pairing: kang sae-byeok x fem!reader
au: university dorm life, friends to lovers
genre: romance, not smut but mature themes, slow burn, fluff
warnings: suggestive themes, obsessive flirting, messy kisses, hot tension
synopsis: she’s stoic, you’re curious and sparks fly where they shouldn’t.
the dorm hallways always smelled slightly like the instant ramen everyone lived off and cleaning supplies. not the worst combination, honestly, you were starting to find it brought you comfort in a weird way. kyung hee university had only been home for a couple of months, but already you could walk the campus half asleep and still know which turns led where.
your roommate, well, not technically your roommate, more like your dorm neighbour/best friend, ha-joon had been part of that comfort, too. you’d met him the very first night you moved in with boxes still stacked in the hall, your hands cramping from hauling books you swore you didn’t need to bring, and him poking his head out of his door with a too bright grin.
“new blood,” he’d said then, like you were both joining some underground cult instead of just uni life.
by now, two months later, you and ha-joon were inseparable in the way only people thrown into adulthood at the same time could be. you studied english lit, which meant your nights were eaten up by novels and essays about novels. he studied psychology, which meant his nights were eaten up by pretending to diagnose you whenever you complained about anything.
“that’s classic avoidance,” he’d say when you skipped a reading.
“that’s projection,” he’d say when you teased him.
“that’s bullshit,” you’d counter, which usually made him laugh so loud people across the hall banged on their walls.
one night, laid on the floor of your room with your laptops between you and the dregs of a shitty cheap dinner, he mentioned her.
“sae-byeok,” he said randomly, like you should know the name. “she’s in my psych classes.”
“mm,” you hummed, scrolling through the pdf of a novel you weren’t actually reading. “friend of yours?”
“best friend of mine,” he corrected, nudging your shin with his foot until you looked up. his glasses were slipping down his nose, his hair sticking up like he’d been pulling on it during studying. “she’s– how do i put this.. terrifying. in a hot way. you’d like her.”
you rolled your eyes. “you think everyone i’d like is terrifying and hot.”
“because you have a type,” he shot back instantly, cocky as hell. “don’t deny it.”
you pretended to turn back to your laptop, but the corner of your mouth betrayed you. “what’s she like, then? apart from terrifying and hot.”
ha-joon leaned back against your bed, folding his arms like he was about to launch into a speech. “she doesn’t talk much, stoic, doesn’t waste time on people unless she actually likes them. but once she’s in, she’s in, you know? like, loyalty to the grave. also, she’s smart as hell. and–” he dropped his voice, dramatic, “she’s gay.”
you snorted, nearly choking on your water. “and you’re telling me this because…?”
“because you’re single,” he sing songed, poking your ankle with his toe again. “and pathetic. you need someone to rescue you from your lit major pining loneliness. i’m just saying, the stars are aligning.”
“guessing it's opposite day then.”
it became a bit of a pattern after that. ha-joon always managed to bring sae-byeok up, not constantly, but enough that her presence hovered at the edges of your friendship. sometimes he’d drop a story like how she demolished some class discussion without raising her voice, how she managed to sneak snacks into lectures without anyone noticing, how she gave him this perfectly flat look when he tried to cheat off her notes. you built a vague sketch of her in your head. clever, quiet, and relentless. someone who would either ignore you completely or see right through you.
one afternoon, you were both sitting in the common lounge, the smell of burnt popcorn thick in the air because someone had clearly tried and failed with the microwave again. ha-joon was stretched out on the couch like he owned it, scrolling on his phone. he suddenly looked up at you with that grin that always meant he was about to suggest something you’d regret.
“we already do movie nights.”
“yeah, but this time,” he paused for effect, “sae-byeok’s coming.”
your stomach did this tiny, ridiculous flip before you could stop it. “oh.”
“oh?” he mimicked, eyes narrowing. “that’s it? just ‘oh’? no questions? no gratitude for me finally arranging the meeting of the century?”
you rolled your eyes, trying to play it cool even though your pulse had jumped. “what do you want me to say? thank you for introducing me to your terrifying hot best friend?”
but still you said yes, of course. partly because it was easier than listening to him whine about it for the next three days. and partly because.. well, you weren’t going to admit it out loud, but you were curious. maybe even a little nervous.
ha-joon leaned back, smug. “don’t worry, i’ll mediate. she likes me, so by extension she’ll tolerate you.”
he just grinned, already victorious.
friday night arrived like it had been creeping toward you all week. you swore ha-joon had been extra annoying these past few days, like he knew something you didn’t. smirking every time you checked your phone, humming dumb love songs under his breath while brushing his teeth, grinning at you .
you tried not to think too hard about it. it was just a movie night, it wasn’t like you hadn’t had dozens of them before. cheap snacks, a blanket that had definitely seen better days, some random movie you’d both not really pay much attention to while arguing about the plot. the only difference was that this time there’d be someone else on the couch. someone who, in your head, had been built up by weeks of ha-joon’s stories into a kind of myth.
you’d barely finished lining up the bags of chips and ramyeon cups on the low table when there was a knock at the door. abrupt, two quick taps, no hesitation.
ha-joon leapt up like he’d been waiting his whole life for this. “that’ll be her,” he announced, dramatic as ever, before swinging the door open with a flourish.
and there she was, kang sae-byeok.
the first thing you noticed was how collected she looked. like the long walk across campus, the cool bite of september air, none of it had touched her. she had on a black hoodie, sleeves pushed up just enough to show the pale line of her wrists, dark hair falling neatly against her jaw. her expression was unreadable, eyes flicking over the room once before settling briefly on you.
and that was all it took. one look, one moment, and something in your chest snapped awake.
“sae!” ha-joon was already tugging her inside, bouncing on his heels like a kid. “this is my pathetic lit major friend, the one i told you about.”
you gave him a threatening look. “thanks for the wonderful introduction.”
his grin was merciless. “i only tell the truth.”
sae-byeok didn’t laugh, but you caught the tiniest twitch of her mouth, the barest hint of amusement, before it vanished again.
“hi,” you said, suddenly too aware of yourself. how you were sitting, how your voice sounded, whether your hair was doing something weird.
“hi,” she murmured, dull and simple.
but her eyes took their time studying your face, just for a second longer than necessary.
ha-joon clapped his hands. “alright, let’s get to it. i think we should watch horror, obviously, because i want to see you two scream.”
“i don’t scream,” sae-byeok said quietly, and you couldn’t tell if it was a joke or just a fact.
“good,” ha-joon grinned, plopping onto the couch. “then you can protect her.”
you shot him a look that could have killed, but he just wiggled his eyebrows behind his glasses.
sae-byeok sat at the other end of the couch, pulling one leg up, knee tucked to her chest. there was a careful distance between you, but you swore you could feel her there, every movement of the cushion, every brush of air. it made the movie, ‘gonjiam: haunted asylum’, blur at the edges as you were too focused on not staring.
except you were staring. at the slope of her cheekbone in the low light, the way her fingers tapped lightly against her knee during a tense scene, how her gaze, piercing and steady, stayed fixed on the screen even as the jump scares came.
at one point, ha-joon leapt and screamed so loudly you almost dropped your drink. sae-byeok didn’t move an inch but when you laughed, her eyes slid sideways to you, unreadable, and then back to the screen.
it felt like a spark striking metal and then halfway through, the snacks ran out.
“alright, i'm gonna get some more snacks,” you said, standing too quickly, trying to look laid back. “anyone want anything?”
“everything,” ha-joon said, already shoving himself up. “i’ll come help, can’t trust you not to forget my stuff.”
“you’re my best friend. same thing.”
he dragged you out by the wrist, the kitchen only a few steps away. as soon as you were there, he turned on you with the smuggest face you’d ever seen.
you groaned, grabbing another bag of chips to distract yourself. “don’t start.”
he gasped, hand over his mouth. “you’re into her.”
“you are so. i could feel it radiating off you. sparks flying like a kdrama, except even hotter because she’s.. well, her.”
you threw a packet of cookies at his chest. “shut up.”
he laughed loudly, catching it. “don’t worry, it’s mutual.”
“oh, come on. i know her. i’ve never seen her look at anyone like that. she kept glancing at you, miss oblivious. do you know how rare that is? she doesn’t do that, she doesn’t look at people unless she wants to.”
your ears burned. “you’re imagining things.”
“am i?” he leaned in, grinning ear to ear. “admit it, you like her. just a little.”
you busied yourself with the kettle, pouring hot water into ramyeon cups, refusing to meet his gaze.
“fine, don’t admit it,” he said finally, softer, but still smug. “just… don’t blow it. she’s worth it.”
you didn’t answer. when you returned to the couch, sae-byeok’s eyes flicked up again, catching yours for a split second like she already knew what had just been said in the kitchen, and then she looked away.
a month slipped by before you realised it.
one moment you were timidly sitting on opposite ends of the couch with sae-byeok, stealing glances during horror movies, and the next it was just… normal. hangouts with her and ha-joon became a routine, a pulse under your week. if you weren’t buried in essays, you were somewhere with them. usually all three of you, though you’d started catching these small, quiet moments with her too.
there was the night ha-joon forced you both into playing pool at the student rec center. you’d been terrible at it, fumbling with the cue stick like it was a foreign object. sae-byeok had silently stepped behind you, one hand ghosting over your wrist, the other adjusting your shoulder with this accuracy. her chest was right against your back, her breath brushing the edge of your jaw, and you’d barely heard ha-joon yelling “get a room!” from across the table. you’d sunk the ball perfectly, but your hands had been shivering after.
then there was the saturday you’d gone thrift shopping downtown. ha-joon had scurried off the moment he saw a rack of vintage jackets, leaving you and sae-byeok side by side, shoulders brushing as you thumbed through clothes. she didn’t say much, but she held up a faded navy sweater, brow arched in silent question, and when you nodded, she just handed it to you without a word. you’d worn it three times that week.
sometimes, it wasn’t even about what you were doing. just the way she’d sit a little closer than before. or how her gorgeous, brown eyes would catch yours in moments you weren’t prepared for. it was a slow fire, romantic in a way that made your chest ache, but charged enough to set your skin buzzing.
you didn’t know it, but she thought about you constantly.
it was a friday night, you’d stayed back in your room, nose buried in a half written essay you already hated. sae-byeok and ha-joon had made plans to go bowling.
the lights painted everything in soft blues and purples, the hollow crash of pins filling the air. sae-byeok, stoic as always, picked up her ball with calm efficiency and sent it rolling straight down the lane. another strike.
“of course,” ha-joon said to himself, flopping dramatically into the molded plastic seat. “you’re a machine.”
she didn’t smile, but her eyes flickered with the most imperceptible trace of pride.
they ended up in their usual rhythm with ha-joon being loud and teasing, sae-byeok being unsociable but sharp, her words few but well placed. inevitably, though, the conversation curved back to you.
“so,” ha-joon said, sipping his drink like he wasn’t about to stir trouble. “you really like her, huh?”
he expected a denial. a scoff, silence, maybe. instead, sae-byeok actually paused.
her lips pressed together, eyes narrowing at the pins ahead. and then, in a low voice, she said, “yeah.”
“she’s…” sae-byeok’s voice dipped, not uncertain but careful, as if the words were too heavy to waste. “funny and stubborn. and warm.” her eyes softened, just a little. “she's a really good listener. and she looks at people like they matter. i don’t…” she trailed off, shaking her head, as if she couldn’t quite package it all. “i think about her all the time.”
ha-joon nearly dropped his soda. “holy shit. you’re obsessed.”
she didn’t answer, but the silence said everything.
he leaned in, grin wide behind his glasses. “good. she deserves someone obsessed with her, and you’re actually not half bad when you’re not scaring the shit out of everyone.”
sae-byeok gave him a vacant look, but he only grinned harder.
“oh, and listen–” ha-joon snapped his fingers like he’d just remembered, “there’s this outdoor market thing this weekend, right by campus. it’s cute as fuck like lights, stalls, music, the whole deal. you should definitely ask her, just the two of you. romantic, flirty… whatever you want it to be.”
“you think she’d say yes?” sae-byeok asked before she could stop herself.
ha-joon smirked. “she’d say yes if you asked her to sacrifice herself for you, trust me. text her.”
meanwhile, back in your room, your laptop screen blurred as your thoughts wandered exactly where they shouldn’t. you were supposed to be writing about victorian poetry, but instead you were replaying the way sae-byeok’s hand had brushed your arm earlier that week. how her voice, raspy and hot, always sent a shiver down your spine.
you leaned back in your chair, pressing the heels of your palms to your eyes, groaning quietly. dirty thoughts you didn’t dare say out loud flickered through your head. her hoodie pulled up around her ears while you tugged it down, her mouth against yours, her hands sliding under fabric like she owned you. it was impossible to focus.
and then your phone buzzed. you snatched it up, pulse already jumping.
want to go to the outdoor market this weekend? just us
you stared at the screen, heat rising in your chest.
your thumbs hovered, shaking, before you typed back:
your essay didn’t stand a chance after that.
the saturday of the market felt like a scene pulled out of a film you didn’t remember signing up for.
the autumn sun was warm but not hot, washing everything in this beautiful glow that made the rows of market stalls look even more like something from a postcard. fairy lights strung between lampposts, vendors calling out about roasted chestnuts, caramel apples, handmade jewelry. the air smelled like cinnamon sugar and fried batter.
and then there was sae-byeok, standing at the edge of it all, waiting for you. she was in a black jacket, simple jeans, her hair tucked behind her ears. friendly, understated but god, you swore she’d never looked prettier. she glanced up when you arrived, her eyes landing on you in that way of hers, and your stomach flipped.
“hey,” you breathed, trying not to sound as flustered as you felt.
“hey,” she said back, voice calm. but her eyes remained on you longer than casual allowed, tracing your outfit, your face, before sliding away.
you fell into step together, weaving through the crowd. every so often, your hands brushed accidental and unplanned, and each time it was like static jumped up your arm. she didn’t move away once.
at one stall, a woman handed out samples of honey dipped tteok skewers. you bit into yours, humming at the sweetness, and sae-byeok’s gaze snapped to your mouth before she could stop herself. her jaw clenched, and she turned back to her skewer like it hadn’t happened.
“good?” she asked, almost too easy going after she finished eating hers.
“yeah,” you said, chewing slowly, suddenly aware of everything you were doing. “want another bite?”
you hadn’t thought about the implication until the words were out, but she didn’t even hesitate. she leaned in and took the piece you offered, close enough that you caught the hardly noticeable scent of her shampoo, her lips brushing your fingers for a split second that left you burning.
“even better,” she said softly.
the day went like that, moments that felt small to anyone watching, but that set your nerves wild. she bought you a ring from a stall without asking, slipping it into your palm with this low, “it suits you.” she carried your bag when it got too heavy, her hand brushing yours each time she passed it back. she stood close when the crowd pressed in, her shoulder brushing yours, protective without saying anything.
and every time you laughed with your head thrown back at some ridiculous stall owner’s joke, she watched you. not with a smile, but with that intensity, like she was memorising you. by the time she walked you back to your dorm, the sky was dark, the fairy lights behind you glowing in the distance. you stood at the door, suddenly too aware of the quiet between you.
“thanks,” you said, your voice hushed.
she nodded once, her eyes flicking over your face. “it was… good.”
you swore you heard the tiniest change in her tone. something warm, something careful. and then she was gone, her footsteps fading down the hall.
ha-joon pounced the moment you stepped into your room.
“well?” he demanded, bouncing on your desk chair. “tell me.”
“what are you even doing in here?”
“waiting for you to tell meeee.”
you sighed, dropping your bag. “it was nice, really nice.”
his smile widened. “nice?”
“okay, amazing,” you admitted, flopping onto your bed. “the market was cute and she bought me a ring.”
ha-joon almost jumped out of his seat. “a ring? oh my god, you’re engaged. are you u-hauling already?”
he just laughed, glasses slipping down his nose, already rehearsing what he’d say in his best man speech.
later that night, while you were brushing your teeth and scrolling your phone, sae-byeok was texting ha-joon.
sae-byeok: lord i don’t know what’s wrong with me
ha-joon: nothing!! you’re just finally in love
sae-byeok: she’s different
sae-byeok: the way she laughs, the way she looks at people. she notices everything. she makes me feel
sae-byeok: god, i don’t even know.
sae-byeok: when she smiles, it’s like my chest is burning. when she touches me, even by accident, i can’t think straight.
ha-joon: well that's probably because you’re not straight
sae-byeok: kidding, anyways i know. she's just
sae-byeok: i think i’m in love with her.
but then… the next message didn’t go to ha-joon.
it went to you by accident.
i know i'm in love with her. i love the way she talks about books like they’re alive, i love the stupid sweater i gave her because it actually looks better on her than it did on the hanger, i love how she always pretends not to be nervous but i can see it, and it makes me want to hold her so bad. i love how she makes everything feel easier. and fuck i don’t know what to do with it. i’ve never wanted someone like this holy shit
you froze, toothbrush halfway to your mouth.
actually throw ur whole phone away
and then, slightly through the wall, you heard it. ha-joon got up out of his bed which was loud in itself, and then you heard a crash. you sat there wide eyed as his footsteps pounded, something else clattering to the floor before he practically body slammed your door open.
“did you–” he gasped, bent over, “–oh my god, she told me what just happened. you really got it?”
you nodded, dumbly holding up your phone.
he bolted back to his room yelling, “holy shit!”
you could hear him knocking things over as he ran. meanwhile, your phone buzzed again.
i’m genuinely going to hang myself
fuckkk i didn’t mean for you to read that
but i guess it’s too late
your heart hammered as you typed back:
do you wanna come over and talk about it? like, now?
there was a pause, then..
seconds later, ha-joon appeared in your doorway again, this time with his jacket on, clutching a flashlight like he was headed on an expedition.
“i’m leaving,” he announced. “i’ll be… stargazing, or whatever. you two need privacy.”
“nope, don’t thank me. just name your first kid after me.” he pointed at you before vanishing, still muttering excitedly.
your dorm was suddenly, impossibly quiet. your heart raced with every second that passed.
about five minutes later the knock comes soft. three taps and quick, like she’s nervous someone else might hear.
your hand lingers on the doorknob for a second too long. your pulse is wild, palms warm. when you finally pull it open, she’s standing there, hair slightly tousled. her eyes land on you instantly. and then you smile.. a small, shy thing you don’t even mean to give her.
her chest actually rises like she’s been holding her breath this whole time. and in a voice so low it almost sounds like she’s talking to herself, sae-byeok exhales, “god… i have not been able to stop thinking about that smile.”
the words hit you like fire. blunt, unpolished, brutally honest. it’s the first time you’ve heard her drop every single wall like that, and it makes your stomach flip.
you lean against the doorframe, heat climbing your throat, and before you can even stop yourself you whisper, “sae… i love you too.”
her head snaps up. you don’t give her time to question it, you step forward and kiss her.
it’s not soft. it’s seductive and rushed, the kind of kiss thats filled with adrenaline. and the sound she makes like a half groan, half sigh goes straight through you. her hands come up fast, gripping your waist like she’s terrified you’ll disappear, pulling you flush against her.
she breaks the kiss just enough to hover her lips over yours, her breath hitting your mouth. her eyes are dark, her expression longing but almost astonished.
“say it again,” she says softly.
“i love you,” you say, firmer this time.
her mouth curves into a smirk that makes your knees weak. “finally.”
you laugh against her lips, and she kisses you again. sloppier this time, teeth clashing, her hand sliding up your back. it’s messy and uncoordinated, and somehow that makes it perfect. she kisses like she’s starving, like she’s been holding herself back for too long.
and every time she pulls back, it’s only an inch, just enough to make you chase her. your noses brush, your lips hover, teasing. she smirks each time you lean in like she has you right where she wants you, but then she cracks, dragging you back into another kiss, deeper than the last.
“fuckk, you don’t get it,” she says under her breath between kisses, almost frustrated with herself. “i can’t… stop. thinking about you. every second. i tried to fight it but–”
“don’t fight it,” you whisper, and she groans, pressing her forehead to yours.
her thumb brushes your cheekbone, warm in a way that makes your chest ache. “you drive me so insane.”
you grin, your lips ghosting hers. “good.”
that earns you another rough kiss, her mouth parting against yours, breathless and sloppy, like she’s lost every ounce of control she’s ever had.
it’s obsession laced with worshipping you. the way she holds your face between her hands like you’re made of glass, the way she moans your name like it’s sacred, the way her eyes keep flicking over you mid kiss, like she needs to see you every second of every day.
when you finally break apart, both of you breathless, her smirk softens into something else. something gentle, almost nervous.
she brushes her nose against yours and whispers, “i’m so fucking gone for you.”
and you believe it because every word, every kiss, every trembling breath of hers proves it.
tags: @eunchacha @ilovesawbyeokandjjmaybank @gg0mezz @saphicsaturn @gyuyoungg @lyzem @janegrapefruitttt @reynadeluniverso @bitchesallonmydih @laurenkenss @bleedingwhiteroses222 @maevelovessae @alltoounwell4 @067supremacy @saebyeoksleftfoot @miltzzy @saebyeoksfreckles @angellvk
