209 posts
PLEASE HEAR ME OUT
so in the newest video (solitary confinement) sharky REALLY wanted a friend. But since Aj was being a bitch to him (typical Aj I love him sooo much) he decided to bite the bait and sends y/n to his room. Y/n and sharky are the bestest of friends.
So when sharks falls asleep, aj sends y/n to his room and she's just playing with his hair and softly patting his face until he wakes up. When his eyes open, he is over the moon and takes her in a home crushing hug.
This ends up in a very flirty, sappy video where sharky and y/n are basically acting like a cute married couple.
You can also add the fans and boys reaction to the video hehe.
Love ur stuff sm ❤❤❤❤
Summary: Sharky finds comfort in a quiet moment with you during a video challenge
Pairing: Sharky x Reader
Genre: Fluff Masterlist
The room was quiet.
Too quiet.
Sharky had tried to fight it, he really did. He talked to the camera about how he should win the video, slept, and even did a few laps around the room. But boredom turned to restlessness, and restlessness turned to end up where his body curled up in the corner where the bed is and the blanket wrapped around him, breath steady as he finally gave in to the silence and drifted off.
He looked small like that. Still. Tired in a way he rarely ever let show.
Aj watched the screen from the other room, arms crossed, lips twitching between annoyance and affection.
“He actually knocked out” Aj mumbled as he suppressed a laugh pointing at the monitor.
You stood behind him, your eyes soft.
“He hates being alone” You said quietly, watching a hopeless Sharky slowly fall asleep.
“You know that” You added.
Aj sighed like he was pretending not to care but his hand was already reaching for the button.
“Go on then” Aj muttered.
"Before he wakes up and thinks he’s been abandoned” Aj added with a small grin.
You didn’t wait. You slipped through the door, soft steps echoing faintly as you entered the room.
Sharky didn’t stir. His breathing was even. His face relaxed. He looked so at peace, and yet so vulnerable it tugged at your chest.
You knelt beside him gently and reached out, brushing a few curls off his forehead. Your fingers lingered, threading lightly through his hair.
Then, without thinking, you started softly patting his cheek. Not to wake him up fully but just enough to let him know he wasn’t alone anymore.
“Sharky” You whispered.
He blinked awake slowly, confusion written all over his face at first. Then, as his eyes found yours, everything in him softened. The tiredness, the quiet, the dullness in his chest was gone in an instant.
“You’re here” Sharky said as he stared at you like he couldn’t believe it.
“Of course I’m here” You said as you nodded, smiling gently.
Without another word, he wrapped his arms around you and pulled you into a hug so tight it nearly knocked you off balance. His face is tucked into your neck. His fingers gripped the back of your hoodie like he was scared you’d disappear again.
“I missed you” Sharky murmured with a tired smile.
“I missed you too” You said.
The hug lingered, warm and quiet. You didn’t speak much after that. You didn’t need to.
Eventually, you ended up side by side on the beanbags, his head in your lap again, your fingers still in his hair. He kept glancing up at you like he couldn’t stop smiling.
And you kept brushing his curls back, over and over, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
“You okay now?” You asked softly.
“Yeah” Sharky whispered, eyes fluttering shut again.
“Now that you’re here” Sharky added.
And just like that, the confinement didn’t feel so lonely anymore.
Meanwhile, in the control room, Aj had been watching the entire thing unfold on the monitor. His eyes flickered between the two of you, watching the way Sharky melted into the quiet, the way you cared for him so effortlessly. He shook his head, half-amused, half-annoyed.
“You two are insufferable” Aj muttered under his breath, leaning back in his chair.
But the way he glanced at the screen one last time, he couldn't help the small, knowing smile that tugged at his lips.
“Yeah, well, if it works for them…” Aj said as he shrugged.
And for the first time that night, he left the screen on, letting you and Sharky stay exactly where you were. No interruptions. Just the two of you, together.
- end -
Hello lovelies! What's up? Anyways I've been trying to keep up with the requests and stuff but I got a lot going on lmao mayyybee try to show love to other members and send some requests for them too lmao
I hope y'all have an amazing day, absolute love and guidance.
As I said everytime, send in some request and ideas!!
Hii I love your work and I have this idea for a while so I hope that you could write it!!
Could you maybe do like based on the last video from Beta, the one in the hotel, where like your a guest and there’s like alove connection with one of the members.
I would really love if it could be like Niko or Chunkz but you write with who you want!!!
Summary: You thought you'd signed up for a chaotic night at a YouTuber-run hotel, but instead, you ended up being flirted into a four-course crush by Chunkz with special room service, dessert, and all.
Pairing: Chunkz x Reader
Genre: Fluff
Masterlist
You didn't expect much when your friend surprised you with a last-minute night at a "five-star hotel" run by YouTubers. Honestly, it sounded chaotic. But you went along, suitcase in hand, rolling up to the front desk where Niko and Kenny were already bickering over who had to handle the next guest complaint.
Your check-in was clumsy at best. Kenny handed you a room key, while Niko with his dead serious exprression while he offered a foot massage "for special guests only." You laughed it off, amused but not exactly hopeful, and headed upstairs.
Only to find that Niko had confidently given you a keycard to a room already occupied by a family of four.
You stood in the hallway awkwardly, reevaluating your life choices and adding this moment to your top ten most embarrassing experiences of all time.
Deciding you'd had enough, you wandered back downstairs to the kitchen area Niko had said was "open 24/7" hoping to at least grab a snack while you sorted things out.
And then, he walked in.
Chunkz. Of course you weren't expecting him. Not like that.
He strolled in beside Aj, both of them standing behind the restaurant counter like they belonged in a Michelin-starred kitchen. Aj looked focused, surprisingly serious. Chunkz was laughing at something Aj said, his energy calm but magnetic. You had to give it to him, he looked like he was really trying, taking this whole fake hotel gig more seriously than you'd expected.
And then he looked up.
His eyes met yours, just for a second. Then he smiled, lazy and confident like he already knew how your night was going to end.
"You lost? Or you just came here for me?" Chunkz asked strolling your way with that smug, teasing grin.
"I'm still having problems with my room. The receptionist may have made a mistake..." You said with a shrug.
"I'll show you up, don't want you running into any more... surprises" Chunkz offered, already turning to walk with you, flashing another grin.
"One of the receptionists told me I could come down here anytime" You added, glancing toward the kitchen.
"We're closed for now, it opens again later" Aj cut in.
"Why are those two setting us up, man?!" Aj said to the camera.
"Those schmucks probably did it on purpose" Chunkz said, not sounding the least bit mad about it.
"But I don't mind helping you out" Chunkz added with a small smile.
AJ muttered something about "betraying the team" as you followed Chunkz to the lift, tension crackling like static. You weren't blind, he was handsome, obviously but it was how he carried himself. Smooth. Effortless. That kind of charm that made you feel like the only person in the room when he spoke to you.
"So, what brings you to the Beta Hotel?" Chunkz asked as the elevator doors closed.
"Needed a break, didn't think I'd be walking into a reality show" You replied, laughing softly.
"We take hospitality very seriously here" Chunkz said with a grin.
"You might even get a serenade at dinner" Chunkz added.
"You sing?" You raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"I do a lot of things" Chunkz replied smoothly, his gaze flicking briefly to your mouth before darting away.
"But only for the right guests" Chunkz added.
Your new room was cleaner, tucked in a quiet corner of the hotel. Chunkz handed you a keycard Aj had found back in one of the tables in the restaurant, one of the master keys, if his smirk was anything to go by. His fingers brushed yours, lingering longer than necessary.
"If you're coming down to dinner" Chunkz said, voice a little softer now,
"Let me know, I'll save you a seat" Chunkz added.
"Only if you're serving" You replied, leaning against the doorframe.
"Then I guess I'll see you tonight" Chunkz said as he stepped back slowly, like he wasn't quite ready to leave.
Then came dinner.
You hadn't planned on flirting. You hadn't planned on smiling at your phone every time he cracked a joke over dinner
Dinner turned into a long conversation. Chunkz brought your plate himself, ignored AJ's annoyed looks, and kept coming back to your table like you were a VIP guest.
By dessert, you weren't even hungry. You were laughing too much. Leaning closer. Watching his hands. His grin. The low, smooth confidence in his voice that made you forget you were in a hotel run by chaos.
At the end of the night, he walked you back to your room. The hallway was quiet. But his voice was warm in your ear as you stopped outside your door.
"You sure this is your room?" Chunkz teased, silent referral with the room confusion earlier.
"Wanna check?" You said as you glanced at him.
"You're trouble" Chunkz said as he chuckled, eyes flicking to your lips before rising back to meet your eyes.
"And you're serving me a four-course flirt" You said, smiling.
Something electric hung in the air between you. Then, he gently tucked the keycard into your hand that must have slipped from your hand.
"Goodnight, beautiful" Chunkz murmured.
"Sleep tight, breakfast's on me in the morning" Chunkz added.
You watched him walk away, already wondering what you'd order.
Probably him.
And you definitely hadn't planned on leaning against your hotel door later that night when he brought up your dessert himself with tray in hand and that same damn smile on his lips.
"Just wanted to make sure your night ended sweet" Chunkz murmured, gaze locking onto yours for a second too long.
And somehow, one night didn't feel like enough anymore.
////_////_////_////
Chunkz was still smiling when he made it back to the kitchen, fingers warm from where they'd brushed yours. He didn't usually get caught up like this, but you? You were different. Sharp. Unbothered. Playful. The kind of woman who could flirt without trying and still leave him speechless.
He barely made it two steps inside before Aj clocked him.
"Ohhh, so you really walked her to her room, yeah?" Aj teased as he leaned against the prep counter, grinning.
"That's mad, man gave full escort service" Aj said as he laughed.
"Customer service is important, bro" Chunkz said as he smirked, trying to play it cool.
"Customer service? Bro, that woman earlier asked you to join her in the room multiple times yet you turned her down multiple times too" Aj said with a raised eyebrow yet the smile isn't leaving his face.
"She's too old for me, fam. What's with these old horny women anyways?" Chunkz said.
"She had cougar confidence" Aj said as he cackled.
"Then ten minutes later, you're out here walking the baddest guest we've had all night to her room? Nah, I rate it. Man's got range" Aj said, expression amused.
Chunkz rolled his eyes, but a faint pink crept up his ears.
"I invited her to breakfast, actually" Chunkz said with a smug smile.
"Room service and breakfast?" Aj said as he dramatically gasped.
"You moving like a whole staycation package" Aj said.
Chunkz tried not to smile. Tried. Failed. You'd thrown him off his game but in a way he didn't mind at all.
"She's fire though" Aj added, sounding more like a proud wingman now.
"I saw her walk in and I knew you jokeman was gonna clock her straight away. The way you dropped that dessert tray? Embarrassing" Aj said, smirking.
"It was one tray, relax. I was distracted" Chunkz said, giving Aj a brief side eye.
"Props though, you were trying to be respectful by costing our team to lose" Aj said.
"Yeah, well, don't let Kenny or Niko find out. Kenny's already asking if he can help with room service tomorrow" Aj added.
"Over my dead body" Chunkz said as gave him a look.
"Mans already acting like it's his hotel wife" Aj laughed.
Chunkz just smiled to himself, slowly rolling a towel between his fingers. The thought of you upstairs and maybe still thinking about him, had him already looking forward to breakfast duty.
Yeah, he'd be there.
Fresh shirt, and best cologne.
And maybe, just maybe, dessert before noon.
- end -
Hello lovelies!! See? Consistency from me lmao
Another Chunkz because my man deserves love like this and I see not too many fics for him. For all the Chunkz girlies.
I hope y'all have an amazing day, absolute love and guidance.
As I said everytime, send in some request and ideas!!
“Strike for Strike”
Pairing: Ahn Suho x Reader
Length: Like 7000 words??
Genre: idk like Romance, Drama, Comfort, Revenge
Warnings: Violence, blood, emotional trauma, broken bones, intense angst, protective Suho, mutual pining
Summary: After Beom-seok (your former friend) beats you so badly your arm ends up broken, Ahn Suho can’t sit still. What he does that night changes everything between you.
⸻
The hospital room was too bright.
Sterile white light bounced off polished tiles and smooth walls, washing out your already pale face. Your arm sat in a sling across your chest, the bruises spreading down your forearm in a sick purple bloom. The doctors said you were lucky—hairline fracture, not a full break. You weren’t sure if you agreed.
Across the room, Ahn Suho stood in the corner, arms crossed tightly over his chest. He hadn’t said much since you got out of surgery. Just hovered. Watched. His jaw had been clenched so tight you were afraid it would crack.
You hated that he saw you like this—beaten, broken, silent. You hated even more that you couldn’t lie about who had done it.
“You should rest,” he finally said, voice low and flat.
You didn’t respond.
Suho walked to your bedside and crouched down, finally meeting your eyes. His brows were furrowed with something unreadable—anger, guilt, sorrow, maybe all three.
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” he whispered.
Your throat tightened. “I thought… maybe he wouldn’t go that far.”
“Beom-seok broke your arm.”
You flinched—not at the words, but at the way he said them. Like he was holding back a hurricane.
Suho rose. “I’m going out.”
You blinked. “What?”
“I’ll be back,” he said, already walking away. “Stay here.”
You grabbed at his sleeve with your good hand. “Suho, don’t—”
But he was already gone.
⸻
Suho’s fists clenched and unclenched as he moved through the cold streets. He knew where Beom-seok would be. He’d always been predictable like that—corner of the old school building, the back alley behind the convenience store, alone with his rot.
He hadn’t said anything when you told him. Just listened while your voice cracked around the memory of fists and betrayal. Beom-seok, your childhood friend. The one who smiled too much, who always needed saving—until the power flipped. Until he hurt you, because it made him feel strong.
Suho wasn’t going to let that slide.
The wind bit at his cheeks as he rounded the corner—and there he was. Beom-seok. Smoking something cheap, headphones in. Unbothered. Untouched.
Suho’s blood boiled.
“Hey,” he barked.
Beom-seok looked up, brows raised. “Suho? What—”
The punch landed before he could finish.
Suho didn’t give him time to fall properly. He grabbed his collar and drove his knee into Beom-seok’s ribs, once, twice, until the other boy gasped, coughing blood onto the pavement.
“You think you can touch her and walk away?” Suho growled.
Beom-seok spat. “She deserved it.”
Suho saw red.
He didn’t hold back. Fists slammed into cheekbones and jawlines, until his own knuckles split open and blood sprayed across his hoodie. Beom-seok tried to fight back, but it was pathetic. Weak. The cowardice oozed off him like a stink.
“You think that makes you a man?” Suho hissed, dragging Beom-seok up by the hair. “You broke her fucking arm, and for what? Because she walked away from your sorry ass?”
“She turned her back on me first,” Beom-seok snarled through swollen lips. “She left me alone!”
“You did that to yourself.”
Suho threw him down like garbage and stood over him, breathing hard. His voice dropped to a low, vicious murmur. “If you ever go near her again, I swear—there won’t be a next time.”
⸻
You didn’t sleep. You couldn’t—not with the weight of what you knew Suho was doing.
When the door creaked open just past 2 a.m., you were sitting up in the hospital bed, good arm clutching the blanket to your chest. Suho stepped inside, hoodie torn, knuckles wrapped in bloodied gauze.
You stared at him.
He didn’t speak. Just walked over, dropped into the chair beside you, and leaned forward, elbows on knees.
“Did you… did you hurt him?”
He didn’t look at you. “Yeah.”
“Bad?”
“Not as bad as he deserved.”
You swallowed hard. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I did.”
You were silent for a while, eyes fixed on his busted hands.
“He could’ve—he might retaliate,” you whispered.
Suho looked at you then, eyes sharp, almost wild. “Let him try.”
You reached out, trembling slightly, and gently laid your fingers over the back of his hand. He flinched, but didn’t pull away.
“You didn’t need to protect me like that,” you said softly.
He turned his hand under yours, curling his fingers around your palm.
“I always protect what’s mine,” he said. “Even if you don’t let me.”
Your breath hitched. “I’m not yours.”
His gaze dropped to your lips. “Aren’t you?”
⸻
The next few days blurred. You were discharged from the hospital. Suho insisted on walking you home, shadowing you like a silent guardian. He didn’t bring up the fight again—but you knew the aftermath was still rippling beneath his skin.
He brought you your favorite snacks. Sat beside you while you watched movies. Glared at anyone who so much as looked at you sideways in the halls.
He didn’t ask for anything in return.
But one night, a week later, when the bruises were still there but your heart hurt more than your body—you asked him to stay.
He sat on the edge of your bed while you curled beneath your blanket, injured arm resting in a pillow cradle. His hoodie was too big on you. His scent wrapped around you like safety.
“Why did you do it?” you whispered into the dark. “Why risk that for me?”
He didn’t answer right away. Then:
“Because you matter to me.”
Your chest tightened. “We weren’t even that close before.”
“We should’ve been.”
Silence.
Then you said the thing that scared you most.
“I was scared you’d hate me for getting involved with Beom-seok in the first place.”
Suho turned his head slowly. “I hated him. Never you.”
You bit your lip. “Even now?”
He reached out and brushed a strand of hair from your face, thumb trailing along your cheekbone.
“Especially not now,” he murmured.
And then he kissed you.
It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t soft. It was full of everything he’d been holding back—rage, fear, relief, longing. Your hand fisted in the front of his shirt, pulling him closer. His lips moved against yours like he’d been starving, and you gave in, melted, let the hurt fall away for a moment.
When he finally pulled back, breathless, he rested his forehead against yours.
“You’re not alone anymore,” he whispered. “I’ve got you.”
⸻
Beom-seok disappeared for a while after that. Rumors swirled—he transferred schools, his father got involved, there was even talk of charges. You didn’t care. Not anymore.
Because Suho never left.
When your cast came off, he was there, fingers ghosting over your healed arm like it was sacred. When nightmares woke you up, he answered his phone on the first ring, even at 3 a.m.
You started calling him “mine” in your head long before you said it out loud.
It happened one afternoon, a month later. You were sitting on the school rooftop, wind tugging at your hair, his hand warm in yours.
“You remember what you said?” you asked. “About protecting what’s yours?”
He turned to you, eyes dark and steady. “Yeah.”
You smiled faintly. “I think I’m ready to be yours.”
Suho didn’t smile. He just leaned in, pressed his lips to your temple, and whispered, “Good.”
Because you already were.
ANYONE WANT A LITTLE FLASHBACK TO WHEN BEOM-SEOK AND READER FELL OUT???
Omg the Ahn Sooho fic got me in shambles AJHSJQHSJQHA can I request another one too? 😔😔 Thank you!
Lean On Me | Sooho
- afab! reader. thank you anon! ♡
Ahn Sooho. He wasn't someone unpopular. In fact, a lot of girls had a crush on him, but he was just too busy to accept anyone. At first, he could barely accept Sieun into his busy life. Sooho had always been everyones guardian angel. Always protecting the weak against the strong, making sure the strong didn't hurt the weak, and always making sure no one went too far.
It was a usual day, seven in the morning. You walked into the class as you saw Sieun, already seated with his airpods in, and books neatly placed in front of him. He gave you a kind of nod as you smiled back at him. You weren't technically friends nor classmates, but his friendship with Sooho had made the both of you acquaintances of some sort.
You walked to the back of the class as you quietly pulled the chair near Sooho's desk as you sat behind the three tables the boy had pulled together to make a makeshift bed. You unzipped your bag as quietly as you could, partly because you didn't want to disturb Sooho and entirely because you didn't want to disturb Sieun, feeling kind of intimidated by his silent stare if you disturbed him. You took out a small blanket, putting it over his sleeping body as you patted his head softly. You felt bad that he had to sleep at school because he had to juggle so many part-time jobs just to make sure he could get through high school and support his grandmother at the same time.
You watched as his eyelashes fluttered, and his chest rose and dipped with each deep breath he took. You weren't in his class, but you made lunch for him every day, not wanting him to miss his meals or work on an empty stomach. You didn't mind that it took you two more hours than usual to prepare lunch, as long as Sooho wouldn't fall sick and you wouldn't have to worry.
Most people would say that the both of you were like married couples. You'd prepare him lunch, and he'd send you to your after-school activities, and you had no complaints against it. Sooho didn't like feeling like he owed people, so that was the least you could let him do.
Sooho stirred in his sleep as the sun rose higher, the sunshine shining directly into the classroom, hitting his face, although you tried your best to shield his eyes from the light. Sooho opened his eyes as he saw you, waiting for him as per usual, as he sat up and yawned. He stretched his arms as he turned to you with a smile on his face, saluting.
"Good Morning Mrs Ahn!" Sooho announced, not feeling a single hint of embarassment as your cheeks still grew red from the nickname.
Sooho was sure. He was sure you're the one for him. He'd give up everything, including himself, for you. It didn't take a genius to notice your affect on him, and even his grandmother was proud of the changes he had in his life.
"Mr Ahn, this is your meal for the day. Don't forget to eat or I'll get mad!" You teased back as you picked up your bag, passing him the metal lunchbox, about to leave as per usual but Sooho stopped you.
"I'll send you to your class," Sooho said with a grin as he took your bag from your grip and slung it over his shoulder, taking your hand in his free hand as he dragged you out the classroom.
It had become a natural occurrence for the students at school to see Sooho dragging you around, clinging onto you to spend every free second he had with you. Sooho happily chattered on about what he had done over the weekend, talking about how after work, he had treated his grandmother to a meal.
"I brought grandma to have a meal, my treat, but she asked me where you were at! I think she loves you more than me!" Sooho whined as you couldn't help but laugh at his childishness, looking at him as you couldn't help but feel yourself hiccup as the sun seemed to compliment his looks just a little bit more than usual. You crossed your arms as you responded teasingly, "Oh well, I guess I'm her favourite now!".
Sooho feigned shock as he covered his mouth with both his hands, eyes widened as he held your bag up high. You gasped in false shock as you poked his side, causing him to flinch as he instinctively brought your bag lower, allowing you to grab it with ease.
"I know you too well Mr Ahn! See you later!" You smiled at Sooho as you were about to walk into your class, the boy already walking away.
"Don't fall asleep in class! Atleast try to listen!" You yelled as Sooho held a thumbs up, not turning as he skipped back to his class.
Class wasn't the best part of school, but you knew that if you wanted a future with Sooho, at least one of you had to have a certification higher than a diploma.
Lunch was definitely the best part of school. You walked to the cafeteria as you grabbed a tray, picking the food you wanted from the school buffet as you walked to the pay line but was bumped into by one of the ugly looking guys from Class 3, who had way too much confidence.
"I know I'm good looking, but should Ahn Sooho's girlfriend really be trying to get comfy with me?" The brocolli-haired, short and lumpy, big mouthed guy joked as you looked at him in absolute disgust. Was he serious?
"I'm sorry, but you bumped into me. I have no interest in you whatsoever, so please let me pay for my food," You answered calmly as you tried to move past him but was blocked once again by the ogre look-alike.
"Just because you're dating Ahn Sooho, you think you're a big deal? You ought to know how to behave!" The guy said, clearly irked as he raised his hand.
Instinctively, you closed your eyes, ready to take the hit, but it never came. You opened your eyes to see the familiar red jacket wearing man in front of you. Sooho held the guy's hand as he twisted it, slightly, just to get a yelp from him as he moved closer to him.
"I didn't think you'd stoop so low to the point you'd hit a woman, more so my woman, so screw off. You're not a delinquent. You're just a fool." Sooho said as he released his hold on the guy's arm as he ran out of the cafeteria, feeling intimidated by Sooho's little speech.
Sooho turned to you as he held your shoulders, bending down slightly to be face to face with you, "Are you alright? You must've been scared. "
You nodded as Sooho couldn't help but pat your head, smiling.
"I'll always save you, don't worry. Let's go eat, I'm hungry!" Sooho reassured you as he slung an arm over your shoulder, leading you to the now 'safe' pay line.
You sat down with Sooho at your usual table as you watched Sooho eat, scooping from the mountain of rice on his tray and stuffing it into his mouth, not forgetting to pick up meat right after.
"How are you always stuffing your face, but you never choke?" A voice asked as Sieun took a seat next to you, across the empty seat on Sooho's right.
"The art of devouring is not something easily learned, top student of the country," Sooho announced as if he was an emperor from the Joseon period as he raised his head proudly.
You turned to Sieun as you ignored your boyfriend's strange antics, "I heard you got called to the office just now".
"It's because of the new student, Oh Beomseok. We went out with him, and stuff happened. it's alright." Sieun responded short as he dug into his normal portioned food.
You watched as Sooho finished the entire plate of food, not leaving a single crumb. You were satisfied that at least in between Sooho's crazy schedule, he could at least eat a normal school lunch and talk to his friends.
Sooho sat on his motorbike as he had your bag slung in front of him, the brightly coloured bag standing out as compared to his black coloured bag behind it. He had two bags slung in front on purpose, so you could lean onto him comfortably, but he'd never admit that.
"Let's go, or you'll be late to your calligraphy class and then Miss So will be mad at me," Sooho made a sad face as you chuckled at the boy's 'TT' pose under his eyes.
Miss So was your calligraphy teacher, and she taught you calligraphy one-on-one, due to the fact that you were further ahead and way more advanced that the other students who had just joined, unlike you who had been doing calligraphy for years. She had taken a liking for the boy, at her age of 72, she said that 'he's a good boy, and the both of you compliment each other'.
You got onto the motorbike as you wrapped your arms around his waist, feeling the sythethic material against your arm as your back was on your boyfriend's chest. Sooho smiled, his cheekbones high as he revved the engine.
"Let's go, Mrs Ahn!" Sooho announced as he drove the motorbike down the hill. It was your favourite part of the whole ride. The helmet shielded your face from the wind as the both of you went down the hill from the gate, the crowd of students walking slowly down the pavement.
Sooho, and you always joked that once the both of you get married, he'll have to get a car licence, or else, there'll be nowhere for your child to sit. Sooho never told anyone but his grandmother, but he never thought of a future without you. Never in his wildest dreams did he think of a time when he'd leave you or you'd leave him. He was working for not only his own future or his grandma's happiness, but also your future together with his. He needed that diploma to get a good job, or at least continue to college so he can support your family in the future.
"You arrived!" The voice of an old lady could be heard as the door of the old style house, that still seemed expensive, slid open, revealing Miss So waiting for you.
"Sorry, did I keep you waiting?" You asked as you got off the motorbike, Sooho's arms around your waist as he helped you off, avoiding the hot exhaust.
"No no, you didn't! Sooho brought you here safe right? Or should I make him write a thousand characters?" Miss So joked as Sooho held a hand to his chest, feigning offence at her words.
"Miss So! I bring my girlfriend safe everywhere! I'm a very good driver and if she got injured, I'll get injured too!" Sooho said as he covered his face, acting as if he was crying into his hands.
"You're a big baby even after you've dated for so many years. Come on, let's start class before your boyfriend clings onto you and won't let you go," Miss So teased as you couldn't help but laugh at her words, turning to see Sooho sulking.
"I'll be right back. Be careful at work!" You waved at the boy as Sooho waved back, putting on his own helmet as he drove off to his part time job.
Sooho didn't expect that what had happened to him, Sieun and Beomseok, would come back to bite him in the ass so fast, but it did.
He was eating the lunch you had packed him in the metal lunch box, in the delivery riders room, watching a video on his phone as he heard a group of high school 'delinquents' walking outside with baseball bats, muttering.
"We're going to teach him a lesson. How dare he report us to the bullying committee? Now, Soo Wong is mad at us, and now we have to do his dirty work. What a cheap," one of the bigger sized boys muttered as they walked in the direction of the back alley.
Sooho never got involved unless needed, but this was a group of close to fifteen boys, and from what he heard, against one? If that boy reported them to the bullying committee, he's a goner.
Sooho tried to forget about it, not wanting to care. He scooped the rice with spam into his mouth, focusing on the food you had packed with your love along with it. He raised the volume of the video, trying to block out all his thoughts, but somehow, it kept repeating in his head. Sooho got up with a loud groan, huffing as he packed his bag and clocked out, walking out of the staff room as he made his way to the back alley.
"Miss So, I'm going to the bathroom for a while," you told your teacher, who was looking at your current piece. Miss So nodded as you swiftly left the class, feeling the stomach ache beginning to creep in. You placed your arms on your stomach as you ran to the bathroom.
It wasn't a good time in there, at all. You got back into the classroom as Miss So looked at you with a worried expression.
"If you're not feeling well, go home! Did you not eat today? I'm telling Sooho if you skip your meals!" Miss So scolded you as you shook your head, grabbing your bag, packing your brushes and paper into your bag as you told Miss So, "I'm going home, I'm so sorry that we had to cut the lesson short! I promise I'll make up for it!".
Miss So shook her head with a smile as you left building, making a turn to Sooho's workplace. You couldn't just leave without telling Sooho, or he'd frantically call you or knock on your door like a maniac after work.
"What the hell...?" You muttered as you peered into the staff room of his workplace to find it empty. Sooho abandoning work? Did something happen?
You couldn't imagine what could've happened to make him abandon work. Was he in danger?
Sooho was up against four guys. The boy they attacked looked half beaten to death. His white uniform was coloured red as his bag was unzipped. It wasn't hard to fight all of them at once, but seeing as one of them looked quite strong, he wasn't sure.
Sooho charged at the first guy, kicking him behind the knee as the boy toppled down instinctively, giving Sooho the chance to land a kick on his side, sending him into the wall. The second guy ran up to him as Sooho saw his right shoulder move, making him dodge to the right as he ended up behind the boy. Sooho landed a kick on his back, sending him forward as his chin landed on the rough floor, enough to have him groaning in pain from the friction. The third guy played dirty as he threw his blazer onto Sooho, trying to block his sight, but sooho knew better as he charged straight into the boy, knocking him with his head as the boy stumbled backwards, giving Sooho the chance to land a punch on him multiple times.
Sooho was too distracted, not noticing the fourth boy already behind him, grabbing him into a headlock as Sooho was pulled backwards. Sooho would pass out at that rate, his vision slowly dotting as he struggled against the guy's strong grip.
A bag flew into the boy's head as Sooho was released from his grip. Sooho turned to see you standing, heaving as you just threw your heavy bag at someone. Sooho stood up as he dusted his hands.
"Looks like my girlfriend is here! Can't leave her waiting! You should all repent for your crimes, it's not good to bully people," Sooho stated, half sarcastic. Sooho picked up your bag and his bag as he turned to the boy who had just been beaten by the bullies, "You should get out of here and report them again. If they still bully you, ask this pretty lady to help you".
The both of you walked back to Sooho's workplace as he turned to you, "Why did you do that? What if they changed their target to you? What would I have done then? That was dangerous. Don't do that again. I'll be the hero, and you can be my pretty girlfriend. "
You raised an eyebrow as you responded, " You shouldn't have to save everyone. If you're saving everyone, who's your hero? Then, I'll be your hero. I'll always take care of you so you can take care of everyone".
You smiled at Sooho as the boy felt like he had just fallen in love with you all over again. It felt like the time when you both confessed again, he was down on his knees for you, and his heart was yours.
"Then I can be your hero, and you'll be mine."
--
eva : how was it guys? this was so long.. i rewrote it twice.. what do you guys want as a 100 follower special :]
hELLO are requests open? 😽😽 if it's okie, i'd like to request an ahn sooho × reader fic ( I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY FIC OF HIM I'M SO SAD 😭 )
my first sooho fic :] thank you anon! also here's to @slytherinshua and hannie , no angst this time
Meeting Ahn Sooho was the most unexpected occurrence in your life. It was almost like he was your hero.
You had your earpieces in, music blasting as you read the book in your hand. It wasn't every day that you were this interested in a book. The words seemed to swirl in your mind as you imagined each word, taking in each detail of every movement of every character.
That was until you were knocked down, hard. Your bottom slammed onto the concrete floor as your book fell onto the floor right after you, covered in soda. Your right earpiece went flying out of your ear, song stopping. Your eyes widened as you looked at your book, the words blending in with the soda, unclear.
You looked up, eyebrows furrowed as you looked at the culprit who had one hand extended out while the other was at the back of his neck.
"Ahn Sooho?" You asked, like a question, as he looked at you in surprise. "You know me?" Sooho replied as you looked at him, scoffing.
"Why wouldn't I?" You responded as you took his hand, standing up as you looked at the stain on your white uniform, starting to feel annoyed by your situation. "The infamous Ahn Sooho who nearly got his ass beaten by the baseball team over a girl. You're a playboy aren't you?".
Sooho's eyes widened as he took off his red jacket, revealing his white uniform that was unbuttoned to show his red work uniform.
"I wouldn't call myself a playboy, maybe everyone's just attracted to my charm?" Sooho responded as he winked, placing the jacket over your shoulders before picking up the soaked book and placing it on the locker near the window.
"I'll replace your book. By tomorrow, the same book will arrive at your table, sergeant!" Sooho said as he saluted you, picking up the empty soda can and continuing to run down the hallway.
You looked at the jacket on your shoulders, putting your arms through it as you zipped it, covering the stain on your uniform.
Sooho delivered his promise. You entered the classroom and walked to your seat near the middle as you saw the same exact book, this time with a sticky note on the first page.
"I'm sorry for bumping into you and ruining your uniform and book. I still feel like this isn't enough to make up for it. Would you want to eat lunch together? I'm in Class 1!" The messy handwriting read as you couldn't help but form a small smile on your lips as you grazed the yellow paper with your fingertips. Why was he like a puppy?
The bell for lunch rang, and unlike yesterday, you found yourself making your way to class 1, walking the back door to see Ahn Sooho fast asleep at his desk. His head rested on a pink bunny pillow, and his chest rose and fell deeply. You contemplated as you held the washed jacket in your arms, wondering if you should really wake the boy up.
"Ahn Sooho, it's lunchtime... and there's a girl here waiting for you. Sooho, Sooho, Sooho, wake up," The boy sitting in front of Sooho turned and shook the boy awake as Sooho jolted awake, eyebrows furrowed as he squinted. The boy let out a big yawn as he turned in his chair to stretch, but turned to see you standing with his jacket, waiting for him.
"Oh! Were you waiting for me?" Sooho asked as he stood up from his seat, finally awake. You handed him the jacket as you bowed slightly, "Thank you for lending it to me. It was a big help."
Sooho waved it off as he responded, "It was nothing! Besides, it was my fault since I... you know... dropped the soda".
The both of you made your way to the cafeteria, taking trays of food as Sooho paid for yours too, taking a seat at a table near the corner.
"So what should we talk about?" Sooho asked as he took a spoonful of rice and shoved it into his mouth. He acted as if he'd been starved for a week. It'd be impossible to tell a beast from Sooho.
You hummed as you thought about it for a few seconds.
"What do you like to do after school?" You asked as you used your chopsticks to pinch a piece of kimchi, placing it into your mouth as the taste engulfed your tastebuds.
Sooho thought about it as he responded with a mouth full of food, causing several rice grains to drop from his mouth.
"I work part-time at a barbecue place, and I do deliveries on two days. I don't go home because I'm scared I'll fall asleep and miss school. I can't miss school," Sooho shared as he saw the curious look on your face as you placed a spoonful of soup in your mouth.
"Why can't you miss a day of school?" You asked as Sooho responded, "I need to graduate with a perfect attendance. My grandmother wants me to graduate with a perfect attendance, even if I don't end up going to college. So, what about you? What do you do after school?".
You picked at your food as you shared a little, "I go to cram school and then I go to help my grandparents at their bookstore. Their bookstore has a lot of books so I don't have to go far to get good selections. Cram school, is cram school. There's nothing special about it, just the 7pm to 10pm classes every day,".
Sooho laughed a little, making his eyes crinkle as he joked, "I guess we know which one of us will go to college".
You smiled a little as you scooped a spoonful of rice into your mouth, continuing your conversation with the boy.
To everyone around you, it seemed as if the both of you had just met after being apart for 10 years and were catching up on the many years you'd spent together before that. The both of you seemed to connect very well, talking about everything from games to food to stuff worrying you around the neighbourhood. It seemed like you'd finally found someone for you.
You walked down to the parking lot near the school as Sooho put on his helmet, his bag in the trunk below the seat. You were about to wave goodbye to him when he passed you a helmet, patting the seat behind him as he said, "You told me that the distance from the school to your cram school made it hard for you to eat properly. I'll send you to cram school from now on, so eat properly or I'll start packing you lunches like a cooking club member".
Your mouth was practically hanging open as he took the helmet from you, putting it onto your head as he slid the face shield down, tapping the helmet lightly as he ushered you to get on.
The wind felt comforting for some reason. You weren't sure if it was the weather, the vehicle or the boy with you, but your heart seemed to speed up as fast as the motorcyle as your arms were wrapped around the boy's waist, eyes wandering around as you looked at your surroundings curiously. It wasn't often that you'd get on a motorcycle and definitely not with Sooho.
It wasn't just you who felt the speed up of your heart, Sooho could feel your heart pounding on his back as his eyes were focused on the road, not wanting to injure either of you nor his motorbike. He drove with caution as he smiled to himself every time you saw something cool on the way, 'ooh'ing every time.
Sooho lifted the helmet from your head as your hair dropped down to your shoulders, some strands left, a mess on the top of your head. Sooho reached for the mess as he combed his fingers through your hair, making sure your hair was neat.
"Don't go around alone anymore. Byuksan Middle School might be an elite school, but the schools around us have scary students. If you need to go anywhere after school or after cram school, call me, and I'll pick you up. Don't wander alone anymore," Sooho said as he placed your bag on your shoulders. You look at him, wondering what this sudden feeling blooming in your chest.
You coughed as you excused yourself, cheeks red as you walked to the entrance of the cram school, turning to give the boy a small wave as you walked in, disappearing into the crowd of students. Sooho managed to give a small wave back as he kept the extra helmet in the seat storage, heading to start his delivery gig early so he could get back to the cram school by 10pm.
He was right on time. You excited your cram school as you waved goodbye to some friends you made as per Sooho's suggestion after the mini lunch date you both had. He was leaning on his motorbike, phone in hand as the LED lit his face blue, his eyes focused on the screen. The sound of students exiting seemed to catch his attention as he raised his head to meet eyes with you.
"Sooho? You're here?" You asked as Sooho took your bag from your shoulder, putting it back in the storage box as he reponded, "Why not? I told you I'd be here. My grandmother always says, 'Sooho! Don't let a girl walk by herself! Don't let her carry her own bag, and don't let her spend her own money!' So I'm kind of like... your hero? I'll save you anytime anything happens." Sooho mimicked his grandmother as you couldn't help but laugh at his horrible impersonation.
This became a daily routine as Sooho began to reserve the helmet only for you. He would never come late and would stay true to his word. He would buy you snacks if you had make-up classes at cram school, buy you dessert to go along with your school lunch, and always have an umbrella if the weather was down.
Sooho ran. His motorbike was outside your cram school while you were nowhere to be seen. He initially thought that maybe you had some extra work to do or someone held you up, but when he saw the familiar friends he saw you hanging out with many months ago, he couldn't stop himself.
"We haven't seen her since Physics class. Physics was at 9pm. She looked at her phone and suddenly left, saying she had an emergency. " Your friend informed Sooho as he started to feel tense.
"Which direction did she run to?" Sooho asked as your friends muttered amongst each other, trying to get a definite answer.
"She ran out and ran out the gate towards the Byuksan Alley," Your friend told him as the words 'Byuksan Alley' made him run towards that place as fast as he could.
"Sooho, can I tell you something?" You asked the boy as the both of you sat at lunch as per usual. It had become a norm over the past few months, and the both of you could be considered... best friends? What everyone knew was that both of you were insperable.
Sooho hummed as he looked at you, giving you his unwavering attention.
"I think, with everything happening between you, sieun and beomseok... beomseok sent some girls after me. They didn't do anything, but they said that I better watch out," You told Sooho as his face changed into one with anger. He turned to give the disgusting boy a glance as he responded with false calmness, "If anything ever happens with them, call me first".
Sooho turned the alley as he saw you on the floor, your uniform painted red as girls with white surgical masks on their face, uniform unbuttoned revealing black shirts and skirts at their knees, kicked you repeatedly. By their side, there were guys in school uniforms too, watching the violence as if it were some sick variety show. You were ambushed. You didn't expect them to find your number and threaten you with Sooho's life. You had no choice.
"Sooho!" You called out, trying to alert him in case he was in the area. He said he'd always save you, he will... right?
Sooho ran in, kicking the first guy in the chest, making him fall against the wall with a thud as he elbowed the next guy in the lungs, causing him to cough. Sooho took the chance to punch him in the face, not leaving him any time to recover. He then turned to the last guy, who looked at him, trembling. His eyeballs practically vibrated as Sooho walked up to him. The guy took off running, leaving the three confused girls.
"Baby, why did you run...?" The girl kicking you asked as she turned to see her boyfriend nowhere in sight, and her two friends' boyfriends on the floor, knocked out.
The three girls turned in horror as Sooho spoke, "Why would you do this to her? She didn't even do anything, and here you are, kicking her as if she did something to you. "
The three girls looked at each other as the middle one muttered, "Beomseok asked us to do it. He said that she told on us that we had smokes.".
Sooho scoffed. Just because a liar told them that she told on them for cigarettes? She didn't even know them, much less cared about whether they died early because of chemical sticks.
"Leave, and don't bother her again," Sooho said as he bent down to check your bloodied uniform. Your head had dirt marks from the shoes of the girls and your tears made the dirt coat your cheek. Sooho wiped the dirt off with his thumb as he smiled.
"I told you I'm your hero now, didn't I?"
--
WOAH MY FIRST SOOHO FIC AND ITS LONG(?) WITH ALMOST NO ANGST OHMYGOD GASP OHMYGOD!!
LOVE LESSONS
genre. fluff. mutual pining. whc1 w/o the angst au. warnings. they're both whipped. pairing. sieun x fem!reader. wc. 2.6k. (wish it was longer damn) request. no. a/n. happy birthday @yeonjuns-redhair i love you so so so so much you'd better enjoy it 🔪
Sieun hadn’t taken much interest in girls during his life. Other than the fleeting first crush he had when he was fourteen, girls had been the last thing on his mind as he focused all his energy into his grades. But there was just something about you that Sieun couldn’t ignore. Without realising it, he was falling head over heels in love with you and he didn’t even have the courage to speak a single word to you.
You sat a seat up from Sieun one row over, a spot which allowed him to admire you silently whenever he wanted (which was increasingly becoming the only thing he wanted to do). Whenever the window was open on a warmer day, the breeze would always reach your hair and blow in just the way to take Sieun’s breath away. He had become an expert at pretending to be absorbed in his notes like he always was, but his gaze always found its way to you eventually.
The first person to realise was Sooho.
“You like Y/n or something?” Sooho teased, dropping into the seat in front of Sieun, making him look up from his notes which hadn’t been added to in the past 20 minutes despite the pencil in his hand.
“Is it obvious?” Sieun said in a panicked voice, eyes glancing over the mostly empty room just to make sure no one was listening.
“Given that she has the power to take your attention away from your studies, I’d say so.” Sooho pointed out, grinning.
“What do I do?” Sieun sighed, dropping his pencil, dropping his head into his hands.
Sooho leaned back in his seat, pretending to think, “Ask her out, obviously.”
Sieun’s eyes widened, “What?”
“What?” Sooho echoed.
“I… I can’t ask her out.”
“Why not?”
Sieun flushed, “...She’s too good for me.” He mumbled.
Sooho raised his eyebrow at this, “Oh, you’re more whipped than I thought.” He gave Sieun a lopsided grin, finding the younger boy adorable. “Let me guess, you’ve never had a girlfriend before?” Sieun shook his head. “Don’t worry,” Sooho nodded as he spoke, “I can help you.”
“How?”
“Private lessons.” Sooho concluded, standing up and patting Sieun’s shoulder before walking out of the classroom. Sieun stared at him as he left, feeling the anxiety rising and he tried to gulp it back down.
//
Sieun’s first “private lesson” took place the next day. As he worked his part time job at the restaurant, Sooho gave all the advice he had to Sieun. Most of it went right over the smaller boy’s head, but he tried his best to at least write it all down on a notepad. He would need all the help he could get in order to even approach you, so he studied diligently.
“Figure out what she likes first. If she likes strawberry smoothies, buy her a strawberry smoothie. If she likes stuffed animals, buy her one. But be nonchalant about it, like you just happened to know that it was her favourite. Girls don’t like it when boys are obsessed with them.” Sooho explained as he sorted cans of soda.
“Am I too obsessed with her?” Sieun said suddenly, halting the movements of his pen.
“No, no, don’t worry about that. She’ll love you, you’re very lovable once you open up.”
“What if she doesn’t?”
“And what if she does? Stop overthinking it and write down what I say, okay?”
Sieun left that first lesson overwhelmed. He had never thought so hard about how much eye contact to make or what pick-up lines to use. He was starting to feel like maybe he couldn’t do this. You were way out of his league and didn’t even know he existed. He was stupid to even try.
When he arrived at school in the morning, his head felt as cloudy as the sky outside. It was encroaching on a darkness but still clung to the cusp of a light grey. The clouds swirled around and hid the sun, a harsh breeze shifting the leaves on the trees.
Sieun opened his backpack to get out his notebook, but his attention was immediately drawn to a small bottle of mango juice. Sooho must have stuck it in. He grabbed it and found a sticky note with unmistakably Sooho’s handwriting scrawled on it.
I heard from her friend that this is her fav— remember what I told you ;)
Sieun sighed and peeled the sticky note off of the bottle, recalling all the steps Sooho had meticulously given him the previous day. Act cool, don’t try too hard, don’t act interested at first, etc.
Sieun busied himself with studying for the next hour, waiting for when you arrived to class so he could give you the juice. You walked in with a boy beside you and Sieun’s heart sunk. His eyes flickered between you and the boy who was clearly clinging to your side. Sieun thought that maybe you looked uncomfortable, but he didn’t know for sure. He just forced himself to look down at his paper, missing the way you instinctively looked at him, a mixture of disappointment in your face.
Sooho offered Sieun a ride home after school, eager to know if he had successfully made a move on you. “Did she like the juice?” Sooho asked brightly, passing Sieun the motorcycle helmet.
The other boy was silent as he put it on, still processing his disappointed emotions. Why did it make him feel like he was about to explode seeing someone else so close to you?
With the long pause, Sooho was quick to pick up on what had happened, “Don’t tell me you didn’t give it to her?” Sieun nodded quietly, affirming Sooho’s suspicions before sitting down on the motorcycle without another word. Sooho sighed and joined him, turning on the engine with a loud rev and entering the lane on the road.
//
You had known Sooho since your 5th birthday. He was that one kid who no one really knew why they were invited to the party, but ended up being the star anyway. He had caked you in the face on your 7th birthday as a prank, and now it was a tradition at every birthday.
No one was really aware of how close you two were, since you didn’t spend much time talking at school. Sooho was always sleeping and you were always spending way too much time being distracted by the most beautiful eyes- studying. You were studying.
It had been months of your studying being rudely distracted by this… certain someone, and your grades were realistically suffering because of it. You needed to do something about it, and luckily for you, Sooho was friends with this boy. It was like the stars had aligned.
“Sooho!” You sat down loudly at the desk in front of the sleeping boy, earning a tired groan as the boy attempted to wake up from his slumber.
“What?” He rubbed his eye lazily, waiting for you to bring up what was so important as to interrupt his precious sleep.
“I need to confess or else my grades will crash and burn.” You said dramatically, much to the confusion of the boy in front of you.
“Who are you confessing to?” He asked groggily but a bit more alert than before, thoughts of Sieun’s failed confession running through his brain immediately. What if you liked someone completely different? Should Sooho still encourage Sieun to confess to you?
“Sieun…” You muttered weakly.
“What?” Sooho’s eyes brightened when you repeated Sieun’s name in clarification. “I have a plan.”
Sooho’s plan was the most absurd thing you had ever heard. How the heck was randomly showing up to Sieun’s apartment going to achieve anything? What did he expect you two to do? Eat dinner?
Sooho had dropped you off 30 seconds ago and sped off on his motorcycle before you could figure out exactly where you were and bombard him with questions. He didn’t give you any instructions, any pointers. All he said was that Sieun had something to drink. You were confused and a little annoyed and scared. You would probably embarrass yourself in front of Sieun and then that would be the end of it. You wouldn’t have the courage to even look at the boy ever again.
You hesitantly knocked on the door since Sooho had threatened you in case you chose to run away instead of doing anything. As the door opened, you were faced with the pair of eyes that you expected. You watched as shock flickered over them.
You could practically melt right then and there just from looking at him. You had never actually seen him in clothes other than his school uniform, and while he looked good in it, he looked infinitely better in this; a soft crew neck and sweatpants. You could only imagine how comfortable it would be to hug him or even cuddle-
Your thoughts were shut down when Sieun spoke, a little timidly, “Do you want to come in?” His voice was soft like it always was. He never really talked much. Even when answering questions in class, he spoke in as few words as possible. You couldn’t lie, you found it endearing.
You nodded and walked through the door, finding the apartment unsurprisingly clean. You took off your shoes, staying in just your socks. Sieun tried to look for a spare pair of slippers to give you, but the only pair was his dad’s which were comically too big for you.
You gave up the search and walked to the couch to sit down. You could feel this warm feeling in the air, like some simmering tension. It wasn’t uncomfortable, in fact, it gave you the slight sensation of butterflies in your stomach.
Sieun sat next to you on the couch but not too close and you were both silent. You weren’t sure what to say or where to start. You had asked Sooho for help with confessing, but it would seem too abrupt to start with that. You wanted to warm up to Sieun first, though you weren’t sure how long you could wait before the words fell out of your mouth.
“Do you want a drink?” Sieun asked and you smiled. So Sooho wasn’t lying with that part.
“What are the options?”
“Uh…” He dropped his head, thinking for a second before running to the small fridge and pulling out a bottle of mango juice, “You like this… right?”
You nodded, “Yeah, I do.”
Sieun’s lips turned up into the cutest smile you had ever seen in your entire life. You felt like you were floating on clouds from the elated feeling. You made him smile.
Once you had received a glass of mango juice, the conversation started flowing a bit easier. You talked about school and hobbies and your favourite foods. Though Sieun didn’t say much, you could tell he was always listening to what you were saying. That was a bit unusual to you. You were always used to being ignored or thought of as obnoxious when you talked, so you rarely felt comfortable saying what you wanted to. With Sieun, however, you felt like you could say anything and he would listen.
It was late in the night and Sieun was preparing a small dinner for you both. He had been overwhelmingly kind and considerate that you felt your will to not confess being slowly withered away. You were about to crack, you could feel it. As soon as he did one more thing to make your heart flutter, you would have to spill it otherwise you were sure you would explode.
Your resolve was finally broken while you were eating. You were sitting across from Sieun on the floor, food spread out as best as Sieun could make it. You had a small bit of sauce on the corner of your lip, and before you could notice yourself, Sieun had leaned across the table and wiped it off gently with his thumb.
Your cheeks flushed pink at the touch. You were lucky you didn’t have any food in your mouth otherwise you would’ve probably choked. You were stunned, staring at the boy in front of you. And then he smiled as if he was shy but happy to help. You could see his ears had turned pink at the tips, and then finally your mouth was spitting out words before your brain could catch up.
“I like you, Sieun.”
//
“I’m nervous I’ll do it wrong.” Sieun whispered, head dropped to look at the floor. You could see his cheeks a bright red and you were sure that your boyfriend was the cutest thing this world had ever created.
“You won’t be able to mess up cuddling, I promise.” You reassured him.
“But I’ve never done it before… What if-”
“You’ve hugged me before.” You cut him off. He nodded. He had hugged you, many many times. He wanted to hug you right now. “It’ll just be like a prolonged hug… except more relaxed.” You understood how the thought of cuddling could feel daunting for him. He had been touch-starved his entire life. “I’ll show you how it works, but… you need to come here first.” You giggled and patted the spot next to you on the bed.
Sieun’s face flushed more and he joined you carefully, scooting next to you. You grabbed his wrist and tugged him even closer to you, “It’s hard to cuddle when there's a gap between us.” You explained with a smile.
You decided it would be best to make the first move, so you wrapped your arms around his waist and rested your cheek on his chest. He was even more comfortable than you could’ve imagined, and you wondered why you hadn’t done this before. He smelled clean and calming, your nerves instantly becoming soothed by being so close to him.
He had tensed up at first, not sure how to respond and hyper aware of how fast his heart was beating. You were so pretty and the fact that you were hugging him so closely? Sieun would probably never recover. He figured that wrapping his arm around your shoulder would be natural, and he soon discovered that the position was 10 times more comfortable that way as you snuggled even closer to him.
“Your heart is beating so fast… Nervous?” You mumbled, peering up at him with a small teasing smile.
“Yeah…”
“Me too.” You whispered, a smile growing as you could feel both your hearts beating at the same fast rate.
Sieun was an excellent cuddler, he just didn’t realise it. He naturally started rubbing your arm in a soothing way until his hand travelled up to your hair and started playing with it. You were sure you would become addicted to cuddling him after this. Maybe you would ask him to cuddle with you everyday…
“Can I kiss you?” You asked suddenly. Sieun’s hand stopped playing with your hair.
“I… I’ve never-”
“I know. Me neither.” You said shyly, “It just… seemed like the right moment, but if you don’t-”
“I do. I really really do.” He said firmly and smiled a little. Your heart was already melted from the cuddles, but it was as good as evaporated at the sight of his smile.
“Okay.” You cupped his cheek cautiously before leaning in, not quite touching his lips, waiting for him to lean in as well. He pressed his lips to yours softly, timidly moving them in case you were uncomfortable or he was doing it wrong.
Sieun was an excellent kisser as well.
↳ k-drama taglist: @yeonjuns-redhair
Summary/Author's Note: You are right there when Suho opens his eyes. (The one where Suho woke up because I said so.)
The hospital room was filled with dusk and quiet, the only noise the sounds of your breathing and the gentle steady beeping of Suho's life support machine. Moonlight peered through the gap in the drawn curtains, trying to find Suho where he lay still on the white bed, always unmoving, where before he had never stopped.
You couldn't bear to pull them closed all the way, didn't want to close the room into complete darkness in case he woke up and couldn't see. Just in case he was afraid.
Suho was never afraid of anything. Before he had gone to find Beomseok, he had kissed you carefully, squeezed your hand and promised he'd be right back, confidence lining his shoulders and grinning back at you from behind his eyes.
And then he wound up here, barely alive, barely breathing. You didn't realise before now that you could be choked by your own heart.
Sieun came and went, always silent, always a gentle hand on your shoulder and nothing else. Yeongi pleaded for forgiveness for something that wasn't even her fault and Beomseok stayed away. If he hadn't, you would have taken his eyes.
You reached down to shuffle your chair closer to the bed and carefully slipped your hand into Suho's, clearing your throat to keep from crying. You always stifled tears when his grandma was with him, and it had become habit. You silently begged him to open his beautiful big eyes and look at you again, the way you used to beg him not to stare at you because it made you blush.
But he liked making you blush too much to stop his staring.
You didn't realise you were crying anyway, despite your efforts, until the hand you were holding slowly lifted to clumsily swipe at the tears, cleaning your face.
"Jagi..."
Your head snapped up and your fingers closed reflexively tighter around Suho's hand as you stared, stunned, at his slowly opening eyes. Your bottom lip began quivering and he gently shook his hand free of yours to press it to your jaw and drag his thumb over the tremble.
"Yah" he said softly, his voice hoarse from underuse. "I'm here."
Fresh tears spilled over your lashes, rendering them wet and spiky. Suho smiled, his dark eyes warming.
"Ah" he murmured. "You missed me, huh?"
Tagging: @writingmysanity
-in which Ahn Sooho sees the girl of his dreams (whc1 is on Netflix now!! Go watch!!)
Ahn Sooho wasn’t one for wasting time, except for maybe the occasional drinks; he had more on his mind than most middle schoolers had. He had multiple part time jobs just to support himself and his grandmother, but there was always a gnawing feeling in his heart. It was almost as if he was yearning for something. Not money, but a person.
“Sooho… are you sure you’re fine?” Beomseok asked as he sat next to him.
Sooho had been deep in thought for the past ten minutes, elbow resting on the table as his hand supported his cheek. The boy seemed as if he was coming up with a master plan to take over the school.
“Why is it we never get to see the girls from the school opposite of us? I mean, we’re less than fifteen footsteps away, but we never see them. It’s as if there’s some magical barrier stopping us!” Sooho said as he took a spoonful of rice into his mouth. “They have to be angels or something if their school leaders are so protective of them!”.
Sieun grimaced as he took a tissue and wiped off the rice Sooho had spat onto his uniform. “Maybe swallow your food before you talk? Then you’ll get to see them?”.
Sooho whined to himself as he ate his lunch.
_________ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐
You had never been one to spend much time in the dating scene. Maybe the occasional confession from the boys from Byuksan Middle School but none of them had ever caught your eye. You were one of the girls who could be described by the word ‘sweetheart’. Whether it was true or not, the boys at Byuksan Middle School couldn’t care less.
Maybe it was true, your grades weren’t stellar or your piano skills weren’t amazing, but you were amazing enough to have people admire you.
It was around six in the afternoon as you made your way out of school, walking on the designated pavements as you took a step out the school gate. The cold winter air was starting to arrive and you pulled your brown coat closer to your body, hoping it would be enough to keep you warm until you arrived home. Your AirPods were in your ears, a classical song playing. The piano and violin made your steps fast as you walked down the hill from the school to the bus stop. That was, until your AirPods decided to die.
“Shit…” you muttered as you stopped, taking out the case from your pocket and putting your AirPods in them. Instead, you took out wired headphones from your bag pack as you untangled them.
“Oh Mama!”
You looked up in confusion at the exclamation as you saw a boy, definitely around your age, clasping his hand over his mouth with his eyes wide as he looked straight at you from across the street. He was tall, very tall. Had a weird haircut but his face made up for it.
Your eyes went from his hair, eyes, lips then his uniform as the familiar logo caught your eye.
“Byuksan Middle School,” you muttered as you smiled politely at the boy but quickly made your way to the bus stop, knowing the type of guys that roamed in that school.
There was no in between; nerds, delinquents, bully victims and then you have the type where their only weakness is their personal problems.
From the sight of his muscles, he was definitely a delinquent type.
“Not my cup of tea” you muttered to yourself as you put your earbuds in.
────୨ৎ────
Sooho was starstruck. The poor lovesick fool sat in the cafeteria with a big grin. Sieun and Beomseok shared a look as Sieun snapped his fingers in front of the boy’s face.
“Are you sick or possessed?” Sieun said as he sat back in his seat, unapproving.
“If you’re not feeling well, we could just eat in the classroom? Or go to the nurse’s office?”Beomseok suggested as Sooho suddenly slammed his fists on the cafeteria table in determination, causing Beomseok and everyone in the area to flinch from the sudden sound.
“I’m going to find her,” Sooho suddenly stated in resoluteness.
Sieun raised an eyebrow as he said, “Who?”.
Sooho simply gave him a smirk.
────୨ৎ────
Sieun could’ve slapped his friend right then and there. Sooho had dragged the two to the same spot he had seen you the previous day, wanting them to experience the same eye-opening experience.
“I have Math Academy, you idiot. I need to go,” Sieun said as Sooho had a tight grip on his coat still.
“No, you’re not getting it! If you had seen her, you’d be lovestruck too! The way she walked down the hill with the wind in her hair!” Sooho said as he practically had heart eyes, his expression dreamy.
Beomseok had a smile as he said, “Okay, let’s see if she’s here today. Do you remember how she looks like?”.
“Are you kidding? I’m pretty sure I saw her in my dreams last night. Or was it this morning? I can’t remember. Her face is imprinted…” Sooho said as he grasped his hand over where his heart was, his expression desperate, “In my heart”.
Sieun had his eyebrows furrowed as he looked at his friend in disgust, “Good Lord”.
“Girls from the school down the street are known for being pretty. Maybe you’re right, she’ll really have us that smitten too” Beomseok spoke, trying to understand Sooho’s behaviour.
“Right on the jackpot my friend!” Sooho said as he gave Beomseok a slap on the back.
It had been well over an hour and Sieun wasn’t happy. The boy had a frown as he kept checking the clock on his phone. Most of the girls from the school down the street had gone home, and it didn’t seem like you were coming anytime soon.
“Sooho, maybe she’s already gone home?” Beomseok said as Sooho desperately paced the pavement with Sieun’s jacket in the grip of his left hand, forcing the boy to pace with him.
“It can’t be. She was going home at the same time yesterday!” Sooho said as he looked like a sad puppy.
“Maybe she had extra classes or club activities, idiot. She might’ve had free time after school and went home already,” Sieun said as he took the opportunity to poke Sooho in the side, causing the taller boy to release his grip on his jacket.
Sieun sighed as he said, “Maybe your little fantasy girl will appear tomorrow. Just get to your job already, you’ll be late”. The boy looked at his phone as he grumbled, “I’m already late to my academy, i’ll get going now”.
Beomseok patted Sooho on the shoulder as he reassured his friend, “Maybe Sieun’s right. She’ll be here tomorrow, I can feel it. I’ll accompany you to work, how about that?”.
────୨ৎ────
“Boss! I’m here!” Sooho sang as he walked into the restaurant and went to the back as he put on his apron.
“Sooho! Help me with these orders!” The boss, a woman in her late fifties said as she prepared the food, placing the raw meat on a tray and handing it to Sooho. “There’s also orders for more soda at table five!”.
“Right away ma’am!” Sooho saluted as he got the meat to tables six, two and ten, before going to the fridge to get the four sodas, holding it to his chest as he walked over and placed it on the table.
“Four sodas,” Sooho said as the customer turned and made eye contact with him.
“Oh Mama”.
His breath was taken away right then and there. The idiot couldn’t believe his eyes. Sieun and Beomseok were right. You had gone home. But now you were here, eating barbecue with your friends, at his workplace. Smiling and giggling with them as you engaged in conversation.
“Oh it’s you” you couldn’t help but say as you recognised him.
“Yes, it’s me” Sooho wiped his hands on his apron as he cleared his throat and stood up straight, puffing up his chest.
The other girls at the table couldn’t help but notice the exchange as you asked, “I saw you and your two friends standing outside the school for an hour. What was that about?”.
Sooho gulped. How was he supposed to explain that he had waited for an entire hour with two of his friends just to catch a glimpse of you? You’d think he was a total creep.
“I wasn’t. I.. had to pick up… my cousin!” Sooho said as he tried to play off the situation. “She’s a student there so I had to pick her up. Can’t let her go home on her own. Dangerous world out there”.
The other girls at the table giggled as you raised an eyebrow and scoffed in disbelief, a smile ghosting your lips, “your friend dragged you away from the school, I’m pretty sure. Picking up your cousin? That’s a new one. Usually they outright admit they were waiting for us and beg us for a date”.
Sooho was as finished as the meat on the grill. You had definitely caught on and knew what he was up to. Sooho cleared his throat as he said, “I have a good explanation, I’m sure. Honestly, I just wanted to talk to you. I mean, you’re so pretty and I wanted to ask you out!”.
Sooho realised what he had said as he looked at you in shock. The girls at the table also stopped as they realised what he said rambled. You looked at him, not saying a word, causing the poor boy to sweat till no tomorrow.
“I mean- Only if you’d want to?” Sooho tried to save the situation.
You looked at the boy from his head to his feet as you took in his appearance.
Tall, good looking, hard worker from the fact he was working a part time job so late at night, seems outgoing, hilarious. No cons so far.
“Are you a delinquent?” You asked him as he instantaneously denied it. “No! What would make you even think that?”.
You shrugged, “You just have the look for it”.
“Tell you what, put your number in,” you said as you handed him your phone. A chorus of ‘ooohs’ sounded from the table as Sooho hastily punched in his numbers, his palms sweaty and feeling as if he’d drop the phone at any second.
He left a missed call before handing you back the phone as he said with a sense of confidence, “I’ll text you”.
Sooho walked off to continue serving customers as you were a little taken aback by his sudden confidence. It was… attractive, and you had to admit it. Your friend elbowed you as she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
“Oh shut up” you said as you rolled your eyes and ate a piece of meat off the grill.
Later that night, you laid in bed in your pyjamas as you got a text.
“Are you up?”.
You rolled your eyes with a small smile as you rolled onto your front, propping yourself up with your elbows as you typed a response back.
“I am. What are you up to?”.
Sooho sat up on the couch in the staff room of the barbecue place as he thought about it. Would you be flattered by the thought of a guy that worked several jobs? Sooho sighed before typing back a response.
“Resting at work”.
You furrowed your eyebrows as you checked the clock on your phone.
“At two in the morning? What time do you get off work?”.
Sooho immediately typed back.
“Five”.
You sat up in your bed, blanket over your shoulders as you did simple arithmetics.
“So you only rest for an hour before school?”.
That was worrying. A middle schooler barely having enough sleep? How’s his grades then if he doesn’t have time to study?
“Are you gonna have enough sleep for school?” You couldn’t help but ask. It wasn’t usual for someone to have to work multiple jobs at your age. Maybe he was saving up for university?
“I will. You should go to sleep. It’s really late. Can’t have you missing out on your beauty sleep to talk to your Prince Charming ;) “.
Sooho cringed at himself while you laughed to yourself under the comfort of your blankets. This boy was funny.
“I’ll go to sleep then, Prince Charming. Good night” you typed back before setting your phone on your nightstand and turning to face the window.
Sooho leaped from the sofa in the staff room as he cheered, wiggling his butt in excitement as he texted the group chat he had with Sieun and Beomseok.
“She said goodnight!!! Thats the biggest achievement ever!!” Sooho texted as he laid on the sofa again, holding his phone to himself as he smiled.
────୨ৎ────
That was about a month ago. You sat on the plastic chair outside the convenience store as you ate your ice cream cone, Sooho on the opposite side of the table. Sooho kept fidgeting as he stole glances at you. He remembers the first time he ever saw you at the school gate and he couldn’t help but be enamoured by you every single time he stared at you.
“Do I have ice cream on my face?” You asked as you looked at Sooho. Sooho seemed to snap out of it as he sat up in his seat, “No, sorry, just falling inlove”.
Sooho often loved to throw flirty remarks like that throughout the month you had gotten to know him. Constant text messages, phone calls, visits to his workplace and he’d come to every single one of your performances at school. Sooho had been preparing himself to confess in a true-blue Sooho manner, but he couldn’t help but feel like this was the perfect moment.
“You don’t have academy tomorrow, right?” Sooho asked casually as he ate his ice cream cone.
You raised a brow, “No, I don’t. Why?”.
Sooho took a deep breath as he said, “I thought we could get a meal after school. You know, you and me, dressed up… maybe even go to that photo booth you’ve wanted to go so bad”.
“So like a normal dinner we always go to? Or is this… a date?” You asked as you looked at him with those eyes he had fallen inlove with.
“A date” Sooho said confidently as you had a smile on your face.
“You know, I’ve been waiting for you to confess” you chuckled to yourself.
Sooho’s jaw dropped. “You’ve liked me this whole time and wanted me to confess?!”.
“Obviously! Shouldn’t the guy confess? Be a gentleman” You teased as you smiled at him.
Sooho couldn’t help but soften at your smile as he looked away, “Fine, maybe you’re right”. A smile was on his lips as he looked at you from the corner of his eyes.
—————-
Sorry guys I’m so hungry rn I’m about to go into work in 10 minutes. Hope this was good ;; it’s been a while since I’ve written anything since my GCEs LOL
Jang Woo-Jin x Reader
warnings: aouad spoilers!
ALSO, THANK U FOR 60 FOLLOWERS! ILY ALL <3
requested by: @polaryangj @lialliet @wujins
Woo-Jin didn’t know what to do anymore. A gentle breeze embraced him in its brief coolness as he looked on at Y/N, entranced. The feeling inside him was overpowering, made his heart ache every time he saw her, every time he thought of her.
“Earth to Woo-Jin?”
Woo-Jin snapped out of his reverie, seeing Y/N now looking at him, confused.
He cleared his throat. “What is it?”
He and Y/N were at the entrance of the school, going back inside after gym class, the air-conditioned building cooling after their laps around the track.
“I was going to ask you what you wanted to do during break, but I guess you must he fantasizing about today’s specials or something, because-”
Shrill screams erupted from the end of the hall.
Y/N froze, along with Woo-Jin, who looked warily at the nurse’s office. The sound came the school nurse, who charged at two students who were outside her office. The students, however, leaped out of the way just in time, making her bash into the wall. They jeered at her, their phones out as they recorded the ‘drunk’ nurse.
The sound of cracking bones came from the nurse then, who got back up with a piercing screech, and bit one of the students in the neck. He screamed out in agony, and that was all it took for Y/N and Woo-Jin to come back to their senses.
“Shit. Run!” Woo-Jin cried, grabbing Y/N’s hand and racing up the stairs.
It was chaos, students running this way and that, with no sense of direction whatsoever, their instincts screaming at them to just get away from the source of danger. Woo-Jin was more composed however, settling on getting to his and Y/N’s classrooms as fast as possible, and regroup with their classmates.
Reaching their classroom’s floor, Woo-Jin hurriedly shoved Y/N into the classroom, sliding the door shut again. The students who were already in the classroom were standing now, looking at the two of them in confusion.
Y/N stood by the door, catching her breath after such a panicked run.
“What the hell is going on?” Gyeong Su asked, peeking out their class’ windows.
“I don’t know, the nurse bit a student, and then, shit.” Woo-Jin explained, too, out of breath.
Y/N couldn’t blame him for not being able to explain all they saw. Anyone who’d had to explain themselves would sound insane; no matter how they worded it.
More shrill screams came from all over, and then the group saw it. They’re first zombie. It ran across the hall, being seen by the group through the class’ windows, its mouth bloody and its body contorted in awkward and painful angles as it ran.
Y/N placed a hand over her mouth, horrified.
Woo-Jin felt useless in this moment, useless in that he couldn’t comfort his best friend, Y/N, in such a horrific situation.
5 years ago
Woo-Jin sat on a swing in his apartment’s compound, alone. He enjoyed how peaceful it was, though he had to admit; it would be better to enjoy with someone else.
It felt a little eerie being alone in the playground during late noon, when the sky was now turning into a mesmerizing swirl of egg yolk, brilliant reds and hints of the once blue sky. Other kids his age were probably in their apartments now, washing up and getting ready for dinner, like what he should be doing right now.
His parents always came home late, though, so he opted to stay outside instead of being cooped up in the apartment and staring at the ceiling.
He swung on the swing gently, closing his eyes and enjoying the coolness of the last moments of the afternoon.
“Do you mind if I join you?”
Woo-Jin, startled, shot his eyes open, getting up from the swing.
A girl about his age smiled at him in confusion, and he sat back down. “Sorry, you gave me quite the scare there.”
“And um, sure, you can join me.”
Y/N sat on the swing directly beside him, also gently swinging herself forward and gazing up at the sunset before them.
“So, what’s your name?” She asked, now looking to him.
“Woo-Jin, what’s yours?”
She smiled at him. “I’m Y/N”
A weird feeling started to sprout in Woo-Jin’s stomach then, from seeing her smile like that. Her smile was really pretty.
“I live in apartment 20, third floor. Where’s yours?”
“Hey! I’m in apartment 21!” Y/N perked up.
“Wanna hang out like this everyday after school then?” Deep in his heart he hoped with every single fibre of his being that she’d say yes, and sure enough,
“I’d like that.”
Then she smiled that gorgeous, heart-stopping smile of hers, and Woo-Jin felt like he had just won in life.
From there, their friendship began to take shape, and they were inseparable all throughout their school years. And with each second they spent together, the strange ache in Woo-Jin’s heart only grew stronger.
Present day
Three days had past since their initial first encounter with the cannibalistic students of Hyosan High. Their group’s numbers had whittled down now; I-Sak, Gyeong Su, and Na Yeon, and even their teacher, Ms. Park, all lost to the horrors outside.
Now they were in the gym, stuck inside the storage room after losing a senior, who sacrificed himself for the group. Mi Jin’s cries had died down to her resting her head in her arms now, being consoled by Woo-Jin’s sister, Ha-Ri.
Woo-Jin sat beside Y/N, sneaking glances at her as she looked forward into nothingness, head on some cloud, trying to forget all that had happened these past few days.
He had tried to talk to her any chance he could, tried to reassure her throughout the hell they were in, but every time he did, he would get interrupted, either by someone coming up with a new plan, or by zombies chasing them down.
But now, as the group drifted off to rest for the day, he could finally do something to calm her nerves down.
“Y/N”
Y/N turned to Woo-Jin, mustering up the best smile she could. She was exhausted, as all of them were.
Most of the time, she was stuck in her thoughts whenever the group had decided to take a break, like right now, in the gym’s storage room.
She dreamed of what she would be doing now had the hellish situation they were all in right now happened, or, to be more specific, what she and Woo-Jin would have been doing now.
Y/N had always had feelings for Woo-Jin, she knew he didn’t feel the same, however. It was silly to think her best friend saw her as anything else other than that; a best friend. She had wanted to come clean that day, at lunch, tell him how she felt, tell him that she couldn’t take this torturous game of her one sided love for him; and that if he never wanted to speak to her again, she wouldn’t mind. It would be less painful that way.
But she never got the chance, terror lurked around every nook and cranny, and Y/N wanted to stay on her feet, on guard. And if she had the chance to rest, she would, and take the slim time period she had fantasizing of how perfect her life would be had this whole thing not happened.
And in some improbable universe, had Woo-Jin liked her back, she’d be the happiest girl on earth, she’d feel like nothing else mattered, and it would be just the two of them, like always, against the world.
Y/N didn’t know what it was with him, why of all people, she liked her best friend.
Maybe it was the way he smiled, his sharp features, how caring he was, how thoughtful he was towards others, his personality, the way he made Y/N laugh, no matter the situation without fail. Or maybe it was all of those qualities that attracted her.
He was perfect to Y/N, which was why she could never have him. It hurt her, but the truth would always remain the same; hurtful and ugly, and only nice to others somehow luckier than her.
“Y/N?”
Y/N realised she’d been staring at Woo-Jin this whole time.
Her cheeks flushed, shooting him a quick smile.
“Yeah?”
Woo-Jin’s heart flipped at seeing her smile. It never failed to woo him, no matter what.
He reached out for her hand, grabbing it in his, and placing a chaste kiss on her knuckles, all while lookin up at her. His grip remained on her hand, holding it close to him.
“I wanted to let you know, that no matter what happens, I will always protect you. If I don’t make it, I’ll make sure you will.”
Y/N, stunned at his display of affection toward her, nodded slowly, her smile growing and her cheeks growing hotter by the second.
She added ‘gentlemanly’ to the list of qualities she loved about him to her mental notes.
But then she realised the last part of what he said.
‘If I don’t make it, I’ll make sure you will.’
Hell, no.
Her smiled fell from her face, confusing Woo-Jin.
“Hey. Promise me that we’ll both make it out alive. You can’t die, I won’t let you. We have to make it out together, okay?”
Y/N squeezed his hand.
“Please.” She pleaded softly.
Woo-Jin nodded, knowing full well he was lying to her. “I promise.”
His fingers were crossed behind his back.
1 year ago
Woo-Jin felt like he was overflowing. The feeling of butterflies in his stomach, the way his heart did flips whenever he saw her, thoughts of her on his mind 25/8.
She was perfect, so so perfect, which was why he knew she’d never like him back.
Her smile, her laugh, her personality, her humour, her thoughtfulness, how caring she was; those were only some of the things he loved about her; her smile especially.
On any given day when he was down or gloomy, her smile could always lift his spirits, change his mood for the better, like it was magic.
Today he and Y/N had agreed to go home together, and go to their special place.
He leaned against the gate, patiently awaiting Y/N as closed his eyes.
He heard footsteps, but pretended he didn’t still closing his eyes.
“Boo!” Woo-Jin didn’t flinch.
Y/N wrapped her arms around him then, which definitely elicited a reaction out of him.
“Y-Y/N. Hi.”
“Hey dumbo. Ready to go?”
“Of course. Race you!”
“Hey!” Y/N ran after him, calling after him, annoyed the whole way.
The pair, panting, reached their apartment complex at last. Y/N shoved him playfully. “Hey! You caught me off guard, you should’ve told me first, then run off!”
Woo-Jin smirked. “I did do that though. You’re just slow.”
Y/N rolled her eyes, letting him have this one.
It was only 5.30 when they arrived home; the perfect time for them to go to their special place together.
The playground was empty, as usual, and a bit more rusted in some areas than 5 or so years ago; but it was still the same place they had met.
The place when Woo-Jin had met, and fallen in love with an angel.
The pair sat down on their swings, in the same fashion as when they first met, with Woo-Jin on the left, and Y/N on the right. They swung themselves gently on the swings, looking out at the sky, now a whirl of different colours; most notably, the colour of egg yolk.
They just sat there, enjoying the quiet, and each others presence.
“Never gets old, does it?” Woo-Jin turned to Y/N as he asked.
Y/N smiled. “No, it doesn’t.”
“I can almost remember being 12 and meeting you. It feels like I’ve gone back in time with a time machine.”
Y/N giggled, “I remember I scared you into standing up when I first talked to you.” She laughed again.
Woo-Jin felt his heart do a flip again. Her smile and laugh- all in one? Instant heart eyes toward Y/N.
He grinned at her, glancing at her hand she used to hold the swings’ chain. He sucked in a deep breath; taking the chance.
He reached for her hand, holding in his. Y/N looked to their hands, then to Woo-Jin, a confused smile on her face. Woo-Jin smiled back, and they stayed there, sat on the swings beside each other, staring off into the sunset.
Had Woo-Jin paid more attention, he would’ve noticed the prominent crimson of a blush spreading across Y/N’s face; and the giddy smile that broke through.
Present day, 3 hours later
Y/N pushed the equipment carts as hard as she could, tears streaming down her face as she fought the zombies attempts at grabbing her. The sadness in her heart ached so bad, it weakened her, but she strengthened her resolve; she’d do this, for Joon Young. She’d survive, and help all her friends survive in honour of Joon Young.
“Fuck off undead shitheads!” Y/N screamed, anger seeping through her pain as she pushed with all her might.
She heard panic ensue over where a few of her friends were trying to get the door open, hearing them say it was locked, but she didn’t care. Not now. She’d help keep the barrier strong, for them all to get out of this shithole, no matter what.
She groaned, and then she saw him.
Joon Young, through a crack in her barrier.
He was bloody, and no longer human, a crazed look in his eye. He was gone, yet he was right in front of her. Y/N screamed at the sight. The pain was too fresh to see him this soon.
“Fuck off, fuck off, fuck off! Get away from me!”
“Y/N, let’s go!”
“Stay away from me…” Her voice cracked, Joon Young’s face was everywhere now.
She had been pulled from her part of the barrier by Woo-Jin, who closed the door shut just in time for them to miss the zombies.
Woo-Jin grabbed Y/N’s shoulders, shaking her. “Y/N, keep it together! Come on, you almost died there.”
“Sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”
Woo-Jin clicked his tongue, pulling her into a tight embrace.
“You could’ve died there. Don’t do that ever again, okay?”
Y/N nodded, a few stray tears dampening Woo-Jin’s sweater vest. Being able to hold her now and comfort her made Woo-Jin want to survive even more, to help her through this messy situation. He wanted to always be there for her, but he knew it would all come to a close soon.
It always did.
But at least he did it for the person he care for most in this world,
Y/N.
4 hours later
Everyone was grabbing their weapons, all readying themselves for the fight that was about to ensue.
Y/N’s heartbeat quickened as Nam Ra told them all that they were coming.
Breathe, breathe, breathe.
Y/N cried out as she fought zombies left and right, stabbing them, and kicking them down. She was doing well, until one got dangerously close to her, almost biting her in the arm. She stabbed it in the neck, killing it, which grabbed the attention of another zombie from afar.
She lost her balance, quickly getting up, and the creature ran to her at an inhuman speed, but before it could get close to her, Woo-Jin shielded her, pinning her down to the ground.
Y/N shocked, just stared at him, as the zombie inched closer and closer.
“What are you doing? Move out of the way!”
“No. I’m keeping my promise to keep you alive.”
“You idiot, you promised me we’d both survive!”
Woo-Jin smiled a sad smile at Y/N, showing her his fingers, which were crossed.
Y/N took the chance to roll him out the way, stabbing the zombie just in time before it got to either of them. It fell to its side, now truly dead.
She took a moment to catch her breath, turning to Woo-Jin, with a glare that made his heart sink. She’d never ever glared at him like that before.
Y/N felt enraged at him, at how he was ready to kill himself for her, when she had the whole thing under control. He promised her, he never broke his promises, but now, right now when she needed him most- he decided to break her trust, and to what? Sacrifice himself and die a pointless, painful death, when she could’ve protected herself.
Remembering the promise he had made boiled her blood even more now as she looked back on it.
“Liar.”
She uttered but one word, yet it hit and stabbed into Woo-Jin’s heart like a million shards of glass, all twisting in the area they had punctured; full of seething rage at his one lie to Y/N.
Woo-Jin tried grabbing her wrist, to tell her why he did what he did- but she snatched her hand away, without a single glance back at him. He stood there, dejected, looking on as she ran to help Mi Jin with the last zombie.
Y/N,
Why can’t you understand that I love you so much, that I’d sacrifice myself for you to live on and be happy?
7 hours later
Woo-Jin felt saddened beyond belief now as they were all being questioned by the military.
He had hurt Y/N that bad, that she didn’t even want to look at him.
They were sat at the back on metal chairs, with some of the group closing their eyes to rest for a bit, and some just staring into oblivion.
He tried to make eye contact with Y/N, but she would always find a way to avoid his gaze, and now, her tactic was to console On-Jo through losing Cheong San. Her voice was sweet to On-Jo; full of love, and support, kind and soft, like how she usually talked to him.
But he knew that if he tried to talk to her now, she’d ignore him, or worse, shrug him off with a tone of thorns, and a voice uncharacteristically dismissive and full of anger.
He wanted to hold her so bad, wanted to tell her he loved her so damn much.
But she put a wall around herself, and Woo-Jin feared it would never fall.
ꨄ ⋆·˚ ༘ *
They were all in quarantine now, in separate rooms, too. Luckily though, he managed to get a room directly next to Y/N’s.
Woo-Jin sat, slumped against the room’s wall, staring at the ceiling as he thought of his current predicament.
He and Y/N hadn’t talked for a week now, and it was driving him insane. Usually, they never went a single day without at least saying hi to the other, but now? Things were obviously very different, and Woo-Jin grew anxious in seeing how things would turn out, and wether or not they were even friends anymore.
He hated the quiet of the quarantine room, so so much. The quiet only made him think of Y/N, and thoughts of her only made his heart ache. She probably hated him, and would never trust him again.
It was a simple break of a promise, and he had broken it for her sake; because he loved her.
He loved her, so so much.
The days that their group had been fighting for their lives were some of the scariest moments Woo-Jin had ever gone through; yet, even through the moments of his one goal being that to survive, his mind somehow always drifted to Y/N, her smile, her laugh…
She reminded him of why he needed to live.
But then, the bleakness of the situation really set in once they lost so many of their friends.
Then, he reflected on himself, and how he saw things going.
He promised himself that day, that he’d never let Y/N be lost to the horrors, he promised himself, that no matter what, he would do whatever it took to save her, and to keep her alive.
Woo-Jin sighed, looking over the plain and barren room. A bed with a mediocre comfort level, a table in the corner with a stack of papers, and a chair to go along with it. This was the room he’d be stuck in for around half a year? That and he couldn’t even get out of the room to talk to his friends for another week. Y/N probably wouldn’t want to talk to him then, either.
An idea hit Woo-Jin then.
Sitting himself down on the desk,
Woo-Jin smiled. Origami was something he and Y/N loved and frequently did back a few years ago to just pass the time, or to destress after a long day. They still did it sometimes, for old time’s sake, though. Despite them hardly ever doing origami anymore, Woo-Jin made sure to know and memorise the folding of Y/N’d favourite origami model, just in case. And until now, he knew, her favourite origami model was the paper crane, graceful and beautiful, two things Woo-Jin associated with Y/N.
And now, Woo-Jin realised why the crane was Y/N’s favourite.
Some say the things we like are a physical manifestation of how we are; for instance, a person who likes football would most likely be competitive and determined, some of the two things that are needed to play the sport.
For here, in Y/N’s case, one of her favourite things is a paper crane; tied to the qualities of beauty and elegance, of which Woo-Jin saw Y/N as an embodiment of. The saying never gleamed truer than now, with an example right on the tip of his nose.
Grabbing a pen from the desk, he clicked it, and took a deep breath in.
He had so much to say to her, it would never fit on this tiny square he’d cut out. That was the state of his love for Y/N, never once decreasing in its magnitude, but rather growing, by each second of each and everyday. Another idea hit Woo-Jin then, though the ‘project’ of his would take quite a while to finish.
“Screw it.”
He began to write, the words coming out smooth, gliding on the paper like second nature to Woo-Jin as if he had been practicing and preparing for this moment for the past 5 years.
Which, he has.
ʚɞ𖥻 𐑺﹢◍ ꜝ ࣪𓈒٫
4 months. 4 months of quarantine, and they were all finally out.
Y/N breathed in the fresh air, looking around the camp for her friends. And one she definitely needed to find,
Woo-Jin.
She owed him an apology, for ignoring him, getting mad at him when he had only tried to protect her.
“Y/N?”
Y/N froze, recognising that voice.
She turned around, facing Woo-Jin, their eyes meeting. Y/N had always loved his eyes, and his smile. She loved all of him, really.
“Woo-Jin!” Y/N ran to give him a hug, and he hugged her back just as tight, grasping on to her by her waist, holding on to her like she was something so delicate, she would break lest he hold on to her. Woo-Jin pulled away, but kept his hold on Y/N by her waist, still not believing that he was really holding her now.
“Hey.” Y/N breathed, looking up at Woo-Jin, a small smile on her face.
“Hey.”
It had been so long since she and Woo-Jin had seen each other, this moment almost felt like a dream, one all too good to be true. Yet, no matter how many time she tried, Y/N could never wake from her supposed dream. This was all real. His hold on her waist, flush against his body, all real, flesh and bone.
“I have something to give you.”
Woo-Jin smiled, reaching into his pocket, and taking out a packed envelope. “Open it back in your quarters.”
Y/N nodded, graciously accepting the letter, and putting it into her own coat’s pocket.
“I have to go now, but I’ll see you later, alright?”
Inside, Y/N felt saddened at his words.
Don’t go.
Despite that, she nodded.
“Alright, stay safe.” Woo-Jin let go of Y/N, his warmth going along with him. Y/N watched as he walked away, guilt gnawing at her. She was supposed to apologise, but she was too wrapped up in his splendor, his aura, to even remember anything else.
She sighed, taking the letter out, and walking back to her quarters to open it.
Now inside, she shut the door, sitting herself on the side of her bed, and took a moment to get her bearings. Okay, it was just a letter, there was no need to panic. It’s just a letter, no need to freak out. But this was different. This letter was from Woo-Jin. God, this was all so stupid, it was a letter, for goodness sake just open it-
Y/N flipped the flap open, revealing paper cranes, flattened to fit into the letter. She smiled, paper cranes were her favourite, and Woo-Jin remembered. As she took them out, she noticed writing on the paper cranes, piquing her interest, she unfolded the first crane she took out; finding a note, addressed to her. She took out the rest of the cranes, finding them all to have writing on their bodies. “Woo-Jin, the creative.”
Unfolding them all, she checked to make sure she read them in chronological order- she didn’t want to spoil his order of his sending these to her.
Taking a deep breath, she began reading the letters.
Dear Y/N, 9/7/2022
I know you’re probably mad furious at me right now. I broke your trust, and I should’ve never done that. But I hope you understand, that what I did, was to protect you. I didn’t see a clear way out of the mess we were going through then. So many people were lost, I just… I didn’t want you to be one of them. -Woo-Jin
Dear Y/N, 18/7/2022
Sometimes I lay awake at night, thinking of you. Sometimes I feel like I can hear our classmates, now turned into stars, twinkling teasingly at me. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I had lost you. Thank you, for staying alive. -Woo-Jin
Dear Y/N, 10/8/2022
I think I’m going insane. It’s been so long since we last spoke. I miss your voice, your laugh, your smile; the way your eyes light up whenever you talk about something you like. I miss our conversations a lot. I miss you, a lot. - Woo-Jin
To Y/N, 29/8/2022
I’m trying to shake things up a little: instead of ‘dear’ I wrote ‘to’ I’m super creative like that aren’t I? Anyway, I was just thinking about our days in middle school. Remember that time you didn’t have a jacket and it was super cold out, so I gave you mine? You never gave it back, and honestly, I never cared to have it back. I thought it looked much better on you, than it did on me. I hope I helped you keep warm that day, because seeing you happy definitely warmed me up. -Woo-Jin
Dear Y/N, 6/9/2022
I keep reminiscing about our old days. I think, now, after replaying a handful back, I’ve found my favourite. It was when we went to the park, it started raining, but we didn’t have an umbrella on us, so we just decided to accept our fate and get rained on. Then you forced me to dance with you in the rain! I loved seeing the way you glowed among the relative darkness of dusk, your eyes sparkling and seeing your bright smile. Holding you close to me when we did the waltz was my favourite part of that day by far. My mum did scold me when I got home soaking wet, but I wouldn’t have changed anything from that day for the world. - Woo-Jin
To Y/N, 21/9/2022
How are you holding up? I know I won’t get an answer from you since, well, you’re not reading this during quarantine… but I’ll still ask, because I care. Anyways, I thought about this for a good few hours, and I think I’ve come up with a good list of things we need to get done once we get out of this place. First, we go to Disneyland (I’ll pay for the tickets, don’t worry. Food’s on you, though.), go stargazing in some field (you’ve been saying how you’ve been wanting to do that- so we should get it done ASAP!), and traveling! (I know you miss doing that, so we should definitely do it.) I have so many other things to talk to you about in this list of mine, so let’s chat once we’re outta here, okay love? - Woo-Jin
To Y/N, 5/10/2022
I have something to tell you.
I couldn’t sleep last night. I was up all night thinking about this.
I’m scared this’ll ruin
I’ll talk to you next time. I hope you’re well :)
-Woo-Jin
Dearest Y/N, 10/10/2022
Meet me at the back of the camp. I need to talk to you about something. -Woo-Jin
Y/N felt her cheeks warm as she put the last letter aside, staring off at the wall, giddy and anxious to see what he needed to tell her so badly.
It should’ve been obvious. It was, of course, but Y/N kept pushing it to the back of her mind as the last possible thing he would want to talk to her about. Come on, Woo-Jin, her best friend, liking her?
She’d been the one to like him when they met. He was just a super great guy who just happened to be great friends with her; she could never hope for more than that. Yet, the letters she had read from him to her told her all she needed to know of his raw feelings for her.
“What game are you playing at, Jang Woo-Jin?”
Y/N muttered, looking to her door. She couldn’t just stand him up, she had wronged him way too many times for that.
“Relax.”
With a bit of reassurance, she headed off to the back of the camp, making sure her hair was nice, and dusting off her coat as she did so.
The back of the camp was quite nicely lit up this time of day, quite unkempt, and certainly not the most romantic, but was certainly private enough for their conversation. Y/N felt butterflies flutter around her stomach as she spotted Woo-Jin, whose back was to her. Somehow, seeing him in person made her all the more nervous, but there was no going back now. She’d just have to brave herself for the next few moments. Mustering up the courage, she called for him.
“Woo-Jin?”
He turned at the call of his name, hands in his coats pockets as he smiled at Y/N. God, that jaw dropping smile of his. She smiled back, walking up to him.
It was quiet as they stared into each others eyes for a moment, the sounds of nature and the chirping of birds the only sound to be heard, until he spoke.
“Y/N, did you read my letters?”
“Yes, and I also noticed how you folded them into paper cranes, my favourites. How’d you remember?”
“I’m just amazing like that.”
They giggled for a second, before the moment turned serious, their eyes locked on to the others.
“Y/N, I have a confession to make.
You know… ever since that day I met you at the playground, some feeling kept nagging at mr whenever we saw each other. I didn’t know what it was at first… but a year or so of that same feeling I finally realised what it was.”
Y/N’s breath hitched as he stepped closer, closing the gap between them, as he placed his hands around her waist.
“Y/N L/N, I love you. So so much, it pains me. I love you, so so so much, you make me forget whatever the hell is happening, because you always take up my thoughts. You’re the light of my world; you helped me when no one else did. I love you, you are my everything.”
Y/N looked back at Woo-Jin, eyes glassy, unable to find the words to answer back at his confession.
“Please, Y/N, let me love you. Let me be yours. I’ll love and protect you, until my last breath.”
He took her hand in his, bringing it up to his lips to place a chaste kiss atop her knuckles, before bringing his hands back down to her waist.
“I love you, Woo-Jin. I love you, of course I’ll be yours.”
Woo-Jin let out a relieved laugh, giving her a big grin as he enveloped her in a bone-crushing hug. The world stopped spinning in that moment, as the two best friends, now turned lovers held on to each other. Stars paused their twinkling to watch, planets stopped spinning to admire.
Pulling away suddenly, Woo-Jin cupped her cheeks, looking into her eyes for permission, which Y/N graciously gave with the nod of her head. And he pressed his lips to hers, the both of them smiling through the kiss. Y/N held on tighter to Woo-Jin, pulling him closer to her as the kiss closed in on its end. Pulling away, the pair gasped for breath, resting their forehead on the other, giggling as they held on to each other.
“I love you.” Y/N whispered.
“I love you too.” Woo-Jin whispered back.
The universe seemed to applaud their union, as the two of them embraced each other, their connection as strong as the earth’s will to revolve around the sun.
Now it really felt like it was just the two of them, against the world. And against the world they’d go, and love each other, as they did so.
hey, sorry this took so long. thanks for reading! (i’m sorry i couldn’t tag @polaryangj, idk how to work tumblr that well yet 😭
thank u all for 60 followers! again, i srsly appreciate and love you all <3
ps. i’m working on other requests now ! 。˚ ೃ࿔₊•
𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝑩𝒆𝒅, 𝑻𝒘𝒐 𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔‧₊˚✧ . ˚
𝐒𝐮-𝐇𝐲𝐞𝐨𝐤 𝐱 𝐅𝐞𝐦!𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 | 𝟑𝐤 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 | 𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐰𝐤𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥…𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭?
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫’𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞: 𝐋𝐞𝐭'𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲. 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡. 𝐍𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐬, 𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞? ♡
“Students?” A gruff voice calls repeatedly as the first few forms of address remain unanswered.
Su-Hyeok’s eyes flutter open and he raises his head, fully aware of the neck cramp sure to bother him later on. Another thing he realizes, is that you had fallen asleep leaning on his shoulder, and he had drifted off with his head on yours. He smiles to himself momentarily, seeing you still dead to the world.
“Kids, this is the last stop.”
Finally turning his attention to the bus driver, Su-Hyeok looks up sheepishly. “I’m pretty sure we missed our destination.”
The bus driver chuckles as Su-Hyeok scratches his head in confusion. “Where were you and your girlfriend supposed to disembark at?”
Seeing it unnecessary to deny the nature of your supposed relationship that everyone unanimously agreed on, and especially with the crush he has been harboring for years, Su-Hyeok lets himself have at least this—no matter how untrue—if not your reciprocated feelings.
“Our history class planned a field trip for an overnight hanok stay, and the informational tour was supposed to begin hours ago. Saying we missed half of it already is probably a sore understatement.”
“Sky Guesthouse?”
Before Su-Hyeok can confirm, you stir, confused at the darkened sky outside of the windows. The last time you were awake, it was still bright out. “Have we arrived?”
“Uh…you see…about that—"
“We missed it didn’t we?” You turn to your best friend, arms crossed.
“The guesthouse should only be a few blocks away,” the bus driver intervenes. “Both of you fell asleep for the entirety of the route, so don’t be too hard on your boyfriend here,” he jokes.
Before you get a chance to refute, Su-Hyeok elbows you playfully. “See? This kind gisanim is vouching for me.”
You roll your eyes and begin to stand up, thankful you were in the aisle seat, and quickly grab your things. As you bow to the driver in gratitude and head towards the front of the bus, you can hear Su-Hyeok scrambling for his own belongings as he chases after you. “Thank you for putting up with him, Ahjussi!” You throw over your shoulder with a wave.
“I’ll have you know it’s fun to be around me!” Su-Hyeok defends, mock offended.
You ignore him trailing behind you and check your phone, just to see it blown up with multiple missed calls and unread messages from your friends, mainly On-Jo. “I need to stop complying to your every whim, Su-Hyeok,” you state in exasperation, hurriedly jumping off the bus. “Why did I agree to go with you on this roundabout trip when Cheong-San’s mom offered to drop us off? You know how much she adores her son’s childhood friends.”
Su-Hyeok matches your steps, knocking his shoulder into yours repeatedly, until you can’t help but smile. “Oh, I don’t know,” he begins to answer your question. “Maybe you just adore me more.”
“Do not!” You disagree half-heartedly as Su-Hyeok flashes you a crooked smile, and you have to shut your heart down. Curse good-looking people.
The tiled roof of the guesthouse slowly come into view, the buildings appearing grander as you draw nearer. Just as you reach the wooden gate, your phone dings with another text. Su-Hyeok peers over your shoulder as you read the text out loud. “So apparently the tour ended long ago, as we expected and everyone already has their assigned rooms. I-Sak, On-Jo, and Nam-Ra are in one room, Cheong-San and Gyeong-Su in another, Wu-Jin, Dae-Su, and Joon-Yeong in the third, Ji-Min and Hyo-Ryung in a smaller room since it’s just the two of them…and Na-Yeon is by herself because she despises everyone.”
Su-Hyeok laughs. “Sounds about right.”
You smile to yourself at the way On-Jo was giving you a rundown of everything that happened during the few hours you had missed. It was quite easy to sense her fond annoyance when she talked about Cheong-San messing with her all day through the rows of animated emojis she sent you.
“Do you think there are still empty rooms left for us?” Su-Hyeok questions.
“With a place this huge, I’m sure they’ll find lodging for us one way or another.”
As the two of you are about to open the door, Ms. Park beats you to it from the other side. “Y/N, Su-Hyeok!” Her eyes widen in surprise. “I wasn’t expecting your presence but I’m so glad you guys finally made it.” Ms. Park looks over the two of you, relief washing over her features after confirming nothing was out of the ordinary.
“We’re so sorry, seonsaengnim,” you apologize. “You must’ve been worried, especially since you’re only a replacement teacher chaperone. I’d rather you have enjoyed this field trip too instead of looking for missing students.”
Ms. Park shakes her head, smiling. “No need for all that, Y/N. We planned this just so you kids can relax after exams. Don’t feel guilty for running a little late; it’s supposed to be a fun, enjoyable day after all. I won’t hold it against you.”
“It’s not ‘we’ is it, Ms. Park?” You grin knowingly. “You’re the one who suggested this to the board of teachers, right?”
“Maybe, maybe not.” She winks at you and you laugh. If only the other teachers genuinely cared for their students like Ms. Park did, perhaps you’d be more inclined to put them in higher regards.
“We didn’t miss anything too fun, right? Just the tour?” Su-Hyeok asks.
“Of course, you would care more about the fun and less on the educational purpose, Bare-Su,” Ms. Park teases.
“That’s why we didn’t missed our stop,” you add fuel to the fire.
“You’re being a bad influence on one of my top students?” Ms. Park stands akimbo, and you join in, happy to put Su-Hyeok on the spot.
“My favorite teacher and my best friend are tag-teaming to make fun of me? I’m hurt.” Su-Hyeok puts a hand on his chest dramatically.
“You deserve it.” You stick your tongue out at him before Ms. Park quickly ushers you both inside.
“It’s much too late for us to stand out here in the cold. We’ll catch a draft at this rate.”
Despite the dark, as you look around, the authentically photogenic architecture captures your attention, even more so under the faint lighting from traditional lanterns hanging from the 14th century style curved roofs.
“Since everyone’s already gone to their respective quarters and we don’t want to disturb the other occupants, you two can share that room over there.” Ms. Park points to one located in the corner. “Even though it gives you a humble living experience of the Joseon Dynasty, I don’t think you will mind sleeping on the timber floors as there’s enough cozy quilts to go around, but I’ll go grab a few more for you just like I did for the others, in case you get cold at night. There should also be simple beds in there as well, no different from all the rooms here, if that makes you more comfortable and easier to sleep in.”
“I’ll help you Ms. Park. We’ve already kept you waiting, it’s the least I can do.” Su-Hyeok offers to go get extra blankets from the hosts, gesturing for you to go ahead and check out the room first.
As you approach the timber frame of the wooden doors, your silhouette casts a shadow on the rice paper lining, and for a split second, you feel as if you were transported back centuries into the reminiscent past. Smoothly, you slide the doors open, and step over the little ledge with your sock-clad feet into the abode. The room is slightly smaller than how it looked from the outside, but the accommodation is adorned with various fragments from the ancient era, and you appreciate the privileged glimpse into a world unknown to you, lost in the passing of time.
Curious, you pull aside the folding screen ink-stained with paintings of orchids, only to realize that Ms. Park was sorely mistaken about all the rooms being the same. You hear the doors sliding open again, and in walks Su-Hyeok, balancing a stack of bedding in his arms so high you could barely see his head behind it. He sets everything down near the now-closed again entrance, only to see you standing there in the middle of the room.
Su-Hyeok tilts his head to the side, looking at you. “What is it? Is the room not what you expected?”
“Well, I’ve got good news and bad news.”
“Bad news first, then.”
“There’s actually only one bed in this room, not two.”
“…And the good news is?” Su-Hyeok trails off.
“I looked earlier and it seems large enough. We can share!”
Su-Hyeok’s eyes widen almost comically. “No, absolutely not.”
Confused and oblivious, your eyebrows scrunch together. “Why on earth not? We’ve had sleepovers so often when we were little, in the same bed every time no less. You didn’t mind then.”
Incredulous, Su-Hyeok flushes furiously. “That was before I—” he halts mid-sentence.
“Before you..?” You lean forward, straining your ears, thinking you had missed his last words.
“Never mind. I’ll make use of the blankets I brought and you can take the bed.”
“But—”
“Nope.”
“Su-Hyeok, your back is going to kill you in the morning if you sleep on the floor all night,” you try to convince, feeling guilty he’s offering you the much-more comfortable bed without hesitation.
“I’ll be fine,” he reassures you.
“Come on, it’s only weird if you make it weird. This is literally just a room with a bed.”
“One bed,” Su-Hyeok emphasizes. “Not to mention, also just one pillow.”
“I’ll give you the pillow, then.”
He looks at you pointedly. “What about you?”
“Give me your arm,” you tease, smiling, trying to hold in your laughter at the scandalized look on his face.
“Are you crazy? You’re not getting anywhere even remotely close to persuading me to share that bed with you,” he splutters.
You plop down on the bed and kick your feet back and forth. “Things could be much worse than this situation you know.”
“Debatable.”
You throw the pillow at him and he catches it before it hits his face, looking much too happy when you scoff.
“Keep it. You need it more than me.” You fall backwards onto the bed. “Right or left?”
“Right or left?”
“Just choose one.”
Regardless of his confusion, Su-Hyeok ultimately chooses right. “Alright then, I’ll leave that side open if you change your mind.”
“I won’t.”
“Whatever you say.”
⋆*・゚:⠀ *⋆.*:・゚.: ⋆*・゚
You blindly reach for your phone, unable to sleep. The bright light hits you, causing you to squint at the time. 1:31 am. You roll over and peer down the side of the bed, seeing Su-Hyeok with his eyes closed, wrapped in blankets all the way up to his neck, more likely than not freezing in his thin white t-shirt.
“Su-Hyeok,” you whisper, not expecting an answer.
“Yeah?” He opens one eye to look at you.
“I can’t sleep.”
“Neither can I. I’m cold.”
“Come up here.”
“…But not that cold.”
“You’ve layered six blankets on top of you and you’re still shivering.”
He stares at you for a long moment in the dark until finally, he sighs, giving in. Su-Hyeok pads toward the side of the bed you left empty all night, dragging his multiple blankets and the single pillow with him. If you had to be honest, it was an endearing sight; he looked like a giant baby bundled from head to toe in the thick silks.
Before he even gets on the bed, he takes off one and wraps you up in it, the blanket already warm from body heat. The rest he rolls up and aligns vertically, creating a makeshift mini wall between the two of you. You snort at the absurdity of it, but decide not to say anything against it, lest Su-Hyeok insists on going back to the ground. He eventually crawls into bed, though his legs are too long, feet ending up hanging off the bottom edge.
“Isn’t this better?” You turn to face him, seeing him already looking at you. In the dark, you can barely make out his eyes, but the proximity can’t take away from how your heart feels under his gaze.
Su-Hyeok slides a hand under your face and lifts your head slightly to slide the pillow below you. Now both of you were sharing a bed, a blanket, and even a pillow. With your head on half and his on the other, the only way to be comfortable was for the two of you to lay face-to-face, almost touching noses if it weren’t for the centerline of blankets. “Much better.”
He pushes more of the blanket to your side and when he draws back, your fingers brush accidentally, though he doesn’t move them away, and you don’t have the intention to do so either. “Sweet dreams, Y/N,” he says softly, before closing his eyes. Just by those small gestures alone, you were touched more than that acceptable of a friendly nature.
“Sleep well, Su-Hyeok.” You lay there in the darkness, your eyes lingering on him for a bit longer until you can’t keep them open anymore. This time around, sleep comes easily.
⋆*・゚:⠀ *⋆.*:・゚.: ⋆*・゚
When harsh morning sunlight streams into the room, you wake up to the feeling of warm air fanning across your face. Squinting against the light before being able to open your eyes entirely, you become aware of just how close you were to Su-Hyeok—so close that you could hear his steady heartbeat, loud enough to count. You have no clue as to how you ended up enveloped completely in his arms, your head tucked tightly into the crook of his neck. The pillow wall from last night is now nonexistent, unknown to you how long it actually served a purpose, yet, you can’t find it in you to move away.
But, as your luck would have it, Su-Hyeok's eyes slowly flutter open, and he begins to stir, immediately looking down. Flustered at the current position, the only thing you could think in the moment is to kick him off the bed.The thud as he hits the floor has you scrambling, worriedly peeking your head over the edge to see that thankfully, he wasn’t hurt; annoyed, but otherwise unharmed.
“Yah! You were worried about my back last night when I decided to take the floor, but instead kicking me onto it is better?”
“Sorry, sorry! It was on reflex!” You reach down and pull him up back onto the bed, trying not to laugh as he glares at you.
Silence ensues as the two of you are at a loss for words about what happened overnight, avoiding eye contact and leaving space as wide as an ocean in between, the bed growing colder by the minute.
“Did I snore?” Su-Hyeok suddenly asks you.
You shake your head. “Did I say weird things in my sleep?”
[ 3:26 am]
“On-Jo,” you mumble.
“Y/N, this is Su-Hyeok,” he tries to reason with your still-sleeping form. “You’re dreaming, aren’t you?”
“No, we’re having a serious conversation. Of course, you’re On-Jo. I can only tell you important things. Are you even listening to me?”
“Yes, I am,” Su-Hyeok sniggers as you punch his shoulder in your sleep, feeling apologetic toward On-Jo, who was most likely on the receiving end of lot of them in the course of your friendship over the years. He could relate wholeheartedly.
“There’s someone I really like and I keep thinking about them but I don’t know if they think about me too.”
Su-Hyeok holds his breath so tightly in his chest that it could burst, only releasing the tension in his lungs on an exhale when he finally hears your next words.
“On-Jo, I like Su-Hyeok…a lot. Do you think he feels the same?”
“Why wouldn’t he when it’s you?”
“No, I think you only had sweet dreams like I wished for you to.”
┈┈┈┈┈𖥸┈┈┈┈┈
𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬 𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞 𝟏
On-Jo stands next to Su-Hyeok in the breakfast line when a familiar scent wafts across her nose. She sniffs slightly, trying to decipher what it is when it dawns on her that it was emanating from Su-Hyeok. Her eyes widen at the nuance of it.
“Su-Hyeok…don’t tell me…” she places a hand across her mouth in shock. “Did you and Y/N share a bed?!”
“No,” he deadpans, but the blush on his face can’t hide the truth.
“Really, are you sure about that?” On-Jo smirks slightly. “Your shirt…it smells like the perfume I gave Y/N as a birthday gift.”
“There can’t be similar fragrances?”
“I had it personalized.”
𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬 𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞 𝟐
Su-Hyeok is the first to wake up, but as he turns to get out of bed discreetly, you grab onto his wrist lightly. “Can you stay with me?” Just the way you said that sleepily to him was enough to convince him not to go.
"You should get some more rest. I won't leave. I promise."
He gets back into bed and you immediately huddle close to him, eyes still closed, the expression on your face much more relaxed than before. Su-Hyeok’s heart flutters in his chest as he pulls you closer, not letting go.
Maybe one day he’ll tell you about what you said in your sleep.
Maybe one day he’ll tell you about the kiss he pressed against your forehead and how you smiled afterwards.
Maybe on the day when he confesses.
┈┈┈┈┈𖥸┈┈┈┈┈
© 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐱’𝐬 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐔𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐛𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞. 𝐈 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨, 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞, 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫-𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐭. 𝐀𝐥𝐬𝐨, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐞, 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞, 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦 𝐢𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞.
Warnings - none
The sun was beginning to set over the devastated remains of Hyosan, casting long shadows across the abandoned school rooftop. It had a few days since the outbreak began, and survival had become your only priority. But amidst the chaos and despair, there had been one bright spot: Lee Cheongsan.
Cheongsan had been your rock, your anchor in a world that was falling apart. When everything else seemed hopeless, he was the one who kept you going. And somewhere along the way of navigating life and death, your friendship had blossomed into something deeper—something neither of you had anticipated but both of you clung to like a lifeline.
The problem was, you hadn’t told anyone.
It wasn’t that you were ashamed. Far from it. But the world you lived in now wasn’t exactly conducive to romance. Every day was a fight for survival, and you’d both agreed that keeping your relationship a secret was safer—at least for now. Still, it wasn’t easy pretending your heart didn’t skip a beat every time he looked at you, or that his touch didn’t send shivers down your spine.
Now, as you sat together on the cold concrete floor of the school, you couldn’t help but steal a glance at him. His face was streaked with blood, his hair disheveled, but to you, he’d never looked more perfect. He caught you staring and raised an eyebrow, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
“What?” he asked, his voice low enough that the others, who were gathered a few feet away, couldn’t hear.
You shook your head, a smile of your own forming. “Nothing. Just... you.”
He chuckled softly, his hand brushing against yours where it rested on the floor. The small gesture sent a spark of warmth through you, a moment of normalcy in a world that had none.
But that moment was shattered when Namra’s voice cut through the quiet. “What are you two whispering about?”
You and Cheongsan froze, your eyes darting to the group of survivors who were now looking your way. Namra’s expression was unreadable, but there was a glint of curiosity in her eyes. Beside her, Suhyeok smirked, clearly sensing something was up.
“Nothing,” Cheongsan said quickly, too quickly. It was enough to make everyone suspicious.
“Oh, come on,” Suhyeok said, leaning back against the wall with a grin. “You two have been acting weird for days. What’s going on?”
“Weird?” you echoed, trying to sound indignant but failing miserably. Your voice wavered just enough to give you away, and Dae-su’s laughter boomed through the courtyard.
“I knew it!” he exclaimed, pointing a finger at the two of you. “You’re hiding something!”
“We’re not hiding anything,” Cheongsan said, but the way his ears turned red betrayed him. You could practically feel the heat radiating off him, and it took everything in you not to burst out laughing at how adorably flustered he looked.
“Oh, really?” Suhyeok said, his grin widening. “Because it sure seems like you are.”
Namra crossed her arms, her gaze flicking between you and Cheongsan. “You might as well tell us. It’s not like we have anything better to do right now.”
You sighed, realizing there was no way out of this. Cheongsan met your eyes, silently asking if you were okay with telling them. You gave him a small nod, and he took a deep breath before turning back to the group.
“Fine,” he said, his voice steady despite the blush still coloring his cheeks. “We’re... we’re together.”
The reaction was immediate. Suhyeok let out a loud, exaggerated “I knew it!” while Dae-su whooped and clapped his hands like he’d just won the lottery. Even Ji-min, who had been quietly picking at a piece of bread, looked up with wide eyes.
“Finally,” Suhyeok said, shaking his head in mock exasperation. “I was starting to think you two would never admit it.”
“Wait,” Dae-su said, leaning forward with a mischievous grin. “How long has this been going on? Were you sneaking off for secret make-out sessions while we were fighting zombies?”
Your face burned, and you opened your mouth to protest, but Cheongsan beat you to it. “It’s not like that,” he said, though his defensive tone only made Dae-su laugh harder.
“Sure, sure,” Dae-su said, winking at you. “Whatever you say, Romeo.”
Despite the teasing, you could see the genuine happiness in their expressions. Even Namra’s usually stoic face had softened, a faint smile playing on her lips. For a brief moment, it felt like things were normal again, like you were just a group of teenagers hanging out after school instead of survivors in the middle of an apocalypse.
But the moment didn’t last. It never did.
YESSSSS YE SH ESG YES YES
USED TO PRAY FOR TIKES LIKE THISSSSSS
𝐒𝐮-𝐇𝐲𝐞𝐨𝐤 𝐱 𝐅𝐞𝐦!𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 | 𝟓.𝟑𝐤 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 | 𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐮-𝐇𝐲𝐞𝐨𝐤 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐢𝐭.
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫’𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞: 𝐀𝐔 𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐳𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐮-𝐇𝐲𝐞𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 (𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐬!) 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐞.𝐈 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟓 + 𝟏 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟. 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐈’𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐎𝐔𝐀𝐃 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐧,𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐮-𝐇𝐲𝐞𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐬𝐨 𝐈’𝐦 𝐩𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐞 ♡
˚ ༘✶ ⋆。˚ ⁀➷1. Ms. Park
“Su-Hyeok, what do you think of Nam-Ra’s interpretation?”
Class 2-5 all turn their heads to the back, trying—but failing—to suppress their laughter, awaiting what kind of nonsense would spew from Su-Hyeok’s mouth this time around.
“I agree. She’s 100% correct.”
Some giggles slip through before Ms. Park silences them by holding her hand up. “Great,” Ms. Park says sarcastically, with an air of teasing. “Now…just what do you agree with again?”
Su-Hyeok doesn’t even falter, replying with, “If she could be kind enough to repeat her response so that I can gather my thoughts more coherently….” The whole class loses it right then and there.
His seat-mate further rubs salt into the wound by whispering between bouts of laughter, “Yah, did you even have any thoughts to begin with?” This earns him a glare, but he was too far gone to care.
Su-Hyeok grimaces, seeing the disappointment on Ms. Park’s face mixed with amusement as she gestures for Nam-Ra to recite her previous statement again. With the amount of times he acts up in the same manner on a regular basis, he’s surprised and grateful that she still allows him to step foot into class for lessons.
Nam-Ra rises once more, her chair creaking slightly, though that doesn’t wake you up from your nap next to her. Currently, you were turned away from the window, left elbow flat on the desk surface as a makeshift pillow. “All of us have some sort of prejudice. We all have preconceptions about other people.”
“Precisely,” Ms. Park compliments. “Thank you, Nam-Ra, for saying that twice.” With her emphasis on the word, she fixes her stern gaze on Su-Hyeok, but her next words are the exact opposite. “Bare-Su, please pay more attention to my lesson during class time and less on staring at your girlfriend, Y/N.” She raises her eyebrows teasingly.
Su-Hyeok is quick to correct her, trying to suppress the heat he feels slowly making its way up to his face. “Ms. Park,” he says incredulously. “We’re not together.”
“Eyyy,” Dae-Su’s booming voice reverberates in the classroom. “Now you’re just making up lies.” You stir at the loud sound, but it’s still not enough to make you open your eyes.
“I’m serious, Dae-Su,” Su-Hyeok splutters.
“Yet you’re not denying having stared at Y/N~,” Wu-Jin drawls, giving Dae-Su’s awaiting hand a high-five with a resounding smack.
“You guys, cut it out already!” Su-Hyeok says exasperatedly to deaf ears. “Ms. Park, how come Y/N is taking a sound nap in class, but I’m the one being ganged up on?”
“This is the first time it has happened, and she’s still ranked 3rd in the class. I can afford to let it slide,” Ms. Park crosses her arms and smiles, entertained by Su-Hyeok’s excuses.
“Isn’t this blatant favoritism?” Su-Hyeok mumbles under his breath.
“You also favor Y/N, so you can’t be one to talk,” his seat-mate teases him for the second time that day.
“You’re not even on the baseball team so why are you so hell-bent on hitting home runs with your sassy remarks today, huh?” Su-Hyeok slaps him upside the head.
“Alright, alright, settle down class. I think that’s enough punishment for our Bare-Su today.” When Ms. Park turns back to the blackboard, she says loud enough for the class to hear, “No worries. We can just ask Y/N for confirmation when she’s up.” By how much the students were cracking up, it suddenly seems like a free period.
“Seonsaengnim!”
At Su-Hyeok’s outburst, you wake up, trying to settle back into reality. Of course, Ms. Park notices your state of rousing. She’s not one to miss any little detail.
“Ah, good morning to you, Y/N. So glad you can finally join us.” Her words hold no malice at all, but you’re still sheepish.
Shyly scratching you head, you voice out, “I apologize for dozing off. Did I miss anything important?” You finally notice all eyes on you. Well, save for Su-Hyeok’s. “Guys….? Why are you all looking at me like that?”
“Well—" Dae-Su begins but is cut off by Ms. Park.
“Please refrain from sleeping again in my class as it’s a distraction…to some more than others.”
Laughter rings loud and clear again, all directed towards Su-Hyeok as you turn to Nam-Ra for answers in bewilderment.
“Banjang, you’re the smartest one here. What’s going on?”
Nam-Ra spares a glance at you with a slight smirk, an expression you’ve never seen on her before, despite how much she’s warmed up to you as her seat-mate and friend, though she’s hesitant to admit to the latter.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” Nam-Ra says dismissively, but lightly. “Ms. Park was just teaching Su-Hyeok about preconceptions.”
˚ ༘✶ ⋆。˚ ⁀➷2. On-Jo
Linking your arm through Nam-Ra’s while balancing your tray with your other hand, you pull her in the direction of where On-Jo and I-Sak were already seated with their own lunches piled high with food.
“Save some for the rest of us, On-Jo,” you joke as you and Nam-Ra sit down on the opposite bench, pointing to your friend’s tray.
“Ha ha, very funny,” On-Jo pouts. “I don’t eat a lot; I just eat well.”
“A little too well,” Nam-Ra chimes in, causing you to choke on your banana milk in laughter and surprise. Since Nam-Ra started opening up to your friend group, you can already see the influence it’s had on her. Her conversations may still be minimal, but boy do they pack a punch.
While you all wait for the rowdy boys to join, I-Sak mimes pulling you, Nam-Ra, and On-Jo into a huddle and whispers, “So, have you guys thought about who’s asking who to the spring formal in a few months?” Here, she raises her eyebrows and adds, “Better yet, who are you hoping will ask you?”
“Aish,” you rebuke. “I thought you were about to spill your biggest secret or something!”
“Hey, I’m just curious! Not all of us are set and ready like you are, Y/N!” I-Sak winks at you as you’re in the middle of chewing.
You finish your bite before replying, “Huh?”
“Well, you and Su-Hyeok are already dating, so isn’t it obvious you’ll be attending together?” On-Jo answers.
Flabbergasted, you retort, “But we’re not in a relationship. I thought that was what’s obvious.” Your eyebrows scrunch together in confusion.
“Tsk, since when did you become so good at lying, our sweet and innocent Y/N?” I-Sak pokes you with the clean end of her chopstick.
“There’s nothing going on between us,” you emphasize. “I’ve known him since we were babies, and he definitely doesn’t like me in that way. I know that for a fact!” You point from Nam-Ra, to On-Jo, and finally to I-Sak. “Not one more word from you guys, alright?”
Nam-Ra slurps a spoonful of her seaweed soup loudly.
You turn to her and narrow your eyes. “Now, what’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well, you said not one more word,” Nam-Ra says without missing a beat. “That was a sound.”
You could never win against Nam-Ra verbally. “Don’t tell me you agree with On-Jo and I-Sak,” you say while facepalming. “Look guys, he’s really sweet, kind, caring, brave…” Realizing you’re rambling when the girls give you a look, you blush and backpedal. “What I mean,” you say as you fix them all with a gaze of finality, “is that it’d be weird. We grew up together, and we fight all the time.”
“I like to call that lover’s quarrel,” On-Jo states.
You roll your eyes and throw a clean crumpled napkin at her, which she manages to dodge.
“I also forgot nice smile, athletic, handsome—" I-Sak mimics your voice. You know it’s bad how spot-on it is when even Nam-Ra laughs.
“Yah! Do you want to die?”
On-Jo protects I-Sak from your slaps to her arm. “Just admit that you like—" On-Jo is interrupted by a voice you know all too well.
“Like what?” Su-Hyeok asks, oblivious, as he plops down next to you, nudging your shoulder with his out of habit as the boys fill in the rest of the bench, focused on their own conversations.
“Yeah, Y/N, what were you going to say?” I-Sak prods, smiling wider than you thought humanly possible.
You plead with your eyes to Nam-Ra for help, but she’s just the same as the other two, fixing you with a mischievous grin. Su-Hyeok looks at you expectantly, waiting for an answer.
“Uh…I was just saying that I like,” you stall as you look around for a way out. Your gaze lands on a drink everyone has on their tray. “The banana milk!” You cringe as the words leave your mouth.
“Oh, in that case,” Su-Hyeok hands over his bottle to you. “Here, you can have mine.”
As he turns to his right to talk to Cheong-San, I-Sak flashes you a heart with her fingers discreetly, Nam-Ra elbows you in the arm playfully, and On-Jo—you’re going to get her big time for this.
Before Su-Hyeok is finished with his conversation and turns back to you, she mouths, “I love oo yoo.”
˚ ༘✶ ⋆。˚ ⁀➷3. Cheong-San
You have no idea why your friends decided to play soccer during lunch when it was scorching hot out, especially a day before exams, but followed nonetheless. On-Jo and I-Sak opted out and were currently benched, acting as cheerleaders. You, however, got dragged into the game as Nam-Ra was the referee and she didn’t want to be the lone girl on the field.
The sun was starting to make you sweat, and you chalked it up to the heat beating down on your head for the sudden dizziness you were feeling. You shook your head and tried to focus on the game that was about to start.
Cheong-San was right next to you, and on the far end of the field you could see Su-Hyeok playing goalie. As Dae-Su kicked off signaling the first half, you began to stagger as your vision becomes unfocused. Just when Cheong-San is about to sprint off in the direction of the ball Dae-Su had kicked, you grab onto his arm, stopping him.
“Cheong-San, I don’t feel too good,” you say.
He steadies you by the shoulder and peers at your face. “Y/N, you’re looking a little more than just pale. Do you think you’ll be okay? Want to sit down for a minute with On-Jo and I-Sak?” You close your eyes as your head spins but manage to give a weak nod when he checks your forehead temperature with his hand.
“Hey! What’s going on over there?” Someone screams across the field, questioning.
As Cheong-San takes your wrist to lead you back to the girls, your vision goes black and the last thing you remember is someone catching you to break your fall.
***
On-Jo and I-Sak were the first ones to reach you as Cheong-San tries to sit you up. He gets you to somewhat lean on his chest, an arm around your shoulder as the girls crowd around to see what they could do to help.
“Is Y/N alright?” Not getting a response, Nam-Ra checks your pulse and breathing. “Her heartbeat is a little fast, one of the tell-tale signs of heat exhaustion. Perhaps that's the case?”
“I think we should take her to the nurse either way,” On-Jo says, I-Sak nodding in agreement.
“On-Jo, come with me,” Cheong-San directs, as he maneuvers you for a proper piggyback.
“Move,” Su-Hyeok says, seriously.
“It’s okay, I got her,” Cheong-San replies as On-Jo helps to stabilize you on his back.
“I wasn’t asking.” Su-Hyeok slightly pushes Cheong-San.
“Guys, this isn’t the time to fight,” Nam-Ra admonishes, pointing at your unconscious form.
Without another word, Su-Hyeok picks you up easily and carries you away, with Cheong-San and On-Jo in tow all the way to the infirmary.
Once there, On-Jo decided to go get some snacks since everyone skipped lunch, leaving the two boys behind with you after the nurse assessed your condition.
Cheong-San starts chuckling quietly as Su-Hyeok glares at him.
“Why are you laughing?”
“I don’t find the situation funny, if that’s what you’re asking. I’m worried for Y/N as well.”
Su-Hyeok narrows his eyes at Cheong-San. “Why?”
Dumbfounded, Cheong-San replies, “Why would you ask that? She’s a good friend. We grew up together too you know.”
When Su-Hyeok doesn’t respond, Cheong-San nudges him with his foot under the bed to which the former just makes an incoherent noise. “You’re jealous, aren’t you?”
“I’m not jealous at all that you caught Y/N before she fainted.”
“I never mentioned that,” Cheong-San says between laughs, dimple on full display. “Would you rather I had dropped her to the ground? I don’t know why you would be mad when I was just lending a hand, and considering that you guys are dating and all…” he trails off.
“We’re not dating,” Su-Hyeok says flatly.
“Stop messing around with me Bare-Su,” Cheong-San teases, tilting his head in the direction of your small hands that Su-Hyeok was currently enveloping in his large ones.
“You idiot, I’m not kidding. We’re just friends; that’s all.” He doesn’t let go of your hands. If anything, he cradles them even tighter.
Cheong-San pauses, thinking whether to believe him or not. “Okay, hypothetically let’s say you guys aren’t together—"
“—Because we’re not,” Su-Hyeok interrupts.
“Hypothetically,” Cheong-San stresses. “Then, do you like Y/N?”
“Then, do you like On-Jo?”
“I asked first!”
“I—"
When you open your eyes, you’re met with a white ceiling and curtains, the sound of the machine displaying your vitals beeping away. Recognizing that you were in the school’s infirmary due to the IV drip and the strong smell of antiseptic, the only thing you remembered was fainting. Everything after is a blur.
You hear hushed whispers and realize it was Su-Hyeok and Cheong-San in the room with you. “What are you two idiots arguing about this time?” You rasp. Their heads whip towards you, shocked and simultaneously relieved.
“How much of our conversation did you hear?”
“That’s the first thing you ask me? I don’t even get a ‘how are you’?” You fake mock hurt at Su-Hyeok’s question.
“Are you okay?” Cheong-San asks.
“I like Cheong-San better,” you joke and stick your tongue out at Su-Hyeok as Cheong-San does the same.
“We were worried sick but I guess you’re fine now that you’re back to bullying me,” Su-Hyeok complains. “So feisty for such a tiny human.”
“Easy for you to carry,” Cheong-San mutters, earning a kick from Su-Hyeok. “OUCH!” He exclaims as he begins to rub his shin from the impact.
You look between the two of them, more confused than ever but decide to let it go. “Why am I here again? I only know I passed out.”
Su-Hyeok flicks you on the forehead. “The nurse said you were dehydrated and it seemed like you didn’t eat or sleep well enough. Coupled with the heat exhaustion, your already tired body couldn’t handle it and you went down.”
“Oh.”
“Oh? Is that all you can say? You scared me to death. You stayed up late studying again huh?”
“Maybe…” You reply guiltily. The boys shake their heads at your predictable nature. You always study like crazy but this has never happened before, so you were going to make sure to not accidentally neglect self-care for good grades again. “How did I get here from the field?”
“Cheong-San caught you and—"
“Awww, you did?” You sit up and spread your arms for a hug, having to let go of Su-Hyeok’s hands to do so. Cheong-San was going to return it until he turned to Su-Hyeok for permission.
“Why do you need to ask whether he’d allow it?” You roll your eyes. “My arms are getting tired.” You pull Cheong-San in for a hug and he returns the friendly gesture.
Just then, the door opens and On-Jo comes in with a plastic bag full of goodies. “Y/N, you’re awake!” She rushes over to squeeze the life out of you.
“On-Jo…can’t breathe,” you say in between pauses.
She lets you go and elbows Cheong-San. When he doesn’t get the hint, she takes him by the hand and drags him out, leaving the bag behind on the table for you. Just before the door closes, Cheong-San pops his head in again. “Su-Hyeok carried you in his arms all the way here!”
“AISH!” Su-Hyeok throws his backpack at the door, but the two had already left.
You turn to Su-Hyeok who won’t meet your gaze. Poking his arm, you tease him. “So, you do care.” If you had been awake at the time, surely you would be a living tomato with the stares you know for a fact you would be getting from being transported that way across school grounds.
Su-Hyeok just breathes out exasperatedly. “More than you know.” He said the line so quietly, you would’ve missed it if you weren’t paying attention.
Not knowing what came over you, you lean over and kiss him on the cheek. “Thank you,” you say. Both of you were surprised with matching blushes as proof.
Too embarrassed now for having been so bold, you make the excuse of feeling tired and lay down, turning your head to the other side to hide your smile. Su-Hyeok grabs your hand again even as you close your eyes.
His phone dings with a text and you hear him curse under his breath. “That little—“
Which could only mean one thing: Cheong-San.
[ Text: Are you sure you’re not dating? I saw everything through the window ]
˚ ༘✶ ⋆。˚ ⁀➷4. Gyeong-Su
You’re walking along the school’s skybridge when you hear someone calling.
“Y/N! Wait up!”
You stop and turn around, smiling when you see it’s Gyeong-Su. He’s such a sweetheart that your friend group always has a soft spot reserved for him.
He pants as he comes to a stop next to you, falling into pace by your side. “Geez, for someone with such short legs, you walk incredibly fast.”
“Is that all you wanted to say to me?” You push him.
Gyeong-Su laughs. “No, no. I’m just kidding. I have a favor to ask.”
“Glad to know you start asking for favors by first insulting the person.”
“I’m sorry okay!” He didn’t look sorry at all. “I need help with English. If I fail this next exam, I’d have to retake the class and the teacher and I already don’t get along,” he frowns.
“I’m not saying that I decline, but wouldn’t Nam-Ra be a better choice?”
“Sure, but she hasn’t studied abroad. You lived in New York for a year before high school.”
“Alright, but if your English has the accent of a New Yorker, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Better an accent than the Konglish I’m speaking with in class. Everyone always laughs when I have to read something.”
You giggle. “I can meet you in the library after our last class period. It’s a Friday anyway so we don’t have school tomorrow, which means we can stay a little later than usual. Does that work for you?”
“Yes! Thank you so much, Y/N.” Gyeong-Su looked so happy it was contagious. His smile suddenly falters as he leans in to tell you, “Although, I hope that you won’t let Su-Hyeok know.”
“What? What does he have to do anything?”
Gyeong-Su looks at you like you had two heads growing from your neck, gazing pointedly. “Well, I certainly wouldn’t want him to be mad that I’m spending time with you. He’d beat me up. It’s clear which of us would win in a fight, come on now.”
“Why would he be mad?” You inquire, baffled.
“You know, for ranking third place in class, you’re not as bright as I thought.”
“Watch it,” you warn, playfully angry.
“You’re supposed to be tutoring me for language skills but here I am, having to spell everything out for you.” Gyeong-Su gives you a moment to see if you would figure it out but when he sees the gears turning in your head, he sighs. “Su-Hyeok might get jealous and I don’t want that. You know, protective boyfriend and all. The what-have-you’s from all those dramas.”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” you say as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, which to you it certainly was.
“Whatever you say. If you see me one day with a black eye and a broken leg, you’re going to be held responsible for my hospital bills.”
You roll your eyes as Gyeong-Su waves and goes on his way, promising to meet up later.
***
A few hours pass and you find a seat in the corner of the library where it’s more silent and there’s a window nook in between two bookshelves against the wall; it was your favorite study spot aside from your bedroom.
Gyeong-Su is more punctual than you imagined, showing up barely a few minutes after you with all his study materials. At the moment, his backpack could be used as a weapon with everything he packed inside.
“Are you sure you’re here to study, or are you preparing for war?” You stare in amazement as he pulls endless amounts of materials from his bag.
“I wasn’t kidding about not wanting to repeat class.” An English textbook comes slamming onto the table and you shush him hurriedly. Thankfully, the other students are too busy studying with their headphones in to mind the noise.
“We can work on spelling first,” you guide as you flip through his workbook.
You’re surprised at how fast Gyeong-Su learns after just a few units, and even more proud at the effort he puts into grasping the subject. Perhaps you could finally understand why teachers always glow when their students succeed.
“Wow, would you look at that. I’m a great tutor,” you boast.
“Your ego is pretty great too.”
You hit him on the head with a pencil but he just laughs it off. Your phone keeps vibrating with messages, so not wanting it to be a distraction, you put it on ‘do not disturb’ mode without checking the notifications on screen and proceed to place it upside down on the table.
Both you and Gyeong-Su are too focused on your studies to notice Su-Hyeok coming into the library.
“Y/N, did you lose your phone?”
You look up, even more surprised than Gyeong-Su at his presence. “How did you know we were here?”
“You didn’t tell him? Wow, I’ll remember that the next time I have a secret I need you to keep,” Gyeong-Su says, fascinated.
“I waited an hour for you at the school gates to walk home together, but you never showed up so I texted Cheong-San and he said you were tutoring Gyeong-Su in the library.”
“Oh my god, I totally forgot.” You put your hand on your head. Su-Hyeok would always walk you home as you two live in the same area, neighbors to be exact. “I’m so sorry you had to wait that long. It totally slipped my mind!” He didn’t look mad, just tired. “You can go home without me you know. I wouldn’t want you to wait even longer. I still have a few chapters left to help Gyeong-Su with.”
“Are you kidding? I’m not letting you go by yourself in the dark. A few more hours is nothing.” Before you can refuse, he dumps his backpack on the floor and scoots the adjacent chair closer to yours, sits down, and leans his head on your shoulder. “Wake me up when you’re done.”
He’s out cold in a few minutes, and you can only blame it on sleep deprivation; the badge every high school student wears proudly.
“Now that the boyfriend is sleeping and won’t fight me—“
“How many times do I have to tell you, Gyeong-Su? We’re not dating.”
“Sure, because that’s totally what friends do,” he says sarcastically.
As he goes back to his notes, you look down at Su-Hyeok leaning on you, moving his hair out of his eyes carefully so as not to wake him. Were his eyelashes always that long? His nose bridge so high? His skin so clear? His lips—
“Earth to Y/N,” Gyeong-Su waves his hand in your face. “You guys sure have a thing for staring at the other when they’re asleep. You know, it’s the same look on your faces too.”
“What? We don’t do that.”
“First, he gets caught by the whole class and now you get caught by me. You’re lucky it’s just one person who’s seeing this.”
You brush aside the first thing Gyeong-Su says, because Su-Hyeok having feelings for you? Impossible.
“I wasn’t staring!” That draws the attention of a few students nearby.
“Fine, admiring tastefully then.”
You look down at Su-Hyeok again. “You have to admit, it’s pretty endearing seeing someone sleep.”
Gyeong-Su snorts. “You’re just saying that because it’s Su-Hyeok. If it was me, you would’ve already sent me flying clear across the room with a kick.”
Not really being able to argue with that, you ignore it and turn back to give Gyeong-Su another exercise when Su-Hyeok stirs. “Next, can you describe us all with one word and spell it correctly?”
He ponders for a moment before pointing to himself: “Amazing.” A-M-A-Z-I-N-G is the first line on his notebook.
Next, he points to Su-Hyeok: “Barefoot.” You laugh at the accuracy while Su-Hyeok curses Gyeong-Su. It’s even funnier seeing him write it down in all seriousness. B-A-R-E-F-O-O-T is the next line.
A pencil aims at your face as Gyeong-Su mocks: “Gnome.”
“You’re getting awfully comfortable with the short jokes there.” G-N-O-M-E goes down in the third line.
“She’s just petite,” Su-Hyeok tries to defend you, doing a horrible job at it.
“Great, she thinks you’re lovable and he thinks you’re cute.”
“You do?!” You and Su-Hyeok say to one another at the same time.
“The two of you aren’t fooling anyone with this ‘We’re not together’ thing. Here’s a word to describe both of you. Gyeong-Su scribbles something quickly down on the notepad in perfect English and holds it up sideways for you as he reads it out loud, gesturing with his pointer finger between you and Su-Hyeok:
┌──────────┐
ᑕOᑌᑭᒪE ♡
└──────────┘
˚ ༘✶ ⋆。˚ ⁀➷5. Nam-Ra
No one ever comes to class early like she does, and so Nam-Ra is more than surprised to see Su-Hyeok of all people stepping foot into the room, the slide of the wooden door announcing his entrance. He jumps when he sees her already there.
“What is it?” Nam-Ra cuts to the chase.
“Uh…nothing,” Su-Hyeok stammers.
“Whatever’s in your hands doesn’t seem like nothing.”
He quickly hides the note behind his back.
Nam-Ra raises an eyebrow at this and taps your still-empty desk. “Go ahead and put it here. I’ll let Y/N know.”
“It’s not for her.”
“Su-Hyeok, you’re talking to me, not Dae-Su. I don’t believe that statement in the slightest.”
Su-Hyeok sighs as he walks over to your seat and sits down. “Prez, I need advice.”
“Hmm, what did On-Jo call it? Lover’s quarrel, was it? I’m not that experienced to be a love guru.”
“We’re not—"
“Cut it out. No matter how many times you guys deny it, it won’t make it true.”
“But—"
“Nope.” Seeing as he wasn’t going to say anything else, Nam-Ra smiles to herself. If she can keep this up, maybe they’ll actually stop dancing around one another. “Now, why are you here and not with Y/N like you usually are?”
“She’s mad at me.”
“I find that hard to believe, but explain.”
“Y/N has been avoiding me and I don’t know why. We were fine still during the study session with Gyeong-Su, but after that day she’s been keeping her distance. She flinches when I so much as sit near her, when I talk to her, she can’t look me in the eyes, and when we walk home together, she’s always speeding ahead. I think I might’ve done something wrong, but I also don’t think I have? That’s why I was planning to put this apology letter on her desk.”
Nam-Ra brushes her hand down her face at the absurdity of the situation. “You guys are hopeless.”
“Excuse me?”
“Are you telling me or asking me about whether you messed up?”
“Uh…both?”
“Gosh, you’re clueless.”
“I didn’t know advice came with being bashed.”
“Just answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to my following questions.” Nam-Ra receives a nod in response.
“Look, you haven’t done anything wrong right?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“Does Y/N turn red when you’re near?”
“Yes, now that you mention it.”
“Is she becoming more flustered now when she never was before?”
“Also a yes to that question.” Su-Hyeok’s eyes widen and when Nam-Ra finally thinks he’s pieced it together, he hits her with the entire force of collective obliviousness in the world. “Oh no! Do you think she’s come down with something? Is she sick?”
“Aigoo!” She smacks him on the head with her workbook.
“Hey! What was that for?”
“Focus!”
“I was until you gave me a concussion!”
“That’s not how that works—oh never mind! Just, think! I know it’s not something you usually tend to do, but try!”
“As long as you don’t hit me again.”
Nam-Ra ignores his previous words and continues. “Since you said you guys aren’t together I’ll believe it just for today.”
“There’s nothing to believe or not, we really don’t have that kind of a relationship.”
“But do you want to?”
“I don’t think she likes me like that—"
“Yes or no only.”
“Fine, yes. I can’t believe I’m telling you before I tell Y/N.” Su-Hyeok slumps in his seat.
“So, you like her.” Nam-Ra states it as is, no longer questioning.
“I can’t say no now after what I said earlier, so yes. I really do.”
“Then just go tell her. It’s not that hard. You’re making a simple thing more difficult than quantum mechanics.”
“Does Y/N even like me back for me to confess?”
“Yes. You’re a fool for not noticing it: the avoidance, the distance, the shyness. Any of that ring a bell?” She can pinpoint exactly when the realization hits him. “Everyone can see it except for the two of you. I’m shocked that it took me to smack some sense into you; literally and metaphorically.”
“I always thought that all friends were like us.”
“In what world? Friends don’t look at each other like that.”
Su-Hyeok springs up from his chair with a hasty thank you, promising to think it through before confessing, and rushes off to who knows where.
When he leaves, Nam-Ra sits alone pondering whether she should just change her last name to Cupid.
Cheong-San and On-Jo clearly need some arrows as well.
˚ ༘✶ ⋆。˚ ⁀➷ +1
When Cheong-San’s mom invites the friend group to their chicken restaurant for a free meal, no one could decline.
You and Su-Hyeok come in a bit later after everyone had already started eating, hand-in-hand.
“There’s the cute couple!” Cheong-San’s mom exclaims, handing over the largest platter of fried chicken you’ve seen in your life.
“Mrs. Lee, they’re not—” everyone at the table choruses in unison, except for Nam-Ra.
“We are!” You say, holding up your clasped hands.
Dae-Su drops his chicken on the floor in shock and everyone’s mouths hang open comically in silence.
“Mwoya? Have you been fooling us all this time?” Your friends talk over one another, but the sentence is somehow comprehensible.
“Just ourselves,” Su-Hyeok admits, looking down at you fondly, only to see you already gazing up at him.
┈┈┈┈┈𖥸┈┈┈┈┈
© 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐱’𝐬 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐔𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐛𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞. 𝐈 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨, 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞, 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫-𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐭. 𝐀𝐥𝐬𝐨, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐞, 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞, 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦 𝐢𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞.
Warnings - General zombie stuff, (minimal) gore
It was the dead of night, and the air was thick with tension and the smell of decay. The remnants of the high school were eerily silent, save for the occasional groan of a zombie shuffling in the distance. You sat with your knees pulled up to your chest, back pressed against a cold concrete wall. The flickering light of a nearly dead flashlight barely illuminated the room, but it was enough to catch the blood-stained walls and the exhaustion etched onto everyone’s faces.
And then there was Su-hyeok.
He sat just a few feet away, his broad shoulders hunched as he cleaned off his makeshift weapon. His jaw was set, and his eyes darted to the boarded-up windows every few seconds, always alert. You’d noticed that about him—even in the midst of chaos, he never truly relaxed. He was always watching, always ready to protect the group. And, more often than not, he’d positioned himself close to you. It wasn’t something he announced or even seemed to realize, but you’d noticed. You always noticed him.
You’d met Su-hyeok on the first day of the outbreak. He’d saved you from a narrow escape in one of the science labs, grabbing your hand and pulling you away just as a zombie lunged. Since then, you’d stuck together like glue. Maybe it was because you trusted him, or maybe it was because, deep down, you felt safer with him than with anyone else.
“You should try to get some rest,” Su-hyeok said, his voice breaking through the silence. His eyes met yours, and for a moment, the tension in the air seemed to soften. “I’ll keep watch.”
You shook your head, your voice barely above a whisper. “I can’t. Every time I close my eyes, I see them.”
He didn’t ask who you meant. He didn’t need to. Everyone had lost someone. Family, friends, classmates. The weight of it hung over all of you like a storm cloud that refused to break.
“Come here,” he said, patting the space beside him. His voice was gentle, but there was an edge of firmness that made it clear he wouldn’t take no for an answer.
You hesitated for a moment before scooting closer. The warmth of his presence was immediate, a stark contrast to the cold, desolate room. He wrapped an arm around your shoulders, pulling you against his side. It was the first time he’d touched you like this, and despite the circumstances, your heart fluttered.
“You’re not alone,” he said quietly, his voice barely more than a murmur. “I’m here. As long as I’m breathing, I’ll keep you safe.”
The words hit you harder than you expected. In a world that had become so cruel and unpredictable, his promise felt like a lifeline. You didn’t realize you were crying until he tilted your chin up to look at you. His thumb brushed away a tear, and the tenderness in his gaze made your chest ache.
“I mean it,” he said, his brow furrowing slightly. “You don’t have to be strong all the time. Let me carry some of it for you.”
For the first time in days, you allowed yourself to lean into someone else. You rested your head against his shoulder, your eyes closing as the exhaustion finally caught up to you. His hand stayed on your shoulder, grounding you, and for the first time in what felt like forever, you felt safe enough to sleep.
The next day, the group decided to move. The zombies were getting closer, and the makeshift barricades wouldn’t hold for much longer. Su-hyeok stayed by your side as you navigated the crumbling hallways, his hand brushing yours every so often as if to reassure himself that you were still there.
It wasn’t long before disaster struck.
A group of zombies had broken through the glass windows of the classroom, and they came at you faster than you’d expected. Everyone scattered, shouting warnings and grabbing whatever they could use as weapons. Su-hyeok immediately stepped in front of you, his arm outstretched as if to shield you from the sight.
“Stay behind me!” he shouted, swinging his weapon with practiced precision. Each strike was calculated, efficient, and you couldn’t help but marvel at his ability to stay calm under pressure.
But then one of the zombies lunged from the side, and you didn’t have time to think. You grabbed a metal pipe from the ground and swung with all your might, the force of the impact sending the zombie sprawling. Your heart was racing, adrenaline pumping through your veins, but you barely had a moment to process what had happened before Su-hyeok was in front of you again.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his eyes scanning you for injuries.
You nodded, your grip on the pipe tightening. “I’m fine. Let’s just keep moving.”
He hesitated, clearly wanting to say more, but the growing sounds of the horde left no time for discussion. Together, you pushed forward, reuniting with the rest of the group in a small, abandoned classroom. The door was barricaded quickly, and everyone slumped against the walls, catching their breath.
Su-hyeok crouched in front of you, his hands resting on your knees. “You scared me back there,” he admitted, his voice low enough that only you could hear. “Don’t do that again.”
“Do what? Save your life?” you shot back, a weak attempt at humor to mask the fear still coursing through you.
He didn’t laugh. Instead, he reached up to brush a stray strand of hair from your face, his fingers lingering just a moment too long. “Just stay close to me,” he said. “Please.”
That night, the group decided to take shifts keeping watch. Su-hyeok volunteered for the first shift, and you found yourself sitting beside him once again. The room was quiet, the only sounds the distant groans of the undead and the occasional creak of the building settling.
“You should be resting,” he said, his voice soft but firm.
“So should you,” you countered, earning a small smile from him.
“Fair point,” he said, leaning back against the wall. For a moment, neither of you spoke, the silence stretching out between you. But it wasn’t uncomfortable. If anything, it felt... peaceful. Like a brief moment of normalcy in a world that had been turned upside down.
“Why are you so nice to me?” you asked suddenly, the question slipping out before you could stop it.
He turned to look at you, his expression unreadable. “What do you mean?”
“You’re always looking out for me. Protecting me. I mean, you barely even know me.”
His gaze softened, and he let out a quiet sigh. “Maybe it’s because you remind me that there’s still something worth fighting for,” he said. “Something good. When I’m with you, it feels like... like maybe we can make it out of this.”
Your breath caught in your throat at his words. There was an earnestness in his voice that left no room for doubt. He meant every word.
“Su-hyeok...” you began, but before you could say anything else, he reached out and took your hand in his. His grip was warm, steady, and you found yourself holding on just as tightly.
“We’re going to survive this,” he said, his eyes locked onto yours. “Together.”
In that moment, with his hand in yours and the weight of his promise hanging in the air, you believed him.
The next few days were a blur of chaos and close calls. The group continued to dwindle, and each loss weighed heavily on everyone. But through it all, Su-hyeok never left your side. He was your anchor, your constant in a world that seemed determined to tear you apart.
One night, after narrowly escaping yet another horde, you found yourselves alone in a small storage room. The rest of the group had split up to search for supplies, leaving you and Su-hyeok with a rare moment of (somewhat) privacy.
You sank to the floor, your back against a shelf, and let out a shaky breath. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take,” you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper.
Su-hyeok crouched in front of you, his hands resting on your knees. “Hey,” he said softly, tilting your chin up so you were looking at him. “You’re stronger than you think.”
“I don’t feel strong,” you said, your voice breaking. “I feel scared. All the time.”
“That’s okay,” he said. “Being scared doesn’t mean you’re not strong. It means you care. It means you’re human.”
You closed your eyes, tears slipping down your cheeks. Before you knew it, Su-hyeok had pulled you into his arms, holding you close. His embrace was firm, steady, and you clung to him like a lifeline.
“I’ve got you,” he murmured, his hand gently rubbing your back. “I’ve got you.”
For the first time in what felt like forever, you allowed yourself to break. To cry. To let out all the fear and grief and pain you’d been holding inside. And through it all, Suhyeok held you, his presence grounding you in a way nothing else could.
When your sobs finally subsided, he pulled back just enough to look at you. His hand came up to brush a tear from your cheek, and his gaze was so full of warmth and affection that it took your breath away.
“You’re not alone,” he said softly. “As long as I’m here, you’ll never be alone.”
Before you could stop yourself, you leaned in and pressed your lips to his. The kiss was soft, tentative, but it carried all the emotions you’d been too afraid to put into words. For a moment, the world outside ceased to exist. There was no danger, no fear. Just you and Su-hyeok, and the promise of something worth fighting for.
When you finally pulled back, his forehead rested against yours, a small smile tugging at his lips. “We’re going to get through this,” he said, his voice filled with quiet determination. “Together.”
And for the first time in days, you believed him.
pairing: su-bong/thanos/player 230 x reader, fluff
summary: rollerblader!user heads to a nearby skate park to unwind, only to collide with skateboarder!Su-bong, a reckless skateboarder from your calculus class.
tw/cw: minor injuries, mild language, loser thanos, no squid games au, happens before thanos becomes thanos!!
author's note: i've had this idea in my head for a while but i've never really had the time. Also, this is my first ever fic and my first time posting smth on tumblr, so don't expect it to be the best</3
You hadn’t touched your rollerblades since the start of the fall semester. All those plans of skating to class every day? Dead on arrival the moment you discovered the university’s ridiculous no-skateboarding-or-rollerblading policy on campus pathways. Since then, you’d developed a special kind of hatred for the cyclists cruising by with smug ease.
Now, crouched under your dorm bunk, you unearthed your old pair of blades—the same ones you’d had since junior high. They were dusty, sure, but still functional and that was all you needed. Skating had always been your escape, the one thing you could rely on when everything else felt overwhelming. The wind rushing past, the steady rhythm of wheels against pavement—it was freedom in motion, and no other feeling came close.
With no classes for the day, you finally had a chance to check out the skate park near campus. Your friends had mentioned it, but until now, you hadn’t had the time nor the energy. This felt like a well-earned reward for surviving the semester so far.
At a nearby bench, you kicked off your shoes and slid your feet into your rollerblades, snapping the buckles closed with practiced ease. Standing up, balance returning like second nature, you headed toward one of the ramps.
Or, well, you tried to.
“Move!”
The pavement came up fast and hard. Your hands burned from the impact, and your knees felt like they’d been grated raw.
Someone else hit the ground ahead of you with a heavier thud—his skateboard flying off like it had somewhere better to be. A few people nearby laughed under their breath, offering zero help and even less concern.
“Ah... fuck.” The guy groaned, sitting up slowly as he inspected the tear in his oversized jeans. He stood, brushing off dirt, but avoided your gaze, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish expression. “Sorry, dude,” he muttered, more apologetic about his own clumsiness than about sending you sprawling.
You recognized him—Su-bong. The guy who spent calculus class beatboxing under his breath and pretending to DJ on an imaginary turntable. You’d barely exchanged more than a nod with him before, but you knew the rumors. He skipped most of his classes, somehow scraped by on exams, and had yet to be expelled—something about his father being part of the school board or whatever. You never cared enough to eavesdrop on stuff about him.
In his free time—which was basically all the time—Su-bong could be found rapping in alleyway battles or losing himself in the skate park, chasing the same thrill you craved, perfecting tricks like it was the only thing that mattered.
And now, he’d managed to ruin the one rare moment you had to yourself.
Still, you couldn’t help but stifle a laugh, remembering the way he’d face-planted into the pavement right after you.
Su-bong hadn’t looked at you once since standing up. Instead, he turned and jogged after his runaway skateboard.
You stood up again and sat back down on the bench before examining your winds. “Shit..” You mumbled under your breath, hissing in pain.
The scrape on your knee was stinging but you focused on the scrapes on your hands. You whispered some insults towards Su-bong as you got a piece of tissue from your bag and wiped your hand. You sat there for a while, thinking about how you’d walk back to your dorm without being in excruciating pain but your thoughts were interrupted by someone shouting.
“Hey!” You turned your head to the voice and saw Su-bong running towards you, “Shit, sorry.” He apologized, out of breath. “I got a first aid kit from the pharmacy nearby.” He sat down beside you, clearly unsure of how close was too close before pulling out some gauze. “Do you have scissors?” You shook your head and he looked back then ripped the gauze at an appropriate length but when he was about to wrap it around your hand, you pulled away.
“You’re meant to clean, disinfect, and then wrap the gauze.” You corrected, unconsciously leaning closer to him. He slowly looked up at her as his ears grew red. “R-right. Sorry. I’ve never done this before.” He blushed slightly before fumbling with the first aid kit and getting the things needed. “This is going to sting a bit, okay?” He warns once he pulls out the small alcohol spray.
You winced as the alcohol hit your skin. “Shit—that stings.” Su-bong flinched along with you, like he felt it too. “Sorry, sorry! I swear I’m not trying to torture you.” You shot him a look. “Are you sure? You seem suspiciously good at this.” He let out a nervous laugh. “Yeah, well, maybe I’m secretly a villain who ambushes people at skate parks just to… aggressively provide first aid.”
“Oh yeah? What’s your villain name? The Bandage Bandit?” you teased, biting back a smirk. He groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “Please, don’t give me a lame name. At least let me be something cool, like… Doctor Disaster.” You raised an eyebrow. “Doctor Disaster? That sounds like someone who’d forget to clean a wound before wrapping it.” He made a mock-wounded noise. “Hey! Low blow.” “Fitting,” You said, nodding at your stinging hands.
Su-bong chuckled quietly as he wiped the area with more care this time, his touch lighter. “Alright, alright, lesson learned. I’ll take ‘Bandage Bandit’ over ‘Doctor Disaster’ if it gets me forgiveness.”
You pretended to think about it. “Hmm. Maybe. Depends on how well you handle the knee next.”
He immediately perked up, determined but still flushed. “Oh, you’re challenging me now? Okay. Just so you know, I’m about to give top-tier knee care. Like, you’ll be recommending me to all your friends.” You grinned. “Can’t wait to leave a five-star review.”
Su-bong knelt in front of you, reaching for the alcohol spray again. “Okay, ready for round two?” You eyed him warily. “Depends—are you going to Doctor Disaster this one too?” He gave you a lopsided grin, a little breathless. “Nope. This time, you’re getting premium Bandage Bandit service.”
You laughed, but as he leaned closer to reach your knee, you suddenly became very aware of how close he actually was. His hair fell slightly into his eyes, and you noticed the faint dusting of freckles on his nose—things you wouldn’t have noticed from across a classroom or skate park.
He focused on your knee, completely oblivious to the shift in the air. “Okay, this’ll sting a little,” he said softly, like he was trying not to spook you.
When the alcohol hit your skin, you sucked in a breath through your teeth, and his hand instinctively landed on your shin to steady you. The touch was light, but it sent a surprising jolt through you both. His eyes flicked up, meeting yours, and for a second, neither of you spoke.
“Uh—” he cleared his throat, pulling his hand back like your skin had burned him. “Sorry! I just didn’t want you to, like… kick me in the face or something.” You smirked, trying to shake off the heat rising to your cheeks. “Wow, that’s how low you think of me?” He laughed, clearly flustered but trying to keep it cool as he returned to patching you up. “I didn’t say that! Don’t put words in my mouth.” This time, when his fingers grazed your leg to secure the gauze, you both noticed—but neither of you moved away.
“So,” he said after a beat, voice quieter now, “still sticking with that five-star review?” You leaned back on your elbows, teasing, “Hmm. I might have to bump you up to four and a half stars.” He gasped, hand dramatically to his chest. “Four and a half? Harsh. What’d I do?” You grinned. “Docking points for almost breaking my hands earlier.” “Fair.” He shook his head, chuckling as he tied off the bandage. “I’ll earn that half-star back somehow.”
The silence that followed afterwards was no longer awkward and felt different. His hands lingered for a second longer than they should’ve on your knee, and when he finally sat back on his heels, his gaze flickered to your face, as if noticing something new.
He was taken out of the trance he was in by a loud “Oh! I know!” He focused and tilted his head “What?” He asks as he starts putting the things they had used back in the first aid kit. “You can carry my stuff back to my dorm and help me get there.” You smile proudly.
Su-bong blinked, then let out a soft, incredulous laugh. “Wow. Extortion. Classic villain behavior.”
You grinned wider. “I learned from the best,” He stood up, brushing off his jeans, then offered you his hand. “Alright, deal. But only because you’re injured. And because I’m feeling generous today.”
You took his hand, feeling the calluses on his palm as he helped you up. For a second, you swayed, the soreness in your knee making you wince, and instinctively, his other hand settled on your waist to steady you. The two of you froze—again—both painfully aware of how close you’d gotten. “…You good?” he asked, voice suddenly softer, almost nervous.
You nodded, though your heart felt like it had decided to skate a half-pipe inside your chest. “Yeah. Just… don’t let go.”
His lips twitched into a lopsided smile. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
The words hung between you like static in the air, unspoken but heavy. Then, clearing his throat, he quickly stepped back, rubbing the back of his neck as if trying to shake off the tension.
“Okay, so—uh—your dorm?” he asked, voice cracking slightly. You bit back a laugh, enjoying his awkwardness a little too much. “Yeah. It’s not far. You can be my personal porter.” He mock-bowed. “Su-Bong at your service.”
As you handed him your backpack, your fingers brushed, and you swore you felt that jolt again. Maybe it was adrenaline. Maybe it was the pain meds kicking in. Or maybe it was just Su-bong being… well, unexpectedly kind of cute.
summary: you’ve got a fever and text your best friend ‘hel me, m feelin hot’. he’s high and interprets it as you wanting him. but when he comes over it ends up being more wholesome than you (him) think.
warnings: dirty minded Su-bong, idiot with a crush, pretty wholesome, bad at feelings, clumsy, au with no games, brief mention of pills
word count: 1.5k
a/n: I’ve never used tumblr before, hope I’m doing this right! also English isn’t my first language so please correct me if you notice any typo :3 I’m open to requests if anybody likes this and would like to see more/something different!
"Hel me, m feelin hot."
When Su-bong first saw the message, he momentarily let go of the shisha, his eyes widening.
"Yo, what’s up, bro?"
Two of the guys around him snickered, the fruity, intoxicating smoke curling from his nostrils.
"A girl?"
A dark-haired guy, whose name he had long forgotten, craned his neck over his phone.
"Oooohh. Getting laid. I seee."
Su-bong stared at the screen. Usually so chatty, words suddenly got lost in his throat. The others lost interest in his phone, yet he kept rereading the message. "M feelin hot." His trousers tightened slightly, and he swallowed a groan.
"Shit, guys, I gotta go."
He rose, giving them a quick dap, and they smirked, mimicking breasts and an obscene gesture with their hands and mouths. He flipped them off and stumbled out of the bar. Could it be? No. He reread the message. "Hel me, m feelin hot." Were you in heat? Your period had ended about a week ago - you complained about it constantly - and he knew ovulation or whatever it was could make women... desperate. Could that be the reason? The thought sent a rush of exhilaration through him.
"Fuckkk," he exhaled.
His pants were growing uncomfortably tight. Clenching his cross in his palm, he flagged down a cab, reciting your address while attempting to stifle the impure thoughts unfurling in his mind. But he was burning up. The moment the taxi halted, he fumbled for old, crumpled bills in his pocket, shoved them at the driver, and stumbled out.
Then, suddenly, he doubled back and entered a convenience store, purchasing a small square packet. Protection. Breathe, he told himself. Just breathe. You had been very close friends for over a year, best friends, maybe too, ever since you, a nurse, had helped him when he’d gotten a pill lodged in his nostril. It hadn’t exactly been funny, but you had stifled a laugh while assisting him, smiling warmly. He had quite enjoyed the glimpse of cleavage beneath your uniform, the sight of your lips when you lowered your mask. But you had a boyfriend. And even though he had managed to dig up your number from the hospital database, you had blocked him.
Then, a few weeks later, he had spotted you at a bar, kissing some random guy. He had seized the opportunity to inform you that your "boyfriend" was downright hideous. You had laughed, telling him it wasn’t your boyfriend - you had just been dumped. You had unblocked him that night, and the two of you had been texting ever since.
You two never slept together. That is why, one, he was so damn confused, and well, two, that it had blossomed into something resembling a friendship. Getting along well, having inside jokes, he wasn’t sure he wanted that ruined for just a one-night stand. But damn, was he turned on right now.
The idea of sleeping with you, not sleeping with anyone, but you, it was so new and so… so good. And it made his heart flutter in a way it hadn’t before. Never. Which is why he was twice as confused now. Why was he feeling like this? Maybe, just maybe because you were great friends. Yeah, that was it. It could only be this.
Sure, it was sometimes ambiguous. And, well, you in scrubs drove him insane. But friendship wasn’t too bad. Especially when you allowed him to hug you, letting him nuzzle into your chest like a child. "Such a kid," you used to laugh. He was cute, but so immature.
You were so out of his league. Outgoing, confident, you had a job and not any job, you were a talented nurse, and you were funny and smart. Maybe that is why his heart beat so fast. Of course.
Now, however, his vision blurred. He stepped out of the store, unfastened his cross, and swallowed a pill to regain composure. Fuck. Nothing was strong enough to quell this fire.
Crossing the street, he reached your building, pushed the door - then cursed, remembering he had to pull (he always got it wrong). He took the stairs two at a time.
Shit. Triple shit. Standing before your door, he felt disoriented. Utterly disoriented. His heart pounded, palms slick, throat parched, like a teenager before his first crush. God. You were fine. But not just that. You were witty, and he adored your laughter. You even laughed at his dumb jokes.
He rang the doorbell.
No answer. Anxiety gnawed at him - had he misread the situation? He rang again, then checked his phone. The message was still there. Then why weren’t you-
He suddenly remembered he had your keys. He rummaged through his pocket, mistakenly pulling out his motorcycle keys before finally finding the right ones. Turning them in the lock, he stepped inside your small studio, only to find it empty. Panic swelled in his chest.
"Yo? Señorita?"
Fumbling for the light switch, he flipped it on - only to be met with utter chaos. Your apartment was in complete disarray, the air thick and stifling.
"Where are you? Fuck."
He set the convenience store bag atop a drawer and began searching. That’s when he noticed - the bathroom door, slightly ajar. And light flickered from within.
He panicked.
Then-
There you were. Gripping the faucet, face ablaze, lips trembling.
"My God, what’s wrong?"
He rushed forward, and you collapsed into his arms. Your breath, hot against his chest, trembled as you murmured, "Hot," "Fever," and "Lost."
Poor thing.
Biting his lip at his own idiocy, he carefully helped you out of the bathroom. He had no idea what he was doing - hesitated, then finally settled on laying you down on the couch before fetching a damp towel.
A feeble chuckle escaped your lips as you exhaled what little air remained in your lungs - because he hadn’t wrung out the towel, it was drenched, and he had grabbed the overused one hanging by the sink. That clumsy idiot.
He sat cross-legged beside the couch, back to you, fiddling with his cross.
"You want a pill? Might help."
You feebly smacked his shoulder, mumbling something incoherent. He turned, finding you feverish and drenched in sweat.
"Want me to open the window? Run downstairs for some painkillers? Or maybe give you a massage? Hey, señorita, don’t die on me!" he whined as you shut your eyes.
You mumbled again.
"M’sorry, I didn’t understand could you like repea-“
"Shut… up and come here," you managed.
His heartbeat went wild.
Trembling, he hesitantly perched at the edge of the couch, leaving a respectful gap. His back still faced you.
"Hey, don’t tell me you’ve never been in bed with a girl. Lie down and talk."
Well, you weren’t exactly wrong. But this was different. You weren’t just "a girl." And after tonight’s message, his mind definitely crossed a line, making it painful - humiliating, even - to face you.
But then, your feverish, trembling hand grasped his. And his whole body ignited.
Finally, with great effort, he lay down, swallowing hard, now facing you. Space was tight. You radiated heat. Then, without warning, you tucked your head against his chest, pressing your overheated skin into him, breathing laboriously. You burned against him, and his chest fluttered with butterflies.
"Hold me," you whispered. "Talk. Say something."
Tentatively, his fingers found your waist, pulling you in, holding your body weakly against his.
You gazed up at him, hands clutching his shirt, eyes wide, fever-bright. Sweat clung to your hair, strands plastered to your forehead, and beneath your long lashes, this gleaming gaze became the most breathtaking sight he had ever beheld.
Shit.
Desperate to steady his hammering heart, he forced words out.
"I… I’m working on a new track for the Underground rap battle. I really think I can win this time. It’s good. The manager says it could blow up."
Gradually, he relaxed, holding you closer, feeling your breathing even out against him. Your body slackened, and you nuzzled into his shirt, inhaling the scent of laundry detergent and shisha.
"Hey, señorita, you should come watch me. I’m too sexy when I sing. Apparently, I sweat from my forehead, and it’s super hot. That’s what all the girls say when they hit on me. There’s a lot, you kno-"
He looked down.
Against him, you had drifted off.
A soft, barely-there snore. A faint trickle of drool. Stray strands of hair. Flushed cheeks.
And just like that, he forgot all about the small, unopened packet at the threshold, the heat your message had sparked within him, and focused solely on the languid softness of your form.
It suddenly struck him. More than any of his dirty thoughts, what he had truly longed for was this. Overcome with a mix of confusion and longing, he murmured a quiet "goodnight" that was swallowed by the surrounding darkness, his yawn stretching before he succumbed to the comforting pull of your embrace.
The next morning, when you awoke first, you were in full vitality. You sprang from the couch, flung open the windows to let in the air - it was stifling - and made your way to the kitchen to pour yourself a refreshing glass of orange juice, after gently covering your friend.
Then, on the entryway shelf, you noticed a small bag, which you opened, revealing a distinctively familiar package.
You snatched your phone from the counter, suddenly recalling the message you had written. A soft laugh escaped your lips as you returned the protections to their original place, deciding to act oblivious, eyes gleaming, before grabbing the juice to cool off.
He was rather endearing, that little idiot.
ayy lmk what you guys think
My life every single day, it’s either barely any fics or they’re all x fem readers…like it’s not fair 😭
arisu x gn!reader
genre: fluff bcos i’m being nice, implied soulmates, shortfic
warnings: canon divergence and mentions of death, hospitals, injuries, blood, underage drinking and alcohol.
synopsis: It’s New Years’. You take some time to think about your closest friend and how nice fireworks are.
author’s note: happy new year! thank you for all the kindness this year again. i hope you can continue to enjoy my works as i hopefully improve even more! thank you again. enjoy the fireworks as well as this fic featuring one of the characters that bring me most comfort! arisu ryohei. cheers c:
“How long has it been since you last saw fireworks?”
“Since that day.”
You looked up as the fireworks found by a group of hopeful teenagers set off and fired into the sky. They exploded into what felt like millions of colors from this up-close, floating above the hill you laid on. The grass was cold but the breeze was light.
It was New Years’, according to someone who’d managed to keep count. In the Borderlands, you didn’t think you’d ever celebrate that. But as old habits die hard, so do traditions. So when a group of high-schoolers giddily yell about having found nice alcohol and fireworks to celebrate, you can’t really do anything about how much their anticipation rubs off on you.
“I didn’t think I would feel this happy watching fireworks.” Arisu hummed in thought, before nodding to himself with a tight-lipped smile, “In here or ever, really.”
“Did you watch them before all of this? We didn’t talk much back in high school.”
“If Karube and Chota managed to pull me out of my room, then sometimes, yeah.” he said and cracked a bright, nostalgic smile. “Did you?”
“Maybe.” you sighed, smiling to yourself.
“So vague.” Arisu chuckled, “But really. This is kind of nice.”
You hummed in agreement. “It is. Surprisingly so.”
You heard cheering from further away and watched as the lights flew closer to the stars again. Arisu’s hand slowly moved over yours, and then clung onto it like it was the most important thing in the world. Truth was sometimes it did feel this way. Maybe you were the most important thing in each other’s worlds. Maybe you cared about one another more than you did anyone else. Maybe you would never admit it alive unless you’d fear one of you would die. But sometimes even while unsaid, some truths are spoken silently— Like in this case, through the touch of your hands holding each other.
You ignored the pain of the open wound under the bandages on your finger and Arisu did the same. Blood seeped through the white fabric and you knew you’d have to redo the whole bandage soon but in this moment not a part of you could worry or care about that. Maybe the comfort of holding each other’s hand was enough to numb the pain.
A new year didn’t mean much here. Maybe it didn’t mean much at all, even in the real world. But you made a wish to the stars for things to be okay this time around— For you two to be together, always. And Arisu silently hoped for you two to survive and somehow get out of this happy, and together.
Months since the meteors. And since the hospital.
You met Arisu Ryohei again.
You two were in the same class for a few years back in high school but hadn’t really talked much since. Somehow, seeing each other again while walking outside the hospital and realizing you’d both survived what seemed like the impossible brought you back together. And as of now, he was probably your closest friend.
As his closest friend, you decided it would be nice to spend New Year’s together to watch the fireworks or maybe fall asleep before it even reached midnight. Whatever it was, Arisu seemed to be on board. He liked coming over and staying with you, anyway.
The sun had long set and the stars were bright.
“Has it been a while since you saw fireworks?”
“Logically, yes. Somehow it doesn’t feel that long.”
Arisu hummed in agreement. “Same. Weird, huh?”
You laughed. “After everything? Honestly, not that much.”
Arisu chuckled and leaned back against the couch on your apartment balcony. It was a funny feeling to be thankful something as unbelievable as meteors crashing down on Tokyo and nearly killing you happened. It was a funny thing to love someone so much you’d be alright going through all the pain again if it meant meeting them again.
Arisu felt it too. Something way longer than the minute the doctors had told him about. Something like a lifetime of suffering spent alongside someone he held dear. Someone who helped him stay alive and not give up. Someone who sat at his side, watching fireworks in comforting silence. Someone he always felt close to without knowing why.
There was something both nostalgic and comforting about the fireworks. You couldn’t tell why exactly.
When Arisu’s hand timidly reached over to hold yours, you felt like it always belonged there, telling you all the things he didn’t dare say out loud.
I think I love you.
You tightened your hand around his and took a deep breath.
This is stupid but it feels like I’ve always known you.
Maybe the stars shining alongside the light of the fireworks had been kind enough to make the two of you meet again. Or perhaps the red scars that circled around your pinkies like rings were made with fate. Either way, you were meant to be.
you’re so pretty it hurts ♡ arisu ryohei
synopsis ; arisu searches for usagi at a pool party, but finds an old friend instead.
content warnings ; alludes to sex / non-descriptive smut, sexual assault [and how it’s pushed away as jokes], virgin!reader, soft n sappy n sweet arisu ):
song inspo ; im yours by isabel larosa
if you have a blank blog [no bio, no user, no header or profile pic, nothing reblogged, etc] do not interact with my content. you will be blocked.
—— ♧ ♡ ♢ ♤ ——
Lees verder
listen I love the thanos fanfics but fuck me why is there so much smut 😭😭🤦🏻♀️ GIVE ME FLUFF GIVE ME ANGST MAKE ME CRY I WANT THE HEARTBREAK
too much smut it’s too much I said it😭
'cause i don't wanna be in love with another / even in another life
pairing: arisu ryohei x gn!reader (no pronouns used) genre: fluff word count: 965
notes: need s3 to be released immediately, mandatory apology for my inconsistent posting, uni is killing me, only one bed trope, established relationship, arisu is touch starved a little bit, awkward loser arisu my beloved <33, not proofread !! pls forgive any mistakes, title from the maria's - heavy
the twin sized mattress is far too small for two people - easily evidenced by the cramped way ARISU RYOHEI’S shoulder awkwardly brushes against your own. his entire body feels stiff; he feels more like a corpse than a man when he shuffles slightly, still overly close to you.
the beach is never quiet. even within the confines of a hotel room you had chosen at random, you can vaguely hear the music blasting throughout the hotel. chatter fills the otherwise quiet night. if you’re not careful enough, you can sometimes walk in on a session of drunken sex or a drug deal in progress. neon lights dance across the sky, drowning out the stars that are visible near the eerily empty shopping centers and traffic lights.
arisu freezes when you roll onto your side, moving even close to him in the process. it feels like the entire world shifts when you do. despite all of his effort, you’re impossible to ignore. “arisu,” you whisper. your voice cuts through the darkness, stealing his attention away from the intricate patterns engraved into the ceiling. the man twists just enough to face you, overly conscious of every movement he makes. “are you alright?”
arisu swallows. hard. he sends a silent prayer that the shake in his voice will disappear by the time he quietly murmurs, “i’m fine.”
the butterflies swarming throughout his stomach only seem to increase when you chuckle quietly. you smile softly. sweetly. “you don’t have to be so nervous, you know.” you reach up, gingerly resting a hand against his cheek. arisu’s skin feels hot against your palm as you trace your thumb against his cheekbone. “if you’re not ready to share a bed i can go find somewhere else to sleep. i’m sure kuina wouldn’t mind.”
“no! no- i-” arisu stutters. his face flushes an embarrassingly deep shade of red and his mind races. he desperately tries to remember whatever advice karube had drunkenly told him over rounds of cheap beer and ramen noodles. “please don’t go. i want this.”
there’s a pause. arisu squeezes his eyes shut, waiting for you to say something. an apology lingers on the tip of his tongue, about to escape from his lips when you murmur- “good,” you smile. “i want this, too.”
outside of your window, glass shatters. loud cheers fill the night as the party rages on with no regard for the time of night. arisu has never been a fan of parties, preferring to stand in the corner and watch as karube flirted with anyone who seemed interested or slipping outside under the guise of a “smoke break” with chota for some fresh air.
you don’t seem to mind, however, as you shuffle ever so closer. your hand slips away from his face, leaving goosebumps in its wake. arisu frowns softly at the loss of warmth before you wrap your arm around his waist instead.
beneath the cheap hotel blankets, you further entangle your body with arisu’s. he can’t seem to pull away. or, maybe he doesn’t want to. he hasn’t quite figured it out yet.
but when you curl your body further against him, now leaning your head against his shoulder, he lets out a quiet breath. slowly, the tension in his body begins to slip away. his anxiety lessens with each passing moment until his heartbeat has calmed to a slow, rhythmic beating in his chest.
this time when he turns to face you, your eyes are closed. soft breaths occasionally leave your parted lips. tentatively, arisu brushes a shaky hand through your hair. he tucks a few stray strands behind your ear.
with your features now exposed, he can see the way neon light streaming in despite the closed curtains dances across your cheeks. before arisu knows it, his lips have curled upwards into a soft smile. he lowers his hand until it rests against the curve of your waist, just below your rib cage.
now finally comfortable, arisu allows himself to relax against the pillows. his own eyes flutter shut as the incessant pounding of the dj’s music begins to lull him to sleep. maybe he could get used to this.
if you enjoyed this fic, please consider leaving a like, comment, feedback, or rebloging !! and if you want to support me, check out my aib masterlist <33
scenario 21 with thanos please? it doesn’t matter which is x or which is y!
SLEEPY GIRL
scenario 21: x falling asleep on y
parings: thanos/choi su bong x f!reader
warnings: none (insane for me i know)
The train was packed.
Not just crowded—packed.
Bodies pressed together, people swaying with the movement of the train, the air thick with the scent of sweat, coffee, and city life. You barely had the energy to care.
Twelve hours.
Twelve fucking hours on your feet, running from patient to patient, drowning in paperwork, barely a second to breathe. Your scrubs smelled like antiseptic, your feet ached, and the weight of exhaustion sat heavy on your bones.
You didn’t even remember finding a seat.
Didn’t remember lowering yourself onto the worn-out cushion, letting the rocking of the train lull you.
But you did remember the warmth beside you.
A firm shoulder, broad and steady.
You didn’t mean to lean into it.
Didn’t mean to let your head fall, cheek pressing against the soft fabric of a hoodie that smelled faintly of cigarette smoke and cologne.
But you did.
And whoever was sitting next to you…
Didn’t move.
Didn’t nudge you off, didn’t clear their throat in irritation, didn’t even shift uncomfortably.
They just let you sleep.
—
Thanos exhaled through his nose, staring blankly at the train doors as they rattled along the tracks.
It had been a long fucking day.
He barely wanted to go to his friend’s place in the first place, but Nam-Gyu had insisted. “Just come by, have a drink, chill for a bit,” he’d said. “You never go out anymore.”
And fine. He went. Smoked a bit, laughed a bit, but by the time he was on his way home, all he wanted was his bed.
Then you happened.
He wasn’t even paying attention at first. The train was loud, crowded, his music was playing low in his headphones—background noise against the chaos.
And then he felt it.
A weight.
Warm. Light.
Your head, resting against his shoulder.
He glanced down, taking in the way your eyelashes fluttered slightly in your sleep, the soft rise and fall of your chest, the way you looked like you’d hit your limit and just crashed.
He could’ve moved you.
He should’ve moved you.
But he didn’t.
Instead, he let you stay there, let you use him as your pillow, let the train rock you deeper into sleep.
And maybe he was going fucking soft, but something about it…
Felt nice.
The train slowed.
Thanos sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. His stop.
He turned his head slightly, glancing at you. You were still out, lips parted slightly, head heavy against him.
Carefully, gently, he shifted, sliding his arm between your head and his shoulder, easing you away from him. Your head lolled slightly, and then—
You blinked awake.
Your eyes, hazy and confused, met his.
“Oh my god.” Your voice was hoarse, thick with sleep as you shot upright, realization dawning. “I—Did I—Was I just—”
Thanos smirked. “Yeah.”
Your face burned. “Shit, I’m so sorry—”
“Don’t worry about it.” He stood up, shoving his hands in his hoodie pocket. “Looked like you needed it.”
You blinked up at him, still dazed.
And then you noticed—he was getting off at the same stop as you.
You scrambled to your feet, slinging your bag over your shoulder. “Still. That’s—I mean, thanks, I guess.”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “You always fall asleep on random men?”
You rolled your eyes, stepping off the train beside him. “Only the ones with nice shoulders.”
Thanos huffed a laugh, glancing over at you. “Lucky me.”
You walked in silence for a moment, both of you heading towards the exit, the cool night air creeping in through the station.
When you reached the stairs, you hesitated.
He hesitated too.
You were going in different directions.
And yet…
Something lingered.
A strange pull, something you couldn’t name.
An invisible string, tying you together for just a moment longer.
You looked at him.
He looked at you.
“Well,” you exhaled, adjusting your bag strap. “Goodnight, Shoulder Man.”
His lips quirked. “Goodnight, Sleepy Girl.”
And then you both walked away.
In opposite directions.
But neither of you could shake the feeling that somehow, somewhere—
You’d see each other again.
Pairing: Thanos (Choi Su-Bong) x Reader
Summary: Su-Bong's back on the stage, but when an familiar face reappears what will happen?
Warnings: Mentions of drug use
Word Count: 2,992
Comments: Straight up dedicating this part to the anon that guessed who was gonna show up 😂 Hope you all enjoy this part, I'm so excited to see what you think! 💕
<- Part 6
The streets were buzzing as you made your way across the city. The neon lights flickered above you as people spilled out of bars. You clutched your phone, glancing down at Su-Bong’s latest text.
‘I’ll be looking out for you 👀’
Heat rose in your cheeks at his words. It was silly how easily he got to you, how such a short text could leave you grinning like crazy.
You hadn’t been to this kind of gig before, rap music wasn’t exactly your thing, but this wasn’t about the music. It was about him. You hoped it went well, hoped that he’d feel good up there, and hoped that he knew you were rooting for him.
The venue wasn’t as small as he’d let on. From the outside it had a grungy feeling to it, with graffiti and old posters littering the walls, but when you got inside it was overflowing. There was a good few hundred people, the air was dense from how closely everyone was packed together.
The bass from the act on stage shook the floor beneath you as you weaved your way over to the bar. You ordered a drink and took a slow sip, trying to take everything in.
The warm haze of the stage lights cast a glow over the crowd. The air was electric, but you couldn't stop your mind from drifting to Su-Bong. Was he nervous? Excited? You glanced to the side of the stage, hoping you could catch a glimpse of him but it was too dark.
As the set ended the crowd cheered. You exhaled, making your way into the crowd to get a good spot. Would Su-Bong be performing next?
A DJ filled the pause with a low, steady beat. You tapped your fingers against your cup whilst the people around you swayed, their voices mixing into a low murmur of anticipation.
A tech guy jogged across the stage, adjusting the mic. The lights dimmed for a moment, the anticipation was thick in the air. Then, the beat dropped, heavy and pulsing through the air, and Su-Bong stepped out onto the stage.
The crowd surged forward as the stage lights flooded over him. But something caught you off guard. His hair.
The familiar purple was gone, replaced by a striking bleached white. It was a bold change, one he hadn’t mentioned to you, a way to show he wasn’t the same person anymore. It suited him effortlessly.
Before you had much time to focus on it he took the mic. And then it was like he had the room in the palm of his hand.
You’d never seen anything like it, the way he completely owned the stage. He was confident, like he belonged up there, like he was built for this. You were sure you were watching someone doing what they were born to do.
As the first song faded out, he took a breath, taking a moment to look out across the crowd. He was searching for something. No, for someone. You.
His eyes finally found yours and it was as though the rest of the world faded away, the noise of the crowd, the flashing lights, the bass, it all just melted away. In that moment there wasn’t anyone else, it was just the two of you.
His entire face lit up, and as he began his next song he kept his eyes on you. Something unspoken passed between you with every word he rapped. Your heart thundered in your chest in time with the beat.
You watched on, transfixed as he moved across the stage. The rhythm of his words was effortless, the music travelled through him shaping the way he carried himself.
The intensity in his voice deepened as his set went on, his presence growing bolder. Every time he glanced your way a shiver went down your spine. It was electric, he was electric.
As the final song reached its peak, he poured his all into it. His voice, his movement, his energy, it was awe inspiring. The final note echoed out and the crowd seemed to take a breath before erupting with applause. You clapped and cheered as loud as the rest of them. You were so happy for him, so proud.
The crowd was still buzzing as the next act set up but you could barely focus. The rush of Su-Bong’s performance pulsed through you. You needed to see him.
Slipping through the crowd you made your way to the exit. The cool night air hit you as you made it outside, a contrast to the heat of the venue.
You could still hear the bass from out here, muffled by the thick walls but out here everything felt quieter, calmer.
You rubbed your arms against the slight chill as you waited for him to emerge. Your stomach fluttered as you caught sight of him stepping out from a side door, where a couple of people were waiting to ask for pictures with him. He looked so at ease, flashing a cocky grin as he posed.
Then, his eyes found you and he began to make his way over. Your excitement spilled out the second he was close enough, ‘Su-Bong, that was amazing! You were amazing! & look at your hair-’ your rambling was cut off as he reached you and engulfed you in a hug. He lifted you off the ground with ease, causing a surprised laugh to bubble out of you.
‘You see that Señorita?’ he asked joyously.
Your hands gripped his shoulders instinctively, clinging to the feeling of being so close to him. ‘I saw, they loved you!’ Up close you could see the sparkle of adrenaline still in his eyes.
He smiled at your reply and something softer took over his exhilaration. ‘What about you?’
Your breath hitched slightly at the way he looked at you. His hands still holding your waist, keeping you close. ‘I loved it too, I can’t wait to see you perform again, but there is just one thing…’
He furrowed his eyebrows slightly before he followed your gaze. ‘It’s the hair isn’t it?’
‘You could’ve warned me! I almost didn’t realise it was you!’ You teased.
He laughed with you and remained smiling down at you. The laughter faded and neither of you said anything for a moment. The noise of the city hummed around you but it felt distant, like you were back in your own little world. You were hyper aware of everything. His hands on your waist, the lack of space between you, the way his eyes flickered across your face.
It should make you nervous. Maybe it did, but at the same time you didn’t want him to let go. You wanted to stay in this moment, to commit it moment to memory, to let it mean more than either of you were saying out loud.
Then- ‘Hey man, can I get an autograph?’
The moment shattered like glass. He let out a small sigh before pulling away from you, his hands lingered on your waist until the last possible moment. You took a small step back, trying to ignore the way his warmth lingered on your skin.
He signed quickly, exchanging a few words before finally turning back to you. The energy between you had shifted, the interruption cooling whatever it was you had going on.
‘C’mon let’s get outta here,’ he said as he ran his hand through his freshly bleached hair. ‘We can grab some food on the way.’
You blinked at him, hesitating. ‘Shouldn’t you stay? Celebrate your comeback?’
He tilted his head, trying to hide the small smirk with a shrug. ‘Nah I don’t wanna stay out, would rather go back to yours.’
You opened your mouth to protest, to tell him he should stay out. He deserved to celebrate properly, but before you could get a word out he was already walking, his decision made.
All you could do was catch up and fall into step beside him, trying to bite back a smile that might give away too much.
The weeks that followed both felt familiar and different. He still walked you home from work, still filled most of your evenings with his usual antics. But now, sometimes, those evenings ended in dimly lit venues with his voice filling the space.
You never missed any of his shows. You loved to watch him, he belonged on the stage. With every performance he settled further into it, getting used to working under his real name rather than a stage one.
Not much had changed between you, not on the surface at least. You wrote the moment after his first show down to adrenaline, you were both so excited that you weren’t thinking straight. But sometimes, when you caught him looking at you from across the room, or when his arm lingered around you just a little longer than before, it was hard to pretend that nothing had changed.
You tried to act like things were the same, like the feeling creeping up your spine when he was close wasn’t new. Like your pulse didn’t pick up when his fingers brushed yours. If he noticed, he didn’t say anything, and neither did you.
It was another one of the nights where Su-Bong had a gig, you were stood outside after. The night's energy still lingered around you as he lit up a cigarette. His hand briefly grazed your arm as he turned to begin walking, but something stopped him in his tracks.
‘Hey Thanos! Heard you were back on stage, wanted to come see for myself!’
It was player 124 from the games. You froze next to Su-Bong. You hadn’t seen anyone else from those horrific days. The sight of him sent a cold shiver through you, your stomach twisting into knots. Did he even recognise you? Would he bring up the games? Or was he really just here to see Thanos?
‘Hey Nam-Su,’ Su-Bong replied, keeping it short. He was tense, the air around you feeling heavy.
‘It's Nam-Gyu,’ he muttered, correcting him though he didn’t seem too bothered by the mistake as he stepped closer into your personal space.
‘Got some new shit I thought you might wanna try,’ Nam-Gyu said casually, as he pulled a small bag of pills from his pocket, shaking them briefly before tucking them away.
You stayed glued to the spot. Keeping an eye on Su-Bong, you noticed the way his jaw clenched.
‘I’m good,’ Su-Bong dismissed him easily, putting an arm around your shoulders and steering you away.
Nam-Gyu let out a short laugh. ‘Really? You can’t get this stuff anywhere else. You’ll love it.’ He was persistent, you'd give him that.
‘I said no.’ Su-Bong didn’t even look back but his voice was firmer this time.
‘This bitch really changed you didn’t she.’
That halted him.
You felt nausea creep into your chest as Su-Bong’s frame went rigid.
Nam-Gyu smirked. ‘Look at her, probably thinks she’s better than all of us. Isn’t that right?’ You couldn’t help but look over your shoulder, finding Nam-Gyu closing in on you. ‘You keeping him on a leash so when he makes it big again you can cash in?’
The words stung even if there was no truth behind them. But before you had time to fully process them, Su-Bong moved.
In a flash he’d spun around, shoulders squared and hands clenched into fists. For a moment you were sure he was gonna deck him. Nam-Gyu must’ve thought the same because he flinched.
But then just as quickly, Su-Bong exhaled sharply. Instead of throwing a punch, he grabbed your wrist and dragged you away.
His steps were fast, you almost tripped trying to keep up. He didn’t let go, didn’t slow down, didn’t even turn to look at you.
‘Su-Bong!’ you called, trying to steady your breath. ‘Su-Bong stop!’
He didn’t. Not until you were a few blocks away, where he finally released your wrist and began pacing.
‘That fucking asshole!’ He yelled, raking a hand through his hair. ‘Who the hell does he think he is chatting all that shit?!’
You didn’t know what to say, just watched him as anger seeped out of him.
‘I should’ve hit him, asshole deserves it even if he was -’ He cut himself off, his pacing stopped as he remained with his back to you, his shoulders rising and falling unevenly.
‘If he was what?’ You pressed, did he agree with that guy? Thinking you were just with him for money. The thought made your throat tighten
His shoulders deflated, the fight draining from his body. ‘He’s right.’ He sighed.
Your heart broke, after everything how could he think you were using him? A lump began to form in your throat but you forced yourself to talk. ‘Su-Bong,’ your voice shook. ‘I’d never use you like that, surely you know that?’
‘Huh?’ His head snapped up and for the first time since Nam-Gyu had appeared he looked at you. The anger was gone, replaced by something raw. His tense posture softened slightly. ‘Señorita, I know that.’ His voice was gentle as he stepped towards you, close enough to chase away the chill in the air.
‘Then what was he right about?’ Tears stung the corner of your eyes as you tried to brace yourself for the answer.
‘You’re better than me… you always have been.’
Your breath caught in your throat, eyes widening. He couldn’t mean that.
‘Don’t act like it’s such a surprise,’ he muttered, voice laced with something bitter. His hands flexed at his sides, clenching and releasing as if he was fighting the urge to reach out. ‘Fuck, look at me, I don’t know why you still let me hang out with you.’
You watched him closely, his words settled over you. Your chest felt tight as anticipation curled inside of you. ‘What are you saying?’
He swallowed hard, eyes flickering to the pavement below. ‘I can barely keep my shit together, you don’t deserve that,’ he admitted. ‘That night when I showed up at yours… You shouldn’t have to deal with that shit.’
Your mind flooded with images of the night he turned up high, the way he acted, how he’d spoken to you. And then realisation dawned on you, ‘that’s why you disappeared?’
He nodded slightly, ‘thought maybe if I stayed away you’d finally realise you shouldn’t have someone like me around.’
But he did come back, he came back when you needed him the most and you had to know why. ‘If you think that, then why did you answer the call?’ you asked, voice sounding a lot steadier than you felt.
He met your eyes again, he looked so vulnerable. ‘It was the middle of the night, I thought something bad might’ve happened.’ He dragged a hand down his face. ‘I told myself I’d stay away but the moment I thought you needed me, I …I just couldn’t’
The truth crashed over you like a wave, flooding you with an array of emotions. You felt overwhelmed as the weight of his words settled into your bones. He hadn’t stayed away because he didn’t care, he stayed away because he thought it would be better for you. The realisation almost sent you spiralling, a dizzying mix of warmth and sadness twisted inside of you.
‘I never wanted you to stay away,’ you said. ‘Su-Bong I don’t need you to protect me from you.’
His breath caught, body going still. You could see the conflict behind his eyes. ‘I don’t deserve you.’
‘You don’t get to decide that,’ you felt bold as you carried on. ‘I want you here. I want you.’
He looked as though he was fighting an internal battle as you stepped forward bravely, closing the last bit of distance between the two of you. He opened his mouth to speak but you didn’t let him.
‘You think I don’t deserve to be with a person that makes me feel better? A person that makes me feel safe?’ You let out a breathless laugh ‘Su-Bong you’re an idiot if you can’t see that you’re what I want.’
His eyes darted across your face, searching for any doubt but he didn’t find any.
And then, like a dam breaking, he moved. His hands, warm and urgent, cupped your face. His thumbs grazed over your cheeks, like he was trying to convince himself this was real.
For a split second neither of you moved. His breath fanned over your skin, his forehead almost resting against your own. His grip tightened slightly, like he was afraid to let go.
Then, finally, his resolve snapped.
Su-Bong kissed you like he had nothing left to lose. His lips were rough, insistent, like it was something he’d been holding back on for so long that it physically hurt. His hands cradled your face like he was terrified you’d disappear if he let go. You kissed him back just as fiercely, because you weren’t going anywhere.
As the kiss broke, he didn’t pull back completely, holding on to you and taking a moment to ground himself. His hands still cradled your face, thumbs brushing over your cheeks as his eyes flickered between yours.
‘I don’t know how to do this,’ he admitted quietly.
Your heart clenched at the raw honesty in his voice. He was so convinced he wasn’t good enough, so convinced he wasn’t worthy before he even had the chance to try.
‘You don’t have to,’ you raised your hands, gently curling your fingers around his own. ‘We can figure it out together.’
‘...Yeah?’ His voice was barely above a whisper, hesitant but hopeful.
You nodded, a small smile tugging at your lips. ‘Yeah.’
It was though something clicked into place for Su-Bong, like he was finally letting himself believe you. He didn’t say another word, but the way he pulled you in again told you everything you needed to know.
-> Part 8 Coming soon Series Masterlist
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hwang jun-ho x f!reader
the world is cruel, and you and the officer find out that it will get worse.
warnings: mentions of death! unfortunately, squid game is in this one. romantic tension. slow burn-ish. this takes place during season 1. junho being innocently stalker-ish. PTSD, stealing/theft, pre-established relationship, it gets spicy towards the end. platonic saebyeok x f!reader and platonic gi hun x f!reader too.
the city of seoul has never been kind to you.
it used to be, once upon a time. when you were young and did not know much, before the world decided to spit you out like something bitter and unwanted. back then, you were soft. you had this endless capacity to love, to forgive, to believe that people were good at their core.
maybe some still are, but you don’t care to look for them anymore. there was a time when your empathy was your greatest strength…when you saw someone struggling, you helped, even if it meant giving them the last bit of food in your pocket.
however, life has a way of chewing up people like you. people who give too much. people who don’t know when to stop bleeding for others.
so now, you don’t give.
you take.
survival in seoul isn’t kind to the softhearted. there are too many wolves in this city, too many people ready to step on your neck the moment you let your guard down. you learned that the hard way. so you adjusted, adapted. you became what you needed to be to live.
you steal, scam, and take what you need from those who won’t miss it. not too much…never enough to bring too much attention to yourself or get charged for the felony equivalent in south korea. you only steal enough to survive. enough to make it another day.
your hands are quick, your mind sharper. you’ve learned how to slip through the cracks of the world, how to turn your heart into steel since nobody else ever cared about you.
some nights, when the neon lights of hongdae reflect against the pavement and the city hums with life, you sit alone and wonder if there’s a way out of this. the party life is just right outside of your apartment.
sometimes you wonder if there’s a light waiting for you at the end of the tunnel.
each time, the answer is the same.
no.
there is no light. there is only the dark tunnel.
in seoul, it’s late, the air thick with the scent of soju and grilled meat, laughter spilling out from the bars lining the street. the party district of hongdae is alive, especially tonight since college students go back to school tommorow.
the sidewalks are crammed with people stumbling between clubs, couples clinging to each other, groups of friends taking drunken selfies under the flickering streetlights. it’s an easy place to disappear into, a perfect hunting ground for someone like you.
you spot the redhead almost immediately.
she looks around your age, maybe a little older. the woman’s purse hangs loosely over her shoulder, the zipper half-open, a bunch of 50,000 won bills peeking out.
that girl is too careless. too trusting, too stupid. your fingers twitch. you don’t hesitate. you step forward, close enough to brush past her, then your hand snatches the purse in one swift motion.
“hey!” she yelps, whirling around, reaching for you. the girl’s fingers graze your sleeve, but you’re faster. you yank the purse away, shoving her back hard. she stumbles, hitting the pavement with a startled cry.
you don’t feel anything. not guilt, not regret. you feel just the rush of adrenaline as you clutch the stolen bag tighter and start to run off.
then…
“hey, stop!”
your head snaps behind.
a police officer.
the voice of authority cuts through the noise of the crowd, sharp and commanding. your eyes lock onto him for a split second…a man with dark hair, strong jaw, eyes locked onto you with unwavering determination.
fuck.
you don’t hesitate. your feet move before your mind can catch up, body twisting as you bolt into the crowd. the bag is clutched tight in your arms as you weave through bodies, heart slamming against your ribs. behind you, the officer is still yelling, shoving past people, chasing you.
it’s a long run. too long. your lungs burn, your legs scream in protest, but you can’t stop. not now. you need this money to survive and cannot spend a night in a cold cell, not again at least.
the streets blur as you sprint, twisting through alleyways, slipping through groups of people too drunk to notice you. the officer is persistent, but so are you.
the desperation makes you faster in way.
left. right. through a narrow gap between two buildings. past a food stall. over a railing. you smacked into a few people but most of them mainly found entertainment in the whole thing. the police officer being frustrated that they didn’t catch you for him.
you can still hear his feet running behind you, but the distance is growing. he’s good, but you’re better. you have to be.
finally, finally, you see an opening…a narrow alley packed with people, bodies pressed together in drunken laughter. you push into the throng, squeezing between them, head down, moving fast.
the moment you’re inside the mass of people, you twist, slipping out the other side.
the officer doesn’t make it through in time.
you could swear that you heard him swear, then nothing.
you keep running until you’re sure he’s gone, until your lungs burn and your vision blurs.
back in the alley, hwang jun-ho stands at the edge of the crowd, hands on his knees, breathing hard. frustration twists in his chest.
he catches everyone, but not you tonight.
not this time.
just a few blocks away, you just linger among the party crowd. you don’t go home immediately since that would be stupid. instead, you just take a long, winding path through backstreets and alleyways, making sure no one is following you.
only when you’re certain that you’ve shaken off any lingering attention do you head back to your apartment.
your door has two locks, and you slide the security bar into place before exhaling. safe.
the stolen purse hits your kitchen island with a dull thud. you waste no time, unzipping it and dumping everything out onto the table.
a fenty lip gloss, used and sticky. gross. a single tampon, the woman could’ve kept that.
a metro card..you toss it straight into the trash since it's too risky and can be tracked.
then, jackpot.
there were identification cards which were meaningless to you. the thick wad of cash though? that’s everything. you grab the bills, hands steady as you start counting. 10,000 won, 50,000 won, 100,000 won… when you’re finished, the total stands at 1,200,000 won.
this isn’t just a good night. this is security. rent for next month, covered. a few days inside, hidden, making sure that officer doesn’t recognize you.
you let out a slow breath. for now, you’re safe.
well, only for three days because now the cold steel of the chair digs into your back as you slouch against it, wrists resting lazily in your lap, the handcuffs cold against your skin. the precinct smells of burnt coffee and old papers, fluorescent lights humming above you.
you had a few days of peace before the cops knocked on your door, telling you that you had to go down to the station. they know you by name now, not bothering to go an extra mile since you never change the signature of your crimes.
the only reason you’re not behind bars is because the girl you robbed doesn’t even live here. she already went back to her home in the UK according to the officer. so, fortunately, you just get another warning.
you should be relieved, maybe even grateful, but you don’t feel anything. nothing at all.
across from you, leaning against the edge of the desk with arms crossed, is the officer who chased you that night. hwang jun-ho is his name.
he is pissing you off. not for being a pig, but you hate that he looks good in the dim light, hate the sharp angles of his face, the slight furrow in his brow as he watches you like you’re some puzzle he can’t quite solve.
you’re used to police officers looking at you with disgust, with judgment, but there’s something different in his gaze. curiosity.
“so,” he finally speaks, his voice even.
“you’re fast.”
you shrug.
“what can i say?”
he tilts his head slightly, gaze sweeping over you in assessment.
“you play sports?”
you exhale sharply through your nose, a ghost of a laugh.
“that’s not important.”
jun-ho smirks, but it’s gone just as quickly as it appears.
“fair.”
he steps away, pacing to the side as he flips through a thin file…yours, probably. your name, your face, your crimes reduced to black ink on paper. you wonder how much of your life is in there, if they know more than just your record.
“you’ve been warned before,” he says, flipping a page.
“a few times, actually. shoplifting. scams. pickpocketing.” he closes the file and meets your gaze. “but no felony charges.”
“guess i’m lucky,” you say, leaning back, feigning boredom.
“not luck,” jun-ho corrects, sliding his hands into his pockets.
“just smart enough to not take it too far.” he tilts his head slightly.
you say nothing, looking away.
“give back the purse.”
you reach your cuffed hands under the table, grabbing the bag and tossing it onto the desk between you. the leather is slightly worn from the days you’ve had it, but nothing else is out of place.
jun-ho watches you carefully, then sighs.
“the money.”
you don’t move.
the money is in your safe, in your bedroom walls, at home.
the money you refuse to give back.
he exhales through his nose, shaking his head like he expected this.
“of course.”
you let the silence settle between you, waiting for whatever lecture is coming, but he doesn’t scold you. instead, he leans in just slightly, dropping his voice.
“i’m keeping an eye on you.”
you scoff, rolling your eyes.
“right. cause you’ve got nothing better to do.”
jun-ho doesn’t react, his face unreadable.
“considering this isn’t your first warning? yeah. i don’t.”
you push back in your chair, the metal legs scraping against the floor.
“well, officer,” you say, tone sharp with sarcasm, “i look forward to our next meeting.”
jun-ho watches as you’re escorted out, his eyes following you even as you disappear down the hall.
weeks pass and you try to forget about the encounter, about the way his voice sounded when he said your name, about the way his dark eyes studied you like you were something worth understanding.
you try to focus on surviving.
you get a job… a shitty one, but one that pays enough to keep you afloat for now.
every now and then, when you step into a small café for breakfast, when you walk through the streets at night, when you’re with your only friend sae-byeok whispering about her crimes… he’s there.
jun-ho is never too far away, usually across the street or on the other side of a park.
he never does anything and he never speaks, but you see him, leaning against a wall, pretending to be busy with his phone, pretending to be on patrol.
however, his eyes will always follow you.
one evening, you and sae-byeok finish a quick meal at a convenience store, standing outside by the flickering neon lights. she shoves her hands into her pockets, giving you a knowing look.
“that asshole is staring again.”
you sigh, glancing over.
jun-ho stands across the street, pretending he’s not looking directly at you.
sae-byeok chuckles under her breath.
“he’s obsessed with you.”
“he’s a cop,” you mutter.
“it’s his job to be annoying.”
she nudges your arm.
“you should go say hi.”
“and what? tell him to fuck off?”
she grins.
“exactly.”
you roll your eyes, watching as she walks off.
once she’s gone, you take a deep breath and cross the street, closing the distance between you and jun-ho.
he looks up as you approach, not surprised.
“you’re a creep,” you say flatly.
jun-ho exhales through his nose, barely amused.
“you’re a criminal.”
“not anymore.”
his brows lift slightly.
“really?”
“yeah,” you say, crossing your arms.
“i found a job. so get off my back. i’m not stealing anymore.”
jun-ho hums, unconvinced.
“that’s a trend for you.”
you glare at him.
“what?”
he shrugs, “you get a job, hate the pay, then go back to stealing… sometimes from the same place you work at.”
you scoff, rolling your eyes. “you need a better hobby, i cannot live in your head rent free.”
“i have one,” he says, avoiding what you said last.
“i’m just doing my job.”
you shake your head, stepping back. “whatever,” you mutter, turning on your heel and walking off. you know he won’t follow. he never does but somehow he’s always close.
overtime, maybe a week or so.. jun-ho never thought that he’d be the type of cop to get overly invested. not really. working for the police is his job…catching criminals, chasing leads, dealing with lowlifes who made their money through terrible means. he never let himself get too curious, never let himself care too much to where it affected his personal life.
however, you, you are a puzzle he can’t help but try to solve.
at first, it was just an annoyance. you had slipped through his fingers that night in hongdae, and that bruised his ego. he didn’t lose people, but somehow, you had outrun him. a girl whos shorter than him.
when he finally caught you, he had expected to feel satisfaction, but it never came because instead, he just felt intrigued.
now, you’re barely doing anything wrong. you’ve stayed out of trouble for a while, and he should be relieved. he should be happy. instead, he finds himself watching and observing because despite all the things you’ve done, despite the walls you keep up, there are cracks in that mask of yours… ones he never expected to see.
he sees it in the way you linger at the local market, the way your fingers brush over fresh fruit before you tuck them carefully into a paper bag, paying with what little money you have. he wonders why you never steal from here, why the vendors greet you with small nods instead of suspicion.
junho sees it in the alley behind the convenience store, where stray cats weave between your ankles, tails flicking in contentment as you crouch down to feed them scraps of tuna and unseasoned chicken.
you don’t talk to them, don’t coo at them like most people would… but your hands are gentle, your touch careful, as if you’re afraid of breaking something fragile.
then, there’s the lemonade stand thing that happened yesterday afternoon.
jun-ho didn’t even mean to see it. he’s just in the police car, just patrolling, when he spots you across the street. there’s a kid that sis no older than ten standing behind a makeshift stand with a pitcher of lemonade and a stack of plastic cups.
the sign is messy, written in thick, uneven strokes. 1,000 won per cup!
he watches as you pause, as you reach into your pocket, pulling out a crumpled bill.
you hand it to the boy.
you don’t take the over-sweetened lemonade. you just shove your hands in your pockets and walk away before the kid can even thank you.
jun-ho doesn’t know why that bothers him so much.
maybe it’s because it doesn’t fit the version of you he’s built in his head. the version that’s cold, calculating, selfish, and greedy. that version is wrong, isn’t it? a selfish person wouldn’t waste their own money on a kid just trying to make some change.
a selfish person wouldn’t play with stray cats or make sure to buy expensive fruit instead of stealing it.
he doesn’t know what your story is, but he’s starting to understand that you are not heartless. reckless? yes. irresponsible? absolutely. not cruel. not fully empty like you try to seem.
that fact is becoming his problem.
he’s read your file. he knows more than he should. your past, the childhood neglect, the system that failed you over and over again. he’s seen it before with people turning bitter, turning desperate, because the world gave them nothing and expected them to make do.
he’s a police officer, not a superhero. he can’t fix that or fix you.
junho wishes you would just stop making stupid decisions. maybe if you did, maybe if you found a way out of this cycle.
maybe then, he could approach you differently.
maybe then, he wouldn’t just be watching.
see, you’re not stupid.
jun-ho might be a good cop, but he’s a shit liar.
he acts like he’s patrolling, like he’s just doing his job. you know better. he’s watching you nd keeping tabs on you. the man is always near, always somewhere in the background. does he have a wife? kids? maybe not, he is still on the younger side. maybe just five to seven years older than you. its clear that he is single with too much freetime.
maybe if you were the same person you were five years ago, soft, trusting, and hopeful, you would have been creeped out, even scared that a police officer was suspicious of you.
now, it just makes you feel something you don’t want to name.
you know you haven’t stolen in weeks. you haven’t picked a pocket, scammed a dumb drunk, or lifted a wallet off a distracted tourist. that 1,200,000 won is keeping you stable… at least for now. long enough, hopefully, until jun-ho gets bored and moves on.
lately, the thought of him moving on, of him not watching you anymore, makes your chest feel tight because no one notices you. no one ever has in the large city of seoul.
your only friend, sae-byeok, even disappeared at times.
throughout your whole life, you’ve been invisible to the people who should’ve cared, to the world that chewed you up and spat you out, to the strangers who walk past you every day without a second glance.
jun-ho, that damn police officer, he sees you. even if he’s just doing it because he thinks you’ll screw up again, even if it’s nothing but routine for him, it still means something.
that pisses you off.
he’s annoying because he’s too attractive for his own good, because he gets under your skin in a way no one else does or has ever had.
so when you spot him across the street, writing up some guy for speeding, you don’t think and you just move.
you stand a few feet away and wait until he’s finished, watching as he hands over the ticket with that same unimpressed expression he always wears. when the guy finally drives off in frustration, you step forward, hands in your pockets, your voice laced with teasing amusement.
“well, it looks like you finally found something else to do besides watching me.”
jun-ho doesn’t even look surprised. just rolls his eyes as he slips his notepad back into his jacket.
“trust me, you’re not that interesting.”
you smirk.
“oh, really? then why are you always around?”
he exhales sharply, shaking his head.
“coincidence.”
“bullshit.”
he huffs a laugh, crossing his arms.
“you’re awfully confident for someone who’s one mistake away from getting arrested.”
you tilt your head, stepping a little closer, just enough to make it personal.
“i haven’t stolen in weeks. you know that. so what’s your excuse, officer?”
jun-ho says nothing, just looks at you, unreadable. for a second, you think you see something flicker in his eyes… something not quite irritation, not quite amusement.
then he sighs, “go home, y/n. it's getting late.”
you grin, ignoring the way his voice sounds when he says your name.
“whatever you say, officer.”
you step back, turning on your heel, but before you walk away, you glance over your shoulder.
“see you tomorrow.”
jun-ho doesn’t respond, but you don’t need him to because you both know the truth. i mean there were no plans but he is never too far away from you.
not even an hour later in the subway, you press your tongue against the inside of your cheek, fingers gripping the red square piece of paper between your thumb and index finger.
your palms sting, and faint imprints of the salesman’s hand still tingling against the skin on your face. the bastard had slapped you twice, only twice, but your pride felt more bruised than your face.
you should’ve walked away from the salesman who sat down next to you, you should’ve kept your head down, taken your money from the last round, and gone home. the moment he laughed at you, and told you that him and his “organization” knew everything about you, you knew that this was no coincidence.
the salesman had handed you a small card before leaving the station, something he implied that would change your life. it was thin, a little worn at the edges, the symbols on the front simple but strange: a circle, a triangle, a square.
you flip it over.
a phone number.
“call when you’re ready for your chance,” the man had said, smiling like he knew something you didn’t.
you stare at the numbers, tapping the card against your palm as the subway car sways gently beneath your feet.
something about it feels off. it’s too mysterious, too cryptic… but the promise of financial freedom? of something bigger?
you need that.
you close your eyes briefly, exhaling through your nose. you don’t know why, but in the back of your mind, you wish jun-ho had been there.
not to stop you, necessarily… but just to be there.
if he had been, maybe he would’ve told you to be careful. maybe he would’ve pulled you away from the salesman, away from whatever this was, away from another stupid decision.
however, jun-ho has his own problems.
across the city, jun-ho exhales sharply, staring at the thin card between his fingers. little did you know, he did have a life outside of work. junho’s mind is elsewhere, swirling with frustration, worry, and a growing sense of unease.
inho, his older brother, his only family besides his mom, has been missing for weeks.
no leads. no clues. just gone. until now.
the man in front of him.. gi-hun, scruffy, desperate, looking defeated, tells junho that he made up a lie at the police station. a lie about a card that junho saw on his brother’s desk.
“where did you get this?” jun-ho asks, his voice steady but demanding.
jun-ho remembers the card. a circle. triangle. square.
inho had this same card in his apartment before he vanished.
when gihun walks away, junho lets him but he does not give up.
meanwhile, you sit in the subway car, flipping the card between your fingers, picking on the inside of your cheek with your teeth.
a few nights later, jun-ho knows that he shouldn’t be here outside.
it’s past midnight, and he should be going home after his shift, should be focusing on his brother, should be figuring out why gi-hun is connected to all of this. however, when he spots gi-hun walking down the empty street, he moves on instinct, following from a safe distance.
the thing is that he doesn’t expect to see you but there you are passing gi hun on the block, keeping your head down while walking down the quiet street.
you don’t see junho. you’re too busy walking, hands deep in your pockets, shoulders tense. at first, he assumes the worst… that you’re about to do something stupid, that you’re going back to your old habits, that you’ll make him chase you again.
he should leave you alone but junho can’t so he detours, shadowing you instead.
but then, you stop.
jun-ho narrows his eyes, staying low behind a parked car. you stand outside a small park, unmoving. your hands tighten in your pockets, and for a moment, it almost looks like you’re hesitating and then the van pulls up.
jun-ho stiffens, watching as you glance up, exhaling a breath before stepping forward. the door slides open and you climb in. three seconds later, smoke fills up the van’s windows. a thick, white, flooding the air.
jun-ho’s heart pounds. he watches as the van lingers for only a few seconds before pulling away, disappearing down the street.
“the hell?” he mutters under his breath, immediately making his way back to his car. the officers hands grip the wheel tightly as he follows, keeping a careful distance, headlights off. the man’s mind races… who the hell were these people? did you know them? were you in danger?
the van slows down five blocks later and and jun-ho’s stomach drops.
gi-hun, standing with the same look you had.
the van door slides open again, the same cloud of smoke spilling out into the night air.
gi-hun stumbles, barely reacting before he collapses, his body slumping forward.
jun-ho grips the steering wheel tighter, his jaw clenching.
this wasn’t just some underground scam.
this was something else, something big, and now, he had to protect two people.
one… a man who might be his only lead to his missing brother.
the other… a woman who had no idea what kind of hell she was walking into.
three days later, your body is stiff, motionless, even as your mind screams at you to run. that is because you don’t belong here. you never did.
the deaths, the endless and ruthless deaths, should’ve broken you by now. however, you refuse to let it show. you refuse to let anyone see that you’re barely keeping yourself together, that your heart threatens to claw its way out of your chest every time a gunshot echoes through the air.
sae-byeok notices, though. she always does.
she ended up in these games. she is player 067, and you are player 404. luckily, sae byeok stays close, her presence grounding you, keeping you from slipping too far into your own head. you’ve survived red light, green light. you’ve survived dalgona, but surviving isn’t the same as living.
you exhale slowly, fists clenched as the guards flood into the dorms due to some sort of situation. their guns are raised, black masks concealing their faces. your eyes flick to sae-byeok, who remains perfectly still, her expression unreadable.
beside you, gi-hun tenses.
a guard steps forward, voice sharp.
“do you know any player by the name of hwang in-ho?”
gi-hun shakes his head.
“no.”
“w-we don’t use our names in here.”
he continues,
however, your breath hitches, barely audible.
because that voice…
you turn your head, scanning the line of guards, your heart pounding against your ribs.
it’s stupid. so stupid.
you’re being paranoid. you’re in survival mode, and your mind is playing tricks on you.
jun-ho is not here.
for a second, just a second, your eyes lock onto the guard that was behind you. somehow, the guard doesn’t look away.
your throat tightens but it’s impossible.
stop thinking about jun-ho all the time. he is not here.
you force yourself to clear your thoughts, shaking your head slightly before looking away, pretending the moment never happened.
the guards stay for a few more minutes, checking something… you don’t know what, don’t care what… before they leave.
however, you sit back down in exhaustion, hoping to get out of here soon.
three more days go by and the air is thick with the stench of blood and rain.
your fingers twitch, your breathing shallow, but all you can do is stare. sang-woo’s body lies motionless in front of you, crimson pooling beneath him. dead. you should feel something. anything. relief, maybe. satisfaction. however, all you feel is rage. burning, searing rage.
sae-byeok should be here. sangwoo killed sae-byeok just a few hours before this moment.
sae-byeok should be standing beside you, should be breathing, should be alive.
the only person in your life is now gone.
now it’s just you and gi-hun.
you tighten your fists, nails digging into your palms as the finality of it all crashes down on you like a tidal wave. you won. you and gi-hun are the last ones standing. it doesn’t feel like a victory though, it feels like a punishment.
you don’t remember much after that.
it’s all a blur. the way the guards forced you into a van, blindfolded, hands tied. you barely even processed the moment they threw you back onto the cold pavement of the city, the impact sending a sharp ache through your ribs. you untie yourself quickly, fingers trembling slightly as you rip the blindfold off, blinking against the dim streetlights.
you’re back but not in those suffocating green jumpsuits, not in that godforsaken arena of death. you’re in your own clothes. the same ones you wore before stepping into that van all those days ago.
your breath comes out shaky as you pat yourself down, desperate for something, anything, that proves this wasn’t some fever dream, that you’re really standing here, that you made it out.
your fingers brush against something solid, metallic. your stomach twists. slowly, you pull it from your pocket. a gold card. your hands tremble as you stare at it. you already know what it means.
however, you have to see it with your own eyes.
you take off running, feet pounding against the pavement as you sprint to the nearest ATM.
your heart is hammering in your chest when you shove the card into the machine, barely able to keep your hands steady. the screen loads, the numbers processing.
your breath catches.
balance: 22.8 billion won.
you sway on your feet, gripping the edge of the ATM, fingers white-knuckled.
you made it. you’re free since there is no more stealing, no more running, no more waking up every day wondering if you’ll make it to the next.
you won.
why does it feel so fucking hollow?
why does the sight of those numbers on the screen make your stomach churn instead of settle?
why do you feel like you lost more than you won?
you exhale, stepping away from the ATM, forcing yourself to straighten.
you have to keep moving.
you have to act normal because the moment you let this break you, the moment you let the cracks widen, is the moment you really lose.
deep down, you know it.
things aren’t over yet.
more weeks go by and your apartment doesn’t feel like home anymore. it’s the same. its the same same peeling wallpaper, same secondhand furniture, same dim lighting that flickers in the kitchen. however, you are different.
the streets outside are loud, too loud. car horns make you flinch, sudden shouts send ice down your spine, and every time you close your eyes, you see flashes of red. of green. of bodies hitting the ground. living in the city does not seem like a smart idea anymore.
however, you force yourself to settle back into your old routine. you buy fruit at the market. you feed the stray cats. you pretend everything is fine.
nothing is fine.
suddenly, a knock on your door brings back another old routine.
it’s light. soft.
you don’t flinch since it was so light but your heart pounds anyway.
you hesitate before opening the door, fingers gripping the handle tighter than necessary. when you see him standing there, alive, real, your breath catches in your throat.
jun-ho.
for a moment, you just stare.
your chest tightens, your throat burns, and you feel dangerously close to crying. for weeks, you’ve convinced yourself that he moved on. that he never noticed you were gone and that he forgot you. he’s here.
junho’s eyes scan your face carefully, like he’s checking to see if you’re really okay.
“can i come in?” his voice is softer than you remember.
you nod quickly, stepping aside.
he enters, his presence filling the small space as you shut the door behind him. he doesn’t move much, just stands there, hands in his pockets, eyes lingering on you.
“tea?” you offer, voice hoarse.
“water’s fine if you have any.”
you pour him a glass, setting it down in front of him before sitting across from him at your small table. the silence stretches between you both as you sit down in front of him at your table.
the weight of everything presses down on your chest.
“i was there, too.”
you freeze at his words.
jun-ho exhales, rubbing a hand over his jaw.
“on the island. i followed gi-hun. i was looking for my missing brother.”
your stomach twists, you did not know this much information about junho.
“you know gi-hun?”
he nods.
“yeah. he led me there without realizing it.” he hesitates, eyes locking onto yours.
he didn’t speak for a moment as you looked at him with curiosity, is he okay? was he a player? why didn’t you see him? how didn’t he get caught?
“i pretending to be a guard. the circle one that you saw that day in the dorms. later on I got shot in my shoulder, but i am okay.”
junho reassures. yet, you are not reassured.
“i was looking out for you, too.”
your breath shudders.
he leans forward slightly.
“when i saw you get in that van, i—” he stops, jaw tightening.
“i thought i lost you.”
something inside you cracks.
you don’t know when the tears start. one second, you’re staring at him, trying to hold it together, and the next, your vision blurs, hot tears spilling down your cheeks. jun-ho doesn’t say anything, just watches, just listens, as everything you’ve been holding in breaks.
“i didn’t sign up for that,” you choke out, voice shaking.
“i thought— i thought it was just games. just money. i just wanted to be able to stop what i used to do.”
junho’s expression darkens, but he says nothing.
you shake your head, wiping at your face.
“they killed them. all of them. and i– i just stood there, i just..”
you gasp, a sob wrenching from your throat before you can stop it.
jun-ho moves before you can register it. one second, you’re falling apart and the next, his arms are around you, pulling you close.
you freeze since his warmth seeps into you, his steady breathing grounding you. junho’s grip is firm, solid, real. this is the first time since sae-byeok’s death that you don’t feel alone.
you clutch the fabric of his shirt, your fingers curling tightly into the material as you let yourself feel. you cry for sae-byeok. for the people who didn’t make it. for the part of yourself that died on that island.
jun-ho holds you through all of it.
when your sobs quiet into shaky breaths, you whisper against his shoulder, “can you stay?”
he doesn’t hesitate.
“yeah,” he murmurs. “i’ll stay.”
he needs this just as much as you do.
when you finally pull back, your face is inches from his.
the officer’s hand lingers on your back, his breath warm against your cheek. junho’s eyes, dark, searching, soft, flicker down to your lips for only a second before meeting your gaze again.
your heart pounds, but this time, it’s not from fear.
the officer is now living with you, but he is different now.
something inside of him has shifted, cracked beyond repair.
after finding out that his own brother, the one he spent so long searching for, was the mastermind behind that place, he couldn’t bring himself to go back to his old life. to the force and to the law because what was the point?
this world was cruel but you already knew that.
he spends his days with you now. at first, it’s small things, late breakfasts, quiet conversations, accompanying each other to the store, sitting in the same room without speaking. suddenly, it becomes something more. something deeper because you grow close. too close.
neither of you say anything about it.
the tension between you simmers beneath the surface, heavy and waiting. it’s in the way jun-ho’s eyes linger on you when you’re not looking, in the way your fingers brush against his when you pass him something, in the way your body tenses whenever he gets too close, but you never pull away.
one night, it finally snaps.
you wake up crying.
your dreams, no, your memories, are suffocating. blood, screams, gunfire. your body shakes, your chest tightens, and you can’t breathe.
you force yourself out of bed, wiping your face as you shuffle toward the kitchen. maybe water will help. maybe the cold tile beneath your feet will ground you. however, as you step out into the hallway, you stop.
jun-ho stands in the hallway, shirt loose, hair messy, his face unreadable. it looks like he just step outside of his room as well.
he looks like he hasn’t slept.
“you okay?” his voice is rough, like he hasn’t spoken in hours.
you nod. a lie.
he exhales, rubbing a hand over his jaw.
“couldn’t sleep.”
you swallow.
“me neither.”
silence.
suddenly, it snaps, something snaps.
you don’t know who moves first, but suddenly, his lips are on yours.
it’s not soft. it’s not careful. it’s desperate.
junho’s hands grip your waist, pulling you flush against him, and you clutch onto him like he’s the only thing keeping you upright. the man’s mouth moves against yours with a hunger you’ve never felt before, his fingers digging into your skin like he’s afraid to let go.
this tension, this thing between you, it’s been there for so long, even before the games. before the world burned around you and now, it’s finally boiling over.
jun-ho backs you up, step by step, until your back hits the doorframe of your bedroom. junho’s breath is hot against your lips, his hands firm on your hips.
you don’t stop him because you don’t want to stop him.
junho’s lips find yours again, and this time, it’s slower, deeper, like he’s memorizing the way you taste. your fingers curl into the fabric of his shirt, feeling his abs as you pull him closer, and closer.
he groans softly against your mouth, and something about the sound sends a shiver down your spine.
you don’t even realize that your door opened until he’s guiding you backward, at least until your knees hit the bed.
your heart pounds, your breath shaky as his lips trail along your jaw, down to your neck, his hands never leaving your body.
you close your eyes, letting yourself drown in him, in this, in everything.
with junho, you realized this is where your nightmare ends.
masterlist
DOES ANYONE ON THIS APP WRITE FOR HWANG JUN HO AND ALSO TAKE REQUESTS CUS BOY I WANNA READ FICS ABOUT HIM . Sorry for yelling.
***OR please tag me in pre existing Jun Ho fics. I am desperate for anything
a player 230/ Thanos/ Su-Bong x fem!reader fic
summary: “It had always been him and her against the world. But if you've been fighting against the world for years, how do you react when you suddenly realize that your best friend has become your world?”
warnings: none really except the usual Thanos/Squid Game stuff. Maybe slightly ooc Thanos? , Written in my notes app
note: happy valentines 💌 I’ve FINALLY managed to finish the next chapter and I sincerely hope you enjoy it!!
🏷️: @l5byrinth , @wpdarlingpan , @lollipopsandstuff , @scotty-doesnt-know-ig
Previous Part
( italics = flashback; [e/c] = eye colour)
“Thanos, huh?” [Y/N] mused , one finger gently gently tracing Su-Bong’s handwriting on the CD that laid upon his desk, the letters THANOS written on it with slightly smudged purple ink. “Yeah, he’s freakin’ powerful and so will I be. As a rapper I mean.” Su-Bong’s deep voice hummed from where his position on his bed, long legs resting against the wall as his head dangled over the edge.
“You don’t expect me to call you after a purple comic villain tho, do you?” [Y/N] turned looking at her best friend with an amused but slightly concerned expression.
Chuckling the boy sat up into a cross legged position. “Remember that movie you like so much? Where one only ever has power over someone else if you know their true name?” His eyes watched her as she leaned against his desk , crossing her arms in front of her chest. “Yeah , what about it ?” Her [e/c] gaze found his and he held it , an intense glimmer of something she couldn’t quite place in his eyes. “I want you to be the only one in my life who holds such power over me.” [Y/N]’s heart skipped a beat, her breath catching slightly at the gravity of his words. “Su-Bong-“
The abrupt humming of the platform underneath her feet, pulled [Y/N] out of her memory, dumping her back in the cruel reality of the games. Finding her balance, she observed how the spinning increased to an unnerving speed once again, the other remaining players shifting nervously from foot to foot. [Y/N]’s pulse thudded in her ears, eyes tracing the blur of red blood on the area surrounding the platform. Mingle…She had played this game a hundred times back in the day. Never once would she have thought that one day she’d be playing it for survival, and money, but mainly survival.
The voice blared through the speakers, cold and mechanical, announcing the start of yet another gruesome round.
“Three Players”
A collective groan rippled through the group as players began to scramble. Groups formed quickly—some with practiced ease, others with utter desperation. But for every group that came together, there were those left standing on the edges, scrambling for anyone who would take them. There was no time to waste. Groups had to be formed, and rooms had to be secured or else you’d suffer the fate of a brutal elimination.
[Y/N] stood frozen for a moment, scanning the room. She moved swiftly, trying to spot a familiar face, but each person she had some form of acquaintance with seemed to be taken already. Looking over her shoulder she caught a glimpse of Nam-gyu’s smirk as he locked eyes with another player, securing his spot, and her stomach tightened. If that rat could find someone, so could she….right?
A wave of panic rolled through her. She couldn’t get left behind to die. Not here. Not now. Not during a stupidly childish game such as mingle.
Glancing at the timer, [Y/N] darted toward a small group forming near a door, only to find the last spot already claimed. The seconds were ticking away. She barely heard the voice in her head telling her to stay calm. Her feet carried her from one group to the next, but each time, she was met with the same response: full.
Her breathing began to quicken. This is it. She was going to be eliminated. Shot by some masked cowards and left to rot away wherever this hellish place was located.
But then, just as her usual confidence slipped and her mind began to spiral, a firm hand gripped her wrist, pulling her back into the fray.
“Come on, let’s go,” came the low, familiar voice.
[Y/N]’s heart skipped a beat as she looked up, her breath catching in her throat. There he was— Su-Bong. His purple hair stood out in the crowd like a beacon. She couldn’t help herself as her eyes studied his expression. His sharp face holding that same calculating look she had come to know all too well over the past few days.
She didn’t have time to ask questions. Without a word, he tugged her towards one of the colourful doors leading into the little safe-rooms. Shortly before the timer reached 00:00 Nam-gyu slipped in the room as well, looking unusually pleased with himself as he cane to a halt with his arms crossed. The player he had previously been with was nowhere to be seen.
“You made it just in time,” Thanos said to him, his tone almost casual, as if he hadn’t just pulled [Y/N] from the edge of elimination.
Nam-gyu raised an eyebrow, giving [Y/N] a long, appraising look before letting out a laugh. “Well, well. I actually found us some idiot but then I had to get rid of him again once I saw that you got yourself some arm candy,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. His eyes flicked from [Y/N] to Thanos, a smug grin spreading across his face. “I thought you didn’t need anyone, Thanos. But I guess even you can’t resist a damsel in distress.”
The comment struck a nerve, but Thanos didn’t flinch. Instead, he smirked, his gaze never wavering from Nam-gyu as he casually leaned against the wall of the room.
“She practically threw herself at me,” Thanos said, his voice smooth, as if the words came effortlessly. “I’m just being a good guy, taking the poor thing off the chopping block.”
As his voice registered in her mind, [Y/N] felt a heat rise in her chest, her fingers clenching at her sides. This bastard...She wanted to retort, to throw his words back in his face, but she held herself back. Not now. Not in this tiny space and most certainly not in front of Nam-gyu. The last thing she wanted was to give him any more ammunition.
Instead, she let her focus drift to the gunshots outside, silently counting as the air in the room grew thick with tension.
Nam-gyu’s eyes narrowed as he leaned against the wall opposite of Thanos, arms crossed over his chest, looking between the two of them. “So, what’s the deal here?” His voice was casual, but his eyes were sharp. “You’re telling me that you—who’s got a reputation for being untouchable—are suddenly the knight in shining armor for our little friend here?”
Su-Bong didn’t even acknowledge the question at first, staring coolly ahead. His posture was still relaxed, his confidence unwavering. He slid his hands into his pockets, leaning his head back against the wall in a way that made it clear he wasn’t bothered by the confrontation.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, his voice deep and even, eyes meeting Nam-gyu’s without a hint of hesitation. “She was about to be left without a group. Thought I’d step in and make sure her blood wouldn’t be staining my shoes next round.”
Nam-gyu raised an eyebrow, his expression more amused than anything. “Yeah, sure. Whatever you say.” He looked over at [Y/N], the hint of a grin tugging at the corner of his lips. [Y/N] couldn’t hold back any longer. “You’re a real piece of work, aren’t you?” she bit out, her voice cold. But Thanos just turned his head slowly, eyes meeting hers with a look that could’ve frozen her on the spot.
“You’re just lucky I decided to save you,” he said, the words coming out with a clipped edge that made it clear he wasn’t entirely unaffected by the situation either. “You should be thanking me, not playing the victim.”
Her jaw clenched, but she didn’t respond. Instead, she stepped away from him, moving to the far side of the room and crossing her arms tightly over her chest. She didn’t care what he thought. She didn’t need him. She wasn’t going to thank him.
Thanos watched her for a moment, his usual smirk slipping, replaced by something unreadable in his gaze. But before he could say anything else, the lock clicked and the door sprung open.
Squeezing past the two boys, [Y/N] didn’t flinch. She had no time for Su-Bong’s games, and she wasn’t about to let him get to her now.
Thanos looked over at her, rushing after her with big steps. “If the next round is two, I’ll send Nam-Guy off to find that other idiot.” he said, his voice carrying a hint of something darker now. “You’re with me.”
The words hung in the air for a moment. Something about the way he said it made her skin crawl. Not in the same way like it did whenever it seemed like he was enjoying this, this twisted game they were all a part of, but in a way that made her heart stutter like it did all those years ago.
Nearing the giant platform, [Y/N] decided that she wasn’t going to let him play with her mind anymore. This torturous hell simply was neither the right place , nor the right time for feelings of such a complexity. And to be quite honest, she wasn’t even sure if Su-Bong was the right person anymore, like he had been what felt like a lifetime ago.
Finally, she spoke, her low voice slightly wavering. “That won’t be necessary. Good luck, Player 230.”
The words were simple, but the sting of them hit Thanos like a punch to the gut. His smirk faltered , and in the brief silence that followed, he understood exactly what she was doing. She wasn’t addressing him with his name as she once had. Shutting that door to their shared past. He was nothing more than a number now. Just another player in this game.
The weight of the words settled over him like a crushing weight. Player 230. The reminder was bitter—she had always known him as Su-Bong. And now, all of that, every connection, every shared moment, was slipping away from him.
His throat tightened. He wanted to say something, anything to push back against that cold indifference in her tone. But the words didn’t come. Instead, he stood there, staring at her as the final moments of the game began to unfold.
[Y/N] didn’t look at him again. Her form leaving his field of vision as she mingled with the crowd. Thanos, however, stayed frozen, the words Player 230 echoing in his mind.
The last thread of his past, the last hint of the person he used to be, had just been severed.
And for the first time, he wasn’t sure if he’d ever get it back.
Pairing: Thanos (Choi Su-Bong) x Reader
Summary: Su-Bong's back like nothing happened, is he here to stay?
Warnings: Brief mentions of drug use
Word Count: 2,121
Comments: Hey all! Just a quick question for anyone that reads this bit, in future parts would anyone care if I potentially changed Thanos/Su-Bong's hair colour? 👀
<- Part 5
The morning after your nightmare you’d woken to the faint rustle of movement in the next room. You moved quietly across your bedroom and peered around the doorway. Su-Bong was still there.
You watched him sitting on the edge of your couch, rolling a cigarette. The paper crinkled between his fingers as a few bits of loose tobacco fell out onto his jeans. His head was tilted down, keeping all his attention on the task at hand.
You had expected him to be gone, you didn’t dare move in case this was some illusion your brain had conjured to comfort you. You simply stood in the doorway, eyes wide as you watched him.
Sensing your presence he asked, ‘sleep better?’ He didn’t take his attention away from the cigarette in his hands.
You shifted slightly, wondering how long he’d known you were stood there. ‘Urm, yeah,’ you replied, voice still laced with sleep. ‘Thank you for staying.’
He shrugged, finishing the roll up and sliding it behind his ear. ‘It’s nothing.’
But it wasn’t ‘nothing’.
The air between you was thick. Somewhere between tension and something softer. Like the aftermath of a storm that hadn’t fully passed. He still hadn’t looked at you, now opting to watch his own fingers tap absently against his knee.
You glanced at the clock on your wall and sighed. ‘I’ve got work soon, I should get ready.’
‘Kay,’ he said, stretching slightly before finally looking at you. ‘I’ll walk you there.’
Your eyes met for a brief moment, sending a shiver through you. His expression remained calm, but you could see he was still cautious, like he wasn’t completely sure where you two stood with each other anymore. Before you could read into it anymore, he looked away again, brushing the stray tobacco from his jeans.
You paused for a moment before turning back into your room and shutting the door behind you. As you pulled on your work clothes you felt overly aware of Su-Bong’s presence in the next room. He’d never stayed the night before, it felt strangely domestic, too normal given everything that had recently happened.
By the time you stepped out ready to go, Su-bong was already standing and pulling on his hoodie. Without a word the two of you headed for your apartment door.
The walk to your work was quiet, neither of you spoke yet his presence was impossible to ignore. Every so often your arm would brush against his, you weren’t sure if it was intentional or just the way your steps fell naturally in sync.
You stole a quick glance at him, he seemed relaxed but there was something distant about the way his eyes flickered between the pavement and the street ahead.
It felt eerily similar to the last time he had walked you home. The same silence and internal struggle in your mind about whether you should say something. Though this time you had a feeling he was going through the same thing
As you neared the cafe Su-Bong asked ‘What time you finishing?’
‘Uh, I’ll be done at 5,’ you replied.
He gave a small nod but didn’t say anything else. His footsteps slowed as you approached the door. You turned to him, and there was that feeling again, the unspoken tension that darted between you.
You watched as he pulled his hoodie up, giving you a small tilt of his chin as a goodbye before turning and walking off down the street. You caught yourself watching him go, the unease spreading across your chest.
As you pushed the door to the cafe open you were surprised to find your boss already stood watching you walk in. She gave you that same knowing look as she crossed her arms.
‘He’s walking you to work now as well?’ A teasing edge in her voice that you couldn’t help but smile at.
‘It’s nothing,’ you said as you pulled off your coat. ‘He stayed on the couch last night.’
‘Mmhmm,’ she hummed.
You busied yourself tying your apron, trying to ignore the way your heart still felt unsteady from the morning.
‘Well whatever's going on there, I’m sure you two will figure it out soon.’ Your boss said before she turned and went back to the counter.
You hoped she was right, but more than anything you hoped that Su-Bong wasn’t going to just disappear from your life again.
Yet another one of your shifts was spent wondering about Su-Bong, it was becoming a habit now.
Take an order, check your phone, serve some cake, check the clock, steam some milk, check outside.
By the time your shift neared its end, rain had begun to fall outside. You watched it streak down the windows, washing away the last of your hope. He wasn’t gonna show up in this weather.
Accepting that, you slipped into the back to grab your things. As you slung your bag over your shoulder you heard your boss’s voice from the front of the cafe.
‘Oh for goodness sake, you’ll be soaked through, come inside before you catch a cold.’ You smiled, it was no surprise hearing her fussing over someone like that, what did surprise you was what she said next.
‘You can just wait for her in here.’
Your breath caught. He was here, he hadn’t disappeared again. You quickly moved back into the cafe. And there he was. Su-Bong was stood near the entrance, his hair sticking down from the rain.
You had to stifle a laugh at the sight of him standing stiffly, not knowing what to do with himself as your boss fussed over him, brushing droplets from his shoulders. She turned and reached for one of the umbrellas she kept by the door and thrust it towards him.
You lingered for a moment, watching the amusing scene unfold - him standing in a place that didn’t quite suit him being doted on like a stray someone had taken pity on.
Like he knew you were watching him, he looked up. Your eyes met, and you felt that same shiver from the morning. You didn’t have time to dwell on it as your boss was ushering you forward.
‘Here,’ she gestured to the umbrella as you approached. ‘You two can share so you don’t get wet.’
You smiled and thanked her before turning back to Su-Bong. He was scratching the back of his head, still looking vaguely uncomfortable.
‘You ready to go?’ He asked.
‘Yeah,’ you stepped forward as he began to push the door open.
He headed out before you, opening the umbrella so you could step out under it too.
The rain drummed against the umbrella, as the two of you began walking. You tried to not let your thoughts dwell on how close you were, how you could feel his warmth or how you could smell the faint scent of smoke that clung to his jacket.
‘She like your mum or something?’ Su-Bong asked, nodding back toward the cafe.
You couldn’t help but laugh, ‘no she’s not my mum, she’s just like that with everyone.’
Su-Bong laughed too. ‘Could’ve fooled me, if we stayed any longer she’d be giving me a packed lunch and getting me to tuck my shirt in.’
You grinned, this was easy, this is how you two were supposed to be. The lighthearted conversation drifted between you, an easy back and forth that came naturally to the two of you. You talked about your day, a weird customer who insisted on paying in loose change, and about how your boss has been trying to convince you to take up knitting.
Su-Bong hummed in amusement. ‘She’s probably already knitting me a scarf.’
As your apartment building came into sight the conversation tapered off. The air between you was completely different from that morning, the tension was gone leaving you with the familiar comfort he usually brought.
‘You wanna get takeout señorita?’ And there it was. That nickname again, the one you hadn’t heard in nearly a week at this point. The one that had you forgetting everything that happened.
A grin tugged at your lips as you pushed open the door. ‘Yeah I’d like that, but you’re paying.’
Things between you and Su-Bong settled into a new normal. There was still that unspoken cloud hanging over you both, but neither of you acknowledged it. Opting to choose the easy route.
He never said anything about the four days of silence, never explained why he chose to answer you in the middle of the night and you never asked. But in his own way, it seemed like he was trying to make up for it.
You’d catch him clearing the dishes after dinner, or replacing the flickering bulb in your lamp without a word. If you dropped something, he was bending down to get it before it even hit the floor. He even attempted to fix your wobbley coffee table, he did a pretty good job even if he managed to leave it with a slight lean.
He never made a big deal out of any of it, never tried to get a thanks out of you. But you understood, this was his way of apologising. And, for now, that was enough.
Although every time he did something it became harder and harder to ignore the growing warmth in your chest. It was the way he did them, casually, like it was the simplest thing in the world. It was getting harder to pretend your feelings weren’t shifting, harder to ignore the way you found yourself looking at him when he wasn’t paying attention, harder to push down the thought that maybe he felt it too.
But then you’d remember that night.
The dazed, half lidded way he’d looked at you. How you’d wanted to give in to him, to let him pull you close. You kept telling yourself he hadn’t meant it, that it was just the high talking. Yet, you couldn’t quite shake the hope that it had come from somewhere real.
So you never said anything, letting that warmth settle in your chest without giving it a name. Because if you asked, if you pushed, he might disappear again. And you weren’t ready for that.
One evening whilst he was sprawled out across your couch as you watched TV, he said something that made your heart lift.
‘I’ve written some new songs recently,’ he said offhandedly like he expected you to brush past it.
You perked up at his words, he never spoke about his music career. For a split second all you could do was look at him. You’d heard what people had said in the games about him. How his career had started to slip, how he was forgetting the lyrics to his own songs. You’d never mentioned it, not sure if it was something he’d want to go back to.
‘Wait, really?’ You managed to say as you shifted towards him.
He kept his eyes on the TV but nodded. ‘Yeah, got a gig in a couple of days. Nothing big though.’
Your chest tightened, because you knew it was a big deal even if he was acting like it wasn’t, he was trying again. ‘Su-Bong, that's amazing!’
He shrugged but you caught the smile tugging at his lips. ‘It’s just a little set, nothing like what I used to do, need something to get me started again you know?’
‘I’m sure the world is ready to hear some new Thanos material,’ you wiggled your eyebrows at him.
Su-Bong didn’t laugh, his expression shifted subtly, but still enough for you to notice. He exhaled slowly before his eyes flickered to you.
‘I’m not using that name anymore,’ he said simply.
That caught you off guard, he was letting go of something so big, something that had defined him, and he was saying it like it was something so simple. ‘Seriously?’
‘Doesn’t feel right anymore,’ he gave a small shrug.
You nodded slowly, it made sense. Maybe this was his way of starting over properly, like he was getting rid of a piece that no longer fit. You could tell there was something else he wanted to say so you remained quiet, giving him the time to think it through.
‘Anyways, if you’re not busy you could come if you want?’ He cleared his throat, was he nervous? ‘It’s probably not your kinda scene but y’know, if you’re not busy you could.’
The way he danced through the words made your chest ache, he was really trying to act like this whole thing wasn’t important. But you could read between the lines - he wanted you there. And there was no way in hell you were gonna say no.
-> Part 7 Coming Soon Series Masterlist
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can we get some like 'junho is the type of husband' pls??? ❤️❤️❤️ doesnt have to be full story just fluff!! 🙏
Jun-ho is the type ...husband!edition 𓍯𓂃𓏧♡
Pairing: husband!Jun-ho x wife!fem!reader Warnings: F L U F F
Jun-ho is the type to wake up five minutes before you and get caught between wanting to snuggle you and kiss your forehead silly, but would absolutely never wish to disturb you. He will then fall back asleep with his body ever-so-slightly touching yours for reassurance...then sleep through three alarm clocks.
Jun-ho is the type to offer you all the blankets before you go to sleep, covering you in them, wrapping you up and squishing you through the fabric to relish your softness and delighted purrs at being so snug – and he gets to cuddle you harder without worry of hurting you with his fervour. In the middle of the night, however, all the blankets are oddly confiscated to his side of the bed, leading you to sleepy tug-o-wars. He’s very apologetic if he wakes and realises the situation.
Jun-ho is the type to warm you up and cover you being the big spoon, he loves feeling protective and close to you. When his chest is against your back, he knows you feel his heart and feels very connected to you. His hand always finds the top of your head and does little twirls in your hair as he humms in his sleep.
Jun-ho is the type to have all his clothes neatly folded by the bed, always wears a towel around his body after a shower, much as he loves and cherishes you, he doesn’t want to make you uncomfortable and always acts as if it’s your first time meeting him.
Jun-ho is the type to be driven by intense adoration and affection rather than blind lust. You could put on the most racy, revealing, sensual negligée – and he will be very flattered and bashful, cheeks red and hand over eyes – but he will jump at you without warning if you’re comfortable in one of his shirts, humming to yourself and looking peaceful.
Jun-ho is the type to watch you do things, half out of protectiveness, half out of genuine curiosity. You always wonder how he manages to sneak up on you with his frame, but often you turn around to see him, smiling that wide smile to himself, as you do the most mundane tasks. Your confused “What?” is met with a little head shake and another smile.
Jun-ho is the type to get warm off your happiness – little gestures and little notes spring up around the house for you to discover, only for the little yelp of surprise or faux sigh you breathe his name in give him a small rush that makes him want to scoop you up and snuggle nose-to-nose.
Jun-ho is the type to wish to look after you, even if he knows you’re fully capable and wouldn’t ask him to. If you’re not feeling well, you get three hot water bottles and a bath drawn. And don’t even think of walking to it, he never misses an opportunity to carry you in his arms.
Jun-ho is the type to remember that one specific food, drink, item that you mention off-handily and suddenly, you discover cookbooks folded on the page of your favourite dessert and your coffee tasting more of the spice you like so much. He will never admit to it, though.
Jun-ho is the type to relish both foreplay and aftercare, with emphasis on both. He sees foreplay as the whole day he has free with you, from visiting a beautiful place with playful banter, hidden touches here and there, and lots and lots of PDA. You never knew feeding birds and sharing earphones could lead to such intimacy, but here you are.
Jun-ho is the type who loves dad jokes. Enough said.
Jun-ho is the type to be very protective of you, without bordering on uncomfortable. If you’re around people, you know his hand is very lightly hovering around the small of your back. If you’re walking together, it’s arm in arm. If you’re waiting for him, he always waits first to be aware of each aspect of his surroundings.
Jun-ho is the type to want to hold you tight, so tight he feels your bodies as one being – but is also worried he’ll hurt you, so he often walks up to you from behind and wordlessly lays his arms around your waist, holding your stomach, and gently swaying with you. The motion he feels adds intimacy and closeness.
Jun-ho is the type to remember all your anniversaries, but prefers to start celebrating them a day before their actual date, so you know he knows.
summary; a little prompt for each men in squid game x reader.
also my english isn't my first language so i do apologize for a few errors! enjoys x
including; in-ho, thanos, myung-gi, dae-ho & gi-hun
In-ho:
Praise yourself for catching In-ho’s attention amidst the chaos of the games. Not only did he manage to maintain his composure, but he also came to terms with the truth—it wasn’t his mind playing tricks on him, but his heart betraying him. He had been ensnared in a dangerous blend of love and death. And no matter the cost, he was determined to ensure your survival, even if it meant faking your death and arranging for the guards to escort you to his shelter.
At first, his actions were subtle—a few fleeting glances, quiet assurances that you weren’t alone. He took it upon himself to ensure someone capable stood between you and danger. This resolve led him to seek out Gi-hun, cornering him with a whispered plea. “I’m not asking for much,” In-ho murmured, his voice low and firm. Gi-hun’s brows knit together as he glanced at you, understanding little of the request but sensing its weight. Though the urge to question why In-ho couldn’t protect you himself lingered, Gi-hun ultimately accepted—he, too, had his own plans to carry out.
Yet, watching Gi-hun hover near you ignited something unexpected in In-ho—a simmering, unanticipated jealousy. His blood boiled harder than he cared to admit.
It was Gi-hun’s proximity to you that set him on edge.
While 001 had extended a friendly hand, In-ho never anticipated him stealing you away entirely. The realization unsettled him, and during the chaos of the Carousel games, panic began to creep in. When he noticed you were nowhere to be found in the room, it nearly consumed him. The thought of losing you made his fists clench, and for a brief, irrational moment, he contemplated throwing a punch at Gi-hun. But it wasn’t until the final elimination, when the doors unlocked, that relief washed over him. There you were—your silhouette unmistakable behind Dae-ho.
In that instant, he didn’t hesitate. Rushing toward you, his breath hitched, words failing him. A shaky exhale escaped his lips, a mix of disbelief and overwhelming relief. He almost laughed—a scoff of incredulity—before pulling you close, his hand instinctively cradling the back of your head. Without a second thought, he leaned in, his lips pressing a firm but tender kiss to your forehead.
“Silly,” he muttered, his voice tight with emotion. “I never should’ve trusted Gi-hun to keep you safe. Damn it, I thought I’d lost you.” The panic in his voice caught you off guard, the weight of his words sinking in. You hadn’t expected such raw vulnerability from him—not now, not like this. A soft chuckle escaped you, an attempt to lighten the moment. “It’s okay,” you reassured him gently. “Dae-ho found me right away and made sure I was safe.”
That revelation gave In-ho pause, but he filed it away for later. For now, none of it mattered. You were alive and unharmed, and that was everything.
The kiss on your forehead wasn’t just a gesture of relief—it was a silent declaration. You were his, and no one—not Gi-hun, not Dae-ho, not anyone—would ever take you from him again.
Thanos:
Once a retired rapper, Thanos now found himself thrust into a life-and-death struggle. Among his generation, it was no surprise that some idolized him—his presence commanding a respect so intense, it bordered on worship. To them, he was pristine, untouchable. But this adoration didn’t sit well with everyone, especially loners like you, who preferred to navigate the chaos without attachments.
Ironically, that aloofness was one of the many reasons Thanos found himself drawn to you.
In the early days on the island, Thanos made no effort to reveal his interest. If anything, he mirrored your indifference, matching your cold detachment with his own. But when you began spending time with Myung-gi, the dynamic shifted. Thanos hadn’t expected it, nor did he like it. Watching you bond with someone else left a bitter taste in his mouth, awakening a tension he couldn’t ignore. The loner mindset had been his strategy for survival—a simple equation: fewer people, fewer complications. But your presence complicated everything, especially when it came to your effortlessly beautiful face, which he found himself stealing glances at far too often.
It didn’t take long for his resolve to crack.
Thanos had made himself a promise: to keep his distance, to ignore you as you ignored him. But that promise shattered the moment Nam-Gyu let slip a confession Thanos had sworn him to secrecy about. That little fucker, Thanos thought bitterly, though his anger was tempered by necessity—he needed Nam-Gyu to survive. Yet, when the truth reached you, it unraveled him in ways he hadn’t anticipated.
Instead of drawing you closer, the revelation pushed you further away. Your avoidance became more deliberate, more pronounced than ever before. It stung more than Thanos cared to admit. For the first time in a long time, he was unprepared—for your reaction, for the way it tightened a knot of frustration and longing deep inside him.
Which only added more tension between the two of you.
The final games loomed, a trial where survival would demand more than just cunning—it called for a kind of ruthless cleansing. Thanos knew, without hesitation, that when the moment came, he’d be the first to grab your hand and shield you. Even if it meant overreacting, even if it jeopardized his own chances, he couldn’t bear the thought of losing you. Certainly not to Myung-gi, if it came down to that.
“You know...” he murmured late that night, his voice low and almost hesitant. Your back was turned to him, your body stiff on the thin mattress. You couldn’t bring yourself to look at him, couldn’t even steal a glance. Not after everything. The weight of his breath lingered against the back of your neck, and you flinched slightly, betraying your nerves. His presence, so close and unyielding, was suffocating yet magnetic.
“Tomorrow is... big,” he continued, his words faltering as his gaze shifted across the dimly lit dormitory. For a moment, his eyes locked on Player 333, who sat sharpening a weapon in the corner—a stark reminder of the danger waiting ahead. Thanos clenched his jaw, then turned his focus back to you.
“If we’re not careful...” he trailed off, his voice softening, almost breaking. “Who knows if I’ll ever get to see your beautiful face again?”He exhaled sharply, frustrated with himself, as if admitting even that much was a risk. “I know it’s—”
Your head snapped toward him, your brows furrowing into a glare sharp enough to cut through the tension between you. For a moment, silence hung in the air, charged and heavy. Then, your voice broke it, calm yet biting. “If you keep this up, you might be the one ending up with a bullet in the face,” you said, your tone so nonchalant it bordered on cute—a contrast that left Thanos momentarily stunned. He blinked, almost scoffing in disbelief, one hand pressing dramatically against his chest.
“Ouch,” he drawled, his lips curling into a grin. “I’m hurt, sweetheart.”
Your eyes narrowed into daggers. “Do. Not. Call me sweetheart.”
Before you could say more, Nam-Gyu chimed in from his corner, a mischievous smirk playing on his face. “I bet she’s in love,” he teased, his words practically dripping with mockery.
Thanos’s cocky grin widened at that, his eyes gleaming with a maddening mix of pride and amusement. The sheer arrogance in his expression made your fingers twitch, itching to slap that smug look right off his face. But instead, you gave him one final glare—a death wish in your eyes, though to Thanos, it looked like the beginning of a love story.
“I bet she is,” he echoed, his voice soft but certain, the words carrying a weight of truth that made your chest tighten. He didn’t try to stop you as you turned and walked away, but his gaze lingered, following every step you took. Oh, how you had him wrapped around your finger without even realizing it. A wimp for you, and you alone.
Myung-gi:
Everyone knew who Player 333 was—you included. Unlike many in this room who were desperate to claw their way out of debt, you knew Myung-gi only by name. You’d heard the rumors: how he’d gotten his girlfriend pregnant, how his past was littered with mistakes and secrets. But something in you—a stubborn spark of hope, perhaps—whispered that he wasn’t as bad as everyone wanted him to be. Maybe, just maybe, there was more to him than the stories let on.
Myung-gi had noticed you, though. He’d seen the way you were with Jun-hee—the way your smile seemed to ease her fears, how your arms would wrap gently around her petite frame after every game, grounding her, giving her the space to breathe. The quiet strength and warmth you brought to her felt almost unreal, a motherly presence in a place devoid of comfort.
It was that tenderness, that undeniable light, that struck him like a blow to the chest.
Myung-gi was in love.
And he hated every single moment of it.
Why? Because he knew himself. He knew what he’d done to Jun-hee—how he’d left her while she was pregnant with his child, drowning in debt and fear. He’d been a coward, an asshole, and he knew it. That self-loathing festered, a constant reminder of his failures. And yet, it was exactly why he didn’t expect you to see him as anything other than the man he despised.
But fate had other plans.
Your first real interaction with him came after he saved you—something neither of you had anticipated.
It happened during the Bathroom games, where survival left no room for personal grudges. Confronting Thanos wasn’t at the forefront of Myung-gi’s mind, but then he heard it—your name, slipping from Thanos’s lips with such filth that it ignited a rage Myung-gi didn’t know he was capable of.
Everyone knew your past as an escort within the crypto community. Your name wasn’t hard to find, whispered in private conversations and occasionally tied to scandalous wallets. But Myung-gi knew better than to judge. Still, hearing Thanos—the retired rapper—speak of you like that, as though you were nothing more than a commodity, was the last straw.
“She was good for a foreigner. Not many—”
That was as far as Thanos got before Myung-gi’s fist collided with his jaw, cutting him off mid-sentence. The sickening crack of impact echoed through the grimy bathroom, followed by a faint splatter of blood. Myung-gi emerged from the stall alive but seething, his knuckles raw and his breath ragged. As he stepped out, his gaze immediately locked with yours. Jun-hee stood beside you, clinging to your arm for reassurance, but the look on your face was unreadable—a mix of surprise, understanding, and something softer.
A small, almost imperceptible smile crept across Myung-gi’s lips.
In that moment, he made a silent promise: no matter what it took, he’d make sure both of you got out of this alive.
Dae-ho:
Dae-ho never believed in love at first sight. With everything he’d endured in his life—the trials, the sacrifices, the relentless pursuit of strength—he saw himself as a knight in shining armor, bound by duty but never destined for romance. That belief held firm until he met you.
It happened during the Carousel game. Like In-ho, he’d noticed you before—your stoic demeanor during Green Light, Red Light had left him quietly impressed. The way you moved, swift yet calculated, managing to evade the statue’s unrelenting gaze with precision, was nothing short of remarkable. It was then that something shifted in him. Against all reason, Dae-ho found himself believing in love at first sight.
At first, he thought he was imagining it. He even considered pinching himself, blinking twice to dispel the notion. But the feeling persisted, undeniable and maddening. It wasn’t until later, when you tended to his wounds after one of the brutal games, that he finally saw you up close—and the full weight of your beauty struck him like a blow. Your lashes fluttered delicately as you focused on your task, your fingers gentle but firm as you dabbed rubbing alcohol onto his injuries. He hissed at the sting, his lips parting in a soft groan of pain.
“Be still, please,” you murmured, your tone calm but commanding. Something about the way you said it—the quiet strength in your voice—silenced his protests. He nodded, his muscles relaxing under your care, though the tension in his chest was harder to soothe.
For the first time, Dae-ho felt vulnerable—not because of his wounds, but because of you.
“You know…” His voice was low, almost hesitant, but there was a softness to it that made you pause. You could’ve sworn his lips curved into the faintest smile. “I never would’ve thought I’d see you like this—healing me. Back at the Carousel, I swore to myself I’d keep you close, that we’d find the door as quickly as anyone else. But then… the next thing I knew, Thanos had taken you before I could…”
He trailed off, his words tinged with shame. The vulnerability in his voice made you glance up at him, your fingers stilling as you finished securing the bandage. His eyes widened at your sudden attention, and he immediately began to stammer.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”
You interrupted him with a soft sigh, sliding the remaining bandage back into your pocket. “Don’t apologize. We just weren’t lucky, that’s all. I wanted to prove to myself that I could handle it—that I wasn’t just someone who had to count on others.” Your gaze softened as you added, almost reluctantly, “But… I have to admit, not having you there in that room—it was horrible.”
Your quiet confession was enough to undo him. Without a word, Dae-ho wrapped his arms around you, wincing slightly as the movement pulled at his wounds. Still, he didn’t let go. His embrace was warm, protective, and when he leaned in to press a kiss to your forehead, it felt like a promise.
“Nevertheless,” he murmured, his voice filled with a quiet reassurance, “I’m just glad we made it through. That you’re here with me.” His lips quirked into a small grin as he added, with a teasing lilt, “And that I get to cuddle with you for another night.”
You couldn’t help but chuckle at his words, the tension between you easing for a moment. For now, at least, you both had each other.
Gi-hun:
Unlike the others, you weren’t a player. But you knew Gi-hun from the previous game he was in. He was so certain you had died right in front of his eyes back then that when he saw the mask ripped off your face—revealing you as one of the Guards—his shock was palpable. Another Guard had been taken hostage by the remaining candidates, and though you could have cursed every word that came to mind, you found yourself frozen, your voice stolen by the chaos.
In-ho was the first to recognize you. He knew you were on shift at this hour, but what he hadn’t expected was the look of sheer horror that crossed Gi-hun’s face when your name escaped his lips.
“Y/N...?” Gi-hun’s voice trembled, disbelief heavy in the air as though he was trying to confirm he wasn’t dreaming.
“You know them?” one of the players sneered, their stolen gun now aimed squarely at Gi-hun. Bodies of your co-workers—faces you barely had time to register—lay scattered across the floor, lifeless, just feet away. The metallic tang of blood filled the air.
But this time, Gi-hun wasn’t about to let anyone lay a finger on you. He remembered the vow you both had made:
"We belong to each other. And I will get you home."
With those words etched into his resolve, Gi-hun made his move. Chaos erupted as the gun exchanged hands, bullets flying. The air was filled with deafening roars of defiance and the sickening splatter of blood.
In the end, In-ho stood back, his heart cold and unyielding, as he watched Gi-hun fall. The final shot rang out, and his lifeless body crumpled to the ground. Blood speckled your cheek, and you stared in stunned silence at the empty shell of a man you had once loved.
From the shadows, a familiar voice cut through the carnage, low and mocking.
“Welcome back home, love.”
You turned toward the source, and there he was Gi-hun—his gruesome smile sending chills down your spine.
Future Promises
Dae-ho x Fem!Reader
Word Count: 3.3k
Warnings: violence. blood and injury. murder. character death (not reader).
Summary: When a fight breaks out in the bathroom, Y/N gets caught in the middle of it. When the eliminated players are announced, Dae-ho panics.
Requested: Yes
Squid Game Masterlist
The divide in the room was clear. Each side equal in terms of numbers yet Y/N could feel the murderous gazes from the ‘O’ side of the room. While others around her talked to one another, trying to ease some of the tension, Y/N sat on her own. She wasn’t too far away from the rest of the group but she was far enough away to be able to breathe.
For the entire duration of her time in the games, she didn’t have a single change to calm her body down. Even when she slept she was always on high alert. Taking a step away from everyone was what was best for her right now– especially when she needed to prepare to defend herself if it came to that. Y/N didn’t miss the way each player had received a glass bottle and a metal fork with their meal when they hadn’t before. Her fork was securely concealed in her jacket.
Y/N rested her head on the cool tile wall and sighed. The room seemed much larger now compared to when she had woken up only days ago– though to her it seemed like weeks. There were only one hundred players left out of four hundred and fifty six and somehow Y/N was one of them. Though she might not have been if it wasn’t for one particular person.
Kang Dae-ho was someone Y/N never thought she would see in these games. They weren’t exactly friends before the games, only worked at the same part-time job. But seeing him was like a breath of fresh air. If it wasn’t for him, Y/N was sure that she would have been killed during the mingle game. The whole time, he had kept her hand firmly clasped in his. When the final round called for two players, he didn’t hesitate to pull her along to a room, pushing her in first before himself. The fear Y/N had felt during that game– if Dae-ho hadn’t been by her side she would have froze up and never left that rotating platform.
“Y/N,” a familiar voice called to her before she felt the warm and comforting presence sitting beside her. “What are you doing over here on your own?”
Y/N opened her eyes, not realising she had closed them. “I needed to step away for a bit.”
Dae-ho’s thigh pressed against hers. “Tell me next time. I didn’t know where you went.”
Y/N turned to him and offered him a small tight lipped smile. “I’m okay.”
Dae-ho didn’t return her smile, already knowing that it wasn’t genuine. From where his hands were resting in his lap, Y/N watched as they twitched– hesitantly decided if they should reach out to her. Taking the initiative, Y/N held her hand out. A small flash of surprise appeared on Dae-ho’s face before he gently held her hand in his, linking their fingers together.
The corner of Y/N’s lips tugged up in a smile as she rested her head against the cool tile wall. “I don’t think I’ve told you but I’m glad you’re here. Well, not here exactly– but here with me. Seeing someone I recognised made me feel…safer. So thank you.”
Dae-ho’s gaze was fixated on their clasped hands. “Don’t thank me. Honestly seeing you here made me feel safer even though I hate that you are trapped here too.”
“We both made a stupid choice by phoning that number,” Y/N said. “When we get out of here, let’s not phone any strange numbers in the future.”
A quiet laugh emitted from Dae-ho and caused Y/N to smile. “Agreed.”
A silence washed over them but it was comfortable and if Y/N closed her eyes, she could pretend that they were in the break room at their shitty job. Instead of bidding goodbye at the end of the day like she usually did, she would take the risk and ask him for dinner. Finally doing what her friend had demanded of her when she first started the job and asking her attractive coworker out.
“I need to go to the bathroom,” Y/N said, standing to her feet, her hand slipping out of Dae-ho’s.
“I’ll go with you,” Dae-ho offered, quickly standing with her.
“To the women’s bathroom?” Y/N asked, a soft chuckle leaving her lips.
For a short moment, Dae-ho seemed embarrassed but it quickly seemed to fade. “I’ll keep watch outside.”
A small genuine smile tugged at her lips as she rested her hands on his biceps. “I’ll be fine. You don’t need to protect me, you’ve done that enough already.”
“I’m sorry,” a woman a little older than Y/N said. Y/N glanced at the woman’s number. Player 91. “I overheard you going to the bathroom. We could go together, safety in numbers. I noticed some other women go there not too long ago.”
Y/N turned her attention back to Dae-ho. “See, I’ll be fine.”
There seemed to be nothing that could convince Dae-ho but the moment she leant up and pressed a soft kiss against his cheek all rational thoughts swimming through his mind seemed to evaporate. Y/N laughed and gently trailed her hands down his arms to his hands, offering him a comforting squeeze. “I’ll be fine.”
Slowly, Dae-ho nodded. “Be safe.”
As she took a step back from Dae-ho, he held onto her hands until she was too far to comfortably hold onto them. Y/N allowed her hands to slip from his but the moment his warmth fell away, she craved it once more. Y/N pushed her hands into the pockets of her jacket and offered Dae-ho one final parting smile before following the woman to the bathroom.
***
Y/N watched as the water dripped from her chin back into the sink as she sighed. She could only hope that not everyone was bright enough to realise they could freely harm anyone that opposes their vote and in the morning they would be able to vote and return home.
“So you voted to return home?” a woman said, approaching Y/N.
Y/N didn’t bother to look at the woman as she answered. “Clearly, and anyone with a few brain cells would realise that is the best option for everyone here.”
The woman hummed. “Didn’t you vote to continue the games during the first vote?”
“I did,” Y/N answered. “It was a selfish decision and I regret it.”
“What changed your mind?” the woman questioned.
“After nearly dying during the second game, I realised that risking my life for money isn’t worth it,” Y/N said, her grip tightening on the skin as Dae-ho’s face flushed in her mind.
During the six-legged pentathlon, their small group of five was already decided until Jun-hee came along asking to join their team. The moment she found out the younger girl was pregnant, Y/N didn’t hesitate to join another team.
Dae-ho insisted that he should be the one who left but Y/N refused and found another team, she was one of the first to complete it with one second to spare. For hours she had sat on her bed watching the door waiting for Dae-ho to enter, her anxiety rising when he never entered. When he finally did, Y/N’s heart rate still refused to drop. From then she realised that no matter how much money she would get if she continued to play, it wasn’t worth nearly losing Dae-ho and the other friends she had made. But just the thought of losing Dae-ho sent Y/N into a panic she didn’t see coming.
“So those who died during those games didn’t matter to you? Only your life matters?” the woman said, continuing to pester Y/N.
Finally Y/N turned and faced the woman. “Realistically those people would have died anyway. If I wasn’t in these games then nothing would change, someone else would be here in my place and everything would turn out exactly the same.” Y/N glanced at the blue patch on the woman’s jacket. “Seems like you don’t seem to care if people die or not considering you are too fucking selfish and you want more money.”
“Careful how you speak to me,” the woman said. “Once all of you who voted to leave are gone, us who voted to stay will each have over 800 million won each.” Slowly, the woman raised her hand, a silver fork shining in the dim lighting. The fork was pressed against Y/N’s neck as she looked at the woman standing before her. Despite the situation, Y/N didn’t feel intimidated by the women at all, she was shorter and was physically weaker than Y/N.
“I’m only going to say this once,” the woman said, lowering her voice. “Change your vote, continue the games. If you do, I will make sure you get through to the end and get your share of the money.”
No matter how hard she tried, Y/N failed to contain the laughter that slipped past her lips. “I’d believe it if you weren’t threatening me right now. How am I meant to believe you won’t backstab me in the next game?”
The fork was pressed deeper against her neck and Y/N winced. “You need to trust me,” the woman said.
“Trust a woman who is one movement away from plunging a damn fork into my neck? I think I’ll naively believe that someone will come to their senses and change their vote by morning,” Y/N replied. “Now take that fork away from my neck.”
“Or what?” the woman asked, an unhinged smile spreading across her face.
“The group that voted to stay are currently outnumbered in this bathroom, five to nine. If you fight, you’ll be overpowered,” Y/N answered as the two other women who voted to stay slowly walked up to join the quiet altercation.
“You’ll never win,” the woman said, the fork leaving Y/N’s neck. “We may be outnumbered but you have more elders on yours, one punch to the head and they’ll be out cold.”
As Y/N glanced around at the other women in the bathroom, she noticed that most of them were older and looked as if they could not handle themselves in a fight. Y/N sighed. “Do you really care about getting a bit of extra money? If we vote to leave now we still each get a large amount of money. What if you die in the next game? Your last thoughts will be ‘why didn’t I leave when I had the chance?’”
“You don’t know a thing about me!” the woman exclaimed.
Y/N rolled her eyes and turned back to the sink. “I know that you’re an idiot if you chose to stay in this hellhole.”
The woman didn’t respond verbally. Instead she gripped the back of Y/N’s jacket, yanking her away from the sink. As Y/N stumbled on her feet, the woman sent a punch to her jaw, knocking off her balance completely.
The moment Y/N’s back hit the floor, hell broke loose as people began fighting one another. It was just as the woman said, there were a lot more women who were physically weaker on Y/N’s side. Almost immediately Y/N watched as a few of them had already hit the floor, a pool of blood forming below them. Y/N didn’t take long to get back to her feet. Y/N wasn’t a particular skilled fighter, she had learnt basic self defense and had never had a reason to use it. Just as Y/N thought, the woman was physically weaker than Y/N as she easily overpowered the woman, gripping tightly onto her hair.
“Just vote to leave!” Y/N yelled. “How stupid can fifty people be?”
The woman struggled to get out of Y/N’s grip. “I’ll vote to leave when all of you are dead!” she snapped.
Y/N held tightly onto the woman’s hair as she threw her down on the floor. Before Y/N could think, she grabbed the fork concealed in her pocket and jammed it into the woman’s shoulder. The woman’s eyes widened as she cried out in pain. Y/N yanked the fork out and stood to her feet. There were still others fighting around her yet all she could do was stare down at the woman on the floor. Y/N hadn’t killed her, only injured her, yet she still felt the guilt of that weigh heavily on her shoulders.
Before Y/N could even think about moving there was a force that sent her to the ground and she scrambled to get away before a force was pressed upon her body and she was harshly turned on her back. A more muscular woman sent a punch to her face before Y/N even had the chance to block it. With her vision blurry, Y/N failed to see the fork slamming down at full force towards her.
***
Dae-ho sat looking in the direction where Y/N had left with the other woman to go to the bathroom anxiously shaking his leg. There was something clawing inside of him that told him that something bad was going to happen. Of course he had noticed the forks everyone had been given and Gi-hun had only solidified Dae-ho’s beliefs that it wasn’t unintentional.
Y/N had been gone for a while and it took Jung-bae forcing Dae-ho to remain seated instead of storming after her.
“I never asked,” Jung-bae spoke, noticing that Dae-ho became considerably more anxious, “how do you know Y/N?”
“We work together,” Dae-ho answered, not tearing his eyes from where she had disappeared. “It’s a shitty part time job but that's all that would hire me. I don’t know why she is still there– she has so much potential.”
Jung-bae hummed. “It seems as if you admire Y/N a lot.”
“I do,” Dae-ho said with no hesitation. “Before now, we only ever spoke at work, but she was always so nice and friendly to me. I watched her interact with customers too and she always greets them with a smile and tries to make them smile. Afterwards I would always find her in the break room exhausted but she would always sit and talk to me if I was on my break. Once she shared that she wished to become an artist but her parents told her that it wasn’t a sustainable career so she gave up.”
“It sounds like a lot more than admiration you have for her,” Jung-bae teased.
Dae-ho quickly shook his head. “No, it's not anything like what you’re thinking of.”
“How about I ask Y/N when she comes back?” Jung-bae suggested.
“No!” Dae-ho exclaimed, causing Jung-bae to laugh. Dae-ho sighed. “Okay, maybe it is like that.”
“The following players have been eliminated,” the cheerful voice sounded throughout the room.
Dae-ho’s heart instantly dropped to the floor as he looked at Jung-bae, fear coursing through his veins.
“Player 201. Player 449. Player 091–”
“That’s the player who went with Y/N,” Dae-ho said, fear evident in his tone.
The players entered the room one by one and Dae-ho’s heart rate increased. From the looks of things, it wasn’t only the women who had gotten into a fight in the bathroom as the men walked out too, blood covering each and every one of them. The cheerful voice continued to list the numbers of the players who had been eliminated and Dae-ho’s fear rose after each and every one. He should have somehow gone with her to make sure that she was okay.
The voice stopped listing off the eliminated players just as Y/N stepped into the room, the guard closing the door behind her. Blood covered her neck and stained her jacket. Smeared blood covered her hands too as she slowly stepped further into the room shaken up.
“Count your players!”
The room immediately broke into chaos as each side counted their players and how many each side lost. Dae-ho didn’t care as he ran over to Y/N.
“Are you okay? What happened?” He asked, looking at the injury on her neck.
“They attacked us,” Y/N muttered. “I didn’t want to hurt them but I did.”
Slowly, Dae-ho reached forward until he held his hands in front of hers. Without thought, she held onto them tightly as if grounding herself.
“They attacked you first, you were only defending yourself,” Dae-ho reassured.
Y/N slowly looked up at him. “I know but–”
“But nothing,” Dae-ho said, slowly pulling Y/N closer to where the rest of the group were standing.
Y/N nodded, squeezing his hands once more. “Can we sit down somewhere?”
Dae-ho gently guided her over to where Gi-hun and the others were sitting as someone counted how many of the whole group there was. Dae-ho gestured for Y/N to sit down first before he sat down next to her, his arm wrapping protectively around her waist, her body leaning closer to him.
“What happened to your neck?” Dae-ho questioned looking at the long scratches down the back of her neck that ventured under her collar.
“It happened just before the guards came in to break up the fight,” Y/N muttered, her hand seeking out Dae-ho’s. “If they didn’t come in that second, I’m sure that woman would have finished me off.”
Dae-ho noticed the distant look in her eyes and squeezed her hand to snap her out of it. “Hey, I know it’s hard but try not to think about that right now.”
“What else is there to think about?” Y/N replied, her voice sounding exhausted.
Dae-ho shrugged, his thumb gliding across her knuckles. “Our job?”
“I nearly died and your response is to talk about our shitty job?” Y/N said.
“You’re talking about it though,” Dae-ho muttered. “And I was going to ask you, what will you do when you get out of here? You can’t stay in that job for the rest of your life.”
“Pay off my debts,” Y/N answered. “After that, I honestly don’t know.”
“You wanted to become an artist, why don’t you start there?” Dae-ho suggested.
Y/N looked at him, disbelief clear in her eyes. “You remember that conversation?”
“Of course,” Dae-ho replied. Y/N looked at him– really looked at him. The look immediately made Dae-ho heat up under his collar.
“I didn’t think anyone really listened when I talked about what I am passionate about,” Y/N admitted.
“I listened,” Dae-ho replied.
“Why have we never spoken outside of work?” Y/N asked.
“Probably because we both hate our job and pretend that it doesn’t exist once our shift is over,” Dae-ho replied.
A soft huff of laughter left Y/N and Dae-ho couldn’t stop the way his heart lifted at the sound.
“That is true,” she said. “How about when we get out of here, we change that? This definitely isn’t the place or time to say this, but I have liked spending time with you and you have honestly saved me so many times and made this whole thing even the slightest bit bearable. So when we get out of here, why don’t we go for dinner? I’ll pay, it’s the least I can do.”
A wide grin formed on Dae-ho’s face as he nodded. “That would be nice.”
Y/N gave him a smile in return before she rested her head on his shoulder, relaxing her body into his side. The gentle grip he had on her waist tightened as he pulled her closer to his body. While Gi-hun spoke to the group in a hushed tone, Dae-ho only remained half listening as he held onto Y/N. A new sense of survival overcame him– he would get him and Y/N out no matter what.