mar

he lets out a loud groan as you hum in agreement around his dick, head falling back against the couch as his hips begin to twitch deeper down your throat, his hand keeping you on his cock as his adam's apple bobs.

"shit - that's it. i'm cumming, ngh -"

you swallow the thick ropes of cum that splurts from his tip, taking it all down as taesan's hips stutter and his hand grips your hair. he's breathing heavily when you pull off his cock with a wet plop, your tongue lolling out to lick away the strings of saliva from your lips to his dick. it's so fucking lewd, he thinks, his cock still twitching with want when you moan in delight just from the taste.

"open," he demands, hooking his finger into your mouth and smirking in satisfaction when you dutifully open your lips and he sees that you've swallowed all of his cum.

"good girl," he strokes your hair, pulling you up onto the couch so you straddle him, "should i give you my cum inside too, hmm?"

he mouths at your chest as his hands run up and down your waist and hips, squeezing your ass as his hips jerk under you. you feel his teeth graze the flesh of your boobs and you shove his head away, giggling.

"sannie, no marks, remember?"

taesan pouts, "so what he finds out? i'm better than him anyways. i can treat you better - i bet his cock doesn't feel half as good as mine. when are you going to break up with that loser?"

"sannie," you whine, tugging on his hair as he attempts to bite at your shoulder again, "you know i can't."

"this is so fucking unfair," he grumbles as you laugh and grind against his cock - his mumbles becoming gasps as you fully sit on his cock, sinking until his entire length is wrapped in your tight cunt. his head falls back again before he forces himself to look at where you're connected, you still sinking deliciously slowly down his cock, dick still wet from your saliva and his fluids. he groans and throws an arm over his eyes, fucking up into you slightly as his other hand roams across your body. he revels in the way you gasp, and he can't help but smile when you arch into him when he pinches your nipple, chasing after his touch like a desperate whore - his whore, his pretty girl ♡

taesan's hands move down to grip onto your hips as you start to bounce slowly. your head spins at how deep he reaches inside you, your cunt sucking him in as your movements grow more sloppy and desperate, already dripping and turned on for him from earlier.

taesan lets out a frustrated groan at your slow speed as his grip on your hips suddenly tighten, stilling your movements as he begins to fuck up into you, the sound of skin against skin loud in the quiet room. you're reduced to a mess as he set a relentless pace, the loud squelches going straight to your head as his cock drills into you and that sweet spot.

"look at you, fucked so stupid on this cock and still won't break up with your boyfriend," he groans against your ear, "hm? say it. say you'll dump him."

"s - sannie!" you moan out, boobs bouncing with each of his thrusts, "mm! i - i -"

"i'm close!" you gasp out, trying to wriggle out of his hold and fuck yourself down on his cock, chasing your orgasm as your pussy clenches around his cock, "please let me cum - pleasepleaseple -"

"no - you have to - to say it," he demands, slamming you down on his cock with a loud groan and stilling, relishing in the way your cute cunt spasms around him, still trying to cum like a desperate whore even when he's not moving, "mm - fuck! say it and i'll let you cum."

"hn - sannie!" you protest, trying to move on his cock, your hips drawing small circles. he slaps your cheek with a hand and you gasp at the sting.

"break up with him. right now. text him or whatever. tell him it's over," his hand grabs a fistful of your hair and yanks your head back so you have to meet his eyes, "or i won't let you cum tonight."

he rolls his hips slowly, drawing a gasp from you as his cock hits that delicious spot in your pussy. then he stops, his hand slowly drifting from the valley of your breasts down to your clit, drawing teasing light circles to keep you just at the edge. you pant as you whine, grabbing onto taesan's wrist. he usually crumbles so quickly when you whine in that cute voice of yours and stare at him so desperately, but this time he isn't budging - content to keep edging you while having you sit in his cock all prettily - and then probably ruin everything when he gets bored and pulls you off his huge cock :(

it was a rainy day, you sit inside the shop fiddling with your apron. it's another quiet day in the town, not many customers and not many orders. you sit alone with your thoughts, which is mostly about han taesan. you've been thinking about him a lot recently after you managed to tell yourself you actually do like him. you stare at the clock, he's an hour late. he usually comes in at 7pm but it's now 8. you should close the shop and head home but the thought of him maybe coming here, realizing it's close and not having food for the night makes you wait. you tell yourself it's worth it. he's worth it.

as the minutes tick past, you find yourself slouching more and more down on the table until your eyes flutter close. maybe 10 minutes had passed, or maybe an hour did but when you open your eyes, a suit jacket is wrapped around you and the smell of ramen wafts through the air. you don't process it until five seconds later. you stand up abruptly to see han taesan in the kitchen making his own ramen.

"good morning." he greets, a scoff escaping his lips. "you could've woken me up you know." you rub your eyes as you walk towards him. he shrugs as he puts the noodles to a boil, "you were asleep and it's past your closing time." you don't say anything but watch the noodles boil.

"thank you." he mumbles under his breath as you look up at him in confusion. "for waiting for me…" he continues. your cheeks turn red immediately, "no-nonsense! who says I was waiting for you." you immediately turn away from him. taesan chuckles under his breath, "hah yea. sorry I assumed."

after a moment of silence, you broke it softly, "so..why did you come so late?"

taesan sighs softly, a look of vulnerability on his face. "my boss asked me to work overtime. and then it started raining once I left the office so I had to wait until it let up into a drizzle." "you could've just went home instead." you mutter.

"and not be able to see you?" taesan looks at you with those stupid entrancing eyes of his. "you'll live." you shot back before avoiding eye contact. he simply laughs.

once the noodles are done, he puts it all together and begins to slurp up the noodles. he lets out a soft groan and his eyebrows are furrowed. cute… you can't help but think.

after he's done, he washes his own bowl and helps you close up the shop. the rain has stopped and all that's left is a cooling night. "let me walk you home." he asks softly but it sounds more like an order. you nod, besides a few extra minutes with him sounds like heaven.

and as you walk, the silence between the two of you is both comforting and soothing. you stare at the stars shining above you, twinkling against the dark backdrop of the sky. "the moon is pretty today isn't it?" taesan asks. you nod, "yeah.. it is."

"you know, today's my birthday." you immediately freeze in your steps, "it is?" he nods in response, "august 10th." "you should've told me that earlier! I wouldn't have charged you for your ramen-" he rolls his eyes. "it's fine.." "I don't have a present for you either-" "I don't need one from you.."

"but come on. it is your birthday, at least let me-" you scramble about as you take out your wallet from your bag. "I just want one thing from you, y/n" you nod in anticipation. his hand reaches out for yours. you nearly have a panic attack then and there. his hands are as soft as you imagined. his fingers intertwine and interlock with yours. it feels grounding. and reassuring. "this is all I want." he smiles softly.

and under the dim streetlight and shining stars and moon, you nearly tell him that you like him.. that you're infatuated with him.. but thank the heavens that he continued walking. and as the two of you continued to walk, you came to the realization that maybe you don't want this night to end. maybe you don't want to let go of his hand. maybe, just maybe, you want more days like this.

you arrive outside your house. the two of you reluctantly let go. how you wish you had rewinding time superhero capabilities.

"get home safe.." you muttered and he nodded in return. "happy birthday." you continue.

he stands there in silence before reaching into his pocket and handing you a piece of paper. you accept it in curiosity. "when you enter your house.. I want you to make sure you can't see me anymore, that I've walked home and then you can open the paper and read it."

you nod slowly and he nudges you to go into your house. and so you do.

you stand at the window, watching him get further and further away from your house until he can no longer be seen. you open the paper with a bated breath and a racing heart.

꒰ 🍜 ꒱ؘ ࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ

dear y/n,

everyday, I come in at the same time. your apron ironed and neat, your hair under the head wrap still tidy, your face glowing. and everyday, you greet me with a cheerful voice as I place my messenger bag on the entrance rack out of habit. and i'll watch you make my food, not in a creepy way but to see if that day was a good day. if it was, you'll hum softly with a bounce in your step. if it wasn't.. well I haven't noticed anything, you always seem to be in a good mood. and I take comfort in that knowledge. sometimes i'll talk to you. just some small talk. i ask if a lot of people visit. you say not really. you ask if I'm doing okay. I say yes, because how could I possibly tell you I hate my job and the only thing I look forward to at the end of the day isn't ramen but you? sometimes you'll crack a small joke, it's not funny but i'll laugh anyways. because you'll smile. and your smile is pretty. it's hypnotizing that even if a thousand people are smiling at me, i'll only want to find yours. your eyes under the dim lights sparkle. its captivating to say the least. I want to see it up close, like a bee drawn to honey. your skin looks soft to the touch and your neat and tidy hair, makes me want to ruffle it up. i'll tease you after you say your joke and your face goes extremely red, it's cute how flustered you get that i can't help but poke your cheek while I chuckle. your laughter is like sunlight, warm to the heart and healing to the spirit, i would love to hear it all the time. so dear l/n y/n, i really, really like you. and if you feel the same way.. catch me if you can.

- han taesan

꒰ 🍜 ꒱ؘ ࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ

the paper drops to the ground as soon as you finish reading it. you sprint out the door, you run as fast as your legs can take you. even if you run out of breath halfway and even as the stitches cramp the side of your stomach, you run until you finally see him beneath the dim streetlight, you slow down and your feet comes to a halt.

"y/n-" "i like you!" the words come out before you can stop them. you take another breath, trying to steady yourself. "i really, really like you, han taesan!" your voice echoes through the quiet street. taesan stands completely still. for a moment, he doesn't say anything. he just stares at you, his eyes wide as if he can't quite believe what he's hearing. then, slowly, a smile creeps onto his lips. the same smile you've watched from behind the counter so many times. only this time, it's meant for you. "i really, really like you too, l/n y/n."

bunny gif divider by @kthice | network: @berrybittynetwork

like this fic? check for more on my masterlist and maybe even join my taglist!! more interested in moodboards or more regular posts of mine? follow @mxriitaesz

either way, you could never sleep, forced to listen to their filthy moans. not that you were jealous of them (you were). the second one was that none of your damn hookups could ever finger you the way you wanted. one of them was convinced he'd found your clit within the first couple of seconds (he was rubbing the side of your labia), another thought shoving two fingers inside you without any prep was a brilliant idea. well, taesan couldn't really blame you when you literally threw those guys out of your room. okay, maybe that wasn't exactly taesan's problem, but it still pissed you off, especially when it reminded you of those satisfied girls leaving your roommate's room looking like they'd just been blessed or something. (though they never came back, because it was one of taesan's rules. one-night stands were supposed to stay that way.) you just wanted to know what all the hype was about. you preferred not to think about your little crush on taesan

so maybe your miserable little heart should've just said no when taesan came home after his evening classes with three bottles of soju and suggested you drink together in your shared living room with some random movie playing in the background. because right now, your drunk, loose tongue was spilling complete nonsense, and you hadn't even finished two bottles yet. the last thing you remembered saying before something in taesan's eyes completely changed was, "no, i just... ah, don't get it! are your fingers really that good, or do the girls you pick just love screaming their souls out?" "u sound so jealous, y/n," taesan laughed, but there wasn't a hint of mockery in his voice. only genuine amusement at the whole situation. his eyes lingered on you longer than before, like he was only now really seeing you. from your slightly hazy, alcohol-clouded eyes to your glossy lips. (was that from the drops of soju, or because you'd started licking them so often after getting drunk?) against his better judgment, his gaze drifted lower. the collar of your oversized t-shirt had slipped off one shoulder just enough for him to catch the curve of your collarbone. he tried to be respectful, tried to look away, but when you looked at him like you wanted the answer to your own question more than anything, taesan couldn't help himself. "i'm not!" your cheeks burned, but the alcohol buzzing through your veins made you almost ready to admit that taesan was actually right. "just... curious. a little."

"want me to show you why they're always so loud whenever they're in my room?" taesan's whole demeanor shifted in an instant. the light, easygoing roommate vibe was replaced by something heavier, hanging between you in all the words neither of you had said out loud. he leaned in until you instinctively found yourself pressing back against the armrest of the couch. one of his hands came to rest on it behind you, making it feel almost like a cage. almost. because you knew you could always say "no" if you wanted to. physically, nothing was stopping you. but emotionally... you'd walked into this trap a long time ago, giving yourself up to it willingly. so you didn't pull away. instead, you looked at your roommate differently. his pupils were blown wide, whether from the alcohol or from how much he clearly liked what he saw in front of him (you), you couldn't tell. his hand tightened slightly against the leather couch beneath his palm, like he was already forcing himself to hold back. "want me to make you scream like that too?" with every second, taesan's face moved a little closer. your heartbeat quickened, your breathing grew heavier, until his next words were spoken so close they barely left the space between your lips. "no... i'll do even better, just for you." and that was the moment your own restraint snapped. you leaned in just a little, and it was enough for your lips to meet for the first time.

he was on top of you almost immediately, the warmth of his body completely surrounding yours, making all the tension pool between your legs. the sober part of your mind knew exactly where this was going, and you couldn't have been happier with how things had turned out. "so that's why you kicked all those guys out of your room after ten minutes?" taesan's voice was low, almost a growl, as one of his hands gently brushed along your cheek. he'd only pulled away long enough to say it, a thin string of saliva still connecting your lips. "they couldn't make you feel good the way you wanted, darling? my poor little girl." something about the way taesan said those words made your mind go blank. the way his fingers caressed your cheek so softly while talking about all those guys who'd tried to please you... that definitely did something to you. "they're all just cowards," you murmured between kisses, pulling back just enough to catch your breath. taesan's hand slowly slid lower, tracing the line of your neck. with one finger, he caught the stretched collar of your oversized t-shirt and gently pulled it aside before pressing his warm lips against your shoulder, kissing it softly, then grazing it lightly with his teeth. "i know, i know, sweetheart." his other hand stroked your side in a slow, soothing motion before settling at your waist, giving it a gentle squeeze. "let me show you how you deserve to be treated, okay? let me worship you like the princess you are?"

you nodded impatiently, and he didn’t need any other permission. taesan, still stroking your cheek with one hand, left a soft kiss on your forehead while his other hand glided down from your waist to your hip. he started tracing slow circles on your skin, gently moving closer to your inner thigh. you let out a heavy breath into the kiss, and ren took the opportunity to capture your bottom lip with his own, sucking on it softly, which drew an impatient whine from you. “so eager, huh? i wanted to take my time with you, not like those stupid guys.” but you felt only one desire — to feel his long fingers entering your already completely wet pussy. you couldn't remember the last time you wanted something sexually this bad. “please,” you looked up at him with begging eyes, and it was like something inside him snapped. taesan momentarily cupped your heat through your loungewear shorts, and you arched your lower back to meet him. he rubbed the inner side of his wrist up and down against your crotch a few times before pulling off your shorts to finally touch you with his middle finger almost directly — only your thin underwear stood between you two. taesan’s finger glided up and down your slit, making your panties get wetter and wetter. of course, he felt it too and smirked, leaving another peck on your cheek. “actually, i was about to show you how exactly to make a girl wet, but you’re already soaked, y/n.” you whimpered and tried to hide your face in the pillow, but he gently turned your head back by your chin. “don’t hide from me, pretty. how else am i supposed to know if i’m doing good for you?”

with those words, he pressed his finger right against your hole, pushing lightly. you were so wet that your panties immediately stuck uncomfortably to your crotch, but that didn't stop taesan. he was gently making thrusting motions with his finger through the fabric, as if intending to slip inside you, but of course he didn't. by the time he finally touched your clit, your legs instinctively tried to snap shut from the overwhelming sensation, but taesan didn't let that happen. he firmly held your knee with his hand, and to keep you from doing it again, he simply settled himself between your legs. he started moving softly, barely touching you, but fast, and this gentle stimulation was driving you crazy. up and down, a second's pause, in circles, and over again. you were already about to whine from pleasure, and taesan hadn't even slipped his fingers inside you yet. with every passing second he added more pressure to your clit, while his ring finger kept making those thrusting motions near your hole, and it was so attentive, so gentle, yet so merciless that it didn't leave you a single chance to hold back the moans spilling out of you.

“can i?” he looked at you once more, gently taking hold of the waistband of your panties to make sure you were still on board. “please— give it to me, please, wanna feel your fingers inside,” you mumbled so incoherently, but taesan seemed to understand you anyway. he chuckled softly, “a lady’s wish is my command,” and pulled down your underwear, finally touching your aching pussy directly. he gathered your slick with his fingers, which there was so much of already that it had even dripped down to your anal hole. he brought his finger back up and started making those same thrusting motions like he did through your underwear, but now intentionally, his finger sliding deeper and deeper inside you with every push. but taesan did it so gently that you didn't even notice the penetration itself — just intense, burning pleasure growing stronger with every passing second.

you grabbed his shoulders, pulling him into another kiss, which he eagerly returned. tongue traced your lips before slipping into your mouth and touching yours. spit dripped down your chins, but neither of you cared. “i think i’m c-close tae— i’m so close, fuck,” you whispered, and the last word dissolved into a drawn-out moan as he finally buried his finger all the way inside you, curling it just right and rubbing that sensitive spot. he wasn't fucking you with that finger — taesan was intentionally stimulating you from inside, bringing his thumb onto your clit with those same soft movements, seemingly wanting to drive you completely insane. “so fast?” he sounded almost disappointed, but in reality he was just so captivated by every tiny change in your expression that he wanted to stretch out this pleasure for you as long as possible. “you’re not even gonna let me add another finger, are you?” taesan smirked without stopping the dual stimulation, adding his ring finger to the middle one already inside you. in that moment, you just couldn't hold back — the orgasm hit you like a wave, tearing through your whole body. taesan gently pulled his fingers out, but he didn't stop moving over your clit. he just did it softer though — with every wave rippling through you, taesan’s pressure with his thumb grew lighter, feathery soft, and when the final pulse passed through you — just before the pleasure could turn into uncomfortable overstimulation — he pulled his hand away at the exact right moment, placing it on your thigh instead to stroke it gently. you weren't expecting any special aftercare or anything, so your eyes widened in surprise when taesan, looking down at you breathing heavily, started showering your face with soft pecks. forehead, temple, cheeks, nose, and of course, your lips. you giggled from the ticklish feeling and playfully hit his chest.

“so? what is my score?” “shut up taesan.” you stretched your arms over your head, satisfyingly stretching out. the alcohol had already worn off, but you didn't care that you were still half bare. “language, y/n!” taesan giggled and smacked your ass, making you practically jump as he started tickling you in retaliation. “fine, fine!!” you tried to wriggle out, but he held you tight. “u’re definitely better than that bunch of guys, you already know that!” only then did he take his hands off you, stroking your head gently again instead. “it wasn’t that hard, was it?” “but you need to take responsibility now, man. i don’t think i’ll be able to come like this ever again with anyone else.” you said that mostly as a joke, but taesan replied seriously, “of course, y/n. i better be making only you cum over and over again, you know. plus, there are way funnier ways to force an orgasm out of you. let’s try them next time, shall we?” he meaningfully glanced down to where his jeans were pulled tight around an impressive hard-on. “you’re trying to kill me for real.” you suddenly felt a wave of embarrassment rush over you, hiding your face in your hands. “you’re flattering me,” taesan smirked and left another kiss over your covered hands before pulling them away from your face. “let’s get you cleaned up and then we finish that silly movie, how does that sound?”

for some reason you’ve never had a chance to get him alone to yourself outside of the occasional glance across the hallway and a quick "good morning" when your paths happened to cross, the two of you had never actually had a real conversation.

flashback to last week when the universe seemed to align just right. you'd volunteered to help carry a stack of textbooks to the front office — admittedly less because you wanted to help the teachers and more because jaehyun had volunteered first. you considered it fate. your best friend however, called it "stalking with extra steps".

he carried nearly the entire stack without you even asking, leaving you balancing only two books against your chest while he effortlessly handled the rest. it was such a small thing. barely worth mentioning. which, of course, meant you thought about it for the next four days.

this felt like the golden opportunity you had been waiting for to finally make some type of impression on him. the two of you were alone in the hallway accompanied by the comfortable silence, no interruptions. you turned slightly to face him as you walked side by side. you took a breath, mustering up any courage you had left in you. "so… there’s this new café that recently opened and i was wondering if maybe—"

but before you could even finish your thought, your words were quickly cut off as someone from another classroom called out to him, he gave you an apologetic smile before being whisked off away. just great. once again, the moment you longed for slipped right through your fingers, leaving you alone in the hallway. safe to say.. a part of you died that day.

your very last hope was the school festival.

it was your school's biggest event of the year. every class competed in different games and activities, students partnered up at random, and by the end of the day someone always walked away with bragging rights that somehow lasted until graduation. you didn't care about winning. you cared about one thing. magically getting paired with jaehyun.

each person in every class had to reach their hand in a box and pull out a certain numbered tag and attach that to their jersey. the very moment you received your number your eyes wandered everywhere to find jaehyun. soon enough you found him, his smile was hard to miss. he was across the field laughing with his group of friends, your eyes shifted down towards his jersey which had a completely different number than yours. 17.

before you could even react you felt a hand poking your back. quickly turning around in a huff, you were faced with a guy you’ve never seen before. "i think we’re partners. number 23 right?" he muttered which you gave a hesitant nod, trying to figure out who he was. then it all clicked. han taesan. the same guy who would sleep almost everyday in the back of the class, headphones practically glued onto his ears. everyone viewed him as this scary intimidating guy. this time he wore a black sporty headband that slightly raised his bangs away from his face. which in a way made him less intimidating. almost.

"yeah… i guess we are." you quietly replied with a half smile, awkwardly rubbing the back of your neck. neither of you said it out loud, but there was definitely somewhere else you'd rather be right now. the whistle shrieked across the field before either of you could force another word out, signaling every pair to gather around the first station. you let out a quiet sigh, falling into step beside taesan as the two of you made your way across the grass.

"y'know you don't have to look so disappointed." he said breaking the silence which caught you completely off guard. his hands lazily shoved into the pockets of his track pants as the two of you continued walking. "it's kinda obvious you wanted to be paired up with jaehyun judging by the way you were staring at him."

embarrassment washed over you instantly. "i wasn't staring!" you protested, though even you knew your excuse sounded painfully weak. taesan finally looked over, raising a single eyebrow before letting out a quiet hum. "you were." his answer was so matter-of-fact that you couldn't even argue back. instead, your shoulders dramatically slumped as you buried your face in your hands for a second.

"was it really that obvious?" you groaned, already knowing the answer. "to me."

a defeated sigh escaped your lips. "great. there goes any chance i had at seeming mysterious."

"were you trying to?"

"...not very successfully."

the corner of his mouth twitched ever so slightly before he looked away again. it wasn't exactly a smile, but it was enough to make you blink. so he does have facial expressions.

by the time the two of you reached the first event, teachers were already shouting instructions through megaphones while students lined themselves up along the starting lanes. you glanced at the track, then over at taesan before awkwardly clearing your throat. "just so we're on the same page…" you began, laughing a tiny bit. "i'm actually terrible at sports."

"i noticed. you got out of breath just by us walking over here." he replied glancing over at you with that same annoying blank expression. you couldn't help but scoff. "that doesn't count. i was emotionally overwhelmed."

this time, there was no denying the faint smile that tugged at the corner of his lips. it disappeared almost as quickly as it came, but you caught it anyway. "so..." you continued, pointing a finger toward him as if you were proposing the world's greatest business deal. "how about we make an agreement?"

"we don't care about winning." you shrugged as though the answer was obvious. "no unnecessary effort. we participate, survive the day, and go home. deal?"

taesan considered you for a brief moment before giving the smallest nod. "works for me. i wasn't even planning to show up anyways."

satisfied, you stuck your hand out toward him. "perfect. then let's go lose with dignity!"

he looked down at your hand for a second before reluctantly shaking it. "lose with dignity." he repeated in a flat tone, raising one hand up to show a tiny bit of enthusiasm.

unfortunately...

han taesan was either a terrible liar or the two of you had a very different definitions of losing with dignity.

the relay race began and before you even had enough time to process what was happening, taesan had already sprinted past three people. your eyes widened as he effortlessly overtook another student around the bend, his movements so smooth that he barely looked like he was exerting himself.

it made absolutely no sense. this was the same guy who slept through first period almost every morning. the same guy whose most impressive athletic achievement, as far as you knew, was successfully making it through class without getting caught using his phone under his desk.

by the time he passed the baton into your hands, you were still staring at him in disbelief.

"go!" he reminded, nodding toward the track.

"oh — right!"

you practically launched yourself forward, nearly losing your balance before somehow managing to finish your lap without embarrassing yourself too badly. the second you crossed the finish line, you bent over with your hands on your knees, desperately trying to catch your breath. meanwhile, taesan stood beside you looking as though he'd merely gone for a leisurely walk.

"you said we weren't trying!" you accused between breaths, narrowing your eyes at him.

"i wasn't."

"you passed half the field."

"they were slow."

one event became two, then somehow four. every time you convinced yourself this would surely be the event that humbled him, taesan casually proved you wrong.

archery? bullseye. dodgeball? untouchable. a freaking obstacle course? finished before you had even reached the halfway point. it eventually got to the point where you stopped contributing anything remotely useful and instead appointed yourself his overly enthusiastic cheerleader.

somehow. against every odd imaginable. you just kept winning.

the sleepy boy from the back of the classroom had unknowingly dragged the two of you all the way to the finals.

a loud whistle cut through the field as one of the teachers stepped forward with a clipboard in hand, announcing the final matchup over the speakers. "our last event will be between pair number 23..."

"...and pair number 17"

almost instinctively, your head turned.

across the field stood jaehyun, the afternoon sun catching against the loose strands of his hair as he laughed with his partner before looking toward your side of the field. the crowd erupted into excited cheers almost immediately. it wasn't every day the class president faced off against the school's resident sleeping beauty.

you slowly turned toward taesan, still trying to process how either of you had even ended up here. "i thought we agreed to lose with some dignity, get our participation trophy and go home." you murmured, unable to hide the disbelief in your voice.

his shoulders lifted in the slightest shrug. "we did."

"carrying us to the finals doesn’t seem like not trying."

"i guess i did, huh?"

a laugh escaped you before you could stop it. "well... at least we'll lose to jaehyun."

for the first time all afternoon, taesan's gaze drifted toward jaehyun before returning to you. his expression didn't change much, though something about the way his jaw tightened was almost imperceptible.

in the end, jaehyun's team ended up claiming the first place trophy exactly as everyone expected. the crowd erupted into applause while students rushed over to congratulate him and although second place wasn't exactly what you'd dreamed about that morning, you found yourself oddly content. infact you hardly ever thought about jaehyun at all. somewhere between your failed attempts at every sport and taesan's impossible ability to excel at all of them, the day hadn't turned out nearly as disappointing as you'd expected.

the festival officially came to an end, the field had slowly started clearing out. students who had spent the entire afternoon screaming at the top of their lungs were now scattered around, exhausted and sunburnt, gathering their belongings while teachers attempted to restore some kind of order. the excitement that had filled the air only an hour ago was slowly fading into the ordinary after school atmosphere you were used to.

you stood near the edge of the field, staring down at the small medal hanging around your neck. second place.

it wasn't exactly the outcome you had imagined when you woke up that morning.

you had spent weeks convincing yourself that the school festival would finally be your chance with jaehyun. just imagining what it would be like to actually talk to him beyond simple greetings that you were convinced something would happen.

maybe the two of you would end up laughing together during the event. maybe he would notice how hard you were trying. maybe, just maybe, he would finally see you as more than another classmate.

instead, you ended up spending the entire day with taesan. which wasn’t all that bad now looking back at it.

"for someone who said they didn't care about winning, you look pretty disappointed."

you turned at the sound of his voice, finding taesan standing beside you. without the sporty headband holding his hair back, he looked almost like a completely different person compared to the one who had dominated every event earlier. his hair had fallen back over his forehead, his usual tired expression returning as if the past few hours hadn't happened.

"i'm not." you quickly shook your head, though the way your voice lowered gave away that there was some truth behind his observation. "i just thought today would go differently."

you didn't have to explain your reasoning. his eyes followed yours almost immediately, landing on jaehyun across the field. surrounded by friends, laughing as he talked to someone, completely unaware of the fact that someone on the opposite side of the field had spent the entire day hoping for a single moment with him.

"you really like him, huh?" he glanced back over at you, looking like some sad puppy and all you could do was simply nod.

the silence afterward wasn't uncomfortable like it had been when you first met him. it was actually... nice. you didn't feel the need to fill every second with conversation and you found yourself realizing that maybe this was why people misunderstood him. taesan wasn't cold. he just didn't force himself into spaces where he wasn't needed.

"you're actually not as intimidating as everyone thinks you are." you admitted, looking back toward the field.

taesan glanced at you. "people think i’m intimidating?"

"very."

the conversation continued naturally after that, moving from random complaints about the festival to teasing him about how unfair it was that he was somehow good at every sport despite insisting he wasn't trying. you accused him of secretly training behind everyone's backs and he couldn't help but laugh at that, telling you that was the strangest thing he's ever heard.

after a few moments, his eyes shifted toward the drink stand nearby before looking back at you. without saying anything, he walked away, leaving you confused. you assumed he had gotten bored of you or remembered something he needed to do. the last thing you expected was for him to return a few minutes later with an iced cold bottle of soda in his hand.

"you should drink this," he said, holding it out toward you. you looked between him and the drink, confused. "you were yelling all day so i thought something cold would ease your throat a bit."

"correction. i was cheering."

taesan gave you that look before raising an eyebrow. you paused before sighing. "okay, maybe i was yelling."

you accepted the drink with a small laugh, thanking him quietly. it was a simple gesture, but you genuinely appreciated it. taesan noticed something small and did something kind without making a big deal out of it. there was no hidden meaning you searched for, no secret message you tried to decode.

before either of you could continue the conversation, your name suddenly echoed across the field.

you turned around to see your best friend, minju, standing near the entrance, waving you over with an expression that immediately told you she had been looking for you for a while. you looked back at taesan, almost reluctant to leave only because the conversation had been surprisingly enjoyable.

"i should go," you said, lifting the soda slightly. "thanks again."

taesan nodded. "see you tomorrow."

"see you."

you followed your friend away from the field, not realizing that this would probably be the last time you and han taesan would ever have a meeting like this. after today, he would probably go back to being that quiet guy in the back of the classroom, the person you greeted every morning but never took the time to get closer with.

or so you thought.

your friend didn't say anything until the two of you were far enough away from the field. the second you reached the hallway, she stopped walking and turned toward you with a look that immediately made you suspicious. you had known minju long enough to recognize that expression. it was the same one she wore whenever she had something to say, usually something you didn't want to hear but desperately needed to.

"you know what your problem is?" minju sighed, looking at you as if she was some exhausted therapist who had been listening to the same problem for months and had finally reached her limit. you narrowed your eyes, already preparing yourself for whatever lecture was coming next. "that sounds like you're about to insult me."

"because I am," she replied without hesitation.

you sighed. "of course."

she crossed her arms, looking completely serious. "you spend way too much time waiting for things to happen to you."

you blinked, tilting your head slightly. "what does that mean?"

"it means you have liked jaehyun for months, and what have you actually done?"

you opened your mouth, ready to defend yourself. then you realized you didn't have anything to say. because she was right. "i mean, i've talked to him."

"three words in the hallway don't count."

"you can't keep waiting for him to magically notice you," she continued, her voice softening slightly. the words hit you harder than you wanted them to, not because they were cruel, but because they carried a reality you had been avoiding. "jaehyun is not going to wake up one day and suddenly realize you're the love of his life because you walked past him looking pretty."

minju had always been the person who encouraged your ridiculous romantic fantasies, the person who listened to every single detail about jaehyun that you somehow considered important. she knew about every hallway glance, every small interaction, every time you came running to her because he smiled at you for half a second longer than usual. but she also knew when you were getting too comfortable just admiring someone from a distance.

she wasn't saying it to bring you down. If anything, she was saying it because she cared enough to be honest with you

"so what am I supposed to do?" you asked, finally giving in.

the smile that immediately appeared on minju's face should've been your first warning.

"leave it to me."

the next morning, your friend walked into class looking far too proud of herself. there was a mischievous smile painted across her face, the kind that immediately made you suspicious because you knew minju well enough to know that expression never meant anything normal. you barely looked up from your desk before immediately asking, "what did you do?"

instead of answering, she only smiled wider before placing her phone directly in front of you. at first, you didn't understand what you were looking at. your eyes scanned the screen, confused, until they landed on the contact name sitting at the top.

"myung jaehyun" in big bold letters.

it took everything in you to not jump out of your chair. you immediately grabbed her phone, looking at the screen again just to make sure your eyes weren't playing tricks on you. thanking her probably more times than necessary, earning an amused eye roll from her as she watched you practically treat the phone number like it was some priceless treasure

"you're acting like I just handed you a million dollars," she teased, leaning back in her chair. you looked at her completely seriously. "this is basically the same thing."

you carefully typed the number into your phone, checking every digit before saving the contact. you were so focused on making sure you didn't make a mistake that you completely missed the tiny error hiding within the numbers. one digit. one simple mistake that was so easy to overlook, especially when your excitement had completely taken over. your brain wasn't thinking about what could go wrong. for once, it was too busy imagining everything that could go right.

the classroom doors suddenly opened and before you could let yourself spiral any further into your thoughts, your head immediately snapped up at the sight of jaehyun walking through the doorway.

the second his eyes moved in your direction, you immediately shoved your phone away and stuffed it into your bag so quickly you probably looked suspicious. it felt like you had just been caught doing something illegal instead of saving a stupid contact number. you were so focused on trying to act normal that you completely missed the small smile he gave you before turning his attention back toward the class.

after that, the rest of the day passed by in a blur. it was nothing out of the ordinary, just another school day filled with teachers explaining their boring lessons, your classmates whispering whenever they thought they wouldn't get caught, and taesan remaining exactly where he always was — in the back of the classroom, completely asleep as if school was just background noise to him. nobody bothered waking him up, mostly because everyone had already accepted that trying was pointless. your mind was still stuck on the same thing, though. every few minutes, your eyes would drift toward your phone hidden inside your bag.

the very second the final bell rang, you practically ran out of the building. you didn't spend another second lingering around school because your mind was already somewhere else entirely. the second you got home, your bag was dropped onto the floor, your shoes were barely kicked off, and within minutes you were sprawled across your bed staring at the contact name glowing on your phone screen.

for some reason, you felt nervous. it was easy imagining conversations with him when he wasn't actually there. creating perfect scenarios in your head where you always knew the right thing to say. but this was real. this was a message that he would actually receive.

your thumb hovered over the keyboard for what felt like forever before you finally took a deep breath. i mean what was the worst that could happen? with one final burst of courage, you typed your first message and pressed send.

across the city, a phone buzzed.

a few minutes later, someone stepped out of the shower, towel hanging around their shoulders as they reached for their phone. they expected the usual notifications waiting for them, nothing important enough to immediately check.

until they saw the unfamiliar message.

because the person who received your first message to myung jaehyun wasn't actually jaehyun...

...it was taesan.

When you're staying overtime to bring into life a new design, they're expected to go home and scrub themselves clean—as ladies should. They have to prime their skin and coil their hairs, and they enjoy it, but you on the other hand—you’re wiping sweat off your brow well into the night during most weeks. They aren't all that different from you in age, but there's already been talks of them entering society, finding suitors. 

You're no good for marriage. Dress-making is your calling. Your destiny.

It's hard, but it's the life you're most suited to fare. 

And you're okay with it because you have to be. Any bigger a dream, and high expectations will simply crush you to dust—its best to keep to the known, the little cocoon of a life you’ve lived till now. 

Today, today though—you can’t seem to stop look away from the shop window, and from the commotion that seemed to be unravelling through it. 

You're so dazed by the trumpets and dancing petals and soldiers on white horses that you barely feel the shadow falling over you from behind. 

“Boo!”

It startles you out of your stool, nearly bumping your elbow into the desk’s edge and spilling a pair of scissors and tape onto the wooden floor. Your heart only calms to a safe rhythm once you see that's it just your sister playing her tricks on you.

“Jiyu!” you reprimand feebly, catching your breath, scowling at how she’s giggling without a care. “What is it now? Father said you shouldn't keep hanging around here with nothing to do.”

“He made an exception today,” she tosses back easily, grabbing an eraser off the table to toy with until you grab it back. “Haeum and I convinced him with some sweet talk, of course. After all, it's the Queen’s parade! There will be soldiers to watch and toss flowers at. Do you think one of them will look my way?”

You want to roll your eyes at her bubbliness. She's always like this—the both of them, really. But you're honest when you say, “Yes, no doubt you'll catch everyone's attention. You're beautiful.”

Because she is. The way she smiles so brightly in response, teeth exposed and cheeks full like she doesn't think twice about her flaws—which don't exist—just drives home your point. They're both blessed with kindness and loveliness and beauty, and you were bestowed the duty to carry on the family business, hold up the finances that your father alone couldn't manage. 

But it's okay when you love your family and you're quite happy with your job. 

It's okay. Really. 

“You should come with!” Jiyu brings you back to the present, hopping on her toes and swishing her frilly skirt all over your plain flat one. “C’mon, Y/N, you stay cooped up all day at that desk of yours. Surely you can afford a few minutes away to forage for some handsome fellas.” She winks suggestively. 

It doesn't even bring a blush to your cheeks. She should know you've sworn off romance in this lifetime. It's not like you'll have any luck if you try anyways—true love and fairytale magic was for the privileged and the pretty. You were neither. 

“It'll be fu-unnn,” she sing-songs enticingly, wiggling her eyebrows in a way that just makes her look even more endearing. “Maybe you'll meet a wizard! Or a flying ship like they've been saying they made. Oh, it'll be novel, won't it!?” 

You've never been good at saying no to her requests; she's half your heart, really, and the other half is Haeum. You've been taught to care for them since you were a child—so it's a hard habit to break now. Wherever they go, and if they let you, you would follow. 

She's about to try again when you cut her off with a swift, “Fine.” You gather yourself up, dusting off the eraser shavings and chalk powder off your clothes. “But only for a few minutes. Just to look.”

She seems more than happy to settle for that, launching to lead you by the wrist to the parade before you can even check to see if your face is clean yet. Thankfully, you do manage to grab a hat for your unruly hair before you've made it out. 

It's noise and colours, everywhere. More vibrant than you have ever seen the city since the war was officially announced months ago. 

Fork-tongued flags and streamers hoisted on poles, miniature copies in people's fists, a brilliant shade of blue gracing the city square. The sound of horns is louder than ever, the procession in the middle of the street filled with men in dark hats and big mustaches, in their stiff uniforms. Dancers twirling feathery sticks, in their dreamy dresses that float like air. And through the gap in the crowd, you can see the queen herself hoisted up on a man-powered carriage—her sharp eyes still notable under the solid gold crown. 

“Wow,” you hear yourself whisper, tightening your hold on Jiyu’s hand without meaning to. “All this for her birthday… How breathtaking…”

“Isn't it?” your sister whispers from beside you, but her expression has gone distant and lovesick, swooning at the way a young man in uniform winks at her as he passes by. Once he's out of sight and hearing, she squeals in delight. “Oh, did you see that, Y/N!? He winked at me!! Where is Haeum-ie, she needs to know!”

The two are more interconnected than you were ever with either of them, two peas in a pod, so it only takes one small turn of Jiyu’s eyes to find Haeum on the other side of the parade, waving back at you like she'd picked up the conversation from all the way over there, strangely telepathic in the ways only sisters can be.

And without waiting for the people to finish passing by, Jiyu—who is the most impulsive out of you three—rish forward into the crowd to greet Haeum. You jab your hand forward to stop her by the arm, but she's too quick and lithe, already vanished into a mass of bodies. 

First, the panic hits. You can't lose your little sister—you’d be dead before sundown if that happened! 

Then you see both of them giggling to each other, swiveling around to wave you over, urging you to take a leap of faith and just maneuver through the crowd, too. 

“I—” Complaints die on your tongue when you realise no one can hear. You take a step forward, trying to push past someone, but they shove backwards unknowingly. You end up whispering a sorry on instinct and going the opposite direction, again with no avail. 

It feels like an awkward dance with yourself, like an ant trying to go around a crumb and failing miserably, pushing into excited people and the occasional lamppost blocking the way. In no time have you almost tripped over a dent in the pavement, spun around three times in dizzying speed, somehow carried by the wave of the crowd all the way to the emptier part of the street, behind everyone. 

It's such a sudden relief that you immediately rush for the alleyway on the side, desperate to get away from the uncomfortable ruckus. Your sisters would be fine, you tell yourself to calm down, they have each other. They may be easy to impress with a couple flashy grins, but they can take care of one another at least. You just need to get back to them without losing yourself.

Which might be a problem. Because you can't exactly tell where you are right now—the city is big and maze-like to begin with, the festivities has rendered it somewhat unrecognisable during wartime. 

It's your feet that do most of the thinking, moving on its own accord in the direction it feels is the most safe, leading you to a quieter, more shadowed, almost empty lane, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. 

Until you hear footsteps approaching. 

“Ooh, look, a lost kitten,” someone whistles out from behind you, and you turn in fear.

“Well hello there,” another one joins in a similar teasing tone—a man’s, deep and gruff like he sucks on a smoke-pipe all day. “Mind if you lift that hat of yours so we can get a better look?”

They smirk and guffaw between themselves, their looming height and intimidating soldier-uniforms coming into view when you brave a small peek. A gulp travels down your throat, and they seem to enjoy scaring you even more at that.

“I have to go—” you begin, but one of them shushes you softly, taking a step closer. It forces you to take a step backwards, but it's to your horror that you realise you've landed against a wall, with nowhere to run to as the two of them crowd you on either side. “My sisters are waiting for me,” you manage to spit out. “I need to go to them.”

“They won't mind though, would they? Surely they're busy celebrating out there. Doubt they'll even notice you're gone.”

Your blood freezes, their over-friendly demeanour sending a chill down your spine as they get up in your space. A discreet hand of yours slip into your dress’s pocket (that you'd stitched up for ease of carrying around your yarn in the shop), and thumbs around a tiny needle stuck into it. It doesn't hurt you, but you don't know how you can use it to distract them enough to run away. They keep flirting and proding even after knowing you don't want to engage.

“C’mon now, you don't need to lie to reject us,” one of them says again, sneering. “No need to make up sisters and obligations. I can tell you've got no one waiting for you. So why don't you come along and we can keep you company on a date?”

Tears begin to prickle in your eyes, but the second you think you're going to break, a lilting voice cuts through the echoing alleyway.

“There you are,” he smiles in a greeting, and your head shoots up. “I’m sorry I’m late. I was looking everywhere for you.”

A gentle weight falls over your shoulder—there, but barely touching. The soldiers’ brows furrow in confusion, then anger, as they take in the taller man who has interrupted the scene. 

Flaxen hair that shines like sunlight, unmarred skin that seems to brighten up even in the grimy alley, looking so out of place. He has a thick, checkered cape, billowy white shirt underneath, and an emerald earring dangling from one of his ears.

You feel like you should know this person.

“Who in the world are you—” the soldier's protest is cut short when the blond man lowers his head just slightly, to whisper, “Take a walk. Don't come back,” in the most entrancing voice you've heard. It's commanding and playful at the same time. Like a spell, almost.

As though suddenly obedient, the soldiers stiffen like wooden boards, and they march out of the alley like their feet have lost control, panicking the entire time. 

“What—”

“It isn't safe here,” the blond says, his silly hair brushing over your cheek when he leans to whisper like it's a secret, like you're being followed and he doesn't want eavesdroppers. “Come with me.”

And maybe it's the way he says it that's so compelling—like his voice is made of sugar and honey and melted wax, or the way he smells like sunshine in a field of flowers. Beautiful. You let him lead you out, your hand somehow having moved to hold his elbow he offers, all gentlemanly.

He walks like he's floating, soft and swift, through the streets and up a flight of stairs that land you at the long hallway-like balcony of several doors—a motel, you think. Downstairs, the procession is thinning in a distance, music reaching you in bits and pieces.

“My sisters are over there,” you hear yourself say.

The man next to you smiles. “I’ll take you there,” he hums. “But you’ll need to be brave for this next bit.”

You look at him, startled, but when that does nothing but bring his features even closer to your sight, it runs reddened heat down your ears and neck.

Everything is so… ethereal about him. As though he isn't real or tangible in any sense, even though your grip on him is solid, and you can wager that this isn't a dream no matter how much it feels like one. His eyes are brown, but there's green swimming in it, like little mossy fish. Then he does the thing that makes you backtrack on considering whether this wasn't a dream after all—he steps up onto the wooden railing of the balcony, and balances himself there like it's easy as pie.

“Now you,” he says, a twinkle in his eye.

“What!? No I can't—”

“You trust me, don't you?” He sounds confident, a palm extended for you to take, spine dipping like he's asking you to a waltz.

And you. You are scared. But you do still trust him, because a strange, inexplicable part of you thinks you know this man. That this is not your first meeting, even if you don't even know his name yet.

So maybe that's why you accept his hand.

“Extend a leg, then walk,” he instructs softly, not minding how you immediately grasp onto his shirt when it occurs to you how high you really are. A fall could injure you terribly.

“Walk? What do you mean, walk?”

“Like this.” He demonstrates by extending a long leg off the railing and into the empty space in front, coaxing you to follow. You press closer to him, not knowing what any of this is, but knowing it feels right to listen. “Good girl,” he adds with a smile when you manage to do it right, one leg in front of another, over air. And you're walking on wind in no time.

Not falling. Not plummeting to your death into the depths below onto the streets and people, but floating. Gliding almost—in a dance without a floor to stay afoot on.

“This is—I’m—”

“Wizardry,” he nods with a soft giggle, steering you over the chimney of a rooftop, gently leaping over the piped ledge and onto another house. “Magic is quite helpful, don't you agree?”

You nod in awe, watching the lamps and lights below turn into specks of shiny dust, like fireflies at noon. Beyond the city, there are ridges of mountains and valleys coming into view, touching the dips of the sky. You feel closer to the clouds than to the ground. Wow.

And his hands are curled around yours now—one around your palm, the other thumbing at your other wrist, slow, steady circles that test your pulse. It spikes and your heart jumps at a particularly low rumble from his chest that you only pick up because you're so close. Is this a dream after all?

“Here,” he is saying, and you don't even realise that your feet have touched solid ground, another balcony that you slowly realise is the upper floor of your boutique, where you'd started.

How had he known where to take you?

“Who are…”

He tilts his head, lowering your arms to your side and stepping back to take his spot on the railing again, ready to leave. You think he's about to disappear without another word like this was all just imagination, but he indulges you one last time. “Taesan. You'll know me by other names, but for you, I am Taesan.”

You test the name on your tongue, tasting magic, “Taesan…”

“That's perfect,” he flashes a perfect smile. “I’m going to see to it that they don't find you again, but stay put for a while before you go back out, alright?”

Wordlessly, you agree, a small smile twitching at your own lips. Something about him does that to you.

With one final curtsey, he floats backwards in lithe grace, like one of the petals that had fallen from a window. By the time you've rushed to lean over the ledge, he's vanished from sight. Gone as quickly as he'd come.

A wizard, maybe? You've heard stories from your sisters about magic users—its not terribly new to this part of town—but in all the retellings and anecdotes, there's a particular wizard that stands out, known to eat hearts of pretty young girls and leave them weeping all alone.

But him… He'd saved you. You don't think you were pretty enough to pull a trick on, so he'd sought you out and brought you to the safety of your home. A good wizard, you think, that has to be it. Jiyu and Haeum won't believe their ears when you tell them—rather, they’ll be too taken with a new object of their affections they would have picked out to fancy, some time during the parade.

Taesan, you echo in your head, gazing at the spot he'd been standing, trying to fashion out his figure from memory alone.

But something inside you tells you this won't be the last time you meet this man.

a/n:

REBLOGS + COMMENTS APPRECIATED!

main masterlist

@lovehakie @leehanaholic @ivehan @syunet @moesthinking @gentiliana @athenaisonlinee @wnouzi @amarecerasus @defnotsanni @cl4ir0l0v3r @knrejj @fayepz @nemoihan @ruuroom @woonbabie @i-am-not-dal @tenshi-sama @mwotgata @kazukazukiiii @qeeun-didi @izhypen @bee-the-loser @beomtomie @snoopymyung @dj-ami @itsmooniebaby @sycamoretree222 @yesongi @w3willris3 @nineooooo @nichozzystuffs @f-a-t-e-l-e-s-s @renvrr @mirouie @aer1z @velvetmae @geniejunn @elysianssoul @ihanzzn @cinnamorollhyuka @starriniqhts @fortaesan09

thank you for the support, ily ♡⸝⸝

div cr: @uzmacchiato