It had barely even been three months since he'd gone solo. Three months of rushed debut preparations—studio sessions, meetings with his new team and staff, choreography practice, photo shoots for the concept images, and filming the music video. And on top of all that, his already packed schedule had only gotten busier. Brand ambassador deals came pouring in left and right, overseas trips for campaigns and fashion events, magazine interviews, variety show appearances, fan signs, livestreams, and endless rehearsals that bled into the early hours of the morning. Somewhere between airport terminals and dressing rooms, the days had begun to blur together. It just seemed like it would never stop.

Then there was the internet.

Almost every social media platform felt like an endless purgatory. Fan wars seemed to consume every corner of it; debates over "ENHYPEN IS 7" and "ENHYPEN IS 6" flooded his timeline day after day. Speculation about why he'd left ranged from plausible to outright bizarre. And, of course, there was the inevitable hate that came with it all.

He's so selfish.

Traitor.

He's going to flop as a soloist.

I never liked him anyway.

Heeseung had tried bringing it up to his team once, asking if there was anything they could do to help calm things down. The staff had only exchanged tired looks before one of them gave a small shrug.

"It's the internet," they'd said. "People will find something new to be angry about eventually."

Maybe they were right. Maybe the noise would fade with time. But that didn't make it hurt any less. Every notification, every trending post, every accidental glance at his mentions felt like willingly pressing on a bruise that never had the chance to heal.

He sighed heavily, putting his phone face down into the sofa. The gesture makes you glance over, suddenly concerned.

"Hee?" you ask, your tone gentle. "Are you okay?"

He looked over, offering you a smile that never quite reached his eyes. It lingered for only a second before slipping away. "Yeah, I'm okay," he replies, though he himself doesn't sound as convinced. He paused, shaking his head with a quiet chuckle as if trying to laugh it off. "Don't worry about me, Y/N. I'm alright."

You didn't answer immediately.

"Don't do that to me."

"Do what?"

"That," you gesture vaguely at him, studying him carefully. "That thing you do when you're clearly lying to me. When you're hiding something."

Heeseung looks away guiltily.

You sigh softly. You knew your boyfriend too well to know he'd almost never admit he's carrying too much. Nagging him for that wouldn't make things any better.

So instead, you reach for his phone, making his eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "Babe? What are you doing?"

"I just want to see what they're saying," you say, unlocking the screen and opening X, trying to view his timeline.

Heeseung just sighs, sinking deeper into the cushions. "It's not worth it, Y/N. It's just upset us both—"

Before he can reach over to stop you, you've already started scrolling.

The first few posts aren't too bad. Fan edits from old concerts, clips of him laughing during livestreams, fans counting down the days until his debut. You almost think he's overreacting.

Then your thumb slows.

"...Seriously?"

Heeseung doesn't bother asking what you found. The tired sigh that leaves him tells you he already knows.

He's so selfish for leaving.

You let out an incredulous scoff.

"They don't even know what happened."

Another swipe.

I heard the members couldn't stand him.

"...According to who?" You tap on the account, squinting at the profile. "An anime profile picture with thirty followers?"

Heeseung lets out a humorless laugh, leaning further back into the couch.

"People just make things up."

"Apparently." You shake your head, scrolling again. "Oh, here's another one."

Solo career's gonna flop.

You stare at the screen for a moment before looking over at him.

"...The teaser photos aren't even all out yet."

"I know."

"They don't know what the album sounds like."

"I know."

"They don't know the concept."

Another quiet, defeated—

"I know."

You slowly lower the phone into your lap, turning to look at him instead.

"...I'm getting mad enough for the both of us."

Heeseung just laughs again, reaching again for his phone. "See? I told you it wasn't worth it."

But you hold it out of his reach again, earning a pout from your bleach blonde boyfriend. "Y/N-"

"I wasn't finished."

"Please?"

"Just a little more?"

Realizing that there was probably no winning with arguing with you over this, Heeseung slumps back into the sofa, resorting to resting his head on your shoulder as you proceeded back to scrolling through his X timeline. "...Let's see."

A few more swipes.

Your nose wrinkles.

He's washed up.

You blink, then glance down at the boy who was currently getting himself comfortable in your side.

"...You're twenty-four."

Heeseung hums absentmindedly. "I know."

"How are you washed at twenty-four?"

"No clue."

You shake your head.

"They're acting like you're forty-eight with a bad knee."

That earns another laugh from him.

You grin, satisfied, before continuing.

Never got the hype. He's ugly anyway.

"..."

You look down at the tweet.

Then slowly turn your head toward the man currently resting on your shoulder.

His blonde hair was a little messy from leaning against you. He looked tired, sure—but even now, with dark circles under his eyes and an oversized hoodie swallowing him whole, calling him ugly felt objectively incorrect.

You look back at the tweet.

"...Are they blind?"

"I think that's just Twitter."

"No, because that's an insult to me, too." You wrinkle your nose, feigning offense. "They're accusing me of having bad taste."

He chuckles.

"But this one is just... factually inaccurate."

He laughs through his nose, eyes still closed. "I'm sure they'll be happy to hear that."

You scroll again. More baseless and brainless threads, conspiracy theories, fan wars and arguments here and there. But they were all the same to you, until…

"...Oh."

"What?"

"I think we've peaked."

Heeseung cracks one eye open.

"What now?"

You don't answer right away. Instead, you slowly turn the screen towards him.

Lee Heeseung is the JoJo Siwa of K-pop.

Silence.

The two of you stare at it.

"..."

"..."

You lower the phone again, looking him up and down. You stifle a laugh, glancing back and forth between the post and back to your boyfriend, who now looked just as baffled and amused as you were.

"I'm trying."

Heeseung snorts.

"I really am."

"What are you trying to do?"

"I'm trying to understand."

He lets out a tired laugh. "Have you figured it out yet?"

"No." You shake your head. "I'm completely lost."

You gesture vaguely in his direction.

"You don't wear giant bows."

"I don't."

"You've never rolled up to Music Bank in a glitter-covered car."

"I haven't."

"You've never aggressively rebranded yourself into a grown-up pop star after spending your childhood on reality TV."

"...Oddly specific, but no, I haven't."

"I'm covering all my bases."

He chuckles, letting his head rest more comfortably against your shoulder.

You continue staring at the tweet like it might eventually explain itself.

"No, because where did they even get this from?" You glance over at him, then back down at the tweet, trying to make sense of it. "Is it because you're blonde now?" You tilt your head, giving him an exaggerated once-over before shaking it almost immediately. "No. I'm sorry, but being blonde does not suddenly make you look like a former Dance Moms child star with an obnoxiously high ponytail."

A laugh escapes Heeseung before he can stop it.

"I'm genuinely trying to understand the thought process here," you continue, still staring at the screen. "Like, usually I can at least see where people are coming from, even if it's a stupid comparison. This one? They just put two names in the same sentence and called it a day."

A laugh escapes him before he can stop it, louder than the last few.

You can't help but smile to yourself.

"There you are."

Heeseung hums, lifting his head just enough to look at you. "Hm?"

"You." You gently nudge his shoulder with your own before giving his phone a small shake. "I've been trying to get this guy back all evening."

His eyes linger on you for a moment before his smile softens again. "...Thanks."

You simply smile back, locking his phone and setting it on the coffee table.

"Anytime."

You both linger in the silence, the air now noticeably much less tense than it was ten minutes ago.

"But if you ever do show up to a music show in rhinestones and a side ponytail..."

He groans.

"Y/N."

"...I'm taking pictures."

"And I'm deleting them."

"You can certainly try."

The smile lingering on Heeseung's face slowly fades as he stares up at the ceiling.

"...You know," he says after a while, his voice barely above a murmur. "Sometimes I wish I could just... disappear."

You look up almost immediately.

"Hee."

"Just for a little while," he adds quickly, shaking his head. "Not forever. Just..." He lets out a quiet laugh. "Long enough for everything to stop."

The room falls silent, the lighthearted atmosphere that was there mere minutes ago all gone now.

You shift so you're facing him properly, your expression far more serious than before.

"Don't say things like that."

"I'm serious."

"I know you are." You reach for his hand, your thumb brushing over his knuckles. "That's exactly why I don't want to hear you say it."

He lets out a quiet sigh, his gaze dropping to where your fingers were still loosely intertwined with his.

"I don't mean..." He trails off, shaking his head. "I don't mean disappearing forever. I just..." Another humorless laugh escapes him. "I don't know. I wish everything would stop for a while."

"It will."

"You don't know that."

"No." You gently squeeze his hand. "But I know this isn't forever."

He doesn't answer.

Instead, he leans into you again, his forehead brushing against your shoulder.

"I just hate seeing you like this," you admit quietly. "You spend so much time worrying about everyone else that you forget to be kind to yourself."

A small smile tugs at his lips.

"You make me sound like a saint."

"I make you sound like my boyfriend."

That earns another soft laugh.

You smile to yourself before resting your cheek against the top of his head.

"So no more disappearing, okay?"

He stays quiet for a moment.

"...Okay."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

You hum in satisfaction, wrapping your arms around him a little tighter.

"Good."

The apartment grows quiet again.

The television continues playing in the background, long forgotten as the two of you settle deeper into the couch, tangled up beneath the throw blanket. At some point, your breathing evens out against him, your grip around his waist loosening ever so slightly.

Heeseung glances down.

"...I love you," he whispers.

You don't answer.

Already asleep.

A small smile crosses his face as he brushes a strand of hair away from your face. then it slowly fades away, something that seemed more melancholic taking over.

"I promise."

The words barely leave his lips.

His eyes drift toward the window, where the city lights blur together against the night sky.

Just until everything settles down.

He closes his eyes.

Just... for a little while.

What would it be like... if I really did disappear?

Four hours later, Heeseung finds himself walking down the nearly empty streets of Seoul.

He'd tucked you back into bed before leaving, pressing one last lingering kiss to your forehead while you slept. By the time he quietly slipped out of your apartment, the city had long since settled into the calm that only came after midnight.

Now, he was on his way back to the dormitory.

His dormitory.

The thought still felt foreign.

Not so long ago, "home" had meant six other voices echoing through the halls. Late-night gaming sessions. Someone stealing food from the fridge. Arguments over whose turn it was to do the laundry. Now, it was just him.

His company had insisted it would be easier this way. More privacy. More space. Somewhere he could properly focus on preparing for his solo debut.

Heeseung wasn't sure he'd ever hated the word space more.

The silence waiting for him at the end of each day was deafening.

He lets out a quiet sigh, shoving his hands deeper into the pockets of his hoodie.

At least he still had you.

The thought manages to bring a small smile to his face.

His eyes wander absentmindedly across the street as he walks, only stopping when a brightly lit storefront catches his attention.

A novelty shop.

It looked like one of those places that sold everything and nothing at the same time—rows of keychains hanging in the window, shelves lined with tiny figurines, lucky charms, scented candles, crystals, and other trinkets promising good fortune or positive energy.

He almost walks past it.

Almost.

Instead, he finds himself pushing the door open, the tiny bell overhead chiming softly as he steps inside.

Warm light spills over crowded shelves, every corner of the little shop packed with something strange enough to make him stop and look.

Maybe buying something stupid would help. It wasn't like he had anything better to do tonight. So, Heeseung wanders aimlessly for a few minutes, absentmindedly picking up random trinkets before setting them back down.

A miniature lucky cat.

A tiny astronaut keychain.

Some oddly shaped stress toy.

Then, his eyes land on something tucked away near the register.

A small display of willow branches, each sealed inside a narrow glass vial with a handwritten tag tied around the neck.

One Wish Willow.

REMOVE FROM THE BOX AND JUST MAKE A WISH! SPARK THE MIDDLE AND BREAK IT IN HALF. WHAT ARE YOU WISHING FOR?

He snorts quietly to himself.

"That's a little dramatic." Heeseung murmurs.

Still, he picks the box up.

It was lighter than he'd expected. Turning it over in his hands, he finds the back covered in tiny blocks of text beneath the instructions. Almost like... an FAQ.

His eyebrows knit together.

How many times can I wish?

Single use only. Grants one wish. No multiple attempts. Using additional One Wish Willows™ will not change or affect your other wishes. Only one wish per life per person.

He huffs out a laugh. Who writes an FAQ for a magic stick? Before he could put it back down, another section catches his eye.

Can I change my wish?

Once made, a wish cannot be reversed or repeated. Consider long-term effects. Wishes are irreversible. Think carefully before wishing.

He rolls his eyes.

"Wow… they really thought this through."

As ridiculous as he found it… he keeps reading.

Is there anything I can't wish for?

Cannot grant wishes involving time manipulation, resurrection, immortality, or creating more One Wish Willows™.

It almost reads less like a joke and more like a legal disclaimer. At the very bottom sat one final section;

What if I'm dissatisfied with my wish?

TABI Cat Curiosities is not responsible for wish misinterpretations. Use at your own risk. Users assume all responsibility for wish outcomes.

"...Wish misinterpretations?" A quiet laugh escapes him as he gives the box one last look before placing it back on the shelf.

"Ridiculous."

"You'd be surprised."

The unexpected voice makes him glance up.

The cashier offers him a small smile from behind the register, pausing halfway through restocking a rack of keychains.

"They're surprisingly popular."

Heeseung raises an eyebrow, his gaze drifting back to the little display of boxed willow branches.

"...Really?"

"Mhm." She nods matter-of-factly. "I sell more of those than you'd think."

"Do people actually believe they work?"

The woman shrugs.

"I couldn't tell you." She goes back to straightening the display in front of her. "Some people buy them as gifts. Some think they're funny. Some..." Another small shrug. "...figure it couldn't hurt."

Couldn't hurt.

His eyes fall back to the boxes on the shelf.

It was obviously made up. Just another novelty item sitting among lucky charms and crystals, dressed up with enough disclaimers to make it feel convincing. A clever little cash grab for people with too much hope and not enough skepticism.

Heeseung had never really believed in things like this.

Wishes didn't solve problems. Magic didn't exist.

Still...

It wasn't exactly expensive. And if nothing else, it'd probably get a laugh out of you once he showed it to you. He picks one of the boxes up again, turning it over in his hands one last time before making up his mind.

"...Can I get one of these?"

The cashier smiles knowingly as she reaches for a paper bag.

"Of course."

By the time Heeseung gets back to his dormitory, it was nearing three in the morning.

He barely has enough energy to change out of his hoodie before collapsing into the chair by his desk. The room had long since stopped feeling like a bedroom. Lyric sheets covered nearly every inch of the floor, some neatly stacked, others scattered wherever they'd landed after another late-night rehearsal. The walls beside his desk were plastered with notes from producers and vocal coaches alike—tiny reminders scribbled in different handwriting.

More desperation.

Breathe here.

Smile through this line.

Again.

His laptop sat open in front of him, the instrumental to Overflow quietly filling the room. It had become second nature by now. He'd listened to it so many times over the past few weeks that he no longer had to think before mouthing along to the lyrics, absentmindedly following the guide vocal as he flipped through another page of notes.

The song had never been particularly difficult.

If anything, that was the problem.

Every lyric seemed to hit a little too close to home. The more he rehearsed it, the less it felt like he was preparing for a debut and the more it felt like he was reading from his own diary.

He lets out a quiet sigh, shaking his head and pen tapping absentmindedly against the edge of the paper before circling another note in the margin.

"...Aniyo."

The phrasing still wasn't quite right.

He presses replay.

The instrumental starts over from the beginning.

Again.

As he reaches into his backpack for another notebook, his hand brushes against something tucked inside.

The paper bag.

"...Right."

He'd almost forgotten.

Pulling the small box free, he sets the One Wish Willow on the corner of his desk without a second thought, more concerned with the pages spread out in front of him than the novelty trinket he'd picked up on the way home. It sits there beside his laptop, almost blending into the clutter.

His attention drifts back to the music.

The instrumental loops from the beginning once more as he adjusts the stack of lyric sheets in front of him, pen tapping idly against the paper while he follows along. Every now and then he'd stop to underline a word, circle a breathing mark, or scribble another reminder in the margins before starting over from the top. It had become a routine over the past few weeks—listen, sing, make a note, replay. Listen, sing, make a note, replay. Somewhere along the way, he wasn't even sure whether he was polishing the performance anymore or simply trying to convince himself he was ready.

Just as he begins another run-through, his phone buzzes against the desk.

He ignores it.

The instrumental continues playing, carrying him into the first verse, but another vibration follows only seconds later. Then another. Before long, the steady stream of notifications begins interrupting his concentration more than the music itself, each buzz pulling his attention away from the lyric sheet in front of him.

He doesn't have to check.

He already knows.

Another article. Another rumor. Another thread dissecting his every move. Another stranger claiming to know why he'd left, why the members no longer spoke to him, why his solo debut was doomed before it had even begun.

His grip on the pen tightens.

With a tired sigh, he reaches over and flips the phone face down, hoping the silence would be enough to help him focus again.

It isn't.

By the time he looks back down at the lyric sheet, he'd already lost his place.

The instrumental continues into the chorus without him.

"...Here we go again."

The words leave his mouth almost instinctively.

He isn't sure whether he was referring to the song... or himself.

The room falls quiet again.

Not because the music had stopped—the instrumental was still playing softly through the speakers—but because Heeseung had.

The lyrics continued without him as he leaned back in his chair, rubbing a tired hand over his face before letting his gaze wander across the cluttered desk. Crumpled lyric sheets. Half-empty water bottles. His headphones. A notebook he'd forgotten to close.

Then his eyes landed on the small box tucked beside his laptop.

Reaching over, he picks it up, turning it over absentmindedly between his hands. The cardboard gives slightly beneath his thumb, the printed instructions on the back just as dramatic as he'd remembered them being.

Make a wish. Light the center. Break it in half.

A quiet huff escapes him.

The whole thing was ridiculous.

Still, he found himself staring at the words a little longer than he probably should have. Maybe it was because it was nearly three in the morning. Maybe it was because he was exhausted. Or maybe it was because, after everything that had happened these past few months, the idea of fixing his problems with a single wish didn't sound quite as laughable as it should have. His thumb lingers against the edge of the box before he quietly slides it open.

Inside rested a single willow branch, thinner than he'd expected, tied neatly with a piece of twine. He turns it over once between his fingers, the dried wood feeling surprisingly fragile in his hands.

Make a wish.

Heeseung stares at the tiny branch for a long moment. It felt ridiculous, standing alone in his room at nearly three in the morning, about to make a wish to a twig he'd bought from a novelty shop on the walk home. It wasn't real. He knew that. It was probably manufactured in some factory alongside the keychains and lucky cats sitting on the shelves beside it.

Still...

"I wish the world would just… leave me alone."

His voice is barely above a whisper.

Not forever.

Just for a little while.

Long enough for everything to quiet down. Long enough to stop feeling like he had to be somewhere, doing something, answering to someone every second of the day.

He rubs his thumb against the middle of the branch before placing both hands around the willow, applying just enough pressure for it to snap cleanly in two.

Then he waits.

The room stays exactly the same.

The instrumental to Overflow continues playing softly through the speakers, the chorus drifting through the room as a car passes somewhere outside. His phone remains face down where he'd left it, blissfully silent for once. Nothing shifts. Nothing glows. Nothing happens.

A quiet sigh escapes him.

Of course nothing happened. He wasn't sure why he'd expected anything else. Maybe he hadn't. Maybe he'd only been curious. Or maybe, somewhere between all the exhaustion and the loneliness of the past few months, a small part of him had wanted to believe that things really could be fixed that easily.

The thought leaves almost as quickly as it comes. Shaking his head, he drops the broken pieces back into the box and pushes it toward the corner of his desk before gathering the scattered lyric sheets into a loose pile. The music cuts off as he closes his laptop, leaving the room to settle back into silence.

Tomorrow was another early morning.

Another rehearsal. Another schedule. He'd deal with it when he woke up.

With little more than that passing through his mind, Heeseung changes into an old T-shirt, slips beneath the covers, and lets sleep find him almost instantly.

By the time the sun rose over Seoul the next morning, the little box was already forgotten.

Morning comes far sooner than Heeseung would've liked.

His alarm blares from somewhere beneath his pillow, dragging him out of an already restless sleep. He groans quietly, fumbling around the sheets until his hand finds his phone. Without even opening his eyes properly, he swipes up out of habit.

The lock icon shakes.

Face not recognized.

His brows knit together.

"...Seriously?"

He lifts the phone a little higher, blinking the sleep from his eyes before trying again.

Face not recognized.

A quiet sigh escapes him. He punches in his passcode instead, figuring Face ID had probably bugged out again. It wasn't exactly the first time technology had decided to stop cooperating for no reason, and after barely four hours of sleep, troubleshooting his phone ranked pretty low on his list of priorities.

The home screen loads.

Almost immediately, something feels... off.

Usually, his notification center would've been overflowing by now. Messages from his managers reminding him of today's schedule. Group chats he'd muted months ago. Fans tagging him in edits overnight. News articles. Mentions. Brand emails. At least a dozen things demanding his attention before he'd even gotten out of bed.

Today...

There were barely any.

Just the weather. A reminder for rehearsal. One promotional notification from an app he'd forgotten to delete.

He stares at the screen for another second before locking it again.

"...Huh."

Maybe everyone had finally decided to leave him alone.

The thought lingers for only a moment before he shakes his head to himself, pushing the blankets aside and getting ready for the day.

The morning air is crisp as he steps out of the dormitory, his route carrying him down the same streets he'd walked almost every day for the past few months to years. A few early commuters passed by without paying him much attention, the city only just beginning to wake around him.

A few minutes later, the familiar little café came into view.

It had become something of a routine. Stop by before rehearsal, grab an iced americano, exchange a few words with the barista before heading to the company building. After enough mornings, they'd stopped asking for his order altogether.

The little bell above the door chimes as he steps inside.

The smell of freshly ground coffee fills the room almost instantly.

"Morning."

The familiar greeting comes from behind the register.

Heeseung glances up, offering the barista a tired smile as he fishes his wallet from his pocket and makes his way over. The café smells faintly of freshly ground espresso, the quiet hum of conversations and steaming milk blending into the familiar morning routine he'd settled into over the past few months.

"Annyeong." He slips his wallet onto the counter. "The usual, please."

The barista hesitates.

"...Sorry?"

"My usual." He gestures vaguely toward the espresso machine with a small, tired smile, thinking maybe she'd just misheard him. "Iced americano."

She doesn't move.

Instead, she looks at him apologetically, brows knitting together for just a moment before she lets out an awkward laugh.

"Sorry... is this your first time here?"

Heeseung blinks.

"...No?"

"I'm sorry." She gives him a sheepish smile. "I don't think we've met before."

For a second, he just looks at her, the words taking a moment longer than they should to register. Then, almost absentmindedly, his gaze drops to the name tag clipped neatly to her apron.

Jiyoon.

He looks back up.

Same short hair. Same silver earrings. Even the tiny moon-shaped pin she'd always worn beside her name tag was still there.

"...You're Jiyoon."

"I am."

"You've been working here for a while."

She nods easily.

"Almost three years."

"...Right."

He falls quiet, rubbing the back of his neck as he lets out a small breath through his nose. For a fleeting moment, he wonders if he's somehow mixed her up with someone else, but the thought disappears almost as quickly as it comes. No. This was definitely the same café. The same counter. The same barista he'd exchanged the same handful of conversations with nearly every morning.

"...Sorry," he says with a quiet laugh, shaking his head. "I must need more sleep."

"It's okay." Jiyoon smiles politely, already turning back to the register. "So... what can I get started for you today?"

He hesitates for the briefest moment.

"...An iced americano."

"Of course."

Her fingers move quickly across the register before she looks back up at him.

"And your name?"

...

Heeseung freezes.

The question itself wasn't strange. Plenty of cafés asked for names. This one never had.

"...Heeseung."

"Thank you."

She types it in without so much as a flicker of recognition before tearing the receipt from the machine and sliding it across the counter.

"It'll be ready in just a few minutes."

He nods absently, taking the receipt before stepping aside to wait. The conversation had lasted less than a minute, no different from any other order placed that morning. Jiyoon had already moved on to greeting the next customer by the time he reached the pickup counter.

It shouldn't have bothered him.

Really, it shouldn't have.

But for reasons he couldn't quite explain, that tiny interaction lingered in the back of his mind long after it was over.

The coffee tastes the same as it always does.

Maybe that was enough to convince him he'd simply imagined the whole thing.

By the time he reaches the HYBE building, the strange encounter at the café has already begun fading into the back of his mind.

The lobby is just as busy as ever.

Staff hurry through the revolving doors with coffees in hand, trainees weave through the crowd carrying backpacks far too big for their shoulders, and idols slip in and out with baseball caps pulled low over their faces. It was the same organized chaos he'd walked through almost every day for years.

Normal.

Everything looked normal.

Employees streamed through the lobby like they always did, coffee cups in hand and lanyards hanging from their necks. The security gates chimed every few seconds as people tapped their IDs against the scanners before disappearing toward the elevators. Somewhere off to the side, someone was laughing over a conversation Heeseung couldn't quite make out.

It was just another morning at HYBE.

He adjusts the strap of his bag before making his way toward the security gate, the familiar route so ingrained into him that he barely has to think about it anymore.

"Morning."

One of the guards looks up from his monitor.

"...Good morning."

Heeseung returns the small nod automatically as he reaches for the lanyard around his neck, already pulling out his company ID. It was a routine he'd repeated hundreds of times before. Tap the card. Wait for the gate to unlock. Head upstairs.

Before he can bring the card to the scanner—

"Excuse me."

His hand stops midair.

He looks up.

The guard is watching him now, his attention no longer on the monitor in front of him but fixed entirely on Heeseung.

"...Yes?"

"Can I help you?"

For a second, Heeseung just blinks at him, the question taking a moment longer than it should to register. A small, confused smile finds its way onto his face as he glances toward the security gates behind the guard before looking back at him again.

"...I'm heading in."

"I'm sorry, sir." The guard steps around the desk, his expression polite but firm. "This entrance is for employees and artists only."

Heeseung can't help but let out a small laugh.

"Oh." He lifts the lanyard hanging around his neck. "Sorry. Here."

The guard takes the ID from him without another word. His eyes scan the card once. Then a second time, before they lift back to Heeseung's face. His brows slowly pull together.

"...Where did you get this?"

The smile slips from Heeseung's face almost immediately.

"What?"

"This identification."

"...You gave it to me."

"I'm sorry?"

"I mean..." He rubs the back of his neck with an awkward laugh, already feeling strangely embarrassed. "Not you, specifically." He gestures vaguely around the lobby. "The company."

The guard doesn't laugh.

If anything, his expression only grows more suspicious.

"I'm going to have to ask you to step aside."

Something twists uncomfortably in Heeseung's stomach as another security guard makes his way over. He recognizes him immediately. The older one had congratulated him after his first music show win. The younger one always wished him luck before overseas schedules. They'd exchanged greetings almost every morning for years.

"...Guys."

Neither of them reacts.

"...Seriously? It's me, you know me—"

The older guard shares a brief look with his coworker before turning back to him, his voice calm enough that it almost makes the situation feel worse. The older guard shares a brief glance with his coworker before looking back at him, his expression no longer suspicious so much as confused.

"Sir... what's your name?"

The question makes something in Heeseung's chest tighten.

It was the second time someone had asked him that today.

Just a few hours ago, the barista at the café had looked at him with that same polite confusion, asking for his name as if she'd never seen him before. He'd brushed it off then, blaming it on a lack of sleep. But now, standing in the lobby of the building he'd walked into almost every day for years... It didn't feel like a coincidence anymore.

He swallows.

"...Lee Heeseung."

Nothing.

"...Evan."

Their expressions don't change.

His heartbeat begins to pick up.

"I'm an artist under BE:LIFT LAB."

Silence stretches between them for another beat before the older guard lets out a quiet, almost sympathetic sigh.

"I'm sorry sir," he says gently. "There isn't an artist under this label by that name."

author's note (2) : shits only gonna go downhill from here bwahahahaha... pt2 in the works <33

taglist: @beomtomie, @andnevertheless — dm or ask to be added !

he’s leaning against the doorframe of your bathroom, has been for the past five minutes. you’re standing in front of the sink, various bags and products scattered across the counter, your eyes never straying far from your reflection in the mirror - except for now, when you look over your shoulder to raise an eyebrow at woonhak. “seriously?”

he nods mutely and you sigh, rolling your eyes, yet a small smile tugs at your cheeks. “you’re not even going to tell me your opinions on how i look?”

you watch in the mirror as he swallows ever so slightly, his eyes traveling down your frame. you’ve donned a red and orange sari, embroidery in golden thread looping and blooming along the edges of the pleated fabric and your blouse. your hair is pinned up, braided and twisted into an artful bun. a matching set of red bangles clink delicately along your wrists, inlaid gems winking in the warm bathroom light.

woonhak meets your eyes through the mirror, and you decide that his scarlet ears are enough of a response for you.

you turn your attention back to the task at hand. you pull down the bottom lid of your eye, applying the smooth black kajal to your waterline. once, twice, then you switch to the top lid. carefully, trying your best to not mess up any of your other makeup, you outline your eye in striking black.

then the other side.

it takes you a minute, but eventually you’re satisfied. you pull away from the mirror, smiling to yourself slightly.

“stunning.”

you turn, blinking at woonhak. “what did you say?”

he runs a hand through his hair, refusing to look at you. “you look stunning.”

this time, you’re the one who turns away with heated cheeks. yet as you do, you feel the knot you’d haphazardly tied while wearing your blouse slip.

oh no.

“woonhak?”

he looks up, meeting your reflection’s gaze. “hm?”

you give him a small smile. “can you come over here, please?”

almost immediately, he pushes himself off the doorframe and walks over to you. “what is it?”

“it’s my blouse.” you gesture to the back, to the thin embroidered fabric that’s now coming undone from the weight of the beads at the ends. “can you tie it a bit more tightly?”

woonhak nods, moving behind you. he grasps the strings, tugging them free of your knot before looping it around his fingers. his knuckles brush the curve of your exposed back, and you shiver ever so slightly at the contact.

he ties it once, twice, and then he’s done.

but he doesn’t step away.

instead, he lets his hands linger over your skin, hovering close enough for you to feel his warmth as places his hands on your waist. he leans in, pressing a small kiss to your exposed shoulder blade before resting his chin on your shoulder.

heat crawls up your neck, butterflies wooshing through your veins.

for all his silly moments, there are moments where he takes your breath away as well.

“you’re so beautiful,” he murmurs, turning his head and pressing a kiss to the side of your neck. “how did i get so lucky to find you?”

your face feels like it’s on fire - but you reach up and ruffle his hair gently, your smile growing wider. “hey, help me put this necklace on.”

woonhak huffs slightly, but pulls away, taking the gold chain and securing it at the nape of your neck. you put on your earrings in the meantime, dangling jhumkas that twinkle with your bangles. when he finishes, he leans back in, this time wrapping his arms around your waist and resting his hands against your exposed stomach.

“have fun at the party tonight,” he whispers, giving you a smile through the mirror. “tell your parents i said hi.”

you smile back at him, nodding gently. “of course.”

“and tell me all the family drama when you get back.”

“of course.”

he laughs at that, squeezing you tightly, and you let out a breath. it’s nice under the soft lamplight, in his warmth and him looking at you with the brightest eyes. it’s peaceful.

even the simplest moments are peaceful with him.

٠ ࣪⭑ © starriniqhts 2026, all rights reserved.

⋆.˚ ☾⭒.˚ want to check out the planetarium's other exhibits?

NOTE 🗒️: i made this half asleep and u can tell SORRY 😣 i am only posting this for graphics and bc its riwoo 😅😊😊

TL (perm): @beababeomie @idontknowhattoputformyname @ivehan @jujuwos @ihanzzn @cinnamorollhyuka

Beomgyu didn't believe in love at first sight. It was stupid, he thought. How could you decide that you loved someone without knowing about that person. Liking them by their looks, that's shallow.

All that until he saw you.

You happened to have common friends and just happened to sit at the same table once. You didn't speak to each other. But he felt it, that skipped heartbeat, the butterflies in his stomach. How cliche.

He thought it was a one time thing. You didn't know him, he didn't know you, hell he only just saw you one time in his whole life. For the first time, in the college cafeteria!

He didn't even know why he felt like that! Was it because of your radiating purity, because you didn't act for anyone or put out a performance to draw attention like he had seen other people do?

He did it himself, put out a performance, not to draw attention but because that's what people wanted from him. From the moment he stepped to college the first day, people were all around him, girls mostly.

In one night he became the hot topic and the next day everyone wanted to be his friend. And all of that because of his looks. He couldn't do nothing but play along since no matter how many times he pushed people away, they kept coming back.

He'd do nothing but the bare minimum, just help the old cleaning lady pick up a rug she accidentally dropped and girls would worship him. And then, all the guys would come to befriend him so they could get popular therefore, attention from the girls.

So he just stopped caring and let everyone do what they wanted with him to the point he forgot who he was. He had so many friend groups and a different personality according what they wanted to see from him.

Maybe that's what he saw, the truth in you. You were just sitting there, talking only when you were ssked, laughing only when you had to, nothing more, nothing less. No fake smiles, words, nothing fake, only the truth.

Admiration, that's what it was. Admiration towards someone who was still real among the fake. Admiration, yes, that's what it definitely was. At least that's what he told himself then.

He didn't know how you changed his entire world viewing. But he fell for you he didn't want to admit it cause he didn't know which him fell for you, he had forgot who he was long time ago and the last thing wanted was fool you, like he was fooling himself all these years.

[...]

He first interacted with you when he decided to join the photography club.

All the freshmen had to join a club. It wouldn't matter for the degree but still, for some reason everyone had to do it. It was like a fraternity thing and he had the choice to stop next year. So much for torturing freshmen, like he was being tormented enough.

At the announcement board, posters of different clubs had taken over. All other announcements were hidden under them, all colourful, trying to the attention of many. How ironic?

By the time Beomgyu got there, the small papers at the end of all posters saying 'join' in big, bold letters, had disappeared. Well, not all, just the most popular amongst the clubs like football, cheerleading, art, music. Not that he cared to join any of those clubs.

His friends were practically pestering him to but even if he did and he was bad, they'd still keep him, they'd still give him the most important role. And even if that meant they'd fail the term's assignment, they'd keep him just to use his fame for their advantage. So no, he didn't want to join any of these clubs.

All except for one, the photography club, which only two pieces of those small paper lines were cut from its poster. He didn't know why but he cut piece and after his first course, he went to sign up.

What he didn't expect was to see you there. You were in a small, crumby classroom, dust particles were floating around, visible by the sunlight. You sitting by the huge round table, near the window. The evening light filtering through the semi-transparent blinds fell just right on your skin.

That's when it happened again. That missed heartbeat, the heat rising through him. He brushed it off before you noticed that he was staring.

"Em, excuse me?" he said hesitantly as if he was afraid to ruin your moment. You looked up from your laptop, your eyes captured the soft sunlight so beautifully. God, why was he thinking like that for a total stranger? What a freak he felt.

"How can I help you?" you asked, your tone soft yet confused.

"Em, it's here right, the photography club?"

"Yeah?"

"Right... Um, were do I sign u-"

"To me." a playful voice interrupted him then, figure emerged from the shadows at the corner of the room.

Choi Yeonjun. A year older. The playboy as rumours said, the last person he expected to see in that club. Honestly, Beomgyu believed he didn't even care enough to join one until professors started chasing around. He seemed like he didn't give a damn crap. So yeah, he was surprised to say at least.

"I'm the leader of the club. As I heard you want to join?" he asked, plopping on a chair, licking on a lollipop. "Yeah." he replied, making his way in. "Cool. You have a camera, right?"

"Um no, but I can buy one."

"Well, you're in." he shrugged, motioning to come and sit.

"Just like that?" Beomgyu asked confused. From what he recalled people telling him today, the had to go through excruciating challenges and interviews to be accepted to a club.

"Well yeah, I mean it's just us. If I had to make someone go through tests and bullshit, I would have to shut down this club."

"Right..." he trailed off, "But you don't have other members from your year?"

"I did last year yeah, but I guess they got bored and resigned."

"Oh..."

"It's better this way, less people, better cooperation."

"You've got a point."

"Of course I do. Oh, I think I didn't introduce you two! How rude of me? Y/n, this is um... What's your name again?" Yeonjun asked shifting his attention from his phone to him. "Beomgyu."

"Ah, you're the Beomgyu! I've heard about you." he responded, popping the lollipop from his mouth. Beomgyu felt uncomfortable at his remark, shifting awkwardly on his chair. What had he heard about him and most importantly, what did you know?

Wait, why did he even care about what you thought of him?

"Well then, Y/n, this is Beomgyu, Beomgyu, this is Y/n." Yeonjun continued.

"Nice to meet you." you said, with a small, discreet smile. At that, Beomgyu was sure he stroked. He didn't dare to look at you in the eyes as he replied "same".

After that, an awkward silence fell upon the room until the door creaked open. "Oh, if this isn't my boy Kai!" Yeonjun mused, getting up. "He doesn't bite, I think. He's our latest addition! His name 's Beomgyu."

"I-um... Hi, nice to meet you Beomgyu. I'm Kai, Huening Kai." the boy said shyly. If this wasn't a college building, Beomgyu could swear that he was a high-schooler. He shorter than Yeonjun, fluffy hair falling in his big, brown eyes.

"Nice to meet you too Kai." he replied, flushing a smile so Kai would feel comfortable with him. At that, Kai slightly eased to him, starting to make small talk.

As it turned out, Kai was a freshman too and apparently Yeonjun's best friend somehow. He definitely didn't seem like the guy who'd hang around people like Yeonjun. He was just too innocent.

He spent the rest of the evening getting to know you, Kai and Yeonjun better. As it turned out, Yeonjun was in a performing arts major and he was a menace. Kai in a computer major and liked programming and gaming.

You were in the same major as him, in the music major. Beomgyu couldn't believe it. He never saw you around, probably because he paid attention to his surroundings, to engrossed in the notes on his pentagram, the only thing keeping him sane. His heart did a stupid thing at the thought of seeing you everyday.

[...]

The next club meeting happened a week after that. In the meantime, Beomgyu would see you in class, sitting a few rows behind him. Sometimes you'd see him too and greet him and it was almost too much for his hard to bear. The way you smiled warmly at him and your eyes. God, he couldn't handle it and it was stupid!

It was easier though when he was with the other to talk to you but most of the times, you would initiate the conversation. He still didn't know how to act around you, his mind wanted to be rational but his heart was hammering each time with anticipation at the thought of seeing you again.

"Your attention please!" Yeonjun said a little too loudly while spreading his legs on the table. "As much I hate working with plans, we have to present a theme for our term assignment. So, suggestions. 3,2,1 and go!"

"Well, as you were wasting time talking around, I thought of couple of themes we could work on."

"I'm listening sexy brain." Yeonjun teased to which you just rolled your eyes. "Firstly, nature-"

"No, it's too basic!" Yeonjun cut in.

"I FIGURED, so I already crossed it of the list. Secondly, cityscapes?"

"No, I want something unique."

"What about people portraits?"

"No, I want something with more passion!"

"You're not helping."

"Love?" Beomgyu hesitantly spoke.

"Yes darling?" Yeonjun replied and shifted his attention to him, playfully batting his eyelashes.

"Tch, I didn- I-"

"Calm down, geez! I was just joking!" Yeonjun said defensively.

"Ugh, I meant as a theme, love?"

"Elaborate?"

"We just photograph things we love, that personally make us happy."

"Hm... hm, HM! Now that would be interesting. Dude, don't you have a sexy brain!" Yeonjun said excitedly, hoping on his feet. All Beomgyu could do was exhale at his antics.

"We proceed with that, if anyone doesn't have objections?" Yeonjun asked changing from playful to serious in record time. Kai just nodded no. "Sounds intriguing, I'm in." you said.

"Great, it's locked!"

[...]

After that day, you all made a program that accommodate you. Meetings for the clubs were twice a week and you scheduled yours for Wednesday and Friday after classes. At Friday's though, Yeonjun would be a little late since he had more lectures than you, so would Kai since he was studying a different course and he had a different program than you.

So, at Friday's, at least for a little while, it would be just Beomgyu and you. Not that he mind though. Why would he? He could do this right?

Wrong.

Friday came and before he could process it, he was back at that small classroom. One other meeting had intervened but not on a Friday when he would be alone with you.

Currently, he was alone in the classroom, leaning against the window, looking outside at the setting sun while listening to music with his headphones on. Suddenly, the music disappeared from his as someone took his headphones.

"What are you listening to?" a voice he would recognise everywhere echoed through the rather empty room. It was you, holding his headphones next to your ear.

"Um... various things." he shrugged.

"Hm, right now you were listening to... Radiohead, Fake Plastic Trees."

"Yeah..."

"Nice pick." you said, handing him back the headphones. "You like Radiohead?" he questioned, taking them without making eye contact, his heart hammering for some stupid reason.

"I love them! I love how they capture the emotions in their songs. It feels real." Real, yes. That's the only real thing about him, the music. People couldn't hear what he listened to so no one would judge him for keeping his real identity inside his play lists, no one would see his fragile side. It was his only safe place.

"Em, should we get started?" he asked to change the topic. "Yeah, let's get some work done before Yeonjun comes and we do nothing but messing around." you replied, taking your seat by the window. Beomgyu sat next to you and pulled out his laptop, opening the the draft file you had started.

"So, I brought some notes. It's just the definition of love and my personal opinion on why we chose this theme." you started, showing him your notebook. "Yeah, I did that too." Beomgyu replied.

"Great. Well, I think we should start by putting the definition of love as prologue so we can start it smoothly. Then explain what it's all about and analyse the prospects."

"Hm, yeah. That'll do. And lastly we put our personal opinions."

"Great, let's start then." you said and started typing on the keyboard. Before he knew it, you two had already finished half the presentation. "Alright, now we just have to wait for Kai and Yeonjun to do their parts." you spoke, breaking the silence Beomgyu hadn't realised fell above you.

"Well, they should be here any minute n-" he tried to reply before Yeonjun slammed the door open. "Oh, hello everyone!" he said obnoxiously loud. Kai followed behind him silent, waving hesitantly.

"How things going here?" Yeonjun asked, leaning close between you two. "Great, we actually finished our parts. All that's left is yours." you replied, stretching your arms above your head.

"Right..." he said and plopped on chair, almost like a protest. Kai sat beside him, already pulling out his notes. Few minutes in and Yeonjun pushes the laptop away, "Wanna go grab a drink?".

"Not until you finish your part~" you sing-alonged, not looking up from your phone. "But it's night already, college will close and we'll be trapped in here and I heard this building is haunted!" Yeonjun whined with pleading eyes.

"Hurry up then." you shrugged.

"But-" Yeonjun tried to object.

"No buts. If you finish your part, then we'll go anywhere you want."

"Anywhere~"

"I'll probably regret it but yes, anywhere."

"Say it's already done!" Yeonjun exclaimed and started typing on the keyboard in lightning speed.

And that's how Beomgyu found himself at the the city's shore, with beers and some snacks Kai had brought. It was so peaceful at this hour, the sky painted in a mix of pastel colours with a few white clouds decorating it.

Beomgyu reached for his bag and pulled out his new camera, he pointed it at the sky and took a picture. "You bought a camera I see." Yeonjun said, stuffing his face with a handful of chips.

"And an expensive one at that..." Kai trailed off, marking the first time he spoke now. "Well yeah, I had to take one..." Beomgyu replied, looking at the picture he took, "I don't know much about cameras so I took the one that was highly recommended."

"But it seems it isn't as good as they say." he commented after a while.

"Dude, you can't be serious. This is the dream of every photographer!" Yeonjun defended the camera like it was his child.

"What's the problem?" you asked, tilting your head towards him, so close he almost dropped the camera. "I um- No matter how many pictures I take, they're always blurry. I'm sure I cleaned the lens and I don't move when I click, so... I don't know." Beomgyu explained.

"Let me have a look." you said, carefully taking the camera from his hands. "You should adjust the lens. Now you had it focused for close distances. If you want to shoot further away, you should twist it left." you continued after contemplated the camera for a few moments.

When you passed it back at him, your fingers brushed for a call of the second and goosebumps rose on his skin. He immediately averted his gaze from you, like it was burning him and muttered a "thank you" under his breath.

The rest of the evening passed in a blur. After that accidental contact, his brain had stopped functioning properly. He could still feel the soft graze of your fingertips on his skin. As much as he would try to rationalise it, his mind was stuck replaying that scene.

God, why was he like that he couldn't understand. He felt like a silly, lovesick teenage boy. And the worst thing, for someone he barely knew! Last thing he wanted was for you to become a victim of his shallow emotions and drive you away.

He didn't want that, it had happened to him again, after all these years of performance, he couldn't tell the difference between love and being treated like a normal human being. But he liked your company, those moments you spent together was everything to him. You never made him feel used, all times you would spend together had a deeper meaning. They were pure and that's why he enjoyed your company, cause with you, nothing was forced.

[...]

For the next few weeks, at the club, you focused on perfecting the presentation. In the meantime, Beomgyu found himself spending a lot more time with his club members, especially you. Since you were on the same major, you also shared classes.

He never sat with you at lectures though, as his other friends would always crowd him. But you'd share notes or talk about how boring was the math professor when you'd meet later at the club.

One day at the cafeteria, while he was walking with lunch tray towards his friends table, his eyes caught you waving your hand to get his attention. He didn't thing twice to ditch his other friends to sit with you.

"Hey." he shyly said, sitting next to you as it was the only available seat, although he wasn't sure he'd made it alive being so close to you. "Hey. Hope I don't interfere with other lunch plans." you said, looking at him with apologetic eyes.

"Wha- No, no, don't worry!" he replied urgently, "What's up?"

"Well, we were thinking, since we have the presentation ready that we should start with the pictures." Yeonjun responded.

"Okay. Um, is there a problem with that?"

"Well, yeah..." Kai trailed off, "We don't know how we're supposed to do it. How put love into pictures, so since it was your idea, we were thinking if you had any way how to do it."

"Hm... Well, I never gave it much thought but maybe..." Beomgyu paused, "We could maybe devide it to outdoors and indoors photography."

"Elaborate." Yeonjun said, taking his now signature lollipop out of his mouth.

"We could, for example, photograph things we love to do or see outside and respectively, inside." Beomgyu explained.

"Inside?" you asked confused. "I mean, our homes, our personal time, what do we like to do." he replied.

"Genius!" Yeonjun exclaimed, almost falling from his chair, "Alright., now listen how we'll do it. For the outdoors photo shooting, we'll spend a whole day out and take pictures." Yeonjun said.

"We'll split into two groups, me and Kai and you with Y/n and spend the day at different locations so to have a variety..."

Did he hear right? He would be at your team?

"This way we'll have two different approaches from the same place but it won't be repeative and boring by seeing similar things from all four of us. Sounds good?" Yeonjun asked, his eyes shooting at everyone.

"Mhm." Kai responded. "Fine by me." you replied, turning to look at him. All Beomgyu could do was nod silently in response.

He would spend a whole day with you, alone? How could he do that without losing his mind!

The days passed before Beomgyu could process it and the day of the outdoors photo shooting arrived. He didn't know why but he spent literal hours the previous night deciding what to wear.

You had agreed to meet up in front the dorms' main building and then head out to your assigned location. When he got there, you were already waiting, your camera in your hands, taking some pictures.

"Sorry I kept you waiting." he said panting from running all the way here. "Don't worry. I came earlier." you replied, handing him a cup of coffee.

"You didn't have too..."

"It's okay, it's my way to say thank you for letting me take a few pictures with your camera today." you said, smiling sheepishly. That did something to him that he tried to ignore.

"When did I say that?" he said teasingly, accepting the drink. All this time, Beomgyu had done a work with himself to be able to exist around you without being awkward. He was able to drop his defences and be confident and funny and messy. But didn't mean the effects you had on him stopped, he just learned to suppress it.

"Please!" you said with fake-puppy eyes since you knew he would let you eitherway. Beomgyu pretended to think for a while before caving in, "Alright, alright, only because I'm a good person." he mused. "The best! Let's get going now." you responded and started walking ahead.

The day went on normal Beomgyu cracking jokes, you rumbling about random things and of course, taking photos. You walked at the centre of the town, snapping pictures from your favourite places, visited a couple of museums, parks and ended up at the banks of Han River.

You were sitting by the water, eating some street food you bought along the way. While he was sitting quietly, eating his hot dog, he felt a warm hand on his cold cheek. "Why your eyes always look so sad?" you asked. The sudden question caught Beomgyu off guard.

"Wha-what are you talking about?" he stuttered, eyes unfocused. "You're always laughing and smiling but it never reaches your eyes..." you trailed off, your thumb slowly moving under his eye.

Beomgyu was too stunt to speak. He opened his and closed it with no sound coming out, like a fish out of water. "I've noticed how you're always smiling, joking, trying to make everyone around you happy but you aren't." you continued, "I just want to know if you're okay.".

"I-I..." he tried to lie but it died in his throat, "I don't... I don't know anymore." he replied at last. "Wanna talk about it?" you asked, withdrawing your hand. Beomgyu remained silent for a while before sucking in a deep breath.

"I- From the moment I came here, people were all over me for some reason. Girls saw me as hot, guys as someone cool and I didn't try to change that, it was no use. It was always like this, from school even! For them I would always that guy no matter what did. But in the process, I forgot who I really was. Pretending for everyone else, I became a stranger to myself, fake...".

"You know what I think?" you muttered softly, "That you're a coward."

"Wow, thanks." Beomgyu laughed dryly. "Well, you never tried to change it, you just accepted it. You never tried to show your real self, that's why you got lost. Maybe you should let yourself just be yourself. You don't have to pretend for no one, you don't owe them anything." you said, holding his gaze.

"Then, I guess I am a coward. But I don't know... I'm afraid that no one will like the real me and I'll be alone. I've been alone since the day I was born. My mother died at birth and my father was nowhere to be seen. I grew up with my grandmother but she died too last year. I'm just afraid of being alone again. Maybe because I'm me I lose everyone..." he trailed off, his voice cracking a bit at the edges.

"Oh Gyu... You'll never be alone, you have me now because for what it's worth, for me you are real." At your words, Beomgyu's eyes snapped up to yours. "You showed me your real self and I'm still here, aren't I?"

Beomgyu nodded, not trusting himself to speak. "I won't leave you alone Gyu." you assured him. Beomgyu could cry, his eyes were welled up and a lump had formed in his throat.

In a moment, you had leaned in, hugging him. He froze. Tears started flowing down his cheeks. Before he could do anything, you had pulled back. Your hands reached for his cheeks and wiped away his tears, smiling softly.

The air was full of tension and unspoken words but you didn't push further, settling for silence. Time passed and the sun started to set painting the sky in beautiful pastel colours, with a few scattered white clouds decorating it.

Wanting to capture the beautiful moment, you grabbed your camera and walked closer to the river, wanting to have a better angle to photograph.

Beomgyu couldn't resist how beautiful you looked with the gentle sunlight illuminating just right on your skin. He took his own camera in his hands and snapped a photo of you while you were not looking.

He would keep this memory for himself, reminding him of those shared moments you had. He wanted to remember the first he felt real in a long time.

[...]

"Mornin'." Yeonjun rumbled, walking in the small classroom, half-alive half-dead, holding a cup of coffee in his hand. "Dude, you look awful." Beomgyu said, looking up from his laptop. "Thanks bro." Yeonjun responded and rolled his eyes, plopping on the chair next to him.

"What happened to you?"

"I was out with my girlfriend yesterday. She dragged me almost to every club!"

"You have a girlfriend!?" Beomgyu asked surprised. "Yeah? For like the whole last year." Yeonjun replied, taking a sip from his coffee. Beomgyu remained silent, looking at him like he just said he murdered his entire family.

"You didn't expect that now, did you?" Yeonjun said with a smirk, "Well, I've heard some rumours going around 'bout me. That's doesn't mean I'm like this. People will go on and on about you, creating an image from their heads for them to not feel miserable with themselves, that's doesn't mean you have to stick for it."

"Yeah, right..." Beomgyu paused, "Um- let's get started?"

"Do we have to?" Yeonjun whined, "I can feel my heartbeat to my head!"

"Well, since it'll be just us today, we have to."

"Why just us?"

"Because Kai has a quiz today and Y/n is working. Didn't you checked the group chat last night?"

"Are you serious? I barely had time to pee yesterday, I literally did not sit down last night!" Yeonjun exclaimed, a dramatic sigh falling from his mouth. "Right." Beomgyu responded, "Well, we still have to at least finish with half the photos."

"Damn, why did I became the leader?"

"Don't ask me, I question that too." Beomgyu mocked and at his words, received a burning glare from Yeonjun. "Anyway, let's develop the photos." Beomgyu said, pulling his camera out of his bag. "Okay, you go first. My brain barely exists now." Yeonjun replied, taking a sip from his coffee. "Why, it exists other times-" Beomgyu muttered under his breath, "-I meant, I don't know how to do this."

"And then you're talking about my brain. Give it to me." Yeonjun teased and took the laptop in front of him. Then, Beomgyu handed him his camera. He plugged the camera to the laptop and opened the photograph file.

"Hm, you did some nice work for an amateur." Yeonjun said, looking through the photos, "Wait, who's this?"

"Who's wh- T-that's no one!" Beomgyu exclaimed after taking a look at photo Yeonjun was referring to, your photo. "Wait, that's Y/n!" Yeonjun continued.

"This is not for the presentation!" Beomgyu said, closing his laptop shut. "But why, it looks good- Ohhhhh-ohhhh-ohhhh-owoooo Beomgyu my boy~" Yeonjun responded playfully, "You know, I suspected it for a while. I mean, you're so oblivious, it's a miracle she still doesn't know."

"It's not like this."

"Oh yeah, then why you always acting a little nervous when she's around, why you have that dreamy look or when she's not here you're always talking about her like me and Kai don't exist."

"I-I'm not-"

"You think I don't know how being in love is like? Trust me, I've been there, don't deny it. Plus, why else would you take her picture for our project with the theme love~"

"Just don't- don't show her." Beomgyu exhaled in defeat. "Okay, I won't." Yeonjun replied, turning back to work, "But I think you should put it~"

"Wha- Don't do something stupid!"

"There are two possibilities, one, either she likes you back, she sees the photo, she understands you like her too and boom, you get together, or two, she doesn't like you and you never discuss about that photo." Yeonjun shrugged.

"No, it's better this way, for her..." Beomgyu responded, focusing back to work.

The same afternoon, after he and Yeonjun finished with printing the photos, Beomgyu received a text from you.

🎐: Hey :)

🐻: Hey!

🎐: You free?

🐻: Yeah, what's up?

🎐: I was wondering if you wanted to hang out. I'm finishing work in a while and I'm bored to go back home :(

Beomgyu couldn't fight the excitement blooming in his chest no matter how many times you had asked him this question before.

🐻: Yeah, sure. I'll come by your work?

🎐: Waiting!!

With that, Beomgyu rushed to your workplace, a small cafe shop down town. When you saw him, sitting behind the counter, eyes glued to your phone screen as there weren't any incoming customers except Beomgyu, you got up to greet him.

"Hey!" you said excitedly with a small, tired smile spreading across your lips. That made his stomach flutter which he tried to brush it off, "Hey." he replied.

"Give me a minute to take my things and then we can go." you said, walking away to the stuff only room. "Okay." Beomgyu responded, leaning against the counter.

A while later, you appeared wearing a cropped hoodie and jeans with your bag hanging from shoulder. "Aria, I'm off." you said to your co-worker who was cleaning up some tables.

"See you!"

"Alright, I'm ready. Let's go?" you said, walking towards him. "Um, yeah. Where to?" he questioned, leading you out of the door. "Just anywhere, really." you exhaled tiredly.

You followed Beomgyu and after a while, you arrived at a high glade. The view from up there was breathtaking, the city lights slowly coming to life, the busy roads, the tall buildings that almost touched the darkening sky. The spring breeze passing through the green leaves, almost like a song.

You sat down at the mantel separating the road bellow from the mound, your legs hanging at the gap high above.

Everything seemed so distant from uo there, the quiet hum of the city down bellow, the few cars passing from the road behind you. It was so peaceful that made you forget how tired you were.

"It's so beautiful you there." you sighed content. "Mm." Beomgyu hummed softly, "I come here when things get too much. I don't know, something about being away from the stress of the city, looking all so small, it's relaxing beyond that I can explain. I thought it might help you too." he continued and turned to you.

"It did." you replied, holding his gaze, "Thank you."

After that, silence stretched upon you two, comforting and easy. The sun had set long ago, giving its place to the moon and the stars.

Suddenly, Beomgyu felt a pressure on his shoulder. He slowly turned his eyes to see that you had leaned your head on his shoulder. Then, he noticed that your hands had lightly wrapped around his arm.

Beomgyu thought that his heart would beat out of his chest. He forgot how to breath, he didn't want you to move your head. He didn't know how much time you spend like this.

No one wanted this moment to end, you felt so calm with him, looking at the still busy city from above. And he didn't want to let you go. But it was getting late and you had a lecture early the next day.

As much as it pained him, he got up and walked you home. "I had fun today." you said, standing outside from your building. "Me too." Beomgyu replied, rubbing the back of his head.

Before you walked in, you planted a soft a kiss on his cheek that left Beomgyu speechless. "Thank you." you said and walked into your apartment. Beomgyu tried to speak, to say good night or something nothing came out his mouth, the ghost of your touch still had a lingering feeling on his skin.

[...]

Weekends are meant for rest, but not with Yeonjun as a friend.

🦊: Yo, you guys free?

The first of the many messages he sent at 08:00 pm sharp, made Beomgyu's phone buzz. Who is even awake at eight pm on a Saturday morning? Apparently, Yeonjun.

Beomgyu ignored the sound of his phone but for the next hour, Yeonjun didn't stop blowing up the group chat with dramatic messages.

🦊: Wake up already!

🦊: You guys ignore me?

🦊: Why do you hated me?

🦊: Why don't you love me :(

Beomgyu never wanted to learn how to punch someone online more and throw his phone out of the window.

🐻: Now I'm awake, you're pleased?

Beomgyu typed, hoping Yeonjun could see how frustrated and angry he was through the screen.

🎐: Yeah I hate you, for waking me up so early in a freaking Saturday morning!

🐧: I tried to ignore you but you didn't let me.

Beomgyu's phone lit up again with both your angry responses. Things were serious, since he had never seen Kai being this sharp in his responses.

🦊: You're going to firework festival with me tonight!

If there was a Yeonjun hate club, Beomgyu would be the leader. But he loved him enough to not punch him in face when he saw him again.

🐧: This is today?

🦊: Yep.

🐻: Seriously, you woke us up this early to tell us that? This is in like eleven hours!

🦊: Wanted to make sure you wouldn't make other plans :)

🎐: What makes you think we'll be going with you after this?

🦊: You'll go, you love me ;)

🐧: No, I'm gonna kill you.

🦊: See you at 20.00 am at the banks of Han River.

And that's how Beomgyu found himself waiting for Yeonjun along with you and Kai at the banks of the Han River, plotting ways to take revenge on Yeonjun for ruining your sleep this morning, and now being late.

"Hey guys!" Yeonjun came running towards you, waving his hands. "You're late." you said, crossing your arms above your chest. "No, I'm on time." he chimed, throwing an arm over Kai's shoulders. "You're half an hour late." Kai said, glaring at him. "Nope, half past eight was the right time." Yeonjun responded. "You said eight am." you said, showing him the messages. "I just wanted to make sure you'll show up." Yeonjun grinned. "That's it, you die." Kai gritted his teeth.

"Can it wait? The festival is about to start!" Yeonjun said excitedly, already dragging Kai towards the first stand that was selling corndogs. The evening went on like this, Yeonjun dragging you to every stand, trying different traditional snacks and drinks, buying little, useless things that you serve as reminder of this day. He even convinced you to do face painting!

Beomgyu got painted as a bear, Kai as penguin, Yeonjun a fox and you as a flower. Parents and kids would stare confused at you while waiting on the line but that was the last thing Beomgyu could think about when he saw you walking out. A pink flower with purple and white details decorating your cheek with vines that reach your forehead. He could say pink suited you so much.

He didn't notice was staring until Yeonjun playfully jabbed his ribs. "S'up dude?" he said, a smirk already curling in his face. "N-nothing." Beomgyu replied, turning away.

"Awww, look how cute you are Beomie." you cooed. "Yeah, because there are many 20 year olds painted as a bear." Beomgyu retorted in a attempt to hide how your comment made his system short-circuit.

"You guys can flirt later, the firework show is about to start!" Yeonjun exclaimed after seeing the first firework in the sky, marking the start of the festival. Soon the night sky was painted bright colours and unique shapes. It was so beautiful.

"You know..." Yeonjun started to say, "I'm sorry for the morning." he continued. "It's okay, hut don't do it again..." Kai trailed off, seeing Yeonjun's eyes welled up, looking at the biggest firework he'd ever seen. "We used to come here every year with my grandfather. The last festival we saw was from his hospital room and he... he told me that he will always be there to watch it with me, in the biggest firework." he said, voice shaking, "That was his last festival..." he continued, staring at the sky full of fireworks. "Sorry for this morning really, it's just no one from my family can bear to go with me, they can't... But I believe what he said and this is only way to feel close to him." he continued, the tears in eyes falling down his cheeks.

"Hey, don't even mention it. I'm glad I could go with you." Beomgyu said throwing an arm over Yeonjun's shoulder, pulling him close. "It's okay Jun, it was nice coming here with you." you said, ruffling his hair. "You know what, I believe that too. He us watching with us and I'm sure he's proud of you." Kai added. "Thank you guys." Yeonjun responded, looking down at you. "No, thank you." Beomgyu said with a small smile.

The firework kept lighting up the sky, painting it in all shorts of colours and unique shapes. Suddenly, Beomgyu felt weight on his right shoulder.

You had leaned into him, resting your head on his shoulder and his legs almost gave up. "Look at the moon." you said pointing sky, "It looks beautiful, doesn't it?". Beomgyu looked at the sky, through the endless fireworks. It was indeed a breathtaking sight.

But he knew that nothing could compare with your big, bright eyes, illuminating all the colours of the painted sky. "Yes, it is." he replied, but he wasn't looking at the moon anymore.

Later that night he offered to walk you home, earning a dirty look from Yeonjun like saying, get her, man. Beomgyu just rolled his eyes in response and just walked away with you.

The walk was silent but it wasn't awkward. It was full like the moon in the sky, full of unspoken emotions that he couldn't define. When you reached your apartment, you turned to look at him.

"Thanks for tonight." you said, looking at him like you knew something that he didn't. "No problem." he replied, looking back in your eyes with a smile. You smiled at him and brushed a strand from his face, your fingertips skimming over his skin. He knew he was blushing but he couldn't tear his gaze from you.

"See you tomorrow Gyu." you said, your hand retreating from his cheek. He wanted to do something but he was frozen in place. He just saw you walking through the door of your apartment building with a stupid smile plastered on his face and burning cheeks.

[...]

Morning classes were a torture created by someone as a punishment for existing in this world. Every Friday, he'd fight demons to get out of bed, regretting every life choice he made to get him here.

After lots of debating with inner self, he finally got off the bed, getting ready to go sleep in class. As Beomgyu was walking to his morning lecture, he saw Kai running right past him. Beomgyu tried to greet him but right then, some guys run right behind him.

It was weird, he knew those guys. They were some of his friends. Curious, he followed them. What he saw made his jaw drop, Kai's small frame was pushed against the wall, his things all scattered on the floor, his notes ripped in small pieces. His friends had circled him, laughing.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Beomgyu asked furiously. "Oh, Beomgyu! Come here to laugh with us." Taeil said. "What's funny about this?" Beomgyu replied, walking towards Kai.

"Oh, come Beom. Look how pathetic he looks~" Dohyun mocked. "The only pathetic thing around here is you! Leave him alone!" Beomgyu said, pushing him away.

"Hey, calm down. He's just a nerd." Taeil, walking provocatively towards him. "He is my friend, now leave him alone!" Beomgyu responded, blocking his way. "Very funny~" Taeil said, walking past him. Before he could reach for Kai, Beomgyu pushed him hard, causing Taeil to fall on the ground.

At that, Dohyun landed a punch on him but Beomgyu didn't fight back. Soon, people started gathering around, along with them some teachers that called the security.

"Beomgyu, Kai, are you guys alright?" Yeonjun asked running towards them. "Yeah." Beomgyu replied, turning to Kai, "Are you okay Kai?" he asked. "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you so much Beomgyu." Kai responded, still trembling.

"Yeonjun!" your voice echoed the crowds, "What happened?"

"Some bullies were hitting Kai!" Yeonjun said angrily, helping Kai gather his stuff from the ground. "No, they didn't hit me..." Kai trailed off, "But they hit Beomgyu."

"Wha- Oh my God! Gyu, you're bleeding."

Only at your words Beomgyu realised his ripped lip. "I-it's nothing." he said, "Kai are you sure you're okay?".

"Yes, thank you Beomgyu." Kai replied bowing. "Beomgyu, let's get this cleared up." you said, gently guiding him inside. You leaded him to the empty classroom of your club.

Beomgyu quietly sat down on a chair while you fetched the small first aid kit from a drawer. Then, you went and kneeled into front of him, cradling his face in your hands.

"It hurts?" you asked softly, trying to catch his gaze. "Not much." Beomgyu replied, eyes unfocused. "This might sting a little." you said and proceeded to clean meticulously his wound.

While at it, you felt something liquid, warm on your fingers. He was crying. "Gyu?" you cooed, wiping away his tears. "What happened, did I hurt you?" you asked worriedly.

He shook his head no but his gaze remained downcast. "They were my friends..." he whispered after a while. "Those people that hurt Kai were my friends. All this time, I didn't know- how could I be friends with those guys?" he continued, his voice cracking, "How will I face Kai after this?"

"It's not your fault Beomgyu." Kai said timidly, walking towards him, "You aren't like them, you helped me and thank you for that.". Kai leaned in, hugging Beomgyu, "No one ever stood up for me and for what it's worth, I want to be your friend Beomgyu."

"I want that too." Beomgyu exhaled shakily.

"Hey, what about me!" Yeonjun whined from the door, a big pout formed on his lips. "Someone's jealous~" you said teasingly. "I'm not!" Yeonjun protested, stomping his foot on the ground. "Yeah, yeah, come here big baby."

Yeonjun walked in towards you, dropping his head on your shoulder. You wrapped your arms around his back while the other two burst out laughing and his antics.

[...]

After that incident, Beomgyu never spoke to those guys nor anyone around their circle. He stopped hanging around his friends and started spending all his with you, Kai and Yeonjun.

He didn't care what others would say about this. He enjoyed his new company and that's all it mattered for him. For the first time in his life, he didn't have to pretend around people, he just had to be himself.

It was chaotic, Yeonjun being a dramatic diva, Kai slowly opening up, revealing his freaky self, you being their silly mom. It was chaos but it was his chaos and he wouldn't change it for the world. It was the best he's ever lived, along with people he chose and they accepted him for who he really was and loved him for that, and that's all he needed to know.

And they days passed, and the summer approached, along with it, the end of the semester. Which meant that it was a step closer to the presentation day.

"Um, guys?" Kai said hesitantly. "Hm?" you hummed absorbed into perfecting the power point. "How about we take a group picture, you know for the exhibition?" he explained, hands fidgeting nervously in his lap.

"Excellent idea!" Yeonjun exclaimed, almost jumping from his chair, flinching the shit out of Kai. "Yeah, let's do this!" Beomgyu added, already grabbing his camera. He put the camera on a tripod, setting a timer.

"Get in positions everyone!" Yeonjun said, rushing in front of the camera. Everyone else followed, taking place in front of it. The first photos came out good but as more were being snapped, they progressively became more silly and chaotic.

Yeonjun started taking dramatic poses, Kai goofy ones, you started messing with Beomgyu, trying to make him lose his cool, which you achieved. "Alright, alright, let me check them and I'll add them in to the exhibition." you said, reaching for the camera.

"Mind doing it alone? I have a date with my girlfriend, it's our second year anniversary." Yeonjun said with pleading eyes. You pretended to think for a moment before giving him the clearance to go. "Okay, me and Gyu can finish?" you questioned, looking towards him.

"Of course, have fun." he replied, already taking a seat, "Kai, you can stay?".

"I'm sorry, I have to study for a quiz." Kai responded, voice barely audible. "That teacher won't give you a break, all tests and stuff!" you said. "Of course, don't worry about it, we'll just pick a few photos and we'll sent it to you to revise them." Beomgyu said in order to calm Kai.

"Thank you guys, and I'm really so sorr-"

"Don't even mention it. That's what friends are for." he responded. At that, Kai flashed a great full smile, his eyes smiling with him. "I love you guys!" he said, hugging both of you and then he was out the door, waving goodbye.

You spent the next our choosing photos and adding to the presentation, making sure everything was up to par.

"And... done. Finally!" you exhaled, stretching from your chair. "Woo, I didn't think it'll take us that long." you said, turning to look at him, "Right now I just want my bed. Ready to go?"

"Um, if you don't mind I'll stay a little more. I just want to correct some things with my presentation." Beomgyu replied. "Oh, okay. See you tomorrow then." you said, ruffling his hair. "Get home safe." Beomgyu added before you walked out the door.

When you left, Beomgyu pulled out from his bag the photo he had taken of you. He stuck it on a white carton paper like all the others and wrote a name, Sunsetz, simple, from your shared favourite song. Then he put it in the same black frame.

There was no going back now. Tomorrow you were going to see and probably understand. At least he hoped you do cause he knew he could never say the words out loud. And all he could do was hope he wouldn't lose you.

[...]

The day of the college fair arrived. The campus was filled with determined students and excited friends and family. Everyone had forgotten about the stress of the exam period, focused on enjoying the start of the summer.

The fair had organised the turns which each group would present what they prepared. First would be the football game, the cheerleading show and the half time show by the drama club, second in line was painting exhibition, then was your turn and lastly, the music show. It was convenient, you could enjoy all activities and have enough time to prepare your part, closing your night with the concert.

The campus's yard was packed with scattered food stalls here and there, the smells of corndogs, pop corn, churos, filled your nostrils. Laughing children were running around everywhere, chased by their parents. Honestly, it was never so lively, usually quiet with stressed students.

"Hey guys!" Yeonjun exclaimed, hurrying towards the court gates, "The game is about to start!"

"Easy for you to say, you're not carrying anything!" Beomgyu responded, trying not to drop the bucket of pop corn from his arms. "I genuinely dislike that guy." you said, "At fairytales, men are supposed to carry, not the other way around." you joked.

"I'm the princess here, sweetheart." Yeonjun retorted, with a smug look on his face. You rolled your eyes in response, a low chuckle making it past your lips.

Once you made it inside the football court, you found a few empty seats and sat down. You handed Yeonjun his soda, earning a peck on your cheek. "Hey!" you laughed, elbowing his side. "Stop, it's starting!" Kai interfered. And that's when the cheerleaders came out, dancing with the teams anthem before the footballers entered and the game started.

At the half time, the drama club presented their sketch which was hilarious. It was a parody involving the professors, how they were doing their lessons adding a funnier note. Even the professors laughted!

After the game finished, victorious, it was time for the art exhibition. Everybody moved to the amphitheatre where the students had decorated the walls with all their paintings. You had to admit, they did some pretty good job. But all Beomgyu could do was admire you. To him, you were more beautiful than the paintings with half your hair pushed up in a careful plait, the other half falling messily on your shoulders. The sky blue dress you wore swaying with your every movement, just like a fairy.

He could look at you for hours, laughing with stupid jokes Yeonjun did, talking to Kai about the meaning behind the paintings. And his heart couldn't stop leaping, almost hurting against his ribs but he didn't care. His chest was blooming every time you smiled at him, he thought his knees would give up.

A little before the art presentation finished, you all retreated to the classroom where you'd do your exhibition. You arranged the last details, Kai look one last time at the presentation, Yeonjun checked aroumd if any of the photos was missing, and he arranged the technical details such as lighting, sound check.

"Alright, nothing's missing. How about the presentation, is it ready? The lights, is everything set?" Yeonjun questioned, pacing up and down anxiously. "Hey Jun, calm down." Kai said, looking up from his laptop. "Kai's right." you said, "We did everything we could as best as we could. Just relax and enjoy it."

"As it pains me to admit it, you were a good leader Yeonjun and you did a good job. Now, let's do our best, hm?" Beomgyu added. Yeonjun exhaled in relief "Thank you guys. Without you, I wouldn't be able to make it work." he said a small smile reaching his features, "Let's do our best."

Soon, the room started filling with fellow classmates and their friends and family. Everyone slowly took their seats at the middle of the room for the presentation. "Alright, me and Kai go first and it's you two guys." Yeonjun said for the nth time. "We know Jun. Now how about you actually go up there." you said, "Come on, you'll do great!"

"Let's go?" Kai said. Yeonjun gulped hard, nodding in response and followed Kai towards the stage. You both bid your thumbs up to the other two boys before they went on stage.

The presentation went by smoothly without any technical problems. The people seemed fascinated when you presented the theme of the exhibition. After it was done, people were eager to see your work.

But Beomgyu didn't have the courage to roam around. He felt like his stomach was twisted, his hard beating so quick that he thought he'd had a heart attack at the ripe age of 20. Because you would see, your photo hanging at the wall, at his section, with his signature on it.

He sat by the window behind the scene, mind racing, hoping to disappear before disaster could strike. It was stupid. Goss, why didn't he listen to Yeonjun? He didn't know how much time passed but soon clapping echoed through the classroom and he snapped out of his trance.

"Hey Beomgyu, come on!" he heard Kai calling from somewhere behind the curtains. "You don't want to miss the concert!" Yeonjun added. Beomgyu slipped out from his hiding with the hope that he didn't have messed up big time after this exhibition.

"Hey man, where were you?" Yeonjun asked when finally Beomgyu came in sight. "Where's Kai?" he asked. "He's at the court already with Y/n." Yeonjun responded, "Where have you been?"

"I put the photo." Beomgyu said, his voice barely audible. "What ph- Ooo, that photo." Yeonjun responded, "And?"

"And... I don't know. I didn't see her after the presentation." Beomgyu muttered. "Wha- Are you stupid!?" Yeonjun exclaimed, shaking him by the shoulders. "I couldn't, what if I ruined everything?" Beomgyu said, his voice shaky at the edges. "Well, what happened can't be changed now and you can't avoid her forever. We have to go to the concert." Yeonjun responded.

"I'm not going." he said. Right now he wanted to crawl in his bed and never get up again. "And what after that, you're planning to never show up on uni anymore?" Yeonjun asked. "No. But there's an entire summer ahead and it'll be forgotten." Beomgyu replied, gaze downcast.

"But what if she doesn't want to forget?" Yeonjun said, "Let's go Beomgyu." already dragging him out.

In the end, Beomgyu found himself squeezing through the crowd, looking for you and Kai. "Over here!" Kai yelled, waving his hand in the air. "What took you so long?" you asked with your hands on your sides, "It's about to start!".

That's when all lights went out and the crowd fell silent. Then, the stage lights flashed open and drums echoed through the summer air, accompanied by an electric guitar and the voice of the singer, singing to «Sky full of stars».

For a while, he forgot all about his major worry and enjoyed the music, jumping at the rhythm alongside you. You looked so happy and carefree, smiling so brightly that subsidised all his worries.

Time passed in a haze of dancing and screaming lyrics to your favourite songs. The last song to play was «You!» a song he learnt from you. When the refrain started playing, the best part according to you, he felt your arms wrapping around his own, your head leaning on his shoulder. "You did nice work with your photos Gyu." you said next to his ear so to hear through the noise. "T-thanks." he responded, hoping you didn't catch the stutter in his voice.

"My favourite was «Sunsetz»." you continued, looking up at him. Beomgyu froze. You saw, of course you did. That meant you knew, you understood to bring this up...

"Mine too." he responded but it didn't make through the noise. That's when felt your hand resting on his cheek, your touch soft, like an angels. Before he could process it, your lips were on his in a sweet, gentle kiss. It all seized around him, the music dulled in his ears, his eyes falling shut, while his hand unconsciously found its way to your waist. All of him was revolved around this moment.

It didn't last long but it was enough to make his brain short-circuit. Your fingers carefully brushed a stray strand of hair from his face and you looked at him, really looked at him like all those barriers he so carefully built to protect himself from other people didn't exist.

His eyes were focued on you and only you, like no one else was there but you. "I like you." he said, more sure than ever. "I like you too Gyu." you responded with a knowing smile.

After the concert's end, Beomgyu accompanied you to your house. Walking side by side, silently, not need to fill the space with meaningless chatting. Your presence was enough for him to feel content.

He wasn't afraid anymore. He let his fingers intertwine with yours. And you held him, making his chest bloom with love. When you reached your apartment, you both just stood there, no one daring to leave first.

"I had fun today." Beomgyu said with a small smile that reflected in his eyes. "Me too." you responded, "Mind coming in for a while?" you asked, "I have something I want to give you."

Beomgyu nodded and followed you inside, closing the door behind him. "Wait a second." you said running off to your room. It didn't take you long come back, holding something in your that seemed like a piece of paper.

"Here." you said, handing it to him. Turns out it was a photograph of him. He was at the club classroom, standing by the window, his head turned slightly to the side with his headphones on and small smile spread across his lips.

"I didn't know what to do with this..." you trailed off, "I thought to keep it to myself, until I found the courage to give it to you. But after seeing the photo at the exhibition today, I don't need to wait anymore."

Beomgyu moved before his mind could process. He leaned in to kiss you, desperate but no less gentle. His both hands cradled your face, the photo falling somewhere on floor. His lips moved slow against yours, savouring the taste of you for as long as his breath would allow him.

When you pulled for air, an exploding noise came from the outside, followed by the faint, colourful lights in the dimly lit room.

You walked towards the window, opening it to the balcony. Beomgyu followed behind you, stepping outside. Countless fireworks were lighting up the sky from the fair, in all shapes and colours.

You were standing by the railing, smiling so brightly that he forgot fireworks were even there. He could look at you for hours, you looked so beautiful in his eyes. His arms wrapped around you from behind and you practically melted in his embrace.

Your head fell on his chest where his camera was hanging. You twisted around and took it off, pointing the lens towards you. "Let's take a picture to remember our first date!" you exclaimed playfully, pulling him in the frame. "Say cheese!".

Tag list: @tayuuyyshaa...

SYNOPSIS

Every semester, an anonymous account appears on Haneul University’s social media, inviting students to participate in a mysterious online game. Most see it as nothing more than a campus trend, just another harmless challenge to solve with friends. But when six students receive an invitation they never accepted, they discover that this game is different. With every round comes a new rule, a new secret revealed, and a growing feeling that someone or something is watching their every move.

As strange posts begin appearing, memories become unreliable, and trust between players starts to fall apart, now they must uncover the truth behind the Seeker before the game consumes them. Because in a game built on hiding, everyone has something they're trying to keep buried.

You have nothing to hide... right? Dare to play?

CHAPTERS

STUDENT I.D

001 | TBA 002 | TBA more to come...

author's note to celebrate hitting 400 this shall be my gift to you guys. I hope you'll enjoy this series, since you've been wanting a ghost girl come back I decided maybe I'll make something new entirely. this will be somewhat interactive??? I'll have some polls and post open from time to time, nothing is set in stone just yet. other than that I can't wait to read your comments and thoughts, please give this lots of love

permanent taglist @flytomyro0m @nanilis @fairfootedflekk @swangyu @frostymatcha @starlami @jellyybelly @bakudon @twinklefairyland @monosung @bamgeutori @pageraf @wonniiz @soohashits @jjundiary @stqrgr7 @sleepystar0304 @beomtomie @icouldbelove @dearpagesoobin @mylovetyun

Call it dramatic, but you were so sure you'd be happy today. Your mom had called you in the morning to wish you bright and early, promising that the pastries she'd sent over would arrive soon. (It hadn't. Lost in mail or something like that. Now you have to wait another day to enjoy it.) 

But that's okay, you can deal with no pastries until tomorrow. There are the other things you can't seem to overlook no matter how hard you try though. 

Like how you'd walked into the kitchen this morning, expecting balloons and confetti from your dear roommates, but instead had been met with Woonhak stuffing a whole chicken leg into his mouth and running off without sparing you a second glance. 

But it's Woonhak, and his absurdity can be excused away by his usual personality. 

Then it was Wonhee refusing to let you into her room and letting Sungho drag you out to a cafe—until he got a phone call in the middle of your nice little hangout and had to run off after suggesting you get lunch and buy some nice clothes with the notes he presses into your hand. While you appreciated the money, you did not appreciate being abandoned in the middle of a cafe to have a sad meal all alone while you swore people kept judging you from the corner of your eyes. 

You were so sure at least one of your other roommates would come back for you. If no one else, then Jaehyun. Always him. 

He's been looking out for you since the first day you got here, all bright-eyed and ambitious to start a new chapter of your life. He's your closest friend here; all you wanted was a wish, a hug at best. He's never been shy with affection—always reaching for your hand or ruffling your hair or throwing a hand around your shoulder, pulling you close. 

Not a single wish from him either. You know it hurts the most out of everyone, and you also know the bite is more pinched because a part of you knows there's a small crush blooming there for him. 

Fuck Myung Jaehyun—and fuck all your other so called friends too. You had slumped in your seat as you stared down at your empty tea cup.

The last straw was a three year old wobbling over to your sad state and offering you her cookie, saying, “You look sad.” You agree with her, and you appreciate her offering, but being called out by a toddler for being a joyless adult is not a fun experience. 

And then things just kept going wrong, one after another like the worst game of dominoes in the world.

Your car broke down, your heel snapped, then you got rained on the whole time on your forty-minute walk back home. You're pretty sure you looked like a wet cat dragging its tail across the carpet when you trudged back in, not even bothering to go into the living room before beelining for your bedroom and crawling into your sheets.

Gross. You're sopping from head to toe, and now you need to do your laundry tomorrow—if you don't get sick from mold poisoning first that is. 

It's a terrible, horrible day, and the clock is dangerously ticking close to midnight, and all you've done today is be miserable and be ignored by your friends. Your phone died halfway through the outing, you have no energy or will to plug into the socket, and your legs ache from the whole godforsaken journey. 

Through the layers of blankets, you hear the creak of your door, footsteps approaching in tentative rhythm. 

“Hi,” a soft voice arrives, hesitant, and you feel someone stand above you. 

A part of you wants to keep sulking, try and see if they'll get tired of it and leave. But then there's a gentle hand removing the blanket off of you—Jaehyun’s guilty eyes coming to view in your reddened ones, half your face swallowed into the bed.

“What?” you spit back, and it comes out more of a Bwah.

He seems to understand anyways. “So,” he begins, inviting himself over to sit next to you. “You’re going to get sick if you don't dry yourself up—”

“I don't care. I'll just die.”

Your response is bitter and annoyed. Who is he to care whether you get sick or not? He didn't even wish you a happy 20th, didn't even come in to check until the end of the day. He'd forgotten, and now he wants to make amends so he doesn't look like the bad guy.

Well, fat chance—he is the bad guy. And he's a terrible friend. 

“Y/N-ie—”

“Don't ‘Y/N-ie’ me, Myung Jaehyun, get out of my room if you're done pretending to be concerned.”

Jaehyun is stricken at that. His face morphs from remorse to a frown, sad around the edges.

Then, “I'm not pretending. I do care.” His fingers are tense where they graze yours, voice hurt. “We’re... Today just went all wrong.”

“Tell me about it. It was the crappiest ever.”

“No, not like that. Not whatever you’re thinking of,” he stays adamant, coaxing your chin to look at him. And then he's brushing your hair back, settling himself on the bed so you're laying facing each other. It sends a spike of electricity through you that you blame on water and heat. “Woonhak accidentally put sugar into the chicken.”

…

You blink. What?

“What?”

“Woonhak,” Jaehyun repeats, huffing like he finds the situation insane himself. “He was supposed to handle your birthday breakfast. But he messed up the salt and dumped sugar into the pan, and when you walked into the kitchen, poor kid panicked and ate the whole thing himself so you wouldn't accidentally get a taste of his shitty cooking.”

“Oh.”

“Wonhee feels bad she had to say no to you hanging out in her room, too. She was blowing balloons in there…ended up bursting half the pack and then Woonhak had to run to get her inhaler for her.”

Oh. There's a weird sense of guilt running through you now, for assuming your friends had any hurtful intentions at all, but Jaehyun, observant as ever, swoops in to soothe you. He doesn't mind that your face is dewy with rain, his thumb brushes at your cheek when he says, “She’s okay, just beating herself up for needing to buy a second set of balloons, and apparently Leehan doesn't know how to colour-match them or something.”

“And Sungho?”

“Yeah, he,” Jaehyun sighs at the bad luck. “He was going to keep you distracted until we had gotten everything ready, but then the cake went missing, the florist got hospitalised for food poisoning, we almost burnt down the kitchen trying to fix dinner, and then he had to run out to save us…”

And all of it sounds wacky enough to be a lie, but you've been able to read Jaehyun from a mile away. The guy wears his heart on his sleeve and his entire soul on his face. “You burnt down the kitchen?” you ask, forcing a glare. 

“Almost,” he corrects, booping your nose to distract you. 

“You suck,” you grumble, but you lean into the touch instinctively, needing warmth. “Get me a towel.”

Jaehyun's eyes brighten up at your demand, excited to help out in any way now. He knows where you keep your things, so it proves to be not a hassle at all to find. 

When he sits behind you to dry your hair without needing to be asked, it feels like the world is slowly returning to peace again. Not in a monumentary way that fixes things forever, more of a gentle bandaid over a wound. And then, he says, “I wanted today to be good, y’know. I was hoping you'd be the happiest you ever were. Sorry for fucking it up for you.”

“You didn't fuck it up.” You shake your head. “It's not over yet. And you're here now, drying me off like some rabid cat you brought back from the street.”

Jaehyun giggles at your attempt to lift the mood. “You're satisfied by just this? So you don't want your present?”

Your head swivels around at breakneck speed. “Present!?”

He rolls his eyes playfully at your quick change in demeanour. “Later. When you're less drenched.”

You huff and pout, crossing your arms to turn away. The least he could do after putting you through that rollercoaster of emotions is get you something you like. Your mind is already twisting through all the possibilities of what it could be. A new album for your collection? That bracelet you've had your eye on since forever? Maybe tickets to the amusement park, like you've been hinting at for a while now, wanting to go with him. 

Jaehyun tries to get you to look at him, mumbling your name repeatedly to get your attention. You're too stubborn to give in now, even if your anger has melted away into warm excitement by now. It's just nice to be here with him at all. 

“Happy birthday, Y/N,” you hear Jaehyun whisper into your ear, the towel muffling the sound a little but doing nothing to stop the sparks shooting down your spine. His breath ghosts against skin, ticklish.

It's pure impulse that you turn your head to see him, and it's coincidental that he's a millimeter away from you, looking just as surprised, but making no move to widen the distance. 

He's right there. Looking all soft with his curly brown hair and rosy cheeks and fuck, you might just kiss away that pout on his lips if he doesn't stop you. 

And he doesn't. He's never stopped you now that you think of it, always a supporter of your whims—always your partner in crime. He's leaning in before you know it, and the sheets are bunched up within your fist, a hand at your jaw tilting it, his mouth on yours—

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Y/N!”

Woonhak’s loudspeaker-mouth ruins the moment, the door slamming on the side-wall, and suddenly there's a whole ocean of distance between you and your best friend. Your best friend who you would have really liked to kiss and turn into something more. 

But now Woonhak is barrelling into your personal space and throwing himself into a hug, pulling you against him even though your clothes are nowhere near dry. “We’re so sorry we messed up. We were trying to make it amazing for you and ended up doing the opposite, please don't be mad,” he whines, worrying that you were about to cut him off for eating your chicken. 

Wonhee, having deemed it safe to enter now that she can use Woonhak as a human shield if your wrath presented itself, also creeps up behind you to hug you. Then comes Leehan, who practically ragdolls himself and drags all four of you down into the bed, stacked up on top of one another, barely able to get your complaints out. 

“You're killing her on her birthday, let the poor girl make it to twenty-one,” Sungho’s chiding voice filters in through the gaps in the human-ball. Jaehyun cackles at the sight, then when he can't help but join in, bear hugs the entire group with arms as wide as he can make it. An exasperated Sungho follows suit when he reaches for him as well. 

It's suffocating, in a weirdly comfy way. The weight of people you love around you, on you, everywhere. So much love that you just want to squeeze them to oblivion, with uncontained affection. 

Through it all, you feel Jaehyun's fingertips grazing yours, looping around your pinky like a secret. Or like a promise to continue where you'd left off earlier. 

So you may have suffered through rain and dirt today, but it's okay. Because it's worth it when you have friends who pour their love into you—enough to swallow sugary chicken on your behalf, fight through their shitty lung capacity just to get you your balloons, and even almost burn down the house to make you happy. You have Myung Jaehyun to tell you that you're loved while he dries your hair for you, not minding any of the mess.

It's a good birthday, you realise. Everything feels right in the world again. 

Maybe turning twenty isn't all that bad after all. 

a/n: hehe i hope this was fun to read, and everyone who made it till the end pls do go slide into @luvbinnies milo's inbox and wish them a wonderful birthday and be really annoying about it too :D !! love youuuuu

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thank you for the support, ily ♡⸝⸝

he fully begged you to sleep over at ‘his’ dorm for a couple days to make up for lost time. yes, begged. on his knees with flowers and everything. and who are you to deny such a request?

your arrival was met with the brightest, most lovesick smile from jaehyun that you’ve ever seen followed by a night where you weren’t allowed out of his embrace for longer than a minute. to say he missed you would be the understatement of the century and you could tell there was just a bit more hiding behind his eyes.

which is why you shouldn’t be shocked when seeing the box of chocolate coated biscuits at the bottom of the convenience store bag sitting on his bed.

“if you want a kiss, you can just ask, jae..” the exasperation in your voice does nothing to kill his vibe, he’s on a mission.

“but the others don’t wanna play with me!” his voice grows whinier as he opens the box, “taesan and leehan ran away to their rooms before i could even show them and sungho and woonhak just straight up told me no..” his lips are fully downturned as he blinks at you.

“ask riwoo then! he’s like your second girlfriend anyway,” you mumble the last part mostly to yourself, but your point still stands.

“well, he was the one to suggest i do it with you instead.”

“so he rejected you too?”

…

“yeah…”

something about how his shoulders deflate ever so slightly at his persistent rejections has you thinking it over. it has nothing to do with how close you’d be to him, it’s actually the opposite.

it’s knowing you’d be just a little too out of reach to fully pull him in. some chocolate was going to set you apart and the pride of ‘winning’ was no match to how having his lips on yours felt.

months of being on separate sides of the country and this was his first idea of fun?? fine. you’d show him fun.

“okay. let’s play.” even with your chin turned upwards in confidence, your voice wavers.

“really?!” you swear a pair of puppy ears perk up on his head and his tail is wagging behind him..

it’s fine. he’s your boyfriend, not a middle school crush, being close to each other shouldn’t make you too nervous to play a game.

except when the chocolate begins melting on your lower lip, you realize how warm it is in his room. and the scent of his cologne you’ve missed for ages lingers on his sweater enough to make your head spin. he’s so close it’s intoxicating.

“ready?” his eyes flit down to where your mouths meet the biscuit before locking back onto yours.

“mhm,” you nod.

he takes the first bite, you the second.

his next is bigger and enough to bring your noses to bump against each other. you can feel his breath fanning against your skin and it almost makes you forget to take the next bite. but you can be bold, you can be soo bold.

your bite is almost double what his was and you can tell he’s amused by your eagerness. your competitive side has always stood out to jaehyun, it’s like he enjoys seeing you riled up and ready to win. however he has a few tricks of his own.

your boyfriends hand settles on your shoulder with the tips of his fingers brushing the skin of your collarbone, inching up your neck. what a cheater, this is unfair and he knows it. you think he’s about to lean in for his next bite until his hand slides up your neck and cradles your jaw. the corners of his lips twitch upwards at the sight of your eyes widening, almost smug.

the faint crunch wasn’t even processed before his lips ghosted against yours. his fingers tangle in the roots of your hair, lightly tugging you closer and bringing you to your next turn. but how could you possibly go any further? you’re practically kissing now with how thin it is! but you won’t back down.

you scrape crumbs off and into your mouth with your tongue peeking out which almost distracts him entirely. but not enough. the warmth of his palms seep into your skin and his lips press against yours, teeth clinking as he bites off the remainder of the biscuit.

it’s dizzyingly intimate and causes you to pull away with nothing but a crumb falling in between you.

“cheater! you did that all on purpose, that was so not fair!” your argument would sound plausible if you weren’t bright red.

he giggles at your accusation and pulls you back towards him mid rant. and this time, his mouth is on yours in the right way. tongue swiping against your lower lip and noses bumping together.

“is this why you’re so mad?” he mumbles in between kisses, smiling down at you. “cause i was playing instead of just kissing you?” he doesn’t let you pull away, keeping a steady hand on your hip and one gently holding your jaw in place. he still tastes of chocolate, sweet and addicting.

“or are you just mad you lost?…” he whispers that last part into your mouth but it’s not really a question meant for you to answer. he just immediately cuts you off again because he’s been so deprived of your touch he needs all he can get right now.

the game and the pepero’s are long forgotten on the side of his bed to which he’ll definitely find after your little moment and brag about later. but now all he needs to prove is how much he’s missed you.

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