#was out of town the last two weekends for a concert... hehe

[tbzhours]

perfect timing

younghoon x you, soulmate au, strangers to lovers au, fluff

[summary] you start to feel what your soulmate is feeling when the timer on your wrist starts to fall from day 100 and there’s a little secret that plays along with it. you and younghoon won’t know until you both meet. [words] 2k

Soulmate, you never liked the idea of it. That’s because all of your friends have found theirs except you, leaving you being the outcast (that was how you felt but they would never tease you about it or leave you when you needed them, considering the good friends they were). Of course, that sort of idea didn’t cross your mind until you felt overwhelmed with school work, perhaps with the fact that finals were arriving at your front door. 

You found yourself sobbing after an afternoon class, your plate untouched in the dining hall of your dorm building. Luckily, it was past 3pm, a time when most students weren’t eating. Your heavy backpack was still hung over your shoulders, you didn’t realize (oh the irony of how you were feeling right then). You didn’t feel like bothering your friends because you knew they were probably feeling the same about the next few weeks of exams and big projects. 

You suddenly drifted into a thought of your soulmate. It was unintentional, as if you were just trying to think of something or someone that you wanted to lean onto from everything that was going through your stressful mind. Tears kept falling, but you sat there quietly, not even realizing how it was affecting your soulmate, Younghoon. 

He was just in the middle of playing some video games with his friends when he was suddenly hit by something. He couldn’t explain what it was as it was hurting him from the inside.  

“Oh my god, why are you crying?” Hyunjae, one of his friends, asked when he slapped his arm. 

“What? No, I’m not.” Younghoon touched his face, drying the unclaimed tear on his cheek before he looked at his hand, his eyes widened at the unforeseen sight. 

“Dude, you didn’t have to cry for being third place. It’s just a game.” Jacob laughed, clapping his hands at his side. 

“It’s not the game. I think something just hit me.” Younghoon protested, his eyes furrowed at his friends with a defensive look, then he looked down and away with a quieter voice. “Like, I just suddenly feel stressed and a little suffocating.” 

“Seriously, chill. We’ve played this so many times. No need to cry over it.” Juyeon grinned, a laugh filled with surprise following his words. 

“It must finally hit him.” Jacob said to himself, his hand tapping on his chin in a thinking mode. 

“What hit him?” Juyeon asked, blinking in confusion at him. 

“The stress from upcoming finals.” Jacob shrugged back. He then shook his head and placed a hand on Younghoon’s shoulder. “I feel you, man.” 

“I’m not stress though.” Younghoon shook his head, his voice was shaking as he sniffed. Then he whined at them. “I don’t know what’s going on!” 

“If it’s not stress, and that the game wasn’t helping then…” Sangyeon tilted his head and looked at Younghoon as their eyes met. All eyes watched Sangyeon before it clicked in his mind as he snapped his fingers at Younghoon. “It’s definitely your soulmate.” 

Younghoon’s eyes widened as Jacob, Juyeon and Hyunjae all went to him, pulling at his arm until they all saw the timer engraved on his wrist. 

99 days 7 hours 34 minutes 58 seconds 

Younghoon didn’t even notice it before and it was starting to scare him a little more than it should as he screamed with his friends. 

You, on the other hand, hadn’t noticed the timer on your wrist until two weeks later. Some of your friends came over to hang out one night when one of them noticed it. You were making some smoothies with the fruits you bought at the store for the hangout. Your friends thought it was unusual of you to do that since you would usually rather head back to your dorm to rest right after studying with them. While you had your hand over the spinning blender to hold it down, one of your friends in the kitchen at your side suddenly screamed in surprise when they saw the timer on your wrist. 

87 days 22 hours 56 minutes 12 seconds 

“No wonder you were so hyped about this hangout!” Your friend said, smiling in joy when all of your friends came over to you as they wondered what the fuss was about. She wasn’t wrong. Your ears turned red as you remembered inviting them over to refresh their minds from studying all day together. You were feeling pumped about it then and didn’t find it odd until just now. Your friend looked over behind you both and called to the other friends, “Yo! Remember how we always tease about Y/N being the last to find their soulmate? Well, not anymore! Look!” 

She showed your wrist at them as they all ran to you, some screaming in happiness and some in surprise. 

You smiled along with them, feeling overwhelmed from their sudden realization as you thought of your soulmate, blaming whoever that was for making you do things that you don’t usually do. 

It went on for weeks, you feeling what your soulmate was feeling and Younghoon feeling what you were feeling. You always felt his happiness while walking to class or randomly while studying alone at night in your room. There had not been a time when you felt sad from your soulmate because you were easily stressed from your school work. Of course, you wouldn’t know that it was affecting Younghoon still as he wanted to end that feeling by forcing himself to smile so you would too. 

You quickly learned that your soulmate was typically a happy person while Younghoon figured you might always needed a hand when it came to doing things you didn’t want to do. It made him want to give you hugs of comfort and maybe something sweet to drink, like hot chocolate, and maybe take you on a nice walk where you could clear your mind. 

Luckily, the day you both would meet was finally here. Younghoon had stopped crying after finals was over (he was glad because he couldn’t stand crying at the wrong place anymore; he would feel so embarrassed if you knew about you making him cry during one of his final exams) and you were still receiving his cheerful feelings (you were glad for one reason when you felt confident in doing a final presentation for a class after feeling so nervous about it; it was that good to say that it was perfect timing). 

You were walking down the street after running to the grocery store after work. You had noticed the 20 minute mark on your wrist at the store but forgot about it when you got out. You probably got lost in the heated air of the hot weather and couldn’t wait to get back to your dorm so the air conditioner would blast on your face. You sighed, looking at the evening sky when you stopped at the crosswalk as you waited for it to change. 

Younghoon was coming from a hangout with his friends at a restaurant where he headed out early because of the ending timer on his wrist while they had cheered for him as he left. He didn’t even know where he was going, but he kept walking and running until he stopped at the same crosswalk as you but on the other end. 

21, 20, 19, 18… 

He was catching his breath as he looked up and saw you looking at the side for cars from across the street. At that moment, he felt as if he knew you were his soulmate when he looked at his wrist and back at you. 

12, 11, 10, 9… 

You looked forward this time, noticing the cross lights about to change as the cars slowed down. 

5, 4, 3, 2, 1… 

Your eyes watched the lights change as you started to walk across the street until your eyes met Younghoon’s. You looked at your wrist, hanging in the middle of the street and only caught the one second mark before the timer disappeared. You looked back up at Younghoon and there was no doubt in your mind that he was your soulmate. 

You both were sitting on a bench near the crosswalk where you both had just met. It was quiet as you both were listening to the evening sounds. You thought it would usually be awkward with it being the first time you both met, but instead, you found it comforting. He did too when he turned to you and smiled. There was some sort of connection between you two, you could feel it when you looked at him too. 

After introducing yourselves and learning of some interests, Younghoon suddenly asked, “Do you want to go out for some coffee tomorrow?” 

He couldn’t help to ask. It was getting late already, and he thought using a date to get to know each other more would be a great start for you both. Besides, he wanted to know what’s been making you cry so much as he could only laugh about it now. 

As for you, you couldn’t decline his wish. After giving him your answer, you both exchanged phone numbers. You bet your friends would tease you about your soulmate even more while Younghoon bet his friends would never leave him alone about you for the rest of the night. You both wouldn’t mind it though. 

Quickly bidding goodbyes and exchanges of “I’ll text you tonight” and “Get back safely”, you both headed back to your dorms with your rushing hearts. You both constantly looked back to check if he would also look back too. That would only make you both blush away when both of your eyes meet. 

When Younghoon came to pick you up the next day, he told you the secret of why he kept crying when you did as you both went out for some coffee. “It’s because you were thinking of me.” 

“How did you know?” You asked, looking at him with a confused look. Younghoon held in his laugh, though there were funny sounds coming from his blowfish-like cheeks. 

“I heard from my roommates. I bet you found yourself happy at the most random time too.” He shrugged, a sneaky smirk formed on his face. It finally clicked in your mind that it was true and your face flushed at the thought of him thinking of you when it happened.

“I’ve been meaning to ask about that.” You laughed, looking forward but at the ground in front of your walking feet. “What were you doing then that made you so happy?” 

“Well, it’s nothing much.” He turned to see your hidden frown and he smiled. “Maybe the first time you made me cry made me realize, I should make you smile.” 

“That sounds so enduring. Thank you.” You said, bumping your elbow on his arm as he smirked. 

Younghoon looked at you with a soft smile that was filled with a pinch of regret. “I guess I probably didn’t think about you as much as I should back then. But now that I found you, you’ll be in my mind every day.” He could see your blushing face but wouldn’t tease you just yet. He smiled cheekily at the side and looked at his feet too. “What about you? You seem to think of me when you cry.” 

You turned to look at him and smirked, “Finals were killing me. I’m just glad the semester is over, and that I found you too.” 

Younghoon grabbed your hand, locking them together. You both could feel the electric shock from the touch momentary until it disappeared when it started to rain, the first few drips wetting your hands first. You looked up at the cloudy sky, Younghoon following before he pulled your hoodie over your head. He did the same with his as he started to run, pulling you with him. 

You laughed with him as you both ran in the rain in your matching looks, not realizing he was taking a different route to the coffee shop you both planned to go to. Younghoon looked back at you with his beaming smile and thought, the coffee could wait.

[oldiesstationlover11607]

Omg, your singer x Tyler fic was so good! I’m not one of your regular anons, but if possible, can I request either a part two to that story, or another Singer x Twenty One Pilots fic (can be either Tyler or Josh)?

Backstage Part 2 - Tyler Joseph x Singer!Reader

Warnings: Nothing hehe

Word Count: 1264

A/N: Hope this is okay! Wasn't really sure where to take a part 2 lol

It had been months since that night—since Tyler and I had decided to take things “one step at a time.” And yet, somehow, here I was, standing backstage again, staring at my phone and grinning at a message that had just come through.

Tyler: Front row tonight, as promised. You’re gonna kill it, as always.

I couldn't help but laugh, the familiar surge of excitement building in my chest. Tyler was in town for a few days, and even though his schedule was just as hectic as mine, he had promised to make it to my show tonight. Over the last few months, we had found a rhythm that worked for us, even if it was far from conventional. A text here, a call there. A weekend visit squeezed between tour stops. It was messy and chaotic, but it worked.

As I looked at myself in the dressing room mirror, I thought about how much had changed since that first night. I wasn’t as nervous anymore—not about performing or about seeing Tyler. What had started as something new and exciting had blossomed into something deeper, something I hadn’t expected but couldn’t imagine my life without now. Tyler had become someone I could talk to, someone who understood the pressures of this life in a way few others could.

I glanced at my phone again, smiling at his words. Front row. He kept his promises.

“Y/N, we’re ready for you,” my manager called from outside the door.

I stood, taking a deep breath. Showtime. And tonight, knowing Tyler was out there, waiting to hear me sing, made it all the more thrilling.

The concert flew by in a blur of lights, music, and energy. I could feel the crowd’s excitement from the very first note, but my eyes kept drifting to that familiar face in the front row. Tyler was standing there, a smile tugging at his lips, his eyes never leaving me. Every time our gazes met, it sent a rush through me, making me sing harder, perform with even more passion.

When the final song ended and I stepped off stage, sweaty and exhilarated, I could still feel his presence like a soft hum in the back of my mind. I didn’t need to see him to know he was still there, waiting.

As I walked down the hallway toward my dressing room, I heard his voice before I saw him.

“You were amazing tonight.”

I turned to find him leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed casually, but the warmth in his eyes was anything but casual. He pushed off the wall and walked toward me, and before I could respond, he pulled me into a hug. His familiar scent filled my senses, and I melted into him, wrapping my arms around his waist.

“You say that every time,” I teased, pulling back just enough to look up at him.

“That’s because it’s true every time,” he said, his smile softening.

I blushed, unable to help the grin spreading across my face. “Thanks. It helps having a great audience.”

We stood there for a moment, neither of us in a rush to move. It was in these small, stolen moments that everything else—the tours, the pressure, the chaos of our lives—faded away. It was just me and him, and nothing else mattered. We moved to the couch, tangling ourselves together as he held me close. As much as I wanted to stay wrapped up in this moment, the reality of our lives loomed over us.

“You’re leaving tomorrow, right?” I asked, my voice quieter now, not wanting to break the peacefulness between us but knowing it was inevitable.

Tyler nodded, his expression softening. “Yeah. We’ve got a festival in a few days. I’m flying out early in the morning.”

I knew this was part of the deal—he was in a band, and I was on my own tour. Our lives didn’t exactly lend themselves to long stretches of time together. But still, every time he left, it stung a little more.

“We’ll figure it out,” Tyler said, as if reading my mind. He reached out, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. “We always do.”

I smiled, trying to push aside the ache that was slowly creeping in. “Yeah, I know we will.”

The rest of the night was quieter than usual. We went back to my hotel, ordered room service, and spent the evening curled up on the couch, watching some random movie that neither of us was really paying attention to. We talked in that lazy, comfortable way that comes when you’re with someone you feel completely at ease with. Tyler told me stories from the tour—about how Josh had accidentally broken his drum head mid-set, and about the new songs they were working on. I told him about my latest album, the one I had been working on in between shows, the one that was slowly starting to take shape.

It wasn’t until the early hours of the morning, when the sky was just starting to lighten, that we finally said goodbye. Tyler’s flight was in a few hours, and as much as I hated it, I knew he had to go.

“Don’t go,” I whined, knowing it was hopeless. I grasped onto his arm, trying to hold him back as we stood by the door. 

He smiled, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “I’ll miss you too.”

And just like that, he was gone, leaving a familiar emptiness in his wake.

Weeks passed, and life continued its usual whirlwind pace. I threw myself into my music, pouring everything into the new album, but there was always a part of me that was waiting for the next call, the next text, the next stolen moment with Tyler. Our relationship had become a delicate balance—one that I was constantly afraid might tip too far one way or the other. But every time we managed to make it work, it felt like a small victory.

Then, one evening, as I was sitting in my hotel room after another long day in the studio, my phone rang. It was Tyler.

“Hey,” I answered, smiling automatically at the sound of his voice.

“Hey,” he said, but there was something different in his tone—something nervous.

I frowned. “Everything okay?”

There was a pause on the other end, and when he spoke again, his voice was softer. “I’ve been thinking… about us. About this.”

My heart skipped a beat. “What about it?”

“I don’t want to keep doing this halfway,” he admitted, his words coming out in a rush. “I don’t want to keep feeling like we’re always just squeezing in time whenever we can. I know our lives are insane, but… I want more.”

His words hung in the air, heavy and hopeful all at once. And as much as I had been trying to avoid it, I realized that I wanted more too. I wanted something real, something solid. Something that wasn’t always just waiting for the next show to end or the next flight to land.

“I want that too,” I said softly. “But how do we do that with everything going on?”

“I don’t know yet,” Tyler admitted. “But I think we can figure it out. Together.”

For the first time in a long while, I felt a sense of certainty settle over me. We didn’t have all the answers, but maybe that was okay. Maybe all we needed was the willingness to try.

“Together,” I echoed, feeling a smile tug at my lips.

One step at a time.

//

REQUESTS OPEN

[leejeongz]

first kiss with CIX

requested: yes, by anon

🔅thanks for requesting! i hope you like it 🥺 i’m so sorry it took so long, i wanted to take my time with it hehe🔅

a/n- from now on, i am not going to add gifs to reactions. i am aware that some gifs creators aren’t happy when people use them and so i don’t want to fuel their anger anymore as i can completely understand their point.

💙bx:

even though he was your boyfriend, you’d still never been to byounggon’s apartment. you’d always pictured what it would look like. probably lots of clothes, lots of colour, maybe some abstract art on the wall. he was always eager for you to come over but you didn’t want to intrude or overstay your welcome. plus you hadn’t been dating for that long and it just didn’t feel right yet.

“i’m going into town to pick up some stuff for lunch” you replied to byounggon’s whiney message asking what you were doing today.

“can’t you come over instead? i miss you” he replied in an instant. he must be bored, you thought, wrapping your favourite scarf around your neck and heading out.

you were closer to the shops than to your house when you felt a few droplets of rain splash onto your head, followed by many more. “a bit of rain never hurt anyone” you thought, continuing to walk. some time passed, your walking pace had gotten slower, your nose has gotten redder, and byounggon had gotten more anxious thinking you could be out there, catching a cold. a single clash of thunder and you were straight on the phone to your boyfriend. “okay i’ll come over now” you blurted out, half joking half not. he asked many times again and again just to confirm that you were indeed, coming over and until every sense of a joke had disappeared.

you arrived at his apartment looking like a drowned rat.

“cute” he patted your dripping wet hair as you entered. “there’s some clothes on the sofa” he shouted to you while shutting the door “you can change in the bathroom if you like. there’s a towel on the radiator too.”

you cautiously picked up the clothes and walked gingerly to his bathroom. while in there, you realised you didn’t even take in your surroundings, did it look like you’d imagined? you’d never imagined the toilet before so you couldn’t really say at this point but-. your thoughts were cut off by the sound of speakers crackling.

you went to see what the awful noise was, luckily you’d gotten dressed by this point but that didn’t even cross your mind.

“even cuter” he said, turning from his “music corner” to face you looking all cozy and warm in his oversized hoodie and sweats. you walked closer to him to see what song he was playing, it sounded familiar and less crackly than before.as you got closer his arms stretched out. the sleeves of his black hoodie covered his hands, which he soon pulled out to rest on your waist.

“can i kiss you?” he asked politely in a soft voice. you shyly nodded at him in response.

you leaned in and your lips met. his lips were a little chapped and yours weren’t in the best state either because of the weather, but it was definitely something you never wanted to forget. he didn’t rush it, but it wasn’t too slow either, it was filled with love and care. usually you’d curse the rain for ruining your plans, but today was an exception.

💛seunghun:

you weren’t even dating yet, but jfc everyone knew you would be soon. somehow you’d become friends with the popular guy, the one who sat with the IT girls for lunch, the one who could always be seen at festivals and concerts at the weekend, the one who everyone wanted to be with. it all started when you exchanged disgusted looks across the classroom when some delinquent said they ate banana on pizza, and from then, many snaps were sent, many seating plans were changed because he was “getting distracted” and he’d even started sitting with you and your friends some days for lunch, which the popular clique weren’t too impressed about.

you’d never been to his house before but that was about to change. you arrived at his front door and were greeted by two rather large dogs barking and a panicked seunghun. he hurried you upstairs since he gathered they could be pretty scary when you meet them for the first time. you sat on the edge of his bed after being told to make yourself comfortable.

here” he handed you his gaming controller “pick something to watch” you were quite relieved that he wasn’t going to make you play some weird game that you knew you’d lose at. instead you put on white chicks, which you had both seen numerous times before.

it wasn’t long before you both had gotten bored of the film and your phone battery was just a tiny red slither. footsie had been played countless times but you were enjoying each other’s company so you didn’t wanna announce that you were bored. before you knew it, seunghun had snatched your phone from your hands “i’ll charge it for you” he said, plugging it in.

there was nothing left to do other than mess with your nails. seunghun rolled onto his side and looked at you for a second before asking you “have you kissed many guys?” it was abrupt and you probably thought his intentions weren’t in the right place, but he couldn’t help what just came out of his mouth.

“a few” you responded. you picked at your nailed some more, staring at them like they were the most interesting thing in the world. “have you kissed many people?” you retaliated.

“some” he responded, rolling back onto his back. “do you maybe-“ this time he stopped to think before continuing “want one? from me i mean.”

you smiled to yourself before turning to face him. “sure”.

it didn’t last very long, his right hand was on your cheek while your left hand naturally found its way to the back of his neck. your cheeks were definitely bright red, but his temperature indicated that he was probably the same.

“you have no idea how long i’ve wanted to do that for” he smiled, pulling away. “so is this our first date?” he asked outright

“do you want it to be?” you avoided the question, making him answer it. you definitely wanted it to be, but whatever you said you knew he’d tease you.

“no i thought i’d just kiss you as a friend” he rolled his eyes, going in for another.

🤍yonghee:

three dates in and you were pretty sure that you liked him, and that he liked you back. he’d taken you to his favourite cafe without even realising it was your favourite too, he’d taken you to a art gallery which was a pretty big deal, you thought, and you’d just finished your date at the park. you packed away all the empty boxes into your picnic basket to throw away when you got home and he helped, brushing hands occasionally which made your heart go crazy every time.

“this was really nice, i’m glad the weather didn’t change” he chucked, bringing his legs to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. he looked at you for a reaction but you just smiled, not even looking in his direction. “you do feel the same way, right?” he asked, bewildered by your silence.

you finally glanced up at him “yes i do” it was quite formal looking back but at least you told him.

“then why the shyness?” he asked, almost saddened by your sudden change in character.

“because i didn’t wanna come off as too… much” you said. “i didn’t want you to see me go beetroot red either like now but here we are” you laughed, getting back to your normal self to get rid of the awkwardness.

“you’re so cute” he cooed whilechuckling, moving his arms to balance himself while he leaned over to give you a gentle kiss.

you didn’t fight it. it’s what you wanted since day one. but you were nervous and it was unexpected, you didn’t want him to think you weren’t enjoying it but you barely moved.

“was that too much?” he pulled back slowly, slightly embarrassed.

“no” you replied softly with an unmovable smile on your face. you looked back over to him, he had one eye shut and the other was squinting. you moved your head to block the sun and smiled widely at him. “can we do that again?” you asked innocently.

“please” he laughed a little, leaning in once again. this time you lead the kiss, proving to him that you felt the same way as him. his hand slowly made its way to your waist. you jumped slightly which made him smile into the kiss. your stomach flipped every time you realised what was going on and you were getting more flustered by the second, but of course yonghee found it adorable and it made him smile even more.

🖤jinyoung:

it was very rare that you and jinyoung got free time together, alone. you’re not even sure if you’d had any since getting together. you always had work to do or exams to prepare for or family matters to deal with. he was always dancing or studying or with his family too. you made do with the little time you had together but it always left you both wanting to share more intimate moments. you could only do so much on facetime.

“why aren’t you at school?” he asked in response to you showing up on screen in your bed. “are you sick? do you want me to come over? oh god are you skipping school?! i mean that’s cool but we all know… you lack… ya know… brain cells. you need to be there babe,” he joked while waiting for an answer.

“first of all, my lack of brain cells has nothing on my lack of taste when it comes to men. second of all, my school is closed because the heating is broken and it’s like -200°C. do you want us all to freeze to death?” you retaliated sarcastically.

“ideally” he replied, setting his phone down on the desk while he put a hoodie over his tshirt.

“well i was going to say you could come over since i’m home alone all day but i don’t think I want you to anymore” you fake sulked even though he couldn’t see you.

“no i’m getting ready now you don’t have a choice” he announced, picking his phone back up and heading outside of his shared accommodation.

he arrived at your door in no time.

“did you run?” you asked, watching him stagger his way up your driveway panting like a dog.

“no” he obviously lied. “well yes” he confessed “but only so i could do this”. he put his ice cold hands on your cheeks and started to lean in.

“the neighbours” you pushed him away slightly, pointing to all the houses on your street.

“fuck your neighbours, have they had to wait 600 years to kiss their girl/boyfriend?” with that, your lips finally collided. you soon forgot about the idea that people were watching and became fully immersed in the kiss. you’d wanted to make the move for so long, if you knew he was okay with an audience you would have done it in front of your friends.

it was the longest kiss either of you had ever had, undeniably the best too. it was innocent, yet hungry. passionate and sincere but hasty. everything you expected it to be and more.

💜hyunsuk:

not a single day passed where you didn’t think about kissing hyunsuk, but every time you tried, you always chickened out. it was the same whenever he tried to either. the mood was never right, you wanted to remember the kiss yet he’d always spring it on you at the most random times, that’s why you always pulled back or pushed him away.

today you were cleaning out some of your old make up, most of it had passed its use by date, some just wasn’t your style anymore and the rest you were gonna keep. hyunsuk being hyunsuk just wanted to be around you, so he came over and watched while messing in every little item on your desk.

“what about this?” you asked, holding up a sealed lip tint, knowing he wasn’t really paying attention to you.

“yeah that’s nice” he replied dismissively. you shook your head and threw the lip tint into the space you’d made on the floor for stuff to give to your friends.

“hey, why throw it there? i said it was nice,” he questioned. you were a little taken back, was he actually listening?

“when have you ever seen me wear that shade?” you retorted. you stared at his face intently before coming up with a fun plan. “i think it will look nice on you though, actually, can i put some on for you?” by this point, you’d embodied the pleading face emoji, he wasn’t gonna say no to that.

“only if i can put some on you after” you nodded, he’d forget about that anyway, you thought. he picked up the lip tint and passed it to you. you stood in front of him and puckered to show him what to do. he followed and you applied it gently. you hated to admit it but it did look really good on him, even though you’d only said it as a mindless joke.

“all done” you said, turning him on your chair to face the mirror.

“hmm pretty!” he spun back around to face you who was still crouched at his height so you could admire it even more. to your surprise, he grabbed your face and pulled it towards his. he planted one sticky peck on your lips before looking to see the mess he’d created. “not enough” he whispered to himself before returning his lips back to yours for longer this time. it was more intense. he seemed to throw himself into this one a bit more, and so did you. your lips moved together instinctively and your hands found their way over his shoulders while his steadied you are your hips.

“that was our first kiss, you know?” you asked once he’d pulled away and giggled a bit.

“wait really?” his eyes went wide and his hands were quickly removed from your sides. “i’m sorry, i got caught up in the moment, i hope it was okay” he rambled.

“it was perfect” you smiled “now here” you handed him a make up wipe “we can do it again after you’ve got that sticky mess from around your lips, okay?”

[rebekah-in-korea-blog]

My First Two Weeks in Korea (8/17-8/30)

I have been in Korea for two weeks so far and it has been one of the most exciting two weeks of my life. 

I landed around lunchtime on August 17 (10pm at home in Dallas!) and stayed in Seoul for the weekend with my “unnies” (older sister figures) Songhyeon and Minseo. We went to arcades, solved an escape room, and walked around just a few of the many distinct neighborhoods of Seoul. My favorite pace by far was a small coffee shop that shared a space with a flower shop, so the flower shop got to advertise by decorating the coffee shop. It was beautiful.

Korea has so many hills, but that did not stop them from using every bit of space they could to build more buildings and fit more apartments and shops. This made it so much different from the Dallas area, which I was used to.

After I had purchased the plane tickets to arrive a couple days before my exchange student orientation began, my favorite Kpop group Mamamoo announced that they were doing a full concert in Seoul on August 18. Full-length concerts by K-pop acts are rare, so it was a blessed coincidence, and I got to see them. (Mamamoo is a very famous group in Korea. Every Korean I speak to is pretty jealous that I got to see them in their sold-out concert, hehe.) The concert was 3.5 hours with no opening acts or intermission, with a live band and horn section. Their live vocals were phenomenal and they had the stamina to remain energetic the whole time. My favorite song live was Piano Man.

After my exciting weekend exploring just a couple of the many distinct neighborhoods of Seoul I needed to go to Handong Global University in Pohang on August 19. Pohang is across the country from Seoul, so on the high-speed KTX train, it is a 2.5 hour ride. 

Pohang is a small town in Korea just a 2 minute bus ride from the ocean, but that does not stop it from having many people and many options for shopping and fun days out. Something that I observed in Seoul that is consistent in even the small town of Pohang is that storefront space is very valuable. Every small space can fit another shop. Shops have a small width but are long, and from there the buildings get taller with more and more shops. Every shop wants to grab your attention, so the nighttime streets are well-lit with the many bright signs of all the shops.

You can tell when you’re in the shopping area of any town or city when you are walking and hear 3 different hit K-pop songs in one minute. As a K-pop fan, I’m not complaining, even when I hear a song I do not like, because it’s just one reminder after another that I am on the other side of the world! (However, I have heard the chorus to Twice’s “Dance the Night Away” enough times for a lifetime...)

My orientation at Handong Global University lasted a full week. On Monday, I hated the idea of an orientation that long. By Tuesday, I adored my team so much that I wanted to spend every day with them.  My friends are from 5 different continents! (From left to right: Lennart from the Netherlands; Daniel from Ecuador; Uyanga from Mongolia in the back with sunglasses; Britta from the Netherlands; David from California, US; Hyebin, a Korean missionary kid in Mongolia; me; Ritha from Rwanda; Kasey from Ohio, US; Temuulen from Mongolia... then a staff guy who came to pose with us.)

My dorm room is number 404 (I’m still having trouble finding it) so it is on the fourth floor. I share the room with 3 other girls. (I will never complain about having to share a room with one other person again in my life!) I’ve noticed that Koreans are reeeaaally good at taking advantage of every bit of space to make it as usable as possible. Everyone can easily store all their stuff in the small corner that they have, and there’s really no need to decorate. As long as it functions as a place to sleep and a place to study, they are happy.

The view from my room is part of campus. I get a good view of the sunset.

Handong Global University is on a hill, so I am always excited when I have a class on the second or third floor. If the classroom has a window, I can see all the way to downtown Pohang. Across the hall, the girls in 405 get a view of the nearby mountain and downtown Pohang. (I’m just a little bit jealous....)

The end of orientation and the first few days of my classes were rainy. Even though the sky was grey, there were many colorful umbrellas to give the views a splash of life.

The rain was nice. It made the days cool down. Koreans don’t use their ACs and heaters quite as much as Americans do. They also do not sweat as much as Westerners do. I will go to class in an uncomfortably warm room, sweltering and sweating, and I will look around to notice that no one else has broken a sweat. Awkward! I hear things will start cooling down in a couple weeks, so I am excited for the cold. (I am also excited to start wearing cute sweaters.)

Some stories:

Koreans are so kind in general, especially to foreigners. Every time I struggle with something on campus that involves an understanding of Korean beyond by abilities, students around me notice and come to help right away. The great thing about being a white person when visiting Korea is that it is clear that I am foreign, and when I speak Korean, it is clear that I am trying my best. When I go to a coffee shop and give my order in Korean, young Koreans smile pleasant, and older Koreans beam with a big, toothy smile. They are very encouraging.

The other day, I was in downtown, trying to get laundry detergent to wash my clothes. I stood in the detergent section, and I only knew the word for “laundry”, so all the words on the products were beyond me. I turned to the couple in their 20s next to me and asked in Korean “Excuse me,” (they jumped, not expecting me to speak to them.) “I am a college student. I don’t know these words. Which one should I buy?” They began looking over each one for me, discussing it with each other for a few minutes. Then they handed me one, saying “this one is good!” I thanked them, bowing and smiling, and walked away with it. Five minutes later, on another floor of the store, I saw them again, running up to me with a different. “This one is better! It is easier to use!” they said. They proceeded to use very simple Korean words and hand motions to explain the instructions on the back. 

Also, to improve my Korean listening and understanding, I decided to take a class completely in Korean, one that would not transfer to my home university. There’s no pressure to pass. I just have to try my very best! I am taking German 1, or 독일어1. I took German in high school, so hopefully that will all come back. When I registered for the class, I emailed the professor in Korean and told him “I know the class is in Korean. I am taking this class to improve my Korean because I am an American. I will try my best to succeed in your class!” The professor was very encouraging. During the first lecture, he spoke clearly and simply to the whole class. After the lecture, he made sure to approach me and ask if everything was okay and if I was overwhelmed by his lecture. 

I am so grateful for the gentle kindness that strangers show me here.

There are so many stories, but it would take so long to tell, because every day is rich with new experiences that help me learn. For now, I will go to my next classes. I am sitting in one of the four (FOUR!) coffee shops on campus. (Vanilla lattes are $3! My college student wallet is so grateful, but I will probably buy so many that I will end up more broke....) Have a wonderful day!