Tomorrow By Together - Tumblr Posts

PHONING... 𓂃 ࣪˖ Café au lait.

A new face visiting your favorite café haunts you for days afterward as you imagine what could have been if you’d said anything. Little did you know that he was experiencing just the same.

જ⁀➴♡ wc 2k ✧ fluff

There was this man who drove you crazy— a man that you knew absolutely nothing about aside from the way his eyes widened behind the rims of his glasses and the dimples he had when he smiled at you.

This man who drove you absolutely mad, to think he saw you— as his eyes passed over you and if only there had been some small mishap in that pivotal moment.

A spilled drink, a stumble through the door—his hand reaching out to steady you and it would have happened.

In the perfect world in your mind, it happened.

And in this perfect world, a whole new world would have opened up like a vortex to swallow you both into blissful delirium. The smile he gave you would be one of pure love and in that moment, in his mind, everything had clicked— you were the one he could never let get away.

But that didn’t happen. Instead, you turned away, out of shyness or indecision and by the time you turned back to stutter out an introduction, he was gone.

The first and only time you had ran into him, you were in a rush to leave carrying a tray of drinks for you and your friend as your phone continued to buzz in your pocket with questions of your whereabouts.

Barely holding onto the tray in your arms, one side tucked under your chin for extra protection you reached into your pocket to check the screen.

(11:35 AM) Na-gyung ♡: Tourney starting soon!!

There, stumbling about in frustration as you attempted to unlock your phone, you failed to realize the tall figure walking directly towards you.

Instead of the two of you walking into each other and causing a head-on collision outside of this quiet cafe, the worker behind the counter quickly took notice of the impending incident and cheerfully called out a warning.

The two of you looked up from your phones, startled and locked eyes standing right in front of each other.

His eyes cast down towards you and he gave you a small smile, weaving around you with a quick apology as he made his way to the counter to place his order.

His eyes kind behind thick rimmed glasses, you somehow had decided in that moment that those eyes were the ones that you wanted to wake up to every morning.

How ridiculous you were to believe in love at first sight.

Unlike him, you stood for a moment mentally cursing at yourself for almost running into him. And then mentally screaming at yourself for how attractive you found him.

Berating yourself for how desperately you wished that worker was instead focusing on the bubbling foam in their hands rather than the chime of the bell.

Later that day, you tried to explain the encounter to Na-gyung as she gave you a small laugh and a dismissive wave of her hand while reaching for her coffee.

“Sounds like you missed your ideal man… sorry! That’s a bummer, Y/N. But hey, at least you have your café au lait.”

There was no way to explain it without sounding completely unsound, you were sure of that as she put her headphones back over her head with a laugh and straightened her back, focusing her energy to the game she was playing for.

Too distracted by the man you had seen then, you sat back and watched the colors flashing on her monitor, mind drowning out the chatter around the both of you.

There was no way to explain it and yet, it was all you thought about.

That click you felt when your eyes met his, like the switch of a train track, transporting you for one miraculous moment, to what could have been.

Even though the ride to the convention hall had you drowning in imaginary scenarios with this man you knew nothing about, wondering if it was some sort of cosmic sign— reality was quick to intervene and with a shake of your head, you told yourself to stop chasing shadows.

Thoughts of him popped up every now and then, passing faces on the street that seemed the slightest bit familiar had you turning back.

You wondered if he had thought about you too, conveniently giving yourself an excuse to wonder about him more.

Giving yourself the benefit of the doubt and allowing yourself to imagine that this stranger had fallen as deeply into you as you had him.

You were sure what you felt was real— and you found yourself subconsciously always listening for that click.

Imagining it was the sound of your fate beckoning or somehow the voice of your destiny.

Eventually, you decided that it sometimes would only call once.

Meanwhile, Soobin leaned against the wall of the practice room, doing his best to steady his breathing after the intense choreography the group had to endure.

“Tired already?” Taehyun asked with a slight amusement to his voice. Soobin shot him a glare and he just laughed, patting him on the shoulder.

Yeonjun seemed relieved that their practice was over as he made his way to him, wiping some sweat off of his face.

“You’re not too tired to go out, are you?”

Soobin shot him a look as if to ask if he was insane, his heart beating out of his chest. The five of them had been practicing almost everyday between any scheduled appearances or meetings that they had, barely affording them any time to go out.

Normally, Soobin didn’t mind being busy as much using their fans as a source of encouragement or energy but these days he found himself growing a bit resentful at this busy schedule.

Not for any particular distaste for his job, he was forever grateful to be where he was and do something he was so passionate about.

It was because of you.

Whoever you were, that was. He’s seen thousands of faces, some more memorable than others but none as indelible as you.

The split second that he saw you, the bell chiming behind him as you both froze in front of each other at the call of caution.

The brief eye contact and the way your eyes widened as he gave you a small, awkward smile.

And though the moment happened in a flash, for him it felt as if time had frozen altogether and in that split second he had memorized every feature of yours a million times over.

He found himself thinking back to you, wanting to see you again for whatever strange reason.

Soobin had gone back to that cafe a few more times after that, never finding you but somehow always feeling as if he had just missed you.

The perpetual motion of a spinning ballerina trapped inside a music box.

The gentle tune of a piano, delicate fingers pressing down on every key.

A complete stranger who had made the most devastating impression on him simply from existing.

You were the zigzag in his straight line, something new thrown into his life to keep him on his toes.

The absence in his direction.

Anytime the bell would chime, any greetings called would fall on deaf ears as his eyes scanned the area only for him to be faced with the slight disappoint.

“Excuse me for asking but— you always seem like you’re looking for someone.” The girl behind the counter said hesitantly as she worked to make his drink.

Soobin looked up from his phone beside the counter, eyebrows raising a bit in surprise.

Then, his cheeks heated up with the embarrassment of being caught in the act of daydreaming.

“Sorry! I wasn’t trying to call you out or anything— actually, there’s this girl that comes here too around the same time so I was just wondering if…”

She paused, focusing on placing the top securely onto the cup.

Soobin opened his mouth to answer before a yelp sounded behind the girl, the boy behind her calling for as he quickly grabbed paper towels from under the counter.

“You— seriously, Jake?! The milk frother again?!”

The girl handed him his drink with a rushed apology behind spinning on her heel and going to help the boy who gave a nervous chuckle, standing back from the mess to let her take over cleaning.

Since then, Soobin had gone back whenever he had the time hoping that it was you.

Overtime, reality began to sink in as he found himself questioning why he had gone back in the first place.

If he saw you, what would he even say?

“Yo! Earth to Soobin,” Yeonjun shoulder checked the taller boy, successfully bringing him out of his fit of disassociation.

Beomgyu snickered, “he’s probably daydreaming again about cafe girl again.”

“Was not—” the defensive tone was clear to all of the guys as they shared knowing glances toward each other and Yeonjun just laughed as Soobin shrunk into himself.

Letting you slip up one day in a conversation with him, Beomgyu hadn’t let him live his infatuation down.

It wasn’t that he thought it was childish— even though they both knew it was, he was simply entertained to see Soobin so passionate about a stranger.

There was a few times Beomgyu had gone himself, searching the patrons for someone who fit Soobin’s description of you but none seemed quite perfect enough.

“Well, whether you were or not… I’m feeling like an iced americano. Why don’t we go to that cafe that you’re definitely not obsessed with?”

“Very smooth, Yeonjun.” Taehyun added.

That was how he found himself walking in, his members trailing behind him like some sort of posse.

The large cafe now felt much smaller and he began to realize just how much attention they had garnered being so close together.

The chime of the bell behind him went unnoticed as he engaged in conversation with his members tiredly, running a hand through his now freshly washed hair.

“I’m not saying that you’re an obsessed loser, what I am saying is—“

“Uh, Soobin—”

“I’m not obsessed, it’s just— actually, no. I don’t have to explain myself to you.”

“Have to? No. Do I want you to? Well, yes!”

“Soobin—”

“I gotta side with Beomgyu on this one, I never thought of you as some hopeless romantic, y’know? Your dedication is definitely cute, though.”

“What? I’m not— it’s not cute, it’s just… I don’t know how to explain it. It’s just—”

“Soobin—!”

Growing annoyed at his older friend’s bickering and blatant ignorance of him, Kai finally nudged Soobin to gain his attention and motioned toward the line they had previously occupied.

Begrudgingly, Soobin’s eyes trailed to where Kai had pointed only to freeze for a split moment.

And all over again, he remembered exactly what you were.

You were every turn taken when racing through a hedge maze, against the setting sun.

You were the tide that came in and out, like the breath of the wounded. The blood that flowed between his heart and head.

The book that was not yet written, the sentence that was not scripted.

You were the words he wished he could have said that day.

There tiredly rubbing your eyes, you gave your order and stepped aside with eyes cast down as you typed away at your phone unaware of the people around you.

Unaware or uninterested, he couldn’t tell. What he could tell was how exhausted you seemed, yet even in that state you were just as distracting as ever.

Maybe it was just because it was you.

And how you were standing there, in front of him. After slipping just out of reach so many times, he was finally looking at you again— and you were so, so beautiful.

All those times he thought about seeing you again, thinking over everything he could say and only coming up empty at the thought of your eyes alone.

Finally in front of him— no longer a sad reflection of a dream once lost, he realized why his heart had sent him to search for you in every street.

He realized he didn’t want to go a day without your smile. Without telling you things and hearing your voice back, no matter what you said.

Then, that first day searching for you had arrived and with it, the disappointment. It was so damn hard but the next was harder.

That sinking feeling of disappointment every time he had walked in was gone— it had gotten worse, and he was convinced he wasn't going to be okay for a very long time.

To experience all of this over a stranger, he was sure he had gone completely mad.

To lose you wasn’t an event— it didn’t happen once. It happened over and over again, every time he scanned for you in those walls only to come up with nothing but the lingering scent of your perfume.

He lost you every time his eyes trailed that familiar menu; knowing in his heart his order would never change.

Standing and studying it to buy some time as if that would somehow will you to appear behind him.

Whenever that one song he remembered from that day played on the cafe’s playlist, or when he would hear that bell chime all over again.

To lose you— to lose something that was never his in the first place.

But he wanted you to be. Without any rhyme or reason, he felt like he had to find you and never allow himself to grieve the loss of you again, if you would allow him to.

Always going back to that moment of brief eye contact and that ‘click’ he had heard in the back of his mind, as if all the gears in his heart stopped working— only for that split second.

He lost you every time he thought of kissing you, holding you, or wanting you.

Going to bed at night and wishing the two of you were walking down cobblestone streets instead, wishing you could tell him about your day.

Wishing he knew your name and aspirations, what small habits you had that he would grow to love like he had grew to love the scent of that cafe.

Simply for the fact that your memory— and in turn, you, existed within those walls.

“Order for Y/N?” The familiar voice of that one employee you never seemed to remember the name of— embarrassing, considering how often you had occupied the cafe— rang out and you paused your typing, looking up with a smile only to find someone else had grabbed your drink.

Your eyebrow quirked up in irritation, already exhausted from a long day as your eyes followed to see who dared to grab it out of your reach only for your heart to skip at the sight.

Those same glasses, that same smile.

Now he stood in front of you, holding out your drink of choice with that same small smile he gave you the first time you had ran into each other and you could have sworn you had seen the admiration you only dreamed of.

Maybe you weren’t crazy to believe in love at first sight, or maybe he was just as crazy as you were.

“Café au lait?”

જ⁀➴♡ phone in ᝰ.ᐟ

PHONING... 𓂃 ࣪˖ strangers in the dark.

જ⁀➴♡ wc 3k ✧ angst , fluff

After so many promises and plans that had fallen through, you found your heart couldn’t take anymore empty words. In this realization, you found yourself.

That night, you made a promise to distance yourself. Although he never confronted you about it, you could see it on his face that he knew.

With each passing day, his smile grew smaller and smaller until eventually it was left to its’ default state.

When you had decided to leave, bag stuffed with your most precious items, it had become obvious you didn’t intend on coming back.

In truth, Beomgyu grew a bit bitter at this— to let someone into his life completely only for them to come in and leave him feeling robbed.

It was neither of your faults, he tried to convince himself.

You both knew that wasn’t true.

The two of you had fallen in love through screens, through satellites that carried your words across the aching void.

An all consuming void put between the two of you by a cruel twist of fate when everything was seemingly going so well.

Night after night, you spoke about hands on bodies and lips on skin. How your dreams were filled with the memory of each other and how it was just almost as good as the real thing.

And after the silence, you would think of all the girls made of flesh and bone within his arm’s reach.

Girls far away from the place you two had grown up— girls much more experienced and well versed in the world.

It was through that screen you learned that to love someone completely was to learn from them until their traits become your own.

Texting patterns begin to change and you find yourself repeating things you’d originally never said.

There was many things he had stolen from you besides your heart. Stealing pieces of you like a thief until you became nameless in his memory.

It wasn’t hard to believe that things had to change, looking back you found yourself incredibly stupid.

The seasons changed and your heart flipped with the anticipation that maybe, just maybe, you would finally be able to spend them together— any one, you weren’t picky.

Completely stupid and gullible to believe things could last with someone like him. Someone so otherworldly.

You wondered how you could be so afraid of losing something that was no longer yours.

People changed as well, you knew. Yet he always seemed the same. Maybe that was more painful to acknowledge— that he had never changed and he remained the same boy you had fallen in love with running down school hallways.

But the thing is you knew was that you still wanted to be with him because forever and always in your heart, he remained that boy you fell in love with in the safety of his bed. Incense on vinyls shelves be damned. You never loved the gentle strumming of the guitar more.

Despite the glowing screens growing to burn your eyes through the darkness until you couldn’t keep them open anymore.

Despite the undeniable fact that he had become something— someone so much bigger than himself at 15.

You never thought about it in the moment, how neither of you had said goodbye to the other. Without any words you had shared one knowing glance from the doorway.

Desperately you wanted him to reach out to you, to say something that would make you stay. To make another promises that you knew he couldn’t keep.

In loving him so deeply, being apart from him almost hurt as badly as being with him.

The rust that grew between telephones brought you to a new realization: one that had nausea bubbling deep down inside of you.

It was worse to be nothing with him than to have him at all.

Neither of you had called the other, not attempting any contact no matter how badly the two of you wanted to hear each other’s voice.

How could you go from calling someone everyday to not remembering the last digit of their number?

The amount of times you thought about that night since could be counted on your hands, pushing the memory far into the past with the desperate refusal to dig it up.

Because you had found that night, crying in your car with your head in your hands that with time: no matter how many times you went over it, there was never a solution for the two of you.

You could run back inside, tell him that it was all some sort of prank. And you knew that he would laugh along even though he knew it wasn’t true.

It was after that you worried about. Would it have just been the same? You were sure that the two of you would fall into the same pattern.

Confessions of loneliness and promises of company would be echoed over and over, the two of you swearing to the other that you would try.

Maybe the few times you were together you would make the most of it, claiming to make up for lost time before he was inevitably whisked away to the airport again to fly out and have experiences you could only dream of.

Sometimes during those times you kicked around with bliss and he would take your foot into his hand and kiss the tips of your feet. A small playful gesture that made you stick out your tongue in some mangled expression of disgust. And he’d just laugh, glad to have you at all.

But when he would be gone in the early mornings and you wouldn’t hear from him until he fell asleep next to you again that night and you knew that those moments could never last.

Even though you knew it wasn’t his fault— his job was incredibly demanding of him, after all, you still found yourself growing to resent him a bit. How completely unfair you had been to your love.

Despite that, you couldn’t let go of him.

For some reason, his mouth was always so specific. He always knew how to hurt you with it, in subtle ways.

“Your lips taste like coffee,”

“Bitter?”

“No, sweet.”

Whenever you would say that, he’d scrunch his nose and call you a loser: always endearingly. And when he used to kiss you, you found yourself never wanting to give yourself to another.

Now any lips you met felt tainted.

Bitter with the lust of superficial attraction.

These flings had you convinced that he had ruined your sense of touch because all you could ever feel was him and the faint scent of coffee.

As winter gave way to summer, the dust motes dancing in the sunlight blurred into pixels, and you gave your heart to a photograph.

The edges were bent from being tucked away into bags and drawers, places you swore you’d never look again only to stumble upon it months later when you swear that you’re finally healing and you find yourself crumbling all over again.

Did the boy in the photograph exist still? Surely he was more mature, maybe he was cooler.

Maybe he made sure to match his socks now and maybe the playlist once named after you had remained untouched.

If you wanted to, a quick search engine could give you all of the answers you desperately needed but you knew the harm would outweigh the good.

You wondered if he was taking care of himself properly, eating as much as he’d promised. You wondered if the same songs remained on his favorite playlist or if they too grew bitter to hear with time.

And everything in you screamed at you to call him. As the numbers grew fuzzy, uncertainty taking over as you’d trail off and your fingers hovered over the button.

You knew that you shouldn't have but just when you’d pull away, the memory of a boy brought you back to the idea. Sitting, finger shaking over the button.

The memory of a boy sitting at a bus stop, large headphones providing an extra barrier for his ears to hide in underneath his hair.

From the side, for a moment, he almost looked like Beomgyu.

And as the bus pulled up, the puddle of rain water splashing over the curb and onto your new shoes. There was an ache as you hoped, hoping for something.

Then, the boy looked up and the ache in your heart was replaced with one of disappointment and the feeling of wet socks.

It was quite ironic that these encounters had always happened when it came to your means of transportation.

A boy across the train, head down as he was off in his own land dreaming of something. You almost craned your neck to look over his neighbors and see if maybe, just maybe, it was him.

In the end, the thought of being caught sent a shiver of embarrassment down your spine and your pride overtook any sense of hope as you kept your own head low instead.

It was these boys that had brought you back to him, these and many more than didn’t share any similarities with him at all.

Because even after all the time apart, you searched for parts of him in every one. Everything in you led back to him.

Suddenly, no one had better taste than him.

You found yourself growing grotesquely optimistic at the sight of his favorite snacks, only for them to grimace and tell you that theirs are surely better.

In the car, playing a song he had always loved, only for them to turn the volume down.

‘So I can hear you better.’ They’d say.

You’re sure it was to quiet your humming.

Maybe it was because he was in everything, always that you found yourself fighting to break that promise.

Finally, for a moment, allowing yourself to think back on the night you left. To feel the ache of regret that had always been lingering.

And so you broke your promise, the line ringing to a number that may not even connect to him anymore.

In the late night, calling a stranger in the dark.

“…Y/N?” Your breath hitched at his voice— a confirmation that you hadn’t forgotten his number. That you hadn’t forgotten the most minuscule and important parts of him.

“You— hi. Hi.” Behind the screen you slapped yourself for the word. After so much time had passed, that was all you could bring yourself to say.

Beomgyu propped himself up on his elbow, the neon light of his alarm clock flashing 3:30 AM.

“Do you know how l—” the tired yet teasing tone in his voice was prominent as you scrambled to bring something else up, embarrassment increasing by the second.

Because you were a fool to disturb him so late, when you knew he loved sleeping more than he ever loved you.

“Sorry, sorry. Just…”

There was silence as he waited for you to continue.

You hated the sound of your own shaky breaths.

“…How was your day?”

And to your relief, you heard him chuckle.

“Really? That’s the first thing you say after hi?”

Still tense, you attempted to loosen yourself up as you leaned back into bed.

He was— you imagined— lying down on his arm in bed, tangled in that gray and white patterned blanket that you swore you hated because it was ‘so bland’.

You’d rather die than tell him you bought that same patterned comforter just last week.

“Well… we haven’t talked in a while.”

“8 months, actually.”

You smiled.

“You counted?”

“Does it matter?”

And like it always did, the doubt came crashing down over your head as you sat upright.

As if that would snap you out of it. As if that would somehow distract you from the glowing rays of your phone— from his voice.

“…I can’t remember your laugh. In only 8 months.”

Beomgyu hummed, his voice groggy as he spoke. “…Really? Maybe I didn’t laugh at you much then, because I remember yours.”

You shook your head, “you were always funnier than me.”

The fact that he was entertaining you without explicitly asking what you wanted, you found yourself grateful for the soft spot he seemed to still hold for you.

Because you knew if it were anyone else, he’d be annoyed.

“I miss all the screw ups we had,” you admitted.

“I miss getting angry at you— I hope you know that you never deserved it but… I still miss it. I miss feeling something for someone. For you.”

Despite how late it was, your voice had him following your every word as he waited for the final confession that he wanted to hear.

“You’re the best I’ve ever had. Probably ever will have. I’m…” you tried your best to cry, realizing how completely unfair that would be to him.

How it would destroy him all over again as you did months before, walking out that door, knowing that he’d break his back to make you smile.

“Even when we’re miles away, I knew you’d still want me. I never really… acknowledged how kind you were to me. How loyal you were. Even when I was acting completely irrational because of the distance you were so, so patient.”

For Beomgyu, the compliments felt hollow. Not stemming from the idea that you didn’t mean them— he knew that you did, the sincerity in your voice was hard to miss.

But it was because he couldn’t believe them himself.

Beomgyu was sure that there was more he could have done to satisfy you, to give you what he knew you deserved.

Maybe if he had worked harder, the company would afford him a more flexible schedule and he would have had more free time to devote to you.

It was something the two of you would have argued about before and it seems, still argue about now, yet with time it seems that you’ve traded perspectives.

“No one else, just you.”

“…just me.”

Anxiously, you picked at your nails. It was a habit that you had picked up recently, one you knew you’d never really kick on your own.

There was a scale in your mind weighing the options. You could continue to dance around the topic of that thing you had once shared, briefly, in passing or you could come clean.

“…What did you think when you saw my face for the first time?”

He laughed again, seeming to grow more into his usual self (or the part of his ‘self’ that you remembered— the part of him that you loved).

“So that’s why you called? I didn’t realize you were such a narcissist.” Those words hurt, though you deserved them.

“Can you just entertain me, Gyu? Please?”

The desperation in your voice along with the slight waver had him breathing in, his own breath hitching just for a moment.

The old nickname almost made him smile as he covered his mouth with a yawn.

One thing he hated was being woken up, especially so early and yet somehow, for some reason, he still agreed.

“I think it felt like something was going to end,”

“Like some sort of foreshadowing?”

“Or, something was gonna begin again.”

“How does that work?” He laughed again, rubbing the tiredness from his eyes once more.

“I didn’t know what it was, but I knew from the moment I saw you that it was the end of boredom forever.”

For the first time since you had left, you felt your heart strings being tugged like the strings of his guitar.

Unlike the music he once played for you so skillfully, nothing played this time and you were left with the deafening silence.

In that silence, you had come to face the exact thing that you were afraid of.

You loved him for saying that. And for the intermittent years that the two of you spent entangled, you knew that he loved you back.

Beomgyu had always loved you in his own way. When he promised his time and attention to you— he always meant it.

Whether he could follow through with it didn’t matter because in the end: he wanted to.

Desperately he wanted to give to you what he knew you deserved.

And by letting you walk out that night, he believed that was what he had done.

In the end, there was always love.

Then came the crossed wires, the signal jam.

The static that grew between the two of you was dull, murmuring protest. And you would question if there were others just like you, who had found themselves caught in his orbit.

Those girls so close to him you found yourself envious of, though he never spared them a second glance. Were their worlds revolving around him as well? It was hard to believe that they weren’t.

Whether you were just another celestial body, sent up from the ground; when the moon—the original satellite— was the only one he saw from where he was standing.

In the quiet of the night, he closed his eyes as he desperately wished on that satellite.

And you wished too.

Because you loved him, in the way you walk a tightrope. In the way people learn to fall asleep in a war zone.

You could ask why so many times, but you would never get an answer. And that is when the words would come.

“I’m sorry I called so late,” you started.

“It’s okay—”

“I’m sorry for everything, Beomgyu. Really, I—“

Before you could begin to express all of your regrets to him, his voice cut you off. Gentle and just as dreamy as your misty memory remembered it.

“Y/N. It’s okay.”

And without asking again, you decided to trust him enough to believe him.

The worry you had that you were maybe too late because you didn’t know how to talk to him washed away.

Because you didn’t know how to ask him if he was okay— didn’t know how to tell him you were so afraid of losing him until he lost you.

And unknowingly, with the press of a single button, you had calmed his worries too.

Providing him the chance to tell you all the things he never could.

And so he did, sitting up in his bed and talking into his phone in a hushed tone, away from prying ears just how you had many nights before across countries and states.

The night that he told you how much light had left his life when you were no longer part of it.

How he just hoped you realized how much you meant to him, always.

“I was sad that you were gone but I couldn’t be angry. I just wished that I could remind you of how beautiful you are, in case you forgot.”

A reminder he always echoed to you in those days, worshipping every inch of you. ‘From your head to your toes.’

And his smile was so mischievous, as if encouraging you to argue back so he could convince you all over again.

“I never wanted you to think I gave up on you, Y/N. So I'm sorry I haven't told you in so long.”

“Told me..?”

You found yourself wishing that he would crack some jokes to ease the situation instead, but he wouldn’t. He had always been so unusually serious when it came to comforting you.

“That I will never give up on you. My arms are wide open. There’s always a place for you here.”

In the same fashion that he always knew how to break you— he always seemed to know how to put you back together again.

With his love that was so teasingly mean to your poor bruised heart, he’d patch you up better than anyone ever could have.

“I thought about calling you so many times. I’m sorry I took so long. I think I.. I think I was scared.”

“Of me?” He asked jokingly.

“Yes.” You answered honestly.

Running away from him, you had given so much to things that weren't worth your time.

When all along, it was the one loved that you should have carried.

And all bitterness that grew overtime was now directed towards yourself. Because he had never given up on you— it was you who had given up on him.

It was him who broke the silence.

“Last night, I dreamed we did our laundry together.”

The abrupt confession has you laughing, especially when you recalled the days you actually had done your laundry together.

Washing machine bubbles overflowing as you slipped around on soapy suds, trying to clean up the mess he had made.

Eventually, he decided to stick to being your company sitting next to you as he watched you fold.

“You did?”

And he thought of the way you organized things, folding the clothes with such care and separating them into piles secluded by color.

How you’d throw the pair of socks that you just washed at his face as you told him to change into a matching pair because nothing irritated you more than the hole in his sock.

“When I woke up, I felt sad that it couldn’t happen anymore.”

And you wanted to ask why it couldn’t, but you knew that wasn’t your place anymore.

When the two of you were in love, there was nothing else but the yearning to be close to the other. Over the phone, over the distance.

The presence was felt through a voice heard and a screen held.

Despite the dead phone lines, your souls didn’t have internal clocks or calendars, nor did they understand the notion of time or distance. They only knew that it felt right to be with one another.

Maybe that was why you had been searching for him all along, in every passing train window and the lyrics of every song.

That was always the reason why you missed him so much when he wasn’t there— even if he was only in the very next room.

And the even greater distance you had put between the two of you seemed to serve as a lesson.

Your soul would always feel his absence—it just doesn’t realize that the separation is temporary.

Hesitantly, you look down at your phone to the time. Half of you had the heart to ignore it, as selfish as that was. It was getting later into the morning and soon, Beomgyu would have to be up for his daily activities.

“I should go.” You said awkwardly, cursing yourself for never being clever enough and being so utterly predictable.

He hummed, “can I ask you something first?”

You found yourself smiling at the idea that maybe, just maybe, he didn’t want to hang up as much as you did. For the night, you let yourself believe in that.

“Anything.”

“Why is it every time we say good night, it feels like goodbye?”

“It doesn’t have to.”

“What do you mean?”

“Let’s not say goodnight then. Let’s just fall asleep like this.”

જ⁀➴♡ phone in ᝰ.ᐟ

PHONING... 𓂃 ࣪˖ Something.

Dancing with Taehyun on the ice was your favorite past time but recently he’s seeming more and more distracted.

જ⁀➴♡ wc 2k ✧ fluff

As the frosty air enveloped the ice rink, two figure skaters stood side by side, their hearts pounding in unison with the rhythm of the music.

You and Taehyun were a team, bound together by a presumed shared passion for the sport and a bond forged through countless hours of practice and dedication.

Originally partnered through word of mouth between both of your coaches, the two of you initially felt dragged down by the other.

It wasn’t that Taehyun was particularly upset that the two of you had been partnered together: you were both incredibly talented and if there was anyone in your guys’ rink that was suitable to be his partner, it was you.

Neither of you had ever worked with a partner before— that was where the hesitancy had stemmed from at first.

Despite this, both of you had the same goals for future competitions and got together with your coaches for a tryout.

As the music began to play, the two of you glided onto the ice with perfectly fluid movements. Each twist and turn was executed with precision, albeit a bit stiff at the time, your bodies began to move as one in perfect harmony with the music.

The butterflies in your stomach had their wings torn apart, stomped out with the blade of your skates as your mind reminded you what the two of you were working toward.

The last thing you could afford was having a crush on your partner— especially Taehyun with his eyes thats depths seemed to hold the secrets of the universe in them.

Definitely not.

In the fluorescent light of the rink, shimmering with a soft, warm hue, radiating warmth with every glance despite his focused expression.

When they meet yours, they drew you in as if you were falling into a flame.

Putting all of your faith and trust into this total stranger, he threw you into the air with you spinning in the air as your heart felt it could burst out of your chest.

When you landed from the perfectly executed spin, you locked eyes with Taehyun and the two of you reached out to grab each other’s hands.

The two of you were solidified as the perfect match.

In the hushed serenity of the empty ice rink, Taehyun stepped onto the glistening surface with a deep breath, his blades slicing through the smooth ice with a soft whisper.

The air was cool and crisp, carrying the faint scent of freshly resurfaced ice and salt.

He came intending to practice for the event but instead found his thoughts full of you.

Over the years, the two of you had entered an endless amount of competitions and won each time so it was frustrating that suddenly he couldn’t get you off of his mind.

With a deep breath, he began his routine, effortlessly moving across the ice. Each step was deliberate, every gesture filled with intention as he hummed to himself to fill the silence and distract himself from thoughts of you.

You and how effortlessly breathtaking you were.

It would be his luck that you had wandered in, standing just outside the rink watching him practice. A small smile tugged at your lips as you leaned against the protective glass with a knock and a wink.

Noticing you from the corner of his eye, a similar expression finds it onto his face as he can only think of how ridiculous you were to come here so late just as he had.

Maybe that was why you had been the perfect partners. Shared determination aside, there were no others as dedicated as you were.

When the two of you were passionate about something, you put your all into it.

As you watched Taehyun, you lost yourself in the rhythm as he executed jumps and spins with precision, his movements confident as he pushes himself to the limits of his skill.

In the quiet moments between the jumps and spins, you found he looked the most beautiful.

Taehyun didn’t want to be a figure skater. You knew this, it was one of the first things he had ever confided in you about.

You didn’t understand at first— this was all you ever wanted, the idea that someone as good as him wasn’t even interested in it at all was a complete surprise.

When you heard his voice for the first time, though, you understood. Taehyun was born to perform, perhaps not in this particular way, but you were sure that he was.

Despite your encouragement to pursue his love for singing, he hadn’t made anymore comments about it since. You felt disappointed for him, hearing his hums in his day to day throughout practices.

He breathed music.

If Taehyun looked as beautiful as he did now doing something that he wasn’t interested in, you couldn’t imagine how he would look on stage.

Watching him over the years: you had realized just how deep the love you had for him ran. As much as you wanted to deny it, it had always been there.

Watching him perform was like witnessing star after star exploding like fireworks, as you fixed your gaze light-years into the sky.

To him, you were everything on the ice but to you? You were only a pinprick of dust compared to him.

You often found yourself daydreaming about what it would be like if you had admitted these feelings to him outside of the rink, during your casual meet ups at cafes to discuss schedules and practice.

You also wondered if he had someone he returned to once you left. The first time you felt his presence, you began joining the dots in the sky, wondering if your stars could ever align.

As Taehyun skated across the ice, his movements become a reflection of his innermost thoughts and emotions, face a mask of concentration.

It was true that Taehyun wasn’t as passionate in his skating as you had initially believed upon meeting him. His skill was simply due to his consistent training, not any specific desire to succeed inside of him.

Though over the years, he had grown to love skating just as he had grown to love you.

Your passion and love for what you did was infectious and the smile that you would give him when the two of you nailed everything exactly how you wanted— that had become his new motivation.

With each practiced turn and twist, his dedication to get it right fueled his every step. The ice beneath his feet became a canvas of sorts.

As the routine drew to a close, he comes to a graceful stop at the center of the rink, his chest heaving with exertion as he looked over to see if you were still watching. Hoping.

When he saw you waving against the glass with a proud smile, his heart had skipped a beat and he almost swore he could have fallen dead right there.

In that solitary moment of practice he had found not only fulfillment but also you: his sense of purpose that somehow managed to break free from the confines of the rink.

In the hushed backstage area of the ice rink, you and Taehyun stood side by side, hearts racing with anticipation and nerves.

“We’re gonna do good, right?” You asked, voice wavering with a sudden uncertainty.

He smiled as he finished tying the ribbon in your hair neatly. “We’re gonna do great.”

The two of you were a study in contrasts: him tall and statuesque, you much more petite agile, yet together the two of you formed a perfectly formidable team.

“Right. Great. We’re gonna do great!” You said, a nervous laugh at the end of your sentence as you clapped your hands together.

Taehyun took a deep breath as he gently grabbed your shoulders, turning you to look at him. You hated when he did this, suddenly feeling lightheaded under his gaze.

“You’re gonna do great, Y/N. I’m not gonna let you fall.” He smiled, the warmest smile you had ever seen.

When you had first met Taehyun, he seemed so convinced that he was as cold as ice. To you, it was very obvious he wasn’t by his eyes alone and the kindness they held when he looked at you.

No matter how cold he may think he is, his love was the warmest of all.

Confidence growing, you straightened your back and nodded with a determined look.

“We got this.”

As the two of you laced up your skates, your movements were focused and deliberate, each knot tied with care.

Even before getting on the ice, your heart was beating wildly in your ears.

Another exchange of knowing glances were made, eyes reflecting a mixture of excitement and apprehension on your end as you prepared to take the ice.

With final adjustments to both of your costumes, you finally enter into the rink.

Stepping out onto the ice, the chill sent a familiar shiver down your spine. The lights above casted a glow over the ice, illuminating the stage for the upcoming performances.

As the two of you started onto the ice, graceful as ever, your bodies moved in the perfect synchronization everyone expected.

In the flurry of activity, there was a quiet confidence that radiated from the two of you, a belief in each other that gives you courage.

Repeating Taehyun’s words in your voice certainly helped to calm your nerves since you trusted him to follow through on his promise as he had many times before.

From how seamlessly he executed everything, it truly was undeniable that he was meant to be in the spotlight.

Even if he hadn’t been your partner, there was no way you could take your eyes off of him.

As the haunting melody of a violin fills the air, the two of you created a mesmerizing tableau of power on the rink.

The music swelled, your blades carving intricate patterns into the ice with each effortless glide.

Bodies intertwined in a delicate dance that told a story of loss, redemption and anything else that the audience was looking for in their current state. Telling the story they wanted to hear.

To you, it told the story of two kids who had fallen in love with the ice and each other.

Your skill was clear to every pair of peering eyes as you blended elements of classical ballet with the athleticism of figure skating. Your form was perfect, executing every move textbook.

As you soared through the air with each breathtaking leap, Taehyun found himself holding his breath as well.

The moments the two of you skate side by side, eyes meeting in a silent exchange of camaraderie, his heart beats along with the rhythm of the music.

As the music reached its crescendo, you come together in the final, breathtaking lift, Taehyun’s hands lifting you high into the air with effortless strength.

Catching your breath mid air, you scanned the crowd while doing your best to hide your expression.

For a moment, the two of you seemed suspended in time, bodies silhouetted against the backdrop of the ice rink, before you descended gracefully back to the ice in a perfect landing.

As the final notes of the music faded away, the audience erupts into applause, their cheers echoed off the walls of the rink as they rise to their feet in a standing ovation.

It felt as if your heart was going to burst and the stoic expression falls away from your face as you let out the nervous laugh you had been holding in, turning to Taehyun.

Instantly his eyes found yours and he laughed along with you, high off of the cheers and praises being yelled toward the two of you.

Amidst this adulation of the crowd, Taehyun gave you a knowing smile and your heart did a flip once again.

You knew that your bond was stronger than ever in the wake of this specific performance as he pulled you in for a hug, the cheers growing even louder.

Something changed in the way he held you.

Making way for the other couples to perform, you and Taehyun stood at the edge of the ice, waiting for your return to the spotlight.

Your eyes glistened with admiration as you watched the next pair, and then the next. Cheering out words of affirmation and encouragement to any and all competitors, Taehyun laughed.

“You really do love this, don’t you?”

You turned to him. “Did you ever doubt it?”

Standing from the bench he was at, he looked down at you and took a step forward. Unsure of how you would react if he hugged you so spontaneously, he instead grabbed your hands in his.

“I’d never doubt you.”

The moment of solidarity, hands clasped tightly together in a silent vow of support.

“Thank you for sticking around,” you started.

He nodded.

“But I want you to do what makes you happy, Taehyun. Not me.”

He furrowed his eyebrows together for a moment, an unreadable expression making its way onto his face.

“You make me happy. Being here with you, makes me happy.”

In that moment, it was confirmed in your mind that something had shifted. Maybe you had always known that the two of you weren’t just two individuals competing against the world.

It was after the competition, trophy in hand, that the two of you stood outside of the building.

Everything that had felt so scary— so final, was now over. The adrenaline had faded and the crowds had dispersed, any stragglers offering their congratulations as they passed you by.

The moonlight casted a soft glow over the two of you as you hugged the trophy close to you. The trophy that you and Taehyun had won, together.

“Taehyun,” you started.

“When I said that I wanted you to do what makes you happy… I meant it.”

Taehyun chuckled, his hand reaching for yours again. Instead of a grand confession, he expressed his love with gentle touches.

“I meant what I said, too.”

Your heart was overflowing with emotion and you looked at the ground, kicking at the concrete with your sneakers. Somehow you felt exposed outside of the rink dressed down like this, yet, Taehyun had always insisted you looked just as beautiful.

“You make me happy.”

If you were pressed against each other, you would have felt your hearts beat in unison.

As you looked up once more, your eyes met, that fragile bubble of intimacy, that you knew all too well and clung to with a sense of desperation.

“Please, don’t hold back for me. I’m happy.” You whisper, voice barely above a whisper.

Taehyun could feel the gravity of the moment and did his best to soothe you, gently tracing over your knuckles in a comforting motion.

“I know that you want to sing, and you should. So please don’t lie to me. I’m happy, Taehyun. I’m so, so happy because of all the years we’ve spent together. But there’s nothing here to work towards for you and I don’t want you to not pursue your dreams just because of…”

“Of?”

“…Whatever it is that we have.”

For a moment, there was silence, broken only by the soft sound of your breath mingling in the air.

Suddenly, he smirked and you found yourself growing irritated with his inability to take you seriously. “And what is it that we have?”

You scoffed, ripping your hands away from him in annoyance. “Don’t be a jerk!”

He laughed, reaching for your hand again and bringing it up to his mouth, placing a gentle kiss against your knuckles.

“Sorry, sorry. I know what you’re trying to say. I appreciate it, and I think you’re right.”

Your eyes widened in surprise, after so long of him denying himself the chance, he had given in much easier than you expected.

“You’re really gonna try?” The smile that grew on your face was one of pure ecstasy as he nodded.

Carelessly, you had dropped the heavy trophy you were holding, throwing your arms around him with a giggle that managed to bubble out.

The flowers Taehyun had been holding were being crushed between the two of you, yet neither of you seemed to care.

Both of you stood together, his one hand being placed gently on the back of your head as you buried your face closer into him.

“Promise to come see me on stage, then?”

You scoffed, “obviously! I love you, you idiot…”

This time, he rolled his eyes at you playfully. “Geez, really? Your confession could have been a little more gentle.”

“Whatever, says the self-proclaimed ice king.” You pulled away and brought your hand up to cup his cheek.

“I’ll be front row at every show, okay? I’m not going anywhere.”

You knew that no matter where your paths would lead you, you would always be bound by the thread of love that connects you, now and forever.

“Me neither.”

Everything about Taehyun shined to you— you loved how his eyes danced happily, and the gentle way he spoke; the way he filled your aimless days when you felt demotivated with bitterness and hope.

You had loved him as you fell to sleep, and each morning as you woke up to his new messages. When he would bring you lunch at the rink, even long after he hung up his skates.

It was never any question that your love was as timeless and enduring as the frozen surface that would always remain beneath your feet, decorated with the carvings you had created together.

જ⁀➴♡ phone in ᝰ.ᐟ

PHONING... 𓂃 ࣪˖ carnival.

Essentially becoming a shut-in due to your extreme fear of crowds, your friends are determined to take you out and show you how much fun things can be.

જ⁀➴♡ wc 4k ✧ fluff , humor , comfort , txt ot5 x reader

The carnival bursted at the seams with life under the moonlit sky. If your eyes had lost focus for even a moment it would fade into a kaleidoscope of lights over the bustling crowd.

The ambience was almost overwhelming to you, someone who didn’t know the world could be so loud outside of the safety net of your headphones.

Amidst the laughter and music, your group of friends had somehow found you waiting by the entrance pathway awkwardly. And suddenly, the scent of cotton candy and popcorn became the backdrop for your exciting night.

You found yourself anxious for what the night would bring, unaware of just how excited they were as well.

You, who walked the earth freely without your feet ever truly touch the ground. To anyone who passed by it seemed as if you floated by with the wind.

Many hands would reach for you but you, who were completely unaware, remained unanchored.

Belonging to no one, to nothing, to nowhere. Existing only in a world of music, your own little world.

It seemed that you only awarded your attention to people who you thought truly deserved it, so when you had agreed to go to the carnival with the group of boys they’d been ecstatic.

It had been a shock, in all honesty. Not for a lack of interest: you had been friends with them all for a long while, but you weren’t too keen on loud blowout events such as these and instead shied away from them. Your willingness to try and enjoy the night with them had them feeling grateful.

Soobin and Taehyun had been the most understanding initially, preferring much quiet nights in themselves with their own tendency to get annoyed by the recklessness of those around them.

Beomgyu understood but he had brought it up a few times before you had agreed, insisting that he would win you all the prizes on the fairgrounds if you came.

Kai hadn’t pressured you about it all considering he wasn’t a fan of the rides himself, not really wanting to go at all but tagging along to win some new plushies for his collection.

Yeonjun had bugged you, much more often than he would ever admit, but he couldn’t help it seeing as he just needed his best friend to come or the night would have been ruined.

Considering your distaste for these kinds of overwhelming events, you were fairly hard for the boys to make plans with. They were almost always busy doing something so when they did try to spend time together, it was usually doing fun stuff like this.

When they met you though, they were quick to recognize you for what you really were— a free spirit, a wandering star. Hard to pin down.

Yeonjun’s arm fit right on your shoulder like he was made to be there. And Kai’s grip on your sleeve didn’t feel like any extra weight, it somehow felt like an extension of you.

Taehyun’s laugh had become your favorite sound, along with the company of Soobin and Beomgyu’s constant teasing and bickering.

You grew to love your friends, any and all parts of them— you were sure that you would love them always, no matter where you were scattered throughout the galaxy.

And you had showed them what it means to hold something you can never really hold on to, always managing to slip away just in time before their confessions could stumble out.

“Looking good, Y/N! For someone who didn’t want to come you look like you put some effort in for me.”

His arm found its’ home on your shoulder as always, shifting his weight onto your frame and you rolled your eyes.

“For us?” Taehyun emphasized, waving to the other boys who followed.

Yeonjun’s eyes left you as he looked back at them and pouted out his lips with an annoyed look. “Eh.”

Confused, you gently pulled his arm off of you and turned to face him fully, leaning against the fencepost you stood at.

“I didn’t do anything different, you’re delusional.”

“Ignore him, he’s teasing you.” Soobin said before flashing you a small smile, hands placed in his pockets. “You do look nice though, like usual.”

Maybe it was the endless chatter of the people around you or the fact that said people who were rushing past you could probably hear the heartfelt compliments that had you flustered.

“Ah… thank you.”

Beomgyu fake gagged, hitting Soobin’s shoulder. “You guys aren’t subtle at all…”

Kai nodded in agreement. “It’s making me sick and I haven’t even had any cotton candy yet.”

Yeonjun’s eyes widened and he quickly waved at Beomgyu, “Eh— yeah and no way you’re gonna!” It was almost like he immediately entered himself as a substitute for their parental figures in that moment.

You found yourself hiding behind your hand as you laughed at his bewildered facial expression.

“Remember the last time? You spewed that junk all over me, I went back home looking like a troll!”

The topic of food had your mind wandering for a moment as you felt your stomach growl. Memories of going to fairs with your family as a child had hit you as you remembered what you used to enjoy before you shut away.

“…I’m kind of craving fried dough, actually.”

Taehyun turned to you, “we should get snacks, then.”

About to accept his offer, you nodded only to be cut off by Kai.

“No way, games and rides first and snacks later.”

Soobin shrugged, “why don’t we just get snacks halfway through the rides?”

Yeonjun let out an annoyed huff at your lack of attention, “yeah, yeah… fine. Let’s go.”

The six of you began making your way in, the colors bursting to life like a technicolor dream. In your opinion, it was all too much but the vibrant tents and swirling rides did pique your interest.

Taehyun snickered from beside you, “worried Beomgyu’s gonna get into a cotton candy coma again, huh?”

Beomgyu almost seemed embarrassed by what he was talking about as he turned to you with an expression of what seemed like mock offense. “It was’t that bad!”

“Tell that to my hair...” Yeonjun grumbled, nudging Soobin to switch places with him at your side.

“Whatever, your hairs fried to hell anyways!” Beomgyu said in a teasing tone.

Soobin gave Yeonjun a smile and instead turned toward you next to him, causing him to pout.

“Hey, why don’t we test our luck at the ring toss?“

You thought about it for a moment, glancing over at the tent to inspect the rewards. “For what? A goldfish?”

He shrugged.

Seeming as you ultimately came up with nothing of value from that tent, you turned your attention to the one next to it and smiled.

“Look, there’s a huge penguin plush. Kai needs it!”

Kai perked up at the mention of himself and looked over to the tent, eyes widening a bit at the size of the prize you were looking at. Despite that, he laughed.

“What? No he doesn’t, he’s practically drowning in th—“ you rolled your eyes at Yeonjun’s arguing.

“Wow, Yeonjun… don’t you want to make Kai happy? What if that penguin plush is the final one he ever gets? What if a meteor hits us right now? And we all die, sad and alone with no penguin to accompany us at our bitter end.”

You moved in front of the group of boys and grabbed Kai’s hand to lead him toward the tent.

“He doesn’t need it, Y/N. There’s a difference between need and want—“

“Okay, mom.” Beomgyu snickered and Yeonjun’s cheeks heated up out of embarrassment. All he wanted was to spend time with you, not do whatever this was.

“I do. I need it, or I’m gonna die.” Kai said, playing along with you. “Sad and alone.”

Putting on a panicked tone, you jumped back and pulled Yeonjun forward, pushing him in front of you as you shoved him toward the booth.

“Yeonjun!! He’s gonna die! Hurry, hurry! To the basketball booth!”

“Yah— Hey! Stop shoving me! And stop being so morbid!”

Next to you, Kai leaned on Yeonjun as he let out a dramatic groan. “Ugh… Y/N I don’t think I have much longer…”

Your eyes widened, “oh, no! Kai?! Nurse!! Nurse—!!”

Finally giving into your shenanigans, Yeonjun couldn’t help but crack a smile as he pushed Kai off of his shoulder.

“Yeah, yeah. I get it. Just stop yapping, you’re gonna get us dragged to the medical tent before Beomgyu even overdoses.”

“I’m not overdosing this time!!” Beomgyu called out behind you three.

When the six of you reach the tent, you wait patiently for the other patrons to leave with their prizes before you stood, motioning for Yeonjun to go. “You’re not gonna try?” He asked.

You laughed, “yeah. No way. Never, actually. Never been good at sports, don’t even wanna try.”

“Y/N… the hoops right there. It’s not even that far of a distance.” Soobin said.

Shooting him a glare, you motioned toward the booth. “Fine then, you try.” He jutted out his lips for a moment as if in deep thought then shrugged, situating himself next to Yeonjun.

The carny handed them their first basketballs before activating the rig, the hoops suddenly moving across the board in front of them.

Kai shot you a look and you shrugged.

Yeonjun was fairly confident that he could get some in, considering that he was arguably the best out of them at basketball.

Even with Soobin’s height, he was sure he could beat him.

Unfortunately for Yeonjun, your cheers of encouragement found him a bit too determined to try hard and impress you and he completely missed each shot, losing to Soobin by one single goal.

One that only fell into the hoop because Yeonjun’s ball had hit it directly into it.

That definitely hurt his ego a bit.

“Ouch! Cringe shot…”

“Thanks, Beomgyu.”

“You’re welcome!”

“So… what was the strategy there? Just wild flinging?” Taehyun asked and Yeonjun just let out a nervous laugh. “I guess I’m just off my game today.”

“Well… guess I’ll die.” You giggled at this and turned to Kai, raising your fist. “We’ll get you one of them later, promise.” He smiled and bumped his fist with yours.

“Plus, it’s not Yeonjun’s fault. Soobin just has such good luck when it comes to games, right?” You asked, following behind them as they started to walk.

“Or I’m just the best!” Soobin called after.

The scent of fried delights and sugary treats was thick in the air once more, the smell of more savory things than sweet making you wonder if you were now approaching the actual food area.

The mechanical whirring of the rides had you raising your voice as you all talked, “what about that?” You called.

They followed your eyes to see a few game machines lined up, you making your way over there.

“She’s doing really well,” Taehyun said happily.

Yeonjun nodded. “She is, isn’t she?”

Standing in front of the carnival games "Whack-a-Mole Madness," you poked at the buttons before realizing you had to enter a quarter.

Embarrassingly enough, before you could scramble around in your bag, Taehyun had come up and inserted a coin for you. You smiled sheepishly and gave him a quick thank you as he nodded, moving to the machine next to you.

“I wanna try,” Beomgyu exclaimed, rushing to the machine on your other side. “Here.” Taehyun reached over you, handing Beomgyu a coin as he thanked him.

The three of you grabbed the foam mallet and the machine began to ding wildly, colors flashing as you were tasked with squashing pesky mechanical moles as they popped up randomly from their burrows.

It was fun for a few moments before you found yourself growing irrationally annoyed at the moles that you kept missing. “Teach them a lesson, Y/N!”

With each successful whack, lights flash, bells ring, and the mole retreats into hiding, only to pop up again in another spot. You were doing fairly well, or so you thought, until you turned to Taehyun to see him expertly wack each one back down with ease.

Your eyes widened a bit, “you’re so good at it?!”

He raised an eyebrow at you. “You think so? Here, I’ll help you—“ Taehyun put down the mallet on his machine as moles began to pop up all over, similarly to yours had while you’d been distracted.

Taehyun moved behind you but before he could grab your hands to show you, the two of you were distracted by a loud dinging sound.

Beomgyu threw the mallet down hard at the machine, whacking every single mole at a feverish speed. The dinging came as the time limit ended and he laughed loudly, throwing the mallet. “HAH! I WON!”

You laughed as he jumped back to the other boys, cheering as Soobin gave him a high five.

“Nice, Beomgyu!”

Satisfied with the bragging rights that come from being crowned the (unofficial) Whack-a-Mole champion of the carnival, Beomgyu kept the smile on his face as he dramatically spun on his heel to face you. “I think you know what this calls for.”

You raised an eyebrow at him but before you could ask, he cut you off. “Cotton candy.”

Yeonjun’s eyes widened, almost in horror. “Aw, man…”

Soobin snickered, “it was doomed to happen eventually.”

“Eh, whatever. His body, his choice. You’re gonna be the one giving him a piggy back ride when he complains about his stomach.”

“Nope. Not it. Kai.”

“What?! Why me?”

“Your piggy back rides are the best.” Soobin said in a matter of fact tone.

“So? Don’t sign me up for that.” Kai argued, though everyone was well aware that if anyone actually needed it, he wouldn’t hesitate to pick them up.

“I am a grown man.” Beomgyu said with a straight face.

“With the stomach issues of a teenage girl.” Taehyun added.

Soobin gently tapped you on the shoulder, causing you to turn toward him. The smile he gave you was so sweet, you almost lost your appetite for anything else. “You wanted fried dough, right? I’ll get you some,”

Growing a bit worried at your friends beginning to separate, you grabbed onto his sleeve. “You’re all going?”

He shook his head and laughed, ruffling your hair. “We’ll be back in a few.”

Scrunching your nose up in annoyance, you began to flatten it back down. Kai lingered back as they went off, not wanting to leave you alone.

Grateful for this, you grabbed his hand and gave him a small smile. He gave yours a squeeze in return.

The two of you trailed after the others just a bit to meet in the middle, stopping at a new game booth curiously.

Soon, the others returned to see you and Kai standing side by side, armed with water guns and a shared determination. The look on the two of your faces was priceless as Beomgyu took multiple pictures with an itchy trigger finger.

The two of you were too locked in, bursting as many balloons as possible before the clock eventually ran out.

The colorful balloons bobbing and swaying on the rotating platform, you were determined to make yourself up to the Carnival Gods.

You and Kai raced against each other, trying to outshoot and outscore the other.

When the bell signaled the end of it and the final balloon burst you happily threw the gun back onto the counter and cheered. The memories of your shared fun were cherished long after the last balloon had burst.

“Yeaaah, that’s it Y/N!” You didn’t have to turn to see it was Yeonjun who had always cheered for you. Suddenly you found yourself embarrassed by how freely you expressed your excitement.

Yeonjun stood munching on a churro with a panda plush in his hands that you assumed had been the reasoning for their prolonged return.

Soobin handed you the fried dough and you gave him a quick smile of appreciation before biting into it, the warmth elevating the taste in your mouth.

Turning back to the booth, the carny stood with an expectant look on her face and you felt your face heat up once again.

“Oh! S-Sorry! Um.. prizes, right.”

Your eyes scanned them all, unfortunately not finding the particular animal you were looking for. “Hm…”

“Molang!” Kai called out, pointing to exactly that. A single Molang plush tied up by the wire in the upper corner of the booth. “They’re trapped…” You said breathlessly before motioning towards it. “Yeah! Molang!”

She laughed, pulling out a stepping stool to untie it for you and handed you the giant Molang which immediately found its’ home in Kai’s arms.

The night went along like this, fairly smooth without many slip ups. The occasional bickering between members occurred as usual but it was all in a playful manner. You found yourself feeling eternally grateful that you had come out for this night with them.

Everywhere you looked, there were games of skill and chance, beckoning with promises of prizes and fleeting glory.

In a place where thrill-seekers and romantics alike lost themselves in the magic of the moment, swept away on a whirlwind of adrenaline and wonder: all they could do was focus on you.

It wasn’t as if the group didn’t know of their shared feelings for you, in fact it had become a common topic of conversation in the hangouts they all had in Yeonjun’s room.

They all liked you: that was obvious to everyone but you.

What was even more obvious, though, was the fact that they couldn’t all confess to you. That would be much too overwhelming and confusing so rather than doing that, they all agreed to stay friends with you until they got their own moment.

Even with their feelings for you, they refused to argue over you. Besides some small jealousies here and there, they still loved each other dearly and refused to let any feelings ruin their friendship with their brothers.

Finally, it was time for the rides.

Striding towards the towering roller coaster, a mix of excitement and nervous energy coursed through your veins.

Yeonjun must have noticed and he nudged you, “it’ll be okay.”

You wanted to believe that but seeing how he himself had nervously gulped, you gave him a deadpanned expression and hoped that the ground would open up and swallow you whole.

The line snaked its way through a maze of metal rails, each twist and turn bringing you closer to the heart-pounding thrill—or rather, the fear awaiting at the ride's entrance. The distant screams of riders echo through the air, heightening the adrenaline.

Soobin seemed to pick up on Yeonjun’s inability to comfort you and made his way over from his place beside the line.

“I can sit with you if you want, Y/N. That way you can hold onto me if it gets too much.

The thought of clinging to him, as embarrassing as it was, did seem comforting.

As if clinging to him would somehow keep you grounded hundreds of feet above the ground.

Considering Soobin wasn’t initially going to even get on the ride, you tilted your head slightly. “Are you sure?” He just nodded with that same smile. You found yourself admiring his teeth.

Eventually, it was your turn to climb aboard. Taking your seat in the streamlined car, you felt the unfamiliar click of the safety harness locking into place, securing the two of you for the adventure ahead.

“It’s really not all that scary,” it almost sounded like he was trying to convince himself now and you wanted to laugh.

“You’re already high off the ground so obviously it’s not much for you.”

He raised an eyebrow at you, shooting you a judgmental look. “I’m not that tall.”

You rolled your eyes, “sure.” Beomgyu reached from the car behind you, grabbing onto your shoulders which caused you to jump as you turned back to him.

Half expecting him to make a joke about the situation, something about the railway coming undone or something. Instead he gave you a gentle smile, similar to the one he would give you at the end of a long day. One filled with comfort.

“You got this.” And somehow, you believed him.

The attendants give a final thumbs-up, and with a jolt, the coaster lurched forward, leaving the platform behind. You instantly closed your eyes as you felt a rush of air hit your face and the butterflies overtook your stomach.

As the coaster began its ascent, the world fell away beneath you, the clatter of the tracks drowned out by the pounding of your heart.

“I cannot believe you guys got me on this damn thing.” Finally prying your eyes open, you turned to glare at Soobin finding him already shooting you that goofy smile with those irritatingly cute dimples.

“It’s not our fault you’d do anything for us!” He called out.

With each passing second, you climbed higher and higher, the anticipation building with every foot gained.

“Plus, who would want to miss this view?”

At the peak, you paused for a moment, suspended in mid-air, taking in the breathtaking view spread out before you.

And you wanted to argue back, tell him that you regretted getting on the ride and regretted coming altogether. But you couldn’t because as you looked down at all the neon lights flashing in the darkness and how beautifully they blended together, you realized he was right.

The sight was beautiful, but it was even more beautiful because you were seeing it with them.

The wind rushed past, tugging at your hair and clothes, as you braced yourself for the exhilarating descent.

And then, with a sudden plunge, you were off, hurtling down the steep drop at breakneck speed. Your screams quickly turned into laughs that mixed with the others.

The world blurred around you as the coaster twisted and turned, banking sharply around curves and rocketing through loops.

Despite your fear being overtaken by joy, you still found yourself clinging to Soobin’s arm as you laughed. His face held a strange look of pride and admiration for you— not that you had looked to notice.

The force of gravity had you both pinned you to your seats, adrenaline coursing through your veins as you surrendered yourself to the wild ride.

As the coaster finally screeched to a halt back at the station, you found yourself breathless and exhilarated, a wide grin plastered across your face.

The rush of adrenaline was still coursing through your veins as you and the others stepped off the ride, pumped up and ready to take on whatever thrills the carnival had to offer next.

Approaching the carousel, it greeted you all with the enchanting melody of its whimsical music. You found yourself drawn closer with each playful note.

It was certainly a step down from the roller coaster but you still insisted on going on it. They didn’t bother to argue, just glad you were enjoying yourself.

“This is like going on the zip line and then going straight to the teacups.” Beomgyu commented as you inspected the vibrant carousel horses, each one adorned with intricate details and bright colors.

“Don’t be a hater. I just want to admire their ‘timeless dance’.” You said jokingly as you pointed to them simply moving up and down.

“We can just make a ‘timeless dance’ by ourselves,” he argued, grabbing your hand and you shook your head, pushing him back from you gently with a laugh.

As you all stepped onto the platform, the air was heavy with the scent of freshly painted wood. You chose a random white horse, running your hand along its smooth surface and felt the cool, polished wood beneath your fingertips.

In truth, you mostly wanted to ride the carousel to admire the art of it. It’s true that you had a fear of these dramatic rides but this was the exception, it was something nice and sweet that reminded you of your childhood somehow. It felt nostalgic for all of you as you all climbed aboard.

With a graceful sweep of the floor as everyone lifted their feet to stabilize themselves, the carousel began to spin. The platform beneath your feet started to rotate, and you leaned your head on the pole you clung to, turning to Beomgyu.

“I think I might fall asleep on this thing.” He said.

“Thanks for coming, anyways.”

He paused for a moment at the sincerity in your voice, looking you over as you blinked anticipating his response. “Nah, no way I can sleep now.” He said simply.

“Not when you look at me like that.”

Pausing for a moment as his words hit you, you brushed it off with another laugh as you hid your face in your hands and turned forward to the others conversing as they rode.

Around and around you went, rising and falling in time with the music, the wind whipping past and you found yourself laughing.

The cheerful chime of the carousel's music box almost sounded like a symphony.

You caught glimpses of the carnival unfolding around you: children with sticky fingers were clutching oversized lollipops, couples stealing kisses beneath the twinkling lights, and families laughing and smiling as they shared the magic of the moment.

It made your heart swell as you came to realize exactly what you had been missing and how lucky you were to have friends to help you come out of your shell.

And then, all too soon, the carousel began to slow, bringing your ride to a gentle stop. Slightly disappointed, you furrowed your eyebrows together.

Beomgyu excitedly jumped down and held his hand up for you to grab as you climbed down.

In that moment, a sense of contentment washed over you, lingering like the fading strains of the carousel's music.

With a smile on your face and a skip in your step, you stepped back into the bustling carnival, carrying with you the memories of the ride.

You all stepped into the queue for the Ferris wheel, anticipation hanging thick in the air. The towering structure loomed above, spokes reaching for the sky, promising a bird's-eye view of all the chaos below.

Looking up, you found yourself growing as anxious as you were excited.

“Huh…?” While staring, you realized that the ferris wheel had only seated two people, like the roller coaster.

Unlike the roller coaster though, the seats were separated with quite a distance between each other, meaning that you and whoever you sat with would be alone.

For some reason, your heart jumped at this. The idea of being alone with someone so close.

“There’s only room for two people?” You asked, even though you knew the answer.

Taehyun laughed and nodded, “you didn’t know?”

Frowning, you shrugged. “I thought that maybe it would be one of those big ones that sat everyone…”

He shook his head, “sadly not.”

As you inch closer to the front of the line, the rhythmic clinking of the cars ascending and descending fills your ears.

Standing before the entrance, the worker looked at you expectantly before glancing at the boys behind you.

You turned to face them and they all gave you an encouraging smile, each one as sweet as the one before.

“So, who’s it gonna be?”

[Choice 1: Soobin.] ★ [Choice 2: Yeonjun.] [Choice 3: Beomgyu.] ★ [Choice 4: Taehyun.] [Choice 5: Kai.] ★ [Choice 6: None.]

જ⁀➴♡ phone in ᝰ.ᐟ

PHONING... 𓂃 ࣪˖ carnival.

Essentially becoming a shut-in due to your extreme fear of crowds, your friends are determined to take you out and show you how much fun things can be.

selected: [ soobin's song ] replay? ✧

જ⁀➴♡ wc 1k ✧ fluff , humor , comfort

As you inch closer to the front of the line, the rhythmic clinking of the cars ascending and descending fills your ears.

Standing before the entrance, the worker looked at you expectantly before glancing at the boys behind you. You turned to face them and they all gave you an encouraging smile, each one as sweet as the one before.

“So, who’s it gonna be?”

Looking at each of them, it felt almost impossible to pick just one. The feeling that everyone was waiting on you made you even more anxious, the idea of annoying the people around you getting your nerves up even more.

“Hey, Y/N it’s fine. Take your time.” Taehyun commented.

The small smile he gave you was enough to have you letting out a sigh of relief, though the beating in your chest was still as fast as ever.

“Um… Soobin!” You said a bit loudly, almost like a cheer.

“I win!” Soobin said causing Yeonjun to roll his eyes with an annoyed huff, watching as he made his way toward you.

The ride attendant quickly got the both of you situated and gave a thumbs up before moving onto the next passengers.

With a lurch, the Ferris wheel began its slow ascent.

As the ferris wheel raised, Soobin sat comfortably, seemingly without a care in the world and you couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.

His calm demeanor was a contrast to everything around you, the excitement of the lights below taking up your attention.

Even though he was introverted, he did so well at huge events like these. You’d almost be jealous if you didn’t admire him so much for it.

Soobin’s eyes were focused on you, your eyes sparkling with the reflection of the colorful carnival.

“What can you see?” He asked.

“What do you mean?” You turned to him, only to find him staring at you with a look that almost seemed like he was lovestruck.

Rather than answering his own question, he looked down and began retracing your footsteps throughout the night over the landscape, as if he was following a map.

In truth, all he could see was remnants of you.

In the gentle sway of the carriage, he nudged you, pointing down toward the carousel the group had previously been on.

From high up, it looked so small yet you could still hear the gentle chimes if you focused hard enough.

And if you closed your eyes, you could still see all the small details on that horse.

“I’m really glad I came with you guys,” you started swept up in the moment.

The lights down below began blur with a magical glow over the shared space.

“I’m glad that you’re here, especially.”

Soobin’s eyes widened a bit behind his glasses as he fixed them with a smile. “Yeah?”

Maybe it was the enchantment of the lights down below or the stars above, but your mind had been yelling at you to come clean to him in the moment.

The scariest part of the moment wasn’t him but how unwaveringly certain you had been in choosing him.

“I like you.” You mumbled, words carried on the breeze between you.

In the moment of vulnerable honesty, he responded with a hum.

“Well, I love you.” His voice was nothing but kind and certain. Your eyes widened, quickly turning to face him in surprise at the sudden confidence.

Soobin laughed, his admission breaking the serene silence as you were carried higher, above the world below, over the rainbow lights.

“You had to one up me?” You asked, nervous if he was joking.

Soobin gave you an almost judgemental look, sensing your apprehension in believing him.

“I'm not asking for a grand declaration of love back. If you just like me a little, that’s fine.”

Embarrassed, you looked away. He smiled, putting his arm around your shoulder, pulling you in closer.

“I'm not asking for promises or tenure, I just want you to know that you’re the hand I reach for at my breaking point.”

In the way he wanted to become your home; you had become his island. A place of solitude he could wander to when seeking comfort.

“I reach for you too,” you started quietly. “I think you’re just better at words than me, but I do love you too..”

“I’m not good at words, at all actually.”

“Dude, you just recited like… some romantic poem or something as a confession!”

Soobin stared off into the distance, lips jutted out slightly in thought before he shrugged.

“Hm? I don’t think it sounded like anything too special, it was just the truth.”

Burying your face into his shoulder, you refused to look at anything else as you sighed.

This made him chuckle again as he began pointing things out to you to get you to look down.

The small sights of couples play fighting and your friends conversing down below somehow calmed your aching nerves.

In truth, it had been to calm the both of you down.

Even if he did a good job at not showing it in the moment, the internal freak out he had on ground in the wake of being picked by you had shook him quite a bit.

Not that he would admit it, the last thing he needed was you making fun of him.

Regardless, the words he had been waiting to tell you for however long had finally been spoken, a wave of contentment washed over him.

Soobin, who would always speak your name with gratitude, knowing it was the mantra of his soul.

Forever grateful to know you in any way you would allow him.

The man who would leave markers for you at every turn so if you had ever gotten lost, you would know where to return to.

Soobin who could find pieces of you in everything that caught his breath.

Somehow, you had never felt more loved than you did at this moment.

“Y/N, you’re special to me in ways that I can’t describe. You are love at its most inexplicable.”

જ⁀➴♡ phone in ᝰ.ᐟ

PHONING... 𓂃 ࣪˖ carnival.

Essentially becoming a shut-in due to your extreme fear of crowds, your friends are determined to take you out and show you how much fun things can be.

selected: [ beomgyu's song. ] replay? ✧

જ⁀➴♡ wc 1k ✧ fluff , humor , comfort

As you inch closer to the front of the line, the rhythmic clinking of the cars ascending and descending fills your ears.

Standing before the entrance, the worker looked at you expectantly before glancing at the boys behind you. You turned to face them and they all gave you an encouraging smile, each one as sweet as the one before.

“So, who’s it gonna be?”

Looking at each of them, it felt almost impossible to pick just one. The feeling that everyone was waiting on you made you even more anxious, the idea of annoying the people around you getting your nerves up even more.

“Hey, Y/N it’s fine. Take your time.” Taehyun commented.

The small smile he gave you was enough to have you letting out a sigh of relief. Beomgyu swayed back and forth on his heels, clapping his hands together.

“One, two…” he began counting down dramatically, motioning for you to hurry up as people behind him waited.

Shooting him an irritated glare, you reached over the chainlink and grabbed his hand. The action quickly made him stop and a wide satisfied grin made its’ way onto his face.

“Hah!” Beomgyu shoved the stick of cotton candy he had been holding in Yeonjun’s hand as the boy took it with a confused look before shrugging, taking a bite from it.

Stepping forward, the two of you step onto the gondola as the attendant begins to follow the safety measures.

“Hey, Y—”

“Gyu, if you start tweaking on this ride when we get up there I’m flinging you off and then myself.”

Beomgyu’s wide smile fell and he blinked slowly, hands clasped together. “Oh!”

With a lurch, the Ferris wheel began its slow ascent, the ground falling away beneath and butterflies beginning in your stomach.

“I wasn’t going to, what I was going to say before I was so rudely interrupted is that it’ll be fine. This is like, the second safest ride after the carousel and you did fine on that.”

The carnival buzzed with excitement below as the sounds blended with the lively atmosphere.

You let out a huff, turning toward him. “That’s a kid’s ride.”

“And so is this! Ta-da!”

“Right. Thanks, Beomgyu.”

The same mischievous grin never left his face and you found yourself more focused on him than the strange jumps in your heart.

Despite your nervousness, you couldn't help but laugh, grateful for Beomgyu’s lightheartedness.

It was obvious he was putting up his usual act to entertain you but you found yourself appreciating it as a nice distraction.

"Thanks for always making me laugh, at least.” you said, voice filled with gratitude as you swung your legs back and forth.

He noticed the motion and let out a sigh of relief, grateful that he had managed to calm you down enough that you were seeming more comfortable.

He flashed you a boyish grin, eyes sparkling. "Anything for you, Y/N~”

You cringed at the high pitched voice he put on as he puckered his lips towards you, shoving him away with a choked laugh.

The quick distraction seemed to lose your focus as the ferris wheel reached its peak and your nerves seemed to resurface.

Beomgyu was quick to notice and reached out, placing a hand under your chin and turning your face to him.

"Don't worry, Y/N. I'm right here with you," his voice was soft and comforting and you almost felt nauseous at how gentle he had been.

The whole time, even with getting swept up in the rush of the night, he always seemed to hold himself back for you when he knew you needed it.

“Yeah, right. You’re always here aren’t you?“

“Always for you, that’s why I’m your favorite.”

“Hm… are you?”

“Would I be here if I wasn’t?” His voice was teasing, although it sounded like a genuine question.

“I guess not.” It came out in a mumble, you not wanting to fully confess that he had been right.

“You’re always on my mind, that’s for sure.”

Hearing this, Beomgyu gave you a curious look before confidently grabbing your hand in his and holding it up in front of you. “All according to plan, then.”

This time it was your turn to give him a confused look, tilting your head to the side slightly. “What do you mean?”

He smiled, “I always want you to think about me. I want there to be some tiny particle of thought that always holds a piece of me, just like how you’re always on my mind.”

Every word was the truth— Beomgyu knew that the world wouldn’t end if you had slipped out of his life but he was sure it would stop turning entirely.

You had come to fit in his life like a recurring dream, unknowingly invading his every thought like he wished he could for you.

Even when only an arm's length away—it felt like you were somewhere else, in your own world entirely. He would reach out and touch you, only for his hand to come up empty.

You almost felt sick from how flushed you felt, eyes searching for any sign of a joke but only finding a look of pure sincerity. Any mischievous glint before had completely melted away.

“You think of me?” You asked, almost breathless.

“Obviously, I do. I love you.”

You felt a wave of warmth wash over you, all you could focus on was how breathtaking Beomgyu had looked.

In the moment there was no humor in his voice, just genuine affection. It would almost be alarming if you hadn’t known him as well as you did.

There wasn’t any need to question it, his love was always there just bubbling underneath the surface. Maybe he just expressed it in his own way.

“I do too.”

“Think of me, or love me?”

“Well both… obviously.” You said, mocking his tone from moments earlier.

Your heart was pounding in your chest at the admission as you noticed the way his gaze softened while he looked at you. A way you’d only seen in your daydreams.

As you rise higher and higher, the carnival below seemed to be drowned out even with how bustling it had been.

The sounds of laughter and music faded to the background and all you could focus on was the sound of the wind and the gentle creaking of the wheel as it turned.

Without hesitation, Beomgyu brought your hands held up between you to his mouth. You smiled, embarrassed as he placed a gentle kiss to your knuckles.

The cute moment didn’t last long before he gently bit down on your hand, causing you to jump and pull it away from him as he snickered.

“What is wrong with you?” The seat shook slightly due to you jumping and you found yourself quickly grabbing onto his arm, clinging onto him.

“Are you crazy?”

“Crazy over you~”

“…Yuck.” A quiet laugh left your lips, shortly followed by a deep breath as you calmed yourself for the final time.

Despite the fact that your seat had stopped shaking, your grip on his arm stayed the same.

The wheel began its descent as the two of you sat in a comfortable silence, the soft chiming music below slowly coming back into focus.

“Y/N?”

“Hm?”

“I hope that little by little, you find yourself thinking of me, until you wake up one morning and realize you can't think of anything else, because I’ll always be here.”

જ⁀➴♡ phone in ᝰ.ᐟ

PHONING... 𓂃 ࣪˖ carnival.

Essentially becoming a shut-in due to your extreme fear of crowds, your friends are determined to take you out and show you how much fun things can be.

selected: [ taehyun's song.] replay? ✧

જ⁀➴♡ wc 1k ✧ fluff , humor , comfort

As you inch closer to the front of the line, the rhythmic clinking of the cars ascending and descending fills your ears.

Standing before the entrance, the worker looked at you expectantly before glancing at the boys behind you. You turned to face them and they all gave you an encouraging smile, each one as sweet as the one before.

“So, who’s it gonna be?”

Looking at each of them, it felt almost impossible to pick just one. The feeling that everyone was waiting on you made you even more anxious, the idea of annoying the people around you getting your nerves up even more.

“Hey, Y/N it’s fine. Take your time.” Taehyun commented.

The small smile he gave you was enough to have you letting out a sigh of relief. “Do you want to come with me?” You asked, voice hopeful.

His eyes widened for a moment before nodding.

“Man… no fair.” Beomgyu whined.

“Can it, motor mouth. You’d probably throw up your cotton candy on Y/N anyways.” Yeonjun said, motioning for the two of you to go ahead with a smile.

Taehyun steps next to you, stepping into the open-air gondola as the attendant began to secure the safety bar.

“Are you excited?” He asked.

“Excited? Yes! Nervous..? Also yes. Somehow? Yes.”

The attendant gave you a friendly nod and tight smile before stepping off.

With a lurch, the Ferris wheel began its slow ascent, the ground falling away beneath you as the world took on a new perspective.

Taehyun seemed so calm and collected, a stark contrast to your sudden jittery nerves.

It wasn’t necessarily the fear of heights weighing on you now but the intense awkwardness of being so close, alone, with Taehyun.

A million thoughts of embarrassing yourself in front of him ran through your mind and none of them seemed appealing in the slightest.

You couldn't help but fidget with the hem of your shirt. Taehyun seemed to notice your continued unease and gently placed a hand on yours.

"Hey, don't worry. I'm right here with you," he said, his voice soft and soothing as always.

You felt a rush of warmth at his touch and his words, nerves beginning to subside again. Nodding, you gave him a grateful smile in return.

“I’m actually kind of surprised you picked me,” he started.

“I’m really glad, though.”

“Yeah… I mean, I’m glad too! I kind of realized we haven’t been able to get a second alone, so…”

“You wanted a second alone with me?” His voice was playful as he gently nudged your shoulder and you puffed out your cheeks with a huff.

“You know I hate when you guys tease me. That’s not what I meant…” your voice trailed off though, unwilling to defend yourself.

Especially when you had wanted a moment alone with him.

As the ferris wheel continued to ascend, you couldn't help but steal glances at Taehyun, his profile illuminated by the twinkling lights below.

His eyes were widened the slightest bit, the lights of down below reflecting in them like stars. The smile on his face was wide, almost child-like but as always infectious.

He seemed so at ease, gaze fixed on the horizon as you rose higher and higher.

"You know," he said, breaking the comfortable silence between the two of you, "I used to be pretty bad with crowds too when I was younger. The smallest bit, so I won’t pretend to completely understand your anxieties but I can sympathize.”

You chuckled nervously, feeling suddenly embarrassed by your own fear. "I guess I have a lot to learn from you," you admitted.

He shook his head, turning toward you. “You’re already fine. Truthfully, I was a bit worried but you did really well today. I’d even say you had fun for once in your life.”

You scoffed in fake offense, “I have fun in my life.”

“I’m sure you and those headphones have lots of fun almost walking into ongoing traffic. What I meant was, I’m glad we got to experience this with you.”

As the ferris wheel reached its peak, he turned to face you as much as he could, eyes sparkling with warmth.

“And there’s something I've been wanting to tell you," he said steadily as if he could scare you away somehow. Suddenly his voice was tinged with emotion.

It almost felt like there was an anvil hanging over your head ready to drop at any moment.

As cartoonishly ridiculous as that comparison was, in the moment all you hoped for was that he would say what you had been thinking.

Heart skipping a beat, your stomach began to flutter as you cursed yourself for snacking earlier.

“You can tell me anything, Taehyun.” The use of his name had him looking away, almost looking embarrassed for a moment.

He took a deep breath, returning his gaze to you. It was rare to ever see him nervous like this. "I really like you, Y/N. As more than just a friend. Well, more than like.”

All Taehyun could focus on was the feeling of your hand in his and how right it felt to him.

The weight that had finally been lifted off of his shoulders as he uttered the words, “I love you.”

And to him, it was true, every word. For Taehyun, loving you had come as natural as breathing.

Maybe you hadn’t noticed it because of how overwhelming everything had been in the world around you, but he was always there watching out for you.

Because to love you was about multitudes, the exact thing that you despised. Even if you disliked it, everyone was drawn to you without you knowing.

A love that is inordinate.

"You do?" You asked, voice squeaking a bit at the end.

The nervous look on his face quickly washed away as he laughed at that reaction and you audibly groaned, swatting at him.

“Don’t laugh! You can’t just drop that on me up here!!”

“Is there a better place?”

“Then the top of a ferris wheel?! Uh, yeah! What if I like— jumped off?”

“So you’d kill yourself to reject me? That’s a bit dramatic.”

“What?! No—! I’m not rejecting you— and I’m not killing myself either. Or, I wouldn’t. I am very happy with my life, actually!”

Taehyun nodded, that playful glint in his eyes.

“I believe it.”

“You’re kind of a jerk for this…”

“You invited me.” He shrugged.

“You’ve been plotting on my downfall this whole night, huh?”

"Yep. But I have to admit, seeing you so nervous up here is kind of adorable."

A wave of relief washed over you with the moment of silence, heart beating out of your chest.

“…You love me.” You said to yourself, repeating it in your head almost like a mantra to convince yourself.

Taehyun laughed, “undoubtedly so.”

“How much?” Your voice was hopeful, somehow finding it in yourself to squeeze his hand.

When the others had asked him, he couldn't find the words to answer back then.

But in front of your hopeful gaze, the words had finally found their way to him.

“If you asked me to, I would drain all the seas around the world and count every grain of sand that clings to the ocean floor.”

“Wow.”

The carnival below was a colorful tapestry, lights twinkling like stars against the night sky.

The sounds of laughter and music drift up to meet the two of you, mingling with the gentle creaking of the wheel as it turns.

“That’s all you’ve got?”

“Shut up, I’m overwhelmed! That’s like really romantic and this is way better than I ever dreamed of so I’m just… speechless. But thank you.”

He hummed in response, “don’t thank me.”

Looking at him in awe at the sheer magnitude of his admission, you let out a sigh of contentment.

“…I love you too, Taehyun.”

As the ferris wheel began its descent, you leaned in closer to him, placing your head on his shoulder.

“So you dreamed about me confessing to you?” he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

“Please don’t ruin my coming of age romance scene right now.”

Secretly you had hoped that the ride would never end and you could stay there, breathing him in as you watched the lights together.

“Y/N?”

“Yeah?”

“I’ve counted every beat of my heart that has echoed since I met you.”

જ⁀➴♡ phone in ᝰ.ᐟ

PHONING... 𓂃 ࣪˖ carnival.

Essentially becoming a shut-in due to your extreme fear of crowds, your friends are determined to take you out and show you how much fun things can be.

selected: [ kai's song.] replay? ✧

જ⁀➴♡ wc 1k ✧ fluff , humor , comfort

As you inch closer to the front of the line, the rhythmic clinking of the cars ascending and descending fills your ears.

Standing before the entrance, the worker looked at you expectantly before glancing at the boys behind you. You turned to face them and they all gave you an encouraging smile, each one as sweet as the one before.

“So, who’s it gonna be?”

Looking at each of them, it felt almost impossible to pick just one. The feeling that everyone was waiting on you made you even more anxious, the idea of annoying the people around you getting your nerves up even more.

“Hey, Y/N it’s fine. Take your time.” Taehyun commented.

The small smile he gave you was enough to have you letting out a sigh of relief. Turning your attention to Kai who had been fidgeting with his Molang you both had won earlier, you held out your hand to him expectantly.

“Kai, do you want to come with me?”

He seemed a bit surprised before flashing you a toothy grin and nodding, stepping towards you.

The two of you step onto the gondola, feeling a thrill of anticipation.

Kai wasn’t a fan of the fairground rides himself but considering the speed of the ferris wheel, he wasn’t as anxious as you.

The attendant secures the safety bar and gives you both a friendly nod.

With a lurch, the Ferris wheel begins its slow ascent, the ground falling away beneath you.

You blow air out that you had been holding in as you hesitantly let go of the bar and brought your hands up to your face.

“Do you want to hold Molang?” Kai offered, sensing your growing anxiety.

“Oh, for sure. Yes, I do.” Almost snatching the plushie out of his grip, you quickly took it and squeezed it.

He laughed, “jeez, Y/N. It isn’t going anywhere.”

As you rise higher and higher, the carnival below has its’ colorful lights twinkling like stars.

Unlike you, Kai finds himself focusing his eyes up towards the sky.

“Y’know, I had a dream about you last night,” he spoke up in a playful tone. You assumed that he was trying to help calm your nerves a bit.

Turning towards him with a small smile, you raised an eyebrow at him. “Oh, yeah?”

“Well, us.” The way the word ‘us’ had rolled off his tongue so naturally made your chest tighten.

Maybe it was the fact that he had always been the one you felt most comfortable with, despite how much time you had spent with them all.

“In my dream you and I were standing on the surface of Jupiter's moon.”

“The moon? So, not even Jupiter? Isn’t that kind of strange?”

“Not really, maybe we’re just capable of reaching even bigger heights than others dream of.”

“Maybe… you’re so optimistic.”

“I try to be,” he paused for a moment, finally bringing his gaze down to the scene of the carnival with an unreadable expression. He almost seemed sad for a moment.

“I really admire you for today.” You searched his gaze as he faced you, seeing the sincerity shining through.

“Admire? For what?”

“You did really well today, I know you’re probably gonna say it wasn’t that big of a deal but it should be.” His voice was full of warmth and affection and you found yourself sinking back into the seat.

That weird, fuzzy feeling he always gave you returned and you couldn’t bring yourself to fight him on it.

“I… thanks, Kai. I’m kind of proud of myself, too?” It came out as more of a question and he frowned slightly. It had always been difficult for you to acknowledge your own small victories.

But then you smiled, “I don’t think I could have enjoyed it as much as I did without you guys.”

Kai felt himself grow more at ease with your words and your presence bringing a familiar comfort. With a yawn, he looked back up to the stars and brought a hand up to point toward the sky.

“…In my dream, we were floating. It was really weird but we were weightless, I guess. But we were free together.”

Just like before, the word together had you holding your breath.

“I think it showed me what I already knew, though.”

“What is that?”

His finger that was pointing at the sky had been brought down slowly, pointing towards the two of you in a back and forth motion.

“That we’re tethered together here, too.”

The drum in your heart seemed to be reaching its crescendo in the moment, feeling as if your heart was trying to jump out of your chest and climb in to hug his.

“Y-You think so?”

Kai nodded, a comfortable smile on his face. You found yourself focusing on the crease by his mouth and how much you liked it among all his other features.

Everything about him was so perfectly crafted.

“When I met you there was a feeling of… inevitability? Maybe I was hoping that there was, hoping for that moment when you would look at me in a certain way and we would be something more.”

“Did it ever come?” His eyes caught yours and saw the same hope reflecting back at him, motivating him to breathe out the words he had echoing in his mind.

“I think this is it, don’t you?”

The sounds of laughter and music drifted up to meet the both of you, mingling with the gentle creaking of the wheel as it turns.

“I… think so too.”

Even though there wasn’t any need to say it, even though there was already a mutual understanding, Kai couldn’t help but say what he had been waiting to for so long.

“…I love you, Y/N.”

“Really?” For a brief moment, he had worried if there was ever a moment he had made you feel unloved. Worried if he had ever given you a reason to doubt him.

“Truly. I think you were always meant to know me a little better than everyone else,” he started with a small laugh.

“And I think I was meant to make sure everyone else knows you too, because you’re something too precious to be hidden.”

Coming into your life, Kai was taught a love he wasn’t sure he would experience in his life— and he thought, there was a sense of ownership in knowing.

Kai had let you in and you claimed parts of him— unknowingly flying your flag over uncharted territory like the pioneer you had always been.

And in knowing him, you knew that the two of you melted into each other, from then onward ceasing to belong wholly to yourselves and instead sharing custody of the others’ hearts.

“I feel the same way.” Your heart had been going almost too fast for your mind to catch up, bringing the Molang plush up to your face as you let out a silent scream.

Kai laughed at this, tugging on it to pull it away from your face.

“You can’t look at me now?”

Your eyes met and all the embarrassment on your face was replaced with pure admiration seeing Kai with a backdrop of stars. How perfectly at home he seemed among them.

“I love you too… Kai, really.”

He hummed, poking your cheek. “I’m relieved.”

Suddenly he let out a nervous laugh, “really relieved, actually. I think I was more nervous about this ride than you.”

“Yeah, right..”

There was a moment for silence as the wheel began its descent, the music growing louder and louder as it went down.

A part of you wished you had the ability to freeze the moment forever, to stay with him.

“Y/N, let’s promise to go to Callisto in this world too. Together. Then our feet never have to touch the ground.”

જ⁀➴♡ phone in ᝰ.ᐟ

PHONING... 𓂃 ࣪˖ carnival.

Essentially becoming a shut-in due to your extreme fear of crowds, your friends are determined to take you out and show you how much fun things can be.

path unlocked: [ star song.] replay? ✧

જ⁀➴♡ wc 1k ✧ fluff , humor , comfort

As you inch closer to the front of the line, the rhythmic clinking of the cars ascending and descending fills your ears.

Standing before the entrance, the worker looked at you expectantly before glancing at the boys behind you. You turned to face them and they all gave you an encouraging smile, each one as sweet as the one before.

“So, who’s it gonna be?”

Looking at each of them, it felt almost impossible to pick just one. The feeling that everyone was waiting on you made you even more anxious, the idea of annoying the people around you getting your nerves up even more.

“Hey, Y/N it’s fine. Take your time.” Taehyun commented.

The small smile he gave you was enough to have you letting out a sigh of relief. “I think…”

As they looked at you expectantly, you frowned. There was no way that you could choose just one of them without feeling bad for leaving the others out.

“I think… I-I don’t think I want to go on it anymore.”

Turning to the attendant with an apologetic look, you gave a quick apology before walking away, ushering the boys out of the line.

“Y/N? Are you okay?” Yeonjun asked, looking back with a concerned look toward you.

“If you’re too overwhelmed we can head out,” Soobin started.

Shaking your head as the six of you find a place behind a nearby tent, you shook your head. “I’m fine! I’m having fun!”

Kai tilted his head slightly at your tone. It was fairly obvious you had became overwhelmed, even if you refused to admit it.

Your heart was coming down from the anxiety of holding up the line as you looked back at the ride, seeing the couples and families climb aboard.

In truth, you didn’t want to go on it that badly but the embarrassment from not being able to make such a seemingly simple choice had you flustered.

“Why don’t we get out of here anyways?” Taehyun offered.

You gave him a quizzical look, fiddling with the end of your shirt. “Where would we even go?”

Beomgyu shrugged, “why don’t we just go look at the stars?“

The suggestion was simple but it had caught your attention, looking up. All night the carnival seemed to distract from the natural beauty around you.

A part of you felt ashamed for not taking a moment to appreciate them.

Taehyun nodded. “Soobin still has some blankets in the truck, I think.”

“That I do,” Soobin said with a huff. “My poor napping blanket.”

“Come on, you big baby. I’ll wash it when we get home.” Yeonjun said, nudging the taller boy as he let out a huff.

You laughed, shooting him a grateful look. “Thank you, Soobin.”

As your group of friends began to weave through the carnivals crowd for the final time, the chaos began to fade into the distance.

Taehyun and Kai’s gentle hold on your hands had you sending them grateful looks.

Laughter and the faint echoes of carnival music lingered in the air as you all left behind the colorful lights and bustling rides.

Excitedly, Beomgyu walked backwards as he continued to ramble about a topic you couldn’t follow at all.

Seemingly, him and Soobin were arguing over who was better at the game they both played.

“Quit fighting!” Yeonjun called after them.

Ahead, the wide field was bathed in the soft glow of moonlight.

Even with the music in the distance, it was peaceful. Tall grass swayed gently in the breeze.

There was a rhythmic whisper that accompanied all of your footsteps as you found an area to settle down at.

Yeonjun and Taehyun set out the blankets as you and Kai gently nudged each other, pointing out the stars you could already see much clearer.

Soobin and Beomgyu seemed to continue their previous antics as they stumbled around chasing each other.

The scent of earth and grass filled the air and you took a deep breath in, finally feeling your heart settle for the first time that night.

The faint aroma of the carnival treats were finally left behind and as you sat down, Beomgyu basically crashing down next to you, you laughed.

You had once heard a story once about lovers who kept finding each other, no matter how many times the world came between them.

Even when they were cursed for the rest of eternity, transformed into stardust and placed scattered far apart throughout the galaxy.

Parts of them still found each other in the vastness of space.

In this story, rather than previous lovers, you had seen your friends.

Your bodies were made of stardust, and you were hurtling through space and time, toward the most beautiful collision. Yet each and every time, no matter what— you would find each other.

The night sky stretched endlessly, a canvas adorned with countless stars. Tired conversations ensued until you were all lying down, laughter subsiding into a familiar and comfortable silence.

Nameless stars gracefully stretched across the heavens, a river of light that seemed to flow from one horizon to the other. Endless.

In this moment of awe and wonder, you found yourself hoping that this moment could be endless as well.

Each star seemed to twinkle with its own secret, beckoning you to explore the mysteries of the cosmos.

You, Soobin and Yeonjun began to make up names and stories for the stars as Taehyun stifled Kai’s laughter in attempt to not wake a sleeping Beomgyu.

The air was crisp and clear, carrying with it a sense of tranquility that enveloped you all like a warm embrace.

In this moment, surrounded by the vast expanse of the night sky, you were reminded of the beauty of the universe.

No matter how overwhelming things had gotten, no matter how big and scary the world truly was— you would always find yourself back here in this familiar patch of grass with your friends.

With Soobin’s tired head on your shoulder and Beomgyu fast asleep on your thighs.

The gentle hum from Yeonjun and Taehyun accompanied by the squeeze Kai had given your hand.

The contented chatter of crickets and the slow, rhythmic song of cicadas.

If you could describe happiness, it would be that moment the universe had conjured up for you.

Served to you like some sort of cosmic apology for all that you have been through, and all that you had missed out on.

If you could take from all the possibilities, that moment would be the one you would always choose to bring into fruition.

And yet, you were well aware that the world spun too quickly and it turns too slowly as you waited and waited for the moment to transact into memory.

Eventually, the day would come when you could no longer tell the difference between this memory and a dream.

You found your own eyes growing heavy as your hand stilled in Beomgyu’s hair, coming up to your mouth to stifle a yawn.

Despite the acknowledgment that this, too, would end, you found the timeless connection of the stars omnipresent in your friendship.

As the stars watched over you all, unwillingly drifting to sleep together, a part of you confirmed what you had always known.

The six of you would always find each other, no matter if it was a dream or a memory.

There was nothing to grieve over in this moment. There was just love.

“Do you think there is the possibility of you and I?” The star asked.

“In this lifetime, is that too much to hope for?”

“There is something so delicate about time, so fragile.” The moon had started.

“If nothing ever comes of us, at least I have known this feeling, this wonderful sense of optimism that you have gifted to me.” The sun chimed in.

“You have given me something I can always keep close to me—to draw from in my darkest hour like a ray of unspent sunshine.” The moon commented.

“The love we share, it will be carried on by us through generations. It will be passed on and felt, the pieces of each other that we have borrowed and spent will be remembered.” The sun had finished.

“No matter what happens next, I will always be glad to know there is someone like you in the world.” The star said.

“Thank you for loving me.”

જ⁀➴♡ phone in ᝰ.ᐟ

PHONING... 𓂃 ࣪˖ Pearl.

Vacation is reaching its end and you find yourself growing restless as you wonder if you’re ‘boy of the summer’ feels the same way as you do.

જ⁀➴♡ wc 6k ✧ fluff

"Hello? Did you hear anything I just said?"

You opened your eyes, the sun blaring in your face. Turning slightly, you recognize the familiar voice and match it to the face in front of you. Chaewon sat, snapping her fingers in your face.

“Sorry," you said. "What were you saying?"

You were sat between Chaewon and Yunjin on the beach, spread out lazily lounging around on beach towels.

The guys were out messing around in the water.

The sun blaring in your eyes wasn’t worth the hassle of trying to catch a glimpse.

Despite how early it had been in the hang out, you already felt yourself beginning to feel sun-sick. The hangover from the night before certainly didn’t help either.

It was eighty-seven degrees already, and it was just the after noon so you were sure that it would get even hotter as the hangout progressed.

When the summer vacation had started with your friends, you were already counting the days until it ended.

It wasn’t that you weren’t a fan of it, you definitely weren’t against the parties and the guys but you had your studies back at home that you wanted to get back to.

Now that the summer was ending, though, you wished that time would come to a slow.

“I said, what are you going to wear to Heeseung’s party?" Chaewon repeated.

She'd lined your towels up close, so that was like the two of you were on one big towel. Despite you arguing that she would block your sun, she simply winked at you.

She rolled onto her stomach to be face-to-face with you, placing your chin in her hands.

"I don't know," you said, shielding your eyes from the sun once again.

She had tiny sweat beads on her nose and she hummed for a moment as if in deep thought.

She said, "I'm going to wear that new sundress I bought with Kura at the outlet from the boardwalk."

You closed your eyes again, swallowing the dry lump in your throat. Since you were wearing sunglasses, she couldn't tell if your eyes were open or not anyway.

“Which one?"

"You know, the cute one with the pink ribbon that ties around the neck. I showed it to you, like, two days ago." Chaewon let out an impatient little sigh as you gave her a sheepish smile.

"Oh, yeah," you said but you could tell that she knew you still didn’t remember.

“You’re still thinking about him, aren’t you?” A familiar mischievous smirk grew on her face and you opened your eyes just to roll them.

“Is Kura coming to the party?” You asked, attempting to change the subject.

“Nope,” she said popping the ‘p’ sound. “Says she’s too busy for it.”

“Well, I don’t blame her. Last time she came she had to hold back Yuri’s hair… not a fun time.”

You hummed in response, recalling the night. Heeseung’s parties were mainly just an accumulation of all the random early 20 somethings visiting for the summer looking for free drinks, it wasn’t unusual for someone to have one too many.

“You know, Beomgyu is going to be there…” her voice trailed off into a whistle and you sent a glare her way, sitting up.

“I’m not thinking about him. Plus, Jake is the one who invited me. Wouldn’t it be rude if I hung out with another guy?”

Chaewon’s eyes trailed behind you, widening a bit before she shook her head and smiled at you again. “I’m sure Jake wouldn’t mind, he’s a dog anyways he wouldn’t care.”

“A dog? Nice, Chae.” You snickered, causing her to rapidly wave her hands in front of her in defense.

“I meant in a golden retriever way! If anything, he’d probably be happy for you.”

“Right…”

You started to say something else, something nice about the usual crowd you saw at the parties or even an excuse of being ‘too tired’ from the bonfire last night but suddenly felt ice-cold aluminum sticking to the back of your neck.

You let out a yelp as you quickly turned around, shooing away in whatever direction the cold can came from.

In turning, you came face-to-face with Yeonjun, crouched down next to you with a dripping Coke can in his hand, laughing his head off.

You glared at him, wiping off your neck. You were starting to get sick of him and his friends entirely considering how much they occupied your mind— and days in general.

“What the hell, Yeonjun?”

He was still laughing, which made you even more annoyed as you pushed yourself to stand up, shoving his shoulder.

“God, you're so immature."

"But you looked really hot," he protested. "I was trying to cool you off!”

Chaewon and Yunjin laughed at this, Yunjin turning fully to face the commotion.

“Nice one, Yeonjun. Very smooth.” Her voice was dripping with sarcasm and he flashed her a charming smile.

You didn't answer him, placing your hand on the back of your neck. Your jaw began to feel really tight, and you could feel all the other girls staring at you expectantly.

Yeonjun’s flirting was just a part of being his friend, after all. Everyone knew that it wasn’t necessarily targeted, though he did always say that you were his favorite to mess with so that could be debatable in your eyes.

And then Yeonjun’s smile slightly slipped away and he said, "Sorry. You want this Coke?"

You shook your head, and he shrugged before retreating back over to the water.

Yunjin shook her head, turning her attention back to the magazine she was flipping through. “Guys never learn…”

As she trailed off, you felt blood rush to your face out of embarrassment. Normally you would entertain his flirting, hell sometimes you were even the one to initiate it, but the past few days all you could focus on was him.

It was annoying, really. Yeonjun and you were always playful together but over this summer specifically, things seemed to change. Now all you wanted to do was talk to his friend but it seemed like he was ignoring you for some reason.

Still, your annoyance with his friend being taken out on him was less than fair and you knew it.

Being mean to Yeonjun was like being mean to a puppy. There was just no sense in it and you’d just feel bad afterwards. Too late, you tried to catch Yeonjun’s eye, but he didn't look back at you.

Chaewon sighed, “always tearing men apart. Aren’t you, Y/N?” She asked in a low voice.

You lay back down on your towel, this time face up hoping to hide the regret on your face.

You took a deep breath and let it out, slowly. The music from Kazuha’s phone was giving you a headache from the volume.

Chaewon leaned over and pushed up your sunglasses so she could see your eyes. She peered at you with concerned eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. It's just too hot out here." You wiped sweat off your forehead with the back of your arm.

"Don't be embarrassed. Yeonjun can't help being an idiot around you, he likes you."

"Yeonjun doesn't like me," you said, looking away from her.

It was obvious that you were trying to convince yourself.

Yeonjun did sort of like you, in the same way a boy likes his favorite toy. You were well aware of the fact that he liked you: you just wished he didn’t.

"Sure, he's totally into you. Just like Jongho, just like Shotaro. I still think you should give at least one of them a chance. It'll take your mind off of you-know-who."

You turned your head away from her and she said, "How about I do your makeup for the party tonight? I can use that cute pink glitter you liked last time!”

The idea of getting ready with Chaewon was comforting, even if you weren’t too keen on going anyways. “Sure.”

"What are you going to wear?"

You shrugged before noticing she had begun scrolling through her phone. Realizing that she hadn’t seen, you replied.

"I'm not sure."

Chaewon nodded, eyebrows knitted tightly together as if the decision was a crucial one.

"Well, you have to look cute because everybody's gonna be there," Chaewon said.

You had caught onto her emphasis of the word ‘everyone’ but decided not to comment on it.

"I'll come over early and we can get ready together." You nodded, closing your eyes once again with a deep sigh.

The bonfire casted a warm glow against the darkening sky, flickering flames dancing in the cool evening air.

You sat, Jisung’s arm draped around your shoulder as you downed another drink. Despite the close contact, everyone was well aware that the two of you weren’t together.

For the most part, everyone knew that you were single. You had made it very clear, despite your constant flirting that you weren’t looking for a relationship in the slightest— hell, usually when the summers would end you’d completely go ghost on everyone to return to your normal life.

What happens in Busan stays in Busan and all that nonsense.

Amidst the lively chatter and laughter, you had noticed a boy chatting with Yeonjun, silhouette illuminated by the fire's light as he fiddled with the a camera in his hands.

You’d seen him plenty of times before but never managed to talk to him by yourself, usually getting wrapped up in conversations with Yeonjun and his other friend, Kai.

Shrugging off Jisung’s shoulder you gave him a quick excuse, though he was too immersed in his conversation to even notice.

“Yeonjun! Who’s this?” You asked, stumbling a bit as you plopped yourself onto the log next to them.

Yeonjun’s eyes widened a bit at your suden appearance but he quickly eased into it, pulling his friend into him with a proud smile.

“Choi Beomgyu! Choi Beomgyu, this is Busan’s dear party girl, Y/N.”

“Beomgyu. Just Beomgyu.” The guy gave you a smile, though all you could focus on was his hair at the moment and how soft it looked.

“Not property of Busan, Yeonjun. I just come through sometimes…”

“Right. Y/N here is our summer storm.”

Beomgyu raised an eyebrow, “summer storm?”

“Every summer, returning to break boys hearts.” Suddenly, the idea of boasting about your reputation filled you with embarrassment.

You shook your head, letting out a forced laugh. “He’s joking! Obviously.”

“In other news, I haven’t seen you around much. Are you new here?” Beomgyu nodded.

“I guess you could say that. I usually come with Yeonjun and the others, just not big on the whole party scene.”

Yeonjun let out a dramatic wail, “poor guy stays in the vacation house the entire time. I tell him it’s no way to spend the summer but he never listens!”

The idea of spending the summer inside their vacation home did sound painfully dreadful— not that it was a bad home or anything, you’d been over a few times to hangout with Yeonjun and Soobin but it was fairly small to fit all four of them— or five now, you suppose.

The idea that there had been another guy with them the entire time that you never met made you the slightest bit annoyed at Yeonjun for not introducing you, especially considering how cute he was.

“I get it, a fellow introvert.” You said as Yeonjun gave you a bewildered look. “Fellow? You’re the least introverted person I know.”

Upon noticing the glare you gave him, Yeonjun’s mouth quickly reverted to his normal pout before he let out a hum of realization.

When people called you a chameleon, you always thought it was a bit funny. Although it was true in some ways with how you would change and shape yourself to match those around you.

The nickname didn’t bother you, though the scaled animal itself was less than appealing to be compared to.

“Regardless,” you started. “I can respect it. Sometimes it's nice to escape the chaos, you know?”

Beomgyu nodded before a small, playful smirk grew on his face, looking up at you. “Summer storms bring chaos wherever they go though, don’t they?”

The heat that you felt rush to your face had you clearing your throat before letting out an embarrassed laugh, reminding yourself to punch Yeonjun for calling you that later.

“R-Right…”

It must have been obvious that Beomgyu had you flustered because Yeonjun snickered before excusing himself, rushing back to the bonfire, probably to gossip about whatever was going on with the two of you with their friends.

“It's quieter over here, at least.” He said, taking a drink from the cup he was holding.

You wanted to ask what he was drinking but it seemed to just be water.

“Well, what's your story then? What do you do when you're not dodging party invitations?”

Beomgyu shrugs, tilting his head slightly. You notice how his hair frames his face so perfectly and again, you find yourself fighting the urge to brush it out of his face.

“Mostly just listen to or make music. And you?” Your eyes widened a bit at the idea of him making music.

Throughout your years visiting, you’d surely met hundreds of guys who claimed to be musicians.

Some were surely better than others but you couldn’t help but roll your eyes after the third time. Claiming to be a musician just felt like the oldest trick in the book now.

Despite this, you found yourself interested in Beomgyu’s music specifically as you shuffled closer slightly. As if it would somehow serve to let you know more about him.

“Oh, you know, the usual. Hanging out with friends, smoothies and açaí bowls… hitting up every party within a ten-mile radius and waking up with the worst headache ever thanks to Soobin’s mystery concoctions.“

Beomgyu gave you a look as if to ask if you were crazy, “I wouldn’t put anything in my body that Soobin makes. That’s your first mistake.”

A genuine laugh slipped and you shook your head, leaning in as you held eye contact with him. Unlike you expected him to, he didn’t seem to shy away from you.

Most strangely, you found that you couldn’t read him at all.

It stayed like that for a while.

“Let’s take a picture together! To preserve this memory. To new friends, right?”

“Sure. To new friends.”

That moment it felt as though the hands of time stood stilll; Beomgyu and his camera smile— a flash of something real.

Your heart fluttered at the click of the camera’s shutter, and that was it.

The two of you talked until the evening, agreeing to meet again once the sun came up.

You knew that you would be hungover and dreaded the idea of getting up early but decided to deal with it to spend more time with him.

And so you met up once more, traveling down the beach’s trail as the moon came out for awhile; the trail lights glowing warmly creating a halo around him.

He’d offer to take a photo and you’d gladly pose for him, grateful that he wanted to remember you.

With each click of the camera, the clock would pause and resume its ticking with your heart on the dial.

Beomgyu had agreed to come out to more parties for the promise of seeing you and you found yourself searching for him at every function.

The two of you began to emerge during each other’s off hours simply to connect as often as you could, summer’s clock ticking away.

There were a few whispers about you and your new ‘boy toy’ but you couldn’t find it in you to entertain them like all the times before.

Something about him grabbed you, genuinely, for the first time in years. Anytime you thought that you had nailed him down he seemed to surprise you again.

Your ‘Mr. Mysterious’ quickly became ‘Mr. Perfect’ in your mind and as embarrassing as it was, you found yourself checking your phone often for his texts.

Despite your seemingly contrasting personalities, you felt a genuine connection spark, conversations somehow flowing effortlessly.

And that’s how you found yourself completely overthinking everyday leading up to the end of summer.

The idea of going from talking to and seeing Beomgyu everyday to not at all was sickening to you.

Something you never worried about before, the mere idea of him forgetting about you made you nauseous.

Though, you were far too prideful to ever truly admit that to someone, it was fairly obvious to everyone around you with how your behavior had changed.

Rejecting any and all advances toward you, instead opting to look for that familiar head of brown hair and finding yourself waiting for him.

Impatient as always, you’d stand with your arms crossed tapping your feet in annoyance at the curious glances thrown your way but the second he would show up, the biggest smile would make its’ way onto your face as the world melted away.

You wondered if he himself had noticed that change or if he thought that was just how you were.

Saving yourself and your time for him, precious nights spent partying without a care in the world had turned into nights focusing only on him. Or alternatively, your nights being ruined when he didn’t show.

The rest of the summer seemed to fly by quickly, regardless of how agonizingly slow it felt waiting for him to make a move.

There were times when you were sure it would be it, quiet moments in the car before he had dropped you off at home. Your breath hitched as he looks at you from behind his glasses, only for him to smile and give you a ‘get home safe.’

That was the last night you had seen him, a week and a day ago. You would be embarrassed of how long you had been keeping count if you weren’t upset by it.

In the end though, you guessed that was what you got for waiting around for some guy.

“Y/N, you’re spacing out again.”

“Huh? Oh, sorry.” Kazuha laughed as she turned back to the mirror, applying her lip gloss.

“You know, even if Beomgyu doesn’t show up I’m sure Yeonjun will.”

“Beomgyu will show up!” Chaewon cheered, pausing for a moment while she applied your eyeliner.

She must have noticed that her voice came off much too certain as everyone in the room gave her a confused look.

She laughed nervously before continuing. “I-I mean… I asked Yeonjun and he said he was going, so…”

“Right.” Yunjin said, drawing it out as she straightened out her bangs.

“You said he hasn’t answered you in a while, right?” Eunchae asked from the doorway, shoveling spoonfuls of fruit loops into her mouth.

“Uh… yeah.” Your voice was quiet and it was obvious that you were embarrassed about it.

“Want me to send a pipe bomb to his house?” She asked, eyes cast down as she scooped up more cereal.

Chaewon paused to slowly turn to Eunchae who shrugged, causing you to laugh and relax the slightest bit.

“I don’t think blowing up Y/N’s boy of the week is good for the singles’ economy. Who knows, he might come back in the cycle.”

“I don’t care if he shows up, anyway.” Kazuha and Yunjin silently shared a knowingly glance.

Chaewon frowned, fixated on the glitter she was applying to your eyelid.

Eunchae smiled, dimples showing as she shook her head. “He totally got you, didn’t he?”

A part of you wanted to deny it, but the silence that fell over the room with soft music playing from the speakers was enough to tell you that there was no point anymore.

No matter how many times you’d argue, swinging like a pendulum between yes and no— you’d always reach the same conclusion.

You always wondered if the mind answered to the heart. The way it always conjured up things that weren’t there. The prizes he won for you at the boardwalk’s arcade and the way he held your hands in his as he tried to teach you to play some dumb shooting game.

You didn’t pay attention to the screen and he laughed with you focused on him being so close.

There was never a chance for you to try and change how you acted around him, he saw right through it.

Maybe that was the reason you found meaning behind everything he did when it came to you.

How he plagued your mind like a disease, invading your space like some irritating bug you couldn’t quite catch.

And you could never place what was so different about him compared to everyone else you had talked to. Something about being with him felt like being home, somehow.

So despite the growing irritation, you would wait until summer’s end.

Wanting the mirage knowing it will never be enough.

But your heart doesn’t have eyes and the mind cannot resist when it asks.

You sighed. “Maybe he did.”

The beach house party was already irritating to you once you arrived. The girls kept together as they all went to get drinks and you set off on your own.

And even though you swore it wasn’t to go find your pest of a guy friend that you may or may not have had a tiny crush on, it was obvious that no one believed you.

The party had been loud and crowded like all the ones before but now the mass amount of sweaty people just irked you and dancing seemed far less appealing.

Maybe you had finally gotten over the scene and preferred something much more down to earth and personal.

It made you sad in a way, but you chalked it up to the fact that things always change.

Only the golden sand stretching outside into the horizon provided comfort as you peered out to the waves through the pane of glass.

Torches outside lined the perimeter and flickering flames adding a warm glow to the gathering as a few stragglers hung outside.

The sliding glass doors blurred the boundaries between the inside and outside and you felt drawn to the deck, eventually giving up on searching for Beomgyu.

Considering he hadn’t been answering your messages anyways, you assumed he wouldn’t bother talking to you even if he was there.

“Y/N!” A familiar voice called for you and before you could turn, a heavy arm found its way around your shoulder as the guy practically dropped into your lap.

“…Soobin?” You gave him a confused look. The two of you had talked tons of times but you wouldn’t consider you particularly close.

He also wasn’t one to play into your usual flirting so for him to, quite literally, throw himself at you was strange.

“Yeah, yeah!”

“Are you… okay?” There wasn’t much concern in your voice. After all, you’d seen Soobin drink a fair amount of times and he seemed to handle the morning after well enough so you figured he’d be fine.

“Yeah! Yeah, I was looking for you.”

“For me?” Now, there was a bit of concern in your voice. A small part of you nagged at you for being so selfish but you brushed it to the back of your mind.

“Yeahhh…”

“Why?”

He hummed, raising an eyebrow at you with puffed out cheeks. As cute as he was, you were already beginning to feel a little annoyed.

Curse you for being sober.

Gently, you reached out, pinching his cheeks where his dimples were. “Spit it out?”

“Oh! Yeahh, Beomgyu’s looking for you.” At this, your eyes seemed to light up and betray you as Soobin’s smile grew even wider, taking notice.

The deck was adorned with string lights and colorful lanterns that must have begun blurring together for Soobin as he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment.

Knowing the feeling all too well, you let out a sigh. “Stay here, I’ll get you some water.”

Standing up, you gently pushed him off of you and he frowned.

“What about Beomgyu?” His voice called over to your retreating form.

You let out a huff as you waved a hand back towards him dismissively. “What about him!”

As you made your way back inside, lounge furniture was scattered throughout as guests were spread all over.

A makeshift bar was set up in one corner, stocked with an array of cocktails and chilled beverages. When you reached the table, grabbing a cup and sharply turning to make your way to the kitchen a body suddenly blocked you.

“Y/N!” Looking up, you sighed with relief.

“Jake, hi.”

“You’re not drinking?” He asked, motioning to the empty cup in your hand as he held his between his lips.

Ignoring the way he had asked as if he was genuinely shocked at the idea, you shook your head.

“Maybe later. Right now I’m getting water for a completely wasted Soobin.” Jake nodded, gently guiding you by your arm to move behind him as someone shoved the two of you.

He gave them a glare before returning to you with kind eyes. “Don’t let me stop you then. I just wanted to let you know that Beomgyu’s been looking for you.”

It was almost like the mention of his name alone gave you a headache with the way you audibly groaned.

“Thanks, Jake.” You said with a thin smile, pushing past him as he gave you a confused look.

Finally reaching the kitchen after a few minutes that felt like ages, you filled the cup with ice and water before returning to Soobin.

Stepping through the glass door once more, you saw the all too familiar back of a head.

“Beomgyu,” You started.

“Hey, Y—”

“Y/N!” Soobin cheered, pulling Beomgyu in close to him and pointing. “Y/N’s here! You were looking for her and now you’re here. Both— you’re both here. My favorite couples here!”

“Not a couple.” The two of you said in unison.

Even though you had said it as well, you couldn’t help but feel upset by how quick he responded. How hypocritical.

Soobin looked between the two of you before groaning, taking the cup out of your hands and downing it.

“AH— Ice water? Are you trying to kill me?”

You shrugged, sitting on the opposite side of Soobin from Beomgyu.

“I was hoping the cold would shock your nervous system back to normal and factory reset you or something.”

Soobin paused for a minute before nodding. “Very smart. I admire woman in stem.”

“Don’t you mean women?” Beomgyu asked, amused.

Soobin just shook his head.

“Why did you drink so much anyway?” You asked.

It wasn’t like Soobin was a prude when it came to drinking but more often than not, him and Kai were the sober ones of their friend group. At least, unless they were celebrating something.

“Wowww, I am so glad you asked.” Soobin motioned from you to Beomgyu, leaning back slightly.

“Take it away.” He said, only for Beomgyu to shoot him a look that you couldn’t exactly read.

Soobin deadpanned at the silence before letting out a huff, pushing himself up clumsily and stretching. “I am.. celebrating!” He raised his arms up for only a moment before they dropped to his sides.

“You,” he started pointing at Beomgyu. “Do the thing. I’m outta here.”

With that, he stumbled away to go find Kai. You furrowed your eyebrows at the fact that he had basically just thrown you to the wolves but decided to chalk it up to the fact that he was inebriated.

“So…” Beomgyu began to trail off and you huffed, arms wrapping around yourself for comfort.

If he had asked, you were just cold.

“You haven’t answered me in a week. That’s kind of a dick move— actually, no. Not kind of. It is a dick move. You’re a dick, Beomgyu.”

Beomgyu let out an exasperated sigh and you opened your mouth to berate him before he nodded.

“Yeah, you’re right.” Expecting him to argue back, his lack of defense made your annoyed expression morph into one of confusion.

“…Huh.”

“I was a dick,” he started. “I should have answered you, there’s no reason for me to not have. I think I just needed some time to myself after getting burnt out from going out so often and I got caught up in my own world. I’m sorry.”

His response was clear and communicative and you found yourself feeling embarrassed for trying to start an argument. Because he wasn’t like any other guy you had talked to and you seemed to forget that.

“I’m sorry for being rude.” He shook his head and smiled.

“You just missed me, right? You have a reason to be hurt.”

The familiar feeling of your chest tightening made you clear your throat. “As if…”

Beomgyu laughed. “Alright. You missed my camera, then?” He asked, holding up the camera he had in his lap.

You hadn’t even noticed it throughout Soobin’s antics but now that it was in front of you, your eyes became fixated on it.

“Maybe just you.” You muttered, putting your hand over his and pushing the camera back to his lap gently.

“Knew it.”

“Don’t get cocky.” You said with a huff, finally meeting his eyes, not even realizing that he moved closer in Soobin’s absence.

“I couldn’t. Never with you. You keep me humble.”

With him sitting in front of you, eyes as warm as always you found him only confirming what you were afraid of.

You didn’t just love Beomgyu, you were in love with him.

“I think I hated being away from you more than anything. Like, ever.” Beomgyu paused for a moment before nodding.

“Me too.”

You shook your head, “well it didn’t seem like it.”

“I think missing you was easier for me because of all the pictures of you I have.“ Your breath almost caught in your throat at the comment, imagining him hanging up the photos he had taken on each of your outings in his room like precious memories.

“I forgot that just because I got to see you everyday, that didn’t mean you could see me. Sorry, Y/N.”

And it was true. Despite your bugging Beomgyu much preferred to be behind a camera than in front of it and you didn’t want to bother him so eventually you had stopped asking.

All you had was one shaky photo of Beomgyu next to your drunk self, both of you giving a thumbs up. An embarrassing photo that you would rather take to your grave than make your lockscreen for all to see.

“You better make it up to me. Summer’s already ending, you know…” your voice trailed off and he could sense the hurt behind your words as you pulled your knees closer to your chest.

Despite the loud music from inside and the few stray party goers outside with you both, the moment felt way too intimate for your liking.

“You’re right. We’ll just have to make the most of it, right?”

Another annoyed sigh came from you and you turned, cheek pressed against your knee as you glared up at him.

“So, you excited to get back home to your girlfriend?” Beomgyu raised an eyebrow at you.

“My… girlfriend? Y/N, I don’t have a girlfriend.”

You groaned, “then why haven’t you asked me?”

Your voice was barely above a whisper and you were sure that he didn’t even hear you. Before you could try and backtrack, he chuckled.

“God, you’re impatient aren’t you?” Straightening back up, you gawked at him.

“Me?! Impatient? I’ve been waiting, like, all summer!”

“I meant right now,” he said mindlessly combing through his camera’s gallery.

Eventually he stopped, turning it to you. On the small screen, fuzzy and dark was the photo of the two of you that first night you had met only illuminated by the fire nearby.

Before you could ask him why he was showing you that, he cut you off.

“I had to ask Yeonjun beforehand. Since I’m such a good friend.” His voice was teasing as you rolled your eyes.

“And before you deny him liking you, I already know that he did.” You reminded yourself to curse at yourself later for being so predictable.

“Anyway, he was cool about it so I just had to think over how I wanted to tell you how I felt.”

“How you felt?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“I think the best ways for me to communicate are through music and pictures, so I wanted to do something with those.” He let out an irritated huff before gently handing you his camera, your eyes still fixated on the photo of you both.

Shuffling through his side bag, he pulled out a folder. It was a normal white folder but on it was small doodles of bears and other animals. It was cutesy, not what you were expecting, but cute.

“But, I don’t have access to any of my recording stuff here so I figured the pictures would have to do.”

You hesitated for a moment to open the folder before he nudged you. Gently, you opened it up and slid out the photos. They were physical prints of all the photos he had taken of you and the one you had taken together.

“I think that the best pictures are ones we take of the people we love.” He said, voice a bit quieter than before as if not to scare you.

The kindness in his words hit you and the weight held behind them made you almost want to cry as you were reminded all over again.

You loved Beomgyu.

And you almost wished that you never did because loving him was like being ten years old again, scaling a tree with your eyes bright and skyward as the sun shined down on you, wanting only to get higher and higher, without a thought of how you would get back down.

Because the comfort in knowing he would be there to catch you if you fell was worlds more painful than the idea of falling at all.

Falling into the realization that if you were to lose him and the summer, a whole universe would go along with him.

In changing yourself for every guy that you’d talked to, entering stages for some momentary fun only to leave in the morning and forget once summer ended, you picture all your other selves, standing in line like a row of dominoes; separate but part of the same disjointed whole.

None of them felt like you, not anymore. Not when he saw right through you like this.

Yet, how could you hold a single one accountable when all you wanted was to be loved?

The realization for Beomgyu had come much too soon for his liking. Almost as if he had fallen face first into love, simultaneously knocking the air out of him while helping him see things much clearer.

How much easier it got for him to imagine you as a young girl. To think about your worn-out heart, breaking for the things you couldn't hold on to such as childhood pets and toys. The wish that he had met you sooner, if only to love you for longer.

The moment that the realization had come, the flash had hit you as he stared at you through the view finder. Your prettiest smile through his lens, he could somehow taste the salt of the sea when you both were miles inland.

Whenever you were together, the ocean felt like a fractured memory of when you had first met.

Your reputation never mattered to him, everyone had something they were known for. Who you were in front of his camera: he believed in that version of you. He loved that version of you.

He loved you.

And in the moments where you would slip, showing some sign of sincerity with your soft spoken words and your gentle glances, he had always known.

How you threw yourself blindly at the world and its people, hoping that it would always open its arms up to you and find you a home.

You weren’t some disastrous storm wreaking havoc— he found a pearl a much more suitable comparison. Like the ones you would look for on every beach, the place you felt most at home.

A pearl. Soft and sensitive to the world around it, yet as beautiful as the ocean it made its’ home.

જ⁀➴♡ phone in ᝰ.ᐟ

PHONING... 𓂃 ࣪˖ sparks.

Watching the fireworks with Yeonjun, nothing is as sweet as the final comedown.

જ⁀➴♡ wc 700 : drabble ✧ fluff , comfort

It was raining on the day that you met Yeonjun. With your hair wet and tangled, with droplets of water sliding down your cheeks like crystal teardrops and the uncomfortable feeling of sopping wet clothes clinging to your body.

It was in the midst of the longest you had gone without human contact when you met him; without the soft, conceding warmth of someone else's skin. The rain felt much colder alone.

You began to crave it after a while, missing the comfort one could provide. Missing the ability to obsess over the most trivial things they shared with you.

The small things like a hand on your shoulder or breakfast with company in the morning seemed much warmer in the past of your recollected memories.

When you met Yeonjun, it had been in the middle of wondering how long it would be before you’d lose all recollection of that love.

It was in the lobby of the office’s building the two of you crossed paths, both seemingly recovering from the torrential downpour outside.

Maybe it was the position you were in at that time of your life, or maybe it was just his smile.

You realized that there was penance in yearning and the poverty that comes from pining for someone, rich only in the love that you gave away.

It was in the first time meeting him that you came to realize, sometimes the loneliest place to be is in love.

It changed the more you saw each other. Two strangers shaking from the rain somehow agreed to reunite in any weather, to experience it all together.

It was one sunny day when he took your trembling hands in his, placing a gentle kiss to your wrist as his eyes peered up at you with devotion.

“You’re safe with me.”

His touch was sweet like a memory of something long gone and you wanted to fold yourself into his arms like origami to stay with him forever, perfectly placed in his heart.

He tells you how precious you are to him and that he will spoil you with love if you allow him to.

It happened just like that.

One day you met him and for some inexplicable reason, you felt more connected to this stranger than anyone else.

No matter how you tried to find the reason, to understand the importance of your meeting, you always came up short.

Perhaps it was because Yeonjun carried an angel within him in your eyes.

Yeonjun, an angel sent to you for some higher purpose, to keep you safe during a perilous time.

To heal and gently put back together a heart that he did not break.

Regardless of the reasoning, you made the conscious decision to trust him.

Even if he came hand in hand with pain or suffering, you decided to risk it all for his smile.

Finding that the reason for his presence in your life will become clear in due time.

And as you grew to love him, you came to realize that his purpose isn't to save you but to show you how to save yourself.

And once this was fulfilled, the halo lifted but the glow in your heart remained all the same.

After the fireworks come down, the smell of gunpowder lingered and his arm pulled you into him, bodies coming together. Overwhelming your senses now with only him.

“It's so dark right now, I can't see any light around me.”

In the darkness, you felt the wind catch in your hair as your nose twitched at the cold.

The hushed whispers around you were drowned out by your favorite laugh, his lips coming down to press against your forehead gently.

“That's because the light is coming from you. You can't see it but I can.”

You had always thought that the feeling of joy Yeonjun gave you was a prelude to something wonderful— something greater than yourselves.

Like seeing a shooting star or getting a text from an old friend when you weren't expecting one, the unexpected but welcome development of love— the swift, surprising transition from nothing to everything.

A fleeting feeling that held a world of promise.

And then the light pierced through the dark as the rain stopped falling, leaving only the sparks of the fireworks behind.

And all the while, he held you whispering his confessions of love under them all.

જ⁀➴♡ phone in ᝰ.ᐟ

PHONING... 𓂃 ࣪˖ songs for you.

With the encouragement from his friends to stop yapping and finally do something about his crush, Yeonjun enacts a multi-step plan to ensure you fall for him. Unfortunately, each incident seems to crash and burn.

જ⁀➴♡ wc 6k ✧ fluff , humor

The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm golden glow over the manicured lawns and towering buildings of the university as you yawned.

Stepping out of your final class of the day, the campus buzzed with energy and activity around you. Despite the students rushing past you, your eyes stayed glued to your phone as you quickly texted your friends to let them know that you were done with your class.

Unknown to you, staggering behind was Yeonjun whose eyes stayed glued to you. Soobin seemed to notice his lack of animated responses and followed his line of sight, only to see you.

“Staring holes into the back of her head surely isn’t getting you anywhere.” Soobin said teasingly, nudging him.

The sound of Kai’s loud laughter caused Yeonjun to sink into himself as he shot the boy an annoyed look, quickly checking that you didn’t look over at the commotion.

Of course, you were too busy tied up in your own world and he let out a sigh of relief.

The conversation was punctuated by the ringing of bells signaling the end of classes. “Why don’t you just make a move already? You’re running out of time, at the pace you’re going someone else is gonna swoop in.” Beomgyu’s flat tone didn’t seem to match his interest in the topic as he tucked his phone into his pocket.

“It’s not like I haven’t tried, she’s just always busy.” Yeonjun scoffed as he brushed a strand of hair from his face.

“Really?” Soobin hummed, “I haven’t seen you talked to her once.”

Yeonjun straightened his back and let out a huff as he jumped to defend himself. “That’s not true, we talked at the student showcase!”

Soobin snickered, “Oh right. Was that when you spilled your Sprite on her?”

“Ai—”

In the distance, there was the faint strains of music drifting from a nearby quad, where a group of students has gathered to enjoy the late afternoon sun. Beomgyu tore his eyes away from the group as they had passed, chiming in.

“Oh, yeah! And then she missed collecting her prize money because she went to go clean herself up.”

Embarrassment was written all over his face as Yeonjun ran a hand down his face, refusing to think back on the memory.

“Okay. Not my proudest moment, clearly.”

“You don’t have that many proud moments anyways, so don’t worry about it.” Taehyun teased, placing a hand on his older friends’ shoulder.

Yeonjun groaned, shaking him off as the group made their way through the campus to the court.

Yeonjun thought of what the others said as his eyes scanned the walls of the buildings, adorned with posters advertising lectures, performances, and club meetings. Despite his lack of personal interest in these clubs, they seemed to give him a few ideas on how to get your attention.

Yeonjun stood at the free-throw line, ball in hand, heart pounding with a mix of nerves and excitement.

It wasn’t like Yeonjun was a sweat when it came to their games— they were always in good fun so he never worried too much about it but knowing that you were only a few feet away on the bleachers with your friends had him feeling much more competitive.

Yeonjun glanced over at you, his heart stopping when he caught your eyes with his. Glancing over out of curiosity, you found yourself a bit embarrassed with the sudden eye contact but you flashed him a quick supportive smile.

In all honesty, you didn’t know much about him aside from what you heard from everyone around you. Yeonjun was attractive, that much you could admit, but it was a bit difficult to approach him considering how highly everyone spoke of him.

The two of you shared quite a few mutual friends so you’d run into each other fairly often but you never found yourself particularly engaged in a conversation with him alone.

The one time that you had talked to him ended with you covered in sticky soda which was of course, much less than favorable.

Even still, the conversation before had been enjoyable enough as he told you how much he liked your art. Student showcases were a bit of a drag and you found them quite embarrassing but when you’d later found out that he had dragged the rest of his friends to see your display, it felt worth it.

From then on you’d regarded Yeonjun as attractive and kind.

The eye contact grew a bit uncomfortable as you nervously laughed, quickly turning back to face your friends who gave you a teasing smile.

“Well, anyways, I’m not sure if I’ll text him back. I mean it was really nice but I don’t think he’s really the type to want something serious, you know?”

Karina hummed as she twirled her hair around her finger. “Are you sure you’re not making an assumption? Maybe he can surprise you.” She offered and you bit the inside of your cheek.

Ningning laughed as she tangled a sour strip above Winter who tried to catch it with her mouth. Watching this, you found yourself laughing at her struggling from her position lying on the bleachers.

“Y/N’s impossibly high standards strike again,” Giselle says as she shakes you gently by your shoulder with a smile.

Sheepishly, you rubbed the back of your neck and whined. “Isn’t that a good thing? I don’t wanna be played by some dumb disingenuous guy, y’know?”

You used to think that falling in love was about holding on, but soon you found that it wasn’t. Meaningless conversations made your head spin and after one too many times, you’ve practically given up.

At the end of the day, you realized you may never realize what love truly was. Or maybe you’ve had it all wrong. There was always the possibility that someone could change your mind but you refused to hold your breath waiting for it.

Winter finally caught the sour rope in her mouth and bit down on it, tugging the rope as it slipped from a distracted Ningning’s grasp, slapping Winter in the face.

Ningning’s attention had been turned toward the court as she saw the familiar group of boys muttering and looking over.

Winter choked as she sat up straight, coughing as she blinked rapidly to get rid of sugar that had gotten into her eye. You let out a small laugh as you moved her flailing hands and wiped the remaining sugar off her face.

“What about Yeonjun?” Giselle offered and you gave her a confused look.

“What… about him?” Ningning looked at you and then back to Yeonjun’s three friends who were still starring.

In his own word Yeonjun focused on the hoop with a deep breath, visualizing the perfect arc of the ball as he got ready to shoot it through the air.

Suddenly, his confidence came crashing down as a familiar voice called out.

“Y/N! This one’s for you!”

Ningning and Winter both started laughing and you turned toward the court with a confused look to see Soobin waving his arms toward you to get your attention.

Yeonjun’s stance fell and he quickly turned toward Soobin, heart beating out of his chest.

“Hey— why the hell would you—?!”

Soobin snickered as he nudged Yeonjun back toward the starting point, “Sh! Hurry up!”

That nervousness creeped back up as Yeonjun prepared to take the shot. It certainly didn’t help that he could feel the weight of your gaze on him. Knowing you were watching seemed to put him in a rushed state and he wasted no time shooting.

With a flick of his wrist, he released the ball, sending it soaring towards the basket with all the confidence he could muster back up.

Unfortunately, as the ball left his fingertips, he realized with a sinking feeling that something was off and he made a mental note to choke Soobin out when they were out of your sight.

The ball veered off course, missing the mark by a wide margin and clattering off the backboard with a resounding thud.

Any childish hope of impressing you dashed in an instant and he refused to turn and face you as he turned completely the other way, eyes staring through the chain link fence and out at the lot beyond it.

Beomgyu pursed his lips as he attempted to stifle his laughter and Taehyun grit his teeth together.

“Oh, that’s not…”

Embarrassed, you buried your face into your hands with an audible groan not even having to look up to know that he missed the shot, Giselle’s laugh next to you was enough of an indicator.

Embarrassment flooded Yeonjun’s cheeks as he retrieved the ball, trying to shake off the disappointment and salvage what's left of his pride.

After his blank stare was torn away from the fence he attempted to laugh it off, making light of his missed shot as he prepared to try again.

Soobin stood awkwardly, long arms stuck to his sides as he laughed along with Yeonjun in an attempt to help soothe the tension. Kai looked up from his switch, seeing the glare behind Yeonjun’s eyes and laughed.

“You’re making it worse, hyung.”

“Well… she laughed?” Soobin offered.

“Her friends laughed, idiot.” Yeonjun countered.

Soobin couldn’t help but feel a twinge of regret at Yeonjun failing to live up to the expectations he'd set and he let out a long drawn sigh. “You’re helpless.”

Yeonjun swatted at him, “me?! You set me up!”

The two’s bickering fell on deaf ears as Taehyun swiped the ball from Yeonjun’s hands and looked back at your group of friends.

Your hands fell from your face and Taehyun noticed a shy smile playing on your lips as your friends gushed about Yeonjun’s embarrassing moment.

The kitchen was bathed in warm, golden light as Yeonjun stood cluelessly, Soobin eagerly gathering ingredients to bake cookies.

Soobin turned from the cabinet and gave Yeonjun an annoyed look, “are you gonna help?”

“I would if I knew what we were doing.” Yeonjun argued as he cautiously moved around the counter, leaning against it with his arms crossed.

Soobin puffed out his cheeks for a moment as he stilled, placing the flour on the counter. “Cookies. Brownies? No— cookies.”

“Cookies?”

“Do you want to get a date with her or not?”

Yeonjun paused for a moment before the realization washed over him and he gave Soobin a confused look. “Remember what happened last time you tried to help?”

Soobin blinked a few times before throwing the rest of the ingredients on the counter and put his hands up in defeat. “I give up.”

As he went to walk away Yeonjun rolled his eyes, grabbing his wrist to stop him. “No! Clean up your mess.”

“My mess?” Soobin asked, raising an eyebrow.

Yeonjun’s cheeks grew red and he groaned. Neither him or Soobin were particularly good at baking but the idea of trying seemed appealing, at least if it was for you.

The silence had Soobin chuckling and Yeonjun shook his head before turning back to the counter. “So… cookies.”

With a sense of determination, Yeonjun set to work, measuring out ingredients as Soobin preheated the oven.

Flour dusted the countertops, and the scent of vanilla extract lingered in the air, adding to the cozy atmosphere.

Occasionally, their community mates would wander in with curiosity or to fetch snacks for themselves. This was how Soobin found himself lost in conversation with Beomgyu as Yeonjun reached for the sugar and salt.

It was easy for him to find himself distracted as he imagined the look on your face when he gave you the cookies, hoping that they were to your liking.

Baking for someone was out of character for him and that much was obvious from how clumsy he was in the kitchen. It wasn’t that he was horrible but he certainly wasn’t the best, he much preferred to buy stuff rather than make it himself. Though he seemed convinced now that making them himself was the best way to make sure they were enough to showcase how he felt.

Unbeknownst to the distracted Yeonjun and Soobin, the granules cascading into the bowl weren’t the sweet, crystalline sugar he intended, but instead, the coarse, white grains of salt.

Oblivious to this mistake, Yeonjun continued to add ingredients, his mind consumed with other ideas to win you over and gain your attention in a more positive way.

With each stir of the spoon, the mixture began to take shape, the dough coming together in a smooth, glossy consistency. Yeonjun looked up at Soobin and Beomgyu who were locked into something the latter was showing on his phone as he scooped the dough onto the baking sheet, excitement building with each passing moment.

Yeonjun slid the tray into the oven as he excused himself for a few to go change, heart beating with excitement and the hope that you’ll savor the sweetness of his gesture.

Soobin agreed to wait for the cookies to finish as the older boy left, Beomgyu peeking into the oven with curiosity.

As the cookies baked, a faint scent wafted through the air. Beomgyu noted it wasn’t the enticing aroma of freshly baked treats, but instead, the unmistakable tang of salt.

“These for Kai or something?” Beomgyu asks, wondering if the boys were intending to pull a prank.

Confusion clouded Soobin’s mind as he furrowed his brow, unable to understand what he meant. “No? They’re for Y/N.”

Beomgyu’s mouth formed a quick ‘o’ as Soobin shoved him aside, pulling the tray from the oven. Yeonjun returned to see the golden-brown cookies on the counter and smiled.

“Nice! You want one Beomgyu?” The younger boy blinked for a moment, the other two’s obliviousness causing him to snicker as he shook his head.

“No, thanks.” Beomgyu reached behind Soobin, grabbing a bag of chips and waving them in front of the others as he quickly left with an amused look.

Soobin reached for a cookie and Yeonjun quickly smacked his hand away.

“No cookies for saboteurs.” He said firmly.

“Man…”

Of course, Yeonjun had considered giving them to you himself but unlike usual, he always found himself too tongue tied around you.

In the end, he decided to leave them at your seat during your last lecture. Even without sharing the class, your professor was quick to let him in due to her growing annoyance with his begging.

Not having much time to figure out the mystery of the cookies, you shoved them into your bag to investigate later. That was how you found yourself sat with your friends in a cafe nearby campus, cookies sat opened and untouched on the table.

Inside the small box was a scrap of paper that simply said ‘to Y/N, from Yeonjun! :)’

“Why would he make me… cookies?” You asked, head tilted slightly to the side in confusion.

“Seriously? You realize that he’s crazy obsessed with you right?” Jisung said with a look of amusement, swirling around the straw of his latte as he leaned into his hand. “You don’t know how many times Mark has complained about it.”

Chenle nodded, adjusting his sunglasses as he leaned back into his seat. “Right. Like, weirdly obsessed with you. It’s important to me that you know that, Y/N.” His voice was teasing and you rolled your eyes at his usual sarcasm.

You sat, staring down at the box of clumsily decorated cookies. Smiley faces and hearts messily drawn on them each made your chest flutter the slightest bit.

Unfortunately for you, the sweetness of the gesture was quickly overpowered by the complete confusion on your face when Jisung began coughing and spitting one of the cookies out. That was how you learned they were in fact, pact full of salt.

“Really? This is seeming like some weird joke…” your voice trailed off and Chenle snickered.

“Yeah, I just think he’s not very bright.”

Pausing for a moment, you nibbled on the straw between your teeth as you wondered if it really had been an accident rather than a joke. It was obvious that he put a bit of effort in, despite the ultimate failure the gesture had been.

Jisung rolled his eyes as he glared down at the box of cookies with a personal hatred burning in them. “What a waste of cookies…”

The library’s grand facade is bathed in the sunset as you tiredly make your way toward it to get some last minute studying in. Classes haven’t been very stressful as of late but you’ve found yourself growing increasingly distracted by a certain boy.

Multiple mishaps have led to him staying on your mind simply due to his strange behavior. Anytime you had thought about confronting him about it though, he seemed in a rush to get away from you.

Unknown to you, Yeonjun sat in the library with Beomgyu kicked back beside him loudly munching on a snack. Considering how the library attendant seemed to barely care about their job, the noise didn’t seem to be much of an issue at the moment.

“Why’re you so stressed? Just make the perfect playlist and write a charming one liner or something in the description— boom, Y/N falls in love with you and the two of you can make out for all of eternity.” He teased.

Yeonjun glared at him, shoving his feet off of the library desk. “Quiet down!” Beomgyu looked around to see the library was, as he expected, mostly barren. “As if it’s any kind of secret.”

“Whatever. And I’m not stressed, it’s just a playlist.” Beomgyu nodded, although it was clear from his expression that he didn’t believe him.

“Right. Considering how hopelessly in love with her you are, isn’t it weird that you don’t know her music taste?” Choosing to ignore the hard truth of his words, Yeonjun continued scrolling through his music library as he carefully selected each track.

Beomgyu noticed his meticulous attention to detail as Yeonjun scanned lyrics, taking out and adding songs as the moments passed by.

At the start he seemed to kick off strong, choosing songs that Beomgyu has heard in passing from Yeonjun’s own personal playlist from artists like Hanuel and Hojean.

The more he continued to try and curate the ‘perfect’ playlist though, his confidence in his own taste seemed to visibly wane as Beomgyu watched him replace his personal favorites with more popular songs.

Yeonjun chewed on his lip with his eyes narrowed, agonizing over whether each song was romantic enough or if it would resonate with you in the way he hoped.

It was when Beomgyu watched him replace 99% of the playlist with old Bruno Mars songs that he gave his older friend a deadpanned expression, deciding to take over.

“This is getting like… really corny, dude.”

In Yeonjun’s quest for perfection, he became paralyzed by indecision. The two spent hours of Beomgyu offering songs and Yeonjun agonizing over every choice, rearranging the playlist multiple times.

“There’s no hope for you. Just let me do it.” Beomgyu said with a sigh, hanging up his bag of chips as he and Yeonjun swapped seats.

Yeonjun watched in focus as Beomgyu added and deleted tracks, fighting the urge to comment on his choices and unable to shake the feeling that something is missing.

“There.” Beomgyu said after only a few moments, rolling out of the way for Yeonjun to look. “Take it or leave it. I’ve worked my magic.”

Yeonjun scrolled through for a few moments, thinking on it before beginning his edits.

Seeing this, Beomgyu groaned as his head dropped to the desk with a ‘thud’.

“Dude, it should not be this hard. You’re gonna stay single forever…” his muffled voice groaned.

“Shut up.” Yeonjun muttered.

After a few more moments, Yeonjun felt defeated. What should have been a quick and easy process was somehow becoming increasingly more complicated all because it was for you.

“Cigarettes after sex?” Your voice murmured quietly as you stared at the screen from behind Beomgyu, studying the tracks.

The title of the playlist had your heart stopping in your chest, only for the feeling to tighten as you read the description attached to it.

Yeonjun jumped at your voice and quickly snapped his laptop shut. Beomgyu rolled his head to the side, cheek pressed against the desk as he saw you leaning above him.

“Oh, hey Y/N.” His voice was tired and you looked down, giving him a small smile. “Hi, Gyu.”

There was a silence as Yeonjun stared at you like he had been caught doing something wrong and the small smile on your face stayed. “Hi, Yeonjun.”

Your voice was as sweet as ever and the close proximity had him feeling almost dizzy. Attempting to come to his senses, he cleared his throat and gave you his usual charming smile. “H-Hey, Y/N.”

Of course, his voice betrayed him and Beomgyu snickered.

Yeonjun kicked him underneath the desk and Beomgyu groaned, causing you to chuckle as you pulled away from them.

“Sorry for intruding, I came over to ask Beomgyu about something for photography but…” your voice trailed off for a moment as you pondered what to say next.

Yeonjun’s heart pounded in his chest as he wondered if you saw what he was making and if he needed to move across the globe out of embarrassment.

“Well anyway, it doesn’t matter.” You said, ultimately choosing to save Yeonjun from the embarrassment of calling out the playlists’ title.

“I’ll leave you two to it.” You said with a yawn, stretching as you stepped back. “Oh, bye Y/N.” Beomgyu said, voice uninterested and trailing off as he began to doze off against the table.

“Oh! By the way Yeonjun, you should send me one of your playlists sometime.” You said, a hint of playfulness in your voice as he gave you a dumbfounded look, muttering an incoherent goodbye.

Yeonjun stood in the flower shop, carefully selecting a bouquet of vibrant flowers, each bloom seemingly chosen with care and tied together with a delicate ribbon.

He hadn’t known if you’d pay much attention to detail or look into their meanings but he quickly found himself pulling out his phone with each option, making sure to look up the meaning of each specific flower just in case.

Yeonjun’s world almost seemed to shatter when he realized the yellow carnations in his hand were not, in fact, the best choice and they were quickly jammed back among the rest as he began to pace around.

Taehyun watched the ordeal from behind the counter and let out a sigh as he rang for assistance, his coworker clumsily poking his head out from the back in question.

“What’s up?” He asked.

Taehyun motioned toward Yeonjun, “my friend needs assistance. You mind tending up here for a bit?” He asked gently and the boy shook his head with a smile.

Knowing the front was taken care of, Taehyun made his way to Yeonjun with an amused look.

“You know when I told you to get her flowers, I didn’t mean come and tear up our displays.” He said half-heartedly.

“Right, you just meant come and make you more money.” Taehyun shrugged at that, knowing it was more-so a comment stemming from his frustrations.

Adjusting his glasses, Taehyun reached around and fixed up the bouquets that Yeonjun had messily discarded. Realizing the mess, he ran a hand through his hair.

“Sorry, Taehyun.”

Taehyun’s gaze lingered on Yeonjun as he shifted under it, kicking at the ground in frustration. It was obvious that Yeonjun had been stressing himself out over making the right choice.

Despite his friends knowing about his little crush on you, Taehyun had noticed how seriously he had been taking everything when it came to you and couldn’t help but feel that sincerity stemmed from something much more serious.

Adjusting his glasses, he smiled and shook his head at him. “Give me a few minutes in the back, okay? Don’t mess up the rest of our displays.” Taehyun mused teasingly.

Cluelessly, Yeonjun nodded and followed him to wait at the counter as he went to make him a personalized bouquet. With a sigh, Yeonjun felt a slight weight being lifted off of his shoulders as he trusted Taehyun’s choices.

With a nervous flutter in his stomach, Yeonjun approached you at the picnic table where you sat, his heart pounding with anticipation.

As he opened his mouth to get your attention, you looked up at him from your phone with a knowing smile. You’d found that lately you’ve become increasingly aware whenever he was around, even searching for him wherever you’d went subconsciously.

“Hi, Yeonjun.” You said, giving him an expectant look as your gaze traveled to the bouquet of flowers he held.

His grip on them was tight as opposed to the delicacy of the flowers and it made you smile as you held back a laugh.

A combination of blue and violet flowers were tied together by a pink ribbon, the colors complimenting each other and harmonizing well.

“Y/N,” he started before clearing his throat again. This was a habit he picked up when around you, you’d noticed.

“These uh… they’re for you!” He said awkwardly, presenting you them with a goofy smile. His lack of tact made you chuckle as you took them from him.

The silence that followed, though, had a sinking feeling form in the pit of his stomach as he watched your eyes begin to water.

Yeonjun’s expression became clouded with confusion and concern, “do you not like the color? I-I honestly know nothing about flowers so, you can just throw them out if you want! It’s really no big deal, I was just thinking of you so— or, I thought you’d like them. Not that I was randomly thinking of you. Or— not that I don’t think of you, but…”

Yeonjun’s voice trailed off with a nervous laugh, hoping his rambling would cheer you up and relieve you of whatever pressure he seemed to suddenly place on you.

Quickly, you shook your head with a small smile as the tears fell. As you opened your mouth to protest, your nose twitched as you suddenly let out a sneeze.

It's then that he realized with dawning horror that you were allergic to the flowers— the last, ‘fool proof’ gift he had hoped would win you over.

Yeonjun’s heart sinks as he watches you struggle to suppress a sneeze, filled with regret at his thoughtless mistake.

“Sorry, Y/N.” He stammered out, gently taking the flowers from you with a helpless feeling as he watched your discomfort.

Even with your wordless protests he wondered if his friends had been right and he really was clueless.

With anyone else, flirting seemed to come so easily but with you, he wanted his efforts to really mean something.

Quickly he realized that getting caught up in the things his friends thought were romantic gestures were just his own stupid way of ruining everything in the end.

Yeonjun’s cheeks burned with embarrassment as he realized the gravity of his error. Another romantic gesture overshadowed by the unintended consequences of his actions.

He wondered if his constant errors had been some warning of your future— a tell tale sign of truth that was meant to signal to him that all he would do is let you down.

Caught up in his own thoughts, Yeonjun was pulled out of them as you smiled through watery eyes, gratitude shining through despite the discomfort.

“That’s sweet, Yeonjun.” A nervous smile made its way onto his face as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

“You’re cute when you’re flustered.” You added on and he realized that maybe, the gesture hadn’t been a total failure in the end.

“You’re cute when you sneeze.” He added jokingly and you rolled your eyes.

“Don’t ruin the moment, Romeo. I can still accuse you of attempted assassination, you know.”

The flowers discarded on the ground, Yeonjun kneeled against the bench as the two of you talked for a few moments. A hint of a confession on the tip of his tongue before his phone went off suddenly, causing him to frown.

Regrettably he said his goodbye before rushing away to go help whoever had called for him, not without one last wave and charming smile.

When he turned back, the world beneath you kept spinning round and round like the plates in a circus act. Yet even with his new absence, you couldn’t leave Yeonjun behind.

No matter what kind of day you were having, he still scratched at the corner of your mind, like a cat begging to be let in.

The smile that creeped up on your face at the memory of him couldn’t be defeated. It was at that picnic table, hands covering the wide smile on your face that you had accepted defeat.

“Are you okay? You seem nervous lately.” Kai asked as he watched Yeonjun step onto his skateboard.

He pushed off with a confident stride, weaving through the concrete park with his eyes fixated on you from a distance.

Leaning against the concession stand, you chatted with your friend that Yeonjun couldn’t seem to remember the name of. Matty? Matthew?

His board caught on a rock he didn’t notice as he watched you laugh, eyes widening as he stumbled forward off of it. Kai followed his sight and clicked his tongue in acknowledgement.

“I’m trying to figure out how to tell Y/N how I feel.” He said as if it weren’t obvious to everyone around him. Despite that, Kai nodded.

“I mean— she seems open to talking to me now after the showcase incident so that’s good news, right?” Yeonjun’s tone was hopeful and Kai’s lips twitched up in a smile.

“Oh, actually…” Kai held the can in his hands away from him as the metal snapped, carbonation bubbling to the top. “I passed her and some of her friends in the quad the other day and she asked me for your number.”

Yeonjun practically threw himself onto the ground at that as he stumbled over his board once more, “she what?! Why didn’t you tell me?”

Kai laughed, shrugging. “Slipped my mind.” His voice was teasing, though and Yeonjun furrowed his eyebrows at that.

Sensing his apprehension, Kai sighed. “She asked me not to tell you.” He said simply.

“Well, you failed.” This time, Kai pouted at him.

“Whatever, you would have found out anyways. Hasn’t she texted you yet?”

“Well if she did, I would have known that you gave her my number, wouldn’t I?”

“Oh,” Kai paused before nodding. “Fair point.”

“I know that you want it to be special but why don’t you just try being yourself? You know, tell her how she makes you feel without overthinking it.” The younger boy offered, sliding his board back and forth with his foot as he took a break.

“It worked for everyone else you dated, somehow.” He added on with a cute tone as he reached forward, pinching him.

Yeonjun swatted his hand away from him and looked back to the concession stand. Leaning against it, you were facing his way this time as if you’d known he was there all along.

When your eyes met you gave him a kind smile, waving at the two of them. Kai waved back as Yeonjun froze and for the moment, he almost thought you were looking for him.

Yeonjun found himself light-headed with the same stupid determination and sudden desire to impress as he stepped onto his skateboard again.

As Yeonjun approached, he decided to show off a trick he and Kai had been practicing. It wasn’t anything too big, just a jump over the small obstacles littered around the park.

With a burst of speed, he launched himself into the air, heart pounding with anticipation. But just as he reached the peak of his jump, his foot slipped off the board, sending him tumbling to the ground in another display of clumsiness.

You gasped in surprise, eyes widening in concern as Kai grimaced, rushing over to help him. Matthew placed the snacks you’d bought on the counter next to you and cringed, “ouch. At least he tried?” He laughed before noticing your lips pressed into a firm frown.

“You should go check on him, Y/N. Make sure he didn’t break any bones or concuss himself?” He said teasingly as he turned, placing a cold can on ice tea on the counter next to your bottle of water.

A look of confusion played on your face and Matthew rolled his eyes, shoving the mess of items into your arms. You stuck out your tongue at him in annoyance before turning back toward Yeonjun.

The embarrassment could have been bearable if he hadn’t seen you walking directly toward him.

Yeonjun rarely felt embarrassed, he never felt like anything mattered enough to worry about in the grand scheme of things. Of course, this changed with you and that embarrassment became a part of his daily routine.

“The universe has got to be against you,” Kai said as he gave Yeonjun an empathetic look and the older boy just laughed it off.

At the end of the day, as embarrassing as that had been, you never seemed to shy away from his embarrassing displays before.

The crinkle of bags dropping next to him alerted Yeonjun of your presence as you kneeled down with a sympathetic smile, cold iced tea in hand.

Yeonjun’s hand that had been soothing his busted ankle fell and he gave you a toothy grin. “Y/N, what a… coincidence!”

You rolled your eyes at this, reaching out and pressing the can of cold iced tea against his red ankle. Yeonjun’s cheeks flushed at this and he looked up again to see you.

“Since your guardian angel is here, looks like it’s my cue to go.” Kai said with a teasing tone, shooting you a knowing smile. “Bye, Y/N~”

A laugh escaped you and you shook your head as Kai pushed himself off on his own board. Yeonjun’s constant effort to impress you lingered in your mind, each attempt seemingly more desperate than the last.

Despite these failed attempts though, Yeonjun became the one constant stuck in your mind. Before he started these grand displays, you found yourself dreading the idea of dating.

You couldn’t be sure what the reasons were for these attempts at first but after the first two, it had became obvious that he was interested in you.

It made you laugh at how determined he was to get your attention, almost like he had blinded himself, never seeming to realize that he had already gotten it.

The last thing you wanted was to get caught up with someone who was looking for a relationship for the wrong reasons. Countless times you found yourself jaded after failed talking stages.

Funnily enough, Yeonjun’s constant attempts to win your affection seemed to have you wrapped around his finger similarly to how he was around yours.

“At least you tried.” You said, echoeing Matthew’s teasing. Yeonjun’s wide grin never left as you moved from on your knees to sit down properly next to him.

His gaze followed you like an enamored kitten and you found yourself suddenly feeling shy under it. “You’re always there at my worst moments.” He said.

“Don’t worry, it’s always just as endearing.” You nudged him gently with your shoulder and he rolled his eyes this time.

“Let me take you on a date, then? I’ll make sure it’s one of your best.” This time, you were the one who grew embarrassed as he leaned in close.

His eyes peered up at you with curiosity as you tried to avoid his gaze. You gently pushed him away with a shy laugh and he grabbed your hand in his, holding it in its’ place against his cheek.

“I’m sure it will be since it’s with you.” And like what seemed like second nature after all this time, his breath caught in his throat. The wind blowing against the both of you left him unfazed compared to those words.

Overtime as he invaded your life, you found how perfectly he seemed to fit like a perfect piece of the puzzle.

Because of Yeonjun, you found yourself learning that love was about hands gripping the edge of the world and letting go, one finger at a time.

Each bated breath, holding it in before the drop came. It was unfamiliar and scary for your first time, but soon you’d get used to the motion; the headlong dive into the deep.

“Y/N,” he whispered your name like a prayer, his voice heavy with all the hope of heaven. Your hand remained still against his cheek only for a moment as his grip on it loosened.

Nervously, you pulled your hand from his against his face, only to take his in your own and gently lock your fingers together. His gaze never left your face as he memorized the patterns of your skin, your own eyes focused down at your hands.

Any anxieties from long before were let go as you thought about him and how recklessly he had thrown himself into it, all for you.

Unabashedly, you wanted to love like he did. So you decided to go with it.

Tracing the lines of his palm, you drew a map to salvation in your mind. After what felt like too long of meaningless encounters and empty promises it seemed that the world led you right to each other.

The last thing that you wanted was to fall for someone disingenuous and find yourself distraught over someone who wasn’t worth it.

Fortunately for you, Yeonjun seemed to hear the knock of your heart and answer it like his calling.

songs for Y/N. ♡

you only get one chance to fall in love with your heart still whole, thank you for making the fall that much sweeter. ;)

જ⁀➴♡ phone in ᝰ.ᐟ

PHONING... 𓂃 ࣪˖ 7 hours ago.

After finding Kai on the outskirts of your kingdom, the two of you develop a bond stronger than any passage of time.

જ⁀➴♡ wc 4k ✧ fluff

On the outskirts of the tranquil kingdom lied a familiar sun-kissed, magical field. The air was crisp and cold as vibrant wildflowers sway in harmony with the gentle breeze. Kai’s eyes felt heavy as he tugged on the sack thrown over his shoulder.

Exhaustion took over his body as he let out a huff, eyes narrowing under the beating sun as he stared off into the distance at the kingdom drawing near.

Another one of his days was spent fulfilling quests of people around him, days beginning to blend together from his lack of sleep.

Even still, the rays of golden sunlight danced upon the emerald grass, casting a warm glow that illuminated the enchanting landscape. A smile tugged at his lips though as he thought of you.

Butterflies flit and fluttered among the blossoms of the land you were so proud of, adding an ethereal touch to the serene scene.

The kingdom of Hyrule was a haven where time seemed to stand still, inviting everyone who entered to bask in its radiant beauty and find solace in its' peaceful embrace.

Kai held himself back as he slid down the steep indent, rolling ankle meeting the bottom of the rugged mountain. The dense forest he had just came from still teeming with life and the songs of creatures unknown to him filtered through his ears.

Despite this, the sun beating down on him causing the sweat to pool on his pale skin didn’t phase him as he thought of you and the castle where he knew he would be able to rest his head.

You, the princess and future ruler of Hyrule but aside from that, Kai’s trusted friend.

It was known that you had been too busy with directing your kingdom’s construction efforts to be formally crowned as you were supposed to and so your taking of the title of ‘Queen’ had been stalled for quite some time.

Citizen’s speculations suggested you simply couldn’t handle the pressure and preferred to bury yourself into your research and studies, spending much more time shut away behind books. Not that they necessarily minded, you still tended to your royal duties as you needed and were regarded with much respect in the realm.

Beyond all the speculations and folklore created around you and the royal family you were tied to, no one knew you as well as Kai.

The two of you had met what felt like ages ago, the first day you could remember stumbling upon a boy who couldn't speak.

You were unsure if he couldn’t or wouldn’t, any questions inquiring about his family or friends met with a steady silence.

It was in that silence you seemed to pick up on his own confusion, the realization dawning that he wasn’t quite sure of much himself.

In taking him in, it didn’t take long for you to agree to help him discover who he was and possibly reunite him with his family.

Despite how well he seemed to fare on his own, you found yourself growing increasingly enamored with the boy and extended as much help to him as possible.

From Kai’s perspective it had been a particularly exhausting day when you, a young girl who had never heard a single melody in your entire life approached him.

Leaning down to see what the boy was hunched over, him shying the slightest bit away from you to protect himself.

“What’s that? Won’t you show me?” The air of familiarity in which you spoke with threw him off the slightest bit.

You were close to his age but you carried yourself with a confident air, despite being so far from civilization.

The air was alive with the melody of a birdsong and the rustle of leaves. The crackle of the fire in front of him pierced his ears and he whipped his head around to see if anyone else had come.

Strangely enough, it had just been you. With nothing to protect yourself but a book in hand, in that moment he made the quick judgement that you were the slightest bit ditzy.

The scent of wildflowers and pine trees filled his senses, it had been too long he had been traveling and he hadn’t the faintest idea where he had wounded up, having lost his map long before he could remember.

The walls of the kingdom could be seen from miles away, the ruins of ancient civilizations fallen past littering the path to its’ entrance like picture frames.

Despite the ruins, the kingdom itself remained untouched by the passage of time. Peering eyes remained focused on his hands, shaky as they covered something from your sight.

When you were met with no answer, you hummed and sat yourself down on the ground across from him. “You don’t talk?” You asked.

Kai thought for a moment before shaking his head. It wasn’t that he couldn’t, he was just the slightest hit apprehensive when it came to strangers. Not that anyone could blame him.

Sunlight filtered through the canopy above, casting dappled shadows on the earth’s floor and illuminating secret glades nearby.

The thing he had been protecting so dearly you eventually found out had been a music box, something delicate and treasured throughout his life.

A small, pink music box that was said to hold every song in the world. Curiously, you asked him to play a song for you.

Despite his fuzzy memories attached to the music box, his heart had told him to protect it and always keep it close.

Something so delicate in a world such as his must be protected.

Even so, he smiled hesitantly and played you his favorite song.

Kai watched while your face lit up with wonder as the music filled the sky and the poetry of the keys moved you in a way you had never felt before.

It wasn’t unnatural to hear the humming of strings throughout the kingdom as people played for their enjoyment but to hear a song tethered to the cranking of the winds’ gears somehow sounded much more beautiful and refined.

It hadn’t even dawned on the both of you that night began to fall, a shiver running down your spine at the thought of anything showing up unexpectedly.

“Why don’t you come back with me?” You offered.

“You can have a nice, full meal!” Clapping your hands together excitedly, you brushed yourself off as you waved back toward the kingdom.

Kai’s eyes wandered toward the fire in front of him and the sad excuse for a soup he had attempted to make, his pale cheeks flushing red.

Despite his wanting to decline out of embarrassment, the growling of his stomach quickly betrayed him.

The hesitance in his eyes was obvious and despite your age, you found yourself reading him as clear as your favorite book.

You kneeled down, reaching for his hand slowly. When he didn’t pull away you took it as a sign, gently grabbing it and holding it in your own with a smile.

“It’s not charity. You showed me something precious to you today, so I want to treat you. Think of it as a trade, okay?” For the first time in a while, Kai found himself smiling and he nodded.

“Okay…” His voice was quiet and you almost didn’t catch it. The sudden response had you ecstatic as you pulled him up, him stumbling to his feet.

Underneath that tree, the two of you formed a friendship that would last for years to come.

Kai would play his songs for you day after day and you would sit by him quietly, never seeming to mind that he would only speak to you through song.

As the two of you grew older, he seemed to talk more and more. Some days it was less often than others, not that you’d ever point it out. With his age, Kai had taken on many more quests and adventured out more often.

Spending more time away from the kingdom, you found he’d always return from these adventures completely exhausted. Of course, you let him know that there was always a warm bed waiting for him at the end of the day. Even still, you could tell that all of his hard work had taken a toll on him.

On days where he was particularly silent, you found him seeming much more drained physically and emotionally.

With this lack of speaking, seemingly stemming from the responsibility he had placed on himself at such a young age, you were quick to realize that Kai was the type to silently carry his own burdens.

The last time you had heard him break this silence was when you called him to one of your research stations, anxiously chewing on your nail as you stared down at the map in front of you.

After so many years you’d finally managed to track down members of Kai’s lineage— or at least, that was what you had hoped. Stowed away in Hyrule’s sister country of Labrynna you had heard whispers of a story that seemed to match exactly with what you had known of Kai.

Brothers and sisters searching for a young boy to match his exact description when you had met him. Of course, it dawned on you that it could be any other boy with a similar appearance so you decided to pay a visit yourself to be sure.

A boy and a music box.

The last thing you wanted was to get Kai’s hopes up for nothing, you were sure that would break the both of your hearts.

When you were younger you had grown fond of adventuring out beyond the kingdom, much to your fathers’ dismay. The issue lied in your own ability to defend yourself.

Knowing this, Kai agreed to help you in training to get stronger.

Traveling through sprawling deserts with tranquil lakes, you found yourself excitedly scribbling out poorly made drawings of its’ beautiful landscapes and jotting down notes of things you’d wanted to show Kai and discuss with him later on.

Deep inside Labrynna teemed with life inside its’ hidden village where the inhabitants carried on traditions passed down through generations. The village had a captivating beauty about it and you couldn’t help but find it fitting for someone like Kai to originate from there.

Once you had arrived, asking around had led you to a cozy cottage, its thatched roof adorned with ivy and moss, blending seamlessly with the surrounding verdant foliage. The village itself was a stark contrast to the deserts surrounding it.

Hesitantly, you swallowed the lump in your throat and knocked on the door. When the door opened you were faced with a girl, seemingly only a few years younger than Kai. It didn’t take much longer than a moment of studying her face to confirm the two were related and your heart began to swell.

You didn’t want to ruin the surprise so you had opted for an excuse for your appearance, some nonsense about Hyrule’s trading system reaching out to merchants of their partnering kingdoms.

All of the training you’d sat through came in handy as you rambled on and on about exchanging goods ranging from exotic spices and textiles to precious metals.

Kai’s sisters who you later learned to be named Lea and Bahiyyih seemed interested as the younger one happily engaged with you in conversations about her finest gems she’d accumulated over the years.

The cottage exuded an aura of warmth and tranquility, its walls adorned with quaint wooden shutters painted in hues of earthy greens and rich browns. The occasional pink foliage littered the area, you assumed by Bahiyyih’s touch.

Lea seemed much more hesitant yet she still offered you some tea, mentioning that she knew of some boys who may have been interested in trades as well.

The four boys, you later learned, had been friends of their missing brother.

The crackling fire filled the air with the scent of cedar wood as you were brought back to the night you had met Kai.

As you studied faded photos around the cabin, a photo of the boy you knew all too well had caught your attention, standing between the two girls with a toothy grin.

Something you found particularly captivating was the familiar, small music box held in the youngest girls’ hands.

Kai’s smile radiated that same warmth even through the faded photograph, your heart swelling at the sight of what he once had. You knew that he always yearned to return home, even if he couldn’t quite remember how he had gotten lost in the first place.

When you had returned to Hyrule that day, you were saddened to find that you had missed Kai’s return before he set off for another quest. You were sure he was off exploring the deepest cave somewhere quite a distance away.

The table of your research station had been littered with papers from your travels, those drawing and notes previously hidden away for Kai’s return.

The map of Kai’s home was now covered with detailed markings, warnings and notes scribbled across the top of it all leading to the circled area. Papers with notes tucked inside detailing a description of the newly familiar cabin and its occupants just in case he had somehow gotten lost.

There wasn’t a doubt in your mind that he would be able to find him though, seeing how people seemed to gravitate toward him. Kai always seemed to find himself exactly where he needed to be, you noticed.

A hand placed on your shoulder had you jumping, hands instinctively moving to cover the map as you whipped your head around. You found Kai, a confused look on his face that you read clear as day.

A sigh of relief escaped you as you smiled, growing embarrassed of how lost you had gotten in your thoughts.

“I know that it’s been years and you seemed okay with the prospect of giving up but…” your voice trailed off as you rolled the map up, gently placing it inside a protective sheath.

Kai tilted his head slightly and his hair fell in front of his face. You smiled a bit as that, wanting to reach up brush it out of his face. You’d noticed that it had grown much longer than he usually kept it when he was here.

“I found them, Kai. Your sisters.” For a moment he stilled, almost as if he had completely frozen up.

Concern filled your gaze and you stepped forward, holding the map close. “Kai? Are you alright?” Your words were smooth and soft, as if trying not to scare a frightened animal.

For the first time ever in the years you had known him, Kai laughed. The sound was loud and quite obnoxious, unlike anything you had ever heard from the boy and your eyes widened in surprise.

Despite the unfamiliarity, you found his laugh to be much better music than anything he had played for you before.

“Sisters,” he let out a deep breath and he looked down at your hands wound tightly around the map. He reached out, placing his over your own.

Kai wasn’t one to initiate physical contact yourself, the unfamiliar warmth causing the blood to rush to your cheeks. “Will you come with me?”

A part of you wanted to cry at the overwhelming care in his tone, how gently he asked you to follow him to his home.

Regrettably, you knew you had to deny this request.

“Unfortunately, I’m needed here.” He frowned for a moment before shaking his head, that wide smile crawling onto his face again.

“Sisters,” he repeated. A laugh escaped you this time as he said it. “Yes, Kai. Sisters. You have some friends there as well, I’m sure everyone in the village will be ecstatic to see you.”

As he took the map, he placed its’ sheath down at his side gently. Curiously, you spared him a glance before you turned to grab something else.

The delicate pink music box was held in your hands, finally going to be returned to its’ rightful owner. Before you could turn around to give it to him, you felt a pair of arms wrap around your waist.

The feeling of his warmth against you had your heart skip a beat as he buried his face into your neck. It was almost like he was starved of touch with how tightly he held onto you, as if he believed you would slip away any moment.

“Thank you, Y/N.” And there it was, the way your name had slipped off of his tongue so perfectly as if it was exactly where it belonged.

The lack of mentioning your title reminding you that you were simply yourself to him and nothing more.

It was these incredibly rare moments you cherished so dearly.

Every sensation felt almost heightened with him so close and you attempted to clear your throat, head spinning. No amount of conversational training could have prepared you for the absolute fool you became when it came to him.

That encounter had been months long passed by now and eventually became a distant memory. No matter how much time passed though, it would always be etched into your mind as the moment you found what love had felt like.

Even after all the time had passed you never grew tired of waiting, confident that he would return when he was ready. In fact, rather than growing bitter, your excitement only grew as you found yourself wondering what stories he would share with you.

Despite the occasional whispers in the kingdom due to his drawn out absence, you hadn’t found yourself concerned with it much. A part of you always missed him but he had promised to return and because of this, you trusted him.

Kai had agreed to return at a set time and place; seven months from the day he had left, beneath the seventh tree in the kingdom’s olive orchard.

Excitedly you rushed about, wondering if you had looked presentable enough. It was a foolish thing to wonder about, especially as Kai had seen you through all of your different phases and accepted you wholeheartedly.

Even still, you found yourself childishly hoping for everything to be perfect.

When you arrived promptly, you waited. As time passed you began to check your time keeper, wondering if your mind had been playing tricks on you.

Checking it every so often but even still, there was no sign of him. You began to question your memory for the first time in your life, wondering if all of your notes and countdowns had somehow been mistaken.

Was it the seventh tree or the tenth?

As foolish as you knew that you were being, you still wondered and decided to check, just in case.

As you made your way over to the tenth tree, Kai finally arrived at the seventh, tiredly leaning against it.

Confusion grew on his face as he studied his surroundings where you were noticeably absent.

The kingdom’s mystical monuments in the distance seemed to peek over the walls ahead, remnants of a bygone era. The trees above the both of you stood strong against the passage of time.

Kai waited before deciding he must have had the wrong tree and perhaps it was another where you were supposed to meet. He mentally scolded himself as he was sure Lea would have done for making you wait.

Meanwhile, you had arrived at the fifty-sixth tree, where Kai was still nowhere to be seen. Your strong facade seemed to fade with time as you found yourself wearing your disappointment on full display.

The both of you began to drift aimlessly around the olive orchard, almost meeting but never quite. Hundreds of questions passed through the both of your minds, had it even been the right day? Perhaps he had come a day early or a day late.

Finally, you found yourself beneath the same tree— the seventh where you began, feeling lost and resigned.

A part of you felt like crying as you stared down at the ground, heel digging into the soft dirt.

It was barely a minute that you stood there before there was a tap on your shoulder.

It was him.

“You came!” Even after all of the time you had spent conditioning yourself to be sure of his return, having him directly in front of you after what felt like forever had lifted a weight off of your shoulders.

With your arms suddenly thrown around his shoulders, he stumbled back at the impact as a bubbly laugh came from your throat. You weren’t expecting a verbal response but surprisingly, it came

“Was there any doubt?” He asked, a new teasing tone in his voice as his hand came up to cradle the back of your head.

Your eyes closed for a moment as you took in his presence, not wanting to let go. The playful tone in his voice was new and you found yourself flustered at the newfound confidence he seemed to have.

Even after such a short time, he continued to grow. A part of you felt sad that you had missed it.

Reluctantly pulling away, you brought yourself to look him in the eye and study his face. It was exactly how you remembered it yet somehow it still felt different.

"Where were you?" You asked, "I feel like I’ve been searching all my life."

Kai’s smile softened as he grabbed your hands from his shoulders, bringing them down to your sides to hesitantly interlock your fingers.

"You stopped looking for me," he replied, "and I found you."

He said it as if it had been the most obvious thing in the world and you shook your head, just grateful for his return.

Despite all of the lost time he had to make up for, Kai never regretted stumbling upon Hyrule— upon you.

With time he realized that it was not just the natural beauty of the kingdom that captivated him but you and the sense of wonder that came with knowing you.

Looming on the horizon like a beacon of hope, stood Hyrule Castle. In the distance behind you it almost shadowed behind you like a crown, the fortress of stone and marble that serves as the heart of the kingdom and the place Kai had once called home.

His eyes looked past you for the moment as he studied it, its towering spires reaching for the sky, silhouettes against the backdrop of the suddenly setting sun.

“Do you remember the song that I played you the night we met?” Kai asked as he brought his eyes back to yours, catching you staring.

Sheepishly, you shook your head no.

“I don’t,” you confessed.

“But I remember every song I have heard since you left.”

When he asked you why, you took both his hands in yours and kissed them warmly. This time, it was the tips of his ears that blushed a bright red as you looked up at him through your eyelashes.

“I couldn’t wait for the day I could share them with you.” He hummed in response, nothing else needing to be said.

The two of you sat, ignoring the setting sun as you began to spill everything of the past month with the other. For the moment neither of you had any responsibilities— you weren’t a princess and he wasn’t a knight: you were simply those kids you had always been.

The familiar silence you were once used to with Kai was quickly replaced with the familiarity of his laugh, your favorite sound.

The way Kai would speak your name with gratitude as if it was the mantra of his soul. No matter how often you’d laugh and deny it, he knew it to be undeniably true.

Underneath the vast expanse of the dimming sky, Kai pulled out something from his pocket— an ocarina, cradling it gently in his hands.

Curiously you glanced at it. Kai’s love for music was something that you were well aware of but he always seemed much more reserved when it came to playing himself in front of other people.

“Since you don’t remember it,” he started.

“I’ll play it for you again.” His gaze fell with a sense of quiet reverence as he raised the ocarina to his lips, its smooth surface cool against his skin.

With practiced fingers he exhales as the familiar, almost haunting melody drifted into the air weaving its way through the night.

Each note resonated with a tenderness long forgotten, carrying with it the depth of his emotions. Your breath seemed caught in your throat as you were enraptured by the song.

And as the night fell, you knew that he had to go.

Regrettably, you allowed yourself to ask him for once thing.

“Do you think you can stay? Just tonight?”

The softness in your voice allowed him to peer into your soul, the beat of your heart reflecting in every word.

“Anything for you.”

In the stillness of the castle’s corridors late at night, the entrance to your bedroom stood as a silent sanctuary from the outside world.

The tall, ornately carved doors loomed like sentinels, polished wood gleaming softly in the dim candlelight that flickered from sconces lining the stone walls.

The two of you seemed small compared to the walls around you but even still, Kai stood tall and proud. He seemed the same but still so different.

A soft creak echoed through the corridor, breaking the silence of the night as you stood holding it open. The familiar scent of lavender and jasmine lingered in the air, mingling with the faint aroma of beeswax from the candles that cast dancing shadows across the room.

The scent that Kai had once regarded as his own home. “I’ll see you off in the morning then?” Your voice held a hint of sadness and Kai nodded wordlessly, lips pressed together in a thin line.

Despite his lack of expression you could tell that something was weighing heavy on his mind as well. Gently grabbing his hand in yours once again, you pulled him closer to you for a moment. “I really have missed you, I’m glad that you’ve found your home. Both of these things are true.”

It was easy for you to tell that underneath it all, Kai had that lingering regret of leaving you to return home. Some sort of guilt buried inside that he couldn’t seem to sort out and detangle in his own.

You gently raised your hand to cup his cheek and he melted into you, just as he had all those months ago.

“You’ll always be special to me, Kai.” Your voice was careful as you wondered how you could confess how you felt after all these years without outright saying it. Tip-toeing around the truth that you both knew.

“I hope that you can allow the simple miracle of your own presence to overwhelm you.” Kai’s eyes fluttered closed for a moment as your thumb brushed against his cheek, feeling the warmth radiating off of it. “You’re beautiful in ways that can't be described.”

A smile came on his face as the tension disappeared from his expression, eyes fluttering open to look at you with pure adoration.

“Goodnight, Kai.” You hummed, gently placing a kiss on his cheek.

When the morning came, you saw him off at the gates as you had agreed to let him go. Although you wished you had more time, you refused to feel sad as you thought of the moments you’d spent together.

Kai knew that the pair of you were eternal, even after all this time. Every quest would lead him back to you, as you were born to walk this world in intersecting lines. Every adventure would bring him back to your side, whether he had to travel for 7 hours or 7 months.

Deep inside, you thanked him for his gift of music and poetry he had brought into your life simply by finding you.

A whirlwind of emotions swept you off of your feet the day you met him, your feelings spilling out in waves just as the ocean had. How lucky you considered yourself to fall in love so young.

Similarly to this, Kai found himself eternally grateful for you finding him and showing him love because he had known nothing better since meeting you.

In all of his adventures, Kai had stumbled upon the ruins of numerous civilizations. He had read their musings about the Gods they worshipped and promises of heaven, endlessly conflicting descriptions of divinity.

Nothing seemed to be as true as what he had thought himself when he was with you. Kai knew that he was born with his heart already broken, his memories taken from him in fragments. But the world began in pieces and somehow made itself whole in the exact way you had shown him.

The day he met you, your smile seemed to be a blazing trail of light that show down from the heavens as your each word seemed to direct him to where the stars truly belonged.

The smile that had shown him the way had also blessed him with realization that he loved you, like some sort of secret only he was allowed in on. The secret knowledge that he was as hopelessly devoted to you as those civilizations had been to their make believe Gods.

Nothing in the world could stop the maddening rush that those three words he longed to say to you caused.

And so he’d practice saying them over and over until you met again to perfect them for you. For his love, with those words, he found himself becoming with divinity and in turn, one with you.

જ⁀➴♡ phone in ᝰ.ᐟ

PHONING... 𓂃 ࣪˖ Break My Heart Again.

The only thing that could ruin your nights with Taehyun was the harsh reality that peeks in with the sun the morning after.

જ⁀➴♡ wc 2k ✧ angst

The morning sun gently filters through the curtains, casting a soft glow across the room as you sit at the table across from him, sipping on a steaming cup of coffee. The air was filled with a sense of calm and tranquility, the lingering warmth of last night still palpable between you.

The crease by his eyes when he smiled at you before looking down toward his phone almost had your head spinning and if you weren’t seated, you swore you could have fallen over.

There was a quietness to the moment, the only sound being the gentle hum of the coffee maker and the occasional clink of your ceramic mug against the tabletop.

The mug in front of him sat unmoved, half empty as remnants of spilt coffee dried on the rim with the time it remained untouched.

As you took another sip of your coffee, you stole a glance at Taehyun, the same small smile playing at the corners of your lips. Something in the way he leaned into the palm of his hand had you mesmerized. Your best friend, Taehyun, ever the beauty.

Maybe that was what it was that made you head over heels for him: that sense of familiarity in the way you looked at each other, a silent acknowledgment of the connection you shared.

One night, after all of the longing glances shared there had been a moment when the two of you crossed the line of friendship into something more. Not friends anymore but not quite lovers.

Nothing felt like yours anymore after that. Every little thing that defined you; the small sentimental trinkets he had gifted you from his travels, your car keys that had now become lonely with the departure of your apartment key. The pin codes and passwords you memorized like the back of your hand, always knowing he would be there to meet you on the other side.

They all felt like you, at one point in time. Your spare apartment key that had been thrown on his own keychain for when he would come over for sacred friend dates was now used only in the late night. Eventually, the pin codes you had memorized for him during the day faded from your mind as he made sure to meet you at the door, quickly punching it in himself to sneak you in late at night.

And more than anything else, your phone number— the one he boldly asked for that night you met, amidst a sea of your friends, under a sky of talking satellites and glowing stars. You hadn’t missed the look of surprise on their faces, especially Beomgyu’s as his eyes peered up at you from behind his cup.

Across the table, Taehyun looked up from his phone incessantly again and returned your smile. There was a warmth in his gaze, a silent reassurance that despite the fleeting nature of your encounters, the moment was one you both savored. It was in his eyes that you had found that shred of hope you desperately clung to like a kitten stuck up a tree.

As you continued to drink your coffee, you found yourself lost in thought, reflecting on the events of the previous night. Despite the uncertainty of what the future may hold, there's a sense of contentment in knowing that for this brief moment in time, you were exactly where you were meant to be.

The sun casted long shadows across the room as you sat together, lost in your own thoughts.

Taehyun had always felt like home, maybe it was the years you had spent getting to know each other and memorizing his most unnoticeable habits but you could never imagine a day going by without thinking of him.

Though you always knew that was love, it began to feel like a curse.

The peace was broken by the scratch of his chair against the floor, excusing himself from the table as he wordlessly made his way to the sink. The sound of cold coffee being poured down the drain had you swallowing as you watched him place his cup in there.

The air of familiarity he carried with himself in your apartment began to make you feel sick. He was your best friend yet when he was here, this place was almost like his second home.

With a quick ‘see you later’ and a gentle kiss to your forehead, he was off and suddenly you had lost your appetite.

Something that should feel so sweet, saved for the person you wanted to cherish so carefully instead felt like a mark of shame.

You were sure that he pitied you— that must have been it as any kind of affection outside of the bedroom began to feel like pity.

There were times where you had shared moments and everything felt right. Long before this arrangement began and you never spoke out loud of your admirations, his hands felt much more sure of their actions.

A part of you wanted to tell him not to bother coming back if he couldn’t admit that there was something— but that idea of giving up on him was somehow worse than pretending you were fine being just friends.

The first time you had broken up the arrangement, it proved difficult to remain friends. Knowing glances and brushing touches, it was hard to pretend he didn’t know you more intimately than anyone ever had.

The worst thing yet, your number would always belong to him. Buried somewhere deep in his missed calls, collecting dust, you knew that it would always be there. You could never bear to get rid of him.

Even with the amount of rust accumulated between the lines of communication, the memory of all the words exchanged seemed to keep them from ever being completely severed.

Once you had told him to leave you alone completely. Despite knowing that was the last thing you wanted, he decided to respect your wishes with a gentle kiss to your wrist and no goodbye. The worst thing about Taehyun would always be how gentle he was, how he always knew the right thing to do to hurt you so deeply.

Hurting you was never what he wanted, even if you could never understand that. Maybe your mind would try and convince you that it was true but in the end, he would always be a mystery.

Unsurprisingly, it had been you who broke that promise you begged him to keep as you contacted him through one of your friends. It wasn’t your proudest moment but with Kai being more than willing to help you rekindle your ‘friendship’, you couldn’t find it in yourself to refuse, even if it was selfish.

As happy as he was to hear from you, Taehyun felt much more concerned. These swings in your mood had become more and more frequent and he found himself a bit distressed. Despite the rational part of his brain wanting to pry and get you to admit the truth, he decided to let himself remain cautiously optomistic for the two of you.

You weren’t ever aware of Taehyun’s feelings for you, selfishly you were too wrapped up in your own mind and anxieties to ever notice.

The first time you had gotten a glance of how he felt was the first night you had found yourself in his bed since the silence. Lying on your stomach with your feet in the air, your eyes were glued to the tv as his hand found its’ way onto the back of your thigh, stilling your movements.

“You know I would have answered you, right?”

The sincerity in his tone had you furrowing your eyebrows in confusion, a pit growing in your stomach at the idea of another argument. Even while knowing he would never argue with you on purpose, you were unfortunately growing increasingly aware of your own ability to cause arguments.

“…Huh?” Hesitantly you pushed yourself up, turning towards him on your knees. His hand fell to the bed as you looked down at it, still extended toward you despite your skins new absence.

“Those months we stopped talking. You called me.”

The pit in your stomach tightened for a moment as the embarrassment hit you, your face heating up.

“I thought you deleted my number?” You asked, nervously reaching out for his hand. His touch was enough to comfort you.

“No matter how many times I erased you from my phone, I’d still recognize your number.”

A wide smile made its way onto his face and he let out a small laugh, seemingly growing shy. The slight purr behind his laugh had you smiling yourself as you moved closer.

“Yeah?”

“Of course, because it’s an extension of you.”

Even though there was nothing particularly romantic about that sentence, you found yourself unfortunately aware of just how in love with him you were and the growing possibility that maybe, he had felt something for you as well.

The series of twos and ones he grew to memorize like the dips of your waist and the curves of your hips, despite your minds’ constant attempts to remind you there was no feelings behind that memory game he seemed to play, you found yourself clinging to the idea that there was.

To you, memorization was the purest form of love.

Taehyun’s hands pressed into the small of your back was now something you would remember forever, similarly to the scent of the room you’d first met when the world seemed to tilt on its’ access.

Numbers that were reminiscent of two contented cats, curled together like a pair of speech marks.

It was that time of night where the city seemed to quiet down and all you heard were the chirping of bugs outside as you stared down at the table. A porcelain plate, its’ intricate designs only disgraced with a cold slice of half-eaten pie.

Despite wanting to, you couldn’t find it in yourself to eat the rest of it. All you could think about was how much better it had tasted when he was across from you.

The second time you had caught a glimpse of how he felt had also been the second time you had broken off the arrangement.

Your head fell into your hands with choked out sobs, a feeling a shame and disgust at the overwhelming feeling of love. Surely, that was the worst feeling among all.

The guilt was not even close to being able to combat the love you had for him.

Even with the pathetic show of distress you found yourself in, his hands broke you down as he pulled you into him gently.

“If I can never hold you or kiss you again, I can live with that.” He said.

The sentence alone broke your heart but even still, your grip on his shirt tightened as you buried your face into him deeper.

Too caught up in your sobs, you didn’t notice the shaky breath he let out before continuing, “but I can’t stand the idea of us not speaking again…”

You tried your best to calm your breathing, wishing that he would just say what you wanted to hear. After all of this time and distress, if he could just finally say it: everything would be okay.

That was what you convinced yourself, at least— blaming him was better than acknowledging the truth. It was both of your faults: you were both just too afraid.

“Can you at the very least, allow me that one thing? I never want to go back to the time before I met you.”

With that, his hands that seemed to break you down held you like water in his hands. The words felt healing, even knowing that you were slipping through the cracks.

Yet even with how painful you knew it would be— knowing you’ll never truly get over him, when you looked up to see the sadness for the first time in his own eyes, you agreed.

It wasn’t his fault, it could never be his fault because no matter how many times you said the arrangement wasn’t working: you were always the one who ran back to him.

After that night, it wasn’t long before you were calling him with mascara running down your face after crying over how you miss him or showing up outside his dorm with lipstick smudged from some drunk douchebag you couldn’t bother to remember the name of.

And with the hurt and concern in his eyes making you shiver under his gaze, you’d pull him in and his own heart would stop as the realization would hit him all over again of what he had started back then never truly stopped.

You wondered what would go through his mind if one day he had dialed your number to find it had been disconnected.

There were one too many times you’d considered the act, running away to some other city where you couldn’t run back to his arms. That self-destructive dance the two of you seemed to find yourself trapped in because being something was better than nothing.

You wondered if his imagination would race with thoughts of what new city you had run to and who was sharing your bed if not him.

Something that could be fixed with three words seemed so unsolvable to the two of you like a rubiks, refusing to make the next move due to fear of complicating it more.

Taehyun wasn’t one to make reckless decisions but when it came to you, he found himself regretting being too prideful to admit how he felt in the beginning.

When you agreed to be friends with benefits, he silently found himself clinging to the hope that you liked him as much as he had liked you, because regardless of what he had said: all he wanted was you.

Maybe if he had been honest about the relationship he wanted back then rather than trying to find some middle ground, you wouldn’t have grown to feel he was disingenuous.

Similarly to how Taehyun changed what was yours, you had taught him how much of your lives were interchangeable, how little was truly his as well.

Not only someone else’s— your ring tone, his songs, your words, his proposition and your broken heart. Those were the things you inherited by choice or by chance.

And it was never your choice to love the other.

So until one of you gains the courage to break the cycle of yearning in silence or impossibly falls out of love between the sheets, you’ve agreed to drink your coffee in the mornings and allow the other to break your heart once more.

જ⁀➴♡ phone in ᝰ.ᐟ

PHONING... 𓂃 ࣪˖ Dealer, NO DEAL!

"We have to get her to stop. She's burning down everything we built!" "Or you could get a real job?" "Oh no. Never that."

Beomgyu has more or less solidified himself as the plug for any and all student's needs. If you need anything, it's likely that he has it. When your new business endeavor interferes with his customer base, he does everything in his power to sort it out.

@ contents

[🐝] dealer! beomgyu / dealer! afab! reader

genre. fluff , comedy , smau , uni au , one sided enemies to lovers

contents. cursing , dumb humor , very little plot , drugs (obvi) , ft. jake + jay from enhypen & mingi + yunho from ateez .

playlist.

Sales Receipts.

001. You're Welcome!

002. Standing on big business.

003. Master Plan…

004. financial compensation.

005. i be coolin.

006. cinnamoroll or angel dust?

007. BIG FUN!

008. dumbass cupid.

009. true (twitter) romance.

010. idiots 1 & 2.

loading rest…

જ⁀➴♡ phone in ᝰ.ᐟ

PHONING... 𓂃 ࣪˖ Dealer, NO DEAL!

CHAPTER ONE: You're Welcome!

Beomgyu has more or less solidified himself as the plug for any and all student's needs. If you need anything, it's likely that he has it. When your new business endeavor interferes with his customer base, he does everything in his power to sort it out.

CONTENTS: fluff , comedy , smau , uni au , one sided enemies to lovers , drugs (obvi) + dumb humor

12:25 PM (Beomgyu's POV)

12:55 PM (Y/N's POV)

home. ★ next.

જ⁀➴♡ phone in ᝰ.ᐟ

PHONING... 𓂃 ࣪˖ Dealer, NO DEAL!

CHAPTER TWO: Standing on big business.

Beomgyu has more or less solidified himself as the plug for any and all student's needs. If you need anything, it's likely that he has it. When your new business endeavor interferes with his customer base, he does everything in his power to sort it out.

CONTENTS: fluff , comedy , smau , uni au , one sided enemies to lovers , drugs (obvi) + dumb humor

1:12 PM (Y/N's POV)

home. ★ previous. ★ next.

જ⁀➴♡ phone in ᝰ.ᐟ

PHONING... 𓂃 ࣪˖ Dealer, NO DEAL!

CHAPTER THREE: Master Plan…

Beomgyu has more or less solidified himself as the plug for any and all student's needs. If you need anything, it's likely that he has it. When your new business endeavor interferes with his customer base, he does everything in his power to sort it out.

CONTENTS: fluff , comedy , smau , uni au , one sided enemies to lovers , drugs (obvi) + dumb humor

3:34 PM (Y/N’s POV)

home. ★ previous. ★ next.

જ⁀➴♡ phone in ᝰ.ᐟ

PHONING... 𓂃 ࣪˖ Dealer, NO DEAL!

CHAPTER FOUR: financial compensation.

Beomgyu has more or less solidified himself as the plug for any and all student's needs. If you need anything, it's likely that he has it. When your new business endeavor interferes with his customer base, he does everything in his power to sort it out.

CONTENTS: fluff , comedy , smau , uni au , one sided enemies to lovers , drugs (obvi) + dumb humor

10:18 AM (Y/N's POV)

11:12 AM (FEED)

home. ★ previous. ★ next.

જ⁀➴♡ phone in ᝰ.ᐟ

PHONING... 𓂃 ࣪˖ Dealer, NO DEAL!

CHAPTER FIVE: i be coolin.

Beomgyu has more or less solidified himself as the plug for any and all student's needs. If you need anything, it's likely that he has it. When your new business endeavor interferes with his customer base, he does everything in his power to sort it out.

CONTENTS: fluff , comedy , smau , uni au , one sided enemies to lovers , drugs (obvi) + dumb humor

1:45 PM (Beomgyu's POV)

home. ★ previous. ★ next.

જ⁀➴♡ phone in ᝰ.ᐟ