#yacttp

“Give,” you said with a sideways smirk, already imagining him landing on maybe Hansol’s (Jun’s, maybe too?) couch and sleeping in until the late morning, hungover. You swooped his glass and stared blankly at the ceiling as you gulped his share of the punishment and put on an indifferent face, as everyone across the table cheered you on. Your stomach felt stupidly acidic, and you sat down with a victorious smile, slightly clenching your fist, playing it up for your onlookers. The game continued. Your mind stayed fixated on the game, occasionally coming up with funny quips aimed at the punishment takers. You felt relatively tired. But being around your friends added this feeling of relief, which you looked forward to every Friday. This week, it was the barbecue restaurant near your house, so you knew you’d have to walk a few of them back to your place. It wasn’t a big deal anyway. 

You guys stayed for another hour, until Soonyoung's stomach felt rather unwell (courtesy the Bacardi shots- or as Mingyu would call them: Barcardi), and Hyeri was so drunk that you guys called it a night. After settling the bill and the drunken mishaps outside the restaurant, you held onto Hyeri’s waist, her head on your shoulder as you walked her back to your place. Unfortunately, Soonyoung's red face seemed to be turning rather green, and Seungcheol offered to help him back to your place, an offer you gladly took. 

The walk was silent. Occasionally, Soonyoung would hiccup, and you’d swivel your head back in worry, only to see Seungcheol already looking at you, pensively. You couldn't exactly decipher this specific look. After spending years together across high school, university, and now work, this was a new expression to you. You took your time to watch him every single time you looked back; his face never changing. Your head was beginning to feel a bit heavy, but as you entered your apartment and began unlacing Hyeri’s work shoes, you already felt Seungcheol's steps ahead, resting Soonyoung on your couch. He went into your room, grabbed the spare blanket, and covered his sleepy friend. You made it in and helped Hyeri in your bed, using your makeup wipes to swipe at her lip tint, now smudged with drool. 

Walking into your living room, you felt a storm behind your head. A tight band quenched your cranium with full pressure. Seungcheol was sitting on the floor, knees drawn into his chest as he stared outside your glass sliding door, into the cool night. 

You smiled, tired, and sat next to him. Soonyoung lightly snored behind the two of you, and he slid a glass of water across the coffee table, towards you. 

You drank sloppily, rested your head on his shoulder, and started groaning. Maybe to annoy him, maybe to lean on him for a bit. It was rare that you did, but you felt your shoulders finally lowering after seizing them up for most of the night. 

“Why’d you do it?” He gruffly asked. 

You hummed, eyes closed. “What did I do, Cheol?”

“Drink Soonie’s punishment shot. You know you didn’t have to, right?” he said, rather dejected as his hand makes its way to your temple, softly pressing into the flesh with a tender touch.

Wordlessly, you nodded against him, feeling slight relief as the pain disappeared in waves. 

“I know, but I wanted to.”

He said something, a bit unclear, and the next thing you knew, it was morning, you’re somehow in your room, and Hyeri had her leg wrapped around your waist, who snored softly through her open mouth (which you gently pressed shut). 

Oh. And it was your floor, Soonyoung woke up on, actually. 

December 📁

Wonwoo didn't ask for help often. In fact, the last time he asked for help was in high school when he fell ill and asked for your notes on the one class he missed, which was why when he asked if anyone could fetch him his presentation notes that he left at the dining table of some random restaurant fifteen minutes away from your office, you felt almost compelled to accept it. But of course, not before playfully teasing him in the group chat for a good thirty seconds before asking the location of said restaurant. 

Your phone buzzed as Wonwoo called you immediately after your last message.

“You’re a lifesaver,” he whispered.

”I know, I know, I kind of expect a lobster meal for this sacrifice. I'm giving up the only forty-five minutes I get for lunch to be your delivery man,” you snorted out, your two hands on the steering wheel as you waited at the red light. He hummed thoughtfully, and your car rumbled alongside him. 

ETA, six minutes to Madam Kong’s Stew and Drinks, your navigation system relayed.

“I have my presentation in about twenty-five minutes, and you know I would be so down to get the files myself if it weren’t for Manager Park breathing down my neck. I don't even know how I snagged a bathroom break to call you.” He frustratedly muttered.

Traffic fell forward, lights turned green. You hummed. “I’ll call you when I’m near your office, see you in a bit!” Your car was sealed in silence as his voice cut off. 

Your phone buzzed. Buzzed a bit more on the passenger seat, then fell silent. You didn’t really notice, watching the mundane rhythm of cars as you eventually pulled up to the parking lot of the quaint establishment where warm wafts of broth brought you through the doors. The menu was plastered on the wall as a tired-looking uncle smiled at you from behind the register. 

“Hello, Uncle, I’m here to collect some papers my friend left behind today.” You smiled politely, giving him your kindest smile as you pulled your coat away from your neck, feeling the warmth of the food warming you up as well. 

“Ah, the young gentleman called in ahead and did mention that someone would be arriving to collect them.” He answered, disappearing into the small room behind him, leaving you to stare at the menu, withering pictures of bowls of noodles, rice bowls, and a wide variety of side dishes burning into your eyes. 

Your stomach would’ve growled if it weren’t for the growing urgency to finish your task and return to your own office and start your own meeting with the rest of your staff members. Your mouth silently salivated at the picture of the warm broth with thick, knife-cut noodles drizzled with sesame oil, glowing and bouncy with specks of sesame seeds — crunchy, delightful, and a warm burst of umami in the cold December winds. 

Your stomach finally grumbled, and you wondered if you could squeeze in a quick meal while waiting. Wonwoo’s body in a random bathroom cubicle, whispering into his phone flashed behind your eyes. Then an image of your staff members chattering while waiting for you, the head of the table empty. You quickly shook your head and grabbed the file folder the uncle passed on, now back to manning the register. 

Checking your phone, disregarding the unread notifications, you only saw about 25 minutes left on your lunch break and sped off to Wonwoo’s office, who grabbed the file from your hand, got out of your car, bowing 90 degrees as you waved him off and wished him a productive meeting. Now, you have your own meeting to get back to. 

The drive back was anxiety-ridden. You were hungry and had a meeting with your members, with a presentation that you’ve been preparing for a while now. You can still imagine the warm steam the broth emitted, and instantly regret thinking back to the restaurant. 

Coming out of the seminar room, you feel a sense of achievement as the head of your department, applause still being heard from inside the glass-encased room. The meeting itself lasted no longer than forty minutes. You still felt an empty pit in your stomach and headed into your office, where an insulated bag was kept neatly on your work desk. 

Receipt:

Madam Kong’s Stew and Drinks:

Order for: Choi, Seungcheol

Register: Pi, Cheolin

1x hot broth knife cut noodles 

2x electrolyte drinks 

1x service side dishes 

1x sesame oil packet 

total price : XXXXX XXX

It was messily hatched out, with your signature pen, which was now capped up in your pen holder. You would be confused if it weren’t for the notifications on your phone that were finally addressed. 

corporate bros

Queen Hyeri (corporate): lunch today is so ahh bro I don’t get paid enough 

jihyo: dont u work for the food sector…

wonwoo (corporate): GUYS if anyone is free i left a file at a restaurant and i would totally go to get it but my manager is being kind of mean rn </3

junhui (more corporate): im so sorry woo, im otw to pick up my boss from the airport so i wont be able to get there in time D:

wonwoo (corporate): nono its chill dw :D

you: LMAOOO skill issue 

you: won isn't your meeting TODAY ?

wonwoo (corporate) : do u HATE me 💔

you: yes. jk im on break anyways, send the location let me see if i can help

wonwoo: [location] did u know that youre the only person ever.

you: i think i can make it(?)

new!

mr choi (corporate): @ you dont u also have a meeting at 1??? 

mr choi (corporate): im nearby, ill get it 

mr choi (corporate): im otw, see u wonwoo

mr choi (corporate)

new!

mr choi (corporate): the uncle told me a very pretty lady already picked up the file soooo

mr choi (corporate): so im assuming u didn’t eat lunch so i got u something from the restaurant. hope your meeting went well :)

you: life saver. Thank u so much cheol </3

you: wait did u end up eating :( im so sorry i didnt read the message or update, I ended up wasting your time.

mr choi (corporate): i ate at the restaurant after I realized you already left TT dont worry about it 

you: also lmk the price don’t think i didnt notice you scratching the price off 

mr choi (corporate): no eat ur noodles 

you: >:(

mr choi (corporate): enjoy and eat slowly. 

transaction! user YOU sent user CHOI SEUNGCHEOL 30,000 WON. 

transaction! user CHOI SEUNGCHEOL sent user YOU 30,000 WON.

you: :(

mr choi (corporate): :)

March 🏸

badminton lozers 

boo: ok guys uhm so eunha got injured during practice so we lowkey are pulling out of mixed doubles competition unfortunately, but feel free to come anyways to watch the other players 

hannie: do you guys not have any subs? 

boo: I looked around and there are some people, but we haven’t practiced our synergy yet so subbing this last minute might just be risky 

boo: I would ask @ you but ik she’ll be exhausted after work on Thursday 

you: im DOWN 

you: victory is ours btw 

boo: are you sure? you have work on Friday 

you: we played in hs for three years is this all u think of me 💔

boo: okay but we HAVE to practice

you: see u at court soon LOZER 

boo: thank you a lot, @ you - eunha and me 😼

jisoo hong: eunha and i*

boo has left badminton lozers

Practice went well. The weight of the racket resting on your palm wasn’t new. The smell of the rubber lingering on your hands after a successful smash was satisfying, only second to the sound of the shuttlecock butt landing on the opposite court. Feeling that nostalgic rush in your body, you and Seungkwan click your racket shafts together, relishing in the victory. Your practice match went well, leading to a score of 21-16, a five-point lead, leaving Eunha squealing from the benches, nestling her ankle. She watched on, offering you occasional pointers that you implemented almost immediately. 

It was a Sunday, your first free Sunday in a while after having dinners, lunches, luncheons, brunches, and other variations with clients, urging them patiently to make their decisions regarding future projects. You felt your shoulders ache, and a satisfying burn in your calves, but nothing could beat the smile Eunha and Seungkwan gave you as you wiped off the sweat from your brows. 

Plans for dinner were being made. Eunha offered a cold noodle place nearby, Seungkwan insisted on a tofu restaurant closer to prove a point. You laughed at the two players bickering and unfortunately declined their request, having sweat stick onto you and desperately requiring a shower at your home and a hearty dinner on your two-seater couch. 

“We can’t thank you enough for this. We know this isn’t really that serious of a competition, but we were really looking forward to competing and at least snagging a trophy.” Eunha said earnestly, looking up at you, her eyes turning the mood suddenly somber, as even Seungkwan nodded along solemnly. 

With your right hand, you squeezed Seungkwan’s cheek and with your left, you leaned down to pat Eunha’s head, feeling the need to reassure your two juniors. They had come a long way. While you and Seungkwan carried your badminton team to great heights, you had to graduate, leaving Seungkwan behind with his new partner for mixed doubles, Eunha. Although you didn’t play as regularly as them, you kept up once every few weeks, joking with them in casual friendly matches. 

“Don’t thank me yet,” you muttered, coolly, “wait until I win.” You even looked away into the distance for dramatic effect, trying to lighten the slightly tense mood, feeling uneasy. 

“oh that was CRINGE,” Seungkwan interrupted almost immediately, “and what do you mean by ‘I’? We’re playing doubles, what is she on about!” His rambling continued on as you packed your kit and walked outside into the cool evening (not before messing up Eunha and Seungkwan’s hair affectionately in departing). The sun was setting, and you couldn’t help but stop to take a picture of the purple hues of the sky. 

Sitting in your car, you made the lonely ride back home. 

-

You were not lonely. 

Seungcheol was washing carrots at your sink, the sound of his light humming causing you to smack his arm as you walked into your own apartment, to the smell of a rich scent bubbling in the air. His shoes were neatly placed outside your door, despite you telling him multiple times to keep them in the shoe rack right next to your door. He always denied, mumbling something about a quick exit and entry, and something about how he didn’t exactly like the guy who lived next door. His coat (and his maroon tie) was hanging from your own coat rack, where you left your badminton bag. 

You shuffled behind him to see what he was making, in your own kitchen, with your own ingredients, with your own utensils, with your rice already boiling in your rice cooker in its own corner of your apartment. 

“Carrot and mushroom stir-fry,” He said, not bothering to even look back at you as you took off your socks behind him. Waddling to your room, you arranged yourself into a shower and came out with a bounce in your step. 

His humming continued as you prepared two bowls of rice, spoons, forks, chopsticks, while you plated bean sprouts, spinach, and eggs out of your fridge into sharing bowls. 

He placed the frying pan between you two as conversation bubbled from you. 

“Then I dived for the net shot, which i’m not gonna lie, was dumb given the fact that my knee did end up on the floor, alongside my whole body,” you mentioned, pausing, as you scooped mushrooms onto your bowl of rice, “but kwan and I won 21-16 so you know we’re gonna be mvps.”

He nodded along stupidly, staring at you with concern, then asked, “And what did you have for lunch, Miss MVP?”

“Brunch with that one marketing manager, who, by the way, is still waiting for confirmation papers from your department,” you reminded him.

“They’re ready to be delivered off, I just need to find time to drive all the way to the Gangnam Branch,” Seungcheol pouted. He paused, like he had some sudden epiphany, then pushed his spoon on the table.

“Why did you even join that badminton thing, when you know you’re going to be busy? You don’t always have to have your plate filled, and I think you also know that,” he sighed, “I get that you and Seungkwan have a history of playing together, but I know how you get when you have a task in front of you, especially if it means helping our friends. It’s okay to take it at your own pace and just say no.”

He rubbed his hands together as he formulated his sentence, waiting for your reaction as you listened intently, chewing carrots in the meanwhile. 

You straightened your posture methodically, paused, and replied as best as you could.

‘Cus I wanted to. I know I don’t have much leisure time, but joining this badminton thing means a lot to both Seungkwan and Eunha; it was only obvious that I would help where I could,” you justified, “plus, I know what I’m doing,” you trailed off. It was often where you and Seungcheol offered insight and advice to one another, and it was obvious when he was overly worried about your well-being, but you couldn’t seem to push the slight frown on your brow when you saw his own shoulders rising and his face turning tense in front of you. 

“Even your justification, it relies on the happiness of Seungkwan and Eunha. Now, I don’t blame you for thinking about our friends, but don’t do it at your expense,” he gruffly muttered. “Your body is tense at your own house. Hell, you even got injured. I know you know you can handle your own affairs, but rest. I’m not trying to fight, but if you end up sick and injured, I can’t help but question you.” He sternly stated. 

With every word he uttered, you couldn't help but sink into your seat a little. He’s questioning you?

You wanted to reply with your own smart retort, but it all died down when you saw him eyeing your shoulders, the way your neck strained, and the way your calves were slightly swaying under the table. You felt like a child being berated all over again.

He picked up his spoon and pushed a bit of rice into his mouth. The silence disappeared, and only his chewing was audible. You just blinked on, consuming his words as delicately as you could.  

“Why are you even here? to lecture me?” You childishly challenge, trying to muster the courage to spin the overbearing conversation into your regular banter. 

His face was pointed at his now half-empty bowl, and he busied himself by placing spinach into your half full-bowl, “Josh told me you said yes to Seungkwan today, and that your practice would finish up by six. And also that you’ve been preparing for a week already. Just knew you’d be too tired to cook,” some carrots, on top of the spinach next, “I won’t tell you what to do, but if you seem so compelled to play, you better eat up and win.” 

-

Seungkwan was still in the bathroom. He left his bag with indigestion pills on the fifth row of the bleachers.

Your next match starts in four minutes. 

You made your way to court three. 

Two players were there, rallying with one another. 

The one referee was waiting, tapping their foot as you walked closer to them. 

boo: I’m so sorry. 

boo: I'm still stuck in the bathroom. Those melons that Chan gave me rly messed me up

boo: idk if ill be out in time

boo: u might js have to forfeit our match

you: okok its okay. I’ll tell the person in charge , stay strong soldier. 

You read his message again and again. 

The first match had been easy; you breezed by with 21-13 and then a devastating 21-9, when, during the break, Chan offered Seungkwan some melons he picked. 

Now, you were walking onto the court with your racket, feeling the confused looks of your friends on your back, as you alone made your way forward. Eyeing your opponents, you felt intimidated. They glanced at you, sizing you up. You felt small.

“My teammate and I are going to be-”

“Substituting a member out for the next match.” 

You looked to your left and saw Seungcheol spinning your spare racket, testing its fit and weight. 

The match was coming to an end, with this third set especially leaving you out of breath. 21-19, 24-22 (you guys won the second one. Jeonghan had to be escorted off the bleachers for a breather during this specific match), and now here. 

Seungcheol was burning through his energy supply, Seungkwan’s jersey especially tight around his biceps as he flexed hard, shuttlecock landing between your opponent’s feet. 

19 all. 

Just two more. Two more. 

You feigned a net but placed it high in the back court, leading to a shot that you followed with another smash. Countered. Smashed. Netted. 

20-19, matchpoint. 

You glanced at Seungcheol as you made your (hopefully) last service. Your opponent was mid-center. Flick, reflex, hesitation, and line. 

21-19. Victory.

(Somewhere in the background, you could see Seungkwan shooting you both a meek thumbs up.) (and Jihyo and Mingyu screaming with their raw chests.)

You looked at the ceiling, bright lights, pride, and lactic acid all accumulated in your shoulders. 

Without a second to waste, you grabbed Seungcheol’s shoulders and shook them with glory, smiling with your mouth agape. He held your cheeks and looked at you. 

“We won!” He said, voice shaking as you pulled him into an impromptu hug. 

“We won.” You mirrored. 

You and Seungkwan continued on and ended up snagging silver. Not bad for the annual neighborhood competition. (None of you guys lived in Seungkwan’s neighborhood.

After the podium pictures were taken, Seungcheol and you ended up conversing near the vending machines outside. You hadn’t talked to him much in the past four days, still feeling a bit hurt after his questioning at your apartment, but you felt grateful that he cared enough to cook you a meal, then forced you to watch him wash the dishes, wipe the table down as you bugged him to help. It was an awkward situation, feeling like you had to walk on eggshells around a dear friend who had always taken care of you, even when you clarified that you didn’t need it. 

You pressed coins in, and two electrolyte drinks clanged against the metal of the opening flaps. He opened one and handed it to you, and you felt yourself still as the warm evening sun seeped onto the two of you. It wasn’t the brush of your hands against his, but the sun that warmed you, of course. 

“I’m sorry,” you started, “I know you were only worried that night, and I kinda just brushed you off. Have been brushing you off for a while now. I’m sorry you also found out from Joshua. Didn’t think it was that important.”

“It’s okay. I know how you get over them. I’m like that too.” He got closer, and his hair fell over his eyes. Was it just you, or was his voice getting deeper? “Anything relating to you is going to be important to me, Miss MVP.”

“Just, care for yourself more.” He added, thoughtfully, “I’m also sorry. You just came back from a tiring day, and I questioned you like a crazy boyfriend in your own home.” You paused and looked at him as the sun dipped further into the horizon. You cleared your throat, warming at his words (just ever so slightly).

You sucked in some air. He stepped back to fan himself. Courtesy to the sun, of course. 

“I don’t know how we ended up winning that one,” he said after a while. 

You snorted. Took another sip, then: “You’re Choi Seungcheol, our batch’s crazy, competitive, corporate boy.”

He was Choi Seungcheol, your batch’s crazy, competitive, corporate boy, who’d been in love with you since almost(?) forever, as well.  

June 🧸 

Hot summer days beat down hard. Sweat beaded on your back, leaving you in thinner work-appropriate blouses; forgotten were the professional coats on the rack of your office. The group seemed to try to meet as often as possible, but with summer at its peak, a lot of your colleagues, and (unfortunately) friends were out of the country, snapping pictures in the most unreal locations. 

The same couldn’t be said for you, and a few other friends, who included Hyeri, Jihoon, and Seungcheol. As head of department, you couldn’t help but accept the leave applications your team members sent in your way, which left you with only a few junior members who hadn’t gripped onto work as well, leaving you absolutely flooded with paperwork. 

You absolutely couldn’t do this anymore. After the third week in a row doing overtime, you left your desk at an unusual hour, standing up too fast and feeling your legs turning into jelly almost immediately. Pins and needles felt weird. 

You drove in silence. It was a bit weird. Thinking about it, you did it a lot. Driving back to an empty house, deciding on destinations in silence. Solitude wasn’t bad, and you never truly felt alone, thanks to your large group of friends, all with different hobbies and habits that you could form different combinations for differing occasions. It wasn’t that bad when you thought about it. You got along with everyone just well enough to warrant a group hangout without feeling awkward or left out. That was enough to keep you going. For now, at least. 

You pressed the button of your apartment complex’s elevator and waited for the high-pitched ding to announce its arrival. It didn’t come. 

cheol

you: just got off of work and u won’t believe my frickin chungus life rn 

cheol: wtf it’s like 10 y did u just finish work 

cheol: what happened 

you: long story BUT my apartment elevator is BROCKEN

cheol: 😂😂😂😂😂😂

you: u have NOTHINF to be laughing about . Now im about to be tired AND hungry 😂💔😂💔😂 

you: at least no work tmr 😎

You put your phone down after complaining to your number one supporter. Looking at the stairs, you begrudgingly made your way up the seven floors. 

The first four floors weren’t that bad, but with the stuffy, humid air entering and exiting you, your breath puffed up, and you felt yourself sweating excessively. 

fifth, done. 

Sixth, and you came across an apartment unit, with its door wide open, allowing the wind from the hall to make its entrance freely, while allowing the light to illuminate you briefly. Looking up, you realised it was a granny you occasionally saw at the complex garden feeding the stray cats. 

Following your line of sight, you saw bags and bags full of teddy bears lining her apartment. You heard her voice humming softly from inside. 

“Granny, why are you awake so late?” You knocked on her open door.

“Ah! Pretty young lady from upstairs!” She shifted and walked meekly past the bags of teddy bears, greeting you at the door. 

“Oh! Before I forget, the elevator isn’t exactly working, so please only go down if it’s necessary. I already contacted the building manager, but I’m not sure how long they’ll take.” You tiredly informed her. 

“Oh, you poor thing. Come inside, have some water.” She offered with her frail voice. Water actually sounded delightful. 

She prepared a glass of barley tea with ice. After waking up in her living room, you sat on the floor and felt the ice melt instantaneously. Her living room was burning up, and now that you looked closely, her forehead was sweating a concerning amount. 

“Granny, your house is extremely hot. It’s very dangerous! What if you got a heat stroke at night?” You chided her with worry. You were still curious about the teddy bears filling her house. 

“Ah, don’t worry about an old lady like me. The heat caused some pipes in my conditioning system to overheat, so they’re gone for repair.” She caught you eyeing the teddies, and continued with a smile, “Nowadays, they say doing handwork is good for the brain and body. I saw it somewhere on the news! So I found a part-time job to sew the eyes on 150 teddy bears.” 

“But granny, it’s really a tedious job, are you able to get by comfortably?” 

“You’d be right to ask, actually. I have them due tomorrow, but I still have about 50 left, so I thought I’d finish them all throughout the night.” She explained. 

You paused. No way were you going to leave her alone like this on a hot summer night, with plenty of work to do. 

“I have an idea, Granny. I’ll be right back.” 

-

And that’s how you, Seungcheol, found you on the sixth floor, showered and changed out of your work outfit, on the floor of Granny Hans apartment, sewing black buttons onto eyeless teddies. 

You had received a call from Seungcheol about two minutes ago, while you were a good five teddies in, when you suddenly jumped when you felt your phone vibrate. 

“I’m in your house, where are you?” 

“Why are you — actually, forget that, you being here is perfect. Come down to unit 603, I need your help with something.” 

Now, with you and Seungcheol working together, the teddies were receiving their vision at a much faster rate, and an idle conversation took place between you and him as Granny Han made herself busy in the kitchen. 

“What is your Portable Air conditioner doing here?” Seungcheol had asked with the sewing needle between his teeth, “How are you going to sleep tonight?”

Thread pulled from your hand, “Granny’s has no air conditioning for a while, I’m planning on lending it to her until her system gets fixed.” The needle pierced through the button’s hole. “I’ve been sleeping in my living room for the past few days anyway.”

“Why?”

“I’d been missing my alarm for work. Sleeping in the living room causes me to be uncomfortable enough to wake up straight away.” 

“Are you STUPID?” He looks a bit feral as you finish the last teddy, and he grabs the needle from your fingers. 

Granny Han thankfully interrupts your conversation by placing two bowls of rice and bowls of soup between you and Seungcheol. 

“I made you work into the night; the least I can do is treat you to a meal, especially knowing that you just came back from work.” 

How we love you, Granny Han.

-

It’s almost 1 am when you and Seungcheol finally make it back to your apartment. 

“Go to your room,” He insisted as you removed your slippers from the shoe rack. 

“Cheol, just go back home.” 

“I’m crashing over tonight, and I WILL be taking your couch. You have no choice but to sleep in your own room.”

“Let’s just hang out for a bit before I crash for the night,” you offer, ignoring his insistence. 

You look, and he opens your freezer and appears with two ice-creams. 

“Aw, is that why you came over tonight?” 

“That — and a few other things.” 

You left it at that. 

You tried his, and he tried yours. It didn’t make much difference since he was eating the same thing as you, but stealing a bite from his made you feel extra mischievous. He pretended to huff, roll his eyes in annoyance, and whine about the theft, but you noticed the way his hand holding the ice cream was angled towards you when he paused, almost egging you on to try. 

He took a big bite, leaving your ice cream with barely any left, leaving you silent, as he cackled thunderously about his own antics. 

thud thud thud!

came from below!

You were proud to be an amazing upstairs neighbor, so hearing this was a crack to your pride. You smacked his bicep, urging him to quiet down, and when that didn’t work, you slapped your palm against his mouth that still continuing to giggle. 

“Grow up, will you?”

August 🪵 

Your weekends were often still packed, and you preferred it that way. At least you thought you did. Better to pack your free time with whatever work-related garbage you could think of. That was until Seokmin disturbed (affectionately) your plans of working throughout the weekend.

family ❤️‍🔥

seokmin: guys minghao and I were planning on going camping next saturday, somewhere near Inje. Who’s coming raise ur hand. 🙋‍♂️

you are typing… 

Almost everyone was able to make it to the camping trip (aside from Eunha and Soonyoung, who had personal businesses to attend to), and when tasks were getting decided, it was an obvious choice to be the designated driver, alongside Jun, Jihyo, Seungkwan, and Seokmin. This left about three people per car, including the driver. You decided you liked to drive, to have something to focus on. 

As Seokmin had all the bookings handled, all that was needed was the food and other necessities required for the weekend. Seungcheol had offered to be in your car, alongside a sleep-deprived Minghao, who stated that you would provide the quiet needed to nap the approximate three hours to Inje (not because your car had extra space and padding in the back seat). You and Seungcheol decided that he’d drive on the way back, so that the workload would be fair. You didn’t mind and were looking forward to sleeping on the way back. 

It was decided that passengers would meet up at the designated driver's house at 6AM, and you’d depart once everyone was there. Your car was ready, you’d prepared simple sandwiches for Seungcheol and Minghao, and coffee satchels (in case they felt hungry down the road), and all the extra materials you’d prepared were loaded in your car the previous night, and all you were waiting for were the arrivals of your two friends. Your trunk also included extra pillows, pots, pans, matches, first aid kits, water canteens, water filters, portable showers — almost anything you’d need in the wilderness. 

Minghao was the first to arrive. He greeted you with a sleepy hug and asked you how you slept (well enough, you’d replied, and he nodded), and then he decided that the backseat was perfect. He dropped his own backpack in the trunk of your car as you waited in the parking lot. Your group chat was active at this odd hour, seeing selfies of your friends already on the way, and some stopping over for breakfast. 

Seungcheol arrived just as you were about to give him a quick call. His eyes looked swollen from sleep, and he was yawning as he settled down in the front seat next to you. 

“Ready for departure?” You asked, looking at Minghao through the front-mirror, and once you heard an affirmative from both of your passengers, you stepped on the accelerator and left for the sunny, warm woods. 

-

“I’m hungry,” Seungcheol pouted once you’d entered the highway. You looked to your right and watched him as he scrolled on his phone, his voice almost quiet as he silently patted his own stomach. You shook your head at his antics and asked Minghao to bring some sandwiches out from the bento you’d left in the backseat next to him. Minghao helped himself to the tomato egg sandwich and passed on the bento to Seungcheol’s lap. Your car smelled a bit delicious, you would say. 

“When did you even have the time to make this?” Seungcheol mumbled between bites, “When did you even sleep?” He uttered under his breath. 

“What he said,” Minghao affirmed from behind you both.

“Firstly, my precious Minghao, my precious Seungcheol,” (you heard Seungcheol physically gulp at your words), “chew before you speak. I can’t perform heimlich while driving,” you paused, “I woke up at five, and slept early last night. Maybe ten?” You thought out loud. 

Both remained silent after receiving your message. 

A while later, Seungcheol pointed his half-eaten sandwich at you, and you begrudgingly took a bite. Your stomach felt a bit funny. It was because this one had cucumbers. Not because his fingers brushed your cheek as you bit into the bread. It was the cucumber.  

- 

You stretched and let out a deep groan once you left your car. It took Minghao locking you in your own car to stop you from helping them unpack your trunk. You were caught off guard when you saw that it was a very fancy campsite, and your portable showers and matches would be going unused this time round. As you switched your slippers for some running shoes, you caught Seungcheol’s eyes as he carried a box of pots and pans with his right arm, and his left carrying your sleeping bag. It was at this moment that you felt relaxed (this was a little far-fetched — your shoulders were incredibly tense from driving) and could fully focus on the way he looked at ease, and shot you a quick derpy smile, one you exchanged for a cheeky, toothy smile. He carried your belongings carefully into the preset tents, where eight tents were set in the clearing in a circle, with a large gravel centre where chairs, mats, and a mini kitchen station were set up. 

You and Hyeri were planning on rooming together, while Seungcheol and Jeonghan were going to be rooming together. As the area was being set up for use, a group of almost seventeen people unpacking from cars to the clearing, you helped around where you could (if you were allowed to, that was). You offered to help stock the ramen packets in the mini cabinet, only to be shooed by Mingyu, claiming that driving wore you out. You were carrying the extra chairs Nayeon brought when Jihoon quite literally tore them out of your hands. You even offered to re-park Seungkwan’s car and had successfully grabbed his keys when Seungcheol snatched them and neatly parallel parked in under 39 seconds with one hand on the steering wheel, right in front of your eyes. Your chest felt itchy as you watched on. 

This left you, Jihyo, Jun, Seungkwan, and Seokmin doing measly jobs, like zipping up the tents so that flies wouldn’t enter them, offering water to the rest who were almost done, wandering aimlessly, or just sleeping (this was Jihyo). You were a bit restless and, in all honesty, didn’t like just sitting in silence. It was almost 12, and you were sure you weren’t the only one feeling famished. With the sun rising and reaching its peak, the clearing wasn’t offering much coverage to your (now) sweating bodies. The sweltering autumn heat would only get worse with the hunger. 

When all was done and set up, you all rested in a circle outside your tents in the gravel clearing, and plans for lunch were quickly made. Your pots and pans were quickly put to use, and hot water turned to ramen broth. Sides of meat were grilled, and pre-packed sides were quickly emptied. You opted for chewing fast, huffing your meal in a matter of seconds. Seungcheol watched on in disapproval, and he tried to push more soup into your bowl, but you pulled away with a tongue out in mockery. It was fun to pull his leg, especially when he was trying to make life easier for you. You set yourself up and quickly washed your dishes. 

Seungcheeol didn’t know how to feel. He watched as you washed, posture slightly frigid, working the suds on the cutlery, and grabbing Chan’s plate before he could interfere and made work of washing his too. He just wanted you to rest, enjoy the getaway for what it was. He just wanted to sit by your side for a bit longer, nag on you for a bit before feeding you a spoonful of anything at this point. It seemed that every moment you got had to be shared with the others, or with you burying yourself in tasks so you could avoid your own thoughts. He knew from a young age that you were the responsible type: you carried medicine almost everywhere, often carried extra toothbrushes, woke up early, left work last, and helped your juniors with tutoring during high school (and University). He was sure that if you could, you would be doing almost everyone’s work. He knew you did it out of care for others, but at what point did you lose the light in your eyes? He couldn’t help but watch on as you once again let yourself work on a day that was supposed to be yours as much as everybody else’s. He couldn’t help but be antsy for the rest of the day, up to the evening, when a bonfire marshmallow evening was planned. 

-

The bonfire required wood logs to be cut into thin strips, enough for the flames to consume into the late night. Joshua brought his trusty camping axe and was off in a corner doing his own thing, which wouldn’t be a problem if it weren’t for the evening to darken by the minute. 

You were listening to the mundane conversation between friends. Seungcheol, Jihoon, and Hansol had gone to the reception to rent some extra fans for the night and some extra lamps. The conversation had gone idle at some point, and feeling bored, you carried your phone onto Joshua’s side and used the flashlight on your phone to help him out. 

“Thank you, your majesty, for your kind sacrifice,” he said as you used your flashlight to brighten his work surface. The rhythmic sounds of the axe falling onto the logs were rather nice, with the sounds of the insects and beetles buzzing in the distance. 

He was grunting, with the lungs of an elderly lumberjack, when curiosity got hold of you. 

“Hey, wanna switch real quick? I wanna try it too,” You asked, and he gave you a nod before exchanging spots. 

The axe was small, and you made quick work of it as Joshua illuminated the rest of the bundle of logs. 

On the other side of your clearing, Seungcheol, Jihoon, and Hanson had returned from their expedition with their loot of the day. 

Seungcheol wanted to hand you the heat patches he picked up at the reception, but he couldn’t catch your eye, not until he noticed you chopping wood in the distance as Joshua laughed on. 

He didn’t understand why, but it was at this moment that he felt the frustration of a few months build up as he walked on towards where you were giggling with Joshua. 

- 

“Why can’t you just sit down for a while?” He had immediately asked, when you slammed down the axe for the nth time, breaking a log into three. 

In all honesty, Seungcheol heard the aggression in his own tone. He seldom spoke to anyone in this way, especially you, but seeing you run around, washing dishes on your own day off, seemed to just anger him more. 

“Oh, you’re back, it’s nothing, I just wanted to have a try, and Josh let me.” Obviously, you heard the anger in his voice. You tried to bite your tongue, keep the conversation chill, and explain the situation. You knew Seungcheol got extra protective about you helping out more than you needed to, but what could you do? You understood, but how much more could you understand? “We were just finishing up as-”

“Yeah, I can see that, but don’t you get tired after doing shit all day? You’ve been up since five and drove us idiots, around, then you washed everyone’s fucking dishes. Now you can’t sit still for a few hours and have to cut down some stupid logs. I can’t understand you sometimes. Almost 15 years of friendship, and I can’t seem to understand if you’re just a fucking control freak who has to do everyone’s job, or if you just need to have things done your way. If you didn’t know, this is also your day off.”

His voice seemed to grow louder with every word as Joshua tried to usher him down. Seungcheol’s hands were clenched in fists as he grew frustrated and looked into the sky. He just couldn’t understand why you just couldn’t sit down. Enjoy a beer with him or two, laugh along, sleep in late, and be irresponsible. 

You watched on as he ranted at you. You couldn’t quite believe his words, his aggression, and where exactly it was rooted, and the reasons for his sudden anger. The ax seemed a bit heavier in your palm as you felt the world sinking on you. Even Mingyu and Wonwoo’s conversation from the clearing seemed to shut up.

“Is that what you really think of me? A control freak?” You snorted as you felt your eyes burning, “You must think I’m insane if I’m just going to listen to you say all this bullshit. I don’t know if this is your misplaced anger for some other stuff, but I really don’t understand what crawled up your ass. I don’t know if you’ve been listening to me, Seungcheol, but I CHOSE to drive. I chose to wash the dishes, and if you listened to me just earlier, I was the one who asked Joshua to let me try. I understand you want me to rest, but I can’t help it if this is how I do it. Gosh, you can be so fucking annoying.”

He was about to retort, but you quickly shut the conversation down by resting Joshua’s axe on the wooden stump and walked off to the sink to wash your hands. 

“Apologies for that, guys. I think I’ll be sleeping a bit early tonight. Don’t really feel up for it tonight.” You waved warmly at the concerned looks your friends gave you as you unzipped your tent. 

Right before you could close the flap, in the distance, you saw Jeonghan making his way towards Joshua and Seungcheol. 

-

Later, when Hyeri turned her face towards you, she patted your cheek. 

“You’re not ok,” she said to herself, mostly.

“Do you also,” you sucked in some air, “think I’m some sort of control freak?”

“I don’t, and Seungcheol was stupid for that, insanely. Jeonghan almost ripped him a new one earlier, and I think he was too tired of watching you get tired.” She paused and got up, quickly, grabbing something from her bags. “He told me to give you these, by the way,” and offered you some heat patches for muscle pain. 

You looked at them silently. “I don’t understand him.”

“That’s what you think.” She whispered, “I think he needs to get his shit together and learn to just confess. I think you should also. Just blasting you out in front of all of us and insulting you was stupid, but I get what he was trying to say, in some way i suppose.” 

You looked at her, in mock betrayal. 

“Let me finish before you silence me in the woods,” she cleared her throat, “I think he tends to hover around you a lot, and it’s because he cares for you. He loves you. The way he expressed it tonight was wrong, and I think that’s a conversation for the two of you to have, but I think calling him annoying would also be incorrect. He’s always been there for you, and so have you.” She chose her next words carefully before continuing. 

“This is not me defending him, by the way. Jihyo quite literally had to hold back earlier. We love you a lot. We love you in ways that can’t be expressed, and so does he, just not only platonically. Maybe it’s been building up in his head for a while, just seeing you in this almost fanatic work state.”

“I don’t know what to say to him, or how to fix this.”

“You guys will figure it out, give it a good night’s rest.” 

- 

Breakfast was a quick affair of sandwiches, cereal, porridge, yoghurt, and coffee. It was spent in silence. Jun offered you some of his milk, which you gulped half of, before handing it back to him. You appreciated it. The love they gave you, in the form of a cup of milk, or in the form of a bowl of porridge, passed your way.

When it was time to go, you found Seungcheol and Minghao already waiting at your car. 

You felt a bit unsure, almost expecting Seungcheol to join, maybe Jeonghan, in his car, but seeing his face, neutral next to Minghao’s faint smile, was not as bad as you thought it was going to be.

-

“I’m sorry. I wanna seriously apologize for my words yesterday. I called you a control freak, which was totally wrong.” 

The area was silent. Minghao was in the bathroom of the rest stop, and you and Seungcheol were leaning against your car, windows open to let it all air out. 

You hummed, hearing him and nodding as you looked off into the parking lot. 

“It was wrong of me to bombard you and interrupt you and make it sound like you were doing something wrong. I know I said I didn’t understand you, but I really do. The way I expressed my care, sorry, I think it wasn’t care last night, especially with everyone there, was extremely demeaning to you and our friendship. I know you’re tired too, and yet you still do above and beyond, and I just crashed out on you. That was really shitty of me, and I wanted to apologize. You don’t have to forgive me at all. I just wanted to say my piece.”

“I wanna say sorry too. I called you annoying, and I know you just wanted me to chill. I don’t forgive you. Not yet, at least. I know we don’t usually argue for long, but I feel like maybe there was some honesty in between the stuff that was said last night.”

He cleared his throat, and the silence was uncomfortable for a bit, until you spoke up. 

“What was your whole point? Your agenda, because I for the life of me can’t exactly figure out why you were acting that way. Sure, some of it was general care for an old friend, but what exactly was it that caused you to go batshit crazy on me?”

He hesitated for a bit. You didn’t want to see his face at the moment. 

“I wanted to share a meal with you. In silence, maybe you would speak, or maybe I would, but I wanted to have this, for us, which we haven’t had in a while. I know, looking back, it was a bit stupid, but I just wanted you to relax, and maybe we could have some time alone, together.” 

“Seungcheol, the whole group was pretty much there. How could we even be alone?” You turned to look at him, questioning his logic a bit. You went silent when you realized he was already facing you. 

You had realized early on that Choi Seungcheol could keep a poker face. It came in handy when you guys worked on projects together and had to face tricky CEOs and their ever-obedient assistants. You realised he held his composure when your friends’ drunk antics got on his nerves. He even held his happiness for his promotion when he found out his co-worker hadn’t been chosen. He did that a lot, now that you stop to think about it. 

But never really with you. Maybe it was the way his eyes shone clearly, and though they had never exactly dulled in front of you, you were happy to see them with clarity in front of you, even though the current situation between the two of you had now been shaken. Maybe it would help if you also took a step forward and were clear with him.

Your phone chimed against your pocket, bringing the conversation to a brief standstill.

new! 

minghao: u love birds figure it out. I left with jun. love u guys tho pls don’t k word me

You stepped forward into the car, this time taking the initiative to sit in the passenger seat. 

“Get in, Cheol. Minghao already escaped with Jun. 

let’s get you that meal you promised.”

October 🍻 (all over again)

September had been great, had been new. You’d taken three days off to go strawberry picking, Solo-restauranting and joining a dance workshop. Seungcheol had initially been disappointed when you declined his offer for brunch on Saturday, but had been very excited to hear that you’d be driving off to Sokcho for their strawberries. September was restful and productive. But this one is about October. 

Another Friday night arrived. Soonyoung was again to your left, and Seungcheol, always your right-hand man. This time, you also agreed that you drank too much, your rock paper scissor game had officially tanked, and as you looked at the circle of friends playing games, you couldn’t help but giggle. Your shoulders were lax, and you were humming to yourself. It was a good night indeed. 

Eventually, it was you and Seungkwan who were the losers of another round of Red Ginseng. Seungkwan and you exchanged playful banter until you ultimately offered to take his shot as a punishment — the ultimate sacrifice. The clock was nearing one in the early morning, and your friends looked concerned. Perhaps even your shot would prove too much. 

As you picked up the shot glass and pulled it to your lips, you felt it being gently pried away. 

Clang,

Clang!

Two consecutive clangs of the now-empty shot glasses slammed down on the aged wooden table. 

The whole friend group watched silently as Seungcheol burned through the two punishment shots, yours and Seungkwan’s together one after the other. 

Oohs and Ahhs all erupted across the table, with Joshua muttering a gentleman, and Mingyu howling and hooting.

“That’s enough for tonight, guys,” Seungcheol said, victorious and giddy from all the chatter. 

- 

Your walk was rather rigid, and you felt as if your drawl was no longer as it used to be. You had no control of your limbs, yet you recognized the path home as you saw the elevator of your apartment complex inch closer and closer. You also inhaled the fragrance of charcoal, the deep foliage, and a burnt citrus: you were on Seungcheol’s back. 

Occasionally, you would ask him for piggyback rides when you were having a bad day, and he would almost always drive to your dorms with two cones of the same ice cream, pushing you to try to steal a bite while he would steal a glance. 

Now, you were in your living room, head dead on his lap. His fingers tapped your shoulders in an uneven rhythm, surprising you gently as you stared at the balcony where occasional stars twinkled back at the two of you ambiguously. 

“Who handled the payment for dinner?” you had asked.  Tap.

“I did. Don’t worry. I paid for yours too.” He had answered. Tap.

“Who took Soonyoung home?” You had asked. Tap.

“He didn’t drink tonight.” He’d answered. 

“Who took me home?” Tap.

“I did,” Tap.

“Who’s gonna take you home?”

“Taxi.” He slurred. Tap.

“Stay,” 

“Okay.”

tbc ˎˊ˗

⇜ PREVIOUS | CURRENT | NEXT ⇝

Which led to the current scenario, where he watched you gulp down a shot that wasn’t yours in the first place. You did it often, feeling paternal for the younger ones (which they were barely), and he saw the wince you took as the alcohol burned its way down your throat. It was as if the world was at half-speed. Everyone was cheering you on, but from his point of view, everyone’s voices were malfigured— almost haunting. 

He’d liked you for a good while now. He remembered seeing you join his and Jeonghan’s class back in high school, and he considered himself a goner since then. You had a hard time at first, since the class had travelled together from elementary to their bubbling teenhood. Seungcheol was proud to think that he took you under his wing, but if Joshua heard any of that, he’d laugh in Seungcheol’s face. 

Rather, it was you who took Seungcheol under your coat. 

Seungcheol was the youngest in his family, but at school, he could break from those rules placed on him and earned respect on his own terms. Class president, Captain of the Football team, friends with the cafeteria ladies, Top of the class, almost any achievement, and Seungcheol would already have it grasped or was on his way to making it. 

When you guys initially became friends, he felt the need to prove himself to you, as well. He’d always felt a pang of happiness when he’d been picked first for the seekers team when playing hide and seek at the ripe age of eight. He’d grown out of it, of course, but he couldn’t help but try to grab your bag one day, as you both walked home after school. 

The sky was turning more ochre by the second. It was going to be six any moment, and yet, both of your steps only grew slower. His panting had stopped earlier when you both dropped by the convenience store for ice cream. Football practice today was extremely brutal. He’d argued with a junior in the locker room before apologizing and running off to the school entrance, where you’d been waiting, smile on your face. Your eyes sparkled a lot back then. 

Without really thinking about it, he took your bag from your back and added to his load. 

You stopped and looked at him.

“Don’t carry my bag, especially when you’re tired. You don’t always have to be the strong one.” 

And without looking at his face, you’d snatch your bag and take his football bag in one go and run forward. 

He huffed, a smile on his face, and chased after you, the weight on his shoulder a tad lighter, watching you scurry on ahead.

Your youthful figure transitioned to the bent version of yourself in front of him, hoisting Hyeri’s almost-limp self off your hip. His head shook at this memory as Soonyoung coughed against his shoulder in the elevator. When did you find the time to take care of everyone, even mighty Choi Seungcheol? He’d then watched you hunch your back, unlacing Hyeri’s shoes before setting Soonyoung onto your couch easily, then preparing water for you. 

You’d dragged yourself onto his shoulders eventually. His stomach was still hungry for something. He didn’t know when he’d get to sit down with you and rest. He was tired, but he knew about your state too. To him, the silent was daft. It was dense, but not uncomfortably so. It was only uncomfortable because his throat felt scratchy, for what he was thinking but did not know how to phrase. He wished you could see yourself the way he saw you. A precious friend who also deserved to be protected and hidden away. 

“Why’d you do it?” He'd finally murmured, after thinking long. 

“What did I do, Cheol?” You had hissed, most likely from pain. 

To you, it was just another unforgettable moment, but to him, it was as if time stood still when he watched you slip the drink in without much complaint and restraint. Even though he was worried, he'd collected his thoughts and formulated a neutral response. “Drink Soonie’s punishment shot. You know you didn’t have to, right?” He couldn't help but press against your temple. He knew alcohol often left you in shambles. 

“I know, but I wanted to.”

He felt such fondness wrap around him as he heard your genuine response. Your voice sounded vulnerable in a way it hadn’t in a while. It was as if Seungcheol was transported back to the days of your youths, enjoying summer nights with ice cream battles and football practices all over again. Of course, he’d missed the days you all spent carefully, up to the tears he had shed at graduation, thinking you looked like a bright, summery dream in your own graduation cap. Now, in his eyes, he felt as if you had been shrinking as the days passed by, constantly cocooned in work. Seungcheol couldn’t think back to the last time when the two of you enjoyed a simple meal where he felt your shoulders droop, in happiness. He’d like to plan something soon enough, if you’d let him, that is. 

He’d waited until your breathing slowed, your body limp, and helped you into bed. Seeing the two girls sleeping side by side, he uttered a quiet confession next to your sleeping ears. 

“I want to be the strong one for you.” 

Knife-cut noodles 🍜 

Wonwoo had actually asked Seungcheol out for lunch earlier, but he had declined. It wasn’t because Seungcheol wasn’t hungry, but more so because it was a Tuesday. The only day when both you and Seungcheol could have lunch together. On Tuesdays, Seungcheol’s Lunch breaks started a whole thirty minutes earlier than yours, meaning he was free to travel around and had time to drive into Gangnam for no apparent reason. He was just loitering during his break. Of course. 

The two of you had called in late at night while you prepared your presentation, and he was sipping tea by your side, going through his unanswered emails. Sleep came to him especially late, and not until he heard your tired snores erupt through his speaker.

He felt guilty when he found out that Wonwoo eventually ended up leaving an important file behind at some random restaurant and saw your messages. Already on the way, he sent some messages into the group chat, only for them to fall on silent (more so distracted) ears. 

He almost stumbles into Mrs Kong’s restaurant, seeing a rather grumpy man at the front desk. 

“My friend, file, forgot it here.” He somehow lets out, breath almost lost from running into the store. Parking was insane around this area.

The uncle looks on, unimpressed. 

“You’re late, son. A pretty lady already picked it up looooong ago!” The man said with an attitude unbecoming of such a kind, youthful, and old face.

Seungcheol internally groaned. He knew how ambitious you were. He knew how amazingly well you were able to handle time crunches. He was the same; the two of you were cut from similar cloth. It was a bit amazing when he stopped to look at your work ethic from afar, but as the man who’d been in love with you for quite some time, he had understood well enough how anxious and nervous you probably got. If he was calculating your lunch break and driving time, you were probably only reaching your office by now. 

“Forget it then,” Seungcheol looked at the name tag on the uncle’s flower vest, “Uncle Pi Cheolin, may I have noodles to go?” 

The man grunted and punched in his order.

“With extra sesame oil, please.”

-

By the time Seungcheol reached your branch in Gangnam, curls of broth followed around him. The cold winter didn’t help, especially with the way his stomach was grumbling in this harsh wind. Seungcheol flashed his employee card, which honestly should’ve been an alarming notion to the receptionist on your floor. Why would an employee from the Yeouido Branch be at the Gangnam branch during work hours? But the receptionist knew you well, and by relation, knew Seungcheol well, who flashed an extra cheesy smile at Dahyun, who rolled her eyes in amusement. 

He left the insulated bag with warm noodles at your desk, fretting with its position on your table for a few minutes before ultimately scratching off the price of the food. He’d never do that to you. And he meant it, almost thirty minutes later, when he immediately sent you your money back. (He was genuinely surprised at how well you were able to estimate the price. A close 28,600 Won, for anyone wondering.) He felt terrible for lying to you about his own lunch, but he didn’t want you to feel guilty for his own impulsive decision. 

As he spent the rest of his self-proclaimed break in his car with a simple cheese kimbap, he hoped that you were genuinely enjoying your meal heartily. 

- 

“Seungcheol, hey! I’m really sorry for not clearing stuff with you about the folder. I feel bad that I wasted your time, and also hers. I know she didn’t get to have lunch, and I’m sure the commute also sucked ass for you,” Wonwoo’s muffled voice came from his phone that evening. 

“Oh, Wonwoo, don’t worry about it! It was also wrong of me to still go even though she clearly mentioned going. It was rash of me as well.” He’d said after a while, humor in his voice about the whole thing as he recounted the events internally. 

“It was rather rash, I’m not gonna lie, especially for you Coups,” Wonwoo whispered, “but you’ve always been like that when it involves her,” He teased.

Seungcheol’s hands stopped stirring the pot as he listened to Wonwoo’s joking words seriously. 

Seungcheol settled for a “Yeah, you’re right.”

Carrots and mushrooms 🥕 🍄‍🟫 

Seungcheol had an amazing day. One of the best weekends he’d had in a while. He’d gathered with some of the guys and had a great game of foot volleyball on Saturday, following it up by sleeping in on Sunday, which he hadn’t done since that time he’d caught a cold. Lunch had been a casual affair, boiling water for a boring flavor of cup noodles. His eyes were swollen, and he was slightly hungover, but even the boring broth of the cup noodles enticed his taste buds, especially with that dull thrum behind his eyes. 

When he’d woken up at 11, he’d texted you for maybe a quick lunch, but you’d refused, citing some work plans which left him dejected, which he openly expressed with a big thumbs down emoji. It would’ve been funny if it weren’t for the next 12 thumbs down emojis that followed, consecutively. No worries, though. He’d surprise you some other day and let you cool down on your own for the next 12 hours before Monday. Dreaded Monday, where the often sleeveless hoodie-wearing Seungcheol donned monotone, corporate wear, and his often crass language was replaced with finance jargon that nobody cared for. 

He planned to rest until the evening, but a sudden alarm at 4pm awoke him from his Netflix binge. 

Crap.

Crap indeed, because the rate at which Seungcheol wore a clean pantsuit set and the closest tie must’ve been a new record. By 4:22pm, he’d been out of his door, and by 4:48pm, he reached the wedding venue with 12 minutes to spare. Talk about being on a time crunch! 

Seungcheol greeted the groom and his family at the entrance, along with the bride’s family, and an old coworker at his previous company. He’d entered the hall, passing off the wedding gift in a grey envelope before walking over to his assigned table, where Joshua had already been seated. A side hug and a quick toast later, Joshua and Seungcheol cheered the newlyweds on. 

“Dude, what time will you arrive on Thursday?” Joshua had asked once the conversation had dulled. 

“For Seungkwan and Eunha’s match? Probably 5, after work.” He had concluded.

“Dude, Eunha’s injured. Our dear Gangnam branch head took over Eunha. I would think she would’ve told you earlier with how much she’s awaiting her victory,” Joshua had laughed, but Seungcheol didn’t feel like laughing. He knew you kicked butt at badminton. He also knew that you and Seungkwan played in high school. Seungcheol also knew you’d have to leave work early on Thursday for it. He didn’t know that you were going to be joining as a player until today. He processed his emotions, his head suddenly empty despite the commotion of wedding festivities around him. It wasn’t the fact that he wasn’t informed (that was a lie, he was dying and had flowers blooming out of his lungs, hanahaki style) but the fact that he knew for a fact that you’d been busy. With more collaborations between the Yeouido branch and Gangnam branch, he knew you’d been swamped. Seungcheol himself was drained, which was why he took the initiative to enjoy his weekends to the fullest. Hearing that you added more responsibility to your own plate caused him to unknowingly shiver. 

“Oh yeah, she’s probably still stuck in practice. But she said she’d finish up by six.”

Before leaving the hall, he couldn't help but take a picture of the sky.

- 

Seungcheol stopped by a nearby grocery store before letting himself into your home. His shoes were neatly arranged, and he had removed his coat in frustration, leaving it on your couch. But he only felt guilty and solemnly moved it to your coat rack along with his tie. 

Seungcheol breathed in and exhaled. He didn't know why he was feeling so exasperated about this whole situation. You were a grown adult who could make choices, such as the way you handled your time, your work, and most importantly, your friendships and relationships. The last time he'd been this frustrated with you was in college, when you'd applied for a TA's position while being sick and juggling a part-time job at the convenience store. He'd only been forgiven for blasting you out in your private DMs after he bought you ice cream for two days, consecutively, at the convenience store you worked at. (You folded rather quickly, looking back. But this was Choi Seunghceol we were talking about.)

The first thing he noticed when you walked in was the slight limp. He was humming a random melody and saw you in your badminton kit. It had been a while since he last saw you in sportswear, but you looked flushed. You didn't look surprised, and he wanted to smile at you when you smacked him, but he held back, still pretending to hold up the upset facade. 

The mushrooms were sizzling in the pan, and the strong scent of sesame oil was sizzling into the tiles of the room. He knew you were watching from behind, and he finally broke the silence.

"Carrot and mushroom stir-fry," Seungcheol pouted, upset and hiding his slight frown from you. He thought you had nodded until he heard the doors to your bedroom close, with muffled water streams following afterwards. 

Seungcheol dutifully continued to prepare the rest of the meal. He heard you setting up the table. In his head, he couldn't help but internally squeal at how domestic this all was. He shifted his eyes to the sight of his coat and tie next to your badminton bag on the coat rack and couldn't help but think of what it would feel like if this were the norm. His heart began to race, but he broke out of his trance when some oil from the pan popped and sizzled onto his hand that was stirring the contents. 

-

It didn't feel like an argument when Seungcheol began to express his doubts, frustrations, and worry about you, at first initially. But things change when emotions get involved, and he knew he struck a nerve when he mentioned questioning your actions. He knew he crossed a line somewhere there and almost retracted, if it weren't for the way you brushed off the conversation and tried to divert it into your casual banter. 

“Why are you even here? to lecture me?” You had said, mimicking a child's voice to the best of your abilities. 

Seungcheol didn't accept the olive branch immediately. He ignored the way you looked at him as he piled food into your own bowl, when he mentioned what had truly, honestly hurt him. he was shocked that he actually mentioned it to you, when he'd been denying it to himself all night. 

"Josh told me you said yes to Seungkwan today, and that your practice would finish up by six. And also that you’ve been preparing for a week already. Just knew you’d be too tired to cook,”

He felt a bit embarrassed. It wasn't like you guys were dating or married and you'd have to inform him of every life choice you'd make, especially those that had no concern for him. Maybe it hurt that perhaps even after all this time, you might still consider him just a friend tagging along for the ride, not as a genuine companion, be it platonically or romantically. 

He brushed all his thoughts aside as he started washing the dishes. He enjoyed the feeling of you dragging his folder sleeves, begging him to give you your sponge and dishwashing liquid, and he had only pouted and told you to go rest, sternly. He had also watched you waddle onto your couch, as he cleaned up the kitchen and table from the neat mess he made, before finally settling down on the couch next to you, comfortably wordless. 

He'd left late that night, but not before giving you a long hug and exhaling a brief apology into your hair. 

-

seungkwan boo

you: seungkwan where r u?

you: hello r u ok???

you: shes alone and ur Match is in like 7 mins wtf 

you: vro 

seungkwan boo: bathroom not too good rn 

seungkwan boo: I don't wanna leave it like this but i can't play rn

you: can I borrow ur extra jersey

Seungcheol snagged his shirt off in front of everyone. He didn't care that girls and guys from the neighbourhood were ogling at his figure, not when his eyes could only focus on the way you seemed to walk towards the court, your shoulders slumped. He shrugged on Seungkwan's Jersey, ignoring the way his biceps were restricted, and exchanged his shoes with Mingyu's. He also welcomed himself to your spare racket (the crazy expensive one, of course). 

A lot of people didn't know that the only reason he wasn't a badminton player was that he was only a slightly better football player, and boy, did he play football. He squared himself and jogged onto the court, catching up behind you. 

When Seungcheol joined you on court, he couldn't help but feel his pulse jump, enjoying the relief in your eyes. He got into position. His phone buzzed as he signed his name on the referee's sheet. It went ignored. 

-

new!

seungkwan boo: im otw onto court, I'm okay now! 

-

The only thing Seunghceol could think of was you shaking him with a force unprecedented. He could only smile, gummy and eyes crinkled in joy as you took this surprising victory alongside him. 

He could only relish in the hug you gave him, hearing the hoots from the court-side, after he felt the racket fall from his palm. 

Outside was a different story. He felt shy, as if he was stuck with his crush against his will (Half-true, Seungcheol would say). Seungcheol saw the silver medal sparkle against your chest, and he was proud. incredibly. He had wanted to say so much, but it seemed that all you left him nowadays was speechless. 

“I’m sorry,” you had started, “I know you were only worried that night, and I kinda just brushed you off. Have been brushing you off for a while now. I’m sorry you also found out from Joshua. Didn’t think it was that important.”

Your apology left him a bit surprised, but he covered it up with a response of his own, thanks to his quick thinking. he had genuinely apologised for his actions, hating the way the two of you had only shared brief conversations over the course of four days. 

“Just, care for yourself more.” He added, thoughtfully, “I’m also sorry. You just came back from a tiring day, and I questioned you like a crazy boyfriend in your own home.” He stepped closer, and with it came the two of you sharing a bubble of breath. He could taste the salt in the air, the humidity in the air, and most importantly, the brief tension that had arisen from his bold move. 

He then further made another bold move by comparing himself to a crazy boyfriend, which somehow broke the tension, yet made it stronger. Average Choi Seungcheol moment (you would've said, if it weren't for your own tongue being rendered useless). 

Eventually, the moment eased down, and all he could feel was how carefree he felt when you were around. His whole body felt weightless, and in this moment, he felt as if he were the luckiest man alive to share such intricate, minuscule moments in your presence. 

He had said something to break the silence and had thought back to various moments of his own sports achievements, with you by his side through most of them, of course.

A moment flashed behind his eyes as he remembered a random football game against some random elementary kids, where he'd shot an almost deflated football into the makeshift goal, but not before screaming out your full name and professing it was all for you.

Another time, when he'd been running a potato sack race, and he fell on his face, getting scratches along his cheekbones and lips, a fiery urge to win because his competition included a pretty-boy junior (poor Chan), you tutored in your free time. 

And the latest one, where he remembered looking at your face as it crumpled in euphoria from this joint win. If only he were stronger, he would've confessed brightly into your ears about how much he adored you. 

Looking at you, his determination to transition further from friends ignited a tiny bit more. 

“You’re Choi Seungcheol, our batch’s crazy, competitive, corporate boy.” You chuckled at him. 

He was crazy, competitive, was in love with you, worked in corporate, and did he mention, in love with you?

Soup and rice 🥣

Seungcheol had a terrible day if he was going to speak from the heart. He tried to find some silver lining along the course of the day, but all he could think about was how a new intern spilled their 'matcha of the day' onto his favorite shirt, which you had gotten him. It was a hot day, and the only way he could cover it up was by wearing his stupid coat. The same intern then, somehow cc'd a spam email to almost everyone in the building, which left Seunghcheol's monitor gone for a good thirty minutes, leaving him to read and reply to meetings on his phone. And most importantly, his car was left at the mechanic overnight due to some overheating. He got home by walking. He was going insane in this overworked summer heat. 

But at least, if he was having a bad day, he knew someone who was probably having a worse one: you (affectionately, of course)! Because reaching home at ten, an empty stomach after a long day, to see your building's elevator wonky, would mostly ruin his day. At least Seungcheol lived on the third floor. You lived on the seventh, typical city girl. 

bane of existence 🥰

bane of existence 🥰: just got off of work and u won’t believe my frickin chungus life rn 

you: wtf it’s like 10 y did u just finish work 

you: what happened 

bane of existence 🥰: long story BUT my apartment elevator is BROCKEN

you: 😂😂😂😂😂😂

bane of existence 🥰: u have NOTHINF to be laughing about . Now im about to be tired AND hungry 😂💔😂💔😂 

bane of existence: at least no work tmr 😎

It had only taken those messages for his hunger to erupt in his stomach. It was late, and he took a taxi to the closest convenience store near your apartment building. 

He would cook you a meal, but he was exhausted. And, he was sure you'd understand! Which was why his basket contained Triangular Kimbaps, electrolytes, Probiotic yoghurts, Convenient Lunch boxes, and four ice creams, all of the same flavour that you'd been picking since your immature days in high school. 

As he made the trek to your apartment unit, he couldn't help but feel his breath huff between his throat. It was uncomfortable, but knowing you, you would immediately sleep the hunger off, all in the day's exhaustion. He started climbing up the stairs faster, ignoring your old flip-flops outside of a random sixth-floor unit. 

When he finally beeped in your apartment code, he was surprised at the silence. No shoes, no work bag, Heck, even your car keys weren't in their usual spot. He made the brave decision to stock up the food in your fridge, and finally walked into your bedroom, seeing the door open. 

It was an invasion, but he pressed his ear in the direction of your bathroom, not hearing your shower. The room, however, had fresh notes of fragrance. He finally put down his thinking brain and gave you a quick call. 

“I’m in your house, where are you?” his voice let out, worried and anxious. 

“Why are you — actually, forget that, you being here is perfect. Come down to unit 603, I need your help with something.” 

-

He was put to work almost immediately. It was a good way to unwind, and surprisingly, he didn't mind it. He sewed eyes into teddies, diligently, and politely swooned at Granny Han. Granny Han also smiled at the young man's antics while you looked on endearingly. Eventually, Seungcheol's eyes began to wander.

“What is your Portable Air conditioner doing here?” Seungcheol had asked with the sewing needle between his teeth, “How are you going to sleep tonight?” 

When he heard that you'd been sleeping in the living room for a few days, he almost flew out of his metaphorical chair (since the two of you were comfortably lounging on the floor) 

“I’d been missing my alarm for work. Sleeping in the living room causes me to be uncomfortable enough to wake up straight away,” you had answered, unbothered.

Seungcheol couldn't believe it right now. His best friend was on the floor of her living room because she was missing her alarms. It couldn't help that you'd been doing overtime now, and that meant coming home late. He couldn't exactly imagine your state at your own abode, which was supposed to be a restful, safe space. 

He had called you stupid (which you were honestly being), and before the conversation could escalate, Granny Han bought steaming bowls of food. He was exceptionally grateful, since he had built up an appetite on the way to your place. 

-

It was twelve forty-three when Seungcheol had opened the door for the two of you. You had messily left your slippers next to the door, which he fixed for you, before scolding you gently. 

“Go to your room,” He had said, putting on his most intimidating voice.

“Cheol, just go back home.” You groaned (lovingly).

“I’m crashing over tonight, and I WILL be taking your couch. You have no choice but to sleep in your own room.” 

Now this was untrue. Despite the long years spent together, the two of you never stayed over. It was an unspoken boundary which rooted from the time he'd gotten drunk at college for the first time and woke up, hungover, on your bed, with you on the floor. He'd been ghastly and quite literally ignored you for two weeks afterwards. 

Seungcheol remembered that morning vividly. It was a Sunday, of course. You were drooling, and he couldn't help but swipe at it with his thumb. The sight of you waking up was making his heart race. He knew he had a tiny, stupid crush on you, but he was in college now! It was time to date around, get his heart broken once or twice, and that would be enough for him to remember that you guys were always just friends. He didn't realise that his lips frowned at the thought. His thumb almost made contact with your eyelids before he retracted when he realised what he was truly doing, and more importantly, where he was. He made eye contact with you and then- 

“Let’s just hang out for a bit before I crash for the night,” you offer, ignoring his blatant lie.

Seungcheol had already grabbed the ice creams and handed them to you. The two of you are already fitting each other on the floor. 

“Aw, is that why you came over tonight?” You teased.

“That — and a few other things.” 

In all honesty, Seungcheol had thought up a storm. He'd confess to you over dinner, then, depending on the situation, he'd offer you cream or the two of you would share a cone (or two). He'd smile to himself, and you'd steal some from him. 

Which wasn't that far from reality, minus the confession, of course. That would come later. Seungcheol purposefully left his ice cream hanging near you, allowing you to take sneaky bites, then playfully berating you. He couldn't help but laugh aloud, watching you try to take bites of his ice cream while he watched on. The stupidity of the ice creams being the same flavour, the fact that it was one, and that automatically made everything funnier. Seungcheol was having a blast, laughing along to your smile and even your smacks. Even when you slapped your palm over his mouth to shut him up, and he'd gotten nervously silent. He still laughed. 

His terrible day ended perfectly.

Pasta 🍝

Seungcheol was excited to visit Inje. He'd passed through the area, and from what he remembered, it was only a small county. With an elderly population, he knew there were vast farmlands and summer rays all around. When the group chat was deciding roles, he was planning to sign up as a designated driver, but he hesitated when he saw your name already signed up. 

bane of existence 🥰

you: I saw that you were gonna drive 

bane of existence 🥰: yess cheol I'm so excited were gonna have a BLAST. bonfire and marshmallows and allat 

you: heheh me tooooo

you: wanna split the driving tho? I can drive on the way back 

bane of existence 🥰: ohoh sure sure

you: so ill be w u in ur car, both ways 

bane of existence 🥰: u want me sooo bad 

you are typing...

Seungcheol was having cold feet. Not mentally, but physically. His feet were cold, and despite being in the peak of summer, his feet couldn't help but clamber up. It also was maybe because he was sitting next to you. He was acting all pouty, slightly angsty about having to wake up early, but it all disappeared when he looked to his left and saw you smiling to yourself. 

“When did you even have the time to make this?” Seungcheol chomped down on the baguette, “When did you even sleep?” He uttered under his breath, slightly envious at how perfect the sandwich had tasted (or maybe it had been his hunger speaking)

“Firstly, my precious Minghao, my precious Seungcheol,” Hearing such a random endearment, Seungcheol couldn't help but gulp down and look out the window, amused, “Chew before you speak. I can’t perform heimlich while driving,” you had paused, “I woke up at five, and slept early last night. Maybe ten?”

Seungcheol couldn't help but feed you, realising how small you felt in the car, hat on your head, ready for the holidays together. He didn't retract his fingers when he brushed against your cheek. You didn't mention anything either, mouth focused on chewing, eyes focused on the road, and ears focused on turning red. Seungcheol pretended not to notice. 

-

Seungcheol noticed the way you rested after driving, which was rare. He never really got to see you rest nowadays. Back when life was simpler, He'd remember grabbing ice cream with you almost every day after class, and eating lunch rowdily in the canteen with you, Jeonghan, and Joshua. Simpler, golden days. 

He grabbed your things and tried making it easier for you, if only you would let him. The others saw the way you were restless, trying to help around, passing on water to everyone. he ven almost caught trying to remark Seungkwan's car, which he thankfully stopped by doing it himself. He purposefully flexed his arm while doing it, not that he'd admit it to anyone. 

Seungcheol also settled into his tent, which was a bit further away from yours. Jeonghan had already put his stuff down, and he changed out his now sweaty shirt for a new, crispy T-shirt. 

It was tiring, of course. He was happy, though, to be around his friends, all sweaty and tired. It would be bad to be tired alone, but there was a sort of fruitful happiness that came with being tired and exhausted together. 

Seungcheol helped with Lunch. He helped hand in hand with the grilling of meat and passed meat off to everyone as they lined up. He watched as you passed the meat off and scarfed on your meal, mouth burning and all. If only you could slow down a bit so that maybe the two of you could eat together. But it was okay, you deserved to have a good meal after working so hard. He smiled to himself as he watched you scarf down your meal, a smile nobody really saw. When you came to place your bowl down, he tried ladling more soup into your bowl. The gall of you to give him tongue! He, of course, gave you a rivaling silly face in response. 

He watched as you detoured towards the sink and started washing your dishes. Sure, nobody signed up for it, and not that anybody really enjoyed it, but he hoped that you might just give him some company as he finally sat down to eat. You started scrubbing at the bowls and chopsticks instead. You became Chan's, Chan's became Wonwoo's, and eventually, you ended up just washing almost all the dishes. He watched on. He knew you were smiling while doing them, but the ease with which you took up the responsibility unnerved him a bit. A lot, actually. 

-

After Lunch, everybody went off to do their own thing. Jeonghan and Seungcheol went to play Foot Volleyball with Mingyu and Seungkwan while you lounged around with the others, catching up and discussing about nothing and everything. 

By the time evening came around, you guys realised that it was going ot be a hard night without fans inside, and bugs, seeing how dark it was becoming. 

Seungcheol took the opportunity to rent the items from the front desk, worrying about the rest. It was getting dark, and as much as he was tired, he didn't want anybody else to make the long trek away from the campsite to the entrance. 

Jihoon and Hansol walked slightly ahead of him, carrying some of the other items. The heat patches in Seunghcheol's packet seemed to weigh down on him. He'd picked them on impulse, getting reminded of your hunched posture and the way you seemed to stretch earlier today. 

"Dude, Seungcheol," Jihoon had broken the silence.

"Yeah?" Seungcheol had replied, not really paying attention.

"Are you okay?" Jihoon asked. 

Seungchoel could say yes, but he felt as if that were a lie to himself. He was doing well. His workload had decreased after the collaboration between his department's work was finished. He'd been consistent at the gym, He'd been eating good food, he'd been seeing his friends enough, and he'd called home almost every few days. Yet somehow, he wasn't fully satisfied with the way things were. Jihoon didn't need to hear all the tumultuous thoughts in his head. 

"I guess." He replied after a while. 

"If this is about her," Hansol turned back to look at Seungcheol, "I think it wouldn't hurt to be honest with her."

Seungcheol looked forward, seeing Jihoon and Hansol looking at him already. He smiled and nodded, thankful for their words.

-

Seungcheol stopped in his tracks when he first saw you hacking away at the wood in the corner. Everybody else asides from Joshua, was at the circle, enjoying their conversations, cracking open beers and sodas, but you weren't in the circle. No, you were at the darkening corner, laughing away, using a small axe to cut away at some logs. You were unbelievable. 

He couldn't help himself from walking ahead, shoving in front of Hnsol and Jihoon, who couldn't help looking at one another, worried about where this situation was going to go. 

It went quite terribly. 

“Why can’t you just sit down for a while?” 

“Oh, you’re back, it’s nothing, I just wanted to have a try, and Josh let me.” 

“We were just finishing up as-”

He didn't wanna hear it, at this moment especially. He was tired of seeing you run around all day. You seem to always be working, especially if he is around. Was it him? Was he the problem? Was there something about him that caused you to just go scatter around and do any task in your near vicinity that would cause you to ignore him? Or was it the need to have things done your way? Was it a control problem? Why did you always have to be involved, never catching a break, always there? Why couldn't you take a rest and let him take care of you for once? 

He couldn't hold back his tar-like, sticky, ugly feelings from erupting from his mouth, without a single thought of how it would feel to hear them. 

“Yeah, I can see that, but don’t you get tired after doing shit all day? You’ve been up since five and drove us idiots around, then you washed everyone’s fucking dishes. Now you can’t sit still for a few hours and have to cut down some stupid logs. I can’t understand you sometimes. Almost 15 years of friendship, and I can’t seem to understand if you’re just a fucking control freak who has to do everyone’s job, or if you just need to have things done your way. If you didn’t know, this is also your day off.”

The silence was uncomfortable and haunting. In your long years of friendship, Seungcheol had never spoken to you in such a way. Immediately, he wanted to retract and explain, apologise, or even add on. Joshua held on to his arm, trying to hold him back, but also to console him. It didn't really work. 

“Is that what you really think of me? A control freak?” 

No, never, I'm Sorry.

“You must think I’m insane if I’m just going to listen to you say all this bullshit. I don’t know if this is your misplaced anger for some other stuff, but I really don’t understand what crawled up your ass. I don’t know if you’ve been listening to me, Seungcheol, but I CHOSE to drive. I chose to wash the dishes, and if you listened to me just earlier, I was the one who asked Joshua to let me try. I understand you want me to rest, but I can’t help it if this is how I do it. Gosh, you can be so fucking annoying.”

Seungcheol was left standing alone as he watched you storm away. He felt like something in him was eroding. 

-

Jeonghan gave him an earful afterwards. But not before Hyeri almost grabbed his ears, drunk and angered. Thank you to Jihyo for redirecting her away. 

"I don't interfere in your relationship with her 'cus I know it's a sensitive topic between the two of you, but you've fucked up bad."

"I know."

"I mean, why the fuck would you say that to hear? I was all the way at the other side, and I heard the bullshit you were spewing. Ok, I get it, you love her to bits, and you got annoyed with her doing everything for everyone, but why didn't you talk with her, calmly, like any mature person would?"

"I know."

"You'd better get your act together and apologise properly."

"I know."

Sleep didn't come easily to either of you that night. 

-

Seungcheol didn't know if he wanted to thank Minghao or strangle him. 

You had taken him to a restaurant in the city. Seungcheol was ignoring the vibrations of his phone, settling into the seat as you two settled into a quaint restaurant. In a way, it was funny. The two of you were dressed in summery shirts, t-shirts with trees and flowers, wearing shorts in the heat. The two of you looked like tourists in your own city. 

Seungcheol had ordered an orange soda, and you had followed with the same. You had ordered a Carbonara, and Seungcheol also ordered the same. 

"Do you think we'll be okay, Cheol?" You'd asked innocently. 

"I think we will," Seungcheol replied. 

"I'm sorry we haven't hung out much. I know I declined on you a lot, and when we did have a meal the last two times, we were kind of tense. I'm sorry we haven't been able to hang out much. I would be annoyed too."

Seungcheol had nodded then and thought about his next words, carefully. 

"I think I wasn't annoyed at you. I was a bit, but also at myself. I kept on thinking, how can I help you out, but I never really talked to you much about it anyway. I never told you about how I felt about your workload that much anyway."

Your eyes were doe-like, listening earnestly. You felt a bit weightless, if you were being honest. 

"I kept trying to be by your side, but I think maybe I wasn't doing that well of a job-"

"No, Cheol never," You reassured him. 

"Isn't it funny that I was the one who fucked up last night, and here you are trying to comfort me?" He mused, honestly. 

You looked away, biting your lip. 

"I know that, you have your shit together. You're one of the most capable people I know. I'm amazed by how ambitious you are. I like how you live your life. You have worked so hard for everything that's in front of you right now. But there's still a part of me that wants you to need my presence, even if I'm just there. Actually, cut that, I wanna be strong for you. I know you don't exactly need it. But I just want to be yours. In any way, you'll have me." 

The carbonara was steaming in front of you. Your eyes were glossy as you listened to his earnest confession. 

Seungcheol's legs couldn't stop shaking. He had finally said what he'd been holding back for years. He wasn't planning for this at all. In his grand scheme of life plans, he had imagined confessing his dying love for you at the Eiffel Tower, making cryptic posts on Twitter, before hard launching you to the friend group, before they'd all laugh along and say"finally!"

"Seungcheol I-"

"We can talk about this later. Please, Eat. you didn't have dinner."

"And regarding what I just said. You can answer me later. Or never even, if you'd like us to forget about it. You can think about it at your own pace."

You had smiled at him and nodded.

He looked a bit dejected.

You stole some of his spaghetti while he was distracted anyways.

Sunny Side Up 🍳 (The last one!)

Seungcheol woke up on the floor of your apartment, head heavy. bicep heavy, too. Your head rested on his bicep, and he couldn't help but coo internally at the sight of your lips slightly parted and air escaping in quiet puffs. This was the second time he’d woken up beside you, and unlike his University self, he didn’t run away this time. Instead, he watched you as you woke up. He closed his eyes, worried this small sense of peace and happiness would go away too fast.

He thought back to the night before.

-

Clang,

Clang!

“That’s enough for tonight, guys,” Seungcheol said, victorious and giddy from all the chatter. 

-

"Guys. Don't mess around. usually she would offer her place as it's the closest, but she's very much drunk. Don't do stupid shit and get home safely." Seunghceol relayed to the group. 

"Hosh, since you didn't drink, you can take care of Wonwoo, Jihoon, and Jun, should be okay, right?" Seungcheol planned out. You were very much passed out on his back, looking serene with your smudged mascara. 

"Aye aye," Soonyoung saluted.

Seungcheol had delegated route plans to the sober members and tracked their locations as he walked you back to your place. It was a somber night. He thought back to your conversation with him at the pasta place, and your dynamic since. 

Things had gotten better, he would like to admit. The two of you tried to spend time together, away from work, on weekends. You had declined brunch, but Seungcheol had felt even more excited when he realised it was because you were doing things for your own happiness. He was the happiest when you invited him to your place the next day to make strawberry shortcake with the strawberries you had brought back from Sokcho. 

Sure, the two of you never brought up Seungcheol's love confession without the three words, but he could see a twinkle of admiration in your own eyes that mirrored his. Eh, but what would he know? He didn't mind as long as he was by your side and got to enjoy your presence without any sort of deadline or task on any of the two of your shoulders. 

Your eyes had sleep all over them, and without any sort of disgust, Seungcheol wiped at them with his own thumb. You had been awake, but you couldn't walk away from this feeling of eternal warmth that was encompassing you. 

"Cheol,"

He hummed, voice gruff from sleep. 

"Breakfast,"

"Let's make it together."

You had nodded into his chest in reply. Somewhere in there, you felt his heart bump and beat faster, and louder in retort. 

You cracked four eggs into the pan, letting the whites soak up the chill oil as a spicy scent filled the kitchen. Behind you, Seungcheol prepared rice with Seungkwan's Mother's marinated crabs. The scent of the marinade caused you to salivate from behind the pan. 

At the dining table, you sat facing the balcony, while he sat in front of you, protecting you from the light behind him. It was the early morning, and yet he had this dreamy glow encompassing him. 

He brushed his teeth in your bathroom, with you beside him. Looking back, you didn't realise how you never saw it with the two of you acting all domestic in front of everybody and yourselves, it was a cute sight, seeing you two act all lovey-dovey. 

Chika 

Chika

-

Seungcheol inhaled his food. You hadn't started yet, enjoying watching him as he stuffed his cheeks full of rice. Runny yolk ran between his bites, and yet he never made a mess on your table. 

"Choi Seungcheol, I like you."

Your dining table had specks of rice and chilli oil on it. Seungcheol looked at you, wide-eyed.

"I've liked you for a while now, actually. Maybe I never told you because I thought I never deserved this type of love, or maybe I just preferred to keep it to myself because of our precious relationship as friends."

He listened, shell-shocked. 

"I always shielded myself from things like comfort, and in a way, always thought I didn't really need it. But I was thinking about your words from August. I think in the way you always need to be around me, I think I'll always want you. You're a comfort to me. Someone who has always had my back, regarding even if it's stupid things like sewing up teddies, making me eat even if you're upset at me, drinking my shots for me, or even arguing with me over my well-being. In the same way you want me, I'll always want you. And I’m sorry if I never showed you that enough. I know it must’ve been hard, Cheol."

Seungcheol felt his eyes seering, and a second later, you disappeared and blurred from his vision. Tears blurred his sight, and you were by his side immediately. Your arms circled around him, and Seungcheol took in air, as if it were his first time ever opening his lungs into the world. His sobs racked your body. Seungcheol hadn't been expecting an answer. He was content with the days passing by regularly, and ignoring the lump in his heart and soul that screamed every time the two of you were together, if it meant comfort for you. 

"I love you, always and forever," He had whispered into your hair, after a while. “I’m always gonna regret not loving you openly. Thank you for liking me. Thank you.”

Your thumbs wiped away his tears. His own came to cup your cheeks and swabbed your own tears away, too. 

His forehead met yours, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He then pressed a kiss to your hairline.

You breathed in. He exhaled.

"May, I be, yours?"

"You've always been mine."

end ˎˊ˗

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hi guys! Firstly, I wanna thank each and every single one of you reading right now. Yes you! Thank you so much for your support. I always read fics but I wanted to try writing some of my own. I’m relatively new here, so I’m still getting the hang of reblogging culture, commenting and stuff like that :) I hope you guys can be patient with me in that regard. I was so shocked when I woke up to likes from you guys. In all honestly, I thought this would go silently unnoticed. Thank you for your love.

I wanted to dive more deeply into my characterisation of Seungcheol and the MC. if you're still here, thank you! in all honesty, I just wanted to write something but I didn't know what. I was just coming up with random scenarios. I wanted an mc that was helpful, but not exactly a doormat without boundaries. reading all your reblogs and comments were really the highlight of my day, in all honesty. Much love and thank you for the ride. I was thinking of making a bonus SMAU with twitter posts of their progressing friendship to Love story.

I hope you enjoyed reading. likes, reblogs and comments are always appreciated but never compulsory :3