#shen ricky scenarios
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hello i love your work sm!! iâm new to this requesting thing but could i request a ricky x idol reader au? i could totally see them meeting through another chinese idol like chenle (like the china line groupchat!) thank you so much!
â mochi
hii!! tysm!! (i have no idea if nct dream was at mama 2024 but for this plot they were!)



ăă ă ăâ Ëăâ Ëâ ăïœĄ idol!ricky x idol!reader â Ëăâ Ëâ ăïœĄăâ
you just recently debuted, mama 2024 being your groups first big schedule. needless to say you were incredibly nervous until you ran into two of your fellow idol seniors. you knew of them but you didnât know youâd get to know them so early into your carier but it turns out chenle is quite the chatterbox. the both of them made you feel incredible comfortable during such an eventful night and you were extremely grateful. however you only managed to catch chenles number as he was the only actually sitting close to your group during the event, ricky having already left once you got to his groups seat.
and ricky thought you were so gorgeous from the first time he saw you and he couldâve actually screamed when he realised he never got your number or any way to get in contact with you. so he swallowed his pride and asked chenle if he could forward your number, not without being teased of course
the two them texted every night, ricky wishing you luck before every single performance even the once you didnât tell him about and congratulating you on your first win, sending flowers to your dorm âcongrats pretty im proud of you â. you telling him how good he did after each tour stop and listening to him rant about his company.
sends you flowers every opportunity he gets, he loves your reaction to it even if its just over text most of the times. would also send you one with a little note saying âbe my partner?â (but heâd also ask you face to face at a nice picnic date )
values your fashion advice so much and vice versa. whenever you spend another late night talking about what you like and what would suit him best he mentally takes notes to bring it up to his stylist. telling them that someone close to him whose opinion he really values told him he would look good in this and that and if they could do that for his next outfit.
the two of you incorporate pieces of each others outfit in your own, ricky wears you favorite ring on his necklace and you get to wear his earrings.
whenever you have a concert in a chinese speaking country he would teach you some good sentences, looking at you like you put the stars in the sky when he hears you speak his mother tongue.
youâd never pay for dinner, like you would physically have to fight him to get his card away
takes you on so man picnic dates during the evenings, watching the sunset together and later gazing at the stars. kissing when you see a shooting star and telling each other you wished to spend the rest of your life with each other
he sometimes plays your groups songs in the back of his lives acting like he doesnât see all the comments about a y/n x ricky interaction.
the fans then proceed to make little compilations of all of your interactions, ricky looking at you lovingly during a tiktok challenge, you mouthing their lyrics during one of their award performances, the two of you coincidentally making the same pose for fans and giggling with each other once you find out, you looking away shyly whenever ricky meets your eyes.
definitely post memes about the two of you like âthe bad bitch i pulled by being a cutie patootieâ
#anon <3#zerobaseone imagines#zerobaseone scenarios#zerobaseone x reader#zerobaseone x you#zb1 soft hours#zb1 imagines#zb1 scenarios#zb1 x reader#zb1 x you#zb1 x y/n#shen ricky imagines#shen ricky x reader#shen ricky scenarios
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â đČ BIP ! YOU JUST GOT A TEXT ! â ft. shen ricky
or simply : random daily texts with boyfriend ! ricky.
ricky x reader, genre : fluff, crack, warning : none









âż» taglist (fill out this form to be added to the taglist) : @invuwrld @deafeningtyrantmilkshake @snowflakemoon3 @watamotee33 @annoyingbitch83 @kpoprhia @ilovechanhee @shiningstar-byulxx @wtfhyuck @zuzu-the-simp @shiyachime @beomibeom @neroislost @lviee @taegicarus @lvlicky @tmrx2gther @zeromattone @solarwoniii @dead-isshh @haechan-nahceah @cintabinnie @lovelickyyy @ihrtgw @nichoswag @i520cm
#ricky imagines#ricky scenarios#zb1#zb1 imagines#zb1 scenarios#shen ricky#zb1 ricky#zerobaseone#zerobaseone ricky#ricky timestamps#ricky drabbles#zb1 ricky scenarios#zb1 ricky drabbles#zb1 ricky imagines#zb1 ricky timestamps#shen âricky imagines#shen ricky scenarios#shen ricky timestamps#shen ricky drabbles#zerobase1#zb1 drabbles#zb1 timestamps#zb1 reactions#zerobaseone drabbles#zerobaseone imagines#zerobaseone timestamps#zerobaseone reactions#zerobaseone ricky imagines#ricky x reader#ricky fluff
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members of zb1 as cute things that have happened to me
â i only thought of a couple of these, so i chose the members i felt fit the best!

. . .
â matthew // asking if a ring would fit me and putting it on my finger
you always loved matthewâs taste in jewelry, so it wasnât new for you to comment on his rings or bracelets. he always wore the same simple silver ring on his index finger and that happened to be your favorite one. one day, you pointed at his ring saying,
âiâm gonna steal that, trustâ
âno youâre not, this is my favorite oneâ
âitâs mine too !â
he smiled and took it off,
âdoes it fit you?â
before you could answer, he took your hand and slipped the ring onto your finger.
âit does!â
âanother reason for me to take it then huhâ
âabsolutely notâ
â ricky // leaving my ring in their car
after a long day of having fun with ricky, the two of you got back in the car and you immediately took off one of your rings that had been bothering you all day. you made a mental note to grab it before you were dropped off at your house, but when the time came, you forgot. after a couple days, you remembered but didnât think too much of it since you didnât like the ring very much anyway. several days after you realized that you forgot your ring in his car, you and ricky made plans to get food after your morning shift and when you pulled into the parking spot next to him, he got out and opened your door. he pulled the ring out from his pocket and handed it to you.
âi wore it a couple times and kept forgetting to give it back to youâ
âitâs okay you can have it, i donât mindâ
he smiled and slipped it onto his finger.
â gyuvin // pinky promise to keep in touch
after a little more than a year of knowing gyuvin and getting closer and closer to him everyday, parting ways for college felt harder than you expected. you knew the two of you would stay in touch, but a part of you couldnt help but feel nervous of whether you would still be as close when he came back for breaks or if you would even stay in contact. before the two of you went back to your cars on your last day hanging out together, you shared a loving hug.
âdont be a stranger, gyuvinâ
ânever will beâ
he pulled away and stuck out his pinky, smiling at you. your pinkies intertwined and he stuck his thumb out too, touching his with yours, âto lock in the promise!â he said smiling.
â gunwook // random physical touch
sometimes this mf does not know when to do things and when not to do things. it was your first day at your new job, where he also worked, and you were still getting used to the new environment. along with the new environment, you were also still not quite as casual as gunwook was with your new coworkers and managers either, which made you a little quiet during the shift; a version of you gunwook wasnt used to anymore. trying to make you as comfortable as possible, he acted as he normally did with you, which included lots of play fighting and cracking dumb jokes. when he wasnât doing that though, he rested his chin or head on your shoulder. you didnât pay mind to it since he did it so often, and only realized when you heard your managers giggling as he had his head on your shoulder while the two of you were sitting down.
©eternallyhyucks
â omg i might actually end up making a zb1 masterlist
taglist!
@izchone , @baekswoons , @jiwon-44 , @renjunn1es , @junityy , @pr0dbeomgyu , @yyx2 , @sungsunnie , @wccycc , @jscvpid , @koishua , @changminurheart , @rainbowglitteramythyst , @amouryu , @baekhyunstruly , @soobin-chois , @yjwfav , @fairybinie
!! unable to tag bolded
âsend an ask if you would like to be a part of my taglist!!
#ts got me reminiscing fr#zb1#zb1 imagines#zerobaseone#zb1 scenarios#zb1 headcanons#zb1 matthew#seok matthew scenarios#seok matthew imagines#seok matthew headcanons#seok matthew#shen ricky#shen ricky imagines#shen ricky scenarios#shen ricky headcanons#zb1 ricky#park gunwook#gunwook imagines#gunwook scenarios#gunwook headcanons#kim gyuvin#gyuvin scenarios#gyuvin imagines#gyuvin headcanons#fluff#zb1 fluff#eternallyhyucks
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Hi ! Back at it with another poll đ both of these are basically finished stories iâve been sitting on for a few days now but im not dropping it until after I drop a boss!ricky one shot in a few hours, so just let me know ! I might post early if i decide i donât wanna wait đ
#zb1 smut#zb1 imagines#zb1 scenarios#shen ricky smut#ricky imagines#shen ricky imagines#shen ricky scenarios#ricky smut#zhanghao smut#zhanghao imagines#zhanghao scenarios
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I went fucking RABID after seeing this photo something inside me went offđ»đ»
i just had to write a fast bf!ricky thought bc why notđ€
tw: mirror sex, pet names, praises, semi-public (in the practice room) edging, mentions of crying (out of pleasure), not v well written but i think its okay enough, if you think i missed something lmk!!



Imagine bf!ricky surprising you with his new hair color, knowing youâve wanted to see him with black hair. But he also prepared you another surprise, and that is bending you in the practice room, infront of the big mirror, fucking you mercilessly.
bf!ricky who would fuck all of his stress out while heâs with you, praising you with sayings like âsuch a good doll for me, arent you?â and âgood girl, taking me so wellâ while he starts thrusting deeper into you, making you moan louder
bf!ricky who at first was telling you to keep quiet because he doesnât want the others to hear, but quickly gives up on that once he hears how good you sound moaning his name
bf!ricky who purposely edges you a couple of times so he can see you fall apart for him once you actually cum, telling you how âyou did so well for me, darlingâ and âmy baby looked so prettyâ while softly kissing your tear-stained cheeks
bf!ricky who helps you clean up and gives you a piggy-back ride to the car because he may have went a little to hard on you, especially with you bending on a mirror, standing
bf!ricky who helps you shower when you get home (it always becomes a round 2) and helps get you to bed, cuddling you to sleep while still saying how youâre the most perfect person for him, and how he loves you more than anyone
SEDATE ME ONGGđđ
#cyberkunizz#kpop#zerobaseone x reader#kpop hard hours#zb1 smut#zb1 x reader#kpop smut#shen quanrui#ricky shen#ricky zb1 x reader#zb1 ricky x reader#ricky smut#ricky zb1 smut#zb1 ricky#ricky x reader#zerobaseone smut#zerobaseone x you#zerobaseone hard hours#kpop hard thoughts#zb1 hard hours#zb1 hard thoughts#shen ricky x reader#kpopidol#zerobaseone#zb1 imagines#zb1#zb1 scenarios#zb1 texts#gyuvin smut#gyuvin x reader
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PHOTOS YOU'VE TAKEN OF YOUR BOYFRIEND RICKY








please don't repost, requests open!
#zb1#zb1 headcanons#zerobaseone headcanons#zb1 scenarios#zb1 fics#zerobaseone x reader#zerobaseone imagines#zb1 imagines#zerobase1#zerobaseone#zb1 x reader#zb1 reactions#zb1 ricky#ricky shen#ricky x reader#shen ricky x reader#ricky fluff#ricky imagines#zb1 fluff#shen quanrui
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texts w bf ricky!
the pics members send of him to u & texts w him đ
a/n: going back to my roots lmao
ৠđ° ⧠â Ë đ â
â â ËïœĄ âàšđà§â ËïœĄ â ৠđ° ⧠â Ë đ â
â






#zb1#zerobaseone#zb1 ricky#ricky#shen ricky#shen quanrui#zb1 texts#zerobaseone texts#zb1 imagines#zerobaseone imagines#ricky imagines#zb1 smau#zerobaseone smau#zb1 scenarios#zerobaseone scenarios#zb1 drabbles#zerobaseone drabbles#zb1 x reader#zerobaseone x reader#zb1 ricky x reader#ricky x reader#zb1 fics#zerobaseone fics#kpop imagines#kpop scenarios#kpop x reader#kpop smau#kpop drabbles#kpop texts#kpop fics
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Hey! Can you please do "babysitting with zb1"?
i love this idea!! got started on it as soon as you sent it! thank you for requesting bb, and as always if anyone wants to request more my inbox is currently open! might need some time as school is beginning for me again.
w/a: literally the smallest hint of suggestive theme of u squint to the point that your eye are just closed.



for hanbin, I donât wanna say that this man has no flaws⊠but he really knows how to take care of younger siblings so any child is no problem at all. Heck, heâs probably taking care of you too. Heâs got a lot of experience with taking care of others that it comes like second nature to him. Leaves you little notes of encouragement around the house when things start to get too stressful :))
jiwoong is doing your job for you at this point lol. Probably the most calm when one child throws a bit of a temper tantrum. His soft voice when he communicates to them can naturally bring a smile right back to their face. I feel like taking care of younger siblings pose no challenge to him whatsoever, I mean theyâre just like mini versions of you two! Maybe heâs starting to get his head stuck in the clouds with the whole âmini youâ ideaâŠ
If youâve seen zb1 taking care of those twins on youtube you know well that hao does NOT know how to take care of children well. youâre lowkey đ€ close to kicking him out with the way he talks back to the kid as if theyâre both five years old. however watching the way youâre able to calm the child down really takes him by surprise, and he finds himself more willing to learn how you take care of them so well, while ultimately keeping both him and the kids under control too.
matthew tries so hard to be the best good cop of a babysitter he can be, though sometimes he forgets that bounderies and lessons do need to be learned! is the kind of babysitter that melts at the sight of the childâs puppy eyes and gives in to whatever scheming they may have up their sleeve. next thing you know thereâs paint splattered on every surface but the ones paint is supposed to be on. âhow could i resist?!â he says, giving u a pout while he attempts to remove the smear on his cheek, and honestly itâs hard for you to resist when he looks at you that way too.
you can bet taerae is singing those kids one hellâ of a lullaby every night WHEWWW. We all know how soothing his voice is, perfect for stormy nights or whenâs thereâs still a bit too much excitement past curfew. Heâs definitely more of a practical kind of babysitter if that makes sense though. âWhy do they play with rocks and twigs when the big screen tv is right there?â đđ€·đ» Kinda guy. I will say that you and taerae are especially good keeping kids entertained. They adore his energy and humor and all the little skits heâll put on. Babysitting with him leaves everyone smiling.
ricky is so elegant with it đđ I donât think youâve ever heard him raise his voice because the children just obey without question. Itâs almost strange lol. You two work as a great team! You make up the rules (because he likes listening to you too âșïž) and heâs the official communicator of said rules. Babysitting never feels stressful with him. His one downfall is that he will buy the kid(s) anything at anytime, and then heâll buy YOU anything you want at anytime. He just wants you all to be happy what can he say?
gyuvin is surprisingly very good at babysitting when given instructions, knows what food is healthy and chewable, can easily make them fall asleep at curfew, and ensure the kids always keep a smile on their face. itâs hard to believe that when you run to the store, forgetting one item that all hell breaks loose. âi donât know what to do when youâre gone.â he winces, in what looks like the most uncomfortable pose of defeat on the floor, the children jumping atop him in victory.
gunwook For sure knows what a childâs needs are, but learns all the details and the in-betweens from you! Definitely gets affected by cuteness aggression so sometimes it can be hard for him to concentrate, and then if YOUâRE there? Great, thatâs a whole other distraction heâs gotta try and fail to ignore. Gunwook makes babysitting feel like a normal part of life rather than any kind of chore or job. Heâs a bit head over heels on the idea of having his own family some day, and just maybeee heâs thinking about having it with you. đ€
yujin iâm sorry but youâre practically taking care of him too. Iâm not saying this because i think heâs a âbabyâ, but because heâs so socially awkward with the kids he canât even hold eye contact lmao. For example, one of them might start to throw a tantrum out of the blue, and yujinâs solution involves him standing there watching like đ§đ»đ. Heâll most likely start shouting your name for assistance⊠he really is trying his best! I think Yujin likes to let you lead with the babysitting, while also giving him a front row seat at admiring you being so passionate about making others happy and well cared for.
#zb1 imagines#zb1#zb1 x reader#zb1 hanbin#zb1 scenarios#zerobaseone#zb1 jiwoong#zerobaseone taerae#seventeen woozi#zerobaseone x reader#seok matthew zb1#seok matthew zerobaseone#seok matthew fluff#zb1 ricky#shen ricky#ricky#gunwook#gunwook x reader#park gunwook#sung hanbin#zerobaseone hanbin#zb1 zhang hao#han yujin#zhang hao zerobaseone#kim jiwoong#zerobaseone jiwoong#taerae fluff#boys planet taerae#kim gyuvin#zb1 yujin
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When Ricky said that you could come watch them film for the new music video, he didn't expect you to dress up for him. Thank god the dressing rooms had locks.
But too bad they were so close to the filming area.
#ricky shen#ricky shen imagines#ricky shen scenarios#ricky shen smut#ricky shen audios#shen quanrui#shen quanrui imagines#shen quanrui scenarios#shen quanrui smut#shen quanrui audios#ricky#ricky imagines#ricky scenarios#ricky smut#ricky audios#zerobaseone#zerobaseone imagines#zerobaseone scenarios#zerobaseone smut#zerobaseone audios#zb1#zb1 imagines#zb1 scenarios#zb1 smut#zb1 audios#mine
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sweet venom.
synopsis: when you pull them by the collar of their shirt to kiss them
who: zb1's middle & maknae line x gn!reader (yujin not included)
categories: fluff, sort of suggestive, hurt / comfort, headcanons + short scenarios
warnings: light swearing, mentions of food in gyuvin's section, not proofread bc im such a slay so please please please lmk if there's more
word count: 1.5k
⧠MATTHEW !
⥠you do it to shut him up /hj. affectionately. this canadian man is funky and we love and cheer for him because of that. but boy do most canadians have something in common: talking. (as a canadian im allowed to say this)
⥠in this case, itâs not storytelling or his ad campaigns, itâs about how he loses to you in mario kart for the fifth time in a row. for all i know, he could be cracked at mario kart, but letâs be honest, he would somehow go from second place down to eleventh within a matter of minutes.Â
⥠matthew isn't a sore loser by any means, his whining about losing are mainly all for fun and to tease, but after the fourth game⊠maybe he does gaf yâknow :/Â
⥠pouty!!! also probably throws the controller, lightly mind you, to the side before taking a deep breath in and letting out a silent scream into his palms as the screen flashes with another loss for him.Â
⥠kiss it better otherwise heâll never play again (thatâs a lie) (heâd do almost anything youâd ask him to) (whipped)
matthew leaned his head back against the couch cushion and pinched his arm to make sure that this was real as his character finally crossed the finish line. in eighth place. you looked over at him encouragingly, made a remark about how this was better than last game, before patting his knee. he threw you a scathing glare, whines bubbled up from his throat, and he leaned his full body weight against you. he didnât notice that there was a tug on his shirt, the soft cotton balled up in your fist as you pulled, before his lips were on yours, his whines drowned out. it was embarrassing how fast he melted into the contact, eyes closed as he rested a hand overtop of yours, heâd never live it down.
⧠TAERAE !
⥠a kiss like this with taerae would most likely happen in a slow, sort of slow, heat of the moment thing. but it would be a softer, gentle tug of his shirt. nothing too fast.Â
⥠you both would probably be looking at each other already, coming down from the high of hanging out together before bam! it hits the both of you that âwow. i'm incredibly in love with this person.âÂ
⥠ngl⊠heâd be a bit too hesitant to do much about it at first. but i mean. thatâs why youâre the one gripping his shirt collar and not the other way around-
⥠he stares at you with wide eyes and a facial expression like :o when his lips are suddenly pressed against yours. but taerae recovers from the shock fairly quickly and leans into it, eyes closed as he kisses back with the tease of a grin on his face.Â
⥠heâll pull away with the biggest smile and pinch your cheek before going in to kiss you again, being the one to pull you in this time.
water dripped from his thoroughly soaked hair, trailed down his jaw and continued to dampen the fabric of his shirt, leaving no place dry as you both stood outside amidst the rain. he stared at you, breath coming sharp from his mouth as he looked at you in some awe. you laughed and in return, so did he. you cupped his face gently, wiped a thumb under his eye to clear the water, efforts futile. taerae grabbed your hand and tugged, nose bumped against yours, before he greedily took your lips in his once again.
⧠RICKY !
⥠heâs insufferable istg / j. ok but you not be able to get away with this move properly imo without having some sort of built up tension. as in the type of tension to cut with a knife, the opposite of taeraeâs.Â
⥠ricky would be able to see you go in for the kiss from a mile away⊠he just. knows these things somehow and is prepared. he would have to be distracted enough, emotionally, in order to pull it off.Â
⥠that or you wrestle him and pin him for long enough. i have such a strong urge to grab this guy by the necktie and shake him around a little. affectionately i swear.Â
⥠despite the colder appearance, ricky is emotionally intelligent and he does have his softer moments. the aftermath of a fight would be the main scene i picture this happening in?Â
⥠âdo you even want this?â // âwhat-â // âdo you even want us?â // âof course i do.â type of beat do you get me? you feel me? you hear me? set me freeee- erm.Â
there was something about the silence, weight undeniable as you and ricky stood opposite of each other. shoulders tensed, he heaved out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose as you dug your nails into the palm of your hand in a closed fist. you knew what was coming; the rush of doubts and worry that would spill from his mouth about the relationship and how he constantly felt as if you deserved better, how he was the damage. you marched with a purpose towards him, placed a hand firmly on his waist as he knotted his brows together in mild confusion, before butterflies bursted in his chest. the pressed collar of his shirt would need ironing later, crumpled in your tight grasp, but ricky couldnât find it in himself to care all too much, not when he cupped the back of your head and pressed you closer.
⧠GYUVIN !
⥠it would be a âdid you eat the last donut in the fridge?â // âyes. what are you going to do about it?â // âget it back of course.â // *starts making out* type of thing.Â
⥠we know this man has the best reactions to things so just. he flounders when you first kiss him out of the blue; like a literal fish out of water despite this not being the first time lol.Â
⥠idk i just feel like this would happen so often?? like i see gyuvin dating someone with similar energy and excitement towards things (not to say he wouldnât date you otherwise. man falls hard in general) but just imagine doing something dumb and then one of you pulls the other in.Â
⥠âi canât believe you just did that.â // âyeah well.â // *making out again* this whole thing is just. gyuvin coded imo. maybe im just sleep deprived.Â
⥠when you do it however⊠he canât do anything but stare are you with those eyes of his. you already know the ones. shellshocked, flabbergasted, stunned, electrocuted, astonished, etc etc.
you grinned as gyuvin flailed his arms before resting them on your shoulders, slumping into the kiss. it was sweet in a literal sense; you could taste the powdered sugar and jam that stained his mouth from earlier. his face was fully flushed when you pulled apart. you giggled and swiped a thumb at the corner of his lips, collected the last bit of your sweet treat, and brought it to your mouth with a wink before walking away like nothing ever happened.
⧠GUNWOOK !
⥠omg the scene i have in mind is when you have to leave for a while, talking like a month or more, and wonât be seeing gunwook for the next while. heâs so intent on making things work out for all the time you guys are doing the ldr.Â
⥠runs through a list of everything youâll need to pack, triple checks everything with you, makes sure you have the right flight booked⊠youâll have to pull him aside and reassure him that youâll be fine and that he doesnât need to worry about anything; doing all that is kind of a stress reaction.Â
⥠is so jittery leading up to the day where you have to leave :( clears his schedule to the best of his abilities to make sure he has all the time with you.Â
⥠100% is seeing you off at the airport donât even think otherwise. âyouâll call me when you land, right?â // âof course.â // âand youâll update me with stuff youâve done? And sec pictures of yourself?â // âsweetie-âÂ
⥠kiss him to shut up but softer and with more tears bc he will start crying and bury his face into your shoulder.Â
gunwook thought he looked horrible, face puffed up and nose runny as he sniffled and wiped away the tears in the corners of his eyes. you thought completely the opposite; there was something about the early morning sun that shone through the windows and highlighted the rosy parts of his cheeks and the small pout he wore on his lips. he opened his mouth, ready to go on another ramble before you delicately pressed your lips against his. the drawstrings of his hoodie were twirled between your fingers as you pulled lightly on the thick material. he smiled into the touch, eyes still rimmed with tinges of red, and held on for one last kiss.
^ . _ . ^ notes: first post on the new blog... apologies for any mistakes im notorious for writing these late at night and giving up when it comes to proofreading TwT.
© taeiun 2023. all rights reserved. do not copy, repost, translate, modify, or claim any of my writing as yours.
#zb1 x reader#zerobaseone x reader#zumblrfics#k-labels#kflixnet#seok matthew x reader#matthew x reader#taerae x reader#kim taerae x reader#ricky x reader#shen ricky x reader#gyuvin x reader#gunwook x reader#zb1 fluff#zb1 imagines#zb1 headcanons#đčă. . ăby jună!#zerobaseone imagines#zerobaseone fluff#zb1 scenarios
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hiii, i loved your post of anton bf!! could you please make one for ricky too?đ©¶đ©¶đ©¶
oh my god i love him so so much đ
yeah no paying for anything. heâs spoiling the shit out of you, your first date was literally at the most expensive restaurant in town and you just sat there like????? looking for the cheapest thing on the menu until ricky goes âjust choose whatever, itâs on meâ, smiling at you
you sometimes have little fights over him paying for everything, telling him that youâre grown and you can pay for your own things but ricky reassures you he gets that but he also loves spoiling you. he lets you pay for some things tho because he doesnât want to make you feel depended on him
because heâs literally your biggest supporter. he hypes you up every chance he gets, just imagine ricky with this fiiiiiine partner and heâs so so whipped. you made it your little routine to always send each other a quick selfie before you go out and ricky is drooling over yours every single time.
âDAMNâ âyouâre so gorgeousâ âyouâre literally so fine wtfâ âyouâre perfectâ âso sexy babyâ
i donât think heâs too clingy, not really the biggest fan of pda but he has those moments where he just wants to be all over you. most of the times he just has a hand on your lower back or holding yours but sometimes the two of you turn into those obnoxious couples in lines. ricky hugging your from behind, arms crossed around your waist and his head tugged over your shoulder, gently rocking you from side to side.
i feel like he really likes having you on his lap as well
the best dates ever. like do you know all these creative dates? the two of you been to all. pottery date for the first one, making a cute cup that later moved into your first apartment together. picnic and painting together for your fourth date, making a canvas for your each others rooms based on the vibes you give each other.
definitely a lot of dates in your relationship as well, ricky loves just staying home with you and cuddling but he also loves going on cute little dates together.
he definitely has a picture of you in his wallet.
ricky loves titties you canât change my mind, literally his favorite pillow ever. he thinks itâs so relaxing, your fingers playing with his hair as he listens to your heartbeat, head laying on your soft chest.
#anon <3#zerobaseone scenarios#zerobaseone fluff#zerobaseone imagines#zerobaseone x you#zerobaseone x reader#zerobaseone x y/n#zb1 x y/n#zb1 scenarios#zb1 x you#zb1 x reader#zb1 fluff#zb1 soft hours#zb1 imagines#shen ricky scenarios#shen ricky imagines#shen ricky x reader#shen ricky fluff#ricky imagines#ricky fluff#ricky x reader
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the psychology of strawberries â [s.qr].
SYNOPSIS. besides being your friend, kim gyuvin also holds the existence of being the worst matchmaker in history. the last guy he set you up with ended with a permanent ban from the arcade. the one before that caused you to file a restraining order. which is why when he tries to set you up one last time with his best friend, you understandably shut him down.
the problem isâ why the fuck didnât gyuvin tell you that his best friend is actually the prettiest man in the world? the most charming idiot to have graced your mortal existence? maybe if he did, you wouldnât have to resort to pavlovian tactics and strawberries just to bag him. if he did, then you wouldnât have to hide the fact that youâre kind of balls-deep in love with his friend.
PAIRING. shen quanrui x female! reader. GENRE. college! au, (anti) matchmaking! au, strangers to friends to lovers, eventual secret relationship. romance, humor, fluff, suggestive, older! reader, this is just lovelicky propaganda. sue me. WARNINGS. swearing, explicit language, mentions of sex, making out, making out in public, an almost car crash, stalking (not from any of the leads), erratic behavior (mostly from our lead), ricky in a floral shirt, black haired ricky and bathrobe ricky jumpscare. WORD COUNT. 21k.
TAGLIST. @lovialy @sarang-ae @khaelscafe @jenodreamer @lovelyrickyz @ciaoui @spjhyn @chwesuh-imnida @kgneptun @hanstarrs @dvalitaes @younxii @haesunflower @cyberpunksunwoo @tlnyjoong @bobabunhee @elavin @sassybakaaa @wishfulthnking @lvieee
NOTE. there is evident lack of plot in this. unless you consider thirsting over ricky as plot, then thereâs a lot of plot. youâre welcome. feedback and comments are always appreciated, and i hope you enjoy!
AT SOME POINT IN YOUR LIFE, THE PROSPECT OF MEETING A NEW GUY STOPPED BEING A POINT OF INTEREST OR ANTICIPATION. It has now become a harbinger of horror, an inevitable car crash simply lying in wait. Gone are the days where youâre looking forward to the first kiss on your porch and doorstepâ now, you donât even care if you share the same hobbies or not, if you click well or not, neither if your personalities match or not.
Your only hope is that they donât end up being a stalker or a slob or someone with severe anger issues. And thereâs only one culprit for this seemingly permanent shift in your psychology.
âIâm not going on another date! At least one that youâre setting up.â
âCâmon!â Gyuvin clings onto your arm, preventing you from leaving the classroom. Heâs crouching on the floor. Your face crunches up, looking down at him like heâs a piece of gum stuck on your boot sole. âThis will be the last time. Please? I showed him a picture of you and he thinks youâre cute.â
The sole reason why Kim Gyuvin can get away with anchoring you by the arm with his entire body weight, why he can get away with setting you up with douchebag after douchebag, is because heâs a family friend, and youâve known him for eight whole years. These tantrums are normal, but the sudden growth spurt he had in ninth grade makes him occasionally forget that youâre still two years older than him. You were already walking before he was even born. This bitch thinks he can make you do what he wants.
âGet off! Are you trying to dislocate my shoulder?â
The moment you raise your free arm to a fist, he releases you from his clutches and puts his arms up innocently, still crouched on the floor. You click your tongue with a sneer, brushing down your sleeve. Anyway, does he have amnesia? Has he forgotten how the last blind dates went?Â
âYour friend Jaeryeong also thought I was cute,â you start. âReally cute, in fact. To the point where he wouldnât leave me alone and I had to file a restraining order against him.â
Now, heâs finally looking guilty. Gyuvin clear his throat and jumps back up to his feet, straightening his clothes and not daring to look you in the eye. âHeâhe had some issues that I wasnât aware of and Iâm sorry for thatâ but Ricky is different! Heâs not some weirdo! I promise you that heâs a good guy and heâs good looking andââ
âYou said the same thing about Do Hajun,â you cut him off. âSure, he was pretty good looking, but he got so mad at a claw machine and started assaulting it in public. I got banned at the Game Plaza, Gyuvin. Iâm not allowed there anymore. I was the top scorer at DDR there. I canât maintain my rank there anymore because the last guy you set me up with had problems with his temper.â
He looks even more guilty now. Your glare softens because itâs not entirely his fault. But this time the guyâs name is Ricky. That sounds like a fuckboyâs name. A fuckboy who probably wears snapbacks and jeans a little too low. Youâre not taking any fucking chances.
âOkay,â Gyuvin breathes out. âI understand that I may have made some bad matchesââ
âSome.â
âA lot of bad matches,â he corrects, sheepish. âBut thatâs just because so many people want to date you! If you think about it, itâs your fault for always attracting weirdos! Iâm just the connecting bridge and messenger! Iâm sick and tired of my friends asking me to set you up with them too!â
âSo why the hell are you trying to do it again?!â Man, youâre getting tired. You asked him to meet you in your lecture hall after class because you wanted to check up on his project, but the moment he came in, he tried throwing you into the sharks once again in an instant.Â
You dig into your bag for a piece of candy, unwrapping it and popping it into your mouth with an unamused expression as Gyuvin tries his damn best to market his friend to you. âThis will be the last one, I promise! Ricky is my best friend and I can assure you that heâs a decent guy. Heâs hot. Heâs got a car. Didnât you say before that you wanted a hot boyfriend with a car?â
âIf heâs so hot then why are you so desperately trying to sell him off?â
You werenât born yesterday. Hell, you were born earlier than this matchmaking scammer and he regularly forgets about that. âWell,â he starts, clearing his throat. âHeâs my best friend, but I need my solo time too! If he gets a girlfriend, then maybe heâll stop showing up at my apartment every Friday night andââ
âThatâs enough.â
You stuff a piece of candy into his mouth, promptly shutting him up. His eyes are wide, shock quickly morphing into a grimace when the flavor finally kicks in. Durian. Serves him fucking right.Â
âGo set your friend up with someone else. I called you in here for a different reason, Kim Gyuvin.â Nothing like dropping his full name and reminding him that youâre still his upperclassman as a cold splash of water to the face. Gyuvin flinches, suddenly straightening himself. âHowâs your project going? You only have two months left to finish it. I hope you didnât forget.â
His face tells you that he forgot about it, but not totally. Heâs reluctantly chewing on the candy you force-fed him. âIâveâ Iâve already picked out a place. Hadong Country in Gyeongsang. Iâm planning on going there next week.â
âAlright, good.â You leave him with a pat on the shoulder. âTell me once youâve set the date. You should worry about your term paper instead of mine or your friendâs love life. Getting us to date wonât pull up your GPA, Gyuvin.â
âButââ
âNo, thatâs enough,â you shut him down. âIâm not dating this Ricky guy. Thatâs final. Nothing you can do or say will change my mind.â
Famous last words. Little did you know that youâd be eating that very statement by the weekend.
ONE OF THE PRIVILEGES YOUâVE GOTTEN FROM SUCKING UP TO YOUR PROFESSORS SINCE FRESHMAN YEAR IS HAVING FULL LIBERTY OF USING THEIR OFFICE AS A HANG-OUT SPOT. The air-conditioning here is better than the classrooms or students lounge. You can even raid their snack pantry as much as you wantâ grabbing a handful from the candy bowl, now filled with pink wrappers of some strawberry hard candyâ and stuffing them into the small pocket of your bag to restock your portable stash.Â
âDoes Prof Yoon know youâre the one that keeps vacuuming his candy bowl?âÂ
The question comes from Hanbin, whoâs just as shamelessly making himself a cup of coffee with the facultyâs machine. The both of you are regular freeloaders at the office. A well-earned privilege, youâd like to say.
âHe knows,â you reply, snatching a box of pepero for good measure. âHe lets me get away with it because Iâm his favorite student.â
Thereâs one more freeloader. Hao is sitting on the cushy sofa set funded by the studentâs tuition fees, sharing a conversation with Mrs. Lee, and the two of you join him not long after. âYou three are supervising some of the freshmen this year, right?â your professor asks, and her question is met with a set of artificial positive responses. âI guess I can look forward to some of their outputs then,â she leaves with a hearty laugh and a hard pat on Haoâs back. You wince.
âWhy is an old lady so strong?â he laments once Mrs. Lee is sure to have returned to her cubicle. Hanbin is feeling and probing around his spine in case it got broken.
âI hear sheâs a member at the gym Jiwoong goes to,â you say. âScary woman. Thank god weâre on her good side.â
Complaining about your professors in hushed voices while being in their office is a rare skill the three of you have mastered over the past two years. The two elicit murmurs of agreement with your statement. âSpeaking, how are your kids doing?â asks Hanbin. Kids, referring to the eighteen to nineteen year olds under your care for their term project.
Hao takes your pepero stick offer before grumbling. âI donât get why we have to supervise the freshmen when he have our own assignments and projects to deal with.â
âBecause Mrs. Lee will give us extra points for our class with her if we do,â you remind. âGyuvin is doing the bare minimum. At least he now has a location settled down.â The project is for their required course in community development. The freshmen are tasked to select a rural area in the country and do a needs-based assessment survey on it. You did the same when you were in your first year. Mrs. Lee is also the head of the university extensions office. You three have theorized that sheâs just using this annual assignment to update her data inventory.
âGunwook is too passionate. He wants to go all the way to freaking Mokpo.â
âAt least he sounds hardworking,â you say, disregarding Hanbinâs stress over an inevitable five-hour drive. âWhy canât Gyuvin be the same? All he does is set me up with terrible men and barge into my family dinners.â
You say that, but everyone who knows you knows that Kim Gyuvin, despite being generally annoying, has burrowed a soft spot in your heart. Unlike Hanbin and Hao who missed a 40-point quiz for Mrs. Leeâs class to join a random play dance competition at the plaza (they won), you didnât really need the extra points merit, so you had no intentions on volunteering to be a supervisor in the first place.
But when you caught whiff of the news that your poor, poor younger friend of eight years still didnât have a senior-supervisor for the project, you somehow found yourself in front of Mrs. Leeâs office cubicle and signed up at the last moment.
Which is also why youâre up at 5 a.m. in front of Gyuvinâs apartment building on a weekend, no breakfast in the stomach, just to accompany him to Gyeongsang for this god forsaken community development project.
âMorning.â
Gyuvin greets you with a yawn and a heavy ruffle on the top of your head, to which you respond with a side kick to his ass when he walks past you. âYouâre late,â you scold him, and though you want to continue berating your dear friend, two more familiar-looking people emerge from his buildingâs entrance.Â
âOh, this is Taerae and Matthew,â Gyuvin informs you offhandedly. The two give you a mix of polite nods and smiles. You sort of know Taerae because you shared a class with him last semester. Matthew is just the guy you see at the campus coffee shop at least once a week. âTheyâre going to be my survey assistants. More people means more ground to cover at once.â
âHowâd he scam you two into agreeing?â you ask.
âHeâs buying me lunch for a week,â Taerae replies.
âI just wanted to go on a road trip,â Mathew says in a tone too bright for five in the morning.Â
You let out a huff of air. Your backpack is getting a little heavy on your shoulders, and all you want is to finally reclaim your lost weekend. Meaning, getting on the road as soon as possibly is priority number one. âSo, are we commuting?â you ask. âWe should get going then.â
âOh, no,â Gyuvin replies. Heâs already noticed your impatience, and has found himself standing behind you, taking your bag off of your bag so that you donât snap at him for the next statement heâs about to say. âActually, weâre waiting for one more perââ
A car horn cuts him off.Â
âWell, nevermind. Heâs here.â
At that moment, a way too expensive looking car drives up to the porch of Gyuvinâs college-level priced apartment building. This is looking way too out of place. Matthew lets out a whistle when the car stops in front of you. âThis kid just got his license exchange and the first thing he does is show off,â Taerae snorts. What...what does he mean? Is this your ride? Is this the (at least seventy-thousand-dollar) vehicle thatâll be driving you all the way to the outskirts of Hadong County?Â
The variables donât click, but your surprise doesnât end there. Because the person that emerges from the expensive looking ass carâs driverâs seat isâ by farâ the prettiest person youâve ever seen in your twenty-one years of life.
Whoa.
Not even those thick, dark shades can obscure that god-sculpted looking face. They only make his nose bridge look even sharper, and youâre trying your damn best not to stare at those full and cherry-painted lips. Holy shit. Platinum blonde has always looked tacky to you, but now you have to re-evaluate. Oh my god. Kim Gyuvin has a friend that looks like this, and all heâs done is set you up with guys that canât even fucking compare.
Walking statue of a man closes the car door behind him with a click. âGet in,â he says. Holy mother of god, youâre light-headed. Your brain is fuzzy. Youâre about to pass out.Â
âRicky! Youâre late! How dare you keep the madam waiting?!âÂ
Things start happening a little too quickly.
Wait a secondâ
âShotgun!âÂ
That name.
âFuck off! Letâs play for the seat!âÂ
Sounds Very.
âRock, paper, scissors, shoot! Rock, paper, scissorsââ
Veryâ
âPaper, scissorsâ shoot!â
âfamiliar.
âDammit,â Matthew grumbles in defeat, joining Taerae in the backseat. You stare at the fist you have held out since earlier. Rock. Rick. Ricky. This guyâs name is Ricky. Isnât that also the name of Gyuvinâs best friend? The best friend he was trying to set you up with? This is Ricky? This absolute god of a fucking man whoâs looking at you with an ounce of confusion, still holding your fist up after somehow winning all rounds of rock, paper, scissors with nothing but a rock, is the Ricky you turned down a date with?
You were correct to assume that his name gives off fuckboy vibes. The problem is, he looks like a really, really hot fuckboy who you donât mind ruining your life in exchange for three months of fun. Shit. You think you just made eye contact with him through his thick-ass sunglasses. He nods a little with a small, awkward smile before disappearing back into the driverâs seat.Â
Fuck. He knows. He definitely knows you wrongfully rejected his ass without even meeting him. Gyuvin, that snitching son of a bitch.
âHey.â
With a heavy grip on his shoulder, you stop the said snitching son of a bitch before he can escape into the backseat. âWhat?â Gyuvin raises a brow. The audacity of this guy.
âWhat was your best friendâs name again?â
âRicky Shen. Shen Quanrui. Shim Cheonye. Pick one.â
âIs that...the sameâŠ?â
âYes, that guy is Ricky.â Thereâs an impatient honk from the car. You pay no mind, more concerned about the absolute fucking catch you totally drove away, and that regret is seeping through you expression, failing to wiggle out from Gyuvinâs notice. âWhy do you ask?â Are you regretting turning down my offer last week? his face seems to say. You want to hit him. Yes, you are fucking regretting it, but thereâs no way in hell youâre giving him the satisfaction of knowing.
âItâs just a little awkward,â you say. âCan you switch with me?â
âMatt hyungâs gonna throw a fit if I take your seat,â he simply hums, opening the door to the front seat on your behalf with a courteous bow that drives you further into annoyance. âNow hop in. Weâre already behind schedule.â
Youâre the bigger person here so you decide against throwing a tantrum. Begrudgingly, you enter the passengerâs seat, trying to ignore aphroditeâs reincarnation sitting right next to you, and prepare yourself for the three-hour drive or torture because you totally screwed over your chance of having him.
âWoohoo! Road trip!â
âWeâre here for my project, idiot.â
âPlease tone it down, Iâm trying to sleep.â
Itâs fine, you cross your arms, wiggling uncomfortably on the soft seat. Itâs totally fine. None of Gyuvinâs friends have been decent so far. Yes. You shouldnât judge positively too quickly. Maybe the only thing this one has going for him is his face. Maybe his personality is just as shitty as the last ones and youâve completely dodged a bullet.
A very pretty bullet. The pretty bullet is looking at you through the rearview mirror. Oh god, why is he looking at you? Heâs got his sunglasses down and those eyes are practically staring into your soul.
âUm,â Ricky clears his throat. âYou should put on your seatbelt.â
That rasp shouldnât be as attractive as it is. Fuck. This man is a walking heart hazard. âOâoh, sorry!â Youâre stupid. Your brain is fried. You fumble with the dumb seatbelt, forgetting how it works, and mentally swearing at yourself in the process.
âDo you need any helpâŠ?â
Fight or flight instincts kick in. You smack away Rickyâs attempt at a helping hand. His eyes are wide in shock. Your eyes are wide in shock. You want to throw yourself out of this vehicle right now. âItâsâitâs fine!â Finally, you manage to put on the seatbelt. Ricky is a mix of confusion and offense when he starts the car, more on confusion, but thatâs alright. The aftermath of him pulling a k-drama move and helping you with the seatbelt would have been worse. You would have disintegrated right then and there.
Your only source of comfort is the backpack that youâre hugging for your dear life. The entire ride is excruciatingly awkward because the three boys at the back have fallen asleepâ a state you also wish to be in right now, but thatâs quite frankly impossible because youâre a million times more conscious about your physical appearance right now with a literal angel next to you.Â
Heâs not asking why youâre pressed so far up against the door. For safety reasons, you tell yourself. The air around him just subconsciously feels a lot hotter despite the air conditioning literally blowing cold air to your face.
âWould...would you like some?â
But that doesnât mean you could stomach this awkwardness, either. Two hours have passed and neither of you have said a word to each other. Youâre a fistful into your candy stash and it feels rude not to offer anything to him when heâs been driving for so long.Â
You have a cautious arm outstretched, a pink wrapper dangling between your thumb and index finger. Ricky peers down for a split second, a rumble from his throat before saying, âNâno, itâs okay.â The candy disappears into the crevices of his car. You dip your head down, trying to feel around for it, and Ricky continues talking. âUm. I mean. You donât really have to force yourself to get along with me, seonbae. I already know that you donât really like me.â
At that moment, you snap your head up. âWhat?â
Maybe you shouldâve been more careful because you scare the shit out of Ricky and the car swerves off the lane.
Screech!
âAh,â he exhales, parking the car at the edge of the road after nearly killing you all. âThat was close.â How the three kids in the back are still asleep is beyond you. Theyâve got their necks twisted in all the weird places and youâre pretty sure Matthew is drooling.
But the source of your adrenaline right now isnât the near death experience.
âWhat do you mean you know that I donât like you?â
Translation: what exactly did Kim Gyuvin say to this guy?
âYou...turned down the blind date Gyu tried setting up,â he says. Well thatâs because Gyuvin never showed you a picture of his face! Instead of using useless words to try and convince you to say yes, he shouldâve just sent you his instagram and called it a day. âThis car ride must be awkward for you, sorry. Iâll try to get to Hadong as soon as possible.â
Heâs sweet and polite too! God, youâve completely screwed it over. You spend the rest of the car ride overthinking and feeling sorry for yourself. The moment you arrive at your destination, you eject yourself from the car instantaneously. âAlright, weâre wasting daylight. Letâs get moving!â you clasp your hands together, hurrying your barely-awake lackeys into the town.Â
With five people, the surveys and interviews get done quicker than expected. At one point, while you were surveying a marketplace owner, your attention got inadvertently distracted by spotting Ricky from the corner of your eye helping out an old lady with a cart and you nearly had a meltdown. Again, why didnât Gyuvin introduce you to him before your impression of his friends got screwed over by Jaeryeong and Hajun and all the fucking rest?
âWhat a sweet boy,â says the marketplace owner. He is a sweet boy. That sweet and insanely handsome boy couldâve been yours (not guaranteed).
âHey!â Gyuvin snaps you out of your daze. You look up, crouched underneath the shade of a tree. One of the locals was kind enough to give you a tour of their plum fields in the village, but youâre a little too rattled to actually appreciate the green scenery. âThe ahjumma gave us some plums to taste!â
âYouâre a bad person,â you suddenly say. Gyuvinâs face distorts in offense.
âWell, if you donât want any plums, you can just say so, meanie.â
Maybe you are a meanie, but youâre still not over everything today. While the four boys are fucking around from a bit of a distance, youâre still crouched down and absentmindedly petting a stray cat and moping. Matthew says something you canât hear, and the three burst out laughingâ only the three at first, because Ricky looks lost for a second, blinking with a dumb smile, before joining their laughter only a beat late.Â
Oh no, heâs cute. Oh god, youâre falling. Oh man, youâre a goner.
âTime to go home!â
Itâs around four in the afternoon when you finally finish. Youâre all gathered around Rickyâs car again, ready for another grueling drive back to Seoul. âGo sit in the back. Iâll drive this time,â says Taerae to Ricky, and there starts another rock, paper, scissors battle for who will take the front seat.
Unlike earlier where you won without even realizing there was a game, you lose even after praying to all the gods you know.
âNice!â Matthew cheers, not even giving you a shot of negotiation because he quickly disappears into the car. Youâre looking at Gyuvin, painted in shock and disbelief. Before you know it, youâre wedged into the backseat, in between the two men youâd like to be around the least at the moment.Â
Yours and Rickyâs shoulders are touching. This is worse than earlier. He looks just as uncomfortable as you areâ arms resting on the open windowsill, head uncomfortably craned away from you and giving you a full view of the tattoo trailing down his neck. Something snaps in your brain. This is your nth breakdown of the day.
âLet me in your candy stash.â
Gyuvin gives himself the liberty to zip open the front pocket of your backpack while youâre hugging it in your seat. The sound of you swatting his hand away seems to catch Rickyâs attention, so you give up defending your property and let Gyuvin snatch a handful of the strawberry-flavored sweets from your bag. âThis tastes gross,â he says with a grimace. âSo artificial. Blegh.â
You suddenly hear a gasp from your left. âHow can you say that?â Youâre shocked to find out itâs from Ricky. Heâs been relatively quiet all this time. Gyuvin sure knows how to get into everyoneâs nerves. âTake it back.â
âIâll take it back if you dye your hair black for a day.â
A harmless fist zooms in front of your face. âNow way.â Ricky is hitting Gyuvin.
âGross, this is so gross.â Gyuvin is hitting Ricky back.
âSo what.â
âIâm telling your mom about this.â
Your existence is forgotten and your breathing space in between these two relatively large men has significantly diminished. Your face is burning. You canât do this anymore so you clear your throat, causing Rickyâ whoâs leaned a little too close, fist in the air mid-punchâ to suddenly tuck himself back into his side of the car.Â
It becomes quiet again when Matthew and Gyuvin slowly doze off to sleep.
Gaze flitting to the front, you notice that Taerae is quite preoccupied with swearing at another car that just overtook yours. You take this as an opportunity.
A slight nudge to his arm, you hold open your palm without looking at Ricky. Itâs a handful of the strawberry flavored candy he was so staunchly defending against Gyuvin earlier. He mightâve rejected your offering earlier, but youâre damn bent on ending this day by fixing his impression of you, even if itâs just a miniscule improvement.
Heâs got his head trained down, staring at your offering with a face laced with a mixture of surprise, confusion, and uncertainty before a hesitant hand plucks out a single wrapper from the pile. âThank you,â you hear him say softly, and you donât miss the tiniest smile playing on his lips when the sweet touches his tongue, poking against the inside of his cheek and you feel somewhat offended because a damn piece of candy can elicit such an expression on his face when you canât.Â
Itâs not stiff like the numerous bouts of awkward eye contact youâve been sharing without end. Itâs not forced. Itâs not uncomfortable.
Itâs an expression that makes you feel all the more regretful because you probably wonât be seeing him ever again after this.
âDid you see that guy?! He honked at me! He fucking honked at me!â
But maybe thatâs a good thing. Because maybe then, youâll be forced to stop lamenting the chance you completely wasted.Â
MAYBE YOU SPOKE TO SOON. Itâs the afternoon of a Friday, not even a week after your one-day trip to Hadong County. And Fridays are your cheat days to take a dip into your allowance for some well deserved milk tea at a bougie cafe next to your university.
What isnât part of your usual Wednesdays is the inexplicable, one in a million chance that youâd be bumping into Ricky Shen again.
âOh.â
Youâre about to enter. Heâs just about to leave, pushing open the door with one hand and holding a bright pink drink with so much whipped cream which looks particularly out of place against his all-black ensemble. The only common denominator between the both of you is the look of surprise youâre both sharing.
Ricky recovers before you do. He steps aside, giving you space to walk in while holding the door open. How the bare minimum is making you weak in the knees, you have no idea. âThâthanks,â you give him a smile and walk forward, before putting yourself to a stop and spinning around. âOh, wait. Have this.â
You dig into your pockets and drop three pieces of strawberry candy onto his hand. You donât miss the way his eyes sparkle. âThanks. See you around.â He leaves. You feel like youâre on top of the world.
From now on, youâre gonna stuff all your pockets with strawberry-flavored candy (courtesy of Prof Yoon from the faculty office) until Ricky gets brainwashed that your presence doesnât bear awkwardness or discomfort, noâ you are a good person. Your presence brings with you strawberries and sweetness. That one psych class you took last semester is finally proving itself to be useful. Ricky will fall in love with you through Pavlov and classical conditioning.
Is this ethical? Probably not. Will this work? You donât bet on it, but his cute smile makes it all fucking worth it.
That is if a miracle happens that you somehow end up seeing more of each other. You sigh, waiting for the buzzer to receive your order. You remember that Ricky is a freshman, meaning you have zero chances of sharing classes with him, and your only mutual friend is Kim Gyuvin. Youâd rather kill yourself than give him the satisfaction of knowing that you have a crush on his best friend.
Well, thereâs also Matthew and Taerae. After your trip to Hadong, you somehow got added to a group chat with the two of them. âSame age friends have to stick together!â says Matthew. Youâre not sure if youâre already at the point of calling them friends, but you are having dinner with them later, so thatâs something. But no matter how much you want to gush about your feelings for the light-haired boy, you donât think you can out yourself to those two just yet.
The buzzer vibrates in your hands. You stand up to get your order, only to be stopped by a familiar face that youâre not quite happy to see.
âIâI didnât follow you here, I swear!â
Your expression sours. That last time you saw him was approximately three months agoâ when you threatened him with a fake restraining order after Gyuvin and Hanbin helped you move into a new apartment.
âJaeryeong.â You feel your blood pressure rising from the mere utterance of his name. âIs a restraining order not enough for you? Do I have to put you in jail so you can finally learn your fucking lesson?â
He looks rattled. âI heardâ I heard from Siyun that the document is fake!â
Well, damn. You click your tongue. You thought itâd work for a little while longer than this. Maybe you should get a real RO next time. âSo does that give you the right to keep stalking me, you damn creep?â Youâre getting a headache. This guyâs appearance just makes you miss Ricky even more (gentle remember that Ricky probably doesnât give a shit about you, nor does he think about you as much as youâve thought about him within the past six days of your acquaintance).
âI really didnât follow you here! This was just a coincidence!âÂ
âSure,â you wrinkle your nose. âWas breaching my privacy and following me all the way to my parentsâ place a coincidence too?â
Maybe riling him up is a bad idea, but youâre not exactly the best at interpersonal relationships (case in point, Riky Shen). But this is also a public place, so if he does pull anything dangerous, one of the cafe patrons is likely to take a video which you can use against him. Jaeryeong has his jaw clenched, visibly grated. âLook, I came up to you today to try and clear our misunderstanding, but if you keep on being a little bitch, thenââ
âThen what?â
Youâre surprised to hear a much welcomed voice from behind you.
âWhat are you gonna do?â
The last person you expected to swoop in and save you from this clingy freak is your senior whoâs been out of reach for months now because heâs dying in post-grad.Â
Kim Jiwoong suddenly tucks you behind him, wearing the facade of intimidation to scare off Jaeryeongâ which, for some reason, ends up working because he runs off without much of a fight. âIâllâ Iâll talk to you later!â he says before leaving. Jiwoong lets out a sigh and turns around, looking at you with both disappointment and concern.
âYou shouldnât provoke guys like that. Who knows what couldâve happened to you.â
âI couldâve handled it even without you, seonbae,â you tell him. His gaze softens. You give him a bright smile. âItâs nice to see you, too.â
You know that Jiwoong is incapable of getting mad at you. The both of you catch up in the cafe once youâve finally gotten your drink without any further interruptions. Whatever Gyuvin is to you, thatâs who you are to Jiwoong. He was your project supervisor when you were a freshman, randomly assigned by a roulette, and somehow, you two still keep in touch two years later.
The both of you settle on a table inside the cafe. âHow are your classes?â he asks. You reply with a bitter grunt, and thatâs enough of a response for him to laugh and understand.
âBy the way,â you rouse, spinning the remnants of the drink in slow spirals. âSeonbae. Youâre close with Gyuvin, right?â
If your memory serves you right, youâve seen them talking a couple of times with each other before, eliciting your utter confusion before ultimately finding out that apparently, they attended the same local dance studio before along with Hanbin and Hao for a period of time. âWell, sure,â is Jiwoongâs reply. That was just the lead-in question to your actual main question, which isâ
âHow about...his best friend?â you add. âAre you close with him too?â
You can see it in his face. Heâs connecting the dots. Youâre fiddling with your drink cup, nervous. The moment things click, Jiwoong unleashes a knowing grin.
âAre you crushing on Ricky?â
Well, damn. He didnât need to be so blunt about it.
âAndâandâand what if I am?â Smooth. Very smooth. You clear your throat, tugging on your collar to let some air in while Jiwoong stirs his americano with the straw, chin resting on his palms, evident amusement playing on his face. âSo, anyway. Iâm taking that as a yesâ you are close with him.â
âSure,â he hums. You want to sock him in the face.
âWell, is he anything like Gyuvinâs other friends,â you question. âLike Jaeryeong, or Hajun, or that one guy that told me to âsit pretty and shut my mouthâ because thatâs what a woman ought to do?â
âNo, no. Ricky isnât anything like that,â he replies. âHe looks a little intimidating, but heâs a nice kid. I donât even think Iâve ever heard him raise his voice at anyone.â Ricky does seem pretty soft spoken and itâs hurting your heart. This doesnât go under Jiwoongâs radar. He laughs at your misery and your shoulders slack. âHis only flaw is his overconfidence, I think. Next time you meet him, you should compliment his face.â
No, but confidence is attractive. Overconfidence must mean extra attractive, right? Yes? âThanks for the tip,â you grunt. âBut can you not tell Gyoob that I sort of have a thing for his friend?â
This brings Jiwoongâs brows to a furrow. âIsnât he hell bent on marrying off Ricky?â
âYes. Well. There was a situation.â You donât intend on telling Jiwoong about the said situation for the sake of your pride. He looks curious, but thankfully he doesnât try to prod. The only thing that matters right now is that Ricky is Jiwoong-approved, and thatâs good enough of a reason for you to pursue him under Kim Gyuvinâs nose. âAnyway, please keep this a secret.â
âWhatâs in it for me?â he asks.
âThe continuation of my respect,â you flatly reply. Jiwoong, again, laughs and assures you that his lips are shut and sealed.
SOMEHOW, YOUâRE INVITED TO A BARBECUE DINNER AT MATTHEWâS BACKYARD. How long have you known him? Two weeks. Who else is invited to the dinner? His friends of two years the least. Youâre not sure how you ended up here. Maybe youâre more charming than you thought. Maybe thatâs why you keep attracting weird men.
But Matthew isnât weird. Heâs a little loud and a little too energetic for you to keep up with sometimes, but heâs nice, heâs polite, and youâd introduce him to your cousin if heâd let you.Â
You show up to his front door step with a convenience store bag full of canned beer. Youâre still not sure what the occasion is, but alcohol is always a good gift. âYou made it!â Matthew greets you with a half-hug, and upon entering the premises of his home, you spot Gyuvin giving you an unabashed look full of judgment while Matt takes your present out of your hands and into the cooler in the backyard.
âSince when were you two so chummy?â Gyuvin asks with narrowed eyes as he leads you to where everyone else is.Â
âScared I might replace you in your friend group, Gyu?â you taunt.
âNo. Iâm scared of being the middleman again if Matthew hyung falls in love with you,â is his painfully honest answer. The yard is smoky and warm, familiar faces here and thereâ Hanbin being one of them, who graces you with a look of confused concern upon hearing Gyuvinâs words. âHyung, you donât understand my pain. I keep setting her up with my friends, but theyâre never good enough for her. At this rateââ
At this rate, youâre gonna be needing a warning whenever Ricky suddenly appears in front of your visionâ one of the people you preemptively deemed ânot good enough for youâ only for it to bite you in the ass.
In fact, he may be too much for you, because for a second there, you had the presupposition that he might be walking up to you. That delusion is quickly evaporated into the barbecue smoke because heâs looking at Hanbin, not you.
âHyung,â he says. âWoong hyung needs help with the grill.â
âOh, Iâll be right there.â
In between, Gyuvin has somehow disappeared, leaving you alone with Ricky and the unreasonable amount of feelings you have for him. Itâs been a good week since youâve last seen him. Heâs wearing a thick red jacket and that same look of awkwardness whenever youâre around. âHello,â he greets you softly with a nod.
âHi,â you do the same. Itâs excruciating. Itâs painful. Thereâs a sizzle in the air, music from the stereos, and the loud, rambunctious noises expected from a group of eight, nine boys. Yet itâs everything quiet in between the both of you.Â
But after that tense greeting, thereâs a shift in his gaze, a change in his posture. Heâs clearing his throat, balancing himself on the heels of his feet with tightly pressed lips resembling that of a smileâ almost as if heâs expecting something from you.
Oh, you realize. Oh, heâs too cute.
Without much of a thought, you dig into your coat pockets.Â
âHao!â you call out in a hurry, running off to the long picnic table where the rest are all gathered. Your heart is racing. Your heart is racing like crazy. âThereâs still two faces Iâm not acquainted with yet. Whoâs this?â
While Hao introduces you to Gunwook and Yujin, your eyes flit over to the spot youâd left behind. Ricky is still standing there. Heâs staring down, eyes trained on his cupped palms. âRicky, come carry the cooler!â Taerae yells out for him, snapping him out of his daze. Thereâs a faint tinge of pink painting his ears when he strides off, fists closed with the same shade painting his knuckles. Your pockets are a lot lighter now. If you were him, you would have quite honestly fallen for yourself.Â
Dinner starts. You ask Yujin why heâs friends with a bunch of old men. âTheyâre obsessed with me,â is his reply, and you canât debate with that. Not when five of them are suddenly yelling at Jiwoong for saying you should all play some drinking games to heat things up. It gets settled when Yujin and Gunwook are given glasses of apple juice, and the word âgoraeâ is now being repeatedly thrown over the table.
One thing youâve noticed is that Ricky is always a beat and half slow. Itâs stupid adorable. Gyuvin passes the never-ending whale baton to him and he just continues the beat without saying anything, looking around like a lost cat, before letting out a noise and collapsing against Hanbin the moment he realized he just lost.
Thatâs it. You canât take this anymore. Heâs pocket-sized. Youâre stuffing him inside your pocket. It doesnât help that his flushed face makes him look exactly like the strawberries he loves muchâ matching the red of his jacket, and itâs driving you insane.
âYou really do have a massive crush on him.â
Jiwoong invades your alone time once things have settled down a bit. Youâre in the living room, sitting cross-legged on the floor right in front of the sliding doors to the backyard. No, youâre not sitting here because it gives you a nice view of Ricky chasing Gyuvin around with his jacket as a makeshift weapon. Thatâs not true at all. âSay it louder, will you,â you grunt when he takes a seat next to you, hitting the corner of your beer can with his before he takes a swig.
âI donât have to. Not when youâre already practically outing yourself with your staring.â
You frown. âIâm not that obvious.â You double take. Then bite the inside of your cheek. âHey. I think Iâm screwed.âÂ
Jiwoong shakes his head with a laugh. âRicky is cute, isnât he?â
Case in point, him doing that scrunchy face, gummy smile, when he suddenly bursts out laughing. You nod somberly. All Jiwoong does is make fun of your demise.Â
Still, you think youâre being subtle enough. Ricky is slow. He told you this was his strength and weakness when Gyuvin asked you to tag along with them on a shopping trip one time. But for someone whoâs usually programmed to be in slow motion, he sure is quick to catch onto things when you donât want him to.
âSeonbae.â
His voice is soft, unassuming. Youâre both standing in front of Gyuvinâs apartment one late Friday afternoon. Youâre holding open one of his hands, cupping his knuckles from underneathâ something youâd never have anticipated to have the privilege of doing maybe three, four weeks priorâ dropping five pieces of candy onto his palm without much of a thought.Â
âYeah?â you hum.Â
He closes his hand and stuffs the fistful into his coat pocket, a completely blank and innocent face, before askingâ âdo you like me?â
Now, this wasnât in your monthly fucking bingo.
You stifle back a choking noise, completely caught off guard. âHâhuh?â Jiwoong was right. His only flaw is his overconfidence. You have no idea how to slip away from this unscathed. âWhatâ what makes you say that?â
Ricky blinks at you. âYou always give me snacks.â Youâre pretty sure candy doesnât qualify as snacks, but you digress. âDonât...donât they say the way to a manâs heart is through his stomach?â
Unfortunately for him, youâre swearing by a different psychological tactic. âWâwell, I always have a lot of candy with me! For my blood sugar, you know?â you sputter out the first excuse you can rummage from your short-circuiting brain. âAnd...and after finding out you liked strawberries a lot, it would be rude and selfish not to give you any if I have them, right?âÂ
Right? Please agree. Please stop asking any more questions. Ricky is pondering over your words, seemingly deep in thought with pursed lips, until those said pretty lips part open to say, âOh. Oh, I get it.â You donât know what he gets, but you roll with it. âThen again, it also doesnât make sense if you like me.â
The fuck does he mean that it doesnât make sense if you like him? Youâd kiss his face right here and now.
âYou turned down that date, after all.â
Insult to injury. He doesnât know that was the biggest regret of your life. You bite down your tongue and exhale sharply. âAh. Donât overthink it, Mr. Shim,â you tell him, finally knocking on Gyuvinâs door after standing in front of it for a good ten minutes. âOverthinking causes stress. Stress will give you wrinkles.â
âItâs okay,â he says, turning over the door upon hearing a click. âIâm still handsome when Iâm stressed.â
You breathe out a sigh. This is the man youâre down bad for. This is the man youâre helplessly pining for.
âI think youâd be more handsome with black hair.â
Surprisingly, that statement comes from Gyuvin and not from you. He opened the door just at the right momentâ an unimpressed look on his face upon seeing his unannounced visitors. âWhy have my Friday night invaders tripled?â he laments. Tripled? You donât ask and let yourself in despite his protests.
âIâm here to check on your term paper,â you inform, kicking off your shoes at the entryway.
âIâm here to play games,â says Ricky, doing the same.
âIâm here to play games too.â
For some reason, Gunwook had the same idea as you two to terrorize Gyuvinâs sacred Friday nights of solitude, but managed to act on it before anyone else. Heâs already settled on the floor of the living room like itâs his own, legs outstretched, switch controller in his hands. âHyung, letâs play!â he calls out to Ricky. Gyuvin reluctantly tells you to sit down before he grabs you two drinks from the kitchen.Â
âYou know what, I forgot to ask.â Gyuvin settles down two glasses of juice onto the coffee table with a suspicious eye directly zeroed in on you. âWhy were you two together outside?â
âSeonbae and I happened to meet each other downstairs,â explains Ricky. Which was true. You did somehow bump into each other at the building lobby, Ricky nearly closing the elevator in front of your face in the process.
âRight. I told you Iâm here to check on your paper, and Iâll be off once I do exactly that,â you tell him, mentally thanking Ricky for the save. âYou had a month to write so it better be decent. Give me your laptop.â
Gyuvin smacks his tongue, but does as you say anyway, while the other two boys loiter around the floor and fuck around with Gyuvinâs switch thatâs connected to the TV. Theyâre playing a Mario game. You pay them no mind, ignoring the non-human noises they make once Gyuvin reappears with his laptop. He warns you that this is still his first draft, but you didnât need that premise. The first page isnât even formatted correctly. Youâve got your work cut out for you.
âHey, hey, move over! Let me playââ
Again, you pay no mind to the noise. Itâs mostly coming from Gunwook and Gyuvin because Ricky is quiet when heâs focusedâ in this case, focused on hopping over some goombas. Heâs got a thin pair of glasses perched on his nose, lips pursed unconsciously into a noot noot, and fuck heâs so cute, and â no, youâre not paying attention to him. Youâre paying attention to your juniorâs paper. Youâre proofreading. Simply proofreading. You highlight some errors here and there, marking some corrections.Â
Yet again, you donât pay attention to the noise Gunwook and Gyuvin are makingâ
âAh. Iâm killing Gyuvinâs brothers.â
âbut Ricky suddenly makes a quiet remark, and you snort very, very loudly in response.
You slap a hand over your mouth. That wasnât funny. That wasnât funny at all and the other two didnât even seem to hear it. âWhy are you laughing?â Gyuvin looks at you, offended by the sound you just made. âDid I write something wrong in the analysis? Why are you laughing?â
âN-no, itâs justââ Your throat rips into a cough because itâs not easy to suppress a fit of chortles. Ricky looks so proud of himself, youâre going to cry. Youâre near choking and Gyuvin hops onto his feet and makes a beeline for you in a flurry.
âYouâre so mean! Give me back my laptop!â
This isnât a misunderstanding that you intend on clearing up, so you let him run off with his laptop back into his room to revise in private after youâve disrespected his work. Gunwook stretches up too, saying that heâs off to buy some snacks outside. âDo you want anything?â he asks. Ricky is feeding you his juice and patting your back because you canât stop coughing. âOkay. Ginger candy. Got it.â
Gunwook has left. Gyuvin is holed up in his room. And the fact that you and Ricky are alone in the living room right now isnât helping the state of your lungs. âAre...are you okay?â Ricky, the sweet, sweet angel, asks with those giant boba eyes and soft voice. You want to bite down your sleeve and chew it right off.
âIâmâIâm alright.â No, youâre not. Youâre sitting way too close on the floor, knees bumping, and the game over screen being reflected on the television right now is a perfect rendition of whatâs going on inside your head right now. âWhew. Iâm fine. Iâm perfectly okay.â
You honestly have no idea how youâve managed to keep it together these past couple of weeks. You donât know how you havenât jumped this guy yet. The video game is forgotten, and Ricky is scrolling through his phone. Heâs wearing a melon green sweater which, objectively, is an ugly ass color, but Ricky somehow pulls it off and looks extra fucking soft in it and youâre not godâs strongest soldier.
He lets out a soft laugh, notices you staring, and tilts his phone and scoots closer for you to see a dumb Tik Tok video. Your shoulders bump. You make a comment that fails to register to your own ears. âBy the way,â he starts. He places his phone face down on the tabletop. Whoa, this is a little dangerous. He shouldnât be pouring all his attention into you like this. âAre you free this weekend?â
You blink. Your brain is jumping into conclusions. âWhy?â
âWell,â he fumbles with the tips of his sweater paws. Youâre going to eat him. âMy uncleâs resort is opening a new branch, so thereâs an opening party. Everyone else is coming, including Gyuvin. Itâd be nice if you can come as well.â
âOh,â you open your mouth. Youâre a little surprised. âThanks for the invite, but I donât think Iâm fit for those kinds of events, you know?â
This is quite a bit of pressure. Ricky tilts his head, failing to understand what you mean for a second, but when he does he exclaims, âoh! Donât worry. We donât have to join the formal event. We can just eat dinner and mess around at the beach. The actual party will be boring, anyway.â
âAh.â Heâs an angel. Heâs so sweet. It hasnât even been long since youâve somehow been absorbed into their tight-knit group. Youâre not sure how it even happened.
Well, you were already friends with half of them separately. Gyuvin has been buzzing around you since he was eleven and you were thirteen. Hanbin and Hao have been your academic ride or dies ever since you met them in the first week of classes. Jiwoong has been a force you could lean on the moment he took you under his wing for your first major project in university.
And RickyâÂ
âTell me if you want to come,â he smiles. âSo I can reserve a room for you.â
Maybe this was bound to happen eventually.
âIâm done!â
Gyuvin has finally emerged from his room, stomping back to you and Ricky before slamming the laptop on the table before you. âI edited it. No more errors now. Praise me,â he says proudly. You give him a suspicious glance, sliding the device closer to you. âThis oneâs good, right? Tell me itâs good. Donât laugh. Laughing isnât constructive.â
Ricky is curious and pokes his face closer to yours, and you flinch. âYou misspelled âdebilitating,ââ he says. You gasp. Ricky, once again, looks so proud of himself. Gyuvin wants to die.
âGive it backââÂ
He snatches the laptop once more and starts aggressively typing next to the both of you. At the same time, Gunwook finally returns with a bag of miscellaneous snacks. âSeonbae, here you go,â he tosses a full bag of ginger-honey candy to you, which you now have no use for because you have stopped coughing.
âThanks,â you gruffly say. When you stuff it into your bag you notice Ricky staring at you. âDo you want some?â you ask. He doesnât answer your question but says something else entirely.
âYou donât need that anymore.â
Your eyes widen when Ricky snatches the bag of candy from you. He promptly opens itâ moving quicker than youâve ever seen him before, and rips open a piece before tossing it into his mouth.Â
Youâre in shock. What is he doing?
âHey, thatâs not for you!â Gunwook protests. Ricky responds by simply pelting him with another piece. Gunwook is speechless. Then retaliates by throwing a candy bar from his 7-Eleven bag to Rickyâs chest. It bounces onto his lap. Ricky grabs another piece of candy to flick at Gunwook. They start fighting. Gyuvin notices the fun and abandons his paper to join in.Â
This isnât how you planned your Friday to end up like. Then again, you didnât plan on developing a crush on your friendâs best friend either, so you canât really say anything else.
HANBIN HAS BEEN WAITING IN YOUR BUILDINGâS PARKING LOT FOR A GOOD TWENTY MINUTES NOW. Youâre already late for the event, so might as well make the most of your tardiness. Iâm still getting ready, you shoot Hanbin a text. You keep messing up your fucking eyeliner, and thereâs no way in hell youâre showing up to that damned, bougie ass event in front of Ricky with assymetrical eyeliner. His are always perfect and you donât want to lose to that.
âDude, we might miss the buffet!âÂ
Itâs Matthew yelling at you when the tinted front seat window rolls down as you sprintâ heels on, mind youâ to the car. âThe place is a resort! Theyâre never running out of food,â you yell back while throwing the backseat open and then throwing yourself inside.
Youâre breathing quite heavily. âAre we ready to go?â asks Hanbin, and you shoot him a thumbs up. Youâre too busy catching your breath to notice Yujin also co-occupying Hanbinâs car.Â
âNoona, how long did it take for you to get ready?â he asks.
âThree hours,â you reply with a grunt. Itâs a little hot so you open the windows, letting some air in. You canât risk your makeup melting. You need to be extra pretty tonight to stand a chance against all the rich people flooding that place.
âReally?â Yujin does the same. âI canât tell.â
Youâre speechless. You hear Hanbin swallow down a giggle. Matthew isnât even trying. This highschooler just roasted your ass. You need to put him in his place. âWhy are you out here on a weekend?â you click your tongue. âYou should be using this time to study.â
âI study enough already,â he protests.
âWhat was the Gyeongbokgung palace used for during the Joseon Dynasty?â
Yujin freezes. âWow,â he says robotically after a significant pause, just as mechanically turning his head to the window. âThe night air is so fresh.âÂ
You donât grill him further because Yujin is rightâ thereâs something different about the wind wafting through the atmosphere tonight. You let yourself sink into the carseat, let the breeze cool your cheeks, eyes fluttered close, until you reach your destination. The resort is far off from the cityâ the seaside, obviously, but you donât see the shorelane just yet. Only a towering building illuminated with warm flushed lights as the car drives up to the entrance, surrounded by ferns and foliage and an air of complete refinement.
The foyer floor is so shiny that you can see the chandelier reflecting from it. Are you allowed to step on this? Is this legal?
Upon entering the function hall however, your nerves become nothing. You already see a handful of people being completely, strikingly, and obviously out of place. All for different reasons.
You see Gunwook near the live band, somehow holding a conversation with two men that appear to be twice his age. Gyuvin and Jiwoong have comparatively way too much food on their plates as they camp right by the buffet. Hao is currently talking to a security guard while a suspicious looking vase is sticking out of his pocket. The only person that would be blending in well right now would be Taeraeâ if he wasnât wearing that bright purple suit ensemble.
Damn. You shouldnât have been worrying so much about being a fish out of water. These guys are way worse than you.
âI thought you werenât coming.â
But of course. Thereâs one guy that looks like heâs completely at home.Â
Matthew greets Rickyâs arrival with a half-hug, and the other two boys do the same while you respectfully stand and stare. Respectfully. Yes. You pay no mind to that dangerously unbuttoned-button down under than dangerously low-cut blazer. You are the embodiment of peace and serenity and giving him your business as usual smile. âHey,â you say. âSorry weâre late.â
When Ricky returns your stiff smile with one of pure ease and kindness, you swoon like a fucking loser. âYeah,â Yujin inserts. âShe was taking so long to fix her face.â
Your smile stiffens further. âI did not take so long, haha, what are you talking about.â
Yujin gives you a look. âYou said you took threeââ
And there goes your hand over his mouth to shut him up. âHaha. Letâs go eat, Yujinnie. Didnât you say you were starving?â Yujin muffles something out. You pinch his arm. âThanks for the invite, Ricky! Weâre off to sweep the buffet now!â
âWaitââ
You book it. Well. As fast as you can book it with these damned heels and with a large shoulder bag weighing you down because youâll be staying here overnight for free. Does the bag match your dress? No, it does not, but you donât know where your room is and youâre not well enough to talk to Ricky at the moment, so you suck it up and stress-eat at the buffet table with the Yujin you kidnapped. âWhy were you so embarrassed, noona?â he innocently asks while stuffing his cheeks with some meat skewers. âYou look pretty tonight and itâs all thanks to your hard work.â
Who has been teaching him these backhanded remarks? Who has been negatively influencing this child? You grunt and put a scoop of mashed potatoes on his plate, much to his displeasure, and continue eating your own damned meal.
âHey, can you take a photo of me?â
The moment youâre done with your not so pleasant meal, youâre skewed away by Matthew who wishes to hire you as his photographer. After that barbecue dinner last time, Matthew swore that you take the best photos of him and his entire IG feed for the past month is credited to you.Â
You look at him, displeased because youâre not wearing the appropriate attire to lay on the floor to ensure the best angles. âGo stand by the window.â Still, you take his phone from him and make do with what you can. âWhatâs your password again?â
âHao hyungâs birthday.â
âGot it.â
Now, stretching your legs and getting into various lunging positions arenât easy to do when youâre wearing a long and silky dress. But you are a woman of commitment, and your bag is weighing you further to the ground as you take a low-angle shot of Matthew. âOkay, now hold your necktie. Now look awayâ perfect. Thatâs it. Next one.â When you try to get up, gravity decides that it hates you. You wobble on the stilts of your shoes, nearly stumbling back, but you feel someone grab onto your arm and pull you up before your ass kisses the ground.
âWhoa, please be careful.â
Itâs Ricky. Of course, itâs him. When you look up, heâs got his eyebrows knitted together out of concern, strands of light wavy hair perfectly falling over said eyebrows and your breath hitches in your throat a little.
Heâs got his other hand held out, and heâs probably expecting you to take it to balance yourself to your feet, but you refuse to be a predictable woman.
Instead, you give him Matthewâs phone and help yourself up. âThanks. Iâm fine. Just slipped a little.â You have no idea why youâre acting coy right now. Maybe itâs because heâs being a little less cute tonight, being a little more dangerous insteadâ flinching the moment you feel his feathery touch on your shoulder as he removes the weight of your bag from your person, before passing it to an attendant that he calls over with a single look.
âCan you bring this to Room 207? Thank you.â
No, no, no, this is too much. This is too much for you. Why is he trying to be smooth? Why is he trying to swoop you off your feet without taking any responsibility?
âHyung, Iâll take your photos instead,â he says to Matthew, whoâs been watching the spectacle unfold and you pray to god that your unsubtle thirsting wasnât too noticeable. Matthew doesnât say anything about it, though. You assume youâre in the safe zone because all heâs doing is complaining when Ricky takes way too zoomed in photos of his face. âThis is a new trend. Just trust me.â
âSure? Okay, go on.â
You take this as an opportunity to escape, only to be called by Gyuvin back to the buffet table because, âhave you tried their gambas?! This shit is fire!â
When an old guy took the podium, you all took this as your cue to exitâ scattered off either to the beach, bar, or your Ricky-sponsored rooms. You have an entire room for yourself because thereâs no way in hell youâre sharing a room with any of those stinky boys. Your exhaustion is aching for a shower, and so you grant its request, and by the time youâre done freshening up and changing into a more comfortable set of clothing, you receive a text from Hanbin that theyâre all gathered at the beach.
âAh. The wind is cold.â
Wearing a thick jacket out was the right choice indeed. You stuff your hands into your pockets for warmth, feet sinking into the sand as you watch the mess before you. Theyâre all either running around, drawing things on the ground, or lounging on a picnic blanket under the starlit horizon. âSit,â says Jiwoong, tapping the empty spot next to him, and you oblige with a yawn. âItâs only eleven. Canât believe youâre sleepy already.â
âIâm getting old,â you tell him, letting your head drop onto your shoulder as you hug your knees. The rest are by the shore or in the water. You have no energy to join in at this point.
Jiwoong makes a distasteful noise at your statement. âWhat does that make me?â
âA fossil.â You yawn once more, craning your neck to bury your face into his arm. âIâm so tired.â
He chuckles. âAre you fine with Ricky seeing you like this?â
âPlease be quiet.â This time, you sneeze. Right into the sleeve of his shirt. Then you sniffle. âHeâs not even here.â Jiwoong is disgusted. He tips you off, picks up your wrist, and uses your hand to wipe off your âgerms,â or so he says.
âYouâre lucky he didnât see that. Where is he, anyway?â
The question is answered by Gyuvin when his energy finally gets exhausted from splashing around, flopping onto the blanket next to you and Jiwoong. âHe was still in our room when I left,â he says, out of breath. âI think he wanted to rest for a while.â
Gradually, the rest start to gather too. âWe havenât taken a group photo yet,â Hao brings up. âHeâs gonna sulk if we take one and heâs not here.â
Itâs as if you just got recharged with a full eight hours of sleep.
âIâll go get him,â you say, promptly standing up. âI need to pick up something from my bag, anyway.â Total lie. Jiwoong sees right through your bullshit and his teeth are showing through his smile. You flip him off and start making your way back, stumbling when Hanbin asks if you want him to accompany you, bringing back the hop in your step when Gunwook tells him, âsheâs a big girl, she can handle it herself.â Youâll get back at him for that later.
Two-one-three, two-one-three, two-one-three, you repeat the room number in your head as you go down each door in the hallway, ringing phone glued to your ear to inform Ricky that youâre going to barge into his room, but heâs not picking up. Maybe heâs asleep? Probably. Thereâs no response when you knock on the door and slot in the key Gyuvin gave you, and youâre met with dim lights and an eerie silence the moment you crack open the door.
âRicky?â you call out. Thereâs no response.
The light from the hallway leaks in to illuminate an empty bed. Huh. Where is he? What rouses even more questions is the odd positioning of what should be a bedside table, for some reason positioned at the foot of the bed and a few feet away from the open bathroom door. Thereâs also a mishmash of things stacked on the tableâ books, folded shirts, magazines, and some of which have fallen and scattered to the floor.
But those arenât the only things on the ground.Â
You quickly bring a hand to your mouth. âOh,â you wheeze out. âOh my god.â You try to cover it up with a cough, but itâs too late. A snort managed to slip through.Â
âStop laughing,â he protests from the floor. How could you hold it in when Ricky is right there, lying curled on the ground while hugging what seems to be his knee, bathrobe-clad, with papers and magazines scattered around and on top of him. A memo sheet is stuck on his cheek. His back is turned to you. His buzzing phone with your contact name on it is next to his head.
How the hell did he end up here?
âAreâare you okay?â you manage to say as you crouch down next to him. He doesnât budge when you try to roll him back. He lets out a grunt and tells you to leave him alone. âI canât, I was ordered to pick you up. What are you trying to hide? Why wonât you look at mââ
When you finally roll him to his back, you realize why.Â
âOh no.â
Rickyâs got a hand hovering over half of his faceâ the wrong half because you can very clearly see the red gash running down his right temple, but thatâs probably not what heâs intending to hide. Heâs got his brows in a sad and shameful furrow, glaring eyes refusing to look at you, and you can see the shades of pink coral and pink on his cheeks, slipping through the gaps of his fingers.Â
Heâs pink. Heâs so pink.
âDonât laugh,â he grumbles. âItâs not funny.â
You might as well eat him whole, holy fucking shit.
âNâno, youâre right. Itâs not funny. Iâm not laughing.âÂ
Youâre damn near about to break into a coughing fit again with how hard youâre trying to suppress your giggles. Based on the evidence laid down at the crime sceneâ namely his still damp hair, scanty bathrobe, misplaced furniture, and the mess of it allâ Ricky was likely trying to take post-shower thirst traps while Gyuvin was still out so he wouldnât be made fun of.Â
Slipping and hitting his head on the tableâs edge in the process was probably not part of his calculations. You fear you mightâve been the unintentional cause of this because you gave him a surprise call earlier.
âLetâs get you up, big boy. Grab my hand.â
Begrudgingly, he lets you pull him up. You instruct him to sit on the bed while you call room service for a first aid kit. The wound on his forehead doesnât look serious, but you decide to apply some ointment and put a bandage on it just in case. He winces when you clean the dried blood off with water. God, heâs too fucking cute. Your gushing is ruined by an incoming call.
âHanbin,â you greet, wedging the phone between your ear and shoulder because youâre still trying to patch up the poor boy. He scrunches his nose when the ointment touches his wound. âWeâll be there in ten minutes. A minor accident occurred. No, you donât have to come up here. Ricky is physically well and alive.â You canât say the same about his emotional state though. Heâs been quiet and frowning this whole time. âSay hi, Ricky.â
You pass him the phone. He looks at your phone wielding hand, a contemplative expression, then takes it. âDonât come,â is all he says to Hanbin at the other end of the lineâ a little too gruffly for your likingâ before tossing it off somewhere onto the bed.
Rickyâs eyes snap up to look at you. Maybe youâve been taking this situation a little too lightly.
âIs it done?â he asks in that same tone of voice, andâ oh. Oh, no. Youâre in a tight spot. Figuratively and literally because Ricky is leaning back against the bed, you slightly leaning into him because youâre simply, very innocently trying to bandage up his temple, and the most comfortable way to do it is having a knee propped up on the mattress, face hovering dangerously above his.Â
When you unavoidably make eye contact, you flinch and feel your bones rattle.
Oh.Â
Your gaze falters and your swallow down your dry throat, watching as the bathrobe slips down from his left shoulder in real time. Thatâs it. Youâre gone. Your brain has stopped working. Youâre starting to miss cute Ricky who gets excited over your strawberry candies. Where is he? Where did he go? This Ricky is a little dangerous. This Ricky feels like heâs going to fucking eat you alive.
âYâyeah. One sec.â Youâre not sure if you even managed to secure the bandage on his wound because the moment your skin touched his, you immediately flung yourself back from a ghost burn. âDid...did you hurt yourself anywhere else?â you ask. He shouldnât be looking at you like that. Why is he looking at you like that?
The brief silence that follows swallows you whole.Â
âIâm not sure. Can you check?â
Then spits you right back out because crazy fucking bastardâ what the fuck does he fucking mean by can you fucking check?Â
âOh, um.â Dry. Your throat is dry. Does he want you dead? Is that it? Does it not matter whether or not you get out of this room alive? You donât like thisâ whatever this is because you donât know whatâs wrong with him tonight. Did he get a concussion when he fell? Do you have to go take him to see a doctor?Â
Maybe itâs you that needs to go see a doctor. Because youâre pretty damn sure that this heart rate is nowhere near normal.
Knock, knock, knock.
âWeâre coming in.â
Karma acts quickly because you stumble back and nearly collapse into the floor as well. The door cracks open and you grab onto the nearest thing for balance, which, in this case, is a curtain you almost tug off from the window out of sheer force. âRicky slipped and hurt his head,â you blurt out the moment Hanbin and a few others enter the room. Rickyâs face drops into betrayal. Self-defense. You needed a diversion.
Taerae and Gyuvin are the ones that came with Hanbin, the former taking a long look at the room and its inhabitants. âOh,â he says after acknowledging the mess on the floor and the bandage on Rickyâs forehead. âOkay, Humpty Dumpty.â
Gyuvin lets out a snort. Ricky chucks a pillow in their direction. Thank god for their interruption because you donât know what would have overtaken you had they come five minutes later. âNo wait, did he really slip?â Gyuvin asks, a little too giddy and giggly about the whole ordeal. âDude, did you fall over while taking thirst traps?â
And youâre subsequently kicked out of the room while Ricky gets dressed into something more decent and gets made fun of by Gyuvin and Taerae.Â
âTook you guys long enough.â
Youâre all back at the beach now with a grumpy Ricky in tow. Gyuvin immediately runs off to snitch on his best friendâs misfortune to the rest. Heâs sulking, you notice, face down and hands stuffed in his pockets as the cool breeze flutters his hair in its embrace. âQuit making fun of him!â Hanbin scolds, and you spot Jiwoongâs expectant expression to tell him what you were up to alone in Rickyâs room.
Nothing You were up to nothing, you send the message through your glare. You couldâve been up to something had those three not interrupted, but would you have survived that? Your eyes flicker over to Ricky, whoâs trying to push Gyuvin off himâ traces of the tension and danger from the hotel room completely gone without a trace that you fear you might have just been imagining it out of the sheer feeling of want you harbor for the guy.
âCâmon, letâs take a picture!â
Before you know it, youâre gathered by the shore in a bluf, feet sinking into the sand, and you feel yourself bump into Ricky at the very moment the camera flashes to capture the scene.
âHey, this one came out nicely.â
It did. Youâre not sure about the rest, but this photo deserves to be tucked into your wallet and kept in a capsule.Â
Ricky is standing next to you, the tight frame leaving no gap or space in between. Youâre both smiling a little awkwardly. Itâs cute. You keep staring at it until your attention is pulled away by the very man himself.
âYou owe me something,â is Rickyâs introduction when he saunters over to you. You raise a brow, closing your phone. Looks like heâs finally gotten over what happened earlier. Gyuvin has finally stopped teasing him by moving on to messing with the sparklers Gunwook brought. You can hear their shouts and laughter from afar, but itâs all muted down.
âWhat do you mean?â you ask.Â
He takes out one hand from his pocket, an open palm outstretched. Heâs looking at you expectantly in wait. You break out into a soft laugh and shake your head. Maybe your candy-related scheme worked a little too well.
âI didnât think I was contractually obligated to do this now,â you hum, fishing out a few pieces of candy from your sweats before dropping them onto his hand. âMaybe I should stop.â
âYou canât just start something by yourself and suddenly stop all by yourself. Thatâs not fair,â he complains, accepting your offer. âYou have to take responsibility.â Only if he takes responsibility for your poor and shriveling heart. His tone is light, a smile playing on his lips, and at this pointâ youâre sure this isnât just a crush anymore. You might just be a little in love with Ricky Shen.
YOU HAD NO IDEA HAO WAS SO INFORMED ABOUT PROF SHINâS MAKEUP PREFERENCES. Itâs her birthday this upcoming week. You three freeloaders need to keep sucking up so you can maintain your office privileges, so you decided to buy her a present. Hanbin is unavailable, so itâs just you and Hao browsing the boutiques downtown, and you narrowed down your scope (and budget) to just buying her makeup.
You pull out a bright red lipstick from the display and show it to Hao. âWhat about this one?â you ask. Hao puts on a look of disapproval.
âShe doesnât like wearing bright colors. Maybe something more on the nude side would be better.â
Well damn, okay. You put the rejected stick back with the rest of its friends. The next one you pick out is also rejected because itâs glossy. âProf Shin prefers matte,â he further reasons. And now youâre starting to question exactly how and why he knows this. Hao doesnât humor your queries, though. You settle with a nude Laneige matte lip and a matching blush as a bonus.
âWeâre done here, right?â Hao asks after you two pay for the gift.
âHold on.â Youâre stopped by a certain item on display near the check-out counter. Youâre convinced that youâve definitely gone off the deep end at this point. The thoughts blurring inside your head the moment you laid eyes on the strawberry-flavored lip gloss for sale are a little too insane, even for you. Youâre not buying this. You donât even use gloss. This is crazy.
âThank you, please come again!â
You exit the store with your gift for Prof Shin and a new lip product. You are stressing yourself out.
The buzzing of your phone forces you out of your existential crisis. Itâs Gyuvin messaging the group chat. âHey,â you tap Hao upon reading the message. âWe donât have anything else to do right? You said you have extra gift boxes at home.â When Hao asks why, you show him Gyuvinâs message.
[gyubie cutie: no one wants to send off ricky at the airport with me? :( damn i really am his only friend].
You reply that you and Hao are on the way. You know that Ricky is leaving for a quick vacation to Shanghai today (two weeks before the semester ends, mind you) after an impulsive decision involving alcohol the other day with you and a few of the guys. At one point they suddenly became all emotional and the topic of their families were brought up. Ricky woke up the next morning with a splitting headache and a phone screen that tells him his flight has been booked.Â
âWell, I guess Iâll just go,â he said over hangover soup and aspirin, as if he doesnât have exams in two fucking weeks, and as if Shanghai is just a bus ride away. Sometimes, youâre surprised with how easy going he is. The flight is at an awkward timeâ Thursday mid-noon, so itâs no surprise that no one else is free to see him off. You didnât mention anything about wanting to send him off and neither did he ask you to, so you thought why the hell would you do that unless you want to expose your ass full of feelings. But Gyuvin presented the opportunity. Who are you to turn it down?
âOver here!â
You spot Gyuvin waving at you two from a distance with outstretched limbs. You preemptively grab a handful of candy from your pocketâ battle ready because itâs been getting harder and harder to pass these to him subtly as of late with the amount of eyes constantly on youâ but you donât find the mop of blonde anywhere, even when youâve finally reached Gyuvinâs spot.
âHas Ricky left already?â you ask, brow raised. Youâd be pissed if Gyuvin baited you two here only for the guy to have already left.
âNo, no. Heâs here,â he assures. âHeâs around here somewhere. He bought some snacks not too long ago, but some girl stopped him to get his number. I lost him because seeing him get hit on made me gag so I had to look away for my safety.â
Well, thatâs both assuring and not. Then you remember you have no right to be jealous because Ricky Shen, as suspiciously as he may be behaving as of late (case in point, accidentally seducing you in a bathrobe the other week), he is still not your damned boyfriend.
âOh, there he is.â
Ricky who is not your boyfriend arrives, and the first thing he does is make you feel so fucking sorry that he isnât.
âWhoa.â
No wonder you werenât able to spot him right off the bat. His attention-seeking light hair is gone. No, he hasnât shaved itâ he dyed it freaking black and he looks so fucking good. âOh, uh,â is how you greet him. The words have completely dried out from your throat. Ricky is looking at you expectantly. Your mouth is hanging open pathetically. âWow.â Your eloquence is award winning.
He laughs. He wants you dead. âDoes it look weird? I needed natural hair for visa requirements.â
âNâno,â you sputter out. Gyuvin goes on to brag that he was right that Ricky would look great in dark hair and Hao proceeds to try and touch said hair, only to get his hand smacked by the hair-owner, while youâre still temporarily incapacitated to say or do anything. You donât get to say anything, because the clock strikes twelve-twenty, and Ricky has to go
âHave a safe flight, dummy,â Hao bids Ricky off with what you can only describe as a glomp, only to be assaulted by Gyuvin immediately after. Youâre standing there awkwardly like a fourth-wheel, hands tucked behind your back because you canât find the timing to say your farewells, and you missed the timing to pass the candy to him earlier after being so rudely jumpscared by his new look.
When Ricky finally manages to swat and push them both off, his eyes flash over to you. Your mouth curls into something sort of a smileâ youâre not completely sure. Ricky takes a step forward to engulf you in an embrace.
Oh. Oh, so weâre doing this now, you think, eyes flying wide open in surprise with a pathetic squeak. âThanks for seeing me off,â he murmurs softly, and you can feel his voice vibrating into your skin and penetrating your bones. You canât even reciprocate because he locks your arms tightly against your own body, and you feel his fingers unclasping yours behind your back, allowing him to take the strawberry pieces you intended to give, before pulling away with a dumb grin. âWant anything when I get back?â
You try to blink away the violent shock tremors youâre feeling right now. âIâveâ Iâve always wanted to try the sun cakes there.â Deep breathes. Youâre normal. Youâre totally normal.
Ricky takes his carrier from Gyuvin, sending you a small smile. âIâll buy you a hundred.â
âDonât overdo it,â you let out a breath. God, he drives you insane. âSafe skies. See you when you get back.â
The moment Ricky boards the plane, Gyuvin turns around to ask you two what you should have for lunch. âWhy are you so happy that your best friend is gone?â you ask with narrowed eyes the moment you three settle with the first food place you see at Terminal 1 of the airport. âDo you secretly hate him? Is that it?â
âHeâll be gone for two days max, give me a break,â he grunts. âAnd tomorrowâs Friday. That means I can get the whole evening and weekend to myself without anyone barging into my apartment.â
Your friendâs joy is reflected with how energetically heâs inhaling the bowl of stew. âDonât get ahead of yourself. Iâm gonna do a progress check on your paper tomorrow.â Gyuvin sets down the bowl, looking at you like you just sentenced him to prison. Hao is minding his own business and enjoying his meal. âWhat? Donât tell me you forgot that your deadline is in two weeks. Iâm checking it tomorrow, so make sure itâs at the very least decent.â
When Gyuvin tells you to stop nagging because it reflects your age, Hao had to stop you from throttling the man.
Anyway, the day passes and youâre at Gyuvinâs apartment to check on his paper.Â
âWhy are you smiling at your phone? Damn, sheâs finally lost it,â he says over another meal. You finished giving him your feedback and decided to just have takeout dinner with him. While eating, however, you received a text from Rickyâ a photo of his own meal and a thumbs up above the plate of skewers. Itâs been a day, but you can barely feel his absence with how heâs been texting you every hour from the moment he landed.
[ouricky: (photo attached) touchdown âïž].
[ouricky: (photo attached) this looks like u].
[ouricky: are u asleep yet?]
[ouricky: gyuvin told me ur at his place. tell him to eat shit for me].
[ouricky: (photo attached) dinner w my sister đ our meal is better than yours].
âWhat the hell, did you get a boyfriend?â You look up from your phone to find a very judgemental Gyuvin. âAfter rejecting all my attempts to set you up for romance? This is a personal attack. Youâre buying ice cream later.â
If only he knew you were texting his best friend. Not that you have any intentions on telling him.
âHey, why do you smell like strawberries?â Gyuvin asks after your meal, right when you decide to retouch your makeup as you ready yourself to leave. âIs that the candy you always bring?â
âItâs my new lip gloss,â You show off the pink bottle. âIt tastes like the fruit too.â
âWhoa, thatâs cool,â he snatches it from you, examining it a little too close to his face to sniff it. âWhereâd you buy it? Do they have one in mango?â
While trying to convince Gyuvin that he should maybe purchase actual mangoes instead of planning on eating an entire bottle of mango-flavored gloss, you also try to convince yourself that you definitely did not make this purchase yourself to try and seduce his friend. Ricky isnât even here. Youâre not wearing it for him. Youâre wearing it for yourself.
âIâm off! Iâll take you to the store next time.â
When you defend yourself and your new lip gloss against Jiwoongâs judgment the next morning, he tells you that Ricky probably doesnât feel the same way as you do. That you probably shouldnât think too much of it and hurt yourself with your expectations. But at this point, itâs reasonable for you to start overthinking, right? Right? What does Jiwoong know, anyway? Heâs not Rickyâs mother. Rickyâs mother is on a yacht with him right now, and you know because he just sent you a video and youâre damn near the precipice of falling headfirst into the depths of thinking he might just like you too.
âI just donât want you to get too ahead of yourself and end up getting hurt.â
Assuming youâre right and Ricky does like you backâ when the hell could it have started? The barbecue at Matthewâs? That one evening at Gyuvinâs apartment? That night in his uncleâs resort? You have no idea, much like how you have no idea how you somehow got absorbed into their mess of a friend group.
But a few little texts and inexplicable bouts of skinship here and there isnât enough to set you way too far off-the deep end. The way he looks at you might just be your imagination. Jiwoong could still be absolutely correct and youâre just tripping over your own assumptions.
Youâre not that quick to listen to your intrusive thoughts. Youâre still a little reasonable. Thatâs why you havenât fallen to your knees and blurted out your insurmountable feelings for him yet.
What does set you off to state beyond help, however, is a sudden phone call later that same Friday evening.Â
Morning, rather. Specifically at four in the morningâ waking you up from your sleep by its incessant buzzing. âHello?â you groan into the mic, voice still croaky and eyes barely open. âWhatâs up? Why arenât you asleep?â You have no idea why Ricky is calling you right now. The moment you hear his voice through the line however, you feel all five of your senses suddenly snapping wide awake.
âI thought itâd be a waste to spend my time here asleep,â he says with a soft chuckle. Oh, holy fuck itâs too early for this. Youâre not mentally prepared for this kind of voice from him yetâ low, almost a deep rumble, reminiscent of thunderstorms and clouds, only amplified by how heâs practically whispering into the core of your being through the phone.Â
You pull your blanket down and roll over to the side to give your heart a chance to breathe.
âYet you decide to call me at four in the morning instead of doing something more worthwhile,â you click your tongue, and you only hear Ricky laugh in response. âAre you planning on extending your trip? Whenâs your flight?â
âNo, Iâm leaving later. I still have to prepare for finals,â he replies. âFlightâs scheduled at 11 p.m.â
âAh, thatâs too bad,â you say. âIâm pulling an all-nighter at the library tonight. Deadline to catch. I donât think I can see you at the airport this time.â
âThatâs alright,â he hums. âNext time you can just come with me to Shanghai.â
You pause. Wait. Wait a minute. âHaha, yeah, itâ it would be nice to visit your hometown with the rest of the guys, yes.â Thatâs what he probably meant. You probably meant all of youâ many, pluralâ not just you and you alone. Haha. Of course.
But when Ricky takes a while to reply, you start to overthink, start nipping on the skin of your lip so hard that blood might draw.
âYeah,â he says after an awkward beat. âWith the rest of the guys. Yeah.â
You really need to hear Jiwoongâs voice of reason right now. Because all youâre hearing is the sound of your own heartbeat inside your ears like a hyperactive drum.
âAnyway, you must be tired. I should let you sleep now,â says Ricky after ruining all your chances of falling back asleep. You canât. The best you can do is get up before the sun and go on with your busy day so as to not think about this conversation too much.
âYou should be the one sleeping,â you manage to reply. âDonât forget my sun cakes.â
âMhm. Gânight.â
Crazy. This man drives you fucking crazy.
You donât return to sleep after that.
âOkay,â is Jiwoongâs expert opinion after telling him what happened later that same evening, having dinner with him at a McDonaldâs near the city library. Heâs put his kiddie meal on pause while you were telling him about Ricky Shen and his demonic antics at four in the morning. Heâs got his elbows on the table, fingers interlocked, and staring at you with a look so serious he might as well be diagnosing you with a disease. âI think youâre right,â he continues. âMaybe he does like you.â
The shriek you let out is almost inhuman.Â
Jiwoongâs lips quirk into a smile and he goes back to eating. âI told you! I told you I wasnât overthinking things! My lip gloss purchase is justified!â you proclaim. Jiwoong tosses a fry into your mouth to sedate you, and it works for a few chews until you start yapping again. âBut, god, now what? Heâs returning later or tomorrow. I have no idea how to face him.â
Your phone vibrates a message. âIs it Ricky?â he asks in an attempt to tease you, but all your face does is turn sour upon reading the text. âNo? Who is it?â
âWoong,â you say, setting your phone on the table. âAre you busy this evening?â
He furrows his brows. âI was planning on writing my paper. Why? Is there a problem?â
âGreat. You can work with me at the library the whole night.â
When you slide your phone over across the table, Jiwoong understands.Â
[jaeryeong: can i see you tonight? please? it wont take long. i just need to make things right].Â
âHeâs a persistent fucking cockroach.â
You grunt, taking back your phone. âYou should report him,â he says, and youâve completely lost your appetite. âScreenshot his texts and block his number. Iâll accompany you to the station if you want to handle this legally.â
âNo, itâs fine,â you scrunch your nose. Heâs a wimp, according to his ex-friend Gyuvin, so youâre sure he isnât gonna hurt you or anything. And your exams are coming up, so you donât want to deal with processing this entire thing while youâre already academically burdened as is. âBe my bodyguard for the night. If he tries anything, I can just throw you at him and run away.â
Jiwoong doesnât approve of your methods, but doesnât argue anyway. After eating you both finally head to the library where youâll be cooped up the entire nightâ tucked in the corner in your own respective cubicles.Â
Your friendâs worry starts stirring whenever he sees you check your phone every hour or so. He pulls back the desk chair upon noticing the serious look on your face, turning over to your direction in concern. âIs Jaeryeong texting you?â he asks. âDid he follow you here? Should I call the police?â
âNo,â you reply. âRicky sent me a photo of him at the airport. Heâs wearing ear muffs. Heâs so cute. I canât do this anymore.âÂ
Jiwoongâs face falls to an expression reminiscent of death and stops talking to you after that.
Well. You have been receiving texts from Jaeryeong, but you havenât opened them in case he gets motivated by the fact youâve read his messages. You still donât know how he and Gyuvin ended up being friends, but then again, Gyuvin was friends with a group of delinquents in high school. He wasnât part of the group. He just thought their vibe was cool.
âHey.âÂ
Itâs twenty minutes past twelve, Ricky is probably still on the airplane, and you havenât eaten anything since your 6 p.m. dinner. You poke Jiwoongâs arm, to which he blatantly ignores. âIâm gonna get something from the vending machine. Keep ignoring me and I wonât buy you snacks.â He says nothing but follows you when you get up, and you sneer at the man following you with a silent tantrum. âQuit sulking,â you tell him as you punch the numbers for coffee on the machine. âYouâre not cute enough for that.â
âIâm sorry for not being Ricky,â is the first thing he says to you after two hours of silence. âYouâre wearing that scheming lip gloss again, but heâs not even here.â You frown. He laughs and takes your place in front of the vending machine by cordially bumping his ass into yours the moment your drink falls down the chute. âYour phoneâs flashing by the way. I think Rickyâs calling.â
You look down, bringing up your phone, and sure enough calling ID âourickyâ is giving you a call.Â
Heâs calling. He is calling you.
Your eyes flash back up to Jiwoong, widened in surprise.Â
Why is he calling you?
âDid he send a message in the group chat that he arrived?â you ask, suddenly panicking as the phone relentlessly vibrates in your hand. âHe didnât, right? Why would he call me first? What time is it? Wasnât his flight just an hour ago?â
âFor someone whoâs been pretty confident that Ricky likes you back, youâre sure acting funny,â he hums, leaning against the vending machine and taking a sip from his cold brew while youâre having a mental breakdown. âAnswer it. Go on.â
ââIâm scared!â you exclaim. âWhat if instead of saying hello I end up blurting out that Iâm in love with him and ask him if he feels the same way?!â
You take too long to make a move so the phone line gets cut off. But when Ricky calls again, Jiwoong wastes no time to snatch your phone from your hands, click answer, and put the damn thing on loudspeaker for the entire fucking world to hear. What the hell are you doing? your scrunched up face says to him. Doing you a favor, his arrogant eyebrows reply. You attempt to snatch your phone back, arms in a desperate move to retrieve to deviceâ
âHello?â
âbut they freeze mid-air at the sound of Rickyâs voice blurring through the speaker.
Jiwoong grins. You slowly get your phone back and press it to your ear. âYes. Hello. Whatâs up?â You give Jiwoong the nastiest glare you can muster, but flinch back the moment you hear Rickyâs voice again.
âAre you still at the library?â he asks.
âYeah.â You elbow Jiwoong when he laughs at your sudden switch-up. âWhy?â
âCome down.â
What?
âIâm outside.â
Itâs almost stupid how your body starts moving on its own.Â
The cold air bites your skin the moment you break past the doors, met by the dim sky and muted sight of the empty plaza square outside the library entryway. But itâs not completely emptyâ no. Ricky, whoâs supposed to be still on the plane ride back to Seoul, is standing five feet away from you, eyes flickering up from his phone the moment you arrive, a slow, soft smile blooming on his face and cheeks.
You see the suitcase next to his feet. Jiwoongâs words echo in your headâ maybe youâre right, he said, maybe he does like you. Itâs not just a maybe anymore. Itâs not just your mind making things up.
Ricky, who is supposed to be in the air halfway between Seoul and Shanghai, went straight from the airport to the city library just to see you.
Youâre usually the one doing dumb things because of him. This time, itâs not you.Â
Itâs him.
âHey, are you crazy? Did your flight schedule change?â You stomp towards him, closing the gap between the both of you with big strides and quick steps. âWhy didnât you update us? Jesus, you gave me a scare when you said you were here.â
Rickyâs only reply is a laugh, and your intent to scold him more gets stuck in your throat and you stumble a little when you abruptly halt right in front of his feet. You look at him, batting your eyes in an attempt to blink away the possible pink and hazy filter youâre seeing him with, but it doesnât work. He is just this pretty. He is just this dreamy. He is just soft and soft and soft when his eyelashes flutter above his big, dark irises as he looks at you, when his stained hair frames his face a little too perfectly, when the corners of his lips lift ever the slightest to resemble a smile.
âThatâs not how you usually greet me,â he says. âArenât you going to give me anything?â
Your heart stirs. âWhat?â Arenât you supposed to be the one asking that? He promised to buy you a hundred sun cakes, and youâre pretty sure those wonât fit inside his one suitcase. âOh. Oh, wait.â You pat around your pockets, only to realize you left all your candy in your bag back with Jiwoong.Â
âSorry,â you tell him, feeling a little guilty. âI was in a rush to get down. I wasnât able to bring any with me.â
Instead of responding with disappointment, Ricky just hums and leans a little closer. âReally?â He suddenly nudges his face into yours, noses bumping, and your eyes widen in surprise. âBut you do have something else.â
Heâs close. His face is hovering a little too close to yours to be smiling cheekily unaffected like that. You can feel his warm breath on your lips and youâre starting to feel dizzy.Â
âIt smells sweet,â he says and you thinkâ oh. Heâs not good for your heart.
Maybe itâs because heâs officially driven you to the breaking point of being crazy, or maybe itâs because the cold has completely frozen all the sane parts of your brain, but the words youâd usually keep tucked between your thoughts and confidentiality suddenly come stumbling out of your mouth before you can stop yourself.
âDo you want to know if it tastes sweet too?â
You gasp after realizing what you just said. You look at Ricky with a face aghast with surprise, jumping back because holy fuckâ why did you say that? Why? Youâre crazy. Youâre stupid. You bite down your bottom lip and taste the dull flavor strawberry mocking the tip of your tongue. Youâre insane. You have officially lost it.
If you were Ricky, youâd probably call yourself crazy too, but he doesnât do that.
Instead, he does something even crazier by taking your offer and pressing his lips against yours.
It doesnât register that Ricky just kissed you until after the fact, and youâre staring at him with wide, blinking eyes, lips feeling fuzzy, head afloat beyond reach, and himâ at an armâs length awayâ eyes averted with pink strawberries dusting his cheeks, much like the color slightly glazing his lips, as if he wasnât the one who just pulled your trigger.
He ran his mouth about taking responsibility the other day.
Youâre going to show him responsibility with your mouth.
âSâsorry, that was too sudden, I justâ mmphâ!â
Two months of pining after him come crashing down the moment you pull him by the collar to finish what he started and godâ his lips are softer than you thought, sweeter than you thought, and itâs not just the strawberry lip gloss smudged between your teeth and tongue, melting into what you can only describe as the best fucking kiss in your entire life.
Ricky pulls away to breathe. You chase after his lips once more in a short-winded daze, only to stumble into his chest and he catches you by cupping your face to press another kiss to your mouth. âAh. This is bad,â he murmurs between barely parted lips. âI donât think the candy is gonna cut it anymore.â
For a second there, you thought he was gonna say that youâre a bad kisser.Â
âYou should greet me like this from now on.â
YOU WAKE UP THE NEXT MORNING VIA SUFFOCATION FROM THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE AND A TEXT MESSAGE FROM A PESTERING RAT. Blurry eyes and barely conscious, you try to roll over on the bed but physically cannot with how Ricky is squeezing your torso with his arms, his nose buried against your nape as he curls up into you from behind.Â
You cannot move. You try your darndest to wiggle an arm out because your phone is incessantly buzzing on his bedside tableâ the only thing from your belongings that you brought with you last night because your haul to the library was left behind with Jiwoong, whoâs probably the one texting you right now for ditching him.
When you finally retrieve your phone however, it is not Jiwoong whoâs texting you.
Itâs Jaeryeong. Squinted eyes read [how could you replace me with a grey-haired twink???] and [donât even dare try contacting me, bitch] and the first thing you feel is confusion. Then you remember that Jaeryeong is a freak and probably followed you to the library that night, and saw you making out with Ricky in front of a public educational building.
Well. At least that stopped him from bothering you again. The question now is whether or not you should tell Ricky about this.Â
âIâm going to kill him.â
You do tell him, in between washing his hair in the bathroom to get the remnants of spray stains out of his hair because Jaeryeongâs comment pissed you off. âIâm gonna kill him the moment I see him,â says Ricky with a lovely towel wrap on his head. Youâre looking at him through the mirror and the scary face heâs trying to put on is promptly negated by his spa-day look.
âDo you even know what he looks like?â you raise a brow, freeing him from the towel head to reveal a damp mop of light hair. You throw away the muddled towel and grab a fresh one to dry his head.
âIâll ask Gyuvin,â he says, face covered by the towel, and you snort.
âI think weâll have a problem with that. I was kind of hoping to keep this secret for now.â
Ricky suddenly throws his head back, causing the towel to fall to the floor and the top of his head bumps into your stomach. âWhy?â he asks, upside down, big brown eyes staring right into your soul like a premeditated attack shooting you square in the chest. He canât pull this move. Thatâs illegal.Â
âBeâbecause Gyuvin is annoying and he wonât let me hear the end of it,â you manage to say. Youâre not going to fold. Youâre not going to give in. âYou know how I turned down that blind date with you right?â
The mention of it prompts a frown to tug on the corners of his mouth and itâs the second onslaught against your heart. âRight,â he huffs, lifting his head up to turn around and face you, looking up with a displeased expression, yet his actions say all but displeasure when he tugs on the hem of your shirt, pulling you towards him so he can lock you in place with his arms around your waist.
âQuit pouting,â you tell him. It hasnât even been twenty-four hours. Youâre not sure if youâre gonna last a month with him being like this.
âGyuvin said you thought I was ugly,â he says. âThatâs why you said no to the date.âÂ
All the adoration you feel gets extinguished in an instant.
You have never heard a more blasphemous statement your entire life.
âI never said that!â you shriek. âThatâs not true at all! I didnât even know what you looked like until we met for that Hadong trip that day!â
Ricky winces at your sudden volume and youâre quick to simmer it down and apologize by hugging his head to your torso. âOh god, Iâm so sorry,â you say. âI turned down the date because your best friend has traumatized me with all the previous blind dates heâs tried setting up. Jaeryeong isnât the only disaster Iâve experienced. Every single guy heâs set me up with has been trash, so I thought youâd be just like the rest too.â
Maybe this isnât a conversation you should be having in the bathroom of his apartment, but you digress. Ricky unburies his head and looks up at you once more. âSo, am I?â
Again. Youâre going to fucking eat him one day. âNo,â you cup his face. Youâre perfect, youâre an angel.â Maybe if youâd given him and Gyuvin a shot that day, then maybe your first meeting wouldnât have been as awkwardâ but either way, regardless of the situation, youâre pretty sure youâd still somehow eventually find yourself falling for this loser.
You lean down, ready to dip into a kiss, only to hear an alarming noise outside the bathroom door.
âRicky! Why didnât you tell us you were back?!â
Oh, for fuckâs sake.
Youâre pretty happy that Ricky is quick to listen to your request because he immediately scrambles to his feet and tells you to stay inside the bathroom for the time being. âHey, heâs not in his room,â you hear Gyuvinâs voice from outside, followed by Yujin suspecting that Jiwoong lied to them, followed by Gunwook saying that Ricky is definitely around, evidenced by his unmade bed and half-unpacked suitcase.Â
âIâI think Iâd have to lock the door,â he mumbles to you, holding the doorknob and ready to leave. âWhat if they suddenly barge in?â
âItâs okay. You should go out before they actually barge in while weâre both still in here.âÂ
Cue heavy knocks against the bathroom door. âRicky! Are you in there?â Ricky grumbles out a swear and quickly slips out of the bathroom, a click on the knob, and youâre officially locked inside your boyfriendâs bathroom within the first twenty four hours of dating him.
Now, this is just great.
You have the privilege of eavesdropping into their reunion through the muffled audio on the other side of the door. âWho were you talking to?â you hear Gunwook ask.
âMy...myselfâŠâ Ricky answers, and you feel excessively sorry for him so you decide to repent by cleaning up his bathroom. The problem is, even after youâve finished cleaning, youâre still stuck inside because for some fucking reason, those three have no intentions of leaving.
âHey, should we order some food?â
âOh! Sounds good!â
âLetâs watch a movie, Iâm bored.â
[ouricky: iâm so sorry they just wonât leave đ]
You slump to the floor, back sliding down the shower glass. Maybe...maybe this is your karma for turning him down the first time and asking him to hide your relationship. Honestly, you should have known it wouldnât be easy to keep things hidden from seven pairs of eyes (Jiwoong knows and has sworn secrecy in exchange of being his research lackey). Itâs especially difficult considering youâre chronically touch-starved and must always have Ricky Shen around you to hold. So when you have another barbecue dinner at Mattewâs the weekend before your finals, and when Rickyâ out of a newly formed habitâ tries to greet you with a kiss on the face right in front of his fucking friends, you panic and end up shoving the poor boy, causing him to kiss the floor instead.
Your mouth is wide open. âOh. Oh my god, Iâm so sorry.â Hanbin and Hao hear the very distinct thunk and start questioning.
âWhy...is he on the ground?â Hao looks down to see Rickyâs half-alarmed, half-confused face as he half-lifts his body off from the floor. Your face is burning. Oh god.
âHeâs repenting,â you say through your teeth.
Ricky tries blinking away the shock.â...Yes...I made a mistake.â
Youâre going to lock away your strawberry lip gloss from now on. Itâs too hazardous. Hanbin tells you that âfriends should get alongâ and asks you to help him set the table, leaving behind Ricky whoâs being pulled back to his feet by Hao. When you see Jiwoong, who saw the whole thing, at the table looking at you with an insufferable look on his face, you flip him off.
âAre you in a bad mood today?â asks Hanbin as he passes you a stack of paper plates. âYou keep butting heads with the boys.â
Youâre speechless. You canât even defend yourself if you wanted to so you resign to mumbling out a bitter apology and equally bitterly start arranging the plates on the table, much to Jiwoongâs pure and raw amusement.
When you guys start eating, you even make sure not to sit next to him. You are instead sitting next to Gyuvin, and Ricky is sitting in front of him. Theyâre both bickering over something againâ chopstick-fighting against each other over the table while you half-listen to Matthew whoâs sitting on your other side, complaining about Prof Shin and her impossible exam coverage as you clean off your plate.
âYou took her class last year, right? Which lessons did she focus on?â he asks.
âReview the most recent ones. I think she just took five or six questions from the earlier lessons,â you reply, grabbing a slice of the gyukatsu you bought and heated up as a potluck, and absentmindedly place said slice on Rickyâs plate.
It gets quieter all of a sudden.
Ricky, Gyuvin, and Matthew are all looking at youâ one more alarmed than the rest, and the realization drains all the blood out of your face.
âYujin, you should try this too!â you try to play it off, placing another piece of gyukatsu on Yujinâs plate, whoâs sitting right in front of you. And for good measure you do the same to all of the plates within your arms reach, all while swallowing down the desire to bury yourself into a hole, never to emerge ever again.
âWhoa, thanks.âÂ
This whole secret relationship thing is harder than you thought, and Ricky is very visibly sulking that youâre giving away his current favorite dish to just about anyone. Looks like you have a grown man that needs to be coaxed back into affection tonight.
Jiwoong tells you that you should just come clean and stop making it harder for yourself. You firmly refuse because even though you are having a lot of trouble and even though you definitely want to kiss Ricky and his pretty face without the fear of getting walked in on by his friends who donât know the concept of privacy, this set-up is still better than the bane of your existence, Kim Gyuvin, making fun of you until the day you die.
The said bane of your existence treats you all out to another dinner because he finally got his grade for his community development project. He says you have no choice but to come since youâre the reason he got an A.
Itâs an easy dinner. You and Ricky even agreed to arrive at separate times with him tagging along with his hyungs, and you chaperoning the children while waiting for the rest of their arrival at the chinese restaurant. The problem comes when they arrive. Specifically, when Ricky arrives because for some god damned, unplanned reason, he arrives wearing the same distinctly floral-patterned short-sleeved button down youâre wearing.
âOh.â
He doesnât even fucking wear florals. Why did he decide to switch up today?
Never had you thought that the day would come where youâd be begging to bring back toxic masculinity, but here you areâ mouth agape, aghast, and awkwardly standing from your seat at the round table because the shirts are way too obvious to be left unnoticed.Â
âTake it off,â you immediately demand. âThis is absurd. Take it off and quit copying me.â
âWow, are you two couple-shirting?â Taeraeâs comment stirs a faint blush on Rickyâs cheeks. Why is this idiot blushing?Â
âIâm sorry to inform you, but Rik wears it better,â says Gyuvin.
Youâre thankful that the same-shirt fiasco ended there. You try to ignore Ricky throughout dinner, but god damn it, Gyuvin is rightâ that shirt does look pretty damn fine tucked into his slacks and framing his broad shoulders like that and itâs making you angry.
Ricky catches you checking him out from across the table and you catch him subtly smirking. Oh, what a psycho. Youâre not letting him off.
âIâm going out for a bit,â you announce, standing up quite loudly with how your chair scrapes against the floor. âNeed fresh air. Be back in a bit.â Thankfully, they donât stop you when you retreat to the cluster of grass and trees and plants tucked in one corner of the outside parking lot of the restaurant. When you take out your phone and prepare to send a message, the person you intended to message has already walked into your field of vision.
Ricky leaves the restaurant not long after you did, looking around the lot until his eyes land on your little corner, a sparkle in his eyes, and he jogs his way right over to you.Â
âAh. Not today.âÂ
You hold up a hand in front of your face and Rickyâs nose bumps into your palm when he leans in to get a bite of your lips.Â
He scrunches his face, wincing backward, confused. âYou have wronged me tonight, Mr. Shim,â you say, dropping down your hand to complete your cross-armed display of beration. âYou should reflect on your actions before trying anything funny.â All Ricky does is blink at you with those pretty brown eyes and noâ youâre not going to give in. Youâre biting down your tongue very hard so you donât get swayed by those dangerous weapons (said pair of pretty brown eyes).
Ricky takes a step closer, or maybe he tugs you closer to him because you suddenly feel a pull on the belt loops of your trousers, face hovering just a few inches away from yours, pressing his lips together into a pout as he tries to get you to give in to his whims, but you are immovable. You are a mountain. You are this close to squeezing your eyes shut because heâs making it very hard for you right now to not kiss his stupid face.
When that doesnât work, he resorts to his other weapon. That is, being sickeningly shameless.
âI didnât mean to wear the same shirt as you,â he says, voice low. âShould I take it off?â
Thatâs it.
You hit his chest with a closed fist. âOw!â Then you use the same hand to grab a fistful of that darned shirt and slam your lips against his because who are you kidding? You are not godâs strongest soldier. If Ricky bats his eyes at you and tells you to jump off a cliff, you might just do it.
When you hear him grunt into your mouthâ something snaps. You pull him in deeper, other hand fixed on the back of his neck, the taste of strawberries mixing with spit and short breaths and the only time youâre letting him off is when you get lightheaded from the lack of fucking oxygen.
You pull back with a gasp. Ricky is flushed scarlet and his eyes are out of focus. âWow, um. Uh.â You wipe off the smudged lip gloss from the edges of his mouth. He looks like heâs about to pass out.
âYou two are so fucking disgusting.â
The sudden sound of Taeraeâs voice feels like a bullet to the head.
Your face freezes. Your neck creaks, turning to the right, and you see Taerae standing a few feet away from you two, arms crossed with a face wound up in revulsion and sheer judgment and now you feel like the one passing out. You feel five years of your life getting scraped off against a sandpaper bed in real time. You want to fucking die. âHâhyung,â you hear Ricky say. âWhatâwhat are you doing here?â
âThe guys are wondering where you two went, so I went out to check,â Taerae simply says, scrunching his nose before continuing. âI really did not need to see that.â
You feel the heat running up to your forehead. Oh god. Maybe you shouldâve learned your lesson the first time you got caught making out with him in public. âIââ you start, a single syllable falling out of your throat before your mouth completely dries up. What are you even supposed to say in this situation? How do you explain to Taerae that this is not what it looks likeâ even thought this is exactly what it looks like?
âItâs alright. You donât have to explain. I knew all this time that you two have a thing.â
âHaha.â Youâre sweating. Youâre sweating so bad. You feel Ricky squeezing your sweaty hand. God, youâre totally screwed. âWhat are you talking about, Tae?â
âI heard your conversation in the car on our trip to Hadong like two months ago.âÂ
Well, shit.
âI woke up when Ricky nearly killed us all on the road. You two are the most unsubtle people Iâve ever met. Quit looking surprised. Do I have to mention the way you eyefuck him whenever youâre in the same space? Girl, youâre not fooling anyone.â
You peer at Ricky and he looks a little too happy to hear that. Youâre dizzy, youâre nauseous, and you want to sew Taeraeâs mouth shut right now. âDoesâŠdoes anyone else know?â you ask, scared, and you tug Ricky out of your unhelpful corner and start heading back to the restaurant before someone else comes out to look for you.
âWell. Iâm not so sure. Theyâve never brought it up when you two arenât around so I donât think so,â Taerae replies, and you let out a sigh of relief. âI think Gunwook is onto you, but Gyuvin for sure doesnât know.â
âOh, thank god.â
Taerae raises a brow. âWhy are you even keeping it from him? Itâs not like heâs gonna disapprove or get mad. In fact, itâll be his dream come true since heâs been trying to sell Ricky off since last year.â
The restaurantâs lights get brighter as you walk towards it. âIâm not hiding it because Iâm scared heâll get upset. Iâm hiding it because heâs gonna rub it all in my fucking face and I have way too much pride to deal with that, thank you very much.â Ricky laughs. You shoot him a dirty look.
âOkay. I get it,â says Taerae. âYouâre not a normal person either. No wonder you get along with everyone.â
âHyung, that includes you too.â
âI know,â he huffs. Youâre in front of the restaurant entrance now, and you make sure to wedge Taerae between you and Ricky for an extra safety layer. âI donât think doing that is going to help, but whatever. This is none of my business, so you donât have to worry about me telling anyone that you and Ricky are datingââ
âYou and Ricky are dating?!â
Well, shit.
Maybe youâve been out for too long. Because thereâs suddenly seven people right in front of the restaurant doors, probably on their way to look for you, only for you to come walking back and getting absolutely fucked in the ass in the process.
Gyuvin was the one who made the very astute observation. His eyes are wide and his mouth is hanging open in disbelief. You shoot Taerae a look. He presses his lips together and feigns innocence. âOh. What are you all doing out here?â he says. So much for not telling anybody.
âYou!â Gyuvin ignores him to point an accusatory finger at youâ âand you!â âdoing the same with Ricky as the shock completely penetrates his facial muscles. You swallow, eyes flitting over at Ricky and the both of you share the same guilty look. âWhat do you mean youâre dating? What?! How?! Since when?!â
Gyuvin throwing a fit aside, what bothers you more is how completely unfazed the other six areâ even Yujin. What the hell? Jiwoong is given. He looks like heâs having the time of his life. But why the hell is Matthew looking at Gyuvin like heâs about to laugh? âCâmon, man. Theyâve been together since the first barbecue dinner obviously. How could you not notice?â he says, and now youâre just as alarmed as Gyuvin is.
âSeriously?!â your poor friend looks betrayed, but youâre in a state no better than him because what the fuck is Matthew saying? Heâs way off the mark but have you seriously been this fucking transparent all this time?
âI donât think so. Iâm pretty sure they started dating when we went to the resort,â inserts Hanbin, and youâre absolutely at a loss. âThe phone call, disappearing off together like tonightâ the hotel room. Iâm surprised you didnât catch on, Gyu.â Hao agrees. Yujin nods and says âwhy else would you spend three hours just getting ready for a lame event,â and you want to melt into the ground.
You canât do this anymore. You want to go home.
âNo!â Gunwook butts in, refusing to be left out. âTheyâve been together since that one night at Gyuvin hyungâs apartment! I bought noona a pack of candy for her cough and Rick immediately got jealous. They even showed up together. Iâm telling you. Theyâve been together for longer than you all think.â
At this point, you have no idea how to diffuse this situation. Theyâre all arguing about when or how you and Ricky got together. Jiwoong is laughing his fucking ass off. Taerae is trying his best to act like heâs had no part in this. Gyuvin looks like youâve just twisted a knife into his back.Â
âCan...can I say something?â
Itâs Ricky who speaks up and puts everything to a halt. They all look at him. You look at him. He clears his throat, slipping past Taerae so he can reclaim his rightful spot next to you, and makes your face flush a thousand degrees when he shyly hooks his pinky finger around yours and says, âYouâre all wrong,â he says softly. âItâs only been sixteen days and twenty hours.âÂ
Oh.
Itâs quiet. You canât look at him. You have your face turned down in a heated embarrassment. You physically cannot look at him and everyone else and the fact that none of them are saying anything is making things all the more worse.
Kill me. Just kill me now.
âHyung, youâre so lame,â Yujin breaks the silence of dread. And just like that, they go on as if nothing just happened.
âHey, did we split the bill?â
âOh, Gyuvin paid for it all.â
âIâm riding in Bin hyungâs car!â
âThanks for the meal! You three get home safe!â
Youâre in a daze. These fuckers just gossiped about your ass and called it a day.Â
Youâre not sure if you should be relieved or offended that they didnât dwell any more on the topic of your relationship. They leave you behind with Gyuvin and Ricky, whoâs legally obligated to drive you both home, and itâs so eerily quiet that you want to die. âIâllâIâll sit in the back,â you say, oddly reminiscent of your first meeting with Ricky, and Gyuvin simply sits in front without speaking a word to you. You fear he might actually be upset that you didnât tell him.
Oh no. You make eye contact with Ricky through the rearview mirror as he starts driving. Do something. What should I do? I donât know! I donât know what to do either! and you cut your conversation short the moment you hear Gyuvin scratching his throat clear, and you jolt and straighten yourself in your seat like a guilty convict on the way to the station.
You end up not doing or saying anything until you finally reach your apartment. Ricky attempts to get out of the car to walk you to your door, but you stop him with one look because you feel bad enough as is to leave Gyuvin in the car alone. âThanks. You two get home safe,â you say before shutting the door. The moment you close it, however, the passenger door clicks open in its place.
âHold on.âÂ
Gyuvin is out of the car, and you stop in your tracks to turn around and face him, pressing down your lips together because god, you feel so fucking bad. He should be making fun of you right now, not looking all serious! He should be gloating and rubbing it in your face that you shouldâve just taken his offer!
Heâs got his arms crossed and looks disappointed. You see Ricky peeking out from the rolled down window in concern, ready to step in in case things get ugly. âI knew youâd be into him,â Gyuvin finally says. âI told you, heâd be different.â
Wait. Wait a minute.
Suddenly, heâs grinning again. A stupid fucking devious grin and you feel your soul escaping from your body. âDid I scare you?âÂ
Oh no. Youâre not dealing with this shit, youâre absolutely not dealing with this shit at all.
âIâm going inside. Good night.â
âYou shouldâve just taken my offer the first time!â
âShut up. Shut the fuck up.â
âAnd you shouldâve told me you changed your mind. Maybe if you did, you wouldnât have had to wait for two months before you started dating himââ
âIâm not listening, Iâm not listening!â
âThis is what you get for not trusting me!â
âLeave me alone!â you shriek, stomping up to your building entrance while Gyuvin happily chases you down, and you struggle to press the right numbers on the keypad so you hiss out a swear.Â
âNo way. This is too good. Iâm telling your mom about this,â he grins. You want to cry. âOh, and I can take the bus from here. Ricky, come out of hiding and help your girlfriend get inside her building! She looks like sheâs having trouble opening the door.â
Itâs almost ridiculous how the urge to throw yourself onto Ricky overtakes you the moment he shows up, but youâre not giving Gyuvin another reason to make fun of you until the day you die. You tell Gyuvin to fuck off and he tells you to not have too much fun before finally going away. Youâre tired. Youâre absolutely tired, and you let out a groan into Rickyâs chest and let yourself sink into his warmth the moment youâre sure Gyuvin has left the premises.Â
âItâs open,â he says, prompting you to get inside but you donât budge.
âYour friend is annoying,â you muffle into his shirtâ the damned floral shirt that started tonightâs cataclystic mess.Â
âHeâs your friend too.â You let out a grunt. Ricky soothes circles on your back and lets you throw your silent tantrum a little longer. âGyuvin is right though. You shouldâve just said yes the first timeâ ow!â
Rickyâs appalled confusion when you land a hit on his chest almost makes you feel a little better. The problem is, you did the same thing earlier and pulled him into a scandalous kiss immediately after, so heâs once again staring down at your lips like heâs waiting for it. Holy shit. Your psych class didnât warn you about this. This is a little insane.
Your powers are too strong. The power of strawberries is too strong. But youâre not thinking straight right now, emotions at a high after the events that unfoldedâ so you donât think and give him exactly what he wants, ending the night with the sweet taste of tart, and another breathless exhale brushing over his now swollen lips. âI think Iâve brainwashed you,â you say in between bated breaths. âMaybe itâs not me you like. Maybe itâs the candy and the strawberries. You should cut off on the sweets.â
âThatâs not true,â he grunts, pressing in another kiss, pulling away with his teeth grazing your bottom lip with a tug. âI liked you from when Gyuvin told me about you. I like you. I like this.â
Well, thatâs one way to drive a woman mad. Gyuvin was right. Maybe you shouldâve taken that first chance when you had it, but it doesnât really matter anymore because either wayâ youâre certain that the outcome would be the same.
âOh, what the fuck? Gyuvin just texted.â The door is still still left hanging open, and youâre still pressed up against him when you look down to check your phone. âThat son of a bitchâ he sent a photo of us just now to the group chat. Is he still here?â
âLeave it.âÂ
Ricky pulls you back when you turn and try to look for the nosy bastard whoâs probably snooping around. He tips up your chin. âOne more,â he says, leaning in for yet another kiss as if your lips are the candies you always give him in bulk, like he canât function without it anymore.Â
âYouâre getting greedy,â you say.
âYou keep spoiling me,â he mumbles, feeling his lips graze over yours for the nth time. âYou make me lose control of myself.â
Whether you met him earlier or later, youâre pretty sure youâd still end up falling horrendously for Ricky Shen. And youâd still end up doing all the same dumb things you did just to get to kiss him like this over and over again.
the psychology of strawberries. © hannie-dul-set, 2023.
#ricky shen x reader#zb1 ricky x reader#zerobaseone x reader#zb1 x reader#shen quanrui x reader#zb1 imagines#zerobaseone imagines#shen ricky x reader#zb1 x you#zerobaseone x you#ricky shen x you#zb1 scenarios#zb1 fluff
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zerobaseone â domestic things they would do as your boyfriend !



pairing. bf!zerobaseone x gn!reader
notes. decided to write again hehehe i havent updated in soooo long but i missed u guys!! ttm :))
word count. 286, warnings. none
kim jiwoong
- listens to you when you talk about your day.
- cooks your favorite meals.
- rests his hand on your back.
- acts goofy when youâre sad to cheer you up.
zhang hao
- sits close to you when youâre together.
- helps you finish your chores/run errands.
- makes silly vlogs about his day to send to you later.
- asks you how youâre feeling every day.
sung hanbin
- gives you massages.
- takes care of you when youâre sick.
- slow dances with you in the dark.
- offers you a bite of food before he takes one.
seok matthew
- tells you he misses you when youâre apart.
- laughs at your inside jokes.
- watches movies and shows with you, even if heâs bored.
- cuddles in bed with you in the morning before getting up.
kim taerae
- makes you a cup of coffee/tea every morning.
- sings you to sleep at night.
- interlocks your arm with his when youâre sitting next to each other.
- remembers the little things you tell him.
shen ricky
- takes you shopping.
- rubs your thumb when holding hands.
- looks at you from across the room to make sure youâre okay.
- surprises you with âjust becauseâ gifts.
kim gyuvin
- calls you when he misses you.
- gives you hugs and kisses for no reason.
- sends pictures of things that remind him of you.
- takes the peel off of fruits for you.
park gunwook
- sends you cute text messages when heâs thinking about you.
- always compliments you.
- makes eye contact with you and smiles.
- gives you his sweater when youâre cold.
han yujin
- holds your hand often.
- listens to you attentively when you talk.
- buys snacks for you when youâre hungry.
- writes you little notes in the morning before he leaves.
© seolpsy on tumblr || all rights reserved.
#zb1#zerobaseone#zerobaseone imagines#zerobaseone reactions#zerobaseone drabbles#zerobaseone scenarios#zb1 imagines#zb1 reactions#zb1 drabbles#zb1 scenarios#kim jiwoong#zhang hao#sung hanbin#seok matthew#kim taerae#shen ricky#kim gyuvin#park gunwook#han yujin#kim jiwoong imagines#zhanghao imagines#sung hanbin imagines#seok matthew imagines#taerae imagines#ricky imagines#gyuvin imagines#gunwook imagines#han yujin imagines#zerobaseone x reader#zb1 x reader
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ë«êČ íŽì€ ë ëëŹžìž lovesick / ë ìëë©Ž ìì©ììŽ don't need
pairing: shen ricky x gn!reader (no pronouns used) genre: fluff word count: 591
notes: reader has period cramps !! happy mjx day !! lovelicky my beloved <33, i am a tank top ricky enthusiast, partially inspired by real life events lol, not proofread !! pls forgive any mistakes, title from zb1 - doctor! doctor!
SHEN RICKY announces his arrival with a soft knock against your bedroom door. he chuckles softly when he hears you groan loudly in response, taking the opportunity to quietly slip into the room.Â
your body looks like little more than a lump in the middle of your bed. ricky shuts the door behind him, walking forwards to set a few shopping bags on your bedside table. seeing your unmoving figure, he takes the opportunity to slip out of his cardigan and slacks in favor of a black tank top and sweatpants.Â
sunlight threatens to spill into the room through the small cracks in your blinds casting a warm light across the room. you curl further into yourself beneath the covers, tugging your blankets tighter around you. one arm rests over your stomach while the other clutches the oversized cat plush ricky had won for you against your chest; your chin rests in between its ears.Â
ricky tentatively sits on the edge of your bed, reaching over to brush a few stray strands of hair away from your face. âbaby,â he whispers quietly. âhow are you feeling?â
you let out another quiet groan as you finally open your eyes, squinting at the sudden influx of light in your vision. âbad,â you finally murmur quietly. âmy cramps are really bad.âÂ
ricky frowns softly. âiâm sorry,â he says quietly. the sound of rustling plastic catches your attention, drawing your gaze away from rickyâs furrowed eyebrows and instead towards his hand. he sets a small container on the edge of your bedside table before turning back to you. âcan you sit up? i bought some painkillers.â
the promise of relief is enough to make you prop yourself up. ricky shoves a pillow behind your back as you lean against the headboard, setting your plush to the side. rickyâs hand lowers to rest against the small of your back. he traces miscellaneous shapes over the fabric of his stolen t-shirt.Â
âhere,â ricky says. his hands feel cool as he slips a small tylenol capsule into your hand, followed quickly by a glass of water. âdo you need anything else?âÂ
âno,â you mumble. reaching over, you take his hand into your own. your fingers run along the smooth edges of the promise ring that sits just before his knuckle on his left hand. âjust you.â
ricky smiles brightly. he lifts the edge of your blankets before slipping beneath the covers, wasting no time in cuddling up against your side.Â
âi bought some snacks, too,â he says, reaching over to grab the plastic bags that had previously been abandoned on your bedside table. you smile softly, watching as ricky opens the bags to reveal various packages of your favourite snacks. you chuckle when you recognize a packet of strawberry flavoured pocky in the mix but save your teasing for another day. âyou hate it when i eat in my room.âÂ
âi do,â ricky lets out an exaggerated sigh. he leans back against his hands, turning to face you once again. âbut iâll make an exception. just this once.âÂ
you break off a piece from the bar before holding it out towards him. a light flush decorates the tips of his ears but he accepts with a small smile, leaning in to take the candy into his mouth. âwell, thank you, good sir,â you tease.Â
ricky rolls his eyes playfully but leans in nonetheless. his lips just barely brush against your cheek before heâs pulling away and reaching over to take your hand into his own. âanything for you.âÂ
if you liked this fic, please comment, reblog, or leave feedback !! and if you want to support me, check out my zb1 masterlist <33
#zb1 x reader#zb1 x male reader#zb1 fluff#ricky x reader#ricky x male reader#ricky fluff#zb1 imagine#zb1 scenarios#zb1 drabbles#zb1 one shot#ricky imagines#ricky one shot#ricky drabbles#ricky scenarios#zb1 soft hours#zb1 soft thoughts#zerobaseone#zb1#zb1 ricky#shen ricky#male reader#gn reader#kpop x reader#kpop x male reader#zerobaseone x reader#zerobaseone x male reader#zerobaseone fluff#zb1 fic#zb1 fanfic#ricky fic
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PROMISE MEâŠ!



âwhen you donât tell your boyfriend youâre sick and still perform!â
pairing: idol!bf!ricky x gn!idol!reader
genre: fluff, tiny angst (?)
warning: mention of headaches, blurry vision, nausea and similar symptoms, softie bf!ricky, thatâs it i think?
notes: ty to nonnie for requesting this!! i got a little carried away but i got into a pretty good flow writing it so i hope you enjoy đ„čđ«¶đ» also!! this is my first time writing idol!reader so i hope it feels somewhat realisticâŠ? as realistic as it can be i guess đ”âđ«
word count: 1.8k (đ”âđ« how and whyâŠ)
five, six, seven, eight.
five, six, seven, eight.
five, six, sevenâ
ây/n, are you okay?â the voice of your leader rips you out of your trance, your tired eyes meeting in the mirror. you nod and put on a bright, although fake smile in hopes of being reassuring, though youâre not sure you were being all too convincing â either way, none of your members pry, because they understand. they understand the need to push through, especially now with all these end of the year award shows happening; you simply canât afford to be sick, to fall behind and to be absent from such huge events. so, you decide to push through the dizziness, nausea and pain. youâll take some medication later, itâll be fine. (at least thatâs what youâre telling yourself when you catch yourself stumbling from the dizziness when you get ready to practice your solo entrance.) even though there is a silent understanding between you and your members, there still is one person you know you wonât be able to convince, no matter how hard youâll try â your boyfriend and professional overthinker in regards to your well-being, ricky.
itâs quite cute, the juxtaposition of his public image and the way he tends to worry. did you eat? does your throat hurt from vocal practice? did you trip during dance practice again? (a question thatâs especially annoying considering you told him about tripping once, roughly six months ago. he refuses to let it go.) he sends you teas and throat sprays to make sure your voice is taken care of, secretly checks the soles of your shoes to make sure they arenât getting slippery, somehow manages to pack you little snacks you can munch on when you havenât eaten anything before practice again. heâs very rarely stern, much too soft-spoken and gentle towards you to speak to you in a more serious manner when heâs worried, so he shows his care and love through these things â which makes you feel all the more guilty when you straight up have to lie to him when he asks if practice is going fine, if youâre feeling well, and letting you know how excited he (along with gyuvin, he mentions) is to see you perform in person up close.
you try your hardest to get better before the performance, you really do. well, as much as you can between hours and hours of practice and barely any sleep, at least. all your efforts seem to be in vain, though, because the day of the performance seems to be the worst day yet â if you had a choice, you would bury yourself under every blanket available and not leave your bed for at least a week, thatâs how awful you feel when you and your members are picked up from your dorm during the wee hours of the morning.
unfortunately, the little perfectionistic gremlin that lives at the back of your mind refuses to let all these weeks of practice go to waste, so you muster up a brave smile through your shaking pupils and tell your worrying members that you have everything under control â youâll smash this performance just like all the other ones, even if you have to do it while being a little dizzy. itâs no big deal, youâre a professional after all.
your stylists is making some last minute adjustments to your outfits when a gentle knock sounds through the room, a very familiar blonde head of hair popping in. you rush over to ricky, his arms snaking around you immediately. âhey, handsome,â you mutter as you observe his face, a small grin playing on his lips. âyouâre not looking to bad yourself, hm?â his voice is smooth as he brushes some of your hair out of your face, careful to not interfere with your hairstylistâs hard work. youâre thrown off your balance a little when another dizziness spell hits you out of nowhere, the look on rickyâs face immediately morphing into one of concern, âare you okay?â
you muster up a smile and just nod, eyes blinking rapidly to dispel the black dots bouncing around in your vision, âyeah, iâm just a little nervous,â you reach up to adjust his collar to avoid meeting his worried eyes, âiâm fine. just freaking out a little, thatâs all.â you can tell ricky doesnât entirely believe you, but he trusts that you would come to him if there was something wrong â so he reluctantly lets the subject go. he steals a quick kiss to your lips, whispering a âgood luck, i love you.â before he turns to leave to make any last preparations for his own performance.
your first wave of regret overcomes you when you stand ready beneath the stage, you and your members getting into position to perform the intro to your performance. your head feels like itâs about to split and your hands are shaky, but itâs too late to turn back now â as queen sunmi once said, the show must go on.
your second wave of regret comes when youâre actually on stage, all the lights, the music, the screams and your in-ear monitor feeling less like the dream youâve worked so hard to achieve and more like your own personal hell. your group having your own amazing entrance with one of the stage elevators excited you at first; unfortunately, right now youâre preoccupied with managing your expressions to make sure you wonât let any irritation or discomfort slip.
your third and final wave of regret comes when you stand in the middle of the stage in this massive venue, tens of thousands of eyes on you as you start to perform your solo part of the song â your head is pounding and you can barely hear your own voice through your in-ears anymore, your steps are shaky and imprecise, your vision is blurry. you manage to push through, somehow, but itâs clear in the way your chest is heaving once the lights go out that youâre not well.
the atmosphere is very much tense in the part of the audience where your fellow idols sit, all of them having to cover their very obvious concern with faux excitement â you pulled it off well enough, but itâs clear to every single one of them that youâre sick and that you probably should not have performed. ricky especially has to keep his expressions in check, because the mix of worry and concern but also frustration and maybe a little anger is raging heavily inside him right now.
the worry and concern are obvious, the last thing he wants to see is you being sick, much less performing in that state. the frustration is bubbling inside him because he knows that you know better, that even the chance of you hurting yourself even worse by performing while sick is enough reason to sit out one performance. the anger is entirely directed at your staff and maybe some of your members, your leader at least â they mustâve seen that you were unwell, no? and they still let you on stage? is that not what managers and leaders are for, to take matters into their own hands and to know whatâs best for their members? it all comes to a head when your members join the other idols in the audience while youâre nowhere in sight.
ricky is getting restless, his hands sprawling against his dress pants, occasionally pinching the fabric to keep his mind occupied. gyuvin and matthew both gave him little reassuring pats on his back but neither did much to comfort him, his mind entirely preoccupied with worrying about you and counting down the minutes to when he will finally be able to check up on you backstage.
itâs about an hour later when the award show is finally over, and for once ricky is the first one to rush backstage, a little ahead of all of his members. he swerves past staff and security and doesnât even bother knocking on your groupâs dressing room, ripping the door open to find your shocked but still very exhausted eyes staring up at him in surprise, âricky?â
heâs in front of you in the blink of an eye, squatting down to meet you eye-to-eye, his hands gently cradling your face, âare you okay? for real, this time?â his brows are furrowed and you feel a little bad for thinking that he looks pretty handsome all serious like this. you nod sheepishly, apology ready to spill from your lips when he squishes your cheeks together to silence you, âshhh, you listen to me. never do that again, okay? do you know how scary that was, watching you perform like that? what if something had happened, you know you couldâveâ,â he stumbles over his words a little, clearly worked up, âi donât know, fallen off stage or something. you couldâve fainted! or you couldâve broken something orâ i donât know, just, promise me, donât do that again.â rickyâs once so stern voice turns soft towards the end again, never really able to keep up his serious tone for long, especially towards you.
ââm sorry, just didnât want to let anyone down,â you mumble, leaning into his touch. his cold hands on your face feel incredibly nice, a stark contrast to your feverish face. he sighs and one of his hands comes up to brush your hair away from your face, his hand stroking your head softly, âi know, but still. donât do stuff like that, okay? talk to someone when youâre not feeling well. your managers, your members, me â thereâs so many people you can go to, okay? anyone, as long as you tell someone,â you nod along to him, and maybe itâs the guilt of making him worry so much or the fact that youâre overwhelmed from the amount of affection coming from him while youâre still a little delirious, but you feel like you need to lighten the atmosphere with a little joke.
âeven gyuvin?â the gentle expression on his face falls almost immediately, replaced by a very unimpressed stare. you break out into quiet giggles, muttering a âsorryâ before pressing a kiss to his cheek. ricky grumbles a little before getting back up, running his hand through your hair gently one last time. âi have to go back now but iâm ordering you some soup to your dorm later. youâre on bedrest for the next few days, you hear me?â he tries to sound stern again and puts on his best serious face, but his façade is broken when you smile up at him so tiredly, the exhaustion clear on your face.
âthank you, i love you,â you call after him when he turns to leave, ricky sending you a flying kiss before leaving the room, âlove you too.â
(your fourth wave of regret came when you realised ricky formed an alliance with your members, all of them exchanging ây/n intelâ to make sure all of them can keep an eye on you while youâre recovering.)
#zb1#zerobaseone#zb1 fluff#zb1 ricky#zerobaseone ricky#ricky fluff#ricky zb1#zb1 imagines#zb1 scenarios#zb1 x reader#zb1 reactions#zb1 drabbles#zb1 oneshots#ricky x reader#ricky imagines#ricky scenarios#zb1 ricky x reader#ricky shen#zb1 ricky imagines#zb1 ricky scenarios
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soft intimate moments with zb1



pairing . bf!zerobaseone x gn reader
warnings !
a/n hii munchkinz iâm trying to get back into writing at least group reactions and stuffđđ here u go pls enjoy while i get my life together
: jiwoong
early morning kisses as you wake up next to each other. applying your lipstick for you when you do your makeup. talking about the future. getting a pet to raise together.
: hao
listening to him serenade you with his violin. feeding each other ice cream. sneaking ticklish neck kisses when the other isnât looking. buying plushies to add to your shared collection.
: hanbin
baking brownies and cookies together. protective handholding when someone comes too close to you. kissing your insecurities away. holding each other close after a bad day.
: taerae
singing your favorite love songs together. getting your lip gloss on his lips when you kiss. sending you tiktoks and instagram reels that remind him of you. sweet texts updating you on each thing he does throughout the day with pics.
: matthew
swimming together on hot days. sending you selfies in random places posing with random objects. picking out each others clothes for a date. wearing matching bracelets.
: ricky
forehead kisses as a greeting after spending a long time apart. making spotify playlists to jam together. wearing promise rings. buying you things all the time just because they remind him of you.
: gyuvin
playing video games together. taking faceless couple photos constantly. interlocking fingers all the time. kissing your cheek when youâre not looking and then pretending like nothing happened.
: gunwook
cooking warm dinners together. playing in the rain. having a hand on your waist or hips at all times. sending each other tiktoks of trends to do together. giving you surprise backhugs.
: yujin
sharing a milkshake with two straws. long hugs as a greeting. sending love letters when you miss each other. matching clothing color schemes and accessories. building sandcastles on the beach.
#zerobaseone#zb1#zerobaseone scenarios#zerobaseone reactions#zerobaseone fluff#zerobaseone smut#zb1 scenarios#zb1 reactions#zb1 fluff#zb1 smut#jiwoong#kim jiwoong#zhang hao#hanbin#sung hanbin#taerae#kim taerae#matthew#seok matthew#ricky#shen ricky#ricky shen#gyuvin#kim gyuvin#gunwook#park gunwook#yujin#han yujin
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