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archernarbeta · 1 year

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Do better

✴︎ pairing : Kyungsoo x Reader

✴︎ genre : angst, stubborn characters, yearning, sensitive-themes, idol!kyungsoo , more angst, kyungsoo is a jerk here but reader is also stubborn

✴︎ summary : In which Do Kyungsoo is reader’s best friend and he wants her to do better.

✴︎ warning : TW disordered eating (starving habits, relapse), trauma, mild cursing.

This fanfic contains themes of disordered-eating, some taken from my own experience. However if there are any misinformations that you would like me to take down, please do let me know and I will be happy to. Lastly, in no way whatsoever I am promoting disordered-eating habits. We are beautiful, in our own ways, inside and out. Therefore, there is no need for us to change our appearances for others.

✴︎ word count : 4.1K

✴︎ author’s note : This was so fun to write honestly! I spent all my pent-up anger writing this fic… I might do a part two because clearly, this fic is unfinished (let me know if we want a part two) Anyways, enjoy! As usual any form of appreciation is very well appreciated!

—

It’s been exactly 8 weeks since you stopped speaking with THE Do Kyungsoo.

Yes, you meant Do Kyungsoo the idol, the talented chef, the amazing singer and also THE best friend, not to mention THE imbecile.

Silent treatments, were a common occurrence especially with the stubbornness you both shared when it comes to giving in for the greater good. However this was the longest period of silence that you both had gone through and frankly for you, there’s no room for truce.

The reason behind it couldn’t be more trivial.

Three weekends before, you had gone on a blind-date with a mutual friend, both of you were set-up by one of your colleagues. The date went smoothly, he was a polite gentleman who offered to pick you up and took you home. Before the date, he asked about your food preference too, in which you appreciated the gesture. Overall, he’s an all rounder and you’re totally sure you’d like another date with him, even if both of you weren’t looking for anything serious. It was just nice to have someone to spend your weekend with.

You were astounded to say the least, that the very nice gentleman sent you a set of fine bone china mugs with penguins on them, your favourite animal, duh. He also sent a letter, mentioning your love for coffee and penguins and how he’d thought of you when he came across the mugs a while ago. He wished that you would use the set to enjoy your morning coffee every morning.

—

On a given Sunday, Kyungsoo was supposed to come over to your place for a playdate since you haven’t seen each other in forever. He arrived with groceries and snacks for a pasta cook-out, he always mentioned that you were always too thin and too cold for his liking–that’s why he’s always so keen to feed you delicious and nutritious meals, even though you really didn’t like eating in general.

You both settled on the dining table with each a cup of tea in hand and a plate of cookies that he’d baked beforehand, they were oatmeal and vanilla almond- with the least amount of sugar, suited to your liking.

After a much needed catch-up session and a plate with nothing left more than cookie crumbs, you helped him prep the ingredients for his anchovy pasta. In which, you chose to casually slip the bomb of ‘I’ve met a nice guy, we had a couple of dates, he was such a gentleman, he even gave me these super cute mugs.’

At your narrative, Kyungsoo replied with soft hums and nods before replying, “You know y/n— I really think he might be taking advantage of you.” He nonchalantly said while stirring the fettuccine, calmly raising the pasta strands with a fork to check how they’d cook through.

“W-what? Where did that come from?”

“Why else would he be showering you gifts like these?” He waved around the penguin mug in front of your face in an irritating manner.

You gasp at his groundless accusation, “Soo! He’s clearly just being a nice- decent human being! How could you accuse him of such things?!”

You were literally in disbelief. Your best friend was usually the logical one in the friendship and having him belittle a guy like this, left you perplexed. He had no reasons whatsoever to insult a stranger, more so-your date.

The timer rang before he had a chance to reply. In his relaxed composure, he turned off the stove and strained the pasta, moving them to the pan next to it. He continued cooking for a while, mixing the fettuccine with the pan-seared anchovies and tomato. If you haven’t been friends with him for all these years, you would probably be left speechless at how he just left you mid-conversation to tend to his cooking- but here you are, still amazed at how engrossed the man is in finishing his dish before anything else. He added the last touch of basil before facing his back to the kitchen counter as he faced you with a judging look, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“Y/n… You really are gullible sometimes, huh? He gave you a set of mugs and now you’re so swooned that you’re defending him? Over me- your best friend?” He half mocked you and rolled his eyes, giving off a much less of a smirk.

“W- what?! I am not! I can’t believe you right now? Can you hear yourself and how ridiculous you’re being right now?”

“Me? Ridiculous? What’s so ridiculous about protecting a best friend from strangers she just met!?” He exclaimed, shoulders shrugging showing his indifference.

“He- he’s not a stranger! I told you! Why can’t you be happy that I had a good date?” You sassed back.

“I’m a man and I can see right through him! He’s just a jerk wanting a hookup from you!” He raised his voice.

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me!” You barked at his accusations.

“I got a nice date once and suddenly I’m gullible?” Anger seeping through your every word. You weren’t thinking clear anymore, all you see was red, you can feel the rage rising in the back of your head,

“You know what Soo? I’m sorry! I’m so fucking sorry that you’re jealous- and so fucking sorry for you because your glamorous idol life left you love deprived!”

The damage was done. You’ve said it and now you only wished you could take it back. You stopped yourself as you covered your foul mouth with regret. Your eyes were shaking as you looked at him with remorse.

He stared back at you, eyes unmoving. He was sometimes unreadable like this. It was in his character really, the unpredictability and the stealth gaze, often left you wondering what’s going on inside his head. He clicked his tongue once, enough to startle you and diverted your whole attention to him. He hummed, another habit of his. You mentally braced yourself for the storm coming.

“Love deprived?” he darkly chuckled, your penguin mug on the counter, under his hold.

“That’s the lowest you could do?” His smirk wiped away from his face as he gave a flat expression while pushing the mug away from the counter with force.

The scene flashed before your eyes, the penguin-faced mug hitting the floor, the clashing sound of china in contact with the marble floor rang through your ears. You gasp in shock as the mug shattered in pieces and there was nothing you could do but stare at the once cute cup.

You had your mouth hanging open- speechless, unaware that you were shaking. The crime scene unveiling in front of you left you appalled and you wondered if this person is the best friend you’ve always known your whole life.

“Shame. You could’ve done better Y/n,” he pauses, “Maybe you’ll realise that you have better options than Mr. Penguin Mugs.”

Your body kept shuddering as you tried to gain composure,

“Get out.” You trembled.

“Two can play a game, Y/n” His voice taunting yet his face stoic, staring at you.

“Out!” you screamed at him

So much emotions were whirring inside of you that your eyes water. Anger? Yes, a lot of rage was brewing in you but disappointment and sadness was an understatement.

“WHO the hell are you and what have you done to Kyungsoo!” Your sudden voice must’ve taken him by surprise as his eyes were back to normal, you walked up to him hitting his chest with little to no energy,

“I don’t want a fucking asshole as a friend! You’re not welcome here!”

If you were angry seconds ago, now you feel like crying.

“Leave!” as you pointed at the door, gesturing him to leave.

Kyungsoo bent down to pick up remnants of the penguins face, slowly placing them on the counter, like it could change a thing.

His next action took you by surprise as he scooped the rest of the broken china with bare hands to throw the shards to the nearest bin, hurting himself in the process. You found that a bit later though, when a drop of blood stain was evident on the lid of your trash can.

He exhaled a breath, “Eat. Do not skip meals. Don’t be stupid. Call me when you stop being foolish.”

You wordlessly trembled, standing with no more energy in your figure as he exited your apartment.

—

Ever since the messy encounter with him 8 weeks ago, a lot had changed.

You stopped contacting Mr. Penguin Mugs a week after your fight with Kyungsoo, you just didn’t have the heart to deal with the lovely man and it broke your heart (a little) that you threw away the chance to be with a nice guy. But a certain someone did fill your thoughts during that time, a certain imbecile with heart-shaped lips that you would really like to hate.

Again, you had your fair shares of silent wars with him but this one hurts the most, or at least your pride did. You could recall his last memo of him, asking you to not skip meals but you decided that Do Kyungsoo was not the boss of you. You didn’t care, you weren’t gonna listen to him.

The fight did trigger you and even though it was childish of you to purposely skip meals, you began to refrain from eating at all. In the back of your head, you knew better than this, you were better than this, however without Kyungsoo by your side to aid you, you faltered.

In the past years, you had a history with disordered eating. Coming from an almond-mum and a Korean all girls school, appearance was something vital to maintain, yet it resulted in you finding ridiculously dangerous ways to abstain yourself from eating.

It was a rough patch but all those years, Soo was there for you. He’d do the cooking, the persuading and the gentle praising, making sure he won’t overwhelm you. Kyungsoo might seem reserved and unreadable at times but he was full of care, too much even- to the point that you felt like a walking ‘handle-with-care’ sticker.

After you recover, you’ve managed to fix your relationship with food a bit better but there are times where the wounds would open up. You haven’t relapsed in a long time now, having to attend coaching sessions for healthy intuitive eating programs and having Soo on the sidelines to support you.

Nevertheless, your relapse now was justified that at this point you were blinded by hurt. You were in pain and no one was there to aid you this time.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure that the constant meal skipping would lead to fatigue, weight loss and eventually malnutrition, which is exactly what you’re suffering right now. The worse thing than losing your best friend is this, but hey you’re experiencing both of them at the same time! In your defense, you did try to get better, drinking spinach juice to try to fill the anguish hunger in your stomach, just to throw it all up again.

Honestly back then, when you experienced disordered eating, spinach juice was your holy grail that kept you full for longer hours without having to physically chew anything. Yet as your metabolism went to shambles, your body wouldn’t cooperate with any of the food you intake.

—

Kyungsoo wasn’t doing any better.

Seconds after he looked at your startled face and stepped foot out of your apartment, he wished time travel existed. He admits that he was an asshole but he didn’t mean to get things that far and he’d say those things to protect you even though he failed to project them in a nicer-manner (which was totally why he’s at fault, he knows this too-by the way). He wanted to apologise the next day-though he thought that giving you space would be a better option as he was scared to hurt you further. What he didn’t expect was the silence that went on for weeks.

Kyungsoo busied himself, he had his filming schedules packed as tight as possible and he picked up projects like they were cherries on trees. Even the members were astonished when he brought up his contract to join a variety show, which was so unexpected of him. All the time not talking to you left him confused, if he was really trying to protect you or if he was jealous of you, or your date. He tried brushing it off, but you were always on the back of his mind. He’d try figuring out how he feels about you but that would spiral in a worse direction, he didn’t have the heart to admit that he misses you, his best friend.

—

On the sixth-week mark of your cold war, you were admitted to the hospital for severe malnutrition and extreme weight loss. Chanyeol was the one who hospitalised you.

Chanyeol—who became friends with you because of Kyungsoo–had visited you a couple times after the fight to check up on you. You wanted to turn your back on him and his hospitality but the friendly man with cute giant ears was so hard to refuse.

Initially, Chanyeol’s visit were out of concerns due to the fight you had with Kyungsoo, but the visits became frequent when he noticed you became leaner by the day, your moves were slower and it was visible that performing simple task were difficult for you.

He tried his best to discreetly offer professional help, even though he wasn’t aware of your disordered eating history, he simply wanted to help without offending you, in which you declined politely, saying you were fine.

That day, even with arduous attempts to conceal your weakness, your body soon gave up after opening the door for Chanyeol. Given your conditions, you had no room to refuse anymore as Chanyeol carried you to the hospital. The only thing you managed to muster before blacking out was,

“Don’t tell Kyungsoo.”

On the week you were hospitalised, Kyungsoo was busy filming somewhere in a rural area in Japan. It was a fresh experience, a breath of fresh air for his career yet all he could think of was you.

The eight-week mark had passed and after two weeks of being hospitalised, it was a shame that you didn’t show signs of improvement regardless of the constant IV that kept you at bay. That’s the thing with relapsing, you know this, nothing will work unless you want to get better—and you haven’t found a reason to do so.

But it was a little bit bearable when Chanyeol came in to visit, sometimes bringing other members with him to cheer you up and give you extra encouragement. You particularly love when he brings Minseok along, the older was the most well-mannered of the bunch and he just feels like an older brother.

—

The sliding door of your hospital ward suddenly slammed open, you instinctively diverted your attention to the door, finding a familiar figure walking in with eyes ready to shoot lasers at you.

“W-what the fuck?” you eyed him. “Why the hell are you here? What are you doing here?”

You were surprised at your energy to snap at the man whilst you half-sat on a hospital bed with an IV attached on your hand. And here I thought I was weak.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that? Why the fuck are you here?” he retorted, “I heard you’re sick but I’m surprised that your stupidity still tags along after 2 months.” he scorned, his bluntness never goes away huh?

“W-what? What did you say to me?��

“Even though we’re fighting and you’re mad you could’ve hit me instead. Yell, scream, curse at me- I couldn’t care less if you did,” he paused, “but why would you starve yourself again?”

By the tone of his voice, although you could pick up his anger- his disappointment, you really didn’t want to put down your ego.

“I’m not here because of you, idiot. Now what are you doing here? Go away” You countered him.

“Are you blind? As you can see I’m visiting a friend. A very sick and a stubborn one at that.” he managed to scoff at your act. You rolled your eyes, not even baffled at this point.

“No one told you to. Now, leave.” you pointed at the door.

“A little tall birdie did, he begged me to come.” he stills on the ends of the hospital bed

“Well, thanks for coming but you are really uninvited here. Please follow the door to exit.” you gave him a sarcastic smile.

“And if I won’t comply? What are you gonna do?” he taunts back. “Would you tell Chanyeol or Sehun to take me away? And why do you think they’ll comply with your request? They’re scared of me more than of Junmyeon-Hyung,” he looked around the room before focusing his eye-contact back to you.

“The only thing you could do to kick me out in your sickly state is call the nurse… that’s if, you’re willing to bear the consequence of reporting an idol?” he rambled.

“Oh you little shit..”

“Don’t you little shit me,” he mocked back,

“You know, Chanyeol might’ve given away your conditions but he’s certainly not the one watching MY reality show for the past weeks.”

You mentally cursed.

He gave out a laugh, before continuing in a stern tone,“The only person logged in my SBS account is you. Did you miss me so badly that you liked all those clips using my account?”

“Do better, y/n.” he finished, before abruptly leaving the room.

You were left astounded, just like the moment he exited your apartment 8 weeks ago. But this time, not long after, he came back bringing what looked like a lunchbox. He quietly sat down on the chair next to your bed while opening one of the containers, you only could stare at him in confusion.

Do Kyungsoo was indeed unpredictable.

“Do better, eat better, y/n. So you can fight me again.” He spoke up before offering a spoonful of porridge to your mouth. You gazed at the spoon in front of you before shifting back at him. You silently refused.

“Open up,” he said softly and you did. There was something about his voice that made you comply with his requests, like it was laced with care and concern.

You opened your mouth and carefully swallowed his cooking. The taste wasn’t foreign to you, it was his pumpkin and sweet potato porridge. He made it for you every time you’re upset, making the dish your ultimate comfort food. After the first spoonful, you were bracing yourself for a reflux but it never came, you were able to stomach his food just fine.

“Good girl” he praised you before handing another scoop to your mouth, asking you to have more.

As you ate quietly, he spoke,

“You need to do better than this y/n. You need energy to curse at me- hit me…and that’s why you need to eat to recover,” his forehead creased as he expressed his thoughts yet it didn’t stop him from feeding you every spoon.

“It’s- It’s so frustrating you know? Looking at you like this… I-I almost lost it when Chanyeol called saying you’ve been admitted for two weeks! I was in Japan and I never wanted to pack my bags so quickly..”

“Y-you..You’re so frustrating-“ he let out a breath he unconsciously held. You could see his eyes weren’t as calm, like he had other complaints he’d like to express but he held back. With the last spoonful, he closed the container and discarding it back to the lunchbox.

He softly muttered, “Rest well, I’ll be back tomorrow,” he gave a quick peck on the crown of your head, an action that surprised you, before leaving the ward.

He did come back the next day and the day after that, and another day after that. He made sure that he was the first sight you see in the morning.

This time, he brought chicken soup. Sadly, the smell didn’t react well with your body as you instantly gagged. He immediately rushed you to the bathroom, pulling your IV off in one smooth motion in the process, leaving you unscathed even with the sudden movement .

You managed to hold it in until you reached the toilet bowl. As you threw up, you helplessly cried, Kyungsoo kept still and supported your figure by the elbows. He softly grasped your hair away from you while you hurled the contents of your stomach. The action left you breathless, exhausted as tears stained your face while you slid down the bathroom floor, you really didn’t have any energy left.

You pity yourself for your relapse, it felt- disgraceful of you to do so. You hid your face with your hands as you sobbed. Fucking disgusting, you told yourself.

Kyungsoo was distressed seeing you like this, especially the fact that he might have some contributions to your relapse, it was even more upsetting for him. He didn’t hug you, he was too much of a coward for that. So he did what he could. Kyungsoo grabbed some napkins and a glass of water outside and came back into the bathroom. He kneeled down to gently tap the hands covering your face, signalling that he’d like to see your face. You slightly look up to see a calm attentive face, care- radiating from his eyes. He wiped your tears and then your mouth, offered you a warm glass of water in which you accepted without repulse.

Both of you stayed quiet for a while before muttering, “Let’s go back to bed.”

He helped you stand up, tucked you back in the hospital bed and called the nurse to reattach the IV he skilfully dismantled. The nurse went berserk on him when she learned of the incident. The situation was truly unpredictable but his actions could’ve seriously injured you. He mumbled his apologies as he nodded in regret while listening to the nurse’s scoldings. Not long after, she left both of you to your own devices.

“Don’t say anything, please?” you quietly begged while looking at him.

Today felt like your turn to burst. He nods without hesitation, firmly holding eye contact with you.

“I’m tired Soo…” you audibly exhaled, tears welled on your already puffed eyes.

You took your time to look at the light blue colour of the hospital blanket, then shifted your eyes to the ceiling of the ward while trying to find words to carry on the conversation.

“I am-“ you stuttered, “f-fuck. I’m fucking tired, you know?”

You just… didn’t have the energy as your tears flowed through your hollow cheeks, dropping to your chin and eventually wetting the blanket. His eyes never left you, catching each and every of your pained expressions.

You had lost your spark, the burning passion and gleam behind your eyes were gone. Your being felt hollow, just a soulless body- empty, dull and glum.

He despised it, the dullness in your eyes. He hated it with all his heart, knowing his efforts were meaningless since he couldn’t stop you from getting worse. He loathes the fact that this time, he was helpless when the love of his life, his best friend, his light, is giving up in front of his eyes.

“Soo…” you whispered, reaching out for his hand with sorrowful eyes. He instantly held yours, warmth emitting from his hold as he looked at you with so much care. Even intertwining hands with you broke his heart at the coldness of your touch.

“Do better, okay?” you let go of his hand from your hold.

The wet tracks of your tears hadn’t stopped yet you managed to prop up an expressionless gaze as you stared at him. You were in pain, so was he, and you didn’t want to hurt him more.

He knew what you meant, he knew what you wanted him to do.

He knew exactly what to do, not that he wanted to.

He was your lifeline, a drug to salvation- You needed to heal without him.

He didn’t understand, he had so many questions formulating in his head but he knew better than to pry. He was hurt but prying meant hurting you further, which was the last thing he’d do.

He stood up, kissed your cheeks, stroked your hair and pecked the crown of your head one last time before heading out to the door.

He slammed the sliding door hard, hopefully to let you know how wrong of you to ask him to leave. But he never looked back, because he was too much of a coward for that.

—

a/n: should we do a part 2 ??

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yeollbae · 10 months

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Kyungsoo Fanart [IG / FB / TT / TH / ]

#drawing #fanart #traditional art #kyungso fanart #art style #exo #kpop #artists of tumblr #Yeolldraw #exo fanart #Kyungsoo #Cream soda

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alejunsu · 9 months

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Alguien en facebook compartió 4 fotos por separado, pero al verlas en el álbum se veía la imagen completa, yo solo quise juntarlas por que necesitaba verlo completo en una sola imagen 😍

Créditos a la pagina de KaiSoo My World

#kaisoo #kadi #DO #do kyungso #KAI #kim jongin #couple #kaisoo is real #exo

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aqupisrecs · 11 months

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[ ● FIC REC ] FILE NAME : D.O / DO KYUNG-SOO

CONTENTS : M - Mature, ✰ - Favorites, ⚘ - Fluff, ♧ - Angst

⠀⠀⠀⠀//coming soon...

⠀⠀⠀⠀<⠀⠀All Tied Up > </ ✰ M >

⠀⠀⠀⠀<⠀⠀On The Nature of Silence > </ ✰ ♧ >

⠀⠀⠀⠀<⠀⠀Tell Me > </ ♧ >

⠀⠀⠀⠀<⠀⠀Birthday S*x > </ ✰ M >

⠀⠀⠀⠀<⠀⠀But You're Warm > </ ✰ ⚘ >

⠀⠀⠀⠀<⠀⠀Drunk Scenario > </ ⚘ >

⠀⠀⠀⠀<⠀⠀Coffee Shop!AU > </ ⚘ >

⠀⠀⠀⠀<⠀⠀Two-Faced > </ M >

⠀⠀⠀⠀<⠀⠀Favorite Lingerie > </ M >

⠀⠀⠀⠀<⠀⠀Fucked Out > </ ✰ M >

⠀⠀⠀⠀<⠀⠀Mutual Mast*rbation > </ M >

⠀⠀⠀⠀<⠀⠀1:35 AM > </ ✰ ⚘ >

⠀⠀⠀⠀<⠀⠀Small Hours of Delight > </ ⚘ >

⠀⠀⠀⠀<⠀⠀First Kiss > </ ⚘ >

⠀⠀⠀⠀<⠀⠀2:30 PM > </ ⚘ >

Updated [ 2023 - June - 11 ]

⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀-> Masterlist

#exo do #exo do kyungsoo #exo kyungsoo #kyungsoo imagines #kyungsoo scenario #kyungsoo fluff #kyungsoo smut #kyungsoo oneshot #kyungsoo series #kyungso drabbles #kyungsoo timestamp #kyungsoo headcanon #kyungso fic rec

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starry-sky97 · 1 year

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fearless.

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yourkimjaejin · 10 months

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Stranded in Paris

Legend - Early June 2019

Bold ~ English, Italics ~ French, Inner Thoughts

Warnings: Cursing, One moment of unwanted touching

“Okay ladies! One last shot then you’re both free to enjoy the rest of your time in Paris. Now I want you to bring your heads together and glare down the lens of the camera…..Perfection!! That’s a wrap on Moxy and Aurora!!” The camera director called out and all the staff around the room began cheering, bringing out soft pink flushes on both girls' cheeks.

After a year of practicing together, NCT AG had finally debuted together as four. Moxy, Hannah, Juno and Aurora were the newest members of NCTs’ all female subunit. Their debut song, Something Like A Party garnered some attention. Many netizens were not expecting the group to debut with a cuter concept as opposed to the more popular girl crush one.

Nonetheless, SLAP got such a positive response that SM was already gearing up for another comeback. The title, Breakthrough, while not as cute, had a fresh pop rock vibe that all the girls were excited for. Their company even flew them out to Paris to shoot the video.

While in the city, Soonjae-unnie told Aurora and Moxy they’d be staying an extra day or two for a duo schedule. A magazine wanted them to be on the cover for their next monthly release. So that morning the group's head manager left the groups newest manager, Jae, in charge while she saw Hannah and Juno off at the airport.

The girls were all in agreement. They didn’t really like Jae but they had no reason to bring up his removal. Since the man was moved from Red Velvet’s management to theirs, he’d been distant. Sometimes downright mean. When the girls would ask for stuff, he’d huff and groan. Begrudgingly doing what they asked under the watchful eye of Soonjae. Other times he’d force the girls to practice way longer than they planned. Finding every excuse in the book to keep them behind longer.

The worst part. His comparisons.

“Seulgi would have nailed this choreography in minutes, why can’t you.”

“You’ve got a lot of work to do if your high notes will be as good as Wendy’s”

“You should really study up on Irene’s leadership style”

“Your voice needs to be smoother like Joy’s”

“You should get some tips on how to act like a maknae from Yeri”

It was grating.

Luckily most of the day, Jae ignored the two members. Letting the other managers take over his tasks while he did whatever. Honestly Aurora thought he was lying about all his work but Moxy wouldn’t let her say it out loud. Especially out in the open.

The girls bowed to the staff of the photo shoot as they headed back to their dressing room. Everything was being cleaned up once Moxy and Aurora flopped onto the couches in their room. Bone tired from being up early this morning.

“What’s our schedule when we get back, unnie?” Aurora asks, barely acknowledging the stylist taking the bracelets off her wrist.

Moxy threw her make-up wipe away, “We have to re-record a lot of Hit Me Up. Some of the files got corrupted so we need to nail it when we get back.”

“I bet if Wendy and Joy unnies sang it, Jae would think we nailed it too.” Aurora flinched away from Moxy’s incoming hand.

“What did I say about proper honorifics with Jae-ssi?” Moxy stood up to retrieve her bag.

“That I have to address him properly when he’s here. And he’s not.” Aurora smiled and all her leader could do was sigh.

Aurora and Moxy were about to start changing into their normal clothes when their make-up artist walked in with Aurora’s phone.

“Before you change, Hannah and Juno are calling. They just got back to the dorm.”

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The other three AG managers just finished packing their things and met Jae outside to wait for the car. There was supposed to be two vans. One for Moxy, Aurora and Jae and the other for the rest of the SM staff who worked the shoot. But when they got outside there was only one.

“Sunbae, where is the other van?” AG’s youngest manager, Kyungso asked, looking around for the matching vehicle.

Jae just smiled, “The girl's van is running a little behind. Moxy told me to go ahead with you guys. They’ll wait for the other van.”

They all looked around at each other, skeptical of Jae's words. Kyungso could have sworn both girls weren’t even finished changing yet.

Jae gestured to the open side door, “Well what are you waiting for? 빨리!” All the staff shared another look, them all thinking the same thing, I guess we’ll just trust his word. One by one, they took their seats in the van. Jae took the passenger seat and with one word the van set off to the hotel.

They were too late to see the other van drive off with nobody inside.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

“See you at home!!” “Bye!! Have fun in Paris!! Bring back those shoes so we can match.” “Have a safe flight.” “Don’t you dare eat good food without us.” All four members said their goodbye’s. Moxy and Aurora were finally done changing when they realized what time it was. What normally took thirty minutes tops, took almost two hours.

Quickly, the two girls gathered their things and headed for the front door. Walking through the almost empty room, they noticed none of their staff was waiting around. The two members had apologies at the tip of their tongues that disappeared when they didn’t see anyone they recognized. One lone worker was packing up the last of the equipment when Moxy walked over tapping them on the shoulder.

“Uhh Excuse me? Are any of our managers around. I’m afraid we made them wait too long.” Moxy asked with a sheepish smile on her face.

The worker bowed immediately. Moxy tried to wave them off but it was no use. “Miss, You’re management team left hours ago.”

All the leader could do was sigh. If all their management left early, it meant Jae was pissed at them for taking so long. But instead of being an adult and hurrying them along. He wanted to teach them a lesson.

“Do you both need a ride home? It may take a car a while to get here.” The worker started to take out their phone when Moxy stopped them.

“It’s okay. Fortunately our hotel is close by. We can just walk. Be safe getting home.” Moxy bowed quickly. She grabbed Aurora's hand and dragged the younger outside.

“So? Where is everyone? What happened?” Aurora asked. Moxy turned onto the main street headed in the direction of the hotel.

“Jae’s being an asshole that’s what.” Moxy huffed, stopping at the corner, “Jae and all the staff left hours ago without saying anything. Now we gotta find our way back to the hotel on foot.”

“I inputted the address before we left.” Aurora pulled up the maps app on her phone, turning the device around for Moxy to see. “My GPS says head right four blocks, turn left then keep going straight for six blocks. The hotel will be on our right.” The two started walking following the directions Aurora’s phone gave them. It was gonna be a long walk.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

After a long day of doing the same pose for twenty minutes at a time, a thirty minute walk felt like hours.

“Come on Eunji!! We’re only six blocks away.” Moxy tugged on Aurora limp arm. The younger one dragging her feet.

“I’m so tired unnie!! I know you’re itching to give Jae a piece of your mind but why can we stop and eat something.” Aurora finally gave in, letting her leader pull her further down the street.

“We can’t stop because neither of us know how to speak french. Come on, I promise we’ll eat whatever you want once we get to the hotel.” Aurora huffed but began lifting her feet keeping up with Moxy pace. The beautiful architecture around them were just regular building to the tired girls

The two girls were crossing their third block when they heard it.

“Hey! Where are you two ladies going all by your lonesome.” They both froze at the leering male voice to their right. Aurora almost turned to see who he was but Moxy’s hand gripping her own stopped her. Moxy suddenly started moving yanking Aurora along.

Before the younger could say anything, Moxy practically hissed, “Keep your head down and keep walking. Don’t make any eye contact. Just keep walking.”

“Oh come on now!! Why don't you stick around. I can show you both a real good time!” At the sound of heavy footfalls, Moxy picked up the pace.

“Hey! I’m talking to you two! It’s rude to ignore someone older than you.” The voice and its ensuing footsteps got closer.

A foreign hand grabbed where the members' hands were intertwined.

A foreign whine left Aurora's mouth at the unwanted touch.

Moxy didn’t even register what happened until the man groaned in pain. His grip lost

Blood dripped from the man’s nose. Furious eyes met frightened ones. Moxy’s closed fist shaking between them.

“You little bit—” Moxy didn’t stick around for the rest of the sentence.

The girls took off down the street. Street signs and Building passed them in a blur. They didn’t stop until the third set of footsteps faded further away, lost in the speed they ran through the streets. Up ahead, Aurora noticed an open door. They ducked into the door, hiding behind the wall when an angry male voice passed by. The two girls clutched at each other as their heartbeats slowed down, the rising panic settling.

When a softer, kinder voice this time thankfully in thick accented English said, “Excuse me.” Both girls couldn’t help but jump. Their jittery nerves still not fully calm.

“Sorry to startle. Do you…need help?” Moxy breathed a sigh of relief, “Yes please.”

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Taeyong, you need to calm down."

"How can I calm down when two of my members are missing in Paris and need I remind you THEY DON'T SPEAK FRENCH!!!!!" Soonjae had to move the speaker away from her ear. Taeyong shouting could burst eardrums. Sounds of the phone tossed around were all the manager heard until a more level-headed voice spoke.

"Soonjae-noona, could you tell me what happened." Johnny asked but she could still hear Taeyong pacing in the background. Threats against Jae's jobs spilling from his mouth.

Soonjae shook her head, thanking the heavens Taeyong was still in Korea, "I called Jae as soon as Hannah and Juno finished boarding. I asked where Moxy and Aurora were. He said, verbatim, 'no idea'. Then fed me some BS about the girls telling them to go ahead to the hotel." Soonjae's uber finally arrived and pulled off after she closed the door.

"Moxy and Aurora know better than that. You don't actually believe him?" Doyoung's voice chimed in.

"Who do you take me for Doyoung-ah? I've been a manager at this company for years. Of course I didn't."

"We don't mean anything by that Soonjae-noona. We all just wanna find the girls." Johnny tone once again smoothed out the tension.

Soonjae was seething when she hung up with Jae earlier. Both she and Taeyong were skeptical of him when all the AG members had something to say about his behavior. Taeyong, being the leader, wanted him gone immediately. Nobody disrespected his members. Not on his watch.

Soonjae was the one who stopped him.

She'd known Jae for years now. He first became a manager right at the tail end of F(x)'s active days then he was moved to Red Velvet's team and he flourished. Within three years, he became one of their lead managers. The two regularly hanging to commiserate over the days events.

Then Soonjae was moved to NCT's management, specifically Moxy's. The company wanted her to have a personal manager that she could fully trust since they were adding the girl to an all male group. The Aurora debuted. Then Juno and Hannah came soon after. When AG became real, SM knew they wanted Soonjae to stay on as their lead manager, giving her the choice to choose who she wanted to bring on.

Jae was her first choice and now her girls were in possible danger.

and it was her fault.

"Noona....It's okay. None of this is your fault. You focus on getting in touch with the girls. I'll go to the company and handle this." Taeyong reassured her. Making sure the older woman knew in ire wasn't directed at her. After they hung up, minutes later, her phone rang again. Relief filled her at the familiar name.

"Moxy?!? Thank God, where are you??" Soonjae relayed the address to her uber driver, "Okay I'm heading your way. Do Not Move!!"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The older lady introduced herself as Genevieve. The shop Moxy and Aurora ran into was her bakery. Genevieve, or Miss Eve as she asked them to call her, sat them down and told them they could stay while they waited for someone to pick them up. Before they could call, Soonjae's number flashed across Moxy’s screen. The manager demanded to know why the two weren’t at the hotel yet. After reassuring their rightfully pissed manager that they were okay, Soonjae told them she was leaving the hotel on the way to their location.

When Miss Eve came back out, it was with a tray full of homemade french pastries. The elder proceeded to feed the girls while they waited for their manager to arrive. When asked Moxy told Miss Eve about what they had been up to and who they were. When Miss Eve found out they were celebrities, she got them to sign the wall of her store.

“That way when group get big, I can brag. Knew you before famous.”

Miss Eve was packing up pastries for the girls to bring back to the hotel when Soonjae arrived. It was a tearful reunion finally seeing a familiar face after what happened earlier. Before they left, Moxy and Aurora signed a spare album and poster for Miss Eve to hang in her bakery. The two left with a promise to bring Hannah and Juno next time.

The ride back was silent until Soonjae asked, “Was this Jae? And don’t lie.” Soonjae took the silence for their answer. The car sped up in response.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The girls couldn’t catch a break as they walked into the gorgeous lobby of their hotel. Jae was already headed their way with a fake concerned look on his face.

“Girls, I am so sorry. I honestly thought you were–” “Save it Jae. Girls, go ahead upstairs. I’ll have Kyungso meet you up there.” Warily, Moxy looked at the two managers deciding as much as she wanted to see Soonjae unnie run down Jae her own tiredness won over. Moxy silently told Aurora to follow her to the elevators.

Soonjae didn’t speak until the elevator doors closed. “Of all the low-down, dirty things I’ve ignored because I know who you really are–”

“Noona, I said I’m sor—” “THAT'S NOT ENOUGH!!” Jae flinched at the harshness of the elders' tone. In all the time he’s known Soonjae, she’s never yelled. She didn’t really need to. If Soonjae asked for something, everything and everyone followed suit.

Soonjae took a huge deep breath before continuing, “I know you hate SM for pulling you from Red Velvet to NCT but that is no excuse to take it out on those four girls. You’re suspended, effective immediately. Pack your stuff. You’re on the first plane back to Seoul in the morning.”

Jae scoffed, “You don’t have the right to suspend me. Only upper management can.” He crossed his arm, looking smug. He faltered when Soonjae just smirked back.

Soonjae took out her phone flipping thru until she reached an email from the CEO himself, “Ehem, Soonjae-ssi, We can’t believe what Jae-ssi has done to idols in our agency. Rest assured we will take care of it as soon as possible. Until then, Inform Jae-ssi that he has been suspended and is expected to fly out early so we can discuss his behavior and attitude towards the idols under his watch.” Soonjae locked her phone with a satisfying click, “Well would you look at that. Seems like I do have the power.” Soonjae patted his shoulder, “I’d get to packing if I were you.” Getting into the elevator, Soonjae couldn’t help the wave of satisfaction that crashed over her seeing Jae seething in the middle of the lobby.

Soonjae was finally able to breathe once she saw her girls eating, the stress of the day finally sliding away. In the car the head manager could tell something serious happened between the photo shoot location and the girls ending up at that bakery. Knowing they were safe was enough for now. Pushing them for an explanation may do more harm than good. She decided to leave those thoughts for another day.

Right now, making Migyeong and Eunji comfortable was her top priority.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Here is the orignal request: Can I request an Aurora and Moxy angst, where they have a duo¿ schedule and they're both left out in a foreign country (you pick which) on purpose (shitty new manager) and they get hurt (they fall, get physically assaulted by a sasaeng, pass out from dehydration or idk, you pick 😭) and the members are NOT pleased with it? I've dreamt of this scenario and it was so realistic, so I've thought of making a request..

Thank you anon for your request!! I also wanted to say if any anon reader's want to give themselves an emoji so I can differentiate between you all, you're totally free to do so!! just shoot me a message 💚💚

Taglist: @alixnsuperstxr / @1-800-call-ria / @sophrodite / @sunflower-0180

#NCT AG.Request #NCT AG.Writing #NCT AG.Moxy #NCT AG.Aurora #nct female addition #nct female member #kpop!au #kpop addition #kpop!oc #kpop!addition #kpop!fakegroup #nct female unit #nct female subunit #nct female oc #kpop female member #kpop fake group

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tulisanmimi · 19 days

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Cerita tentang Korea

Sebagai manusia yang menyukai hal-hal yang telah terencana dan berjalan sebagaimana adanya. Pandemi memberi pukulan cukup berat karena banyak rencana yang tidak tunai, juga alasan demi alasan yang kadang sengaja dicipta untuk excuse yang seharusnya tidak perlu, tidak penting. Dari menyalahkan orang lain, situasi, hingga diri sendiri. Kehilangan demi kehilangan orang yang di cintai sampai hal-hal rumit menghampiri membuatku akhirnya memutuskan untuk pergi ke psikolog. Keputusan ikut CC dan selalu mencuri hikmah dari sgnya mas Gun membantu banyak keputusanku untuk pergi ke proffesional. Dua sesi ku lewati, aku di diagnosis emotional numbness. Iyaa, saking banyaknya kejadian bertubi-tubi aku ngga bisa nangis. Selain dipaksa oleh keadaan. Aku tidak ingin bunda khawatir. Walau disisi lain saat itu aku dapat kerjaan, finansial cukup stabil sehingga bisa bantu-bantu di rumah. Tapi rasanya masih kosong. Tiba tiba perasaan aneh. Lalu psikoterapi yang di tawarkan dokterku kala itu meminta untuk menekuni hobi kembali. Hahaha. Iyaa, aku lupa kebiasaanku membaca buku fiksi dan nonton. Kala itu dokterku bilang untuk menonton movie 2521. Saat itu aku kembali dibuat jatuh cinta dengan hobiku lagi. Padahal dulu ingat betul pas awal awal hijrah selalu bilang, aku ngga suka korea, boy/girl band sekarang malah sering lihat. Walau aku sadar disana banyak juga hal-hal yang terselip lgbtq dsb. Dari mereka belajar kegigihana atas karya. Kalau mereka membuat karya seyakin, segigih, setangguh dan se keren itu, kita sebagai muslim harusnya bisa lebih dari itu, karena kita punya contoh terbaik, uswatun hasanah yang menjadi rahmatan lil'alamin, Rasulullah shallallahu 'alayhii waa salam. Allahumma sholli 'ala Muhammad, wa 'alaa ali Muhammad.

Jadi, sebelum mengenal exo, aku ddi buat sesuka itu (aka. dibukakan pintunya dari) movie 2521 mba Taeri yang badas abis aktingnya, juga mas kyungso di it's okay that love yang nyeritain seorang penulis dan alter egonya. Setelah nonton bad persecutors jadi tahu lagunya kyungso dan kenal exo. Wkwkwk.

Rangkuman ini sengaja dibuat agar aku tidak berlebihan dalam mencintai, menyukai ataupun membenci. Dimasa depan tidak pernah tahu apa yang terjadi.

Semisal drama slice of life dan actionnya drakor bantu aku banyak mengenali emosi yang sengaja aku timbun dan release pelan-pelan hingga akhirnya kini pulih. Alhamdulillah. Atas izin Allah, Biidznillah. Drama korea juga ada sisi baiknya jika kita mampu memilih dan memilah yang menjadi input dalam diri kita. Pastikan ia bukan menjadi candu agar tetap logis antara realitas dan imaji.

Salam sayang untuk diriku sendiri,

Mimi🤍💐

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kpopimagi · 8 months

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A Flower Under The Rain [Part 8-1]

Characters: Baekhyun, Kyungsoo and Kang Gyuri (OC) Genre: Angst, Romance Au: Hanahaki!Au Type: Series Word count: 6,865

It all began with a cough and then, a subtle sting in her chest. Kang Gyuri cried, knowing that in a matter of months, she would be another figure in the death toll of the most dangerous and cruelest outbreak in human history.

It had been years since Gyuri felt so agitated that she went to bed early due to the excitement and was even more relieved that it was a nightmare-free sleep. She even let out a tiny squeal at how energized and rested she felt as she got ready, and she was more than ready to go half an hour before the settled time. Gyuri was all geared up, almost giving tiny jumps of impatience around her house as she waited for Kyungsoo to arrive. She was too hopeful and thrilled for her parents to refuse the invitation. If she wasn't mistaken, they seemed quite relieved, even if that meant having her out of their sight for the entire weekend.

“Aren't you forgetting anything?” Her mother asked for the tenth time as she inspected her suitcase again.

"Nope, so if Baekhyun calls…?” Gyuri asked in return, and the question made her mother stop her inspection with a grimace.

“You’re out on a camping trip from work.” her mother replied.

“He won’t buy it,” her father added from the couch, “You have never gone to one, and he knows that.”

“I know,” Gyuri grumbled, knowing perfectly well that her father was right.

Baekhyun knew her too well, or at least she wanted to believe he did. And it didn't matter how much she wanted to keep him away and oblivious to her situation. A tiny and hidden part of her wanted him to try harder, to be his usual stubborn self and bring the truth out of her. Even if she didn't like the sensation in her chest and it was a constant nuisance, she wanted Baekhyun next to her, aware of her pain and willing to comfort her. Gyuri figured the curse wouldn't hurt as much if she had his arms around her and his gentle words constantly reminding her that she was much stronger than she thought. Suddenly upset, Gyuri had to fight back the urge to grab her phone, call him and apologize for being such a crappy friend. However, her internal rambling stopped when she heard a car pulling over by her house right on time.

"He's here." She mumbled to herself, almost tripping over her suitcase as she ran to open the front door.

Gyuri was ready to greet the writer when her smile fell for a second. While packing the night before, she wondered if Kyungsoo would wear his thick-framed glasses or would wear the ugly khaki pants and more silly stuff like that. However, when she opened the door, Gyuri never imagined a luxury car parked outside her house, without any signs of him but an unknown woman in the passenger seat.

"Hello," the woman smiled as she jumped out of the car, "My name is Anna."

Gyuri recognized the name right away. Kyungsoo mentioned his closest hyung, Minseok hyung, the famous editor, would tag along with his fiance. She would have struggled not to make any sound if the notion of meeting the girlfriend of the most famous bachelor in the country did not feel like a wrench in the cogs of her brain. No one in the entire world knew about her existence, except maybe for their families, Kyungso, and now her. Gyuri just found herself so starstruck by the gorgeous couple that she only stared at them as they introduced themselves. She was not ready to have someone as famous as the notorious editor greeting her politely and reaching out to help her with her backpack. If she wasn't startled enough by the situation as it was, her parents' reaction added to her anxiousness. Her mother gasped the moment she saw the editor, probably recognizing him. Her father immediately took over putting her luggage in the car, much to Kyungsoo and Minseok's bafflement and making the atmosphere a thousand times more awkward and tense. Thankfully, her mother dragged her father back into the house, and in a matter of minutes, they were on their way to the weekend trip to the mountains.

Still too surprised by the new experience, Gyuri limited herself to sitting still in the back seat. She took in the atmosphere of a close circle of friends she wasn't part of in complete silence and wondered if she was ready to socialize like a normal and functional human being. She tried to be smooth about it, but her attention kept dragging to Kyungsoo sitting beside her. He looked as relaxed as she had ever seen him, and she couldn't help but stare at him as he chatted with the others. Gyuri thought he talked to her a lot but soon realized she was mistaken. Right next to her was a talkative Kyungsoo, recalling past road trips with a pleased smile as he looked outside the window. Minseok and his girlfriend added to the stories, making the writer laugh in amusement. When Gyuri wasn't puzzled by the writer, Anna was a complete mystery herself. She was talkative and had a strong character which made it easy for her to take charge of the conversation. Without realizing it, they were all chatting and singing along as Kim Minseok drove them out of the city.

They arrived at a small country town at the bottom of a mountain a few hours later. The editor drove through the narrow roads to reach the cabin in a small plane at the top of a hill. By the time he stopped the car, Gyuri wasn't sure if she was more mesmerized by the beautiful sight of nature or utterly drawn by Anna's charismatic personality. Gyuri liked her sense of humor and was low-key envious of how articulate and easy-going she could be. It only made sense that a Korean woman raised abroad could be so exceptional and confident that even the intimidating editor seemed softer and more agreeable next to her. As if pulled by a string of her brightness, Gyuri jumped out of the car, followed the woman to the cliff edge, and stood by her side as they admired the small town below them.

"I like this place so much." She mumbled to herself after taking a deep breath and then turned to Gyuri, taking her by surprise. "But I love that you're here."

"What?" Gyuri asked out of pure confusion that someone could find her discreet presence that enjoyable so fast.

"Kyungsoo bought this place long ago but doesn't bring anyone." She explained, "I'm glad he decided to bring you so I won't be the only woman again."

Gyuri couldn't add anything to that observation because Anna draped an arm around her shoulders to steer her away and into the cabin as the guys sorted themselves with their belongings in the trunk. Not wanting to be a nuisance as the youngest of the group, Gyuri focused on staying out of anyone's way and following every instruction thrown around. She helped Kyungsoo carry the suitcases through the narrow hallway that took them to the back of the cabin and froze when they arrived at the small resting area that connected the three big rooms and the bathroom. When he asked her to pick a room it was the moment Gyuri realized just how big the place was and wondered if it could even be considered a cabin.

"Minseok hyung and Anna usually stay here," Kyungsoo explained when they came to the main room that almost consisted of all the back of the cabin.

Gyuri panicked for a second when she observed the king-sized bed in the middle of the room and wanted to facepalm herself because of her naivety. For some dumb reason, and due to her lack of social experience, she thought she would be sleeping with Anna but was suddenly brought back to the reality that they were all grown adults spending the weekend together.

"I usually take the room with the balcony," Kyungsoo said as he left to show it to her across the resting area, "so I don't have to listen to them at night."

Quite baffled by that information, Gyuri walked in, looked around the room, and enjoyed the sunlight shining through the sliding doors that led to a small balcony facing the green hills. The view was beyond beautiful, and as if he could read her mind, Kyungsoo opened the balcony doors and let her out. The sound of nature surrounded her instantly, welcoming her to its arms. She felt the morning breeze on her skin, and her ears caught on the soft and lively chirping of birds. Everything was accompanied by a weird and peaceful silence she had never experienced before.

"You can take this room," Kyungsoo said after a while, startling her off her absorption.

Gyuri refused and apologized, ready to leave in the search for the remaining room no one wanted but Kyungsoo stopped her by grabbing her suitcase and placing it on the bed. He opened the closet and showed her a set of clean towels, sleepers, and various toiletries, as he explained that she was free to use anything she found there.

"You really don't want to hear them at night." He said with a small smile, and she noticed no hints of shyness on his face as if whatever they did at night was a common occurrence, "I'll take the one right across."

"You don't have to."

"You're my guest now," Kyungsoo said, finally setting everything down on the bed to look at her, "of course I do."

Feeling her cheeks blushing, Gyuri blurted something out and bolted out of the room to bring the rest of the suitcases and place them in their respective rooms. Not knowing what could make her feel so flustered around the writer, Gyuri pretended to be solely focused on the task and prayed that Kyungsoo wouldn't look at her like that again. Unfortunately, she was done too soon and hesitated to join the others as they chatted in the kitchen. She heard the editor laugh, and it reminded her that this was a completely new setting for her. That instantly made her feel her energy plunge and her anxiety skyrocket. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to walk to the kitchen, and once there, almost made her body feel like she had walked for hours.

“This is exhausting,” Gyuri said under her breath as she sat on the couch.

“Why don’t you take a nap?” Anna suggested, snapping Gyuri out of her reverie, “It will be a while until we all freshen up and prepare lunch.”

"I'm fine," Gyuri said, standing up, ashamed of herself for saying that out loud and letting an unnie manage everything alone.

"Lies," Anna said with a snort as she pulled some veggies out of their bags.

"Don't try to argue," Minseok added with a defeated pout, and his girlfriend handed him the veggies, "you won't win, Gyuri."

Gyuri did not know what to do. She looked at Kyungsoo seated in the living room, but he wasn't even paying attention to what was happening as he scrolled through his phone. Fighting the anxiousness crawling up her throat, Gyuri just stood there, paralyzed.

"Don't sweat about it," Anna said, and Gyuri found the woman looking at her with a kind smile, "You look tired. Go ahead and rest a little."

Unable to refuse, Gyuri excused herself and left the kitchen. She was walking through the hallway when she noticed just how exhausted she was. Her back started hurting again, and her eyelids felt heavier with every step. Fighting the sudden wave of sleepiness, she came into the room and observed the bed for a second, but too tired to do anything else, she crawled up to it and pretty much passed out.

The absolute silence woke her up. There were no laughing or animated voices chatting, not even music playing. Suddenly scared, Gyuri sat up, feeling groggy and out of place. She looked around the room, observed the green scenery out of the balcony doors, and gathered her bearings. However, confused by the lack of voices, she checked her phone, and a sense of embarrassment made her jump out the bed. It had been a few hours since they arrived, and she slept it through without a care. Still rubbing the tiredness of her eyes, she wobbled through the hallway as she thought of an explanation for her rudeness and a way to make up for it.

She walked into the living room to find Kyungsoo in there. She greeted him, partly embarrassed that she slept through the day but noticed him calling a hyung over the phone that he had pressed over his ear. Kyungsoo flinched in surprise at her sudden appearance, and mirroring the surprise in his expression, Gyuri apologized as she made signs for him to continue with his call. However, he put the phone down and hung up, although the person on the other side of the line was already speaking.

"Did you rest well?" He asked, and the phone in his hand started buzzing.

"I'm sorry," Gyuri said, embarrassment taking over, "I should've set an alarm clock or something."

"It's better that way," Kyungsoo added, fumbling with his phone to reject the call, "Minseok hyung would have dragged you out for a hike otherwise."

Gyuri made a face. Just imagining herself walking up the mountain trail made her skin crawl and her knees protest. Said reaction didn't get missed by the writer. Kyungsoo chuckled, finally leaving his phone on the coffee table and making a sign for her to follow as the device started buzzing again.

"Wanna see the garden?" He asked.

"Your phone…" She said, pointing at the vibrating cell phone, but Kyungsoo was already nudging her out of the cabin.

Giving up, Gyuri followed him to the front yard. She noticed dozens of clay jars on the floor. Kyungsoo explained the agreement with the closest neighbor to keep an eye on his property in exchange for lending some unused space in his yard to store the jars of fermenting kimchi and other pastes. Gyuri found the story interesting. She hadn't thought about Kyungsoo as a particularly social person and found it hard to picture him interacting with the neighbors, but at the same time, it made an awful lot of sense as they walked through the jars until they reached a wooden fence.

Kyungsoo sled the weathered latch to a side and pushed the gate open to let her in. Gyuri gasped, surprised at the small yet well-designed garden beside the cabin, and wandered in, delighted to find herself surrounded by so much green. She couldn't tell just how many different types of shrubs, bushes, and herbs the writer was growing in such a place. Gyuri even let out a sound of absolute wonder when she found a small tomato plant in a corner. She also noticed the lack of flowers, but Kyungsoo didn't say a word about it, and she wouldn't ask either. She understood the reason better than anyone.

Suddenly, everything was perfect. Gyuri couldn’t ask for better weather conditions to be out in nature to stretch her legs and fill her lungs with fresh air. At least that was what she hoped for, but she was just too tired to do anything else, and thankfully, Kyungsoo didn’t seem to mind. He even looked thrilled to stay behind with her and keep each other company as they walked around the garden.

"There's more?" Gyuri gasped again, "Just how big is this place?"

She stood there stunned when she reached what looked like the end of the garden, only to discover a small passageway hidden by unruly crawling plants that led to what she guessed was another garden. Looking over her shoulder to get an explanation from the owner, Kyungsoo simply shrugged and resumed whatever he was doing to one of the plants. Chuckling to herself, Gyuri followed the winding path made of flat stones and entered what felt like a secret garden with a small pond by the corner on her left, a wooden deck at the other side, and a couple of rocking chairs placed exactly under the shade of a tree that still had many years to see the best of it.

“What are you going to do?” She asked when Kyungsoo joined her, pulling a pair of gardening gloves on, “I’ve never seen you as an outdoorsy kind of guy.”

Gyuri couldn’t get an answer when a gust of wind swept around the enclosed garden, and the unmistakable scent made her stop and almost recoil. Kyungsoo seemed to pause for a moment as well. With his eyes closed, he took in the fragrance around them, and she saw the change in his features.

“I guess you can smell it too.” Kyungsoo pointed out.

"What is that smell?" She asked as chills ran down her spine.

However, as afraid as Gyuri suddenly was, something compelled her to move and follow the writer. He walked around the wooden deck to the far back of the garden, and then she froze in absolute terror. Almost hidden and squeezed between the fence and a wooden post, a rose plant rose lush and healthy and almost as tall as she was.

“Minseok and Anna don’t seem to mind,” he started, grabbing the gardening scissors, “so I guess it’s something only you and I can smell.”

Gyuri processed the information with renewed interest as they stared hopelessly at the plant, and it suddenly clicked in her mind. She observed the plant, the fresh green, the new twigs covered with sharp thorns, and the three lone bright pink roses fully bloomed and proud of their beauty.

"This was her favorite flower." Gyuri meant to ask, but she was sure of her assumption.

She wasn't expecting any particular reaction out of the writer, much less an actual answer but it was clear she guessed right by the way he clenched his jaw and his brows furrowed.

“Are you going to cut it off?”

“I try,” He added, disheartened, “every time.”

Gyuri wanted to say something else, something to comfort him in a way, but Kyungsoo was already on the move, and what happened next made her stagger back in surprise. When Kyungsoo snapped the first twig with the scissors, she thought she felt it on her skin. The sensation was weird and painless, but when he cut off a second one, her skin was instantly covered with goosebumps. Gyuri felt the sharp edge of the scissors right on her flesh and almost tracked the trajectory along her arm when he snapped another twig. It didn't hurt, and she saw the hairs at the back of his neck standing up with every cut. Kyungsoo must have felt the same but was too preoccupied with getting rid of the plant once and for all that she left him there and sat down in one of the chairs.

The smell started to fade with every one of the scissors snaps, and Gyuri closed her eyes, taking in the relief slowly washing over her body. She raised her head to the sky, enjoying the warmth of the sunlight spreading across her skin and the fresh air moving her hair around. She rocked the chair back and forth, along with the sounds of rustling leaves and Kyungsoo cutting and shoveling the soil of his garden. She found the sound of him working extremely comforting, and when she dared herself to look at him, even if he was wearing his ugly khakis, she couldn’t deny the manliness oozing from him as he pulled a handful of weeds all the way out from the roots. Smiling to herself and feeling lighter than the wind, Gyuri slowly drifted into a slumber soon after and didn’t dream of anything else but green, sunlight, and working hands.

A small thud snapped her awake, and she sat up, unfamiliar with her surroundings but a pair of big eyes looking at her just as startled. Kyungsoo had dropped a spoon, and Gyuri noticed the whole cooking set-up on the wooden deck. Realizing that she had fallen asleep again, and for several hours it seemed by the clean and rose-less look around the garden, Gyuri covered her face in mortification.

"You hadn't had a proper meal since we arrived," Kyungsoo explained with an apologetic shrug. "I thought you might be hungry."

Gyuri nodded, too embarrassed to speak, and tried with all her might to convey her apology with her expression but it seemed like Kyungsoo didn't care that much. He chuckled, waving the spoon at her, signaling her to get on the deck with him. She practically jumped from the chair and joined the writer, suddenly aware of her growling stomach. Kyungsoo was right, she was starving, and her mouth watered when she sat down, and the smell of kimchi noodles reached her nose.

Gyuri pulled her phone out to check the time, and not only the shock of just how many hours she'd spent sleeping made her wince in mortification, but the lack of text messages uncomfortably twisted her heart. Suddenly, everything else got forgotten, knowing that Baekhyun hadn't even tried to reach her. She opened her messaging app and refreshed it a couple of times just to be sure any messages were still floating through cyberspace. When nothing came through, she then checked the wifi signal. Everything was working just fine. Baekhyun simply did not try and feeling frustrated, Gyuri locked the phone and dropped it under the table, far away from her sight.

The silence caught her attention. Gyuri raised her head to find Kyungsoo observing her small fit, but other than blinking a couple of times, he remained silent and prepared a bowl of noodles for her.

“Where’s Minseok and Anna?” She asked after a while.

“There’s a small waterfall not that far,” Kyungsoo explained without taking his eyes off the stove, “they like to hike.”

It was so annoying. Baekhyun didn't like to hike, but he was fond of long walks, and it bothered her that that was all she could think about. If Baekhyun were there with them, he would have insisted on walking down to the village to get snacks and drinks. They would've stopped midway to take pictures and sit down for a while to talk and rest, even if the walk wasn't that demanding.

"Here." His deep voice brought her back to the present.

Kyungsoo was handing her a bowl of steaming noodles and apologizing under her breath Gyuri grabbed it. She placed the bowl in front of her and stared at it for a while, knowing for sure that Baekhyun wouldn't like to eat something of that sort. He didn't like spicy food, and in her mind, she could listen to his complaints as if he was squirming next to her, as noisy as he ever was at the table. Frustrated, Gyuri grabbed her phone again, not believing that he wouldn't have tried to reach her by now. It hurt her that she didn't mean that much to him, and she would end up apologizing first.

“You should tell him,” Kyungsoo said once again, bringing her back to reality only to discover that she was on the verge of tears.

Trying to compose herself, Gyuri dropped the phone again, but it was in vain. She was upset already and having the writer observing her made it worse. She was like an open book to him, and Gyuri couldn't bear it. It was humiliating, to say the least, and pretending that she didn't care, Gyuri dug into the noodles, burning her tongue in the process.

“You’ve been checking your phone every two minutes.” Kyungsoo added, grabbing her hand to stop getting more burning noodles, “If he knew, he would be sitting here with you.”

The writer might have, as well, poured the entire bowl of hot noodles to her face and it wouldn't hurt her as much as his words did, but the sudden anger running through her veins wouldn't let her be the victim of this conversation. With her pride wounded, Gyuri squirmed her hand out of his hold and dropped the chopsticks on the table.

"And what makes you say that?" She asked with a harsh tone, foreign even to her. "How bold of you to assume he would care about me if I confessed my feelings."

As if she had smacked him in the face, Kyungsoo leaned back, staring at her at a loss for words. His mouth opened to say something, but then he closed it. The silence around them was unbearable, but Kyungsoo beat her to it. He pushed his glasses up his nose before he decided to keep going.

"I think he would." He said with a soft tone that only made her anger flare.

"Stop it!" Gyuri snapped at him, feeling tears falling down her face, "Stop pretending to know how he would feel about me. You don't know him."

"He can't be that bad of a guy if you love him this much." He added.

Gyuri stood up as more tears fell, her heart twisted, and her anger blinded her judgment. She wanted to scream, to hit something and tear her heart out of her chest, but all she could do was run away. It angered her that that was her only option, and letting someone witness that fatal flaw made her entire body tremble in despair. She jumped off the deck, ready to run and hide when Kyungsoo called her name. The softness in his voice irked her, broke her, and bothered her to no end.

“Do you have any clue of how embarrassing it is?” She snarled at the wild grass beneath her feet, too embarrassed to even look at him.

“I do.”

The reply felt like a bucket of freezing water over her head. The anger she felt out of nowhere was gone just as fast as it took over her, but she couldn't backtrack on her words and actions anymore. Of course, he knew. If anyone in the world could understand what was happening to her, it was him, and Gyuri was too ashamed to think properly. Feeling her throat closing up in misery, she stormed out of the garden, angry at herself for getting emotional over something so insignificant. Her surprise was caught up in a squeak when she slammed the gate open and found Minseok and Anna holding each other in a tight embrace. It wasn't a compromising position other than that they had been making out, and Gyuri had interrupted them. They only chuckled, startled to see her almost running into them. Gyuri quickly lowered her head, letting her hair hide her face. She bowed, trying to avoid questions, and ran into the cabin. She locked herself in her room, but the silence was still too loud for her ears as her mind replayed every one of her actions.

Gyuri hadn't realized.

She recalled every time she checked her phone, glancing at it to check if she got any new messages. It was an insignificant detail, even to her. She thought no one was looking. Most people never minded her presence. She was unnoticeable most of the time but not to Kyungsoo. He just called her out on something so small and so simple she felt more tears falling down her cheeks.

Knowing that Minseok and Anna were back, Gyuri went to the bathroom and stared at the pitiful and tear-streaked face looking back at her in the mirror. She wanted to wash her face, suck it up and keep going, but she kept replaying Kyungsoo's advice to cry it out. She would if she was in her house with the only company of her parents, but couldn't afford to be weak in a place she wasn't familiar with.

Decided, Gyuri washed her face. She rubbed every inch of flesh, frustrated and angry, hopeful that that would erase any trace of tears and swollen eyes. Soon, all the frustration she felt shifted from one subject to another, and after she tried her best not to look like a mess, Gyuri returned to the kitchen.

However, she didn't know how to behave. She was just as quiet as ever, but somehow, she could feel the stares and not-so-subtle glances from the others. From time to time, as she helped Anna to set everything up for dinner, Gyuri reminded herself to ease her expression, but whenever she found the writer looking at her, she could feel the anger spiking instantly.

Gyuri could only stare at him in disbelief as that would be the very first time since she met him that Kyungsoo ever meddled in her decisions about what to do with Baekhyun. The writer crossed a line she wasn't aware existed, and even less comfortable about him crossing it.

The atmosphere was simply off around them, and Gyuri was aware of how petty she was acting, but the moment they all sat down on the deck, she was just too upset to care. Anna tried her best to lighten up the mood. She came up with the most interesting drinking games, and Gyuri poured herself into each of them, caving in the heat spreading through her skin and burning cheeks.

She felt at ease, light, and free and as if her problems were nothing. That was before both she and Kyungsoo practically hollered their answers at the same time, making Minseok chuckle in amusement. Anna was delighted with the coincidence and ordered both of them to empty their glasses in one go. Kyungsoo was reluctant to do so, but Gyuri did it gladly, wanting to burn the anger with the alcohol and let her inhibitions take over.

Unfortunately for Gyuri, that wasn't the only coincidence. They were so alike. Gyuri stared at Kyungsoo, wondering how they could think in the same numbers, the same answers to almost every question, and react just as slowly in every single game and dare. She was too mad to find those details interesting or riveting. If anything, it only managed to annoy her further as Anna and Minseok made fun of them.

"I think you two are meant to be together," Minseok mumbled in amusement as they couldn't come up with a loser on a simple match of rock, paper, and scissors.

The comment made Gyuri snap. She felt her cheeks flaring, her entire face burning up in embarrassment, and too mortified to give him the reason, she just slapped Kyungsoo's hand away.

"There, I lost." She said, pouring more soju into her glass and guzzling it down like water.

Angry at herself, embarrassed by the situation, and ignoring something else bubbling inside her, Gyuri poured another drink. She heard a giggle next to her, someone calling her name from somewhere else, and saw a hand trying to take the bottle out of her grasp, but no one would stop her. For the first time, she felt invincible, and no one could stop her.

***

They all witnessed Gyuri drown her sorrows fast and recklessly. Kyungsoo tried more than once to take a drink from her hands. Anna simply admired her, pointing out how adorable she was as Gyuri giggled and swayed from one side to the other off the beat of some old song Minseok was singing.

Kyungsoo had stopped drinking a while ago. He made up his mind when he tried to stop Gyuri and call it a night, but she glared at him and drank another glass out of spite. He let her and limited himself to watch her as she poured one glass after the other. He had to remind himself that it was all part of her wishes. She wanted to get drunk, and so far she was doing great. Gyuri hadn't had anything to eat and she kept mixing drinks that he was sure would eventually hit her with the nastiest hungover. He had to smile at some point. Gyuri was stubborn, and despite describing herself as someone shy and mellow, she always took on every task head-on and without reservation, even this one.

His chain of thought came to a sudden halt when Gyuri swayed dangerously to one side and lost balance, almost falling face-first to the surface of the wooden deck. Kyungsoo was fast enough to reach for her. Holding her head gently in his hands, he prodded her back straight, and Gyuri kept mumbling the song as if nothing happened.

"Gyuri, I think that's enough." He said as Anna giggled.

It wasn't a surprise that Minseok hyung was just as drunk as Gyuri. It was partially his fault. He encouraged her, drinking along, celebrating every glass, and always pouring another one for her. However, as a seasoned drinker, Minseok Hyung was easier to handle. Eventually, he would just stay still, acting cute to anyone around him. He was leaning over his girlfriend, resting his chin on her shoulder and smiling at her. Anna was giggling at whatever he was muttering to her ear. Gyuri started to fall again, and wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Kyungsoo knew it was time to take her back into the cabin.

What Kyungsoo never expected was to get so flustered by her closeness. Gyuri noticed his presence and looked up at him with a hint of curiosity he couldn't decipher. She smiled at him, and as if she wasn't mad at him anymore, Gyuri wrapped her arms around his neck. Taken aback, Kyungsoo laughed, struggling to untangle himself from her unexpectedly strong grip, and once free, he draped one of her arms around his neck and lifted her off the deck. Gyuri let out an adorable squeal as he guided her around the garden. Thankfully handling her through the cabin wasn't nearly as bad as Kyungsoo had first imagined.

“I figured you would have gotten drunk with Baekhyun before,” Kyungsoo said softly.

“Baekhyun is a wimp.” Gyuri spat out.

Although Gyuri meant to sound harsh, she seemed to struggle to put that expression on her face and was frustrated at her lack of control over her own body. She swayed so hard that her balance went off and almost dragged Kyungsoo to the floor along with her. Not that it mattered to her because she kept on with her rant about Baekhyun.

“He said he didn’t trust himself if the two of us were drunk.” She added with a scoff, and then a dangerously adorable pout took over her entire face, “Kyungsoo, am I really that boring?”

“I don’t think he meant what you think,” Kyungsoo replied.

“Wanna know a secret?” She said, changing the subject entirely, and Kyungsoo looked at her, only to realize that she was too drunk to understand the implications of her own words.

“You already told me your biggest secret,” Kyungsoo added as he steered her through the small waiting area and then to her room.

“That was nothing.” Gyuri added, “There’s a bigger one.”

She waved her free hand so dramatically that she hit the closest wall with a dry thud that even Kyungsoo jolted in response. He asked her if she was alright, and when he let her go to check her hand, Gyuri seemed unfazed by the incident.

“I really really want to get laid before I die.” She said.

Gyuri collapsed into the edge of the bed and bounced into the floor with a loud thump. Kyungsoo was by her side on the floor in a flash, and she complained with a glare, followed by an accusatory pout. However, neither of them knew how exactly that happened. To Kyungsoo, she was too drunk to stay up and fell, and to Gyuri, he deliberately dropped her there.

“Preferably with my secret admirer.” She kept on, curling into a ball on the floor.

There was a silence in the room that was a bit too uncomfortable for Kyungsoo. It took him too long to decide what to do next when he felt a source of warmth, perfume, and alcohol so close to him it made his head spin.

“I was hoping to have my first time with Baekhyun but that’s never going to happen.” Gyuri said as she got extremely close to his face, “You could take your chance if you want.”

Kyungsoo looked at her, completely stunned. Flabbergasted, he might say, and he didn’t know what to do until he saw her hand moving closer and closer to his face. As if snapped back to reality, he grabbed her wrist as gently as possible and meant to remove the watch.

“No.”

“You will do.” Gyuri insisted, almost whispering, “You’re handsome.”

The writer had his fingers working through the strap of her watch when he forgot for a split second what he was doing. She was giggling. The sound of her so close to him caught his attention. Gyuri stared at him as if she had sobered up, and he froze under her scrutinizing gaze.

“What?” She asked, her face decorated with a bright and curious smile, “Are you surprised I like you?”

“Do you?” He asked instead.

It was her reaction that told Kyungsoo that Gyuri was still too drunk to grasp the meaning of what she was talking about. The playful smile disappeared just as fast as it showed up, and she shrugged in defeat, making him realize that he should take everything that was happening with a grain of salt.

“I’m not telling you.” She said with a pout.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Anna snapped the door open, making them both jolt in surprise. She came into the bedroom followed by a stumbling Minseok. Thankfully, neither of them seemed to notice that Kyungsoo stepped away from Gyuri and turned around to hide his blushing cheeks from them.

“I’ll take care of her.” He mumbled.

“Really?” Anna chuckled, reaching Gyuri and getting ready to pick her up, “Are you going to undress her and put her pajamas on too?”

Kyungsoo froze on his spot, feeling not only his cheeks but his entire head burning. Anna noticed his reaction and clicked her tongue at him in disapproval before she pulled Gyuri up and helped her sit on the bed.

“Yeah, I don’t think so.” Anna mumbled and left Gyuri to nudge Kyungsoo out of the room, “As much as I like you both…"

“Like me?” Minseok whined with a gasp, getting into the way, “We’re getting married!”

“I don’t want you brutes near my new friend,” Anna pressed, pushing them both through the door, “Skedaddle you two. Out!”

Before Kyungsoo could say anything, Anna closed the door at their backs, leaving them in the resting area in awkward silence. Minseok kept whining under his breath but then looked at the writer with a cocked brow. The sudden attention had Kyungsoo feeling self-conscious, and he made a beeline to the hallway out of the area, but the editor was fast enough to stop him.

“Where do you think you’re going? You have to make some stew.” He said, blinking rapidly as if he was trying to get rid of something in his eyes, “You have to tell me who she is and why you two are suddenly joined by the hip.”

“We already had dinner, hyung.” Kyungsoo said, chuckling in disbelief.

“Yeah, but I’m not sober enough to have that conversation.” He replied, wobbling his way out to the kitchen.

Minseok and Kyungsoo talked about nothing really important as the writer cooked a quick and simple serving of instant noodles. He placed the pot in the middle of the kitchen island and let his hyung dig in as he screwed the cap off a soju bottle for himself. As soon as Minseok was halfway through the noodles and he stopped swaying back and forth on his stool, it was when Kyungsoo proceeded to tell him the full story of how he found Gyuri and of the odd urge he felt to do something for someone that was suffering what he suffered years ago.

“When I look at her, I remember how it felt,” Kyungsoo said when he finished his story.

“Or she’s just your new muse.” Minseok added, pausing when the writer shot him a glare, “No, it makes total sense now, Kyungsoo. You haven’t touched your laptop in years, and there was no force on earth that could bring a written word out of you. Suddenly, in a matter of days, you gave me the first two chapters of the next book. She’s inspiring you.”

“That’s not it,” Kyungsoo said, but Minseok chuckled.

“Just be careful not to get too attached.” The editor mused, but the writer was too confused.

He was taken aback not by the words he just heard but by the disinterest in the way Minseok delivered those thoughts. Kyungsoo watched his friend slurp the rest of the noodles into his mouth as if he had nothing to eat for months and the overly nonchalant and pleased noise that came out of him as he nudged the empty pot in front of him.

“Don't look at me like that," Minseok said with a stern look on his face, "Just remember that not everyone survives this shit as you did.”

#EXO #Baekhyun #Kyungsoo #EXO Fanfic #EXO Fanfiction #AFUTR #Romance #Angst #Fanfic #Fanfiction #Hanahaki #Hanahaki Disease

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