#mango's library

Felix noticed the tartan blanket being unravelled out of the corner of his eye. He watched as you and Jeongin evolved into a human burrito — smooth skin pressed against one another like two perfect puzzle pieces, your head tucked securely under Jeongin’s.

“Hey, Seungmin,” Felix whispered.

“Hmm?” the younger replied, eyes slowly tearing away from the television screen to look at his hyung.

The Australian subtly nudged his head towards the cuddled-up duo on the long couch; one now fast asleep and the other oblivious to their attention on him in the dark room.

“Look at them, they’re so cute together,” Felix smiled. “They’ve been so close lately. Have you noticed that?”

Seungmin nodded, “It’s like they’re super-glued together.”

“It’s amazing how comfortable they are with each other.”

A lull in the conversation led Felix to believe his teammate hadn’t heard his comment, but when he turned to look at the younger man, he could practically see the gears turning in his head.

“Well, they’ve both done and been through a lot together. I’m not surprised that they’re physically comfortable with each other.”

‘That’s true,’ Felix thought. Two people who’d been friends since they were toddlers and spent their years growing up together were bound to be close both emotionally and physically. It wasn’t uncommon for you and Jeongin to be side-by-side during group activities — arms pressed up against one another or legs playing a lazy game of footsie. Whispered inside jokes followed by hushed laughter and crinkled eye-smiles.

“But they’ve been more… touchy-feely recently, no?” Felix mused, his brows furrowing ever so slightly.

“They probably just missed each other a lot while we were on tour,” Seungmin shrugged and turned his attention back to the TV. Felix pondered the rationality for a second and realised that he had a point. Whenever Jeongin had a free moment to use his phone amidst the chaos of their schedule, there was a good chance he was communicating with you. Laughing at the memes you sent or being updated on your life in rushed video calls.

He took one last glance at the pair, perfectly content in each other’s arms despite the people around them, before settling back into the movie’s outlandish story.

The silence of the empty floor was disrupted by you and Jeongin stepping out of the elevator — heels clacking against the tiles and laughter filling the air. His hand rested at the bottom of your spine, the weight of his palm both a steady comfort and the creator of butterflies in your stomach. Your skin tingled despite being separated by your satin dress and his sturdy blazer across your shoulders.

As you reached your destination, you stepped aside to let Jeongin unlock the door. Standing behind him, you unashamedly drank in his back and shoulders; the fabric of his white button-up stretching across his body perfectly. You all but drooled at the sight of his forearms, sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

The beep! of the electronic lock snapped you out of your daze, and you were met with Jeongin’s knowing smirk.

“You good there?”

Fearing the risqué words that might’ve come tumbling out of your mouth, you kept your lips sealed shut and nodded your head.

“After you,” he opened the door with a deep, butler-esque bow, eliciting a giggle from your lips.

The dorm you entered was much noisier than the quiet hallway outside.

Much noisier.

A loud chorus of welcomes greeted you as you walked in. Inside Chan and Jeongin’s usually calm dorm was a rowdy mess of takeaway containers, soda cans littering the floor, and the rest of the boys crowded in the living room, hollering and laughing at the television and one another. Chan, Minho and Seugmin lounged on the couch as the rest sat on the floor, their focus locked onto an intense game of Mario Kart.

“Hey guys! Welcome back,” Chan smiled.

“Make yourselves comfortable,” Minho gestured to the mess around him with a lazy raise of his arm.

You and Jeongin laughed. “How’s game tournament night going?” you asked.

“Pretty good!” Chan beamed. “After we had dinner, the first game we played was UNO—”

“Which I won,” Minho interjected.

“Which Minho won, yes. You should’ve seen it. Whenever one of us was about to win, he’d put down a pick-up card and draw the game out even longer.”

“Bet he was hiding a bunch of plus-fours up his ass,” Seungmin drawled as he scrolled through his phone. Though met with laughter from the rest of the boys, he couldn’t escape the elder’s wrath as a pillow was swiftly chucked into his face.

Once he composed himself, Chan continued. “Then we played Twister, where Hyunjin was the final winner.”

The man in question let out a loud whoo! as his eyes and hands never left the race.

“And right now we’ve got our Mario Kart competition going on.”

“Who’s winning?” Jeongin asked.

“Me, of course,” Changbin puffed out his chest.

“Not for much longer!” came Felix. In a split second, a blue shell zipped through the air from Felix’s Toad and crash-landed on Changbin’s Baby Luigi in a fiery explosion. Changbin could do nothing but yell out in shock as his character flailed helplessly in the air and the rest of the drivers whizzed past him.

“Why’d you do that?” he whined.

Felix only giggled as the race continued, whilst Changbin was left pouting as he tried to catch up from second-to-last place.

“Do you guys wanna join? You can go head-to-head, and the winner will take on me and this race’s winner to determine the champ,” Chan explained.

“Thanks, but we already decided to hit the hay once we got back here,” you smiled apologetically.

“Which reminds me,” Jeongin said, “I need to get my room ready. Wait right here.” He patted your back and dashed down the hall, disappearing into his room.

“So what did you guys do tonight? You’re both dressed real fancy,” Minho commented, making space for you on the couch.

“Ooh! We went to this new Italian restaurant that I’ve been dying to go to. I’ve heard so many amazing reviews, and the menu looked heavenly, but they’re so popular that they’re booked out months in advance. Luckily, Innie was able to pull some strings and snag us a table for tonight!"

“Sounds like you had a good time,” Chan smiled.

“Absolutely! You should all try it, it’s to die for. Plus, Innie was such a gentleman, which made the whole night even sweeter.”

“Really? What did he do?”

“First, he showed up at my apartment with a huge bouquet of tulips — my favourite — as well as a beautiful silver bracelet,” you gushed as you lifted your right wrist, the dainty jewelery glimmering under the lights. “Then he drove us to the restaurant, and after dinner, he surprised me with a trip to this little gelato spot that I’ve loved for years. He was so charming the entire night; always opening doors for me, pulling out my chair, asking me how I’ve been. Plus, he paid for everything!”

“Damn, he did all that?” Jisung raised his eyebrows.

Hyunjin chuckled, “Who knew Jeongin was such a secret Romeo?”

“And a baller,” Changbin added.

“Yeah, he’s the best.” A shy smile and blush crept onto your face as you recalled the night’s events. Clips of Jeongin’s smile and melodic laughter played on loop like a movie in your head, as every steady touch from his soft hands was seared into your skin.

A loud cheer from Felix brought you back to reality. He jumped up and down like a little boy whilst the others groaned in defeat — the TV displaying Toad celebrating in his kart. It was at this time that Jeongin made his return to your side.

“The room’s all ready,” he said. You smiled and nodded, handing your purse over to him as you got up.

“You sure you don’t wanna join the rest of game night?” Chan asked. “We’re playing League of Legends after this.”

“You don't have to worry about losing. Felix has got that covered,” Seungmin smirked.

“Oi!” The man in question leapt onto the couch and grabbed Seungmin by the collar, shaking him back and forth with no true malice.

“No thanks, we’ve had a long night. You guys have fun!” Jeongin smiled and gently ushered you to his room — his hand on the small of your back. You waved goodbye as a choir of Goodnights sang you down the hall, only muffled by the door of Jeongin’s private sanctuary closing behind you.

“Well, aren’t they just the cutest darn thing you’ve ever seen?” Changbin remarked, a sly smile gracing his features.

“I still can’t believe he went out of his way to do all that,” Hyunjin admitted, plopping down onto the two-seater. “Seriously! This is the same Yang Jeongin who refuses our hugs and kisses.”

“But hyung,” Jisung piped up, “he only ever does stuff like that with her! Haven’t you guys noticed how he gets all sweet and caring when she’s involved? I mean, not that Innie’s an inconsiderate person, but he always goes above and beyond to do things for her.”

Minho shrugged, “They’re childhood best friends. What do you expect?”

“Yeah, he can be a real sweetie pie when he wants to be,” Chan mused. “It’s so nice of him to do this for her.”

“And she just got that promotion at work, right? That’s probably what they were celebrating,” Seungmin added. Everyone let out little comments of agreement all at once, before their voices died down again.

“Wait, but why is she sleeping over?” Hyunjin asked.

“Her apartment is almost an hour away from here. She probably didn’t want him driving so much this late at night,” Minho rationalised as another chorus of “oh yeah” and “that’s right” was emitted from the boys.

“Maybe we should do that more often,” Chan mumbled.

“Do what?”

“Take our friends out on special outings to celebrate them.”

“Hyunjinnie! Please go out with me!” Changbin threw himself on Hyunjin and puckered his lips, loud kissy noises filling the living room.

“Get off me, you big oaf.” Shoving the elder away, Changbin fell to the floor on his butt with a loud oof!

“That wasn’t a no!” he sang, to which Hyunjin merely rolled his eyes, and the rest of the team roared in laughter.

“God, where is it?” Chan muttered to himself as he craned his neck, searching under his bed. Sighing in frustration, he stood up and dusted off his sore knees. He groaned as he looked down at his phone screen and saw the pathetic 3% battery life glaring back at him.

He’d woken up a few hours earlier to see that it had only 15% remaining, but gave it no thought. He’d gone about his day as usual — breakfast, shower, and now work — without a care. It wasn’t until he unlocked his phone to send some files to himself that the measly 5% battery life reminded him that he needed to give it some more juice.

Unfortunately, his bloody phone charger was nowhere to be found.

He’d searched all the bags he regularly used. Throughout his room, the kitchen, the living room, and even his bathroom. But it had simply disappeared into thin air. He’d last seen it in the recording studio the day before. Maybe he’d left it there. Or was it the practice room?

Rubbing a hand over his face, he marched over to Jeongin’s room. He couldn’t let his phone die now! He was in the zone!

Rapping his knuckles on the door, he pushed it open without waiting for a response.

“Jeongin, can I borrow your char—”

To say Chan was taken aback by what he walked into was a gross understatement.

Jeongin was sitting on the bed, his back comforted by pillows against the headboard as you straddled him. His arms were around your torso, caging you in as if he was afraid you'd disappear, as your hands caressed his face.

And you were going. to. town.

Your lips were locked in a fierce battle, pressed against each other in a furious flurry of passion. Chan stood frozen in place as his poor eyes caught glimpses of your tongues exploring each other’s mouths. It was as if you were physically attempting to fuse into one being with how close you were — not a sliver of space separating your bodies and lips.

And don’t even ask him about the noises you two were making.

Dear, god.

The worst part was that you hadn’t even realised he’d walked in.

You were still going at it.

“Um…”

“Oh, fuck!” you shouted.

Chan’s gravelly voice caused you to jump away from Jeongin in shock, scrambling off the bed and standing there like a child that’d just been reprimanded. Horror flooded Jeongin’s eyes. Your faces mirrored one another as they flamed up with the heat of a thousand suns.

“Sorry, I- uh- I need to borrow a charger,” Chan awkwardly rubbed his neck. “I can’t find mine.”

“Oh, yeah. Okay, sure.” Jeongin stood up in a daze, and his head swivelled around the room. A few seconds passed before he was hit with a dose of clarity — bending down to retrieve the charger that was plugged in by his bedside table. In the meantime, you and Chan were avoiding eye contact as if it were the plague. You stared at your hands and began picking at your nails, whilst Chan had suddenly found the ceiling of Jeongin’s room rather appealing.

“Here you go,” Jeongin spluttered, thrusting the charger in Chan’s direction as he too kept his eyes trained on the floor.

Swiping it out of his hand, Chan muttered a curt thanks before bolting out of the room; the door slamming shut behind him. Sitting back down at his desk, he plugged his phone in and breathed a sigh of relief to see that it hadn’t died.

He tried to return his attention back to work, but it all eluded him as he stared at the too-bright monitor screen. The hard cushion of his armchair sweated against his palms, his body shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and a strong taste of vomit formed in the back of his throat.

As the moon took over for the sun, Chan found himself holed up in the recording studio with Changbin and Jisung, tinkering away at songs for their upcoming album. Hours of slaving over their computers, microphones, and keyboards finally came to a pause when Changbin’s glorious phone notification signalled the arrival of their dinner.

The younger two were locked in a heated discussion about some new video game as Chan quietly munched on his sandwich, his mind drifting back to the day’s events.

“Hey guys,” Chan said, catching Changbin and Jisung’s attention. “You won’t believe what happened today.”

Their puzzled yet intrigued expressions prompted him to continue. “I walked in on Jeongin and Y/N making out.”

“Whoa! Seriously!?” Jisung’s eyes and jaw fell wide open. The noodles between Changbin’s chopsticks were suspended halfway between the container and his mouth, his buff body now a rigid statue.

“Yeah! And it was so awkward because they didn’t notice me at first, so I had to stand there for a few seconds and watch them go at it.”

Jisung pulled a comically disgusted face, “Ew, pervert.”

“Trust me, I was horrified. It was like watching my own flesh and blood get it on.”

Changbin let out a loud gagging noise, “Okay, that’s enough. Please don't give us any descriptions."

“Why do you think they were making out?” Jisung tilted his head, akin to a confused puppy. A silence was shared between the three men as they thought hard.

“She must’ve been teaching him how to kiss. She’s always been a good friend like that,” Changbin commented.

“Right, right.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

The three sat in the silence of the newfound discovery for a little while longer.

“So like I was saying,” Jisung beamed, “the game’s skins customisation is insane! It’s so much better than…”

Eight tired bodies sat in the practice room, hunched over in a circle, digging into take-out boxes of aromatic food as sweat clung to their skin — a deserved reward after endless hours of tedious dance rehearsals.

“Hey, Jeongin,” Changbin garbled through mouthfuls of his bibimbap.

“Hrm?”

“Is Y/N single?”

Jeongin’s eyes widened. The noodles he’d been chewing sat unmoving in his mouth, rapidly losing their flavour. He repeated your name in a meek voice, filled with confusion.

“Yeah. Remember my high school friends who came to my birthday party? One of them wants to ask her out. They think she’s cute.”

The rest of the group wasn’t particularly concerned with the conversation at hand. Save for Changbin, they were too preoccupied with their swirling thoughts about the comeback, and the savoury goodness hitting their tongues.

The sounds of cutlery scraping against plastic containers and mouths wolfing down food filled the room.

There was a beat.

And then another.

And another.

Before Jeongin swallowed and finally opened his mouth.

“Y/N and I are dating.”

Seven heads whipped towards the youngest. Seven pairs of eyes bulged out of their skulls. Seven voices pierced through the air with cries of shock and disbelief.

“What?!”

“Dating?! You guys are together together?”

“How could you hide this from us?!”

“Since when?!”

“Why didn’t you tell us?!”

The barrage of questions only sent Jeongin spiralling deeper into confusion.

“We’ve been dating for six months. You guys never realised?”

A stunned silence fell over the group. The boys looked at one another, their faces filled with bewilderment.

“We thought you were just really comfortable together,” Felix squeaked.

“But- but you guys have seen us cuddling. She’s even slept in my bed at the dorm!” Jeongin’s head frantically turned from side to side, searching their faces for any hint of realisation.

Hyunjin shrugged his shoulders, “Best friends can do that too.”

“Jisung and I do it all the time,” Minho smirked.

Seungmin let out a loud snort as he began chortling with a mouth full of kimbap. Unfortunately for him, it quickly devolved into a coughing fit that had Felix patting his back and Jisung letting out an exasperated sigh.

“Last week, Chan hyung walked in on us making out!” Jeongin continued. “I was mortified!”

“YOU WHAT?!”

Everyone’s heads whipped towards their leader.

Chan blinked and raised his hands, “I’ll admit, that was the first time I suspected you guys were more than friends.”

“Seriously? Only then?”

“Well- I thought about it, but Jisung and Changbin convinced me otherwise!” Chan pointed a finger at the two, who sat side-by-side with wide eyes.

“You told them?!” Jeongin cried, at the same time that Felix, aghast, cried, “They knew too?!”

“I thought they were good friends!” Changbin defended himself.

“You idiot! What kind of friends make out?” Hyunjin shot back.

“I don’t know! Special ones?”

The practice room descended into chaos. Everyone began yelling at once; some trying to find out more info, some accusing others of withholding information, and some defending their naivety.

Shoving his container of food on the floor, Jeongin stood up with a huff. He clapped his hands twice, bringing everyone’s attention to him.

“Okay, since everyone was unaware, Y/N and I are dating. We are a couple and we love each other very much. We are definitely more than friends.” Jeongin’s palms sweated as he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding in. A warm flush spread across his neck as he surveyed the group’s reactions, scanning their features for the most minute of changes. His stomach felt queasy, and he feared he might fall over at any moment.

But as the seconds passed, the faces of the members began to brighten — smiles emerging and teeth showing. A stream of congratulations flooded Jeongin’s senses, voices overlapping one another. Their earnest happiness alleviated his worries, and he sat back down, receiving pats on the back and aggressive hair ruffles in the process.

“Congrats, man!”

“I knew it would happen!”

“Aww, our Innie is a man now!”

“Alright, alright, everybody settle down,” Chan’s voice quelled the chaos, but only for a second. Jeongin moved to resume eating his noodles when a voice stopped him.

“So, Jeongin,” Hyunjin called out, “Y/N, huh?” He wiggled his eyebrows as the rest of the group let out snickers.

“Have you been in love with her forever, and ever, and ever?” Changbin added with a teasing grin. Jeongin groaned and rubbed his face, now a bright, beet-red.

“I can’t believe it took you guys this long to get together,” Seungmin chimed in. “You sure you never kissed on the playground when you were kids?”

“Nah, that’s not Innie’s style,” Minho laughed. “I bet he gave her a flower and said something corny like ‘This means we’re going to get married.’”

Another chorus of laughter reverberated against the walls and Jeongin’s body crumpled into a ball. Whilst happy for their support, he wished he could magically disappear from the moment. Even if that meant crawling into the earth, or spontaneously exploding. Both at the same time, if possible.

There were other patrons scattered across the Hard Deck, but nowhere near the regular amount on a typical Friday night.

He hadn't even realised the romantic holiday was coming up. It wasn't until a week prior when Fanboy hollered that he'd scored a date with someone he'd been chatting up on Bumble; his booming voice causing Bob’s pool cue to completely miss the ball.

From then on, it was all he heard from the Daggers. Payback had a dinner planned with his long-term partner, Rooster was going out with a woman he'd been casually seeing, and Coyote nonchalantly declared that he'd have no problem heading into town and picking up a cute chick on the day itself.

Hangman had let it slip that he and Phoenix were going to a drive-in cinema together, but any cheeky remarks from the rest of the team were left unsaid at the heat of Phoenix’s glare.

So there Bob was, sitting at the bar on Valentine's, nursing a drink and musing over everything he could've been doing instead. With the complexities and demands of his job, he'd rarely given much thought to his romantic life. Boy, was he regretting it.

His eyes bore into the random sports match playing on the bar’s TV, his brain only registering the vibrant colours and fast-paced movements.

"Hey, Bob."

A melodious voice broke him out of his daze. Behind the counter stood everyone's favourite, sweet-as-sugar Hard Deck employee. She gave him a small smile as she wiped down glasses and put them aside.

"Fancy seeing you here tonight. Thought you'd have somewhere more important to be."

His head tilted, like a curious puppy, making her giggle.

"Y'know, cause it's Valentine's?"

"Right!" Bob exclaimed. "Yeah, no, no plans. I don't have anywhere else to be, so..." His voice trailed off as her warm smile struck his soul. With sweaty palms, he raised his glass and took a swig of his drink.

"That's a surprise," she said.

"It is?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "I thought you'd have a cute date or something."

Bob's eyes widened and he quickly choked out a laugh, "Me? Oh, no, no I'm flattered but I'm not..." A wave of nausea rushed through his body - the words sticking to his throat. "I'm not really the ask-out-women type," he said as he stared into his glass. "Never been good at it."

And maybe it was the alcohol making him feel all fuzzy. Maybe it was the bar's dim lighting setting the mood. Or maybe it was the feeling of being almost alone with the attention of the stunning bartender-slash-waitress he maybe, sort of, definitely, had a crush on.

Something in the situation just made him feel... different. Trusting. Honest.

"I'm not confident like the rest of them," he confessed. "Hangman, Rooster, Coyote, they see someone they like and have no problem approaching them. Even if they didn't, there are plenty of people who come up and offer their numbers all the time. But I can't do that. Can't bring myself to talk to anybody like that. I'm not suave or charming like they are. Not cool or confident. I don't stand out in a crowd or attract any eyes from across the room. I'm just the guy in the background no one gives two cents about. Boring ol' Bob."

A silence hung between them, the static sports commentator voice floating through the air.

A tsunami of emotions whirled through him. On one hand, a weight had been lifted off him- a cathartic thrum in his chest at finally voicing the thoughts that'd tormented him for years. On the other hand, the admission of his feelings only made them more real and ever apparent to him. A dark cloud over his head, doomed to follow him.

"Excuse me?" she spat.

His head snapped up to find her eyes ablaze.

"Do you really think that?"

His mouth opened and closed like a fish but no words came out. Thankfully for him, she didn't give him time to reply.

"Bob, you’re an amazing person. You're kind, and sweet, and thoughtful. You're always there for others, helping them even when they don’t ask for it. You carry your friends out when they're too drunk to walk. You listen to them rant about their work and lives. And when you're here during closing you insist on helping us clean up; stacking the chairs and storing crates in the back. You’re this guardian angel looking out for everyone around you.

So what if you're not like Rooster or Hangman? Why would you wanna be anyone else anyways? You're an amazing person all on your own and you show it everyday."

Bob felt an overwhelming heat engulf his body. It was as though he'd stood at the entrance of an active volcano for a decade.

“You really think that?” he squeaked out.

“Yes! And if girls don't see that then screw them. Anyone with a functioning brain cell would be lucky to go out with you.”

Bob smiled shyly, "Well, I'm flattered-"

"I mean, you're literally a dream!" She continued, hands frantically wiping glasses and setting them down with a low thud. "Not only are you kindhearted but you're a dream to look at. It's honestly criminal how fit you are with your glasses making you look so cute, and kissable, and..."

Her voice trailed off as their eyes locked and she registered Bob's tomato-red face. Bob's heart pounded in his ears.

"Sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Bob wouldn't really classify himself as brave.

Sure he'd had a rare, unexpected surge of bravery when he joined the military - shocking everyone that knew him - but everything that came after was simply part of the job. Each day of suffering through grueling training to become a WSO had nothing to do with his bravery, but rather his tenacity and determination to show everyone what he could accomplish. What he was made of.

Buf in this moment, a rare moment in his life, Bob chose to be brave.

"What time do you get off from work?" he asked.

"Soon. In about an hour."

"And... do you have any plans after?"

"I was just gonna go home," she blushed, a smile painting across her face. "But you're most welcome to come with me."

"So Bob, how was your Valentine's?"

The Dagger Squad's chatter quieted down at Hangman's sudden question. The sounds of the Hard Deck filling the silence between them.

"It was good," Bob replied, leaning against a pillar and doing his best to act casual.

"Really? Get up to anything fun?"

"Stop it," Phoenix chided.

"What? I'm just asking," Hangman laughed, gliding about the pool table and lining up his shot as if he wasn't interrogating his teammate. "Wanna know if Baby-on-Board spent the night alone like I said he would."

The crack of his cue against the ball came as a comical sound effect to the shock everyone was smacked in the face with. Phoenix shook her head in disbelief and mouthed a 'sorry' to her WSO, which he waved off with an understanding smile.

"Well Hangman, since you're so desperate to know, I came here on Valentine's. And while I did start out alone, I ended up going home with someone."

Everyone's heads whipped towards him.

"No shit. Seriously?" Hangman chuckled. "Who is she? Who had the honour of being our Bobby's companion. Is she even real?"

It was at this time that she walked over to them, empty tray in hand. The woman who'd occupied Bob's head 24/7 ever since the night they shared together a week prior. The woman he'd confided in and poured his heart out to. The woman who held him and kissed his doubts away all night long. Her lips soft against his smooth skin, the heat of her body melded against his.

She moved with grace as she motioned for the team's empty glasses and bottles, everyone giving her polite smiles as she passed. Bob allowed his eyes to trail after her before turning his attention back to Hangman.

"I can assure you she is very real. She's an amazing woman, full of kindness and love. Adorable to boot. Honestly, I'm over the freaking moon that she even wants my company."

Their eyes met as she got closer to Bob, still pretending to be completely unaffected by the conversation at hand. Picking up the last empty bottle, she began to walk pass Bob to get back to the kitchen.

"And I'm most definitely taking her home with me tonight," Bob declared. Just as she passed, Bob raised his hand and let it fall with a swift smack! to her behind.

Jumping back in shock with a loud yelp, she turned to Bob, ready to tell him off, only to be met with his cheeky smirk and smitten eyes.

She huffed and glared at him, though there was no real heat behind her eyes. "We're leaving as soon as my shift is over."

"Yes ma'am," Bob smiled.

She scurried away as she failed to suppress the smile growing on her face.

He stared at her retreating figure unashamedly as the rest of the Daggers began whooping and hollering.

"Dude! No way!"

"How'd you pull her? What did you say?"

"My man! Knew you had that dog in ya!"

Exiting the ensuite bathroom after finishing your night-time routine, you eye Seungmin as he lies comfortably in bed, scrolling through his phone.

Time to put your plan into action.

Making your way over, you calmly pull back the blanket and climb into bed just as you do every night. Wordlessly, he shuffles closer to you without looking up from his little screen.

‘Perfect,’ you think. Ensuring he’s too engrossed with whatever he’s doing, your nimble fingers slowly lift the hem of his t-shirt until it reveals the tan skin of his abdomen. Feeling the cool air kiss his body, Seungmin silently side-eyes your strange actions, watching in confusion as you gingerly rub your palms together to warm them up.

“Puppy time!” you exclaim. Placing your hands flat on Seungmin’s stomach, you slide them up, down and all around as one would when giving tummy rubs to a dog, barely containing your giggles as you do so.

“What are you doing?” Smacked with shock, his eyes dart between your face and hands.

“It’s puppy time!” you grin.

“Excuse me?”

“Puppy time! Cuddling and playing like you’re a puppy.”

Seungmin blinks, staring at you like you’ve grown an extra head, “Is this your way of telling me you’ve become a furry?”

You merely giggle as you continue your ministrations, but he quickly grabs your wrists in both of his hands.

“Seriously,” he says as he sits up, the hem of his t-shirt falling back down, “what on earth are you doing?”

“It’s just a bit of fun, baby. Like how kids play pretend.”

“And you’re doing it because…”

“I saw it online and thought it’d be cute! Think of it as a massage.”

“A massage… on my stomach?” he raises an eyebrow. “I’m not sure how I feel about this.”

“Oh, c’mon baby, please?” Mustering the sweetest smile possible, you bat your eyes and tilt your head for extra damage. His compliance with your actions was absolutely essential. Without it, there was no way for you to carry out your experiment. Hesitation swims in his eyes, but after a few heavy seconds, he sighs.

“Fine, do whatever you want.”

“Yay! Thank you!” Exploding with giddiness, you throw your arms around him in a tight squeeze, pulling back to peck him on the lips.

“You’re lucky I love you, weirdo.” Lying back down, he gets comfortable as you once again lift the hem of his t-shirt and begin rubbing his stomach.

The next night plays out much like the first.

It had been a tiring day full of lectures, labs, and group assignment meetings. By the end of it all, Seungmin’s body is a mere bag of bones, creaking and popping as he drags himself to bed for a good night’s rest.

Plopping his tush on the plush mattress, his eyelids slowly grow heavier and heavier. A runaway yawn even escapes his mouth, but it quickly turns into a yelp as two soft hands grasp his shoulders from behind, shoving him onto his back.

“Puppy time!” you squeal, wrenching back his pyjama top to get your hands on the smooth expanse of his abdomen.

“Seriously? Again?” he questions, now wide awake.

“Yes, puppy time is very important,” you explain with doe eyes and a honey-laced tone. “It’ll bring us closer as a couple.”

“Baby, your clothes are in my closet. I keep bottles of your shampoo and conditioner in the bathroom. We sleep in the same bed. You basically live here! I don’t see how this is going to help our relationship any more than what we’re already doing.”

A pang of guilt instantly rushes through him as you level him with a pout, shoulders deflating and arms falling lifelessly by your sides.

He gulps, “Oh baby, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. We can— look, if you think this will help us become a stronger couple, then I’m all for it.” He’s reaching for your hands now, intertwining your fingers in an attempt to coax you out of your huffy state.

“Really?” A smile begins to tug at your cheeks despite your efforts to suppress it.

“Yes, baby, whatever you want.”

Flashing your pearly whites in triumph, you pounce atop him and vigorously rub your hands against his warm stomach, all the while letting out chirps of “Puppy time! Puppy time!”

Keeping up with your antics proves to be less challenging as the days go on. Like clockwork, right before you and Seungmin fall asleep in each other’s arms, you’ll lift his shirt and rub his stomach while chanting “Puppy time!” in a delighted squeal.

He’s less resistant now, deciding instead to revel in the attention you’re giving him. When the nightly massage rolls around, he lets himself relax into the sheets, folding his hands behind his head as you do your thing. One night, as the two of you are watching a movie on the couch, he realises you’re falling asleep as your head slowly droops towards his shoulder. He doesn’t bother to wake you up, knowing how long of a day you’d had and deciding to simply carry you to bed later.

Imagine his surprise when, after ten minutes of your peaceful dozing, you suddenly jolt awake, and blinking away the sleep in your eyes, exclaim, “Puppy time!” as you lightly shove him onto his back. Your hands do their thing, albeit in a much more languid manner, as your body reels from the effects of your power nap.

It all comes to a head a week and a half later.

With warm skin from your shower and a glowing face courtesy of your skincare routine, you emerge from the bathroom to find Seungmin lounging on the bed. Though his eyes are closed, his soft singing tells you he’s wide awake. He’s been in high spirits since submitting a lengthy lab report hours earlier.

Now’s the time.

Time to see if all your hard work pays off.

Padding over to the edge of the bed, you loom over Seungmin’s relaxed, unsuspecting figure, grateful that he can’t see the cheshire grin on your face.

“Baby?” you sing.

He responds with a light hum.

“What time is it?”

Without so much as a noise of complaint, Seungmin grasps the hem of his t-shirt and pulls it up, revealing his stomach to you.

You can’t hold back the laughter that bursts out of your mouth, and before long, you’re doubled over and clutching your stomach on the floor — loud cackling filling the air. Seungmin’s eyes shoot open at your abrupt behaviour change, a cocktail of confusion and mild panic quickly filling him up. Peering over the edge of the bed, he watches, slightly terrified, as you writhe on the floor like the happiest worm in the world.

“Baby, are you… okay?”

Shakily, you grip the comforter to steady yourself as you stand. Breathless and wincing from the sharp pain in your side from laughing so hard, it takes a while before you calm yourself down enough to form a response.

“I’m okay,” you chuckle, wiping tears from your eyes. “It’s just that… you did the thing! You actually did it.”

You have to physically restrain yourself from smooching your boyfriend, what with the way his confused face fills you with such cuteness aggression.

“What did I do?” he asks tentatively.

“You showed me your tummy! Which means you were thinking about ‘Puppy Time!’”

Flustered, he thinks hard as he traces back to moments before.

“But— but you asked me ‘What time is it?’, and we do ‘Puppy Time’ every night, so what else was I supposed to think?”

“Well, most people would answer with the actual time. Like from a clock?” you smirk.

He’s properly surprised by your response, clearly having not realised the obvious. Though you’re facing each other, the faraway look in his eyes tells you that he’s astounded by what’s transpired. What you’ve done to him.

“You trained me,” he whispers.

His soft, taken-aback tone pulls at your heartstrings, making you feel a tad guilty.

“Well—”

“You trained me like a dog,” he repeats, louder, more so verbalising the situation to himself than anything else. He’s properly looking you in the eye now, bewilderment decorating his features. “Why?”

You sigh and smile, unable to deny him the truth any longer.

“I saw a post online about someone doing this to their partner, and I was curious if it actually worked. So, I decided to try it out myself. I chose you as my test subject because, duh, you’re my boyfriend and we cuddle all the time, but you’re also so cute, and you’re always chasing after me, like a real dog!”

Seungmin slowly rises from the bed as you ramble, staring you down like a lion hunting its next meal. Each calculated step he takes towards you causes you to stumble backwards until you hit a wall.

“It was all just a bit of fun, and hey, now we know it works!” you chuckle nervously. Though you’re giving him your best smile, you can tell your charms aren’t winning him over. “If nothing else, this is a hilarious story for you to tell your professors. I’m sure they’d find it interesting.”

His piercing cold stare shoots straight to your soul. When he opens his mouth, his voice is low and frighteningly steady.

“You have two seconds to run before I—”

You’re off without waiting to hear Seungmin’s proposed punishment, feet dashing across the hardwood floor to get away. But in the small one-bedroom apartment, and with your boyfriend’s athletic agility, you don’t make it far.

Throes of university students walk through the outdoor courtyard, each in their own little world — hurrying to class, strolling out of one, or aimlessly enjoying their free time. Some sit at the scattered picnic tables, chatting and eating as they take advantage of the beautiful weather, listening to the twittering birds in the air, which act as ambient music.

You let out a little hum as your sour lemonade washes down your throat, providing sweet relief against the beaming mid-day sun. It’s days like these that you enjoy the most. When everything in the world feels like it’s singing in harmony, filling you with a glow that relaxes your body from the inside out.

Light laughter from the rest of the table cuts through your daydreaming. The bright faces of your friends Felix and Jisung, along with your boyfriend, surround the table, the four of you wolfing down a pepperoni pizza from the university’s food hub after your respective lectures.

It’s been three days since you revealed the truth to Seungmin about ‘Puppy Time’, and it was officially dropped at his insistence. Whilst you’re slightly disappointed that you can’t coddle him like a human-sized pet anymore, the chance of another sore bum makes you more than happy to comply. The topic hasn’t been brought up since, as the two of you pretend like it never happened.

Tuning out the boys’ conversation, you continue people watching as you savour your lunch. Lost in the atmosphere’s tranquillity, it takes you a while to remember the passing of time and that you can’t afford to be late to your next class. As you wipe your greasy hands on a napkin, you note the digital watch Seungmin is wearing.

“Baby, what time is it?” you ask.

He turns his head towards you as he opens his mouth.

“Pupp—”

His jaw instantly clamps shut as your eyes meet, simultaneously widening to the size of saucers at the familiar phrase that almost slips out. Your hand slaps over your own mouth as you try your hardest to restrain your laughter, finding the situation absolutely hilarious. Unfortunately, the shaking of your body gives it all away.

Abandoning his half-eaten pizza slice on the table, Seungmin rushes to shove his belongings in his backpack, not caring to zip it all the way up. Keeping his face down to shield his reddened cheeks, he’s on his feet before any of you can say anything.

“I’ve got to go,” he mutters, dashing off like he’s being chased away.

Once he’s out of sight, you can’t hold it in any longer. Laughing out loud, you swiftly realise you must look like a madman when you see Felix and Jisung’s perplexed faces.

“What was that about?” Felix asks.