ellisita

꧁ elli ⋆ writer ⋆ mexican ⋆ japanese ⋆ fanfics ⋆ kpop ⋆ pink and teal ⋆ k-dramas ⋆ lipliner ⋆ james bias ⋆ cortis ⋆

requests are open!

FACE REVEAL AT 1K (again)

LINKS ——> masterlist * tag list

۶ৎ ׂ 𓈒 Synopsis- Martin was used to being on stage, cameras in his face, and thousands of eyes watching him. But somehow, one smile from you was enough to make him forget how to act.

۶ৎ ׂ 𓈒 Pairings- Idol!MartinEdwardsPark x Idol!Fem!Reader

A/N I have had a long break but writers block and no motivation is a crazy combo. I have so many things i need to finish with people requesting part two's but that might take a hot min. Also this is super short i had a whole crazy plot and idea for this but i didnt think yall would like it so i hope this feeds you while im busy

You were Martin’s first real crush.

Sure, there had been a few girls he’d liked back in elementary school and the beginning of middle school, but those childish feelings didn’t even compare to this. This was different. Embarrassingly different.

Just catching a glimpse of you in the company hallways was enough to make his ears burn. If you smiled at him while walking past, he’d freeze for a second before awkwardly returning the smile, only to spend the next hour replaying the interaction in his head.

It wasn’t like him at all.

Unfortunately for Martin, his members had noticed.

“Girls, remember you’re heading to dance room 13, not 7,” your manager reminded the group.

The five of you nodded in unison.

“And be there by on time.”

Another chorus of nods followed before everyone began gathering their things.

Despite working under the same company, you’d only crossed paths with Cortis a handful of times. Usually it was at award shows or company events where you’d exchange polite bows and greetings before going your separate ways. Somehow, you’d never actually had a proper conversation with any of them.

Today, though, was different.

Both Cortis and your group had been asked to film a few collaboration TikToks together.

To you, it was just another schedule.

To Martin, it felt like the most nerve-racking day of his life.

“I don’t get why you’re acting like this,” Seonghyeon said, watching Martin pace around the practice room. “You’re filming a couple of TikToks, not proposing.”

Martin let out a groan, dragging a hand down his face.

“But what if I embarrass myself?” he muttered. “Then I’ll have no chance.”

The room fell quiet for a second before the rest of the members burst into laughter.

Martin looked up with a frown, only to realise they weren’t laughing because they thought he was joking.

They were laughing because he was being completely serious.

James eventually stepped over, patting him lightly on the shoulder.

“Just don’t overthink it,” he said. “She’s just another person.”

Martin sighed.

If only it were that simple.

“They’ll be here in five minutes anyway,” Keonho chimed in.

“You’re making it worse,” Martin groaned, sinking further into his chair as the others laughed.

Just then, a knock sounded at the practice room door.

“They’re here,” one of the staff members called.

Martin swore his heart stopped.

—

You followed your members down the hallway alongside two staff members before stopping outside Dance Room 13.

As the door slid open, your eyes landed on the five boys already waiting inside.

It was… surprisingly quiet.

Considering they’d been left unsupervised, you’d expected the room to be like a zoo. Instead, they were all sat or standing around, chatting amongst themselves until they noticed you enter.

Both groups greeted each other with polite bows and quiet hellos before the room fell silent again.

“Since there’s an even number of you, we’ll pair you up for the TikToks,” one of the staff members announced, glancing down at the list in her hand.

She began reading out names.

“Keonho with M/N.”

“Juhoon with M/N.”

One by one, everyone found their partner until only two names remained.

“And… Y/N with Martin.”

For a split second, Martin forgot how to breathe.

You, on the other hand, simply smiled to yourself before making your way over.

As you got closer, you couldn’t help noticing just how much taller he was than you.

You hated to admit it, but… you kind of liked it.

“Hiya,” you greeted with a small smile.

Martin’s ears turned pink almost instantly.

“Hi.”

He offered a shy smile, pressing his lips together afterwards as though he was worried he’d said something wrong.

You blinked.

Cute.

Before either of you had the chance to say anything else, a staff member waved you both over.

“Martin, Y/N! Over here.”

The conversation would have to wait.

The two of you made your way to the other side of the practice room, leaving the other behind as the staff began sorting everyone into place.

“Y/N, you know the choreography for ‘Go!’, right?” one of the staff members asked.

You gave an apologetic smile and shook your head.

“Not really.”

The staff member let out a quiet sigh before turning to Martin.

“Could you teach her while I help Juhoon and M/N? I’ll be back in a minute.”

Before either of you could respond, she’d already walked away.

A brief silence settled between you.

You glanced up at Martin, who looked as though he’d forgotten how to speak.

“Will it take long to learn?” you asked, mostly to break the awkwardness.

He cleared his throat.

“Um… no. Not if you know some of it already.”

“Oh, okay.”

You stepped back slightly, giving yourself enough room to move.

“So… it starts like this, right?”

You attempted the opening move from memory, your arms and feet moving at completely different timings.

Martin couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at the corners of his lips.

“Almost,” he said quietly. “It’s more like…”

He demonstrated the move, careful not to overdo it.

“Ah.”

You nodded before copying him again.

“Like this?”

“Yeah… that’s it.”

You tried the next movement, only to swing your arm a little too far.

Your hand hit his chest.

You immediately lowered your arm.

“I’m so sorry.”

Martin looked just as startled as you did.

“No, no,” he said quickly, shaking his head. “It’s okay. Really.”

You let out a small, embarrassed laugh.

“I’ve been here for two minutes and I’m already assaulting you.”

That earned a quiet laugh from Martin.

“I think I’ll survive.”

For the first time since you’d walked into the room, the tension between you eased, if only a little.

“Hopefully,” you laughed, rubbing the back of your neck. “Because you have to teach me this dance, and I’m absolutely butchering it.”

Martin let out a quiet laugh of his own, the nervousness he’d been carrying easing ever so slightly.

“I don’t think it’s that bad.”

“No?”

He shook his head.

“I think the problem is your footwork.” He glanced down at your feet before looking back up. “You’re getting the arm movements right, but your feet are moving at a different pace. It’s just the timing that’s off.”

As he spoke, he demonstrated the move again, counting under his breath as he stepped through it.

You found yourself watching him a little longer than necessary.

There was something oddly attractive about how patient he was. He didn’t seem frustrated in the slightest, even after watching you mess up the same move three times.

You quickly pushed the thought aside.

He was just a coworker.

Nothing more.

“Okay…” you nodded. “Can you count us in? Maybe if I follow you, it’ll finally click.”

Martin gave a small nod before taking his place beside you.

“Ready?”

You mirrored his stance.

“Ready.”

“Five, six, seven, eight.”

This time, your movements followed his almost perfectly.

“There you go,” he said, unable to hide the smile that spread across his face.

“I did it!”

“You did.”

The two of you spent the next half hour running through the choreography together. Every mistake was met with quiet encouragement instead of frustration, and with each attempt, the awkwardness between you faded just a little more.

As the staff wrapped up filming and everyone began packing away tripods and speakers, you thanked Martin one last time for helping you with the choreography.

"You ended up learning it pretty quickly," he said.

"Only because I had a good teacher."

Heat rushed to his face for what felt like the hundredth time that afternoon.

Before either of you could say anything else, your manager called your name.

You gave him one last smile before jogging back over to your members.

Martin watched you leave until you disappeared around the corner.

Synopsis- They got one night to themself, the internet got the rest.

Pairings- Idol!James x 6thMember!reader / Established relationship.

Warnings- PDA but other than that none really.

Based on this ask.

A/N Haven’t posted in a min been so busy and ive been flopping but i thought this req was really cute and yes im gonna be continuing the Martin series but i lowkenuinley lost my free trial on that app so yall are gonna have to bare with me.

“Hey, me and Y/N are gonna go out in like ten minutes.”

James said it casually as he walked out of the bathroom, toothbrush hanging out of his mouth. Martin barely looked up from his phone, nodding absentmindedly before what James had actually said seemed to register.

“Wait, what?”

James laughed. “What?”

“You and Y/N are going out?”

“Yeah?”

Martin finally looked up at him. “James, don’t you think you two are being kinda reckless?”

James scoffed, walking over and dropping a hand onto Martin’s shoulder. “Bro, it’s gonna be late. No one’s gonna be out.”

“You’re saying that like fans magically disappear after midnight.”

“We’re in France,” James argued. “You know we wouldn’t be doing this if we were back home.”

Martin sighed because, annoyingly enough, James wasn’t completely wrong. Ever since the two of them had officially started dating a few weeks ago, they’d definitely been pushing their luck. Nothing major, but enough to make Martin nervous. They’d been going out together more, sitting a little too close during lives, disappearing for hours at a time whenever they got the chance. There had been a few tweets here and there from fans convinced something was going on between them, but most people brushed it off as another bull shit conspiracy theory.

“Okay, but just be careful,” Martin said, setting his phone down. “Like, if you see people walking towards you, run in opposite directions.”

James burst out laughing. “That’s your advice?”

“I’m serious.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got it handled.”

Martin immediately knew he did not, in fact, have it handled.

James gave him one last confident nod before heading towards the door, and Martin could only shake his head.

“Yeah,” he muttered once James was gone. “That’s definitely not gonna come back and bite you.”

James finally left his room and made his way down the hall towards yours. He’d walked this exact route about twenty times already during the trip, usually to bother you or steal something from your room, so when he knocked twice on the door, he already knew you’d know it was him.

Sure enough, the door swung open almost immediately.

“Took you long enough.”

James rolled his eyes. “I’m like two minutes late.”

“Three, actually.”

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t realise I was dating a stopwatch.”

You laughed, stepping out into the hallway and pulling the door shut behind you.

James glanced at you for a second before smiling.

“You look nice.”

“I look the same as I always do.”

“And?”

You tried not to smile as he reached over and nudged your shoulder.

“Shut up.”

“Make me.”

“We’re in a hotel hallway.”

“Okay?”

James laughed before gently wrapping an arm around your waist as the two of you started walking.

“So where are we actually going?”

“No clue.”

You stared at him.

“James.”

“What?”

“You dragged me out at basically midnight and don’t even have a plan?”

“The plan is walking around Paris.”

“That’s not a plan.”

“It is when you’re with the right person.”

You groaned immediately.

“That was awful.”

“No, that was smooth.”

“That was something a forty-year-old dad would post on Facebook.”

The warm night air hit you both the second you stepped out of the hotel lobby. It was a welcome change from the stuffy hallways you’d spent most of the day walking through. Paris felt different at night, calmer somehow. The streets weren’t empty, but they weren’t packed either. A few couples wandered hand in hand, people laughed over late dinners on café terraces, and the occasional scooter buzzed past.

For the first time in what felt like forever, neither of you had a schedule to follow.

James shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket as he looked up at the buildings surrounding you.

“See?” he said with a satisfied smile. “Worth it.”

You glanced at him. “We’ve literally been outside for five seconds.”

“Exactly.”

“You don’t even know if it’s worth it yet.”

“I’ve got a feeling.”

You couldn’t help but laugh.

“Right… because your feelings are always reliable.”

“They are.”

“I promise theyre not.”

James gasped dramatically, placing a hand over his chest. “Wow.”

“I’m just being honest.”

“That hurts.”

You rolled your eyes, unable to stop smiling as the two of you began walking down the pavement together. There wasn’t really a destination in mind, but neither of you cared. That was kind of the whole point of sneaking out. For once there weren’t cameras following your every move, staff telling you where to stand, or managers checking the time every five minutes.

Well… at least that’s what you hoped.

“So,” you said after a comfortable silence settled between you, “what exactly are we gonna do?”

James looked over at you.

“what are we gonna do?”

“Mhm.”

He scratched the back of his neck before letting out a small laugh.

“I don’t know, what do you wanna do?”

You stopped walking.

He took another step before realising you’d stayed behind.

“James.”

“You dragged me out of the hotel,” you said, pointing at him accusingly, “and now youre asking me to decide? Youre aware that im like the most indecisive person you know?”

“We’ll figure it out.”

“James.”

“What?”

“You practically begged me to come.”

“I did.”

“And now you’re telling me we’re just… wandering?”

“Pretty much.”

You stared at him for a second before shaking your head.

“I cannot believe you.”

He laughed, walking back over to you.

“What? It’s fun.”

“It would’ve been nice to know that before I spent twenty minutes deciding what to wear.”

“You always take twenty minutes deciding what to wear.”

“That’s not the point.”

He grinned, reaching for your hand without thinking. His fingers slipped between yours so naturally that neither of you acknowledged it anymore. Just a few weeks ago you’d both been awkward about simple things like holding hands, worried someone would see or one of you would overthink it. Now it almost felt strange not to.

“Okay,” James said after pretending to think for a moment. “I’ve got an idea.”

“Oh, finally.”

“Ice cream.”

You blinked at him.

“Ice cream?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s nearly midnight.”

“So?”

“What ice cream shop is open at midnight?”

He shrugged.

“I don’t know.”

You laughed.

“You’re like so helpful jammie.”

“I know.”

“Sarcasm.”

“Right.”

You nudged his shoulder, earning another smile from him.

The two of you continued walking anyway, occasionally peeking down side streets or reading the signs above cafés that were still open. James attempted to pronounce almost every French word he saw, and every attempt somehow sounded worse than the last.

“‘Boulangerie,’” he read confidently.

You looked at him.

“…That’s definitely not how you say it.”

“It definitely is.”

“No.”

“It sounded French.”

“It sounded like you made it up.”

“Wow.”

You laughed so hard you had to let go of his hand for a second, shaking your head as he tried, and failed, to defend himself.

“You know,” he muttered, trying not to laugh too, “I don’t appreciate being judged.”

“I don’t appreciate listening to whatever that accent was.”

“You’re lucky you’re my girlfriend.”

“Oh? So now I’m lucky?”

“Very.”

You smiled, trying to hide it by looking away.

For a moment, neither of you said anything. You simply walked side by side, taking in the quiet streets, the warm breeze, and the glow of the city around you.

It felt normal.

And for people whose lives were anything but normal, that was exactly what made nights like this so special.

The two of you had been walking for a while now, taking random turns whenever a street looked interesting. Every now and then James would slow down to look at a building or a café menu written entirely in French before immediately giving up.

“I have no idea what any of that says,” he mumbled.

“Whip out the google trampnslate.”

“I thought I’d magically figure it out.”

“Hasn’t happened yet?”

“Not looking likely.”

You smiled to yourself as you kept walking beside him. It was nice not having to rush anywhere. No cameras following behind, no staff calling one of your names every five minutes. Just the sound of your shoes against the pavement and the occasional conversation from people walking past.

Your eyes wandered across the street until something caught your attention.

Warm lights glowed through the windows of a little café tucked between two buildings. There were only a few people inside, but it definitely didn’t look closed.

You reached over and lightly nudged James with your elbow.

“That one.”

He looked where you were pointing before tilting his head at the sign above the door.

“…I’m not saying that.”

“Why?”

“Because whatever comes out of my mouth is gonna be offensive to the entire country.”

You laughed.

“Fair.”

“You say it.”

“No.”

“Yah so don’t make fun of my pronunciation.”

“I just know you somehow would’ve made it worse.”

He gave you a fake offended look before you grabbed his hand and started leading him across the road.

“Come on before it closes.”

“Bossy.”

“Shh.”

James let you pull him along without another complaint, a small smile creeping onto his face.

“By the way,” You said as you reached the door, “I’m not paying.”

He looked at you.

“…I literally have my card in my hand.”

“Just making sure.”

“You’re unbelievable.”

“I’ve been told.”

There wasn’t much of a queue, which wasn’t exactly surprising considering it was creeping towards one in the morning. The café was quiet, save for a couple sitting by the window and two employees chatting behind the counter.

James stood beside you, staring at the menu with a slight frown.

“…Why are there so many flavours?”

You laughed. “You’ve had, like, ages to think.”

“I know.”

“And?”

“I’ve somehow become less certain.”

“You do this every time.”

“I like having options.”

“You hate having options.”

“…Yeah.”

You shook your head, smiling to yourself as the employee called you over.

James stepped up first.

“What do you want?”

“Phishfood.”

He looked over his shoulder.

“That’s the one with the… fish?”

You stared at him.

“…No.”

“I’ve never had it.”

“It doesn’t have actual fish in it.”

“I wasn’t sure.”

“You stupid.”

He laughed before turning back to the employee, ordering your ice cream first before choosing something for himself.

The cool night air met you again as you stepped onto the pavement. Without thinking, you leaned over and pressed a quick kiss against his cheek before taking a spoonful of your ice cream.

James smiled to himself but didn’t say anything.

The streets had grown even quieter than before. You wandered aimlessly, talking about anything that came to mind, until the buildings began opening up around you.

Your eyes drifted ahead.

“James look.”

“I know.”

Towering above the rooftops, the Eiffel Tower glowed against the dark sky, somehow looking even bigger than it had from the hotel.

Before you could say anything else, you felt James’ spoon dip into your cup.

You looked down.

Then back at him.

“I paid for it.”

“You paid for my ice cream.”

“Exactly.”

“That’s not how that works.”

“It is in my head.”

You laughed despite yourself, hitting his shoulder.

“You literally have your own.”

“Yours tastes better”

“You haven’t even tried yours.”

“I don’t need to.”

You sighed dramatically before holding the cup out towards him.

“Fine.”

“I knew you’d cave.”

“I didn’t.”

“You definitely did.”

“You were going to keep stealing it otherwise.”

“…Probably.”

Then a bright flash caught your eye.

You instinctively turned your head, scanning the street behind you.

“…Did you see that?”

James looked over too, eyebrows knitting together. “See what?”

“I don’t know…” You frowned, looking around for another second before giving up. “There was like a flash.”

He glanced behind him one last time before looking back at you.

“There wasn’t anyone there.”

“Don’t worry.” He shrugged. “It’s probably nothing.”

You looked around once more. The streets weren’t exactly empty, there were still people wandering around, but no one seemed to be paying either of you any attention.

“…Yeah.”

You let it go.

It was probably nothing.

The two of you continued walking, James’ arm naturally finding its way back around your waist as you wandered further towards the open square ahead. The closer you got, the more the Eiffel Tower came into view until eventually there was nothing blocking it at all, apart from a few couples sat on the steps.

You slowed to a stop.

“…Okay.”

James looked at you.

“You were right.”

“I know.”

“The view’s actually insane.”

“I know.”

“You don’t have to keep saying ‘I know.’”

“I know.”

You smiled, rolling your eyes before tossing your empty ice cream tub into a nearby bin.

“We have to take pictures.”

“I was waiting for you to say that.”

You pulled your phone from your pocket as the two of you wandered around for a minute, trying to find the perfect angle where the tower sat neatly behind you.

“There,” James nodded.

You stood beside him, opening your camera.

Neither of you really needed to say anything anymore.

You’d done this a hundred times before.

James leaned in until your faces were touching.

You pressed the side button once.

Then again.

On the third one, you both stuck your tongues out at the exact same time.

You leaned in just enough for the tips of your tongues to briefly touch before quickly taking the picture.

“Send that one to me,” James laughed.

“No, absolutely not.”

“It’ll never see the light of day.”

“You promise?”

“Mhm.”

You hit his arm, still smiling.

Then-

Flash.

This time there was no mistaking it.

Both of you looked up at the same time.

“…Okay,” you said slowly. “You saw that one.”

James nodded, his smile fading slightly as he looked around.

“Yeah…”

For a few seconds, neither of you spoke.

The square suddenly didn’t feel as empty as it had a minute ago.

James tried to brush it off anyway.

“Don’t worry,” he said, giving your waist a reassuring squeeze. “Probably just someone’s kid messing around with one of those disposable cameras.”

You looked at him.

“Jammie.”

“…What?”

“No kid would be up at this time.”

He opened his mouth to answer.

Another flash lit up the space between you.

This time it came from much closer.

Your stomach dropped.

You both turned towards the source just as three people stepped out from beside one of the nearby paths.

Two girls.

And a guy holding his phone horizontal.

The girls looked frozen for a second, like they couldn’t quite believe they’d actually found you.

The guy, on the other hand…

Lowered the camera.

Then immediately lifted it again.

Flash.

۶ৎ ׂ 𓈒 Synopsis- Three months after your breakup with James, it looks like you've already moved on. James certainly thinks so after seeing another boy all over your Instagram. But when you unexpectedly end up at the same party, avoiding each other becomes impossible, and so do the feelings neither of you really got over.

۶ৎ ׂ 𓈒 Pairings ExBoyfriend!Idol!James x ExGirlfriend!NonIdol!Reader

۶ৎ ׂ 𓈒 Warnings- swearing, cheating (its not reallyy cheating but even if it was it's acceptable cause it's for James), angst, hurt with kind of comfort.

A/N I have a love hate reationship with this fic thats why i havent proof read it lmao. and this shit is HELLA long but it genuinley took three weeks to write because of how much ive been changing it so i hope this does well and if it doesnt EVERYONE will feel it.🤬

Dance practice had dragged on longer than usual.

The speakers echoed through the studio for what felt like the hundredth time that night, bass vibrating through the floor while the members lazily went over the ending formation again. The room was warm from hours of dancing, hoodies and water bottles scattered everywhere near the mirrors.

“Bro, MOVE,” Martin groaned, laughing as Seonghyeon once again stepped the wrong way during the last count.

“I did move!”

“To the wrong spot,” Keonho cut in immediately.

Seonghyeon looked offended. “Why are you all bullying me?”

“Because you almost kicked James in the face,” Juhoon said, still breathing heavily from practice.

James just laughed quietly from the back, wiping sweat from his neck with his sleeve. Practice was always like this near the end, everyone tired, arguing over stupid things they’d forget about two minutes later. Honestly, he liked it that way.

Lately it’d been harder to get out of his own head, especially after the breakup, but dance practice distracted him enough not to think about it constantly. Around the members, things still felt normal.

“Wait, wait,” Martin suddenly said, already grabbing his phone. “Juhoon, stand there for a second.”

Juhoon narrowed his eyes immediately. “No.”

“Please bro this TikTok matches your aura.”

“What aura dude?”

“The unemployed kind of aura.” Martin raised his eyebrows.

Keonho burst out laughing while Martin replayed the audio for the third time, trying to position Juhoon in frame.

“This is gonna be hard to watch already,” Keonho said, shaking his head.

“Trust me,” Martin insisted. “He’s gonna pull with this one.”

“Pull WHO?” Juhoon asked.

James snorted from where he’d sat down on one of the fold-up chairs against the mirrored wall, watching Martin aggressively direct Juhoon like it was some serious production.

“Nah tilt your head more,” Martin said.

“I’m not doing that.”

“Bro just commit.”

After another thirty seconds of arguing, Martin finally filmed it and immediately ran over to Keonho to show him.

“That is so bad bro,” Keonho laughed the second the video started playing.

“I’m gonna gag.”

Martin looked genuinely offended. “Nah bro hes gonna get all the ladies.”

“Hey let me see,” James said, smiling as he got up and walked over.

Martin handed him the phone.

The video was terrible. Juhoon looked awkward the entire time while Martin kept zooming in dramatically for no reason.

James laughed almost instantly, his big teethy grin showing with his dimples. “I agree with Martin,” he said seriously despite laughing. “It’s… uhm nice.”

Juhoon stared at him blankly. “You’re all fake.”

About fifteen minutes later, the members finally started settling down again.

The music had stopped while everyone moved back into formation, still talking over each other and laughing under their breath. Martin was bent over fixing the speaker while Keonho and Seonghyeon argued about who kept messing up the ending.

“I’m telling you it wasn’t me.”

“It literally WAS you.”

“How?”

“You started moving before the count.”

“No I didn’t.”

“Yes you did bruh.”

Juhoon sighed loudly from the middle of the room. “Can we just finish this before I collapse?”

Martin straightened up again, clapping once. “Okay seriously, we actually need to run REDRED again otherwise Manager-nim is gonna be pissed.”

“He’s always pissed,” Keonho muttered.

“Yeah but today he’ll be EXTRA pissed.”

That made James laugh quietly from where he was leaning against the wall near the fold-up chairs. Even after everything lately, practice still felt normal. Loud, annoying, chaotic, but normal. It was one of the only places where his brain actually shut up for a while.

“Okay bro, give me like two minutes,” he said, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

Martin pointed at him immediately. “If you’re watching edits of yourself again I’m telling.”

James snorted. “You literally do that.”

“Yeah because I’m handsome.”

“Said nobody ever.”

The members started laughing again while James unlocked his phone, still half listening to the conversation.

He opened Instagram like usual.

At first he wasn’t really paying attention, thumb already moving to scroll.

Then he froze.

His eyes landed on your username instantly.

The picture underneath made his stomach drop so fast it almost felt physical.

You were curled up against some guy on the couch in your apartment, his arm around your waist while your legs rested over his lap. The caption was simple, something stupid and harmless, but James barely read it.

He just kept staring at the picture.

For a second he genuinely thought maybe he was misunderstanding what he was looking at. Maybe it was a friend. Maybe the angle looked worse than it was.

But the longer he stared, the more obvious it became.

No.

That definitely wasn’t just a friend.

The room suddenly felt way too loud.

“Bro move.”

“You move.”

“I was here first!”

James barely heard any of it anymore.

His eyes scanned the picture again before he could stop himself, noticing details he hated immediately. The way you looked comfortable against him. The way your face was turned into his neck slightly. The fact it was taken in your apartment.

Some random guy was in your apartment.

His jaw tightened.

Three months, that was all it took for you to move on?

Something twisted painfully in his chest at the thought. Because meanwhile he still caught himself reaching for his phone to text you before remembering he couldn’t anymore.

He looked up from the screen finally, expression blank for a second while the members kept talking nearby completely unaware.

Then, quickly, he locked his phone and shoved it back into his pocket.

Maybe if he ignored it hard enough it wouldn’t bother him.

“James?”

Juhoon’s voice pulled him out of his head.

James looked over.

Juhoon frowned slightly, taking a few steps closer. “Yo bro, you okay?”

“Hm?” James blinked.

“You look like you just saw a ghost.”

James let out a short laugh that sounded completely fake even to himself. “Nah. I’m good.”

Juhoon clearly didn’t buy it.

“You sure?”

“Yeah,” James said again, this time quieter. “Just tired.”

For a second neither of them moved before Juhoon gave his shoulder a light pat.

“Aish. Only one more run though, don’t worry.”

Martin pointed toward the middle of the room dramatically. “Everyone in position before I lose my mind.”

Normally James would’ve laughed at that.

Instead he walked back into formation silently, eyes fixed on the mirror ahead of him.

The music started again a few seconds later.

But no matter how hard he tried to focus on the choreography, all he could see was you in somebody else’s arms.

James wasn’t the type to mess up choreography.

Especially not choreography they’d been practicing for months.

If someone asked the members to name the last time he forgot a step, they probably couldn’t. James was usually one of the cleanest dancers in the group, sharp, focused, always paying attention even when everyone else started losing energy.

Which was exactly why the mistake caught everyone off guard.

The music blasted through the speakers while the members moved through the chorus again, shoes squeaking faintly against the studio floor. James tried to focus on the counts, on the timing, on literally anything except the image burned into his head.

“Five, six, seven--”

James moved a second too late.

It completely threw off the next formation.

Keonho bumped shoulders with him while trying to correct himself, Seonghyeon stopped entirely, and Martin immediately cut the music off with a loud groan.

“AISHHH.”

The room fell quiet except for everyone catching their breath.

“For the love of God,” Martin sighed dramatically, hands on his hips. “Now YOU’RE messing up too?”

Normally James would’ve laughed at that immediately.

Or defended himself.

Or blamed somebody else as a joke.

Instead he just stood there for a second, slightly out of place from where he was supposed to be.

“Sorry,” he said quietly.

And that was what really made the mood shift.

Because James actually sounded apologetic.

Keonho straightened up a little, wiping sweat from his forehead. “Hyung are you sick or something?”

“No,” James answered quickly.

Martin was still half joking at first. “Bro if the main dancer starts failing we’re actually finished.”

Usually that would’ve earned at least a sarcastic comment back.

Nothing.

James just rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, eyes unfocused for a second before looking down at the floor.

Martin’s smile faded a little.

The members all exchanged quick glances without really meaning to. It wasn’t hard to notice anymore. James had been quieter ever since he checked his phone earlier.

“You sure you’re okay, bro?” Martin asked again, this time sounding more genuine.

James looked up immediately like he snapped back into the room.

“Yeah,” he said with a small nod. “I’m fine, don’t worry.”

But it was the exact same fake okay tone from earlier.

The kind that was just believable enough that people usually stopped asking.

Martin frowned slightly anyway. “You don’t look fine.”

“I’m just tired.”

Keonho tilted his head a little. “Did something happen?”

James shook his head too fast. “No.”

Silence sat in the room for a second.

Not awkward exactly.

Just tired.

Everyone was exhausted already, clothes sticking slightly from sweat after being there for hours. Normally they’d still be joking around despite it, but now the energy felt weirdly off.

James hated that.

He hated making the atmosphere weird.

So he forced out a small smile and clapped his hands once lightly. “Come on, let’s just do it again.”

Nobody moved right away.

Juhoon looked at him for another second before speaking up quietly.

“Maybe that should be wraps for tonight.”

Martin glanced over immediately. “You serious?”

“We’ve been here for hours,” Juhoon shrugged. “And everybody’s tired.”

Keonho nodded slowly. “I’m not gonna lie I can’t feel my legs anymore.”

“That’s because you dance like you’re being electrocuted,” Martin muttered.

Usually James would’ve laughed at that too.

Instead he just looked away slightly, jaw tightening for barely a second before relaxing again.

Martin noticed.

So did Juhoon.

Nobody said anything about it though.

Later that night, James and Juhoon’s room was quiet as usual.

Most nights neither of them minded it. They’d lived together long enough that silence wasn’t awkward anymore. Sometimes they’d sit on their phones for hours without saying a word.

Tonight felt different though.

James had been acting weird ever since they got back from practice and Juhoon had noticed almost immediately.

He wasn’t on his phone.

Wasn’t watching videos.

Wasn’t talking.

He was just sitting on the edge of his bed facing the wall, elbows resting on his knees as he stared blankly ahead.

Thinking.

The thoughts wouldn’t stop no matter how much he wanted them to.

The first month after the breakup had been awful. The second wasn’t much better. By the third month he’d finally started feeling a little more like himself again. Not completely over it, but enough to function without constantly wondering what you were doing.

Then one Instagram post had completely ruined that.

Because now it felt real.

Not “maybe we’ll find our way back to each other” kinda real.

Real real.

Like you were actually moving on.

Like he wasn’t getting you back.

“Yo, hyung.”

James practically jumped.

He turned around so fast it almost made Juhoon laugh.

“Yah, what’s up?” James asked, sounding way too cheerful for somebody who’d been staring at a wall for fifteen minutes.

Juhoon immediately narrowed his eyes.

“I feel like I should be the one asking you that.”

James looked away.

“What?”

“Bro.”

“What?”

“You’ve been sitting there like a divorced father.”

That actually got a laugh out of James.

“I’m serious.”

Juhoon tossed his phone onto his bed and sat up properly.

“You’ve been weird since practice.”

“I’m tired.”

“You said that earlier.”

“Because I am.”

Juhoon stared at him.

James stared back.

Neither of them spoke for a few seconds.

Then Juhoon sighed.

“Did something happen at practice?”

“No.”

“Are you sick?”

“No.”

“Did you and one of the members argue?”

“No.”

“Did your mom text you?”

James laughed despite himself.

“What does that even mean?”

“I don’t know, hyung. I’m trying to figure out why you’re acting like this.”

James shook his head, looking down at his hands.

“It’s nothing.”

“Bullshit.”

“Yah.” James raised his eyeebrows smiling.

“I’m serious.”

For a moment neither of them spoke.

Juhoon had known James long enough to tell when he was trying to avoid something.

And James had known Juhoon long enough to know he wasn’t getting out of this conversation.

Eventually he let out a long sigh.

“There we go.”

“If I tell you, will you leave it alone?”

Juhoon’s eyebrows shot up immediately.

“Oh, it’s serious serious.”

“It’s not.”

“It is.”

James rolled his eyes.

“Fine. Whatever bro.”

Juhoon shifted closer, sitting on the edge of James’ bed now.

James looked down at the floor. Then rubbed the back of his neck. Then looked down again.

The words felt stupid even saying them out loud.

“Y/N has a new boyfriend, I think.”

The room went quiet.

Juhoon’s eyes widened instantly.

“Already?”

James winced slightly.

“See? That’s exactly why I didn’t wanna say it.”

“Nah, I’m just surprised.”

“I don’t even know if it’s her boyfriend.”

“Then why do you think it is?”

James shrugged.

“I saw her Instagram.”

Juhoon waited.

“There was some guy at her apartment.”

His stomach twisted all over again.

“They were on the couch together and…” James stopped himself.

“And?”

James looked away.

“She looked happy bro.”

That was the part that actually bothered him.

Not the guy.

Not the picture.

The fact that you looked happy.

Juhoon’s expression softened slightly.

“You guys still follow each other?”

James nodded “Yeah.”

“That’s dangerous, bro.”

“Tell me about it.”

“So what do you wanna do about it?” Juhoon asked after a moment.

James immediately groaned.

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“What am I supposed to do? Fight him?”

Juhoon laughed.

“I’d pay to watch that.”

“You’re so supportive.”

“I’m trying my best.”

James shook his head, running both hands through his hair.

“No seriously. I’m just gonna leave it.”

Juhoon hummed.

“You don’t sound convinced.”

“I’m not.”

“Thought so.”

James grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it at him.

Juhoon caught it immediately.

“Violence isn’t the answer, hyung.”

“It can be.”

“Not to this.”

James flopped backwards onto his bed dramatically.

“This is so annoying.”

“There you go.”

“What?”

“The real problem.”

James looked over.

“You weren’t upset because she posted a guy.”

“I literally just said-”

“You were upset because she looked happy without you”

James opened his mouth.

Then closed it again.

Juhoon pointed immediately.

“Exactly.”

“bruh.”

“I’m right.”

“I hate when you’re right.”

“Everyone does.”

James laughed despite himself and pulled the blanket over his face.

Juhoon smiled slightly.

At least he was talking now.

A few moments passed before James lowered the blanket again.

“Don’t tell the others.”

Juhoon rolled his eyes.

“You’re still on that?”

“I’m serious.”

“Hyung.”

“If Martin finds out, I’m moving out.”

“He’d write a breakup song.”

“He’d write ME a breakup song.”

“And perform it in the living room.”

James groaned loudly.

“Exactly.”

Juhoon laughed.

“I won’t tell them.”

“You swear?”

“I swear.”

“On your mama?”

Juhoon threw both hands up.

“On my mama.”

“Good.” James nodded once.

Y/N’s POV

Meanwhile across the city you were having your own problem.

You’d been staring at your phone for the last twenty minutes.

Not constantly. Just enough to be annoying.

You’d lock it, set it down, tell yourself to stop thinking about it, then five minutes later you’d pick it up again anyway.

The room was dark except for the faint glow coming from your bedside lamp. Beside you, G/N was already half asleep, one arm stretched lazily across the mattress between you both.

You should’ve been sleeping too.

Instead, your stomach felt tight.

Your thumb hovered over the Instagram notification before opening it again.

James viewed your post.

That was it.

No message. No like. No reaction. Only viewed.

You stared at the screen for a few seconds before locking your phone again and dropping it onto the bed beside you.

A frustrated sigh escaped your lips.

This was stupid. You knew it was stupid.

The whole reason you’d posted the picture in the first place was stupid.

The picture itself hadn’t even been spontaneous. You’d sat there debating whether to upload it for nearly half an hour before finally pressing post.

A part of you had tried convincing yourself it wasn’t about James.

That you were just posting a picture.

That it wasn’t a big deal.

But deep down you knew exactly why you’d done it.

You wanted him to see it. You wanted some kind of reaction.

Anything.

A text.

A missed call.

A stupid jealous message asking who the guy was.

Something that proved he still cared.

Instead, all you’d gotten was that tiny notification.

James viewed your post.

And now you felt ridiculous.

Because what if he’d seen it and simply moved on with his day? What if it didn’t affect him at all?

The thought made your chest ache more than you wanted to admit.

You rolled onto your side, turning away from your phone and towards the wall.

Maybe this was for the best. Maybe James had finally moved on. Maybe you should too.

The problem was every time you tried, it felt wrong.

You liked H/N. You really did.

He was kind, funny, patient with you even when you were clearly distracted. He never pushed you into talking about things you didn’t want to talk about and always seemed to know when to give you space.

He was everything a good boyfriend was supposed to be.

And yet every time he smiled at you, part of you found yourself comparing it to James.

Every time he held your hand, you noticed it wasn’t quite the same. Every time he wrapped an arm around you, you hated yourself for thinking about someone else.

Your eyes squeezed shut briefly.

Maybe that was what made you feel so guilty.

Not the post. Not the breakup. The fact that H/N genuinely liked you.

And despite trying your hardest, your heart was still stuck somewhere else.

The mattress shifted behind you.

A second later, H/N instinctively moved closer in his sleep, his arm finding its way around your waist.

The gesture was familiar.

It should’ve made you feel better.

Instead, it only made the guilt worse.

Because this wasn’t what you wanted.

And for the first time since the breakup, you were finally starting to admit that to yourself.

-

You were lying on the sofa scrolling mindlessly through social media one afternoon when your phone buzzed beside you.

The contact name immediately made you smile.

Martini 🤑

Before you even opened the message, you already knew it was going to be something stupid.

the company are booking an air bnb for a party i beg you come 😭🙏

Its to celebrate our 10th win lolll

you dont even have to talk to james

i havent seen you in ages

and we all miss you

You smiled quietly to yourself.

Your thumb hovered over the screen for a moment as you reread the message.

We all miss you.

The words stuck out immediately.

You knew what Martin meant.

Over the course of your relationship, you’d ended up becoming friends with the members too. Always at their dorm, practice visits, random food runs after schedules, you’d spent enough time around them that even after the breakup it would’ve felt strange to completely disappear from their lives.

You still replied to their stories occasionally.

Still spoke to them every now and then.

But it wasn’t the same.

And you hadn’t actually seen any of them in person since the breakup.

Your gaze drifted down to the third line again.

you dont even have to talk to james

A small sigh escaped your lips.

Of course Martin had mentioned him.

The thing was, you’d be lying if you said that wasn’t the first thing you’d thought about too.

Would he be there the entire night? Would it be awkward? Had he moved on?

Did he even want to see you..?

And perhaps the question you hated most-

Did he miss you at all?

You stared at the message for another few seconds before shaking the thought away.

It was a party for all of them.

Not everything had to be about james

Your fingers moved across the keyboard.

of course ill come 🥹

The typing bubble appeared almost instantly.

You could practically picture Martin grinning at his phone.

Before you closed the app another thought crossed your mind.

A bad one.

A really bad one.

The kind of idea that feels wrong the second it enters your head but somehow still refuses to leave.

You hesitated for a moment before typing again.

can i bring someone??

The message sent before you could change your mind.

You stared at it immediately.

Why had you asked that?

Honestly, you weren’t even sure.

You knew exactly who you’d bring.

You knew James would probably be there.

You knew it would be a terrible idea.

And yet a small, selfish part of you wanted to do it anyway.

Maybe because if James truly didn’t care anymore, then it shouldn’t matter.

Maybe because you wanted to prove to yourself that you’d moved on.

Or maybe because some pathetic part of you was still hoping for a reaction.

Whatever the reason was, the second the message delivered, you already knew you had messed up

James POV

The worst part wasn’t the picture anymore.

It was the fact that after seeing it, James couldn’t stop noticing you everywhere.

Your favourite sushi place popped up when he was walking back from schedules.

A song you used to play in the car came on while Martin was connected to the speaker.

Even his own hoodie betrayed him when he found one of your old hair ties stuck in the pocket.

Three months.

Three months and somehow he was thinking about you more now than he had during the actual breakup.

“Hyung.”

James looked up.

Martin was staring at him from across the practice room.

“What?”

“You just missed your cue.”

“No I didn’t.”

“You absolutely did.”

Keonho pointed immediately.

“He did.”

James groaned.

“Ah.”

The members exchanged looks

Ever since practice the other day he’d been distracted.

Not enough to completely crash out. Just enough that everyone noticed.

Martin sat down beside him during their break.

“Is this about Y/N?”

James nearly choked on his water.

“WHAT?”

“There it is.”

“I literally didn’t say anything.”

“You didn’t have to.” Martin smiled not a friendly smile more like he was proud hed figured something out.

James glared.

Martin smiled wider.

“I knew it.”

Y/N’s POV

The day of the party came around much quicker than you’d expected, especially considering how slowly the last week had dragged by.

You’d spent most of it trying not to think about seeing James again, but somehow that only made it worse. Every time his name crossed your mind, you’d immediately force yourself to focus on something else, only to find yourself thinking about him again a few minutes later.

By the time you woke up that morning, your stomach already felt unsettled.

If it had been any other event, you would’ve gone about your day normally. Slept in, watched a few episodes of something while getting ready, probably left everything until the last minute.

Instead, you’d been awake for hours.

You spent most of the morning lying in bed staring at the ceiling, checking the time far more often than necessary and mentally running through every possible version of how tonight could go.

Maybe James wouldn’t care at all.

That thought bothered you more than you’d like to admit.

Eventually, unable to sit with your thoughts any longer, you texted H/N and asked if he wanted to come over before the party.

The second he agreed, you felt a little better.

Not because you were excited to see him, but you tried not to think too hard about that.

When he arrived, the apartment immediately felt less quiet. He talked while you got ready, occasionally showing you things on his phone or making comments from where he sat on your bed while you did your makeup.

It helped a little.

Whenever your thoughts started drifting somewhere they shouldn’t, his presence was enough to pull you back into the room again.

Even then, it didn’t completely work.

Every now and then you’d catch yourself zoning out halfway through doing your makeup, your mind wandering back to the same questions you’d been asking yourself all week.

What would James look like?

Would he talk to you?

Would he avoid you?

You sighed quietly and looked away from your reflection.

This was ridiculous.

Three months had passed.

You shouldn’t have still been feeling like this.

By the time your makeup and hair were finished, your room looked like an actual war zone . Clothes were scattered across your bed and floor from where you’d changed your mind multiple times, each outfit somehow feeling wrong the second you put it on.

Eventually, after far more effort than necessary, you ended up choosing the second outfit you’d tried on.

You stood in front of the mirror for a moment, smoothing down the fabric absentmindedly.

You’d definitely put more effort into your appearance than usual.

More than you would’ve for a normal party.

There were plenty of excuses you could give yourself.

You hadn’t seen the members in months.

There’d probably be photos.

It was nice to put an effort in.

But deep down, you knew exactly why you’d spent so long getting ready.

It was finally time to leave even though you were running a bit late which you hated to admit was on purpose.

While you were driving through the streets of Seoul trying not to throw up from nerves, the party had already been going for nearly an hour.

The venue was packed with friends, family, company staff and other idols Martin had somehow managed to become friends with over the years. Music blasted through the speakers while conversations overlapped all around the room, creating that familiar party atmosphere where nobody could hear each other properly unless they were practically shouting.

Martin had been busy bouncing between different groups all night when he suddenly remembered something.

Or rather, someone.

Spotting James standing near one of the tables with a drink in his hand, he immediately made his way over, already looking guilty before he’d even opened his mouth.

“Yo.”

James looked up.

“What?”

Martin scratched the back of his neck.

“Don’t get mad.”

Immediately, James narrowed his eyes.

“Why would I get mad?”

“I dunno.”

“What did you do?”

Martin let out a dramatic sigh.

“Nothing.”

“Martin.”

“Okay, maybe something.”

James stared at him for a second.

“So what is it?”

Martin hesitated for a moment before finally answering.

“Y/N’s coming.”

The words hit James like a truck.

His stomach dropped so fast it was almost embarrassing, and for a split second he genuinely thought he’d misheard him over the music. Somehow though, he managed to keep his expression mostly neutral, lifting his drink to his lips to buy himself a second before responding.

“Oh.”

Martin blinked.

“That’s it?”

“What?”

“I don’t know, I just expected more.”

James laughed lightly and shrugged.

“Why would there be more?”

Martin gave him a look.

“You guys dated.”

“Yeah. Past tense.”

The answer came a little too quickly.

Martin noticed.

Unfortunately for James, Martin noticed everything.

“You don’t mind though, right?” he asked, leaning against the counter beside him. “I remember you saying you guys ended on pretty good terms.”

James forced a smile.

“Yeah, I don’t care.”

“You don’t?”

“No.”

“Damn.”

James laughed again, although there was definitely something strained underneath it now.

“I don’t even know why you’re telling me. It’s not really any of my business anymore.”

Martin hummed.

“Mkay.”

The suspicion in his voice was obvious.

James chose to ignore it.

At least externally.

Internally, his brain was already spiralling.

Because if he’d known you were coming, maybe he would’ve actually thought about what he was wearing instead of throwing on the first thing he found in his wardrobe. Maybe he would’ve prepared himself a little, come up with some sort of plan for when he inevitably saw you.

Now he was stuck.

Three months without seeing you and suddenly you’d be walking through those doors at some point tonight.

The thought made him feel slightly sick.

Not that he’d ever admit that.

Five minutes later, after unsuccessfully trying to focus on literally anything else, James found himself walking over to where Martin and Seonghyeon were talking.

Martin saw him coming and immediately started smiling.

That should’ve been enough warning.

“Yo,” James said casually.

“Yo.”

A pause.

Martin’s smile grew.

James hated that smile.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“No, what?”

“You tell me.”

James rolled his eyes before crossing his arms.

“Did she say what time she was coming?”

The reaction was immediate.

Seonghyeon nearly choked laughing while Martin looked like he’d just won the lottery.

“Bro.”

“What?”

“I knew it.”

James frowned.

“Knew what?”

“You care.”

“I don’t.”

“James.”

“I was literally just asking.”

Martin pointed at him.

“Exactly.”

“What does that even mean?”

“It means you’ve spent the last five minutes pretending not to care and then immediately came back to ask when she’s arriving.”

Seonghyeon was fully laughing now.

James looked between both of them before groaning.

“You guys are actually so stupid it makes me mad.”

You pulled onto the grass outside the venue, the house already packed with cars. Music could be heard even from outside, muffled through the walls.

For a moment, neither of you moved.

You sat gripping the steering wheel, staring straight ahead as your heart pounded against your ribs.

After about a minute, H/N finally looked over.

“Baby, are we going in or what?”

You blinked. “Oh- yeah. Sorry.”

“You good?”

“Yeah.”

You weren’t.

But before he could question it further, you were already pushing the car door open.

H/N followed close behind, grabbing your hand as you walked towards the house.

The second you stepped inside, your eyes immediately started scanning the room.

Not for James.

Definitely not for James.

Just… looking.

Thankfully, the first person you spotted was Martin.

His spiky blonde hair and ridiculous height made him impossible to miss.

Beside him stood Seonghyeon, both of them talking over the music.

Relief washed over you. No James.

You practically dragged H/N over.

“Yah, Y/N!”

Martin’s face lit up immediately.

“There you are.”

You laughed and pulled him into a hug before doing the same with Seonghyeon.

“I thought you weren’t coming.”

“I told you I was coming.”

“Yeah, but you’re late.”

“Sorry, traffic.”

“There was no traffic?”

You slowly closed your eyes.

For a brief moment, you’d completely forgotten H/N was standing there.

Martin immediately burst out laughing.

“Oh my God.”

“H/N.”

“What?”

“You’re supposed to lie.”

Seonghyeon was already trying not to laugh.

Martin pointed.

“So who’s this then?”

Before you could answer, H/N stepped forward.

“I’m H/N.”

A pause.

“Y/N’s boyfriend.”

Your stomach dropped.

Why did hearing him say it feel so weird?

Martin glanced at you.

Then back at H/N.

Then at you again.

The look lasted less than a second, but you caught it.

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m Martin.”

He held his hand out for a dap.

H/N immediately grabbed it and shook it.

The silence afterwards was painful.

You wanted the floor to open up and swallow you whole.

Martin stared at his hand.

Then at H/N.

Then at you.

“I mean…”

He laughed awkwardly.

“I was going for a dap but that works too.”

Seonghyeon immediately turned away because he was about to lose it.

A few minutes of awkward small talk later, H/N excused himself to find the bathroom.

The second he was out of earshot, Seonghyeon grabbed your arm.

“Y/N.”

“What?”

“What the fuck was that?”

You sighed, nodding.

“I know.”

“No, seriously.”

Martin was laughing so hard he had to wipe his eyes.

“That was painful to watch.”

“He isn’t that bad.”

“That’s not exactly a glowing review,” Seonghyeon pointed out.

You sighed.

Martin tilted his head.

“So… are you guys actually dating?”

You hesitated.

A second too long.

Apparently.

The answer stayed in your head.

Martin immediately noticed.

“Oh boy.”

“Don’t.”

“I’m just saying.”

"Stop it, i beg you"

“I’m JUST saying.”

You rolled your eyes.

Before Martin could continue, he suddenly looked over your shoulder.

His smile disappeared.

“Oh.”

“What?”

Martin looked back at you.

Then past you again.

“…Nothing.”

The way his eyes widened told you it definitely wasn’t nothing.

And for some reason, your stomach immediately dropped.

You shook your head almost immediately.

“Martin, what?”

The look on his face wasn’t helping.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Martin.”

Seonghyeon was already laughing.

“James is literally walking over right now.”

Your stomach dropped.

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh.”

You turned instinctively, but Martin grabbed your shoulder before you could.“Don’t.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s weird.”

You groaned. “Aish.”

For a second, all three of you stood there awkwardly before you nodded towards the drinks table.

“Okay, well I think I’m gonna go get a drink.”

“You don’t even drink.”

“I’m starting tonight.”

Seonghyeon laughed while Martin gave you a look that said he wasn’t buying it for a second.

Still, neither of them stopped you.

As soon as you disappeared into the crowd, Martin turned back around just in time to find James reaching them.

James looked between the two of them.

Then in the direction you’d walked.

Then back again.

“Who was that?”

Seonghyeon immediately started smiling.

“Y/N.”

James nodded.

A little too casually.

Martin rolled his eyes.

Neither of them believed that act. Not for a second.

Before either could say anything, someone else approached the group.

H/N.

Shit.

“Hey,” he said cheerfully. “Where’d Y/N go?”

James felt his stomach drop.

The second he saw him, he recognised him.

Same guy.

Same face.

The one from the Instagram post.

For a moment he genuinely wished he didn’t recognise him.

Martin noticed immediately.

So did Seonghyeon.

Neither said anything.

“She went to get a drink,” Martin answered.

“Oh, okay.”

H/N smiled.

“I’ll go find her.”

He was about to leave when James spoke.

“How do you know Y/N?”

The question came out before he could stop himself.

Immediately Martin looked at him.

Then Seonghyeon.

Then back at James.

Because everyone knew exactly what he was asking.

H/N didn’t.

“Oh.” He laughed lightly.

“I’m her boyfriend.”

The word hit harder than James had prepared for.

Boyfriend.

Not friend.

Not talking.

Not seeing each other.

Boyfriend.

His jaw tightened automatically.

“Right.”

Martin immediately stepped in.

“Yo, bro, she’s probably waiting.”

H/N nodded.

“Probably, I'll talk to you guys later.”

Thankfully he wandered off without noticing how tense the atmosphere had become.

The second he disappeared, Martin turned to James.

“Dawg.”

James looked away.

“What?”

“What was that?”

“I don’t know.”

“Yes you do.”

James sighed, rubbing a hand over his face.

“I just needed to know for sure.”

Martin frowned.

“Wait.”

A pause.

“You knew already?”

James nodded slightly.

“I had an idea.”

Suddenly everything clicked, the weird mood at practice, the missed choreography, the fact he’d spent the entire night pretending not to care.

“Oh shit.”

James groaned.

“Don’t.”

“I'm surprised you didn't punch that guy.”

“Martin.”

“I’m serious.”

“So am I.”

A couple drinks later, you were doing a surprisingly good job pretending everything was fine.

Or at least you thought you were.

The music was loud enough that nobody could hear themselves think and the coloured lights flashing around the room made everything feel slightly disconnected from reality. You’d spent most of the evening avoiding certain parts of the venue entirely, which had worked much better than expected.

Until now.

H/N stood beside you with an arm around your waist while he talked about something to a group of people you’d only half been listening to. Every now and then you’d laugh, nod, or lean into him whenever it felt expected.

From the outside, you probably looked happy.

Maybe even convincing.

Then you felt it.

That horrible feeling of being watched.

Your smile faltered.

Slowly, your eyes lifted.

And there he was.

Across the room.

James.

For a second, everything else disappeared.

The music.

The conversations.

The people moving around you.

None of it mattered.

You hadn’t seen him in three months.

Not properly. Not outside of old photos or Instagram stories you’d sworn you weren’t checking.

And suddenly he was right there.

Looking at you.

His expression was completely unreadable.

Yours probably wasn’t much better.

Neither of you looked away.

Not immediately.

You became painfully aware of H/N’s arm around your waist.

Of how close he was standing.

Of the fact that from where James was, it probably looked exactly how it seemed.

The thought made your stomach twist.

Because he didn’t know.

He didn’t know you’d spent the entire week panicking about seeing him.

He didn’t know you’d posted that picture hoping for a reaction.

He didn’t know half the things you’d never had the courage to say.

All he saw was you standing there with another guy.

Your 'boyfriend'.

And judging by the way his jaw tightened slightly before he finally looked away, you suddenly had a horrible feeling that this one moment had just confirmed every assumption he’d already been making.

You pulled yourself away from H/N before he could even ask what was wrong.

Maybe it was selfish.

Actually, it definitely was.

But right now you couldn’t think about that.

You couldn’t think about anything.

Not when James was here.

Not when he’d looked at you like that.

You pushed through the crowd and headed straight for the front door, ignoring Martin calling your name somewhere behind you.

The cold air hit your face immediately.

For the first time all night, you could breathe.

You leaned against the side of the house, arms folded tightly across your chest as you stared out into the darkness.

This was supposed to be a birthday party.

Not whatever this had turned into.

You closed your eyes.

Then opened them again.

Then closed them.

Trying to calm yourself down.

Trying not to cry.

Trying not to get back in your car and leave.

The front door opened behind you.

Music spilled outside for a brief moment before the door shut again.

You already knew who it was.

Your stomach dropped.

Slowly, you looked over.

James.

For a second neither of you said anything.

He walked over slowly, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket before leaning against the wall a few feet away.

Just enough distance to remind you that things weren’t the same anymore.

The silence dragged.

Neither of you seemed to know where to start.

Finally James spoke.

“You moved on fast.”

There wasn’t any anger in his voice.

That somehow made it worse.

You laughed bitterly.

“Don’t act like you care.”

His jaw tightened immediately.

“I don’t?”

“You broke up with me.”

James looked away for a second.

“That’s not what I said.”

“Then what are you saying?”

Another silence.

Long enough to be uncomfortable.

Then...

“That’s your boyfriend?”

You hated how much the question bothered you.

You hated that part of you still wanted him to be jealous.

“Yeah.”

The answer came out sharper than intended.

James nodded slowly.

Looking away again.

Like he regretted asking.

Something about that annoyed you.

“No, go on.”

His head snapped back towards you.

“What?”

“You followed me out here for a reason.”

“I just wanted to talk.”

“About my boyfriend?”

James laughed once.

A humourless laugh.

“Apparently.”

You rolled your eyes.

“At least he didn’t leave me.”

The second the words left your mouth, you saw the reaction.

James straightened up immediately.

“What?”

“At least he didn’t leave me.”

His expression changed completely.

Like you’d hit a nerve.

“I didn’t leave you.”

You laughed.

“Are you serious right now?”

“Yes.”

“You literally broke up with me.”

“That’s not the same thing.”

You stared at him.

“James.”

“What?”

“How is that not the same thing?”

“Because it wasn’t that simple.”

“Then explain it.”

James opened his mouth.

Then stopped.

Because he couldn’t.

Not properly.

Not in a way that would make everything okay.

“You were pulling away.”

You almost laughed.

“I was pulling away?”

“Yeah.”

“You stopped talking to me.”

“I was working.”

“You were always working.”

The argument was escalating now.

Neither of you cared.

Months of frustration were finally spilling out.

“You knew what my job was when we started dating.”

“And you knew I wasn’t asking for your entire life.”

James shook his head.

“That’s not fair.”

“Neither was getting dumped out of nowhere.”

The words landed harder than you intended.

Immediately James looked hurt.

Actually hurt.

For the first time all conversation.

“You think it was easy for me?”

You looked away.

Because honestly?

A part of you did.

He sighed.

Running a hand through his hair.

“You think I wanted to do that?”

“I don’t know what you wanted.”

The honesty caught both of you off guard.

Because it was true.

Three months later and you still didn’t understand.

You still didn’t know why he’d given up so easily.

James looked down at the ground.

Then back at you.

Then down again.

“I thought I was holding you back.”

You blinked.

“What?”

“I thought you were unhappy.”

The anger drained from your face slightly.

“James-”

“You were distant.”

“Because you were.”

“I know.”

His voice cracked slightly.

Barely noticeable.

But enough.

“I know.”

The silence that followed felt completely different now.

Neither of you were arguing anymore.

Neither of you wanted to.

You were just tired.

Three months tired.

Breakup tired.

Still being in love tired.

“You know what’s funny?” you asked quietly.

James looked over.

“What?”

“The guy inside.”

Your laugh sounded sad.

“I don’t even really want to be with him.”

James frowned.

“Then why are you?”

You looked away.

Because the answer was embarrassing.

Because the answer was him.

“I was trying to move on.”

The words hung in the air.

James looked at you for a long moment.

Then finally admitted-

“So was I.”

You laughed despite yourself.

“Clearly you suck at it.”

His mouth twitched.

“You’re one to talk.”

For the first time all night, neither of you were angry or anxious.

Just honest.

And somehow that felt scarier.

He finally spoke again after a minute of silence “I never stopped loving you, you know”.

۶ৎ ׂ 𓈒 Synopsis- You speak korean well enough to debut, but not well enough to feel fluent. James doesn't make it a big deal. He just stays close enough to make things easier. A word in Thai here a correction in Korean there, and suddenly nothing feels so overwhelming anymore.

۶ৎ ׂ 𓈒 Pairings- OT5 Cortis x 6th member!thai!fem reader

A/N This took me so long but im in a slump so i really hate it rahhh, but i had to post for yall. tysm so the person who requested this ik it took a while but ive been super busy and i did highkey change the plot alot but i still think its cute. ALSO JAMES BLONDE HAIR MEOWWW.

Based off this request.

James speaking soft Thai video.

“When is the next promo?” you asked, layed across the hotel bed.

“Tomorrow,” James answered from the desk, barely looking away from his laptop.

“Nah, Tomorrow?” You asked, sitting up quickly.

“Yeah, tomorrow. I told you to write it in your calendar,” Juhoon said from the other bed, not even glancing up from his phone.

You’d been hanging out in their hotel room for most of the evening. It was bigger than your own room, and honestly, you preferred the company. The managers weren’t exactly thrilled about the only girl in the group spending so much time in the boys hotel rooms, which was stupid since you were all in the same group, but no one tried stopping you anyway.

“I don’t have a calendar,” you shrugged.

Juhoon snorted. “I’m not surprised. You’re so unorganised.”

You sighed dramatically, puffing your cheeks out.

“I know” You groaned

James finally turned around in his chair to look at you.

“Why you so stressed about it?”

“I don’t know. My Korean gets really bad when I’m under pressure. In front of cameras it’s embarrassing, and I’m still learning.” You huffed, pulling a pillow into your lap.

“I can help you tomorrow if you forget something,” James said softly, giving you a reassuring nod.

“Yeah?”

“Translator,” he corrected, raising his eyebrows and pulling a weird face.

A smile slipped onto your face despite yourself.

“Ew,” Juhoon suddenly said.

“Ew what?” you asked.

He pointed between the two of you.

“Ew. You two.”

You rolled your eyes.

You never really understood what the others were always trying to imply whenever they teased you and James. To you, it was simple. He spoke Thai. You spoke Thai. He understood exactly how frustrating it was to stumble over Korean words in the middle of interviews and variety shows.

Of course you were close.

The others were reading too much into it.

"Why are you like this?” you asked Juhoon shaking your head in false dissapointment.

He shook his head dramatically. “I'm not like anything.”

You huffed.

James glanced between the two of you before turning back to his laptop, already looking fed up because he knew where this was going.

Juhoon pointed at him. “See? He knows what I’m talking about.”

“I promise he doesn't.” you sighed.

“The way he looks at you bro.”

James immediately groaned.

“Oh my God.”

“Ha what?” you laughed in response to Juhoon.

“Jju you need to go to sleep you must be having hallucinations” James shot back.

Juhoon sat up straighter pointing at James. “He's defensive.”

“Bro, stop.”

You looked between them, completely lost.

“You guys are hella weird.”

“Says you,” Juhoon replied.

“But seriously. James is just trying to help.”

Juhoon gave you a look that screamed you can’t be this oblivious.

You rolled your eyes again and moved the pillow off your lap.

“Jealous,” you accused.

“Of what?”

“Our friendship.”

James let out a laugh from behind you.

“There he goes again.”

“What?” you asked.

“Are you both like actually stupid,” Juhoon answered immediately.

You sighed in annoyance while James just blocked out the conversation behind him.

“You’re like really annoying by the way.”

“You're in our room mind you.”

You huffed, your lips trilling in annoyance.

“I’m leaving anyway. Gonna sleep.”

Juhoon nodded slowly, closing his eyes as if he’d just won a debate you weren’t even having.

“Goodnight, Jju,” you said sarcastically, irritation still lingering in your voice.

“Mm. Night.”

You turned toward the door before glancing back at James.

“ราตรีสวัสดิ์,” you said, your tone noticeably gentler.

James looked up from his laptop and turned in his chair. Seeing you standing in the doorway, one hand already on the handle, a small smile spread across his face.

“ราตรีสวัสดิ์,” he replied.

His voice came out softer than it had been all evening.

“Sleep well.”

“You too."

The second the door clicked closed, you missed the look Juhoon sent James.

A long, exaggerated eye roll.

-

Makeup and hair didn’t take long, which was a relief.

The less time you had to sit around waiting, the less time you had to worry about accidentally messing up your wording or completely forgetting a phrase halfway through the interview.

You were scrolling through your phone when Martin, who was sitting in the chair beside you, suddenly looked up.

“Y/N.”

You didn’t answer.

You already knew it was about to be some bullshit.

“Y/N.”

“What?” you finally sighed, looking up from your screen.

“Do you know where youre sitting for the interview?”

You shook your head, pressing your lips together.

“Nope I'm just gonna sit wherever they tell me to.”

“Bruh” He groaned throwing his head back dramatically, almost head butting the stylist.

You stared at him.

“Why does it even matter??”

"Because I don't want you and James sat next to each other, flirting for the whole interview"

“You guys actually need to stop with that."

"Bro when you two stop, we will."

You sighed in annoyance "I just don't understand why you guys think that."

"Oh my god." He spoke covering his face with his hands, light enough to be sure he didn't ruin the makeup.

"You all sound like Saesangs."

Before he could argue back, a staff member appeared in the doorway.

“Everyone, we’re ready. Please come to the studio.”

You stood up, fixing your shirt as Martin and Sean followed beside you. The other members had been getting ready in a different room on the opposite side of the studio, so you joined the stream of staff heading toward the set.

The moment you stepped into the studio, your stomach tightened.

Rows of cameras were already pointed toward the chairs arranged under the bright lights.

You weren’t new to interviews. You’d done plenty before.

But Korean interviews always made your nerves ten times worse.

In English, you could speak easily, but in Korean, every sentence felt like a test.

You worried about your pronunciation.

You worried about using the wrong grammar.

You worried about accidentally saying something weird and not realising until everyone was staring at you.

The members slowly found their assigned seats while staff rushed around making last-minute adjustments.

You followed the others, trying to act normal as you could while you looked for your name on a seat.

Then your eyes landed on it.

And immediately you let out a sigh.

Because the seat next to yours belonged to James.

“Oh.”

A small wave of relief washed over you before you could stop it.

At least if your brain completely stopped working, there’d be someone beside you who understood exactly what you were trying to say.

As you sat down, James glanced over.

“Are you nervous?” he spoke.

You nodded then tilted your head side to side.

“A little.”

“A little?” he repeated with a smile.

“Okay. A lot.”

His smile widened.

“You’ll be fine.”

You scoffed. “That’s easy for you to say.”

“No, really.”

He lowered his voice so only you could hear.

“If you get stuck, just look at me.”

You raised an eyebrow.

“What are you gonna do?”

“Telepathy.”

You snorted.

“James.”

“I’m serious.”

“I bet you don’t even know what that means, bro.”

“Then I’ll just tell you the word that youre stuck on.”

That earned a genuine smile from you.

The tension in your shoulders eased slightly.

Just enough for you to breathe again as the staff began counting down until filming started.

“What’s good, I’m Martin.”

“This is Keonho.”

“This is Sean.”

“I’m Juhoon.”

“Hi I’m Y/N.”

“James.”

“And we are CORTIS.”

You all spoke in unison.

Introductions weren’t hard for you, you did them almost every day now, so it was easy.

“Today we are here with W Korea and we are going to be answering some of your guys’ questions,” Martin spoke confidently in Korean toward the camera.

A couple questions passed easily, mostly light ones, the group relaxing into it as the cameras rolled.

Then Keonho looked down at the next card.

“Ah, this next one is for Y/N.”

You straightened slightly in your seat and nodded.

“What is it like being the only girl member in a group full of boys?” he read out.

You smiled a little to yourself, already knowing this one would take a bit.

“Ahh, this is going to be a long answer.” You smiled.

A few of them laughed quietly.

You took a breath, thinking.

“Well at first it felt like I was not going to get along with them since they already knew each other for a while and I was a...”

You paused, the word disappearing from your mind mid-sentence.

Your brows furrowed slightly.

You glanced over at James.

“การตัดสินใจฉุกเฉิน?” you asked quietly turning to look at him.

He nodded immediately.

“Last minute decision to join the group.” he told you gently, which didn’t go unnoticed by the members.

You pointed lightly at him.

“Yeah. A last-minute decision to join the group.”

A couple of the members hummed in agreement, already following your story.

“But honestly,” you continued, relaxing a bit more now, “it was harder in my head than in real life. I thought I was going to feel left out because they already had their own dynamic, but they actually made it really easy for me.”

“They help me a lot,” you added, smiling more softly now. “I learn a lot from them. So it didn’t take long for me to feel comfortable.”

Sean nodded. “She adjusted faster than we thought, honestly.”

“Yeah,” you agreed.

“You were just loud and outgoing from day one,” Martin added.

“I have never been loud.”

“You were loud.” Juhoon agreed.

“The first day living in the dorms she started screaming because of a bug.” Martin added.

“You and James were screaming too bro. And it was a flying stinging bug.” You said matter of factly, like that made it any better.

Martin and Seonghyeon tried to hold in their laugh.

"ในภาษาเกาหลีมันคือ wasps" James told you, nodding his head like he was a teacher correcting a young student.

"Ohh sorry wasps" you nodded, before smiling at James thankfully.

You didn't see the looks the members were giving eachother beside you, which might've been for the best.

Keonho cleared his throat and smoothly moved to the next card before it could spiral.

“Okay, next question.”

“Who was the easiest member to warm up to?”

Martin immediately shifted in his seat, putting a hand on his chin dramatically.

“Aish, this is hard.”

“No it’s not,” Sean laughed.

Martin ignored him.

“But for me, probably Keonho at first.”

Keonho nodded.

“For me it was Seonghyeon and Martin.”

Martin immediately held his hand out for a dap up.

Keonho looked at it, then looked away.

The group laughed as Martin slowly lowered his hand.

“That’s crazy.”

Juhoon shook his head.

“I think Martin was easy to talk to at first because he’s really like confident.”

Martin pointed at him.

“Exactly.”

The Woman behind the camera then looked down the line.

“What about you, Y/N?”

You thought for a moment.

“Probably James and Martin.”

Martin nodded immediately.

“Yeah, I can see that.”

“And you, James?” the woman asked.

“Ah probably Y/N.”

You smiled automatically.

The other members exchanged quick looks, though they were subtle enough to miss if someone wasn’t paying attention.

Martin laughed.

“Honestly, that surprised me at first.”

You looked over.

“Why?”

“When we all first met James he was really closed off, and then when Y/N joined he was more like weird”

"Thanks bro" James said in English, half sarcastically.

“Might be weird, but we real.”

You blinked.

Martin had already moved on to explaining, speaking quickly in Korean.

You caught bits and pieces of it, but not enough to fully understand.

Your eyes drifted to James.

“What did he say?”

A small smile appeared on his face.

"เขาบอกว่าเราเคยพูดคุยกันมากในอดีตและว่าฉันแปลก"

(He said we talked a lot, and that im weird.)

“Ohh.”

You nodded.

“That’s true.”

“Very detailed answer,” Sean said.

You pointed at James.

“He gave me the short version.”

“I bet he lied about what he said.”

“Aish be quiet.”

Some of the camera crew laughed at the exchange.

After a couple more questions, the interview wrapped up.

Everyone thanked the crew, bowed to the staff, and made their way out of the building toward the waiting vans.

“Flying stinging bugs,” Martin mocked, trying, and failing, to keep a straight face.

You immediately groaned.

“Bruh, shut up. I swear I'll beat your ass.”

The phrase had sounded perfectly reasonable in your head at the time.

Unfortunately, Korean didn’t work that way.

The members laughed while walking across the parking lot.

“Yah, Y/N,” Seonghyeon called. “Maybe you should get a Korean tutor.”

You rolled your eyes.

“It’s too late. She’s beyond help,” Martin added.

You smacked the back of his shoulder.

“Ow!”

“Deserved.”

“James is basically my tutor anyway. I don’t need one.”

“Fire him, dawg.”

You laughed despite yourself.

The conversation died down as everyone climbed into the van.

Like usual, you ended up in the back next to James.

Most of the members immediately disappeared into their phones. A couple put headphones in. Someone near the front was already half asleep.

The van pulled away from the building.

For a few minutes, nobody really talked.

You stared out the window.

Then finally sighed.

“ภาษาเกาหลีของฉันแย่ขนาดนั้นเลยเหรอ?”

(“Is my Korean actually that bad?”)

James looked over.

“ไม่หรอก เธอก็แค่ยังเรียนรู้อยู่”

(“No. You’re just still learning.”)

“ใช่ แต่มันน่าอายมากนะ เป็นสมาชิกคนเดียวในวงที่พูดเกาหลีไม่ได้สมบูรณ์”

(“Yeah, but it’s embarrassing being the only member in the group who doesn’t speak Korean perfectly.”)

James leaned back in his seat, absentmindedly spinning the bottle cap from his drink between his fingers.

“ฉันเข้าใจนะ”

(“I get what you mean.”)

His voice was quiet enough that it wouldn’t bother the others.

“แต่ลองคิดดูสิ ซองฮยอนกับคอนโฮก็ไม่ได้เก่งภาษาอังกฤษเหมือนเธอ”

(“But think about it. Seonghyeon and Keonho aren’t as good at English as you are.”)

You looked over at him.

“มันไม่เหมือนกัน”

(“It’s not the same.”)

“ทำไมจะไม่เหมือน?”

(“Why not?”)

You couldn't answer.

James smiled slightly.

“พวกเขาเก่งภาษาเกาหลี เพราะมันเป็นภาษาแม่ของพวกเขา”

(“They’re good at Korean because it’s their native language.”)

“เธอเก่งภาษาอังกฤษ เพราะมันเป็นหนึ่งในภาษาที่โตมากับมัน”

(“You’re good at English because it’s one of the languages you grew up with.”)

He shrugged.

“ส่วนภาษาเกาหลี…เธอเพิ่งเรียนมัน”

(“As for Korean… you only started learning it recently.”)

You nodded.

Sometimes it was annoying how reasonable he was.

“แต่ฉันยังทำพลาดอยู่ดี”

(“But I still mess up.”)

James laughed softly.

“ทุกคนก็ทำพลาด”

(“Everyone messes up.”)

“ไม่ขนาดฉัน”

(“Not as much as me.”)

“เธอจำตอนที่ฉันเผลอพูดไทยกับผู้กำกับได้ไหม?”

(“Do you remember when I accidentally spoke Mandarin to a director?”)

You immediately looked at him.

“โอ้ พระเจ้า”

(“Oh my God.”)

A grin spread across his face.

“ใช่”

(“Exactly.”)

You couldn’t help laughing.

You remembered that.

The poor director had stared at him for almost ten seconds before realising James thought he was talking to someone else.

“นายดูโง่มากวันนั้น”

(“You looked so stupid.”)

“ขอบคุณนะ”

(“Thank you.”)

“ยินดีเสมอ”

(“Anytime.”)

James shook his head, smiling to himself.

For a moment, the conversation settled into a comfortable silence.

Then James spoke again.

“จริง ๆ แล้ว ฉันคิดว่าภาษาเกาหลีของเธอดีขึ้นเยอะนะ”

(“Honestly, I think your Korean has improved a lot.”)

You glanced at him suspiciously.

“จริงเหรอ?”

(“Really?”)

“จริง”

(“Really.”)

He met your eyes for a second.

“ตอนแรกเธอถามคำแปลทุกห้านาที”

(“At first you were asking for translations every five minutes.”)

You laughed.

“โอเค อันนั้นจริง”

(“Okay, that’s true.”)

“ตอนนี้เหลือทุกสิบห้านาทีแล้ว”

(“Now it’s every fifteen minutes.”)

You stared at him.

Then immediately shoved his shoulder.

James laughed, leaning away before you could hit him again.

For the first time since the interview, the knot of embarrassment in your chest loosened.

“I’m serious though.”

You rolled your eyes.

“แล้วทำไมฉันยังลืมคำศัพท์ตลอดเลย?”

(“Then why do I still forget words all the time?”)

“เพราะเธอแปลในหัวก่อนพูด”

(“Because you translate it in your head before you speak.”)

You frowned like he'd just spoken giberish.

“หมายความว่าไง?”

(“What does that mean?”)

James looked at you for a second.

“เอามือมา”

(“Give me your hand.”)

Without thinking much about it, you held your hand out.

James took it and turned your palm up.

Using his finger, he traced a couple Korean syllables onto your skin.

“가.”

Then another.

“방.”

You watched his finger move.

“가방?”

“ใช่”

(“Yeah.”)

He tapped your palm twice.

“สองพยางค์”

(“Two syllables.”)

Something clicked.

“โอ้.”

(“Oh.”)

“เห็นไหม?”

(“See?”)

You nodded.

“เอาอีก.”

(“Do another one.”)

Before he could, a voice came from the seat in front.

“What are you two doing?”

You looked up.

Martin was staring over the seat.

James didn’t even look at him.

“Nothing.”

“That is NOT nothing.”

Seonghyeon immediately leaned over too.

“What?”

Martin pointed.

“Look at them.”

Sean looked.

Then started laughing.

You groaned.

“Oh my God.”

“What?” James asked.

“Holding her hand like youre ina fucking K-drama dawg.”

James immediately let go of your hand.

“I am not.”

“Yes, you literally are.”

“I was helping her with Korean”

“On her hand?” Juhoon asked from across the van.

James looked at him.

“Yes.”

There was a brief pause.

Juhoon nodded.

“Fair.”

You pointed at him.

“Thank you.”

“Still looks weird as fuck.”

“THANK YOU?” Martin repeated.

“Not helping.”

You were trying not to laugh now.

James leaned back in his seat with a sigh.

“You people are exhausting.”

“You’re welcome.”

A few chuckles went around the van before everyone slowly went back to whatever they were doing.

The moment the attention disappeared, you held your hand out again.

James looked down at it.

Then at you.

You wiggled your fingers impatiently.

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

“อีกคำ?”

(“Another word?”)

“อีกคำ.”

(“Another word.”)

Shaking his head, he took your hand again.

۶ৎ ׂ 𓈒 Synopsis- Almost a year after falling out with your old bestfriend, he debuts, and suddenly the internet is obsessed with your history together.

۶ৎ ׂ 𓈒 Pairings- ExBestFriend!Idol!Martin x NonIdol!reader

previous part --> part 5

A/N this series is not turning out how i want it to so i hope yall like it cause i am unsure lmao

taglist: @eunjjx @sariy5h @letterstohyeon @lunaryoongie @drpepki @crescentmoonnn @m1lb

A/N this is such a shit post but its smth to feed yall lmao

James As Your Idol Boyfriend who switches between different languages when talking just to confuse you because you refused to let him teach you

James As Your Idol Boyfriend who puts his freezing cold hands on your back and thinks its funny when you complain

James As Your Idol Boyfriend who can never be sitting too far from you and doesnt know about personal space

James As Your Idol Boyfriend who invites you to come to the studio every single day and every day you say no because their manager scares you.

James As Your Idol Boyfriend who bites you.

James As Your Idol Boyfriend who makes a joke and if you dont laugh he repeats it louder.

James As Your Idol Boyfriend whos hoodies cover you like a tent because theyre already too big on him

James As Your Idol Boyfriend who pays for everything even if you insist otherwise

James As Your Idol Boyfriend who doesnt tell you hes changing his hair, you just find out when you see him next

James As Your Idol Boyfriend who accidentally hurts you while play fighting and then babies you the whole night

James As Your Idol Boyfriend who hardly wears pants when hes at home with you

James As Your Idol Boyfriend who takes pictures of you while you sleep and puts them as his wallpaper

James As Your Idol Boyfriend who apologises after doing fanservice

۶ৎ ׂ 𓈒 Synopsis- Almost a year after falling out with your old bestfriend, he debuts, and suddenly the internet is obsessed with your history together.

۶ৎ ׂ 𓈒 Pairings- ExBestFriend!Idol!Martin x NonIdol!reader

previous part --> part 4

A/N i think this is better thaan the last two cause were actually rolling now i was actually thinking about deleting the last ones lmfao.

taglist: @eunjjx @sariy5h @letterstohyeon @lunaryoongie

۶ৎ ׂ 𓈒 Synopsis- Almost a year after falling out with your old bestfriend, he debuts, and suddenly the internet is obsessed with your history together.

۶ৎ ׂ 𓈒 Pairings- ExBestFriend!Idol!Martin x NonIdol!reader

previous part --> part 3

A/N im sorry this ones also short they gonna get longer wheni have more time and motivation swur