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The Syndicates by @sailorsoons

The Syndicates of Hyperion are at war. The Kim and Yong families have forged a fragile alliance against the long-reigning Choi Syndicate. But in a world ruled by shifting loyalties, ruthless ambition, and calculated betrayal, power changes hands as quickly as lives are lost. These are the stories of those caught in the deadly web of the Syndicate, where survival is never guaranteed. And victory comes at a price. (Current) Members: Soonyoung, Vernon, Chan, Seungkwan, Minghao 🐝's notes: if you know me you know how much this series means to me. I think about it daily. Legitimately. I cannot recommend it enough.

The Thirteen Valentines by @bookyeom

A series of song-inspired fics, one per member, in honour of love month. Members: Seungcheol, Jeonghan, Joshua, Soonyoung, Wonwoo, Jihoon, Mingyu, Seungkwan, Vernon, Chan 🐝's notes: a beautiful collection of extremely lovely fics. i don't know if the collection will ever be completed but the ones that are there are so worth the read

Choi Seungcheol

cherrybomb by @daechwitatamic

Piloting a jaeger requires a rare ability called drifting - a neural connection with your co-pilot. You and Seungcheol are masters of the drift… until you have something in your head that you don't want him to see. 🐝's notes: 1/2 of the fics that made me watch pacific rim. it is very readable without ever having seen it though! in fact i dare say it might add to the experience. also amazing character dynamics

ANAMNESIS by @woncheolisms

five years ago, your company became a big enough threat to the existing tech ecosystem to cause an attack on your life. five years ago, said attack killed your husband. after spending so long picking up the pieces, you are quickly racing to the top again, which means your life is threatened once more. but the assassin sent your way is a little too familiar, even if he’s not exactly the same as the day he got “killed”. 🐝's notes: TENSION.... also this is such an compelling concept for a relationship it's soooooo good

ex-conomics by @100vern

you supported seungcheol through years of being an aspiring athlete, and all you got to show for it was your undergraduate degree and an awkward, stuttered apology when he dumped you to go semi-pro. now he’s back after an injury derailed his career, and there’s only one problem: you’re the only one available to tutor him. you - 0; the universe - 1. talk about no return on investment. 🐝's notes: yes i cried. such a well written reconciliation, paced perfectly

Yoon Jeonghan

Amontillado by @sailorsoons

Disappearing from your fiancé should have been easy. Instead, you stumble into Jeonghan’s empire of blood and alcohol - and he becomes the only thing standing between you and death. 🐝's notes: i love any and all fics that lean into giving jeonghan a sort of eerie vibe to him. you just can't go wrong with it

Joshua Hong

all the petty scenes & all the pretty things by @starlightkyeom

🐝's notes: this is the true beauty of one sided enemies to lovers

Wen Junhui

waste a moment by @miniseokminnies

🐝's notes: beautifully done strangers to lovers. a perfect fic to make you think "god i wish that were me" (ask me how i know)

Kwon Soonyoung

adore u by @joshujin

after a career drought full of dead end positions, you finally land a job you can be proud to include on your resume—prestigious company, room for growth, and most importantly, a salary that will allow you and your boyfriend, soonyoung, to breathe a little easier. what you don’t expect is the discrimination and vitriol you’re met with on the job. as office life gets harder and harder for you, soonyoung finds it increasingly impossible to sit back and watch you repeatedly get hurt like this. so he dusts off a mask he never thought he’d use again, and when your colleagues start dropping dead one by one… well, that’s none of his business. 🐝's notes: PLEASE heed the author's warnings on this one, it is extremely graphic. but it is SO GOOD. if you're looking for an interesting relationship dynamic and don't mind descriptions of gore, give this one a read

backrooms by @seungkw1

Your expedition into the Backrooms takes a turn when all of your crew members are killed, picked off one-by-one by the monstrous Entities that live within this labyrinthian abyss. Now it's just you, left to explore this never-ending liminal hellscape on your own, pressing onward as far as you can go before you too are killed. But when you unexpectedly run into another human, you have to decide whether or not to trust him. His cold, unfriendly demeanor is certainly off-putting, but your life very well might depend on his intel — so what choice do you have, really? 🐝's notes: just a very cool take on the backrooms with wonderful world building. this is another horror-adjacent one though so please keep that in mind

Jeon Wonwoo

rebel without a clue by @100vern

it's always felt impossible to live in your brother's shadow. he's the high council of your home planet, feared and deeply admired in equal measure, and you're neither of those things. you've felt purposeless your entire life—until your and jeonghan's childhood friend is being held hostage on a hostile planet. since your brother's life is too important to risk, they send you in his place. considering you're twins, no one will know the difference... right? 🐝's notes: legitimately made me feel like i was watching a movie in my head. a wonderfully intricate story

cuddles. by @waldau

🐝's notes: short and sweet and so cute. hurt me a little as someone who doesn't do well with storms 💔

Lee Jihoon

Storm Breaker by @sailorsoons

It’s a known fact Lee Jihoon is one of the best pilots the jaeger Program has. The only problem? He can’t keep a co-pilot to save his life. He thinks you’ll just be another Ranger in the rotation, but you are an unpleasant surprise.  🐝's notes: second half of the fics that made me watch pacific rim. beautifully written character development

Lee Seokmin

triple-dog dare by @eoieopda

when you're left off the guest list to seokmin's parent's thirtieth anniversary party, you're content to keep your questions to yourself and stay home. seokmin, on the other hand, is not content. in fact, he pulls the one card he knows will always win. 🐝's notes: sigh... such a good build up oh my god. my heart hurts.

Kim Mingyu

off the record by @wheeboo (part 1) (part 2)

🐝's notes: SUPERMAN MINGYU IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME. had a non-zero effect on how insane i became after seeing the movie last year.

stuff to talk about by @kkaetnipjeon

🐝's notes: i have a weakness for drunken confessions. sue me.

love. by @blue-jisungs

mingyu is VERY whipped for you ever since first meeting and he shows it through his actions, rather than words. 🐝's notes: i cried. he's so sweet. everything about it was perfect

kim mingyu’s (unhelpful) guide to losing your virginity by @shuaflix

after accidentally telling your friends that kim mingyu took your virginity (he didn’t), you’re shocked when he proposes to relieve you of the fabled v-card for good (he does). 🐝's notes: this might have been the first svt fic i ever read on tumblr and it kinda ruined me forever. it set my standards very high. this mc is also very me coded so like... it hit home.

Hits Different (…'cause it's you) by @gyuswhore (part 1) (part 2)

Kim Mingyu was the first friend your brother had brought home for dinner. Fast forward a couple years, his toothy smile and pierced ears would wedge their way into a permanent place in your heart. Nail to a coffin, never to escape. 🐝's notes: god. i just reread this. i knew going in it was going to emotionally ruin me all over again and it did exactly that. my chest hurts.

Xu Minghao

lost in translation by @studioeisa

🐝's notes: insanely well done character and relationship development. just so beautiful.

Boo Seungkwan

Just One Chance by @soo0hee

while for some valentines day was a day spend filled with love, compassion and roses, for you it was a total disaster. Alone and dissapointed you return home after what was suppossed to be the saving grace for your relationship where you were met with your best friend and roommate Boo Seungkwan. Maybe your night wouldn't end with total catastrophe... 🐝's notes: one of my favorite tropes ever. so sweet. so perfect.

Vernon Chwe

free bird by @orbitondgtl

Nowhere in your foreseeable future did you think that you, the supposed-to-be Queen and Vernon, the innocent merchant that you roped into your journey, set off a domino effect that puts the entire region of Talon at stake. 🐝's notes: the plot was soooooo fun. like i was locked in. it's also part of a collection and i'm eagerly awaiting the rest :D

fated season by @luvrung

at 27 years old you no longer had eligibility in the yearly season of courting. your only desire now was to get your younger sister married on her first season out this year. you never expected the loop that the choi family would throw your way with their youngest son hansol. he was perfect for your sister, yet why was he so intrigued by you? 🐝's notes: let me just say the topic hits home. my turn when. emotional and just perfect

Lee Chan

Goodbye, Fourth of July by @beefboyandbabygirl

it's the fourth of july when you realize you're in love with your best friend. unfortunately though, it seems that he doesnt love you back, and this knowledge sends you spiraling. you push him away, but chan just wants to know why you're so upset 🐝's notes: this very well might be my favorite fic of all time. i cried when i read it and i still feel it in my chest every time i reread it (which is often).

to care for you by @bookyeom

🐝's notes: im not even a big spiderman guy but i am just so soft for comfort fics like this. i am emotional.

sea salt. by @woncheolisms

one day, you’re buying a soft, brown fur coat from the thrift store. the next, you have a man on your doorstep claiming he’s your husband. 🐝's notes: i am mentally ill for otter chan. i am having intense cuteness aggression

promise ring by @lovelyhan

THAT FUNNY FEELING

Lee Chan feels like he's going to throw up.

He silently curses himself as he gazes into his own eyes in the vanity mirror. He has about twenty seconds to give himself the biggest pep talk of his life before he has to go out and face you.

His eyes glaze over at the thought of you. A rookie actress who recently gained a lot of attention and fame for your first breakthrough lead acting role that you did in a drama titled 'Love Sick'. Ironic. He thinks. Considering that you're the female lead in his music video also titled 'Love Sick'. Your character was a doctor in the show and Chan thought you absolutely nailed it.

However, Chan had been following your career for quite a while. He first noticed you when you did a small acting role in this drama that Seungkwan had recommended to him. He was a little foggy on the details of it, remembering only that it was a high school slice of life which normally, he isn't that interested in.

Yet, you stood out to him. You who played the main lead's sister. You with only two scenes in the entirety of the whole drama. You who only had less than seven lines in the scene. You, who he may have spent the entire night after, researching about you and trying to figure out more about you and other shows that you had been in.

It's embarrassing how devastated he was when he learned that the high school drama was your first role ever. It was even more embarrassing when he realized he had rewatched your scenes around ten times during his meals, just to hear the melodious giggle that came out of your mouth as you hit your on-screen brother.

He admitted to himself that it was a problem when he used his private Instagram to follow you and checked it weekly to see if you had any upcoming roles whenever he had the chance.

Finally, one day during a dance practice where he had been absolutely demolished by the choreo, he heard Seungkwan let out a gasp, the latter nearly dropping his phone in the process.

"Holy shit!" He yelled out with wide eyes as he got the attention of everyone in the practice room. "Birdie got her first big acting role!"

Lee Chan nearly jumped for joy along with Seungkwan. The real reason that Seungkwan had asked Chan — and the rest of the members — to watch the drama was purely because of you, Seungkwan's best friend from Jeju.

You were a year younger than Seungkwan but you guys went to the same high school and had basically grown up together. You came to Seoul the same time that Seungkwan was scouted but while his dream was to be an idol, yours was to become an actress.

Chan thinks that you've already achieved it with how phenomenal your acting was in 'Love Sick'. He had binged it the night it came out and impatiently waited for each new episode every week. He thought you were ethereal. Your acting entranced him on a higher level than before and he would never admit it but he cried at the end of the drama when it had ended.

He leaned back on the couch as the final credits rolled and felt his heart yearn for you in his chest. And in the midst of all the feelings that he was feeling, he texted Seungkwan without thinking and told him to congratulate you on the breakthrough role. He stated that he loved your acting and when the prime opportunity arrives, he would love to work with you someday.

Which led him to this very moment.

"What the hell are you still doing in here?!"

Chan nearly slams into the vanity at the sudden intrusion, his hand flying to his chest. He whips around to see Seungkwan standing there with a frown on his face.

"You do know that you're filming the first scene with Birdie in like two minutes right?"

Chan catches his breath before nodding. "Of course I do." He says, his voice a little higher pitched than normal. Whether it was from the intrusion or the thought of working with you for the first time, Chan would never know. "I just needed a moment or two to remember what I need to do for the scene."

Seungkwan's eyes narrow at the younger male, tilting his head to the side as he analyzes him. "You do know that's what the director is there for right?" Seungkwan wonders aloud, his gaze still calculating. "It's the same process for every single one of our music videos. Why are you so freaked out now?"

Oh, if only Seungkwan knew.

Chan clears his throat, running his hands down the first outfit he was wearing, hoping that it clears off some of the sweat on his hands.

"It's the first time that we're doing a concept like this." Chan answers, the white lie falling easy from his lips. "God forbid I am a little nervous for this."

Seungkwan blinks at the younger man. "Sure." He answers shortly, clearly not believing him but letting the matter drop. "Are you excited to meet Birdie?"

Chan nods maybe a little too eagerly. "Of course." A tiny playful smirk appears on his lips. "I'm sure she's got a ton of dirt on you that she would love to spill."

Seungkwan scoffs, shoving the younger man. "C'mon." He mutters, ushering Chan out of the room. "She won't spill anything to you if you're late for your first scene together."

Chan nervously chuckles at that, letting Seungkwan usher him out of the room and onto the set for the first scene.

He goes on autopilot as he silently prepares himself on what he will say, what he will do when he meets you, the smile he will give you.

However, no amount of preparation could've prepared Chan for the first time he sees you in-front of him.

He swears his heart stops when you come into his vision, laughing at something your manager is saying. You're radiant and glowing, the morning light shining off of your skin as you tilt your head back.

His throat goes dry when you turn and lock eyes with him before giving him a sweet excited smile as you notice the pair.

"Kwannie!" You yell, your voice reverberating through the quietness of the morning as you jog over.

A fond smile is on Seungkwan's lips as he opens his arms for you to jump into them, letting out a soft grunt as you do. "Hi Birdie." He softly greets into your hair before giving you a quick kiss to your hairline. He pulls away from you as a teasing smirk tugs on his lips.

"Have you been eating enough? I swear you're lighter than the last time that I hugged you."

You let out a scoff at your best friend's words. "Always the charmer aren't you, Kwannie?"

"Someone needs to fill that role until you get a boyfriend."

You roll your eyes at the man's words before turning to lock eyes with Chan. He feels his heart skip a beat as you give him a gentle and fond smile. "You must be Chan!" You stick out your hand. "It's so nice to meet you, thank you for this opportunity!"

Chan swallows before plastering a confident smile as he shakes his head. "The pleasure is all mine." He says smoothly. "It's really nice to meet you as well, Seungkwan talks about you a lot."

You spare a glance at your best friend. "Only good things, I hope."

Chan lets out an easy laugh. "The best." He promises, seeing Seungkwan's expression sour from your words. "Although, he did mention that you have an unhealthy obsession with cookies."

You let out an aghast gasp before glaring at the older man. "I told you to stop telling people that!" You whine as Seungkwan yelps before lifting his hands in surrender. "It's so embarrassing when you reveal that to your famous friends!"

Seungkwan tries his best to dodge your hits, letting out a grunt of pain whenever one of your shots manages to land as he also tries to block them with his arms. "You make it sound as if you aren't famous as well!"

You roll your eyes at the older boy, hitting him one last time hard on the shoulder. "I just started making it big, Kwannie." You state, crossing your arms in-front of your chest. "How am I meant to make a good impression on the people around me — especially your members, if you keep telling them embarrassing things."

Seungkwan scowls, the pain on his face evident from the last hit that you did and opens his mouth to reply but Chan beats him to it.

"I don't think it's embarrassing." He says, nonchalantly. "If anything, I think it's cute."

The two best friends immediately turn their gaze to the boy making Chan's cheeks heat up from embarrassment, realizing what he had just said. A million thoughts run through Chan's head as he tries to sputter out an excuse for what he just said.

However, all the thoughts halt and Chan's mind blanks when a pearly white smile appears on your lips. Your eyes shine as you ask him, "Really?"

Chan feels his heart race as the flush on his cheeks turn impossibly redder. "Y-yeah!" He stutters out, not entirely meeting your gaze as he scratches the back of his neck. "I mean, what's not to love about cookies? Especially the crispy ones with a chewy middle. Like, if you get a chocolate chip cookie the chocolate chips are evenly split on the cookie, it really makes a huge difference—" He stops his rambling when he sees the two of you staring at him with two different expressions making him cough as he fiddles with his fingers. "You know?" He softly asks, looking between you and your best friend.

Seungkwan stares at Chan with the same calculating gaze as before, which makes Chan shift his gaze over to you, knowing that if he continues to stare at older boy, he would be found out.

Looking at you though, is one of Chan's newest weaknesses and it solidifies when your smile grows wider after his tangent. "You totally get me! I'm the same." You admit, your soft melodious voice making Chan's knees buckle.

Fuck, he internally curses. He needs to get a hold of himself.

A loud bell rings out, breaking the moment between the three of you as Chan's manager jogs to the three of you. "They're ready for the two of you!" They state, an easy smile on their face which makes Chan nod as he clears his throat.

"Ready co-star?" He jokes lightly. You grace him with a bright smile of your own as you nod.

"Lead the way, co-star!"

The first few scenes go by really smoothly. It amazed Chan how easily you were able to get into character as Chunsun-ie, a dazzling smile on your features as you act so flawlessly. Chan had to admit that he was a little nervous filming with someone other than his members for the first time but you made it so easy.

Even though your face couldn't be seen through the scenes, you translated all your love for the character through your body language. Chan knew you were good but seeing you in action was a whole other ballpark.

"Alright!" The director calls out, clapping his hands. "Good work so far you two!" He says with a huge grin on his face. "Let's take five!"

Chan gives him an easy smile as a few hair and makeup people appear beside him to touch up his makeup and hold up fans so as to dry up the sweat that had formed. He spares you a glance, noticing that you were in the exact same situation as he was.

His stomach growls, alerting him that he hasn't eaten anything since the bread that he had this morning. Glancing at you once again, he realizes that you probably haven't eaten anything either.

Before he could second guess himself he turns to one of the assistants whilst his gaze is still fixed on you.

"Could you do me a small favour?"

SCISSORS, PAPER, STONE

Everyone had gone to the next filming location before the break, deeming it necessary for the cameras to be set so that they could start as soon as everyone came back from it. While everyone went to enjoy their break, you had just chosen to sit at the steps of the location, awaiting the next orders from the director.

Chan stands a few steps above you, chewing on his bottom lip as he stares at your back, willing his heart to stop racing at just the mere sight of you. He didn't understand why he was so nervous. He had already spent the whole morning in your presence and sure, he almost messed up a couple of times because he may have been a little too entranced by your smile, but that still didn't answer why he was so nervous to just approach you.

"You know you're going to burn a hole into the back of her head at this rate, right?"

Chan jumps, nearly drops the items in his hand as he whips around to see Seungkwan standing behind him, sipping nonchalantly on an iced americano.

"Do you have to sneak up on me?" Chan hisses at the older man making Seungkwan let out a soft snicker before he shrugs.

"I don't have to." He answers, stepping down a step to be on par with Chan. "I just enjoy seeing you squirm."

Chan rolls his eyes at his older member's antics as Seungkwan gestures to his hands. "What's that?"

He peers downwards to the bag of pastries in one hand and a tray with two coffees in the other. Feeling the tips of his ears turn red, he answers. "Some pastries and coffee." He mumbles, feeling a flush creep up his neck. "I thought that she might be hungry… we haven't exactly eaten anything proper for the whole day."

"Yet, you think pastries and coffee is a proper meal?"

Chan scoffs. "Well, it's better than nothing." He mutters, a small frown on his lips.

Seungkwan looks between the items in the maknae's hands before peering downwards at you. "You really like her." He states, not a question but a quiet observation. Chan's throat goes dry as his mind blanks, not quite expecting those words to fall from his older members mouth.

Before he even has a chance to think of a reply, Seungkwan gestures to you. "Well." He states, turning to make his way down the stairs. "Don't keep Birdie waiting, she gets really bad at acting when she's hangry."

Chan doesn't think he can imagine a world where you would be hangry or that you would be bad at acting but Seungkwan does know you better. Chan watches as Seungkwan trot down the stairs, giving you a quick wave before he heads to sit at the back of the filming crew, no doubt waiting for Chan to make his move.

Chan swallows his nerves before he goes down the stairs and plops himself down next to you. You jump in surprise, letting out a small squeak — which Chan thinks is the most endearing sound you've ever made — before you whip to face him.

His cheeks flush with red as he gives you a sheepish smile.

"Sorry." He shyly says. "Didn't mean to scare you."

You breathe out a soft giggle as you shake your head. "It's okay." You softly say. "I wasn't paying attention." You glance at the items in his hands, your eyebrow raising as you do.

"What's all this?"

Chan's eyes flit downwards to the items in his hand before he clears his throat. "I realized that the two of us probably haven't had the chance to eat the whole day so…" He holds out the bag of pastries to you. "I figured that this might tie us over till our next meal."

You blink at the man before a slow smile spreads across your lips. "That's so sweet of you." You say, making Chan's cheeks flush even more red as you open the bag. Your mouth waters as you see one of your favourite pastries inside.

"You're a lifesaver, Chan." You say as the smell of your favourite pastry wafts upwards into your nose. "This smells amazing."

Chan smiles at your excited expression before taking out one of the iced coffees from the tray. He passes it to you, gaining another excited 'thank you' and a smile that makes his head spin before he pulls the bag of pastries to himself to grab something delicious.

As the bag of pastries get consumed, the two of you talk about various different things; how you got into acting, what made Chan want to become an idol. The two of you also talked about your mutual friend who Chan was trying very hard to ignore, noticing him staring at the two of you from the corner of his eyes.

"Are you ready for our next scene together?"

He watched you take a sip of your coffee before a small smirk appears on your face.

"Yeah." You tilt your head. "Are you ready to lose to me in scissors, paper, stone?"

"How are you so sure you're going to win?" He asks, with his eyebrows raised.

"I have my methods."

True enough, Chan watches as your words come to fruition as he loses every single match to you.

It was funny for the first two rounds but after that, his eyebrows furrowed as he watched you get higher and higher.

"You're cheating!" He whines out after the director yells 'cut', staring upwards at you, not caring about the staff around you two. "How did you win everytime?!"

You skip down the stairs, tossing him a shrug and a shit-eating smirk. "Luck, I guess!"

Chan watches you skip by him, meeting Seungkwan at the bottom of the stairs who has a small smirk on his face too.

Chan looks between his hand and where you once stood as his heart races.

What in the world just happened.

"So, how did you win that many times?" Seungkwan asks, handing you a water bottle as he spares a glance at Chan who is still standing on the stairs, confused.

You sip your water, letting your eyes flit to Chan before they land back on Seungkwan. "He always starts with paper then does stone." You state, closing the cap of your water. "Every third interval, he starts with stone then does scissors."

Seungkwan blinks at you. "And you noticed all that after playing less than ten rounds with him?"

"No. I watched your Going Seventeen episode."

Seungkwan's eyebrows furrow as he stares at you with a calculating gaze. He knows that you like to win but this seems different. As he is about to ask, you cut him off by giving him a once over.

"You have a certain pattern to your plays too, you know?"

Seungkwan's eyes widen. "What?!" He all but exclaims making you give him a nonchalant nod as you walk off towards the next location. He is frozen to his spot for a few seconds, his head deep in thought from your words before he shakes himself out of it. He scrambles to catch up with you.

"Tell me!" Seungkwan bugs making you let out a laugh as you shake your head 'no'. He scowls at you, continuing to bug you as the two of you walk side by side.

Chan watches from his spot on the stairs as his heart races more, hearing your beautiful laugh echo upwards. A smile spreads across his face before he sighs as a few of the Pledis staff come to get him prepped for the next location.

Unbeknownst to him, Seungkwan noticed the smile and he grins to himself, shaking his head at the youngest member because if there's one thing that Seungkwan knows, it's that Chan's so love sick for you.

BEAUTIFUL

As the sun finally sets over the horizon, the last scene of the day rolls around. You and Chan are seated next to each other, staring at the beautiful skyline of Seoul. The director said to the two of you earlier that you both just needed to act natural around each other and talk to each other, while he and the crew set up the cameras to just take a few scenic shots here and there.

Without much direction, the two of you pick up your conversations from earlier.

"Do you ever get used to this?"

Chan blinks at your sudden question as you scoot a tad closer to him, making his heart stutter.

He clears his throat. "Get used to what?" He asks.

"This." You nudge your head to the back, gesturing to the staff members behind you. "The amount of people that are around you constantly."

Chan spares a glance at the amount of staff that are preparing the scene behind the two of you. "I thought it would get a lot easier after my acting debut." You admit honestly, tugging your sweater closer to you as a gust of wind breezes by. "But, the feeling of having someone constantly attend to me and be at my beck and call is just…" You trail off, your gaze faraway as you try to think of the word.

"Overwhelming?" Chan offers softly. You snap your fingers, muttering out a 'yes' before you turn back to look at the peaceful skyline.

"I know I should be grateful for every opportunity that I've gotten and that I should be lucky that I even made it this far but…" Your tone turns wistful as you fiddle with your fingers. "Sometimes, I just feel like I want to tell them that I am okay to be on my own. That I spent a lot of my twenties doing stuff independently by myself and that I can manage on my own."

There's silence for a little bit as Chan processes your words, letting them sink in.

"God." You breathe out, letting out an airy chuckle. "I must sound so conceited saying things like this."

"No!" Chan blurts out making you look up at him. He clears his throat, feeling heat dust his cheeks, realizing that he probably said that too fast and too eagerly but he couldn't really bring himself to care. He couldn't have you thinking negatively about yourself like that.

"I don't think you sound conceited at all." He says, his tone firm and assuring. "Growing up, I felt like that all the time. I love being in Seventeen and I love being the maknae of the group because I got to learn so many amazing things from my Hyungs but…" He trails off as he recalls all the memories from his debut until now. "They sometimes still treat me like that sixteen year old Chan." He shrugs. "I'm not saying that it's a bad thing or anything but I've grown up a lot because of them. Because I debuted so early into my teens, I was also forced to bear the weight of a lot of the trials and tribulations that come with being an idol and I think that they still think that I need protection from a lot of the things happening around me."

Chan looks up at the stars in the sky. "But I don't… Not anymore." He sends you an easy smile. "So, I pushed back a lot. I rebelled and sometimes broke a few rules here and there because I didn't get why they were still treating me like my sixteen year old self. That was until Seungkwan had a chat with me a few years ago. He told me that I could act like the youngest sometimes. I didn't need to force myself to be the independent person that I wanted to be when I was around them because they could take care of me. I could just…be the maknae." He breathes out a sigh.

"It took me a while to fully accept that and it took me even longer to accept all the different attributes that come with being an idol but…" He fixes you with a sympathetic smile. "It does get easier. The amount of people gets less overwhelming and you find that there are things that you can be independent in that the people around you don't touch."

He tilts his head to the side as he offers you a big grin. "If it means anything," he starts, his voice soft. "I think you're doing a wonderful job.

Chan thinks that you've never looked prettier. Sitting here next to him, under the stars, as your eyes sparkle and twinkle like the stars themselves.

You lean back, your hand brushing against his. "Thank you." You softly whisper. "That means a lot to me."

Chan's heart warms at your words and actions. "No worries."

The air between the two of you turns comfortable as you both soak in the moment and the ambience of the night. You take a deep inhale of fresh air before looking at the skyline again.

"Wow." You breathe out. "I sometimes forget how beautiful Seoul is."

"Yeah." Chan agrees. "It's so beautiful."

You smile to yourself as your gaze stays fixed on the skyline, not realizing that Chan wasn't looking at the skyline at all.

He's looking at you instead.

CHRYSANTHEMUMS AND DAISIES

The next few days of shooting are a test on Chan's heart. He thinks it has begun to overwork itself with how much it races and stutters whenever you are around. Every moment spent with you just makes him fall harder for you as he starts to notice more little things about you that make his heart melt.

He wishes that the shoot didn't have to end but as dinner before the last scene for the shoot rolls around, he finds himself staring longingly at you from across the restaurant. Seungkwan, who hadn't been around for the last few days, had appeared during dinner with Mingyu and Jeonghan. Chan had been excited to see them until he saw the matching smirks on all three of their faces and he knew that Seungkwan had shared his secret.

"So~" Jeonghan coos. "How long have you been in love with Seungkwan's pretty actress friend?"

Chan's cheeks heat up as he stops his staring at you as he glares at the older member. "I'm not in love with her." He mutters as Jeonghan lets out a chuckle, nudging him.

"C'mon~" Jeonghan goads. "Aren't you going to ask her out?"

Chan sighs as he shakes his head. "I don't know."

Seungkwan's eyebrows furrow. "What do you mean you 'don't know'?!" He exclaims, shock written all over his face. "You've been daydreaming about her for months, haven't you?!"

Chan flushes more as he hisses at Seungkwan to be quieter, glancing at you every few seconds to make sure that you didn't hear Seungkwan's outburst.

"I just don't know if she likes me like that." He softly admits as he turns to look at you once more. "She's funny, she's an incredible actress and god… her laugh is so beautiful." He says wistfully. "I loved getting to know her over these last few days but, I don't know if asking her out is going to ruin everything."

Silence falls upon the table as the three older members exchange looks with each other, before they look sympathetically at their youngest member.

"Chan ah." Mingyu starts, getting his attention. "You won't know if you have a shot with her if you don't try." He says with a small smile on his lips. "If Seungkwan, her friend who knows her better than anyone else at this table, is asking you why you aren't taking the shot… you know that means that you have a shot with her right?"

Chan considers Mingyu's words for a second before he turns to Seungkwan who nods with an easy smile on his face. "I've watched you fall for her more and more since you started working with her." Seungkwan states, leaning against the round table. "We're not forcing you to shoot your shot. But, we also don't want you to have any regrets." He glances at the two older members who nod their heads in agreement before he reaches out to pat Chan's hand.

"Do what you think is best. Follow your heart."

Chan looks between his three members before his gaze gets magnetized to you once again.

His heart? He thinks to himself. His heart is definitely telling him to take the chance.

His gut, however, wins when he is standing in-front of you in character, with flowers in his hands. The two of you stand in-front of the green lit N Seoul tower as the two of you wrap up the final scene for the music video.

He had written a note earlier after the dinner and the pep talk with his Hyungs and planned to slip it into the flowers because those were the flowers you would be taking with you, after the shoot has ended. A congratulatory gift for a job well done as well as to say 'thank you for filming with us.'

He had asked the director and staff to get chrysanthemums and daisies for you after he had found out that they were your favourites during the scene in-front of the Seoul skyline but as he stares at you right now, his nerves spike up again and doubts cloud his mind.

"CUT!"

The directors yell jerks him out of his thoughts as everyone begins clapping. His common sense reactivates as he begins to thank everyone with a bright smile on his face before he gathers everyone's attention.

Everyone quietens down as they turn to him.

He clears his throat. "On behalf of the team," He turns to face you with a smile. "We would like to present this bouquet of flowers to you."

The look of shock on your face is so cute that it makes Chan's heart skip a beat as you point to yourself with wide eyes.

He nods as you shyly step forward to receive the flowers from Chan's hands. Chan feels his fingers tingle as they brush against yours while he passes you the flowers as the adrenaline spikes in his veins.

Everyone around the two of you cheers as they wrap up, leaving Chan stood in a small little bubble with you. You gaze downwards at the flowers in awe.

"Chrysanthemums and daisies." You whisper, your fingers brushing the petals gently before you peer upwards at him. "You remembered."

Chan feels the tip of his ears turn red as he scratches the back of his neck with a shy smile on his face. "Y-yeah." He stutters out before gesturing to them. "I hope you like them."

You spare a glance at them once more before looking back up at him, your eyes sparkling like they did two days ago. "I love them, Chan." You breathe out, your smile soft. "Thank you."

The way you say his name is like music to his ears, something that he wants to hear and play on repeat over and over again.

"You're welcome." He replies, voice as soft as yours. His hand goes into his pocket, clenching around the note as his heart starts to beat faster.

This is it. He thinks. It's the moment.

"Hey, Birdie." He softly calls.

"Yeah?" You softly wonder, tilting your head to the side.

Chan's mouth goes dry as you stare at him, your eyes filled with wonder that makes his heart race even more.

However, the longer he looks at you, the more his confidence begins to fade as he feels the moment slipping through his fingers.

So, instead, he gives you one of his charming smiles.

"I'm glad we did this project together." He finally says.

You stare at him for a moment before you flash him one of your signature smiles. "Me too." You breathe out.

The moment breaks when the staff swarms the two of you, whisking the two of you away from each other to get you guys out of hair and makeup as soon as possible.

He spares you one last glance, feeling his heart sink in his chest as he sighs.

Mingyu, Seungkwan and Jeonghan are right.

He really does regret it.

A LITTLE BIRDY

A knock is heard at the door as Chan packs up his belongings in the dressing room. He frowns, glancing at the clock as he wonders who it could be. Mingyu, Seungkwan and Jeonghan were in here a few moments before, saying that they would meet him outside so that they could go for supper, to wrap up the shoot.

He frowns a little more before saying, "Come in."

The door swings open to reveal you. Your hair is up in a messy bun and you're dressed in a pair of matching sweats — a stark difference to the outfit that you were wearing just an hour ago — but, it makes Chan's heart skip all the same.

"Birdie." A smile appears on his face. "What're you doing here?"

You give him a smile as you close the door behind you before stepping closer to him, your hands behind your back.

"Well…" You say, trailing off as you take in his dressing room. "I thought we could do an exchange."

His eyebrows furrow in confusion as you hold out your hand with your fist clenched. "Your hand?" You ask softly making Chan blink at you before he lifts up his hand to receive the item.

A folded piece of paper lands onto the palm of Chan's hand making him even more confused as he stares at you, a questioning look on his face.

You jerk your head towards the paper, telling him to open it.

He looks down at the paper before he begins to unfold it.

xxx-xxx-xxxx my number so you can talk to me about my next role! instead of stalking my Instagram like a creep :P

Chan's jaw drops open as he looks up at you with wide eyes, nearly dropping the note. "You knew?!"

You scoff as you raise an eyebrow. "It's hard to not know that it's you." You let out a giggle. "I mean, 'di_nope'? Really?"

Chan's cheeks turn bright red.

"It sounded smart and good at the time!" He defends, his voice faltering towards the end as you let out more laughs.

You take a step closer to him before holding out your own hand. "Exchange." You say softly.

Chan looks between your open palm and you, his nerves still spiking. "What?" He dumbly blurts out.

You roll your eyes before gesturing to his pocket. "Your note." You simply say. "I know you have it in your pocket."

Chan's heart further sinks into his stomach. "How did you know about that?!" He squeaks, appalled by everything that you've known so far.

You shrug, giving him a smirk.

"A little birdy told me that you had something to give me… to ask me out perchance?"

Chan breathes out through his nose as his head pounds from the overwhelming amount of emotions he is feeling. He is definitely going to kill Seungkwan over supper.

Knowing that he can't lie his way out of this one, he sighs and digs through his pockets for the note that he was meant to give you.

Adrenaline courses through his veins as he drops the note into your hands. His heart thumps in his ears as he watches you open it to read it. The moment feels like an eternity as your eyes slowly scan each word.

You close the note and lock eyes with him, causing his breathing to hitch as he stares nervously at you.

He opens his mouth to say something — anything — so that the silence won't be so loud when you surprise him.

By leaning in and giving him a quick peck on the cheek. The reaction is immediate.

His eyes widen, his jaw drops open and his cheeks turn as red as a tomato as he just stares at you in disbelief.

You giggle at his reaction before turning and walking towards the door. He watches you go, staring dumbly at you before you turn, midway out the door.

"Call me." Are the last words out of your mouth as you shut the door behind you with a soft 'thud'.

Chan stands there frozen for a few more minutes, processing what just happened as he glances down at your note still in his hand. He looks back at the door as his free hand goes to his cheeks, a love sick grin appearing on his lips.

Yeah. He thinks to himself.

He will most definitely be calling you tonight.

BONUS

dear birdie, there are so many things i want to say to you that can't fit onto this tiny piece of paper so i'm just going to write the important stuff. getting to work with you has been a dream come true. you've been absolutely phenomenal to work with and i can't believe that i got this chance to work with you. i hope that this doesn't cross a line but i really enjoy your company and i would like to take you out sometime. i know, it sounds so bad coming from a letter, it is a little more romantic in my head but i promise that if you agree to let me take you out, we won't end up like Picheolin and Chunsun-ie.

i can't promise anything about the future, but i can promise that my feelings for you are as genuine as they come because i swear your eyes are like stars and your smile lights up my life.

so, please consider going out with me?

~ chan <3

ps: if you don't accept, could you not tell seungkwan about this please? thank you!

©livmarauder2026 Thank you guys so much for reading this! I do think that this will be a personal fav of mine so I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! <3 Like my work? Join my Permanent Taglist! All my fics are 18+, which means blogs without age or age indicator will not be tagged! If you like this, please consider reblogging or liking! It really makes my day! <3 Hope you guys enjoyed yearning dino <3

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thank you to bee (@imnotshua) for suggesting this song when i was crowdsourcing ideas. i can't believe they gave lee chan a motorola razr as a photoshoot prop. was he even born yet!!!!! anyway. this one was really fun. i love the color palette.

base ver without magazine/plastic overlays as always!