rejoicify

THE ANTIDOTE

"Y/N-AH!" Seungkwan called out from the second floor of the building. You looked up and saw him waving at you with both arms. "Wait for me!"

You turned completely and waited patiently for him to come down as he waved goodbye to his friends. Of course, on his way down, a lot of people greeted him, while some girls would blush at his presence. He wasn't aware, but he was also very popular with the ladies.

Now, standing in front of you was your boyfriend of almost one year. He was smiling brightly at you as he fixed your hair for you. "Hey, pretty girl," He greeted cheekily.

"Oh, shut up." You rolled your eyes playfully and lightly pushed his shoulder, making him chuckle. He grabbed your tote bag from you and said, "Let's go? I want to try the new froyo place."

You shrugged. "I don't really mind where we go."

"As long as I'm with you?" Seungkwan teased. "Gosh, I didn't know you were such a romantic, jagiya."

You laughed. A real one. It's been a while since you did. If anyone had the power to let out your real self, it was Seungkwan. There was something about Seungkwan that made it easy to forget how harsh you could be with yourself.

The froyo shop was everything you expected. Everything was pastel, and it smelled like vanilla. The shop was colder than you imagined. You figured it was necessary for a froyo shop, but Seungkwan was unfazed. After all, he was bundled up in a crochet hat with strings, two jackets, gloves, and pants that kept his legs warm.

You wished you were prepared. God, you hate yourself.

Seungkwan turned to you and smiled, "I have an extra sweater for you. I know you'd forget to wear warmly today." He grabbed the sweater from his bag and handed it to you. "Go put it on. Shall I surprise you with a froyo, or would you like to pick your froyo yourself? I'll pay anyway."

Turns out, the froyo place had a unique way of selling froyo. It's more of a self-service thing with some kind of surprise at the end. The surprise? The price of the froyo when you weigh it. You told Seungkwan it wasn't worth it because both of you were broke college students who had to pay for your thesis to be printed and bookbinded, but he argued that it was for "experience".

"You pick three toppings for me, and I'll pick three for you." You told him. Heck, if he insisted on staying here so much, might as well have some fun.

"Deal!" Seungkwan grinned.

His grin only lasted for two minutes. It was replaced by a whine and furrowed brows... and some cute stomping.

"Yah, hajimallago!" Seungkwan whined. "I want mine to taste good!"

You laughed. "It will! Don't you trust me?"

"I do," Seungkwan pouted. "Just not with my froyo."

You snorted. "Then why did you agree?"

"Because I love you."

You paused.

Seungkwan blinked at you before his lips curled into a smug smile. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Say it."

"I said nothing."

"You looked at me weird."

"I did not."

"You did!" He pointed accusingly at you. "You always make that face when you're flustered."

"I'm not flustered."

"You're totally flustered."

You rolled your eyes and turned toward the toppings. "Pick already before I put gummy worms on everything."

"Wait, wait—"

He hurried after you, scanning the rows of toppings with exaggerated seriousness. You watched him for a moment, trying not to smile.

He really was ridiculous.

After nearly five minutes of arguing with himself, Seungkwan finally pointed at three toppings.

"For your froyo, chocolate chips. Brownies. And strawberries."

You raised an eyebrow. "That's your final answer?"

"Yes." He nodded.

"You said you wanted it to taste good."

"Exactly."

"That's the most boring combination I've ever heard."

His jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"You asked me what I wanted!"

"And you chose three things you could've gotten anywhere."

"That's because they're good!"

You laughed again. He stared at you for a second, his expression softening.

"What?" you asked.

"Nothing."

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You're laughing."

You frowned slightly. "So?"

"So..." His smile returned, smaller this time. "I like it."

Your eyes dropped to the cup in your hands. There it was again—that strange warmth in your chest whenever he looked at you like you were something precious.

You didn't understand it. You weren't sure you ever would. But for once, you didn't question it.

"Your turn," Seungkwan said, nudging your arm. "Pick mine."

"I already know what I'm getting you."

His eyes widened. "What?"

"Something you'll hate."

"Yah!"

You laughed as he tried to steal the cup from your hands. For the next few minutes, you forgot about the price.

You forgot about your thesis. You forgot about the things that had been keeping you awake lately. You forgot about yourself.

And maybe that was why you liked being with Seungkwan so much.

By the time you were done picking his toppings (oreo crumbs, kiwis, and red beans), it was time for the 'surprise'. If Seungkwan was dreading it, he didn't let it show. He was determined to be the provider. Even though he could barely provide for himself.

For a brief second, Seungkwan thought about his parents back in Jeju. His older sisters had been sending him money for school whenever they could, and here he was about to spend some of it on frozen yogurt. Oh, he was sweating buckets, but you were right behind him, so you wouldn't have known.

The second you and Seungkwan put your froyos on the weighing scale, he held his breath. He was nervous for his wallet.

"Your total is ₩5,000." The cashier said with a deadpan expression.

Your eyes widened, and you quickly looked at Seungkwan, who was surprisingly nonchalant and even paid with his card. He got the receipt, and both of you got your froyo and sat down in a booth by the window.

"₩5,000," you repeated, staring at the receipt.

Seungkwan slowly folded it in half. "Don't say it out loud."

"We just spent almost five thousand won on frozen yogurt."

"Y/N."

"We could've bought—"

"Y/N."

You burst out laughing.

UNRAVELED

"I'll just go to the restroom real quick." You said, and Seungkwan nodded.

"Don't be long. I'll miss you too much." He pouted.

"You're ridiculous." You laughed and got up.

The moment you disappeared around the corner, Seungkwan checked his bank account.

₩18,700.

He stared at the number for a few seconds. Then he locked his phone. It was fine. He'd get paid next week. Besides, it was only five thousand won.

Okay, maybe it was a little irresponsible, but you laughed. Like, really laughed.

If five thousand won could buy him a memory like that, then maybe it wasn't such a waste after all.

Seungkwan smiled to himself before shoving his phone into his pocket. Then he looked at his watch. His smile disappeared. "Shit."

He only had thirty-five minutes to get to work.

He quickly got up from his seat when you returned. "Sorry, I have to go."

You frowned. "Already?"

"I have work." He checked his watch again. "I should've told you earlier, but I didn't think we'd stay this long."

"It's okay." You waved him off. "Go. You're already running late."

"I know." He sighed. "I usually take you home, but I can't today."

You shook your head. "You don't have to apologize for that."

"I know."

You smiled. "Then go. I'll see you tomorrow."

He hesitated for a moment before grabbing your tote bag from beside you. "I'll walk you to the bus stop."

You blinked. "What?"

"The bus stop."

"Kwannie, your work is in the opposite direction."

"I know."

"Then why are you coming with me?" You crossed your arms. He looked at you like the answer was obvious.

"Because I want to, and I'm your boyfriend." He said cheekily.

"I have thirty-five minutes."

"That's not a lot of time."

"Then we'd better hurry." He slung your tote bag over his shoulder and started walking before you could argue.

You caught up with him, shaking your head. "You're ridiculous."

"Yeah, yeah."

The two of you walked to the bus stop together, talking about your thesis and complaining about how expensive everything had become.

When you finally reached the stop, Seungkwan handed your bag back to you.

"Text me when you get home."

"You text me when you get to work."

He nodded. "Deal."

Your bus appeared at the end of the street.

"Go," you said, giving him a small push. "You're late."

Seungkwan laughed. "Okay, okay."

He took a few steps backward before turning around. "Bye, pretty girl!"

"Bye, idiot!" You watched him run down the street, disappearing in the opposite direction.

By the time Seungkwan arrived at the restaurant, he was already out of breath and sweating. He pushed through the back door, hurried into the employee room, and nearly tripped over someone's bag.

"Sorry," he muttered, even though nobody was there.

He changed as quickly as he could, stuffing his clothes into his locker before tying his apron around his waist.

"Seungkwan!"

"Coming!" He rushed into the dining area. The dinner rush had already started.

"You're late."

Seungkwan stopped in his tracks.

His manager was standing by the kitchen entrance, arms crossed. Choi Seungcheol had the kind of expression that made new employees straighten their backs without even realizing it.

"I'm sorry, hyung." Seungkwan bowed his head slightly. "The traffic was terrible, so I had to run for it."

Seungcheol glanced at his watch. "Traffic?"

"Yes."

"Your class ended hours ago."

"...There was very bad traffic," Seungkwan said. He didn't tell Seungcheol that he had to walk his girlfriend to the bus station. He couldn't, or he'd definitely lose his job.

Seungcheol stared at him. Seungkwan stared back.

"Go work."

"Yes, hyung."

A stack of dirty plates was waiting by the kitchen entrance. Someone had called for another order of drinks. Two tables were waiting to be cleared, and one of the older employees was already complaining about the lack of napkins.

Seungkwan was out of breath. Then he got to work. For the next few hours, he barely stopped moving. He carried crates of bottled drinks from the storage room until his arms started aching. He hauled trays between the kitchen and dining area. He wiped tables, refilled side dishes, cleared plates, and ran whenever someone called his name.

"Seungkwan! Table seven!"

"Coming!"

"Drinks for table three!"

"On it!"

"Can you bring these to the back?"

"Yes!"

"Table five requested a birthday greeting. You know what to do, Seungkwan."

He felt absolutely ridiculous performing "happy birthday" for a group of older men in their office attire. Alas, they tipped well. If he had to dance around to earn back his five thousand won, he'd even shake his ass.

"Happy birthday!" Seungkwan smiled, handing the complimentary slice of cake to the celebrant. "I hope your wish comes true."

After two minutes of doing aegyo for table five, Seungcheol finally told him to take a break. During his break, Seungkwan finally sank into a plastic chair in the employee room and pulled out his phone.

A few notifications were waiting for him. One from his sister, one from his mother, and one from you. He opened yours first.

[Jagiya 😍]: did u get to work okay?

A tired smile appeared on his face.

[Kwannie 💕]: yeah. barely survived though 😭

A reply came almost immediately.

[Jagiya 😍]: eat something after your shift!

He chuckled.

[Kwannie 💕]: yes, jagiya. i love you always

He stared at the screen for another second. Then his sister's message caught his eye.

[sister boo 1]: Did you get your tuition assessment already? Send it over to our group chat (the one without eomma and appa) when you can. We'll see what we can cover.

Seungkwan stared at the message. He hated asking his sisters for money. They already had their own expenses. Their own lives. Their own things to worry about.

But every time he told them he could manage on his own, they reminded him that he didn't have to.

He typed a quick reply.

[Seungkwan]: I'll send it tomorrow. Thanks, noona.

He locked his phone before he could think about it any longer. He leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes for a minute. His body felt heavy. His head felt heavier.

Someone knocked on the door. "Seungkwan, break's over."

He opened his eyes. "Okay."

He stood. His back protested immediately. "Ah, fuck."

He laughed quietly to himself. Then he straightened his apron and walked back out.

"Seungkwan, a group of old ladies at table nine wants an aegyo show. Show 'em what you got." Seungcheol told him with a pat on his shoulder.

"Hyung."

"What?"

"I'm tired."

Seungcheol looked at him for a moment. "Then do your aegyo sitting down."

Seungkwan blinked. "Seriously?"

"No."

"Hyung!"

Seungcheol laughed and gave his shoulder another pat. "Go. They asked for you specifically."

Seungkwan sighed, wiped his sweat, and made sure to look presentable before sauntering over to table nine like the cute server he was hired to be.

In truth, he thought he would only bus tables and wash dishes. However, the manager thought it'd be a great idea to put him in the "aegyo server" line, which means he'd have to wear cat ears on certain days, wear a maid costume every Friday, or act cute for the cameras while serving customers. That's why he took extra good care of his skin, especially his face. He even learned basic makeup for this job. It ate away at his savings more than he'd like to admit, but he argued with himself that it was still an investment. If he was going to be paid to look cute, he might as well look cute.

Seungcheol had been the one to put him in the aegyo server line in the first place.

"You know why I hired you?" Seungcheol asked him during his first week.

Seungkwan narrowed his eyes. "Because I'm hardworking?"

"Because customers like your face and because you're good at aegyo."

"Hyung, I'm a grown man."

"You're also the only one here who can make ₩20,000 in tips doing aegyo."

Seungkwan stared at him. "...Put the cat ears on me."

And that was how he ended up here.

The old ladies at table nine nearly lost their minds when Seungkwan put on the cat ears.

"Look at you!" one of them squealed.

Seungkwan clasped his hands under his chin and tilted his head. "Would you like some more kimchi, noona?"

The entire table erupted into laughter. He smiled brightly, even though his cheeks were starting to hurt.

"Yes, yes! More kimchi!"

"Such a handsome young man!"

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

Seungkwan's smile widened. "I do."

The women immediately began teasing him, despite one of them being disappointed that he was taken.

"Does she know how cute you are?"

"She does."

"Then she must be very lucky!"

"I think I'm the lucky one." Seungkwan blushed lightly at the thought of you. The women collectively melted.

"If it doesn't work out, I'll be right here!" one of them said, earning a few shoves from the rest.

"Aish, he's too young for you!"

"Yah, you're like mother and son."

Seungkwan quickly escaped before they could ask him anything else.

By the time his shift ended, his feet were aching so badly that he wanted to throw his shoes into the nearest trash can. He changed out of his uniform, wiped the last bit of makeup from his face, and checked his phone.

There was another message from you.

[Jagiya 😍]: i ordered myself some takeout lol are you done with your shift?

Seungkwan smiled.

[Kwannie 💕]: yes, jagiya, i just finished. i'm heading home now :))

He grabbed his bag and clocked out when he heard his name.

"Seungkwan."

He turned around. Seungcheol was standing by the office door.

"Hyung?"

"Come here for a second."

Seungkwan followed him into the small office and stood awkwardly by the desk.

"Did I do something wrong?"

Seungcheol frowned. "Why do you always assume you're in trouble?"

"Because you called me into the office."

"Sit."

Seungkwan sat. Seungcheol pulled up the chair across from him and leaned back. "You know you're a part-timer, right?"

Seungkwan blinked. "Yes?"

"So you get your tips immediately, but your actual salary comes on the regular payday."

"Yes."

Seungcheol nodded. "I know you usually rely on your tips until then."

Seungkwan's expression changed slightly. He hadn't realized Seungcheol had noticed. "I'm fine, hyung."

"I didn't say you weren't." Seungcheol opened a drawer and pulled out a small envelope. "Here."

Seungkwan looked at it. "What's this?"

"Your tips from tonight."

Seungkwan took the envelope and weighed it in his hand. "That's a lot."

"You earned it."

He opened it and counted the bills. ₩27,000. His eyes widened. "Hyung, are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Seungcheol leaned back in his chair. "You're good for business, Seungkwan."

Seungkwan looked up. "What?"

"You've noticed the customers who come in when you're working, right?"

Seungkwan's eyebrows knitted together. "The aunties?"

"The aunties. The office workers. The university students who come in because they saw you on our social media." Seungcheol chuckled. "Since you started working here, our evening sales have gone up."

Seungkwan stared at him. "Really?"

"Really." Seungcheol pointed toward the dining area. "People like you. You're good with customers. You're good at making them laugh. And, unfortunately for you, you're good at that ridiculous aegyo thing."

Seungkwan laughed. "I told you, hyung. I'm a grown man."

"And yet you're wearing cat ears next Tuesday."

"Hyung!"

Seungcheol laughed. Then his expression softened. "I'm serious, though."

Seungkwan's smile faded.

"We need you here."

The words settled heavily in the room. Seungkwan looked down at the envelope in his hands.

"We're doing better because of you," Seungcheol continued. "If you quit tomorrow, we'd feel it."

Seungkwan swallowed. "I wouldn't quit without telling you."

"I know." Seungcheol leaned forward. "So don't worry about being replaceable."

Seungkwan looked at him.

"You matter here."

For a moment, Seungkwan didn't know what to say. He had spent so much time worrying about whether he was doing enough. For his parents. For his sisters. For school. For you. For himself.

And now someone was telling him that he was needed.

"I'll keep working hard," he finally said.

Seungcheol smiled. "I know you will."

Seungkwan stood and tucked the envelope carefully into his wallet. "Thanks, hyung."

"Don't forget to eat." Seungcheol took out his wallet and took out ₩10,000. "Buy something from the convenience store. I can tell that you skip meals. So, please eat. It's on me."

"Okay," Seungkwan said, accepting the money. "Thanks, hyung. Good night."

"Good night, Seungkwannie. Take care."

He stepped outside the office. For the first time all night, Seungkwan felt a little lighter. He was tired. His back hurt. His feet were killing him. But he was needed.

And somehow, that made all of it feel worth it.

While Seungkwan was walking home with a convenience store meal in one hand and his bag slung over his shoulder, you were lying in bed with your phone inches from your face.

You weren't looking at your messages.

You were looking at her. Then another girl. Then another. You didn't even know why you were doing this anymore.

Maybe you did. Maybe you were looking for something. A reason. A flaw. Anything that would make you feel better about the fact that Seungkwan had loved other people before you.

You knew some of them.

You'd seen them around campus. Pretty girls with pretty smiles and perfectly curated Instagram feeds. Girls who seemed like they belonged beside him.

You'd even heard what they had to say about him. Nothing bad. That was the worst part.

"He was such a good boyfriend."

"He remembered everything."

"He'd show up with flowers just because."

"He was really thoughtful."

"He treated me so well."

You scrolled again. Your chest tightened. Of course he did. That was just who Seungkwan was.

He was the kind of person who would give you the moon if you mentioned once that you liked looking at it. The kind who would remember your favorite snack after hearing you mention it once. The kind who would walk across campus in the rain because you forgot your umbrella.

He gave. And gave. And gave.

And somehow, you couldn't stop wondering when you'd become the person he finally realized wasn't worth giving everything to.

You locked your phone. Then unlocked it again. You hated yourself for it. You hated that you kept doing this.

You hated that no matter how many times Seungkwan told you he loved you, some ugly little voice in your head always asked:

But why?

You turned onto your side and pulled the blanket over your shoulder. You knew he loved you. That wasn't the problem.

The problem was that you didn't know how to believe you deserved it. And lately, no matter how hard you tried to silence that voice, it only seemed to get louder.

You were starting to wonder if loving Seungkwan was becoming another thing you could never do right.

THE CURE

You thought you were getting better. At least, that's what you told yourself. You stopped looking at Seungkwan's exes.

You stopped scrolling through old photos and wondering what they had that you didn't. You stopped counting the girls he had dated before you, stopped memorizing their faces, stopped comparing their smiles to yours.

You even stopped asking Seungkwan questions you already knew the answers to.

Do you think I'm pretty?

Do you still love me?

Are you sure?

You tried. God, you tried. But some thoughts didn't disappear just because you stopped feeding them.

They waited. They lingered at the back of your mind until you were tired enough to let them in.

What if he realizes?

What if one day he gets tired?

What if someone better comes along?

You hated that your mind worked this way. You hated that Seungkwan could spend an entire day reminding you that he loved you, only for one stupid thought to undo all of it before you went to sleep.

It was exhausting. The worst part was that Seungkwan had done nothing to deserve it. If anything, he had been trying harder.

Your phone buzzed.

[Kwannie 💕]: good morning jagiya!!! did u sleep well?

You smiled despite yourself.

[Jagiya 😍]: kinda. you?

The typing bubble appeared almost immediately.

[Kwannie 💕]: i slept like a baby :D

Then another message.

[Kwannie 💕]: also i got you something

You frowned.

[Jagiya 😍]: what did you get me

[Kwannie 💕]: you'll see later hehe

You stared at the screen.

A few minutes later, another message came.

[Kwannie 💕]: don't eat before you see me. i brought breakfast

You laughed quietly.

Of course he did. Seungkwan remembered things.

He remembered that you skipped breakfast whenever you were anxious. He remembered which convenience store sandwich you liked. He remembered your thesis deadline, the name of your professor, the exact coffee order you made when you were tired.

He remembered everything. Somehow, that made you feel worse.

Because what kind of person received that much love and still spent their nights wondering if they were enough?

You pressed your phone against your chest and closed your eyes. You didn't know. You just knew you were tired.

When you met Seungkwan later that morning, he was standing outside your door with a paper bag in one hand.

He brightened the moment he saw you. "There she is!"

You smiled. "Hi."

"Hi, pretty girl." He leaned down and kissed your forehead before handing you the bag. "Breakfast."

"It's eleven in the morning."

"Brunch, then."

You peeked inside. Your favorite sandwich. Your favorite drink. And a small pastry you had mentioned wanting weeks ago.

You looked at him. "You remembered?"

Seungkwan looked confused. "Of course I remembered."

Something in your chest tightened. He noticed. Immediately. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Y/N."

"I'm fine."

He studied your face. You smiled. He didn't smile back. "You've been saying that a lot lately."

You looked away. "I'm just tired."

"Then let's rest."

"I have to work on my thesis."

"Then I'll help."

"You have work later."

"I'll help until then."

"You don't have to."

"I know." He smiled gently. "I want to."

There it was again. That unbearable kindness. That willingness to give. You looked down at the paper bag in your hands. "Thank you."

"Anytime."

And you meant it. You really did. That was what made everything hurt so much more.

A few weeks passed.

You tried. You really, really tried. You tried to believe him. You tried to stop comparing yourself.

You tried to accept every kiss, every gift, every I love you without searching for some hidden meaning behind it.

But the doubts kept coming.

Sometimes they came when Seungkwan was talking about his day. Sometimes they came when another girl greeted him on campus. Sometimes they came when someone mentioned one of his exes. And sometimes they came for no reason at all.

You'd be lying beside him, his arm wrapped around your waist, listening to his breathing as he slept, and your mind would whisper:

He could have someone better.

You'd look at him and think: Why is he here?

And then you'd hate yourself for thinking it.

One evening, Seungkwan noticed.

You were sitting across from him at a small café, your untouched drink between your hands.

"You're doing it again."

You looked up. "Doing what?"

"Going somewhere else."

"I'm right here."

"Your mind is."

You went quiet.

Seungkwan reached across the table and took your hand. "Talk to me."

You stared at your intertwined fingers. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Then we'll figure it out."

"We?"

"Yeah." He squeezed your hand. "You don't have to figure everything out alone."

Your eyes burned. "Seungkwan..."

"Hm?"

"Do you ever get tired?"

He frowned. "Of what?"

"Me."

His expression immediately changed. "No."

"You answered too quickly."

"Because I don't have to think about it."

"You've never thought about it?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I love you."

You looked away. "I don't understand."

"What?"

"How you can love me so easily."

His eyebrows knitted together. "It's not easy."

That made you look at him.

"I mean, loving you isn't something I have to work at," he continued. "But being your boyfriend? Taking care of you? Making sure you're okay? Of course I think about those things."

"That's what I mean."

"What?"

"You make it sound so easy."

Seungkwan was quiet for a moment. Then he asked softly, "Do you want me to stop?"

Your heart broke. "No."

"Then let me love you."

You looked down. You wanted to. God, you wanted to. But somewhere inside you, something had already begun unraveling.

The breakup happened on a night when neither of you had planned to talk about it.

There was no dramatic rain. No betrayal. No fight that had been building for months.

Just the two of you sitting together in your apartment, surrounded by thesis papers and half-finished drinks, while the silence between you became too heavy to ignore.

Seungkwan noticed first.

"Y/N."

You looked up. "Hm?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

He sighed. "You know I can tell when you're lying."

You looked at him. His expression was gentle. That almost made it worse.

"I think..." Your voice broke.

Seungkwan immediately reached for your hand. "What?"

"I think we need to talk."

He froze. His fingers slowly loosened around yours. "About what?"

You swallowed. "Us."

"No."

You blinked. He shook his head. "No, don't say it like that."

"Seungkwan—"

"We're okay."

"We're not."

"We can be."

Your eyes filled with tears. "I don't know how anymore."

He stared at you. For a moment, neither of you spoke. Then Seungkwan moved closer.

"Tell me what I did."

"You didn't do anything."

"Then tell me what I need to do."

"You don't need to do anything."

"I can change."

"You don't have to."

"I can do better."

"You already do everything."

"Then I'll do more."

You shook your head. "That's exactly what I don't want."

Seungkwan's eyes filled with tears. "You know I'll do anything for you, jagiya... but I can't do this. Please, let me help you. Let me fix it if I'm the problem."

"No, Seungkwan. I—"

"Please let me try to help, hm? What do you need? I can do it. If you asked me to bring you to Mars, I'd do everything and anything to get you there." He laughed weakly through his tears. "Just... please don't leave me."

Your heart shattered.

"There's just some things you can't fix, Seungkwan, and I don't want to tire you out for trying over and over until you have nothing left. You'll end up resenting me for it, and I don't want that because I love you so much."

"I won't resent you."

"Not now." You wiped your tears. "But if this continues, you will."

He shook his head.

"You can't heal me, Seungkwan. Your love is more than enough, but this is a problem that I have to face myself."

He stared at you.

"It's me; I'm the problem. I can't remove the doubts no matter how many times you tell me you love me and that I'm the only girl for you." Your voice cracked. "Please forgive me. I just want to get better, so I can come back and love you better."

Seungkwan stared at you. For several seconds, he said nothing. Then, quietly— "That's not fair."

You looked at him.

"What if you don't come back?"

You couldn't answer. Seungkwan searched your face. He was looking for reassurance. For anything. But you couldn't give him something you weren't sure you could promise.

His expression crumpled. "Oh." He laughed once, but it came out broken. "So you don't know."

"Seungkwan..."

"You don't know if you're coming back."

You shook your head. "I don't know."

He covered his face with both hands. His shoulders began to shake. "Then how am I supposed to let you go..." His voice broke completely. "...when you're it for me?"

You covered your mouth. A sob escaped you. Seungkwan lowered his hands.His face was wet with tears. He looked so lost. Like someone had taken away the map to a place he'd already decided to spend the rest of his life.

"I don't know how to do this," he whispered.

You couldn't move.

"I don't know how to lose you."

You finally broke. You moved toward him, but Seungkwan shook his head.

"Don't."

You stopped.

"Please." He looked away. "Don't make this harder."

You nodded through your tears. "I'm sorry."

"I know."

"I'm so sorry."

"I know."

Neither of you moved. Then Seungkwan looked at you one last time. And despite everything, his expression softened. "You know I love you, right?"

You nodded. "I love you too."

He smiled. It was the saddest smile you'd ever seen. "I know."

And that was it. No dramatic goodbye. No last kiss.

Just two people who loved each other sitting across from one another, finally accepting that love could not do the work they needed to do for themselves.

Months passed.

You got better. Not completely. Not perfectly. But slowly. You started therapy. You stopped checking the girls who came before you. You learned how to recognize the thoughts that weren't yours. You learned that being loved didn't mean you had to earn it. You learned that you could be struggling and still deserve kindness. You learned that healing was not a straight line.

Some days were good. Some days weren't. But you were trying.

One afternoon, while scrolling through Instagram, something familiar caught your eye. An advertisement. You almost scrolled past it. Then you saw the name of the restaurant.

Your thumb stopped.

The video played. There he was. Seungkwan.

He was wearing the cat ears. He was smiling brightly at the camera.

"Come visit us this weekend!" he said, making an exaggerated heart with his hands. "Our special menu is only available for a limited time!"

You smiled.

Of course he was still doing aegyo. You watched the video again. And then you noticed.

He looked thinner. His cheeks weren't as full as they used to be. His uniform hung differently on his body. There were faint shadows underneath his eyes, but he was still smiling. Still performing. Still giving everything he had to the people watching.

You watched the video a third time.

Everyone else would probably see the same Seungkwan they had always seen. Bright. Funny. Ridiculous. Cute.

But you knew him.

You knew the way his smile changed when he was genuinely happy. You knew the little crease that appeared between his eyebrows when he was exhausted. You knew his eyes. And his eyes were sad.

Your chest tightened. You stared at the screen as the video looped again. He was trying so hard to make everyone laugh. Trying so hard to look okay.

But you could still see him.

You could still see the boy who walked you to the bus stop even when he was already late for work. The boy who spent ₩5,000 on frozen yogurt because he wanted to try something new with you. The boy who gave you everything he had and never once asked you to earn it.

You lowered your phone.

For the first time, you understood something you hadn't been able to understand when you were together. Seungkwan had never been your cure. And you had never needed him to be. His love hadn't failed you. It had simply never been meant to heal the wounds that existed before he arrived.

You looked at the advertisement one last time. Seungkwan smiled at the camera. His eyes didn't.

And quietly, with tears gathering in your eyes, you whispered, "I'm sorry, Seungkwan."

The advertisement replayed. And there he was again. Smiling for everyone.

Except his eyes.

a/n: this is one of my fave fics in this series ahhh i hope you guys liked it!!

HOW DID WE BECOME US?

The raindrops falling on the ground were the only sounds echoing in your shared apartment. It was a rather rainy, cozy morning. The apartment always looked softer on rainy mornings, as though the world outside had been washed into shades of purple.

You woke up first, just like always. As soon as you did, you fell into your routine. You headed to the kitchen and made two coffees. Then, you opened the curtains. Minghao was still asleep, but you knew he always woke up five minutes after you.

You had lived together for a while now, and there was nothing you'd change about it.

You both left the apartment with one umbrella between you. Minghao carried it slightly closer to your side, even though his own shoulder had begun to grow damp.

The florist greeted the two of you when you passed her shop on your way to your favorite cafe to have breakfast. Despite having coffee at home, you two didn't mind having another cup with breakfast. Before you reached the cafe door, he'd already pushed it open.

The barista greeted the two of you with a smile. "The usual?"

Minghao smiled and nodded. The baristas knew both of you, and they had already memorized your orders. After your trip to the cafe, you'd go grocery shopping. After that, you'd buy flowers from the florist you passed by earlier.

The paper bag dug into your forearm by the time you left the grocery store. Minghao took it from you without asking, leaving you to carry only the bouquet wrapped in brown paper. You'd learned early on to buy flowers last. Once, you'd made the mistake of carrying them around all morning, only to watch the petals droop before they ever reached the vase.

Minghao disappeared into the kitchen to put away the groceries while you trimmed the flower stems over the sink. Fresh water. A clean vase. The bouquet settled into place as though it had always belonged there.

You looked around the apartment. The shoes by the door. Two mugs in the sink. The paintbrush resting beside your trimming loops.

It occurred to you, somewhere between replacing the flowers in the vase and putting away groceries, that you couldn't remember the last time someone had asked if you were visiting.

You couldn't remember the last time you'd needed directions. Your feet just knew the way home before you did.

At some point, you had simply started belonging.

THE COLORS WE LEFT BEHIND

You woke up first, just like always. Two cups of coffee. Curtains. Five minutes later, Minghao emerged from the bedroom. One umbrella. The florist. The cafe. "The usual?" Groceries. Flowers. Home. The bouquet found its place in the vase. The groceries found their place in the pantry. Tomorrow already knew where everything belonged.

Your phone lit up.

[Y/F/N]: Friday? Dinner? It's been forever!! :((

You smiled to yourself. You'd answer after putting the groceries away. By the time you remembered, your phone had already gone dark.

The pottery room sat at the end of the hallway. Delivery boxes had slowly found their way inside over the months, stacked neatly beside shelves of unopened clay. You reached for the top box before deciding it could wait another day.

As you stepped into the kitchen, Minghao crossed behind you. He pressed a quick kiss to your cheek before grabbing your favorite chips from the grocery bag. He didn't say anything. He didn't have to. It was one of those little gestures that had long since become part of your routine, as familiar as the coffee waiting on the counter every morning.

You watched him disappear down the hallway.

He paused in front of the easel tucked into the corner of the living room. The brush he'd left soaking in water had long since gone stiff. He turned it over once in his hand before carrying it to the sink. Warm water ran over the bristles until they softened again. He dried it carefully with a towel and placed it back inside the jar.

Not today.

The apartment had quietly grown around the two of you over the years. Books filled shelves that had once been empty. Framed photographs leaned against freshly painted walls. The dining table was never without flowers.

Somewhere along the way, the rooms built for creating had become rooms built for storing.

That evening, while looking for spare batteries, you finally carried one of the delivery boxes out of the pottery room.

Beneath rolls of packing paper and old receipts sat a notebook with clay stains pressed into the cover.

You opened it. The first page was filled with plans written in your own handwriting.

Try porcelain. Apply for the winter ceramics workshop. Sell at the weekend market. Open a studio before thirty.

Your thumb lingered over the last line. Not because your memory had failed you. Because the version of yourself who had believed those things felt like someone you'd once known.

Your phone vibrated again.

[Y/F/N]: Guess you're busy. Next time? <3

You stared at the message for a while before locking your screen. "I'll reply later," you murmured to yourself.

The notebook remained open on your lap. Outside, the rain had started again. Inside, the apartment stayed quiet.

COLOR THEORY

The notebook was still open when Minghao found you.

He stood in the doorway for a moment, looking at the pages spread across your lap. The clay-stained cover. The handwriting that belonged to a version of you he'd only known through stories.

His eyes moved to the last line.

Open a studio before thirty.

Then back to you. "When's the last time you touched clay?"

You looked down at your hands. You couldn't remember. Minghao didn't say anything else. He walked past you and into the pottery room. One box at a time, he began moving everything out.

You watched from the doorway as the room slowly reappeared beneath the clutter. Shelves. The pottery wheel. The small wooden table by the window where you used to sketch ideas before working with clay.

Dust covered almost everything. You rolled up your sleeves. By the time Minghao finished carrying the last box into the hallway, you were wiping down the wheel.

Neither of you said anything. You didn't need to. Later that evening, Minghao stood in front of his easel. The same unfinished painting waited for him. He stared at it for a while before picking up his brush. The first stroke was uneven. The second was better.

You sat at the pottery wheel across the room, your hands covered in clay. For the first time in a long time, the apartment didn't feel quiet. It sounded like something was beginning again.

Friday came.

Your phone lit up while you were glazing a half-finished bowl.

[Y/F/N]: So... dinner? 👀

This time, you answered.

[YOU]: Yes. I'm free.

You set your phone down and returned to the bowl, smiling to yourself.

Across the room, Minghao was standing in front of his easel.

His painting had changed since the first time you'd seen it again. The empty spaces were slowly disappearing beneath layers of color. His hands were stained with paint, and there was a faint streak of blue along his wrist.

He caught you looking. You smiled. He smiled back. Neither of you said anything.

The weeks that followed were not very different from the ones before.

You still woke up first. You still made two coffees. Minghao still carried the umbrella closer to your side when it rained. The florist still greeted you both. The barista still knew your orders. You still bought flowers on the way home.

But now, some mornings, the pottery room door was already open. Sometimes you spent an entire afternoon there without realizing how much time had passed.

Sometimes Minghao disappeared into his studio for hours, emerging with paint beneath his fingernails and a new idea already forming in his head.

Sometimes you went out with your friends. Sometimes he stayed home. Sometimes you stayed home while he went out. And somehow, none of it made the apartment feel emptier.

It felt bigger.

As if the walls had quietly moved outward to make room for everything you'd forgotten you needed.

One evening, you stood at the kitchen counter mixing glaze.

Blue. Then red.

You watched the colors bleed into each other beneath your brush. Minghao leaned against the counter beside you, watching. The purple deepened slowly.

You thought about the notebook. The unfinished painting. The pottery room. The unanswered messages.

All the little pieces of yourselves you'd left behind without ever deciding to leave them.

You looked at Minghao. He was watching the glaze change color. Neither of you spoke. You didn't need to.

Red was still red. Blue was still blue. Neither had disappeared. They had simply become something new together.

Outside, rain tapped softly against the windows.

Inside, your apartment glowed beneath the warm light.

Fresh flowers sat on the table. His painting was drying in the living room. Your hands were covered in clay. The pottery room door was open.

And for the first time in a long time, home felt like somewhere both of you could grow. Not because you'd become the same. But because you'd finally remembered how to remain yourselves.

Together.

a/n: sorry if it's short :(( im a bit under the weather after my two work trips

MAIN CHARACTER SYNDROME

Life is great if you're living in Joshua Hong's shoes.

He's handsome, ridiculously wealthy, charming, funny, effortlessly polite, and one of the most sought-after faces in fashion. Ask anyone who's ever worked with him, and they'll only have good things to say. So when Prada announced that Joshua Hong would be headlining their latest campaign in Milan, the entire production team couldn't have been happier.

Upon his arrival on set, everyone erupted into cheers. Joshua's eyes lit up with excitement. His grin widened. Being greeted so warmly never failed to brighten his day. He hugged everyone and even greeted interns who were seeing him for the first time.

"That's Joshua Hong. Take care of him." The makeup artist said to the intern, who nodded quickly.

"Oh, Maria. Don't scare the poor girl! I'm not a monster." Joshua chuckled lightly and turned to the intern. "Hi, I'm Joshua. What's your name?"

"S-Sophie," the intern said nervously. Joshua smiled gently and shook her hand.

"It's nice to meet you. No need to be nervous, okay? I'm just me." Joshua said.

As soon as he walked away, Sophie accidentally dropped a clipboard. Joshua immediately bent down to grab it for her. "I got it. Is it your first day, Sophie?"

She nodded, embarrassed. "Yeah..."

"Mine, too." He handed the clipboard back.

She blinked. "...Really?"

"No," Joshua grinned. "But now you're smiling. Please relax, Sophie. I promise to make it easy for you on set. Nothing to be nervous about."

"Oh, Joshua Hong. You are not just you." The creative director rolled their eyes. "Everyone wants you!"

"Yeah!"

"You're THE Joshua Hong, after all!"

"I saw your Jaeger campaign last week!"

Joshua looked around and smiled at the people praising him. He basked in the attention they gave. After all, life is great being in his shoes.

He waved them off shyly. "Oh, stop it." Joshua looked at everyone and smiled, "Well, keep going."

The room burst into laughter before everyone drifted back to their stations, the usual pre-shoot jitters replaced with easy smiles.

"Has everyone eaten?" Joshua asked with a slight frown. He noticed that the crew looked tired. A chorus of "no" broke Joshua's heart. He immediately turned to his assistant. "Giovanni, let's order coffee for everyone."

Giovanni's eyes widened. "Everyone?"

Joshua only nodded in response. Giovanni quickly pulled out his phone and called the number to Joshua's go-to cafe in Milan. It wasn't unusual for Joshua to order in bulk, but it still surprised Giovanni from time to time.

When the coffee arrived, everyone began to feel energized. Within minutes, the studio transformed.

Conversations died down. Stylists made their final adjustments. Makeup artists stepped away. Assistants scattered to their assigned positions.

The easygoing man who had been cracking jokes with the crew moments ago melted away, replaced by the model every luxury brand wanted for their campaign.

"Places, everyone!"

Joshua slipped into position as the final touches were made to his outfit. The photographer barely had to direct him.

"Chin up."

Click.

"Perfect."

"Turn your shoulder."

Click.

"Beautiful."

By the fifth frame, the photographer simply lowered his camera with a laugh. "I forgot how unfairly easy you make my job."

Joshua pressed a hand against his chest dramatically. "I do what I can."

The crew laughed before the camera shutter started clicking again. Before everyone knew it, twelve hours had flown by, and the shoot was over.

"Only Joshua could make a twelve-hour shoot feel like six."

Joshua laughed and waved him off. "Enough with the flattery, Matteo. You still owe me coffee!"

"Thanks for this amazing shoot, Joshua!"

"No, thank you!" Joshua smiled. "Oh! Before I forget..."

Everyone looked over.

"I booked Da Vittorio for tonight. Please come if you're free."

Joshua was met with silence, making his smile slowly drop. He blinked. "Is something wrong?"

Maria pinched the bridge of her nose. "Joshua."

"...Yeah?"

"You rented out an entire Michelin-star restaurant." Maria pointed out.

"Yeah? Were there not enough seats?"

"Joshua," Maria started. "Normal people don't solve problems like this."

"Oh," Joshua said. "Well, it's already booked. It's easier than making reservations one by one."

"First coffee, now dinner? He's so kind."

"Joshua Hong is my favorite model."

Joshua put a hand over his heart. He loved treating people. "I hope you all enjoy."

Joshua laughed at everyone's reactions. "It's just dinner."

"No, Joshua. To you, it's 'just dinner'." Matteo deadpanned.

Joshua smiled. "Unfortunately, I will not be joining you. However, I'll make it up to you at the Prada fashion show. Dinner AND after party on me."

Everyone cheered. Joshua turned to Giovanni and said, "Join them for dinner. It's already been paid for. If it exceeds the bill, let me know. Have the rest of the night off, and also tomorrow. I'll see you at Pagani's auto show."

"Sir, that's a few days from now. What will I do then?" Giovanni asked just as Joshua was about to leave.

He turned around. "Oh, right. Well, have a few days off, then. It's well-earned, Giovanni. Buy yourself some clothes. This is all paid, anyway." He smiled. "Thank you for your hard work."

Giovanni's jaw dropped. "Thank you, sir! See you at Pagani!"

"See you!" Joshua smiled and left after waving goodbye to everyone.

Joshua exits the building with a smile on his face. He loved his work and he loved working with different people. It makes him cherish everything around him.

The crisp, evening Milan air hit Joshua as he started walking. He didn't even notice that it was 6:15 already. Hearing his stomach grumble, he decided to look for a place to eat that only a few people go to. He didn't like crowds due to a childhood trauma.

As he walked, he glanced up at a billboard. Instantly, a smile made its way to his face. He took his phone out to take a quick picture of it. It was one of the billboards he loved seeing, for it was you and him on the campaign. He remembered when it was taken.

Your relationship with Joshua was fairly new, and so was your career. After working with you on the Marc Jacobs fashion show, he took a liking to you. You've been dating since then. Naturally, a lot of brands that wanted Joshua wanted you, too. Many of them thought that it'd be nice to have a couple do a campaign.

Prada was one of those brands. They were so happy that they put the campaign on a billboard. Joshua wasn't one to brag, but when it came to your relationship, he loved you loudly.

That's why it hurt him when you decided to end your two-year relationship.

As if pulling a prank on him, the workers on the billboard peel away his Prada campaign with you. His smile started fading as we watched the vinyl fall. The new billboard sort of made his blood boil, but not really. He couldn't. After all, it was still you on the billboard... just with another man that he grew to... dislike, or tolerate, rather.

Yoon Jeonghan.

He's a new model, but he gained traction for his Yves Saint Laurent campaigns. Everyone praised his face, and everyone always mentioned how they were amazed that he could be pretty and handsome at the same time. It made Joshua feel sick.

He knew you could never cheat on him, but he was suspicious of Jeonghan because he seemed to swoop in a little after your breakup. The billboard made him remember the night you broke up with him.

"I'm sorry, Joshie. I just think that we're not right for each other anymore."

"Is there someone else?" He asked, eyes turning red from the tears he held back.

"Of course not. You know I love you, Joshie."

Both of you hugged and cried. Then you smiled through your tears as you pulled away. Joshua cupped your face and wiped your tears with his thumb.

You sniffed. "Can we still be friends, at least?"

Not able to resist losing you forever, Joshua answered yes. He always will. He meant it, too. At least he thought he did.

Joshua kept walking. Then his phone buzzed. A smile appeared on his face when he saw that you liked his recent post. Not able to resist, he clicked open your Instagram and smiled when he saw your recent post.

You were in Greece for Jacquemus, and his heart soared as he swiped through your photos. You didn't like taking behind-the-scenes photos from your shoots. Rather, you like taking pictures of the places you're in. Your Instagram is more like a photo diary. The last photo made Joshua's mood sour. It was a picture of Jeonghan sitting across from you.

If his sources (read: Giovanni) were correct, Jeonghan is on a modeling hiatus for reasons that were never disclosed. Seeing his face on your Instagram made your relationship with Jeonghan official, and Joshua wasn't a fan at all.

Joshua remembers the dating rumors between you and Jeonghan around five months after the breakup. He heard from Giovanni that you were in London for Burberry with a rising star in the industry named Yoon Jeonghan.

By the time Joshua reunited with you for fashion week, he had overheard you talking to other models about the "ridiculously handsome model who kept making everyone laugh at the Burberry set".

Soon, you and Jeonghan confirmed your relationship by hard-launching each other at events. Both of you rarely posted, so walking into events hand in hand made more sense.

Against his better judgment about Jeonghan, he took a deep breath and smiled to himself. After all, every day is a battle between choosing to be cruel or kind. Time and time again, he'd choose kindness because that's just who he is.

With kindness in mind, Joshua left a nice comment on your recent post.

@j.hong: It must've been really fun there! You both deserve a relaxing Greek getaway 😌

Instantly, you gave his comment a like. Joshua swore his stomach had butterflies. You even left a reply.

@yn.yln_: Thanks, Joshie! You always have kind words to say. Take care ♥️

Joshua stared at the heart and smiled. He stopped walking and glanced up. Your billboard with Jeonghan was still in view. He opened the camera app and took a quick picture of your campaign with your new man.

He quickly posted it on his Instagram story with the caption: Look what I saw on my stroll in Milan! Both of you look absolutely stunning. Congrats on the campaign @yn.yln_ @yoonjeonghannn ♥️

What he wrote in his caption wasn't ill-meaning at all. In fact, he meant what he said. Despite his feelings toward the man, he couldn't deny that his face definitely belonged on billboards. He also couldn't deny that your taste in men was... admittedly excellent. His face and Jeonghan's face were actually very lethal. If given the chance, he'd want to work with Jeonghan just to see how their dynamic would play out.

Joshua arrives at his hotel around eleven o'clock at night. After doing his night routine and changing into comfier clothes, he sat at his hotel room's desk, opened his personal notebook, and started writing.

When he finished writing, he smiled to himself. He read what he wrote over three times before taking a picture of it and sending it to you.

[Joshie 💫]: Thought you'd like this poem I wrote just now! Milan has been inspiring :) [Love♥️]: Hi, Joshieee! I'll read it when I get back to the Airbnb. Hannie and I are just taking a midnight stroll. Will get back to you soon, I promise! Excited to read it, though <3

Joshua smiled as he read your reply. He leaned back in his seat, feeling hopeful about everything. After all, the main character always gets the girl, right?

U AIN'T SLICK, JOSH

Yoon Jeonghan had never intended to fall in love. That was the funny thing about his line of work.

Spending life surrounded by beautiful people had made beauty stop meaning much. Faces blurred together after enough campaigns. Compliments became part of the job. Chemistry could be manufactured with the right lighting and a talented photographer.

Love, however, couldn't. Jeonghan believed that love is something unexpected; something worth waiting for. He was also the type of person to separate love and career, which was why the last person he expected to fall for was you.

He'd seen you before, of course. The entire industry had. Not only were you a top model, but you were also one half of fashion's favorite love story. Everyone knew about Joshua Hong. More importantly, everyone knew about the way Joshua Hong loved you.

He thanked you in interviews. Mentioned you in acceptance speeches. Talked about you during behind-the-scenes interviews as if loving you was the easiest thing he'd ever done. Even people who'd never met either of you rooted for your relationship.

Which was exactly why asking you out felt laughably impossible. Not because he thought he wasn't good enough. But because, in his head, there wasn't much of a competition when your predecessor was Joshua Hong.

Booking YSL was a dream come true for Jeonghan. After many side gigs, odd jobs, and cheesy photo shoots for department store posters, he finally got his big break. He didn't know what he was in for, but when he saw you, his world stopped. No one told him that he'd be in a shoot with you.

You were ethereal and effortlessly gorgeous. You were getting your hair and makeup done when he arrived. He honestly thought he was late, but you were just very early. When you glanced at him, he knew it was game over for him.

Since that successful YSL shoot, you've worked together a few times before he built up the courage to ask you out. Though he wasn't sure if you'd say yes because he got wind that you and Joshua had only been broken up for five months. Regardless, he decided to try. There was no harm in that, right?

After another successful photo shoot, Jeonghan approached you and rubbed the back of his neck—a nervous habit of his.

"Hi, Jeonghan!" you greeted. "Great job today."

"Thanks, Y/N. You did a great job, too," Jeonghan said and bit his lip. "Um, listen, there's something I want to say..."

"Mhm?"

"I know I'm no Joshua Hong," Jeonghan looked down with a shy smile, "but—"

"Is that your way of asking me out?" You tilted your head.

His ears turned pink. "Maybe."

"Okay." You laughed. "Yes, I'll go out with you."

Jeonghan wasn't sure what he had expected after that.

Maybe awkward first dates. Maybe long pauses. Maybe the occasional uncertainty that came with getting to know someone.

Instead, loving you felt... easy.

His first date with you wasn't at a Michelin-star restaurant or some rooftop bar overlooking Seoul. It was at a tiny café tucked away in a quiet neighborhood, where you insisted they made the best tiramisu in the city.

"I thought we'd go somewhere fancy," Jeonghan admitted after glancing around the cozy cafe.

You looked up from the menu with a grin. "Why?"

"I don't know," He laughed. "You're Y/N. You've probably been in better places, tried better food."

"So?"

"So..." He gestured vaguely. "You're... you."

You rolled your eyes playfully. "Coffee tastes the same whether you buy it at a small cafe or an expensive coffee house in Paris."

Jeonghan couldn't help but smile.

The dates kept coming after that.

Sometimes you'd end up at museums after shoots because neither of you wanted to go home just yet. Other times, you'd wander convenience stores at midnight, still dressed in designer clothes, arguing over which instant ramen brand was objectively the best.

The longer Jeonghan spent with you, the more he realized that the version of you the fashion industry knew and the version he was lucky enough to know were completely different people.

The world knew you as one of the industry's brightest stars.

Jeonghan knew you as the woman who stole fries off his plate after insisting she didn't want any because she needed to 'keep her figure' for Victoria's Secret.

Fashion Week only made you closer.

Schedules overlapped more often than not. If Jeonghan landed in Paris before you did, he'd wait at the hotel lobby with your favorite drink already in hand. If you wrapped a campaign before he did, he'd always find you waiting backstage, leaning against a wall with that familiar smile.

"You look nervous," you said, quietly fixing the collar of his blazer moments before he stepped onto the runway.

"That's because I am," Jeonghan laughed nervously, hands shoved deep in his pockets. He didn't want to show you how sweaty his palms were.

"You'll do great, Hannie."

He searched your face for a second. "How do you know? I'm just new in this job. I'm not in your caliber."

"Stop that. You wouldn't be here if you weren't capable." You smiled at him. "You're always doing great, alright? Please believe me."

Before long, airports became more familiar than apartments. One week you were in Milan. The next, New York. Then London. No matter where you ended up, you somehow found time for one another.

Sometimes it was only thirty minutes between fittings. Sometimes it was sharing overpriced airport sandwiches while waiting for delayed flights. Sometimes it was nothing more than a sleepy phone call before bed from opposite sides of the world. For Jeonghan, it was enough.

It didn't take long before the media caught on.

Fashion's New Power Couple

The Industry's Sweethearts

Move Over, Joshua Hong: Y/N Finds Love Again

Joshua vs Jeonghan: The Battle of the Two Js

Jeonghan groaned every time another headline appeared.

"Welcome to my world," you joked. "They're going to keep doing this every time we pose for a campaign."

"Jesus Christ."

"You hate it," you laughed.

Jeonghan shook his head. "I don't hate it. I just think calling every model couple a 'power couple' is ridiculous."

"Well," you pursed your lips and nudged his shoulder. "I kind of like it."

Jeonghan sighed dramatically. "Fine." He turned to you and gave you a sly smile, "If we're going to be a power couple, at least let me pick the matching airport outfits."

You laughed so hard you nearly spilled your coffee. Jeonghan decided right then and there that he'd spend the rest of his life trying to hear that laugh again.

Falling in love with you was something he would never regret. Falling in love with you was as easy as walking.

There was only one issue. Jeonghan realized that loving you also meant learning to live with one constant.

Joshua Hong.

At first, Jeonghan didn't care. Joshua Hong is Joshua Hong, after all. He's his senior, his idol ever since he saw Joshua on the cover of his little sister's favorite magazine.

Then, he started caring a little. Joshua was everywhere. Literally. Jeonghan thought of Joshua as a fly at this point. Always hovering, always around.

Exhibit A: Paris Fashion Week "Y/Nie!" Joshua greeted you as he hurriedly jogged towards you.

"Joshie!" You grinned and pulled him in for a tight hug. Jeonghan waited patiently next to you. In truth, he was a bit starstruck to be near his idol. He also didn't care that Joshua didn't see him or pay him any mind.

When you pulled away, Jeonghan watched with a small smile on his face as you quickly caught up with Joshua. He observed that Joshua's eyes lit up the more you spoke. There was something he was feeling in his gut, but he couldn't pinpoint what exactly was wrong. He shook his head and continued waiting. Your conversation ended, and you hugged each other goodbye. Joshua glanced at him quickly and smiled politely before leaving.

Exhibit B: Gigi Hadid's Birthday Party He noticed Joshua as soon as he entered. Joshua had a special talent for making people look his way without even trying. It wasn't arrogance. It was simply Joshua Hong being Joshua Hong.

It didn't take long for Joshua to spot you.

"Y/N, darling!" Joshua beamed as he made his way over. "It's so nice to see you."

He greeted everyone at the table with the same warmth before looking around. "Mind if I steal a seat for a bit?"

"Of course!" someone answered before anyone else could.

Joshua settled into the empty chair beside you, and before long, the entire table had fallen into easy conversation. He told stories from a campaign he had just wrapped in Milan, congratulated another model on booking Valentino, and somehow remembered the name of someone's assistant whom he'd only met once months ago.

Jeonghan understood why everyone adored him. Hell, he adored him, too. That was the problem.

Then someone asked Joshua about an old campaign.

"Oh!" Joshua laughed, pointing at you. "Y/N was there for that one. Remember when the wind machine nearly blew us off the cliff?"

You burst into laughter immediately, adding details Joshua had forgotten. Before long, the two of you were reminiscing about old shoots, impossible call times, and stylists you'd both sworn never to work with again.

Jeonghan smiled politely as he listened.

Then an event photographer approached the table.

"Joshua! Y/N! Could I get a quick photo of you two?"

Joshua blinked. "Oh... shouldn't Jeonghan be in it, too?"

The photographer laughed. "No, no. We want the reunion."

Joshua glanced toward Jeonghan for a split second before offering him an apologetic smile. "If that's alright with you?"

Jeonghan only nodded. "Go ahead."

The photo was taken. By the time Jeonghan got home that night, it had already gone viral.

Fashion's Favorite Exes Reunite at Gigi Hadid's Birthday.

If anyone zoomed in closely enough, they'd notice Jeonghan in the background, pretending to be very interested in the drink in his hand.

Exhibit C: Everything Else Because you and Joshua agreed to remain friends after the breakup, Jeonghan tried his best to understand. He really did.

At first, he told himself he was overthinking things. Then he started developing theories. The biggest one? Joshua Hong definitely had your post notifications on. There was simply no other explanation. The second you uploaded a photo... 'liked by @j.hong'. Every. Single. Time.

The comments came just as quickly.

"Great shot! Proud of you."

"Paris suits you, dear."

"Missed seeing you this week :("

Then came the phone calls. The texts. The poems.

Jeonghan had no idea what the two of you were talking about half the time, but every conversation ended the same way.

You laughed. You smiled. You promised to call him back later. He wasn't upset that you and Joshua were still friends. He wasn't even upset that Joshua still occupied a place in your life.

What bothered him was something much smaller. Joshua never seemed to realize that every hour he borrowed from you was an hour taken from someone else. It confused Jeonghan.

Joshua remembered birthdays. He bought coffee for the entire production team. He flew across continents just to support his friends' runway debuts. He had a reputation for making everyone around him feel seen.

Yet somehow, the one relationship he never seemed to acknowledge was yours.

Jeonghan tried not to dwell on it. Most days, it was easy. Especially on days like today. For once, neither of you had a flight to catch. No runway rehearsals. No campaign meetings. No fittings that somehow always ran three hours longer than scheduled.

Just the two of you.

The movie playing on your television had long been forgotten. "…And then," you giggled, trying to catch your breath, "the stylist accidentally glued the heel of her shoe to the runway."

Jeonghan chuckled, though he wasn't entirely sure he'd heard the whole story.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You weren't listening." You pouted.

"I was!" Jeonghan exclaimed.

"No, you weren't."

"I heard the important parts."

You narrowed your eyes. "Really?"

"Mhm."

"What happened, then?" You challenged.

Jeonghan pretended to think. "...There was a shoe."

You burst into laughter. "Oh my God, you are unbelievable."

"I was distracted."

"By what?"

He looked at you as if the answer were obvious. "You."

Your expression softened immediately. "That's a horrible excuse, Hannie."

"Are you kidding me? It's a fantastic excuse."

"No, baby."

"It worked, didn't it?" Jeonghan smirked. You tried to suppress another smile, but failed miserably. Jeonghan grinned triumphantly. "I knew it."

"You're so annoying," you rolled your eyes and crossed your arms.

"And yet..." He leaned closer. "...you still said yes."

Your cheeks warmed. "I think I made a mistake."

He nodded, "You definitely did."

"Oh?"

"The biggest one of your life."

You laughed and shoved his shoulder. He caught your wrist before you could pull away. For a moment, neither of you said anything. His thumb absentmindedly traced circles against your skin. You looked at him. He looked back. Then, quietly, you closed the distance.

The kiss was soft. Familiar. Comfortable, like coming home after weeks away. Jeonghan smiled into it. "I missed you," he murmured.

"I saw you yesterday," you muttered.

"I missed you yesterday."

You laughed against his lips before kissing him again. Somewhere between teasing smiles and stolen kisses, you found yourself settling comfortably onto his lap. His arms wrapped around your waist as naturally as breathing.

"You know..." he whispered.

"Hm?"

"I think this is my favorite city."

You blinked. "We're in Seoul."

"I know."

"You said Paris was your favorite." You raised a brow.

"My favorite city is wherever you are." He said lovingly before leaning in for another kiss. This one lingered longer, slower.

Jeonghan's hand rested against your waist before carefully slipping beneath the hem of your shirt, his fingertips brushing lightly against your skin. A quiet shiver ran through you.

His fingers caught the hem of your shirt. Just as he started to pull, your phone rang. Jeonghan didn't even acknowledge it. "Ignore it. It'll stop," he mumbled against your lips, his hand resting lightly against the small of your back.

The ringing didn't stop.

"It could be important," you mumbled between kisses.

"Just leave it, baby." He said, voice raspy. "They'll call again."

The phone continued ringing. You sighed apologetically. "I'm sorry."

You slipped off his lap and reached for your phone on the coffee table. Jeonghan groaned dramatically, letting his head fall against the couch. "...Whoever that is owes me an apology."

You answered your phone without even looking at the caller ID. "Hello?"

As you listened to whoever was on the other end, Jeonghan quietly reached for your waist again, pulling you back onto his lap. He rested a hand on your hip and absentmindedly pressed feather-light kisses along your neck, hoping—perhaps delusionally—that the conversation would only last a few seconds.

"Oh!" You smiled brightly. "Hi, Joshie!"

Jeonghan stopped. His lips hovered against your neck. One second. Two. Three. Slowly, very, very slowly, he pulled away. He looked at you. Then, the phone pressed against your ear. Then back at you again. Without saying a word, he leaned back until his head hit the couch with a soft thud.

He stared blankly at the ceiling. Silence. A muscle in his jaw twitched. His eye followed shortly after.

Meanwhile, you remained blissfully unaware. "Oh! Really?" you laughed into the phone. "No way. Wait, tell me everything."

Jeonghan closed his eyes. "Hong Jisoo. You couldn't have called thirty minutes later?"

"Count your fucking days." Jeonghan thought.

Joshua had been keeping you occupied for days, and Jeonghan began going insane. When Joshua got back from Florence, he wasted no time hanging out with you. Fortunately for Jeonghan, Mingyu just got back from New York.

"So..." Mingyu stabbed a cherry tomato with his fork. "What's wrong with you?"

Jeonghan looked up from his salad. "What do you mean?"

"I've known you for years." Mingyu shrugged. "You only eat your tomatoes last when something's bothering you."

Jeonghan blinked. "You... notice that?"

"Yah, don't change the topic!" Mingyu pouted, mouth still full of food.

Jeonghan chuckled at the younger man. Using his fork to push around the cherry tomato, he sighed. "It's Joshua..."

"Hong?" Mingyu frowned.

"Unfortunately," Jeonghan rolled his eyes.

"As in," Mingyu swallowed his food. "the Joshua Hong?"

"Bro, who else?" Jeonghan deadpanned. "Unless another Joshua Hong is walking around New York Fashion Week."

"Huh." Mingyu leaned back in his chair. "That's weird. Are you sure we met the same Joshua?"

Jeonghan frowned. He didn't know if he wanted to flick Mingyu's forehead or fling him around. He knew it'd be impossible to fling around a man who is six foot two. He'd find a way anyway.

"Dude's awesome!" Mingyu grinned as Jeonghan stared at him in disbelief. "We worked together for Givenchy last year."

A smile spread across his face at the memory. "We hit the after-party right after the show. He introduced me to photographers, bought everyone drinks, and somehow remembered the names of assistants he'd only met once."

"It was fucking rad," He laughed. "Too bad you were in London for Burberry."

Jeonghan sighed. "We definitely met different Joshua Hongs."

"But he's nice."

"I know he is."

"So, what's the problem?"

Jeonghan set his fork down. "He doesn't get the message." Mingyu waited. Jeonghan exhaled. "He calls."

"Mhm." Mingyu nodded.

"He texts."

"Mhm."

"He's always the first person to comment on Y/N's Instagram."

"Mhm."

"He writes poems."

"...Poems?" Mingyu furrowed his brows.

"Poems." Jeonghan nodded once.

"Damn." Mingyu said. "I didn't peg him for a poetry guy."

"And last week," Jeonghan rubbed a hand over his face. "He interrupted us."

"Interrupted?" Mingyu looked even more confused.

"We were making out." Jeonghan got more frustrated as he recalled the moment.

Mingyu blinked. "Okay. Nevermind."

"And then Joshua called."

"Yikes," Mingyu shook his head. "That's rough."

"It was." Jeonghan sighed. Another silence settled between them. Mingyu looked down at his plate. His lips slowly formed into an exaggerated pout.

Jeonghan frowned. "What are you pouting for?"

Mingyu poked a cucumber slice with his fork. "Why are we eating sad salad?"

Jeonghan stared. He was too stunned to speak.

"Hyung." Mingyu looked genuinely betrayed. "I just got back from Calvin Klein."

"Yeah."

"I've been eating grilled chicken and broccoli for weeks!" Mingyu frowned. "Now I'm back in Korea, and you're making me eat leaves?! I didn't survive Calvin Klein just to come home and eat lettuce."

Jeonghan sighed. "We're models."

"I know."

"Your abs are your moneymaker." Jeonghan nodded towards him.

Mingyu immediately pats his stomach and grabs the collar of his shirt slightly to look down at his abs. "They'll understand. They've worked hard enough."

"Hyung," Mingyu crossed his arms. "I deserve pork."

Jeonghan pinched the bridge of his nose.

"And I want a lot of it." Mingyu pouted even more.

The sound of sizzling pork belly filled the restaurant. Mingyu looked infinitely happier. "Now," he said proudly while flipping the meat, "continue."

Jeonghan couldn't help but laugh. "I invited you here to listen to my problems."

"I am listening," Mingyu said.

"You just needed pork first." Jeonghan rolled his eyes.

"I process emotions better with grilled meat."

Jeonghan rolled his eyes. "So, anyway..." He picked up where he left off. By the time he'd finished recounting every interaction with Joshua, Mingyu had wrapped him three ssams and grilled two more rounds of pork.

"Yeah," Mingyu finally admitted. "He really doesn't get the message."

Jeonghan leaned back with a relieved sigh. "THANK YOU."

"But..." Mingyu pointed at him with his tongs. "You're stronger than me."

"Why do you say that?"

"I would've kicked his ass by now," Mingyu said in a serious tone.

Jeonghan laughed. "I don't have any attachment to Joshua."

Mingyu pursed his lips. "Sure."

"What?"

"I don't think you're attached to Joshua." He placed another strip of pork on the grill. "I think you're starting to have an emotional attachment to him through your girlfriend."

Jeonghan blinked.

Mingyu shrugged. "Think about it," He trailed off, flipping another slice of pork. "You know his schedule, you know where he is, you know what campaigns he's booking, you even knew he was in Florence!"

"Shut up," Jeonghan said, looking down at the table.

Mingyu smiled to himself. "Bingo!" He wrapped another ssam and happily popped it into his mouth. "You're paying."

"Screw you, Kim Mingyu!"

"Love you, too," Mingyu said with his mouth full.

-

Jeon Wonwoo had never liked being the center of attention. Which was ironic, considering he'd chosen a career where people constantly stared at him. Modeling was easier. The cameras never expected him to make conversation.

It was different with people. People expected a lot of things.

Tonight marked Wonwoo's official debut as one of South Korea's newest runway models after months of editorials, lookbooks, and campaign work. His agency had insisted on throwing a small celebration to commemorate the milestone.

Note: small.

No media. No reporters. No influencers. Just a handful of close friends and colleagues from the industry. Preferably men. He specifically typed it on the e-invite:

Subject: JEON WONWOO'S DEBUT CELEBRATION A small gathering to celebrate my official runway debut.

📍 Maison Noir Private Dining 🗓️ Saturday, 8:00 PM

Hi.

Thank you for supporting me throughout the beginning of my modeling career.

I know I don't usually say things like this out loud, but I genuinely appreciate everyone who has guided me, encouraged me, and believed in me. If it weren't for any of you, I'd just be a pro-gamer who's too shy to be a streamer. I'd like to celebrate this milestone with the people who helped me get here.

Dinner and drinks are on me. Please come if you're free.

Dress code: Smart casual

Best regards, Jeon Wonwoo

P.S. Please don't bring gifts. Your presence is more than enough. P.P.S This is a guys-only gathering. I have nothing against women. I'm just more comfortable this way. I'm very introverted, and I would not want to deal with a dating rumor, please. I just started my career. Please don't overthink it. Thank you for understanding. :)

Wonwoo wasn't built to socialize with too many people at once. One room full of men already sounded exhausting enough.

Jeonghan stood in front of the mirror, buttoning the cuffs of his shirt. You peeked into the bedroom with a small pout. "I really can't come?"

Jeonghan chuckled. "Sorry, baby." He reached over to straighten the collar of your oversized hoodie before gently pinching your cheek. "Wonwoo specifically wrote 'guys only' on the email."

"Seriously?" You blinked. "Why?"

Jeonghan laughed under his breath. "Apparently, he's too introverted for girls."

You immediately covered your mouth to stop yourself from laughing. You've met Wonwoo. He's a nice guy, and it wouldn't be very nice of you to laugh at him.

"That's so on brand for Wonwoo," you said. "I mean, I worked with him for Salvatore Ferragamo two months back. He could barely say 'hi'."

Jeonghan laughed as he fixed his hair. You leaned against the doorway dramatically. "I would've behaved."

"I know you would've." Jeonghan snickered.

"I would've stayed in one corner."

"I know."

"I would've only talked to you."

"Mhm."

"So..." you gave him a mischievous grin. "Should I pretend to be a guy? This is my 'She's The Man' moment, baby!"

"Babe, you have boobs. It'd be obvious!" Jeonghan cackled. He couldn't believe he was actually thinking about your plan.

You pouted and crossed your arms. "Mingyu has boobs too, and he doesn't wear a bra. I've seen his Calvin Klein ads!"

At this point, Jeonghan was bent over, laughing. He thought you were the funniest person ever. "I'm telling Mingyu when I see him later."

You let out the most exaggerated sigh imaginable. "At least tell Wonwoo I said congrats."

He walked over and wrapped an arm around your waist before pressing a kiss to your forehead. "I will. I shouldn't be too late."

"Oh, and tell Mingyu to stop eating the food before everyone gets there."

Jeonghan snorted. "Oh, please. We both know his abs wouldn't suffer one bit. Besides, I don't think anyone on earth is capable of stopping Kim Mingyu from eating."

"Fair," you giggled.

He leaned down to steal one last kiss before heading toward the front door. "Love you."

"Love you more."

"Nuh-uh," Jeonghan shook his head. "Love you most."

You rolled your eyes and fought back a grin. Jeonghan smirked, "I'll make it up to you tomorrow, I promise. I'll even buy you two desserts."

"Looking forward to it. Drive safe, baby, and text me when you get there!"

"I will!" Jeonghan waved before walking out and getting in his car.

Jeonghan's phone buzzed the moment he pulled into the parking lot.

[My YN]: Did you drive safely?

He smiled to himself before replying.

[My Hanniebunch]: Already here. [My YN]: Have fun! Don't forget to tell Wonwoo I said congrats! ♥️ [My Hanniebunch]: I will! Love you.

Satisfied, he slipped his phone back into his pocket before making his way inside.

The celebration was already well underway by the time Jeonghan stepped into Maison Noir. He hadn't expected such a turnout. Judging by Wonwoo's invitation, neither had Wonwoo.

The private dining room buzzed with conversation as familiar faces from across the fashion industry filled nearly every table. Models exchanged stories from Paris, Milan, London, and New York as though they hadn't seen each other in years.

For someone who'd insisted on a small gathering, Wonwoo's definition of "small" seemed surprisingly generous.

Jeonghan smiled to himself. He was genuinely happy for Wonwoo. They'd met almost a year ago during a Burberry campaign in London.

Wonwoo had barely spoken to anyone throughout the shoot. Every break, he'd disappear into a corner with his Nintendo Switch while everyone else networked over coffee.

Jeonghan found it amusing. Every model he'd met had spent breaks networking with editors or introducing themselves to photographers. Wonwoo, on the other hand, was trying to catch Pokémon. Jeonghan couldn't help himself. He wandered over.

"What're you playing?" Jeonghan asked, hands in his pockets.

Wonwoo looked up, startled. Oh. Someone was talking to him. His palms immediately grew clammy. He wasn't sure where to look. At Jeonghan? At his Switch? Somewhere in between?

"Um... Pokémon." Wonwoo gulped, awkwardly holding up his Switch.

Jeonghan racked his brain for anything he recalled about Pokémon games. Mingyu wasn't the type to play that much. In the end, he decided to tell the truth.

"I don't know much about Pokémon," Jeonghan admitted. "Who's your starter?"

That single question somehow turned into an hour-long conversation. By the end of the campaign, they weren't just coworkers anymore. They were friends. Wonwoo even gave him an awkward side hug before leaving the shoot, which was honestly more than enough for Jeonghan.

This explained why he wasn't surprised when Wonwoo sent him an e-invite for his debut party.

"Jeonghan-hyung!"

Jeonghan turned just in time to see Wonwoo making his way over.

"Congratulations." Jeonghan smiled warmly before pulling him into a quick hug. "I'm proud of you."

Wonwoo smiled sheepishly. "Thanks."

"You've earned this."

"Oh, I don't know about that." Wonwoo chuckled awkwardly.

"I do."

Wonwoo scratched the back of his neck awkwardly before glancing around the room. "I genuinely thought only five people would come."

"Five?" Jeonghan laughed. "Give yourself some slack, Wonwoo."

"I invited thirty."

"And you expected five?" Jeonghan looked at him like he had three heads.

Wonwoo nodded without a hint of irony. "Maybe seven if Mingyu was hungry."

Jeonghan burst into laughter. Before Jeonghan could reply, another guest called Wonwoo's name from across the room. Wonwoo sighed almost imperceptibly.

"Duty calls."

"Go," Jeonghan chuckled. "It's your night, Wonwoo-yah."

Wonwoo bowed his head once. "Thanks for coming."

As Wonwoo disappeared back into the growing crowd, Jeonghan couldn't help but smile. He'd come a long way from the quiet guy hiding in the corner with a Nintendo Switch. Now he was the reason everyone had gathered tonight.

Just then, someone threw an arm around Jeonghan's shoulders.

"There you are!"

Jeonghan rolled his eyes. He didn't even have to turn around. "Mingyu. You're late."

"Only for three minutes," Mingyu pouted.

"Still late," Jeonghan sighed and faced his friend. "You made me wait so long. I hate you."

"No, you don't," Mingyu teased as they walked to the bar to grab drinks.

"No," Jeonghan admitted with a reluctant smile. "I really don't."

Mingyu handed him a glass of champagne. "To our new, hot friend Wonwoo."

Jeonghan chuckled, "To Wonwoo."

The two clinked glasses and drank.

Across the room, Wonwoo laughed nervously as another model congratulated him. For the first time that evening, he looked comfortable. Jeonghan smiled.

Then, the restaurant doors opened. No one announced his arrival. No dramatic fanfare. And yet, conversations slowed. Heads turned one after another, as though someone had started a domino effect. Even Mingyu paused mid-sip. "Huh?"

Jeonghan frowned. "What?"

Mingyu looked toward the entrance with an amused expression. "I didn't know he was coming."

Jeonghan followed his gaze. A familiar figure stepped through the doorway. Perfect posture. An apologetic smile. Tailored black suit.

Joshua Hong.

Jeonghan blinked once. "Oh, my god."

Mingyu frowned. "What?"

Jeonghan watched Joshua apologize to the hostess for being a few minutes late, then bowed politely to every member of staff who greeted him. The hostess laughed at something he said. Joshua laughed with her.

"It's Glinda," Jeonghan muttered under his breath.

"Who?" Mingyu looked at him, brows knit together.

"Glinda," Jeonghan answered as he watched Joshua's every move. "The Good Witch."

Mingyu looked between Jeonghan and Joshua and sighed. "Hyung..."

"I'm serious."

As Joshua made his way into the room, conversations dissolved into excited greetings. People waved. People stood. Someone called his name from across the restaurant. Joshua smiled at every single person as though they'd known each other for years.

And, against Jeonghan's will, his brain betrayed him.

🎶 Let us be glad...

Joshua stopped to shake hands with Wonwoo's stylist.

🎶 Let us be grateful...

He congratulated Jean-François for his Hermès ad.

🎶 Let us rejoicify...

He remembered the name of Wonwoo's stylist's assistant.

🎶 ...that goodness could subdue...

He complimented Błażej's latest campaign before asking about his mother's cataract surgery.

🎶 ...the wicked workings of...

Joshua's eyes landed on Wonwoo. His face immediately brightened. "Wonwoo-yah!"

🎶 ...you-know-who.

Jeonghan closed his eyes. 'Absolutely not.'

His brain had assigned No One Mourns the Wicked to Joshua Hong. And, infuriatingly enough, it fit. To make matters worse, the man had the audacity to wear pink.

Joshua made a beeline toward the guest of honor. "Wonwoo-yah!"

Wonwoo turned around. The moment he realized who had called his name, his eyes widened. "Joshua-hyung?"

Joshua had plastered a smile on his face. and opened his arms. "Congratulations, dear!"

Wonwoo stepped into the hug almost automatically.

"You worked so hard," Joshua patted his back before pulling away. "I'm really proud of you."

"I..." Wonwoo blinked several times. He couldn't believe it. "I didn't think you'd actually come."

Joshua frowned as if the idea offended him... because it did. "What? Why would you think that way?"

"I mean," Wonwoo laughed awkwardly. "You're always out of the country. I didn't think you'd have time for a... rookie like me. You're a busy man, hyung."

"So are you." Joshua said, determined to boost Wonwoo's confidence.

"But you're Joshua Hong."

"And you're Jeon Wonwoo." Joshua smiled as Wonwoo stared at him. "I don't see the difference."

The tips of Wonwoo's ears turned pink. "I..." He laughed awkwardly. "Thank you."

Joshua noticed the crowd forming around them and gently nudged Wonwoo forward. "Go on."

"Go where?"

Joshua laughed. "Tonight isn't about me, dearest." He rested a hand on Wonwoo's shoulder before lightly tapping a knife against his champagne glass.

Clink.

The conversations gradually quieted. Joshua looked around the room. "I promise I'll keep this short."

A few people laughed.

"Watch." Jeonghan took another sip of champagne. "He's about to make Wonwoo's debut about himself."

Mingyu pursed his lips and shrugged. "Probably not."

"I just wanted to say how proud I am of Wonwoo," Joshua said. He looked over at Wonwoo with the warmest smile Jeonghan had ever seen. "I've watched him grow over the past year. He's one of the hardest-working people I've ever met. He never asks to be noticed. He never asks for praise, but he's earned every bit of tonight."

Joshua lifted his champagne flute. "So," He smiled. "Let's toast to my friend..."

Wonwoo blinked. "Friend?"

Joshua looked at him, equally confused. "Well, of course. How could you not be my friend?"

Wonwoo looked seconds away from passing out. The room erupted into applause. Someone whistled. Someone yelled, "Speech!"

Wonwoo looked horrified. Joshua saw this and laughed lightly. "Easy now." He patted Wonwoo's shoulder. "One milestone at a time."

Instead of remaining beside him, Joshua quietly stepped to the side. Just enough. Just enough that every eye naturally returned to Wonwoo. Jeonghan noticed. Of course, he noticed.

He redirected the attention.

Even now. Even when the entire room wanted to celebrate Joshua's arrival. He somehow made it about Wonwoo.

"You've got to be kidding me," Jeonghan mumbled.

"Hm?" Mingyu glanced over.

"Nothing."

Before Wonwoo could be swallowed by another wave of congratulations, Joshua finally looked around the room again.

His eyes landed on Mingyu. "Mingyu, darling!"

Mingyu immediately broke into a grin. "Hyung!"

Joshua pulled him into a tight hug. "It's been ages! We last saw each other at Givenchy, right?"

"Yeah!" Mingyu laughed. "We should go clubbing again."

"Oh, we absolutely should!" Joshua exclaimed excitedly. "I believe it's your turn to buy everyone drinks. I'll get the food."

"I think it's only fair," Mingyu chuckled.

Joshua stepped back, looking Mingyu up and down. "You look incredible."

"So do you," Mingyu grinned. "Pink is your color."

Joshua waved him off. "Enough about me. I loved your Calvin Klein campaign! Very, very sexy of you."

Mingyu rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. "Thanks, hyung."

Only then did Joshua's gaze shift toward Jeonghan. His smile never faltered. "Jeonghan."

This time, he walked over properly. "It's good to see you again."

"Likewise," Jeonghan said with a tight-lipped smile.

"I've actually wanted to tell you something."

Jeonghan blinked. "...Me?"

Joshua nodded enthusiastically. "I still remember seeing your photo for the first time."

Jeonghan laughed awkwardly. "My first YSL campaign?"

"What?" Joshua chuckled. "No." He shook his head. "You did a Lotte Department Store campaign years ago."

"The... mall poster?"

"Yes!" Joshua pointed at him excitedly. "That's the one."

Jeonghan froze. Not everyone knew about that. Not even you or Mingyu. Not even his agency talked about it. It was a job he'd quietly buried years ago.

It was his first shoot after deciding he wanted to pursue modeling. He was never really good academically, anyway. In truth, he pursued modeling because of Joshua. He was so intrigued by him when he saw his face in his little sister's magazine. He wanted to look just as good.

Booking a Lotte Department Store campaign seemed right at the time. Sure, the studio location was sketchy, and there was little to no staff at the shoot, and he had to do his own makeup, but it went alright.

"I was shopping with my mom." Joshua smiled fondly. "I remember seeing this huge poster of you." He laughed. "You looked so awkward."

Joshua copied the pose from memory, and Mingyu snorted into his champagne.

Jeonghan deadpanned. "Gee, thanks."

"But," Joshua continued quickly, "you were far too handsome to be stuck on a department store poster. So, I took a picture of it and sent it to your current agency." He was so casual about it.

Jeonghan's eyebrows shot up. "You... what?"

Joshua nodded. "I told them, 'I don't know who he is, but you should find him'. Oh, I was so happy when they told me they found you!" He looked at Jeonghan with a fond smile. "They tracked you down a few months later, didn't they?"

"Yeah," Jeonghan muttered. Mingyu was too stunned to speak.

"I knew they would. I've been rooting for you ever since," Joshua's smile widened. Then he gestured proudly toward Jeonghan. "Now look at you; YSL, Burberry... I absolutely loved your Paolo Roversi editorial."

Joshua's eyes sparkled. "It was so artistic, darling. So raw. I don't think anyone else could've done it the way you did."

Jeonghan stared. He didn't know what to say. Because rookie Jeonghan would've cried hearing those words. Present-day Jeonghan, however...

Present-day Jeonghan wished Joshua had been a worse person.

It would've made all of this so much easier.

YOU'RE IN MY WAY

Jeonghan had never been in many relationships because each relationship he had with his ex-girlfriends lasted quite a while before the inevitable breakup. Now that he was with you, he was determined to see your relationship until you both die. You were the last girl for him; he was sure of it.

He was never the jealous type. No, he was very understanding. He never yelled to get his point across. He was in tune with your feelings, and he made sure he was attentive to everything while juggling hectic schedules.

He was very patient, too. In fact, he was so patient that he let everything with Joshua Hong slide. The straw that broke the camel's back? The award show.

Joshua can call you, text you, like your posts, and comment all he wants, but saving you a seat at an award show when everyone knew you'd be attending as a couple? Absolutely not.

'Has he gone insane?' Jeonghan thought to himself.

"Oh, I appreciate it, Joshie," you smiled politely. "I'm sitting with Hannie tonight, though."

"No worries," Joshua smiled. "I hope you guys enjoy the night. Perhaps I can ask someone else to sit with me."

"Trust me, a lot of people would want to sit with you," Jeonghan said in a tone that neither you nor Joshua picked up on.

Joshua's eye lit up, "That is so nice of you to say, Jeonghan! I sure hope it's true. I think I'll ask Wonwoo. He's comfortable with me." He glanced at Wonwoo and waved him over. When Wonwoo walked over, Joshua immediately invited him to sit with him. Of course, he agreed.

You caught up with Joshua and Wonwoo for a while before you and Jeonghan went to your seats. He didn't want to ruin your night, but he had had enough of Joshua.

A few days after the award show, his head had already cooled down. During those days, he decided it was best to talk to Joshua. Enough was enough.

"Babe?" Jeonghan asked.

"Mhm?"

He took a deep breath and gave you a tight-lipped smile. "Can I... have Joshua's number?"

You quickly looked up from your laptop in disbelief. "Really?"

"Yeah."

You smiled. "I've been waiting for you to ask!" You quickly pulled out your phone, "You two have so much in common! I think you'll get along."

"Yeah," Jeonghan forced a smile. "I hope so."

After sending him Joshua's contact, you quickly sent him a text.

[Love ♥️]: Joshieeee! Hannie asked for your number!! I think he wants to be friends, and he wants to talk and hang out 🥹 [Joshie 💫]: Really?? 🥹 [Joshie 💫]: That makes me so happy, darling! [Joshie 💫]: I've always wanted to get to know him better!

Jeonghan wasted no time in shooting Joshua a text. To his surprise, Joshua replied immediately. A part of him fanboyed. He understood how Wonwoo felt when he saw Joshua walk into the restaurant. He also understood how Mingyu felt when Joshua bought drinks for everyone at the Givenchy thing.

[Joshua Hong]: Hi, Jeonghan! 😊 [Joshua Hong]: Y/N told me you wanted to talk! [Joshua Hong]: I'd love that. [Joshua Hong]: Coffee?

Jeonghan stared at his phone in disbelief. Jeonghan thought, if Glinda the Good Witch had a phone, she'd text like Joshua Hong.

[Jeonghannie]: Tomorrow? [Joshua Hong]: Perfect! [Joshua Hong]: My treat 😊

Jeonghan thought that was it, but Joshua had texted him again.

[Joshua Hong]: Maru Lounge at Four Seasons, 2:00 PM tomorrow? If you'd prefer somewhere else, just let me know. I'd be happy to change it for your convenience. 😊

Jeonghan stared at the messages.

A reservation. At Four Seasons. With Joshua Hong.

Somewhere deep inside him, rookie Jeonghan screamed.

"Oh, my god! Joshua Hong invited us to Four Seasons!! He made a reservation for us! THIS IS NOT A DRILL."

Present-day Jeonghan pinched the bridge of his nose. He's not doing this. He will not give in to his rookie self.

But rookie Jeonghan ignored him completely.

"WE'RE HAVING COFFEE WITH JOSHUA HONG! AT FOUR SEASONS! DO YOU KNOW HOW EXPENSIVE FOUR SEASONS IS??? WHAT ARE WE WEARING?! WE HAVE TO WEAR THAT YSL COMBO THAT YOU GOT IN YOUR CLOSET!"

"We're not dressing up for Joshua Hong."

"HE'S GOING TO NOTICE IF WE DON'T MAKE AN EFFORT! WE'RE MEETING HIM AT THE FOUR SEASONS!!!"

"That is literally the opposite of the point."

"I bet he'd be dressed head-to-toe in Prada..."

"You know what? He probably will be."

Present-day Jeonghan absolutely did not want to indulge the voice inside his head. Besides, it didn't matter, right? Joshua Hong is just a regular person. It shouldn't matter.

"It matters to me, present-day Jeonghan. Please, please, PLEASE don't embarrass us! Ask him for a photo or an autograph! TELL HIM YOU LOVED HIS GIVENCHY ERA!!! His Armani era was scrumptious, too!"

Since when did his rookie self describe Joshua as "scrumptious"? He'll never know. He was torn, if he were being honest. He's literally about to tell Joshua to fuck off.

"Can you at least compliment his suit? I bet he'd style his hair in that slicked-back hairstyle and have shades on his head as a makeshift headband."

Jeonghan let out a long, exhausted sigh before typing his reply.

[Jeonghannie]: Sounds good. See you tomorrow, Joshua!

The next afternoon arrived much faster than Jeonghan would've liked. He stood in front of his closet for far longer than necessary. Rookie Jeonghan had somehow taken over.

"Not the hoodie."

Present-day Jeonghan sighed. "I'm not dressing up for Joshua Hong."

"You absolutely are."

"In case you forgot, I'm confronting him to, like, stay away from our girlfriend."

"Yes, but you're confronting Joshua Hong... at the Four Seasons. At least wear the YSL jacket."

Present-day Jeonghan pinched the bridge of his nose. Against his better judgment, he wore the YSL jacket.

Maru Lounge at the Four Seasons was exactly what Jeonghan imagined Joshua Hong's favorite place would look like.

Quiet. Elegant. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked Gwanghwamun, letting warm afternoon sunlight spill across polished marble floors. A pianist played softly in the corner while guests spoke in hushed voices over afternoon tea.

Jeonghan checked the time. 1:56 PM.

He was early. Then he looked toward the corner of the lounge, Of course, Joshua was already there. Fifteen minutes early, if Jeonghan had to guess.

He wasn't scrolling on his phone. He wasn't taking calls. He wasn't even working. Instead, he sat by the window with a pot of tea already poured, occasionally thanking Gerard whenever he came by to refill his teapot. As if sensing someone watching him, Joshua looked up. His face immediately brightened.

"Jeonghan!" He stood so quickly that his chair nearly slid backward.

"You made it!" Joshua smiled, waving him over as though they've been friends for years. "I hope traffic wasn't too bad."

Jeonghan was glad he listened to his inner voice because Joshua was wearing a cream knit polo beneath a light beige blazer, and a pair of sunglasses rested on top of his head like a headband. He was sure that Joshua was drenched in Prada.

"It was fairly quick to get here," Jeonghan said softly as he approached.

Joshua extended his hand. "It's nice seeing you again."

Jeonghan shook it. "You too."

Joshua looked almost relieved. "Oh, please sit. I'm so happy that we're finally having this opportunity to bond. Perhaps we should invite Mingyu and Wonwoo next time. I like their company as well."

The two of them sat down across from each other. The moment they sat down, Gerard approached with an easy smile.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Hong."

"Good afternoon, Gerard." Joshua smiled back as though greeting an old friend. "You're looking great!"

"Thank you, Mr. Hong," Gerard smiled politely.

"Thank you for accommodating us," Joshua said easily. Jeonghan just watched as he interacted with Gerard. It wasn't his place to join the conversation. Besides, Joshua did all the talking.

"My pleasure, sir." Gerard placed two menus on the table. "The usual?"

Joshua glanced at Jeonghan. "I might switch things up today." He looked back at Gerard. "We'll need another minute."

"Of course," As Gerard walked away, Joshua turned back to Jeonghan.

"I hope this place is alright for you," Joshua said with a hint of nervousness in his voice. Gosh, he just wanted to make friends. If he only knew what Jeonghan was here for.

"It's... nice."

Joshua smiled. "I like coming here whenever I need some peace and quiet." Then he paused. "Oh."

His eyebrows knitted together. "Y/N never told me if you were vegan… or pescatarian."

Jeonghan blinked. "What?"

"I wasn't sure what you ate." Joshua looked genuinely apologetic. "I had ordered a few things to snack on while waiting. Just... safe snacks for sharing."

Then Joshua's eyes widened. "Oh, dear."

Jeonghan raised an eyebrow. "What now?"

"You're not allergic to anything, are you?"

"No."

Joshua visibly relaxed. "Oh, thank goodness. I was worried I'd accidentally kill you before we even had coffee."

A laugh escaped Jeonghan before he could stop it. "I'm good."

"Wonderful," Joshua smiled. Right on cue, Gerard returned with several small plates.

"Falafel with chickpeas, coriander, quinoa, lime juice, lemon juice, and yoghurt dressing."

"Our Premium Cheese Platter with crackers, dried fruit, nuts, and honey."

"And our Seasonal Sliced Fruit Platter." Gerard smiled. "Enjoy."

"Many thanks, Gerard," Joshua smiled. "We'll call you when we're ready to order."

Jeonghan stared at the food before him. "Josua..."

Joshua was browsing the menu before he looked up. "Yes?"

"There are two of us," Jeonghan said. "Do you usually feed an entire runway cast?"

Joshua laughed softly. "Oh, I may have overestimated." He smiled sheepishly, "I wasn't sure what you liked, so I ordered the safest options."

"Please forgive me if it's too much," Joshua looked almost embarrassed.

Jeonghan looked at the spread again. "Too much?"

Joshua gestured at the menu beside Jeonghan's plate. "But please order whatever you'd like. Personally, it's been a while since I've had a cheat day, so I'll be having the Maru Burger. I'll call Gerard once you've decided."

Jeonghan looked up. "Gerard?"

"The gentleman who greeted us."

"You know the staff?"

Joshua smiled fondly. "I come here rather often when I want some peace and quiet." He glanced toward Gerard. "He's usually assigned to my table."

Silence.

Jeonghan slowly looked around the lounge. The pianist. The marble. The crystal chandeliers. "Peace and quiet."

Joshua followed his gaze.

"This..." Jeonghan gestured vaguely around the room. "...is where you relax?"

Joshua blinked. "Shouldn't I?" He tilted his head. "If you ever have the chance, you should try the spa here."

His face brightened. "They have a spa treatment called Gangyeong. It's wonderful. They start with a warm foot-and-hand ritual, then a relaxation massage. Then they do a thermal ear ritual and an inner beauty facial. Afterwards, they do a scalp treatment…"

He smiled fondly. "I always fall asleep."

Jeonghan stared. "You have a favorite spa treatment."

Joshua blinked. "Yes...?"

Then realization slowly crossed Joshua's face. "Oh." He laughed at himself. "I'm doing it again, aren't I?"

Jeonghan didn't know what to say. He didn't want to offend the man. "No, it's..." He looked around again. "...Very nice."

Joshua smiled apologetically. "I probably should've asked if you were comfortable meeting here. I didn't think about it. I just come here whenever I need to clear my head."

Silence. Then, Gerard returned once more. "May I get you gentlemen something to drink?"

Joshua looked toward Jeonghan. "What would you like?"

"I'll just have water," Jeonghan said as if he had said it a million times. Well, because he had.

Joshua blinked. "Just water?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you sure?"

"Would you like sparkling?" Gerard asked.

Jeonghan frowned. "I'll have... water-water."

"What is water-water?" Joshua asked, genuinely curious. "Extra purified, or extra distilled?"

"Just regular water," Jeonghan said. "I'll be having regular water."

"Is that final?" Joshua asked.

Jeonghan nodded. "It's free."

Joshua paused. "Oh." Something clicked. He smiled to himself, "You're a water type."

"I'm a what?" Jeonghan frowned.

"My parents used to joke about it," Joshua chuckled. "There are water people and soda people. Water people always order water. Soda people never even look at the drinks menu."

He pointed gently between them. "You order water because it's practical. I order whatever sounds nice because I don't think about the price." He laughed at himself. "I've always been a soda person."

Jeonghan stared at him for a second before letting out a quiet chuckle. "...That might be the most old-money sentence I've ever heard."

Joshua blinked, then scrunched his nose. "Was it?"

"It absolutely was." Jeonghan chuckled.

"Oh, dear," Joshua hid his face behind the menu for a second. "Please don't tell Y/N."

Jeonghan frowned. "Why?"

Joshua sighed dramatically. "She keeps telling me I have no concept of money."

"Yeah," Jeonghan snickered. "She may have a point."

Gerard returned a few moments later with their drinks. "One still water," he said as he gently placed the glass before Jeonghan. "And a blueberry yoghurt smoothie for you, Mr. Hong."

"Many thanks, Gerard," Joshua smiled.

"My pleasure," He stepped away, leaving the two men alone once more. For a while, the conversation remained pleasantly light.

Their orders arrived not long after. Joshua asked about Jeonghan's recent Burberry campaign, complimenting the Paolo Roversi editorial once again. Jeonghan, despite himself, found himself asking Joshua about Milan Fashion Week. Joshua happily shared a few stories, mostly about getting lost in the city and accidentally ordering enough pastries for an entire production team because he couldn't decide which ones looked best.

At one point, Jeonghan laughed so hard he had to set his fork down. "You actually bought all of them?"

"They looked lonely." Joshua looked almost embarrassed.

Jeonghan stared. "The... pastries...?"

Joshua nodded earnestly. "They deserved a chance."

"You're unbelievable," Jeonghan laughed under his breath.

"So I've been told."

Lunch drifted by surprisingly easily. The food disappeared. The conversation never really stopped.

When dessert arrived—a Basque cheesecake for Joshua and a dark chocolate tart for Jeonghan—the silence between them no longer felt awkward.

It almost felt comfortable. Which only made what Jeonghan came here to do even harder.

Joshua set his fork down first. "I'm glad you reached out." Jeonghan looked up. Joshua smiled. "I've always wanted to get to know you better."

There it was, the opening he needed. Jeonghan quietly placed his fork beside his plate. "I actually," He hesitated. "Didn't ask you here because I wanted to be friends."

Joshua's smile faltered. "Oh..." Then he hummed. "I figured."

Jeonghan blinked. "You did?"

Joshua gave a tiny nod. "Not at first." He looked down at his untouched smoothie. "But..." his fingers absentmindedly traced the rim of the porcelain cup. "I started wondering why your laugh never reached your eyes." His smile became smaller.

Silence.

The pianist continued playing softly somewhere across the lounge. Outside, afternoon sunlight poured through the windows, bathing the room in gold. Inside, something shifted. Joshua straightened slightly.

His voice remained gentle. "Whatever it is you wanted to tell me..." He folded his hands neatly together. "I'm listening."

Jeonghan stared at the half-finished desserts between them. The words he'd rehearsed on the drive over suddenly felt much heavier because he genuinely enjoyed Joshua's company.

"Can I ask you something first?"

Joshua nodded. "Of course."

Jeonghan took a deep breath and met his eyes. "Do you... Do you still love Y/N?"

The pianist continued playing somewhere behind them. Joshua didn't answer immediately. He looked down at his tea. Then, quietly— "Yes."

Jeonghan felt something tighten in his chest. Joshua looked back up almost immediately. "But she doesn't love me. I know that. I accepted that a long time ago." He smiled sadly. "I've made peace with that, Jeonghan."

Jeonghan leaned back in his chair. "Have you?"

"I believe so," Joshua blinked.

"You believe so?"

Joshua frowned slightly. "Yes."

Jeonghan let out a humorless laugh. "Joshua."

"Hm?"

"You're... whimsical," Jeonghan began. "But you're not stupid."

He let out a breath and stared intently at Joshua, keeping his emotions at bay. "I know you're not. And I know that you know you're not."

Joshua's expression grew more serious. "I don't think I understand."

"No," Jeonghan nodded slowly. "I think you do."

He leaned forward. "You saved her seats, you call her, you text her, you comment on everything she posts, you invite her to dinner, you still call her 'darling'."

Joshua waited until Jeonghan was finished. Then he answered softly, "She's my best friend. I only wanted her to know she still had someone she could rely on."

"That's exactly the problem." Jeonghan shook his head. "She's your ex."

"I know." Joshua gulped.

"Do you?" Jeonghan raised a brow.

"...Yes."

"Then act like it." Jeonghan snapped. "I don't think you're aware of how you're acting, Joshua."

"You keep saying you're her best friend. You keep saying you've accepted the breakup, but every single thing you do..." Jeonghan gestured helplessly. "Says the exact opposite."

"I—"

Jeonghan's frustration spilled over, not giving Joshua any room to speak. "You're not aware until after you do it."

His voice carried farther than he intended. A few nearby guests glanced over. Gerard paused for only a second before quietly continuing with another table.

Joshua noticed immediately. "Jeonghan..."

Jeonghan shut his eyes. Ran a hand over his face. When he spoke again, his voice was lower. "Sorry. I'm not trying to make a scene. I just..." He exhaled sharply. "I'm frustrated."

Joshua nodded once. "Thank you."

Jeonghan looked up. "What?"

"Thank you for telling me," Joshua said gracefully. Jeonghan hated it. "I'd rather hear it from you than unknowingly continue hurting you."

That somehow made everything worse. Jeonghan laughed once. Short. Disbelieving. "You know what the worst part is?"

Joshua stayed silent.

"I respect you." Jeonghan sighed. "I respected you before I even met you."

"I became a model because I looked up to people like you. I thought rookie Jeonghan would've lost his mind knowing he'd one day have coffee with Joshua Hong, his idol; his everything."

Joshua looked crestfallen.

"But present-day Jeonghan is having a really hard time liking you," Jeonghan said. "I don't hate you. I don't dislike you at all. I wish you were an asshole because this would've been so much easier."

Another pause.

"But you're kind. You're generous. You mean well all the time, and that's exactly why this is so difficult."

Joshua's eyes began to glisten. Barely.

"I respect you with every fiber of my being," Jeonghan continued. "Which is why it hurts that I don't feel respected as Y/N's boyfriend."

Joshua immediately straightened. "I'm so—"

"No," Jeonghan shook his head. "Don't apologize yet. I want you to fuc— listen. I want you to listen."

Joshua nodded.

"I drew a map when Y/N and I started dating," Jeonghan said. "My relationship. My boundaries. My responsibilities." He looked Joshua directly in the eye. "And you've crossed lines you probably didn't even know existed."

Joshua didn't interrupt.

"So let me tell you where they are," Jeonghan took a slow breath. "Call her less. Stop saving seats for her. Stop behaving like the person she'll naturally turn to first."

"I never asked her to," Joshua said quietly.

Jeonghan finally explodes. "YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO!"

Everyone looked over.

Silence.

The pianist keeps playing. Jeonghan immediately realizes where he is. He pinches the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry. I'm not doing this here."

"You shouldn't have to," Joshua whispered.

Jeonghan took a deep breath. "She chose me, and I need you to respect that choice."

"Thank you," Joshua said quietly, "for telling me. I genuinely realize I'd crossed those boundaries. Words cannot express how awful I feel. For that, I deeply and sincerely apologize."

He looked up. There wasn't a trace of defensiveness in it. Only regret. "I'll stop."

Gerard approaches. "Whenever you're ready, gentlemen."

Joshua looks up. "Oh." He smiled softly. "The bill, please."

The bill arrives, and Gerard leaves it on the table. Jeonghan reached for his wallet, but Joshua gently stopped him. "Please, allow me."

Jeonghan frowned. "After everything?"

Joshua smiled softly. It was the same warm smile he'd worn all afternoon. It simply didn't reach his eyes anymore. "It was my invitation."

He paid the bill and signed before Gerard handed back his card and left.

Jeonghan had imagined feeling relieved. Victorious, perhaps. Instead, there was only an uncomfortable heaviness settling somewhere beneath his ribs.

Jeonghan meant for his relationship to be respected.

Joshua understood that he should remove himself from your lives.

Jeonghan stood up after a moment of silence, and he put on his coat. He looked at Joshua one last time. "Just stay away from my relationship."

Joshua simply bowed. "I understand."

Joshua remained in his seat as he watched Jeonghan walk away. Jeonghan never looked back.

Jeonghan didn't feel victorious when he stepped out of the Four Seasons.

He expected relief. Satisfaction, perhaps. He had finally done what he'd wanted to do for months. He had stood up for his relationship. He had drawn the boundaries that should've been drawn long ago.

Instead, he felt strangely hollow. He resisted every urge to look back. He didn't.

When he arrived home, he found you exactly where he'd expected. Curled up on the couch with your laptop balanced across your knees. The moment you heard the front door open, your face lit up.

"Hannie!" Setting your laptop on the coffee table, you hurried over excitedly. "How'd it go?"

Jeonghan managed a small smile as he slipped off his shoes. "...It went well."

"It did?"

He nodded. "We talked."

You clasped your hands together. "I knew it! I told you you two would get along."

"Yeah," Jeonghan laughed quietly.

You immediately reached for your phone. "Joshi hasn't texted me yet." You frowned. "That's weird. He always tells me how things went after meeting people."

Jeonghan looked away. "Maybe he's still driving."

You nodded, accepting the answer without another thought. "Probably. Maybe he's on a phone call with Versace. He told me that he's expecting a call from Donatella. He'll probably call me later so he can update me all at once."

That night, however, your phone received no notifications from Joshua, but Jeonghan did. It buzzed just before midnight. You fell asleep with a hint of hurt, but Jeonghan was wide awake.

[Joshua Hong]: Good evening, Jeonghan. Thank you once again for taking the time to meet with me today. I sincerely appreciate your honesty and the respect with which you expressed your concerns. After reflecting on our conversation, I now understand the boundaries you entrusted me to respect. Please accept my deepest apologies for the discomfort I have caused you throughout your relationship with Y/N. Going forward, I will ensure that my actions reflect our discussion. I wish you both nothing but happiness. Respectfully, Joshua Hong

Jeonghan stared at the message for a long time. He typed. Deleted it. Typed again. Deleted it once more. Eventually, he locked his phone without replying.

Joshua kept his word. Painfully so. The comments beneath your Instagram posts disappeared first. Then the daily texts.

Then the late-night phone calls after fashion week, whenever he wanted to complain about quick changes, impossible schedules, or how Prada insisted on making him walk every ten seconds.

He stopped saving you seats at award shows. Stopped waiting after campaigns. Stopped inviting everyone to dinner after shoots. Whenever your schedules crossed, he greeted everyone with the same warm smile. Congratulated them. Finished his work.

Then quietly excused himself before anyone could ask him to stay. No one questioned it at first. Models grew busier. Campaigns overlapped. People traveled. Friendships naturally drifted apart. At least, that was what everyone told themselves.

The first person to notice was Mingyu. "Shua-hyung didn't invite us out after Givenchy."

Wonwoo shrugged. "Maybe he's tired."

Then came another campaign. Another fashion week. Another after-party, Joshua politely declined. Then another.

Soon enough, even Wonwoo stopped making excuses. "That's unlike him."

You noticed next. At first, it was little things. Joshua stopped calling you. Stopped sending reels. Stopped sending pictures of stray cats he'd seen on morning walks. The nicknames disappeared, too. The first time he addressed you by your actual name during a group chat, you stared at your phone for nearly a minute.

[Joshie💫]: Thank you, Y/N.

You frowned. "Hannie."

Jeonghan looked up from the kitchen. You held out your phone. "Look. I'm not 'Y/N'." A small laugh escaped you. "I'm always 'darling'."

Jeonghan forced himself to smile. "Maybe he's teasing you, love."

"I don't think so," You looked down at the screen again. "It feels weird."

Then came your birthday. Your apartment overflowed with flowers, laughter, and familiar faces. Mingyu somehow convinced half the industry to show up. Wonwoo brought wine. Seungcheol complained about traffic and his BOSS photo shoot ending late before hugging you anyway.

Every few minutes, your eyes wandered toward the entrance. Jeonghan noticed. "You okay?"

You smiled. "Yeah." Another glance toward the door. "I just thought Joshie would've been here by now. He's usually the first one here."

"He didn't RSVP."

"Oh," Your smile faltered. "That's, um, that's new. He didn't RSVP?"

"No," Jeonghan shook his head.

"I hope he's okay," You looked down at your untouched drink. "I can't read him lately, which is ridiculous because he's my best friend." A quiet laugh. "We know each other so well. Now, I don't even know what's happening."

You looked at Jeonghan. "Did he tell you anything?"

Jeonghan hesitated. "No."

"I don't get it. If he has so much free time," you swallowed. "why didn't he come to my birthday?"

Jeonghan looked around the room. Everyone else was laughing. Celebrating. Completely unaware.

He took your hand. "Can we talk somewhere?"

That night, he told you everything. From Maru Lounge. To the conversation. To the boundaries. To the apology. To the final words.

You listened without interrupting. By the end, you were crying. Not because Jeonghan had spoken to Joshua. You understood why. Not because he had drawn boundaries. You agreed he should have.

You cried because you thought that Joshua thought you wanted him gone.

A week later, Joshua Hong announced an indefinite hiatus from modeling. His agency cited "personal reasons". His comments disappeared. Interviews stopped. Fashion weeks continued without him. For the first time in over a decade, Joshua Hong simply vanished.

No one knew where he had gone. Only three people knew why.

BONUS

ONE YEAR LATER.

Photo shoots were always chaotic.

Stylists hurried between racks of clothing, photographers tested lighting, makeup artists called out for models, and production assistants sprinted across the venue with clipboards clutched to their chests.

The Valentino shoot was running twenty minutes behind schedule.

Mingyu leaned against the catering table with a coffee in one hand. "I'm telling you," he sighed dramatically, "after this shoot, we're going clubbing."

Jeonghan looked up from his phone. "It's only eight in the morning."

"So?"

"So no."

Mingyu rolled his eyes. "You've gotten boring ever since you started dating."

"Hey!" You exclaimed.

"I've gotten old," Jeonghan said.

"You're only thirty."

"Exactly."

Before Mingyu could argue back, the studio doors opened. One of Valentino's producers hurried inside. "He's here!"

Several staff members looked up at once.

"The Joshua Hong?"

"I heard he accepted!"

"I thought he retired?"

"I haven't photographed him in forever!"

The room buzzed with excitement. Jeonghan frowned. "Joshua?"

Mingyu blinked. "I thought Valentino booked you because he wasn't available."

"So did I."

The producer looked around. "Where's Joshua Hong?"

Then, the doors opened again. Silence swept across the studio. Joshua stepped inside. He wore a simple black coat over a white T-shirt and trousers, a garment bag slung neatly over one shoulder.

No entourage. No sunglasses. No dazzling entrance. He simply walked in. He looked thinner, not unhealthy. Just quieter. The room still reacted the same way.

"Joshua!"

"It's so good to have you back!"

"Oh, my god!"

"Welcome home!"

Photographers smiled. Stylists waved. Hair and makeup artists hurried over to greet him. Joshua returned every greeting with the same gentle smile he'd always worn.

"Thank you. It's nice seeing you again. I hope you've all been well." Then, his eyes found Mingyu. Then Jeonghan. And finally, you. Time seemed to stop.

Your face lit up immediately. "Joshie!" You instinctively took a step toward him. Joshua froze. Only for a second. His smile remained. "Y/N."

It was the first time he'd ever called you by your name. You didn't seem to notice. You closed the distance between you and wrapped your arms tightly around him.

"Oh my gosh," You laughed. "I missed you."

For one fleeting moment, Joshua almost hugged you back. His hands lifted then stopped. He gently rested them against your arms instead. Carefully. Respectfully. Creating just enough space to step away.

When you looked up, he was still smiling. It simply didn't reach his eyes. "It's nice seeing you again."

Confusion flickered across your face. "Joshie?"

Before you could ask him another question, Joshua looked toward the producer. "I'm terribly sorry." His voice remained as polite as ever. "It appears Valentino may have booked us under the assumption that I would be unavailable."

He glanced briefly at Jeonghan. Then lowered his eyes. "I have somewhere else to be regardless." A small bow. "Perhaps I may be considered for the next campaign instead."

The producer looked horrified. "No, no, Mr. Hong—we can make this work—"

Joshua smiled gently. "I wouldn't want to inconvenience anyone." His gaze returned to Jeonghan for only a moment. "Nor do I wish to make anyone uncomfortable."

Jeonghan's chest tightened. "Joshua..."

Joshua looked up. Jeonghan gulped. "Stay."

For the first time that morning, Joshua hesitated. The studio had gone almost completely silent. Even Mingyu, who normally always had something to say, simply watched.

Joshua offered the smallest smile. "Thank you, but I do not wish to be in the way."

The words hung in the air. Only Jeonghan understood what they meant. Only Jeonghan knew where they'd come from. He watched Joshua turn toward the exit. Something inside him twisted. This wasn't what he'd asked for. It had never been what he'd asked for.

"Joshua."

Joshua stopped walking. Without turning around. Jeonghan spoke before he could think. "Will you be at Cheol's party?"

A long silence. Then Joshua answered quietly. "I don't think I should attend." He smiled to himself. "It's best this way. Please take care."

The doors closed softly behind him. No one moved. No one spoke. Finally, Mingyu looked around the room in complete disbelief.

"What was that?" He frowned toward the now-closed doors. "What the hell happened to Shua-hyung?"

a/n: aaaaahhh IM SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY BUT i hope you guys liked the switch up! i often read stories abt women being so persistent or crazy ex gf fics, so i thought i'd change it! i hope you guys dont mind. please lmk what u think! see u in purple with minghao! <3

OFFLINE

5:00 AM Seoul was still asleep when you walked into Butter & Bloom. You weren't a morning person at all, but the permanent shift you got forced you to arrive at work earlier than intended. If it were up to you, you'd be going to work at nine in the morning. The only good thing about your schedule? You get to clock out at two o'clock in the afternoon. After that, you're free from flour, sugar, and coffee.

By the time you finished prepping the pastries that will be served throughout the day, you realized it was 20 minutes before opening. However, none of your co-workers has arrived yet. You decided it was best to sweep the floor of the cafe area. A few minutes into sweeping the floor, Jun, the owner, arrived.

"Good morning, Y/N!" Jun smiled. "I'm sorry for being late."

"Oh, it's okay," You waved off. "And, uh, good morning to you, too."

You continued sweeping the floor as Jun counted the till and did the rest of his opening procedures.

Being a pastry chef has been such a dream of yours, and you wouldn't trade it for the world. While you also had the knowledge and skills of world-class coffee-making and high-end cooking, your passion was baking. You even worked hard to get into a summer exchange program in France just to learn more about the art of baking.

"What's our menu for our pastries today?" Jun asked, wiping down the counter.

You playfully rolled your eyes. "Jun, it's the same thing every day."

"Yeah, but I like how you say it," Jun said cheekily with his signature grin. "It's very French of you."

You glanced out the window and sighed when you saw a long line already forming outside the cafe. You looked at Jun and said, "Guess it's time for us to get ready. Isn't Youmi supposed to be here now?"

6:00 AM Youmi arrived at exactly six o'clock, which Jun considered late. After all, she was supposed to be there before six. Quickly setting her things in her locker and putting her apron on, she quickly headed to the bar station and began doing the coffee orders. Jun was giving his best customer-service smile while taking orders. You were in the pastry area packing pastry orders. The pastry you sold was fancy, which meant that the prices were extremely high as well.

Ispahan Croissant - ₩9,800 Lemon Meringue Tart - ₩11,500 Chocolate & Hazelnut Paris-Brest - ₩12,800 Strawberry Mille-Feuille - ₩13,500 Vanilla Bean Saint-Honoré - ₩15,800

Still, it didn't stop the customers from buying them. In fact, one of the customers had left Butter & Bloom a short but truthful review on Google. It read: "Reasonable coffee prices. Very expensive pastries, but worth buying. All of them are impeccable, but the Ispahan Croissant remains a crowd favorite."

By seven-thirty in the morning, the Ispahan Croissant had sold out. It always did.

"How many Ispahans did you make today?" Jun asked at the counter, counting the customer's change before handing it to them.

"I made thirty."

Jun nodded, glanced at you, and gave you a playful grin. "Tomorrow, make forty."

"Jun, do you know how long it takes to prepare a batch of those?!" You snapped, but Jun could only chuckle.

"Worth asking!" Jun said cheerfully before paying attention to the next customer.

-

8:27 AM Two streets over, Butter & Bloom, Lee Seokmin had just hit the snooze button for the third time. Ten minutes later, he finally accepted defeat.

He dragged himself out of bed, hair sticking out in every possible direction, and shuffled toward the kitchen with his eyes still half closed. The apartment was quiet aside from the low hum of his brand-new dual inverter AC.

"Morning," he muttered to no one in particular. He lightly scratched his arm as he walked around his big apartment. Clearly, working at SVT Studio has paid off.

He opened the fridge. Milk. One egg. Butter. A lonely slice of pizza—from two days ago when Seungkwan came over.

He sighed. "I should really go grocery shopping." He closed the fridge.

'Future Seokmin's problem.' He thought.

Instead, he settled for toast (the last piece of bread, by the way) and coffee before carrying both to his desk. Unlike most people, his commute lasted exactly seven seconds.

He sat down, opened his impressive desktop setup, and was immediately greeted by forty-three unread Slack messages.

"Jesus..."

Maybe today was going to be stressful after all.

9:00 AM His camera stayed off during the morning alignment meeting. Mostly because he looked terrible, and he didn't feel like fake smiling today.

"Morning, everyone." He quickly muted his mic right after.

"Good morning, Seokmin!"

His creative director shared the latest client brief. A new cafe branding project. Mood board revisions. Typography adjustments. Social media assets.

Seokmin glanced at his second monitor to make sure it was recording the meeting and taking notes so he could read through them later. This was his favorite part about working from home. He had an AI Assistant that could help him remember stuff, especially important ones.

Designing has always been easy for him. It was right up in his alley, after all. Talking to people, however, was not. He found it rather difficult.

10:12 AM His phone buzzed. It was a text from his best friend, Seungkwan.

By 10:15, he got a text from his mom.

He laughed despite himself.

12:15 PM The restaurant nearby was crowded, as usual. Luckily for him, Seungkwan was already there, seated by the window. He tapped on the glass and waved at Seungkwan, only for him to receive a glare and a muffled "get inside!".

He entered the restaurant and sat across from Seungkwan.

"You're late."

"Only by fifteen minutes, Kwannie. Don't be ridiculous. I have a job, remember?" Seokmin chuckled. "Besides, not all of us receive allowance from our rich parents. You're literally the only person I know who doesn't work because your family's generational wealth can sustain your lifestyle."

"I'm the only person you know, period." Seungkwan snapped back. "Anyway, I ordered for both of us already."

"Are you hanging out at my apartment after this?" Seokmin asked.

Seungkwan nodded. "Yeah, I'm bored at mine. Besides, I like your new living room setup."

"The surround-sound speakers you suggested are actually pretty good," Seokmin said as he drank some water.

"I told you so," Seungkwan gloated. "Hey, I was thinking..."

"Oh no."

"Shut up." Seungkwan rolled his eyes. "Why don't you create a dating app profile? I mean, you're a catch! You're handsome, you have a stable job, you're funny, your apartment is neat and tidy, you love your parents, and you're earning a fuck ton at SVT Studio—a difficult company to get into, by the way."

Their food arrived. They both thanked the server and began to dig in.

"I'm... way too shy," Seokmin said, cutting into his pork cutlet.

"You have me! I can help you get a girlfriend. Girls love me."

"Okay, so, you go on a date." Seokmin shrugged.

"What I mean is, I can vouch for you! Girls trust me. Besides, I can always help you create your profile. You should check out Diamond. It's the hottest dating app right now." Seungkwan statedas he took a big bite of his bulgogi.

Seungkwan changed the topic after that, but it kept Seokmin thinking. What if he just... tried? After all, he's an introverted, 29-year-old who has nothing left to lose. Where else would he meet someone if he rarely goes outside and only works from home?

'Fuck it,' He thought. 'Might as well get out of my comfort zone.'

If it gets Seungkwan and his mom off his back, he's willing to try. Besides, Seungkwan wouldn't fail him, right?

IT'S A MATCH!

The moment your shift ended at 2:07 PM, you untied your apron with a sigh of relief. This was the best part of starting work at six in the morning.

"See you tomorrow, chef!"

"See you!" You called back, waving as Youmi disappeared through the back door.

Jun poked his head out from the kitchen. "Y/N."

"Hm?"

"You forgot your croissant."

You looked down at the paper bag before meeting Jun's impossibly smug grin. "Jun, I literally made those."

"I know," he smiled. "Employee perks."

You laughed, shaking your head as you took it. "Thanks, boss."

"By the way..."

"Yes?"

Jun exited the kitchen, stood in front of you, and folded his arms. "You know, you're really pretty..."

"Um, thanks?" You were weirded out, honestly.

"Can I ask you something?"

"...Sure?"

"How are you still single?" Jun asked with zero hesitation.

You blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You're smart, you're pretty, you're talented, you literally studied pastry in France—"

"Jun."

"—and somehow you still don't have a boyfriend."

You stared at him. "Are you for real?"

"Maybe," he grinned. "You should try Diamond."

"What is that?"

"It's a new dating app!" Jun said happily. "Everyone's talking about it. Even Youmi has one!"

You shook your head. "Nope."

"You'd be really popular on Diamond, Y/Nie! You should try it out. Maybe you'll finally have a plus one at the company party this year." Jun clapped his hands excitedly.

You stared at your sweet boss. "I'm going home now."

You waved goodbye once more before you exited the bakery. The light afternoon breeze greeted you as soon as you stepped out of Butter & Bloom.

As you walked, you pondered what Jun said. You'd been single for almost two years, entirely by choice. You'd learned that your peace was worth protecting. It wasn't worth dating a man who hated women or couldn't care less about their well-being.

By the time you arrived at your apartment, you had decided there was no harm in creating an account. As you flopped on your bed, you unlocked your phone and searched Diamond on the App Store.

The app icon appeared almost instantly. You stared at the 'download' button for a few seconds. If nothing came of it, you could always delete the app tomorrow. With a sigh, you tapped it anyway.

-

"Okay, I've downloaded it." Seokmin sighed.

"Go create your account, hyung," Seungkwan said. With that, Seokmin reluctantly created an account.

Seokmin stared at his newly created profile. "Do I really have to answer all these questions?"

Seungkwan leaned over his shoulder and nodded. "Yup."

"Why do they need to know what I do on a Sunday?"

"Because people like knowing things."

"...How nosy of them," Seokmin said, but answered anyway. "Why do they need to know so much?"

"Because they're trying to date you."

"Right..."

After another few minutes of tweaking photos and proofreading every answer for what felt like the tenth time, Seokmin's profile was finally complete.

Seungkwan scrolled through it once before nodding in approval.

"Honestly? Not bad."

Seokmin frowned. "That's not reassuring."

"I mean it! I could've picked better pictures, but this feels like... you." Seungkwan trailed off.

"What does that mean?"

"Don't worry about it," Seungkwan said as he handed the phone back. "Alright. If you like someone, swipe right."

"Okay."

"If you're not interested, you swipe left."

"That's it?" Seokmin asked with raised brows.

"That's literally it," Seungkwan said before he reached for the remote of Seokmin's TV.

Seokmin blinked. "Huh."

"What?" Seungkwan asked, not looking at him. He was too busy browsing through Seokmin's Netflix account.

"That's... kind of underwhelming." He confessed.

"You're overthinking it," Seungkwan huffed, leaning back on Seokmin's couch as he finally settled on watching Gone Girl.

"I don't think I am."

"You definitely are." Seung kwan reached over, tapped the screen, and the first profile appeared. A smiling woman stood in front of a beach at sunset.

Seokmin stared at the screen. "Am I supposed to judge her?"

Seungkwan slowly turned to look at him. "...That's the entire app."

"I don't know anything about her." Seokmin reasoned.

Seungkwan sighed and said, "That's what the questions were for! Just... read her profile."

He did.

"It says here that she likes hiking, spicy food, and horror movies," Seokmin read aloud. He frowned. "What if she just picked those because they sounded interesting?"

Seungkwan froze, paused the movie, and blinked. "What?"

"I mean," Seokmin started, "what if she doesn't actually like hiking?"

"Hyung."

"What?"

"You're, like, totally judging her."

"Yeah, but you're more judgmental than I am." Seokmin shrugged. "Besides, I'm just trying to be fair."

Seungkwan sighed dramatically and took the phone from him. "I'll tell you again how this works, but through visuals because you're a visual learner. This," he said, swiping left, "means you're not interested."

Another profile appeared. "And this—" He swiped right. "—means you're interested."

"That's a lot. Like, that's honestly so taxing." Seokmin pouted.

Seungkwan stared at him in disbelief. "It's just swiping."

"But what if I accidentally reject someone really nice?"

"She'll find someone else." Seungkwan shrugged and played the movie again.

Seokmin gasped. "Don't say things like that. What if I accidentally swiped left on my soulmate?"

"Find another soulmate." Seungkwan sighed as he threw his head back.

Seokmin spent the rest of the afternoon getting the hang of Diamond. Left. Right. Left. Right.

Some profiles made him smile. Others made him laugh. A few had him wondering whether people actually expected to find love with a bio that simply read, "Just ask."

By the time midnight rolled around, Seungkwan had already claimed the guest room and fallen asleep. Seokmin, however, was still awake. Curled beneath his blanket with only his bedside lamp on, he absentmindedly swiped through another profile.

Left, Left. Right. Then, he stopped.

"Oh." A refreshing profile filled his screen.

Seokmin read through your profile thoroughly. He smiled to himself when he saw similar interests to his. He didn't really pay much attention to the photos, if he were being honest. His heart fluttered when he read your green flags. His stomach growled when he saw your love language.

"'My love language is feeding people with my pastries and making sure they're happy with it'. Feed me, juseyo." Seokmin mumbled to himself.

He turned to the other side of the bed and continued reading your profile, smiling more with every prompt. "What she does on a Sunday is more fun than mine. I really need to get out more."

Without much thought, he had swiped right and hoped for the best. Fortunately, the best didn't take too long.

💎 It's a Match!

For a second, he blinked. Then, he screamed. "I MATCHED!"

With nothing but excitement flowing through his body, he practically sprinted down the hallway and threw open the guest room door.

"KWANNIE!"

A muffled groan came from beneath the thick blanket. "This better be fucking good."

"Oh, it's good, alright. More than good. I MATCHED!" Seokmin launched himself onto the bed, causing Seungkwan to let out a startled yelp.

"HYUNG! Ow! Why are you jumping on me?!" Seungkwan shoved him away with both hands. Seokmin rolled onto the empty side of the bed, completely unfazed, phone still clutched tightly in his hand.

"I matched." Seokmin stared at the ceiling with a broad grin.

"I heard you, hyung."

"My first one."

"Congratulations, truly."

Seokmin held the phone up in front of his face like it contained the meaning of life. "What do I do now?"

Seungkwan sits up, fully awake now. "You message her."

"Right now?"

"Yes."

"What if she's asleep?"

"It's only ten o'clock, hyung."

"What if she's eating dinner?"

"Then she'll reply later when she's free."

"What if she thinks I'm bothering her?"

"Hyung, PLEASE!" Seungkwan whined. "Just message her, okay?! There's no harm in trying."

Seokmin immediately opens the chat. Five minutes pass, and he's still typing. Seungkwan looked over, "You haven't sent anything, have you?"

"Nope." Seokmin glanced at him. "I can't decide if 'hi' is too casual."

He forgot how to breathe when you responded. He showed Seungkwan his phone, and both of them squealed like high school girls.

The first message was the hardest. Everything after that came surprisingly easy.

The messages continued for another week.

Morning greetings became lunch updates. Lunch updates turned into good night texts. Before long, Seokmin found himself smiling every time your name appeared at the top of his screen.

One Friday evening, while he was staring at the chat box and trying to figure out how to explain why his latest logo looked "too blue," a notification popped up.

Y/N is calling...

His eyes widened. "She's calling me?!" He stared at the screen for a second before panic set in. "Oh my god, she's calling me!"

He scrambled to answer. "H-Hello?"

A small laugh came from you. "Hi."

"...Hi."

"You sound nervous." You smirked lightly.

"I am, not gonna lie." Seokmin chuckled nervously.

"Good. That makes two of us."

The tension melted almost instantly.

"So…" Seokmin rubbed the back of his neck even though you couldn't see him. "How was work today?"

"Busy. Jun burned a tray of cookies again."

"He's literally the owner of Butter & Bloom. Isn't he supposed to be... perfect?"

"Exactly."

He laughed.

For the next hour, they talked about everything and absolutely nothing. You told him about difficult customers who insisted croissants should be cheaper. He complained about clients who asked him to "make the logo pop" without explaining what that actually meant.

"You know what the worst feedback I've ever gotten was?" Seokmin asked, rubbing his face with one hand.

"What?"

"'Can you make it... happier?'"

You burst into laughter. "What does that even mean?"

"You know what? To this day, I still don't know."

"But did you make it happier?"

"I mean," Seokmin snorted, "I added yellow."

You laughed so hard that Seokmin couldn't help laughing too. You plopped down on your couch and asked, "Did it work?"

Seokmin nodded. "It actually got approved."

"No!" You cackled.

"I'm serious!" Seokmin laughed, amused. God, if making you laugh was this easy, he wanted to keep doing it.

Hours slipped by unnoticed. Neither of them had realized how late it had gotten until Seokmin glanced at the clock.

1:43 AM

"Wait..." Seokmin gasped a little in realization.

"What?"

"It's almost two..."

Silence.

"Oops," Seokmin said.

"I have work in a few hours." You said quietly, as you lay in bed.

"We should probably sleep," Seokmin said.

"Probably."

Neither of you hangs up. The line just went silent for a few seconds.

"You first." You said sleepily.

"No, you."

You laughed quietly. "You're really bad at saying goodbye."

"That's because I don't want to," Seokmin said smoothly with his raspy voice.

Seokmin blinked. 'Did I just say that?' He thought.

You smiled into your pillow.

"Can I call you again tomorrow?" Your smile was felt through the phone. Seokmin had butterflies just thinking about it.

"I'd like that." Seokmin smiled so hard his cheeks started to hurt.

"Okay." You whispered.

"Okay." Seokmin echoed.

Neither of you made any effort to actually hang up.

"You hang up."

"No, you."

It took another four minutes before either of you actually ended the call.

Calling each other quickly became less of a habit and more of an unspoken routine.

Whether you had just finished your shift or Seokmin had spent the entire day revising the same logo for the fifth time, one of you always called first. Sometimes it was you. Sometimes it was him. It never really mattered.

Through these phone calls, you learned more about each other. You learned that Seokmin unconsciously sang while doing something fairly boring (you also learned that he had a great voice). He learned that you couldn't fall asleep without reading at least one chapter of a book while drinking chamomile tea.

Somewhere between sharing photos of your pastries and every draft of Seokmin's logos before they ever reached a client, talking to each other had become the favorite part of both your days. You even called him while he had an ongoing meeting with a client.

Seokmin quickly muted his mic and answered your call. "Hey, Y/N. Give me a few minutes, okay? I'm currently in a client meeting."

"Oh, I'm sorry." You frowned. "I can call later."

"No!" Seokmin exclaimed and cleared his throat. "I mean, no. You can stay on call. I don't really mind. Besides, I can ask your opinion after this meeting."

You smiled. Why would you settle for less if Seokmin literally answers your call while in a meeting? "Alrighty! I'll just mute myself, then. Let me know when it's fine to unmute."

"Okay, Y/Nie!" Seokmin smiled before unmuting himself in the meeting. "Apologies for that. It was an important call from... the bank. I had called about a complaint, and they were only solving it now."

You laughed so hard, you were glad you muted yourself.

"Anyway, can you all see my screen?"

Then, one Tuesday afternoon, while you were boxing up the last pastry order of your shift, your phone buzzed.

[Seokminnie]: Are you free this Saturday?

A smile found its way onto your face before you even realized it.

[Y/Nie]: I am, actually 😊

The typing indicator appeared almost immediately. Then, it disappeared. Then it appeared again. You couldn't help but laugh. Finally, he replied.

[Seokminnie]: Would you... maybe want to get coffee with me?

You bit your lip, smiling to yourself.

[Y/Nie]: I was wondering when you were going to ask.

[Seokminnie]: Wait... you knew I was going to ask you out?

[Y/Nie]: You've been trying to ask me for three days now

[Seokminnie]: So... Is that a yes?

[Y/Nie]: Yes. I'd love to go out with you!

[Seokminnie]: Really??? 🥹

[Y/Nie]: 🤣 Really.

[Seokminnie]: SKSKSKSKS BROOOO

[Seokminnie]: Oops, wrong send

[Y/Nie]: Never change, Seokminnie 🤣♥️

HEART FOREVER

One Year Later.

The familiar bell above the entrance chimed as you untied your apron.

"See you tomorrow, chef!" Youmi called from behind the espresso machine.

"See you!" you smiled, grabbing your bag from your locker.

Just as you reached the front door, Jun appeared from the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel. "Hold it."

You turned around. "Hm?"

Jun folded his arms dramatically. "You're smiling."

"I always smile."

"No." He shook his head. "That's your 'my boyfriend is picking me up today' smile."

You rolled your eyes and folded your arms, too. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Liar."

As if on cue, a familiar black Toyota Veloz pulled up outside Butter & Bloom. Jun nodded toward the window. "There he is. Right on time."

You sighed, defeated. "I hate that you know me so well."

"I know my employees." He grinned. "Go on. Don't keep Seokmin waiting."

You laughed before waving goodbye and stepping outside. The passenger door opened before you even reached the car.

"Hi." Seokmin smiled.

"Hi." Instead of kissing him immediately, you held out a paper bag. "I brought leftovers."

His face lit up. "Ispahan?"

"Ispahan." You nodded with a smile on your face.

"I love you."

"You haven't even tasted it yet." You chuckled.

"I don't have to." He winked.

3:00 PM "You'll be okay on your own?" you asked.

Seokmin nodded. "Kwannie is coming over, anyway. He said he wants to watch the new horror movie on Netflix with me. Besides, noona texted me three times already asking me where you are."

You laughed. He leaned over the center console and kissed your forehead. "I'll pick you up after."

The mall wasn't busy that afternoon.

"Y/N!" Jiyeon waved enthusiastically before immediately looping her arm through yours. "There you are."

"Sorry! We had a last-minute cake order."

"I forgive you if you—"

You held up a paper bag. "I made you croissants."

"This is why you're my favorite," Jiyeon said as she gently took the paper bag from you.

"I thought Seokmin was your favorite?"

Opening the paper bag and breathing in the smell of the croissants, she looked at you. "He just got replaced."

The next three hours were spent wandering through clothing stores, laughing over outfits neither of you would actually buy, and somehow leaving with matching bracelets despite insisting you were "just browsing."

"Wanna know something?" Jiyeon asked as you sat down with iced coffees.

"Shoot."

"Mom already calls you her daughter." Jiyeon teased.

You nearly choked on your drink. "She what?"

"Oh, you know," Jiyeon chuckled. "She calls me and says stuff like, 'our daughter came by yesterday and gave us pastries she made' or 'our daughter reminds us to take our vitamins'. She absolutely loves you... more than Seokmin at this point, and that's her baby."

You covered your face as Jiyeon laughed.

"I don't think she's letting you go, Y/Nie." Jiyeon smiled. "I don't think I can let you go, either. You're my new best friend."

Seokmin had picked you up thirty minutes later. Jiyeon sat in the back and was surprised that Seungkwan was there.

"Hi, noona!" Seungkwan smiled and waved. "I'm joining dinner, too."

"Don't you have a fancy charity gala to attend?" Jiyeon joked. She knew Seungkwan didn't care for those fake events that his family hosts.

"Ew." Seungkwan made a face.

6:30 PM Family dinner at the Lee household had been a monthly tradition. The moment you stepped in, Seokmin's mother wrapped you in a hug.

"My daughter! Oh, I missed you so much."

Seokmin sighed. "Eomma, noona and I are here, too."

Seokmin's mother glanced at her children and smiled. "I know. Both of you will always be my children."

Then she looked at you. "But she's my daughter."

"Hi, eomoni!" Seungkwan smiled.

"Oh, Seungkwan-ah!" She pulled him into a tight hug. "Aigoo, you're so thin. Let's eat now."

Dinner was loud. Stories overlapped. Jiyeon teased Seokmin for being a crybaby as a kid. His mother eagerly showed you baby photos despite Seokmin begging her not to. By dessert, your stomach hurt from laughing.

Later that night, everyone migrated to the living room.

"So..." Seungkwan said, helping himself to another serving of pastry. "When are you two getting married?"

That earned a small squeal from Seokmin's mother and sister. You and Seokmin nearly inhaled your drinks.

"Kwannie!"

"What?" Seungkwan chuckled and crossed his legs. "I'm asking for everyone's benefit. We'd like to be prepared, y'know."

"He's right," Seokmin's mother nodded. "I want a heads up, too, because I'd have a heart attack if it's a surprise."

Everyone burst into laughter.

One Week Later Your first anniversary. The restaurant overlooked the Han River, the city lights shimmering across the water. The waiter had just cleared your dessert plates when Seokmin cleared his throat.

You looked up. "Hm?"

"I got you something." He reached into his jacket pocket and carefully placed a small navy velvet box on the table. You froze.

"Seokmin..."

"What?"

"Is that what I think it is?" You asked him with wide eyes. At first, he looked puzzled by your reaction. Then, realization dawned on his face.

"No, wait!" He held both hands up immediately. "It's not an engagement ring!"

You blinked. "It's not?"

"No!" he said quickly. "Well..." He scratched the back of his neck. "...Not yet."

A laugh escaped you despite the tears already forming in your eyes.

"I am explaining this so badly," he groaned.

"You think?"

He reached across the table, gently taking your hand. "I know we've only been together for a year, but it's been the happiest year of my life."

His thumb traced slow circles against your skin.

"I can't promise life will always be easy. I can't promise we won't argue. I can't promise I'll always know the right thing to say." He smiled sheepishly. "I'm usually pretty bad at that."

You laughed through your tears.

"But I can promise that I'll keep choosing you. Every single day. I believe you're it for me. So..."

He opened the velvet box. Inside rested a simple silver band. "Until the day I ask you for real..."

He looked at you with the same shy smile you'd fallen for a year ago. "...Will you wear this?"

Tears spilled freely down your cheeks. "You idiot," you whispered.

His face fell. "...Is that a no?"

You immediately shook your head. "No!" You laughed. "It's a yes. It's always going to be a yes."

Relief flooded his face. "Oh, thank God."

He carefully slipped the ring onto your finger. It fit perfectly. Without another thought, you stood up, walked around the table, and wrapped your arms tightly around him.

"I love you," you whispered.

"I love you more."

When you finally pulled away, you looked down at the silver ring again. Then back at him. "...Okay."

"Hm? 'Okay' what?"

"When we get home..." A smile slowly spread across your face. "I'm baking you the best pastries I've ever made."

Seokmin's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"My love language is feeding the people I love."

He laughed softly. "I remember."

He intertwined your fingers, admiring the silver band resting there. "And I plan on letting you love me like that for a very, very long time."

"I'd like that." You smiled.

Outside, Seoul buzzed with life, completely unaware that a year ago, two strangers had taken a chance on each other because of a single swipe.

Maybe modern love wasn't as cruel as everyone said. Sometimes, it was as simple as finding someone who felt like home.

a/n: i super enjoyed creating that fake dating app, i swear! lmk what u think of this! after this is "my way" and i'm so excited for this one bc i have been thinking of this since i started this series!

P.S. thank you for all the love you have given me recently! i'm so honored to be on the receiving end. i'll do my best to write more stories and share it with you. all of you are my honeybees <3