#pentagon hongseok x reader

[jinkoh]

Pentagon - realizing they have feelings for you

SFW; gender-neutral reader

@huipinkhair requested: Do you think you could write a little ptg ot9 realising they have feelings for you? Like the moment they realise and what they do

a/n: tysm for requesting as always!! ❤️ sorry that it took so long! i hope you'll enjoy these~

Masterlist

Jinho

He sees you working hard at something you’re passionate about. You don’t have to be all that good at it, he’ll always be impressed if you put in an honest effort. He can’t help thinking that it’s admirable because it’s a character trait he values.

He’d probably keep his feelings close to his heart. But if he ever sees you falter or feel insecure, he’d at least tell you how impressed he is with your hard work and encourage you.

Hui

Hongseok

It’s small gestures, like how you leave small sticky notes or a coffee in his studio to cheer him up when he has to work a lot. When he’s tired or things are tough he’ll find himself wanting to see you. It’s not easy for Hui to let others take care of him, but somehow it’s so easy when it’s you. You just make him feel at home.

He doesn’t tell you immediately. For now it’s enough to seek comfort in your presence.

Shinwon

He does something for you, maybe makes you a sandwich or whatever, constantly thinking about what you’d like the best and what would make you the happiest. The moment he gives it to you and sees your grateful smile he's a goner.

Might turn a little clumsy around you, suddenly hyper aware of every little interaction.

Yeo One/Changgu

He makes you laugh with something silly he says. He didn’t even consider it that funny but when you burst into giggles he thinks he wants to be the source of your laughter many many times from here on out.

Tries hard to be funny around you and then smiles fondly whenever your eyes light up with laughter.

You support him in something he does. Maybe he has a musical role or a concert and you come to cheer him on. When he spots you in the audience he'll be overcome with happiness thinking to himself that he really loves you. Might just tell you after the show in a rush of endorphins.

Yanan

Maybe you scold him a little for being thoughtless and at first he gets annoyed and defensive. But then you spill that you’re upset because you were worried about him. He realizes that you must really care for him and somehow it makes his heart flutter? Care for him some more please?

Yuto

He listens to you talking about something you love. Maybe it’s just something small like your favorite yogurt but he realizes he could keep listening forever. And that’s what he does, he keeps listening and thinking over and over how much he adores you.

Kino/Hyunggu

Wooseok

He catches you humming or dancing by yourself while doing something, clearly in a good mood, and he’s just so endeared by it. He’d probably feel torn between gushing over how cute you are and watching in silence so you don’t stop.

Hyunggu would probably feel very excited about confessing to you and not wait too long. Love is something that should be shared after all.

It’s a simple moment. You’re watching a movie or show together, joking around a bit and you’re just so comfortable with him, casually leaning your head against his shoulder or playfully nudging him in the side and that’s when realization sinks in. He's so far gone for you.

Now that he’s aware of his own feelings, he can’t help but be incredibly flustered around you, heart racing at every simple touch.

Masterlist

[cyncialwoo]

Hot Sugar Y.HS

-pairing: hongseok x female!reader

-genre: smut, angst, enemies to fwb to fake dating to lovers?!

-words:6.6k

-warnings: alcohol consumption

-a/n: Hi it's me again after a while later. I re-read this and I am eating it up, so I hope you guys will enjoy it too! It's longer than my other work, so that's also exciting. I plan to bring you guys something fresh too. I'm figuring out an idea now... I have like three? >>Masterlist

There was always some sort of jealousy toward those with easy access to success and money. There was frustration on why could they be born into it, and you have to work so hard only to receive a slither of the life that they were living. At this point complaining about working wasn’t enough. You had to drown it out with alcohol too and seriously your bank account was going to burn along with your throat for the amount of alcohol you were consuming. You threw your head down onto the counter letting out a groan of frustration, nothing was calming right now. You picked up your head from the counter rolling your eyes because of your empty glass being refilled. The last thing you need is a guy who thinks that he could get any woman he wants.

You searched the bar trying to meet with someone else’s eyes. A certain man with wavy dark brown hair taking a sip of his drink met your eyes. You darted your eyes away from him, the intensity of his stare was too much. He only took it as an invitation to move from his spot to the empty seat next to yours. By the time you lifted your head, he was next to you causing you to have a confused look on your face. You were sure you had blinked a couple of times before he began to speak to you. He was so pretty too and maybe it was the alcohol talking, but you started to lean towards his face closer and closer until he stopped you. He looked down at you and smiled with a chuckle. Something along the lines of “How Cute” escaped his lips. That wasn’t something you took too lightly and even worse when you had less of a hold on your tongue. Your eyebrows furrowed and you looked up at him. You opened your mouth but at first, nothing came out. You closed it and licked your lips before opening it again to say, “Calling me cute isn’t going to get me in bed with you, sir.” The corner of his mouth irked up a bit higher as if he liked it. You huffed again now getting irritated with the stranger who spoke none to you but just acted. So you just pushed him again. “Seriously, just give me an answer! Stop being a coward and just talk to me!” You honestly didn’t understand why you said what you said. Maybe you were lonely and craved his attention. 

There he went again, starting to laugh at your short fuse. He made you feel so small and you weren’t quite sure if you liked it or not. The way he just stared at you intently riled up something hot between your legs. Your body was on fire and wanted to inch more toward him, but your mind said no. “Seriously, it's not funny!” You said again but it seemed not even to reach his ear. His grin grew again. “It is when you’re huffing over something that might all be in your head. And has anyone ever told you that you’re so pretty when you’re frustrated?” His hand caressed your cheek and slipped under your chin lifting it. You let him do that to you while watching his eyes the entire time. You lost a couple of breaths along the way.  

His eyebrow lifted as if he was expecting you to answer that question of his right before he decided to take your breath away. You wanted to smile or to laugh– if you were sober, but now everything just gave in to him. Your whole body gave into him. “No... no one’s ever told me that” Your eyes strayed didn’t away from his, still wanting more. “I could tell you so many beautiful things about yourself if you would just follow me.” He smiled and the hand that rested on your chin went down to your hand and held it. You nodded slowly. You barely knew him yet there was so much enchantment in this stranger. Following him wherever he went could be dangerous, but you didn’t care. You needed to see where this went. You told yourself that you couldn’t live without knowing what would come next. 

Your movements out of your car were hazy. You just remember it was a nice car. Something that you could never afford in your life. You clung to his arm the entire ride. He drove so fast that everything looked like a picture of a fast-moving moment. Your body is still hot and excited as his skin touches yours. His smirk stayed on his lips every time you looked over at him to make sure that he was still there.

He didn’t take you to his apartment like you thought he would. Instead, the two of you stepped into this fancy hotel you had heard of before, but now you couldn’t remember the name of. Everything was so sparkly—the hatred of those who had more money than you hadn’t quite hit you yet. Nothing to stick to your morals hit you yet. Just how much liquor did you have that you gained this wonder of living a fairy tale? Your arm is still attached to his, the two of you walked to the elevator and up to a suite.

Hongseok stood back and watched you as you walked into the suite. Your eyes lit up as you pranced around the room still not believing you were there. You felt like a kid in a fairytale, something you would have dreamed about as a little kid. You walked up to him and kissed him on his lips so softly. He kissed back, but there was more hunger in his kiss. His hands went from your shoulders to your elbows to your waist. He lifted you to carry you and your legs wrapped around him. He kept his hands under your thighs as he led you to the bed. His lips smoothly glided across your own. You smiled into the kiss letting your hand touch his hair. His curls felt so soft in your hands. 

He laid you on top of the bed and pushed you down. His lips went for your neck leaving wet open-mouthed kisses. It was sloppy, but it felt so good. How could you not take in this drug that he was offering you? You pulled his hair in your hand bringing him closer to you and kissing him harder. His attitude changed and he got only hungrier for you, his hands rushed to the buttons of your shirt and began to unbutton your shirt. 

You let out a gasp when the cold air of the room hit your bare torso. Your hands grasped Hongseok’s hair tightly. You pulled him closer as a way to tell him that you needed more of him. You couldn’t get enough of this man—his hair, eyes, and mouth, especially his mouth. You could only imagine what more he had in store for you. 

You tapped his shoulders getting him to look up at you with a slightly confused face. You stared into his eyes for a moment. They were so pretty and dragging you in as you could just pull him closer and kiss him. That’s what you wanted to do, so that’s what you did. You gripped his shoulders pulling his body closer to yours. You were unaware of where this amount of need was coming from. Maybe it was the built-up stress from work or the hate towards rich people you kept inside. Either way, there was a fire burning inside of you, and no way it was going to be put out so easily. Your hands reached down to his jeans to undo them. You swore that if he had them on any longer it was going to kill you. Hongseok stepped back to completely strip in front of you. He motioned you to do the same which you did. The attachment to this man came too fast. He closed the space between the two of you again. Lips attached and flew to what you would describe as heaven on earth. He laid you on your back and kissed your neck as your hand reached down to line him up. He pushed in and let out a deep breath. Your lips met again as he started a slow yet rough pace. His lips went back to your neck. His hands gripped your waist and your back arched trying to have all of the space between the two of you closed—body on top of body. One plus one equals one right? You bit his shoulder and whispered for him to go faster. 

He lifted his body from yours to your dismay and pounded into you. His right hand gripped the sheets while the other held your waist. You’d probably have bruises there in the morning. Your vision was blurring more and more as you felt a knot growing. Your nails dug into the skin of his arm earning a groan in response. That enough pushed you over the edge and your body shook as you came down from your high. Your eyes were closed and all you could see was darkness as  Hongseok pulled out and spilled his seed on your stomach. You drifted slowly to sleep listening to Hongseok move around the room. You swore it was the alcohol that made you sleep so soundly.

.

When you woke up you were in another man's arms. Nothing from the previous night stuck to your mind. You jumped up from his arms waking him up. You were panicking looking around the room. Why were you in this fancy hotel? How did you get here? Judging by the guy next to you it must’ve been him, but why? How could this rich guy take so much interest in you? 

You tried to move slowly out of the man's arms. The man tightened his arms around you leaving opened-mouthed kisses on your neck and shoulders. “You’re not leaving me that fast,” he said as he buried his face in your neck.

You shook him off of you, “I don’t even remember–” You turned around to meet his eyes. “You’re that cute guy from the bar!” You saw the guy chuckle. “That I am... My name is Hongseok since you don’t know.” He smiled at you. You nodded at him and slowly backed away.

“I don’t remember what happened last night either and I’m going to take my leave now. It was nice having this arrangement between us. Sorry, it couldn’t be extended, but I have somewhere important to be…” You got up covering yourself with an extra sheet while gathering your clothes, You avoided the man–Hongseok’s gaze that you could feel on you. You turned around and waved him bye before slipping around a corner and dressing. You were double-checking to see if you forgot something. You honestly didn’t want to have to come back here. You noticed you didn’t have your purse with the things you needed to get home. You really didn’t want to see him or ask him. Although you had no choice but to.

You groaned and came out from the corner tucking loose hair behind your ear. “Hey, uhm… Hongseok? Do you know where I put my purse?” You didn’t look him in the eye. “Your purse?” Hongseok kept his stare on you. He looked away while raising his eyebrows. You followed his gaze to where your purse was. It was sitting perfectly on top of a chair unlike how you found your clothes. You glared at him for a second before retrieving it. Something about it felt off, but you weren’t sure what. He couldn’t have stolen anything. Why would he when he had a lot of money to spend on this suite? 

You swing the purse over your shoulder. You were still unsure about his intentions but didn’t want to seem too curious in front of him. “Thank you for last night.” You put on your best smile before walking out.

That was it. He let you walk out, watching your every move with his cocky, yet admiring glare. You kept on walking until you caught a taxi to your apartment. You sighed and looked into your bag to notice a wad of cash. That ticked you off. First of all, you weren’t selling your body to him, and you were pretty upset he’d take you for that. Even if it was indirect it seemed like an insult. Either that or just that you thought every rich person was arrogant.  When you got home you put the money away in a drawer. “For safekeeping”, you told yourself. The truth? You were disgusted by how he gave it to you. That’s probably why he was staring at you so hard. Like you were a game to him. You shook your head. The guy's memory slowly came back as you went around the apartment doing small chores you neglected during the week. You swore to yourself you were going to stay away from the bar for now. 

.

That promise didn’t stick because you were back at the same bar by two weeks as if the interaction wasn’t that important– to you at least. Hongseok had taken his liking to you and that one interaction still didn’t seem enough for him. His time with you that morning didn’t seem enough for him and he had been checking around for you. Maybe he gave the bartender a little extra just to tell him when you had arrived. Was his attraction to you that bad? Yes, yes it was. And that’s why twenty minutes later after you arrived Hongseok was already in the seat next to you.

You were caught up in some thoughts, mad about something that happened at work. Even if it was minor it ticked you off and you found it better to drown it in alcohol. That somehow made problems seem less important to you. That’s why Hongseok became to you a less critical problem you had. You hadn’t noticed him right away and he wasn’t very patient. Or well to him, he had been patient for two weeks.

“Why didn’t you call? I left you my number after all. It’s not something I do to just anyone.” Hongseok leaned into you, so when you turned your head to look at him he was already so close. He stared into you like his eyes were begging for an answer and it was almost cute. 

Almost. 

“Didn’t feel the need to,” you said as you took a sip of whatever was in your cup. Just when you needed to cool off steam he came. He still made you irritated and it showed on your face. The crack of his smile when he noticed how pissed you were pissed you off even more. “You know I might actually have called you back if you didn’t insult me so by giving me money. Thanks, but I don’t need it.”

Now it was his turn to become cocky. “Well, I thought you might have because, darling, all this alcohol adds up.” He smiled so sweetly at you like you weren’t to be taken seriously. You rolled your eyes in response and mumbled asshole. 

His smile grew even wider. “Fine if you’re upset with what I gave you then why don’t you just give it back?” He raised his eyebrows with the last syllable. You pressed your lips together looking away. You didn’t have it on you and it’s in your home. “Did you spend it already?” He smiled.

“No, I didn't it’s just that it’s put away. It’s at my house. You’re not going there, don’t ask. Maybe I could give it to you sometime later. I don’t have that much on me right now.” He let you rant about how much you don’t want him in your home or to see him.

“Okay, so then can I have your number to set up a time when I can receive it back?” You nodded. You held out your hand to receive his phone, which he gave to you.

You typed in your number and preferred name. You gave it back to him looking up at him and glaring at him as to say “Don’t even think of doing something else with my number.” He ignored you and just took his phone. He left after that leaving you intrigued about what would happen next. 

.

The two of you met up at a rather fancy dinner. He insisted on taking you out while you insisted that it wasn’t necessary. Hell, you even saved up a little extra so you could try and pay for what you were going to have. When you met him at the table you slipped a white envelope back to him with the money inside. You gave him a demanding glare again. 

He took it, slipped it into his suit jacket, and smiled. “I honestly thought you wouldn’t show up and bail on me with the money.” You furrowed your eyebrows. “And why would I do that? I’m honest to my word, and I don’t want to be around you.” That was half a lie. Yes, you did want to be around him. Something deep inside of you loved all of these things. You had dreamed of going on a fancy dinner date, and here you were. It’s just that the circumstances were different from your imagination. You hate rich people because you want to be them. Now you have a chance to be like them. The wavering thought of being with Hongseok or at least meaning something to him was there. You wanted more of a taste of his life. You know he would give it to you with the way he was so eager to have his dinner. Thoughts on how you would bring this up were in your mind. The two of you ordered and you kept making glances at him. The atmosphere was primarily silent with awkward glances from you to him. Are you still debating on how to ask him for such a thing? You did not doubt that he would accept, but some part of you still wanted to keep your pride. You took a sip of the wine that he ordered still looking away from him. You hoped that this would give you a sliver of confidence that you needed to ask him. “Are you going to give up on me after this?” You wavered your wine glass in your hand looking him in the eye. You held your gaze strong at him. You were curious about it so it shouldn’t be too out of character. “In all honesty, I wasn’t going to stop here. You should’ve seen by now that I cannot let you go.” He smiled at you and you smiled back more condescendingly. That was perfect for you at least. “Then how about I propose an idea?” You batted your eyelashes at him. Cringey– but slightly buzzed. “I think that we could arrange a relationship. No ties. No money exchange just you and me in the bed. Not at your home and mine and no personal life. Maybe outings like this. That is if you want to keep me close to you.” You smiled and leaned back into your chair. 

Hongseok just nodded along with your idea. “I understand.” Those two words made you uneasy. His face was unsure and he was confused about the sudden change. Why now are you suddenly interested in him? Did that mean you were trying to get something else? Either way, he came this far to get you– even though it took three meetings– and he wasn’t going to pass it up now. “I’ll be setting everything up, so you don't have to trouble yourself.” he squinted his eyes studying you to see if there was an ounce of fear inside of you. You just smiled back at him making him more suspicious of you. 

You shifted in your seat at his gaze. The suggestion had made things more awkward between the two of you. It was making you a bit irritated on how he could push to pursue you, yet think you were going to do him wrong. Hongseok kept giving you the impression that you were a shallow person. “Just so you know, I don’t have any further intentions than sleeping with you,” you spat at him. 

Again Hongseok cracked a smile at you. “Good because it would be a shame if we had to end.”

“There is no we in this Mr. Yang.” You glared at him. He was in over his head thinking that he could make some sly remark without you being able to catch it. You tried to eat your food peacefully while not making eye contact. You were leaving after this. No drives home either because who knows what he would try to pull. 

There was tension building up from the silence and you couldn’t help but cough. “So what do you do for a living?” You pressed your lips together. It was inappropriate to ask that. This whole time you had been mean mugging him. If you were going to in fact be spending time with him and, you know, sleeping with him, then you would have to make this relationship enjoyable. A deep sigh came from you when it was still silent. “Hm?” “I work in business. I’m a team manager of a good company slowly working my way up through my family.” Hongseok didn’t make eye contact with you at all. It was disappointing that he was so cold now. You frowned as you watched him eat his food. Something inside you was waiting for him to ask you what you did, or to see if he even cared.

When no response came from him it was even more frustrating. Blinking a couple of times in frustration, you went back to your food. If he wanted you so bad why was he being so arrogant right now? Why were all rich people such assholes and why did he have to hold up to that stupid standard for them in your head? You smiled kind of irritated looking at your now empty plate. Stress eating wasn’t going to make it better, but you could at least enjoy the food and make him pay for it. Forget about now wanting to owe him anything. That didn’t matter now. The lack of attention from Hongseok was getting to you. Even if you were being childish now you didn’t care because to you he would look down on you anyways. 

You grabbed your purse and stood behind your seat. “I’m going to the powder room, so if you excuse me.” You gave him a halfhearted smile that may have come off as more sarcastic than intended. He watched you not saying anything in recognition– kind of what he did that morning. He kept acting like he didn’t care. You wanted him to care about you and to take notice of you. He had you wrapped around his finger in a way you thought you were still in control of everything. You lied to him and he knew it. He liked seeing you walk away from him. He liked watching you as you walked out of the restaurant. He was just sad he wouldn't see your face when you realized you were in his game now.

.

Did you enjoy lying to me and going home? 

How’s your bed? Is it comfortable?

If it isn’t I could always buy you a better one.You rolled your eyes. He really couldn’t be that full of himself, but he was. Why did it have to be that way? You left him on reading. You didn’t have time for him or his childish game– again ignoring what you had done yesterday. You stayed in your bed curled up in some blankets watching reruns of whatever was on. No, it’s not as exciting as being rich and spending money, but it comforted you. Even watching rich people be stupid on television annoyed you even more.  

Why was it always the bad rich people that you saw? Was it the money that had gotten to their head? There was a buzz next to you followed by an irritated groan.

Anyways I booked us a hotel this afternoon at four. Don’t be late. Dress nice, or don’t. I’ll have something picked out for you anyway <3

You scoffed at his message. He was full of himself.

.

You ended up not dressing up for him. What was the point if he was just going to have you change anyway? Instead of seeing him in the hotel room, there was a shopping bag with a note attached to it. Maybe Hongseok was respectful after all. You smiled at the little nite of “Try this on!” It was a black satin dress that went down to your ankle with a pair of lace-up heels and a matching bag. There was no reason for Hongseok to spoil you so well. You already loved it, and this was just the beginning, no matter how hard you tried to hate him. 

Hongseok was waiting outside of the room arms crossed in a black suit. Black to keep it classy. When he saw you he turned to you and held out his hand in front of you. You smiled taking his hand and following him to a black car. You two exchanged small talk about the dress and you ignored anything he said about you leaving him. You didn’t care and didn’t want to hear anything more about it. You had no idea where he was taking you, but judging by your outfit it was somewhere fancy. It had been what you always wanted a lavish life a lavish lifestyle. 

The car stopped in front of a building that looked like it was made in the early 20th century. Hongseok stepped out of the car to get to your door and held out his hand once again. You took his hand and followed him inside where he gave them the tickets. Your eyes searched around you, there were no posters for a musical. There wasn’t any information just decoration and mirrors. Your eyes caught on a mirror in front of you. It painted a rich couple on a date. He took you on a date. 

He led the two of you to a private booth claiming that his family had reserved this for them and that he had to go today to this opera to support a friend. In all honesty, opera wasn’t your thing and he admitted it wasn’t for him either, but to root someone on their debut? That’s what the two of you were for. Plus he said he didn’t want to go alone and you were in this deal with him. That had you thinking that maybe the gifts weren’t gifts at all and it was just something so he could seem fashionable. You were taking advantage as you were just being an accessory that he dressed himself up with. 

Instead of paying attention to the plot of the opera and the music, you were staring as Hongseok focused. His eyebrows were knotted together and ever so often he would break out into a small smile. You began a guessing game on whoever his friend was and then you noticed that he only smiled when one person sang. 

You flipped the playbill open and searched for the man. “Jo Jinho..”, you mumbled getting Hongseok to turn to you. You smiled to yourself “He has such a pretty voice, your friend.” 

“That he does.” Hongseok smiled and nodded. His eyes were glowing and he couldn’t be even more proud of his friend. By looking at him you could tell how high Jinho was on Hongseok’s list of people. You smiled to yourself for the rest of the night now appreciating Hongseok as a person and looking forward to meeting his friend. 

At the end of the night, you met Jinho. He came off as an incredibly sweet person. Hongseok kept his arm around your waist the entire time while the three of you conversed. You watched as Jinho’s eyes wandered to the arm around your waist. You could there was slight confusion about who you were, but he never acknowledged it. 

The rest of the night went by smoothly. Taking in too much alcohol was your thing, and it didn’t stop when you were with him. The disbelief of being with him was fueling your need to feel loose, and you were. Your body was leaning on Hongseok’s constantly. You were feeding him this relationship he wanted purely out of spite. You wanted to give him a taste knowing it wasn’t real. Was it getting to him? You didn’t bother to check if it was. 

Afterward, he got you a taxi back to the hotel that he had earlier. Presuming that you were going to give him the clothes back you followed along with him. Again the car ride was silent with Hongseok looking out the window. He was handsome and you would go for him– if he wasn’t a rich prick. Maybe it was you– or the alcohol but you just kept leaning into him. The moonlight on his skin was something so magical. “Can I kiss you?” Was it you? Perhaps it is. Perhaps there’s more attractive than you give off. Hongseok’s head turned your way and he blinked a couple of times to see if he heard you right. It was cute. Something in your stomach turned. You weren’t sure if you liked the way alcohol brought down your prejudice against rich people. No matter how ridiculous it is. 

“You can.” Hongseok fixed his posture in his seat. You could tell that he was caught off guard by your words. Too drunk to think anymore about it, you closed the space between the two of you. 

.

The next morning you woke up before him. This time when you moved off of the bed he didn’t wake and you got dressed and left. No text from him or anything the whole way back to your apartment. There was a little taste of disappointment that settled in the back of your mind. You wanted some attention from him. Even if it was just a small text. Last night was a blast and you wanted more of it.

Almost half of the day went by until your phone buzzed. You checked it happily thinking he was just going to tease you, but that didn’t seem to be the case. 

So we might have been spotted by tabloids last night

And we might have caught my parents' attention

And we might have to go out to dinner with them. 

You face palmed yourself. You didn’t know anything about him. Yeah, you knew he was rich, but had no idea exactly where his money came from how could you be that stupid? What if you were messing with someone you shouldn’t be? What were you even going to do when you met them? Your mind was racing places and you returned to the hotel room. 

Hongseok was still there– surprisingly. He was walking back and forth and didn’t seem to notice you. He might have been just as worried as you were about the situation. “Hongseok?” He turned to look back feeling a sort of relief. You gave him a soft smile and walked closer to him. “So what’s the plan? Family meeting as soon as possible?” 

He took a deep breath and turned to you. There was a sort of twinkle in his eye when your eyes met. “Yeah, I’m thinking about that. That’s also what my mom is requesting, but she’s very judgy and I don’t know If I want to put you through that, or not.” You could see him panicking again. “Hey it’s okay I’ll do my best to please them.” You gave him another smile. You don’t know what it was, but something inside of you just wanted to see him smile. It’s just human kindness. You don’t like him, why would you? He’s just insanely attractive and that’s it. There’s nothing more to it and even if last night had made you respect him more, it wasn’t that much. 

Hongseok looked up at you finally returning a smile. “Okay, so how’s Saturday for dinner? They would want to meet at their house. I could set some things up for you.” He grabbed his phone now scrolling through different websites of clothes– women's clothes to be specific. He wanted to find what would make his parents like you. It’s not that he didn’t trust your style– he didn’t trust his parents. He knew they could ruin the way you looked at yourself. If they didn’t like you– or found one thing “wrong” they would say it most bluntly and would take it far. 

This time you didn’t question what he was doing. Based on the dress he had picked out for you from before you could tell that he was looking out for you. If he could gain some ounce of trust, he had gained it with his fashion sense. You sat back on one of the chairs in the room and let yourself rest about the issue. The thought of leaving didn’t come to you. It seemed he needed the support, and you weren’t one to back down.

You ate dinner with him soon after by ordering room service. It seemed like he never left the hotel room. Now that you started to look around there were drawers opened with folded clothes inside, and his laptop– you guessed– was at a coffee table. Once again, it hit you that you didn’t know much about Hongseok and his life. You ate with him in silence. Trying to crack a conversation now wouldn’t help kill the awkwardness that you were eager to get away from. 

“When was the last time you saw your parents? So I know how the vibe will be.” Your eyes met his and he still looked uneasy to the subject. He swallowed putting his hand over his mouth.

“About two weeks ago. Things should be fine… they’re just very nosey.” You nodded. You were feeling pretty cool about the whole dinner. Things would be fine as long as Hongseok was there. You turned to him looking over his features again. Maybe he wasn’t that ignorant person you first took him for.

The day arrived, and you were a nervous wreck. Hands fidgety, palms sweaty, and legs shaky as you opened the door to the hotel room. Another bag this time placed on the table. It was a dress suit that was a plum color. Not as pretty as the dress he had given you before, but it was still nice. It was still a perfect fit. He left little gold accessories in the bag. Everything still felt so distant to you. It felt weird how there was no exchange of words between the two of you. Just gifts here and there plus outings. 

He was waiting for you down in the lobby wearing a black suit with a matching tie, so you had to guess his parents were formal people. He had his eyes on you watching you as you walked toward him. His eyes wandered the lobby hoping to meet someone else’s gaze. He pulled you in for a quick kiss when you reached him. It was quick and sweet– something just for show in case someone was watching the two of you. You hooked your arm in his and walked him to a car. You two had come up with some sort of fake story– “We met at university. We fell in love and you wanted to have a humble job at some company. I of course lied to you about my status. You didn’t know you were oblivious but sweet. When you found out it didn’t change much, but I felt the need to shower you with gifts as many chances as I got. You only accepted it that night because you wanted to support my friend whom you know I care deeply about. It was a one-time thing. Make sure to pay attention to anything I say. Read between the lines with me. Do not pay attention to what they say. Don’t let them break you. They’re just mean because they’re overprotective.”You looked out the window of the car. It was silent with you, Hongseok, and the driver. He kept looking over at you. His hand was so close to yours wanting to reassure you, but not sure if he could. To him the two of you– could he even consider the two of you close? You were going to meet his parent. That had to count for something, right? He caressed your hand smoothing the skin. He wouldn’t meet your eyes. He didn’t want to see your reaction afraid of rejection. You held his hand squeezing it as a thank you.

 Things were mostly unsaid between the two of you when it came to the way you felt about one another. There was a sense of adoration for the other person. It was the way you carried yourself for him. You were fierce with high self-respect, not taking anyone’s shit. For you, it was the way he flaunted but still, he had something in him that was sweet. You wanted to unlock it but didn’t know how. This dinner was a good way to change it, or show the potential the two of you had if you were in a relationship. He believed with all his heart that the two of you could work this out, why couldn’t you?

Hongseok helped the two of you out of the car wrapping his arm around your waist once again. He made sure that the two of you were close together as you went inside. He had close eyes on you and his parents. He didn’t let you talk at all. It’s not that he didn’t trust you. He just didn’t want to give his parents the chance to put you on the spot. You two made it to the dinner portion until his parents found some way to get your blood pumping. 

“Oh don’t you remember Laura? I miss her at our family dinners with her. She was such a sweet and proper girl.” His mom gave off a smile. You kept up the smile on your face, but you gripped your dress. Hongseok said they were nosey, not just plain rude. His mom reminded you of the reason that you hated rich people. The thick remarks were filled with passive aggression. You didn’t want to be here anymore and forgot the reason why you came. It wasn’t important anymore.

You shifted in your seat and a hand met yours under the table. You were still silent, you felt so out of place and distant. This wasn’t real anymore. The rest of the night became one of those moments that would be blocked out of your head forever, thankfully forgotten. You closed yourself off even on the ride back to that damn Hotel. So lost in your tired thoughts of going home you didn’t notice the grip Hongseok still had on your hands. He held them so dearly– so close to him. He felt bad for what his parents did, secretly cursing them out in his thoughts. He felt protective of you– and ashamed. What he was doing to try and make you smile or form some other relation between the both of you wasn’t working anymore. 

For what it’s worth you felt comforted by his thought. Maybe it wasn’t so bad to be with him. Maybe he wasn’t so bad himself.

[faes-land]

Day 21: Size - Hongseok

Pairings: Hongseok x Female Reader

Genre: Smut

Word count: 1,963

Warnings: Size kink, Riding, Slight Nipple Play, Clit play (???)

---

"Babe, I'm coming over and you can't stop me," Hongseok said to his girlfriend over the phone. You were home alone since your roommate went to be with her boyfriend.

"No, you really don't have to." You giggled.

"Yes, I do. I can't let my girl be all by herself when a terrible thunderstorm is about to happen."

As much as you didn't want to admit it, Hongseok was right. You weren’t the biggest fan of thunderstorms, and you knew that if he was there with you, you'd be able to fall asleep soundly. "Fine, you can come over."

"Yay! I'm already here. Would you mind opening the door, please? I forgot my umbrella."

You gasped. "You're here? Oh my gosh!" You ran to the door and opened it to see your man soaking wet from the rain. "Hongseok, you're crazy." You laughed as he took his wet coat off.

"Crazy for you." Then he leaned in and kissed you. You smiled into your kiss before he pulled away. He smiled back at you and said, "I'm going to go take a quick shower, okay? It was freezing out there."

You nodded. "Of course! Go take a nice hot shower and I'll make us some hot chocolate." Hongseok gave you one more kiss before heading to the bathroom. “Oh, Hongseok?”

“Yeah?” He asked right before he closed the door.

“I still have your sweatpants here from last time, I’ll go get them!” He chuckled as he watched you go to your bedroom.

You soon came back with a pair of grey sweatpants. “You don’t have any of my shirts?” He asked, eyebrow raised because you were wearing one of his shirts.

You giggled and looked down at yourself. “I’d rather you didn’t wear one,” then you winked at him. He rolled his eyes then closed the door and took a shower.

You soon heard the tea kettle begin to whistle, so you rushed over to your kitchen and poured two cups of hot chocolate in the matching cups that you two bought on a trip to Tokyo that you recently took together. You smiled thinking about that trip with him. You got lost many times getting back to your Airbnb, but every second felt like a dream.

No words could ever describe how you felt about Hongseok; he meant everything to you. You felt so lucky to be with a sweet man like him. He may have been big and strong, but on the inside, he was very soft. You loved the contrast of your boyfriend. The difference in his looks and personality was one of the many things you loved about him.

Soon enough, you heard Hongseok come out of the shower, taking you out of your thoughts. He hugged you from behind and left a soft little peck on your neck. You smiled and turned around to kiss him. He kissed you before you felt him put his hands on your butt, and you knew that meant that he wanted to pick you up. You jumped and he caught you, putting your legs around his waist. You loved when he would pick you up like this; you also enjoyed seeing his big muscles flex as he carried you.

“What about the hot chocolate?” You giggled before he kissed you. You held on to his big shoulders as he walked through your apartment.

He chuckled. “We can reheat it. I need you.” Then you were in your bedroom where Hongseok gently laid you down on the bed. His plump lips were back on yours, kissing you so sweetly, but needy. You weren’t sure what had gotten into Hongseok, but you couldn’t complain.

He pulled away from you, and since he was already shirtless, you looked at his toned body as he hovered over you. You felt so tiny beneath him like this, but you also felt very secure. You’d be lying if you said you weren’t becoming extremely turned on by how big he was above you. His beautiful body was glistening as his skin was still drying from the shower he had just taken.

You pulled your handsome man down for another kiss and you bucked your hips against his. He groaned at the friction between you two and his dick twitched in his sweatpants. You could feel him harden the more you teased him and you enjoyed being the one to do the teasing this time. Every once in a while, Hongseok would let you take over. Even though you were underneath him.

He trailed his kisses down your body, peppering your skin. His hands were at the bottom of your top, so you moved and took it off for him. He went back to kissing on your skin, hands traveling your body, and finally landing on your now exposed breasts. You moaned when his large hands were on your breasts, teasing your nipples. You moaned lightly at his touch and his kisses. Which were now at the top of your little shorts. He kissed your stomach before he pulled down your shorts and panties in one swoop.

Hongseok kissed your legs and thighs softly. He wanted to take his time with you tonight despite being needy. You hadn’t seen each other in a little while since you were both busy, so Hongseok wanted to savor this moment. And with the added bonus of the rain, it felt extra romantic. His kisses were getting closer and closer to where you throbbed for him, but you stopped him. You were too needy for teasing, you just wanted him.

“Are you sure?” He asked, a brow raised. You nodded and leaned in to kiss him, and his big body was once again hovering over you. You just wanted to feel his body against yours and to have him all over you. It didn’t matter what position you were in, you just had to be connected with him. You wanted to see all of his beauty; and you did.

Hongseok pulled away from you and quickly removed his sweatpants. You secretly hoped he wouldn’t wear underwear, and you were right. His hard cock that was straining against his sweatpants had sprung free and you practically drooled looking at it. Everything about Hongseok was big and it didn’t matter how many times you had seen his cock, it always amazed you. The first time you and a Hongseok had sex, you wondered how it was going to fit. But it did and it hit you in all the right places.

You practically drooled looking at it and how delicious it looked. You wanted to suck him dry, but you were also so needy and impatient that you didn’t want to prolong him inside you. You just wanted him to fuck you and nothing was going to stop that from happening. He leaned back down to kiss your lips one last time and you felt the tip of his cock teasing at your entrance.

Soon enough, Hongseok had easily moved the two of you so that you were now sitting on his lap on top of him. His hard cock was against your thigh and you looked down at it, his tip was red and swollen. He wanted you as badly as you wanted him. You weren’t sure what you wanted to do next, but you also knew you needed him inside you as soon as possible. You were dripping wet and the little bit of teasing that you two had done had become too much.

You positioned yourself on top of Hongseok, thighs on either side of him. He wasn’t usually underneath you like this, but it didn’t matter since he was so much bigger than you. It didn’t feel that different from when he was on top of you. In any position, there was a clear difference between you two and you loved it. You loved the feeling of his large body against yours.

"Ho-Hongseok," You breathed out as you lowered yourself on top of him. He had his hands on your hips, as you slowly took more of him in. He was big and you loved feeling every inch of him go deeper inside you. Hongseok groaned and closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the headboard. You felt so good around him, he wanted to be connected with you like this forever.

You had your arms around his broad shoulders while your hands were in his soft hair. He leaned his head up and kissed you as you began to move up and down on him. When he pulled away, he admired your body as you slowly rode his cock. He liked the way you looked; so small in his lap as you moved up and down on his dick. His large hands were on your waist, guiding your movements. You moved your hands down to his shoulders to steady yourself as you started to quicken your pace.

Before you knew it, you were bouncing on his cock; the sounds of your moans and skin slapping filled the room. You weren't sure if you were the reason for this or if Hongseok was using his strength on you unintentionally. Either way, you loved it. You forgot how fun it was to be on top of such a big man and please him the way he deserves to be pleased. Since you were on top, you were able to admire his beautiful body and that encouraged you to keep going. Hongseok groaned as you kept up a steady pace that had you both going crazy.

Hongseok’s hips were meeting yours each time you came down on him. It felt like each time he would get deeper and you were screaming. You loved the way his huge cock would massage your inner walls and hit you in that spot that had your head spinning. Your grip on his shoulders tightened as Hongseok took over and began to thrust his hips into yours. His strong hands held you in place while his hips were going at a ruthless pace. You couldn’t even think straight, the only thing you could think of was his name and how good he was fucking you.

You brought one hand down to your clit and rubbed it harshly as Hongseok kept up his pace. You could hardly moan at the pleasure being caused by him; your body was his at this point. You could feel your orgasm creeping up on you and Hongseok could too. There was just something about seeing you rub yourself while his cock was going in and out of you that turned him on beyond belief. It was such a hot sight that he could tell he wouldn’t be able to last much longer; not with the way you started to squeeze around his cock. “Hongseok, I-I’m-“

“Go ahead, beautiful, cum all over me.” His filthy words had been enough to trigger your orgasm and you stopped all movements as you came on his dick. A slick mess between your legs as Hongseok’s hips were becoming uneven. The way you felt around him when you came had triggered his own orgasm and after a few more rough thrusts, he came deep inside you. He filled you up before he pulled out of you, his cum leaking out of you and dripping onto the sheets and his thighs.

You rolled over next to him and caught your breath. He smiled at you, before giving you a kiss and grabbing a cloth to clean you both up. When he was done, he pulled you into his arms; you both had completely forgotten about the rain. All that mattered was having your big, strong man protecting you and giving you the best pleasure you could ever want.

[jae-bummer]

My Idol 3: Part Twelve

My Idol from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

My Idol is a South Korean competitive reality dating game show. It currently airs on Saturday nights on Jae-bummer’s blog. First broadcast in 2016, the show offers the opportunity for a lucky fan to go on seven blind dates with seven idols. The idol plans the date with the show throwing in a specific mission to complete during the day. At the end of the initial dates, the show opens up an audience vote to decide what four idols will move on to the second date.

My Idol 3: The Series

"This is only temporary, little friend," Chan cooed, eye level with the small vase that housekeeping managed to scrounge up. "It's Papa Chris's fault for not thinking ahead."

"Papa Chris?" you mused as you watched the man crouching in front of you.

Glancing over his shoulder, he shot you a smile. "We're co-parenting."

"Are we?"

"Mhm," he nodded, pulling himself to his feet. "And we're doing very well with it."

Your eyes trailed from your date to the goldfish doing laps in his small space. When San had originally replaced your laptop, you weren't expecting for any of the guys to buy you anything you had lost. While it would be a kind gesture, you didn't know them. They shouldn't feel obligated to give you anything. This, though, came so far out of left field, you were unsure how to process the situation.

"Does that mean we've brought a child into a divorced household?" you hummed. "Since we're co-parenting and all?"

Chan's handsome face broke into a wide grin, dimples and all. "No, no, we're just separated. We have things to figure out first."

Returning the smile, you jumped as a PD bustled into the room. Looking from you, to Chan, and then back to Chan's bodyguard, she groaned. "What are you doing?"

"Visiting," Chan said, his smile more of a cringe.

"You're supposed to meet on camera!" the PD said, exasperated.

"Sorry," Chan grimaced. Whispering, he leaned toward you. "I have a tendency to apologize after I do something instead of asking for permission first."

"Come on," the PD sighed, motioning for Chan to follow her. "We have to get you on location.

And you!" she said, spinning around to point a finger in your direction. "Act surprised when you see him."

"Got it," you nodded.

You were at a loss as you glanced toward the last remaining stranger in your room. Chan's security guard gave you a small frown before he followed the other two out.

Plopping back down on your bed, you stared blankly at the door. You felt like a sitcom character at this point. The situational whiplash was exhausting.

.

"I didn't ask for him to come to my room," you challenged, looking moodily out the window.

"I left for a few minutes to go over security plans, and you were in your room with a contestant!" your bodyguard, Hyuk, squawked from the seat in front of you. As the older of the two bodyguards, he definitely took more of an older brother/uncle role in your life.

"We were supervised!" you reminded him after stating the fact nearly five times now.

"Not by me," he grumbled.

Rolling your eyes, you tried to remain patient with him. You knew he cared about your safety first and foremost, especially considering how your date with Hyungwon had ended. It was not on your to do list to get hit by eggs again.

Looking back on your morning, your initial meeting with Chan had been abrupt, but pleasant. Ever since Insu had left your room the night before, you had been trapped in the endless rotation of your thoughts. It was nice to have a surprise come in and distract you from your own brain.

As you were on the way to your next date location, you couldn't help but have your mind begin to wander again. Aside from wondering what fresh hell the day would provide, against your better judgement, you still held out a little bit of hope. All of your dates, whether they were sabotaged by fans or not, were so, so lovely. Barring the eggs and bum-rushes, you looked back on each one fondly. More than anything though, you were constantly overwhelmed by the feeling of getting so close to so many interesting men. They had been open and raw with their thoughts and opinions, and even after being sequestered in a hotel, they still wanted to stick it out.

You shouldn’t go about putting them on a pedestal, you reminded yourself. They were ordinary people, just like you. Their jobs were just extraordinary. You were all on the same playing field, trying to figure things out.

“Are you even listening?” Hyuk sighed, turning around to send a glare in your direction.

You felt your face grow hot. “Totally,” you lied. “But just for clarity, would you mind repeating it again?”

“It’s okay to have your head in the clouds,” he muttered. “But please keep at least one foot on the ground.”

“Did Confucius say that?" you asked sarcastically, tilting your head.

“No,” he deadpanned, not even humoring you. “We’re going to have a lot more security today. You may not see me much. I’m responsible for coordinating a lot of people, but I just want you to know that you’re safe. Okay?”

“Okay,” you said quietly, looking out of the window again. After the egg incident, Insu’s reaction had rattled you more than you would like to admit. You had never considered that a fan would go to more violent measures, but the behavior did seem to be escalating.

As the My Idol SUV pulled up outside your next location, you tried to swallow down all of the emotions careening in your chest. A mixture of fear, anxiousness, hope, and excitement danced together, none of them in step.

Sliding out of the vehicle, you remembered at the last second that you were meant to be meeting Chan for the first time. Luckily, your nerves seemed to have you prepared.

"Hi," you squeaked, staring at the already familiar face. He had changed since you last saw him, opting to wear a baseball cap and all black. The color suited him, but then again, likely every color did. That's just how it worked when you were devastatingly attractive.

Chan smiled coyly before bowing. "Hello, I'm Stray Kid's Bang Chan."

"I'm Y/N," you managed, giving a small bow back. This was going to look so awkward on screen. "It's nice to meet you."

"Much nicer for me, really," he hummed, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "You look absolutely adorable."

If a human could turn red, you would have been scarlet from head to toe. "You think I'm adorable now? You should see me covered in rotten eggs."

You weren't sure why you said it, but could chalk it up to inappropriate coping mechanisms. When in doubt, make light of your misfortune.

"Really takes it up a notch?" he chuckled. "I heard about that. I'm so sorry that viewers took it that far."

"Fans will be fans, I guess," you sighed, glancing up to the building you were standing in front of. "Where-"

"No," Chan cut you off, shaking his head. "I don't know what your opinion is of our fans, but anyone who would put you through those things is absolutely no fan of mine."

"Oh," you breathed, not expecting him to respond to your statement. "I-I mean, I'm sure they just want the best for you guys."

"The best thing for me is to not worry about my personal life so intensely," he nodded. "They should focus on there's. I'm positive it's much more interesting than anything I'm doing."

It seemed like you had hit a nerve. This conversation would likely be best off camera.

"Speaking of things you're doing," you attempted to segue. "Where are we?"

Chan gave you a half-hearted smirk. He knew what you were doing and was not amused. "Why don't I take you in so you can see for yourself?"

Offering his palm, you hesitantly took it. It was difficult to describe the way that Chan was making you feel, but you were leaning toward liking it. Even though you felt like you were being pretty guarded, he had no issue reading you. Whether that was just from him being perceptive or the two of you meshing well, you weren't sure.

His narrow fingers fit well between yours, and you couldn't help looking down to appreciate his vascular arms and hands. How could something so simple be so hot?

"How's our boy?" he said quietly, eying the crew behind you.

"Adapting," you whispered. "I made one of the PD's promise to get him a better living situation by the time we got back."

"Great," he smiled. "I watched Youtube videos all the way here on how to set up the tank and-"

Notably getting more excited, you placed your free hand lightly on his forearm before motioning behind the two of you with your eyes.

"Right," he said, clearing his throat. "So our date today...it may seem a little childish, but..."

Chan had guided you into what appeared to be a small shopping center with individual stores renting out spaces inside. The one he was referencing in particular was not a Build-a-Bear (they hadn't made it to Korea yet) but was very Build-a-Bear adjacent.

"I thought maybe we could make plushies," he said, his expression nervous. "I'm not sure if you're into that kind of thing, but I've kind of always daydreamed about doing this with a partner."

You blinked in surprise, not at all expecting how vulnerable he looked. He was clearly uncomfortable not knowing if you thought this was lame or not and was looking to jump ship as soon as you showed any sign of disappointment.

"It's kind of silly, isn't it?" he coughed, growing more anxious the longer you were quiet. "There's another place a few stores over-"

"It's perfect," you said finitely. Something about the idea of creating a plushie with Chan was incredibly appealing to your inner child. "And not silly at all."

"Really?" he grinned before shaking his had. "I mean, yeah! If it makes you happy, who cares what anyone else thinks, right?"

"Right," you hummed. "Do you know what to do?"

"Oh yeah," he hummed. "I'm an old pro at this."

"Excuse me," a worker interrupted, wandering over from the counter. "Can I help you two?"

"Please," he winced. "I have no idea what we're doing."

You let out a burst of laughter. "An old pro, huh?"

"I may have embellished," he chuckled.

You shook your head, unsure if you'd be able to pin down Chan's personality on the first date. He was hilarious, presented as confident, but it also seemed to be a bit of a front. He was very cognizant of your reactions. He didn't want to make you uncomfortable, but was more than willing to do it to himself. An undercurrent of self consciousness flowed behind your interactions, and you were a bit surprised to see it.

"First, you'll need to find which friend is right for you," the worker instructed. "After that, meet me by the fluff machine."

"Fluff machine," Chan nodded, glancing around the shop. "Totally know what that is and will definitely find you by it."

"Come on," you laughed, pulling him toward the wall of plushie corpses.

You both assessed the choices in front of you before Chan spoke up. "You can totally say no, but why don't we pick out each others?"

"Why would I say no?" you hummed, giving him an encouraging smile. "That just makes it infinitely more special."

"I agree!" he said. "I just wanted to make sure I wasn't overstepping."

"Probably for the best," you sighed dramatically. "I take my plushies very seriously."

"You seemed like the type," he nodded sternly before dissolving into a laugh. Regrettably unwinding his arm from yours, he began to shuffle down the row, picking up several options and testing how soft they were.

You focused on the task at hand as well. What would be the best choice for Chan's bear? Should you make it to your preference or to his? A kangaroo seemed like too obvious of an option if you were making it in his likeness. Maybe it was safer to pick something that represented you. He'd have something to remember you by.

"A frog, huh?" he chuckled, finally meeting you by what you assumed to be the fluff filler.

"I wanted to get you something that reminded you of me," you grinned.

"Yes, when I see you, I definitely think "frog,"" he frowned, shaking his head. Holding up his own choice, it turned into a smile. "I picked a wolf."

"On brand," you nodded.

Chan lifted his brows, but you only grinned wider. "Skzoo is much too popular for me not to know about it, Chris."

"And for a second, I thought you may have been a Stay," he clucked. "Pity."

Rolling your eyes, you pushed your shoulder into his. "I'll up my game, I promise."

"You better," he teased, shouldering you back. "If you don't get your act together, I'll take the fish and run."

It wasn't long until the two of you had stuffed your respective animals and decided to put recordings in their hands. Stepping as far away from your date as you could, the words came to you easily.

"You have an amazing heart," you said into the small recording device. "Thank you for being you."

Wandering back over to Chan, you both finished up by selecting outfits. Chan was much pickier than you anticipated, but after discussing, you settled on an adorable onesie while he picked an all black ensemble.

After a small argument about who would pay (Chan won rock, paper, scissors), he pulled you over to an ice cream shop across the way. "Why don't we finish up with something sweet?"

"I'm not sweet enough for you?" you joked, sticking your tongue out at him.

"That was a good one," he laughed. "But I haven't tasted you yet."

"Whoa!" you gasped, pressing a hand to your chest. "Sir!"

Chan grinned sheepishly before ducking his head. "Sometimes the impulsive thoughts win. I'm sorry!"

Your stomach did a few flips as you replayed what he had said. He had nothing to apologize for, but you wouldn't be telling him that. You hoped your brain didn't make interesting use of his comment in your dreams.

After carefully selecting your flavors (you may have filled up on samples alone), the two of you sat down at a cafe table. Just as you were about to take the first lick, one of the PD's cleared their throat.

"Shame on me for almost forgetting," you muttered, eying the sudden appearance of the dastardly red envelope.

"I got it," Chan sighed, leaning forward to grab the challenge. Opening it swiftly, he read the words aloud.

"Could this be a sticky situation? Take ten laps around the shopping center without letting your ice cream drip on the floor. Make a mess and incur the penalty."

You glanced from Chan to your ice cream. "How are we supposed to stop ice cream from melting?"

"By moving fast!" he gasped, yanking your hand. Pulling you out of your seat, you stumbled forward into the main area of the shopping center. The set up seemed to be a large square, so the circuit wasn't too difficult to figure out.

"Can we stop the drips?" you called over to the crew now chasing after you.

"You just can't lick the ice cream!" a PD called, already finding the running to be difficult.

Chan dropped your hand and opted to keep his floating under the cone. If anything spilled, in theory, his fingers would catch it.

Digging around in your pockets, you were pleased to find the napkins you had grabbed after you had made your order. Wrapping them haphazardly around your cone as you ran, you offered a few to your date.

"Thanks!" he gasped. "This is ridiculous."

"It's meant to be," you groaned, now holding your hand underneath your ice cream. It was already starting to melt.

Tearing your way across the linoleum flooring, you dodged and ducked around shoppers and workers alike. It wasn't until the final lap that you dared to have any hope.

"We're going to make it!" you insisted, seeing your starting point in the distance. "I don't think I've spilled anything!"

"Me either!" Chan said through deep breaths. "Also this counts as my cardio for the day."

Laughing through your pained inhales, you focused on your stopping point. Unfortunately, that meant you weren't watching your feet. You hadn't realized that at some point during the run, your shoelace came untied and wouldn't actually notice until your feet began to trip themselves up.

"Agh!" you gasped, your body propelling to the ground at alarming speed. You could picture it already; splayed out on the floor, your ice cream dripping and melting everywhere, maybe a mild concussion.

"No you don't!" Chan shouted, gripping you under your arm and hauling you upwards again. You looked over to your date, shocked that he was able to correct your course without disturbing the treat in his hand.

Now overly aware of your shoe situation, you jogged with more caution. "Thank you!"

"No thanks!" he ground out. "That was entirely selfish. I don't want to do the penalty."

You laughed again, finally coming to a halt in front of the ice cream shop. "You saved the day. If I'm not mistaken, that makes you a hero."

"There may or may not be melted ice cream on your shirt now," Chan winced. "There was a good bit on my hand before I grabbed you."

"Perfect," you sighed. "I love the feeling of being sticky but not knowing where it came from."

Chan grinned at you before looking over to the production crew. "Did we pass?"

After several PD's carefully retraced your steps, they finally agreed. You both had somehow managed not to spill anything.

"Yes!" you shouted, hopping in place. Chan wrapped his free hand around your waist and pulled you in close. If your heartbeat wasn't already thudding in your ears, it would be now.

Letting your body fit into his, you tried to take measured breaths before looking up at him. "I meant what I said earlier. You really are the hero today."

"If I'm a hero in your eyes, my work here is done," he smiled shyly, his eyes tracing across your face. They finally came to rest on your lips, the sudden attention causing your adrenaline to spike again. "Y/N?"

Chan didn't need too say more than that. He spoke your name as a question, the underlying tone making his intent clear. He wanted to kiss you and your brain was screaming at you to allow it. The challenge had left you both on edge and this seemed like an excellent way to dissolve that tension.

"Excuse me?" a raspy voice called from across the room. Both of you hesitated before looking back at the little, old ice cream shop owner sat behind the counter. "Why don't you two throw those out? I can make you fresh ones."

"Oh, you really don't have to," Chan croaked, his voice much more gravelly than it had been. He glanced back to you, biting his lip.

"I insist," the owner smiled. "It'll be up in a moment."

"Right, thanks," Chan managed before taking a step away from you. The loss of his body felt immediate, like a cold bucket of water being poured over your skin. That had gotten dangerous very quickly. It was probably for the best that the worker had stepped in when he did.

"Let me take this," Chan hummed, gingerly pulling your melted ice cream from your hands. After you both wiped off your fingers and applied a generous amount of hand sanitizer, Chan knelt to the floor. "I'll take care of this too."

You were momentarily rendered speechless by the sight of Chan tying your shoe. Pulling it into a secure double knot, he stood again. "You alright?"

You knew your pupils had all but turned into hearts as you tried to choke out a response. "Never Better."

[minimultiestfandoms]

Pentagon reaction to you asking to tie a bow around it pt.1

requested: no

wanted to start doing fake texts as they are easier to do then writing full fledged fanfics and i’ve been busy with uni and work so please note fake texts are only open for now! i might open small headcanons later on when i get more used to my schedule!

— sunnie

——————————————————————————

Hui

Jinho

Hongseok

——————————————————————————

taglist; @bigkpopstan, @baka-writings, @haechansfbuddy, @jeonronwoo, @jiminslostjam, @bluejaem, @jisungismymom, @hyuckography, @i-luvsang, @neocrush, @moonshineboyz, @chewryy, @sugarcherriess, @neochan, @jinkoh, @shinwolo, @hazyhae, @mrkis, @dollyji, @tddyhyck, @mrkjaems

[adachicuto]

last date before wedding with ptg

warning(s): food and wine mentions

↳ jinho: helping him with a cover of a song for youtube and it’d be a pretty romantic song maybe ed sheeran thinking out loud or john legend or maybe something else like eyes, nose, lips and you wouldn’t realize that he got you singing. i don't think he'd post it and just want to save it for the two of you to rewatch. it wouldn’t matter to him if you were an amazing singer or not, just being able to share that moment with you would be enough for him. so, it would probably become a tradition where you'd rewatch the cover for every wedding anniversary, and maybe you would cover more songs together each time as a little segment on his youtube channel and the members would text him and tease him about it every time lol

↳ hui: i get the feeling that he would bring you to a really nice yet underrated restaurant where smooth jazz is played and people are allowed to go onstage and perform a song. both of you would have the biggest smiles on your faces because the date would be reminiscent of your first one. you'd end the date off with really good wine and of course, hui would go onstage and sing (he'd claim it as practice for your big day) and would leave the audience stunned by his amazing vocals. on the drive home, his hand would never leave yours and he'd probably fidget with your engagement ring with a huge smile on his face.

↳ hongseok: your "date" would be so sweet and domestic because hongseok just gives me homey vibes. like, you'd both go to the grocery store to get ingredients for dinner and a dessert you both like. idk it would be the cutest thing and then you'd head back home and he'd start cooking while you worked on the dessert and you'd definitely catch him staring at you every few minutes with a goofy smile on his face and he'd wiggle his eyebrows playfully. you'd step away for a second to back-hug him and hongseok would smile to himself before he'd turn around to kiss you and he'd pull away to say something really cheesy but it would still put a smile on your face.

↳ yeo one: i think changgu would plan the cutest little picnic in the park for both of you. he'd pack some of your favorite foods and snacks and would even get you flowers or something. it would be the cutest thing and he'd take a flower and put it behind your ear and you'd do the same to him and then you'd go back and forth about who's the prettiest lol then the two of you would lie down and cloud gaze. idk i can see a really adorable dog running over to the two of you and it would really like changgu and it would be such a cute moment that would lead you to discuss the possibility of adopting a dog after the wedding. once the sun would start to settle below the horizon, you'd head home and would probably spend the rest of the day watching a show or movie.

↳ shinwon: both of you would agree on going to a spa and maybe a little shopping. i could definitely see him goofing around with you while in the sauna by making weird faces and telling you funny stories. then, he'd have you rest your head on his shoulder and he'd smile to himself. then, he'd tell you about how he was so nervous to propose to you. after a few minutes he'd realize that you weren't talking only to find you asleep. so, he'd make sure that you would be comfortable and would relax too. i think he'd love to spoil his s/o so he'd really enjoy going to the spa with you and it'd be a nice break from all of the wedding prep. on the way home, you'd both decide on ordering in bc neither of you would want to cook after being at the spa.

↳ yanan: he'd wake up extra early to get your favorite breakfast foods and coffee. when he'd make it back to your apartment he'd be met with you half asleep on the couch and would quickly put everything down to cuddle with you for a few minutes and then you'd eat breakfast together. afterward, the two of you would get ready to go and yanan wouldn't tell you but it would all make sense later. so, the two of you would go to multiple places throughout the city and you were thankful that they wouldn't be too far and at each stop, you and yanan would talk about what happened at each, like, one place was where he took you for your first date and another would be where you both said you loved each other for the first time. looking back on all of the memories would make both of your hearts feel so full.

↳ yuto: i think you'd go to an aquarium or botanical garden and it would be on a day when it wouldn't be so busy and the two of you could goof around and take funny pictures of each other imitating the animals. throughout the date, you'd both feel like little kids on a field trip again. both of you would stop every few minutes to stare at something you'd find interesting and the look on your faces at that moment would be so adorable and you'd have to capture the moments. after that, you would go get something to eat and then walk back to your apartment. on the walk, you'd both reminisce about how you met, your first date, and how he proposed to you.

↳ kino: i feel like hyunggu would go all out but it would still be a pretty laid-back date idk if that makes sense but he'd sign you up for a couples' dancing class where you'd learn how to tango and it would be so romantic and fun, even if you're not much of a dancer. after that, you'd go back home to shower and then he'd take you out to a really nice restaurant for dinner. the two of you would be so impressed with your meals but the highlight of your would be getting ice cream or your favorite dessert from your favorite place but then on your way back home it'd start raining and you'd have to wait it out inside a nearby cafe with steaming cups of tea. the whole situation would be pretty funny to both of you and it'd make for a nice moment to look back on.

↳ wooseok: being the youngest, i don't think he'd plan everything out and would just go with the flow. so, i think wooseok would also enjoy a night in with you as your date, especially if it would be a rainy day. he'd go and get your favorite snacks and drinks the day before and would surprise you with everything. the two of you would spend the day watching movies, playing video games, and just enjoying the calm before your wedding day. somehow, you'd end up talking about some of your embarrassing moments early on in your relationship and neither of you would be able to stop laughing and maybe you'd each go through your camera roll and it'd be a really cute moment for both of you.

[unifox]

If you're still doing the little prompt game maybe Hongseok or Jaeyoon and baking cookies? 🍪

“Cookie Monster”

~Pairing: Hongseok x gn!reader

~Genre: Rotten Fluff. Established relationship

~Words: 0,8K

~Warnings: mention of food, pet names, one little (and very subtle) suggestive thought- Sorry if there are any mistakes!!

a/n: Hi Anon! Thank you so much for the request! Sorry for the wait, I hope you like it. I ended up writing about Hongseok because of his love for Cookie Monster lol. Plus, I missed writing about Pentagon!!

~Foxy🦊

>Request your scenario here&lt;

~Masterlist~

----------

Hongseok likes your cookies. 

Ok, maybe 'like' was an understatement. He LOVES your cookies. 

He loves them so much, that even on a strict diet, he'd ask you to bake him the most diet-like cookies you've ever seen. You weren't sure if oats and bananas mixed together counted as a cookie. 

He would brag to the other members that your cookies were the best in the world, but at the same time, he wanted to gatekeep, eating all of them before the members could get a taste. This was why you called him your cookie monster.

y/n 💕- Hey cookie, could you pick up a bag of chocolate chips on your way home pls?

hong 🍪- Sure honey. I'm on my way

y/n 💕- Thanks, you're the best 🫶 

----------

When Hongseok reached home, you had already put all the ingredients in a bowl and had the oven on for preheating. Coming from behind and wrapping his arms around your waist he announced "I'm home. With your choco chips"

You spun around and wrapped your arms around his neck, pecking him on the lips. "You're a lifesaver, thanks babe. Now put those muscular arms for good use and help me hand mix these, please." You both chuckled as he moved to the toilet to wash his hands.

This wasn't the first time you baked together, but for Hongseok it always felt like it was. The domestic scene of you preparing trays with a baking sheet while he hand-mixed the cookies made his heart swell. He hoped that things would stay like this in the future.

When he was done you moved to get two ice cream scoopers so you both could scoop the dough into balls. Looking at the dough it was tempting to eat a little, but Hong refrained from it, remembering about the flour and raw eggs. When one of the trays was full, you moved it to the oven, while Hong kept on scooping the rest into the other tray until the dough ended.

With all the cookies in the oven, you're able to finally give attention to your boyfriend

"How was your day handsome?" You said handing him a cup of lemonade and sitting by his side on the sofa

"It was good. Went to the gym, had a shower there, and then I went to my mom's house. She wanted help with building a new cupboard she bought. The manual was really confusing..." You let him ramble about how his day went, but couldn't help but daydream about him. He was the perfect boyfriend. Caring and sweet, he liked pets, he helped his mom a lot... He even helped elderly people! You once saw him helping the old lady from the floor above you, by carrying her groceries from her car to the elevator. 

"You're not listening to me"

"I am baby" you responded quickly

"Yeah sure, what was I talking about?" he smirked

"Oh well! let me check the cookies!!"

He laughed at your antics as you sprinted to the kitchen.

----------

When the cookies were done he helped you put them over a grid to cool down. You pulled out a pretty paper box and covered the bottom with a cute paper towel.

Hong extended his hand to grab a cookie but you were faster, grabbing his wrist 

"Babe, these are not for you" You said while trying to contain your smile

"What!? Are you kidding me, sweetie?" He said incredulous

"These," You began sorting them out while checking if any of them were damaged "are for Shinwon! You bragged so much about my cookies that he asked a box of them for his birthday!" You said with enthusiasm even though your boyfriend glared at you.

"Really? Shinwon? Can't believe my baby tricked me into baking cookies for Shinwon" he said sulking

"Oh come on Hong! We made them together! I bet they taste amazing with all the love we poured into it!"

"Whatever... You're lucky I love you. Tricking me like this..."

"Let me make it up to you" You said wrapping your arms around his waist, which he quickly reciprocated by wrapping his own arms around your shoulders. 

"Yeah? What will you do about it?" he said smirking, which received a light smack from you

"You dirty. Let me cook for you. Dinner's on me tonight"

"Ok sweetie, I'll be expecting a full-course meal! And cookies"

"Don't worry my sweet cookie monster, It'll be the best you've ever had!"

And even though you promised to make dinner, as the sweet gentleman he is, helped you prepare the food. Indeed the best thing that ever happened to you was Hongseok.

Extra: Shinwon liked the cookies so much that he talked about them for a whole two weeks, making all the Pentagon members crave them. All of them asked you to bake them some cookies (without Hongseok knowing since he would steal them), and even Yanan made you promise to bake him some when he came back to Korea

[itsjustmarwa]

i NEED pentagon blogs. does anyone know some?

[writeformesinpie]

what about punish, mock, choke and destroy? for your WIP game

None for mock or destroy. These aren’t edited.

Punish:

This is your punishment. You were late to your session with Changgu so now he’s taking it out on your body.

Yeo One x Reader x Hongseok

“If I don’t punish you now, what’s to stop you from trying to leave again?”

Baekhyun x reader

Choke:

You watch them for a moment, their excited giggles filling the bubbling dredd circling you and your team leader like a icy and torned vine ready to lash out and choke you at any moment.

Mingyu x Reader

Send me an ask from my WIP ask game

[baby-iloveyou]

< Masterlist >

. . . genre S smut SUG suggestive FL fluff A angst . . . reader GN genderneutral F afab M amab

Pentagon

. . . jo jinho

[S][F] Busted. - Jinho has always claimed he doesn’t like oral. But seeing you taste your own cum makes it difficult for him to keep disliking it.

. . . yang hongseok

[S,FL][F] just me and you - Whenever you and your best friend want to have a sleepover, it would always be at your place, since his place was small and would be uncomfortable for two people to stay at. He recently moved however, and to celebrate that, you are staying over at his place for the first time. But you didn’t expect it to be THAT different.

. . . yeo changgu

[FL][GN] A cover model, only for your eyes to see - Your relationship with Changgu has been nothing but lovey dovey so far, and when Changgu asks you to visit him at his Men’s Health photoshoot, you can’t say no. But this would mean you would see him shirtless for the first time, and you didn’t expect the view to affect you that much. [SUG] PART 1 [S] PART 2

. . . kang hyunggu

[S][GN] A private afterparty - Kang Hyunggu was one of the members of your project group, and he’s also one of the most loved people in your year. You’re good friends with him, and after this party you decide to hang out just a bit longer. It just isn’t a very common way of hanging out when you’re friends…

Tomorrow X Together

. . . choi yeonjun

[S,SUG][GN] Carpe Diem - Seize the day, why not have some fun with each other?

[SUG][GN] thought #1- bf!yeonjun is proud of you for passing your course, and thinks you deserve a reward

[SUG, S?][GN] thought #2 - teasing yeonjun is fun until he punishes you for it (or is that part of the fun?)

. . . choi beomgyu

[SUG][GN] Lyric prank - Beomgyu was feeling nostalgic and watched some old YouTube videos, revisited some old trends. One of them was the ‘lyric pranks’, which were a huge thing, and a joke he used to pull quite often on his friends. But since he’s now in a relationship, he knows exactly on who to pull the prank. And he knows exactly which song.

. . . kang taehyun

[S][F] goodnight, you're so tight sleep tight - after a long day, all you just wanted was to snuggle up with your boyfriend in bed and drift to sleep. he wanted something else.

Stray Kids

. . . bang chan

[S][GN] A picture for a picture - Chan is on tour with the rest of the group, and you as his significant other obviously miss him a lot. And he misses you too. He just misses you a bit more today than other days…

. . . lee minho

[S][GN] thought #1 - pathetic minho, and that on christmas…

. . . han jisung

[F][GN] i like the view right now - Late night talks made you discover that you both love stars. And Jisung knows the perfect place in his hometown to go stargazing.

. . . lee felix

[A][GN] Deep End - Sometimes, one fight can break a person entirely. And unfortunately, this was the case in your relationship.

SEVENTEEN

. . . choi seungcheol

[S][GN] thought #1 - texting one of your friends while seungcheol fucks you

. . . boo seungkwan

[SUG, S?][GN] thought #1 - just seungkwan pinning you up against a wall, choking you, and calling you his slutty toy

[S][F] you could be a hand model - sometimes you need a break from studying. and sometimes you suddenly notice that seungkwan has very nice hands. and sometimes you really want those hands to touch you.

A.C.E

. . . group

[F][GN] A.C.E comforting you when you’re afraid of failing your exams

Other groups/idols

. . . BTOB lee minhyuk

[S][GN] Whiskey - You’ve been single for a while and were looking for a casual hookup. And let there be one guy who wants to order whiskey for you.

[jinkoh]

pentagon x gn!reader

summary: you unexpectedly fall into a strange world and quickly find yourself entangled with its peculiar people—as well as their problems.

tags: alice in wonderland au, multiple routes for several members, a little madness; warnings: non-graphic descriptions of violence, mentions of blood and weapons, cruel characters (but also very sweet and fun ones—this au is less dark than it sounds...probably)

wordcount: ~13,8k

a/n: okay so this kinda became a really really huge project that i've been working on for a while and that i am very attached to so ofc i'd be really excited if you gave it a try hehe i didn't stick very close to the original material so don't be too surprised. in case you want to know who is who from the get go you can check out the character introduction, but they also all get introduced bit by bit~ do heed the warnings before reading!

series masterlist // character introduction // ptg masterlist

The weather had been weird for days now, heavy clouds hanging in the purplish sky and a constant drizzle making puddles form in the streets. The Uncle from the car shop on the first floor said it was an omen; that something bad was approaching. Your landlady called him crazy and said it just needed a proper thunderstorm and the sunny weather would be back. But she didn’t like him much to begin with and if he wasn’t such a good tenant, for whatever that meant, she would have thrown him out long ago. You didn’t really care much for her idle talk. You were somewhat fond of the Uncle, even more so since your cat Humpty Dumpty seemed to have taken a liking to him too, visiting him in his shop, whenever he managed to sneak out of your third floor apartment.

So, when the Uncle told you to be careful in this weird weather and to keep an extra watchful eye on Humpty for the time being, you’d meant to heed his advice. 

You must have had a moment of inattention though, because when you came home after getting groceries you found your small flat to be empty. You’d forgotten to close the bathroom window and he must’ve snuck out from there. With a sigh you set the groceries down in the kitchen area before stepping out again, hoping that maybe he was just in the car shop downstairs. 

You were lucky, finding the brown animal curled up on the roof of a beige vintage car, while the Uncle himself was working beneath the car, only his legs poking out.

“Here to pick up your cat?” He asked, without coming out.

“He slipped out again,” you replied while picking Humpty up from his spot that must have been incredibly comfortable if his unsatisfied meowing was anything to go by. “Thanks for keeping an eye on him.”

The man laughed. “Felt more like he was keeping an eye on me, honestly.”

You nodded even though he couldn’t see you, watching a little longer. 

“That’s a nice car,” you commented, more to make polite conversation than anything else. You didn’t actually know anything about cars, but you did think it was a pretty one with the little hood ornament resembling the shape of an M.

“Yeah, it’s a nice one. A Ford Mercury Monarch, though I doubt you’ve suddenly taken a big interest in cars, have you?”

“Not really.” You chuckled, feeling caught. Of course he’d know that you were just being polite. “Still, it’s kinda pretty.”

“Mhm,” he hummed. 

Humpty started to fidget in your arms and you knew it was time to head upstairs if you didn’t want him to scratch you.

“I better go back.”

“Mhm,” he hummed again and you were about to leave, when he pushed himself out from under the car and eyed you seriously.

“Remember to be careful, y/n,” he reminded you once more. “I think there’ll be a storm tonight.”

Somehow the way he said it felt insinuating and sent a weird shiver down your spine. 

You swallowed around the lump in your throat.

“I’ll remember it.”

With a weary feeling in your stomach you left his shop, slipping back out into the rain. The building you lived in was an old factory that had been turned into several loft apartments and the commercial property downstairs. A bunch of the complexes in your neighborhood were like that which gave the area a certain charme when the sun was shining onto the red brickstones and reflecting from the big, old windows. When it rained like now though, the sky above dark and grey, the tall buildings almost looked intimidating.

Just when you wanted to turn towards the entrance door next to the shop to head upstairs, you saw a white shadow rushing through your peripheral vision. Your head instinctively snapped around, and you clearly hadn’t been the only one to notice. Humpty all but leaped out of your arms, chasing the white shadow down the street which seemed to be—a rabbit?

For a moment you were frozen in place, watching your beloved fur ball disappear down the street. But then you snapped out of it, running after him as fast as you could.

Sadly, it wasn’t fast enough to catch up to him and to make things worse the Uncle had been right about the storm. The rain was picking up and you heard thunder rumbling in the distance.

Eventually you found yourself in a side street, no trace of either the cat nor the rabbit. Humpty had never been one to come back when called, but you tried anyway, shouting out his name, the brick-lined house walls echoing it back to you.

You knew Humpty would be able to find his way back home, but you didn’t like the idea of him outside in this weather by himself. So, you kept going, even when the rain got so strong you could barely see what was in front of you.

Feeling somewhat resigned, you turned into another side street, just to be met with the rabbit sitting right in the middle of the road, his bright white fur standing out against the gray surroundings. Humpty on the other hand was nowhere to be seen. But something inside of you told you that if you caught the rabbit, you would surely find him too.

The white animal watched you with calm eyes as you approached, and you almost thought you’d be able to grab it, when it bolted, disappearing behind a corner. You rushed after it, turning into the dead end just to find it deserted and almost completely flooded. The giant puddle seemed to reflect the sky above impossibly sharp, despite the raindrops rippling the surface. In the reflection it didn’t even look all that dark and cloudy, but before you could wonder about it more or bemoan the water drenching your shoes, you suddenly felt yourself stepping into a void, the floor beneath your feet simply disappearing. In a weird epiphany you realized it must have been a missing duct cover, but it wasn’t like that would help you now. You were already falling, dark water swallowing you whole.

When you came to, the first thing you realized was that you were cold and wet. You blinked your eyes open and pushed your damp hair out of your face. It didn’t make sense, you were sure you’d fallen down into the sewer, but you found yourself in the same dead end again, sitting in the middle of the giant puddle, completely drenched. At least the rain had let off and the sky was dyed in shades of pink and purple. 

You felt for the opening in the ground that you’d fallen into with your hand, but the duct cover was right there. Confused, you tried to squeeze some water out of your clothes which was only so effective considering that you were still sitting in the puddle. 

Just then, your eyes fell onto the white rabbit at the street corner he’d come from, looking at you almost thoughtfully. But then, as if he snapped himself out of a trance, his eyes widened. 

“Oh no, oh no,” he mumbled, or you would have thought he did if it wasn’t impossible for a rabbit to speak. “Go back, quickly!”

“What?” you asked anyway, but the rabbit just turned and bolted off again.

“Time is running out.”

For a brief second you stared at the spot where he’d still sat a moment ago, but then you quickly stumbled to your feet and ran after him. You turned the corner just in time to see a man, not a rabbit, scurrying down the street. He had snow white hair, just like the bright fur of the rabbit, and it felt a bit too odd to be a coincidence. Especially with the pair of rabbit ears sitting right there on his head.

“Oh no, oh no,” you heard him again from the distance and even though none of this made any sense, you kept going after him.

Despite running until your lungs burned, you couldn't catch up to him. Maybe that was your sign to call it a day, you thought. Surely, Humpty had already made his way back home to your apartment by himself to escape the bad weather.

When you looked around though, you noticed that something about your neighborhood felt off. On first glance it was the same, but on second glance everything was different. All kinds of weird plants were overgrowing the pavement and crawling up the brick walls. There were no lights on behind the windows, no matter where you looked, nor was there any other trace of people. 

Overcome with an eerie feeling you slowly made your way down the street in the direction of your home. The light of the street lamps looked colder than usual and they flickered in irregular intervals. 

“I think you’re going the wrong way,” a voice behind you suddenly said matter of factly.

Startled, you turned around, looking right into the face of a young man with bright blue hair. He smiled and it was undeniably pretty, but it didn’t look entirely genuine.

“What do you mean?”

Instead of a reply he just shrugged and then seemed to disappear into thin air. You looked around, trying to understand where he’d gone, but he was nowhere to be found.

“What do you mean?” you repeated, your voice a little shaky.

“That the direction you’re going in is wrong.” He suddenly replied from right next to you.

“But I’m going home.”

“If you say so.” He giggled and it almost sounded childlike.

You felt yourself growing a little annoyed. “Then where am I supposed to go if not this way?”

“I won’t tell you.” With that he disappeared into thin air once more and you didn’t have it in you to feel surprised about it again.

“Fine,” you snapped in no direction in particular. “Then don’t tell me.”

You continued your way, but from time to time you still heard his giggles and little comments.

“So wrong,” he would say with a chuckle, his voice coming from one direction first and then another next.

“If you’re not going to tell me, then at least leave me alone!”

“But it’s funny,” he argued, suddenly appearing right in front of you, a wide smile plastered on his face. “It’s funny to see you run right into their fangs.”

“Whose fangs?” 

“The Queen’s servants,” he whispered right into your left ear, before reappearing on your other side. “The heartlings.”

You frowned in confusion, all of this giving you a headache. None of it made any sense. You just wanted to go home, curl up in your bed and cuddle your cat. But you couldn’t help the weary feeling in your guts, telling you that there was at least some truth to the weird guy’s words.

“So, where would you go?”

“Oh, I can go anywhere,” he replied with a giggle. “They can’t catch me if they can’t see me, right?”

“And if you couldn’t turn invisible?”

“Hm,” he seemed to think for a moment. “Maybe I’d get myself a snack from the gas station?”

You looked at his vanishing form in utter disbelief. “A snack?”

“Or a coke, maybe.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Well, I’m not saying you should do that. But you asked me what I would do. And I gave you an answer.”

You felt so unbearably frustrated with whoever this guy was, and yet you still turned around and headed into the direction of the gas station. Maybe you’d get some answers there and if you didn’t you could at least buy a snack and a coke before going home.

When you reached the gas station it too wasn’t quite looking the way you remembered it to. Instead of the brand logo you were so familiar with, the pink neon sign showed an abstract symbol next to letters that you couldn’t read. Just like the rest of the neighborhood it seemed to be completely deserted, but at least the lights in the shop were on.

“Are you sure I can go in?” You asked, convinced the blue haired guy was still around.

“If the door isn’t locked you can,” he replied, his voice coming from further away than you’d expected.

You turned around to spot him sitting in the branches of a tree near the edge of the parking lot.

“Are you not coming along?”

“I doubt my presence would be appreciated.”

You frowned in confusion. “Why?”

“Because I don’t like to pick sides. Besides,” he hopped off the branches but disappeared before his feet hit the ground, just to stand in front of you a second later. “Cats aren’t welcome.”

He pointed towards a sticker on the glass door, a pictogram of a cat crossed out with a thick red line.

“But you’re not a cat,” you argued, following the gesture with your eyes before your gaze settled on him again.

“Am I not?” He tilted his head and a pair of grayish blue cat ears was sitting right there, poking out of his hair. 

You stared at him flabbergasted. You knew for sure they hadn’t been there before. You would have noticed such a detail, wouldn’t you? 

“Wha—how?”

“Because I’m a cat,” he replied as if it was common knowledge. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.” 

With that, he vanished into thin air once more, the last thing you saw of him the bright white of his toothy smile.

“Wait! Am I supposed to go alone?”

“Weren’t you alone from the start?” sounded his reply, but he didn’t turn visible again.

“But what if I need help?”

“I’m sure you will.”

“So how will I know how to find you?”

He giggled. “Find me? You won’t. But should I ever be in the mood to help, I will certainly know how to find you.”

“Wait!” you tried to stop him once more, but it stayed quiet and you were sure he was gone for good this time.

You sighed, focusing your attention on the shop in front of you instead. Even on closer inspection you couldn’t spot anyone, but the staff door behind the cash desk was cracked open, so you assumed that someone was in the back.

With a deep breath you opened the glass door and stepped inside. It felt cramped with how closely the aisles stood together, maybe a little more so than usual. You looked around, hoping that the cashier would come out if you just waited a bit. You picked up a coke and a chocolate bar from the shelves, not because you were in the mood for either, but because the cat guy had mentioned it.

By the time you stepped to the counter and sat down the products on top there was still no sign of anyone coming out anytime soon, nor was there a bell to ring.

“Hello?” You timidly shouted in the direction of the door. “Hellooo?”

“Hello?” It suddenly echoed back from beyond. “Hellooo?”

You rolled your eyes at the staff’s humor. “I’d like to pay.”

“They’d like to pay,” it sounded back, but this time it didn’t seem to be addressed to you.

Before you could say anything else, the door opened and a guy with tousled red hair stepped out. For a moment he just eyed you thoughtfully but then he broke into a goofy smile that made a dimple form on his cheek.

“Welcome.”

“Uh, hi,” you replied awkwardly. “Do you work here?”

He wasn’t quite what you’d expected. Instead of the off-white t-shirts the staff here usually wore, he wore a sheer turtleneck in bright orange and a colorful silk shirt on top that he kept open. He absolutely didn’t look as if he was working here. Nevertheless, you couldn’t help but think that in some peculiar way, you found him attractive.

“Work here?” he repeated, sounding almost a little confused. “No, I don’t work.”

“Uh, then, is someone here who does?”

“Is anyone here who does?” he shouted towards the staff door, passing your question on.

“No, no one,” came the reply shortly after.

“The hare says no one is here.”

“Yeah, yeah, I heard.” You pinched the bridge of your nose slowly losing patience with whatever was going on today. “So, how do I pay?”

“Oh, with money.”

“With—forget it.” 

“All forgotten.” He nodded with a bright smile. “Anything else I can help you with?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. I was just looking for my cat and then got into this whole,” you gestured vaguely at your surroundings, “mess.”

“A cat?” His face crinkled with disgust. “Not a blue one, is it? That scoundrel is not allowed in here.”

“Blue? No, Humpty Dumpty is brown.”

“Humpty Dumpty is an egg.”

“What?”

“What?”

You shook your head in exasperation. “Anyway, so I was looking for my cat and then there was this rab—man?” It sounded more like a question. 

“You’re looking for a man?”

“I guess you could say that.”

“Hm,” he looked around the store as if he could find him between the aisles if he just searched hard enough. Then he turned to the door once more.

“Changgu, do we have a man?”

“A man? No, no, we don’t have that.”

“I’m afraid we don’t have any in store,” he said apologetically.

“I’m not—I don’t want to buy one. I’m—he was running away. He had white hair and—rabbit ears? And he seemed to be in a hurry. Have you seen him?”

“Ah, you met Hui. Terrible workaholic, really.”

“Do you know where to find him? I think he knows where my cat is….maybe?”

At the word cat his face scrunched up once more, but he didn’t comment on it this time. 

“I might know.”

“So, will you show me?”

“Now? I can’t. It’s tea time. In fact, maybe you should come in and have tea with us.”

You frowned in confusion. “But you don’t even know me?”

“Right,” he nodded. “Who are you?”

“Y/n.”

“Y/n. That is certainly a name,” he nodded once more. “I’m Shinwon. The Hatter.”

“A hatter?” You weren’t aware that it was a job that still existed. You’d assumed that the fast fashion industry had more or less let that handicraft die out. Furthermore, “You’re not even wearing a hat.”

“Not a hatter. The Hatter. And my hat—” for a moment he stared into the distance, a deep sadness in his eyes but then he snapped out of it, smiling like nothing happened. “That’s a story for another day.”

The sudden change in mood had piqued your interest, but you decided to respect his privacy and not pry into it further.

“And what is the Hatter doing in a gas station?”

“A gas station? I’ve never been to one.” He didn’t give you the time to question his words, already turning towards the door. “Now, let’s have some tea.”

Maybe it wasn’t the smartest idea to follow this guy to the back. He didn’t seem to be right in the head, though to be fair, you weren’t sure about your own sanity either. After all, you’d chased down a talking rabbit and then shared a walk with a man who seemed to be able to vanish into thin air. Perhaps, a mad hatter in a gas station was on the normal side of things in comparison.

The backroom didn’t look the way you’d expected, though at this point you weren’t sure what you were expecting anymore. The space was completely cluttered with chests and boxes, and all kinds of fabrics and curtains were draped throughout the room. In the middle of it all was a long table which was decked out with way too much dinnerware. In fact, the tea cups were stacked up so high, you almost didn’t notice the guy sitting in one of the mismatched chairs near the end of the table. 

“I brought a guest,” Shinwon declared, pointing at you.

“A guest!” The guy jumped up from his chair with a dazzling smile. 

Only now did you see the floppy ears that sat on his head, reaching down all the way to his shoulders. They were a light brown, the same shade as his wavy hair, and they looked so soft and fuzzy you kinda wanted to try petting them. 

“Hi,” you awkwardly greeted, raising your hand in a small wave. “I’m y/n.”

“That is certainly a name,” the man replied with a nod and Shinwon next to you clapped excitedly.

“Right? That’s what I said.”

You didn’t know what to make of the comment so you decided to just ignore it. “And you are Changgu I assume?”

 “Ah, where are my manners?” He rushed over, accidentally knocking some cups off the table that shattered on the floor.

“Yes, Hare, where are your manners?” Shinwon echoed.

“I’m Changgu. The March Hare,” he introduced himself, reaching out his hand to you, that barely poked out from underneath the sleeves of his plaid coat.

“The March Hare?”

He nodded, before leaning in closer as if he was about to share a secret. 

“It’s because I’m as mad as one,” he whispered. “I don’t have both ears in the water.”

As if to prove his point he raised one of his ears and let it flop down again.

“It’s oars, Hare. You don’t have both oars in the water,” Shinwon corrected, before ushering you further into the room. “Now, let’s have some tea?”

He pulled back one of the chairs for you while he took the seat at the head of the table. You sat down and stared at the mess before you, unsure how to behave. It didn’t exactly look as if it was set for a tea party (or set at all, for that matter). You felt out of place and it didn’t help that your clothes were still wet. It had almost slipped your mind, but now that you were sitting you felt the damp fabric sticking to your skin again, leaving you with an itchy feeling.

“Tea?” Changgu, who’d taken the seat across from you interrupted your thoughts. He pushed a cup he’d poured in your direction. The other porcelain on the table got shoved out of the way on his quest but he didn’t seem to mind, not even when one of the higher stacks started to sway dangerously.

Unable to watch what was clearly going to end in disaster, you quickly took the cup with a “Thank you” and promptly received a bright smile in return.

Before you could take a sip of the steaming liquid though, Shinwon held out a plate with muffins to you, each one decorated with a small candle.

“Dessert? We also have cake,” he pointed at a ring cake somewhere in the mess. “And biscuits.”

“Then, a biscuit, perhaps?” You agreed reluctantly.

“A biscuit, Hare, quick, a biscuit for the biscuit!”

Changgu nodded eagerly, holding out another plate to you, and you took one of the cookies from it.

But you didn’t get to try that either, because all of a sudden the door was pushed open with so much force, it made you flinch and drop the cookie into your tea cup.

“Ah, not in the middle of tea time,” Shinwon complained, clearly annoyed but not surprised. “What does the Queen want now, Paul?”

For a moment you weren’t sure who he was talking to, but then you spotted the frog that was standing upright in the doorway, dressed in an outfit that resembled a Victorian newspaper boy.

“An invitation,” he croaked, taking a big leap right onto the table, porcelain clinking at the sudden impact. He fished out a piece of paper and handed it to Changgu who took it from his green fingers.

“We got it. Now, shoo, we’re having tea.” Shinwon gestured for the frog to leave with a wave of his hand. “Unless you fancy to join us for a cup?”

“Not particularly,” the frog replied, hopping off the table and disappearing to where he’d come from. 

Changgu passed the paper onto Shinwon who took it with the tips of his fingers as if it was something disgusting. 

“What is it?” You’d managed to catch a glimpse of the writing and once again had to realize that whatever alphabet it was, you couldn’t read it.

“A party invitation,” Shinwon replied, almost spitting out the words.

"Do you not like parties?"

At your question he broke into a laughter so intense as if it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard.

“Do I not like parties?” He turned to his friend in amusement "Did you hear that, Changgu?"

“Do you not like parties?” Changgu repeated, shaking from laughter himself, his ears flopping up and down at the movement. 

You felt awkward and maybe a little upset that you once again weren't in on whatever the joke was.

“Well, do you?” You interrupted their laughter, light annoyance in your voice.

Shinwon's eyes were gleaming when he replied. “I love parties, Biscuit. I love them so much I celebrate all my unbirthdays every year.”

Changgu nodded hastily to support his point. “Every single one!”

“We’re celebrating one right this second.”

You didn't bother asking what an unbirthday was. “Then what’s so bad about this?”

Immediately, Shinwon's face turned dark again. “It's the Queen's party.”

“Then don't go.”

“Don't go, you say,” he repeated with another giggle. “No, we have to go. It's the Queen's party."

After a brief glance at a clearly broken cuckoo clock on the wall he sprung up with so much vigor, his poor chair fell over backwards and clattered to the floor. “In fact, we should go right now!” 

Then his eyes got stuck on you. 

“You're wet,” he commented as if he only just now noticed the sorry state of your clothes.

“I fell into a puddle.”

“Why would you do that?”

You frowned. “It’s not like it was on purpose.”

The side eye he exchanged with Changgu told you that he still considered it to be weird, but he let it rest. 

“Either way you can't wear that to the party. The Queen hates bad fashion.”

“Oh, I won't go to the party, I wasn’t invited.”

Another rush of laughter overcame the two of them. 

“It's the Queen's party,” Shinwon repeated yet another time. “Everyone is invited. Hare, don't we have some clothes for the child?”

“I'm not a child,” you argued but neither of them minded you.

“Maybe we have some in the dairy section.”

“Mhm-mhm,” Shinwon nodded thoughtfully and then disappeared into the shop only to show up a minute later with an odd looking suit that he handed to you. The fabric felt cold, as if it'd just come out of the refrigerator and the combination of colors and patterns seemed a little random. But it was still better than the damp clothes that were sticking to your skin uncomfortably, so you took the suit and changed into it while Shinwon and Changgu waited outside.

When you came out again, the two of them seemed to have cleaned up for the occasion as well: Shinwon had buttoned up his shirt and tamed his red hair while Changgu had added a black tie with red dots to his outfit. He hadn’t bothered to tuck it under the collar of his shirt though so it made him look more disheveled than before, but you didn’t point that out. 

Shinwon eyed you intently, his brows furrowed as he took in every inch of you. Then he broke into a happy smile. “Oh, it suits you! Isn’t that right, Hare?”

“Exquisitely so!”

You weren’t sure about their assessment but their compliments still made you feel a little better in your skin.

The three of you stepped outside and you would have thought the sky would be pitch black by now, but it still had the same purplish pink colors as before. 

“So, where is this party?” You asked as you walked down the street.

“The Red Castle,” Changgu supplied an answer that made you none the smarter.

“Of course,” you mumbled. “Where else would it be?”

Even though Shinwon had been less than ecstatic to go to the Queen’s party, he didn’t dwell on the bad mood. Him and Changgu giggled and goofed around on the way, most of their jokes going past you. 

“I’d much rather go home,” you let out a small sigh, barely even noticing that you’d said it out loud.

Shinwon interrupted his laughter to turn to you. “Oh, that’s just the right mindset for attending this party. I too would much rather go home. But,” he playfully nudged your shoulder with his own, “when we all want to go home, it’s almost the same as actually going home.”

You didn’t a hundred percent get the point he was trying to make there, but his words felt comforting nevertheless. Perhaps it wasn’t his words per se, but the consoling smile on his lips and the genuine expression in his eyes.

You shook your head in amusement. “Let’s go home then.”

“Let’s go home!” he repeated with a wide grin, raising his fist into the air and making you giggle.

As you kept walking, you slowly realized though, that maybe that was quite literally where you were headed. You were only a block away from your house now, and the closer you came, the more lively it got on the streets that had still been empty a few hours ago. Approaching your home should have filled you with a sense of relief, but instead it just made you feel queasy. 

Your bad feeling about it all proved to be there for a reason. When you turned into your street, you could barely recognize what used to be so known to you. The streetlights were decorated with a weird assortment of red flowers and warning tape, and the whole area was jammed with people (though you weren’t sure if people was the right word for the diverse assembly of beings, some more human than others but none that were human through and through) and at the center of it all seemed to be the tall factory building with its brick walls and the car shop on the first floor. It looked vastly different, the entire front of the building covered by a huge mural painting depicting roses that crawled up the walls, their stems carrying sharp thorns. Still, there was no mistaking it:

“That’s—that’s my house.”

“Oh, how fortunate,” Shinwon exclaimed gleefully. “You wanted to go home!”

“No, but—,” you interrupted yourself, not even sure what to say. Maybe it’d been a little delusional to believe your home would still be your home if nothing else seemed to have remained the same.

“You didn’t want to go home after all?” Shinwon nodded understandingly. “Then this is indeed unfortunate.”

“Very unfortunate,” Changgu agreed.

“I’m just so confused. Why is nothing the same as before?”

“Maybe that’s a question for a caterpillar,” Changgu replied seriously. “They are experts on things that do not stay the same.”

Before you could inquire how you were supposed to discuss this with a caterpillar of all things, you spotted a familiar pair of snow white ears in the middle of the crowd that disappeared as suddenly as they’d shown up. 

Without thinking you chased after the white rabbit. You weren’t sure why you were still so keen on catching him. It didn’t seem very likely anymore that he knew where Humpty was. But he was the only one who had already been there when the world was still normal, so maybe he’d also know how to turn it back.

“Why are we running?” Shinwon asked behind you, sounding out of breath. You hadn’t noticed he’d come along.

“The rabbit!” You explained. “I saw the rabbit.”

“Why are we running?” Changgu shouted from behind Shinwon, following as you rushed through the crowd.

“The rabbit, they saw the rabbit,” Shinwon explained in your stead.

You almost expected to lose the rabbit in question again, but then he was suddenly standing right there, throwing a worried glance onto his wrist watch. You abruptly stopped in order not to run him over, causing Shinwon to bump into you. In your relief to have finally caught on, you didn’t pay it any mind though.

“Thank God,” you pressed out, catching your breath. 

The man with the white rabbit ears turned to you, seemingly only noticing you now.

“Oh. Oh, no,” he looked a little distressed at your presence before his eyes wandered to your company in surprise. “And the Hatter?”

“And the Hare,” Shinwon added, pointing at Changgu who’d come to a stop behind him.

“So, what do you want?” The man asked, his eyes darting to his watch once more. “I’m in a hurry.”

Shinwon chuckled. “It’s good to take a break from time to time, Hui.”

“Of course, you would say that.”

“My cat,” you interrupted before their discussion could drag on. “Did you see my cat?”

“A cat?” He sighed. “I don’t have time for Yanan’s shenanigans."

“No, no,” Shinwon chimed in. “This cat is brown.”

“I don’t have time for a brown cat either,” Hui shook his head. “In fact, I don’t even have time for this party.”

With that he took off, quickly disappearing into the crowd again.

“Wait,” you shouted after him. You still hadn’t asked him about whatever was going on with the world around you, and he was probably the only person who could know something (and also the most sane one you’d met so far, despite his constant haste and his rather cold demeanor).

“Don’t take it to heart,” Changgu reassured. “In fact, he already lingered longer than usual. Sometimes we don’t hear from him for months. And he doesn’t even spare the time to celebrate his unbirthdays.”

You sighed in resignation. “Still, I had so many questions.”

“Even if he knows the answers, I doubt he has the time to give them,” Shinwon replied comfortingly, though it didn’t feel very comforting at all. “Caterpillars on the other hand have a lot of time.”

You didn’t get why Shinwon too was bringing up caterpillars now, but the two of them had been talking nonsense from the moment you’d met them so it was a little late to start overthinking it now.

Suddenly, the sound of a fanfare cut through the noise of the crowd.

“Oh, it’s beginning,” Shinwon exclaimed, grabbing your hand and pulling you further towards the front, until you were standing in the second or third row with a direct view on what used to be your home and was now something else entirely. "From here you can take a good look so you know whom to avoid."

"The Queen?" you asked for clarification.

"That too. But the Heartlings and Knave as well."

You remembered the former from when the blue cat had mentioned it before, but the knave was new. You didn't get to ask though, because the fanfare sounded again.

A frog, just like the one that had brought the invitation, was standing on a stack of tires in front of the garage door, a scroll in his hands that he unrolled solemnly. He cleared his throat twice before finally addressing the crowd.

“Your Majesty, the Queen of Hearts,” he announced, his voice way louder than you would have expected from a frog of his size.

The crowd cheered more or less enthusiastically and he hopped from the stack of tires. A pack of ferrets came to the scene, quickly pushing the tires to the side. The last one had barely scurried away, when the roller shutter of the garage started to open, slowly disclosing the shop beyond. For a while, all you got to see was the car that was parked right in the center. You recognized the vintage car immediately with its beige finish and the M shaped hood ornament. As the shutter had almost rolled all the way up, it finally revealed a person sitting on top of the car, in just the same spot that Humpty had taken a nap in earlier today. (At least you thought it was still today—with the sky not changing color at all, you were a little confused about the passage of time.)

To your surprise though, it wasn’t a Queen at all. Instead it was a guy with choppy blonde hair wearing a velvet tracksuit. His gaze was fierce and there was something captivating albeit intimidating about his aura. Still—

“Where’s the Queen?”

Instantly, the whole crowd fell silent.

The man in the velvet suit cocked his head, his eyes narrowing in on the guests. “Who asked that?”

Everyone around you took a step away, trying to gain some distance from you. Solely Shinwon and Changgu stuck to your side, but even they seemed a little uneasy. From your peripheral vision you spotted a man with wavy hair next to the garage door straightening out his posture. You hadn’t noticed him before, but he must have been there all along. He pushed back the fabric of his jacket a bit to reveal the grip of a gun that was tucked into the waistband of his pants. You didn’t understand what was happening, but you were smart enough to realize it wasn’t anything good. Your stomach was filled with dread and you instinctively reached out to Shinwon, your fingers clasping onto the hem of his shirt.

“Uh, oh, Biscuit,” he whispered close to your ear. “You’ve really done it now.”

“I said,” the man in the velvet suit started again, this time with more emphasis, as he leaped off the car roof in one smooth movement. “Who. Asked. That?” 

The crowd seemed to budge even further away from you, leaving you easily exposed to the man who approached with striding steps.

“You?” His gaze landed on you, making you feel small and helpless. “It was you, wasn’t it?”

He took another step closer, close enough for you to spot the beauty marks on his face, close enough to notice the glow of his skin. “Tell me your name, dear.”

“Y/n,” you pressed out, your voice barely hearable.

“Y/n,” he repeated with a hum, almost as if he was tasting the sound of it on his tongue. “So, y/n, what were you thinking? What made you believe that I’m not worthy of being the Queen?”

The thoughts started circling in your mind. It was clearly a trick question; no matter what reply you presented him with, it would be wrong.

Thankfully though, you didn’t have to give one at all. Before you could even think of saying anything, you felt Shinwon leaning in close to your ear again. 

“I’ve got this,” he whispered, stepping in front of you with confidence.

Anxiously, you glanced over to Changgu, who gently took your hand in his, mouthing a reassuring Don’t worry. 

“Your Distinctiveness,” Shinwon greeted overly friendly, taking an exaggerated bow.

“Hatter,” the Queen replied, his face contorted in disgust.

“You see, my dear friend is new here,” he explained. “And to make matters worse, they have terrible vision, don’t you, Biscuit?”

You felt frozen, even more so now that the Queen's attention was back on you. It wasn’t until Changgu squeezed your hand, that you hurriedly nodded.

“Very terrible vision,” Shinwon repeated, his voice sounding pitying this time. “Can’t even tell right from wrong.”

“Is that so?” 

The Queen didn’t seem convinced as he gave you another once over. You instinctively held your breath, as if that could protect you from his piercing gaze.

“Consider this a warning,” he eventually said, finally taking his eyes off you.

“And you, Hatter,” he turned to Shinwon, “educate your guests right. Wouldn’t want to lose any, hm?”

“Of course, your Noteworthiness; by no means, your Exquisiteness,” Shinwon nodded meaningfully.

“Good!” The Queen’s mood suddenly shifted. He clapped his hands and a grin spread on his lips. “Now, let’s celebrate, shall we?”

He strode back to the car, using stacked up tires to take a seat on the roof again like a Queen on her throne.

You let out the breath you’d been holding, relieved that you’d evaded whatever storm would have awaited you if Shinwon hadn’t been there. You gently tugged on his sleeve to get his attention. 

“Thank you. You really saved me there.”

“Oh, yes, Biscuit, that would not have ended well,” he replied with a giggle before his expression grew more serious. “But I have your back.”

You weren’t sure why he’d helped you, after all he barely knew you at all. But you didn't dwell on it for too long. Of everyone you’d met today, if you had to choose just one person to trust, it would surely be him. In all his madness and with all his nonsense, you decided to trust him. 

The party proceeded, though it hardly resembled your understanding of the term. There was music, sure, but the mood felt strained. The Queen however didn’t seem to notice or perhaps he simply didn’t care.

“It’s a party,” he drawled. “So, entertain me.”

“Of course, your Highness,” the frog from before hurried to assure. “The dancers, get the dancers!”

A group of dancers stepped forward, wiry figures with white wings on their backs just like those of a swan. Music started to play and they moved to the melody. It was a beautiful choreography but you couldn’t help but notice the way their arms seemed to tremble with nerves. And you weren’t the only one.

“What a pity for them,” Shinwon whispered next to you. 

“A tragedy, even,” Changgu agreed.

“He won’t like that.”

“He’ll despise it.”

You looked between the two of them, before your gaze wandered back to the Queen. He looked onto the spectacle with contempt.

“Boring. Show something else.”

Immediately the music got interrupted and a different song played, the dancers changing position and starting anew. The Queen watched for a moment, his lips pursed thoughtfully.

“If only I could make this more fun,” he complained with a big sigh but then his eyes widened as if he’d had a brilliant idea. “Ah! I know! Jack! Get me some firecrackers!”

The frog nodded, relaying the task onto the ferrets who disappeared and showed up seconds later with a red box. The Queen clapped joyfully before he took the box and fished a lighter out of his pocket. 

“What is he doing?” You asked Shinwon, your voice barely a whisper.

“Playing a game, it seems. He loves games.”

An uneasy feeling took root in your stomach. “What kind of game?”

“Dodge.”

The game was exactly what it sounded like. While the performance continued, the Queen lit up the firecrackers and threw them at the dancers’ feet, watching in delight as they tried to evade the small explosions.

You felt sick to your stomach and for the first time since you’d fallen into the sewer you truly wished to wake up from what clearly had to be a nightmare. With shaky fingers, you pinched the skin of your inner arm, hard enough to make tears spring to your eyes. But nothing happened. You didn’t wake up and this wasn’t a dream. The dancers were still hopping from one foot to the other, the Queen’s manic laughter drowning out the music they were dancing to. And you just stood there, frozen in place, averting your gaze instead of stepping in.

“That’s insane. How can he be so cruel?”

“He’s the Queen of Hearts, what did you expect?” Shinwon scoffed. “Of course, it was different when—no, I shouldn’t say. Not here.”

The rest of the party continued in the same vein. The Queen had a very different idea of how to stay entertained, it seemed. His games hardly qualified as games at all. If anything they were torture, for those who had to watch and even more so for those who had to play. But he was sitting on his makeshift throne enjoying the show.

“Oh, what a delight!” The Queen eventually addressed the crowd. “I had feared for this party to become a disaster. After all, it was off to a miserable start, isn’t that true?”

Maybe it was just your imagination, but you felt as if his eyes were looking right at you, giving you a warning glare as if to say I remember you. Don’t mess up again.

Panic rushed through your body and you were shaking like a leaf as you tried to withstand his gaze. When he looked away at last, announcing it was time for the grand finale, you felt all strength leaving your body and your knees would have given in if Shinwon hadn’t immediately reached out to steady you. Even when you’d found your balance again, he stayed closely behind you, resting his hands on your shoulders.

“Are you okay, Biscuit?”

You didn’t even bother pretending and shook your head. 

“When is this over? When is it finally over?”

“Soon. We only have to make it through the fireworks now. You can hold out, right?”

You nodded weakly and watched with something akin to relief as the ferrets set up fireworks that for once seemed to really be just that—fireworks.

“No one’s going to get hurt, right?” you asked, to be sure.

Shinwon gave your shoulders a reassuring squeeze. “No one’s going to get hurt.”

And his words proved true. The ferrets lit the fuse and you watched with tired eyes as the flame crawled over the bloodstained floor until it reached the fireworks. They shot up with a bang and exploded into sparkling pink hearts filling the sky above you that had at last started to darken. It was a beautiful spectacle and for a brief moment you could almost trick yourself into thinking that it’d been a regular party after all. Almost. While everyone’s eyes were glued to the sparkling sky, your own fell to the Queen again. He was watching the fireworks too, in awe of its beauty, while the traces of his cruel games were scattered all around him. It seemed he was the only winner today.

After a moment he lowered his head to look at you. It was a slow, deliberate shift as if he’d been aware of your gaze all along. His eyes briefly flicked over his surroundings before they landed on you again, a small smile on his lips. Despite the distance you knew exactly what he was mouthing at you.

Beautiful, isn’t it?

When it was finally over you couldn’t even manage to be relieved. You’d seen too much and you despised yourself for watching all of it in silence.

“Why is everyone just accepting this?” You asked, once the crowd had dissipated and you’d gained some distance to the Red Castle.

“Because there’s nothing else we can do,” Shinwon explained matter-of-factly. “Not yet.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that it’s not time yet.”

“Not yet,” Changgu echoed. “But soon.”

It wasn’t a very satisfactory reply, but who were you to talk? You’d only been here for a day and it wasn’t as if you’d been brave enough to say anything either. No, you’d looked away much the same as everyone else.

You sighed and followed behind them, slowly realizing that you had no idea where you were headed. It definitely wasn’t the way back to the gas station unless the streets had suddenly swapped places which wouldn’t be the craziest thing to happen that day.

When you asked, Shinwon looked at you in confusion. “To the caterpillar, of course.”

“The caterpillar?”

“You want answers and he has a lot of them. And if you’re lucky a few of them might just match your questions.”

“Is it far?”

“Oh, very much,” Shinwon nodded but then he added, “we’re almost there.”

Eventually you turned into the street with the old theater and realized that that must be where you were headed. You’d always loved it there and had many fond memories of musicals and theater pieces you’d watched there. It was a charming building with a pretty front that you remembered to be adorned with big illuminated signs announcing the shows that were currently running. Now though, it looked sad and abandoned as it laid in complete darkness at the end of the street. 

“What happened here?”

“The Queen doesn’t fancy theaters, I’m afraid. He’d rather the only shows that happen are the ones he holds in the castle. Of course it was different when—” Shinwon interrupted himself once more, but then he seemed to remember that you weren’t at the party anymore and that no one was around to hear. Still, he whispered when he continued, just to be safe. “It was different when Hongseok was still king.”

“Very different,” Changgu agreed. “Hongseok loved the theater.”

“He also loved cookies,” Shinwon added.

“And fun rides.”

“And coffee.”

Changgu nodded excitedly. “He handed out free coffee on all 23rd unbirthdays.”

“He did. Every 23rd.”

“The 23rd unbirthdays are always the best,” Changgu explained.

You looked at him in confusion. “Why?”

Now Changgu was the one looking confused. “Because they are the 23rd, of course.”

“Right,” you nodded slowly even though his explanation didn’t actually explain anything. Still, even if it didn’t make much sense, what you did understand was how fondly they thought of Hongseok. You didn’t know if he’d been a capable king, but he must have been a beloved one.

“Why isn’t he ruling anymore?”

Shinwon laughed, as if it’d been a particularly stupid question. “Because now we have the Queen, dummy. There can’t be a king and a queen.”

You wanted to argue that in fact there usually was both, but you doubted that anything would come of it.

The three of you walked towards the entrance of the dark building when Shinwon suddenly stopped in his tracks and swiveled around to Changgu.

“Do you have cash on you?”

“No, no,” Changgu shook his head, turning his pockets inside out as if to prove his point. A single button fell out and clattered to the floor.

“Oh, no. I am afraid they don't take credit card.” Shinwon sighed with a wistful glance at the dark and empty ticket booth before turning to you. “You don’t happen to have any?”

Your gaze wandered between him and the abandoned theater. “What do you need cash for?”

“To buy a ticket, dummy,” he said with a giggle. “Hare, she doesn’t know you need a ticket to go to a theater.”

“You can’t just go in without a ticket,” Changgu nodded.

"No, I—agh, nevermind."

“You’re so funny, Biscuit.”

You didn’t consider yourself a particularly humorous person, but as long as it made them laugh you supposed it was fine. Still, you didn’t get why you would have to pay to go into an abandoned building where there clearly were no shows running. You checked your pockets anyway, but you had nothing except for an old bubble gum wrapper.

“Hm,” Shinwon looked thoughtful. “Well, I guess it will have to do.”

He took the wrapper from your hand, picked up the button from the street and fished a safety pin out of his own pocket. The random assortment of things was then shoved through the hatch of the ticket booth that was meant for paying. Meanwhile Changgu opened the entrance door to the right of the booth which was barely hanging in its hinges. 

“After you,” he said with a grin and an exaggerated bow.

“Very kind,” Shinwon replied with a nod and a tip of an invisible hat as he stepped past him into the dark lobby of the theater. You followed suit, giving Changgu a quick thanks.

Somehow the building made you feel weary. It was distressing how it looked as if it’d been abandoned from one second to another. There were coats hanging in the cloakroom and a half eaten bucket of popcorn was laying tipped over on the floor, popcorn scattered around it. The whole atmosphere gave you chills.

Shinwon and Changgu didn’t seem to have any such concerns though. The Hatter went straight for the snack counter, starting to rummage through the fridge that was clearly turned off.

“Coke anyone? Or a limo?” He asked, holding up glass bottles, that almost looked like the popular brands you knew, if it wasn’t for the unfamiliar writing.

He didn’t wait for a reply, already setting them onto the counter.

“Do you think we should bring something for Jinho too? You think he'd want a coke? Or something else?”

“Maybe something else.”

Shinwon nodded thoughtfully. “A water? But that's for boring people.”

“Maybe a water,” Changgu agreed anyway.

“Jinho? Are we—are we still talking about a worm here?”

Shinwon bursted into laughter. “A worm! Oh, he would hate that!”

“Wasn’t it a worm?”

He snorted before turning to Changgu. “A worm, Hare! A worm!” He repeated between chuckles, nudging his friend in the side who’d long joined his laughter.

“We shouldn’t ever tell him that.”

“We shouldn’t. He would hate it so much.”

“He would,” Changgu shook himself in delight. “Maybe we should tell him.”

“We should!”

“So, it wasn’t a worm?”

“A caterpillar, Biscuit. He is a caterpillar.”

Jinho was sitting on one of the balconies, watching the empty stage. His head was propped up on one of his hands as he leaned over the balustrade, sipping on a small pouch of red ginseng extract. The dim light in the auditorium gave his dark gray hair a blueish, almost iridescent shimmer that made you want to question if it was real. Still, he was most certainly not a caterpillar.

“A lovely theater, isn’t it?” He mumbled without looking up and you weren’t quite sure who he was talking to.

“Very lovely,” Shinwon was quick to agree but he didn’t sound serious.

“You should have seen it in its heydays,” Jinho continued, turning his head to look at you. “It was truly marvelous.”

He spoke slowly, as if his every word was well considered and it made you nervous. 

You swallowed around the lump in your throat before you replied. “I’m sure it was.”

“Mhm,” he hummed approvingly, then he turned back to the stage. “I’ve been expecting you. You’re late.”

“Oh!” Shinwon chimed in. “Really? I was thinking we should have left a little earlier.”

“Not you, Hatter,” Jinho drawled in response. “Alice.”

“Alice? Which Alice?” Shinwon looked confused. 

Jinho nodded in your direction. “That Alice.”

“I’m not Alice. My name is—”

“Y/n,” he interrupted you with an exasperated sigh. “I know. But you’re also Alice. One does not preclude the other, you foolish rat.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” You couldn’t quite choose between feeling distraught by the fact that he knew your name or offended by his tone, so you settled for both.

“It means exactly what I said. You’re Alice.”

While you still didn’t get what he was trying to say, Shinwon and Changgu looked absolutely flabbergasted, their eyes flicking back and forth between you and Jinho.

“Our Biscuit… is Alice?”

“The Alice?”

“How many times do I need to say it?” Jinho shook his head. “Y/n is the new Alice. That’s how it’s written in the script.”

“It’s written in the script,” Shinwon repeated in disbelief.

Changgu nodded. “Y/n is Alice.”

“Would anyone please explain to me what’s going on? How can I be Alice if I’m me?”

“Because the script says you are.” Jinho squeezed out the last bits of ginseng extract, before shoving the empty package back into the box that was sitting on the seat next to him. “The script is never wrong.”

“What script?”

“The one,” Shinwon explained unhelpfully.

“The only,” Changgu added.

Jinho took out a new pouch of ginseng, his whole focus on the packaging as he slowly and carefully ripped it open. Your eyes automatically followed the movement. 

“I can show you. If you wish to see,” he offered without looking up.

“I—I don’t know. I don’t know what any of this means so I don’t know if I want to see it or not.” You instinctively turned to Shinwon for help, searching his eyes for advice. “Do I?”

He didn’t immediately reply and when he did his voice was unusually calm and collected. “I think you should.”

“Okay,” you nodded slowly before turning to Jinho again. “I want to see.”

He didn’t seem to be in a hurry, calmly emptying the rest of his ginseng extract before getting up from the velvet seat. 

“Let’s go to the prop room then.”

“Oh, the prop room!” Changgu looked excited, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “I haven’t gone there since our last show. It’s been a while!”

Jinho led the way out of the auditorium to narrow stairs at the far back of the hallway. A chain with a handwritten sign was supposed to keep visitors out, but Jinho nonchalantly pulled it to the side.

“Careful,” he warned before going downstairs and not without reason. Fabrics, props and costumes were scattered all over the steps and the handrail, making it feel like an obstacle course. While you slowly followed Jinho, carefully not to trip on anything, Shinwon and Changgu seemed almost delighted, hopping down the steps as if it was a funny game. Though, after seeing the gas station’s backroom it wasn’t as surprising that they weren’t bothered by the mess, you supposed.

Once you’d reached the bottom of the stairs, Jinho pulled a small key out of his pocket and unlocked the wooden door to reveal a room, cramped with more odds and ends. 

Changgu went right in, purposefully taking a handkerchief from one of the zillion shelves. 

“Was wondering where I’d kept that,” he commented happily before stuffing it into his pocket.

Jinho pushed past him with a sigh. “We haven’t taken out the script in a while, and this is how you act? Some adequacy, if you please.”

“Don’t be such a killjoy, Worm.”

Jinho’s head snapped around to Shinwon, giving him a death glare. “Worm?”

Shinwon just shrugged lightheartedly. “Right, Caterpillar. My bad.”

“These kids,” Jinho shook his head before turning his attention back to you. “Let’s take a look, shall we?”

He took your hand and pulled you along to the far back of the room, where a wooden chest was covered with a bunch of colorful fabrics. Jinho shoved them aside to reveal the little metal lock that he opened with another key from his pocket, before pushing up the lid of the chest. It was empty except for a stitched booklet that looked like a regular manuscript for a musical or a theater piece. Jinho took it out and thumbed through the pages until he abruptly stopped, his finger pointing to one of the lines.

“We’re here.”

You stared at the scripture written in the same unfamiliar letters as everything else in this world.

“I can’t read that.”

“Ah, right.” 

Jinho closed the booklet briefly before opening it again, his fingers still marking the page. When you looked this time, you were surprised to find that it was written in letters you were able to read. Your eyes scanned the lines Jinho was pointing to, and you were overcome with a feeling of disbelief.

Caterpillar: We’re here. Alice: I can’t read that. Caterpillar: Ah, right.

Below that, the sentences seemed to be incomplete, only bits and pieces that were scattered on the paper.

“How is that possible?” you asked and right as you spoke the words started appearing in the script.

“It’s the script,” Jinho explained calmly. “That’s what it does. It documents and it predicts. It assigns roles and it decides the plot.”

“That’s right,” Shinwon nodded meaningfully but your eyes were still glued to the page, watching as everything they said formed on the paper.

“And as you can see, y/n, your role is Alice,” Jinho continued. “At least for now.”

“For now? What does that mean?”

“Well, you’re the replacement,” Changgu stared into the distance with a nostalgic shimmer in his eyes. “The old Alice is no more.”

“Did they…die?”

“Died? No, no, he is fine.” Shinwon pressed out between laughter so hard, he had to hold his stomach. “He would whine so much about this. I can practically hear his voice: ‘Don’t say something like that! Don’t jinx me!’ So funny.”

“Wooseok fulfilled his role,” Jinho explained calmly. “So now he is only Wooseok, in the same way you were only y/n before you became Alice.”

You sighed. “I don’t remember applying for the role, though.”

Jinho rolled his eyes. “Very funny.”

“So, what does it mean? Is me being Alice the reason that I’m stuck in this weird parallel universe?”

“What’s a parallel universe?” Changgu whispered, nudging Shinwon in the side.

“Surely the opposite of an unparallel iverse,” Shinwon whispered back.

“Ah.”

Jinho didn’t pay them any attention. “Not exactly. You’re stuck in this weird parallel universe—”

“That’s the opposite of an unparallel iverse,” Changgu interjected.

“—because you followed the rabbit through the Looking Glass. He was supposed to directly bring you here—but well, there’ve been some circumstances.”

“I didn’t follow anyone through a looking glass though.”

“Mhm, not purposely,” Jinho hummed. “You fell right in.”

“The sewer?”

Jinho scrunched his face in disgust. “Not the sewer. The reflection. The mirror image on the water surface.”

“So if I fell in—can I fall out again?”

“Oh, it doesn’t work like that, foolish Alice.”

“Foolish Biscuit,” Shinwon echoed, but his voice had a fond undertone to it.

“You have to fulfill your role first. Then you can go back.”

You nodded slowly. That at least meant there was a way back. “So, what do I have to do?”

“Right, that’s the tricky part, dear Alice. The script never reveals the full plot until it happens.”

“Are you saying I have to fulfill my part without even knowing what that is?!”

Jinho shook his head and skipped to a later page in the script. “We do know some things.”

The page was almost blank, only scraps of a conversation readable.

Queen of Hearts: Alice?!           You betrayed me Queen of Hearts:      What have you done to me?     hurt so much Queen of Hearts:   I'm dying

You stared at the words, an uncomfortable feeling spreading in your stomach. You had an inkling but you still asked anyway.

“What does this mean?”

“You will kill him,” Shinwon whispered. “You will end his reign.”

“No.” You shook your head. “I can’t—I can’t possibly kill anyone. Can’t someone else do it?”

Jinho shook his head. “It has to be you. He won’t die if it isn’t you.”

“But—how would I do it anyway?”

“I'm sure there are plenty of options. The King would know. Poison, maybe.”

Poison. You shuddered at the mere prospect of it; the body cramping up and lips turning purple—a gruesome thought.

“I can’t.”

“You’ve seen his cruelty. He doesn’t deserve any better,” Jinho said calmly. “And it will happen anyway. The plot may not be all written out yet, but that which is written will happen with certainty. Unless, of course, you die before that. Then a different Alice would have to take your place.”

“Unless I die?”

He shrugged. “If you’re careful that shouldn’t happen. So don’t worry about it too much, just follow along.”

Your head was spinning with all of this. Of course you wanted to go home, but could you really kill someone? But what if it was the only chance to go back? And if what Jinho said was true then was there even a use to think about what you wanted? It would happen, whether you resisted it or not. The only way out was dying, so there wasn’t even a decision for you to make, not really.

“Okay, fine,” you pressed out eventually. “I’ll fulfill my role. I’ll be Alice.”

A small smile tugged at the corners of Jinho’s lips. “I knew you would say that.”

“But how would I even get close enough to do it?” You asked Jinho while he locked the booklet in the chest again. “Does the script say anything about that too?”

“Not too much,” he admitted. “But I am convinced a chance will present itself. The Queen has his eyes on you.”

His words had you incredibly worried. You’d seen his cruel games and you’d felt his piercing gaze on you—just the prospect of having to be in his presence again terrified you. 

No, the Queen didn’t seem like the type of person you’d want to have the attention of. You would much rather be invisible than to be seen by him. Yanan surely wouldn’t be afraid of him; he could just turn invisible if things got dicey. You still remembered the cat’s cheeky smile before he’d disappeared on you. In fact, it was ingrained so clearly in your brain, you almost thought you saw it in the corner of the room. But when you blinked nothing was there.

You shook yourself out of it, focusing back on the problem at hand.

“But he doesn’t know, right? That I’m Alice?”

“No one knows,” Jinho reassured. “Only a selected few. The Rabbit. And the people in this room. Though,” he threw a quick glance at Changgu who was playing around with some props on a shelf, “who knows how long the Hare will remember. He tends to be a bit scatter-brained.”

“So, what now?” You asked once the three of you were outside the theater building again.

“Hm, I guess we need to go see Hongseok. I’m sure he’ll have some poison for you,” Shinwon replied and you almost flinched at his words. How could he say it so casually, as if it wasn’t a big deal? As if you weren’t supposed to kill someone with it?

“Off to the White Castle we go,” Changgu agreed. “The King is the best address for anyone seeking leach or lotion or poison or potions.”

“Hare! You can’t call him that. Not here.” Shinwon reprimanded him, his eyes searching the streets around you cautiously.

“Right, right. The Un-King, the Used-To-Be-King, the No-More-King,” Changgu corrected. “Either way, chemistry has always been Hongseok’s strong suit.”

You weren’t sure if brewing lethal poison was really part of regular chemistry, but you’d been curious about Hongseok anyway after everything they’d said and it wasn’t like you had a better idea.

“Wooseok will be there too,” Shinwon looked at you with a small smile. “Maybe you’d feel better after talking to him.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

You walked through the city for a bit. It was deserted again, no traces of all the people who’d still been out a while ago to attend the Queen’s so-called party. As if the sky had decided to match your mood, it had turned all black by now, lit up only by the crescent moon that was hidden behind thin clouds. Time seemed to be a little off here, and you thought you could understand the Rabbit a bit. Who wouldn’t be in a constant hurry if time passed almost randomly?

“Where’s everyone?” You eventually asked when you turned into yet another street that was completely void of people.

“It’s after the curfew,” Shinwon explained.

“Yes, the curfew,” Changgu was quick to nod. “Once the sky turned fully black, it's for the best to hurry back.”

“If the sun has fully set, it is time to go to bed,” Shinwon added.

“If the sky is in the moon, the knave of hearts will get you soon.”

“But Hare, that’s not how it goes. The moon is in the sky.”

“Hm, hm, right, that’s not how it goes,” Changgu repeated thoughtfully before his eyes widened with an epiphany. “Ah! If the moon is in the sky, fear the red Knave’s dreadful eye. For if he spots you in the street, a dire fate is what you’ll meet.”

He looked at you with a proud smile after he was done reciting his little poem, but you couldn’t really share his enthusiasm.

“So, we’re not supposed to be outside right now?”

“You’re so smart, Biscuit!”

“Then shouldn’t we go inside? And who’s the Knave anyway?” you asked, the term feeling a little familiar.

“Of Hearts,” Shinwon replied. “The Knave, that is.”

“The Knave of Hearts?”

“Yes, that’s right. He’s the Queen’s right-hand man.”

“You might have seen him at the party,” Changgu chimed in. “He has a scary look. And his birthday is in January.”

“Why does that matter?” You asked in confusion.

“Oh, it doesn’t. But it means he has an unbirthday today and instead of celebrating he’s surely out on patrol.”

“You must know me very well,” a deep voice suddenly sounded from behind you, making Changgu’s ears perk up in interest.

A man stepped out of the darkness of a house entrance, and the moment the dim light of the street lantern fell onto him, you recognized him as the guy with the wavy hair from the party. You remembered him well—mostly because of the gun that was surely tucked into the waistband of his pants even now.

“If it isn’t the Knave of Hearts himself,” Shinwon exclaimed with a delighted tone. “It’s been so long, Yuto, the last time must have been when—right, you probably wouldn’t want to talk about that. It was a dark day for your Queen after all.”

“Hatter,” Yuto replied with a straight face, his tone void of any emotion. “Always a pleasure.”

Then his eyes fell onto you.

“I see you still have your visitor with you. I would say their little scene today wasn’t a source of amusement for the Queen, but that would be a lie. In fact, Hyunggu was very amused.”

His words made a cold shiver run down your spine and you automatically took a small step back. 

“Oh, yes, our Biscuit is a very humorous person,” Shinwon replied, his voice still light but he held out his arm in front of you protectively.

Yuto huffed a laugh before glancing at the dark sky. “Still, violating the rules isn’t a funny matter. Why aren’t you in your cozy little hideout yet, Hatter?”

“We’re on our way!” Shinwon said.

Changgu nodded over-enthusiastically. “Yes, yes, on our way. Almost home!”

“Better hurry then. I won’t be as kind next time.” With that, Yuto turned around to go his way, leaving you with an anxious feeling in your stomach.

Shinwon let out a small sigh as soon as he was out of sight. “That was a close call. Now, let’s hurry, let’s hurry. I wouldn’t want to run into him twice. Not a very funny fellow.”

Shinwon and Changgu didn’t seem particularly shaken by the encounter. After a few steps they were back to their giddy selves. You on the other hand couldn’t stop yourself from checking each dark corner for a person hiding in the shadows.

When you spotted the ferris wheel towering above the surrounding buildings you started to suspect where you were headed: the amusement park. You couldn’t remember the last time you’d been there, but just like the theater it was a place with fond memories to you. 

Once you reached the entrance, Wonderland written on the archway in weathered letters, you had to find that there was none of the usual hustle and bustle. The park laid before you abandoned and still, solely the lights of the castle in the middle of the artificial lake flickered weakly in the distance. What used to be a vibrant, lively place looked washed out now, the fun rides and booths overgrown with patches of moss and their colors bleached out by the sun.

“Aaaand we made it,” Shinwon said as soon as he stepped through the entrance. 

“But we’re still outside?”

“Outside but not really. The curfew isn’t in force here.”

You looked around in confusion. You didn’t really see a reason why anything would be different on the grounds of the amusement park. “Why not?”

“Because the White King’s protective spell takes effect here. It keeps heartlings from entering. Even the Queen can’t enter,” Shinwon explained.

“The Queen isn’t as powerful as he’d like to make everyone believe,” Changgu added with a nod, as he headed straight for the shabby pedal boats in the shape of swans that were floating on the calm surface of the lake. 

He pulled one a little closer to the pier, gesturing for you to get in. When you set foot onto the boat it started to wobble dangerously and Changgu held out his hand to steady you, not letting go until you were safely sitting on the bench in the back. Shinwon got on next, taking one of the two front seats and Changgu hopped on last, after untying the rope from the metal loop on the pier. The two of them set to work, pedaling the little boat towards the small castle. As a child you had always dreamed of going there, but it hadn’t been open to the public, the pretty front just a means of decoration. Now though, there was no fence separating the little island from unwanted visitors, and the two of them easily steered the boat onto the narrow shore.

Changgu got off first, tying the rope around one of the two flagpoles that were positioned left and right of the castle. You remembered them to fly flags with the logo of the amusement park but now they were white, depicting a silver pentagon with a snowflake in the middle. The emblem of the White King, you supposed. The three of you walked the cobblestone path up to the entrance of the castle. Now that you were standing directly in front of it, it seemed way bigger than the decorative fake in your memory. It probably was bigger. 

Shinwon didn’t bother knocking on the double wing door before pushing it open and stepping inside. The lobby was all white, from the marble floor to the chandelier and it almost felt blinding.

“Hello?” Shinwon yelled into the building with the same tone you’d had at the gas station earlier today and you wondered if it was on purpose. “Hellooo?”

“Eh?” A honey blond head of hair appeared on the second floor, leaning over the handrail. “Shinwon? Changgu?”

Changgu raised his hand in a tiny wave, a dorky smile on his lips. “Hi.”

“What are you doing here?” The guy asked as he walked towards the stairs and made his way down. “And who’s your friend?”

“Y/n,” you introduced yourself before anyone could beat you to it and say Alice or Biscuit.

The guy came to a halt in front of you and only now you realized how incredibly tall he was. There was nothing intimidating about him though as he looked at you through big doe eyes. His hair was combed back in neat waves and he was wearing a sweater vest that was loose even on his lanky frame.

“Wooseok,” he introduced himself and held out his hand in a greeting. In comparison to everyone else he seemed surprisingly normal.

“So, what are you doing here?”

“We’re looking for Hongseok,” Shinwon explained, slipping out of his shoes and leaving them by the entrance as if he was visiting someone else’s apartment and not the prop castle of an amusement park. Changgu did the same though and you realized Wooseok was wearing slippers as well, so you too toed out of your shoes. Surprisingly enough, the marble floor didn’t feel very cold beneath your feet at all.

“He’s in the kitchen,” Wooseok nodded towards a corridor to his right.

“Alright!” 

Shinwon sauntered down the hall with the casualty of someone who’d been there a thousand times before and Changgu followed along just as naturally. You were a few steps behind them, Wooseok next to you. He kept glancing over to you curiously but didn’t say anything.

“Hongseok!” Shinwon greeted just a bit too loudly as he threw open a door to reveal a spacious kitchen.

A man with curly brown hair looked up in surprise, his hands covered in flour and a white apron tied around his waist.

“Oh, Hatter. And Hare.” He went over to the sink and rinsed his hands before his gaze fell on you. “And another guest?”

“Yes, this is—”

“Alice!” Changgu interrupted his friend, visibly excited about sharing the news.

“Alice?” Wooseok’s head snapped around to you and he stared at you with wide eyes. “So, you’re—you’re not from here?”

You just looked back at him. You’d already been told that Wooseok was the old Alice, but it hadn’t even occurred to you that maybe he too wasn’t from this universe.

“Now, now,” Hongseok walked over to you, wiping his wet hands on his apron. “We shouldn’t corner our new Alice like that. What’s your name?”

“Y/n.”

“A pretty name,” he smiled and gently squeezed your hand. “I’m Hongseok, the White King, but you might have heard. Wooseok was our last Alice, but his part has already played out.”

“Yes, yes,” Shinwon interrupted. “Biscuit already knows all that. But what we don’t know yet is how to kill the Queen of Hearts.”

“Oh,” Hongseok’s eyes widened in surprise. “Is that your part?”

“Seems like it,” you murmured, not withholding that you weren’t exactly fond of it all.

“Mhm, so it’s that time already. It’s really coming to this.” With a swift movement of his hand he motioned for the others to leave. “Give us a moment, will you?”

They did as they were told, though Wooseok lingered a moment longer before actually stepping out and closing the door behind him. 

“Do you want to drink something? A coffee? A hot chocolate? I have cookies too.”

You were inclined to say no, but when you gave it another thought you realized you hadn’t eaten anything in quite a while and could also really use the comfort of a hot drink. Hongseok prepared a hot chocolate and a plate of cookies for you, while you sat down at the small table in the corner of the room. Once he was done he sat down across from you, his eyes calm and gentle. After how Shinwon and Changgu had talked about him, it shouldn’t have surprised you, but it still amazed you how different his whole aura was compared to the Queen of Hearts. Where the Queen had been intimidating and rash, Hongseok radiated kindness and patience.

“Here,” He mumbled after a moment, nudging the plate of cookies a bit in your direction to encourage you to try some. “They are good, I promise. I only just made them this morning.”

You hesitantly took one and started to nibble on it, only to find that Hongseok had been way too humble—it tasted amazing.

“See? They are good right?” He looked a little proud when you nodded. “So, do you want to tell me about it? About what’s written in the script?”

In all honesty, you didn’t. But it seemed like he wanted to help so you told him about everything that you’d found out at the theater. Through it all, Hongseok listened calmly.

“So now,” you concluded your story, “I have to find a way to actually do it.”

“Well,” Hongseok nodded slowly, “here’s the thing: the Queen of Hearts is not easily harmed. Not just anyone can—it has to be Alice. And even then, there’s only one weakness.” 

“Which?” 

“The heart.”

“The heart?” In a way it seemed plausible for that to be the weakness of someone called the Queen of Hearts, but at the same time it seemed a little too simple.

“Yes.”

“How do I do it then?”

“Mhm,” he got up from his chair and walked towards a glass cabinet with a zillion little bottles and jars inside.

“I know of two ways. One is this,” he held up a little test glass with a dark red liquid in it. You swallowed around the lump in your throat. 

“Poison?” 

“It's the blood of the Jabberwocky to be precise. But poison describes it just fine. Once it gets into your body it will pollute your blood and ultimately make your heart stop.”

Maybe it wouldn’t be that hard. You could just add some to his food. Still, the thought of being able to feel it invading your blood circulation made your skin crawl. “And the other way?” 

“I doubt you’ll like it.” 

“What is it?” 

Hongseok sighed before opening the drawer beneath the glass cabinet. He pulled out a silver dagger so radiant it almost looked white. He held it out to you and you hesitated before you stood up and took it with trembling fingers. It was lighter than you’d expected and ice cold to the touch. 

“If you stab him with that—but it needs to be right in the heart.”

That was definitely worse. You would never be able to actually go through with something like that.

“I couldn’t,” you pressed out, holding it out in your open palm for Hongseok to take it back. 

But he gently closed your hand around the hilt again. 

“You don’t have to use it. But keep it, just in case.” 

“There won’t be a case.” 

“All the better.”

Hongseok had invited all three of you to spend the night in the castle, so you wouldn’t have to go out during the curfew again. The room you’d gotten was fancy and as white and shiny as the rest of the castle’s interior. In the middle of it was a soft bed that smelled like vanilla and fresh snow and just waited for you to slip under the covers, but you felt restless. You paced the room, unable to tune out that there was a dagger and a little heart shaped pendant with poison laying on your nightstand. This definitely wasn’t how you’d expected your day to end. It seemed to have gone downhill from the moment you’d stepped foot to that cursed party, but when Shinwon had talked about the Caterpillar having answers, there’d been a sliver of hope flaring up inside of you. Now, there was nothing left of that.

Even though you’d gotten your answer on how to get back to your world, you didn’t feel relieved in the slightest. All you could think of was the horrifying things you’d have to go through before finally going back. And the worst part was that you didn’t seem to have a choice, not really. Even if you decided it wasn’t worth it and you’d just stay—what was written in the script would happen either way.

series masterlist // character introduction // ptg masterlist

[cyncialwoo]

can you make a reaction of pentagon if they gonna see their ex girlfriend after break up

a/n: Hihi! I know I said two weeks, but I've been balancing school and home life. I'm also re-reading this piece I wrote a while back and brainstorming for new things. Also, I've never written reactions before, so I hope you enjoy it. I'm sorry this is so late.

words: 2.2k >>Masterlist

Jinho

He would be the type to avoid a meet-up.

It’s not like the relationship ended badly, but it’s for convenience. 

Jinho wouldn’t want to step on your feelings if there were any remaining

Honestly, for him, there was still something left over

He's delusional. Literally gaslighting himself to think he’s avoiding you for your sake.

The meet-up would be accidental like it was meant to happen. 

Jinho honestly hadn’t been out of his apartment in a few weeks. He had been having second thoughts about the entire breakup. Was it the best decision? He wasn’t sure. Although, the food had run out in his house, and takeout was expensive these days. 

He was walking through the isles bored when he saw a familiar figure. He didn’t see your face, but he didn’t have to. Something inside him wanted to approach you, but he didn’t. He couldn’t and he didn’t know why. He would rather die than go up to you. He stood there for minutes wondering whether to move past you or do a 180. 

He ended up just staring at you, taking in this moment of seeing you again. You were looking at some snacks on the shelf when you turned your head and looked over at him. He watched as the smile spread on your face, and how you waved at him. He reciprocated it, all without much thought. The moment flew by too fast for him because, in the next second, you were gone for the next item on your grocery list. 

Hui

Hui would most likely become obsessed with his work

Anything to distract himself 

Maybe he’d blow money for some serotonin

Anything to give him a quick whiff of some happiness 

He’s been writing songs like crazy and they're all sappy breakup songs

He doesn’t like any of them though 

He needs a break and a bad

Hui needed some time out of his studio which was now too stuffy for him. Just a simple walk would do for him. For what he meant for a short walk around the building, he ended up in a park nearby. He sat on a swing slowly rocking back and forth. His eyes were closed taking in the sound around him. It was quiet, barely anyone was around. Still, the sound of the wind and the trees slowly dancing to it making their sound, The casual cars driving by in the background. That was the serenity and peace he had been looking for this whole time. 

When he finally opened his eyes he noticed a familiar figure sitting at a bench. They were eating lunch alone with their head down. He didn’t have to see their face to know who it was. He smiled to himself, maybe this was the motivation and clarity he sought. 

Hongseok

He’d be more of the jealous type. 

He’s most likely the type to stalk a page 

He made a fake account just for you!

okay, maybe that’s not that charming. 

he regrets his decision though

he's sincere about that

Lately, Hongseok had been feeling like you were losing interest in him, or you were getting over this. With all that he still felt for you, he couldn’t let you. He still couldn’t let you go and needed something to drag you in with him. So, he devised a plan. He would “randomly” meet up with you. 

He got used to the schedule that you had, and have, so it wasn’t that hard to find you. He had crossed your path multiple times after the break-up, but neither of you had decided to go and talk to each other. He was too shy, and you wanted to get over him. It was better for you anyway, and sometimes seeing him just hurt.

Not this time when you saw him. You two had managed to get on the same bus. Although, you knew hongseok had a car and could drive. It made you wonder what happened to him after you two separated. You locked eyes with him, and he shared a smile with you. He took that as an invitation to come closer to you on the bus. He made small talk with you for most of the ride. Something about the whole experience felt like deja vu almost as if you had met him again, but in a new life.

Shinwon

He plays it off but he’s most definitely hurting 

He hangs around other people for a distraction 

He is not okay though

When he’s alone or at home he mostly pouts

Dont come about his mood though because he will snap

He also won't leave the house unless he has to

The guys have to make him come out, so they take him to an inside amusement park

They may spoil him a bit too much. 

It seemed like Shinwon was as good as new. He was smiling, laughing, and making his awful jokes. Honestly, Jinho and Hui kind of wished they left him at home. It seemed like this was the perfect thing to bring him back from being a literal human zombie.

They were walking around the theme park when he saw you giggling with your friends. You guys had rented school uniforms on. He was happy that you were happy though. The way you laughed or held your friend's hand. He didn’t notice how long he had been staring. 

He was sent back to reality when Jinho tapped him on the shoulder. “You ready to head out already?” Shinwon looked back at him just nodding. He didn’t know if Jinho knew if he was looking at you or not. Either way, nothing was mentioned on the way home.

Changgu

He lives in a cafe. 

Or he visits it a lot

Either way, he wants to run into you

First, it was the old cafe you two used to visit

Then your favorite cafe

But nothing, he couldn’t

One day he gave up and just started to work part-time at a random cafe

He was working late nights due to his day job. He was enjoying working at a cafe. He loved the smell of coffee beans after all, and wouldn’t complain if he smelled like them all day. One thing was for sure though, he brought a lot of business to the cafe. 

Everyone went to the cafe to see the cute barista. He smiled with all of the new attention, but he wasn’t quite sure if he enjoyed it or not. Some part of him still hoped that one day you would walk into those doors. He convinced himself that all of the girls he turned down were for you. He was staying loyal to you. 

The only problem was that he only worked at the late-night, and it was not the most favorable time for a cup of coffee. 

One night while he was making one of his famous cups of coffee, he heard a familiar laugh. His head shot up, he had to see your face again. Although, he frowned as soon as he spotted you in the crowd. Your arm was locked around another guy’s laughing and leaning into him. 

He frowned and turned over to his coworker, “I'm taking my 15.”

Yanan

The relationship was short

Surely not long enough for deep feelings

That's what he thought before he broke the news to you

But lately, he had been missing you

Denies it and tries to play it slick

I’m thinking this is like a college fling thing

So you guys could run into one another

Finals were coming up and Yanan was in the library with his head stuck in one of the textbooks. He had been there for hours, and he was starting to get hungry. He had a six-hour final that he was preparing for, and he could not flunk it. He searched in his bags to see if he had any snacks left over. Luckily he still had some, leaning back and eating it.

He took that time to scan his surroundings. He had been focused on his work for so long that he hadn’t noticed the amount of people that had come and gone. This time around he noticed you dozed off on a desk. Your head was lying on a textbook sleeping soundly. You looked so pretty to him. He went close to you and put your jacket over you.

He didn’t quite understand his actions or what possessed him to buy snacks for you. He smiled to himself as he wrote a note. He teased you about falling asleep in the library and how you should take better care of yourself. He didn’t sign the note, smirking. Maybe he could tease you more like this in the future.

Yuto

He is already a quiet person, so I feel like he kept the relationship very private

Barely anyone knew that the two of you had broken up

The break up wasn’t on good terms

The two of you could not agree on something 

He hated arguments and everything that came with it

He also hated telling you when he disagreed with something because it would lead to even more arguments even if it didn’t have to be one

The two of you were petty anyways

He tried to avoid you, and the places you hung out frequently

Yuto was out with a large group of friends. It was unusual for him, but he was enjoying the extra company. They were at a large shopping mall, so it wasn’t an ideal place to be. He was quieter than usual. Maybe it was because he didn’t want to draw a lot of attention to himself. That was the reason. He wanted some quiet time but didn’t want to be alone. Maybe this was the best solution for him. 

He thought of himself over the relationship. Maybe he was being too harsh, but he thought if he heard that you died in a week or so he wouldn’t care. Okay, that was cruel of him, but he needed some way to distance himself. 

The sad part was, when he saw you at a store with another guy, his heart sank. He was mad that he still felt some type of way about it and about you. He was disappointed in himself, nonetheless, he played it off and went on with his day. 

Kino

I'm going with the cliche trope

He’s just a party guy to me 

And I think he’d go to parties to let off his cool. Especially if it was a harsh break-up 

I feel like he’d still be jealous and possessive after the relationship

If anyone would try to say something bad about you, he would get mad at them. 

He’s still sweet as ever, even if it ended on bad terms or not

Kino was at a party, like usual. He had a huge social circle. He was floating around the party talking to a lot of different people. He was feeling better tonight. He preferred to put himself out there when he didn’t feel up to it. Honestly, he was feeling a lot better. 

He did notice you when you walked in, it would be hard for him not to stare. He watched over you, still feeling protective. He knew a lot of the people at the party, some of them having a bad reputation. He would rather watch over you from a distance, not ready to face you. 

That didn’t matter when a random guy came up to you. He didn’t know him, but he could not stand the fact that another man was talking to you. He came up to you putting his arm over your shoulder casually.  “I forgot to ask you what drink you wanted.” Kino kept a sly smirk on his face. You looked a little upset and surprised to see him there, but he just brushed it off. It was fun to cock-block you.

Wooseok

I think he would be quieter about the breakup

He seems like he keeps more to himself 

But he’s generally sweet to everyone 

I think the motivation would be down

He wants to keep things on good terms, but that doesn’t mean friends. 

He’s not the type to text you after

Unless he needed something 

Wooseok had gathered up some motivation lately, after looking at how messy his life had been lately. He was picking his stuff up and putting things in their right places. During that, he found some items that were yours, and he noticed that some of his things had been missing. He frowned, he didn’t want to do any confronting, but he wanted his things back. There’s nothing wrong with that, right?

His hands were sweaty as he texted you. He simply stated that he had a few of your things and he thought that you had a few of his. It was simple and he tried to be as polite as possible. He was not trying to make anyone upset. 

After a few days you hadn’t answered his text, so he tried again. This time his tone was a little hasty, and when you responded, it was in an aggravated tone. He was confused. You didn’t want to meet with him and made that clear. He suggested mail, but that seemed to upset you as well. 

When he saw you later that week on the street, he said nothing. He did nothing. Any feelings that he had left over for you, were gone. Then he knew he could move on.

[pentagonieslut]

m.list !!

lee huitaek/hoetaek (hui):

[hui's high pitched screams are in place of no works. - cube staff]

jo jinho:

ko/go shinwon:

yeo changgu (yeoone):

yanan:

[causing silent chaos somewhere, lurking]

yang hongseok:

adachi yuto/yuuto:

kang hyunggu:

[embarrased he has to match hui and shinwon, hiding]

jung wooseok:

kim hyojong (e'dawn):

i will write romance + smut for him on request. he just got out of a relationship with hyuna. be nice.

all members:

kim hongjoong:

[ran away to the studio to work on something]

park seonghwa:

[poor mama can't catch a break]

jung wooyoung:

[he's trying to get rough-talked again because he likes it]

jeong yunho:

[him and minjae are going around and calling each other brothers]

song mingi:

[just being happy little mufasa]

kang yeosang:

[ordering as much chicken as he can]

choi san:

[being a sex demon again]

choi jongho:

[breaking apples and singing tears]

moon taeil:

[being a grandpa, he's sick of this shit]

qian kun:

[yelling at the younger members starting from 99s-jisung]

seo johnny:

[he's eating chicago pizza and crying]

lee taeyong:

[febreezing all the fucking dorms]

kim doyoung:

[he's hiding in his room]

kim jungwoo:

[he's being a puppy to get taeyong to cook]

dong sicheng (winwin):

[running from taeil's monstrous love]

nakamoto yuta:

[eating taiyaki and sharing with shotaro]

jung jaehyun:

[he's preparing to work overtime]

chittaphon leechaiyapornkul (ten):

[ENGLISH TEN, ENGLISH NO NOT THAI]

wong yukhei/wong xuxi (lucas):

[freaking out about the discovery of nana and nearly crushing louis]

na jaemin:

[reminding lucas he's nana for the third year in a row]

xiao dejun (xiaojun):

[jasmine is really muscular]

wong kunhuang (hendery):

[he's in macau touring with big byung]

liu yangyang:

[he's freaking out in german, give him a second]

zhong chenle:

[flexing his money again]

huang renjun:

[he's planning the death of a dream member]

lee mark:

[my baby said she wanna dance she wanna leave me, huh? FUCK]

lee jeno:

[let him recover from being tied up and being ridden]

jung sungchan:

[he's playing games with your heart, i'm sorry]

lee donghyuck (haechan):

[consistent with his 37.5% show rating]

osaki shotaro:

[he's being the cutest fucking otter alive and you're here for it]

park jisung:

[he's on his way to becoming a tiktok fuckboi]

moon hyunbin:

[casting a spell for peace, maybe?]

choi seokwon (tan):

[can put you in a chokehold but has a cute face so like- I TAP OUT]

kim byeonggun (hwi):

[cupid is making him do secretary work]

terazono keita:

[still waiting on the phone papa rain promised him]

yeom taegyun (tag):

[leave mans alone, he's doing highschool rapper 4 n stressing]

gil dohwan:

[he's yodeling..somewhere]

park sungwon (won):

[snuck out for a poetry slam]

son seungjun (castle j):

[producing some type of track]

nam seungmin (bic):

[he's not a pen, promise]

song minjae:

[dammit minjae..you're so tall, i mistook you for yunho!]

no huijun:

[getting a black belt in taekwondo]

bang junhyuk (win):

[he's making your brain rot with his deep voice like felix]

lee hangyul:

[putting you in a choke hold with his all day performance]

park junseo:

[he's dancing his bones off]

jeon minwook (j-min):

[trying to go to the olympics in professional flexibility]

jung gun (yoojun):

[making 'fuck you' necklaces to choke bit with]

kim hyunwoo (muzin):

[trying to meditate before he goes off]

ryu yeongseo:

[trying to become the next twice member]

na gyumin (doha):

[drawing webtoons about the chaos of this group]

noh minjae (bit):

[tormenting yoojun and j-min with cucumbers]

nam dohyon:

[auditioning for SMTM with his milk mixtape]

lune:

[he's so pretty they're making him model schoolgirl uniforms]

heechan:

[he's being hyper again...MOOM]

e-chan:

[his mind is blank leave him alone]

yuku:

[eating dango and watchinge veryone with a happy smile]

junseo:

[lurking somewhere

D1:

[he's telling everyone he's not a athlete]

harry-june:

[flustered about something]

teo:

[working out again]

GK:

[chicken GK, chicken GK, chicken GK]

[jae-bummer]

My Idol 3: Part Seven

My Idol From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

My Idol is a South Korean competitive reality dating game show. It currently airs on Saturday nights on Jae-bummer’s blog. First broadcast in 2016, the show offers the opportunity for a lucky fan to go on seven blind dates with seven idols. The idol plans the date with the show throwing in a specific mission to complete during the day. At the end of the initial dates, the show opens up an audience vote to decide what four idols will move on to the second date.

My Idol 3: The Series

.

Looking up moodily at your night shift body guard, you waited in silence for him to open your room.

"No hello?" Insu teased, tilting his head. "How was your day? I've missed you terribly?"

"Hello, Insu," you grumbled, crossing your arms. "How was your day? I have missed you terribly."

"Well," he clucked. "It doesn't sound genuine when I have to prompt you."

"Can I please just go inside?" you whined, rubbing your forehead to ease the oncoming headache.

"Sure," he nodded. Letting the tension ease from your shoulders, you took a deep breath in an attempt to calm your nerves. "But it'll cost you."

"I have a sneaking suspicion that you're not talking about money," you groaned.

"Not at all," he smiled easily. "Money's worthless. You're time, however, is valuable."

"What do you want?"

"Grab your ice bucket," he said gently. "Let's go for a walk."

"I don't want to go for a walk," you pouted. "I've walked enough today. And ridden a bike. And fallen off that bike. And then thought my date died."

Insu nodded politely. "I think you need to decompress."

"I'm perfectly capable of decompressing in the comfort of my bed," you muttered.

"Where you can thought spiral through every hypothetical way you could have reacted on your date?" he smirked. "Perfect idea. Have a great night!"

"You're a little too perceptive for your own good," you grumbled. "Has anyone ever told you that before?"

"I read people for a living, Y/N," sighed. "You're just one of the lucky ones I like."

"I don't see why," you lamented, not proud of yourself, but searching for solace nonetheless. "I'm a walking disaster."

"Hardly," he said, tapping your room key against the door. Shouldering it open, he waited for you to pass him and go in. "Now come on. I'll even give you five minutes for a bathroom break before I expect to see you back out here."

Sliding into your room, you glanced at him over your shoulder. "How charitable."

After spending at least ten minutes sat on the sink, totally not thought spiraling, Insu's fourth round of knocking finally pushed you to hop off the counter. Snagging the ice bucket from beside you, you shuffled back toward the door and yanked it open. Chewing on your lip, you narrowed your eyes at the dastardly man.

"That was much longer than five minutes."

"Should've come in after me," you sighed, breezing past him. "What if I had passed out on the toilet? Some body guard you are."

"I'm here to protect you from other people," he chuckled. "Not from yourself."

"Comforting," you deadpanned. "I'll remember that the next time I feel faint."

The two of you walked down the hallway in companionable silence for a moment, giving you time to let your eyes wander from door to door. You were curious who was hidden where and if they were all comfortable with the current arrangements. Now you had three men, three celebrities, locked up for what could be weeks. They'd be missing crucial schedules, studio time, and dance practices...all because of you.

"You have no control over what fans do," Insu said quietly, seeming to have read your mind.

"Get out of my head," you huffed, glaring over your shoulder at him.

"I don't have to be in your head to know you're going through it," he hummed. "I can tell by your body language."

"Please, enlighten me," you sighed, coming to a halt and spinning toward him. "What is my body saying?"

You tried to ignore the up and down assessment he gave you.

"Your shoulders are tense," he noted. "You're either chewing on your lip or the inside of your cheek at any give time. Your arms are wrapped so tightly around the ice bucket, you-"

"Okay, okay," you accepted. "Apparently my body is talkative. I get it."

Turning back around, you started your trek again.

"I'm here to listen," Insu prompted from behind you. "If you want to talk about it."

"There's nothing to talk about," you alleged. "Plus I'm sure Hyuk gave you the full report."

"I did have to set three of his fingers," Insu confessed. "But he didn't get into specifics."

Whirling around again, your eyes were wide. "He didn't go to the hospital?"

"Not if he can avoid it," he smirked. "It's kind of the nature of the business."

"Great," you gasped, throwing your hands in the air, ice bucket included. "So I've been the cause for two people's physical injuries, my apartment being torn apart, AND everyone being held up in hotel rooms like some kind of fancy prison."

"Hey," Insu said quietly, taking slow steps to close the distance between the two of you. You hadn't noticed it previously, but you were breathing heavily and tears may or may not have started to escape your eyes.

Placing his hands lightly on your shoulders, he slid his fingers carefully down to your elbows and then back up again. "You're not responsible for any of that."

"I am," you whined. You were on the brink of becoming a blubbering mess. "I'm the unlikable one. Fans don't like me. That's why all of this is happening. I'm supposed to be better. I'm supposed to be more deserving."

"Come here," Insu said gruffly, pulling you against him. Wrapping his arms around your shoulders, he placed a hand gently on the back of your head. "With the fan-bases these guys have, no one will ever be good enough. It's not personal."

"They made it personal," you squeaked into his suit. While you weren't proud of your breakdown, you were enjoying the unexpected safety Insu provided. "They took away everything."

"They didn't," he insisted. "They can't take away how you react to the situation, and you've been doing well. Better than anyone can expect, really."

Pulling away from him, you caught Insu's eyes. "Why are you being so sweet?"

"I can't comfort a friend in need?" he smiled, patting your head absently before stepping back.

"We're friends?" you chirped, quietly pleased by this development.

"I guess we are," Insu hummed, seeming surprised by his own words.

You smiled softly at him, allowing this new, bubbly feeling to float through you. If not watched carefully, you knew it could be dangerous, and you already had enough boy-related problems on your hands.

"Y/N?" a familiar voice questioned from behind you.

Turning around, you couldn't help but feel the moment between you and Insu had been snuffed out. You were only mildly horrified with yourself as you felt a slight disappointment at another person joining the conversation until you realized who it was.

"Jungkook!" you grinned. It took everything in you not to greet him with a big hug.

He seemed to have no qualms though.

"Y/N!" he breathed, an easy smile filling his face. Crossing the hallway, he pulled you in for a hug. Wrapping his arms around your waist, he tucked you into his frame, enveloping you in warmth.

"It's so good to see you," he whispered into your hair.

"It's good to see you too," you sighed, leaning back to get a better look at him, but remaining in his arms. He looked as handsome as ever.

Clearing his throat behind you, Insu made his presence abundantly clear.

Stepping away from Jungkook, you felt heat creep up your neck. You glanced behind Jungkook, his won bodyguard giving an awkward wave.

"Sorry," Jungkook winced, nodding briefly to Insu. Focusing on you again, he grinned. "How are you?"

"I've been better," you admitted. "I'm hoping they filled you in when they moved you here?"

"A little bit," he grimaced. "Y/N, I am so sorry. I can't believe anyone would do that, let alone someone who would call themselves a fan of any of us."

"They killed my fish," you blurted, not realizing how much that thought burdened you.

"What?" he gasped, his eyes growing wide. He pulled you in for another hug. "You've been through so much."

"Y/N," Insu grunted behind you. "It's best we get going."

"Right," you nodded, stepping away from Jungkook. If the producers saw the two of you fraternizing in the hallway, it likely wouldn't go over well.

"I'm glad I saw you," Jungkook nodded, eyes bright. "Even if it was only for a minute."

You smirked before glancing to your feet. "I didn't get to ask, but you're doing okay?"

"I'm doing great," he chimed. "I've gotten more sleep than I have in years. And three meals a day! Can you even imagine?"

You let out an unexpected laugh. "That's a relief to hear. I'm glad you're resting well."

"So are the other guys," he nodded, somehow knowing that would comfort you. "Just to clarify. We're all taking this in stride."

"You've talked to them?" you asked, tilting your head.

"Hongseok and I get meals together downstairs sometimes," he said, an idea lighting up his expression. "You should meet with us!"

"Y/N," Insu cautioned. His quiet reminder that you've dallied too long.

"We should," you agreed before squeezing his bicep lightly. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Okay," Jungkook hummed, giving the cutest nose scrunch.

Taking a deep breath, you continued down the hallway past him, willing yourself not to look back. You hadn't realized how reassuring his presence would be. He was the only one who hadn't really been privy to the nightmare this experience had become, so it was such a relief to touch base. Plus he confirmed that he and Hongseok were doing just fine. You hoped he would begin including San in their shared meals as well.

Walking into the ice room in a bit of a daze, it took you a moment to realize how quiet Insu was being.

Turning to look at him as you filled your bucket, you were surprised when he didn't make eye contact. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said shortly.

"Apparently not," you chuckled nervously, feeling his mood change rolling off him in waves.

"We wasted too much time," he muttered. "We could've both gotten in trouble."

"It was just a quick conversation," you reasoned. "It wasn't really a big deal."

"Every minute you are outside of the safety of your room is a big deal," he said, glaring.

"Whoa," you winced, tucking your now full ice bucket back under your arm. "Down, tiger."

"I'm not going to endanger you just so some celebrity can get in his five minutes," he grumbled, looking anywhere but at you. "I'm sure that little stunt added quite the points in his favor."

"Insu," you whispered, recoiling from him as if you had been slapped. "Jungkook isn't like that."

"Right," he scoffed, turning around and leading you back into the hall.

Normally you walked in front of your body guard, but this time, he was stomping in front of you.

What was his issue?

Was he...jealous?

"Someone got really grumpy, rather quickly," you muttered, arriving at your door. Stepping in your way, Insu glared down at you.

"Just watch yourself, okay?" he said sternly. "These guys sell a fantasy every day. They're good at it."

"Heaven forbid someone genuinely likes me," you huffed.

"I didn't say they couldn't," he shot back. "All I'm saying is-"

"Yeah, yeah," you groaned. "Poor little Y/N, manipulated by the heart throb. I get it."

"Y/N," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That's not what I'm saying at all."

"Then come out with it!" you gasped. This day had been far too long and complicated for your liking. You were ready to hide under your blankets and never come out.

"I care about your well being!" he burst, his hands curling into fists as he let them drop to his sides. "I don't want to see you hurt!"

You chewed on his comment for a moment, watching as he continued to stare at you, frustration painted across his handsome face. "Why, Insu?"

"I told you earlier, I like you, Y/N," he struggled. "You don't want to see people you favor falling into situations where they're not watching out for themselves."

"You said you couldn't protect me from myself," you said quietly. "Remember?"

Insu let out a small grunt. "Stubborn."

"Exhausted," you corrected. "Thoroughly done. Burned out. Let me into my room."

Smacking your room's key card against the keypad, Insu backed into door. Keeping it open wide as you walked past, you could feel his eyes boring into you from behind.

"Goodnight," you huffed.

Without saying a word, he stepped into the hallway, closing the door softly behind him.

..

Your next date wasn't until the following evening, giving you plenty of time to stew in your disaster of a date, the situation with Insu, and the small rendezvous with Jungkook. Saying you were confused and irritable was an understatement.

You were already in the thick of things with three different idols and had four more to go. You couldn't go throwing Insu into the situation when your heart and mind were completely disoriented. You had never navigated anything quite this intense in your life.

Jungkook had pure intentions, of that you were sure. That's why Insu's outburst had shaken you so much. He didn't know anything about these guys, and it was clear in the way he was acting. That being said, you couldn't help that it had sewed the smallest seed of doubt in your mind. He was right, idols were well-versed in giving the illusion of attainability. Surely they weren't putting on an act just to win the competition...were they? The cameras weren't even around when you had bumped into Jungkook. He had no reason to be so caring if that were the case.

"Damnit, Insu," you hissed, knowing this would dwell in the back of your head. How dare he open that door when you were already feeling like you were going crazy.

Lost in thought, you yanked open the door of your hotel room right after you heard a knock. Hyuk had dropped you off for makeup and hair not long ago with the promise of your date starting soon. It was going to be a formal evening, so you were dressed exceptionally well (at least to your own standards). Shimmying out your shoulders, you tried to focus on the task at hand. You would have fun tonight, even if it killed you.

Glancing up from your uncomfortable shoes, you were taking aback at seeing Insu again so quickly.

"What are you doing here?" you croaked, unintentionally sounding annoyed by his mere presence.

Insu's eyebrows shot up. "This is an evening date. Am I not your night shift bodyguard?"

Right. Somehow it had completely evaded you that he would be the one escorting you this evening.

"Perfect," you muttered, shaking your head. This was just great.

Barging your way around him, you started down the hall, trying to calm your anxiety. It was hard enough jumping into another blind date, let alone with your moody body guard in tow.

Stepping into the elevator, you scooted as far away from him as you could. Maybe it was a bit immature, but you were emotionally frazzled before you had even blown up at each other last night. It was to be expected that you were still a little bit raw.

Punching at the button for the lobby, Insu became a statue beside you. Remaining quiet, it wasn't until the end of the elevator ride that he finally spoke up. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks," you managed, not allowing for his kind words to melt the ice that had frozen around you.

"Y/N," he sighed, turning slightly toward you. "Surely you can understand where I was coming from-"

"Doubling down is not the optimal move here," you grumbled, holding up a hand in the air between you. "I'm trying to get into a good mental space to handle this date. I really don't want to talk about last night."

"Can we talk later?" he asked, tilting his head.

"No."

"Y/N-"

"I'll think about it," you groaned. "Okay? Just give me some space for tonight."

Giving a curt nod, Insu stepped back into his position beside you.

It wasn't long before the elevator doors slid open, exposing you to the commotion that was the hotel lobby. Taking a deep breath, you stepped from the small space. Furrowing your brows, you were surprised to see a handsome man, dressed in a full suit in front of you. The cameras were on and waiting for your arrival.

"Wow," his surprisingly gravely voice purred. Reaching out to take your hand, he smiled. "You must be Y/N."

"I am," you said cautiously.

"I'm Got7's Jackson," he smiled. "And you are absolutely gorgeous."

You tried to ignore the sharp intake of breath from behind you.

Tonight was going to be interesting.

[gamerwoo]

Fic Recs: Pentagon

『 ↳✧･ﾟ m a i n  n a v i ;  

『 ↳✧･ﾟ r e c  n a v i ;  

🔞 = smut | 🌸 = fluff | ☔ = angst | 🤠 = humor  

[if reader isn’t specified as fem/male/gn, it’s because it wasn’t specified in the pairing on the fic. if there’s no summary, there wasn’t one on the fic]

↳ hongseok: 7:35am | @fluffyunhoe​ (hongseok x reader) 🌸

↳ yuto: hopeless intro / hopeless | @hansols-yoda-boxers​ (yuto x fem reader) 🌸🔞

↳ yuto: pentagon cuddles | @sadienita​ (yuto x reader) 🌸🔞

↳ yuto: of sunsets and tears | @zayphyr​ (yuto x reader) ☔🌸

[key201303]

Hi hello, how are you doing? Can I request a Hongseok (Pentagon) Christmas drabble with ✨ and 25? Thank you 😊

Heyy!! Sorry for taking so long but here it is!! Hope the wait is worth enough 💙💙💙 Also Merry Christmas!! 💙🙏🏼🎉🎅🏼❄🎄

Your favorite day of the year has finally arrived. You had to admit you LOVED spending the entire day locked in your small shared apartment with your boyfriend a few days before Christmas decorating the whole house and he had to admit, even if he didn’t want to, that he lowkey loved it too. But there was something he truly LOVED and that was seeing you all excited and full of happiness when you admired the small Christmas tree in front of you.

You were a meticulous decorator while Hongseok was a clumsy decorator. “Just put it wherever! Why does it matter so much?” Hongseok always complained when you couldn’t decide where to place a blue ornament, if next to the purple one or next to the silver one. “It really is important! Depending on where I place it, it will look beautiful or ugly!” You tried to explain, passion for decorating filling your entire soul and body. 

But what was the best about decorating the house with your boyfriend was those moments when he would tease you with whatever “wrong” detail he found around the living room. “The tree is bent.”; “That green ornament really looks bad in there.”; “The star is bent as well.” He would say just to annoy you and you would end up getting slightly mad at him. And there was when the best part came. Hongseok, being the lovely kid he is, wouldn’t waste any minute in having his arms around you to comfort you and whisper sweet little nothings in your ear making you unable to be mad at him for any longer. Right then, when you thought his teasings were done and he would let you be, he would grab one of those fluff ornaments to tickle you.

“Stop it! It tickles!” You said out of breath, trying your best to remove his hands from you as tears came out of your eyes because of how much you were laughing. “Hongseok for God’s sake I can’t breathe!” You complained as you kept laughing. He finally stopped moving his hands around your body and now they were placed on your cheeks wiping the tears that have fallen down a few seconds ago. “You look so damn cute when you laugh like that.” He said, looking straight into your eyes, making you blush a little. You loved when he looked at you like that. With such admiration, showing how much he loved you.