#wen junhui au | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

yerimacoustic · 28 days ago

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𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮 ♡ jun x reader

❝ 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙬, 𝙞'𝙢 𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 ❞

summary : you find a sense of familiarity in your sworn rival, jun, while exchanging anonymous letters with a stranger .

content warnings : jun x female reader, regency era au, merchant!jun x bookstore owner!reader, mostly inspired by you’ve got mail, slow burn, frenemies to lovers, banter, misunderstanding, featuring jeonghan, wonwoo, karina and joy, yearning, kissing, sfw. 10.7k wc.

more notes : i finally got this out after weeks and weeks.. honestly i’m not sure if i love this, we’ll see how long it lasts 😭 not proofread. may make edits now & then. mostly historically inaccurate probably but we’re going with the vibes

the walk to the post office was not tedious by any means. not when the promise of a new response in the form of a handwritten letter prompted you to move quickly and lightly on your feet. it had become a weekly routine, early morning strolls to the post house, as well as an awfully great way to start the week.

the postmaster, otherwise known as your childhood friend, jeonghan, stood completely still behind the main counter with his arms folded across his chest. there was a knowing, mischievous glint in his eyes as he watched you quietly shut the door; he had been expecting you. just like he expected you every monday morning.

it wasn’t long before the brunette pulled a small envelope from the series of shelves behind him, gently dropping it onto the counter between the two of you. “here you go. your gentleman’s love letter awaits.”

“good day to you too, mr. yoon,” you teased him and grabbed the envelope, taking note of the familiar wax seal in the front. a neat scarlet red circle with a lion in the center- the familiar sight always managed to bring a smile to your face.

“hopefully he gives you some more clues as to his identity this week?” he called out to you as he strode across the tiny shop in favor of sweeping the floor. a look of feigned disappointment washed over his features as the sound of the bristles scratching across the floor and the envelope ripping open filled in the silence. “...perhaps not.”

just as your lips parted, the door swung open to reveal jeonghan’s assistant, karina. from the moment her eyes were fixed on yours, a mischievous glint akin to jeonghan’s filled her irises. “i thought i might find you here today. what news from the mysterious suitor?”

you shook your head before gesturing towards jeonghan, “i haven’t had the opportunity to read it yet. someone’s made sure of that.”

the man laughed from across the room, “it was never my attempt to keep you from reading it. i only wish that the two of you would at least give each other some hints as to who you really are.”

karina nodded in understanding before turning her back in favor of hanging her overcoat upon the rack near the entrance. “i hate to level with jeonghan in this case, but i’m curious about this mystery man, as well. have the two of you ever discussed meeting in person?”

“no, not at all. we’ve agreed to stay anonymous,” you explained as your fingers curled around the envelope in an almost protective grip. force of habit. “we know the risks but.. it’s quite refreshing, having someone to talk to without any of the societal pressures.”

before too long, jeonghan had finished tidying up and joined the two of you near the entrance. “i don’t understand. you both are clearly fond of each other..”

“who said anything about-”

“and you have a lot in common,” jeonghan mused, eyebrows raised. “in your next response, you should ask him something personal. ask him about his occupation.”

without skipping a beat, you shook your head in protest. “thank you for your unsolicited advice, jeonghan, but i know everything i need to know about this man. good day, my friends.”

you waved goodbye to the inseparable pair, stepping towards the small door. of course jeonghan, who always had to have the last word, called out to you before you could shut it completely, “except for his true identity!”

his words prompted your lips to twist into a smirk as you finally found the right opportunity to open the letter. as you unfolded the piece of parchment, your smirk slowly dissolved into a genuine smile, finding beautiful familiarity in the cursive penmanship. as you took cautious steps on the beaten path, you read the letter carefully:

‘this weekend i had the pleasure of accompanying my cousins as they vacationed in the countryside. they rent a small cottage near the ocean during the summertime and haven’t bothered to invite me until this year. i wish you could have seen it; it was perfectly quaint and tranquil. we spent all but the entirety of the seventy two hours walking along the beach and hunting for seashells. a bit of a juvenile hobby, i know.

i’m not sure where this inkling comes from, but something tells me you enjoy the oceanside. i bet you keep a collection of shells and pearls hidden somewhere in your home. or perhaps you proudly display them for your visitors to see. next time they permit me to join them near the beach again, remind me to fill this envelope with shells to add to your collection.

i know summer is your favorite holiday, and with that being said, i hope you find enjoyment in the final days of the season. take a stroll along the gardens or picnic with some of your friends.

take some time for yourself, my friend.’

–

jun waited three days for a reply, just as he did every week. he and his anonymous friend had fallen into a pattern of consistency, each of them sending a letter out to the other person once a week. even if he knew he could count on whoever this person was to send a timely response, his nerves got the best of him every time. the potential tone of the response occupied his thoughts at all times, keeping him up at night, keeping him from focusing intently on his work.

this week it reached the point where he had to turn his chair around to face the window, hoping that the sight of the rolling hills and graying sky outside would clear his mind. summer seemed to come to an end as quickly as it had begun, the entire season passing by in the blink of an eye. he counted his blessings, realizing that he was indeed lucky to have at least one holiday during the season. even if it was at the very end..

a knock on the door pulled him out of his trance and he turned his chair back to rest in the proper position, tucked tightly under his desk. “come in,” he called out.

barely a minute had passed before jun’s personal assistant and lifelong friend, wonwoo, closed the door quietly behind him and strode towards his desk with an envelope in hand. “your mystery woman sends her compliments,” he mused, handing the letter to jun.

jun’s eyes went wide. “you mean- you saw her??”

wonwoo shook his head, holding back an amused smirk as he watched the disappointment wash over jun’s features in real time. “no. my apologies.”

jun sighed, “just as well, i suppose. god only knows what chaos would unravel if anyone else in the household saw her.”

wonwoo nodded stiffly, folding his hands behind his back. “right you are. maybe there is practicality in anonymity, after all.”

“still, i can’t help but wonder what she’s really like in person,” jun mused, leaning back in his large leather chair with his chin cupped between his thumb and index finger. “there are so many habits and manners of hers i don’t even know about. she could be.. much lovelier in person.”

the bespectacled man tilted his head, taking a completely different approach, “or she could be ill-favored and poorly mannered.” the quiet statement was enough to pull jun out of his daze, causing him to furrow his eyebrows in annoyance. “my apologies.”

“there is no possible way someone who writes so beautifully is as ill favored as you say.” jun disregarded the man in front of him as he began to tear the seal off of the envelope, a silent command for wonwoo to leave him alone. conveniently enough, the door gently slammed shut once jun finally unfolded the small sheet of parchment.

‘i am delighted to hear that you were able to enjoy the last remaining hours of the season with your family. the ocean sounds delightful. your suspicion of my enjoyment of seashells and pearls is a fair assumption, although, i gave up collecting a long time ago. hopefully you invest more stock in your collections than i did.

i’m afraid that i have no plans to take my leave before autumn begins as i’ve been much too busy. i don’t mind keeping an occupied schedule; it takes my mind off things and prevents me from overthinking. especially when i get the pleasure of meeting several people from different walks of life on a daily basis.

i know i say this every week, but it is always a pleasure receiving your letters. sometimes i can’t believe that we met through an anonymous literary discussion group. i’ve received a handful of letters from other attendees, but allow me to say that the discussions are utterly mundane compared to our conversations. it feels like i write to a friend i’ve known for years.

i eagerly await your reply, dear friend.

jun folded the letter and tilted his head back in contemplation, just as he did every time he read one of your letters. the term of endearment the two of you shared always stuck out to him- ‘dear friend.’ as much as he enjoyed reading it at the end of every letter, a small part of him wished that there was a better word to describe how he felt towards you.

how he truly felt towards you was a mystery in and of itself. he valued your time and your relationship, he thought very highly of you.. but there were several complications that interfered.

as if on demand, one of the complications walked through the door without bothering to knock. joy, the daughter of the second wealthiest merchant in town and jun’s fiance strode towards his desk with confidence and charm. meanwhile, wonwoo stood by the door, stoic as ever as he occupied the room in favor of serving as a chaperone. he sent an apologetic glance in his friend’s direction, which jun quickly disregarded.

“still cooped away in this gloomy room, are you?” joy asked rhetorically. “oh dear, what ever is the matter?”

jun had completely forgotten to mask his confusion-fueled anxiety when she walked through the door. he shook his head in quick denial, his gaze softening as he allowed himself a better look at his fiance. “nothing,” he replied shortly and offered her a smile. “what brings you here?”

“i’ve come to ensure you’re still planning on attending the charity auction,” joy replied with an infectious grin. she gently picked up one of his paperweights, a sculpture of hand blown glass decorated with stained petals of lavender.

“oh dear- was that tonight?” jun grimaced, moving both hands to rub at his temples. the thought of socializing with anyone else that night in particular sounded like a nightmare, even if there was the possibility of making important new connections. maybe he had returned from his holiday much too soon.

disappointment washed over joy’s features, prompting her eyebrows to furrow and her lips to curl with a frown. “don’t tell me you forgot.”

“my apologies, darling- i’ve been so caught up with the upcoming shipments that it must have slipped my mind,” jun explained to her with a delicate tone of voice as he rose to his feet. the last thing he wanted was to convey his reluctance to attend the modest party with her.

she smiled faintly, allowing jun to take both of her hands in his. “i understand that you must have a lot to catch up on after returning from your vacation. perhaps we shouldn’t go.”

“no-” jun gently protested and squeezed her hands. “i want to go.”

jun witnessed his intended’s smile brighten in real time, the rest of her features noticeably lighting up once he agreed to make good on his promise. she mused, “splendid. i look forward to it.”

joy began to lean in with the intention to press a gentle kiss against jun’s cheek- however, he was quick to tilt his head back. just as an inquisitive gaze filled joy’s irises, jun tilted his head subtly towards their chaperone, who was standing against the wall with his arms folded across his chest and a knowing smirk tugging at his lips. right.

just then, joy let out a sheepish chuckle and settled for allowing jun to press a chaste kiss against her knuckles. “i will ask for the carriage around seven,” he told her, letting go of her hands and letting his own fall to his sides. “until then.”

“good day.” joy curtsied to him and bowed her head politely towards wonwoo as she left the room in a hurried pace, excitement getting the best of her. she loved parties, no matter the occasion; one of the many subjects where she and jun didn’t see eye to eye.

he clearly did a terrible job at disguising his disdain, for wonwoo was quick to approach the merchant’s side and pat his shoulder in feigned reassurance. “think of it this way,” he mused. “tonight, you may find someone you will actually enjoy talking to.”

“i appreciate your optimism, wonwoo, but i highly doubt that.”

—----

you must have reorganized the tiny bags of tea arrangements twenty times by now, ensuring that they were neatly stacked up against each other. as for the stacks of books on the other side of your booth, that was an entirely different story. you couldn’t come to terms with an arrangement you completely approved of and suddenly wished you hadn’t previously neglected the bookends.

karina noticed your frantic effort to neatly organize the rest of the books and shook her head with affection as she placed a hand over yours. “everything looks perfect, i promise,” she reassured you. “besides, no one will come to your booth if it appears as though you’re still cleaning things up.”

“perhaps you’re right,” you sighed just before the two of you sat down on the stools you’d been provided. silence filled the air between you and your good friend as the two of you watched the patrons circle around the rest of the booths, pausing to get a better look at the products provided by other vendors. you felt somewhat insecure while taking note of your neighbors’ products and wondered if you should have thought outside of the box.

but this was an important, extremely personal matter at hand for you: the library you had grown up visiting every weekend was on the brink of closing down. you presented the idea of a fundraiser to the esteemed owner, strings were pulled, and the rest of the puzzle pieces fell into place. you only wished you had more time to come up with a better product to sell.

at least your fellow vendors seemed to be pulling their weight.

among the sea of clientele was a tall, smartly dressed man with dark, wavy hair. the man walked along the rows of tables with his hands folded behind his back, studying each individual booth a bit too theatrically for your liking. he took slow, somewhat deliberate strides that left onlookers on the edge of their seat. but something about the way he carried himself, his dress, told you that he could invest a great deal of money into a great cause if he cared to.

karina left you alone, promising to purchase some cookies from a nearby vendor for the two of you. being alone with your thoughts at a time like this was less than ideal, considering customers were scarce. of course. you should have known no one would want to buy homemade tea sachets..

before too long the mysterious, smartly dressed man was nearing your booth. you straightened out your shoulders, rising to your feet and plastering the brightest smile you could muster as he approached you. “good evening,” you greeted him, a tad louder than you intended to, “could i interest you in some tea sachets? or perhaps- limited editions of some of my favorite collective works?”

the man stopped, picking up one of the tiny bags in his hand and raising an eyebrow inquisitively. “perhaps. what flavor are these?”

“ah yes, its black tea leaves mixed with brown sugar and vanilla bean,” you replied proudly. “i assembled them myself.”

he placed the sachet back on the table, ensuring that it was neatly lined up with the rest before looking past your shoulder. you could have sworn you detected a hint of distaste in your eyes as his eyes scanned through the stacks of books, but he stepped closer to your collection. “do you enjoy reading george eliot’s works?” he asked.

“well- no, not particularly.”

the man nodded his head once, his eyes lighting up in understanding. “ah. trying to get rid of some extra books, are you?”

you furrowed your eyebrows, stunned. “no.. i assure you, sir, that’s not the case.” perhaps the words left your lips in a much more defensive tone than you intended, but the realization came too late. “i’m simply making much needed sacrifices for a worthy cause.”

the stranger let out an amused chuckle, “trust me, i did not mean to insult you. i was merely curious.”

“right... forgive me for overreacting,” you sighed, feeling unconvinced despite his reassurance. “everyone around me seems to have valuable things to offer for this event but.. here i am, selling dusty old books and tea leaves. i suppose i felt-”

“threatened?” he finished, cocking a brow.

you lifted your chin up, maintaining a friendly but somewhat hesitant grin. “yes, i suppose i felt threatened.”

the man in front of you bowed his head to take a closer look at your merchandise. in any other circumstance, he wouldn’t be caught dead purchasing tea or even drinking it, and he already had most of the books she was trying to sell. however, he lifted his chin to meet your gaze, “i’ll take the lot.”

you paused, utterly stunned. “please, sir, don’t feel the need to humor me or my grievances-”

he cut you off with a gentle laugh, one that you found far too sweet and angelic, “i’m not. i’m simply contributing to a worthy cause, as you stated earlier.”

the stiffness in your shoulders and spine that appeared upon receiving his offer would not disappear. you chuckled, hoping to ease the tension, “well.. if you insist. how generous of you.”

a smirk crept upon his lips just as he bowed his head again, looking through his jacket pockets for his leather bound wallet. “don’t mention it,” he mused, totaling the sum and pulling the bills out of his collection accordingly. “although- i feel like i should, at the very least, know the name of the person i’ve given a large sum of my savings to.”

you chuckled and took the money from him, your fingers brushing over his palm fleetingly. “y/n,” you replied. “although, now is probably a good time to tell you that all of my earnings are going towards funding the library.”

his eyes widened, and it was probably the most he’d done to showcase his emotions in the entirety of your exchange. “how noble of you.”

“it's for an important cause. important to me, at least.” you shrugged. “do i get to know the name of my generous donor?”

he chuckled, finally allowing his timid smile to reach his eyes in the meantime, “jun. pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“the pleasure is all mine,” you mused with another faint chuckle.

just as you had finished preparing his bags with all of the books and tea sachets he had taken off your hands, a woman with long, gently waved hair and a bright smile joined his side. her eyes went wide as she linked her arm around his own and took in all of his new belongings. “darling! i hope you weren’t planning on spending your entire fortune tonight.”

jun let out a sheepish chuckle, which was accompanied by another grin that barely reached the corners of his eyes. he replied somewhat flatly, “no dear, i assure you, that’s not the case. i’m simply helping a friend.”

the woman’s small, unconvinced laugh briefly broke the awkward silence before she spoke up again, “my father’s here. he wishes to discuss some urgent matters with you.”

jun nodded in understanding, almost as if to disguise his annoyance. before he could allow the young woman to pull him away, however, he nodded in your direction, “it was a pleasure to meet you. have a splendid evening.”

you bowed your head in gratitude, although it served as a perfect method of hiding your growing smile. “i won’t forget your kindness. good evening.”

somehow, you were able to steal a glance at the singular ring adorning the woman’s left hand. judging by the rather impressive diamond and the glow that she wore so proudly, you were willing to bet that the two of them were engaged. you were also willing to wager that the tall man the two of them were now face to face with was her father.

you recognized him immediately; he was one of the wealthiest men in the city. if not the entire state. your mysterious benefactor must be a man of circumstance if he was betrothed to someone like the daughter of one of the most notorious merchants. as you took note of the blank expression adorned by jun and joy’s growing smile, you suddenly wished you were gifted with the ability to read lips…

when karina returned with small bags of the desserts in both hands, her eyes went wide upon taking in the sigh of your now empty booth. “oh my! i take my leave for two seconds and you manage to clear the entire booth out,” she chuckled, handing you the small bag of goodies.

you chuckled, “i suppose father was wrong; airing out grievances to anyone who may listen does have its benefits.”

“perhaps,” karina chuckled along with you. “tell me, how many customers managed to buy the entirety of your possessions in the short amount of time i was gone?”

“just one,” you replied with a smirk, gesturing towards the man in question. jun stood awkwardly in front of his future father-in-law with the two large bags still in both hands.

karina’s eyes went wide, “ah, the notorious mr. wen junhui. i must say, i am pleasantly surprised he even purchased anything tonight, let alone the entirety of your collection.”

you furrowed your eyebrows. “you know of him?”

karina chuckled, eyebrows raised to display her disbelief. “you don’t?” she countered. “he’s only the son of the wealthiest merchant in town. he plans to take full ownership of his father’s company by the end of the year.”

“then what is he doing here?” you wondered out loud, puzzled by karina’s revelation. you suddenly grew conflicted, reflecting upon his generous donation. was there a genuine desire to assist you in bringing about a change that was important to you or did he simply see your business as an opportunity to potentially ensure his own financial gain later on?

she shrugged, “i would assume he and his fiance are here to invest in some new partnerships.”

you furrowed your eyebrows as karina voiced your suspicions. “now who would make such…calculated moves at a time like this? my stars, this is a charity auction.”

“someone who only looks out for themselves, i suppose,” karina sighed. she placed a hand on your back and offered you a reassuring smile. “well.. i believe our work here is done. i propose we take our desserts and go on our way after a job well done.”

you laughed lightly, “i would be delighted.”

the two of you passed by the couple as you made your way to the exit, jun’s eyes wandering to inevitably meet yours. he offered you a gentle smile, one that his fiance had just barely missed, prompting you to bow your head politely in return. for whatever complicated reason, you held onto the hope that you would never see that man again.

—---------------------------

do you ever wonder what would become of your future if you had chosen a different path? or if, perhaps, the fates had a different idea for your livelihood?

i don’t attempt to deny how lucky and blessed i’ve been- i have indeed lived a happy, comfortable life since i was a child. without going into too many details (as per our agreement), i would say that my life is very fortunate. but the more i take part in strenuous business meetings with my father and his partners, the more i wonder if there’s something wonderful i’ve been missing out on.

i blame my newfound existential dread on the holiday i took part in with my cousins. not one of us had a care in the world for an entire weekend, and i daresay it was the longest period of time in which i felt no stress at all. this exchange of letters also provides me with much needed reprieve.

i don’t want the entirety of this letter to fill you with melancholy so allow me to say this- there is a pastry shop near my estate that has the most delicious custard pies. if you ever find your way in that corner of town, let’s both hope i’ll be there at the same time. just out of coincidence, of course.

i hope to hear from you soon, dear friend.

you folded the piece of parchment in half and pushed it aside, feeling butterflies begin to take flight in your stomach. the two of you had never spoken about meeting in person, agreeing to keep your relationship confined to exchanging letters. of course, you would be lying if you said that the thought hadn’t crossed your mind on several occasions..

you haphazardly stuffed the letter in your pocket as the door to your quaint bookstore opened and jun shuffled in. he went wide eyed as he saw you stand behind the front counter, appearing to be on edge.

even so, he greeted you with a smile of pleasant surprise, “oh..! i didn’t realize you worked here.”

you chuckled, still trying to ignore your racing heartbeat. “my father owns this store,” you explained somewhat flatly. “is there something i can help you with?”

“no, not at all. just taking a look.” a brief smile was sent your way before jun started wandering through the shop floor with his hands folded behind his back. you were reminded of the way he strode towards the booths in the library when the two of you first met, merely twenty hours beforehand. and just like before, it brought upon a sense of uneasiness.

he stopped near a table in the corner of the room, where a stack of books was accompanied by candles set on top of intricate sticks, a woven tablecloth, and a small circle of.. seashells?

he kept trying to tell himself that it was most likely just a coincidence, but he felt compelled to ask, “these shells add a nice touch. do you enjoy collecting?”

you perked up, gently shaking your head. “no, not particularly. i’m not sure why i even put them there; it’s not like the shop has a nautical theme..”

“they’re rather nice,” he remarked, gently cutting you off. he grinned knowingly as he continued to look through the shelves, studying the contents. “i must say, you have quite the impressive collection.”

“do you speak of my collection of books? or seashells?” you teased him.

he chuckled, “both, i suppose.. beaded periwinkles were always my favorite. i couldn’t help but notice it seems we both hold them in high regard.”

as he tilted his head back towards the small desk in the corner of the room, you’d only then noticed how many of that particular brand of shells you actually possessed. “i suppose great minds really do think alike,” you remarked. “but i’m sure you aren’t here to talk about seashells.”

it appeared to jun as though you were eager to help him with another purchase, however, it couldn’t be further from the truth. mentally, you were crafting another response to your mysterious friend- actually, would it be appropriate to start calling him your suitor?

either way, he noticed the hastiness in your tone and chuckled, “right. to tell the truth, i’ve been meaning to take a look at this shop for some time now. i think i could propose a business venture that would benefit you and your father greatly.”

you raised an eyebrow and asked him in a gentle tone, “and what, pray tell, makes you think either one of us would be interested in a partnership with you?”

he stopped his pacing so he was standing directly in front of you, the front counter creating a fair amount of space. “i seek partial ownership of the shop. if you allow me to make a few adjustments to the building, i guarantee you it will bring in more customers and, eventually, more revenue for the two of us.”

you furrowed your eyebrows, taken aback by his words. “i don’t know if it escaped your notice, but my father is not here. he won’t be for another fortnight, at the very least.” you paused. “but if he was, i can guarantee you he would be mortified by your offer.”

jun mirrored your expression, cocking his head to the side in confusion. “i beg your pardon?”

“my father built this shop by himself and has been working his entire life to pay off his debts. every inch of this place holds sentimental value, i won’t have anyone making alterations for their own benefit.”

he nodded once, “that’s.. understandable. but you lead me to believe you’ve completely forgotten the definition of the word ‘partnership.’ it benefits the two of us equally.”

you furrowed your eyebrows, snapping, “please, sir- do not condescend to me.”

“my apologies,” he mused, taking a step to meet you around the counter. “but allow me to understand your line of thinking- you won’t accept an equal partnership from me, but you will accept a generous donation.”

“need i remind you, the entirety of that donation went into funding the public library,” you protested while doing your best not to raise your voice. “and i now know fully well your true intentions behind that ‘generous donation’ of yours.

“allow me to reiterate- while i most certainly do not speak for my father, i cannot guarantee his interest in your offer.”

he bowed his head with a knowing grin, “allow me to say i’m certain that your father recognizes a great offer when he sees one. i will speak with him in a fortnight.”

“i-” you stuttered, watching him step towards the door.

“i bid you good day, madam.”

—

my dearest, please do not feel any sense of guilt for simply conveying your true feelings. i will not lie to you, i think about all sorts of different paths i may walk in some sort of alternate universe. for example, maybe in another life, we do more than simply write letters to each other. maybe we take walks together or converse over custard pies.

even so, i hope you find a way to make peace with your business partners and yourself. and i really do hope you find what you’re looking for. please allow yourself to take more holidays with friends and family members whenever you can. personally, i find that even something as simple as a walk through the park on a chilled afternoon soothes the spirits.

i hope you reach this letter in time, but i have been craving a good custard pie. i thank you for your recommendation and hope to see you there on saturday around midday. purely out of coincidence, of course.

best wishes and goodbye for now, my dearest.

“my dearest?” jun read out loud incredulously. he was so used to the mysterious writing partner holding him in a more platonic regard. he found himself helplessly staring at the term of endearment, the way she wrote it…

“i see the two of you are now using more personal terms of endearment,” wonwoo observed, a smirk tugging at his lips as he watched jun from across the room.

jun placed the letter in a drawer filled nearly to the brim with the rest of his letters, carefully slamming it shut. “wonwoo… cease your teasing remarks for once and instead tell me what to do.”

wonwoo stepped closer, sitting comfortably near jun’s desk with his hands folded on his lap. “regarding this mystery woman of yours?”

jun nodded with a heavy sigh, which of course, puzzled wonwoo greatly. usually, he was in a brief state of merriment after reading one of your letters- but the way he clenched his jaw and stared at the patterns on his desk in contemplation said otherwise. “i find myself… conflicted. you see, in my last letter, i left something of an.. invitation for her.”

“an invitation?” wonwoo cocked an eyebrow.

jun shifted slightly in his seat, crossing his legs as he expected the worse reaction from wonwoo imaginable. “indeed. and she has taken it upon herself to arrange a meeting place and a time.”

instead of scolding him, however, wonwoo nodded, his confusion still evident. “then.. why are you feeling conflicted, as you say?”

“for a number of reasons, i suppose,” jun sighed. “the first reason being that i’m.. confused, to say the least, about my feelings for her. they are strong, whatever they are- i hold her in the highest regard.. and yet i wonder if we made a mistake staying anonymous.”

wonwoo leaned forward, letting his chin rest in his palm. “you mean to say.. you’re worried there’s something you don’t know about her? something you might not like once you meet her in person?”

“well..yes, i suppose. not to mention there is the matter of my engagement-”

“your arranged engagement-” wonwoo chimed in.

jun paused, drawing in a shaky breath. “precisely.” he rose to his feet, pacing the floor behind his desk and cupping his chin between his thumb and index finger. “my arranged engagement.. that i’ve been second guessing since the day the two of us were made aware of it.”

wonwoo nodded, signaling his understanding. “well.. i suppose the only way to find out if there’s something about her that you don’t exactly ‘like’ is to follow through with this meeting. maybe you won’t come face to face with previously unknown attributes of her personality right away, but the first step is always the most important.

“it seems to me that you have a lot of feelings to work through.. with her. maybe you should write them all down.”

jun furrowed his eyebrows. “you mean- write them down and.. read them to her?”

“why not?” wonwoo countered in a gentle tone, rising to his feet and crossing to the door with his hands folded behind his back. “you have no issue writing seemingly heartfelt letters to her once a week. how would this be any different?”

before jun could answer his friend’s question, he was left alone to stew in the complicated question. as per usual, wonwoo brought upon an excellent idea- one that he hated to consider taking seriously. and with a heavy sigh of disdain and shaky hands, he sat back at his desk and began to write.

—--

“are you sure about this?” karina asked you for what felt like the millionth time, tying the ribbons of your hat together. she stepped back to take a better look at the modest lavender dress you had purchased for this specific occasion, immediately grinning. it was his favorite color; you’d known that since the two of you met through the literary discussing group.

“honestly, karina… i’ve never been more sure about anything in my entire life,” you replied, taking a deep breath as you held one of your suitor’s letters in hand. it wasn’t just any letter, however- it was one of your favorite ones he’d gifted you. “i just wish i’d prepared something beautiful to say to him..”

“just.. speak from the heart,” your friend advised. “it works every time.”

you laughed, “are you quite sure about that?”

“we’re wasting time!” she laughed and gently swatted at your upper arm. “go on, meet your wonderful suitor.”

before too long, karina carefully shoved you out the door with no intention of allowing you back into the shop. you didn’t look back, not even once, striding confidently towards the bakery. you could practically hear your heartbeat echoing in your ears as you finally walked through the door, a loud bell startling you on the way in.

you didn’t know whether or not to call it irony, but you felt your appetite leave you abruptly while sitting comfortably in the corner of the room. you stared down at the envelope, which was still in your shaking hands, unable to continue watching the entry door in suspense.

a timid tap on your shoulder snapped you out of your daze. you whipped your head back to see jun standing behind you with a growing smirk, the sight causing you to let out a huff in disappointment. he responded by snickering, “lovely to see you too, madam.”

you stuffed the letter in your jacket pocket, sighing, “what are you doing here?”

he pondered your question with that all too familiar smirk of amusement, mirroring your actions and folding a small, leather bound book in his inner jacket pocket. “am i not allowed to take time off work to purchase some desserts?”

“that’s not what i said,” you sighed just before he pulled out the chair across from you, prompting you to raise your hand in protest. “please, don’t- i’m waiting for someone.”

you tried not to think anything of the way jun paused, his dark eyes widening. “may i inquire as to who? a friend? an acquaintance? perhaps a suitor- i am more than happy to serve as a chaperone, if need be.”

“that will not be necessary, thank you kindly,” you chuckled without any sense of amusement in your tone. “we are not courting. not that i have to explain the circumstances of our relationship to you, of all people.”

despite your protests, jun sat across from you as his smirk grew into a beam. “what kind of suitor is he, i wonder? a lord? or a baron?”

“sir, i would thank you not to patronize me. and so loudly, at that,” you whispered.

he laughed a little too loudly for your liking, his bright smile on full display, “forgive me, i do not mean to patronize you. i simply wish to know more about who my new friend has taken a liking to.”

you paused, signaling your disdain with a frown before leaning in and speaking in a hushed tone, “well, if you must know, the man i’m supposed to be meeting with is kind, funny, and has an aptitude for reflection and study. he’s completely unlike you in every sense of the word.”

“is he really?” jun asked, taking genuine offense from your words. he drew back in his seat, eyebrows knitting together.

you nodded with such blatant certainty that prompted jun to frown, delicate as the expression was. “indeed. he walks through life with radiant optimism and recognizes the value of literary classics. you, however, view such precious works of art as yet another method of personal financial gain. and i feel sorry for you.”

tension filled the air as jun grew silent, visibly stunned by your words. “forgive me for not telling you everything about my line of work upfront, but i’m not just in the business for the money. you see- i’ve already read the entire collection i’ve purchased from you. a long, long time ago, actually.”

you could have sworn your heart stopped beating completely in your chest- maybe you had been a little too harsh with this man. you timidly asked, “and you’ve.. enjoyed all of them?”

“i don’t think there’s a word strong enough to describe my.. idolization towards the authors. especially dickens.” he paused, rising to his feet. “i feel as though he explores themes of human relationships better than any author i know of. the idea that someone can find redemption and mend even the worst wounds within said relationships..”

he paused once again, leaving you to ponder his annoyingly profound statement with furrowed eyebrows. just as you parted your lips to offer an apology, or even to ask him to elaborate, he spoke up again, “i do hope that one day, you will hold me to a higher regard. that one day, you will see me in the same positive light you see this stranger who clearly did not even bother to meet with you in a timely manner. i bid you good day.”

you felt your cheeks go cold as you watched him turn towards the door, your voice slightly raising, “jun, wait-”

much to your surprise, he faced you completely and offered you a sad smile, “that’s a lovely color on you, by the way.”

you furrowed your eyebrows, clearly caught off guard by his abrupt compliment. “sorry?”

“lavender. it’s a lovely color on you.” and as he let the beautiful, heartbreaking compliment fill in the tension between you, he nodded his head in farwell and turned his back on you for the last time. that afternoon, at least.

you leaned back in your seat as the bell signaled his disappearance. you felt as though there was a lot to unpack from your exchange- clearly you had misjudged jun. clearly, he was well read and you had rudely assumed that he wasn’t. you thought you had better character than that- but clearly, jun wasn’t the only one you had misjudged.

then there was the matter of his unexpected compliment- try as you might, you couldn’t stop repeating his line, his delivery over and over again in your mind. the way the word lavender rolled off of his tongue with ease- was there a possibility he knew that you had chosen to wear that color on purpose?

no- that couldn’t be possible. at least, that was what you kept repeating to yourself non verbally as jun took his leave.

meanwhile, the man in question kicked at loose rocks on the pavement while trying to avoid wonwoo’s gaze. the younger man had accompanied jun to offer him moral support and was stunned to see the meeting ending so soon. he pushed off of the bench where he’d been quietly reading, rushing to the other man’s side.

“jun, what’s happened? why are you leaving so soon?” he demanded.

jun shook his head, refusing to meet wonwoo’s gaze. he told him pointedly, “this was a mistake. i never should have made that offer to her.. wonwoo, what was i thinking?”

wonwoo grabbed his friend’s upper arm, stopping him from taking another step forward. “what do you mean, ‘it was a mistake?’ you were in there for less than five minutes, what could possibly go wrong in that short amount of time?”

he finally held his chin high, his eyes meeting wonwoo’s albeit reluctantly. he folded his arms across his chest as he took another look at the bakery he vowed never to set foot in again. “i saw her,” he muttered.

wonwoo furrowed his eyebrows, his impatience getting the best of him. “...and what became of it?”

“let’s just say if she knew who i truly was, she would regret joining that literary discussion group in the first place,” jun bowed his head, watching the dust settle around two pairs of shiny black shoes as he kicked another set of loose rocks.

the confusion visibly melted away from wonwoo’s features within a matter of seconds. “i see…” he mused. when jun refused to speak again, the stunning reality of the situation circling around him like a dark cloud, he lightly scoffed. “and there’s not even a small part of you that’s willing to talk with her, explain yourself?”

jun shook his head, “trust me, there is no getting through to her.”

“how can you be so sure?” he snapped. wonwoo rarely ever raised his voice; whenever he did, however, jun was always taken aback.

“because i know her!” jun exclaimed. he paused, hoping to steady his racing heartbeat. “and i have known her for almost a year now. i know about things she hasn’t told anyone else, her innermost thoughts, philosophies, desires.. which is why i know for certain that she would never stoop so low to even entertain the idea of courting someone like me.”

“‘someone like you?’” wonwoo repeated incredulously. “you’re being ridiculous. get back in there and set the record straight, i insist- no i demand it.”

jun yanked his arm out of wonwoo’s grip. “you cannot order me to do anything.”

wonwoo smirked, clearly finding amusement in the situation. who could blame him, as he was pushing jun’s relentlessly stiff, almost lifeless figure towards the bakery. “oh, but i am. i’ll be waiting right here for you when you’ve finished explaining yourself to her.”

“absolutely not. now let go of me,” he swerved to the right in order to avoid wonwoo pushing him again.

“you’ve nothing to lose, now get back in there-”

“no!”

before too long, the men were all but wrestling on the dirt path. wonwoo was trying to push him towards the bakery while jun was practically leaping back and forth to avoid even a mere graze of his friend’s hand. any onlooker might have been frightened by their actions and guessed that they were engaged in a genuine scuffle. but neither of them retaliate with violence, of course.

neither of them were sure how much time had passed before the front door swung open, seungcheol emerging with a scowl, “hey! the two of you better get a move on and take your argument somewhere else.”

the simple warning was more than enough to pull the two men away from each other. as the two of them hunched their shoulders in embarrassment, jun turned his back on the store. as if it wasn’t enough to discover the woman of his dreams was actually the one who hated him, he made a fair assumption that he had been banned from the shop.

wonwoo, seemingly unbothered by the shopowner’s warning, walked alongside his friend. his shoulder barely brushed along his with every step he took and much to his surprise, jun didn’t make any effort to stop the fleeting contact. “so.. what happens now?” the bespectacled man asked.

“what do you mean?” jun asked, his eyes fixed on the weeds growing along the path.

“are you planning to stop writing to her? or are you formulating an excuse for ditching her?”

jun paused, taking another look at the shop behind him. he could just barely make out your figure in the small front window, waiting noticeably impatiently at the same table. “i have no idea.”

—--

dearest, i wish that i could provide you with a good excuse as to why i did not meet with you. i am positive there is nothing i could say that could excuse my ill mannered behavior, anyways. i hope you can find it within yourself to forgive me, although i am not so sure if i can ever forgive myself. if you no longer wish to write to me, i understand. i simply want you to know that nothing could ever change how highly i think of you.

it was the shortest letter he had written. you read it once, committing it to memory over the next few weeks without generating a proper response.

you couldn’t remember a time in your life when the sting of betrayal had so effectively wounded you. mundane tasks such as eating, drinking, even concentrating on the simplest tasks at the book shop became too much for you to handle. all that occupied your mind was the embarrassment you felt waiting hours for the ‘friend’ to show up, the way your heart sank when you realized he wouldn’t be coming at all, the way tears blurred your vision as you walked home..

or perhaps the realization that it was all a mistake, that you never should have engaged in writing letters with a stranger in the first place. you never should have allowed yourself to find such comfort in a stranger, someone who could have easily been saying just what you wanted to hear.

usually, you weren’t one to shy away from your responsibilities at the shop, especially considering your father was still gone. but you allowed yourself to make one exception, given the nature of your heartbreak. besides, it was always your father who told you that a walk in the park could be soothing to both the mind and body.

in this case, it was a short walk around in the park before you came to a stop near the large pond. the sunbeams shining on the water pulled you deeper and deeper into a daze of content, providing temporary relief from your heartbreak. the leaves rustled in the wind, a crisp breeze in the air.. it was peaceful.

obviously, a little too peaceful for fate’s liking.

you averted jun’s gaze to the best of your ability as you watched him stroll up the hill, walking the same path you had just minutes ago. as much as you kept telling yourself that this meeting was nothing but a coincidence, a small voice in the back of your mind kept asking if it really was.

inevitably, his eyes found yours and before you could rise to your feet to dash in the opposite direction, he was taking long strides to meet you in your newfound hiding place. you bowed your head, avoiding his gaze as he spoke, “what a coincidence. i didn’t think i’d see you around here.”

“is it really a coincidence?” you asked him, haughtiness in your tone.

jun shrugged, taking a seat next to you on the cold grass. “usually i don’t find myself in this part of town but.. my line of work really takes a toll and someone told me recently that a walk through the park on a chilled afternoon soothes the spirits.”

you furrowed your eyebrows, your eyes still fixated on the patterns of your dress.. that phrase.. it was all too familiar. “wise words,” were the only two words you could muster.

he nodded, allowing uncomfortable silence to pass between the two of you and gazing at the pond. he waited for a moment before speaking again, his tone low, almost timid. “how was the meeting? with that friend of yours?”

you paused, drawing in a sharp breath and fixing your posture in the same movement. “he never came.”

jun turned to look at you, taking a mental note of the pure, unapologetic expression of heartbreak you wore. your pouty lips, the darkness in your eyes.. “i am.. truly sorry to hear that.”

you screwed your eyes shut, fighting back any tears that dared to surface. it took a moment for you to collect yourself enough to speak without showcasing the warble in your voice, “i suppose it’s my own fault for putting my complete trust in someone.”

jun paused, her words echoing in his mind to the point he couldn’t focus on anything else. of course, he felt guilty for not immediately declaring who he truly was and staying at the shop with her. he regretted it from the moment he made the decision to leave her. once again, he found himself overwhelmed from the complications he was forced to face on a daily basis.

“i don’t think it was a mistake on your part,” he finally whispered to you, offering a gentle smile once your eyes met his. “clearly, there is only one person at fault here.”

you nodded, feeling unable to break away from his gaze at that moment. much to your surprise, you were glad that you didn’t immediately push him away upon seeing him stroll confidently through the park. because as much as you told yourself how much you disliked him and what he stood for, there was no denying he possessed a level of.. comfort.

you chuckled, the sadness unmistakeable in your tone. “i don’t think i can find it within myself to..blame him,” you mused. “i know it sounds silly, but.. i would rather blame myself. i keep trying to make excuses for him.”

jun gently furrowed his eyebrows as he processed your words. of course, his irises were still flooded with sympathy as he gazed at you, trying to come to terms with your line of thinking. “can i ask you a question?”

you were slightly caught off guard by his question but you nodded all the same. “go on.”

he allowed himself to look forward again, shifting a little bit to sit more comfortably on the lawn. his knee barely grazed against yours as you did so, the fleeting contact still sending a shockwave along your skin. your cheeks even heated up as his gaze found yours again and he spoke gently-

“you jump through hoops to forgive this man for betraying your trust and yet.. you don’t seem to find it within yourself to forgive me for a simple misunderstanding. i just.. don’t understand why.”

once again, that familiar jab at your heart stunned you into silence. he brought up an excellent point; the moment you watched him leave the bakery, unforgettable guilt rushed over you like a tidal wave. seeing him sit next to you, remaining vulnerable with his emotions- it reminded you just of how much you had misjudged him.

“i’ve been horrible to you,” you finally spoke. “and i want to apologize. i think.. this trip that my father’s been on has been something of a practice round for me. there will come a day when i’m running his store all by myself and..it might come sooner than later. and that terrifies me.”

“that’s completely understandable,” jun replied. “trust me, i’m convinced that if i make one wrong move, i will burn my father’s business, his entire legacy, to the ground. I’m terrified.”

the two of you shared a laugh, sorrowful as it was. as he kept the bashful smile plastered upon his lips, you couldn’t help but take a mental note of the way his eyes lit up as he did so. “i guess we’re more alike than i thought,” you confessed.

jun’s heart sank upon hearing your words. he longed to tell you the truth, to apologize for hurting you so deeply by ignoring you- but something held him back. a sneaking suspicion that this was neither the time nor the place. so he drew in a deep breath before his smile grew wider, “i guess we are.”

you chuckled, suddenly hyper aware of how close the two of you were sitting. however, it felt like the wrong time to bring up the impropriety of your situation, given the context. “but if it really means that much to you, i can arrange a meeting with you and my father once he returns.”

jun pondered your words, his arm grazing yours as he drew in another sharp breath. once again, the brief contact was enough to quicken your heart rate. “i would love nothing more than to work more closely with the two of you.. but please, don’t feel pressured to schedule the interview on my account.”

you chuckled, leaning back on the grass slightly and propping yourself up by your elbows. “on your account? it was your idea, was it not?”

jun laughed in return before smiling down at you, “well.. yes, but you know what i mean. i don’t want you to humor me simply because you feel guilty. i want to meet with your father because the two of you genuinely want to work with me.”

“jun-” you started, taking a hold of his left hand. you anticipated feeling the cold sting of a wedding band on his finger, but there was none. you almost gasped in surprise, promising yourself you would ask him about it later. “i want to work with you. well- forgive me if i sound forward, but i want to do more than work with you. i want to spend more time with you.”

“you..do?”

“yes!” you laughed. “that is.. only if you want to, of course.”

“no, no, of course i do-” jun stuttered gently with a chuckle. “i’m just- i’m confused. you seemed to be pretty confident in your opinions of my character. and, well now..”

“i keep thinking about what you said..about mending relationships. and.. i want to mend ours. as i said before, it seems we have more in common than we might think. i want to get to the bottom of that.”

“and i.” jun’s smile grew wider, the corners of his eyes gently wrinkling at the movement. he even mirrored your position, laying comfortably on the grass after ensuring no one was approaching. “i assume you’ve read austen’s works as well?”

you let out a dreamy sigh, earning a gentle laugh from jun in the process. “of course i have. pride and prejudice will always be one of my favorite works.”

“i should have expected as much from you,” jun teased, toying with a blade of grass he had plucked from the earth. he tied it in a few knots, shyly avoiding your gaze.

you laughed somewhat sheepishly as you watched his fingers toy with the blade of grass, feeling dazed. “and what is that supposed to mean?”

“there’s no shame in enjoying a good romance novel,” jun retorted, looking over to you. only then did you once again realize just how close you were now laying together, less than an inch of space between your shoulders and knees.

for a brief moment, it felt as if you forgot how to breathe. you didn’t dare allow your gaze to fall to his lips as you whispered, “is mr. wen junhui a secret avid fan of romance, then?”

“you could say that,” he replied, his tone growing lower than you’ve ever heard. it was all becoming too much for you to handle, the way the gentle breeze pulled his hair over his eyes, locked with yours, his lips gently parting.

“can i ask you a personal question?” you finally spoke up, your voice lower than his.

“yes.”

“you used to wear a ring..” you started, unsure of how to go about your line of questioning.

he seemed to catch on, however, nodding his head once and drawing back a tiny bit from your figure. “i.. don’t want to think of everything as a business transaction. especially not marriage.” he let his hand rest near his side, inevitably brushing against your own. “my father wasn’t happy. or hers, for that matter. but i stand by my decision.”

you nodded in understanding. “i admire your courage. and i understand where you’re coming from, completely.” you found it within yourself to finally look away from him, drawing away from his godly features to instead look up at the graying sky. “if i ever marry, i want to be endlessly, hopelessly in love with him. without any hesitation or reservation.”

you caught him nodding in your peripheral vision, the smallest smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “i want to know the depths of someone’s soul. i want to savor every small moment with her..someone who fulfills me.”

just then, it felt like a light bulb had finally flashed in jun’s mind; his feelings towards his anonymous writing partner lying next to him didn’t seem so complicated anymore. although he was nervous, wishing he could have waited for another moment to confess his truth to her, the small voice in his head was much too persistent. there truly was no time like the present.

with that being said, he pulled the small notebook out of his pocket. you recognized it instantly; it was the same one he carried with him in the bakery. he sat upright as he opened it, silently prompting you to do the same. before you could ask him what this was all about, he spoke in a low tone, “there’s.. something i’ve been meaning to tell you. well.. i didn’t know it was you specifically i would be addressing this to, but..”

“what is all of this about?” you chipped in.

a shaky hand brushed over the parchment before he began to quietly read, “my dearest friend, i’ve waited a long time for this moment. i cannot tell you how many times i’ve wrestled with the dilemma of asking to meet you in person-”

“wait-”

he took another deep breath before releasing it with a shaky sigh, “but now that we’re finally here, face to face, i have finally mustered enough courage to tell you how i truly feel about you.” but of course, in that moment, his actions betrayed his beautiful words. his heart rate increased, which in turn, affected his breathing.

so you gently took the notebook from his shaking hands, offering him a gentle smile. you began to read his words aloud, prompting his cheeks to darken with a blush, “and the truth is, my dearest, that i have never felt so connected to someone in my entire life. i have told you things no one else knows.

“in turn, although i feel like i know everything there is to know about you, i want to know more.” tears once again began to blur your vision, but you pressed on to the best of your ability. “writing this to you, i can’t believe i ever doubted, even for a second, how i truly felt about you. i can’t believe i had any reservations in telling you the truth in the first place.

“and if you don’t feel the same, that is per-”

jun was momentarily stunned when you fell abruptly silent. however, you had only stopped reading for two reasons: tears blurring your vision and falling down the worn parchment being one, while you also saw no need to read any further.

you scooted closer until your knees brushed against his and reached your hand up to cup his cheek. “it..it really was you..” you whispered.

he rose his hand to cover your own, nodding bashfully. “it was,” he mused. “i know.. i know you must be so angry with me and- and.. confused, but i had to tell you. i couldn’t keep it hidden, i-”

just as a short chuckle escaped your lips, you quickly leaned in to silent him by pressing your lips against his. you felt him smile into your lips before returning the kiss, slowly molding his lips with yours. it was gentle, passionate, and it spoke much louder than words in that moment.

when he broke away, his hand found yours and he laced his fingers with your own. as he gave your palm a tight squeeze, his eyes never left yours. “i’m sorry.. i should have told you sooner. much sooner..”

“i understand,” you gently cut him off, connecting your forehead with his. “i knew.. i knew that i was right not to blame you. i blame myself, i should have-”

jun immediately shook his head in protest, his other hand cupping your cheek. “no. i should have been forthright from the start. from the second i met you in person. it could have spared us both a lot of heartache.”

you laughed in agreement, “you are not wrong… what if we made an agreement, that from this moment forward, we are to be completely transparent with each other?”

“i love the sound of that,” jun whispered before placing his lips against yours once more. this kiss was just a bit more heated than the last, as if the two of you were making up for any lost time. the two of you felt as if you were seeing stars the entire time your lips moved against his. and when the kiss finally broke, the two of you were grinning from ear to ear.

jun, of course, was the first to speak up. “is it.. too soon to tell you.. there is a chance i may be.. possibly, a little bit in love with you?”

you laughed, your thumb brushing along his jawline as your free hand squeezed his palm. “maybe..but i am in love with you too. completely. without any hesitation.”

he chuckled helplessly as he listened to you upstage him with your declaration, pressing a kiss against your knuckles. “well.. then allow me to say that i am completely, hopelessly in love with you too.”

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honeyhae-svt · 3 months ago

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✧.*⑅˖♡On My Command MASTERLIST♡⁠˖⑅*⁠.⁠✧

heya, heya, heya! aeya here!: I jus' want to let yk that requests are now open! Feel free to suggest and I will be writing it, hehehe. —bummer, no one wanna though.

My first ever story & series posted here on Tumblr! Yey! Promoting my Wattpad >w< @muuimihanmal_writes - The link is from Wattpad also posted by me ^^ but dw, if you dont have a Wattpad acc, just check the chapter down below!

On My Command

SEVENTEEN FANFICTION (Series)

AFAB!READER x SEVENTEEN - MNDI

GENRE: Mafia, Businesses, Dark Romance, Smut, Gangs, RomCom, Action, Fem!Reader x Mafia!Seventeen, Baddie!Reader x Businessmen!Seventeen

Status: ONGOING

⚠️ WARNINGS ⚠️: Smut, Kissing, Oral Sex, Unprotected Sex (though some have), Mention of Birth Controls, Gunshots, Blood, Fingering, Squirting, Language, Manipulation, Fighting, Action, Pet Names, Size kinks.

♡-Mention of other groups like TXT, EXO, ENHA, G-IDLE, LE SSERA, NCT DREAM, RIIZE (THIS IS A SERIES SO IG I WILL BE ADDING MORE TO THAN THESE WARNINGS) - MDNI OR I WILL BLOCK THOSE WITHOUT AGE INDICATOR ON BIO

READER IS NAMED LI MEI QIANG!!!

>>>> IMAGES ARE FROM PINTEREST so yeah, ctto. Also, there will be a 1st person POV 'cause I like starting from Y/N's POV at every story I make. Lmao. Enjoy babies. ♡

PREVIEW: YN POV: I had always thought I would live out the rest of my days aging quietly and dying a mundane death. My life seemed devoid of surprises until I turned 23. Suddenly, I found myself entangled with businesses, gangs, and even dangerous mafias. Who could have imagined my life would take such an exhilarating turn? At last, I had something new to experience in my previously dull existence. Now, I could finally put my unique ability to good use-an ability to manipulate, honed by my deep understanding of psychology, in situations that were both serious and thrilling. Would I able to handle this serious turn of events? You're damn right I can.

> CHAPTER 1

> CHAPTER 2

> CHAPTER 3

-AEYA HERE!: Sorry guys, I recently only uploaded this story on Tumblr so yeah, still working on other chapters (hehe) Please keep in touch with me, (cause like I said, I will also be posting my Heeseung & Sunghoon FF here too this September) I won't be creating a masterlist (yet) but SOON I will!

> CHAPTER 4

Do check this story out on Wattpad since I've already uploaded a bunch of chapters there (though still unfinished) but yeah, busy with schools and stuffs as well so I don't think I can update frequently. PLEASE ENJOY

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mymoodwriting · 6 months ago

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Request for @shlbyholo (yandere Seungcheol) 3.6k, ceo!Seungcheol, yandere behavior, manipulation, non-con, dub-con, female penetration, creampie, possessive behavior, alcohol, manipulation (@starillusion13)

“You asked to see me, sir.”

“Yes. I’m gonna be in a long meeting and wanted some refreshments. Can you get me an iced americano, please? From my favorite cafe.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I’ll take a mocha la-”

“No.”

As far as you could tell this meeting was only between Seungcheol and another gentleman, but obviously both parties had lawyers and other associates present. Seungcheol interrupted his guest, an amused smirk on his face.

“This is my secretary, not yours.” Seungcheol looked back at you with a childish smile. “One iced americano please, and get yourself whatever you want.”

“Yes, sir.”

You bowed and were stepping back when Seungcheol cleared his throat. You immediately froze, looking up when he spoke your name.

“Y/n.” Seungcheol held up a black card. “You’ll need this.”

“Ah, yes, thank you, sir.”

You took the card from Seungcheol and then made your exit. Once the door shut behind you a breath escaped your lips. He would always keep you on edge, even if he didn’t mean to, but maybe he did. You took the card and stepped out of the office to fulfill his request. You knew where his favorite cafe was, and it was a quick little trip. Even though he told you to get something too you couldn’t bring yourself to spend his money. Upon returning you knocked on the conference room door and let yourself in.

There were papers all over the table, and one of the others present was doing some presentation. You paid it no mind and went over to your boss. You placed the coffee within his view and reach, placing a pastry next to it as well. Seungcheol didn’t really eat breakfast, and he shouldn’t be having coffee on an empty stomach either. He glanced back at you with a smile, gesturing for you to come closer. He whispered in your ear, thanking you for the melon bread and asking you to lock the door on your way out. You dismissed yourself and did as you were asked. It wasn’t anything new after all.

As Seungcheol said the meeting was gonna be a few hours, and the last thing he wanted were unnecessary interruptions. If anyone needed anything from him they could go to you and you’d decide whether it was worth bothering him or not. The conference room wasn’t far from the boss’ office, therefore your desk wasn’t that far either. You took your seat, drinking from your water bottle and going over emails, marking what was important, and answering whichever you could. A while later your phone buzzed, Seungcheol asking you to come clean up after him. You did as he asked, once again knocking before letting yourself in.

A few of the others glanced at you, but you paid them no attention. You took the empty cup and wrapper, throwing them in the nearby trash. There was a table set out for refreshments as this was an important meeting after all. You grabbed a glass and poured some water into it, setting it down for Seungcheol and then excusing yourself. At least today was simple and quiet, which made it easier to get through. When the meeting ended you were at the door and greeted everyone as they headed out. Although someone stopped to greet you back, Mr. Choi’s guest.

“Apologies about earlier. I was unaware Mr. Choi was particular about his secretary’s duties.” The man held his hand out to you. “Yoo Minhyun.”

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Yoo. I’m sorry I was unable to assist you before.”

“It’s understandable. Perhaps I could buy you a coffee sometime.” Mr. Yoo held his card out to you. “If you wouldn’t mind.”

“I do mind.” Seungcheol exited the conference room, taking the card and crushing it in his hands. “We’ll be in touch Mr. Yoo, have a good evening.”

Mr. Yoo didn’t say anything more and excused himself. Once he was gone Seungcheol grabbed your arm and pulled you into the conference room.

“Were you flirting with him?”

“No, sir. I was just apologizing for earlier.”

“Earlier? You mean the coffee?” Seungcheol scoffed. “A guy like that can get his own secretary. You didn’t need to apologize for anything.”

“I’ll keep that in mind going forward, sir. Did the meeting go as planned?”

“Don’t change the subject.”

Seungcheol came up to you and took your head in his hands. He brushed his thumbs along your cheek, and you couldn’t do anything but meet his eyes. You could see worry and annoyance in there, his emotions mixed together but both weren’t directed at you. A soft smile appeared on his lips before he leaned in to kiss you. It was soft and gentle, like always.

“You know I hate it when other guys talk to you, especially when they’re not my employees.”

“I’m sorry, sir.”

“I told you to use my name when we’re alone.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Yes you can.” Seungcheol remarked. “Now say it.”

“Seungcheol…”

“Good. You must be hungry, it’s almost lunch time. Let’s go get some food. You can fill me in on my emails.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Tsk.”

“Yes, Seungcheol.”

This certainly wasn’t what you imagined a secretary job to be, no one did, but this was way more complicated. You accompanied Seungcheol to lunch at one of his favorite places, going over his schedule for the evening and tomorrow, while also bringing up the important papers and emails he needed to go over. Afterwards you returned to the office, preparing yourself for what came next. You didn’t get to go home until Seungcheol did, and that varied day by day. Sometimes you didn’t sleep much, but the job always kept you alert and ready for anything.

🖤

“Let’s have lunch in the office today.” Seungcheol suggested. “We can order from your favorite place and-”

“Sir!”

You had been out with Seungcheol in the morning for a business meeting and were returning to the office. One of the managers from the marketing department rushed over in a frenzy once you were in the lobby, holding some papers.

“Sir. You need to look over these proposals immediately. We need an answer by noon.”

“Oh?” Seungcheol looked over the papers. “And why wasn’t this on my desk in the morning?”

“Your secretary was asked to pick up the papers in the morning and deliver them to you.”

“What?”

“Your secretary was-”

“Who asked her?”

“I did. She should have-”

“So you asked my secretary to give me some important papers this morning?”

“Yes.”

“And where were you in the morning? Why couldn’t you deliver this yourself? Or have someone from your department do it?”

“Well, your secretary seemed like-”

“My secretary only does what I tell her, understand?”

“Sir-”

“This isn’t a debate.” Seungcheol reached into his jacket pocket and threw a folded up piece of paper at the manager. “That is a copy of my secretary’s contract. You’ll see it states she only does what I ask of her, and doesn’t take on any other tasks from anyone else in my company.”

“I…”

“Y/n, could you take these papers to the marketing department and let them know I’ll be by after lunch to sign proposal number two, and that they may proceed with it in the meantime.”

“Yes, sir.”

You took the paperwork and excused yourself, grateful you didn’t have to be present for what came next. Either Seungcheol would chew out the manager in front of everyone or fire him on the spot, all cause of you. Truth was, that copy of your contract Seungcheol threw wasn’t what you signed at all. After university you had been bouncing from one interview to another, hoping to land a good job. When you were offered a position at Choi Inc. you were overjoyed. You read the contract front to make multiple times from excitement, happy to sign. On your first day you were eager to meet your boss, but when you saw who it was your heart sank a bit.

You had met Seungcheol back in uni, and he was a jerk. He and his little crew used to pick on the other students in class, and he seemed to like messing with you in particular. You didn’t even know his name back then, only what his friends called him, Scoups. You were lucky he was a year above you, so after he graduated your last year was way more peaceful. At first you thought maybe he didn’t recognize you so this was all just some coincidence, but you soon realized that wasn’t the case.

The moment he was alone with you he mentioned your university days, and how he missed you once he graduated. You acted friendly, he was your boss after all, and you hoped he wouldn’t bring up his behavior, but of course he did. He told you how cute it was to make you squirm, knowing it was all because of him. He asked how often you dreamed about him, but you didn’t answer. You didn’t remember university with him as a good time. Honestly now that you thought about it you weren’t even sure how he graduated. Still, you weren’t sure how you felt about this so you had to ask.

“Sir, may I ask a question?”

“You can call me Seungcheol when we’re alone.”

“Right…” You took a moment. “Did you hire me based on my qualifications, or because you knew me?”

“Ah, you don’t think you’re good enough for the role?”

“I made it past the first two interviews, which I’m sure you had nothing to do with, but surely before making a final decision you recognized me. So I can’t help but wonder if I-”

“Does it matter? As my secretary you know I’ll pay you well, and you know your chances of getting another job like this if you quit.”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, don’t play coy. You know who I am now, and the power I hold. By all means quit. I can stop by whatever convenience store or gas station you work at after this everyday.”

“…”

“You really can’t be picky about a job like this. It’s your dream, isn’t it?”

“… why… why me? Why are you-”

“It’s the same reason as back then. Don’t you know the saying, guys always pick on the girls they like the most. We’ve both grown past that now. So then, are you gonna quit?”

“… no, sir…”

“At a girl. You were always special to me, and now I can protect you properly. Come on, busy day today.”

You wanted to believe his words were true, that what happened in university was in the past. He had been more of an annoyance than a bully, and he claimed to like you, but that didn’t sit well with you at all. Still, perhaps the job wouldn’t be that bad. As a secretary you wouldn’t do much for him besides be a mediator, so you thought there wouldn’t be excessive interaction, but you were wrong. You were always at Seungcheol’s side, and made sure to isolate you from the rest of the company. Many thought you were sleeping with him, rumors going around behind your back, but what could you do.

It wasn’t until Seungcheol caught one of his employees reprimanding you for messing something up that he brought out that copy of your contract. That’s when you knew he really had you in the palm of his hand. You looked into Seungcheol’s claims, finding a very different contract with your signature on it. You couldn’t let this slide so you confronted Seungcheol about it, and all he did was laugh.

“Didn’t you read your contract?”

“I fucken did! I know what I read and this isn’t it! This is basically a fucken slave contract!”

“You’re my secretary and nothing more. No one else should be giving you orders in my company. What’s the problem?”

“Everyone is already talking shit behind my back and then you pull a stunt like this? What do you think they’re gonna say now? I’m basically your escort on payroll.”

“Ya! Don’t talk about yourself like that.”

“I quit! I’ll have my resignation on your desk before the end of the day.”

“I won’t accept it.”

“That’s your problem.”

“No, it isn’t. You’re not leaving.”

Before you could exit the office Seungcheol had caught up to you, pulling you away from the door and locking it. He stared you down, starting to chip away at your courage.

“I let you focus on your studies senior year, holding myself back from seeing you. When your resume appeared on my desk it was fate. You were meant to be here and work for me, so I’m not just gonna let you leave now.”

“You think I want to be here? You’re making my life difficult.”

“And is it all over the news? No, cause I am taking care of it, taking care of you. The people here can talk all they want but they don’t know anything. It’s just me and you balancing our lives and work.”

“This isn’t fair to me. I get no say in-”

“I know you want me. That’s how I knew who you were. I caught you staring at me from time to time, such curiosity and desire in those eyes. If I started paying you attention I figured things would develop on their own, but I underestimated how good of a girl you were. You never raised your voice or gave me anything to work with, just focused on school. I admired that, so I let you be, knowing our time would come. So here we are now.” Seungcheol took your hand in his, giving it a kiss. “I’m not gonna let you go when you came right to me. Do you understand?”

“… sir…”

“Seungcheol.”

“… what if I quit…”

Seungcheol chuckled. “You think I’m gonna let you go that easily? You’re here for me, you work for me, you’re mine. Just be happy and let me take care of you. Cause you’re not going anywhere. Understood?”

“… yes…”

“Good. And I don’t want to hear this kinda talk again.”

“…”

“Answer me.”

“Understood.”

“Tsk.”

“Yes, Seungcheol.”

“That’s my girl.”

There really wasn’t a way out for you. If you wanted to leave you should have done that the second you found out who your boss was, but by staying you gave him the wrong idea, you let him sink his fangs in, so trying to escape now meant death. You couldn’t even fathom what he could do, but you were certain he could do anything. So you held your head high and continued on. He never hurt you, never insulted you, never did anything to make people think he was an asshole to you. He was so professional at work, but it was only behind closed doors that he was something else.

You don’t know when he really started being affectionate, but at some point he gained the courage. He’d give you longing looks, flirt with you on the down low, then he started placing kisses whenever you had a moment alone. You never said anything, what could you say, or do to stop him. In his mind you were certain he thought of you two as a couple, a hidden office romance, whereas you were just trying to survive. It got easier overtime. You didn’t socialize with coworkers, and Seungcheol wasn’t an ass. Despite the unwanted undertones, life was bearable, and you’d get caught up in everything too, forgetting what was so bad about work.

🖤

“Coming.”

You were getting ready for bed when you heard a knock at your door. You weren’t really expecting anyone this late, but you knew you had a few packages that were supposed to be delivered. With that in mind you went to open the door without question, surprised by what you found on the other side.

“Sir? What are you-”

“There aren’t any guys here, are there?”

“Uh…”

“You’re not allowed to bring men over to your place.”

Seungcheol pushed his way into your apartment, taking his shoes off and looking around. The smell of alcohol suddenly hit you and you realized what was going on.

“Sir-”

“Tsk. How many times do I have to tell you to use my name?”

“What are you doing here Seungcheol? I smell alcohol so you must be drunk, did you drive here?”

“No, no, I didn’t want to go home so I told my driver to bring me here. This place is pretty nice. How come you haven’t invited me over before?”

“I can drive you home. I don’t mind at all.”

“Don’t be silly, I came here for a reason.”

Seungcheol found your room, immediately laying on your bed and burying his face in your pillow. He seemed so content.

“I like this. We should spend more time here.”

“Why are you here?”

“I wanted to see you. I wanted to surprise you.”

“This is unnecessary.”

“You know, you’re such a mystery to me sometimes.” Seungcheol got up and walked over to you. “I’m every girl’s wet dream. Handsome, rich, powerful, and yet you deny me over and over.”

“…”

“I just want to be your dream. I want to be yours.”

“…”

“Tell me, honestly, do you not want me?”

Seungcheol grabbed your chin and forced you to meet his eyes. It was hard to hold his gaze, especially when you weren’t at work. His eyes shined, and in moments like this you could remember why you had a crush on him back in the day. You couldn’t respond to Seungcheol though, and your silence was an answer itself. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to yours, wrapping an arm around your waist. You didn’t want to kiss back, but something else took hold in the moment. Perhaps the alcohol on his lips were having an effect.

“Good girl.”

Seungcheol brought you over to your bed and laid you down, kissing you hard and stripping you out of your clothes. Since you had been getting ready for bed and were in your pajamas you didn’t have a bra, which brought a smile to Seungcheol’s face. He massaged your breasts, getting a moan out of you. He kissed you again, and this time you placed your hands on his chest, pushing him back.

“You’re drunk.”

“I only had a few, but I assure you I want to do this. Of course if you want me to stop, I will.”

“…”

“That’s what I thought.”

Seungcheol took off his shirt, letting you feel him up. You hadn’t been this close to him before, starting to wonder if maybe you were the drunk one here. He went back to kissing at your neck, letting your hands go wherever they wanted. Although he didn’t have much patience for your naive act. He pulled down his pants before slipping his hand between your legs, rubbing you through your panties. You whimpered, grabbing his hand but not really stopping him. He started whispering in your ears, telling you to be a good girl and let him take control.

Next thing you knew he pushed your panties aside, his cold fingers against your folds. You tensed up a bit but he told you to relax, pushing your legs apart. From there his fingers could reach deeper and without warning he pushed one into you. He loved watching you squirm, seeing how just one of his fingers was making you dance. He wanted to prep you well, taking his time to work you over to three fingers, seeing just how much you liked it. He had been patient up till now, wanting to claim what was his. He distracted you with another kiss as he pushed your legs apart a bit more, making himself comfortable.

Your eyes went wide as you felt something poking you between your legs, but before you could say something Seungcheol captured your lips again, getting you to moan into his mouth as he stretched you open. He had to admit you took him so well, whimpering and squirming and adjusting to his size, but not one complaint came from your mouth. He couldn’t sit still, feeling how you squeezed him in made him move, catching you off guard once more. Perhaps he had experience, or it was just luck, but every thrust hit your sweet spot, making you see white and whimper from the overwhelming feeling.

“Seungcheol…”

“Now you say my name, huh? You sound really pretty.”

Your eyes rolled to the back of your head as Seungcheol did his thing, wanting to keep your moans to a minimum, but he wanted to hear every little sound. You could tell when you were close, feeling this burning sensation down below, trying to let Seungcheol know but all that came out of you was nonsense. He understood though, well on his way to climax as well, getting slowly and rougher with his movements. You fell over the edge first, squeezing him tightly which pushed him to climax. The warm feeling between your legs was new, but not unwelcomed. Seungcheol kept moving his hips erratically, trying to make this feeling last for as long as possible before collapsing on top of you. His hot breath was against your ear, making you quiver all the more. He stayed inside you, wanting to remain like this for a while longer.

“You did so good, baby.” Seungcheol mumbled. “We should do this more often.”

“Hm…”

“Ya, could I put a baby in you? Maybe you won’t be so mean when you’re a mom.”

“Don’t say shit like that…”

“It would make you all the more mine.”

“Just be quiet…”

“Hm, you’re right, gotta go to work tomorrow. Sleep well, love.”

“Yeah, yeah, sleep well…”

“I definitely will.”

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aubaee · 4 months ago

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dance with me — k.sy

seventeen soonyoung head cannon

warnings: idol!au, best friends!au, members ft. (dk, seungkwan, woozi)

best friend!Hoshi who suggests you do a dance challenge with him.

best friend!Hoshi in which he brings you to their dance practice at the HYBE building with Seokmin, Seungkwan, and Jihoon.

best friend!Hoshi whom you see different sides of him while he’s working as an idol. Despite knowing his fun personality, you see how hard-working and serious he is about his profession.

best friend!Hoshi in which you understand why he's appointed as the 'dance leader'.

best friend!Hoshi who not only becomes serious and intimidating during practice but can also be a goofball around you.

best friend!Hoshi who lays right beside you when you finish the dance challenge with him.

"You did so great today, thanks for dancing with me."

"We should dance more often together. It's fun having you accompany me."

best friend!Hoshi in which he becomes clingy, never leaving your side.

"Oh come on, I'm not sweating that much." He smiles mischievously, wrapping his arms around you while you try to push him away.

You groan in protest, laughing at your failed attempt to escape from his tight hug.

best friend!Hoshi who gets teased by his band members, especially by Seungkwan, about the way he’s acting ‘cutely’ towards you.

"What are you talking about? I've always been this way."

best friend!Hoshi placed his hat on you, admiring how good you looked with it.

"You should wear this more often."

"You look good with my stuff on you."

best friend!Hoshi who offered if you want to grab drinks with him.

"Let's go walk together and grab something to eat while we're at it."

Soonyoung chuckles as he hears his band members complain about not being invited to eat along.

"Come on, I rarely get a chance to eat out with her, let alone just the two of us!"

"She's my best friend, okay."

a/n: this is really really short but I wanted to write this for fun, especially since I dreamt this a few days ago. i rarely get dreams of seventeen so i was happy they came up.. i had to make a note of it lol

☆ pls like & reblog ☆

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hcuyk · 1 year ago

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SYNOPSIS : jeonghan loves you. the happier ending to kidult

PAIRING : daycareworker!jeonghan x genderneutral!reader

GENRES : established relationship, daycare au, angst, fluff, features seventeen as children

WARNINGS : mentions of car accident and child neglect

TEASER WORD COUNT : 329

ESTIMATED WORD COUNT : 7-10k

ESTIMATED RELEASE DATE : within the next week. i lied its coming out when i get time cause why tf is my college doing sm

TAGLIST : lmk if you want to be added!

A/N : this is for kidult jeonghan reaching 1k notes. i love you all

K. COLLECTION [Y.JH] ONE | TWO

Tears began to stream down your face, unable to hold them back, and you were thankful Jeonghan missed it, but when you heard him apologize, you turned around and snapped at him.

“What the hell do you even want?”

“I want to talk to you.”

“You had two weeks to talk to me!” you yelled, fighting the loudness of the rain. The stream of tears ran faster down your cheeks as you brought a hand to your forehead, shielding the rain from getting into your eyes.

“I tried!”

“By knocking on my door for an hour straight at two in the fucking morning?! You could’ve called! You have a key!”

“Well it’s not like you tried either—”

“I got hit by a car!” you screamed, storming towards him as the sky reflected your mood. The thunder was just as loud as the pounding in your heart, and the rain poured just as much as your tears. You pushed Jeonghan, and behind him you saw a crack of lightning. Your vision started to blur as you didn’t hold back your sobs, wanting to show him the pain he’d inflicted on you ever since he left.

“I got hit by a car, Jeonghan! What about you? Were you hit by a car?! A truck? Perhaps a plane?” You forced out a manic laugh before continuing. “Wait, no, don’t tell me. Let me guess,-”

“Y/N—”

“-mauled by a bear?”

“I can explain-”

“Tell me I’m goddamn overreacting.” You took a step forward, and instead of pushing him again, you stared, making him look at the pain he created. “Tell me I’m overreacting, Hannie. Look me in my eyes and say it loud and clear.”

“I knew you’d be there for me.”

“I missed you, I needed you-”

“I know.”

“The day I lose you is the day I lose myself.”

“I don’t want you to wake up and realize I’m not the one for you. I don’t want that for us.”

hopefully the svt readers see this 😔

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doahaesunshine · 1 month ago

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Fallin' Flower

Summary

Seokmin was always the complete opposite of you. Vibrant, colorful, a little silly, and just so unapologetically him. He saw the beauty in the world and was able to capture special moments with his camera. You had no such talent, you mostly saw the world as a bit dull and empty. That’s why you painted. You would rather create something fantastic and other worldly than see the world as it actually was.

Tags

Alternate Universe - Magic, Magic AU, Trauma, Multiple POV, Toxic Behavior, Lose of Memory, Depression, Manipulation, Drowning, the frog the frog the frog the frog (don't worry about it), Different Types of Magic, Empaths, Cheol gets Angry, TECHNICALLY Ot13 if you squint, PTSD, and overall emotional damage.

Co-written by @wooahaeruby

Status: Complete

Word Count: 73,928

Chapter Count: 21

Chapters

Like a mix of sadness with a cold smile

Where the fallen heart goes

I realize that everything has a reason

I want to see you right now

Scars cure and buds shoot

I won't take you for granted

The fallen heart

We can smile together

Hiding my state of mind

To me you are very precious

I am here, you suffered a lot

Don't worry. Don't be scared

One Hundred Eighty-Three

Epilogue

AO3 link

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lololololchips · 5 months ago

Note

hi!!! could u do something with bf jun pls 🫶

haiiii sorry this took MONTHS😭😭 but here it is hehe cause i’ve been having jun brainrot for weeks now sigh

Wen Junhui || even more more more bf texts with svt!jun

genre: fake texts, one shot au, fluff

warnings: fem pronouns, cursing

219 notes · View notes

wooahaeruby · 5 months ago

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Master List

Will be edited as time goes on, currently working on getting the chapters up on tumblr too

The main group I write for is ☆Seventeen☆ but Ateez is coming!

☆Series☆

One Soul, One Heart

This series will include 12 part series for the members of Seventeen. Note that there are only 12, VerKwan will be a joint story (To You explains why).

Fallin' Flower

I am the cowriter/editor for this series. It's a Fantasy, Magic AU written by my friend. Seventeen AU.

List of Members' Soul Bonds

S.Coups/Seungcheol: All colors in the world got muted and dull Jeonghan: On the palm of their hand has a counter of how many times they have passed each other. Joshua: Being next to soulmate heals injuries quickly and the injuries that the other gets will leave a scar that appears on the other soulmate’s body Junhui: Both have '5201314' tattooed on them, meaning 'I love you forever' in Chinese text slang Wonwoo: They each have a notebook where they can write back and forth to one another. They can’t give any personal identifiers, but can still communicate things about themselves. Hoshi/Soonyoung: Craves whatever type of food their soulmate is craving (salty food, sweet food, spicy, etc) and a timer Woozi/Jihoon: Countdown timer and the ability to feel soulmate's emotions. DK/Seokmin: Hearing the song the other has stuck in their head. Mingyu: Black and white tattoo that is assumed to bloom with color when he meets his soulmate (Possible change to this) The 8/Minghao: Can hear each other's thoughts in their head/can communicate telepathically. VerKwan: Countdown timers x2 Chan/Dino: Shared Talent and each other's zodiac constellation 'tattooed' on their skin.

☆Finished Works☆

To You

Jihoon/Woozi x Reader

Tumblr Link

Ao3 Link

Tags: Soulmate AU, Canon Divergence, Fluff, Angst, Slow Burn Fluff

Fallin' Flower

?? X Reader

Tumblr Link

AO3 Link

I cowrote this with @doahaesunshine

Tags: Magic AU, Fantasy AU, Trauma, Depression, Manipulation, Angst

☆Works In Progress☆

Blood Stained Hands

Jeonghan x Reader x Joshua (Maybe more? hehe)

Tumblr Link

Ao3 Link

Tags: Mafia AU, Violence, Non-Major Character Death, Mentions of Drugs

Unnamed Seungcheol Soulmate AU

Tags: Soulmate AU, Teacher, Single Mom

Unnamed Wonwoo Soulmate AU

Tags: Soulmate Au, Streamers/Influencers AU

☆Upcoming Works☆

Unnamed VerKwan Au

Tags: Idol AU, Soulmate AU

☆Social Media☆

Twitter: CallistoSVT

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horanghaejamjam · 2 years ago

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Vampire Kisses - {WJH}

↪ Summary: He is the head of the Wen family, the highest ranking family of vampires in the country. You are a mere human sold to them for the purpose of being his mate and bride. Jun is determined to win your heart before you wed, and perhaps a few playful kisses are the key to doing that.

↪ Pairings: Vampire lord Jun x Human female reader

↪ Rating: M 18+

↪ Genre: Vampire Au / Slight rivals to lovers / Smut / Fluff

↪ Word Count: 16.3k

↪ Warnings/Contents: Smut, Blood and blood drinking, Biting, Jun being super flirty and teasing, Arranged marriage, Virgin!reader, Unprotected sex, Body Worship, Oral (male receiving), Praise, Soft bondage (Jun ties/blindfolds reader with silk), Fingering, Talks about impregnation. Mostly just very fluffy and soft with Jun being whipped for reader.

↪ Side Notes: My first post of 2023! This also turned out way longer than I was expecting so I guess I got carried away lol. A few of the other svt members also make cameos in this story. It is implied that reader is younger than Jun.

↪ Huge thank you to the lovely @xiubaek-13 for betaing and editing this fic for me!

↪ Click here to see my other Seventeen stories

↪ Click here for other kpop masterlists

↪ Click here to join my fic taglist

Growing up, your mom always told you stories about marriage and weddings. How a woman's wedding was supposed to be the happiest day of her life, a once in a lifetime moment. Ever since the first story, you dreamed about the day you would get that moment, planning your dream wedding down to the very last detail. As a child, you imagined a royal ceremony in a grand castle, wearing the most beautiful and lavish dress you could ever imagine. Your husband would be royalty for sure, a man who would love and cherish you for as long as you both shall live. You would be happy together, have the perfect family, and live beautifully in your life of luxury. Looking back at those memories, you realized that you should have been careful about what you wished for. You were getting that wedding you always wanted, but it would not be under your terms. The other thing you learned young was that the world you lived in was not simple, in fact one may consider it the merging of two separate worlds. Two dominant races ran this world and fought for power, similar enough to coexist but different enough to segregate them to keep the world in balance.

For centuries, humans were the dominant race on Earth. The knowledge of others existed, but their numbers were far too small to be considered a challenge, so humans called the shots. Then, overtime, vampires became a much more prominent presence, easily taking over and claiming areas for themselves. Regions quickly became divided as vampires took control of certain areas, forcing humans to either fight back or surrender to the change. This caused a conflict for many years until leaders on both sides met and finally came to an agreement. They would coexist and operate together, with humans during the day and vampires at night. The agreement was sealed with a marriage of the royal families that united both sides. From that moment forward, it had become customary for the most powerful vampire families to marry one of their kin to a human as a way to honor the unity. The marriage would be sealed by the vampire claiming their spouse by taking their blood on their wedding day, and from there the human could choose if they wished to stay that way or transition to a vampire by drinking the blood of their mate.

You were born a human, raised in a lower class family who often struggled to make ends meet. You were an only child, and your parents did the best they could to make sure you had everything you needed growing up. You did your best in school and worked a part time job at a local bakery. Overall, you felt that you were pretty average but nothing special, especially not someone that any royal family would set their eyes on. Hell, you never even recalled meeting a vampire so you couldn’t imagine you would catch one's attention, but somehow you did.

Your whole world changed on the night of your 23rd birthday, being awoken to a knock at your door. Standing there, dressed in a black and red suit with a devilish smile, was one of the most ethereal beings you had ever laid your eyes on. He was tall, with piercing eyes and an almost dark aura to him, his fangs undeniably poking out against his lip as he smiled. You didn’t know what you expected vampires to look like, but it certainly was not this. He bowed and introduced himself as Mingyu, the head servant of the Wen family. He then explained that they had been observing you for quite some time and wanted to ask for your hand in marriage to their eldest son. You had been too stunned to speak, staring at Mingyu as if he had two heads while your parents argued against the idea. You had wanted to refuse also, not wanting to marry someone you had never met, let alone a vampire. However, they had promised protection and financial stability for you and your family as long as you stayed mated to him and provided an eventual heir to the bloodline. As much as you hated the idea, you knew deep down that it was what was best for your family, and so you said yes and prepared to move into the Wen family estate, where you now resided.

You had been living here for a few years now and never found adjusting any easier. Your wedding to Wen Junhui was set to take place within the next month, falling on the first full moon after your birthday. You didn’t quite understand how everything worked but you remember Mingyu explaining to you that this would be the time where the energy was highest and you were both at your prime. There was a chance for mating bonds to go wrong so this was the best chance of eliminating that risk. You had tried to ask what happened when it went wrong but all Mingyu did was pat your head and tell you not to worry about it.

That time had been spent allowing you to learn about the family and adjust to what your new life would be. Mr. and Mrs. Wen had met you almost immediately upon your arrival, giving you a once over before welcoming you with open arms. You learned a lot about the family, and about vampires in general from them, helping you to adjust more to your new life. Mr. Wen was born into the family and had been around for many hundred, if not almost a thousand years despite the fact that he didn’t even look 50. Mrs. Wen had been a human when she married into the family, making the decision to transition and stay with her husband when she was in her late 20s. Though she had also explained that she had only been turned after her 30th birthday so she was, technically, significantly younger than her husband. This made you question how age worked with vampires, especially the aging. All you were told was the brief explanation that aging was slower and it took many years for them to age the way a human would in one or two. There was also something about blood slowing down the process but you decided to tune that part out for your own sanity.

You were also informed about the family line, and how the head of the family would change every couple hundred years to keep up with the changing times, though the original head will often stick around for a while before moving on. The family had two known sons, with Jun being the oldest and only bred vampire which gave him the title by birth right. In human years, he would have just turned 26 making him a few years your senior, when in reality he was slowly nearing 300 years old which was the prime age for a vampire, if not still a bit young. He also had a younger brother, Minghao, who was a transitioned vampire. The human born son of one of the servants that Mr. Wen took in and claimed as his own child. The two brothers, despite not being blood related, were very close and did almost everything together. They had been traveling together at that time, so you hadn’t been able to meet either until a while later.

It had been during dinner (or breakfast for the family), when the two brothers finally returned. Polar opposites in style and personality, but both striking in their own way. Minghao was more delicate but striking in his features, jet black hair falling over his face in messy locks and dressed in an all black trench coat that hid most of his frame. He did not speak much around you, but when he did his voice was soft and his words were sharp and to the point, he had almost reminded you of one of your highschool professors. He acknowledged you briefly with a calm smile before excusing himself to his study, leaving you to finally turn and acknowledge your soon to be husband.

You would have been lying if you said Junhui wasn’t one of the most gorgeous men you’d ever seen. Immediately you could tell he was taller and had a larger build than his younger brother. His gaze was softer but still had an alluring touch to it, almost as if he looked bored. His hair was longer, practically touching his shoulders with a striking blonde color. Most of it was slicked back but a few strands fell in front of his eyes. He had been wearing a slick black button down with the top three buttons undone, tucked into fitted pants that suited him nicely. You were immediately attracted to, if not very intimidated by the man standing in front of you, even when he gave you a gentle smile and sat beside you. “Y/N,” he had muttered softly, taking your hand and kissing it, “I am so happy to finally meet you.” His voice was soft, and even a bit higher pitched than you had been expecting, and he seemed more than eager to get to know you.

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From that moment forward, it seemed like Junhui, or Jun as he preferred you to call him, would not leave you alone. He was always following you around, attempting to talk to you or get you to acknowledge him. Whether it be genuine questions, teasing you over the smallest things, or even flirty advances, it seemed that no matter where you went Jun was there. You gave into him occasionally, but for the most part you found his presence to be quite annoying. Yeah you knew you were being forced to marry him but you hadn’t expected him to be all over you the second you met him. You figured, or more like hoped, that the two of you would stay acquaintances at most and just keep the formalities when his family was around, but it seemed like Jun had different ideas.

You tried your best to tolerate him, but as your wedding drew closer you found the whole thing weighing on you more and more. The situation became too real for your liking and suddenly you were questioning if this was really a good idea. You were marrying a complete stranger, someone who was infatuated with you but you wanted nothing to do with. You were expected to spend your life with this man and eventually have children with him and you didn’t know him, let alone love him. The thought alone made your skin crawl, trying to suppress the thoughts of what would happen on your wedding night, all for the family to stay in power. Unfortunately there was no way for you to change your mind, knowing that your family would suffer if you tried to back out was the only thing keeping you from running away. Instead you developed a new routine, sleeping through the night while they were up and taking advantage of the daytime to sneak out and enjoy the last few days of your freedom. Today was no exception, with you waking up early and pacing around your room, waiting for the day to arrive so you could sneak out and meet up with your friends.

Looking out the window, you saw the sun slowly starting to peak out over the horizon, just enough to paint the sky with a purple hue. Within the next hour or so it would be light out and, if your calculations were correct, the family would be asleep by then. Mr and Mrs Wen specifically were likely already in bed by now, the older vampires having no desire to wait for the sun. They were much more sensitive to the light as you had learned, keeping their curtains drawn hours before the sun even thought of rising. They were easy to sneak around, often following the same schedule so you knew where they would be at what time. Minghao was a bit trickier, the man not following a set schedule and often staying up way past when his peers had gone to bed. However, you also learned that he was a bit of a recluse, preferring to stay in his room or study whenever possible. Even when he did catch you, he seemed to either understand your feelings or not care enough to stop you, simply giving you a nod and a knowing look as you made your way out the door. You made a mental note to thank him one of these days for not stopping you or ratting you out to his parents.

Jun, on the other hand, was not as easy as his family. You weren’t sure if he liked the thrill of being up when it was day or he just didn’t trust you but he would be up for hours before finally resting. Sometimes you found him in his study working on who knows what and other times you had run into him chatting with one of the servants in the kitchen as if that was a normal occurrence for him. Well, technically it was, but that didn’t mean you liked it any more. Day time was the only time you ever had to yourself, enjoying the quiet and freedom before you would be forced to adapt to the nightlife. Though it seemed your soon to be husband didn’t like the idea of leaving you alone, always knowing where you were and sneaking up on you like the two of you were playing a twisted game of hide and seek.

“Enjoying the view Sweetheart?” speak of the devil, you nearly jumped out of your skin when you heard his voice behind you. You hadn’t even heard him enter your room so you had no idea how long he had been there. Jun chuckled at your obvious shock as he walked up behind you, reaching out to close the curtain before the rays of the sun could peak out and threaten him. Glancing at him over your shoulder, you saw that he had ditched his usual suit and jewels for his pajamas, a simple white shirt and baggy pants, giving you hope that this visit would be short.

“I thought you would be in bed,” you muttered as you turned to face him fully.

“Without saying goodnight?” he questioned, “I would never! You should know that by now.” He hummed in thought for a moment as he glanced down at you, bottom lip finding its way between his teeth, “Though judging by the way you’re dressed I’m assuming you’re staying up again. I don’t understand why though, it’s so lonely when everyone's asleep isn’t it?”

“I like being alone, and I’m not ready to give up my life just yet for the sake of your family,” you argued, making the male wince as if your words burned him.

“You really don’t like me do you?” he asked, or more like whined which made you roll your eyes. Surely the fact that an all powerful vampire such as himself was pouting at you like a kicked puppy was pitiful. Still, it seemed to have a bit of an effect on you as you sighed softly.

“It’s not that I don’t like you,” you started to explain, “I mean come on we’re practically strangers and I’m supposed to give myself up to you completely in a few weeks time, do you really expect me to be happy about that?” You watched Juns eyes shift around the room for a moment, clicking his tongue as he processed what you said. His slender frame leaned against the support of your bed with his arms crossed over his chest as he looked back at you.

“We wouldn’t be strangers if you gave me a chance you know?” he pointed out. You opened your mouth to argue but he cut you off with a single lift of his finger, “From the moment I came home to you I’ve been trying to get close to you and every time you push me away. I like to think I’m a patient man Y/N but your actions hurt me you know? So do tell me how am I supposed to get close to you when you constantly keep me at arm's length?” You froze, eyes widening and mouth hanging slightly open as you tried to defend yourself. Even though you knew that Jun was right, the prideful part of you didn’t want to admit that fact. Just like you didn’t want to admit that you were too scared to let him get close to you. You weren’t sure if Jun read your mind, or he was just that observant, but you were snapped out of your little daze when you heard him chuckle. “So that’s how you want to play it then? You want to keep me as a stranger despite everything?”

“Is there something so wrong with that?” you challenged, mirroring his position. Juns eyes scaled your form for a moment before sighing and glancing away.

“I am trying you know,” he argued, “I wouldn’t have chosen you to be my bride if I didn’t see something special in you and you won’t even let me prove myself to you. That’s quite cold hearted you know.” You paused for a moment at his confession, not realizing he was the one who chose you but also never seeing him this sincere before.

“What do you mean you chose me? You never even met me before that night?” you questioned, though it seemed Jun was back to his normal self as he merely clicked his tongue.

“That is a story for another time my dear, you still haven’t answered my question?” he urged. Jun adjusted slightly and hardened his gaze as he looked back at you, making you feel tiny compared to him. You bit the tip of your tongue as you tried to think of a way out of this but it was clear he wasn’t leaving without an answer.

“I guess I don’t know what I want,” you admitted sheepishly. Jun hummed in thought and you could have sworn you saw a smirk ghost across his lips before he was hardening his gaze again.

“Well, let's think about it this way then, I want to get you close to me and you are afraid of opening up and letting me do that correct?” you wanted to protest but he shook his head, “It’s a yes or no question Y/N.”

“I suppose,” you whispered, though it seemed he heard you anyway.

“Well clearly neither of us are going to get what we want with how things are now, so why don’t we try something new? If you are willing to put that hard front of yours aside for a minute I have a deal for you,” he proposed, effectively catching you off guard.

“What kind of deal exactly?”

“It’s a simple deal really,” he assured, “one that I think both of us will benefit from. How it works is you give me a chance every day to win your heart. If I succeed, I get to give you a kiss. If I fail, that's a day you get to go out.” Your eyes widened as you processed his words. It seemed like it would be easy for you given how you avoided him thus far, but you knew this also meant he would be trying harder to win your attention. “Of course,” he continued after a moment, “this means you will also have to adapt to my schedule in order to be fair, but I’m sure you’d have just as much fun in the night life.” You nodded and took a moment to think it over, having the sinking feeling that there was more to this agreement than he was letting on.

“What’s the catch?” you asked.

“There’s no catch, it’s as straightforward as I can possibly make it. Our wedding is in three weeks, yes? That gives me ample time to prove myself to you, and if I don’t that’s more free time for you before you end up stuck with me, no?” The more you thought about it, the more you realized he had a point.

“I suppose you’re right, but why are you so insistent on this deal?“ Jun let out an almost annoyed chuckle, but his expression didn’t falter.

“We are destined to be together, you know. Not only is this a chance to be close to you but it’s also a fun build up to the main event where I finally get to kiss you where I want.” His words made you internally cringe, shaking your head to regain your composure.

“This is a terrible idea!” you finally exclaimed, causing Jun to scoff.

“What’s the matter, doll? Are you afraid you’ll fall in love with me?” he raised his eyebrow in a teasing manner. You were sure if you tried to roll your eyes any harder, they would end up stuck in the back of your head.

“I highly doubt I’d ever fall in love with you,” Jun visibly deflated a bit at your words, but regained his composure before you could fully process it.

“Then there’s nothing for you to lose, might as well humor me and prove me wrong no?” It was getting increasingly harder to argue with him, and at this point you just wanted him to go to bed and leave you alone so you reluctantly gave in.

“Okay, fine, you have yourself a deal,” you muttered, “are you happy now?”

“Once you finalize the deal, yes I will be,” Jun agreed, standing up and walking over to you with his arm outstretched, offering his hand to you. You gave him a look of ‘Are you serious?’ before groaning and reaching out to shake his hand. His skin was cool at first, but quickly warmed up with your heat and you also took note of how soft his hand was. He firmly gripped your hand for a moment with a smile before letting go and slipping his hands into the pockets of his pajama pants. “Alright we have a deal, try not to have too much fun out there darling, tomorrow night is when the fun starts,” with that he turned and left your room, the door closing behind him with a gentle click. You stared at the spot he just stood for a minute before sighing and collapsing back down on your bed. Your head spun as you processed the mess you just got yourself into, suddenly no longer feeling like going out.

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The first week following your agreement went by painfully slow. Most of it was you trying miserably to adjust to the nocturnal life, meaning you were way too tired to acknowledge any of Juns advances. He didn’t seem to mind too much though, giving you space and allowing you to enjoy your victory, though you only left the house maybe once the whole time. The rest of the time you were busy staring off into space or reading whatever book you could get your hands on in the study to keep from passing out. Minghao had actually been a great help during this time, giving you story suggestions and even suggesting a certain tea he drank often that could help you stay awake. He also introduced you to Wonwoo, another one of the prominent workers at the manor. Wonwoo had spent most of his life as a scholar so he showed you all the best stories both hardcover and digital. You also learned he had quite a knack for video games and showed you how to access them on one of the computers in the main study. After that, you found it very easy to stay up during the hours of the night, something Jun immediately took notice of.

“Good Morning Starlight,” you jumped at the sound of his voice as you stepped into the kitchen, turning to see Jun perched up against the counter. He wasn’t as dressed up as he normally was, wearing only a thin shirt and leather pants with the familiar family jewels adorning his fingers and ears. His hair also wasn’t slicked back like it normally was, merely brushed to keep his bangs out of his eyes. He also didn’t appear to have any makeup on, the familiar black shadow from his eyes all but gone. You hated how attractive he looked even when he didn’t seem to be trying. Though the main thing that caught your attention was his lips, stained red from the thick red liquid he was swirling in a glass. Every few moments he would sip at it as if the drink were a fine red wine, though you knew better than to try and trick yourself. “It’s cows blood, don’t worry,” he muttered when he noticed your hesitation, “we only really need to drink blood maybe once or twice a week to keep up our strength. The supply is donated to us from the local butcher and lasts quite a while. We never feed from humans, unless they offer themselves to us of course.” You blinked a bit as you processed his explanation, again watching the liquid slosh around as he spun the glass between his fingers.

“I take it you don’t get offers very often?” you questioned, not really sure you wanted to know the answer.

“You’d be surprised,” he responded, “a lot of humans get curious. They come to us asking just for just a quick bite, allowing them to know the sensation. There’s a rumor going around that a bite from a vampire can be quite pleasurable and they want to know if it’s true so they basically throw themselves at us. It’s kind of funny if you ask me.” You raised an eyebrow at him as he answered the question, addressing the topic like it was the most simple thing in the world. Though you also noticed the underlying tone in his voice when he mentioned pleasure, knowing immediately what he was implying.

“Does it taste different then?” you asked, and this time it was his turn to raise an eyebrow.

“Is this really something you’re interested in or are you just trying to make conversation?” when you shrugged he chuckled, “well in a way yes it does. I can’t really describe it to you but the different proteins and types change the flavor.” He quickly finished his drink and set the glass to the side, wiping his lips with his sleeve. “I’m flattered you’re actually taking interest in me though, it means a lot,” he teased as he walked over to you, “enough about me though, I’m guessing you’re hungry right? How about I get you breakfast and then we go through a walk around the manor.” You nodded softly and he smiled, patting your shoulder and motioning for you to take a seat. Jun hummed softly as he roamed around the kitchen, grabbing an assortment of different items and setting them down in front of you before taking a seat himself.

“Did you just grab the whole kitchen?” you asked, slowly beginning to pick at the food in front of you.

“I’m not too sure what you like so figured I’d just grab what we had. You’re also the only one who requires food to survive so we don’t have much at the moment,” he confessed.

“You mean to tell me you guys only drink blood?” you exclaimed, making him laugh.

“No of course not,” he replied with a chuckle, “we still like to drink and have meals but it’s just for the fun and taste of it. We don’t really get any sustenance from meals like this.” To prove his point he snatched a grape from one of the bowls in front of you, rolling it between his fingers before popping it delicately into his mouth. You hummed in thought as you copied his action, letting the flavors rest on your tongue for a moment before grabbing a roll. There was a silence that fell over the both of you, you focused on eating and Jun watching you intently. Normally this would make you shy away from him but something about this reaction was oddly domestic and quite comfortable. You tried not to overthink this change though, telling yourself you were just used to his presence now that you had spent a week with him.

“You said you wanted to go for a walk after this?” you remembered as you finished up your breakfast, “doesn’t that seem kind of boring though?” Jun tilted his head and raised an eyebrow at you which made you shrug, “I mean, I’ve pretty much seen everything here already so what’s the point?” This made him chuckle a bit, leaning back in his chair without taking his eyes off of you.

“I can assure you that you haven’t seen everything, so I figured I’d show you a few fun places you haven’t seen yet,” he explained.

“Places like what?” you asked.

“Well for starters, do you really expect to stay in a guest room after we’re married?” he answered your question with one of his own, “we’re going to be sharing a lot so I figured I’d show you where you’d be staying after. There are also a few special places that are technically for family only but I don’t think they will mind if I show you a bit early.” You had to admit, now you were intrigued to find out what was being hidden from you. Jun noticed and smiled at your eagerness, standing up and walking over to where you were still seated, “Once you finish eating I’d recommend grabbing a jacket, it gets a bit chilly at this time. I’ll meet you by the staircase when you’re ready.” With that he patted your shoulder softly and exited the room. You turned your head just enough to watch him leave before sighing and returning your attention to the food.

“He’s planning something, I just know it,” you mutter to yourself, finishing the roll you had been snacking on and putting everything back where you thought it belonged. With that out of the way you ran upstairs to your room and rummaged through your closet for something warm you could put on. It wasn’t that cold in the manor itself so you didn't want to wear anything too heavy, but you assumed based on what Jun said that you would end up outside at some point so you wanted to be prepared. It took a minute for you to finally just settle on a sweater that you could throw over your top, thick enough to keep you warm but not enough to make you overheat.

When you left your room you saw Jun standing by the staircase as promised, though his back was turned to you as he conversed with two individuals you had never seen before. Two other males, one dressed in all black with his hair slicked back and the other in all white with his hair down, almost as long as Juns but not quite. They dressed like polar opposites yet seemed like they belonged together as you watched them talk with your fiance. They were laughing at something, the one in all white even reaching out to hit at Juns arm. You were curious as to what they were talking about, but didn’t want to be rude and interrupt so you stayed put. The other male noticed you after a second, pointing in your direction which made Jun turn to face you.

“Ah there you are, don’t be shy come and join us,” he urged you over. You stayed put for a moment before doing as you were told, silently walking to stand beside Jun with a shy smile. “Y/N meet Joshua and Jeonghan, they have been close friends of the family since even before I was born,” he introduced you, both males bowing their heads to you.

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Joshua greeted, “though I’m sure we’ll get to know each other very soon.”

“We work very closely with Jun and his family so we were summoned in to help with the wedding, specifically to help you,” Jeonghan explained. You shrunk a little bit in realization, nodding and forcing a smile so as to not be rude.

“Ah I see, then I guess we will get close won’t we?” you muttered.

“I hope so, it would be nice to have a friend that’s normal,” Joshua teased.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jun whined, “I am normal!”

“Suuure you are,” Jeonghan stated with amusement. The three went back and forth for a minute which made you laugh softly, finding the interaction similar to you and your friends. It didn’t last long though as Jun quickly regained himself, clearing his throat and placing his hand on your shoulder.

“Anyways, I promised this one I’d show her around so we should probably get on that, I’ll see you too before bed though,” with that he was guiding you past the two males, pausing only long enough for you to wave goodbye.

“They seem fun,” you commented as you walked with Jun down the hall.

“They’re a pain but I love them,” Jun agreed, “everyone here is like a big family if you haven’t noticed already.” In reality you had noticed, having seen the way the family interacted with each other and their staff. Of course there was mutual respect but it never seemed like a boss and employee type situation, more like a friendship if anything.

“Is that because of how long everyone's been here?” you asked.

“Perhaps that may be part of it but I wouldn’t say that’s the reason,” Jun replied, “We may all work together but everyone here has a different story for how they got here. For certain people like Joshua and Jeonghan our families ran together so we were raised together. Then you have people like Mingyu or Wonwoo who came from lower class families and grew to bond with us. Or, on the complete opposite side you have my brother, we’re not related by blood and he was born a human but we took him in and I love him just as much as I would if he were born into the family.” Jun paused for a moment before shaking his head with a soft laugh, “I’m rambling now but my point is that it doesn’t matter where you come from or how long you’ve been around someone, it’s all about the bond you build with them.” You sighed as you processed his words, casting your gaze down to the floor. He talked about bonding with someone as if it was the easiest thing in the world and yet here you were, making things more difficult by avoiding him. You never cared about getting to know him before so why did you feel so guilty all of the sudden? If Jun noticed your shift in mood he didn’t say anything, continuing to walk a bit before stopping in front of a door.

“Enough of that though, I’m here to show you what your life will look like with me. This should be an exciting moment,” he gave your shoulder a reassuring squeeze and opened the door, gently nudging you inside. You couldn’t help but gasp as you walked in and looked around the room. Juns bedroom was nearly twice the size of yours, the walls mostly the same white color as the rest of the manor but with red accents that gave it an almost romantic glow. The wall opposite you had large window like doors that opened to a small balcony overlooking the outside of the manor, dark red curtains pulled back to let the moonlight seep into the room. The light hit his bed perfectly, centered in the middle of the room like a centerpiece. Delicately carved wooden frames accented with the same red curtains and satin sheets in the same color. The walls were decorated with a few paintings, one of Jun, another of the family, and the last you couldn’t quite make out but the rest was bare. Cautiously you stepped further into the room, feeling the soft rug tickle at your ankles as you walked to the bed, Jun stayed quiet as he watched you. His figure leaned against the doorway with an amused grin as he watched you explore, touching things so gently as if you were worried they would break.

“Don’t be shy,” he spoke up after a moment, “this will be your room soon enough so don’t be afraid to get used to it.” He closed the door and walked over to where you were, falling back onto the bed and laying with his back against the headboard so he could watch you.

“This room is amazing,” you said in awe, moving away from his bed and walking over to the balcony.

“It’s a bit old fashioned for my taste but it is nice,” Jun remarked.

“Old fashioned?” you asked, to which he nodded softly.

“This original manor was built by my great grandfather when he was elected into power,” Jun explained, “my grandfather and dad made a few changes to the decor to match the changing times but a lot of it is still the same as when it was first built.” Vampire age was still a concept you were confused by, but given how old Mr. Wen was you could only assume the manor was over a couple thousand years old, which was shocking because it looked brand new. “If you’re wondering why it’s in such good condition, it’s gradually rebuilt and redecorated whenever a new head takes over,” he added. You couldn’t help but scoff a bit at how easily he seemed to read your mind, or maybe he was just that used to these questions.

“So do you plan on renovating when you take over?” you asked, brushing your hands across the curtain.

“I have a few ideas, I won’t change much but it would be nice to modernize everything a bit,” he explained, “it would be nice to have a TV in here don’t you think? Maybe a few more computers since I’ve noticed a lot of people here like playing games.” He glanced over at you as he said this, making you smile shyly.

“There was nothing else to do and Wonwoo showed me how to play so...” he cut you off before you could finish explaining.

“It doesn’t bother me at all, I want you to be comfortable here,” he promised. You nodded and glanced back outside, having to focus to see outside through your own reflection. Your fingers brushed against the cool railing, searching for the handle to open the door when you heard footsteps behind you. You could almost feel Jun press against you as he reached up to undo the latch and swing the doors open. “It may be a bit high for you to reach,” he teased, patting your head and brushing past you to walk onto the balcony. You quickly followed, shivering a bit at the cold. The balcony wasn’t large, just big enough for the two of you to stand on it comfortably. Over the railing you could see out into the back gardens, a vast maze of different flowers and other plants illuminated by the moon. In the middle stood what appeared to be a fountain, though you couldn’t make out its shape, and in the distance you thought you spotted a greenhouse. “It’s beautiful isn’t it?”

“It is,” you agreed, looking at the vast array of flowers, “I didn’t even know we had a back garden.”

“There’s only really one way to access it and it’s kind of hidden by the study so it makes sense you didn’t know,” Jun said with a chuckle, “do you want to see it up close?” You eagerly nodded, an action he repeated with a smile, “Alright then, shall we?” He gestured for you to go back into the room, closing the door behind him before offering his arm to you. You hesitated slightly but gave in and wrapped your arm around his, allowing him to guide you out of his room and down the hall. The general study was a place you were familiar with, a large room decorated with multiple wooden desks and bookshelves. The main room branched off into two smaller studies, one that Minghao used as a personal art studio and the other that belonged to Jun, though you’d never seen the older brother use his.

Jun led you through the room to a back area that had previously been concealed by one of the large bookshelves. Had he not led you right to it, you wouldn’t have even noticed that it was there.

“Wow this is hidden,” you commented, Jun nodding and letting go of your arm to open the door.

“There’s quite a few rare plants out here with very special properties. We keep the entrance hidden from guests to keep people from abusing them,” he explained as he opened the door and nudged you through. This time you were prepared for the chill that attacked you as you stepped outside, pulling your sweater closer to your body. Almost immediately your senses picked up on the scents of the various flowers surrounding you. It was almost overpowering but you found it quite pleasurable. Jun wrapped his arm around your shoulders and led you through the rows of flowers and into the clearing. You stopped a few times to glance at certain ones that caught your eye, careful not to get too close and ruin them. Jun didn’t have the best knowledge of all the flowers, but he told you the brief information he did know, such as names or where they were from. You had to give him credit for trying, making it clear that he was trying to impress you, and perhaps it was working.

When you finally made it to the middle of the garden you gasped. You hadn’t been able to make out the full view from the balcony but now you could see everything. The area was outlined with various shrubs and trees that blocked it off from the rest of the garden, though there was an opening that allowed the moon to shine through. There were a few benches nestled into the corner, and in the middle was the fountain you saw earlier. Carved marble base leading up to the silhouette of an angel, the vase she was holding being the part of the fountain that water spilled out of in addition to small jets around the base.

“This is beautiful,” you mused, walking over to take a seat on the fountain. There were a few stray water drops that sprayed you but you paid no mind, closing your eyes and listening to the sound of the water. Jun stayed in his spot the whole time, smiling to himself as he watched you, enjoying the first peaceful moment between the two of you.

“It really is, isn’t it?” he agreed, though he wasn’t exactly talking about the fountain. He couldn’t stop his eyes from trailing across your frame, taking in every detail while you were peacefully unaware of what he was doing. Eventually he got tired of watching you though, moving to take a seat beside you. Your eyes opened as you felt his leg brush against yours, glancing over to see Jun looking up at the sky. Now it was your turn to admire him, taking note of the way his long hair framed his face, and how he seemed to glow under the moonlight. You wondered, if he hadn’t been immortal, would he still be this beautiful? “Like what you see?” he asked without looking away from his spot, making you shy away from him.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” you tried to argue, “I was just enjoying the view of the garden.”

“I take it I am part of the garden then? You’ve been staring at me for at least the past five minutes.”

“Does my staring bother you?” you questioned.

“No not at all,” he assured, finally looking down at you, “in fact I actually find it quite comforting. It means that there’s at least some part of you that’s drawn to me.” You wanted to argue but opted against it, knowing there was no winning with Jun. He smirked at you before glancing at the sky one last time, “Damn, time really does fly by fast doesn’t it. The sun should be coming up soon.”

“Wow already?” you exclaimed, glancing up but not seeing any sign of the sky getting brighter.

“You learn new tricks to tell time when you need to avoid the sun,” he said, “I’d rather go in early than be caught off guard otherwise I would take you to see the greenhouse. If you’re impressed by this I can imagine what you’ll think of it.”

“What happens if you stay out in the sun?” you asked, causing him to side eye you for a moment.

“We don’t burst into flames or anything if that’s what you’re thinking,” he said with a slight hint of amusement, “It does burn us pretty badly though, like think of the feeling you’d get if you kept your hand on a hot stove or even a flame. For purebloods like myself, if we didn’t get inside within a few hours we would likely succumb to the heat and burn. Though some half bred vampires aren’t fully developed so they can go out if they wish.” You let out a soft “oh” before looking away, not even wanting to imagine that pain. Jun gave your shoulder an assuring pat and urged you to look at him, “Don’t worry about me though, I don’t plan on letting myself get hurt anytime soon,” he smiled softly at you, squeezing your shoulder until you smiled back, “there we go I like it better when you smile. You’re more than welcome to stay out here if you wish, but I really should get inside before the sun comes up.” He squeezed your shoulder one last time and was about to get up before he stopped himself, “Oh but before I go, I do believe I get a prize for today, no?” You were confused and about to ask what he meant before remembering the deal you made with him.

“Alright I guess you do win for today,” you gave in. Jun smiled and grabbed your hand, playing with your fingers for a moment before placing a soft kiss on the back of your palm. His lips were soft and slightly cooler in texture, much like the rest of him, but you couldn’t help feeling your body heat up at the contact.

“One of hopefully many,” Jun whispered, his breath and lips tickling your skin, “until tomorrow my love.” He placed your hand back into your lap and stood up, adjusting his shirt as he walked out of the garden, slow enough for you to follow if you wished but not pressuring you. You watched him leave before returning your attention to the fountain with a sigh, glancing down at your reflection in the water. Without Jun beside you, it suddenly felt much colder, the breeze blowing the water onto you like a harsh mist. Still you didn’t move for quite a while, even as the sun rose and you felt exhaustion creep into you, you didn’t want to move. You hated how lonely it suddenly felt without Jun beside you, and you hated the way your hand still tingled where he kissed you. Though you told yourself it was just being flustered and touch starved. Jun was still a stranger to you, and there was no way you could ever see yourself falling for a vampire. You kept telling yourself that as you finally stood up and slowly made your way inside, even as you changed and tucked yourself into bed the words repeated.

You could never fall in love with Wen Junhui.

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Unfortunately for you, fate seemed to have other ideas for what you wanted. Jun, encouraged by getting his first kiss, seemed to only up his game as the days went by. Meal dates, going for walks, performing a song for you, even taking you out into town to give you an idea of what the nightlife was like. You quickly learned that things didn’t operate much differently when vampires were running things and most were more than welcoming to you. Jun had taken you to all of his favorite stops, including his favorite restaurant and an arcade he went to with his friends a lot growing up. You also learned a lot more about him during that time. Jun explained to you how his family line is actually from China and they weren’t always as powerful. The Wen name grew with his great grandfather, who had moved in search of business opportunities and ended up in the right place at the right time. Because of their heritage, the family was in charge of many international affairs. You also learned that Jun was multilingual, practically begging for him to say something to you in Chinese when you heard that. Lastly you learned that Jun was a man of many talents, especially when it came to singing or dancing. It felt like you were meeting him for the first time, and every time you learned something new about him you found yourself falling for him more. No matter how hard you tried to deny it, or to distance yourself from him, he always made his way back with a kiss right before the sun rose. After your hand it was your wrist, then the top of your head, then your forehead, and, most recently, your cheek. Every kiss made you tingle and crave more of him, as if there was some type of love potion on his lips that he applied to you with each one. You supposed that wasn’t entirely out of the question but you doubted that Jun would be desperate enough to try a stunt like that.

Not everyday was a victory for Jun though, there had been a few where you weren’t in the mood for his antics or something happened that pulled his attention away from you. Those days he would sigh and tell you to enjoy your night out with a semi forced smile, making sure you knew to call him if something went wrong. You tried to enjoy going out alone those days, and to be fair you did have fun exploring the new shops that were usually closed in the day, but you always felt slightly guilty. Every time you left you saw Juns disappointed expression in your mind and you ended up dragging yourself back to the manor way earlier than you intended. Most of the time he would be busy with something work or wedding related and wouldn’t realize you were home until much later. One time, however, you caught him working in his study, smiling at your presence and inviting you to sit with him as he worked. You ended up staying there for hours talking about whatever came to mind.

Unfortunately, there was a new issue presenting itself that threatened to drive a wedge between the two of you. That issue being the fact that your wedding was now only a few days away. Meaning that not only was Jun being dragged away, but you were as well. The realization of everything happening weighed on you like a million bricks and suddenly it felt like you were back to where you started when you first moved in. You were nervous, on edge, and it seemed like all progress being made with Jun was starting to go backwards. You never saw him anymore, and when you did he was too busy to acknowledge you. The most you ever got was a hello or him telling you how gorgeous you looked before he was being dragged off again to who knows where.

You didn’t even know why the distance upset you so much when not even two weeks ago all you wanted was for him to leave you alone. You did your best to convince yourself that you were just lonely without him, occupying your time by hanging out with any servant you could find or even Minghao. The younger vampire was clearly put off by your sudden attachment to him, but he allowed you to keep him company anyways. You would read with him or sit in his study/studio with him while he worked on a new painting until Jun or a worker came to find you. Minghao definitely wasn’t one for words but you learned quickly that he was good with advice and listening. Whenever he saw that frustrated look on your face he would offer you a glass of tea or wine and listen to you as you vented your frustrations. Depending on your mood he would either then offer you advice or distract you with something else like picking out colors for the wedding. You also quickly learned the younger vampire had quite the eye for color and fashion, so much so that you swear he lit up when you asked him to help you with your wedding dress.

That was exactly what the two of you were doing now, with the assistance of Joshua and Jeonghan. You had been standing in the middle of your room modeling every style, color, and fabric known to man. Jeonghan and Joshua seemed happy with most of the designs, but Minghao still hadn’t found anything he had liked.

“This one’s too long.”

“This one's too short.”

“Neckline on this one isn’t flattering.”

“The dress shape hides your figure too much.”

“This color doesn’t match your complexion at all.”

“This color is cute but the style is all wrong.”

By what easily felt like the millionth try on, you were frustrated and about ready to throw a pillow at Minghao. The male in question was humming softly to himself as he circled around you, clicking his tongue in disapproval.

“Hao, is all of this really necessary?” you whined, struggling to stand up straight as you felt something poking your side.

“Of course it is!” he replied, “you want to look perfect for your wedding right? We should not settle for anything less than perfect.” He circled around you one more time before shaking his head, “We’re getting closer but no this one is still off, next.” You couldn’t help but groan, half tempted to slam your head into the nearest wall when Joshua spoke up.

“I think that’s the last one we have right now and I think Y/N is getting tired,” he stated softly. Minghao sighed and shook his head, muttering something under his breath as Joshua spoke again.

“How about we just sit down and discuss what we did and didn’t like about all of them, so you can narrow down the list and we can find something.” You had half the mind to run over and kiss Joshua for the idea, nodding eagerly when Minghao glanced at you.

“Very well,” he agreed, “go get changed Y/N and we can discuss this, we need to get this done soon so we can find the dress before the wedding day.” You wanted to roll your eyes at the mention of the wedding. Honestly you didn’t care for your dream wedding at this point, you felt like you weren’t getting a say in much and you were so stressed that you just wanted everything to be over.

Nonetheless, you sat down with all three boys and discussed your ideas until you had designed a dress that everyone agreed on. It would be slightly form fitting to flatter your figure, but also allow you to move around freely, with a neckline that was not modest but not too revealing either. The same red, white, and black color scheme that the rest of the family seemed to love, and a few lace accents to make it elegant. You would decide on your accessories and veil later, but Minghao seemed satisfied with the design and ran off to get working, Joshua and Jeonghan hesitantly following after apologizing to you for the younger's attitude.

Exhausted and beyond frustrated, you found yourself leaving your room and going to the one place you knew people would leave you alone, the garden. Tucking yourself away on one of the farthest benches, you sighed and buried your head in your knees. The sound of the fountain and the wind rustling the leaves brought you great comfort as you tried to clear your mind. No more stress about the wedding, no more stress about Jun, no more stress about anything. Why couldn’t your life just go back to the way it was before? Why did you have to be stuck here, getting married to a vampire to help your family? Even worse, why were you actually starting to fall in love with him? Why couldn’t you have just stayed strangers and just used the wedding for show? Part of you wished you never met Jun until your wedding day, then all of this would have been significantly easier.

“There you are,” lifting your head, you locked eyes with the one man who occupied your mind. Jun looked exhausted, his shirt messily unbuttoned under his vest which also wasn’t fastened properly. His eyeshadow was smudged, making it look like he hadn’t slept in years, and his hair was messy as if he just rolled out of bed. He was a mess, and yet you still found him unbelievably gorgeous. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” he confessed as he sat down beside you, “Jeonghan told me you were in a pretty bad mood earlier.”

“I suppose you could stay that,” you muttered, “what about you though, you look like a mess.”

“Thanks I tried my best,” he replied sarcastically, though his expression quickly softened, “I just have a lot to do, that's all. My parents have been preparing me for the wedding and taking over the family so I guess I’ve been stretched pretty thin.”

“So I’ve noticed,” you whispered to yourself, Jun heard it though as you felt his arm wrap around you.

“Awe don’t tell me my sweet girl missed me?” he teased, “I’m sorry I haven’t been giving you much attention, will you ever forgive me.”

“Shut up!” you groaned as you nudged him off of you, “who said I missed you?”

“Your actions are worth a million words, you know?” he pointed out. When you didn't respond he huffed and leaned closer as if telling you a secret, “Also you should know that word gets around quickly in this family.” It took you a second to realize what he meant, internally groaning as you realized his brother probably told him everything.

“Remind me to kill Minghao next time I see him,” you hissed which made Jun laugh.

“You can’t kill what’s already dead My Love. Also don’t be mad at him, he’s only trying to help.” You bit your bottom lip and cast your gaze down, watching the grass sway beneath your feet for a moment. Jun quickly dropped the teasing and cleared his throat, tapping your shoulder to get your attention, “Seriously though Y/N, I know I haven’t been around much recently and I’m sorry. I can’t make up for that but I am here now so talk to me, what’s bothering you?” You debated answering for a moment, gnawing at your lip and curling up more. Jun waited patiently for you to collect your thoughts, not taking his gaze off of you as you finally sat up properly and looked at him.

“It’s stupid but this isn’t what I wanted,” you confessed, “I always dreamed about having this royal and lavish wedding and now I’m getting it but not how I wanted. I don’t know anything about how vampire weddings work and I haven’t gotten a single say in anything. I didn’t get to choose who I marry, when, how, hell I barely even got a say in my own dress. It hurts even worse because I’ve been so confused about my feelings for you and now I don’t know what to do.” You took a deep breath after speaking, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted off of you. Jun stayed silent for a second, his occasional blinking the only sign that he hadn’t completely frozen. Then, before you had time to react, he was pulling you against him in a tight hug. You gasped, needing a moment to process the contact before giving in and hugging him back. Your arms wrapped tightly around his waist and your head buried into his chest, ignoring the lack of a heartbeat and instead focusing on his scent. Of course you had been close to Jun before but not like this. His scent was very floral, but there was also a hint that reminded you of herbal tea, it was refreshing and very much him.

“I’m sorry,” Jun muttered into your hair, pulling away from you just enough so that he could look at you, “this is all my fault. I’m the one that dragged you here, and I’m the one that kept you in the dark. I should have told you everything from the beginning.”

“Can you tell me now?” you asked, looking up at him.

“What do you want to know?” he answered you with his own question.

“Everything, why did you choose me? Also what is going to happen at our wedding and what happens after? I want to know so I can prepare.” Jun exhaled harshly but nodded, keeping one hand on your arm while the other moved to run through his still messy hair.

“Well to start, I chose you because I saw something special in you. Families like mine always married off their next in line to a human, that’s an agreement to keep things fair on both sides. I am the oldest son and so I knew when the time came I would need to find someone to marry, my parents knew this too so they often sent me out during the day. I was disguised of course and protected from the sun, so I think I did a good job blending in. You probably don’t even remember that you’ve met me before, I stopped by your work one day with a friend. I don’t know why but something about you was different, special, I knew that exact moment that you were the one. So I asked my friend to get to know you and everything he told me only proved to me that I made the right decision.” You tried your hardest to remember ever getting close to someone that would know Jun, or even when you saw him before but your mind was coming up blank.

“What was your friend's name?” you asked, desperate to know who it was he was talking about.

“Kwon Soonyoung, but he often had people call him Hoshi,” your eyes widened at the name, recognizing it as one of your old coworkers. He started working there about a month after you and you two became friends almost immediately, you had no idea that he had any connection to someone like Jun.

“Him, really?” you asked.

“What, didn’t expect that I could befriend a human?” he questioned.

“No no not that it’s just, how did I have no idea?” Jun smiled and patted your head playfully, laughing as it messed up your hair.

“You not knowing means he did his job well, but yeah I learned about you through him, and then when I was told it was time, I sent Mingyu to get you. The timing wasn’t the best though as Hao and I had to return back to China to deal with a few personal matters, which is why you spent the first year with just my parents,” he explained. You were both silent for a moment as you processed the information, then Jun spoke again, “as for the wedding, it will probably be a bit different than you’re expecting. Everything will still happen that does at a normal wedding, but there is also the business element and the mating ritual that goes along with it. All our friends and family will be there, but so will the main political powers on both sides to ensure that the wedding is official, so it may be a bit more crowded than you’re used to. Though it is your wedding as much as it is mine so if you would like to join me in planning things I would love to have you with me.” You nodded and smiled, glad he was giving you the chance to be involved, though your smile quickly dropped as you remembered the mating part.

“What exactly is the mating ritual?” you asked, albeit a bit hesitant. Jun sighed, almost looking like he didn’t want you to ask.

“Divorce isn’t really a thing in our life,” he started, “so vampires are known to ‘mate’ for life I guess you could say. When we marry the bond between us is shared by a blood exchange, it will keep me connected to you, allow me to know what you’re feeling and be close to you even if not physically.”

“A blood exchange, that means that...” you trailed off.

“I will have to bite you,” he answered your question for you, “but it will be quick I promise and you can choose where you want me to do it.”

“Will it hurt?”

“It shouldn’t, remember I said most people even say it’s pleasurable. You’ll feel a little prick and then after that it should just feel warm,” he explained.

“I don’t have to drink your blood though, right?” you asked.

“Not unless you want to become a vampire yourself,” he responded with a chuckle, “but you don’t have to decide that now.” You nodded softly, looking down and feeling your cheeks heat up as another question entered your mind.

“Umm, what about the wedding night?” you immediately regretted the question as you saw a mischievous glint in Juns eye.

“Why are you that excited for what’s going to happen?” when he saw you blush harder he snickered and patted your shoulder, “relax Qinqin I’m just teasing you. Eventually my parents are going to expect an heir to the Wen family, but if you’re not ready on our wedding night we can just share a drink and relax.”

“What if I am ready?” you asked yourself outloud, not really thinking about it until you saw Juns expression.

“Are you ready?” he pushed, you quickly felt shy and looked away, but he placed his fingers under your chin to make you look at him.

“Yes? No? I mean...I don’t know I don’t even know how I feel about you,” you confessed. Jun hummed in thought and you could have sworn you saw him blushing a bit himself.

“I think you do know and you’re lying to yourself,” he whispered. Your eyes widened as he drew slightly closer, barely inches away from you. His dark eyes were blown and piercing as they stared at you, your own glancing down on his lips then back at his eyes. “Just admit it Y/N,” he whispered, “I won, you’re falling for me.” Your breath hitched, wanting to turn away but feeling like you were frozen in place. Jun huffed and leaned forward, placing a kiss to the side of your lips, just enough to tease you. Your eyes fluttered for a moment at the contact before opening again and looking up at him in confusion. “That’s how I know you do feel something for me,” he pointed out, placing another kiss to your forehead before pulling away, “don’t worry my dear, you’ll get the real thing in a few days, just be patient.” You didn’t know whether you wanted to hit him at that moment or pull him close to you and kiss him. He didn’t give you the option though as he was standing up and excusing himself, letting you know that he would be in his room if you needed company. You whined to yourself as you were quickly up on your feet and rushing after him, not wanting to be alone just yet.

“I’ll get you back for that Wen Jun!”

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You definitely took Jun up on his offer to join him in wedding planning, getting a say in everything from the decor to the catering. You also got a glance into the life Jun lived, watching as he handled different affairs and communicated with different workers. It was honestly endearing watching him in his element, though you did your best to stay out of his way. Whenever he wasn’t too busy though you guys were enjoying your time together, oftentimes with him having his arm around you while you looked at decor ideas for the manor or holding your hand as you organized seating for the wedding. That domestic feeling returned and this time you didn’t fight it, actually finding yourself excited for your wedding.

It felt like only a minute before the day in question came, you were woken up early when Minghao, Joshua, and Mrs. Wen burst into your room. The sun hadn’t even set completely, as you could see the rays poking out through a crack in your curtains. Minghao quickly rushed to pull them fully closed though as Mrs. Wen placed a tray with fruit and tea on your nightstand.

“Rise and shine my dear,” she urged, “it’s time to get you ready for your big day!”

“Already?” you asked, rubbing the sleep from your eyes, “it’s so early.”

“Yes but there’s a lot to do,” the older woman reminded, “we need to get you fed and dressed, do your hair and makeup, and then get the final preparations ready. Our guests will start arriving in a few hours so we need to make sure everything is done now.” You groaned softly but nodded, taking the tea from the tray and sipping at it as you woke up, Mrs. Wen fretting over your health and complexing as Minghao and Joshua focused on getting your dress. “You look a little pale my dear, do you need anything? I can go get you some medicine.”

“I’m fine I promise, just a bit nervous,” you assured.

“Mom, relax, I’m sure you remember how nervous you were when you got married,” Minghao argued, making a few last minute adjustments on your dress.

“You shouldn’t listen to everything your father says, you weren’t even there,” the woman argued, though Minghao only giggled as he focused on his work. You also laughed a bit at the family's banter before finally giving in and getting out of bed.

“Alright what do you need me to do?” you asked.

“You go wash up and then I’ll help you get dressed, just call when you’re ready for me. Then the boys and I will help make sure everything is in place and do your hair and makeup. By then it should be almost time to start so you can rest,” Mrs. Wen explained. You nodded and made your way to the bathroom, quickly showering and brushing your teeth before calling for help with your dress. It was simple enough that you were mostly able to get it on yourself, but you still needed help with the zipper and the layers. You couldn’t help but look at yourself in the mirror as the older woman helped you out, tearing up at the sight of you in the dress. You hadn’t been the most fond of the idea at first, but seeing yourself in it made you realize how gorgeous it actually was. It seemed your soon to be mother in law agreed as she stared at you in awe. “You look gorgeous Darling,” she praised, adjusting the bodice and allowing you to glance at yourself.

“Thank you, I feel gorgeous,” you agreed. She clapped in excitement before helping you back out to your room where the two males were waiting. Minghao was holding various sewing supplies and Joshua was holding your veil and a few other accessories. Behind them on the bed was a kit which you assumed was for your hair and makeup. Both males smiled as they saw you, Minghao clapping softly as he walked over to you.

“I told you this would be perfect,” he boasted, getting a gentle whack on the back of his head from his mom. He didn’t acknowledge it though as he looked over you to see if there were any needed adjustments. “I’m sorry if this is awkward to ask but,” he said nervously, “but have you decided where you want your…mating bite to be?” The room went awkwardly silent, you stiffening and looking at him which made him rub the back of his neck. “I’m only asking to know if I need to adjust the dress at all so Jun can access it, that’s all.” The room went silent again, all the attention on you as they waited for a reaction.

“It’s fine if you don’t know yet,” Mrs. Wen assured but you shook your head.

“No no it’s fine,” you promised, “I guess I haven’t really thought about it, what would you suggest?”

“Well,” she trailed off as she thought about it, “I personally chose my neck, it’s a bit more intimate than your wrist but it would be easier for him to reach and the mark is easier to hide.” You nodded, placing your finger on your pulse point as you thought about it.

“If you want to consider both options I was bitten on my wrist when I turned,” Minghao said, showing you his wrist where you could clearly see the scar, “it doesn’t hurt but it does feel tingly and if he bites your wrist it may take a bit longer.” You reached out to gently grab the male's wrist, which he allowed, tracing your thumb over the two bite marks then letting him go.

“I guess I’ll go with my neck, it seems easier,” you decided.

“Good choice,” Joshua muttered from his spot on the bed. Minghao nodded and moved to adjust your sleeve, pinning it down a bit so that your neck was exposed.

“That should stay put,” he commented, “all you have to do when it’s time is tilt your head back a bit.” He mimicked the action and you nodded in understanding, not wanting to question how he knew what to do.

“Now then,” Mrs Wen quickly spoke up, “we still have a lot to do, go ahead and have a seat and we’ll finish getting you ready.”

The next three hours were spent making sure everything was absolutely perfect, eventually Minghao had to excuse himself to help Jun and get ready himself but Joshua and Mrs. Wen stayed with you to keep you company. Apparently there was also a moment where Jun tried to sneak in and see you but he was promptly dragged away. To pass the time the two told you stories about the past, specifically stories they knew would embarrass Jun. Moments like him dancing around with his arms behind his back, failing miserably at sports, or just randomly running up to a mirror and saying how handsome he was before running away. Every story made you laugh more as you imagined the Jun you knew doing all these things. Before long you got a knock on your door, one of the female staff poking her head to let you know it was time. Joshua quickly took his leave after giving you a reassuring smile, leaving you with Mrs. Wen. The woman glanced at you to silently ask if you were ready, handing you your bouquet before linking your arms and leading you out of your room and to the stairs.

The manor was set up so that the main room was turned into a ballroom type setting, all of the guests sitting with their backs towards you. At the front of the room, stood by the now decorated front door, was Jun. He was wearing a perfectly pressed white shirt under a black vest with red accents and a matching red tie. His makeup was sharp but toned back a bit, enough to make his eyes look piercing and his lips stand out more. His shoulder length hair was also slicked back, the top layer tied up in a half ponytail. Minghao, Joshua, and Wonwoo were standing behind him, all dressed up in matching suits. At the announcement of your arrival, all the guests immediately turned to face you. Many of them were faces you didn’t recognize, but you could see your close friends and family towards the front, all smiling up at you. Mrs. Wen gave your arm a gentle squeeze before walking you down the stairs and towards the front, your eyes locking onto Juns from behind your veil. He couldn’t see you properly yet, but you swore you’d be able to see his smile from a mile away.

Mrs. Wen bowed her head to the officiant before handing you over to her son and moving to take her seat beside her husband. Jun took your flowers and handed them to Joshua behind him, lifting your veil and running a finger across your cheek.

“You look breathtaking,” he whispered.

“So do you,” you replied. He chuckled softly and grabbed your hand, both of you turning to face the officiant. The majority of the ceremony went by in a blur for you, mainly because you were more focused on the way Jun was looking at you and the way he was holding your hand. Your warmth seeped into him and warmed his skin, and you could feel his thumb rubbing on the back of your palm. You only snapped back into reality when it was time for the rings, Jun slipping a black band with his family's crest engraved on it onto your ring finger, you doing the same for him. With that the officiant closed their book with a satisfied smile.

“It is my honor to present to you Mr. and Mrs. Wen, you may claim your bride.” Jun could no longer hide the mischievous glint in his eye as he looked at you.

“Finally the moment I’ve been waiting for,” he whispered.

“Yeah, me too,” you teased, cupping his cheeks and pulling him down to kiss him. Jun gasped in shock but quickly melted into you, wrapping one arm around your waist and the other cupping your cheek. The room was silent and for a moment it was just the two of you, finally sharing every emotion that you had been hiding from yourselves and each other. Though the moment couldn’t last forever as you had to pull away from each other. Your eyes were glazed over as you looked up at Jun, the male smiling down at you as if you were the most precious thing he’d ever laid his eyes on. Though you remembered that it wasn’t over as you felt him brush your hair away from your neck. You stiffened a bit which he noticed, the hand on your waist rubbing soothing circles into your side.

“Deep breath okay, it’ll be over before you know it,” he promised, “are you ready?” You did what he said and took a deep breath, closing your eyes and leaning your head back like how Minghao had told you.

“I’m ready,” you whispered after a moment, though you didn’t dare open your eyes. Jun didn’t say another word, but you felt his fingers tracing your neck, followed by his lips. You felt him kiss your neck once, then twice, then you felt his fangs poke your skin. You gasped as you felt a sharp prick against your skin, the pain only lasting a second though before you felt a warm tingling sensation. The feeling was hard to place, but it almost felt like your body was going numb despite your senses being heightened. Jun hummed against your neck, sucking for a moment before pulling away and swiping his tongue across the bite. His hand that had been on your shoulder moved to rest against your back to support you.

“How do you feel?” he asked, keeping his grip tight on you just in case you got dizzy. It took a moment for your feelings to return to normal, you relaxing a bit in his arms before opening your eyes and looking up at him.

“I’m okay,” you assured. Jun smiled and nodded, pulling you against him for a moment to kiss the top of your head before turning to face the crowd. The proof of a successful bond had the room erupting into loud clapping and cheer, almost loud enough to be deafening. Jun chuckled a bit as you winced away from the noise, wrapping his arm around you and leading you to the kitchen where a banquet was already prepared.

You stayed beside your husband the whole time, practically hiding behind him as hundreds of people came to greet you. They all congratulated you both and would introduce themselves to you as family friends or business partners or whatever else. You didn’t care enough to remember all of their names, knowing that you likely wouldn’t see them again for a long time. Jun did all the talking for the two of you, allowing you to hide behind him as he made pleasantries with all of the guests. Though you did stray away from him long enough to greet your parents. Your mother was already in tears when she approached you, pulling you into her arms and crying about how grown up you were. It took everything in your power not to cry yourself as you embraced her, promising that you were fine and happy with Jun. You stayed holding her for a moment, letting go to hug your dad before deciding that it would be best for them to go. Every other human guest had excused themselves at this point and you knew your parents would be working again in the morning so you bid them goodnight with one last hug and a kiss from your mother. After they left you returned back to Jun, the male glancing over at you with a smile before returning his attention to his guests. It was fine at first, and you tried to interact with as many guests as possible, but after about an hour of still meeting new people you quickly got bored. Not only did you want to get away from the crowd but you were also desperate to finally be alone with your husband. It finally got to a point where you decided to take matters into your own hand, tugging at Juns arm to get his attention.

“As nice as this is, I would love to go get used to my new bedroom now,” you whispered when he finally looked at you. Jun immediately caught on to what you were implying, smirking down at you and licking his lips.

“You’re a scandalous little thing aren’t you?” he teased, but still he quickly excused the both of you for the night. He used the excuse that you were tired and still getting used to the change in schedule to anyone who asked as he escorted you out of the kitchen and up the stairs. No one even gave you a second glance as you followed Jun into his room, quietly closing and locking the door behind you.

ღ ღ ღ ღ ღ

The second the door locked you were all over Jun, gripping his vest and smashing your lips together in a desperate kiss. The male eagerly returned the kiss, removing your veil so he could tangle his hands into your hair. Your tongues battled each other, lips remaining locked as you started exploring each other's bodies. Your hands made quick work of undoing his vest while he fumbled with unzipping your dress. You pulled away once you felt him pull the zipper down, his lips attacking your neck as he pulled your dress down your body. Due to the shape of the dress you had opted not to wear a bra underneath exposing your breasts to the cool air once your dress was off. Jun took advantage of this, gripping at your breasts and pinching your nipples between his fingers. You moaned softly at the feeling, growing louder as you felt his fangs graze against your neck, kicking your dress off as he pulled you close to him.

“You have no idea how good you taste,” he muttered against your neck, “it’s almost addicting.”

“You can have another taste if you want,” you gasped out, he paused long enough to glance up at you, making sure you were serious. You smiled and ran your fingers through his hair as a silent confirmation. Jun took the hint and trailed his lips back to where he originally bit you, running his tongue across the area once before biting down again. This time you moaned at the sting, tightening your grip on his hair and throwing your head back as the same warm feeling returned. This time Jun groaned into your neck, sucking harder and pressing your bodies together. His hands gripped at your hips desperately, grinding them against his own as he continued sucking at your neck. Though he pulled away out of fear of making you dizzy. Jun placed one last kiss on your neck before lifting his head and licking his lips.

“Yep, very addicting indeed,” he groaned. You took a deep breath and chuckled softly, pulling away from him slightly so you could loosen his tie. Jun watched in amusement as you undid his tie and the first few buttons of his shirt, pushing him back until he fell back on the bed.

“I think it’s my turn to have a taste,” you cooed. Jun leaned back and watched in amusement as you climbed on the bed to straddle him. He grunted softly as you trailed kisses down his neck and chest, slowly undoing the buttons of his shirt as you went. You had known Jun was slightly muscular but you hadn’t realized how much until now as you felt the outline of his muscles.

“Like what you see?” he teased once he realized you stopped your actions.

“A lot actually,” you teased back, Jun chuckled and licked his lips as you trailed more kisses down his stomach until you reached his belt. You made quick work of undoing the belt and popping open his button. Jun lifted his hips just enough to allow you to pull his pants and boxers down, revealing his already semi hard length. You could already tell his length was more than you expected and suddenly you were frozen. In fact, you actually had no idea what you were doing so seeing him exposed for you was a lot to handle. Jun noticed this and adjusted a bit to look up at you. “Are you okay doll?” he asked, reaching a hand out to stroke your cheek.

“Yeah I just…I don’t really know what to do,” you confessed. Jun had to keep himself from chuckling at your adorableness.

“You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” he told you.

“No I want to!” you whined.

“Very well, want me to tell you what to do then?” he asked, to which you nodded, “okay then, grip it gently and start by stroking it.” You hesitantly did as you were told, Jun immediately gasping and falling back against the bed at your touch. You stroked him softly for a minute, feeling him twitch in your hand and rubbing at his tip for a second before gaining your confidence back and leaning down to place kitten licks along his head. Jun twitched at the contact, groaning softly and throwing his head back as you licked across his length before finally taking his tip into your mouth. “There you go, just like that,” he urged. His hand that had been on your cheek returned to grip softly at your hair, tugging it softly and brushing it out of your face so he could see you. You looked up to meet his gaze and moaned softly at the sight of him. His eyes were wide and his mouth slightly opened as he panted, his muscles were tensing from the pleasure and his hair was now out of its bond and falling messily into his face. His grip on your hair tightened more as you took him deeper, an audible groan leaving his throat, “Good girl, treating me so well.” The praise got to you and had you rubbing your thighs together, taking him as deep as you could and using your hand to stroke what wouldn’t fit in your mouth. You continued your actions for a few more minutes, enjoying the way Juns groans got louder and more desperate, but he quickly tugged on your hair to pull you away. “As good as your mouth feels baby girl, I’m getting close and I would rather finish inside you.” You felt your cheeks heat up at his comment but you nodded and allowed him to flip you both over.

Jun took a moment to rid himself of his shirt as you got comfortable on the bed. He stepped away for a moment to grab something from the dresser before returning to you, with something hidden behind his back. “You trust me right?” he asked as he crawled on the bed with you.

“Of course,” you replied with a soft smile. Jun returned the action and gently pushed you to lay down fully.

“Good, now relax and put your hands above your head,” you immediately did as you were told, feeling the smooth silk run over your wrists before tightening around them. “Is that too tight?” he asked, watching you shake your head and nodding as he carefully tied your wrists to the headboard. He tugged on the knot for a moment to make sure it was sturdy before grabbing another silk tie and draping it over your eyes. “Still doing okay?’ he asked as he tied the silk behind your head.

“Yeah I’m fine,” you assured, squirming softly at your now loss of vision.

“Good, just let me know if it gets uncomfortable,” with that his hands were back to roaming your body. His large hands kneaded your breasts before moving down to play with your hips and thighs. You continued to squirm and moan at the contact, tugging lightly on your restraints. “You are so gorgeous,” he whispered, trailing kisses from your neck down to your breasts, “I always knew you were beautiful but your body is so perfect.” He placed kisses along your breasts before taking one of your nipples into his mouth. You shivered as you felt his fangs brush against your skin, his tongue swirling around your nipple as he sucked softly. Soft moans left you as he continued, gripping into your thighs as he switched to the other nipple.

“Jun,” you whined out, making him hum against your skin.

“Yeah baby? Do you need something?” there was a teasing edge to his voice that made you whine more.

“More, please touch me,” you begged. He chuckled softly and removed himself from your breasts.

“As you wish,” he muttered, one of his hands left your thigh to run a finger across your clothed core. You shivered at the feeling, grinding your hip into his hand to get more friction. “Shit, you are so wet for me,” he groaned as he pressed his finger harder against you.

“Stop teasing me please!” you whined, desperate to feel more of his touch.

“Fine, fine, because you’re being so good to me,” he agreed, slipping your panties off and spreading your thighs so he could get access to you. His finger trailed against your slit, gathering your wetness before pressing his finger into you. You moaned and squirmed softly, not used to the intrusion. “Just relax,” Jun cooed, “it’ll feel weird at first but I promise it’ll be worth it.” You nodded and did your best to relax, squirming and gasping as you felt his finger move inside of you. Jun pressed a kiss to your thigh as he continued, curling his finger and making you whine as he hit that special spot inside of you. “Found it,” he muttered, continuing to hit that spot and watching as you squirmed and moaned at the feeling. Slowly he urged another finger into you, curling them and making a scissoring motion to help stretch you out. The sting burned a bit but that was quickly washed out by the pleasure he was bringing you, constantly hitting your G spot and his thumb moving to rub at your clit. “How are you feeling Y/N?” he asked, not slowing down his motion.

“So good, it feels so good!” you moaned out, arching your back and pulling at your restraints.

“Good,” Jun muttered as he pulled his fingers out, “are you ready for more then?” You didn’t hesitate to nod, practically shaking in anticipation as you felt him line up with your entrance. You arched your back and groaned as you felt him slowly enter you, his hands gripping your waist and soft pants leaving him. Jun stilled once he bottomed out, kissing you and muttering praises while massaging your hips to distract you from the pain. It took a moment to adjust to the stretch, but the second you felt it fade you were nodding at him to continue. His thrusts started off slow, simply letting you get used to the feeling before picking up the pace. You couldn’t hold back your moans as you felt him inside you, wrapping your legs around him to hold him closer to you. Juns grip on you tightened and he groaned as his thrusts continued. “You are so tight, you feel so good,” he grunted as his head dropped to rest against your neck. With each thrust you felt a tightening in your stomach, whining and squirming more as you realized you wouldn’t last much longer.

“Jun I’m gonna..” you couldn’t find your words as you lost your breath. Jun seemed to understand though as you felt him nod against your neck. Without slowing his thrusts, he reached up with one hand and undid your blindfold, brushing your hair out of your eyes as you blinked up at him.

“Go ahead and cum for me baby,” he groaned, that was the approval you needed to finally let go. You tightened around Jun and arched your back with a soft cry as your orgasm washed over you. Jun slowed down for a moment before continuing his movements, making you whimper from overstimulation. “Hold on for me just a little bit longer okay?” he urged, “I won’t last much longer. You’re going to be good for me though right? You’re going to let me give you my heir?” You couldn’t verbally reply, simply nodding and whining. Jun thrusted a few more times before stilling inside of you, a low groan left him as he reached his climax.

You both panted softly as you came down from your high, Jun carefully pulling out and leaving gentle kisses across your face and neck. “How are you feeling?” he asked as he untied you, massaging the soft red marks on your wrists as you sighed.

“That was amazing,” you gasped out, staring up at Jun with a tired smile, “but I’m exhausted now.” He smiled and laughed softly, kissing your head as he climbed off the bed.

“You stay here, I’m going to grab something to clean up with and then we can rest okay?” you gave him a hum of confirmation and closed your eyes. Jun disappeared into the bathroom for a moment before returning with a wet cloth. He hovered over you and gently wiped down your neck and chest before folding it and gently pressing it against your core. You sighed at the cool feeling against your sore body, letting Jun clean you with no hesitation. Once you were clean he quickly cleaned himself off before setting the rag aside and crawling into bed with you. You immediately crawled under the covers and snuggled up against Jun, with your head on his chest and his arm over you. “You’ll probably be pretty sore tomorrow, so if you want to stay in bed I’m not opposed,” he mused, chuckling when you weakly hit his chest.

“We’ll see,” you muttered, “right now though I just want to sleep.”

“As you wish,” he agreed, kissing your head as he snuggled up with you.

“I love your kisses by the way,” you whispered, placing a kiss on his heart before closing your eyes.

“I’m glad,” he hummed, “it took a lot of effort for me to get them, you know?”

“I know, and you will still need that effort,” you teased, hearing him scoff.

“We’ll see about that,” he placed one last kiss on your head before closing his eyes, “rest well my love.”

“Goodnight Qinqin.”

At this point it was safe to say, you had fallen in love with Wen Junhui.

↪ Vampire Kisses Release Taglist: @eli-ljkh @foxdaisy @honeyhuii @kpxpseoul @knucklesdeepmingi @kmoon @woohoney @kimsabinaskzlover @meowjunhui @blizzardfluffykpop @d-noona

↪ Authors Notes: Qinqin means dear one or kiss

Also I’ve been considering doing a spinoff of this story where reader ends up with Minghao instead of Jun, would anyone be interested in that?

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yerimacoustic · 2 months ago

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𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮 ♡ jun x reader

❝ 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙬, 𝙞'𝙢 𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 ❞

summary : you find a sense of familiarity in your sworn rival, jun, while exchanging anonymous letters with a stranger .

content warnings : jun x female reader, regency era au, mostly inspired by you’ve got mail, slow burn, frenemies to lovers, more tags to come . teaser is 1.4k words, full fic tbd.

this is a teaser for a jun bug fic!! read full fic here i’m busy but i was so excited to get this out so i thought i’d post a little sneak peek. it’s probably history inaccurate bc idk shit i’m purely going off vibes

i’m trying to get a tag list going so lemme know if you want in!

you shook your head before gesturing towards jeonghan, “i haven’t had the opportunity to read it yet. someone’s made sure of that.”

the man laughed from across the room, “it was never my attempt to keep you from reading it. i only wish that the two of you would at least give each other some hints as to who you really are.”

before too long, jeonghan had finished tidying up and joined the two of you near the entrance. “i don’t understand. you both are clearly fond of each other..”

“who said anything about-”

“and you have a lot in common,” jeonghan mused, eyebrows raised. “in your next response, you should ask him something personal. ask him about his occupation.”

without skipping a beat, you shook your head in protest. “thank you for your unsolicited advice, jeonghan, but i know everything i need to know about this man. good day, my friends.”

i know summer is your favorite holiday, and with that being said, i hope you find enjoyment in the final days of the season. take a stroll along the gardens or picnic with some of your friends.

take some time for yourself, my friend.’

–

a knock on the door pulled him out of his trance and he turned his chair back to rest in the proper position, tucked tightly under his desk. “come in,” he called out.

jun’s eyes went wide. “you mean- you saw her??”

wonwoo shook his head, holding back an amused smirk as he watched the disappointment wash over jun’s features in real time. “no. my apologies.”

jun sighed, “just as well, i suppose. god only knows what chaos would unravel if anyone else in the household saw her.”

wonwoo nodded stiffly, folding his hands behind his back. “right you are. maybe there is practicality in anonymity, after all.”

i eagerly await your reply, dear friend.

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eunseok-s · 3 months ago

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ON MY MIND - wen junhui social media au

𓈒 ﹒ ☆ 𓂂 ˚ ☆ ꙳ * ࣭

pairing: wen junhui x gender neutral reader

plot: you had always dreamt of opening a cafe with your cousin and best friend, joshua and when that dream comes true, it feels like everything falls into place. that is until you find out that your high school crush has opened a gaming cafe a few blocks down. seoul sees you as rivals due to having the same opening date but you just want to find some confidence to talk to him. unbeknownst to you, he may be having the same crisis.

genre: strangers to friendly rivals to lovers, non-idol, bakery au, angst, fluff, comedy, mutual idiotic pining

warnings: cursing, talk of a past break up, friendly insults

starring: members of seventeen

schedule updates: every one to three days.

status: not started yet

release date: september

note: if you’ve read my previous sm au: when our paths cross again, you’ll know that y/n and joshua had plans of owning their own bakery / coffee shop together. this will come to life in this sm au but the friendships will be different.

permanent taglist: @honeyhuii @soobin-chois @fylithia @enhacolor @ja4hyvn @maiverie @bambisgirl @its-madi @i05wook @yizhoutv @joonsytip @l33j3n8 @nar-nia @lightprincess-world

general on my mind taglist: @minhui896

𓈒 ﹒ ☆ 𓂂 ˚ ☆ ꙳ * ࣭

✏️ = written part

profiles: cuppa cove | moon's gaming cafe

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eleven

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thirteen

...more to come!

#— on my mind ⋆˚✿˖°#kflixnet #kwritersworldnet #k-labels #seventeen fanfiction #seventeen smau #seventeen sm au #svt fanfiction #svt sm au #svt smau #wen junhui x gender neutral reader #NEW UPCOMING SMAU LETS GOOOOOOOO

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mymoodwriting · 5 months ago

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21.5k, Maestro AU, dystopia, advanced technology, robots, kidnapping, manipulation, mind control, hypnosis, assault, physical assault, violence, hacking, supernatural elements, restraints, collars, mental abuse, electrocution, hallucinations, reader is a minor character, I don't know who the main character is either

“Do you hear the piano?”

“Huh?”

“The piano. It’s playing in the distance.”

“I don’t hear anything, y/n.”

“It sounds so pretty.”

“And you know music isn’t really a good thing around here.”

“Yeah…”

You could definitely hear a piano, even if it was quite faint, but there was no way you were gonna be able to find the source. Mingyu was right though, music wasn’t much of a thing around here. The world itself was quite depressing, and everyone worked to stay alive, even if the job was shit. You were lucky to work as a delivery person, one of the simpler jobs, but it had its cons too. You’d drive all over the city, even to the more dangerous parts. So far nothing bad had happened to you, but there was no guarantee that would always be the case. Still, you made money, and you could pay your part of the bills.

You lived in an apartment with three other guys, who were all like brothers to you. It was a decent size place, and you all had your own space too. Most of the apartment was littered with electronic parts as Vernon was a technician that worked from home. He was a freelancer, fixing things in what he considered his work space, which was everywhere that wasn’t a bedroom. Wonwoo worked construction, getting up early and coming back late, but he always said he had enough down time to rest and recover. Mingyu worked as a mechanic at an auto shop not so far from the apartment.

Between the four of you there was a car, but on most days Wonwoo would take it. You had your work van, so if Vernon ever needed to get somewhere, or some items needed to be picked up, that job usually fell on you. At least your office was nearby so it wasn’t a hassle to get to and from work without a vehicle. Today though was a rare treat as you were all off and could do somethings together. You had all gone out to get some groceries, as well as other necessities for the apartment. As you were loading up the trunk that’s when you began to hear the piano, instantly entranced by the melody. In this world music was scarce and unfortunately not encouraged. If anything it was frowned upon.

The peacekeepers maintained order, and many times you had seen them beat those for causing a ruckus or playing music. You weren’t entirely sure why such a thing seemed to be a problem, but it made you appreciate whenever you heard a nice tune. Besides the peacekeepers there were robots around the city. Some worked alongside humans in certain labor-intensive fields, others had simpler tasks, and some freely walked around available to help anyone who needed assistance with anything. Then there were the roaming CCTV robots, the robo-dogs as people called them. They were all over the place,watching everything. Of course there were still normal CCTV cameras around too, so safety and peace were maintained well on multiple levels.

“Let’s go.”

Mingyu shut the trunk and you followed him to the front. You got into the passenger seat, Mingyu hopping behind the wheel. You glanced in the rearview mirror, seeing Vernon on his tablet, headphones on, clearly engrossed in work. Whereas Wonwoo had his head back against the headrest, eyes closed, using this time to wind down. You couldn’t help the small smile on your face. They were all great company. When you got to the apartment everyone helped bring things up, allowing it to be done in one trip. You put things away and then collapsed on the couch, turning on the TV and half listening to the news.

“Y’all better not stay up late.” Vernon commented. “You guys have work in the morning.”

“And you?” Wonwoo mumbled. “All you do is stay home.”

“I pay my bills.”

“Uh huh.”

“I’m a technician, or did you forget where you got such a dope phone?”

“Well you better not stay up late making a bunch of noise!”

“I won’t.”

“You say that a lot.” You added. “You should soundproof your room.”

“I don’t wanna work in my room.”

“Obviously.” Mingyu mentioned. “Your shit is everywhere in this apartment.”

“You’re just jealous I get to work from home.”

“Only sometimes.” Wonwoo added. “Or so you say.”

“Whatever.”

Most days were the same, but you each kept each other entertained, making every sundown and sunrise worth seeing. On slow days when you’d get home first you tended to sit out on the balcony, enjoying the cool breeze of the night air. While sitting out there one day you began to hear the sounds of a piano. Just like before, it was a beautiful melody, and you could hear it better this time. You closed your eyes and let the music take over, softly nodding your head along to the beat, tuning out the rest of the world.

As Wonwoo walked in he was careful not to make too much noise. It was pretty late and he was certain everyone else was already sleeping. He was sneaking back to his room when he heard a soft hum, suddenly realizing how cold the living room was. He looked around, realizing the balcony door was slightly open. Wonwoo made his way over, realizing the humming was getting louder. He slowly slid the door open, seeing you hugging your knees to your chest, eyes closed and rocking to the sides as you hummed. You seemed rather content but he was concerned by all of this.

“Y/n?”

“Hm?”

You opened your eyes, smiling when you saw Wonwoo, although he seemed very worried. Which you didn’t understand.

“You’re home.”

“How long have you been out here? It’s really late, you know.”

“Is it? I didn’t realize…”

“What were you doing?”

“Just listening to the piano, can’t you hear it?”

“Y/n, I don’t think anyone is playing a piano at these hours.”

“I heard it. I swear. It was coming from over there.”

You didn’t have an exact location, but you had a good idea which direction the sound had been coming from. You got up, although now that the music was gone the exhaustion was starting to hit you. A yawn escaped your lips and you pointed off into the distance mindlessly, leaning against Wonwoo. He wrapped his arms around you, feeling how cold you were. Before he could comment his gaze followed your gesture, and his concern for you only got worse. You were pointing towards the Metronome Theater.

“Let’s get you inside. You need to get some sleep.”

Wonwoo led a sleepy you down the hall and towards your bedroom, helping you get under the covers and tucking you in. He made sure your alarm was set so you wouldn’t be late for work. He quietly stepped out and shut the door behind him. He stood outside your room for a moment, his thoughts lingering on what had just happened. It wasn’t necessarily something to worry about, but it still bothered him. He barely managed to sleep that night, and next thing he knew it was time to get up again. As he was about to head out he stopped himself, going over to Vernon’s room and knocking on the door before opening it. Unsurprisingly the boy was awake.

“Are you working outside the apartment today?”

“No. Why?”

“Could you do me a favor and look after y/n today.”

“Is something wrong?”

“I don’t know but could you just tag along with her today and keep her out of trouble.”

“Sure. No problem.”

“Thanks.”

Despite the unspoken outlaw of music, the Metronome Theater still stood. It looked exactly like the name described, a giant metronome amongst the buildings that made up the city. Most of the time the pendulum remained still, glowing an ominous red, but on occasion it would glow blue and move from side to side, creating a low ticking in the air. No one really understood the purpose of that structure, and for fear of getting into trouble many avoided the area. Regardless of what went on everyone understood one thing, the Metronome Theater was a dangerous place. Wonwoo stared at it before getting into the car. He never paid the theater any attention, but he might have to going forward.

♩. ♩. ♩. ♩. ♩ ♪ ♩ ♪ 𝅗𝅥.

You woke to the beeps of your alarm, groaning and rolling over in bed. You hadn’t slept much last night, but you weren’t all that tired. After a moment you got up and began to get ready for the day. Once you were dressed you got yourself a quick breakfast, ready to head out.

“Morning, y/n.” Vernon greeted you. “How you feeling?”

“Good. Just getting ready for work.”

“Cool. Mind if I come along with you today?”

“Why? Do you need me to drop you off somewhere?”

“No, no, just wanna get out of the apartment, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course not. I could use the company.”

“Awesome.”

Vernon walked with you to the office, letting you go off on your own to clock in and then come around for him in the delivery van. He happily hopped into the passenger seat.

“Lunch is on me.”

“Obviously.”

“What?”

“You think you just get to ride around for free?”

“But you enjoy my company.”

“And free food.”

“Fine. Whatever you want.”

“Excellent.”

Of course Vernon was just coming along for fun, not actually helping you with the job cause he didn’t want to do anything wrong and get you in trouble. He tried that once before and it did not go well. So it’s more accurate to say he doesn’t help so you don’t wind up in trouble again because of him. When he went with you nowadays he was more like your guardian angel, and today was no different for him. He stayed in the van, saving you the trouble of rushing and hoping it wasn’t stolen while you did your deliveries.

“Oh, why hello there.”

The robo-dogs could be found anywhere in the city, both high and low, and in very unlikely places. You were used to seeing them in the buildings you delivered to, and it was great their programming had them act very friendly, like real dogs.

“I’m just doing some deliveries, little guy.”

You held up your badge, showing proof you could be there. You didn’t have to, but you liked to do so whenever you ran into these guys. That way if anything ever happened in the building you’d be recognized as a delivery employee who’s just passing through. It was your own insurance, and there was no real reason to hide your purpose here. You gave the little robot a pat, and it seemed to enjoy that. Soon enough you started to hear a soft melody. You thought you were imagining things, but the sound slowly got louder and then you realized it was coming from the robot.

“You got a song for me, little guy?”

You didn’t know the robo-dogs had speakers in them, let alone that they would play music. It was a nice treat, and you couldn’t help but follow the little guy when he started walking off. You could use a break anyway.

♩. ♩. ♩. ♩. ♩ ♪ ♩ ♪ 𝅗𝅥.

While waiting Vernon would be on his phone, going over his list of things to do and figuring out how to prioritize. Although at a particular stop he felt like you were taking too long, especially since you had walked in with like two boxes. He was about to go check on you when he saw you walk out, immediately feeling relief. Then again he noticed you weren’t walking towards the van, and instead seemed to be following one of the robo-dogs. It was very strange, and he wasn’t just gonna watch. He got out of the van and called out to you, but you didn’t respond. When he caught up to you he grabbed your arm and turned you around, seeing a dazed look on your face before you seemed to come back to your senses.

“Vernon?”

“Are you okay?”

“Huh? Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.”

“What were you doing?”

“What do you mean?”

“Just now.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“I don’t know. You were like sleep walking or something.”

“Oh, I guess maybe I’m just tired.”

“Did you sleep enough last night?”

“I think so. I’m alright though, I promise.”

“Okay, but you let me know if anything’s wrong.”

“I will. Let’s go now.”

Vernon wasn’t entirely convinced, but he wasn’t going to push it right now. Instead he was starting to get an idea as to why Wonwoo wanted him to go out with you today. Something certainly felt wrong here, but he wasn’t entirely sure what. At one point his eyes landed on the Metronome Theater, staring at it as you drove along. That whole place was just an eyesore, and it always gave him the creeps.

“Okay. This might take a few since I gotta deliver on multiple floors.”

“Alright, just be safe and come back.”

“That’s a given.”

You grabbed what you needed from the back, making your way into the building. You started from the top and made your way down. For the most part you just left packages at doors, but on occasion you’d knock to get a signature. You were a bit tired when you dropped off the last one, but at least you were done here.

“Do you require assistance?”

You jumped when you heard a robot, looking back to see it on the steps leading to the basement floor. In a bigger building like this it was more common for there to be robots to help tenants when needed.

“I’m alright, thank you. I’m just doing deliveries.”

You showed your badge once more, definitely needing to identify yourself as these robots tended to have records of who lived here and would call the authorities on any unauthorized visitors. You waited for the robot to accept your reason for being there, but it was eerily quiet.

“Uh… I’m going to be taking my leave now.”

As you stepped away the robot suddenly grabbed your arm. Then the blank face plate began to glow red, swallowing you up and cutting your world to black.

♩. ♩. ♩. ♩. ♩ ♪ ♩ ♪ 𝅗𝅥.

Vernon stepped out of the van, stretching his limbs. He stared at the building you had gone into, getting this uneasy feeling. He checked the time, seeing that you had been gone for about twenty minutes now. That wasn’t too long, but something just didn’t feel right. It probably wasn’t best to just dwell on it, so he locked the van and took the keys, heading into the building. The place seemed quiet, so he went around calling your name, getting no response. Every second that went by was making him nervous. As he was about to head out a gleam of light caught his attention. He walked over to the source and picked up your badge off the floor. Now he was very concerned.

“Shit…”

He called out your name again, stepping down towards the basement. It seemed very dark down here, but that was the least of his worries. He called out to you again and again but there was no response. Then he wound up bumping into something and falling to the ground. He looked up to see a robot standing in his way. Before saying something he noticed some light down the hall, realizing there was a door that led out, another exit. Vernon quickly scrambled to his feet, but the robot moved to stand in his way.

“Do you require assistance?”

“No, no, I-”

“Do you require assistance?”

“No! I’m a delivery person.”

Vernon held up your badge, covering your face and name, hoping the robot would accept that and leave him alone. It didn’t work, and the machine still stood in his way. Vernon tried to get past once more, yet he was blocked. He intended to push his way through only to be grabbed and shoved to the floor. He groaned as he hit the ground, partially out of breath. He looked back up to see a red glow emanating from the robot’s faceplate, telling him that something was very wrong here.

“You… you intentionally stopped me… you hurt me… you hurt a human…” Vernon got up, making note of the number on the robot’s chestplate. “Robot model S-009588, you are to answer all my questions going forward, what is your directive?”

“Protect the target.”

“What target?”

“A young female identified as a delivery worker. Last spotted at this location.”

“What? Where is she!?”

“Unknown.”

“What do you mean? How do you not know where she is! You took her in the first place!”

“Incorrect. My objective is to protect the target.”

“From-”

The robot suddenly seemed to glitch and shut down, completely powering off right in front of Vernon. He cautiously took a step back and then it seemed to reboot itself.

“Do you require assistance?”

“Uh… no…”

Vernon took a small step forward and the robot stepped to the side. It was certainly acting how it was supposed to now. He still had many questions, and needed to further look into this, but for now he needed to go. He ran towards the back door, stepping out into the streets once again. Despite the minutes that had passed he still looked around, hoping by some miracle to see you, but of course you were nowhere to be found.

“Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!”

Vernon went back inside, intending to find the robot and interrogating it, but just like you, it was gone. He kicked the nearest item and swore again, storming back to the van. He slammed his hands against the wheel, screaming. The whole point of him being out with you today was to prevent something like this, and he had royally fucked it up. Now he had to make things worse with a phone call.

“What’s up?”

“Wonwoo…”

“Hm?”

“She… y/n… she’s gone…”

“What the fuck do you mean she’s gone!? I asked you to look after her!”

“I know but… I’m not sure what happened. I was attacked by a robot and-”

“Have you told Mingyu?”

“What the hell am I supposed to say? That y/n just walked into a building and never came out? You’re the one who was worried about her and didn’t really say anything!”

“Look, just call Mingyu and get back to the apartment, I’ll head over too, got it?”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.”

Vernon drove over to the auto shop Mingyu worked at. He was familiar with the other mechanics, and just waltzed in, finding Mingyu under a car. He kicked at his leg to coax the boy out. His smiling face changed to concern when he saw Vernon.

“What are you doing here? I thought you went out with y/n?”

“We need to talk. Wonwoo will meet us at the apartment.”

“What happened?”

“It’s complicated.”

“And y/n?”

“…”

“Fuck. Vernon, what did you do?”

“Let’s just go.”

The two walked back to the apartment in silence. Vernon couldn’t imagine what was running through Mingyu’s head, but he had questions of his own. A while after they arrived Wonwoo entered the apartment.

“What the fuck is going on?” Mingyu questioned. “What did you guys do?”

“It’s not something we did.” Wonwoo explained. “But something that happened.”

“Which is?”

“I don’t really know how to explain it.”

“One of you better start talking.”

“Y/n’s been kidnapped.” Vernon stated. “That’s what’s going on.”

“What do you mean!? What did you do!?”

“Why do you think we did something? How do I know this isn’t your fault?”

“You’re the one who messes around with the law, Vernon! And Wonwoo works with all kinds of people. How do I know either of you didn’t piss off the wrong person?”

“We didn’t do anything.” Wonwoo interrupted. “I think something else is going on.”

“Like what?”

“When I got home last night I found y/n out on the balcony. She had been out there for a while, saying she had been listening to some piano.”

“A piano?” Mingyu wondered. “Did you hear it?”

“No. It stopped playing by the time I stepped out. Why?”

“Y/n… she mentioned hearing a piano when we had gone out the other day, but I didn’t hear anything.”

“Why is a piano our concern here?” Vernon questioned. “What does that mean?”

“She said the music was coming from the Metronome Theater.” Wonwoo admitted.

“Oh… wait, so you think someone from the theater kidnapped her? That doesn’t make any sense.”

“You know that place is weird.” Mingyu said. “The people who go in don’t tend to come out, and if they do, they’re not quite the same.”

“Okay, but why would they kidnap her? In fact, how do you know it was them? I was attacked by a robot! Someone clearly hacked into that thing.”

“You were attacked by a robot? Like an actual one or the robo-dogs?”

“Now that you mention it… after a certain stop I saw y/n sleep walking behind a robo-dog, like it was leading her somewhere.”

“Oh so you knew something was up and you still left her alone!” Wonwoo accused. “Are you serious!”

“You could have told me what you were actually worried about here! I thought maybe she was sick or something.”

“I shouldn’t have let her go out in the first place.”

“We don’t know who took her.” Mingyu reminded. “Not for sure. So let’s focus on that first.”

“How?”

“Easy enough. Vernon, you can hack into CCTV right?”

“Obviously. Even the robots, so clearly whoever took her knows a thing or two about tech.”

“Right. So let’s go back to where she was taken and see if the CCTV can lead us to her.”

Everyone was pretty tense over the situation, but they were trying not to let panic take hold. This could all just be some big misunderstanding and you’d call them soon enough, asking where they were. For the sake of not sticking out they decided to take your work van, returning to the last place you had been seen. In a matter of minutes Vernon gained access to the CCTV cameras around, sifting through the footage to find you. He showed the others the moment you went inside, and then skipped ahead, switching to the back door cameras. They were all concerned and surprised when they saw you walk out, following a robot as if you were being escorted somewhere. From there they followed your path, Mingyu driving. Although they soon lost track of you.

“What happened? Where did she go?”

“I’m not sure, the CCTV cameras in the next area are down.”

“What?”

“Let me try finding a different angle.”

Vernon kept working to find a camera, although it seemed that one after the other just weren’t operational. Wonwoo was looking over his shoulder, realizing they had lost track of you. He swore under his breath, although he soon realized something.

“Vernon.”

“Hm?”

“Do any of the cameras work around the Metronome Theater?”

“Uh… no… actually… none of the cameras within a quarter mile radius of the theater work.”

“So that whole area is a blind spot, and she walked into it.”

“Yeah.”

“So the theater it is.” Mingyu commented, staring at it from the car window. “Let’s go.”

The area around the theater was mostly abandoned, and now knowing none of the CCTV around worked made the place all the creepier. Mingyu parked the van across the street from the theater, all three staring out at it.

“Are we sure she’s in there?” Vernon asked. “She went into a dark zone, someone could have taken her from here and there would be no record of it.”

“Perhaps.” Wonwoo said. “But something tells me she’s in there.”

“Okay, but how are we getting in? That place is usually closed, and it only opens sporadically. We don’t even know if it opened today.”

Just as Vernon said that the pendulum of the theater started moving, and the shutters over the doors went up.

“Huh, guess they’re open now.”

Wonwoo was the first out of the car, crossing the street, the other two soon following. What was strange were the other people that seemed to appear from nowhere also making their way to the theater. Despite what one might think, the inside of the theater was lavish and luxurious, not something you’d expect to see in this part of the city. None of them knew where to go, but the others that entered did. It was weird to see how everyone else walked in silently and went up the stairs, acting like robots themselves. The trio followed, keeping quiet as well and just going with the flow.

They went up two flights of stairs to the third floor, making it to the entrance of the actual theater. Rows and rows of empty seats surrounded the stage, people just taking a seat wherever. The curtains were down, and the lights were slowly fading and growing bright, signaling the show would begin soon. The boys took a seat towards the back, looking around to see if perhaps you were around, but they had no luck. A while later the doors closed and the lights went out, leaving them in darkness before the stage was illuminated. The curtains were drawn, revealing a whole orchestra on stage, two gentlemen standing front and center.

“Welcome to the Metronome Theater.” The one with a beret spoke. “I’m the director, Seungkwan, and this is Joshua, the conductor for the night. Do enjoy the show.”

Seungkwan made his way off stage, disappearing into the darkness. Joshua on the other hand took his place before the orchestra, and soon the show began. The music was quite nice, not something any of them were used to hearing. There was no piano present, but they didn’t care much for the show itself. They took in their surroundings, but there didn’t seem to be anyone else. All the other guests were engrossed in the performance. For a moment Wonwoo zoned out while watching the conductor lead, something about him just seemed odd. He snapped out of it when Mingyu lightly shoved him, giving him a questioning look. They had other things to focus on right now.

When the show ended everyone got up to applaud, all seeming to move together. Joshua took a bow before the orchestra did the same and then cleared the stage. The doors had opened and a few robots were coming in, greeting some of the guests and then leading them towards the nearest exit. The trio immediately thought to follow, stepping out into the aisle and walking towards the stage. Although they didn’t get far before a spotlight was suddenly aimed at them, stopping them in their tracks.

“You three aren’t meant to be here.”

Once they had adjusted to the light they saw Joshua looking up from his bow, slowly standing, arms crossed over his chest, lightly tapping his wand to his shoulder. A smirk appeared on his face, looking them up and down.

“I advise you to leave before the Maestro gets upset.”

“We have no intention of leaving.” Mingyu stated. “We’re looking for someone, and perhaps your Maestro knows something.”

“Is that so?”

“If we can just talk to them and clear things up, then we’ll be on our way.”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“How come?”

“You were advised to leave.”

Joshua lifted up his wand, flicking it in the air as if he was still performing. They were all confused until they realized the other guests were moving in on them. Before they knew it they were surrounded and grabbed. The people around them had blank stares in their eyes, but they were doing well to restrain them.

“Thank you for coming.” Joshua stated. “Don’t return.”

The people began to drag them towards the exit, forcing them to fight back. They didn’t want to hurt anyone, but the situation was getting out of hand. These people didn’t want them here, so it was all the more reason to stay and investigate. Especially as Joshua was walking away. Wonwoo managed to break free from the crowd, running up towards the stage and tackling the conductor to the ground. The two tussled for a moment, and Wonwoo knew he had to get the wand out of Joshua’s hand. It wasn’t just some stick, but as soon as he ripped it away from Joshua he froze. His gaze slowly turned to the item in his hand. He couldn’t describe the feeling well, but there was some sort of power radiating from it, and now that he held it this energy seemed to be coursing into his veins.

“You have potential.” Joshua commented. “Perhaps the Maestro will see you.”

Before Wonwoo could really register what had been said, or what was happening, Mingyu had come to his side. He had escaped the crowd and took the wand from Wonwoo, snapping it in half without hesitation. Once he did so Joshua screamed, grabbing his head and thrashing on the ground. Both boys took a step back, unsure of what was going on. Even the rest of the guests seemed to collapse, leaving Vernon just as confused as his brothers. A moment later the lights went out again, and Joshua’s screams seemed to die down. When the light returned there was someone else present on the stage. A boy with white hair knelt down before Joshua, hands on his head, seeming to sooth the distressed boy. Soon enough the gaze of the stranger looked to them, a fire in his eyes.

“Get out!”

The lights flickered, and next thing the boys knew robots were rushing into the theater. They grabbed each of the boys, two or three per person, effortlessly dragging them out. Their strength was no match for the machines as they were thrown out onto the streets. Mingyu was the first to scramble to his feet, but as he reached the doors of the theater the shutters slammed down, locking him out.

“NO!”

Mingyu slammed his fist against the shutters over and over, as if that would change anything. The other two eventually came to his side.

“This doesn’t mean anything.” Vernon said. “This could just be some territorial shit, and this Maestro guy doesn’t like outsiders. Y/n might not be here.”

“And yet she could be.” Wonwoo remarked. “You saw how some people were taken elsewhere, not to mention the others… it’s like the music put them under a spell and they did whatever the conductor wanted. Y/n kept hearing a piano, and didn’t you say you caught her sleepwalking?”

“I… yes, but we don’t have solid proof.”

“Then find some.” Mingyu hissed. “There’s gotta be a robot around here that saw something.”

“Yeah, yeah I can look for that.”

Vernon made his way back to the van, the other two soon following. Although Wonwoo stopped and stared back at the theater. His mind went back to the moment he had held the conductor’s wand. The way he felt then still lingered, and he wanted to know what that was.

“Wonwoo!”

Upon hearing his name Wonwoo made his way back, the three in the van, Vernon getting his laptop out and getting to work on searching for some video footage.

“How are we gonna find proof?” Wonwoo asked. “The CCTV doesn’t work around here.”

“But there are other cameras.” Vernon remarked. “The robo-dogs are also CCTV. Even though they are everywhere, they each stick to a certain area. If we can find one around the theater I could get into its system and look at the recorded footage.”

“Alright. I’ll drive, you two keep a lookout.” Mingyu said. “Let me know when to stop.”

As planned they drove around the area, looking for a robo-dog. The issue with those was that they were free roam cameras, so it wasn’t entirely common to see them on the streets.

“What about taking down a robot?” Mingyu suggested. “We’ve seen a few of those.”

“It wouldn’t work.” Vernon mentioned. “The robots have their programs and internal systems, but they don’t actually record anything. We have CCTV and the robo-dogs so it would be overkill.”

“I guess.”

“Oh, there’s one, Mingyu, pull over.”

The van came to a stop and Wonwoo stepped out, walking up to the little thing as it stepped out of an alleyway. They were very friendly robots, so the thing walked up to Wonwoo all on its own. Vernon had opened the side door, laptop in hand.

“What do I do?”

“Just grab it and bring it here. I’ll erase the footage of us grabbing it when we’re done.”

Wonwoo picked up the little guy, bringing it over the van and setting it down inside next to Vernon. It tried to get out, but Wonwoo prevented it from doing so. After a moment it sat down, the little red light going out.

“Alright, I’m in.”

“Are you sure it saw something?” Mingyu asked. “Or do we need to look for another one?”

“No. One should give me access to a few more in this area, one of them surely saw some… hold on.”

“What?”

“…”

“Vernon.”

“Hold on!”

“Aish, could you tell me-”

“Got it.”

“What?”

“The robo-dogs here are on two grids. The city and something else, I managed to dig deeper into the system just now, but I’m gonna need another minute to access this other grid.”

“I’m not understanding you.” Wonwoo said. “What do you mean another grid?”

“Another power grid, another system. Someone else besides the city is connected to these robo-dogs and thus has access to their recordings.”

“That’s not concerning at all.”

“I know so just- oh… this isn’t good… the CCTV around the theater isn’t broken, it’s on another grid.”

“Wait so you mean all the cameras around here work?”

“How come the city isn’t aware of this?” Mingyu questioned. “This whole area is thought to be a dark zone.”

“The city doesn’t care about the cameras being down cause the rodo-dogs in this area still work, and they’re more valuable.” Vernon explained. “That’s why they’re still online and connected to both grids. I doubt the city knows that someone else has easy access to the robo-dogs around here.”

“So who’s running this other grid?”

“Who do you think? Who’s at the center of this whole thing?”

“The Metronome Theater.”

“They’re the biggest power source in this area, so logically they’re the only ones who could run all this.”

“What about y/n though?” Wonwoo reminded. “Is she really in the theater?”

“Well, let’s check. Once I get access to the cameras we can see where she really went.”

A few minutes later Vernon did as he said, pulling up camera footage and going to the moment they had originally lost you. They could see you were still following a robot, and a moment later two more appeared. They continued to follow you through the cameras, and just as they suspected you made your way to the Metronome Theater, heading inside.

“Okay. So she’s in there somewhere.” Mingyu confirmed. “How do we get back in?”

“We can’t just walk in again.” Wonwoo added. “I’m sure they’ll be looking out for us.”

“Then we go in from below.” Vernon suggested. “The robo-dogs go underground to recharge and there has to be some sort of maintenance facility in this area. My guess is the theater. Someone in there must be a technician that fixes up all the robots around here. Which means there should be a way in the theater through underground maintenance tunnels that the robo-dogs would use.”

“Okay, but those things are small, do you think we’d fit?”

“The maintenance tunnels are designed to be big enough for a person to crouch through in case a robo-dog loses power down there and needs to be retrieved.”

“So all we gotta do now is find those tunnels and get inside.”

“What do we do once we’re in?” Wonwoo asked. “That place is huge and we have no idea where y/n would be.”

“If we’re going in then we’re not looking for y/n, but the Maestro. Whoever that is, they’ll surely know where she is.”

♩. ♩. ♩. ♩. ♩ ♪ ♩ ♪ 𝅗𝅥.

You felt as if you were waking from a dream, unsure as to when you fell asleep. Wherever you were, it was dark, but the light in front of you drew your attention. As you regained your senses you began to perceive your surroundings. You seemed to be in some sort of theater, watching a show. There was an orchestra on stage, along with the conductor leading the show. You noticed a few other people around you, but that all seemed to become pointless as you began to listen to the music. You hadn’t heard such a melody, becoming entranced by. After a moment you closed your eyes to give all your focus to the music, feeling so calm and relaxed.

“Good girl.”

The voice made you open your eyes, finding a gentleman with white hair standing before you with a big smile on his face. Before you could really process anything he lifted his glowing wand, gently tapping your head and causing your world to fade to black.

♩. ♩. ♩. ♩. ♩ ♪ ♩ ♪ 𝅗𝅥.

“Let’s go over the plan once more.”

With access to the robo-dogs it wasn’t hard for Vernon to map out their travel patterns and find multiple entrances to the maintenance tunnels. From there he could figure out where they needed to go and how to get inside the theater.

“Okay. I’ve found our entrance point into the maintenance tunnels, the closest one to the theater.” Vernon explained. “When we get to the theater itself I can mimic a robo-dogs signal to open the entrance and get us in. Although from there I’m gonna need to find an access port in order to gain access to the systems in the theater. There are no schematics or blueprints for that place, so right now I have no idea how the interior looks besides what we’ve seen, and that wasn’t much.”

“From there the goal is to go up.” Mingyu added. “Surely the Maestro would be at the highest point in the building. We just need to find the fastest route, and avoid as much resistance as possible.”

“The building will most likely be littered with robots, but once I have system access I can make sure they don’t hurt us.”

“What about the conductor?” Wonwoo asked. “Or that other guy? They seemed to have a lot of power in that place.”

“We already broke the conductor’s little stick, so they shouldn’t be a problem. As long as we move fast and don’t attract attention we should be fine.”

“Then what do we do if we find the Maestro?”

“When we find them we’re gonna demand answers. If things have to get rough then so be it. We know y/n’s in there. Let’s gather what we need and be ready to move in ten.”

Honestly the only person who needed things was Vernon, the other two were ready to go whenever. They all needed to travel light as there wasn’t much room in those tunnels to begin with. Since they knew the cameras around the theater worked they needed to avoid them. The best way to do that was to enter the sewers outside that area and travel through there to the maintenance tunnel that would lead them into the theater. It wasn’t pleasant, but it did well to give them the advantage they needed in order for this to work. None of them liked walking through the sewers, and the maintenance tunnels wouldn’t be any better. It would be short but uncomfortable nonetheless.

“Give me a second while I get the hatch open.”

Vernon got out his phone, doing a little something before the hatch opened. He was the first one through, glad to be able to stretch out, the other two soon getting out as well. They seemed to be in the middle of some hallway, and to their benefit it seemed empty.

“I need to look for some electrical currents so I can find an access point.” Vernon stated. “Give me a second.”

“Why do the walls say S3?” Wonwoo questioned.

“Shit.” Vernon mumbled. “I wasn’t entirely sure how low we went, but I think we’re in sub-level three.”

“How big is this building…”

“No idea.”

Vernon followed the device in his hand, leading the others down the hall and towards an elevator. Which was the perfect thing to find. He pulled out some other tools, connecting to the wires behind the call button hacking in, ultimately gaining access to the entire system.

“Got it. Looks like this building has seventeen floors, and three sub-floors. So you definitely know where we are.”

“Great, we’re as far from the top as possible.” Mingyu said. “Just our luck. What’s the fastest way up?”

“Uh… there seems to be some kind of elevator that goes up to the seventeenth floor that we can access from the theater room.”

“So we need to go to the third floor?”

“No, there seems to be another theater on the thirteenth floor.”

“Of course. Is that the only way to access the top floor?”

“It seems to be the only direct connection closest to our current location. There are a few other elevators in this building, but only the one on the thirteenth floor will get us to seventeenth the fastest.”

“How are we supposed to get to the thirteenth floor undetected?”

“I’m looking into that. A place like this surely has blind spots, and if not, it shouldn’t be that hard to access their security system and hide us. I’m trying to map out our fastest route and looking into what type of security they have here. I just need a few minutes.”

“Well hurry up, we can’t push our luck.”

“I know.”

Vernon managed to find schematics of the building, taking a look at where they’d need to go in order to make it to their destination.

“Alright, from what I can tell the security here is pretty lax except for a few floors which we can avoid. There are some robots roaming around the building but they won’t be an issue either. We can take this elevator up to the first floor, and not so far from there we can get on another up to the seventh floor. From there we can reach the thirteenth. I’ve mapped out our path and have the cameras along the way looping. I’ve sent you both a copy of the route just in case, but we should get up to the seventeenth floor in about ten minutes.”

“Cool. Let’s move.”

It was a little strange being back in the lobby, considering they had been thrown out not so long ago. Vernon led the way over to the next elevator they needed to catch. Since the building didn’t see a lot of traffic they didn’t wait long. The highest this elevator went was the seventh floor, which was their next stop. It was strange that no single elevator connected all seventeen floors, but Wonwoo mentioned it was probably a safety thing. They thought things would be easy for them, but the elevator suddenly came to a stop on the fifth floor. For a moment they all got tense, Wonwoo and Mingyu ready to fight while Vernon was trying to cover them. Although when the doors opened there was no one. Mingyu carefully peeked his head out, but the halls were empty. Vernon tried closing the doors, but the elevator wouldn’t budge.

“I think it’s stuck.” Vernon commented. “This thing does seem old.”

“Then we should probably get off.” Wonwoo mentioned. “I guess we should take the stairs.”

“Not necessarily. Another elevator on this floor could take us up to the tenth floor, but that place seems to use a lot of power, which means heavy security.”

“Then why would we go there?”

“We could access the elevator that goes up to fourteen, and from there get up to seventeen. It’s our new fastest route from here.”

“As long as we’re still undetected it should work.” Mingyu said. “Lead the way, Vernon.”

No one else seemed to be on this floor either, the place being eerily quiet. There were a lot of doors with numbers, but no windows to see inside. It gave them all this uneasy feeling, but they kept going nonetheless. That is until they rounded a corner and Vernon stopped, stepping back and shoving the other two back, putting a finger to his lip and explaining himself in a whisper.

“Peacekeeper.”

“What!? Why is there one here?”

“I guess everyone comes to this theater.” Wonwoo commented. “You guys stay back, I got this.”

Wonwoo stood right against the corner, listening for footsteps. Once the peacekeeper was close enough he attacked. Lucky for him the only weapon his opponent had was a baton, and he had taken worse hits. It was easy for him to take down the peacekeeper, and the other two came to his side when he had won.

“I expected robots, not this.” Vernon mentioned. “Luckily the cameras here are looping so none of this was seen.”

“Then we can use this to our advantage.” Mingyu said, taking the mask from the peacekeeper. “I can dress like one of them so if another person sees us, I can act like I’m escorting you both.”

“But what do we do about the body? If another peacekeeper walks by and sees it they’re gonna sound the alarm.”

“It might be too late for that.” Wonwoo said. “Far too late.”

Vernon and Mingyu looked over to see what Wonwoo meant. At the end of the hall a crowd of peacekeepers were gathered. It seemed they no longer had the advantage.

“Go.” Wonwoo stated. “I’ll keep them busy and catch up with you later.”

“Wonwoo-”

“Now!”

Mingyu was already pulling Vernon down a different hall, but the boy was fumbling with his phone. Before Wonwoo was completely out of view Vernon activated the sprinkler system on the floor. It would help Wonwoo out since the peacekeepers wore goggles and the water would mess with their vision. Hopefully they’d meet up later.

Vernon found an alternative route to the elevator they needed to use, although it appeared their luck had really run out. A group of robots was marching down the hall towards them, someone else at the front of the group leading the way.

“I suggest you surrender now.” The other spoke. “But I’d prefer it if you don’t.”

“Run.” Vernon mumbled, looking down at his phone. “Go, now!”

“What? Vernon-”

“I’ll be right behind you, I just needed a second to hack into the robots.”

“I won’t leave you then.”

“Go get on that fucken elevator before they cut us off completely. You’ll be closer to the top on the tenth floor than the fifth!”

“Fuck.”

Mingyu knew Vernon had a point, so he bolted, feeling awful for leaving the other behind, for leaving them both. When he made it to the elevator he frantically hit the button, looking back, hoping Vernon managed to get him enough time. He pulled out his phone, opening up the link Vernon had sent so he could follow the route they had planned. Once the elevator arrived he got in and hit the button for the tenth floor, knowing he couldn’t wait around for the others. He let out a sigh of relief when the doors shut and he was moving. Things went south fast, but as long as he made it to his destination he trusted everything would work out.

♩. ♩. ♩. ♩. ♩ ♪ ♩ ♪ 𝅗𝅥.

“Get fucked!”

The robots were advancing on Vernon, but he tried not to let the panic overwhelm him. When he managed to hack them he laughed, making them stop in their tracks. He looked up at the other with a gleeful grin, having the robots turn around to make his point. The other seemed shocked by the sudden change.

“Thanks for the robots. Now I suggest you surrender and answer a few questions for me.”

“Impressive, but that’s not going to happen.”

“Wanna bet?”

“Do your worst.”

Vernon smirked and ordered the robots to attack, knowing he could get this guy pinned in second. He sent two at him first, walking over himself since he knew this would be over soon. Although he wasn’t prepared for the punch the other guy threw, which actually knocked the robot back.

“Holy shit!”

Vernon stepped back and had all the robots attack, watching from a safe distance. It didn’t do him any good as the robots were beaten down and torn apart right before his eyes. The robots only managed to hit their target a few times, and it did nothing to slow them down. Vernon was frozen in shock as the other stalked up to him, a silver liquid dripping from his lip. He seemed to notice what Vernon was staring at, wiping his lips and laughing when he saw his fingers stained silver.

“I guess I need to go up to maintenance too. Don’t worry, I’ll take you with.”

One punch knocked Vernon out, and his unconscious body slid to the floor. The other stared down at him, finally relaxing after the whole ordeal. He knew back up was on the way, not that he’d need it. He looked around at all the robots, before sliding down a wall and sitting down to wait.

“Seungcheol’s gonna kill me.”

♩. ♩. ♩. ♩. ♩ ♪ ♩ ♪ 𝅗𝅥.

After dealing with the last one Wonwoo continued where he left off. At this point he was certain Vernon and Mingyu were no longer on this floor. It shouldn’t take too long to catch up. He pulled out his phone, following the path Vernon had laid out. Although upon rounding a corner he noticed the torso of a robot leaning against the wall, sparks flying from the damage. He proceeded cautiously, ready for another fight even if he was spent.

“I can hear you, so there’s no point creeping.”

The new voice caused Wonwoo to come to a halt. He knew whoever had spoken was just around the corner, although he wasn’t gonna lower his guard. He took a quick step into the next hall, seeing a bunch of robots torn to pieces, and Vernon passed out at the other end. Although his focus quickly shifted to the gentleman standing up, wincing in the process. Silver tainted his lips and nose, clearly exhausted, but Wonwoo was starting to put two and two together.

“Did you-”

“The robots? Yes, as for your friend, they’re just unconscious.”

“Who are you?”

“You ask as if I’m the trespasser here.” The gentleman chuckled. “The name’s Jun, and you’re Wonwoo, correct?”

“How do you know my name?”

“We’ve taken an interest in you, so it’s only proper we do our research. You’re strong, which explains how you handled the peacekeepers with ease. Very good.”

“What do you want from me?”

“That is something for you to discuss with another.”

“You mean the Maestro?”

“They’ve taken a special interest in you, yes.”

“Well I don’t care for that. I’m here for my friend.”

“You mean the girl? I assure you, she’s in good hands.”

“I doubt that if you went through the trouble of kidnapping her.”

“She came here on her own, just as everyone does.”

“Bullshit. Now tell me where she is.”

“Why don’t you tell me what happened when you held Joshua’s wand? How did you feel?”

“…”

Jun scoffed. “You only got a taste before you were so rudely interrupted. Would you like to experience that again? To know what’s going on here. The answers might just lead you to your friend.”

As Wonwoo contemplated everything a handful of peacekeepers and robots surrounded him. Jun ordered everyone to stay away from Wonwoo, having the robots take Vernon away.

“The boy will be fine.” Jun assured. “What’s your choice then? Shall you come willingly or do you have to be restrained?”

“Who will I be meeting?”

“Escort our new friend Wonwoo here to the fifteenth floor. Oh, and Wonwoo, I recommend you don’t try anything funny.”

Wonwoo allowed the peacekeepers and robots to lead the way, having them before and behind him. Jun watched him go, struggling to keep his own composure. He stumbled when he took a step back, nearly falling to the ground only to be caught by a friend.

“Seokmin.” Jun smiled. “Hi.”

“Funny, just wait until Seungcheol sees you.”

“Don’t get me started. Just take me to his shop.”

♩. ♩. ♩. ♩. ♩ ♪ ♩ ♪ 𝅗𝅥.

By the time the doors opened Mingyu had put on the mask, dressed as a peacekeeper to hopefully help him hide. Yet he was met with emptiness. He stared down a gray hallway, dim lights illuminating his path. From what Vernon had said this place held a lot of power, yet he saw none of it. Perhaps it was some diversion so people avoided the floor. He checked his phone, and it told him to proceed, so he did. At the end of the hall he was met with a door. It seemed to be locked, but Vernon had already accounted for that, so when he held his phone near the door it unlocked. He slowly opened it and stepped through. Now he understood the major power report.

The silence of the empty hall was suddenly filled with the hums of machines. Rows upon rows of servers were at either side, but before him stood the real source. A set up with multiple monitors showed him live camera footage from multiple floors. Moreso a bunch of offline robots stood around the monitor set up, creating a daunting warning. Still, Mingyu ignored it all, taking off the mask and approaching the computer. He should be going off to the next elevator, but if he could find you on the cameras then he’d really know where to go and not need to chase after a ghost. He sifted through the cameras, but there was no sign of you, and none seemed to be the seventeenth floor.

“You were never in control, you know.”

Mingyu turned around to discover he was no longer alone. A familiar face stood before him, the director from the show, Seungkwan.

“You’ve come quite far. I doubt I can convince you to stop here.”

“Where is she?”

“In good hands.”

“I doubt that. Just give her back, and I’ll be on my way.”

“That’s not gonna happen. In fact, I’m still very upset about what you did to Joshua.”

“I’m not.”

“Good. I won’t feel bad watching you suffer.”

Seungkwan snapped his fingers, the robots around starting to come to life. Mingyu knew his only option now was to run, so he did just that. He followed the guide, moving as fast as he could to the elevator. He hurriedly pressed the call button until the doors opened. Once inside he repeatedly pressed the button for fourteen, but the doors didn’t close. Something was probably wrong with this elevator too, so he pressed the button for thirteen and he watched the doors close as the robots charged at him. Once again he let out a breath in relief. At least now he was following the original plan, and knew he was one step closer to the Maestro, and you.

It was quiet and empty again when the doors opened, and Mingyu didn’t hesitate to step out. From what he could see the last elevator was behind the theater itself. So he made his way down the aisle towards the stage, not caring to try and hide his face with a mask. There seemed to be no one else around, yet as he stepped up to the stage he heard the sound of a spotlight turning on, except it wasn’t at him. He stopped, feeling the eerie sense that he was no longer alone. When Mingyu turned around he saw the light pointed at another in the aisle, closer to the door. A moment ago he had been alone, but now he wasn’t. Although what drew his attention the most was the wand in the other’s hand.

“You’re not supposed to be here.”

♩. ♩. ♩. ♩. ♩ ♪ ♩ ♪ 𝅗𝅥.

Vernon groaned as he regained consciousness, feeling the ache from that sucker punch. He was quick to realize he was tied up, hands behind his back and legs stuck together. He was propped up against a wall, but nothing around him seemed familiar. At least this wasn’t a place he had been to before, but all the cables and random tech pieces scattered around was certainly unexpected. A robo-dog suddenly came up to him, getting real close and staring at him, sending a chill down his spine.

“You know they’re harmless.”

Vernon’s gaze snapped away from the robot, looking for the source of the voice. His eyes soon landed on this guy walking towards the computer set up and taking a seat.

“You have potential, I’ll admit that. Figured out a way in here. It was fun to watch.”

“Wait, you knew we were here?”

“From the beginning. Don’t be so surprised though, I keep watch over this whole territory with my dogs. Although Seungkwan is internal security.”

“So you’re the one running the grid here? You reprogrammed the dogs to work for you?”

“Bingo. So tell me, you really broke into this place for some girl?”

“Where is she?”

“She’s fine, and well taken care of, I promise.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“You don’t have to, but it’s true. The name’s Dino by the way.”

“I don’t care.”

“Yet I do. Vernon, a freelance technician, making money doing all kinds of legal and illegal things. Would be a shame if someone reported you.”

“Is that a threat?”

“You’d think, but not really. Why do you even do what you do, hm? Just to make some money and pay the bills? You could do so much better with your talents.”

“Why do you care?”

“You hacked into Jun’s little escort pretty fast and bypassed safety parameters so they’d attack a person. Then again those safety parameters were already diminished.”

“Let me guess, your doing?”

“No, no, my dogs and I run surveillance. The big clunky robots are Seungcheol’s department. He’s looking forward to meeting you, but he needs to attend to Jun first.”

“That guy does need a doctor.”

“Seungcheol works with robots, not people.”

“Wait, you mean-”

“Gotcha, didn’t I?” Dino giggled. “Jun’s a cyborg. He’s got a few mechanical parts here and there. You might have realized it if you kept snooping around, but you didn’t. It wouldn’t be easy to hack into his mechanical parts anyway. So just relax, the hyungs want to talk to you.”

“Talk to me about what?”

“An opportunity. You’re good, but you could be better.”

“I don’t want to join your little gang here.”

“You say that now, but you don’t know anything.”

“I know you kidnapped my friend, and are doing who knows what to the people you lure here.”

“Yeah, you don’t know anything. It’s always difficult to make people understand when they can’t hear the music. Maybe that’ll change soon.” Dino sighed. “Let’s go see the hyungs.”

Dino got up and grabbed something from a drawer just out of view. Vernon tried to see what he was doing, but he didn’t need to wait long.

“Behave.”

Dino walked back to Vernon with a metal collar, and leash in hand, a big grin on his face. Vernon tried to move away, but his restraints limited his motion. He wound up falling onto his side, getting a laugh out of Dino. The boy merely knelt down and grabbed a fistful of Vernon’s hair, pulling his head up to expose his neck so the collar could snap into place. He loosened the rope around his legs a bit so he could walk, and then attached the leash to the collar and helped Vernon to his feet.

“This is gonna be fun.”

Vernon followed alongside Dino, the boy holding the leash very close so he basically had to walk while hunched over. They went to a nearby elevator, and once inside Vernon noted they were on the eighth floor, and that this elevator apparently went all the way to the top.

“I know what you’re thinking. You never really hacked into our systems, we just let you see what we wanted. Besides, it was fun watching you all run around. Don’t worry we’re just going up one floor.”

With his hands behind his back any sort of action was limited, and he couldn’t even run in this state. When the doors opened Dino led him out, going down a plain hall. The floor seemed rather empty until they went through some double doors, revealing a whole workshop. Robots were all over the place, some just standing guard and others working on things. A few spare parts were lying around as well, but his focus was soon pulled to a table. The boy from before, who he now knew to be Jun, was sitting on it, a bunch of wires sticking out of his arm. There was another person next to him, looking at some monitors. Jun’s eyes were glowing blue, fading and growing bright, when he saw Vernon he smirked.

“Guess you’re not dead.”

“You weren’t trying to kill him, were you?” Dino questioned.

“Maybe. Although I bet Seungcheol wants to kill him.”

“Do not start, Junhui!”

One of the others in the room snapped at Jun, which he presumed to be Seungcheol. The boy was pointing and yelling about Jun’s careless behavior. Jun seemed to be amused, although Vernon noticed the rest of the robots around were mimicking Seungcheol. It was strange and concerning, but he didn’t know what was happening.

“Do you have any idea how long it’s gonna take to repair those robots?” Seungcheol mentioned. “Days, Jun, days!”

“Don’t forget some were Seokmin’s designs.” Dino added. “So you’re not the only one who got screwed over.”

“You’re not helping!” Jun hissed.

“Just saying. Also, hyung, you might wanna take a moment.”

Seungcheol looked over at Dino with a questioning look and the boy just gestured to their surroundings. That’s when Seungcheol noticed all the robots around moving as he did. He sighed and took a breath, and then the robots returned to their original task. Vernon still had no idea what had just happened.

“Why’d you bring that dog up here anyway?” The other in the room asked. “Do I get to hit him this time?”

“That’s enough, Seokmin.” Seungcheol cut in. “Just focus on Jun.”

“I know, I know.”

“You. Vernon, isn’t it? What are you doing here?”

“Don’t you know?”

“I have an idea, but I don’t know if that’s the truth. Answer me honestly and I’ll get the maknae to give you back your dignity and get that collar off.”

“What have you done with her?”

“That’s not the answer I was looking for.”

Seungcheol came over and grabbed the leash, pulling on it and making Vernon fall to his knees. After a moment Seungcheol knelt down and grabbed the boy’s chin, forcing their eyes to meet. It was quiet for a moment, and Vernon could feel his resolve melting.

“You’re being a waste of talent. I admire you care so much for this girl, but have you stopped to realize that you’re probably not leaving this building ever again.”

“You gonna lock me up?”

“You wouldn’t be the first, but the circumstances would be different. Wanna try again to answer my question?”

“I’m here for my friend, is that good enough for you?”

“I suppose.”

Seungcheol got the collar off, returning it and the leash to Dino. He then helped Vernon get up, but the ropes would remain. He returned to Jun’s side, looking over the readings as Seokmin continued to examine the boy. The silence was awkward, but Vernon wasn’t done with the conversation.

“How… how is it that you run the CCTV here, that you have access to the robo-dogs and some robots as well. Your whole operation should have been shut down ages ago, yet here you are. I guess the better question is why.”

“Do you really wanna know?”

“Are you gonna answer me?”

Seokmin chuckled. “We’re gonna change the world.”

“What?”

“Those in power won’t ever do anything that goes against the status quo. So we must do it ourselves.”

“Are you insane!? What reason-”

“Reason?” Seunghceol questioned. “Look at the world around you, do you think it’s fair as it is now? That it doesn’t require change?”

“So you’re gonna start a revolution by hacking into robots and killing anyone who gets in your way? Is that your great plan?”

“You’re not thinking big enough. Robots aren’t completely reliable, but human connection is. All we have to do is reach those in power, and we’ll make them understand.”

“Ah, you mean the music, don’t you?”

“I see you’re not just savvy with technology. You were present for a show earlier today, so I suppose you do understand what we’re doing here.”

“You mean brainwashing people? Like you said, I was at your show, and I’m not under your control, am I? Your music is shitty.”

“Don’t insult the Maestro. The fact their music can enthrall people is reason enough for you to worry, isn’t it? There are already people out there who understand us, just like the peacekeepers we have here. After all, how do you think your friend came to our theater?”

“Leave her out of your plans!”

“She’s here of her own will, and she’s helping us. Soon enough our music will reach more people, especially the difficult ones such as yourself.”

“I guess you can’t hear how crazy you sound since you’re brainwashed yourself!”

“Unfortunately those of us here can’t truly understand the Maestro’s work. The melody is beautiful but I can’t truly feel its power. Only the Maestro and the conductors can, and our guests at the theater. One day though, we’ll all be on the same page.”

“You’re all crazy.”

“I think you’d be a great addition to our team, truly. Although the choice is ultimately yours. We can always place you in a cell on the fifth floor until the time comes. I’m certain your other friend, Wonwoo, will join us though.”

“The fuck are you talking about?”

“That depends, do you care to know more? Or can Jun knock you out again?”

♩. ♩. ♩. ♩. ♩ ♪ ♩ ♪ 𝅗𝅥.

The elevator ride was crowded for Wonwoo, completely surrounded on all sides. He wasn’t going to try anything, and even if he did he’d surely get pinned. Vernon said only certain elevators went to certain floors, yet the one he was taken to had access to all floors, even the sub-levels. Something else was definitely going on here. When the doors opened there was an empty hallway before him. Those in front of him stepped out and then he did so. Although once out the others returned to the elevator and left, leaving him alone.

For a moment he thought to press the elevator button again, getting himself up to the seventeenth floor, but his own curiosity was winning out. At the end of the hall there was a door, and he could feel something on the other side calling to him. Without realizing he was walking down the hall, reaching for the doorknob and opening it. A blinding white light overtook his vision, his senses needing a moment to adjust. He stepped through, surrounded by technology and machines he didn’t quite understand. It seemed he was alone, until a familiar voice broke through the silence.

“I’m glad to see you came back.”

“You… I… are you alright…? Before when we-”

“I’m fine.” Joshua assured. “What happened back then wasn’t your fault. Honestly, it was surprising for us too.”

“What… what did happen? You were screaming and-”

“It’s complicated. I’m sure you have many questions, and I will do my best to answer them.”

“… where’s y/n?”

“Ah, the girl. She’s alright.”

“Why… why did you bring her here?”

“She came on her own, as do all the guests at our theater.”

“I know that’s a lie. I saw robots escorting her here. The music you play has a certain effect on people. You turned the other guests against us at the show before. That’s what you did to her to lure her in, isn’t it?”

“You really want to talk about her?”

“She’s the real reason I’m here.”

“Then why didn’t you go up to the seventeenth floor? Not that you could, but you didn’t even try. You can ask anything and you want to ask about her?”

“Why are you so reluctant to tell me? Why not just take me to her and let me ask her if everything you’ve said is true.”

“She’s unavailable at the moment, but if you want to talk about her, then there are other things that need to be discussed first.”

“Which are?”

“You, for starters. Tell me, when you grabbed my wand.” Joshua pulled his wand out of his sleeve. “How did you feel?”

Wonwoo couldn’t help but stare. The feeling from before was starting to creep back up. He had no idea what it was, let alone explain it.

“… energy… whatever it was… it was alive… it was coming to me… and it didn’t hurt… it was… intoxicating… it was power…”

“It was music, the power of music, specifically the Maestro’s music. The conductors perform it and the effects remain. I’m sure you felt it.”

“The music is dangerous. What you did to those people, to y/n-”

“Creating connection and understanding. Those who truly listen to the music find happiness and purpose. You could feel it, couldn’t you? A sense of peace.”

“More like a high. All those people were at your mercy.”

“We have no ill intentions here. We’re just trying to change the world for the better. You’ve seen some of our recruits, I was quite impressed to see you take on that many peacekeepers all alone.”

“So that’s why they were here. How many people have you… recruited?”

“Many, hard to keep track of. The Maestro’s music is unique in its abilities, but it cannot reach everyone, not yet that is.”

“So what do I have to do with this? What of y/n?”

“You could understand the music, feel its power, like myself. It means you’re special. Only the Maestro’s conductors can listen to the music and perform it. The Maestro themself is focusing on creating new compositions to bring more people in, so we conductors lead the show. You have the potential to be one, a conductor that is.”

“Me?”

“Only a conductor feels the power of the music. The wand is a means of commanding that power, and you felt that when you held mine. You could have your own. A few upgrades and some practice and you could do your own show.”

“Why would I join you?”

“The question is why wouldn’t you? Like you said, that power was intoxicating. You’ll never get another taste otherwise. Besides, your friend is with us now. You can speak with her yourself later, but right now I need your answer.” Joshua held out his wand. “Will you be joining us?”

“What if I say no?”

“I doubt that’d be your answer, but if you truly refuse, you’ll be locked up. We can’t have you causing trouble and getting in our way. So, what will it be?”

“What happens after… if I say yes?”

“There’s only one way to find out, isn’t there?”

“… show me.”

♩. ♩. ♩. ♩. ♩ ♪ ♩ ♪ 𝅗𝅥.

“The name’s Minghao, shall we play?”

A moment ago Mingyu was staring down at someone who seemed to be a conductor, yet they weren’t on stage nor did they have an audience. It seemed like it would be a quick and easy fight, but as Mingyu took a step down everything seemed to change. The lights went out, covering him in darkness. A moment later red lights began to shine, and a light from below illuminated the conductor. Instead of a wand he had a violin, and the red lights were emanating from it as he played. Although there wasn’t any sound, at least not at first. Minghao smiled and continued his song, then a moment later Mingyu heard an ear-piercing screech.

He yelled and covered his ears, falling to his knees. He took in a deep breath, trying to adjust to the sound, but that wasn’t his only problem. Out of the corner of his eye he could see robots entering the theater, and he knew what the outcome would be if he got caught. He needed to think fast, and figure out a way out of this. His eyes landed on the mask he had dropped, the peacekeeper one. Perhaps that could help him. He reached for it and slipped it on, trying to figure it out while the screeching continued. The system wasn’t too complicated and he managed to adjust the hearing and block out the Minghao’s song. He could only rest for a moment as the robots were closing in.

Mingyu jumped into the nearest row to avoid getting grabbed. He would have bolted straight to Minghao, but a few robots would stop him. He needed to figure something else out, although he stumbled in his steps when Minghao changed his tune and he heard the screeching again. He had to fumbled around with the mask controls again so he wouldn’t be incapacitated. Once he was good he looked over to see Minghao wasn’t even watching him, but more focused on the music, clearly not affected by the melody the same way he was. He continued to move around and avoid the robots, trying to think of a plan. He looked at the settings on the mask to see if anything was helpful.

Besides the night vision there didn’t seem to be anything else the mask could do. Although he soon discovered he could control something else with the mask. All peacekeepers kept a baton with them, something he had taken as well. One would think it was normal, but from what Mingyu was seeing it had a stun option. He put the electricity to the highest voltage it could go and then activated. Surely with a weapon like this he could deal with the robots and get to the conductor. He didn’t approach any of the robots, wanting them to come to him so he could strike the best he could.

He was nervous with the first robot, knowing very well if this failed he was screwed. The first swing made contact with the robot’s head, causing an explosion of sparks, and the robot was knocked down. It seized and certain parts were shooting out sparks, but it seemed to be down for the count. Mingyu was satisfied with his new weapon, not afraid to take on the rest of the robots around him. He didn’t want to get cornered so he continued to move around, trying to get closer to Minghao while taking down robots and making sure the music didn’t throw him off. At one point he came face to face with two of the machines and stung at the closest one. Although his baton went right through it and the robot itself disappeared.

The moment of confusion cause him to let his guard down and the other robot, which was real, managed to grab him. He struggled in their grasp, managing to press the baton against its torso and get free. Now he had a new problem, not all the robots around him were real, and he had no way to tell them apart. His eyes focused on Minghao, starting to realize the music wasn’t just to mess with him and control the robots, but possibly causing these hallucinations as well. The only way to end all this was to take him down. Mingyu took in his surroundings, planning out the best route and executing it.

He dodged as many robots as he could, and took down those in his way, reaching Minghao and tackling him to the ground. The other had realized too late that Mingyu had gotten close, getting pinned to the ground. The moment the music stopped everything changed. The theater was no longer pitch black, and there was no violin. Minghao was holding his wand and glaring up at Mingyu while he tried to free himself. Although Mingyu had a goal in mind, keeping Minghao pinned as he snatched the wand out of the other’s hand, taking off his mask.

“Let’s see if the same trick works twice.”

Mingyu snapped the wand in half, causing Minghao to scream in agony. Mingyu had no idea why that was the reaction, but he didn’t care for it. He threw the pieces to the side and made his way back to the stage. The lights suddenly went out again and he stopped, Minghao’s screams fading away. He looked back to see something glowing in the darkness, but the sound of the stage lights turning on caught his attention. He went up to the stage, seeing it was illuminated, and that someone was present. This new conductor took a bow, and then he found himself yanked up into the air by some unseen force.

“Welcome to the stage.”

♩. ♩. ♩. ♩. ♩ ♪ ♩ ♪ 𝅗𝅥.

“… where am I…?”

As you regained your senses once more you realized your environment had changed again. You were no longer in the theater, but a much brighter place. Different types of machines surrounded you, and you were sitting on some sort of examination table. You carefully got off, needing a moment for your legs to adjust. You tried to remember how you got here, but it was all a blur and thinking about it gave you a headache. Regardless of what you remembered, you knew that you needed to leave. You began walking around, looking for an exit. You thought you were alone until a rather familiar voice startled you.

“Welcome.”

You jumped and looked back at the source, seeing a boy with white hair, the one from the theater. They offered you a smile and bow, the same glowing wand in hand. You swear a moment ago there had been no one else present, and yet suddenly he was here.

“… hello…”

“Apologies for skipping parts, but I’ll introduce myself now. My name is Hoshi, welcome to the Metronome Theater.”

“… how did I even get to the theater? I was working and then…”

“We had some of our robots escort you here. The Maestro is eager to meet you.”

“The Maestro? Who’s that? Why… why me…?”

“You’ve heard them play the piano before, haven’t you?”

“… piano… you mean that was coming from here?”

“Yes. Not many can hear the Maestro play the piano, which is why they brought you here.”

“I don’t understand…”

“I assure you there’s nothing to be afraid of. Come, they’re waiting for you.”

Hoshi gestured for you to follow them, and you hesitantly took a step forward. You should have asked to leave, yet those words never came from your mouth. You were more curious about this Maestro and the piano you had heard. Many times when you told the others they had no idea what you were talking about, and this was proof you weren’t hearing things. So you followed Hoshi, wanting to know more. You came over to an elevator, stepping inside and seeing the button for seventeen light up. Hoshi merely smiled at you.

“You… you said not many can hear the piano… who else can hear it?”

“As far as we know, it’s just you and me.”

“You hear the piano too?”

“I’ve been the only one for a long time. It’s why the Maestro was so eager to meet you.”

“But how did you find me?”

“We have eyes and ears everywhere.”

“But down in the theater… what happened?”

“I assure you the Maestro will explain this all to you.”

When the elevator doors opened Hoshi gestured for you to step out, and then led you down another hall. You came to some double doors and then they opened on their own inviting you in. The room was grand, and quite empty, with no real furniture around, but what stood out was the piano. A gentleman was playing, the melody instantly captivating you. Your feet moved on their own, walking closer and closer to the piano, only stopping when the music did too. The gentleman stood up, greeting you with a smile.

“Hello, I’m the Maestro of the theater, but you may call me Woozi.”

“It’s… it’s a pleasure to meet you…”

“Likewise. I’ve been looking for someone like you for a long time.”

“Like me?”

“You’re very special my dear, come, would you like me to play for you?”

Woozi came over to you and took your hand, leading you over to the piano. He had you sit, taking a seat next to you. He let you run your fingers along the keys before he started playing. There was something incredible about hearing the music so up close and personal. Your body swayed from side to side a bit, watching his fingers work. Occasionally Woozi would glance your way, able to play without fully seeing the keys. You didn’t know how much time passed as you listened to the beautiful melody, but it was suddenly rudely interrupted.

A screeching, feedback loop, type sound snapped you out of your daze, causing you to place your hands over your ears. You screamed, doubling over and falling to the ground. Despite the pain you became aware of something else, feeling this small metal disc against your head, and ripping it off. The pain immediately began to subside, allowing you to breathe. Although you couldn’t say the same for the other. Woozi was still in pain, stumbling around but ultimately falling to his knees.

“Hoshi! Find Joshua, now!”

A moment later Woozi seemed to calm down, getting back on his feet. You on the other hand remained where you were, unsure of what had just happened. When Woozi noticed you he put on a smile and made his way over, although you crawled back and he stopped.

“You have nothing to be afraid of. Are you alright?”

“What just happened… who are you… what’s going on…?”

“Take it easy. I can explain everything.”

Woozi reached out his hand to help you up, but you were reluctant to take it. He seemed to understand and knelt down, grabbing the little disc off the floor. He examined it before reaching over to put it back on your head but you swatted his hand away.

“What are you doing?”

“Truth is, I need your help, y/n.”

“Me? For what?”

“To change the world, to save it.”

“What?”

“There’s no music out there, no passion, no joy… I want to change that.”

“How?”

“Maestro.”

Hoshi interrupted, seeming to have appeared from nowhere. Woozi gave you a smile and went over to the other.

“What happened?”

“Some intruders in the theater rushed the stage and broke Joshua’s wand. He’s stable now and is being taken to the medical floor. As for the intruders, they’ve been thrown out, and the theater is currently locked down.”

“Good. Keep an eye on the situation.”

Woozi dismissed Hoshi and turned his attention back towards you. Before you could say or do anything you heard the sounds of a piano, a recording that is. You began to feel at ease, the melody washing away your tension and worries. Woozi came to your side, placing the disc back on your head and you felt a little spark of electricity coarse through you. Then he helped you to your feet and brought you back over to the piano.

“As I was saying before, my music is special, able to reach a person in a way nothing else can.” The music stopped, giving you a moment to regain your senses. “But it can’t reach everyone, not yet that is.”

“What did you do to me…”

“It’s rather difficult to explain, but my musical composition is able to lull people into a sort of trance, like putting them under a spell. Although it doesn’t work on everyone.”

“I… I still don’t understand what this has to do with me…”

“The piano is one of my greatest instruments. Yet for the longest of time it seemed that no one could truly hear the melody besides Hoshi, then you came along. I need your help in understanding what it is that draws you in. Specifically your brain waves, and how they react to my music.”

“Then… the device on my head…” You slowly reached up to it. “It’s monitoring my brain waves?”

“Recording them, yes, with your help I’ll be able to share my music with the world.”

“But if you’re… putting people… under your control then-”

“I don’t have any ill intentions. I just want to bring music back to the world, to bring peace.”

“… what if I refuse to help…”

“I’ll be honest, you don’t have a choice. You won’t find a way out of this theater, and as you know my music can start playing at any moment. Many of the robots and robo-dogs have been modified with speakers. You can’t escape.”

“… oh…”

“I want your help willingly, but I won’t let you leave either.”

“I understand…”

“You don’t have to be mentally present if you don’t want to.”

“I’m sure things will be better if I am. I also want to know what’s truly going on.”

“Thank you.” Woozi took your hand and kissed it. “I’ll continue playing now.”

There was still a lot on your mind. You were worried about your friends, but Woozi made it very clear you were stuck here, at least for the time being. Of course all your concerns were washed away when the music started playing. You were helpless to resist, finding yourself on cloud nine while you listened, the time passing by without meaning. When you finally had a chance to regain your senses you found yourself alone at the piano. You could vaguely make out voices around you, but you were focusing on getting your head on straight.

“Dino is monitoring the situation.”

“Thank you, Hoshi.”

Once your head wasn’t spinning you got up, looking over to see Woozi by himself. You swore you heard Hoshi before, but it was just the two of you in the room.

“You back with us?” Woozi questioned. “How about a tour? The others would like to meet you.”

“Others?”

“I don’t do this alone.”

Woozi hooked his arm around yours and led you back the way you came, or at least that’s what you thought, there was no way to tell. You came to an elevator, Woozi hitting the button for the eighth floor. It was a quick trip and once you arrived Woozi led you down a hall. You came to a huge room full of monitors, seeing the outside world, some still images and others in motion. There was a gentleman at a desk, browsing through some of the screens, but upon hearing you two he stood up to greet you.

“Maestro, what brings you down here? I see you have a friend.”

“This is the girl I was telling you all about. Y/n this is Dino, our eyes and ears.”

“Ah, nice to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine.”

“So you… like, run security here?”

“No, that would be Seungkwan. I keep an eye on things outside the theater. I was the one who found you, fascinated by a piano that no one else could hear. I’m quite jealous, I’ve always wanted to hear the Maestro’s music.”

“It doesn’t affect you?”

“Unfortunately not, but you’ll be able to change that.”

“You really think so?”

“I believe so.”

“Hoshi told me what you were up to earlier.” Woozi mentioned. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes, although we might have some guests soon.”

“Prepare for them.”

“Will do.”

“Let’s go meet some of the others.” Woozi said. “Come now.”

You merely went up one more floor, to the ninth, coming to a much different area. There were parts and machinery all around, kinda like some workshop. Many robots were around as well, seeming to be working on different things. You were quite fascinated as this reminded you of home, and the mess of electronics Vernon always left lying around. There were two gentlemen in the room talking, but their conversation ceased when you two entered, both greeting Woozi.

“It’s nice to see you as well. This is y/n, our special guest, y/n, this is Seungcheol and Seungkwan.”

“Hello…”

“Seungcheol works with the robots we have here, and with Seungkwan, who is in charge of security here.”

“I… I think I saw Seungkwan earlier… at the theater.”

“Yes. I’m also the director. I hope you enjoyed the show.”

“I did. May I ask what goes on here? This is a shop, isn’t it?”

“It’s my shop.” Seungcheol explained. “I work on some robots, a bit of cosmetic work but mostly programming. I have an implant that connects me to the robots in our network which makes it easier to do my job.”

“So you build robots here? I thought only the government did that.”

“I don’t make them, just some modifications, but Seokmin does create some pretty unique robots. You’ll like his workshop.”

“Speaking of.” Woozi interrupted. “Why don’t we go see him.”

Another elevator trip, this time going up to the twelfth floor. Just as Seungcheol said, this place was another workshop, although there were far more robot pieces lying around. You thought maybe other robots would be around, but there were only a few. If you didn’t know any better you’d think the floor was abandoned, but Woozi led you through everything with purpose, knowing exactly where to go. It wasn’t long before you came across another person, another two. One was lying on a table, and the other at the side looking at a computer screen. Without saying anything the one at the computer stopped and looked back, smiling at Woozi.

“Maestro, what brings you here?”

Then the person lying on the table sat up, startling you a bit, but they quickly apologized. You assured them you were fine, and apologized yourself as you didn’t mean to intrude on whatever they were doing.

“So this must be the girl you mentioned before.”

“It is. Y/n, meet Seokmin, and Jun.”

“Hello…”

“You’re very pretty.” One commented. “I’m Seokmin, and this is my shop.”

“Yes, Seungcheol mentioned it to me, he said you build robots.”

“I do. The Maestro is kind enough to let my imagination run wild.”

“What do you make robots for?”

“No real reason at all, it’s just fun. Besides, my skill set is very helpful for Jun.”

“Jun? Why?”

“I have a few robotic parts myself.” Jun explained. “So that leaves Seokmin, and Seungcheol, as my doctors.”

“Oh, that’s interesting.”

“Just doing some routine maintenance now.”

“I never would have thought you were a cyborg.”

“My handsome face hides it well, right?”

“I worked on that face so I can take partial credit.” Seokmin joked. “I used myself as inspiration.”

“Oh shut up.”

“Since you two are busy, we’ll leave you then.” Woozi said. “Shall we.”

Everyone you had met so far was interesting, and it made you wonder how they all wound up here. Although now you were very curious about one in particular. So you decided to ask as you made your way to the next floor.

“May I ask something?”

“Hm?”

“What happened to Jun?”

“Peacekeepers. He stole something and they hunted him down, beat him to a pulp and left him for dead. It happened in my area, and I wasn’t just going to watch the boy die. My people brought him here and fixed him up. He had some severe wounds which required different treatment, with his consent of course.”

“So… those that are here… they know what you’re doing, right?”

“Of course.”

“And they’re okay with it? They’re on board?”

“Yes. They understand what I’m trying to do here and believe in my cause. They’re here to help me, and I appreciate them.”

“They’re here because they want to be, yet I can’t leave.”

Woozi chuckled. “You’re a special case.”

The doors opened and you arrived to the fifteenth floor, where you had originally woken up. It made you a bit nervous to be back here, but Woozi seemed calm as usual. Last time you were here it was quiet and felt abandoned, but now you could hear machines operating, and a few muffled voices here and there. It seemed that you were heading towards those voices as they got louder and louder. You came over to a group of people, seeing a gentleman lying in bed, two others at his side and Hoshi looking at the monitor.

“Maestro, you’re here.”

“How is he?”

“Stable and recovering.”

“And the rest of you?”

“Fine. Although we should be asking you. The sudden disruption-”

“I’m alright.”

“And her?”

All eyes suddenly turned to you, making you nervous. Although now that you had their attention you realized the gentleman dressed in black seemed familiar.

“I’m okay… but what… what are you talking about…?”

“I haven’t explained all that yet.” Woozi admitted. “We can do so now while you get examined.”

“Me?”

“Yes. You can have a seat over here.”

You were led over to one of the beds nearby, taking a seat and having Woozi remove that little chip on your head. While that happened the gentleman in black asked a question.

“Did you enjoy the show?”

“Ah, yes, it was lovely… uh… I hate to ask… but have we met before?”

“I would say so. I’m Jeonghan, I was the conductor for your show. This is Minghao, and our friend who is recovering is Joshua. You’ve met Hoshi, right?”

“I have. Then, are you all conductors?”

“We are.”

“So what happened to Joshua?”

“You felt it earlier.” Minghao commented. “That shrieking. Some bastard broke Joshua’s wand.”

“The conductor wand?”

“Yes. They’re much more than they seem.”

“But why would breaking that hurt him?”

“We’re all connected here.” Hoshi mentioned. “Through this neural network and the Maestro’s music. The conductor’s wand serves as a way to keep them connected, while also allowing them to access the true power of the music.”

“It’s more like it flows through us.” Jeonghan explained. “And we can manipulate it from there.”

“You mean control people.”

“One can do much more with lots of practice and patience.”

“Like what?”

“You’ll see.”

From what you could tell Woozi was downloading the contents from the chip, your brainwave readings. Your eyes lingered on Joshua as he laid in bed. You remembered the headache from before, so you couldn’t imagine what he had felt if he wound up unconscious. Although a moment later the boy jumped up from the bed, clearly panicked. The others held him down, hoping to keep him from hurting himself. Hoshi gently placed his hand behind Joshua’s head and the boy seemed to calm down.

“You’re alright.” Jeonghan assured. “The others are fixing your wand and Hoshi is keeping the connection stable.”

“Where are they…”

“Gone. So don’t worry about them.”

“They were looking for-”

“We know. You can say hello.”

“Huh?”

Jeonghan gestured over to you, and Joshua’s eyes followed, seeming to be surprised. He offered you a weak smile, trying to figure out some words.

“Hello… you doing okay?”

“Uh, yeah. Are you?”

“I’m fine. How do you feel though? How was the music?”

“Beautiful. It lingers in the back of my mind.”

“You should let me perform for you sometime.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

“I’ll give you a show as well.” Minghao added. “So look forward to that too.”

“Alright. I will.”

“The data looks promising.” Woozi stated. “Shall we move on to the next phase?”

“Next phase? What’s that?”

“It will be much easier to monitor you when you’re directly connected to our network.”

“Wait, you want to put something in my head? Like an-”

“It won’t hurt at all. Honestly you’ll be-”

“No, no I said I’d help you with this but-”

“This is part of it.”

“But… I…”

Minghao came over to your side and held out his wand. You stared at it confused, not sure what he was implying.

“Since you’re the Maestro’s special girl, you’ll be able to feel the power before you’re fully connected. Go on, grab it, tell me how you feel.”

You hesitantly grabbed the wand, not feeling anything at first and then it slowly began to hit. You felt this warmth starting to grow inside you, to spread and open up your senses. The melody in the back of your mind was starting to become clearer and you could remember its beauty. Perhaps this feeling was like getting high, and you couldn’t help but giggle. Although the feeling didn’t last long as Minghao took the wand back, quickly leaving you feeling cold.

“Wait-”

“Sorry, but since you’re not in our network it’s dangerous for you to hold a wand for too long. But I’ll tell you this, that feeling will only be better once you join us.”

“This is all really starting to sound like a cult…”

Minghao chuckled. “If you want to see it that way, but the Maestro is right, we need you.”

“And I can’t refuse…”

“Do you want to? Leave that is. Do you think you could walk away now? You’d probably still hear the Maestro’s music playing out in the streets. Could you resist the urge to come back?”

“I… I don’t know…”

“I do.” Jeonghan admitted. “I tried walking away, but you can see how that turned out.”

“What… what’s gonna happen to me?”

“Right now I need to administer a sedative.” Woozi explained. “You need to be in a relaxed state both physically and mentally before we can begin the procedure. Then you’ll just sleep. When you wake, well, I can’t really describe the sensation since it’s always been with me. Although I’m sure one of my conductors can.”

“It feels like truly waking up.” Joshua recounted. “You realize that you were never actually awake until that moment. Your senses are heightened, and you can feel this energy in the air. The feeling only grows stronger when there’s music and it creates this harmony within you. It might not be easy to understand the Maestro’s music or intentions, but once you reach this deeper level of connection it all makes sense. You feel bits of it now, and that’s what draws people to the theater. It’s what ultimately brought you here.”

“Oh…”

“May we begin?” Woozi asked. “Or do you need a moment?”

“No… you can start.”

Woozi gave you a smile and stepped over to a table near the bed. He grabbed a needle and vial, filling the needle. You watched intently, starting to feel a bit nervous. He asked for your arm, which you gave, watching as he stuck the needle in you and emptied out its contents. Afterwards he had you lay down, telling you that you’d feel the effects soon.

“I’ll go get Seokmin, I’ll return shortly.”

Minghao offered to go with Woozi, needing to talk to him about something. Jeonghan took over from there, attaching some patches and wires to you. Hoshi came to the other side, looking over the monitor. All this was making you more uneasy.

“Wait… wait-”

You reached over to grab Hoshi’s arm, only for your hand to go right through him like he was some sort of ghost. You looked up at him with wide eyes, glancing at your hand as if something would change.

“… you… you’re not real…”

“I am.” Hoshi assured with a smile. “I’m just not physically here.”

“… what… what happened?” You asked. “I… I’ve been curious about you… with everything Woozi said…”

“Hm. Shall I tell you a story while you drift off?”

“Okay…”

Hoshi glanced back at the monitors, making sure everything was alright. Then you noticed a chair roll over to your bedside, Hoshi taking a seat. You knew he wasn’t physically present but he was trying to seem as normal as possible.

“I’ve known the Maestro since we were kids, we grew up together. He always had an affinity for music, and we’d do our best to scavenge for instruments or parts to make our own. Neither of us realized at first, but when he played, he drew me in. This energy surrounded him, making it seem like the world wasn’t such a bad place. Eventually the Maestro became aware of how I’d get when he played, he was worried but I assured him I was fine and wanted to hear more. That’s when he started performing for others. Many who heard his music had a smile on their face, and the world seemed like a better place. I believe he would have been content just playing on the streets for random strangers, but you know the city. One day peacekeepers came, and I couldn’t let the Maestro get hurt. I told him to run and I took the fall.”

“I was hurt badly and left for dead. When the Maestro found me again he feared he would lose me. Everything was hazy, but somehow the Maestro got help, and that’s how he met Seokmin. They stabilized me, but I wasn’t exactly conscious. I wasn’t very responsive, but apparently I still reacted to the Maestro’s music. It gave him hope, and so they tried something else to help me. The Maestro met Seokmin’s friends, Seungcheol and Dino, and they put something in my head, letting me project my consciousness outside my body. The guys did a bit of adjustments and here I am.”

Despite everything you had been told you couldn’t help but reach up, wanting to touch Hoshi’s face, but once again your hand just went through him. Hoshi chuckled, giving you an amused look.

“Sorry.”

“… where… where is your body?”

“Somewhere in this building.”

“… are you okay?”

“Yeah. It’s been a while but I’m making progress. I’ll be up on my feet soon.”

“Woozi really cares about you…”

“He does.”

“Because… your situation… is that why he needs me?”

“Yes. Although I know you would have come here eventually. The music is so beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Yeah…”

“You should close your eyes and sleep. I’ll have a surprise for you when you wake up.”

A small smile appeared on your lips, and you gave a little nod. It was already a bit of a struggle to stay awake, so you closed your eyes and let yourself sink into the darkness. You were still nervous, not knowing what would happen, but by now it was far too late to object.

♩. ♩. ♩. ♩. ♩ ♪ ♩ ♪ 𝅗𝅥.

“If I agree… do I get to see y/n?”

“That could be arranged.”

“Fine. I’ll see what’s going on with your cult.”

“Not a cult but-”

Seungcheol groaned and grabbed his head, falling to his knees. Jun also screamed and fell back on the table, thrashing around a bit. Even the other two seemed to be suffering from some sudden headache. Vernon was left unaffected, and he had seen this scene before, back at the theater. Although he had no idea what was going on. He thought to use this chance to get out of his restraints and try to escape, but Dino wasn’t affected as badly, so he knocked Vernon down to the ground. A moment later it seemed the headaches had passed, and they were all recovering.

“I should probably go check on our guest after this.” Seokmin commented. “Take care of Jun.”

“Yeah. We’ll follow shortly.” Seungcheol assured.

“Wait, guest?” Vernon questioned. “You mean y/n?”

“Maybe.”

Seungcheol checked in on Jun, seeing the boy was just catching his breath. He looked over his vitals again, assuring the boy he was fine. They all were.

“What happened to you all just now?”

“It’s complicated, but we’re fine.”

“Are you? I saw this before with Joshua, the conductor, when his wand broke. Why the hell does that hurt, why does it hurt all of you?”

“We’re connected.” Seungcheol admitted. “And you’ve been interfering with it, but if you’re truly on our side, you won’t be a problem anymore. I can’t say the same for your friend.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“We’ll see.”

Vernon was still uncertain about everything, but he knew he had to go along with this to see you. By now his own personal curiosity had also taken hold and he wanted to know what was really going on in this theater.

“Our presence is requested at the theater. Let’s go.”

♩. ♩. ♩. ♩. ♩ ♪ ♩ ♪ 𝅗𝅥.

Wonwoo felt the pull of the wand, but despite Joshua holding it out for him, he was not allowed to touch it. There was some disappointment, but he wasn’t going to voice that. He had made his choice, and he wanted to see what came of it. Joshua smiled, glad by his decision and then led the way further into the lab. Wonwoo followed, not sure if he should speak, although he soon rushed past his guide. He came to another room lined with beds and noticed one was occupied, seeing you. He ran over to the bedside, taking your hand and calling your name, but there was no response.

“What did you do to her!”

“She’s fine. She’s merely resting after the procedure.”

“What procedure? What are you talking about?”

“She chose to join us, and thus became part of our connection. It’s a painless procedure. One you’d surely participate in if you’re serious about your choice.”

“When will she wake?”

“Soon. Hoshi should be by momentarily to check on her.”

“Who?”

“You’ve seen him before.”

Wonwoo still didn’t really understand, but you were the bigger concern. He was mostly glad to have found you again, although this wasn’t the state he was hoping to see you in. A moment later he saw someone else approach the bed. He looked up to see another boy at your side, white hair, looking at the screens, and very familiar to Wonwoo.

“It’s you…”

“Hello. You won’t attack Joshua again, will you?”

“No… no… but you… how… how is she?”

“Stable. She took everything well, and should wake soon.”

“Are… are you the Maestro?”

“No, but I’m flattered. My name is Hoshi, and I’m the internal conductor.”

“Internal conductor?”

“The Maestro has a multitude of conductors to spread their music, but I do not leave the theater, and I keep everyone connected. I’m actually very glad to properly meet you. I have a proposal for you.”

“For me?”

“Yes. You have a strong connection to the Maestro’s music. You felt it during the show, moreso when you held Joshua’s wand. You have the potential to be a conductor, and your ideal physical state would make you a great one.”

“You want me to be a conductor?”

“You’ll come to truly understand what we do here, and wield power unlike anything you could imagine.”

“And why would I accept? You kidnapped my friend, and hurt the others.”

“I saw your little trio trespassing into the theater. We could have thrown you out, but we didn’t. In fact you would have come back on your own, the pull of the Maestro’s music is very strong. You came all the way here. Do you really think you can walk away now?”

“You-”

Wonwoo’s words were cut short as he heard a groan, looking over to see you moving and whimpering. He was excited to see you waking up, holding your hand tightly.

“Y/n, it’s me, can you hear me?”

It took a moment for your eyes to adjust to the light, but you thought you were dreaming when you saw Wonwoo. His familiar smile made you feel warm, and then you felt his hand, realizing this wasn’t a dream.

“Wonwoo… how…?”

“Hey, how are you feeling? Are you alright?”

“I… I’m fine… but… when did you… get here?”

“Your friends came looking for you.” Hoshi stated. “And I wanted to speak with Wonwoo.”

“Oh… is everything okay?”

“You tell me. How do you really feel?”

“I…”

Your senses were starting to come back to you, but it was certainly different this time. You could feel this energy in the air, but more importantly you could sense others. Joshua had this glow around him, as did Hoshi, but Wonwoo didn’t. You could sense the presence of the two, and then had a feeling in the back of your head of others close by. As you were lost in thought you saw Hoshi reach over to caress your cheek, and to your surprise you felt the warmth of his touch. You looked at him with wide eyes, reaching over to take his hand in yours. It didn’t feel like Wonwoo’s hand, but different. Almost like a ghost, just on the edge of physicality, like the flow of water or a cool breeze.

“How…?”

“You’re part of our network now, you’re connected to the rest of us so my essence is that much stronger for you to pick up on. Strong enough to be physical, even if just a bit.”

“It’s incredible.”

Wonwoo had been quietly watching the whole time, not really liking the situation. He reached over to move Hoshi’s hand, but he couldn’t touch the boy. His hand passed right through the other, confusing him as you appeared to be able to make contact.

“What is this…”

“Power.” You mumbled. “It’s in the air and everywhere. Only when you’re connected does it manifest into something more. Like the music. When you really listen to it, you open your eyes to a whole other world.”

“Very poetic.” Hoshi chuckled. “You’re very good with words.”

“I guess… but what did you want to talk to Wonwoo about?”

“The Maestro would like for him to be a conductor.”

“Really?”

“He has great potential.”

“That’s incredible Wonwoo.”

“I don’t know what any of this means, y/n.” Wonwoo reminded. “I only came here looking for you.”

“I’m sorry… I really wouldn’t have wanted to worry you, but things were out of my hands.”

“I’m sure they were, but we should get out of here.”

“I’m not leaving Wonwoo, I can’t.”

“What do you mean? What did they say to you?”

“They just told me about the Maestro, and what he’s doing. I want to help him.”

“You don’t know him.”

“Not truly, not yet, but I’ve seen enough to know that I want to help. There’s this energy, this warmth inside of me because of the Maestro and I know the world would be a better place if everyone could experience this. They’re not evil, Wonwoo. You should stay too actually. The things we could do.”

“I’m not so sure I understand what they’re talking about.”

“All the more reason to stay and find out. Together we-”

Your words were cut off as a searing pain overtook you. Wonwoo could only watch as you suddenly began to scream and thrash. He tried holding you down, hearing similar cries of anguish from Joshua. The boy had collapsed to the ground. Hoshi wasn’t as affected, seeming more irritated than anything else.

“What’s happening!?” Wonwoo yelled. “What did you do!?”

“It’s your friend who did this!”

Hoshi seemed to glitch out of existence, leaving Wonwoo alone to worry about you. He didn’t know what to do in order to help you, but the pain didn’t last too long. After a moment you seemed to calm down, although you were whimpering and seemed very out of it. Joshua stumbled to his feet, not in a good condition himself, but he was worried about you. He looked over at the machines, making sure all the readings were well.

“What happened?” Wonwoo asked again. “What was that?”

“Your friend broke another wand.”

“I don’t understand, will y/n be okay?”

“Yes. I’m sure Seokmin and Hoshi will be here any moment now.”

“Why are you on your feet?!”

Another boy suddenly came rushing into the room. He grabbed Joshua and sat him down on the nearest bed, getting him to lie down.

“I’m fine, Seokmin.”

“Sure you are. Not like you’re still recovering from the last incident.”

“I was checking on y/n.”

“I’ll do that, you just relax.”

Seokmin went over to the monitors, completely ignoring the other. A while later another rather familiar face showed up. The director, Seungkwan, came up, and Seokmin told him to look over Joshua. Wonwoo stayed quiet and watched Seokmin like a hawk, remaining silent until a needle was pulled out.

“What’s that for?”

“A minor sedative. She’s gonna need it in order to stabilize.”

“Where’s Hoshi?”

“Dealing with Minghao. I’m sure he’ll be back momentarily.”

“Are you sure she’ll be okay?”

“Have a little faith.”

It was good to see you at ease with the sedative. You weren’t unconscious, but you certainly weren’t all there. Wonwoo was glad to keep you company, listening to you tell him about the theater and the Maestro. He wasn’t sure if any of it was real, or just propaganda you had been fed. Still, he just wanted to make sure you were alright. Although you were asking him to stay, to take on the roll he had been offered, but it wasn’t that simple.

“You know Vernon and Mingyu are here too. We got separated and-”

“Vernon is with the others down on the ninth floor.” Seokmin interrupted. “As for Mingyu, who do you think is causing all this?”

“Oh…”

“He’s made it far enough.” Seungkwan added. “Jeonghan will deal with him.”

“Jeonghan?” You questioned. “What is he gonna do?”

“Nothing bad, I promise.”

“Let me talk to him. I can reason with Mingyu. He’s only here and causing trouble because he’s looking for me. Please.”

“Y/n.”

“I don’t want to be the reason something bad happens to anyone.”

“Let her.” Joshua cut in. “It would benefit all of us.”

“Fine. I’ll have the others gather around as well.”

“Where are you going?” Wonwoo asked. “Because I’m going with you.”

“To the grand theater on the thirteenth floor.”

♩. ♩. ♩. ♩. ♩ ♪ ♩ ♪ 𝅗𝅥.

“Put me down!” Mingyu screamed. “Now!”

“Why would I do that? You’ve been nothing but trouble.”

“You must be the Maestro then.”

“I’m honored, but no. My name is Jeonghan, the lead conductor. You should have stayed out, but you don’t seem all that bright. Since you didn’t learn from your past mistakes, I suppose it’s only fair to teach you properly.”

Jeonghan got into place, as if he was performing, but there was no audience, and no orchestra. He didn’t need that.

“I’ve always wanted to perform this piece. I hope you like it.”

Jeonghan took a breath and closed his eyes, beginning his performance. It seemed rather funny at first, to see him leading the air, but then Mingyu began to hear it. A slow and steady rhythm slowly becoming audible. Mingyu had an idea as to where this was going, but before he could get the mask back on it was ripped from his hands and fell off stage into darkness. In a matter of seconds the music was loud and clear, but it wasn’t this shrieking sound. Instead it felt like this pressure in his head. Mingyu screamed, there was nothing he could do to make this pain go away. The pressure was gradually increasing so it was only a matter of time before he passed out. He had to do something.

With the bits of conscious thought he had left he tried to come up with a plan. Jeonghan was engrossed in his performance, eyes closed and moving with such fluidity. The only thing Mingyu had was the stun baton. He had one shot to use it, and if he failed it’d be all over. He focused on his plan, getting the baton and figuring out how to throw it before electrifying it. The task was complicated, but he didn’t have much time, so he took his shot. He aimed for the chest and electrified the baton, throwing it with all the strength he had. The pain grew worse so he couldn’t see the outcome, but hearing a scream and falling to the floor was answer enough.

Mingyu groaned from the impact, but he forced himself up. He stumbled as his body was aching and he had yet to properly regain his senses. Still he managed to get to Jeonghan, ripping the wand from his hand. Although before he could do anything Jeonghan had gotten the stun baton and hit Mingyu with it. Now the two were down and recovering from being electrocuted. The wand fell from Mingyu’s hand and rolled away, at least it couldn’t be used against him for the moment. Since Jeonghan had been hit first, he recovered before Mingyu, managing to get back on his feet. He held his hand out and Mingyu watched as the wand returned to him.

“Clever. Maybe you’re not all that dumb, but your game ends here.”

Jeonghan walked over to Mingyu, staring down at him before placing a foot on his chest. He put pressure and watched as Mingyu squirmed, attempting to get him off. When he managed to get some movement he used it to get out from under Jeonghan, rolling away and getting onto one knee. Before he did anything else he heard another voice and looked over to see that at the other end of the stage there was a boy with white hair, and a glowing wand in his hand. The same boy he had seen before.

“Enough.”

“I had this under control.” Jeonghan stated. “I didn’t require assistance.”

“That’s not why I’m here.”

“You must be the Maestro.” Mingyu breathed out. “What took you so long?”

“I’m not the Maestro, but I was sent here on their behalf. You’re not worth their time, but we’ve all had enough of you hurting us. Jeonghan.”

“I know.”

Before Mingyu realized it he was back in the air again, although not so high off the ground this time. The white haired boy walked over to him, glaring.

“Hoshi, stop!”

Despite your state you rushed onto the stage and grabbed Hoshi. Your hand slipped through him a bit, but he still moved because of your touch. His gaze shifted to you and softened. He wouldn’t act for now, you trusted that. Wonwoo stayed behind with Seungkwan, watching.

“Y/n, are you okay!?” Mingyu asked. “Did they hurt you!?”

“I’m fine. Can you put him down?” You asked Jeonghan. “Please.”

“I don’t believe that’s a good idea.”

“Jeonghan.”

“Do it.” Hoshi said. “We outnumber him anyway.”

Mingyu was gently let down, and as soon as his feet hit the ground he stepped towards you and pulled you into a hug. You were a bit amused by his actions, but didn’t mind. You hugged him back, assuring him you were alright.

“Everything’s okay. I’m sorry I made you worry.”

“I know it’s not your fault. I’m just glad you’re okay. Let’s go now.”

Mingyu took your hand and started pulling you along to step off the stage but Jeonghan got in his way.

“You’re not leaving.”

“Get out of my way.”

“Mingyu, please don’t fight. Look, I don’t want to leave this place, I’m not going to leave.”

“What?”

“I know things didn’t go so well at first, but they’re not bad people.”

“They kidnapped you.”

“Not really. I came here because of the piano, because of the Maestro, and-”

“I know what their music does to people, and it’s clear you’ve been affected.”

“It’s more complicated than that.” Wonwoo cut in. “She’s made it very clear she’s not gonna leave.”

“So then you’re gonna stay with her? We were attacked by peacekeepers and robots, not to mention Vernon is still missing.”

“Not anymore.”

Wonwoo gestured out to the crowd as he saw the doors open. Vernon and a few others entered the theater. As soon as Vernon saw you he ran up to the stage, no longer restrained in any way. He came to you and embraced you in a hug. The trio that escorted him up remained out in the aisles, watching.

“They didn’t hurt you or anything, right?”

“No, not at all.”

“Good. So we can leave now?”

“Apparently not.” Mingyu stated. “She doesn’t want to leave. The music has gotten to her head.”

“Y/n, this place-”

“I’m not brainwashed or anything! Woozi told me what he’s doing here, and what I can do to help. So I’m not leaving. I’ve already explained some things to Wonwoo. You don’t have to leave either, you guys can help too.”

“I’ve already heard the story.” Vernon mentioned. “I’m not sure I’m on board. Being involved with a revolution, we’re practically signing our death certificates.”

“A revolution?” Mingyu questioned. “Is that what these nutjobs think they’re doing?”

“They’re not crazy.” You countered. “I know what they’re doing, and I know it’s gonna work. Woozi just needs my help so his music can reach everyone, including you guys.”

“I’m not gonna leave you here to be a pawn in their game. If they want to start a revolution, they can try, but none of us are taking part in it. Wonwoo, tell her this is crazy.”

“I don’t know…”

“So they got to you too. Vernon?”

“They’re kinda scary with the tech they got here…”

Mingyu scoffed. “I cannot believe you two. Are you seriously considering this?”

“I’m not so sure we have much of a choice anymore…”

“Then I’ll leave on my own.”

It really felt like this whole thing was all for nothing, but Mingyu wasn’t going to stay where he wasn’t wanted. Although Jeonghan stayed where he was.

“Move.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

“Jeonghan, just let him go.” You said. “I’m not gonna make anyone stay.”

“That’s not your decision to make.”

“What?”

“The Maestro has no intention of letting any of you leave.”

Mingyu was suddenly up in the air again, Vernon as well. You glared at Jeonghan but he merely shook his head at you. This wasn’t his doing, but the Maestro’s.

“This is not what the theater is for.”

You looked back to see Woozi walking towards center stage, Minghao, Joshua, and Seungkwan at his side. Everyone was present now.

“Minghao, are you alright?” You asked. “A moment ago-”

“After the earlier incident we’ve created contingencies.” Minghao explained. “Much faster recovery time. Are you alright though?”

“Better now.”

“You should be resting.” Woozi stated. “Not down here.”

“I wanted to talk to my friends. Make them see reason.”

“You don’t need to do that.”

“So it’s you then.” Mingyu cut in. “You’re the Maestro.”

“Yes, I’m the Maestro, and you’ve been trespassing.”

“I’m more than happy to leave now.”

“I’m sure you are, but that is no longer an option. You forfeit that when you set foot in my theater.”

“Look, I want nothing to do with your little revolution thing, so I’ll keep my mouth shut. You don’t have to worry.”

“But I do.”

Woozi brought Mingyu closer to him, bringing the peacekeeper mask to his hands as well. He examined it with an amused grin and then looked up at Mingyu.

“You went through a lot of trouble just to see me and now you want to leave. Kinda disappointing. If you want to play dress up though, how about I make it real. Why don’t you become one of my peacekeepers.”

“What?”

“I’m always in need of more peacekeepers. My music can only reach so many at the moment, but someone like you could lead them. You could actually embody the name they carry.”

Mingyu scoffed. “Are you seriously offering me a position when I already said I want nothing to do with you?”

“Your words are surely disappointing y/n, but I’m not asking. I know you’ll truly come around eventually. Same for Vernon.”

“What the hell are you talking about!?”

“Y/n cares about you. The last thing I want is for her to be upset.”

“Wait, Woozi, I don’t-”

“Hoshi.”

“Yes, Maestro.”

Hoshi came up behind you, placing a hand against your face. Your eyes went wide and your vision went dark. You felt this sudden warmth spread through you, calming your nerves and pulling your consciousness under into tranquility. Your eyes glazed over, starting to glow just as a few glowing veins spread around from where Hoshi’s hand made contact with you. His own eyes were glowing, completely engulfed in white.

“What the hell are you doing!?”

“Silence.”

One moment everything was normal, and then Woozi’s eyes were glowing, and the same had happened to the others. The conductors moved to the edges of the stage, silent and without emotion. Then they began moving in unison, performing a silent melody. Wonwoo felt a change in the air, something moving through the empty space, partially making him dizzy. He stumbled and took a step back, shaking his head to stay awake. Although he soon noticed Mingyu and Vernon were passed out, and dropped on the floor. The others had come to the stage, grabbing the two and removing them.

Wonwoo took a step forward, wanting to stop them, but that seemed difficult at the moment. He couldn’t reach either of his friends, and you were clearly unavailable as well. All he could do was watch, not understanding what was happening, but still being hit with this energy and staying put. Then Woozi glanced over at him, a smirk appearing on his face and walking over to the boy.

“That leaves you.”

Now Wonwoo knew he was stuck in place, those glowing eyes sending a chill down his spine. Everything in this theater had been strange from the beginning, but this was starting to let him know just how dangerous it was to be here.

“You can’t fully hear my lullaby, but you can feel it, can’t you? Only those outside my network will be affected, but you are dancing the line.” Everyone spoke as one, following the Maestro’s lead. “You don’t have to worry about y/n. I don’t want her to remember any of this and I have the means to guarantee that. So it’s just you and me now.”

Just as Woozi said that he snapped his fingers, everyone else disappearing. Now it really was just the two of them but Wonwoo could still feel the energy in the air, feel this melody in the back of his head. The others weren’t really gone, just invisible to him now. He knew that for sure as Woozi’s voice continued to boom with the echo of everyone else speaking with him.

“… what… what do you want…”

“The answer is very simple.”

Woozi held his hand out, a wand manifesting out of nowhere, glowing brightly. It was just like the one Hoshi had. Woozi seemed to examine it for a moment before holding it out to Wonwoo.

“I could use a conductor such as yourself. Someone who will be much better at guiding y/n due to a personal connection. You are free to refuse, but not many can, not an offer like this.”

“Why ask if you seem to know the answer… did I ever really have a choice? Did anyone here?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Woozi chuckled, his laughter echoing in the theater. “Does it?”

“… no…”

Wonwoo reached out to grab the wand. It wasn’t like before, this energy felt stronger, and it hit him like a crashing wave. Everything around him seemed to stabilize, and those that had disappeared were back in view. The glow of the wand traveled down to his arm like veins, and he could feel them digging deep and planting roots within him. This sensation was only growing stronger, and he knew at that moment he’d never let it go.

“What do I do now?”

“Follow the Maestro’s lead.”

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