bea

Gunwook somehow always seems to “coincidentally” be where you are. Need help with a group project? He volunteers. Struggling with carrying books? He’s there to lend a hand.

Despite his popularity, he downplays himself around you, not wanting to overwhelm or intimidate you with his status.

Though he’s shy about confessing his feelings, Gunwook subtly shows off around you—whether it’s dominating on the basketball court during intramurals or acing a presentation.

He’s not cocky but hopes you’ll notice his strengths and be impressed. When you do compliment him, he turns red and mutters a quick “thanks” while trying to hide a proud grin.

Gunwook uses playful teasing as a way to interact with you. If he sees you struggling with a vending machine, he’ll smirk and say, “Need a hero to save you?” before helping.

Though confident in social situations, his teasing is more lighthearted than bold when it comes to you, afraid of crossing the line.

If anyone messes with you, Gunwook steps in without hesitation. Whether it’s a classmate talking down to you or someone being overly pushy at a party, he’s quick to defend you, saying, “Is there a problem here?” in his calm but firm tone.

He does it so naturally that you almost don’t notice he’s being protective—but trust me, he’s always looking out for you.

You might find small, thoughtful gestures that seem coincidental but are 100% intentional. A cup of your favorite coffee left on your desk or a seat saved for you in a crowded lecture hall—these are all his way of caring for you without saying it outright.

If you ever thank him, he brushes it off with, “Oh, it’s no big deal,” but internally, he’s thrilled you noticed.

When he sees you talking to other guys, he feels a pang of jealousy but doesn’t let it show. Instead, he’ll casually join the conversation, positioning himself closer to you to subtly assert his presence.

If someone flirts with you, his jokes get sharper, and his confidence amps up a little as if to remind you (and the guy) who the real catch is.

Gunwook often debates confessing his feelings late at night, imagining scenarios where he casually says, “You know, I kinda like you.” But every time he gets close, he loses his nerve, worried about ruining what you already have.

Instead, he opts for lingering goodbyes and quiet hints, hoping you’ll pick up on how much he likes you.

No matter how cool or composed he tries to act, your smile always catches him off guard. He can’t help but break into a sheepish grin when you laugh at his jokes or thank him for something.

His friends tease him mercilessly about how obvious his crush is, but he brushes it off—though secretly, they’re right.

One day, his confidence finally outweighs his nerves. Maybe it’s after a study session or walking you back to your dorm. He blurts out, “You know, I like you, right?” in his usual straightforward yet endearing way.

His heart races as he waits for your response, hoping the subtle hints he’s been dropping have paid off.

Dating Gunwook would feel like having a steady, thoughtful presence who’s always had your back, even before you realized he was falling for you.

© fanbasetwo ! tumblr

KIM GYUVIN . . . ✦

You lay awake in bed, glaring spitefully at your boyfriend, who was snoring softly beside you. Gyuvin was such a picture of peace, blissfully ignorant of your battle with the dreadful cramps. The green-eyed monster made its home in your rib cage. “Hey! Quit snoring,” you whispered, poking him hard. Maybe it was the mood swings, or perhaps it was pure injustice, but if you could not get any sleep, he would not either. Gyuvin stirred before opening his eyes slowly. He did not say anything but shamelessly nestled you closer while curling you in the protective embrace of his arms. For a moment, he let his hands fall on your belly. Circles his fingers with slow and soft movements on your belly “Still hurts?” he managed to say, a little sleepy but shown great care and gentleness. Your growing outrage melted halfway into oblivion as you gazed into his half-open eyes and tousled hair. “Not much now,” you murmured against his touch. He surely was your haven amid all this pain.

PARK GUNWOOK . . . ✦

Gunwook wasn't the type who liked much physical touch, but he had pretty much been nothing but kind to you. That didn't prevent him from being justifiably frightened of your moods during your periods. Today was no different. “What is wrong?” he asked, freaking out because you suddenly broke into tears. His dark sarcasm, one that regularly made you laugh, had surprisingly worked against him. “Did I say something wrong? Baby, please...” he was just racking his brain now to come to terms with what click had gone awry. In the moment, tears bubbling in your throat, you slurred something unintelligible, leaving him even more frazzled. But Gunwook would never give up on you. He scooped you into his arms and began to cover your tear-stained cheeks with desperate but awkward kisses. “Don't cry,” he murmured, sounding much more like his usual self. “I'll stop making jokes, I promise.” It was typecast to make him cringe, but he'd surely do anything else, probably endure your periods, just to get a smile back on your face.

HAN YUJIN . . . ✦

Yujin had always been the shy one in your relationship, and while you were still navigating its early stages, moments of awkwardness were inevitable—like today. Unaware of the red spot that had appeared on your pants, you walked beside him after your date, chatting casually. Yujin suddenly slowed, his cheeks tinged pink as he glanced at you. “Aren’t you cold?” he asked, his voice soft but steady. Before you could respond, he was already shrugging off his jacket and draping it gently over your shoulders. It was oversized, enveloping you completely and, unbeknownst to you, discreetly covering the red period spot on your pants. You blinked at him, confused by his sudden action but touched by the gesture. “Thanks…” you mumbled, still unsure what had prompted it. Yujin gave a small, reassuring smile, his hand brushing yours. He didn’t need to say anything; his quiet thoughtfulness spoke volumes.

© fanbasetwo | tumblr

in school, you aren’t popular. infact, you’re far from it. other than your friends and fellow council members, no one pays attention to you unless its for school reasons. but you are an exceptional student. you are always participating in quiz bees, math competitions, and even a part of the student council. all this means that you constantly have to work your ass off to maintain your good grades.

at home, your parents have set high standards for you. be smart, be presentable. be kind, be obedient. you have competitive relatives, and you know how they can get.

what you didn’t expect though, was to ever get in a relationship. you were far too deep into your school activities so you can get into a good college, so you felt like you had no time to be interested in boys. besides, you didn’t even expect anyone to be into you.

here’s kim jiwoong: popular senior, star player of your school’s football team, decent student, and campus crush.

what could possibly bring you, a student seen as nerdy and unpopular, and kim jiwoong, the popular quarterback of the school’s football team together?

i. first meetings, tutoring sessions, blooming friendships.

you first officially met jiwoong because of a tutoring gig your teacher assigned you to do. you had to help jiwoong with physics, a subject you excel in. jiwoong isn’t a bad student. despite his busy schedule as an athlete, he had no grades lower than a B. except for physics.

your physics teacher recognized his struggle with the subject, and appointed you to help him.

you can’t lie, you were nervous. like— palms sweating, cold sweating nervous. jiwoong isn’t a mean guy, infact, he’s quite nice if you get to know him (that is, according to your best friend hao’s boyfriend hanbin, who is his fellow football teammate). his popularity in the school, and his reputation intimidated you.

when he arrived, you were taken aback. you really had nothing to be nervous for. jiwoong turned out to be a pretty chill guy. he’s nice, understanding, and fast-adjusting.

“hi, you must be y/n? i’m jiwoong. i’m the student mr. song appointed for you to tutor. sorry for being late, i was held back at practice. i hope you didn’t wait long.” jiwoong says as he places his bag on the library desk. “oh— yes, that’s me. hi, jiwoong. and don’t worry about it, coach yoon told me.” you say as you pull back a chair for him to sit on. he sits on the seat beside you, and waits as you pull out your notes, a pen, and pad paper.

“let’s start. what topics are you currently steuggling with?” you ask, looking at him after asking but quickly looking down at your notes again when you see that he’s looking at you. you don’t see it, but jiwoong smiles. ‘cute.’ he thinks. jiwoong tells you about the topic he is having trouble understanding, and you nod. you browse through your notebook and find the topic. when you find it, you lean closer to him and explain to him the concept.

a few sessions later

tutoring jiwoong has been going well. his understanding of physics has improved, and the sessions have also become an opening for a friendship between you two. because of these sessions, you found that jiwoongs intimidating aura isn’t real. he’s actually.. pretty cute. he’d slightly whine when he doesn’t get what you’re explaining, pouts when he gets an answer wrong, and quietly cheers when he gets something right. jeez. talk about a facade.

it is also because of these sessions that you have started encouraging each other even outside of the library. small waves when you see each other, smiles when you’re too far to interact, and sometimes even walking together before going your separate ways.

ii. results and gratitude

it has been awhile since your midterm exams, and your last physics tutor session with jiwoong. when results came out, jiwoong got an 87%. a significant increase from his original 69% (his team thought it was hilarious, but coach yoon thought otherwise). when he received his result, he was acknowledged by mr. yoon for his improvement. he ran to you and showed you his score, repeatedly expressing his gratitude to you for helping him. you could only blush and wave your hands.

“ah it’s really no problem. i’m so glad that my tutoring was effective! that’s an outstanding increase in results. i’m happy for you, jiwoong.” you softly smiled at him, and he smiled back.

“i couldn’t have done it without you. you’re a great teacher, you were so patient with me and very concise. i don’t think anyone else is more fit for the job than you. thank you, seriously.” he pauses, and puts his hand on your shoulder. “would you mind getting coffee with me at the new cafe close to the school this weekend? uh, just as a thanks for tutoring me and all.”

you’re stunned. your brain short circuits for a second and you don’t respond. “uh.. y/n? are you there? it’s okay if you don’t want to, i understand if you’re busy—“ “no! no, it’s fine. i’ll come. ill see ya there.” you quickly answer him, blushing from his sudden offer and embarrassment.

jiwoong grins and nods. “great. let’s meet there at around 4pm. see ya!” he winks before turning around to go back to his friends, who are all looking at him suspiciously.

jiwoong has grown to take a liking for you. as a friend, of course. he didn’t know you that well before you were appointed to tutor him, but he’d seen you around. he never talked to you though.

some of his friends thought you were weird. always so absorbed in your studies, and busy with your school orgs. he felt indifferent about you, after all, he didn’t know you personally.

jiwoong walked back to his friends, who were giving him a suspicious look.

“what was that? you know her?” asks gyuvin. “y/n’s the one who tutored jiwoong. i know her too because she’s a close friend of hao.” answers hanbin, who receives a nod of agreement from jiwoong.

“yeah, she helped me a lot. i got an 87% on the physics test thanks to her.” he pauses before continuing. “i’m taking her out for some coffee this saturday, as a thanks for her help.”

“ooh, look at star player kim jiwoong scoring a date with little nerd girl~ here i thought he’d go for a cheerleader.” one of the players tease. jiwoong rolls his eyes “shut up. she’s just a friend.”

matthew wiggles his brows “sure, just a friend. we’ll see.” jiwoong groans at their teasing and to his relief, the next teacher comes and tells them to settle down.

iii. unexpected offers

after their meetup over coffee, y/n and jiwoong have gotten closer. this doesn’t go unnoticed by jiwoongs friends, y/n’s best friends hao and taerae, and of course, the girls who have a crush on jiwoong.

zhang hao and y/n are walking around the hallway together, on their way to the cafeteria. when suddenly, jiwoong pops up in front of them.

“hi! hao, you’re watching the game this friday, right?” jiwoong asks him, leaving hao a bit confused. “yeah.. i am. of course, hanbin’s playing. why?” jiwoong lights up at his answer and turns to you. “great! does that mean you’re coming to watch too, y/n?” he looks at the girl, eagerly anticipating her answer.

the way jiwoongs eyes sparkle with eagerness, and the way his hands clasp together as if he’s a girl confessing to her crush doesn’t go unnoticed by hao.

“ah.. i’m really sorry jiwoong, but i’m not.” the girl sheepishly tells jiwoong, who now looks disappointed. “aw, come on. you should watch! don’t you want to support me? we’re friends right? i’ll even give you my jersey to wear at the game!” he tries to convince her with a grin.

hao raises his brows in suspicion, but doesn’t say anything and looks at y/n. safe to say, she’s flustered. so flustered. her cheeks and ears are red, and she’s fidgeting with her hands. she pauses for a bit, but she manages to calm down and answer jiwoong.

“i-i’ll try. uh, i’ll just— let you know, okay? i’ll text you. also, if i do end up going, you really don’t need to give me your jersey.” she manages to quickly stutter out, and gave him a quick smile.

“okay. tell me, alright? i’ll be sad if you don’t. anyway, i have to go. see you guys around. hopefully at the game too.” jiwoong smiles at both of them and turns to y/n when he said the last sentence, winking at her.

both hao and y/n just nod at him and watch him leave, then they finally reach the cafeteria.

y/n and hao are now eating, when hanbin decides to join them and sits beside hao. hao decides to brings up the conversation they had with jiwoong earlier, and asks y/n a question. “so, jiwoong huh? when were you guys so close?” she takes a sip of water before answering him. “not close. we just happen to see each other more often than not. we got along pretty well when we had tutor sessions. i guess we just don’t want that to go away.” hao hums in response and asks her again “really? not close? he’s literally begging for you to watch the game, and offering for you to wear his jersey.”

y/n sighs and shakes her head. “that’s probably nothing. i bet he’s offered his jersey to other girls and asked them to go to his games.” hao looks at hanbin for confirmation and to their surprise, he shakes his head too.

“nope. jiwoong has asked people to watch his game, yes. but jiwoong has never offered anyone— boy or girl, to wear his jersey.” hanbin’s response brings a smirk to hao’s face, and a look of confusion on y/n’s. hao proceeds to tease the girl. “oh, that must mean you’re special.” hanbin joins hao in the teasing. “mhm, must be. i never gave out my jersey to anyone except hao, you know? and he’s my boyfriend.”

the girl blushes and glares at them, telling them to stop.

back at home

y/n lays on her bed, confused. why did jiwoong ask her to watch the game? if what hanbin said was true, then why her? why her and not a different girl? does he want her to go as a friend? or something more?

questions fill up the girls head, while she tries to make a decision. all the questions just confuse her even more, so she decides to message the person she trusts most with decisions: hao.

[hao & y/n’s chat]

y/n: hey, wyd?

hao: HEY

hao: not doing much, i was gonna call bin tho.

hao: need anything?

y/n yeah, actually.

y/n: do you think jiwoong wants me to go to his game like… as a friend only or..? (message undone)

y/n: should i go to the game on friday?

hao: idk do u wanna go

y/n: i mean.. i have no plans

hao: OH… then yeah fs u shuld go girl 😭 uve not seen a game in awhile.

y/n: yeah, ive just been so busy 😭. i think i’ll go.

hao: YAY omg i cant w8 to see u girl lets get ready tgt 😍!!!!

hao: btw, why’d you ask?

y/n: LMFAO YEAH okay come over. also i asked bc i told jiwoong i’d text if i was going or not.

hao: when she keeps you updated 😛🙈💕 #greenflag #myqueen

y/n: get help

hao: 😘

seen

y/n laughs at his teasing and closes their chat, choosing to tell jiwoong that he’d be seeing her at the game. before she could, jiwoong already chatted her.

[jiwoong & y/n’s chat]

jiwoong: hey y/n! :)

y/n: hi jiwoong, i was actually abt to msg u haha

jiwoong: oh, why? did yu need anything?

y/n: no, i actually wanted to tell u that i’m going to watch your game:).

jiwoong reacted !! to your message

jiwoong: omg that’s great. i was gonna ask if u made a decision, that’s why i texted. i’m glad ur coming. thank you.

y/n: of course!!

jiwoong: i’ll give u my jersey tomorrow. wear it, okay? 😊

y/n: OH uh u don’t need to do that, i have school colors!

jiwoong: nah, i insist. how will i win the game if my lucky charm isn’t in full luck gear? 😉🙃

y/n: … what the heck

jiwoong: hahaha see uuu~~~ 👍🏻😼

seen

y/n closed her phone, and stared up at the ceiling. jiwoong is bringing his jersey tomorrow to give it to her. even crazier, he called her his lucky charm. and he wants her to wear his jersey. at the game. gosh, her heart is beating so fast. she feels like she’s dreaming.

the next day

y/n enters the classroom, and heads to her seat buf stops when she sees a commotion. at first, shes confused. but she quickly realizes that the commotion is happening around her desk.

‘huh? why is everyone around my desk? did the teacher release another exam paper? did i fail? what’s going on?’ these thoughts fill her head as she approaches her table.

she pushes past the people and sees jiwoong. he’s waiting for her and is holding his jersey. “hey y/n! i have the jersey. make sure you wear it okay?” jiwoong grins as he hands the jersey over to her, and pats her shoulder.

“u-uh yeah, okay. sure! t-thanks, jiwoong.” she smiled back at him and sits on her desk.

finally, people spread out and leave her desk, but now they’re all talking.

who is she? is she jiwoongs girlfriend?

i tried for years to get jiwoongs attention, ahh she’s so lucky, i wish he gave me his jersey too.

what will jinsu think? she’s his ex.. right? isn’t she like still not over him?

that’s right!! oh my gosh, she really needs to wake up and move on.

and so much more…

iv. game day: phone calls

today is friday, which is the date of the game. y/n and hao are getting ready at the girls house, so they can go to the game together. as they are chatting about whatever, y/n hears her phone ring.

she picks up the phone and to her surprise, she sees jiwoong’s contact. hao sees her surprised expression, and looks over to her phone as well. he grins when he sees the contact and urges her to pick up. and with a sigh, she accepts.

what she didn’t expect, is to see jiwoong all sweaty from practice, his blonde hair wet and sweaty above his face, the shirt he’s wearing sticking to his skin. her face heats up from the sight, not expecting him to call her when he’s in such a condition.

“hey y/n! i just finished practice, but i wanted to check in. sorry if i bothered you, are you getting ready?” the girl doesn’t respond, so jiwoong calls out for her again. this time, hao smacks the girls back to get her attention. “oh, uh- hi yes, sorry. what was that?” jiwoong chuckles at her flustered state, “i asked if you were getting ready, silly girl. what’s got you distracted?” jiwoong decides to tease her by fixing the angle of his phone to show more of his body.

her face gets redder than before, going up to her ears. “uhm, yeah. i’m with hao right now and- and uh, we’re getting ready so we can go to the game together.” she puts hao in the frame, the boy waves to jiwoong and asks him where hanbin is. “oh, hanbin’s talking to someone but i think i can call him over. hanbin come here! i’m calling y/n and she’s with hao!” “i’m coming!” y/n giggles at hanbins quick response. unbeknownst to her, jiwoong is looking at her with the most intense love filled gaze that screams “dear god if i can’t have this girl then don’t give me anyone else at all.”

“hi babe, hi y/n! when are you two coming?” hanbin asks the two and hao answers “we’re about to leave, we were almost done when jiwoong called.” the girl nods in agreement and smiles when she sees jiwoong looking at her. “okay! we’ll have gyuvin wait for you guys so you can sit close to the bench.” gyuvin, from a distance yells out “why me!?” which makes the four of them laugh. jiwoong speaks up and says “it’s fine, it’ll be quick. i’ll take them, is that okay?” “yeah.” says y/n. “okay! i have to go now. i can’t wait to see you!” “likewise. good luck, jiwoong.” she says and hangs up the phone.

“oh girl he wants you.” “shut up hao let’s get moving.” the girl says and pulls hao, which makes him laugh.

v. game day: finally, we’re here!

hao and y/n arrived to the field, and she already messaged jiwoong when they were close to let him know he should come out. he calls out for them and they turn their head to see jiwoong and hanbin.

hao gives hanbin a side hug and asks “i thought it’d just be jiwoong? what changed your mind?” hanbin whispers something into hao’s ear, making him laugh. they both look at y/n and jiwoong and told them they’d get going first. the pair gives them a nod as they follow shortly after the couple.

“so, you decided to wear my jersey after all, huh?” jiwoong asks y/n as he looks down at the girl, smirking. the sudden question surprises her, and she blushes. “of course i did, you gave it to me. i wouldn’t want you to play without having all the luck on your side now would i?” now it’s jiwoong’s turn to get flustered. “y-yeah. wouldn’t want to lose this game..” she laughs at his answer as they arrive at the bleachers.

jiwoong grabs y/n’s hand and leads her to the spots that are closest to the team’s bench. when they reach the spot where hao is, jiwoong lets the girl sit beside him. “sit here. you’ll be able to see me better.” y/n nods at his words, and he smiles before leaving to be with the team.

“if you’re just friends… then what was that?” hao asks the girl, who is still looking at her hand. “uh.. i don’t know. im sure he just grabbed my hand so i could get to you safely.” the girl tries deny what hao is trying to imply, but he’s not having it. “girl you know damn well that was more than just that—“ “shh, game is about to start.”

the stadium is now filled with students, both from the home school and the rival school’s. both teams are on the field and the match is about to start. y/b sees hanbin waving at hao, and beside him is jiwoong. jiwoong is looking at her, his lucky charm. he waves at y/n when she finally sees him. the girl wave back and puts her fist up, mouthing a ‘good luck’ to him. he puts his hand on his chest, a sign that tells her he appreciates her words before focusing again.

the referee blows the whistle and both teams get moving. the ball is being kicked high up in the air, rushing down the field to the receiving team. players rush forward with as much energy as they can use.

y/n sees so many players on the field. all of them running around the field, but her eyes and her mind are focused on one player: kim jiwoong. she looks at the quarterback who shouts out signals to his teammates, as if he’s the only player on the field. she unconsciously finds herself doing this, but of course it doesn’t go unnoticed by her best friend who is right beside her.

time is ticking, stakes are high, and the intensity of the match only gets better as the schools team is about to win. every student from your side is cheering and roaring for victory. while the rivals are holing onto a miracle for a win. sounds of whistles and yells of excitement are filling the air, as the final kick goes in.

the game ends, and every student from ZB-ONE high stands up and erupts into cheers. the players of the team roar in victory and run around the field, and y/n can’t help but smile at seeing jiwoong be so happy. despite knowing the boy for only a few months, she is ecstatic to see him erupt in happiness doing what he loves.

y/n and jiwoong make eye contact, and she shouts a “congratulations!” to the boy. he smiles, and starts running towards her. “y/n! thank you so much. i really appreciate you being here. i guess having you as my good luck charm really is true, huh?” he says as he grins and holds her hand yet again. she grins back and intertwines her fingers with his, gaining some confidence. “oh stop, it was not just my luck. you did so good out there, you know? i seriously couldn’t keep my eyes off you.”

realizing what she said, the girl starts blushing when she sees jiwoong raise an eyebrow and smirk. “i- i mean- uh, you did good so it was natural i’d have my eyes on you-“ she tries to explain herself, but jiwoong only grins harder and does something that she didn’t expect him to do.

he pulls her by the waist and pulls her close to him. he gently grabs her chin so she’s looking up at him, and tucks her hair behind her ear.

neither of them could see the stares from other students, the looks of jealousy from the girls who wish that was them instead, the shocked look from hao and hanbin, none of them.

they couldn’t hear the gasps from people around them reacting to their sudden share of affection. they couldn’t hear gyuvin cheering for jiwoong. they couldn’t hear the cheers from students who are still ecstatic about the game.

to them, it felt like it was just the two of them in that stadium. just jiwoong and y/n, in their own world.

“y/n..” jiwoong starts, “how would you feel about going out to dinner with me tonight, and then going on a date with me this sunday? then maybe after that, you can be my lucky charm forever..” he tells the girl with a smile, and she smiles back at him. “of course, jiwoong. i would love to.”

jiwoong can’t contain his happiness, so he pulls her in for a tight hug, picks her up, and spins her around. the girl could only laugh at his excitement and hugs him back. the adrenaline rush coming from jiwoong winning an important game, to him scoring a date with the girl of his dreams. who could blame him?

finally, he puts her down and he squeezes her hand before he has to walk away and clean up. she walks back to hao and sees him already looking at her.

“so.. what was that all about? what happened?” hao asks the girl, who still hasn’t stopped smiling. “he asked me out. tell hanbin the team won’t be seeing him for dinner tonight, because he’s celebrating the win with me.” she pauses, thinking of where he’s taking her and having dinner with him. “he’s taking me out on a date again this sunday as well. i don’t know where he’s going to take me yet, though.”

hao claps his hands when she tells him the details. “girl i told you he wasn’t just being nice! you were just way too blind to see that he’s into you. i swear, i’m a genius.” she laughs at him, and they continue to talk about the game.

as they were deep into the conversation, y/n feels someones head places on her shoulder. she turns to see jiwoong, who is now wearing a basic white shirt, jeans, and his football varsity jacket. “hi, jiwoong. should we get going?” jiwoong nods and puts his arm around her shoulder. they both bid hao a goodbye, and they walk to jiwoong’s car.

“you know, i still can’t believe it.” jiwoong starts. she looks at him confused “believe what?” “that if i wasn’t so stupid at physics, i probably wouldn’t have had the chance to meet someone as amazing as you. then, we probably would never have talked to each other.” she looks at him with sparkles in her eyes, happily nodding in agreement. jiwoong pulls her closer, and kisses the top of her head.”

“i can’t wait for our date, and for all the dates that will come after it. i’m happy i’m celebrating this win with my pretty nerdy tutor.”

in school, you aren’t popular. infact, you’re far from it. other than your friends and fellow council members, no one pays attention to you unless its for school reasons. but you are an exceptional student. you are always participating in quiz bees, math competitions, and even a part of the student council. all this means that you constantly have to work your ass off to maintain your good grades.

at home, your parents have set high standards for you. be smart, be presentable. be kind, be obedient. you have competitive relatives, and you know how they can get.

what you didn’t expect though, was to ever get in a relationship. you were far too deep into your school activities so you can get into a good college, so you felt like you had no time to be interested in boys. besides, you didn’t even expect anyone to be into you.

here’s kim jiwoong: popular senior, star player of your school’s football team, decent student, and campus crush.

what could possibly bring you, a student seen as nerdy and unpopular, and kim jiwoong, the popular quarterback of the school’s football team together?

i. first meetings, tutoring sessions, blooming friendships.

you first officially met jiwoong because of a tutoring gig your teacher assigned you to do. you had to help jiwoong with physics, a subject you excel in. jiwoong isn’t a bad student. despite his busy schedule as an athlete, he had no grades lower than a B. except for physics.

your physics teacher recognized his struggle with the subject, and appointed you to help him.

you can’t lie, you were nervous. like— palms sweating, cold sweating nervous. jiwoong isn’t a mean guy, infact, he’s quite nice if you get to know him (that is, according to your best friend hao’s boyfriend hanbin, who is his fellow football teammate). his popularity in the school, and his reputation intimidated you.

when he arrived, you were taken aback. you really had nothing to be nervous for. jiwoong turned out to be a pretty chill guy. he’s nice, understanding, and fast-adjusting.

“hi, you must be y/n? i’m jiwoong. i’m the student mr. song appointed for you to tutor. sorry for being late, i was held back at practice. i hope you didn’t wait long.” jiwoong says as he places his bag on the library desk. “oh— yes, that’s me. hi, jiwoong. and don’t worry about it, coach yoon told me.” you say as you pull back a chair for him to sit on. he sits on the seat beside you, and waits as you pull out your notes, a pen, and pad paper.

“let’s start. what topics are you currently steuggling with?” you ask, looking at him after asking but quickly looking down at your notes again when you see that he’s looking at you. you don’t see it, but jiwoong smiles. ‘cute.’ he thinks. jiwoong tells you about the topic he is having trouble understanding, and you nod. you browse through your notebook and find the topic. when you find it, you lean closer to him and explain to him the concept.

a few sessions later

tutoring jiwoong has been going well. his understanding of physics has improved, and the sessions have also become an opening for a friendship between you two. because of these sessions, you found that jiwoongs intimidating aura isn’t real. he’s actually.. pretty cute. he’d slightly whine when he doesn’t get what you’re explaining, pouts when he gets an answer wrong, and quietly cheers when he gets something right. jeez. talk about a facade.

it is also because of these sessions that you have started encouraging each other even outside of the library. small waves when you see each other, smiles when you’re too far to interact, and sometimes even walking together before going your separate ways.

ii. results and gratitude

it has been awhile since your midterm exams, and your last physics tutor session with jiwoong. when results came out, jiwoong got an 87%. a significant increase from his original 69% (his team thought it was hilarious, but coach yoon thought otherwise). when he received his result, he was acknowledged by mr. yoon for his improvement. he ran to you and showed you his score, repeatedly expressing his gratitude to you for helping him. you could only blush and wave your hands.

“ah it’s really no problem. i’m so glad that my tutoring was effective! that’s an outstanding increase in results. i’m happy for you, jiwoong.” you softly smiled at him, and he smiled back.

“i couldn’t have done it without you. you’re a great teacher, you were so patient with me and very concise. i don’t think anyone else is more fit for the job than you. thank you, seriously.” he pauses, and puts his hand on your shoulder. “would you mind getting coffee with me at the new cafe close to the school this weekend? uh, just as a thanks for tutoring me and all.”

you’re stunned. your brain short circuits for a second and you don’t respond. “uh.. y/n? are you there? it’s okay if you don’t want to, i understand if you’re busy—“ “no! no, it’s fine. i’ll come. ill see ya there.” you quickly answer him, blushing from his sudden offer and embarrassment.

jiwoong grins and nods. “great. let’s meet there at around 4pm. see ya!” he winks before turning around to go back to his friends, who are all looking at him suspiciously.

jiwoong has grown to take a liking for you. as a friend, of course. he didn’t know you that well before you were appointed to tutor him, but he’d seen you around. he never talked to you though.

some of his friends thought you were weird. always so absorbed in your studies, and busy with your school orgs. he felt indifferent about you, after all, he didn’t know you personally.

jiwoong walked back to his friends, who were giving him a suspicious look.

“what was that? you know her?” asks gyuvin. “y/n’s the one who tutored jiwoong. i know her too because she’s a close friend of hao.” answers hanbin, who receives a nod of agreement from jiwoong.

“yeah, she helped me a lot. i got an 87% on the physics test thanks to her.” he pauses before continuing. “i’m taking her out for some coffee this saturday, as a thanks for her help.”

“ooh, look at star player kim jiwoong scoring a date with little nerd girl~ here i thought he’d go for a cheerleader.” one of the players tease. jiwoong rolls his eyes “shut up. she’s just a friend.”

matthew wiggles his brows “sure, just a friend. we’ll see.” jiwoong groans at their teasing and to his relief, the next teacher comes and tells them to settle down.

iii. unexpected offers

after their meetup over coffee, y/n and jiwoong have gotten closer. this doesn’t go unnoticed by jiwoongs friends, y/n’s best friends hao and taerae, and of course, the girls who have a crush on jiwoong.

zhang hao and y/n are walking around the hallway together, on their way to the cafeteria. when suddenly, jiwoong pops up in front of them.

“hi! hao, you’re watching the game this friday, right?” jiwoong asks him, leaving hao a bit confused. “yeah.. i am. of course, hanbin’s playing. why?” jiwoong lights up at his answer and turns to you. “great! does that mean you’re coming to watch too, y/n?” he looks at the girl, eagerly anticipating her answer.

the way jiwoongs eyes sparkle with eagerness, and the way his hands clasp together as if he’s a girl confessing to her crush doesn’t go unnoticed by hao.

“ah.. i’m really sorry jiwoong, but i’m not.” the girl sheepishly tells jiwoong, who now looks disappointed. “aw, come on. you should watch! don’t you want to support me? we’re friends right? i’ll even give you my jersey to wear at the game!” he tries to convince her with a grin.

hao raises his brows in suspicion, but doesn’t say anything and looks at y/n. safe to say, she’s flustered. so flustered. her cheeks and ears are red, and she’s fidgeting with her hands. she pauses for a bit, but she manages to calm down and answer jiwoong.

“i-i’ll try. uh, i’ll just— let you know, okay? i’ll text you. also, if i do end up going, you really don’t need to give me your jersey.” she manages to quickly stutter out, and gave him a quick smile.

“okay. tell me, alright? i’ll be sad if you don’t. anyway, i have to go. see you guys around. hopefully at the game too.” jiwoong smiles at both of them and turns to y/n when he said the last sentence, winking at her.

both hao and y/n just nod at him and watch him leave, then they finally reach the cafeteria.

y/n and hao are now eating, when hanbin decides to join them and sits beside hao. hao decides to brings up the conversation they had with jiwoong earlier, and asks y/n a question. “so, jiwoong huh? when were you guys so close?” she takes a sip of water before answering him. “not close. we just happen to see each other more often than not. we got along pretty well when we had tutor sessions. i guess we just don’t want that to go away.” hao hums in response and asks her again “really? not close? he’s literally begging for you to watch the game, and offering for you to wear his jersey.”

y/n sighs and shakes her head. “that’s probably nothing. i bet he’s offered his jersey to other girls and asked them to go to his games.” hao looks at hanbin for confirmation and to their surprise, he shakes his head too.

“nope. jiwoong has asked people to watch his game, yes. but jiwoong has never offered anyone— boy or girl, to wear his jersey.” hanbin’s response brings a smirk to hao’s face, and a look of confusion on y/n’s. hao proceeds to tease the girl. “oh, that must mean you’re special.” hanbin joins hao in the teasing. “mhm, must be. i never gave out my jersey to anyone except hao, you know? and he’s my boyfriend.”

the girl blushes and glares at them, telling them to stop.

back at home

y/n lays on her bed, confused. why did jiwoong ask her to watch the game? if what hanbin said was true, then why her? why her and not a different girl? does he want her to go as a friend? or something more?

questions fill up the girls head, while she tries to make a decision. all the questions just confuse her even more, so she decides to message the person she trusts most with decisions: hao.

[hao & y/n’s chat]

y/n: hey, wyd?

hao: HEY

hao: not doing much, i was gonna call bin tho.

hao: need anything?

y/n yeah, actually.

y/n: do you think jiwoong wants me to go to his game like… as a friend only or..? (message undone)

y/n: should i go to the game on friday?

hao: idk do u wanna go

y/n: i mean.. i have no plans

hao: OH… then yeah fs u shuld go girl 😭 uve not seen a game in awhile.

y/n: yeah, ive just been so busy 😭. i think i’ll go.

hao: YAY omg i cant w8 to see u girl lets get ready tgt 😍!!!!

hao: btw, why’d you ask?

y/n: LMFAO YEAH okay come over. also i asked bc i told jiwoong i’d text if i was going or not.

hao: when she keeps you updated 😛🙈💕 #greenflag #myqueen

y/n: get help

hao: 😘

seen

y/n laughs at his teasing and closes their chat, choosing to tell jiwoong that he’d be seeing her at the game. before she could, jiwoong already chatted her.

[jiwoong & y/n’s chat]

jiwoong: hey y/n! :)

y/n: hi jiwoong, i was actually abt to msg u haha

jiwoong: oh, why? did yu need anything?

y/n: no, i actually wanted to tell u that i’m going to watch your game:).

jiwoong reacted !! to your message

jiwoong: omg that’s great. i was gonna ask if u made a decision, that’s why i texted. i’m glad ur coming. thank you.

y/n: of course!!

jiwoong: i’ll give u my jersey tomorrow. wear it, okay? 😊

y/n: OH uh u don’t need to do that, i have school colors!

jiwoong: nah, i insist. how will i win the game if my lucky charm isn’t in full luck gear? 😉🙃

y/n: … what the heck

jiwoong: hahaha see uuu~~~ 👍🏻😼

seen

y/n closed her phone, and stared up at the ceiling. jiwoong is bringing his jersey tomorrow to give it to her. even crazier, he called her his lucky charm. and he wants her to wear his jersey. at the game. gosh, her heart is beating so fast. she feels like she’s dreaming.

the next day

y/n enters the classroom, and heads to her seat buf stops when she sees a commotion. at first, shes confused. but she quickly realizes that the commotion is happening around her desk.

‘huh? why is everyone around my desk? did the teacher release another exam paper? did i fail? what’s going on?’ these thoughts fill her head as she approaches her table.

she pushes past the people and sees jiwoong. he’s waiting for her and is holding his jersey. “hey y/n! i have the jersey. make sure you wear it okay?” jiwoong grins as he hands the jersey over to her, and pats her shoulder.

“u-uh yeah, okay. sure! t-thanks, jiwoong.” she smiled back at him and sits on her desk.

finally, people spread out and leave her desk, but now they’re all talking.

who is she? is she jiwoongs girlfriend?

i tried for years to get jiwoongs attention, ahh she’s so lucky, i wish he gave me his jersey too.

what will jinsu think? she’s his ex.. right? isn’t she like still not over him?

that’s right!! oh my gosh, she really needs to wake up and move on.

and so much more…

iv. game day: phone calls

today is friday, which is the date of the game. y/n and hao are getting ready at the girls house, so they can go to the game together. as they are chatting about whatever, y/n hears her phone ring.

she picks up the phone and to her surprise, she sees jiwoong’s contact. hao sees her surprised expression, and looks over to her phone as well. he grins when he sees the contact and urges her to pick up. and with a sigh, she accepts.

what she didn’t expect, is to see jiwoong all sweaty from practice, his blonde hair wet and sweaty above his face, the shirt he’s wearing sticking to his skin. her face heats up from the sight, not expecting him to call her when he’s in such a condition.

“hey y/n! i just finished practice, but i wanted to check in. sorry if i bothered you, are you getting ready?” the girl doesn’t respond, so jiwoong calls out for her again. this time, hao smacks the girls back to get her attention. “oh, uh- hi yes, sorry. what was that?” jiwoong chuckles at her flustered state, “i asked if you were getting ready, silly girl. what’s got you distracted?” jiwoong decides to tease her by fixing the angle of his phone to show more of his body.

her face gets redder than before, going up to her ears. “uhm, yeah. i’m with hao right now and- and uh, we’re getting ready so we can go to the game together.” she puts hao in the frame, the boy waves to jiwoong and asks him where hanbin is. “oh, hanbin’s talking to someone but i think i can call him over. hanbin come here! i’m calling y/n and she’s with hao!” “i’m coming!” y/n giggles at hanbins quick response. unbeknownst to her, jiwoong is looking at her with the most intense love filled gaze that screams “dear god if i can’t have this girl then don’t give me anyone else at all.”

“hi babe, hi y/n! when are you two coming?” hanbin asks the two and hao answers “we’re about to leave, we were almost done when jiwoong called.” the girl nods in agreement and smiles when she sees jiwoong looking at her. “okay! we’ll have gyuvin wait for you guys so you can sit close to the bench.” gyuvin, from a distance yells out “why me!?” which makes the four of them laugh. jiwoong speaks up and says “it’s fine, it’ll be quick. i’ll take them, is that okay?” “yeah.” says y/n. “okay! i have to go now. i can’t wait to see you!” “likewise. good luck, jiwoong.” she says and hangs up the phone.

“oh girl he wants you.” “shut up hao let’s get moving.” the girl says and pulls hao, which makes him laugh.

v. game day: finally, we’re here!

hao and y/n arrived to the field, and she already messaged jiwoong when they were close to let him know he should come out. he calls out for them and they turn their head to see jiwoong and hanbin.

hao gives hanbin a side hug and asks “i thought it’d just be jiwoong? what changed your mind?” hanbin whispers something into hao’s ear, making him laugh. they both look at y/n and jiwoong and told them they’d get going first. the pair gives them a nod as they follow shortly after the couple.

“so, you decided to wear my jersey after all, huh?” jiwoong asks y/n as he looks down at the girl, smirking. the sudden question surprises her, and she blushes. “of course i did, you gave it to me. i wouldn’t want you to play without having all the luck on your side now would i?” now it’s jiwoong’s turn to get flustered. “y-yeah. wouldn’t want to lose this game..” she laughs at his answer as they arrive at the bleachers.

jiwoong grabs y/n’s hand and leads her to the spots that are closest to the team’s bench. when they reach the spot where hao is, jiwoong lets the girl sit beside him. “sit here. you’ll be able to see me better.” y/n nods at his words, and he smiles before leaving to be with the team.

“if you’re just friends… then what was that?” hao asks the girl, who is still looking at her hand. “uh.. i don’t know. im sure he just grabbed my hand so i could get to you safely.” the girl tries deny what hao is trying to imply, but he’s not having it. “girl you know damn well that was more than just that—“ “shh, game is about to start.”

the stadium is now filled with students, both from the home school and the rival school’s. both teams are on the field and the match is about to start. y/b sees hanbin waving at hao, and beside him is jiwoong. jiwoong is looking at her, his lucky charm. he waves at y/n when she finally sees him. the girl wave back and puts her fist up, mouthing a ‘good luck’ to him. he puts his hand on his chest, a sign that tells her he appreciates her words before focusing again.

the referee blows the whistle and both teams get moving. the ball is being kicked high up in the air, rushing down the field to the receiving team. players rush forward with as much energy as they can use.

y/n sees so many players on the field. all of them running around the field, but her eyes and her mind are focused on one player: kim jiwoong. she looks at the quarterback who shouts out signals to his teammates, as if he’s the only player on the field. she unconsciously finds herself doing this, but of course it doesn’t go unnoticed by her best friend who is right beside her.

time is ticking, stakes are high, and the intensity of the match only gets better as the schools team is about to win. every student from your side is cheering and roaring for victory. while the rivals are holing onto a miracle for a win. sounds of whistles and yells of excitement are filling the air, as the final kick goes in.

the game ends, and every student from ZB-ONE high stands up and erupts into cheers. the players of the team roar in victory and run around the field, and y/n can’t help but smile at seeing jiwoong be so happy. despite knowing the boy for only a few months, she is ecstatic to see him erupt in happiness doing what he loves.

y/n and jiwoong make eye contact, and she shouts a “congratulations!” to the boy. he smiles, and starts running towards her. “y/n! thank you so much. i really appreciate you being here. i guess having you as my good luck charm really is true, huh?” he says as he grins and holds her hand yet again. she grins back and intertwines her fingers with his, gaining some confidence. “oh stop, it was not just my luck. you did so good out there, you know? i seriously couldn’t keep my eyes off you.”

realizing what she said, the girl starts blushing when she sees jiwoong raise an eyebrow and smirk. “i- i mean- uh, you did good so it was natural i’d have my eyes on you-“ she tries to explain herself, but jiwoong only grins harder and does something that she didn’t expect him to do.

he pulls her by the waist and pulls her close to him. he gently grabs her chin so she’s looking up at him, and tucks her hair behind her ear.

neither of them could see the stares from other students, the looks of jealousy from the girls who wish that was them instead, the shocked look from hao and hanbin, none of them.

they couldn’t hear the gasps from people around them reacting to their sudden share of affection. they couldn’t hear gyuvin cheering for jiwoong. they couldn’t hear the cheers from students who are still ecstatic about the game.

to them, it felt like it was just the two of them in that stadium. just jiwoong and y/n, in their own world.

“y/n..” jiwoong starts, “how would you feel about going out to dinner with me tonight, and then going on a date with me this sunday? then maybe after that, you can be my lucky charm forever..” he tells the girl with a smile, and she smiles back at him. “of course, jiwoong. i would love to.”

jiwoong can’t contain his happiness, so he pulls her in for a tight hug, picks her up, and spins her around. the girl could only laugh at his excitement and hugs him back. the adrenaline rush coming from jiwoong winning an important game, to him scoring a date with the girl of his dreams. who could blame him?

finally, he puts her down and he squeezes her hand before he has to walk away and clean up. she walks back to hao and sees him already looking at her.

“so.. what was that all about? what happened?” hao asks the girl, who still hasn’t stopped smiling. “he asked me out. tell hanbin the team won’t be seeing him for dinner tonight, because he’s celebrating the win with me.” she pauses, thinking of where he’s taking her and having dinner with him. “he’s taking me out on a date again this sunday as well. i don’t know where he’s going to take me yet, though.”

hao claps his hands when she tells him the details. “girl i told you he wasn’t just being nice! you were just way too blind to see that he’s into you. i swear, i’m a genius.” she laughs at him, and they continue to talk about the game.

as they were deep into the conversation, y/n feels someones head places on her shoulder. she turns to see jiwoong, who is now wearing a basic white shirt, jeans, and his football varsity jacket. “hi, jiwoong. should we get going?” jiwoong nods and puts his arm around her shoulder. they both bid hao a goodbye, and they walk to jiwoong’s car.

“you know, i still can’t believe it.” jiwoong starts. she looks at him confused “believe what?” “that if i wasn’t so stupid at physics, i probably wouldn’t have had the chance to meet someone as amazing as you. then, we probably would never have talked to each other.” she looks at him with sparkles in her eyes, happily nodding in agreement. jiwoong pulls her closer, and kisses the top of her head.”

“i can’t wait for our date, and for all the dates that will come after it. i’m happy i’m celebrating this win with my pretty nerdy tutor.”

✵ speaking of swimsuits, you guys would be matching- and he would be the one to buy them

✵ i could definitely see him putting his arm around your waist, or blocking you from any guys view. he gets extremely jealous but is very lowkey about it

✵ would jump in the water and splash you. then he would call you over to the edge and just pull you in

✵ he would also feel bad about pulling you in, and would let you cling onto his back as he pulls you around the water

✵ immediately places a towel over you as soon as you exit the pool. like his baby is not getting cold

✵ would take so many pictures of you, and pick out which ones you should post. i think he would also take a bunch without you noticing, and later he would post you on his story with a cute song

✵ a pool day with him would be so fun, and of course would boost your confidence

🝮 taglist open! bold can’t be tagged

"welcome to cosmic swirls! our frozen yogurt is over on that wall there and the toppings are just to the right! you can come up here when you're all ready and i can ring you up!"

the cheerful boy at the front counter beamed at you as you walked through the front door of the new frozen yogurt shop in town, gesturing to the other side of the store. you gave him a smile and a small thank you as you followed the bright-coloured walls towards the frozen yogurt. after a long day at work, you couldn't help but give in to the temptation of trying the new sweet treats just across the street from your work.

the shop was lined with bright purple and blue paint and star decals, a wall filled with every topping you can imagine, and the plethora of flavours of frozen yogurt that lined where you stood. there was a faint hum of whatever tune was playing on the radio, and you could faintly hear the cute worker shuffling around at the counter. you honestly weren't expecting it to be so empty, but how many people were getting frozen yogurt on a thursday night, right?

"hmm," you wondered aloud, browsing the options in front of you, unable to decide on just one.

"i recommend the cotton candy!" the cute boy chimed up, watching as you admired the machines in front of you. "ooh, i like the sound of that," you smiled, grabbing a cup and filling it with the frozen dessert. you added a few simple toppings before walking over to the counter where the boy stood.

after ringing you up and paying for your treat, the boy, who you've noticed is named hanbin, judging by his name tag, speaks up. "hope you like my recommendation!" a wide smile crosses his face, gesturing to the pink and blue swirled frozen yogurt in your cup.

"and if i don't?" you teased, giving hanbin a mischievous grin. "well," he pondered for a moment, "then i owe you a new one! but i bet you'll love it, scouts honour!"

you let out a laugh at the boy with his hand up in the air, "well i'll keep you updated." you laughed again as you went to go sit down, scrolling through your phone as you tried the frozen yogurt, pleasantly surprised at how good it was. i guess that's why everyone's been talking about this place lately, you thought to yourself.

finishing up your treat, you threw out the cup and walked back to the counter, getting hanbin's attention. "so?" he started, a smile on his face as he waited to hear your review.

"hated it!" you said, joking around with the boy as a laugh passed your lips. he feigned offence, a hand coming to his chest dramatically as if you had personally struck his heart. "no way!! how could you!" the two of you burst into a fit of giggles, drawing the attention of the lone couple in the corner before covering your mouth with your palm.

calming down a bit, you continued, "guess i'll just have to come back and try a different flavour next time!" you insisted.

"i guess you will!"

and you did. in the coming weeks, you found yourself returning to the shop more times than you could consider normal. every time, trying a new flavour than before. had to give it all a shot right? even if some nights left you with a cup of half-eaten frozen yogurt or more toppings than dessert in an attempt to drown out a flavour you weren't particularly fond of.

what you had grown quite fond of though was the boy behind the counter. hanbin. over the weeks you had gotten to know hanbin a bit; often you were there late, one of the last people there at that time, which gave you two time to talk and get to know each other a bit.

what you had learned was that hanbin was a dancer outside of his daily employment. most of the time his paychecks went to different classes with teachers he admired. something about "wanting to learn from the best." you also learned that he had a small hamster plushie that he kept behind the counter with him, even got him a miniature apron that you could only imagine he stole from a small doll. but sometimes kids would come in and he'd show off his little friend, loving to watch the way they got excited over the worker hamster. it was cute. he was cute.

and with that thought clouding your brain like an all too familiar brain freeze, you walked through the familiar front doors yet again, the jingle of the bell signaling your entrance had become something you were sure you'd hear in your dreams.

"on time as usual," hanbin smiled at your familiar face, "what flavour are you going to try today?" he questioned as he watched you saunter over to the machines, grabbing a cup before staring them down. "is the coconut any good?"

"never tried it honestly," he said simply, leaving you shocked. it was the first flavour so far that he hasn't had, "heard it's good though! you'll have to let me know!" his usual smile plastered on his face, you once again end up mirroring his expression, "guess i'll have to get it then!"

you found yourself at what you considered your usual table now, the one closest to the front counter. you like to tell yourself it was because it was convenient but you know it was just so it was easier to talk to hanbin. but that wasn't a crime!

a few minutes had passed and hanbin found himself sitting with you at the table, a now regular occurrence when there were no other customers around. "how is it?"

you plunged the spoon into the dessert, holding it up to the boy, "give it a try," you hadn't really thought about the intimacy of your offer, but hanbin didn't give it a second thought as he took a bite off of your spoon, letting out a hum of approval. "not too bad." he said, covering his mouth.

like many other nights, the two of you let your conversations run freely, only stopping to glance at the time on your phone; 11:05.

"shit hanbin," you quickly stood up, grabbing your phone and cup, "i didn't mean to keep you past close. i'm sure you wanna go home after a long day." you can't help but shake your head at your innate ability to get lost in time.

he let out a chuckle at your sudden urgency, "hey no rush, i honestly like the company, it gets pretty lonely here at night." his reassurance helped calm your guilt for a moment, "plus there's not much left to do to close up." he stacked the final chairs, the ones you had been sat at, as he continued. "but it's getting late, you should be heading home, no?" he sounded almost worried at you being out so late, and your heart swelled a bit at the thought.

"yeah i probably should head back," you let out a small sigh at the idea of ending the night with hanbin, "sorry again hanbin, and please get home safe." you gave him a sheepish smile as you turned on your heel to leave.

"make sure you get home safe too! what would i do without my favourite customer?" he joked, not knowing the way your heart skipped a beat at being called his favourite.

you were running out of excuses, or rather flavours; reasons to be at the frozen yogurt shop as much as you were.

"what are you gonna do when there's nothing new to try?" hanbin laughed, watching as you had narrowed it down to your last few choices of untouched flavours.

"die, maybe." you say nonchalantly, earning a laugh from the boy at the counter, finding your dramatics endearing. "you could just try every combination of flavours with every topping." hanbin suggested, a smug smile on his face.

you laughed, shaking your head, "hanbin that would take forever."

"and?" he questioned, "just means more time with me!"

he did have a good point, as silly as the idea sounded. you'd honestly do anything to give you an excuse to hang out with the boy more. except actually asking him out, of course.

what you didn't know was that despite the jokes, hanbin was honestly hoping you would take the idea somewhat seriously. one or two more guaranteed visits did not sound like enough time for him to finally gain the courage to ask you out, or even to get your number, so he felt like he needed all the time he could get.

you weren't the only one who had grown fond of your frequent visits. you had quickly become the thing hanbin looked forward to every week. it had only been a few months of small chats across counters and plastic tables, but hanbin could've sworn he was falling for you, at least in some capacity.

so instead of either of you asking the other out, you just sat together again like every visit, giggling and talking about anything and everything, sometimes even sharing bites of your dessert as you rambled on about an interaction at work that day. it was the least you could give him for listening to your rants.

instead of leaving when you were finished, you took it upon yourself to help with stacking the chairs, hopefully as an apology for always keeping the boy so late.

he couldn't help but smile at the gesture, "you don't have to do that y/n, i'm the one who works here not you." you simply smiled and shook your head, "but it gives me an excuse to stay here with you longer," you finished stacking the last table on your side of the room, "plus it's the least i could do."

"well i appreciate it," a shy smile spread across his face, trying to mentally stop a blush from rising to his cheeks at the thought of you wanted to stay with him longer. god i need to hurry up and ask them out. the thought echoed in his brain as he grabbed the key to lock up, walking with you to the door in a comfortable silence.

you both said your goodbyes, waving as you split off in opposite directions. you spent your walk home that night thinking more about the boy than usual, and as if connected telepathically, hanbin happened to have you at the forefront of his mind the whole drive home. not that he was complaining.

this was the time, hanbin reassured himself. this was when he'd finally ask you out, give you his number, get your number. something. anything. but as he watched the hands on the clock move at an agonizing pace, seemingly taunting him, he couldn't help but second guess himself.

in the midst of his self doubt, the familiar chime rang through the quiet store, right on schedule. and in you walked, dressed up nicer than usual. not that you didn't look great all the time to hanbin, but you looked particularly nice this evening.

"bad news hanbin," you said, walking up to the counter, "i have to take it to go tonight," your lips pressed into a frown. he looked quizzically at you, urging you to continue. "heading to my brother's graduation." you continued simply.

"and yet you still came in for frozen yogurt?" he questioned, a small chuckle escaping his lips. "well i didn't wanna miss my flavour this week," you exclaimed, as if making a very obvious point, "plus i don't think i could go a whole extra week without seeing you, c'mon now."

you kept talking as you filled up your first cup, one of the last flavours that you hadn't tried. setting it on the counter, you started grabbing the second, taking the opportunity to surprise your brother with some of the frozen yogurt you had been raving about.

tapping your card on the machine, and saying your farewell, you turned to leave the small shop and head on your way. but not before hanbin could stop you.

"wait!" he called out, quickly jogging up to you with a napkin in hand, "you might need this, for the road," a hand came to the back of his neck, rubbing sheepishly. "and uh, one minute." he quickly rushed to the back of the shop, where you assumed he kept his things, reemerging from the back door with a jacket in hand. "it's cold out there, staying warm is important, especially if you're eating frozen yogurt."

he lightly placed the jacket around your shoulders, letting the fabric drape along your frame. he took a second to catch his breath, partially from the running back and forth, and partially from the sight of you in his jacket. he quickly tried to peel his eyes off of you before his thoughts got the best of him, and luckily, that led hanbin to miss the way your cheeks heated up at the gesture.

after a moment of silence and thumping hearts, you said your goodbyes once more, accompanied by a thank you from yourself as you headed out the door.

as opposed to the usual, this time you found yourself sitting with your brother indulging in the sweet treat. "since when did you wear jackets like that?" your brother inquired, glancing over the clearly oversized mens jacket. you tried to shrug the question off, attempting to act nonchalant, "since today i guess." you brought the spoon up to your mouth to take another bite, avoiding any further answers.

"y/n, how dumb do you think i am." your brother chuckled, shaking his head at your poor attempt at an excuse, "who gave it to you?"

you quickly gave up on the facade, knowing you couldn't lie to your brother. "just the guy from the frozen yogurt place," your voice trailed off as you watched a shit-eating grin spread across his face. "i've never heard of a frozen yogurt place lending jackets to customers, or any business really." he said sarcastically, laughing at the way your face quickly heated in embarrassment, only stopping to continue teasing you.

"so do you like this boy?" he asked, as if your reaction hadn't given it away. you gave a shy nod as you hummed a confirmation, not only admitting it to your brother but also to yourself. "well as long as he treats you right, i approve, otherwise he better watch out, i bet i could take him anyways."

you couldn't help but laugh at your brothers weak attempt at intimidation, even getting a bit of frozen yogurt on your face in the process, causing your brother to erupt into laughter himself. "hold on," you reached into the pocket of the jacket, pulling out the napkin hanbin had given you as you were leaving, only now you had noticed something you didn't earlier.

there was something scribbled on the napkin. a number. hanbin's number, next to a small scrawled note reading, "in case you ever want to get some real food." a small heart outlined beside the message, even a small tear where the pen had ripped through the thin napkin.

you couldn't wait to get home that night. as soon as you had gotten into the comfort of your room, you grabbed the napkin again, quickly unlocking your phone and typing in the series of numbers messily written across.

"hey, it's y/n ^^" you typed simply, hoping the emoticon didn't feel too awkward as you couldn't stop your heart from beating out of your chest. the feeling of unstoppable palpitations only amplified as you watched the typing bubble quickly appear on the other side of the screen.

the seconds seemed to slow as you watched the typing bubble disappear, only to reappear once more before a message rang through.

"y/n! how'd your brother's graduation go??"

you quickly typed back a reply, giving a positive recollection of the night, selectively withholding the small confessional about the boy you were texting.

you spent your night getting ready for bed at a slower pace than usual, every minute or so your phone would ding with a message from hanbin, and you couldn't stop yourself from reaching for your phone to respond.

before you knew it, hours had gone by and through blurry eyes you faintly read out the time; 3:47am.

"hanbin,," you typed, pressing send on the short message for suspense, "did you realize it's nearly 4am"

his reply came faster than you thought, "shit don't you have to work in the morning?" you thought it was endearing that despite you both being awake, he was still worried about your wellbeing and rest.

after saying goodnight and tucking yourself into bed for the last time that night, you let yourself drift off, thoughts of the boy still swirling around your brain as you fell into a deep sleep.

after the longest friday of your life, you finally got to return to the comfort of your home, and you couldn't have been more thankful. checking the time and noticing that hanbin would still be at work, you decided to do a bit of self-care. as silly as it sounded, you just wanted the time to pass so you could talk to him more.

a nice hot shower and face mask later, and your phone dinged with a message.

"guess who's off for the weekend!" hanbin's name and photo popped up accompanying the message.

"hmm, me?" you typed, laughing as you pressed send, getting an excited "no way!! you too??" in response.

you spent the rest of your evening texting the boy while you listened to the white noise of whatever tv show was quietly playing in the background. that was until, hanbin asked if you wanted to call.

with an overly eager yes, you watched his name pop up again, this time your finger hovering over the answer button as you heard your ringtone blare through your speakers.

"hanbin~" you dragged out, nearly hearing the boy smile on the other end. "y/n~" he mirrored, a small chuckle escaping his lips after.

the conversations carried on into the deep hours of the night, yawns interrupting your thoughts as the time went on, leading hanbin's voice to become laced with concern.

"are you getting sleepy?" he questioned softly, his tone almost putting you to sleep in itself. you responded with a faint hum and nod, even if he couldn't see you. "go to sleep, love. don't let me keep you up." he muttered, keeping quiet as to not wake you.

in your tired state you couldn't quite process the pet name, but you were sure it would plague your mind once you were more awake.

you attempted to mutter back an argument, but before you knew it, your eyes had fallen shut to the sound of hanbin mumbling about something you couldn't quite make out.

hanbin thought it was cute; your faint snores and soft rustling in your sleeping state. he stayed on the call for a while before hanging up, leaving you to sleep peacefully. deciding it was time to head to bed himself, he got comfy in bed and opened your messages for one last time that night.

"sleep tight <3 didn't wanna accidentally wake you so i hung up." he pressed send, hovering over the keyboard for one last message, one that left his heart pounding through his chest. "and uh," he typed out, "if you're free today, maybe we can go to that diner downtown, or anywhere really, if you'd like... okay goodnight!"

he breathed out a sigh as he sent the last message, worry and self doubt taking over his mind as he considered the possibility of you rejecting his offer. but it was too late now, the message had been sent and now all he had to do was wait.

what would usually be a peaceful morning was anything but; as soon as the morning fog in your mind cleared, the night before had flooded back to you in a flash, embarrassment taking over as you failed to remember hanging up or saying goodnight before falling asleep. the only thing your brain could remember was a faint "go to sleep love" echoing over and over in hanbin's soft voice, driving you to near insanity as you opened your phone to a few notifications from the boy himself.

it only took a moment of skimming past the words on your screen before you were eagerly typing a response, accepting the offer to go out followed by a brief apology for falling asleep.

instead of a typing bubble appearing on your screen, it was a call answer screen, which you answered without much thought.

"morning~" you singsonged, hearing hanbin shuffle before responding with a raspy, sleep ridden "good morning y/n."

you swore your head was spinning at the new tone from hanbin, an unexpected change from his usual cheery voice. you took a moment to collect your thoughts before speaking up again, "d'you just wake up?"

he hummed in response, hearing his run this hand through is hair. "then why'd you call me silly?" you questioned, wondering if he had considered just typing a response when he was more awake.

"wanted to hear your voice," he sleepily mumbled, not quite aware of his own confession until it had already left his lips. you muttered a small "oh," taking another moment to process what the boy had said before attempting to come up with a response. you stuttered out a small chuckle and a teasing "well here i am" before switching the subject.

once hanbin was a bit more awake, the two of you confirmed your plans for the day; deciding that hanbin would come pick you up around 5pm and you'd go head out to a diner for some food. "it's a date," you exclaimed, your smile audible through the phone, causing hanbin to smile in return, unknown to you.

"sounds perfect," he hummed, "see you then y/n."

anxiously checking the clock for the nth time, you read the seemingly unchanging time; 4:55pm. you couldn't help but fiddle with the hem of your jacket, or rather hanbin's jacket, in an attempt to calm your nerves. the faint lingering smell of his cologne on the jacket helped ease your mind as you awaited the boy's arrival.

a few minutes had passed while you were lost in your thoughts, only pulled out from your endless what if's by a knock at the door.

you opened the door you had been pacing in front of, leaving the boy to come into view. what you hadn't considered until this moment in time was that this was your first time seeing him out of the bright-coloured uniform and apron he usually adorned at the frozen yogurt shop. instead he sported a loose fitting white t-shirt, a light wash jean jacket atop his shoulders. he looked good.

"oh hi," you managed to stutter out, trying to pick up your jaw that was hanging open. "you look nice," you muttered, eyes trailing over his frame, stopping for a moment on a tattoo that hadn't been visible in his usual attire. a delicate celestial scene placed between his collarbones, lying between the chains of a dainty rose necklace that lay on his chest.

he let out a shy chuckle at the compliment, taking notice of your wandering eyes, "hey that's my line!" he said, almost flustered as he looked over your figure hiding in his jacket yet again. "but really, you look great y/n," he smiled, "you might look better in that jacket than i do."

you simply scoffed in denial and shook your head before the boy spoke up once more, "oh, these are for you," he gestured to the flowers you only just now realized were in his hands. a small bouquet decorated with carnations and roses, small blooms of baby's breath scattered between.

a small gasp escaped your chest as you admired the bright flowers, "they're beautiful hanbin, thank you, you really didn't have to." he simply smiled, muttering a "but i wanted to," which caused you to blush as you welcomed him inside for a moment.

"let me just put these in a vase and we can go!"

hanbin took a moment to admire your cozy home. the walls adorned with simplistic art and photography, small succulents littering every surface you could find room. it felt so unapologetically you, and he loved it.

"your place is gorgeous," he smiled, his eyes, and subsequently his legs, following behind you into the kitchen. you muttered a small thank you, chatting briefly about a recent piece you had thrifted for the quaint apartment, and hanbin couldn't help but smile at the joy radiating off of you as you talked about something you loved.

once your new flowers were safe in a vase on your counter, you followed hanbin out to his car; the boy even opening your door for you. "what a gentleman," you chuckled, smiling and speaking a soft "thank you" as you looked around the car. it was nice; the air freshener smelled like citrus and sitting snug in the cupholder was none other than the small hamster plush you had seen at the frozen yogurt shop, no longer adorning the small apron.

"so you really do take him everywhere," you let out a small giggle at the boy's surprisingly adorable antics as he got into the drivers seat. he only smiled sheepishly in return, "well of course, i can't leave him at work that wouldn't be fair, now would it?"

the two of you burst into a fit of giggles as the car started up, the radio beginning to quietly play some r&b tune; you even found yourself bopping your head to the unfamiliar song as you and hanbin made easy conversation, as usual. the only difference this time was your eyes were trained on hanbin's hand on the wheel, the other resting on the console between the two of you.

you couldn't lie; watching hanbin drive so relaxed, his gaze shifting from the road ahead to you periodically. it was nearly enough to take your breath away. it was hard to believe that months ago, he was just the guy who worked at the frozen yogurt shop you decided to stop in to check out, and now you were here, in his car, on your way to what you hoped was considered a real date.

it wasn't long before the two of you had arrived to the diner; hanbin being the gentleman he was, nearly raced out of the car just to come open your door for you. it was endearing.

"finally some sustenance," you laughed, eyeing up the plate of food in front of you, "can't live off of frozen yogurt forever."

"i always wondered why you're in there so often," hanbin let his thoughts slip his mind and past his mouth, "not that i'm judging though," he quickly continued, " just seems like you'd get sick of frozen yogurt by now"

he was partially right; there was only so much frozen yogurt one person could handle. only so many brain freezes one could endure. "honestly," you popped a fry in your mouth, "i kind of am, that's why i always get a different flavour," you said matter-of-factly, "but it helps that you're there," your voice trailed off at the end, almost embarrassed by the words leaving your mouth.

hanbin seemed rather happy with your answer, a smug smile pulling at the corners of his mouth, "are you saying you've been coming to the shop to see me?" the confident tone in his voice made your brain spin, watching as he proudly took a sip of his milkshake as he awaited whatever response you could come up with.

you nervously bit your lip as you tried your hardest to form a coherent thought, "well i mean," you paused, "look at you, i'm sure you're a huge draw in for customers," you pushed out a small laugh to prevent yourself from humiliating yourself in front of the boy.

"y/n," hanbin smiled again, somehow more smug than before despite his cheeks now flushing a light shade of pink, "are you calling me attractive?"

the accusation nearly made you choke on your drink as you realized the implication of your earlier statement; and sure, it's what you were thinking, but it's not exactly what you meant to say.

deciding there was no going back now, you simply muttered a quiet agreement, hoping that would be enough for the boy. it wasn't.

"sorry what's that? i couldn't hear you," he teased, enjoying the way your ears turned bright red under the dim overhead lights. this time you lightly cleared your throat, repeating the confirmation at an audible volume. "god you're cute," hanbin muttered, lightly shaking his head at your endearing antics.

you let out a laugh for the nth time that night, "is that what you tell all your customers hanbin? that's quite the way to get sales." it was your turn to tease the boy, wanting to see just how serious he was about it all.

"only the customers i have a crush on," he said plainly, smiling as he watched your jaw drop at the blatant confession. it was as if your brain had effectively shut down, or maybe short circuited. some other form of brain freeze, perhaps? you couldn't decide as it took what felt like forever for your brain to come up with a quip.

trying to keep the light atmosphere, you continued joking around, "that's not going to get you employee of the month, you know."

hanbin only reached across the table, placing a hand on top of yours; and you could've sworn your skin was on fire at the contact. looking up at you with a sincere look in his eyes, you struggled to keep eye contact with the pretty boy sitting in front of you. it felt like you were melting under his gaze.