#shopping in gangnam

[plasticearring]

VITAL chris information

[seniouesbabes]

Lily Maymac 🌸💋🍒🌸 Shopping tour with the girls @annpn_ @_mij 😍

[queers4years]

these days pop is made in the tiktok mines

fireflies by owl city. closest we've come to world peace

[paulpingminho]

[baeksu-krp]

Nome: Kang Minwoo Faceclaim: Kim Woobin, Ator Data de nascimento e idade: 04.01.1989 — 34 anos Gênero: Masculino Etnia e nacionalidade: Sul-coreano, Coreia do Sul

Moradia: Gangnam-gu Ocupação: Dono, Pet Shop Art & Paws Qualidades: Cordial, Zeloso Defeitos: Desorganizado, Egoísta User: @ minwoo_bks

TW: N/A

Dr. Kang Minwoo nasceu em uma família proeminente na Coreia do Sul, onde a tradição e a excelência acadêmica eram valores fundamentais. Desde jovem, Minwoo mostrou um amor incomum por animais. Enquanto seus colegas brincavam com brinquedos convencionais, ele preferia cuidar dos animais de estimação da família e até ajudava os funcionários do estábulo de cavalos que sua família possuía.

Seus pais, cientes de sua paixão, o incentivaram a seguir uma carreira que envolvesse cuidar dos animais. Ele se destacou acadêmicamente, graduando-se com honras em Medicina Veterinária em uma das melhores universidades da Coreia do Sul, a Yonsei. Durante seus estudos, ele conheceu e se apaixonou por Hajin, uma colega de classe igualmente dedicada e apaixonada por animais.

Após se formarem, Minwoo e Hajin se casaram e abriram uma clínica veterinária juntos. Sua filha, Yuna, nasceu alguns anos depois e cresceu cercada por animais e pelo amor de seus pais.

Entretanto, conforme a clínica prosperava, as pressões do trabalho e a falta de tempo começaram a desgastar o relacionamento, além de inúmeras crises de ciúmes e desconfianças da mulher. Eles passaram a discordar em várias questões, tanto pessoais quanto profissionais e após muitas tentativas de reconciliação, eles decidiram se divorciar de forma não tão amigável, porém mantendo o bem-estar de Yuna como prioridade.

Apesar disto, Minwoo, determinado a seguir seu sonho e comprometido com o amor pelos animais, decidiu continuar com a clínica veterinária. Ele investiu toda sua energia e conhecimento na prática, criando um ambiente acolhedor e moderno para tratar dos animais, combinando métodos tradicionais com novas tecnologias médicas. A clínica ainda era motivo de muita discordância entre ele e sua ex esposa, assim como os assuntos de sua vida pessoal também.

Yuna, muitas vezes visita o consultório do pai após a escola, mas pela vida ocupada e agitada de seu pai, conseguiam estar juntos, de fato, somente aos finais de semana. Ela herdou a paixão dos pais pelos animais, mas nada acima de sua paixão por flores e jardinagem, e eles a apoiavam nisto todos os dias. Ela tinha um jardim especial nas suas duas casas. Quando não estava presente era quase que obrigação do Dr. Kang cuidar para que estivessem lindas quando a pequena chegasse.

Apesar das dificuldades passadas, Kang Minwoo encontrou seu propósito na clínica, onde ele não apenas cura os animais, mas também encontra um conforto e alegria em ajudar a fortalecer os laços entre humanos e seus amigos peludos.

OOC: +18 Triggers: Tubarão (inclusive emojis) Temas de interesse: Angst, Crack, Fluff, Friendship, Hostility, Violence

[orimuraa]

⋆𝜗𝜚₊˚⊹♡A girl who likes a long chat - OT7

(synopsis) ཐིཋྀ what your first date with enhypen would be like ₊˚⊹

ot7 enhypen x fem!reader ཐིཋྀ fluffffff ཐིཋྀ first date, kisses ཐིཋྀ headcannons ཐིཋྀ wc 923

𝑳𝒆𝒆 𝑯𝒆𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒖𝒏𝒈 - 이희승

lunch date

hee would most definitely take you on a classic, lunch date

he would reserve a table for you guys at a cute, lunch place, making sure that it's only the best for you

he would be quite nervous bc he wants this to be absolutely PERFECT for you

the conversations between you two were super natural and never awkward

so heeseung could definitely consider this a win

especially how you kissed his cheek after he dropped you off

first date: success

𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝑱𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒔𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒈 - 박종성

picnic

as we all know, jay is a very good cook

so, he would probably cook up some cute lunch and take you out to a pretty park to have a picnic

jay would want it to be nice and casual but also fun

he was so thankful that you let him take you out on a date, so he made sure that this first date would be the best

you two ended up really enjoying the beautiful day and after you two ate and talked for a bit, you walked around the park, looking at all the pretty sights

jay made sure it was a very romantic but not over the top first date

and he would say it was a great success

𝑺𝒊𝒎 𝑱𝒂𝒆𝒚𝒖𝒏 - 심재윤

lego date

the two of you shared a huge love for legos

therefore, jake decided that the perfect first date would be to build legos together

he bought two sets that were matching and made sure that you would like them

when you came over, he had snacks, music, and the legos all prepared

he was a bit worried that it would not be anything special but you reassured him that this was such a perfect idea and you couldn't think of anything better

you two cracked jokes and got along so well, while also enjoying putting together your legos

when he drove you home, you two exchanged legos so you could both be reminded of the other whenever you saw it

legos = success

𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝑺𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒏 - 박성훈

ice skating

everyone knows park sunghoon LOVES the ice

so, when he remembered that you had once said that you loved to ice skate, what better than to take you ice skating for your first date?

he had the perfect rink in mind and even planned out some things to do after the two of you skated for a bit

you were absolutely thrilled when you figured out you two were gonna skate

the whole time, you and sunghoon were just holding hands, chatting while gliding on the ice

after, sunghoon took you to go get warm drinks at his favorite cafe nearby

it was safe to say that he most definitely won your heart at the end of that date

and that kiss on his cheek after he drove you home was proof

𝑲𝒊𝒎 𝑺𝒖𝒏𝒐𝒐 - 김선우

shopping

sunoo knew that you absolutely loved shopping as well

so, he planned to take you to the main streets of gangnam to walk around and shop

there were tons of cafes there too, so you two did stop at one to get a quick refresher

sunoo was a bit anxious as he thought that you might be unimpressed with his low effort first date, but you told him that this was so perfect since you both loved shopping and you had a great time with him

you both got matching keychains from a cute store you passed and everytime you see it, it reminds you of your perfect date with sunoo

he was so glad that shopping was a success!

𝒀𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝑱𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒘𝒐𝒏 - 양정원

aquarium date

jungwon had remembered how much you had been dying to go to the aquarium nearby, but couldn't go since non of your friends wanted to join you

so, jungwon made sure to book two tickets for the two of you right after you and him planned your first date

it was actually quite a perfect place for a first date since it was a lot to do, and very fun and relaxing at the same time

you and jungwon bonded even more through the conversations you had together while walking through the aquarium

after a couple hours of walking around, you two went to the cafe in the aquarium and sat and enjoyed some treats while also enjoying each other's presence

at the end of the day, jungwon dropped you off at home, and you kissed him on the cheek and then quickly thanked him and ran off, blush dusting your cheeks

he was pretty confident that he was able to win your heart with this date

𝑵𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒎𝒖𝒓𝒂 𝑹𝒊𝒌𝒊 - 西村 力

movie date

riki seems like he would be a bit unsure of where to go for a first date, so he would get advice from his hyungs

luckily for him, a movie that he overheard you saying you wanted to see had a perfect time open, so he booked two tickets for the two of you

you were so excited when he told you what movie you were watching and riki swears he fell even more for you by how cute you were

the whole movie, you were paying attention to the movie, but also would engage with riki, but riki on the other hand was just admiring you

the way your eyes sparkled with interest and how you would lightly gasp whenever something dramatic happened, riki was a simp for it all

when the movie ended, the two of you went to go grab a bite to eat and discuss the movie

you two had a great connection and riki was forever thankful for his hyungs and their advice

omg i rlly want someone to take me on an aquarium date now :(((( but i'm single af lmao 💀 N E way! i hope you all enjoyed !!! reblogs, likes, and feedback are very much appreciated <333

⚘. Perm taglist: @vmpivory, @yuvany, (send an ask to be added! ^3^)

[midnightstar-kpopsmut]

Chapter II, The Electric Sheep

- I should probably start by telling you who this guy is.” Said Jimmy. - His name is Cheongtae, and he is Korean. Handsome, like you, discrete, he owns a high quality hair saloon here in Gangnam.”

- Is Cheongtae your...” started the American.

- You want to ask if he is my friend, how do I know him, why did he told me all of this.” Jimmy was impatient. - But believe me, our relationship doesn’t really matter now. I trust him enough to know that the story is true in every detail. Let me tell it to you exactly how I’ve heard it from him. I will use English, since you don’t know Korean. Some nuances could be lost, please forgive me for my simple language.

This is how, according to Jimmy, Cheongtae recounted his pleasurable encounter with Karina to him.

- I was already a bit stressed when riding in her elevator. You know where she lives now, she moved in those apartments on the north river side, with the private park at the center of the towers... Her manager had texted me a couple of hours before. It was urgent, he said. Karina was supposed to make a comeback in three weeks. We already had multiple sessions scheduled at the saloon, for her and the other members. But they needed me to come at her place, right now, for a quick check-up.

Karina has a big mouth. She is not vulgar or anything, just a bit exigent. She knows what she wants. When I worked for her she kept pestering me endlessly, talking about how she had this idea for a detail of the hair style while on vacation, how she wasn’t sure if it was something I was used to do... All while I waited with scissors in hand. Once I started cutting she calmed down. She reminded me of one of those dogs that bark and fight until you finally put them on a leash. Then they behave.

That’s why I was a bit stressed on the elevator. Hair is serious in Kpop. It’s part of the reason why I like to work for idols. But if they needed me to go directly to her place it meant that the stakes were even higher. I was expecting a big meeting of some sort, probably requested by Karina herself. When I finally put my foot into the entrance I was surprised. I couldn’t hear anyone, just the calm sound of the end of an afternoon. Karina was alone.

She greets me firmly. - Oppa, finally. Come in. You really like to make women wait.” Oppa? I think. She knows I am married. Damn she is annoying. - Palli palli (- It means fast in Korean, added Jimmy: - Please learn this.), why are you moving in slow motion?” She wants to chit chat. And I am already out of it. Still, for the sake of business, I try to get into her mood: - You surely seem ready to go to a party.” She doesn’t like it. - A party? Dressed like this?” I look at her clothes, a pair of the most fluffy cargo pants, gray, and an expensive crop top, black. Nothing on her feet. She keeps going: - Please, please, please. Don’t stand there! I told you to come in.” I advance in the living room. I had never seen Karina outside of my shop, but still I had knew her for some time, I had no much interest. My focus shifted naturally on the style of the space. The living room is the only thing you can see when entering, you discover it in one striking blow. There are two, huge, sofas, that almost form a U shape. Light blue as the main color, very modern style. The floor takes a downward step to get to the sofas, it’s sophisticated. After this area you get to the windows, then a veranda. You could say that interior design is one my passions, but I see you don’t care so let’s keep going.

- Do you... like it?” Asks me Karina. - Sure, I like it. It’s good quality.” I don’t get to the veranda. I stop at the couches and turn to myself, an equally impressive open kitchen stands behind, hidden from the entrance. All the other rooms are out of sight, you get to them through corridors. By looking around I finally realize that something is missing. I can’t see Karina’s manager anywhere. I was already surprised of not seeing the whole team here, but the manager, I thought, was a given, since he was the one who wrote to me. - Where is your manager?” I ask.

- Oh, him. My manager...” Her tone floats. Her head is all over the place, I think. - He is not here.

- But how... I mean, he wrote to me, I thought it would be here. But he doesn’t have to, now that I think of it.

- Actually “I” wrote to you. I met him this morning, to discuss things, he forgot his phone here. It’s his working phone. I am going to give it back to him tomorrow.

- You wrote like if it was him. And you have my number. Why didn’t you write to me from your phone?

- I don’t know! How can I know? Maybe I thought it was more professional. Why are you asking me all these questions?! Can’t you see I am stressed already? If I manage to piss off Karina, I am cooked. - I am sorry.” I say. - It’s ok” she answers. - But really, you haven’t seen me in a while. Look at me. Can’t you see that I am stressed?” I look at her. She looks electric. It’s also because of the look. The crop top has that kind of fluffy texture that could come directly from the body of an electrical galactic sheep. I kind of like it, it is hot. Good choice on her. Not that I would expect any less, from one of the constantly ranking top 5 idols in popularity.

- What are you looking at?” She asks. - Your crop top. - Anything else?” And then I notice it. I could have done sooner, but I didn’t. Her breast had taken some sizes. Only her breast, not the rest of her body or her face. Two sizes, at least.

I nod to myself. What a reaction to have. Anyway.

- Exactly. That’s why I am stressed. Sit with me. I really need you today.

[satzumosupremacy]

Elite Bodyguard Series:

Pt.5

Give And Take

Male reader x Yuna 2.3k Words

Tags: Smut, Virgin Yuna

“I told you to drop the honorifics last time, Yuna.”

The elevator dings and both of you come out.

“No, sir,” Yuna said laughing.

The day only started, and Yuna was going to be an exhausting client since her manager left early. Never in your life have you imagined working another part-time job as her manager for a day. But it was straightforward work.

“Okay, Miss. Where are we going?”

If Yuna wanted to joke around—no matter how much you’ve seen her in the building many times—you'd play along with her games. You’ve seen how she is on camera, unusually being somewhat sexual in a way. But you never had a thought of taking off her clothes or even hooking up with Yuna.

“The thrift store in Gangnam,” Yuna replied as she gives you the address. You drive to the thrift store and get inside with Yuna. She checks out the bright clothes as you follow behind her. She takes a shirt and puts it in front of her to get your opinion. “How do I look?"

“Beautiful.”

“Be honest, Sir.”

“Beautiful, Yuna.” You said it again, repeating and being straightforward. 

She holds onto the shirt; you gently take it from her to hold so she can shop freely. You follow and look at Yuna shop for another hour before getting tired. She goes into the fitting room, and you sit down to relax after her shopping spree. “How do I look, sir?" Yuna came out of the fitting room.

“You’re beautiful, Yuna.” She smiles and goes back to change into a different outfit. She comes out again, and you compliment her until all her clothes are shown to you, repeating all her other outfits. It was already exhausting enough to get you tired. Meanwhile, Yuna was full of energy. 

“You’re tired; let’s go to the checkout.” Yuna grabs your hands, and you get up, walking behind her. The worker scans all the clothes and puts them in a bag. You carry the bags out of respect for her. “Can I be with you for today, sir?” 

“What do you mean?” You said as she walks alongside you to the car and get inside.

“I don’t want to go back to the dorm.”

“So you rather go home with me?”

“I can ask Yeji and her manager to get me later if that’s okay, sir.”

“I don’t mind sending you but I guess.”

During the drive home, she became very touchy about your car until she reached for your thighs. 

“Yuna, careful where you put your hands.”

“May I ask for something?” And there’s a slight pause that Yuna was hesitant about: “Oppa, I know what’s been happening with you and Twice. Maybe you could give me something and take something from me; give and take?”

“I’m sorry, Yuna. I can’t.”

She heard you and looked out the window. Upon getting to your house, Yuna is surprised to see a house like yours. Although you call it a house, it’s a villa on paper. You open the gate and get into the garage as she sees your Porsche. “Wow, you’re rich."

“You probably earn more than me, Yuna.”

“I don’t even have a license or a house,” she pouts.

“You’ll get there, Yuna.”

You both get out the car and she follows you inside. “Wow, the interior design is amazing,” Yuna complimented.

“Thanks.” You put your keys on the hanger and walk her to the living room. “You can explore the house. I’ll rest for a bit on the couch; wake me up if you need anything."

Yuna nods and explores your house. You close your eyes, quickly falling asleep right after a tiring day. Yuna comes back after some time. She slowly undresses you and makes you feel her presence with your closed eyes. “Yuna, why are you doing this?"

“I want to see what Jihyo and them are having.”

“Yuna.” You get up and grab her hands. She becomes surprised at your aggression. But maybe it was what Yuna wanted.

“Oppa…” She said hesitantly with a whiny tone.

“So you’re calling me Oppa when it doesn’t go your way?”

“You don’t want to fuck? Am I not pretty enough?”

“You’re pretty, but….”

And she cuts you off, “Oppa. Please, just once.” Yuna is already rubbing your bulge to turn you on. “Take my virginity. You won’t regret it.”

As Yuna looks at you with puppy eyes, she stands up and strips naked just for you to see her figure. “Yuna….”

“Can’t take your eyes off my hips, can’t you?"

You gulped, hating the fact that she was seducing you straightforwardly. Yuna’s body was worth the stare; even her hourglass figure got you turned on. The room became silent for a split second as she smirked at you for checking her out. However, Yuna turns around, knowing you’re not going to take your eyes off. And you didn’t.

“Touch me if you want, Oppa." Yuna comes closer to you and her midriff was right in your face, just waiting for you to put your lips on it.

“Just for today, Yuna. Just for today.”

“That’s all I came here for; maybe next time if I ever need you again? I’m not sharing you with Itzy, though.” 

You look up at Yuna, "I'm not sure about next time, but that’s greedy of you, Yuna."

“You’re hot, Oppa. Just looking at your muscular arms, turn me on.” It sounded like she wanted to see more, and you took off your shirt just for her to be left speechless. Yuna couldn’t say anything but hesitantly reached for your chest for a feel. Her gulps could tell you how much she’s hungry.

You glanced back at Yuna, her face all glowing red, to see a man naked in front of her. However, Yuna couldn’t stop gulping. “You’ve never seen a body like this or what?”

Like you expected an answer from her as she felt every bump and muscle. Yuna couldn’t keep her eyes off your body. You grabbed her arm, which startled her. “Yuna, you’re so hungry. Is this why you’re always like this on camera?"

The slight aggression you showed was only a testimony to see if she wanted to fuck.

“Can you please give it to me? I want to know how it feels.”

“You want me to lead you, Yuna? You should have a good first time.”

“That’s considerate of you, Oppa,” she nodded, and you got up to guide her down on the couch. 

“It’s going to hurt a bit. But you’ll get used to it,” you assured her. Yuna stares at you with a tense look, happy at the same time that you’re the one she wanted. You slowly insert your cock into Yuna the slowest way possible to not hurt her. No lubricant was needed; she was already wet from how much she was turned on. Her moans got more erotic the more you’re deeper inside. You trace her body, feeling the curves of her hips. “Tell me if you need me to stop, Yuna.” 

“No. It feels so..” And her mouth opens slowly with each thrust you give her. You kiss her neck to her soft lips. It’s the new sensations that Yuna was experiencing—a cock right inside her. 

“Fuck, Yuna. You’re fucking tight.”

She couldn’t respond but grip the side of your shoulders with her forehead against your collarbone. Yuna’s breath becomes heavy, and her moans get even louder, squealing hesitantly. She starts messily kissing you, tumbling and losing grip as she gets penetrated. 

You pick up the pace slowly, and she’s taking it with a clenched teeth while you watch her body language cautiously. Yuna closes her eyes, only holding your shoulders with a tightened grip. 

Of course, someone would be very lucky to even see her naked, but that very someone was you that Yuna was praying for, and you’re taking her virginity. Her walls are tight; it’s her first time. But it was problematic to you that your cock throbs with each stroke. 

You guide her to the side as she follows everything you do, handing you her trust.

“Don’t spread your legs, Yuna.” It was a bad call from you, as her walls were tighter without her legs being spread. You were confident that you wouldn’t cum early. 

Her body was at a ninety-degree angle, and she couldn’t stare at you for even a second. Yuna’s in paradise—a feeling that she never had until today. Only her moans went from cute to more seductive, then erotic, as she whimpered with heavy breaths. You’re also checking up on her; there's no way you would hurt an inexperienced woman. And you fall closer to her with both your hands to the side, thrusting deeper yet slow enough for her comfort. 

It remains quiet, apart from your soft groans and her moans. Yuna starts to hug your back, just grabbing anything she can while squirming. You glide your hands down to her clit with a grin and rubbed in circles slowly. No doubt, her moans did get more erotic while her body got tense.

“How do you feel, Yuna?” You said, grunting quietly right after.

Yet, you don’t expect an answer from her at all, although you weren’t rough on Yuna. If she was more experienced, you wouldn’t go easy on her. You grab onto her tits and slowly massage them for your pleasure. 

“Oppa,” Yuna moaned. “I think I’m going to…"

It was too late for her to tell you, and Yuna screams as she starts cumming and squirming while holding your arms tight. Her pussy hugs onto your cock tighter as you could only thrust. 

Not only was this her first sex experience, it was your first time taking someone of an idol’s virginity—to your knowledge, and you’re glad to take Yuna’s—without a doubt. 

“Yuna,” you said in a worried tone. And to your surprise, your cock was pulsating, cumming right inside of Yuna. She felt how warm and how much you came inside her. 

To her surprise and yours, talking about where to finish wasn’t brought up, but she didn’t mind where, as you look at her. 

“Oppa….thanks.”

“Don’t run your mouth to your members now. Otherwise, I will have them here without you knowing also,” you threatened Yuna playfully.

“I’ll keep my mouth shut, Oppa.”

“If you are, there is something you still need to finish, and keep shut for several minutes.” You pull out of Yuna. "Show me how you can use your mouth." 

“Don’t judge me.” Yuna gets on her knees in front of you.

“Just for practice, Yuna. It would help someday.”

“Apart from being a bodyguard, you’re pretty kind. But you’re much colder when working.” Yuna starts to kiss your cock and looks at you to see if your pleased enough.

“Yuna, I’m not judging you. Be confident.”

She doesn’t answer and wraps her mouth around your cock, bobbing slowly while choking halfway. The assurance you gave Yuna only gave her more confidence; she bobbed her head faster and slower when she needed to breathe. 

Although it’s her first time, it wasn’t that bad—rather surprised that Yuna kept on sucking you off with no more guidance. You grunt softly, just holding her hair in a ponytail. The slight chokes she made going deeper turned you on.

Not like you wanted to fuck Yuna from the start, but she’s a beauty, as you only appreciate her facial features: Yuna’s hair, cheeks swollen with your cock, the feel of her mouth and throat, and the way she’s holding your cock while sucking you off.

You were damn glad you didn’t turn her down. It didn't take long to caress her cheeks and gently brush through her hair.

“Yuna. I want to cum on your face.”

She pulls off with heavy breaths, her chest pumping for air while looking at you desperately. “Whatever you like, Oppa. I can’t describe the taste, but I want to keep sucking on it.” 

It wasn’t long after she said that and starts sucking you off more sloppy. You couldn’t hold back but grunt—a natural she is. Her hair brushes along your thighs with every bob Yuna makes.

From the very moment you met her months ago to how she’s naked right in your house today, it was surprising. All the time, she’s sexual in the most natural way, now doing what cameras won’t even see, and she’s here, sucking you off after spreading her legs for you.

Minutes went by, and your cock was pulsating and throbbing. Yuna could only assume what she was getting on her face and pulls off with webs of saliva and cum, then wrap her hands around your cock.

“On my face. On my face, please,” Yuna continued to jerk you off, squeezing your cock as it throbs more.

“Fuck, Yuna!”

She closes her eyes, tongue out to catch every cum that lands on her face, and her warm breath that you faintly felt. You’re grunting the moment you cum, body tensing and jerking. Just painting Yuna’s face, your cock erupts all over her hands as well.

“Yuna,” you said gently with a pleased tone.

“Look at me, Oppa; it’s all over my face and hands.”

You look at her licking off your cum, finger by finger, with closed eyes and a delightful smile. It doesn’t stop there; Yuna scoops your cum from her cheeks and lips, just staring right at you seductively. 

“Careful of your eyes,” you said quietly within a breath.

“It’s so thick and warm. Just like how it was inside me.”

All you did was stare at her until she licks off every cum. “Get dressed, Yuna. I can’t have you here before evening.”

“How was I? Good or not?”

You grab her bra and hand it to her like nothing happened minutes ago. “For a first-timer, you’re good at using your mouth. But stay here until you get your ride home.” 

[ylangelegy]

montage of love ꩜ seungmin x reader.

── .✦ 💌 reader uses she/her pronouns. includes: idol!ksm, feelings realization, [childhood] friends to lovers, freeform, time skips, fluff, light angst.

── .✦ 🚏 self-indulgent and prose-heavy with a reference to Twenty-Five Twenty-One! originally posted on ao3.

── .✦ 📟 wc: 1,600+

Seungmin’s poorly concealed indifference towards her is probably the biggest tell of his affections.

She’s known him for so long, after all, growing up in the same Gangnam neighborhood. Their mothers stayed in touch, too, so Seungmin knows all about the course she’s taking up at university and the sporting competitions she’s winning first place in. 

Had things been any different, Seungmin is sure he would have been urged to pursue her. As a teenager, the thought would have repulsed him. Now that he’s a bit older, he’d be lying if he said the thought didn’t cross his mind at least once.

Maybe a couple of times. 

Maybe every single time he got to go home, really, because there she always was. A few houses down, their basement converted into a flower shop.

He wishes sometimes that it wasn’t flowers, because he sees flowers everywhere, which means she haunts him even when he’s miles and miles away. 

They don’t keep in touch online. They only ever see each other when his mother sends him out to buy a fresh bouquet for the living room vase.

Never mind that Seungmin comes home hours late, his face flushed and his answers curt. She always gives him the prettiest arrangements to make up for their rendezvouses.

(And, secretly, their mothers are still hopeful.)

But there was no romance in their meetings. Not the first dozen, anyway.

She would close up shop for an hour or two so they could visit a nearby convenience store or some obscure cafe. And when the group’s popularity began to pick up, Seungmin didn’t have to say anything. Their walks began to veer into quieter neighborhoods, more secluded spots. 

He doesn’t want to love her. He doesn’t have time for any of that, anyway.

But when she mentions offhandedly that a classmate flirted with her, Seungmin flexes his hand unconsciously. He feels the sudden urge to swing a bat at something.

And when she says it didn’t work out, Seungmin is embarrassingly relieved. 

She notices, laughs, reaches out for his hand. He doesn’t move away.

So Seungmin cares for her. He lets himself admit that much.

None of the boys know for the longest time, but he lets slip in front of Minho and Felix and Jeongin one day that he’s going back to Samseong-dong for the night because it’s his 여자친구’s birthday. 

Girlfriend. They all balk, even Seungmin. His what? 

Seungmin doesn’t bother to correct himself. He leaves his roommates in a general state of confusion and spends the night with her in her flower shop, eating take-out on the floor and talking about his latest trip overseas.

He contemplates, then, asking her what they are. But Seungmin has never been the type to rock the boat. Not when something is still good. 

They spend most of their time together in her shop. Rarely anyone who knows him stops by. It’s always an old man, an apologetic husband, a clueless boyfriend.

He asks her, one night, which flower she likes the most, and she simply says, “All of them.”

So he watches a couple of YouTube videos and arranges a bouquet with a little bit of everything. She tells him to stop wasting her resources but keeps the arrangement in the back room until they wilt. 

Though the boys ask, Seungmin never dignifies their questions with a response. They stop prying when they realize he’s not about to crack. They follow the breadcrumb trail instead, the traces of her that are difficult to avoid. 

Passport photos that Seungmin keeps at the bedside table of every hotel. Pictures he never posts but sends to someone, not the fan Bubble or the like.

And when they’re back home, he’s always hitting the ground running. The typically put together, restrained Kim Seungmin has started rushing, speed walking “home” after extended trips abroad. 

One day, his roommates look out their window and spot who he’s running towards.

Seungmin is in love with her, he eventually concedes. Big deal, he thinks.

He doesn’t really realize just how much it matters until he tells her offhand I think I might be in love with you and she freezes. Then laughs. She laughs and laughs and laughs, and he leaves the shop that night with the tips of his ears red.

They don’t talk for a week. Chan even pulls him aside at one point, concerned because all his recordings are too sad, too angry. 

She meets Seungmin at his dorm one evening and apologizes about her reaction. She was trying to act cool, she admits. And then she says, I think I might be in love with you, too.

Seungmin wants to laugh coldly, wants to get back at her, but there’s something so earnest in her confession that he knows she means it. 

Their first day as a couple goes by without much fanfare. Slowly but surely, she becomes more known to him. When he introduces her, formally and finally, to the boys, they are all shocked at the Kim Seungmin he becomes without him even noticing. 

He keeps an envious, watchful eye on all the members. There is always some form of connection between them; their knees touching, his arm around her shoulders, his fingers twisting a strand of her hair.

When she speaks, he nods in all the right places. “Call me when you get home,” he tells her as she leaves, and she rolls her eyes like it’s something he’s said a thousand times before. 

Seungmin dismisses the boys’ jokes about it. He has no idea, it seems, just how unfathomable his love is to others. And is that not the best kind? His affection is almost intrinsic, instinctual.

To him, loving her was as practical as breathing. 

“Did you ever really love me?” she asks bitingly during a particularly nasty row. The details are hazy, now, about what had them bringing out their claws and spewing venom.

It could have been Seungmin’s jealousy. It could have been her aloofness.

Nothing justified her question.

Seungmin recoils like she’d hit him. He stares at her, hard and angry. “Watch what you say,” he hisses, his voice impossibly tight and his eyes deceptively dry.

She has her lips pursed and her arms crossed. She’s poised and raring to fight, and waiting for the right answer. But Seungmin is stubborn, and tired, and what kind of question was that? 

There’s no way she could have known, or even seen, the way that Seungmin looked at her. The devotion in his expression. Oh, he practically worshiped the ground she walked on.

And here she was, questioning that. How dare she, Seungmin thought. 

What do I have to do? he wanted to ask. Do you want me to yell your name off rooftops? Give everything in my life up to prove it? Say the word. Say the word and I’ll show you just how much I love you. 

He says none of that. Instead, he does what he does best: He watches her leave. He watches her retreating back, watches the light blink out from the window of her room, watches their KakaoTalk conversation receive no updates for yet another grueling week.

He doesn’t even find out that she’s fallen ill from her. It’s his mother who tells him in a conspiring whisper. 

He shoulders into her room despite her protests and treats her until he’s coughing and sneezing, too. They switch roles.

“Is this enough proof?” he asks one night, delirious and drugged. Then, for the first time, with his whole chest, he says: “I love you.” 

She strokes his forehead with a damp handkerchief. Her eyes are dry but they shine, twinkle, and quietly, dozens of times over, she says it back. 

They’re able to keep it a secret for four years. Even the most harsh of critics begrudgingly have to hand it to them. What phenomenal discipline! What utmost consideration! Why did she never demand, never ask to have a bigger share of his life?

The short answer: She was happy. She didn’t need the whole world to know that she was the idol’s muse. She was content to watch his stages and know that he would be coming home to her for the weekend. 

Right before he enters military service, he releases a SKZ-Player. 사랑의 몽타주. Montage of love. And its hers, wholly hers, referencing their relationship, promising a safe return.

Fans think its about them. She knows who it’s really for. 

And when the 21 months of service is over, Seungmin is a bit of a changed man. Enough to stand before the higher-ups of JYP Entertainment, and then his adoring fans, to tell them all that he is in love. He has been for quite some time now. And there’s nothing he wants to do more than to keep making music, and be in love with that one person, if they’d all still have him. He asks, too, for his privacy to be respected. 

People do, for the most part, but she’s still found out.

Her flower shop booms in popularity. Old classmates from uni blow up her inbox. She waits for Seungmin to come home to her after his surprise pronouncement and can’t decide if she’s going to hug or slap him.

He gives her the long answer: He’s tired of hiding. He doesn’t care what might happen to his career. And the boys, he ran it through them, and they all think the same. 

If you love someone, why hide it? If you love someone, let it be known.

Seungmin takes her hand. “Let’s go out,” he urges.

It’s late in afternoon. Most of their dates have been snatched up moments; evenings in parking lots, backstage in dressing rooms. 

But the day is warm and promising, and the flowers are in full bloom. And Seungmin is looking at her, expectant and hopeful, his hand trembling ever so slightly.

And she can’t say no.

She squeezes his hand. “Let’s go out,” she repeats. 

He smiles, then. Indifference be damned.

They walk out of the store and the flowers lean towards them like they're somehow brighter than the noonday sun. 

[melodyanqel]

𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 ── ✧ sh. (iii. first date)

congratulations! you have been invited to the romance reality show 'We Got Married' where you will live with your co-star like a married couple. but what will you do when you find out you are marrying your favorite idol?

✿ pairing: idol!seonghwa x fem!idol!oc

✿ genre/tags: fluff, developing relationship, idol au, fake marriage, reality show

✿ word count: 2k words

✿ note: yayy! finally a new update! sorry that i left you all in the dark bc i had my bday, family time, and other things. but overall i am happy to write again! this one is too sweet like get prepared >_<

✿ melodyanqel taglist: @hwa-stars @forever-atiny @moonvol6 @10nantscompanion @chngbnwf @heheheeral

As time flies, the afternoon rolls around. 

When leaving the cafe, Seonghwa and Bella said “Goodbye” to the dogs and the workers. In the streets of Gangnam, there are a variety of shops, restaurants, Korean history, and many more. The couple walks around in peace as they converse as the spring breeze dances in the air. 

“What made you decide to become an idol?” Seonghwa is curious about Bella’s life because he expects it will be the best way to get to know her better. He changed out of the barista uniform into much more casual clothes. Bella responded, “My appa and omma grew up in the nineties and were big fans of K-pop. At five years old, my parents showed me classic K-pop songs, inspiring me to become an idol. I also loved singing and dancing, but mainly dancing. My vocals are not that strong.” She lets out a small laugh—a sheepish laugh. 

Seonghwa listens to her and has deep brown eyes on her as she speaks. After she said her weak skill as an idol was singing, it broke his heart. He also understands where Bella is coming from because he never wanted to become a vocalist before getting recruited to ATEEZ. 

“I was supposed to be a rapper. But I grew to love singing.” Seonghwa mentioned. “I’m sure you’ll find your singing voice.” He delivers an encouraging remark. Bella witnessed his handsome gleaming with the sun and his words were like magic. It can make anyone appreciate Seonghwa like no other. He is so kind. 

Bella contemplates whether it’s for the show or he meant it. 

She did a short nod. “Thank you, sunbaenim.”

The older chuckles merrily. “You’re welcome. Call me Seonghwa or Seonghwa oppa if you’re okay with any.” He tells Bella. 

“Understood.” She knows it’ll take a while to get used to saying his name in person. 

Seonghwa adds, “That’s also impressive how you traveled here at such a young age. Keep up the good work. Hwaiting!” He raises two fists and has Bella giggling. He is supportive too. 

Bella doesn’t know how much appreciation she’ll give him—probably until her heart combusts. 

Subsequently, the newlyweds found an arcade inside a mall to play games and win prizes. With Seonghwa, it’s either a good or bad trait that he is competitive. Not just him but everyone in his group will make a simple game like Rock, Paper, Scissors into a game from hell. Not to mention, the PD crew has given the couple a new task. 

For a first date, the arcade is perfect to be kids at heart and have a blast with games. However, this mission is to win a special plushie by earning one hundred tickets. Good luck, players.

The inside looks like any other arcade: neon lights, a cheerful atmosphere, and people of all ages playing games.

Seonghwa taps Bella’s left shoulder. Her head cranes up to meet his gaze. “A reminder or a warning. I’m a competitive player.” He needed to let her know. Bella smiles widely, “I am too. So, you got a helping hand.” She loves video gaming, especially with her members and older brother. That’s one thing the couple have in common. 

Before doing so, Seonghwa and Bella checked out their plush at the prize area. It’s Grogu from Star Wars. Once they saw the adorable green character, their eyes glimmered. “So cute!” They spoke in unison. 

Seonghwa and Bella turned their heads and looked at each other. “Do you like Star Wars?” The male idol asked his wife. She nodded happily. “I love Star Wars! Grogu is my favorite!” Bella has a mini collection of the alien baby. 

“Anakin Skywalker is my favorite.” Seonghwa could never be happier. Another thing they have in common. “Do you build Lego sets?” He asked Bella. She shook her head. “No, but I would love to do it as a hobby.” She knows Seonghwa is passionate about building Lego sets because she has watched his livestreams. They are enjoyable and therapeutic. 

Like a gentleman, Seonghwa allowed Bella to choose the first game. She decided to play basketball. After swiping the game card, Bella is up and ready. She rolls up the sleeves of her cardigan. 

“You can do it!” Her husband cheers so loudly with no care. Bella’s ears picked up Seonghwa’s lovely voice and her smile grew. 

She kept shooting hoops and times she missed but got a brilliant score. Meanwhile, Seonghwa was astounded while motivating Bella. 

“Wah, I’m tired.” She started to sweat in her cute outfit. Hopefully, Seonghwa doesn’t notice it. He tells her, “You were amazing! Jongho has competition.” Seonghwa brings up the powerful Main Vocalist maknae. Bella quickly shakes her head. “Nope. I’ll pass.” She makes an X with her index fingers. It makes Seonghwa laugh at how straightforward she is. 

After thirty minutes of playing games, they were halfway to getting one hundred tickets. Most of the time it’s Seonghwa being Bella's biggest supporter. 

𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚

-Interview- 

(Bella)

Q. Have you noticed your husband was cheering you on? 

The producer asked her, and she beams with an enthusiastic nod. “I did hear him from the background, and it was nice of him. I was having fun and was embarrassed that I failed to score, but Seonghwa was reassuring and I am thankful for that.” Bella couldn’t contain her smile as she talked about her on-screen husband. She must be the luckiest woman on the planet. 

𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚

Their last game was a difficult one. It’s the claw machine, but they are also assigned to get a roll of tickets. Inside the transparent glass is their prize with a chrome silver bow. “I’ll do this one.” Seonghwa declared because he felt determined. Plus, he wants to impress his wife. Bella has a handful of tickets, and she gives some moral support. “Good luck, Seonghwa oppa!” She cheers for the man. 

Intentional or not, he is screaming internally. She sounded so cute saying his name!

Seonghwa takes a deep breath before starting the claw machine. “Let’s go!” He tries hyping himself up. Bella laughs softly because out of all the games, the claw machine will be his worst enemy. 

She is correct. 

Ten minutes later, Seonghwa is frustrated that he nearly cursed on live television. Luckily, Bella tried calming him down, but his angry face looked adorable. Nevertheless, seeing the object slide off of the claw was aggravating. 

“Maybe I should help.” The dancer suggested. 

Seonghwa turns his head to her and says, “Yes, please!” He begged like it was the last resort. Bella grins while patting his back. She gives him their tickets and switches spots. “Okay, let’s see how I’ll do.” She honestly has some confidence, but not fully. 

After swiping the game card, Bella presses the “Start” button. Seonghwa immediately becomes her navigator, rambling on like, “Left, left.” “Turn to the right.” “Move a little further.” “Stop, stop.” “Time is running out grab it!”

Bella listened to his demand and successfully got the roll of tickets. Seonghwa's hunched position perks up and he yells his lungs out with his arms in the air. Bella squeals and claps her hands. 

They won the Grogu plushie and walked out of the arcade feeling satisfied. 

Seonghwa’s mouth gaped. “Wow. It’s already dark.” He didn’t expect the hours to go by so quickly. The evening is here and the sun sets with the blush of a rose petal. Bella’s brown orbs scan the pretty city lights. The plushie is snugged in her arms because Seonghwa let her have it. He considered the cute alien as her first date gift from him. 

“Did you have fun?” The husband asked his wife. They walked down the streets of Gangnam. Sometimes there will be days where it’s hustling and bustling. Well, they got lucky because it was peaceful. Just them in their own world made the atmosphere romantic. 

“Yes, I did! You were cool back there and thank you for the Grogu.” Bella replied and complimented him. Seonghwa will always get flustered by her kind words. He smiles gladly, “You’re welcome. I appreciate spending time with you before I go out of the country. Also, my birthday is coming up. April 3rd.” He reminded Bella that he’ll be doing group activities abroad and turning twenty-six soon. 

The petite beauty makes eye contact with him. She is slowly getting used to looking at his boba eyes. “Can I come along to your birthday?” Bella is down to celebrate. Seonghwa nodded excitedly. “Sure! The members and I will have a small party at the dorm I share with San and Mingi.” He also realized they’d be meeting Bella. 

“I would love to get to know your members. They’re my brother-in-laws too.” Bella giggles and it’s strange to call ATEEZ her in-laws. 

Even Seonghwa finds it strange to call STAYC his sister-in-laws. 

“They’re nice people except when we play games.” He describes his group as both sweet and chaotic. Bella didn’t need to assume because she had watched their moments on YouTube and variety shows. But they are an excellent group. 

She tells Seonghwa, “Don’t worry. My group is the same.” Bella can relate to him and they both find it funny and amazing. 

Then a place sparks her interest. Bella found a photobooth. Seonghwa sees her eyeing it in silence. He questions her, “Do you want to take pictures?” His voice broke out of her thoughts. Bella swiftly turned her attention to Seonghwa. “Can we? I don’t know if we have time.” She is hesitant and cares about his work schedule. 

To her surprise, Seonghwa shrugged. “I’ll take the risk of running late tomorrow. Besides, I’ve been wanting to have a break.” For once, he cares less about his usual routine as an idol. Waking up early when it’s the peak of dawn, doing practices with mentors for the whole day, meetings, and repeat. 

Bella is appalled. She wasn’t expecting this side of Seonghwa. “I hope you don’t get in trouble.” Her concerned response made her husband chuckle. “It’s okay. We’ll take as much as we want.” Seonghwa convinced Bella that he wouldn’t get scolded by his manager or big boss. 

In silence, the wife nods to indicate she trusts her husband. 

Seonghwa and Bella entered the self-photo studio with cute props on the clothing racks and baskets. Instantly, a headband of bear ears caught Bella’s attention. “Ooh! I'll wear this one!” She takes them from a rack. Seonghwa hums, “Hmm, I guess I’ll wear this.” He grabs a fluffy hat with floppy rabbit ears. He is a rabbit, after all. 

Once taking their chosen props, they go into an empty booth with a pretty pink background. “I’ll have Grogu join.” Bella puts her new plushie in the frame. Seonghwa puts on a broad smile, “He is photogenic.” The male idol commented. He sees her put the baby alien in the middle, and they strike a pose. Bella makes a cheek heart and Seonghwa cups his cheek—a signature pose, especially for his photocards. 

Second photo is a silly one with the small black glasses. Bella couldn’t stop laughing at Seonghwa because it’s true that he can make glasses look dorky. 

Third is with peace signs.

Fourth one is completing a hand heart.

Now, for the last photo, they weren’t sure what to do.

Seonghwa thought of an idea but wanted to know if Bella would do it. So, he asked her for permission. “You don’t mind if I have my arm around you?” He could feel his face burning crimson. 

Bella looks at him and says, “Since you asked, I’m okay with it.” If Seonghwa didn’t say anything before touching her, she would either feel uncomfortable or shy by his closure. He gently wraps his arm around her shoulders. Bella hears his heart beating against her ear. In return, she has the bravery to embrace his waist. 

Seonghwa felt her petite arms. Her touch is soft and cozy. 

In the last photo, they look like a real couple. 

series masterlist

[kisses-soft-like-sunshine]

Bittersweet - Part I;

Fluff w angst, Lee Know x fem!reader, coffee shop AU, idol AU, 2k words. Content warning: knife, mid violence, mention of blood and injury. nothing graphic!

I like to take things slow, I hope you'll enjoy ♡

Coffee is your thing. It has been for what feels like ages. You remember the first time you smelled the grounded beans your grandmother cherishes, slowly boiling in her French press on a dewy morning. The aroma of your father’s embrace when he would leave early for work, a mixture of wet dirt after a storm and dark chocolate. Coffee was always there for you, even if it took you time to grow accustomed to its taste – or rather tastes.

Everything changed when you set foot in a coffee shop for the first time, though. It didn’t matter how bitter the beverage was to your inexperienced pallet, this was the place for you. This warm blend of hurried workers desperate for a comforting break and silent readers having a cozy late breakfast. Everything about coffee shops always felt right for you, the music, the people, the ambiance. The smell. It smelled like home and excitement at the same time. So naturally you became a barista. You learned everything there was to learn about coffee. You knew it was hard-work, and you loved every bit of your life that it took over.

It had been 8 months since you left the peaceful boredom of your hometown for the buzzing capital city of South Korea. You always knew in your heart that you were meant to live the city life, if only for the plethora of coffee places big cities offer. Seoul became a dream destination when you had the opportunity to exchange with a few talented Korean baristas and roasters from a well-known Gangnam company. It then became an option when you successfully graduated and managed to charm your way into said company (in Korean nonetheless). You were now working at one of their newest coffee shop in Gangdong district. 

It had been 8 months since you left the peaceful boredom of your hometown for the buzzing capital city of South Korea and you felt lonely. Your heart was heavy with the concern that your dreams required sacrifices you didn’t know you had to make. How can your days go by seeing so many faces, hearing so many names and still felt so alone. You had friends of course, among which were your three usual coworkers, and language quickly managed to not be a barrier anymore. Yet, you felt so lonely it made your favorite blend turn to bitter dirt in your mouth as you finished your last cup of the day. A clot of black liquid to turn your heart dark - you thought. The autumn air could make you so dramatic. 

“Chilly Weather” by Norwegian Wood and Kim Jin Sol was playing over the speaker. The atmosphere was calm and cushy in the café at this time of day. Only two of you were working, and barely six customers were cruising or queuing or snoring in a booth. You could make out a few regulars. There was a woman in her late 40s, who religiously ordered the same ice cold drink at 8pm everyday (your shop was open till midnight). You always assumed she must work at night given her business attire and resigned expression, but you never dared to ask. Then there was the usual highschool student who liked to roam by, musing about their future adult life. There was also a young man, about your age, who always kept his face covered and always picked a discreet seat in the back, far from any windows. He would sometimes come in with a book or a friend, but you had yet to see his face. He was polite and his voice was kind and soft. His eyes glistened the way coffee does when it’s freshly served. You liked seeing him around, as if there was in him something that mirrored your loneliness. You kept yourself from feeding into this feeling, though, his secretive appearance reading as a “do not disturb” sign. One of your coworkers had informed you the coffee shop shares its street with a famous entertainment company and you sometimes wondered if he was not just one of the many idols working there.

You decided to clean up any table that needed to be cleaned when a young man rushed into the coffee shop, nearly bumping into you as he passed by. He didn’t even bother greeting you or your coworker and had a very determined look on his face. A bad kind of determination. His steps were heated and quick. You instantly noticed he was moving towards the young man sitting alone in the back. Before you even realized, you were swiftly following his pace. Coffee shops were relatively tranquil environments but the romantic setting had been the witness of numerous break-ups and lover's quarrels. You had learned to play the diplomat as to maintain the peace many customers seek here. The young man sitting at the booth seemed to pay no mind to his furious acquaintance, that until the other man screamed his name. You could feel every head in the café rise and turn. You promptly looked back at your coworker in a desperate attempt to communicate your surprise when the young man at the booth finally got up and asked the other man who he was. The angry man seemed even more furious now, as if the question had lit a fire in him. From where you were manically swiping a table that was already clean, you heard him mumble something about his girlfriend leaving him for the other man. A lover’s quarrel again it seemed. What is it with Thursday evenings… 

The few customers that hadn’t already left after the man shouted didn’t seem to be interested in the situation one bit, which you deemed lucky if the mystery customer was indeed a celebrity. This wasn’t the kind of free advertising neither him nor the coffee shop would enjoy. The man at the booth seemed to have no idea what the angry man was talking about, and you wondered if it was a habit of his, stealing people’s girlfriends. Were you always this noisy when anything eventful happened here on a slow evening? Or was it the glistening eyes of the young man that had drawn you in? Your gazes met when the angry man started spewing insults. Something else then caught your attention, something shiny that the angry man held in his right hand. Is this a knife? You wondered. IS THIS A KNIFE? You rushed to the scene when it finally hit you. The angry man was raising his knife to the customer when you placed your hand on his shoulder, swiftly making him turn to you. He froze in surprise as you grabbed onto the knife’s blade. You kept a straight face as blood started to run from your palm and immediately used the cleaning spray still in your other hand to blind the man with its content. He whined as the spray burned his eyes and intuitively let go of the knife to cover himself. A gasp escaped from the few witnesses and you heard your coworker dial the police. The angry man must have noticed too, and decided to flee the scene. 

Your heart was pounding in your veins and you could barely make sense of your surroundings, if it wasn't for the familiarity of it. The customer you had just saved was standing in front of you now, talking. You couldn't make out the words but kept on repeating that you were okay, that everything was…okay…the man grabbed onto your sides before you could collapse. His closeness made it easier for you to hear him.

“Let me take you to the hospital,” he said.

You nodded as an answer and the both of you were quickly out of the coffee before anyone could fully digest what had happened. He pulled you in his car as the lights of the city flew around you into thousands of shooting stars. You felt warm and cold at the same time. You fold in the car seat after this stranger - what am I doing in a car with a stranger? - kindly puts your seat belt on.

“Are you okay? I'm so sorry…” he says as he starts the car.

- “I'm fine… it's been a long… day… I just… I'm just tired…” you answer. “I haven't eaten yet.”

You can feel the car going faster as the night sky and the buildings blend into brush strokes. You can faintly see the man’s reflection in your window. His eyes draw your features on the glass like a wet brush fuses with aquarelle. You don't know whether you should trust your sight or not. After all, you're still in shock from what happened. What happened? 

“We’re here,” the man says. You feel a shiver crawl down your spine. His voice is kind and soft. You let him guide you out of the car, carefully holding you by the arm as to let your injured hand rest. 

- “Lucky me being left-handed,” you say. Both of you lightly chuckle to diffuse the tension as you make your way to the hospital entrance. 

The stranger helps you fill the paperwork as you wait on one of the temporary beds in the emergency room.  You realize he now knows your name while you do not know his. A nurse comes in to check on you and the man tells you he will wait for you in the waiting room. The cut is less deep than you had expected. You were fortuitous to be holding on a dust rag when you grabbed the knife by the blade. That was a pretty dumb move… The nurse neatly stitches you up, warning you of the future scar you’ll get. She prescribes you painkillers for the few days to come and a check-up in two weeks from now. You are not to work for seven days which feels like a bigger punishment than the scar. 

You come to join the stranger in the waiting room but he is nowhere to be found. You take a seat wondering if you should call a cab or wait. You finally decipher his back at the front desk. He is lean and comfortably dressed. He turns to you and smiles as he hastily walks to join you. A plastic bag dangles from one of his hands.

“Here. You said you haven’t eaten yet. I didn’t know what you liked so I got you a bit of everything.”

- “Thank you,” you reply. You open the bag to discover a variety of convenience store snacks. You open up an onigiri and bite into it.

“What did the nurse say?” He asks politely.

- “She had to stitch me up but the cut wasn’t deep enough for any nerve to be damaged. I still have to come back in two weeks.” you answer while finishing your snack. To hell with being well-mannered. “I should go pay the bill.”

“No need,” he says, eyes locking into yours. “It’s the least I could do.” You look into each other for a moment, slowly blinking in agreement. “Should I drive you back to the coffee shop… or perhaps your home?” 

You hesitate before answering. After everything you are still two strangers. Or at least he is to you. A stranger who causes trouble in public places nonetheless…

- “Home, if you don’t mind,” you answer, inclined to trust him no matter what. You both get up and leave. He hands you the bag on your way out and gently insists you keep its content. You can tell words are clogging in his throat. You’re both seated back in the car when he finally talks again.

“I don’t know whether I should apologize or thank you.” he says, head low on the steering wheel. “Thank you.” his eyes meet yours as he says those words heavily. 

- “Ah! No worries, I’m a part-time knife catcher. Coffee doesn’t pay the bills” you answer with a grin on your face. He laughs the stress off.

“Rest if you want.” You wonder if he’s always this caring as the car drives away. You rest your head on the cold window and your eyes quickly shut. Had they been opened you would have noticed how quickly his smile left his mouth. How soft his gaze was whenever he could look at you instead of the road. How his fingers nervously played with the leather of the steering wheel.

The car smoothly makes its way in front of your apartment when you finally wake up. You look up at the driver with tired eyes. He seems as exhausted as you. 

“Thank you for driving me home,” you tell him softly.

- “It’s the least I could do.”

“I don’t even know your name”

- “It’s…” he hesitates and you wonder why. “It’s Lee Minho.” You realize it’s your first time seeing him without a hat or a face mask. When did he remove them? His face is familiar but you can’t pin it. He is strickingly handsome which leaves you silent for a few minutes.

“I don’t mean to intrude but… whoever this man was, you should probably go to the police about him.” you finally say.

- “I don’t know him. I swear. Maybe he mistook me for someone else… I mean I have a pretty common name” You nod, more as a way to show you understood than you agree. You don’t agree. Something about this whole situation seems off. But it doesn’t really have to be your problem does it?

“Alright… I believe you.” You do not understand why but you truly do. “I should go now, it’s getting late.” He stays silent when you open the door and leave. As you fetch your keys, he comes out of the car to join you and hands you a piece of paper.

- “Here. Take this. It has my number on it. If anything happens, call me. I’ll be there.” he says. His dark eyes reflect the light like the sea reflects the moon. Your hands gently brush as you take the card, leaving goosebumps all over both of your bodies.

“Goodnight, Lee Minho” you say before the entrance to your apartment closes.

- “Goodnight, Y/N.” he calls back. 

You dreamed of nothing but coffee and him that night, feverish with pain and infatuation. 

[mvrkieboo]

Old Bloodhounds

P8 | i don't trust that hehe

You looked at Mark's text before looking at the unit in front of you again. B-16-12. You didn't expect that the unit would be on the same floor you're on.

You rubbed your eyes, feeling an impending headache. You also had to work together with him for the MNA Week prep after this—when he's clearly still mad at you on Jaehyun's behalf. It scared you that he was still cold to you up until now, because it probably meant Jaehyun was still hurt by your decision too.

Once you gathered enough courage, you rang on the doorbell. A voice came through through the doorbell, and you bent down a little bit to see the camera face-to-face.

"Oh, you're Yangyang's friend, right? Is that Mark's jacket you're holding?"

You looked at camera paired with the doorbell and worked up a smile, even though it's small, and it probably looked forced too (maybe because it was).

"Hi—and, uh, yeah. I'm here to drop off Mark's jacket."

"Alright. Wait a sec, I'll call for him." A beep was let out, signifying the disconnect.

You stood straight again, waiting for Mark to come out, your own nerves frying themselves up. Even after meeting each other again at the coffee stop, you were still nervous. It might be because he hates your guts now, of what you did to Jaehyun. He was always closer with your older brother anyway, always out playing basketball every weekend—it was no surprise that he got mad at you for choosing your mother over Jaehyun and your father.

But the sting of that particular day in the highschool hallway still hurt the same.

Mark looked disappointed—and that was worse than him being outright angry. You never wanted him disappointed in you. You looked up to him, you adored him—you had been nursing a major crush on him for years now.

He wrenched away your hand from his arm, not wanting to feel your touch on him. You gulped at the gesture, opening your mouth to explain your decision to Mark, but he didn't want to hear any of it.

Especially when he saw Jaehyun crying at the neighborhood shop at night, eating one half of a Ssang Ssang Caramel Bar while holding the other half in a tight grip, letting it melt down his fingers.

"My family is torn apart now, Mark. And y/n—she's choosing to live with my mom who cheated on my dad. They're moving away to Gangnam next week, now that the divorce is finalised." Jaehyun sobbed, tears rolling down his cheek as the other half of the Ssang Ssang Bar dripped down his hand.

The Ssang Ssang bar had been the one ice cream bar you and Jaehyun wouldn't fight over because sharing it had become natural to you both.

Mark can't stop replaying that memory as he looked at you.

"Minhyung—"

"Don't call me that. Don't call me that anymore. You're dead to me, y/n, you hear me? How could you—over Jaehyun? Over your own heartbroken father? Go and move away. I hope we never see each other again."

Yep, it still stung.

When you heard the door click open, you blinked away the memory.

Now you're faced with Mark again as he stared down at you. God, when did that happen? You used to tower over him in middle school and always made fun of him for it, even Jaehyun joined in on the teasing. Now he's significantly taller than you, having you crane your neck to directly face him. It hurt to know you missed out on a lot of his life.

"Here's your jacket." You practically shoved the wool jacket into his hands, coming off as more callous than you really were because of the nerves.

He inspected the jacket inside out before looking at you again.

"How'd you get up here? You need to have an access card to use the elevator." He asked in a mild tone.

"I live here, but my unit's at Block A."

Mark held back from clicking his tongue. Right. He forgot the guy your mother bagged was rich, so of course you're able to afford to live in a luxury condo like Chenle was.

"Look, for the MNA Week prep, us getting along is kinda impossible—but I'm willing to settle for a strictly professional relationship."

"Yeah, I was hoping for that too. I just hope we can work together well, Min—Mark." You bit your tongue at your slip up as you evade his eyes, cringing at yourself.

Mark froze, catching your little slip up. It's been years since he heard someone other than his parents calling him by his korean name—but you didn't get to call him by that name anymore.

"Just don't expect anything more out of this. Don't think I forgot how you betrayed your own brother just so you could afford to live in a place like this."

You snapped your eyes to his, but he was already turning away to open the door. When it slammed shut, you were left alone in front of unit B-16-12.

He's never said your name even once.

When you finally turned on your heel to walk away, each step you took further away from B-16-12 seemed to break your heart little by little. When you finally entered your own unit, you let the tears out, alongside a full blown sob loud enough that caught the attention of the people in your unit.

"y/n?"

You looked up quickly, surprise evident in your sobs coming to an immediate stop, only to see it was Geonwoo, his mom, and Woojin at your kitchen area. Woojin and Geonwoo's mom were laying out side dishes on the kitchen island while Geonwoo was washing the rice at the sink.

Their hair was still wet and both were wearing regular t-shirts and sweatpants, bandages and patches renewed—they probably just got back from the gym and took a bath before coming here. All three of them stopped what they were doing when they saw you crying silently at the door.

You quickly wiped your tears away, trying to compose yourself to face them.

"Oh—what are you guys doing here?"

"We agreed to eat dinner together at your unit for tonight, don't you remember?" Geonwoo spoke carefully, then shared a look with Woojin.

You smiled, nodding frantically when you could actually recall it now. All of you were driving back from your recent night shift when you requested having dinner together at your unit—as compensation for receiving three punches to your guts that had you keeling over the sidewalk. Geonwoo and Woojin were more banged up than you were—with shallow lacerations and developing bruises blooming all over their body, but they agreed nonetheless. Only because they had promised you wouldn't be involved in the gritty aspect of the job, but you had gotten injured anyway.

Geonwoo's mom—Soyeon—left the kitchen area and walked up to you. When she was close, she held both of your shoulders and examined you, searching for new wounds. They were always worried for your safety, especially because you're associated with them and involved with their work.

"What happened, sweetie?" Soyeon asked in a gentler tone, dropping her head to look at you more closely.

"I—I didn't get hurt or anything, auntie. It's nothing." Your hands flying to your face, their concern for you threatening to make you cry again from being so touched.

You escaped from Soyeon's hold and took a seat at the kitchen area, feigning curiosity for the side dishes they prepared. Geonwoo had already placed the washed rice in the rice cooker, so he turned around to look at you.

"Come on, didn't you say we're your loving older brother figures? What's wrong, y/n?" Woojin prodded, teasing but also concerned for you. His hand landed on your shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze to reassure you.

You shook your head, gurgled laughter bubbling up at the ridiculousness of this situation before you completely gave up. Your hands covered your face again as you let the tears spill out, and you felt Soyeon's reassuring hands rubbing your back as you fully broke down.

"Oh, sweetie." She cooed.

She then wrapped her hands around your head to pull you into a hug, overflowing maternal energy poured into soothing you.

And all it did was break your heart more, because it had been so long since you felt a mother's embrace.

prev | masterlist | next

A/N : hi guys!!! i know i said i wanted to take a break, but i feel like you guys probably want to read this story for comfort. everyone has their own way of coping. however, i do hope that statement doesn't come off as insensitive to the situation, but seeing that everyone is already trying their damn best in separating that *man* apart from being associated with the group, considering his immediate removal from nct, then he's not a part of nct anymore. period. but i beg of you to still pay close attention to sk women's struggles and stay alert to the current situation in sk too. i am and will always stand in solidarity with sk women through their struggles of navigating a deeply misogynistic society that frame them as nothing more than tools for pleasure and procreation, and i hope you do too. thank you everiwan ❤️

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

• taglist • [OPEN]

@spiderm444rk @morkiee @xiuriii @solvrse @herebyaccident0 @injunnie-lemon @dearmonamour @v-6893 @sehunniepot @bee-the-loser

[lesgetittkookie]

redamancy - jjk (part iii)

⤖ genre: fluff, future smut, angst, gardener!jeongguk x rich!reader, okay but jeongguk isn't really a gardener like that but you'll see, kinda slow burn but not really

⤖ pairing: jeongguk x female reader

⤖ rating: 18+

⤖word count: approx. 14.1 k words

⤖ chapter warnings: explicit language, angst

summary: jeongguk is just a normal dude with a simple routine. wake up, go to the gym, work his job as a waiter at this posh upscale restaurant in the heart of gangnam before coming home to a night full of video games and ramen (it's delicious and cheap). that routine gets disrupted when he accidentally taps the back of an expensive sports car of one of the richest men in south korea. considering he's broke, he couldn't afford to pay for the damages so the man makes a deal with him by offering him to work at his house as one of the gardeners. jeongguk takes it but wasn't prepared to meet this beautiful young woman who's constantly lounging by the pool, you, the rich man's daughter.

author's note: hi hi hi pls don't kill me yall. i know it's been MONTHS since i last posted. there were many life changing events that occurred in my life and it really held me back from ever completing part 3. i had half of it written in august but it was left abandoned for a while because of my college semester. i also lost motivation to write for so long too. im gonna be honest, i hate this chapter. no matter what i wrote, i was not happy with it at all and im still not. but i didn't wanna keep you guys waiting. the only thing i ask from you is that if you can really give me feedback and thoughts on the chapter, it would be really helpful. seeing you guys enjoy it keeps me motivated to continue writing, the more motivated i am, the sooner i can post future parts. im on summer break so i would really like to finish this story if possible. pls don't be a silent reader. i hope you guys like this chapter. xx M.

taglist:@janedukiesworld@rjsmochii@mwitsmejk@jjeonjjk7@whoa-jo @linda-botello @dewamused @tearsdntfall617 @taehyungseggs @thoudailydeets @hobiiihope @miss-jupiter @petalsofink @imjustreadingig @guksunshine @iheartsvt @rainnyrh @axniyx @kookies-n-spice @carolsummerlove @rievjjks @dopedreamfireparty @

“You’re going to what?” Jeongguk asks, almost dropping the garden snippers on his foot. 

Dohyun jumps a little at the older man’s loud voice, almost dropping the flower bouquet. He dusts off his white button-up, fixing the collar. 

“I’m going to ask Y/N on a date,” He reiterates proudly. “I got her these chocolates from that fancy chocolate store,” He holds up the white box wrapped in a baby pink bow. “And some roses from my aunt’s flower shop.” His other hand props up the bouquet, plastic rustling when he shakes it. 

No way. There’s no way he’s actually going to ask you. Not when you literally just said last night that you don’t have any form of feelings for Dohyun. But you also did mention that you wouldn’t have the heart to turn him down, not wanting to see him hurt. 

God, why did you have to be so nice? Are you actually going to accept the date when Dohyun asks you? 

He looks at Dohyun who seems to be in a daze, probably daydreaming about you and him together. He shivers at the thought of you kissing Dohyun on the corner of his mouth as you did with Jeongguk last night. 

Gross. 

There’s no way you’re going on that date with Dohyun. Not when you’ve made it clear that you’re interested in Jeongguk. If that kiss didn’t mean anything last night, he’d be quite upset. 

“Uh…I don’t know if that’s…a good idea,” Jeongguk replies, voice honeyed. He’d be damned if he lets Dohyun ask you out first. 

The excited smile begins to fade, forming a firm line. He looks at Jeongguk in confusion, “Why?” He asks. 

Fuck, what can he say? There’s no excuse coming to mind. 

“Listen, dude,” Jeongguk walks up to Dohyun, putting his arm around the younger man’s shoulder. “Girls like Y/N, they’re not interested in guys like us.” 

Is he gonna go to hell for lying like this? 

“Guys like…us?” Dohyun questions, looking up at Jeongguk with a clueless pout. 

Jeongguk nods, pretending to look sullen, “Yeah, I mean look at us, we’re just a bunch of commoners,” Something you’ve made very apparent that you don’t care about. “Y/N’s family…they’re rich. She’s probably into guys who own sports cars and Rolex watches.” Lies. You’ve mentioned how you couldn’t stand materialistic guys. 

“So what you’re saying is…” Dohyun stares at the grass thoughtfully, “That I need to have nice and expensive things.” Jeongguk nods in response. 

Yeah, he’s definitely going to hell. 

“B-But I made reservations at that expensive French restaurant,” He tells Jeongguk, looking a little sad. 

Lame. Going to a fancy wine-and-dine restaurant for a date would not impress you, he thinks. You already seem to be sick of your high-class lifestyle. The last thing you would want is to be sitting in a place surrounded by other rich folks.

If it were up to Jeongguk, he would’ve taken you to his favorite street vendor for some tteokbokki and then to the arcade to play games. He thinks you’d enjoy that more. 

“It’s okay man. That wouldn’t have been enough,” Jeongguk shakes his head, putting a hand on the other’s shoulder in a comforting manner,  “She probably would’ve ordered the most expensive wine on the menu.” 

Dohyun’s bottom lip quivers and a look of despair etched onto his face. “I would’ve paid for it.” 

Jeongguk raises an eyebrow, “You could afford that?” 

Dohyun shrugs, “I made a deal with the manager to pay in installments.” Geez, he really had it all planned out. 

“I don’t think she’s worth it, dude,” Jeongguk’s voice is laced with fake sorrow. He hopes you never find out that he’s saying this shit because he does not mean a single damn thing he just told Dohyun. 

“I mean I guess you’re right,” Dohyun looks down at the flower bouquet with a dejected look on his face. “She’s just always been so nice to me so I thought there might’ve been something there.” 

You are a nice person. So nice that it shook Jeongguk to the core. There wasn’t a single bad body in your body it seems. You would never have any ill intentions towards anyone. He’s witnessed it firsthand. You’re damn considerate of others that you were afraid of facing the day Dohyun confessed to you because you didn’t have it in you to turn him down and witness his heartbreak.

If anything, Jeongguk is doing both you and Dohyun a favor. 

“I hear you, buddy,” Jeongguk clasps his hand against Dohyun’s back, making the younger man wince a little. “Guys like us never get the girl.” 

Except for Jeongguk. He thinks he might have a chance.

Too arrogant? 

“I guess I’ll just cancel the reservation,” Dohyun states in melancholy, and Jeongguk immediately nods.

Yes, cancel the reservation. Please. Cancel so Jeongguk can ask you out on a date instead. 

“Well I’m going to go put this stuff back,” Jeongguk tells him, putting the tools away in the bucket. He’s also hoping to catch you sitting outside again. He wonders what swimsuit you’re wearing today. 

“I’ll go with you,” Dohyun mumbles, walking alongside Jeongguk. 

God dammit, never mind, he prays you’re not sitting outside. 

The two men are heading towards the back along the concrete pathway, stopping in front of the shed. Jeongguk looks over at the sunbed where you’re usually sitting but fortunately, you’re not there. His shoulders relax at that and he lets out a sigh of relief. He can’t help but look over at Dohyun, only to see him already staring at the sunbed as well with a gloomy look on his face. 

“Come on, help me put these tools where they need to go,” Jeongguk suggests in an attempt to distract the younger man. He’s not going to lie, he does feel a little guilty for lying like this to him. 

Jeongguk is never the type to really feel guilty which is why his Jin Hyung calls him a dickhead sometimes. But right now, he can feel it just a tad bit. 

Dohyun glances over at the sunbed one last time before hesitantly following Jeongguk inside, placing the bouquet and box of chocolates onto the wooden table. He takes out the tools one by one, placing them onto the hooks. Jeongguk just watches the other, noticing how his frown isn’t going away, eyebrows furrowed. 

Once the tools are placed in their respective places, the two of them head back outside. Dohyun leaves first and Jeongguk follows behind only to bump into the other male’s back when he pauses in his footsteps. He clicks his tongue, looking up at Dohyun only to find him staring longingly at something a few feet away. 

Oh god, please don’t let it be. 

He turns his head and there you are, walking outside of the house in your swimming attire. There’s a book in your hand as per usual and it sounds like you’re humming to a certain tune, earbuds on. 

Jeongguk finds himself panicking, ready to steer Dohyun away from the back but it’s too late. 

“You know what, I’m still gonna tell her,” Dohyun says determinedly. “I’m still gonna ask her out on that date.” He’s got to be joking. “I’m gonna ask her out on that date and then tell her I’ve been in love with her since we were kids.”  Before Jeongguk could respond, Dohyun is already striding over to you, chocolate and flowers in hand. 

This is not going to end well. 

+

It’s a beautiful day out, you think. The sky is a bright blue, the sun is out and shining high, the garden is looking colorful and vibrant with the newly planted flowers and there’s a nice breeze blowing through the air. You have a smile on your face as you think about all the things that happened yesterday. 

The way Jeongguk kept making you laugh obnoxiously and smile like a fool. He’s unintentionally funny because he’s so honest and blunt. He wouldn’t even try hard to make you laugh, he would just say something casually and actually be serious about it when you think he’s joking. You hope that you can see him again outside of your house soon. 

You haven’t seen him yet and you’re hoping he hasn’t left yet. At least not without saying bye to you. Not that he has to but it be nice if he did. 

You’re listening to music when you walk outside of the house into the backyard, book in hand, ready to begin your reading for the day. You plan to read just for a little bit, drinking a glass of red wine while you wait for Jeongguk to come to the back. 

Luckily, your mother isn’t home, having gone to her company’s building after finding out about some setbacks with the clothing material for her latest fashion line. You have no idea what it was exactly but she was definitely stressed out about it. 

Plopping down onto the lounger, you open your book to the page you bookmarked before picking up your wine glass to take a sip. Before you can bring the glass up to your lips, you hear your name being called by a ringing voice. 

You flinch, almost spilling the wine on your thigh, and look up to see Dohyun striding towards you, a look of determination on his face. In his hands, he’s holding a bouquet of roses and a box of chocolates. 

Oh god. You were afraid of when this day would come. 

You set down the glass on the circular glass table beside you, closing the book as well. Mustering up your best (fake) smile, you greet him, “Hey,” You clear your throat, “Um you look nice.” 

The compliment immediately brings a bashful smile to his face as he looks down at the ground before looking at you once again. “Thank you,” He responds. 

“Mhm,” You clear your throat, awkwardly looking away. 

God, you were nervous. You already told Jeongguk you were never prepared for the moment when Dohyun was going to ask you out. You always hoped for him to eventually lose feelings and let you go. However, here he is, standing in front of you dressed in nice clothes while holding a flower bouquet. 

You felt like you were going to be sick.

“So I uh,” Dohyun lets out a deep breath. “I was wondering if you would,” No please no. “Sorry,” He shakes his head at himself. “I had a whole speech prepared but now I can’t seem to remember anything,” He tells you and a fake laugh escapes your lips. 

If he can just get nervous and maybe back out…

“Iwaswonderingifyoudliketogoonadatewithme,” He says it so fast that you almost miss it but you knew exactly what he just asked you. 

Your throat feels tight, eyes just staring at him in surprise. What do you say? How can you tell him no? Not when he’s staring at you with those hopeful eyes, hands clutching the bouquet and chocolates. 

How can you go on a date with someone else when you have a crush on Jeongguk? A major crush. Though you don’t know him very well, you know enough to like him. A lot. But maybe he doesn’t like you. He’s still a mystery to you. He’s made it clear that he finds you attractive but what if to him this is just some sort of little game to him? 

After all, he is only working here temporarily. He could just be trying to get into your pants and then disappear right after he gets what he wants. You don’t know. He genuinely seemed interested in having a conversation with you last night but at the same time, it could just be an act. 

“Um Y/N?” Dohyun’s call of your name causes you to snap out of your doubtful thoughts and look up at him. 

“Yes?” You say in surprise. 

“Wait, that's a yes?” An excited smile grows on his face. 

Oh fuck. That’s not what you meant. The smile on his face…how can you say no now? 

Letting out a regretful sigh, you gather a fake smile on your face. “Yes,” You can’t believe you’re doing this. “I’ll go on a date with you.” With those words leaving your lips, your eyes immediately snap to Jeongguk who you didn’t realize was standing a few feet away from you both. 

The look on his face causes your heart to drop into your stomach. 

Did he just witness you say yes to the date? 

Your eyes don’t look away from him, a guilty expression on your face as you stare at his now blank face. It went from surprise to blank in a matter of seconds, a way of showing you that he looks unbothered by what just happened. 

Maybe he is unbothered by it. 

If he isn’t, then he’s doing a great job at not showing it. 

You didn’t mean to say yes. In fact, you were ready to say no. But with the excited look on his face, you don’t have it in you to take it away. You just have to come clean later. You can’t get this far. 

Not when you know you can’t reciprocate your feelings for the man. 

“I’m so glad you said yes!” His smile is vibrant and it looks like he can’t contain his excitement, bouncing on his tiptoes. 

With a tight-lipped smile, you accept the bouquet of red roses he hands you along with the chocolates. Your eyes glance behind him again towards where Jeongguk is standing. He gives you a thumbs-up and a pursed-lip smile before heading towards the gate. 

You open your mouth to say something but Dohyun speaks before any words can escape you, your attention turning back towards him again. 

“So I can pick you up on Friday? How does 7 sound?” He asks you, voice sounding thrilled. 

The more you hear him speak, the worse you feel. There’s no backing out of this now. Jeongguk left without saying anything which causes you to question how he might’ve felt. Maybe he did like you back. Or maybe he just doesn’t care. 

Again, you don’t know. 

The overwhelming feeling of all kinds of emotions fills you and you just wish to disappear but instead, you just give Dohyun another fake smile and say, “Sounds good.” 

“Great!” He grins. “I’ll see you Friday!” He says before turning on his feet and leaving. You watch him walk towards the gate, no longer containing his excitement when you hear him whisper yes yes yes. 

“Jeongguk! Wait up!” You hear Dohyun shout, eagerness, and enthusiasm loud in his tone. 

You wince, looking towards the gate in hopes of catching a glimpse of Jeongguk but you fail to see him at all. He didn’t bother to come to the back and say. But you can probably understand why. You let out a sad sigh, holding up the bouquet of flowers in your hand and staring at them. 

Just one date. You just have to get through this one date. 

+ 

Friday evening 

The feeling of dread swirls in your stomach as you stare into the mirror with your hair and face ready for the date you’re about to go on. You’re not looking forward to it at all. Ever since you woke up this morning, you thought about coming up with some sort of excuse to back out of the date. Maybe lie and say you have the stomach flu or something. 

Then again, if you lie, you would just be postponing the date because you have a feeling he would reschedule it for another day. So you thought to yourself that it would be better to get it over with. 

Your plan is to go on the date, eat and then tell him that you don’t have any feelings for him. You know that if you lead him on further, it will end with a more painful heartbreak for him.

You’re also bummed because, for the remainder of the week, you did not see Jeongguk at all. Even when you sat down at the pool all day, constantly looking over at the door in hopes of catching sight of him, he didn’t come towards the back. 

Instead of Jeongguk coming to the shed to drop off the tools, it would either be some other gardener or sometimes even Dohyun who, of course, would wave at you excitedly and remind you about the time of your date on Friday. 

You think he might be disappointed in you and doesn’t want to see you. Or maybe he backed off because he probably thinks you’re giving Dohyun a chance when you’re not. 

You just fucked up by saying yes. 

After telling Dohyun that you don’t have feelings for him, you’re determined to tell Jeongguk you like him when you see him on Monday. And if he doesn’t like you back? 

Well then you’re just going to hide in your room in embarrassment until he finishes working his last few days at your estate

You’re wearing a black long-sleeved dress that has a square-shaped neckline and slightly ruffled sleeves. It reaches below your knees, a slit on the left side, revealing the skin up to your midthigh. You left your hair open in soft curls and your makeup is done minimally. 

You’re putting on your dangly earring when you hear your phone vibrate on the vanity. The screen lights up with a text from Dohyun telling you he’s out front waiting for you. You exhale deeply, attempting to calm yourself down, feeling slightly sick in the stomach. 

Just two hours. You just have to endure this date for two hours. 

Fixing the loose strand of hair in your face, you look into the mirror one last time before grabbing your clutch and walking out of the bedroom and down the spiral steps. You nod your head at one of the maids on your way out, giving her a polite smile. 

When you walk outside of your house, you see Dohyun waiting in front of the gate with another bouquet of flowers. He cleaned himself nicely, wearing a white button-up under a black blazer with matching pants. His hair is pushed back and he’s not wearing those glasses again. 

With an elated grin, he gives you a bow which you return before grabbing the flowers he holds out and muttering a small ‘thanks’ in response. 

He nods, seeming proud of himself before he holds out his hand which you hesitantly take. He walks you to his car, a red Toyota Corolla, opening the door for you politely. 

Your mind can’t help but wonder when you went out with Jeongguk that night at the bar and he told you that chivalry was dead so he wouldn’t open the door for you. You can’t help but smile at the memory, shaking your head. 

Once you’re sitting down in the car, bouquet in your lap along with your clutch, he gently closes the door before jogging towards the driver's side to sit down. His face is beaming when he starts the car again, the sound of a girl group song immediately playing on the Bluetooth loudly, causing you to wince at the volume. 

He looks panicked, cheeks and ears red as he quickly turns down the volume dial on the knob and mumbles a shy ‘sorry. You give him a reassuring smile before looking out of the window.

The car begins moving, an awkward silence immediately filling the air since neither of you say a single word. Dohyun is the first to break it, clearing his throat before speaking. 

“So how was your day?” He asks, attempting to make conversation. 

You shrug, watching outside as he drives out of your neighborhood towards the city. “It was okay. Didn’t really do much.” 

Other than hoping and praying for the date to be canceled one way or another. 

He nods, tapping his index fingers against the steering wheel as he says, “Cool cool. I didn’t do much either.” You nod, listening. “Well actually, I started this new Korean drama. It’s about this guy who…” 

He rambles about the drama, beginning from the first episode and providing you with details on how it all started, and for almost the majority of the car ride, he’s giving you a rundown on how each episode goes down one by one along with his personal opinions. You just nod and add in a few words to make yourself sound interested when really, all you wanted to do was open the car door and roll down the street. 

Unable to help yourself, your mind drifts to the time you were with Jeongguk and how you two talked about the most random things. He would tell you crazy stories about the things he’s done with his friends, always having something ridiculous to say which would make you laugh a crazy amount. 

Again, Jeongguk is blunt and careless about what he says and who he says it to. He never held back from telling you things that might sound absurd to others. 

For this one time when he and his six other friends had a competition on who can eat the most gamja hot dogs at a carnival before they all went on one of those spinning rides and ended up vomiting while the ride was still going. The whole ride had to immediately shut down and people who were waiting in line were not happy and covered in their puke. 

To make the night even worse, his friend Jin almost fought a little kid over the last alpaca plushie at one of the games and it resulted in them being kicked out of the carnival. 

The whole time he had told you that story, he had a smile on his face at the memories and you remember being enraptured by how beautiful he looked with his bunny teeth on display, the small mole beneath his rose-colored lips visible; the hand gestures he’d make to animate the story. 

You don’t realize you’re smiling again until Dohyun calls for your name, causing you to flinch in surprise. 

“Yeah?” You ask, smile dropping and you look at him questioningly. 

“I was um asking what you thought about it?” He wonders, glancing at you before looking back at the road. 

Fuck, what did he ask about? 

“I’m sorry,” You shake your head. “Can you repeat the question?” You look at him apologetically, mentally cursing at yourself for being distracted by Jeongguk again. 

Dohyun clears his throat, “I was asking what your thoughts were on the show so far.” 

Oh right, the show. The one you didn’t listen to a single thing about. God, you don’t know what to say. 

Think, Y/N, think. 

“It sounds…” You’re looking for the right word. “Like there’s a lot going on.” You slightly wince at that, hoping he doesn’t notice. 

Dohyun looks a bit confused, pursing his lips in thought before saying, “Really? I don’t know. I honestly think it’s quite boring. There’s no good drama going on with the characters.” He says and you nod. 

“Honestly you’re right,” You quickly add. “I don’t know what I was thinking,” You let out a fake chuckle. “It needs to be more dramatic.” 

You have no fucking clue what you’re saying. 

Seeming to be satisfied with the answer, he nods with a smile before moving on to a different topic. 

For the rest of the car ride, you try really hard to give him your full attention when he talks, chipping in on things when appropriate up until you guys reach the restaurant. You let out a slightly annoyed sigh under your breath when the restaurant comes into view. 

Pierre Gagnaire à Séoul. 

The French restaurant your mother absolutely loves meanwhile you hate. The food is not bad but it’s not to your taste. You’re also not a fan of the environment, surrounded by all the posh and stuck-up rich people. 

The restaurant has valet parking as well so when you guys pull up to the front, Dohyun quickly opens the door and runs to your side so he can open your own door for you, holding his hand out for you to take. 

You try not to think about how Jeongguk would probably tell you to open the door yourself because he wouldn’t do it for you. 

He hands his keys over to the valet before you both head inside, his hand holding yours. You try not to squirm when he tries to intertwine your fingers, letting out a breath to try and relax. 

He opens the door for you, allowing you to go in first and you give him a thank you before walking inside first, internally grateful that your hands are no longer clasped together.

The aromatic smell of the food immediately hits your nose. The sound of chatter fills your ears along with the utensils hitting against the plates. The sight you see with your eyes is one you are used to. Wealthy people dressed to the nines in their extravagant dresses and suits, sipping on expensive wine. 

“Good evening,” The hostess at the front greets with a practiced smile. “Reservation?” 

Dohyun nods excitedly, “Dohyun at 7:30.” He tells her and she nods, looking at the screen before grabbing two menus from beside her and nudging her head towards the tables. 

“Follow me please,” She says, Dohyun letting you go first before he follows behind you. You walk past other people, avoiding making eye contact with anyone you know. 

This restaurant is where all of the affluent people go, friends of your family that your parents are close to. You wouldn’t be surprised if you saw any of them here though you’d much rather not which is why you just stare at the hostess’ back as she guides you both towards your table. 

Dohyun pulls the chair back for you as soon as you reach the table before he sits himself down. The hostess places the menus down on the table before saying, “Your waiter should be here shortly.” And with that, she leaves. 

“I’ve never been here before so I’m excited,” Dohyun says, flipping through the menu with stars in his eyes.

You shrug, pretending to look through the menu though not really because you already know what you’re going to choose. “I’ve been a few times,” You inform him. 

“Oh,” He looks at you. “Do you like it?” He looks nervous when he waits for your response. 

You give him a pursed-lip smile and say, “Yeah,” You lie. “I like it.” 

He grins, seeming satisfied with the answer before looking at the menu again. You look down at your own menu again in order to distract yourself, waiting for him to decide what he wants to eat. 

“Good evening, my name is Jeongguk and I’ll be your waiter this evening.” As soon as you hear that husky yet gentle voice, your head snaps up to the person and the menu drops onto the table out of surprise. 

And there he is, standing in front of you wearing black slacks that accentuate his strong thighs while he wears a white button-up that hugs his chest. The sleeves are pulled up a bit, his inked arms slightly peaking out. His dark hair is pushed back to reveal his eyebrow piercing and strong brows, a single loose strand slightly falling forward on his forehead. 

His large doe brown eyes meet yours, shock evident on his face as he stares right back at you.  

“Holy shoot Jeongguk!” Dohyun sounds just as surprised as you look before a large smile overtakes his face. 

+

Jeongguk had no fucking idea that this was the fancy wine and dine restaurant Dohyun was going to take you to for the date.

The whole week Dohyun wouldn’t shut up about it and he didn’t bother asking the younger man which restaurant it was. He wasn’t interested in knowing because quite frankly, he tried not to care. 

To say that he was disappointed when you said yes to Dohyun would be an understatement. He knew you were too nice and didn’t want to hurt the guy but he really thought you’d muster up the courage to turn him down. 

Instead, he watched you say yes and take the flowers and chocolates from Dohyun with that pretty smile on your face. 

Now Jeongguk usually isn’t the type to get jealous. But that’s usually because there’s no one he’s really been interested in. Sure, he’s had a few girlfriends here and there but the relationships don’t last long enough because the girl either ends up batshit crazy or he just couldn’t return the same feelings. 

But seeing Dohyun all excited and happy about taking you out on a date would just piss him off. He wanted to be the one to take you out. He thinks his plan would’ve been more solid and fun. Taking you out to the arcade before eating at his favorite fried chicken spot with beer.

Jeongguk can’t deny that he holds these strong feelings of infatuation towards you. You interest him because you’re different. Sure, it might sound like those typical cliche things but he’s speaking the truth. You’re intelligent, funny, and so fucking kind to others. Let’s not also forget how immensely beautiful you are. 

Yeah, he’s got a gigantic crush on you. 

Too bad he’s standing in front of you as your waiter and not as the date sitting across from you. He can’t seem to take his eyes off of you right now. Taking in your wide eyes and slightly ajar mouth, he tries not to act just as surprised by keeping a blank stare. 

“Oh wow, didn’t expect to see you guys here,” Jeongguk says, voice flat and void of any emotion. 

Before you can say anything, Dohyun says, “Jeongguk, I didn't know you worked here!” Jeongguk tries not to wince at Dohyun’s loud enthusiastic voice. 

“Yeah,” Jeongguk clears his throat, giving his full attention to Dohyun so he doesn’t stare at you. “Usually the evening shifts now since you know…I work at the other place.” He informs him. 

Dohyun nods, “Cool cool.” He looks across at you. “Isn’t it funny how Jeongguk is our waiter, Y/N?” 

Jeongguk looks at you who’s just looking at Dohyun before glancing at him, “Yeah, it’s pretty crazy.” Your voice is shy of speaking and he thinks it's because of him. He holds eye contact with you, taking in the small pout on your glossy lips. There’s a certain emotion in your eye, almost looking apologetic but Jeongguk tries to brush it off. 

“Anyways, what would you guys like to start off with? Something to drink maybe?” Jeongguk asks, pulling out a pen and his notepad. 

Don’t fucking look at Y/N, Jeongguk. 

Dohyun looks at you first with a questioning gaze, “Y/N?” 

You clear your throat as you shut the menu, “I’ll just have water.” Jeongguk nods before looking at Dohyun. 

“I’ll also have water,” The younger man smiles at Y/N. 

Why the fuck is this guy always smiling? Jeongguk wonders. 

And why the fuck are they both just ordering water? If Jeongguk were you, he’d be ordering the overpriced wines for the hell of it. Maybe just maybe…he can make this date a bit more entertaining for himself. 

Jeongguk stands straighter and then looks at Dohyun, “Are you sure you guys don’t want to try the red wine? It’s Pinot Noir. A classic.” 

Dohyun’s eyes widen for a second before they glance at you and then back to Jeongguk. Jeongguk looks at Dohyun and secretly winks, almost as a way of communicating to the younger man that this is going to impress you.

Jeongguk knows it won’t but he’s bored and sad. Sue him. 

Dohyun nods rapidly and says, “We’ll have some of that as well.” 

Before Jeongguk can say anything, you cut in by saying, “Are you sure about that? It’s quite expensive, Dohyun.” You’re looking at him in concern, pointing a manicured nail at the price of the wine on the menu. 

Dohyun just shakes his head and tries to wave it off, “Don’t worry, Y/N. I can afford it. Order whatever you want.” 

You purse your lips, not saying anything else. Your eyes shift to Jeongguk slightly squinting at him almost in suspicion but he just shrugs, turning around to walk away. 

Is Jeongguk going to look like an asshole for trying to sabotage this date? Probably. Does he care? Not really. He’s trying to save your ass before Dohyun confesses to you. He needs to make sure that doesn’t happen otherwise you’re going to end up lying and telling the man that you like him back when Jeongguk knows damn well you don’t.

Though Jeongguk only really hung out with you once, he knows enough to say that you will feel extremely guilty for hurting someone else’s feelings. You’ve proven that just by going on this date with Dohyun regardless of the fact that you don’t hold any feelings for the guy. You just didn’t want to turn him down because you knew he’d be heartbroken. 

Jeongguk is not going to let you accept Dohyun’s confession. Not when Jeongguk likes you and you like him. At least he thinks you like him because if that kiss on the corner of his mouth didn’t mean anything he doesn’t know what the fuck that meant. 

Surely you weren’t leading him on. Or maybe that’s how you say goodbye to your friends? 

Wait, but then again you don’t have friends. 

This shit is going to give Jeongguk a headache. By the end of this date, if it doesn’t turn into a complete disaster, Jeongguk is going to stop being a pussy and say something. He doesn’t exactly know what yet. But something. 

Pouring the wine into the fancy glasses, he puts them on a tray and brings them back out to the table. The first thing he sees when he heads towards your table is your smiling face looking directly at Dohyun. 

Hell no. 

“Here’s your water,” Jeongguk places down each glass one by one. “And your wine,” He carefully puts down yours, making direct eye contact with you as he does. He notices you gulp and he tries to hold back a smile. When he’s setting Dohyun’s glass on the table, his finger accidentally knocks over the glass, causing it to tip over onto the table and a little bit on Dohyun’s slacks. 

Okay, that one wasn’t planned, Jeongguk swears. 

Dohyun gasps out of surprise, standing up with his pants slightly soaked in the wine. Meanwhile, you’re just staring with your hand covering your mouth, eyes wide. Jeongguk quickly acts shocked as well. 

“I am so sorry,” He picks up the white cloth napkin and attempts to dab it on Dohyun’s pants at the front. “I’m really sorry. I don’t know how that fell over.” He pretends to wince, facial expression feigning guilt. 

Some of the people at the surrounding tables are watching, talking amongst themselves as they stare at what just happened. It’s like they’re expecting Dohyun to lash out at Jeongguk or something but instead, he says, “Hey it’s okay. It was an accident.” He grabs the cloth from the Jeongguk, patting the pants himself.

This guy is so damn nice, Jeongguk hates it. Why is he so damn nice? 

“You sure you don’t want to go clean up?” Jeongguk hears you ask, watching the whole scene in concern. 

“No no,” Dohyun shakes his head and waves off. “It’s alright. At least I’m wearing black pants so it’s not that noticeable.” He laughs and you just nod in response. 

“I’ll get you another glass,” Jeongguk speaks, turning around to get him another glass. Once he returns with a new one, he carefully places it on the table. 

“Alright, so did you guys decide what you want to eat?” Jeongguk clasps his hands together, looking between the two, gaze lingering on you. 

Look away, Jeongguk. Look. Away. 

“Hm, I’m having a hard time deciding actually,” Dohyun pouts, brows furrowed as he studies the menu. “Do you have any recommendations?” 

Boy, Jeongguk sure does. 

Clearing his throat, he slightly cranes his neck to look over at the menu and points at one item in particular, “I recommend this filet mignon. Everyone loves it.” And it’s fucking expensive as fuck. 

Jeongguk hears you add to the conversation, “It’s almost 150,000 won…” You’re staring at him in ridicule, mouth parted and eyes wide. 

If there’s anything Jeongguk has learned about you, it’s that you’re not dumb. In fact, you are very fucking intelligent and he’s pretty sure you can see right through his actions. But for some reason, that doesn’t stop Jeongguk. Maybe he wants to have a bit of fun with this. In his defense, he’s trying to help you. 

“Don’t worry about the price, Y/N. I can afford it,” Dohyun acts nonchalantly, looking up at Jeongguk and confidently saying, “I’ll have that.” He then looks at you. “Y/N?” 

You let out a defeated sigh, closing the menu, “I’ll just have the risotto carnaroli de coquillages.” The way you say it so eloquently in French almost makes Jeongguk's dick hard. God, it sounded so hot. 

How much more attractive and interesting can you get? 

And also, where the fuck did you learn to speak perfect French?

It seems as though Jeongguk isn’t the only one affected by your French speaking because when he looks at Dohyun, the younger man is just staring at you with parted lips and stars in his eyes as if you’re the greatest thing he’s ever seen. 

You’re so damn nice that you ended up choosing the cheapest entree on the menu. You were just way too damn considerate. There goes that rich girl persona he was trying to paint to Dohyun. 

Trying not to physically drool, Jeongguk looks away and nods, “Got it.” He walks always so fast, almost bumping into another waiter on his way. 

+

You have a feeling that Jeongguk is trying to fuck up the date you’re on with Dohyun. You can see right through him. Having the poor guy choose expensive menu items so he can impress you when Jeongguk knows damn well you’re not about it. 

At least this can kind of confirm that he was affected by the whole date thing. That answers some questions but not all. 

Also, can you just say that Jeongguk looks fine as fuck in his uniform? 

If you had known that he works here as a waiter, you would’ve definitely joined your mother for the sake of seeing him. The sight of him wearing that tight-fitted button-up with those slacks hugging his ass almost had you drooling. 

You tried so hard not to just dead-on stare at him the whole time while he was standing right in front of you. You just couldn’t help yourself at times, eyes trailing down from his perfectly structured face to his chest and down to his tattooed covered hands and forearms that were peaking out from beneath his shirt sleeve. 

Your mind was steering away to some…unholy thoughts. Especially because of those damn thighs. 

Why did he have to be so damn hot? 

Okay, you’re getting a little too carried away right now. You need to focus. Focus on Dohyun. The man you came on a date with. You have to try and at least make some sort of conversation with him. He’s always asking you for your opinion and thoughts on what he’s saying but you end up stuttering your way through the conversation since you have no idea what he’s asking you about when you’re not listening. 

Jeongguk being here as your damn waiter does not help the situation at all. Although you think he’s trying to help you in a somewhat cruel way you need to get him to stop. You’re beginning to feel guilty as fuck when you see the man do something that is the total opposite of impressing you. 

“Um Y/N?” You’re snapped out of your thoughts when you hear Dohyun calling your name. 

“Yes? Sorry,” You apologize, feeling bad for being distracted again. 

Dohyun shakes his head, a small smile on his face, “No worries. I just wanted to talk to you about something.” 

Your heart races at that and you gulp, beginning to feel a little worried at what exactly he wants to say. No no, you didn’t think it be this soon. You need to tell him before he tells you. You can’t let him tell you first. 

Before you can say anything more, he continues, “I don’t know if you remember that before you left for college I was going to–” 

“More wine anyone?” Jeongguk cuts in, holding up the bottle and acting oblivious to what he just interrupted. Your shoulders relax in relief and you nod rapidly. 

You really need a fucking drink to get through this. 

“Yes please,” You hold up your glass and he pours it in for you. 

“There you go,” His fingers brush against yours which ensures the glass is in your hand’s grip when you pull it back and you try not to shiver at the tinging feeling and his eyes directly looking into yours.

“Dohyun?” Jeongguk looks at him with a questioning gaze, holding out the bottle but the other just shakes his head in response. 

“I’m good thanks,” He looks eager for Jeongguk to leave right now, knee bouncing in anxiousness. 

“Okay well your food should be here shortly,” Jeongguk says before turning to leave. He looks a bit hesitant to leave, glancing over his shoulder to look at you and you just send him a fake small smile, looking down into your lap. 

What the fuck do you do? 

“As I was saying Y/N, before you left for college I was going to tell you something,” Dohyun’s voice sounds a little shaky when he speaks. “But you had to leave and I never got the chance but for so long I–” 

“Bathroom!” You blurt out, eyes going wide. 

Dohyun looks confused, “Huh?” 

You let out a nervous laugh, “Um I just really need to use the bathroom,” You stand up, grabbing your purse. “Can you give me a few minutes? I really gotta pee.” No, you don’t. You need to go freak the fuck out and possibly climb out of the window. 

“Oh okay,” He nods understandably before flashing you a sweet smile. “I’ll wait.” 

You give him a fake smile in response, pushing into your chair before walking towards the bathroom. You maneuver your way around a few waiters, avoiding eye contact and rushing inside. Luckily no one else is in the bathroom so you just stand in front of the sink, taking a few deep breaths as you stare into the mirror. 

You don’t know how to turn him down. He’s getting so close to telling you about his feelings. You didn’t have the heart to turn him down for the date. What if you can’t reject his feelings for you either? 

If that ends up happening, you’d be absolutely fucked. 

You don’t even fucking see a window in here otherwise you’d escape right there. 

“You okay?” You hear a familiar voice ask, causing you to flinch in surprise, hand resting on your chest. 

“Holy shit,” You exhale. “You scared me.” You look at Jeongguk, wondering how the hell you didn’t hear him enter the bathroom. 

The women’s bathroom might you add. 

“Yeah yeah,” You try to wave off. “I’m fine. What are you doing in here?” You quickly ask, looking away and pretending to look into the mirror and fix your hair. 

“I saw you come in and you didn’t look too good,” He shrugs, hands in his pocket as he leans against the wall. “Just thought I’d check up on you.” 

Your heart swells a little at his concern. You’re in awe at the fact that he cared enough to come to see how you’re doing because he thought something was wrong. God, he’s making you like him more and more. 

“I’m,” You clear your throat, “I’m good.” You’re not. “I think.” You add before letting out a shaky breath. “It’s not every day that someone is about to confess about being in love with you for years.” You let out a humorless chuckle. 

“Well you’re right about that,” Jeongguk says and you look at him with a raised eyebrow. He clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “Sorry, not helping.” 

“Not at all,” You respond, turning around so you can lean your back against the counter of the sink. “Aren’t you going to be in trouble for being here?” 

Jeongguk shrugs, “Not my first time being in the women’s bathroom during a shift,” He smirks and your chest slightly tinges in jealousy at what he’s implying but then he adds, “I once had to help an old lady clean a stain off of her dress.” You relax at that, causing Jeongguk to smirk. 

“What did you think I meant?” He teases and you roll your eyes in response. 

“Was it a wine stain cus’ you sure seem to be quite clumsy for a waiter,” You ask with heavy sarcasm, watching how he pushes himself off the wall. 

“Hey! That was actually an accident,” Jeongguk tries to defend. 

“I’m sure it was,” You remark, arms crossed over your chest. You try not to notice how he’s slowly walking toward you. 

“It was,” He answers before saying, “Look I’m trying to help you out over here.” 

You pout, avoiding eye contact with him by staring down at the pristine tiled floor. “I don’t need help.” 

You’re lying. You really fucking need help. 

Jeongguk lets out a sigh, “Y/N, why’d you say yes to the date if you knew you didn’t like him?” He asks, pierced brow raised in question. 

Unable to meet his eyes, you fiddle with the rings on your fingers and say, “I just felt really bad because he just seemed so excited,” You look up at him, “I just didn’t know how to say no.” 

Jeongguk nods and you notice how he’s standing directly in front of you now. You swallow at the sight of how good he looks in his button-up that shows off his small waist and strong chest. The sleeves are snug around his biceps and the black dress pants accentuate his strong thighs. 

“Yeah but now look,” His hand gestures towards the door to refer to Dohyun. “You said yes to the guy, making him think he has a chance or that you might like him or something.” The guilt weighs down on your chest and you stare down at the floor in shame. 

 Jeongguk is right. You made the mistake of saying yes and it probably made Dohyun hopeful that the feelings he has for you are mutual in return. But that’s not true when the man standing a few inches in front of you is the only one you want. 

Seeing the uniform hug his body in a way that shows off his toned muscles almost has you drooling and you try not to shiver at how his dark eyes give you a once-over. You know you look good with the way your black dress is hugging your body, the slit reaching your midthigh, showing off your smooth skin. His eyes seem to linger on that area in particular and you try not to smile. 

“I just couldn’t say no,” You whine, pouting at the floor with your arms crossing over your chest. 

Jeongguk dips his head a bit, bringing it closer to yours with just a few inches of space in between, and asks, “And why couldn’t you say no?” 

Your eyes can’t help but wander to his rose petal-colored lips that look so soft at the moment. You’re curious to know how the piercing would feel if you were to just kiss him on the mouth. There’s also that cute little mole he has beneath his bottom lip. Swallowing, you look up to find his doe-brown eyes staring at your own lips as well. 

Clearing your throat, you answer, “Because he brought me flowers a-and…” You shyly look away from his intense gaze, cheeks flushing as you look behind him. “And he got those expensive chocolates. I just didn’t know how to say no.” 

“What about me?” Jeongguk inquires, causing you to snap your head to look at him in surprise. 

“What about you?” You raise an eyebrow in question. 

Your heart starts to race when you notice his right hand come up to your face, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear. His fingers lightly brush against your exposed neck, causing you to slightly shiver at his touch. 

If he can just wrap those hands around your throat you don’t think you’d mind at all. 

“What if I brought you flowers and overpriced chocolates and asked you out to dinner?” He asks, eyes watching how you grab his right hand, fingers tracing over the tattoos on his knuckles. 

“I would’ve said yes even if you didn’t bring me flowers or overpriced chocolates,” You tell him truthfully, enjoying the satisfied look on his face. 

“Well,” He looks down at your joined hands before intertwining his fingers with yours. “Good to know I don’t have any competition.” You snort at that, suddenly feeling brave and pull him closer to you. 

You know you shouldn’t be doing this right now. Not when you’re literally on a date with someone who’s been crushing on you since you were kids but you’re in the bathroom with your waiter slash gardener slash friend? Acquaintance? Whatever he is, what you know for sure is that you want to kiss him right in the mouth because he looks too good not to. 

So you do. 

Forgetting about everything else going on, you make the move you’ve been desperately wanting to make since you saw the man standing in front of you. 

You grab the collar of his shirt and tug him down so you can press your lips against his in a lustful kiss. A small noise of surprise leaves his lips but he quickly reacts by putting his hands on your waist and returning the affection.

The feeling of his lips against yours was nothing like you’d ever felt before. They felt almost silk-like and pillowy as they moved against yours in the heated kiss. Sparks ignite, in your chest, buzzing throughout your entire body as his large hands slid up and down your back before moving down toward your hip. He squeezes it softly, causing you to inhale sharply.

His lips move against yours in a soft but sensual manner that has your knees slightly quivering and your heart pounding. You feel breathless when you pull apart for a few seconds with his forehead resting against yours. His right-hand cups your face, thumb playing with your bottom lip.

Jeongguk smirks, “You look good with your lipstick smeared.” You roll your eyes playfully but you can feel the heat in your cheeks at his comment. 

“Shut up,” You pull him until your lower back hits the counter behind you, his hands caging your body against it which causes a rush of excitement to run up your spine. You can’t help but give him a once over, noticing how pink his lips look now, hair slightly unruly from your hands. Jeongguk watches as you bring your hands to his chest, fiddling with the collar before letting them trail down his chest to feel his pecs. 

The muscles feel hard and firm beneath your hand as you trail them down toward his abdomen. When your hands dip a little too low, he quickly snatches your hand and holds it up against his chest, tugging you close by the waist with the other arm. 

“Nuh-uh,” Jeongguk clicks his tongue, “As much as I’m into the idea of fucking you in a public area, you are not about to start this in the fucking bathroom at my job.” Your cheeks flush immediately and you try to shove him away but he hardly moves. 

God, you just wanted to devour him right here. You couldn’t handle the sight in front of you right now. You know this is just his work uniform but you never would’ve thought that he can look this good. You just wanted to get on your knees and… 

“Y/N.” You immediately snap out of your horny thoughts, eyes wide and face warm. Jeongguk has a stupid smirk on his face as if he knows what you’re thinking about right now. 

Despite wanting to tackle him to the ground and have him take you right here, you remember you have a whole date waiting for you outside at the table most likely wondering where you are. 

“What?” You clear your throat, pushing those lustful thoughts aside. 

Jeongguk holds a teasing smile on his face, “Are you dreaming about my dick?” 

“What-no!” You deny, pushing him off and turning towards the mirror to fix your hair. You notice how your lipstick is smeared, courtesy of Jeongguk. You take a tissue and clean it before opening your clutch to pull out the liquid lipstick so you can reapply it. 

You can feel Jeongguk’s eyes on you the whole time as you’re bent over the counter, looking closely in the mirror. You try not to make eye contact, gliding the applicator across your bottom lip. 

Your breath hitches in your throat when you feel his hand slide on your hip but you pretend to like it doesn’t affect you even though your heart rate starts to increase and a feeling of thrill runs up your spine. 

“You were totally dreaming about my dick,” You glare at him through the mirror, elbowing him in the abdomen which causes him to slightly groan. 

“Why would I be thinking about your dick when I’m on a date with someone else right now?” You ask. 

Jeongguk snickers, “You weren’t saying that when you had your tongue down my throat a few minutes ago.” 

Your jaw drops and you turn around, pushing at his shoulder, “I did not have my tongue down your throat.” 

He has that smug smile on his annoyingly handsome face that had you contemplating whether you wanted to smack him or kiss him again. 

“It’s okay, you’re too shy to admit it right now. You’ll get comfortable eventually,” He shrugs, avoiding the little punch you were about to deliver to his chest. He grabs your hand instead and pulls you towards him once again with his tattooed arm around your waist while the other cups your cheek. 

“You’re annoying,” You mumble, playing with the top button on his shirt. You notice ink peeking out from where the shirt is unbuttoned which you somehow haven’t noticed before. 

Can this man get any more attractive? 

“I’d say charming,” Jeongguk responds before asking, “We’ve been here for quite some time now.” 

“You’re the one who followed me,” You retorted. 

“I had to make sure you were okay,” Jeongguk defends, thumb stroking your cheek. “What are you going to do now?” 

You let out a dreaded sigh, letting your hands rest against his chest as you say, “I’m going to have to tell him I’m not interested.” You shake your head. “I shouldn’t have said yes in the first place. It was a mistake from that day but he just had this hopeful smile on his face. I didn’t have it in me to deny him.” 

Jeongguk looks at you with a nonjudgmental gaze, nodding his head. “You can’t let this drag out any longer.” 

“I know,” You agree, thinking about how crushed Dohyun is going to look once you tell him the truth. 

“He’s going to be heartbroken,” Jeongguk adds. 

You pout, “I know.”

“But I’m going to be one happy man.” 

“I know–wait what?” You almost missed what he said and he just chuckles in response. “Why would you be happy?” 

“Cuz then I can ask you out on a date,” Jeongguk says with full confidence, wrapping both arms around your waist and swaying you side to side. 

“And you’re so sure I’d say yes?” You ask, eyebrows raised in question. 

He narrows his eyes at you playfully and says, “With the way you were about to get on your knees I’d like to think–” 

You slap his chest, “God, you’re so annoying! See if I ever give you head now.” 

“I’m kidding,” Jeongguk pouts. “You can’t take away that privilege already. You haven’t even done it yet.” 

Rolling your eyes at his response, your hand plays with the piercing in his right eyebrow. His hands rest on your lower back casually as if you guys have done this a million times. Jeongguk is definitely a touchy person but not in a way that’s made you uncomfortable of course. You’ve enjoyed the feeling of his hands on your body and you wonder what it would feel like on your bare skin. 

You’d definitely like to find that out. 

To say that you’re surprised he’s even talking to you would be an understatement. Especially after the day he saw you accepting Dohyun’s little gifts and proposal to dinner. He had left so abruptly much to your disappointment. And even after that, you didn’t even catch wind of him when working around the garden. 

You really thought you lost your opportunity with him but his actions and words say otherwise. 

“You didn’t answer my question,” Jeongguk’s statement breaks you out of your thoughts. 

“What question?” 

He raises an eyebrow, “If you’d like to go on a date with me.” He runs his thumb over your bottom lip, staring at them as if he wants to just devour them again but he’s restraining himself. 

You didn’t even realize he asked you that question. 

With a snort, you say, “Are you seriously going to ask me this in the bathroom while my actual date is waiting for me outside?”

Jeongguk rolls his eyes at you, “I’m sorry would you like me to shower you with flowers and expensive as fuck chocolates? I can also ask Bill, who is playing the violin in the dining room right now, to play you a song while I ask you out.” 

This time you roll your eyes at his response, “No need for flowers and expensive as fuck chocolates,” you emphasize his words. “And his name is Bill? He doesn’t even look like a Bill.” 

“That’s what I’ve been telling my coworkers. He looks more like a Marvin to me.” Jeongguk says and you nod your head in agreement after a quick thought. 

“Tell you what, give me your number first and then I’ll give you a response,” You don’t know where this confidence suddenly came from 

“You know you could’ve just asked me for my number if you wanted it so bad,” He laughs and you ignore him, handing him your phone. 

“Hush, I need to leave now so hurry up,” You watch as he types in his number, an amused smile pulling at his lips which causes you to narrow your eyes at him.

He hands you back your phone, an innocent smile on his face while you’re looking at him suspiciously. When you glance down at your phone, you understand why he has that look on his face. 

The contact name for his number is My super hot gardener &lt;3 <3

Can he get any more annoying? 

“Are you kidding me?” You ask him but don’t change the name anyways. 

“Not at all, love.” He pulls you forward once more, cupping your face with both hands this time, causing you to look up at him. “Listen, don’t worry about how Dohyun is going to feel, and don’t beat yourself up about it either.” You nod sadly. “You can’t keep leading him on like this. Neither of you deserve that. So just be honest about your feelings towards him.” Jeongguk tilts your head up to look at him. “You have to put yourself first okay?” 

You nod understandingly, hands going behind his neck to pull him down for another sweet kiss because you just couldn’t fucking help yourself. The feeling of his lips on yours was just so damn addicting. The way he was gazing at you with those soft doe eyes and the comforting words he provided had your stomach fluttering with butterflies. 

Your lips move in sync, arms tightening around one another as if you didn’t want to let each other go. His tongue prods at your lips, asking for entrance which you grant. His tongue slides into your mouth, hands digging into your hips as he fights for dominance with your own tongue. The kiss becomes more and more heated, your hands tangling in his wavy hair once again while you’re pretty sure your lipstick is smeared over both your lips as well as his own. 

The sound of your phone vibrating has you pulling back from his lips with a loud POP. Your chest is heaving, slightly out of breath from the intense kiss. Jeongguk runs his thumb across his lip to clean the faint lipstick while you’re opening your purse to see a message from Dohyun. 

Dohyun: Hey Y/N, are you okay?” 

Great, he must think you’re fighting for your life in the bathroom or something. It’s probably been well over 20 minutes so you can’t blame him. 

“I really have to go now.” You tell Jeongguk and he nods understandingly. 

“It’s fine,” He grabs a tissue and brings it up to clean beneath your lower lip. “Your lipstick smeared again.” You smile at the gesture in a thankful manner, letting him clean it for you.

He’s going to kill you. 

“Remember what I said okay?” He tells you and you nod in response, your throat feeling tight already at the conversation you’ve been dreading the whole night. “And I’ll be nearby in case you need help.” You nod once again, feeling reassured by his words. 

“Okay, thanks.” You give him a sweet smile, leaning up on your tiptoes to kiss his cheek which catches him off guard.  

“Yeah…” He clears his throat, “No problem.” 

With a small smile, you turn around and walk out the bathroom door not without looking over your shoulder at Jeongguk one last time. 

Here goes nothing. 

+

“Hey, sorry I took so long,” You apologize to Dohyun, straightening out your dress before sitting back down on the chair. 

Dohyun just gives you a sweet, understanding smile in return and says, “It’s okay. Jeongguk hasn’t even come by with the food yet.” 

You cough, taking a sip of your water to hide the flush of your cheeks. If only he knew Jeongguk was too busy with his tongue down your throat in the bathroom. The thought of what just went down in the bathroom had your stomach swirling in excitement. You hope the small smile on your face was not too obvious.  

“Is everything okay?” Dohyun’s voice is filled with concern. 

You’re snapped out of your thoughts at the sound of his question, looking up at him with wide eyes. You need to focus on the fact that you’re on a date with Dohyun right now and that you only have to endure this for a little bit longer before the food comes. 

Then you actually have to let Dohyun down politely. Honestly, you don’t even know why you don’t just get it over with right now. 

Jeongguk’s words echo in your head, telling you that it’s okay to think about yourself and turn Dohyun down. There’s no reason for you to be stretching this time out even longer. It’ll save him the heartbreak. It’s not like he was wrong. The further you lead Dohyun on, the more hurt he’ll be in the end when he finds out you do not reciprocate mutual feelings.

You also can’t forget the soft look in Jeongguk’s eyes. It was a look that you’d never seen on his face before and one that you didn’t think he was capable of showing considering his intimidating aura. But if there’s one thing you learned, it’s that Jeongguk is far from intimidating underneath all those piercings, ink, and black clothes. 

God, you just wanted this date to be over so you can tell Jeongguk to fuck off his shift for the night and go somewhere so the two of you can spend some time together. 

“Uh yeah, I’m okay,” You take a sip of your wine this time. “I’m fine. It’s just a little hot in here.” You’re praying he buys that excuse for your flushed face. You exaggerate it by fanning yourself with the menu listed with the different alcoholic beverages. 

“Oh no,” Dohyun looks worried. “Do you want to go somewhere else?” He asks seriously. 

“No no,” You wave off. “I’ll be okay. Thank you though.” You reassure him with a small smile. You are not about to drag this night out any longer. 

Dohyun nods though he looks a bit unconvinced. You fiddle with your fingers, unsure of what else to say. The silence between the two of you is awkward. You’re staring down into your lap while Dohyun opens and closes his mouth as if he wants to say something but holds himself back. 

“So Y/N,” You look up at Dohyun. “You probably already have an idea why I asked you out to dinner.” You try not to make it obvious when your eyes become a little wider, your heart dropping in your chest. “I mean..” He chuckles a bit, scratching the back of his neck. “We’ve known each other for so long. I remember watching you as a kid, thinking you’re the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.” You try to smile but you think it looks more like a grimace. 

“I remember when one of the kids your mom would set you up with for playdates was being so mean to me  but you just…came to the rescue and told them to leave me alone.” The memory was quite vivid to you only because ever since that day, you noticed how Dohyun would start bringing you small gifts like a flower from the garden or pieces of candy. “That’s when I knew I started to develop feelings for you.” 

And there it is. The expression on his face is filled with admiration and love as he stares at you intently, pouring his heart out to you and confessing his feelings. Something you’ve always feared because you knew that by the end of this, he was going to leave with a broken heart. You let yourself get way too far and led him to this point. Now it’s your job to end it. 

“I just really want to tell you that I’ve always loved–” 

Dohyun gets interrupted when Jeongguk arrives with a tray carrying your entrees. “Alright you guys, the food is here.” Dohyun’s face drops, falling silent at the interruption while you’re filled with relief, exhaling out a breath. You look up at Jeongguk only to catch him already looking at you, giving you a small wink that Dohyun isn’t able to see. 

“Filet mignon for you,” Jeongguk sets down the plate in front of Dohyun who thanks him in response with a polite smile. “And risotto for the pretty lady,” Jeongguk emphasizes pretty and you bite your lip to hide the smile that threatens to form on your face. 

“Thank you, Jeongguk,” Your foot brushes against his ankle purposely when you uncross your legs and he just looks at you with a certain glint in his eyes, a pierced eyebrow raised at the gesture. 

“No problem,” He clears his throat, breaking eye contact so it doesn’t look so obvious to Dohyun. “Is there anything else you guys need?” 

Dohyun looks at you in question and you shake your head as a no in response. He then looks back up at Jeongguk and gives him a grateful smile, “No, we’re good. Thanks, man.” 

“Yeah, no problem. I’ll be back to check on you guys,” He informed you and it sounded like he was mostly talking to you from the way he looks at you, eyes lingering before leaves. He needs to stop making it so damn obvious. 

“So…” Dohyun is about to start talking but you interrupt him. 

“Let’s eat, I’m starving,” You immediately pick up the fork and dig into the feed even though you had no appetite to consume food. If anything, you felt nauseous. You’re dreading the conversation that you’re about to have. 

“Wow,” Dohyun’s eyes are wide as he chews his food. “This steak is amazing.” He gushes, cutting into the meat with his knife and fork before holding it in your direction. “You need to try this.” 

You shake your head, “Oh no, I’m okay. Thank you though.” You politely decline and give him a grateful smile. 

“No seriously,” He responds. “You have to try this.” He seems persistent, wiggling his fork towards you with a bite of the tender-looking steak. You gulp, noticing how he’s leaning forward in anticipation with an eager look in his eyes. You’re about to lean forward, lips parted to take a bite but Jeongguk being the savior he is–God, you can just kiss him–comes back. 

“You guys look like you’re running low on wine so I brought some more,” Jeongguk chirps, moving Dohyun’s arm back so he can pour into the glass. You bite down on your lower lip to keep yourself from smiling widely, meeting Jeongguk’s eyes with a thankful expression. You opt to stare at his beautiful inked hands pouring into the wine glass as you try not to make it obvious when your hand secretly strokes his thigh. You hold back a laugh when you notice him slightly flinch out of surprise, jaw clenching, and eyes narrowed when he glances at you.

You feign a look of innocence and say, “Thank you for the wine.” You’re grateful that the table is high enough that Dohyun can’t see how Jeongguk takes his left hand while the right is still holding the bottle and squeezes your hand. 

Jeongguk clears his throat, 

“Thanks, Jeongguk,” Dohyun gives him an appreciative smile, “I was just trying to get Y/N to try the filet mignon.” 

“Oh yes,” Jeongguk says, attempting to sound professional and you bite back a laugh, “Many customers rave over the filet mignon. The cows were fed organic grass which is one of the reasons why it’s so delectable.” 

Organic grass? What the fuck is he even saying? 

You know damn well he’s trying to be funny but the way he said it with a straight face would make one think he’s serious. For example, Dohyun looked utterly fascinated by the thought. 

“Wow, are they really?” 

Jeongguk snorts but quickly covers it with a cough, “Yeah man. Don’t you know? Those cows are living their best life. Better than you and I,” Jeongguk takes the fork out of Dohyun’s hand and the other boy just stares at him, eyes wide in curiosity. He grabs the piece of steak that was originally meant for you and slides the bite into his mouth before giving Dohyun the fork back. Jeongguk scrunches up his face in delight, almost looking angry as he chews before he lets out a sigh and looks back at Dohyun. “Dare I say the cows are living a better life than Y/N too.” 

You cover your face, unable to hold back your giggles while Dohyun just looks confused now. Jeongguk has a small smile on his face as he glances at you, feeling accomplished for making you laugh so cutely. 

“I have to ask my uncle about this if it’s true,” Dohyun shakes his head, expression full of surprise as he looks deep in thought. “He owns a farm so maybe he can start doing that too.” 

Jeongguk looks like he’s trying not to burst out laughing this time but instead nods, “Yeah let me know what he says, man.” 

“Jeongguk, Suho is calling you to the back,” A waiter whispers into his ear, “Like now.” 

“Now?” Jeongguk asks and the other waiter nods. He looks back at you and sees you swallow nervously. This means Jeongguk can no longer save you from delaying this any further. It’s either now or never. 

You look back at Jeongguk and give him a reassuring nod in a subtle manner to tell him it’s okay if he leaves. He glances over at Dohyun, noticing how the other boy is tapping his foot impatiently beneath the table as if waiting for Jeongguk to leave so he can pick up where he left off. 

“Alright,” Jeongguk clears his throat, “Looks like I’m needed in the back. Are you guys good?” He asks, mostly directing the question at you based on the direct eye contact he makes, eyebrow raised. 

You give him an appreciative smile, “I’m good. Thank you, Jeongguk.” 

“Me too. Thanks, Jeongguk!” Dohyun says a slight eagerness following his tone. 

“Okay cool, be right back.” He tells you, sending you a small comforting smile. You let out a deep breath, looking over at Dohyun who’s already staring at you with a nervous expression on his face. 

“Y/N, there’s something I need to tell you. I’ve been meaning to tell you for so long but…” Dohyun twiddles with his fingers resting on top of the table. “I would just get so nervous and chicken out,” He chuckles at himself with a shake of his head. “I’ve always admired you and your kindness. Your kindness is what drew me to you more than anything. Comforting people when they’re upset and going out of your way to make them feel better.” Your lips turn up into a small smile at his words but your chest aches out of guilt with what you’re about to do. “Basically, what I’m trying to tell you is that…I uh really really like you. I’ve liked you since we were kids. Maybe even love.” Dohyun lets out a quivering laugh, avoiding eye contact. “I was wondering if you’d give me a chance.” 

Your throat feels like it’s closing up as you hear his words, processing them clearly. The feeling of your heart pounding against your chest and beating in your ears, your face feeling warm and flushed. You look down at your hands in your lap, playing with the ring on your index finger as you let out a shaky breath through your lips. 

“Dohyun…you’ve always been a sweet guy,” You begin, “So selfless and always thinking of others.” You add and he nods, a smile playing on his lips from your compliment. “But I…I’m sorry,” You feel your eyes stinging as you notice the smile vanish from his face, lips pursing in despair. “I don’t see you that way.” You finally say. 

His face crumples a bit, shoulders and head dropping as soon as the words leave your lips. He looks down into his lap and you swear you can hear him sniffling a bit. The silence between you two is almost deafening, the sound of other customers and cutlery being the only thing you hear. 

“I’m really sorry,” You say again, eyes welling up a bit because of how bad you feel. “I probably shouldn’t have even said yes to you because it seems like I’ve led you on but I just didn’t know how to tell you no.” 

Dohyun just nods in response, not moving a single inch from his position and his lack of words is killing you. You notice Jeongguk peeking at you from behind the door, locking eyes with you. He immediately notices the sorrowful look on your face, stepping forward to approach you but you quickly shake your head. 

Not yet, you try to tell him. You think this conversation needs to end with closure. You don’t want to leave without making sure he’s okay. You know he’s not okay and he probably won’t be for some time. He’s had feelings for you for so long, he must feel so crushed by your rejection. 

When Dohyun finally lifts his head up to look at you, you feel your chest ache at his red-rimmed eyes and quivering lips. “Y-You won’t even give me a chance? Like… not even if I take you on more dates a-and maybe let you get to know me better?” He wipes his nose with the back of his hand, sniffling. 

You shake your head, a sad smile on your lips. “I’m sorry…I just,” You look over at Jeongguk who’s talking to another customer while constantly glancing at you in concern. “I like someone else.” You tell him, feeling like absolute shit. You just didn’t know what else you could’ve told him for him to completely let you go. You had to tell him the truth. 

His face shows pure anguish, looking completely defeated. “So I-I don’t stand a chance against him?” He asks, voice hoarse. 

“I’m sorry,” is the only thing you think you can say in response to that. 

He just nods, head hanging low and lets out a quiet. “Okay.” 

“Everything good?” Jeongguk decides to cut in, saving you from this painful moment. 

Dohyun just looks up and Jeongguk in response and nods solemnly, “Yeah can we get the check please?” 

“Uh yeah sure,” Jeongguk responds. “Boxes?” 

“No thanks,” Dohyun immediately says, his voice cracking. “Y/N,” He looks at you properly for the first time. “Do you think I can get a r-ride home? I-I just don’t think I can…” He looks like he’s about to have a breakdown so you immediately cut in. 

“It’s okay. Don’t even worry about it.” Your voice is soft, feeling like you need to speak to him in a delicate manner because he may break any second. “I’ll call my driver.” 

“Okay,” Dohyun nods. “I’m gonna go. I’ll see you on Monday.” He says quickly before getting up swiftly. There’s a fresh set of tears in his eyes and he nods at Jeongguk. Head hanging low with his feet dragging across the floor, he walks towards the door without looking back. 

You stare at the door, never feeling this much guilt and regret in your life. Guilt for turning him down but also regret even accepting this date. You think saying yes to the date probably gave him high hopes that you had feelings for him in return. You should’ve come clean at the pool when he asked you out in the first place.  

“Oh god,” You cover your face with both hands. “I feel so awful. I feel so fucking awful. I can’t believe he cried.” Your throat feels tight and painful, unable to get the image of your head. 

“Hey hey,” Jeongguk looks around before kneeling beside you, hand on your arm, “It’s okay. You had to do it okay?” You nod but don’t move your hands away from your face. 

“I know I just can’t forget the look on his face,” You whisper into your hands. “I just feel so bad.” 

“I know Y/N. That wasn’t an easy thing to do,” Jeongguk acknowledges, rubbing his hand up and down your back in a comforting manner. 

Not only do you feel like a total asshole right now, you’re a little embarrassed at the fact that Jeongguk is seeing you on the verge of bursting into tears but you cannot help yourself. 

“Hey listen,” His voice is gentle and you feel him move closer to you, his chest pressing against your knee. “A lot of these people are looking at us and I don’t know if they know who you are but I don’t want it spreading around that you were crying in this boujee ass restaurant in the headlines tomorrow.” You chuckle a little taking the napkin he’s holding out for you, patting it beneath your eyes. 

“Thank you,” You say quietly, unable to look him in the eyes. 

“Of course,” He clears his throat. “I’m about to finish my shift soon. Um if you want, I can give you a ride home?” He offers before quickly adding. “Only if you want to. I won’t be offended if you just want your driver to pick you up.”

You finally look at him for the first time, taking slightly widened doe eyes, face looking soft. He’s tugging at the piercing on his lower lip, a nervous habit you’ve noticed from the time you’ve spent with him. 

“I would really appreciate that,” You inform him with a grateful smile. 

His shoulders visibly relax at your answer, a sigh escaping his lips. 

“Thank God you said that,” He pretends to wipe the sweat off his forehead, “I don’t think I was ready to handle the rejection.” He tells you and you feel like there’s some underlying truth to that. 

“The dude I’m crushing on is offering me a ride, who am I to say no?” You say bravely and he freezes, eyes wide and full of surprise with how you say that without a single stutter. 

“D-Dude you’re crushing on me?” He repeats, bringing his hand up to point his index finger at him. “Am I the dude you’re crushing on?” He asks in disbelief. 

You give him an ‘Are you joking’ look, pushing at his shoulder. “Who else is offering me a ride home here?” You ask him. 

“I’m sure tons of people would. You’re beautiful.” He says easily and you flush, not expecting that response at all. 

“Oh,” You look down at your lap with a smile on your lips. Feeling so flustered by his compliment, you change the subject. “Is it wrong to do all this after I just broke someone’s heart?” You ask him. 

Jeongguk shakes his head, “No, you did what you had to do, Y/N.” You nod, a slightly guilty expression appearing on your face once again. “Here,” He pulls out what looks like car keys from his back pocket. “Do you want to wait in my car while I finish up here?” 

You nod, grabbing the keys from him with a smile, “I’ll wait.” You grab your purse, pulling the strap onto your shoulder. Jeongguk also stands up from his kneeling position, brushing his black pants. 

Once you stand up, you have to peer up to look at him. Even with your heels on you, you’re still barely reaching his damn shoulder. 

Are you really that short or is he just super tall? 

“By the way,” You start, causing him to immediately pause from picking up the plate and giving you his full attention with the way he turns his body to look at you, eyes meeting yours. For some reason that makes your heart flutter. “Can you charge the dinner on my card?” You open your purse to pull out your tiny card holder. “It’s the least I can do for Dohyun.” You add, handing him the card. 

Jeongguk looks down at the card in his hand as if it’s the most fascinating thing he’s ever seen, eyes squinting before widening. He holds the card up to the light as if inspecting it before bringing it back down and closer to his face again.

“Um, is everything okay?” You ask in confusion. 

“Did you just hand me a black card?” His voice is full of surprise, mouth slightly ajar. 

“Yeah…” You trail off, looking down at your feet. 

Great, he must think you’re a spoiled brat. 

“Do you know the amount of unnecessary and useless shit I would buy if I had one of these?” He holds the card in his fingers as if it’s fine china. 

“I mean you can,” You respond and he just looks at you in disbelief.

“Baby you’re too sweet but I never thought about getting sugar mama.” He smirks before adding, “At least not anymore.” Your heart flutters and you try not to squeal at the fact that he casually called you ‘baby’. 

This man is trying to kill you. 

You pretend to act unbothered by his words with a roll of your eyes, shoving at his shoulder, “Shut up before I make you pay for this dinner.” You threaten and he immediately closes his mouth, turning towards the table. You laugh in response, shaking your head at him. 

“I’ll be out in 10 minutes,” He tells you and you nod, a smile on your face as you step towards the door already feeling a lot better just by talking to him. 

[regretevator-headcanons]

the pronouns for every single NPC in regretevator

note: if i put in "NO PRONOUNS", the character's pronouns are unknown. i know there are people who prefer to be called by their name, but for the sake of this list there are no characters that are nameself.

can enter elevator

Bive: she/her

DrRETRO: she/her

fafa2: it/its

Fish: they/them (Wiki)

FleshCousin: it/its

Frog: NO PRONOUNS

Gnarpy: xe/they

Infected: he/any

Jermbo: he/him

Lampert: he/him

Mannequin Mark: he/any

MRManueverer: NO PRONOUNS

MR: it/its

PartyNoob: they/them

Pest: he/they

Pilby: they/them

Prototype: he/they

RAT: NO PRONOUNS

Reddy: it/they

Scag: she/her

Split: she/her

Spud!: any

Unpleasant Gradient: any

Wallter: he/any

WilliamPlayz57: he/him

recurring/passive/shop NPCs

Crem: they/any

Nightmare Parasite: she/her

Enphoso: it/any

fafa: NO PRONOUNS

gragh: he/him

Gregoriah: he/him

Jaoba: he/him

Mach: she/her

Mannequins: they/them

Poptart/p0pt4rt: he/him

Yum Zlurplie: any

hostile npcs

Buck: NO PRONOUNS

Clover: he/any

Döug: any

Enphoso: it/any

Jeremy: any

RockMan/RockMen: he/they

Scary Mike: it/its

Speeding Wall: NO PRONOUNS

TARMITE: it/its

The Follower: NO PRONOUNS

The Cashier: he/him

Toothy: any

Toothette: any

Glevil: they/any

other npcs

Admire: it/its

Boots: they/them

Bread_Angle: he/him

Brock Throckmorton: he/any

Bugbo: he/him

BURIEDANDGONE: they/them

Cerebrum Melter: it/its

Dobe: it/its

Duck: it/its

Dummy: it/its

Eccles: it/its

Emerson: he/him

EmoTeenager: he/him

Finger: he/it

Gam: NO PRONOUNS

Giggler: it/its

Giant/Char/Flesh Ogre: they/them

Gradient Joe: he/him

James Dixon: he/him

Jimbo: they/them

Jimmy: he/him

Mannequin (Hole in the Wall): they/them

Mannequin Sam: it/its

maxim008: he/him

Miché: he/him

Mozelle: she/her[?]

Mr Jungles: it/its

NULL: they/them

OPPA GANGNAM STYLE!: he/him

Pebble: it/its

RacerMan: NO PRONOUNS

rat (Lobby): NO PRONOUNS

Red Lou: it/its

Richard: it/its

Sab: he/any

Sarah: she/her

SComics: NO PRONOUNS

Sheppard, Glenn, Leo, and Allen: they/them

Slimyim: any

SONIC!!!: they/them

Stat: NO PRONOUNS

Stone Merchant: they/them

SwibbleDib: any

Turret Joey: they/them

UNO, DOS, and TRES: they/them

[baeksu-krp]

Nome: Oh Dodam Faceclaim: Ha Yoon Kyung, Atriz Data de nascimento e idade: 11.11.1992 — 31 anos Gênero: Feminino Etnia e nacionalidade: Sul-coreana, Coreia do Sul

Moradia: Gangnam-gu Ocupação: Dona, Lemon Tree Flower Shop Qualidades: Carismática, Dedicada Defeitos: Irritadiça, Impulsiva User: @bks_dodam

TW: N/A

Filha única, Oh Dodam nasceu em Chonju e foi criada por seus pais e avós, uma família com uma longa tradição de amor pelas flores. Seus pais, apaixonados por jardinagem, cultivavam um grandioso jardim bem cuidado até os dias de hoje, onde Dodam passou grande parte de sua infância, rodeada por flores que eram coadjuvantes nas mirabolantes historias que vivenciou ali até o final de sua adolescência. Seus avós e bisavós eram conhecidos na comunidade por suas habilidades espetaculares para criarem arranjos criativos e únicos, coisa que aprendeu junto aos mais velhos desde pequena.

Quando chegou a hora de escolher sua carreira, Dodam decidiu seguir sua paixão e se matriculou na Universidade Nacional de Seul, onde estudou botânica e design floral. Sua criatividade e paixão eram notáveis, se destacando pelo estilo único e ao mesmo tempo delicado nos arranjos. Seu estilo distintivo, que misturava influências tradicionais coreanas com técnicas contemporâneas, chamou a atenção de seus professores e colegas.

Após a conclusão do curso, Dodam decidiu explorar o mundo além da Coreia do Sul, pegando suas economias e se aventurando em viagens arriscadas e de baixo custo. Ela viajou para diferentes países, absorvendo a riqueza das diversas tradições e estilos de arranjos florais. Essas experiências enriquecedoras a ajudaram a aprimorar ainda mais suas habilidades e a se tornar uma verdadeira artista floral internacional, deixando um pouquinho de si em cada floricultura ou evento que participava. A internet foi uma grande aliada em sua jornada, ganhando reconhecimento internacional pelo seu trabalho.

Ao retornar para a Coreia do Sul, Dodam decidiu abrir sua própria floricultura em Seul, onde podia compartilhar sua paixão e conhecimento com a comunidade local, mesmo distante de sua cidade natal! Além de fornecer uma ampla variedade de flores exóticas e locais, Dodam organizava workshops e eventos para ensinar as pessoas sobre a magia das flores e a arte da jardinagem.

Após a abertura da Lemon Tree Flower Shop, nome inspirado no grande limoeiro que ainda está no jardim de sua casa de infância, Dodam enfrentou desafios comuns a todos os empreendedores, mas sua dedicação e amor pelo que fazia a permitiram se manter forte, fazendo o possível e impossível para conquistar seu cantinho em ichon-dong. Sua floricultura tornou-se um ponto de encontro para amantes de flores de todo o mundo e entusiastas da jardinagem, um lugar onde a beleza da natureza era celebrada em cada arranjo meticulosamente criado por suas mãos.

Fora de sua loja, Dodam se tornou uma figura querida na comunidade, conhecida não apenas por sua perícia floral, mas também por seu coração generoso e espírito acolhedor. Sua presença é uma fonte de luz e alegria para todos ao seu redor, cheia de piadas e bom humor, chega a ser cômico o contraste de personalidade quando está longe do trabalho ou de eventos, onde mantem uma postura seria e dedicada a sua paixão.

OOC: +18 Triggers: N/A Temas de interesse: Todos