weirdkpopgirl - Tumblr blog

weirdkpopgirl · 28 days

Text

Stealing Kisses | Dream Reaction #14

Reaction: When their gf steals a kiss from them

Genre: Fluff, slight angst in some

Warnings: insecure thoughts, kinda suggestive, light making out in Jaemin's, kissing (obviously lol)

Word Count: ~3.1k

Author's Note: This idea came to me last week I think, and I thought it'd be fun to write. I think you guys like this type of stuff too lol. It was also nice to write something sweet and fluffy, a break from my recent stuff. Hope you all like it and thank you for reading ^ ^

P.S. I'm currently have a few fics I'm working on. But I'm going to try writing some shorter stories for the members and group things to fill up my second masterlist.

~ ~ ~

mark

The two of you were lying side by side on his bed, your gazes fixed on the ceiling. Mark was sharing his late-night thoughts, and you were listening attentively. Nights like these were a regular occurrence, mostly because Mark often had something weighing on his mind. Though it was usually just him recounting his busy day, tonight things seemed to carry a more serious tone.

“Sometimes, I’m just really not satisfied with myself,” he admitted, running a hand through his hair. “Like so many people are relying on me— with the company, 127 and Dream. Then there are the fans too, I don’t want to fail them. But no matter how much time and energy I put in, it’s not enough.”

You carefully processed your boyfriend’s concerns, trying to put yourself in his shoes. It was so easy to say he was just overthinking and shouldn’t worry so much. Yet you couldn’t bring yourself to do so, given that you faced similar struggles. Those dismissive words weren’t what either of you needed to hear. Mark was undoubtedly the most hardworking person you knew, but you understood all too well the feeling of never quite doing enough.

Before speaking this time, you opted for a different approach of consolation. You shifted around to gently place your hand on his cheek, guiding his gaze towards you. With closed eyes, you leaned in to kiss him softly. Your lips moved slowly against his, hoping he could feel the comfort of your touch. Soon enough, Mark’s hand rested comfortably on your back, reciprocating the affection.

You stifled a light giggle as you pulled away, catching his slightly confused expression. Offering a small smile you used your thumb to caress his cheek reassuringly.

“You’re doing great, Mark,” you whispered sincerely. “You might not think so at times, but I’m always so proud of you.”

And it was those words that caused water to gloss over Mark’s eyes. Then he was pulling you into a much-needed embrace, holding you tightly in his arms. You could feel the warmth of his smile as he mumbled, “Babe, I love you so much.”

Though you didn’t necessarily need to return the words for him to understand, you still said you loved him too. He deserved it, after all. He deserved every bit of love, understanding, and support. And you were more than willing to give it to him, wholeheartedly.

•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•

renjun

You emerged from the kitchen, holding a plate of freshly cut mango in your hand. Renjun was sitting at the table, fully absorbed in the watercolor painting in front of him. Seeing him use the paint set you got for his birthday brought a smile to your face. He was so engrossed in the activity that he almost didn’t hear you sit in the empty chair beside him.

Renjun momentarily glanced up from his artwork to greet you. “Hey.”

“Hey,” you replied quietly, carefully placing the plate of fruit on the table. The two of you shared a smile before his attention was on painting again.

For a moment, you paused to admire the way his focused expression softened his features, making him even more endearing in your eyes. You always found joy in watching your boyfriend immerse himself in the things he loved. Renjun consistently poured his heart and soul into everything he did, and that dedication was one of the many reasons your relationship flourished so beautifully.

After a few minutes passed by of you silently observing the boy, you leaned into place a quick kiss on his cheek. His eyes widened in surprise, and a faint blush followed.

“What was that for?” he asked, voice laced with curiosity.

You simply shrugged in response before confessing, “Just thought you looked cute.”

Renjun’s soft chuckle was like honey for your ears, and you couldn’t suppress a smile. “Oh is that so?” he teased, amusement twinkling in his eyes even as his gaze softened when he looked at you.

Now it was your turn to feel shy, heat naturally rushing to your face. Without a word, you reached for a slice of mango and lifted it to Renjun’s lips, quietly offering the yellow piece of fruit to him. Lucky for you, his eyes sparkled with fondness as he accepted the treat.

However, he didn’t waste the chance to quickly steal a kiss from your lips, before taking a bite. Your eyes mirrored the surprise he had experienced earlier, and Renjun laughed now the tables had been turned. He savored the sweetness of the mango, just as he savored the sweet moment shared between the two of you.

•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•

jeno

You weren’t exactly expecting to return home to Jeno sprawled across your sofa. It was late at night, and you technically should have been back in your apartment much earlier. However, you got caught up in helping your friend rehearse for an audition and lost track of time. If you had known your boyfriend would be coming, you definitely would’ve gone home sooner.

After quietly removing your shoes and shedding off your jacket, you carefully crossed the room to check the man resting on the couch. He looked so peaceful with his eyes blissfully shut and the pillow he held close to his chest. Yet, you couldn’t help but frown, thinking about how he must’ve been exhausted from work. While he never complained, you usually saw through his facade.

With a barely audible sigh, you fetched a cozy blanket to drape over him and tucked it snugly around his sleeping form. Leaning down, your lips pressed to his forehead and let your lips linger for a moment before pulling away. You straightened up, ready to start your nightly routine before heading to bed yourself. However, you froze when a warm hand tugged at your wrist.

“Don’t go,” he murmured, almost sounding like a child begging his mom not to leave.

The unexpected sound of his voice made your heart skip a beat. “Sorry for waking you up,” you apologized sheepishly, turning back to see him.

He shifted over a bit to give you some space, and you sat down beside him. Without thinking, your hand subconsciously moved to stroke his hair gently. He hummed at the sensation, appreciating any sort of affection from you.

“Don’t apologize. I liked it,” he said softly, leaning further into your touch. “Do you always kiss me when I’m asleep?”

“Sometimes,” you admitted quietly, feeling a blush creeping up your cheeks.

A small pout formed on his lips in response. “You should just kiss me when I’m awake so I can give you one back.”

His words would’ve sounded playful if they hadn’t been spoken in such a sulky tone. But of course, you sort of expected this reaction from Jeno. Chuckling softly, your embarrassment gradually began to melt away.

Moving your hand to caress his face, you casually said, “Well you can give me one now if you’d like.”

With your permission, Jeno happily sat up to pull you closer for a kiss that made your head spin. Nonetheless, it was a tender moment that left you both with silly smiles as you parted. Afterward, you took his hand in yours and suggested you both move to the bedroom so he could sleep more comfortably.

Later, as you cuddled up together in bed, Jeno smiled to himself as he felt a rush of love he felt for you. Even though it was past one a.m., he still found himself falling for you all over again.

•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•

haechan

To say the least, Haechan was a little restless just chilling in his apartment with you. Usually, he liked being at home, especially with your company. But the original plan for today was to have a lovely date at Han River, which was forfeited due to the ongoing thunderstorm outside. He regretted not looking at the weather forecast beforehand.

So to cure his self-proclaimed “boredom,” Haechan proposed the idea of playing the pepero game. At first, you tried to decline, knowing that you’d be signing up for endless teasing and blushing on your part. That didn’t sound very fun to you.

“Oh come on, babe!” he pleaded, shaking the pepero box. “I won’t be annoying this time, promise.”

Knowing he was going to keep whining until you agreed, you reluctantly set aside the book you were using to ignore him. “Ugh, fine. But just this once!” you conceded, holding your pointer finger up as a warning.

Haechan grinned triumphantly as he tore open the bag inside the box to retrieve a Pepero stick. He moved to where you were sitting on the couch and lifted the chocolate-covered treat to your lips, gesturing to open it. With a resigned sigh, you reluctantly complied and took the stick with your teeth. Haechan took hold of the other end, his eyes already sparkling with mischief.

As the two of you started nibbling, Haechan promptly contradicted his earlier promise of not being annoying. His eyes sparkled with mischief when you hesitated after he took the next bite, leaving only a few centimeters left. No matter how often you had been in close proximity with your boyfriend, there was something uniquely captivating about the way his warm tan skin was adorned with scattered moles, and how you could get lost in his deep brown eyes. Seeing those features up close always stirred a weirdly fluttery sensation in your heart.

“Don’t tell me you’re getting shy already, (Y/n),” he teased, his words slightly muffled by the long biscuit between his teeth. You merely glared at him in response, unwilling to admit how easily you were influenced by him.

To rebel, you decided to make a bold move of your own this time. Despite your racing heart, you seized the opportunity and bit the remaining piece, but not without planting a swift kiss on his lips. Haechan froze for a moment as you pulled away. A laugh escaped when you saw that he was too stunned to speak. Well, that was one way to shut him up.

Feigning innocence, you asked, “That’s what you wanted, am I wrong?”

It didn’t take long for a grin to spread across the boy’s lips. The initial shock of your unexpected move kiss was replaced by a look of impressed amusement. In the next moment, his right arm encircled your waist, drawing you close once more. You didn’t even have time to blush before his lips began to explore every exposed inch of your skin.

“You’re so bad for me,” he murmured between kisses, his fingers tangling your hair. “But I love it.”

You giggled, surrendering to the warmth of his affection. Maybe you’d be more inclined to indulge in games with Haechan now, knowing they’d end up like this.

•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•

jaemin

In the solace of his apartment, Jaemin observed you interact with his cats in the living room. Usually, he’d be cooing and snapping a hundred pictures of you and his children. However, he wasn’t very amused at the moment.

Na Jaemin never thought he’d be jealous of his babies until he saw Luke rubbing against your leg and hopping into your lap. Your giggly response and the way you tenderly stroked your fingers through the feline’s soft white hair, certainly didn’t make him feel any better. Although he loved his pets dearly, seeing them snuggle up to you so easily made him feel a bit envious.

“Hmmph, it seems like you’ve become more fond of Luke than your own boyfriend,” he scoffed, not even bothering to hide it.

You looked up, noticing how he was resting his head in the palm of his hand, his elbow propped on the couch’s armrest. His body language fully displayed his discontent, and you tried not to laugh. Rolling your eyes, you returned Luke to his siblings and tugged the collar of Jaemin’s hoodie to pull him in for a sweet kiss.

Any negative feelings dissipated instantly as his heart fluttered at the touch of your lips against his. Warmth spread through him like wildfire. But before he could reciprocate the kiss, you pulled away with a playful glint in your eyes.

“Does that make you happy?” you teased, gently pushing him back to give yourself some space.

Adoration shined over Jaemin’s eyes as he grinned. “Hm, I think another one would make me even happier,” he said, his voice husky with desire.

Before you could even respond this time, Jaemin was already leaning in to capture your lips in a passionate kiss that sent sparks flying between you. One of his hands rested on the nape of your neck, allowing him to press his lips harder against yours, while the other was placed firmly on your waist. Though you were initially caught off guard by the sudden intensity of the kiss, you decided to enjoy this moment of intimacy.

As you melted into each other’s arms, Jaemin was reminded once again of just how amazing it felt to be loved by you. Honestly, if he could have one wish, he’d probably wish to kiss you forever.

•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•

chenle

The steaming pot of oxtail soup stared up at you, and you lowered the heat to let it simmer some more. It was your first time cooking the Chinese soup. But recalling how your mom used to make it when you were younger, figuring it on your own hadn’t been too difficult. Although you were mostly confident in your culinary skills, you still wanted to be sure.

“Lele, can you come here for a sec?” you called out to your boyfriend who was probably playing some mobile game in the living room.

You could hear rustling sounds, and soon the sound of slippers padding against the wooden floor reached your ears. “Smells good babe,” he said, shuffling over to your side.

Something about seeing Chenle waddle into the kitchen, wearing a black sweatshirt with the hood over his messy hair, made your heart strangely beat faster. But instead of ignoring that feeling like you usually did, you decided to act on it this time.

After dipping a spoon in the red broth, you raised the utensil to his mouth. “Taste it for me.”

Chenle complied, allowing you to feed him some of the soup. You tried to suppress a laugh as a smug yet impressed expression appeared on his face. However, before he could give you his feedback, you swiftly leaned in to give him a peck.

The male froze for a moment at your actions. You chuckled softly and hugged his waist, as your cheeks flushed with embarrassment. His eyes widened in surprise before the corner of his lips curled into a smirk. A part of him wanted to tease you for stepping out of your shy image, but he also found himself enjoying it a little too much.

“Did you like it?” you asked, glancing up at him innocently.

Chenle’s cocky grin widened as he leaned in closer. His eyes twinkled with mischief, as he used his pointer finger to gently tilt your chin upward. “Wait, let me taste it again to just be sure,” he teased.

It didn’t take much for you to understand that he was not talking about the food. You simply smiled as his lips brushed against yours before he went all in. Shivers danced down your spine as you melted into the electrifying kiss. By the time you finally pulled apart, Chenle was smiling like an idiot.

“Hm, that was delicious,” he breathed, earning a playful smack on the shoulder from you. Even though you had started it, his comment was unnecessary in your opinion. Was he trying to kill you?

Trying to recover from your now flustered state, you returned your attention to the brewing pot on the stove. Chenle’s laugh rang through your ears, and then he was squeezing you into a backhug. It was those types of moments that reassured you that being with Chenle could never be boring.

•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•

jisung

Amidst the dark sky, the street lamps cast a soft, golden glow as you walked back to your apartment. Jisung strolled beside you, holding your hand securely. Occasionally, you smiled to yourself, thinking about how tonight had been another lovely date, filled with laughter, shared stories, and stolen glances that spoke volumes without a single word.

As you neared your apartment building, you felt Jisung’s fingers intertwined with yours tighten. A sense of reluctance washed over him, realizing that he wasn’t ready to say goodbye tonight yet. Your presence always brought Jisung a sense of warmth that made him the happiest when you were together. He wanted to experience that just a little while longer.

Pausing in front of your door, your eyes widened when you were pulled into a tight embrace. Jisung seemed clingier than usual this evening, but you honestly couldn’t complain. You returned the hug by wrapping your arms around his waist and letting your nose press against the oversized hoodie he was wearing. The scent of the perfume Renjun recently bought for him filled your senses. It wasn’t bad, you thought to yourself.

“I miss you already,” Jisung murmured, his chin relaxing against your head.

The soft longing in his voice left your heart melting. These were the types of words you expected to read in texts from Jisung. So hearing them in person was even more touching. A smile tugged on your lips and you pulled away slightly to glance around, ensuring there were no cameras around. Once you confirmed there were no prying eyes that might stir trouble for either of you, you reached up on your tiptoes and pressed a quick but passionate kiss to Jisung’s lips.

He blinked in surprise, heat immediately rushing to his cheeks as the unexpected affection registered through his mind. Any kiss from you always made his heart flutter and left him wearing a shy smile. Nonetheless, witnessing the fondness in your eyes as you were blushing too was irresistible for Jisung.

Chuckling he moved his hand to gently pat your head. “Cute.”

You blushed a little at his words and squeezed in one last hug before he reluctantly released you to head inside.

“I love you, Ji,” you said quietly, glancing back one last time to ensure he heard you. He exhaled shakily and said he loved you more.

There was an unspoken sadness shared between you, both feeling the weight of the parting. The two of you were uncertain of when or where you’d meet again. However, you found comfort in the knowledge that the love you had with Jisung was too strong to let too much time pass without seeing each other. In the meantime, you would cherish those precious memories together.

•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•°•❀•

previous masterlist -> new masterlist

#nct dream #nctzen #kpop #czennie #nct dream imagines #nct #jeno #nct dream fluff #jaemin #renjun #mark #haechan #jisung #chenle #nct dream x reader #nct dream reactions #7dream #nct scenarios #nct dream scenarios

747 notes · View notes

weirdkpopgirl · 1 month

Text

In My Dreams | Renjun Imagine #5

Title: In My Dreams

Genre: College AU, a little angsty with a little fluff

Warnings: mentions of reader feeling insecure (what else is new 🙄)

Word Counts: 911

Author's Note: I seriously apologize for posting such depressing content lately. Honestly writing this type of stuff just makes me realize how much I hate myself. But I'm fine lol, using the Dreamies to distract me is more than enough. I really shouldn't be complaining. Anyway, hope you guys like this little imagine for Renjun ^ ^

𓆩⟡𓆪༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚𓆩⟡𓆪༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚𓆩⟡𓆪༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚𓆩⟡𓆪༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚𓆩⟡𓆪༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚𓆩⟡𓆪༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚𓆩⟡𓆪

The sigh that escaped your lips came out louder than intended, echoing slightly in the back corner of the lecture. As usual, your mind was subjected to its daily attack of self-conscious thoughts, though today they seemed particularly annoying.

Absentmindedly you fidgeted with the hem of the black two-piece dress you had carefully chosen to wear. Was revealing your shoulders too much? Too bold? Did it make you look desperate for attention? It was the only thing in your closet that you had yet to wear, mainly because you wanted to wait for the right time. However, you should’ve known you’d have doubts the minute you put on the dress.

Your reflection stared back at you from the mirror-like surface of your phone screen, its intensity making your stomach churn. This morning, your wake-up routine had been prolonged by the meticulous effort you put into perfecting your makeup today and undoing the braids you’d done the night before so your hair would be wavy.

Honestly, you weren’t entirely sure what drove you to put in the extra effort with your appearance today. Initially, you believed you were dressing up for yourself. Yet, as you navigated through a day packed with classes, a tiny glimmer of hope lingered that perhaps someone would notice, though the idea of attention drawn to you was intimidating.

However, as you glanced around the room, everyone seemed to be engrossed in their conversations about the upcoming essay that was due. Sometimes, a part of you wished you could muster up the courage to join one of those groups. But socializing never came naturally to you, and the lack of invitation to contribute only served to dishearten you.

As the professor began the afternoon’s lecture, you temporarily forced those thoughts to go away and focused on taking notes. Though it worked for the most part, your mind occasionally drifted back to the same imposter feeling you consistently experienced. Feeling as though everyone had their lives figured out, while you couldn’t be more out of place.

You were mentally ready to retreat into the confines of your apartment and change into sweats, by the time class was over. By now, your makeup was most likely smudged and the waves in your hair had gone down. Any semblance of confidence you donned that morning had diminished completely.

But just as you gathered your belongings and rose from your seat, a small folded piece of yellow paper fluttered to the table in front of you. Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion as you glanced around, expecting to see someone retrieve their misplaced note. Yet, people were already disappearing, leaving you alone with the mysterious paper.

Trying not to dwell on it too much, you hesitantly unfolded the paper. Your breath caught in your throat as you read the words neatly written across the page. While they sounded simple, they held a sincerity that you didn’t receive often.

~ Hi there, sorry if this is a little forward. But I just wanted to say that I think you look really pretty in that dress today (not that you don’t look pretty every day!). Also, you should curl your hair like that more often, it suits you ^ ^ - Huang Renjun

As you reached the end of the short message, your heart was pounding in your chest. You had to reread it a few times, to make sure you weren’t just hallucinating. Of all people, Huang Renjun noticed you? The cute boy who sat a few rows ahead of yours?

A shy smile tugged at the corners of your lips as you shifted your gaze upward to the doorway where he was nervously watching for your reaction. A light shade of pink tinged Renjun’s cheeks as he offered a tentative smile when the two of you locked eyes. Still trying to comprehend was just happened, you cautiously made your way over to him.

“Um, hi,” you managed to stammer, your voice barely audible.

Renjun stepped closer, his expression softening with genuine warmth. “I’m sorry if I startled you. I just couldn’t leave without saying at least something.”

His words only made you blush more, but the smile on your lips grew with each passing moment.

“No, I should thank you…for the note. I feel a lot better now than I was earlier,” you said, with a half-hearted laugh.

Renjun’s ears perked up at your response. “Really? Well, I’m glad to hear that.”

A hesitant silence stretched between the two of you, filled with unspoken possibilities. But before you could gather the courage to find something else to say, Renjun reached into his pocket and brought out his phone.

“Would you maybe want to have a meal sometime?” he asked, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. He extended his phone toward you, displaying a new contact pulled up on the screen.

“I’d love to,” you replied a little too eagerly, feeling your heart skip a beat.

Your hand trembled slightly as you took his phone to quickly type in your number. Renjun thanked you with a shy smile and shared he couldn’t wait to get to know you more before leaving for his next class. You had to take a moment to process everything. Did you seriously just get complimented and asked out by Renjun?

Shaking your head with a laugh, “Yeah, right. In my dreams.”

However, that belief couldn’t wipe the foolish smile off your face as you walked out of the lecture hall.

#nct dream #nctzen #kpop #czennie #nct dream imagines #nct dream fluff #renjun #huang renjun #nct dream scenarios #renjun scenarios #renjun imagines #renjun x reader #nct

48 notes · View notes

weirdkpopgirl · 1 month

Text

~ 𝐧𝐜𝐭 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝟐 ~

previous masterlist

𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦

When their gf steals a kiss

✒┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗖𝗔𝗡𝗢𝗡𝗦

~ nothing yet ~

✒┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗖𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗘𝗢𝗨𝗦

~ nothing yet ~

✒┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗗𝗨𝗔𝗟 𝗠𝗘𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗦

MARK

~ nothing yet ~

✒┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

RENJUN

In My Dreams

✒┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

JENO

Falling Apart

✒┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

HAECHAN

Embrace

Cute

✒┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

JAEMIN

Pain

✒┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

CHENLE

~ nothing yet ~

✒┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

JISUNG

Better

✒┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

#nct dream #nct #masterlist #nct dream masterlist #mark #renjun #jeno #haechan #jaemin #chenle #jisung #7dream #7dream masterlist

21 notes · View notes

weirdkpopgirl · 1 month

Text

Falling Apart | Jeno Imagine #10

Title: Falling Apart

Genre: Angst, friends to lovers (kinda)

Warnings: mentions of drinking, reader has a breakdown (nothing new lol)

Word Count: ~1.1k

Author's Note: Lately, it feels like I've been trapped in the dark again (but I'm okay). But I can't help but put whatever is going on my head into words, and I chose Jeno for this because he seems like that type of friend who's silently there for you. He's very caring with his members, like how he was by Jisung's side when he was crying at the Dream Show 1. Jeno is the type of person I would trust being vulnerable with. Anyway, hope you enjoy reading ^ ^

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○

Jeno could hear the faint sound of beer cans shifting within the bag as he walked up the stairs to your apartment. The dark sky above him was illuminated by the usual city lights, along with the full moon casting its glow tonight.

As he neared your place, an unusual wave of nervousness washed over him. His decision to come here had been an impulsive, last-minute choice on his part. Earlier, he had been at Chenle’s house with the others for their bi-monthly movie night. However, he was perplexed when he saw your message in the group chat saying you couldn’t make it tonight. While the guys did express their wishes that you were here with them, Jeno felt your absence more than anyone in the room.

He wasn’t really thinking when they were onto the second movie, and Jeno decided he couldn’t take it anymore. With most of the guys already asleep, he slipped out of Chenle’s place without drawing any attention. Eighteen minutes later, Jeno found himself standing outside your apartment. He hesitated for a moment before pressing the doorbell, anticipating your reaction.

Your surprise was evident when you opened the door, and a slight blush was quick to form across your cheeks. Your current attire wasn’t exactly fitting for socializing, as you wore a white long-knit cardigan over your dark gray house clothes.

Despite feeling embarrassed, you greeted him softly. “Hey Jeno. Aren’t you supposed to be at Chenle’s?”

“Yeah, but it didn’t feel the same without you there,” Jeno mumbled sheepishly, scratching his head before holding up the black plastic bag in his hand. “And I thought you might want some company since it’s a Friday night and all.”

His words caused a small smile to spread across your face. However, you were conflicted because a part of you didn’t want to let him in, knowing you weren’t in the right state to see people. But you didn’t have the heart to turn him away, knowing he came all the way here to be a good friend. So reluctantly, you took a step back and opened the door further so he could come inside.

Jeno quickly removed his sneakers and eagerly followed you into the living room. The two of you settled on the floor by the coffee table. The canned beer was cold against your fingertips as you opened them, the soft click of the tabs echoing in the quiet room.

The two of you exchanged quiet smiles as your cans clinked against each other in a toast. Your chins lifted in sync as you both took your first sips of the alcoholic beverage. Shortly after you placed your can down on a coaster, Jeno followed suit.

“You doing okay?” he asked, breaking the short silence between you two.

The concern in his question was understandable, considering your lack of presence at a gathering that even the most antisocial person, like yourself, wouldn’t typically miss.

You responded almost too quickly, letting out a light chuckle. “Yeah, of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”

However, Jeno could see through your feigned nonchalance. He somewhat predicted you’d brush him off, given he’s known you for over a year. In your friend group, there was Donghyuck and Chenle who were always the loudest, with Renjun occasionally joining in to argue. Then there was Mark and Jisung trying to be the mediators, while he and Jaemin watched things unfold in amusement. Out of everyone, you were always the quiet one, seemingly unperturbed by anything.

“You can be honest with me, (Y/n),” he insisted gently.

Your fingers curled around the green can, applying slight pressure. He caught a flicker of vulnerability passing through your eyes before you lowered your gaze to the wooden table.

“I just…I just feel like I’m falling apart,” you confessed quietly, your resolve finally crumbling.

You paused to exhale shakily, feeling the weight of your emotions that you’d kept bottled up long past their expiration date.

“I’m so tired of holding it all together,” you said, your voice cracking with emotion. “Pretending like everything’s fine when it’s not.”

Jeno listened carefully and nodded lightly in understanding. “You don’t have to pretend with me. Suppressing your emotions won’t make them disappear.”

Before you could register it, your cheek began to feel wet and your hands instinctively moved to cover your eyes. Fresh, hot tears soaked through your fingers as your shoulders trembled. You tried to stop the flow, but they continued unabated.

“I’m sorry,” you apologized, the self-conscious part of you horrified at the act of crying in front of someone. And not just anyone, but Jeno.

The dark-haired male reached out to gently pat your shoulder. “It’s okay,” he whispered, his touch offering a comforting presence. Despite feeling humiliated, you sensed the sincerity in his words.

“It’s just…everyone expects me to be strong and level-headed when I’m not either of those things in reality,” you sobbed, tears continuing to spill out mercilessly. “No one can see that I’m suffering. No one cares.”

Although Jeno wasn’t great at showing it, hearing this from you made his heart sink. He had no idea you had been fighting this mental battle. Shame filled him for not recognizing your struggles sooner.

With his hand still on your shoulder, he spoke softly. “I care, (Y/n). More than I probably should, actually.

Amidst your breakdown, you picked up on the subtle implication in his response and your gaze flickered up to look at him with confusion.

A small sigh left Jeno’s lips. He didn’t intend for his feelings to be revealed in this way. But this was not the time to have that conversation.

“I know you don’t need a confession right now,” he said, shaking his head before meeting your eyes once more. “But…can I hug you?”

At first glance, Jeno didn’t seem like the type of person to be physically affectionate, even with friends. However, after knowing personally you learned just how much of a softie he could be. Of course, he wasn’t touchy with you out of respect. But you often witnessed this behavior with Jaemin since they were pretty close.

Your breath caught in your throat, your heart pounding with uncertainty. Usually, you weren’t someone who liked to be physically comforted—or perhaps you weren’t used to it. Yet, the idea of being hugged by Jeno didn’t sound too bad at that moment.

So you nodded, and he scooted over to wrap his arms around you. His embrace was firm yet gentle, not overwhelming. Enveloped in Jeno’s arms, you felt a warmth spread through your chest, a sense of solace you hadn’t known you needed. He let you cry into his shoulder, patting your back soothingly.

Despite the chaos of your inner turmoil, your feelings for Jeno didn’t feel so platonic anymore after that night. Or maybe there had always been something there that you never gave a second thought to before. Either way, Jeno was the safest place for you right now.

Even as everything seemed to fall apart, he was there to reassure you that you didn’t have to be alone anymore.

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○

#nct dream #nctzen #kpop #czennie #nct dream imagines #nct #nct dream fluff #jeno #lee jeno #jeno x reader #nct dream scenarios #jeno scenarios #jeno imagines #nct dream angst #jeno angst #nct dream x reader

89 notes · View notes

weirdkpopgirl · 2 months

Text

Embrace | Haechan Imagine #8

Title: Embrace

Genre: Fluff, slight angst

Warnings: vague mentions of reader struggling with insomnia

Word Count: 616

Author's Note: This story was inspired by my bad habit of not going to sleep, even when I'm tired lol. It's not like I do it on purpose, but my mind just cries out for a distraction sometimes. I don't know how to explain it. Anyway if any of you can relate to this, I hope this story can give you some comfort ^ ^

─❀*̥˚─❀*̥˚─❀*̥˚─❀*̥˚─❀*̥˚─❀*̥˚─❀*̥˚─❀*̥˚─❀*̥˚─❀*̥˚─❀*̥˚─

In the quiet space of your apartment, you were sprawled out on the couch as your thumb absentmindedly scrolled through the world of social media. Every so often, your eyes subconsciously flickered to the time on the left corner of the screen, reminding you that one a.m. was now closely bordering two.

The back of your mind was screaming at you to go to sleep, thinking of all the things you were supposed to do the following day. Yet, the apprehension of not being able to fall asleep made you hesitate. The fear wasn’t large, but enough to keep you trapped in the scrolling abyss, a dance between fatigue and distraction.

Eventually, you heard the soft echoes of your boyfriend’s slippers padding against the wooden floor, drawing him closer to where you were stationed. Rubbing his eyes, he approached you with a slight frown on his lips.

“Baby, it’s late. Why are you still up?” Haechan murmured with a touch of concern in his voice.

Although he was accustomed to being awake in the odd hours due to his work, seeing you deviate from a regular sleep schedule puzzled him.

You glanced up at him with weary eyes. “Just can’t seem to quiet my mind,” you muttered with a small shrug.

Haechan sighed as he witnessed you fight back a yawn. He moved to sit beside you for a moment and gently removed your phone from your hands and set it down on the coffee table.

“Come on, let’s go to bed,” he said, taking your hand in his. “Maybe I can help you relax.”

Reluctantly, you gave in and allowed him to guide you to the bedroom. The subtle glow of the lamp on your nightstand casted a gentle ambiance in the room. Once you were tucked under the soft comforter, Haechan settled down beside you.

“Close your eyes, baby,” he whispered as he wrapped his arms around you in a comfortable position.

His lips brushed against your temple, sending a tingling shock down your spine. The warmth of his touch prompted you to snuggle closer, your head finding the perfect spot on his chest. The echoes of his steady heartbeat were calming and the warmth of his embrace gradually melted away any troublesome thoughts that lingered within you.

You let out a heavy exhale before mumbling, “You really have a way of making everything feel okay.”

Haechan chuckled and brushed back a lock of hair behind your ear. The corners of his lips curled into a small smirk.

“Of course, you just happen to have the most caring, loving, and devastatingly handsome boyfriend,” he said, flashing you a teasing smile.

You knew he was only joking. But as his words sank in through your mind, you recognized the truth in them. The longer you were with Haechan, the more you realized that you didn’t know what you’d do without him in your life.

Instinctively, your hand drifted to cradle his face, lightly tracing over the moles adorning his cheek. Gazing into his eyes, a sense of vulnerability washed over you.

“You’re right. I do,” you quietly admitted.

Caught off guard by your serious response, Haechan’s heart ached at your simple words. This overwhelming surge of deep love and affection he had for you hit him all at once. Without holding back, he leaned in to capture your lips in a tender kiss. You stayed like this for a while, before breaking away with a smile. The two of you eventually succumbed to sleep, peacefully nestled in each other’s embrace.

─❀*̥˚─❀*̥˚─❀*̥˚─❀*̥˚─❀*̥˚─❀*̥˚─❀*̥˚─❀*̥˚─❀*̥˚─❀*̥˚─❀*̥˚─

187 notes · View notes

weirdkpopgirl · 2 months

Text

Love Me More | Jaemin Imagine #10

Title: Love Me More

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: slightly suggestive, light making out

Word Count: 528

Author's Note: I honestly feel like it's just become a habit for me to write Jaemin imagine whenever the hopeless romantic in me wants to spill out. Maybe it's because Jaemin is such boyfriend material and I can just imagine all these little moments between him and his girlfriend. Anywho, thank you for reading. I hope you like it ^ ^

˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗

The kitchen was filled with the enticing aroma of spices as you stirred a pot of curry on the stove. You were completely in your element, preparing dinner in the comfort of your apartment, with Taylor Swift songs playing in the background.

You didn’t even notice your boyfriend walking in with a mischievous smile playing on his lips. He approached from behind, startling you when his arms wrapped around your waist.

“What’s cooking, my love?” he whispered into your ear, his warm breath sending shivers down your spine.

Trying to ignore the heat rising to your cheeks, you kept your eyes focused on the pot. “I’m making some curry for us,” you replied calmly. Jaemin leaned in to press a soft kiss to your cheek, nearly causing you to melt on the spot.

“Well, it smells amazing. But you know what smells even better?” he teased, nuzzling your neck.

You couldn’t hold back a giggle, playfully swatting at him. “Jaemin, I can’t cook if you’re distracting me.”

Unfazed by your protests, Jaemin persisted in peppering kisses anywhere he could. He planted a gentle kiss on your neck, then another one on your jaw, before returning to your cheek again.

“Na Jaemin! You’re going to drive me crazy,” you exclaimed, casting a flustered glance at him.

An innocent pout formed on his lips, “What? I just want to love you.”

His intentions were so pure, but they caused a mix of emotions to swirl within you. Giving in with a sigh, you lowered the heat on the stove and turned to wrap your arms around Jaemin’s neck. The tips of your fingers brushed lightly through his dark hair, as you gazed into his eyes with a soft intensity.

“Love me more then,” you whispered with a hint of vulnerability in your voice.

A broad smile lit up his face as he eagerly met your lips for a passionate kiss. The warmth between you strengthened, and he lifted you effortlessly onto the counter. Your heart raced as you deepened the kiss, surrendering yourself to the moment.

Your surroundings faded away as the kitchen simply became a place for your shared affection. Jaemin’s hand gently pressed against your waist, as your lips danced fervently with one another.

Although the moment felt eternal, it sadly came to an end. Your eyes locked with a shared understanding when you broke away from the kiss. His forehead rested against yours, as he caught his breath.

“I love you, (Y/n),” he murmured, unleashing a flutter of butterflies within you.

You smiled at him tenderly. “I love you too, Jaemin. Can I please finish cooking before the curry burns now?”

Jaemin chuckled, giving you one last lingering kiss before helping you off the counter. As you returned back to the stove, he stayed by your side. The warmth of your love infused the kitchen, turning a simple evening into a cherished memory.

˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗

#nct dream #nctzen #kpop #czennie #nct dream imagines #jaemin #nct dream fluff #jaemin fluff #jaemin scenarios #jaemin x reader #na jaemin #nct dream x reader #jaemin imagines

172 notes · View notes

weirdkpopgirl · 2 months

Text

Perfect | Mark Imagine #6

Title: Perfect

Genre: Fluff, slight angst

Warnings: mentions of reader feeling insecure

Word Count: 569

Author's Note: This was just a random idea that came to me today when I was scrolling through social media. But seriously why are female idols so pretty 😭. Anyway this story is for all the girls like me who might feel insecure and hopefully this cheers you up ^ ^

°♪°•°∞°•°♪°•°∞°•°♪°•°∞°•°♪°•°∞°•°♪°•°∞°•°♪°•°∞°•°♪°∞°•°♪°∞°

One of Mark’s favorite things was spending late nights with you. Those nights when he’d return from work and you’d bring over dinner. Then after sharing a meal, you would cozy up on the couch together. The atmosphere was serene, with his head on your lap and your fingers unconsciously weaving through his hair. Despite being in relaxation mode after a demanding day, he couldn’t resist stealing a few glances at you who was scrolling through Instagram.

A sudden sigh escaped your lips as you came across a stunning picture of Huh Yunjin. She was only a few years older than you, and for some reason it selfishly made you feel more depressed than you should while looking at the photo.

“She’s so pretty,” you mumbled absently.

Curious, Mark sat up to see what you were so fixated on. When he noticed you looking at Yunjin’s post, he let out a chuckle. “Well you’re pretty too, you know.”

“No, not really,” you frowned, setting your phone aside dismissively. “She’s like a goddess. I could never compete with that type of beauty.”

Mark’s brows furrowed in concern, and he touched your knee. “What? Babe, you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself.”

You shrugged with a sheepish smile. “It’s not a self-hate thing. It’s just from an objective standpoint, I don’t consider myself very pretty.”

The way you said that so casually made Mark’s heart sink. He wondered how many times you told yourself that. Unwilling to withstand this negative self-talk, Mark took matters into his own hands. Your eyes widened in surprise when he gently cupped your face.

Looking into your eyes, he expressed, “(Y/n), you’re beautiful just the way you are. I know it sounds cliché, but it’s true.”

Your mouth opened to protest, but Mark silenced you with kisses on your eyelids. “Your eyes are like pools of warmth. I get lost in them every time,” he said, then moving to kiss your nose. “And your nose is seriously the cutest.”

A blush appeared across your cheeks, and his compliment caused a small smile to form as he continued.

“Your smile,” he said, placing a gentle kiss on your lips. “Is something I look forward to seeing every day. It lights up the room and my world.”

His words were so cheesy, but they made you giggle and you forgot why you were originally upset for a moment. Mark wasn’t usually this affectionate, and you could tell he was putting effort into making you feel appreciated. Knowing that made your heart melt.

Happy that he had gotten you to smile, he tenderly brushed a loose strand of hair behind your ear. “You don’t have to be a goddess. You’re already perfect to me,” Mark said in the softest voice that made you want to cry.

Shaking your head with a laugh as you blinked back tears, you whispered, “I love you so much, Mark.”

He smiled and told you he loved you back, before pulling you into his arms to cuddle properly. Now it was you laying in his arms, and you couldn’t be more content.

Mark always knew the right thing to say when you were feeling insecure, and it was always moments like these when you realized that you wouldn’t know what to do without him. Although you didn’t necessarily feel perfect most of the time, with him, you felt pretty close.

°♪°•°∞°•°♪°•°∞°•°♪°•°∞°•°♪°•°∞°•°♪°•°∞°•°♪°•°∞°•°♪°∞°•°♪°∞°

209 notes · View notes

weirdkpopgirl · 2 months

Text

Timing | Jeno Fic #2

Title: Timing

Genre: Angst

Warnings: mentions of divorce

Word Count: ~4k

Author's Note: The original idea for this story sort of just sprang on me. It's basically a best friends to lovers story gone wrong. I personally really enjoy sad stories, but I apologize if this story frustrates any of you. Hope you guys like it and thank you for reading ^ ^

° 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 ₒ 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 ₒ 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 ° 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 ₒ 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 ₒ 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 ° 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 ₒ

Jeno remembered the first day he met you quite vividly. You had moved into the neighborhood just two weeks before seventh grade started. However, he had only gotten a glimpse of you once when you accompanied your mother to give rice cakes to his mom. The next time he encountered you was at school, where the two of you found yourselves in the same homeroom. But being the introverted individuals you were, Jeno stuck to his close-knit circle of friends, and you didn’t so much as give a glance in his direction.

The first time he officially talked to you happened at the convenience store. He had just gotten out of school and wanted to buy a snack before he had to go to hagwon. As he was walking toward the refrigerated section, you entered the store with the same idea in mind. The prospect of enjoying your favorite kimbap after a long day of school seemed like the perfect way to lift your spirits.

However, as you approached the aisle, you noticed Jeno reaching for the last triangle kimbap on the shelf. Almost immediately, you let out a defeated sigh that came out louder than intended. Jeno’s eyes met yours in a split second and awkwardness quickly filled the air.

Even though he was shy around new people, Jeno managed a sheepish smile. “Uh, hi.”

“Hello,” you mumbled in reply, feeling a blush creeping up your cheeks.

Your gaze involuntarily returned to the kimbap in his hand, feeling torn between your craving and your natural reserve. Jeno must’ve been able to pick up on the inner conflict in your demeanor. Before you could step back, he held the snack out to you.

“You can take it if you want,” he offered.

You looked at him with wide eyes and promptly shook your head. “Oh—no, you don’t have to do that! I can just pick something else, it’s no big deal.”

Despite your protest, the boy moved forward and placed the kimbap in your hand, catching you off guard.

“It’s fine,” he reassured with a warm smile. “I didn’t really want it anyway.”

He walked away, leaving you feeling terribly guilty, even though he had willingly given it to you. Reluctantly, as you went to check out, you couldn’t stop thinking about that encounter. So when you spotted him outside after purchasing, you impulsively tapped on his shoulder. He turned around in surprise when you held out a carton of banana milk.

“Please, take this,” you said, ignoring the internal struggle between your heart and your mind. “I feel bad about earlier.”

The boy smiled as he accepted the drink. “Thanks…Kim (Y/n),” he said, glancing at the name tag on your uniform.

You smiled back shyly, and he then asked if you were going to hagwon too. When you found out you attended the same one, Jeno suggested walking together.

And just like that, you and Jeno soon became best friends. Throughout middle school, the two of you were inseparable. He got you to join his friend group at lunch, and you started inviting him over for dinner at your house. Some days you guys ditched the hagwon and went to play arcade games instead. Those three years were filled with so many fond memories.

However, your once entirely platonic friendship took a subtle shift when high school began. It was a natural thing for kids your age to start crushing on one another and getting into relationships that lasted a month at most. You just happened to fall for your best friend, which was something you never saw coming until it did.

Little did you know that Jeno had been crushing on you long before you had. From that first day at the convenience store, the shy kindness you showed him made him certain there was something special about you. It wasn’t until the end of ninth grade that he realized why his heart fluttered whenever you laughed at something he said, or why he couldn’t stop smiling after you hugged him.

Maybe there was a part of you both that sensed this unspoken connection between you. Or maybe you didn’t. Regardless, there were never any outright confessions.

Jeno was the most secure presence in your life. He was there when you fell to the ground after he tried teaching you how to ride a bike. When your parents got divorced, he was right by your side and took you out almost every day because he knew you didn’t want to be at home. For such a long time, he’s been there for both the significant and insignificant events in your life. He was someone you couldn’t bear to lose, and you weren’t willing to jeopardize your friendship because of potentially unwanted feelings.

Unbeknownst to you, Jeno felt the same way. The stability and comfort you both shared were already so great to him. He believed that revealing his feelings might burden you, and he didn’t want that to happen. If remaining your friend meant staying close to you, Jeno was okay with that.

At least, he thought he was.

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

The two of you couldn’t be happier when you both got accepted into NCIT. Jeno saw going to college with you as a potential opportunity to finally express his feelings (although the other part of him fought against it). You, on the other hand, entered freshman year with the hopes of leaving your crush on Jeno in the past. He’d probably never feel the same, you thought, and your friends had advised you numerous times to move on from him.

Although a part of you was hesitant about pulling away from Jeno who was practically your first love, you knew deep down that they were right. You thought that as long as you and he stayed friends, everything would be fine. You weren’t a teenager anymore, and it was time for you to live as an adult.

At the beginning of freshman year, you and Jeno mostly stuck together as you always had. But eventually, the two of you integrated into your own friend groups and the demands of classes took precedence. Despite this shift, you remained close as ever, frequently meeting up at the library to do homework and hanging out on the weekends.

With all the time you spent together, it was only natural that you became acquainted with his friends. They were all nice to you and often begged you to come out for drinks together. Somehow, Jeno didn’t expect one of his closest friends and roommate to take notice of you.

“Hey Jeno, can I ask you something?” Jaemin asked one day in the locker room of the campus gym. It had become a weekly routine for them to work out together in the evening.

Jeno nodded, not giving it much thought. “Yeah, what’s up?”

“You don’t happen to have feelings for (Y/n), do you?” the male then asked, causing Jeno to pause when he bent over to tie his shoes.

Recovering quickly, Jeno played off his surprise with a chuckle. “What? No, we’re just friends. I don’t really see her that way.”

Jeno didn’t know why he was lying. Perhaps it was because the other guys constantly teased him about being so obvious about his feelings for you, and it secretly aggravated him.

Jaemin let out a relieved sigh. “Oh, good. I didn’t want to make any moves if you were interested.”

“You like her?” Jeno gave the male a questioning gaze, pretending to occupy himself by bringing out his duffel bag. Other than you, Jaemin was the second person he spent the most time with. He wondered how he hadn’t caught on to Jaemin liking you before.

A dreamy smile appeared on his friend’s face. “I just think she’s pretty cute, you know? Kinda quiet and reserved. She’s a little bit of a mystery, which I like in a girl.”

Jeno unconsciously found himself gripping the strap of his bag tighter than usual. He didn’t like hearing other guys talk about what they found attractive about you. But Jaemin was his friend, and he couldn’t talk back to him.

“So are you going to ask her out?” he asked, though he secretly didn’t want to hear the answer.

Jaemin gave him a nonchalant shrug. “I don’t know yet. I’ve just been thinking about her lately.”

“Oh, okay,” he mumbled quietly. Jaemin patted him on the shoulder as they headed out of the gym building.

Though he kept trying to suppress his feelings and insist that things were fine, deep down, Jeno knew they were not.

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

In the days that followed, Jeno observed the gradual change happening between his two best friends. At first, you were unsure of what to think when Jaemin started sitting by you at lunch and offering to walk to class together. You knew you shared some classes, and that he was a good friend of Jeno’s. However, you found his increased presence to be unfathomable.

Na Jaemin was one of those guys who were so devastatingly attractive, that girls couldn’t help but stop to look at him. He seemed like the type you’d see hanging out with the popular kids. Unlike you—a boring creative writing major who usually kept to herself.

One day, curiosity got the better of you and you worked up the courage to ask him why he kept wanting to spend time with you. When you asked, he simply smiled.

“Because you’re a nice person to be around,” he told you. “There’s never a look of judgment when I talk to you, and you can be funny when you want to.”

After he said that, you realized that Jaemin was genuinely a good guy with not a single trace of bad intentions. So when he officially confessed his feelings a few days later, you decided to give him a chance.

The day after that happened, Jeno and you went back to your hometown for the weekend. You were sitting in your old bedroom, eyes fixating on the lilac-colored wall. When you first moved in, all the rooms in your house were a somber gray color. But you didn’t change the color of your room until a year or two later.

Jeno was the one who chose this light shade of purple for your room. When you asked why that one specifically, he said it just reminded him of you. He even came over to help your father paint. You remembered laughing uncontrollably when he accidentally stepped his foot into the paint bucket.

You shifted your focus to him, who was sitting at the other end of the bed using a light green ball of yarn to crochet. You couldn’t help but smile in amusement, thinking back to when you suggested the two of you pick up crocheting as a hobby not too long ago. Jeno was initially reluctant about it, and yet he ended up becoming more invested than you. Although he made you swear never to tell the guys, or else he’d never hear the end of it.

“Jaemin asked me out on a date,” you sort of blurted out, breaking the comfortable silence between you. Until now, you hadn’t told anyone about it.

Jeno peered up from what he was doing, a little shocked by this news. He didn’t know why, especially when Jaemin literally told him he was interested in you.

Suppressing the sting in his chest, Jeno forced a smile. “Oh, really? That’s cool.”

“Are you sure you’re okay with it?” you asked, warily. His tone sounded a little too casual to you.

“Of course, I am,” Jeno said, returning to crocheting. “What could be better than my two best friends getting together?”

Maybe you were just overthinking his reaction, you thought to yourself. There was no reason he’d lie to you, right?

You smiled, laying back on your pillow. “Well, it’s just one date. I’m not sure if I’m really into him yet.”

Jeno hummed in reply, trying to stuff down the inner turmoil that stirred within him. He tried not to dwell on it too much. Like you said, it was just one date.

Nothing too serious could happen so soon, right?

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

Yet, Jeno was wrong again. Although he pretended to be happy for you, he was not thrilled when he learned that you did, in fact, have a great time with Jaemin a week later. Before he could even process what was happening, a single date turned into three and it wasn’t long before you and Jaemin became official.

In the beginning, Jeno kept trying to tell himself it was okay. It wasn’t fair of him to be upset when he had told Jaemin it was okay to ask you out. Though he would do almost anything to be in his friend’s place, he had to remind himself that he was only your best friend.

But it was hard to ignore the sick feeling he got when your group of friends would all hang out together. Jeno had to witness all the loving glances you and Jaemin exchanged, the little giggle from you whenever he whispered something in your ear. It didn’t help that Donghyuck frequently teased the couple for being obnoxiously cute.

The more your relationship with Jaemin blossomed, the more Jeno grappled with his own conflicting emotions. In doing so, he unintentionally started to distance himself. As his best friend, you picked up on this change pretty quickly. He took up such a big portion of your life, that it was impossible not to notice his absence. But you thought if something was bothering Jeno, he’d tell you eventually. That’s how things usually were between you two.

As time passed, you couldn’t shake the growing sense of insecurity stemming from Jeno’s diminishing presence. Jaemin could tell it was bothering you and even tried to talk to Jeno to see what was up. However, Jeno brushed him off, insisting everything was fine and he had just been busy with school work.

But you knew it couldn’t be just that. Jeno always made time for you, no matter how busy his schedule was. Whenever you tried to text him, he replied with one-word answers and made excuses when you asked to meet up. It felt like Jeno was slowly disappearing from your life, and you had no idea why.

Fed up, you turned to asking his friend Mark for help. Aware of the strong bond the two of you had, Mark readily agreed. He arranged to meet Jeno somewhere, but instead of him showing up, it was you. That was how you found Jeno sitting on a bench at a park, playing a game as he waited for Mark to arrive. He was quite baffled when he saw walk up to him with a stern gaze.

“Lee Jeno, we need to talk,” you said in a voice he’s never heard you speak in. Your arms were crossed, and your brows were furrowed in anger.

Jeno coughed, slipping his phone to his pocket. “Why, what’s up?”

“‘What’s up?’” You reiterated his words in ridicule. “You blew me off for an entire month and that’s all you have to say?!”

Seeing the hurt look in your eyes caused guilt to strike him, and he let out a small sigh and stood up from the bench. “Look, (Y/n), I didn’t mean…I didn’t mean to ignore you like that and I’m sorry.”

His apology made you scoff in disbelief. You were still fuming at the fact that you had to ask his friend, just to meet up with him.

“You know, I couldn’t stop worrying if something happened or if I upset you somehow,” you said. “So can you please explain why you’ve been ignoring me?”

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Jeno clarified. “It’s just…”

Even though you knew you should be mad at him right now, watching him hesitate made your anger dissipate. This was Jeno you were talking to, after all, you knew he never meant any harm.

“Just what?” you asked in a gentler tone, placing your hand on his. “You can be honest with me, Jeno.”

He had to collect himself before continuing. This was certainly not the way he imagined telling you his feelings.

“It’s just…seeing you be all happy with Jaemin was making me upset,” he finally admitted.

You sighed, “Jeno, it’s okay. You’ll find someone—”

“No, you don’t get it,” Jeno cut you off, frustrated. “The problem is that I like you.”

Your hand on his slowly retracted when he said that. Confusion quickly filled your expression.

“You what?”

Jeno forced himself to meet your gaze. “I like you, (Y/n), more than a friend. I’ve liked you since the day I gave up my kimbap to you. Over the years, I…I’ve just always loved what a genuine person you are. You have such a kind heart, even with all the things you’ve been through.”

You blinked at the male in surprise, trying to grasp his unexpected confession. A part of you didn’t want to believe what you were hearing.

“Jeno…” your voice trailed off. “Why didn’t you say anything before?”

“I was planning to confess this year, But I was so worried about our friendship being ruined,” he said, his words hitting you like a truck. “Then when you and Jaemin started dating, I realized I was too late.”

The weight of unspoken emotions pressed in the air, leaving a heavy silence to hang between the two of you. Your heart wavered, torn by the realization that your previous feelings for Jeno had not been one-sided.

“I had no idea you felt that way,” you said, lowering your gaze. “Funny because I had feelings for you too. But I didn’t want to risk losing you.”

The boy looked up at you in surprise. “Really?”

“Yeah, I did,” you exhaled, taking a second to let everything sink in. “But…I’m with Jaemin now, and he’s someone I really care about.”

“I know,” Jeno nodded, though the truth in his eyes revealed underlying disappointment.

Biting your lip, you turned to ask, “So, what happens now?”

Jeno took a moment, his gaze searching the distance. The air was charged with emotions neither of you could easily express. You almost wanted to laugh, thinking of what a messed up situation this was. Everything was so anticlimactic.

“I think we need some time apart,” he suggested the words carrying a weight of resignation.

He knew this decision was selfish of him, but it was what needed to be done. Jeno loved you, but he feared that being around you knowing your heart belonged to someone else would only make him resentful.

Although his words were unsettling to hear, you eventually nodded in agreement. “Yeah, maybe that’s for the best.”

Tightly gripping the strap of your purse, you locked eyes with him one last time. The two of you said your goodbyes and went your separate ways.

On your way back to the dorms, you tried your best to hold yourself together. But once you opened the door and found Jaemin sitting on your bed because he had been waiting for your return, you couldn’t help but fall apart.

Attempting to stifle back the sobs proved futile, and this overwhelming sense of loss felt like it was crushing you. You didn’t know why you were so emotional because of this.

Instantly picking up the heaviness when you entered, Jaemin approached you gently. “Hey, what happened?” he asked.

You tried to speak, but the words caught in your throat. Instead, you broke into fresh tears, and Jaemin instinctively wrapped his arms around you.

Through tears, you told him about Jeno’s confession and how the both of you decided not to see each other for the time being. You could tell Jaemin was alarmed by the news, but he was thankful you were honest with him.

“I just…I just feel like I’ve lost my best friend,” you cried, a fresh wave of sadness washing over you.

Jaemin hugged you tighter and pressed kisses onto your head. He whispered that everything was going to be okay and that you were going to get through this together.

You cried a lot that night, grieving over everything that could’ve happened and didn’t happen. But amid the storm, you found peace in Jaemin’s arms and knew that you would be okay eventually.

And you hoped Jeno would be too.

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

Jeno slowly entered the wedding hall, quickly greeted by Mark and Jisung. The gentle hum of conversation and the soft rustle of dresses and suits created an atmosphere of both anticipation and excitement. He took a deep breath before stepping into the room where the bride was taking pictures with guests before the ceremony.

Then he saw you in a simple yet elegant white gown, nervously fidgeting with the bouquet in your hands. Your eyes lit up when you saw Jeno come in, and a small smile played on your lips. “You came.”

“Of course, I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” he smiled back, admiration evident in his eyes. “You look pretty. Na Jaemin is a lucky man.”

Lowering your eyes, you blushed. “Thank you.”

Jeno could tell by the sincerity in your voice, that you were thanking him for more than just the compliment. Memories of his youth with you flooded his mind.

“You know, before we met I was just the quiet kid in school. I didn’t have a lot of friends and just focused on school,” he sighed, “But then you came along and brought some light into my life. In a sense, I wouldn’t be the man I am today if it weren’t for you.”

The glint in his eyes stirred a mixture of emotions within you. “Thank you for being a part of my life, Kim (Y/n),” he said sincerely.

“Now that I think about it, even in my hardest moments when I was ready to give up on myself, I came out stronger because you were by my side,” you expressed, meeting his gaze.

Exhaling, you blinked back the tears that started to form. “So thank you, for always being there for me, Lee Jeno.”

Jeno’s gaze softened with warmth as he took in your heartfelt words. He gently placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder, offering his congratulations once more before excusing himself to join the gathering of guests.

As he observed you walking down the aisle later, a bittersweet emotion swept over him. There was a time in his teenage years when he’d imagine being at the end of the aisle waiting for you. He had it all perfectly planned out in his head.

In that plan, he could see your strong friendship blossom into a great love. He would’ve taken to you all these different places for dates. He thought of all the hugs and kisses that could’ve been shared. He would have proposed to you after getting through college, and he would have spun you around when you said yes. Then he had the rest of his life to look forward to, because you were in it.

But the harsh reality of Jaemin standing beside you instead of him, hit hard. Things just didn’t turn out the way he had hoped.

Nonetheless, seeing the sparkling smile on your face as you took his hand made Jeno realize you were genuinely happy. It had taken a long time for the both of you to reach this point.

Standing there, watching you, Jeno knew that you could’ve found happiness with him. But the timing simply wasn’t right. Now each of you were on your separate paths, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

As he watched you embark on this new chapter, Jeno silently wished you a lifetime of joy and fulfillment, his heart carrying the echoes of what might have been.

° 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 ₒ 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 ₒ 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 ° 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 ₒ 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 ₒ 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 ° 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 ₒ

#nct dream #nctzen #kpop #czennie #nct dream imagines #jeno #nct dream angst #jeno x reader #lee jeno #jeno angst #jeno fic #nct dream fic #jeno imagines #jeno scenarios

38 notes · View notes

weirdkpopgirl · 3 months

Text

Waiting | Dream Reaction #13

Reaction: when their gf wants to save sex for marriage

Genre: Um mostly fluff

Warnings: slightly suggestive, making out in Jeno's, and mentions of sex (but nothing graphic at all)

Word Count: ~2.9k

Author's Note: I feel like it's been so long since I wrote a Dream reaction. The following scenario was a request sent by someone. To be honest, I was a bit hesitant about doing it because I know this concept isn't that popular today. However, it is a personal value I hold and I'm not trying to impose it on those who have different opinions. But it is something I've always secretly wanted to write about. So here you go, I hope you like it ^ ^

~ ~ ~

mark

After being under the weather for weeks now, Mark thought it was time to get you checked up. That was how you found yourself sitting in a pristine white room on a Monday morning. You scanned the room anxiously, nervously drumming your fingers against the chair’s armrest. However, the nerves you were feeling calmed down a little when Mark placed his hand on top of yours.

Finally the door creaked open, and the doctor exchanged polite greetings with the two of you. Taking a seat at her computer, the doctor ran through the customary procedure of inquiring about your symptoms and any recent changes in lifestyle.

“Have you two been sexually active recently?” the doctor asked, causing a slight shift in the atmosphere.

Heat instantly rose to your cheeks as you turned to your boyfriend with a surprised glance.

“Oh—no, we haven’t even…” Your voice trailed off, almost as if you were too flustered to finish your sentence.

The doctor nodded understandingly and moved on to the next question. Once the check-up was finished, she just advised you to get some more rest and take some time off work to recover.

Back in the car, you and Mark burst into awkward laughter, finding humor in the unexpected nature of that encounter.

“I was so embarrassed,” you cried, covering your face, “I thought I was going to die back there.”

Mark laughed along, “Yeah me too. I don’t know why I was so surprised when she asked us that.”

A brief silence hung in the air as Mark steadied his hand on the wheel, and you gazed out of the car window. Although you believed you handled the situation reasonably, some more serious thoughts lingered in your mind. Even though it’s only been a few months since you two started dating, the doctor’s question made you realize that you hadn’t discussed the subject before.

“Speaking of though,” you said, broaching the topic cautiously. “I actually want to save sex for marriage.”

You were already bracing yourself for a negative reaction when Mark didn’t respond right away. But then he shrugged nonchalantly and said, “Okay.”

“Really?” You stared at him wide-eyed. “You’re okay with it?”

Mark nodded thoughtfully, “I mean, I can’t say it’s going to be easy. But if waiting is important to you, then it’s important to me too.”

A wave of relief washed over you, comforted now that this conversation went a lot smoother than you had anticipated.

“Thank you, I really appreciate that,” you said, a smile lighting up your face.

Mark reached over to squeeze your hand. “No problem, babe.”

In his mind, it really wasn’t a big deal. He definitely planned on marrying you someday, so he saw it as something to look forward to in your future together.

‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿

renjun

He was the only one to actually bring up the subject first. Although it wasn’t something he had greatly dwelled on beforehand. After being together for a few months, your relationship had proven to be relatively stable. However when it came to physical intimacy, the two of you never progressed beyond making out. While Renjun wasn’t particularly bothered by it, a sense of curiosity lingered in his thoughts.

One evening as you both walked back to your place after a date, he decided to bring it up. “(Y/n), can I ask you something?” he asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

Curious as to what this was about, you nodded. “Sure. What is it?”

“I just…I was wondering when we’re going to have sex?” He scratched his head, as the words awkwardly tumbled from his lips. You observed his cheeks turn a light shade of pink, and you could also feel your own face warming up coincidentally.

You knew this conversation was inevitable, and you’ve spent a decent amount of time preparing what you would say if it came up. Despite the mental preparation, you were a little wary of what Renjun’s response might be.

“I’m glad you brought that up,” you said, attempting to mask the nervousness in your tone. “The thing is, I want to wait until marriage for sex. I hope that’s okay with you.”

To your surprise, his response came quickly as he nodded in understanding. “That’s no problem for me. I'm happy to wait for you,” he assured.

“I know people might think we’re crazy,” you continued with a sense of unease in your voice.

Before you could finish your thought, Renjun stopped walking to cup your face with his hands. “I don’t care what people think. Our connection and the boundaries we set are more important than anyone else’s opinions,” he said assertively. “I respect your decision, and I’m here with you no matter what.”

As his words sank in, a grateful smile formed on your lips. Sighing, you leaned in to place a sweet peck on his lips.

“What did I ever do to deserve you?”

Renjun chuckled and affectionately patted your head. “Cutie.”

His hands intertwined once more, and the two of you resumed walking back to your apartment. The both of you felt a lot better now that the topic had been addressed.

‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿

jeno

The evening started out normal, really. You were having a movie date in his apartment, which was a regular occurrence for homebodies like yourselves. Yet, an almost suffocating tension lingered in the air, subtly bringing the two of you closer.

Before you could blink, blankets were tossed aside and you found yourself lying on your back as Jeno’s lips devoured yours in a series of passionate kisses. His hands found their way to your waist, and yours wrapped around his neck, drawing him nearer. The room was filled with a soft hum of your chemistry, creating a moment that seemed to make time freeze.

Your conscience started to come back as you felt Jeno’s hands begin to roam your body. Although a part of you didn’t want to stop, you placed a hand on your boyfriend’s chest and gently pulled away. Jeno glanced at you with a puzzled expression.

Sighing, you sat up. “I’m sorry…it’s just…there’s something I think we should talk about.”

You hated seeing Jeno’s face flicker with confusion. But he nodded for you to continue.

“If…if it’s okay with you, I want to wait until we’re married to have sex,” you admitted, your gaze unwavering.

Jeno’s eyebrows furrowed in surprise, and it took a bit to process your words before responding. “Oh, okay,” he said in an understanding tone.

You looked at him, searching for any sign of disappointment or frustration. “You’re not upset about it?”

Jeno shook his head, as if it were obvious. “There’s no rush, baby. And I would never want to pressure you into doing something you’re not comfortable with.”

“Thank you for understanding,” you expressed, eyes softening with gratitude. You had expected a different reaction from him, fearing that he might feel restricted. But his kind words put you at ease.

Jeno returned your smile, brushing a strand of hair away from your face. “But we can still make out, right?”

The mischievous sparkle in his eyes made you laugh. “Of course we can,” you chuckled, pulling him down with you.

That was all Jeno needed to hear before his lips were on yours again. The chemistry from before was quickly reignited, and the two of you savored the intimacy of the moment.

‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿

haechan

The two of you were just cuddling in his bedroom, after he had convinced you to take a break from studying. Nestled comfortably in his arms, he traced lazy circles on your back, creating a soothing rhythm to accompany the moment. You snuggled against him happily, enjoying this peaceful moment with your boyfriend.

“(Y/n),” he spoke suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence.

You glanced up in response. “Hm?”

He stared at you momentarily, tenderly brushing a lock of hair behind your ear. You were curious as to what he had to say, you found it hard to read his expression.

“Have you ever thought about…you know, when you want to have sex?” he asked, deciding it was best to just be straightforward.

Your cheeks flushed slightly, caught off guard by his question. “Um…well I think I want to wait until marriage,” you admitted.

Biting your lip, you searched Haechan’s expression. The corner of his lips curled into a teasing smile. “In that case, will you, (L/n) (Y/n), marry me?” he asked dramatically.

“Lee Haechan, don’t joke about that,” you scolded, smacking him on the shoulder. The boy laughed, and pulled you closer to him.

“Okay, okay I’m sorry,” he apologized, giving you a quick kiss on your forehead. “We’ll take things at your pace, baby. You don’t need to worry.”

You murmured a thank you, relaxing into his arms once more. As playful as Haechan was, you were grateful for his understanding. There really wasn’t much to worry about when you were with him.

‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿

jaemin

The gentle glow of the candles sitting on the coffee table created a warm and inviting atmosphere in Jaemin’s living room. You sat snugly on the couch with his cats, waiting for your boyfriend to come back from the kitchen. Although you appeared calm on the outside, as you ran your fingers through Luna’s soft white fur, your mind buzzed with anxious thoughts. You wanted to have a serious conversation with him tonight, but you were a bit apprehensive about it.

Your heart began to race as Jaemin reentered the room, carrying two steaming mugs of hot chocolate. It only took a single glance for him to detect your unease. Placing the cups on the coffee table, he took your hand in his and offered a comforting smile.

“Is there something on your mind, love?” he asked with such tenderness that it almost made you feel guilty.

Exhaling briefly, you tried to return his smile. “Yeah, there’s actually something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about.”

Jaemin’s eyes filled with a mix of curiosity and concern. “I’m listening,” he replied, reaching over to gently scratch under Luna’s chin.

You took another deep breath, gathering your thoughts. “It’s just that we’ve been together for quite some time now, and I know you’ve probably thought about this. But I want to share with you that I’d like for us to save sex for marriage.”

There was a brief moment of silence as Jaemin absorbed your words. Afraid of a negative reaction, you started to back yourself up.

“It’s just that I’ve never done it before, and waiting until I’m married has always been important to me,” you continued, going on a slight tangent. “It has nothing to do with you or an attempt to restrict you.”

The warm smile Jaemin gave you felt like a game changer. He lightly squeezed your hand, his eyes reflecting nothing but understanding. “You don’t have to worry, Princess. I understand completely, and I agree it’s best to wait too.”

Instantly relief began to wash over you. “Really?”

“Absolutely,” he nodded, his smile unwavering. “I want our first time to be something we both cherish. And when we’re both ready to take that step, I promise it will be a special moment for both of us.”

His eyes gleamed with a sincerity that made you want to burst into tears. Suddenly, you questioned why you were so nervous in the first place. Every action of Jaemin’s was out of love and kindness from the depths of his heart.

“You’re so sweet,” you murmured, cupping his face with your hands. “I wish all men could be as understanding and caring as you.”

Jaemin’s gaze softened more, and he leaned in to leave a lingering kiss on your lips. “You give me too much credit, princess. As your boyfriend, it’s my job to ensure you always feel respected and loved.”

“Stop it, you’re going to make me cry,” you exclaimed, using your hand to fan your eyes.

He chuckled in response and pulled you closer to cuddle. As you remained in his embrace with his cats nestled around you, you realized how lucky you were to have Jaemin by your side.

‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿

chenle

You had been avoiding the subject for as long as possible, mostly because it was a little awkward for you. This was your first serious relationship, and you were sure Chenle’s thought about it before. But he was waiting for you to say something first.

Then came an evening where the two of you were watching a movie at his place. You didn’t exactly plan on talking to him about it that day. It kind of just slipped out.

Neither of you had a specific preference for what to watch, so Chenle randomly selected something on Netflix. However, halfway into the film, a provocative scene began to unfold. A knot tightened in your stomach, and within five seconds, you averted your gaze. Chenle chuckled nervously beside you, wisely opting to change the movie.

Even though something new was being played on the screen, you found yourself making occasional sideway glances toward Chenle. The realization struck that you had been putting off this topic for so long, and the nagging feeling inside you knew it would keep bothering you if you didn’t address it now.

Before your nerves could get the better of you, a heavy exhale escaped you. “Chenle, there’s something I want to talk about.”

His eyebrows raised slightly in concern, sensing the apprehensiveness in your voice. “What’s up?” he asked.

The movie’s ambiance served as a backdrop to your hesitancy. But determined not to chicken out, you closed your eyes and blurted out, “I want to wait until marriage for sex!”

You opened your eyes to see Chenle’s face swiftly transition from a surprised expression to a more composed one. For some reason he thought you were going to break up with him or something. So when he processed your words, in his head he was like “oh, that was it?”

“Okay, that’s cool,” he said, figuring that was all and leaned back on the couch.

His nonchalant response left you looking at him in disbelief. “You’re not upset at all?”

“No, why would I be?” he chuckled, playfully nudging you. “Sex isn’t everything. If waiting until marriage is important to you, then I’m on board with that.”

The way his eyes reflected genuine sincerity, gave you more reassurance. “Gosh, you have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that,” you exhaled.

He grinned, wrapping his arms around your shoulders. He couldn’t resist teasing you a little.

“Well what can I say? You’re dating a great man.”

You rolled your eyes, earning a laugh from him as he pulled you closer. Secretly, you had to agree that Zhong Chenle was indeed a great man.

‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿

jisung

It really wasn’t a big deal to him. But he did think about it from time to time. The both of you were somewhat new to being in a relationship. However, after being together for a few months, Jisung thought the two of you should’ve had sex by now.

He was almost afraid to ask, because the two of you had never directly discussed sex before. But the desire to know your thoughts was becoming overwhelming, and Jisung knew that he’d explode if he didn’t bring up the subject.

As you lounged together in your living room, Jisung absentmindedly fiddled with the drawstrings of his hoodie. Occasionally he stole glances at you, who was scrolling through social media posts on your phone. He almost choked when you said something.

“Is there something on your mind, Jisungie?” you asked, without even looking up from your phone. It was as if you could sense he had something to say, solely by his body language. You had to hold back from smiling in amusement as his eyes widened in surprise.

The boy beside you laughed nervously as he sat up a bit straighter. “I—um want to talk about us. You know in terms of…”

“Sex?” you finished his sentence, throwing him off even more.

Jisung looked at you with a perplexed expression. “Are you a magician? How did you know that was what I wanted to talk about?”

“I don’t know, lucky guess?” you chuckled, casting your phone aside. “It’s also something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about too.”

“Really?!”

You nodded, flattening your hands across the blanket on your lap. “I know we’ve never discussed it before, but I think it’s best to be transparent with you. Is that okay?”

“Of course,” Jisung answered right away. “I want you to be honest with me, Jagi.”

Lowering your gaze, you took a deep breath before confessing, “Well, um—I want to wait until marriage for, you know, sex.”

It took a moment for you to gather the courage to look at Jisung again. When you did, you were met with an almost relieved expression.

“You know what? I think that’s a great idea,” Jisung said, assuringly. “We can just take our time, with no rush.”

You smiled in response, “I’m glad we’re on the same page then.”

Jisung’s shoulders visibly relaxed and he sank back into the couch. “Ugh, I feel so much better now that we’ve talked about it,” he said, covering his eyes.

Shaking your head with a laugh, you observed the boy in amusement.

“You’re such a dork,” you murmured, snuggling against his hoodie. Jisung smiled and snaked his arm around to hug you.

Jisung was genuinely relieved that you were both honest about your feelings of intimacy. In fact, he felt like having this conversation brought you even closer. Although you were both young, he felt secure knowing your relationship was built on a sense of connection and trust.

‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿︵‿୨✧୧‿︵‿

#nct dream #nctzen #kpop #czennie #nct dream imagines #nct #jeno #jaemin #renjun #nct dream fluff #mark #jisung #chenle #haechan #nct dream reactions #nct dream scenarios #nct dream x reader

202 notes · View notes

weirdkpopgirl · 3 months

Text

My Last | Jaemin Fic #3

Title: My Last

Genre: College AU

Warnings: mentions of anxiety, self-harm, family problems. please do not read if those topics make you uncomfortable

Word Count: ~16k

Author's Note: Here is the part two/sequel to my Renjun story (My First). I literally started writing this a few years ago and didn't finish until now. Honestly, I wanted to give up on this story because I don't like it very much. But I thought I should for those who read the first story. I still hope you guys like it ^ ^

If you haven't read the first part of this story you can read it here

𓆩♡𓆪༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚𓆩♡𓆪༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚𓆩♡𓆪༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚𓆩♡𓆪༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚𓆩♡𓆪༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚𓆩♡𓆪༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚𓆩♡𓆪

Kim (Y/n) thought leaving it all behind would make her happier. But the past two years showed her that running away from her problems couldn't change anything. She and her father moved to his hometown, Busan. She found herself in a different city, a different neighborhood, a different house, and a different high school, marking a fresh new start for her. Maybe she was too optimistic at the beginning.

The students at her new school quickly singled her out as the pathetic transfer girl with divorced parents. No one made an effort to talk to her. But she wasn't too fazed by it. After what had happened at her previous school, she wasn’t willing to get close to anyone again.

Time passed, and she focused on her studies as she had always done. The household was less chaotic with just her dad and herself. They were both quiet people who barely talked to each other, and she wasn't bothered much by that either.

Deciding before she graduated wasn't as stressful as it could've been. After passing the CSAT exam, a few acceptance letters rolled in. She was only able to get one scholarship from a college in Seoul, covering most of her tuition and dorm living expenses.

In the next few months, she was back to where she had started.

Things would be different this time, she told herself. Returning to her hometown didn't mean she was going to encounter anyone from her past, at least if she tried hard enough. But she was wrong.

Her mom, the woman she had hoped to never see again, reappeared in her life. She didn't seem to have changed since the last time they had seen each other. Perhaps driven by a lingering sense of guilt, she found herself compelled to check on her mother's well-being. Yet, she sometimes felt like she was reliving her childhood again. Except this time she was the parent, and her mother was the child.

Her mother's moods were unpredictable, fluctuating between highs and lows. Despite enduring numerous instances of being screamed at, (Y/n) recognized the importance of not being selfish. Ultimately, she was her mom, and (Y/n) was her only daughter. In the end, she was all her mother had.

In addition to her college commitments, she took on a part-time job to earn some money. She picked up a barista position, where she worked throughout the week. Oftentimes she left shifts with the scent of coffee clinging to her hair.

"Hey, you know that customer over there?" Her coworker pointed something out to her one day.

Hesitantly, she looked in the direction her coworker was gesturing to. A boy who looked about her age was sitting at the table near the front window, with another guy across from him. He had short, light brown hair with bangs that made him appear younger. She couldn't deny that he was attractive.

"What about him?" She asked, glancing back down at what she was doing before.

Her coworker nudged her elbow. "I think he might be interested in you. He only comes on the days you're working here."

Out of curiosity, she looked back up to see the slight surprise in his expression when she did, but it was immediately replaced with a smile.

"He's pretty good-looking too!" Her coworker gushed. "What if he asks you out?"

She laughed and rolled her eyes. There was no chance she was going to let herself be charmed by a stranger who she had only seen a handful of times. Besides, she couldn't fathom that a guy would like her.

Despite how her coworker faltered at her lack of interest, she shook her head and didn't bother to look at him again.

"Yeah, like that would ever happen."

┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦

She worked at his favorite coffee place on the weekends. But the café wasn't the only place he had seen her. She didn't seem to notice that they attended the same college. Her name was Kim (Y/n), a first-year student at Myung-guk University. They were both freshmen, so he had seen her in a few of his general education classes.

Jaemin didn't know when exactly he caught feelings. All of a sudden, he just found himself paying more attention to her. With the few chances he got to see her, he used them to take in her features. She had long, chestnut brown hair with bangs that brushed over her forehead. Her eyes were a few shades darker than her hair. She didn't wear any makeup, as the majority of her face was covered by the round, silver-rimmed glasses she wore. She always dressed so neatly, making her overall look fairly minimalistic.

Something about (Y/n) was different from what he was used to seeing. Unlike the other girls who swooned over him every time he passed by, she didn't even bat an eye. In class, she rarely spoke to anyone and always kept to herself in a reserved manner. She seemed disinterested in what everyone else was doing.

At the coffee shop, she was mostly the same. But she was kind to the customers and efficient in her work. Part of him was glad she was always so focused. She had yet to catch him admiring her from afar.

“Why don't you just ask her out already?” Jeno lightly elbowed him.

He was nice as a best friend and roommate. But he didn't know a thing when it came to romance.

Shaking his head, he took another sip of his black coffee. “Not yet, Jeno. It's too soon.”

When he turned to see her again, she was looking at him. He thought it was the first time she had properly noticed him. Trying not to stress too much, he sent her a smile. But instead of smiling back, she shook her head and walked to the back room.

However, he refused to let this one interaction discourage him. He had this gut feeling that told him she was the one for him.. It didn't matter if he had to wait. Good things came slowly, so one could treasure them more.

(Y/n) was like this puzzle, waiting to be put together by the right person. And Jaemin was confident that person was going to be him.

┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦

Since that day, she became more aware of the attractive customer. Once she got a better look, she recognized him from somewhere.

She was pretty sure his name was Na Jaemin. She hadn't realized that they were in the same grade. As if things couldn't become any more peculiar, he was also in a few of her classes. She guessed she had been too focused on staying in her bubble to notice.

Jaemin was talked about quite a bit on campus. Of course, for all the reasons that didn't surprise her. He was charming, the girls couldn't seem to stop whispering about him, and all the guys wanted to be his friend. Other than that, she didn't know much about him, nor did she have the desire to.

From her impression, he was probably just one of those guys who dated too many girls and had a big ego. Maybe she was judging too quickly. Regardless, she decided she wanted nothing to do with Jaemin. He could stare at her all he wanted to at work. But he wasn't going to get a reaction from her. At least, that was what she had told herself.

"One iced americano!"

Her head was down in an attempt to avoid eye contact when she called his order. She heard the chair being pushed back and his footsteps coming closer to the counter.

"Ah, perfect every time," He sighed after taking a sip. His voice was a lot deeper than she had expected. Gesturing the drink to her, he smiled. "Thank you!"

Barely looking at him, she nodded and was relieved when he didn't say anything else. She thought that would be the end of what was barely a conversation. But then in the following week, he came again at his usual time, which was before noon. Rather than taking his drink and thanking her as usual, he stuck around a little longer.

"You're Kim (Y/n), right? I've seen you a few times at university."

Trying to get out of the conversation as soon as possible, she looked up at him and nodded. "Was there something else you needed?"

"Well, not exactly," He gave her that same smile from the last time. "I just wanted to ask if you're perhaps free after you get off of work?"

"Sorry, I have something to do today," She lied, immediately turning him down.

"Oh," His tone deflated. "That's fine, I understand. Another day, maybe?"

She sighed. Why was this guy so persistent?

"Excuse me, but you are a stranger to me, and I think we should keep it that way."

"So…you're saying no?"

"No," She said without thinking and quickly facepalmed. "I mean yes!"

Jaemin laughed, "I see you're a bit confused. I'll just ask next time."

"Wait, don't-" She started to say. But to her dismay, he had already left with his coffee.

She tried not to panic over what happened. Maybe he'd forget about it all when he came by again. But who was she kidding; he probably wouldn't.

A few days later, she was quickly packing up to leave class. Jaemin was there, which made her more nervous than anything. Luckily, he didn't seem to pay any attention to her during the lecture.

But when she went to grab her phone, she noticed a small blue sticky note that wasn't there before.

It would be nice to get to know each other, right? (˶ᵔᵕᵔ˶)

She was glad he wasn't there to see her cheeks turn pink when she saw his phone number attached. Why was he doing this? Was he targeting her as his next girl to play with?

She didn't know, and she didn't want to know the answer. Crumpling the paper in her hand, she threw it into her bag and spent the rest of the day trying to shove what happened out of her head.

┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦

Even though she had refused him once already, Jaemin wasn't going to give up. He knew that pursuing (Y/n) wouldn't be easy, but the challenging aspect made things fun. She could put up as many obstacles as she wanted, and he was fully prepared to jump over one after the other.

It was so cute to see her get flustered when he talked to her. She may not think much of him right now, which further motivated him to prove to her that he had good intentions.

Jaemin saw her in the cafeteria one day, sitting alone at the table near the big windows. This was the perfect opportunity, he thought to himself. Without any hesitation, he quickly ordered his lunch and went to stand by the seat across from her.

"It's okay if I sit here, right?"

(Y/n) looked at him as if he was some newly discovered alien. Her eyes scattered around the other people around them who gave looks and made unnecessary whispers. He was used to ignoring them as much as possible.

Don't get him wrong, he thought it was nice that so many people at college admired him, especially since he was just a freshman. But he couldn't help but get slightly annoyed when people tried to hang out with him and acted all fake.

Before she could answer, Jaemin already set his lunch tray on the table. Once he sat down, he smiled at her.

"You and I must think alike," he gestured to their choices of meals for today, which was fish cake soup with udon noodles.

Her fingers tightened around her chopsticks. "Jaemin, why do you keep doing this to me?"

"What do you mean?" He asked and picked up his own utensils to eat.

"I'm not sure what your intentions are," she cleared her voice, "But I can assure you won't get far with a nobody like me."

He would've thought she was joking if it weren't for the bitterness in her tone.

"A nobody? Is that what you see yourself as?"

She nearly choked on her food when he asked her that. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, unsure of how to respond. Thankfully, she wasn't forced to answer when someone interrupted.

“Jaemin, finally I found you!” It was a boy with dark-brown hair and facial features that reminded her of a puppy.

Now that she thought about it, she had seen him on a few of Jaemin's visits to the cafe. She didn't know that he attended this college too.

The guy came over to sit in the empty seat beside Jaemin. So much for having a quiet lunch. The boy looked at her with a sense of familiarity.

"Oh! You're the girl from the coffee shop, right?"

Suddenly forgetting how to speak, she merely nodded. The friendliness in his eyes didn't disappear. "I'm Lee Jeno, an architecture major. I'm also Jaemin’s friend."

"What are you doing here?" Jaemin asked.

"I just got out of a class and wanted to find you. But it seems you're busy."

The light-haired boy turned back to her with an adoring smile. "Well, I’m having lunch with (Y/n). Jeno, isn't it funny that we got the same meal? We already have so much in common!"

Jeno smiled apologetically, patting his friend on the shoulder. "Ah, Jaeminie is a bit weird. Please understand, (Y/n)."

A smile crept onto her lips when his own friend said this. She wondered if Jaemin was going to retort with something back, but his attention was on her.

"Oh, she smiled!"

Instinctively, she clamped her hand over her mouth. "N-no, I didn't."

"Ah, cute. Isn't she cute, Jeno?"

His comments didn't do anything to help the heat that had risen to her cheeks. Jeno shook his head at Jaemin and pushed his chair back.

"Well, I should go to my next class. I'll see you at home later."

He waved to her after getting up from the chair. "It was nice meeting you, (Y/n)!"

She waved back, as it was the polite thing to do. Her panic mode was restored now that his friend was gone. Jaemin looked at her with a concerned expression.

"Are you feeling alright? You've barely touched your food."

She glanced down at her lunch tray. The steaming bowl of noodles was staring up at her. Eating had disappeared from her brain momentarily after Jaemin arrived.

"I'm fine. Just not as hungry as I thought I was," she muttered, placing her utensils down on the table.

That didn't seem to convince Jaemin, but he didn't say anything about it. He folded his arms and leaned forward. "Right, what were we talking about before?"

Dang it. She was hoping he had forgotten their previous conversation, though the chances were unlikely.

"I understand why you might be skeptical about me," his voice deepened. She wondered if he always did that when he wanted to be serious. "But I'm going to do what it takes to prove you otherwise, (Y/n). Just watch!"

No one had approached her the way Jaemin was. It didn't make her any less suspicious of him. Whatever he was going to do or planning to do, she couldn't let him get to her. Over the past two years, she had become more strong-minded. She wasn't going to let anyone easily in again. Following that, Jaemin could try to get through to her. But he would fail.

Because she wasn't going to let it happen.

┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦

Jeno and he had been gaming late into the evening. Close to eight, Jaemin decided to take a stroll to the cafe where (Y/n) worked, thinking of grabbing some coffee. The quiet streets under the night sky provided a calm atmosphere.

Upon arriving at the cafe, he spotted her through the window, wearing her cafe uniform. A small smile formed on his lips, but it quickly faded as he heard a commotion inside. The sound of an escalating argument caught his attention.

Inside, a man stood at the counter where (Y/n) was working. There was a tense exchange, and the man seemed insistent on something. Jeno's protective instincts kicked in as he noticed (Y/n) trying to reject his advances.

"I told you, I'm not interested," she said firmly, attempting to maintain her composure.

"Come on, why not give me a chance?" the man persisted, a hint of aggression in his tone.

She bit her lip in frustration, but tried to maintain her professionalism. "I appreciate the offer, but I'm not looking for anything right now."

The man's demeanor turned hostile, and he reached out to grab her hand. Jaemin, sensing trouble, swiftly stepped in.

"She said she's not interested. Respect that," he stated firmly, casting a disapproving glance at the persistent man.

Startled, the man recoiled, shooting a defiant look at Jaemin. Ignoring the confrontation, Jaemin focused on (Y/n), offering her a reassuring smile. Bewilderment clouded her expression.

"Yah, who do you think you are to involve yourself?" The man scoffed.

"I don’t want any trouble," he said in a low tone. "But you should back off, if she said no already."

The guy scowled, and before he could react properly, he punched him. "I swear, kids these days think they're all that."

Lifting his hand to where he hit him, he was grabbed by the collar of his hoodie. As much as he loathed the guy, he didn't want to fight back because he was older. Thankfully, (Y/n) had come in between them before he could hit him again.

"Stop or I'll call the police!" She warned, holding up a phone in her hand. "You'll be charged for harassment and assault."

In response, he snarled but let go of him. At least he wasn't an idiot to see she was serious.

He pointed at her and him as he made his way to leave. "Consider both of you lucky today."

They both watched as he left grumbling. He was expecting to hear a sigh of relief. But instead, she didn't appear to look any less frightened.

"Oh no, you're bleeding." Her eyes widened with apprehension. She reached her hand but dropped it after a brief hesitation. She headed back behind the cash register.

"Wait outside. Let me find the first-aid kit."

Jaemin couldn’t suppress the smile that crept on his face. But he thought it was best to listen this time.

The anxiousness in her eyes didn't disappear as she sat in the chair across from him. She still somehow managed to keep her hand steady as she tended to where he was injured. Other than his mother, no girl had ever looked so concerned for him. He tried to maintain some seriousness, rather than thinking about how cute (Y/n) was.

Once she cleaned the blood off, she raised a cotton swab dipped in ointment to his lips. He hesitated, not because he didn't trust her. He guessed he was a little nervous for some reason. But before she could take her hand away, he leaned forward. She winced with him as she dabbed the medicine on his bottom lip.

"I'm sorry,” she apologized.

"It doesn't hurt that much," he said.

But she shook her head. "Not just that. You got hurt because of me."

"Anyone would've done the same if they were in my place."

"I'm not so sure about that," she disagreed, putting the cotton swab down. "But, thank you."

This was a different side of (Y/n) that he was seeing. But it wasn't anything that he hadn't expected. Even though she pretended not to, she secretly cared.

"Does this mean you’ll go on a date with me now?" he half-joked, pointing to his busted lip. "To pay me back for this?"

“What—No!” He had to admit, seeing the change in her expression was quite amusing.

She pointed toward the free coffee she made him. “Is this not enough?”

He sighed and tilted his head slightly. “Can we be friends at least?”

She didn't say anything but looked like she wasn't going to fight him on this.

“I'll take your silence as a yes.” His phone then buzzed in his pocket.

Oh, shi— he forgot about Jeno. "Ugh, I have to go back home." He stood up, grabbing the cup of coffee she made him.

But he didn't forget to wave at his friend. "See you tomorrow, (Y/n)!"

Smiling to himself, he pretended not to see the startled expression when he called her informally. She then smiled and shook her head again.

One point scored for Na Jaemin!

┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦

That evening back in her dorm, (Y/n)’s head dropped to the desk in frustration. She couldn’t stop thinking about what happened the other night.

She didn’t want Jaemin to see her as easy now. Then again, he did save her from that customer. She wanted to say he shouldn’t have stepped in. But truthfully, she didn’t know how worse the situation would have gotten if he didn’t come in when he did. She had been so afraid of the situation that her whole body was shaking when she threatened to call the police. But she wished she had acted faster before he got hit.

She hadn’t realized how serious Jaemin was about them now being “friends” until the next time she saw him. He’d wave to her when he saw her come into class and continued to eat lunch with her if she was in the cafeteria. He didn’t stop coming to the coffee shop, and started doing his homework there.

In the beginning, she was quite reluctant. Her social awkwardness had gotten worse, and she wasn’t sure how long he would last being around someone like her. What she didn’t expect was Jaemin not being great at keeping conversations either. While he did start most of them, it seemed that sometimes he’d lose his thoughts and pause. That was when the silence filled in the gap he left.

But he kept persisting, and she had a feeling Jaemin wouldn’t get off her case anytime soon. Her heart was screaming at her, because it was clear that he was putting more effort into their “friendship” than she was. On the other hand, she barely said anything.

Due to her guilty conscience, she eventually stopped using one-word answers when he asked her something. On occasion, she would ask a question back. Slowly, she started to relax when she was around him. But those casual conversations were all Jaemin would get from her. There was an invisible line she had drawn between them, that she had to make sure he wouldn’t cross.

She started to like the days when he came to the café the most. He’d come in and instantly look for her behind the counter. She didn’t understand how someone could consistently be enthusiastic when they came to the same place nearly every day.

He ordered the same thing every time. So much so that it was practically ingrained in her memory. It was always a venti iced-americano, with no water but only ice. In addition, she’d add four extra shots of espresso. She refrained from questioning his order. But she wasn’t sure how anyone could drink so much coffee. However, that did explain how he had so much energy all the time.

Jaemin would come in the morning to purchase his daily drink. Strangely enough, he’d sometimes come back in the evenings when things were slow. He said it was because he thought she might be lonely. Oftentimes, he’d wait for her shift to be over and walk her home. She had resisted at first, but Jaemin had good persuasion skills.

On one of their walks, Jaemin casually asked a question that nearly made her freeze in place.

“Have you ever dated anyone?” His tone was casual. But she could tell he wasn’t trying to flirt with her.

“No,” she replied. In hopes of subtly changing the subject of this conversation, she turned the question to him. “Have you?”

He hesitated briefly before nodding, “Once, a few years ago.”

For some reason, she had expected him to have been in many relationships. With a face like his, she wouldn’t be surprised. She guessed she had judged him too harshly.

“Do you mind me asking what happened?”

She wasn’t sure what brought her to ask. She felt like a similar memory was replaying in the back of her head.

“I was in high school, and I had a crush on this girl in my class,” He started to explain. “It was easy at first. One day I confessed to her and we started dating.”

Jaemin made it all sound so easy. But when the frown on his face didn’t leave, she suspected things were more complicated. She didn’t say anything and let him continue.

“I remember trying really hard to make her happy. She always wanted me to buy her stuff and hung out with a lot of guys. Eventually, I started to feel like she was just using me. So I broke up with her.”

A short silence followed his last sentence. Even though she was afraid the conversation would go in the same direction it did with…

She still asked, “How do you feel now? Do you still think about her?”

“Honestly, I haven’t thought about her once until you asked.”

“Why?” Her eyebrows raised.

He chuckled, “Because I have no regrets. No one should feel insecure in a relationship. That’s why I chose to end things.”

She didn’t expect him to say that. A part of her didn’t want to believe him. But he didn’t appear to be lying. She wasn’t fazed when he told her all this. However, on that day, she felt slightly more daring. She thought it was only fair that she shared a little bit.

“There was a boy I had feelings for back in high school. He was my first love, I guess,” she said, the words escaping slowly. “I really liked him. But it…didn’t work out.”

She didn’t want to get into the details of her pathetic story. Even though two years passed, she could recall his exact words and how he delivered them. They still stung. Just thinking about it again nearly caused her to forget Jaemin was next to her.

“First loves are usually like that,” he expressed sympathy. “I’m sorry that happened.”

You forced a smile, swiftling pushing aside the resurfaced emotions. “It’s not a big deal. I…I’m sorry too—about your past girlfriend.”

“It happened so long ago, and I was just a dumb teenager,” Jaemin admitted, lowering his head.

A few seconds of silence passed between them. In an attempt to dispel the awkward atmosphere, she gently nudged him. “I guess we both have bad luck with love, huh?”

She wished his next works didn’t make her heart flutter.

“I have a feeling that our luck is changing. For both of us.”

┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦

It was difficult for Jaemin to suppress a small sense of satisfaction as she waved to him before entering her apartment building. Following today's events, it felt like (Y/n) had taken a step closer to him—some might argue it was barely a foot. But for Jaemin, that was more than enough.

Upon returning to his home, the lights were on in the empty living room, indicating that Jeno had left them on for him. After slipping off his shoes, Jaemin sought out his roommate in the bedroom, where he found him engrossed in playing a video game on his computer.

Besides Jeno, Jaemin didn't have many friends, but he knew Jeno was someone who would always have his back. It was Jeno who had suggested they move into an apartment before college, considering they haven’t been apart since middle school. Jaemin never worried about their friendship drifting apart. But his assurance grew when they discovered they got accepted into the same college.

“Hey, you’re back?” Jeno took off his headphones as Jaemin entered.

Nodding, Jaemin flopped onto his friend’s bed. A foolish grin spread across his face as he rested his head on the pillow.

“You seem happy,” Jeno remarked, throwing his head back. “Did you meet with (Y/n) again?”

Simply the mention of her name alone brightened Jaemin's mood. "Jeno, do you know what it feels like to be in love?"

"In love? I thought you just liked her," Jeno leaned forward, raising his water bottle to his lips. Jaemin pressed his hand to his chest and sighed.

"I do. But there's this different level of liking when it comes to her. My heart can't stop beating!"

Jeno nearly choked on his water. "Don't tell me you've said all of that to her."

"Of course not," Jaemin said, defensively. "Do you think I'm that much of an idiot?"

"Just wanted to make sure," Jeno shrugged.

Feeling energized, Jaemin pulled out his phone to text her. However, he was pleasantly surprised to find an unread message from her. Kicking his feet up in the air, he beamed and showed Jeno what she sent.

"You see this, Jeno? She finally texted me first!"

"I guess that's some improvement." Jeno's reaction was lackluster, but Jaemin pretended to ignore it.

Placing a hand on his chest, Jaemin sighed, "Oh (Y/n), why are you doing this to me?"

Jeno shook his head and turned his chair back around to the computer. "Yeah. You're in love with her, that's for sure."

════════

Coming out of his photography class the next day, Jaemin spotted (Y/n) near one of the windows in the hall. Realizing she was on the phone, he decided to wait until she was done.

"I know. You don't need to worry, Halmeoni," she spoke lightly. "I'll pick up her medication after class."

That was the end of the conversation he overheard before she dropped her hand holding the phone, squeezing it tightly. While he knew her personal matters were none of his business, he couldn't help but worry about her. From the brief glimpse he had, she seemed unhappy.

After waiting for about five minutes, he approached her. "(Y/n), I almost didn't see you there!"

She turned to him, the frustration replaced by a small smile. Whether she was genuinely pleased to see him or merely pretending to be fine was uncertain.

"Oh, hi Jaemin. Did you just come out of class?" she asked.

He nodded. "What about you?"

She glanced back at her phone to check the time. "My morning class is over, but I have one more in an hour."

"Ah, I see. Do you want to get lunch with me then?" he proposed, gesturing towards the cafeteria.

"It's okay. I'm not that hungry," she mumbled, absently adjusting the strap on her bag.

Crossing his arms, he leaned down to meet her at eye level. "You're lying. I know you don't eat breakfast, so you have to be hungry!"

"Jaemin—" she blushed and couldn't finish her sentence.

"It'll be my treat since you helped me with my photography assignment last week," he added before she could fully deny him.

This time, he didn't wait for her answer and took her hand to lead them out of the hallway. "Jaemin, people are going to see us and start assuming things!" she stammered.

Rolling his eyes, he continued to walk with her. "If you're worried, we can go out then."

She didn't make any more attempts to stop him. When he looked at her, his heart softened. He wanted to ask if she was okay, but for now, he focused on taking care of her physical health. From the few months they'd known each other, he quickly learned that (Y/n) was someone who neglected herself. Though he might have lectured her once when she said she didn't want to be a burden, he could tell she appreciated his efforts and stopped fighting back.

Jaemin’s goal shifted. He realized that making Kim (Y/n) happy was more of a priority than pursuing her.

┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦

Her phone was flung recklessly onto the bed at the peak of her outrage. The barrage of text messages from her mom made her feel as though someone was drilling a screw in her head. With shaking fists, she glanced over to her desk, where the top drawer held a razor blade in one of the journals. The urge was tempting, yet she resisted, not wanting to give herself another reason to hate on this particular day.

Exhaling, she sat at the edge of the bed, letting her hands grip the frame. Thoughts of whether moving back to Seoul had been a mistake haunted her. But Busan hadn't been any better for her either. Why did she keep contradicting herself like this?

After a few minutes of drowning in her bothersome thoughts, her phone buzzed again. She groaned and reached to grab the device, sitting up straighter when she recognized the caller ID wasn’t her mother.

“Hello?” she answered the phone. Strangely, hearing his voice allowed some of her torment to disappear.

“Did you get home safely?”

She nodded, momentarily forgetting that they were on a voice call. “I did. You?”

“Yeah, Jeno and I went back together.”

“Oh, I see. Is that all you called me for?”

“Why? Am I not allowed to make sure my friend is safe and sound at her dorm?”

“If that’s all, I’m going to hang up now. I have to finish my homework,” she laughed.

Jaeemin sighed, “Alright. Make sure to get some rest before it’s too late.”

“I will. Thank you.”

“Dream of me when you sleep!” He sang.

She blushed and quickly tapped the “end call” button. With a bit of effort, she forced herself to go to her desk and open her laptop. She wasn't lying earlier, there was a research project she had to work on.

How could he say those things so casually? It was almost as if they were dating—No, she had to stop thinking like that. She had come to learn that Jaemin just had a flirty personality. But it was hard for her to fathom how someone could be like that so effortlessly. Certainly, she didn’t possess the boldness or courage he did.

Other than that, she was surprised to discover how much Jaemin and she had in common. She thought the only reason he acted energetically when they were out was because of all the coffee he drank. But, other than that, he was a pretty mellow guy.

Regardless, Jaemin was charismatic and kind to everyone. Yet, she felt like he put up his lively facade for the public. When it was just the two of them, Jaemin was a lot calmer. Sometimes they'd walk to one of their homes in silence, the only sound being music played from their earbuds.

Unintentionally, Na Jaemin had become the person to distract her from reality. It felt like Renjun all over again. That was why she had to consistently remind herself not to get too close to the boy. She couldn’t let things get that far.

════════

On a Sunday after work, she returned to the apartment. Whenever she was at home, her mom mostly stayed in her bedroom, often on her computer or in bed. Before she moved back to the city, her mom ate a lot of delivery food. She tried cooking meals for her, but they always remained untouched in the refrigerator.

Regardless, she tried not to give up. After putting away her things, she walked down the hall and cautiously opened the door to her mom’s room. None of the lights were on.

“Eomma, I brought you some seolleongtang from the restaurant you like,” (Y/n) said hesitantly. Most of the blankets covered her body, but she could make out her messy black hair.

When she didn’t respond, she sighed and took a step closer to the door. She didn’t intend to stay long anyway. “I left the soup on your kitchen counter for you. You should eat before it gets cold.”

“Stop pretending to care,” her mom mumbled into her pillow. “You don’t love me.”

That sentence tugged at her heart. Would she be doing all this if she didn’t love her?

Her fingernails started to dig into the skin of her palms. “Eomma, you know that’s not true.”

“You can’t even say it!” her mom cried out. “You’ve always been so cold to me. You must want your mother to die.”

Clenching her fists, she retorted without thinking. “Of course I still love you!”

Instantly, her eyes enlarged at the sudden volume increase in her voice. She almost never raised her voice at anyone, especially her parents. But her mom had pushed too many buttons that day. She took a step back before she could make anything worse.

“I never stopped,” she glowered at her mom, who refused to look at her.

In the next second, she turned to leave again. Her feet didn’t stop because she knew her mom wouldn’t go after her. It had started to rain by the time she got outside. Yet she still walked around getting drenched like a crazy person. The tears streaming down her face mixed with the rain drops.

A heavy sigh escaped her. At least the clouds didn’t have to hide their misery.

┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦

By the time Jaemin arrived at the classroom, the lecture was just about to start. Slightly disappointed, he made his way to sit in the row of desks behind (Y/n). His lips formed a pout because now he had to wait until after class to talk to her.

He never paid much attention to what the teacher was saying when (Y/n) was there. Occasionally, he’d get scolded by her for doing so. Yet she’d still offer to share her notes with him. When she did this the first time, Jaemin realized (Y/n) only acted cold so people wouldn’t approach her. She might be able to fool everyone else, but Jaemin knew she was a warm-hearted person.

During these times, (Y/n) usually pretended not to notice his eyes that naturally drifted her way throughout the class. But something seemed different about her today. The left hand she used to write was most often seen quickly scribbling down key points from the lesson. Her wrist was barely moving, and her head was kept down.

Once class ended, Jaemin tapped the girl on her shoulder. Jolting up, she turned around to face him.

“Oh, is class over already?”

He stared at her with wide eyes. “Uh, you look really pale.”

“What?” she asked, a little nasally.

His level of worry quickly increased when he reached over to feel her forehead. “You have a fever too. Why did you come if you’re sick?”

She weakly pushed his hand away and slurred her words, saying something about not wanting to miss class.

He exhaled and grabbed her hand. “Okay. We need to get you out of here.”

Surprisingly, she didn’t put up much of an argument. I guess she didn’t have any energy to do so. She could barely keep her head up when they got on the bus. Wanting her to be more comfortable, Jaemin guided her head to rest on his shoulder.

Honestly, he had never seen (Y/n) so out of it. He wondered what she did to get so sick like this. Glancing back down at her sleeping figure, he felt a bunch of different emotions.

“What are you doing to me, Kim (Y/n)?” he whispered, knowing she couldn’t hear him.

════════

Slowly, (Y/n) turned her head and let her eyelids flutter open on their own. Her reaction was late, but she was slightly alarmed when she found herself in an unfamiliar place. Her hands pressed down into a dark blue bedspread.

She glanced around, finding herself in a room with a large desk near the door that had a white computer. Where was she?

She blinked a few times, trying to recall what happened and how she got here. Just as she vaguely remembered Jaemin taking her out of class, the door creaked open. She sat up and instantly regretted it. The headache she had from this morning was still present.

“Oh, hi (Y/n).” Jeno came into the room. “Are you feeling any better?”

“Jeno? Why am I…”

The boy allowed himself to fully come into the room. “Jaemin brought you here after your class. You were out for about an hour.”

“Oh gosh. I didn’t mean to intrude like this.” This is what she got for walking home in the rain. Where was her sense?

Jeno waved his hand, brushing off her words. “Not at all. Jaemin was worried when he noticed you had a fever.”

“He was? Where is he?”

“He’s been in the kitchen. Should be coming back soon though.”

Just as he said that, her eyes darted to the door that reopened.

“Oh, you’re awake!” The boy with light brown hair exclaimed.

He was carrying a small wooden tray in his hands. With a tight-lipped smile, Jeno put a hand on his shoulder before passing him. Jaemin didn’t say anything, only giving an odd look to his friend who left the room.

However, the slightly confused expression instantly changed to a brighter one when he turned to her. Carefully, he walked over with the tray and sat beside her feet.

“Samgyetang,” He said, picking up the spoon next to the steaming blue bowl. “Eating will make you feel better.”

“Did you make it?” She asked, leaning forward to see the bowl.

He nodded and filled the spoon with some of the broth. “I’m going to feed you because I know you won’t eat it yourself.”

How did he know she’d do that? Either way, she didn’t have any energy to protest. Hesitantly, she accepted the spoonful of food. She was surprised, to say the least.

“I didn’t know you could cook.”

“Is it good?” He asked.

She nodded in response. Jaemin lowered his head as he dipped the spoon in the bowl again. “My mom taught me.”

“Oh,” She said, “I can feed myself, Jaemin.”

After some hesitation, he relented and handed her the spoon. “I’m going to stay and make sure you finish at least half of that soup.”

“Yes, mom,” She conceded. Jaemin chuckled as she bit into a piece of chicken.

“Thank you for going out of your way to—do all this,” She said later. He put the bowl and tray aside on his desk.

“How is your headache?”

“Not as bad. Are you going to scold me again?”

“No. But do you mind me asking how you got sick?” A familiar sense of fear came her way.

“I just got caught in the rain walking home the other day.”

Okay, she wasn’t completely lying. But she wasn’t telling the full truth either. Thankfully, Jaemin seemed to believe her.

“I see. You should get some more rest,” he said.

She gave him a quizzical look. “You’re not going to let me leave, are you?”

“That’s right!”

“But this is your bed,” She frowned.

The boy shrugged, “I can just crash in Jeno’s room.”

He motioned for her to lay back down. Reluctantly, she listened to him. Not that she’d admit out loud that she wanted to. The pain eased slightly when her head hit the pillow.

“Better?”

“Better.”

He didn’t say anything more after that. They sort of just remained in their positions silently. She pretended to not notice Jaemin staring at her. Or how his fingertips were tracing lightly over her bangs that were damp with sweat.

She tried to ignore the fluttery emotions that swirled around her heart. In the past when she got sick, she just dealt with it alone. She didn’t want to be more of a burden to the people around her.

This was certainly different from the time when Renjun got sick and couldn’t come to school. Back then, the roles were reversed, and she was doing the things Jaemin had done for her.

Her head was hurting, but she still had most of her sanity. Unlike the last time, she would make sure her memories didn’t repeat. She should’ve been more ashamed that she let this happen in the first place.

But with Jaemin, it felt nice, him taking care of her. Yet another side of him that she hadn’t expected.

Her perspective on Jaemin kept shifting. And she wasn’t sure what she thought about it.

┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦

As summer came to an end, fall gradually took its place. Which meant that the college autumn festival was approaching. Numerous clubs and activities had been diligently preparing for the event over the past few weeks. While most of Jaemin's classmates expected him to attend, he felt a bit reluctant due to the unnecessary attention and the prospect of encountering girls eager to approach him.

Yet, the idea of going to the festival became much more appealing if (Y/n) was also planning to attend. Day by day, Jaemin found himself falling a bit more for her. A few months back, he had taken care of her when she had a headache, a simple act of kindness that he would have extended to any friend.

A couple of days later, when he went to get his daily coffee, (Y/n) surprised him with free macarons, expressing her gratitude for his care. It was a small but meaningful gesture, signaling that (Y/n) was gradually warming up to him.

On the day of the festival, Jaemin decided to meet (Y/n) after their last classes and suggested going together. Spotting her waiting near the main entrance, he waved, and she smiled shyly in response. Energized by the sight of her, he skipped over.

“(Y/n)—” he began before being interrupted by a girl approaching them. Glancing at the newcomer, Jaemin recognized her as a classmate from his photography class.

“Jaemin? I’m in your photography class.”

“Ah, hello,” he politely bowed his head. “Is there something you need?”

The girl beamed at him, twirling a lock of her hair. “I just wanted to see if you’re going to the college festival tonight. Would you like to go with me?”

“I’m sorry I—” Jaemin started to decline, but his eyes shifted to (Y/n) standing awkwardly beside him.

He then put an arm around her shoulder. “I’m going with her,” he clarified, pretending to not notice how (Y/n)’s eyes widened in surprise.

The girl's expression faltered, embarrassed by the rejection, but she managed to put on a smile. “Oh…I see. Well, please come find me if you want better company!”

As the girl left, Jaemin kicked the ground in frustration. “Did she not see that you were right next to me?” he quipped, tilting his head to the left.

(Y/n) looked puzzled. “Why did you turn her down? She was pretty.”

“You’re prettier,” Jaemin replied without hesitation. He smirked when he saw her cheeks turn pink.

Tucking his hands into the pockets of his jeans, he suggested, “Let’s go to the festival.”

(Y/n) hesitated before sighing. “I guess we have to now, since you told that girl we were.”

“Yeah. But I was going to ask you anyway,” he shrugged. “Come on, let’s go.”

She opened her mouth to say something and closed it. Jaemin chuckled at her silent agreement. They conversed on the way to the festival, and upon arrival, marveled at the transformed campus with lanterns, various booths, music, and enticing smells of food and alcohol.

“What do you want to do first?” Jaemin nudged (Y/n).

They spent most of their time walking around, pointing out interesting things, and occasionally participating in mini-games. Seated at a table under one of the food tents, they ate some tteokbokki. Despite disliking alcohol, they decided to share a bottle.

Later in the night, they found a spot on the grass to watch a fireworks show. Jaemin asked (Y/n) if she had done something like this before.

She lightly brushed her hand over the green blades. “There was one time when my parents took me to see fireworks on New Year's Eve. I must’ve been eight or nine.”

The dark sky allowed Jaemin to see a smile on her lips, yet a hint of sadness lingered in her eyes. Before he could inquire further, the show began, capturing their attention. The bursts of bright colors were mesmerizing up close.

Expressing a bit of regret, Jaemin remarked, “I wish I had brought my camera.”

(Y/n) looked over at him and smiled. Anticipating his wish, she unzipped her bag, revealing a small, light blue polaroid camera.

“I figured you were going to ask me to come here with you,” she explained, handing him the camera.

Grinning, Jaemin said, “Yeokshi, Kim (Y/n).”

Pointing out the best fireworks, (Y/n) and Jaemin managed to capture a few with the camera. Towards the end, Jaemin suggested taking some pictures together, and to his surprise, (Y/n) agreed to one photo. Excitedly, he flipped the camera around to snap a photo of them.

“Smile!”

Posing together, they managed to fit in the small frame, but Jaemin couldn't help but notice how close they had gotten. Subconsciously, his eyes flickered to her lips, and feeling daring, he leaned a bit more forward to see her reaction.

She was blushing profusely now. His eyes searched hers, silently contemplating if he should just make a move. He pondered on what to say, or if words were even necessary at the moment. Jaemin’s heart was thumping rapidly against his chest. He couldn’t help but wonder if (Y/n)’s was the same.

Being in such close proximity allowed her to appreciate his handsome features. The mixture of his breath with hers stirred butterflies in her stomach, spiraling in circles. Suddenly, they dispersed, and the nonsensical thoughts in her mind ceased immediately.

Fully aware of the situation, she pulled back, her face and entire body ablaze. "It’s late. I should go," she lied, too embarrassed to meet his gaze.

Avoiding eye contact, she hastily rose to her feet and speed-walked out of the festival, pretending not to hear him call after her. (Y/n) cursed to herself, "What have I gotten myself into?"

════════

(Y/n) could barely concentrate in math class the next morning. The lack of sleep didn’t help. The events of the previous night replayed incessantly in her mind, driving her to the brink of insanity. Na Jaemin had come close to kissing her, and she almost wished he had. The setting had been perfect with fireworks, a romantic atmosphere, and their proximity. Yet, she had ruined the moment out of fear.

Last night confirmed that she developed feelings for him. The last thing she wanted. She knew from the beginning that being friends with Jaemin was dangerous. Yet, she still allowed herself to be drawn in.

Only when the others started leaving the classroom did she realize that the class was over. As she packed her things, a girl approached her – the one with long black hair, flawless makeup, and impeccable clothes from Jaemin’s photography class. She was the one who had asked him out and got turned down.

“You’re the girl who was with Na Jaemin yesterday, right?” she asked.

Taking a moment, (Y/n) replied, "Maybe."

Despite the smile she held, (Y/n) could tell the girl didn’t like her. Her lips twitched in slight annoyance as she continued the conversation.

"We’re not together, if that’s what you wanted to ask next," (Y/n) asserted, swinging her bag over her shoulder, ready to leave.

The girl's expression changed, and she casually remarked, "Ah, that’s good to know. I was beginning to question Na Jaemin’s taste in girls."

"Excuse me?" (Y/n) stopped and turned back towards her.

The girl spoke nonchalantly, "No matter how I look at it, I don’t think Jaemin would date someone like you. He’s smart, funny, and handsome. He comes from a nice family too. The girl he dates should live up to certain standards, right?"

(Y/n)’s hand tightened around the strap of her bag, and the girl took a step closer, scanning her from head to toe.

"You know, someone who is pretty, rich, and confident. I’d say it would be a loss for him to date a girl anything other than that."

Forced to smile, (Y/n) made a poor attempt to conceal the impact of those words. Mumbling, she said, "I know," and walked away, steering clear of a larger confrontation.

A mix of humiliation and annoyance consumed her. The girl's intentions were clear – to play with her head. Yet, she couldn't deny that the words had struck a nerve. Everything she lacked seemed to be a reason why Jaemin and she couldn't happen. Her feelings were rendered insignificant, knowing he was seemingly out of her league.

Her thoughts then veered back to Renjun. Despite the time that had passed, a part of her wasn’t entirely over him. The lessons from high school echoed in her mind – never allowing herself to get close to anyone again.

In the end, the problem always seemed to be her.

┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦

Seated in the back row of the classroom, he slumped in his chair, grappling with the silence from (Y/n) since the other night. The texts he had sent her remained unread, flooding his mind with various thoughts.

Questions plagued him – was she angry? Did she resent him? Had he acted too hastily?

Admitting to himself that he might have been too impulsive, he chastised his own foolishness. Despite that realization, he couldn't help it at that moment; his feelings for her were overpowering. The looming possibility that she never wanted to see him again felt unbearable.

Though Jeno didn't voice his concerns, it was evident that he was worried about him. Over the past few days, anxiety had taken a toll on him, leading to skipped meals and isolation. He found himself criticizing (Y/n) for her eating habits, realizing the hypocritical nature of his actions. In some ways, she reminded him of himself – a music lover who didn't express it openly, an introvert with an outgoing facade, and someone who concealed insecurities adeptly.

Those similarities weren’t the only reason he liked her though. His affection for (Y/n) stemmed from her qualities as a listener. She patiently listened to his rants about proper skin care with attentive nods. She willingly assisted him with homework, displaying patience even when explanations needed repetition.

In a conversation with Jeno some time ago, he elaborated on the reasons for his deep admiration for (Y/n).

"You've really fallen for her, haven't you?" Jeno sighed in response to his lovesick monologue.

"And the way her eyes light up when she's excited," he continued, sounding like an enamored puppy. "Her laugh is just the cutest!"

Despite the selfish part of him, Jaemin knew he couldn’t impose his feelings on (Y/n). From how things were right now, the chances of her reciprocating his feelings was unlikely.

To be honest, Jaemin wasn’t sure if he was ready to accept that outcome.

┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦

Having successfully avoided Jaemin for the past few days, (Y/n) found herself unable to escape this time. Her mind remained in disarray, and while uncertain about what to think, she knew facing him was inevitable.

"(Y/n), can we please talk?" Jaemin's voice reached her ears, prompting her to grimace before slowly turning around.

"What’s there to talk about?" she mumbled, reluctantly meeting his gaze.

Jaemin's eyes searched hers, seeking something. "Are we just going to act like nothing happened or—"

"It was a mistake," she cut him off, witnessing a hurt expression etch onto Jaemin's face.

"(Y/n)—" Jaemin began again, but she raised her hand to stop him.

"I know what you're going to say. But we can’t be together." She spoke in her sternest voice. "So please, forget what happened."

She concealed the trembling within her, although he took a step closer. Their sneakers nearly touched, and, for once, Jaemin wasn’t wearing the carefree smile she had grown accustomed to. Had she finally pushed him away for good?

Perhaps it was for the best. Jaemin didn't deserve to be with her who was a complete mess. She dared to look at him once more, observing the hurt in his eyes. She was the one who was causing him pain. She wondered if he would say he hated her and never wanted to see her again. But she should have known he wouldn't.

"(Y/n).” The calm tone he was using strangely made her feel worse. "Will you ever open your heart to me?"

His words carried significant weight, seeking some form of answer. However, she just stared at him, speechless.

He sighed and began to back away. "I’m sorry. But I don't think we can stay friends like this."

"Wait—Jaemin!" she called out as he disappeared from behind the bushes. "Na Jaemin!"

He was gone, and tears started to form in her eyes. A new feeling of guilt began to crawl up her throat. This pain was different from her first heartbreak, but it felt just as overwhelming.

Was this what it felt like to hurt someone?

════════

The cafe felt empty without him. A few customers made their daily orders, but it wasn't the same. Jaemin walking through the front door always brightened her day, giving her something to look forward to. Being at work now felt depressing and meaningless.

The hours passed, and there was still no Jaemin. (Y/n) tried to focus on her tasks and not dwell on what happened, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't.

By the time she finished wiping down all the tables, she was ready to officially close up the shop. Her plan was put on pause when she heard someone come in.

"I'm sorry, we're closed," she said plainly, turning around. Her eyes widened when she recognized the unexpected customer. "Jeno?"

The puppy-like boy smiled at her. "I was hoping you'd still be here."

He waited for her to finish closing up the shop, and they went to the park after. Walking along the sidewalk, following the stone circle path, (Y/n) knew Jeno wanted to talk to her about Jaemin. She thought he would be mad since they're best friends and all. If he held any resentment, he didn’t show it.

"I know it isn't really my place to say anything," Jeno finally broke the awkward silence between them. "But I've been worried about Jaemin, and you too."

Why would he be worried about her? She was the one who hurt his friend.

"I'm sorry. It's my fault," she apologized, and Jeno paused briefly before talking again.

"I don't know what happened between you two. But I think there's something you should know." They both stopped walking, and Jeno turned to face her properly.

"Jaemin sincerely cares about you, (Y/n). You can trust me when I say that he's never been so serious about someone."

His sentence was simple but struck her heart when she felt the weight of it. Jeno continued as the emotions started to kick in.

"I won’t tell you what to feel or to give him a chance. I believe all he wants is for you to be happy."

He glanced over at her, and his eyes quickly showed concern. She didn't even know she was crying until the first few tears dripped off her chin. Her lip quivered as more water spilled out of her eyes.

What Jeno said and everything else came crashing down on her like a huge ocean wave. She had forced herself to be blind to her true feelings. She liked Na Jaemin, so much more than a friend. But she had gotten so caught up in the fear of something like Renjun repeating that she didn't stop to think about his feelings. She was inconsiderate of him, who was always so sweet.

"What have I done?" she mumbled.

Jeno placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, (Y/n). Why don't you come back with me to talk to him?"

She wasn't sure if she had the right to see Jaemin after all this. It was already embarrassing enough to be crying in front of Jeno. But if she learned anything from this, she had to pull herself together and push aside her fears. For Jaemin.

After a few sniffles, she smiled weakly at Jeno. "I think I'd like that."

She knew what she had to do now.

┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦

Regret quickly consumed Jaemin after he left that day. His intention was to make things better with (Y/n), and confront things. But for some reason, he just couldn’t stomach her rejection. Now she might not ever talk to him again.

Sitting in the living room, contemplating all that had gone wrong, Jaemin's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of button presses from the passcode on their lock. Jeno was out later than expected. Jaemin exhaled and leaned back on the couch, awaiting his friend's arrival.

What he didn’t expect was to see (Y/n) come in after Jeno.She appeared extremely nervous, and the rims of her eyes were slightly red. Had she been crying? Jaemin questioned why Jeno brought her here, giving his friend a questionable look.

Jeno simply smiled before heading to their room. “I’ll leave you guys alone.”

(Y/n) and Jaemin exchanged awkward glances. She tightened the grip on the strap of her bag.

“Jaemin, can we talk?” she asked, speaking quietly, almost as if afraid he'd get mad at her. Jaemin stood up from the couch, smiling slightly, and suggested they go out to the balcony.

The weather was pleasant that day, with the dark evening sky and light autumn breeze. Both unsure of how to start, (Y/n) and Jaemin admired the city view for a bit. Not wanting her to feel pressured, Jaemin decided to speak first.

“(Y/n), I’m sorry,” he sighed. “The other day, I shouldn't have been so cold to you.”

Quick to shake her head, (Y/n) said, "No, I should be the one apologizing."

Jaemin furrowed his eyebrows, nodding to let her explain. "I never told you the full story about the last guy I liked," she began, resting her folded hands atop the steel railing. "At the time, I was in a… really dark place. And he was the first person who saw the real me."

"When I was around him, I didn't have to pretend I was okay all the time. He was the closest friend I ever had." Her eyes sparkled as she smiled sadly, a smile that quickly faded.

"But things changed after his girlfriend moved and transferred to our school. I overheard their conversation where he said that I never meant anything to him."

Listening quietly, Jaemin noted the fragility in her voice, as if she could break any second. Yet she didn't.

"After that day, I swore to myself that I’d never be vulnerable to a boy ever again. But I realized that was incredibly unfair to you,” she continued.

"You've shown me nothing but kindness and patience," she murmured. "When all I've done is push you away."

"(Y/n)—"

She let out a deep breath as she finally met his eyes. "The idea of opening my heart to someone terrifies me. But, I think I'm willing to try if it's you."

Her teeth sank into her bottom lip, waiting nervously for a response. Jaemin's outward reaction was slow, but not on the inside. Her words were like a key that unlocked everything he had kept in his heart.

“You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that,” he said, gently taking her hands in his. “I promise that you’re safe with me, (Y/n).”

She smiled, “I trust you, Jaemin.”

The two have never been in this close proximity before. His breath on hers made her heart race. The two locked eyes for a moment, as Jaemin slowly leaned in. But right before their lips could meet, he paused. She regarded him with a hint of confusion, wondering why he was hesitating.

"Can I kiss you?" he then asked, knowing he didn't really have to but wanting her to be sure.

His question sparked a wave of heat instantly rushed to her cheeks. However, the corner of her lips curled into a small smile as she rose on the tip of her toes, closing the remaining distance between them. Jaemin was caught slightly off guard by her sudden actions. But the sensation of her soft lips against his was enough to make him melt. He knew right away that her touch was something he wanted more of.

Feeling as if his heart could burst at any moment, Jaemin brought his hands up to tenderly cup her face. Their kiss was slow at first, allowing them to take their time and savor the moment. His lips moved in sync with hers, and her fingers gripped the hem of his hoodie as he kissed her harder. Towards the end, he was sure she could feel him smiling into the kiss.

Eventually, they broke away, breathless, lips redder and moist from the sweet kiss they had just shared. Jaemin kept one hand on her cheek, gently caressing it with his thumb.

"(Y/n)," he said her name like a vow. "I’ve been wanting to do that for so long."

She smiled shyly before admitting, “Me too. I should’ve just let you kiss me at the festival.”

Jaemin's heart practically exploded for the umpteenth time when she fully wrapped her arms around his torso. The left side of her face rested on his chest, as she wasn't tall enough to reach his shoulder.

Of course, he gladly accepted the embrace, gently squeezing her. He didn't want to ever let go. She giggled when he pressed a kiss into her hair.

"I'm so in love with you, Kim (Y/n)."

There weren’t enough words to describe how amazing it felt to confess that out loud.

┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦

Subconsciously, (Y/n)'s fingertips would brush over her lips after the previous night. The prior events were still fresh in her mind—her apology and confession, him kissing her. She contemplated whether everything had been a dream she hadn't woken up from.

However, (Y/n) was reassured when Jaemin greeted her with a hug the next morning. She was slightly wary of other people seeing them, but she brushed it off. Besides, she had recently learned that Jaemin gave the warmest hugs.

"Should we hold hands?" she laughed shyly when he asked. He seemed to be giddier about the change in their relationship than she was.

(Y/n) nodded to him and bravely intertwined her right hand with his left one. In return, a gloating Jaemin pressed a quick kiss against her knuckles before suggesting they head to class.

"This is day two of Na Jaemin and Kim (Y/n) as a couple," he lightly swung their arms as they walked on the school campus.

"You're already counting?" she smiled in slight amusement.

Jaemin nodded proudly. "I already marked when our 100th day will be."

"Really? I did too," she said bashfully.

Not many people knew this, but (Y/n) was secretly a romantic at heart. She used to fantasize over fun date ideas and anniversaries. So when Jaemin and she confirmed their feelings for each other, she marked their 100th day on her calendar when she got back to the dorm. She was afraid she was getting ahead of herself, so she didn't intend to tell him. But it was nice to know that Jaemin also thought about those things.

"See? I knew we were a perfect match," he tilted his head back.

The closer they got to the classroom, the more nervous (Y/n) began to feel. What would everyone say when they saw Jaemin and her come in together, holding hands?

"What's wrong?"

"You're not worried about other people seeing us?" she asked.

"They probably assumed we've been together for a while now," said Jaemin. "But either way, I don't care what they think."

Jaemin was certainly a lot braver than (Y/n) was. But she could feel his courage slowly starting to rub off on her. When he turned to look at her to hear her opinion, she gently squeezed his hand.

"Then I won't either,” she said confidently. He smiled and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek before they entered the lecture hall.

Jaemin wasn’t surprised by the whispers and looks people gave them when he and (Y/n) entered the room holding hands. (Y/n) insisted that she wouldn’t care about the other people at college who talked behind their backs, but there was still a twinge of guilt in him.

She had gained all this unwanted attention before when they were just friends. Now that they were officially dating, it gave people on campus another excuse to gawk at them. They could spread all the rumors they wanted to, but this was their life, and (Y/n)’s too. Jaemin wasn’t going to let them ruin their happiness.

Thankfully, class didn’t go as slowly as Jaemin expected. Every so often, he glanced over to (Y/n) beside him, thinking about what she said the other day, about her past. He now understood why she was so cold to him in the beginning. But he was grateful that he had finally gotten her to open up.

(Y/n) tapped him on the shoulder. “Jaemin, class is over.”

“Really?” Lifting his head, Jaemin looked around to see people were indeed leaving.

“I guess you didn’t pay much attention to the professor, did you?” She sighed and crossed her arms.

“How can I, when I have you next to me?” He teased.

As expected, (Y/n) quickly lost her composure when he said that. She got flustered so easily.

“Are you always this direct in a relationship?” she blushed.

“Only for you,” Jaemin winked and held out his hand to her. “Come on, everyone has left already.”

They walked out into the hall, avoiding the occasional stares from passing students. Jaemin felt (Y/n) nudge him when they got outside.

“I don’t have work today,” she said. “Is there anything you want to do?”

Jaemin hummed, pretending to think for a second. Little did she know, he was hoping she didn’t have anything else to do today.

“We should go on a date,” he suggested.

(Y/n) stared at him as if she didn’t hear him properly. “Date? Where would we go?”

Jaemin simply smiled and told her she would just have to wait and see.

════════

They stepped inside, and the scent of candy greeted them.

“I came here with Jeno once to make cookies. I thought it would be fun to try decorating a cake,” Jaemin said.

“Cake decorating?” (Y/n)’s eyes scattered around the colorful place. Ha, he bet she thought he was going to take her to some cafe.

First off, Jaemin wanted to take her mind off things and destress a little. Considering she spent a lot of her time working with coffee and beverages, he didn’t want to take her somewhere that reminded her of that. It was their first date, and he wanted to make it special. (Y/n) being impressed by his creativity was an added bonus.

“What do you think?” he asked her, just to make sure.

She gave him a nod of approval. “It sounds fun. I just can’t guarantee our cake will turn out too pretty.”

“I’m sure we’ll do just fine,” Jaemin reassured her, gently patting her back. “Come on, let’s go find a table.”

A lady who worked at the store bought them a sponge cake covered in plain white cream. They listened carefully to her directions before they got up to get toppings to decorate their cake. There was an entire room filled with an assortment of candies, sprinkles, fruits, and icing.

“You and your love for sugar,” (Y/n) giggled when she saw Jaemin eyeing the chocolate section.

He smiled sheepishly. “You should choose things you like too.”

In the end, they settled on a few toppings that they both liked and went back to their table. Jaemin had no clue where to start. Luckily, (Y/n) seemed a lot better at cake decorating than she thought she would be. She guided his hand carefully to drizzle chocolate icing along the outer edges of the cake.

By the time they finished decorating, (Y/n) seemed pleased with how nice the cake turned out. Jaemin took a bunch of pictures with his phone, with the majority of them capturing her. He couldn’t help it when she looked so cute in his eyes.

After getting dinner, Jaemin and (Y/n) strolled hand in hand towards her dorm building. Jaemin purposely walked slower, dreading the idea of having to part from her. The gentle glow of the streetlights cast a warm ambiance around them, and the sounds of their laughter mixed with the rustle of leaves under their feet.

As they stopped in front of her dorm, he turned to her with a soft pout. “Do you really have to go?”

A soft chuckle escaped her lips at his newfound clinginess. “I have class in the morning, you know. We’ll see each other tomorrow.”

“I know…” Jaemin mumbled, playfully kicking the ground.

The smile on her lips grew, as she lightly squeezed his hand. “Thank you for today. I had a lot of fun.”

“I’m glad,” he said, a subtle giddiness dancing in his heart. He couldn’t help but think of all the other things he wanted to do with her now that they were together.

Their hands remained intertwined, as the two stood in silence for a few seconds. Jaemin’s gaze turned more tender, and he leaned into place a quick kiss to her lips. “See you tomorrow, (Y/n).”

Heading inside the building, (Y/n) couldn’t help but glance back at him. The lingering smile he wore and the warmth in her eyes made her heart beat faster than usual. She wondered if she’d ever grow accustomed to that feeling. One thing she was certain of, was that today marked the beginning of something beautiful.

If this was a dream, she never wanted to wake up from it.

┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦

In the weeks that followed, (Y/n) slowly felt more secure in her blossoming relationship with Jaemin. Things hadn’t changed much from when they were friends. He still had lunch with her, dropped by her workplace, and walked her home. The notable change in these moments now included flirtatious banter and kisses. She learned early on that Jaemin didn’t hold back when it came to openly expressing his affection. She wasn’t used to having someone care so deeply the way he did.

One weekend, they decided to make dinner together at his apartment. Jaemin took her to the grocery store near his place so they could pick up ingredients. He guided her through the aisles, hand in hand, creating a sense of warmth within her.

“I make really good pork belly,” Jaemin mentioned, placing a pack of the frozen meat in the cart. “You’re going to love it.”

(Y/n) smiled, “We should get some kimchi to go with it.”

As they headed toward the kimchi section, the smile on her lips faded when she spotted a familiar figure. She internally cursed as their eyes met. Jaemin observed her complexion growing paler as the person approached them.

“Eomma,” the word slipped past her lips without her realizing.

“Well if it isn’t my lovely daughter,” the woman chimed. “You haven’t been answering any of my texts, I was getting worried.”

Unconsciously, her grip on his hand tightened. She hadn’t seen her mother since their argument. But that didn’t stop her from berating her phone with texts that said all kinds of things. She didn’t expect to run into her mom like this.

“Yeah…I was busy,” she mumbled in reply.

Her mother turned to Jaemin with an intrigued expression. “And who’s this?”

Before she could answer, Jaemin spoke up. “Nice to meet you. I’m (Y/n)’s boyfriend, Na Jaemin.”

As he politely bowed, her mother clasped her hands together. “Oh, how wonderful. She’s never mentioned you before.”

Jaemin was perceptive enough to catch the way she bit her lip. She only ever did that when she was nervous or uncomfortable. While he didn’t know why she seemed so tense, he decided not to comment on it for now.

“It’s a recent thing. We’ve been together for a few weeks now,” he explained with a tight-lipped smile.

She sucked in a breath, observing her mother eye Jaemin as if he were a piece of candy.

“What a handsome face. (Y/n) should bring you over sometime,” her mom said, subtly darting her eyes towards (Y/n). “After all, I am her mother and gave birth to her. It makes my heart ache when she doesn’t visit.”

The indirect jab hidden beneath her mom’s words made (Y/n) feel like a little girl again. She hated it when her mom tried to guilt her because it always worked.

“Sure, Eomma. We’ll visit you,” she said, forcing herself to smile.

Her shoulders gradually sank once they were a safe distance away. Sensing her unease, Jaemin lightly nudged her. “Are you okay?”

Almost automatically, she nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s just finish shopping.”

Jaemin frowned as she pushed the cart forward and walked ahead of him. The way she immediately brushed him off confirmed that something was off. But if she wasn’t ready to talk about it, he didn’t want to push her.

He was sure she’d open up to him more eventually.

┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦

The unease she felt since encountering her mom that day hadn’t gone away. Her phone hadn’t stopped blowing up with messages since. Though her thumb scrolled mindlessly through her mom’s texts, she couldn’t find the energy in her to respond. Letting out a quiet sigh, she placed the phone down so she could focus on her homework.

“Princess, do you have an extra phone charger?” She glanced up at the sound of Jaemin’s voice.

She couldn’t help but blush a little at the name he used for her. He started calling her that some time ago, and it never failed to make her heart skip a beat.

He had come over to her dorm after his class to do some studying. But it ended up turning into her doing actual work while Jaemin ranted about how Jeno accidentally poured water on his laptop. While he was a little distracting, she didn’t mind his presence at all. She was so used to doing everything on her own, and having Jaemin around made her aware of the loneliness she had been feeling prior.

Nodding, she pointed toward her desk. “Should be in the first drawer.”

Jaemin opened the drawer in search of the charger. However, his eyes widened when he unexpectedly found a razor blade peeking out from a notebook. His brows furrowed in confusion as he hesitantly picked it up. Upon closer inspection, he noticed brownish-red stains on the blade.

She sat up straighter on the bed, her eyes meeting the back of his head. “Did you find it?”

“(Y/n)...what is this?” he asked.

When he turned to her with the familiar shiny tool, her eyes widened with panic. Curses instantly flew through her head, realizing she had forgotten it was there. How could she be so stupid?

Quickly regaining her composure, she attempted to brush him off. “Oh, that’s nothing. Just an old thing.”

She could sense the skepticism in his eyes, and her fingers instinctively gripped the edge of her sleeve, pulling it down. Jaemin caught that, causing his worry to deepen. Setting the blade down, he moved to sit beside her on the bed. His gaze involuntarily fell to her arm, and she pulled back as he extended his hand.

“Can I see?” His voice carried a softness that tugged at her emotions.

Struggling to maintain eye contact, she bit her lip in hesitation. (Y/n) knew that if she was going to be with Jaemin, he would eventually have to find out about her secret. Nevertheless, she hadn’t anticipated it happening so soon. After a deep breath, she reluctantly rolled up the sleeve of her sweater. She looked down at the series of old scars with a mixture of shame and disgust.

Half of her expected the same reaction from Jaemin. But instead, his expression remained unreadable as he lightly traced his fingers over the faded marks. His touch sent an electric tingle down her spine.

“What happened, Princess?” he asked, his voice gentle.

She knew that he simply wanted to understand the reasons behind the scars. However, his question brought back memories she had buried deep, almost making her feel sick. Nonetheless, she took another deep breath before starting to open up.

“Ever since I was little, my parents were always fighting and it always made me feel anxious. At some point I started to think that my parents would’ve been happier if they hadn’t had me,” she confessed. “Then I started cutting myself to numb my feelings. And it only got worse when my mom filed for divorce. I always knew it would happen, but it still hurt.”

Tears sprang to her eyes as she thought back to those nights where she felt so helpless and resentful. The only person who was able to pull her out of that dark place was Renjun. But she was brought back into that downward spiral after everything unfolded. Fighting against her mental state had been a long battle that she still hadn’t fully recovered from.

Jaemin listened in silence, his heart aching for the pain she endured. Now he understood why she seemed so unnerved when they ran into her mother at the store. He could only imagine the influence her mom had over her.

“So that’s why my relationship with my mom isn’t great,” she continued, fidgeting with her blanket.

Jaemin could discern the anguish in her expression. “I stopped cutting a long time ago,” she said, glancing down. “But I understand if you don’t like me anymore.”

Honestly, she didn’t know how he could still like her when he saw her hideous scars that only revealed her brokenness. Yet, the Jaemin she had fallen for wasn't like that at all. Instead of recoiling in revulsion, he lifted her chin so their eyes could meet once more. Then he leaned into plant a tender kiss on her lips.

“Nothing can change how I feel about you, (Y/n),” he said with the utmost assurance. “These scars only show that you’ve gone through battles, and came out stronger because of them.”

Jaemin’s sweet words triggered the waterworks for her, and he wasted no time in pulling her into his embrace. This was the first time he saw her cry, and it only made him want to hold her tighter. In fact, he held her in his arms, providing solace for the rest of the night.

While Jaemin hated seeing her in such distress, he was also grateful that she let him see this vulnerable side to her. He knew it couldn’t have been easy for her. He felt as if he had uncovered the final piece of her puzzle.

Now that she had fully let him in, Jaemin was determined to make her feel more loved than she ever had before.

┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦

{ three years later }

“Jaemin, quit staring,” she giggled. “You have to focus on the road.”

He pouted in response, reluctantly obeying. “I can’t help it, your new hair color is so pretty.”

A blush crept up her cheeks as she subconsciously brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. Dying her naturally brown hair to burgundy had been an impulsive decision on her part. She thought that a little change might be nice, and Jaemin seemed to like it.

Time had flown by so quickly. It felt like yesterday when she was insistent on not getting close to Jaemin. And now he had become someone she treasured the most. She couldn’t imagine her life without him.

She had graduated college and secured her first full-time job. While Jaemin was in medical school, studying to become a surgeon. Although his schedule could be demanding, he still made time for her, which she appreciated.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“This fried chicken place Jeno told me about,” he replied, playfully ignoring the way she hastily changed the subject. (Y/n) hummed in response, gazing out the car window to admire the night aesthetics of the city.

Right when they stepped in the restaurant, they were greeted by the enticing aroma of chicken and beer. The dimly lit ambiance cast a warm glow across the space, creating an inviting atmosphere. The latest K-pop songs reverberated through the air, infusing the restaurant with a vibrant energy that resonated with the bustling city outside.

“(Y/n)!”

Jaemin noticed the startled expression when she heard her name being called. He glanced in the direction of the voice and spotted a charismatic tan-skinned man with dark brown hair, radiating a lively and welcoming aura.

“Lee Haechan?” she asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

“The one and only.” The boy said proudly, shifting his gaze to the person standing beside her. “Nice to see you, (Y/n)...and who did you bring with you?”

She blushed almost immediately, briefly glancing at Jaemin. “Oh this is Na Jaemin, my—”

“Boyfriend,” he finished for her, casually swinging an arm around her shoulders. “How do you know, (Y/n)?”

“Oh, we go way back since elementary school.” She caught the mischief in Haechan’s smile, and she just knew that he was ready to tease her.

Thankfully, he held back and guided them to a table. Once they settled down, Haechan told her about how he opened up this restaurant after college. It was nice catching up with him after all these years. However, Haechan seemed to be more intrigued about her and Jaemin.

“So how did you two get together?” Haechan asked, as he placed down two glasses of beer on their table.

She exchanged a glance with Jaemin before answering, “We shared a few classes our first year in college, and he used to go to the café I worked at.”

“Yeah, I was interested in her from the start. It took some time for her to warm up to me.” The soft smile he gave made her heart flutter. “But it was worth it.”

Haechan leaned back in his seat with a playful grin. “Well, Na Jaemin, you must have some charm to crack her tough exterior. I honestly thought she’d never let anyone in after—”

“Haechan,” she said in a warning tone, shooting him a glare. Although she’s moved on from her high school days, she still didn’t like to talk about what happened.

The male raised his hands in the air, feigning innocence. “I’m sorry, I was just saying. But I’m genuinely happy for you, (Y/n), really.”

The sincerity in his eyes allowed her shoulders to relax a little. She smiled at him gratefully, reflecting on how far she’s come since high school. The last time she saw Haechan, she was at her all-time lowest. Now, she was the happiest she had ever been in her life.

Towards the end when they were getting ready to leave, Haechan mentioned a small high school reunion event he was hosting at the restaurant next Sunday.

“You should come (Y/n). I’m sure our old friends would love to see you.”

The thought of seeing her high school friends again was daunting. Haechan noticed the hesitation in her expression and offered an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

“Just think about it,” he said.

Biting her lip, she gave him a small nod and glanced back at Jaemin so they could leave. But as Jaemin headed outside, Haechan held her back for a second.

“You should look him up.” She didn’t need to ask to know he was talking about Renjun.

Unsure of what to say, she nodded silently and joined Jaemin out in the cool evening air. She was quiet during the car ride back, but Jaemin decided not to comment on it for now.

Later in the night, instead of sleeping, she was on her laptop trying to occupy her mind with work stuff. Yet, Haechan’s suggestion lingered in her thoughts. Though a part of her resisted, the curiosity was overwhelming. So she slowly typed Renjun’s name into the search engine, and she was surprised by what she found.

He had debuted as a main vocalist in an idol group under SM entertainment. She couldn’t believe her eyes as she scrolled YouTube, showcasing his group’s music videos and stage performances. Watching the clips in awe, she couldn’t help but think back to the letter she had written to him before moving away. Seeing that he had not only pursued but achieved his dream filled with her a warm sense of pride and satisfaction. She always knew he would be successful.

Lost in her thoughts, she almost didn’t notice Jaemin entering the room after finishing his shower. It was pretty late by the time they got back to her apartment, so Jaemin happily accepted her offer to sleep over. She became aware of his presence when he came up from behind and wrapped his arms around her. Her lips stretched into a small smile, as he rested his chin on her shoulder.

“Is that the guy you told me about? Your first love?” he asked, viewing the screen in front of you.

Her smile faded as she slowly nodded. “Yeah that’s him.”

A moment of silence passed between them before Jaemin spoke again. “Is that why you hesitated when Haechan brought up the high school reunion?”

“I don’t know, I feel like I’d just make things awkward by going,” she sighed, turning around to lightly brush her fingers through his slightly damp hair. “What do you think?”

Jaemin gently tilted her chin up, meeting her eyes. “I think you should go,” he murmured softly. “I know you moved on, but confronting your past might give you some closure.”

Her lips pressed together, recognizing the validity in his words. Despite that, uncertainty lingered in her expression.

“I could come with you if you want,” he suggested.

Surprised by his offer, she raised an eyebrow and asked if he was being serious. Jaemin nodded with a reassuring smile. “Of course, I wouldn’t let my princess do this alone.”

In moments like those, (Y/n) couldn’t help but find herself falling for him again. He was always so sweet and supportive.

“Thank you, that means a lot to me,” she whispered, caressing his cheek with the pad of her thumb. “I can always count on you, can’t I?”

Jaemin's smile broadened as he met her halfway for a quick kiss. He closed her laptop, and pulled her into his embrace so they could cuddle in bed. Laying there beside him, she could see the love pouring from his eyes.

And with him, she felt like she could take on anything.

┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦┈◦•◦♡•◦

No matter how much she tried to mentally prepare herself for Sunday, her hands still trembled as she stood outside the restaurant entrance. Thankfully, Jaemin was by her side to lightly squeeze her hand in reassurance. After a slow exhale, her hand wrapped around the door handle and pushed it open.

As she walked into the sound of chatter and clinking glasses, she spotted Haechan downing a shot of soju. After placing the glass down, Haechan waved over to you and Jaemin.

“Oh, you guys are here!” the male called out.

Heads turned, and the sudden attention made her cheeks heat up.

“Hey, everyone. It’s been awhile,” she said with a sheepish smile, exchanging a brief glance with Jaemin. “Um—this is my boyfriend, Na Jaemin.”

Just as she said that, her eyes locked onto him almost immediately. He didn’t look too different from the last time she saw him, except his facial features were more defined and his hair was bleached. She wondered how many times he’s had to dye his hair since he debuted.

Instantly, her introduction of Jaemin elicited excited comments and congratulations, intensifying her shyness. Seated among her former classmates, she and Jaemin found themselves bombarded with questions about how they met and other details. Gradually, she began to relax as she and Jaemin recounted their story.

Later in the evening, Haechan encouraged Renjun to perform one of his songs for the group. Although Renjun seemed hesitant initially, he eventually stepped up to the small stage located near the back wall of the restaurant. Soon, music began to play through the speakers, and she observed with anticipation.

It had been so long since she heard him sing in person. As he started with the first verse of the song, a wave of high school memories flooded through her mind. Those days when they would listen to his playlist while waiting for the bus. The summer days when he tried to get her to sing his favorite songs with him, but she was too shy to join in.

She watched as he took the microphone off the stand, reaching the chorus of the song.

“Tell me why I let you down. Any chance I get I’m breaking down,” he sang with such emotion. His voice was just as beautiful as she remembered.

“I know it’s my fault, but why is it so hard?” Her heart strangely twisted when his eyes found hers. “To tell you that I’m sorry, heart.”

It didn't take much for her to understand that he was singing to her. As he continued with the rest of the song, tears glossed over her eyes. Although she was no longer hurt by the past, hearing him now made her heart swell in emotion. Jaemin was right, this was the closure she had needed.

When the event came to a close, Jaemin suggested they take a little walk. She was a little confused when he guided her across the street and stopped under a large maple tree. Moonlight filtered through the branches, creating a serene ambiance.

“You okay?” he asked, noticing she was more quiet than usual.

She pondered on his question for a moment before nodding. “Yeah, I am. I thought I would regret going tonight, but I’m glad I did.”

“I’m glad you did too. All your friends seemed nice,” Jaemin said, placing a hand in his jacket pocket. Initially, she assumed he was just cold, but then his hand emerged holding a small black box.

“What…what are you doing?” she asked, looking at him with a puzzled expression.

Jaemin smiled, his eyes reflecting the moonlight. “I was going to wait, but for some reason, I think now is the right moment.”

Her eyes widened when he got down on one knee, and her heartbeat skyrocketed instantly. A part of her wondered if she was hallucinating.

He opened the box, revealing a beautiful diamond ring inside. She gasped, clasping a hand over her mouth.

“Kim (Y/n), I knew you were the one since the first time I laid eyes on you,” Jaemin began, trying his his best to keep his voice stable, his hand shaking a little. She had never seen him so nervous before.

“Over time, I fell in love with the way you smile, the way you face challenges, and the incredible strength you carry within you,” he continued. “Every day, I am so grateful that you let me into your world. And these past few years together, made me realize that I don’t want to live another moment without you in it.”

By this point, she couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down her cheeks. Jaemin let out a shaky breath, his eyes filled with love as he asked, “So with that said, will you marry me?”

Through tears, she managed to nod, her voice barely above a whisper, “Yes.”

She wished she could say the word a million times over. What did she ever do to deserve Na Jaemin in her life?

Once the ring was slid onto her finger, they embraced tightly than they ever have before. In the midst of their joy, she spotted Renjun standing across the street. Their eyes met, and the genuine smile they shared conveyed a silent understanding. In that moment, she realized that they both found their happy endings in a way. He went after his dreams, which was all she wanted for him. Meanwhile, she had found someone who cherished and valued her.

Jaemin broke away slightly to wipe her tears. Then he slowly leaned in to give her a kiss, one full of passion and tenderness. Her hands found their way to the back of his neck as she applied a little more pressure to the kiss.

“I love you, Na Jaemin,” she whispered when they parted, her eyes still watery.

The smile on his face widened as he pressed his forehead against hers. “I love you too, Kim (Y/n).”

The city faded away, leaving them lost in the moment. Before she met Jaemin, she questioned whether she could ever find love or be loved by someone. But none of those doubts lingered in her mind as she stood in his arms.

Though Jaemin wasn’t her first love, he was most certainly her last.

𓆩♡𓆪༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚𓆩♡𓆪༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚𓆩♡𓆪༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚𓆩♡𓆪༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚𓆩♡𓆪༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚𓆩♡𓆪༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚𓆩♡

#nct dream #nctzen #kpop #czennie #nct dream imagines #nct #jaemin #jaemin x reader #nct jaemin #jaemin imagines #jaemin fic #nct dream x reader #jaemin scenarios #nct dream fic #na jaemin #nct dream fluff

52 notes · View notes