#˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙙𝙙𝙡𝙚 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

tqngerine · 1 year

Text

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ stay in the middle

(like you a little) | hueningkai x gn!reader

SYNOPSIS: Huening Kai would do anything for his best friend Taehyun, and this one small favor is no exception. It appears that Kai’s fellow campus journalist Y/N has caught his attention, and Taehyun needs help connecting to them. Befriending someone outside of his small social circle wasn’t something Kai did often, but he comes to find that it’s easy to get close to Y/N—maybe even getting a little too close.

TAGS: social media au (+ written), college au, strangers to friends to lovers, slow burn, fluff, crack if i want to be funny, angst but only later on

FEATURING: rest of TXT, Le Sserafim Chaewon & Yunjin, Enhypen Jay & Jungwon

STATUS: in progress (hiatus)

UPDATES: whenever i can

⋆｡°✩ MASTERLIST ✩°｡⋆

PROFILES:

drama kids | yeonjun’s beagles | misc.

CHAPTERS:

TAGLIST: open!! leave a comment below or send me an ask to be included in this taglist ^^

@kaisdefender @fairysh4mpoo @0rangemilk @beomsbeanie @hanjisungsgirl @luvsoobs @goldennika @spagettae @solarsolarity @hy2ka-i @aestheticsluut @sophie-writingtime @quitbeingawhore @destinylightlove42 @softpia @strawberry-kirby @matcharetsuko @txtbrainrot @taekwondoes @tatanbin @uno7 @catsyoon @fzy-b3om @concatpng @wezbin @fandcmwritingss @officiallyjaehyuns @wannabeyn @youbettertellmeyes @umbreonwolfy @yumilovesloona @softcabur @tsookies @amazingly-amazing-loser @junhuicosmo @planethyuka @minhoino @heartattackreader @beomiebears @makiswrld @catsyoon @suzirumas @mikitaxt @veryjeongintxtkid @ndriixx @imsiriuslyreal @suurejann

639 notes · View notes

tqngerine · 1 year

Text

stay in the middle — 41. a thousand karats

< prev | masterlist | next >

a/n: ooh it’s bad for taehyun… and for y/n… bless them all 💀🕊️

TAGLIST: open!! leave a comment below or send me an ask to be included in this taglist ^^

@kaisdefender @fairysh4mpoo @0rangemilk @beomsbeanie @hanjisungsgirl @luvsoobs @goldennika @spagettae @solarsolarity @hy2ka-i @aestheticsluut @sophie-writingtime @quitbeingawhore @destinylightlove42 @softpia @strawberry-kirby @matcharetsuko @txtbrainrot @taekwondoes @tatanbin @uno7 @catsyoon @fzy-b3om @concatpng @wezbin @dczedhee @officiallyjaehyuns @wannabeyn @youbettertellmeyes @umbreonwolfy @yumilovesloona @softcabur @tsookies @amazingly-amazing-loser @junhuicosmo @planethyuka @minhoino

148 notes · View notes

tqngerine · 1 year

Text

stay in the middle — 39. bingsoo besties

< prev | masterlist | next >

A/N: WHEW so much has happened am i right ! what a packed week for both us and y/n 😰

TAGLIST: open!! leave a comment below or send me an ask to be included in this taglist ^^

@kaisdefender @fairysh4mpoo @0rangemilk @beomsbeanie @hanjisungsgirl @luvsoobs @goldennika @spagettae @solarsolarity @hy2ka-i @aestheticsluut @sophie-writingtime @quitbeingawhore @destinylightlove42 @softpia @strawberry-kirby @matcharetsuko @txtbrainrot @taekwondoes @tatanbin @uno7 @catsyoon @fzy-b3om @concatpng @wezbin @dczedhee @officiallyjaehyuns @wannabeyn @youbettertellmeyes @umbreonwolfy @yumilovesloona @softcabur @tsookies @amazingly-amazing-loser @junhuicosmo @planethyuka @minhoino

96 notes · View notes

tqngerine · 1 year

Text

stay in the middle — 37. cute writing demon

< prev | masterlist | next >

A/N: oop i squished in a bit more screenshots than conventional here but it’s for the plot 😞💪

TAGLIST: open!! leave a comment below or send me an ask to be included in this taglist ^^

@kaisdefender @fairysh4mpoo @0rangemilk @beomsbeanie @hanjisungsgirl @luvsoobs @goldennika @spagettae @solarsolarity @hy2ka-i @aestheticsluut @sophie-writingtime @quitbeingawhore @destinylightlove42 @softpia @strawberry-kirby @matcharetsuko @txtbrainrot @taekwondoes @tatanbin @uno7 @catsyoon @fzy-b3om @concatpng @wezbin @dczedhee @officiallyjaehyuns @wannabeyn @youbettertellmeyes @umbreonwolfy @yumilovesloona @softcabur @tsookies @amazingly-amazing-loser @junhuicosmo @planethyuka @minhoino

77 notes · View notes

tqngerine · 1 year

Text

stay in the middle — 35. multiverse of madness

< prev | masterlist | next >

A/N: HI I’M BACK NOW WITH OUR FIRST OT5 INTERACTION!!! sorry for the sudden change in format 😅 memeimessage is nicer for larger gcs since it’s more compact and can fit in more texts per screenshot than social dummy (but working with it was a PAIN). and yes you heard right, we’re getting another week of daily updates #tqngerinefreeera 🥳

TAGLIST: open!! leave a comment below or send me an ask to be included in this taglist ^^

@kaisdefender @fairysh4mpoo @0rangemilk @beomsbeanie @hanjisungsgirl @luvsoobs @goldennika @spagettae @solarsolarity @hy2ka-i @aestheticsluut @sophie-writingtime @quitbeingawhore @destinylightlove42 @softpia @strawberry-kirby @matcharetsuko @txtbrainrot @taekwondoes @tatanbin @uno7 @catsyoon @fzy-b3om @concatpng @wezbin @dczedhee @officiallyjaehyuns @wannabeyn @youbettertellmeyes @umbreonwolfy @yumilovesloona @softcabur @tsookies @dreamydusks @amazingly-amazing-loser @junhuicosmo

77 notes · View notes

tqngerine · 1 year

Text

stay in the middle — 34. mentally screaming

< prev | masterlist | next >

A/N: FINALLY A TAEHYUN AND Y/N INTERACTION AND IT ONLY TOOK 34 UPDATES 🥳🥳🥳 the next few updates are gonna be wild 😼😼😼

TAGLIST: open!! leave a comment below or send me an ask to be included in this taglist ^^

@kaisdefender @fairysh4mpoo @0rangemilk @beomsbeanie @hanjisungsgirl @luvsoobs @goldennika @spagettae @solarsolarity @hy2ka-i @aestheticsluut @sophie-writingtime @quitbeingawhore @destinylightlove42 @softpia @strawberry-kirby @matcharetsuko @txtbrainrot @taekwondoes @tatanbin @uno7 @catsyoon @fzy-b3om @concatpng @wezbin @dczedhee @officiallyjaehyuns @wannabeyn @youbettertellmeyes @umbreonwolfy @yumilovesloona @softcabur @tsookies @dreamydusks @amazingly-amazing-loser @junhuicosmo

82 notes · View notes

tqngerine · 1 year

Text

stay in the middle — 36. the blue hair and pronouns brigade

< prev | masterlist | next >

A/N: let’s ignore the times i’ve used blonde soobin and pink taehyun as photos in this AU, they both have had black hair since the start of this fic up until this point yes 😁 ngl me personally i’ve been highly anticipating this moment of the au bc I LOVE writing ot5 antics i love my silly goofy men 🥰

TAGLIST: open!! leave a comment below or send me an ask to be included in this taglist ^^

@kaisdefender @fairysh4mpoo @0rangemilk @beomsbeanie @hanjisungsgirl @luvsoobs @goldennika @spagettae @solarsolarity @hy2ka-i @aestheticsluut @sophie-writingtime @quitbeingawhore @destinylightlove42 @softpia @strawberry-kirby @matcharetsuko @txtbrainrot @taekwondoes @tatanbin @uno7 @catsyoon @fzy-b3om @concatpng @wezbin @dczedhee @officiallyjaehyuns @wannabeyn @youbettertellmeyes @umbreonwolfy @yumilovesloona @softcabur @tsookies @amazingly-amazing-loser @junhuicosmo @planethyuka @minhoino

88 notes · View notes

tqngerine · 1 year

Text

stay in the middle — 22. pick me up

word count: 0.9k

Y/N didn’t have to pace the floor of the empty office for too long before hearing a knock, followed by the soft clicking of the door opening.

“Oh, thank goodness you’re all in one piece.” Kai exhaled in relief, hair slightly aloof as though he had ran all the way here. He didn’t have to worry this much for them, Y/N thought to themself, but it was admirably thoughtful of him.

“It’s not like I was stuck dealing with a kraken, Kai. I’m fine.”

“Oh, but just know I’d be ready if ever that was the case.”

For that, Y/N let out a chuckle, then turned off all the lights and exited the room alongside their knight in Adidas sweatpants armor.

He whipped out his phone’s flashlight and guided the way through the dark corridor. The only thing that could be distinctly sensed was the echo of the pair’s footsteps bouncing off invisible walls. Kai was tapping a silent beat on the side of his legs, as if his fingers always had to be kept busy.

“Sooo, how did practice with Jay go?”

“Dying to know, aren’t you?”

“I’m nosy!” Kai turned to look at Y/N’s reaction.

Amidst their warm face and giddy stomach, Y/N settled with a content sigh. “He’s a great actor, really. Like, I was honestly just awestruck the entire time.” Their eyes widened as they recalled every detail they captured of their acting partner. “He sees through the simplicity of the script’s text and catches nuances to add to his delivery. He coaches me if he gets any ideas for my lines too, it’s so—“

Y/N stopped on their heels to grab the sides of Kai’s arms. “He’s so talented, Kai, it hurts!”

Kai blinked in surprise before laughing a bit more softly than usual, hand reaching to pinch Y/N’s cheeks.

“Ow?!”

“Sorry, you’re just so ridiculous.”

That earned Kai a punch to his shoulder. “Whatever!”

Visibly stifling a smile, Kai continued the pace they were once walking. “Maybe I should ask Jay how practicing with you was for him too. That way, I’d know more about what actor Y/N is like.”

“I could try to sneak you into rehearsal again! Not too sure how much of Yunjin’s kindness I can abuse, though…” Y/N quickly waved their hand off reassuringly. “It’s okay, you’re cute, Yunjin can’t say no to you.”

Kai eyes crinkled into a smile. “I am pleased to hear.”

The pair had reached the exit of the corridor and were to cross the open field to get to the dormitory building. The view reappeared under the moonlight, the expanse of green materializing before them. Evening birds chirped restlessly over the clicking of crickets.

“Oh, I never realized how clear the night sky is.”

Kai nodded in affirmation. “It can get misty—or so I’m told. But we just so happen to be lucky tonight, I guess.”

“Do we both not go out that much?”

“To be fair, who would want to go out at the dead of night?”

“Fair, indeed.”

“Wait, what’s that—“ Something caught Kai’s attention, luring him to a big tree off the track. Y/N soon noticed it too: a glow coming from the trunk.

“That looks radioactive.” Y/N commented, and although they meant it lightheartedly, they were silently worried it was something serious.

Inching closer, Kai seemed compelled to reach out to it. Suspense rose like a violin trill until…

“Oh.“ Kai peeled it off the trunk to show Y/N. “It’s just a glow-in-the-dark poster for the upcoming bazaar.”

Y/N released a breath they didn’t realize they were holding. “Glow-in-the-dark poster? I’ve never heard of that before.”

“How anticlimactic.” Kai sniffled, sticking the poster back to where it came from.

“Hey, you could definitely make a scary story out of this.” Y/N lowered their voice in an attempt to mimic Kai. “Guys! I saw something glowing on one of the trees last night! Call me crazy but I swear those were alien eggs!”

Kai’s trademark booming laugh erupted. “That sounds unbelievable, but I just know if I told this to Yeonjun hyung, it’d keep him up for a few nights.”

“Your Yeonjun hyung’s a wimp.”

“He is.” His shoulders shrugged the last of his giggles, and Y/N begun to note how naturally expressive he was. It made interacting with him more lively.

The rest of the walk was quiet, especially now that Y/N’s nerves had calmed down completely. Usually, nighttime evoked the wilderness of Y/N’s imagination, making it near impossible for them to walk around at this hour without anxiety. Soobin and Beomgyu would’ve been a call away to come walk Y/N back to their dorm, so it made them feel guilty for asking Kai in particular, who had never done this for them before.

Well, he has already, without hesitation, gotten them coffee to survive their rehearsal. So Kai’s loyalty shouldn’t have been a question in the first place. He does things for his friends without complaint because he wants to help, and Y/N shouldn’t have to feel too guilty.

Despite that, Y/N felt an inner embarrassment because of the fact that they may have just wanted to see his face in particular. His presence was soothing, and it was just what they needed walking back.

“Okay, my dorm’s right here.” Y/N stood by their doormat, decorated with an embroidered white cat over it. “Thank you so much again, Hyuka. I still don’t know how you put up with my shit.”

“Nah, I needed some fresh air from studying anyway.” Kai’s eyes glimmered under the dim light. “And I have a cool scary story to tell my friends now. I’d say this evening was a win.”

“Good to hear, good to hear,” With one last wave at Kai, Y/N closed the dorm room behind them.

Their roommate was most definitely sound asleep at the moment, all the lights inside shut off. Thus, Y/N made sure to take their shoes off and settle their backpack as quietly as possible. Instead of heading straight to their room, they flopped onto the sofa in their living room. Grabbing their trustworthy sparkly notebook from their bag, they began scribbling some ideas that blossomed from tonight’s events.

< prev | masterlist | next >

A/N: vine boom sound effect what’s going on 🤯🤯

TAGLIST: open!! leave a comment below or send me an ask to be included in this taglist ^^ (if your name is in bold, i can’t tag you)

79 notes · View notes

tqngerine · 1 year

Text

stay in the middle — 38. cat and dog (like the txt song)

< prev | masterlist | next >

A/N: SORRY FOR POSTING A BIT LATE u won’t believe this but this lewser also has a social life 🤯 y/n is getting more and more occupied god blezz their soul 🕊️

TAGLIST: open!! leave a comment below or send me an ask to be included in this taglist ^^

@kaisdefender @fairysh4mpoo @0rangemilk @beomsbeanie @hanjisungsgirl @luvsoobs @goldennika @spagettae @solarsolarity @hy2ka-i @aestheticsluut @sophie-writingtime @quitbeingawhore @destinylightlove42 @softpia @strawberry-kirby @matcharetsuko @txtbrainrot @taekwondoes @tatanbin @uno7 @catsyoon @fzy-b3om @concatpng @wezbin @dczedhee @officiallyjaehyuns @wannabeyn @youbettertellmeyes @umbreonwolfy @yumilovesloona @softcabur @tsookies @amazingly-amazing-loser @junhuicosmo @planethyuka @minhoino

74 notes · View notes

tqngerine · 1 year

Text

stay in the middle — 16. coolbeans

word count: 1.6k

“This place isn’t as suffocating as I remembered.” Y/N couldn’t help but hum, gazing around the small cafe. Now that they weren’t overwhelmed with worries about social interaction anymore, they could properly appreciate the array of wooden decor lined up at the top of the cream walls. Plates, large utensils, framed coffee beans, the items were appropriate but quaint in its display. Y/N was quite charmed.

Sitting opposite to them, Kai made the practical decision of scanning the menu for their dinner selection. “My best friend and I often meet here in the early morning to charge up before our classes.“

“The same best friend that helped you with your report outline for earlier?”

Kai gave a nod.

“With the amount of times you’ve mentioned him, I’m wondering why I haven’t met him yet.” Y/N laughed.

A penguin pout graced his lips. “Ah, he’s especially busy these days because he’s in the volleyball team, training and all. But I promise you I’ll introduce him to you eventually.” He crossed his arms over the table. “Likewise, I want to meet your friends too.”

Y/N scrunched their face. “I fear they’re not as cute and into Sanrio as I am.”

“Not even Soobin?”

“He’s only cute. That’s the only thing he’s got going on for him.”

Kai giggled—or rather cackled with incredibly more power than necessary, earning him a few stares from the neighboring customers. After realizing his volume, he immediately turned to bow in silent apology to each table, looking like a docking ostrich in the process.

“We should probably take our orders now.” Y/N said, trying to hold back a laugh.

“Good idea.”

Y/N requested for a plate of carbonara while Kai went for a traditional caesar salad, along with two glasses of blue lemonade.

Once the waiter had left, the two were met with comfortable silence. They had just finished observing the swim team for almost three hours, it had already been a long day for them.

Although they have definitely grown much closer since the last time they were here (the longest and most awkward 30 minutes of their life, as Y/N remembered it), they found that they didn’t need to be constantly speaking to enjoy each other’s presence. Both naturally leaned more toward being the quiet type anyway.

The same panicky boy that made a mess out of Y/N’s papers almost a month ago wore a much calmer countenance today, his ebony curls more neatly kept and eyes crinkling into creases. He was fiddling with the corners of the paper placemat beneath him, creating a pile of paper crumbs that had been softly ripped apart.

“You’re not gonna have a placemat by the time the food arrives if you keep at it.” Y/N teased, pointing at the pile.

The tips of Kai’s ears colored. “Oops, habit of mine. My hands get restless so I often fidget without thinking.”

“No need to justify yourself, I promise. How about you help me with something instead to keep you busy.” Y/N then turned to their backpack to fish out a pastel pink notebook. They slid it in front of Kai to reveal the numerous Hello Kitty stickers decorating the front cover.

“That’s a lot of glitter on those stickers.” Kai’s own eyes sparkled at the sight.

“I always say it’s never enough.” Y/N smirked before flipping to the last filled page. Scribbled all over it was a mind map of words like moon, aliens, and galaxy, drawn arrows pointing them toward each other. “See, before I got in The Hybe Times, I used to submit self-written stories to the local student magazine. I’ve been thinking of submitting another one for the first time in so long, but I can’t quite stick to one idea.”

Kai took in Y/N’s explanation while examining the seemingly nonsensical writings on the page. “I’m gathering that your story is space themed?”

“Yep. The upcoming issue will commemorate the anniversary of the moon landing, so outer space was given as the prompt.” Y/N leaned backward, heaving a sigh. “But space is such a broad topic—kind of literally, too. So much could be talked about, how do I condense it into one short story?”

Kai’s eyes remained focus on trying to follow the words on the page, eyebrows scrunched thoughtfully. “Hm, do you know what all these arrows remind me of? Constellations. Metaphorical lines that connect different bodies together to form a bigger picture.”

Y/N blinked at his interpretation, caught pleasantly surprised. “That’s… I like that.”

“You do?”

“Constellations as lines that connect and create a bigger picture…” Y/N flipped the notebook back to face them and started furiously inking down the sparks in their mind. From their peripheral, they saw Kai watch in awe, his mouth slightly agape. Y/N only let a select few people witness their “light bulb” moments like these so they were admittedly a bit flustered under his gaze.

They finally looked up, corners of their lips stretched wide. “I don’t know how you did it but you just helped me plot out a full beginning, middle, and end of a short story.”

“That fast?” Kai gawked. “I’m impressed.”

“The mind works in mysterious ways.” Y/N reached forward to tap Kai’s temple with their finger. “Yours so much more so than mine.”

At that moment, Y/N’s eyes caught something from behind Kai’s head. Two figures had entered the packed cafe—two familiar figures.

Y/N quickly docked their head and tucked their notebook beneath the table, startling Kai. “I-is something wrong?”

Y/N’s voice lowered. “Don’t turn around, but Jungwon and Jay just entered the cafe.” They buried their face in their hands. Of course they’d come here; Jungwon was their field partner, and the swimming compound was right beside this cafe. It’d make sense for him to seek dinner here after fieldwork too.

Kai’s mouth rounded into a silent “oh”, nodding slowly and trying his best to remain calm for Y/N’s sake.

Unfortunately for Y/N, they made the mistake of peaking up again, accidentally making eye contact with Jungwon. At the sight of his co-journalists, he gave a big enthusiastic wave before dragging his friend along to their table.

“Kai hyung, Y/N! Thank goodness you’re here.” Jungwon greeted, grin wide. “The waiter just told us there were no more seats available. Do you mind if we sat with you instead?”

Jay stood rigid beside Jungwon, arms linked with each other. He gave the two a polite smile in greeting. Other than that, his face was practically unreadable—Y/N was hoping they’d figure out how he feels about getting a minor role alongside them, but maybe some answers are not this easily attainable. Still, his unreadability didn’t dismiss the way his hair was parted to the side so neatly, nor the way his slick leather jacket hugged his figure handsomely. Wait, how does an article of clothing hug one’s figure handsomely?

Y/N felt Kai’s expectant eyes on them, waiting for their call. (They were hoping his stare was not because they were noticeably blushing furiously at the moment.)

“Uh… sure! Come take a seat.”

Jungwon clapped gratefully. Right before any movements occurred, Kai swiftly switched to take the space beside Y/N, allowing the newly arrived duo to sit opposite them. It was as if he had read their mind begging for him to block any chance of Jay sitting close to Y/N.

“What did you guys order?” Jay asked diplomatically.

“Kai ordered a salad for two. Perhaps you’d like to take his other half?” Y/N promptly replied, to which Kai raised an eyebrow. They weren’t wrong, but Kai had the appetite for two servings; he very well meant to finish the salad on his own.

“I promise I’ll get you a big bowl of ice cream after to compensate. I just don’t want to have to wait for their orders too.” Y/N rapidly said below a whisper, ensuring that the other two didn’t hear them. Kai gave a thumbs up of content.

“Oh, I do love salad. That’d be nice, thank you.”

“Jay can pay for the entire bill, too.” Jungwon smirked, earning him an eye roll from his hyung. “What about me, though?”

“You can share Y/N’s carbonara! Also made for two.” Kai offered quickly. He lowered back down to Y/N to whisper, “I’ll make up for that with another big bowl of ice cream for you too.”

Y/N could feel their heart thumping in their ears out of nervousness.

“I’m more of a spaghetti person myself but I won’t complain since I’m hungry.”

As if on cue, a waiter arrived with their orders. The group then dined without chatter, busy enjoying their meals (and trying to stay calm in front of their crush, in Y/N’s case).

“Did you receive Yunjin’s message in the group chat?” Jay finally spoke up, breaking the silence.

Y/N nearly choked on their bacon. “O-oh. I haven’t been on my phone for the past hour. What did she say?”

“She already wrote specifications about our characters on the script. We’ll be rehearsing alongside the main cast tomorrow.”

“That’s great! I’ll read through the script later.”

“You guys have the same roles?” Jungwon asked.

“Uh, you could say that.” Jay simply replied, taking a sip from the service water. How on earth did he manage to make that something to swoon over.

Y/N had to slap Kai’s lap to bring them out of their trance, much to his poor surprise. “How are you enjoying the salad, Jay?” Kai spoke out of panic.

“It’s all right. My dad knows how to prepare an even better one though.” It should have sounded like a brag, but it came out more lighthearted. “I can pack extra to rehearsals one day for you to try, Y/N.”

“Coolbeans! I’d be honored to try.”

Jay lips pressed into a smile. “Hang on, I need to use the restroom.” He excused himself from the table, and the moment he was completely out of sight, Kai stifled a laugh.

“Coolbeans?”

Y/N plopped their head on Kai’s shoulder, groaning in embarrassment. “Why does time always seem to slow down whenever I’m in this cafe.”

A cough broke, causing Kai to turn to the scrutinizing gaze of Jungwon. “There’s something going on that I don’t know about.”

Y/N continued to grumble incoherently, forehead still stuck to Kai’s shoulder.

“Do you not care to tell me?”

“None of your business, Yang!”

< prev | masterlist | next >

a/n: kai and y/n can’t just be depicted as chronically online moots-ies forever so i decided to make a written chapter for them 😔🤞 lmk what you think of their dynamic so far 😙

TAGLIST: open!! leave a comment below or send me an ask to be included in this taglist ^^ (if your name is in bold, i can’t tag you)

87 notes · View notes

tqngerine · 1 year

Text

stay in the middle — 28. shoulder to sleep on

word count: 0.5k

Y/N dreamt of watching the cherry blossoms bloom in Japan for the first time. They reached up to feel the rosy pink grace their fingertips, basking in its rebirth from a cold winter. It was hard to resist the urge to jump around and dance with the petals, even without the company of a tune. Eventually, they tired out and slumped against its trunk to rest in its shelter, wrapping their arms around it with eyes fluttering shut.

The next time they opened their eyes, it was no longer a sturdy tree trunk in their embrace, but rather a cotton sleeve of somebody’s arm.

Wait.

“Hyuka!” Y/N yelped in realization, startling away from his side. They nearly fell off the bench but Kai quickly wrapped an arm around their waist to pull them back up.

“Woah, Y/N! Calm down, it’s just me.”

Y/N turned around to find that the outdoor food hall was less crowded, as students were mostly attending their classes by this time. In front of them, their BLT sandwich had barely been nibbled on, and Kai’s bowl of soup was now replaced by his laptop. And Kai himself… he was still as smiley as ever. “Oh my god, how long have we been here?!”

“About an hour and a half.”

Y/N’s face dropped. “Shit! Literature class is about to end! Ms. Seulgi’s gonna kill me!”

“It’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up over it. You were tired and needed the rest.”

“But you’re supposed to have class at this time too right? Did you miss it because of me?”

Kai gestured at his laptop. “I was able to finish an assignment anyway. My time didn’t go to waste.”

“You should’ve woken me up!”

“I couldn’t! You looked too peaceful!”

“Should’ve shaken me until my bones fell off!”

“You know I wouldn’t do that!”

“But I…”

Kai gaze fell down to Y/N’s chin. Y/N’s ears turned red as his hand reached to wipe something off their chin. Electricity shot through their veins. “You drool in your sleep.”

“I… Kai!” Y/N stood up and pushed Kai even further from them, crossing their arms. “I take back what I said about my separation anxiety from you.”

“Really?”

Y/N made the mistake of looking back at his face, yet another penguin pout gracing his lips. They wanted to wipe it off him the same way he did to them. “What am I gonna do with you…”

Kai stood up, closing his laptop and putting it back in his bag. “I’ll make it up to you by walking you to your classroom so you don’t miss your next period this time. Sounds good?” It was a decision he was making, but he spoke it so softly.

Y/N really didn’t know what they’d do with him.

“Okay, fine. But I was really looking forward to today’s discussion. I had a lot to say, even noted it down and all.”

“Tell me about it on the way.”

“Can we just walk down campus for the rest of the day so I don’t have to stop talking to you?”

Kai let out another soft laugh, and every time he did that instead of the usual hearty laughs, Y/N’s shoulders squeezed like a lemon. “So do you hate me or not?”

“I could never hate you, Kai.”

< prev | masterlist | next >

A/N: find me someone who’ll lend me their shoulder to sleep pls thx 💔💔 AS FOR MY ANNOUCEMENT!!! MY REQUESTS ARE OPEN!!! i have my term break coming up so i figured i’d have some more time now to write beyond this smau ^^ check this post out for more details 🫶🫶

TAGLIST: open!! leave a comment below or send me an ask to be included in this taglist ^^

73 notes · View notes

tqngerine · 1 year

Text

stay in the middle — 19. side eye

< prev | masterlist | next >

A/N: hi i’m back! sorry i wasn’t able to update last friday, workload got really heavy and it might only get heavier from here 🥲 i have a few updates ready to post at least so that’s something to look forward to 🥳 also what do u guys think is taehyun’s new hair color because pink is my fav color on him but they’re saying this color is the best he’s had, like now i’m curious what could be better than pink taehyun 😟😟😟⁉️⁉️⁉️

TAGLIST: open!! leave a comment below or send me an ask to be included in this taglist ^^ (if your name is in bold, i can’t tag you)

81 notes · View notes

tqngerine · 1 year

Text

stay in the middle — 32. who

word count: 1k

“Two nacho platters, please.” This phrase had been spoken as regularly as Y/N did their laundry. With how frequently they visited this nameless food truck situated comfortably amidst other stalls in the outdoor food hall, the vendors behind the counter no longer needed to look twice to know Y/N’s order. At this point, Y/N only spoke it out of formality (and for the joy of it).

The vendor with the tattoo sleeve replied without looking up from his pan, back against Y/N. “Actually, Y/N, I was told to give you two platters for free.”

That was not part of the routine Y/N was used to practicing.

Y/N laughed in shock. “On the house? Is it a reward for being a loyal customer?”

“Nope, someone else paid for you.” He finally turned around to lay their order down the counter, void of any required cash transaction. Y/N stood astounded.

Of course, this was bound to be news as piping hot as the platter to Y/N’s friends. When Y/N relayed it over their table, Soobin was the first to react. “Jay got you those for free?!”

They violently slapped a hand over his mouth. “Say it a little louder for the rest of Asia to hear, how about that?” They hissed sarcastically.

“Well, I’ll be the first to thank him at rehearsals later for treating me with my favorite.” Beomgyu licked his lips and didn’t hesitate to dive into the free meal.

“How many times do I have to tell you? We don’t even know if it’s him for sure!”

“You’re just in denial at this point, Y/N.” Soobin shrugged, taking his own piece of nacho chip.

But they weren’t—and they knew they weren’t because they’ve been spending enough time with Jay lately to know.

Y/N wasn’t oblivious; they would have been able to spot if Jay had any sort of feelings toward them. In between the nights of practices that ended with both of them lying on the volleyball court’s floor to catch their breath and the cordial waves exchanged whenever they coincidentally passed by each other in the valley of their buildings, not once did Y/N feel Jay’s eyes linger on them beyond that. Not once did his cheeks flush and his words stutter around them the way they did around him.

Y/N was simply a coworker with friendly tendencies to him.

Slumping down opposite their friends, they started delving into the platter in defeat. Proving them incorrect was useless if it was just one stubborn soul against two. “Things would be so much clearer if the person sending all these gifts to me would just magically show up at this very moment.”

“Kai!” Soobin and Beomgyu suddenly exclaimed, waving frantically over Y/N’s shoulder. They looked behind to find that the tall, dark haired boy was indeed standing a few feet away from them, holding a food tray and grinning sheepishly.

“My friends are ditching me for today. Mind if I sit with you?”

“What makes you think we’d ever mind?” Soobin happily gestured at the spot beside Y/N. They shuffled slightly to the side to make way, unknowingly directing their gaze at anywhere but him. They coughed out the uncomfortable lump in their throat.

“We’re celebrating because Y/N just got treated with free nachos.” Beomgyu reported between bites.

“Woah! Today’s your lucky day, huh?” Kai smirked, nudging Y/N’s arm with his elbow.

“Here’s the best part,” Soobin added. “This is already the fifth in a series of gifts that Y/N’s been mysteriously receiving over the past few weeks.”

Beomgyu nodded excitedly. “It started with a daisy, then a basket of strawberries—“

“—then a pack of glitter stickers and a book of affirmations—“

“—and now we have deduced that they’re all obviously from Jay.”

“Beomgyu! Soobin!” Y/N’s face was heated. This was the last thing they wanted to discuss in Kai’s presence right now.

“Jay?” Kai glanced at Y/N, chuckling loudly. “Why am I only hearing about this now?”

Y/N wanted nothing more than to shrink in size at that moment. “I just, uh, wanted to make sure I confirmed the identity of this person—“

“Secret admirer.”

“—shut up, Beomgyu! Of this person before telling anyone else about it. Besides, these two bozos got the investigation covered already… but they’re doing an ass job at keeping it unbiased.”

“A secret admirer, huh…” Kai repeated.

Y/N found themself studying Kai carefully. His voice didn’t tremble in panic, nor was his face as red as theirs. His hands were not playing with the paper placemat beneath him like he usually did when deep in thought or uncomfortable. His eyes stayed with Y/N, cheekbones raised in a smile. He didn’t look like he was getting caught in the act of what they were describing.

It’s a relief Y/N didn’t jump into conclusions.

(Is it really a relief?)

“The thing is this person leaves no hints about their identity in these gifts, like they don’t want me to find them at all.” Y/N said. “But we can tell they know my specific interests enough to leave meaningful gifts.”

“They know you too well.” Soobin nodded at the book peaking out from Y/N’s tote bag. For such a small thing, it was a large boost to their energy and self-esteem. They kind of saw it as a compact and portable Huening Kai, always there to make them feel good about themself.

Y/N took it out to show Kai. “Remember when I told you I liked hearing words of affirmation? This person thought of getting me a whole book filled with them.” They flipped through the pages until they landed on their favorite.

I am a book

with the pages worn.

the cover is tearing,

the ink is fading,

but I swear I’m worth the read.

“I thought of you while reading this one because… well, because you listen to me. It’s like you could take all the time in the world for me, even if I’m busy and kind of a mess. You’ve never judged me from the start the way others would. It’s… you’re warm to be with, yeah?”

When Y/N looked back up at Kai, his eyes still had not left them, although they were wider now. “I… you thought of me while reading that?”

“Uh,” Y/N quickly shut the book in embarrassment.

“No, no! Don’t be offended! It’s just—you’re easy to be with, Y/N. I feel like I see new perspectives because of you. You’re naturally someone worth listening to.” He laid a hand over their shoulder, rubbing his thumb consolingly. “I’m sure your secret admirer feels that way about you, too.”

Prickly were the edges of Y/N stomach. Still, they managed a small smile.

“Now how’s Jay gonna top that?”

Beomgyu was barely quick enough to dodge the flying ball of tissue shot at him.

< prev | masterlist | next >

A/N: to everyone who thought the gifts were from kai… 🤷‍♀️ (sorry to you too y/n ☠️)

TAGLIST: open!! leave a comment below or send me an ask to be included in this taglist ^^

@kaisdefender @fairysh4mpoo @0rangemilk @beomsbeanie @hanjisungsgirl @luvsoobs @goldennika @spagettae @solarsolarity @hy2ka-i @aestheticsluut @sophie-writingtime @quitbeingawhore @destinylightlove42 @softpia @strawberry-kirby @matcharetsuko @txtbrainrot @taekwondoes @tatanbin @uno7 @catsyoon @fzy-b3om @concatpng @wezbin @dczedhee @officiallyjaehyuns @wannabeyn @youbettertellmeyes @umbreonwolfy @yumilovesloona @softcabur @tsookies @dreamydusks @amazingly-amazing-loser

90 notes · View notes

tqngerine · 1 year

Text

stay in the middle — 26. obnoxious

< prev | masterlist | next >

A/N: this chapter was kind of self indulgent i live for soogyu chaos, sorry Y/N 🤷‍♀️

TAGLIST: open!! leave a comment below or send me an ask to be included in this taglist ^^

89 notes · View notes

tqngerine · 1 year

Text

stay in the middle — 40. still life

word count: 1.1k

“Oh, thank god it’s still here.” Y/N breathed a sigh of relief, clutching onto their beloved translucent pink pouch. What a relief it was to see it and its alternating My Melody and flower pattern again.

Taehyun simply sat behind the table while his big eyes followed Y/N’s every movement, his own notebook and pens now laying untouched beneath him. In true cat fashion, Y/N thought to themself.

“I don’t know what I’d do if I lost all those pens inside.” Y/N continued rambling. “They’re practically my lifeline!”

“Haha, yeah. Losing something so precious to you is really not cool.” Taehyun managed to chuckle.

“Have you lost anything precious to you, Taehyun?” Y/N asked simply, adjusting themself onto the seat across the physics major.

“Oh! Yeah, I have. Quite recently too. It was this red and gray striped headband Yeonjun hyung gifted me before he left the volleyball varsity. I used to wear it everyday to training until I carelessly left it behind court one night and never saw it again the next.”

“Wait, did it have your team’s emblem embroidered on the center?”

“Uh, yes?”

“Wait one sec.” Y/N snaked an arm inside their backpack and fished out the piece of cloth they had kept in there for about a month now. It accurately fit Taehyun’s description, and judging by the way his jaw dropped…

“That’s the one!”

Y/N happily handed it across the table. “I found this laying on the court during one of my practices with my acting partner—“

“Jay?”

“Ah, yeah. You know him?”

“Hyuka mentioned you have a crush on him,”

Y/N cleared their throat. “Anyway, I knew I was gonna be reporting on the volleyball team soon so I held onto it and meant to ask around during my visit, but it completely slipped my mind then.” Scratching the back of their neck, they gave a sheepish smile. “Hope you don’t mind that I’m returning this too late.”

“No! Not at all! Thank you for returning this back to me, I really—“ Taehyun must have realized that he had practically jumped off his seat eagerly, stopping to wince in embarrassment. He lowered himself back on his seat, face struck red.

Y/N gave him a chuckle, hoping that was enough to let him know that he had no reason to be ashamed. They personally couldn’t judge him one bit; they’ve had their own bursts of excitement and assumed Taehyun was the type to convey his own outwardly like them. Just another ball of pure energy like his taller best friend. If anything, it was nice to be able to read his emotions beyond just his expressive eyes.

Unbeknownst to Y/N, however, Taehyun had actually planned to safe keep their pencil case and return it to them the next time they met. You know, in an act of heroic deed. But Y/N coming back and deciding to study worked in Taehyun’s favor too.

Or at least it should have. The guy struggled to focus on his own studying now that they were sitting in front of him. Just the two of them with no Kai or Yeonjun hyung or even one of Y/N’s friends in their company.

He didn’t mean to stare like an absentminded fool while they were engrossed between scribbling down their notebook and typing on their laptop since they made him feel like, well, just that: an absentminded fool. He did make an effort to finish reading his module, especially when Y/N would look up for five minutes to take a screen break. In these breaks, they’d simply cross their arms and lean back, sometimes taking sips of their mocha latte. It seemed like only their hands were put at rest, their mind still occupied with activity.

“You’re a lot more quiet than I thought you’d be.” Taehyun suddenly spoke, shaking Y/N from their trance in magazine-ridden thoughts.

“Well, we are in the library.” They joked.

“I-I mean, I don’t know, even in our previous hang-outs. You’re not as talkative or bubbly as the stereotypical theater kid, I guess? Beomgyu seems to fit that image more.” Taehyun said, playfully twirling the headband in his hands. “I don’t intend it to be an insult, by the way! I just—I remember your role in the theater club’s last production and… okay I’m realizing how stupid this sounds now, but I somewhat assumed you were just as loud as your character then.”

Ah, last semester’s production of Legally Blonde. Even though Jay had easily snagged the role of Emmett Richmond, there was no way Y/N could imagine themself in Elle Woods’ pink heels so they settled for one of her best friends in the Greek Chorus instead. Even that role pushed them way out of their comfort zone. That being said, it was a relief to hear their portrayal was believable enough that someone thought they were just as fabulous and self-confident off-stage.

“There was also that one time you coincidentally caught my off-shot volleyball during one of my practices. That just seemed really badass at the moment, not gonna lie.”

Now Y/N did not expect to hear that. “I… don’t remember that. Wow, we’ve already met before?”

Taehyun’s cheeks blushed furiously. “Er, I guess? But, like, it’s such a random minor moment, I don’t expect you to remember it. Hell, I don’t even know why I still remember it.”

“Is that why you were sweating buckets the first time we talked? Because you thought I was an intimidating and extravagant thespian?” Y/N chuckled. “Wow, I assumed it was either you weren’t used to interviews or that Hyuka had been talking shit about me to you.”

“Oh, I have no issues with interviews,” (he’s a brainy kid, go figure) “and Kai would never do that behind your back. So yeah, that was quite the case.”

“Well, your image has to have shattered since we had that in-depth discussion about different types of penguins at the food hall.” Y/N laughed, recalling the event from a few days ago. “I never even considered that there were that much! How do you know about these things?”

“I just, you know, read a lot,”

“Nerd.”

“Hey!” Taehyun crossed his arms, but the smile he was fighting against told Y/N he was lightheartedly playing along. “You said you needed help researching on astrophysics for your next literature coverage, but if you’re gonna make fun of my brain…”

“No, no, no! I’m sorry, Taehyun, my poor kitty cat! Please don’t leave me to dust!”

Taehyun lost it and burst into purr-like giggles. Y/N couldn’t help but feel relief that he’d easen up to their presence despite his preconceived notions on them. That one lunch spent with him and their friends told them enough that he gelled with their group as easily as a glitter sticker on their notebook (his eyes sparkling like such too). From what they’ve heard even prior, Taehyun had been nothing but loyal to Kai for many years.

It would be pleasant to have a friend like him stick around Y/N’s life too.

< prev | masterlist | next >

A/N: i hope you guys know the exact Taehyun sound I’m referring to when i write “purr-like giggles” thx. so that’s y/n’s life these days! kind of hectic balancing two clubs, a magazine internship, and a social life, huh 😮‍💨 i fear to say that we’re back to regularly programmed schedule this week, so i’ll be seeing you again this wednesday, but man i’ve just really been dying to move the plot forward ! hope you enjoyed still ^^

TAGLIST: open!! leave a comment below or send me an ask to be included in this taglist ^^

@kaisdefender @fairysh4mpoo @0rangemilk @beomsbeanie @hanjisungsgirl @luvsoobs @goldennika @spagettae @solarsolarity @hy2ka-i @aestheticsluut @sophie-writingtime @quitbeingawhore @destinylightlove42 @softpia @strawberry-kirby @matcharetsuko @txtbrainrot @taekwondoes @tatanbin @uno7 @catsyoon @fzy-b3om @concatpng @wezbin @dczedhee @officiallyjaehyuns @wannabeyn @youbettertellmeyes @umbreonwolfy @yumilovesloona @softcabur @tsookies @amazingly-amazing-loser @junhuicosmo @planethyuka @minhoino

89 notes · View notes