⊱ ۫ ׅ ✧ pairing: idol!seeun x gn!soloist!reader
⊱ ۫ ׅ ✧ word count: 2.6k words
⊱ ۫ ׅ ✧ genre: idol!au, enemies to lovers, fluff, light angst
⊱ ۫ ׅ ✧ warnings: light jealousy, emotionally constipated seeun, falling to the floor lol, slight bickering, teasing, and embarrassment, public confession (peer pressured), seeun being annoying little brat.
The KQ practice room door creaks open just as Hunter spins around, mid-laugh with Yujun. His face lights up when he sees you standing there—wearing a jacket, sunglasses on, clutching a bag of celebratory bubble teas.
"Y/N!!" he yells, practically tackling you with a hug. "What the hell—how did you even get past security?"
"I'm a soloist, not an amateur," you tease, handing him the drink with his name scribbled in Sharpie. "Congrats on your debut, superstar."
"I can't believe you actually came," he beams, already pulling you inside like a golden retriever. "Everyone, this is Y/N—my best friend-slash-kpop legend—"
"They're being humble," he says over you.
You nod politely to the rest of the room. A few of the xikers members wave, clearly recognizing you.
He's sitting in the corner, legs spread out, sipping something from a pouch like he's the main character in a teen drama. Blonde bangs falling slightly over his brow. That face is too pretty, and he definitelyknows it.
He glances up, eyes flicking over you once.
"Who are you supposed to be?"
Hunter nearly chokes on his drink. "Bro—what?? That's Y/N. THE Y/F/N."
Seeun shrugs like he didn't just say something mildly offensive. "Never heard of them."
Your brows lift, but your smile stays polite. "No worries. I don't expect everyone to know me."
"Good," he says with a lazy smirk, "because I don’t."
Junghoon makes a noise like he's witnessing live beef.
Hunter nudges Seeun's side. "Dude, you literally watched their 'Venomous' stage and said they looked hot—"
"I said the choreo was clean," Seeun corrects sharply, refusing to make eye contact.
You just hum, stepping past him to set the rest of the drinks down. "Anyway, congrats again, Hunter. I know how hard you worked for this."
He gives you a grateful smile and whispers, "Ignore Seeun. He's like that with people he finds hot."
"Nothing!" Hunter blurts, eyes wide like a deer in headlights.
You raise a brow, but choose not to press. Instead, you let him drag you toward the couch, where a few of the other xikers boys have already made space for you.
"Okay, spill," you say, offering him one of the drinks you brought. "How are you feeling? Has it hit you yet that you're literally debuted now?"
Hunter grins, his whole face lighting up. "It's been insane. I haven't slept properly in like, a week, but seeing fans scream for us is definitely worth every second."
"That's so good to hear," you smile. "And the response online Everyone's obsessed with your dance line."
Hunter rubs the back of his neck, bashfully nodding. "I'm trying to keep my head on straight. But your message yesterday helped a lot. Really."
You blink. "You're telling me I comforted you?"
"You always do," he shrugs, like it's obvious.
Before you can get sentimental, Minjae pops up beside you, extending a hand and a warm smile.
"Hey, I'm Minjae. Just wanted to say I'm a big fan of your work."
You shake his hand. "Thank you. Your vocals are incredible, by the way. I saw the showcase clips—you ate."
He beams. "You're too kind. If you ever need someone for a collab… I mean—" He clears his throat, laughing nervously. "Just putting it out there."
One by one, the other members come over to greet you, introduce themselves, and crack jokes. Everyone's friendly, loud, and a little chaotic—in that way only freshly debuted boy groups are.
You glance over to the far side of the room. Seeun is sitting stiffly by the water cooler, scrolling on his phone with a blank expression. Every so often, you catch his eyes flicking toward you. And every time he notices you noticing—he immediately looks away, ears slightly pink.
Still, he doesn't say anything. Doesn't even greet you.
"Yah," he says, walking past Seeun and giving him a soft smack on the shoulder. "Don't be disrespectful. Y/N's our senior."
"I'm not being disrespectful," Seeun mutters, still not looking up.
"Then come say hi, dude."
"You're scrolling through TikTok."
Seeun stands abruptly, grabbing his water bottle and heading toward the door without another word.
The room goes quiet for a second.
You blink. "What's up with him?"
Hunter frowns. "I… don't know. He seemed fine before."
"Before I came?" you ask, tone curious—not offended.
"Yeah…" Hunter nods slowly.
Yechan pipes in from the corner, mouth half full of chips. "Weird. Seeun never acts like this before. He's usually the loudest one in the room."
You lean back on the couch, eyes narrowing slightly. "Hm. Interesting."
Hunter gives you a side-eye. "You're thinking something."
You smirk. "I'm not thinking anything."
The backstage hallway is buzzing with idols—staff running around with clipboards, stylists touching up last-minute details, stage managers yelling countdowns. The walls practically hum with anticipation.
You're standing near one of the corner lounge tables, chatting easily with Keeho from P1Harmony. He's leaned forward slightly, laughing at something you just said, his bright personality shining like always.
"You seriously wore that to rehearsal?" you grin.
"Okay first of all, it was laundry day," Keeho says dramatically, "and second of all, I was serving."
You snort. "Serving something, that's for sure."
He gasps in mock offense and flicks your arm.
A few steps away, Seeun turns the corner. He's got his water bottle in hand, earphones half in, looking like he's searching for someone—or maybe just wandering.
The moment he sees you laughing with Keeho, he freezes.
Keeho nudges your shoulder gently, still mid-story, and you laugh again, covering your mouth. You lean into him like you've known each other for years. You have.
He was heading your way. You can tell—his path, his pace, his whole damn vibe. But the moment his eyes meet yours…
He turns the other way without a word, walking off like he suddenly remembered he left the stove on.
You frown, watching his retreating back. "Huh…"
Keeho notices. "Who are you looking at?"
You blink and shake your head. "No one."
Meanwhile, Seeun storms into the xikers waiting room with a deep frown etched into his face.
Minjae's humming, Sumin's adjusting his mic, and Hunter's sitting on the couch scrolling his phone when he sees Seeun enter—looking like he just witnessed his crush get proposed to.
"Yo," Hunter says, raising an eyebrow. "Why's your face like that?"
Seeun doesn't answer immediately. He throws his water bottle on the table (gently, but still dramatic) and plops down in a sulk.
Then, unprompted, he mutters—
"Hey. What's Y/N's relationship with Keeho sunbaenim?"
Hunter blinks. "Um… what?"
Seeun looks away, chewing on the inside of his cheek. "I just saw them. Talking. Laughing. Being weirdly close."
Hunter tilts his head. "Okay… and?"
"Bro." Hunter lowers his phone. "You're jealous."
"I'm not jealous," Seeun snaps, too fast.
"You've been acting weird since Y/N visited the company and now you're interrogating me about their love life."
"I'm not interrogating," Seeun grumbles.
Hunter raises both hands. "Okay then. Chill."
Seeun leans back in the chair with a frustrated sigh.
"I just don't like how… touchy Keeho was. He was flicking their arm. That's weird, right?"
"…you literally do that to me all the time."
Hunter starts laughing. "You're unbelievable."
Seeun groans, pulling his hoodie over his head.
"…I'm not jealous," he mumbles from inside the fabric cave.
"You're gone. You're so gone for them."
The hallway's quieter now—most groups are packing up or heading toward press photos. You're walking toward the dressing room with a towel around your shoulders, mic pack clipped to your waistband and a water bottle in hand.
Still in his stage outfit—black leather with silver chain details and a snug harness hugging his waist. His blond hair is damp from sweat, falling over his eyes. He's coming from the opposite end of the hallway, looking straight ahead.
You hesitate—then offer a polite nod, already stepping to the side to pass him.
But unexpectedly, he speaks first.
"You were really enjoying yourself back there."
You freeze for a second, turning to face him. "Excuse me?"
"You looked… comfortable. Flirty, even." His tone is sharp, his arms crossed. "Didn't think you were that type."
You stare, mouth slightly parted.
"The type who clings to someone like that."
Seeun scoffs under his breath, but doesn't move.
"What's your problem with me?" you finally ask, quiet but steady.
"You've been weird ever since I met you. Pretending not to know me, avoiding eye contact, acting like I run over your dog with my car—and now you're throwing weird accusations like I'm out here trying to seduce the industry?”
He shifts uncomfortably, jaw tight.
"You don't even know me, Seeun," you add, shaking your head. "We're not even friends."
You can see it. The flicker of something behind his eyes. But instead of softening, he steps closer.
"Exactly," he mutters. "We're not friends. So why does it bother me?"
"Forget it," he growls, brushing past you.
You turn on your heel. "No. You don't get to start a fight and walk away like that."
You continue, your voice firmer now. "I came to support Hunter. I was polite to you. I didn't ask for whatever this attitude is."
Silence. He doesn't turn around.
"I've been nothing but respectful," you add, voice quiet again. "So seriously… what did I even do?"
His fists are clenched at his sides, knuckles white. You see the tension in his shoulders. But he says nothing. Just keeps standing there, back to you, breathing heavy in his stage outfit like he’s about to combust.
And you stand there—heart beating too loud in your ears, hands curled into loose fists, blinking in disbelief.
You hesitate for a second.
Then your feet move before your brain does.
"Seeun, what is wrong with you!?"
Still no reaction. Just the back of his leather stage outfit getting farther, hair bouncing slightly with each angry step.
You break into a jog. "Ya! I'm not done talking—!"
You slam into his back a little harder than you meant to, probably because your balance was off, probably because you were too worked up. But you barely get the chance to process it because the next thing you know—
Your shoulder bumps the wall. His weight knocks into you. One leg tangled between yours. Your palm flat on the floor, his hand nearly slipping until he catches himself—right above your head.
His lips are parted slightly, like he's about to speak, but his brain short-circuited. You're too shocked to move.
"Are you okay?" he asks finally, voice low.
"I'm fine. Just a little… concussed by your attitude."
He groans and looks away, but doesn't move off you. His arms are trembling slightly from holding himself up. His chain accessory dangles inches from your face.
"You're such an idiot," you mutter.
He snaps his eyes back to yours. "I'm an idiot? You're the one chasing after someone who clearly—"
You squint. "Who clearly what?"
"Clearly doesn't know how to handle this," he mutters.
You pause. "Handle what?"
You watch him swallow. His jaw tenses.
"This—" he gestures vaguely, still hovering over you. "You. Talking to me. Smiling at everyone else. Making me—feel things."
Your chest tightens. "So you do know me."
"I know of you," he admits. "I've seen your stages. Every one. You're good. Too good. And I hated that."
"Because the second I saw you in person, I realized…" He hesitates.
"It's not just the stage persona. It's you."
"You're kind. Confident. Charming. Funny. You're close with Hunter. You're close with everyone. And I—"
His voice cracks slightly.
"—I didn't know how to be close to you. So I did the opposite."
"You've been rude to me since day one," you say, not coldly. Just… honestly.
"I know," he whispers. "I didn't know how else to protect myself."
You stare up at him, lips parted slightly. The tension in your chest starts to dissolve. But the air between you is still thick—like something fragile just cracked and spilled open.
"Then tell me," you whisper. "If you don't hate me… what do you feel?"
He looks like he's about to combust. One hand comes up, shaking slightly, as if he wants to touch your face. But he stops himself.
"I don't hate you," he murmurs. "I think I like you. Too much. And it scares the hell out of me."
And before either of you can think twice—
He lets his hand fall against your cheek, gentle, like it’s the only thing keeping him from losing it completely.
"I'm sorry," he says softly. "I'm really, really sorry for being a dick."
Your fingers curl around the front of his shirt.
"I told you, you were an idiot."
His mouth twitches. "You're not wrong."
You both burst into quiet laughter.
Still tangled. Still on the ground.
Still not quite sure what this is… but suddenly? It doesn’t feel so confusing anymore.
You're still catching your breath, tangled up on the hallway floor, Seeun's hand gently resting against your cheek like the world just cracked open and let in some kind of clarity. You don’t even realize how close your faces are. How intimate this entire moment is. Until—
"BROOOOOO WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE—"
You both snap your heads up just in time to see all nine xikers members piling around the corner, jaws dropping in unison.
Hunter's face is priceless. "Is this why you ran off looking like you saw a ghost?!"
Yechan’s already halfway doubled over. "I KNEW IT. I KNEW ITTTT."
Jinsik points dramatically at Seeun. "You know what? Just confess properly, man! Seriously."
"Yeah!" Yujun joins in, grinning. "Don't half-ass it!"
And then—like absolute feral high schoolers—the whole group starts chanting:
"CONFESS! CONFESS! CONFESS!"
"CONFESS! CONFESS! CONFESS!"
Seeun looks like he wants to melt through the floor. He groans, dropping his head against your shoulder for a second like he's bracing for death.
Then he sits up, face red as a tomato.
"ILIKELIKEREALLYLIKEYOUANDIWASSODUMBABOUTITBUTINEVERMEANTTOBEAMESSANDYOUREJUSTREALLYCOOLANDFUNNYANDI'MSTUPIDLYINTOYOUANDTHISISWEIRDANDSCARYBUTALSOYOUMAKEMECRAZYSO—YEAH."
The hallway is dead silent for half a second.
Then you burst out laughing.
Seeun looks at you like a kicked puppy. "What??"
You wipe a tear from your eye. "I… I didn't catch half of that."
He groans again. "I hate this group."
But you smile, eyes softening. "Well… you know, I've just met you, but seeing how dedicated all of you are—and you being brave enough to confess in the middle of a literal hallway chant—I might as well give you a chance, right?"
Seeun blinks. "Wait… seriously?"
"Really? Even after I was a dick to you?"
You shrug. "I mean… it was intentional, right? I can respect the commitment." You grin.
He laughs nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Wow. Okay. Uh… do you wanna maybe go on a date? When I'm free?"
Minjae claps his hands like a mom at a wedding. "Okay, okay—BUT. Make sure to keep it lowkey, alright? We're rookies. No scandal, please."
"Yeah, keep it lowkey," Hyunwoo adds. "I'm not trying to get blacklisted before I turn twenty."
Seeun grins, grabbing your hand as you pull yourself up. "I promise I won't mess it up."
You glance at him, still holding your hand, ears burning, but smiling wide.
