𝐫𝐲𝐮 𝐣𝐢𝐰𝐨𝐧.

“oh what? really? who is it? do i know them?” his reply was unexpected to say the very least. of course she was happy that one of her closest friends apparently had someone he liked in a romantic way, but she knew not knowing who said person was would drive her near crazy. “i don’t know, i’m not really one who goes on dates frequently. you know i’m bad at relationships.” bad was an understatement. “i mean a simple question would suffice, i guess. like– ‘hey sooji, i really like you, you’re so pretty and nice. can i take you out sometime?’” the brunette cooed, chuckling right after.

“moonie liked it so i don’t think it’s that bad. you tell me though. maybe he was just being nice to preserve my feelings.” it wouldn’t have been the first time if that was the case– barely any of her friends would be willing to tell her something that would hurt her in any way. it was a blessing and a curse at the same time. “what do you think~?” sue sang as she presented the drawing she had made. “if you’re nice enough i’ll do one of you too.”

there’s a certain shyness — and startledness — to his features when sue begins to bombard him with questions, and it bleeds forth in the shape of a small smile. “ i’ll tell you who, soon, ” he says, patting her hands with a promise. and then, because sue looks cute when she’s dying to know something, he adds, “ but you know her. ”

“What?” Saeun laughed and looked at him. Ruri was just too nice sometimes, perhaps too trusting, and went around trying to help others, and wen others helped her, she felt like she had to repay them somehow. Saeun knew that because she lived with her for years, because she had done the same with her. “I’ll tell her, but you won’t listen to me. You see, she’ll just try to repay you until she does, so many you should tell her that she has or accept whatever that she’s trying to give you.” That was really the only way to deal with that.

“Stop!” A nervous little laugh escaped her as she tried to hide her embarrassment, pretending to be really interested in looking around the aisle. “Slower, I think. I would have probably ended up in SNC, which isn’t such a bad thought. Or maybe I would have made such a fool of myself in front of him that sending me back to the dungeons would have been the only way to go, I don’t know.” She liked being part of Summit, she loved Iota, even if sometimes she wondered a bit. “I wish he had debuted, an album or two. Life has been unfair.”

“ i’m just — such a bad actor. and, just, bad at reactions at general. ” it’s his weakest point in variety, and what had led his acting instructor at atlas to kindly recommend that he redirect his time elsewhere two years ago. “ so even when i do — accept her gifts, i don’t think i really sell the fact that i’m grateful about it ? and she can pick up on it. ” not that he doesn’t appreciate the gestures, but ... what is he supposed to do with all the pokémon plushies ?

the door to the restaurant swings open, and jiwon exits, meeting eyes with yujin who was waiting on the sidewalk. “ so, it seems like --- the wait is around fifty minutes ? ” he takes the few steps down to meet her on the street. “ if you’re hungry, maybe we could find somewhere else to eat; otherwise, i can put my name down and we can wander and look at some shops while we wait. ”

She knew that many people around seemed like find their CEO attractive, but Dahye wasn’t one of them. She had a lot of respect for him, she would always be grateful for everything he had done for her, but that was pretty much it. Laughter bubbled up from her throat, a little bit too amused at the idea of people really going as far just to see him, when everyone knew that Choi Kiwoong didn’t really audition people himself, but it was funny to think that people outside the company thought so. “He would have been better than Kim Dongchul, you know that.” Facts only, really.

“And you will.” Jiwon was an important person in her life, a very close friend, she didn’t like the idea of them not talking after his debut. She knew it wouldn’t be the same, that perhaps they wouldn’t be able to be seen together in the way they did now, but she didn’t mind them meeting in her apartment or going to his dorms if that was needed. She listened to him, careful choosing to kept quiet as he spoke. It was something she could relate to, for many reasons she didn’t want to think about it. She had let go of many things and people in her life, relationships had changed and beautiful things had been lost so she could be where she was now. It wasn’t healthy, sometimes it wasn’t even worth it, it just was. “You will never lose me, you know that. I will follow you anywhere so you spend time with me.” It was mostly a joke, but she would for sure text and call him so they could at least stay in contact. She reached for his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Don’t make promises then, just take one day at a time.”

She gave him one last squeeze before letting go. “I’m here for you. If you need someone to talk, I’m your person. You’re my person.” Things between them hadn’t ended up badly, which had given then the chance to remain friends, and she still felt like she could trust him with anything and everything just like when they were dating. “We all go through moments when we rethink everything we have done, and you with your debut so close, it’s just expected.” His words made her smile, although she knew that wasn’t true, she still appreciate it. “The same as always. I’m working on a comeback, which is exciting because it’s been a while since the last one, and I’m hoping it goes well. I also… Well, I wrote a song and we’re releasing it, I still don’t know when, but I’m very happy about it.”

“ i don’t know ... my aunt is a pretty big kim dongchul fan. a few years back, she called me out of nowhere asking if i was in summit media, and i think i broke her heart when i told her that i was in atlas. ” he laughs. “ and then i asked a friend in summit media to get his autograph on my behalf as a birthday gift for her, and i think it made her day ... i think the friend is still convinced that i wanted the autograph for myself, though. ”

jiwon pauses for a moment. “ and i’m only keeping you around because you wouldn’t let me see anju otherwise, ” he says, as if he’s admitting a dark secret. but despite his airy words, his face cracks open with an expression that’s slow like honey, sugar-sweet, and he gives her hand a squeeze to convey his gratitude. after a paused beat like this, he straightens in his chair and draws his hand back when he sees the server finally approach to take their order. after he sees that she’s out of earshot, he continues, “ i’ll try to text you enough that you wish you never said that. ”

@official4am ⬤ did you guys enjoy the teaser ? 🐣 #seeyoutomorrow #🦎

posted 2h ago

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“Yeah, if I got adopted, I’d go by my birth name, since Ryu Ben sounds like a sandwich in english,” he chuckled. He then wiggled his eyebrows at the question. “Oh, Sue, huh?” he teased, picking up the chopsticks on the table. “Alright, for the sake of your love life, I’ll risk my tastebuds to try your cooking.” He clicked the sticks together with a laugh at his own joke, already feeling his stomach growl from the thought of having something a bit more substantial.

He rolled his eyes in agreement. “Yeah, it’s a little silly, but the assignment is to either rewrite lyrics or to make our own choreography of a spring concept song from the company. They’re trying to get us looking at potential careers outside of being an idol. You can guess which one I decided to do.” Both of them know songwriting wasn’t Ben’s forte, mainly because he was always so paranoid about losing the meaning in translation when he wrote in Korean.

“ does it ? " jiwon asks with a laugh. “ can’t say i’ve tried it before; is it any good ? " he balances the tupperware he packed his lunch in on one knee as he pulls out his phone too look it up. after a few moments, he pulls up the wikipedia article on it and then glances over at ben too see how far he is in eating the first riceball. “ this one on is a different flavor. can you try this one too ? ” he asks, pretending to be preoccupied with thumbing through the online article’s contents and not scheming to get ben to eat more of his lunch like he actually is.

sue had to laugh at his comment. “well, is there anyone you’re interested in? it might just work. that line would certainly work on me if the person saying it would be attractive enough. and you are handsome, so you should just give it a shot next time. just remember to thank me in a formal letter if it works and you finally get laid.” 

“it would.” she nodded at his words as she slowly finished her last slice of pizza, patiently listening to the rest of his words. “i thought you would know that i am painfully boring by now. i don’t have any hobbies besides my work. i mean i do like to paint from time to time but that gets boring really fast too. plus, you have to be in the creative mood to properly enjoy it to the full extent. i drew moonie a portrait for his birthday this year though, would you like to see it?”

“ hm, we can say that. ” one edge of his mouth lifts up. there is something telling in the easy-blink way he says this, in the way that his gaze drifts off momentarily before falling back on her. “ not really interested in a one night stand with her though. but i am flattered that you care so much. how would you want someone to ask you out ? like out on a date, out. ”

“It’s a good idea. I know people think this is just for kids, but you never know when extra vitamins are needed.” They were about to debut and perhaps they wouldn’t even have enough time to eat and rest, so taking those gummies could be a good thing. She nodded at his words. It was sweet when she heard happy stories about her friends’ childhoods, how fondly they talked about it. Saeun didn’t have any of those, and eating these gummies? It would have been a luxury her mother couldn’t afford. She did it now because it was her responsibility to make sure her girls were healthy, and sometimes she did because she could. “They’re delicious. Ruri tends to eat all of them on the same day, and I tell her that she shouldn’t, so I mostly give her one every day, or when we see each other.”

Oh. At the mention of Choi Kiwoong, Saeun tried her best to pretend she wasn’t that interested, when in reality everyone knew that she really liked him. It was a silly crush, nothing to be taken seriously, but she couldn’t help it. “That sounds like an interesting experience. I accept that it would have been the same for me, or I would have lost it, but that’s a bit embarrassing, isn’t it?” She blushed a little, walking out of the aisle just to do something. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him really that close. it’s sad. Maybe I should have been sent to Atlas instead.” Green curry sounded delicious, actually, and she hadn’t made in a while. But she didn’t have anyone to eat with now that everyone was so busy. “I’m sure it will be a lot of fun, I just hope we can behave long enough to film all of it without any extra time.”

with the reassurance from saeun, he nods and places the vitamin bottle with his hair products on the counter, leaving a bit of space between his items and saeun’s. “ oh — speaking of ruri. would you tell her that she doesn’t owe me anything ? i did her a favor once and she keeps trying to repay me. ” he runs his fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. “ she doesn’t seem to believe me when i tell her, so maybe she’d listen to you. ”

A smarter man would have noticed the body language coming from the other. The less obvious straightening of his features, and the fact his body visibly became more stiff with his presence. Unfortunately, Hyunsik wasn’t the most observant when it came to other’s feelings being shown with their actions, rather than their words. Something that has lead him into trouble more often than once in the past.

“Breaks are well needed sometimes, don’t you think?” The older of the two tried to offer, smile not wavering once as he spoke. There were some trainees and idols alike that felt they should work through their breaks, that if they hadn’t earned it then they didn’t deserve it. It was nice to see someone taking advantage of the down time. “Oh you know, busy. Working hard for our comeback soon, it’s been fun.” It hadn’t.

ironically enough, the moment jiwon first realized how much he unapologetically just did not like hyunsik was one of the events that made him realize how much his time in atlas records had changed him. before, it wouldn’t have mattered how he felt about the other man — if he was a senior artist, he wouldn’t have allowed himself to spare him any thought that even bordered on being negative. 

but now, he presses down his irritation.