Its Giving, So I Cant Love You, Even Though I Do Vibes

It’s giving, “so i can’t love you, even though i do” vibes 🥹

a moon apart [seoho]

What if you have a soulmate, but you can only meet ever so scarcely?

What if you have a soulmate, but he can never be yours?

➳ Characters: Seoho x princess!reader/you

➳ Genre: folktale-ish, fantasy, mystery, kingdom au, royalty au, soulmate au, romance, angst

➳ Words: 3.5k

➳ Warning: mentions of imaginary gods and goddesses (let me know if you find more!)

➳ A/N: This is my contribution to the Eternally Yours collab hosted by the lovely @sungbeam​​. You can check out the collab and the participating writers here. Thank you for letting me participate! ❤️

➳ Oneus taglist: @dat-town, @tranquilpetrichor, @laaylaazyy​,  @effulgentfireflies​, @anime-lover-2020​

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“he’s gentle with you, so gentle he makes you melt. he makes your soul turn into liquid gold. you’re his prized possession. his treasure.”

morning with san ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁

pairing : choi san x f reader.

genre : non idol au, established relationship, newlyweds au, mature, fluff, the morning after. (minors dni pls, or it’ll make me feel uncomfortable)

word count : 1k words.

note : this is my first work for ateez, pls be nice 🥹 and this is pretty much VERY self indulgent lol

masterlist

when he is asked about love, there are a plenty of things that san can think of. his family, his hometown, his hobbies, his friends and everything that contributed and still contributes in making him the person he is today.

but when his mind is stirred awake from his sleep and the rays of sunshine dimmed by the dark beige curtains penetrate his eyelids, his mind is blank.

it’s empty, almost numb. he’s at peace. and he’s happy.

all he can hear is silence, except for his heartbeat resonating deep inside his ears. a deep breath is taken all the way in and he’s feeling liberated, stripped from any heaviness that comes with life.

no thoughts weigh on his mind, or his heart or his entire body that feels like a heap of feathers on top of the softness of the bed.

it takes him a moment to open his eyes, even if he is eager to explore his surroundings, discover new feelings and create new habits now that his life has changed. for the better, he claims. with you.

he doesn’t rush because he feels like something deep inside his chest would burst once he lays his eyes on you. and he wishes he was exaggerating.

he wants to slowly savor the feeling of sleeping with remnants of you, of waking up next you, of seeing you curled up next to him, body still, calm, glowing, beautiful.

when he finally opens his eyes, what he sees exceeds his expectations by a thousand of deep breaths, a million of shooting stars and a billion of blazing fireworks. you’re there, he still can’t believe it but you’re there. on his bed, beside him and his. for life.

san presses his lips together, tongue swiping against his lower lip and he’s reminded of what happened the night before. when he showed you his love in more ways than one. when he painted your body with promises of care and devotion. when he tainted your soul with everything that is him.

you’re there, your bare back is facing him and traces of love are littering your skin. he smiles, eyes crinkling and dimples popping, a sigh leaving his lips and a hand placed on his raging heart that he thinks might turn to liquid from how much he loves you.

his eyes trail on your figure, the light blanket sitting dangerously low on your body, leaving nothing to his imagination. the valley of your hips sitting high and dipping into your inviting thighs, eyes staring a bit too long at your ass.

san stifles a little moan, dying it down with a deep breath that ends with a small hint of a groggy purr. it’s early in the morning and he can’t seem to calm down himself, his own body aching to hold you, be close to you, to own you.

without thinking—he always seems to never think when he’s around you—he stretches his arm out and let his fingers gently graze against your skin. you’re cold under his warm touch, goosebumps instantly forming. hot blood races through his veins and down his already loaded morning wood. puffs of breath escape his lips as he draws a pattern with his fingertips from the middle of your back, and down, down, down. until his entire hand is covering your ass cheek.

“it tickles,” you say, a breathy chuckle airing from your chest.

“did i wake you?” san asks softly. he comes closer to you and nuzzles his nose deep into your neck. the hand that was pressed on your bottom slithers up and around and settles in the soft crevice of your lower stomach, fingers brazenly reaching lower.

you shake your head. your breath stuck in your chest, sending you into a dizzy state. “no, i was awake.”

he hums softly into your skin, before pressing your lower body closer against him. his lips place feverish kisses on your neck, arriving at the slope of your shoulders and down your arms.

you instinctively lean into him, ass molding gently against his hard dick.

“babyyy,” he whimpers, his brain already turning into mush.

you giggle at him. “hm?” you jokingly answer. and san is incapable of forming one coherent sentence. all he can think about is you, mind clouded with you, your skin, you warmth, your body, your smell, his smell on your body and your ass pressing into him.

“can i?” a pause, then a sigh, then a whine. “can we…?”

you turn to him smiling when you see his face crumpling into the most defeated expression ever. cheeks flushed, eyes glossy.

you wrap your hand around his face and place gentle kisses on his lips. one after the other, softly. calming the ripples of chaos in his mind, or so you thought. he only grows eager, needy, demanding.

his hands caress all over your body, fingers curling into the inside of your knee and hooking your leg around him, his dick pushing into your pussy in a hurried action. his hips start bucking into you with every push of his lips on you, swallowing your hisses and breaths, inhaling your moans, intoxicating himself with you.

but he’s soft. despite all his fierce emotions, he’s gentle with you, so gentle he makes you melt. he makes your soul turn into liquid gold. you’re his prized possession. his treasure.

when you try to pull away to catch your breaths, san’s head duck lower down your chest and between your breasts. he’s heaving, mind racing and heart beating so fast. he holds you close, telling himself to slow down, reminding himself that he doesn’t want to rush with you now that you’re his.

he vowed to keep you by his side, to love you and protect you and he will do just that.

and without him asking twice, or even once, you give him everything and he takes it. he takes, doubles it and gives it to you. without a doubt.

when he is asked about love, there are a plenty of things that san can think of. his family, his hometown, his hobbies, his friends and everything that contributed and still contributes in making him the person he is today.

but when it comes to you, his mind is blank. a white canvas, ready to be painted by you.

note : i originally had this idea for mingi but san is clouding my mind rn so i couldn’t help it 😭😵‍💫this was so difficult for me to write because my mind and thoughts are full of him rn oof🥲 pls like and reblog if you enjoyed reading <33

unlimited kisses pls, xo

·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ super shy | HUENINGKAI

pairing: kai x gn!reader

genre: fluff, little suggestive, humour | oneshot

warnings: pictures are black hair kai but I mention current kai (blond kai), established relationship, attempts of flirting, kai’s attempt at a pick-up line lmao, flustered kai, bickering (affectionately), kai and reader trying to out-flirt each other, pet names (my love, sweetheart, baby ect.), kisses, a lot of physical affection, the first and many ‘I love you’ 🤭

summary: going through the transition of being in love with your best friend to actually being an official item has been a huge learning curve for the both of you. it’s been 7 months since that day and you adore him so much that you so happen to slip up the ‘L’ word.

wc: 1.4k

a/n: an incredibly late fic for kai’s birthday <3 after the bulacan concert it made me so grateful to have known a precious soul like him :’) he’s so endearing I think I’m a closeted ningdungie 🥹 I have so much love for him :(( I hope you guys enjoy reading!!

the holding hands, lingering kisses and copious amounts of hugs have been the highlights of your relationship. however, the inside jokes, the deep talks and the genuine comfort you feel from each other is what made you two progress further to your full potential of being inseparable from one another.

“yn, what’re you doing today?” kai asks through the phone, his head tilting to a cute angle to which his unstyled, blond hair brushes over his eyes. his hair is getting so long now, you think to yourself.

“I’ve just been cleaning the flat, really. wanna come over? I miss you.” you say, folding one of your boyfriend’s hoodies that he left because of that one time you didn’t want him to leave, as per. his scent is still as strong from when he applied cologne on the neck of the clothing; hints of sweet fruits with a floral touch. he knew how much you loved it when you’d nuzzle into the crook of his neck while cuddling.

whenever your flatmate was away he’d offer to stay over until they came back, and recently he stayed for almost 3 weeks. you never want to waste a day when you’re together, and if you don’t have many plans you would go for a long walk, at least once a day, if not every other day.

“you miss me?” he giggles. he knows that even being together for three whole weeks isn't enough. “what do you want me to bring over?”

this was a habit of his. always having to bring something over at your place, whether it be his nintendo switch console which would lead to never-ending rounds of mario kart or food, but you only wanted one thing. you place down the folded hoodie and pull an exaggerated thinking face, arms crossed with your index finger to your chin.

“I think you should just bring yourself, I can never get enough of you.” you wink at him and watch his cheeks gradually ombre into pink hues from your statement.

“I’ll be there in fifteen!” he chimes, rushing to end the call and get ready. you giggle to yourself, he's so cute and it's just so endearing.

there have been times where you were indecisive about your relationship, but not because you didn’t know if you liked kai or not, but because if things don’t work out you just hoped that it wouldn’t be awkward. thankfully, the both of you had the same idea to confess to each other — thanks to taehyun and beomgyu’s hard work in trying to push you guys to do so. now, being in this situation you can finally say that you’re at a good place in life.

a specific knocking pattern on the door was something you’ve been anticipating since kai ended the call, knowing that he does his cute little rhythm. he told you before that he only has two knocking patterns; the standard five knocks in a row and his little pattern he has only for you.

as soon as you open the door you find him holding a bouquet of red tulips, his tall figure almost hovering above you as he has this boyish grin on his face.

“I got you these tulips, but I’m hoping our two lips can meet instead.” he presents the bouquet in one hand from behind his back. he opens his arms for you to jump up and wrap your arms over his shoulders while his wraps around your waist.

your foreheads lean against each other before you chuckle while maintaining eye contact, “baby, you’re so cute, you know.” you whisper before tilting your head to capture his lips in a sweet kiss. his lips lingered a little longer, pecking your lips a couple more times before pulling away.

“I’ve missed you too.” he gives you a gentle forehead kiss before letting you get back onto your feet.

grabbing ahold of his hand you lead him into the living room where you expect him to get comfy, but as you go into the kitchen to grab him a glass of grape juice from the fridge he follows you, wanting to do it himself. you being stubborn, you do it before him and he admits defeat.

you can feel his body heat radiate behind you as you stand by the countertop and he gives you a long back hug, resting his chin on your shoulder and feeling his soft exhales hitting the side of your neck.

“I could have done it myself. you know this is like my home too.” he tightens his arms around your waist, nuzzling into your neck until you feel the hairs standing.

“I know, but I wanna do it for you, baby.” his hold on you loosens, but he doesn’t let you go. just loose enough for you to turn around with his arms still around you until he decides to lean against the countertop, trapping you in the middle. you lean back a little to see his expression, he’s trying his best to not break into a grin as you watch the corners of his lips itching to turn upwards. the pink hues on the apples of his cheeks were still blooming.

“you drive me insane, yn.” he kisses your temple, before taking ahold of the glass of grape juice you had just poured out for him, watching him walk into the living room so nonchalantly and finding an anime movie to watch together.

you follow after him and sit close enough for your legs to hang over his lap. you love the physical affection. even as best friends back then, the both of you would always be mistaken as a couple from the way you two would have your hands lingering together with the urge to intertwine, linking arms, and even from sharing food or drinks.

kai was someone you were happy with your parents meeting. your dad had already started to treat him like his son-in-law after you heard that they would go out to eat together while you were at work.

it’s almost like he was an angel sent to you, with every one of your loved ones approving of him from the very beginning.

“oh, do I now?" you tease as you playfully stick out your tongue.

"oh always." he matches your sarcastic energy, and you both laugh together for a moment. his gesture was the opposite of his words.

he brings his gentle hand to cup your face with his thumb slowly rubbing your cheek back and forth. you swear you could feel your heart about to jump out of your chest, you were hoping if it did that kai would catch it regardless. the motion was so endearing that you hadn't realised that the both of you had been staring into each other's eyes. his eyes were so beautiful. holding all things lovely and genuine with a hint of playfulness as he scans your face, which was reciprocating the same.

you sigh into the warmth of his palm, "I love you, kai."

his thumb stops moving and his eyes widen ever so slightly, "yn, I-"

"oh my god, I didn't realise. it just... slipped." a bashful smile replaces the shocked expression you had for a fraction of a second.

"so, you don't love me?" kai raises a brow, putting his hand down back on his lap.

"no! oh god." panic courses through your veins as you find a way to save yourself in this situation. "of course I love you. I love you so much you don't understa—"

you didn't get to finish your sentence, yet kai has pressed his lips against yours. the familiar warmth igniting in your chest as he tilts his head and you following after. you've never kissed anyone like this before, the type that makes your chest heave from the lack of air. the type that makes your heart pound so much that it's all you hear in your ears. the type of kiss that feels just right, knowing you have found your person, and it's kai. it's always been kai.

pulling your lips away, he chases them once more for quick pecks as if you're his favourite baked good from the bakery. your foreheads rest against each others, watching his lips transition from a held back smile to a full grin and an airy giggle.

"don't be silly, my love." he starts. "of course I understand. and I love you so so much that words are not enough."

"do you think our two lips should meet again?" you rest your head on his shoulder, facing his neck. he shudders from your warm exhales against his skin.

"I know our two lips should meet again," he kisses your temple. "and again," then to your cheek. "and again." and a final kiss to your lips, reuniting them once more.

taglist: @bb-eilish @ericyjun @luvsoobs @yeonyeonyeonjun @junniieesbby @kyrkitten @hyuntaena @day6andetcetera @dainsleif-when-playable @txt-yaomi @soobinsman @choiwrld @ahnneyong @prodsh00ky @wccycc @lizdevorak @fairybin @laylasbunbunny @acaiasahi @ttyunz @cha0thicpisces @fairybinie @vatterie @ja4hyvn @yunkiwii @aprilisque (send an ask to be part of the taglist, look here for reference)

© BOBA-BEOM ; all rights reserved. do not repost, copy, alter or translate in any way or platform.

“goal!” (1.1k)

in which a nerdy, hopelessly-in-love sim jaeyun doesn’t play football—but you end up being his ultimate goal.

gender neutral reader | requested – w. cursing, not proofread. wrote this at 3 am my eyes hurt

“shit, i’m so sorry,” jaeyun cursed under his breath, cheeks tinted a bright crimson as he panted heavily against your shoulder. he quickly pushed himself off, averting his gaze in embarrassment.

being one of decelis’s popular “jocks,” you were known for your passion of football. it’s all that ever striked a chord within you; so, of course, when your struggling teammate asked you for help in training, how on earth could you say no?

a soft chuckle escaped your lips, shaking your head in reassurance. “it’s fine, jaeyun. you must be sore from the leg lifts,” you affirmed, giving him a gentle pat on the back. “we can take a break.”

“b-but it’s barely been thirty minutes,” jaeyun stammered, shoulders slumping in shame. “i’m sorry, my stamina’s—”

“your stamina is fine,” you interjected firmly. “it’s normal to get tired. don’t beat yourself up over it. come on, let’s get a water break, yeah?”

“...yeah,” your teammate sighed in defeat, reluctantly reaching for his water bottle on the bleachers. “sorry about that.” you shook your head, smiling softly, “i told you, it’s fine. there’s nothing to apologize for.”

“you’re too nice to me, (name),” jaeyun blurted out quietly, before realizing what he said. embarrassed (again), he turned towards you with a fearful expression, worried you got the wrong idea. “i... did not mean it like that. no ill intent, i swear on it,” he babbled, clearing his throat. “please forgive me—”

you couldn’t help but release heartfelt laughter at his awkwardly adorable antics. jaeyun found himself tensing up at the dulcet sound of your voice, his poor heart about to combust.

god, you’re so perfect.

“jaeyun,” you breathed between a few chuckles, a comforting hand resting on his shoulder. “please. calm down. i don’t bite.”

shiiit. so close. and you’re telling him to calm down? how would he, in this state?

“sorry,” he apologized for the umpteenth time, swallowing hard. “i... i just...”

his calloused hands clutched onto the sleeve of his water bottle, his eyes desperately wandering everywhere but on yours.

“...is something wrong, jaeyun?” you murmured, now concerned as you picked up on his anxiousness. “you can tell me if you want. take your ti—”

“i like you,” he exclaimed, averting his attention from the field to finally meet your eyes.

this time, you froze, trying to process what he just said. “...sorry?”

“i like you,” jaeyun repeated, even louder this time. clutching onto the hem of his jersey, he took a deep breath before continuing, “i’m a nervous wreck whenever you’re around. i... gathered the courage to join the football team despite not knowing anything about sports at all.”

“i- i like being in your presence,” he babbled on, “i love it, if you will. even if you don’t seem to notice me at all, i– i just wanted to confess to you properly, hopefully, one day, maybe, but not like this. but i’m just so damn nervous that i...”

“i like you so much. it’s driving me crazy to this day, that i was already signed up to be in your team before even knowing.”

you let out a long, heavy exhale you didn’t even know you were holding.

“speechless” was the only word you could use to describe your state. maybe even stunned. in awe? a wave of emotions coursed through you.

seeing your unresponsive reaction, jaeyun clutched his chest and proceeds to have a coughing fit, quite literally dying inside as he finally managed to grasp the reality that he finally poured his heart out to you. sloppily.

hurriedly running over to assist him, the two of you silently agreed to lean against the bleachers, trying to mind each other’s business.

absolute crickets.

the silence was killing you both, especially jaeyun. it was getting too loud, defeaning.

“so...”

“yeah, um–”

“actually, you go first.”

“no, you.”

“you first, i insist.”

“you–”

“jaeyun.”

the boy sighed heavily in defeat, sheepishly shifting in his seat to meet your gaze. “yeah, uh, what i said... it’s true,” he admitted quietly, biting the inside of his cheek. “but you don’t have to, like, remember that. you... can avoid me if you want. i didn’t intend on making you uncomfortable– but if i did, i’m really—”

“stop.” you muttered, bringing a finger to his lips in order to shush his rambling. “quit saying sorry. that’s all i ask.”

jaeyun nodded slowly, whispering, “okay.”

“thanks,” you exhaled in relief, removing your finger from his lips. “i’m just trying to process everything you just said.”

“i don’t think there’s much to process,” he uttered a sheepish chuckle, “i like you, (name).”

“...since when?” your brows furrowed in curiosity.

“since i first saw you on the field, sports day,” jaeyun simply replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “you stood out the most. next thing i knew, i was trying to find out your class schedule on purpose.”

a feeling you couldn’t describe rose in your chest, a hint of blush tinted on your cheeks. what’s this? embarrassment?

trying to maintain your composure, you stifled a cough, taking in jaeyun’s words. “that... that long, huh?”

“eight months are nothing, really,” he shrugged.

“still,” you protested, desperately trying to swallow the lump in your throat. “i can’t believe i didn’t notice.”

“but you do now,” jaeyun acknowledged matter-of-factly, crossing his arms. “that’s all that matters to me.”

a long sigh escaped your lips.

“well,” you cleared your throat, “i guess i could give you a chance.” with a cocked head, you hummed in thought before adding, “would a few dates be okay with you?”

jaeyun’s eyes twinkled with excitement, though he tried to stay subtle with it. “really? you wouldn’t mind?”

“not at all,” you nodded, “as long as you’re paying.” a teasing grin formed on your lips, followed by a playful wink.

“say less,” jaeyun muttered under his breath, smiling softly. “i can help you out in the subjects you’re struggling at too. i mean, if you’d let me, of course.”

“i might fall if you say that,” you admitted, turning away. you weren’t the best student, that’s for sure.

“well, that’s kinda my goal, y’know,” he shrugged, adding with a snicker, “pun intended.”

“what?” you glanced back at him quizzically. after a few seconds of processing, an unamused “ahhh,” escaped your lips.

“goal,” you repeated, “because football.”

“football,” jaeyun assented. “and because of you.”

“i’m your goal?”

“aside from becoming valedictorian, well, yes.”

“dork.”

the both of you broke into fits of giggles, sighing contentedly. you even shifted closer to him without even realizing.

“so,” jaeyun began, “any chance i could get your number?”

“for sure,” you smiled, pulling out your phone.

like a giddy kid, jaeyun excitedly typed in his number, smiling from ear-to-ear.

“are you fine with me calling y–”

“of course.”

“calling you mine.”

“...i’m making you do fifteen crunches just for that.”

“sorry.”

note: hiii hope you enjoyed this little fic LOL sorry if it’s so sloppy i’m running on 6 hrs of sleep. I hope this was to ur liking anon :(

© svnclaired. reblogs and feedback appreciated. ♡

Okay you wrote forbidden relationship with jeno but imagine forbidden relationship with markie 🤭 He would be so bad at hiding it too. At least jeno tried to be sneaky

mature. mdni (18+)

pairing: brother’s best friend!mark lee x haechan’s sister!reader

warnings: unprotected sex, creampie

a/n: reqs and thirsts are open. send them in my inbox for a lil blurb

no because if you were like haechan’s sister and were fucking mark on the downlow, YALL GETTING CAUGHT THE SAME DAMN DAY 😭 mark’s ass is not slick, especially when he is down bad for someone

brother’s best friend!mark has loved you ever since you were kids. haechan always knew his best friend had a thing for his sister and she had a thing for him but he also was a sadist and liked watching you two act stupid and suffer over each other.

he never would’ve thought sweet mark lee would be the one to initiate things between you two, thought mark would’ve been too gentleman to make a move on his best friend’s sister.

but one day, when both of you guys were alone at the pool and you wore the skimpiest bikini that showed off your plump ass and juicy tits, you begged markie to rub tanning oil on all the places you couldn’t reach. whining and pouting so cutely “please markie?” and he just couldn’t take it anymore.

mark pinned you to the ground and ripped your pathetic excuse for a bikini (could’ve been made out of shoe string for fucks sake) right off your body and started fucking into your juicy cunt. the deep mating press he had you in had the tip of his cock kissing your cervix with every deep thrust as his strong hands pinned your hips to the ground.

you screamed and clawed at his back, fuck his cock was so thick and veiny. so much better than you have ever imagined (and trust you imagined it a lot. several times a day in fact)

he would be so vocal too. moaning and panting so deliciously right in your ear. so so many praises too.

“baby this pussy was made for me.”

“love you so so much. have no idea how much i’ve wanted this.”

“pussy is so much better than i could’ve ever imagined fuckkkk.”

“be mine, baby. fuck, i don’t know what i’d do without you by my side. love you so much, please please please be mine.”

and of course, he would definitely nut deep inside your drooling cunt. and it would be so much, dripping out of your pussy before he even pulls out. he just couldn’t help himself, blushing and stuttering excuses that it was just an accident and he didn’t mean to. but fuck was it so hot, you flipped him over and straddled him for round 2.

when haechan figured it out later that night, he threw up twice.

two orbits coming together to create a solar-eclipse, aka two besties finally sit down to talk 😂

ᵕ̈ ೫˚∗: sun and moon | lhc

summary | your childhood best friend, donghyuck, claims he loves you. given his other friends and who he is as a person, you don’t believe him.

genre | lee haechan x fem!reader, high school seniors! au, childhood best friends to lovers, angst, fluff at the end, hyuck + the rest of 7dream are canonical assholes

warnings | high school parties (i.e. underage drinking)

wc | 6.1k

a/n: got a little carried away w this one, so thanks to the anon who requested it! anywho, i listened to tek it by cafune on repeat while writing this, so if u want a song rec ^^ imagine black haired glimo hc for this one <33 (p.s., if you want to play the game reader describes, this is the link) (p.p.s ignore their high school classes this is fanfic logic)

ft. sungchan, loona’s gowon, le sserafim’s chaewon

IT’S A SATURDAY AFTERNOON, and Donghyuck is laying down on your bed, watching you play whatever stupid video game you were infatuated with now. He didn’t come over often, not since your first year, so there was a slight bit of awkwardness between you two.

Nevertheless, you allow him to lay there, dressed in the tacky cool-guy getup that he seemed to love so much.

Outside, rain poured, and you knew that was the chief reason he was in your bedroom right now. If there wasn’t a flash flood warning, he’d be out and about with Mark Lee, Na Jaemin, and the rest of them, ruining people’s days left and right for the fun of it.

You wanted to consider Donghyuck to be your best friend, still. Given who he was now, the reputation he harbored, and the lack of time spent with one another, you didn’t feel like he was.

“I don’t understand the game,” he said, catching your attention fairly easily. You turned your head, giving him a dirty look for interrupting your flow. “You just look like you’re putting lines and boxes on a screen, but there’s a score.”

“You’re supposed to make paths. You close them off with the little dots,” you mumbled, turning back to your screen. The sound of Donghyuck sliding off your bed and kneel-walking to your side filled your ears but was mostly drowned out by the rain and the sound of the music coming through your speakers.

He stopped his kneel-walk adjacent to you, squinting at the screen. You didn’t slow down or try to explain your moves, simply placing each piece you were given in a way that most made sense.

“I seriously don’t get it. Is there a strategy to this?”

“No.”

“So you just…play for fun?”

“U-huh.”

“Man,” he mumbled, leaning his chin on the edge of your desk. You continued playing, clicking your shapes around into places they most fit, ignoring the way Dongyuck seemed to stare at you, now, rather than the game. “Who’ve you been hanging out with, these days?”

That question struck a chord. Briefly, you remembered the week-and-a-half where you stuck to Donghyuck as he began growing close with his current friends, and how left out you felt through the whole experience. It was, quite possibly, the worst week of your life.

“Sungchan from the grade below, Chaewon, and Gowon,” you replied, wondering if he’d even know who they were. From the way he didn’t respond, you assumed he didn’t, which hurt a little bit. “Uh, Chaewon is—”

“The girl with the short hair. Yeah, Renjun had a bit of a thing for her a while ago,” he cut you off with some unprompted information, which shocked you. If you remembered correctly, Chaewon had a massive crush on him for about a year; the new information made you wonder if he’d pursued her and dropped her the moment he’d found a better target.

“Really? Huh,” you hummed, glancing down at him. You made eye contact for a split second, but you broke it off the moment you realized how intense his stare was.

“So, how do you play this game?”

A small sigh escaped your lips, short in duration yet heavy in weight. You pointed at one of the boxes on the screen, turning to him once again. “You want to put the little circles in the boxes. Using the ‘X’ shapes, parallel lines, and the single lines, you want to connect all the boxes together to make paths. You put the little circles on the end of empty lines, too. You get points depending on how many circles you put in the boxes and how many circled-off paths you make.”

“Yeah, that makes absolutely no sense,” he scoffed. You were glad his attention was on the screen again. A bright flash of light broke through your bedroom windows, followed by a floor-shaking boom shortly thereafter. “You were always smarter than I was.”

“Not a chance. You just never tried hard enough.”

Silence fell between you two, and the only noise in the room turned into soft clicks and the droning of your music. It was nice being able to pretend like he wasn’t there, although you couldn’t help but wonder when you started feeling so…averse towards him. Maybe it was a product of the leftover hurt of his abandonment last year, or maybe it was because of how different his presence was.

When you were little, your mom always called him the sun and you the moon. He was bright and happy, always dressed in vibrant colors and ready to stand up for you whenever anyone did or said anything mean. He loved it when you and your mom took him to the beach, in the same way you loved it when he and his mom took you up into the countryside.

You were opposites as a kid, in the way that you were puzzle pieces that easily fit together. At some point, though, other pieces were added to that puzzle, and you both were torn apart by pieces that just fit better.

“[First]! Donghyuck!” Your mom called, her voice barely comprehensible above the pouring rain and the music. “Dinner!”

You picked up your phone, paused the music, and unplugged your phone from its charger. But, before you could stand up, Donghyuck put a hand on your knee, sending a shiver down your spine. You gave him a look, mentally saying “what the hell?” but he quickly explained himself.

“Can we talk? Just for a second.”

You gave him another look but complied. “One second, Mom!” you yelled, hoping she heard. “Just finishing up a game!”

He pushed himself off the floor, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. You spun around in your desk chair, pulling your knees up to your chest and chewing on the inside of your cheek. He cleared his throat as if he was nervous, which would be surprising given his personality.

You never thought you’d see the day when both you and Donghyuck were nervous to talk to each other.

“You don’t hate me or anything, right?”

You wished you knew the answer to that.

“What? No,” you replied, shaking your head. “Why would I hate you? We just grew apart, it’s not the end of the world. It was bound to happen.”

“Yeah, well,” he mumbled, looking off to the side. There was a pause in his sentence, then he cleared his throat again. “I’m in love with you.”

The whole room seemed to freeze over. You were utterly speechless.

“Pardon?”

“I love you. A lot. Like, love you.”

Letting your mind move faster than your mouth, you replied faster than you would’ve wanted to.

“No, you don’t.”

That seemed to stun him, as his eyes widened and his lips parted ever-so-slightly. You watched as hurt filled his expression, but you couldn’t help but stick with your response. He didn’t move to say anything else, so you stood up, stretching your arms into the air.

“Look, we’re friends and all, but you don’t love me, Hyuck. You can’t love someone when you barely know them.”

Saying that probably hurt you more than it hurt him, but you stood by it nonetheless. “How do I barely know you?” he asked, standing and walking to block your path. “Did I imagine the past fifteen years or something? I practically know everything there is to know about you.”

“I’m not sixteen anymore, dude. We’re practically eighteen. The last time we talked frequently was the end of our first year,” you said, crossing your arms. “If you told me you were in love with me back then, I might’ve believed you. But, as things stand right now, you are not.”

“You’re being ridiculous,” he replied, frowning at you. “A year isn’t going to change everything about you, [First]. I knew you were weird about this, but that’s—that’s just ridiculous. Don’t you realize how ridiculous that is?”

“It’s not very ridiculous when I spent three months wondering if we were even friends anymore. You realize it took you three months to even text me back? You ignored me, pretended like I wasn’t there, and now you expect me to think you’re in love with me? Give me a break.”

“Maybe I ignored you because I was trying to get rid of the part of me that was hopelessly in love with you because I didn’t want to destroy the decade and a half of friendship we’ve built. Ever consider that? I bet not because you’re always so goddamn unreasonable with this. God forbid anyone gets too close, huh? God forbid the one person who knows you best get too close.”

“I let you get close, Donghyuck,” you spat, narrowing your eyes. “I put my whole trust into you, my entire life was you. I was nothing if not yours, and then you threw me to the curb the moment you found better people. I’m not upset about that, it was bound to happen, but—”

“But what?”

“But you didn’t even apologize.”

He scoffed at that, crossing his arms. “Oh my god, it’s not like I told you to fuck off and never talk to me again, did I? Back then even looking at you was difficult, but, for the entire three months, my friends—who you so vehemently hate—kept telling me to reach out. I thought that if you disappeared, if I pretended like I never let my feelings go that far, things would go back to normal, but they didn’t. They still haven’t.”

“Why now, then? Why now, after I already decided that our friendship was pretty much over, huh? Why did you wait? Why not after those three months? Why not any time other than now?”

You side-stepped past him, opening the door to your bedroom and approaching the stairwell. You didn’t hear him follow, but you didn’t care to look back or check what he was doing. Instead, you ran downstairs, cringing when your mom’s face turned into one of confusion.

“Where’s Donghyuck, sweetie?”

“He’ll be down in a second,” you said nonchalantly, assuming your normal seat at the dinner table. “He just needed to deal with something quickly.”

-

The summer sun beamed down on you and your friends, and you lamented the lack of clouds, or really anything, blocking the sun. You sometimes wondered why you and your friends had decided to eat lunch at the very corner of the school’s soccer field, but, when the weird time between summer and autumn hit, you were sure to remember.

“It’s so god damn hot,” Sungchan panted, flopping onto the grass. The green seemed to cradle him in a way that made him look a bit majestic, even with your ugly uniforms. Chaewon hummed in agreement, shoveling noodles in her mouth; she, like you, always brought lunch from home.

“Where’s Gowon?” you asked, glancing down at him. He put a hand over his eyes, covering the painful gaze of the sun. “Did you see her in the lunch line?”

“She’s not walking over yet?” Sungchan asked, turning his head towards you. Chaewon waved away a fly that was getting too close to his uncovered lunch, mumbling something about how bugs in the summer were always so terrible. “She wasn’t too far behind me in line. I dunno where she would’ve gone.”

“Hm.”

You scanned the field, looking for any sign of her, but she was nowhere to be found. Chaewon turned her whole torso around to look as well, looking for any sign of her. “She might’ve gotten caught up with somebody. I’ll go check, just to make sure.”

She hopped up from the grass, running in the direction of the building’s doors. You looked at Sungchan, who didn’t move at all. “Dude, P.E. wrecked me today. I can barely feel my legs.”

“You wouldn’t have to take P.E. if you had taken a music course.”

“Oh, shut up, not everybody is as perfect and lovely as you, [First],” he huffed, pushing himself off the grass. You reached out and brushed a blade of grass out of his hair, but he didn’t thank you for the gesture at all. “You’re quiet today. Is everything good?”

No, my childhood best friend, who I didn’t think even liked me as a friend anymore, confessed his love for me, you thought.

“Yeah, just a bit tired. We had a big English test today.”

“Gross,” he replied, finally picking up his tray and beginning to eat. “Man, I can’t imagine having to start preparing for my CSATs. Do you ever go home?”

“I don’t study often. I’m gonna study enough to get into a college and get a degree.” You shrugged, taking a bite out of the fruit sandwich your mom had made you after you woke up incredibly late. Suddenly, in the distance, the doors to the school building burst open, revealing Chaewon, who was dragging Gowon behind her. Gowon barely had a steady handle on her lunch tray, keeping it balanced enough that it wouldn’t spill everywhere as they ran.

“Jesus,” Sungchan muttered, taking a bite of whatever they served for lunch that day.

Gowon and Chaewon made it to you both at record speeds, with Chaewon practically sliding into her previous sitting spot. “Dude,” she began, huffing and puffing from the running she did. Gowon practically crumbled onto the floor, taking three big swigs from her water bottle. “What in the world happened between you and Donghyuck?”

“What?”

“I found Gowon, like, surrounded by his little gang as he talked to her. She looked like she was going to faint, but he pretty clearly asked where you were,” she giggled, reaching out and slapping your shoulder. “So? What is it?”

“He told me he was in love with me yesterday.”

Chaewon practically shrieked with joy, to the point where it almost made you feel bad for the outcome of his stark leap. “And? And?”

“I told him that he didn’t love me and that he doesn’t know me very well anymore.”

Gowon choked on her water, covering her mouth and trying not to spit it all out. Instead, she just coughed to the side, barely able to swallow it all down. Sungchan stared at you in complete shock, and Chaewon’s excited face morphed into a sad and confused one.

“Excuse me?” Gowon breathed out. “You what? You, [First] [Last], known for your compassion and kindness, said what?”

“I mean, he doesn’t love me. He loves who he knew a year ago, when we were still attached at the hip and he still wore that stupid yellow bomber jacket that I bought him in middle school,” you sighed, taking another bite of the sandwich. “I’m not—I’m not the same, you know? I like different things, I do different things, and I hang out with different people. He’s not the same either. It wouldn’t…it just wouldn’t work.”

“Bullshit.” Sungchan laughed dryly, giving you a sour look. “You can’t just say that to someone confessing their love to you, no matter how well you know them. I mean, imagine if you worked up the courage to confess to someone and they immediately invalidated your feelings?”

“It’s not like I don’t know that my approach was bad, but it’s the truth. We just aren’t compatible as we are now.”

“But…but weren’t you two…? I mean don’t you still hang out?” Chaewon asked, frowning.

“When he can’t make it to his other friends, yes. Snow days, the flash flood yesterday, when we had that huge dry lightning storm and the power went out. I’m his backup entertainment, and, even when we do hang out, we usually just watch movies in silence or do our own things.”

“I agree with [First].” Gowon nodded, her voice hoarse from the coughing fit she just escaped. “She has a point. I mean, you guys remember what he was like first year…nothing like he is now, y’know?”

“But it was mean to do that,” Chaewon argued, crossing her arms. “You can’t just say stuff like that. You need to apologize, [First].”

“I’ll apologize when I feel like I need to. For now,” you paused, taking a final bite of your sandwich. “I am not going to talk to him about it.”

“[First], don’t be an asshole,” Sungchan replied.

“Oh, I’m the asshole? Shall I recount when he left me in the dust last year? Or when he forgot my birthday and skipped out on my birthday dinner, which both of his parents attended, because he was going to Incheon with Na Jaemin and Lee Jeno? Or when he blew me off every single time I tried to keep our friendship going?” you scoffed, turning towards him. Gowon, who’d been the first person to befriend you after you lost Donghyuck, kept quiet, but she placed a hand on your shoulder in support. “I don’t owe him anything for being a dick, and then deciding he wants to date me. It’s a miracle I even keep him around.”

Chaewon frowned, laying off, but Sungchan didn’t seem to like your answer. Instead, he picked up his tray, pushed himself off the ground, and began a tantrum-ish march to the school building. Nobody tried to stop him.

“I didn’t know,” Chaewon muttered, twiddling her thumbs. “Sorry.”

“No harm, no foul,” you hummed, packing up your lunch box. “Sungchan’ll get over himself.”

-

Once again, rain poured outside, trapping you and your classmates in your classroom while everyone waited for the principal to announce it was safe to leave. For the most part, it was quiet, with mostly everybody parked at their desk and studying or napping. You were watching some random Japanese drama from 2008, laying your head on a quasi-pillow (your bunched-up sweater) that rested on your desk.

Everyone was tired. Of course they were, as it was a Thursday, and nobody wanted to be at school past 4 pm on a Thursday.

The sound of the classroom door being thrown open seemed to grab everyone's attention. You glanced up, cringing when you saw who was invading your peaceful, little classroom. They instantly caused everyone (who was awake, that is) to start whispering back and forth as if the visitors were the president and his men.

You were lamenting the fact that the boy who sat in front of you wasn't at school today.

Donghyuck pulled the chair in front of you closer to your desk, taking a seat so that he’d be facing you rather than the chalkboard. You didn’t move, trying to focus on the subtitles of your new show. But, it seemed he wasn’t very deterred by your current activity, as he easily plucked your earbud from your ear.

Sighing, you paused your show, pushing yourself up from the uncomfortable position. Your back creaked as you did, causing a few sharp pains to travel up your spine.

“Did you need to bring your entire posse with you? you mumbled suppressing a yawn. He shrugged, leaning his elbow on your desk and putting his head in his hands.

“My birthday’s tomorrow,” he said, glancing down at your little setup before looking back up at you. “I’m having a party tonight, though. I’d like for you to come.”

Last year, you missed his birthday party, simply dropping off a gift with his mother before it began. You remember looking out your window, staring at the lights protruding from his house at the end of the street, the kids in the front yard, and the cars parked down the street. The neighborhood you lived in was a nice one—your house was one your mom inherited, which was the only reason you lived somewhere that nice—so houses were spread out to the point where he could get away with a party.

Plus, neither his mom nor his dad seemed to care what was happening. After you dropped the gift off, you watched them drive off together, and they didn’t seem to return until the next Sunday.

You remember thinking how much you would hate to go to a party like that.

“I’m not really into stuff like that,” you replied. “I’ll drop off your gift again and say hi, or something, but I’d rather not go to a party.”

“What if I said you could lock yourself in my room and hang out there the entire time?”

You scrunched your nose up, thinking about what your mom would do if she saw the party happening again while you lazed around in your bedroom. “No studying, no partying, just useless,” she’d tell you, pinching your cheek. “At least do something.”

“I guess,” you mumbled, looking around to see everybody staring at you. In the doorway stood Huang Renjun and Zhong Chenle, both watching you converse a little too intently.

At your response, a warm smile blossomed on Donghyuck’s face. “Great. See you tonight.”

He pushed himself up from the chair, leaving it where it was rather than tucking it in. He shoved his hands into his pockets, pushing past Renjun and Chenle, who stayed and stared at you for a second more. Chenle said something, but you couldn’t hear what it was; after that, he walked off, Renjun following.

You laid your head back down, putting your earbud back in your ear, but you didn’t go to play your drama. Instead, you sat there, staring at the rain pour, slamming into the window faster than you’d ever seen it go.

You hoped he’d leave you alone after this. Getting over the loss of the person you spent nearly your whole childhood with would be difficult, but you’d muscle through it—you always did.

-

Chaewon and Gowon sat on your couch, watching you fail at wrapping the gift you’d prepared for Donghyuck. They were dressed casually for the event so that you didn’t feel out of place as you walked in and beelined for the upstairs.

“So, you’re…regifting him something?”

“Yeah,” you mumbled, ripping tape out of the dispenser. “It’s a little keychain he got me two years ago, along with a ring I put on a chain. He likes necklaces…I think. It’ll be a good way to say, ‘let’s not see each other for a while,’ you know?”

You ignored the tugging at your heart and the way your throat seemed to close at the thought, focusing on how best to wrap the small box in a way that didn’t look ugly. Because of your intense focus, you were lost on the way Chaewon and Gowon looked at each other as if they somehow picked up on the way you were feeling.

“You’re sure there’s no way you could be in love with him too, right?” Chaewon suddenly asked, causing you to perk up. You furrowed your brows at that, your heart lurching in your chest at the question. It made you nervous.

“What? No.” You shook your head, placing a final piece of tape on the gift. You held it up and examined the poor wrapping job you did, frowning at it. For a temporary-last gift, it sucked. “Not a chance.”

“Should we go then? It’s 8, we’re already an hour late.”

“Yeah,” you nodded, standing up with the box. “Now or never, I guess. Have you heard from Sungchan?”

“He’s probably there already. Heard he’s friends with Zhong Chenle and never told us,” Gowon said. You looked at her, eyes widened.

“Really? I wasn’t expecting that.”

“Yeah, well, now’s the time for learning, I guess,” she said. The three of you approached the door, slipping on shoes and putting on jackets. The moment you opened the door, you were hit with a blast of wet, hot air.

“I hate summer,” you mumbled, stepping outside. Your friends followed, and, together, you made the small trek to Donghyuck’s house. It was surrounded by cars and kids, and the sound of loud music accompanied by bright lighting filled the air. You were glad you didn’t live in a packed area, because, if you did, you were sure this would’ve gone a lot worse.

You pushed past all the already-drunk people outside, grabbing onto Chaewon’s hand for support. “This doesn’t look like a gift-giving party,” you whispered, to which Chaewon rolled her eyes, squeezing your hand.

“And you’re close to him, so you’re expected to get a gift.”

Gowon opened the door and, instantly, you were hit with the scent of alcohol and sweat, which wasn’t pleasant at all. Donghyuck’s house, having been renovated when you were kids, was the perfect location for a party like this one, with people roaming about and searching for something to do. The music drowned out anything you could hear, so you hoped Gowon would follow as you moved ahead, slipping past several people you knew (and, many people you didn’t).

The stairwell wasn’t far from the door, and you made it easily. Jaemin and Mark were lingering near it, seemingly making sure nobody tried to sneak up there and potentially steal something. You nodded your head at Jaemin the moment you made eye contact, but he didn’t step out of the way.

“I can take the gift,” he half-yelled, holding his hand out. Despite the volume of his voice, you could barely hear him and were a bit confused when he took the box out of your hands. You leaned closer to hear him, but you halfway wished you hadn’t. “Only you’re allowed up.”

You lurched back, looking at Chaewon and Gowon, who both nodded at you reassuringly. Chaewon released your hand, giving you a small smile before linking arms with Gowon. You sighed, running up the stairs as fast as you could. As promised, it was much quieter upstairs—as quiet as it could be given the surroundings—and much emptier. The upstairs looked just as you remembered it looking, with the only difference being a couple of newer pictures placed along the walls.

This felt like your childhood. A bit of nostalgia squeezed your heart as you walked down the hall, staring at pictures of the Lee family that you knew so well. Donghyuck’s parents were beautiful—unsurprising given how beautiful their son was—and that was made known by their wedding pictures, which sat framed at the edge of the hall.

You approached them, examining the bundles of photos they had put up. You remembered the several times you, as a small kid, told Donghyuck’s mother how you wanted to look just like her when she got married, with her gorgeous white gown and veil.

How ironic.

You turned the corner, approaching the final door in that section of the corridor. It was closed, and a small “do not enter!” sign was plastered on it. You blatantly ignored the directions, turning the knob and pushing inside.

His room looked different from the last time you were here.

It was darker, more mature, with more posters and less empty wall space. It looked like the teenage boy's room you’d see on a TV show, especially with the fancy computer and three monitors he had sitting on the desk. You shut the door behind you—it was kind of shocking how his room blocked out all the sound from downstairs—looking around at all he had up.

On his dresser were a few framed pictures, all of which were pictures of you two. The first one was one when you were little, two kids smiling on a playground with no worries in the world, dressed in matching sun and moon outfits. Then, there was a picture of you two at a class performance you had to do in second grade, dressed in tacky outfits that your parents had made together.

The third was a picture of you two in middle school, dressed in your uniforms roaming Lotte World, eating ice cream and laughing at whatever joke was shared between you two. You look back on that day fondly, remembering how much fun you’d had. That was where Donghyuck had gotten the keychain you were gifting back to him.

The final picture was one from your first year of high school. This one was much more robotic than the rest, both of you smiling for the picture and not just to smile. You stood far apart from each other, holding onto your school bags and looking mildly uncomfortable. Your hair was messy from a long day, and there were prevalent bags under Donghyuck’s eyes.

He looked unhappy, in a way. So did you.

Sighing, you approached his bed, taking a seat on the floor and leaning your back against it. You slid your phone from your jacket pocket, scrolling through various notifications you had. Most were from Chaewon, who was using her phone to have her and Gowon communicate with you.

“On an adventure to find a bathroom and lock ourselves insides,” read the first one, along with a couple of random emojis she tacked on.

“Sungchan is all up close and personal with some of Donghyuck’s posse. Who’d have thought they were friends when he’s such a loser lol.”

And, finally, a “Hiding in a non-crowded corner!! Only one bathroom was open, but we will survive by people watching!!”

You typed back a swift response, confirming you were in Donghyuck’s bedroom and feeling quite tired. If you had to guess, this night would end without you seeing Donghyuck at all, and you’d fall asleep on his bedroom floor, only to be woken up by Gowon and Chaewon, who’d snuck upstairs after everyone passed out drunk.

“Gowon here, and I think Donghyuck opened your gift. He doesn’t look pleased, I think. Storming towards the stairs. Fighting!”

Okay, so maybe you spoke too soon. You looked towards the door, wondering what he would have to say to you about it; maybe he’d reject it, giving it back to you and telling you to fuck off, or maybe he’d be reasonable about it, let you talk through things.

Considering the way the door opened, you assumed it to be the former.

Donghyuck practically slammed the door shut behind him, holding up the small white box that you’d put the ring-necklace and keychain in. He stared at you for a second, and you stared back, waiting for him to say something.

“What is this?”

You shrugged, looking at the box. “The sun keychain you got me a few years ago and—”

“The ring you liked to wear all the time in middle school. Yes, I know, I’m aware, but that’s not what I meant.”

You knew what he meant, but you didn’t want to. “Okay, then what did you mean?”

He narrowed his eyes, dropping to the floor in front of you. He stared at you, trying to gauge what exactly you were trying to accomplish by acting clueless. “Why are you giving it back?”

“Because I feel like we need to separate for a bit longer. Like, actually separate this time. Not the not-see-each-other-for-three-weeks routine anymore. A few months without being sun and moon, and just being two different people.”

He put the box down, crossing his legs. Donghyuck didn’t say anything, assuming the same hurt face he had when you told him he didn’t love you. “This is exactly why I never wanted to tell you,” he finally said, letting his head drop to the floor. “One chance your perfect bubble is disrupted and you’ll freak out and shut down.”

Your mouth dropped open, and you were a bit shocked at his response. You had nothing to say, nothing to defend yourself with other than the pitiful look you gave.

“But I’m going to say no to that, [First]. You can’t run every single time something doesn’t go your way. So we either figure this out right here and now, or I don’t think we’ll make it much farther as friends.”

You didn’t want to lose your friendship with him. He was the closest thing to you, the closest person to your secrets, the closest person to your happiness. You were okay with a break for a few months, maybe more, but you did not want to unfriend him for forever.

The way your heart hurt, the way your head spun, the way you found it hard to look him in the eyes and say “but we need this” was taking a toll on you. And, as you went through the motions, a little voice in your head began to say “Maybe you are in love with him, just a little bit. Maybe you have been for a while.”

“I’m sorry for ghosting you last year,” he continued, taking a deep, shaky breath. “I didn’t consider how you would feel and put myself first. I ejected you from a big change in my life, and I just assumed you’d be there to come back to after it was all said and done. You didn’t deserve it.”

You bit your lip in an attempt to keep your emotions squared off and invisible. Even hearing the apology made you want to fall apart, after waiting so long to hear anything of the sort. You remembered how lost you felt without him around, how hurt you felt when you sent text after text and yielded no response.

“Okay, I forgive you.”

It was short, but it got the point across without you bursting into tears at Lee Donghyuck actually apologizing to you. He took another deep breath, closing his hands into a fist.

“One more time, then. [First], I am in love with you.”

You sharply inhaled, looking down at the floor. “Okay. I could be, too. Maybe a little bit.”

It went silent between you, and you refused to look up from the ground. Gently, you reached out and began tracing little drawings on the floor, ones that you visualized in your mind. Saturn, the moon, the stars, the sun, you and Donghyuck, in constant orbit with each other, up in a boundless space you would never reach.

Suddenly, he got onto his knees, causing you to look up. Faster than you would’ve imagined, he shuffled over to you, encasing your face with his hands and pulling you into a soft yet heavy kiss. It left you stunned, but you didn’t seem to mind it that much.

Like the sun, Donghtuck was warm, from the way his hands managed to warm up your already burning cheeks or the way he practically emulated heat, as you felt from the close contact. He tasted like sour lemonade, perfect for a hot, summer day that had you trapped outside for the majority of the day. In a way, he was summer, carefree and bright, ready to ditch all responsibility and run off into the sunset.

When he pulled away from you, he seemed a bit embarrassed, sitting back on his feet and looking off to the side. “Sorry,” he mumbled, clearing his throat. “I didn’t ask if I could do that. Sorry.”

“I…didn’t mind too much,” you responded, looking down at the floor for the white box that held the keychain and the ring necklace. You opened it, picking up the chain and sliding the ring off it. You grabbed his hand, hoping it would at least fit on his pinky (which it did, thankfully). “Happy birthday.”

He looked down, a small scoff escaping his lips. “What, are you proposing? It hasn’t even been a minute, I mean, are you that obsessed with me?”

“Oh, yeah, For sure.” You rolled your eyes, dropping his hand so you could leave a small punch on his shoulder. “Let’s date, Lee Donghyuck.”

He repeated your idea with a high-pitched, mocking voice, and you could tell he was incredibly embarrassed. It made you giggle, and flick his forehead, to which he lurched back and gave you an incredulous look.

“Get over yourself.”

“If I do, will you take the keychain back?”

“Oh, shut up, loser.”

thank you for reading!