#dearwhs

maybe he really needs to do something about this crush thing. his actions? not normal. he's experiencing all the symptoms you'd get when you're crazy in love—and the smartest move he could do to fix whatever this was? ask jaehyun for help. after all, he's in this mess because of their silly bets.

which is as to why taesan is now in jaehyun's habitat, cause he cannot bare to see you right now. he's afraid he's heart would go badum badum again 'til it explodes.

now, taesan's face is buried on the pillow, groaning. and what is jaehyun doing? laughing. mhm, he's laughing over taesan's despair because this is a side he never saw in their years of friendship ever, like EVER. he'll even take a video if he can, but you know what'll happen if he does... maybe that wasn't part of his best ideas yet.

"hey, taesan. i'll help you, dude. i've got an idea. " jaehyun grinned, nudging taesan's shoulder.

taesan just looks up at him thinking, he's up to no good again, isn't he?—either way, he's so lost that he just accepted his faith under jaehyun's hands. here goes nothing.

"the ultimate 10 steps to confessing!" (jaehyun partially plagiarized taesan's first plan), after hearing that? taesan didn't even bother to argue on why they're doing this 10-step thing again, but instead he's just hoping whatever this plan was, it better work.

and again, just like that, "the ultimate 10 steps to confessing" has been reborn. let's just hope it works.

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Jaehyun's Ultimate 10 Steps To Confessing!

STEP 1: admit you like her

– first step, stop being in denial. pretending to be all cool when she passes by doesn't add aura, taesan—the moment you're gone, he'll smile like a freak IN PUBLIC (which is an automatic -800 aura for our fake emo).

– okay, easy! he just gotta admit he likes you. except, he's outside the apartment mumbling to himself as he takes out the trash, "i like–" you got this "i like h–" — "you like?" yup, of course you were there, accidentally creeping up behind him.

– despite being caught off guard, he just plays it off, coughing. "oh, i like pancakes." (in fact, he doesn’t. STEP 1: PASSED! even if he didn't admit it—his actions did, let's cheer!)

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STEP 2: start acting normal

– according to jaehyun, taesan's normal mode is currently turned off. because recently, he had been so conscious of his actions when you're around. it's like he's overlooking things—is he staring for too long? should he look away?– or does that makes him look weird?

– you'd be in a convenience store eating out—his treat. you're rambling to him how you did so well on your quiz, you'll subconsciously high-five him. you don't know the impact that high-five had caused to him, cause the moment your hand touched against his, his hands just freezed in place, literally. once he noticed his hands were paused up in the air, he just awkwardly plays it off as scratching his head, "why is my head suddenly itchy, haha." (STEP 2: failed...?)

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STEP 3: stop overthinking EVERYTHING

– after over-reading his actions detail by detail—he's slowly latching now over yours. even searching on google, "what does it mean for someone to..." yep, he's cooked. (he needs to be stopped..)

– curious what made him head to google?— it was the way you said good morning to him, earlier. somehow, he caught the fact that your voice was two notes lower than usual. did it even make sense for him to notice that? maybe. he is studying music, after all. (STEP 3: failed, once again…)

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STEP 4: planning the actual confession!

– so, at this point, jaehyun thinks taesan had finally calmed down (which i don't think he did) and is finally ready to plan the confession: their og plan.

– though, taesan's a little bit stuck on step 3. he ended up questioning himself—what if i mess up?— like what if you laugh at him? what if he ends up messing up? what if you ignore him forever, or worst.. what if he confesses to the wrong person!? (okay, maybe the last bit is unlikely, but we can see how bad his overthinking can get.)

– jaehyun pats taesan's back, "it'll work as long as you follow my steps, okay man?" he said with determination in his voice.

– oh, jaehyun's the biggest taeyn shipper—now listing all the steps using his pencil with bite marks (we don't talk about that – jaehyun) and a dream.

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STEP 5: figuring out your interests (secretly...!)

– easy! — "what's your favorite..." he said, for the 30th time, practicing his words as if he was reading a script, even putting efforts on his facial expression. (which he had never done—well, not until now)

– upon entering the bus, someone yells your name, and of course, it was taesan—you automatically sit on the chair he saved for you, right beside him.

– you two sat quietly—well, not until he broke the silence (little did you know, he'd been practicing in his head), "sooo, what are you into these days?" wincing at his own voice as soon as the question came out, trying his very best to awkwardly not look away—like he usually does.

– you pour your interests all over taesan—the cafe you've been currently obsessing over, your new favorite drink, your favorite band: guynextdoor, you spilled everything. and taesan? he just nods as if he understood everything your mouth blabbered.

– in reality, he didn't. though, he now has an idea! you like this new cafe, new drink alert for the nth time, and guynextdoor—which he considers that band his enemy for now for owning a place in your heart. (STEP 6: a somewhat success—back to researching he goes.)

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STEP 6: drop little hints

– how is this in any way useful? well, according to jaehyun, if you drop little hints, maybe, just maybe, you'll notice, and then you and taesan get together and live happily ever after. but, i wish it was that easy, jaehyun. i wish. still, taesan does it anyways.

– first thing he does? he tries to compliment you—keyword, tries. "hey. i um, like your handwriting," — "thanks!" it was unusual, but you appreciated whatever that was. him? he's whispering under his breath, did i do okay? was that obvious?

– taesan told jaehyun—it made him slam his own face, because how could you fail COMPLIMENTING??? he told you to try again. (he's locked in)

– at this point, he's showering you compliments everyday, when you see him outside the apartment, when you're on campus, wherever you are, he'll make sure he gets to throw you at least one compliment. he hopes you don't find it too weird, though. (STEP 6: passed...)

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STEP 7: learn from the professionals (aka kdrama)

– jaehyun wrote this idea, cackling to himself, "this is the best step yet," he's totally just not gonna make taesan watch kdrama with him—totally. according to jaehyun, you could never go wrong with kdramas!

– now, jaehyun and taesan are slouching on the couch. taesan's arms crossed, squinting at the television, "so, if i surprise her with flowers, it'll make her like me...?" he muttered in confusion, jaehyun just pretends to nod—he's too busy giggling at the kdrama in front of him.

– then, as they were watching, the male lead spouts their usual cheesy lines, "i've loved you from the moment i saw you,” which made taesan groan, covering his face with a pillow. “no way i’m saying that without cringing.” he'll totally use that scene as a reference. (STEP 7: might work)

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STEP 8: TESTING THE WATERS

– okay, for this, they had to make sure what you think of taesan before going all in. he needs proof that you're comfortable with him or something, so that he won't fall flat on his face scarring the rest of his life with this confession. so, what's their plan? simple. they decided to test the waters with totally not so obvious questions. they'll try their best to fish out your reactions at the mention of someone secretly admiring you—or if your face lights up when taesan is brought up.

– you'll be walking around campus with taesan, and... jaehyun who coincidentally bumped into you two. he casually started the conversation with "so, what do you guys think if, um, someone you know secretly likes you? or uh if they confesses?"—that made taesan's eyes size up because that was NOT in their plan (sadly, he wasn't informed), you gave jaehyun's thinking a thought, "hmm, i guess it depends? if they're sweet and romantic, i'd fall for that."

– jaehyun nods, trying not to hold his grin as he stares at taesan who's quietly biting his lips to stop himself from giggling, mentally taking a note: sweet and romantic, got it. (STEP 8: HAPPY TAESAN AND A SUCCESS)

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STEP 9: going all out >:)

– it's time to prepare taesan's confession. taesan's in jaehyun's little jungle, avoiding you for now to not spoil or slip anything about the confession. in reality, he knows he'll fold if he sees you next door.

– jaehyun's step are pacing back and forth, thinking of the greatest way to confess to you, "what about... you accidentally fall in her arms and confess?" "what? no." "hm, what about you write her name using those drones stuff?" "no? i'm broke." "broke and unromantic? tsk." — taesan just glared at him before stuffing his face on a pillow as jaehyun continues his little brainstorming, not until taesan randomly gets up after getting an idea.

– "wait, she said she wanted something sweet and romantic, right?" taesan suddenly mutters, his eyes lighting up. "and… i kinda know what she’s into, so… maybe we can combine those?" jaehyun just blinks, "i liked my suggestions better, but i guess yours could work. (STEP 9: CHECK!)

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STEP 10: CONFESSION TIME

– they're basically prepared now, flowers? check! chocolates? check! plushies? check! all they've gotta do now is to execute it well—hopefully.

– taesan and you are walking, heading back to the apartment after an exhausting class today. the sky fading from orange to a beautiful purple, casting a soft glow on the environment—it's as if everything came out from a kdrama which is perfect. everything seems to be going to plan.

– the plan was simple: he'll ask to hang out in your place for a bit, then casually pick up your guitar to play a song you've been practicing lately—not knowing he was also getting guitar lesson from the guitar master sungho, then after that, jaehyun will pop up with the gifts. simple and easy, right?

– as you two arrived, he instantly heads for your guitar, "mind if i play something?" you just checked up on him from over the kitchen, "sure, go on." okay, just relax, he can do it. jaehyun's voice enters in his head, "don't mess it up."

– so far it had been going so well, you two were vibing, sitting next to each other, locking eye to eye with the sweetest smiles—it made a somewhat romantic atmosphere. all are going according to the plan, until "TING" his finger caught the wrong string which caught him off guard, making him continuously go off tune—okay, he messed up a little, flustered taesan just slowly puts down the guitar, glaring at his hands for betraying him 'til the guitar slid, clattering on the floor. this is awkward.

– what made it worst? the creaking sound of the front door opening, "CONGRATS TO TAESAN, MY MAN!" it was jaehyun putting on the biggest smile, holding the gifts taesan prepared, even wearing sunglasses indoors... wrong timing, jaehyun, wrong timing...

– the room was insanely silent—you could only hear the flowers and chocolates rustling. you blinked at jaehyun, taesan blinks at jaehyun, and well, jaehyun just blinked, "i saw you through the window proposing..." taesan just slammed his face, "i was apologizing for knocking her guitar down."

– taesan stood up, facing your way, "yn, i like you. i'm sorry this confession thing turned for the worst. it didn't really go my way- but i swear if you give me a chance, i'll properly confess next time-"

– your laugh escaped your mouth, you couldn't barely hold it anymore. "wait, why are you laughing-" you cut him off as you grasp for air— you couldn't stop smiling your cheeks started to hurt, "taesan... you've been too obvious. i've known for a while." which made him look down as he scratch the back of his neck, deeply embarrassed.

– "i like you too, just so you know." he immediately looks up, "really?" that sent him straight to fully crazy in love final level, if you could only hear his heart going crazy to the point that it might actually jump out, and suddenly, ta-da, pretty pink petals started falling down, the same as the one in dramas—except it doesn't make sense at all, well, since you're inside... it was actually just jaehyun sprinkling the petals, "sweet and romantic!"

– taesan couldn't stop himself from laughing at the fact you liked him too despite the ridiculous, awkward, and gone wrong confession. he realized that maybe it wasn't so bad at all, but rather memorable. he ended up leaning closer next to you, holding both of your hands, "i'll make it up, i swear," with the sweetest tone as he squeezes your palms. (STEP 10: it all worked out)

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"just admit it. you're literally so obvious, dude." jaehyun snickers, watching taesan who's too busy pretending to mind his own business. jaehyun lets out a dramatic sigh as he flops down on the sofa behind taesan. he obviously wouldn't be stopping his blabbing anytime soon.

this was an everyday routine for taesan. he just ignores jaehyun as if he didn't exist—simply nothing more than just a puppy who acts like an annoying fly, buzzing in his ears.

jaehyun's words were nothing but harmless bullets for him because he knows to himself that he's not into you, he's sure of it.

it's not like his world revolves around you—he's literally your neighbor. it's not his fault he knows the exact face you make when you thought you've lost your key, the way your eyesbrows suddenly glue together, your eyes glaring at your very own bag, rummaging inside in frustration (which by the way, entertains taesan every single time it happens). or the way you'd come out at 7pm everyday with tons of cat foods just to feed the stray cats waiting outside your door.

none of it meant anything, really.

dings. it's you, again—asking taesan to fix your broken sink for the 4th time this week. and of course, there goes myung jaehyun again, rambling how taesan instantly closed the book he was holding, which he was barely reading in the first place—he just used it to be a somewhat distraction to shoo away jaehyun's voice.

jaehyun couldn't hold himself as a soft chuckle escapes his mouth, he finds taesan amusing because his words does NOT match his actions at all. "dude, do you even realize how niché your behavior is right now? YOU DON'T EVEN FIX MY TOILET WHEN I CLOG IT!" taesan couldn't help but to roll his eyes at jaehyun, followed by a small tsk. "a sink is different from a toilet, jaehyun. it's different." he said as he ran off as fast as he could to escape jaehyun's rambling again.

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taesan comes back to jaehyun creepily smiling at him, what's up with this guy...?

"sooo, how's your sink date with y/n?" he's already bothering him. he didn't even give taesan a second— no, a millisecond to put down his bag.

jaehyun walks towards him, his arms leaning on an invisible block, even his hands placed on his chin out in the air. he's here to sip some tea. "so, why did you drop on her place? :3" taesan wanted to argue, but jaehyun's right... right..? no. taesan hesitates. he did drop by your place because he feared you'd flood your entire apartment and stay on his instead– totally!

and just like that, jaehyun was sold—that you like her. a grin stuck on his face, obviously enjoying taesan's reaction, his pride hated it. that's when his mouth fought for him... "fine, i'll prove it." ...jaehyun just snorted at him, "prove what??"

"that i don't like yn." — and just like that, taesan's 10 steps to NOT be in love was birthed and was ready to be put on action. oh he cannot wait to rub it on jaehyun's face once he proves himself right. oh, just you wait, myung jaehyun. just you wait.

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TAESAN'S 10 STEPS TO NOT BE IN LOVE

STEP 1: avoid you

– avoiding you? that's easy work. he always do that to people in uni. how hard can it be to avoid you?

– except you literally live right next door. right as you two meet outside the apartment, you simply wave at him, and before he could even process it, his arms automatically wave back. just a guy waving with the most blankest expression ever—his face wasn't prepared but his hands were. (STEP 1: FAILED)

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STEP 2: continue being the mean guy he is

– okay, easy—again, that's in his nature. sure it's impossible to avoid you, but being mean to you? that's doable.

– both of you are waiting at the bus stop, you tapped him—showcasing the keychain you made... "so, what do you think? i made it by myself!" he... he couldn't release his inner mean-ness for some reason, "yeah, it's nice." (STEP 2: ANOTHER FAIL)

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STEP 3: ignore your texts (easy!)

– how easy can it be for taesan to ignore your texts? easy... again... right? right...! he can just turn off his phone and go on with his day.

– his phone dings, he clears his throat, excusing himself, "oh, maybe jaehyun messaged me, that guy... definitely.." nope, it was from you. he swipes up on the notification, barely reading your message—not until his eyes catches on the words "taesan, can you help me–" nope, he won't fail step 3 that easily. well, not until he looked outside the window to see you struggling. next thing you know, he's right beside you as he helps you carry your groceries inside. (STEP 3: passed? i mean he didn't reply to you... nope. FAILED! - according to jaehyun)

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STEP 4: no more favors (sorry yn)

– you can manage... jaehyun said so. as for taesan? he's not so sure. you're literally the fairy godmother for yn. will this be possible?

– jaehyun, taesan, and riwoo's playing games—someone knocks on the door, and you guessed it. it's yn. "can you fix my sink...? i swear–" controller down, tools up. the two guys stared at him... weren't we playing games... and just like that, taesan poofed again. "step 4 is another fail." jaehyun muttered to himself. "what the heck do you mean–" you don't have to know riwoo, you don't have to know. (STEP 4: F)

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STEP 5: encourage you to date! (jaehyun's idea)

– now this one is easy, just throw her men she can date. that totally proves he doesn't like you, right?

– okay, taesan's in the living room along with jaehyun, listing off guys you could possibly date. sungho - nah, he's a cleaning monster. yn's the complete opposite of him. he'd probably scare her. riwoo ‐ he's perfect! (in jaehyun's opinion!) nope, no. riwoo's too... funny. we don't wanna kill yn from laughing too much, right? right. leehan - an immediate no for taesan. he's too perfect for her, yup. woonhak - he's a baby. we don't wanna turn yn into a single mom juggling her uni duties while babysitting woonhak. (STEP 5: big fail. jaehyun died laughing at taesan)

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STEP 6: stop remembering things about her, even the tiniest bits (jaehyun's idea again. taesan disagrees)

– let's keep it simple. he just needs to refrain himself of constantly reminding you things that you always forget. except...

– you're in the campus sitting at the bench, reading your notes. taesan's coincidentally at the area minding his own business listening to music—he definitely doesn't see you right at the corner of his eyes using his peripheral vision. but he could tell you were stressed, maybe reviewing for another hell of a quiz your prof threw at you this week. and just like that, as you look at your watch, you're about to be late, which forced you to run off. yeah, except you forgot your phone. he knew you'd forget something, and there he was—outside your class handing out the phone you left. (STEP 6: sadly a fail)

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STEP 7: SOCIAL DISTANCING!

– how about we go old school? this should be easy, he had done this multiple times during the pandemic. it wouldn't be hard to keep his distance from you. he hoped.

– no matter how much gap he tries to put on you two, you always manage to close it. you see him walking? you'd call out his name and put on the brightest smile as you wave to him—of course, he'd nonchalantly wave back. you'd bump to him in the convenience store? seconds later—you two are walking home together. (STEP 7: embarassingly a fail)

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STEP 8: not your diary

– you're happy? you tell taesan. you're sad? you tell taesan. you're mad? you tell taesan. you tell taesan everything. he told you multiple times he's your neighbor, not your unicorn diary or whatever. he swore he wouldn't listen to your rants.

– had a stressful day? you sent a voice message to taesan—he didn't even listen to it. not until a few seconds later. now he's at your door, holding snacks to ease you up, mumbling "here, i hope it makes you feel better, i guess." (what step are we on.. oh! STEP 8: fail...)

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STEP 9: stop thinking about you

– ever since this plan started, you were all over his head more than ever. jaehyun suggested this step as a "cleansing method," a way to get you out of taesan's head.

– okay, this should be easy. he just needs to focus on his class, video games, jaehyun– jaehyun!? get out his head, please—literally anything but you (and jaehyun).

– except everything is suddenly all about you. the empty sit on the bus? that's the sit he saved for you. the plush he saw on the store? it's the same one you had. the music he's listening to right now? that's your favorite song—he groans, bumping his head on the table, this is hard. his phone lights up, of course, it's you. "taesan, have you eaten yet?" okay, maybe one reply wouldn't hurt. (STEP 9: it's pretty obvious)

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STEP 10: he's not in love with you

– at this point, this was the ultimate test. he just had to wake up and feel... nothing. he knew this step would be the easiest. he wins, jaehyun loses.

– "you lose." jaehyun snickers at him, annoying the heck out of taesan by doing his silly victory dance. taesan just sits there, arms crossed. he... lost? pfft, no way. jaehyun on the other hand was dripping in amusement, "10 steps? it seemed like 10 steps to prove you like yn." he says, bursting out laughing.

– he didn't even mean to look outside his window but he saw you—why were you wearing a beautiful pink sundress? it's literally so cold right now. your face couldn't even hide how cold your body was, the way you were shivering, it worried taesan. and in a matter of seconds, taesan's already outside along with his jacket wrapped around his arms, right in front of you. "here, just take it." with a surprisingly soft voice, he couldn't help but to wrap the jacket on you, his face inches away from yours—that did something to taesan's stomach. his heart started beating fast, badum badum why was it doing that??

– as for you, the moment felt different with taesan. usually, these type of things meant nothing, but for some reason, seeing his face up close, you could see the details on his expression, the way his face eyebrows furrowed—his face genuinely concerned for you. it made you wonder, was han taesan always like this?

– the moment freezed for the both of you, eyes locked onto each other—only to be stopped by jaehyun creeping up behind taesan, taking him away. you just laughed at the situation, but is it weird to say you were disappointed you didn't get to spend much time with him at the moment?

– as for taesan, jaehyun's clinging on his shoulders obviously he's got something to say, "you like yn, huh?" and for the first time, that made taesan smile crazy, though he did push jaehyun away right after for ruining his moment with you. (STEP 10: failed. but who cares?) "what about 10 steps of confessing to yn now?" mhm, taesan locked jaehyun outside.

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🐞. ݁ ⊹ PSH park sungho

you're just casually spending the day laying on the soft comfy couch in the living room, covered in your favorite blanket scrolling through social media, while sungho's lifting weights in the other room (a whole guest room converted into a gym room because he begged the heck out of you). as you were letting your laughter fill the room from watching videos, your eyes suddenly shift on the black blurry dot moving around the floor which caught your attention—to your surprise, it was a cockroach. A FREAKING COCKROACH. the moment you saw it, you immediately sit up, even using the blanket as a shield to cover yourself. the laughter coming out of your mouth was quickly replaced by a loud terrified scream—and the second you knew it, sungho was already in front of you, wearing his white tank top that clung to him a little too well, drenched in his sweat, still holding two dumbbells, worried, he said "yn! are you okay? what is it??" and just like that, you forgot about the damn bug cause of the PARK SUNGHO in front of you. while you were frozen at the moment, sungho noticed the cockroach roaming around, splat! and just like that, he just casually ended the cockroach and threw it in the trash can—which snapped you back in the current situation. he just giggled, leaning in, giving you a peck in the forehead as he goes back to his little workout session. and just like that, the scary cockroach incident flew out of your mind, thanks to your knight in shining dumbells boyfriend. (that was not yeppi that day)

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🐞. ݁ ⊹ LRW lee sanghyuk

just a fine day—you're in the kitchen preparing snacks for you and your bf, riwoo—when suddenly... why is there a cockroach crawling on the counter??? the snacks? left. the plate? it's on its own. it startled you so much, you shrieked TOO LOUD that even your neighbors would hear it and think what the heck is going on!? riwoo, as your concerned bf immediately ran to the kitchen to see you kneeling as if you were defeated by the king cockroach on the counter. of course, this was a sight for him—he bursted out laughing instead of helping you instead. he wipes his nonexistent tear, bravely moving in front of you to protect you. "i got this, yn!" he said... as a smirk forms in his face, even letting out a small chuckle, "i guess we'll have to get rid of this pest-y chef we have here!" you... you stared at him in disbelief. HOW IS HE ABLE TO CRACK A JOKE RIGHT NOW !? no. nope. you have no time for this—you just signaled him to get rid of it ASAP. "okay, okay! but, what if it flies? should i just wing it?" this guy even snorted at his own joke. you couldn't deny it, that one was hilarious. but okay, back to serious mode! you pointed back at the cockroach, basically begging him to remove it, seriously. and finally, with a little whoosh of the broom, riwoo successfully took the cockroach out, even returning with the broom resting on his shoulder like some superhero who saved the day. "no one will bug us now!" smiling brightly as he puts the broom back to its place—this time guarding you in case that little roach comes back.

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🐞. ݁ ⊹ HTS han dongmin

oh, this will be fun. you're just chilling in the bean bag couch taesan bought, cause he said it's comfortable and somewhat stylish, just watching your favorite show—even giggling and all– and there you spotted it, a freaking bug crawling on the wall, ON TOP OF THE TV. you immediately take the pillow beside you to use as a shield and yelled loudly for help to your bf, taesan who was busy decorating bracelets. without a doubt, taesan's already in the living room along with his beads and unfinished bracelet. "what is it, baby? are you okay??" your eyes slowly led him to the bug right beside him. he blinks at the bug, and then he blinks back at you. he found you and your pillow shield cute, he started giggling. like how he teases woonhak, he also likes teasing you to get the cute reactions he wants. "oh, this? pft." he cheerfully smugged, pointing at the bug as a joke until it fell down, IT WAS CRAWLING TOWARDS YOU. "HAN DONGMIN! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU–" you yelped, climbing at the nearby sofa beside you like it will protect you from that freakishly scary bug running crazily. this was a really funny sight for taesan, even tears started forming on the corners of his eyes. you glared at him, redness visible in your eyes—that was his cue. he took a random cup, trapping the bug as he slid a piece of paper beneath, walking out to free the little dude to the outside world. "see? it's not that scary, baby." you just pouted at him, arms fully crossed. taesan couldn't help but to chuckle at your reaction—he plops right beside you, guiding your head towards his shoulder. you just shoved him, "get away from me," your lips still stuck pouting, but he just wraps his arms around you, "come on, i'll make you a bracelet." okay, maybe it's alright to pause your sulking for just a moment.

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🐞. ݁ ⊹ KLH kim donghyun

you two are casually spending the day together in the living room doing different things. you're busy folding the laundry while leehan's quietly decorating your things with the fish stickers that was on sale that piqued his interest. all was at peace until—there was a beetle on the floor, slowly but was surely on its way towards you. in pure panic, you absentmindedly threw the shirt on the beetle covering it. you screamed for leehan a HELP as you jump behind him. leehan just stares at you, "huh..?" you slowly pointed at the shirt, "there's a beetle under the shirt!!" he paused his decorating session and got up, picking the shirt up, revealing the beetle underneath. "aww, cute little guy" he said as he went near the bug. WHAT? CUTE? you stared at him in confusion. he laid on the floor, putting the shirt behind his back and crawled like the beetle. yes, on all FOURS. you were so concerned. "leehan, babe. WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" he just hushed you, "shh, i'm connecting with it." excuse ME? "if you don't take it out right now, i'll remove your fish stickers on my phone case." (we know you won't do it). he gets up and cups the bug up with no hesitation, freeing it as he releases it outside, "peace and love, friend." with a proud smile. you just face-palmed your face. you two continued whatever you two were doing. fold here, fold there. leehan just stickers here, sticker there—not even gonna bother to discuss what just happened. (though, you found your bf quite cute. odd, but cute)

󠀣 ʚଓ

🐞. ݁ ⊹ KWH kim woonhak

on a sunny saturday, your apartment was filled with woonhak's loud gaming noises. you two are lounging together—you're watching guynextdoor on youtube, he's playing on his phone. everything was fine not until you felt your legs itchy, so you properly sit down to scratch it, but something else caught your eyes—a huge bug HORRIFYINGLY CRAWLING FAST, TOO FAST. before you knew it, you were slapping woonhak's arm nonstop. "woonhak. WOONHAK. W-" you even went on to pinch his arm out of terror, "ow! what- why?" you pointed at the bug, your arms following its movement. the second woonhak spots it, he doesn't care about his game anymore, this guy JUMPED falling off the bed, SHRIEKING OUT OF FEAR—he immediately got up and clung onto you. you two are basically screaming at each other's faces, hiding in the blanket. "DO SOMETHING!" you said as you were panicking. he tries to play it cool, "OKAY, OKAY! i'm a man, i'm a man," he suddenly stood up, and bolted out the room. is this... betrayal!? he left you WITH A BEAST. HOW COULD HE. and before you could even process this betrayal, woonhak's already back... with leehan and sungho. "HYUNGS, THERE'S THE BUG! BE CAREFUL, IT'S FAST AS HECK!" he said, hiding behind leehan as sungho catches the bug with no problem. crisis averted, thanks to... woonhak. he thanks his hyungs, guiding them out. and when the mess was over? he casually plops back down beside you on the bed, his arms even hanging on your shoulders as if the bug incident was just nothing for him, "see? i had it all in control," he smirks as he continues his game. yeah, sure.

󠀣 ʚଓ

٠ ࣪⭑

the moment your friends found out you were down bad for jaehyun, they just stared at you in pure shock, disbelief, and even a little bit of concern—HIM? WHAT? HOW? WHY? WHEN? WHAT. we literally have bong jaehyun, jeong jaehyun, kim jaehyun, and lee jaehyun, yet you've landed on myung jaehyun?

"yn, be honest, okay? did he hypnotize you?" your friend said, tightly gripping on your shoulders before shaking you with great force, hoping it'll wake you up from whatever voodoo this was. are they really concerned? cause for you, it felt like an attempted murder.

your other friend even scooched in the middle, butting in to add their piece, "did jaehyun drag you on a social experiment...?" – "no." – "did he pay you to be charmed??" – "no???" – "did you find out he was your lover in your past life, so you're here to retrieve what was once yours?" what? okay, oddly specific but no. the list of assumptions went on—it was raining questions, which by the way, felt like an enternity. it's safe to say your friends were crazier than jaehyun, and it made you wanna bang your head on the table, hoping that'll make their voices poof.

but the real question is—why did you, of all people, like someone as goofy and odd as jaehyun?

it's because you noticed things he did that no one else bothered to—as if it was only meant for you to see. like how he was always present, cheering people up with the dad jokes riwoo taught him. the way he might joke 80.01% of the time, but weirdly enough, despite his chaotic nature, he listens to your rambles 19.99% of the time.

you'd be casually talking to him, absentmindedly blurting out a story you've definitely told before, and as you reach towards the end, his voice will suddenly sync along with yours. "and then she tripped!" – "wait, how'd you know–" and he'd just grin, wiggling his fingers up, "magic!" okay, mr. magician.

but in all seriousness, it's not the way he'll joke around, following your voice, acting like he's some mind reader magician, but the way he'd let you finish telling the same story you told him before. and the first time you realized that, your heart did some crazy backflipping.

what confirmed your feelings for him? meeting his serious side.

2 months ago, you sat by the bench, blankly staring at the failed exam paper you received, eyes blinking rapidly as tears started to form in yours eyes, dripping one by one on your cheeks—your vision now blurry. not until a handkerchief pops up right in front of you, and to your surprise, it was jaehyun. the guy who once drew chill guy on the board and the very same guy who'd put googly eyes on everything.

that guy, slowly sat down beside you in silence. he wasn't his usual self at the moment—he didn't crack any jokes, but instead his expression was soft, patting your back lightly, just enough that it wouldn't make you feel uncomfortable.

"let it all out," he said with a gentle voice, the first time you heard this tone—that's when you felt something turn in your stomach. you slowly turned your head to look at him, and damn. why does he suddenly look so attractive?

you know those dramas where the lead actor has that moment? the camera slowly zooming in, only focused at him—shines, sparkles and whatever everywhere? yeah, that's happening to you right now. um, so... it hits you, the realization hits you. you like myung jaehyun.

٠ ࣪⭑

okay, now you're back on the present—sitting in class, admiring jaehyun as he draws faces on every object he sees: calculator, notebook, pencil case, leehan's hand, everything. as you watch him though, you didn't even realize how long you were staring at him as you witness him get dragged to a game of truth or dare by the guys in your class.

"okay! jaehyun, you should start first!" woonhak smirks as if he's gonna pull something.

"truth." jaehyun scoffs, bring it on.

before asking jaehyun, woonhak exchanges glances with everyone before leaning in to say, "so, who's your crush?"

"um, that's boring. i'll just do dare, then," he said with a sharp voice. woonhak's smirk was removable, this kid had something planned out. "i dare you to tell me your crush!" oh, this snowman.

"fine." jaehyun huffs. instead of name dropping his crush... which confirmed he has one—he just describes her instead, "she's blah blah, really blah blah, she likes blah blah–" that's not what he said, that's what you heard. at that moment, you just wished you had your earphones on, blasting music—instead of eavesdropping on silly guys playing truth or dare. this made you stand up to run to the bathroom. totally not gonna cry about it.

٠ ࣪⭑

welp, ever since that day, you acted different towards jaehyun. he'd throw funny jokes to the class, and there you are, trying your absolute best not to let any laughter escape your body—pft, i hope that made his crush laugh, sarcastically. your usual chitchats with him? now cut short. how? you'd act uninterested, even laying your head on the table, pretending to be sleepy (honestly, you deserve an acting award for this) when in reality, you're dying to know what happened next. did he really train a pigeon to send out letters just like in the movies? nope. focus, yn. remember, you don't care—i hope his crush chitchats with him instead, you mumbled to yourself.

and what bothered you the most is having the tiniest hope that maybe, just maybe, he liked you too—even if it was just a little.

٠ ࣪⭑

at this point you're convinced—all hope perished. maybe jaehyun does really like someone. he doesn't even notice how distant you've been lately, giving him this cold shoulder of yours. he was the same as ever—still cracking his stupidly funny jokes, putting googly eyes on everything, and still drawing little faces on leehan's hands as if it was a notebook.

except, he did notice—you've been ignoring him.

٠ ࣪⭑

at first, he thought he was just overthinking things. maybe you were just tired, sleepy, or done of him reusing the same old jokes—he's literally on a dad jokes lesson 101 with riwoo now, hoping to improve.

back then, you'd be the only one laughing at all his jokes, cheesy or not. you'd pretend it's the funniest joke you've ever heard in this century, even wiping your nonexistent tear. but now? gone. even when he's drawing those silly things on leehan, you'd lock eyes with him. the next thing you know? you're sitting beside leehan as he gives you the "yup, this is our life now" face. now, you barely even react on any of the comedic things he does. that's when he knew it. something was wrong.

he even went back on time to analyze what he had done wrong. he just can't seem to pinpoint what string he pulled on you.

you think this wouldn't bother jaehyun, right? after all, he likes someone else—the girl he mentioned, the one who blah blah this, blah blah that… and yet here he was, thinking of ways to fix whatever wrong he did. turning into detective conan, investigating why you were acting this way.

why? because he likes you. i think it was pretty obvious, or were you just oblivious?

٠ ࣪⭑

remember that time jaehyun described his crush? yep, that was all you. but, you were just too caught up on the fact that he did have a crush on someone that you completely missed his words. those blah blahs you heard? those were descriptions of you.

"i dare you to tell me your crush!" - "fine," jaehyun inhales, chuckling before he even started talking about you.

jaehyun scoffed, looking eye to eye with you, hoping you'd hear him, even if it was a bit embarassing. "fine—she's loud, like really loud, especially when she laughs at my jokes. but even with that laugh she still remains beautiful. she's like an angel that landed on earth.. her smile, it melts my heart!" – he even physically melts (which caused him to not notice your sudden absence) until woonhak cuts him off to stop him from transforming into butter myung.

he's that into you, he can literally list down all the things he knows about you—your favorite song, the way despite your friends' bashing you still like mint choco, the way you'd constantly forget the book page you were reading on after being distracted for just a few seconds, and more. yet, you weren't there to hear those words—how much he admired you.

٠ ࣪⭑

but you know what? jaehyun isn't going to back down easily. he'll try to act normal, but at this point, it's so obvious he's overdoing it.

he'll go crack the bestest joke of all time (that he got from riwoo, of course) to get your laugh out—no reaction. he sees you coming? he'll pull out the chair just for you—only for you to take the sit one chair apart from him.

okay, change of plans! maybe words will help soothe you. now he's definitely being more obvious than he was before. he'd always compliment you. he'll come up to you, showing this random drink—telling you that it reminded him of you. then, he'll casually compliment your outfit (you're wearing a uniform).

jaehyun has been doing all sorts of things to get your attention. he's painfully so obvious that he'll sulk while staring at you in the classroom. he'll even let a dramatic sigh whenever you don't laugh at his jokes or give him your attention. it was so bad that one time, your teacher even asked if jaehyun was feeling sick (just lovesick).

at this point, he had been so obvious at winning your heart, leehan and woonhak just blankly stares at him—they didn't even mean to figure out his truth or dare crush was you.

٠ ࣪⭑

now, the moment he saw you outside school on your way home. his legs didn't even hesitate to catch up to walk beside you. and you? you just glanced at him, surprised—but you didn't say anything.

for a while, you two just walked in silence. his hands stuffed in his pockets, lips all curled up—the only thing you could hear was the gentle breeze of the air. this was new. the jaehyun you knew would throw the funniest (cheesiest) jokes ever and you'd be grasping for air, dying of laughter. but this jaehyun? this jaehyun was serious—it's as if you saw the same guy again, the one who handed you his handkerchief.

and then his sigh broke the silence, "i can't take this anymore."

you just blinked at him, slowly turning your head towards him, "what?"

he stopped walking, forcing you to stop along with him—and he just looks down at the road, wearing a facial expression you've never seen on his face before. "do you hate me, yn?"

"no, i don't??" you muttered. what else can you possibly say? that you've been acting this way because the thought of him liking someone somewhat puts you in a bitter feeling. what's worse? you had no rights to feel this way because you're just nothing but his mere classmate.

his hand running through his hair. he's really hesitating, should i confess right now?

"yn, i like you. i really really do. it's been driving me crazy not being able to see your laughter, to talk to you the way we used to before. i genuinely don't know what i did wrong, but i'm sorry. i really am. so please, don't push me away anymore, okay?"

you would be lying if you told him that that didn't make your heart flutter, cause right now? your heart is trying to escape your body, pounding as hard as it can as heat rushes up your body, turning your cheeks physically red.

and then it hit you. you were just too caught up on the fact he liked someone else that you missed the most obvious thing myung jaehyun could do—the way he laughed extra on the most unfunniest jokes you threw, randomly clapping as if you had won an award when you present in front of the class. even waving hello for the 60th time of the day whenever he bumped into you. it was so painfully obvious—yet you missed it.

your thoughts were paused as jaehyun waves his hands in front of you, rubbing the back of his neck as he lightly kicks the pebble on the ground. "are you.. gonna say something..? i probably look stupid right now.."

you couldn't help but to cover your face in embarrassment. all this time, the guy you were crushing over was trying his very best to catch your attention.

"i'm the one who was stupid.. i like you too, jaehyun." you murmured, hands still covering your face.

though, he was surprised you also liked him, he couldn't help but to chuckle at your reaction. he gently reached for your hands, pulling them away from your face. "really?" he said with a soft tendered voice, grinning down at you.

and just like that, all the tensions, the misunderstandings, the silly assumptions, hanging in the air started to fade away.

you two started to finally walk again, jaehyun squeezing your hands as he playfully swings it around, "so, does this mean i can finally draw a mustache on you? the same one as leehan's?"

you nudged his shoulder, laughing, "what? jaehyun, i swear i'll take it back–"

"hey! no take-backs, yn. you already confessed" he said scoffing, enjoying this little banter you two were having.

the day ended with a smile stuck on your faces. just like two little puppies walking on their way home. except, this was not jaehyun's road home. but who cares? that's a problem for later on. as long as he's walking with you.

٠ ࣪⭑

𖦹

today's finally the day! when leehan stepped inside the aquarium, his head instantly spun as he gazes at all the lil fishies swimming around. his eyes darted everywhere, and i mean everywhere. this is practically heaven for him.

every step he took was filled with excitement, foot bouncing left to right, his smile stretching so hard it nearly reached both of his ears, eyes almost fading from happiness. the soft blue glow of the tanks hitting his face—it made everything feel magical, all his stress and worries poofed.

click here, click there– ooooh, riwoo's gonna so love these!

leehan's face was beaming with joy, as he walks towards the nearest tank scrolling through his camera, admiring the shots he had previously taken. he walked continuously, and then suddenly his feet had stopped... he was in the jellyfish exhibition, which perked him up, leaving a huge smile on his face, "perfect!"

he fixes his camera angle just right, adjusting the lens, focusing on the jellyfish, and getting ready in position to capture the sea creature—its tentacles drifting away in slow motion, swaying along the water's flow.

click! click! cl-

wait–

leehan's head slowly tilts in confusion. "since when did a jellyfish... well, stop being a jellyfish and turn into a… girl!?” uh, no, leehan... i think that's actually just a girl.

normally, he'd pan his camera on another direction and go on with his little hobby and move on. but, why was his hands frozen? why was one of his eyes still closed, focusing on her through the camera?

she was barely moving, just stuck there, standing. and yet, she looked ethereal in leehan's eyes. maybe it was the way the blue dim lights reflected on her face—her gaze, it looked so calm and drawn to the movements of the jellyfish, it piqued his interest. and for some reason, he found himself staring at her longer than he should've.

for the first time today, he wasn't focused on the lil fishies. should his corydoras be worried? no, right...?

𖦹

as for you, you snap back to reality as the jellyfish flees away, your gaze shifts to the guy right in front of you who seems to be taking pictures—or at least that's what he was supposed to be doing. you can tell he's staring at you—not even at the floating jellyfish in the tank, but right at you. is he even taking pictures at this point? he's completely frozen in place.

as leehan makes eye contact with you through his camera, his eyes widens in shock—he immediately drops his camera down, trying to act normal as if he didn't stare at you for too long. his face became a mess, his mouth opened trying to say something, but no words came out... his own mouth betrayed him.

you couldn't help but to throw a chuckle at him. he immediately shakes his head a "wait!" in panic and tries to explain himself with the use of his hands this time. you cover your face, trying to hide your little devious laugh, "uh, you know you can just go to this side if you want to talk to me... right?" oh, you should've seen how red leehan's face was. embarrassment is clearly written in his face. and to make him feel at least a little better, you decided to move on his side instead.

"ehe, i..." he laughs nervously as a sheepish smile forms on his face scratching the back of his neck, "i swear i was just trying to take a picture of the jellyfish!! and then–" he's defending himself as much as he can, to the point that even his dino hands are out, just so you don't misunderstand. he's really trying here.

your face couldn't hold back. a small smile tugs at the corner of your lips as you watch this cute but odd stranger explain himself. "well, did i look okay?" leehan's dino hands freezed mid-air, slowly coming down, his eyes blinks rapidly, "huh? w-what-" oh, you just broke this guy. you bursted out laughing because of his silly reaction, shaking your head as you try again after catching your breath, "i said, did i look okay in your picture?"

"o-oh! the picture.. right!" he lifts up his camera, searching for the photo he just took a few minutes ago. "here, see!" and strangely, your eyes just blinked slowly, disappointed at the picture as all you could see was the jellyfish captured beautifully—and there you were on the corner, slightly blurred, photobombing...

"well, it's a shame-" he cuts your sentence off and moves a little bit closer, just enough to not make you feel uncomfortable, "do you want me to take another picture? i'll make it look nicer this time, i swear." you blink at him, caught off guard, "huh?" he immediately swings his arms in panic, "oh, um- only if you'd like to, of course." you let out a small giggle at him as you nod.

next thing we know, you were posing infinitely. it was basically a photoshoot in an aquarium—his camera is full of your photos rather than the fishies he initially came for.

after finishing the mini photoshoot, you stood next close to him, analyzing the photos which turned out absolutely gorgeous. "well, that was the most fun i had in a while." you said as you picked up your bag on the floor. he lightly chuckles at your words, "yeah, me too."

you wanted to say something, but you hesitated for a second—still, you decided to go for it. "since you took my pictures, maybe i could get them?" obviously hinting at something. "o-oh, yeah, of course." he muttered, as he fidgets on his phone, unsure of what to do next. "so uh, how do i..?" you stared at him, confusion creeping in, "how do you what-?" he just coughs as he scratches his head, "how do i.. send them to you?– uh- through an email?? airdrop? bluetooth...? or a pigeon??? i think i know how to do that–" your laughter immediately cuts him off. seriously though, a pigeon !?

you flashed him a smile, "a number works too, y'know?" this statement turned him red like a tomato. he just gives you a small embarassing nod as he stretches his arm out to give out his phone to you. and as for you, he was undeniably adorable—making you smile as you casually hand him his phone back.

as you two bid goodbye, you couldn't help but to slip in your name before you part ways, "it's y/n, by the way. l/n, y/n." he gave you a smile, also revealing his name. "it's leehan. kim leehan."

as you walked away, you just realized you gave your number to a stranger. well, a cute one for sure.

leehan on the other hand walks all jumpy, realizing he just scored a new connection.

𖦹

after a long but unexpectedly fun day, you found yourself going back to the moment earlier—only for riwoo to burst your thoughts, asking how your trip went. you grinned at him in excitement, "this is gonna be a long story, hyung!" and of course, riwoo was prepared; blanket? check! snacks? check! all that's left to do now is have the yapping session.

𖦹

sure, the two can just leave him here. but come on, as the nice guys they are, they aren't just gonna leave their baby to rot in this room, playing games for the rest of his life, right?

jaehyun uses both of his hands to rub his temple, even closing his eyes just for an idea to spark in– aha! jaehyun's lips forms a little smirk just right at the corner, obviously receiving a great idea. leehan stares at him weirdly with all these extra stuff he did, but come on, that's jaehyun, that's the most normal he had ever been... today.

leehan watches jaehyun as he creeps up behind woonhak. woonhak is too focused on the game, but he can surely feel his hyung's presence. he sighs, putting the controler down, "hyung, what do you want?" now woonhak's focus completely shifted at him, he immediately sits down next to him, "hey, woonhak. what about we go get food just right around the corner?" leehan who was silently watching them raises his eyesbrows, giving a "when did our plan go from going to the art gallery to... eating!?" face. jaehyun hushes him, replying back with a "just trust me."

of course, woonhak hears the word "food," it's an immediate yes for him. "pft, hyung, why didn't you just say so? i'll go change real quick." he said as he stands up to finally leave the living room.

jaehyun flops down right next to leehan, throwing him a smirk, pointing that this is all part of his plan. leehan thinks hard, wah. this guy's pretty smart despite being weird. he gives jaehyun a "🫵👍🫵👍" which made jaehyun let out a small chuckle.

۶ৎ

the three arrived right at the front of the art gallery. woonhak had obviously been tricked. he glares at jaehyun for fooling him. leehan insisted it'll be fun... as he scooches over at the middle to prevent a snowman and puppy fight to happen!

woonhak's mouth keeps shifting left to right, clearly bored as he would rather play games than stare at paintings he wasn't even into in the first place. despite being uninterested, he still roamed around the gallery without his hyungs.

"that one's colors are too bright." ooh, that one looks like something i'd put in my minecraft house for sure." "is this what they call abstract?-" snap! with just like that, it seemed that the world had stopped for woonhak. how can someone be prettier than these paintings that surrounds them? how can someone outshine a room full of art? how is someone art themselves? how- snap! his world started to spin again as leehan snaps his fingers to get woonhak's attention, "are you enjoying the art gallery?" wrong timing, leehan. he might've just lost a walking art because of you!

woonhak just shakes his head, avoiding leehan's question. he starts walking around again trying to shrug off the thought about the girl he had just seen. they probably won't see each other again... forever and ever... and EVER!

"do you like this painting?" someone said. before shaking his head a no, he slowly looked at the person. it was the girl he had admired. is she really talking to me!? woonhak tries to compose himself as he's talking to the girl he took interest upon on. "o-oh, yeah. it's interesting." did that sound cool? did i sound alright? gah! he hides his hands behind his back, trying to give off a reserved and calm gentleman, which is the complete opposite of him as his thoughts are running wild, thinking what he was gonna say next.

"well, would you like to know a little history about it?" you can see how eager and excited she is to share facts about this painting knowing no one probably wanted to hear these little facts she prepared. he found himself admiring her more, what can stop him from saying yes to her? – "yeah, that'd be nice."

the two spent a good amount of time chit-chatting about the piece you were barely interested on which definitely changed now. sadly, you two were cut off by jaehyun and leehan signaling you to come back as you were most likely about to leave. she thanks you for taking the time to listen to her. at this point you knew her name, "y/n." and she knew yours.

you didn't know whether you hated how short the time you two had or how your hyungs just cut off your talk with y/n just like that. nevertheless, woonhak found his new interest, for sure.

۶ৎ

these past few days, woonhak has been going outside. of course, his hyungs are glad he finally graduated from his little (huge.) video game obsession. but where has he been going to? they didn't care, as long as they can finally solo the living room and the video game itself, and of course as long as their woonhak comes back home safe and sound.

۶ৎ

as for you, this guy keeps coming back to the art gallery. you find him... quite odd. he'd go back everyday just to ask facts about 4 paintings a day and leave. why won't he just ask for all of them at once? but it didn't really matter, you get to FINALLY share the facts that had been stored in your brain since well... you started this job. weirdly, you also found him cute. i mean he keeps smiling at you, plus he genuinely seemed to listen to your silly history other people wouldn't even bother to.

۶ৎ

you secretly wished there were more paintings in this gallery... as you two head over to the last painting to talk about.

"that's about it. you're all updated with your art knowledge now!" you joked, hoping it'd at least cheer you up, i mean who wouldn't be upset? you bet you might never see this guy again.

he gives out a smile, lightly biting his lips. he looks down and scratches the back of his neck.

"ah, will this weird her out..." woonhak thought to himself, but he was ready to take this risk. at least if he gets rejected, he can just go cry and play video games again, swearing to never visit another art gallery, especially this one– okay, maybe he's overthinking this too much. but why not take the risk, right?

his lips curled, his eyes shifted all around the gallery, trying not to lock any eye contact with her. he then sighs, scratching his head this time, "actually there's an art piece i don't know anything yet..." you tilted your head in confusion, huh? you swore you showed him everything already.

"it's... you." gosh, this is embarrassing, he murmured to himself. he wanted to show her how sincere he is. he finally locks eye contact with you. your breath stops, this guy you've been crushing on... he's oddly dumb? (y/n's dumb.)

"huh, pfft, i'm no art piece, woonhak. but i swear, i already told you all the history about all the paintings here. are you sure?" he- he couldn't hold his laugh, his hands try to pull the air, trying to stop his laughter. "no- no- i meant that i also wanted to know more about you, y/n. i'm interested in you, silly."

to your surprise, he also liked you?? i mean, it was pretty obvious, why would a guy come back everyday just to learn facts about paintings, right...?

"i've never seen someone as pretty as you in an art gallery, y/n. wait- is this weird??" his words cracked you up as he realizes he had probably been spouting nonsense at you. though, it was pretty adorable of him. you couldn't help but smile, "nope, no it's not. i like you too, woonhak." the two couldn't but to chuckle at each other's cheesy lines. who knew you'd be able to find love in an art gallery?

۶ৎ

𑁤

as for sungho, you were never a bother to him at all. instead, he'd be playing fifa with riwoo but the moment his phone dings, he'd immediately check who the notification was from. and if it's your name that popped up, he'd stand up as fast as he could that you'd barely see him go. "jaehyun! go play for me for a second!" and in a blink of an eye, he's already running to his room, replying to your messages in an instant as he takes his things.

yn 💗: sunghooo! how do i unclog... the toilet...?

you: yn... what? i'm omw

yn 💗: hehe the door's open! 🫡

his reply seemed nonchalant but oh. he was beaming with excitement, his smile visibly seen spreading across his whole face.

you were his safe haven. his comfort zone. his home. his everything. he wouldn't risk anything to lose you, even if it deeply pains him inside—but it doesn't matter anyways, as long as he was with you.

𑁤

sungho pops up right at your door, headed straight to the bathroom. he sees you stumbling everywhere, trying your best to find your way to unclog it. sungho chuckled at you, giving a light knock on the bathroom door. "SUNGHOOOO! I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE FINALLY HERE!!" your face lit up at his presence. you looked like you were about to cry as you sniffle, wiping what about to be your stress-tears off.

typical sungho gets the job done in a second. you jumped at him, sincerely thanking him as much as you could, even casually throwing him an "i love you so much!" though, it didn't mean what he wanted it to mean—hearing it made his day anyway.

𑁤

as you two were preparing to leave and join your friends for dinner, you were rummaging your room trying to find the bracelet you deeply treasured. sungho came behind you, tapping your back—and to your surprise, he's holding the bracelet you were desperately trying to find. "oh– sungho! you found it! thanks for saving me the trouble.. i couldn't remember where i last placed it heh." sungho just gives you a gentle smile as he secures the bracelet on your wrist. "you always leave it on your bedside table, yn." the two of you just laughed off your silly mistake of forgetting things easily and continued getting ready to leave.

sungho's like that. he knows more a lot about you more than you do because you're the most special person in his life. he knows the way you'd cry almost immediately the moment you see an emotional scene in a movie—he'd prepare the tissue right away. the way he'd always give you a call to make sure you're not sleeping again whilst doing your homework, which you always do. the way he knows you don't like any kind of nuts in your ice cream, so he tries to check if the ice cream contains any before buying it for you. or the way you screech the moment you see the cutest little stray cat—which sungho would always warn you first to be careful not to get scratched. he knew the smallest details about you, yet you just think that's how friends treated each other, just how sungho is.

𑁤

it's 11:16pm, sungho's in a deep heavy sleep– his phone rings and he's immediately awake. as he was groaning, you in were silent for at least a few seconds before deciding to finally speak up, "sungho, i.. need you right now.. can you please come over..?" you sniffled. the pain in your voice was so obvious and that worried sungho.

knock knock, he was already there at your door. you hugged him, but that didn't matter to him at the moment, what mattered to him is the reason why you were crying nonstop. it was a sight that'll always hurt him—you sobbing.

"everything's a mess... i just fought with my parents again... it's so frustrating. i really didn't mean to blow up on them.." sungho just hushed you, telling you it's gonna be okay, it was the chance he could finally hug you tightly without a reason, without holding back. you cover your face as it was a mess, tears were everywhere, and it seems like your whine isn't going to stop anytime sooner. you were just in a very vulnerable moment, in between your broken cries, you continue to vent to him, letting out all your problems. "... they just don't get me." sungho at this point was trying to muster his courage to let out these words, "i'd get you, y/n. even when no one else would." he hoped these words doesn't turn the line between you two a glass—that his feelings would be see-through. he simply doesn't want to over-complicate the friendship you two have. being friends is enough for him.

without a thought, you just tried to smile lightly at him. his words comforted you. but for you, that's all—it was just some comforting words to make you feel better. you don't see the deeper meaning behind his words, not knowing that's the best he could've done to hold back, to say what he really meant. "i know, sungho. and i'm thankful for that." and that lit a tiny bit of hope in him, but you didn't mean it the way he wished you did.

𑁤

yeah, it pains sungho—a huge amount. but he just couldn't bare leaving you. at the end of the day, even with the amount of "i love you" you shot at him—all feeling like bullets piercing right through his heart, he still wouldn't.

if the only way to stay by your side is to lock his feelings away forever, then so be it. he'd rather stay with you for 400 years, rather than taking the risk of possibly losing you permanently.

𑁤