The apartment was a mess of chaos, and cardboard—half-open boxes spilled their contents across the hardwood floor like forgotten memories, and towers of taped ones leans precariously against the walls. In the center of it all, a woman knelt with her head buried inside one of the many boxes, her hair falling over her shoulder in strands as she dug furiously through its contents.

“Where is the freaking other piece?” she muttered, her voice edged with irritation.

From the corner of her eye, she spotted the elusive furniture part lying innocently a few feet away, as if mocking her. She shot it a glare like it had personally betrayed her, then turned her focus back to the mess in front of her, refusing to admit defeat.

From another room filled with neatly stacked boxes labeled in a much more organized manner—his boxes—her boyfriend appeared, stretching slightly as he stepped out into the cluttered hallway. He glanced at her with mild amusement.

“What are you looking for now?” he asked, watching her dig like a determined archaeologist searching for a priceless relic.

She let out a triumphant noise and rose from the box, holding up a curved piece of wood like a trophy. “This. The other part to this cursed thing.” Her tone was both victorious and utterly fed up.

Jongseong walked toward her slowly, navigating around boxes with the grace of someone who hadn’t already almost tripped five times. “You’ve been at it all morning. Maybe it’s time for a break?”

“But the other piece—”

“Don’t worry about it,” he said gently, cutting her off before she could spiral.

“We still have so much to do,” she shot back, the volume of her voice rising just a notch. “The living room’s barely touched. The bathroom’s a disaster. And the bedroom—don’t even get me started.”

“Hana.” His voice came from the other room now, calm and unbothered. “Take a deep breath. It’s not going anywhere.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, that’s the problem. Nothing is going anywhere if we don’t unpack!”

Frustrated, Hana stormed toward another corner of the room, stepping over stray bits of hardware and almost stumbling twice. Her movements were sharp, her patience running dangerously low. “There are pieces everywhere!” she snapped, flinging open another box with little care.

Jongseong reappeared behind her. Without saying a word, he reached out and placed both hands gently on her shoulders, grounding her.

“Hey.” His voice was soft, patient. “My love, Hana—breathe with me, okay?”

She stood still for a moment, letting his calm presence anchor her. Then, finally, she inhaled deeply.

“There you go.” He smiled as her shoulders slowly dropped from their tensed state. “Why don’t you take a second and put your clothes away in the closet? I’ll finish up in the office and then help you out here. Deal?”

She opened her mouth to argue. “But—”

His gaze met hers, steady and unrelenting in the most loving way. The look said please without needing to.

She sighed, knowing she’d lost. “Alright,” she muttered in surrender.

“Good.” He pressed a quick kiss to her temple. “We’ll survive the cardboard jungle. Together.”

Hana gently set the wooden piece down on the floor with a frustrated sigh. Without saying a word, she turned and walked into the bedroom, her footsteps heavy from exhaustion. The closet door creaked softly as she opened it, scanning the room for the box labeled with her clothes. 

Once she found it tucked beside the dresser, she pulled it open and began unpacking, carefully organizing her things piece by piece. Folding, hanging, rearranging—she focused on the task until the weight of the day finally caught up to her. Eventually, she decided to call it a night.

The morning sunlight streamed into the bedroom, warm and golden, casting shadows across the sheets. Hana stirred, blinking against the brightness. She turned to the other side of the bed—empty.

He must’ve gone to work already, she thought, rubbing her eyes. He’d only taken the day before and yesterday off to help with the move. Now that things were semi-settled, he was probably back to his usual schedule.

After getting ready, Hana stepped out of the bedroom—and froze. Her eyes widened. There were fewer boxes. Way fewer. Everything was organized. “What the—” she mumbled under her breath.

A familiar voice broke through her shock. “Good morning, Hana.” A smile stretched across Jake’s face as he turned around from where he was crouched near the TV stand. “Jay hyung had a schedule this morning, so he already left. But he made breakfast before heading out.”

She blinked once. Twice. Still processing. “When did you get here?” she finally asked.

Jake stood up, holding a few items in his hands. “Jay hyung called me and some of the guys last night to come help out. Since a few of us don’t have schedules until later today, we figured, why not?” He smiled again. “Sunoo’s in the bathroom, and Jungwon’s helping out in the living room.”

“I see…” Hana muttered, slowly making her way to the kitchen island and sitting down. Her eyes scanned the clean countertops and neatly stacked dishes.

Jake joined her in the kitchen, unpacking the last few boxes. “Jay hyung didn’t want you stressing out,” he explained casually. “He figured you’d done enough yesterday and… well, you kinda scared him a little.”

She winced, guilt flickering across her face. “Right… I might’ve been a little harsh yesterday.”

Jake let out a light laugh. “You were passionate.”

“Is that what we’re calling it now?”

He grinned, not denying it.

After finishing her breakfast, Hana cleaned up her dishes and glanced toward Jake again. “Are you sure you guys don’t need help?”

Jake shook his head. “We’re good. Seriously. If anything, go finish up the closet or just relax for a bit.”

She gave a small nod. “Alright… Thanks, Jake.” And with that, she disappeared back into the bedroom, feeling a strange mix of gratitude and quiet embarrassment.

The rest of the day passed by in a blur of quiet. After bidding goodbye to the members who had come to help, Hana was finally left alone in the now clean and organized apartment. The silence was comforting, but also a little strange—like the calm after a storm.

She stood in the kitchen, gently stirring a small pot on the stove. The dinner she was making was simple—something light, something she could manage. Her appetite hadn’t fully returned. Her mind kept circling back to yesterday. The frustration, the raised voice, the stress that boiled over.

I shouldn't have snapped at him like that, she thought, frowning at the simmering broth.

Suddenly, the familiar sound of the front door passcode beeping echoed through the apartment. The door clicked open, then shut, followed by the soft thud of footsteps approaching. Before she could turn around, a pair of arms wrapped around her from behind.

A warmth pressed gently against her back, and she felt his presence even before he spoke. “Welcome back, love,” she murmured with a faint smile, not needing to look to know it was him.

Jongseong closed his eyes and rested his face against the curve of her neck, holding her close—snug, but never too tight. He let out a content sigh. “It smells good.”

She smiled gently, her heart calming at the sound of his voice. “It’s nothing special. Just something light… I haven’t really been in the mood to eat.”

He loosened the hug and stepped back just enough to turn her gently toward him, his brows knitting together slightly. “Why not?”

She reached over and turned off the stove before meeting his gaze. “I’ve just been thinking… about yesterday. I felt bad. I shouldn’t have raised my voice at you.”

Jongseong’s expression softened. “Love, it’s okay. You were stressed. It was a lot.”

“But still—”

He gently cupped her face, brushing his thumbs against her cheeks. “You’re human, Hana. I know you didn’t mean it. Moving is overwhelming. It’s okay to feel everything all at once.”

She bit her lower lip and wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning her head against his chest. “I just hate that I took it out on you.”

He held her tightly, his voice low and reassuring. “You didn’t take anything out on me. You were overwhelmed, not unkind. There’s a difference.” He paused, pressing a soft kiss against the top of her head. “Don’t carry guilt where there’s only love, okay?”

She nodded quietly. “Okay.” He pulled back just enough to tilt her chin up and leaned in, pressing a kiss to her lips—gentle, lingering, full of warmth that made her shoulders finally relax.

“Now,” he whispered, forehead resting against hers, “let me help you finish dinner. And afterward, we can just sit on the couch and do absolutely nothing.”

She chuckled softly, her heart a little lighter. “That sounds perfect.”

TAGLIST. @senascoooop ,

In the room filled with the smell of alcohol, in the middle of the room was a medium-sized group of university students, and people who had a job or family had already created a circle. Some were slightly drunk, some weren't. In the middle lay an empty soju bottle.

“Let's spin the bottle, but with a twist. It's true or dare, but if you don't want to answer the truth or do the dare. You must play the pocky game with the person on the right. Then we will measure the pocky that is broken. The shorter one is the winner, and the winners will get a prize. The losers will drink two shots of alcohol,” the host of the party suggested. Everyone in the circle nodded in agreement with no hesitation, except a few with hesitation.

“Alrighty, I will go first.” The female leaned forward and spun the bottle. It pointed towards a male. “Truth or dare?” The male, with no hesitation, answered, “Dare.” It took a while to go around the circle. Some answered or did their truth or dare. Some did the pocket challenge. The host took notes of the measurements.

After five rounds of the game, it was now a female once again. Everyone looked at her. “Ahjin, truth or dare?” Asked the person who spun the bottle. Ahjin took a deep breath, fidgeting with her fingers on her lap before looking at the person. “Truth.” She has been telling the truth since the first round and answered them with a hint of hesitation.

Those questions weren't as bad, so she thought this one won't be as bad. But it was with a different person. A stranger who doesn't know her boundaries. She looked at her friend who was sitting in front of her. Her friend gently smiled with a small nod.

“Is your crush in this room?” The person asked with no hesitation. Ahjin gulped as she looked at the person. She was silent. She didn't want to answer the question. “You have five seconds to answer,” the host announced. Glancing at her friend, who gave her a nod.

“Five.”

Ahjin felt her heart pounding against her chest. She opened her mouth slightly, but no words came out. “Four.” Her friend noticed she was almost going to have a panic attack. So her friend went to the host who was sitting close by and whispered something in their ear. The host looked at her before nodding towards her friend. “Ahjin, do you want to play the pocky game? If not, then I will let you drink four shots of regular soju instead.”

The female took a deep breath before answering. “I would do the pocky game since it's fair to do so.” The host nodded, “Alright, here you go.” She passed Ahjin a pocky stick covered with chocolate on one side. “Remember the rules.” She nodded before turning to her right.

Her heart skipped a beat when she saw her crush was sitting to her right. His name was Jungwon. He has been her crush since her second year of junior high. He was the first person besides her friend to talk to her and sat next to her when she was alone. Why didn't she realize it? Maybe because she was focused on the game. Jungwon smiled towards her. “Do you want to do it or should I?”

“I…I can.” Her voice shook a bit.

“Feel free to break the stick whenever you want,” he said. Ahjin nodded as she took a deep breath and put the bread's side end between her teeth. She closed her mouth and lips. She felt Jungwon move closer to her and did the same thing as her. “Start.”

Jungwon moved closer by inches as she did the same. Her heart was pounding against her chest. Her hands were shaking from the nervousness, and her breath was taken away bit by bit. Ahjin's mind was blank like a black canvas. She didn't want to end this, but at the same time, she did.

She knows he will take her first kiss, even if it will be for a second or more. Ahjin leaned a bit closer, bit by bit,, while breaking the stick as she moved. She stopped after moving two inches as she felt a bit dizzy.

“May I?” He whispered with the stick in his mouth. She slowly nodded. Within five seconds and hesitation, she felt something soft against his lips. Her eyes widened, but she didn't dare to open them when she realized what just happened. Her breath was taken away completely. Her mind felt more dizzy than before, and her hands were shaking more than before.

She opened her eyes once she felt nothing on her lips. She was a bit sad that it lasted for four seconds, but it felt like forever. She blinked twice before turning back in front of her. Jungwon stood up to give the host the small piece of the stick.

She shook her head. “It's okay,” she answered. She felt her hands were still shaking. “May I use the bathroom? I held it in too long.” She lied. The host looked up at her. “Oh yes, you can use my bedroom since it's cleaner than the one in the hallway.” Ahjin nodded before getting up. She felt her legs wobbly and almost gave up, but she used the rest of her strength to walk to the host's bedroom.

Jungwon watched her as she walked into the hallway. “Jungwon? Jungwon?” He quickly turned around, facing the host. “Since Ahjin needed to use the bathroom, could you spin the bottle for her?” He nodded with some hesitation.

Once Ahjin entered the bathroom, she leaned against the locked door and slid down onto the floor. Her body and breath were shaking. Taking deep breaths. She closed her eyes, letting the shaking stop slowly on its own.

Touching her lips that were touched by her crush's lips. A smile appeared across her face when suddenly she heard a knock on the door. “Are you okay?” She heard a familiar voice ask on the other side. “Ah, yes, j…just give me a minute.” She quickly got up from the floor when she got the strength to do so and flushed the toilet. Before walking to the sink and washing her hands. She looked at herself in the mirror, fixing her hair before walking out.

“You have been in there for a while. The game has ended now,” he told her, looking at her with concern in his eyes. “Oh, sorry, I had to use the toilet so badly,” she lied. He nodded. “Do you want to go out in the backyard with me?”

Ahjin nodded in reply, “Sure.” They walked together to the backyard away from the party. They walked side by side, almost touching each other's hands. She noticed her friend in the kitchen with a cup in her hands. Her friend looked at her and winked as she walked away. She felt her cheeks getting hot. Taking a deep breath as they walked.

Once they had made it to the backyard, Jungwon walked to the grass area, sort of far away from the house. He sat down, and Ahjin followed. They sat pretty close to each other; their skin was slightly touching with each other.

“Sorry for kissing you,” he said, breaking the silence between them. She looked at the stars. “It's okay…I didn't mind.” Jungwon hummed in response as he looked at her. Her eyes shine brightly as she looks at the night sky. The wind blew, making her hair a bit over the place. “Ah, the wind,” she groaned as she tried to fix her hair.

“Do you need any help?” He asked.

“Sure,” she answered. Closing her eyes as he leaned a bit closer to fix her hair. His hand brushed gently over her head as he fixed her messy hair. “And done.”

“Thank you,” she smiled before turning away. She turned back to the sky. “Anything, Ahjin?” he replied. Once again, the silence settled in between them as they looked at the stars.

“The moon is beautiful, isn't it?”

“Yes, it is….wait, could you repeat that?” She quickly turned towards Jungwon, who was staring at her. He smiled at her. “Back in our first year of junior high. I noticed you were sitting alone during break and lunchtime. I noticed you were struggling when nobody was. I noticed every single moment you had, but kept quiet because I was stupid back then. Until the second year.”

Ahjin felt her mouth dry. She opened her mouth, but didn't say a word. “I took the chance that day to talk to you. Not because I pity you or anything. It's because I want to be your friend or be closer. Two years later, I developed a crush on you, Ahjin.”

She gulped and blinked. Jungwon gently took her hand. “It has been many years since then, and I don't regret knowing you or anything like that. Not even the kiss. I felt quite nervous when we played the Pocky game too. This is probably not an ideal place, but Ahjin, would you want to be my girlfriend?”

Ahjin's eyes widened before quickly nodding, “Yes! Yes! I want to be your girlfriend!” She quickly hugged him. Jungwon felt relieved and hugged her back. She quickly broke the hug, looking him in the eyes. “I also had and still have a crush on you. But you were popular back then, so I didn't feel like I was worthy to be your girlfriend.” He gently grabbed both of her shoulders. “You are worthy. I don't care if I was popular or something back then.”

They stared at each other in the eyes for a minute, but it felt like forever. “May I?” She nodded without breaking eye contact. Jungwon leaned forward and gently kissed her lips again. Ahjin leaned forward, kissing him back. The kiss was softer, lighter, and a bit passionate. Longer than the first kiss that they shared.

Jungwon felt her lips were softer, perfect, and warm like a feather. He didn't notice it before. She was like a fragile feather, but more than just that. He opened his eyes a bit, noticing that Ahjin's eyes were still shut. She was more relaxed than before. He closed his eyes again and leaned more forward, capturing her entire lips as he took her hands into his own.

They didn't want to break the kiss, but both of them were losing their breath. Jungwon broke the kiss but kept holding her hands. He didn't move away; instead, he gently pressed his forehead against hers. They both catch their breaths.

“We are a couple now?” She asked. Her eyes were still closed. He opened his eyes and smiled, “That shouldn't be a question. We are girlfriend and boyfriend now.” She felt relieved and so happy. “This felt like a dream. So surreal.”

“Well, this isn't a dream, Ahjin. This is more than just a silly dream.” He lightly kissed her lips as their foreheads were still connected together. “Yeah…also you took my first kiss.” She remembered all of a sudden. “Really?” She hummed.

“Well, I hope it's nice.”

“It's more than nice.”

“That's good.”

“Also, you are my first boyfriend.”

She opened her eyes, looking at their hands. He moved slightly away from her forehead. She was a bit sad that he did so. Jungwon tilted her chin, making her look at him. “You are so perfect, do you know that?” She shook her head.

“Well, you are the perfect person ever, and I am so honored to be your first boyfriend.”

“Really?”

Jungwon nodded without any hesitation. “Yes, and I am going to show you for now, starting right now.” He leaned forward towards her, capturing her lips for the third time. Gently, softly, and more passionately. Moving more closer to her, taking away most, but all of her breath, like there is no tomorrow in the beautiful night sky of a full moon, shining brightly above them.

TAGLIST. @senascoooop ,

SWEAT WAS PEEKING FROM the forehead to the chin. Dripping in slow motion, he took in a few deep breaths. Jungwon leaned against the cold mirror in the dark practice room. He was alone with only his thoughts and the music.

Staring at the wall in front of him before getting up from the cold floor and walking to the phone that was still recording from the dance he did minutes ago. Ending the recording, he walked to the laptop and paused the music.

Jungwon wiped off some of his sweat as he leaned against the table behind him and pressed play. He carefully watched his performance, making sure his movements were perfect and nothing was messed up.

He couldn't bear the fans' reaction when he messed up any part of the dance. He knew they would be disappointed like he would, too. After he watched the video, he turned around, put the phone on the table, and turned the music back on. Then he redid a few dance moves that he messed up from watching the video.

“Jungwon-ssi?” He quickly turned towards the door as he paused the music. One of the staff walked up to him. “Are you still practicing?” He nodded.

“Alright, take care, and don't stay up too long. You have an early morning schedule tomorrow.” The staff patted his shoulders before leaving the practice room. He bowed toward the staff as they left before turning back on the music. He looked at the time. 10:00 pm, it read. He decided to dance a bit more before changing and going on weverse to talk to his fans since it has been a while.

After practicing, he changed out of his sweaty clothes before heading to one of the rooms to do the live. Once he settled a bit, he turned on wevese. Greeted Engenes with a smile plastered on his lips despite the tiredness from practicing a lot. He talked about a bit of his day and answered some of the comments.

Jungwon noticed a few comments. Most of them were hate comments. He shook the thoughts away and continued talking to the fans before ending the live. Turning off everything, he looked through his phone before turning it off. He leaned against the chair. Closing his eyes before opening them within a couple of seconds, he got up from the chair and exited the room.

Getting a taxi before going back to the dorms. He entered the dorm and saw the two members' doors were closed. Probably sleeping by now. He carefully walked to his own room and before he could shut it. Jake came out of his room. “Did you came back?” He asked Jungwon.

“Yeah,” Jungwon answered.

“Have you eaten yet?”

“Not feeling hungry.”

“You should eat something, Jungwon.”

“It's already late. I already ate a snack.”

Which wasn't a lie. He ate something while talking to engenes. It wasn't a big meal or anything. Just something simple and sort of small. Jake nodded. “Alright, good night.” Jungwon nodded before shutting his door behind him. He dropped his bag on the floor and walked to his bed. Then he slowly fell asleep.

TAGLIST. @senascoooop ,