#there is a lot of Korean pine

[jakeshands]

love me like you

pairing: sim jake x fem!reader

synopsis: who would’ve thought that a multitude of failed blind dates would lead you to fake dating jake sim? definitely not you. soon, you find out fake dating has its pros and cons. pros; you’re finally in a relationship, you have your own personal chauffeur, and your own personal study buddy. cons; you fall in love. what a mess.

genre: strangers to lovers, blind dating, fake dating, mutual pining, fluff and angst

featuring: enhypen, wonyoung of ive, yunjin of lsfm, ricky of zb1, soobin of txt

warnings: light angst, profanity, mentions of alchohol/consumption of alchohol, lots of kissing, mentions of death

word count: 25k

author’s note: look this got out of hand and idk how that happened. what was supposed to be under 20k turned into this mess. please ignore all the editing mistakes and if the story doesnt flow well/is choppy and some scenes feel out of place….just know i had to cut scenes out to post this fic. i couldnt post the whole 28k word fic for some weird reason so this is the edited version. please enjoy and lmk if u want to read the scenes i had to cut! anyway the reader is korean in this fic, just a heads up. u will see Why. um. thats it. and also if the ending feels rushed, that’s because It Is.

“Are you mansplaining to me?” You ask your date, a frown permanently sharpened onto your face. “Because, for the record, I know what a wage gap is. No need to explain it in a condescending way.”

You were excited about this date -- the fourth one your kind friend, and roommate, Wonyoung had set up for you. She had taken your inexperience in high school very personally and took it upon herself to get you to go on as many dates as possible. In her own words, “you’re at college! Time to let loose, girl!”

So; your first date went well, but it only ended in a friendship. Taehyun Kang was fun to talk to, but when the date came to an end the both of you agreed your relationship wouldn’t ever go further than a friendship, so you exchanged numbers, followed each other on TikTok, and began to send each other random, funny TikToks to each other.

Your second date showed up stoned. Ben was fun to talk to since he was stoned, and his answers to the questions you had to ask ten times were completely off-topic, but you still had an enjoyable time. Though, when the date ended you both went your separate ways. (Ben texted you within the following days. He invited you to a party. You then lost your virginity.)

Your third date was with a girl. Yuri Jo. She was pretty and funny, and she went on this date to make her crush jealous. You willingly helped Yuri out, and a week after your date, Yuri’s crush confessed to her. Yuri and you keep in touch over Instagram -- Yuri’s feed is just her and her girlfriend now, and you think it’s adorable.

This brings us to your fourth date; Soobin Choi. Anime enthusiast, takes Gender Studies as an elective course, and a professional mansplainer. When he showed up to the date, you felt yourself swoon over how handsome he looked. His smile was cute, and dimples were even cuter -- and then Soobin opened his mouth. The first red flag was the fact Soobin said he wasn’t a feminist, but women should be treated just as fairly as men. You told Soobin that was feminism and he shot you down. Then, for the better half of your date, Soobin mansplained many things to you; Anime, Maki Zeinin from Jujutsu Kaisen, and the wage gap.

“And I don’t think men should even be allowed to speak about Maki Zeinin. She is for the women. She is gay.”

Soobin harshly stabs his tiramisu as he listens to you. “Maki is-- Maki is not gay.” Soobin splutters. “Calling a character, whose sexuality hasn’t been explicitly revealed, gay is very --”

Huffing, you push back your chair and glare at Soobin. “Thank you for the date, Soobin but I think it’s time for me to go. I forgot I had fish to feed and a New Girl marathon to finish.”

“Fine,” sniffs Soobin, abandoning his tiramisu. “Let’s go split the payment.”

After splitting the pavement, you step out into the cold December air. Shivering, you draw your coat tighter around your torso and scan the streets around you. Soobin turns to you, and you brace yourself for whatever bullshit he was about to say.

“Would you like a ride home?” Soobin asks.

“No,” you answer without any hesitation.

“Are you sure? How else will you get home, then?”

“I can walk,” you respond coldly.

“Walk,” Soobin repeats, not believing your words. “Don’t be stupid, Y/N. Come on, let me take you home.”

Sighing, you give in. It was quite cold, and you weren’t sure you would be able to walk all the way home in the dark. “Fine.” You follow Soobin to his car, which is a car you expected from a college student; old, and barely working.

It takes a while for hot air to blow through the heaters, so you sit in the cold silence with Soobin for half of the ride back to your place. “How do you even know Wonyoung?” You ask Soobin, looking out the window and watching cars race past.

“I don’t know her, she’s just a friend of a friend,” Soobin answers.

“Why did you even agree to go on this date?”

Soobin shrugs. “Post-grad is lonely.”

Finally, your dorm hall comes into view. You could practically hear New Girl calling to you. “Thank you for the ride home,” you tell Soobin.

“No problem. See you around?”

“Yeah,” you shut the door and immediately sprint into your dorm hall, aching for warmth over the chilly wind blowing violently through the air. Rushing past the kitchen and the common areas, you dash into the elevator that Ricky was holding open for you. You thank the platinum blond and rest against the elevator walls, fanning yourself.

In your pocket, your phone begins to buzz uncontrollably. Stifling your sigh, you pull out your phone and unlock it to see all of your friends active in the group chat.

yoon 💖

[1 video attachment]

WOAHHHHHHHHHH?????

apparently jake gave her chlamydia LMFAO

jiwon loml

throwing a red drink all over his white top..that’s gotta hurt lol

wony 👯

jake has chlamydia???

yoon 💖

idk.

the girl in the video mentions it tho. did u not watch it???

wony 👯

i did!!!!! i’m just surprised jake has chlamydia

baby hikaru

what’s so surprising abt it??

rei 🐥 🐥

jsut spliilt ramen everywhehere :(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((:((((((((((((((((

The elevator door dings open and you step out, walking down the hall to your room. Your and Wonyoung’s names were proudly sketched onto the whiteboard outside of your room. Cats, courtesy of Jiwon, and hearts, courtesy of Rei were added on after you hung the whiteboard outside of the room when you first moved in.

Pushing open the door, Wonyoung lies on her bed, swinging her legs through the air as she smiles bashfully at her phone. “Welcome back, Y/N,” Wonyoung looks up from her phone and wiggles her eyebrows. “So? Did you kiss? Are you two boyfriend and girlfriend? Soobin’s really handsome, isn’t he?”

“He’s handsome,” you agree, shrugging off your coat. “But. He’s just not my type.”

Wonyoung groans, rolling onto her back. “No one is your type. What is your type?”

“Someone who doesn’t mansplain the wage gap to me,” you deadpan, crawling under your covers and staring up at the ceiling. “He said he wasn’t a feminist, yet he hopes that one day women can be treated just as fairly as men.”

Wonyoung snorts. “That sounds terrible.”

“It was terrible,” you groan, rolling onto your stomach and suffocating yourself with your pillow.

“Well, I’m out of options,” Wonyoung tells you. “My connections can only get me so far.”

“That’s okay,” you roll back onto your back and look over at Wonyoung. “I’m thinking, you know that section in the school’s magazine? Where they send two people on a blind date and then those two people write about the date for the magazine? I might sign up for that. It looks fun, and who knows, maybe I will find the love of my life! If not, I’ll just join dating apps.”

Wonyoung perks up, her eyes shining. “Oh my god! Yes!” She shifts to the edge of her bed. “You should one-hundred percent do it, Y/N. Apply for it now!” Wonyoung slips off her bed and steps over to her desk, grabbing her Macbook and flopping down onto your bed beside you.

With a pounding heart, you sign up for the blind date program. “I hope I get someone nice,” you tell Wonyoung as you click the apply button. “Someone I can at least have a conversation with.”

“Or someone you can get down and dirty with,” smirks Wonyoung, ignoring your glare. Her phone buzzes and you steal a glance at the notification. You gasp and whack Wonyoung on the shoulder when you see who has just texted her. “Sunghoon Park? Since when did you know Sunghoon Park?”

“I don’t,” Wonyoung says.

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t know him,” but the blush spreading across her cheeks as she types back with a stupid smile on her face says otherwise.

Rolling your eyes, you pull out your phone to spill Wonyoung’s Sunghoon Secret to the groupchat. “I totally believe you, Wonyoung.”

—-

It’s been a week since you took a leap of faith and applied for the blind date program run by your university’s magazine. It’s been a week of you non-stop refreshing the top of your school email’s inbox. It’s been a week of Wonyoung constantly asking you if you had scored a blind date. It’s been a week of nothing but stress.

You slowly come to terms with the fact that you weren’t chosen -- it was like you were asking whoever it is that pairs two people together to search for a needle in a stack of needles. What needle were they supposed to be searching for in the first place? It’s all futile.

Though, when your inbox receives a new email on a Wednesday night, you can’t help but squeal. “Wonyoung!” You call out, waving your best friend over as you eagerly squirm on the armchair you were sitting on in the common room of your dormitory.

Congrats! You’ve been chosen…reads the email notification. Wonyoung eagerly badgers you to open the email, and without hesitation you do. A flood of information is revealed to you and Wonyoung -- your date was to happen on a Friday night. 6 PM. At the local restaurant that is an avid sponsor of your college’s football team, you and your date were to be gifted with a one-hundred-dollar voucher to cover the cost of your dinner.

“This is amazing, Y/N!” Wonyoung whispers to you in the dark, hours after you received the email. The time was creeping into the early morning of Thursday when Wonyoung whispered to you, the both of you unable to sleep because of the email you received confirming that you were going on another blind date this Friday.

Friday comes faster than you expected it to, and you were not prepared for what it brings you. As Murphy’s Law states; anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. And it all starts with you sleeping through your 9 AM alarm. (For the first time ever.) You wake up with ten minutes to get dressed, eat, and race across campus to your first lecture of the day -- even worse, it was raining outside. Torrential rain.

It doesn’t get any better. At your first tutorial of the day, your tutor hands you back the essay you asked her to go over, and it’s covered in red marker with a comment saying this essay is a C. C plus at best. And you feel your knees give out. You race through lunch, grabbing hot chips from your dormitory’s lunch hall and re-reading the red-marked comments on your worst essay to date.

Your following lecture is canceled because your professor is sick, and then your last tutorial of the day is also canceled. You end up joining Wonyoung, Yoon, and Rei in one of the campus cafes, soothing your sorrows with apple juice bought from a vending machine.

“Enhypen’s throwing a party tomorrow,” Yoon says. “Should we go?”

“I’m down,” Rei shrugs. “I need to forget all about the assessments waiting for me back at my dorm.” Then, she nudged Wonyoung. “But I bet Wonyoung is eager to go. Her beau is in that frat.”

Wonyoung blushes hotly and tells Rei to shut the fuck up. You don’t have the energy in you to join in on Rei’s teasing.

When you reach your dorm after spending the rest of the afternoon elbow-deep in assessments in the campus library, you note the time. 5:30 PM. Didn’t you have something to do at 6? Then, you remember. The blind date. Fuck.

You throw open the tiny shared closet and rummage through all the clothes you and Wonyoung were able to stuff in here before investing in a couple of dressers. Every outfit you try on isn’t up to your, or Wonyoung’s standards, and by the time you’re done with your outfit and makeup, the clock reads 5:55 PM. You can’t take the bus now; you’re going to be super fucking late.

Bidding Wonyoung a hurried goodbye, you race into the common room and scout for a familiar face. As usual, Ricky was reclining sideways on one of the many couches, Uno cards in hand, and completely obliterating who he was playing with. (Bahiyyih, Dayeon, and Youngeun.)

“Ricky!” You call out, bounding over to the boy. “Could you drive me somewhere? Please? I’ll pay you!”

“Drive you? Where?” Ricky asks, placing a yellow six on top of the growing pile of Uno cards.

“Just.” You check the time on your phone. 5:57 PM. “Down the street. The Korean BBQ place.”

Ricky huffs. “Alright. Let me finish this game first, though.”

“Ricky --”

With a flourish, Ricky places his remaining red cards on top of the red card Youngeun placed down. The three girls all let scandalous gasps rip from their mouths and Ricky smirks proudly. “I won. I expect to see my essays finished by Friday.”

Ricky slips off the couch and pulls his keys out from his hoodie pocket, swinging them through the air. “Let’s go, Y/N.”

—-

“Thank you!” You shout at Ricky as you shut the car door harshly. You break into a run for the Korean BBQ place, already five minutes late. Your heart pounds insanely fast and it feels like you’re about to explode.

With your mind a mess, you don’t notice the large puddle in front of you until it’s too late. Cold water soaks your left foot, drenching your shoe and sock. Coming to an abrupt halt, you glance down, finally taking notice of the large puddle and you let various loud curses rip.

You don’t have time to figure out how to dry yourself, so you carry on to the barbeque place. Wrenching the door open and listening to the bell jingle harshly, you scan the room of people. You don’t even know who you’re looking for. A waitress appears in front of you, beaming. “Are you here for the blind date?”

You nod your head. “Great, I’ll take you over!” You trail after the waitress, cursing under your breath as your shoe squelches every few steps, and your feet grow colder every second you don’t stop to dry yourself. You bump into the waitress, realizing she has come to a stop. “I’ll return in a bit to take your orders. Enjoy!” And then the waitress disappears.

You see who your date is and it takes everything in you to not turn around and walk out of the restaurant.

Jake Sim sits in front of you, blond hair gleaming beneath the bright white restaurant lights. He glances up at you, holding his menu and you can easily tell he’s not impressed by you turning up to the date seven minutes late.

“I’m so sorry,” you blurt, clumsily pulling out your chair and taking a seat opposite him. “I’m so sorry. Today’s been a totally shit day and -- sorry, I shouldn’t cuss. I didn’t mean to arrive late, I was super excited about this date, it’s just that my shit day --- fuck sorry. Sorry. My shit day got in the way of my time management and. I’m just. So sorry. I’m sorry for keeping you waiting. I’m sorry for turning up late.”

Jake smiles. It’s a small smile, one that barely reaches his eyes. “It’s okay. We all have our days.”

“Right.”

You both lapse into awkward silence. “I’m Y/N L/N.” You introduce yourself awkwardly, fiddling with the salt packets on the table.

“Jake Sim,” Jake responds, but you already knew that -- you know Jake Sim well. He’s a part of Enhypen. A well-known, incredibly popular frat on your college’s campus. It’s a legacy frat -- sons of college alumni always get into that frat. There have been the odd students that got into Enhypen because of their connections, but it’s usually always legacies that pledge in. Enhypen is known for many things; the hot college students living in the house, the massive parties they throw almost every weekend, and Jay Park. Everyone who goes to your college knows Jay Park. It’s hard to not know Jay Park -- but that’s another story.

Jake Sim is undeniably handsome. Big, round, warm brown eyes, cute nose, full lips, and sharp cheekbones, he has it all. Jake Sim is also undeniably wealthy, and undeniably smart. Everyone knows Jake will graduate with honors and with the top marks in his class. Everyone knows Jake will be one of the best students to graduate from their university, he’s a once-in-a-generation student. His wealth is also very highly looked upon. His father owns many corporate businesses in America, and overseas (mostly South Korea.) And Jake, himself, has a trust fund and rumor has it the trust fund is in the millions. Jake’s father and mother are legacies of your college, so it’s not a surprise Jake got early admission, and also is a part of Enhypen.

“What year are you?” Jake asks.

“I’m a first year student. Majoring in Linguistics.”

Jake hums. “I'm in my third year. Physics major.”

“I always hated anything to do with math or science in high school,” you comment, picking up the menu in front of you. “I can’t imagine ever wanting to do college-level physics.”

“I hated anything to do with English in high school,” Jake responds. “I don’t know how people can do English-related courses in college. Where would a degree in Linguistics even take you?”

“Translating jobs,” you refuse to look at Jake, some sort of frustration boiling in your blood because of Jake’s offhand comment. “Maybe editing. I could also teach English to non-English speakers. What does Physics even offer to you after post-grad?”

“I could become a NASA employee,” Jake responds. “Which I hope to be after post-grad.”

You take a peek at Jake, who is already looking at you. You smile, but it’s not a warm smile nor does it reach your eyes. “I hope you become a NASA employee as well.”

A familiar waitress stops by, ready to take your orders. After she leaves, the awkward silence is overwhelming so you reach forward and take a sip of water from the glass in front of you. “So,” Jake speaks up after a few moments. “What do you do for fun, Y/N? What are your hobbies?”

Going on a date is a way to get to know each other, so you indulge in Jake’s question. “I like to read—a lot. I love going to libraries and spending hours in them, just flipping through books or taking a seat on a beanbag and reading. I also like just staying in and hanging out with my friends, playing board games is always fun. I don’t really like going out that much.”

Jake hums, and reaches for his own drink. It’s some kind of mocktail. “What about you?” You ask Jake. “What do you do for fun?”

You find out Jake’s the complete opposite of you. He likes to go out. He likes to play sports; basketball, football, soccer, rugby, cricket, baseball. He’s probably done every sport there is. He also likes to go fishing, which you find highly unenjoyable. He’s very active, he finds comfort in exercising. And more importantly, he enjoys a good party.

“Do you drink a lot?” You ask Jake.

“Depends on the day,” Jake answers. “Why do you ask?”

You shrug. “I’m just curious. I don’t drink that much. I do enjoy a bit of white wine here and there, though.”

The conversation between you and Jake seems stilted. You can’t find any common ground -- Jake doesn’t watch many TV shows and not a lot of K-dramas. He watches movies every now and then when he finds time in his busy schedule. “I’m busy almost every day of the week,” Jake explains. “I have football practice and debate club practice, and I handle the funds of our frat since I’m the treasurer. I also pick up tutoring jobs most days.” Even his music taste doesn’t match yours. Anything from Justin Bieber to AC/DC is what Jake enjoys. Different from your own taste.

“Do you know Taylor Swift?” You ask Jake.

“I know her song, Love Story,” Jake answers.

You drop the subject of music immediately.

The food arrives, and it’s awful. You take a bite of your food and immediately regret it because the food is chewy. Very chewy and it tastes severely undercooked. While Jake happily eats his food, you’re left with pushing your food around your plate because you don’t want to cause a scene. You don’t want to make some waitress’ day awful because of your complaints about undercooked food.

Jake gives you a look as he notices you haven’t touched your plate of food.

“I’m not hungry,” you tell Jake with a grin you hope placates Jake. He just shrugs and continues on eating. The silence is unbearable and your eyes begin to burn, which leads you to reprimand yourself -- why are you tearing up? You have no right to tear up. (Or maybe you do because this date is going badly. The awkward silence refuses to go away, and the more you talk with Jake, the more you realize how little you have in common with him.)

Jake finishes eating and there’s another five-minute silence. “Wanna go get ice cream?” Jake asks. His eyes beg you to say no and you want to say no, but instead, you say “Sure!”

You follow Jake up to the counter to pay, but of course, something bad just has to happen to you. A waitress passing by trips up and spills the red wine she was carrying all over your top. You stand there, fists clenched and blinking back your tears as the waitress apologizes profusely.

“It’s okay,” you assure the waitress, waving her away. “It’s okay.” (It wasn’t okay.)

“What happened?” Jake asks you after he finishes using the voucher to pay, noticing the large red stain on your white top.

“Red wine spillage. Let’s go get ice cream.” You step out of the restaurant and wait for Jake to lead you down the street to the nearby ice cream parlor.

On the way, you once again, don’t notice a large puddle until you’re stepping in it, completely soaking your right foot -- shoes, socks, and all. You groan loudly and shake your first threateningly up at the sky, wondering what you did to make this happen to you.

“You okay?” Jake asks you, frowning slightly.

“Yeah,” you respond, blushing when you realize Jake had been watching as you cursed at the sky above.

Entering the parlor, you search your pockets for your wallet. Your movements become increasingly frantic when you can’t find it and then it hits you -- you have left your wallet on your bedside table. Jake, increasingly perceptive, notices your troubled expression. “What’s up, Y/N?”

You sigh and hang your head, mumbling, “I forgot my wallet.”

“Hmm? What was that?”

“I forgot my wallet,” you repeat louder. The silence that follows is suffocating.

Jake sighs and when you look up, he doesn’t look impressed as he says, “I’ll pay.”

“No -- it’s okay. We don’t have to get ice cream. I don’t want you to pay,” You hold your hands out, your eyes wide and the tears burn your eyes once more.

“I’ll pay,” Jake repeats, more firmly this time. “Pick what flavor you want.”

“Mint chocolate,” you say without hesitation.

Jake makes a face. “You like mint chocolate?”

“It’s the best flavor.”

Jake shudders and shakes his head. “I don’t think so.”

You step up to the counter, Jake gesturing for you to go first. “Can I have mint chocolate please?”

The girl behind the register smiles politely. “Sorry, we ran out of mint chocolate. Do you have another flavor you would like to try?”

You don’t know why, but that was your breaking point. You break out into sobs and the entire shop quietens, all eyes turning to you as you begin to sob at the mention of the shop having no mint chocolate ice cream. Without bothering to excuse yourself, you exit the store, sobbing louder as you stand outside in the cold with soaking wet feet, and a white top stained red.

You wonder why today of all days, the world decides to be cruel to you. Any other day would’ve been fine, but instead, on the day of your blind date with Jake Sim of all people, the world decides to unleash its fury on you.

The door slams shut behind you and you turn around, finding Jake standing in front of the entrance, a small paper cup full of ice cream in hand. You stare at him, unable to respond. Jake had still gotten ice cream, making sure to take his time, instead of coming out to check on you. Maybe you and Jake weren’t compatible in any way -- he was a T, after all, whereas you were an F.

“Jake, what the fuck--”

He steps closer, holding out the paper cup that had two spoons. You peer into the cup, seeing green ice cream with dots of occasional brown chocolate chips. Jake had gotten mint chocolate ice cream. You look at Jake, floundering for words.

“They had mint chocolate out back,” Jake informs you. “I told them to go get it.”

“You don't -- you don’t like mint chocolate though.”

Jake shrugs. “But you do. Here, you must be cold.” He slips off his jean jacket and wraps it around your shoulders. Instantly, you feel warm and the awful feeling that had manifested in your gut disappears. You wipe away your tears and take the unused wooden spoon, scooping up some mint chocolate ice cream and letting it melt in your mouth.

“Thank you, Jake,” you say softly. “How could I ever repay you? You didn’t have to do this.”

“You were having a shitty day,” Jake answers with a small smile -- a small yet genuine smile. His first genuine smile of the date. “It was the least I could do.”

“Well, thank you.” You repeat.

“I know how you can repay me, Y/N,” a mischievous grin spreads across Jake’s face as he takes a step closer. There’s a change of energy in the air and your breath gets caught in your throat. “You can repay me with a kiss.”

“A kiss?”

Jake hums, nodding. “A kiss.” There’s a beat. “You can say no, though.”

“No,” you say, and Jake’s expression changes. He steps back, but instantly you’re yanking him close to you, desperate to correct the misunderstanding. “I mean. No. I don’t want to say no. I want to kiss you, Jake.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“Okay,” you repeat.

Jake’s hand cups your cheek. His eyes hold yours, an intense look in them. He begins to lean in and your heart speeds up, your cheek burning beneath Jake’s touch.

“You don’t have chlamydia, do you?” You ask Jake, your voice breathless.

Jake snorts. “No. No, I don’t.”

“Are you sure?”

Jake answers with a kiss. Immediately, with your hand that isn’t holding the cup of ice cream, you grip the collar of Jake’s dress shirt. His lips are warm against yours, and he tastes like mint chocolate. You kiss back eagerly, giving in to the warmth of Jake, and the gentle probing of his tongue, sighing loudly.

“Well, well, well,” an unfamiliar voice cuts through the air. “What do we have here, little Jakey?”

Jake pulls away from you, forehead against yours as he catches his breath before turning around, his hand slipping away from your cheek and bringing all of your warmth with it. “Hyunjae,” Jake says, but he doesn’t sound happy to see the stranger.

You drink in the appearance of the stranger. You’ve never seen him in your life. But you can pick out slight similarities between Jake and this stranger -- Hyunjae. Maybe they’re related in some way, and your cheeks begin to burn a deep red.

“Did you finally settle down, Jakey?” Hyunjae remarks, not kindly.

“What’s it to you?” Jake retorts, his voice strained.

Hyunjae holds up his hands. “I’m just curious, you are my baby cousin after all. I’m very protective over you,” his eyes slide over to you and he gives you a smile that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand. “I’m Hyunjae. Jake’s cousin! We grew up together. How long have you two been dating?”

“Nice to meet you, Hyunjae,” you respond in a small voice. “But we’re not --”

“Don’t answer him, Y/N,” Jake cuts you off, sounding furious. “He’s not worth your time. Go find someone else to bother, Hyunjae. Fuck off.”

Hyunjae holds up his hands like he’s surrendering himself. “No need to get all aggressive, Jakey.” He then winks your way. “I look forward to seeing you around, Y/N.”

Hyunjae walks past you and Jake, sending one last smile over his shoulder. The smile feels like a warning.

You turn to Jake, looking for answers. You find him scuffing his shoe along the ground and mumbling curses under his breath. “Uh, Jake?” You poke his shoulder and he turns to you as if he was only just realizing you were next to him. “Are you okay?”

“Did you drive here?” Jake asks you.

“Uh, no. Ricky dropped me off. Why?”

“Can I take you home?”

You don’t know why your heart drops to your gut. “Oh. Yeah. Sure.”

“Great.” Jake takes your hand into his and pulls you in the direction of his car. You quickly dump the melted ice cream into a nearby trash can and try to keep up with Jake’s rapid footsteps. Jake’s car is a car you expected from someone like him; a flashy black Lexus.

When you are in the safety of Jake’s car, Jake turns to face you and inhales sharply. He doesn’t make any move to turn on the car. “That was my cousin, Hyunjae,” Jake says. “He’s the fucking worst. I don’t think I’ve ever hated someone as much as I hate Hyunjae, and it’s just my luck that he stumbles upon us on a date. Look, Y/N, I know we’ve just met, and I know this date went awful, and I probably don’t have the honor of asking this; but do you want to be my girlfriend?”

You stare at Jake, taken aback. A high-pitched, broken, “What?” Escapes your mouth.

“Not -- not a real girlfriend of course, just. Just a fake one. Let’s fake date. I know Hyunjae, and I know he’s already spreading the news about you and me to everyone in my family. And when it comes to my family --” Jake shakes his head. “It’s best if we fake date for a bit.”

You blink rapidly, trying to take everything in. The past few minutes have gone by so fast -- one moment you were crying because of how awful this day was, then you were wrapped up in Jake’s arms, kissing him, and the next you were watching Jake fight with his cousin and now. And now you’re being asked by Jake to fake date him. “What -- what do I get from this?” You respond. “Say I agree. What’s in it for me?”

Jake obviously wasn’t expecting that kind of response. It takes a while for him to respond to you. “I’ll do anything you ask,” Jake responds. “If you need to be picked up, I’ll pick you up. If you need to be dropped off somewhere, I’ll drop you off.” You don’t respond, thinking over Jake’s offer, but he takes the silence as your rejection so he adds desperately; “I’ll pay you.”

“You’ll -- you’ll pay me?” You look at Jake, gobsmacked.

“I’ll pay you.” Jake nods.

“Tell me why you need us to date this badly,” you tell Jake.

“Look, my family -- they’re not a normal family. All wealthy families aren’t normal. Mine -- they’re all competitive with each other. If one kid gets a high grade, everyone else’s kids must get a higher grade or else they aren’t worthy of having the last name ‘Sim’.” Jake explains. “Our family is not kind to each other. And when it comes to dating,” Jake sighs. “Breaking up with your significant other is the worst thing you could do. My relatives view breaking up as a sign of incompetence, a sign that you aren’t fit to take over the family business. It’s stupid, I know, and the last time I brought someone home, it ended in a disaster and -- and I want to prove them wrong. I want to show them that I can have a lasting relationship, and finally make my family proud of me.”

“What a fucked up family,” you respond in disbelief. “They really view breaking up that way? What, would they rather you cheat on your significant other while in a relationship?” Jake’s silence is your answer and you stare at Jake with wide eyes. “You’re joking. Right?”

Jake shakes his head.

“Would you -- would you cheat on me if I agreed?” You don’t know why you sound vulnerable.

Jake shakes his head aggressively, reaching for your hands. “No. No. I don’t -- I don’t like cheating. Or cheaters. That’s the lowest thing someone can do.”

“Okay,” you nod your head. “Why do you hate Hyunjae so much? Is it just because of the family rivalry?”

Jake sighs, chewing on his bottom lip. You try to not let that distract you from the situation at hand. “Well, yes. The rivalry doesn’t exactly help me have loving relationships with my family members but -- my previous girlfriend cheated on me with Hyunjae. They’re still dating now, and I always see her at family dinners and I just. I just want to prove to both of them that I can move on -- that I have moved on.”

You let Jake’s explanation simmer for a while. “Okay,” you say. “I’ll do it. I’ll be your girlfriend -- fake girlfriend.”

Jake grins, squeezing your hands. “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me.” Silence fills the car and you sigh. “We need to map out the timeline of our relationship, sort out what are the dos and don’ts of this relationship, and how we will deal with the pieces we’re supposed to write about our blind date for the school magazine.”

Jake nods his head.

“I went out on a blind date last week,” you inform Jake. “It was Saturday. Soobin Choi. So we have had to meet after that.”

“Soobin Choi?” Jake gives you a look. “You don’t look like the type of girl to go for Soobin Choi.”

You scowl. “My friend set it up for me. And don’t worry, I don’t think I’ll ever be a Soobin Choi girl.”

“Who knows you went on this blind date?” Jake asks you. “Other than the people who arranged this for us.”

“Wonyoung Jang.”

“Wonyoung? You’re friends with Wonyoung?”

You nod your head and Jake grins. “My friend, Sunghoon Park? Do you know him? Anyway, he has a huge crush on Wonyoung.”

You giggle. “I think Wonyoung likes him back. They’ve been texting a lot recently.”

Jake gasps. “That’s who he’s been texting? That motherfucker wouldn’t tell me who it was.” Jake cracks his neck, “I’m so going to get him when I get home.” He then turns to you. “Only Jay and Sunoo know about the blind date. Do you think Wonyoung can keep quiet about how we actually met?”

You nod your head. “She loves keeping secrets.”

“Great,” Jake nods his head. “We threw a party last week on Saturday. What if you said you stopped by after the date?”

“Soobin dropped me back home, though,” you respond. “And lots of people saw me enter the dorm.”

“What about after?” Jake asks.

“I guess that could work. Wonyoung is a party girl. She could’ve taken me out to party after the date that ended in disaster, and I met you there.”

Jake nods his head. “I think that’s believable.”

“But didn’t you get screamed at by a girl for giving her chlamydia that night?”

Jake grins. “So that’s why you asked if I had chlamydia.”

“Whatever,” you huff.

“We’ll say we comforted each other about our shitty nights and knew then that we had a connection. I asked you out, and you said yes. What did you do Monday night?”

“I had classes until 4 PM.”

Jake nods his head. “I had football practice until five, and then I drove myself around for a few hours. Decompressing after a shit practice. I got McDonalds. You can’t go wrong with McDonalds after working off all the fat gathered up from having too much McDonalds.” Jake shakes his head in amusement at himself. “I could say I took you out then, but we didn’t go to McDonalds.”

“We went to the rollerskating rink,” you suggest. “I’ve always wanted to go on a date there.”

“Okay,” Jake nods his head.

“Hey what if -- what if we admit to dating each other on the pieces we write about our blind date?”

Jake looks at you, confused.

“I applied for the blind date on Saturday. Before I “left” for Enha’s party. And I got the notification that I’d been chosen on Wednesday. After we supposedly began dating. We could say we mentioned that we applied for this blind date thing to each other, and realized we were the two people chosen. Doesn’t that sound believable?”

“That works. I applied for the blind date on Friday.” Jake’s smile slowly grows. “This is all working out!”

“That way, we won’t really be lying about the blind date if someone asks,” you tell Jake.

Jake holds his hand up for a high five. You slap it, sharing an excited grin with Jake. Everything was falling into place. “OK, we have our story settled, now are there any boundaries you want to mention? Though, if we want to keep this believable I have to be able to kiss you. On the lips. A lot.” Jake looks shy as he mentions this. “I’m -- I’m a very affectionate boyfriend. Or hook up. I like to kiss, so we’re gonna have to kiss a lot.”

Your heart leaps to your throat. Kissing Jake on the lips whenever he felt like it? You would be stupid to not agree. “That’s fine,” you hope you come across as calm at the thought of kissing Jake. “I don’t mind. I don’t really have anything to mention-- except when should we break up?”

“Uh.”

“What about my birthday? February 14th. That gives us...A month and a bit of dating.”

“You were born on Valentine's Day?” Jake asks in awe.

You nod your head. “Yeah. Does that sound good?”

Jake nods his head. “For sure.” Then he frowns, biting his lip once again. You’re beginning to hate it when he does that because it only makes you want to kiss him. “Do you…Do you think you could come to every party Enhypen throws?”

“Why?”

“Heeseung’s girlfriend, Yunjin, always comes to our parties even though she’s not a partier herself.”

You shrug, thinking of Wonyoung always telling you to go out and live your life. “Why not?”

“And pet names? Do you like them? Baby? Babe? Pookie Pie?”

You shove Jake. “Pet names are cute. As long as they don’t go overboard, like Pookie Pie, or muffin, or anything relating to food.”

“Okay,” Jake holds out his hand for you to shake. “One last time; are you sure you want to be my fake girlfriend?”

“Yes,” you respond. “I have to tell Wonyoung about this, if that’s okay?”

“That’s fine,” Jake says, shaking your hand tightly. “I have to tell Jay and Sunoo anyway. I’ll pick you up at nine tomorrow? For the party? Wonyoung can come too.”

You agree. “Alright, I’ll take you home now.”

The drive home is filled with Jake’s Justin Bieber playlist. You decide that your first course of action as Jake’s fake girlfriend will be to change his choice in music. You will craft him a playlist to use whenever you’re in the car with him, so you can both listen to tunes you both enjoy.

After exchanging numbers, you hug Jake goodbye and fly up to your dorm, eagerly bursting in and scaring the shit out of Wonyoung.

“Wonyoung,” you exclaim, heaving for air, “you will never believe what just happened.”

—-

jake 🤍

5 mins away :)

After you receive Jake’s text, you send yourself into a frenzy, pacing your small dorm with Wonyoung sitting on her bed, watching. “Oh my god, this is a mistake. I should’ve never agreed to fake date Jake. Fuck.” You look at Wonyoung, halting your pacing. “I fucked up badly and you’re not going to say anything?”

Wonyoung smiles at you. “I think this will be a good thing, Y/N. Think optimistically! Who knows, you could develop lifelong friendships because of this.”

You cuss out Wonyoung and resume your pacing, jumping at every loud sound. You weren’t prepared for tonight -- how were you supposed to act like you were in love with Jake when you literally only met and talked to him yesterday? You weren’t an actor, and you were a terrible liar.

Your phone buzzes. “He’s here,” you tell Wonyoung. “Can’t I tell him I’m feeling sick?”

Wonyoung shakes her head, sliding off her bed and throwing you the leather jacket you took from Youngeun. “No, put that on, and let’s go get fucking wasted!” Wonyoung cheers loudly and you roll your eyes, tugging the leather jacket over your red corset top.

Jake was scrolling through his phone when you walked up to his car. You rap your knuckles against the window and Jake looks up, breaking out into a grin when he sees you. You walk around to the passenger’s side and slide into the car, hearing whispers of Justin Bieber playing in the background.

“Good evening,” Jake greets. “You look nice.”

Your hands fiddle with your short black skirt, trying to stop the blush from heating up your cheeks. “It’s nothing,” you respond, “just something Wonyoung picked out for me.”

At the mention of Wonyoung, Jake turns to look behind him, grinning at Wonyoung. “Hey, I’m Jake. It’s nice to finally meet you. Sunghoon talks about you a lot.”

You watch Wonyoung blush. “I hope it’s good things.”

Jake giggles. “It’s only ever good things about you, don’t worry.” He then settles back down and looks at you. “Are you ready, Y/N? You can back out if you want, there’s always another party you could go to.”

You shake your head. “I’m fine. Let me play some music, though, enough Justin Bieber.”

Jake drives you and Wonyoung back to his frat to the tune of One Direction’s discography. You were surprised to find out Jake knew most of One Direction’s songs. You’d finally found common ground with Jake, and your chest warms at the thought.

The street is packed with cars, and late party-goers walking on the road, but with skilled ease, Jake maneuvers his way to the frat and parks the car up the driveway without a hitch. The music dies along with the car and is replaced with bass-booming music. The whole frat looks like it’s shaking. Jake turns to you and smiles, “I have some things to check up on, so take your time, alright? I’ll get you in a few minutes.” With a wink, he climbs out of his car and races into the frat, dapping up a few guys on the way in.

Immediately, your nerves skyrocket. You began to second-guess yourself, and your fingers returned to fiddle with the edge of your skirt. Noticing your nerves, Wonyoung speaks up, reaching through the gap between the driver and passenger seat for your hand. “You got this, Y/N. You better become an Oscar-winning actress as soon as you step out of this car. Your whole college career depends on this exact moment.”

You scowl at Wonyoung, pinching her wrist. “Some best friend you are,” you huff.

“Tough love,” Wonyoung shrugs.

“Tough love my ass.”

“Look, Y/N, I’ll be by your side the entire night --”

“--Don’t lie, Wony --”

“--For most of the night. But, you’ll be fine. You work well under pressure and remember, if in doubt, just kiss the life out of Jake. Making out is the best way to draw and lose attention simultaneously.”

Jake appears suddenly, knocking on the window and beckoning you out. Wonyoung climbs out first, striking up a conversation with Jake as you work up the nerves to exit Jake’s car. After inhaling and exhaling a few times, you open the car door and step out.

The music is much louder now. The shouting and cheers of already drunk party goers fill the air, and everywhere you look, there is a girl in a short dress, or a short skirt, much like yourself and Wonyoung. “I’ll see you inside, Y/N. In the kitchen, getting a drink.” Wonyoung squeezes your shoulder and walks across the lawn, smiling at a few people whom you’ve never seen interact with Wonyoung in your life.

Next to you, Jake touches your shoulders and turns you to face him. His smile is warm and it soothes your nerves. “Just stay by my side, alright? Stand next to me and look pretty, that’s easy, right?”

You smile. “I suppose.”

“Great,” Jake kisses your forehead and intertwines your hands together. He squeezes once, and then leads you across the lawn, pausing every now and then to talk to unfamiliar faces to you, but familiar faces to him. Eventually, you reach the frat and Jake pauses, looking at you for assurance before pushing forward.

His grip on your hand becomes firmer as he guides you through the large crowd of people filling the frat. Loud voices shout in your ear, and sweaty bodies knock up against your own. You begin to grow hot beneath Youngeun’s leather jacket.

You and Jake reach the kitchen, and you see Wonyoung standing with your friends. Warmth floods you and the nerves dissipate. Jake leads you over to the counter swimming in red cups and assortments of alcoholic drinks, along with some kind of alcoholic punch.

“Jungwon wanted to try making some weird alcoholic punch,” Jake informs you, bending down to shout his words against your ear. “I would suggest avoiding it. What do you want to drink?”

Jake offers his ear to you, still bending slightly so he is able to hear you over the music. “A White Claw. Black cherry flavor.”

Jake nods his head, drawing away. “Got it, Y/N.” he kisses your cheek. “I see your friends eyeing you. Go talk to them while I scavenge for some White Claws.”

You approach your friends, a blush rising to your cheeks as they all give you a knowing look. “Were you just with Jake Sim?” Yoon practically shouts, her cheeks already a bright red, courtesy of the red cup she holds in her hand. “Were you holding hands?”

“He kissed your cheek, Y/N!” Jiwon exclaims, her eyes wide and dimples appearing as she shouts at you. “What the fuck?”

You blush and dip your head. You felt self-conscious for whatever reason. “We’re dating,” you say loudly, avoiding eye contact. All of your friends, bar Wonyoung, gasp loudly and their voices clamber to be heard over the voice of Nicki Minaj rapping in the song Beauty and the Beat.

“When the fuck did this happen?!” Hikaru exclaims.

“Monday,” you respond.

There’s more shouting and you look to Wonyoung for guidance. She gives you an assuring smile and a small bout of confidence surges through your veins. “We met at a party last week,” you continue to explain. “Wonyoung brought me after my failed date with Soobin.”

“I can’t believe you managed to get cuffed -- and by Jake Sim at that,” Yoon explains, astonished.

You frown. “What’s that supposed to mean, Yoon?”

“Oh! No offense to you!” Yoon says, realizing how awful her words sounded. “It’s just -- ever since he broke up with his last girlfriend, Jake’s been known to just sleep around. He hasn’t been in a committed relationship in a year and a half.” Yoon eyes you carefully, “just. Be careful, Y/N, I don’t want him to break your heart. You’re very precious. Too innocent for his kind of world.”

“I’ll be fine, Yoon,” you say to the girl, breaking out into a smile. “Jake takes care of me well.” You peer over your shoulder, catching sight of Jake leaning against the counter, chatting up a girl who grins, leaning forward to run her hand up his arm. Your heart drops and hurt immediately floods your chest.

You guess you spoke too soon.

Or not.

Jake catches your eye. “Hey, baby!” He shouts, drawing the attention of the girl sliding her hand up his arm, and everyone in the kitchen. “You wanted a black cherry white claw, right?” He holds up the can and winks.

You smile back. “That’s the one I wanted! I knew I could count on you, Jake!” The girl immediately retracts her hand, and the kitchen breaks out into loud voices, all saying the exact same thing -- Jake’s with Y/N?

You excuse yourself from your group of friends, who all grin at you, and bound over to Jake who is waiting for you. Without thinking it through, you rise to your toes, wrap a hand around the back of Jake’s neck, and bring him in for a kiss, savoring the feeling of Jake’s lips against yours.

You grab the white claw from Jake after the kiss, crack it open, and take a long sip. The alcohol cools you down immediately. “What was that for?” Jake asks you, amusement highlighting his face.

You shrug, not sure if your cheeks were hot because of the leather jacket you were wearing, or because you kissed Jake without thinking. “Just felt like it.”

Jake scoffs and leans down, stealing a kiss for himself.

“What was that for?” You ask him, repeating his words.

Jake repeats your own words, coupling it with a shrug as well. “Just felt like it.”

“I’m feeling hot,” you admit to Jake, “Is there anywhere I could put my leather jacket?”

“You could put it in my room.”

You give Jake a look and he snorts. “There was no other intention behind those words. We can just deposit your jacket in my room, and then join the party. Perhaps go dancing? Or we could socialize. It’s up to you, really. Whatever you’re comfortable with.”

If you were able to see yourself, you think you would find stars in your eyes as you follow Jake out of the kitchen, his hand tightly gripping your own.

It’s well after one in the morning when you find yourself kissing Jake on one of the many couches in the frat. His arm is wrapped lazily around your waist as he keeps you close, his lips moving against yours in tandem. You explore Jake’s mouth with a vigor you didn’t even know you had, and you happily relish in the taste of the vodka shots Jake had encouraged you to take moments before you pulled him in for a kiss, which led to your fourth makeout session ever.

Someone clears their throat loudly and you and Jake break apart, chests heaving and eyes unable to look away. You’re the first to avert eye contact, looking at the stranger in front of you. The silver hair is immediately recognizable. Sunghoon Park towers over you and Jake, with Wonyoung gripping his bicep tightly, swaying slightly. She looked dazed.

“You’re Y/N?” Sunghoon looks to you for confirmation.

You nod your head, feeling as if you were floating. You’re pretty sure you’re tipsy. “Who’s asking?”

“Wony’s a bit drunk.” The use of Wonyoung’s nickname doesn’t slip past you. Nickname terms, huh? You think to yourself. “I think she should go home.”

“I’ll take them home,” Jake says, draping an arm over your shoulder and pulling you back against him, your body flush against his. “I’m the sober driver for tonight.”

Sunghoon snorts. “I totally believe you.”

Jake scowls. “Scout’s honor! I didn’t touch a drop of alcohol.”

“I’ll believe you. Get Wonyoung home safely.”

“Aye Aye captain,” Jake salutes, and Sunghoon whispers something to Wonyoung, who smiles and nods her head. Jake pushes himself off the couch, and then helps you up, giving you a gentle smile and moving hair out of your eyes.

Pressing a kiss to your forehead, Jake says, “Let’s get you home, Y/N.”

—-

You were still reeling from the party on Saturday. You don’t know what overcame you -- maybe it was the alcohol invading your bloodstream and the fact that all the attention was on you, that made you kiss Jake and cling to him while you danced.

Your phone lights up with another text from Jake. You had texted him throughout Sunday. He checked in a few times on Sunday, making sure you were feeling okay. Jake’s care for you made your heart expand times ten, but you had to remind yourself that this was all fake -- that none of this was real.

jake 🤍

Where are you?

you

library

in one of the study rooms

jake 🤍

What room?

you

third floor, twenty one A

jake 🤍

Ok. See you soon ❤️

Your heart pounds in your throat. You weren’t sure what you were going to do when Jake turns up in your study room with a large smile and hopeful brown eyes. He arrives quicker than you expected, opening the door and grinning at you.

“Hey Y/N,” he greets, slipping into the chair beside you.

“Hi,” you greet back quietly, focusing on your laptop in front of you. Silence embraces the room and your leg shakes beneath the table. You didn’t know how to work around Jake. He was an enigma. He was a puzzle -- a one thousand-piece puzzle that would take hours, if not days to figure out. He was a puzzle that came in a blank box with no photo to show you what the puzzle was supposed to look like.

“I’m sorry,” you blurt suddenly, unable to handle the silence. “I’m sorry about Saturday. I don’t know how to handle myself around you. I don’t know how to do relationships because I’ve never been in one, especially a fake one at that. It’s just -- it’s just so hard and confusing and I feel lost and. And. I’m sorry if I did anything weird or wrong or --”

“Y/N,” Jake interrupts your ramble. “You apologize too much.”

“Right. Sorry.”

Jake gives you a look and you avert your eyes.

“It’s okay, Y/N. You didn’t do anything wrong on Saturday. You were fine. I guess I’m also at fault for partially pushing you to join me at the party when we really haven’t spent any time together outside of that one blind date.” Jake reaches for your hands. “I’m here to help you, Y/N, we can work out how this fake relationship works together. First, you have to tell me a little bit more about yourself. Like, we should ask each other deep-hitting questions.”

You look at Jake and return his smile. “What are these deep-hitting questions?”

Jake hums in thought. “Like…What’s your favorite color?”

You snicker. “That’s a deep-hitting question?”

Jake nods his head, dead serious. “So? Your favorite color?”

“I like yellow,” you respond.

“Alright. Yellow. Any particular reason?”

You shake your head. “It’s a nice color. Warm color. Happy color. What’s your favorite color?”

“Red,” Jake responds. “No particular reason, like you. I just like how it looks. Not bright red, though, a dark deep red. Maroon is a nice color as well.” Jake reaches for another question. “What’s your family like?”

“I have a mom and younger sister. My dad passed away when I was young,” you tell Jake, your voice taking on a gentler tone. “My mom is my biggest inspiration. I look up to her a lot. She raised my sister and I all on her own. I was three when my dad passed, and my younger sister was one. I don’t really have many memories of my father, but I have plenty of my mother never giving up. She’s the reason I’m where I am now. She sacrificed everything for me.”

“She sounds amazing,” Jake responds, his tone matching your gentle one.

“She is. I talk to her and my younger sister every day.”

“How old is your younger sister?”

“She’s fifteen. She’s a freshman. Her name is Myeong.” You tilt your head as you look at Jake. “What about you? What’s your family like?”

“My mom and dad are…very pushy and controlling. My dad wants me to graduate and take over the family business, and my mom is very eager for grandkids before she dies. They’re only proud of me when I accomplish something big, and my mom likes -- or well, used to control everything about my life when I was living under her roof.” Jake sighs, “but my older brother, he’s the only person I love in my family. He was always there for me, and always protected me. I love him a lot.”

Jake shifts in his chair and straightens his posture. “Ouch. I just brought the mood down. Sorry. Your mother and sister sound like fun.”

“It’s okay, Jake,” you comfort the older boy. “And yes. They’re very fun to be around. I can’t wait to spend winter break with them.”

“Right, winter break is next week.” Jake hunches back over. “I have to spend Christmas with my family. It’s not gonna be fun, especially since everyone has caught wind of our relationship.”

“You can do this, Jake,” you tell him with an encouraging grin, “If you need to escape though, call me and I’ll pretend to be having a meltdown so you can come over to mine for some reprieve. We usually watch all the Santa Clause movies after our Christmas dinner.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Jake says, “are you hungry?”

You nod your head. “I was about to ask you if you wanted to take me to get some churros.”

“Right!” Jake stands as you begin to pack up your things. “I’ve been meaning to ask you for your bank details. I need to pay you.”

You look at Jake and frown. “I don’t want your money, Jake, seriously. It’s okay to not pay me.”

Jake shakes his head. “I feel bad for using you like this, though, Y/N. Please let me pay you, it’ll help ease my guilty consciousness for getting you involved in this mess.”

You sigh. “Fine. But I’m moving all the money you give me to a different account and not spending a single dollar.”

“That’s fine, as long as I’m able to pay you.”

After zipping up your bag, you pull out your phone and give Jake your bank details. “Now that that’s finished, I have something to tell you,” You step out of the study room with Jake trailing behind you. You let Jake fall into step beside you, and reach for his hand. “I’m thinking of making you a playlist to play whenever you drive me around because I’m planning on taking advantage of having you at my mercy.”

Jake smiles down at you. There’s a hint of fondness hidden in that smile. “I wouldn’t expect anything less, Y/N. What songs were you thinking of putting on the playlist?”

“I’m keeping Justin Bieber off,” you retort jokingly.

Jake gasps and wretches his hand out of yours. You giggle and pout, reaching for Jake’s hand. “I was joking! You’re such a baby, Jakey poo.” You reach up to pinch his cheeks and Jake bats your hand away, intertwining your hands back together instead.

“It’ll be a surprise,” you tell Jake as the elevator doors open. “But I’m making sure it’s songs that both of us will enjoy because I’m such a great girlfriend.”

Jake rolls his eyes, but his smile gives away his fondness. “Of course you are, baby.” His eyes light up as if a light bulb went off above his head. “By the way, happy one week!” He kisses your cheek.

You roll your eyes. “Sap.”

“Only for you,” Jake responds.

—-

A few days later, you’re staring at a large frat. It’s your first time seeing the Enhypen frat up close during the daytime. You wouldn’t even be able to tell Enhypen throws massive raging parties from judging the outside appearance of the frat. The grass is neatly cut, and the bushes growing around the perimeter are groomed to near perfection. Someone obviously has a bit of a green thumb in the frat.

You walk up the porch steps and knock on the bright red door that feels rough beneath your knuckles. It doesn’t take long for the door to swing open, revealing Jungwon Yang. You know quite a bit about Jungwon Yang, since Wonyoung grew up with Jungwon and you’re Wonyoung’s best friend. It surprises you how many mutual friends you and Jungwon share, yet you’ve never once spoken to him.

“Hey, Y/N,” Jungwon greets, pulling the door open wider to allow you in. “Jake’s in his room.”

“Hey, Jungwon,” you greet back, letting the boy shut the door behind you. You slide off your shoes and straighten up. “Where is Jake’s room?”

“I’ll show you. How are your classes going?” Jungwon makes conversation as he leads you through the spacious frat. It’s clear to you that this is a legacy frat. Everything screams wealth. You feel sorely out of place, but you’ll prefer to keep these thoughts to yourself.

“They’re going good. A lot of work, but I like it. It keeps me busy.”

“I’ve never been this busy,” Jungwon says with a small smile. He climbs the stairs, you following closely behind. “Didn’t you go to Jake’s room during the last party?”

“I don’t remember,” you admit sheepishly. “That whole night feels like a fever dream. I was really nervous the entire time.”

Jungwon nods his head. “You know, from what Won told me about you, I never expected you and Jake to date. You two seem like total opposites. I hope you don’t take offense.”

“None taken,” you tell Jungwon. “And I have to admit, I felt the same way, but somehow the words ring true; opposites do attract. We work well with each other.” You don’t know where this load of bullshit was coming from, but anything to make Jungwon believe what you have with Jake is real.

The door to the bathroom swings open and Sunoo Kim steps out. Your heart pounds in your ears as Sunoo’s sharp eyes latch onto your figure. The older boy genuinely intimidates you. His facial features are incredibly sharp, and his words are even sharper. He holds grudges for a long time, and he’s a known gossiper. Sunoo’s reputation across campus is an intimidating one, but you also know from Wonyoung that he’s one of the nicest, kindest, and cutest boys she knows. “Don’t let his resting bitch face scare you,” Wonyoung advised. “He’s just fiercely loyal and protective of his friends, that’s why he has that reputation.”

“Hello, Y/N,” Sunoo says.

“Hey, Sunoo.” Your hands begin to sweat. God, sorry Wonyoung, you think. But Sunoo scares me.

“Here to see Jake?” Sunoo asks you, not unkindly.

You nod your head. “He invited me over to study. I have a test tomorrow.”

“I don’t think you’ll get much studying done with Jake,” Sunoo states, and once again, he wasn’t being mean or judgy. It just seems like a simple observational statement -- he knows Jake better than you, having grown up with the older boy. “Keep the noise down.”

Your cheeks flush and Jungwon snorts. “No need to be so bitchy, Sunoo.”

“Sunghoon used up all my face wash,” Sunoo groans, his face transforming into a pout you’ve never seen the boy wear. He looks extremely soft and squishable and Wonyoung’s words about Sunoo bounce around your head. Maybe you truly don’t have a reason to be so afraid of the older boy.

Immediately, your hand goes for the shoulder bag you were carrying, and you pull out the newly bought face wash that was haphazardly lying about. “Here,” you hold out your face wash. “Take this.”

Sunoo stares at your outstretched hand. “We use the same face wash brand! Do you just carry your face wash around with you everywhere?” Sunoo’s gaze pierces your soul and you immediately flush bright red. You really need to get your blushing situation under control.

“I -- I don’t carry it around with me. I just stopped by the quick mart on the way here to buy it since I had run out of it. But here, you can take it. I’ll just buy another on my way home.”

“Really?” Sunoo asks.

“Yes,” you shake the face wash in the air. “Take it.”

Sunoo’s face splits into a grin, completely transforming all his sharp edges into soft edges. Sunoo’s truly a different person when he smiles. “Thank you, Y/N. You’re very kind.”

“It’s nothing,” you mumble.

A door at the end of the hall is wrenched open and Jake pops his head out, eyes focusing on the group of three standing around the bathroom. “What’s taking you so long?” Jake groans. “I miss my girlfriend. Stop hogging her.”

“Whatever Jake,” Sunoo scoffs. He steps back into the bathroom. “I hope to see you around often, Y/N,” Sunoo tells you with a smile, and then he shuts the bathroom door.

“There’s Jake’s room,” Jungwon tells you, pointing to Jake. “Play some music if you’re going to do something other than studying.” Jungwon leaves you a blushing mess in the middle of the hallway.

“Y/N!” Jake calls, beckoning you over eagerly.

With quick steps, you reach Jake in milliseconds. Jake grins down at you and presses a gentle kiss to your lips. Pulling away, you look at Jake with a frown. “What was that for? There’s no one around.”

Jake pulls you into his room in lieu of an answer, shutting the door with a thump. “Was Sunoo nice to you?”

You nod your head and drop your shoulder bag onto Jake’s desk. “I gave him my face wash. I think I scored some points with him for that.”

“You had face wash in your bag?” Jake asks, grabbing his football and leaping onto his bed, beginning to throw the football up into the air and catching it.

“I bought some on the way over. I was running out,” you answer, pulling out the chair at Jake’s desk and taking a seat. “Are you going to study?”

“Eventually,” Jake responds. “Did you finish making that playlist?” He pushes himself into a sitting position, gripping the football tightly and displaying an excited expression on his face.

You can’t help but smile. “I did. Want to see?”

Jake nods his head, his blond hair flopping messily. You pull out your phone, unlock it and pull up the Spotify playlist, handing your phone over to Jake. “You can scroll through as I study,” you tell Jake. “Let me know what you think. I added a lot of songs.”

“Woah. Forty-eight hours,” Jake looks at you. “That is a lot of songs.”

You grin, running a hand through your hair to tie it up. “I guess that means you’re legally obliged to hang out with me for forty-eight hours.”

“Don’t tempt me,” Jake grins back.

Silence embraces the room and for once, it’s not awkward. You easily get enraptured in your studying, hearing Jake ooh or ahh or let out a small giggle as he scrolls through the playlist you made solely for Jake to play whenever you’re in the car with him.

After some time, Jake finally speaks up. “I really like the playlist, Y/N.”

You spin around in Jake’s desk chair. “Really?”

Jake nods his head. “I can’t wait to play it.”

“I’m glad. It took me a couple of days to curate. I’m happy you like it.”

“Of course, you made it, Y/N, so that means I’ll like it instantly.”

You groan and fall back into the desk chair. “Shut the fuck up, Jake.” Your tone was clearly teasing, and you’re glad Jake is able to make out the teasing because he laughs loudly.

“Was Jungwon nice to you as well?” Jake asks as he places your phone back on his desk. “Because sometimes he says shit without realizing how harsh it is.”

“He was nice as well, no need to fret, Jake. If they’re your friends I like them immediately.”

As you wait for Jake’s response, a loud banging sound floats through the air, followed by someone shouting a familiar name. “HEESEUNG!” Someone shouts after banging loudly. It’s quiet for a few seconds before the banging and shouting start again.

Jake groans and you leap up to open his door, curious to see who was making a ruckus. You scan the hallway and catch sight of a young boy who was incredibly tall. His blond hair glows brightly and he has a baseball bat and glove tucked beneath the arm that wasn’t doing the knocking.

“Cut it out, Riki,” Jake groans exasperatedly.

“No. He didn’t show up to play baseball with me,” Riki grumbles, continuing to smack the door.

“He spent his entire night revising his thesis with Jeongin and Beomgyu,” Jake responds. “Let him rest.”

Riki finally looks over at Jake, ready to respond, but when he sees you everything seems to pause. Riki stops smacking the door and the words poised at the tip of his tongue slide off. “Woah, is that Y/N? Your girlfriend?” He squints and assesses you. “You could do better than Jake, you know, Y/N.”

“Riki you better shut the fuck up,” Jake threatens.

“You play baseball?” You ask Riki.

“What does it look like?” Riki responds snappily.

“Riki,” hisses Jake.

“Yes,” Riki responds, his tone much nicer albeit exaggerating for Jake’s sake. “I play baseball.”

“That’s cool. Could I play with you?”

“What?” Riki looks bemused like he’d never thought you would offer to play baseball with him.

“Heeseung’s obviously sleeping and you probably shouldn’t disturb him because writing a thesis is hell on earth, so why not play catch with me? I used to play softball for my high school.”

“Softball and baseball are different, though,” Riki deadpans.

“Not really,” you shrug, stepping out of Jake’s room. “The only differences are the gloves, balls, bats, and how you throw the pitches. Other than that, everything is the same. In fact, I used to play baseball with the kids in my neighborhood, and with my cousins whenever I hung out with my family.”

“But you don’t have a glove.”

“I do,” Jake says. “Just play with her, Riki.”

“Fine. I’ll meet you downstairs. We’ll head to the baseball pitch.” Riki slinks down the stairs and you pop back into Jake’s room, watching the older boy rummage around for his baseball glove.

“You don’t have to do this, Y/N,” Jake tells you.

“I want to,” you reply, “if it gives Heeseung more time to rest and keeps Riki distracted -- by the way who even is Riki?”

Jake finds his baseball glove with a triumphant smile. He chucks it to you as he says, “Some kid we picked up off the street. You better hurry downstairs, Riki doesn’t like to be kept waiting. He’s very impatient.” Then, with a shake of his head, Jake mutters, “Teenagers.”

“Aren’t you gonna come down?” You ask Jake. “It would be nice to have you with us.”

“Yeah, I’ll meet you guys there. I need to find my cap.”

“Alright, see ya soon baby,” you salute Jake and walk out of his room, bounding down the stairs and finding Rik waiting for you. “Sorry for keeping you waiting,” you tell the boy, hurriedly slipping on your shoes.

Riki shrugs. “It’s fine.”

You step out of the house and walk to the baseball pitch in silence. You find out the baseball pitch is only a few minutes away from the Enhypen frat. It was built next to a park, so there were a few kids playing on the playground.

“You’re Jake’s new girlfriend, huh?” Riki finally says something as you both warm up. You don’t know how you’re going to play baseball with Riki, so you just follow whatever warm-ups he does.

“Yeah,” you respond. “And you’re his friend?”

“Obviously.”

“How old are you?”

“I turned eighteen last week on Friday.”

Your eyes widen. “Oh shit, Jake and I went out last Friday. Sorry for stealing him from you.”

Riki shrugs. “It’s chill. We hung out before and after his date.” You lapse into silence once more. “I like you better than his previous girlfriend,” Riki takes you by surprise as he grabs his bat and practices swinging a few times. “She was really rude. You’re not rude.”

“Thank you?”

“She never played baseball. Always said it would ruin her manicure.” He glances at your nails. “Aren’t you afraid of ruining your manicure?”

“I’m going to my nail tech next week. I don’t really care. Plus it gets tiring wiping your ass with a manicure sometimes.”

Riki stares at you and you immediately regret saying what you said seconds ago. Riki snorts, “You’re so much better than Francesa. She hated it when we would have farting contests.”

You stare at Riki in disbelief. This kid you think. “You’re still in high school aren’t you?”

“What gave it away?” Riki asks.

“You’re still having fart contests.”

Riki scowls.

—-

“Do you have to throw a party for literally every single accomplishment?” You ask Jake, finding yourself back at Enhypen on a Saturday night. Wonyoung was dancing with Sunghoon on the dance floor while you and Jake rested against one of the walls, observing the party.

“Throwing parties is fun, Y/N,” Jake responds. “Especially if you’re celebrating the end of exam week and the start of winter break.”

“I guess celebrating the end of exam week is worth throwing a party.” You sip the alcoholic drink Jake got for you, and watch as Wonyoung laughs over something Sunghoon said. “Wanna go to your room?”

Jake raises his eyebrows and you roll your eyes. “You look tired, Jake, and you aren’t engaging in conversations like you usually do at parties. Let’s just go to your room to talk for a bit.”

“Alright,” Jake shrugs, taking your hand and pulling you up the stairs. You ignore the looks that are being thrown your way. Not everything is about getting laid.

Entering Jake’s bedroom, some sense of comfort embraces you and you feel relieved at the sudden change in environment. Everything feels much nicer in Jake’s room, even if you could still hear the music, albeit muffled.

“What did you want to talk about?” Jake asks, as you both peel off your shoes and slip beneath his light blue comforter, legs immediately tangling beneath it.

“Tell me about your childhood,” you answer. “You haven’t really told me anything.”

“Of course. You’ll tell me about yours after?”

“Any questions you have, I’ll answer honestly,” you grin.

“I would say my childhood was like any other, but I was born into a wealthy family with a trust fund already waiting for me when I turned eighteen,” Jake starts off, making you giggle lightly. “I don’t necessarily have a lot of happy memories of my childhood. But the ones I have only mostly involve my older brother, Jaehyun.”

“What’s your happiest memory with him?”

“Probably when I was six and he was ten, our nanny took us down to the beach. I remember staying at the beach for hours at a time whenever we went. There was also this small forest of trees a little bit further down the beach, and my brother and I would always explore in the small forest, picking up sticks and pretending to hunt down aliens that were planning to take over the world. Time always slipped away from us.”

You watch as Jake floats away from you. It’s like he’s in a different dimension as he recites this story to you, a gentle, happy look you’ve never seen appearing on his face.

“And this one time, it started to rain while my brother and I were playing in this forest, and we got lost. My brother found us some shelter under this large tree, and I started freaking out but my brother comforted me. He told me that he was going to take care of me, no matter what. I stopped crying after that and trusted everything my brother told me and we eventually made it out of the forest. My nanny was worried sick about us, and we never went back to that beach.”

Jake is brought back to you and smiles. “We were lost for fifteen minutes, Y/N, and for ten of those minutes, I was genuinely happy because I had my brother with me, guiding me through life. Jaehyun has always wanted the best for me and has always supported me in all of my endeavors. I don’t have a lot of people like him in my life.”

“That’s really sweet, Jake, I’m glad you have someone like that in your life.”

“Anything else you want to know, Y/N?” Jake asks.

“How did you meet the boys in Enhypen? Did you know any of them before coming to college?”

Jake laughs. “Obviously it’ll take us days for me to explain my close relationship with all thirty of us, but I’ll tell you about my closest friends. The ones you’ve met already.”

“I love a good story,” you say eagerly, pulling the comforter up higher.

“I grew up with Jay and Sunghoon. Our families were closely intertwined, so it just made sense for us to grow up together. They’re like my brothers. I met Heeseung and Sunoo in elementary school. I had heard a lot about Heeseung from Jay since they’re like, distantly related or something, and Sunoo was a friend Sunghoon made while learning how to figure skate. I got along well with them as well, so we all began hanging out. I met Jungwon and Riki in middle school. Riki is the son of one of Jay’s dad’s business partners in Japan. He came to Korea during the summer and stayed with Jay. He eventually applied for a transfer program when he was sixteen, so that’s why he’s around now. Jungwon is just some kid Jay latched on to during Taekwondo practice and never let go.”

“That sounds a lot like a found family novel I would find in a library,” you tease. “But it’s really sweet how you all found each other.”

“I guess it is. They’re my lifelong brothers. But, enough about me. What about you, Y/N? What was your childhood like?”

“It was normal,” you reply, teasing Jake who rolls his eyes. “I didn’t have a lot of friends growing up, which I was fine with. I liked being left alone. I think I was just scared of making friends because they might leave me like my father did. But, I don’t feel that way anymore. I’ve made a lot of friends since arriving at college.”

“What’s your happiest memory?”

“Right now, my happiest memory is meeting Wonyoung for the first time,” you tell Jake. “I was so scared moving out of home, and I was scared that I wouldn’t…experience the world my mom talked about whenever she brought up her college years, but I met Wonyoung during move-in day, and I think my life has changed.” You nudge Jake’s shoulder, “you know, if I hadn’t met Wonyoung, I don’t think we would’ve met.”

“Crazy how the world works,” Jake says.

“Very crazy,” you agree. “Did you sleep with plushies when you were younger?”

Jake shakes his head. “Nah, did you?”

A timid smile spreads across your face. “Yeah. I slept with a lot of plushies. I guess I just liked having something to hug and keep me warm while I slept.”

“You’re so cute, Y/N,” Jake coos, pinching your nose.

“Fuck off, Jake.”

There’s a long silence before Jake starts to talk again. “You know, we’ve known each other for a week and I’ve told you more about myself than most people close to me know.”

You look at Jake in surprise. “Really?”

Jake nods his head. “It’s...easy talking to you, Y/N.”

“I could say the same about you,” you murmur.

“I guess,” Jake starts slowly, leaning forward, his hand cupping your cheek, “we were meant to meet.” His lips are a whisper away from yours. “It’s our fate.” And then he’s kissing you. It’s a gentle kiss, a kiss unlike any you’ve had before. Jake doesn’t make any move to rush the kiss, and you don’t either. You’re both perfectly content to take your time kissing each other.

Jake breaks away and shifts your positioning so you’re half on top of him. He cups your cheek again, pulling you back in for a soft kiss, while his other arm wraps around your waist. Both of your hands are threaded through Jake’s hair, and all you can hear is Little Mix’s Love Me Like You.

—-

The cold of the ice rink hits you suddenly. A chill zips up your spine, and you grip Jake’s hand tighter. It was the first day of winter break, and you and Jake were on a double date with Yunjin and Heeseung. You’d all agreed to go ice skating for the date.

“When was the last time you went ice skating, Y/N?” Yunjin makes conversation as Jake and Heeseung talk about some Pokemon game they had played recently. Yunjin looked pretty today. Her hair was pulled into a low ponytail, with a few strands curling around her face, and her makeup was light. She was wearing cute pink leg warmers that you eyed with envy.

“Probably when I was…fifteen? I think we went ice skating for a school trip,” you respond. “What about you? When was the last time you went ice skating?”

“A couple weeks back,” Yunjin says smiling. “Heeseung likes to ice skate so we often swing by when we have nothing to do.”

“You’re probably really good then.”

Yunjin laughs. “I’m mediocre at best. Heeseung’s really good though. But, then again, Heeseung’s good at everything.”

“Talking shit about Heeseung again, Yunjin?” Jake asks, joining in on the conversation.

“Yes, because that’s all I do, Jake,” Yunjin retorts sardonically.

“Do you know what size skates you wear, baby?” Jake directs his attention on you, his nose a light red already.

“Um, maybe a six?”

“Woah, you have small hands and feet,” Jake exclaims.

“Rude,” you whack Jake’s chest with your free hand.

“No, it’s cute,” Jake says with a small smile. “You’re super cute, Y/N.” He kisses the tip of your nose and lets go of your hand. “I’ll go with Heeseung to get your skates. Go find us a place to sit.”

Yunjin snakes her arm around yours and pulls you away from Jake, laughing loudly at something Heeseung had whispered to her.

“You and Jake are so cute,” Yunjin says when you finally lay claim on a row of chairs. “You’ve only been dating for what? Two weeks? And you’re already this cute?” Yunjin sighs, “The honeymoon phase is the best part of a relationship. Hee and I have been dating for…woah has it been two years already? We’ve been dating for two years and I don’t think we’ve left the honeymoon stage yet.”

“Yeah,” you agree, not really knowing what else to say.

“How did you meet Jake again?”

“Oh, at one of Enhypen’s parties. We both had shitty nights -- I had a failed date and Jake got accused of giving someone chlamydia -- and we comforted each other. Jake likes to say we had an immediate connection, so he wasted no time in asking me out.”

“Aww,” Yunjin coos, “love at first sight! I wish I got to experience that. Heeseung held a grudge against me for the longest time before he ever admitted his feelings to me.”

“Heeseung holds grudges?” You were pleasantly surprised. “He doesn’t seem like the type to hold grudges.”

“I was a special case, apparently,” Yunjin jokes. “But really, Heeseung’s the sweetest, most romantic guy I’ve ever dated.” Her eyes dart over your shoulder, and her grin only gets wider. “Jake’s a really good guy too, if you give him a chance.” She looks back at you and reaches out to squeeze your shoulder. “And it looks like you are giving him a chance. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look this happy.”

You don’t have time to respond, because Jake takes a seat beside you, dumping your skates onto your lap. “Here you go. Do I get a thank you kiss?”

“If you insist,” you grumble, leaning forward to lay a quick peck on Jake’s lips. “Now help me put them on.”

Yunjin and Heeseung head onto the ice first, leaving you alone with Jake as he laces up his skates after helping you. You nudge Jake’s knee with your own, a sly smile slipping onto your face. “We have a love at first sight story, huh? Does this mean you loove me?”

“Damn,” Jake curses, “how did you find out? Was it that easy to tell?” A smile that matches the one you are wearing slips onto Jake’s face. “Jungwon told me I was being too obvious.”

You snicker and wrap your hands around Jake’s bicep, inching forward to rest your head on his shoulder. “Well, there’s no need to be nervous, Jake, because I love you too, my sweet sugar plum.”

“Sweet sugar plum? Where did that come from?”

“You don’t like it?” You ask, pouting slightly.

“I hate it.”

You turn your head to muffle your giggles against Jake’s shoulder.

“Y/N, you know I won’t leave you, right?” Jake asks in a soft tone.

“Hmm? Where did this come from, Jake?” You pull your head away from Jake’s shoulder to look at him.

“I was just thinking about what you told me on Saturday,” Jake admits. “I’m not gonna leave you, Y/N.”

“Even after our break up?” You don’t like how insecure you sound. “We’ll still be friends after our break up?”

Jake nods his head. “Of course.”

You smile, kissing Jake’s cheek. “Great. Let’s go skating now, Jakey, I need an excuse to hold your hand for a few hours.”

Jake lets you pull him up from the chair. “You could just ask to hold my hand, Y/N.”

“But where’s the fun in that?” You reply, grinning eagerly.

—-

“Why are we carving pumpkins, again?” You ask your sister. It was Christmas Eve and you were sitting at the dining table with a large pumpkin parked in front of you. Your younger sister was sitting next to you, tongue poking out of her mouth as she concentrated on carving her pumpkin.

“Because you weren’t home for Halloween,” your sister responds, not taking her eyes off her pumpkin.

“Halloween was three months ago, Mye. It’s Christmas Eve, shouldn’t we be helping Mama in the kitchen?”

“We are!” Myeong refutes. “We’re making decorations!”

You throw Myeong a pointed look. “Carving pumpkins? For Christmas decorations?”

Myeong scowls. “No need to be such a grinch, Y/N. Sorry I missed carving pumpkins with you.”

You sigh and place down your scalp. “I missed carving pumpkins with you too, Myeong.”

Your younger sister turns to you, her eyes soft and wide. She reminds you of a baby deer. “Really?”

You nod your head and Myeong breaks out into a grin, throwing her arms around you and hugging you tightly. “It feels so lonely at home without you, Y/N. I’m so glad you’re back home for winter break.”

You hug your sister back tighter. “Me too. I missed you and Mama a lot. Especially her food. I mostly eat ramen and toast.”

Your sister giggles and draws out of the hug and starts to carve her pumpkin again. “What is college like, Y/N? Have you made any friends?’ Myeong wiggles her eyebrows, “Have you gotten a boyfriend?”

You snort. “A boyfriend?” You try to ignore your cheeks heating up. “Are you crazy, Myeong? I have no time for a boyfriend. I did make some friends, though.”

“Oh yes, that Wonyoung Jang girl?”

“How do you know about her?”

“You posted her on your Instagram story a couple of times, Y/N,” your sister deadpans, rolling her eyes.

“Oh, right. But yeah, Wonyoung’s my friend. And all her friends are my friends as well.” You don’t know why your chest swells with pride when you mention your friends. “I have a large friend group, Mye.”

Myeong smiles. She looks genuinely happy for you. “I’m glad, Y/N.”

You turn back to your pumpkin and continue to carve in silence. Your mother was in the kitchen, humming away to whatever song was on the radio as she baked some Christmas cookies. The warm cheer of Christmas wraps you up warmly. You were happy to be back home with your mother and sister, carving a pumpkin while your mother made cookies a few feet away. You were afraid leaving for college would change everything, but it had changed nothing.

“But, seriously Y/N,” Myeong breaks the silence, “you have had to at least kiss a guy at one of the parties you went to with Wonyoung!”

“Well, I did,” You drop your voice and lean in closer. “Lose my virginity.”

Myeong gasps loudly, your mother looking up from where she was placing cookie dough on a tray. “Everything okay, girls?”

“Yes,” you say, smiling. You look at Myeong who was staring at you, completely taken by surprise at your confession.

“Really?”

You nod your head.

“What was it like?”

You blush and bury your head in your hands. “Myeong -- why -- why would you ask me that?”

Myeong shrugs. “Curiosity.”

“It was fine,” you grumble. “It was just a hook-up, though, and I haven’t had sex since then.”

Myeong pouts. “You’re no fun.”

“No, I’m just choosing to be safe. College parties are swarming with STDs.” Your phone begins to ring loudly, cutting off your mother’s humming and Myeong’s words. You steal a glance at who was calling you -- Jake’s contact name fills your screen and you can’t control the large smile that graces your face.

“I’ll be back,” you tell Myeong. “I have to take this.” Grabbing your phone, you exit the dining room and start up the stairs to your room. “Hey,” you greet Jake, pressing your phone to your ear. “What’s up?”

“Y/N, hey,” Jake’s voice is soft as he talks. “How are you?”

“I’m doing good. What about you?”

Jake sighs. “Well, I would like to leave, but I promised my mom and dad that I would stay for their Christmas dinner and I like to keep my promises, so.” If Jake were standing in front of you now, he would end his sentence with a shrug. Instead, he punctuates this sentence with another sigh.

“That sucks,” you murmur, shutting your bedroom door, and resting against it. “What is so awful about this Christmas dinner anyway?”

“It’s not really a Christmas dinner,” Jake explains. “It’s a business dinner, under the guise of a company Christmas dinner. My dad’s investors bring their families to our house for this Christmas dinner, but all they do is talk business while their wives make small talk and the kids sit at the table and eat in silence. Jay used to come, but his father wised up and decided to go on vacation during Christmas, which upset my father for a few years.”

“That is awful.”

“But it’s only for one night,” Jake sounds defeated. “What about you? What do you do for Christmas?”

“Not a lot,” you tell Jake. And it was true -- your family didn’t do a lot for Christmas. You all woke up quite late on Christmas since you and Myeong were no longer kids and the thrill of opening presents was slowly wearing off. Your mother made some pancakes for breakfast, and then the three of you headed down to afternoon mass. You weren’t religious, but your mother liked going so you and your sister accompanied her. You know how often your mother used to pray back when you were younger and she was fighting tooth and nail to keep her family afloat.

After mass, you would stop by a few shops to just pick up extra miscellaneous items. Then your mother would begin Christmas dinner prep and your relatives from your mother’s side would start turning up as soon as it hits 4 PM. They usually stay as late as midnight.

“That sounds….a lot more fun than my Christmas,” Jake laughs softly.

“It is fun,” you reply, laying down on your bed and staring at the glow-in-the-dark stars you and Myeong stuck on your ceiling years ago. “After dessert, we all watch The Santa Clause trilogy.”

“I remember you telling me about that,” Jake hums. “I’ve never seen those movies, what are they about?”

“I don’t want to spoil anything, Jake,” you tease. “We’ll just have to watch them together at some point.”

“I’ll take you up on that, Y/N,” Jake’s tone was just as teasing. “I should let you get back to whatever it was you were doing before I called. I just wanted to hear your voice before I went insane inside this house.”

“Call me whenever Jake. I’ll always pick up.”

“Okay, I will. Talk later, Y/N.”

“Bye, Jake.”

—-

It was a little past eight when Jake calls you again. It’s Christmas, and you’re sitting at the dining table with your relatives. Dinner was served a couple of hours ago, but the conversation at the table was too good for anybody to think about cleaning up the mess displayed in front of you.

Your Uncle and Aunts were still helping themselves to the last bits of your mom’s lasagna. Dessert still had to be served, and your mother was looking for a way out of the conversation she was having with your grandmother.

Your phone cuts through the conversation you were having with your cousin.

“Who’s calling you, Y/N?” Your cousin, Lila, asks, trying to take a peek at your phone.

“Oh, it’s no one. I’ll be right back,” you sneak out of the dining hall and down to your bedroom. “Jake, hey.”

“Y/N, sorry if I disturbed you from your movie watching,” Jake greets.

“No, we’re still eating,” you assure Jake. “What’s up?”

“I-- I was wondering -- ah fuck, I don’t know how to ask this,” Jake admits.

“Just ask,” you encourage. “It’s okay, Jake. It’s just me.”

“Do you think I could come over? To your house?”

“Oh, Jake.”

“I’m sorry. You don’t have to say yes. I’m sorry for asking, I just can’t be here. I just can’t do it. No one else would pick up. I’m sorry for asking, Y/N.”

“It’s okay, Jake. And you’re more than welcome to come over. My mama feeds all my friends that set foot in this house. I’ll send you my address.” Your heart hurts for Jake. You can’t imagine how awful it must be for Jake to be in a house that doesn’t feel like home.

“Thank you, Y/N. Really.”

“Don’t mention it. Just arrive safely, ok? And text me when you’re leaving.”

“Okay. See you soon, Y/N.” The line goes dead before you can respond. You share your location with Jake, and pocket your phone, padding back downstairs to the dining room. Your mother had finally been able to leave the conversation with your grandmother and was now in the kitchen, dumping empty plates in the sink and fixing dessert onto fresh, clean, plates.

“Mama,” you step into the kitchen, keeping your voice low. “My friend from college is coming over. I hope that’s okay, he needed -- he needed to get away from his family for a while.”

“What’s his name?” Your mother asks, looking up from where she was plating the Christmas cookies she had made while you were carving the pumpkins.

“Jake Sim. He’s…my friend.”

“Jake Sim? Does he have any relations with Hana and Jaeho Sim? The CEO of Sim Corporations?”

You smile wanly. “They’re his parents, mama.”

“Then, he’s more than welcome inside my house, Y/N. I went to school with his parents, I know how tough they can be.” Your mother shakes her head. “They were both forces to be reckoned with at college.”

“You knew them?” You ask, surprised.

“Of course, I know them, Y/N. Everyone knew everybody back then. Should I set out a plate for him at the table?”

You look at the already crowded table. Myeong laughs loudly with one of your aunts. “Do we even have room for another chair?”

“We can make room,” your mother answers with a sly smile. “Do you know if he’s had dinner yet? Because I don’t want to just serve him dessert while he’s here.”

“Uh, I’ll ask him when he gets here.” Your phone dings with a text. You had two unread texts, both from Jake. One was sent eight minutes ago, telling you he’s left. The most recent one was Jake telling you he’d just parked. You wonder how close Jake lived if he was only an eight-minute drive away.

“He’s here,” you tell your mom, just as there’s a knock at the door.

“Go answer, I’ll make some room.”

You nod your head and turn away, eyes widening as Myeong rises from her chair. “I’ll get it!” You shriek, dashing out of the kitchen and down to the door. You throw the door open and your eyes widen at the sight of Jake.

“Y/N, hey,” Jake grins.

“Jake -- your -- your hair.”

It was black. His hair was black. You struggle to organize your thoughts as your eyes drag down the rest of his body. Jake was clearly dressed up for some formal event. He was wearing blue jeans with a white buttoned-up blouse tucked in, accentuating his waist, and a navy blue blazer.

“Decided to go back to black,” Jake answers with a grin. “Maintaining my blonde hair was tiring.” He peers over your shoulder. “Can I come in? Or did your mother --”

You shush Jake and step onto the porch, letting the front door fall shut. “No, you’re welcome in. I just -- I told them we were friends. They don’t know we’re….y’know? It just -- it just gets tiring lying all the time, and I don’t like lying to my mama and Myeong and --”

“It’s okay, Y/N,” Jake cuts you off. “I think it’ll be nice to not have to act like we’re dating for once.”

“Okay,” you smile relieved. “My mama knew your parents in college.”

“Really?” Jake asks.

“Yeah, she was more than willing to let you spend Christmas with us.”

“I already love your mom.”

“Alright, come on in, Prince Charming. Ready to meet my family?”

Jake adjusts his blazer and you have to pretend like your heart didn’t speed up. “I was born ready,” and for the final kill, he runs a hand through his hair. You almost faint on the spot. Since when was Jake this attractive to you? I mean, obviously, he was handsome, but you’ve never felt your heart palpitate like this before.

You’ve never seen your family so still and silent the moment you step into their line of sight with Jake. “Is that your boyfriend, Y/N?” One of your cousins teases you, earning a couple of snickers from your other cousins.

“Uh, no. This is Jake Sim. He’s my -- my friend from college. His parents are overseas at the moment, so I invited him over for dinner. Sorry he’s late, you know how assessments get during winter break.”

“He’s very handsome, Y/N. Are you sure you’re just friends?” One of your aunts asks, out of pure curiosity.

You flush bright red. “Aunty!”

“It was just an innocent question, dear,” your uncle, and her husband, defends. “Come join us, Jake. Have you had dinner yet?”

Jake smiles politely, taking a seat in the new chair that was beside yours. You steal a glance at your mother who smiles back smugly. “I have had dinner,” Jake responds. “My mom bought me some samgyeopsal before she left.” He plays along with the cover story you made up for him.

“Oh no, samgyeopsal won’t do you any good, honey,” your mother cuts in. “Do you like lasagna?”

“I love lasagna,” Jake responds, his eyes twinkling.

Your mother hpmhs, “You should have some of my lasagna. My lasagna is the best lasagna in all of America.”

“Too bad Aunt Yeeun ate it all,” snickers your cousin, Daisy.

“Too bad, indeed,” your mother says, glaring at her older sister.

Yeeun pokes out her tongue in retaliation, and the whole table dissolves into laughter. You glance at Jake, who stares back and smiles, his foot nudging yours beneath the table. “It’s okay, Mrs. L/N. I’m not that hungry anyway.”

“Call me Areum, honey,” your mother says, flushing. “And are you sure? I’m sure I could find something that wasn’t eaten by my good-for-nothing siblings.”

Grumbles are heard but your mother pays no attention to them. “If I can’t find anything, then I’ll have to serve you dessert. Will you be okay with eating my Christmas cookies? They won Y/N’s middle school’s Christmas fair baking competition three years in a row. However, when Myeong brought them to the fair, they decided that darn Dana’s cookies were better. I’m pretty sure the judges were being biased. Or racist --”

“I’m hungry,” Myeong interrupts, whining. “Fuss over Jake later! Let’s go serve everyone dessert now!” Myeong leaps out of her chair, sending you a look, before tugging on Areum’s arm. “Come on, mama! Jake can decide for himself if he wants to eat or not.”

Your mother sighs. “Alright. I’ll be back with dessert.”

The table launches into conversations with your mother gone, bombarding Jake with questions to which he answers all with ease. Beside you, Lila nudges you. “Was he the one who called you?”

You nod your head. “Yeah.”

Lila smirks. “Just friends, huh?”

You groan and kick her shin beneath the table. “Shut the fuck up.”

—-

The rest of dinner is spent happily. Jake easily converses with your relatives, and it seems like he gets along well with all of them. You hate the way your heart flutters at that thought. As Jake had said, it was almost like he was born to please your relatives, based on the way they smile whenever Jake responds to them with great enthusiasm.

Even your younger cousins enjoy Jake’s presence. He distracts them as the adults clean up and get ready for the movie marathon with pictures of his dog, Layla. He also plays them a couple of videos which gets your entire family cooing over the dog.

You sit in the corner of the living room, with a slight frown on your face. The older cousins were all hanging out together, thankful someone else was willingly distracting the younger ones. “Why the frown, Y/N?” Myeon asks you, drawing you out of your thoughts.

“Don’t worry,” you answer, schooling your expression into a neutral one.

“Jake Sim, he’s the son of that one CEO, right? Sim Corporations, or something?” One of your cousins, Daniel, asks.

“Yeah,” you nod your head.

“Damn,” whistles Daniel, “through Jake, you basically have connections to the entire corporate world, Y/N.”

“Good thing I’m not a business major,” you retort.

“But I will be next year,” Daniel responds. “Do you think --”

“If you want to use Jakes’s connections, you have to get buddy-buddy with him, Daniel. I’m not your lapdog.”

Daniel huffs. “Fine, loser.”

You grip the armchair pillow and whack Daniel with it. “I’m not a loser, freak.”

“Alright,” your uncle claps his hands loudly, “let’s get this marathon on the road! Adults, help yourself to some eggnog, minors, there’s some soda and juices for you. And yes, Daniel, we got you your gross dill pickle chips.”

Chaos descends as everyone fights for the best seats, the best drinks, and the best snacks. You’re content with staying in the armchair in the corner of the living room. It didn’t really give you the best view of the television, but you’ve seen these movies hundreds of times. You could practically recite every line of all three movies by heart.

Jake approaches you, holding two glasses of cola.

“Hey,” Jake greets, handing you one glass. “I feel like we haven’t had time to talk.”

“It seems my family is smitten with you, Jake.”

“I do seem to have that effect on everyone I meet,” Jake hums in agreement.

“Come on, let’s cuddle,” you say, pulling Jake onto the chair. “Unless you want to move closer. I know you wanted to watch these movies.”

“It’s okay,” Jake waves you off, “there’s always another Christmas to watch them with you.”

You ignore how your heart explodes, painting your body a lovesick pink.

After a lot of adjustments, you end up with your back pressed against the arm of the armchair, and your legs thrown over Jake’s lap. The first fifteen minutes of the movie had already gone by by the time you and Jake pay attention and instead of trying to catch Jake up, you ask him about his own Christmas dinner.

Jake told you it was the same Christmas dinner he’d been going to for twenty years, but it was the first time his older brother wasn’t there and Jake couldn’t handle not having his brother around, so he left.

“Thank you for having me,” Jake whispers.

“Thank you for trusting me,” you respond.

“How could I not?” Jake’s eyes were wide, “You have a trusting face.”

“Oh, so you’re friends with me for my face?” You scowl.

Jake muffles his giggles. “Yes.”

You huff and look away from Jake to watch Scott and Carol lean in to kiss beneath a mistletoe.

“Y/N,” Jake whispers. “I like you for your face and your heart.”

“Really?”

Jake nods. “Really.”

“Well, I like you for your money and your connections to the corporate world.”

“You don’t even major in business!”

“You don’t know that!”

“Y/N,” Jake gives you a pointed look and you sigh.

“Fine. I don’t like you because of your money or your connections, I like you because of your face and your heart.”

“Would you ever want to get married?”

You stare at Jake, shocked by the sudden change of topic. “What? Where did this come from, Jake?”

“My parents brought up marriage when they talked about our relationship. They said we shouldn’t date if we aren’t thinking about marriage.”

“Well, I mean,” you sigh, “if you ask nicely, then I’ll probably say yes.”

It’s silent for a few moments before Jake coughs loudly. You get stares from your sister and a few of your cousins, but you ignore them. “You -- you would want to marry me?”

“I mean --” you blink, confused. “That’s what we were talking about, right?”

“I was -- I was just asking if you want to get married. In general. Not to me.”

“Oh.” Your face flushes. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Jake intertwines your hands together and squeezes three times. “You’re cute when you make mistakes.”

“Shut up,” you groan.

Jake laughs softly, his eyes shining with adoration.

—-

“Do you think I could stay the night?” Jake asks you after he finishes saying goodbye to all of your relatives. The goodbyes took longer than usual because everyone was clamoring to talk to Jake. You didn’t understand all the fuss over Jake.

“Stay -- stay the night?”

“Or not. It’s okay, Y/N.”

“No --”

“You’re more than welcome to stay the night, sweetheart,” your mother cuts. “You’ll just have to share a bed with Y/N, our guest room is a bit.. preoccupied. I’ve been cleaning out the attic.”

Jake looks over at you. “I’m okay with sharing a bed. Are you? If not, I can sleep on the floor or just go home.”

You eye your mom carefully. She’s never been this open and welcoming to a boy staying the night. In your bed. “Yeah…I’m fine with it.”

“Y/N and Jake sharing a bed!” Myeong sings in a teasing voice as she bounces up the stairs. “I’ll make sure to turn on my white noise!” Both you and Jake flush a deep red while your mother scolds Myeong for her words.

“I’ll go find you some clothes, Jake,” your mother smiles warmly at the boy beside you and disappears up the stairs, leaving you alone with Jake.

“Won’t your parents be concerned about your whereabouts?” You ask Jake, leading him into the kitchen.

“I told them I was at Sunghoon’s,” Jake answers, leaning against the counter as you fill two glasses with water. He gratefully takes one of the glasses and drinks it all within seconds. “They won’t really be worried that much. They’ve never been the kind of parents to worry.”

You give Jake a gentle look and take the empty glass from him, rinsing it and making room for it in the dishwasher. “Your family is very fun,” Jake says, “they all…love each other.”

“I guess they’re fun. They can be a bit annoying and frustrating at times.”

“But you love them, though.”

“They loved you tonight, Jake.” You tell him, sensing the underlying tone of Jake’s words. You reach out to take his hand into yours as you stand at the bottom of the stairs. “You’re probably welcome to all family gatherings in the future.”

“Really?” Jake asks in slight disbelief.

“Would I lie to you, Jake? Everyone loved you tonight.”

In the darkness of the living room, standing in silence, you can feel Jake. Jake is all over you. You feel as though you’re one with Jake, and everything you think, Jake is also thinking. You feel and hear every inhale and exhale of Jake’s.

With his other hand, Jake cups your cheek, and you immediately sink into the feeling. “Y/N,” it’s like Jake is feeling the same as you. He doesn’t dare to raise his voice. “I --”

“Jake, would you like to take a shower?” Your mother stands at the top of the stairs.

You rip yourself away from Jake, clenching and unclenching your hand as your mind races. “Oh, yes, that would be nice, Areum.”

“I’ll go get you a towel,” Areum smiles and turns back around, heading for the linen closet.

Jake turns to you. “Y/N --”

“You should go take a shower, Jake.”

Jake hesitates.

“I’ll see you in my room.” You don’t think you’ll be able to handle talking to Jake alone for the rest of the night. You climb the stairs with speed, leaving Jake in the dust. Reaching your room, you pull out your phone and fire a text to Wonyoung, your heart speeding, finally realizing why yourheart races around Jake.

By the time Jake finishes his shower and stands in the doorway of your room, you’re changed and separating the bed in two halves with pillows you stole from your mom. “What are you doing?” Jake asks you, drying his hair with a yellow towel.

“When we’re sleeping, we need to stay to our sides. We can’t cross the pillow line,” you explain to Jake, slipping beneath the covers on your side.

“Why do we need halves all of a sudden?” Jake asks, throwing his towel over your desk chair. “We’ve never had halves like this when we’ve laid in bed together.”

Your face flushes. “That’s -- that’s different.”

Jake raises his eyebrows. “Is it?”

You scowl. “My house, my bedroom, my rules.”

Jake climbs into bed, making sure to keep to his side of the bed. “Goodnight, Y/N.” Jake gives you a sweet smile that disarms you completely.

“Fuck it,” you groan. You grab the pillows -- that had taken a lot of time to set up -- and you throw them to the ground. “I do like to cuddle things when I sleep, Jake. And since I removed my plushies for you to fit, I guess you could be a good substitute.”

Jake grins with a glint in his eyes that tells you he doesn’t believe your bluff. He opens his arms and you immediately curl up to his chest, your ear pressed to his chest, and there, you can hear his heartbeat. It’s beating rapidly and you allow your delusions to take over.

“Goodnight, Y/N,” Jake says, his voice close to your ear.

“Goodnight, Jake,” you mumble back.

—-

“Are you sure I look okay?” You ask Jake nervously as you sit in his car. A week after winter break ended, Jake had told you his parents wanted to meet you, and no matter how desperately you wanted to say no, you agreed to join Jake for dinner this weekend. You’re parked outside his parents’ house. It’s tall, and spiraling, and reminds you just how rich Jake was. You’re fretting over your look as if Jake hasn’t already complimented you a thousand times tonight. 

“You look beautiful, Y/N.” And, as always, Jake’s words of affection make you blush.

“Alright,” you say, “let’s do this.”

Jake nods and squeezes your hand before letting go.

“Remember,” Jake says in a low voice as you walk up to the front door, gravel crunching beneath the uncomfortable high-heels Wonyoung shoved you into, “we can leave. Whenever you want. We don’t have to stick around for the entire night, I’ll make up an excuse if you want to leave, okay?”

You kiss Jake’s cheek in lieu of a response.

Jake doesn’t bother to knock on the door, he just pushes it open. A multitude of shoes sit in the foyer, and you turn to Jake who is helping you take off your coat. “How big is this family dinner, exactly?”

Jake gives you a sheepish smile. “My parents, uncles and aunts, and cousins. I don’t know if Jaehyun will be here though.”

You can’t help but feel sorely underprepared for this. Why didn’t Jake let you know beforehand that you would be meeting his entire family? Your stomach rolls over at the thought, and you feel nausea wash over you. An uncomfortable itch appears in your throat -- no cough or clearing of a throat removes that itch as you walk from the foyer to the dining room where your demise awaits.

“You didn’t think to tell me?” You mumble to Jake, half anxious, half annoyed.

“It slipped my mind,” Jake murmurs back and you withhold a scoff.

You can’t help but feel intimidated as you enter the dining hall, gripping Jake’s hand tightly. His aunts, uncles, cousins, and parents mill about the room, talking and laughing forcefully with each other. The atmosphere doesn’t at all feel comfortable. It’s a weird atmosphere, it feels tense and taut.

Hyunjae is the first to spot Jake. He breaks out into a grin and approaches Jake, a girl with dyed red hair follows behind, her eyes glued to her phone as she frowns. Next to you, Jake inhales sharply and his shoulders roll back like he’s prepared for an attack.

“Jake,” Hyunjae greets, the smile not slipping from his face. He looks at you and his smile only grows. “Y/N. What a pleasure to see you both here.”

“The same can’t be said for you,” Jake responds, his voice tight.

The red-headed girl finally looks up, pocketing her phone and taking a sip of her champagne. “Jake,” her voice is soft, tinkling. You don’t think you’ve ever seen more perfect eyes, nose, and mouth on someone before. “Who are you?” She asks, out of pure curiosity. Her eyes shine and you try to search for some kind of double meaning.

“Y/N L/N,” you answer, feeling your heart tremble beneath the eyes pinned to your face. “Who are you?”

The girl laughs. It’s high and tinkling, like her voice. “I’m Francesa Choi, nice to meet you, Y/N.”

Jake’s ex-girlfriend.

“Jaeyun?” A voice calls out. You watch as an intimidating woman walks over to the group. Her eyes are piercing, and her hair is black as the night. It doesn’t take much for you to realize this woman is Jake’s mother. Lagging behind her is Jake’s father. Pepper hair, creased lines on his forehead, and a frown. You wonder how Jake is able to be who he is with parents like these.

“This must be the Y/N you talk highly of,” her eyes darted to you, and then back at Jake, like you weren’t worth her time. You try to pry your hand from Jake’s, but he only tightens his grip further. You're sure he’s cutting off blood to your hand.

Jake’s father watches you silently. He doesn’t say anything, remaining behind his wife as she does all the talking; all the commanding.

“Are you going to introduce us to her?”

Jake clears his throat. “Mom, Dad, this is Y/N L/N, Y/N, this is my mom and dad.”

Your mother’s words echo around your head. “Does he have any relations with Hana and Jaeho Sim? The CEO of Sim Corporations? I know how tough they can be. They were both forces to be reckoned with at college.”

Jake’s mother -- Hana -- gives you a short nod. “Nice to meet you, Y/N, I hope I get to know you well tonight.”

Not I hope we get to know each other well. You learn something about Hana Sim very early on. She’s the authorization figure of the Sim household. She expects you to tell her everything about you, and you get nothing in return.

Dinner is served, and with Jake to your left and his ex-girlfriend to your right, your nerves skyrocket. Jake’s ex-girlfriend is pretty -- she even smells pretty. No wonder Jake dated her. As the conversation is passed around the table, you also learn Francesa Choi is smart. She’s pretty, smart, and confident. It’s clear, by the way Hana praises and smiles at Francesa, that she’s thoroughly beguiled by the girl.

When Hana Sims speaks to you, though, it’s dull. Hana appears to look bored as she decides to make conversation with you, and for the first time that night, the table falls silent. Every Sim wants to know about you, apparently.

“How did you meet my son, Y/N?” Hana asks, picking up her wine glass.

“I told you how we met --”

“I want to hear her talk, Jaeyun,” Hana cuts off her son.

“We meet at a party,” you respond, hands curling on your lap beneath the table. Your nails dig into your palms to keep you grounded. “It was love at first sight.”

Any normal family would coo over love at first sight, but the Sim family only shares looks. Looks that are clearly laced with judgment. Beside you, Jake offers no help. He doesn’t even reach out to rest his hand on your thigh. You feel alone.

“Love at first sight?” Hana muses. “So, you love my son?”

It takes a lot of effort for you to breathe. Your chest feels heavy like there’s something crushing it. You steal a glance at Jake and he doesn’t look back, content with admiring his plate of food in front of him. Your heart pangs.

“Yes,” you say, willing the nerves out of your voice. “I love Jake.”

Hana doesn’t look impressed. “You’ve only been dating for a month.” That’s not a question -- it’s a statement. “How could you fall in love that fast?”

“He’s easy to love,” your response is almost instantaneous, your mouth working faster than your brain. Your response is honest. In a way. And that shocks and scares you.

Hana still doesn’t look impressed. “Tell me a bit about yourself, Y/N. What’s your major?”

“I’m Majoring in Linguistics. This is my first year.” Your nails dig deeper into your palms and Jake continues to offer no support.

“So you’re…eighteen? Nineteen?”

“Eighteen.”

Hana nods, reaching for her wine glass and taking a sip. The silence is suffocating. Just how nosey and judgmental was the Sim family?

“And your family?” Hana asks, “Any siblings?”

“I have a younger sister, Myeong.”

“And your parents?”

“My dad passed away when I was three, so it’s just been my mom, me, and Myeong for as long as I can remember.”

Hana’s eyes narrow. You gulp and your heart hammers away in your chest. You feel a bad omen circling the air. Whatever is said next will either be your downfall or finally impress Hana.

“Did your mom ever get remarried?”

You shake your head. “No.”

Words tumble out of Hana’s mouth, and it sounds like Korean. The ground gives out beneath your feet and your heart drops out of your body. You don’t know Korean. Your mother never had the time to teach you, and she slowly lost her mother tongue. Your father died when you were young. You grew up feeling isolated, not really understanding where you fit in; you were Korean, but you didn’t speak Korean, and you’ve never been to Korea. But you had an American citizenship, so you were American, except you didn’t look American.

“I -- I don’t know Korean,” the words tumble out of your mouth -- the words were the bad omen you felt in the air moments ago.

If possible, the silence is louder than before.

“You’re Korean,” Hana states, her voice a foreign emotion.

“My mom and dad were first-generation immigrants,” you answer, your nails beginning to cut into your palm. “But my dad died before he could teach me, and my mom was always busy with work.”

“Have you ever visited Korea?”

“No,” you respond, Hana’s eyes cutting into your bones.

“I pity you,” Hana says, her words sharp like claws. Her eyes dart to Jake, and this time her words sting. “I thought I taught you better.”

Jake’s silence stings even more.

You were able to excuse yourself to the bathroom after dinner. You grip the edge of the sink and squeeze your eyes shut tightly, suddenly longing for the embrace of your mother. Hana’s words, her eyes -- her everything has you a shuddering mess. Who knew someone could make simple words sound so cruel?

The door swings open and Francesa steps in. She smiles and steps up to the sink next to you, pulling out some lip glass from her handbag. You watch her as she applies another layer onto her lips.

“That was a hard conversation to listen to,” Francesa says, her eyes meeting yours through the mirror.

“Yeah,” you mumble, not really in the mood to talk.

“It takes a lot to impress Hana.”

“Clearly.”

Francesa pats your shoulder. “I’m sure you will find something to impress Hana with.” You don’t know why but it sounds so condescending. “But I’m not surprised to see Jake hasn’t changed.” Francesa laughs to herself, finding something funny.

“What are you laughing about?” You ask Francesa.

“When we were dating, I was exactly like you when meeting his family. He threw you in the deep end, didn’t he? Told you were meeting his parents, but actually took you to a family dinner? And when his mother was grilling me, he was silent -- just like tonight.” Francesa sighs, turning to you. “He doesn’t have the guts to talk back to his parents. His older brother did, and that’s why he’s not at family dinners anymore.”

“I just..” Francesa trails off. “I just hoped tonight would be different, you know? You and Jake…you guys look happy and in love and I just thought that this would be the night where Jake finally speaks up and does something about the way his mother treats people.”

Francesa shakes her head, giving you a small smile. “It’s a shame your love couldn’t change that.”

“Why would I need to change Jake?” You ask, frowning.

“Oh, Y/N.” Francesa sighs. “Whenever I would come for a family dinner, Jake would sit in silence and let Hana pick at me, probing me to reveal personal secrets and shame me for them. She wanted to mold me into the perfect wife for Jake. Whatever flaw I had, Hana would take it and cut it up into a thousand more flaws, throw it back at me, and tell me I had to fix them all or else I would never be good enough for her son. Dating Jake made me hate myself, and him, so we broke up.”

“You cheated on him, though.”

“I did,” Francesa agrees easily.

“Why?”

“Hyunjae’s nothing like Jake.”

The drive home is silent. Jake attempts to speak, but after his fifth try, he stops. Your mind was a mess, recounting Hana’s sharp words, and Francesa’s story. Everything was a mess and you felt as if you never really knew Jake.

“Y/N,” Jake tries again.

You’re sitting in his car, outside your dorm. You don’t move to leave the car. You should probably confront the tense air before it gets worse the longer you continue to ignore it. You turn to Jake, trying to keep your emotions under lock.

“Jake,” you respond. “I think we need some space. Just for a few days.”

Jake looks confused. “What do you mean, Y/N?”

“What do you mean?” Your voice is filled with rage you didn’t know you had. Watching Jake shift away, regret fills you. “Sorry, Jake. Sorry.” You look away, out the front window, and this time the tears come without warning. When you look back at Jake, you’re crying silently, the hurt inflicted by Hana filling up the space where your heart used to sit.

“If you can’t tell your mother to shut the fuck up and stop prying into my personal life, then we can’t be friends, Jake. Your silence really hurt me tonight.”

Jake’s mouth opens and closes. He doesn’t know what to say, and for some reason, that hurts you.

“You didn’t -- you didn’t even offer support, like a hand on my thigh, or a hand to hold. You left me -- you left me alone tonight, Jake.”

“I’m sorry,” Jake says, but he doesn’t even look like he means it. He’s still confused.

“Just -- just don’t talk to me for a couple of days. Unless we need to act like a couple for some stupid event.”

“Y/N --”

You smile sadly at Jake. “Jake, you’re meant to be in love with me. Your silence at dinner told a different story.”

You climb out of the car, close the passenger door, and walk away from Jake.

—-

Three days. You haven’t spoken to Jake in three days. You’ve kept yourself distracted by hanging out with Wonyoung and your friends and actually completing your assignments before the deadline, and handing them in once the submissions open.

Deciding to give yourself a break, you take this chance to check your phone. Youngeun had sent you something on Instagram, and so you pause the game you were playing with Rei and check Youngeun’s messages. She had sent you someone’s story. Clicking on it, you watch the story and your stomach turns over. It was Jake with Francesa.

Normally, you aren’t one for presumptions and letting miscommunication get in between your relationships with those close to you, but when it comes to Jake, you can’t help but get insecure. He’s rich, he’s popular, he’s handsome. He can have anyone he wants, and yet there you were, faking dating him. And yet, there you were, falling in love with him.

Love. That word strikes you across your face. Love. Since when were you in love with Jake?

You recall the sudden development you felt over Winter break; you like Jake. And not in a fake way. You truly like Jake and it’s messing with your brain. You can’t handle Jake’s gentle touches and kind words, and you can’t handle his kisses and flirtatious remarks. This fake relationship is driving you insane and soon you feel like you’ll snap. You fear what the consequences would be when that day comes. 

But when did love come into play?

The overwhelming emotions of love and like terrorize you. You click off the story where Francesa and Jake were sharing giggles and you leave Youngeun on seen. Nausea washes over you. Maybe this temporary space needs to be a permanent space.

You excuse yourself from your group of friends and walk back to your dorm. The chilly wind whips through the air and seeps through your hoodie, chilling you to the bone. Maybe you shouldn’t get too ahead of yourself, maybe you need to give Jake the chance to explain himself. Maybe you were just overreacting. Yes, Jake had let his mother embarrass you in front of his relatives, but that shouldn’t define who he is as a person. Right? Yes, Jake was hanging out with his ex-girlfriend who cheated on him, but nothing is happening between them. Right?

Your head begins to spin.

You stumble into the dorm and crash into Ricky. “Y/N!” The platinum blond exclaims, “I was just looking for you. Someone is here to see you.”

Immediately, you think of Jake. Has Jake finally realized what he did wrong three nights ago? Has Jake realized he loves you the way you love him? “Really?”

Ricky nods his head. “They’re in the common space.”

“Thanks Ricky,” you brush past the boy and with eager footsteps, you step into the common space -- only to falter.

Jake’s mother stands in the center of the room. Your heart stops and your breath catches.

“Mrs. Sim?”

The raven-haired woman turns at the sound of you calling her. She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “Y/N,” she steps over to you. “Nice to see you again.” You knew these were false pleasantries. “How is college going?”

“It’s going well,” you respond stiffly. “Jake isn’t with me.”

Mrs. Sim chuckles. “Oh, I’m not here for my son.” Her eyes pin you to the spot. “I’m here to see you, Y/N. I value my son’s partners highly, and I think we should have a talk.” She gestures to the couch behind you. “Shall we sit?”

Hesitantly, you sit on the couch. Mrs. Sim relaxes in the spot next to you, and she pulls a white envelope out of her handbag and passes it over to you. “Y/N, I’ll be honest. I don’t think you’re right for my son.”

“What?” You draw your eyes away from the white envelope you were holding. “I’m not…right?”

“Korean heritage is valued highly in our family --”

“I’m Korean, Mrs. Sim.”

“But you cannot speak Korean.”

“But I can learn!” You refute.

Mrs. Sim raises her hand, silencing you. “There is more, of course. I just simply don’t think you and Jake will last. I am only saving you from heartbreak.”

“Mrs. Sim, I’m sorry but you don’t get to --”

“You feel as though you don’t belong in Jake’s world, Y/N. Am I correct?” Mrs. Sim’s eyes are narrowed as she addresses you, her voice one that commands to be listened to.

That is something you can’t refute. It’s something that had been bubbling up within you ever since that dinner -- ever since you realized just how rich Jake was. He lived and existed in a higher society you will never understand. In a society you can only dream of existing within. You don’t get the rules, and you don’t understand how to present yourself in that rich society Jake is ingrained in. You feel so out of place, and you’ve only attended a family dinner.

“With time, I think I can feel comfortable --”

“Y/N. You are not fit for my son. You should break up with him.”

You scoff. “What makes you think I would break up with Jake? I love him.”

Mrs. Sim sighs. “But does he love you? At dinner, it didn’t seem like he did. My son was more than happy to let you embarrass yourself.”

“Embarrass myself? That was -- that was your fault--”

“In that envelope is money. You should open it.”

You open it. It’s a check. Your eyes widen at the amount of money scrolled on the check. “What--what’s this for?”

“Break up with Jake and that money is yours.”

“I don’t -- I don’t want your money.” You throw the envelope on the ground. “I’m not cheap, Mrs. Sim.”

Mrs. Sim stands from the couch and brushes off her dress. “I have said what I wanted to say. I can only hope you listen to me, Y/N, and realize that you will never be the one for Jake, no matter what he says, or what you tell yourself.”

“Jake is his own person. He is twenty. He can make decisions for himself. Why are you still controlling him?”

Mrs. Sim glances over her shoulder. “My son is still green when it comes to the world. He does not know what is best for him because I sheltered him from the real world growing up.”

“He can make decisions for himself,” you repeat.

Mrs. Sim walks away.

A few hours later, with help of Wonyoung’s stalking skills and social connections, you find yourself back on Greek Row, and outside a frat house that was famous across campus because of their end-of-exams parties. Jake was at this party tonight with the rest of Enhypen.

Wonyoung was already chatting up some older college student and you head inside the frat yourself. It was already packed, horny and sweaty bodies pushing up against each other, and the smell of weed hangs suspended in the air. You start looking for Jake, and you immediately head for the back porch. You don’t find Jake there, however you find Sunghoon and Heeseung setting up a new game of beer pong. “Sunghoon! Heeseung!” You call out, rushing toward them. “Where’s Jake?”

Sunghoon beams at you. “Y/N! Hey! Jake took Sunoo to the bathroom. He’s wasted.”

“Awesome! Thanks!” You dash back into the house and climb the stairs, hoping there was a bathroom on the second floor of this frat. Pushing open every door, you only find bedrooms with two, or three people, making out on the beds. With apology after apology, your search for Jake and Sunoo and a bathroom is futile.

Then, a door at the end of the hall opens and out spills Jake and Sunoo. Your heart leaps in your chest, and you can’t tell if it’s in excitement or nervousness for what’s about to happen. “Jake!” You shout.

Jake perks up hearing your voice, and his lips break out into a massive grin. He abandons Sunoo’s side and rushes up to you, wrapping you in a warm hug. He sloppily kisses your cheek. “Y/N!” He was tipsy. “I missed you so much.” He holds you tighter and nuzzles his face in your neck.

This was going to be hard.

“Jake,” you say softly. “We need to talk.”

—-

You and Jake were sitting at a bus shelter near the frat house throwing the party. Your leg shakes as you work up the courage to end the fake relationship you have with Jake. You don’t know why you were hesitating all of a sudden. Why were you afraid of ending this relationship with Jake?

“Jake,” you start softly. “I think -- I think.” You inhale. You can do this. You can spit it out. “I think we should end the fake relationship.”

“Huh?” Jake tilts his head to the side. He really is a puppy.

“Jake. We need to break up. Or whatever.”

Jake’s eyes widen. “Break up? Why?”

This was the hard part. You’ve never dated someone so you’ve never experienced a break up before. How were you supposed to do this? How were you supposed to tell Jake to never contact you again because you don't fit in his world? You don’t fit beside him?

“I’m calling this whole agreement off,” you rephrase. You aren’t sure if this is an actual break up if you were never in a real relationship in the first place.

“Why?” Jake asks, and he looks sober. “We don’t have that much longer left.”

“I just feel like I did what you needed me to do. I stayed your girlfriend long enough to meet your parents. Now, it just feels pointless to keep this whole agreement going. I’ll transfer you back the money, and you can stop driving me around everywhere.”

“Y/N,” Jake says gently. He reaches for your hand and you retract it, dismissing the hurt on his face.

The thing about love; you don’t understand it. You’ve never understood love because you’ve never been in love. It’s confusing and tricky. Why does your heart beat a certain way around Jake, and not anybody else? You love your friends, sure, but it’s a different love to the one you feel with Jake. Love is weird, and confusing, and tricky, and unforgiving. You feel naive at the hands of love because it makes everything you thought you understood, more complex and hard to understand.

You used to know the difference between like and love and now you’re not so sure anymore.

You used to find love confusing, but now it’s complex with more instructions written in the fine print you never read in the first place. When your heart begins to beat a different tune, everything in you changes; how you behave, how you talk, how you dress, and how you look. Love changes you. For better or for worse.

“Jake, I don’t think we should stay friends after,” you admit, standing from the seat. The lamplight next to the bus shelter flickers slightly. A strong wind picks up and whips your hair into your face. Jake doesn’t move an inch, hurt and confusion plastered all over his face. “We’re two different people from two different families. We would’ve never worked out, no matter how badly I wanted this to be real.” The confession slips from your lips without a warning.

Jake looks anguished and he tries to reach for you again. You take a step back and the wind blows more harshly, rattling the bus shelter. “Jake. I don’t fit in with you. Or your family. I don’t fit in the world you’re living in.”

Jake tries to interrupt but you don’t let him. “It hurt me that night, when you offered no support, when you barraged me with your family dinner. I was underprepared, Jake, and I was left humiliated as your mother ripped my life apart in front of your relatives who I really wanted to impress no matter if they don’t hold value in your life.”

“Jake, I really, really like you.” You don’t understand the difference between like and love. Maybe you never will. Maybe you just really like Jake. “But we’d never work if this became real because right now, it’s fake, and I feel…” You shrug, unable to form a coherent sentence. “It’s just messing with me. And the dinner --”

“It was my mom, Y/N,” Jake interrupts, finally finding his voice. “You know how she is.”

“She’s manipulative and controlling. You told me yourself Jake,” you shoot back. “And I’m not looking for a fight Jake, I just think it’s time you actually put actions to your words. She shouldn’t still control your life. You’re twenty. Not sixteen.”

“Y/N --”

“Your mother humiliated me, Jake. She made me feel stupid for not knowing Korean.” Tears well in your eyes. “And you know what’s even stupider? She didn’t even believe for a second that you loved me. Your silence really spoke a thousand words, Jake. And not just for me.”

Jake sighs and glances away and towards the party that was happening behind him. “Is this because of the Instagram story Fran posted of us?”

You shake your head, bitterness spilling across your tongue. “No. I know you don’t like her like that, Jake. I mean, for a moment I was jealous but then I remembered she cheated on you and I know you’re better than that, Jake. And then I remembered, you didn’t tell me what ‘family dinner’ actually meant, and then you let your mother humiliate me in front of, pretty much, your entire family, and you’re still acting like you did nothing wrong when all I wanted was your support. Is that too much to ask for? I really tried to sell this relationship, Jake, but your mother saw right through us because of your silence.”

Jake drops his head, “I’m sorry, Y/N.”

You huff and the first tear drops. “Your family is really shitty, Jake.”

“I know.” 

“And you can be better than them.”

“I know.” 

“I really wished I didn’t feel so alone during that dinner.” 

Jake raises his head. He looks pitiful. “I’m sorry, Y/N.” 

“Don’t contact me, Jake, we’re done.” 

Jake physically recoils at your words. “Y/N --” 

“I hope I’m able to get over you, Jake. I really hope I am.” You step away from Jake, and above you, lightning crackles through the sky. “I had a nice time with you, Jake.” 

Jake lets you go as thunder booms overhead. 

—-

“Do you think I was overreacting?” You ask Wonyoung as you lie on your bed. It’s been a week since you last saw or heard from Jake and as much as you wish you didn’t, all you could think about was Jake. How stupid, immature, and hypocritical of you. “Maybe I was. Maybe it wasn’t that deep.” 

Wonyoung hums. “No. I think you did good. You know what you want in a relationship, Y/N. You want someone who can stand up for you against his parents. Your reaction was valid.” 

You roll over in your bed and face Wonyoung who was probably texting Sunghoon as she lay on her own bed across from you. “I miss him,” you admit softly and then promptly shove your face in your pillow to scream. “But I hate him for what he did -- but I really really miss him.” 

“You liked him a lot, Y/N,” Wonyoung says gently. “Of course you’ll miss him.” 

You roll onto your back again and stare at the ceiling. “He was nice to me. And kind. And thoughtful, and he was funny and charming and so polite and he made me feel warm and safe and comfortable and --” You look at Wonyoung who was smiling at you, her phone discarded. “I think I almost fell in love with him.” 

“I think he almost fell in love with you too,” Wonyoung says. 

You shake your head. “I don’t know about that.” 

Wonyoung checks the time on her phone and gasps, leaping off her bed. “Fuck. It’s so late. I need to get going for my lecture. Do you want me to buy anything when I’m walking back?”

“Chocolate milk?” You ask Wonyoung. “I think I need chocolate milk.” 

Wonyoung smiles and pats your shoulder. “Of course.” 

You lie in bed for the rest of the day, thinking over your relationship with Jake. You hate to admit it, but to you, for the most part, the relationship felt real -- especially when Jake joined your family during Christmas. Nothing felt more real than you curled up on Jake’s lap, sharing laughter and trading jokes. 

“Hey Wonyoung,” you ask a few hours later, after she’s returned with your chocolate milk. (The bottle is now empty as it lies at the foot of your bed.) “Do you think I was a bit too naive in the relationship? Sure, we’re only two years apart, but our maturity is probably ten years apart. Was I asking for too much?”

Wonyoung shakes her head. “You weren’t asking for too much. Jake was just giving too little. He wasn’t providing you with the emotional support a relationship needs.” 

“But when we were alone,” you say quietly, “he did. He comforted me. He told me reassuring words and made me feel wanted. I don’t know why he did what he did at dinner. Clearly that’s a can I’ll never have the privilege of popping open or asking about.” Sighing, you squeeze your stuffed toy dog closer to your chest. “But I do think I was naive. I fell too fast for Jake. I am only eighteen, after all.” 

“You fell first but he fell harder,” Wonyoung says. 

“You think so?”

“I know so.” 

You shut your eyes and sigh again. “When I think of Jake, I think of him spending Christmas with me and my family. He’s just…so happy. So fucking happy. And it makes me feel happy. See? I fell too fast, and too deep, and now I don’t know if I’ll ever get over him.” 

Wonyoung laughs softly. “And why do you think he felt happy, Y/N?”

A light blush tints your cheeks. “I like to imagine he felt happy because he was with me.”

—-

Exam season creeps up on you fast, and to deal with your stress you start going out on runs -- like right now. With loud Olivia Rodrigo blasting through your airpods, you jog down the sidewalk of a quiet suburban street. Since summer is near, the sun burns brighter and sweat easily soaks you. 

On this run, you bump into Riki. 

“Riki!” You exclaim in surprise when you spot the familiar boy walking towards the nearby park that houses a baseball diamond. He’s carrying his overstuffed baseball bag and has headphones on, but at the sound of your voice, he whirls around and tugs them off. 

“Y/N,” he responds, his voice smooth and neutral. “Wanna play baseball?”

So, you find yourself pitching to Riki and retrieving the balls he hits out into the field, deja vu washing over you. He doesn’t speak to you until the end. Concern that you’ve angered him washes over you as you watch him take a long sip of water from his water bottle. 

“I’m not mad at you,” Riki says, wiping his forehead with a towel. “So can you stop looking at me like that?”

“Sorry,” you mumble, blushing. 

“If anything, I’m glad you broke up with Jake.”

You gape at the younger boy and watch him back up his stuff. “What?” 

“He needed this wake up call. He has so much personal shit going on in his life that he never had the balls to face, and I guess whatever you said to him when you broke up with him really slapped him awake. I’ve never seen Jake this happy, or appear this light, y’know? Like before, it felt like he was dragging this dead weight around with him but ever since he cut off his family and dealt with personal issues, it’s like that dead weight is gone.” Riki harshly shoves his baseball glove into his overflowing bag. 

“I mean, you know Jake is emotionally constipated in a way.” 

You snort. “Ain’t that the truth. We would only brush the surface level of his…childhood trauma. He would tell me measly things -- like how his parents never had time for him, and how his mother was extremely controlling and his father was demanding, but that’s all. We never, like, actually talked about his feelings.” 

Riki nods his head, picking up his bat and swinging it through the air. “Jake’s actually talking about his feelings now, by the way. He’s been talking to his brother more recently and finally caved into Jay’s nagging and booked a therapy appointment.” 

“Oh wow,” your eyes widened. “Therapy?” 

Riki nods his head. “He wants to get better.” The look Riki gives you says everything. 

Running back home, your steps feel lighter. You’re able to study with a clear mind and when you exit the exam halls you feel as if you just aced all those tests. You don’t know why, but knowing that Jake is working towards a better self, makes you feel happy. You’re glad Jake is working on himself, and has support all around him. You feel the urge to reach out to him, but you fight it away by keeping yourself occupied by hanging out with Wonyoung and your friends. 

You occasionally run into Riki and Heeseung while out on your runs. They keep you updated on Jake, letting you know how he’s doing and what he’s doing. It’s nice to still be in touch with Jake’s friends, it’s nice to see that they don’t resent you for breaking up with Jake. Jay reaches out to you once, inviting you to his birthday party. You turn down the invitation and Jay says he understands. Then, he thanks you for taking care of Jake. 

Your pride holds you back from unblocking Jake on Instagram so you create a burner account solely to keep yourself updated on Jake’s whereabouts during summer break. He takes Heeseung, Jay, Sunghoon, Sunoo, Jungwon, and Riki back to Milan, Italy where they shop at Prada, eat tons of pasta and pizza, and get drunk on Italian wine. Based on the stories they post, the Milan trip was quite eventful. 

The start of your second year approaches quickly and you still haven’t reached out to Jake yet. You’ve unblocked his number and drafted up a few text messages asking Jake if he wants to talk, or meet up, but you’ve never had the guts to send them. You’re afraid of the outcome, you’re afraid of finding out that Jake never wants to see you again, but you’d understand if Jake requests that. 

It’s the last day before you move back into the dormitory. You’re lounging on the couch with Myeong who is watching Crazy Rich Asians while she paints her toes. You’re laser focused on your phone, struggling to come up with a text to send to Jake. You really want to see him again. 

Someone knocks on your door.

“I’ll get it,” you tell Myeong, gladly distracting yourself from the daunting task you assigned yourself. Dressed in old, short, denim shorts, and a ratty old t-shirt that boasts Disneyland’s 50th Anniversary, you open the door. “Hi--” 

Jake stands on your doorstep, holding a bouquet of red roses. His hair is slicked back. He’s wearing a white blouse that’s been paired with black slacks. He looks breathtaking. Literally. You can’t breathe. 

“Y/N,” Jake smiles gently, and holds out the bouquet for you to take. “You look beautiful.” 

You snort, still unable to move. 

“Don't leave me hanging, Y/N,” Jake says. 

“What are you doing here, Jake?” You finally find your voice, and your arm reaches out to take hold of the rose bouquet. 

“I’ve done a lot of thinking,” Jake admits. “And a lot of that thinking has been about you.” 

You stare at Jake, wide-eyed, and if you were able to see yourself, there’s probably stars in your eyes. You grip the rose bouquet tighter. “You’ve been thinking? About me?” 

Jake nods his head. “About you. And our time together. And I realized that if we had spent more time together, I would have fallen in love with you.” 

You feel faint. “Oh, wow.” Your mouth feels dry, and it’s hard to breathe. 

“You’re very lovable, Y/N,” Jake’s smile is just as bright as the sun, and his eyes hold galaxies that are far prettier than the one you’re existing in. “And I’m sorry for making you feel alone. Friends or dating, I should never let someone feel like that. I’m sorry for not standing up for you.” 

“It’s okay, Jake,” you laugh off the insanity you’re feeling. “I’m over it. Really.” 

“I’m sorry for hurting you, Y/N.”

You smile softly, raising the roses to your nose. “It’s okay, Jake.” 

Jake nods his head. “Alright. Cool. I’m -- I’m glad.” He looks up at the sky, with tense shoulders, and closes his eyes. He looks unsure of himself and you let out a small, amused giggle. Jake glances back at you, and everything in him relaxes. He inhales deeply. “So, I was wondering, Y/N, if you’d like to go out with me. Tonight. On a real date.” 

It’s silent for a long time. 

“You can say no --”

“You’re a very hard person to get over, Jake,” you admit. 

“I am?”

You nod your head. “I think it’s stupid how you still occupy my heart.” 

“It’s stupid?”

You smile. “Very stupid. But that’s okay, because it makes me stupidly in love with you.” 

“Oh.” 

“Give me fifteen minutes. Myeong’s watching Crazy Rich Asians, so you can keep her company while I get changed and --”

Jake cuts you off with a kiss. His lips are warm against yours. When he draws away, his eyes are like molten honey. It’s like he’s melting right in front of you, love oozing from every inch of skin that you can see. “Sorry,” Jake flushes. “I couldn’t help myself. You look really cute, Y/N.” 

You draw Jake back in for another kiss. 

#enhypen #enhypen x reader #enhypen x you #enhypen jake #enhypen fluff #enhypen angst #enhypen imagine #enhypen imagines #enhypen au #sim jaeyun #sim jake #love me like you #jake sim #enhypen x female reader #enhypen x y/n

[en-dazed]

super shy - yang jungwon

PAIRINGS: nerd!jungwon x popular! reader

GENRES: fluff, nothing but fluff, jungwon pining over reader

WARNINGS: none??? won is very shy and kinda antisocial in this, reader is more confident than won

SYNOPSIS: jungwon isn’t used to having company when he’s studying - especially when the company is one of the most popular girls in school

WORD COUNT: 2.5k

written specifically for @gardenwons 🫶🏼

It wasn’t an uncommon sight to see Jungwon hunched over a bunch of books at the library. On most days, he would be there till the librarian kicks him out - too lost in his books to notice how late it had gotten. 

The library wasn’t the most popular place. Jungwon had gotten used to being the only person to frequent it, occasionally accompanied by a stressed out student or two late minute cramming for exams. He was so used to being alone that he noticed almost immediately when you started to appear at the library. 

He knew you - of course he did. Almost everyone in the school knew you. You were friendly with everyone and no one ever had anything bad to say about you. When you passed by, the world stopped to stare. 

Jungwon could see why, too. You were stunning.

He was at the library, trying to read an article he needed for a paper when you entered. Your gaze swept around the room before landing on him, an impossibly bright smile blooming on your face. You waved.

He blinked.

You were waving at him.

What. The fuck.

He tried to go back to reading, but it was too late. You had noticed him noticing you and decided that he needed your attention. You sat across from him, picking up a random book off the shelf and started flipping through it, acting as though you didn't have anything else to do.

He glanced back at you, wondering if maybe you were reading. But, no - you were glancing up at him, looking at him with those wide eyes.

He glanced back down at his book, face warming slightly.

"Can I help you?" He tried to ask in the most casual way possible. He knew his tone was off, but you didn't seem to notice.

"Not at all!" You said with that smile again, leaning over the table to peer at the article he was reading. "I just thought you looked lonely."

His head snapped up to look at you and he had to force himself to look away. He didn't say anything.

"I'm Y/N." You offered your hand out to shake and he stared at it, then back up at you. You frowned and pulled your hand back, looking down. "Sorry. Was that too weird? I just... I just wanted to say hi."

"Uh, no." He rushed, shaking your hand. "No, I'm just... I'm Jungwon."

Your smile returned and he felt his face warming again. He looked back down at his book and cleared his throat. "So, um, what are you here to do?"

"Oh! I have a test coming up and I needed to study for it." He glanced up at you again and caught a glimpse of your paper. It was all in Spanish, not a word of it in Korean.

He watched you for a moment and then you both glanced up at each other and quickly looked away.

He started to get flustered again. He took a breath and tried to focus on his work. "So, do you need any help with... um..."

You chuckled. "No, no. It's fine."

"Are you sure? I mean, I can help if you want. I can teach you some stuff..."

You smiled again and his stomach dropped. He had a feeling that would be happening a lot with you around. 

He watched you for a while as you flipped through a book and went to the bookshelf to retrieve another one. You came back, settling down to read again. He continued to look over the article until you asked if he could help.

"Oh!" He said, voice cracking. "I mean, um... sure, if you want. Do you have any questions?"

"A million." You laughed.

He did a lot more smiling that day.

It became routine. He would come to the library for a few hours, finish up some homework, and then you would walk in, say hi, and you two would study together.

You started to take your books to the table next to his, leaving a gap between the two of you so you weren't too close. You still would wave when you saw him and he still would be a little flustered.

"Why are you always here so late?" You asked one day as he finished up his work. You were already packed, leaving you free to do whatever you wanted. He wondered if you would leave.

"I like to read."

You laughed. "Well, yeah, but this is the last day before our final. We don't have any homework. We don't have tests left. What are you doing here?"

"Reading."

You snorted. "You are so funny."

"Thank you?" He glanced up at you, laughing. "It's my only source of entertainment around here."

"Are you not in any clubs? Or a team? What do you do in your free time?"

"I don't do anything."

You looked at him. "Not even in the winter?"

"Not in the winter."

"So..." You looked down at your book. "I guess I'm the only thing keeping you company in the library."

He swallowed.

"That's not a bad thing." You laughed again and his chest tightened. "I like it. I'm not a fan of being alone."

He looked away and smiled softly. "Me either."

You were right. You were the only thing keeping him company. He liked that you were there - no, loved that you were there.

He loved to hear you laugh and watch the way your nose scrunched up whenever you laughed. But despite how close the two of you had become in such a short time, it all stayed within the confines of the library. When the day would end and the both of you would close your books, you would return to how things were before. Jungwon never had the courage to approach you outside of the library when you were surrounded by your friends and you never seemed to notice him when there were other people around. 

You were a constant fixture in his life and he didn't even know it. He tried not to think about it too much - how much he wanted to get closer to you.

"What did you get for question four?"

Jungwon glanced up at you.

You were laying across the table, papers strewn about you as you tried to finish your final project. He looked down at his notes, trying to remember what the answer was.

"Thirty..." He tried to think.

"Thirty... six?" You asked.

"No. Thirty..."

You looked up at him.

He could see your eyes in the dim light and he tried to remember to breathe. "Thirty... five."

You sighed. "Thirty five. Are you sure?"

"Y-yeah."

You let out a soft laugh, looking down again.

His stomach felt warm. He wanted to keep this feeling forever. He tried to memorize this moment - this moment where he felt this way and wanted to feel that way.

"Thirty five, got it." You mumbled. You rolled off the table and gathered your papers together. "Well, that was a bust."

"We still have a few days." He tried. "You could work on it tomorrow."

"I could." You looked down at the paper and smiled. "But then I wouldn't be able to spend time with you. And I've really grown to love that part."

He looked down at his paper, trying to hide the goofy smile that had slipped onto his face. 

"And, hey - if I keep getting answers wrong, maybe I'll have to come here for help more often." You continued. 

He felt his face grow warm and he cleared his throat. "Yeah. Okay."

"Are you okay? You look like you're on fire."

"Yeah." He cleared his throat again. "Just... I'm okay."

You looked at him, tilting your head. "Okay. If you say so. I should probably get going, though. See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah." He said, nodding.

"Alright. Bye!"

He watched you leave and sighed. He rested his forehead against his book for a moment before finally gathering up his things to head home. He tried to think of anything else to distract himself from how he felt about you, but it was no use. He couldn't get you out of his head.

"Since when have you been dating Y/N?”

Jungwon nearly choked on his drink.

He stared at Sunghoon across the table, mouth agape as he tried to find the words to say. Sunghoon seemed slightly amused at his reaction. 

"What do you mean, when did we start dating? We aren't dating. We just..." He trailed off as Sunghoon gave him an unimpressed look. "We just study together, I guess."

“Studying? Is that all you really do when you’re alone with her every single day? Just studying? That's boring."

Jungwon huffed. "We aren't dating. We're just friends. We just happen to sit next to each other in the library."

Sunghoon leaned back. "She likes you."

Jungwon nearly choked again.

"No she doesn't. She's nice to everybody. She's like that. She's friendly." He was talking too quickly. He was becoming flustered again and Sunghoon could see it. "I'm telling you, we aren't dating. She's... she's not my type."

"I never said she was your type. I just said that she likes you."

"No she doesn't."

"I can see it on her face. She's so into you."

"You haven’t even seen her face when she’s around me!"

Sunghoon laughed, leaning forward again. "Look, it's obvious. She comes over here with all these papers and she starts talking about something dumb that she doesn't really care about - like physics is so hard or whatever, and she looks at you like you hung the moon or some shit."

Jungwon scoffed. "She doesn't look at me like anything. We're friends. I don't look at her any particular way."

"Uh-huh." Sunghoon took a sip of his drink. "Sure."

Jungwon huffed again, leaning back in his seat. He didn't know what Sunghoon was talking about - what he was saying about you. He could tell you were friendly - more friendly than anyone else he knew. But Sunghoon couldn't possibly know how you looked at him.

But maybe he did.

He thought back to the way you acted in the library, the way you leaned closer to him or laughed at his dumb jokes. He thought about how your eyes looked when he was helping you.

Maybe Sunghoon was right. Maybe you did like him.

"Hey!" You said as you approached his table. You had a large pile of books with you, but you seemed determined not to let it hinder your energy. "How's it going?"

"Good." He smiled at you. "How was your weekend?"

"Great. I’ve almost got my final project done and I'm pretty proud of it." You started to set up your work again, pulling out the same papers he was familiar with.

"Good." He said as you set up the same way he always saw you. "I'm sure it's going to be great."

"Yeah? You think so?"

"Definitely."

"That means a lot coming from you." You grinned at him. "You've helped me so much. I can't thank you enough."

He felt his face warm and he looked away, trying to hide his smile. "It's no big deal. I like doing it. I like being able to help you."

You chuckled and he heard the scrape of your chair on the floor. He glanced up at you, surprised by your sudden closeness. You were sitting on your chair, but leaning towards him.

"I've really grown to love this. Hanging out with you. I don't know what I would do if you stopped helping me."

Jungwon swallowed, looking at your lips. He knew that he shouldn't do this - he knew that he shouldn't think of you like this. He shouldn't be looking at you in that way.

But he couldn't help it.

He looked up and saw that your eyes were wide, your bottom lip between your teeth. He was close enough to touch you and he wanted to - oh how he wanted to.

He could feel your breath on his face and his own breath quickened. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what to say.

So he did nothing.

And then you did something.

You leaned forward, lips grazing his before you pulled back, eyes wide.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry." You said. You moved back to your chair and you were out of his reach. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking. I wasn't thinking. Oh my god."

He was staring at you now, too stunned to move.

"I'm sorry." You repeated. "I wasn't... I don't know what... I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

You were getting up now, collecting your things. He watched as you went.

"Wait!" He said.

You stopped. You turned around. "What's wrong?" You asked.

Jungwon hesitated for a moment. "I like you."

You blinked at him.

"I like you." He repeated. "And I think I want to date you."

You stayed silent.

He continued. "I was just going to tell you but... you kissed me." He laughed. He was slightly hysterical. He couldn't believe what had happened.

You took a breath. "Really?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "I just wanted to tell you, I guess. I don't even know if you like me too."

"I do." You said quickly. "I do like you. Jungwon why do you think I’ve been coming here everyday for the past few weeks? I don’t even like studying!”

He blinked. "Then why...?"

"Because I like you." You laughed and walked back to him. "I've liked you for a long time now, actually. Since the first day I saw you. But you never seemed interested in talking to anyone in class and I knew you come here often so…” You shrugged. "It's your fault for being so cute, by the way. I had to come over and be your friend so I could be close to you."

He laughed. He felt his heart racing. He was grinning. "I'm glad you did."

"Yeah?" You asked, smiling. "I'm glad I did too."

He leaned forward, kissing you again. Your lips were soft, warm against his. His eyes fluttered closed as he felt your hands on his face, fingertips light on his cheeks.

He pulled back, resting his forehead against yours. He could see your smile, bright and wide. You laughed softly and he felt his heart fluttering.

You leaned back in for another kiss, pressing your lips against his. You tilted your head, trying to deepen the kiss and he complied, leaning into it. You brought a hand to the back of his head, threading your fingers through his hair. He pressed a hand against your cheek, fingers wrapping around the side of your neck.

"So what do we do now?" You asked, breathless.

"Well, I think you have a project to finish.”

You laughed, rolling your eyes. "You're impossible."

He smiled. "I can help."

"Is that all you want to do?"

"I want to kiss you too."

You giggled. "I'd like that."

Jungwon leaned in, kissing you again. He felt like he was in a dream - the same one that he had been having since that day you had walked into the library.

But now it was real. You were real. He was kissing you. He was holding your hand. And you were his. And he couldn’t have been happier. 

#jungwon fluff #jungwon headcanons #jungwon x reader #jungwon imagines #enhypen jungwon #enhypen fluff #enhypen headcanons #enhypen x reader #enhypen drabbles #enhypen imagines #jungwon drabbles

[inktailsaystuff]

Horangi and König Couple Headcannons

Tw: Mentions of Intimacy

Pre-relationship~

Horangi… my poor man… was allergic to healthy relationships

Mutual pining go brrrrrrrrrrrr

Konig was very awkward about flirting (social anxiety go brrrrr)

Horangi would flirt but the moment he thought Konig was flirting back he would sprint for the hills

Konig will collect trinkets and leave them in Horangi’s room

Konig remembers everything Horangi mentions about himself/what he likes etc.

Horangi likes doodling Konig drawings that he will never show

Drunk flirting is a thing

Both get very touchy when drunk and everyone else thinks they should get a room

Horangi carries around a spare mask for Konig since he knows that Konig values his DIY mask 

Konig once made Horangi a tiger plushie

Both tried to learn each other's language on duolingo to impress each other

Horangi also tried to flirt by being mean...

It made Konig sat and Horangi cooked him food to apolagise

Konig confessed after Horangi got critically injured and the realisation that one may die in battle knocked some sense into him. 

1 week of awkwardness

Then they just kiss through the mask and decide they are dating (they is Horangi)

Relationship~

Konig is a lovesick puppy 

He just kinda follows Horangi around trying to help him in any way he can

Horangi now gives his little doodles to Konig he's a blushing mess the whole time

Are properly learning each others languages

Horangi gives Konig korean lessons when they return from missions

Konig just talks to Horangi in German and then translates 

Horangi taught Konig to gamble

Konig gave Horangi a gambling limit each month (he can only gamble 500$)

They share a room and sleep together in the same bed

Konig is small spoon but sometimes is big soon

Konig likes giving Horangi knuckle kisses

Horangi likes giving Konig cheek kisses (he must stand on his tiptoes)

They have matching bracelets 

Horangi will cook korean food for Konig… but the poor austrian can't handle spice :<

Konig does like kimchi but he cries when eating it

Horangi doesn't like schnitzel… but he will eat it if Konig cooked it,

Konig is deathly scared to spiders and insects in general and Horangi has to kill all of them 

Konig likes picking Horangi up and holding him close to his chest

Intimacy is interesting…

They are both basically switches and will gladly give each other the world

Konig is scared he will hurt Horangi

Horangi is just happy that he gets to do this with Konig

Kinky af

No I won't list them 

Aftercare is very wholesome and fluffy and lots of cuddles after 

Konig is possessive in the sense that he's worried that he's not good enough for Horangi

But Horangi will happily tell Konig that he's good enough and will happily indulge in making him feel better

Horangi enjoys flusturing Konig, he lives for it

They are very private about their relationship on base

Konig and Horangi once they retire from the military want to just live a chill life with a house, and a garden, with a few pets

#korangi #kim horangi hong jin #konig mw2 #konig cod #konig call of duty #horangi cod #horangi call of duty #horangi x könig #konig x horangi #fluff #idiots in love #cod #callofduty #call of duty #honig

[buckrecs]

Hi☺️☺️ hope you’re having a great end of year! i saw in a recent post that you live in korea and I don’t see many people living in korea or koreans (if you are) on here so that was a nice surprise!!! not my fave account living right in the same country as me🫢

could u plz rec any bucky x avenger!reader or agent!reader fics if u know any?? they’ve been my favourites to read recently. thanks a lot!!!!

Avenger / Agent Reader

masterlist | req masterlist

Heyyy!! I’m korean and I live in korea too🥺 So nice to meet a fellow korean on tumblr 새해복 많이 받으세요🫶

And here are some Avenger/Agent!Reader oneshots!

I really wanted to add everything that I read in the past but I couldn’t, so please check out other works these amazing writers wrote! (My following page is public too😉)

delicate by @mediocre-daydreams

this ain't for the best my reputation's never been worse, so you must like me for me.

the one where the protein shake plays matchmaker by @mediocre-daydreams

you and bucky barnes can find any reason to hate each other. new york can find any reason to believe you two are together. when steve asks you to do a co-interview with bucky, the two of you are barraged by dating rumors that you vehemently deny and it breaks bucky’s heart. do you really find the thought of being with bucky so revolting?

Obsession by @wkemeup

Targeted after your complicated relationship with Bucky ends up on every news channel in the city, your stalker takes things into his own hands to ensure that you belong to him, and him alone.

I Told You To Be Patient by @shamevillain

Patience is a virtue and Bucky would love to be the one to bestow it upon you.

Worth The Risk by @itsapeterthing

when bucky and sam get captured you have to go in alone to save them leading to a worried, overprotective bucky who cares about you a bit more than a teammate should.

black out by @creativebeang

a black out in the middle of a mission leaves you and bucky in dark. an unfortunate situation may be the best opportunity to shed some light in deeper issues.

b.b. boy by @bucky-bucket-barnes

Bucky and you have been friends ever since he arrived that rainy at the Compound. Silently pining, you’d hope he would pick on the numerous hints you dropped. It’s not until a small miscommunication happens that he confronts his feelings for you.

Liability by @writing-for-marvel

Bucky takes you under his wing when you become the outcast of the new special forces team working with the Avengers.

If This Is The Last Time by @/writing-for-marvel

Bucky finds you bleeding out and he fears it will be his last opportunity to tell you how much he cares.

I Grew Up In The Shoes they Told Me I Could Fill by @nightowlwriting

you were built in the image of the winter soldier and with that comes blood on your hands. you do your best to find any sort of repentance in your new life with the avengers - your new life living with, and being in love with, bucky barnes. when your past comes back to haunt your present... well, you're not sure you'll get a future.

I Can Do More by @the-bau-quinjet

The team underestimates Y/N's strength until one day when her powers save them all.

Out Came The Sunshine by @sidepartskinnyjeans

A quiet evening takes a surprising turn when a new recruit moves into the compound.

You Deserve This by @bucky-bucky-bucky-bucky

As the newest member of the team, you’re doing your best to prove yourself- but doing so is difficult when you’re sick.

Six Days by @tmpestuous

make the effort to avoid Bucky during a mission after he upsets you in an argument, but things quickly take a turn for the worse. 

Welcome Notes by @snotwebs

You’ve been a S.H.I.E.L.D agent for many years now, but recently you’ve been on more and more missions with the Avengers, and so Fury decided it was time for you to move to the team’s wing in the tower. You are welcomed by everyone but there is just one person you still haven’t met. Bucky Barnes. You’ve heard so many stories about him, but he kept very much to himself. You decided to make it your mission to make Bucky feel as welcomed as you did, and so it all began with a note...

The Enemy within our own Ranks by @pherelesytsia

Y/N is injured during a mission.

restoring a legacy by @alisonsfics

you are there when bucky finds out about the “new cap”

Art Therapy by @invisibleanonymousmonsters

#bucky barnes fic rec #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes x f!reader #winter soldier x reader #bucky barnes x agent!reader #bucky barnes x avenger!reader #bucky barnes angst #bucky barnes fluff #bucky barnes smut #bucky barnes oneshot

[whatudowhennooneseesyou]

How do you think Minho would be when's he's crushing on someone? I see a lot of people saying he'll be all flirty and go for it, but personally, I think he'll be a cute mess. Have you seen him with Han? He'll be so shy and most likely admire from afar. He won't act on it immediately, and he'll be so obvious about it that even you would know

Share your opinions

Hello @lyramundana !

I have your Bang Chan request saved in my drafts and I will get around to it eventually...I promise you it will be published eventually.

Lee Know is a bit tricky because his personality when he speaks English is a lot different to when he speaks Korean so I guess it would depend on the fluency of the other person I suppose.

His Scorpio stellium indicates he's very good at playing poker face so he's probably the type that could be PINING for you for YEARS and never notice.

The second-lead 'I confessed too late' type of piner.

I feel like he would be the type to send you teasing text messages or a quick 'have you eaten dinner?' text before flirting with you in person.

I'm not sure if it's true or not but I would love...LURRRRVE IT if Lee Know's way of catching the eye of a person he was interested is...

'Hey, do you want to see this cute thing my cat did? He doesn't do this a lot but I think it's funny so I thought I'd show you'.

Or he might make you pudding randomly and shrug nonchalantly about it and say...

'Oh, I just had some extra and thought you might want some'.

Even though he spent an hour making it.

#idk if lee knows lee knows this #but i hope this does #because i can imagine his eyes twinkle when he tells you about his cat #kpop hard hours #stray kids hard hours #skz hard hours #kpop astrology #astrology talk with ruby #lee know x reader #skz x reader #skz smut #skz soft hours #stray kids soft hours #stray kids fluff #skz fluff #lee know is cute #whatudowhennooneseesyou

[abysseung]

HEART ATTACK ! 💌 VERSION ONE

➸ SYNOPSIS It’s your last year at Sacred-Heart High and what better to start the year with a crush. Wait did I say a crush? Sorry, I meant a bunch of crushes. But hey, at least they like you too.

➸ PAIRING enha 02 line x fem!reader [schoolmate!jake x reader; frenemy!jay x reader; church boy!sunghoon x reader]

➸ GENRE smau, major major major crack, fluff, slight angst if u squint hard enough, high school au, friends to lovers, frenemies to lovers, childhood friends to lovers, soulmates to lovers??, mutual pining

➸ WARNINGS lots and lots of swearing; sex jokes; suggestive content; mentions of alcohol consumption, kys and kms jokes, smoking, suicide, sex

THIS WORK IS PURE FICTION, ALL THE IDOLS MENTIONED IN THIS DO NOT REFLECT WITH THEIR ACTUAL LIFE AND CAREER.

➸ STATUS COMPLETED (10/28/22 - 11/13/22)

➸ AUTHORS NOTE to whoever is seeing this fanfic, u are one lucky mf. this is actually my first smau (or i guess u could say fanfic) no way. this fic is supposed to be based on my love life experience in highschool cause i want ppl to know what i went through. please note that im trying to base this in the korean school system so if there’s anything wrong, please ignore :)

☆ playlist — «i'll give you everything, take my heart»

PLEASE DO NOT SPAM LIKE :) SPAM REBLOGS = OK! ; SPAM LIKE = BLOCK!

➸ PROFILES yn and her crush supporters bitchless losers too good boys unholy brothers extras

00 — back to school antics (prologue)

01 — jay’s deskmate??? (written + smau)

02 — yn’s kdrama life

03 — L word

04 — matching sonic pfps

05 — are u guys dating?

06 — not so first date (written + smau)

07 — heartbroken

08 — happy national boyfriend day

08 (1)— jisung and jisung bromance

08 (2) — beomgyu’s love letter

08 (3)— jiung’s discord kitten

08 (4) — chanhee gets a gf (real)

09 — mr closet man (written + smau)

10 — THE HANDS

10 (1) — arm wrestling match

10 (2) — hand slapping game

11 — wake up and break up

12 — panda keychain

13 — rip homeroom server

14 — caption (the chapter disappeared 😭)

15 — emo’s fave colour

16 — confession

17 — yn the wingwoman

18 — cousin reunion

18 (1) — fortnite buddies unite

19 — confession pt.2

20 — who do u like? (written + smau)

21 — who do i like?

22 — confession pt.3

23 — mr soulmate

24 — opposites attract (written + smau)

25 — bf material (written + smau) | alternative vers

26 — real love (written + smau)

27 — unlocked locker

28 — unlucky day

28 (1) — yunjin’s beomgyu’s yunjin’s nametag

28 (2) — kid pics

28 (3) — farewell ningning

28 (4) — jeongin is back

29 — to my lovers

CHOOSE YOUR ENDING

JAKE — JAY — SUNGHOON

31 — #jirina4life (after jay’s epilogue)

32 — THERES FOUR OTHER??? (after chapter 21)

33 — ur pfp looks like my bf (after sunghoon’s epilogue)

#💌 : heart attack ! #k-labels #kflixnet #jay #enhypen jay #jay enhypen #jay smau #jay social media au #jay x reader #jake #enhypen jake #jake enhypen #jake x reader #jake smau #jake social media au #sunghoon #enhypen sunghoon #sunghoon enhypen #sunghoon smau #sunghoon social media au #sunghoon x reader #enhypen #enhypen smau #enhypen social media au #enhypen x reader #kpop smau #kpop social media au #kpop #pooie

[onbearfeet]

Bloodstone Manor Location Masterpost

Okay, since the next bit of Monster Mash is gonna have to happen at/near Bloodstone Manor and Ted needs to go for a walk in the woods nearby, where do we think it is? The US and UK are the leading candidates in the fandom, but I need to pick a spot so my characters can get the fuck out of Ohio. My money is on the US, but I'm open to counterpoints.

Things to bear in mind:

1. Ulysses had a British accent. Elsa's accent is posh British. Verussa had an American accent, with some Broadway Mid-Atlantic that could suggest fancy New England OR just putting on airs. It's entirely possible one of the couple moved to be with the other, but that doesn’t settle which side of the ocean it happened on. Elsa's accent could be from a UK childhood OR a UK boarding school OR a choice to emulate her mother and annoy Verussa.

2. The house is old--or at least full of old stuff--but there's something of a history of Europeans bringing their weird-ass shit across the Atlantic and building absolutely batshit mansions in the US. Probably because there's more open space for it here.

3. The establishing shot of the rotunda shows it in hilly or mountainous terrain, with what looks like pine forest around it, and it sits on a parcel that is either big enough or far enough from neighbors that no one expects any outside response to roars, screams, explosions, etc. Either there's no one around to hear it or people REALLY mind their own business.

4. Of the hunters who make it to the funeral, one has a Scottish accent, two have American or Canadian accents, and one has what sounds like a South Korean accent (although apparently the actor was born in Argentina and moved to the US in the 90s, and I'm going off the many Korean-American voices I've heard at work, so "Korean-American" might be a better descriptor). Those are the people with connections to Ulysses and the time, resources, and motivation to show up to wherever this is. That suggests the location is most accessible to these people and not others. (Yes, I know, I've left out Jack's accent, but he was going to travel to wherever Ted was anyway; he had enough motivation that distance alone wasn't going to stop him.) North America has the numbers here; it's more likely that one Scot got on an international flight than that two North Americans did.

5. The guards are wearing "tacticool" BDUs and carrying some kind of zappy sticks or stun batons. The lack of guns is interesting and may indicate a location with stricter gun laws than the US ... or just that Verussa didn't want to accidentally kill her captive and that a lot of monsters are bulletproof anyway. The guards look and move a hell of a lot like an American tactical team and sound vaguely American when they're screaming. Would Verussa import guards, or hire local muscle? My money is on the latter.

6. Ulysses was old as balls. In the comics, he was positively ancient, and the opening narration implies he was old enough to be wearing pre-20th-century clothes in a flashback. He's definitely old enough to have gotten his hands on a nice piece of property in the UK, but also rich enough to have just bought a mountain in the US. He was also around for the last century-plus of history, and that may have affected his choice of headquarters. If the original Bloodstone Manor got bombed out during World War 2, for example, he might have moved to a less bomb-filled location.

7. Corpse Muppet! Verussa found somebody willing to turn her husband's remains into a Cryptkeeper animatronic. I have no idea whether that's a thing in the UK, but there are definitely enough weirdo taxidermists, puppeteers, and general pieces of work here that someone would take Verussa's money to do it. There are even subcultures here that traditionally sit the corpse up at the table for the wake, so it might not even be that weird to the right professional.

8. Flaming Tuba Guy is available for the funeral. Real Flaming Tuba Guy is American and takes his flaming tuba to Burning Man. I have no idea whether the UK is also a likely place to find a dude with a flaming tuba, but I have difficulty imagining a smooth process for getting a combination brass instrument/flamethrower through customs. I don't think there's a lot of international Flaming Tuba action unless private jets get involved. Wherever Flaming Tuba is from, I'm betting that's the jurisdiction where Bloodstone Manor is.

9. Jack makes it to Bloodstone Manor. Now, I've talked before about his being highly motivated and distance not being an obstacle for him, but if we assume he didn't use a magic portal or something (big if, I know), he had to go by land, sea, or air, and that takes time, no matter how motivated he is. Jack is centuries old, has a history of involvement with violence, and speaks with a Mexican accent. Wherever the Manor is, a dude matching that description was able to get there in time without setting off a ton of international alerts. The fact that Jack is as old as he is AND unknown to the hunters despite being a werewolf suggests that he prefers to keep a low profile, and by now he's practiced at it. He wouldn't want to leave a paper trail, especially when he's on a rescue mission that he knows will likely involve killing people. (I know he doesn't WANT to kill anybody, but the odds of him and Ted getting out of there with a zero body count were always slim. And he brought a bomb in his pocket.) Between his money and his accent, Jack would have an easier time moving around undetected in North America; he could reach a North American Manor by car rather than having to smuggle himself on a boat, charter a private plane (with a flight plan!), or go through customs at Heathrow or wherever. Not that he wouldn't risk getting on SHIELD's radar to save Ted, but if the hunt happened soon after Ted's capture, Jack would be more likely to physically reach the Manor in time if it were in North America.

10. Ted! Ted is at the funeral, obviously. In the comics, Ted canonically lives in the Everglades and honestly that's the best place for him. Verussa would have to have Ted transported from Florida to wherever the Manor is. All the logistical problems of moving Jack across an ocean are magnified in moving TED across an ocean. Again, it's much easier to move him within North America, which I'd consider a point in favor of a North American Manor. If the Manor were in the UK, wouldn't Verussa have gone for a victim based closer to home?

11. Sushi. "Let's do sushi; I owe you that." Apparently Jack and Ted have a history with sushi. I have absolutely no idea how common sushi restaurants are in the UK, but on the west coast of North America, you can pretty much throw a stick and hit one. (I know this because I moved last fall, and one of my first priorities in the new place was Find The Good Local Restaurants. Google was like OH, YOU WANT SUSHI?! HERE ARE TWENTY PLACES. Seriously, it's almost as common as pizza, at least in California.) I assume the boys aren't heading into a major urban center for food after their escape, so wherever Bloodstone Manor is, Jack thinks he can find a rural, exurban, or suburban sushi restaurant within a couple hours' travel (close enough that he can go, pick up their order, and make it back to Ted before raw fish goes funky). Sushi restaurants, at least in the western US, tend to be run by East Asian immigrants--part of the larger culture of immigrants starting restaurants within the first or second generation of arriving here. For stupid racist reasons, most East Asian immigration to the US took place after 1965, so there are a lot of sushi restaurants here that were established in or after the 1980s. Sushi restaurants also tend to be more common in coastal regions here, presumably because REALLY fresh ocean fish get more expensive and harder to acquire farther inland. Jack proposing sushi, if he and Ted are sitting on a log in the US, suggests they're somewhere near a coast, in a region with a sizable post-1965 East Asian immigrant population. (BTW, the reason I keep saying "East Asian" instead of "Japanese" is because a LOT of these restaurants in my area are run by Korean families, more rarely Chinese or Vietnamese ones. I've been in exactly one sushi restaurant here that was run by a Japanese family, and it was 40 years old.) Of course, I don't know shit about the takeout culture of the UK; maybe Yorkshire is full of sushi restaurants or something.

Conclusions.

Between the geography, the accents, the material culture, and the logistics, I think the balance of probability suggests that Bloodstone Manor is in North America, most likely the United States. There are multiple hilly or mountainous regions with pine forests near coasts, close enough to centers of East Asian immigration that the boys can reliably get their sushi.

So with all that in mind ...

#fanfiction #monster mash #werewolf by night #bloodstone manor #a fun thought exercise #seriously what's up with flaming tuba guy #damn now i want sushi #long post

[captain-mj]

Hello!! I didn’t know you also wrote for Körangi, but I am delighted to find out that’s the case. :D

How about something funny/fluffy for them? There’s a lot of hurt and pining already (and I love it, don’t get me wrong, but something a little bit more lighthearted would be amazing).

Maybe they go out for a date/cook together and the food ends up a bit too spicy for König? Austrian food is decidedly not spicy, so he wouldn’t be used to it. A tiny bit of hurt/comfort can be added if you wanna.

Looked up Austrian recipes for this as well as a scale of cultures to see exactly how spicy is Austrian spicy. Also, if anything is misspelled, just send me a message and I'll fix it!

König continued to stare at the menu, struggling a bit. He was studying Korean so he and Horangi could hold conversations, but reading was a fair bit harder for him. 

Horangi hummed. “Need help translating?”

König felt a spike of anxiety. “Sorry, I’m trying to lea-”

“König. I still can’t hold a conversation in German. You’re doing fine.” Horangi smiled. They were both wearing face masks, but most of their faces were uncovered. It let König see the way his eyes wrinkled as he smiled. “Now do you need help?”

“I think I recognize this one.” He pointed to Yukgaejang, remembering the version Horangi made. “I liked that one, right?”

“Yeah.” Horangi didn’t think anything of it. He ordered Miyeok Guk, having a craving for it lately, and ordered for König, lightly hooking their feet together under the table. “Thanks for coming out with me despite your anxiety.”

“Of course. I should... go out more.” König looked very unenthused at the idea which made Horangi laugh. He fidgeted with one of Horangi’s free hands, gently trailing his fingers over the curves of his hands. “You look lovely.”

Horangi hummed. “Du siehst wunderschön aus?” He said it like a question.

“Your pronunciation is getting better. Very good!” König smiled at him, kissing his hand gently. 

They brought the food out and König immediately realized his mistake at the smell. He had been trying more foods lately, mostly at everyone’s insistence that he could not survive off bread and potatoes, something he wasn’t sure he believed, so he had experienced spicy foods before. He’d be fine. 

One bite. 

He was not fine. 

König covered his mouth to hide his coughing, very aware of the fact that people could see him. His face turned red both from embarrassment, lack of air and the intense burning feeling in his mouth.

“Yeobo!” Horangi sounded worried, leaning over to pat his shoulder. He realized what it was and bit his tongue to keep from laughing. “You okay?”

König coughed harder and quickly nodded, though he clearly wasn’t. He drank the water he had gotten, finishing most of it before setting the cup down. 

“Ah... I forgot I made it a lot less spicy when I cooked it for you...” Horangi rubbed his shoulder apologetically, though he was still fighting off laughter. 

König gave him a thumbs up and nodded, swallowing. He didn’t trust talking, checking to see if anyone saw that. 

“Do you want to try mine?” Horangi pushed the bowl between them. “If you like it, I can take yours.” 

König nodded and sipped it. It was a bit salty, but he really liked. He shyly swapped the bowls. 

Horangi smiled. “There you go. All good?”

“Ja.” König coughed out, sipping the soup. “I’ll be a bit more careful.”

“We’ll work on your tolerance, yeobo.”

#Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare II #Call Of Duty #Konig #König #Horangi #Körangi #König x Horangi #Horangi x König

[escaping-to-fiction]

Bucky was also a physics nerd (affectionate)

(Image direct from IMDB)

As a means of procrastination, I’ve been going down a rabbit hole of research about real life John “Bucky” Egan (mainly post war), and I noticed something interesting that I don’t think I have seen mentioned in the ‘Master of the Air’ Tumblr tags yet, so thought to share it, but apologies if I have missed it and this is common knowledge.

It also fits in well with the BAMF!Bucky, and highly competent and intelligent Bucky posts I have seen floating around in the last couple of days.

---

Gale Cleven wasn’t the only physicist/physics nerd (affectionate) in the 100th. It looks like that Bucky graduated from Georgetown University a couple of years (1948) after the war with a bachelors degree in Physics. This is mentioned in the USAAF bulletin/obituary about his death/funeral, and in at least one newspaper obituary about his death too (I am pretty sure I found a second newspaper article that mentioned it, but I lost track of it). (references are in the hyperlinks and shown as photos attached after the read more cut off)

According to this newspaper obituary, before the Korean war [but after Physics degree? my assumption], Bucky was the assistant director of education (must have been good at teaching?) at the Air Force ground operational school at Southern Pines, N.C. He became a full colonel while there in 1951.

His military obituary also says that after Bucky came back from the Korean war (1950-1953), he attended the National War College starting in the summer (August) of 1957 and then by July 1958 was back at work with new orders – a year would be enough time for a Masters degree, although I can’t find any further publicly available information regarding what he studied there.  

In the years between the Korean war and his time at the National War College, he was stationed in Japan and Hawaii.

(His Wikipedia page also mentions that before joining the USAAF that he also went to St. Thomas College in St. Paul, Minnesota, the only other source that says this is this newspaper obituary. No mention though of what he studied there.)

---

So, Bucky like Buck probably had multiple degrees which I thought was interesting in itself, but of particular interest was the fact that one of them was in physics. So I am now imagining Buck and Bucky both geeking out about maths/space/flying physics (aeronautics) etc. (maybe to the exasperation of everyone else). Or did Bucky pick up his physics interest from Buck and did he then attend every one of Buck’s calculus classes in the Stalag, or did he help him mark the homework? Lots of potential fanfic gold!

Below the cut there are some of the references as images if you don't want to use the links

(Tumblr has made this one blurry - HD image via this link, but I have added the whole text to the image description if that is more convenient)

#masters of the air #mota #john egan #bucky egan #John “Bucky” C. Egan #John C. Egan #historical background #and fanfic goldmine if you want #BAMF Bucky #intelligent Bucky #highly competent Bucky #Bucky isn't stupid #Physics #Physics geek #(affectionate)

[pinkbrries]

𝐀 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝.

➞ SUMMARY. Maybe making new friends wasn’t that bad at all, right?

↳ TW: nothing? as far as i know

↳ WORD COUNT: 1.7k words

➞ ERA: PRE-DEBUT

↳ [a/n: here is full scenario for june!! we love to see it<3 finally we know who is the best friend june was referring to👁👁 hope u enjoy this one !!] // bold words are in english // this is not proofread

SUMMER OF 2012

“Can you please hurry up, Junnie? We’re gonna be late!” A scoff is heard and then, the woman part of the staff gasps in feigned shock, “ya! don’t give me that attitude, young lady!”

One small chuckle can be heard, followed by the sound of light steps making their way to the front door: a ten-year-old june appears on the sight of the woman, the usual bright smile she always wears is adorning her face.

“Sorry unnie! I was just trying really hard to make my ponytail look good,” she pouts as she walks out of the room and closes the door behind her, seeing that her friends were already walking towards the elevator and pressing the button to call the metallic box over. “You know how ugly can get after the dance class!”

The woman slightly laughs, patting her shoulder and nodding. “You’re right, Minjun.”

Entering the elevator and hearing her friends talk, June starts wondering what she was going to be learning in today’s class, a tingle of excitement spreads through her tiny body and she can’t help but smile again at the thought.

This was her second year as a trainee, but she was the youngest out of the selected group to travel to Los Angeles and train there for a month during summer to refine their skills.

Minjun always wanted to go on a summer camp just like her friends back in England, and even if the experience wasn’t even a close one (because her friends would play around and Minjun would have to train from early morning until seven p.m), it was good enough for her.

Stretching has always been the easiest part for June, it was as if she was born to do this.

People around her that would also take the class were always nagging about stretching, but to her, it was her favorite part.

It allowed June to think about stuff like, how the weather was so hot in Los Angeles and how she preferred the cold season because it reminded her of the white-ish snow falling on the green, pine trees outside her house back in London, or how people here didn’t say ‘pardon’ and instead said ‘sorry’ if someone accidentally crashed with you on the busy downtown streets.

Or how there was a boy sitting on the other side of the busting room, a slight older boy that she hasn’t seen before (and well, it’s not like she has been in LA for a lot of days, since they had arrived like, four days ago) but it definitely sparked curiosity in her since… well,

He looked like he knew what he was actually doing.

“Okay, perfect! Let’s take a break,” the choreographer claps while turning around to face the class, “we’ll start filming in five, okay?”

She hears humming and more affirmative responses around her, the choreographer walks away and June takes this little time given to steal some more glances at the newcomer without getting distracted.

“—He looks korean,” she hears one of the trainees sitting beside her whispering and nodding, “I think Yoonah said she heard him talking in korean.”

“He’s a trainee… and I think he’s the only one from his company, I saw him entering with two persons, they told him they would be waiting outside—“

“How do you know that, Minkyu!?”

The boy raises both shoulders, a cheeky smile adorning his face. “I don’t know, maybe I just overheard a little.”

“Maybe you’re just nosy,” Moon, another girl there, rolls her eyes. And while the group of trainees starts discussing and laughing, June decides on taking mental notes about the lonely boy sitting in a corner of the crowded room.

He looked like he was kinda the same age as her, maybe a little bit older like the trainees that were with her, he had dark hair and kind but shy brown eyes, and he looked pretty tall.

Pouting in thought, she glances at the group of people beside her, and then she returns her eyes towards the stranger.

Yeah, June liked the other trainees, but they were… not her type of people at all. Sometimes they were a little too competitive with each other, and while Minjun tried to keep it friendly with all of them, she knew she couldn’t trust them since they always bad mouthed each other at their backs, as if that would make them debut or something.

Sigh. Maybe making new friends wasn’t that bad at all, right?

Standing from her seat, she makes her direction towards the stranger that captivated her curiosity, smiling a little when he looks up and locks eyes with her.

“Hi, hello!” Minjun says with an excited tone, standing in front of the boy and waving her hand in enthusiasm.

The boy went from confused, to nervous, to confused again, the timid boy blinks twice and mutters a greeting back, his hesitant hands doing an awkward gesture, making June smile.

In less than five seconds, June decides that she likes him because he seemed kind enough for her, and yeah, she might be ten and maybe she didn’t not know a lot about life, but this young stranger seemed nice.

Sitting in front of him and crossing her legs, Minjun beams brightly at him, extending a hand to greet him.

“Hi! My name is June, what’s your name?” Before the boy can answer, June gasps when she suddenly remembers something, “oh wait, do you speak korean? Because I do. Do you want us to speak in korean or english?”

Stunned by the sudden words coming quickly by the shorter girl’s mouth, the dark haired boy can’t help but let out a giggle.

“Uhm—,” he smiles slightly, extending his hand too so he can answer the greeting. “Yes, I’m korean, I don’t know a lot of english, so—“

“It’s okay! I’m korean too!” June interrupts again, and just like that, she starts making small conversation with the boy.

To the boy, there was something peculiar about how the girl talked with him with so much emotion: as if the both of them have been friends of each other for years and they just met after so long. It was a pleasing feeling; it made him feel comfortable and like home.

That afternoon, Minjun spends her time getting to know someone new, and when her time of training that day is almost over, she realizes that maybe she just found someone that really understands her.

The dark haired boy is four years older than her, he’s from Busan, and he’s also a trainee (so the information she overheard by her fellow company trainees was right) from a small company, the company’s name not really sticking to her.

“So, you’re debuting in a year?” June asks, eyes widening at the new information she just discovered. The boy nods.

“Yeah, I started training some months ago but my dance skills are… not that advanced,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck in slight embarrassment, June giggles at that. “So my company decided on sending me here to take some lessons.”

June hums, pouting, deep in thought.

Walking together to where their water bottles were located, June grabs her drink but doesn’t open it, instead, she just admires the object between both of her hands.

“Debut”; a word that every single trainee gets prepared to hear, and it usually means good news. It means that your hard work has finally paid off, that you’re going to show the world what you’re capable of.

A word that Minjun only has heard, but it was never directed to her.

He’s debuting in a year, and he just trained for months… must be nice.

“What about you, June?”

“Hmm?”

Taking her out of her deep thoughts, the boy gulps down the rest of his water and cleans his mouth with the back of his hand, a sheepish smile adorning his lips.

“What about you?” he repeats the same question, tilting his head a little, “when are you debuting?”

“Oh–“

Yeah, “oh.”

“–Uhm,” the girl hesitates for a second, shrugging and trying to smile again, “I don’t know, uhm, actually this is my second year as a trainee, but— but I’m sure that, maybe when I go back to Korea, I’ll get put in a line-up!”

The boy nods excitedly, giving her a thumbs up. “I’m sure your company will debut you soon! You’re really talented!”

June lights up upon hearing this, and before she can answer, a call of her name makes the both of them turn their gazes to where the voice is coming from.

It was Minjun’s manager.

“Minjun-ah, it’s time to go!”

She looks up at the clock hanging up on the wall, widening her eyes at seeing that her lessons are already over. She sighs.

“Coming!”

“We’ll be waiting for you outside!”

She just nods, looking again at the taller boy in front of her. He gives her a toothy grin, nodding.

“I guess we’ll keep seeing each other, right?”

She giggles, “I come to this studio three times a week, tomorrow I have lessons on a different one,” she adds, the boy’s shoulders dropping at hearing that. “But! wait, does your company let you use a phone?” He nods, “give me your number and your kakaotalk id! We can keep communicating there!”

“Of course!”

Minjun runs towards her bag, takes out a tiny notebook and her glittery gel pink pen and hands it out to the boy, making him laugh.

After the exchange of numbers, she waves goodbye to the boy and high-fives with him, making a promise on seeing each other again.

Minjun starts walking away, eyeing the boy’s cute handwriting and— wait.

She doesn’t even know his name!

“Hey!” She runs back quickly, taking out the pen, the boy looking at her in expectation. “What’s your name?”

The boy can’t help but start laughing, realizing that he never gave her his name, but they spent all day talking and laughing together.

“Jungkook. My name is Jeon Jungkook.”

Scribbling it down, she nods and gives him a thumbs up.

“Nice to meet you Jungkook oppa!” Minjun says enthusiastically, walking backwards while waving him goodbye, “hope we can meet again soon!”

And just like that, the girl turns around and starts running towards the main gate, a 14-year-old Jungkook watching her disappear with a smile adorning his features.

taglist: @curly-fr13s

#enhypen 8th member #enhypen addition #kpop female addition #kpop addition #enhypen female addition #enhypen au #enhypen female member #kpop added member #enhypen female oc #enhypen oc #enhypen x oc

[waitmyturtles]

To my taggers @hughungrybear, @ranchthoughts, @he-is-lightning-in-a-bottle, and @telomeke, this one's for you!

GET TO KNOW ME TAG :)

do you make your bed?

Not until I sleep in it!

what's your favorite number?

Feel like I don't want to spill it because I use these numbers in passwords lol

what is your job?

Executive management

if you could go back to school, would you?

Such a good question. I already did it once, mid-life, and it was THE BEST DECISION I EVER MADE, and one of the first decisions I truly made just for myself. Would I go back AGAIN? I would have considered it if I didn't know so many PhDs who are at various levels of happiness with their decisions. So: maybe. What I really look forward to is being retired so that I can take free classes at local colleges and have all the time in the world to read through the syllabi.

can you parallel park?

Fuck yes, who do I fucking look like, someone that can't parallel park? /end-East-Coast-road-rage

a job you had that would surprise people?

Hmmm. I don't think I have one that fits this category!

do you think aliens are real?

I think humanity's definition of "life" is too limiting

can you drive a manual car?

UNFORTUNATELY NOT, and I really wanna learn

what's your guilty pleasure?

Watching dramas, honestly. I shouldn't feel guilty about it, but I'm Asian, so I feel guilty about everything

tattoos?

Love them on other people, never made up my mind on what I wanted to get, and I feel like that ship has sailed for me

favorite color?

My kids ask me this all the time: pine green, rich purple, deep pink, all oranges, aquamarine blue, and black

favorite type of music?

I can't choose one. My playlist is all over the place. Korean hip-hop and New Orleans bounce (THANKS @bengiyo) have been my workout go-tos lately

do you like puzzles?

I will when my kids have more patience to do them

any phobias?

HEIGHTS :(

favorite childhood sport?

Ice hockey

do you talk to yourself?

Absolutely, and I've needed to use meditation to manage the inner monologue over the years

what movies do you adore?

Oh gosh. All I think about lately are Thai BLs, so I think a lot about the impact of The Love of Siam and Dew, two movies that are so tough to digest, but are really well done. I've also had two wonderful Japanese movies on the mind for no reason, Like Father, Like Son: Soshite Chichi ni Naru, and Drive My Car.

coffee or tea?

Both, all the time, often mixed

first thing you wanted to be growing up?

I wanted to be a journalist. I was such a rabid sports that I thought being a journalist would get me the closest to sports that I could go without being an athlete. And I actually got to do sports journalism for a while, and it was fun! (But I quit media, which is a whole other thing, and now I'm much happier)

Who hasn't been tagged? How about the old Only Friends Ephemerality Squad, how y'all doing?! @lurkingshan (I think you already did this Shan) @neuroticbookworm @twig-tea @slayerkitty @thatgirl4815 @distant-screaming @clara-maybe-ontheroad

#thanks for the tag! #get to know me tag game

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Disappointing Doom

Feb 2023 Wk 3

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

My School President (Fri YT) ep 12fin - Them openly dating and flirting with each other (finally) while keeping it “secret” was hilarious. No surprise they got outed tho. The whole “coming out homophobic teacher” sequence was very extra but suited this show. And ending with prom could not be more YA. Plus smiley kisses! 

CONCLUSION?

GMMTV gave us a classic high school set Thai BL with tropes like messy boys singing their feelings that was Love Sick for the modern age with all the gentle sweetness and pining ache, but none of the dated damaging tropes or issues.  Yes, we’ve seen it all before, but this is me: I ADORE this shit. Who let my BL be this wholesome and funny? This show was fantastic, it’s only flaw was the singing (and that’s my baggage). My favorite GMMTV offering to date. 9/10 (could go as high as 9.5 on my more forgiving days) 

Bed Friend (Sat YT, GaGa & iQIYI uncut) ep 2 of 8 - I’m ending my week with this one these days. I feel like this is an EXCELLENT life decision. King’s pining is WBL levels of EPIC. Uea’s ma may be the worst ma in Thai BL (and that’s some stiff competition.) Ah getting tested together, such a right of passage. I like King a lot, his attitude, life philosophy, the way he looks an Uea, everything. This show is GREAT. 

Bed Friend extra sexy bits explained:

YouTube has the cut version with slightly less sexy content (this is what I’m mostly watching). 

GaGa ALSO has the cut version, BUT they have “extra clips” with the uncut content, you’ll need to find and watch them separately. 

iQIYI has the uncut version with the above mentioned extra sexy bits integrated back into the full episode.

Okay? 

Okay.

Moonlight Chicken (Weds YT) eps 5-6 of 8 - The break up btw Wen & Alan was really hard to watch, both actors are so good. Speaking of good actors, where did GeminiFourth come from? Seriously? I love these characters almost as a much as TinnGun. Heart’s parents are EVIL. Told ya they’d kiss as this couple bf TinnGun. Back of head wrap ‘Kiss’ tho, haven’t seen one of those from Thailand in ages. Old school. And then Khaotung just broadsides us with PAIN. This is such an aces show, but it is A LOT. 

Never Let Me Go (Tues YT) ep 11 of 12 - More cute BF intercut with agony. Holy role reversal dad butler! Otherwise a somewhat lackluster ep 11 of DOOM as dooms go, but I’m okay with that. 

Chains of Heart (Sat iQIYI) 1-2 of 10 - This is a suspense thriller about smugglers, amnesia, and lost love. Haii is good (and gorgeous) in the lead but the story is choppy, disjoined, and confusing. May be intentional, bad writing, or the captions being particularly bad (or all 3). It’s an interesting and different start. Not good but interesting. It reminds me a little of Manner of Death only with better action sequences. But I’m not sold on it because MoD had MaxTul, and this... does not. Ep 2 did not improve matters. When Ken & Lue flirt it’s fine and the Thai food bits were fun. (Kao Soi is one of my fav northern dishes, I’m sad he didn’t get to finish it.) At the funeral, why are they all texting when it can be traced and they could just be talking to each other? Honestly, everybody behaves like an idiot in this show. So I guess this is a revenge narrative? I’m so confused. They pretty tho, so I’ll keep watching because I am weak, but if you can wait, I think this is one that’s gonna be better as a binge. 

Our Winter (Thai & Korea YT & TikTok under ThaiMiniSeries) eps 1-7 of 14 - TutorYim microseries, told in vertical (TikTok) shorts. (Thanks to the BL spies for reporting in.) Cute Trope snippits but Korean is HARD to understand with a Thai accent. I’m not watching it with Eng subs and I’m not wild about this style short form but still - cute. Funny how they styled TutorYim so that they look slightly Korean - wardrobe and makeup wizardry. 

Hit Bite Love (Sat YT) ep 6 fin - Degrassi Junior BL concludes in a very soap opera way, with new characters and new/extra drama. Trigger warning on the original trigger. The investigating cop was super hot tho. Can we give him a BL? Also I liked the final scene makeup tons. But honestly what a total mess. I don’t know what i just watched and neither does it. 3/10 (sorry babies)  

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

HIStory 5: Love in the Future (Taiwan Weds Viki) ep 9 of 10 (or 17&18 of 20) - Kind of a filler ep and lackluster for a penultimate DOOM installment. But the HIStory franchise gets this way sometimes. 

Jack o’Frost (Japan GaGa) ep 2 of 6 - I’m finding it a bit dull. 

It’s Airing But ...

My Beautiful Man 2 (Viki & Gaga) - Because there are only 4 eps, I’m waiting to binge this.

Boyband ep 2 of 10 - Stopped airing on YouTube, and only available in Thailand & Japan. Not sure if they’re working a distribution deal or just fucking with us. 

Destiny Seeker (Tues WeTV ) 10 eps - it’s not on any WeTV I can get ahold of. Bad Buddy the pulp rebirth meets Japanese handsome host club action. FairyGodBLer came through for me, but I’m collecting to binge just in case. It’s my new policy with the grey stuff. 

Cafe In Love (Thai) 10 eps on Ch3+ - Thai pulp, about trying to save a coffee shop. Same as above. 

Gossip

Thailand’s famous gay pink milk comes to Oakland, CA, USA. This amuses me greatly. And yes, next time I’m in the area, I’ll probably try to hunt it down.  (What is Pink Milk?) 

Kim Ji Woong is doing fine on Produce 101 5 Boys Planet. I agree with the pundits that he’ll likely make it through. (Yes, I think he’s a better actor than idol, and yes, we will mostly lose him from BL if he goes all in with whatever group results from this.) But does that matter when Peak Time is also airing? No, because Peak Time is MUCH better and more interesting show and it has Karam (Happy Ending Romance) fucking KILLING IT. You all know I love Leo’s voice but clearly VIXX-euphoria distracted me, because I had no idea Karam was such a stable vocalist. He’s insane and it’s fun to watch a 2nd gen fucking SERVE it up (have you ANY idea how hard Mirotic is to do LIVE?). 

In case you missed it 

Viki has acquired the airing rights to Advance Bravely. We can’t expect it to be much altered, but at least it will be legally available, and one hopes the subs will improve.

Viki added The Eighth Sense to their upcoming KBL roster, new one to me. “A university romance about the confusion often felt by college youth regarding life and love.” 

KBL A Shoulder to Cry On AKA Comfort the Boy coming to Viki, March 13. (MUCH anticipated by me, this is a high school set hurt/comfort delayed by OMGEA X scandal.) This will be the first BL to star idols from the same group! Fingers crossed it’s good because this is a group that definitely needs BL’s support. 

Next Week Looks Like This:

02/28 = Tin Tam Jai (Thai Gaga & iQIYI) 10 eps - Adorable Tin has a life-long dream to marry an older boy in his neighborhood, Park. Same production co as Coffee Melody & Ai Long Nhai. I'll likely binge it.

03/01 = The Promise, (Thai WeTV) 10 eps - friends-to-lovers, follow up to a previously aired miniseries Phupha | Nanfah. Because of this and the WeTV platform I likely won’t bother.

03/02 = All the Liquors (Korea Gaga & Viki) 8 eps - Liquor company rep and party boy Han Ji Yu buts heads with hot chef Park Ki Hoon, who doesn't drink.

03/02 = Heesu In Class 2 (Korea unknown prob Viki and/or Gaga) - A gay(er) version of Sex Education. I’m still not sure this one is actually happening. 

03/03 = A Boss and a Babe (Thai YouTube) 12 eps - ForceBook in an office set boss/employee rom-com. 

03/04 = Love Syndrome (Thai unknown prob iQIYI or Gaga) 10 eps - trailer, violent, hot/cold, hurt/comfort, amnesia. (Stars Frank formerly of FrankDrake.)

Full list of upcoming in March 2023 is here. 

2023 forthcoming BL master post. (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED)

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

That tentative hand GOT me bad. 

I love it when a character call’s out another character’s main characteristics. Very meta. (Moonlight Chicken.) 

OMG hot cop! 

Make up game ON POINT. 

(Hit Bite Love.) 

SO GOOD. (Bed Friend) 

(last week)

Current Kpop(ish) earworm? SHAUN & Jeff Satur - Steal The Show, you should watch it ALL THE WAY to the end, just trust me. Have I ever led you astray?

No.

Don’t answer that. 

#this week in BL #bl news #BL gossip #upcoming BL #best BL #new BL #BL reviews #Thai BL #korean bl #Taiwanese BL #Japanese BL #live action yaoi #Rakutan Viki #gagaoolala #GMMTV #Kpop earworm #My School President #Bed Friend #GeminiFourth #tinngun #NetJames #Moonlight Chicken #EarthMix #Never Let Me Go #Chains of Heart #Our Winter #Hit Bite Love #why is the cop so hot #HIStory 5: Love in the Future #Jack o’Frost

[wangxianficfinder]

Fic Finder/In the mood for...

March 17th

~*~

1. Hello not sure if this is the right place but looking for a fanfic in AO3 about WYB and XZ is about motorcycle accident where XZ rushes into the room and WYB tells him I am ok and of course he has to check him over and WYB had the ox necklace in hand that they had to lock in a drawer since the good luck wore off I think but not sure it was posted by anonymous in AO3 maybe you can help me find it @mysticalyunique

Hi ... sorry not this is one of my favs, the one that I am trying to find has no dance and is only the motorcycle accident WYB is in a room at the track and XZ rushes in and after talking about what happened WYB had the OX necklace in his hand and knew that he could no longer wear it and it was put in a box at the bottom of a drawer ... hope either you or I can find it 😁

NOT FOUND! Desiderium by yellowchameleon (M, 136k, WIP, YiZhan, Texting, Getting Together, Slow Burn, Fluff and Angst, Humor, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Self-Acceptance, Family Feels Coming Outs, Intimacy, First Kiss, First Time, LSFY - they love each other in every way)

FOUND? Apex by Heliotrope (MistRunner) (E, 63k, YiZhan, lsfy, Bottom WYB/Top XZ, Top WYB/Bottom XZ, they switch!!, racer WYB, actor XZ, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, WYB is so smooth (not), Own Characters)

~*~

2. Hiii,

I'm trying to find a YiZhan Fic, that I read recently, which has a specific scene,

basically WYB has a dance show with a bunch of other characters (over the course of the Fic they also practice a lot),

and first the juniors that WYB is training do their performance and then WYB and his group do theirs,

the performance alternates between the girls in the group and the guys and then everyone together (I think I remember there being a chair involved in the girls performance)

and XZ is in the audience watching,

I think I remember the author stating what the performances are inspired by and maybe even linking it in the authors notes?

FOUND! Daylight by Aiyan (E, 51k, YiZhan, streamer! Yibo, Artist! XZ, cam boy yibo, xz is damn loaded, XIAO ZHAN SPEAKS IN KOREAN, Phone Sex, Edging, Kissing, Lots of kissing, Anal Sex, Voyeurism) Chapter 5 has links.

~*~

#yizhan fic recs #yizhan fic finder #yizhan I'm in the mood for #yizhan fic search #rpf #yizhan rpf #yizhan #wangxianficfinder #long post

[ts19009]

BTS IMAGINES: PART 6

(CONTAINS SMUT AND MATURE SUBJECT MATTER)

(Bold title means favorite)

(UPDATED: September 4th, 2023)

Jungkook

order up | jjk (waiter!jungkook x customer!reader) @ressjeon

my euphoria | jjk [fake dating au ; ceo jjk x florist oc] @moyochu

The Broken Vow (manipulation, yandere, hospitals, divorce, mentions of death, angst,) @lleldey

game over (streamer/gamer!au) @ressjeon

the road to radiant | jjk (m) (fluff, angst, smut, gamer!au, streamer!au, rivals to friends to lovers!au) @kookskingdom

The Language of Flowers (Hanahaki AU) @justimajin

dance with the devil | jjk (angst, royalty - bridgerton vibes, childhood friends to enemies to ?luvrs?) @alphabetboyluvr

Not in the Way You Think (ChildHoodFriendsToLovers!AU, NonIdol!AU, VirginReader!AU, BachelorJK!Au, Fuck-Boy JK, Virgin Reader) @jungkookstatts

Seven Days Masterlist | JJK (nurse!jungkook x teacher!reader, non-idol au, brother's friend au, fwb, age-gap(reader is older), f2l, fluff, angst, smut) @hisunshiine

cool with you | jeon jungkook (strangers to friends to lovers. smut. afab!reader [she/her] x neighbor!jk) @kooktrash

Sour (ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIP, BOXER AU, DANCE, AU SMUT, FLUFF, ANGST) @thvhoe

champagne problems | jeon jungkook (groom!jungkook x wedding planner!reader) @daegustae

we keep this love - j.jk (fluff, angst (5k, lots of pining and f2l)) @namfinessed

Taehyung

the odds on us | k.th. (m) (angst | smut | fluff | exes to lovers!au | slice of life!au) @jimilter

can’t take my eyes off of you (one night stand, smut, pinch of fluff) @mrworldwideshoulders

Crazy for You | kth (best friend’s older brother to lovers, a little bit of fake dating trope, idol!au, angst, smut, fluff, snippets of life) @oddinary4bts

best friend’s best friend (best friend!heir!jeongguk x heiress!reader x best friend’s best friend!heir!taehyung) @ktheist

all you want | kim taehyung (rich ceo!kth x rich student!reader) @kooktrash

Seducing the Villain 1 [Villain!Taehyung x Reader x Noble!BTS] @helenazbmrskai

Page Turner (M) | KTH (Kim Taehyung/ Reader, Teacher!Tae/ Librarian!Reader) @gukslut

Exchanging Heat (M) | KTH (Korean exchange/visiting student!Taehyung x (slight) tsundere!reader) @jinfizz

unconditionally || kth (ex-husband!taehyung x female reader ➼ genre: angst | fluff | hurt/comfort | smut | divorce au | exes to lovers au | parents au) @sugakookitty

tolerate it masterlist (heavy angst, one-sided love, forced marriage, infidelity, smut) @archivedkookie

entangled spidey!jungkook x fem reader, venom!taehyung x fem reader (romance, smut, love triangle) @caelesjjk

(re)starting over again | kth; masterlist (baker!taehyung x nurse!reader, amnesia au) @httpknjoon

the art of obsession | kim taehyung (dark academia. college au. painter!taehyung x writer!y/n [afab. she/her]) @kooktrash

lace & luxury | kim taehyung (sugar daddy!taehyung x exotic dancer!reader [she/her, female anatomy], taehyung aged up) @kooktrash

Seokjin

Knocked (Streamer!Seokjin x f. Reader) @sailoryooons

a human touch, part 2, final (robot!taehyung/virgin!reader, fluff, smut (NSFW, 18+)) A@snackhobi

On The Ropes (KSJ x F!Reader) (ex-boxer!Seokjin x lawyer!reader (ft. boxer!Jungkook) genres/au/rating: angst, smut, infidelity!AU, 18+) @raplinesmoejon

#bts one shot #bts fic #bts fanfction #bts fanfic #bts #bts smut #bts v #jeon jungkook fanfic #bts jeon jungkook #bts jungkook #bts jin #jin #jungkook #jeon jungkook #jin x reader #jin x reader smut #jungkook fic #jungkook fic recs #jungkook smut #jungkook x reader

[nishibishi]

KISS THREAT | JEON JUNGKOOK (ONE-SHOT)

description: You swear to god there's something definitely wrong with you, because you're ninety-nine percent sure, there's not even in a hell's chance for you to be in love with Jungkook. Too bad, it's not hundred percent yet.

pairing: jeon jungkook X f.reader

rating: nc-17

genre: humor, angst, hinted smut, a lil’ bit of fluff (hehe)

word count: 2.6k

tags: bestfriends!au, enemies-to-lovers!au, mutual pining

warning: blasphemy; mentions of psychological disorders, the word ‘apocalypse, death; jungkook and oc are brats; hinted smut

note: hey there!!! this is my first time writing a fan-fiction, and since I’m not a native English speaker, pardon me for any grammatical errors that might be in there :))))) moreover, I absolutely suck at writing up a graphic smut so forgive me for that too. I promise there’ll be a lot more coming up and surely, with the required improvement and better plotlines. Constructive criticism is always welcome, as your warm response, appreciation, suggestions and regards are definitely gonna be a booster dose of motivation. also, the story is set up in an alternate universe, which means none of the characters here exist in reality.

P.S. I had to re-post it because I'd forgotten to add the description. I'm really really sorry.

‘This is just my post-period mood swings.’ This is just the 1700th time you’ve mentally told yourself in this one hour. Good for you, this reasonable (solely in your opinion) explanation has almost got you into a hold of phantom state of well-being and almost discarded the notion about you being mentally and emotionally unstable. Too bad, it’s just ‘almost’.

Fortunately, this justification sounds sane enough to be believed. The previous hour had you contemplating on more bizarre extremities: personality disorders, apocalypse, growing economic disparities and social injustice in the world, global warming and even cosmic radiations to be put to blame for the sudden behavioral changes in you.

Yet none of these ridiculous explanations can deny one undeniable fact.

You’re in love with Jeon Jungkook.

Eight years ago, you had come to New York City, with no close contacts and barely any family support on your side. Your conservative Asian parents had aspired for you to become a surgeon. But better late than never, you came to realize your true passion for literature.

It had dawned upon you that writing love poetries about the dusky evenings and the moonless nights wasn’t just a favorite past-time but a never-ending love saga, which possibly couldn’t end into a tragedy.

So you decided that it was high time for you to leave Missouri and go to New York.

But your family didn’t take your confrontation well. To them, the idea of sending their only child to pursue an uncertain career in an unknown place hadn’t appeared so flattering. Yet after a tremendous period of begging, praying and protesting, they had finally agreed.

The first day of college had you feeling extremely anxious and nervous, but within a week, you found yourself mingling with the group of infamous Asian people, who warmly welcomed your presence in the group.

One of them was Jeon Jungkook, a nineteen years-old guy from the Korean peninsula, pursuing a degree in Hotel Management. Your friends had described him as the shy, reserved and charming flower boy of the group.

However, 3 months passed, and you came to realize that he was none of it. Bratty, obnoxious and obstinate, Jungkook was the true embodiment of the Casanova Greek Gods up above in the heaven. Even breathing in the same space with him, vexed you to such an unbelievable extent that you preferred to burn yourself alive rather than replying back to his flirtatious texts.

That was your relationship with him. You combating with his flamboyant charisma for every microsecond passing by while he continued to pour his charm and affection on you.

Even after the college had ended, your friend circle never lost its bonding with time. The memories of your friends meeting your parents for the first time are still fresh in your mind. Initially, you had been skeptical about your parent’s reaction. But to your surprise, your parents were amazed by the cultural diversity among your friends and warmly welcomed each one of them, as if they were their own blood, and you were the one freeloading onto them.

However, the most unexpected event was the instant bonding up between Jungkook and your mother. Jungkook must’ve got her into a strong hold, because even till now, when she calls you up, she prefers to ask more questions about Jungkook’s new Biryani recipe rather than asking you about your well-being.

Jungkook & you have always done things together. Let it be your first book getting published or Jungkook’s first day as a junior chef at Keen’s Steakhouse, it’s either together or nothing at all.

Until the last month, when Jungkook made it official with girlfriend Sera, whom he had been secretly dating. Your friends were surprised, but you, were shocked to death. You couldn’t believe yourself for witnessing the love hypothesis Sera and him were making. The idea of someone as unsettled as Jungkook settling down had left you severely unsettled.

So unsettled, that you’d stopped watching and reading pornography, stopped bargaining for prices at the supermarket, stopped sending dirty crass memes on your group-chat and started pouring milk before cereal. For the whole fucking month.

That’s when your conscience made you think, that maybe, just maybe, you did like Jungkook. But this thought appeared so infuriating to you, that you found yourself under the vicinity of various excuses and put the blame onto the blank history of your life. And soon, you were back being obnoxious and clumsy. But you knew how bad you were at pretending. And your friends knew better, and yet no one budges to disclose the reason of your restlessness. They spare you the time to think and the space to contemplate.

Nonetheless, it doesn’t help significantly as Jungkook himself is your friend, and unlike the rest of your friends, he doesn’t know anything about the concept of personal space. In fact, invading one’s privacy is his biggest kink in this universe. Especially if he’s intruding you. And every single time, when he leans in closely, to hear you just telling him to ‘fuck off’, you fear the proximity, because you’re afraid of him hearing the loud thumping of your heartbeat. But you’re quick enough to recover. As usual, like always.

However, last week, something happened.

All of a sudden, Jungkook broke ties with Sera. His first-ever official relationship didn’t even last for twenty-eight days. This should’ve worried you, he’s a friend after all. But you, on the contrary, felt relieved, as if some load had been lifted off your chest. And then, it hit you hard. That perhaps you didn’t like Jungkook, you loved him. This sudden realization was so emotionally taxing on you, that last night, you ended up texting Jungkook, that you wanted to tell him something very impertinent. Something along the lines of “Hey, Jeon. I think I’m in love with the idea of being in love with you. So yeah, basically, I’m in love with you. And oh boy, believe me, you suck.”

Now, the very same Jungkook had been sitting beside you on your couch for past two hours and thirty minutes, watching “Black Swan” with you. Now the opportunity was presenting itself in front of you, and you were dreading it, would be an understatement.

“So what were you gonna tell me?” Jungkook’s voice breaks through the thickness of awkward silence, bringing you back to the reality, as you see the credits rolling over the screen.

“Nothing, really.” You try to play it cool as you continue munching onto the leftover Pringles.

Jungkook turns his head from the screen, his darting over yours, as his eyebrows lifts up in confusion.

“Y/N, you’re the one who called me up yesterday, because you had to tell me something very ‘important’.” You feel your muscles tense up as you see him air-quoting the word important. The sincerity in his eyes is more than enough for you to spill everything out, but you hold onto that hesitation as you meet his eyes.

“Jeon, I’m fine, okay? I just think it was because of my mood swings and nothing else.” You place your hand on his shoulder, trying to put a more convincing act as you smile at him.

Jungkook, however scoffs and changes his sitting position as he turns his body towards you, his left thigh now placed on the couch and his left hand placed on the headrest, his full attention on you now.

But your sole attention is on his highlighting crotch, aiming directly at you, as carnal desires fill up your dirty mind, yet you’re quick enough to regain your composure as you make eye contact with Jungkook, and you can tell, he isn’t having any of your bullshit today.

“Do I look like a dumb-fuck to you, Y/N? At least don’t lie to my fucking face.”

“Jungkook, dude, I’m not-”

“It’s been a month since you’ve started acting weird.” He cuts you off before you can explain yourself and guilt washes you up as you see the agitation in his eyes.

“Million times I’ve asked you and million times you’ve lied to me, but not this time, Y/N. You know what, I feel like I’m the only one putting up my hundred percent in this friendship.” His shoulders drop as his head hangs low.

You’ve never seen Jungkook flushing red with so much anger, profanities threatening to overflow from his lips, if the demo before wasn’t enough. The disappointment is sheer evident in his eyes. He looks exhausted from putting up with you. And your mind goes blank.

For the first time in your life, you’re afraid of losing Jungkook. Afraid of losing his friendship and everything that comes along with it.

His head is still hanging low, his nostrils flaring with anger, when all of a sudden your mouth develops a mind of its own and you blurt it out.

“I’m in love with you.” The words falling from your lips are merely little louder than a whisper, but Jungkook’s ears are quick enough to catch them. He instantly freezes and his eyebrows knit up in confusion.

“What?” His gaze rests upon you expectantly as you calm yourself down and repeat yourself, each and every word clearly.

“Jeon Jungkook, I think I’m in love with you.” Jungkook’s eyeball gauging out of their sockets, his jaw hanging on the floor as the shock apparently triggered his body too hard, as he takes in your words, remaining in that super-awkward pose for sometime. You close your eyes, the sick anticipation of rejection hitting your heart. You’re prepared to face the upcoming defeat, ready to take refuge in friend-zone or even worse, sister-zone.

But it never comes. Because after ten seconds of your confession, you witness Jungkook jumping out of the couch, falling onto the floor and rolling, holding his stomach for life as he laughs hysterically.

“What’s so funny?” You hadn’t expected any of this, especially the kind of outburst Jungkook is projecting out right now. Your question, however, doesn’t help as he continues to laugh louder than before, this time somehow managing to secure a seat on couch beside you, yet failing to understand the seriousness of the situation.

“Shut the fuck up.” You rebuke with the ever-increasing anger inside you.

“I can’t.” He manages to reply in between his mocking laughter. He is certainly having the best time of his life, meanwhile you’re sneering with annoyance, the flames of burning aggression reaching its peak. So you end up blurting out the most stupid thing that comes into your brain.

“Shut up or I’ll kiss you.”

The world must have stopped its course, an apocalypse is surely on its way and cosmic radiations must encroached your entirety as your ability to sense things has absolutely gone downhill. The realization dawns upon you that Jungkook has stopped laughing now, as he looks at you in amusement and curiosity.

“You, out of all people, are gonna kiss me? That’s a dangerous territory, Y/N.” He comes closer as he leans in, his musky scent challenging the control you hold over your conscience. Your weak response must’ve boosted his ego by zillion times, because the next moment, you see him closing the gap between you two, as his lips graze your the shell of your ears, which are probably glowing red by the proximity between you two.

“You’ve bombarded me with death threats so many times and every single time, I’ve laughed it off as nothing. But now you’ve presented me a mere kiss threat…” Jungkook says as he rests his head on your shoulder “…and for the first time, I actually feel threatened.”

You can hear the loud thumping of your heart, and the way Jungkook’s heartbeat resonates with your own, it’s maddening. His breathing relaxed and deep, one of his hands grips the curve of your waist, while the other one finds its home in the cavern of your neck. His fingertips trace the sharp outline of your neckbones as you two confide in each other silently.

How blinded you’d been all this time by your reluctance to sense Jungkook’s internal war with your resistance. The passion in his eyes had been imminent since the beginning, his boldness that was latent to the others, only coming to life when you were in his vicinity, his gaze lingering on you for a minute longer to be considered appropriate for someone one would regard as a mere friend.

There was a mute, invisible intimacy between Jungkook and you. You felt it whenever your hands brushed accidentally, you felt it whenever you would make eye contact and a smile threatened to stretch on your lips and you felt it whenever Jungkook added a new romantic song in your collaborative Spotify playlist.

You had been aware all along the way, conversely, you had been hyperaware about the subsequent consequences way too much, only to neglect whatever held you two together.

The penultimate realization must have struck you hard, as a shiver runs down your spine when Jungkook starts letting you go, pulling away only to stop few inches away from your lips.

“What will you do if I tell you I feel the same way? Will you push me away?” Jungkook whispers as his breath touches your lips. His hands cup your face as you close the gap between you two, your lips connecting with his, the taste of vanilla evident as his lips move gently against yours. While his hands slip down to waist, your hands wrap around his neck, one of your hands running through his luscious black hair.

A minute later, you feel Jungkook’s weight slowly heaving upon your body as you recline back on the couch while he manages to place himself in between your legs as he kisses you deeply. After a few seconds, he pulls away and rests his forehead on yours, as you both gasp for breath.

“I love you, Y/N. Damn, I can’t believe I waited for eight years for you to just say it to me today.” You both chuckle wholeheartedly as he stares deep into your eyes.

“Want me to make it up you then?” You tease him as you run your hands on his back over his T-shirt, eliciting a moan out of his lips as he leans down to place butterfly kisses on your neck.

“You sure you want to do it?” He inquires as he raises himself up once again and looks at you earnestly.

“Yeah. I don’t think I can wait anymore.” You reassure him with sincerity, as you both get up from the couch and rush to your bedroom, Jungkook carrying you in his arms, promising love and harmony for whatever lies ahead in the future.

copyrights reserved for © nishibishi | 2022

#jungkook smut #jungkook #bts x reader #bts angst #bts fluff #bts #bts smut #jungkook x reader #jeon jungkook #jungkook fanfic #jung hoseok #seokjin #taehyung #park jimin #namjoon #jimin #jeon jungkook x reader #jk #jjk x reader #jjk angst #jjk manga #jjk art #jeon jungkoooook #jeon jungguk #kim taehyung #bts fanfic #jimin angst #bts one shot #bts writing #bts packs

[milfgyuu]

Heart & Seoul | Ch. 14 [M] END

❥ Pairing(s): Jeon Wonwoo x Fem!Reader

❥ Series Tags: Series, Exes to Lovers!AU, Fluff, Mild Angst, Mutual Pining, Humor, Romance, Smut.

❥ Chapter Warnings: [8.5k words] Explicit Sexual Content 18+, smut scenes are short and not super detailed, oral (f) implied, unprotected sex (mxf) implied, language, medical things, lots of tooth rotting sweetness, that should cover it!

❥ Check out the Series Master List here! ~ banners made by @beaniegyu

❥ Summary: Your first love hit hard & fast but it was all swept away in the blink of an eye when your boyfriend is sent away to a Korean University after your high school graduation. Seven years later, work lands you in the heart of Seoul and never in your wildest dreams did you imagine running into the one person who’d left with your heart years ago.

The nurse politely clears her throat to get your attention and smiles at the two of you. “Your test results should be ready so I’ll grab the doctor and we’ll be right in with you, okay?”

You both nod politely though Wonwoo still hasn’t a clue what’s going on and she sees herself out, closing the door behind her with a soft click. “What’s going on, babe? Is there something wrong? I can call Cheol and-”

“Cheol,” you swallow unevenly, “Cheol referred me here. When I was in the hospital, my lab results had shown some elevations that indicate that I could-”

There is a knock on the door and your heart stops. 

Moment of truth.

Wonwoo could count all the times his heart had stopped beating on one hand. 

Once when you’d first kissed under the bleachers outside the school. Another when you told him you loved him for the first time. The day he ran into you outside the coffee shop. When you were laying in the hospital and he thought he lost you for good. 

And, finally, the moment the doctor explained why you where there. 

Each time he was met with a different feeling. The first time it was shock and awe that the two of you could be so bold; two kids who hardly knew one another but saw something within that no one else had bothered to notice. Twin flames who sparked recognition in each other’s eyes and comfort in vulnerable, shaking hands.

 When you confessed he was overwhelmed with joy. The skin of his cheeks pinched, stinging with how insistent his smile had been the moment your words hit home.

The universe bringing you back together left him with hope blossoming in his chest; like a hardy flower coiled tightly, protected within the cage of his heart against a long, cold winter had finally felt the sun upon it’s petals again and begin to open back up, ready to show the world all it’s glory once more.

Watching you lay broken and motionless in the hospital had devastated him. He’d run through every second of your lives together; every touch, every kiss, every petty argument and the love and laughter that had followed. He begged for your return, for you to open your eyes and tell him it’s all okay so you could have a million more little moments to remember together.

Finding out that you were here because there was a possibility your health was in jeopardy made his legs weak, his feet numb. 

Not now…not when you still had so much to look forward to. 

“...now if you look at your values here,” the doctor points to numbers on her computer screen, “...and you compare them with today’s values,” she shifts her finger over toward a different number, “...you’ll see that there is a significant difference in the two and that is exactly what we were hoping for. Seungcheol was absolutely validated in his concern because the numbers on his work-up’s are far out of range for a woman your age but those can be heavily influenced when you’re dealing with a trauma case.”

“So,” your voice is so quiet, merely more than a whisper of hope, “Does this mean I’m…okay?”

“A little more than just ‘OK’,” she grins as she makes a note in your record, “I’d like to repeat lab work in three months but I’m very happy with these results.”

You can feel Wonwoo’s posture slump at your side as you let out a long breath that feels like it’s been waiting to be released for weeks. He must be so angry with you for withholding something this important when you’d not long ago made him promise to never do the same to you again. It makes you feel too ashamed to meet his eyes. 

He doesn’t allow the silence to hold though and when he speaks, his deep voice is soothing. There isn’t an ounce of betrayal or anger or disappointment. 

He sounds relieved and you realize how dreadful the last hour or so must have been for him; getting an urgent call, being rushed to a medical facility, having no clue if you were okay or not. 

“I’m so sorry,” falls from his lips first, fingers curling around your cold hand. “All this time you’ve been dealing with this on your own - I didn’t know…why-,” his brows furrow in that familiar way they always do when he’s thinking before he focuses on your face again, “-why wouldn’t Cheol tell me that something might be wrong?”

Biting your lips, you squeeze his hand. “I asked him not to,” you admit with a guilty whisper, “I didn’t want you to worry anymore than you already were and it wasn’t even a sure thing to begin with…I should have just told you instead of all…this.”

Wonwoo kisses your knuckles, your hand cupped carefully between his. “As long as everything is okay,” he reassures you, “That’s all that matters.”

You wish for nothing more than to cage yourself in his arms and allow his simple presence to soothe the ache in your chest but there is a knock at the door and the doctor cracks it open and a nurse speaks quietly with her for a moment before disappearing. 

“Apologies for the interruption,” she turns and smiles kindly, “I’ll be just a moment if you don’t mind.”

“Of course,” you and Wonwoo both speak at the same time and you dip your head politely, “Take your time.”

Her nose scrunches in a personable sort of a fashion and she slips out the door with your chart in hand. The soft click of the door shutting releases another bout of tension in your shoulders. Wonwoo comes around to stand in front of you and he cups both cheeks, eyes darting over every inch of your face. 

“I know I’m being a bit of a hypocrite here but promise me,” he stresses the word, pleading with you to not argue, “Promise me you’ll lean on me for things like this.”

You pucker your lips and he sighs, leaning down to kiss you. “I promise.”

He finally smiles and it’s instantly contagious. He chuckles at the little wink you throw in. “For better or for worse…right?”

Your heartbeat stumbles in your chest. “We haven’t made those sort of vows yet.”

He purses his lips. “I think we should.”

Oh.

Another knock at the door shelves that conversation and the doctor pops back in just as Wonwoo’s phone buzzes for the umpteenth time and he quickly tugs it out with an apology. “Ah, I’m sorry,” he glances over the long list of messages and missed calls, “Big family…lots of worriers.”

You run a hand over his arm with a small smile, “I know you had to run out of the office. Why don’t you head back and we’ll catch up over dinner when you get home?”

He seems hesitant to leave and when he looks up the doctor just smiles.

“Honey, it’s okay,” you reassure him once again with a soft smile. “Mingyu can drive me home when I’m done. Let everyone know I’m fine, okay?”

Another moment of hesitance and then his phone buzzes, yet again, and he sighs. “I am so close to tossing this thing in the river,” he jokes, rolling his eyes in exasperation before turning to the doctor, “Thank you so much for everything and apologies again for my arrival…and my exit.”

She chuckles heartily, your chart clutched against her chest as she bows her head. “No need to apologize,” she says, and then nods in your direction, “It’s lovely to see all the love and support you have here.”

Wonwoo shoots you a wink on his way out and you can’t help thinking about that comment he made only a few minutes before. Talking about vows and such - as if your heart hadn’t been working in overtime already.

You’ll attempt to get something out of him soon but for now - you’ve got far too much on your plate to worry about nuptials anyhow.

Planning, packing, moving - it’s constant and time seems to move in hyper-speed as of late. The best you can do is hang on tight and take life as it comes at you.

It’s no surprise that the next two weeks pass by faster than the blink of an eye. 

You start each day by coaxing Wonwoo out of bed with bribery in the form of sweet kisses and then trying not to trip over Gureum as you’re walking around the house to prepare for the day, talking and purring as he weaves through your moving legs. There had been so much to do that it filled each and every hour of the day until you were nearly crashing into bed come nightfall.

As a result, time slipped by seemingly unannounced because you can hardly believe that you’re already bouncing anxiously in an airport terminal waiting for Sam and JJ’s flight to land. Wonwoo’s hand falls softly to your thigh to still your constant motion but you only stop for a moment before the bouncing picks up again.

“You’re going to bounce right off the bench,” he snickers quietly. 

Trying your best to relax, you stretch your limbs and settle deeper into the padded airport seating. “I just can’t believe she’s finally going to be here. It feels like a dream.”

Wonwoo smirks. “Your brother is coming too you know…”

You flop your hand dismissively. Of course you’re happy JJ is here but Sam is the other half of your whole. She’s also the one person in the world who can take your crazy busy life and break it down into sections, organize it, color code it, and declutter your mind. You had happily handed over the reigns for your big move when she’d offered. 

When the plane’s arrival is announced you jump up from your seat as if she’d just magically pop out of the boarding gate right away. Wonwoo’s hand is steady on the back of your thigh as he sits a bit longer, using your distraction to quickly check his messages, firing off a few quick responses before pocketing it and standing at your side. His hand automatically finds a home against your back and he smiles when you sink into his touch. 

He simply watches you for a few minutes, eyes glued to your side profile as your own search the first few passengers that begin to filter out. His heart aches with how full it feels just seeing you this happy and he hopes to capture many more moments like this in the coming days. 

“Can you see them?” you stand on your toes as the crowd of passengers and the loved ones receiving them begin to crowd the terminal. 

Wonwoo cranes his neck and catches a glimpse of your brother’s hair but before he has a chance to mention it you’re tearing away from him at record speed. He almost has a hard time following your trail but he can hear you. 

...And Sam still gives the best hugs. 

The kind that wrap you in warmth and affection even if you are struggling a bit for air and you feel your back and shoulder crack in two different places it doesn’t matter because your best friend is actually here. The two of you are quietly gossiping and giggling as Wonwoo and your brother share a very casual hug and look of amusement at the two of you practically melting together. 

Sam pulls back and cups your cheeks like an old grandma, squishing them together with an adoring pout. “Your face,” she coos, “It’s real and not inside my phone screen!”

“I know!” you reach up and pinch her cheek too, “Look at your face! You look amazing!”

“Shut up! No, look at you,” she steps back far enough to look you up and down, “You’re glowing! I told you this was the best decision you’ve ever made and it shows. Your cheeks are full, your hair is shining, skin so clear you should be in magazines - tell me, who was right? Let me hear it.”

You roll your eyes playfully. “You were right,” you look over at Wonwoo softly, “Best decision I’ve ever made.”

Sam catches the motion and winks at Wonwoo. “You’re welcome.”

“Oh my god! Wait,” you reach for her arm, ”Let me see it! Let me see it!”

Sam giggles and sticks out her left hand, wiggling her fingers to show off her gorgeous engagement ring. You fall into whispers about the ring and the proposal and wedding talk and then there is a loud, obvious, cough to your left.

“I am also here…in case you forgot.” You look over at your brother in surprise, as if you’re honestly just remembering he’s there. 

You grin and slink over to wrap your arms around him, swaying him side to side and chuckling over his feigned disinterest. “Not my fault you decided to fall in love and marry my best friend,” you sing before he wiggles out of your grip, “You will always be second place.”

At first, you’re too busy bickering and taunting your brother to notice Wonwoo and Sam speaking very, very quietly a few feet away but ever aware, Sam catches you approaching and wraps her arm around your own as if nothing happened.

“Why don’t you show us that fancy new house I get to decorate?”

She pulls you along toward baggage claim and you snort at her desire to jump right into the hard work. Well hard work in your opinion. It’s like Christmas to Sam. 

“You literally just landed and we’re moving in two days - don’t you want to just relax? Aren’t you supposed to be…engagement…honeymooning?”

Sam shakes her head. “Oh, no, I want to see what I’m working with in person so I can make alterations to the furniture Hannie and I ordered in case they’re not going to work.”

“Should have known you and Jeonghan would get along famously.”

“He’s a freaking gem,” she exclaims in a hushed voice, “Wonwoo better watch out before I steal his handler and take him back to the states in my carry on.”

Wonwoo’s voice rumbles from behind you where he’s walking and chatting with your brother. “Keep your mits off my man, Samantha.”

“Fine, fine,” she waves her hand over her shoulder, “Your girl is mine though…” she teases, tugging you closer, “Even when you put a ring on it.”

Wonwoo almost trips over his own foot but he manages to catch himself and not sweat through his clothes because yeah, he get’s sweaty when he’s nervous, ok? 

Thankfully, Sam and JJ will be keeping you occupied well enough for him to finish finalizing surprise party plans without you catching on. 

He survives the next forty-eight hours which he had thought might never end with the constant driving around, phone calls from work, texts from vendors and almost everyone else he knows pinging his phone at all hours, and the wretched quality of sleep he’s been getting. He’s exhausted but he reminds himself of the payoff and tries not to grumble too much when you try to wake him this morning.

Unfortunately, moving day begins with a headache in his temples and ice-cold monster in his hand despite your best efforts to gently rouse him. 

Thankfully, the weather isn’t too warm nor too cold, a light breeze pushing through the trees around your new home to cool the sweat from hauling boxes and furniture inside. He could easily afford to have the entire process handled by the moving company but you and Sam both insisted it was better to be a part of the process and so, here he is. 

Part of the process.

He’s a little envious of Gureum who’s cooped up in your former, and Chan’s current, apartment - lazing about, waiting for the hard work to be completed.

Thankfully, the movers cared for the brunt of the work with Mingyu sneaking in alongside them to help, as if they weren’t a professional moving company, but of course Mingyu makes friends everywhere he goes and they don’t seem to mind the extra muscle. You’re sure he’s invited them all to his restaurant for a meal. 

Jeonghan and Sam are a formidable team, as expected, and make sure everything gets put in the right place - even if that means they need to be moved around a time or two until it’s perfect. They’re almost a bit scary when they’re in the zone of organizing and directing so you mostly stay out of the way, especially when they make Mingyu and Wonwoo shift the dining room furniture twice after the movers left. 

Chan lucked out for the simple fact that you banned him from carrying anything and your brother lucked out when Sam sent the two of them on some errands. They disappeared pretty quickly after that and hadn’t returned since. You were sure they were taking their sweet time and would probably blame their pace on Chan’s foot.

Wonwoo slinks away the moment the design team seems satisfied with the table placement and start talking about linens, Sam’s favorite, and he looks through the still unfamiliar halls, searching for your comfort. You’re not in the bedroom, nor the office, so he wanders back out into the living area and your soft laughter floats out from the kitchen. 

He stops when he sees you and leans in the doorway, choosing to observe for a moment without interrupting. You’ve got Yeojin on the kitchen counter, one arm wrapped around her little legs as you stand behind her and let her help put the dishes away in the cabinet. She can only hold one thing at a time with her small hands but you’re so incredibly patient, smiling as you watch her concentrate on aligning the glasses to perfection.

When Mingyu asked if it would be okay to bring Yeojin he’d hardly squeezed the question out before you told him to stop asking and to just start bringing her along. You loved having the little girl around and Wonwoo…he was quite fond as well. Especially when he watches you together.

He waits a few more minutes before intruding. 

“You girls look awfully busy,” Wonwoo murmurs gently, a wry smile on his face when you turn to him in surprise. 

Yeojin grins delightedly as Wonwoo walks over, wrapping an arm around you from behind and stretching one finger out to poke the little girl’s side, eliciting a trilling giggle. “Auntie Daisy said I could help.”

A little puff of amusement escapes from your nose at the nickname. 

“You’re doing a wonderful job,” Wonwoo compliments her, passing another plate into her tiny hands. He makes sure she’s got a good grip on it before he let’s go and you both watch her very carefully place it upon the stack she’s already created. 

When she’s done, he hands her another.

It’s almost like a borrowed moment in time and he wishes for more and more of them as the days go by. He wishes for a little girl with round cheeks and too-mature vocabulary that he didn’t have to say goodbye to at the end of the day. One with your eyes and his smile. It didn’t even have to be a girl. It could be -

Wonwoo’s thoughts are swiftly interrupted by a saccharine voice that haunts him day and night. Jeonghan smirks, peering over Wonwoo’s shoulder. “What a pretty picture,” he whispers just loud enough for you both to hear before turning his attention upwards, “Jinnie! What a beautiful job you’ve done! I’ve never seen such nicely organized cabinets.”

Yeojin beams down at him and doesn’t hesitate to leap into Jeonghan’s outstretched arms, though the dare devil action makes the breath catch in both yours and Wonwoo’s throat. Jeonghan ignores your disapproving glares and bounces with glee. “Let’s leave the rest of this to the adults, hm? I have a much more important task for you.”

Yeojin’s eyes widen and the frowns melt right off your faces at the sight of her excitement. “I want to help!” 

Jeonghan makes a goofy face like he’s silently cheering and lifts her little arm. “To the back yard!” he shouts and then takes off with Yeojin bouncing and giggling all the way.

You laugh quietly, the sound echoing in the grand, empty room. You drop your head against Wonwoo’s shoulder and his hands slide across your stomach, his thumb rubbing right above your navel. He kisses the side of your face and you smile, humming contentedly. 

“Happy?”

His question is simple. It holds no teasing nor flirtation. He’s genuinely curious. 

He allows you the space to turn in his arms until you're able to face him and bring your arms around his shoulders. He presses you into the counter and looks into your eyes. 

“Happy,” you respond, your breath tickling his lips. “I’m...elated, grateful, exhausted,” you share a laugh, the sound intermingling, “I love our home…and our family,” he understands whom you’re referring to and you kiss him softly before meeting his eyes again, “I love you and honestly…” you glance around the room, “I love this fucking kitchen.”

Wonwoo laughs but he easily receives you when you lean into him and capture his lips. He wastes no time in licking along the seam of yours and bringing his hand up to cup the side of your neck, his thumb tipping your jaw upwards. The granite counter digs into your back, even as Wonwoo tries to lessen the pressure by securing his arm around you. 

“If we were alone,” he says against your lips, “I’d give you reasons to love it even more.”

You giggle in delight - making out with Wonwoo in your new home, all sorts of wicked promises being whispered in your ear, between your lips, and against your throat is something you’d dreamed about once or twice.   

Mingyu walks in only a minute later and stumbles backwards at the sight of you tangled up in one another. “Oh shit! My bad!” he spins around to leave but then turns back, “Wait…where’s Jinnie?”

You cover your mouth, embarrassed at having been caught. “Sorry,” you laugh, “We’re done. Promise.”

“Says you,” Wonwoo mumbles before smirking at his friend. “I don’t give a shit if he stays.”

Mingyu tuts in disapproval. “I’m a chef - fucking in the kitchen is against the rules.”

Wonwoo narrows his eyes with a retort, “You’re full of shi-”

You transfer your hand to his mouth and stop him. “Yeojin was kidnapped by Jeonghan for who knows what,” you redirect back to Mingyu’s original question, smiling at the way his hair is sticking up, slick with sweat. “Damn. Sam’s putting you guys to work, huh?”

Wonwoo snorts, dropping his hand to rest on your hip. Slightly more appropriate than before.

“She’s bossier than Seungkwan and Jeonghan put together,” Mingyu rests against the arched entry and then nearly shrieks when Samantha ducks under his arm, swatting him right in the stomach.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she scoffs, swiftly moving past him into the open kitchen, “The view from here is amazing,” she leans against the double sink and peers out the windows and into the backyard where Jeonghan is animatedly waving his hands around in front of Yeojin. “You can watch the kids from here - kind of like your mom did when we were growing up.”

“Remember your eighth birthday,” she reminisces to the pretty glass window, “We spied through the kitchen windows and waited until your mom left to run in and steal a piece of ca-”

Your sniffle makes Sam slowly spin toward you. Wonwoo glances at you curiously, Mingyu straightens in the doorway because…you’re…crying?

“What’s wrong?”

Wonwoo hugs you a little closer and you look at the three of them in confusion before realizing your face is wet. You hastily wipe your cheeks, laughing it off. 

“Don’t mind me,” you chuckle wistfully, “I just…get a little homesick sometimes. I love my life here, obviously, I just miss our big family. I miss you guys and being able to hang out whenever we want. It’s hard being so far away.”

“Oh, honey,” Sam pouts, walking toward you with open arms. 

You tuck your chin over her shoulder and hug her back as she swings you side to side. It’s true - you’ve been missing your family a lot lately. Growing up you we’re used to being surrounded by your siblings and watching your parents work together to try and make sure everyone was fed, bathed, clothed, loved. There were times you felt lost in such a busy household but you miss it - especially when you’re with your Seoul family.

And maybe a tiny part of you pictured kids playing in the backyard while you made their birthday cake. You mentally note to video chat with your mom, again. You’d be on with her every few nights before Sam and JJ arrived and you were already missing her.

The sweet moment is interrupted when Mingyu joins your hug, squeezing the two of you in his long, bulky, and disturbingly sweaty arms. You and Sam whine in protest and he squeezes harder. “The atmosphere went from horny, to sad, to sentimental so fast in here but man I love you guys!”

“Mingyu!” you grunt, “My face is in your armpit!”

“Did you say horny?!” Sam gags at the feeling of his sticky skin. “Oh my god! Gross! Let go!”

Mingyu doesn’t elaborate. He grins and reaches for Wonwoo but Sam uses the opportunity to slip free which gives Wonwoo the chance to reach back toward Mingyu and pinche his nipple until he let’s you go. You’re snickering at the way Mingyu screeches and he’s about to say something largely inappropriate but a tiny giggle in the doorway makes him stop in his tracks. 

Jeonghan, Seungkwan, and Yeojin look up at him from the entry, the adults waiting with a raised brow for him to continue whilst the littlest one in the middle anticipates an opportunity to collect more coins for her swear jar. Mingyu settles back against the counter and grumbles instead, rubbing his chest with a glare in Wonwoo’s direction. 

If Yeojin could read lips, he’d still owe her. 

Miraculously, JJ and Chan make it back just in time to dig into the to-go bags Seungkwan had come to deliver before running back to the restaurant. Sam shooed the two of them away until the people who had actually done the hard work made their plates - which meant Yeojin was served first - before they were allowed to join in.

A bit worn down, you sit back in your chair at the dining table, quietly smiling to yourself when Wonwoo takes your hand, pulling it to his lips. Meeting his gaze, he winks and you mouth back ‘I love you’. Everyone else notices but they don’t say a word, content to let the two of you share the moment in peace.

“So, Miss Daisy,” Jeonghan grins from across the table, “Your birthday is next weekend. Any big plans?”

Your lips close around your spoon the same time your eyes pop open in surprise. You hadn’t actually thought about it. Everything had been such a whirlwind of change lately that you forgot your own birthday.

Sam reads you so quickly. “You forgot, didn’t you?”

“Honestly, it’s been so busy that I don’t know if I’m coming or going anymore.”

Yeojin quirks her head to the side. “Why don’t you know where you’re going?”

The adults giggle and Mingyu pats her hand explaining it’s just an expression. She still seems a little concerned but continues eating and Wonwoo wipes his mouth. “I actually booked appointments for you and Sam at the spa on your birthday and I thought we could have dinner at the house together that night.”

You’re glad he didn’t suggest going out for dinner, drinks, and karaoke. Going to the spa with your best friend and having a quiet dinner with your friends is exactly the way you’d like to spend your day. You smile at him. “You read my mind, baby.”

Yeojin makes another face. “He’s a grown up,” she points out, “Auntie, did you bump your head?”

JJ snorts loudly which causes Chan to cackle, then Jeonghan nearly chokes on his mouthful, and sweet Yeojin just sits there not understanding why all the grown ups laugh until they’re falling over like she said a really funny joke and their belly hurts from laughing so hard.

Yeojin just smiles to herself. Adults are so silly sometimes.

Your birthday starts off with a bang, literally, because when you wake up with Wonwoo’s head between your thighs, dragging an orgasm from your body before you’ve even opened your eyes, there is nothing stopping you from putting your lover on his back and riding him until the sun sits high in the morning sky. 

It’s a memory you both carry throughout the morning - even as you sit across the table from each other in a fancy breakfast spot. Being in public is probably a good thing because had you been alone at home he would have had you right on the kitchen counter as promised but as it stands, you have guests and he also needs to keep you out of the house for a few hours. So, he sits patiently, settling for sending you heated gazes over your breakfast plates and taking long, calming sips of his hot coffee. 

When he delivers you to the front doors of the day spa, Sam is already waiting for you so you can’t exactly tell Wonwoo to take you home instead. Once everyone is back home and you have another quiet weekend to yourselves you’ll talk him into staying in bed with you all day. For now, you kiss him goodbye - one, two, or three times too many until he’s grinning and gently pushing you into Sam’s awaiting grasp. 

He’ll get his hands on you later. For now - there is a ton of work to do.

Speaking of hands on you…

By the time you’re leaving the spa you feel like a buttered up cup of jello, for lack of better words. After facials, massages, manicures, pedicures, the works, your limbs are loose, your back and shoulders are tender but knot free, and your skin is smooth and moisturized. You expect to go right home but instead Hansol shows up to chauffeur you to another location. 

Sam’s gift apparently. 

Hansol drops you off at a nearby salon where you both spend another hour or so getting your hair and makeup done which is as wonderful as it is suspicious because why all the extra effort for a small dinner in the comfort of your own home? Sam evades all your poking questions and tells you to sit back and relax - enjoy your day.

Instead of Hansol, this time it’s Jeonghan who picks you up. His sporty silver BMW greeting you right at the front door where he rolls down the window and lowers his sunglasses, “Hop in ladies, we’ve got an appointment to make by four-thirty.”

You look at the time on your cell phone. “Han, that’s in fifteen minutes.”

“And it’s twenty minutes away,” he revs his engine and smirks, “So, get your gorgeous behinds in the car so we’re not late.”

Jeonghan’s gift, other than his pretty face, was shopping but not your average trip to the mall. Oh, no. In Jeonghan’s world apparently you’re greeted at the front door by name and there’s a private fitting room with a rack of clothing personally hand-picked and waiting for your approval. 

He hadn’t stuck around to find out what you chose - not that it mattered since he’d already arranged to have everything sent to the house after your fitting anyway. Jeonghan was confident that every piece he selected was something you’d choose for yourself. You know, if you didn’t have a budget to take into account. 

Jeonghan is not bound by such limitations. 

The clothing he chose was gorgeous and again…suspiciously too fancy for this small gathering that supposed to take place this evening but perhaps Wonwoo changed his mind about dinner at the house and made reservations somewhere else.

Sam doesn’t seem to know the answer to that when she shrugs and points to an outfit she’d already pre-approved for herself hanging over another dressing room door. She claims to have been given minimal information which again, triggers a little alarm in the back of your head. 

Sam isn’t a ‘minimal information’ kind of girl. 

However, when you squint at her, she squints back which is an indication that even if she knows, she’s not telling. 

You’re four dresses in when your next chauffeur arrives. 

Like something straight out of a k-drama, Mingyu walks into the store and is immediately flocked by woman offering their assistance, their phone numbers, their dignity. 

He shoots them all a million dollar smile and assures them he’s all taken care of before making a beeline for you at the back of the store. Those long, model-esque legs carrying him easily through the crowd of employees and gawking women who’ve abandoned their purchases to catch a glimpse. 

He’s in crisp, fitted grey slacks and an equally tight pressed button down - half the buttons hanging open - and he sends you a wolfish grin that makes you wonder how on earth the idiot is still single. He’s goofball but a very handsome one. “Ladies.”

Sam chuckles at the stupid spin he does to show off his outfit. “Oh, he cleans up! I thought you were just a sweaty meathead who likes to cook. Must say I’m impressed.”

“I am a sweaty meathead who likes to cook but I also know how to follow dress code.”

You snort at their exchange. “And pray-tell,” you peer back at your side profile - still unsure which outfit to choose, “What exactly is the dress code?”

Mingyu gestures to his clothes again like that’s all you need to know.

“Sexy,” he actually explains aloud, “Obviously.” 

He tilts his head in consideration when you show him the dress you currently have on. It’s pretty but you’re not sold on the color, especially when you behold Mingyu and again consider the dress Sam has set aside - it doesn’t seem to be a match. He’s quirking a brow at you in question. “Help yourself,” you chuckle.

If he wants to play dress up, you’re more than willing to let him. 

When his hand lands on the hanger of the champagne colored silk dress, Sam lights up and you realize that even if she had told you a hundred times over the choice was yours, she’d definitely had a favorite in mind. She takes the hanger from Mingyu and runs her fingers along the fabric with a smile. “You’re going to look fricking amazing in this dress,” she grins as she hands it over to you, “Wonwoo isn’t going to know what to do with himself when he sees you.”

You snort, closing the door to change outfits. “Why exactly are we dressing so nicely again?”

Mingyu plops down in a chair, crossing one leg over his knee. “It’s a special occasion,” he answers, seemingly distracted, probably on his phone you think.

“It’s just my birthday.” Even as you say it, the silk glides over your skin and you glance in the mirror, gawking at your own reflection. You feel every bit as stunning as you look. 

“Maybe we just want to celebrate all the wonderful things that have happened since your last birthday,” Sam hollers back from her own dressing room, “Maybe you should just get dressed and hush, birthday girl!”

Mingyu huffs out a laugh at the quiet grumbling coming from behind your door and then you emerge and he blinks one too many times. “Damn,” he coughs, “That looks even better than I thought.”

You roll your eyes though you’re beaming inside because you look and feel really good. 

Sam comes out a moment later and she whistles at you, as if she doesn’t look like a whole smoke show herself. “Um, this dress was made for you,” she circles you, adjusting material at the top with her prettily manicured fingers. “You fill this out like a Greek goddess.”

“Please,” you groan, “Are you saying i’m ancient?”

Mingyu kisses his teeth and offers a half-smirk. “She’s saying you belong in a gallery.”

“I’m saying what ever you’re doing - keep doing it. You look incredible.”

You don’t have a response for that but it’s not necessary because Mingyu is standing and extending an arm out to each of you. “As much as I’d love to sit here and admire the view a bit longer, we’re expected at our final location soon.”

“And that location is?” you attempt, hands around his arm as you bat your lashes up at him.

He winks right back and Sam snorts. “Nice try.”

After all the secrets and surprises and one noticeable loop around the block, you’re confused when you pull up in front of your home, as planned. It’s quiet and nothing is out of the ordinary when you walk up to the front door with Mingyu and Sam a step behind and nothing jumps out when you push through the door and into the entry hall. 

You spin halfway to ask what’s going on when a tiny familiar voice comes hauling through the house toward you. You turn around just in time to catch Yeojin as she throws herself into your arms to give you a hug. “Happy birthday Auntie!”

You squeeze her tight and pull back to look at her. “Oh, Jinnie! You’re dress is so pretty!”

“Thank you,” she smiles bashfully, “Mommy bought it for me!”

Mingyu clears his throat. “Don’t you have something to show Auntie Daisy?”

Boy does she. 

Her little eyes light up with anticipation and she grabs your hand, pulling you through your quiet house until a light flicks on in your living room and it erupts with noise and excitement. Yeojin drops your hand and runs to her parents who are there along with all your other friends; Hoshi, Jun, Seungkwan, Hansol, Jeonghan, Seungcheol, Yeri. 

Your parents. Your siblings. Your nieces and nephews. 

Your mom pushes toward you the second you lock eyes and your arms come around her so quickly and so tightly a choked laugh spills from your lips. Your dad wraps his arms around both of you and it goes on like this for several minutes - hugging and laughing and crying because your family is here and you’ve missed them so much your chest feels like it could burst any moment. 

Wonwoo sits back and watches you - patient as ever as you greet your family and friends. The light in your eyes is dazzling and watching you whirl around the room in disbelief is something he’s been dreaming about ever since he’d began planning for this. All the time and effort that went into getting everyone together like this was worth it just to see that look in your eyes. 

You can hardly believe what you’re experiencing in the moment - that your family is actually here and you’re able to hug them and hold them. Your older and younger sisters take turns fawning over you. You’re able to pinch your big brother’s cheek and wrap your arms around his children. What it must have taken to get everyone here together for this moment…

You look around the room and find Wonwoo hanging back with Chan. His eyes are already on you as if he’s been waiting for you to greet everyone else before interrupting but the moment he smiles at you, you’re moving across the room. 

“Happy birthday,” he grins, hands pulling from his pockets slowly. 

You don’t wait for him to reach out to you before your grabbing his face and kissing him. 

The attention garnered doesn’t derail him from kissing you back, nor does it keep him from dipping you backwards to make a show of it. He grins against your lips at the whooping and hollering. “I can’t believe you did all this for me.”

Wonwoo’s hand glides over the silk material at your back. “You’ve given me everything,” he says quietly, “This is the least I could do. Also had some help.”

He smirks and you meet Sam, Mingyu, and Jeonghan’s eyes. 

It feels so incredibly warm and frankly overwhelming to be so…loved. 

All throughout the night, you bounce from family to friend happily catching up, laughing, talking, eating. Even more so, you love watching your two worlds come together. 

Mingyu spends most his time proudly explaining his dishes to your father and brother. Yeri, Sam, Jeonghan and his handsome friend Joshua all connect over the home decor and some design theory you’re all too happy to let them dish about without you. Seungkwan argues with Soonyoung about something that happened in their youth while Jun and Hansol happily monitor just in case the conversation gets too heated. 

Little groups intermingle and get to know each other - even through language barriers - and all the children play together, their giggles echoing through the halls.

In the midst of conversation with your mother and Mingyu’s sister about the school, the distinct sound of silverware clinking against glass quiets everyone and turns the attention to Samantha near the kitchen. 

“Thank you so much for being here tonight to celebrate with us,” she smiles and you can hear whispered translations as she pauses and looks toward you and Wonwoo, “And special thank you to the man who brought us all together. Wonwoo, I think the floor is yours, if you’re ready.”

Everyone is clapping and cheering and you’re not sure why it sounds like they’re gearing for a big emotional speech when your man is one of very few words but Wonwoo turns toward you with an incredibly soft smile. 

“You know I’m not particularly great at this sort of thing,” he chuckles nervously.

Chan raises his glass. “We believe in you, brother!”

Another round of whooping shakes the edge off Wonwoo’s nerves and he laughs it off. 

“Thank you for that,” he huffs out bemusedly before focusing on you again. “Obviously, I wanted to bring everyone together for your birthday, but I was also hoping to use this opportunity…” he reaches into his pocket and procures a black velvet box, “...to ask you something.”

Tears immediately well in your eyes and you meet Sam’s gaze over his shoulder. She’s smiling back at you, tears streaming down her cheeks, clinging to your brother.

Wonwoo opens the box to reveal a stunning ring, it’s heavy oval shaped stone shining up at you. His hands tremble and he takes a deep breath only finding the courage he needed when you meet his eyes - all the love in the universe staring back at him and he moves his lips, praying the words will come out. 

“I’ve practiced this so many times I was sure I could get through it without messing up but proposing to Mingyu in the gym, or Jeonghan in the office, or Hoshi in the lair is way different than proposing to you right now,” he says and there are watery laughs, “You’re so much prettier.”

Another laugh escapes you, tears rolling down your cheeks. “What the hell is the lair?”

Wonwoo huffs out a short laugh. Of course you’d snag on that detail. “I’ll explain later.”

“Anyways - whatever I practiced is useless because I’m still that socially inept kid who fell in love with you in high school and I can’t form a single coherent thought when you look at me like that.”

Your lip quivers. “Like what?”

“Like I’m really worth something,” he answers softly and then he lowers himself down to one knee and looks up at you with such reverent affection and you brace yourself as he says your name. “I love you in ways I’ll never be able to fully express in words but I’ll spend every day for the rest of our lives showing you, if you’ll let me.”

Your heart swells and your legs feel weak and then he says it. 

“Will you marry me?”

You’re not sure if he fully finishes the question before you answer and then he’s on his feet, holding you and kissing you as everyone celebrates. The rush of emotion when he slips that ring onto your finger hits you square in the chest and you fall against him, face buried in the crook of his neck with your arms wound tightly around his neck. 

Your lover, your person, your soulmate, your future husband. 

The reality of all the hardships you’ve faced to come together again fall from your shoulders. The crushing weight of years lost just evaporate because you’re here now and that’s all that matters. His hand rubs up and down your back, his lips pressing into your hair over and over again as the people who love and care for you both share congratulatory hugs and heartfelt sentiments. 

You only part from your fiance when you hear your mother’s voice. She kisses Wonwoo’s cheek and you bring her into another crushing hug - incredibly grateful to have your family here more now than ever and suddenly, the thought strikes you that this sort of opportunity is going to be few and far in between.

You meet Mingyu’s eyes from across the room and his widen - making sure you’re absolutely certain of what you’re asking from him. Nodding, he slinks off just as you clear your throat, catching everyone’s attention. 

“Please pretend my makeup isn’t ruined,” you chuckle wiping under your eyes, “I really can’t believe any of this is happening but I am so happy you all are here and Wonwoo,” you hold your hand out to him and he takes it, squeezing your fingers, “I…I can’t even begin to say how grateful I am to have you and to share a life together with someone so kind and genuine…gentle and patient.”

You choke on the last few words, and Mingyu reappears at your side with two boxes. 

Taking one into your hands, Wonwoo looks at you curiously - as does everyone else aside from the one person you trusted to keep your secret until you were ready.

You supposed now was as good a time as any.

“I know it’s my birthday,” you smile, gesturing for Wonwoo to take the gift into his hands, “But I have a present for you too.”

Wonwoo cocks his head in confusion but you just smile, urging him to lift the lid.

Everyone watches as he gives you another curious grin but he lifts the lid and peers inside before letting it fall closed, his eyes darting up to your own. “You’re serious?”

“What is it?”

“What’s in the box?”

Everyone is murmuring questions in anticipation and Wonwoo peels back the lid completely, pulling a tiny gray singlet from it’s tissue paper nest. He holds it in his hands, marveling at how tiny and precious and - 

“YOU’RE PREGNANT?!”

Sam’s voice cuts clear across the room and Wonwoo pinches the shoulders of the onesie, showing it to everyone in the room. Sam practically weeps in JJ’s arms and your sisters nearly get bowled over by your mother. 

“I should have known when you wouldn’t touch that mimosa this morning!” Sam shouts, pointing her finger at you in accusation.

Your laughter is met with Mingyu’s reminder of the second box and you quickly grab it, offering it to Wonwoo who is still so struck with the first gift he can’t imagine what else you could possibly give him. He’s got everything he could ever need. 

“What is this?”

You beam at him, hands shaking. “It’s sort of a package deal…”

He falters, eyes growing wide. “You’re joking…”

“Is that a second box?!

“Open the box before we do!” 

“Yeah!”

Soonyoung and Jun are practically hanging off each other waiting for the reveal. 

Wonwoo removes the lid and dips his hand inside. When he pulls out a yellow singlet - identical size and pattern with the first - the excitement is near deafening and you drop the box as Wonwoo wraps his arms around you. 

“Twins?” he breathes in astonishment, “That’s what this means right?”

You nod fervently, so relieved to be able to share your secret with him at last. “I wanted to tell you as soon as I found out but we had so much going on and I wanted it to be special but with everyone here…I just wanted to share one more thing to be thankful for...well two things I suppose.”

Wonwoo runs his thumb over your cheek and kisses you again, soft and slow. 

The sound of overwhelming love and joy filling the room around you, and he lifts you off your feet but you already feel weightless, like you’re floating and Wonwoo is the rock that tethers you securely to the earth. 

Years and years down the road, when you’re looking back at the photos from this very night, the ones from your wedding, the birth of your twins, and so on, you’ll always remember the way you felt in the moment because with Wonwoo that feeling never wavers. The love, support, acceptance, gratitude - he makes sure you feel it every single day, just as he promised. 

Perhaps the universe was cruel - separating you when you were young and so in love but as time goes on, you learn to have a little faith in that old saying about things happening for a reason and making the heart grow fonder. 

When you take a look around at all the people you’ve grown to love and cherish along the way, you can’t find it in yourself to wish for your life to have gone any other way. 

Not when you sit back and watch your children play with Sam’s in the backyard. Or when Soonyoung and Seungkwan bicker over the logistics and rules of a card game while, as usual, Jun and Hansol tune them out to talk about something too deep to jump into mid-conversation. 

Not when you watch Mingyu’s wife shoo him away from the grill as Yeojin, tall and beautiful, teases her uncle for pouting and getting bossed around. Or Chan, who stops long enough to settle down - marrying his physical therapist after three years of travel and whirlwind romance. Certainly not when you get to watch Jeonghan finally give up and ask Joshua out - even if he still adamantly denies having a long standing crush.. 

You absolutely regret nothing when you watch your husband crawl out from beneath a happy, laughing dog-pile of children just to limp back over and offer you a tired smile and a kiss…

You know without a doubt had you the chance to do it all over again, you’d follow your heart to Seoul every single time. 

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