#dae x reader

The first time someone called it a situationship, you nearly choked on your drink.

It was Kitty Song Covey, of course.

She leaned across the cafeteria table, eyes sparkling with way too much excitement. “You and Dae are literally the definition of a situationship.”

“I don’t even know what that means,” you mumbled, staring down at your notes.

Across from you, Dae rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding eye contact just as hard. “Yeah, Kitty, don’t label things.”

“Oh, I’m labeling it,” she said, completely unfazed. “Because you guys are not just friends.”

Around the table, the rest of your group—Min Ho, Q, Yuri Han, Juliana, Eunice, Madison, and Jin—all exchanged knowing looks.

You shrank into your seat.

Because… she wasn’t wrong.

It had started small.

Study sessions that somehow always ended up being just you and Dae. He’d sit beside you, shoulder brushing yours as he quietly asked for help, even when he probably didn’t need it. You’d explain things, voice soft, heart racing every time he leaned a little closer.

Then came boba runs.

Movie nights.

Walks back to your dorm that took longer than they needed to because neither of you wanted to say goodbye.

It was never said out loud.

But it was something.

And everyone could see it.

———————————————

“You’re doing it again.”

You blinked, looking up from your textbook to see Dae smiling softly at you.

“Doing what?”

“Overthinking,” he said.

You let out a quiet laugh. “I have a test tomorrow. I’m allowed to.”

You were sitting side by side in a small café just outside campus, your usual spot. Two drinks sat between you—your favorite, already half gone, and his, untouched as he watched you instead.

“You’ll do fine,” he added gently.

“You say that every time.”

“And I’m always right.”

You glanced at him, cheeks warming slightly. “You’re just biased.”

“Maybe,” he admitted.

There was a pause.

A soft, comfortable one.

Your fingers brushed as you both reached for your drinks at the same time, and you both pulled back immediately, laughing awkwardly.

“Sorry,” you both said at the same time.

That only made it worse—in the best way.

God.

This was exactly the problem.

Everything between you felt… soft. Easy. Close.

But also fragile. Undefined.

Like one wrong move would break it.

———————————————

Later that night, back in your group chat, things were… less subtle.

Kitty: okay this is getting ridiculous

Q: i agree

Minho: finally, something we all agree on

Yuri: just date already

You: ?????

Dae: guys

Kitty: YOU TWO LITERALLY WENT ON A DATE TODAY

You: it was studying

Minho: you got boba and watched a movie

You: AFTER studying

Q: that’s still a date 😭

You stared at your phone, face burning.

Across campus, Dae was probably doing the exact same thing.

———————————————

The next day at school, you avoided looking at him.

Not because you didn’t want to—but because you wanted to too much.

Unfortunately, Kitty had other plans.

“Hey!” she chirped, appearing out of nowhere and grabbing your wrist. “I need help with something.”

“Kitty, I have—”

“It’ll take two seconds.”

That was a lie.

You should’ve known it was a lie.

Because the next thing you knew, she was dragging you down an empty hallway and toward a storage closet.

“Wait—what are we doing?” you asked, laughing nervously.

“Just—go in for a second.”

“Kitty—”

The door opened—

And you froze.

Because Dae was already inside.

“What—?”

Before either of you could react, Kitty gave you a little shove.

The door slammed shut behind you.

There was a click.

Silence.

“…Kitty?” you called, heart starting to race.

“Oops!” her voice came from the other side, far too cheerful. “I think it’s stuck!”

You stared at the door.

Then at Dae.

Then back at the door.

“…She did that on purpose,” you said.

“Yeah,” he replied softly.

You both stood there awkwardly, the small space suddenly feeling very small.

“Kitty?” he tried. “Can you open it?”

“I’m trying!” she called back.

There was a pause.

Then whispering.

Very loud, very obvious whispering.

You could hear Min Ho snickering.

“Guys,” you said flatly.

No response.

“They’re not opening it,” Dae said quietly.

“…Nope.”

Silence settled again.

You shifted slightly, your shoulder brushing his.

It sent a spark through you immediately.

Of course it did.

Everything with him did.

“I’m sorry,” he said suddenly.

You blinked. “For what?”

“For… this. It’s probably uncomfortable.”

“It’s not,” you said quickly—too quickly. “I mean—it’s fine. I just—”

You trailed off, nerves tangling your words.

He let out a small breath. “Yeah.”

Another pause.

Your heart was beating way too fast.

“…Can I say something?” he asked.

You nodded, even though he might not see it. “Okay.”

“I think they’re right.”

Your stomach flipped. “About what?”

He hesitated.

“About us.”

The words hung in the air, soft but heavy.

“I just…” he continued, voice quieter now. “I don’t want to pretend anymore that this is just… nothing.”

Your chest tightened.

Because you’d been thinking the exact same thing.

For weeks.

“I like you,” he said.

Simple.

Honest.

Your breath caught.

“I have for a while,” he added, glancing at you. “I just didn’t know if you—”

“I do.”

The words slipped out before you could stop them.

His eyes widened slightly. “You do?”

You nodded, even though your hands were trembling. “I really like you.”

The tension that had been sitting between you for so long finally cracked—soft and warm instead of breaking.

He smiled.

Not shy this time.

Not unsure.

Just… happy.

“Then why didn’t we say anything?” he asked, a quiet laugh in his voice.

“Because I was scared,” you admitted. “I didn’t want to ruin what we already had.”

“Me too.”

That made you laugh softly.

Of course.

Of course you were both the same.

He stepped a little closer, careful, like he didn’t want to overwhelm you.

“But I don’t think it ruins anything,” he said gently. “I think it just… makes it real.”

Your heart fluttered.

“Yeah,” you whispered. “I think so too.”

For a second, neither of you moved.

Then—

His hand found yours.

Warm. Steady.

You squeezed it lightly, your nerves melting into something softer.

“Can I—?” he started, then hesitated.

You smiled a little, stepping closer. “You can.”

That was all he needed.

He leaned in slowly, giving you time to pull away.

You didn’t.

Your eyes fluttered shut just as his lips brushed yours—soft, careful, like he’d been waiting for this moment for longer than he could say.

It wasn’t rushed.

It wasn’t overwhelming.

It was… gentle.

Warm.

Right.

When you pulled back, you were both smiling.

A little breathless.

A little shy.

But lighter.

“So… not a situationship anymore?” he murmured.

You laughed softly. “Definitely not.”

———————————————

Outside the closet, the silence was… suspicious.

“Do you think they kissed yet?” Kitty whispered.

“Probably,” Q replied.

“Should we give them more time?” Yuri added.

“No, I’m opening it,” Min Ho said. “This is painful.”

The door swung open.

Light flooded in.

You and Dae turned toward them, still standing close—very close.

Kitty’s eyes immediately lit up.

“OH MY GOD—”

“Don’t,” you warned, laughing.

“Did it work?” she asked anyway, practically vibrating with excitement.

Dae glanced at you, then back at them, a small smile on his face.

“Yeah,” he said.

“It did.”

The group erupted.

Q cheered.

Yuri clapped.

Minho looked smug.

Kitty looked like she’d just accomplished her life’s mission.

“I knew it,” she said proudly. “You’re welcome.”

You shook your head, but you couldn’t stop smiling.

Because for the first time—

It wasn’t confusing.

It wasn’t undefined.

Dae’s hand slipped into yours again, natural and easy.

“Come on, Dae, just one more round!”

You laughed, flicking a marble across the pavement as the warm summer sun bathed the street in gold. Your little brother huffed, brows furrowed in frustration, his cheeks puffing out like they always did when he was losing.

“You cheat,” he grumbled, crossing his arms.

“No, you just suck,” you teased, ruffling his hair. He swatted at your hand, but you could see the small smile creeping onto his face.

It had always been like this—you winning, him losing. A never-ending game, one you swore he’d beat you at one day.

“One day, I’ll finally win.”

That was a lifetime ago.

Now, under the harsh, sterile lights of the Squid Game arena, that memory felt like a cruel joke.

Marbles weren’t just a game anymore.

They were a death sentence.

You stood across from Dae-Ho, gripping the small cloth bag in your hands so tightly your knuckles ached. You couldn’t stop shaking, couldn’t stop the bile rising in your throat. Because this wasn’t like before. There was no rematch. No second chances.

Whoever lost this game wasn’t walking out.

“Take them, Y/N.” His voice was firm, no room for argument.

Your stomach twisted. No.

“Dae, don’t—”

“Just take them!” He shoved the bag toward you, his hands shaking. “I won’t let you die.”

He was serious.

Your little brother, your baby brother, was trying to throw his life away for you. And the worst part?

You knew he would.

You could see it in his eyes. The same eyes that used to glare at you when he lost a game of marbles. The same eyes that, even now, were still to you—still trusting you to win.

So you did the only thing you could.

You switched the bags.

With a shaky breath, you palmed a handful of small rocks you’d quietly collected from the ground. Then, in one swift motion, you switched your bag with his—or at least, made it look that way.

You acted fast, fumbling on purpose, letting both bags jostle against each other as you pushed one back into his hands. You made sure to keep his real marbles in his grasp while pressing the weight of the fake bag into your own.

You forced a smile. “There, happy?”

The speaker crackled overhead.

“Time is up.”

Dae-Ho’s breath caught. His grip on the bag tightened.

And then—realization hit.

His head snapped up. His face—God, his face—twisted in pure, raw horror.

“No. No, no, Y/N, what did you—”

Guards stepped forward. You backed away.

“Y/N!” He lunged toward you, but the masked men grabbed him, holding him back. He was screaming.

You smiled, a broken, fragile smile, the tears finally falling freely from your eyes. You didn’t care anymore.

“You finally won, Dae…”

Your breath caught as you spoke those words—the words you’d always dreamed of saying. He had won the game—but had lost everything that mattered.

His body seized with panic.

“No—no, no, stop! Please!” He was sobbing now, thrashing against the guards, his voice breaking.

But you just kept smiling, even as your vision blurred.

“I’m proud of you…”

And then, a loud BANG.

The world went silent.

Pain. Agony. A searing heat that spread through your body like wildfire. You collapsed to the ground, your chest tightening, your vision going blurry. Everything was falling apart, but the one thing that cut through it all was the sound of Dae-Ho’s voice, calling your name in desperation, in despair.

But it was too late.

You couldn’t feel your legs anymore. You couldn’t feel your fingers. You couldn’t feel anything except for the overwhelming emptiness that took over your chest as everything around you grew cold.

In his hands, sat the bag of little marbles.

His victory.

The one thing you’d promised to him. The one thing he had finally won.

The last thing you heard, before the world swallowed you whole, was his final scream.

“Y/N!”

A/N: hi my lil monster! How we likey? Honestly I LOVED this request also @takuma-talkz is legit like my bbg so I knew I had for do this first! I also have 2 more requests I should have out between today and tmr!

Love ya, Twilight

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The city stretched out below, alive and indifferent. Cars moved in a blur of red and white, distant voices carried on the wind, but none of it reached you. Not really.

You curled your fingers around the cold metal railing, knuckles aching from how tightly you gripped it. The wind whipped through your clothes, chilling you to the bone, but you barely noticed. The water below was dark, endless, calling in a way that was too easy to listen to.

Then—

“Hey.”

A voice, warm and careful, like someone trying not to startle a wounded animal.

You inhaled sharply, stiffening, but you didn’t turn right away. Footsteps—soft, measured—until he stopped a few feet away.

“You shouldn’t be here alone.”

You exhaled harshly, your breath visible in the cold air. “I am alone.”

A pause. Then, quietly—“Not anymore.”

That made you glance back, just for a second. He stood there, hands buried in the pockets of his hoodie, damp from the drizzle. His dark eyes weren’t full of pity or panic—just something softer. Something that settled deep in your chest, unwelcome and unfamiliar.

Kang Dae-Ho.

You knew him. Not well, but enough. A man who’d been dealt too many losing hands in life and yet still found a way to laugh through it. Someone who, by all accounts, shouldn’t care about a stranger on a bridge.

So why was he here?

“What do you want?” you muttered, your grip tightening on the railing.

Dae-Ho exhaled through his nose, gaze flicking to your hands before meeting your eyes again. “To make sure you’re okay.”

You huffed, looking back at the water. “That’s a lost cause.”

“I don’t believe that.” His voice was steady, too gentle for the weight in your chest. “And I don’t think you do, either. Otherwise, you wouldn’t still be standing here.”

Something about that made your throat tighten. You swallowed hard, shaking your head. “You don’t even know me.”

He was quiet for a moment. Then—“Does that matter?”

That made you look at him again, brows furrowed.

Dae-Ho shifted slightly, then—slowly, like he was afraid to scare you—he shrugged off his hoodie. Before you could react, he stepped forward and carefully draped it over your shoulders.

You flinched. Not because you didn’t want it, but because it had been so long since someone had done something like this for you.

“You’re freezing,” he murmured, adjusting it gently before stepping back. “Just—take it, okay? It’s warm.”

You stared at him, thrown off by how earnest he was. By how much care he put into something so simple. The hoodie smelled like him—faintly like cigarettes, but mostly something warm, like vanilla and the lingering scent of rain.

It felt… safe.

You exhaled shakily, gripping the fabric. “…Why do you care?”

Dae-Ho smiled, small and lopsided. “Because I know what it’s like to feel alone.” He rubbed the back of his neck, almost sheepish. “And because I’d really hate myself if I walked away from this and something happened to you.”

You swallowed, heart hammering against your ribs.

He rocked back on his heels, then, with forced casualness, said, “There’s this diner a few blocks from here. The food’s kinda shit, but the dumplings aren’t bad. And they make the worst coffee I’ve ever had in my life.” He shot you a look, like he was sharing some grand secret. “Wanna go judge it with me?”

You blinked. “You’re seriously inviting me to get bad coffee right now?”

“Well, yeah.” His lips twitched into something soft, teasing. “What, you got better plans?”

You let out a weak, disbelieving laugh, and Dae-Ho beamed like you’d just given him the biggest win of his life.

And maybe—just maybe—that was what made you step back. Away from the edge.

He didn’t react right away, just waited, patient and steady, as if he would’ve stood there all night if he had to.

Then, when you finally turned toward him, he gave you a nod, like this was the most natural thing in the world. “C’mon. I’ll even let you steal my dumplings.”

You huffed, rolling your eyes. “I didn’t say yes.”

Dae-Ho grinned, nudging your arm as you started walking. “Yeah, but you didn’t say no either.”

And just like that, the rest was history.

A/n: Hi my lil monsters!! How we likey? This request was so adorableee!!! Hope this was exactly as anon wanted and always feel free to request if you have any!

Love ya, Twilight

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