#zuki

it´s not because you´re loud or trying to be the center of attention

you just have this easy way about you, the kind where conversations with strangers somehow turn into friendships without either of you realising when it happened

you easily float between groups like it's the most natural thing in the world

one day, you'll have lunch with girls from your class

and the next, you´re sitting on the bleachers with the skaters

you´re basically always booked and busy without ever planning anything properly

you´re everywhere

and somehow you fit in, anywhere, anytime

and no matter where you go,

you always show up like you just stepped out of a streetwear pinterest board

the funny thing is that your style doesn´t exactly match the image people would expect

you´re bubbly, super friendly, and the type of person who laughs easily and talks with your hands

but the way you dress is nowhere near as soft

baggy cargos that bunch up around your sneakers, oversized hoodies with faded graphics, silver rings stacked across your fingers and cool chains peeking out from your collar

your headphones are almost always hanging around your neck like an accessory

overall your outfits look like they belong to someone who might casually freestyle in a rap battle or drop a new track on soundcloud at like 2am

and people notice it,

especially the first time they meet you

there´s always that small moment where they expect one thing.. and then you open your mouth and start talking like the most approachable person alive

maybe it´s the stereotype that people unintentionally stick to

but usually it throws them off a little,

but somehow, in the best way possible

the shot callers are different tho,

everyone on campus knows about them,

not because they´re trying to be popular or anything, it just sort of happened?

they´re the type of group who somehow always end up where the fun is happening,

if there´s a late night skate session at the park; they´re there, if someone is hosting a random river picnic with speakers and snacks; they´re always in the middle of the grass, surrounded by everyone else

even when there´s a music studio session going on somewhere in the city at midnight, chances are at least two of them are invited and inside, arguing over beats

if there´s music, laughter and someone doing something slightly illegal (but harmless), it´s probably them

people started calling them the shot callers as a joke at first, kinda because they´re the guys who seem to decide where everyone ends up hanging out

but the name just.. stuck

they are the shot callers, and on campus it’s almost like every girl wants to be with them and every guys wants to be one of them

you´ve heard about them plenty of times, mostly through your friends, since some of the girls you hang out with float around their group too

and you’ve seen them around, more than once actually, but uo until now, their group might actually be one of the few people who you haven’t had a good yap with

⭒

the skatepark is loud when you arrive,

wheels scraping against concrete, music blasting faintly from someone´s portable speaker, a few guys are sitting along the ledge, arguing about something that sounds suspiciously like which rapper would win in a freestyle

it´s chaos and fun in the most natural way

you don´t make a big entrance,

you never do

you walk up beside your friends, sipping an iced drink and your sunglasses pushed up into your hair

but still, someone immediately notices you

´´yoooo yn!´´

another guy turns around, ´´yooo oh shit, you finally came!´´

you laugh, pointing at them accusingly, ´´after 15 invites i thought i´d show up for once,´´

´´about time bro,´´

someone daps you up like you´ve known them forever and you recognise him from a birthday dinner not too long ago

he immediately introduces you to his other friends and naturally get pulled in their conversation as they all start explaining stories about the worst kickflip of their lives

within two minutes you´re sitting on the concrete ledge with your knees pulled up, laughing like you´ve been there forever

because that´s your thing..

you just blend in

across the park ryul notices you immediately,

he´s leaning back against the metal railing, skateboard resting under one foot while he half listens to the conversation happening around him

someone is arguing about the new hiphop release, someone else is trying, and failing, to land a trick

but even through the midst of all the noise,

he hears you laugh

it's bright, and easy

the kind of laugh that makes people around you start smiling without thinking about it

he glances over,

you´re sitting with two of the guys, talking like you´ve known them for years,

your hoodie sleeves cover half your hands when you gesture, your cargos are way too big and your sneakers look worn in the best way possible

you look cool

not the try hard kind of cool

just, effortlessly cool

and the weird thing is, you’re not trying to impress anyone

you´re just there

talking and laughing, being you in the way that everyone seems to love

ryul´s eyes stay locked on you a little longer than he intended to

and for a brief second, you glance up,

almost like you could feel his gaze on you

and your eyes meet his

he's got that lazy, confident posture

one foot on his board, a slight smirk on his face, watching the group, not necessarily engaging in the loud banter of the guys next to him

there´s no awkwardness, no flustered reaction, you just give him a small nod, smiling that easy smile, like you´re nicely acknowledging that he exists

and then you go right back to the conversation you were having

ryul raises an eyebrow,

‘interesting..’

after that, he notices you around more often

not always, just whenever your friends go, and whenever you feel like going

skatepark, studio sessions, random late night food runs, and even a library hang out because an essay was due soon

and it doesn´t matter how little or how often you´re there

the same thing always happens,

people take you in and welcome you in whatever the plan is in that very moment

you just have that easy loving vibe,

and it pulls people in immediately

⭒

the studio is small, warm and smells faintly like energy drinks and takeout

music hums softly through the speakers while someone sits at the computer messing with a beat

you slip inside behind your friends, pushing the door shut with your foot

´´ynnnnnnn´´ someone sings out as soon as he sees you

3 heads turn immediately

´´she´s back!!!!´´

you laugh, dropping onto the couch, kicking your bag down beside your feet and someone hands you a drink before you´re even properly seated

´´what are you working on today?´´ you ask, shifting in your spot, comfortably settling into the big couch

the guy at the computer restarts the track,

and all the other guys naturally start bobbing their heads to the beat

you tilt your head, excitedly listening to the melody blasting through the speakers

´´i love that,´´ you nod approvingly

and soon enough, the guys are explaining their mixing boards, the word play they´re trying to get across and how the first verse should blend in more smoothly with the prechorus

you´re just nodding along, listening to whatever is being said and honestly just enjoying the fun vibe in the room

across the room, ryul is sitting on a chair tipped back on two legs, watching the whole thing

and he notices the way you lean forward when you listen to the music, or the way you nod along to the beat

you´ve been there maybe 5 minutes, but you already look comfortable, easily blending in to the setting of the room

next to him, his best friend ohyul glances over as well

´´oh´´ he says suddenly, ´´she´s here,´´

before ryul can even ask what that means, ohyul stands up and walks across the room

and he watches as ohyul approaches you

you´re mid conversation with two others when ohyul stops beside the couch,

´´wassuppp,´´

you glance up, ´´hi,´´ you smile sweetly

´´so you´re the famous mayor,´´

you blink, laughing softly,

´´the famous one?´´

´´yeah,´´ he says, mirroring the smile on your face, ´´people keep mentioning you,´´

you laugh again, leaning back against the couch

´´that sounds suspicious,´´

´´well, it´s nice to finally meet the big name,´´ ohyul grins, leaning down to hug you, which you gladly returned

the two of you start talking like you´ve already known each other for ages

and ryul watches the whole thing from across the room

of course you´re getting along immediately,

you always do,

and so does ohyul

a few minutes later ohyul finally walks back over and ryul tilts his chair forward, setting all four legs on the floor again

he nods toward you,

´´who´s that?´´

ohyul glances back at the couch where you´re now listening to someone explaining a song

´´that´s yn,´´

ryul raises an eyebrow,

´´that tells me exactly nothing bro,´´

ohyul chuckles, ´´she´s friends with like.. everyone,´´

ryul watches as someone else joins the conversation around you and you shift slightly to make room without even thinking about it

´´she´s cool,´´ ohyul adds

and ryul hums quietly, eyes still on you,

yeah,

he can see that

⭒

after that, whenever you pop up again, he can’t help but watch you from the sidelines, quietly observing you

and ryul notices things,

small things, like how you always sit criss cross on the ground instead of using chairs, or how your headphones are basically glued to your neck, and the way you gesture excitedly when you talk

and your outfits

he definitely notices those too

every time you show up wearing some combination of oversized streetwear that somehow still look put together

the first time he actually talks to you is at the skatepark

it’s nothing crazy tbh, just some casual small talk, but it definitely breaks the ice, even if it’s just a little bit

you´re tying your shoes when he walks past,

´those are sick,´´

you glance up, your eyes filled with that same spark they always carried,

and he nods at your sneakers

you smile at him, wiggling your foot slightly, ´´thanks!´´

´´new?´´

you hum, ´´new to me,´´

he huffs out a quiet laugh, ´´thrifted?´´

´´obviously,´´ you giggle

you stand up, brushing your hands on your cargos

´´why would i pay full price when someone else already did that for me?´´ you stuck the tip of your tongue out playfully

and ryul grins,

fair point

⭒

after that first time, talking to you becomes.. easy

not constant, just small moments

´´nice hoodie,´´

´´did you listen to that song i told you about?´´

´´why are your headphones never actually on your head,´´

and you always answer,

sometimes teasing, sometimes serious, and sometimes you roast him back

but, it's always easy,

almost too easy

and at some point, whenever someone asks,

´´who´s coming tonight?´´

he finds himself quietly wondering one thing,

are you going to be there?

⭒

the river hangout happens on one of those perfect evenings where nobody really planned anything

someone just dropped a message in a groupchat, and people told people who told people and then of course; people showed up

the sun is already setting when you arrive

the sky is a soft orange, fading into blue, and it reflects in the slow moving water

someone spread blankets across the grass, someone else brought a bag of snacks that's already half empty and music plays from a speaker, low enough that conversations overlap comfortably

you walk down the small slope toward the group with two girls beside you, a plastic bag of drinks swinging from your hand

´´look who pulled up!,´´

you laugh, raising the drink bag slightly,

´´i brought offerings,´´ you jokingly say

you drop the bag down onto the grass beside the blankets, and people shift to make space

someone asks how your week was, someone else starts complaining about a professor and others come up to you to greet you

the air smells like grass and river water, and it´s loud in the comfortable way big groups get

ryul and his shot callers are sitting a little further away from the center of the chaos,

a bunch of girls are hanging around them, laughing and lowkey fighting for their attention, but ryul´s eyes have been on you ever since you arrived

he shakes his head slightly, amused at how easily you're adopted into the group again

you´re actually ridiculous, in the best way of course

and somehow it pulls him in, and he can’t it help it

after a while you start drifting away a little from the main group

not because you´re bored, just because you do that; floating from one conversation to the next, sitting everywhere yet nowhere at the same time

you wander past two guys playing basketball, and someone else trying to skip stones

you look around for somewhere to sit where things are a little quieter and your eyes land on a spot near ryul

he´s sitting on the grass, leaning back on his hands, watching the river lazily, his posture relaxed

you walk over and plop down beside him with a soft thud, stretching your legs out in front of you

you sigh dramatically, to which hw turns to look at you;

´´mood,´´ he says, grinning

´´my social battery is at like 4 percent,´´ you huff

ryul laughs under his breath, ´´i didn´t know butterflies like you get energy drained too,´´

you laugh, turning your head toward him,

and just like that, you found your (next) new spot for the evening

for a moment the two of you just sit there listening to the music and distant chatter behind you

then he nods toward the speaker,

´´you picked any of the music tonight?´´

you shake your head, ´´no but if someone plays drake i´m leaving,´´

ryul immediately laughs, ´´wow´´

´´what,´´

´´that´s controversial,´´

you huff, ´´it´s correct,´´

´´people might actually fight you for that,´´

you shrug, a smug smile on your face, playful yet soft,

´they can line up then,´´

he studies you for a second, letting his eyes scan the features on your face, now that you’re actually close enough to look at you properly,

´´you´re always this confident?´´

´´only when i´m right,´´

´´and when you´re wrong?´´

you hum, like you´re considering the answer, turning your head to meet his eyes, an amused look on your face as you tilt your head slightly,

´´we don´t talk about those moments,´´ you jokingly said

the conversation flows weirdly easily after that,

you start talking about music first, because somehow that´s something most guys in this group show interest in, and it quickly turns into arguing (jokingly) about which artist is overrated

then somehow you´re talking about roller skating, which then leads to his skateboarding and the new board he got from his uncle,

´´you skate?´´ he asks

´´badly,´´ you admit, chuckling to yourself

´´you look like someone who could skate well tho,´´ he says, easily

´´i can land like.. one trick, on a good day,´´

´´which one,´´

you´re already laughing before you even answer his question,

´´maybe an ollie.. sometimes,´´

´´sometimes?´´ he echoes, laughing

´´look,´´ you say defensively, ´´some days the board and i are not spiritually aligned,´´

he snorts, ´´that´s not how physics works,´´ shaking his head amusingly

´´it does for me,´´ you laugh

´´i´ll teach you,´´ he then says, turning his head to look at you again

and you do too, smiling at him, your eyes filled with that famous, known spark,

´´that´d be fun,´´

eventually both of you lean back on the grass, staring up the darkening sky

the group behind you bursts into laughter about something you didn´t catch, but over here, things are quieter,

comfortable

ryul glances at you,

´´you´re not usually this quiet,´´ he says easily

and you turn your head slightly, ´´oh?´´ you grin, ´´you´ve been observing me?´´

´´maybe,´´

you squint at him, laughing softly,

´´and how long have you been studying my behavior sir,´´

he shrugs, shaking his head, the corner of his lips slightly curling up in a small smile,

´´you´re interesting,´´ he says

and you stare at him for a second before propping yourself up on your elbows

´´so i´m not mysterious and cool?´´ you jokingly sighed

´´you´re cool,´´ he laughs, ´just not mysterious,´´

you gasp playfully, letting yourself fall back down on the grass

you don’t know how many minutes have passed, sharing random stories and did you knows as you kept adding things to your conversation, easily flowing through topics and laughter

and eventually it slows,

not awkwardly, but just how good conversation always do

the sky above you is almost fully dark now, a few early stars softly shining through and the lights from the buildings reflects in the river so beautifully

you and ryul are still laying back on the grass, staring up at the sky when someone from the group yells your name,

´´yn, come here,´´

and you glance back, ´´oh no,´´

´´you´re being summoned again,´´ ryul says

you sigh dramatically as you push yourself up from the grass, brushing off your pants,

´´my people need me,´´

he laughs quietly, and you take a small step away

glancing down at him,

´´come,´´

he raises an eyebrow, tilting his head slightly, ´´is that an order´´

you grin, ´´maybe,´´

and for a second he just looks up at you, like he's trying to decide if you're serious or not

then he huffs out a quiet laugh and pushes himself up from the grass, brushing his hands off on his jeans

´´wannabe mysterious and bossy,´´ he mutters jokingly

and you grin, shrugging like it´s completely reasonable,

´´someone has to be,´´ you shoot back

the two of you start walking back toward the group, the music is getting louder the closer you get, voices start overlapping with laughter again

halfway there, you glance at him again,

´´don´t disappear on me,´´ you say, tilting your head, ´´i might need someone to recharge my battery again,´´

ryul looks at you for a second, a little surprised but amused, then a small smile pulls at the corner of his mouth,

´´yeah?´´

you nod once, nudging his shoulder lightly, giggling softly like it´s obvious,

´´yeah,´´

he smirks back, ´´wouldn´t want to miss your company miss butterfly,´´

and before either of you can say anything else, someone from the blankets spots you,

´´yooo there you are,´´

a few heads turn, and you naturally get welcomed into the big circle, someone handing you a drink while stories are being told excitedly,

you drift toward your friends who are already in the middle of some conversation, ryul lingers for a second, leaning casually against a tree as a few guys circle around him

minutes pass, and he´s just watching the way you drop back into the chaos like you belong there, smiling as you´re explaining something extraordinary with your hands

and after a while, ryul walks to the scattered group to where you are

he steps up behind you, and his hand rests lightly on your lower back, guiding you slightly forward as he crouches down next to you

´´i´ll be over at the benches with the guys,´´ he says, voice casual, eyes scanning the group naturally, ´´you know where to find me´´

you look at him, the heat of his hand lingering a little longer than necessary, and you give him a small, teasing smile,

´´noted,´´ you say softly, yet playful

he smiles, that little corner of the mouth smirk that makes it impossible to look away, then pushes off gently and walks towards the benches, slipping back into his own group

and as soon as he does, ohyul leans over from the side, handing him a new drink, his eyes glancing between you and his best friend, who’s still looking at you from afar

then he smirks, elbowing him lightly, ´´don´t stare bro,´´

ryul shrugs, trying to play it off cool, letting a small smirk tug at his lips, "i'm not,´´

ohyul laughs, patting him on the back playfully, ´´sure, whatever you say big guy,´´

he glances back at you one more time, the sound of your laugh somehow overpowering all the other things he hears, and for some reason, it sticks in his head longer than it should

he watches you for a moment longer, just because he can, and something about the way you move through the group makes his chest tighten in a way he didn't expect..

and deep down, he knew he´d be looking for you again next time..

mlist ツ

and a tag for my bubba @reysblr hihi