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dulce-pjm · 3 years

Text

stepsisters and squires

word count: 11.0k

genre: fluff, angst

summary: as the story goes, the fairy godmother saved cinderella and sent her to ball. wrong. that was you. you were the one got the dress, the carriage, the glass slippers. but you’re also the one about to screw it all up. so much for happy endings.

warnings: parents slapping their children, swearing, bad dancing?

“Cinderella. Fetch me my ribbons.”

A look of disdain crosses her face before she rolls her eyes, tugging a little harder on your corset.

“Fetch them yourself, bitch. And stop using that stupid nickname.”

You laugh obnoxiously from your belly, only to have the life squeezed out of your lungs when she yanks on the corset strings, nearly cutting off your oxygen. Your giggles are quickly cut off with a shout of pain.

“I’m kidding, Sowon!” You throw up your hands and gasp when she pulls again. “Oh my god, you’re gonna kill me.”

“You’re much too dramatic,” the girl mumbles, though she’s struggling to hide her grin. You ignore her.

“These things really are torture devices, you know. I don’t understand the point of even wearing them tonight, it’s not like I’m getting married!”

“Isn’t the whole point of the ball to get you engaged?” she asks, eyebrows raised. You glare at her in the mirror, but her eyes stay pinned on the back of your dress. Her light bangs barely hang over her eyes, her shiny, loose curls framing her soft cheekbones perfectly. You’ve always been a tad jealous of her natural beauty, but despite your insistence on the fact that she’s gorgeous, she never takes your compliments. You suppose the innocent humility only adds to her charm.

“My mother might say that, but we both know she’ll never pull it off. I’d much rather pig out at the pastry table than pretend to be interested in a lifelong marriage with some boring rich guy.”

“Not even a hot boring rich guy?” she counters. You stop to ponder that for just a moment too long, making your stepsister of several years giggle, the sound sweet and tinkling.

“What is it?” you shout incredulously, only making Sowon laugh harder, desperately holding onto the corset strings in an effort not to undo her hard work. “If I’m gonna have to commit to someone for the rest of my life, I might as well enjoy looking at them.”

“You have no morals,” Sowon says between spurts of laughter, her cheeks and nose tinged bright pink. You’re smiling widely too, her comment sparking the memory of a certain someone.

“Morals are no fun,” you retort, shifting uncomfortably in your gown. “Are you finished back there? I’m gonna pass out if I have to keep this posture any longer.”

“Just finished.” Sowon steps back to admire her work, letting you spin in your deep magenta ballgown. The skirt is covered in lace and intricate floral designs, the sleeves puffed and hemmed at your forearms, just as you prefer them. Makes it easier to eat without dirtying the cuffs. Sowon always takes extra care with your dresses, never failing to make you feel like a princess. It’s another trait of hers she refuses to accept is just extraordinary. Obnoxiously humble as always.

Sowon adjusts a pin in your hair, fashioned into a braided low bun, with just a few stray curls hanging by your ears. You can’t help but smile, excitement tickling at your stomach. Once Sowon gives you the nod of approval, you spring into action.

“Alright, I better go check on Jin- What are you doing?!” She cries in surprise as you forcefully take her shoulders, and move her to your bed. She falls back onto the comforter, barely upright.

“Just stay there!” you shout, dashing towards your dresser. She’s doe-eyed, her brows raised and mouth cutely pouted as she watches you in utter confusion. You rifle through your drawers until you see a suitable piece of fabric, a satin blue ribbon from a previous gown. You snatch it and rush back to Sowon, moving to tie it around her eyes. She throws up her hands before you can, wrapping her fingers around the cloth.

“What’s going on? Are you trying to blindfold me?”

“It’s a surprise!” you whine. “And yes, stupid girl, I’m clearly trying to blindfold you. It adds to the surprise factor.” Sowon forces an awkward smile onto her face, lowering the ribbon to her lap.

“Can’t we do without the blindfold? Since, you know…” You loll your head to the side in confusion before you realize your utter insensitivity. Sowon’s absolutely terrified of the dark, though she’d never let you say that out loud. Ever since she’d halfway divulged the secret to you, you’d made sure there was a lamp full of oil and a box of matches by the attic door every single night, silently creeping through the hallways as to prevent your mother or brother from catching you. To others, it might seem childish, but you knew that years of being locked away in a cold, dim room with creaking walls and leaking ceilings would give anyone nightmares. In your excitement, you’d nearly forgotten her phobia.

“Oh, of course! Just… think you can close your eyes? Please?” You puff out your lip and bat your lashes, making Sowon’s eyes fly to the ceiling for guidance.

“Why can’t you just show me the surprise?”

“It’s not in here!” you huff, gesturing towards the door. “We have to go get it.”

“You want me to walk with my eyes closed?”

“I’ll guide you!” You grab her hands, squeezing pleadingly. “It’ll be fine, just trust me!” Sowon gives you a long look full of hesitance and suspicion, but seeing your genuine excitement, she eventually gives.

“Fine.” You break into a smile, and pull her to her feet, tugging her down the hall. At your request, Sowon squeezes her eyes shut, stumbling slightly as you weave through the halls of the manor, laughing at her yelps every time her foot barely catches on the carpet or a loose stone in the flooring. And she calls you dramatic.

You approach the one room Sowon never cleans, the storage closet you’ve secretly turned into a home for the surprise you’ve been planning over the past few months, ever since the ball was announced. You bring your stepsister to a halt, screaming when she barely opens her eyes for a moment. After checking the surroundings for any stray family members (who certainly would not approve of your endeavor), you unlock the door with the key you always keep on you, letting it swing open with a large creak.

“Here it is!” you cry, finally allowing Sowon to open her eyes. She looks at your project and then stares at you blankly.

“What is this?” You roll your eyes and grab her arm, tugging her into the poorly lit room and shutting the door behind you.

“It’s your dress!” You fling your arms proudly towards the soft pink gown. You’d spent every last penny you could to make it as extravagant and royalty-like as you could, paying for the hem to be decorated with bows and the waistline to be embroidered with pearls. You were especially proud of the sweetheart neckline, a daring fashion choice that you thought would suit Sowon perfectly. “For the ball tonight. I saved up some money secretly and had it made for you. I know it isn’t much but when mother said all that, I had the idea and I just wanted you to have a dress that made you feel as pretty as you always make me- oof!”

Your impromptu rambling is cut off when Sowon nearly tackles you in a hug, tears pricking at the corners of your eyes. She sniffles into your neck, and while your mother might have screamed at the possibility of her saltwater tears ruining your clothes, your chest is swelling with pride. You wrap your arms around your stepsister, giving her an affectionate squeeze.

“It’s perfect,” she whispers. “Thank you, Y/N.” You give her a soothing pat on the back before breaking up the hug and stepping away. There will be time for being sappy later, but now, there’s work to do.

“Yeah, yeah, it’s no big deal. Now let’s put it on!” Sowon is smiling brightly, her cheeks practically glowing. Your roles are switched now as you’re the one attending to her attire, helping her pull the gown over her shoulders and lacing up an old corset of yours while she watches you through a large mirror you’ve leaned against the wall. You pretend not to notice the tears escaping past her lashes every few moments as she grins uncontrollably at her reflection. Her joy is contagious, infecting even your cynical mind. Even if you hate these stupid social events, seeing Sowon so excited made you remember that you had reasons to be excited too.

You pin up a few strands of hair and fasten a pearl comb into the crown of her scalp to compliment the dress. The gown you picked hugs her frame nearly perfectly despite the measurements being mostly guesswork. She looks stunning, absolutely regal, like she was made for this lifestyle. You finish up with only a few minutes to spare and step away, allowing her to bask in her own reflection. Now, tears are threatening to pour from your eyes as you take in your work. It wasn’t long ago that the younger girl barely spoke to you, her eyes always filled with fear and sorrow. There was only so much you could do for her under the hawk-eyes of your family, but you’re glad you’d done enough to see her this happy, even if only for a night.

“This is amazing, Y/N, I don’t know how I can thank you, but-”

“Thank me by coming tonight and dancing with a hot boring rich guy! But we can talk about that later.” Your voice lowers to a whisper. “Now, here’s the important part.” She leans in as you explain all of the preparations you’ve made over the past few months.

You tell her of the carriage and coachman ready for her a ten-minute walk away from town on the main road and which door to use to escape without one of your mother’s eyes and ears and catching her. You instruct her to wait exactly five minutes after you leave the room and then to sprint for the exit as fast as her legs would carry her without ruining her outfit. You tell her to stay away from your mother and brother, to avoid the main ballroom until after the first dances, at which time you, your mother, and Jin will move to the dining halls to mingle. And most importantly, you emphasize how imperative it is that she leave before midnight, before the servants lock the back doors and your mother is too tired to stay out any longer.

“Oh, and I almost forgot! Have fun and no matter how great it sounds, don’t drink the alcohol. It goes down like sugar but your head will be spinning in no time.” Sowon looks like her head is spinning now as she memorizes your instructions, nodding furiously.

“Okay, I won’t.” Her hands are shaking with anticipation, but you know her night of fun will quell the nerves. “You’re like a fairy godmother, you know.” You shrug lightly, pretending to flip your hair.

“What can I say? You deserve a magical night.” You smile earnestly before cracking open the door, making sure the coast is clear before you leave Sowon.

“Wait!” she whisper-yells before you can slip away. “What about shoes?” You nearly smack your hand against your forehead, internally scolding yourself for forgetting.

“There’s a box behind the mirror. Treat them well, they’re very fancy. Venetian glass. Custom fit, too.” Sowon laughs, assuring you that she will.

“Oh, don’t forget to tell your squire I said hello,” Sowon says teasingly as you step out into the hall. You rest your hand on your hip, giving her a knowing look.

“You know I won’t.”

“Really? Because that time I found you two it didn’t look like there was very much talking going on. I thought he was eating you ali-” You slam the door before she can finish, your cheeks heating. You can barely make out her laughter behind the thin walls as you scurry away to the front door, a dumb smile across your face.

You’d like to hope you both are in for a romantic night.

“You bitch.” Your mother’s hand smacks across your face and your head is forceful turned to the side. Jin watches you with slight sympathy in his expression, though he makes no move to aid you. He’s too much of a mother’s boy. “You helped her, didn’t you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you repeat, straightening your spine.

“Don’t play dumb,” Jin chimes in, arms crossed. “You told me that dress was yours two months ago when it was delivered.” You glare in his direction, having hoped he would have forgotten the entire encounter by now.

“You dare lie to me?” You ignore her, instead focusing on your brother, the one person who should be your ally.

“I’m surprised your memory goes that far back,” you sneer. “With your intelligence, you’d think you were dropped on your head as a child.” Your mother gasps, making you hiss as she strikes you again. Jin attempts to mask his feelings with a look of apathy, but the flicker of insecurity that flashes across his features is enough to make you feel victorious.

Your mother presses her fingers to her temples, looking to the heavens for guidance.

“What did I do to deserve such a disobedient child?” You open your mouth to snap a smart reply, but quickly shut it when you notice her hand still raised.

“There’s nothing we can do about it now,” Jin says.

“You’re right, you’re right,” your mother replies, massaging her forehead and scalp. “I’ll deal with you both in the morning. For now-” She glares pointedly at you. “You will stay in my sight for the rest of the ball. You will be cooperative and pleasant and receptive and you will do exactly as I say. You will dance with every man that I pick for you, even if he’s ninety, and you will not eat a single bite unless I say you may. Am I understood?” You nod defeatedly, eyes pinned to the floor as your mother huffs, dragging you out of the small side room and back into the fray.

It’s not Sowon’s fault, you could never be angry with her. How were you supposed to know they were going to announce everyone as they entered? She’d even thought to keep her real name to herself, though you could imagine that upon being asked, she’d panicked. As soon as a ‘Cinderella of Greenfield’ had been loudly introduced to the ballroom, your mother’s eyes had bulged out of her head and her face blanched of color. Within minutes she’d put your panicked expression and stepsister’s surprise appearance together and yanked you away from the crowd, unleashing her anger.

Your face falls further when you realize that this new development means you won’t see the one you’re really looking for, who you’re always looking for, really. You’d like to hope that even if you aren’t dancing with your ‘prince charming’ (a term that would make him cringe and groan), Sowon will at least have her own fun before the clock strikes twelve.

“Fix your posture.” You quickly straighten your spine, folding your hands neatly in front of you. You can already see your mother’s eyes scanning the premises, searching for a new victim- er, suitor. Your brother has already disappeared off to god-knows-where, probably chatting up another girl. You, however, don’t have such luxury when your mother believes it’s taking way too long to get you married off.

Despite your insistence that being single at twenty is in fact not the same thing as being an old maid, your mother pays no attention to your opinions on the subject.

You resist taking a swig from the champagne flute resting between your fingers, instead turning your attention to the dancing couples. The first few times you were allowed to attend these balls, the dancers seemed magical and heavenly and happy, dress skirts spinning in sparkly swirls of color. But the dance floor had long lost its glamour when you realized how political the act of dancing really was. No one danced because it was fun or romantic, they did it to secure their relationships, to sign the contract of their alliance without touching a pen. It was all about appearance and status. Dreams of waltzing with your one true love were crushed once your mother had shoved you into the arms of a man much older and much creepier than you would have ever wanted.

You could say with confidence now, however, that dancing isn’t anything close to a requirement when forming a romantic relationship. It’s honestly pretty boring. Shameless flirting and stolen kisses, however, are much more fun.

Too bad you wouldn’t be doing any of those things tonight.

“I’m sorry, what was your name again?” you ask, making your mother pinch your side. You do your best to ignore the pain.

The man you’ve been talking to for the past several minutes pauses, his sweet smile becoming strained.

“And- Oh, it’s Jimin.” You nod, pretending like you’ll remember it five minutes from now. You feel bad. The guy’s pretty cute, his dashing eye smile and boyish features making his cautious flirting all the more adorable. But it’s difficult to really appreciate his looks when your mind is occupied with other faces and names. Or, well, a very specific face and name.

“My apologies, her mind is always wandering,” your mother intrudes, leaning into your conversation as if she’s the one who’s supposed to be initiating a courtship and not you.

“It’s alright…” Jimin squirms uncomfortably under your mother’s scrutinizing stare.

“We really would love to know more about your father’s business. You are the eldest, correct?”

Jimin’s eyes flash from your blank expression to your mother’s eager one, before, like all the suitors before him, he realizes that this really isn’t the place he wants to be. He gives you an apologetic look before inventing some excuse about seeing a business friend and darting away before your mother can protest.

She turns to you, eyes ablaze.

“You’re acting like a petulant child,” she snaps. “Don’t expect to leave your room at all for at least a week. Keep this up and you’ll be lucky to have a single meal.”

“It’s not my fault!” You know you aren’t helping your case by being defensive, but at this point, you don’t care. You’re bored and miserable and your skin still stings where your mother slapped you. “You keep scaring them away!”

“Watch your tone.” It’s ironic, really. You could smile and flirt and be docile all day long, the only thing stopping your mother’s wishes of a suitor from coming true is your mother herself. She can’t help but question the hell out of every man who walks your way until they’re shaking in their dress shoes, fully regretting ever coming within your vicinity. You’ve never had a courtship last longer than a month, let alone make it past the first conversation. At least not one that your mother knows about.

Your mind wanders again to the vision of a snarky boy you’ve come to care for deeply, his thoughtful, coffee-colored eyes, his pouty lips. You’re grinning to yourself at the memory of his ever-stern expression breaking into a sheepish smile when you push just the right buttons, make just the right remark. There isn’t much you wouldn’t give to be talking with him rather than the men picked out by your mother, but, alas, not all dreams come true.

“Ow!”

Your toes ache when your new suitor clumsily steps on them, his palm sweaty and nervous against yours. He quickly panics at your expression but continues the waltz.

“Oh, I am so sorry!” he whispers, awkwardly twirling you under his arm, just as his foot slams onto yours again. You wince. The poor kid might be your age, but it seems he still isn’t quite used to the lanky limbs puberty gave him. He’s barely even dancing at this point, mostly just stumbling across the floor and stringing you along. You wonder if this is his first ball, because it took a good ten minutes for you to coach him into actually leading you, instead of the other way around.

“It’s really okay,” you assure him, noticing his blonde strands falling into his face. You were scared out of your mind the first time you danced, too, though probably for entirely different reasons.

“I promise I’m not usually this awful,” he insists. “I broke my glasses just before I got here, so everything’s pretty blurry.” You sympathize with him. Awful vision and carefully maneuvered dancing don’t exactly pair well together.

“Namjoon, was it?” He nods, flashing a small, dimpled smile. “This your first time?”

His grin turns sheepish. “Was it that obvious?” You shake your head, but then wonder if he can even tell, if his dancing is truly a reflection of his poor eyesight.

“No, I just hadn’t seen you before. I attend most of these things.” Namjoon relaxes at the casual conversation, glad to be talking as peers and not potential spouses.

“Really? Don’t you get tired of them?”

“All the fucking time.” Namjoon’s jaw drops at your language. You cringe, glad your mother can’t stalk you while you’re dancing. “Er- sorry.”

“It’s fine, really.” The lights are dimming outside and your sympathy for the man only grows. Even your vision begins to fail once night falls. Would it kill them to get better lighting in this place?

“My point is, they get easier. Promise. The nerves will go away eventually, probably quicker than you think.” Namjoon laughs skeptically, his grip loosening in yours.

“Easier said than done.” A smirk creeps across your lips.

“See? You’re already comfortable with me! I’m proud.” He immediately starts blushing and tensing up again, but you’ve made your point and Namjoon is grateful. You knew you could be quite intimidating, that this whole event could be quite intimidating, so you’re always glad to help a fellow straggler out.

The dance ends with Namjoon accidentally knocking his head against yours as he bows deeply, profusely apologizing. You laugh it off and send him on his way, probably to recover from the embarrassment in private. You almost get your hopes up that your mother will let you go, but it doesn’t take long for you to be shoved into a new conversation.

“It’s just- I love her, you know?” The boy is staring at you earnestly, his chin propped in his hands and his shaggy, brown hair anything but styled properly. You’re not even sure why your mother settled for this guy. He certainly doesn’t seem like a rich bachelor looking for a wife.

You lean in, fully captured by his heartfelt story. It only took two minutes before the guy noticed your disinterest and gave up on flirting, suggesting the two of you chat casually over desserts instead. You accepted his offer in a heartbeat, feeling your mother glaring holes into your back as he guided you away, finding a corner table and a heaping tray of eclairs. Now, you were listening to his romantic tale, absolutely astounded at his experiences.

“Yeah, I think I do. But what are you supposed to do? She’s locked in an enchanted tower! With a witch!”

“Exactly!” Taehyung responds, throwing his hands into the air. “The only reason I’m here and not with her is because of my family. If I could just get away from them, I’d think up a way to rescue her, I’m sure of it.” You ponder his dilemma as you shove another eclair into your mouth, treasuring the sugary pastry while you still can. He’d already tried the obvious choice, bringing a rope, but as soon as he stepped inside the tower with his love, it disintegrated in his hands, spoiling the plan.

“Maybe you can trick the witch!” You suggest, words muffled by the dessert you’re chewing on as you blatantly talk with your mouth open. All manners have been abandoned as Taehyung is eating two eclairs at once, equally focused on the matter at hand. “Well, no, maybe trying to trick a magical scary lady is a bad idea.”

You think for a moment longer, taking a few more desserts, before your brain lights up.

“Wait, we’re both idiots!” you exclaim, slamming the table in epiphany. Taehyung leans forward, anticipating your new idea. “Just cut her hair and use it as a rope! Surely the enchantment isn’t that advanced.” Taehyung processes your idea before his lips grow into a wide, joyous grin that stretches into his cheeks adorably. If it weren’t for other circumstances, you’d actually consider courting this guy.

“That’s genius!” he shouts, jumping up from his seat. “What do I do now?” You rise with him, taking his hands into yours.

“You have to go to her. Now.” Taehyung’s face grows solemn with resolve as he takes a deep breath.

“I will! Thank you, really.”

“You can thank me by inviting me to the wedding!” The boy laughs and assures you that he will before he grabs one last eclair, dashing out of the castle and into the night. You can only hope that he’ll be successful in his quest, that he won’t die because the plan went horribly wrong or the witch is waiting for him. You send a silent prayer to whoever is listening, but a part of you just believes he’ll be alright.

Having nowhere else to go, you make your way back to where you last saw your mother, brushing against several shoulders as you weave through the crowd. But instead of your mother, Jin is who you see, pigging out on a plate full of food from the buffet. Your mouth waters at the sight.

“Where’s mom?” you ask tentatively, Jin barely meeting your eyes before returning to his meal.

“Went to talk to someone important. I dunno.” You sigh. For being your older brother, he sure is useless.

Your second great idea of the night begins to grow in the back of your mind, daring to give you hope.

“Oh… Well, if you see her, tell her I’m speaking to another suitor. A very rich and very powerful one.” Jin nods, barely half-listening. Knowing your mother, if she was really talking to someone important, it’d take a while. Giving you plenty of time to do the one thing you really came for.

“Uh-huh.”

You dash off before Jin can think twice, leaving him with his second love, only topped by himself, of course.

Your heart is throbbing in your chest, lungs aching from lack of oxygen as you weave through the ballroom and sprint down the halls, making your best guess as to where to find him. You can see the look on his face now, seeing you all dolled up and exhausted from socialization. He’ll make fun of you to no end, but you don’t mind. You have plenty to tease him about, too.

As you round a corner, you collide with a strong chest, only stopped from falling by a pair of strong arms.

But when you glance up, you’re met with a very different squire than the one you’re seeking, but still a dear friend.

“Y/N? I thought you weren’t coming!” You smile as you steady yourself.

“Are you kidding? I’m always at these things, Hoseok.” You step back, peeking around his shoulder, but you’re only met with an empty hall.

“You’re telling me,” he laughs, a friendly hand still lingering on your shoulder. “What took you so long?” You shrug, still catching your breath.

“Suitors, dancing, my mother… You know how it is.” Hoseok nods in understanding, his kind eyes and warm brown hair a welcome sight after a night full of socializing with strangers. “Why aren’t you in uniform?”

“Ahh, it’s our last night off. Like a reward before we get knighted and swear our lives to the crown and all that.”

“Wait, really? You’re getting knighted?! That’s amazing, Hoseok!” The man blushes, shrugging sheepishly. His stupid humility reminds you of Sowon. The two of them would be great friends, you muse, being all shy about their accomplishments together. But never in a million years would you allow them in the same room, not with Hoseok’s reputation.

“Well, we both are.” His eyes light up at something behind you. His hand spins you around, facing you towards the rest of the ballroom. “But your boyfriend can’t even enjoy his one night to have fun. He’s over there brooding in the corner like he’s on duty or something. Doesn’t matter how many times I or Jinyoung tell him to relax, he won’t listen.”

“Sounds about right,” you muse.

“Go talk to him, will you? Make him lighten up.”

Hoseok winks at you before strolling off, making you roll your eyes. But your gaze quickly returns to the idiot you’ve come to love, looking more like a criminal than a knight as he watches the crowd with narrowed eyes. He looks dashing in his ball attire, his dark hair slicked back and leaving his forehead exposed, only a few strands falling out of place. He’s dressed in a simple suit, a white dress shirt with navy blue slacks and overcoat, but he makes the entire look seem classy and elegant.

Despite his piercing gaze, he doesn’t notice you until you’ve snuck up behind him, trailing your fingers up his arm, leaving goosebumps in your wake. His eyes barely flicker to your before quickly returning and focusing on the dance floor, as if you were never there.

“Hey, squire.” No one notices you fiddling with the collar of his coat, not as the lights are growing dimmer and dimmer. He doesn’t respond, face still fixed ahead.

“Oh, come on, you’re off duty. Hoseok told me. At least talk to me.” Still, nothing. He’s as still as a statue.

“Please? I’m sorry I took so long, I got caught up with my mom, you know how she can be.” It’s like you’re talking to air, having a conversation with yourself. His brows furrow at the mention of your mother though, sharing as much hatred for the woman as you do.

“Yoongi.” He sighs, finally facing you. But upon seeing your face, really taking it in, his expression immediately fills with concern, rather than that smile you really want to see.

“Are you okay? Your eyes are swollen.” Damn it. Rely on Min Yoongi to always see right through your facade, to never save you your pride. “Was it your mother?”

“No,” you lie. “I’m fine, really. I just missed you.” Eager to change the subject, you smirk, eyeing the top of his shirt, left unbuttoned. “Really, Min? How unprofessional…” You reach up and fix it, leaning close enough to feel his breath on your face. You meet his eyes cheekily, seeing the conflict brewing in his mind.

“Where have you been? How’s Sowon?”

“Around. Turning down suitors. And as far as I know, she’s good. Hopefully enjoying herself.” Your hands linger at his collar, fiddling with it as you grow closer and closer.

“You sure they aren’t turning you down? You’re pretty damn annoying.” You feign a gasp.

“Wowww, do all those years of me helping you train mean nothing to you? All those late nights for you to insult me like this?” Yoongi takes your hand before you can slip away in your faux-anger, intertwining your fingers.

“I think you’re glossing over all the years that I protected you from the snakes in the palace garden.”

“Oh please,” you scoff. “That was all just a ploy to get me to hold your hand.” He smirks, fully turning away from the party and towards you.

“It worked, didn’t it?”

“Only because I wanted it to. Now, are you going to keep holding my hand like we’re fourteen or kiss me?” He laughs, eyes flashing to your lips.

It only takes a moment before the two of you have disappeared from the main room and you’re pressed up against a wall, kissing him messily in a quiet hall, far from the other guests.

You’re not stupid enough to go any further, as much as you’d like to, but for now you’re satisfied just to feel his lips on yours, just to be in his presence for a while. Your fingers are running through his hair, ruining his hairstyle as his arms are wrapped around your waist, tugging you close as he kisses you senseless, as if to make up for the lost time.

No matter how many times you see him, no matter how many times you corner him in a dark room with time to kill, your heart always thumps in your chest and your stomach always flutters when he’s nearby. It’s always like the first time you talked to him, nerves racing up and down your spine like the idiot teenager you were back then.

He’s always been the first one you want to talk to in the morning, the last person you want to see before your head hits the pillow. And, of course, he’s the one you always wished was treating you to dates or romantic strolls instead of whatever suitor your mother chose next.

While your mind is racing, hands beginning to wander, Yoongi pulls away all too soon, leaving you reeling.

“Sorry,” he mutters, growing all embarrassed when the tips of his ears turn pink. “I was getting carried away.” You laugh, poking at his blushing cheeks. He jerks away, summoning a scowl that he can’t maintain as you only laugh at him further.

“That’s not very knightly of you,” you tease, glancing over his shoulder to make sure you’re still alone, a habit you’ve developed over years of seeing him in secret. Yoongi shakes his head, glaring at your proud grin.

“I don’t think sneaking off with a squire looks very good for you, either, dumbass.”

“I think you mean running off with a soon-to-be knight! Hoseok told me!” Yoongi scoffs.

“Of course he did. Asshole.” You quirk your brow.

“Wait, are you not happy you’re being knighted?” You affectionately comb your fingers through his hair in an attempt to fix the damage you’ve caused as he shakes his head furiously.

“No, no, that’s not it. I wanted to tell you myself, that’s all. There’s actually something I’ve been meaning to tell you for a while, now.”

“What, that you’re finally using your knightly privileges to kill me once and for all?”

“What? No! At least, not yet.”

“You’re gonna get me my own sword?”

“No. I’m-”

“You’re going on a quest to save a girl in a tower?” Yoongi’s expression is incredulous. It takes everything in you to suppress your giggles as you relish in his confusion.

“What are you even talking about?”

“Trust me, it happens.”

“Oh- Okay? Well, what I’m trying to say is-”

“You’re leaving me for Hoseok? It’s okay, I understand. He’s so hot, I would too-” Exasperated, Yoongi claps a hand over your mouth, still keeping you pinned in the corner despite your struggling.

“God, no! I’m trying to tell you I’m gonna marry you, okay?” You freeze, eyes going wide. His hand lowers, letting your jaw drop. “I mean, assuming you want to.”

“Yoongi…” You sigh, a sadness you’re often able to ignore filling your chest and throat. “We talked about this, you know my mother won’t-”

“I don’t care what your mother thinks.” He sighs, face unsure instead of smug or annoyed, as usual. The sight makes your chest constrict. “I’m serious. I’m in love with you and I have been for years, you know that. I’ve been saving up and I can take care of you, at least for a while. But after I’m knighted, I’ll have a steadier income. And then in a few years, maybe we can open that tailor shop with Sowon you’re always talking about. You can do the numbers and Sowon can sew and I know I’m not great with either of those things but I’m sure I can figure out something to help with. I’ll make it work, I promise. You just have to trust me a little.”

For a moment, you allow yourself to hope. To stare into his pleading eyes, to imagine a future with him, a life filled with sarcastic remarks and flirtatious glances and a shop, a place to call your own with the people you love. Out of your mother’s reach, in Yoongi’s arms, happy and content.

But you’re not stupid.

No matter where you go, she’ll follow you. She’ll crush you and ruin you just like she’s done to everyone in her path, spreading rumors and menacing words until you��re despised and cast aside. You’d watched her do it to her own friends, to Sowon in her own house. Once she knows about Yoongi, she’ll do the same to him too. You can’t allow that to happen. You might be afraid of your mother, but you’re far more afraid of what she would do to him than what she would do to you.

“Yoongi, I love you, I really do, but I- I can’t. I won’t.” I won’t hurt you. You almost laugh. In order to spare him from a world of pain, you have to inflict pain yourself.

His face darkens, his expression flashing with hurt. Your heart squeezes painfully in your chest. His grip loosens on you, and the disappointed but unsurprised look on his face is too much to bear.

“Are you serious? Is this really what you want? To let her control you?” Yoongi bites his lip. You wish he’d get angry. That he’d yell and scream and insult you. Instead, his eyes grow glassy and sad, his brow furrowed with concern, making you feel all the worser. You wish you could kiss him until it was all gone, until nothing mattered anymore and you both felt alright again.

“I’m sorry, Yoongi.” You slip away, out of his arms. You’re out of the room and wiping tears from your eyes in a flash. You hurl yourself down the hall, muffling your choked sobs behind your hand. You’re stumbling like Namjoon on the dance floor, ignoring Yoongi calling your name and chasing after you. You know he’ll leave you alone once you make it back to the crowd, once it’s possible your mother could see.

Maybe it was better this way. If you just left each other alone, pretend it never happened. You were nothing but a leech, really. Taking and taking and taking from him and never giving. You didn’t deserve him, not his talks, not his kisses, not his anything. You deserve to grow old miserable with someone you don’t love. You aren’t brave enough to try for something more, not like Yoongi is.

“Y/N?” You nearly run into the girl, her face looking as panicked as you feel. You quickly dab at your eyes, summoning a casual smile. “Are you okay?”

“Hey, Sowon! Having fun?” Not unlike Yoongi, she’s clearly conflicted on whether or not to press you further. You’re grateful when she doesn’t.

“I- um- yeah. I’m leaving, actually.”

“What?” You aren’t carrying a watch, but you know it’s not anywhere near midnight yet, not by a long shot. “Why?” It’s then that you notice that her cheeks are slightly tear-stained too, red from embarrassment. Her hands are shaky, barely holding onto yours. “Did something happen?”

“I really can’t talk about it, now,” she says, voice breaking. “I just have to go.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll talk to you at home, alright?” She nods, her weak smile thankful.

“Alright, see you-”

“Y/N.” Your heart leaps into your throat when you see your mother standing not too far from you and Sowon, her glare murderous and cold. She pretends not to see her stepdaughter, but you know a majority of her fury comes from her presence at the ball tonight.

You shoot your stepsister a look and she’s gone before you can blink, tearing off into the crowd. Wait, is she missing a shoe? Those took up half of your budget!

“I was just looking for you!” You say it awkwardly, the worst acting performance of your life. You’ve done better than this as an eight-year-old. You try to force yourself to forget everything that’s just transpired. All that matters is minimizing your mother’s wrath, if possible.

You aren’t entirely sure why, but she hasn’t dragged you away to a private space to scream at you for your insolence. Instead, she’s forcing a strained smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. Your stomach starts to sink. Somehow this feels worse.

“We’ve been summoned. By the royal family.” Your stomach accelerates from a sink to a drop, leaving you nauseous and an anxious feeling itching up your arms and back, choking your throat.

“What?”

“I don’t know why I continue to do these things for you,” she says, wringing her hands, as if to keep them from lashing out. “But it seems I’ve secured you a betrothal. To the Crown Prince.”

“What.”

It had to be a lie. How had your mother, the least personable human you knew, managed to do this? And she hadn’t even consulted you? Not that you’re surprised about it, but the stress and pressure and cruelty of it all is getting to you. What would this even mean? Is it all just a lie to get you alone so she can really yell?

But the look in her eye and Jin’s story support her claim. Your emotions hit you like a train again as the realization sets in.

“Mom.” Your lip trembles, unable to force itself into a smile for her, not anymore. “I don’t want that. Please.” You silently follow up your plea with desperate eyes, frantically attempting to keep tears from further spilling down your face. But her expression contorts, leaving no room for fake smiles and laughter. Her brows are pressed as far down as they can go, her mouth permanently twisted into a scowl. Her hand raises and you flinch prematurely, casting your face downwards.

“You ungrateful little-”

“I’ll be glad to escort you to the royal family.” Your eyes shoot upwards at the sound of the familiar voice. But Yoongi doesn’t even glance your way, looking at your mother with his stoic, knightly expression he’s worked to perfect over the years. Like he didn’t propose to you minutes prior.

“Who are you?” your mother sneers, giving him a skeptical look.

“A knight,” he states plainly. “This is my night off, but considering your daughter’s recent change in status, it’s only practical she receive a change in security as well.” Your mother ponders this before smirking, the pride of your apparent future marriage already fueling her own ego. She nods, forcefully taking your elbow. Yoongi’s eyes barely flicker with fury when he glances at your mother’s hand, knuckles white from her grip, but he’s able to calmly mask it before your mother notices.

“Well, then, by all means, get on with it.” She gestures ahead as if she’s the one paying him to be here and not the palace. He pretends not to notice her blatantly rude behavior, steadily striding back down the hall, leading you to your own doom.

Ironic, really. You’ve just had someone propose to you and now you’re being lead off to another engagement by the very same man. My god, you’re about to be engaged. To the fucking crown prince. What’s his name? Isn’t he younger than you? You can’t even remember, your mind is going too fast, your heart pounding too loudly.

Your mother is hissing instructions into your ear, berating you for your behavior before you’ve even entered the room, but you don’t hear a single word.

You’ve accepted defeat before the battle has begun as you bite your lip to keep it from trembling.

You hate the way Yoongi doesn’t fight it, how you can only watch his backside as you walk towards an engagement you never wanted, too afraid to say no. You want to run away, to grab Yoongi’s hand and never look back. But that leaves too much to chance. You don’t know where you would go, if you could take Sowon with you.

Crippled by fear and indecisiveness, you stay silent.

“Well, I think that settles everything.” You jolt in your seat, yanked from your daze when you’re being pinched harshly.

Jin’s been pouting in his seat the whole time, frustrated he even had to be here in the first place. He should be pleased, he’s about to have all the food and women he wants, and more.

“We’re incredibly thankful at being given this opportunity,” your mother insists. You muster a smile, unable to meet the eyes of the supposed prince, who’s pouting like a petulant child. His features match his seemingly immature personality, boyish and cute. His eyes are large and doe-like, nearly bulging out of his head with each word spoken, each negotiation settled. You’re glad you’re not the only one who feels poorly about this, though the two of you express that emotion very differently.

Yoongi hasn’t looked at you once the entire time. Instead, he’s standing at the door without a sound, just like the knight he’s been trained to be.

“Well, we’re grateful to have negotiated this opportunity as well, Lady Kim. I’m sure your daughter will make a lovely queen alongside Jungkook.”

Fuck, fuck, fuck. You hadn’t even opened that can of worms yet. How were you supposed to be a queen? You could barely play checkers without panicking, how would you be able to manage the stress of ruling a country?!

“I’m sure she will, too. Right, Y/N?” All eyes pin on you and your blood runs cold, goosebumps running up your arms and legs.

“I- I’ll do my best,” you murmur, your voice choked and quiet. The king leans forward, brow furrowing.

“What did you say?” You open your mouth to repeat yourself, but your mother beats you to it.

“She said she agrees. She’s really quite the talented socializer, always making friends and connections. She’ll be a beloved queen, I’m confident in it.” The queen smiles softly in approval, gazing at you affectionately. She must think your nerves stem from being in the same room as the prince, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. You’d give anything to be able to sprint away, never looking back.

“I’m sorry, but when did I say I agreed to this?” Jungkook shouts the question, making everyone else in the room jump. Your gaze lowers to the table again as you try to pray yourself out of existence. The queen places her hand over her son’s, sighing disappointedly.

“Jungkook, not right-”

“No, Mom! You tell me to get married and I say fine, as long as I can do it on my own terms. You tell me to find a girl I liked at this ball, who I think I could care for and would make a good ruler, and I did. I found someone and you won’t even hear me out!”

“Enough!” the king roars, slamming a fist on the table. “Your ‘girl’ ran off and all you have to prove her existence is a glass shoe. A glass shoe, Jungkook. That’s not evidence of a queen candidate, it’s footwear!”

“I told you, your stupid guards scared her off! She started panicking and mumbling things about a stepmother and needing to go and your guards kept me from following her! And now this is all I have to show for it.” A loud gasp leaves your mouth and you look up to see Jungkook holding a small heeled slipped, made of Venetian glass. Sowon’s slipper.

“What?” Jungkook leans forward, eyes boring into yours. “Do you recognize this? Do you know her?” Your mouth hangs open like a fish out of water, unable to form words. But your mother has already pieced together this puzzle, what with your startled reaction and Jungkook’s retelling of the story.

“Oh, surely not,” your mother insists. Her hand squeezes yours, nearly crushing it, making you yelp. You barely see Yoongi’s nostrils flare, but he doesn’t move. “She just loves Venetian glass, don’t you, dear?” The question falls on deaf ears when Jungkook starts ranting to his father again.

“I’m not giving up on this,” he states matter-of-factly, almost initiating a staredown with the king himself.

“And I’m not going to be controlled by a teenager who doesn’t understand priorities,” he snaps back, eyes blazing. The queen sighs, massaging her temples, as if this isn’t the first time such an argument has occurred.

“I have an idea!” your mother exclaims, clapping her hands together and momentarily drawing the attention of the rest of the table. Jin is still totally checked out, staring off into space. You wonder if he’s sleeping with his eyes open.

“His Highness should try to find this mystery girl! Put out an ad, let girls try on the shoe, do house visits if you wish.” You gawk at your mother, wondering what the hell she’s playing at. “We all deserve a chance at love, no?”

“Yes,” the king responds. “But-”

“But if in, say, two weeks, this girl doesn’t show or she doesn’t turn out to be a good candidate…” You gasp when she interrupts the king, a blatant show of disrespect, but he says nothing, only listening to your mother’s idea patiently. “Then we move forward with the engagement with my daughter. That way we all get a fair chance at what we want.”

“I… suppose that would fine.” Jungkook looks at your mother skeptically, but he really has no reason to say no. She’s just offered him his chance with his dream girl. Why would he refuse?

To everyone else, your mother seems charitable, maybe even absurdly so. But to those who are privy to full the context of the situation (you, Yoongi, and Jin), she’s anything but. In one fell swoop, she’s managed to seize full control of the situation while making a good impression on the royal family. As long as she has you and Sowon pinned beneath her thumb, she’s won easily.

“Yes, I suppose that is fair,” the king says. “Two weeks, Jungkook. That’s it.” His son nods solemnly, determination filling his eyes.

“Two weeks.”

You say nothing to Yoongi as you leave. You know he understands just as well as you do. You’re getting engaged. Just not to him.

“Wait!” You spin around only to be met with your maybe-future-fiancé, gripping your shoulders with a desperate look in his eye. You catch another man staring at you from the door, but you pointedly don’t meet his gaze.

“Yes, Your Highness?” The prince groans.

“Oh, please, don’t call me that.”

“Oh. Sorry.” Your cheeks heat as your mother glares at you from the side, just out of Jungkook’s view.

“Are you sure you don’t know this girl? She’s about this tall-” He raises a hand to just below his shoulder. “-and she’s blonde and really pretty and she was wearing a pink dress.” You’re about to respond, but he continues his description. “And she’s honestly the nicest, most sweet person I’ve ever met. I don’t think she could hurt a fly if she tried.” He sighs, running a hand through his hair nervously. “I know I’ve gotta sound insane right now, but I’m not claiming to be in love with her or anything like that. I just have to see her again. And by the way she was talking, I’m really worried. She might need help. Even if she hates me and that’s why she ran off, I just have to make sure she’s okay and safe.”

You’re astounded at his passionate speech. You’d misjudged him completely. He might be immature or naive, but never had someone seemed so genuine. Never had someone seen Sowon the way you saw her: the silly, sweet girl with a heart of gold.

You’re impressed.

But your pleasant surprise is spoiled when you catch your mother’s gaze, and a realization hits you.

You’d be stupid to trust this Jungkook idiot. No matter how earnest he was, there was no guarantee your mother wouldn’t contradict you, wouldn’t call you insane and have you institutionalized. She could go home tonight and have Sowon shipped off and killed before Jungkook had a chance, and it’d be all your fault. No one was going to stop this. Not Jin. Not Jungkook. Not Yoongi. Not you.

No matter where you go, no matter what you do, your mother will always be there, always be pulling the strings. To try to resist it would only make things worse. For you and Sowon.

You won’t be selfish. You won’t be brave. You’ll take whatever your mother makes you do, as long as she doesn’t hurt Sowon.

Your eyes meet Yoongi’s, full of unspoken apologies.

“Yes, I’m sure,” you lie. “I don’t know her.”

You turn away before you have to see the disappointment in either of their faces.

Two weeks later, you’re allowed to leave your room again. You’re dizzy and nauseous with the guilt and hunger and exhaustion, but your decision remains firm. It’s not like you could really undo it anyway.

You lug your body downstairs, forcing yourself to smile, to look pleasant. Jungkook is sitting in the foyer, a poorly masked sad expression on his face. You’re sad, too.

“-really am disappointed you weren’t able to find your girl. I suppose some mysteries just can’t be solved, can they?”

“Mmm.”

You gulp. You worry about said girl two floors up, who you haven’t seen in a fortnight, probably feeling upset and betrayed.

But you’d been able to cut a deal. Your silence and compliance in exchange for Sowon’s freedom and safety. Maybe it was reckless and stupid to prioritize your stepsister’s life over yours, but after years living in a household that did the opposite, you figured it was the least you could do.

Or maybe you were the selfish one. Maybe all of this was an elaborate ploy to avoid standing up to your mother, your biggest fear.

Either way, it felt much too late to turn back now.

Of course, to make things more painful, Yoongi had to be here too. Watching as you betrayed yourself and him, maybe even Sowon too. You hated how he attempted to hide his obvious disapproval and hurt, to hide his true feelings for your sake.

He stills looks just as good in uniform as he did in his ball clothes. He’s still dressed in navy blue, but the royal crest is embroidered across his chest and a sword hangs at his waist, his hair slicked away from his face again. He looks dashing. Knightly. Regal.

But you’ve given up the privilege of being able to look at him that way. He’s not yours anymore.

An exhausted look duke stands next to the equally tired Jungkook, blabbering on about logistics and future plans. They’re here to take you away permanently, to begin residing at the palace and training for queen hood and preparing for the marriage. Your mother and Jin will follow soon after, leaving their servants here to be released from work, including Sowon, for which you’re grateful.

“Well, I’ll miss her dearly while you’re keeping her,” your mother croons, her voice so sickeningly sweet you think you might vomit again.

“I’ll make sure she’s treated well,” Jungkook assures her. Another bout of guilt claws up your throat. He’s much too innocent, much too good for you.

“I would hope so.” Your mother wraps an arm around you and squeezes. “She deserves the best, she really does.” At some point, Yoongi’s dropped his stoic look, putting up his hands pleadingly in desperation.

You deserve better, he mouths.

“I don’t.”

“What?” Jungkook’s brow is quirked, a very puzzled expression on his face.

“She’s just humble!” your mother nearly shouts, voice strained and threatening to crack.

Are you going to let her decide for you?

It is my decision.

I love you.

You look away from Yoongi before you cry again. You’ve done enough of that over the past two weeks.

“Well, I suppose it’s time we get going,” the duke pipes up, gesturing to the rest of the guards, who begin trudging to their feet and filing their way out of the room. Jungkook takes your arm awkwardly leading you away from your childhood home. You bite your lip and squeeze your fist.

Is this really want Sowon would want? You don’t know. She ran from Jungkook, after all. If she really thought he cared about her, if she really thought safety or love was possible, wouldn’t she have stayed? Jungkook seemed genuine, seemed caring. So why?

An awful thought occurs to you. An awful, terrible, irreversible thought.

There was only one reason you could think of as to why your stepsister had run, had sacrificed her chance with her prince charming.

She didn’t want to leave you behind.

Your mother would have been furious, would have dragged both you and Jin out of the country if that’s what it took to quell her own embarrassment. She’d threatened it before, and she wasn’t one to do so without the intention of following through. You’d never see Sowon or Yoongi again, not in this lifetime, anyway.

Your stepsister risked everything for you, sacrificed her own happiness for your own, and here you were about to leave her behind in the same way she refused to do to you.

You’re giving up everything you cared about, because, what? You’re scared?

Yoongi loves you. You love him. You’ve longed to be with him, to really be with him, for years. And he gave you a solution. He put in the effort to make it work, put it all on the line to be with you.

And you told him no. Because you were scared.

You don’t want to be scared anymore.

“Stop!” you shout, pushing Jungkook away, his expression riddled with surprise. “Just, stop. I have your mystery girl. Come on.”

“You what?” You sigh loudly, leaving him in the dust as you march back up to your mother, who’s gaping at you in horror and disgust from the large doorway.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” your mother gasps. You ignore the way your stomach clenches and that familiar feeling of wanting to crawl under the covers and never come back out.

“Get Sowon or I will.” You state it loudly, for everyone in the vicinity to hear. She gasps, her face turning bright red with anger. You see the retort forming on her lips, the scream threatening to tear from her lungs, but your spine remains straight and tall.

You resist smirking as a familiar presence eases its way behind you, a gentle hand landing on your shoulder.

“Move aside,” Yoongi bellows. His voice clearly sends shivers down your mother’s spine as she jumps to the side out of fear, but you’re suppressing a giggle when you know that he’s just a big softie underneath.

As you make the final trek upstairs to unlock the door and bring Sowon to her awaiting prince and freedom, Yoongi’s hand never leaves yours, giving you reassuring squeezes every time you hesitate. He’s never been one for passionate declarations or romantic gestures, but his unending honesty and small actions are enough for you to feel loved.

“I’m proud of you,” he murmurs into your ear as you tug Sowon out the door for the last time. You don’t give your mother the dignity of a last glance. You can guess how she appears, face contorted in anger and embarrassment and shock as she realizes she’s been betrayed, that she won’t be able to manipulate her way out of this one, though you wouldn’t put it past her to try.

You do, however, give a single nod to Jin as you go, a silent message of forgiveness. He returns a similar look to you. You know the two of you can never be close again, but you hope one day you can see him again. You both are just doing what you must to survive.

After being peppered with questions and giving thousands of explanations to the guards and Jungkook, you’re finally allowed a moment to breathe. Sowon and her prince are staring at each other sheepishly, both suddenly shy and unsure. He awkwardly shakes her hand just as she goes to curtsy, making the both of them burst into stiff giggles and smiles. You shake your head at their antics, but a part of you hopes they make it past this phase and work out.

Just as you’re about to suggest that the group get moving lest your mother takes all of your heads, you’re being yanked away into the shadows behind Jungkook’s carriage and being met with a knowing smile.

You smirk, looping your arms around his neck.

“Hey, squire.” You lean up to press a kiss against his lips but he stops you with the pad of his finger.

“Knight. I’m a knight now.” He’s grinning cheekily, smile so wide you can see his gums. You shake your head and pat the top of his hair, which luckily isn’t covered with a silly metal helmet.

“You’ll always be a squire to me,” you tease, combing your fingers through his hair. Yoongi feigns a glare before wasting no time in stealing a kiss (or three) from you, the two of you pressed up against the carriage, tucked away from sight just like in the good old days.

“And this- Oh!”

You tear away from Yoongi, your cheeks heating as you see a pale Jungkook staring at the two of you in horror as Sowon stands slightly behind him, sending you a look that says, ‘You really couldn’t wait any longer?’

Your eyes are burning holes into the ground as you silently wonder whether kissing a royal guard while kind of engaged to the prince is treason.

“I am so sorry,” you manage, trying to formulate an excuse, but none comes. Yoongi has returned to his knight like stance, acting like a statue and not a lovestruck idiot.

“It’s, uh… It’s fine.” You glance up in surprise as Sowon slips her hand into Jungkook’s, pulling him in the opposite direction.

“Sorry for interrupting!” she calls over her shoulder as she leads her prince away, not noticing his sheepish grin as he stares at their interlocked fingers. “We’re leaving soon so don’t waste too much time…”

As soon as their forms disappear from view, you’re laughing quietly to yourself. After years of sneaking off with Yoongi, it’s still Sowon covering for you. You don’t know if you’ll ever be able to pay her back for everything she’s done for you, big and small, but today is certainly a start.

“So…” Yoongi begins, his hands finding yours. “Did you think any more on what I asked you the other night?” You laugh, resisting the urge to tug him in for another kiss.

“Well, seeing as my chances with the prince have been completely ruined…” Yoongi groans, fingers hovering above your stomach threateningly. You jolt backwards, only to be met with the side of the carriage. “I was joking! Just teasing! Please don’t tickle me.”

The man you’re hopelessly in love with only rolls his eyes, fumbling with the pocket of his pants.

“And I’m trying to be romantic. One of these days I’ll get my revenge for the amount of headaches you give me.” He produces a small box from his pocket, but before he can ask any questions or see the happy tears pricking at the corners of your eyes, you pull him close, pressing your nose into his shoulder. He laughs, quickly reciprocating the embrace.

“Does that mean yes?” he asks. “Because I don’t have the ring yet, the box was a symbolic thing. Unless you like my grandmother’s ring, in which case-” You scoff. A thousand teasing remarks come to your head, but you decide to cut to the chase, not leave him hanging.

“Yes!” You can’t wipe the stupid grins of either of your faces as you pull apart slightly, staring at each other in pure joy.

“Good,” he murmurs. “Because then this would be pretty embarrassing. For you.”

You’re still giggling as the two of you round the carriage hand-in-hand, garnering a few odd glances from the other knights and guards. But instead of quickly jerking your hand away, creating a normal distance as usual, you proudly march up to Yoongi’s horse, let him help you up and lean against his chest as you sit in front of him. Sowon and Jungkook are long in their own world, chatting away about god-knows-what.

As the caravan of carriages and horses rides away, you don’t look back once. You don’t worry about making it back to your mother in time or planning an elaborate explanation to give her to quell her suspicions. Instead, you fully relish in Yoongi’s warmth, teasing him relentlessly and talking about nothing and everything all at once.

You can’t guarantee that it’ll all be easy, that the royal family won’t be royally pissed at you for keeping such a big secret for two weeks. But as the hope of a long life spent with Yoongi and Sowon becomes closer to the truth than ever before, you think you’ll turn out just fine.

#fanfic #bts fanfic #bts scenario #bts fluff #bts angst #yoongi #yoongi fanfic #yoongi scenario #yoongi fluff #yoongi angst #this ended up being a little bit more about OC and cinderella than i intended #but i think i can live with that lol #enjoy :)

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buddysmut · 3 years

Text

Hello.

The surgery recovery is going well. I still haven’t taken the dressing off my neck yet. I just woke up before getting on here. So I haven’t seen how it looks yet.

But I wanted to make a post saying I think I am ready to start writing Sowon again. So if anyone has any new requests involving her, please feel free to send them.

I also put a link to the masterlist at the top of the blog. I don’t know if the pinned post or those links are visible to mobile users or not. But hopefully they show up. I have no idea how anyone finds the ask box otherwise.

And as a reminder, I am also fine with writing kinks not on the rules page. If something you want me to write isn’t listed there, you can always request it. And if I am not comfortable writing it, I will just say so.

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4hl0ve · 3 years

Note

Sowon layout and seungkwan pinned, please 💛

it's ready 💗

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jimlingss · 5 years

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Jungle Park [18]

Chapter 17 - Chapter 18 - Chapter 19

➜ Words: 8k

➜ Genres: Fluff, Angst, Light Humour (?), Slice of Life, Workplace Romance!AU

➜ Summary: The equation is simple. Hoseok needs to hire someone. You need a job. Except like any actual equation, it’s not fucking simple at all! Not when you have to add the fact that he was forced to hire someone he doesn’t want in his office, he has little respect for your job in general, and oh yeah...once upon a time you might have—*CENSORED*.

In the entire year, Hoseok always gives himself three weeks for a break. He uses that time off to either travel, rest, or visit family during the holiday season. Being a partner of a firm, it comes with the privilege that he can take as many days off as he chooses, whenever he wants to, but he restricts himself as a form of discipline. He loves his work and takes pride in it. So the surprise is only imaginable when he calls in and lets the office know he’s taking a few days sabbatical. And the place where Hoseok finds himself is not in a doctor’s office to scour for answers or some kind of temple to meditate and quiet down the chaos in his mind. Rather, he walks into a lion’s den that is sure to make his headache worsen. His knuckles rap against the smooth surface of the door. It’s quiet for thirty seconds and he wonders if she’s even here, but there’s the sound of padding footsteps on the floorboard and the door swings open. The woman on the other side is in her pajamas with a bathrobe on top and she leans against the door frame with a scoff, eyeing him up and down. “Well, well, well, look who we have here. Finally coming to visit this dead sister of yours? I never thought you’d care to visit.” Hoseok doesn’t say a single word. There’s no remark made, no teasing, no banter. He pushes his way past her into the living room and she shuts the door, standing there with her brows raised. “What’s the matter with you, Seok?” “Why didn’t you tell me?” The lawyer meets her eyes and she notices how swollen his are, as if he’s been crying for the past day and rubbing at them constantly. He looks worse for wear too, nothing like the energetic or polished kid that she’s used to. “What are you talking about?” “I found out about Y/N,” he murmurs and it’s all he needs to say to explain himself and he questions the only people he can. “Mom, dad, you...why didn’t any of you tell me?” Hoseok thought he finally had it. After he woke up in a daze in the hospital, he slowly began to piece the entire puzzle together. He figured out the important people in his life, his childhood, the life leading up to now, who he was. Yet, an entire chunk of his life is missing from his memories. The picture was never complete. It was too empty. He was wrong. And he feels betrayed — betrayed that his entire family, that the people who mattered most to him, they agreed to hide this portion of his life. They didn’t tell him a single thing. He was played like a fool. Sowon sighs and crosses her arms, leaning against the wall. “It’s not my place.” “Then whose place is it?!” Hoseok lashes out, jaw ticking and teeth clenched. “I had no idea. I had no idea she even existed for years and no one thought to bring it up?! I was going to marry her—” “Stop finding people to blame.” She cuts him off with one sentence. Stern. Silent. Angry. His older sister takes two steps forward, eyes narrowed into him. “I’m your sister, Jung Hoseok. I’m not the first person who would bring up the topic of your ex-girlfriend, alright? When you woke up and didn’t remember, mom, dad, and I decided it was just better not to tell you about it. The past is in the past.” “Stop saying that!” He’s sick and tired of that — the past is in the past — no, he refuses to believe that. Hoseok refuses to let go. He refuses to move on. The past is his present. No matter what people tell him, history has affected his current circumstances, has affected where he is and what his relationship is with you. Just because it’s today and there’s a tomorrow doesn’t mean yesterday has died. “And she’s not just an ex-girlfriend.” “Then if she was so important to you, why did you break up with her in the first place?!” “That’s what I’m still trying to figure out!” He runs his hands through his hair in frustration, brought to the brink of tears once again. Hoseok was losing his goddamn mind. “I didn’t bring it up because I knew it was painful.” There’s an extended silence and Sowon sighs, moving to sit on the couch. He follows after her, falling down, slumped poster, downcasted head, defeated. “A few days before your accident, you called me on the phone. Drunk. You told me the entire time, you thought Y/N depended on you too much. She was ready to give up everything to be with you, and you didn’t want that. It was too much pressure. It was too much for you. But it turns out, you were the one who depended the most on her.” The two of them look at each other again. “You were a mess, you know. And this was months after the break up. This was months after you packed your bags and left this place.” A wistful sighs leaves her mouth and she tips her head to stare at the ceiling, recounting the weeks before her brother landed himself in the terrible accident, telling him everything that she knows. “You were the one who broke up with her. But even after so much time, you were a mess. You even told me you wanted to quit law school.” “What?” His work is his sole passion. It’s his life. His practice. Hearing that he wanted to quit out loud sounds so entirely absurd. He wonders how much pain he was in, what his mindset was like, if he had trouble getting out of bed, if he was really as broken as his sister describes. It sounds like she’s speaking about a different person — he doesn’t know if he can believe it. But at this point, everything was nonsensical. “Yep. I was shocked too. After you told me that, I knew something was wrong.” A small smile graces her lips and Sowon whispers like it’s a secret she shouldn’t share, but she spills it anyways, “Y/N loved you. A lot. I knew it from the first time you introduced me to her. Our parents adored her too. We thought….‘Thank god. Hoseok finally found someone so amazing that he was going to marry and grow old with. He doesn’t need to feel lonely anymore’. Or at least, that’s what mom and dad hoped for. But….” He swallows the thick lump in his throat. It physically hurts to hear what she has to say, yet he aches to hear more. “But?” “I also knew she loved you a lot more than you loved her.” The heavy atmosphere thickens, suffocating him. It feels like someone’s struck him across the face. The amount of shock is unbearable and his grip on what is real and what isn’t bleeds together like watercolours on a canvas. Part of him wants to shut his ears, refuse to believe these things, that he and you were once in love, that you had dated for nearly half-a-decade, that he was going to marry you, and now he doesn’t have a single memory of these things. Maybe this urge for denial was what you were so fixated on. “I didn’t bring it up because I didn’t want you to remember something so painful. It was better for you to forget. And I figured if she was that important to you, if you truly loved and cared for her, you wouldn’t have broken up with her in the first place.” Sowon inhales another breath. “I didn’t tell you because it wouldn’t be fair to Y/N…” He lets it sink in. “Did I always treat her so badly?” “I don’t know. You’re one hell of an asshole, that’s for sure.” “Y/N deserves better.” His sister scoffs and shakes his head, telling him that he’s got it all wrong. Again. “Don’t pin this on her. It’s you who needs to clean up your act.” // It’s a sunny day, clear skies the vivid shade of azure. As irrational as it is, he can’t help but feel like the weather is taunting him. The cloudless horizon fitting for summer mocks the anguish he feels. He’d rather it rain. For fog to dim the brightness. For the outside to be as miserable as he is on the inside. Hoseok’s been sitting in his car for the past hour, parked right outside of a suburban street. He’s a coward who doesn’t know what to say, how to make things better, who hesitates more than he acts. But the one thing he knows is that he can’t ignore this. He can’t be like you and pretend that it didn’t happen. He can’t act like you mean nothing to him. He’s more sure than ever that you are the answer to what he’s been missing most. So with a large inhale, Jung Hoseok opens his car door and gets out. He takes yet another deep breath and crosses the street, stepping up to the house. If he was being honest to himself, he was absolutely terrified, not sure if his words or efforts will be of any use, not sure what the response will be. But he pushes fear to the back of his mind, braces himself, and rings the doorbell. Hoseok waits. He waits and waits. He’ll wait as long as he needs to. Eventually, the door creaks open and you’re there. He notices that your neck brace is gone, your whiplash most likely recovering better than expected, but your left shoulder is still in a sling. The bruises on your face have faded in colour and although your eyes were puffy from crying, it seemed like you were gradually making a smooth recovery from the accident. “Hoseok?” You’re frozen in your spot, eyes wide, clad in pajamas. “What are you doing here? How did you even find—” “The address was on your emergency contact form. I—...you didn’t pick up your phone.” You’re panicked, turning around slightly before back at him and lowering your voice. “You need to leave, Hoseok. Now.” “No, wait—!” He holds his hands at the door frame and before you can think twice, delayed in your thought processes, you’ve slammed the front door forward. It jams, catching on his fingers. He winces back with a sharp shout and you gasp. “Oh my god!” You shove the door open again, grabbing his hand with your uninjured one. “Are you okay?!” “I’m sorry.” He ignores the throbbing pain, the swelling digits and spits out what he’s been meaning to say before it’s too late and he’s run out of chances. “I’m sorry.” Your grip on his hand loosens and he clutches it tighter before it can slip through the gaps of his fingers. His voice is quiet and desperate. “I’m sorry.” “That…” You stare towards the ground, cotton filling your mouth. “...that doesn’t make it any better.” “I know,” Hoseok whispers. There’s no point. “You don’t even remember.” He doesn’t even know what he’s apologizing for. “I know I blamed you for not telling me — I’m sorry.” Hoseok swallows hard and looks at you past his bangs that have begun to poke into his reddened eyes. You can’t recall the last time he looked so disheveled and…..sad. “I know that I left you and that I hurt you — I’m sorry.” “I don’t blame you for what happened back then,” you interject before he can continue with his endless apologies that sound too genuine, but are meaningless to you. Your hand is taken from his grasps, returning to your side. “At least not anymore. You don’t even remember us. You don’t remember what you did. So, there’s no need for all of….this.” Hoseok searches for what to say. “I don’t want you to quit because of me.” “I wasn’t planning to,” you tell him with confidence, looking directly into his pupils. “Our personal and professional relationship are two different things and I love my job. Not even our past would make me give up on what I love. I’m not like how I used to be…” Your voice trails off and you sigh, meeting his gaze once more. “So you can go home now if that’s it.” He speaks up before you can close the door again, too pathetic and desperate to talk to you. “I’m not done.” “Then what else do you have to say?” you question the man who stands front of you and appears less like the put together lawyer, less like the bubbly boy you know, and more like the shadow of someone broken. It’s not fair. He was the one who dumped you after all. “What did you come here for, Hoseok? Was it just to say that you were sorry? So you can feel less guilty? Was it so you can make sure your HR manager is still working and you won’t have to hire someone new?” “I...I-...I want us to be okay.” You nod. It makes sense. He always thought about business first and wants to make sure it doesn’t interfere at the workplace. You can agree with that. “We’re okay then.” But then Hoseok asks again, like he’s seeking a deeper answer, like he wants to know what you truly think and that it’s not simply business-related. “Are we?” His smooth timbre is far too sincere and seeking — it makes you shift uneasily. “When I went to that interview more than half a year ago, Hoseok, I decided that we were okay. When I got the job and I had to see you everyday, I decided that it was okay.” With how many times you’re repeating it, it’s almost as if you’re trying to convince yourself. “It was okay before you knew, and it’ll be okay now. So is there anything else? Because I think you should go.” But Hoseok doesn’t move. He doesn’t leave or enter. He just stands at your doorway, gazing into your eyes, letting the silence simmer as if he is savouring this painful moment. He searches your eyes and you realize how difficult it is to look at him — not just because the sunlight was piercing against his backside and made the edges of his frame fuzzier in the warm light. It’s difficult when your heart aches so much, when it feels like the knots in your chest are tightening and tightening, yet never to snap. The pause lingers in the air and his gaze becomes too intense, too intimate. “What are we, Y/N?” You shake your head, brows furrowing. “What do you mean?” “What are we?” He reiterates, asking to clarify the chaos in his mind, to understand the picture and make it more clear, to fit the puzzle pieces together and make the image complete. You never thought there would be a day Jung Hoseok would appear at your front doorstep, begging for forgiveness and asking you the question that you’ve been wondering since this all started. You’ve dreamt about this moment for so long that you never realized it was a nightmare instead of a dream. “You’re my boss and I’m your employee,” you assert firmly. “We’re exes that don’t let our past personal relationship affect our current professional relationship.” Your voice becomes weaker as it goes on and you shouldn’t ask, but you itch to know what’s going inside that mind of his, to know if your feelings are once again unrequited. “Why? What do you want us to be?” He seeks your eyes earnestly, tone as soft as yours. “Is it selfish if I want us to be more?” “....yes...it is.” It’s too much. It’s overwhelming. Hoseok is being too honest and you swore you wouldn’t cry in front of him again. “You can’t just appear in front of me years later and tell me you want to try again. Whether or not you remember, I do and it hurts.” “Y/N.” “Who’s at the door?” An older woman approaches, footsteps increasing in sound, coming closer and closer. “Don’t leave it open like that! You’re going to let bugs through—” “Mom!” Immediately, you turn around before you can process your movements and your neck becomes sore from the swift motion. Still, you attempt to cover the man at the doorway with your own body. Your efforts are fruitless. The old woman in the purple floral apron sees right past you and she stares. It must be your mother and he muses that you share a resemblance to her. Hoseok gawks before his head dips slightly. “Hello.” She looks at you and deadpans, “What is he doing here?” “He was just leaving!” You rush to push him through the door, but before any of you can react, she’s grabbed the broomstick leaning against the entryway side table. “Get out!” “Mom!” “Get out!” She yells and hits him with the brush end of the broomstick, scratching him. His arms lift automatically to defend his head and she screams, chasing him out until he’s stumbling back onto the lawn. “You have the audacity to show up at my house?! You’re shameless! Get out! Get away from my daughter!” “Mom!” You run out into broad daylight when she switches the broomstick in her hand, wanting to hit him with the hard plastic handle part instead of the brush. But before she can beat him with it, you lug your body in front of Hoseok. At the same time, she strikes down and smacks your left shoulder in the sling. A cry tears out from your throat and she drops the broom like it burns her. “Y/N! Oh my god! Oh my god!” Hoseok’s eyes are wide, nearly falling from his sockets, brows furrowed, features twisted in sick worry. “Are you okay?!” “Just go,” you grunt out past gritted teeth. He begins to back away, not wanting to, but finding no other choice. Your mom scrambles by your side, giving him no time of day when she ushers you back into the house. Hoseok gets into his car, gripping his steering wheel with trembling hands, feeling more pathetic than he did before. // It’s tragically funny how you’re the one who has to placate your mom’s hysterics when she should be the one comforting you. But oddly enough, you feel calmer when someone else is going crazy. It’s like they’re doing it for you and you can live vicariously through their emotions. “Was he the one who made you like this?!” Your mom points to your shoulder and you shake your head. “No. I told you. It was an accident.” She leans forward, sitting at the kitchen table across from you. “Then why was he here, Y/N? What does that man want from us?!” “I—” You don’t know what to tell her, if you can bear to reveal that you work for him now, that he doesn’t remember a single thing from the past, that he came to apologize even when he can’t recall, that he questioned what the two of you are, and how he asked you if it was selfish to want to be together. You still can’t wrap your mind around the conversation. All you know is that it hurts. You’re at a loss. A loss for words. A loss of what to do. What to feel. “How can you be with someone who has made you cry so much?! He left you!” Your mom is enraged, upset, and when she looks at you, your pain is also her’s. “Don’t you have any self-respect for yourself, huh?” What’s more hurtful than Hoseok showing up at your doorstep is the truth. Your voice is hoarse. “I still love him.” “W-What?” “Is it so wrong to love him even after he’s done so much to hurt me, mom?” You look at her, meeting her eyes, begging for an answer. Her hardened expression softens, mouth opening before closing, speechless. The old woman shuts her eyes, sighs and leans back into her chair. She pinches the bridge of her nose, wondering how she raises such a hopeless daughter. But her anger has dissipated into tender pity and sadness. “I don’t want you to take beatings for him,” she whispers, like she’s the one pleading for you not to be like this anymore, not to do this, not to feel this way. There were so many people to love in this world — why did it have to be that man? “I don’t want you to run in front of him and defend him like you did earlier. Do you think this is what your dad would’ve wanted for you?” “I can’t help it.” You’re frustrated, feeling a loss of control. It was an impulse to run to him, a reflex that doesn’t make you think twice. “I’ve tried and tried, but...I still love him. I don’t think I ever stopped.” She calls your name gently, helpless, unable to find any other word. “What should I do, mom?” This time it’s you who’s pleading. Pleading for a way out, for any explanation or cure. “What should I do when I’m still in love with Hoseok?”

It’s a very question that you ask yourself over and over again. Nights are spent sleepless when the realization of your emotions plague and haunt your sole being. When your denial fixation and your defense of making light of the situation have been stripped away, there are unhealed wounds left. The skin underneath your bandages are still bleeding. The stitches never mended your skin. And it’s completely pathetic how you’re still crying over an ex like this. Eight years of recovery are washed down the drain when you still haven’t gotten over the man named Jung Hoseok. “Hello.” You end up sounding chirpier than the voice droning inside your head. “Where are we off to this evening?” “Hello.” The older woman smiles, wrinkles creasing around her eyes, grey streaks vivid in her hair that’s pulled into a low bun. “I believe it’s called Sunnyside Street.” “Alright.” The traffic is heavier on this main road and as you wait for it to pass before pulling away, you glance into the rear-view mirror. “Are you having a good night so far?” “Yes.” The apples of her cheeks blush in a bright shade, glowing and making the old woman look much younger and more radiant. “I went on one of the greatest dates with my boyfriend.” “That’s so nice.” You melt a little, a tiny smile taking its place on your visage. “And how are you, dear?” “Honestly…” It’s a loaded question and for a second, you can only answer with a long sigh. The old woman has no idea that she’s about to open Pandora’s Box, that your head is a pressurized geyser ready to burst. “Not so good.” “Oh, why not?” “I..uh..recently dislocated my shoulder.” You leave out the part about getting into a car accident, not wanting to alarm the poor woman and make her question your driving skills. “I’m better now, but it still kind of aches sometimes.” “My goodness. That sounds awful! You should be more careful then.” “And that’s not all.” You laugh and it’s far too bitter than what you’re used to hearing from yourself. “I strained my neck too and I...I moved back into my mom’s house and the...the...laundry machine is broken and there’s...there’s noth...ing… in t..he fr...idge t..hat I li..ke to ea..t.” By the time that you’re finished, you’re full on sobbing into your hands. You’re crying hysterically, vision clouded with teardrops, as if you just finished watching The Titanic or The Notebook, except this is real life and you’re not crying because of fictional characters. It’s definitely a new low when you’re having a mental breakdown in front of a passenger who’s more or less a stranger. “Are you alright?” The sweet old lady is genuinely concerned and not as freaked out as you would be if your taxi driver suddenly bursted into tears. “I’m still in love with my ex!” You cry out, beating the steering wheel with your closed fist like you’re punishing it. “I’m in love with him!” “Oh, sweetheart.” She leans forward, patting your back to comfort you. “You deserve better. It just takes some time to heal.” “No, no. This is different.” You’re still weeping and it’s uncontrollable as it is unbearable. “He...I t-think he wants to get back together...and I love him.” “Then what’s the problem?” She tilts her head, sympathizing. “Is it a problem with his personality?” “No.” You shake your head, feeling like a child throwing a tantrum especially when you’re hiccuping and sniffling through every other word. “He’s sweet and kind and my best friend. He’s the nicest person I’ve ever met.” “But?” “W-Wh..at if...we won’t work?” What if everything happens over again. What if this is all wrong. He’s thrown you away before and he can do it again. You can put your heart on your sleeve and he can break it once more. He wants you back after he’s abandoned you. It’s unfair. It’s cruel. And it’s pathetic that you’re even considering running back to him. It’s pathetic that you’ve even allowed him to enter your life again, that you let him stand in front of you and tell you the things you wanted to hear so badly years ago. Just because he wants you now still doesn’t change the fact of what happened, regardless if he remembers or not. You’re crippled and you’re not so sure you have the strength to walk alongside him anymore. “Well, that’s a question everyone asks.” Your passenger gives a gleaming smile, one that reminds you too much of him. “If things have changed and timing is good, then why not? There’s no harm in trying, right? You don’t want to be my age and look back and wonder. Take it from someone who’s only finding love now.” Somehow, the lovely woman is more calming than you expected. She helps you breathe through your meltdown and pats your back in constant beats comfortingly until you get a grip of yourself. “Does he make you happy?” “Yes…” “Then that’s your answer.” Her smile widens and she makes it sound so much simpler than it actually is. Your heart aches, torn between what you want and what you are fearful of. // It’s easy to make a decision. It’s much more difficult to make the right one. Maybe because most of the time, no one knows what the right decision is. No one knows what the consequences may be. A year from now, he could either leave you broken-hearted again or make you the happiest that you’ve ever been. You don’t need him. You want him. But just because your heart wants to be with him doesn’t mean you should obey to its will, especially when your mind tells you that you’re an idiot for even having such a desire. Jung Hoseok — the epitome of sunshine, that illuminates your world and gives colour to your surroundings, painting it in vivid hues, but who pulls you away from the comfortable darkness, turning you blind, someone who used to make you feel so inadequate from his sheer radiance. He may not have changed. But you have. You aren’t so weak anymore. Your confidence will not be so easily swayed. But the fear of all the assurance you’ve built in the past few years crumbling is too great. “Y/N?” “Hey…” You clutch your phone tighter in your hand, not letting it slip even when your arm is trembling. “...how are you?” “I’m good.” The voice on the other line is smooth and gentle. “You?” “I...just needed someone to talk to.” “I’m all ears.” Hani’s smile is practically heard in her voice. Your old best friend is one of the few people that actually know the history and you decided to reach out to her, chose her out of everyone else. After reconnecting, it occurred to you that no matter how much physical distance there is between you both, how much time has passed, she’ll always be a friend. You were wrong when you thought there was no one left to depend on. At your extended silence, she pipes up again. “What’s wrong?” “I don’t know what to do,” you murmur, slumped in your childhood bed, door shut and caught between the walls of where you grew up, before any of this had happened. “Is this about Hoseok?” You pause. “Yes.” Her breath softens and steadies, heard on the other end. Hani sops whatever she was doing and you brace yourself. “Do you remember halfway through our first year?” she asks you suddenly. “Taeyeon wanted to get back together with that asshat...what’s his face...Soonyoung? God!” A small laugh leaves through your throat, husky around the edges. “I remember.” “On their fifth date or something, he went and invited her out to one of the most expensive restaurants and then he ditched her halfway and made her pay! He raided my fridge too. I’ll never forgive him for stealing my steak takeout,” Hani mutters, still holding the grudge. “And I couldn’t believe she was so head over heels that she wanted to get back together with him! Do you remember what we told her?” “Yes.” You smile, beginning to feel calmer. “We told her that she deserved better.” “Yeah and thank god she ended up with Baekho. Their kids are the cutest things ever.” “They are,” you agree. “What I’m saying is that it’s always been a rule of mine not to get together with an ex. You broke up for a reason and people don’t change all that much. Chances are things might not work out again for the same reasons.” “You’re right.” “But I don’t think anyone’s more perfect for you than Hoseok,” Hani says, unexpected and causing a thick lump to form uncomfortably in your throat. You pull the covers over your head as if it could shield you away from the light above your head that’s suddenly too bright, exposing too much. “Y/N?” “Hmm.” You hum, acknowledging that you’re listening. “I mean it when I say it. I obviously don’t know your relationship as well as you do, but he never mistreated you once in those four years and even when you fought, you both made it okay again. I’m not a hopeless romantic. I’m not even a believer in soulmates. But I remember back then thinking how jealous I was of you, jealous that you found someone who cherished you so much.” Not another word is spoken from your lips, yet the female knows all too well that you heed every syllable she utters. “You can imagine my surprise when you left with him and then came back alone. I was shocked. I was really……...really rooting for the both of you.” A long sigh is heard over the other line and you shut your eyes tight, listening to the fuzziness of her timbre, the slight white noise and buzz of speaking on the phone that makes you nostalgic of years ago when you used to curl up in your bed and talk to each other in the same manner. “He was young then and so were you. Life was getting started, so I understand if he didn’t want to tie himself or you down so soon. You were going to get married and all and he was going to finish law school soon….” Her voice fades off into silence. “Whatever you decide, if you get back together again, it doesn’t mean you’re committing yourself to anything. There’s no harm in trying.” You swallow hard, voice croaking when it comes out. “I just…” “I know.” Her smile is heard in her voice again. “But it’s been eight long years since then. How many more years are you waiting for?” // His office seems much more suffocating than it used to. He doesn’t know why that’s the case when the walls have not altered and his furniture stays the same. Still, Hoseok’s eyes stray off to the window, caught in a daze. He’s going against everything he stands for, the code of professionalism, of not overstepping boundaries, of not imposing himself onto you. Being with you makes him selfish. Every time, Hoseok’s eyes wander unintentionally, it always lands on you, finding it so easy to pick you out in a crowd of people. And he always feels sad when he looks at you. Hoseok doesn’t think he could ever make up or atone for what he’s done. The entire time, he thought you were playing him as the fool when you were actually sparing him and suffering silently. You bear the burden of those memories alone. He wonders what you thought every day when you passed by his office, when you ate with him, spoke to him, laughed with him, and he was completely oblivious. It’s sheerly mind boggling that you were his fiancée at some point in his life. In a million years, he could’ve never imagined the person he hired, the person who he works alongside would’ve meant so much to his former self. “Jung Hoseok?” “Yes? My apologies.” The lawyer looks back to his client across from him. “You were saying?” “I was thanking you for all the work you’ve done for me.” The young man, no more than twenty-four, smiles. “But I spoke about it to my wife and in the end we decided we’re going to stay together.” “You’re staying together?” He frowns, unable to quite understand. The male nods. “We’ve been seeing a counselor together and we decided to pull through or at least see what happens.” The corner of Hoseok’s mouth quirks. “I’ll admit, I’m a bit surprised.” “I know. As they say, love isn’t all rainbows and butterflies.” The man nods to himself, explaining the situation to make sense of it. “It was difficult for her when the honeymoon stage of our relationship ended. I still loved her...but maybe not like how I used to. But y’know, we got the break we needed and we talked and I missed her a lot. I realized it wasn’t that I didn’t love her anymore. It was more like our love had just become a bit different.” The smile that appears on the young man’s lips are reserved more for himself. “We made a choice to stay together.” “Alright then.” The lawyer shakes his client’s hand, both standing up to conclude the meeting. “Call me again if you ever need to.” “Hopefully, I won’t,” he laughs. Hoseok always regarded himself as the Grim Reaper of marriages. He breaks off relationships every day, calling their time of death in the courthouse, severing unions meant to last a lifetime. It’s not often that he loses business like this, but it’s still refreshing to see someone walk out of his office still with their spouse and content with it. “Hoseok?” Jimin snaps his fingers, forming right in front of him like a magician. “Are you okay?” “I’m fine. What?” “You’re just standing there staring off.” He leans in, whispering and finally pressing the button to call for the elevator. “You’re kind of freaking out our poor receptionists.” “Sorry.” Hoseok blinks a few times, trying to break out of his trance. “There’s been something off about you. Are you sure you’re alright?” Jimin’s brow is raised in skepticism, crossing his arms and tapping his foot. “Speaking of which, I’ve also caught wind that there’s something weird going on between you and Y/N. Care to explain? Does it have anything to do with the fact that she took two weeks off work?” “It’s nothing,” he reassures and makes it short, not wanting to divulge in his personal problems and not knowing where to even begin. Hoseok steps into the elevator when the doors part, feeling the thumps of an oncoming headache. “Then you won’t mind telling Y/N about the upcoming weekend vacation?” “It’s this weekend?” “Yes, it’s this weekend. Did you forget? All the expenses paid for the entire firm to go relax. We talked about it for a month.” “It just...slipped my mind.” Nothing ever slips Hoseok’s mind. He is punctual, organized, methodical. Jimin knows that much, but he doesn’t pester him about it. “Remind Y/N too. She must’ve forgotten.” Hoseok often bends to Jimin’s will, giving in to his partner for the sake of harmony, but this is one of the few times he doesn’t. Instead, he tells Seulgi to inform you and when she asks why he won’t do it himself, he answers with a glare, making the female purse her lips and remember her boss before you came along and softened his tyranny. Seulgi doesn’t come to your office alone either, bringing along Lisa, Dahyun and Sunyi with her. “Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that.” A smile more tense than intended appears on your face. “Thanks for reminding me.” “Y/N….it might not be my place…” Sunyi glances at the other females, hesitating. “So, don’t feel pressured to tell us...if we’re making you uncomfortable then...you know...we’ll leave…” “Oh, just cut to the chase.” Lisa rolls her eyes and looks directly at you, never favouring the method of beating around the bush. “Is Hoseok going to fire you?” “What? No.” Or at least, you don’t think so. “Good or else we’ll join together and beat him up.” Dahyun grins, cheeks puffing out, Lisa having rubbed off on the girl and making her more brave. You smile, but Seulgi doesn’t completely buy it. “Is there something going on then?” The legal assistant is too sharp. She’s quickly caught on that you no longer speak to each other, that you don’t even look at each other. Except, when you’re not paying attention, Hoseok stares at you while wearing the most guilty expression she’s ever seen from him. You both look terribly sad, a stark contrast to just a few weeks ago when you were practically best friends in the office. “No, not really,” you lie. “Well, we’re here for you if you need it!” Sunyi reaffirms enthusiastically. “Don’t be afraid of him. If he does something to you, just tell us. I’m a lawyer. I’ve been looking for excuses to sue Hoseok anyways.” “I’m a paralegal,” Seulgi adds on with a sheepish smile, brushing away her suspicions to try to cheer you up. “I have a knack for fighting with my fists.” Lisa jumps into a boxing stance and you laugh. You really needed this, you really needed to be reminded of why you loved this job so much. “I..uh...have poison ivy in my garden,” Dahyun says out of the blue, having nothing else to offer and also making each of them turn towards her with a frown. You grin, genuinely feeling better. You’re not alone. There are great people in your life that you had pushed aside and you’ve met great people being here. Jung Hoseok just happens to be one of them. He’s not the only one.

Belongings packed, house keys tucked away, baggage left all behind. You really needed this — a place to relax, a place where it wasn’t so hard to breathe. But you’re not so sure how much it’ll help considering he’s here too. It feels as if you’re running in the same spot. Only the sceneries happen to change. The train was lulling you, engine chugging along the tracks, the carts making small bumps and causing bodies to jolt, knees to knock. One glance across the aisle and you find Hoseok not doing work like he usually would. He stares out the window, motionlessly, not awake or asleep. You know that you’re prolonging the inevitable. You’re making him suffer like you are, stuck in purgatory with no answers. The time has arrived to come to grips with what’s changed, what’s been revealed. “We finally arrived!” Jin stretches his arms above his head, causing his backpack to bump into a mother holding a screaming toddler. She glares and he mutters an apology. “Finally.” Yoongi sighs. “My ass hurts.” “It always hurts.” Sunyi rolls her eyes, gripping the handle of her suitcase with both hands. “Yeah.” He smirks. “Because of the things you do to it.” The female lawyer flushes red from her chin to her hairline. Though, she doesn’t back down either. “Like what? Your ass is a deflated balloon, Min. No one can even spank it because they’d miss!” Jimin interferes before it can spiral out of control. “Break it up you two.” He glances at you and Hoseok. “And you two need to get your chins up! Stop looking so miserable! We’re finally here!” “I’m just a bit tired...that’s all.” The corners of your mouth move upwards — it seems to do it on its own nowadays without you even needing to force it too much. “We should get to the hostel,” Namjoon agrees. “But I’m hungry,” Taehyung childishly sighs, leaning his weight on the youngest lawyer. “Let’s go get a bite to eat!” “I’m kind of hungry too,” Jungkook pitches his opinion in, though his eyes wander towards you in concern. “Can we really bring all our luggage and backpacks to a restaurant?” Inyoung asks, securing her sunhat over her head and shielding her face away from the rays. “I don’t see why not,” Lisa says, “We didn’t bring that much stuff to begin with.” “Okay.” Jimin mediates the issue since it’s obvious that you’re out of it. He doesn’t mind much and finds a simple solution. “We can split off into two groups. Those who want to eat and those who want to rest.” There’s a murmur with the crowd, agreeing and they move into two different hordes. He looks off at you and Hoseok. “What about you guys?” You take a deep breath before channeling a bright smile. “I’d actually love to go sightseeing. I’m not that hungry and I think it’s a waste to just go to the hostel now.” Your feet automatically shift towards Hoseok and you tip your head to one side. “Want to come?” His eyes are large, staring back into yours. “Me? S-..sure….” “Are you sure?” Jungkook’s brows furrow, concerned for your well-being. “Didn’t you say you were tired?” “I’m feeling better now that I’m off the train.” They’re fairly convinced by how well you act. Yet, Jimin’s gaze remains pointed, as if he can so easily read between the lines. A few others can as well, like Seulgi and Yoongi who seem to understand beneath the perfected exteriors. But none of them ask, playing dumb and agreeing, turning away to get a move on. “Alright! Sounds like a plan! Catch you later then.” The pair of you linger at the station, watching the group go off and strangers who pass by, going towards the train that whistles for passengers to board. You brace yourself in the chaos of people before looking at Hoseok. “I think we should talk.” “Okay.” // It’s a quaint café, one that you do not know, but still welcomes you as though you are a regular. The both of you slip into a window seat, the rest of the world shining behind a pane of glass. Across from you, he takes a sip of his drink, eyes boring into the wooden table while you grasp your coffee cup. It’s tragically ironic — it reminds you too much of your first day with him, but the scene is recreated for an entirely different reason. “Can I start?” Hoseok finds courage to meet your gaze and you nod. He takes a deep exhale, setting down his cup. “I’ve been thinking about it for the past few days and….you’re right — we shouldn’t let our past personal relationship affect our current professional relationship. I’m your boss and I shouldn’t make you uncomfortable. It was stupid of me.” He continues with a long sigh. “You….you deserve to be with someone who can make you happy, Y/N. I’m sorry for even thinking that I...that I...” It’s the same as it was before. It’s exactly the same as eight years ago, how he prefaced it before breaking off the engagement in the quietness of your apartment. History will repeat itself. Except, you won’t let it. Jung Hoseok left you confused and hurt, questioning every quality about yourself. You allowed him to slip from your fingertips, damage you in the process, and you won’t let it happen again. You won’t let yourself be broken by Jung Hoseok anymore. “You deserve better.” Like a mantra memorized over lonely nights, over tear-stained pillows, printed to the forefront of your consciousness, everything you should’ve said years ago, they befall from your lips— “Bullshit.” “I deserve better? Why can’t you be better?” The silence between you both settles to suffocate and he is caught in startlement, cotton filling his mouth, urging you to persist. “Why can’t you make me happy? Why can’t it be you?” “I—” “I never took you for being so fickle, Hoseok. I didn’t know you would change your mind so fast.” He had bursted into your home, was chased out by your mother, and now sits in front of you, telling you the opposite of what he had asked. “Don’t make this about our professional relationship and don’t try to act like this won’t affect us anyways. Don’t make up such bullshit excuses for your laziness. Don’t make up excuses because you don’t want to be with me.” “That’s not it!” He shouts and lowers his voice when people turn around to glare. His frustration clogs his throat, making it difficult to speak — torn between doing what’s responsible and doing something for himself. “I….want to be with you.” “Then try harder.” The beat of silence lingers. “Don’t you have any confidence in us?” “I don’t have any confidence in myself,” he reveals, uttering what you had felt all those years ago. His chest rises and falls, hyperventilating and your eyes trace against each of his lashes, past the slope of his nose, the dips of his cupid’s bow. Hoseok was a man of many things, but one of his best qualities is how he’s always been sincere in everything he says and does. “I’m scared,” he whispers. “I don’t remember what I did to you and I don’t know if I’ll do it again, Y/N. I don’t even remember how I fucked up and….and I want you to have the best and that’s...that’s not me.” “I don’t want the best.” You gaze at him, speaking past the lump in your throat. This moment is eight years too late. But these are the words that have been waiting for that long. Eight years. This is what you should’ve said — when you should’ve come back for him — when you should’ve fought for what you wanted instead of giving up so easily. The blame is on you as much as it is on him. “Have you asked me what I wanted?” You’ve a decision. Should’ves end here. “I...” “I want you.” Your voice is firm, finally matching to how you wanted it to be, finally in your control again. The leap of courage is taken and you wager your time, your heart, your feelings. One last time. “I want you.” Your eyes are locked onto the man named Jung Hoseok, your boss, best friend, partner of four wonderful years, ex-fiancé. “Try to be the best. Try and that’s enough. It’s enough for me. I let you break my heart before, Hoseok. I won’t let a second time happen.”

#bts fanfic #bts scenario #hoseok fluff #hoseok fanfic #hoseok angst #OOOOoooOOooOoh

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yoohyeontual · 3 years

Text

Alex’s tags !

Now that I have tags more my ults I thought I’ll do a new post for my tags ! I’m gonna pin in for a couple of days !

Kpop :

Jungkook : Shining star✨❤️

Yoohyeon : Moonlight love🌙💙

Jinsoul : Siren love🐬💙

Yves : Scarlet love🌹❤️

Olivia Hye : Baby wolf🐺🖤

Jessica : My Queen👑💗

Chungha : My goddess✨💜

All biases : Loves of my life 💜

Bias wreckers : Bias Wreckers 💜

I also usually tag their stage names since a lot of idols of the same name (also to help followers that aren’t use to the real names) except BTS which I use their real names but use Hobi and Jin.

Ask games :

Ask games, you ask me questions : Please ? i’m bored

Ask games, You give me your opinions / Answers : Please ? i’m curious

Asks :

Random ask : Random asks✨

Anon : Lovely anon💜

Non-Anon : Url + 💜

Mutuals :

Individual Mutual tag : Mutuals name / Url + 💜 or their own emoji that you can find the list here !

Mutuals tag : Mutuals💜

Mutuals gifs : Name’s (or url) gifs💜(or own emoji)

Mutuals other contents : Name’s (or url) things💜(or own emoji)

Personal tags ( + Hobbies) :

When I get personal : Personal

My art : alex’s art

Aesthetics/Moodboard : alex’s aesthetic (Now taking request on eternalyoo )

My stories : alex’s stories

- A turn of events : 📖 : ATOE

- Daewon : 📖 : Daewon

- Alter (My book) : 📖 : Alter

Ocs : Names

My pets :

- Puppy🐶 : Puppy the dog

- Sowon🐱: My cat Sowon

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yutark · 5 years

Text

— nail biting

@rksowon

There were a collective of a thousand thoughts running through Yuta’s mind as he went through schedules, choosing to sit further in the back corner and avoid the coaches -- as if they already knew what had happened. He didn’t know what to do, keeping the secret was weighing on his chest and he wanted the pressure released. They were finishing performance evaluations around ten, and then they’d be given free practice. It was the time that Yuta typically used to work on his monthly videos, on evaluations, or if he was having a long week, sleep somewhere out of sight. An anxiety was building as he waited for the coaches to free them, his thumb pinned between two of his teeth, waiting for everyone else to get up first. His gaze darting around over the other trainees, until they landed on Sowon. The older female trainee had been someone he’d confided in before.

She’d know what to do. She’d be reasonable, rational; she wouldn’t tell anyone.

His body clamoured to rise up, water bottle in one hand and his teeth biting the inside of his lip as he made his way after her. It had to be her long legs that made her difficult to catch up -- she was nearly as tall as he was. Not that Yuta would ever say that aloud. “Noona!” Yuta called out as he closed the space in the hallway, jogging now he was free of the bottle neck at the door and coming to her left side. This time he lifted the bottle up, momentarily biting on the side of the lid as he tried to work out how to say it, what to say. His brow furrowing in, gaze lowering to the floor and sighing out a breath instead. Only the older trainees would know what happened; he didn’t want the newer ones to hear. Not yet, not until they liked him enough to see past it. “Can-- Are you busy? Are you free? Can we talk?” Even he could hear the stress in his own voice, scratching the back of his head in annoyance. “Is that okay?”

#( r. )#rksowon #( trc. )#( t: nailbiting )#( 05.19 )

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jinterlude · 6 years

Text

Two Faced (Ch.1)

↳ gif header is made by © @softjeon. Please don’t try and steal it and make it your own.

➵ Pairing(s): Gang!Jungkook x Female!OC & Gang!Mark Lee x Female!OC x Gang!Seokjin

➵ Genre(s): College!AU, Mafia/Gang!AU, Angst, Romance, Friendship, Humor, Love Triangle & Slight-Fluff

➵ Warning(s): None for this chapter

➵ Words: 4.7K

➵ Co-writer: @softjeon

➵ Summary: Two girls. Two gangs. One craved absolute control over the city of Seoul. While, the other simply craved sleep and good grades. Now, what do these two ladies have in common? Simple. They have nothing in common—or so they think. Everyone knows the saying, “never judge a book by its cover”, so maybe there is something more to these two than meets the eye…especially when one of them is suddenly thrown into the underground life. Loyalties will be tested. Romance will blossom. Yup. Sounds like an average college day…

« Previously | Next Time »

Chapter 1 - Polar Opposites

Sounds of heels clicking on the red-brick paths of the campus were heard, as a young woman pushed her hair out of her face. She opened the door and headed down the corridor, with it’s usual bulletin boards announcing faculty openings, classroom assignments, club meetings and everything else she didn’t care about. She went down the stairwell, glancing around to see if anyone was following her, before she continued a short distance down another corridor, which was empty except for a janitor working at the far end. She smiled. Walking past him, she reached into the man’s pocket unseen, taking out a little paper that the woman shoved deep into the pocket of her leather jacket, before the man disappeared as well.

Turning around, the young woman almost jumped when a boy with glasses smiled up at her.

“Did you fill out the roommate application, yet?” He said as he waved a little pen in her face. The unknown woman pulled away just a bit with this slight grimace. Hasn’t this dude ever heard of personal space? In area of expertise, he’s quite luckily that she hadn’t taken the pin and stab him in the hand---maybe even his throat.

A blanket of silence covered the two of them. For his safely, she took the chance to calm herself down. The last thing she wanted was to hurt someone, and it hadn’t even been a full day yet. With a heavy sigh, she took the pen from him. The woman forced up a smile and scribbled down her name quickly.

“There you go, sweety,” She licked her lips slowly and winked at the young boy before she turned to walk up to the double swing doors at the end of the corridor.

She didn’t hear the boy warning her about the alarm anymore. She wouldn’t have cared either way.

On the other hand, a certain woman cared. This loud, obnoxious sound continued to buzz. A constant ringing noise entered her ears; thus, interrupting her precious sleep. A certain luxury that she couldn’t afford in her line of academics. The world of criminal justice took a toll on her health, but it would be worth it knowing that she’d help put away cold-hearted criminals. Just like her mother…

A faint groan escaped her lips. Yeah...she honestly didn’t want to get out of the comforts that was her bed. Why? Well, sleep was a rarity that she cherished whenever she could.

She flung the covers off her, exposing her skin to the cool air that circulated her room. A slight shiver occurred throughout her body causing the poor girl to quickly cover her arms. She quickly glanced at her clock and thanked the stars that a majority of her fellow students were still sound asleep. She didn’t have to fight for the hot water. She could enjoy taking her sweet ass time.

How on Earth were they able to sleep through the annoying alarm was beyond her…

She shuffled towards her closet and opened it. Her eyes scanned the contents that hid behind the doors.

“Okay...Sumin...what kind of look are we thinking of today?” She thought as she tapped her chin lightly.

She began to hum to herself as she flipped through each hanger. She couldn’t decide if she wanted to sport her usual go-to look. Her go-to look usually consisted of a nice blouse, a dark-colored skirt, and a simple pair of one inch heels.

However, that would be boring if she constantly wore the same combination of clothing every single day.

Nah.

Time to go bold.

Sumin swiftly flipped to her jeans section and chose a pair that were slightly “worn” out. Then, she picked out a plain band t-shirt and matching shoes. She carelessly tossed them on her bed before disappearing into her private bathroom. One of the many advantages of having a mother, who’s rather a generous alumni donor…

Meanwhile, on the other side of the campus, the young woman, from before, leaned against a dark red motorbike, staring at the screen of her phone.

“You have been assigned to a new roommate,” She read the email quietly once more, before she snapped her head around when some arms sneaked around her waist. “And you really think this is a good idea?” She asked, looking a bit unamused.

The man nodded, kissing her neck sweetly, before pushing her off his bike, earning himself a dark glance from her.

“Think of it as your own little college experience,” He began as he playfully winked at her, roaring the engine of his bike loudly, “Besides, it’s safer for now.” He finished.

Rolling her eyes at him, she crossed her arms in front of her chest. She knew he was right. Her own safety was priority now. Looking back over her shoulder, she eyed the campus building warily. But why did it have to be a boring college?

“Be here at 1 A.M. and don’t you dare be too late,” She smiled cheekily, her dark demeanor switching into a softer one, as she head off into the opposite direction.

Most students were off in their classes now, only a few were left walking around the campus either getting themselves some cheap coffee or trying to make it into class before the professor kicked them out.

Taking out a lollipop from her jacket, Sowon eyed the door she was standing in front of now.

“This is it, then.” She thought, opening the door with her assigned key, she walked in.

A huff escaped her lips,the instant she saw a variety of bright colors that decorated one part of the room. It was if someone took buckets of vibrant colored paints and threw it all over every single item. While,the other side was completely empty. Just one empty bed and a wardrobe. Any normal college student would start decorating and spice up their side of the room. Nope. Not Sowon. Instead of settling in on her side of the room, she casually sauntered over to her newly found roommate’s side━specifically━her drawer.

“Cute,” She chuckled as she opened it up, taking out a few of the things inside and mixing it up.

She eyed the bras and its size with a fond expression, before pushing it all back into the drawer. The woman only placed her bag at one corner of the room, before she went off again. She had better things to do. Obviously, attending class wasn’t one of them.

Thirty minutes later, after the departure of the rather confident woman ,a big cloud of steam slowly floated out of the bathroom. This feeling of complete and utter bliss entered her body as Sumin emerged from the hot bathroom, clutching a hot-pink towel. While she was currently alone in her dorm, she still felt paranoid that some pervert could be lurking about. She hurried over to her underwear drawer, oblivious to the fact that it had been slightly opened already. She pulled it open and picked out a random colored bra but made sure the panties matched. Sumin quickly glanced around her room before dropping her towel. She swiftly put on her undergarments, then walked over to her bed. She grabbed her clothes and covered her precious body as if her life depended it.

“Good job, Sumin!” She mentally cheered as she felt pleased with how swift she was in getting ready for her day. She shuffled her body towards her shoe rack and picked up her favorite pair of Converse.

She quickly tied them before rushing around the room to pack everything and anything she thought she’d need for her day filled with classes. She pulled out a few textbooks, a giant binder, her pouch of writing utensils, and her electronic chargers. That was Sumin’s way of being prepared. She always made sure to pack away every essential item.

Currently tucking away her laptop, she zipped up her backpack once the electronic was in its designated pouch. She grabbed her keys from the hook before dashing out of the door. She didn’t even care that she had forgotten to brush her hair and apply a bit of light makeup. She’d be the accurate description of a college student, and the funny thing was that it’s not even near the end of the academic year. The school year had barely just begun.

What a great impression she wanted to set for herself…

Now, strolling down the pathway, Sumin peered down at her watch, checking the time every other minute. Her mother had always expressed the importance of punctuality.

“If you are even a second late, then you have lost the battle.”

Ever since her mother had told her that, Sumin had pretty much tattooed that phrase into her mind.

That’s why she had never been late to anything in her life. She’s prepared to win any battle that would come her way…

Currently leaning against one wall of the corridor, a young woman’s gaze was fixated on something in the corner. A little camera. She bit into her apple once, when a mischievous smile appeared on her lips. They really made it too easy for her.

Pushing herself off, she didn’t notice the girl that ran frantically down the stairs and right into her direction. Yet the young woman didn’t move, instead, she kept her shoulder straight and walked along, forcing the other student to stumble into her. A small chuckle escaped her lips, while she didn’t even look back over her shoulder to see if the other needed help. Shrugging her shoulders, she kept her gaze fixated on the goal.

While one remained focus on a goal, the other had to unfortunately spend time adjusting her backpack strap again. As she done so, Sumin glanced over her shoulder, hoping to catch a glimpse of the rude person that failed to move out of her way. Alas, she didn’t. She only saw the person’s backside as she continued to much away on an unknown piece of fruit. From what she could make out, it seemed like an apple or some sort of round fruit. If she had more time on her hands, Sumin would march right up to the person and demand for an apology. However, there were two things wrong with that ideal situation. She didn’t have time, and she wasn’t very confrontational.

If only she had a bit more confidence, then she would definitely do that. Maybe she’d add that to her list of self-improvements that she had set for herself.

With a heavy sigh, she glanced at her watch, wondering how much more time she had left to make it to class fifteen minutes later. The second she looked, her eyes practically jumped out their sockets. She tightened her grip on the straps before hauling ass towards her first class. She just had to pick a class inside a building that was practically on the other side of the campus.

“Note to self: I am picking classes within a five minute walking distance next year.” She muttered to herself in between breaths. She’d also mentally add “start working out” to her list as well.

Honestly, she should start carrying a decent size notepad at the rate of how many mental notes she created.

While Sumin was busy writing down notes, the other woman was currently roaming through the drawer of the janitors room.

“Ha!” She exclaimed, now holding a little key in her hand━the one who would give her access to all the things she needed.

Taking a detailed picture with her phone, she send it off, hoping to have the copy of it soon in her hands. It would make it quite easier if she could come and go whenever she wanted and have access to the surveillance footage. Maybe she would need to get rid off it from time to time. Smiling to herself, the woman pushed her hair back over her shoulders as she retreated back to the room she could call her own now. Well, or hers and the one that her roommate owned. She could use a little nap. Sneaking around and in people’s stuff could be very tiring.

This sudden throbbing, painful sensation had been bugging her since her second-to-last class of the day. Yeah, that class had been over for almost four hours.

Because of the random headache, she could barely focus on her studies. Sumin had hope to go to the library after her last class and get some work done, but God apparently had other plans. Maybe this had been a sign for her to take a break. She already had been working herself to death, and it was only the second week of the school year.

Maybe it was the third week…?

Honestly, Sumin had forgotten the concept of understanding the calendar. She only knew of telling time, and that’s it.

With tired feet, she shuffled towards her door and inserted the key. She unlocked the door and pushed it open. She carelessly threw her set of keys on the tiny table, that’s placed nearby. She dropped her backpack in a random location before untying her shoes. She practically kicked them off and used the remaining energy she had left in her body to walk over to her bed. She flopped her body down, not knowing that there’s something or someone lying there as well. She buried her hands underneath the pillow and rubbed her cheek against the soft fabric of her pillow cover. Sumin could feel her eyes slowly flutter shut as the exhaustion took complete control over her body.

Just as she allowed her body to enjoy this short little nap, that it desperately wanted, she something wrap around her stomach. Sumin’s eyes immediately shot open; her heart raced against her chest. She tried to struggle against the tight grip, but it only caused the hold to strengthen.

“Oh, my God…Oh, my God…” Sumin chanted softly over and over, unsure how to get out this rather sticky situation.

She tried freeing herself once more, but it seemed that it was the final straw. She had woken up the thing that invaded her personal space.

“Oh...hello cutie,” Sumin heard a soft mumble, causing her to peek up, “Didn’t think we would get this close so quickly…” The invader finished, releasing Sumin from the strong grip.

Sumin slowly turned her head to look right into the eyes of another woman. Their noses almost touched with how close they were lying in bed that was for sure not made for two people to lay in at the same time. Before Sumin could tumble off the edge, the girl snug her arm around her waist again and kept her close.

“Hi, I’m Sowon,” The girl smiled and propped herself up on her elbow. “Your blanket was really fluffy, though I am not really one that likes pink…I just had to try it. Also, it was way easier to just sleep in your bed than making mine,” Sowon happily chatted, before climbing over Sumin, a bit way too close for the poor girl’s liking, as she hopped out of the bed,

“Hope you don’t mind.” Sowon added, reaching for her bag, she opened it, placing a few little things on her own nightstand. A book, a phone and another phone, before Sowon reached in to get out the bed sheets. Just when she finished making her own bed, the girl turned around again.

“Oh, by the way, I’m your new roommate.” She suddenly announced, smiling brightly.

Sumin stared at Sowon, feeling both confused yet excited to know that she has a roommate. Before, she had been alone in her dorm room. Every year Sumin would politely ask her R.A. if it would be possible to request a roommate, but every year they would always answer her with a big fat no.

When she had asked them for an explanation, the head R.A told her that it was a part of school regulation, especially since, years prior to her enrollment, many students had chosen the opposite gender to be their roommate.

Yeah…

That worked swell…

Now, she was quite happy to know that finally the school system had assigned her a potential lifelong buddy.

Sumin shyly smiled and held out her hand towards Sowon. Her mother always said,

“The first step into establishing a great connection is a firm handshake…”

Sowon perked her eyebrow, eyeing Sumin’s hand strangely. The fuck did she want her to do with it? The rather petite girl in front of her couldn’t possibly have enough strength to initiate in a surprise attack if she were to grab it.

Maybe she wanted a simple handshake?

That’s a rather odd request━especially since they weren’t sealing a deal right now. She reached out for Sumin’s hand anyways, shaking her hand rather roughly with a sweet smile. Sowon nodded, when Sumin introduced herself, but other than that she didn’t care about the girl that much. She needed to put a few clothes into her own drawer, just to make sure that everything looked like someone was actually living here. Sowon really didn’t want to look too suspicious.

When Sowon finished “decorating” her own side, she jumped up her bed, looking over to Sumin who was still watching her rather confused. Winking at her roommate playfully, Sowon laid back and got out her phone to see if she had gotten any new messages. Maybe Taehyung had finished remaking the key already? Yet Sowon didn’t get that far, when she noticed Sumin peeking over to her, so she sighed and locked her phone screen again.

“So, tell me about yourself, Sunshine,” Sowon teased her, referring to her rather light and colorful decor that only underlined Sumin’s cheerful character.

A pinkish hue crept on the girl’s cheek as a tiny noise escaped her lips. Sumin grew shy at the sudden nickname Sowon had “kindly” bestowed onto her. She played with the hem of her t-shirt; her eyes remained glued on the floor.

“Well, there’s not really much to me. I was raised by a single mother since I was four-years-old,” Sumin began, glancing around the room, “She’s the best lawyer in her district. I strive to be like her one day; hence, why I am currently studying criminal justice. Then, I plan on taking my BAR exams afterwards.” She stated, unintentionally earning Sowon’s undivided attention.

Sowon raised her brow as a rather intriguing idea began to formulate in her head. She could always use someone with the knowledge of how the law works. Maybe Sumin wasn’t so bad.

“You said that you were raised by a single mom, what happened to your dad? Was he one of those baby daddies that leave their pregnant girl behind?” She asked, wanting to know more about her roomie.

Sumin’s body flinched; her breath hitched just a smidge. How should she bring up something so fragile? She barely met this person, and now she wanted to know her life story? Well, not her entire life story, but an important detail that she had never shared with anyone in all of her years living on this planet.

At the same, it wouldn’t hurt to tell her roomie something personal, right? They were about to be stuck together for the rest of their school career. Might as well get along.

“Um...well...you see...he’s dead…” Sumin said, muttering the last part.

Sowon gave Sumin a look, cupping her ear.

“I’m sorry, can you repeat that? I didn’t quite hear you.” She requested, not meaning to be a tad rude.

Sumin flashed a sad smile, “He died when I was four-years-old.”

Sowon pursed her lips, relating a little to the whole “death of a loved one”. Her mother is dead as well.

“Do you know what happened?” She asked, though, quickly berating herself for wanting to pry.

Sumin’s smile faded and was soon replaced with this solemn expression.

“Sadly, I do not. That is something my mother refuses to tell me. All I have ever gotten is that my dad had died due to unfortunate circumstances, and that’s it.” She explained, “I knew better to push the topic any further.” She added.

Sowon couldn’t help but nod slowly. Her mouth practically sewn shut. What else could there be said after that?

Nothing…that’s what…

“I’m sorry…” Sowon mumbled, unsure how to progress the conversation.

Sumin smiled softly, “It’s fine. I have kept that bottled up for so long that it is honestly nice to allow a little bit of that to surface. Thanks.”

Sowon returned the smile before walking over to her side of the room. She hadn’t forgotten about checking her phone to see if she had any new updates. Sumin was distracted so now would be the perfect time to try again.

She subtly glanced over her shoulder, noticing Sumin putting on her headphones and scrolling on her phone. Once she saw Sumin nodding her head to the muffled music, Sowon pulled out her phone and unlocked it. A smile formed at her lips when she saw the encoded message from Taehyung. He had made it once again. It was sometimes so surreal how quick the boy worked and made sure she had a copy of every key that she wanted. He was really good at his job.

An even bigger smile appeared on her face, when she saw the next message, or rather the picture of her boyfriend laying on their shared bed, pursing his lips into a pout that he had sent to her.

[To Jungkookie 07:27 PM]: You already miss me that bad, huh? I thought this was your idea for me to pretend to be a good student?

[From Jungkookie 07:29 PM]: Don’t remind me! I already regret it! [From Jungkookie 07:29 PM]: But tell me...is your roommate suitable for a threesome or do we have to keep looking?

Sowon rolled her eyes at the message, knowing that her boyfriend liked to tease her. Oh well, they were quite kinky━but Sowon was sure that her sweet roommate wasn’t one for threesomes. The girl shrugged her shoulders, before typing her answer. A small giggle leaving her lips, making Sumin turn her attention back to Sowon. The sudden change in Sowon’s demeanor piqued Sumin’s interest.

[To Jungkookie 07:33 PM]: She’s pure. Let her be! Now focus on the important stuff, babe….which is me. [From Jungkookie 07:34 PM]: Got you, baby.

Sowon closed the chat again and only then noticed Sumin peeking over her shoulder, making her jerk away. How the fuck didn’t she notice the other? Was she always this quiet? And she really needed to get her own head out of the clouds whenever she was talking to Jungkook.

“Is that your boyfriend?” Sumin asked, pointing at the candid photo that Sowon used as her screensaver, that she had shot one morning when Jungkook had looked too delicious. The sun making his abs look golden, his cheeky smile, his messy hair…

“Hm?” Sowon shook herself out of her thoughts before she nodded, “Yeah...he’s mine. Crazy right? Can’t believe it either...though I’m quite a catch, too” Sowon winked at Sumin, pushing her own boobs up with her hands to underline her own compliment. She laughed freely, as she jumped up her own bed and tugged her feet under.

“Do you have a boyfriend?” Sowon asked bluntly, taking out a nail file to take care of her already perfectly manicured nails.

Sumin shook her head with the most innocent expression ever to grace her face.

“Never had one.” She replied shortly.

The other girl just raised an eyebrow at that and shrugged her shoulders.

“Doesn’t matter. I have a few friends that probably be interested in a sweet, little innocent sunshine like you.” Sowon said; her voice laced with this sensuous tone.

Sumin’s eyes widened, almost to the size of giant saucers. There she goes with that nickname again. Why was she being called, “little innocent sunshine”?

A faint squeak exited her lips as her face grew warm.

“What kind of friends?” She asked, though stumbling over a few words.

Sowon simply smirked; this alluring smile that could capture the attention of anyone.

“You’ll see.” She replied shortly. A total opposite from her previous sentences.

Sumin couldn’t help but groan. The way her roomie said that did not sit well with her. What kind of friends did she have? Were they like her in the aspect of being quite flirtatious?

Maybe, they were kind of friends that she would never introduce to her mom━ or maybe they were.

Great...so many questions that needed answering yet so little time. Honestly, Sumin wasted enough time telling Sowon that she never had a boyfriend before. She needed to remain focus on her studies if she wanted to be prepared for her upcoming BAR exam.

Wow…

She had no life whatsoever.

Instead of replying, Sumin simply smiled and and walked back to her bed. She placed her headphones over her ears and resumed studying.

Studying for what? Well, that’s a great question…

While with Sowon, she couldn’t help but feel intrigued when it came to her newly appointed roommate. Not only did she find it interesting that Sumin tended to drop the conversation without being asked, but she honestly managed to creep up behind her without making a noise.

If this innocent little lady were trained in assassination, Sowon would definitely be dead before she could grab anything to fight back with.

Then, it hit her. With the proper training, Sumin could be a great secret weapon━a shadow that lingered around her and her gang members.

Yes...this could work…but what to use her talents for? Maybe she could ask Yoongi since he displayed similar traits.

Now laying on her back on the bed, Sowon was staring straight up the wall, biting her lip in thought. It was getting dark and Sumin had already retreated to the bathroom to get into some cute pink pajamas, earning a little cooing sound from Sowon.

The older girl still hadn’t changed her outfit as she laid on top of her blanket, waiting for Sumin to finally fall asleep. How could that girl study for so long? Wasn’t it getting kind of boring? She sighed, rolling over on her stomach to play some random games on her phone, until she finally heard the magic words. “Good night, Sowon,” Sumin said in a sing sung voice, before she turned to finally get to sleep.

[To Jungkookie 12:35 AM]: Took her long enough! I’ll be there in 30 mins…I hope we can go and get some food on the way home. I’m starving.

[From Jungkookie 12:37 AM]: Anything for you baby!

Checking her watch every few minutes, Sowon was waiting impatiently until she finally could hear some soft snores of the younger girl, who was mumbling law paragraphs in her sleep. Only then she kicked her own blanket away and reached for her boots quickly but quietly. She pulled an oversized sweater over her head, making it look like a dress rather than a sweater, before she tiptoed over to the little window off their shared room. It was safer this way, also more fun.

Sowon smiled, when she opened the window wide and carefully placed a foot over the windowsill. The wind was blowing her hair around her face, so she quickly tied it up into a ponytail, before she swung the other foot over the window.

“Au revoir, little sunshine,” Sowon whispered, as she carefully got over to the little ledge, before she pushed herself up on the flat roof.

A faint whisper entered her ears. Then, followed by the sound of a window opening. Seriously, her body needed sleep if she were to survive yet another long day of classes tomorrow.

Forcing her eyes to open, Sumin saw a blurry figure climbing out of the window.

Wait what?!

Her eyes immediately shot open. Her heart pounded against her chest. How in the world did a burglar get in their room?

Sumin roughly flung her covers off her body before scrambling out of bed. Her eyes frantically scanned the medium sized room, hoping to look for her roomie. Her focus zoomed in on Sowon’s bed and noticed that it was empty.

Oh, God! The burglar kidnapped her roommate!

She immediately grabbed her tripod, the only remaining equipment from her attempt at photography. She rushed over to the window, ready to go after the burglar and save her soon-to-be friend.

Just as she peeked her head out, one hand still firmly gripped the tripod, Sumin gasped. Her hold loosened, causing the tripod to slip through her fingers.

“Sowon?”

A/N: Wahhhhhh! Sorry still screaming into the void over the fact that I am finally co-writing a story with my soup friend, my hubby, my queen, Jey @softjeon Seriously, we have been talking about it (mainly me joking around that we should lol), and BOOM! Our first crossover! Well KPOP group crossover. BTS x NCT! Let’s get it! Also, this is her first member x OC story, so I’m happy/honored that she’s doing this with me!

Anyway, stay tune for more updates and one crazy adventure! In regards to Our Second Chance, I will update that story when I can and/or feel the motivation to do so. Please be patient with me! ^^

Don’t forget to leave a comment/like/reblog/and an ask in mine or Jey’s inbox! We love hearing your thoughts!

- Kim

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an9lee19 · 6 years

Text

All I Wanna Do Wanna One

Một ngày như thế, các cậu đã đến... Những chàng trai bước ra từ cuốn manga khiến bao cô gái mê mẩn...

Một cô gái đang bơ vơ trong những ngổn ngang của cuộc đời chẳng bao giờ tới rằng rồi có một ngày bước vào thế giới của mười một chàng trai với mười một vẻ khác nhau. Có lẽ mình đã quá cái tuổi được cho là tuổi-fangirl, vậy mà (theo lời Chi thì) “trẻ không chơi già đổ đốn” nên mình đã lọt hố này sâu quá mức cần thiết. Mình không tự nhận mình là Wannable, nhưng kể từ khi trở thành Sowon lẫn Primadonna cho tới giờ, thì đây là lần đầu tiên mình mày mò xem đủ các thể loại chương trình giải trí lẫn hào hứng mua album rồi mua goods của một nhóm nhạc thần tượng đến vậy.

Từ hồi “Face” còn đình đám thì mình đã để ý NU’EST vì có tận bốn trong năm thành viên thuộc 95-line. Bẵng đi một thời gian dài dài, mình không còn quá biết nhiều tin tức về K-pop nữa vì forum 360Kpop cũng không còn hoạt động, và tin tức về NU’EST càng ngày càng gần tới con số 0. Cho tới khi đột nhiên mình phát hiện cả dàn 95-line ấy đã tham gia Produce 101 vào năm ngoái (2017) với tư cách thực tập sinh!? Cái cảm giác “wow, ôi.. sao lại thế” cứ lởn vởn mãi trong đầu mình. Khoảng thời gian này mình cũng khá vấp váp nhiều chuyện, nghĩ rằng bản thân có thể tìm được chút đồng cảm với mấy cậu ấy, thế là thức trắng đêm, bật khóc cứ thế khóc mà dõi theo các cậu qua mười một tập Produce 101 Season 2. Một Ren đặc biệt nổi bật mỗi khi xuất hiện, Ren số một trong lòng tớ. Một Baekho vẫn luôn mạnh mẽ như tớ từng thấy và bản chất hiếu thắng nhưng luôn ấm áp. Và người tớ mới phát hiện ra rồi “quắn quéo” chính là Jonghyun, sao có thể có một người-ngoài-hành-tinh ra đời cùng năm với mình vậy chứ, thật hết biết cái tính cách tuyệt vời ấy.

Chính đó là lý do tại sao ban đầu tớ chỉ biết Hwang Minhyun trong Wanna One. Thật ra cả khi ở NU’EST cho tới giờ, Minhyun vẫn là thành viên không chiếm nhiều cảm xúc trong tớ, nhưng đây quả là một cậu bạn tuyệt vời. Xem cái cách mà cậu ấy luyện tập rất tốt nhưng lại ngập ngừng khi quay video thể hiện để rồi xuống lớp thấp hơn. Trong lòng tớ lúc ấy phát nghẹn. Một mình cậu ấy ở lớp trên ba thành viên còn lại, sao không buồn cho được. Duy nhất cậu được debut với Wanna One nhưng tớ thì không buồn vào lúc đó. Tớ không tiếc khoảng thời gian cả bốn người đã nỗ lực khi chọn một bước ngoặt lớn trong đời. Tớ cảm ơn PD101 đã cho tớ thấy tài năng của mỗi người các cậu. Tớ cảm ơn PD101 đã cho tớ thấy tình cảm của các cậu với nhau và với mọi người. Hơn tất cả, tớ cảm ơn các cậu đã tiếp thêm cho tớ niềm tin rằng 95-line dù có gặp bao khó khăn vẫn vươn mình để tiếp tục đam mê của mình. Những khoảng khắc ấy, những giọt nước mắt, những giọt mồ hôi ấy, tớ sẽ chẳng thể nào quên. Nó đã tiếp sức cho tớ rất nhiều ở thời điểm hiện tại.

Nếu như Minhyun được biết đến với vai trò là “bố” của Wanna One thì “mẹ” của những đứa trẻ chính là Yoon Jisung. Ban đầu thì tớ vẫn thắc mắc, thậm chí là ghét khi tại sao người xấu thế này lại được vào đội hình cuối cùng. Nhưng càng xem PD101 rồi sau đó là Wanna One Go thì tớ khẳng định mười một người sẽ chẳng thể thành một khối nếu thiếu Muối. Nhìn thì có vẻ chàng trai sinh năm 91 này chẳng có mấy tài, tính lại tăng động, nhưng “người mẹ” ấy lại lại chăm sóc rất chu đáo cho các thành viên. Trong một tập show của Wanna One nào đó mà mình không nhớ, Jisung nói rằng anh không thấy mệt mà chỉ lo rằng không quan tâm được hết mười đứa còn lại. Với tấm lòng ấy, Jisung chính là một trưởng nhóm hoàn hảo rồi.

Thành viên tiếp theo mà luôn nổi bật trong mắt mình khi chưa biết rõ về Wanna One chính là Kang Daniel. Có thể cùng công ty nhưng mọi người không thấy độ thân thiết của Daniel và Jisung đúng không. Nhưng trên sóng truyền hình em ấy đã từng tâm sự rằng nếu anh Jisung không tham gia PD101 thì chắc là mình đã không ở đây rồi. Cả lúc cậu ấy lo trái tim mỏng manh của Jisung sẽ bị tổn thương rất nhiều khi debut vì những lời của cư dân mạng. Daniel không chỉ là center-tỏa-sáng mà cậu luôn là một người biết điều và hòa thuận với tất cả mọi người. Nhân cách của cậu ấy chắc hẳn rất tuyệt vời. Dù cậu cũng là một chàng trai bình thường, cũng từng có bạn gái, cũng từng đấu tranh tư tưởng với bố mẹ để theo đuổi đam mê của mình, cũng nghịch ngợm trêu đùa và tò mò với ọi thứ xung quanh. Đôi mắt cười rất thật thà của cậu lúc nào cũng thường trực khiến người ta mê mẩn mãi không thôi.

Cặp Park Jihoon và Lai Kuanlin thì lại mang hình ảnh tươi mới nhẹ nhàng đối với mình. Dù có thể ít nói nhưng các cậu chàng vẫn luôn có nét hấp dẫn chuẩn không cần chỉnh của một idol. Đầy rẫy những hành động đáng yêu mà cũng điềm tĩnh của chàng-trai-mới-tập-lớn. Đi cặp với nhau thì đầy thính tung bay luôn. Ngược lại, cậu em út khác (cùng với Kuanlin) là Lee Daehwi lại gây ấn tượng mạnh với mình ngay từ giây phút đầu tiên của PD101 với tài năng của em ấy. Có thể nói mình đổ toàn tập với Daehwi cả về tính cách lẫn tài năng. Rồi cả sự cố gắng của Bae Jinyoung lúc nào cũng cúi mình nay đã tự tin lên rất nhiều đã khiến mình tan chảy vì ban đầu có hơi ái ngại về ngoại hình đầu nhỏ khiến mình hơi sợ. Và chẳng thể quên kể tên chàng trai Busan lúc nào cũng nạp đầy pin trong mình, Park Woojin. Các em ấy còn rất trẻ nhưng để đạt được những thành tựu của ngày hôm nay đã cố gắng rất nhiều.

Còn chàng Ong~ đầu tiên của nền giải trí Hàn Quốc, dù luôn luôn thể hiện sự hài hước của mình nhưng mãi tớ mới mến mến cậu một chút. Không biết nữa, càng xem càng thấy Seongwoo khá nhiều điểm hay ho mà tớ không biết được. Khi nhận thức được cậu bằng tuổi mình thì tớ mới để ý cậu thêm nhiều chút và “à, hóa ra 95-line vẫn luôn tuyệt thế này nhỉ”. Cậu không chỉ nhảy tốt mà hát cũng khá hay, bảo sao cả nam lẫn nữ thích cậu rất nhiều mà mãi tớ mới hiểu.

Về Kim Jaehwan, “nam sinh viên đại học” với cây đàn guitar thì ngược lại khiến mình cười suốt vì sự ngố ngốc nghếch của em ấy dù mấy trò cười đều “nhạt hơn nước ốc”. Giọng hát và tài năng cũng như niềm đam mê âm nhạc của Jaehwan luôn ở trên ngưỡng cho phép. Đó là điều tớ thấy mê ở em ấy nhưng cũng thấy hơi “phiền”, chắc mười thành viên khác của Wanna One cũng thấy thế luôn quá. Dù tỏ vẻ không hùa theo các trò “nhạt” ấy nhưng Jaehwan lại chiếm được tình cảm của rất nhiều người cũng chính bởi điều đó.

Đến giây phút hồi hộp công bố thành viên cuối cùng của Wanna One, tớ đã từng ghét cay ghét đắng và nghĩ rằng tại sao một người chẳng on top bao giờ chả hiểu ở đâu lại chui vào đây. Mãi sau khi xem Wanna One Go: Zero Base thì quay sang hơi hơi thinh thích vì đeo cái kính chết người rồi thì mới biết đây là cái ông tóc xanh mà mình ấn tượng ngay tập đầu Produce 101. Đành hối cải và giờ trở thành Mây-stan. Mình có tìm hiểu về Ha Sungwoon và biết về mấy scandal mà anh từng vướng phải. Mình không hề ngạc nhiên. Mình thấy anh ấy luôn cố gắng hết mình vì biết bản thân không hề nổi bật bằng các thành viên còn lại. Mình thấy tính cách của anh ấy rất chân thật và đời thường đấy chứ. Dù đôi lúc giả nai làm aegyo để được nhận nhiều yêu thương hơn nhưng mình nghĩ Mây là người sống thật nhất với tính cách của mình khi ở chung cùng Wanna One. Hoặc tại mình nhạy cảm và nhìn thấu được những nét tính cách riêng biệt thu hút ấy. Anh quá giống hình ảnh người mình yêu (không phải để làm chồng mà là để yêu ấy, mà vớ được về làm chồng thì cũng-được huhu). Hà tiên tử khiến mình lao đao thậm chí còn muốn in cả cuốn album ảnh đèm đẹp để luôn mang theo mình mới điên chứ. Chính anh khiến mình một lần nữa “bị” gắn mác “fan cuồng” dù thật chất là mình chỉ to mồm chứ không cuồng điên cho lắm. Mình có hơi ích kỷ cho rằng mình hiểu anh và thứ không hiểu nhất chỉ là tiếng Hàn mà thôi.

Dạo này mình nhạy cảm đến mức xem MV Beautiful mà khóc luôn, xem cái gì xúc động hay không cũng chảy nước mắt. Cảm giác thời gian trôi qua thật nhanh, sao mình không biết mấy cậu ấy sớm hơn. Minhyun về NU’EST thì mình mong chờ lắm nhưng sao cứ tưởng tượng khó mà gặp Ha Sungwoon một lần trong đời, khó mà sang tận Hàn cầm trên tay album của Wanna One, mọi thứ sao mà xa vời đến thế. Chỉ còn vỏn vẹn chưa đến nửa năm nữa thôi ai sẽ về nhà người đó, sao mà muốn thời gian ngừng trôi..

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#wanna one #nu'est #produce 101 season 2 #beautiful #love #hwang minhyun #yoon jisung #kang daniel #park jihoon #lai kuanlin #lee daehwi #bae jinyoung #park woojin #ong seongwoo #kim jaehwan #ha seongwoon

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k-layout · 3 years

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yerin+sowon (gfriend) pack + pinned please ❤️🤲

posted here <3

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lubdubsworld · 7 years

Text

Hold me close ( Hoseok / OC)

Chapter 1

chapter 2/?

I could feel fingers around my wrists, pinning me down to the bed , the soothing scent of pine needles and lime flooring me as i breathed in, my eyes growing heavy , my stomach aching with want, my thigh trembling a little as strong hips pressed into mine. Hoseok traced the curve of my ear, nipping my lobe, kissing his way down to the curve of my neck, teeth sinking playfully into the soft , tender skin there, toungue reaching out to lave and soothe the skin afterwards. I could feel his erection digging into my stomach , the hard steel length feeling like a whisper of a kiss against the smooth expanse of my skin, I wanted him to move down, spread my legs and sink into me, push his body into mine till I could feel him, hot and heavy and hard, filling me up, making me feel less empty, less lost...i was so wet, I could feel the slick leaking out of me, dripping almost, staining the clean white sheets...

i woke up sweating, shaking and disoriented, completely stunned and even more embarrassed. What was wrong with me?? Hoseok had been nothing but a polite gentleman to me. It was filthy to think of him that way! But i couldn't stop my mind really. He was so handsome and in a way the kindness attracted me way too much.

I hadn't had a wet dream in such a long time and i flinched in disgust when i felt the wetness between my legs, slippery against my thighs . It took me few more seconds to realize that I was not in my apartment. I was in Namjoon and Seokjin's place . Which meant the sheets I was staining weren't my own. Cursing under my breath , i quickly turned around and panicked when i couldn't find Yunsu next to me. I blinked in shock. Panic rose up inside me and i nearly screamed . I was just scrambling to run out, when I heard the soft sound of singing , outside the room.

It was Jin.

Grabbing the soft wool jacket , i slipped it on and carefully tip toed out. i found Jin sitting on a rocking chair in the living space, a content Yunsu curled on his lap while he sang sweetly, some foreign melody that sounded unbelievably soothing. So much that i wanted to sob.

"Oh, sorry. did i wake you?" Jin whispered. " I heard him crying and you were out like a light. I hope you don't mind , I had two omega sisters so I'm used to dealing with cranky pups in the middle of the night." Jin smiled and I nodded, carefully tip toeing to sit next to him.

"it's rare for me to sleep through Yunsu crying..." I said, embarrassed.

"Oh, please. Don't blame yourself. You had a pretty bad day. You deserved the rest." Jin said warmly.

"I feel awful, imposing on you people like this." I said biting my lips. Jin waved me off quickly.

"It's nothing new for us. Both Namjoon and Hoseok are always bringing young women home, for honorable reasons i mean." Jin laughed. " Omegas going through a hard time even Alphas..."

"Alphas?" I said surprised.

"Female Alphas have it difficult as well. Not a lot of betas want a dominant wife or mate. Sowon was one of the girls he brought home... " Jin shook his head. " Namjoon said you met her..."

"She uh.. wasn't very nice to me..." i said hesitantly.

"Not surprising. She must've smelled Hoseok off you. Sowon has wanted to mate with Hoseok for a really long time but Alphas never mate with other Alphas. that would be just a recipe for disaster. " Jin shook his head.

"Hoseok doesn't like her that way??..." I hated the note of hope in my own tone but it was too late to hide it. Jin gave me a knowing smile.

"I don't think he does but it's just a guess. Hoseok's a very private person, he doesn't really let his feelings show very easily." Jin said almost apologetically. I nodded quickly. it was none of my business, anyway.

"Would you like some tea?" Jin said suddenly, standing up and slowly putting Jungkook down on the couch before arranging throw pillows around him.

We ended up staying up till the sun rose, just resting, while Jin sang occasionally and told me little anecdotes about Namjoon and jung kook. I also learnt about Jin's younger brother Taehyung , who was also an Alpha and a doctor. Jimin, who was dating Taehyung, was a paramedic. Hoseok's brother jung kook worked as an administrator in the police station. They seemed like one large extended family and i found it very heartening.

"So , really. You don't have to have blood ties to be family." Jin said comfortingly and I nodded .

"Jin... !! You're awake?" Namjoon's voice said softly.

"I haven't slept since the day I met you, you snoring monster." Jin said cheerfully and Namjoon grimaced.

"Not in front of the guests, love. " He chided gently ,moving to the kitchen to make himself some coffee. Jin gave me a grin and slowly stood up, moving to the kitchen to fix breakfast.

"Would you like me to help?" I said softly and Namjoon scoffed.

"Don't offer. He'll drive you insane. The onions need to be cut the exact same size, every little bit of them or he won't be able to cook." Namjoon says teasingly and Jin calls out from the kitchen angrily.

"You don't cut onions, your butcher them..."

I laughed a little along with Namjoon when the doorbell rang.

"Must be Hoseok. There's something we wanted to discuss about , with you. "

Yunsu chose that moment to wake up and i quickly rushed to the pup, picking him up as he blinked owlishly up at me. I nestled him closer and he immediately began nosing into my chest, mouth suckling on thin air as he eagerly clawed at the buttons of my blouse, mouth finding my nipple and latching on with all the hunger of a sturdy Alpha pup.

It was draining, feeding him.

He drank more than what I could sustain and it suddenly stuck me that there was a reason Omegas did not birth Alphas. I threw a shawl over my breasts and settled down while Hoseok came in. He smiled cheerfully.

"Oh, he's already getting his breakfast is he..?" He winked and moved to lightly thump Namjoon and then gave Seokjin a little hug as well.

"Hyung, I'm late today!! " He called out.

The moment Yunsu heard his voice , the pup mewled and burrowed out of the shawl while I scrambled to cover myself up. Hoseok laughed and gathered the excited pup.

"Hey, there big guy. Your mama and I have some stuff to do today. Will you stay good for Uncle Jin??" He nuzzled the pup into his neck and Yunsu whined happily.

"He loves you..." Namjoon shook his head in amusement and Hoseok scoffed.

"Course he does. I'm his Alpha, aren't I baby?? " Hoseok cooed and I felt my heart skip a beat. Was Hoseok crazy? did he even know what it meant to claim to be a pup's Alpha?

" Be good and when I get back, we'll do some guy stuff together, alright?" Hoseok rubbed noses with Yunsu who gave him a nice gummy smile.

"Are we going somewhere?" I said curiously and Hoseok gave me a smile, before coddling Yunsu some more.

"There's some stuff I need you to help me with. I thought we could drive down to Daegu and you could tell me exactly where some of these omega mills are. I've spoken to my superiors about a possible raid this week and i want to check it out..." Hoseok said seriously.

I frowned in worry.

"That's... I mean, I don't actually know where the omega mills are . i haven't been in one in over a decade. I used to hang out with Song Mino, he was one of the handlers for all the omegas there. He's an Alpha and I was his..." I swallowed. Whore seemed too dirty a word to throw at Hoseok. but it's what Mino had always called me.

"Song Mino ... Who the hell is he... I've never heard of him..." Namjoon frowned.

"Me neither... What else do you know about him?" Hoseok said curiously, gently handing Yunsu over to Jin who had just finished setting the table for breakfast.

I tried to wrack my brain for some other info but I couldn't think of anything. Mino had never actually let me hear anything important. Which was probably why i was still alive.

"Well, he used to have really expensive suits that he wore whenever there was a huge charity event. And that was when many pups and omegas came to stay with us, for a few hours at the most before they were piled into a truck and taken away. I assume to some event because They'd all be dolled up in expensive clothes and jewelry. They would also be wearing tags on their wrists with serial numbers and then they would take pictures of them on their cellphones. " I said vaguely. The memories were sharp and painful. All those girls in tattered robes would be dragged in, made to stand in a corner of the room and hosed down with water before being dragged to get dressed up.

"Like some form of a sick menu for the perverts to choose from.." Namjoon growled. Hoseok nodded.

"And these pups and omegas? You didn't see them again?"

I shook my head.

"There were new ones for each event. Different ones."

"You've never been to one of those?" Hoseok said gently and I shook my head.

"They only wanted virgins. There used to be a couple of doctors or at least guys in white coats. They would examine all the girls , to make sure they were all still virgins. Many of the clients were scared of contracting any STDs so they would only accept very young girls who'd never had sex with anyone else before. " I said softly.

I remembered watching some of the omegas, as young as five or six, confused and drugged not understanding what was happening, why they were being hurt and my mouth began to go dry again. I'd been the helpless spectator to the horror for a very long time. At first it had been soul numbing. physically painful to see those girls but then, I'd been through much worse, hadn't I? Circle of life. No one had helped me. No one would help them.

"Fuck I want to rip someone's throat out right now.." Hoseok growled and Namjoon hummed in approval.

" This sounds worse. Omega prostitution rings aren't exactly rare but the whole pup thing is raising my hackles considerably. We're going to have to go hunt this guy's ass down." Namjoon said firmly.

Jin looked a little worried as he glanced between Hoseok and Namjoon.

"Don't do anything stupid, jagi." Jin said nervously. Namjoon ignored him and leaned forward on the table to smile at me.

"Could you show the place where you ran away from. We'll stake the place out and try to get to the guy." He said encouragingly.

"Stake the place out?" I said nervously. " That's probably dangerous. There was one time they caught a cop who came a bit too close and they..." I felt my throat go dry at the memory of all the blood .

"It's dangerous.." I said stupidly. The warehouse that I'd been in had had special rooms to deal with people who got on Mino's wrong side. I had never been inside one of them but had heard enough moans of pain to know that they were tortured.

Hoseok shrugged and rolled his shoulder.

"That's kind of in our job description, so don't worry about that..." He said with a smile. but I couldn’t help the way my heart lurched in protest at the thought of him getting hurt.

"But ... Wouldn't it be better if you caught the men who are the clients as well." Jin said nervously. “They're the reason these mills exist in the first place.."

I couldn't help but agree. The handlers were only half as cruel as the clients. Those were the real monsters.

"In that case, we'll actually have to catch them in the act. That's not going to happen unless we know exactly where they're meeting and how. " Namjoon frowned.

"There's no way we can guess that without having someone on the inside..." Hoseok waved it away impatiently.

I hesitated glancing back and forth.

"I... I could..." I didn't know why I said it, really. It was stupid, and reckless and God knew I was no espionage expert. "I could go back ..."

Hoseok stared at me like i had lost my mind, which I guess i kind of had. There was nothing in that place that was remotely human or appealing .

But I really didn't want Hoseok or Namjoon to get involved in it. Not when there was a chance that I could help.

"Are you insane? No." He growled.

"Wait, she has a point..." Namjoon frowned.

"Namjoon, I'll punch your jaw if you suggest what I think you're going to suggest." Hoseok growled and i couldn't help reaching out and gently placing a hand on his arm.

He stiffened and glanced at my palm and i quickly pulled away, blushing a bit. But he did calm down a little.

" It beats you going in there without any idea what to expect. What if you got hurt..." I said nervously.

It stuck me suddenly that the thought of Hoseok getting hurt made my entire body ache in protest.

"You leave that to me. Do you even know what could happen if you were to go back and-"

I grinned before I could stop myself.

"Hoseok, I grew up there. it's literally the only place i know. Have ever known. Mino won't kill me. Besides I don't even have to go to him. I could hide around and just follow him around. Enough to get you some information that could help. I know that place inside out. I know all the alleys, all their usual hideouts. " I said with a shake of my head.

"But you ran, didn't you? There's a reason , you left. You left because you were in danger and I'll be damned if i make you go back in there." Hoseok argued.

"Yunsu. I ran because of Yunsu. If he's safe here, there's no reason I shouldn't go back. But there's just one problem. One of you would have to mark me? " I said nervously.

Hoseok stared at me in disbelief.

"Mark you?"

"Mino knows my scent. So do a lot of other Alphas there. If you mark me, it will be easier for me to hide. " I said .

"This is insane. " Hoseok swore but Namjoon nodded thoughtfully.

"We have some small photographing equipment that you could use. It will automatically relay the photos to us, as an when you take them. Make sure you get clear shots of the men who Mino talks to. Like Hoseok said, it may be too dangerous for you to actually go talk with Mino and join him again. He may lock you in or something. We can't risk that. Are there other places you could possibly hide?" Namjoon said thoughtfully.

I nodded.

"there's an old flower shop about fifty blocks from where Mino and his gang usually hang out. it's owned by a beta called Rose. She usually helps us out when we're in heat and stuff , gets us suppressants and liners . She's a great friend of mine. She helped me get away actually. I could stay with her."

"Mino doesn't know about Rose?" Hoseok frowned and I shook my head.

"Rose is... well, she's a beta and Mino has no use for betas. He stays away from them." I shrugged.

"I'd like to meet this Rose first." Hoseok said firmly.

I nodded.

"It will be okay. I'll be fine." I said firmly, noting the subtle relief on Jin's face.

It wasn't hard to guess why. If Namjoon and Hoseok went storming in , they would likely get taken down.

The omega didn't want his mate to die for a bunch of other omegas. i didn't blame him. I could relate to him too well, to blame him. Even though I'd known Hoseok less than a few days, I didn't want him in danger. I could only imagine how much stronger the worry would be for Jin.

"But that could be a long time. Months. " Hoseok croaked out. He looked unnaturally upset and I felt my heart clench. I wondered if perhaps he cared for me a little as well.

Squashing the thought firmly, I shook my head.

" No. Mino has these raves very often. At least once every week. It won't take long. A few weeks. A month at the most. ." I said .

"SO, we can go talk to the chief about this then?" Namjoon said curiously.

Hoseok sighed and then nodded.

"Fine. But only if we get a temporary transfer to the Daegu Division. . I'm not staying hundreds of miles away while she's out there risking her neck. " He said firmly.

Jin stepped forward at once. He reached for namjoon, eyes stubborn.

"If you're transferring I'm coming with-"

"No, Jin . You'll stay here with Yunsu. " Namjoon said firmly and Seokjin's face blazed in rebellion even though he didn't voice it out loud.

"I'll talk to the captain and we'll work things out. " Namjoon said nodding.

Hoseok meanwhile stared at me with a very firm look on his face.

"You'll have a phone to contact us. The minute something even remotely goes wrong we'll pull you out. I want you word that you'll listen to us then. Anything we say." Hoseok said firmly.

"I -"

"anything. If I tell you to shoot me, you shoot me. if I'm dying and I ask you to run, you run. Is that clear?" Hoseok gritted out and I recoiled at the tone.

"Okay. Okay , I understand. " I said quietly.

"Good. We'll do this then. Stay here while we contact the captain and then we'll come get you. "

He gave me another look before turning around and walking out of the door. Namjoon nodded and tried to kiss Jin who turned his face away in annoyance.

"I hate you." Jin whispered, huge brown eyes already filling with tears and I swallowed, turning away to give them some privacy.

My heart began pounding. Was I dong the right thing? Or was I putting Hoseok and Namjoon in danger without cause?

author’s note : Hope you guys enjoyed. Let me know what you thought.

#hoseok smut #hoseok abo #jung hoseok #jhope smut

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