways I'll take you on another date to make it up to you, if you want to of course.' You fumbled your fingers, thinking of a way to say the thing you wanted to. Beside you Renjun was holding his breath and was completely still, you were sure he could hear what Jeno was saying.

'I'm sorry Jeno but I don't think I really want to. Today I realized that somebody who I used to perceive as just a friend, means a little more to me than just that. I think I like him.' It was quiet for a while and you were nervous, afraid that you had hurted him. While beside you Renjun was even stiller than before, did he die? You were almost sure your heart was beating a way out of your chest, nervous for how he would think of what you just confessed. 'That's totally fine y/n. If I'm gonna be totally honest I think I have feelings for someone who I saw as just a friend too. Haha I think that maybe this was meant to happen today. I hope everything works out with you and him. I wish you two the best.' 'Thanks Jeno, I wish the same for you.' 'Bye y/n.' 'Bye, bye.' And with that the conversation ended. You swallowed hard and put your phone back down in your purse. Too afraid to face the boy beside you, you stared outside of the window in front of you. It had started raining, you looked at the drops racing down the window.

'He likes you too.' Your head jolted in his direction. 'Who does?' You asked caught off guard by his sudden speaking. He rolled his eyes annoyed before he leaned forward and connected your lips with his. His hands cupping your now increasingly hot face. It felt like your heart stopped beating. He stopped after a good minute and moved his face to your ear. 'I do, silly.' As a whisper it came out, his lips touching your ear while saying the words. It felt like you were getting a fever, like you went crazy. Before you could respond, he had moved his head again and reconnected both of your lips. Now being much less gentle. One of his hands was still cupping your jawline and part of your cheek, while the other was now in your hair, rummaging trough it. Feeling like a dumb statue with your hands glued to your side, you decided you could use some action as well and so you put both your hands in his hair.

You had played with his hair before but not in this way. It felt different, everything did, like this was a whole new Renjun. You loved both versions of him but this one made you go absolutely nuts. His hair felt even more amazing than usual, soft and fluffy. His lips felt like they were made for yours. You could shoot yourself for not finding out sooner that this has been what you always wanted since you met Renjun, wanting to be more than friends. That's why you never truly liked anyone, why dates never happened a second time and why nobody made their way into your heart. It was because Renjun already had a place there and a big one too.

His tongue went across your lower lip, asking for permission, which you gave him. While he was exploring your mouth your hands traveled down his neck and under his shirt. You didn't know where you got to courage from but it was soon gone when Renjun stopped and grabbed your hands, removing them from his skin. He was smiling, looking insanely good. His lips red and plump from the kissing, his cheeks tinted red and his hair messy but oh so gorgeous. 'Not now baby. Maybe later.' A peck was placed on your cheek but you were honestly not paying much attention, still stuck on the name he just called you. You were sure you were the brightest tint of red you ever have been. While you were daydreaming he repositioned himself in his seat and started the car again. 'First let's get you something to eat. You must be starving.' Nodding your head you got yourself together and fixed your hair.

'So where are we going? McDonalds? KFC?' He looked over at you and you smirked. 'Your house.' A claugh escaped his mouth at your brave statement and he reached out to pinch your cheek before driving off.

'McDonalds it is.'

FIN

heya, if you liked this and would like to support me and my work consider buying me a kofi for 2 euro’s trough the link in the descripition, it would mean a lot to me! but don’t feel forced to of course, it’s totally optional <3

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basicallywhiterice · 5 years ago

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Amortentia (Lee Donghyuck)

Spinoff drabble to Sugar Quills

Genre: fluff, Harry Potter!au, Hogwarts!au

Warnings: none

Word count: 585

a/n: This is the short drabble that Sugar Quills was supposed to be lmao... a big thank you goes out to all my readers who got Sugar Quills to 100 notes! Love you guys

•••

“Mr. Na… present, Miss l/n… present, Mr. Lee… Donghyuck? Absent.” Professor Slughorn raises his eyebrows at the empty seat next to you at your desk, as if willing Donghyuck to appear. “Strange. Moving on! Mr. Lee… Jeno… present…”

Donghyuck usually attends all his classes, despite his cheeky nature, and he rarely misses Potions. He never misses double Potions with Ravenclaw because, as he puts it, “I’d be wasting an opportunity to see my beautiful girlfriend.” Which is cheesy, but you think it’s cute.

Speaking of Donghyuck, the cauldron at the front of the room suspiciously resembles the cologne his hoodies smell like and the shampoo he always uses. Then again, it also smells like your home and Professor Sprout’s gardens when the grass has just been cut and brand new parchment paper, so maybe you’re just tired.

“... and Mr. Huang… present. Ok, everyone, turn to page 127 in your textbooks. Today, we’ll be learning how to make,” Slughorn reveals a line of text on the whiteboard, “Amortentia.”

Your cheeks flare up. You’ve known Donghyuck for all seven years of school and you’ve liked him for at least two, but you’ve never considered being in love with him. After all, you’re still students, and you probably don’t know what love is.

But then you inhale the Amortentia’s scent again and you start to think. You smell your mom’s peonies and your dad’s face wash and Yeri’s nail polish and Wendy’s worn-in journals and Seulgi’s teddy bears and Donghyuck’s favorite lollipops and—

You love your friends platonically. You love Donghyuck platonically, too, you realize. And maybe you love him in a romantic way as well. But you love all the important people in your life in a natural, organic way. Even if you don’t understand love just yet, it’s okay. You will understand it one day, and until then, you’ll just continue experiencing what it feels like.

And then you realize that you love Donghyuck in your own way. And you’re okay with that.

You’re snapped out of your revelation when Donghyuck barges into the room, smiling and out of breath. “Sorry, professor! I had to Transfigure McGonagall’s—I mean, Professor McGonagall’s board back into a chalkboard. Since I Transfigured it into a mannequin that kind of looked like her first. She said she didn’t appreciate it, but I think she did.” Donghyuck catches his breath as Slughorn laughs and tells him not to worry about it. As his breathing slows down, he locks eyes with you.

“Y/n! Have you been spraying your perfume in here? Why does it smell so strong?”

Behind you, Jeno and Jaemin snicker. Renjun snorts out loud. You’re probably wearing an absolutely lovestruck smile.

Slughorn clears his throat. “Thank you for joining our lesson on Amortentia. Why don’t you have a seat.” Donghyuck’s mouth falls open into an ‘o’, and he shuffles toward your shared desk.

“Hey,” you greet, reaching for his hand.

“Hey.” He blushes and you positively swoon.

When you’re certain that nobody is paying attention to the two of you anymore, you lean in and whisper, “I smelled your colognes and your shampoo. Don’t be embarrassed.” When he beams, almost shyly, you add, “I love you.”

You didn’t think you’d declare your love for Donghyuck in a crowded classroom. You thought you’d have a more planned-out confession in a more special place. But you decide that as long as your words come from your heart, anywhere is special enough.

Especially when he whispers back, “I love you, too.”

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neocity-sarai · 4 years ago

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Under the Lights

۞ mark lee x reader (based on my fic “fight for you”)

۞ alerts: kissing, spicy dancing, language, angst (thank you for 200 followers. that’s just a number that doesn’t amount to how much true support I have received. seriously, thank you!)

۞ inspired by this lovely edit made by @/kpopmood on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZV4rvsaB0hE&t=12s (please go check out the creator’s videos!)

It’s funny how the night time used to be your favorite part of the day. It’s the way the moon would shine, casting it’s light on the rippled puddles in these streets, colors would bounce off the artificial rainfall and on all the glowing city sign boards. That was how it was. Walking through the city would make your heart swell with excitement- how everything was immersed in a pool of technicolor, eyes bright with adventure. That’s because he was there. Mark. Mark Lee. The boy who saved you from some homeless man that was trying to hit on you. He looked so noble then, doe eyes gazing at you, lips curled into a smile. It always replays in your mind, the memory of the way your cheek feels on Mark’s shoulder. The way that his warm, soft lips feel on yours as people bustle along the city streets below you. The way he’d play his guitar and his singing voice as you drifted off to sleep. Every time the night overtakes the sun, he’s all the runs in your mind. It’s like a cycle that never really ends even when you’re awake and doing something else. Now, you’re all alone again. That night that Mark died. His crimson blood stained on your hands. It never really washes off. You spent months blaming yourself, blaming yourself for the loss of the one person you never wanted to lose. Foolishly, you thought you could fix it. Kynigos had inputted a function into everyone’s headsets that you could leap into different time periods, view memories, and create an all encapsulating virtual environment all stemmed from your mind. That’s what you used to get to know Mark better, seeing the inside of his life. It’s what made you fall in love with him, this innocent, handsome dork.

[months earlier]

Are you sure about this?

You laugh, “I want to dance, silly!”

You waste no time, grabbing Mark’s hand. It was Haechan’s birthday, Mark’s best friend. Of course, you had met Mark’s other friends in the meantime too. Haechan, Jeno, and Jaemin were already wasted drunk in the bar that you were at and downing several shots of liquor didn’t help your case either. The bar was a wide space, strobe lights of violets, indigos, and red beat to the pump of the music as virtual dancers twirled their ribbons in light cages. Other strangers gathered around the bar, clamoring to dance and to drink. Normally, you’d never go to a place like this but somehow, Haechan had convinced you to have fun with the group anyway. You couldn’t say no.

You were dressed in a pretty outfit, makeup to match the sequins of the giant disco ball, and it makes Mark gulp nervously every time you would brush arms. He was dressed in a nice satin shirt and some jeans, complete with his favorite pair of dress shoes. Mark doesn’t budge when you try to pull him to the dance floor, staring down at your hand clamped over his. You turn back at him, “Is everything okay?”

Mark nods almost too violently, “Yeah! I’m just- surprised is all.”

You have to shout over the bass that shakes the floor and makes the tiles glow a million colors, “Surprised over what?!”

Mark shakes his head, “I don’t know how to dance well!”

You slap him in the back, “It’s fine, come on!”

By the time you squeeze your way through all the people, you try to pay no mind to the girls who are dancing on their dates or the drunkards who are dancing alone. You start to move your body, rolling and moving your hips to beat of the song innocently. Mark stands still, watching you as he moves shyly, trying to wiggle to the beat too. Others may laugh but you think he has his own charm. He laughs along with you, fingers covering his eyes because of how embarrassed he is. With the alcohol that runs in your veins, you stop moving, pulling him closer, “Just relax, Mark.”

He stops too, eyes widened from your proximity, “I-okay.”

You put your arms around Mark’s neck and you notice how he bites his red lip, eyes fluttering everywhere, “Can I, uh-”

You take it upon yourself to guide his clammy hands onto your hips, his touch surges electricity down your spine but try hard not to show it. Finally, you feel Mark relax next to you as he lets out a sigh when he rests his forehead against yours. You chuckle, moving together in syncopation, “See, you got it.”

Mark smiles, eyebrows raised, “Only because you’re leading.”

Then, your friends find you both in the middle of the extremely crowded, sweaty dance floor and you can tell because of Haechan’s drunk yells and Jaemin’s curses when he can’t stand up straight. The lights fade from a multitude of colors to a stark violet shade, the song switching tempos to a slower, more sensual beat. It sparks heat on your body, fingers craving for wild touches and the boy who’s in front of you. Being Mark, he panics a little, caught off guard by the sudden change in atmosphere. Because he lets go of you, you can’t but feel disappointment. Jeno, drunk off strawberry smirnoff and lime margaritas swings you around to him, “Come on, y/n! Dance with me!”

You laugh, tripping over your own heels. Still, you jump up and down with Jeno and the rest of the boys, riding the beat along with them as people begin to dance on top of you. Everything is blurry and it feels like you’re losing yourself into blinding light, your hair sticking to your skin from how hot it is. You let the music run through you, wracking through your body. You almost don’t realize that Mark is standing by you all as he watches you, Jeno, and Renjun. Mark looks away, fists curled into his palms. His lips are slightly pouted, his perfectly styled hair becoming more messy. So, you tread back to him, pushing past all the girls who glare at you for interrupting their energies, but you don’t care.

“Is everything okay? We can get out of here if you want-”

Mark stares at you, wasting no time to pull you flushed against his chest, his hand protectively flat against the small of your back, “Why are you dancing with him when you were dancing with me?”

You realize that Mark’s tone is deeper than before, his shy attitude abandoned before you can respond to his command, “We just kind of got caught in the moment, I’m really sor-”

Mark’s lips barely brush past your ear, he growls a little, “Be close to me, y/n. I want you right here.”

You’re startled by Mark’s sudden shift in attitude, it makes you shiver from the thought.

“Okay.”

So you both let yourselves go. You dance with Mark, letting him twirl you under the lights and you swing your hips against him, not actually having danced with anyone like this before. Mark groans from your body against his, his fingers curled tight on your hips. The bass shakes your bodies, rumbling through the atmosphere like earthquakes and even though your feet are numb, you still keep going. Then, Mark spins you around so you’re facing him, “Let’s go.”

Before you can reply, he’s whisking you out of the bar and out of the virtual portkey at the entrance. Suddenly, you’re back on Everlane street which is the street where you and Mark had first met. Outside, the night sky is covered with a net of swirling stars and cars zoom across the sky overhead. Robots advertise menus for the cafes and restaurants that line the sidewalk, romantics happening on every corner. The breeze in the night smells sweet, bringing back the flood of memories. Mark begins to lead you into the double doors of his 3 story apartment, reaching in his jean pocket for his keys. You follow him up the stairs, entering the living room that is familiar to you. The apartment feels like Mark. It’s a studio apartment, the furniture beiges and whites, the carpets a light grey. Just as Mark throws his keys onto the counter, he grabs you by the shoulders, his hands warm on your skin, “I’m sorry if I acted weird back there. I was just looking forward to dancing with you and drunk ass Jeno swept you away…”

Mark’s eyes are sad, his lips pouted as you bring your hand to the curve of his cheek, “You’re cute when you’re jealous.”

Mark jokingly frowns, “I think I would’ve gone crazy if they touched you.”

You laugh, “I love you. Nobody else, okay?”

Then Mark presses his forehead against yours, his arms wrapping around the waist of your dress where you ribbon belt is tied before smashing his lips against yours. You stumble back on your heels, your back and Mark’s hands against the rim of the counter like he’s trapping you in. You run your hand through Mark’s silver hair, drunk off the cologne that he wears. Mark bites down on your lip, making you groan. You mumble on his lips, “You’re not upset right?”

Mark chuckles, running his hand along your thigh and moving down to press kisses to your neck, “What if I said that I was?”

You tug on Mark’s hair, you’re absolutely breathless, “You shouldn’t be. There’s no reason to.”

Mark pulls your ribboned belt, letting it fall to the floor on a pile, “Shouldn’t you prove it to me then?”

Mark goes back to kissing your lips and you mumble, “How should I do that?”

And expecting him to take things further, Mark reaches behind you for something in his coin bowl that’s shaped like a watermelon slice. You pull away from his lips, staring at the pair of keys he has in his hand. Mark jangles them, “Y/n, would you like to move in with me?”

You eye him with shock, “Wait- did you just- wait, for real?”

Mark nods, “I’ve been wanting to ask you for a while now, just didn’t know when.”

“So you’re asking now?!”

Mark smiles a toothy grin, threatening to burst into laughter, “Yes?”

You smile into your hands, “I’d love to.”

Launching yourself into Mark’s arms, he catches you, kissing you with fervor once more.

[current time]

Tomorrow, you had a mission. Ever since Mark’s been gone, you and the boys have been working to clear levels and gain more skills. You swore to yourself that even though you couldn’t bring Mark back, you didn’t want men like Mr. C going around killing people. Everyone calls them the Underground, a mafia-like organization that tries to take advantage of the Kynigos system and force kids to do their dirty work so they don’t get caught. They rob people of their points, their skills so that they can become more powerful. They don’t have morals and they don’t care either. So, you and the rest of the boys formed the Right Compass, an organization of hyper-intelligent headset users to combat the Underground. Renjun and Jaemin are in charge of the tech, Chenle and Jisung are in charge of outreach and recruitment, and you and Jeno are the honorary agents. Besides Mark, you trusted the boys more than anyone else. After Mark’s passing, it brought you closer together-- forming the Right Compass in Mark’s name.

Your mission was that the government had sent an infiltrator spy to scout the Underground levels, to crack down where the heart of the organization is. No one knows and that’s why you and the boys have been tracking leads since you first knew about it. There’s some sightings, maybe a cloudy witness here and there but nothing definite. Your mission was to find the undercover spy and convince them to do a covert operation with the Right Compass. You wanted them to see how strong you were as a united front and how many members had solved crimes, big or small. You and Jeno had packed light. You had dressed in all black so that you could blend into the shadows, your beam-powered guns strapped to your holster.

Jeno nods at you, his glass-lenses sitting on the bridge of his nose as he coats them with invisibility spray. You do the same, it makes you both less noticeable. You nod, hopping up on your hoverboard as Jeno does the same, shooting up into the sky. You ride your board over the city, the lights glowing under you as people who walk the streets look like tiny ants from your view. Jeno goes first, his tall figure blasting into an emerald portal that opens up in the middle of the sky. You follow him, being swallowed by green light as you’re both transported to the Underground levels. Everything looks starkly different in the Underground. It’s like a black hole, the streets are covered in grime and trash, alleyways shrouded in secrets. Everyone’s cloaked as they walk along the bars that are locked with passwords and gambling shacks, dog fights happen on every corner. You’re reminded of why people don’t come here, at least good people don’t. Jeno motions you over, pointing at a ledge on a roof, “Land over there, turn on shadow mode.”

You do as he says, your body disappearing into the dark sky that’s as black as charcoal, no stars glow overhead. When you and Jeno land, you scoff, “It’s filthy here, why would people want to live in a place like this?”

Jeno presses a button on his hoverboard that makes it condense into a cube like a transformer as he shoves it in his pocket, “It’s the Underground. People don’t come here for fun, y/n. Well they do, just not the good kind.”

You nod, “Where’s the lead this time?”

Jeno opens his map on his wristwatch that Renjun built for him, the map appearing as a scan of the entire area. “Well, for starters after tracking the government’s traces, there’s been a link at this bar. There’s someone in there who can help us to find the undercover agent.”

“Let’s go then.”

Climbing down from the ledge, you and Jeno disguise yourselves with outfits that make it seem you belong, tattoos cover Jeno’s arms and you tease him at how it suits him. He smiles, pulling you close to him as you both make your way to a dark sector of alleyways. You pull the rim of your hat down, careful to not show your face. You can’t risk being caught, or even worse, killed. As you pass, burly men who smell of cigars eye you with contempt. Women who have several layers of makeup and ripped outfits glare at you but stare atJeno with hungry eyes and it makes you intertwine your fingers with his. There’s a tone of surprise in his low voice, “Everything alright?”

You nod, keeping your head down, “Just fine. Just blending in.”

You try to ignore the rapid beating in your heart. Half because it’s Jeno and the other half being you haven’t forgotten about Mark and it makes you feel guilty.

You finally stop at the entrance of the bar, the stench of smoke and vodka making your eyes burn. A blue dial pad appears on the door, the number turning. Surprisingly, Jeno enters a code with nimble fingers, the lock becoming undone right in front of you. Jeno turns back to you, “Don’t drink anything and don’t talk to anyone. I’ll handle the talking. If anything happens, you run and get to the portal okay?”

You find yourself wanting to argue back but now isn’t the time. All you can do is agree. When you enter the establishment, it’s everything you expect it to be. Big men drink at the barstools, women play pool as they sip their beers, and the bar is decorated with oriental decorations. A woman struts in front of you, walking like a feline as she runs her long nails against the skin of Jeno’s bare arms and it makes you grimace. He smiles with his eyes, adjusting his black turtleneck up to his nose. You think he looks like an undercover ninja rather than an agent. Jeno walks towards a red velvet curtain by the side, pulling it to reveal people making love to each other on the velvet booths and you can’t feel any more uncomfortable. Jeno doesn’t really have an expression. He walks to the clerk booth, speaking to an asian woman who’s applying eyeliner on her lids.

“Are you Misty Kinazawa? We’re looking for Ghostboy.”

The woman doesn’t answer. She wears a red oriental dress, jewels hang off her bun as she annoyingly chews her gum with a smack. You and Jeno look at each other in confusion, growing impatient. Finally, she sets her mirror down in irritation, “I don’t go by Misty anymore. It’s Rae now. And who are you?”

Jeno looks around before tugging down the edge of his sleeve to show her the compass tattoo on his wrist, “Right Compass. We spoke on the phone.”

Rae cackles, “Ah right- those kids who promised to pay me right? Ghostboy’s probably here somewhere, check in the back room.”

Jeno pulls out a wad of cash from his jacket pocket, “Thanks Rae. Have a nice night.”

Rae scoffs, counting the bills as she cocks her head in the direction of the back room. You and Jeno pass by the sex club and you swear that you would have torn your eyes out if youweren’t on a mission. Entering the back room, Jeno sweeps away a suede emerald curtain and what you find behind it is insane. The entryway opens up into a humongous warehouse room, submerged underwater. It’s a huge floating cube of water, filled with a large crowd of club-goers. It reminds you of that night, that night when Mark had pulled you close. Jeno rubs his temples, “How the fuck are we going to find an undercover agent in this crowd?”

“Let’s split up, cover more ground. Meet back up here?”

Jeno looks at you with concern, “Are you sure?”

“Yeah- have more faith in me. I can take care of myself.”

Jeno nods, “Okay. Meet back here right after. We’re tagged so just ping my location on your wristwatch and I’ll come find you.”

You both enter the cube, the music transitioning from muffles to blaring electronic sounds, sweaty bodies crashing into you like a vortex. Jeno heads left so you head right. You remember looking at Ghostboy’s file, he’s supposed to be wearing a gold armband. His frame is medium height, yet you don’t know what his face looks like. Jeno’s right, it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. You start by weaving through the bodies, girls falling into you from being too drunk. Even though everything is underwater, you find that you can still breathe. Must be why a virtual world is most desirable, technology can do everything.

People get in your way, boys hooting and hollering at you, trying to rip off your cloak. You swat them away, trading through the ocean of bodies. The music makes your head hurt, the air becoming suffocating to you. The smell of various drugs permeates, making you want to vomit. Still, you keep going. You look for the gold armband in a blur of blue, keeping your hand on your gun under your coat. You hear Jeno’s voice through your headset, “I can’t find him! Any luck on your side?”

You scream into your voice function, “No! I can’t! It’s too loud and there’s too many people!”

Before you turn away, you see someone. There’s someone who stands a few feet away from you, shrouded in a white outfit but a mask for a face. They call it a virtual glamour, to disguise the real person’s face. From the looks of it, the person- male it looks like he’s staring right at you. You scream at Jeno, “Wait- there’s someone! I’m following them!”

“Wait for me!”

You hang up on Jeno, pinging him your location as you make your way to the person. They turn tail and run and you leap over drunk people who have crashed to the ground as you try not to lose them. Finally, you chase the person through a series of tapestries until you reach the back exit. Shoving the door open, you enter back onto the street, glancing around for the mysterious vigilante.

Then, in an instant, the white clothed figure points a gun at you, “Who the hell are you?”

It happens like oil being added to fire, exploding your heart into a million rapid beats, making your knees grow weak. That voice. That voice. You hold your hands up, turning to face them, trying to see through the glamor. Like a glitch, the glamor flickers in and out and it takes your breath away.

The face that you see is identical to Mark’s.

“I asked, who are you?”

You fall to the ground weakly, your hand curling in the dirt, “How is this possible- there’s no way- no, I saw you die that night! this isn’t real!

”You start to wail, “Mark! It’s me! Y/n!”

Mark raises his eyebrow in fury, “Who?! How do you know my name?! Where are you from?!”

He doesn’t recognize you. Is it really him? But he looks exactly the same. His eyes, his lips, his cheeks. His frame. It’s all the same.

You point your gun at him, starting to sob, “Mark- please! It’s me!”

In an instant, Jeno yanks open the door, his hand flying to his gun the moment he sees you and a boy pointing handguns at each other. You scream, “Jeno, don’t shoot!”

Jeno puts his gun up, making his way to you by putting a protective stance in front of you. But that’s when it dawns on him, who is he staring at? The face of his brother, his best friend, his comrade on the streets from childhood. Jeno screams at him, his ears burning red from the cold, “Who are you?! Why are you using Mark’s face as a glamor! Show yourself impostor!”

Mark knits his eyebrows together, unclipping his white cloak, revealing a cyber-kinetic arm that’s sparking with electricity and tiny wires. The gears in it churn with gold ropes, the circle on Mark’s palm glowing red, “I don’t know who you people are, but tonight will be your last night alive!”

Just when Jeno is about to pull the trigger, you shove him, the bullet ricocheting off the ground. You launch your whole body in front of Mark, even though you’re tripping over yourself and with your whole heart you shove your necklace in his face. It’s a portrait of you and Mark from back then, a gift from Mark for your birthday.

Tears are streaming down your face and you swear that your heart is going to burst from how fast it’s going, “Please! Just listen to us, please. I need you to see.”

You grip the chain of the necklace, watching his expression fade from anger to confusion. He runs the pad of his thumb on the picture, “It seems that this is me. But how-”

You shake your head wildly, “I don’t know. But don’t you get it? you used to know us! You used to know me!”

Mark shakes his head, “This is impossible, I work for an organization. I always have. I’m a machine! I would have never crossed paths with you.”

You look back at Jeno, and you see him shake. He treads slowly towards you, “Don’t you want to find out? You have two options. You can kill us now or find out what happened. We’re your only lead.”

Mark lowers his arm, the fire in his palm dimming, “I don’t wish to find out because I assume what you’re saying is some made up scenario. I suggest we don’t run into each other in the future. I won’t be so merciful.”

Like that, Mark swings his white cape on, hiding his face under his hood. He types in a code that appears in front of him, a white motorcycle appearing in its place. Hopping on, he speeds way down the street, leaving you and Jeno alone in the musty night. Tears stain your cheeks, “I have to go after him, Jeno. I don’t expect you to follow me.”

Jeno stands next to you, putting an arm around your shoulder, “We. We’re going after him. We have to.”

You and Jeno hop back on your hoverboards, disappearing into the dark.

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