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kmgkmg · 5 months

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all i want for christmas - xmh (the8)

(where you want minghao for secret santa so you can prove he's not really that hard to buy something for.)

pairing: minghao (the8) x gn!reader genre: friends to lovers | fluff rating: sfw (but i still don't want minors interacting) word count: ~1.8k warnings: none, really. this is just fluff and a secret santa exchange. no pronouns used for reader.

a/n: this is for @k-vanity's 25 tips for surviving the holidays. day 14 - secret santa 💕 i'm also counting this as a drabble.

“Are you sure you want to trade for him?” Mingyu asks, eyeing you suspiciously.

“For the last time, yes,” you huff out.

Are you actually sure? No. But, this plan has to work. Every year you and your whole friend group draw names for Secret Santa. This year, you were really hoping to get Minghao. For a lot of reasons you’re not trying to share with Mingyu. Thankfully, he’s terrible at keeping secrets from you and had instantly whined about getting the hardest friend. He’s relieved you want to trade, even if he’s also a little suspicious. Not suspicious enough to hold onto the most difficult person to buy for, though.

“Your funeral,” he says with a shrug. “Who’d you have again?”

“Seulgi,” you remind him.

“Oh that’s so easy. She leaves notes about what she wants everywhere,” he says, satisfaction plain on his face.

“So does Minghao, if you know where to look,” you add, keeping it a little vague.

“If you so say,” he says.

Mingyu’s not suspicious enough to look a gift horse in the mouth. Literally. Minghao is famous in your friend group for being difficult to buy presents for. Famous for not even pretending to like a present. You wonder how many presents he’s taken back in exchange for something that he wants more. Which does make the whole thing a little more daunting, especially because you’re not supposed to spend over a certain amount. That’s the whole premise of doing a Secret Santa with your friends. It’s so that you don’t have to go broke buying presents because you have a lot of friends. Of course, you’re all older now than when you started as broke university students. Still, it’s nice to hold onto the tradition.

Now that you’ve switched, you’re nervous. Everything in your plan got you to the point of switching (and kind of how to pull off the perfect gift within your budget). You haven’t considered what he’ll say or what you’re going to say to him. Or if you’re even going to admit what you went through to make sure you had him in the exchange. You know you should just rip the band-aid off. Easier said than done, though.

The reality is that you want to be the one to give Minghao a present for a lot of reasons. You want to be able to get him something he’ll actually like. To show him that you listen to him and you know him. To show him that he’s not actually that bad to buy for, because you can tell it gets to him sometimes. That he thinks he’s just difficult, which he definitely is, but there’s more to him than that. There’s also the biggest reason you wanted to pull his name. That you have a giant crush on him. One you’re shocked he hasn’t picked up on and just as shocked other friends haven’t seemed to pick up on, either. Well, except for Seulgi. Then again, she never misses a beat. It’s useful that she knows, too, since you’re planning to ask her for help in securing the perfect gift.

(Seulgi comes through, like the actual best friend in the world, with a killer discount on a beautiful designer scarf. Minghao hasn’t eyed that exact one, but you think you know him well enough to know that it’s still something he’ll like. It fits seamlessly into his style and it’s the kind of thing you can easily see him buying for himself. True to her word and the plan, Seulgi set aside several pieces that were returned because the brand had really weird rules about reselling things that left the store. They take returns because of the goodwill with customers, but never resell the items even close to full price.)

When it comes time to actually exchange gifts, you’re a little nervous again. Didn’t think it through that you do this as a group, so everyone will see what everyone else got. Including the care put into your present for Minghao and the obvious, at least to you, significance. As if sensing your nerves, Seulgi shoots you a warm smile, then directs you to take a couple breaths.

“I get to open my present first, right?” Soonyoung calls out. He’s already looking through the presents on the table.

“You go first every year,” Seungcheol points out.

“Right, so it’s tradition,” Soonyoung agrees.

“Or maybe someone else could go…” Seungcheol starts.

“Got it!” Soonyoung calls.

“Just let him have it,” Seulgi laughs out.

As it turns out, she had him and got him a silly tiger plush and also a ticket to go to a drive through safari experience where they had tigers. Unsurprisingly, it’s a strong start and Soonyoung is thrilled. Seulgi opens her present next and it carries on just as well. It seems that everyone likes their presents, at least so far. Though, someone makes a joke that Minghao hasn’t gotten his yet. You’re still deep in thought and worry when you finally realize that your friends are trying to get your attention. It seems like it’s your turn to go next. Still somewhat lost in thought, you find your present. It’s easier because there aren’t many left and one of them is the one you bought.

The second you open your present, it’s all you can think about. It’s a beautifully decorated scrapbook, so carefully put together that it almost makes you want to tear up. You start flipping through the pages and it’s like walking through all your favorite memories with your closest friends. The road trips and the sporting events. Concerts and beach days. Bonfires and drunken parties. A complete catalog of your best memories, without you even having to tell whoever made it. Each page is uniquely decorated without it being overdone. As you’re flipping through each page, you notice that there’s one person in more pictures than anyone else. Minghao. Is it that obvious to whoever made this that you have feelings for him?

“I hope you like it,” Minghao says and he actually sounds nervous.

You look up at him, surprised. “You did this?”

“Yeah, I realized after I wrapped it that I forgot to include a card,” he admits.

“This is honestly the best gift I’ve ever gotten, thank you,” you say sincerely.

Seungcheol breaks the moment with a laugh. “Looks like you’re up next, Hao.”

“Right, yeah,” Minghao says. He clears his throat as he stands up.

It’s a little hard for you to figure out where to look. You’re so enamored with the present you got from Minghao that you want to keep looking through it and appreciating the little details he put in. You find yourself aimlessly running your fingers over the pages. But, you also want to know what he thinks of your present. The real reaction as he opens it. Which does win out as he sits back down with his present on his lap. He’s careful as he unwraps it, almost like he’s preparing for whatever is inside. Over the years, he’s definitely been a little better about reacting to presents. Maybe he’s worried this will be another present like that. You know watching his reaction was absolutely the right choice when his eyes go wide and his mouth opens a little in shock. His fingers run over the fabric carefully before he reaches for the card. The smile when he reads the card is so genuine that your heart melts into a puddle. Maybe it’s more than a crush.

“I don’t know how you did this and stayed under budget, but thank you,” Minghao says with more emotion than you’re expecting.

“Hey, yeah, that’s a foul! You can’t go over our budget just to get him something he wants,” Mingyu argues.

“It wasn’t over budget, I sold the scarf. I have the receipt still,” Seulgi says.

“That’s even worse!” Mingyu argues with a pout.

“You’re just mad that someone finally got Minghao the perfect present,” Seungcheol teases.

“I hate it here,” Mingyu says.

The conversation turns back to the remaining presents. Nobody really seems to have another comment on the moment that passed between you and Minghao over the presents. Neither of you has ever gotten the other for Secret Santa like this and it’s gone much differently than you expected. Instead of feeling nervous, you’re feeling a little hopeful. At least if your present is anything to go off. Minghao’s never put this much effort into a present. Not that you can remember, at least. Maybe, you’re not trying to get ahead of yourself, but maybe he feels a little something more for you as well.

You’re a pretty disengaged from the conversation, especially once everyone finishes opening their presents and things turn to what movie to watch. Instead, you head into the kitchen to get someone to drink, missing the way Minghao’s eyes follow your movement. A little surprised when he appears in the kitchen with you.

“Thank you again,” he says quietly. It still makes you jump a bit.

“Oh!” you gasp. “You’re welcome. I’m just glad you liked it. I know it’s kind of simple.”

“No, it’s perfect,” Minghao disagrees. “How did you manage?”

“I told Seulgi that I had you and roughly what I wanted, so she set aside some returns. Only ones that came back immediately and clearly hadn’t been worn,” you rush out.

Minghao’s touch on your arm is gentle, instantly calming. “I’m so thankful you got me.”

“Me too,” you agree. “Well, I didn’t, actually. I traded with Mingyu.”

“You did?” Minghao asks, seeming surprised but also pleased.

“Yeah, I wanted to get you something,” you say.

“I did, too,” he answers softly. “But, I was lucky enough to just draw your name.”

“Your present was amazing. I meant it, it’s one of the best I’ve ever gotten,” you whisper.

“It’s what you deserve. I know I didn’t spend much,” Minghao starts.

“No, it’s everything. I can’t imagine how much time you must’ve put into this. I’m not sure anyone’s ever done anything so thoughtful for me,” you assure him, eyes soft on his.

“You deserve only thoughtful things,” he tells you.

“You, too,” is all you can say.

“Do you think, well, would it be weird if we got dinner sometime?” he asks and you can’t hide the shock.

“Let’s go, you two!” Seungcheol calls.

“Like a date?” you ask, unable to believe what you’re hearing.

“Forget it, it’s weird,” he backtracks. When he starts to leave, you grab his arm.

“Yeah, I’d love to, but only if it’s actually a date,” you tell him. If you thought the smile over his present was big, this is infinitely bigger.

“How about right now?” he presses.

“I don’t have anywhere else to be,” you agree.

“Then, let’s go,” he says, hand held out for you.

And you take it. It’s one of the easiest decisions you’ve ever made. You didn’t even have to tell him that you’d been thinking of asking him the same thing. The holidays truly can be so magical.

i hope you liked it! please let me know your thoughts or give it a reblog if you enjoyed it 💕

#kmgkmgrec #SO CUTE!!! minghaos scorpio tsundere energy coming through #the hosh part..albeit short..made me giggle #so so cuteeeeee!

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kmgkmg · 5 months

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SNOW PLACE LIKE HOME - LEE SEOKMIN

word count: 1.5k…

pairing: seokmin x gn!reader

synopsis: first day after a snow storm with your best friend seokmin!

genre/s: fluff, non-idol!au, childhood friends-to-lovers, one-sided crush!dk(?), clueless!reader

warnings: slightly suggestive, but nothing happens!

rating: pg-13

a/n: another svt fic!! we’re supposed to have a snow storm where i live so i felt it was very fitting to write this! thank you a bunch to @playmetheclassics for being a beta reader for this fic, along with creating the title! this is a submission for k-vanity’s season’s greetings event! theme: traditional/lounge, accessories/extras: first snow, snow slopes, snowball fight/playing in snow, peppermint hot chocolate.

Keep reading

#that time of the year again :)

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kmgkmg · 5 months

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🙏🏻 This is my first time submitting a request because I can’t stop imagining Dino helping his drunk BFF home while secretly being in love with her 🧎🏼‍♀️Please if you have time!

superpower

summary: not all heroes wear capes, but chan would probably do so if you asked. pairing: lee chan x reader type: drabble genre: fluff au: friends to ?, pining word count: 1.4k (oops) rating: pg15 — still, minors do not have my consent to interact. cw: alcohol/drunkenness, obvi; no pronouns or gendered language is used for reader. a/n: not even remotely proofread (double oops), but i still love this down-bad doofus, so i hope you do, too!

“I’m not saying I have superpowers, but I’m not not saying it.”

Your eyes are blinking a little more slowly than usual, but the unimpressed look you fire off at Chan can’t be missed.

“Can you just —” A hiccup cuts your question in half. You frown with your whole face just to make it clear how serious you are. “Hold my hand? It’s wobbly.”

Chan knows you’re referring to the sidewalk — where you stand and sway along to music that isn’t playing — but that description fits his knees, too.

He hopes you’re too busy pouting at him to notice the way he wipes his palms against his jeans, afraid you’ll notice how nervous you make him. You start to lean a bit too heavily to one side for his liking, though; and he thinks it’s safe to bet that you’re not noticing much of anything.

That settles it.

The second he envelopes your hand in his, you take it a step further, tugging him close enough that you can slot yourself under his arm.

“Smell nice,” you mumble from his side. “‘s that the new stuff? From the place?”

Now, Chan is the one that’s blinking slowly. He was as drunk as you were until you needed him, and despite his sobering up on a dime — which is a superpower, thank you very much — his processing speed is lagging. You nudge him with your elbow, as if that’ll make what you just said make sense.

“Ahhh!” He plays along, making a big show of realizing things. “Yes, that place. By the thing, right?”

You nod. “Exactly.”

Behind you both, the Uber that dumped you back at your place pulls away from the curb. Three beats later, you tilt your head and cheer “goodbye” at a long-gone Kia. He feels his heart swell three sizes in chest.

“You like it?” He redirects you because he’s a little bit greedy for your praise — and also because he bought this cologne with the hope that you’d compliment it. Chuckling, he notes, “Considering how much I’m propping you up right now, you’ll probably end up smelling like me.”

When you smile and mutter, “Good,” Chan suddenly feels weightless.

It takes some concentrated effort, but he manages to guide you up the front steps to your apartment building. It takes significant concentrated effort to corral you into the elevator once you clear the threshold. You would’ve spent your night talking the doorman’s ear off, otherwise, providing a dramatic retelling of every single step you took over the last few hours. It takes everything Chan has not to laugh at the relieved sigh he gets in thanks for intervening, although it’s hardly altruistic to want your rambling to himself.

Surrounded by the metallic walls of the elevator car, you point to your joint reflection and muse, “Someone’s awful smiley this evening.”

Chan makes eye contact without having to tilt his head. His brain works overtime to churn out a response that isn’t self-incriminating, but the only thought ricocheting around his brain relates to how cute you look, nestled into him.

With a ding, your reflection is gone. The moment goes with it, and without a barrier in front, so do you — like a bat out of hell.

“Oh, my god,” you wail when your apartment door comes into view. “I thought I’d never see you again!”

Chan chases after you, arriving embarrassingly out-of-breath — and more than a little fond — just in time to watch you wrestle your keys out of your pocket. They clatter to the floor the second they’re free. You groan, bereft at the loss.

“Stay here,” he says firmly with a finger pointed because he knows you, knows you’ll take one or both of you out of commission if you don’t heed his warning.

Your eyes cross a little bit as you stare down the barrel of it, but you listen, thankfully; and he’s able to pick up your slack without anyone receiving a concussion. He’s able to usher you into your own home without further incident, too.

Once again: superpowers.

The task of kicking your shoes off is apparently too much to ask of you, so you wander off to your bedroom without even trying. His Nikes are discarded so hurriedly that they barely hit your mat by the time he takes off after you. The second he catches up, he wins the pleasure of watching you flop backwards onto your mattress.

Funny, he thinks. His heart makes a similar thwump when you smile at him the way you are right now.

Gesturing to the feet dangling off the edge of your bed, he laughs. “Can I please help you?”

You shoot him with dual-wielded finger guns. He takes that as a yes, please, and gets to work on the triple knots you managed to install in your laces.

“Chan?”

He hums in acknowledgment without looking up, too confounded by your drunken rope-work to take his eyes off his fingers.

Were you a sailor in a past life?

A little louder and a lot more pathetically, you whine, “Chan,” adding several seconds’ worth of the vowel sound in the process.

Chan has no option but to look up at you. As far as he’s concerned, he’s got no choice but to smile with all of his teeth, too. “You rang?”

“You’re so nice.” It’s supposed to be a whisper, he suspects, but it sounds much more like a shout. “How?”

His bemused snort is disguised by the sound of your right shoe hitting the floor.

“I mean it!” You laugh — like he��d ever doubt you — and smack your palms against your duvet for emphasis. “Like, hello? Good boy alert!”

That — well, that does something to Chan that he’s not willing to unpack right now. Instead, he shucks off your other shoe, bites back his smile, and sits back on his heels.

For a minute, the two of you stay that way: you gazing at him, him gazing right back at you. In every second that slips by in comfortable silence, he works to convince himself that the twinkle in your eye is a byproduct of the shots you took, nothing more. You’re smiling at him like that because you won’t have to sleep in your shoes tonight.

Right?

You nibble thoughtfully on your lower lip before your smile turns sheepish. “Chan?”

He’s not thinking that an angel gets its wings whenever you say his name, but he’s not not thinking that.

“The one and only,” he says with a nod, and he only cringes a little bit at his words, after the fact.

Whatever you want to say next seems to be stuck on its way out. In fact, you open and close your mouth twice to no avail. Patience is a virtue, and you are divine, so he waits there — on his knees, no less — and lets you take the lead. Your eyes flick from his face to the fidgeting fingers in your lap, then to the blank space at your side.

“It’s cold out,” you finally declare.

It’s July, but that’s neither here nor there.

“You shouldn’t have to walk home in this weather.”

The sky simply couldn’t be clearer, but Chan would take your word for it if you said that it was green.

“Maybe you should stay.”

He tries not to let the giddiness overtake him. Really, he does. He attempts to shrug nonchalantly, but it's more of a shiver than anything else, and he’s scrambling to his feet before he can chide himself for it.

You laugh — with your whole chest, no less — when he leaps into the spot beside you, settling flat on his back and grinning up at the ceiling. You’re still giggling when you mimic his graceless movements, still beaming when you turn your head to look at him. The air still feels electric, somehow, even after the laughter peters off.

A few moments pass, probably. He doesn’t notice them on their way out.

In a whisper that is actually a whisper, you say his name again, and it kicks off that wild thwump inside his chest.

“Yes?” He responds, much more quietly than his pulse in his ears.

You tug gently at the pillow under his head to draw attention to it. “You’ll probably end up smelling like me now.”

#kmgkmgrec #*cries in so single*#chan is so... whew... that one tweet abt him being first love material.. yea YEAAAA #i have my final for japanese in less than 6 hrs... but chan fanfic is obvi more important #also me and chan have the superpower of sobering up.. very slay of us #anyways this was so so so so soooo cute

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kmgkmg · 7 months

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HII omg i completely forgot i had tumblr, but hello!! its been a while hru ?? 🫶🫶 i js wanted to say that laufey’s new album reminds me of ynshie actually more than reminds i think of them alot . pre-btu joshua is so california and me and post-btu is while you were sleeping and lovesick thank u and goodnight

-⛺️ (we are SO back)

omgomgomgomgggg hiiiiii!!! i loved listening the album hehehe <3 i actually haven't listened to laufey's music b4 so it was fun to listen w ynshie in mind !! esp while you were sleeping was sooooooooooo pretty like whaaaaaaat????? ik i've asked beforeeeee but if you have any reqs for any oneshots i'd love to write them for you <3 about to post a jeonghan fic tonight and very excited to be back in my groove after being on a semi hiatus for a hot minute hehe

#kmgkmganswers #⛺️ anon

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kmgkmg · 8 months

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PUPPY LOVE - LEE SEOKMIN

word count: 1.9k...

pairing: seokmin x gn!reader

synopsis: dogwalker seokmin's fateful day with you :)

genre/s: fluff, non-idol!au, aspiring photographer!seokmin, strangers-to-lovers, meet-cute

warnings: none!

rating: pg

a/n: tysm @the-boy-meets-evil for being the beta reader for this fic! <3 title is deriven from the song puppy love by erika de casier...but rly i thought abt this fic when listening to kitipun by juan luis guerra...anyways, enjoy!

Seokmin majorly needed a part-time job. And the use of majorly is not an understatement. He knew city-living wasn’t going to be as glamorous as the movies or dramas. Still, he didn’t think he’d be drowning in bills less than half a year after moving.

After silently struggling for a while, Mingyu could notice the tiredness growing on his roommate’s face. Trying to be as subtle as possible, he showed him an app to be a dog walker.

“Rover? Like that Kai song?” Seokmin’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion. This was Mingyu’s genius idea for a part-time job?

“I-no, it’s a dog walking app.” Mingyu explains, showing his best friend how the app worked further.

After Mingyu elaborated by saying he used the app for a summer a couple years back when he was job searching, Seokmin obviously jumped at the chance to be one. What could be better than taking care of cute dogs while getting paid? He also could cancel his gym membership and cut out that expense since all the walking was a hefty amount of exercise.

It was all going well for the first couple of weeks, he had gained a few regular clients and learned the best routes for each dog to see more greenery such as parks. He even found a cute coffee shop that gave out dog treats that all the dogs seemed to love! There was also a certain cute barista that was his type causing him to frequent the establishment even more. Not to mention, the pay wasn’t bad. Well, it wasn’t like it was $25 an hour, but at least it was enough to help lift the weight that the burden of bills had accumulated on his shoulders.

So within the past few weeks, Seokmin has become a regular to your shop.

You didn’t pay much attention to him, but your employees always swooned over him. You understood why, he always livened up the place with his bright energy and infectious smile. Minghao, the co-owner of Diamond Blend, always teased that he was only visiting so much to see you. His teasing was always met with your rebuttals by pointing out he took good advantage of the free dog treats jar whenever he came in.

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he only looks at your reactions whenever he delivers his cheesy puns, Y/N,” Minghao nudges you with his shoulder as Seokmin walks out of the shop.

“It just so happens that I’m always closest to the treat jar whenever he makes small talk,” you shrug.

You did enjoy his visits, but you would never willingly admit that to your smug best friend. You enjoyed the way that your interactions with him were limited to the coffee shop. It was as if it was your own little world.

That is, until one fateful day when it started raining as Seokmin was mid-walk with his most difficult pet to watch, Sprinkles. Seokmin thought he could stop in the coffee shop for shelter with Sprinkles since she was a panting and stressed mess, but Sprinkles had other plans. The moment they rounded the corner for the coffee shop, she must’ve noticed she was nearly home and bolted in that direction. Seokmin expected her to run in the direction of where her favorite treats were, not try to book it to her home nearly 0.5 mile/0.8 kilometer away. So, there Seokmin was. Running after a dog with no umbrella as the rain only picked up by the minute.

You were bringing in the chalkboard sign stand that usually featured the specials of the day. The rain had washed away nearly everything anyway.

Still, seeing a worried Seokmin zoom past you was certainly a sight bizarre enough to wake you up.

“Seokmin?” You shout out, trying to make sure he is okay.

He turned to you, only to frantically point ahead of him. “Sp…rinkles…” He manages to explain while running in that direction once again.

You squint your eyes to see a rapidly disappearing blob that you discerned to be one of his dogs. Your feet moved without thinking and before you knew it you were full out sprinting after the dog with him. Who knew that being on the track and field team in high school would help you now?

You sped past him with ease, quickly catching up to who you could now tell was Sprinkles. She had managed to get herself distracted by a squirrel climbing a tree and was stuck barking at it, her attempts to claw her way up were fruitless.

“Sprinkles~” You called out with the sweetest baby voice you could achieve, having her turn towards you and start wagging her tail seeing your familiar face.

Seokmin was still staggering considerably behind the two of you, but Sprinkles happily walked into your arms as you crouched down near her.

“Were you a track star? I swear I saw you fly, Y/N.” Seokmin barely gets out, still trying to catch his breath after the unexpected chase.

“I actually was in track and field, yeah,” You laugh, holding the peaceful Sprinkles.

Seokmin put his hands on his knees, doubling over. “Thanks a million! I owe you for real.”

“No, don’t worry about it! I’m just glad we caught Sprinkles before anything bad happened,” You reply.

Seokmin’s ears perk up, “How do you know Sprinkles’ name?”

“Well, you do visit our coffee shop like half of the days in a week…it would be strange for me to not remember details about a regular like you,” You seamlessly reason.

“Ah, I see. I’m just another regular,” His disappointed tone was obvious to anyone.

“No!” Your quick response startles yourself, “I really enjoy you visiting our shop. I just didn't think it was the most professional thing to say.”

“Well, we are out of the shop right now…you don’t have to be professional outside do you?”

You contemplated for a while more before responding to him, “I guess not.”

“Then, I have the perfect way to pay you back! How about I buy you dinner?”

His flirting skills left you speechless. You felt as breathless as he was trying to chase after Sprinkles.

“Sure,” You grin, trying your best to play it cool like him.

“Great! I should walk Sprinkles home after her eventful day, but I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah, see you tomorrow with Kkuma,” you wave, going your separate ways.

You walked back to Diamond Blend, absolutely drenched. Nevertheless, you had the biggest smile on your face that was impossible to conceal.

When you opened the door, Minghao was behind the counter, smug as ever. His expression was practically screaming told you so.

You dismissed his triumphant expression quickly, “I just helped him catch one of the dogs that ran away. Was I just supposed to let a poor puppy run into danger?”

“I see.” Minghao’s two words silenced you immediately. You fell right into his trap by overexplaining yourself.

The rest of the day went off without a hitch, besides your occasional smiling thinking about Seokmin.

It was a time that the two of you reminisced about many times in the future. How you both stood in the rain long enough to get colds in the middle of summer. How you both actually owed Sprinkles for pushing the two of you to be bold and start to get to know each other outside of the coffee shop.

Before the scheduled Official Date with Seokmin, you noticed him with his camera taking photos in the park by your cafe. It was a familiar location to see him in. He would, without fail, always walk his dogs through the park before ordering coffee. You noticed simply because your shop’s windows had a good view of the park. No other reason at all for your mental notes of his routine. And seeing him? A coincidence once again. You were on your way to go grocery shopping after all.

You stopped daydreaming about the man in front of you when noticing who was behind him. Sure, Seokmin seemed like the type to get hyper focused on things. But what you weren’t anticipating is that in his attempt to get the perfect shot, he nearly got his wallet stolen. You shooed the pickpocket away, having Seokmin finally break his concentration at the sound of your voice.

“Y/N! Funny seeing you here,” he greeted you, oblivious to the ordeal he almost faced. His bright smile

How did the camera around his neck make him even more attractive?

“An interesting coincidence indeed,” You reply, readjusting the tote bag on your shoulder.

“Are you going shopping?” Seokmin politely asked, noticing your bag.

“Yeah,” you answer, “just buying a couple groceries to make myself dinner. Did you get any nice shots?” You motioned towards his camera.

“I did! Wanna see?” Before you could reply, he was taking the camera strap off his neck and gently passing his camera to you.

“Summer is my favorite season to photograph nature, everything is so vibrant, you know?”

You browsed through his photos, stunned by how good his skills were. Whether it be a photo of tree branches or a mama duck and her ducklings, each image you viewed had a certain softness to it. Seokmin was able to capture life through his perspective, a talent that you’re sure was apparent to anyone who had the pleasure of seeing his photos.

“I can tell, Seokmin. It’s like your photos each have a story to tell. Like your emotions seep through the lens. Your intentions can be felt each time you shoot something.” Art was never your strong suit, but before you had time to realize it, you spilled your innermost thoughts with him.

Making eye contact was a challenge after that, with you wanting to go grab your groceries and bury yourself under your comforter back at your place.

Seokmin broke the silence first though, “Thank you for saying that. I’ve been really doubting if I’d ever get to hold an exhibition for my work, but your words motivated me to continue working hard.”

“Why would you doubt yourself, Seokmin? You’re so insanely talented. I’m sure you didn’t need me to realize that!”

“I did need you though, we all go through moments of self-doubt, no?” He smiles softly at you, his tone softer than usual.

“You said you were going to buy groceries for dinner tonight, right? Well the sunset is looking phenomenal right now. I know we planned for dinner later this week, but what would you say about me taking you to the best rooftop restaurant in the city? I mean the dinner later this week is still on the table as well! I just…would like to get to know you better if that’s alright with you?”

He left no room for interpretation or confusion. A trait that you found refreshing after many failed talking stages with people. This instant connection you felt with Seokmin didn’t come around often.

“It’s more than alright with me. Which way is the rooftop restaurant?”

His smile broadens, exposing more of his teeth as he puts the lens cap on camera, “We just have to take bus route 218 for 15 minutes…”

You followed him to the bus stop, excited for the evening ahead of you. Who knew a puppy would be the reason for your new love to bloom?

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kmgkmg · 8 months

Text

THEM AS TEXT INTERACTIONS

pairing. seventeen x reader

notes. and we’re back..

masterlist / part 2

#kmgkmgrec #and when i say i would still b head over heels in lov w gyu.. yea im helpless

2K notes · View notes

kmgkmg · 8 months

Text

don't lie (3) ❋ svt ot13

three. you're on your own

word count: 3.1k

chapter warnings: major character death, fistfight & related violence, swearing/profanity

Chan sits with the three other men in the large, spacious balcony. They all watch him with some kind of concern and worry on their faces. He knows they’re not really upset with him, but he feels like a child being scolded anyways.

“Thank you,” he says quietly to 004. “For not letting me go back there. I would be dead right now if you had.”

“Don’t worry about it,” 004 replies. He has a kind smile, Chan notes. It’s comforting. “That’s not an unusual way to react to something like this. Especially when it’s your first game.”

“You’re not new here?”

“Nope.” 004 lets out a long sigh. “We’ve been here a while now, met in a diamonds game. Haven’t played anything like this before, either.”

“And we aren’t any more used to it,” 008 adds solemnly.

No one elaborates on that sentence, but Chan knows what it means. The killing, the indiscriminate death. The idea that it never gets better has begun to haunt him, as well as the fact that if he survives this one he must go on to play more.

“We should probably head out and see if we can find the rest of the weapons. It’ll be easier for us to make better guesses,” 002 suggests. “Come on. Let’s go together.”

A clever idea, very typical and strategic of 002. Nobody protests, rising to follow him back inside, but 004 hesitates a moment.

“You guys go on,” he says, giving Chan an encouraging smile. “I’ll just head to the kitchen and grab some water, meet you in a few minutes.”

“Okay. Careful,” 008 tells him, patting his shoulder before he’s gone too. 004 waits a few moments until he knows he’s alone in the balcony and puts his head in his hands, trying to collect himself.

It’s hard being the optimistic one all the time — and he tries, really hard. He tries for his friends, and himself too, but sometimes it’s too much. Even he has his limits.

He was relieved, initially. But now it’s a great burden on his shoulders, all those lives in his hands… just one miscalculated move and another person is laser shot to his demise.

Slowly, 004 drags himself to the kitchen, despite the comfort and solitude of the balcony. There are several bottles of water in the fridge and some snacks in the cupboards. Isn’t it ironic, when he and the other players are only here to most likely die?

He’s just about to cap the bottle again when a hand suddenly comes down on his shoulder and he hears a whisper in his ear.

“004. I am the detective, and I know what you are. Right now, nobody else is aware of your role but me. Be careful.”

“Wha —”

The man is already briskly walking away by the time he turns around. 004 doesn’t really recognize him, granted he can only see the back of his head, and he can’t decide whether he should be relieved or worried.

If the detective knows what he is, then…

NEXT VOTING ROUND IN: 18:17

Another set of footsteps approach the kitchen. This time, it’s 008, a familiar face.

“Junhui?”

004 snaps out of his thoughts at the sound of his name. “Yeah?”

“Are you alright?”

“Me? Yeah. Just,” he holds up the bottle before putting it back inside the fridge, “water.”

“You look a little troubled,” 008 remarks, genuinely concerned. “Did something happen? Someone do something to you?”

“No. No, Hao, everything’s fine. I was just thinking and got carried away. I’m fine.”

Sighing, Minghao approaches the island and pulls a chair out, taking a seat.

“You’re making it out of here,” he says, almost desperately. He’s looking right into Junhui’s eyes, he needs his friend to know how serious he is. He means it. “I’ll help you. Okay? Don’t worry about anything. Just focus on making the right guess and going under the general radar.”

“You say that like you’re not surviving this, too,” Junhui chuckles nervously. “Didn’t I tell you we’re in this together?”

The men fall silent after this. They know how the Borderlands work — you can make all the promises you want, but nothing, nothing is within your power.

“Come on,” Minghao says quietly. “Let’s go find Jeonghan hyung.”

“Okay,” Junhui agrees, eyeing the timer that’s in every single room as he follows his friend out. Fifteen minutes. He takes a deep breath and internally braces himself for whatever’s about to come.

There isn’t much time left.

Joshua almost ends up stepping on the axe barely hidden out of sight in the home theater.

“Fuck,” he swears under his breath, drawing his foot back sharply before the blade can cut through his sole. Vernon, who’s looking through a few stacked boxes several feet away, turns around suddenly at the sound.

“What happened? You okay?”

“M’fine,” Joshua says, lips curving into a faintly triumphant smile as he picks the axe up carefully by the handle. “Look what I’ve found, though.”

“Nice,” Vernon goes in for a high five. “You think the places we find the weapons in could be clues? Like, obviously we have no idea who actually committed the murder, but we can at least get the location and weapon, right?”

“Good point. Let’s try this combination at the booth again this time.”

NEXT VOTING ROUND IN: 07:21

The pair move into the small bathroom, searching methodically. Joshua is mostly quiet — focused, but thinking, and about one thing only: how to make it out of this game alive.

He watches his friend go through the drawers with a pang of guilt in his chest. Against his own feelings, he’s begun to suspect Vernon, just a little. He’s begun to suspect everyone, really, even those who he initially regarded as innocent, but in a game like this it’s just impossible to tell.

Vernon could be lying through his teeth right now, and Joshua would have absolutely no idea. Is he?

The thought makes Joshua spiral, and he feels terrible, because how is it that he’s doubting the one person he chose to trust in this place? But he just can’t shake off the possibility that maybe Vernon is a mafia.

Maybe they killed him in the last round and he was just lucky enough to be saved by the doctor as well. Maybe he’ll die soon, if they target him again.

But Vernon wouldn’t do such a thing… would he?

“Nothing’s in here. I think we’re better off looking somewhere else.” The sound of Vernon’s voice makes him shiver now. It’s deeply unsettling.

Dismissing the train of thought, Joshua glances at the timer that tells him there’s only five minutes left until the next round. “Should we head back into the living room, then?”

“I guess so.”

As they’re heading back down the stairs, though, they hear a clanging noise coming from the common area, followed by angry yelling. Quickly, they make their way to where everyone else is gathered, joining the group to try and see what’s going on.

“I had a feeling it was you,” Seungcheol says venomously, glowering at Junhui. The latter’s cheek is bruised and there’s half-dried blood at the corner of his mouth. Vernon immediately steals a glance at Seungcheol’s knuckles and confirms that his suspicions are correct. “From the beginning, it was so obvious. You’re terrible at concealing your identity.”

“I already told you it wasn’t me. I have done nothing to make you suspect me,” Junhui retorts, his friends by his side in case Seungcheol tries something again. It’s a far cry from his usual kind demeanor, but when it’s kill or be killed, there’s no room to be the nice guy. “And you’re the one who just attacked me, in case you forgot. If anything, you would be the guilty one here.”

Seungcheol just laughs in his face.

“Don’t try and sidetrack me, idiot. I saw you and 011 talking earlier, trying to be all secretive. Clearly you have something to hide.”

Junhui seems extremely confused for a few seconds before he realizes what the other man is talking about, and his face morphs into something akin to relief. He finds 011 across the room and makes eye contact with him, a silent understanding passed between the two.

I’ve got your back.

“What?” Seungcheol scoffs when Junhui stays silent, taking a step forward. “I’ve got you all figured out, 004. You can’t lie to me now.”

“Yeah, well, I wasn’t before, either. Maybe you would be able to see that if your head wasn’t so far up your ass right now.”

Seungcheol lunges suddenly, but Minghao yanks his friend back just in time for him to luckily miss.

“Stop it with your flimsy accusations,” he says. Minghao is quiet, but there is a force to be reckoned with behind his calm tone. “This is what the game wants. The game doesn’t care if we start fighting amongst ourselves. Fuck, the game doesn’t even care if we kill each other. That’s the whole point, and you’re just helping it along by being an obnoxious moron.”

The room goes silent. Everyone just watches — nobody else can speak up, because how could they? Minghao and Jeonghan seem to be the only ones who are outspoken about Junhui’s innocence. Aside from them, none of the other players can vouch for him.

He seems like a nice enough person, but what do they know?

“You’re so gullible,” is what Seungcheol responds with, disgust evident in his tone. “Blindly trusting people you meet in these death games.”

“He saved our asses in the last one,” Jeonghan decides to intervene at last. Usually he doesn’t partake in these verbal scuffles, choosing to work behind the scenes, but he’s had enough now. “He didn’t even need to. He could have won alone, but he didn’t. Wouldn’t you trust somebody who did that for you?”

“Humanity isn’t dead,” Minghao adds, furious. “Maybe in you, yes. But not for us.”

“How heroic. He saved you so you could come here and do it all over again,” Seungcheol raises his eyebrows and ignores the previous quip with a smirk. “Well, maybe he shouldn’t have. Easiest way out of this hellhole, right? Just lay down like a loser and die.”

Jeonghan’s glare burns as he holds Junhui, careful not to accidentally press on his bruises. How dare you, he wants to yell, scream, but the timer goes out before he can say anything else.

AT THIS TIME, PLAYERS MAY APPROACH THE BOOTH TO SUBMIT ANY GUESSES.

TIME LEFT: 04:59

Seungcheol goes first, confidently armed with the result of his prior guess and still bristling from his argument with Junhui. He punches in his entry, not even stopping to think it through for a moment.

004 - bathroom - knife

To say the least, he’s very confused. How can they all be wrong when he was so sure that he was correct? At least one of his guesses last round had to have been correct, he saw the O as clear as day on the screen, so how…?

Seungcheol almost frowns — almost. He remembers that everyone is watching him, more so after what just happened. He cannot let his guard down.

Minghao goes next, followed by Jeonghan. They whisper together, clearly having realized something, and they’re quick to pull Junhui into their circle once he’s done too.

Wonwoo watches the three of them out of the corner of his eye while he waits in line between Mingyu and Seungkwan. Something is off about the entire situation — Wonwoo is a very perceptive man, but he can’t really figure out much more than that.

He eventually gives up on trying to get a read on them and goes to key in his guess.

001 - garden - poison

Wonwoo stares at the screen, stunned. He wants to believe with all his heart that the murderer is the part he got right, but he can’t know that for sure. Maybe he got two things right. Maybe just one. This is impossible, he thinks to himself, before he realizes that he can’t do it on his own.

One turn every round until you are wrongly accused or killed overnight is not enough to guess correctly, not without a little bit of luck. Wonwoo resolves to regroup with Mingyu later — if they both survive this round, that is.

PLAYERS NOW HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO DISCUSS AMONGST THEMSELVES PRIOR TO VOTING.

TIME LEFT: 04:59

It’s happening again. Chan lets out a shaky breath and holds onto the fabric of Junhui’s sleeve for support, partially hiding behind his broad frame.

“Well,” Soonyoung starts tiredly, “we all did see what just happened...”

Seungcheol scoffs, arms crossed. “You’re going to accuse me again? When I was just looking out for all of us?”

“You assaulted him,” Seungkwan points out incredulously, “ before he even had a chance to say something to defend himself. What does that tell us about you?”

Seungcheol is quiet for several long moments. “Do whatever the hell you want,” he says finally. “If that means killing me off, then so be it. Have it your way.”

Joshua, from his spot in the room, isn’t paying much attention to the current conversation. Instead, he’s watching the more silent players, observing their body language.

One in particular strikes him as odd — player 006, the one in the blue T-shirt and black-rimmed glasses.

He seems to be doing the same as Joshua, scanning the room while the others argue, and when they both make eye contact it feels like the most unnerving thing. Nothing is clear anymore, all shrouded under a veil of suspicion.

Unfortunately, Joshua doesn’t have the time to make a better choice.

AT THIS TIME, PLAYERS MUST APPROACH THE BOOTH TO VOTE A PLAYER OUT.

TIME LEFT: 04:59

At the booth, Junhui is stumped out of his mind. He finds it hard to suspect any one person. All he really knows is that he can trust Jeonghan, Minghao, and the detective, but other than that he has no clue. And despite Seungcheol’s onslaught on him from earlier, he’s not entirely sure that he’s the mafia, either.

“Please hurry up,” the tall, muscular man behind Junhui says. “I don’t know if we’re going to get shot if we don’t vote before time runs out, and I really don’t want to find out.”

“Sorry,” Junhui exhales, punching in three digits before he can start overthinking it again.

012.

Junhui can’t help but hate himself for this, all of this. He could be the one vote that ends someone’s life here, but he can’t even make an informed decision. He despises this game, justs wants his regular life back.

The last person in line is Chan, and he can feel all eyes on him as he stands there, unsure as to what to do. Like Junhui, he’s scared, and he simply doesn’t know. He’s aware of the clock ticking on the wall, and randomly picks a number before backing away from the booth.

ALL PLAYERS HAVE VOTED.

Chan holds his breath, on the brink of tears. It could be him who’s voted off this round.

PLAYER 012 HAS BEEN ELIMINATED.

After the first round, after Jihoon, nobody in this game is a stranger to the brutal elimination in the Borderlands. Everyone is prepared to some degree, but when Vernon is lasered to death in a flash of red light, each player flinches and takes a step back.

PLAYER 012: CIVILIAN.

Joshua just doesn’t know what to say. He can’t move a muscle, his heart stops for a good few moments — but more than that, he can’t believe he suspected Vernon at all. He can’t believe he was doubting the only person he had in this world, now dead.

He can’t even bring himself to shed the welling tears amidst the shock, because he never, never expected anyone to vote out Vernon. How could they?

To him, Vernon Chwe was an open book, and Joshua didn’t need to ask questions to get a truthful answer from him. He just knew.

Joshua feels like his throat is being squeezed from all sides. He can barely breathe.

NIGHT HAS FALLEN. PLAYERS, LOWER YOUR HEADS.

Three seconds pass after the instruction flashes across the screen and Joshua still doesn’t move. Jeonghan reaches out from beside him and yanks his collar so that his head is down like everyone else’s.

“Do as it says,” he whispers harshly. “Are you trying to get yourself killed, too?”

MAFIA, RAISE YOUR HEADS AND SELECT A CIVILIAN TO ELIMINATE.

Sandwiched between Junhui and Jeonghan, Chan presses his fingers together, fear thundering through his veins. Please not me not me not me notmenotmenotme —

DOCTOR, RAISE YOUR HEAD AND SELECT A PLAYER TO SAVE.

Slowly, the doctor raises his head. He’s aware of the responsibility that lies on his shoulders, and nervously looks around the room as he tries to decide how to make the wisest possible choice.

Eventually, in light of the events that occurred right before this round, he chooses himself.

DETECTIVE, RAISE YOUR HEAD AND SELECT A PLAYER TO CHECK THEIR IDENTITY.

Seungkwan raises his head with pure conviction and nothing else. He does not hesitate to choose Seungcheol right off the bat, and is equally surprised when he learns that he is just a civilian.

Why was he so insistent about Junhui then?

PLAYERS, RAISE YOUR HEADS.

All twelve of them just look at each other, waiting for something to happen in the eerie quiet.

PLAYER 001 HAS BEEN ELIMINATED.

Seungcheol’s eyes widen in shock, the most and only emotion the others have seen on his face ever since they stepped into this game.

“Wait,” is all he can get out before the final thing he sees is a flashing red, and his body falls to the floor with a sickening thud.

Everyone stares. There is no crying, no innate grief — after all, Seungcheol was the only one who came into the game alone and chose to stay that way. None of them really knew him in the way that you would know a friend, or even an acquaintance.

And yet, there is a certain sadness in the air. Regardless of the familiarity, a loss of human life is still a loss, and it’s a reminder of what’s about to come for many of the surviving players.

NEXT VOTING ROUND IN: 29:59

After lingering for a while longer, most of the players leave to search for the last two weapons, or to get away from the scene of two deaths to talk to their trusted ones in solitude. The thirty minutes of potential peace is treasured by the ten who still remain.

But Joshua stays. And one single teardrop hits Vernon’s cold, lifeless skin.

taglist: @odxrilove @dejavernon @kmgkmg @asyre (send an ask or comment to be added!)

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notes: what are ur guys' guesses for the mafia, and what do u think is going on with the other roles? i'd love to hear any theories or guesses u might have! lmk what you think of this chapter <333

#kmgkmgrec #kmgkmgfave #THE WAY THIS CHAPTER KEPT MAKING ME ?!?!?! 😧 ?!?!??!!#PRAYING junhao+jeonghan+chan survive #i feel like jeonghan is either gna survive w his calculated/cunning skills or be suspected and d word #seungkwan as detective makes sm sense but im scared hes not going to be taken seriouslyyyyyyy #also the inner turmoil of joshua and dino??? ugh so good #i think jun is doctor???? bcos that's the only role he could b besides murderer??? and the unspoken camaraderie w kwan.. yeah #since seungcheol's guess had x right????#the m*rder happened in the garden ....i think w a rope maybe?#from past chapters joshua/dino/wonu/wooz/coups/vernon/hao arent mafia #so jeonghan/hoshi/dk/gyu are all potential mafia...leaning towards jeonghan/hoshi/dk as mafia bcos gyu.. baby pls <3 b a civilian #ALSO SMILEHUI WRITER..... ''And yet there is a certain sadness in the air. Regardless of the familiarity a loss of human a loss of human li #and it’s a reminder of what’s about to come for many of the surviving players.'' THIS LINE?!??!?!?!!? INSANEEEEEEEEEEE (compliment)#these tags r so long i'm so sorry 🧎‍♀️loved this chapter tho

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kmgkmg · 9 months

Text

LOVE FOOL - CHOI SEUNGCHEOL

word count: 0.6k…

pairing: seungcheol x gn!reader

synopsis: you and your boyfriend are out and about being affectionate and just obnoxiously cute!

genre/s: fluff, non-idol!au, bf!seungcheol, established relationship, domestic

warnings: none!

rating: pg

a/n: title is taken from the song love fool by exo! the fic is largely based on this pic hehe <3 first seungcheol fic so hope yall enjoy it!

“Doesn’t that sculpture look like a bunch of grapes?” Seungcheol asks you, pointing to the abstract sculpture in the near distance.

“It does!” You agree excitedly at his discovery, to which your boyfriend lights up.

He lets his eyes wander on the sculpture for a while more before continuing to walk. The two of you were out for another one of your sweet dates, walking around the city after watching a movie at the theaters.

Still standing in front of the sculpture, you call out to him, “Let me take some pics of you in front of it.”

He turns back, seeing you motion him over with your hands. “In front of this?”

“Yeah! It has its own artistic aesthetic, no? Perfect for Instagram.” You explain whilst enthusiastically pulling your phone out in preparation. There were several passersby, but you continued to be unaffected by their stares, solely focused on your boyfriend.

Seungcheol sees how much you want to take his pictures and lightly jogs back over to you. He’s used to your antics, well aware of how much you enjoyed taking pictures to remember the events of the day.

“There it is, Cheol! Your perfect smile.”

He notices that you’re grinning from ear to ear. Seungcheol always thought your smile was infectious, but today proved it once again. Unable to contain his own joy, his smile only grows wider at your happiness. He poses with great focus, starting to care less and less about the people around you.

“Now silly poses!” You direct him, acting playful behind your phone’s camera. He covers his mouth slightly with his hand, trying his best to stifle his laughter.

An elderly couple approaches you, undetected by you since you were determined to take the best photos of Seungcheol. Seungcheol’s smile falters slightly at the strangers walking to you, stopping his poses.

“Young love,” the elderly man starts, “this is the best time. Let us take pictures of the two of you together! You resemble my partner and I when we first started dating.”

You finally look away from Seungcheol, diverting your attention to the source of the words just spoken. An elderly man stood behind you, waiting for your reply to his offer with a small smile and a hint of nostalgia behind it. The couple were still linking arms, clearly in love with each other. Your gaze drifted to their hands, noticed the wrinkled state of them, but both were wearing well-kept rings around their ring fingers.

“Aw, we would love that!” You answer warmly, carefully passing your phone to him.

Having not been able to hear your conversation, Seungcheol is frozen in front of the sculpture. You head in his direction, an action that only confuses him more. The puzzlement on his face makes you smirk, before filling him in. Seungcheol nods, moving over so that both of you are centered in the photo.

He glances over to you beside him, still beaming with a peace sign placed near your face. On the count of three, Seungcheol turns and places a quick peck on your cheek. He loved giving you wet kisses, so he ended the kiss with a loud smooch. Your head whips in his direction, putting your hand up to your face to feel the wetness he left.

Faking disgust, you rub his spit off your face. “Gross!”

“What can I say? You make me a fool, Y/N.” Seungcheol shrugs, looking back towards your phone.

Without missing a beat, you reply to him. “A fool? Then, call me a love fool since I’m completely in love with you.”

You look at each other adoringly, happy to have met.

“Say cheese!” The elderly man’s spouse instructs, making you both tense up, realizing how distracted you were.

Seungcheol mumbles through his smile, “That makes two love fools.”

201 notes · View notes

kmgkmg · 9 months

Note

hi i just wanted to say thank u sm for ur feedback on my don’t lie series i really appreciate it so much!! 🫶🏽 i love reading ur thoughts in the tags shdjsk

hiiii!! and ofc!!!! i love reading the series so far, you're really good at capturing the essence of the game + the tension the players (in this case, svt) feel!!

#kmgkmganswers #smilehui #i have meet my blue saved to read later as well!! <3

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kmgkmg · 9 months

Text

YES NO MAYBE - JEON WONWOO

word count: 1.7k…

pairing: wonwoo x gn!reader

synopsis: wonwoo sits down for an interview after his pictorial to answer some questions, what he wasn't expecting was you to be the one interviewing him.

genre/s: angst, idol!wonwoo, ex!wonwoo, magazine editor!reader

warnings: none!

rating: pg

a/n: submission for k-label's firsts for everything event! the title and fic are inspired by bae suzy's solo debut with yes no maybe! while the title track is def the biggest inspiration, i relied on all of the mini album since it's one of my absolute favorites of kpop. also leaned into iu's discography a lot and ending scene was another inspiration. thank you @gyusangels and @hwasangelbaby for being the beta readers!

Wonwoo’s steps can be heard against the floor as he enters the studio. People are still shuffling about busily, setting up before the shoot officially starts. Next to the clothing racks, various conceptual pictures are taped all along the wall. He scans the pictures, trying his best to get a grasp of what vibe he had to emulate for the day.

The continuous clicking sounds of the camera’s shutter rings in Wonwoo’s ears while the flashes of light hurt his eyes. On top of that, the studio booms with loud music to set the mood for the shoot. With each flash, Wonwoo subtly readjusts himself to a new pose. Five outfit changes along with five different hairstyles and makeup looks. Exhausted is an understatement. The shoot proceeds for nearly three hours before finally getting the last shot approved by the magazine’s staff.

“You were absolutely terrific!” The enthusiastic photographer praises Wonwoo and Wonwoo immediately turns bashful. He’s weak to compliments, especially when the cameras are turned off.

His manager approaches him with a water bottle and a handheld fan.

“Are we done for the day then?” Wonwoo asks after sipping and starts to take the uncomfortable jacket off.

His manager avoids his eyes, an indication to Wonwoo that the day was not over. “You still have the Q&A video to film. Their Chief Editor is interviewing you.”

He pats his manager’s shoulder, reassuring him to not worry. “Q&A videos are a breeze! What do you want to grab for lunch afterwards?”

“Today’s weather is perfect for…sushi?” His manager suggests.

Wonwoo is energized by the thought of eating sushi later on. “Now that you have motivated me, this interview will be done in no time!”

“Chief Editor L/N!” One of your employees greets you, making the others aware of your presence. You are distracted by the conversation on your phone and briefly greet the employees before finishing the phone call.

Wonwoo is already waiting at the table that the staff set up, but his eyes dart up as he looks for you. He knew you worked at Vogue, but Vogue is a huge company. He never expected that he’d run into you like this, nearly a year after you dumped him.

You sit behind the camera wordlessly, pulling your laptop out of your work bag. Straightening your posture on the chair, you double check that the camera is recording. “Seventeen’s Wonwoo, thank you for joining us today.”

He’s thrown off by your extremely professional behavior. Nobody knew about your past relationship besides Seventeen, but you were treating him like a complete stranger. His initial shock dies down, but it's clear on his face that he’s experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions from your presence.

His words spill out thoughtlessly, “So, you’ve been promoted to Chief Editor?”

You exchange glances with the staff around you, all looking back at you with quizzical expressions. Double-checking the flashing red dot on the camera, you reply curtly. “Yes, I’ve been Chief Editor for about seven months. Usually the managing editor conducts the interviews, but he had a family emergency today. We’re deeply sorry that we weren’t able to inform you sooner.”

“No need to apologize!” Wonwoo replies, becoming aware of his surroundings once again. Flashing a wide smile to the camera, he turns on his idol persona. Staff around the studio begin gushing about his kind behavior as you look for which fan questions to read.

“Do you have any plans on releasing any more videos or photos for Carats?”

“I plan to hold a traveling exhibition of my photography early next year! I can’t give too much away right now, but Carats will definitely love it.”

A smile crept onto your face, glad that the ideas he bounced off of you were coming to fruition. “Do the members still ask you to take their pictures a lot?”

He blinks his eyes rapidly, surprised at your memory. “Yes, they do! At this point, DK, The8, and I are practically the assigned Instagram photographers in the group.”

You nod, and prepare yourself to read the next comment. “Ballad lover, Jeon Wonwoo! I love your music taste so much! What song have you been hooked on lately?”

“I’ve mentioned IU a lot in the past since her music means a lot to me. Luckily, Carats really enjoyed my cover of her song Knees. These days, I’ve been listening to The Visitor by her. The melody is very catchy and the instrumental is stripped back which adds a special layer of sentimentality to the track. I especially love the lyrics for the hook. ‘Why do I still love you? Why do I sing about you? Why do I still wait for you? Babe I love you.’” He responds, purposefully looking away from the camera and instead having his eyes fixate on you.

His longing gaze goes unnoticed by you as you type a note to the video editor to add IU’s in song during post production. “Wonwoo, I’m addicted to books like you! Which books are the most newly purchased in your library?”

“Book Park Lounge had a sale a week ago! I bought about eight new books? Greek Lessons by the author Han Kang has been insanely interesting so far. Although the novel came out in April, it was sold out in all of the bookstores around me immediately. Please, check it out if you enjoy books about the beauty of humanity. My rambling isn’t doing the book justice, just know that once you pick the book up, you won’t be able to put it down.”

You memorize the book’s title, secretly missing the reading lists he would make you. “Any recent activities you did with the members that you can share?”

Wonwoo takes a second to think, lightly tapping his fingers on the table’s surface. “Me and Minghao went to a tea tasting and blending workshop. I’ve recently been more interested in tea, so he suggested that I tag along with him. It was a really rewarding time, I got exposure to a lot of new flavors!”

“Since you made your own tea blend, do you have any tips for people that follow your steps and try making their own blends?”

“Great question!” He compliments, turning silent as he thinks of the best universally liked ingredient. “Dried rose petals are my recommendation. They are easy to add to any tea blend in my opinion, plus, the quantity that you add can customize how much you want the flavor to stand out. Minghao would probably recommend others’ first experience with tea to be a tea ceremony instead. I’ve done both and the ceremonies tend to focus on patience and maintaining steady hands.”

Hesitating to move on to the next question, you review your coworker’s email with the prewritten questions. “Do we have to ask every question here?”

Wonwoo tilts his head in confusion, “Why not?”

“Very well. Wonwoo, have you ever regretted letting go of something or someone?”

“Yes.” His immediate reply causes his manager to approach you and ask for it to be edited out. Wonwoo sees the interaction and tries his best to fix his mistake. “Actually, no… Well, maybe? At the time, I found myself asking a lot, what does my heart actually want? It’s strange, isn’t it? I mean how humans don’t understand their hearts at times. But by the time I realized what I wanted, it was far too late. So yes, I’m full of regret.”

You look back at his manager, whose mouth is slightly agape over Wonwoo’s candid answer. Picking up on the manager’s flustered state, you skip to the last question. “What are your plans for the rest of the year?”

He tries his best to sound energetic again, “Well, Seventeen always tries to be as active as we can! Although a little less than half of the year is left, we will meet you very soon with new music and performances!”

“Can you do the outro?”

“See you all next time! Subscribe, like, and comment to Vogue’s YouTube channel!” Wonwoo waves goodbye with both hands and you stand up to turn off the camera.

He walks over to you as he stretches his arms. “Can we think about us again?”

You continue fidgeting with the camera and say in a low voice, “Wonwoo. Stop saying, let’s think about it again. You know better than anyone that we probably wouldn't last a day.”

“But, Y/N, life without you isn’t the same…” His eyes turn desperate. More eyes are on the two of you, unaware that you were so deeply acquainted with one another.

“Follow me.” You excuse yourself from the studio with Wonwoo listening to your words.

He has a hopeful glint to his eyes now, biting down on his lip to contain his excitement. He’s at a complete loss of how to predict what you’re going to say.

You’re shaking from the anger of his unprofessionalism. Wonwoo realizes your emotions and his face turns solemn.

“What is with you today, Wonwoo? It’s obvious we’ll hurt each other again, so stop saying you can’t live without me. Please, just meet someone who will love you more than I did.”

He looks down at his feet and mumbles, “You act like that is an easy task, Y/N.”

“Wonwoo, I’m with someone else now. You’re the one that wanted us to date quietly and we broke up just as quietly. Now, let go of me quietly.” You request, not once faltering in front of him.

Without giving him time to respond, you walk back towards the studio’s doors and hold one open for him. His feet move without him thinking, trudging back into the studio.

His manager is talking to the photographer about which photos should be excluded from the final cut. Once he notices Wonwoo's return, he finishes the conversation effortlessly.

“Ready for some sushi?”

Wonwoo takes one last look in your direction and sees you engrossed in your work as employees crowd you. Yes, he misses you more than anything. But no, he knows that you don’t feel the same. So maybe, it’s time for him to follow your wishes and let go of you.

He clears his throat. “Yeah, let’s go.”

#icymi!

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kmgkmg · 9 months

Text

don't lie (2) ❋ svt ot13

two. black dagger

word count: ~3.1k

chapter warnings: major character death, swearing, weapons (not used)

Joshua holds his breath expectantly as he places the headphones over his ears and keys in his number on the screen.

“Player 003. You are a civilian in today’s game.”

His Korean isn’t that good, but he knows enough to understand what was just said. He’s not sure why he feels so relieved. There’s no reason to be — mafia or civilian, winning is the only way to survive.

He stands to the side when he’s done, waiting for Vernon quietly. None of the others look familiar to him, which would explain a lot — Joshua has only been here for a few hours, and it’s lucky that he ran into Vernon soon after, someone more fluent in Korean and with more experience in the Borderlands.

When Vernon’s turn is over, he waits for the younger man to approach him, and asks tentatively, “You’re not… you aren’t…?”

“Civilian,” Vernon confirms. Joshua trusts him, an odd word to use in this world, but it’s true nonetheless. “You?”

“Civilian,” Joshua echoes. He doesn’t ask any more questions. He doesn’t think Vernon is lying to him. “We just have to focus on guessing the right murderer combination now. And not getting killed.”

Vernon silently agrees, turning to watch as the thirteenth player walks away from the machine. “There’s three mafias in here right now,” he whispers. “Three people who are going to kill some of us. Three people who are going to have the rest of us killed if they want to win.”

“If they want to live,” Joshua adds. “It’s win or die. It’s horrible.”

Vernon nods solemnly. “I know, hyung. But it has to be done. We don’t have another way out.”

NEXT VOTING ROUND IN: 27:34

Seokmin sits with his friends on a table in the pool area, having escaped the stuffiness of the living room. They’re thinking — what can they do? Who can they trust?

“I need you guys to know that I trust you,” Soonyoung starts. “I trusted you two when you told me your roles. We’re all on the same side. So,” he takes a breath, “let’s figure out how to win this and get out of here together.”

Seungkwan shakes his head. He can’t dismiss the horrible feeling in his stomach, like something is just so off and he’s not sure exactly what.

“We never should have joined this game together,” he mutters. “We should have left the second we flipped the card and realized it was a hearts game. Remember? We said we’d never go into hearts games together. We promised, right? What happened to that?”

The other two fall silent. Games with hearts cards, betrayal. They play around with emotion, make you question everybody you trust. Neither of them have an answer.

“It was my turn,” Seungkwan whispers, staring at the ground. “It was my turn to play. You two could have stayed. You didn’t have to come with me.”

Soonyoung puts a hand on his friend's arm. “We couldn’t leave you alone, Seungkwan, it was dark and far, and —”

“And? And what happens if one of us dies today?”

“If we die,” Seokmin says, “we all go together. We’re all on the same side, ‘Kwan. You can trust us.”

Seungkwan just sighs, saying nothing in response. He knows it’s true — it has to be true, so why is he having so many second thoughts? Why can’t he shake off that weird feeling?

“Well,” he says, dismissing his prior train of thought, “who are you suspecting right now?”

“I don’t know yet, it’s too —”

“Him.” Soonyoung points across the room decidedly. His finger lands on a tall, brown-haired man talking to his two friends, much like Soonyoung is right now. “Something about him is off, I’m just not sure what.”

“I don’t know,” Seokmin murmurs. “I don’t think it’s him.”

“I just think he’s awfully suspicious. Look at that stance. He’s so awkward,” Soonyoung argues. “If I knew I was about to kill someone, I’d be like that too.”

“Yeah, maybe you’re right.”

Seungkwan doesn’t say anything. He just observes 004 from a distance, wondering what made Soonyoung suspect him, because he disagrees. He doesn’t really have a reason, but his instinct is telling him it can’t be that man.

“Maybe,” Seungkwan echoes, finally tearing his eyes off 004. Regardless of who’s right, he’ll know for sure after the next round.

Amidst heated discussions and anxious gatherings, nobody pays attention to the pair of mafia players that slip away from the main rooms and find solace in the garden.

“I can’t do this. I don’t want to do this.”

“And you think I do? We don’t have a choice!”

“I’m going to tell him right now. He should know. He deserves it.”

“You can’t do that! Do you want to die?”

“Hyung.”

A plea. A message. I’m scared. There’s no response just yet, only silence. There’s no wind, either, and the quiet feels unnatural. Eerie, even.

“You know you have to play. But you also know there's a way to do what has to be done.”

“... This feels so selfish.”

“It is. This whole thing is. We can’t save everyone, no matter how hard we try. You know that.”

It’s quiet again, then there’s the sound of footsteps slowly fading away into the distance. One of them stays, just staring out into the deep green fauna. He can’t bear to leave just yet. The weight on his shoulders is too heavy for him to walk back out there without crumpling to the ground.

Mingyu’s been very lucky today.

Well, maybe not, considering he got himself into this twisted little game somehow, but at least he’s been sort of useful. He doesn’t really know anyone else playing so he’s been wandering, trying to search for the hidden weapons, and boy did he find them.

He’s walking down a hallway with a knife in his hand and some rope slung across his broad shoulders when he suddenly runs into someone else. Tall, like him, but a little leaner, and far more skittish than he ever remembers being.

“Oh,” 006 says at the sight of him and the glinting blade of the knife. “Uh… you’re not going to kill me, are you?”

Mingyu blinks. “No.”

“Okay,” 006 says, relieved. “I take it you’ve found some of the weapons?”

“Yeah.”

“Cool. No one else is looking, you know. They’re all too busy accusing people to try and find all the options.” And then he pulls a small vial out of his pocket, the light green liquid inside just barely visible. “Poison. So I guess we’ve found half of them already.”

Mingyu just stares at him for a second, and then the corners of his mouth turn up into a small smile, revealing his fang-like canines.

“Good going, 006.”

“It’s Wonwoo.”

A name. Mingyu doesn’t usually care for names, not when he’s never going to hear them again anyways. They don’t really matter in the Borderlands, but he gives Wonwoo his despite the fact.

“You been here long?”

“No,” Wonwoo says. “This… this is my first game actually.”

Mingyu winces. “Starting with hearts? That’s tough,” he admits. “I’ve been in a few games here and there, but they were always clubs. Made it a little easier for me.”

No wonder, Wonwoo thinks, eyeing the other man’s stronger build and broad frame. He spots a tattoo in the shape of a dagger on the back of his neck. “Can I ask what your role is?”

“Me? I’m just a civilian,” Mingyu says. He watches the other player carefully. He can tell Wonwoo is smart, clever, but it’s easy to read through his drawbacks. Wonwoo wants to trust, and it’s too strong a feeling to have in a place like this. He wants to trust because he’s afraid. He needs it. “But don’t go believing everyone who tells you that. I could be a mafia right now and you wouldn’t know it.”

“I know you aren’t,” Wonwoo says offhandedly, confidently. “I thought you might be. But now I don’t think that you are.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

NEXT VOTING ROUND IN: 09:17

Wonwoo stops in front of a door, twisting the handle and opening it slowly to reveal a large bedroom, fully furnished and complete with decorations. He turns around and tilts his head slightly.

“Should we search in here?”

Mingyu usually prefers to go about it on his own, but something is telling him to walk through that door. Why the hell not, he thinks to himself, and swiftly follows Wonwoo into the room.

Somehow, everyone is already gathered in the living room when the next announcement is played. Maybe it’s the thrumming anticipation running through their veins. Most likely, it’s the fear.

AT THIS TIME, PLAYERS MAY APPROACH THE BOOTH TO SUBMIT ANY GUESSES.

TIME LEFT: 04:59

Nobody moves. They are aware of four of the weapons, thanks to Wonwoo and Mingyu, but nobody even knows where to start with the murderer. Those who have played in the Borderlands before know very well that the start of the accusations is where it all falls apart.

Finally, Seungkwan stands up, walking over to the booth. All eyes are on him, but he tries to stay calm as he keys in his first guess.

008 - kitchen - poison

The screen goes blank for a few moments to process his submission before showing a bold X. Seungkwan releases a breath he didn’t even know he was holding and returns to his seat. Nobody asks him what happened, but Seokmin meets his eyes inquisitively. He only shakes his head.

Emboldened by Seungkwan’s attempt, more players approach the booth.

006 - living room - poison

013 - bedroom - knife

003 - bathroom - rope

Well, shit. Seungcheol inhales sharply when he sees the result, but schools his expression immediately. After all, he doesn’t plan on sharing his information with anyone else, and he doesn’t want anybody to come asking.

PLAYERS NOW HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO DISCUSS AMONGST THEMSELVES PRIOR TO VOTING.

TIME LEFT: 04:59

It’s quiet for a short while until 013 speaks up, somewhat shyly. He is younger than the rest, a grown adult but still a child somehow. Maybe it’s the look in his eyes. Maybe it’s the innocence that hasn’t left his soul just yet.

“I might be wrong… but I think it’s 009.”

Everyone turns to look at Mingyu. He doesn’t know what to do, so he just stammers out, “It’s not me! I-I’m a civilian. I don’t have any other role. I can’t be the mafia, you wouldn’t have any of these weapons if it weren’t for me!”

“I don’t think it’s him,” Wonwoo adds softly. “I really don’t think it’s him.”

“004 is suspicious to me,” Soonyoung throws the idea out there. “As well as 009, but I can’t really tell.”

“What about 002?”

“No, something is just really off about 009.”

“Why are you so insistent about this? It’s not Mingyu,” Wonwoo argues back. “Maybe you’re the mafia. What if you’re just trying to pin this on him?”

“No,” Seokmin says immediately. “It can’t —”

“Why not, 010?”

“Because he’s my friend,” Seokmin is this close to losing his temper, but he hears Seungkwan whisper in his ear quietly.

You know that’s not how this works, Seok. At all.

TIME LEFT: 02:37

“We have to vote somebody off,” 008 says. Everyone knows he’s right, but nobody says anything else. They’re tired of this already, stuck in the continuous killing machine

Wonwoo eyes everyone else, gauging their reactions after the mass Mingyu accusation that just happened, but it’s incredibly difficult to get a read on them. He just hopes he makes the right choice.

AT THIS TIME PLAYERS MUST APPROACH THE BOOTH TO VOTE A PLAYER OUT.

TIME LEFT: 04:59

Seungkwan gets in line, still conflicted. He knows these votes are going to be all over the place, but what can you expect from a hearts game if not chaos?

He takes a deep breath when it’s his turn. He trusts his friends, the people closest to him. He trusts them… but trust means nothing in the Borderlands.

00_

Seungkwan presses the last number with a guilty conscience.

005.

Three players behind him, Soonyoung feels less of a burden when it comes to the vote. He’s very sure, so confident — he can only hope his confidence might have brought several others to his side. After all, he wants to win. He wants to live, and he won’t let anyone get in the way of him and his friends.

009.

TIME LEFT: 01:29

Seungcheol makes the last guess, shoulders slumping slightly as he walks away from the machine. Even he feels the weight of his choice, knowing that at the end, somebody has to die.

TIME LEFT: 0:00

PLAYER 007 HAS BEEN ELIMINATED.

Everyone looks on in horror, and Vernon is about to say something when the sound of a laser cuts through the silence with a brief red light and a short, blond-haired man hits the floor.

The fear is tangible in the air, and nobody dares say it, but they’ve seen it with their own eyes now.

007 is dead.

Wonwoo sits still, unable to even move a muscle. Several players have averted their eyes but most of them just sit in shock. What else is there to do? What else can they do?

“Shit,” Vernon whispers, shaking. Joshua’s got a death grip on his arm — he was sitting right next to 007, and he wasn’t prepared for the sudden laser shot. He knew what was coming, but it would never prepare him. “I played a game with him. I knew Jihoon. He wasn’t…”

PLAYER 007: CIVILIAN.

“He was innocent.” Vernon is trying really hard not to let the welling tears in his eyes blind him, but it’s proving to be difficult. “Who voted for him? Which of you voted for him, huh?”

Joshua tries to calm him down. “Vernon.”

“It had to be done,” Seungcheol says stoically. Joshua looks at him and wonders what has to happen to a man to harden him this way, to make him so immune to emotion. “It had to be someone. It just ended up being him.”

Vernon isn’t hearing any of this. He can only stare at Jihoon’s body and his blank, open eyes. Almost a friend, but not quite. Somehow it hurts even more knowing that they weren’t close, like maybe he could have done something. Maybe he should have reached out again after that last game.

How could he have known that these moments would be their last together?

“We can’t avoid it. You were telling me this earlier,” Joshua reminds him gently, traces of fear still in his voice. “It’s just going to keep going. It might even be me next time.”

“No,” Vernon says harshly. “It’s not going to be you next time. Or after that.”

“Vern —”

“Listen to me,” the younger man says. Joshua doesn’t think he’s ever seen him this serious before. “We’re getting out of here, okay? Whenever you make a guess, tell me what you got, and I’ll do the same. We’ll figure out the combination and get the hell out of here.”

“But only one of us can get out that way.”

“Then we’ll make sure we find the rest of the mafia first,” Vernon answers. “Doesn’t matter how. We are getting out of here, okay?”

“Okay,” is all Joshua can say before Vernon goes silent again, leaning into his embrace. He’s still reeling — they’re all still reeling, except for Seungcheol, who seems largely unaffected.

A few seats down, 013 rises to his feet, trembling at the sight of Jihoon on the ground.

“This is so unfair,” he says , chest heaving. “I-I can’t do this. I can’t play this game. I can’t.”

Mingyu glances up at him, eyes widening in alarm. “Wait —”

Before he can finish, 013 dashes towards the large wooden door, nearly making it out before 004 catches up to him, pulling him back with strong arms. 013 fights it, but he just can’t get out. His captor was way too fast.

“Let me go!” he screams, tears rolling down his already wet cheeks. “I can’t stay here!”

“You have to,” 004 says, still holding him. “You can’t leave.”

“I need to get out of here!”

004 doesn’t say anything at this, just rips his silver chain off his neck and throws it towards the hall. It’s just about to head through the doorway when the same noise, the same red light that killed Jihoon zaps the metal suddenly, and it hits the ground before it can get out.

“You can’t leave,” 004 repeats, loosening his arms a little. “Because that’s what will happen to you if you do.”

013 lets the taller man lead him back to the table gently, numbly. He feels like he’s going to puke every time his eyes settle on Jihoon just lying there, dead. Gone. Killed, because of a stupid game in a stupid world where nobody can ever be sure of themselves.

NIGHT HAS FALLEN. PLAYERS, LOWER YOUR HEADS.

“Shit, here we go again,” 004 mutters under his breath. It doesn’t make 013 feel any better.

MAFIA, RAISE YOUR HEADS AND SELECT A CIVILIAN TO ELIMINATE.

Other than the slight rustling of clothes and someone’s sneeze, it’s deathly silent in the room.

DOCTOR, RAISE YOUR HEAD AND SELECT A PLAYER TO SAVE.

Three, two, one.

DETECTIVE, RAISE YOUR HEAD AND SELECT A PLAYER TO CHECK THEIR IDENTITY.

Seokmin holds his breath, eyes screwed shut. It could be him eliminated in a few moments, shot to death like Jihoon, these could be his final thoughts and his final moments —

PLAYERS, RAISE YOUR HEADS. NO PLAYER HAS BEEN ELIMINATED.

NEXT VOTING ROUND IN: 29:59

Everyone stares at each other in pure shock. Out of eleven other players, what are the chances?

“Doctor’s done their work,” Soonyoung remarks, standing up.

“Yep,” Seungkwan says. “Off to a great start.” He’s not sure how much of that he believes, exactly, and glancing over at Jihoon’s body makes his stomach whirl again. This isn’t the last time, he has to remind himself, and it isn’t the first. He is very aware that it’s definitely not going to get better from here.

Seungkwan is the last to get up and leave the table. Before he follows Soonyoung and Seokmin back into the kitchen, he lets himself look at Jihoon one more time.

For you, he thinks, I will try. I will do my best. And then he silently walks away.

taglist: @odxrilove @dejavernon @kmgkmg (please send an ask or comment to be added!)

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notes: i'm so sorry i had to T-T also ik some of u have been waiting to see jeonghan so stay tuned for part 3 for that !!

#kmgkmgrec #kmgkmgfave #cheol share w the class pls 😧😧#so scared for chan 😭😭 babyboooooo (idc if he’s 3 yrs older than me…once a babyboo always a babyboo)#bss as a team 😋😋😋#BUT SOONYOUNG NEEDS TO GET OFF MY MANS ASS 🫵🫵🫵 im testifying to gyus innocence alongside wonu til death 🤞🤞#watch this hoe (gyu) b the mafia…#i would instantly die if i had to play this game like props to them fr #i would keep guessing the wrong combos and somehow get voted off #looking forward to what happens next 🫶

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