lua

he glances up at the sky, violet and gold swirling together above you. he wishes he could capture the sight in front of him, show it to you as he sees it, so you could see how the skies matched your smile. bright and beautiful.

"sungho!"

he shivers, the sound of your voice sending chills down his spine. the field is vast, scattered flowers popping up from the ground in small bunches, and you're far - a tiny hand waving to him with a huge smile on your face. he smiles back, stepping forward into the grass and making his way towards you.

as he approaches you, you kneel on the ground, disappearing into the grass. it almost feels comical, watching you pop up a few moments later with a small red flower in your fingers. he comes to a stop just in front of you, and you reach for his hand. "look", you whisper, tugging him closer and tucking the flower into the front pocket of his dress shirt. "doesn't it match your shirt?"

sungho looks down at the small red flower and his dark crimson shirt. "it's the exact same shade."

you smile, and sungho leans forward to kiss your cheek. "you like it?"

"like it? i love it, sungie. how did you even manage to find this place? it's huge. there's no one out here." you look past him at the wide expanse of green dotted with colorful bunches of flowers, the swaying grasses mirrored in your crystal eyes. 

smiling, he turns you around and slips his arms around your waist, resting his chin on your shoulder. "entirely by chance, to be honest. but when i saw this… i knew you’d love it," he whispers into your ear. you shiver against him, and something flutters deep in his chest.

"well, you guessed right. is this even seoul anymore?"

"no, it's not."

you hum, resting your hands on his. "no wonder."

you stand in silence for a moment, swaying in time with the grass and the wind and the clouds. the skies have turned purple, he thinks. just the lightest shade of lilac.

"y/n?"

you lean back, glancing over at him. "yeah?"

he fiddles with the jeweled band on your left ring finger, tilting his head ever so slightly to rest on yours. "i love you."

you laugh softly, turning around in his hold to hug him properly. "why so suddenly?"

sungho shrugs, looking up at the purple sky and the pink clouds. only a sliver of the sun remains, and faint stars have begun to pop out in the darkening sky. "just because."

you exhale, hugging him tighter. "they look like flowers."

"what does?"

"everything. lilac skies, cherry blossom clouds, sunflower stars."

sungho pulls back, a smile tugging at his cheeks. "of course you see flowers everywhere, silly."

you laugh, resting your forehead against his. the world is silent for a moment, one single moment that feels like a lifetime.

no matter. he'd spend all his lifetimes in this world with you if he could.

"sungho?"

he hums, looking into your eyes. "yeah?"

"i love you too."

٠ ࣪⭑ © starriniqhts 2025, all rights reserved.

seokmin stares pointedly at the clock, taking note of the time (which is now growing later and later) as he lounges in bed. his flannel pants are thrown on loosely around his hips, and he's shirtless as he lounges, body on display as he huffs sadly.

"you're pouting again," you tease, brushing seokmin's dark hair from his face as he directs his chocolate-colored eyes to yours.

"i would get an ear infection the day of our first date in almost two months. it's so stupid," seokmin's tone is harsh, and he flips around to lay on his stomach, face disappearing into the mattress as he groans dramatically.

he's huffing and puffing like a child throwing a tantrum, and although he's being funny about it (and causing you to smile about it goofily), you can sense the overwhelming feeling of sadness radiating from him.

he was so excited to take you around the city and have dinner with you; seokmin had picked out where he was going to take you, what the two of you were going to eat, what gifts he would buy for your anniversary...everything was planned out in his mind this morning. now he couldn't do anything because of the ear infection that sprung up on him earlier.

"hey, seok, don't say that." you chastise him softly, and seokmin looks up from his place in the mattress, eyes sad as he sighs.

"what? if i didn't have this stupid problem with my ears, i wouldn't be messing up our plans all the time. it's my fault we can never do anything fun anymore." seokmin trails off, and you shake your head, grabbing seokmin's face in your hands as you stare into his eyes.

"don't say things like that, seok. you don't need to blame your sensitive ears for how things in our relationship go. i love you for who you are and who you are to me, not the fact that your infections sometimes change our plans up a little. who cares if our plans are changed? i want your health to always be my number one priority, okay?" you're cupping seokmin's cheek gently now, pressing a soft yet warm kiss to his lips as you study the warmth blooming in his eyes.

"i love you, seok. we'll get through this together. just rest and recuperate, okay? we'll have our date here." you smile, patting the mattress surrounding your body. seokmin's pressing into you gently now, kissing your bare thigh as he nods.

"okay. thank you, lovie. i needed that. ...sometimes i forget just how much i need you," seokmin's voice is sleepy now, and his eyes are slowly shutting, a faint smile on his face as you laugh softly and continue to run your fingers along seokmin's scalp.

“Not cheesy at all,” you persistently shake your head, tiptoeing and pressing a kiss on his nose. “I'm just so exhausted.”

Seokmin’s eyebrows pinch together in concern, his arms holding you a little closer. You find his instant worry so adorable that another tired sigh leaves you. “No. Don't worry. I'm okay. I’m just tired of you.”

Seokmin genuinely feels like the ground slipped beneath his feet.

His arms loosen a little around you, and a shaky gasp escapes past his pretty lips. “Love, are we okay? I'm sorry. Did I do something—”

You tiptoe again to place a lingering kiss on his lips, successfully shutting him up. When you pull away, Seokmin’s eyes are still wide and full of terror. You giggle. “I'm just tired of how handsome you are, Seok. Can you help with that?”

Seokmin continues to look at you in disbelief before his lips tilt in a charming smile. A subtle pout touches his lips, “You scared me!”

“I intended to,” you answer, dusting a little at his collar. “You look really really handsome today. And I'm mad that everybody gets to see it for free!”

He chuckles, wrapping an arm around your shoulder and walking ahead to sit on the spare bench. There's a little bit of doubt in the way Seokmin smiles at you, though he tries to hide it. You stand in between his legs, stopping him from making you sit with him. Before he can say anything, you furrow your brows. “Spill.”

“Hm?” He looks up at you, confused. You sigh, absentmindedly running your fingers along his shoulders. “I know something is bothering you. What is it?”

He smiles, shaking his head dismissively. Seokmin knows you know him like the back of your hand. He's better off sharing his worries with you than hiding from you.

“I just think I didn't do well today.” He says, his fingers fiddling randomly as he avoids meeting your eyes. “I practiced a lot, you know? But I just got nervous and went off-target.”

You smile almost fondly, holding his face and making him look up at you. “Did you enjoy it though?”

He blinks at you, not expecting the question, but nods nevertheless. “Yeah. I love doing this.”

“Exactly!” You beam at him, softly running your fingers in his hair to intentionally mess it up a bit. “That's what should matter. In my eyes, you did great anyway. I don't even care about all those professional players. To me, and to so many of your fans, you are the best.”

Seokmin breaks into a smile that hides his eyes completely, and you wish to make him smile like this every day of your life.

“Besides,” you lean down a little, brushing your nose against his. “Who cares if you went off target? You served looks. That's enough.”

Seokmin pulls you down by your waist, kissing you softly. “Thank you, love. You flatter me.”

“I can tear open the sky for you, honey. What's a little flattery?”

Seokmin laughs.

"hey, pretty baby."

seokmin's arms are slithering around your waist, gently gripping at the light material of your sleeping clothes. they loosely hang around your body, but with seokmin's hands on your waist and body so close, he can feel every dip of you on him. it drives him insane, and he's smiling like a idiot because of it, gracefully pressing a kiss to your exposed neck.

"hi, seok. i missed you today." your voice is soft, buried in seokmin's shoulder as he holds you to him. he's swaying to an invisible beat, guiding you with his steady hands as you move to his time. seokmin lets out a low hum, reassuring as he rubs circles into your hips.

"not as much as i've missed you today. you've been so busy. getting so many things done and making me proud, yeah?"

the praise goes straight to your stomach, and you bite back a dramatic groan, face flushing an even darker red as seokmin pulls away to get a good luck at your face.

he's blessed with a blush dusting your cheeks and the words kiss me written all over your face before he leans in, sharp nose pressing to yours as his eyes slowly drift down to your lips. the same lips that say his name like it's a prayer and a chant at the same time.

"can i kiss you?" seokmin's heart is fluttering like the first time he ever kissed you, and you're the same, fisting his shirt as you sigh out a small "please."

that's enough to send seokmin over the edge; his lips meet yours in a split second, tasting every bit of you on him as he presses you closer to his body. seokmin's hands are fisting your shirt now, fingertips sliding under the fabric to run his fingers along your tingling skin.

"seok, i'm-" your words are swallowed up by another kiss, and you don't care about what you're saying anymore, flinging your arms around seokmin's neck as you let him take the lead.

after what seems like eternities of goodness, you finally pull away. seokmin's lips are kiss swollen, flushed and glossy as his eyes lock with yours. his eyes are filled with so much love you can feel your heart grow ten times more in your chest, and you're interlocking hands with him quickly, head laid on his chest.

"thank you. for this, i mean." you sigh out, feeling a weight lifted off your shoulders. kissing seokmin usually had this effect on you: the effect of feeling like you're floating in mid-air, all of your problems finally passing you by.

seokmin nods, tucking your hair behind the tips of your blushed ears before running a thumb over your kiss-swollen lips. they match seokmin's in that same flushed tone, still tingling from earlier.

"of course, pretty baby. i know the "i need to decompress" look in your eyes when i see it." seokmin smiles, poking your cheek to which you giggle.

he’d do anything. tell him to go to the store no questions asked. you don’t feel like cooking? any dish he prepares is like heaven. need a foot rub? he’s right there on the couch with you watching whatever show you like, rubbing your feet.

he leans on the wall or the side of a surface when he talks to you. you always get a good view of his toned arms.

he is so cute when he gets excited. his eyes light up like fireworks in the middle of the summer, the enthusiasm in his voice can be heard from a mile away, and has this adorable little habit of bouncing up and down a little, too.

he doesn’t ask you for kisses but instead, he tells you to give him one. in a soft and calm tone. keeps his hands rested on your ass while you two kiss.

he always offers to hold onto your purse/bag, if you carry them around. when you go to the bathroom, he’ll casually sling it over his shoulder like it’s his own, no awkwardness here!

he does small and sweet gestures out of nowhere just to see you smile. sneaks up on you for a hug. brings you flowers even though it’s not really a proper date. makes you laugh even at 1 a.m when you’re crying because you just overthought.

he sends cute “good morning/good night texts.” even when you guys are fighting and he’s mad at you; regardless of whether you reply or not.

he’s the first to apologize during an argument. even if it’s not his fault. he would hate to see you hurt.

he calls you sweet pet names to catch you off guard. calling out to you coyly. not by your name, an endearing pet name that he picked out all for you. you knew better than to let yourself stutter out the next few words you wanted to say.

he gets flustered whenever he feels your eyes on him. tries to hide that by cradling in the crook of your neck and pressing a soft kiss on your skin.

he is super comfortable with taking off his shirt or just being shirtless period. you still get flustered and he knows it too + asks if you want to feel his abs or muscles.

he’s so cute and eager to please you. always pushes his own pleasure aside in favor of yours — tries to hold himself together when he’s so fucked out.

he drowns you in praises despite the way his own words are slurred. his hips stutter with each needy hump into you.

he either gets bratty or he submits when you’re edging him. sometimes tries to take over but he’s unsuccessful. and isn't really whiny, but he gets annoying when you're teasing him.

he goes silent when he’s cumming. the idea that he’s super vocal in bed is funny in my mind, hitting all the runs, but it’s complete silence when he cums.

he takes care of you afterwards. the warm-rag-clean-up and cuddles with overly mushy lovey dovey talk before he’s crashed for the night.

And while you were chatting around with your close friend, the opening chords of a specific song filled your senses and it seemed like you couldn't hear anything but this song.

It was a song you wished to never hear again, the one song he always played for you everytime he would pick you up for a date, the song you two used to dance to in the kitchen, the song you first heard in the haze of love and yearning, had felt like something larger than it really was – to you that is – because at the time you thought it meant everything that could've been but maybe you overestimated the situation.

So, hearing it again felt like a punch you definitely weren't guarded enough for.

And maybe you were lying to yourself, maybe you were just dodging the feeling of his absence everytime he resurfaced in your thoughts.

You don't miss him, you don't even want to see him, but as the music notes fill your ear, you realise that you haven't really forgotten him either. 

Everything came rushing back in a way that made you light-headed, how he used to hold you, how he used to speak to you so sweetly - as if you'd break from the slightest things - how he claimed he would do anything it takes to stay by your side, the way you never really forgot how his smell lingered after staying over for just a few hours, making the room engulf you in something that was so him.

And the way you always believed his lies, each dripping with sweetness and pretty promises.

You closed your eyes for a moment, trying to erase the image of him from around you, failing miserably to do so, instead all that you saw was something that you thought would be like the fairytale he promised you.

Like water slipping through your fingers, he had left, leaving only that song as a reminder.

And there you sat, surrounded by people who wouldn't understand why your mood suddenly got sour, they wouldn't understand any of it actually, you yourself don't understand how you have managed to convince yourself that you forgot about him, ignoring the quiet ghost of him that never left, ignoring all the unfulfilled promises that cut deep each and every single time.

And the song abruptly ended, just like you did, and you snapped back to reality, continuing the conversation, acting as if nothing had happened. You're good at doing that, after all isn't that what you have been doing for the past few months?

And then you took a moment to face the lit screen of your phone and think of words you've never got the chance of speaking out loud.

y/n : “Hey, can we talk?”

Its for a photo exhibition tasked to capture the lives and scenery of a coastal locale—aiming to use your artistry in a form of publicity to promote their undiscovered beauty.

Already starving for a few days without any proper plan—who are you to resist an all expenses paid work trip. Right?

The staff you spoke to on the phone as you arrived gave you the directions to their office. A small house-like space nestled in the center of the city, in the middle of restaurant chains and a bakery—easy to spot yet also easy to miss.

You sat quietly in front of a desk, fiddling with your fingers as your backpack nestled on the tiled floor. There were a lot of people walking around, carrying stacks of paper, loud phone calls, and a bunch of desks close together with their owners doing their own things.

"I would like to welcome you to our city—I hope you give us your best work", he says behind a pile of papers, sweat evidently trickling down his forehead from the hot and stuffy atmosphere. "Thank you for giving me this job too, I won't let you down", you smile bowing your head down.

"I tried to find someone to give you a tour for your pictures but I believe none of us in the office is available for a full day tour", he anxiously shares, his fingers propping his glasses in place.

"Are you okay working with someone else?", you answer him with a reserved nod, a grimaced smile follows afterwards.

"There's a fisherman here who's son is like everyone's go-to guy", he leans in, "You don't have to worry about him misbehaving because he's a very reliable person—he agreed to show you around town in his motorcycle"

"I see. When can I get started?"

"Tomorrow. He'll be here by 8 AM so meet him here by then"

"will you stay?"

"of course. what is there left to do anyways?"

The sun was awfully a lot unbearable than yesterday.

You stood in front of the office for a long time now—and this so called 'reliable guy' isn't anywhere in sight. 8:30, you check your watch again; a frustrated grumble leaving your lips as your eyes trail each side of the road for an approaching motorcycle.

"My camera will melt at this point", you mumble.

Suddenly, the front door of the office opens. You turn around to see the staff you had talked to yesterday— "You're still here?", he exclaims, shutting the door behind him.

You nod, "Are you sure he's gonna come here? I think we already wasted a few minutes", you say. He checked his watch and hissed, "I see. But please wait for him, he might be in traffic right now"

"I think i'll just go ahead and start on my own, when he gets here please tell him that I won't be needing his help", you start to walk away, the crunch of gravel under your boots filling the protest of the staff.

Then, the sharp revving of a motorcycle cut through the still morning air.

You turned, startled.

A pale blue motorcycle skidded to a graceful stop beside you. The rider killed the engine, kicked the stand down, and pulled off his helmet with one hand—slow, casual, like he had all the time in the world.

Messy black hair. Sun-touched skin. That lazy kind of smile that made you irritated just for how easy it looked on him.

“You're leaving without me?” he asked, voice light but steady. His eyes, soft around the edges, scanned yours with a quiet amusement—as if he hadn’t just made you wait half an hour.

You blinked, caught between annoyance and disbelief.

He offered a hand—not an apology, not an excuse. “Name's Seokmin. Sorry I’m late— there was a boat issue earlier, and my mom made me eat.”

"Now get in since we already wasted a few minutes", he ushers you, throwing a red shiny helmet in your direction to which you almost failed to catch.

"Hold on tight because I'm gonna leave you if you fall down"

The whole day has been exhausting.

Althroughout that awkward and rough motorcycle ride accompanied by Seokmin's sudden cheering and you holding on for dear life—he haven't made the rest of the tour enjoyable.

He showed you around; from the temples, a quick chat with ladies from the market who generously treated him like a baby, the public library, around his favorite restaurants, and everywhere else—he made sure you captured around twenty images per destination.

Now you were catching the sunset on the beach. His motorcycle was parked farther from which he originally planned, the sea hushed around you, and the sun was on its way for a proper goodbye.

You nestled your camera on the sand, making sure it doesn't fall as you began taking pictures of the scenery—Seokmin standing behind you.

"You really know how to capture beautiful moments", he sighs, watching as your finger hits the shutter button once in a while. You rolled your eyes and focused—to which he playfully encouraged.

"You people just look at the camera and say 'wow this is good', but how often do you actually live the moment?", Seokmin grinned—not accusing—just plainfully curious. He carefully adjusted around you and faced in front, his frame caught in camera.

You stop for a moment. At this point, it didn't matter that he was 'ruining' your shot. What he said truly made you stop and reflect— "living the moment?", you thought.

When have you lived in the moment. Back in Seoul, there was no more option for living—everyday was meant for surviving. If you took the time and slowed down for a while, you will bump into numerous people. You will get walked on and trampled on—living in the moment isn't possible.

Seokmin notices your silence and turns around lightly, enough to see you huddled behind the camera. Instead of a photo, you hit record—a few soft seconds of Seokmin standing beneath the fading light.

"Can you move? You're blocking the shot.”, he stands smack in the middle of the frame, arms loose at his sides, a stupid grin already forming— “I don’t think I want to.”

“I’m serious. Move.”

“I am too,” he says, bending down casually, scooping up a handful of sand.

“Don’t you dare—”

Before you can move, he tosses it. Not hard, just enough to scatter toward your legs and the hem of your clothes.

“You—Seokmin!”, you exclaim in frustration yet Seokmin's laughing already—loud, carefree, utterly unapologetic.

You abandon the camera on its tripod—still recording—and start running toward him, your voice tangled in half-hearted threats and breathless laughter.

“I'll kill you!”

“You’ll have to catch me first!”, he sticks his tongue out and bolts, feet kicking up sand as he darts down the beach. You chase after him, clumsy and determined, hair flowing against the wind and your voice echoing across the open shore.

The camera stays behind, lens pointed at nothing in particular—just the sea, the falling sun, and two of you chasing around each other like children.

It captured everything: down to your the footsteps you both left behind, his laughter, him nearly tripping, your slippers flying in the air, and the sea.

And for a few seconds, you’re not a hungry photographer or a stranger in this town. You’re just someone laughing in the golden light, chasing a boy who throws sand and smiles like it's summer forever.

You lunge forward, fingertips grazing the back of his shirt when he suddenly turns.

Seokmin catches you mid-dart, his hands instinctively wrapping around your wrist just in time to steady you. Your momentum halts. The laughter dies on your lips—not all at once, but like it’s being slowly reeled back inside.

You’re suddenly still. His grip is gentle, but firm. Sand clings to your knees and sleeves. Your chest rises and falls too fast for this quiet, and yet—its there. That stillness. That strange second where the world forgets to move.

You look up. He’s already looking at you. Yet neither of you says anything.

His hands are still around your wrist. Your eyes meet in the soft orange light. And for a moment, it feels like the tide has paused—like time has pressed its thumb gently against both your backs.

Your breaths slow. His smile falters, not into discomfort, but something softer—more real.

And then, as if the moment realizes it’s been caught staring too long; you both shuffle and step back—laughing a little, awkwardly and looking around anywhere but at each other.

“You're fast for someone who hides behind a camera all day,” he mutters, rubbing the back of his neck before sitting down at the sand.

“And you’re annoying for someone who clearly wants to be in front of it,” you reply, trying to sound normal, even though your heartbeat is anything but—sitting down beside him.

"I had fun" he exhales, looking up ahead. "The sun is almost gone," you mutter, "Because of you I don't have any good shots", you exclaim, looking back at where you positioned your camera.

Seokmin turns to you with a light smile, "Why are you guys so obsessed with taking sunset pictures?", he says obnoxiously. "Because it's good, it looks good", you retort back.

"The internet has already seen a lot of sunset pictures—would it kill you guys if you actually witnessed it for once"

You roll your eyes at his response—not defeated, just accepting.

"It's beautiful", you say, your breath caught as the beauty indeed is amazing to see first hand.

"I know—it always has been"

"will you stay?"

"i will go once the sun stops shining for us"

Earlier was full of surprises—your night was full of reviewing photos and editing.

You grumble to yourself in the small room inside the office. Your eyes burn from staring at your laptop the whole day—catching up to you in your most vulnerable moments.

Confidently, your progress was utmost 75%. All there is left to do is review the rest of the album and conclude your task it by submitting entries for printing.

It was almost 8 PM in the office. Despite the promised accomodation, you were expecting a five-star rated room and a buffet—only to be met by makeshift bed in one of the rooms inside the office. But luckily for you, their wifi was fast and small space had airconditioning.

Your stomach rumbles with each tap on the keyboard. With new photos appearing, it adds to the hunger building up. You admit defeat and stand up from where you are seated. Although they have given you food for dinner, it wasn't enough to make you feel satisfied.

The night in this city only got more beautiful. There was a warm glow emitted from each story, filled with sizzling stove tops, glasses clanking together, cheers from drunken men, and laughter from children that played on the street.

You walk beyond realization—not knowing where to go.

"Should I just get noodles?", you ask yourself, halting in front of a vibrant store. Nodding to yourself and your budget, you head on inside to find what you are looking for.

There were many selections: lots of choices to choose from. Soup-based, dry noodles, even cold noodles—this store has it all.

Tempted to get a lot, you settled for everyone's spicy favorite: Shin-Ramyeon. You walk to the front to pay only to be met with an empty counter—you looked around for the owner.

The counter sits unmanned, a lone plastic calculator resting beside a buzzling radio. You glance around the small shop—aisles neatly stocked, a few tired posters on the walls—but not a single sign of life.

“Hello?”, you call out, half-expecting no answer.

A moment later, the curtain behind the counter rustles—and out steps a familiar someone—Seokmin.

His black shirt clings slightly from the heat in the backroom, sleeves rolled, a towel still draped over one shoulder. His hair is an evident mess, like he either napped or wrestled with a rice sack.

“Sorry for the wai—”, he cuts himself off when he sees you. That friendly shop owner gesture replaced with a lopsided grin when you appear— “Oh, you.”

You blink, “You work here?”. He scoffs and steps behind the counter, "This is my mom's store. Do you think fishing is the only lifestyle I have?", Seokmin laughs dramatically, hand caught in his stomach for a more comical approach.

"Shut up and let me pay", you mutter, setting the cup in front of him.

“Is that a way to talk to your tour guide? The one you have a crush on?", he says without missing a beat, an annoying smile etched in his lips like he's all-knowing.

You stare, “Excuse me?”

“Come on,” he grins, leaning one elbow onto the counter. “You found out where I am. You showed up during my shift. You bought the exact cup noodles I like. It’s a little obvious.”

You shake your head with a small, incredulous laugh, “You think I went here because of you? You didn't think it was dinner time and I am hungry?"

“Sure,” he says, dragging out the word. “Let’s go with that. Totally not a crush.”

Seokmin slides the cup toward you after calculating the price. His fingers brush against yours—a casual touch, but it lingers a half-second longer than necessary. You can feel it, the way he’s watching you, like he’s waiting to see if you’ll flinch or grin or tell him off.

“You’re annoying,” you say flatly.

“And yet...” he smiles, “you’re still standing here.”

Before you can offer a clever retort, the curtain rustles again—and a warm, firm voice calls out— “Seokmin-ah!”

A woman in her late 50s emerges from the back room, wiping her hands on a floral apron, hair tied in a neat bun. She halts when she sees you at the counter, eyes narrowing just a bit.

“Who’s this?”

“Customer,” Seokmin says, stepping slightly aside, suddenly very innocent.

“Customer?” she repeats, staring pointedly. “Why are you both standing there awkwardly", she adds. “Mom,” he groans under his breath.

But she’s not done. Her gaze flickers to your face, and then her expression shifts— “Wait, are you the photographer?”

You nod cautiously, “From the city?”

“Yes,” you reply. “For the tourism project.”

Her face lights up like someone flipped a switch, “I’ve heard all about you! The mayor won’t shut up. You should’ve said so right away!”. She waves her hand, already moving back behind the curtain.

“Come, join us for dinner. I’ll set an extra plate.”

You glance at Seokmin, who just winces. “This is happening,” he mutters, “Just... don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“Is this how you treat all your customers?”

“No,” he says, pushing open the curtain for you, "Only the pretty ones"

"That dinner was...something", you say to Seokmin, patting your stomach, a small burp erupts forward.

The whole time was you eating homecooked meals for the first time in years, Seokmin's mom telling you stories about when he was a child, showing embarassing baby pictures to which you took photos off to tease him afterwards, and Seokmin wailing around afterwards.

Now, after helping them wash the dishes—his mom tasked him to walk you back to the offices or he'll never see the sun shine ever again.

"Your mom really knows how to cook", you say, already reminiscing the flavors you missed. Seokmin rolls his eyes, still not feeling solved from his life literally ending earlier.

"Promise me you won't spread those pictures", he pleads. You laugh at his request, "To whom will I share those even"

The night has dawned upon both of you. Seokmin shuffles his hands inside his pockets as you look up to see the moon and the stars shining brightly. Closing your eyes, you took a deep breath as you walked slower.

Seokmin does the same, looking up to see what got you tantalized— "this would be the perfect time to whip out your camera and take pictures", he jokes.

You chuckle at his comment and open your eyes, "If only—I would stand here and do that definitely"

"But someone says to live in the moment so that I shall do", you smile, turning to him. Seokmin grew amazed by what you said, clearly signifying that his comment didn't pass by your ears earlier.

"Live in the moment", your voice trailed, "What does that mean to you Seokmin?"

He thinks about it for a bit, looking forward on the path— "For me, it's not caring about what happens around you. It's staying still and look at what's in front of you"

Your lips part at his words, amazed by the sincerity of his voice. Seokmin's head turns towards you and asks the same— "How about you?"

You only shrug in response, trying to find more things to say. “I don’t know yet,” you murmur, your voice quieter now. “I haven’t begun to start living in the moment yet.”

He hears it—the softness of your voice, the tired honesty in your words. And when he glances at you, Seokmin catches something in your expression that wasn’t there earlier: a flicker of something unspoken and that vulnerability you hadn’t meant to share.

But he doesn’t push. He continues to walk beside you, the silence between you wasn't awkward, but gentle—understanding.

When the office finally comes into view, tucked quietly under the sleepy glow of the streetlights, you both slow to a stop.

You turn to him with a small smile, “Thanks for walking me.”

“Would’ve been a scandal if I didn’t,” he says with a grin. “The mayor would’ve kicked me out of town.”

You let out a soft laugh and take a step toward the door, reaching for the handle—when— “Wait—”, his voice comes out a little too fast, almost like he surprised himself.

You turn back, brows raised.

“Do you..” he starts, rubbing the back of his neck, “do you have anything to do tomorrow?”

You shake your head. “Not really. Why?”

He shifts from foot to foot, clearly stalling, clearly overthinking— “There’s this night market down by the pier. Just something small. Food stalls, paper lights, probably a guy singing off-key with a guitar.”

You blink, smiling at the vision he paints, “Sounds charming.”

“It’s very locally chaotic,” he says with a sheepish grin. “I was thinking maybr if you’re free... you could come with me?”

He glances up, adding quickly— “Not a date or anything. Just a hang out. As your official part-time tour guide.”

You pause—just long enough to watch him squirm. Then, sweetly, “Okay.”

Seokmin's head tilts, “Okay?”, trying to sound it out to reality. “I’ll come,” you say, “For the guitar guy, mostly.”

He chuckles, bright and dorky, and his eyes crinkle. “Cool. Cool. I’ll, pick you up here? Seven?”

“Seven,” you nod.

There’s a beat of silence, both of you lingering. He gives you a small wave, backing away slowly, still smiling.

“Goodnight, ms photographer”

“Goodnight, mr wore a diaper till he was five.”, he chuckles in embarassment, that nickname obviously referenced from one of his childhood stories revealed earlier.

“Try not to miss me too much.”, he adds.

You scrunch your nose, “I make no promises.”

He stumbles slightly over the curb, laughs it off, and jogs the rest of the way down the road, waving once more before disappearing around the corner.

You wait a moment longer, your cheeks warm, smile refusing to leave. Then, finally, you turn and slip inside—heart fluttering a little louder than before.

Maybe tomorrow is the day you begin to live—and maybe he’ll be the reason why.

"will you stay?"

"just for one more night"

The town had dressed itself in lights.

From where you stood, waiting just outside the office, the street ahead looked nothing like the sleepy place you’d first arrived at a few days ago. Tonight, it was glowing—lanterns floated like fireflies overhead, strung between lamp posts and tree branches, swaying softly in the wind. The buildings, usually muted and gray, reflected hints of color in their windows, like even they were smiling.

You pressed your hands into your coat pockets to calm your nerves.

Then you saw him.

Seokmin jogged lightly toward you, his hoodie zipped halfway, his hair a soft mess from the breeze. He looked like he wasn’t even trying to be charming, but somehow was anyway. When he caught sight of you, his face broke into that familiar smile—wide, warm, just a little crooked.

“You look like you’re waiting for someone important,” he teases lightly.

You raise a brow, “I was. Guess you’ll do.” He laughs, mock-wounded, placing a hand to his chest, “Ouch.”

You rolled your eyes, but your lips curved up involuntarily.

The both of you rolled into laughter, falling into step beside each other as you made your way toward the pier where the market had set up. The breeze carried scents of roasted chestnuts, fried batter, and something sugary and citrusy that made your stomach grumble. The sounds of chatter, laughter, and off-key music grew louder with every step.

The market bloomed open like a painting—warm and golden, pulsing with life. Lanterns in soft reds and yellows swayed over narrow walking paths. Stalls lined either side, with vendors selling everything from grilled squid to sweet potato donuts to handmade rings and wooden toys.

“Where do we begin?” you asked, eyes wide. “Easy,” Seokmin said. “Food, then games, then more food, then regret.”

You snorted, “You’re really selling the experience.”

“You’ll thank me when your third skewer changes your life.”—and it kind of did.

You started with seasoned chicken, the spicy kind that made your lips tingle, and Seokmin couldn’t stop laughing at your reaction until he ate one and immediately downed his entire drink. Then came the sweet potato—warm and coated with sugar, which you both bit into too fast and burned your tongues, only to laugh even harder. You shared desserts, argued over which stall’s fishcakes were better, and took turns holding the plush prizes you won at dart booths.

“Look at this guy,” you said, holding up a stuffed pufferfish. “He looks like you when you get hit with spice.”

“He looks like me after hearing that insult.”, he retorts, mouth full with more food.

At a bracelet stall, you lingered too long on the beaded ones, and Seokmin noticed. He waited until you walked ahead, then slipped back and bought the one you kept reaching for but never picked up.

“Here,” he said later, holding it out casually like it was nothing.

You blinked at it, “What’s this?”

“Don't miss your chance and not get what you want—you have to live in the moment remember?"

You tried to roll your eyes, but your heart was already fluttering.

Everything felt brighter with him, even the lights.

Eventually, the two of you made your way toward the pier. You wandered off the path a little, finding a quieter dock tucked behind one of the larger boats. The water stretched wide and glimmering ahead, and the buzz of the market faded into a gentle hum behind you.

You sat stood side by side, the waves imitating the way you both swayed your bodies.

For a while, you just watched the sea, silent.

“Did you have fun?” Seokmin asked eventually, his voice softer now. You nodded slowly, a smile on your lips as you turn to him— “More than I expected,” you said honestly.

“That’s a relief,” he murmured. “I was worried I peaked too early with the pufferfish.”

You chuckled under your breath, then went quiet again. The lanterns above swayed, casting warm shifting halos across the dock.

“I like it here,” you said, staring at the sea. "I feel like I have a place to breath again". He didn’t say anything at first, just plain listening to what you have to share, “It gave me that, too.”

You looked over at him. He wasn’t looking at you; his head was directed at the sky.

And then—a whistle cracked in the air.

The first firework burst open.

A golden flare scattered above, showering light down like sparks from a dream. Then another—blue, then pink, then red. One by one, they bloomed and echoed, painting the sky in color and sound.

You tilted your head back, mesmerized— "Woah", you mutter.

But once the fireworks caught everyone's attention, Seokmin who had his eyes up earlier, looked down—he looked at you.

He watched the way your eyes lit up with each explosion, how you whispered “wow” under your breath without realizing it, how you leaned forward slightly like trying to get closer to it all. There was something so alive in your expression.

And maybe it was then that he reached for you.

Slowly, nervously, his fingers brushed against yours. And when you didn’t pull away, he let them settle—tenderly—between yours. His hand was warm; familiar.

You turned to him, startled at first, yet eager to see what his reaction was.

Only to see that he wasn’t watching the fireworks—he was watching you.

Your breath caught. You blinked once, twice—and then your eyes welled with tears. Not from sadness, not from fleeting joy, just from feeling deeply.

Like something cracked open inside your chest, “Thank you,” you whispered, voice trembling, heart thudding. “Thanks to you, I think... I’ll start living in the moment now.”

Your words hung there, suspended in the air between bursts of color and echoing cracks in the sky. He didn’t answer right away, he knew he didn’t need to.

Seokmin just leaned in, slowly, carefully, and wrapped his arms around you.

And you folded into him—completely. Your face pressed to his shoulder, your arms wrapping around his back. It wasn’t a grand kiss. It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t dramatic.

It was something better—It was safe and it was home.

Above you, the final firework exploded in a thunder of gold, sending falling sparks across the night. But down here—under lanterns and stars, on the dock of a small town—you found something even brighter.

Seokmin.

"will you stay?"

"i ran out of time"

It was the event proper for the city's anniversary.

The fireworks yesterday night was merely an opening—a warm gesture and welcome for today.

Seokmin was still caught in his feelings; the hug, the 'thank you', and the moments that lead up to that ending still lingered in his mind. It was to a point where his mom had nagged him from smiling all of a sudden, daydreaming, and chuckling while eating.

She said he looked stupid, like he had hung the stars. But Seokmin didn't care—he was in love and he isn't apologetic about it.

The first day of the event needed his help. All morning, he had helped people move their stuff to the venue, carrying boxes, fishing with his dad, cleaning, and all sorts of things—but he was more occupied in trying to find you.

In fresh clothes and a bouquet of handpicked flowers, he sniffed and fixed them up properly, walking through the heaps of stalls he had helped set up earlier.

In Seokmin's mind, he was gonna see you and have another wonderful day with you.

But to his demise, he could not catch glimpse of you early on. Despite his best to search, ask around if you came by, he would get 'no' as an answer. Thinking that you were probably busy and chooses to visit the event later—Seokmin finds his way walking to the office on behalf of you.

The sun was shining not so brightly. It had a warm cast that soothed his skin rather than hurt it.

The distance from the venue to the office wasn't as far. He chose to walk instead of using his trusted motorcycle. There was also a reason why he didn't opt to use his motorcycle yesternight—Seokmin wanted to be with you longer than intended.

The office was bustling just from the outside. Seokmin could see from outside that people were busy, probably from the demand and stress of planning this event.

Patiently, he waited outside—hoping someone would notice him and tend to his needs.

And someone did, the person that introduced him and you in the first place. "Seokmin! What brings you here?", he asks, facing his phone to his shoulder to shield the ongoing call he had. "Oh, I was wondering if the photographer is here", Seokmin asks, a small smile on his face.

The staff grew conflicted, a recalling look on his face as he looks back inside—"You guys didn't meet each other?", he asked, confused. Seokmin shakes his head in response. "She didn't tell you then?"

"Tell me...what?"

"She's going back to Seoul today."

"will you stay?"

"no"

Seokmin wasn’t anywhere close to being a runner.

Maybe he had chased a few chickens for his aunt a few times, rushed around to catch crabs, or maybe got called to the Mayor’s office fast—but he definitely wasn’t a runner.

Yet somehow, upon hearing those words—his feet had never moved this fast.

"She's going back to Seoul today"

He barely heard the rest. The words rang loud in his ears, louder than the pounding of his steps against the gravel road, louder than the breath he couldn’t catch, louder than the doubt rising in his chest.

You were leaving.

His heart thrashed like a tide in his ribcage. The wind whipped against his hoodie as he turned corners, leapt across puddles, nearly knocked over someone’s laundry basket. It was almost funny—how he never once ran like this when you were still here.

And yet now—now that you were on your way out of this town that had somehow, impossibly, made room for you—he could barely breathe for the thought of missing you.

The bus stop came into view.

And there you were.

Sitting alone under the curved roof of the waiting shed, camera bag at your side, knees drawn up just slightly. You hadn’t noticed him yet. Your eyes were fixed on the road, unfocused.

Seokmin stopped a few feet away, chest heaving, lungs burning.

For a second, he just looked at you.

You looked the same from the day he had met you—and yet not at all. The same jacket. The same soft hair caught in the wind. But something about this was so different.

“You didn’t tell me.”

You turned sharply at the sound of his voice. Eyes wide. Lips parted. You stood up a little too quickly.

“Seokmin—”, your voice faltered. “Why are you here?”, you asked, genuinely confused about his sudden appearance.

“Why wouldn't I be?” he asked, walking closer, eyes searching yours. "After what happened yesterday night, you should expect me to be everywhere but away from you."

You looked away, guilt passing over your features— "I didn’t want this to feel heavier that it should be". Seokmin takes another step forward, “Then you should’ve at least let me carry some of that weight,” he said gently.

A long silence stretched between you. The wind rustled the bus schedule posted on the shelter wall. A motorcycle passed behind you and faded into the distance.

“My job’s done,” you said quietly. "I came here for work, and now it’s over"

“I know that it's over,” he said. His voice was low, careful. “Does that mean that what we are is over too?”. You looked up at him—eyes wet, but not falling. Thinking of a response, you only sigh in defeat.

Seokmin took a breath. A long one.

“I’m not gonna beg you to stay,” he said, a bit of a sad smile on his lips. "I think this town gave you what you needed—". Seokmin paused, rubbing the back of his neck like he always did when he was nervous.

“I just wanted to see you. One more time. To say thank you. For all the little moments. For laughing with me. For letting me be in your frame.”

You laughed, breath catching on something in your throat. “Thank you too” you whispered— “For reminding me to live in the moment.”

That cracked something in him. He stepped forward. And without asking, without waiting, he pulled you into him.

Your head tucked into his shoulder, arms wrapping around his torso like you had done that a thousand times before. Like it was natural and like it was home.

The minutes slowed.

You could hear everything—the call of a bird, the wave of wind through nearby fields, the faint hum of a bus coming from far down the road.

“Will you keep in touch?” he asked quietly.

You didn’t answer right away.

When you finally pulled back, your eyes shimmered with uncertainty—but also something warm.

“I don’t know,” you said honestly. “I'm not good at those things”

“But,” you muttered, reaching for his hand, squeezing it tightly, “if I ever find myself lost again—I’ll come back to where I last remembered myself.”

Seokmin's heart ached at that but he acknowledged reality as it is.

The bus turned the corner in the distance. Its headlights cut through the curve in the road. You reached for your bag. Slung it over your shoulder. Exhaled.

“Goodbye, Seokmin.”, you waved.

“Not goodbye,” he said, smiling sadly— “Just give me hope that i'll see you again next time.”

As the bus pulled up and you stepped inside, he stood there in the settling dusk, watching through the window as you found your seat and looked out at him.

You pressed your fingers softly to the glass—then to your heart. And he lifted his hand back, smiling to himself as he waved.

Once the bus closed and began to drive away, Seokmin stood there alone, hand still raised, eyes not leaving the road until the last trace of you had vanished.

"Let me see you one more time"

"will you stay?"

"no. but I think you gave me something to come back to"

That sign of hope and connection Seokmin had wished from you never came to his aid.

After you left, he was waiting for a phone call or a small message. Maybe a sudden appearance or a note you had left for him. But it was all nothing.

Slowly, he had began moving forward himself. Seokmin had lived life much better this time in behalf of you. It made him think of how much of a hypocrite he'll be if he hadn't taken the advice he had given you—living in the moment.

So he did. Seokmin continued to live in the moment. Much more slower yet meaningful this time.

It was just another slow afternoon.

The kind where the clouds hung low, and the sea barely bothered to move. Seokmin was crouched on the floor near the dining table, finishing up late lunch.

The fan spun lazily overhead. The radio crackled with some old trot song. The same regulars wandered in and out of the store, bell chimes following each soft step.

He didn’t expect anything different.

“Seokmin-ah!” his mom called from the front of the store. “A letter came for you!”

He was still mid-bite, “From who?”

“Don’t know,” she replied. “But it says 'Seoul' in the stamp.”

That got his attention.

Seokmin wiped his hands on the hem of his shirt and made his way to the counter. And there it was—propped neatly beside the old radio like it had always belonged there.

Square. Sun-faded. His name written in gentle, curved handwriting he hadn't seen in months but instantly recognized—your handwriting.

His fingers hovered for a second before picking it up—carefully, like it might crumble. The front was a photo.

It wasn’t a landscape or a golden-hour skyline. No sunset. No sea.

Instead, it was him—mid-laugh, turning his head, a puff of sand still floating in the air. His mouth open like he’d just said something dumb, his hoodie sleeves flailing a bit as he bolted.

Behind him—blurry and in motion—you. Sprinting after him, arm stretched forward, a grin carved wide on your face.

It was chaotic. A little shaky. Off-center.

Seokmin was immediately sent back to that day.

The day he threw sand at you and you chased him across the beach, laughing like someone who had finally started breathing again. It was the first moment you both forgot time—forgot why you came, forgot what came after.

He flipped the card over, heart caught in his throat. The back was simple—only two lines written in pen, slightly smudged.

"The sea is still here—for the both of us."

"Seokmin, the tide will guide me back to you soon"

the summer-stained grass enveloped your soft body in a green flurry, and seokmin watched as the blades ever so slightly brushed against your lips.

time had seemed to stand still for the two of you to sneak away into the meadow, flush trees hiding the start of a romance budding between you and seokmin. he had tackled you playfully into the grass after you had decided to tease him, hands on either side of your body as he stares into your eyes a little too long.

now, the two of you lay in the grass, soft breeze and bird chatter filling the air. a creek bubbles a few steps away from you, and if you think hard enough, you can feel splashes of the water paint your cheeks and face.

"if you could wish for anything in the world, what would it be?"

the question had been asked to seokmin many times before, and he had always said something he thought his father would want to hear. now that his father was gone, and seokmin had come to his true place as king, the question meant nothing more to him than his rowdy teenage years.

that had changed as soon as the question left your pretty lips. suddenly, seokmin had a million things he'd wish for.

"to be with you. forever." seokmin answers the question like a man in love, and you laugh at him, face pressed deeper into the soil as you splay your fingers in the grass. each blade kisses your fingertips softly, and seokmin starts to envy the blades, jealous that they get to wrap around you and kiss your fingertips.

you curl in on yourself slightly as you feel the grass, and seokmin gets the urge to press against you and keep you warm, even if the sun shines bright and is filtered through the forest's canopy.

some things never change, do they?

"i want that wish to come true." the whispered words leave your mouth in a flurry, and seokmin soaks up every syllable, dark eyes glued to your face as if to memorize every dip and plane.

he doesn't have to ask what you're talking about, either.

you're closer to his face now, lips just centimeters away from his. he watches your eyes, watching how your pupils dilate when you watch him. it makes seokmin's heart swell with pride, knowing that those eyes would forever be for him and on him only.

your hands go to his cheeks before he can say another word, and your lips are on his in an instant, as the forest resounds in a chorus that can only be heard by you and seokmin. everything comes alive, with you two in the center of it all.

seokmin hadn't forgot about the way you made him feel. the first night he fell asleep with you, admiring the way the moonlight illuminated your naked body as you slept, he swore to the universe that he'd protect you with everything he was given in life.

if there was one thing you would’ve never expected, it would be to, in your adult life, neighbor with the same exact man you lived next to as a child, back when you still learned how to ride a bike with no extra wheels, said boy boasting about already being able to do it while riding alongside you (even though he was three years older than you, so it should come as no surprise that he acquired said skills much earlier), laughing each time you fell down. you loved him the same way one loves their siblings; you knew you could rely on him throughout the entirety of your childhood and teenage years, you knew you could come to him for reassurance or advice, which he would give you after a few minutes of making fun if your situation. safe to say he was like an older brother you never had.

although you still kept in touch with him well into your adult life, meeting occasionally with the limited time you had on your hands, you weren’t as close as before. and although you sometimes missed having him next door, you would’ve never expected for it to be true again.

the universe must’ve been really bored to orchestrate this.

‘missed me so much you had to stalk me down to my apartment?’ his words had that familiar sting of teasing to them and you realized that he hasn’t changed all that much throughout the years.

‘even worse’ you replied, trying to keep yourself from smiling at your friend as a little crowd started forming around jeonghan, some of his friends gathering around with curiosity as to what was happening. the music in the back got turned off for a second. ‘i actually live across from you. and i think the first thing i’ll have to do is file a noise complaint, my lovely neighbour.’

he smiled, almost proud of the snarky tone of your words, the tone that you obviously inherited from him. if inheriting traits from people you’re not related to was even possible, he thought.

‘we’ll keep it down’ he said, laughing at the surprise on your face as you thought of just how quick he agreed. no sly replies, no tricks. ‘but you’re coming over tomorrow evening. we have a lot of catching up to do.’

a sigh left your lips, knowing that trying to say no to his offer would be pointless - he’d end up making you come either way.

‘only if you provide me with some good wine.’

you kept your promise - showing up in front of the apartment no. 17 yet again, which would soon become almost a habit for you, this time in a far better mood than yesterday. this situation was all too convenient, as umji mentioned something about wanting to invite a guy she’s been seeing over to the apartment, and you weren’t exactly sure whether you wanted to be there for that or not. knowing your friend, you’d rather be out.

jeonghan seemed not to change almost at all; he was still the same boy you knew as a child, with the exact same personality and sense of humor. although you had to admit he was way more mature now, which wasn’t surprising - after all he was an adult now.

‘oh, i also forgot to mention’ jeonghan said between small sips of wine. ‘seungkwan should be back in like ten minutes, so he’ll probably join us.’

you tilted your head slightly, as if trying to assess whether you had any knowledge of someone of that name. jeonghan seemed to catch that as he put his glass down on the table.

‘one of my friends. he lives here.’ he explained shortly.

‘there’s someone in this world who can tolerate living with you? that’s surprising.’

jeonghan let out a chuckle, reaching for the bottle to pour you another drink. as if on cue, the two of you heard a shift of the keys outside the apartment, the door opening in one swift move as a young, brown-haired man entered the apartment, reaching up to get the bangs out of his eyes as he closed the door with the other hand.

he was wearing a black tee and shorts, a sports bag thrown over his shoulder. he was probably back from some sort of training - which you didn’t need to be sherlock holmes to deduce - and by what he was carrying you figured he played badminton. but that wasn’t exactly what you paid most attention to.

jeonghan’s roommate was cute.

extremely so.

‘talk of the devil’ jeonghan muttered. his eyes darted to your face for a second, then back to seungkwan’s. ‘i’ve told you about y/n before, haven’t i? my amazing and definitely not annoying childhood neighbor.’

seungkwan nodded as he took off his shoes, stepping further into the apartment and stopping right in front of you. he offered you a warm smile as he reached out his hand, and you swore you almost melted right then and there.

‘sorry for being so loud yesterday,’ he said almost immediately. you focused on the softness of his voice rather than the statement itself, finding it surprisingly pleasant. ‘it’s hard to not be loud when you have thirteen grown and drunk men roaming around your living room.’

you laughed at his words. cute and funny. noted.

‘the downsides of a big friend group. i can imagine.’

‘not that you’d know anything about that’ jeonghan’s voice echoed from beside you, and you didn’t have to face him to see the smirk on his face. it was almost imprinted in your memory by now.

‘i have friends, jeonghan. if you’re curious enough to check, one of them is probably getting dicked down in my apartment right now.’

seungkwan cackled quietly, trying to cover up his sudden laughter with a cough but failing to do so. his smile dropped, however, once he noticed a small detail that he hasn’t registered before.

‘is that- yoon jeonghan, is that my wine?’

jeonghan’s lips curved up into a sly smile and it was enough for the younger man to know the answer.

‘yah! i told you not to drink it, i wanted to save it for a special occasion!’ he said dramatically, as if he was in a scene of some k-drama. watching the situation unfold, you couldn’t help but giggle. ‘how could you betray me like that?’

jeonghan shrugged, standing up to pat his friend on the shoulders. he shot him an annoyed glare.

‘don’t bitch about it, i’ll buy you a new one.’

‘that one was from italy.’ he whined, his expression changing into a pout as he turned towards his room. ‘and i had it hidden in my room, too! you truly are a devil, yoon jeonghan.’

you let out a laugh at the scene in front of you, your eyes lingering on seungkwan as he entered his room and closed the door behind him. the moment it closed, jeonghan was already facing you, his signature smirk gone.

‘you were giving him the eyes.’ he muttered, tilting his head slightly. you pretended to ignore his comment, as if you had no idea what he could possibly mean, but jeonghan knew you better than anyone; of course he’d notice that you’ve found his roommate attractive.

‘what, can’t let a girl dream a little?’ you said, putting your wine glass down on the table. maybe it was because you were slightly tipsy, but you didn’t notice straight away that jeonghan was now completely serious.

‘y/n,’ he said silently, almost as if he was disappointed to have to be the bearer of bad news. ‘he’s taken.’

oh.

oh.

and so almost a year has passed, and you powered through it, trying to ignore your feelings to your best ability. you got to know your neighbors and their friends - mainly soonyoung and dokyeom, a bit better - which, unfortunately for you, only fueled your crush on seungkwan. it was still a secret, though; a secret which you have now shared with jeonghan and umji, as it was inevitable that your amazing roommate would find out sooner or later. she was also no stranger to the boo seungkwan from apartment no. 17. as it turned out, they worked at the same place and have been colleagues even before you moved here.

what a small world it is.

by default, you were also introduced to seungkwan’s girlfriend, and the fact that she was the sweetest girl you’ve ever met in your life made your blood boil. she was the epitome of perfection; not a flaw in sight, easily likeable, perfectly matching seungkwan’s dramatic personality. it was as if they were tailor made for eachother. everyone adored her.

well, maybe except jeonghan. and you, but you weren’t so outright about it.

you always trusted jeonghan’s judgement about other people: after all, he’s been right time and time again. even back at school, he could always clearly tell when someone’s intentions weren’t good, he always saw clearly through anyone’s bullshit. it’s like he had some sort of sixth sense, used solely to sniff out whether someone was a good person or not.

‘i can’t pinpoint it exactly, but i don’t trust her one bit.’ he said one day, during your weekly meetups, plopping on your couch with a bottle of beer in hand. ‘i know that they’ve been dating for like, what, six months now? but there’s something fishy about their relationship. it’s like it’s all too good to be true.’

now you were seated between jeonghan and wonwoo, laughter erupting inside the living room of your friend’s apartment as soonyoung recalled one of his many embarrassing stories from when he was still studying to become a dance instructor. mingyu and umji were sitting at the kitchen counter, preparing some intricate dish that mingyu wanted to try out on his friends, while dokyeom and seungkwan were trying their hardest to convince chan to join them in singing karaoke. weren’t it for the fact that apartment no. 17 was the only used apartment on this floor other than your own, you would’ve probably got a noise complaint long ago.

but you’ve grown to appreciate the chaos that ensued whenever you met up with jeonghan’s friends. not only did they accept you as part of the group almost immediately, meeting up with them also meant being able to see seungkwan; even if it wasn’t going to lead to anything, which of course it wouldn’t (you aren’t a homewrecker, after all). they were definitely a very interesting bunch - sometimes you wondered how did it happen that all of them even became friends, given how different they were from each other. maybe that was just the key to a good friend group.

you heard mingyu groan in annoyance, a displeased look on his face.

‘we’re out of alcohol. anyone sober enough to go to the store?’ he said, closing the fridge as he turned towards the group. you knew what was coming, given that you haven’t had a drink yet, so you stood up from the couch almost on impulse.

‘i’ll go. none of you are eligible to drive in this state anyways.’ you mumbled as you headed towards the door, already crouching down to put on your shoes. ‘any special wishes on the specifics of the drinks?’

you’ve got a few answers, ranging from beer to the ‘strongest thing you can find’, which made you cackle a little considering that it was soonyoung's request (and you all knew that he was a lightweight, no doubt).

‘wait,’ you heard jeonghan say the moment you reached for the door, opening it slightly. you turned your head towards the man, and by the look on his face, you already knew he was planning something.

‘take seungkwan with you.’

you sighed, praying no one had noticed your reaction as seungkwan made his way towards you, seemingly ready to go. you shot jeonghan a knowing stare; if looks could kill, he would’ve been dead by now. he only laughed.

the fact that seungkwan was in a relationship didn’t stop jeonghan from putting you in situations where you had to spend one-on-one time with him. why? you figured it was to taunt you; as he liked, no, loved doing it to all his friends when the opportunity arose. your crush on his roommate was a perfect excuse to do just that.

you quickly grabbed the car keys from your apartment as seungkwan waited for you in front of the elevator. when you finally joined him and the two of you went inside, the automatic doors closing behind you, you could immediately feel the silence taking over.

boo seungkwan was far from a quiet person. all of his friends said he was the biggest extrovert among the thirteen, and it was easy to see. he was always the life of the party; entertaining everyone around him, cracking jokes left and right, always willing to talk with everyone no matter the topic, always ready to lend a helping hand when in need. everyone who ever had a chance to met him had the very same opinion of him - he was an amazing, sweet, loveable guy.

and yet somehow when the two of you were alone it was completely different.

it’s like there was an invisible wall between the two of you, something blocking a normal conversation from flowing naturally. it did make you a little disappointed every time you thought about it, although you have long given up the hope of building a closer connection with boo seungkwan the moment jeonghan informed you of his relationship status. maybe your crush was supposed to stay just that - a fleeting feeling unable to bloom into something more.

the entire drive to the store was silent; you could only hear the music coming playing at a low volume, seungkwan humming the melody occasionally. throughout the entire drive you couldn’t shake off the feeling of seungkwan watching you; you didn’t dare turn towards him, too focused on the road. you shifted your focus from seungkwan to the shopping you were about to do. you were lucky that the nearest supermarket was still open at this hour. thank god to whoever thought of making stores open 24/7.

you parked right next to the entrance, both of you swiftly making your way inside the store. still, no words were exchanged as you walked around, trying to find the alcohol aisle before seungkwan finally caught a glimpse of it at the end of the store, taking the lead as he pushed the cart in the right direction.

‘how much do we actually plan on buying?’ you were almost startled seungkwan’s voice, the man finally starting a conversation with you as the two of you stood in front of the alcohol aisle, eyeing the various bottles displayed on the shelves. you thought about the answer for a second, turning your head towards the boy.

‘enough for all of them to be satisfied, but not enough to let soonyoung throw up in the kitchen sink yet again.’ you said, recalling the unpleasant memory. ‘that shit was a nightmare to clean.’

seungkwan chuckled quietly, that warm smile you adored so much appearing on his face, his eyes lingering on your face for a second longer.

‘noted.’

before he could reach for the beer bottles on top of the shelves, he heard his phone buzzing, reaching into his pocket to check who it could’ve been. you’ve assumed it would probably be one of your friends, their patience running thin as they wanted their drinks to arrive as soon as possible - but you were proven otherwise once you noticed his reaction.

upon seeing the contact name, which you didn’t catch, flash on his screen, seungkwan’s demeanour immediately shifted. you could visibly see him tense up, fingers almost immediately clicking ‘ignore’ as his smile fell for just a split second. he quickly regained his composure, though, his lips curving up yet again, softer and less convincing this time. you decided not to ask him about it; if he wanted to, he would tell you himself. but your mind couldn’t stop itself from wondering.

you pushed those thoughts aside for the time being. right now you had to focus on getting the alcohol to jeonghan’s apartment - or else you would have all your friends sending you death wishes.

you tried to stay out of other people’s business, you really did. but with a roommate and best friend as nosy as umji, it was almost impossible to do so.

it was genuinely impressive how much she knew about other people’s lives - you could say she was your own personal gretchen wieners, providing you with gossip and drama whether you asked for it or not. an old colleague was getting married? she knew. your ex situationship fumbled another girl? she knew. that one professor from your college turned out to have a romance with one of his students? she made sure it was the first thing she told you after entering the apartment. so when you opened the door after work and saw her face almost buzzing with excitement, you knew that something interesting must’ve happened.

‘good information for you, not so good for the man of your dreams’ she said, motioning for you to close the door, as she turned her head towards you instantly. ‘i have reasons to believe seungkwan broke up with his girlfriend. scratch that - i know they broke up.’

you didn’t know whether you should jump with excitement or feel bad for your neighbour. instead, you just gave umji the look.

elaborate or else i might explode.

‘she came to our workplace today. i was just finishing some paperwork when i saw him storm off to the bathroom like he was trying to hide from someone. cue a few seconds later and she’s there, all dolled up, somehow even more than usual, listening to mingyu’s poor attempt at convincing her that he was sick and had to clock out early or something.’

umji sat down on the couch, running a hand through her hair.

‘my take is,’ she continued as she got comfortable ‘she did something to betray his trust really bad, and now she’s trying to get him back while he very clearly doesn’t want to and is avoiding her like crazy.’

‘aren’t you two friends?’ you said, reaching for the glass of water you left at the coffee table. ‘you could just ask him, you know.’

you knew that breakups were a really vulnerable thing. still, you couldn’t stop yourself from wanting to know the full story - the tiny glint of hope was still there in the back of your head. you felt bad for thinking like that, but unfortunately, curiosity got the better of you.

‘oh, i didn’t, but mingyu did. from what i overheard, he said that it’s a little complicated and that’s why he doesn't want to bring it up to his friends.’

you let out a chuckle, finding it amusing just how selfless your friend was with the snooping around.

‘well, no wonder. he’ll never hear the end of it if jeonghan finds out. he’s been skeptical about her from the very beginning and-‘

‘holy shit!’ umji squealed looking at her phone, making you jump in surprise at the sudden loud sound. she quickly stood up from her seat, running off to her room. ‘i’m late! okay, i would love to sit here and chit chat with you, you know i would right? but i have to leave in like thirty seconds or else i might be late to my date. love you, bye!’

you didn’t even have enough time to process what she said before she was out the door, leaving only silence (and a dirty dinner plate) behind her. a chuckle left your lips. classic umji.

you shot her a quick text of ‘stay safe and call me if anything goes wrong’ and stretched out, thinking of what to do now that you were left with this information alone, with no one around to talk about it with. so you did what everyone would do.

you were in front of jeonghan’s door in no time, a soft knock as you waited for him to open. you were ready to blurt out the entire formula of ‘you were right again’, following that with the explanation of the entire ordeal, but you were glad you held it in.

boo seungkwan opened the door, eyes widening slightly in surprise as he saw you standing in front of him. he must’ve just gotten out of the shower - his hair was still wet and a little messy, and you had to for yourself not to stare at him too much.

‘oh, hi’ you said quietly, somehow not expecting him to be the one to open the door for you, even though he lived in this apartment just as much as your best friend. ‘is jeonghan here?’

seungkwan shook his head, a soft smile on his lips.

‘you just missed him. he went out like half an hour ago to discuss some work stuff with seungcheol.’

‘oh, i won’t bother you then-‘

‘you’re not bothering me’ he said quickly, words blurted out faster than soonyoung when he tried to showcase his rapping skills after two beers and some whiskey. ‘you can come in. if you want to, of course. i’m actually quite bored so if you have nothing else to do then it would be nice to have some company.

you never complied so fast.

seungkwan suggested ordering some take out, complaining about how his stomach has been empty for the last few hours, and you were happy to agree to his suggestion, quickly agreeing on the food and opting for the most cliche way of spending time together; watching a movie.

you’ve (barely) managed to talk him into putting on one of the final destination movies, despite his many protests (which sounded like a child trying his best to persuade his mother not to go to the doctor). you convinced him it ‘wasn’t that scary’.

seungkwan was hiding behind a pillow before the movie even started.

‘oh come on, i’ve only explained the plot! the movie hasn’t even started yet.’ you whined, trying not to laugh at seungkwan’s displeased expression. ‘you’re just being dramatic.’

‘and you’re trying to make me have a heart attack so you can have your precious best friend jeonghan all to yourself.’ he said, his words muffled by the pillow on his face. the scene was almost comedic, you thought, deciding to torment him a bit more.

‘at least it’s not the one where a guy’s insides get sucked in by a pool’s draining system and then they get sprayed put everywhere-‘

‘can’t we watch cocomelon instead?’

you chuckled slightly, plopping down onto the couch, right next to seungkwan.

‘if you’ll get too scared, i’ll consider it.’

he finally complied with the most dramatic sigh you have ever heard in your life, the sound in itself making you giggle yet again. seungkwan kept clutching the pillow in his hands as the movie began, ready to use it to cover his eyes at all times, shooting you a glare each time you held up your laugh at his reactions.

after around twenty minutes or so, seungkwan’s phone started blowing up.

at first you thought it was his friends; you were after all aware of the infamous group chat with his twelve friends that would blow up with hundreds of messages due to the sheer amount of people in it.

but seungkwan’s expression changed to a displeased look, and this time it wasn't because of the movie.

his eyes kept moving from the tv screen to his phone, a small, almost inaudible sigh following each. in result, you watched as seungkwan finally put his phone on mute, standing up so he can leave it somewhere out of his view.

‘everything okay?’ you asked quietly as you noticed him sit back down, his mood slightly changed. seungkwan looked over to you, his face expression changing to a smile.

‘yeah. it’s just,’ he hesitated for a little, as if deciding on whether he should confide in you with this information or not. after a short pause, he decided to continue. ‘my ex won’t stop bugging me, you know? well, i suppose you do know already.’

you tilted your head slightly, as if not understanding what he meant.

‘umji isn’t really slick with her eavesdropping, you know.’ he mumbled. ‘and knowing her, she’d probably yap to you first.’

well, he wasn’t wrong.

‘sorry for that.’

‘don’t be. it’s not your fault.’

‘can i ask what happened?’

seungkwan let out a small chuckle, his eyes darting away towards his hands.

‘we started dating- well, fake dating first because she tried to get rid of a guy that wouldn’t stop bugging her. i felt bad for her, and i wasn’t interested in anyone at the time, so i agreed to it.’ the movie seemed to be forgotten already, your attention solely on seungkwan and the story he was telling.

seungkwan seemed like the person who would agree to a fake dating situation out of pure pity; his friends often mentioned how he’s too nice for his own good, and you couldn’t disagree. he was always extremely empathetic towards others, and as much as you viewed it as a strength, at times it was the exact opposite.

‘it wasn’t all that bad; she’s sweet, funny and all, but i thought we agreed on it being just a deal that would last for no more than a year. but when that weird guy finally stopped bugging her and i tried to call things off, suddenly she would find every excuse imaginable to keep me next to her for longer. she wouldn’t even listen to me when i tried to give her my reasoning! the only thing that i could do was to just try and ignore her. unfortunately for me, she knows where i work. and even worse: where i live. i’m surprised she hasn’t tried to come down here yet. except for leaving multiple letters in our mailbox downstairs. then there’s also calling and texting me every day and-‘

‘is she a psycho or something?’

seungkwan chuckled.

‘yeah. insane girls dig me, i guess.’ he fixed his hair, a few strands sticking to his forehead. ‘unfortunately for her, i like someone else.’

oh.

seungkwan’s confession definitely caught you off guard, but it has also made you extremely curious of the details. of course, there were a few possibilities of how this situation would unfold:

1. the, at least in your opinion, less possible one - the mystery girl that seungkwan mentioned turns out to be you, cue a sweet love confession and living happily ever after with three dogs two cats and jeonghan (because he is part of the package, unfortunately)

2. it’s a different girl, and upon finding out you will drown in agony yet again, having to listen to him talk about someone he likes while being painfully aware that it’ll never be you.

you thought of what to say next, weighing the options while taking into consideration the possible outcomes as fast as you could, trying not to let the silence between you and seungkwan linger for too long. the most logical approach would probably be not to ask, slowly changing the topic of the conversation to avoid any awkwardness from both sides. but logic, as it often was the case with you, got quickly swept aside by a wave of curiosity.

‘oh really? i wonder who that could be.’

you tried to sound chill, and you prayed to god that seungkwan didn’t notice the slight change in the pitch of your voice as you spoke. he averted his gaze yet again, eyes falling down to the floor, all of a sudden very interested in the rug that has been in that same place for over two years now.

‘well, i guess i can tell you.’ he mumbled, and you swore you’ve never seen him this shy before. you always believed seungkwan to be the loud, extrovert type who’s always extremely outspoken and draws attention all the time: and you mostly weren’t wrong. but behind that was a different side of him, one that you wouldn’t see often. a side much more vulnerable, much more calm, almost as if he switched personalities with someone else.

seungkwan cleared his throat, turning his head to face you with a small smile. he scooted a bit closer, as if to tell you a secret, and only then have you noticed how close to him were you sitting, arms gently brushing against each other, faces closer than ever before. you could almost feel his breath on your skin, the entire situation making your face flush with a light shade of pink that you hoped seungkwan hasn’t noticed.

you expected him to explain who the mystery person was. what you didn't expect, however, was for boo seungkwan to lean in and kiss you.

in a different life you might've taken that as a sign of you finally getting your chance; kissing him back, getting your happy ending after months of unreciprocated feelings. and yet as much as you wanted to pull him closer, move towards him, your body betrayed you. you froze on the spot, paralyzed and unable to do anything other than sit there in utter shock, which alerted seungkwan to move back, a look full of panic and regret starting to appear.

the boy opened his mouth, eyes scanning your face. he was ready to say something, but the sound you were met with was surely far from his voice.

‘guess who’s back!’

yoon jeonghan.

you almost jumped at the sound, quickly followed by what seemed to be bottles clanking in the bag and seungcheol’s quiet greeting as he entered right behind your friend. jeonghan immediately sensed that something was happening upon noticing the displeased expression on your face and the slight flush on seungkwan’s ears; a detail that even you haven’t noticed. you turned towards the tv, ready to grab the remote and pause the movie, only to notice the end credits rolling. time sure flies fast.

‘weren’t the two of you supposed to discuss some work stuff?’ seungkwan asked awkwardly, hand motioning to the bag his friend set down on the kitchen counter, as if to suggest they were using work as an excuse to drink together yet again. jeonghan chuckled, opening one of the drawers to search for a bottle opener.

‘we finished early. sorry for interrupting your date, lovebirds.’ seungcheol couldn’t help but cackle at jeonghan’s comment. your face heated up almost immediately, head quickly turning towards seungkwan who was ready to deny his roommate’s claim, but jeonghan was faster. ‘don’t explain yourself, i don’t wanna know. join us for a drink, will you?’

the two of you complied, having no other choice, and even though you weren't the only ones in the room, you could feel the atmosphere change; seungkwan appeared more quiet, avoiding eye contact with you, almost as if he wasn't fully present in the conversation.

you couldn’t help but sigh, pulling out your phone to quickly answer notifications from umji, opening your chat with jeonghan to send him a short message, making your friend chuckle, his signature smirk appearing as he spotted the notification on his phone screen.

‘i hate you more than words can describe.’

umji hasn’t stopped laughing for five minutes.

‘oh, jeonghan really knows how to fuck with you two. it’s almost as if he did it all on purpose.’

‘you're focusing on the wrong thing, umji!’ you whined, turning to lay on her back, a displeased look on your face as you covered it with a pillow. ‘did you not hear me when i said that he kissed me? do i have to repeat myself again and be even more embarrassed? he kissed me, and i didn't even react- god, why did i not react at all?’

‘i did, don't whine. have you spoke to him since then? small talk doesn’t count.’ umji questioned as she plopped on the couch, laying down next to you. the grimace on your face only grew larger as you shook your head.

it’s been over three weeks since that evening and you and seungkwan haven’t exchanged a single word or text. you tried to blame it on the different work hours, the piles of paperwork you had and the time consuming team projects seungkwan had to deal with, but deep down you were aware that what happened has surely been at fault as well. despite your busy schedule, trying not to think about it was impossible.

if you bumped into each other on the elevator, seungkwan would politely meet you and practically sprint out the moment the doors opened. as time went by you noticed that he even started taking the stairs sometimes, giving the excuse of ‘getting more exercise’ when questioned about it by jeonghan. whenever someone mentioned going out for drinks or meeting at someone's house to spend some quality time together, seungkwan was either a no show or avoided you like the plague; it was an unbearable thing to experience, but you've learned to bottle it up so that you don't turn everyone's mood sour.

umji broke the silence, noticing your long lack of a verbal response.

‘to be perfectly honest, i think the two of you are just fucking stupid. well, him mostly, but you know what i mean.’

‘huh?’

the girl sighed.

‘you two clearly like each other.’ she explained, dragging you up to a sitting position. ‘instead of talking to each other and clearing things up, you tiptoe around it and pretend nothing has happened. and i can understand everything, truly, but he's acting like a high school girl avoiding her crush in the hallway. no offence, i love you both, but if you don’t corner him in some way and talk it out i will ask jeonghan to do it for you, and you know he will make a show out of it.’

‘you wouldn’t do that.’ you looked over to your friend, who shrugged in response.

‘desperate times call for desperate measures.’ she smiled innocently. ‘anyways, it’s your turn to do the laundry today, love. the basket isn’t going to get itself downstairs to the laundry room, you know.

upon hearing you groan, umji couldn’t help but crack a laugh. getting the laundry downstairs and then back to your apartment had to be on of your least favorite house chores to do despite not being as tiring as some of the others. you hated the laundry ever since you were young; maybe because you were always the one to do it in your house, taking a plastic chair from the garden to stand on so that you would even be able to hang the clothes to dry, or maybe because jeonghan tried his best to make you fall from said chair whenever possible, blaming it on the wind each time. as the two of you grew up he stopped his antics, but it was safe to say that upon any mention of the laundry your expression still turned into an almost comical grimace.

the laundry room in your apartment complex was located on the first floor, and so you opted for the only logical option; the elevator. while inside, you couldn’t help but think of seungkwan. maybe what umji was saying was right - maybe you should’ve just come up to him and talk instead of drowning in agony and waiting in your room. but then again, with how much he was avoiding you, it wasn't as easy as it sounded.

your thoughts were consumed by seungkwan at this point; about how to approach him again, how to tell him the truth about your feelings towards his. the universe had a funny way of working, though, and it certainly did not want to give you time to plan it out.

you saw his face first thing when the elevator door opened; here stood boo seungkwan in all of his glory, black shirt and shorts along with his all time favorite navy blue cap. you assumed he was back from a run by the outfit and the beads of sweat on his forehead.

seungkwan seemed just as surprised as you were, eyes darting away from your gaze instantly.

‘oh, hi-‘

‘could you help me carry the laundry?’ seungkwan was ready to greet you and leave it at that, but you didn’t give him the chance, cutting him off before he finished speaking. the man turned around, taking a quick look at you and the heavy-looking laundry basket in your hands, and the answer was obvious.

neither of you uttered a word throughout the walk, the silence between you absolutely unbearable; you could physically feel the weight of the words that haven’t been said for the past few weeks, hovering over you and making it impossible to function normally around one another.

seungkwan awkwardly put the basket down on the ground, right next to one of the many washing machines in the laundry room.

‘thank you.’ you offered him a smile, trying to soften the atmosphere at least a bit. a sense of relief washed over you when you saw him smile back; you missed that sight a lot during the past weeks, so, although it was a small thing considering the whole situation, it made you more joyful than you would like to admit.

he stood there for a few more seconds, unsure of what to do with himself before eventually turning back towards the door.

‘i should go back to my apartment now, i guess.’

seungkwan didn’t even manage to take three steps before he felt your hand on his arm, gripping it lightly.

‘wait.’ your voice was quiet as he turned around to face you, confused and curious at the same time. you took a deep breath as if to gain some more courage through it before you continued. ‘can we talk? about, you know, that evening-‘

‘ah, that!’ seungkwan’s demeanor changed visibly at the mention of that particular situation, an awkward laugh leaving his lips. ‘yeah, about that. i’m sorry for doing that, you know, kissing you and stuff, i should’ve told you that i like you first instead of acting up on it like a hormonal teenager and ruining the mood. it’s stupid, you can forget all of that really-‘

‘seungkwan.’

‘-and i can understand if you don’t feel the same way, you know? i didn’t want it to be awkward for you at the functions so i distanced myself a bit but it’s all good, we can still be friends if you don’t mind but then again i can totally understand it if you don’t want that to be the case-‘

‘boo seungkwan.’

‘what?’

before he knew it, your lips were on his.

seungkwan was definitely caught by surprise, and yet his hand instinctively went up to rest on your cheek as the other found its way to your waist, pulling you closer and deepening the kiss. it felt as if the two of you were letting out all the tension from the past weeks; all the words which haven’t yet been said conveyed in one action. he felt your fingers running through his hair and he couldn’t help the low hum of satisfaction leaving his lips.

you were practically melting in his hands, trying to keep yourself from smiling as your lips worked swiftly against his, wanting to savor this moment forever, drowning in the pleasure of a simple kiss.

‘you said that it’s stupid and that i can forget all of it.’ you repeated his words, breaking the kiss for a quick gasp of air. ‘it wasn’t stupid. and i certainly do not want to forget it.’

seungkwan smiled, eyes sparkly, glimmering with a childlike joy and you swore he never looked more beautiful. he didn’t say anything; instead kissing you again, letting his actions do the talking for him.

‘this whole thing feels like a dream i’m going to wake up from in a second.’ he muttered in between kisses, not wanting to stop it just yet. you couldn’t help but chuckle at his remark.

‘should i pinch you so you find out?’ you mumbled, reaching for one of his hands and intertwining your fingers with his as you took a step back, smiling playfully at seungkwan, both of you visibly flushed.

‘nah. i think one more kiss will do the trick instead.’

‘are you sure you packed everything?’

you turned your head towards seungkwan who was anxiously pacing around the room and you. couldn’t help but chuckle. you smiled, getting up from your sitting position to approach him, a reassuring smile on your face.

‘a hundred percent sure.’

‘what about sunscreen? and toothpaste, have you packed toothpaste?’ seungkwan continued rambling as he stood in front of you, taking your hands in his. he was caught off guard by your sudden laugh, head tilting to the side. ‘what’s so funny?’

‘you’re cute, kwannie.’ you mumbled, leaning in to give him a quick peck on the lips. ‘i have checked it a few times to see if i have packed everything, so you don’t have to worry. and even if it turns out we forgot something, we can buy it when we get there.’

seungkwan seemed more relaxed after hearing your words, lips curving up into a smile as he wrapped his arms around you in a tight hug, placing a small kiss on the top of your head.

‘you’ll have plenty of time for smooching and hugging and whatnot once we’re at our destination, lovebirds.’ jeonghan’s voice echoed from behind you, the man leaning on the doorframe with his arms crossed. ‘we have a plane to get to now, you know.’

you sighed dramatically, loosening the hug and eventually stepping out from your boyfriend’s personal space to go close your suitcase.

‘remind me, why are we taking you with us again?’ you asked, pretending to be annoyed with your friend’s presence.

‘because you both love me very dearly, obviously.’ jeonghan muttered, rolling his eyes, and you could hear seungkwan laughing behind you at his roommate’s statement. ‘also, me and seungkwan are a buy one get one free package. you signed up for that, so take it or leave it.’

‘sure, whatever tickles your fancy, jeonghan.’ you laughed, walking past him in the door. ‘remind me to find you a date so that you stop following us like a puppy.’

‘just call seungcheol up and the problem will be solved.’ seungkwan muttered, the three of you making your way to the elevator. jeonghan was ready to deny his friend’s words but he stopped himself, a sigh leaving his lips.

‘i introduced you two to each other and you make fun of me like that? you two are really something.’ his words earned a laugh from both you and seungkwan, which seemingly irked jeonghan up even more. ‘thank god i have perfect blackmail material for both of you.’

both you and seungkwan turned towards him at the same time, jeonghan’s signature evil-looking grin plastered to his face. the elevator doors opened and all three of you stepped inside with your luggage.

‘oh, and one more thing.’ you mentioned as the elevator stopped downstairs, ready to step out of it the moment the doors open. ‘since i’m driving, i’m choosing the playlist.’

the chaos that ensued after this statement could only make you laugh, seungkwan and jeonghan arguing over how your playlist is shit and it should be one of them who gets to control the aux, the discussion then drifting towards who’s going to be the passenger princess (as if the answer wasn’t obvious already). looking at the two of them bickering, you only thought one thing.

this is going to be a long, long drive.

To the point that it gets hard for you to go out with him because women swoon over him despite his girlfriend sticking to his arm. On the flip side, you often find yourself resisting the urge to throw yourself at him at all times.

Hence, there's no mistaking that you're well aware of Seokmin’s magical charms.

Yet tonight, under the soft glow of the wedding reception lights, he is on another level. As his voice, smooth as velvet and sweet as honey, fills the air, you find yourself dreamily sighing. You watch, completely captivated, an indecipherable warmth blooming in your chest. It isn't even just his voice; it is the way his eyes crinkle when he hits a high note, the gentle sway of his body, and the pure joy radiating from him as he sings for the happy couple.

Then, you hear gasps from tables around you, whispers fluttering through the air.

"Oh my god, his voice is so dreamy!"

“He's so handsome!"

"I'd marry him right now!"

“Is he single?”

A tiny frown touches your lips. You hear this every day—girls gushing over your Seokmin, your perfect, dreamy, and handsome Seokmin. Yet it stirs a strange mix of pride and possessiveness in you. And Seokmin looking like that doesn't help anyway.

You feel a little too much at the moment. Perhaps, if it were any other circumstances, you'd have uncaringly fallen to your knees and proposed to him.

Hell, you'd even—

Wait. What?

The thought strikes you like a jolt of electricity, cutting off your air supply for a second longer than you'd have liked. You quickly gulp a sip of your champagne, mindlessly twisting a paper napkin until it forms a tiny, makeshift ring.

By the time Seokmin finishes his song, you have your plan.

The moment he steps off the stage, still flushed with the performance, you grab his hand and pull him through the crowd, past the admiring gazes, and out into the quiet wedding garden. The air is cooler here, scented with blooming jasmine. You turn to face him, the paper ring clutched tight in your hand, and before he can even ask what is going on, you drop to one knee.

"Marry me, Seokmin," you blurt out, the words tumbling over each other. "I'm so sorry for how sudden this is but like, it's your fault! You're so handsome and perfect and husband-able, I cannot take this anymore!”

Seokmin’s eyes are practically popping out in surprise, but he's also smiling and somehow that boosts your shrinking confidence.

“Every single girl in there was practically proposing to you with their eyes and I just… Will you please, please, please marry me?"

He stares down at you, his smile bubbling into a giggle that quickly turns into a full-blown laugh. He throws his head back, his rich laughter echoing in the night, a sound you sickeningly adore.

"Marry you?" he manages to say through his amusement, his eyes sparkling. "As in marry marry?”

You nod earnestly, holding out your crumpled creation. He reaches out, his warm fingers gently taking the paper ring from you. His laughter softens into a tender smile, and he slips the tiny paper band onto his ring finger. "Yes," he says, his voice husky, "A thousand times yes."

You squeal, standing up and throwing your arms around his neck. He stumbles a little at the impact, but manages to steady you both anyway, his sweet laughter returning. “Funny, because I was going to ask you tonight anyway.”

Your giggles come to a halt as you pull your head back to look at him, eyes full of surprise. “Really? You were?”

He hums, “Uh huh, but guess that ring will have wait. For now,” he pulls a little away from you, taking out a tissue pack from his pocket. “Can you make one for yourself too? I think I'll suck at this.”

You let out the dreamiest, most satisfied laugh, nodding at him as you begin folding the paper into a ring. Once it's done, Seokmin carefully slips it into your finger. It crumples a little more, but you don't care.

You just press your lips to his, satisfied to hear the girls pass by and gasp.

“So he wasn't single?”

“Fuck, are those paper rings?”

“How cringe…”

©HANNIESCOOKIE | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED