#resonancebeach

“Win a date with Kim freaking Doyoung? Like the actor?” Renjun swallowed, his eyes wild. His knuckles were nearly white from gripping on so tightly to the countertop and you briefly wondered if it was possible he might actually manage to cut off circulation to his hands if he held on any longer or if he might chip off a part of the wood instead. Maybe both. You could feel your hands growing clammy as you scrolled down the page, your heart pounding against your chest so loudly that you were almost sure that the rest crowding above you could hear it.

“Is this a scam? Are they actually offering a date with Kim Doyoung?” Alex’s question came out as a mere whisper, like she couldn’t quite believe this was real and frankly, neither could you but everything about the details of the raffle to the terms and conditions listed further reinforced its legitimacy. A girl who was eavesdropping into your conversation had also whipped out her phone, tuning into the entertainment news. Her subsequent loud gasp only served to confirm that this was indeed reality.

The award-winning actor, Kim Doyoung, who nobody in a million years would ever guess to do this, was actually offering one lucky fan a chance to go on a date with him.

Not just any date at that, the date was supposed to be at the up and coming tourist destination, Resonance beach and would include a complimentary one day and two night stay at the world famous, glamorous Neo Hotel. According to the details, all expenses would be paid for with benefits that included a first class flight and a box of Booze Soda, one of the main sponsors for this event. A quick search on social media already shows fans all over the world talking about it, many already buying his albums and fan merchandise in bulk in an attempt to increase their chances of winning.

“Seems like they really are. It’s endorsed by his company,” Dana said, squinting at the screen before shaking her head in disapproval. “This just seems to me like they’re trying to squeeze more money out of the fanbase, pretty fucking shady of them.”

She stalked away to the fiction section where she would no doubt be reading instead of doing any actual shelving as your eyebrows knitted together into a slight frown, your hand hovering tentatively over the computer mouse. Renjun patted you on the shoulder before tending to a rather disgruntled looking old man who had been waiting for someone to service him for the past five minutes while Alex only leaned in closer.

“Are you going for it?” She asked.

“I wish I could but…” You gestured vaguely at the screen, “It’s no use. I barely even have the money to spare to buy one of those expensive merchandise, let alone in bulk and we haven’t even gotten to shipping yet.” Pushing yourself away from the desk, you got to work picking up a large box of new arrivals while Alex trailed behind you.

“You have to try somehow! Even if it’s one overpriced enamel pin, you can at least have your name entered once instead of not applying at all.”

You could only smile wistfully as you weaved through the aisles of books in the tiny bookshop. Having grown up with a passion for reading, it felt natural for you to seek a part time job working around books. Even if it paid a pittance, you loved the environment here, looking forward to coming to work every other day. Not only were you spending time around books which were your number one vice, you have made like-minded and equally bookish friends along the way who you enjoy working with. The customers at bookshops were also eccentric in their own way and delightful to just get to know over the past year you’d been working here.

Being in the bookshop always did comfort you whenever you were upset, dismayed or just feeling down, such as today. In a way, you felt grateful that you found out about the event during work and not in school or at home. You wouldn’t have had your job and all these books to help distract you from the bitter feeling of being too broke to even try to apply for such a rare opportunity for a date with the one and only Kim Doyoung.

You sighed with a heavy heart as you slotted book after book into a shelf at the crime section.

Kim Doyoung, A-list actor and just the most talented man alive. You have been a fan of his for the longest time, ever since he played the suave and flirtatious pastry chef Kang Hyun in the popular romantic comedy series ‘Sugar and Spice’. The first time you saw him on television, his acting and dashing good looks had completely charmed you. The way he carried himself, the way his eyes sparkled whenever he delivered the most heart fluttering lines and the way his voice always sounded so rough yet warm even when playing the most evil villains never failed to bring a smile to your face or a shiver of fear down your spine.

A lot of people would agree that Doyoung is a stellar example of an ideal man. He was a man who could act, talk and had a heart of gold, seeing from his participation in multiple philanthropy projects and his donations and services to several charities and orphanages. Doyoung also had one of the most attractive, handsomest faces in the industry, gracing magazine covers everywhere. His dark, silky ebony hair always looked immaculate and he had the most expressive eyes you’d ever seen. Those dark orbs could be shining with tears and agony one minute and bright with joy and youthful mischief in the next and those emotions written so plainly in his eyes always struck you right to your core as you watched his films and shows.

As you tried to bury your own disappointment by preoccupying yourself with the task at hand, you couldn’t help but fervently wish that somehow you’d be able to apply and win that coveted date with Kim Doyoung even if it may seem impossible.

☀️-☀️-☀️

“You can’t do this to me. This is insane.”

The men in the room turned sharply towards Doyoung, whose face held a look of mere indifference and indignation. He had his arms folded firmly across his chest as he leaned back into his feet, his eyes dark and defiant.

The tension in the room was so thick, you could slice it with a knife. The off-white, minimalist design of the skyscraper office with its almost four walls of glass only made the whole situation seem all the more intimidating and cold as he engaged in a face off with the men across the table, the sun casting shadows on his face which made him look almost scary.

Finally, Taeil, his manager let out an exasperated grunt as he ran his fingers through his hair.

“Doyoung, this isn’t about you anymore. It’s about the goddamn company going bankrupt. We have no other choice-”

“So you decided to just go ahead and put me up for something like that? Like I’m some kind of object to be won? What are you, pimping me?” He interjected, the anger radiating off him. His jaw was set, clenched and his hands balled into fists like he always did when he got mad at something and the men in the room shifted uncomfortably. “You couldn’t find a better idea?”

“If we did, we wouldn’t be doing this now, would we?” Taeil snapped, irritated.

“There has to be some other way! I’m not an object to be won.”

“Look,” Xiaojun, the publicity head’s voice was soft, unusually gentle, like he was talking to an unreasonable, brutish child, “it’s just a date. We’re not asking you to marry for god’s sake so don’t be dramatic. Surely you can do this for the company? Just this once?”

Doyoung’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

“No.”

“I told you he wasn’t going to do it.” Taeil said, rubbing at his temple to a shrinking Xiaojun who seemed to be growing smaller by the second. “We really fucked up this time.”

Doyoung shot him a sharp look.

“Why’s that?”

Taeil and Xiaojun exchanged an uncomfortable look as they shifted on their feet, looking anywhere and everywhere but him. Doyoung could feel his blood turning cold as he gripped on tightly to the arm of his chair. His words came out restrained as he gritted out, “What did you guys do?”

Taeil’s face was red with shame as he spoke in a small voice, his voice softer than a mouse.

“We um… We already got the sponsors for it and it’s already up and running.”

☀️-☀️-☀️

The sun was beating relentlessly down on your back as you pedaled along the streets, your backpack stuffed into the front basket of your bicycle.

It is a particularly hot summer’s day, so hot you could almost see the heat waves radiating in the horizon. A bead of sweat rolled down your temple and you wiped it off with a frown, feeling disgusted at how much you were sweating. It was as if someone had hosed you down. Well, maybe not that bad but still bad enough seeing as the back of your shirt would most positively be soaked by now.

As much as you loved working at the bookshop, you certainly didn’t love the journey there. During the summer when it gets too hot, the journey would usually leave you sweaty and icky by the time you arrived. During the winter when it gets too cold, you’re left freezing instead. There really aren't any two ways about it but it’s one of those things you were willing to tolerate for your job.

By the time you’d reported for work, you were predictably drenched in your own sweat and as you wandered in, you couldn’t help but bask in the cool air-conditioned environment of the store. It felt like heaven after enduring the intense heat outside and you almost let a guttural sigh out loud.

“You need a shower,” Renjun commented as you dropped your things off in the backroom, wrinkling his nose. The apron around his waist crinkled as he shifted, the precariously tall stack of books in his hands wobbling. The bookshop was relatively quiet today, seeing as most people were either off on their summer holiday or staying in the comfort of their own homes to escape the suffocating heat.

“As do you,” you rolled your eyes and he laughed. “Seriously, the weather is getting crazier by the year.”

“No kidding, I thought I’d drown in my own sweat before I even made it here.”

“That’s gross,” you stuck out your tongue in disgust while you tied on your apron. “Where’s Dana and Alex?” You took your place behind the till and drew out a black notebook from the file cabinet, doing your usual task of checking the store’s accounts. You didn’t notice the barely concealed look of excitement and anticipation in Renjun's face as you pored over the numbers, briefly glancing through them.

“Oh, they are… Somewhere.”

You looked up, eyebrows raised.

“What kind of an answer is that?”

He shrugged and it was a miracle the books he was holding onto didn’t topple over. You regarded him with mild curiosity but decided you weren’t going to question him any further. You had more pressing issues at hand like the accounts. As he wobbled off with the books, you booted up the store’s computer and flexed your fingers, getting ready to get to work with the calculations and organising of financial sheets.

The moment the computer screen crackled to life, you were immediately greeted with the words ‘Win a date with Kim Doyoung!’ in big, bold letters. The webpage was designed to look bright and celebratory but you were feeling anything but. Your grip on the computer mouse tightened as you stared at the words that seemed to taunt you, mock you. You wanted so badly to apply even just once but deep down, you knew you wouldn’t stand a chance against the large Kim Doyoung fanbase.

On social media and fansites, there was already a good number of fans posting pictures of their bulk purchases of merchandise, each buy equating to one entry into the raffle. Even if you were to enter your name in once, there was no way you were going to win anyways. Not when you’re up against fans who have tens and hundreds of entries in the raffle.

Reluctantly, you closed the window and settled down to the boring task of accounting for the shop’s sales. For the next few minutes, the thought of splurging this once on an entry for the event crossed your mind more times than you’d have liked as you punched in digits into the calculator. At one point, you even had to redo some of the accounts because of a wrong digit keyed in and you were starting to find it seriously hard to concentrate. Your pen was tapping impatiently on the table and eventually, you found that your fingers were moving on their own accord.

The event webpage showed up again and the temptation to just apply was stronger than ever even though you knew that the chances of you winning would probably be next to none.

“But, what if I just… Try?” A voice whispered at the back of your mind and you bit your bottom lip in frustration. You wanted so badly to apply but it was so expensive to do so. Buying even just a sticker set from the Kim Doyoung merchandise shop would wipe out a good part of your savings because of the exorbitant shipping costs. Were you really willing to fork out so much money just to apply?

Fortunately, your exhausting train of thought was interrupted when the door swung open and Dana and Alex entered the store with a parcel between them.

“This is for you,” Dana handed you the parcel with a knowing grin on her face and you frowned as you received it with both hands. “Open it.”

“What’s this?” You asked, picking apart the paper wrapping and when you finally realised what it was, your eyes widened till they were as large as saucers.

“Y-You guys…” You looked up to see your friends’ smiling faces despite the fatigue displayed so plainly on their faces and the sweat that lined their brows. Lifting up the porcelain mug gingerly by the handle, it took a lot of your energy not to burst out in incomprehensible squeals.

On the white surface, there was a intricately printed quote of one of Doyoung’s famous lines in the hit romantic movie, ‘Letters to him’, where he’d played the soft spoken, shy photographer heartthrob Kim Sangkyun alongside the stunning actress Im Sokyeom who’d portrayed his feisty, fiery journalist love interest Park Mihyo.

The quote was written in gold ink and in elegant calligraphy, sophisticated but not tacky. You still distinctly remember when you heard it.

“Sangkyun? What are you doing here?” Mihyo’s eyes were wide with shock, her lips slightly parted as the words came out in a gasp.

“I…” The bespectacled, red-faced photographer who clearly lacked stamina clutched at his now throbbing abdomen as he panted for air, “I needed to see you.”

His usually immaculate hair was a mess and his shirt clung to his sweaty body, so perfectly outlining the definition of those broad shoulders that reminded Mihyo of that stormy night at the secluded inn, that same silhouette overshadowing her as he leaned in to kiss her passionately. She tried to ignore the shiver that ran down her spine, the tiny skip her heart did as she looked back at him with an expressionless gaze.

“I don’t think that would be necessary.”

The pain that shone in those eyes behind those thickset glasses made her heart clench. Sangkyun’s lower lip quivered as he said softly, “Please, Mihyo.”

“Look, we-”

“‘You are my home, my safe haven and in no reality, would I ever wish to be apart from you,’” he said, his voice firm yet so full of emotion. There was an almost defiant look on his face as Mihyo dropped the coffee she was holding in her hands. Even as the liquid splattered all over her boots and stained them, she didn’t care.

“You… It was you who wrote that letter?” She asked, trembling now as her heart beat a mile a minute. This couldn’t be right, it didn’t make sense. Didn’t Jaehwan write it? Jaehwan who had told her so many times that he had poured all his feelings out into that single handwritten letter addressed to her all those years ago, who had whispered fleeting, heart fluttering sweet nothings in her ear as she consequently ‘accepted’ his feelings?

“Yes, I was the one who wrote it.” Sangkyun avowed, tears now streaming endlessly down his cheeks. “I have always loved you, Mihyo. All these years.”

Your heart still swoons at that very scene whenever you rewatch it and it has gotten to the point where you’d been able to recite the entire dialogue word for word. It was a rather embarrassing and useless talent but one you were still secretly proud of. A mug with a printed quote from one of your favourite drama scenes was a great present, better than any you could have ever asked for from your friends but a coveted chance to win a whole date with your idol, Kim Doyoung?

There were no words to describe how grateful you were.

“Thank you for this, you guys. Thank you so, so, so much,” you choke out as you pull them in for a tight hug, burying your face into Alex’s sweater. “This is the best gift you guys could have given me. I love it.”

Dana chuckles, ruffling your hair. “It’s nothing much, we just thought you deserved it.” Alex murmurs her agreement as she pats you gently on the back and Renjun shoots you a toothy grin. How did you get so lucky with friends like that?

Just then, the radio that had been very softly playing in the background caught your attention. It was tuned into a popular youth entertainment radio channel and you could vaguely hear the ongoing show’s hosts speak animatedly to millions of listeners all over the world. Today, ‘Celeb Insiders’ was on air and its hosts, Jungwoo and Krystal’s excitement seemed to be buzzing right through from their studio.

“Next on- Wait, I’m getting some exciting news here! The ‘Win a date event that has sent millions into shambles involving Kim Doyoung, who most of you may know better as the handsome, deadly Kang Joon in ‘Out for blood’ or perhaps as the charming, doting Kim Sangkyun in ‘Letters to him’, has got some updates!”

“Wait, really? Thank god, I was starting to wonder if my application got lost somehow.”

“Krystal, you applied?” Jungwoo’s tone was one of surprise and the latter laughed, her voice ringing through the studio.

“Duh, it’s Kim Doyoung. Who wouldn’t want to go on a date with a man like that? He is the standard,” she replies matter-of-factly.

“Ouch, I am not hurt as a fellow member of the male species. Anyways, we’re just getting news that the lucky fan has been revealed!”

“Please let it be me.”

“It’s not going to be you.”

“You don’t know that yet.”

“Well, I do now! Seems like it is your lucky day, entry number 148275, whoever you are because you have just won a date with the man himself, Kim Doyoung!”

“Whoever it is, lucky them,” you sighed, smiling softly and not noticing how still your friends have become. It seemed as if they were almost frozen and it took you a good few seconds to realise they hadn’t moved. “Guys?”

Alex turned to you, her eyes wide as saucers and her mouth hanging open.

“That’s your entry number, y/n.”

☀️-☀️-☀️

Doyoung wanted nothing more than to be out of this situation that he had found himself in.

Gritting his teeth as the personal stylist circled around him and tutted under his breath for the nth time, he could see his expression in the mirror getting darker by the minute. There were dark circles starting to form under his eyes, no thanks to jet lag and a lack of sleep following the dreaded date that he had wanted no part in and his limbs were starting to cramp from standing for so long. The personal stylist, whose name he’d learned was Johnny, was clearly taking his own sweet time with no regards whatsoever to the fate of his numb legs.

“How much longer?” He asked, plastering a gentle smile onto his face, like he’d done so many times in and out of movie sets. Johnny peered at him from over his gold-rimmed glasses and shrugged nonchalantly in a way that meant he had no qualms of speeding up. Doyoung resisted the urge to deck him.

“I don’t know. I’ve got so many ideas and most of them don’t fit you all that well. Somehow, you are putting some sort of invisible dent on my creative energy. It’s really not very productive.”

Doyoung stared at him, expressionless. How was any of this supposed to be his fault? He opened his mouth to retort but thought better of it and kept silent, letting his annoyance simmer. As much as this whole situation was maddening, starting a fight with anyone wouldn’t be good. Not even Johnny, the annoying, fickle personal stylist. He couldn’t risk it not just for his reputation, but also for his tired self.

He was too tired to have to deal with anything more than he’d been given right now.

As much as Doyoung appreciated his manager and management team, they had a knack for doing things without first telling him. Granted, other celebrities had pulled a similar stunt before including his rivals but it never occurred to him that one day, he would be doing the same. It was something he’d never have agreed to. Willingly.

After what felt like ages and hundreds of suits and tuxedos, Johnny the personal stylist had eventually decided on an outfit that Doyoung had remembered being one of the first few he’d been asked to try on. He tried not to think about the hours of sleep he’d missed out on or possible time he could have had to escape as he wandered out of the shop, disoriented by the now dark sky outside.

He must have been in there longer than he’d imagined.

As Doyoung made his way back to his hotel, he couldn’t help but feel an odd sense of tranquility. The night breeze was cool and carried with it the scent of the ocean, a welcomed change from the smell of vehicle fumes in the big city. Twinkling stars dotted the skies and nature was everywhere - from the palm trees along the streets, the sandy beaches, to the rolling hills from a distance away. Small businesses were thriving on this beach island, selling things that would never sell well where he came from like handmade seashell necklaces or indigenous rocks and it was heartening to see how the locals were so… happy.

The streets were by no means quiet and here at the island where the world famous Resonance beach resort had very strategically chosen to settle in, the place was teeming with tourists from all over the world. They chatted, ate and laughed as they strolled along the streets in their sundresses and khaki shorts, enjoyed delicious seafood meals with drinks in the many bistros and restaurants and did basic tourist things. Everyone was in their own world, just enjoying being on holiday and it was this engrossment in their own world that Doyoung appreciated and valued.

If there was any silver lining to this whole thing, this would be it.

Here, he could roam the island without wearing his almost mandatory and necessary cap, sunglasses or face mask since no one would pay him any attention. He could wander about freely, do anything he wanted. Doyoung couldn’t remember a time where he’d had such freedom. It felt like a long time ago when he had just been an aspiring young teenager with ambitions greater than he had eventually realised he could handle. Sure, a few curious glances were shot his way every now and then but for the most part, people knew their boundaries which couldn’t be said for the same back home.

With fame, came its price.

As a relatively attractive actor whose company somehow always tries to book for romance films or drama series, it didn’t take long for his fanbase to grow and expand, for the ‘thirst tweets’ to start streaming in or for the obsessive fan stories he’d heard so much about from his seniors to start happening to him as well.

His jaw ticked as he recalled how a crazed fan had once accosted him at the supermarket once. The kid had stalked him all around the place, grabbing whatever he did and it’d creeped him out. There was once he had made a mistake of replying to a fan’s tweet of a drama he had starred in, only to get bombarded by hundreds and thousands of replies, private messages and a blooming rumour that thankfully, had been quickly nipped in the bud before it could get out of control.

Doyoung adored his fans, he really did. There were the sweet ones who would write letters to him voicing their admiration for his talents and those who really supported his craft but there were also tons of them who he’d think twice before interacting with. He tried to not to think which of these two categories the fan he would be spending his time here in this island would classify under.

It was close to 10 when he’d made it back to the Neo hotel, a sprawling resort with some of the most beautiful, intricate architecture he ever had the privilege of staying in. The lobby itself was grand, with a huge crystal chandelier hanging from above and a smooth marble floor inlay a very detailed drawing of the island itself made up entirely of rare gems and rocks. Everything about the place screamed classy and luxurious, it was thus no surprise that this hotel was listed as one of the world’s best.

As Doyoung waited for the elevator, he noticed from the corner of his eye that two ladies were lingering nearby, staring at him and giggling to one another. Out of reflex, he shot them a polite smile to which one of them jumped. They were dressed in formal attire with name tags, there was no doubt they’d work here at the hotel.

He watched as the number on the elevator crawled downwards, wishing it’d hurry up. He could feel his eyelids slipping shut and his limbs were beginning to feel like lead and there was nothing more that he wanted than to hop into bed. Suddenly, he felt someone tapping his back.

Swivelling around, Doyoung turned to look at the ladies from earlier. Their cheeks were tinted red with nervousness and even he could feel their apprehension. Despite his fatigue, he grinned down at them.

“Can I help you?”

The shorter of the two, a pretty brunette with a pert little nose squeaked in response but her friend was much bolder.

“Are you Kim Doyoung?”

“Yes, I am. How can I help?” The smile was frozen on his face. The elevator arrived with a ding.

“We love your movies and works, my friend Yujeong and I, Winter.” She beamed and her friend nodded enthusiastically. The elevator door opened and the few curious onlookers wandered in. Doyoung relaxed, his smile growing slightly wider.

“Ah, thank you so much. That means a lot to me.” The ladies giggled and the one called Yujeong continued, blushing profusely, “You look so unbelievably handsome in real life. Better than on television.”

Doyoung stiffened. “That is very kind of you to say.”

“You were in that romcom right? ‘Fight or flight’ or something?” Winter interjected, excitement radiating off her. Before Doyoung could reply, she went off, biting her lips ever so slightly in a way that was supposedly meant to be seductive, “You looked really hot there. Did you have to diet and gym a lot to look that way? Honestly, you caught my eye for a great part of the movie.”

The elevator door was beginning to close. Doyoung wanted so fervently to make a dash for it.

“Thanks. Yeah, I did.”

“There was that drama you acted in too right? ‘Letters to you’? I remember you as that really handsome reporter Kim Sanghyun.” Yujeong asked, her eyes big with wonder. “You looked super cute there, I thought the glasses were a nice touch.”

“I…” Doyoung trailed off, his smile beginning to slip from his face and it was getting harder to keep it there by the millisecond. “Thanks.”

“Could we take a picture?”

I’m tired.

“Yeah, sure.”

By the time Doyoung had stumbled into his room, showered and ordered room service, it was already nearing midnight. Clad in only a pair of his most comfortable gray sweats, he climbed into bed and sunk into the soft sheets, a subconscious moan escaping his lips at the sheer comfort of it. The television was on but it was all but white noise as he scrolled through his phone and checked on the unread messages that he had that day.

( 3 unread messages from Sokyeom (Work) )

hey doyoungie, wanna grab dinner sometime? :))

i’ve been kinda lonely and i’m not filming these days so i was thinking if we should go get a drink or something?

you playing hard to get? you are such a tease~ ;0

Doyoung’s lips pressed into a thin line as his thumb hovered above the keyboard. She needed to stop calling him that. He had also yet to answer her insistent invitations for dinner. He’d given up after the third rejection and promptly let everything go to voicemail or simply his inbox. For a person who plays a very bright, intelligent journalist onscreen, the actress certainly cannot read a hint.

Tossing his phone aside, Doyoung held his forearm to his head as he stared up at the ceiling above him. He tried his best not to ponder over tomorrow’s meeting with his fan. He had never seen this fan, never been provided a visual reference as to how he or she might look like. Taeil had ensured that, wanting instead to keep an element of surprise.

Doyoung sighed deeply, feeling a wave of resignation, sadness and helplessness engulf him and tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach and the way his heart feels so tight and empty like it has always had for the longest time.

He found he cannot recall the last time he’d ever truly felt like himself. It seemed as if he was nothing if not for his looks.

☀️-☀️-☀️

Your heart was beating furiously and your hands were almost trembling as you checked your own reflection on the mirror for what seemed like the thousandth time.

The light pearl eyeshadow you had very shakily applied still seemed a tad too faded under the light even though it felt like you had an ungodly number of layers on already and you sighed, both in frustration and nervousness. Your hair was sticking out all over the place, with a particular stray lock of hair that kept escaping the bun you’d swept your hair up in while you pondered over the decision to put on a jasmine scented perfume earlier. Was that a good idea or should you have instead gone with the citrus one that Dana and Alex recommended?

You fell helplessly back onto the luxurious comforter. The softness of the bed still felt new, foreign and was a strange yet welcomed change from the lumpy mattress you had back home. On a bed like this, you could fall asleep straight away but the nerves for the impending dinner tonight kept you alert. Heavens, sometimes you wondered if you were already asleep and this whole experience was just a hyper realistic lucid dream you were having.

The past few days had passed by in a complete blur.

First came the media. Within hours after the announcement of the lucky fan who’d won the much coveted date with Kim Doyoung, gossip columns and entertainment reporters had somehow managed to locate and consequently flooded your email with requests for interviews. It was all over the radio and news sites and before long, everyone in your family including your school had found out.

Questions after questions were directed to you, too many to keep up with and some of which you didn’t even have the answers to. It was like your life had been turned upside down within a matter of mere hours, being thrust into the spotlight all of a sudden, unprepared and thoroughly confused.

What made the entire situation feel even more absurd was when you’d received the online confirmation email for your first class flight ticket and all expenses paid for trip details to Resonance Beach. The email was very lavishly furnished with fancy lettering and a short video attached, showcasing an extremely enticing display of Resonance Beach from its golden shores and crystalline blue sea to the delicious local fare offered and bustling nightlife.

You won’t deny - you have had to pinch yourself several times before reality really sunk in.

Within a couple of days, you found yourself en route, thousands of feet in the air in a sleek aircraft. Not even in your wildest dreams would you have thought you would one day be served perfectly poached butter lobster and the sweetest, juiciest sparkling cider you’d ever had the privilege to taste on a italian leather airplane seat or be able to sit in front of a telescreen with every movie and film imaginable available for you to watch. It certainly made a very jarring contrast to your usual homemade cucumber sandwich for lunch, eaten in the confines of the stuffy bookstore or the limited television channels available back home, so limited nobody ever watches television anymore.

Everything felt utterly dreamlike, from the exceptional service on the first class flight you’d never have been able to afford to the complimentary limousine ride to your five star accommodation. Your suite itself was another thing to behold and you had been initially afraid to touch anything for fear of making even the tiniest scratch on the exquisite furniture.

Blowing a raspberry, you tried not to look at the time. You weren’t sure what time it was already but something told you that it was happening soon.

Your gut churned uncomfortably and you flipped over, screaming softly into the pillow. Excitement and fear intermingled was coursing through your veins and a shiver ran down your spine at the thought of seeing Doyoung soon. This was the actor you had always looked up to, whose works you have always thoroughly enjoyed and memorised almost every single line to. Just a week ago, he was an unreachable bright spark in the distant sky, so blindingly enchanting and bright, so far away that you’d never reach him and there was nothing you could do but stare in awe from afar. Yet now, he was going to be right before you, in the flesh.

You resisted the urge to pinch yourself again.

At that moment, there was a gentle knock on the huge, mahogany door of your suite.

☀️-☀️-☀️

Doyoung shifted uncomfortably as he stood waiting outside the imposing suite door.

The crisp jet black suit that Johnny had chosen for him fitted him perfectly and accentuated his slim, lean figure, the polished golden cufflinks glinting under the glow of the light along the hallway. The white dress shirt he wore under the ‘expensive, posh french velvet’ (or so he’d been told a little over fifty times by Johnny) black jacket was neatly ironed and a few buttons at the top had been left purposefully unbuttoned to expose his collarbone which he wasn’t sure he was entirely comfortable with.

His stylists had truly gone all out with this, Doyoung didn’t even think they had been so invested back when he attended his first Grand Bell Awards. His dark hair was perfectly coiffed and they had chosen for him a well fitting musky cologne for the occasion and they had even made sure to pay attention to his nails. The company must be doing financially worse than he’d thought.

Doyoung could hear a faint crash from inside the suite and he felt his heart grow heavier by the second. In a way, he felt like a lamb perfectly dressed for slaughter or perhaps to be less dramatic, he felt like an escort. He had seen how some buy hundreds of merchandise in order to win and he’d realised to his horror that some of these ‘fans’ had been regularly stalking him at certain points. He could only pray that whoever stood on the other side of the door was nothing like that.

He recalled how in his early days, his manager had forced him to pour alcohol and make merry with some of the older female shareholders of the company and a lump began to form on his throat.

“Please not that either,” he thought desperately.

Suddenly, the door opened with a click and for a moment, he found himself staring at no one in particular until his gaze drifted downwards to see a shy looking girl standing before him.

Oh, he was not expecting this.

She had the most beautiful pair of eyes he’d ever seen, bright and sparkling. There was something about that tugged at his heartstrings, drawing him deeper into their depths. Her lips were perfectly shaped, not too plump and her makeup, subtle and classy. The lilac blue dress she wore clung softly to her curves, accentuating but not in an overtly sexual but rather sensual way the outline of her lush body. Around her neck hung a tiny silver necklace, resting comfortably on her chest, shining under the light.

Realising quickly that he was staring, Doyoung cleared his throat.

“Hey, so you… um, you ready to go?”

The girl merely stared back at him, eyes wide and mouth slightly parted like in a trance. When she didn’t reply, he smiled awkwardly to which she cracked the slightest of the most charming smiles he’d ever seen. Doyoung tried to ignore the tingle in his heart.

“Right, I guess-”

“Yeah! Yeah, I-I am ready to go! L-L-Let’s go!” She suddenly blurted out, catching him off guard. Her face had gone a shade darker and she clapped her hand over her mouth, regret dawning upon her. Doyoung quickly smiled and said, “Great, let’s go then.”

☀️-☀️-☀️

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

You cursed yourself as you walked next to Doyoung. How did you already manage to make a fool of yourself? You’d seen the way his eyes had widened at your sudden, aggressive, uncouth outburst and it wouldn’t be a surprise to you if he thought you were weird. Your face felt hot, like it was burning but there was nothing you could do about it, nothing you could do to soothe the rapid beating of your heart except pray that you wouldn’t mess it up again.

As the two of you walked side by side, you could help but sneak a glance at him every now and then. He was tall, taller than you’d envisioned him to be. In person, there was still that unreachable, untouchable, regal vibe that he had and just by walking next to him, you almost felt as if you weren’t worthy to even be this near him. You could tell his clothes were branded, expensive but heavens, everything about him screamed expensive.

His cologne was also not overwhelming but rather nice. You had been on dates whereby the boys you were out with had put on an obscene amount of cologne that threatened to suffocate you and how you made out of the dates unscathed was always a mystery to you. Doyoung was a nice change.

As the two of you entered the lift, the awkwardness between the two of you became more apparent in the confined space. You played with your fingers as you stood next to him, turning ever so slightly to look at him. Sensing your gaze on him, he turned ever so slightly and a smile tugged at his lips.

You felt your heart flutter as you snapped your head back, face now positively burning. There it was, that charming smile you’d seen so many times on television. Yet somehow…

The fluttery feeling in your heart subsided. Maybe it was just a figment of your imagination but you thought you detected something guarded behind that smile. It was a beautiful one, stunning and heart achingly endearing but even as he did, the smile never did properly reach his eyes. They had held a certain invisible iciness to them that you didn’t quite know what to make off.

You shook the thought out of your mind, you were probably overthinking it out of nerves.

When the two of you stepped out of the hotel, there was a large, sleek black limousine waiting with a chauffeur who tipped his hat good naturedly at you, to which you returned with a slight nod of your own. Doyoung trotted ahead of you, pulling open the limousine door.

“After you?”

You thought your heart might burst. “Thank you,” you said shyly, making your way in.

As the limousine rolled off the curb and towards the restaurant that Doyoung’s company had booked for their dinner date, the ride was quiet save for the low rumbling of the limousine’s engine and the sounds of traffic and nightlife outside. You peered outside the window in wonder and awe at the hustle and bustle of the beach town. Vendors were selling everything from little beach trinkets to treats like coconut ice cream served in a coconut shell and friends and families on vacation were out, clad in sandals and romping around the place, laughing to one another. Lanterns painted with orange suns and blue waves were lit along the streets, lending the place an almost warm, otherworldly glow.

You wished Renjun, Alex and Dana would have come here with you. You knew that Renjun would have loved the musical culture here as the limousine drove past a young busker who was belting out an acoustic, banjo version of Lil Nas X’s ‘Old Town Road’. The numerous traditional sweet shops selling the most delectable sea salt candies and coconut toffees that the beach town was famous for would have thrilled Dana. Alex would have simply adored the street art that almost quite literally lit up the town, with its bold colours and intricate illustrations. You made a mental note to purchase some souvenirs if you could.

“So, your name is y/n?”

At Doyoung’s voice, you turned to him quickly and a feeling of sheepishness came over you. Suddenly, you became aware of just how close you two were seated in the vehicle.

“Yeah, how did you know?” You asked softly and Doyoung gave you a weird look. “My manager mentioned it to me.”

Right, of course.

Perhaps you should have just kept your mouth shut.

“How are you finding Resonance Beach so far?” he probed and it was impossible to not stay silent.

“It’s pretty,” your face lit up with a genuine smile despite your embarrassment, “It’s really picturesque and I’ve never been to a beach town like this. The culture here seems so rich, it’s amazing.”

Doyoung simply nodded in agreement, “It really is. Have you really never been to a beach town?”

“No, I’ve actually never been out of the country.”

“Oh,” a look of surprise flashes in his eyes, “I see… That’s great too. No place better than home, huh?” His shoulders were relaxed now, less stiff than they were before.

“I love where I come from but this place,” you gesture outside, “is beautiful too. I just wish Renjun, Alex and Dana could have been here.”

“...Who?”

“Oh! I’m so sorry, they’re my friends. We work at our town’s book shop together but we’ve all known each other since we were kids.” You beamed at him, not noticing the way he was staring at you. “Actually, I have them to thank for this, you know, being here in the first place?”

Doyoung couldn’t help but probe, “Why’s that?”

“This might sound really complicated but they were the ones who entered my name into that ‘win a…’” you trailed off and he nodded. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Well, yeah. They knew how much I really wanted to meet you - and it’s so crazy saying this since you’re right here next to me - so they got together and bought me an entry.”

He was silent for a moment before he replied, “I see. They sound like great friends.”

You agreed enthusiastically. “They are the best friends I could ever ask for! I love them so much.”

Doyoung wondered briefly when was the last time he’d ever felt that way about any of his friends. Since he had become famous, the texts and calls got less and less frequent until they’d completely disappeared. He missed them desperately but he knew deep down, they were now unsalvageable friendships, torn apart by too much distance. These days, the only friends he got were ones he also shared a working relationship with such as his co-stars in the films and series he’d been a part of.

There was something about you, a certain infectious energy to you that he couldn’t quite pinpoint but it was warm, inviting. While others had aggressively bought entry tickets to the raffle, you had won entirely out of sheer, dumb luck. What were the chances? Doyoung made a mental note to thank god for this gift presented to him. Maybe sitting through the whole date wouldn’t be that bad.

When the limousine finally arrived at the restaurant, you were dumbstruck to find yourself staring up at a magnificent looking place, furnished with the prettiest and most elegant rose vines on its walls and pillars. Outside the restaurant, there was a huge stone fountain that looked as if it was carved out by the gods themselves based on how beautiful it was and accompanied with it, was a sprawling garden full of beautiful tropical flowers and trees.

Soft jazz music floated out onto the veranda as the hostess at the door greeted the two of you with a big smile, ushering the two of you into the place. Inside, the place looked even more upscale with its vintage, late 1940s furniture which despite its old fashioned look, did not look even the least bit drabby rather it gave the place a very sophisticated look.

There was a warm glow provided by the many candles lit on the tables, arranged and furnished with tiny olive wreaths and as someone who’d never had a meal in a place as fancy and expensive as such, you did not feel the least bit intimidated or uncomfortable. If anything, the place felt particularly homely as were the staff who shot you friendly smiles as you passed them. There were other couples, families all dining in the restaurant but there wasn’t a lot of talking, only the same smooth jazz music played by a band on the mini stage to the right of the room.

As the two of you took your seats, you picked up the menu, letting your eyes sweep over the words.

“Have you decided what you would like to order?” Doyoung asked and you looked up at him, only to get a smattering of butterflies in your stomach, so intense you almost gasped.

From the dim lighting to the soft, orangey glow of the candle between the two of you, his eyes looked like they held the fiery flames themself, the ember burning brightly in those dark depths. The shadow casted highlighted his sharp features, from his defined jawline to his cheekbones, forming a beautiful chiaroscuro on his face. You could feel your heart doing flips beneath your chest and somehow, it started getting harder to articulate actual words so you just sat there, staring at him mutely.

“Y/n?” He frowned.

“I-I… Um, I…”

“Are you okay?” His expression morphed into one of concern and before you could stop yourself, you blurted out, “How do you look that good so effortlessly?”

He blinked. “I’m sorry?”

“I… I’m sorry, I don’t know where that came from. I-I just… You look even better in real life.” You mumbled under your breath, your face flaming at this point.

Stop talking, stop talking, stop talking. If there was an award for cringiest fan ever, you’d win hands down.

☀️-☀️-☀️

Doyoung tried not to let the smile he had on his face slip at your comment. He gripped tighter onto his menu, trying not to brood on the sense of disappointment that poked at him deep down.

Did you only like him for his appearance? Like everyone else?

“Maybe it’s just a genuine compliment,” a voice spoke softly at the back of his head but the dread that filled his heart made it difficult to put on a more natural smile than he was normally great at plastering on.

“Thank you,” he replied simply, wincing at the slight edge of his voice. Too much?

You inched back into your seat, looking deflated and a part of him wished he hadn’t been so cold or curt. The little pout as you stuck out your lower lip made you look even more adorable than you did before and he almost wanted to reach across to hold your hand but he held back.

That wouldn’t be professional behaviour.

“I don’t know what I’m going to get,” you said quietly, furrowing your brows as you chewed on your lower lip, assessing the menu. Doyoung tried not to let his gaze drift downwards.

“Really? I’ve seen stellar reviews for this place, we’re pretty spoiled for choice,” he flashed a grin, the ones he’d usually save for the cameras as he leaned in. He didn’t seem to notice the hitch in your breath as he did as he studied the menu with you.

“French bouillabaisse with a crispy baguette… What do you think?” He asked and you simply nodded dumbly, a blank look in your eyes. It occurred to him how close he’d leaned in as he found himself looking into your eyes and close enough to take a whiff of your perfume.

Jasmine. Subtle, gentle and sweet.

For a moment, he was stunned until a clatter of a fork nearby brought him back to reality and immediately, he withdrew, feeling embarrassed. As he did, it was as if a bubble had burst and you jolted slightly before looking up at him, eyes wide.

You opened your mouth to speak but before you could, a waiter appeared before your table, smiling warmly. “Good evening, my name is Jisung and I will be your server tonight. Are you guys ready to order?”

“Well, um, thank you” Doyoung cleared his throat which had suddenly seemed to close up on him. “I will have the uh, rock shrimp ravioli with truffle pasta and sautéed wild mushrooms.”

“Alright,” Jisung jotted down the order merrily before turning to you, “And for the lady?”

You stared at him like a deer in headlights. “I… I, um… I’ll just have the French bou… boey…”

“Bouillabaisse?” Jisung prompted, a serene smile still on his face.

“Y-Yeah…” you struggled to find the right words to say before mumbling, “... Sorry.”

“Can I get the two of you anything to drink?”

“We could try a Sauvignon Blanc-” Doyoung began about the same time as you said, “I think I’ll just have tap-”

The two of you looked at each other, unsure of what to say and uncomfortable at the awful timing. Thankfully, Jisung seemed to have been less than perturbed by the highly awkward exchange in front of him.

“Sorry miss, I’m afraid we don’t serve tap water here. We have only oxygenated water or sparkling. Would you like that? Or would you like to go ahead and order a Sauvignon Blanc, sir?”

Doyoung let his eyes linger at you for a moment before he turned to Jisung.

“I think we’ll just both have oxygenated water, thank you.”

“Coming right up.” With that, the two of you are left alone once again.

☀️-☀️-☀️

For a hot minute, neither of you attempted to make conversation as an unsettling silence befell the table. You were staring intently at the cutlery and plates before you, too scared to look up for fear of making yet another blunder or seeing the look on Doyoung’s face which would no doubt be one of disgust or worse, sympathy.

What were you thinking in the first place with tap water?

“So, do you have any favourite foods?” He asked suddenly and you looked up sharply to see him looking at you with interest, his hands interlaced in front of him. Clearly, the silence had probably been too much for him and deep down, you were relieved that he’d started talking first because you probably never would have the courage to.

“Hm, I do like a lot of foods,” you started, “But I love cucumber sandwiches and chocolate cake.”

He quirked an eyebrow questioningly, “Cucumber sandwiches huh?”

“Yeah, have you ever had them?”

He smiled tightly, “Ah, I don’t really like cucumbers. I do like pickles though.”

“Oh, why’s that?” Your eyes widened as you moved in closer.

It was one thing to not like cucumbers but to hate them while liking pickles? Your interest was piqued.

Doyoung’s eyes followed your movement and his shoulders stiffened as he replied, “U-Um, I don’t know honestly. I just like them? The sourness, the tanginess and the crunch is what makes it really enjoyable to me.”

You nodded thoughtfully and for a moment, the two of you sat again in awkward silence, neither of you knowing what to say exactly.

You could feel your heart racing as you toyed with your finger and as you took the chance to look around you, you couldn’t help but feel extremely out of place.

Everyone here looked as if they belonged, with their posh appearances and dignified ways unlike you. The clothes they wore looked like they’d cost an entire year of your salary from your part time job at the bookstore, with its expensive cutting and luxurious feel. The way they picked up their knife and fork felt like you were a peasant eating in a room full of royals. Even the way they talked made you feel uncomfortably distinguished from them and not in a good way.

Chewing on your bottom lip, you stared at your hands on your lap. Was it a mistake to come here after all?

☀️-☀️-☀️

She’s uncomfortable.

Doyoung thought as he watched you fidget ever so slightly. He could see your eyes darting around the restaurant as you seemed to shrink deeper into your seat, your shoulders caving in. In a way, your demeanor reminded him of a terrified kitten. Even after the food had arrived, the conversation between the two of you was mostly small talk with a heavy air of awkwardness. You’d picked at your food, not out of pickiness but rather out of genuine wonderment. With each bite you took, you would chew slowly, frowning slightly but that frown would always disappear whenever the two of you made eye contact.

“How’s the food?” He asked as he sipped at his water.

You looked up as if surprised, knife and fork in hand, tearing apart the squid on your plate. You shot him a smile that seemed slightly forced.

“I-It’s delicious.”

Doyoung didn’t know why but seeing you like this confused him, a sense of guilt and mild annoyance at himself tugging at his heart.

Did he make a mistake choosing such an upscale restaurant like this one? Whenever he brought his dates to places like these, they all seemed to love it so why didn’t you?

“Let’s go somewhere else.” He blurted out and you looked at him with wide eyes. “What?”

As he took another sip of his wine, he looked over to the entrance of the restaurant where he could see a small crowd of paparazzi gathered outside, no doubt waiting for the two of you to get out. He grimaced before he caught sight of a back door at the back of the restaurant.

Perfect.

Signalling for the waiter, he hurriedly paid for the check before he gestured for you to get up.

“We’re leaving.”

“Wait, what? B-But why?”

“It’s clear neither of us really like it here, so there’s no point staying, is it? We’re going somewhere else, somewhere better.”

“Where?”

“Anywhere. Except here.”

Maybe he’d imagined it but when he saw the brief look of relief that flashed in your eyes, he couldn’t help but feel a sort of lightness in his heart and a smile began to form on his lips.

But then when he reached out to hold your hand, Doyoung felt a jolt of electricity run through his body. Then there was warmth, a sort of gentle, encompassing warmth that made his heart leap and as he saw the beam on your face, he could feel his face heating up.

“Right, um, let’s go.”

When the two of you made it through the back door and away from the prying paparazzi, he realised he hadn’t felt this carefree and reckless in a long time.

☀️-☀️-☀️

The slight breeze in the air was tinged with just a touch of the scent of the salty seawater by the shore, a welcome from the stuffiness of the restaurant from earlier. Taking a deep breath, the both of you could hardly believe the sight that the two of you were greeted with.

The back door had opened to a glorious, secluded view of the night ocean, with the dark waters crashing gently in waves while the full moon and several sparkling stars hung in the navy sky. This was the quiet part of the beach that no one would have thought twice about in the morning but utterly transformed into a sort of breathtaking secret spot by the night.

Resonance beach was a sight to behold, yes but this was a different type of beauty it now possessed. In most stock photographs or pictures from travel pamphlets, the tourist destination was depicted as a sunny beach teeming with tourists, full of colour and summer fun. However, this was different.

In the moonlight, the golden sand seemed almost luminescent like individual grains of shiny, white gold. The sounds of the ocean waves gently crashing against the shore also gave a sort of calming aura to it and there was that strange feeling of being transported to another world entirely for this view and this vibe was so completely different to the glitz and glamour of the restaurant they had just escaped or the liveliness of a tourist destination.

It felt like walking into a universe with just the two of you through a magical backdoor. And the only reasonable thought that simultaneously crossed both of your minds was to run right towards it.

It felt like a sort of syncing of minds, an unspoken shared thought as you ran with Doyoung, his hand holding onto yours. Looking up, you could see that Doyoung was staring at something behind the two of you, his lips breaking into a wide grin that brought a certain lightness to his features. You turned back to see what he was looking at.You could see the paparazzi bursting through the backdoor, their expressions a mix of confusion and frustration as their eyes searched the area for the two of you, too preoccupied to even begin appreciating the beauty of the night view.

You felt a laugh begin to bubble up in your chest. There was something so lawless and liberating about this and as you did, you could sense Doyoung’s eyes on you. You shifted your gaze to meet his and it was like time stood still as the two of you locked eyes. For a moment, it felt like just the two of you existed in this world, running together endlessly but never feeling tired towards something that had something greater in store for the both of you.

☀️-☀️-☀️

It wasn’t long before the two of you finally settled at a distant, secluded part of the beach. Here, it was quiet and serene, a perfect hideout far from prying eyes.

As the two of you tried to catch your breaths, Doyoung noticed that his shirt had become rumpled and wrinkled in the run and one of the buttons of his shirt had even dropped off in the process. A thin sheen of sweat covered his temple and brusquely, he ran a hand through his hair which was no longer as kempt as it was.

God, that felt great. But what about y/n? Is she alright?

Doyoung turned to you, with the question at the tip of his tongue but when his sights landed on you, it felt as if the wind had been knocked right out of him.

Under the silvery lighting, you seemed almost ethereal. The dress you were wearing was pressed against your frame as it flapped around your ankles in the night breeze, the blue almost glowing in the dimness. Your hair had come undone as well and the loose strands were framing your face in a way that only made you seem more enchanting than before. Your eyes reflected the starry night sky, sparkling with such brightness that Doyoung felt a tightening feeling in his chest.

“Doyoung?”

He blinked as he suddenly became aware of the sound of your voice calling out to him. Swallowing, he tried to ignore the manic pounding in his chest as he smiled shakily at you, trying to stay composed.

“You okay?”

You smiled and he felt his heart skip a beat, “Yeah, I just… I just need to catch some air.”

Once the two of you had come down from your runners’ high with a bottle of water each from a nearby vendor, the two of you settled on the shore near the water, both pairs of shoes placed a distance away as the both of you dipped your toes into the cold seawater.

“So why did you do this?” You asked while the two of you stared out into the ocean horizon.

“Do what?”

“This,” you gestured vaguely, “whole ‘win a date’ thing.”

Doyoung chuckled, feeling amused at your question yet strangely relieved, “I don’t seem like the type to do this?”

“Well… Yes,” you said but quickly added, a flustered look on your face, “It’s not a bad thing! It just… it doesn’t seem like your style to do stuff like that. I mean, I know you appreciate your fans but-”

He held up a hand, holding back a laugh. “Don’t worry, I get it.”

“You do?” You tilted your head, looking at him quizzically.

How cute.

“Yeah. My manager had to for-” he stopped himself, casting you a guilty look which you didn’t notice, “My manager signed me up for this before I even got the chance to know the details of this whole thing.”

“Why’s that?”

Doyoung hesitated for a second before the words came tumbling out of his mouth, “The company isn’t doing so well.”

He knew he wasn’t supposed to divulge this information but for some reasons, he felt comfortable enough that it just came out before he even knew it.

“Isn’t doing so well? What do you mean?” You asked, alarmed.

Doyoung stared out wistfully at the ocean, shaking his head. “The company’s doing poorly financially, which is why we had to do this. They needed to push me into the spotlight to keep the place afloat. They needed me to get… profits.” He spat out the last word like it left a disgusting taste in his mouth.

“I… I didn’t know.”

“It’s fine,” he said softly, “I didn’t expect you to. I’ve never really told anyone about it.”

“You’re more than just… profits,” you whispered and he smiled sadly. “I like to think that too. I know they try really hard and they have good intentions at heart but… but when they pull things like this on me, I can’t help but feel so… small. I’m grateful to them, they’ve made me into the person I am today but I can’t help but feel like I’m more object than I am human in their eyes… To everyone.”

There was a moment of silence before you said, “You’re not who you think you are. You are so much more than money, you’re not an object.”

Doyoung turned to you, eyes unreadable. “What am I then to you?”

You locked eyes with him, ignoring the knotting feeling in your stomach. You always were a nervous wreck in front of people, especially Kim Doyoung of all people but you knew you needed to say this.

“You are the most stunning…”

The faint smile on Doyoung’s face wavered ever so slightly, a tinge of disappointment stabbing at his heart.

It seemed as if he was nothing if not for his looks.

“You are the most stunningly talented person I’ve ever had the privilege of meeting. I know you may not believe it but I hope you know that fans like myself have always found you to be so much more than just Doyoung. Please don’t refer to yourself as… as just profits because that is not what you are. You are so unbelievably good at what you do and your fans have never once thought otherwise. We love you for you, for your personality and for your artistry.”

Doyoung stared at you, seemingly blank and at a loss of words when you leaned forward, locking eyes with him and your hands gingerly covering his own as the seawater lapped gently between your toes.

“You may not know it but your work has brought so much joy to the community. Your work isn’t simply work, it’s art. It’s meaningful, impactful. I hope I… I hope I don’t sound dramatic or over the top but… you are so, so much more than just an actor or an artist. You are you, Doyoung and that alone is what matters to all of us.”

For a moment, he didn’t reply. Under the moonlight, it was a little difficult to read his expression. The chiaroscuro reflected against his features shaded much of his face, only outlining the sharpness of certain features. Quickly, you felt yourself begin to clam up. You tore your gaze away from him, wishing the sand would just swallow you up whole.

“I… I’m sorry that was s-so cheesy, I-”

“No. Don’t apologise.”

You snapped your head up to look at him and felt your breath hitch. He’d moved out of the shadow and you could see now that there was such emotion in his eyes that you could feel your heart begin to clench. You’d seen this in countless of his dramas but none so raw like such. It felt almost… intimate. You couldn’t help but stare into them, transfixed and feeling the strong emotions bubble up within you as well.

Was that relief you saw in his eyes?

“Y/n, I-”

“There you are! You little rascal!”

The two of you turned, shocked. Taeil stood before the two of you, arms akimbo as he glared at Doyoung who scowled.

“How the hell did you find me?”

“I have my ways. I can’t believe you just ran away like that!”

“Well, I did so you best believe it.”

“Don’t get smart with me, mister.” At that moment, Taeil seemed to notice your presence, a look of surprise registering on his face before he covered it up with a warm smile. “Miss y/n?”

You nodded shyly, not noticing the look of irritation on Doyoung’s face.

“Nice to meet you! I’m Moon Taeil, Doyoung’s manager. Well, it’s pretty late. Why don’t Doyoung and I give you a lift back to your hotel?”

☀️-☀️-☀️

The drive home was awkward to say the least and as the two of you sat side by side in the car, you wondered what Doyoung was about to say before he’d been interrupted by his manager. You watched as the beach town zoomed by you, a flurry of lights and people. It was difficult to strike up a conversation with Taeil talking throughout the drive and you couldn’t help but sneak a glance at Doyoung.

Turning slightly, you could see that he was looking out the window, his face an expression of serenity and grace. As if he could sense your gaze on him, Doyoung turned and you quickly looked away, your face burning up.

As the car sidled up in front of the hotel entrance, you were preparing to leave when Taeil hurriedly stepped out of the car.

“Bathroom!” He screeched at the perturbed doorman who he’d almost ran into.

As you prepared to leave, you felt Doyoung’s hand clasp around your wrist. Surprised, you looked up at him, puzzled yet not daring to move in front of your favourite actor.

Doyoung was silent for a moment before he said, “I… I’ll see you.”

For some reason, you couldn’t help but feel a sense of disappointment. You smiled warmly, “I really hope we can meet again, Doyoung. Thank you for the wonderful evening.”

He nodded tightly, letting you go and just before you left - maybe you were just imagining things - you thought you detected a hint of reluctance in his eyes.

☀️-☀️-☀️

“What a waste!”

Alex’s shriek was so piercing that the rest of you had to cover your ears. Frowning, you rubbed at them.

“Please don’t scream, it’s hurting our eardrums.”

“How could I not?! You guys clearly had something going on. If it wasn’t for his manager cutting in, who knows how far the two of you would have gone! What a waste!”

“Don’t blow this out of proportion, it was a one time date. I doubt he even remembers me.”

Meeting Doyoung was an experience of a lifetime and though upset that it ended, you were also glad that it happened in the first place. At the end of the day, it was a date and nothing else as much as you wanted more. It had been about two weeks since the date and ever since coming back, it was safe to say that nothing much had changed. Perhaps, the only thing that really changed was Alex’s habit of screaming ‘what a waste’ whenever Doyoung appeared on television in the store’s breakroom. You really wish she’d stop doing that.

“You know, I agree with Alex. It’s definitely poor timing.” Renjun quipped before Alex interjected, “It’s not poor timing, it’s absolutely HORRIBLE timing. Jesus!”

“Look guys, I’d rather just enjoy the experience. There’s no point thinking what could have been and what couldn’t have. It was a great experience and I had fun, that’s really it,” you smiled, rolling your eyes. “This isn’t a kdrama.”

“Y/n’s right. Y’all drama queens gotta tone it down a notch,” Dana said.

“Ugh, you guys are no fun. I would have dove at the chance,” Alex sighed, slumping against her chair which elicited a giggle from you.

“Why are you more piffed than I am? That doesn’t make sense.”

“It’s because you lost a chance that was just right under your nose!”

Just then, the faint tinkling sound from the entrance of the bookstore signalled the arrival of yet another customer. “I’ll get that,” Renjun said, leaving the three of you.

“How much do you guys want to bet that it’s Mrs Conwell down the street again with her weekly erotica dose?” Alex asked, a look of mischief on her face.

Just then, Renjun appeared, looking properly flustered with an excitable look on his face, like he could barely contain his glee. His chest was heaving like he’d ran a marathon and the words that came out of his mouth were jumbled.

“I-I-! You... guys… You…. Y/n!”

You looked at him, eyes wide. “What happened, Renjun?”

“You’re… You’re needed outside.”

“Me?” You thought, confused. Why on earth-

You dropped the book that you had been scanning, your eyes as wide as saucers and your jaw almost touching the ground. How? Why? What?

Doyoung stood before you, clad in a striped blue and white dress shirt and jeans, seemingly looking around the store in wonderment. The sight of him triggered memories of the date though the actual reality of him being in the store was enough to almost knock you off your feet. It felt almost surreal to see him again and you almost had to pinch yourself.

At the sound of the book clattering to the ground, he turned, smiling once he’d found you.

“Y/n!”

“H-How did you- I… What?”

At your reaction, Doyoung shifted awkwardly at his feet as he scratched the back of his neck. “Sorry, is this too sudden?”

“Um… Yes?!” You blurted out, covering your mouth in mortification as he chuckled, “I figured so, I hope you don’t mind though?” You shook your head vigorously, feeling your legs beginning to turn to jelly at the surrealness of the whole situation. Here he was again, Kim Doyoung, standing before you except this time, it wasn’t a date you’d won or anything.

He had come out of his own accord.

Behind you, a shrill scream followed and you didn’t even have to turn to know who it was.

“Oh my god!” Alex screamed, her voice a mix of excitement and nervousness at the sight of the actor in the tiny store and even Dana couldn’t stop gaping.

“Why are you here?” You asked Doyoung. There were so many questions flying around in your mind and you couldn’t think of which to even ask first.

“After that night we spent at resonance beach, there was something that had been lingering on my mind. Something I’d wanted to ask. Remember that moment right before Taeil jumped in?”

You could feel in your gut that something great was stirring but you whispered, “Yeah?”

“I was wondering… If I could ask you on another date. Just the two of us, no managers, no paparazzi this time. What do you say?”

“Of course, she’ll go!” Alex cried before you could even answer and the both of you chuckled, leaning into each other as you did.

“Well, your friend has certainly spoken. But what do you think?”

You looked up at Doyoung, eyes sparkling.

“Yes. Yes, I’ll go on a date with you, Kim Doyoung.”

You eyed his figure and licked your lips, you had to be brave with this one, he was damn near perfect.  He set his shirt down next to his other stuff, attached the ankle cuff of the surfboard to his ankle, and then grabbed his board.  He walked out towards the ocean, out into the water.  You knew this was your chance, you stood up from the towel and stretched before walking down towards the waterline.  He was paddling out into the ocean, and you busied yourself with looking at shells trying to look like you weren’t just waiting for him.  He sat up on his board, waiting for a good wave to come in.  You picked up some shells and made sure there were no live animals in them.  You picked one up that was still alive and threw it out into the ocean so it wouldn’t dry out.  You looked up to see him paddling forward to get moving with the wave, he placed his hands under his chest and moved to stand up on the board.  His face set in determination, and his hair blew in the wind.  He looked almost ethereal.  The moment his feet touched the board you noticed his awkward stance, almost like he didn’t know how to stand on a board properly.  Then he suddenly was thrown off the board, his feet flying up in the air, and his arms flailing.  The surfboard popping up into the air before smacking back down in the water.  A snort left your lips, he wasn’t good at this.  He popped up above the water, and pushed his bangs back, a big smile across his face.  He hopped back up on the board and paddled back out to try again.  He sat on the board again, pushing his hair out of his face as he waited for a wave.  You continued to pick up some shells, venturing a bit out into the water, letting the waves hit against your legs.  Your eyes drifted back out to the man on the surfboard, he laid on the board and started paddling forward again, he pushed himself up onto his feet.  His posture was much better this time, so you figured he must have just been rusty the first time.  He rode the wave for a few moments before his arms started flailing and he fell off the board again.  The board flying out from under his feet as he landed hard in the water.  You couldn’t help but laugh to yourself.  His head popped up above the water, his wet bangs sticking to his face, but he looked annoyed this time.  He started swimming into the shore, stood up, grabbed his board, and walked the rest of the way in.

He walked up towards you, and you figured this was your time, although you couldn’t compliment his surfing like you had originally planned to do.  You noticed a strand of seaweed stuck in his hair, as he was about to pass you, “Hey, stop one moment.”

He turned to you with his eyebrow raised.  “Yes?”

“Oh you just have seaweed stuck in your hair” 

His eyes widened and he laughed.

“Let me get it for you.”

He leaned closer to let you get the seaweed from his hair, a smile spreading across your face as you held it up to show him.  He smiled and laughed, “Thanks.”

He seemed to take a moment then extended his hand out to you, “I’m Hendery, and you are?”

You shook his hand stating your name, “Nice to meet you Hendery.”

He scratched the back of his neck, “I’m guessing you saw my shitty attempt of surfing right?”

“Well, I am not gonna deny that I did but it was kind of cute.”

He smiled and laughed.  “Well since I am a failure of a surfer, I am gonna head out and get something to eat.” 

He thought for a moment, “Care to join me?   There is a beach cafe just down the way.”

You smiled at him, “I would love to.”

As you were about to step out of the water Hendery screeched and jumped towards you.  You reached out to grab his arm.  He looked at you with wide eyes, “Something touched my leg.”

You looked down to see a bundle of seaweed behind him and broke out laughing.  “Seaweed really likes you doesn’t it.”

His shoulders relaxed and he sighed, “Of course it is.  God, I am making such a fool of myself today.”

You pulled your hand back from his arm when you realized you were still touching him.  

He pushed his wet hair back from his eyes, then scratched his neck nervously again as he smiled at you. 

You cleared your throat and he held onto his board tighter.  “Let me go put my board up then we can walk there.  It’s not very far.”

“Sounds good”

You walked up to gather your stuff, putting it all in the bag you brought, as he walked to grab his things and put his shirt back on.  After he was done he walked over to you and smiled.  

“I need to go up here and put my board up, wait here one moment.”

You nodded to him, “I can follow you if you want.”

He laughed, “You are welcome to, but since we just met I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable or anything.”

You thought for a moment, he was right, you did just meet and he could be a serial killer or something. 

“Ahh okay, I’ll wait here.”

He smiled and walked off towards your resort and you raised your eyebrow.  Was he staying there?  You would have to ask him when he came back.

A few minutes later he came back and apologized, “I’m sorry, that took longer than I meant for it to.”

“No worries, so are you staying there?”

He raised his eyebrow then opened his mouth in realization, “Ah no, I work there.”

You two started to walk and he offered to carry your beach bag that had your blanket, which you happily passed to him.

“That’s cool, where do you work at?”

“The rental shop for the beach equipment, all the way from chairs to surfboards.  Are you staying there?”

You nodded, “Yeah, that’s why I was shocked when I saw you walking over there.”

He laughed, “What a small world.”

“You know for a guy who rents out surfboards, you really suck at riding them.”

“I would be offended but you are right.”

You two continued to exchange small talk as you walked to the cafe, and then as you ate.  The two of you hit it off immediately. 

He paid for your meal, even though you fought to pay for it.  When you were done eating and left the cafe the two of you walked slowly back to the hotel and then lingered outside for a moment,

“Can I have your phone Hendery?  I wanna put my number in.”

He nodded and handed you his phone, you typed your number in.  He scratched his neck, “What are you doing tonight?”

Scratching his neck seemed to be a nervous habit for him, and it was cute.

“I was going to go to a club, but if you would like to do something I would enjoy that.”

“We could go to the club together.”

“I would love that.  I will see you tonight.  Text me and we can figure out which club and when.”

He texted you shortly after and you discussed your plans to meet.  He was going to pick you and walk to a club nearby.

You showered and got dressed up, opting to wear a cute mini skirt. You would usually never wear something like that when clubbing but you were going with a guy so you weren’t as worried and Hendery genuinely seemed kind.

You were waiting in the lobby for Hendery when he walked in and saw you.  He was dressed in tight pants and a tight shirt, you had seen him shirtless but somehow he looked even hotter like this.  His hair was styled and not wet on his face.

“Wow, you clean up nice Hendery, although I do miss the seaweed.  I think it added a nice touch.”

He laughed and rolled his eyes “And you look beautiful.”

You two chatted as you walked to the local club, the area you were in was mainly a tourist area so clubs were not hard to find.  

The two of you went inside and got drinks, and you stood at the bar.

“So Hendery, do you work here every summer?”

“Ahh yeah, I actually live and work here year-round.  In the off-season, in the fall and winter, I take classes at the local community college and then work all summer.”

“So you have no excuse for being so bad at surfing?”

He laughed, “Won’t let me live that down will you?”

You giggled, “Nope.”

You both finished those drinks and another round as you continued to talk.

“Care to dance?”  He held his hand out to you.

You nodded and took his hand, he led you out to the dance floor.  You danced in front of each other, swaying your hips and moving around to beat.  He kept his distance and his hands off of you, being completely respectful of you.  You moved closer to him, “You know you can touch me right?”

“I didn’t want to overstep my boundaries.”

He moved his hands to your waist and you started to move together.  You wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him closer.  Your bodies pressed against each other as you danced together.  The way he looked at you had your stomach twisting, his gaze was one of lust and admiration at the same time and it drove you wild.  

You two danced for a bit, got more to drink, then danced some more.  It was a lot of fun and Hendery was careful not to overstep his boundaries all night, which was nice, but in all honesty, you wanted more.  The little tastes he kept giving you were enough to drive you crazy.

You pulled yourself closer to him as you danced, leaning to his ear, “So uhm Hendery.  I am getting a little tired of dancing, do you want to head back?”

His grip around your waist tightened, “A little eager there aren’t we.”

Your face heated up and you finally moved to make eye contact with him.  He licked his bottom lip and looked as if he was weighing his options. 

“Okay let’s go.”

He held your hand as you walked out of the club together.  The moment you were outside he pushed you against the wall and connected his lips to yours.

You whimpered into the kiss and he moved away.

You breathlessly chuckled, “A little eager there aren’t we?”

He scoffed and pulled you to him.

“Let’s go.”

You two walked back to the hotel room giggling nearly the entire way.  You led him up to your room and right before you opened it he stopped you.  He put his hand over your head and looked at you, “Are you sure you want this?”

You nodded.

“I need verbal consent, I don’t want you to regret this.”

“Yes, please, I want this.”

He backed up and let you open the door.  As soon as he closed the door behind him he grabbed you and pushed you up against it, kissing you.  Your hands flew to grab onto his hair and you pulled on his hair making him groan into this kiss.

You lightly bit on his bottom lip and he thrust his hips forward against you and groaned again.  He pulled away from the kiss, leaving you breathless as he kissed your cheek and then down your neck.  He continued to kiss and mark your neck as one of his hands stayed planted on your waist and the other moved down your body to your thigh and then back up.  He grabbed your breast and squeezed it.  He then moved the hand at your waist down to your thigh and inwards.  You sucked in a deep breath as he moved your skirt up to your waist and his finger gently pressed against your clothed clit.

He moved his lips from your neck and back up to kiss you again.  He pushed your panties to the side and moved his finger up and down your slit.

“So wet baby.”

He pushed a finger inside of you, and you arched your back up off the door, a loud moan leaving your lips.

“Sensitive too.”

You tugged his hair again and he started to curl his fingers inside of you.

“Please, just fuck me Hendery.”

“No, I want you to cum on my fingers once first.”

You wrapped your arms around his neck for support and he pushed himself up close against you as he curled his fingers inside of you.

You leaned your forehead against his shoulder and he moved his fingers faster trying to get you to cum.

“Come on baby, you can do it.” You dug your nails into his back and he tightened his arm around your waist as your legs started to shake.

You cried out as you came around his fingers, and he worked you through your orgasm.  The pleasure made your legs go numb so he held your body up.

Your head was lulled forward onto his chest and you were breathing heavy.

“Did it feel good?”

“Amazing.”

He pulled his fingers out of you, held them up to his mouth, and licked them clean.  “Come on.  Let’s move to the bed.”

He pulled his shoes off and helped you take yours off.

You walked over to the bed together and he sat down first, then pulled you down onto his lap.  You straddled him and he held onto your hips. 

You rolled your hips, grinding against him causing both of you to moan in unison.  He connected his lips with yours as you continued to roll your hips down on him, both of you still fully clothed.  He slid his hands up your waist and up under your top, you raised your arms up and he pushed the top up over your head.  He kissed the top of your breast as he reached behind you to unhook your bra. 

The moment your bra fell loose he groaned, “So beautiful.”

He kissed your nipple and his tongue traced it.

You dug your fingers into his hair and moaned as he sucked on your nipple.  He pulled away with a pop and you stood off of him.

You crouched down in front of him and he leaned back, giving you room between his legs.  You undid his belt and unzipped his pants, his hard dick poking up against his underwear and out the opening of his jeans.  You gripped his dick through his boxers and he threw his head back and groaned.  

He lifted himself up as you pulled his boxers and pants down, his dick springing free.  You stroked it and then licked from the base up to the tip.

You licked the bead of precum that dripped from the tip then sucked hard on the tip making his thighs shake.

You stroked the base as you sucked on the tip and then took him deeper, you repeated this action several times.  You pulled away and he grabbed your chin, “Enough.  Come up here baby.”

You stood up and he guided you down to sit and then rolled over on top of you.  He grabbed your skirt and underwear and pulled them down your body, leaving you completely nude.  He still had his shirt on but was nude from the waist down.  You grabbed at his shirt, “Take this off please.”

He pulled his shirt over his head and leaned down and kissed you.

You wrapped your legs around his waist and he stopped you, “Let me get a condom.”

He stood up and grabbed his pants, grabbing a condom from one of the pockets.  He opened the packet and rolled the rubber down his dick, he threw his pants and the condom wrapper back down onto the floor.  He moved back on top of you and you wrapped your legs around his waist again.  He propped himself up with one arm and he used the other to guide his dick up and down against your clit.  You arched your hips up, begging him to slide inside of you.  

“Please just fuck me already Hendery.  I need to feel you.”

He pushed himself inside of you and you whimpered at the feeling.  He continued to slowly push inside until he was all the way in, then he pulled out and thrust back in.  Your body moving with each thrust forward. You dug your nails into his back and tightened your legs around his waist.  His head fell forward onto your shoulder and he grunted and moaned softly.  “Fuck feels so good.”

“Faster Hendery.”

He propped himself back up again and started to thrust faster.  Your hands dug into the sheets and your back arched up, pushing your breasts against his chest.  He leaned back and held onto your thighs, his hands dug into the soft flesh.  His bangs moved with each thrust of his hips, having fallen down into his face.  

“Cum for me again baby.  You can do it.”

He started to move his hips faster trying to push an orgasm out of you again.  Your legs started to shake in his hold as your neared your high.  You tightened around him as you came.

Hendery groaned and pulled out after you came down from your high.

“On your hands and knees.”

He helped flip you over so you could easily move onto your hands and knees.  He moved up behind you and ran his hands over your ass and then down to hold onto your hips.  He slid back inside you and wasted no time thrusting in and out at a fast pace.  You had to grip the sheets tightly to not fall forward.  The bed hit against the wall and you knew if you had anybody in the room next door they would be awake and probably complaining to the lobby, so you hoped nobody was over there.

He slowed his pace, and grabbed your shoulder with one of his hands, leaning over you more.  You felt a soft kiss to your shoulder blade before he thrust into you hard making your upper body fall forward onto the bed.  Your face pressed into the sheets as he started to thrust into you faster, trying to push you to your high one more time and finally reach his.  Your hands dug into the sheets and your face twisted in pleasure, you bit onto the sheets trying to suppress your moans even just a bit.  You couldn’t see him but you could hear his low moans and groans from behind you.  His hips hit against your ass when he occasionally thrust extra deep, the pleasure was almost overwhelming.  His hands dug into your hips harder, “Cum with me please.”

You whimpered out,  “I don’t know if I can again.”

“Be a good girl, you can do it.”

He moved a hand around to rub your clit and you closed your legs as much as you could.  “Ahh, it’s too much Hendery.”

Tears filled your eyes from the overwhelming pleasure that coursed through your body.  He groaned and his thrusts got erratic as he tried to get you both to finish.

Your legs shook and your whole body gave out as you came, a moan so loud it was nearly a scream left your lips, and your whole body shook.  He groaned loudly and filled the condom with cum.  

He slumped forward and then pulled out.  You rolled over and finally got to appreciate the way he looked.  His hair was sweaty and stuck to his forehead, a bead of sweat ran from his forehead down his cheek and down his neck.  You pushed his bangs out of his face and he leaned down and kissed you again before moving to remove the condom.

You both got cleaned up and you told him he could stay the night, and he happily accepted.  

“Hendery, you know what.  You fuck better than you surf.”

He laughed and rolled his eyes at you.

“Gonna give me shit about that even after all of that?”

He wrapped his arms around you and pulled you to him, holding you close.  You fell asleep in his arms.

The next day you woke up and stretched out, nobody was there.  You opened your eyes and looked around, everything of his was gone.

Yeah, you wanted a quick hook up, but you thought the two of you had a real connection and he really just left without even saying bye.

You groaned and rolled over in bed, burying your head in the pillows, annoyed at the situation now.

The smell of food filled your nose and you looked around.  There was a bag sitting on the table as well as a drink.  You went and grabbed it, there was a note beside it. 

“Hi, 

I am so sorry for leaving without saying ‘bye’, I had to go back home to get ready for work.  I bought breakfast on the way back here and decided to get you some and drop it off here.  I had taken a keycard to get back in, but I put it back here to not overstep my boundaries.  I would love to see you again.

Hendery.”

Your keycard for your room was under the note and the food smelled amazing.  You ate, showered, and got dressed then headed downstairs.  He was sitting behind the rental counter and you stood back watching him work a bit, and deciding what to say to him.

You walked up to the counter and he smiled at you and pushed his hair off his forehead.

“Hi.”

You smiled back, “Hi there.  I was wondering if you offer surfboard lessons?”

“We do but I don’t offer them.”

“Hmm, oh well.  Maybe I can get your time someway else.  Maybe we could go get Sushi, I know you like seaweed.”

“I booked you a room at the resort your parents would take us to as kids. It’ll be a good getaway for you.” she starts “You really need to get out of the house.”

“I’m sorry, what? You did what?” you sit up to emphasize your point “You didn’t have to do that, I’m really fine!” a total lie.

“It’s done. You leave next week.” she stated giving you no way to back out of it.

“What do I need to pack then?” you sigh

“You know what to pack, we’ve gone there since we were like five.” she giggles

“I know I know but like, I don’t want to pack. Can’t you do it for me?”

“You trust me to do that? You know I’ll just pack you sexy outfits to get guys’ attention.”

You immediately spring out of bed, “I’ll do it thanks!” causing her to giggle again.

You got an Uber to the airport despite second-guessing yourself for going. You trudge your way through and the airport through security. You feel like you’re going to regret ever going on this vacation your friend forced you on. You know she just wants the best for you but you feel like shit still and you don’t want to go out anywhere. Yet here you are. You want so badly to just run back home to your bed, hide away from the world again. Away from more possible heartbreak, swallowing any regrets you may have you sit in your terminal waiting for your flight to begin boarding.

Scrolling through Instagram as you’ve been avoiding for the past two months you finally see it. There he is in all his... horror? Glory? Whatever it is, there he is. Xiao Dejun, your absolutely gorgeous ex-boyfriend with the girl he was cheating on you with for two years. They look so happy, so in love with each other, as if you were never in the picture at all. How could she be so okay with him after finding out that she was the side piece for so long? Scrolling past you felt a weight in your stomach that had been there when it had first happened. Now it’s back again but you couldn’t let it get to you more than it already was. You were going on vacation to forget about him, about the whole situation.

It took every fiber of your being not to text Dejun and beg him to come back to you even if it meant you had to share him with his current girlfriend. You just wished you could have been his one and only as you had been lead to believe for so long. However, before you could even open your messages to go to his text thread your flight was called to boarding, perfectly timing you to avoid a huge mistake.

Arriving at the hotel finally, you walked straight to the check-in desk hoping to avoid any people you may know as unlikely as that circumstance may be. Sitting there was a girl who couldn’t be much younger than you, a cheery smile rested on her lips. Beside her, a man who looked to be about your age was leaned back feet on the desk as if he owned the place. As you finally stand directly in front of them they break their conversation.

“Hello, miss! How may I be of service to you?” the girl enthused standing up in the process.

“Hi, um, my name is y/n… I should have a room reserved for the next week.” you calmly reply.

“Of course! Let me check the books!” she looked at the man to move.

“Yeji, I have no intentions of moving if that’s what you expect.” he dryly laughs

“Come on, please.” she whines slightly, “I need to do my job.”

“Fine, I’ll just do it.” he sighs “What was your name again?” he directs his attention to you.

“It’s y/n” you restate.

He gets to work searching on the computer in front of him. You’re almost taken aback, even with how abrasive the computer light is, his face still looks extremely charming with all the sharp edges and smooth complexion. You don’t realize you’re staring until he looks at you as if you’re stupid.

“Miss, did you not hear me?” he asks

“Sorry, no, could you repeat that.”

“You’re in room number 419, it just so happens I live a few doors down from where you’re staying.” he smirks “If you ever get bored just come by I’ll entertain you.”

Yeji gasps at his comment “Yongqin! You have to stop flirting with guests!” she smacks his arm.

“Hey, I don’t flirt with all of them, just the pretty ones.” he chuckles placing his feet back on the desk.

“I’m sorry about my brother,” she sighs “here’s your room key. If you ever need help just give a call down to the help desk and ask for me.”

“Thank you Yeji, I really appreciate all you’ve done.” you smile at her walking towards the elevator suitcase in tow.

You couldn’t pinpoint why, but the two of them were so familiar to you. Yeji’s bright smile seemed like one you had always known, Yongqin’s sass and flirtatious nature seemed normal to you. You shake your head forgetting the odd encounter exiting the elevator and making your way to the door of your room. Exhausted from your flight, despite it only being two hours, you flop down on your bed letting out a deep sigh. You stare at the ceiling for a while thinking about nothing. Yet again, your thoughts are soon plagued with thoughts of your ex-boyfriend. Where was he right now? How was he doing? Does he ever miss you? You feel your eyes prick with tears, you came here per your friend’s request to forget about him but here you are thinking about him constantly throughout the flight and while you rest in your room. Letting out another deep sigh you push yourself up and get to unpacking. Of course, your friend being her, she stuck some more revealing numbers in there despite you packing your bag yourself. You also find a note stuck to one of the dresses resting in the bottom of your suitcase. 

‘The best way to get over someone is to get under someone else ;)’

You roll your eyes throwing the note away and throwing the dress in a drawer with the other dresses you had packed. You tuck your luggage in the closet out of the way, allowing you to more freely move about your room before deciding what you want to do.

“Ya know what? Maybe I’ll just get drunk and stay drunk this entire week,” you murmur to yourself “That’ll help me forget about him, even if it’s momentary.”

You nod affirming yourself before looking over at the time. 5:30, that’s late enough to go down to the hotel bar, right? Shrugging you ready yourself to get drunk beyond belief.

You sit at the bar ready to forget about your shitty ex and his gorgeous girlfriend. You rest your head in the palm of your head letting yourself take in your surroundings and decide on how you wish to get drunk tonight. The bartender is turned away from you at the moment stopping you from gaining his attention to get you a drink. You tap your free fingers against the wood of the bar impatient to get some alcohol in your system.

“Hello pretty girl,” a stranger approaches you, you attempt to ignore him until he places a hand on your bare shoulder “come on beautiful, you wouldn’t ignore me would you?”

“Actually I would, and I am.” you scoff at him

“Don’t break my heart dear, I just want to show you a good time.” he sleazily pushes

Just then the bartender approaches you, you see Yongqin just as shocked as you are to see each other. At the moment though you don’t have the time to be shocked. You plea with your eyes for him to help you escape the sleazy man trying to pick you up. As if he telepathically communicated with you he jumps into the situation.

“Babe, is he bothering you?” he asks urging you to go along with his act.

“Uh, um, yeah honey. He is.” you play along “Thank you for coming by to help me.” you flutter your eyelashes at him.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” the man grumbles.

Yongqin places a kiss on your cheek further convincing the sleaze bag that you were his. He growls again before stomping off to find some other woman to bother. You awkwardly giggle before sitting further back in your seat. Yongqin presses both his hands into the bar before speaking up.

“So, now that creepy is out of the picture, what can I get you to drink princess?” he winks.

“Vodka. I need to forget.” you groan.

“May I ask what you want to forget?” he asks placing a set of shots in front of you with lime.

“Ask me again when I’m drunk.” you raise your first shot glass and shooting it back before grabbing a lime from the reserve.

He nods before returning to tending to other patrons of the bar.

Throughout the night you repeatedly called him back asking for more rounds of vodka to assist you through the night. The entire time he made sure to keep an eye on you, you were beautiful, this much he knew. He just knew some other creep would come and hit on you, or the same one would return when you were more inebriated. Whenever he had downtime between guests asking for drinks he would hang around you keeping an eye on any men near you. By the end of the night, there were very few people around anymore, just you and a few others. You giggled and giggled fully intoxicated laughing at nothing in particular. Your mood changed on a dime when you’re drunk though, within no time you were bawling your eyes out. Then a split second later you’re back to giggling. Yongqin has seen his fair share of drunk people thanks to his job but you make him smile even in your drunk state. Just as he expected though the sleazy man from before approaches you again. He moves slightly closer to listen in on what he says to you.

“Hi, darling, you willing to entertain me yet?” he presses himself against your back.

“Why do I feel like I’ve met you before?” you giggle, too drunk to care who he was.

“I don’t know dear, why don’t you come with me and find out if we do know each other after all?” he urges.

“I think not,” Yongqin interjects, “She obviously isn’t sober enough to tell you to fuck off so I will.”

“And what gives you the right to do so?” he barks back.

“It’s part of my job to look after the bar, that includes its patrons.” he glares back “Now, I’d appreciate it if you left this young lady alone.”

Again the man grumbles and storms away finally leaving the bar.

“Thank you,” you giggle “ya know, you remind me of a little boy I used to play with when my family vacationed here. He had a little sister too. I could never pronounce his name though.” you smiled at him remembering “I just called him Ten because… well I don’t know why but I did.”

You looked up at him to see a shocked face. You gave him a questioning look before you started laughing at nothing again. Eventually, he recovered from his shock and spoke up again.

“You’re too drunk to get back to your room safely. Wait for me to clean things up then I’ll take you there.” he said wetting a rag to wipe down the counter of the bar.

“Mmhmm” you drunkenly smile at him “You’re really sweet Yongqin, you know that?”

“Am I?” he chuckles still cleaning “What makes you say that?”

“You’re making sure I’m taken care of. Dejun wouldn’t have done that for me. Not in a million years. Also, you’re gonna give me one more shot right?” you hum.

“No, I am not giving you another shot.” he chuckles “Remember when you told me ‘ask me when I’m drunk?” he pauses.

“Mmm,” you respond, “what about it?”

“What is it that you want to run from?” he asks starting to clean again.

“You tell me first, what are you running from?” you fire back

“We’re all running from something. I just happen to be someone who’s curious about what it is that you run from.” he stops dead in front of you.

“Well, Yongqin, let’s get back upstairs, and then I’ll spill my guts to you.” you giggle booping his nose.

“Luckily I just finished cleaning.” he smiles at your giggly state.

“What do you mean you don’t have your room key?” Yongqin groans

“I left it in the room I think,” you giggle still very drunk, “it’s okay though. We can go downstairs and get the master key right?” you lean your weight into him.

“In theory that’s a great idea, but Yeji keeps the master key with her, and I know for a fact she’s sleeping right now.”

You giggle again wrapping your arms around his waist and look up, “You’re stuck with me then, to your room we go!”

“W-what? We can’t do that.”

“Why?” you ask in a sweet tone “You said if I was ever bored you’d entertain me.”

“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath, “don’t think anything’s happening. You’re too drunk to consent to anything at all.”

“I said I’d spill my guts to you when I was drunk didn’t I? And I’m drunk aren’t I?” you smile lazily.

He nods catching your drift and guides you to his room. Once inside you decide that your dress was bothersome and begged him for something to change into. Sighing he threw you some sweats and a t-shirt you could use for the night. By the time you return to the main area of his room, he was also changed and scrolling through his phone on his bed. You flop next to him surprising him slightly. You cup your face in your hands kicking your feet behind you as if you’re a preteen girl at a sleepover.

“You ready to listen to my sob story?” you giggle as if you weren’t going to be crying in ten minutes.

“Whenever you’re ready.” he chuckles along with you placing his phone down on the side table.

You scooch closer to lay back beside him not realizing how the situation may become awkward. Although it doesn’t, he lets you lay beside him and even goes as far as to let you snuggle in beside him and wrap his arm around your shoulder. It felt right almost.

“So, here goes nothing I guess. I was dating this guy, Dejun, everything was so beautiful and happy with him. He treated me right, everything was like it was out of a fairytale.”

“Hmm,” he hummed in acknowledgment, “what happened?”

“He was a cheater… he was seeing another woman for the last two years of our relationship. You’d think I’d see the signs, notice he was more distant and rude to me. Hiding his phone from me, avoiding some topics of conversation like marriage. I thought he was just nervous that things were getting more serious, we dated for five years. You’d think a man would know how to commit after a certain point, you know? I guess I should’ve seen the signs that he was going behind my back with a prettier woman. It’s okay though cause he was shit in bed.” you sniffle

“I feel like you’re lying about that last part and I severely doubt that she’s prettier than you.” he consoles.

“Believe me, she is. And you’re right I was lying, that man was so good.” you dryly chuckle.

“Well, I’ve known you since we were kids. You’ve always been the kindest, sweetest, most caring, smartest, and most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Even if we went like seven years without seeing each other, I know that of all the people I’ve seen come through those doors you’re the most beautiful in every aspect.”

“What are you talking about? You’re the bartender, Ten was here when I was a kid, he was the chef’s son.”

“Yeah, dad still works here. I just grew up and became the bartender here cause it’s something I’ve always wanted to do.” he explained.

“Y-you… Yongqin… there’s no way.” you say still drunk and confused.

“I’ve missed you.” he smiled hugging you tightly.

You burst into tears, you didn’t exactly know why, you just knew that hugging him felt like home. It felt absolutely and utterly right. He pets your hair as you cried into his chest.

“Why are you crying?” he hushed you, “There’s nothing to cry over.”

You sniffled again before answering, “I just think I needed a good cry, I never let it out when Dejun left me and then finding you again. You have no idea how much it means to me.” you burry your face back into his shirt.

“Let’s sleep for now, in the morning I’ll repay the favor and tell you my sob story, yeah? I know you probably won’t remember this in the morning anyway.”

You nod letting him hold you and let sleep take over your body.

You groan waking up with a nasty hangover, you push against the blankets you’re tangled in to realize that they aren’t blankets. Shock sinks into your stomach as you quickly detach yourself and hide in the bathroom to panic in peace. Not long after you go to hide you hear shuffling towards the door followed by a gentle knock.

“Y/n” he mumbles in his morning voice, “are you okay?”

“No! Why am I in your room, wearing your clothes, and why was I asleep in your bed?” you bombard him with questions.

“Well, we didn’t sleep together if that’s what you’re worried about” he calms you, “We did come to the revelation that I’m that boy you played with here as a kid, me and Yeji.”

You slowly creak the door open letting him make eye contact with you. He’s leaning against the closet that is directly across the small hallway from the bathroom door. He pushes off the frame of the closet to stand in the doorframe and gently pushes it open. You let him, his frame standing over you, he’s taller than you but not enough to tower over you fully.

“You ready to hear my sob story now? I promised I would when you told me yours last night.” he smiled.

“Did I really?” you groan “Forget I said anything please.”

“Never, I stand by my statement last night that no matter how pretty this new girl is that you are 100 times prettier than her in every aspect.”

“Y-you didn’t say that…” you blush

“I did. Now, join me back in bed so you can hear my sob story, okay?” he offers a hand.

“Okay,” you respond following him back to the main area, “you know, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“I want to, it’s only fair.” he sits down patting the space beside him.

You sit beside him ready to listen and take in what he tells you. This time leaving a respectable distance between you two, unlike last night.

“So, it’s not much different from yours, I mean, kind of but, yeah, ahh I’m rambling.” he airily laughs scratching the back of his head “I’ve lived here all my life as you know. I always had friends come and go throughout the year, Yeji was my only constant and she got annoying during her teenage years so I tried to branch out. That’s when I met him, his name was Doyoung. He was a lot like Dejun was to you at first. He treated me like a prince, I had never had someone treat me like that ever. He never hid anything from me, he spoiled me, he was sarcastic as all hell just like me. It was like we were made for each other. And unlike you, I can admit that dick was bomb.”

“I would never deny that no matter how much he hurt me.” “Well you did honey, anyway, we wanted different things. That didn’t stop us though, we loved each other honestly and openly. We never cared what people thought of us.” he sighed picking at his nail, “After a while, I grew comfortable with him and felt I could be my most honest self, I dressed more eccentrically. Started painting my nails and grew my hair out a bit. I starting drawing more, getting some of my sketches tattooed on my body. He told me he loved that I could be myself with him, that he loved me for me. No one had ever told me that before.” he began to tear up.

“You don’t have to continue if you don’t want to.” you grab his hand to stop his picking.

“No, it’s okay, I need to tell someone eventually. He sighed and continued “Doyoung was my world, I was his too. Eventually, though, our differences drove us apart slowly. He knew I wanted to stay here and continue to learn to bartend, he wanted to go to business school abroad. We agreed to try long-distance for a bit, it was hard, he was hundreds of thousands of miles away from me, time zones were opposite. I’d call him late at night here after work and he’d be getting ready for morning classes, or he’d call me late at night after classes and I’d be getting ready to go bartend for the night or just have finished for the night and I was exhausted. We would argue more than we ever had before, some of it was tension in our work and school lives some of it was just missing each other so much. By the end of our third year together we realized we wouldn’t work out together, he was going to be abroad for another two years only being able to visit like twice a year if that. I was so deep into my training here that it made it hard to stay in contact, so we ended things. It hurt, god it hurt, but we both knew it was for the best.”

“God, I’m so sorry Yongqin…” you hug him tightly despite the awkward position it left you in.

“It’s really okay, recently actually, we reconnected, the romantic feelings aren’t there anymore though. He’s one of my closest friends now, we like to keep it like that too, no worry about not seeing each other enough or anything like that.”

You release him from the hug feeling that you got your sentiment across fully. Feeling the need to ask a possibly awkward question you begin to worry on your lower lip. The internal debate as to ask or not killing you inside. As if he again read your mind he spoke.

“If you’re wondering what I identify as I identify as a bi male.” he smiles brightly.

“Thanks for telling me,” you scratch the back of your neck “I didn’t want to make it weird and ask. Anyway, what are you up to for the day?” you ask changing the topic.

“Well, tonight’s my night off so I don’t think I have anything planned. I was thinking of just staying here and watching movies all day.”

“Well that’s boring.” you tease, “How about we go down to the beach together like we used to? That way you get out of here for once and I don’t go to the beach alone.”

“It sounds like you have a deal miss y/n.” he chirps back “Do you still need to find Yeji to get into your room?”

“Why would I- fuck, did I really do that? Did I really forget my key when I went down to the bar last night?” you groan at your own forgetfulness.

“You did,” he laughs at you, “let’s go down there and get the key from her.”

You approach the desk in the lobby where Yeji happily sits waiting for someone to come up to her. Just as you and Yongqin get near to her she turns her head before scanning you up and down trying to pinpoint something.

“Why are you wearing his clothes?” she asks cautiously

“Good morning to you too Yeji.” you sigh, “I left my key in my room so your lovely brother let me stay with him.”

“Not to mention you were drunk off your ass last night too.” he laughs

“That’s irrelevant Yongqin.” you retort

Yeji watches you two banter back and forth before she can interject again “So here’s the master key I assume you want.” she offers “Also you two are hella cute together, I support this fully.” 

“Me and him?” you’re shocked, to say the least, “No, no, no, we aren’t together, I just finally had the realization that I spent every summer with you two as kids so we’re just picking up where we left off.” you explain.

“Took you long enough to realize,” Yeji rolls her eyes playfully “And where you two left off was flirting constantly and ignoring my existence. So I expect nothing different than when you were 18 and he was 19.” she states matter of factly.

You two are blushing at her comment, sure you two had bantered flirtatiously when you were younger but nothing that could be considered obvious to others around you, although Yeji has a very different opinion. You take the key from her finally bidding her goodbye and promising to return the key on your way out later.

The two of you stand next to each other awkwardly in the elevator listening to the crappy elevator music. You swayed back and forth from time to time trying to ease the tension in your body. You took notice of him picking at his nails again, it seemed to be one of his nervous habits. You reached over without thinking taking his hand in yours.

“Don’t pick at your nails, it’s bad for you.”

“So is chewing on your lip.” he retorts playfully “If you wanted to hold my hand you could’ve just asked silly.” he flirts lightening the mood.

“What can I say? You have pretty hands, and they’re soft too.” you flirt back winking at him, “Did we really flirt that much when we were younger?”

“Uh, yeah, I had a huge crush on you. You were just too oblivious to take my flirting seriously.” he chuckles.

“Well how about now? Still crushing on be Qinqin?” you playfully tease.

“And what if I do?” he flirts again, “What’s the worst that can happen? You kiss me?”

You awkwardly giggle and blush a furious shade of red just as the door of the elevator open. You release his had mumbling that you’re going to get ready and you’ll meet him in the lobby. You quickly unlock the door to your room and press your back against the door. 

“Fuck,” you breathe “I can not be falling this easily again. I knew what’ll happen if I do… but it feels so right this time.”

Spending your time together at the beach felt so comfortable, you had almost forgotten about your freak-out moment in the elevator.

Keyword: almost

The entire time you were there you kept thinking about what he had said. Did he really mean that? Did he actually like you like that? Or was he just playfully flirting? Even with the two of you splashing through the water together as if you were kids again the question still lingered in the back of your mind. It didn’t help when he had picked you up from behind spinning you around at the water’s edge, nor when the older couple walked past you and the woman commented how she missed those days with her husband.

As you walked back to the hotel laughing all the while you felt that question come back to the forefront of your mind. You wanted so badly to push it away again and enjoy your rekindled friendship, but there was no way you could avoid it any longer. You go quiet as you continue your walk, this of course didn’t go unnoticed by him.

“Why so quiet all of a sudden? Something on your mind?” he worries

“I guess you could say that.” you sigh.

“Tell me, there’s nothing you can’t tell me. I’ll always listen.” he stops sitting at a nearby bench urging you to sit too.

“Promise? Even if it might ruin the friendship we have?”

“Nothing could ruin us.” he assures you.

“Did you mean it?”

“Mean what?” he chuckles nervously

“What you said in the elevator about liking me, did you mean it?” you start chewing on your lip.

“God, you’re as dense as you were when we were teenagers.”

Before you can even ask what he means his lips are pressed against yours. Despite your shock, you reciprocate it melting into him. Just as quickly as his lips were there, they were gone.

“Of course I meant it.” his voice dripping with sincerity, “I might even say that I love you. Don’t get me wrong I absolutely loved Doyoung, I still do platonically, but fuck, being with you feels just as right. If not more right than it did with him.”

“Yongqin, you do know I just broke up with Dejun just over two months ago right? Do you know how vulnerable I am right now?”

“Of course I do, if you think right now isn’t the right time for us I totally understand. I just want you to know that I’ll wait for you.”

“Yongqin, being with you feels so fucking right, it scares me a little. Nothing’s ever felt so right for me. I fell so hard without realizing it. I’m scared to take that shot, he fucked me up, and I don’t know how to react anymore.” you explain

“Believe me I know how hard it is to take that shot, but I’ll never hurt you, I’ll never abandon you. I won’t do anything besides love you, y/n. I always have. I always will. Plus, with me, you’ll get that one more shot you were asking for the other night.” he smirks.

“I don’t think I’ll drink ever again after how bad that hangover was.” you giggle

“But what if I need you to try a new drink concoction?” he pouts.

“Okay, maybe I’ll help with that.” you giggle again pressing a kiss into his lips.

“So I’ll take that as a yes? You’ll take the shot?” he hopes

You nod and he quickly sweeps you off your feet hugging you and spinning in circles. After he places you back on the ground he cups your face bringing you into the most loving kiss you’ve ever felt in your life.

“Thank you.” is all he said before smiling against your lips again.

“Anything for you.” you smile back.

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Working for rich people was not worth it, unless like him, you were desperate enough for the money. 1 out of 5 times these folks spoke to him they were polite enough to acknowledge he was a human being and not just some sort of robot at their service, and he absolutely loathed it.

But when Doyoung told him he had a job for him at Resonance Club, Taeyong couldn’t say no. It was one of the most exclusive resorts in the country, and he knew he would get a good enough salary, that every time he got called stupid or a married man or woman insinuated themself to him, he’d be able to think about the paycheck just to hold on to his patience a little bit longer. 

Teaching kids to swim was simple enough and he found himself actually enjoying the job. Most of the children were still sweet and caring, uncorrupted by their parents and their money, and the life of luxury that awaited them one years to come. Lily was one of them, barely four years old and only caring about learning enough from Taeyong to be like The Little Mermaid on an upcoming trip to the beach, Taeyong adored her. And he found himself adoring you too soon enough.

-

“You’re his favorite cousin,” he told you one day as Lily ran into the house after the maid, to get her after lesson snack. He was still shirtless and his dark hair dripped on the ground.

“I don’t think she has much choice but to say that,” you laughed, looking back at him over your sunglasses. It hadn’t been the first time you “supervised” Lily’s lessons even though Go-Eun, the maid/nanny told you she could it herself. “I’m her only cousin.”

Taeyong chuckled softly. “Trust me, kids aren’t afraid to let you know if they don’t like you. She loves you.”

“She loves you too, you’re all she talks about over dinner.” your lavish smile was effortless at this point. “No wonder, if you’re such a good instructor, and amazing with kids.”

“Ah, thank you,” Taeyong smiled back, shyer than he thought he’d feel. He couldn’t lie to himself and say he didn’t pay attention to you. Not when you paraded around the pool in those pretty swimsuits and smiled at him like that.

But he had rules: Rule #1 of working for rich people is not falling in love with rich people. Or, you know, just not falling in love with your employers in general is a good rule to live by. And Taeyong followed it perfectly.

“No problem,” you smiled at him once again, removing your sunglasses. “Can’t wait to see you tomorrow.” you pushed, hoping this would finally lead where you wanted. 

Normally, it wasn’t that hard to have these young employees (or the older ones, for that matter) after you. It was flattering as much as it was annoying at times, of course they saw you as their entrance ticket to the life of luxury you lived, even if it was for a short while. Or the arm candy they could parade around their friends to brag about how they had the dumb rich girl drooling over them.

But it had taken a while for Taeyong to approach you, and the thrill of it was too appealing to let it go without even trying.

“See you tomorrow, Miss,” was all he replied, running a hand through his wet hair before turning around to get his stuff. 

Taeyong always knew better. Until he didn’t.

“SHH!” Taeyong’s hand covered your mouth quickly to smother your giggles. The night was calm and quiet, the silence only broken by your laughter which only grew with Taeyong’s panic. “You’re going to get us caught,”

"What are you afraid of?” you questioned, rising an eyebrow. The light of the candles on the floor barely made your features visible, but it was as far as you could risk it without attracting anyone’s attention to the guest house.

“Well, for a starters, I have a job to keep,” Taeyong showed you one finger, a silver ring on it catching a glint from the flames. “And your dad is pretty scary, if you ask me. Or anyone at Resonance.”

“Ah, he’s alright,” you shrugged. He was right in being scared of one of the owners of Resonance Club catching him with his precious daughter, things could get ugly very quickly. “I will protect you, pretty boy.” You teased. He hated that nickname, a lot of the Resonance members had started calling him that after he landed the lifeguard job a few weeks back.

It could or could not have been thanks to you putting in a word for him with your dad that they offered him the job in the first place. You just wanted another excuse to see him, other than Lily’s swimming lessons at your house.

And not long after that, you finally had him at the palm of your hand.

The first time Taeyong had snuck through the garden gate and into the guest house, his heart was on his throat. He had never felt that way, because he had never done such thing. He was Lee Taeyong, who never took this sort of risks no matter how hard he found it to keep a girl out of his mind.

He’d done it almost every night since then, because the way his heart raced when you kissed him didn’t compare to anything he’d ever felt before. Not even to the fear of losing his job, and making Doyoung lose his, or earning a beat from your father’s cronies if he found out what he did with his daughter while he was inside the main house a few meters away.

-

Taeyong rolled his eyes at you. “Don’t call me that, please,” he groaned but added a soft laugh. The hand that was still holding your face pulled you closer to him, his thumb caressing your lower lip.

It reminded him you were one of them every time you called him that. You were not like him, and if he let himself forget that, the damage would be too big.

“Fine,” you let out and exaggerated sight, smirking when Taeyong shook his head. “Kiss me already, prett—”

Taeyong finally cut you off with his lips on yours. Tentative and slow as always, like he was afraid you would reject his advance, although it was always you who begged him for more, or simply pulled him so close to you it was actually painful how the angles of your bodies fit each other.

“Call me whatever you want,” Taeyong whispered then, his warmth breath against the shell of your ear. “Whatever you want.”

He would be whatever you wanted him to be, and that scared him a lot less than he would have thought.

Keeping it a secret made it even more fun. Seeing your friends so desperate to attract Taeyong’s attention, making up excuses to talk to him, or just straight up flirting with him only to face his blatant rejection made you feel like you held some sort of power over them. 

Power that finally belonged to you, that had nothing to do with your family’s last name or money. But an advantage that you earned yourself. And although you knew it wouldn’t last, you hoped you’d have a little more time to enjoy it.

—

“Please Taeyong,” Doyoung sighed, “Lucas bailed and we need someone to take his spot. I’m sure they won’t mind, they love you.”

“They don’t love me,” Taeyong scoffed, “Are you sure you won’t get in trouble for it? It’s like I’m taking every job there is.”

Doyoung groaned. “Please, they’ll fire me if there aren’t enough bartenders to keep these people drunk.”

“Fine,” Taeyong nodded, one night wouldn’t hurt. Maybe if he put enough alcohol on their already expensive drinks, he’d get a hundred dollar tip by accident.

The Resonance Club Midsummer Party was a big deal, but what wasn’t a big deal with these people? They took any excuse to throw their money to a pile of fire just for the fun of watching it burn AND knowing they had enough to keep doing that for weeks, months even.

Your hand slid across the bar, your red nails catching the light as you clicked them against the surface. Your sly smile, lips matching the crimson in your hands, made Taeyong’s heart race.

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” you commented casually, getting his full attention while other guests yelled at his fellow bartender for their drinks to come out quicker. “Who are you and why are you apparently good at everything? Even bartending.”

Taeyong shrugged. “What can I get you, Miss?” he replied instead, keeping his smile innocent and polite, although his mind had wandered places he rather not come back from.

“Anything you want,” you smiled, nails clicking again. You could feel the eyes on your back, your group friends holding their breaths, waiting to see if your interaction with the ‘pretty boy’ would be any more successful than any of theirs had ever been.

“Cranberry vodka for the lady, and whiskey—neat— for me,” the boy wasn’t unlike any other at the party that night. Hair slicked back, Rolex on his wrist and a twisted smile Taeyong had seen a million times before, but somehow he knew something was different about him.

“Jaehyun?” the word came out of you like a gasp, a sudden panic making your throat bob. “I thought you were in the States—”

“Isn’t my girl happy to see me?” the boy, Jaehyun, continued barely looking away from you to raise an eyebrow at Taeyong who wasn’t rushing to deliver the drinks he’d been requested. “I missed you, baby.”

Taeyong chuckled to himself. Had he been the type of person to say ‘I told you so’, he would have said it to the mirror like a mantra. 

“I missed you too,” you answered, letting Jaehyun wrap his arm around your waist. Not another word coming out of your mouth as Taeyong slid both glasses towards you. 

Resonance Beach was infamous for many things. It had the largest stretch of private beach, the waters were always crystal clear no matter the weather, and there was always something to do. Whether you were into tennis or playing piano or shark swimming, it was there, ready and waiting for you.

However you were most happy relaxing on the beach. Which is exactly what you were doing. It was one of the warmest days of the year, and so you happily spent it on a beach towel, an umbrella above your head and sunglasses masking your eyes.

You have been to this beach ever since you were young. Your parents would take you and your sister down to the resort during summer holidays and you did all sorts of activities, but your favourite was coming down to the beach. Any and all beach activities have been done by you. From searching rock pools to building sandcastles, it was the only true way for you to properly relax.

As you grew older, you spent more and more time just laying there, eyes closed hearing the waves coming and going. It was like you were in a wave sounds video. It was in moments like this that you felt all your troubles melting away, and that your life couldn't feel any more perfect

Taking a deep breath, you carried on walking along the stone pathway and as you were on your way, you spotted a volleyball match happening. And so you sat on the wall that kept the path elevated above the beach, your legs dangling just above the sand, just a few feet away from the match.

There were six guys playing and while you didn't really have an interest in sports, you could tell it was getting pretty intense. Other bystanders were drawn into this game as well, with a small group of people surrounding the makeshift court.

Eventually you took your eyes off the game and began to look out to the other side of the beach, but right as you did, a thud was heard near your feet and your heart nearly jumped out of your chest from being startled.

The volleyball the guys were using was now laying just by your feet and so you hopped down from your spot, picked it up and began walking towards the guys, only to be met halfway by one of them, and boy oh boy did he look handsome.

He was fairly tall with messy blond hair. As he approached you, he gave you one of the cutest smiles you had seen in your life. Needless to say that he had taken your breath away with his looks alone.

'Thanks!' he said as you handed him back the ball

'No problem, good luck!' you responded, mirroring his smile with one of your own.

With a nod and a small giggle, he turned away and jogged back to the court, his teammates scolding him for not being fast enough.

After that interaction, you had made your way back to your place on the wall and watched the game unfold and all your attention was focused on him. You never grabbed his name, but the way he played had you absolutely mesmerised and the way his eyes lit up to match his smile whenever his team would earn a point made you smile along with him.

About five minutes later it came down to the final round. Both teams were tied and from what others were saying, pizza was the first place reward - paid for by the losing team, of course. With the blow of a whistle, the game began and actually ended a lot faster than you thought. The guy you had met earlier had managed to spike the ball which made the small crowd and his teammates erupt into cheers, whilst the losing team had crashed out onto the sand catching up on much needed air.

You began to applaud with the crowd and as you were getting up, you heard a 'hey!' being yelled in your direction.

Being the curious person you were, you turned round to see what was happening, and the same guy from earlier was jogging up to you, some of his hair sticking to his forehead, but with the same grin as before.

'I thought I was gonna miss you.' he panted as he slowed down.

Congratulations for winning the game! I guess my luck helped you out' you laughed

'Haha, maybe it did. I really hope it helps me out now though, did you wanna come join us for pizza?'

You began to laugh again, a bit taken back by the sudden invite.

'I would love to! I'm Y/N'

you stuck your hand out, waiting for his response.

'I'm Yangyang. Now come on, we gotta go before the guys call me a slowpoke again.'

“Well then, it has been lovely to meet you, Miss (Y/N). I can see that your parents have done an excellent job raising such an elegant and well-mannered young lady.” The concluding words, along with an outstretched hand, snapped you out of your misery and forced your attention back to the middle-aged man before you. Already, you were struggling to recall his name from the brief—or was it excruciatingly long?—introduction he’d done when he sought to strike a conversation with you twenty minutes earlier. Was he a superior of your father’s? Or maybe a recent acquaintance of your mother’s? You didn’t know, nor cared, really. After two hours of entertaining your parent’s countless associates with answers to their onslaught of questions about which college you attended and other various aspects of your personal life, you no longer had much energy left to spare for further pretense.

For the entirety of the exchange, you’d somehow gotten by with absentminded nods and murmured agreements. Thankfully, your latest companion was too immersed in his tales to notice your drifting focus and lack of interest, at which you almost heaved a sigh of relief. If your parents had received word of your misbehavior, you’d be a goner for sure, and you certainly were not looking forward to another round of their droning lecture about mannerism, etiquette, and public image.

“It was nice meeting you too,” you managed to return with a smile that was just about passable for being semi-enthusiastic, though inside, you were cringing hard at your poor attempts of keeping up the graciously civilized front your mother had always insisted for you to display in public. Forget the crowded dinner parties, forget the fancy evening galas, with every passing minute you were closer to less than a hair’s breadth away from plopping down on the nearest sofa and calling it quits. But you retained your composure and made sure to wave politely as the man stepped away, only letting out a long-held breath after his figure had completely disappeared amidst the crowd.

The room was getting uncomfortably stuffy, and your desire to leave was ever growing as you struggled to get through the throng of chattering bodies for some space alone. Sure, you’d been at a number of clubs and parties with your friends, but they were always on the more laid back and easygoing side of the atmosphere spectrum. You didn’t have to put up a perfect front for others to examine, nor be pressured to uphold your entire family’s reputation. And you certainly wouldn’t be obliged to answer your mother’s calls from ten feet away, beckoning you over to no doubt meet another friend of hers.

It was all the same, over and over. Introductions, small talk, and then going into the personal life of the (L/N)s’ “all grown up” daughter.

“Neo Tech University? The top school in the area? How nice!”

Your father beamed proudly. “Of course, she’s my daughter, after all.”

The adults laughed. You didn’t join them, instead picking at the fabric of your gown until the conversation required your participation again.

“She’s matured so much, I bet she has all the boys at her heels already,” The lady commented, to which your mom immediately responded with a pleased smile and, “Of course, she’s got a boyfriend too. They’re soo cute together. Hey, honey, how come he hasn’t come around in a while?”

God, why? Why, of all things, did they have to bring this up? You felt your insides squeezing together painfully at the mention of the topic, your fists clenched so hard you could feel your fingernails digging into your skin. You’d thought this night couldn’t get any worse than it already was, but you were wrong, it just did. Their gazes were all set on you expectantly, and you hated the attention. Hated being the focus of the conversation and picked apart to the seams.

“We broke up,” you said eventually, avoiding your parents’ eyes.

Your mother's smile fell away to an expression of shock and disbelief. “Why? I thought you two were doing so well with each other.”

Yeah, we were, before he cheated on me, you were tempted to say. To firmly erase any of your mother’s misconceptions that she had even a single idea of what was going on in her daughter’s life. But you just shrugged nonchalantly, as if the breakup was only a trivial matter. If you’d told them the truth, your mother would’ve no doubt considered it a huge blow to her reputation.

“It’s alright, you’ll find someone else who’s worthy of you,” the lady patted your shoulder sympathetically, and you felt your face heat up in a mixture of humiliation and frustration. The last thing you needed was someone telling you that in public.

You figured this was a good time to leave, maybe dig a hole and bury yourself in it. Tonight had been a suitable enough reason. Murmuring a quick apology to the adults, you excused yourself and made your way toward the exit before your mother could intercept. People stared as you passed, but at this point, their hypercritical looks were the least of your concerns. If grown-up life was beyond the point of “childishness” and “selfish acts”, then you’d grown beyond the point of caring.

By the time you’d arrived home, it was already ten o’clock. You and your parents had left for the gala around six-thirty, which meant you’d spent at least a good three hours and a half at the venue, engaging in hollow, repetitive conversations with near strangers. It was exhausting, to say the least, and you found yourself craving a warm bath the moment you stepped through the door. But you had your priorities set straight, and after changing into some casual clothing, you made a beeline for the kitchen to make yourself a pot of ramen. You were practically starving after almost an entire night of strolling around and snacking only on lady-like portions of foreign delicacies at the event.

While the water boiled, you dialed your best friend’s number. She’d told you of her plans—or the lack thereof—this evening, consisting of nothing but binge watching anime and consuming an inhumane amount of triple chocolate fudge ice cream. That was basically an open invitation for you to call her whenever you felt like ranting about old men and how it just wasn’t fair no one else was obligated to chat for hours on end with them about stock market prices, and you accepted it gladly.

Yera picked up on the second ring. True to her word, you could hear the incoherent Japanese shouting of the characters in whatever anime she was binging at the moment.

“How did it go? The gala?”

Just the sound of her voice was enough to ease some of the tension in your shoulders. Your best friend always knew what to say and how to lift your spirits in times like this, no matter how blunt and straightforward she may be, and you were looking forward to her advice.

“Terrible,” you groaned. “Whoever came up with the idea of stuffing over two hundred boring, judgmental business people in a room far too bright and oxygen-lacking must’ve been out of their mind.”

You heard Yera snort from the other side of the line. “Yeah, no shit, sherlock. You know, I’d reassure you it’s not that bad, but I know it’s exactly that bad.”

You shifted your position so that you faced the kitchen window, where a view of the city’s nightscape unfolded before your eyes. The sky was dark, but thousands of glimmering lights made up for it—neon billboards, cars flying by on the busy streets below, office lightings, roadside lamps, and glowing patches of yellow from residential buildings like your own. You stared out at the sea of twinkling sparks, and for a moment, felt so very small amidst the immensely vast world.

“They mentioned him.”

There was only a beat of silence. Yera didn’t need long to catch onto who you were referring to.

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, they were talking about boys and then my mom brought up the fact that I have a boyfriend—had, actually,” you sighed, an action you found occurring more often than not lately. “Guess I forgot to tell them he’s an ex now, but then again, they didn’t ask before.”

“Gosh, that must’ve been so awkward.”

“It was,” you shut your eyes, pinching the bridge of your nose with your forefingers. “You tell me. I had to leave, right away. I’m just glad it’s over now.”

“Wait wait wait, hold on. How many of these event thingies have you gone to in the past week?”

“Three, not counting the time my mom had some friends over for lunch. They stayed until dinner, actually, and we had to go out and eat.”

“What the heck?? And you let them drag you along?”

“It’s my duty to accompany them, I guess. They’d be mad if I don’t go and let them show me off for a bit. But then again, there usually aren’t this many events. My dad just signed a contract with some important clients, and my mom’s been invited to a bunch of social gatherings, plus the fact that normally, I’d have school as an excuse. There’s just been more of them recently, and it’s not like I have any good enough reason to opt out.”

Yera gasped. “It’s summer. Summer!! That’s all they should need. It’s summer break right now and it’s your time off. They shouldn’t need any more reason than that. And whether it’s the norm or not, you have to know that you are in charge of yourself and that you get to decide what you do with your own life, not them.”

“You have a point, Yera, you always do, but...” you shook your head. “I honestly don’t know at this point. Things are easier said than done. I hate it all, but in a way, it’s part of my responsibility.”

“Okay, oookay. That’s it. No more dinner parties or rich people galas for you, (Y/N). It’s your time off and I’m going to make sure you take some time off. Aren’t you tired of them ordering you around? You’re the one who’s in control of your own life, (Y/N). Go have a nice vacation and stay away from adult business for at least a few weeks, or I’m not letting you anywhere near my mom’s homemade honeycomb brownies again, got it?”

If Yera was bringing her mother’s brownies into the deal, then you knew she was serious. Somehow, despite the situation, you almost felt like laughing. Felt like you were invincible, as if her words brought a surge of confidence along with it. Smiling up at the night sky, you said, “Well, I guess I have to do it for those brownies.”

“Good, now go on and take on the world!”

The world—or, namely, your parents—was clearly not amused when you dragged your suitcase into the living room at eight in the morning the next day, dressed in a flowery blouse, your favorite jean shorts, and a pair of heeled sandals. They’d been eating breakfast at the dining table just ten paces across as you entered, engrossed in a conversation about the latest commercial trends and news of the business world. They looked up at the sound of wheels against the marbled floor, an initial expression of shock crossing their faces as they took in your outfit and the luggage in your hands.

Your father looked almost bewildered as he glanced between you and your mother, who’s brows had deepened into a frown. She shook her head as if to clear away thoughts of disbelief, though you could detect the note of disapproval that was weaved into the action.

“What’s with this?” she asked, her tone stern and commanding, almost as if to compel you into saying exactly what she wanted: “Nothing, mom. I’m not going anywhere.”

It had always been that way. You’d intend to do something, and she’d shut you down before you could even try. But not this time.

“Carrying out my plans for summer break,” you replied and paused before continuing. “Why?”

The lines on your mother’s forehead deepened. “Plans?”

She was waiting for you to either straight up admit what you were up to or give up. You knew that, and you didn’t want to beat around the bush either, so you looked her right in the eyes and said, “Summer vacation plans, mom. I’m leaving today.”

“(Y/N), I thought we already talked about this. You can’t just—”

“Go around and quit my duties? Yeah, I know.”

“Then what are you doing right now?”

“I’m not quitting,” you said through gritted teeth, “I’m taking the break that I deserve.”

“You’re running away,” your mother accused, her voice trembling with incredulity and, despite her apparent effort to keep it controlled, a slight hint of anger. “You’re going back on your promise and you’re not going to do what you should just because you don’t want to. Stop being so selfish and naive, (Y/N). You’re not a child anymore.”

It was something just suddenly snapped inside you, and all your pent up frustration boiled over. “Selfish? Mom, do you ever think about how I feel? I’ve put up with all the things you wanted me to do and I can’t even have a single moment when I try to focus on my own happiness for once?”

“You promised—”

“I’m not a replacement for him!”

Your parents stared, momentarily speechless from your outburst. In the silence, you felt the frustration and anger wear away and bubble down to something that resembled a fevered hurt. The broken pain in your mother’s face seemed to mirror your own, but the words slipped out anyway.

“No matter what, I can’t be him. I can’t replace him. I know that’s what you want me to be, and that if I was, maybe you could think that he’s never gone, but I can’t. I just…”

You could see that your comments had hit their mark.“(Y/N)—” your mother started.

But at this point, you were too tired of arguing to continue. You didn’t wait to hear what she had to say, only picked up your bags and headed for the entranceway. You exhaled as the door clicked shut behind you. Gosh, I’m really going to do this, am I?

Resonance Beach Resort was a nice change from the usual fast-paced schedule of your daily life that was full of unwanted obligations and tasking duties. You'd visited often in your early childhood and teenage years, and had loved the place for its elegant, luxurious accomodations and the spectacular view of a pristine beach that spanned along the resort's outer edge. But since some time ago, all the pressure and weight of your increasing responsibilities had suddenly just came crashing down on you, and you found yourself taking cram school more often than not due to your parents' constant urging. There just simply wasn't any time for you to take the long vacation you desperately craved. Now that things have finally lessened up to nothing but socializing with your parents' acquaintances, this was the first place you'd thought of for the perfect getaway. Just hide away from the rest of the world for a little bit before reality kicks in and you'd sink back into your busying routine. Here, you could finally have some peace and quiet, be able to breathe easier for once. No more business events or get-togethers, no more forced polite conversations over tall glasses of champagne. If you were going to party, then you should at least do it properly. You figured that aside from relaxation and watersports, Resonance Beach Resort had exactly that.

You'd switched over to your spare phone for the duration of your stay. If your parents decided they've had enough of your “childishly selfish acts”, they'd be greeted by a long period of ringing without answer, followed by an irksome beep and the message that, "sorry, the number you've dialed is not available".

The fight still simmered fresh at the front of your mind, and you shook your head in an attempt to brush it away. A small part of you felt almost guilty about your abruptly impromptu runaway, but it was merely a fleeting thought that passed as quickly as it had come. You knew how hard it was for your parents since what had occurred years ago, and that they were afraid of the same thing happening with you. Still, it wasn’t fair for you to bear the burden of two and act in as a mere substitute only to make someone else feel a bit better. Since when did you owe your parents your entire summer break to play pretend anyways? It isn't as if it actually helped you do anything except feed your growing boredom and frustration for hours on end.

You walked into the entrance hall and made your way to the reception area that sat in the middle of the gentle hum of music and red carpets and golden chandeliers. After going through the check-in process, you received your room cards and headed toward your room to drop off your luggage first.

The west-side elevator was mainly empty aside from a few other visitors who, like you, arrived earlier than most do. They’d entered before you and stood along the side panels, each scrolling through their devices for news and texts. Why take the time and money to come and visit, you wondered, if they were going to just be on their phones all the time? But then again, you were glad none of them paid any attention to you and savored the peaceful silence. The back of the elevator was adorned with clear glass panes that overlooked the beachside, allowing riders to gaze out at the scenery below them as they rose high above ground. You stared at the swaying palms and foaming waves in the distance, and thought that—despite being here so many times before—the view had never looked so welcoming before. You couldn’t wait until you could get down there and enjoy the feel of the warm sunshine on your back, hear nothing but the calming hum of the ocean.

There was a short ding! as the elevator doors opened and a middle-aged woman exited. You turned briefly to watch her leave and the doors clang shut once more behind her. Some passengers shifted around to space themselves more evenly upon her departure, but other than that, it was the same, still, silence as before. A few more minutes passed, and the process repeated until it was just you and another man standing by the front. On the controls panel, only one floor button was lit up.

He was handsome in the most traditional sense, tall and fit with tousled dark hair, flawlessly smooth skin and wide doe eyes directed at his phone screen. Although he was only dressed in a simple graphic tee and sweatpants, they looked too expensive for the average person to afford and the look suited him so well he could no doubt pass for the modern-day version of Cinderella’s Prince Charming. You almost laughed at the thought. That had been your reaction too when you first saw your ex, and you fell for him so quickly, so easily, it didn’t take much to convince you that he loved you as much as you loved him. After all, why not? His family had been wealthy and influential like your own, and your parents—mostly your mom—had absolutely adored him. You thought you’d been living the perfect fantasy until it all broke down and your palace had turned into nothing more than rubble and ashes.

In the quiet buzz of the elevator, you could hear as the stranger dialed a number on his phone and put it to his ear. Whoever on the other side must’ve answered immediately, because the man started to talk right away.

“Hey, where are you guys?”

“Okay, just checking that you’re in the suite because I don’t have the key.”

“Yeah, I’m almost there, why?”

“Woo wants another bag of his favorite chips from the convenience store? Seriously? We’re at a fancy beach resort and he wants chips from the convenience stores? God.”

“Yeah, I brought them, don’t worry. I swear he stuffed my trunk full of them when I wasn’t looking because I barely even have space in there anymore. Geez, you’d think he would die if he went a day without those.”

“Yeah, okay. Mm-hmm. That’s fine by me. Sounds fun. See you.”

You didn’t mean to eavesdrop on the conversation, but the slight echo in the space made it easy for you to hear every word the man said. And for some reason, it brought back long-ago memories of you and your brother, having the time of your lives marveling over the elevator’s view. Arguing about whose snacks the ones in the bag were. Roaming around the resort like it was your own home. That wasn’t possible now, of course. He was farther away than ever, and happier. There wasn’t anything you could do except be happy for him, though that did nothing to help the sore ache in you.

Your entire life felt like a train wreck at the moment, but then again, that was why you were here at Resonance Beach Resort in the first place. And as the elevator dinged once more, you were determined to make your summer better. Much better.

An afternoon in the sun seemed to do its trick.

After spending several hours out by the rolling waves, reading magazines and enjoying the spontaneity of doing whatever you’d wanted to on a whim, you were ready to call it a day. The freedom was exhilarating, and though you’d done much less that you would’ve on a typical weekday, you felt much more fulfilled than before. You’d eaten a quick informal dinner down in the dining hall, too tired to spend time on a full-course meal, only stopping by the vending machine on your way back to your room for a drink.

You inserted your money into the slot, pausing for a moment to look at your choices. Ginger ale would be good, you decided absentmindedly, your thoughts already drifting elsewhere. When the drink rolled out of the machine, you stooped to pick it up before preparing to leave. You turned and, not realizing there was someone behind you, ran right into them, your arm bumping against theirs. The impact knocked the can of ginger ale out of your hands and you quickly bent down to pick it up before it could roll away.

“I’m sorry, that was my fault.”

You straightened up to see the man from the elevator. He rubbed his neck sheepishly, an apologetic smile on his face. He was close enough that you could see the curved bow of his lips and the way his eyes crinkled in good humor, the way the tips of his ears were red in embarrassment at having knocked into you.

You blushed at the close proximity between you and the stranger, before remembering your manners and shaking your head lightly, “No, I’m sorry, it was my fault as well. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

The two of you stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to say or what to do, until the man’s eyes landed on the room card in your hand.

“Suite 1009? What a coincidence, my friends and I are right next door. Want me to walk you back since we’re—you know—going the same way?”

You gave a little startled laugh, finding a bit of comfort in the fact that even a man as good-looking and confident-seeming as him could stumble over his words in situations like this. You’d pegged him for the type with an air of arrogance, but his voice held a sort of genuine sincerity and modesty along with the charm you’d expected. “Of course, I’d love that.”

As you walked down the corridor together, he seemed to realize something, and started in surprise, “Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name’s Jaehyun. Jung Jaehyun.”

“I’m (Y/N),” you smiled. “It’s nice to meet you. Is this your first time here?”

“Well, yes, my friends and I were planning to go somewhere for the summer, and one of my friends recommended this resort. How did you tell?”

“I used to come here a lot, but I haven’t visited in a while. I came back to escape city life, I guess, though I must admit I missed this place tons. The things adult life takes away from you are just plain cruel.”

“I know right? Sometimes I wish I could just go back to seventeen and—”

“Relive that teenage dream?” you finished.

He laughed. “Yeah, exactly.”

“That’s what everyone says.”

“What, don’t you agree?” he looked at you in feigned shock.

You looked up at the ceiling as if searching for the answer in the lights above. “Yes,” you said truthfully, “I do agree.” Though it wasn’t exactly how you felt completely all the time, there was no denying that at least you’d loved the various aspects teenage years had to offer.

“You sound almost cynical about it.”

“Do I?” you shook your head. “Oh, well, personally, maybe, I guess?”

He gave you a weird look. “Think you could sound any more unsure about that?”

The two of you burst out laughing, the sound echoing against the walls of the hallway. As you chatted with Jaehyun, there was an undeniable tingle at the bottom of your stomach, spreading to the tips of your finger and your rosy cheeks. You didn’t know if you were willing to fall in love again, especially after your previous failures and bad encounters in romance that extended beyond your last relationship, but there was no denying that Jaehyun was fun to be around and you enjoyed his company immensely.

So when you both arrived at your destinations, you almost felt sorry to go. You lingered for a second, turning to him almost hesitantly.

Of course you’d see him again, being next-door neighbors for the next few weeks or so, as long as he’s here, but you didn’t want to leave and be all alone by yourself just yet.

Jaehyun seemed to feel the same, and he paused. “So, see you soon?”

You started to respond with a definite yes, but didn’t get a chance to answer. The door next to yours opened slightly, and some inaudible conversing trickled out from the crack. You caught a few words in the back-and-forth as you stood by your room, an amused smile at your lips. Jaehyun rolled his eyes, clearly used to this type of behavior from his friends.

“Oh, don’t mind them. They’re always like this.”

You couldn’t help but laugh, “They seem fun to be around.”

“Yeah, yeah, when they’re not nagging twenty-four-seven at me to get snacks for them.” Though you could see by the teasing grin on his lips that he was only kidding.

Jaehyun’s friend pushed the door open a little more so that the conversation became more distinctable. And then, a sudden recognition made you freeze in your tracks. Your heart dropped. No. No way. The smile fell from your lips, replaced with a rush of confusion and near-disbelief.

Was that…?

You heard his voice before you saw him.

“Jaehyun! You’re back, just in time—”

Brown hair, plump lips, and bright, playful eyes. His boyish features evolved into something more mature but not unlike its younger version, still lined with the same youthful innocence as years before. He was taller too, though in that moment, at first glance, you felt as if it was the only significant change in him. The familiarity jolted awake a feeling you had not felt since long ago, flipping back the pages of yesterday until it landed on a distant memory that seemed so close yet was so far away. It was like the world stopped spinning for a moment, freezing in time that had both given and taken so much from you.

Your stomach twisted with a mixture of fluttering anticipation and dizzy uncertainty.

Why here, of all times and places, did you have to meet Kim Jungwoo again?

Kim Jungwoo, who was your first love, but also your first heartbreak.

It all started the summer before your high school sophomore year, with an ice cream date as friends and a piggy back ride. You and Jungwoo had known each other for years, having met in elementary and developing a close bond over time. Though you each had your own separate friend groups, outside of school, the two of you often hung out together and spent time at each other’s houses. It wasn’t abnormal for you to have dinner at Jungwoo’s place—because your parents often went on business trips and rarely ever cooked even when they were home—and it certainly wouldn’t be a strange sight to see him on your couch, watching TV and snagging snacks from the basket on the coffee table as he waited for you to finish up your homework so the two of you could go out to the nearby park. It was practically routine when, two weeks after break began, he asked you if you wanted to go down to the beach with him and get some ice cream along the way. You texted back a quick “yes, of course” before flopping back onto your bed and blinking up at the ceiling as if in a dazed dream. And for some reason, you thought hard about what to wear.

It was an issue you never had to concern yourself with before. Jungwoo had seen you in your pajamas, bed hair and all, random mismatching clothes you’d thrown on in a hurry, and even ridiculous costumes you wore as a kid. He’d seen you down in your lowest low, face a mess with puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks. Heck, he probably knew all your embarrassing moments by heart and could recite them on a whim. But recently, you’d started to feel more self-conscious around him, and as days passed, you found yourself standing in front of the mirror more and more, holding up different tops and pants in an attempt to decide which would look nicer. A few years ago, you would’ve laughed at the thought. You? Fussing over clothing for Jungwoo’s sake? Ridiculous, you’d never needed to. But now, it seemed that the fact that he was a boy—and a very attractive one too—just sank in, and suddenly you became all too aware of it.

After shuffling through your wardrobe for ten full minutes, you finally ended up with a closet strewn messily with discarded options and clothing racks and an outfit you dimly recalled that Jungwoo had once expressed his liking for. You’d chosen a pair of thin, spaghetti sandals that were lined with gold, a gift from one of your mother’s shopping sprees, and made an effort to brush your hair neatly to go along with it all. Good enough, you supposed, as you turned left and right to check up on your appearance. Hopefully.

You grabbed your phone and keys, scribbled a note for your parents that you doubted they’d even read, and made your way out the door. Jungwoo was waiting for you at the front, standing casually by his car with one hand in his pockets. Your heart beat faster as you approached, the continuous drumming resonating within your chest and ears.

He’d been looking down at the pavement, scuffling a stray pebble around with his toes, but quickly lifted his head at your footsteps.

“Hey,” he greeted, smiling up at you.

“Wow, looking unexpectedly grown-upish today,” you lifted an eyebrow, trying to mask your nervousness in his presence with the usual snarky remarks. You spoke with a heavy hint of sarcasm, meaning that you were only joking about the matter, but what you said was true in a way—Jungwoo did look nice, though you weren’t about to say that aloud to him. It was as if you’d just noticed how much older he’d become, and how much more matured he looked.

“Really,” he said flatly, though his eyes were crinkled in good humor. “You’re the only one in the dark then.”

You laughed. “Because other people still call you an adorable baby?”

“Haha, so funny.”

You settled into the passenger seat beside Jungwoo and watched as he leaned over to put the vehicle in ignition. His hair had grown longer since his last haircut a few months ago, and they fell over his eyes. He shook them out of his face, reaching up a hand to brush away any remaining strands that stuck to his skin. He turned to grin at you before switching over to your favorite radio station as he started to drive. You tapped your fingers to the beat, and not a minute later, the two of you were singing along to the familiar tune. Jungwoo’s voice soared up and down as he sang in a weird mock accent, and you tried hard to keep your own from trembling with uncontrollable laughter. You both knew that Jungwoo was an amazing singer, but even more so a natural at comedy.

Jungwoo parked the car a few blocks away, deciding that trying to find an open spot in the crowded beachside lots was too much of a hassle. Summer had lured many people out with the promise of good weather, and combined with the dazzling scenery of the sea, who was to say no? The brightness of the skies was all too infectious, your mood soaring like the winds above that cast a blessing of gentle coolness upon the world. It was all so perfect that you’d even surrendered to Jungwoo in a water fight, although quite begrudgingly and continuing to splash in his way afterwards.

The sparkling waterdrops glittered midair like multifaceted diamonds so that although knee deep in water, you felt almost as if you were living in the midst of a glowing fairytale. After spending some time among the rolling waves, the two of you decided to walk around a bit and let the warm air dry your clothes before going to the ice cream store. Morning went by all too quickly, and soon noon had arrived. The sun shone brilliantly overhead, the pavement burning at the soles of your shoes. You grimaced at the heat, hopping slightly to avoid getting scalded and wishing you’d worn something that wasn’t so flimsy and thin. Jungwoo seemed to notice your discomfort, glancing your way worriedly.

“Are you okay?”

“No,” you groaned. “But thanks for your concern.”

He stopped as if to consider something, then squatted down in front of you. “Here.”

“What—” you started in surprise, caught off guard by his sudden action.

“Come on, I’ll carry you.”

You thought your face couldn’t get any redder than it already was, but you swear it just did.

“It’s fine, you don’t have to. It’s my fault anyways. I should’ve worn something more suitable,” you managed.

He grinned up at you. “Yeah, you probably should’ve, but that's what I’m here for, right? Moral and well—physical—support when you make those beginner mistakes.”

“Argh, you bastard,” you half-huffed, half-laughed, whacking his shoulder lightly with one hand.

“Hey! I’m just trying to help here.”

Caught up in the slight back-and-forth, you’d forgotten entirely about the source of it all and let out a strangled gasp when a red-hot pain shot up your feet.

“Yeah, it’s not up for debate at this point. Come on, just get on already. Grab on tight.”

With surprising strength, Jungwoo hoisted you up upon his back, his arms wrapped firmly around your legs to secure you in place. Instinctively, you reached over to cling onto his neck like your life depended on it.

“Gosh, not—this—tight,” he choked out, and although you knew he was half-joking, you mumbled a laughing apology.

You were tense at first, afraid to make a single wrong move. But after a while, you felt tired of staying so still and uptight like a board and relaxed some more. When the sun’s rays stung at your eyes, you laid your head sideways against Jungwoo’s neck, your breaths falling together in the same even rhythm. He hummed a tune you did not recognize, probably another one he’d just made up randomly, and you smiled.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing,” you replied innocently. Just thinking how ridiculously likeable you are.

You wondered if Jungwoo could feel, through the thin fabric of your shirt, the pounding of your heart at his back, the same way you could smell the scent of the salty sea air and his favorite cologne on him. Raising a fingertip, you traced a heart lightly against his skin. He flinched. You held back a laugh. You’d done it right on his most ticklish spot.

He wouldn’t be able to tell, what you’d drawn and what you felt toward him, but at that moment, it felt like a nice secret, nestled comfortably within the confines of your heart. Maybe you’d tell him one day, when the time is right. You’d like to.

The ice cream shop of Jungwoo’s designation was just up the street. Apparently, it had opened just a while ago and, according to Jungwoo, he was dying for you to try some of their flavors. You didn’t have a favorite place you preferred, so you agreed without any conflict. As the two of you neared, you held on for just a little bit longer before hopping off reluctantly and fixing your clothes. You wished it didn’t have to end, that the two of you could stay that way forever, snug in each other’s embrace.

But it all changed when you walked inside the store.

The interior was neatly organized, with pastel-colored walls and light brown tables of different sizes scattered around the semi-spacious room, most of them occupied by other visitors. A long counter spanned the back of the shop, most of it built-in glass cases that displayed a colorful array of ice cream in their silver tubs. A couple workers stood behind it in sky-colored uniforms, occupied with a variety of tasks and tending to customers.

You breathed in softly, taking in the scent of chocolate and vanilla and an assortment of fruit. The air around you was cool, and you were immensely grateful for the air conditioners that made the atmosphere so welcoming after spending a long time in the sweltering sun.

“It’s nice here.”

“I know right?” Jungwoo grinned. “Just wait until you taste their ice cream. It’s the best.”

There was quite a line at the counter, and your skin itched with the particles of sand that had stuck to it uncomfortably. Your hair was wind-blown and a tangled mess atop your head, and you felt conscious of the fact that you probably looked like a mess. “Hey, Woo, I’m going to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”

“Alright,” he gave you a thumbs-up. “I’ll pick out something for you. I swear you’ll love it.”

“Okay, thanks,” you laughed. “I’ll look forward to it then.”

After fixing up your hair and wiping yourself clean with a paper towel, you felt semi-presentable and headed out of the restrooms to find Jungwoo. You didn’t see him at the tables nor in the line, but in the close distance, almost hidden from view the rest of the shop but clearly visible from where you were standing, caught your attention.

Jungwoo.

Except he wasn’t alone.

A pretty girl around your age stood by him, donning the uniform of the store workers. She seemed to have just gotten off her shift and was loosening her hair from the ponytail she’d previously kept it in. Jungwoo was chatting animatedly, and she laughed at something he said, then shot back with her own response. He reached over and engulfed her in his arms, swaying her from side to side almost exaggeratedly.

There was a familiarity, closeness, in the way they interacted, and as you watched on, you felt your heart slowly clench tighter and tighter until it felt impossibly suffocating. Was this what heartbreak felt like? An ache so terrible and soul-splitting that you couldn’t quench no matter how hard you tried.

At the side counter, they were still going at it. He grabbed at her to kiss her cheek, but she turned away, pushing herself out of his grasp. He made a few more futile attempts, to no avail, and the two of them burst out laughing, her high, lovely one mixing in with his lower, boyish baritone.

You looked down, and wished you could just disappear into a hole. When you returned to the table after you made sure the commotion in the front had died down, Jungwoo was already waiting with the ice cream. One for him and the other, your favorite favor. He handed yours to you, but you found that you didn’t have the appetite for it anymore. You managed to muster up a feeble “thanks” and a strained smile, staring at the cone in your hands.

“What’s wrong?”

You couldn’t see Jungwoo’s expression, but you could hear the concern lacing his voice. As if he wasn’t laughing so merrily just a second ago.

“Nothing,” you replied, staring at the table. “I should probably go now. My parents said we were going out for lunch today.”

“But you said you didn’t have any plans,” Jungwoo said, confused.

“Well,” you shrugged, “It’s really my mom’s. Anyways, see you later.”

The bell jangled behind you as you exited the shop, the sound not as cheerful as it had been just a while before. A rush of hot air greeted you, but the stinging at your feet could no longer compare to that of the pain in you.

“Oh, okay. See you.” You could still hear his disappointed voice, although you couldn’t fathom just why he wouldn’t be glad to have some time with his girlfriend without you there as an awkward third-wheeler.

You didn’t see Jungwoo again that summer.

TO BE CONTINUED.