L

He simply nodded before tapping the pencil on the sheet. “Use the power rule here.” He said as he drew an arrow on your sheet. “You're taking the derivative, not the integral.” He scribbled his words down beside the arrow, marking it with a little star on top. For the rest of the class, he explained your concepts better than the teacher. 

After that day, you sat next to him during math and physics. And he seemed to not mind at all. 

You tapped his shoulder, “Seonghyeon, what do I do now?” 

He glanced at your sheet, “take the horizontal and vertical components separately, it’s easier.” Amidst solving, you realised you never asked him if it's ok for you to sit beside him. “Seonghyeon?”

“Hm?”

“Is it okay if I sit beside you?” 

He chuckled, “You always sit beside me, why ask now?” 

You glanced at him before looking back down at your notebook. “In case you sat with someone else.” 

“Nah, I don’t have many friends.” 

You scoffed, “Seriously?”

He tilted his head, glancing at you for a second, “Not as many as you think.” 

“You say hi to like 50 people everyday.”

“Just because I’m friendly with them doesn’t mean I'm close to them.”

For someone so smart, he was incredibly dense and utterly oblivious to the fact that you liked him. He never noticed how you saved a seat for him. Never noticed the extra pen you carried for him because he always threw his pens into his bag—always struggling to pick it up from the bottom of his book-filled bag.  Maybe he noticed, maybe he just thought you were being nice. Either way, it was starting to drive you insane.

So you did what any perfectly rational person would do.

You made a list. A list to make this nerd, your nerd.

It wasn’t supposed to be serious. Just something stupid you’d tell your friend every night. 

You: Seonghyeon really likes hot vanilla latte. So cute right?

Iroha: Girl it’s a vanilla latte, the fuck are you on?

And slowly, the list grew. Grew into something that looked like this:

1) Asking him to explain something, not because you don’t know. But because of the way he lights up.

Seonghyeon was a nerd. That much had already been established. Apart from patiently walking you through calculus and physics every other day, you'd noticed something else while walking to the cafeteria together. You randomly asked, “Why does plastic turn white when bent?” 

He stopped walking. Like actually stopped walking. You turned around only to find him staring at you with a big smile on his face. You couldn't help but smile back. Your eyebrows furrowed, “What?”

“I’m glad you asked.” 

For the remaining 20 minutes of recess, you were being schooled on polymers and how light reflects differently on different types of polymers.

2) Have his favourite acai toppings memorised.

Seonghyeon insited that toppings on acai didn't matter.

 “They all taste the same”

They didn't.

Because every single time his bowl came with blueberries, strawberries and banana, there'd be the tiniest smile on his face before he took the first bite. So it became routine for you to stop by the nearest cafe. Always grabbing him an acai bowl without being told to do so. 

3) Always tell him how helpful the little notes he scribbles on your notebook.

Seonghyeon has a habit of noting down stuff besides problems he doesn't get or messes up. He has a system. When it’s something trivial—a common mistake like the humble ‘z’ turning into a 2 mid-equation. It got starred once. 

★ watch your handwriting. Don’t rush

The number of stars increased as the mistake revolved around something he didn’t understand. The maximum being 3. Two stars for when it was a concept he didn’t grasp initially and 3 for something he needed to go through all over again. 

So whenever something he taught you was on the exam. Majorly the whole exam. You’d run up to him, jumping excitedly as you said, “Your little notes helped!” 

Sometimes during classes he’d lean over to see what you’re doing and smile despite himself whenever he saw you follow his system. And with how much he helps you, you gave him a nickname. Calling him professor whenever you need his help.

4) Text him something stupid and let him overthink it.

Seonghyeon may be the most outgoing, loud and friendly person you have ever met. But when friendships carry more than saying-hi-in-the-corridor value to him, he overthinks all of his actions. 

Once around 3 a.m you texted him, would u still send me notes if i was a worm?

You were left on seen for 20 minutes. Not because he ignored you, but because he drafted 5 messages before finally sending you one which was still, insanely unhinged. 

Another time, you asked him if fishes ever get thirsty

Not only did he reply 20 minutes later, he also called you up immediately after. You spent the whole night listening to him research about this. It’s safe to say, if anyone ever asks him this again—they’ll receive his infamous nerd-out sessions.

5) Compliment him, not his looks.

Seonghyeon’s gorgeous, no surprise there. Walking around campus with him meant girls turning their heads in attempts to seek just one more glance at him. Needless to say, he too knew he was handsome. He was told so multiple times daily. By a random woman on the bus, by his friends, even teachers. 

So why would you compliment his features like everyone else? 

Instead, you complimented the way he thought. 

You watched as he solved a sum for you. He scooted his chair closer, leaning in as he went on and on about various ways to go about this sum. Frankly, you weren’t listening. You rested your head on the table, spacing out staring at him. 

‘You could always evaluate the limit first. Oh! You can also–” his eyes landed on you. You were staring up at him. Your eyes never leaving his face. Heat crept to his neck, his ears visibly red. “What?” 

You hummed, slowly sitting straight. “How do you think like this?” 

He blinked, “What do you mean?” 

“You seem to solve complex questions so easily. It’s crazy how you think this way you know.” 

Watching him go quiet and be all flustered in a way he never is was something you could never get tired of.

6) Taking care of him when he forgets to.

Exam season always hit him too hard. He had a title to carry. People always expected Seonghyeons name to be on top of the grade listings. During exam season, he’d always sleep less, eat less and stress a lot more than he should. 

You’d watch him spend 12 hours straight in the library. No breaks. Not even to drink water. So, you always stopped by with takeout. Sitting beside him as you sweeped his notebooks and ipad to the side. Slamming the bag of food on the table. 

“Eat.”

“But I haven’t—”

“Eat.” 

You never gave him an option. 

7) Always steal his jackets in the winter.

You always ‘forgot’ to carry something to throw on in the winter. The cool breeze hits you and Seonghyeon the second you both step out the campus. Involuntarily, both your hands start rubbing your arms, trying to warm yourself up. Seonghyeon’s gaze lingers on you for a while, before he takes a layer off. 

He wraps his jacket around you, “Here.”

“Hyeon, you don’t have to it’s okay.” You say, taking the jacket off of your back. You extend your hand forward, ‘You’ll get cold.” 

He simply pushes your hand back as he starts walking. “I have a sweater on, all you’re wearing is a tank top.” You run, catching up to him. “What kind of idiot wears a tank top in the winters?” 

You whine, “The library has heaters!” 

Before giving him his jacket back, you made sure to spray an excessive amount of your perfume on it. Just enough that anyone standing a little too close would wonder why Eom Seonghyeon smelled like a girl instead of laundry detergent. And when he threw his jacket on while roaming with his friends. He was bombarded with questions. 

“Why do you smell like a girl?” Juhoon asked. 

James leaned in closer to Seonghyeon, sniffing the jacket thoroughly. “You smell like Yn.”

To which Seonghyeon didn’t respond, but his flushed face said it all. 

8) Let him talk about his family and actually listen.

Seonghyeon was an older brother. Which explained why he acted more like a second parent than a sibling half the time. He worried too much, overthought everything and somehow always found himself asking you what to do whenever it involved his younger sister. "I don't know what to tell her," he'd sighed one afternoon, resting his chin in his palm. "That guy's not serious about her."

You looked up from your notes. "Make a pros and cons list with her."

He blinked. "...A pros and cons list?"

"You like lists."

A laugh escaped him. "Fair enough."

About a week later, he walked into class looking noticeably lighter. You barely got the chance to say good morning before asking, "Something good happen?"

"My sister finally broke up with him."

"Oh." You smiled to yourself before returning to your notes. "I'm glad."

He ended up talking about it for the rest of lunch. A month later, the two of you were studying in the library when you looked up from your laptop. "Have you figured out what you're getting your parents for their anniversary?"

His pencil stopped moving. "...You remembered that?"

You frowned. "You told me."

"I know, but..." He scratched the back of his neck, suddenly avoiding your gaze. "You actually remembered."

You only smiled before pushing your physics worksheet towards him. "So, are you going to help me with this question or not?"

He let out a quiet laugh, still smiling to himself as he reached for your pencil.

9) Let him see you sad.

Not because you want comfort, but because you want him to know that it’s okay for him to be vulnerable around you too. You'd spent months watching him carry everyone else's worries on his shoulders. His sister's problems, exam stress, group projects, friends asking him for help every five minutes. Yet somehow, whenever you asked him how he was doing, his answer was always the same. "I'm okay."

You wondered if anyone had ever shown him that he didn't always have to be.

The chemistry exam had gone horribly. Not just badly, horribly.

By the time you got to the library, you'd already convinced yourself you'd failed. Your calculus worksheet sat open in front of you, but you'd been staring at the same question for nearly ten minutes, pencil unmoving. "You've been on that derivative for a while."

You looked up. Seonghyeon stood beside your chair, backpack slung over one shoulder. "I'm just... kinda sad about the chemistry exam." You smiled, but it didn’t quite reach your eyes. "Nothing else."

He studied your face for a second before nodding. "Wait here."

"Huh?"

He was already gone. A few minutes later, he came back carrying your favourite chocolate and quietly placed it on top of your notebook. "You forgot to eat."

You blinked. "...Chocolate?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I figured it'd help."

Your fingers curled around it. "You didn't have to."

"Don't worry about the chemistry test." He smiled, the same reassuring smile he'd worn the first day he'd taught you the power rule. "You're smart. It's one exam."

Before you could answer, he reached over and gently patted your head. Your heart practically stopped. "You really didn't have to do all this."

"I wanted to." He shrugged like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You always look after me." His smile softened. "Let me return the favour."

For someone who spent so much time taking care of everyone else...It was nice to know someone wanted to take care of him, too.

10) Make the first move cus u a girlboss.

Because he won't, not because he doesn't want to. He's just spent so long convincing himself he was imagining it that he'd rather die than risk getting it wrong. It was almost two in the morning by the time the two of you finally gave up. The calculus question you'd spent nearly forty minutes arguing over turned out to be wrong in the answer key. "You've got to be kidding me."

"I refuse to believe I lost sleep over a typo."

It was only fair the two of you walked across the street to the convenience store. Energy drinks for him. Chocolate milk for you. Maybe something sweet to make up for how tired you both were. Halfway through paying, rain hammered against the windows. By the time you stepped outside, it had turned into a downpour. "...Fuck." You looked over. "I don't have an umbrella."

You lifted your drink. "Me neither."

Neither of you moved. The tiny awning barely covered the entrance, rain splashing onto your shoes every time the wind picked up. Cars drove past, headlights reflecting off the wet pavement. You tilted your head back. "The moon's pretty tonight."

Seonghyeon followed your gaze before laughing quietly. "You can only see part of it because the sunlight's hitting—"

You stopped listening. For the first time since you'd met him, you stopped listening. Instead, you watched the way his eyes lit up whenever he explained something. The way his hands moved without him realizing. The tiny crease between his brows whenever he was trying to find the right words.

Cute.

God.

He was so unbelievably cute.

Before your brain could catch up, your hand had already reached for the front of his jacket. He blinked, sentence dying halfway through. "Hm?"

You stepped closer. Close enough to see the few raindrops that got caught in his hair because of the air blowing the drops. Close enough that his breathing faltered.

"Seonghyeon."

"...Yeah?"

You looked up at him. "Can I kiss you?"

His ears turned pink, he didn't say anything for a while. He just stared. And then, a tiny nod.

You smiled. "Use your words."

"...Yes."

You rose onto your tiptoes, one hand still clutching the front of his jacket, and kissed him. His hand caressed your cheek. The kiss was slow and gentle, the type of kiss that blurred out the sounds of everything happening in a distance. 

When you pulled away, Seonghyeon hadn't moved an inch. He simply stood there, eyes wide, face completely red. You couldn't help laughing. "Got nothing to say?"

He blinked, then covered his face with one hand. "Hold on. I can't think."

"five-minute break!"

right after the choreographer's annoucement, martin, seonghyeon and keonho threw themselves on the floor while juhoon went to grab some water.

and james… well, he went over to you, of course. you were sitting in the corner of the practice room floor, scrolling on your phone. "hi, baby" he crouches down in front of you, before putting a strand of hair behind your ear and kissing your forehead.

"hi" you smiled and handled him his water bottle.

he drinks the water and sets the bottle aside. when he looks up again, he sees you with both arms opened. "what do you want?"

you put your arms down. "now i want to slap you" then up again. "i want a hug, you idiot"

"i'm sweating, baby, i don't want you to smell bad" he caresses your hair, while you roll your eyes, obviously mad.

"why so rude…" james sighed and gave in. "okay, come here" he put his arms around your waist and immediately had yours around his neck. he swore he could feel you smiling.

they stayed like that for a while, just enjoying the time together in each other's embrace, until he felt something dripping on his shoulder. he thought the roof was leaking, but he ignored it. then you started to shift so much in his embrace, so he pulled away from the hug to look at you, who were fast to look down at your lap.

"y/n, are you crying?" he tries to lift your head up. "look at me" when you raise your head, he sees your teary eyes and decided to sit properly on the floor, holding both of your hands, worry instantly consuming him. "what's wrong?".

you started to laugh while crying, only to receive a confused look from james, but still listening carefully "i love you so much, james. like, you're the most important person in my life… i don't know what i'd have done if i hadn't met you. i'm so glad i have you with me". you cover your face in embarassment

james just smiles as if he were really touched — which is real, because he knows you aren't the type to say your feelings out loud — and pulls your hands down, before pulling closer to his body again "oh, love… is that why you're crying?" he feels you nodding and lets a laugh out, rubbing your back. "why that so suddently?"

"i don't know, i think i'm just kinda emotional these days…"

"is it that time of the month already?" he quickly glanced at his applewatch. 16th. "i see it now". he takes your hand in his, bringing it to his lips to plant a kiss on it. "fine, i accept your love speech, i guess."

"you don't have to accept it you have, actually, to put it in your veins."

he narrows his eyes "i'll think about it".

–

"time's up, guys, come on!" the choreographer warn.

"i guess you have to go back now, jjamie" you smiled again.

"yeah, unfortunately. it shouldn't take much longer, an hour at most, then we can go to my dorm, okay?" you just nod.

the boy gets up and kisses your cheek "i love you too, by the way, cutie"

"you two are gross" you look up to see martin standing next to james with an expression of disgust.

"at least they don't order kebab when we go out together" a familiar voice teases from the other side of the room. keonho.

"YAH! why don't you guys- nevermind" martin muttered, accepting his fate.

"five-minute break!"

right after the choreographer's annoucement, martin, seonghyeon and keonho threw themselves on the floor while juhoon went to grab some water.

and james… well, he went over to you, of course. you were sitting in the corner of the practice room floor, scrolling on your phone. "hi, baby" he crouches down in front of you, before putting a strand of hair behind your ear and kissing your forehead.

"hi" you smiled and handled him his water bottle.

he drinks the water and sets the bottle aside. when he looks up again, he sees you with both arms opened. "what do you want?"

you put your arms down. "now i want to slap you" then up again. "i want a hug, you idiot"

"i'm sweating, baby, i don't want you to smell bad" he caresses your hair, while you roll your eyes, obviously mad.

"why so rude…" james sighed and gave in. "okay, come here" he put his arms around your waist and immediately had yours around his neck. he swore he could feel you smiling.

they stayed like that for a while, just enjoying the time together in each other's embrace, until he felt something dripping on his shoulder. he thought the roof was leaking, but he ignored it. then you started to shift so much in his embrace, so he pulled away from the hug to look at you, who were fast to look down at your lap.

"y/n, are you crying?" he tries to lift your head up. "look at me" when you raise your head, he sees your teary eyes and decided to sit properly on the floor, holding both of your hands, worry instantly consuming him. "what's wrong?".

you started to laugh while crying, only to receive a confused look from james, but still listening carefully "i love you so much, james. like, you're the most important person in my life… i don't know what i'd have done if i hadn't met you. i'm so glad i have you with me". you cover your face in embarassment

james just smiles as if he were really touched — which is real, because he knows you aren't the type to say your feelings out loud — and pulls your hands down, before pulling closer to his body again "oh, love… is that why you're crying?" he feels you nodding and lets a laugh out, rubbing your back. "why that so suddently?"

"i don't know, i think i'm just kinda emotional these days…"

"is it that time of the month already?" he quickly glanced at his applewatch. 16th. "i see it now". he takes your hand in his, bringing it to his lips to plant a kiss on it. "fine, i accept your love speech, i guess."

"you don't have to accept it you have, actually, to put it in your veins."

he narrows his eyes "i'll think about it".

–

"time's up, guys, come on!" the choreographer warn.

"i guess you have to go back now, jjamie" you smiled again.

"yeah, unfortunately. it shouldn't take much longer, an hour at most, then we can go to my dorm, okay?" you just nod.

the boy gets up and kisses your cheek "i love you too, by the way, cutie"

"you two are gross" you look up to see martin standing next to james with an expression of disgust.

"at least they don't order kebab when we go out together" a familiar voice teases from the other side of the room. keonho.

"YAH! why don't you guys- nevermind" martin muttered, accepting his fate.

ABOUT OTHER STORIES:

I might write other stories in the future, and I also accept ideas.

I'll be writing for these fandoms:

Stray Kids

Enhypen

Itzy

Cortis

¡WARNINGS!

I won't write NSFW for any of these, SPECIALLY Cortis.

I rarely write "x reader"

I prefer writing female characters, but I am open to writing male and non binary characters.

I won't writing anything that suggests hate to any fandom/idol

That's it! I'll be waiting for any messages!