we can’t be friends
wonwoo and you have been best friends since childhood, making a pact to stick to each other's side. now, that wonwoo and you are in your senior year of high school it's time you guys to work harder to go to Seoul National University (SNU) together -- the dream university agreed between you and wonwoo. but something puts a dent into your friendship with wonwoo. will this friendship last or just become a yearbook memory?
#wonwooxreader #femalemc #highschool #university #childhoodlove FLUFF
a/n: it took me half a year to make this story. lots of edits. i wanted to make it as long and enduring as possible (im half awake right now), but i hope you guys like it!
My hands were occupied with a notebook in hand, absorbing as much as I can before a test. While, holding a blueberry muffin in my mouth. My usual. Wonwoo showed up and tapped my shoulder, jumping in front of me for my attention.
“I picked up a few coffees for us.” He hands me a caramel iced coffee, my usual. He drinks a plain iced Americano.
My mouth salivates, quickly stuffing my textbook in my backpack. I take my coffee and we quickly sit in our seats.
I suddenly remember a younger girl had asked me to give him a letter. I hand it to him, we both know what it is. He doesn’t look at it more than a second before he stuffs it in his desk.
I look at him, “You’re not going to read it? You should at least open it.”
He smirks, “Just another confession.”
I give him a look, “I don’t know why you’re so cocky. Besides, it’s rude. If I was here, my pride would drop.”
“Oh? Is that right?” He says teasingly, but I don’t give a reaction. He continues, “I don’t feel like dating anyways. We have to focus on our future.” His voice hints at a different meaning.
“Let’s focus on math class. I can’t believe it’s our first class of the day.” I groan and sip my drink as if it’s a beer.
“Excited for math class? Your grade in this class is your worst forté.” He laughs.
Math class is a perfect way to melt a brain. The bell rings and my head drops on my table, I was already empty headed so this was nothing.
Wonwoo taps my desk, “Alright, let’s start studying. For you.” He starts rummaging in his bag.
I don’t lift my head, so Wonwoo shakes me.
"Wonwoo, I just woke up.” I stretch, “I’m just not good in math."
Determined, Wonwoo slaps a piece of paper on my desk. For an arrogant guy, he was still my best friend.
“I’ll write you a pop quiz. I can make up a story to help you—no wait, that only worked for you in English. Never mind, just answer these questions and I’ll look over it. We have to focus, SNU doesn't accept just anybody."
We also shift as acting as a concerned mother with her child.
I pout, "I wish I was a nepo baby, so I wouldn’t have to work this hard." I sluggishly pick up my pencil and go over the pop quiz.
People see Wonwoo as quiet, which he mostly is. Today, he talked my ear off on the way home; ways of studying, note taking, quiz papers, and giving me notes he wrote down for me. We finally reached the front of my house. It’s relieving that I won’t get my ear talked off, but something felt wrong.
Is he worried that I’ll fall behind? I thought.
"Wonwoo,” my voice turned more earnest, “It’ll be alright. We’ll be in SNU together, just like we promised. I won't leave your side."
He nods with a difficult look before recovering, “You have the notes?”
I take it out of my backpack. He smiles, relieved.
“Thanks for the notes, Wonwoo. I won’t let you down.” I smile at him, waving and getting past my front door.
Wonwoo waited, he saw my bedroom light turn on and walked home.
Why do you have to wait for Wonwoo to walk you home? Are you guys together? I know all the same questions.
I think it’s for reassurance. But, it’s not just for him. I quickly open my bedroom window, making sure he’s okay.
Although school has the same routine, the next day was different.
Wonwoo and I came home later than usual. We got permission to go to the gaming cafe. It was fun, but Wonwoo was quiet. He tried to act like he was fine— and I wanted to respect his boundaries, so I didn’t pry further.
On the way home, I saw two kids playing soccer. Their moms sitting on the bench.
“It’s crazy how fast our senior year came by.” I reminisced our childhood memories.
My eyes light up with an idea, “Maybe we can convince our families to take us to the beach for the weekend.”
I turn around expecting a reply, but Wonwoo just nods along, his head hung low. I stop walking and I had a feeling, I’m not sure of its context but it was definitely important, something he needed to get off his chest.
Wonwoo stands in front of me. "Y/N, I have something really important to tell you."
My heart races, like when your mom texts, “I need to talk to you.” without context.
“I got a job.” He sounds hesitant. And I understand why.
"Is that why you’ve been acting weird all day?” I ask.
He responds by nodding and I didn’t have time to fully grasp an appropriate response.
“What about our studies? Are you okay? Do you need money?" All the words fumbled out of my mouth.
Wonwoo laughs, hiding his smile with his hand, “For money. But, it’s something I want to do before university.”
It may seem like no big deal, some of our classmates have jobs. But, I was worried. One look at him and I realize, there's no way to convince him otherwise.
I’m not one to give up either.
“What if we worked together? I could work a shift for you, or like security guards—one of us sleeps and the other watches the register.” I look at him and he shakes his head.
“I could study at your workplace, just in case!” He still has a smile on his face, and I realize how clingy I sound.
“I’m just worried. You’ve worked so hard, I don’t want you to give it all up.” I sigh and I turn away, trying not to look so emotional.
Wonwoo reassured me, his hands squeezing my shoulders, “You need to study. I’m the top student in our school for a reason. I’ll be fine.”
Besides the endless studying, Wonwoo never failed to walk with me to school or helped me after class. And his grades never faltered.
One week, Wonwoo didn't come to school. Our homeroom teacher stopped calling his name for attendance, and it irked me.
“Y/N, did something happen to Wonwoo?” The girls from class crowded me.
Yet I couldn’t answer them truthfully, “He’s just sick. It seemed pretty bad.”
They awe’d in a bummed way.
“I hope he gets better soon.” They wave and head to the cafeteria.
Out of nowhere, Wonwoo called me, my worries ended.
“Hi Y/N…” He sounded exactly as he should, guilty. I couldn’t even respond.
He lets out a breathly laugh, “I passed out from exhaustion. I didn’t realize how long I was out. Did you miss me?”
I scolded him, “You’re lucky you’re sick, I would’ve kicked your ass through this phone. I’m glad you’re okay.” My voice trails.
He lets out a chuckle, “I know. And I know that you’ll hate what I’m about to say…”
“I’m still going to work.”
I try not to blow up, “Are you serious? Did you lose your memory too? What’s going on Wonwoo? Y’know you can count on me, right? Money or whatever it is, I’ll help.”
“I know. But, this is something I need to do myself.” His voice cracks.
“I did want to ask you if you’d like to go out this weekend. I was thinking we’d go to Lotte World.”
I was out of my mind excited, all my worried flew out the window.
“Really? Yeah, that sounds like fun.” My smile was radiating through the phone.
“Great. Now, go study.” We say goodbye and I immediately get all my books out. I look at the empty seat next to me, and I’m given a push. As if Wonwoo was right next to me (bugging me, but also cheering me on).
Time felt like it stopped on entrance exam day. I was trying not to panic. But, i can't just fake it 'till you make it.
Looking down the hall, Wonwoo ran towards me.
"Whatever happens, I’m always here for you. You studied hard for this, you’re one of the school’s top students. If you're ever stuck on a question, don't waste your time on it. Skip it and come back to it later." He holds my shoulders before looking at his watch.
“Look at the back of your notebook before you go in!”
I wish we weren’t separated by our last names, but it might be a sign to not depend much on Wonwoo.
I finally got to the last page, “You got this!” and a picture of us sharing my mom’s SNU jacket when we were kids.
I chuckled, I wrote on Wonwoo’s lucky wooden pencil. “Good Luck!”
Wonwoo kept his promise, we went to Lotte World right after school. We took a bunch of pictures and went on a lot of rides. We got a little competitive a few times, but all know who won…
Wonwoo. Dang it.
In the next morning, the results were going to be released. I sprinted straight to Wonwoo’s. His mom greeted me. She watched as I quickly changed into the slippers they always kept for me. I bowed to her like whiplash.
I ran into Wonwoo’s arms, he had his laptop open too.
She chuckled, "You guys were serious? You didn’t open your results before showing each other?” She saw us nod, while I pace around the room.
She notices Wonwoo. Although he was still, his leg was shaking from anxiety. He was always calm, but just nervous just watching me.
“You two haven't changed a bit." She smiles before walking away to the kitchen.
“Stop pacing, you’re making me nervous!” Wonwoo’s leg started shaking, he wiped his sweaty palms on his pajama pants.
“I can’t help it!”
Wonwoo stands up suddenly, grabbing his hoodie and tying it around me like a straight jacket.
We sat down and looked at each other.
“You go first.” I point at him.
He gives a disagreeing look, “No, you go. Ladies first.”
I groan, then realized, “I shouldn’t be worried! I studied hard for this! And if SNU doesn’t take me…”
My shoulders slouch, “Then, I’ll be a barista. For the rest of my life.”
I open it quickly, like a bandaid. “Holy shit.” I cover my mouth, knowing auntie would scold me for saying it. “I GOT IN!”
Wonwoo looks relieved, and I shove him to open his results.
His smile drops and he stills.
No way, I thought to myself.
Wonwoo turned his laptop towards me: SNU welcomes you!
I shove him before we start jumping around in celebration. We rush out into the living room and my parents were at the door, taking their shoes off.
They were hands full of different types of food.
“Wonwoo’s mom already told us the news, so we brought food and beer.” My dad has a smile on his face.
“I was against it, but she convinced me.” She pats Wonwoo’s mom on her shoulder.
We were all celebrating with lots of food. Whenever we were home, Wonwoo’s quiet home became lively.
It was night and everyone was asleep and drunk. I dragged Wonwoo to his room. He has a shocked face, and I pull out two cans of beer.
He chuckled, “Are you already an alcoholic?”
We clinked our beers together and took a swig, cringing at the bitter taste. Wonwoo watched my face twist, he hid his smile by taking another gulp.
I leaned back, "We’ll probably be doing this a lot now.”
Wonwoo nods and I get another amazing idea, “Let’s make a promise. Only one of us can get drunk. The other person has to be the guardian. We can't trust just anyone."
Wonwoo leans back, "Or maybe we don't drink at all?" he says with a smartass tone.
We laugh as it dies down.
“Whatever happens...I feel reassured. No matter what happens, we’ll have each other’s backs." We clink our beers together and fall asleep on his bedroom floor.
Soon our graduation caps flew in the air and we were taking a million photos with our friends, classmates, family, even our teachers.
My mom shoved Wonwoo and I together. Our arms draped over each other’s shoulders, with our bouquets in our hands.
"Can we have a serious one now?" My mom scolds for our silly faces. Of course we listened.
Then?
Wonwoo went radio silent. His mom told me he would be visiting his grandparents, in the mountain side. So, no phone service.
Then the days turned out longer than expected. All my texts stayed on delivered.
But, something weighed heavy in my mind. Wonwoo’s mom. I remembered the corner of her lips twitched and her fingertips were raw and red. From picking at it.
It was the same tell that Wonwoo does when he's lying.
Still no word from Wonwoo, while I was already moving into my dorm. I had built a facade that I was over it. My parents were concerned for me, and auntie moved and I barely saw her.
Throughout university, I barely thought of him. I made friends and studied hard. I tried dating a few times, but they never worked out. I still disconnected myself from others, especially from parties.
Now, I’m a Global Business Operations Coordinator.
I usually set up meetings and communicate with our overseas partners.
I check my watch, it made me happy that I always planned my time accordingly, without fail. I looked at the coffees I bought for my coworkers on my way up the elevator. My friends suddenly texted me.
Jules: Congratulations on your big girl job, y/n!
Choi: Is it too late to change my job and all those years i spent into computer science? i'm actually going insane here.
Jules: We should celebrate tonight! Beer and soju, tonight?
Choi: You always find an excuse to drink. Alcoholic.
I can imagine Choi’s teasing and Jules pouting.
Jules: But it's for a good reason.
I laugh, "chicken and beer?" they all respond with “deal.”
The elevator doors open and I greet my coworkers and show them the coffees I held.
They all greeted me with a smile, and an excited, “Congratulations!”
Byun, my co-worker and my teacher, stands next to me.
“I remember when you were just an intern. You’ve done so many amazing work, time flew by so fast.” He wipes an imaginary tear, and I laugh.
“I can’t believe it either.” I look at my watch, “I have to get my notebook, before I setup the meeting room.” I wave to them and head to my cubicle. I took a sip of my iced coffee and placed it on my coaster.
Something caught my eye.
I turned my coffee sleeve around, and there was a bright and smiling photo of Wonwoo.
I froze, staring at it. My eyes widened, looking closely and inspecting it.
Maybe it’s someone else, with the same looks and the same name. This can’t be, Seventeen & Wonwoo? This wasn’t something he’d be interested in, and if he was he would’ve told me.
As I looked closer; the sharp eyes, the smile, the little dimple. It was him.
“Y/N?” Byun taps my desk and I immediately snapped out of my thoughts. “Marc wants to see you in his office.”
“Thanks.” I head to the main office.
My team leader, Marc, is quite different. He stuck out to me the most. Sometimes he’s late, he comes in with messy hair and his clothes sort of put together. He’s dorky, but when he changes into his suit, he’s a different person.
This dorky boss is the youngest team leader and the smartest.
I knock on the door and Marc lets me in. I follow behind him.
“Good morning Ms. Y/N, it’s lovely to have you onboard with us. Officially.” He has a warm smile, which had help seal every deal made for this company.
“You’ve worked really hard on this project and we have all agreed that it’ll be best for you to sit in on this meeting. Maybe answer a few questions. It’s regarding a kpop group, called, Seventeen.” He looks at me expecting my reaction.
My heart dropped and I so badly wanted to say no, but I couldn’t. “Oh. Thank you, sir. This is…a great opportunity.”
“Perfect. I’ll call you when they get here.” He waved me away and body goes limp, dragging myself to my desk.
I was curious about one thing. I searched on my computer. Huh, Hanyang University.
I don’t know if I should feel happy or not. He wasn’t in the same university as me, which I took as a pathetic excuse on why he didn’t see me. Or the fact that he was supposed to go to the same university with me—like we promised.
Once, I thought he went to a different country— which meant he had to get a new phone and a new sim card. Another time, I may have watched too many kdramas. Maybe he was forced not to talk to me again?
Marc waves to me to follow him, I quickly gather my things and stride behind him. Although I was steady, my thoughts weren’t.
Before Marc opens the door, he whispers in my ear, “Don’t worry too much. Just observe, take notes, and support me when I signal you.”
I gave a silent nod of agreement. I remembered my position. My back straight, a polite smile, and hands steady.
There were managers, producers, staff, and other unrecognizable people. I try not to look further. I was afraid that he’ll be here.
I went to my assigned seat, my eyes flickered up briefly. Wonwoo sat ten feet away from me. Yup, that was him. He was the same, but more polished than before.
Before sitting, Marc and I bowed. Professional, neutral, and perfect.
Thankfully, he didn't see me. I desperately wanted this meeting to be over with.
“—She will be explaining the timeline for more thorough analysis.” Marc looks towards me.
I stood and walked over to the stand. It felt like miles away. And when I got there, my hands move across the keyboard. My eyes flicker to see Wonwoo. His focus was on the presentation screen.
As I stood behind my laptop, I was able to speak into the microphone to present. It was a relieving moment.
I stand next to Marc for the rest of the presentation, taking notes on the side. In the middle of the presentation he makes a joke and the room shakes with laughter. I don’t know what the joke was about, but I smiled anyways.
I scan the room, my eyes falling on Wonwoo’s
He hums, “…No complaints, everything looks good.”
Everyone is shaking hands and I stand behind Marc, using his tall stature for cover.
Don’t look at him.
“Thank you for your hard work.” A voice, not loud, but sincere.
“Oh,” I shake his hand, “Thank you for your hard work as well.”
He doesn’t move further, standing in front of me. “I’m Seungcheol. It’s nice to meet you, Y/N.”
I give him a confused look, and he points at my lanyard. “Y/N” with my photo centered.
I laugh, quickly covering my mouth. “Sorry, I forgot for a moment.”
He chuckles too, we bow to each other once more before he leaves.
My smile is genuine and stuck, I glance around the room until it lands on Wonwoo.
Everything around us was moving, but he was standing still.
Then, he walks closer. He had a smile on his face.
He definitely knows it’s me. And now, he’s coming straight towards me.
In front of me was Wonwoo himself. Not the Wonwoo I once knew. Different.
He extends his hand to me with a polite smile, “Hello, it’s nice to meet you.”
I was taken aback. His greeting could mean two things: He remembers me (and is covering with a professional act) or he doesn’t.
I shake his hand back, staying professional. But, he doesn’t let go of my hand. He holds me longer than others. His eyes set on mine.
Marc broke the tension, "Y/N? Are you ready?"
Maybe it’s because it has been years, but I couldn’t read Wonwoo’s expression.
I nodded to Marc and pulled my hand away. I took one last glance at Wonwoo before following behind.
Marc politely stops me and motions me to his office. There was a balloon with a smiling face, staring at me from his desk.
He looks at me as if he’s waiting for an answer, but he hasn’t asked me any questions.
“Can you show me your meeting summary notes?” His eyes still on his screen before looking at me.
“Yes, sir.” I quickly turn on my laptop and scroll through my notes.
“Looks great. Very organized. Have the final summary done by the end of the day. And I need some documents from the marketing team finalized and have it done by next week Wednesday.” He nods with approval.
I thank him and leave with haste. I get to my desk, turning on my office computer finally. I open a document and my fingers glide
I feel frustrated, noticing about the little errors I was typing. I couldn’t think of actual words now.
I frowned and watched my cursor, trying not to scream and pull my hair apart.
“…That’s not like you.”
I looked up to see Marc standing with a mug of coffee in hand. He looked from my screen to me, curious.
“Sorry, sir. I’m almost done.” I quickly turn back to my computer, trying not to feel stupid.
He laughs, “It’s not that.” He points to my screen, “You made the same three edits to that paragraph. And called the overseas marketing team, ‘international marketing’ four times.”
I sigh, “Was it that noticeable?”
“Let’s see…You were staring at your monitor for five minutes straight, and I worked with you for six months. You were never been distracted during work.”
A beat passed as he surveyed my face, “Was it the first-day jitters?”
I almost answered yes. Almost.
“Something like that…”
He didn’t pry further, “Well whatever it is…Just know you did a good job at the meeting.” He walks away then suddenly stops, turning back to my desk. “Oh, and I was coming by to remind you to pickup the documents from the marketing team.”
“Yes of course. How could I forget?” I lied. I forgot because of the amount of questions on my mind.
When he leaves, I grab the updated notes from today and rush to the elevators.
When the doors close, I massage my temples. My heels are more uncomfortable than usual, my skirt feeling to short, and my bra digging deeper in my skin.
The elevator dings, but it’s not my stop. Wonwoo walks in and I quickly look away. He presses his floor level and I sink in the corner, not saying a word.
“Y/N…” my body freezes. It was an indescribable feeling. “I saw your handwriting and figured it was yours. I think you left this in the meeting room.”
I turn around and see my notebook in his hand. I cautiously take it from him. I wanted to say ‘thank you’, but it didn’t feel right, like my body refused to.
He starts to say something, but the elevator doors open (thankfully).
“This is my stop, I have to go.” I keep my smile taut, a slight bow, and basically run to find one of the marketing teams.
“Good morning, here are some of the documents from today’s meeting. I came to pick up your coordination summary.” The lady nods and goes to get the documents, whereas I awkwardly stand in the same spot.
“Here you go!” she hands me a thick stack. I thank her, but she calls me back.
“What was it like? Meeting Seventeen?” She looked so excited, trying her best to whisper.
“Felt like any other meeting.“ I would’ve mentioned Wonwoo, but I remembered he’s a celebrity now. She accepts my lame answer and I make my way back to my office.
Just focus on finishing up the final coordination report.
I go through the details carefully, I catch a few mistakes about the Japan schedule adjustment that was confirmed with us last week.
I call the marketing team department, “Hello, this is Y/N. I found a few items and important adjustments from the Japan schedule from last week. I will send over the documents from that week and today’s meeting.”
When that was done, I went through my meeting notes again.
“Japan promo timeline adjusted due to internal scheduling conflicts. U.S media time shifted, and additional time requested for artists’ recovery between rehearsals and press schedule.”
My cursor blinks. And without thinking, my fingers speak for me.
He said almost nothing in the meeting.
I hesitate and replace it, “Artist feedback acknowledged during discussion phase.”
With the updated information from the marketing team, I downloaded everything onto a drive and hand it over to Marc.
“You somehow managed to finish it before sundown.” He holds the drive in his hand. “You never fail to impress me.”
I thank him before quickly going to my desk.
A text message: “We’re at the restaurant! We ordered beef, fried chicken, beer, and SOJU!”
I smile and text back: “On my way!”
I gather my things and take the elevator to the parking lot.
When the elevator doors open, Wonwoo is standing in front of me with a sad puppy expression.
“Wow, it’s been so long!”, “It’s been a while, how have you been?” Nope.
“Wonwoo? from Seventeen? Omg, I can’t believe I’m seeing an actual celebrity. Can have your autograph?” I sarcastically mock as a fangirl.
The elevator dings and it’s my stop, perfect.
“Oh wait, it’s one of the VIP guests from today’s meeting.” I bow politely, like I would to any of my coworkers. I roll my eyes and push past him.
He suddenly pulls me towards him, my heart jumps.
It was just sudden. That’s all.
“Y/N. I can explain—” he starts, but I don’t think I could handle it, and I interrupt.
“Wonwoo,” his name feels foreign from my mouth, his expression was almost hard to catch. “I don’t think it’s a good time to talk about it.”
I caught the tiny pause he did before he says anything. He shakes a thought and stands in front of me again, more determined.
“Can’t we at least be friends?” He says it as if he doesn’t realize the damage that’s been done.
“…I don’t know.” And it’s true. Could we? “I’ll need time to think about it.”
“How about on your day off?” He says desperately. His eyes slightly widened, and a breath of relief.
I look at him. Plainly, but it doesn’t mean I didn’t think about it.
“Your schedule is busy.” I turn, but I could see his head lowers. And of course, my heart softened for him.
“I’m off this Saturday.” It was quick, just like how I turned away to run to my car. For my own sake, I didn’t want to see his reaction.
I walk into the restaurant and my eyes land on my friends, a smiling Julie and a slightly buzzed Choi.
I sit and immediately grab the soju and pour myself two shots, before getting out an exhausted “Hi guys.”
They look at me worriedly, "Did something happen at work?"
Where do I begin?
As soon as i get his name out, they loudly gasp. “Wonwoo? And you somehow bump into him? Wow.”
“You know Wonwoo?” I look at them curiously. I wonder if they knew him as a celebrity or a friend. I wouldn’t know anymore.
Jules has a shaky smile, “He’s famous. How else would we know him?”
I took another shot, swallowing the bad memory. “We were best friends. After high school graduation, we never talked or seen each other again.”
I observe my empty shot glass, “Waiter, can I have another bottle?" I point to the green bottle in my hand, he quickly picks one out and puts it in front of me.
Jules whispers a bit too loud for me to overhear, “I can’t believe that’s the guy.”
Choi nods in agreement.
They knew something that I didn’t, “The guy? What do you mean?“
“You might need another drink.” Choi pours me a shot.
Jules confesses, “It was back in university. When you got drunk those few times, but mostly in your sleep, you would curse him out or cry. It was the only time we would see you like that. Especially about a guy.”
I poured another shot. That’s more embarrassing. Being blackout drunk while crying and cursing a man from years ago.
The next morning made everything from last night feel like a dream. But my hangover was, unironically, an awakening.
I look at the time and realize that I have a small window of time before I’m late for work.
In the middle of getting ready, Jules knocks and lets herself in. She sets down a glass of water and a Tylenol on my nightstand.
“You’re crazy. How the hell are you functioning?” Jules crosses her arms, watching me.
I take the pill and shot it down with water.
“Thanks Jules, I gotta go!” I shuffle, putting on my heels and rushing my way to work. And thankfully, I make it on time.
I turn on my computer and look through my emails. I scroll through, looking for final approvals, corporate meetings, and from our overseas partners. I almost forgot about yesterday.
But, I was suddenly gifted an unneeded awakening.
[email (potential spam): can we talk? - wonwoo]
I scoff out loud and murmur, “Now, you remember how to send a message.”
I respond back.
[reply: Hello, if this is concerns yesterday’s meeting, please include the relevant details in your email or coordinate through the appropriate teams.
If this is regarding a personal matter, I don’t believe it is appropriate during work hours.
Regards,
Y/N]
He instantly replies.
[Re: can we talk?
I know this isn’t the place to ask. I just wanted you to know that I never meant to hurt you.
I won’t bring it up again, but if you ever decide to…
I’ll be there.
Wonwoo.]
I exit without replying back.
Throughout the day, I catch myself reading his response again. ‘I’ll be there.’ I could hear him saying it.
“Ugh.” I open my other emails and shift through more files. I notice that Wonwoo didn’t send any more replies, she liked how he respected her boundaries.
Marc walks out of his office, catching my eye. “Hey, y/n.” He hands me a slim folder, “Management wants the revised coordination packet delivered to Artist Management for signatures.”
I nod, “Okay.”
When I get there, an assistant smiles at me. “Oh, you’re here for the coordination packet?” I nod in response.
She looks at the clock, “The manager stepped into the studio for a minute, would you be okay with waiting?”
“I don’t mind.”
The elevators open. Revealed was a man with a black hat and a face mask, he looks around and leans on the receptionist’s desk. I look at him suspiciously.
He stills, then pulls down his mask, “Y/N? Are you waiting for someone?”
“Artist Management.”
He nods, “Oh.” A beat, “I just came from rehearsal.”
He looks like he wants to say more, but I save him the trouble.
“Okay.” Then the receptionist notices us.
“Mr. Jeon, I have the papers here. Sorry you had to come by, our manager is really busy.” She bows.
Wonwoo gives her a smile and waves her not to worry, “It’s fine, no worries.”
Then she turns to me, “My manager told me she had compiled everything in this folder for you,” it’s a thin folder. “I will also admit that lot of us had some trouble, but your notes helped us a lot. She said something like, ‘she always understands’.”
I let out an airy laugh, “Tell her I said thank you, and thank you guys for the hard work.”
Wonwoo awkwardly trails behind me to the elevators, the doors open and we press our floor numbers.
“I didn’t plan for this to happen. And I meant what I said.” He’s the first to break the tension.
I look at him, really look at him. He looked tired, emotionally and maybe from rehearsals.
I swallow, “I know.”
Wonwoo’s shoulders relaxes. The elevator doors open and it’s his stop. He holds the doors open before fully passing through, “I’ll keep waiting.” Then he leaves.
He kept me waiting for 9 years, he can wait a few days.
My phone dings and it’s a familiar number, one that I didn’t know my cloud storage saved.
‘This is Wonwoo, is this still your phone number?’
I hesitate to type back, ‘Yeah. I didn’t realize you still have the same phone number as before,’
It sounds stupid. I add on, ‘I almost forgot.’
Three dots appear, disappear, then appears with a message.
‘About Saturday…Are we still going to…’
‘Yup.’
He types again, ‘Where should we meet up? And what time?’
My ability to be more thorough and detailed went out the window fora moment. I blame it on Wonwoo.
‘There’s a small library we can go to. It’s near my house.’ I have no idea why I had to add in hints about where I live. It just came naturally. I add, “You must be tired from practice, what time do you usually wake up? We can just meet after that.”
The three dots again. Then, “I can meet up with you at 10:00am.”
That’s usually the time I’m fully awake too.
“Cool.”
And when that day arrives, I still can’t believe it. I was just going to dress casual, nothing too much. Then, I didn’t like my outfit and my skin looked dull. So a few outfit changes, quick skincare, and makeup, and I was all done.
I look at the time, I will be perfectly on time. I woke up extra early just in case.
When I get to the library, I see Wonwoo standing outside. Face mask and a black hat. I thought it was weird, but I reminded myself again.
His energy perks up as he comes to me, “Hey, you made it.” He shows me a coffee holder. Iced americano and an iced caramel coffee.
Our taste buds hadn’t changed. It gave me hope.
“I would’ve got you a blueberry muffin, but there were none in stock. We could eat somewhere for breakfast.” He has a smile, knowing that he didn’t forget. That he didn’t forget me.
But, it was scary wondering what Wonwoo might say. How much would this change? Or will it just end up like last time?
I lead, there’s a small spot in the back with pillows and old comfy chairs. On muscle memory, my hand holds out behind me. Instinct in narrow places, like a busy city bus. That’s usually when Wonwoo and I would lead each other to find a spot.
I realize and quickly take my hand away. But, Wonwoo had already noticed, possibly remembering the same memories.
He’s amused by the small tint of pink on my cheeks, the corners of his mouth perk upwards. But he doesn’t say anything.
We sip on our drinks, comfortably sitting, reading a book we each chose.
“So…where do you wanna start?” I look everywhere but him.
“Right,” he fixes his posture, “It started from my job. Technically, I didn’t lie. I was just a rookie.”
He watches my reaction, “I still wanted to spend time with you. But, it was hard. I needed to practice until we were passed out—my members and I. Then, I had to make a sacrifice.”
I felt a pang in my heart, “Was I just the easiest option to let go of?”
Wonwoo’s eyes widens, “No way, completely opposite! It was the hardest choice, and I wanted to choose you.”
He stares off. I sigh, I understand.
“It was something you loved. Your passion.”
“Yes.” He runs his hands through his hair, “I couldn’t tell you because I signed an NDA. My mom did too. HYBE was strict and scary.”
My voice was hoarse, “It’s been nine years since. I just wanna punch you, because why did I have to find out this way? Were you ever going to tell me?“
He has a deep look in his eyes. “I regret not telling you, betraying your trust. But I don’t regret becoming an idol.”
I nod. Honestly I can’t be mad, it made sense.
I punch his arm, “You could’ve found a way to tell me, jerk.”
He laughs and holds the bruised area, but his expression changes. “What about my mom? Are you surprised that she knew? Are you mad at her?”
I scoff and he realizes, “You knew?!”
“I knew she was hiding something about you. Lying too.” He scratches his head then I explain, “Picking your nails and the twitching lips thing! You two have the same tell! Of course I would figure that out.”
He shakes his head, “My mom did say you might find me yourself. She said you were persistent than she thought.”
I laugh, even when I shouldn’t, “I guess she moved away from us, so she wouldn’t spill the beans.”
A small silence.
“I missed you, Wonwoo. Didn’t you miss me?” Those words never came out.
“Y’know what would be great?” I look at him curiously, “kimchi fried rice.”
I think about it. It’s oily, a bit spicy, and just not a good brunch meal. It doesn’t take too long to convince me.
“I’ll drive.” He doesn’t hesitate.
He looks tired, yawning a few times. Yet, his hand is steadily on the wheel and his eyes focused on the road. He even turned on the heater for me, which I was surprised he noticed.
And I don’t say anything about it.
“Hello!” We were greeted by an older lady. She takes one look at Wonwoo, and recognizes him immediately.
“Wonwoo, you’re here earlier than usual.” She seems surprised.
“Just craving your kimchi fried rice.” Wonwoo smiles and the lady looks between us. She did it so openly that I had to look away.
Wonwoo orders, “One kimchi fried rice with shrimp, please!”
He still eats the same order as before. Just at a different place.
The lady looks at him with an odd look but continues cooking. And when she’s done, it smells heavenly. I’m feeling hungrier than before.
Wonwoo pours my half of the fried rice in front of me. He picks all the shrimp onto my plate and I don’t think twice.
It takes us over an hour to eat. After we were done resting, Wonwoo goes up to pay. I accidentally overhear their conversation, “I was shocked when you ordered with shrimp. But, when I saw you giving her every piece, it all made sense.”
Wonwoo chuckles in response, he takes his change. “We’re very close, since we were kids. Kind of a habit.”
When we leave, I don’t bring up the conversation I overheard. I didn’t mean to be nosy, I’d say they were just really loud.
“Well, I am full and ready to sleep.” I scratch the back of my neck.
Wonwoo smiles, “Me too. I’m glad I was able to explain a bit. And if you have anything else you’re curious about, just let me know.”
As we buckle in, Wonwoo asks for my address to take me home. I was about to, until his car screen showed someone was calling him.
“Hi Hoshi, I’m—“ Wonwoo gets cut off.
“Wonwoo! I’m surprised you’re up at this time, were you able to sleep at an appropriate time?” An excited voice, Hoshi, echoes in the car.
“Hoshi..” but Wonwoo gets cut off again.
“Wow, you’d be dead asleep until 2pm. I’m telling everyone. Bye Wonwoo!” Hoshi hangs up.
Wonwoo looks at me, “Just ignore him.” The corners of his lips twitch.
I smirk, “If you usually wake up at 2pm, why did you say 10am?”
He doesn’t look at me, “You’re a night owl too. You’d always fall asleep after class was over, so I assumed you would do the same for work. As soon as you get home from work, I bet you collapse asleep.”
‘He’s right, but don’t tell him.’ I think to myself.
The day doesn’t end. We started at an arcade and got some snacks. Then suddenly, we’re in my apartment.
Wonwoo downs a shot, "I don’t want to lose you. I love you so much.”
My heart jumps. I know I’m drunk, but I can still hear.
He gives me aegyo and I knew he was drunk asf. “I’ll bring you blueberry muffins and ice coffees everyday if you want.”
I laugh. “You’re a kpop idol, save this aegyo for your fans. Or did you forget?”
He hangs his head low as he laughs. “You didn’t hear me.” I pause.
“I did. I just need time.” I put his glasses on the table.
“Well, I don’t see anything wrong.” Of course, I roll my eyes.
“Let’s not forget, I’m just an office worker.” I lean back, “We might lose our jobs. I’ll be the first to go.”
He lays his head on my lap, “If they do, they’re making a big mistake.”
“Why?”
He looks at me with a smile, “I hear a lot of people praising you. My manager says they can trust you more than any other experienced member.”
I brush his hair behind, “And you need to go home. You’re way too drunk.”
He turns away, “No, I’m not. I meant it. We’ll be together forever. You’ll see.”
author's note: okay it might not seem fully completed, but I like that it ended with him declaring his pursuit.















