ningningsplushie

Permanent taglist: @soobinsoudesu , @nanilis , @csbenthusiast , @filmsforgyu Also tagging @aliceskzfan , I last posted Kai in January and you had asked me to tag you whenever I posted him next so here you go (sorry it took SO LONG) <3 Comment or send an ask to be added to the permanent taglist <3

.𖥔 ݁ ˖🕸️ authors note) guys i know ive been slacking so bad and also ik ive already done a smau with soobin but i genuinely couldn’t resist making another one and especially a spiderman one since i went to go watch brand new day last week😋 but this smau is def inspired by one of my fav smau creators @soobvns so pls go read their secret series!!

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taglist: @pageraf , @nota10butadefinite8 , @komigyu , @txtworlddom , @bluepains , @tubatuxx !

Y/N wiped down the register absentmindedly, her rag moving in lazy circles. She tried to tell herself she wasn't waiting for anything, but her eyes kept straying to the front door anyway.

Chime.

She looked up instantly.

Kang Taehyun.

Her stomach did a familiar, sudden flip.

He stepped inside, his expression wearing its usual quiet neutrality. A pair of grey headphones hung loosely around his neck, and one hand was shoved deep into his jacket pocket. He joined the short line, but unlike every other day, he wasn't staring at his phone screen or tapping a fast-paced beat against his thigh.

He looked completely somewhere else.

His eyes were locked blankly on the overhead menu, his thoughts tangled somewhere between an overdue assignment and a stubborn line of code he’d spent three hours failing to debug the night before.

Even when the customer ahead of him picked up their drink and walked away, Taehyun didn't move. He just stood there, caught in a daydream past the pastry display.

"Next, please," Y/N called out softly.

Silence.

"Uhm... sir?"

Taehyun’s head snapped up, his eyes instantly focusing on her. Realizing the line had vanished, he stepped forward, a faint flush creeping up his neck as he rubbed the back of it.

"Sorry," he muttered. "I didn't realize it was my turn."

"It's alright," Y/N said, offering a gentle, reassuring smile as she cleared the screen. She paused, her fingers hovering over the POS system. A sudden burst of quiet courage caught her off guard. "So... the usual?"

The words tumbled out before she could filter them. She instantly bit the inside of her cheek, internally wincing. Since when do you sound so confident, Y/N?

Taehyun blinked, caught off guard for a fraction of a second. Then, a subtle shift softened his gaze. He gave a single, slow nod.

"Caramel macchiato," she said, her fingers flying over the screen before her courage could completely dry up. "One iced caramel macchiato."

A brief, heavy silence settled between them, broken only by the hum of the fridge behind her.

"It’s not my place to say but uhm… you look pretty distracted today," Y/N noted quietly, keeping her tone light.

Taehyun tilted his head slightly. "Ah...Did I?"

"A little," she murmured, glancing up to meet his eyes.

He glanced back up toward the menu board, a tired sigh escaping his lips. "Exams," he admitted softly. It wasn't said to complain—just stated simply, like a heavy fact he’d finally accepted.

Y/N smiled, her gaze softening. "Well, I hope the macchiato helps you power through it."

"I hope so," he murmured.

"Your total is 10,000 won," she said, tapping the screen.

Taehyun pulled his card out, leaning forward slightly to tap it against the reader. As the machine beeped and the receipt began to print, he didn't immediately pull his hand back. He looked at her, his gaze lingering with quiet curiosity.

"Are you a first year?" he asked suddenly.

The question caught her off guard. She blinked. "Oh—yeah, I am. How could you tell?"

"Just a guess," Taehyun replied, a faint, rare smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He leaned his forearms loosely against the counter. "Come to think of it, I think I only ever come here when you're working."

Y/N’s hands stilled over the receipt machine. A nervous chuckle escaped her. "Really? I promise I do have days off."

"I figured." Taehyun took the slip of paper as she tore it off. "It's just... you're always the one taking my order, must probably why you knew my usual."

"Must be a genuine coincidence then," Y/N smiled, her heart doing a frantic double-beat as she slid the small black buzzer toward him. "I'll have your drink ready in just a minute."

"Thanks.”

𓍢ִ໋☕️✧˚ ༘ ⋆

masterlist

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

𓍢ִ໋☕️✧˚ ༘ ⋆

The café was unusually quiet for a late morning, wrapped in the warm, quiet hum of grinding espresso beans and muted lofi beats.

Kai and Seol hovered awkwardly near the entrance, leaning in close and putting on a masterclass performance of staring at a menu board they had no intention of ordering from.

"Okay," Kai whispered, his voice dropping an octave. "There she is."

Seol glanced past his shoulder toward the register. Behind the counter stood Y/N, methodically wiping down the polished wood with a rag, staring off into space while waiting for the next customer.

"So?" Seol muttered.

"So what?"

"So... how are you planning to do this?"

Kai blinked, looking genuinely lost. "You dragged me here because you said you had a plan."

"I never said that!"

"You've been talking about this for the past week!"

"I had a concept of a plan," Kai defended.

"You sound like a corrupt politician."

Kai ignored her, chin lifted as he brainstormed out loud. "What if I just walk up there, look her dead in the eye, and say..." He straightened his posture, trying on a suave smirk. "'Hey. Are you the one anonymously flirting with my best friend?'"

Smack.

"Ow!" Kai hissed, rubbing his arm. "What the fuck?"

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Seol glared at him. "Absolutely not."

"I wasn't actually going to say that!"

"You looked way too confident for someone who wasn't."

Kai let out a dramatic, soul-crushing sigh. "Then what do I say?"

"I don't know."

"You're a girl."

"Oh, my gosh."

"You literally said girls understand girls!"

"I said we're not a hive mind, Kai Kamal Huening."

Before Kai could protest further, a customer brushed past them to head toward the register. Y/N instantly snapped into position, offering a soft, polite smile as she took the order. Kai watched the interaction intently, his expression softening just a fraction.

"She looks nice," he noted softly.

Seol shot him a side-eye. "Exactly. Don't ruin her day."

Before Kai could respond, the customer grabbed their receipt and walked away. It was their turn.

Y/N looked up, her fingers resting lightly on the touchscreen. "Hi! Welcome to Moonlight. What can I get started for you today?"

"I'll have a caramel macchiato," Kai said smoothly.

"One strawberries and cream for me, please," Seol added.

Y/N nodded, her fingers dancing effortlessly across the screen. "Got it. Anything else for you?"

Kai hesitated, casting a fleeting, sideways glance at Seol.

Seol knew that look. It was the look he gave right before he made a terrible decision.

"Actually…" Kai started, resting an elbow on the counter. "You know Kang Taehyun, right?"

Silence slammed down on the counter.

Seol’s eyes went wide as saucers. ‘WHAT ARE YOU DOING???’ her panicked face screamed at him.

Y/N froze, her hand hovering a few inches above the receipt printer. The customer-service glaze over her eyes flickered. "Um..."

"The engineering student?" Kai prompted, grinning with total, unbothered ease.

"Yeah," Y/N stammered gently. "I... think so?"

"He's my best friend," Kai said proudly.

"Oh." Y/N swallowed, suddenly looking anywhere but Kai's eyes. "Is that so?"

"He comes here pretty often."

"He does," Kai chuckled, leaning in just a fraction closer. "He practically lives here, honestly."

Y/N let out a small, breathless laugh that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I... I guess so..."

BEEP.

"Your total is 11,500 won," Y/N blurted out a little too quickly, pointing at the card reader like it was an escape hatch.

Kai tapped his card against the machine. As Y/N handed over the buzzers, her hands were stiff, but she managed another polite smile. "Your drinks will be ready in just a few minutes."

"Thanks."

The second they turned their backs and walked toward a booth near the window, Seol delivered a sharp elbow directly into Kai's ribs.

"Ow! Stop abusing me!"

"What the fuck was that?" Seol hissed under her breath, sliding into the booth. "You literally walked up to a complete stranger and asked if she knew your best friend! You sounded like a detective in an interrogation room!"

"I was making casual conversation!"

"You were terrifying!"

Kai slumped into the seat, looking back toward the front counter over his shoulder. "Okay well...She got flustered, though."

Seol paused, following his gaze.

Y/N was currently standing by the espresso machine, frantically organizing paper cups that were already stacked in flawless, pristine rows. Her cheeks were flushed a soft pink.

Seol smirked, leaning her chin on her hand. "Well…She definitely got flustered."

Nearly thirty minutes had passed.

Their drinks were melted down to watery ice, but neither of them had any intention of leaving just yet. Kai was idly scrolling through his phone, while Seol had her laptop open, the sharp click-clack of her typing filling the quiet space between them.

Clink.

The bell above the café door chimed.

Kai didn't bother looking up from his screen. Seol did, casually glancing over the top of her laptop.

"Kai."

"Hm?"

"Taehyun is here."

Kai’s head snapped up instantly.

Sure enough, Taehyun had just stepped through the entrance, tangled white earbuds hanging loosely around his neck as he unzipped his jacket, casually heading toward the counter.

Kai blinked. "Erm...I didn't tell him we were here."

"Clearly."

Neither of them made a sound. They didn't wave, call his name, or make their presence known. Instead, Seol’s eyes darted instantly from Taehyun to the girl behind the counter.

"Kai."

"What?"

"Look at her."

The moment the bell had chimed, Y/N’s head had snapped up. The second her eyes registered Taehyun, her entire posture locked up. Her shoulders noticeably stiffened. In one fluid, panicked motion, she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, smoothed down the front of her apron, and reached blindly for a fresh stack of cup sleeves.

Kai and Seol exchanged a slow, silent look across the table.

"You saw that too, right?" Kai whispered, his voice dripping with triumph.

"She wasn't doing any of that when the guy in the suit walked in," Seol whispered back, not taking her eyes off the drama unfolding.

Y/N took a quiet, steadying breath, forced her face into a customer-service smile, and looked up as Taehyun reached the register.

"H-hi," she greeted, stumbling slightly over the first syllable. "What can I... what can I get started for you today?"

A slow, devious smirk spread across Kai's face. "She's cooked."

"She's beyond cooked," Seol murmured, fighting back a laugh.

Taehyun, completely blind to the low-stakes romantic thriller happening three feet away from him, placed his order with his usual calm, deadpan tone. "One iced caramel macchiato, please."

"Of course."

Y/N’s fingers fluttered over the register screen, tapping the icons with a delicate, slightly trembling precision. Kai leaned closer to Seol across the table, whispering out of the side of his mouth. "I don't need any more evidence. Case closed."

"No arguments here," Seol agreed softly. "It's one hundred percent her."

Having completed his transaction, Taehyun tapped his card, took his receipt, and casually turned around to scan the seating area while he waited for his drink. His eyes swept past the counter, past the middle tables, and landed square on the booth by the window.

He froze.

"What are you two doing here?" Taehyun asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kai gasped, nearly choking on his own spit as he tried to look innocent. "Oh! Hey! Wow, small world!"

𓍢ִ໋☕️✧˚ ༘ ⋆

masterlist

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

Permanent taglist: @soobinsoudesu , @nanilis Comment or send an ask to be added to the taglist<3

Maybe it was easier to just pretend it didn’t bother you.

Maybe you just wanted life to go back to normal.

So you swallowed it all: the doubt, the rage, the entire unjustified feeling that made you seethe and wallow in some sort of pity.

In the tough 2 weeks before Kai apologised and spewed that story, life was hard and you don’t want to go back to it. It was tough because you’re so used to Kai being there and to actively ignore him or go out of your way to avoid him was miserable.

Spending time with Beomgyu or Yoonchae only did so much for your social battery, so you swallowed all the emotions and pretended to believe Kai.

Pretend that you don’t hear him scramble out of his bedroom window when a threat hit the town. Pretend that you don’t hear him fall back in, bruised and battered as he treats himself in the shared bathroom.

You pretend you don’t see the bloody tissues or wads of plasters clumped in the bathroom bin, clumsily covered by whatever rubbish he could get his hands on. You pretend you don’t hear the way he holds back tears when he gets a particularly bad wound on his side and flinches whenever you come near him.

The way he flinched when you snuck up on him.

It’s soul crushing but you got used to it. It’s what Kai wants.

THE alleyway off of main street is the type that changes when the sky is bright or dark. Walking through now doesn’t feel bad, but once the sky starts to dim and the outline of shapes becomes blurry and warped, it’s somewhere you want to stay far from.

So you don’t know why your hair is standing on end as you walk through the brightly lit street. You find yourself jumping at something so simple as a cat darting across the brick laid street or the faint rustle of a plastic bag that skirts across the ground.

Debris scatters as you quicken your pace.

It’s a weird sensation — to feel watched when there’s visibly no one around. You can see the clearings of the fire escapes in your peripheral and there’s no one loitering in the area with you.

The pastry filled bag crinkles when you grip it a little tighter.

BZZT!

BZZT!

YOU pause as you read Kai’s text. A laugh bubbles in your throat, just short of escaping as you realise that Kai must’ve been the person making you feel like you’re on edge.

“So you’re stalking—“ The witty comment dies on your tongue as you turn around and find the alleyway vastly empty. The only sign of life are the few people walking by it on the main street, yet the area around you is empty.

Your brows furrow as you glance back down at your phone, then up, then to your side. Your mind rattles as you try to locate your very annoying roommate.

“Turn around, stupid.” A sly laugh leaks into your ears as you whip around.

Kai hands upside down, head just centimetres from your own as his infuriatingly charming smirk beams at you. Even while dangling upside down, he still looks good.

“Wha—“ You’re cut off once more by Kai who raises a finger to his lips.

You’re suddenly hit by deja vu.

Followed shortly by your frustration. Very intense frustration.

“So you are Spiderman!” You growl as — without thinking — the hand clenching his iced americano automatically shoots forward to shove his shoulder. Kai yelps as he shakes on his web, coughing as globs of coffee hit his face and catch the back of his throat. His recently cleaned suit becomes sticky as he spouts out pleas for you to stop as you continue bashing on his shoulders.

Kai winces once he realises his prized crossaint is currently being crushed against his own body, too.

“Okay! Okay! Damn — I’m sorry!” He begs, swinging desperately as he tries not to loose his balance and bruise his ego in the same second.

A split second of silence passes between the both of you, nothing but the sound of light pants from both you and Kai. Your hands fall limply beside your sides, pastry bag hanging on by the lightest grip. The iced cup rattles as it thuds against the ground, rolling in its own sticky consistency before it settles against your coffee soiled shoe.

“I… I thought this would be.. cooler.” Kai admits bashfully as he continues to slightly sway. The frown that settles on your lips is one Kai has seen before, the one that shows when you get a lower score than expected on an exam. Disappointment.

It gnaws at his chest the longer you pause for the right words.

“You’re so fucking stupid.” Though you meant it to come out with more ferocity, the tone that Kai hears is soft and tired.

Thought he efforts a chuckle, “Yeah. I am.”

“You lied to me for so long, Kai.” The unfiltered exhaustion on your face makes Kai pause. The twinge of a smile that curved on the side of his lips falls flat as the brown of his eyes twinkle with emotion.

“I—“

“I get it. I really do, I mean… You’re a hero. God. But I thought you trusted me.” Your voice cracks as you spill how you really feel. Suddenly the noise of the high street is nothing but a rumble in the background, “… And I saw it. The tissues, the gauze — the blood. I saw it all and how you were hurting and you still shut me out. Kai — fuck, I kept thinking, what if you die? What if you die out there and the only way I’ll know it’s you is when they take off that damn mask and—“ The tears sting at your eyes, “And I’m forced to accept that I knew it was you the whole time and I couldn’t do anything to help. I can’t.”

The wind tousles with your hair as you fight back tears and even as Kai hangs upside down, suspended by his own body but instead it feels like it’s your words keeping him still. His heart thrums against his ribcage as you croak out the worries you’ve piled inside for weeks.

It’s eating you from the inside and he let it happen.

“Y/N…” Kai’s voice is soft, smooth like honey in the way you’ve heard before.

Yet this time it’s not comforting.

“I realised even if you tell me, I can’t do anything. I’ll just know that you’re dead without having to wait for you to be identified. Then I thought, isn’t that selfish? To badger you about it just so I can know inside? You’re trying to save an entire city of people, thousands — hundreds of thousands! But I just thought of myself. You don’t even thinking about yourself. I… I just…” Kai becomes a marbled version of himself when the tears teeter on falling. His sharp features are nothing but a blob as the salty globs of water threaten to break past the damn of your lashes and your chest fights to heave out the sob that’s crawling up your throat.

“I am selfish. Y/N, I’m so fucking selfish.” Kai spews before he can hold himself back. His sudden outburst causes you to blink and the tears roll down your face in quick succession. Your lip wobbles, fighting against your teeth and you bite back the ugly sob.

Kai’s heart thrums in a way that feels medically impossible. His heart lurches to his throat as his face warms with a flurry of confusing emotions, “Every time I’m out there I think about where you are. I see a civilian in front of me about to die and I think ‘at least it’s not Y/N’ or ‘I wonder where Y/N is.’ I don’t think about how lucky I was to get there in time — Y/N I almost let someone die the day I picked you up from that alley because you were too close for comfort.”

The wind picks up, biting at your cool cheeks as your tears run down them freely. Kai thinks you can’t be anymore beautiful than you are but even in this vulnerable state, you’re still breathtaking.

A rumble builds in his chest, pettily laughing at his own situation.

“I thought if I made this cool entrance, surprised you like this that the reveal would go smooth. Maybe you’d think I’m cool — maybe you’d forget that I’m a dick who’s been lying to you for months.” He rolls his eyes at his own behaviour, “I thought it’d be easier than this.”

The flesh of your lower lip feels dull when you let it go from your teeth.

“It was never going to be easy, Kai.” You mumble, face numb, “But you’re never easy.”

Kai frowns.

“What do you mean?”

“It was never going to be easy to find out the man I love is fighting criminals and aliens on a daily basis — it was never going to be easy to tell you ‘I love you’ because you’d probably die before I do it. Or I’d leave before I could because I couldn’t handle heartbreak twice.”

“Twice?” Kai breathes.

You nod, “First when you reject me and secondly when you lose a fight to your ego and you’re 6 feet under with that stupid outfit on.”

“I made this outfit, you know…” Kai mumbles dejectedly.

Even after spilling your guts out, he still makes you chuckle when you feel like you’ve got no emotions left.

A crushed can tumbles by, clacking as it hits spare debris. Kai clears his throat.

“I’ll see you at home. I’ll get started on finding somewhere else to live. Sorry about the pastry.” You sniff as you kick your feet from the ground, rounding Kai’s dangling body as he stares at the place you were standing, immobilised by shock.

He pauses, then splutters — “Y/N! Wait! Hold o— Fuck. Shit.”

There’s a thud and crash followed by scuffling. You don’t bother to glance behind you because the sound of squabbling footsteps rushes behind you in record time.

“Please don’t make me chase you in this stupid outfit.” He pleas as his hand clamps on your shoulder.

“Thought you made it?” You scoff, eyes trailing from his gloved hand to desperate face. He still looks so angelic when pleading.

He exhales, “Stop. Please.”

For the second time today, your feet plant in the ground. Kai’s posture crumbles softly as you turn around, face dejected.

“Don’t do this in public, Kai.”

“Let me speak!” Kai’s plea edges on unfiltered desperation. You flinch softly when he shouts. His brows furrow with apology.

“I never said I didn’t love you. Y/N, you think I don’t?” Kai puffs, cheeks tingling with the same warmth a schoolboy gets when he confuses to his crush. His stomach flutters uncomfortably, “All I think about is you. Every time I come home, I think about you. I think about what we can do together, I think about what you’re wearing, what you’re doing — I think about the day you tell me you have a boyfriend because I waited too long to tell you because I’m a fucking loser who would rather keep you as a friend than lose you to a rejection because you can do so much better than me.”

“Kai…”

Kai shakes his head, “But this whole time… you were scared to lose me. Not just as a friend but in general… And I never thought about it that way.”

“I don’t expect you to.”

“I should have. All I thought about was you finding someone else while I continue to fight criminals in this stupid suit… I’m sorry.”

You step closer, shoes scuffing against the ground before bumping against the toes of his own. Kai inhales when the spaces between your faces narrow and your hands travel to gently hold his cheeks, “I love you, Kai. Even when you’re in this stupid fucking suit.”

He laughs, soft and reserved. His eyes shake as he takes in your face and the dried tear tracks stuck against your cheeks.

His limp arms curl around your waist when you tug his head closer to yours, lips smashing together in a swift motion that takes both of your breaths away.

His lips mould against your own so naturally that the thoughts in your head melt away. Before you know it, your fingers are tangled in his locks and his hands are pushing your waist against his hips. A soft harmony of delighted breaths and whiny moans spill from both of your mouths as you drink each others unspoken thoughts.

“Hey! Is that fucking Spider-man!?”