#hong joshua imagine

그녀는 아무것도 모른다. She doesn’t know anything. 

Description: While out to dinner with the Vocal Unit (which includes your crush), an unfortunate fan encounter has you spiraling into anxious thoughts and has Joshua worried beyond worried.
Warnings: Anxious Thoughts
Genre: Angst, Fluff end, idol!Joshua x fem!reader
Word Count: 2.3k

SeventeenMasterlist|Masterlists

“Seriously, Jeonghan, you don’t have to pay.” You argued uselessly as the cashier already had Jeonghan’s card in their hand.

Jeonghan shook his head, “No, last time you paid and you paid for 14 people. This time, we pay.”

“Don’t try to argue when Coups and Hoshi try to pay for your next meals.” Dokyeom piped up as he stood near the doors with the rest of the vocal unit.

You rolled your eyes playfully. You really could care less who paid but you also felt you were a big girl and could pay for your own meals. But of course, with a group of friends as kind and caring as Seventeen, they were going to make sure you didn’t throw your money into the wind when you didn’t have to.

It was really Seungkwan and Vernon’s fault that you got sucked into this group. You had known the two members for sometime before they invited you to dinner with the rest of the members and the rest is history. You’ve had your share of ‘damn, he’s cute’ and 'do I like him like that?’ moments but they all eventually faded away. Except one.

“Excuse us.” A young female voice hesitantly asked as you all start the leave.

Joshua, out of instinct, stepped in front of you and used his body as a shield to protect you from unwanted gazes or worse, camera lenses.

You, not noticing the deeper meaning of the gesture, peaked your head around his torso to see what was happening.

“Can we get a picture with you?” The other female asked, giggling nervously.

Not wanting to disappoint their fans, they agreed and the girls let out hushed shrieks. One handed the cashier her phone before they came to stand with the members. The taller of the girls spotted you behind Joshua and gave you a look up and down before raising her eyebrows slightly, as if to say 'really? You?’

You backed away a couple steps and did your best to stay out of view but somehow you were still spotted by the camera. To which the cashier smiled polite but apologetic.

Understanding the message, you opened the door to step outside and wait for the boys. But you apparently were moving too slow.

The girl who eyed you up and down gave you a little shove which caused you to trip and fall onto the pavement. Your hands burned slightly against the cool concrete and your knees slammed pretty hard into the ground.

“(Y/n)!” Joshua exclaimed and quickly helped you up. His hands wrapped securely around your arm and he made sure you were steady on your feet before letting you go. Even lingered for a few seconds after.

“I’m sorry.” The girl said, “I was trying to make sure you didn’t trip over the door stop.” She smiled but there was something unsettling about the way she smiled. Like it was a mask that hid a sinister reason.

All you could do was stare because you were so sure she was lying through her teeth but you couldn’t say anything about it. The simple notion that she could’ve done it out of malice stunned you into silence.

Dokyeom then said something with a smile that the brought the attention to him and away from you. It made you question whether or not you even saw the mask. If the mask you saw was even real.

“Are you okay?” Joshua asked lowly so only you could hear. He tried his hardest to keep his concern for you from showing too much.

Breaking out of your shock, you turned and caught a glimpse of concern in his eyes.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m okay.” You told him while wiping off the dirt from your hands.

Joshua nodded, “Wait here, we’ll be right out.” He said before walking back into the restaurant. He glanced back at you but you had already trained your eyes on the ground and worry began etching its way onto his forehead.

Unconsciously, your feet started to back away from the restaurant as your anxiety built. You saw the mask, the fake smile, you were sure of it. But Dokyeom and the others simply acted as if it wasn’t there. Did you see it wrong? Were you too quick to judge a fan? No, you were certain you saw it. You were certain you saw the glint of malice and how the smile never even reached the girl’s cheeks. You were certain.

Or were you? Maybe that was how she smiled… Maybe that was just how far her smile reached on her face. But then what was the malice you saw? Oh god, did you make that up, too? Had you turned into that terrible of a person?

You were back on the street, outside the restaurant. Hands were still stinging from contact with the ground. Knees still echoed the collision with the concrete. Raising you eyes, you looked inside the brightly lit restaurant but it stood empty. Then the girl from earlier walked through the doors with the same grin on her face. Your heart began to race with the anxious thoughts that had plagued you all night.

Unable to face her, you run down the street, feet pounding against the cold ground. Turning left, you abruptly stopped running as the girl walked towards you, the smile still on her face. Shaking your head, you turned around and ran the other direction. After turning down another corner, you’re faced with a dark alleyway.

But within a couple seconds, the fake smile appeared, floating in the air like a balloon. A scream bubbled in your chest but after all the running you did, you had no air left to release it. So you did the only thing you could do- run away.

Reaching the main street, you ran down the middle of the road but every time you looked behind you, the smile was there, following you.

Then it began to laugh. No, not laugh. Cackle. Snort. It was mocking you. You knew it was. In the pit of your gut, you knew.

With one last loud evil laugh, the smile said, “You’ll never have Josh-”

You shot up in bed with your heart racing like a herd of wildebeests stampeding down a canyon. You let out a few shaky deep breaths but your heart didn’t slow. Neither did your thoughts.

You picked up your phone while running a hand through your hair. 2:07am. You closed your tired eyes and lowered your phone onto the bed. But before you let go, it begins vibrating with a call. Picking it back up, you read the caller ID.

“Joshua?” You squinted at the name in confusion. But with the worry that something might be going wrong on his end, you quickly answered the call.

“Hey, everything okay?” You rushed out, heart beating at twice the speed it was when you jolted awake from your nightmare. Hearing your actual voice made Joshua release the breath he’d been holding since he turned around and you were no where in sight.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” Joshua answered, slightly confused but recovered before getting to the reason he actually called. “Are you okay?”

You ran a hand through your hair again, “Y-yeah, I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” He asked again, “Cause you ran off earlier and I’ve been trying to call you and you haven’t answered and now I’m kind of worried.” He nervously chewed on the inside of his cheek.

“Why are you worried?” You questioned him out of curiosity and Joshua could hear that.

“Well, I told you to wait outside the restaurant and when I turned around you were gone.” Joshua explained, his heart echoing the panic that ran through him earlier, “And I’m worried cause you’ve never really had a fan encounter like that.”

You raised your head, staring into the darkness of your room. “Like what?” You asked, wondering exactly what he was trying to say.

Joshua pressed his lips together and explained what the members knew but had covered up for public image. “A fan encounter with a more aggressive fan. Seungkwan broke the facade in the car, really. None of us really knew how to address it in the moment but we knew we couldn’t lash out without collecting our thoughts. But we all saw through it.” Joshua exhaled quietly, the heavy weight of guilt sitting in his stomach because he didn’t do anything to protect you from what happened.

You sniffled and a tear rolled down your cheek in relief. You hadn’t imagined any of it. You didn’t judge wrong. You weren’t a terrible person.

But on the other end of the phone, Joshua perceived the sniffle entirely differently. He thought that you’re crying because he, or the members, didn’t say anything in the moment to protect you. Mentally, he started to beat himself up for not sticking up for you and protecting you.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered into the phone.

His apology alerted you to how you must sound from his end.

“No, no. I’m not crying cause you didn’t say anything.” You told him, still sniffling, “I’ve been anxious all day about what happened because I thought I judged that girl wrong and that I was an awful person. I honestly thought I was the only one who thought she was a bitch and that freaked me out. So much so that the anxiety creeped into my dreams. I’m relieved that I wasn’t the only one who saw through her facade.”

“You had a nightmare?” Joshua asked, his ears grabbing ahold of that piece of information. His heart twisted in on itself at the thought that you had woken up from a nightmare caused by this encounter.

“I did…” You trailed off, “It wasn’t scary bad. It just freaked me out a bit.” You added on to deter his worry but it didn’t really help Joshua.

“Are you okay?” He asked again, this time, you could clearly hear the worry laced in his voice.

“I will be.” You told him and wiped your runny nose with your pajama sleeve.

“Do you want me to come over?” Joshua asked and searched around for his jacket so he’d be ready to go in a moment’s notice.

“Won’t you get in trouble if you come over this late?” You countered with words but your heart skipped a beat at the thought of having him come over. Even if it was just for a couple hours. Having him close was always comforting to you and you often wished that he’d stay close all the time. But he wasn’t yours.

Joshua shrugged though you couldn’t see it through the phone. “I don’t really care. I already missed one chance to protect you today so I’m not going to miss the second one.”

Before your sluggish head could formulate an answer, your heart answered for you. “Please come over.”

“I’ll be there in 20 minutes.” Joshua said before hanging up the phone and racing out of the dorm to flag down the nearest taxi.

Somewhere in those 20 minutes, you had rested your head on your bent knees, closed your eyes, and nodded back into sleep. Joshua, already knowing the passcode, let himself in and found you crouched over yourself. Shrugging off his jacket, he made his way over to you and gently wrapped his arms around you, taking a seat on the bed. His heart jumped now that he could actually hug you but it also pained him that you had had a nightmare.

Feeling a pair of warm arms around you, you stirred awake.

“Joshua?” You wondered and looked up at him.

He smiled softly at you and pulled you closer into his chest. “Hey, go back to bed. Get some sleep.”

“But what if I see it again?” You asked, your words slurring together and a small pout formed on your lips.

Joshua scrunched his eyebrows together, “See what again?” He asked.

“That smile. And the laugh that said I would never have you…” You explained, sleepily, and your eyes stayed closed longer with every blink. “Why would she say that? I really like you and I really care about you. So why can’t you be mine?” You wondered, not fully realizing that your heart was now in the driver’s seat.

With a flutter and spark of electricity, Joshua’s heart picked up its pace again. But this time, it wasn’t from worry.

“Who said you would never have me?” He questioned, trying to mask his giddy smile.

“The girl with the fake smile.” You reiterated and your voice lowered in volume as sleep dragged you under again.

“Well, she doesn’t know anything.” Joshua whispered as he felt your breath even out against him.

Laying you back on the bed, he tucked the blankets around you securely and moved some hair out of your face. Even in the dark, he could make out your closed eyes, the bump of your nose, and your lips that were parted ever so slightly.

Joshua yawned and brought in a few blankets and pillows from your ample pile in the living room to make his bed on the floor next to your bed. Having had a few sleepovers with other members at your place in the past, he was used to sleeping on both the floor and the couch in the living room. But after the day’s events, he decided that the floor next to your bed was a better option over the comfort of the couch. Just incase you had another nightmare.

As he tucked himself into the fuzzy material, he hoped the next time he slept over, he’d be next to you in bed and not on the floor or the couch.

Please read this (W.C.Hotel) if this is the first post of this series that you see.
Warnings: Swearing, Mentions of death
Genre: Angst, Hotel Del Luna AU, Choose your own adventure, SVT x Fem! Reader
Staff: Yong (Spirit General Manager) / Jiwoo (Human General Manager) / Soon Bok (Room Manager) / Mun Hee (Front Desk Receptionist) / Shin (Grim Reaper assigned to Waning Crescent)
Word Count: Ending A - 4.3k / Ending B - 4.3k

W.C.Hotel | Seventeen Masterlist|Masterlists

“And what would you like me to do about that?” Soon Bok asks loudly as I walk into the lobby. The guest standing in front of Soon Bok is standing with her arms crossed and a hip popped. I immediately know that the guest has been giving Soon Bok sass and Soon Bok doesn’t take sass from guests.

“That’s what I thought.” Soon Bok says when the guest doesn’t have anything to say, “Now, please, go and enjoy the hotel’s amenities while I help other guests.” Soon Bok bows politely as the biggest bitch slap she can give without actually laying a finger on the guest.

I snicker and take the long way to meet up with Soon Bok while avoiding the guest.

“Sassy?” I ask when I catch up with the rooms manager.

“You have no idea.” Soon Bok breathes out. “She wanted me to change her room. And you wanna know her reasoning?”

I stay silent and let Soon Bok continue venting.

“Because she didn’t like the rug. The freaking rug!” Soon Bok throws her hands up in the air in disbelief, “And then she has the nerve to ask me to move her room even though we are nearly fully booked with people checking in during the day and the night. Crazy bitch.” Soon Bok grumbles with disgust.

I laugh and place a hand on her shoulder, “How did you ever survive here for so long, Soon Bok?”

“With great skill.” Soon Bok jokes lightly. “Hey, have you seen Mun Hee? He was supposed to do something for me but he disappeared awhile ago.”

I look around the lobby in search of our young receptionist. “He disappeared from me too. I’ll go find him and tell him he’s needed.”

Soon Bok nods in thanks, “I’ll be doing rounds in the 600 level.”

“I’ll send him right up.” I say with a smile before breaking away to find Mun Hee.

I check around the lobby once more to make sure he isn’t hiding behind some couch. But I have no luck. So I walk through the front reception doors to check his regular working station and low and behold, Mun Hee is sat behind the counter, scrolling through his phone, and laughing like he doesn’t have a job that needs doing.

“Jang Mun Hee.” I cross my arms over my chest and just stare at him. The sound of my voice startles him so much that he sends his phone tumbling across the desk and he stumbles as he stands on his feet.

“I-I wasn’t scrolling through videos.” Mun Hee stutters out a bad excuse, “I-I was doing research for our hotel.”

I raise my eyebrows at him in suspicion and keep my mouth shut.

“I was watching videos.” Mun Hee lowers his head in shame.

“Well, Soon Bok is looking for you.” I tell him, uncrossing my arms.

Mun Hee’s mouth drops open in realization. “Oh shoot. She asked me to print some things for her.” His hands tap nervously against the desk, “Oh. Oh. Oh. (y/n) can you stay here for just a few minutes while I go do that? Please?” He asks.

I nod once, “She’s in the 600 level.”

Mun Hee clasps his hands together in thanks, “Oh, thank you, thank you.” He rushes past me, “I’ll be right back!” He says and yanks the door to the hotel open then is gone from my sight.

I shake my head and chuckle before making my way behind the desk. Standing behind the desk for the first time in hundreds of years, I run my hands over the polished wood. Behind me, a wall lists all the rooms available and each room number has a light next to it. The rooms who’s light is turned off have a guest situated there. Seeing as our hotel is quite nearly full, most of the lights are turned off but there are still a good number lit.

The bell above the front door dings, announcing a guest’s arrival.

“Welcome to the Waning-” I start the usual speech but stop when I see the guest’s face.

“Hi. Am I in the right place?” The guest with Sang Kyu’s face asks while looking around our pretty empty reception area.

“I, I can check that for you if you uh, would just show me your palm.” I stutter in the face of one of my former human managers.

The guest with Sang Kyu’s face willingly holds out his hand, palm up. I have to read over his palm a couple times to make sure I’m reading his lives correctly.

I breathe out in relief and the guest pulls his hand back.

“You actually will need to go find Hotel Blue Moon.” I tell him. “Just follow the moon and it’ll guide you there.”

“I thought that’s what I was doing.” The guest tilts his head to the side and Sang Kyu’s unique confused expression shows through loud and clear.

“You probably were following the moon’s shadow.” I explain, “The moon’s shadow leads you here while the moon leads you to Hotel Blue Moon.”

“Ah, I see. So follow the actual moon, yes?” The guest repeats my instructions.

I nod, “Yes, there you will rest before leaving to live another life.”

“There’s more after this life?” The guest’s eyes widen and I’m reminded of Sang Kyu’s first few days as a manager and how every single thing amazed him.

“There is.” I smile softly.

“Thank you.” The guest says and quickly makes his way out of the reception area.

I sigh as the door closes behind him, “The Gods have given you 8 lives. Live them well.” I sigh again and continue to stare at the closed doors.

“Who was given 8 lives?” Mun Hee asks from behind me.

Startled, I whip around to face him while he has his hands tucked into his pockets.

“Mun Hee, don’t sneak up on me like that.” I scold him.

“Okay but who was given 8 lives?” He repeats his question, ignoring my fright.

“Sang Kyu’s soul.” I tell him and lean my forearms on the desk.

“Sang Kyu showed up?” Mun Hee asks and brushes his arm against mine as he copies my body posture.

“A future life did.” I say, “But I had to send him to Hotel Blue Moon. His soul’s not done yet.”

“Damn, I missed him.” Mun Hee says disappointed and I turn to face the board of rooms.

“He’ll be back.” I say, “Which room did Soon Bok put Joshua in?” I ask, searching the rooms as if they’ll tell me.

Mun Hee turns around and points to a room with its light off, “312. And he’s staying for 14 days. I read his palm.” Mun Hee adds before I can say anything.

“Two weeks?” I rephrase the duration of Joshua’s stay, “That’s so long.”

“But it also means he lived a lot of lives, which is good, right?” Mun Hee questions.

“I’m impatient.” I give him a lazy smile and push away from the desk to head back into the hotel.

“Oh, are you not going to hang out with me?” Mun Hee asks, his eyes following my movements.

I pause with my hand on the doors and chuckle, “I wish I could, Mun Hee, but you have your job and I have my job. I’ll see you later.” I wave at him and open the door to the bustling lobby.

~The Fourteenth Day~

I sigh and set down my pen after signing the 19th form of the day and I’ve only been awake for an hour. With one hand, I close the final folder and the other brings the champagne flute to my mouth. I lean back in my chair and close my eyes after setting the flute back down on my desk. My ears listen to the soft orchestral music I put on for background noise and stretch out my wrist.

“It’s just around the corner.” Chung Ho argues from the driver’s seat. “And it’ll only take like six seconds. I just have to pick up my suit jacket.”

“Can’t you do it on your way home?” I groan and sink further into my seat.

Chung Ho shakes his head, keeping his eyes on the road, “I need it for the thing I have after I get off.”

“I’ll let you leave early.” I try to bargain cause I really just want to lie in my bed and ignore both worlds.

Chung Ho gestures to the road in front of him, “We’re basically here. Stop complaining,” He turns down a side street full of shops. “You can brood and sulk soon.”

I humph and turn my head towards my side window.

The shops we pass are brick-and-mortar stores but most seem to be busy as there are a good amount of people out and about.

Chung Ho parks the car outside of a tailor shop and turns the car off.

“I’ll be right back. Wait here.” He instructs me and I scoff that he’s giving me instructions.

He leaves the car and walks into the store. The store front is quieter than the other surrounding stores and there are some sharp suits set up on mannequins in the front windows.

“Doesn’t look too shabby.” I mutter and peel my eyes back to the inside of the car.

I turn my attention back to the inside of car where Chung Ho’s wallet sits. My hand wraps around the wallet sitting in the center console. Worried that he’ll need it, I exit the car and quickly make my way inside the shop.

Chung Ho stands at the counter, patiently waiting for someone, and I make my way over.

Holding out his wallet to him, I announce my presence, “You left this in the car.”

He looks down and then up at me, “You do have a heart.” He jabs at me like a little sibling.

I roll my eyes as someone approaches with a suit jacket in a clear plastic covering. He’s dressed in slacks and a freshly pressed button up shirt. And I have to say he looks quite good. I read his name off of his name tag: Joshua.

“Here you are.” Joshua lays out the jacket on the counter then points out where he fixed it but I can’t actually tell, “I fixed the stitching on the pocket and the buttons on the sleeves. And there was some loose stitching on the inner layer so I fixed that as well.”

“It looks amazing. Thank you.” Chung Ho runs his hands over the front of the jacket and pockets his wallet.

As Chung Ho picks up his jacket, Joshua turns to me.

“Have you been helped yet, miss?” He asks and I’m taken aback not expecting it.

“I, I’m with him.” I gesture to Chung Ho who is trying so hard to stifle a laugh.

“I see.” Joshua looks between us, “Well, if you need anything tailored or custom made, do stop in.”

“Thank you.” I smile, slightly off put by the normality of his tone.

“Oh, here, take my business card.” Joshua hands over a small piece of paper, “My name’s Joshua.” He smiles and my mind burns the sweet sight deep into my memory.

Quick and consistent knocking brings me out of the memory and I sit up, rubbing my eyes.

“Who is it?” I ask, my voice laced with sleep.

Jiwoo opens the door and stands halfway in the doorway, “It’s me.”

“Mm, come in.” I run my hands through my hair, pushing through the small knots that had formed during my nap.

“You signed all the forms?” Jiwoo asks, noticing the large stacks on my desk.

“Yupp.” I say and pop the ‘p.’

“Did you even read them?” He asks and raises a questioning eyebrow.

I shrug, “I skimmed.”

Jiwoo shakes his head and then scoops of the files, “Soon Bok brought Joshua down just now. You better get going. Don’t want to keep your man waiting.” He says and winks at me.

I chuckle and quickly make my way out of my office with a wave of goodbye. My heels notify the hotel walls that this boss lady is not to be disturbed on her way to her garden.

When I reach the garden, Joshua is standing, facing me with his head bowed and his hands clasped behind his back. He hears my footsteps and lifts his head up. A smile grows on his face and mine does the same.

“Hey, stranger.” Joshua says with a light chuckle.

I run into his arms and sigh happily. “Joshua.”

Joshua pulls back and his eyes gaze over my face while he tucks some of my hair behind my ear. “God, you haven’t changed a bit.” He whispers.

I shyly laugh and Joshua chuckles at my reaction.

“How have you been?” Joshua asks, stroking my cheek with his thumb.

“I’ve been… existing.” I answer him.

“Just existing?” Joshua raises his eyebrows.

“Well, I was living for a while but then I had to wait and at that point I was just existing.” I explain then turn the question onto him, “How was your stay?”

“Really nice.” Joshua says slightly surprised, “You run a really nice hotel.”

“What, did you think I was running an old moldy motel?” I question with a laugh.

Joshua quickly shakes his head, “No, no. I just never expected the after life to be this… extravagant.”

“We get our money from the Gods and they do not disappoint.” I say with a smug smile. “Plus this is only the beginning, there’s still the other side.”

Joshua wiggles his eyebrows playfully and twirls me in a circle. “Sounds exciting.”

I land back in his arms and he looks around the garden.

“So is this your private garden?” Joshua asks, keeping one arm wrapped around your shoulders while turning his body towards the tree.

“This is.” I say, “And that’s the tree that keeps me tied here like a chained dog.”

“Ah, don’t drag innocent dogs into this.” Joshua pouts, “Well, you keep it in good condition.”

“It keeps itself like that.” I tell him and lead him towards the tree. “The Gods use it as a twisted reminder of why I’m running this hotel.”

I pull his hand and rest it against the trunk of the tree. “Do you feel it?”

Joshua tilts his head to the side, “What am I supposed to feel?”

I smile softly at him, “Close your eyes and focus on the tree.” I tell him and let go of his hand as not to interfere.

“Okay.” Joshua whispers and closes his eyes. After a few seconds, he opens his eyes again. “There’s a faint heartbeat.”

“It’s mine.” I lean in close to tell him the secret.

“So you are alive.” Joshua teases and boops my nose.

“Just cause I have a heartbeat doesn’t mean I’m alive.” I argue and walk back to sit on the bench.

“Always the stubborn one, aren’t you?” Joshua asks, taking a seat next to me on the bench.

I scrunch my face up at him then move the conversation away from the topic of me. “I have a question.”

“Ask your question.” Joshua says dramatically.

“That first day we met, why did you assume I was just another customer?” I ask and Joshua’s face flushes with embarrassment.

“That was so embarrassing.” He covers his face with his hands. I giggle and pull his hands away. His cheeks are flushed pink and he smiles sheepishly.

“I thought it was kind of cute.” I tell him.

Joshua chuckles while he exhales, “Well, if I’m being completely honest, it was your clothes.”

“My clothes?” I question and look down at my outfit.

“Not the ones you’re wearing, silly.” Joshua nudges his shoulder against mine, “The day you walked in with your friend you were wearing at least what looked like high end stuff and your friend was wearing a lower level of fashion.”

“How could you tell it was high end?” I continue to probe into his explanation.

“Have you already forgotten what I did for a living?” Joshua asks, slightly offended but then continues his explanation, “The fabrics your dress was made out of and, not that I was looking,” He lays out his defense, “The stitching on your dress was flawless. Damn near perfect.”

“You got all that from the what, one minute we were standing in front of each other?” I wonder.

“Uh, yeah.” Joshua responds with sass, “I’m a tailor. It’s what I did for a living.”

“So you totally judged us.” I sum up.

“Oh, I totally judged you.” Joshua laughs and I join in with him. “Just don’t tell your friend that.”

“You really don’t remember his name?” I ask.

“I was kind of focused on you.” Joshua smirks.

I breathe out, “Well, lucky for you, I haven’t seen Chung Ho pass through this hotel yet. So he’s still out there living lives.” I lean in closer to Joshua and poke his tummy. “Speaking of lives, you, sir, lived a fair amount.”

“Fourteen is a fair amount?” Joshua wonders. “I thought I would’ve lived more.”

“More than fourteen lives?” I repeat incredulously, “Fourteen lives is a lot! Most souls only live like 5 to 9 lives. You had fourteen.”

Joshua laughs in defeat, “Alright, so I lived more than the average number of lives but I still thought I would’ve lived more.”

“The Gods decide all that and I’m pretty sure they spin a wheel to see how many lives each soul will live.” I explain and try to joke at the same time. “Which life was your favorite?”

“Hmm.” Joshua hums in thought, “My first. Cause you were in it.” He lazily smiles.

“That’s biased.” I roll my eyes.

“No but I am serious about my favorite being my first.” Joshua explains, “The clothes I made and the clothes I fixed, I don’t know, there was just sometime about the work that I didn’t find in any of my other lives.”

“So you like using your hands.” I conclude and start playing with his hand.

Joshua chuckles and grips my hand securely. “My hands are everything. I get to hold my most favorite thing in my hands.” He holds up your interlocked hands for emphasis.

“And what was your favorite part about making or fixing the clothes?” I ask, leaning in closer and listening to the echo of his heartbeat. Strong and steady.

Joshua shrugs underneath me, “The feeling of the cloth underneath my fingers and the motion of sewing the pieces together was just, soothing? Calming?” He searches for the right word.

“I get it.” I nod in understanding. “Plus, you always made the seams nearly invisible. You were so good.”

“Only for you.” Joshua whispered and planted a kiss to the top of my head.

“Nah, I couldn’t have been the only one.” I deny.

“You’re right. You weren’t the only one.” Joshua states simply and I still at his answer, “I did it for my kids, also.”

A smile grows on my face, “Kids? You had kids?”

Joshua mirrors the smile on my face and nods, “I had two. Two girls.” He explains.

“Tell me about them.” I ask, looking up at him and he settles more comfortably with me.

“What do you want to know?” Joshua asks, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me closer.

“Everything.” I exhale happily, ready to dive into the stories of Joshua’s first life.

Joshua chuckles but easily begins telling me all about his girls. Where they went to school, what they ended up doing after college, and even some of their embarrassing stories-many of which he took part in. I listen with admiration as he claims that because of me and my wardrobe full of dresses, he was well versed in the world of dress tailoring.

From his children, he moved onto the shop and how it faired over the years. How he couldn’t find a successor for it and it retired when he did. The things he did in retirement and the few grandchildren his daughters gave him. He even lived long enough to meet a couple of his great grandchild.

In between the stories, we’d sometimes get sidetracked and start talking about our own memories. From the happy ones when we had chaotic dates and amazing adventures to the less happy ones where we had our arguments or when I had to return to the hotel for long periods of times and I couldn’t tell him where I was going.

As the last of the stories are told, the sun also tells its last stories while it bids the day goodbye.

And it also signals the goodbye I have to say to Joshua.

Joshua sighs and kisses my head then rests his cheek on the top of my head. “My turn to go, huh?” He murmurs.

I slowly nod, “Your turn to go.”

“And if I don’t want to?” He questions, slumping onto me.

“We don’t really have a choice, Joshua.” I giggle as my body starts to bend underneath his dead weight.

Joshua pouts like a child and I shake my head.

“You, sir, are a child.” I tell him with a laugh.

“My soul is still so young.” Joshua says and dramatically places a hand over his heart. “And now it must go to an eternal rest. How unfair and cruel is this world.” Joshua flails his body out.

I stand up with an exhale, “Alright, my love. You have a soul that needs resting.” I grab his hands one at a time and try to pull him up but he does nothing to help me. He even closes his eyes.

“Joshua…” I drag out his name.

He peeks at me through half opened eyes before suppressing a smile and closing his eyes again.

I cross my arms and tilt my head to the side, “Joshua, come on. I don’t want this anymore than you do but come on. Please?”

Joshua sighs in defeat and holds out his hands while opening and closing his fists. Much like a child. “Help me up.” He says.

I roll my eyes playfully but give into his request and grab his hands. When he stands, he pulls me so we’re standing chest to chest and looks down at me with a look that I can’t quite place.

“What?” I ask and he smirks.

“Can’t I take in the beauty of the woman I love for a last time?” Joshua questions me.

I release one of his hands and lead him out of the garden, “Yes you can, but you are on a deadline.”

Joshua mumbles nonsense and wraps his arms around my waist from behind. “Do you think the weather will be nice over there?” He asks, nuzzling his face into my neck.

“I’m sure the weather will be beautiful over there.” I chuckle.

As we enter the lobby, Joshua lightly kisses my neck and a shiver runs down my spine.

“Joshua, behave.” I scold him, “The guests will be awake soon.”

“Sooo?” He drags out the word in a low voice.

“Joshua.” I elbow his stomach, telling him that he seriously needs to stop.

Joshua pulls back and falls in step next to me, “Okay, I’m sorry. I’m just really going to miss you.” He explains

“I know.” I smile at him as we near the departure door.

Joshua reaches out and opens the door. The night air wastes no time rushing into the hotel. We both stand shoulder to shoulder looking out towards the forest, neither of us aying a word.

That is until the wind blows the sound of an idling engine in our direction. Joshua hears it as well and starts walking forward with me in tow. We walk in silence but Joshua’s grip on my hand doesn’t lessen one bit. Our footsteps slow as we approach Shin standing next to the idling car.

I take in a deep breath and try to release my hand from Joshua’s grasp but he doesn’t let go.

“Promise me something?” He asks, reaching into his other pocket.

“Anything.”  I say, my voice not coming out as strong as I would’ve liked.

Joshua gives me a small smile and brings something out of his pocket. The colorful cloth floats in the wind and some gold sparkles under the growing moonlight.

“Keep this close.” He says and places the cloth in my hand, closing my fingers around it.

I open the fabric in my hands. The deep blue silk is soft against my fingers and I know exactly where i’ve met this fabric before. It was Joshua’s favorite handkerchief.

My hands close over the cloth, “I promise.” I promise and Joshua nods in satisfaction.

Joshua leans down and places a sweet kiss on my lips. For those two seconds, I spend the entire time memorizing how his lips feels against mine and how they mold with mine as easily as chocolate sets in a mold. And all too soon, Joshua pulls away and smiles sweetly at me.

Without another word, I watch him walk to the car and lower himself into it. I watch as the car door shuts at the sound solidifies Joshua’s exit from this world.

My grip on the handkerchief tightens as the car drives away. I pray that the Gods won’t take this last shred of Joshua away from me but of course, they don’t listen to me.

Minutes after the car disappears into the forest fog, the satin slowly disappears until all that’s left in my grasp is air.

When the cloth has fully disappeared, a white chrysanthemum withers and dies back in the garden. Then I turn back to the hotel and walk straight to my office and lock myself away to wait for the next to arrive.

Return to the Navigation Page (Waning Crescent Hotel)to choose the next guest.

“I wonder which one was right.” Joshua says, uncrossing his legs in preparation to stand up.

“Which one was right?” I repeat his question in confusion.

“Which religion was right.” Joshua explains, “I was always a Christian but I wonder which one actually had it right.”

I smile at his thoughts, “They all are.” I tell him, leaning towards him, “That’s why they’re called 'Gods’ and not 'God.’”

“And no one knows.” Joshua says in awe.

“Not until they come here.” I smile and rise to my feet, “So let’s go see it.”

Joshua jumps to his feet, “Let’s go.” He smiles widely and grabs my hand. He leads me out of the garden with a little spring in his step. But as we near the lobby, my footsteps begin getting heavier.

We walk hand in hand to the lobby where Yong, Mun Hee, Soon Bok, and Jiwoo stand solemnly.

“So this is it?” Mun Hee asks with tears in his eyes. “This is the day you leave us?”

I wrap him up in a hug, only a tiny bit annoyed that he’s being so sappy. “Maybe I’ll get punished again and be back here by the end of the year.” I try to joke but Mun Hee abruptly pushes back from me.

“Don’t you dare say that. You better not return here.” He says angrily through his tears.

I chuckle, “I won’t come back. I promise.”

Turning to Soon Bok, I thank her for her service and her amazing work. Something I never did and should’ve done more.

Next onto Jiwoo. I also thank him for his and his entire family’s service then I unclip the bracelet that has held him to this place.

“When you leave today, you won’t be able to find this place again.” I inform him, “I hope that you’ll be able to go and live your life happily.”

Jiwoo nods, “Thank you for letting me work with you. I won’t ever forget you.”

I smile sadly, “You will. But thank you.”

Finally I reach Yong who is sniffling and trying so very hard not cry.

“You’d think after all these years of waiting that I’d be prepared for this day.” She says through sniffles.

“Thank you, Yong.” I rests my hands on her shoulders, “For everything. Thank you.”

With lips pursed together, she leans forward and wraps me in an unexpected hug. But I soon wrap my arms around her and squeeze her tightly.

We pull apart after a couple seconds and I wipe the few tears that have escaped from her eyes.

“Keep this hotel running beautifully.” I tell her before Joshua grabs my hand again.

With final waves of goodbye, Joshua and I walk out to the foggy forest that will take us to our resting place.

At the edge of the forest, Shin stands next to an idling car, a somber look on his face.

“(y/n).” He says when we reach him, “It has been an honor working with you. I wish you both a peaceful rest.” Shin bows his head and I pat his arm.

“The honor was mine.” I tell him with a smile. Now the tears start to line my eyes as the realization fully sets in.

I’m free. I served my years of punishment and now I’m free to let my soul rest.

I turn back towards the hotel and look up to the top where the rooftop patio is outlined with bright string lights. Then to the mid floors where random room lights are turned on, some guests staying in while others opting to experience the hotel’s many services. Then to grand base where guests would be milling around, waiting their turns to leave this world.

“(y/n)?” Joshua softly asks pulling my attention to where he sits just inside the car, “Are you ready?”

I take one last quick look at the hotel before turning away from it. “Yeah, I’m ready. Let’s go.”

I lower myself into the car and Shin securely closes the door after I am completely inside. As the car begins to drive forward, Joshua securely grabs my hand and I let his warmth guide me towards our final destination.

In the garden, the final chrysanthemum withers and dies so that no more stand at the base of the bare tree.