#kates blabs

How she helps me:

Editing: she helped me polish my rough drafts into sparkling prose.

Beta Reading: She provides honest feedback and catches plot holes and grammar mistakes.

Trailer Making: Kate creates stunning video trailers that capture the essence of my stories.

Why She is Amazing:

Kate is amazing because she is selfless and just gives, gives, gives! She has devoted so much time to my project when she never had to. I appreciate her more than words could ever express.

I truly don't believe my series would be as good or as cohesive without her. Thank you for everything, Kate. Thank you also for helping me realize I deserve some good too. 💙

🔗 Find Her:

Tumblr: @snow-flake-writes

Shared Blog: @theholywriters

AO3: Snowflakewrites

Wattpad: Snowflake_Writes

Quotev: Snowflakewrites

Go check out her works and explore her blog! She’s also a very kind and warm hearted person to speak with you all will absolutely love her.

Psst… hey Kate, hi 👋

Thanks again for helping me not only with my many projects but liking myself more. You have truly helped me realize I should be nice to myself. It’s okay to take it slow and not to always give in to people. To do what I want to do not what others want. I’m not the softest person… I know I’m a writer but I also know I don’t express soft feelings very well either and I HOPE you know that I adore you and Love you and APPRECIATE you, dude!

Also I know I said you were the Chan to my Han. Nahhh I’m convinced you’re the Chan to my Lee Know

-ˋˏ ༻☀️༺ ˎˊ-

-ˋˏ ༻☀️༺ ˎˊ-

Time. It was never on her side. No matter how much she tried to catch up, there was always something that held her back. And that something is what she’s been trying to figure out. How can you fight something you don’t even know? Ever since she was in high school, she feels time has been her worst enemy. Especially when she’s woken up by her alarm—blaring and alert.

Y/N stares at the ceiling above her, back pressed against the soft padding of her mattress. The alarm was shut off with a quick reflex, just by a few seconds of It breaking the silence. It’s her only day off of the week, and here she lies at 8:30 in the morning. It’s an alarm she had set in her phone every morning, no matter if she worked or not.

Why did she do this to herself? Well, her sleep schedule hasn’t always been the best. She thought it best to use an alarm to get her up at a decent time, hoping it’d fix her sleep-in routines. That doesn’t seem to be the case, since she always turns it off right away and goes back to sleep anyway.

How responsible.

On most mornings like this, especially on her day off, she’d go back to sleep, eager to dream a bit more about things that will never be a reality. Instead, she finds herself staring at the textured ceiling, her thoughts spiraling about nothing in particular. It’s her day off for the week, she should sleep in as long as she wants, eat good food, and maybe work on some art projects she thinks about constantly but is always too lazy to do.

Working three jobs isn’t easy. Granted she makes sure she’s not working more hours then she should each day, but it still takes up most of her time of the day, barely allowing her to do the things she wants to do. Which is why she ends up staying up till one or two in the morning.

A long sigh leaves her lips, her mind telling her to get up and do something. After some silent contemplation, she sits up. A wave of dizziness hits her from moving too fast, but it's gone within seconds, and she slowly pulls off her blankets to get out of bed.

Her morning routine isn’t anything special. Get out of bed, find some clothes to wear—or stick with her pajamas, go to the restroom, brush her hair and teeth, and that's about it. She’s quite lazy, so there’s not much else she finds to be important. Besides, chores, of course.

Last but not least, Y/N finally sits down to go through all of her social media. She tends to do that as soon as her eyes open in the morning. Spending about thirty minutes scrolling endlessly on her phone to give her some time to officially wake up. But this morning, she hadn’t even touched the device, besides turning the alarm off.

Running a hand over her tired face, she taps on each app she often uses, checking over notifications and seeing if any of her friends have contacted her. Not much activity, as expected. What should she expect? She only has two best friends who live in her town, while her other friends are online. Lonely, right?

Well, she finds that having a smaller circle has more connection then a bigger one.

The last app she checks is instagram. She has a couple accounts, one for art, another for personal stuff, and so on. Seeing that she has a few notifications from her personal account, she clicks on it without hesitation.

Y/N blinks at the screen, seeing the many likes on a post she did a couple days ago. Ah…she had almost forgotten about that post. It was a professional picture she got done with the new hoodie she had bought—Stray Kids merch.

Stray Kids. A k-pop group she had started to like about a few weeks ago. More like a little obsessed over. Not in a creepy way, of course, but enough that she finds herself scrolling through the many reels about the boy band till two in the morning. She’s not at fault, though. The reels just pop up on her page, and she has no choice but to endlessly watch them.

Either way, it’s a hoodie of Bbokari. A yellow chick that represents one of the Stray Kids members, Lee Yongbok Felix. Her favorite out of all of the members, to be specific.

She isn’t sure why, but she thinks it's the long hair. It does things to her. It’s that, or his deep voice. Y/N honestly finds him to be a very talented person. All of the members are. But as she watches more videos about them, she learns more and more of each member. They are kind, care about their fans, and work so hard.

It’s…admirable.

Y/N reads through the few comments, many of which are from people she doesn’t even know, but clearly fans of Stray Kids. Some are complimenting how it fits her well—even though she’s not even showing her whole outfit—and some are just talking about what merch they have.

One notification in particular grabs her attention, however. She may have woken up a few hours ago, but she must be tired, right?

Because, there is absolutely no way a verified person liked her post. No, not just any verified account—Lee fucking Felix.

Y/N had to look away from the screen for a moment, asking herself if this was actually real. Maybe it’s someone impersonating him? She knows every celebrity has one of those on social media. But if that's the case, they wouldn’t be verified, right…? Her irises glance back down at her phone, finding it to be the same it was earlier.

Yup. This is real.

A giddy grin creeps onto her features, teeth showing and all, and her feet practically kick in pure excitement. This was a dream come true. A piece of her heart that craved this.

Of course, she wasn’t expecting anything like this, not from any member. She’s one fan of a million, how could she be noticed out of all of them? Well, here it is, right in front of her face.

And now that she’s really looking, she notices she had received a message, too, during the night. Thinking it’s a scam message or something from a friend, her thumb taps on the icon.

No, that wasn’t it at all.

In fact, Y/N quite literally almost dropped her phone in pure shock. Sure, an idol liking her post was surprising and somewhat delusional, but it’s legit. However, a message from them, too?

There’s absolutely no way this is even possible. She must still be asleep.

Y/N couldn’t bring herself to tap on the message and read the whole thing, too nervous to find it to be all fake in the end. Despite moving restlessly in her seat in excitement and shock, she still felt that she was getting her hopes up.

Finally, after a long minute of contemplation…she clicks on the message.

FELIX

[Forwarded your post]

”Thank you for your support 😊It means the world to us.”

Y/N is sure she needs to go to the hospital, because it feels as though her heart stopped. Felix from Stray Kids, a very famous k-pop boy band, had messaged her, a broke young woman who happens to have found out about them recently.

Cleaning was never something you found to be arduous. In fact, it’s quite easy. Sure, some of it can be exhausting, but really it depends on the day and task you’re doing. As someone with social anxiety, you struggled to find jobs that fit you best. You preferred being independent. Something that didn’t require you to talk to so many people at once. Those kinds of jobs, however, were hard to find. Some you had to have a license, others a reliable vehicle, and more tedious things.

The best thing about cleaning jobs, though, is that most pay really well. For such an easy task, that's a good deal. Cleaning is an everyday task, something people naturally do at home or in their own personal space. Some people aren’t as clean, but there’s no judgement there. It kept you busy, independent, and helped let the time go by. You could learn it easily and do it over and over.

However, what you’ve never done before was clean such a large company. So, naturally, you couldn’t help but to think about how big the JYP Entertainment building was when you first arrived. I have to clean this? You weren’t sure how the janitorial crew worked. As teams? By themselves with certain sections? It’s always different with each cleaning company, and you couldn’t help but to feel a little nervous on what tasks you’ll be doing.

Given the building is for k-pop artists, you wondered if you’d have to clean the different studios and offices. Maybe even the artists' rooms themselves?

You suck in a breath of fresh air, hold it for a few seconds, then let it all out. You’ve already gone through the worst part about this, which was the interview. Now, you just have to meet your coworkers and get down the routine. Easy enough.

Your gaze glances back down at the card in your hands as you stand in the quiet elevator. You hadn't realized you’ve been gripping your new ID badge so tightly, and you’re quick to relax your hold so as to not break it. Having the company purchase a new card for you on the first day is not something you want.

As you stare at the small picture of yourself, your name, and staff role, you couldn’t help but to grimace. I should have taken a better picture… A soft chuckle leaves your lips as you think that, shaking your head in pure amusement that thats what you found to be the most bothersome thing at the moment.

The sound of the lift stopping almost makes you jump, grabbing your attention. You perk up, standing straight as the doors finally separate to reveal the floor you were told to go to. It’s one of the lower levels, under the ground floor. It made sense, given janitorial work needs a large set up, as well as a place for the employees.

The first thing you see are quite a few people, all dressed in similar plain outfits, walking around and mingling. You pushed yourself to get off of the elevator, awkwardly looking around to find the right person you’re supposed to meet. Some of the cleaners glanced your way in curiosity, but merely minded their own business.

Nerves prickled under your skin as the anxiety grows. The receptionist, as well as the email you had received the day before, had told you to find a woman named Myo Yong. She’s one of the managers for the janitorial services, but you hadn’t realized this floor would be so…big. There were many hallways, doors, and people around almost every corner. You almost bumped into a few.

Finally, your eye catches the sight of a plaque on a cream-colored door. ‘MYO YONG MANAGER’ was written in bold Korean letters, guiding you to the right place. With a relieved sigh, you approach the heavy-looking door and give it a soft knock. A few seconds of silence go by, making you feel a bit awkward that you’d have to knock again to grab her attention. Luckily, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

“Come in,” a deep, gravely female voice speaks through the door. You didn’t have to be told twice as you twist the handle and push it open. The room is small, with the same cream and white colors as the rest of the building. A desk sits in the middle, pushed up against the left wall. Shelves, filing cabinets, and other office furniture take up the space of the room. It looked as though she’s had this office for a long time.

Behind the desk sat a woman, her maroon cardigan over a black shirt giving off a casual yet professional look. She glances over in your direction, breaking her gaze from the computer and pushing up her maroon rectangle glasses.

“Can I help you?”

You blink, realizing you’ve been awkwardly standing there with the door open and *staring* at her. What a good first impression. “Sorry!” you practically squeal, the corner of your lips curling up in a nervous smile. You tell her your name as you take a step into the room, “I’m the new hire?”

That sentence seemed to have cleared the air. Myo perks up, giving you a quick nod and gesturing to the chair across from her. “Oh, yes. Hello. Please, sit, and we’ll get you started.” Despite her kind words, her gravely tone made it feel as though she’s disinterested in you or the situation in general, but you can see the relaxed demeanor she holds.

You close the door behind you, sitting in the chair she gestured to as professionally as you could. It’s your first day, of course you want to show your best.

ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

“Hana has been here long time,” Myo reassures you in English. When she realized you aren’t from Korea, she decided to start speaking in your comfort language to make it easier on you, bless her heart. Although it’s a little butchered and her accent is strong, you understand her perfectly well.

Ever since she explained a bit about your job and what the daily routine is like, you really weren’t that worried. Besides, cleaning independently, even with a small team, was the best news you could ever receive. “She’s young, like you. You get along just fine.”

You nod along as she guides you down a hallway. Myo had taken you to one of the middle floors, floor ten, to be exact. Since it's your first day, she wanted to introduce you to your teammate, who you’ll be helping clean floors ten and eleven every night. It was an interesting routine—having a team of two or three people clean two floors every shift. Of course, the coworkers will switch around depending on their schedules. Either way, you’re just glad your coworker is a female, and there’s just one you’ll be working with.

The floor you two walked through was a bit large, but it held a tranquil quietness. Some people walked in and out of rooms, others you could see sitting in offices or conference rooms.

“Every floor has a closet,” Myo continues quietly, gesturing randomly down the hall. “Not big, but has what you need. If you need something, just go down to cleaners floor.”

Again, what a relief. The only thing you could hope for is that they stock the closets often, so you wouldn’t have to go up and down the many floors just to grab a few supplies. That reminds you of the hotel you worked at once, where they hardly ever stocked the closets, so you constantly had to go up and down the elevator…not fun. And a waste of time.

Myo explains what the floor had—offices, conference rooms, and a few recording studios. Eventually, when you turn a corner, you see a cleaning cart full of supplies down a few feet, as well as a vacuum parked near it. As you approach, a young woman exits a room near the cart, perking up at the sight of the Janitorial Manager.

“Hi, Myo!” The girl, which you can assume is Hana, beams with a welcoming smile. When her gaze falls on you, her smile seems to widen.

“Hana, this is your new partner,” Myo tells the woman in their language, gesturing to you as she introduces you to her. “Our new hire. Teach her well, okay?”

Hana nods eagerly, clearly a ball of energy that you wish you had the traits of. “Oh, sure!” She answers, giving the manager a mock salute.

Myo gives you one last smile before heading back the way you came, leaving you alone with your new coworker. The silence that settled in only lasted a few seconds until Hana spoke up once more, luckily.

She calls your name, almost in a question as if she was making sure she got it right, and you turn towards her. “I’m Hana. Nice to meet you,” she bows her head a little.

Awkwardly, you do the same gesture, “Nice to meet you, too.” Your first impression of her is…nice. She seems so welcoming and outgoing, and you already feel comfortable in her presence.

You take a moment to observe her. She had a short stature, maybe an inch or two shorter than you. Her hair is a dark brown, with some pink dyed highlights. It’s pulled back in a simple ponytail, but you can tell the style is a bob. She has that mature yet innocent face structure, especially with her smile.

The small gasp that leaves her lips grabs your attention, now realizing how quiet you’ve been. “Are you from America?”

The English that comes out was *not* what you expected, and you had to blink a few times to process. Her English is smooth and fluent, easy to understand. Instantly, you feel even better. “Oh, yeah,” you chuckle, a little surprised.

“That’s so cool!” She says excitedly. “I’ll make sure to speak English more around you, then. I’m guessing you know some Korean…?”

“I do,” you nod quickly, “A little bit, at least.I’m taking classes right now to get better at it. But, uh…if you want to speak Korean around me you can. Don’t worry.”

Hana waves her hands, as if to reassure you. “Oh, I don’t mind. I was raised in Nevada.” You tried not to look so surprised, but the way she giggled made you believe you didn’t hide your expression well. “Didn’t expect that, did yah?”

“No,” you chuckle in pure amusement. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that in any offense! No wonder your English is so good.”

The woman laughs again. From her body language, it's obvious she takes no offense and is genuinely enjoying the conversation. “No, it’s okay! You’re not the first. But, yeah, I was raised in America. My family is spread out between here and there, so I always went back and forth.”

Her explanation made sense, and you nod along in curiosity. “That…makes a lot of sense. I just moved here a few weeks ago. I joined a foreign exchange program.”

This time, it’s Hana’s turn to be surprised. Her eyes widened as big as plates—a bit dramatic you think, but it made you giggle nonetheless. “Wow! That’s so cool! So…how do you like it here so far?”

The fact that you two were currently at your job, even on your first day, had completely been whipped from your minds as you asked each other questions, getting to know each other. It was fun and lighthearted, making you feel so much better about your new job then you did before. Eventually, you both got back on track and she showed you how to do things.

It was simple work, as you expected. Simply using certain chemicals to wipe down desks and furniture, collect trash and replace the bags, make things a little neater, and lastly, vacuum and mop the floors if necessary.

“Upstairs is where the main artists rooms are,” she tells you as you work on cleaning an empty office together. “The eleventh floor.”

You perk up at that, glancing over your shoulder while you tie a full garbage bag closed. “Artists rooms?”

“Mhm,” Hana hums, wiping down a desk with a rag, a spray bottle in her other hand. “Like more recording rooms, a couple dance studios, and some break rooms. That one will take us the longest, just because those ones get the most activity and are a little more messy. Well…if some artists are already working in a room, then we don’t have to clean it.”

“Oh…okay. That makes sense.”

The few questions you had when you first got hired seem to crawl back to the surface of your mind. Do you run into some of the artists often? Are you allowed to talk to them? Are they nice? As much as you wanted to ask, you felt a bit awkward. If you asked, would it seem like you’re only there just to be close to an artist?

Ugh, that thought alone makes my skin crawl.

“You seem deep in thought, there.”

The sound of Hana’s soft giggle grabs your attention, and you straighten your back when you realize you’ve just been staring at the floor, hovering over a tied trash bag. You wince when you back strains from the odd position, rubbing it with your free hand. “Oh, sorry…Um…this might sound weird, but I was just curious about the artists here. Like, um…are there any rules or…stuff like that?”

Again, she laughs softly. “I was wondering when you’d ask that,” Hana points a knowing finger at you, a smirk playing on her lips. “It’s okay. Everyone asks those kinds of questions. I mean, it’s not everyday you get to work in a building that has idols walking all over.”

Welp…that definitely makes me feel better. You chuckle in return, feeling a little silly for even having doubts.

“But, yeah. I mean, there’s not really any rules. Just, you know, mind your own business if you see an idol around. They have work to do, y’know? Oh, and it's okay to talk to them. Sometimes you have to if they’re in a room. Like ask if they’ll be out soon, or if you can at least collect the trash.”

It wasn’t as complicated as you thought. You figured JYPE had stricter rules with the idols and the different staff categories. It’s not that you plan to openly find idols and bother them, you just genuinely didn’t want to get in trouble if you happened to stare in awe at an idol being in your presence. Or, at least in the distance.

“Oh! Gotcha,” you nod in understanding, continuing to collect some filled trash bags and replacing them with new liners. “That’s good to know. I’ve had a few different cleaning jobs before, and some involved asking guests if they needed anything or if we could clean around them…or something like that.” You explain briefly.

Hana grins, curiosity blooming in her brown irises as she glances at you from across the office. “Well that makes my job a little easier! Looks like you already have a few skills up your sleeves.”

To say the least.

ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

“You did really good,” Hana compliments you warmly, clapping a gentle hand on your shoulder.

You both had just finished the two floors that's on your schedule. It took you a bit longer than it should, given you spent some time talking more than actually cleaning. But Hana had told you that it wasn’t a big deal, since some cleaners take their time and don’t necessarily have a time limit. But in about four hours, you managed to get both large floors done without a hassle.

“Thanks,” you say gratefully, watching her shove the cart into a spot beside all of the others. You were now on the Janitorial Floor, where all cleaners drop off their supply carts and grab their things to go home.

“Seriously,” she continues, guiding you to the locker room. “You’ve had experience, obviously, and you do a really good job. I think you’ll do great as my partner!”

Her enthusiasm really made a difference. It’s only your first day, but you already can’t wait for your next shift tomorrow evening. “I really liked working with you,” you offer kindly. “Thanks for explaining everything to me, and showing me what to do.”

“Of course!”

Hana waited for you as you said a few last words with the Janitorial Manager, Myo, before walking with you to the exit. You talked some more, asking questions and joking around. And by the time you both separated to head home, you couldn’t be any more happier. Did I just make my first friend…?

The street lights and city buildings lit your path home. You were lucky to have gotten an apartment not too far away from JYPE, but you unfortunately have to use a bus to get to school in the mornings. It's a good thing you enjoy the public atmosphere…

When you get home, your cat, Chik, is quick to find her way towards you, rubbing her orange and white fur against your legs. You chuckle lightly, cooing at your feline best friend. You don’t waste time locking your door, putting your bag and shoes away, and picking Chik up to carry to your bedroom. Your feet are a little sore, ready to be propped up on the bed while you get your rest for the night. As much of a night owl you are, you know you can’t stay up too late with classes in the morning.

With comfortable pajamas on and the covers of your bed engulfing you, as well as your cat snuggled up into you, you think about the day you just had. Stressful as always, but that was slowly replaced with warmth and excitement with meeting Hana, your new coworker. You really wish you get to stay with her from now on, doing those two floors over and over. It’s easy, comfortable, and fun.

Two hours on the first floor you're assigned to has finished, and now you two were starting on the next and last one for the night. Hana had found a desk completely covered in some kind of liquid, a coffee spill she believes that the owner didn't bother to try to clean up. So, while she's dealing with that on her hands and knees—it somehow got under the desk—you continue to clean the rest of the office like you're supposed to.

You wipe at the sweat starting to build on your forehead, stuffing the dirty rag in a small bucket and setting down the chemical spray on the cart thats placed right outside of the office. With the music in one ear and your mind completely focused on your work, you don't notice the slightly large figure standing at the end of the cart, only a foot from you. In fact, you don't even the notice the plastic to-go cup reached out to you until the ice in it shakes, grabbing your attention.

You flick your gaze up, a bit confused by the sudden sound, and instantly jump at the sight of someone standing there. Christopher grins at your reaction, ducking his head and shoulders lifting up in a guilty grimace. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," he chuckles lightly, continuing to hold the coffee drink out to you.

The first thing you try to register is that someone was there, then the fact that someone is Christopher Bahng, and last but not least, the coffee he had shaken a little to get your attention. You blink, almost as frozen as you were when you first ran into him last week. Bumping in front of him was already embarrassing enough, so you straighten yourself with a sheepish giggle, now looking at the drink he holds. "It's okay! I was just so focused on my work I didn't notice you standing there."

“This is for you," Christopher hums, nudging the drink a little towards you once more.

The curve of his lips quirking up into an amused smile…it was almost like a dream. The way he looked so relieved, as if he was worried you weren’t going to accept in some way, made him seem more human. Made him less like an idol, and more like a friendly stranger. And that coffee in his hand, outstretched to you—your favorite drink no less—made it much more difficult to not fall in love with him.

Again, you blink as you stare at it, a little late to let out a 'huh?'. However, you didn't really want him to continue holding it out, so you instinctively take it from him—careful not to touch his hand.

The singer nods in satisfaction, now resting his arms on the end of the cart. "Uh…I hope you like it. It's an apology, for running into you last week."

Okay, you have to be dreaming. This alone, your idol handing you your favorite drink, is enough to make you feel as though you've gone insane. This can't be real, and you're absolutely sure you're in some kind of coma. Which means your dreaming about coming to Korea and going to a good college this whole time….right?

Sure enough, as you look over the beverage, it is your favorite drink. You take a hesitent sip, the flavor seeping into your veins and giving you the energy you needed. Thats when you realize something, your lips quirking up into a grin as you look at him. "You asked Hana, didn't you." It wasn't a question, because you already knew that was the case.

A couple days after your first meeting with Christopher, Hana had asked you during work randomly for your favorite drink at a coffee shop. You were incredibly curious when you answered, but she simply brushed it off as being curious. Well…now you know. Christopher had asked her, and she got the information from you for him.

That's….so incredibly sweet.

Christopher rubs the back of his neck as he kisses his teeth, the same sound from when you first met when he bumped into you. The same sound you hear in almost all of the videos about him. That lighthearted grimace on his face says enough that he was a little embarrassed he was caught, and he shrugs. "Man, I didn't think it'd be that obvious. You and Hana seem close, so I asked her for some advice…"

You could only stare at him as he rambles, his soft tone and breathy chuckle practically zoning out, like in the movies. It might seem crazy, but this simple action, this simple act of kindness, made your heart flutter. Not in a love sick kind of way—who knows, maybe it is in that way—but the way that you feel seen and cared for.

And this man, this incredibly busy and handsome man, had took the time out of his days to find out what your favorite drink is and give it to you…as an apology. It was so achingly sweet, that you couldn't stop the sting of tears making its way from behind your eyes.

You were sure it was obvious that your eyes began to water, completely out of your control, as his smile begins to fade into a worried frown, his rambling coming to a stop. At first, he doesn't say anything, as if maybe he was just seeing things and he didn't want to make it awkward. Yet, as the tears begin to roll down your cheeks, you both seem to come back to reality.

"Shit—sorry," you instinctively curse, setting the drink down on the cart and press the palms of your hands to your eyes, as if that'd stop the tears from flowing. You sniffle, completely surprised and confused that you were crying. Of course, it just had to be in front of your idol. Your second meeting had to be just as awkward and embarrassing as the first. "I don't know why—don't mind me." The laugh that escapes your lips was shaky, a simple act of a coping mechanism.

"Hey," he starts slowly, reaching his hand out without a second thought, but he stops himself before he touches you. "It's okay. Are you okay? Did I…say something wrong?"

You're quick to shake your head, the pressure on your eyes from your hands starting to hurt, because you're too scared to pull them away and let him see your ugly crying face. "N-No. Sorry," you apologize again.

You were panicking now, cheeks flushing hot in utter embarrassment, the urge to run and hide so incredibly strong. But you don't. You then feel a hesitant hand rest on your bicep, gently rubbing up and down in a soothing manner to comfort you.

He doesn't say anything at first, the clear confusion of what to say at a situation like this. You're sure he's dealt with many crying fans, but they were all crying in happiness, right? Aren't you crying in happiness?

In a sense, no…no, you're not. Because, while you are so painstakingly grateful for his kindness, you had realized that you were so close to the reality of your dream, but you just know it can't come true. Having someone like him, anybody with his personality, was something you always dreamed of. Someone to see you, take care of you, show that they think of you….it has all dawned on you how much you craved something like that in your life, and yet..life was simply teasing you with it. Shoving it in your face, then pulling it away to tell you that, no, you can't have it.

Life can be so cruel.

And amidst your crying, your hands practically pushing your eyeballs further into your skull, you finally acknowledge the feel of his arms slowly wrapping around you. So hesitent and understanding, to give you time to back out if you really wanted to. But when you don't, your body is pressed against his, his arms held around you in a comforting hold, and his cheek pressing against the side of your head. In that moment, realizing he couldn't see your face in this position, so you pull your hands from your face and wrap them around his torso, resting your cheek against his shoulder.

"It's okay," he says softly, rubbing your back a little, "I, uh…don't know why you’re crying, but if I did something, just tell me. I won't do it again. Or…if you just need to talk, I'm here, okay?"

Your only response was to cry even more. Because, goddammit Christopher Bahng…I hate you so much.

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“Oh, remember, some symbols are really similar, so make sure to keep an eye on that."

You look up at your new friend, Hwan, when he speaks, then back down at your notebook to see where he was pointing. His finger taps on the Korean symbols you had just written, the lines twisting this way and that, as if you were writing hyroglyphs. With a nod, you spin the pencil in your hand and erase the symbol, looking over at his notes to compare and rewrite it.

Hwan has been helping you learn how to write Korean, as well as speak it more fluently. You have been using an app or two, as well as YouYube, to get you by, but he was really nice to teach you himself. And once you finish rewriting the symbol, leaning back to take a sip of your café drink and look at him for confirmation, Hwan grins with a satisfied nod.

"Yeah, like that. Awesome," he praises lightly, leaning back from looking over your work. "You're slowly getting it."

"Slowly," you echo in amusement, setting your drink down to continue writing.

Hwan shrugs nonchalantly, lips pursed in a thoughtful expression, "You said yourself that you struggle with new language, which im pretty sure everyone does, but its progress nonetheless, right?"

He had a point, and a smile graces your features at his response to reassure you. "Thats true."

Your classmate hums, turning back to his own homework, sitting not necessarily across from you, but a bit to the side so he was closer to help. The atmosphere of the college café was quiet, calming. Plenty of students occupied the seats, both inside and outside of the building, with laptops, journals, and textbooks open and sprawled on top of the surfaces. Just like you and Hwan.

You were surprised when you and Hwan first hung out after class. Apparently he had written out the whole alphabet and other tips and tricks with the Korean language in a separate notebook. At first, you though the had done it for you, but you didn't mention it to make it awkward. Luckily, you didn't have to, because he said on his own that he had written it all back when he was in America for school. He had to relearn Korean, more or less.

So, he lent his notes to you, given you need it the most right now. And in return, to show your gratitude, you offered to buy him his drink whenever you two hung out at the café. He insisted it was fine, but you can be stubborn when you want to be.

The silence quickly settles between you as you work. You both weren't really chattery when doing homework, and you liked that. Homework was important, and if you just talked the whole time, you wouldn't get anything done. Hwan seems to get that, simply minding his own business unless he had something to say, or a question. And you were the same, only speaking up if you needed him to check your Korean writing.

However, today was particularly different as you worked. You could hardly focus, constantly thinking about what happened last night. It's safe to say you cried yourself to sleep once you got home, your mind spiraling on how awkward you made things for Christopher, and telling yourself that he probably thinks you're weird now.

But if he did…he wouldn't have offered to exchange numbers, right?

The mere thought of it makes you fidget, and you subconsciously pull your phone out from your pocket, tap in your passcode, and look over the messages. There really wasn't much there. Just his simple hello with a smiling emoji, something he sent as soon as he got your number, so you had his. And right after that, you had sent a couple messages this morning, apologizing for the scene you had caused and thanking him for his kindness.

But, he hasn't responded yet.

You try to tell yourself that he's a busy guy, and its only been a few hours since you sent it. You weren't particularly the type to fret over people messaging you right away, because you know they have lives to focus on. Hands busy that they can't necessarily control. But after what happened, you were anxious. Your mind working on overdrive with so many possibilities, that only seem to make you feel worse and worse as the time goes by.

Shaking your head, you shut off your phone and shove it back in your pocket, trying to focus on your homework. And, of course, your action doens't go unnoticed.

"You okay?"

You look up, a little startled that he asked, and that your feelings were obvious. They always are, apparently. "Uh…yeah!" The instinct to reassure him slips past your lips before you could think, and you pause. While you didn't want him to worry or burden him in any way….he did ask you. Besides, he's a friend now, someone you can talk to if needed. "I just…kind of embarrassed myself last night in front of…" you try to think of the right words, not really wanting to tell the world that you work beside celebrities, "someone I admire. Like…really embarrassed myself. I, uh…I messaged him this morning, apologizing for what happened and thanking him for his comfort, but….he hasn't responded yet."

"Not that I mind," you add quickly, the pencil you're using twisting between your fingertips as you fidget, "I know he's busy. Like…he's a really busy guy. But…I just feel really anxious. Like..."

“Like he finds you weird or something?" Hwan interrupts thoughtfully, raising a brow in question to make sure he got it right.

The smile on your face wasn't big, but you were amused that he caught on, and you nod. "Yeah. That."

Hwan nods with a hum, thinking over your small rant. "Do you…want advice? Or…reassurance? I don't want to overstep."

"Oh," you huff a laugh, waving him away, "Anything is fine. I don't mind."

"Cool. Well," he starts slowly, pausing once more to dig into his mind. "What did you do, exactly, to make it embarrassing? If you don't mind me asking."

"I…may have started balling my eyes out when he bought me a surprise coffee."

"Oh."

"….Yeah…"

"I wouldn't—" again, he stops himself, letting out a small sigh through his nose as he cups his chin. He rubs the smooth skin, keeping his gaze on your surroundings rather then you. "I don't think that's necessarily embarrassing. I mean, I guess, maybe to you, but…maybe not to him. People cry all of the time. It's normal, y'know? I think…maybe you cried because you're going through something, and it just…came out. And that's not something you can control."

You sit quietly, listening to his words as he politely speaks his thoughts.

"Sometimes, in those kinds of situations, you have to think what it’s like in their perspective. Do they think it's embarrassing? Awkward? Did they say it is? If they didn't…then it’s most likely they don't think of it like that at all." Hwan shifts in his seat to get more comfortable, flicking his gaze to you now. "What did he do while you were crying? Or after?"

The memory of last night runs through your mind, and you internally grimace. Not that it was bad what Christopher did, just the way you burdened him. "He hugged me. He thought he said something wrong, and I told him no. So…he hugged me and offered his ear if I needed it. And after….we exchanged numbers, saying if I needed anything, I can text him."

Hwan nods as you speak, probably playing the scene in his head. "Okay, then I think that says enough he didn't think you were awkward, or that it was embarrassing. He comforted you, which means he was genuinely worried, right?"

Now that he mentions it…you suppose he's right. If he thought the situation was awkward or embarrassing, Christopher would have probably kept his distance and leave, or something like that. "I guess…you're right. It makes sense."

Your friend smiles warmly, almost proud of himself for helping you through your troubles. "I think you're just really overthinking it. And thats fine!" he reassures quickly, "it happens. Which is why I'm here."

The way he points at himself with a big grin makes you giggle, and you shake your head. "You offering to be my knight in shining armor?" You joke.

He chuckles, shrugging with a nonchalant expression, "I mean, sure. I don't mind."

You shake your head, the weight from last might lifting off of your shoulders. And in that moment, you realize that you have a true friend. Hana is, too, of course. And, honestly, you feel kind of bad you didn't go to her about it. But…Hwan is sitting right beside you, and its in the spur of the moment. "Thanks, Hwan…seriously."

The man's expression softens, his smile warm and thoughtful. "Yeah…anytime."

Taglist:

Part 2

“Look how cute this is!” Hana gushes, her hands quickly snatching a plush toy from the shelf before you and turning to see your reaction. The small plushie in her manicured hands was definitely cute, the animal being one you liked out of a few.

An amused chuckle leaves your lips, nodding eagerly in agreement. “Yeah! It really is. It’s so small,” you hum thoughtfully, your gaze soon turning to the other options they have. It was amusing to you how Hana was acting, not that it's bad in any way. After a few weeks of working together at JYPE, you’ve both quickly become friends, and this was your first time actually hanging out outside of work. Seeing her personality in a more personal way was what caught you off guard, but it’s nice. Because she seems to be more like you than you thought.

When you told her one day that you haven’t yet explored Seoul, she was quick to suggest showing you around. So far, she hasn’t disappointed you. Each shop she takes you to is different, with some having good clothing, gifts, and fun stuff like the one you’re in now. The walls and wracks surrounding you are full of collectibles and other cute things. You’ve even seen a small K-pop section in the corner.

Hana looks proud of herself as she puts the plushie back where she found it, soon moving on down the aisle. “You remind me…” her tone fades off in a sing-song-like melody, her arms held behind her back as she glances over the shelves. “Of a cat.”

You had to pause for a moment, brows furrowed in confusion and looking at her. Did she just compare me to an animal out of nowhere? Yes, yes she did. “A…A cat?” You sputter out between giggles, moving to catch up to her. “Why all of a sudden?”

The girl shrugs innocently, stopping to look at an item. “Well, I was looking at the plushies just now, and it just reminded me of what kind of animal you seem to be.”

“Uh…okay, makes sense,” you nod in content, “So….why a cat?”

“When you first meet people, you kinda make yourself small and keep your distance. But then when you get to know them, you pounce! Like a cat! But like…pounce as in… you look happy and comfortable with the people.”

You watch as Hana uses her arms and hands, fingers bent in a claw-like form, and moves them like a cat would for added effect. It makes you chuckle some more, but you had to admit that she was right. Sure, you talk easily to people, as long as they are the ones starting the conversation. At first you’re timid and shy. But once you get to know them, you’re comfortable and open.

“Wow…you’re really observant,” you comment, quite fond of her observations of you.

Hana shrugs with a small proud smirk, “So I’ve been told.”

You didn’t buy anything in the shop, surprisingly enough. It’s the fourth one she’s taken you to, and yet you’ve been reminding yourself every time not to buy anything unnecessary. College and rent is not cheap. But, either way, you’re content and happy just walking around and exploring with your new first friend.

Hana soon takes you to a small café nearby the last store you were in. She rants about how amazing the drinks are, and the snacks. As well as how great the prices and staff are. “It barely has customers,” she tells you as you approach the café. “Which is…like so dumb. These people deserve the recognition.”

“Really?” You muse, interested in her explanation. “Maybe it’s a good thing there’s not so many people? Let’s customers relax in the quiet, you know?”

Your friend pauses as she’s opening the door, pursing her lips in thought and giving you a certain look. “That actually makes sense. I do like it when it’s quiet.”

After ordering your drinks and small lunch, the table you choose is small, perfect for two people. You sit across from each other, and you take the time to look around the café. The interior had this musty wood kind of aesthetic to it. Almost like an older traditional building. A few customers sat around, spaced out to have their privacy as they read a book, worked on a laptop, or so on. It was warm and cozy, something you quite enjoy. I’ll remember to come here often…

”So,” Hana’s voice breaks your concentration on your surroundings, and you meet her gaze. “How are you liking the job? It’s been a couple of weeks, and you haven’t left yet. So I’m assuming you like it?” She asks light-heartedly.

“Oh, definitely,” you grin. “I mean, it’s big and kind of a lot of work, but I love it. I’m used to it. Cleaning is just so…fun.”

You don’t miss the way her brow quirks up, as if she were judging you on your idea of fun. She has every right to, because who enjoys cleaning? Not a whole lot of people. “Okay, if you find cleaning fun, then we can’t be friends.”

You already knew that was a joke, and a soft chuckle leaves your lips. But she’s quick to wave her hands as she joins your laughter, “No, I’m kidding! It has been a lot more fun now that you’re my partner, though!” Hana pumps a fist into the air, her animated self making you smile even more.

“I think that’s why it’s mostly fun for me, too,” you hum gently, features softening as you think about how less anxiety you’ve had lately being in a foreign country. “Because of you. You’re actually my first friend, since I’ve moved here. And I really enjoy your company. Makes me excited to come to work everyday.” Despite your honesty, you couldn’t help but to fidget nervously, hoping it wasn’t too awkward.

“What? Oh my god, no way,” Hana pouts in gratitude, her shoulders slumping. “That is literally so sweet. You’re going to make me cry.”

“No! Don’t cry!” You giggle, albeit a little worried that she actually would. If she cried, then you would cry, too, no doubt.

“I won’t, I won’t,” Hana reassures with an amused grin. “But, seriously. I’m really glad. You’re so fun to work with, and I enjoy your company, too! We should definitely hang out more often!”

“Yes!”

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The sigh that leaves her lips was a good enough sign that tonight wasn’t going to be a good shift. You purse your lips, watching as your friend and coworker leaves Myo’s office with slumped shoulders and a pout on her lips. Your first thought was that they were going to separate you two for the night. Not trying to sound clingy, but just the thought of having to work with people you don’t know makes your skin crawl and your anxiety flare up.

“What did she say?” You ask cautiously as soon as Hana walks over to you and your cleaning cart, packed to the brim for the supplies they need.

Hana was acting a bit dramatic, to say the least. It’s just her personality. And by the way she oh-so-sadly plops her phone on the cart, you soon realize that this wasn’t as serious as you thought.

“She wants us to do one of the other cleaners floors. Apparently they called in sick last minute,” she mumbles, tone droopy and clearly unhappy about the task.

You, on the other hand, let out a sigh of relief. So we’re not being separated…but this isn’t fun, either. “So we’re doing three floors tonight?”

Hana nods in a dramatic she-lost-her-puppy kind of way. With a slightly frustrated sigh, you help her push the cart into one of the elevators. “Do we even have the time for it? Like…won’t it go over our time limit?”

Your friend straightens up, seemingly back to normal and out of her drama session. “Nah. Usually when this happens, they give us an extra two hours. So don’t worry.”

Well…that’s good.

The two floors on your normal schedules go by quickly. It’s the same routine you always do, and it seems to go by faster each time, especially since you two have figured out a smooth way of working together. But as soon as you get to the floor that was added onto your schedule…well, it’s safe to say shit hit the fan.

“Holy shit…do they not clean at all?” Hana practically growls under her breath. It almost startled you, if you weren’t feeling the same way. You’ve never seen her look so irritated or angry before.

Her question didn’t need to be answered, it seemed, as the floor looked pretty crumby and dirty as soon as the elevator doors opened. The thin carpet may be a dark gray with some kind of soft pattern, but it's quite obvious the floors haven’t been cleaned well. It almost looked as if someone had a party on that floor.

“How was there no complaints? Like…seriously…” Hana continues to rant, pushing the cart towards the janitor's closet with more strength than usual, the anger fueling her. You can’t blame her, of course. With it being that dirty, it’ll only take you longer to get it done.

In the end, you left Hana to fume in her space once you got started. She grumbled here and there under her breath, but you quietly kept to your work, one earbud in with your favorite music playing. And after a good hour of cleaning the floor, you noticed your friend had somewhat calmed down.

“Hey, Hana,” you start, deciding to start a conversation and hoping it’ll distract her. She hums in question, showing she’s acknowledging you. “I’ve been curious…have you ever run into any idols here? Like, during work?”

Hana pauses her work, the spray bottle in one hand and a rag in the other, just hovering over one of the office desks. Her gaze glances over at you for a moment, a soft smile adorning her features before she continues her job. “Yeah, actually. It doesn’t happen often, but…it happens. They’re really nice. If you talk to them on a regular basis, they’ll usually come check on you or just have a short talk. Like, to catch up.”

“Woah, really?” You utter in surprise, lips parted in awe. Hana giggles in response, nodding her head. “Thats so cool. Are you friends with any of them?”

“Sort of? I wouldn’t really call it friendship. It’s more like…good acquaintances?” She says, tapping her chin in thought. “I don’t know…I consider friends to be people you talk with all of the time, even outside of work, you know?”

“Oh, yeah…I think so, too,” you nod in agreement. Either way, it was cool that she could even call the idols good acquaintances. She figured the idols were mainly focused on their work and stayed in their studios.

You knew, of course, cleaners were bound to run into the idols here while working, especially if they’re working late. But, given the fact that you’re still getting used to being in JYPE and that your idol is somewhere in the building…it’s quite the shocker. You know you’ll get used to it eventually, though, just like Hana is.

“Jesus fucking Christ…” the curse leaving Hana’s lips makes a chuckle bubble from your throat. It’s one of the few curses she likes to say in English that really makes you laugh, just because it seems so unlike her, given how happy and jolly she always is. “I am so done with Hwan and Ari.”

“What?” You ask, stepping into the bathroom that you two were now currently cleaning. It was a public bathroom for the floor, which had a couple stalls and duo sinks. “What happened?”

“There is literally no toilet paper in here. Not even extras! How the fuck did these people wipe all day?”

You burst into laughter this time, causing Hana to reluctantly smile in amusement, as well. “That is insane.” you say through your fit of chuckles, holding onto the doorframe for support.

Hana rolls her eyes, but she soon gives you a pleading look. “Do you mind grabbing like…a shit ton of toilet paper? From the closet?”

With a mock salute, you nod to her in confidence. “Yeah, of course. I’ll be right back.”

It was genuinely appalling to you how dirty this floor was. The normal floors on your schedule have never looked like that, and that just says enough about how good you two are as cleaners. You have to remind yourself, though, that not every cleaner is good at their job, unfortunately. Maybe they just weren’t trained right? Or, maybe, they’re just lazy.

You hate those kinds of people…

The closet just so happened to be on the other side of the floor. You tell yourself that it's the exercise you need, enough that you don’t need to get a gym membership.You’re just glad you don’t have to use the flight of stairs for this giant building….that’d suck.

The silver metal door to the closet is heavy as you push it open, taking a quick moment to look around for the door stopper and propping it open. With that done, you look up at the medium-sized room. It’s big enough to bring the cart in and have multiple shelves around it for supplies. Thankfully, they keep it well stocked constantly.

On the far left of the room stood a large metal shelf. At the bottom of it has individually wrapped toilet paper stacked as high as it can go, filling that mere shelf space. With a nod in satisfaction that you found it, you crouch down and grab as many as you can. You make sure to count, trying to remember how many the bathroom actually needed so you didn’t have to come all the way back.

In the end, you came up to about twelve piled in your arms. How you managed to do that while crouched and standing up with it? Don’t ask. Carefully, you exit the closet, genuinely hoping there’s no one in the halls to see how ridiculous you probably look juggling twelve toilet paper in your arms, some you’re holding with your chin to keep from falling.

As you turn a corner down the hall towards where Hana is, you are unexpectedly knocked to the ground with considerable force, causing the toilet paper in your arms to fall and scatter in every direction. It didn't actually hurt when you landed on the floor, but it startled you enough to cause a small yelp of surprise to escape your lips. Your eyes look around at the once pristine floor that is now littered with rolls of toilet paper when a very smooth, warm, and inviting Australian accent suddenly fills the room.

"Oh, I'm really sorry! Here, let me help you." Your eyes slowly travel from the mess scattered around you to the unmistakably handsome and striking face positioned in front of you. "Are you alright?"

Your eyes widened in complete shock and you froze in place, unable to move or speak. Bang Chan stood there right before you, his hand outstretched toward you, patiently waiting to help you up from the floor.