⋆ 은재

the aquarium lights painted everything in soft shades of blue, like the ocean itself. gentle, ambient music filtered through the speakers, blending with the quiet hum of flowing water and distant voices.

for once, everything felt slow, calm, dreamlike even—a stark contrast to the busy, chaotic lives you and maki were so used to as idols.

maki stood beside you, his hand loosely holding yours. he was unusually quiet, his gaze fixed on the slow-moving fish through the glass of the first tank.

you watched him for a moment instead of the fish, shifting slightly closer as your fingers adjusted in his.

maki glanced at you from the corner of his eye, a faint hint of amusement in his expression before he looked back at the tank.

you smiled softly, resting your head against his arm as you also turned back to the tank, watching the fish drift by.

his expression softened as he leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead before pulling back slightly.

“we should find the jellyfish,” he murmured. “i know they’re your favorite.”

you lifted your head from his arm, cheeks faintly warm as you met his gaze. “yeah… i’d like that.”

a small grin tugged at his lips as he laced his fingers with yours. “let’s go, princess,” he said. “your jellyfish are waiting.”

after wandering through the aquarium for a while—moving from one exhibit to the next, hand in hand—you finally reached the jellyfish display.

the tanks glowed in soft hues of blue and purple, casting gentle light across the room. the jellyfish drifted weightlessly through the water, their graceful movements slow and hypnotic.

maki’s gaze lingered on the tank for only a second before wandering to you instead, the soft glow reflecting in your eyes.

“they’re so pretty…” you whispered, your eyes following the delicate creatures.

“yeah…” he murmured quietly. “they are.”

but he wasn’t looking at the jellyfish anymore.

“not as pretty as you, though.”

dividers by anitalenia

copyright © 2026 eunajae. | DO NOT copy, edit, translate or reupload any of my work without my permission.

jake always insisted that layla loved him the most in the world—after all, he was the one who spoiled her the most in his family.

but the moment jake brought you to his parents’ home, all of that confidence crumbled.

somehow, unbelievably, his dog ran straight past him… and into your arms like you were her favorite person in the world.

obviously, it probably wasn’t true. you were just someone new, someone exciting. layla didn’t actually like you more than him.

…did she?

at first, jake told himself it was just a phase, just a one-time thing.

except now, you weren’t new anymore. weeks had turned into months, and somehow, layla still chose you every time.

jake would call her over with that familiar, practiced affection, fully expecting her to come running like she always used to.

but no matter how many times he called her, no matter how much he pouted, she always ended up beside you—like that was exactly where she belonged.

you sat comfortably on the couch, gently running your hand through layla’s soft, golden fur while she rested on the floor against your legs.

jake watched from beside you with a very obvious pout.

you didn’t even have to look up to know—but you did anyways. “are you sulking right now?”

“i’m not sulking,” he said. “i’m being betrayed. there’s a difference.”

you couldn’t help it—your smile brightened as you looked up at him.

“aw, jakey,” you said, voice light with teasing, “are you jealous of layla?”

“i’m not jealous,” he insisted immediately.

you glanced down at layla, gently scratching under her chin.

“do you hear that, layla?” you cooed. “jakey thinks you’re betraying him.”

layla didn’t move, just panted contently, relaxing further into your hand.

“layla,” jake called softly this time, like that would make a difference.

her ears twitched slightly—but she stayed right where she was, leaning against your legs.

“…she really likes you,” he murmured, something softer slipping into his voice as he looked between you and layla.

you smiled up at him again, this time more gently.

“jakey… she still loves you. she just likes me too.”

“i used to be her favorite,” he murmured, still pouting, eyes flicking between you and layla.

you glanced down at layla before looking back at him.

“don’t worry… you’ll always be my favorite,” you said, voice soft, your eyes sparkling as you met his gaze, letting him see just how much he mattered to you.

jake shifted closer, letting his shoulder brush against yours, eyes locked on yours.

“you really mean that?” he asked, his voice gentle and hesitant.

“of course,” you said, smiling warmly.

“always.”

☆ ☆ ☆ dividers by cursed-carmine

copyright © 2026 eunajae. | DO NOT copy, edit, translate or reupload any of my work without my permission.

you’re sitting comfortably in the passenger seat of heeseung's car as he drives the two of you home.

the car moves smoothly down the road, the quiet hum of the engine mixing with the soft music playing through the speakers.

the late afternoon sunlight shines gold through the windscreen, warming the inside of the car and catching in the dark lenses of heeseung's sunglasses.

you’d be lying if you said your attention was on the scenery outside.

your eyes keep drifting back to him instead.

heeseung has one hand resting casually on the steering wheel, fingers loose but steady as he guides the car along the road. the other hand is settled on your thigh, warm and relaxed. every now and then his thumb moves absentmindedly, tracing back and forth through the fabric of your clothes while he focuses on driving.

his thumb drags a little higher this time before settling again. the corner of his mouth lifts slightly, like he’s holding back a smirk.

"you're being quiet, princess," he says after a moment, his voice amused.

you glance away quickly, turning your attention to the window like the passing streets suddenly became the most interesting thing in the world.

"i'm not."

heeseung lets out a soft laugh under his breath, the sound warm and low. his thumb brushes over your thigh again, slow and deliberate this time. he knows exactly why you’ve gone quiet — and he’s enjoying it.

he glances at you briefly before looking back at the road, the smirk still tugging at his lips. the sunglasses are hiding his eyes, but not the amusement in his voice.

“right, right,” he says, clearly unconvinced.

“then why’d you look away so fast?”

“hm?” he prompts, his hand giving your thigh a small squeeze, like he’s waiting for a real answer.

you open your mouth to answer, then stop, suddenly very aware of the warm weight of his hand resting there.

“i didn’t,” you mumble.

you fold your arms across your chest, turning your head toward the passenger window with a small pout on your lips.

“just… focus on the road.”

heeseung lets out a quiet laugh.

“princess,” he says, voice soft with amusement, “are you sulking?”

the smirk on his lips only grows when you stubbornly keep looking out the window.

you huff quietly.

“i’m not sulking,” you insist, though the small pout on your face says otherwise.

heeseung glances over at you briefly again before looking back at the road, amusement still lingering on his face. his thumb presses lightly into your thigh again.

“you’re cute when you’re grumpy.”

you huff quietly at that, your eyes still fixed stubbornly on the passing buildings outside the window.

“i’m not grumpy.”

heeseung hums softly. he doesn’t believe you for a second, a smirk still present on his face.

“yeah? sure you’re not, baby.”

the rest of the drive passes in a comfortable quiet, the low music from the speakers filling the space between you.

outside, the streets slowly start to look more familiar. stores give way to quieter roads, streetlights flickering on as the evening settles in.

the golden sunlight from earlier has softened now, fading into the pale blue of approaching dusk.

heeseung turns onto your street without much thought, one hand resting loosely on the steering wheel.

a moment later, the car slows, rolling gently into the driveway. the tires crunch softly against the gravel before the car comes to a stop.

the engine hums for a second longer before heeseung moves his hand from your thigh to put the car in park. he then reaches forward to switch it off, sitting back and lifting his sunglasses onto his head.

suddenly, the quiet feels deeper.

neither of you moves for a moment.

then heeseung exhales and reaches for the door handle.

“come on,” he says, voice soft.

you follow him out of the car, the cool evening air brushing lightly against your skin. gravel crunches under your shoes as the two of you walk up the short path to the front door.

he unlocks the door, the faint clink of metal breaking the quiet. he pushes it open and glances back at you, a trace of that amused look still in his eyes, before stepping aside and gesturing for you to go in first.

you walk past him into the house, the soft sound of your footsteps echoing faintly in the quiet space. a second later, the door shuts behind you with a soft click.

when you turn back toward him, there’s a small smile on your lips, soft, almost innocent — but something playful lingers in your eyes.

heeseung lets out a quiet breath when he sees that smile, like he suddenly understands exactly what you’re doing. the corner of his mouth lifts into a smirk.

he takes a few slow steps toward you, his hand settling on your waist as he guides you back until your back meets the nearest wall. his gaze drifts over your face.

you glance up at him through your lashes, a small, innocent smile tugging at your lips. your fingers toy lightly with the front of his t-shirt.

“it’s not my fault i was staring… you just look so good in those sunglasses...”

heeseung leans in, one hand braced lightly against the wall beside your head, keeping you pinned. his hand on your waist slides down slightly before moving up under your top, his fingertips grazing the soft warmth of your skin.

“oh, so now you admit you were staring?” he teases, eyes darkening with amusement as he watches your reaction.

you shrug, pretending innocence, though your eyes sparkle. “what? i was just… appreciating how good my boyfriend looks.” you glance up at his sunglasses.

his gaze flicks over your face, dark amusement in his eyes.

“my sunglasses are that distracting, huh?” he teases, the corner of his mouth tugging into a knowing grin.

you tilt your head slightly, pretending to think, lips tugging into a small, playful smile. your hands move from his chest to around his neck as you glance up at him.

“maybe… but can you really blame me? you look so hot in them...” you murmur, letting your voice drop just a little, teasing him without breaking the act.

heeseung’s smirk turns into a confident, cocky grin. he looks down at your lips for a moment before meeting your eyes again.

he leans in without hesitation, capturing your lips in a slow kiss that makes your chest tighten. when he pulls back slightly, his hand stays at your waist, thumb brushing lightly over your skin, his sunglasses now sitting crookedly on top of his head.

he speaks again, voice low, rough with desire and just a hint of command.

“let's go upstairs, princess...”

dividers by pixopix

copyright © 2026 eunajae. | DO NOT copy, edit, translate or reupload any of my work without my permission.

riki was standing by the front door of the dorm, leaning against the wall as he waited for you to finish getting ready. one hand was shoved into his pocket while the other lazily scrolled through his phone.

upstairs, you finished the last few touch-ups on your hair before grabbing your bag and heading out of his room.

riki heard your soft footsteps and glanced up the stairs just as you finally appeared.

the moment he saw you, he noticed.

you were wearing his favourite hoodie.

the way it hung off one of your shoulders, the sleeves so long they bunched around your wrists, the hem brushing the tops of your thighs.

he stared for a moment.

you didn’t notice at first, too busy adjusting the strap of your bag and slipping on your shoes. when you finally looked up, though, you caught him staring. a small, amused smirk rested on his lips as he watched you.

your brows pulled together slightly.

“why are you looking at me like that...?”

riki’s smirk turned into a smile, his eyes soft with amusement. he pushed himself off the wall, tilting his head as he looked you over again.

“that’s my hoodie,” he said casually, nodding toward you.

“i know,” you replied, glancing down at it for a moment. “i left mine at my place and yours was just there. i’ll give it back later—”

“don’t.”

you blinked. “don’t?”

“don’t give it back,” he said, walking closer to you. “it looks better on you anyway.”

your cheeks warmed at his words. “you’re just saying that...” you muttered.

“i’m not,” he said immediately. there wasn’t even a second of doubt in his voice. “it’s cute.”

he reached out and gently pulled one side of the hoodie back up your shoulder where it had started to slip. his fingers brushed lightly against the fabric as he adjusted it, making sure it sat comfortably again.

“there,” he murmured softly.

his hand lingered for a second longer than necessary before he pulled it back, his gaze still resting on you with that same small smile.

“i love when you wear my stuff...” he admitted, his words softer than before.

“why...?” you asked quietly.

his gaze drifted down the length of the hoodie on you. “because you look so good in it...”

your cheeks warmed immediately.

you opened your mouth, but before you could respond, his hands moved to your waist, settling there naturally. his fingers curved gently around your sides as he pulled you against him.

your hands instinctively came up, resting against his chest.

“and...” he continued, his voice dropping just a little lower.

his grip on your waist tightened slightly, not rough — just firm enough to keep you right where you were. a slow smirk spread across his face, his eyes flicking down to the hoodie again before returning to yours.

“...everyone will know you’re mine.”

dividers by pixopix

copyright © 2026 eunajae. | DO NOT copy, edit, translate or reupload any of my work without my permission.