As a child, you’d only heard mere stories of the “Red String of Fate” from the mouths of your parents and grandparents. When you were younger, you took it a little too seriously; you always blabbered about it in your elementary classes and usually got in trouble for it. As you got older, of course, you dropped the subject, not believing in the soulmate nonsense anymore. But it was something you never really forgot, something that lingered in the back of your mind as nothing but a fragment of your childhood. Little did you know how real it truly was.
It was a normal day to your eighteen-year-old self. You sat in your parent’s bakery at the counter, your chin in your palm with your elbow propped up on the counter. The apron you wore (by force, of course) covered your knees as you spun on the stool you sat on. Heaving a sigh, you picked up your phone and scrolled through your Instagram feed. Your eyes shot up when you heard the bell on the door ding, and you made eye contact with a cute, shy-looking boy who seemed around your age. He walked closer and looked at the pastries on display as you shot him a small smile, putting your phone down. Your spinning came to a stop, leaving you to politely face him.
“Hi,” You said, gaining his attention, “Just let me know when you’re ready to order. We also sell coffee and tea, for here or to go.”
“Ah,” He flashed you a smile, “Thank you.”
You nodded in response and turned your attention to the cash register, staring at it and daydreaming. You didn’t really want to get on your phone while a customer was in the room.
After a few more seconds, he approached the counter, making you look at him with a polite smile. His lips raised to mirror your own before he spoke, “Can I have a walnut pie and a small cup of coffee for here, please?”
You nodded as you jotted his order down on your handy notepad, “Want creamer and sugar?”
“Ah, yes, please,” Came his response. His voice was smooth and melodic, you noticed, it wouldn’t surprise you if he were a vocalist.
“All right,” You chimed, “It’ll be ready soon. And what’s your name?”
“Jeongin,” He replied, taking the time to look around again.
“Got it,” You nodded before hopping off your stool and gathering his order. While pouring the coffee into his mug, you heard the bell go off again and looked over before realizing it was just Chan – he was a usual. A busy college student, but your friend nonetheless. He came by for a quick to-go coffee and left almost daily. You also took note of the time – late evening, your brother should come in for your shift soon.
Finishing Jeongin’s order, you made Chan’s coffee without asking and slid it across the counter, earning his signature grin, “Why, thank you, Muffin.”
You rolled your eyes and chuckled, “Stop calling me Muffin. Just because I work at a bakery doesn’t mean I’m a muffin.”
“Yes it does,” The older responded simply, sliding you the payment for the coffee across the counter. You took the money and put it in the register, shaking your head, “Don’t you have that thesis due tomorrow?”
“Don’t you dare remind me,” Chan groaned before sending you a quick wave, taking his coffee, and leaving. You chuckled but waved Jeongin over. The boy stumbled to stand quickly and rush over, taking his order and giving you a quick thanks, then proceeding to go back to his booth and taking out a laptop. At first, you thought he was lonely, but now you understood he probably just came here to get some schoolwork done in the peace and quiet. You’d bet he knew Seungmin, who told him to go to the little cafe you worked at. You shook your head at the thought as you sat back down at your stool. Seungmin was a good friend of yours, although you went to different schools because you lived on the border of the district, you still saw each other often. Then, he graduated and went onto college almost immediately. You, on the other hand, wanted to wait until you were nineteen or twenty to go to college. You wanted a bit of a break. He, too, liked to study and work at the cafe.
You fixed your posture and smiled as another customer came in.
* * *
You found that your worthless brother never came in for his shift, of course. Jeongin stayed working until it was nearly closing time. You heaved a sigh as you were wiping down one of the tables, looking over at the boy. He was just as focussed on his work as he’d been for the past few hours. It made you wonder just how on Earth he could work for so long, assuming he was working, anyway. He had papers skewed on the table in front of him and he stared almost angrily at the screen.
You gingerly tapped his shoulder, making him jump slightly and turn to look at you. Offering a small smile, you explained, “We’re closing soon. Would you like a coffee to go?”
“O- Oh!” He stammered, looking around as he scratched the back of his neck, “I didn’t even notice. But uh, no thanks on the coffee.”
Chuckling, you nodded and took his mug to the back to clean it. You heard him shuffling to get his things together and leave. What you didn’t expect was being suddenly tugged back by some force on your wrist. With a small grunt, you looked down to see that there was a thin red string around your wrist. "What the hell?“ You muttered, tugging on it experimentally. The string was around your wrist, and it lead all the way out the door into the main area. It was attached to something else.
You heard some distressed noises coming from the main area, which sounded strangely like Jeongin. Setting the mug on the counter near you, you padded out from the back to see what you were connected to and what Jeongin’s problem was.
Your eyes became the size of plates as you realized that he, too, had a red string around his wrist that was connected to your own.
"What is this?” You muttered, walking over to him. The boy’s scrutiny followed the rose-coloured fabric to see the link between the two of you. Before your very eyes, the string shortened until it was about two metres long. The both of you gaped at each other as cars passed the quiet cafe, their headlights shining into the windows as they went by.
* * *
After getting over the initial shock, you ended up taking Jeongin to your apartment. You couldn’t walk away from each other and there was no way you could stay in his college dorm. The two of you sat and decided to get to know each other, or at least the basics of each other’s character.
You didn’t know how long you’d be mysteriously attached.
You learned that it was his first year of college and he was older than you, though not by too much. He was a business major since it was a large topic that could be used for several different jobs. You were right to assume he was a vocalist, because he was. He loved to sing and even had a dream of becoming an idol. You found this all to be intriguing, you figured you wouldn’t mind his company.
“What about you?” He said suddenly, leaning over his arms on the table, “Tell me about yourself.”
You let a small smile grace your lips as you hummed, thinking. “Well,” You started, “I’m eighteen, and I plan to go to college next year. I work in the cafe because my family owns it, though I do most of the work, to be honest with you.”
“That’s weird,” Jeongin commented, “You just graduated and they’re making you do all the work? Plus, you moved out really early.”
You raised your shoulders in a shrug, “I have an older brother, but he barely ever shows up for work. To be fair, my parents pay me extra for the overtime my brother causes me.”
The conversation continued, you couldn’t pay attention to how long it’d been. Talking to Jeongin was strange because although you’d only known him for a few hours, you felt as though you’d known him for years. You were comfortable with him.
You soon moved to the topic of the string around your wrist, slightly begrudgingly. You didn’t want things to suddenly turn awkward because of what you thought was a myth.
The two of you were still calming from laughing over a story Jeongin told about his childhood. You sighed and gave him an apologetic look, “So, this string.”
The boy hummed, nodding, “Do you have any idea of what it is or what it could mean?”
“Well,” You chuckled nervously, “As a child, my family used to ramble about some red string that connected two people. Those two people would be destined to fall in love.”
Your guest hummed as he took in the information, his fingers drumming on the table, “So they’re… Soulmates?”
“Exactly.” You nodded, “But the problem is that in those stories, the string is invisible to the human eye. So I wouldn’t rely on it.”
Jeongin was quick to speak, “I heard those stories as well. But I heard an added detail; sometimes the string malfunctions, and you can actually see it when that happens. It disappears again during the next full moon.”
You massaged your temples at his remark. Those stories were myths. But then what would explain the string tied to the two of you? Were you really soulmates?
“Okay,” You said slowly, “Are you okay with staying here for the time being?”
“Yeah, it’s easiest. I have classes during the week, though..” He responded, trailing off nervously.
Smiling and standing, you shook your head as Jeongin hopped up as well, “I can take off of work to follow you around if I have to. I’m sure we can prove to your professors that I have to be there if they ask. Come on, it’s late and I have an air mattress you can sleep on.”
The older nodded and eagerly followed you into your bedroom and closet. Together, you lugged the air mattress out and set it next to your bed. Jeongin plugged it in and turned it on, letting it fill with air, as you pulled some blankets and pillows out for him and threw them on the mattress.
After struggling to do both of your nightly routines, you got yourselves sorted and said your goodnights.
* * *
The first night was rough because neither one of you could sleep. You were in shock still, and Jeongin was in a place he wasn’t used to, plus the shock. You were both lucky it was Friday. Morning came and went. You and Jeongin took turns showering, the other having to sit outside the door. It was slightly uncomfortable, you have to admit. It felt like you were hovering over each other’s shoulders all the time. You weren’t sure you were too fond of it.
As Jeongin was drying, you took out your phone to see when the next full moon would be. It was roughly a week away, exactly nine days. You could handle that… Right?
* * *
Later on, the same day, you were perched on your couch – with Jeongin, of course – reading a book. The boy next to you flipped through the TV channels aimlessly, dressed in some of the bigger, more comfy clothes you kept around the apartment. You made sure the articles of clothing you’d given him were your brother’s hand-me-downs. It was nothing special, a pair of grey sweatpants and a black t-shirt. You were in similar attire; your own pair of sweats adorned your legs and a large white Puma hoodie covered your torso.
The sound of Jeongin heaving a sigh filled your ears and you turned your head to look at him. “There’s nothing good on,” He whined, tossing the remote aside after landing on some nature documentary about owls. “What’s your book about?” He asked curiously before you could respond, peeping over your shoulder. You chuckled at him and stuck your thumb on the page you were on before halfway closing the book to show him the cover.
“It’s a romantic novel,” You responded, watching him gawk over the well-designed cover, “It’s about the human race hundreds of years in the future. They live in space shuttles and ships because the Earth has undergone another ice age. A girl goes to another ship for a job and ends up falling in love with the captain, who is really strange and mysterious. It’s pretty good.”
“Woahhh,” Was apparently the only thing the older could muster as he gazed at the book, then back at you. “Are you enjoying it?”
You nodded quickly, letting a wide smile grace your face as you couldn’t help but geek out a little bit, “Yes! The characters are so well portrayed and the plot just sucks you in-”
Jeongin stopped listening, honestly. Because all he could focus on was the smile on your face and the twinkle in your eyes as you blabbered about the book you’d been reading.
How cute.
* * *
Later that day, the two of you decided to go to Jeongin’s dorm to move some of his clothes. He would be involuntarily staying with you for a week, after all. So you grabbed one of your duffel bags and hopped in the car to drive him to the college he was attending.
Upon exiting the car (both of you had to climb out of the passenger side), you realized it would probably be awkward to go into the boys’ dorm with him. You were a woman, after all, and the two of you were bound by a red string. Could others even see the string as you could? You weren’t sure.
That being said, you let the crisp autumn air envelope your skin as you stepped out of the car, the wind blowing your hair into your face. Fixing the beanie on your head, you gave Jeongin a small smile as you began to follow him towards the building. The boy gave a small chuckle, “Don’t worry, (Y/N). We won’t be here long.”
A light pink dusted your cheeks. “You could tell?” You let out a sheepish chuckle, “Am I that obvious? This is going to be so awkward.”
“Nah,” The older responded as he held the door to the main lobby open for you, “It’s okay. I have a room to myself, anyway.”
You slipped into the dorm building with a small thanks, relishing in the warmth it offered. “Really?” You looked at him from the corner of your eye, “Lucky.”
Jeongin stepped back ahead of you, grabbing the string that connected the two of you to drag you along at a faster pace, “I dunno. It’s nice for studying but it can get boring otherwise.”
Humming, you let him drag you up the stairs and down the halls to his room, the duffel bag in your other hand. As he unlocked the door, you immediately slipped in before he could and threw the large bag down to look around your companion’s living space. It was modest and shockingly clean for a freshman in college such as himself. You could imagine that Chan’s room was probably the opposite.
“Come onnn,” The inhabitant of the room whined, picking up the bag with one hand and grabbing yours with the other to take you to his bedroom.
* * *
It didn’t take too long to get Jeongin’s things. The two of you were back at your apartment in a matter of thirty minutes. After helping the older put his things in an orderly fashion in your apartment, all you wanted to do was rest. Your new (temporary) roommate, however, insisted that you help him study. So, here you sat. You were across from him at your kitchen table, reading from neatly made flashcards he had taken the time to create. You couldn’t have cared less about what you were saying, but a smile remained on your face. When the child-like teen got literally anything correct, he would give a toothed smile. His eyes would sparkle before turning into little crescents and he would let out a small, proud giggle.
How cute.
* * *
You were dreading having to go to Jeongin’s classes with him. Through an encounter with the lady at your apartment building’s lobby, you learned that others around you couldn’t see the fiery string that bound both of you to each other. Maybe you could sneak into the lectures, the older boy had said that they hold about one hundred people per lecture. With that, you could infer that it was a large university (you’d seen the campus, after all, and it was huge) and also probably a good university. You might be fake attending college with prodigies!
When expressing this to Jeongin on the way there, you were laughed at. But his laugh was not teasing or making fun, it was soft and amused.
“There are plenty of mediocre students,” He said, “Seoul is just so large that a lot of the colleges around the area have thousands of students. Seoul University is the most popular, but that doesn’t mean it’s the most successful.”
Glancing at the rearview mirror as you drove, you let out a puff of air as you mumbled under your breath, “For a freshman in college, you sure sound wise.”
Yet another laugh filled your ears. You couldn’t help but smile.
* * *
The day went by quicker than you anticipated. People had asked you several times if you were Jeongin’s girlfriend, to which you let a soft pink dance across your cheeks as you told them that you weren’t. Soon enough, you were eating lunch. Then you just went home, since Jeongin had only three classes that day. Tomorrow he’d have five, then the next day only one. And all of them were mostly different classes!
College confused you. You were starting to reconsider even going.
When you got back to the apartment, the two of you lazed around and spent time together doing nothing. At night, you helped the boy study. This became a routine.
Wake up, shower, eat, go to university with Jeongin, come home, do nothing, eat, study, and go to bed. You didn’t realize just how much you would end up missing it.
It was the night of the full moon that you realized it.
* * *
As you were putting the colour coded vocabulary cards in Jeongin’s bag, you heard the college student’s voice pipe up from behind you, “It’s night. I can see the moon, but we’re still bound.”
“I think we need to wait ‘til morning,” You replied, zipping up the bag as you turned to face him, “Maybe the moon needs time to do its job.”
He nodded with a small hum. His scrutiny was fixated on the moon that could be seen from your kitchen window. The moonlight gently caressed his smooth skin in the most perfect of ways. His high cheekbones seemed even more prominent, but not too sharply prominent. It was a soft contour that made you want to take a picture of the beautiful human in front of you.
You thought about that picture as the two of you headed to bed. And you were shocked when you awoke at ten in the morning, the boy you’d grown feelings for no longer present. As you sat up and looked around, you realized he’d folded the blankets neatly on top of his bed. All of his things were gone. As you wandered the apartment in a depressed daze, you noticed that he’d also left you a note on the kitchen table.
Thank you for dealing with me and helping me so much, (Y/N). I wanted to let you sleep in, so I left for class as usual. I hope I can see you again soon, and I really hope that the string wasn’t an entire malfunction.
- Jeongin
Sighing, you set the handwritten note down and rubbed your temples. What did he mean by that? Was he coming back?
* * *
It was that evening you saw him again. You were huddled up on your couch, watching The Princess and the Frog, because what else was there to do at a time like this? Nothing.
Hearing a knock at your door, you let a groan slip from between your lips as you stood – leaving the blanket around your shoulders – and padded over to the door. Upon opening it, your mouth formed a perfect o as you gazed upon Jeongin himself. He had a nervous smile on his face as he held a bouquet of white roses as well as a box of chocolates.
“I was thinking,” He said, “And I know that the string tied us together for a reason. I- I think you’re my soulmate, (Y/N).”
You gave a bright smile as you nodded happily, gently taking the gifts he’d held out to you, “I think you’re my soulmate too, Jeongin… In fact, I know you are.”
His smile grew brighter, “So.. wanna hit the cafe for a late night date?”
matching outfits with the style icon himself??? YES PLS SIGN ME UP RN. this mf LOVES to take you shopping and pick out some of the most random things. you’ll end up trying on a lot of gag outfits that just make you giggle at each other and how dumb you look but then they’ll be the time when you both pick out something cute for the other to wear. bro you guys need to have at least three sets of matching outfits in your closets, it’s a must for him. he loves just walking out in the street, holding your little hand in his, silently showing you off to the world as you guys wear matching shirts, etc. as a joke one time you bought him matching ‘i’m with stupid’ shirts and although he laughed and said they were dumb when you first showed them to him, you catch him wearing them around the house all the time.
a/n. this has been sitting in my drafts for a while now… funny thing is that i partly wrote it while i was waiting in a queue lmao
summary. i.n is whipped for you!! and since you’re stray kids’ makeup stylist you have to hide your relationship with him… and he’s having too much fun with it
warnings. smartass like once?? i dunno if that counts as a swear word but yeah
“so, y/n…” i.n grinned with a mischievous spark in his eyes. he stretched his arms so you had to stop what you were doing “… how was your weekend?”
“my weekend?” you repeated, the desire to slap his arm tingling your hand.
because actually he spent the weekend with you.
“i hung out with my boyfriend” you smirked and tapped his wrist “can you put your hands down? i need to apply the highl–”
“BOYFRIEND? YOU HAVE A BOYFRIEND?!” han, who was sitting on the couch, yelled
“yeah” you hummed and looked at i.n who was smiling like a fool
“HOLD ON I NEED TO TELL THE REST!” han kept on yelling and in a blink of an eye he left the room, leaving you two alone.
genre:onlyheadcanons au: regency au, pride and prejudice au warnings:none word count: 0.8k pairing:none a/n:currently going through a pride and prejudice phase right now. if you want to read an actual p&p au i wrote: the first step
bang chan - mr. bang’s mrs. bennet’s poor nerves
“Mr. Bennet, how can you abuse your own children in such a way? You take delight in vexing me. You have no compassion on my poor nerves.”
“You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years at least.”
lee minho - “oh, darcy has a lot of money, like a lot”
It was a large, handsome stone building, standing well on rising ground, and backed by a ridge of high woody hills; and in front, a stream of some natural importance was swelled into greater, but without any artificial appearance. Its banks were neither formal nor falsely adorned. Elizabeth was delighted. She had never seen a place for which nature had done more, or where natural beauty had been so little counteracted by an awkward taste. They were all of them warm in their admiration; and at that moment she felt that to be mistress of Pemberley might be something!
seo changbin - “i guess he’s good enough for you”
Elizabeth had the satisfaction of seeing her father taking pains to get acquainted with him; and Mr. Bennet soon assured her that he was rising every hour in his esteem.
“I admire all my three sons-in-law highly,” said he. “Wickham, perhaps, is my favourite; but I think I shall like your husband quite as well as Jane’s.”
hwang hyunjin - moments before disaster
“May I hope, madam, for your interest with your fair daughter Elizabeth, when I solicit for the honour of a private audience with her in the course of this morning?”
Before Elizabeth had time for anything but a blush of surprise, Mrs. Bennet answered instantly, “Oh dear!—yes—certainly. I am sure Lizzy will be very happy—I am sure she can have no objection. Come, Kitty, I want you up stairs.” And, gathering her work together, she was hastening away, when Elizabeth called out:
“Dear madam, do not go. I beg you will not go. Mr. Collins must excuse me. He can have nothing to say to me that anybody need not hear. I am going away myself.”
“No, no, nonsense, Lizzy. I desire you to stay where you are.” And upon Elizabeth’s seeming really, with vexed and embarrassed looks, about to escape, she added: “Lizzy, I insist upon your staying and hearing Mr. Collins.”
han jisung - “i’m not good at talking” “that sounds like a you problem”
“I certainly have not the talent which some people possess,” said Darcy, “of conversing easily with those I have never seen before. I cannot catch their tone of conversation, or appear interested in their concerns, as I often see done.”
“My fingers,” said Elizabeth, “do not move over this instrument in the masterly manner which I see so many women’s do. They have not the same force or rapidity, and do not produce the same expression. But then I have always supposed it to be my own fault—because I will not take the trouble of practising. It is not that I do not believe my fingers as capable as any other woman’s of superior execution.”
lee felix - pretty girls everywhere
“I would not be so fastidious as you are,” cried Bingley, “for a kingdom! Upon my honour, I never met with so many pleasant girls in my life as I have this evening; and there are several of them you see uncommonly pretty.”
“You are dancing with the only handsome girl in the room,” said Mr. Darcy, looking at the eldest Miss Bennet.
“Oh! she is the most beautiful creature I ever beheld! But there is one of her sisters sitting down just behind you, who is very pretty, and I dare say very agreeable. Do let me ask my partner to introduce you.”
kim seungmin - the world’s most pretentious compliment
“Oh! certainly,” cried his faithful assistant, “no one can be really esteemed accomplished who does not greatly surpass what is usually met with. A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the word; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions, or the word will be but half deserved.”
“All this she must possess,” added Darcy, “and to all this she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading.”
“I am no longer surprised at your knowing only six accomplished women. I rather wonder now at your knowing any.”
yang jeongin - clowns are meant to be laughed at
“But upon my honour, I do not. I do assure you that my intimacy has not yet taught me that. Tease calmness of manner and presence of mind! No, no; I feel he may defy us there. And as to laughter, we will not expose ourselves, if you please, by attempting to laugh without a subject. Mr. Darcy may hug himself.”
“Mr. Darcy is not to be laughed at!” cried Elizabeth. “That is an uncommon advantage, and uncommon I hope it will continue, for it would be a great loss to me to have many such acquaintances. I dearly love a laugh.”
genre: only headcanons au: non-idol au/post-idol au warnings: one instance of swearing word count: 0.2k pairing:none a/n:no pictures, just vague descriptions
bang chan
➵ script on his wrist with a reminder to take care of himself ➵ probably handwritten by his mom/other members of skz ➵ gets a minimalist compass on the other wrist
lee minho
➵ just a bunch of random bullshit on his chest and back (sticker style) ➵ all color, no black and white ➵ definitely a cat-related tattoo somewhere (in my head, he has catnip on his ribcage, read the fic i wrote here)
seo changbin
➵ black and white full sleeve ➵ spent way too much time trying to weave in as many elements as possible ➵ an allegorical piece about his struggles
hwang hyunjin
➵ full back piece ➵ designed it himself but modeled it after renaissance paintings ➵ black and white because he’s dramatic like that
han jisung
➵ studio ghibli and anime themed tattoos ➵ small, minimalist ➵ loves them all so much, he accidentally starts a sticker style sleeve
lee felix
➵ hear me out, leg sleeve ➵ neo-traditional flowers and animals in color ➵ flower and color symbolism everywhere
kim seungmin
➵ surrealist tattoo that follows the flow of his bicep ➵ if he flexes, it’ll warp in a really cool way ➵ black and white with some red accents
yang jeongin
➵ new school style tattoo on his forearm ➵ probably an animal-food hybrid ➵ gets a corresponding animal-drink hybrid on his ankle
genre:fluff au:non-idol au warnings:swearing word count: 1.3k pairing: gn!reader x ot8
bang chan - tying his tie for him
On the morning he has to give a presentation to the board, he comes out of the bathroom and asks you to help him tie his tie. Still in a sleepy haze, you stumble out of bed and nearly trip over your own feet. While he reviews his presentation notes, his warm breath grazing across the tops of your knuckles, you fumble with the strip of fabric, wondering why your fingers feel so leaden. Oh, that’s because you don’t really know how to tie a tie even when you’re wide awake. You curse when you realize that you’ve ended up playing cat’s cradle with yourself.
“You don’t know how to do this, huh?” he says, smiling.
“I don’t know why you even asked me,” you grumble as you reach for your phone, hoping that the first web result will be an easy tutorial.
“Because it always makes me laugh.”
“Asshole.”
lee minho - singing in the car, getting lost upstate
The spontaneous road trip is your idea, so you’re the one driving, which means that it’s time to roll the windows down, blast the music loud, and shout all of the lyrics until you lose your voice. Minho is making up the words as he goes, hyping you up when he can’t make up any more lyrics to the cheesy hype songs you like so much. It’s not until the sun is almost down that you realize that you haven’t been attention to your surroundings at all. Gone are the typical street signs and establishments; how the fuck are you guys in the middle of nowhere?
“We’re definitely lost,” you say. “Can you pull up the GPS?”
“There’s no service out here. Turn around, maybe there’s signal back there.”
You comply and keep driving, waiting for him to announce that he’s got a signal, and after a few heart-stopping seconds, he finally does.
“Told you we should’ve have picked a destination,” he jokes. “We could have died.”
“But that’s why it’s fun!”
seo changbin - kissing in the rain
Thick, gray clouds predicate the rainstorm, so you and Changbin wait excitedly under the porch until the rain starts falling. Item number 17 on the relationship bucket list: kiss in the rain. When it finally begins, Changbin drags you out into the backyard, pulling you close only when your hair and clothes are thoroughly drenched. His own shirt is soaked through, revealing his muscles underneath, making you blush when he catches you staring. With a great big grin, he puts his lips on yours. It’s hot and cold all at once but not in a good way.
“We’re never doing this again,” you gasp, trying not to drink any of the water dripping down your nose. “Or maybe when it’s not storming.”
“I heard it’s going to drizzling tomorrow,” he slyly says. “We can try again. I’m down if you’re down.”
“I’m down if there’s no downpour.”
hwang hyunjin - giving flowers to him
This problem would not have existed if you were less stingy, but you are not, so here you are, traipsing through the ancient rose bushes on your property, trying not to get pricked by any thorns. In one gloved hand, you have kitchen scissors, and in the other, a measly three pink roses. The red roses never seem to bloom, and you wonder if this is a omen. You find a yellow rose that looks presentable and add it to your flimsy bouquet. Unfortunately, those are the only four roses that aren’t on the verge of dying, so you head inside to surprise Hyunjin with what you have.
“What’s this?” he says, trying to hold in a laugh.
You hide your bandaged hand behind your back. “Proof that I love you. I would have bought you nice ones, but my blood’s on these, so they’re worth more.”
“We’re doing blood sacrifices, huh?”
“Only the best for my love.”
han jisung - leaving notes for each other
While Jisung writes notes to you on the loveliest stationery ever, you are not quite as romantic as he is and prefer to use whatever you have lying around, be it the back of a take-out receipt or a ripped out corner of a flyer. Your note to him today is on a brown paper bag. Using a black marker, you copy the lines from a poem across the top and leave the bag beside his collection of mugs, only to spy a cream-colored piece of paper nestled in between two red mugs. With a smile, you pluck it out and unfold it. In the nicest calligraphy ever, complete with extraneous flourishes, it reads Bitch.Of course you have to add your very own elegant “bitch” to end of that very sweet poem.
When Jisung comes out to the kitchen for breakfast, he spies your note immediately. After he reads it, without looking up, he says, “Bitch.”
You kiss him good morning on the cheek. “Bitch.”
lee felix - breakfast in bed
In your half-awake state, you feel the bed shift, but since you spent last night holding back your friend’s hair, you think nothing of it and fall back into a deeper slumber. The next thing you know, the sun is in your lidded eyes, and Felix is gently shaking you. You barely register his morning greeting and mumble something unintelligible back before sitting up in bed. Unfortunately, since your eyes are still shut and since he gave no warning that a tray of food was balancing over your body, breakfast goes flying everywhere. Say goodbye to toast, eggs, bacon, and a glass of orange juice.
“I’m so sorry,” you moan as you take in the mess on the blanket and the carpet. “I’ll clean it up.”
“No, it’s okay. I got it.”
That doesn’t deter you. You gingerly step onto the floor and pick up the two pieces of toast. “What are you talking about? Sunday mornings are made for this.”
kim seungmin - sharing an umbrella
It sounded like a cute idea at first, but it’s absolutely horrible in practice because Seungmin has a tiny, tiny umbrella. It’s a green frog umbrella with pop-up eyes, which confirms your suspicions that it was made for a child, but you step under it anyway. The walk to the car from the museum is long, and you and he struggle to stay dry beneath the small canopy. It doesn’t matter that you’re practically hugging him; neither of you are safe. His wool sweater scratches against your own, and you keep bracing yourself for a shock of static every time he shifts the umbrella handle in his hand.
“Told you we should have brought my funeral umbrella,” you say as an incoming gust pelts your damp cheek with more rain.
His entire left side is drenched, but he smiles anyway. “You don’t like frogs?”
“Frogs like getting wet, I do not. Hey, stop trying to shield me.”
So he pushes the umbrella into your hands and runs out into the rain, laughing maniacally as he splashes into a puddle.
“You’re going to catch a cold tomorrow!” you shout, chasing after him.
yang jeongin - dancing ‘round the kitchen in the refrigerator light
At midnight, the windows are open, a summer song plays from Jeongin’s laptop, and the smell of pancakes wafts all throughout the kitchen. Jeongin is at the counter, topping his pile of pancakes with an abundance of whipped cream, while you dance around him on your tiptoes. He joins during the next song and sways his arms in the air before grabbing both of your hands. The two of you spin around in circles, laughing until you can no longer breathe properly. You dizzily stumble into the counter, hitting your ribs and feet against the counter.
You let out a long swear, completely ruining the atmosphere. “I’m fine, don’t worry.”
He’s concerned, but a faint smile appears anyway. “Are you sure? Because your hand is in a plate of pancakes.”
genre: fluff au: break up au warnings: none word count: 0.1k pairing: gn!reader x ot8 a/n: i’m about 90% joking lol
bang chan
He takes you out to a fancy candle-lit dinner. Cue the Legally Blonde levels of confusion.
lee minho
He sends you a card that says “Sorry For Your Loss” with a picture of him and his cats attached.
seo changbin
He writes you a song listing the reasons why for the breakup. It becomes a viral hit.
hwang hyunjin
He ghosts you. Takes all of his things, blocks you everywhere, and straight up moves to a new city.
han jisung
He does it over text, through emojis. It’s wildly confusing, but the broken hearts at the end clarify everything.
lee felix
He bakes you the most elaborate cake you have ever seen in your life. It’s really disappointing when you see the “I’m Breaking Up With You” lettering on top.
kim seungmin
He sends you a bouquet and a chart of flower meanings. You think the black roses and white lilies made his point obvious.
yang jeongin
He has a long, long speech prepared, and you actually have to interrupt because okay, you get it, no need to pour salt into the wound.
genre: fluff au: non-idol au warnings: none word count: 0.6k pairing: gn!reader x ot8
bang chan - park
Your first date is a complete surprise. He told you to dress nice, so you were expecting to go to a fancy restaurant, but it’s actually a picnic under the stars! He’s got a basket of caprese sandwiches, watermelon slices, and a whole apple pie. While the two of you sit on a red gingham blanket to eat, he makes up silly stories about the stars, and you tell him the real stories about the constellations. He then asks for you to tell him some about the moon, thinking that you don’t know any, but you surprise him with one about two lovers.
lee minho - cat café
His cats are the most important things to him, so he absolutely needs to know if you like them too. Also, a whole afternoon surrounded by cute kitties? Absolute heaven. You are beyond excited when you walk into the café. When you coo over every single cat that passes by and try to pet every one, he has to stop himself from joining in because he can’t let you know his weakness. When a tabby chooses to curl up on your lap and take a nap instead of his, he’s a little offended but simultaneously pleased. If the cats like you, then surely he will.
seo changbin - amusement park
Changbin doesn’t go to amusement parks for the rides. No, he goes to win stuffed animals at the game stalls. He wants to impress you by winning a giant bear at the dart throwing booth, but as it turns out, you’re way better at the game and end up winning it instead. He finds this incredibly hot. The bear sits between you two when you ride the ferris wheel at sunset. Since you can’t kiss him on top of the ferris wheel like you wanted, you kiss the bear instead and make him take it home. It takes you very little convincing.
hwang hyunjin - ice skating rink
Hyunjin knows how not to fall when ice skating, so he’s pretty much an expert. You have limited experience, so you’re clutching the wall for dear life while he coaxes you to trust him and hold onto his arm. When you eventually cave in, you cling to him like a koala as he teaches you how to properly glide instead of just marching along the ice. After a few rounds, you feel brave enough to try on your own, fall, grab hyunjin’s arm in panic, and accidentally bring him down with you. That kiss he gives isn’t an accident though.
han jisung - movie theater
He’s nervous and regretting his choice to watch a horror movie with you. He was betting that you would be scared and that he would be able to hold your hand to comfort you, but the problem is, he’s also scared, and he definitely can’t hold your hand because his palms are sweaty. You both end up panic-eating all of the overpriced popcorn, and now you’re in distress because there’s a popcorn kernel stuck in-between your front teeth. Luckily, both of you agree that since this is a terrible experience, another first date is in order, preferably ones with no horror movies.
lee felix - arcade
If Felix knew how competitive you were, he probably wouldn’t have picked the arcade. You are an absolute demon at air hockey, and he’s convinced that you have to be cheating somehow because there’s no way you scored five goals in a row. Same thing with the basketball free throwing game. When he beats you at DDR, you demand a rematch three times before reluctantly surrendering because he’s just too good. However, the claw machines best the both of you, and you’re the one who has to drag away before he loses all of his money trying to get that alligator plush.
kim seungmin - beach
It turns out to be more like a photography session. With his camera, he photographs you playing in the waves, looking for seashells, and doing your best not to scream when a bundle of seaweed gets tangled in your legs. While he helps you out, you take pictures of him with your phone, laughing as you capture his grimace when he holds up a long strand to show you. Afterwards, he suggests that maybe the boardwalk is a better place to be and offers to split a churro with you. And what do you know, the vendor has heart-shaped churros.
yang jeongin - pottery class
He really wants to reenact the pottery scene from the movie Ghost. The instructor sees this as well, so when she notices that you’re having some trouble getting your cup into the exact shape you want it in, she suggests that jeongin help you out. He sits behind you, cradling your body with his, and gently guides your hands. It’s way more intimate than he expected, and he’s bright red afterwards. You seem too busy with your brand new cup to notice, but when it’s time to paint and glaze a few days later, you guide his hand to draw a perfect heart in the center of his bowl.
Synopsis: The SweetHeart of Seoul discovers that the Bad Boy of Busan isn’t that bad after all. Or, you really hate what your job entails sometimes. Superhero AU inspired by The Boys, BNHA, and idol culture.
Warning: alcohol, fighting
Word Count:7.9k
Pairing: fem!superhero!reader x superhero!IN
Jihyo starts briefing you about this weekend’s events before you’ve had your daily dose of caffeine, so you think you’re having auditory hallucinations when she informs you of your upcoming team-up with Flashfire.
“The Bad Boy of Busan?” you interrupt. “That Flashfire?”
“Is there another one I don’t know about?” she impatiently says. Looks like she hasn’t had any coffee either. Or maybe way too much, considering that the Prince of Shadows, face of the SeoulHero Company, landed in the hospital last night after what was supposed to be a simple confrontation with a group of bank robbers. “Yes, him. Any other questions before I move on to your scheduled lunch with him today?”
It’s the wrong answer, but you ask, “Why?”
“He’s on loan to us while Prince’s out, which means all your team-ups and appearances with Prince are now with him, including the launch party for Hero Face over the weekend. And don’t you dare try getting out of it again. Nayeon told me all about your little stunt last week.”
Apparently, Nayeon had access to all of your family’s genealogy and international death records, and thus, your distant relative’s funeral was exposed as fake. But to be fair, attending a launch party for SeoulHero’s new makeup line sounds incredibly counterproductive as a supposed superhero.
“Why couldn’t he have picked a better time to get hurt?” Jihyo continues. “The face of SeoulHero doesn’t show up for Hero Face? Now half of our faces are from Busan Defenders. This whole launch was designed around you two, and he just had to ruin it. Freaking face, heart, and soul.”
Face, heart, and soul. Prince, you, and Seoul.
Ever since SeoulHero hired you, it has always been made clear that you are Heart, the good girl, the SweetHeart of Seoul, the Nations’ Heartbeat, and whatever other ridiculous nicknames the media has created for you. You are the wholesome hero, everyone’s favorite.
Perfect, flawless Heart.
“What about Tigerlily and Dandy?” you suggest. “How about they be the main guests instead of me? It’ll be good for their ratings too.”
Jihyo looks like she’s ready to throttle you. In an eerily calm voice, she says, “This is not about them. This is about the company. Look, I know you mean well, but contracts are contracts. You are going to the party, and you are going with Flashfire. Any other questions?”
You shake your head. An intern comes into the conference room with a cardboard holder full of coffees and places two down on the table between you and Jihyo. He whispers an apology, receiving a saccharine smile from Jihyo and a terse one from you.
The drink is cold.
You take it with you to your scheduled lunch with Flashfire. You’ve seen him create blazing infernos before on TV; heating up some coffee should be nothing.
Lunch is in the cozy café inside of SeoulHero headquarters, a surprise considering that any and all sightings you share with another hero, especially if they’re a young man, garners an outrageous amount of publicity. But for some reason, Jihyo wants to keep this business meeting under wraps. She even made you change out of your costume into civilian clothes for the occasion.
The café is strangely empty, with only two customers inside. You wouldn’t put it past Jihyo to have arranged for some fancy lunch catering so the team-up can truly be a surprise. She’s not the only leaker in the company.
You’ve nestled yourself in your favorite corner booth, surrounded by birch planters and an abundance of ivy trailing from the hanging pots. The glass windows are covered with opaque white curtains, shielding you from prying eyes walking through the third floor. However, the best part has to be its close proximity to the kitchen. The world-class pastry chef lets you try their new desserts before anyone else, and they’re so much better than those little cakes you’re forced to promote.
This is your little oasis.
You idly flip through the menu while waiting for Flashfire to arrive. You only know him through news reports and the trending hashtags on social media, and you’re certain he only knows you that way as well. Jihyo makes sure you go viral every time you walk out of a fight unscathed.
Which means just about every time you apprehend a villain.
While Flashfire has his flames and Prince his shadows, you have rapid regeneration. Your wounds stitch together in the blink of an eye, leaving only artfully messy hair and splotches of dirt as evidence of your battle. It makes for great pictures.
A soft thud across from you makes you glance up from the pictures of artisan pizza. A pair of dark sunglasses stare back at you. The embroidered cartoon dinosaur on the accompanying baseball cap waves hello. If you didn’t know that you were meeting the Bad Boy of Busan of today, you would have never thought that he wore oversized argyle sweaters. Judging by his hero costume, he seems more like a tight black shirt guy. Though if you’re judging by hero costumes, you suppose you seem more like a frills and flounce skirts type of girl rather than hoodies and sweats.
“Hi,” you say after a moment, holding out your hand. You don’t bother with your real name since this is a business meeting after all. “I’m Heart. Nice to meet you.”
“Flashfire. Hello, Heart. So,” he says after he’s finished shaking your hand, “you’re the Nation’s Heartbeat. The next IU.”
“No, I’m just Heart,” you quickly say. You’re not trying to be modest either. IU, nicknamed the Nation’s Hero and the Hero’s Hero, is exactly who the company is setting you up to be, and while you adore her and admire her, you don’t want to live in her shadow forever. The comparisons started the moment you were unveiled.
“A girl with healing powers and a smile like that? You’re going to have the whole world wrapped around your finger,” said everyone at the company. “You’re our IU,” didn’t need to be explicitly stated.
“So, Seoul,” you abruptly say. “How familiar are you with the city? Have you been here before?”
“I came here a few times for a mission last year, and I did my hero internship here, so I know this place pretty well. Anything else?”
You don’t even know why Jihyo scheduled this lunch. “Can you heat this up for me?” you ask, pushing the cold coffee towards him.
“I make fire. I’m not a microwave.”
That feels more like what you expected. Nevertheless, he ignites a small flame on the palm of his hand and holds the environmentally-conscious cup above it, being careful not to set fire to the paper. You watch with fascination as he warms the drink all over. Curls of steam begin to rise from the small opening at the top.
With a satisfied look, he sets your coffee in front of you. “Can I see your healing in real time then?”
“It’s only fair.” You roll up your hoodie sleeve and present him with your bare wrist. “Go and burn me.”
When his hand clasps around your wrist, you note that they’re strangely colder than they were when he shook your hand. However, that thought fades into nothingness. The sun has crash landed onto your arm.
When Flashfire draws his hand back, your charred muscle and scalded skin immediately begin to knit itself back together. The pain is blinding, and lava pools of heat gather at where scar tissue would be. Rapid regeneration always hurts more than actually getting injured.
Flashfire’s fingers ghost over your newly smooth skin. “No scars? Wow.”
White stars flicker behind your eyes as you yank your sleeve down. “A fourth degree burn is not comparable to heating up a drink.”
“Sorry,” he says, and he does sound apologetic. “I didn’t realize how hot that was.”
“By the looks of it, the team-up mission is going to be easy,” you reply. The pain has subsided, but you can still feel the prickle of fire. “Did your company tell you about it?”
Team-ups are just another PR stunt. The companies, with their vast network of spies, receive notice of future crimes and send their heroes to the right spot at the right time. You haven’t come across any manufactured crimes yet, but with the way SeoulHero’s PR team likes to operate…
But the one this weekend is real: a bank heist in relation to the one Prince was supposed to have stopped. Evidently, the thieves got away when he was left with half of his brain on the floor.
Flashfire nods. “Yeah.”
Jihyo really wants to keep you busy from doing actual superhero things, it appears. Patrolling the block again isn’t all that exciting, but it’s something productive at least. What even is the point of this meeting? “Well, since there’s nothing left to discuss, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
You throw your hood over your head and are about to get up when Flashfire holds up the cream-colored menu. “You don’t want to eat lunch? I’ll pay.”
The prospect of the café’s spicy chicken sandwich makes you hesitate, but you shake your head. “I should get going. The streets aren’t going to patrol themselves.”
“The SweetHeart of Seoul indeed,” he teases as he flips open the menu, shaking his head in mock amusement. “Don’t forget your coffee.”
You can still hear him chuckling to himself when you leave. Your face is hot, but it has nothing to do with your powers.
SweetHeart of Seoul.
Why did that have to be your nickname?
The bank heist is set to occur at 4:45 on a Saturday morning, which means you are in your hero costume by 4:30 and at the intersection by 4:40. The bank alarms have already gone off, and you’re just waiting for the robbers to come storming out. Squad cars have blocked off the streets in preparation, but two news vans are conveniently parked at the department store parking lot. Several more reporters from SeoulHero are waiting in stores, and you know Jihyo has sent an intern to record phone footage from an apartment building landing. Meanwhile, Flashfire is waiting in an alleyway somewhere.
Long ago, before you knew about the need for footage, you strolled right into a jewelry store and stopped the thieves before they were able to take all the diamond rings they desired. You handcuffed them. The police came and took them away. The company scolded you for not allowing the camera crew to capture anything and put you on probation for two weeks.
So now you obediently stand outside with perfect hair and makeup, waiting for the perfect action shots.
It’s all so contrived, but the media eats it up. Jihyo gets hashtags trending, fans make edits of you walking through a hail of bullets, and you continue working as a hero.
The heavy double doors of the bank burst open, the alarms blaring even louder. You run across the street in your silly heeled boots and impractical sweetheart-neckline bodysuit. The flared pink skirt—only added back because your approval ratings went down with women with daughters—swishes, giving you your own entrance music.
The trio of robbers shoot at you. You either dodge the bullet or absorb the damage completely, trying to keep a straight face as you heal. Your bodysuit is bulletproof, but the impact is still there. You distantly wonder if Flashfire just shoots out a blast of fire and completely melts the thing.
“Drop your weapons now!” you shout. You’re nearly there now.
As anticipated, they don’t comply and continue firing. However, Flashfire leaps out of his hiding spot and launches a fireball, scattering them into two directions. He goes after the duo, which leaves you the one with metal arms. If you had to guess, this is who Prince faced on Thursday night.
“Put your hands up where I can see them!” you tell him. Useless police protocol against someone with powers.
He gives you a wicked smile. “Let’s see how fast you heal, SweetHeart.”
He slams a fist into your stomach, knocking you back against a car, leaving a you-sized dent on the doors. Your ribs crack and then start to reform. Perhaps your skull has been cracked too. Black and white spots appear before your eyes, and you can vaguely make out Metal Arms heading your direction. Out of the corner of your eye, Flashfire duels with the other assailants, sending flames and smoke everywhere.
You stand up, steadying yourself with the car door mirror. Before he can land another hit on you, you swing your heeled boot between his legs and kick him down, making sure that his head lands hard against the streetlight. Luckily, your aim is good. He slumps down to the pavement, unconscious.
Cameras flash, reporters swarm you. Flashfire appears beside you as police officers begin hauling the criminals away. Someone thrusts a microphone between you two, and the barrage of questions begin.
“Flashfire, what are you doing in Seoul?”
“Heart, how did it feel to take down the criminal the Prince of Shadows didn’t?”
“Flashfire, is it true that you’re switching to SeoulHero?”
“Heart!” “Flashfire!” “Heart!” “Flashfire!”
Somehow, you manage to answer everything with grace. The years of media training have worked wonders for you, and you smile through the painful healing, hoping that you’re looking into a camera. It’s hard to tell if the white light is from yourself or the reporters. Next to organs, bones hurt the most. Flashfire has put an arm around you, and you’re grateful that there is something to stabilize your shaking form.
“Heart!” someone shouts, their voice sounding too familiar for a stranger. You squint and focus on the person, suppressing a choke when your vision clears a little. Beneath the strawberry blonde wig and the circular glasses, is the face of a woman you know all too well. Jihyo gives you a big, bright smile before bringing her mic to her lips. “Can you confirm the recent rumors that you and Flashfire are a couple?”
She holds up her phone, a picture of you and Flashfire sharing a table yesterday at the SeoulHero café. That’s why she had you arrive in civilian clothes.
The cameras capture your shocked face and Flashfire’s equally as stunned one. Another flurry of questions start. His hand feels hot against your arm, and you wriggle out of his hold.
“That’s all the time we have for questions today,” you say into an outstretched mic. Jihyo won’t stop smiling at you, and every part of you burns with embarrassment. “Thank you.”
You can’t fly, so you have to settle for briskly walking back to the car you arrived in. With your partially obscured vision, you twist your ankle as you stumble over a dip in the street, and a dual pain shoots up your leg. Flashfire, who shadows you even though he came in a separate car, guides you the rest of the way when he hears your frustrated growl. SeoulHero’s “security” team tries to prevent the crowd from following, but you know that SeoulHero’s news crew will be allowed to get up close.
“Can you comment on the rumors?” “Flashfire, is this true?”
Everyone keeps their distance from Flashfire but eagerly flock around you. As much as you would love to push past them, you can’t do so in fear of them retaliating. Headlines of “SweetHeart of Seoul Not So Sweet After All?” flash behind your eyes. That would be more than two weeks of probation.
After a delicate dance with the paparazzi, you duck inside the waiting car. Flashfire slides in beside you and slams the door shut. Moments later, Jihyo, now with her usual brown bob, gets into the front seat.
“Drive,” she commands the chauffeur.
“What was that?” you explode. Thank goodness the windows are tinted, so no one can see how angry you are.
“That was the Hero Face launch being saved. Oh, and such a great move, Flashfire, putting an arm around her. Really sold the idea.”
You whip towards him, the seatbelt catching you mid-turn. “You knew about this?”
“I didn’t. That’s a breach of contract,” he says to Jihyo, but she doesn’t seem to care.
“You should have read it more carefully then. You’re on loan to us, so you’re under our jurisdiction as long as it doesn’t harm your public image. I got approval from Busan Defenders just in time too. Thank goodness I had the foresight to pack that wig.”
“I’m the Bad Boy of Busan,” he says. “Any non-work connection I have to the SweetHeart of Seoul—”
“Is going to make your numbers go up. People love a good romance.”
“And what about me?” you fiercely say. Is that a headache or your skull still being repaired? “They’re going to think I’ve been ‘corrupted’ or whatever. I’ve done so many stupid things to uphold this good girl image that you imposed on me, and you just destroyed it in two seconds. Fantastic job, Jihyo.”
She shrugs, typing away on her phone. “Did I? Bad guy, good girl—that’s the kind of romance people love. Hashtag HeartFire. Cute, isn’t it?”
The only sound is of the asphalt crunching beneath the tires. You’re bubbling with rage, Flashfire is staring out the window with an unreadable expression, and Jihyo is busy fueling the flames of a nonexistent relationship. With nothing kind to say and the threat of probation looming over your head, you keep your mouth shut. Instead, you focus on the wrinkles of your white over-the-knee boots.
The house always wins.
You and Flashfire have been forbidden to leave company grounds until the party tomorrow night. Not for your own protection but because there will be more buzz if you do, and that would interfere with the launch.
Fortunately, your apartment, a housing accommodation by SeoulHero, is on company grounds, so at least you can weather the PR storm from the comfort of your couch. You flip through the channels, reaching for another handful of Flashfire Hot Chips whenever you see a report about the world’s fakest romance.
“How are you so calm about this?’ you ask, dusting the crumbs off from your hoodie.
Since Flashfire’s temporary living quarters are two floors above you, he has decided to accompany you while you fume. He brought snacks as well, which is why you let him in in the first place. “This isn’t the worst thing in the world.”
“They went behind your back and made your private life public. Sounds pretty bad to me.”
“It’s just a PR stunt. It happens all the time, and this isn’t even real. Why does it matter so much to you?”
Of course he doesn’t care; with the number of alleged one-night stands he has had and the string of broken hearts behind him, he has scandals aplenty. This is just a Flashfire regular. However, your record is so clean, it sparkles. Jihyo scrubbed all the “unpalatable” bits from history and made sure that you would be perfect, flawless Heart.
“It’s a betrayal of trust, for one,” you tell him instead as you rip open another bag. “Secondly, I don’t like being a pawn, especially for something I couldn’t care less about.”
“We’re heroes.” His bravado fades, a sigh hanging onto his lips. “That’s the price we pay if we want to save the world.”
“You’re jaded.”
“And you’re new to this. It’s your, what, third year?”
“Three years total but second professional year.”
It’s been three years since you went to the SeoulHero Company’s auditions with a backpack full of weapons. By the time you got to the homemade Molotov cocktail, they were already gathering papers for you to sign. A year of internships later, you made your grand debut as Heart.
His lazy smile is faraway, clouded with something you can’t discern. “Well, it’s going to be my seventh. You’ll get used to it.”
You remember seeing articles about Flashfire’s early debut. He was still a teenager but a prodigy with masterful control of his superpowers. Busan Defenders signed him immediately.
“It’s to drum up interest for the thing, so it’s not going to be forever,” he continues. “If it makes you feel any better, I’ll deny it at the party, say you were telling me about Seoul—”
“Which was what we were doing anyway.”
“—since I’m covering for Prince. Easy, right?”
It does sound easy. Just a “no” would destroy the narrative, and you would be free from one less restriction. But you shake your head, crumpling up an empty bag in a vain attempt to quell your disappointment. “Thanks, but I’ll be put on probation for a whole year if you do. It’s one night, right? I can handle it. Yeah, it’ll be fine.”
Flashfire doesn’t seem to believe you, but the truth is, you don’t believe it either. Jihyo’s plans are never so simple.
Hero Face’s party officially begins at six o’clock, but since you’re one of the guests of honor, you’re allowed to be late. Hence, why you are still being made presentable at seven.
Momo, your makeup artist since your inception as Heart, is dusting your cheekbones with the Brand New Specially Formulated Hero Highlighter, and Jeongyeon, Prince’s usual stylist, is hairspraying your hair into oblivion. Meanwhile, you’re doing your best not to make too many faces. According to your phone, there is currently a four-car pileup on the highway. You should be there.
“Seven thirty,” Jihyo reminds everyone in the vicinity. “If anyone is late, you will be fired. And Heart, if you try anythingtonight—”
“I know. Probation.”
“No, even worse. I’m going to make you go to every single promo event we have.” Despite her icy words though, she sweetens her tone when she directly addresses you. “Just grin and bear through it, okay? I know I’ve been hard on you lately, but my own promotion is counting on this. Please don’t ruin it for me.”
You feel a twinge of guilt, but it quickly shrivels up when you remember all the things she ruined for you, namely not being able to drink your favorite brand of soju because of a sponsor conflict. “You got all the buzz you needed for the launch party. What else do you need? Me to kiss Flashfire?”
“That would be perfect, yes.” At your glowering expression, she rolls her eyes. “Mostly kidding. Just stay until the press stuff is over and don’t do anything dumb. Stick with Flashfire all night and pretend to be excited. If anyone asks, you two are dating.”
“I’m not going to lie about the relationship,” you lie, “so you better keep those mics and cameras away from me.”
She stands up straight and flips her bob back, looking down at you in the makeup chair. A smug smile curves across her face, and you know she has seen right through your words. “Heart, don’t try to threaten me. Leave that to the villains. You’re too good for that.”
After she walks away—probably to yell at some unsuspecting intern for breathing too loudly—Momo sympathetically pats your shoulder. “Don’t waste your energy on her. She’s not worth it. Let’s get you dressed now.”
The stylists put you in a creamy pink dress with puffy sleeves and a long flouncy skirt. It’s more romantic than your usual ensembles, but this is what Jihyo is trying to sell. Your only consolation is that they at least didn’t give you a sweetheart neckline.
As Sana helps you into your heels, Jeongyeon arranges the tendrils of hair around your forehead, mumbling to herself as she does so. Seven thirty is fast approaching, and you have to get down to the party in SeoulHero’s main lobby by then. Someone hands you a pearl-handled clutch, and you mindlessly drop your phone in. According to one of Sana’s long ago fashion lectures, a good look isn’t complete with a good accessory. Sana also says that no, an opaque veil does not count, and no, she can’t hide your pretty face like that.
“Done,” Jeongyeon breathes, practically pushing you to Flashfire. He’s been lounging on a couch for the past ten minutes. Unlike his typical outfits, his black suit jacket is actually buttoned up tonight, revealing only a thin triangle of skin instead of his whole chest.
“Should we get going before Jihyo yells at us?” you say in lieu of a greeting. “You look nice, by the way. Less… scary.”
Though he shrugs at the compliment, a hint of a blush appears on his cheeks. “I like it a lot better than what they usually put me in. Do they only let you wear pink?”
Your hero costume is pink and white, and that color scheme stays for all your company-selected outfits. “Gotta stay on brand.”
“Don’t I know it. You look pretty though. Pink’s your color.”
“SeoulHero certainly thinks so too,” you say, not even bothering to hide your derision. “Let’s get this over with.”
However, from the shadows, Jihyo springs upon you two right before the elevator doors close. “Flashfire, put your arm around her, and Heart, before you say anything, I was going to make Prince do this with you too. Don’t ruin this for me, and I won’t ruin it for you. Have fun and remember: face, heart, and soul.”
“Face, heart, and soul,” you hollowly repeat back. You press the ‘CLOSE DOOR’ button, and the doors mercifully close.
The ride down is quiet, with only the soft intermittent chimes of the floor numbers disrupting the silence. Flashfire hovers his arm around your waist, waiting for you to give him express permission. On the third floor, you say, “Go ahead.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah. It’s just for a little bit.” You sigh and smooth the skirt of your dress. “I trust you.”
The doors open, revealing the crowd of media personnel and guests that have been invited. The bright lights leave no one in the shadows and nowhere to hide. Numerous cameras capture the opulent party and its attendees. From the second you and Flashfire step out, all eyes are on his hand on your waist.
Lia, a reporter from SeoulHero, has been waiting for this orchestrated moment. “And here with us now are two of the world’s greatest heroes. Heart, Flashfire, you two look so amazing tonight. I have to ask, are you wearing Hero Face?”
You answer her preplanned questions with ease, embellishing your love for the Clinically Proven Enhanced Formula Dewy Foundation. Flashfire, who has been briefed, gets a few softball questions about the launch and his career. He holds you gently the entire time. His hand burns in a way that is unrelated to his powers as you wait for Lia to ask your least desired inquiry.
“You two are looking pretty cozy together,” she says, even though there is a noticeable gap between you and Flashfire, “and we all want to know: is HeartFire a thing?”
“I don’t know,” Flashfire says, looking at you. “Is it?”
Lia and Flashfire are waiting with anticipation, and about half the room is as well. “I don’t know either,” you finally answer. You give Lia a big, bright smile, reminiscent of Jihyo’s. “What do you think?”
The panic is clear in her eyes. “That adorable picture of two having lunch makes me think you are.”
She needs you to confirm it. You can’t outright deny it since that will definitely land you into hot water, so you keep smiling through your distress like she does and hope that she bows out first. Fortunately, Flashfire has found the way to get out of the situation.
“Is that IU?” he says with perfect incredulity.
Even though you know IU respectfully declined the invitation, you are still fooled and look towards the entrance like everyone else. In the meantime, Flashfire practically pushes you out the clutches of the media as they start swarming the glass double doors.
“Thanks,” you say once you two are hidden behind one of the giant ice sculptures commissioned for the event.
“That’s what heroes do.”
You laugh at his overly serious tone. “We can’t do that for all of the other interviews though. What are we going to do?”
Flashfire rolls his shoulders back and glances at the dispersing herd of reporters who are certainly upset that IU isn’t actually here. “They don’t call me the Bad Boy of Busan for no reason.”
After more interviews from different news outlets where Flashfire essentially dodged the question by creating various distractions and after several thousand pictures, you and he head to the penthouse level where the real party is taking place. To your relief, there are no reporters, and the only cameras are those from the attendees. Most of the guests—investors, board members, other invited heroes and celebrities—have already arrived, drinking peach colored champagne as they airily laugh at witty jokes. The lights tint everything gold, and the bright city lights from below only emphasize how exclusive this party is.
“We’re free,” you sigh as you sink into a nearby couch. You think your face is going to be stuck in that simpering, smiling expression forever. “That was amazing.”
“Nothing I haven’t done before.” He also sighs. “You’re not going to get in trouble, are you? Your PR person sounded pretty serious.”
“I’ll be fine. She wanted publicity, we got her some. If you get into trouble, just tell her I made you do it. I’m so done with this.”
It’s almost sweet that he sounds concerned when he asks, “You’re not thinking of retiring, are you?”
“I’m just tired of the facade. I wanted to be a superhero to help people, not to sell random things. I know it’s part of the job, but I wish that it wasn’t so much of it.”
There’s another round of silence. A waiter comes by with a tray of champagne glasses, but you shake your head when he holds it out to you. Flashfire takes one, sips on it for a second before making a sour face and setting it down. Your clutch resting on your lap keeps vibrating with phone calls, no doubt from Jihyo.
“Shouldn’t you answer that?” he says.
One look at the screen confirms your suspicions—sixteen missed calls and a slew of messages you have no intention of looking at. You power off your phone, but not before you spot the news alert of a jewelry store break-in on the other side of the district.
With a renewed sense of spirit, you stand up, pushing back the unfamiliar pink skirt at your legs. “You wanna do some hero stuff?”
It’s an easy mission, one that you and Flashfire complete within a minute of arrival, since none of the thieves have powers. After the police arrive, you pluck pieces of glass shrapnel from your arm, barely wincing when you break the repaired skin. Still fascinated, Flashfire stares.
“It’s not that exciting,” you remark as you pull at the last remaining visible one. You’re going to have to dig through with tweezers and scalpels later for the smaller fragments.
“Yeah, to you. You’re practically invincible.”
You shrug. The remnants of the store’s broken window crunches with the sidewalk beneath your boots as you start walking back to the company car you borrowed. Technically, you don’t have permission to use it, but the newly hired employee at the garage doesn’t know that.
“Patrol?” you suggest. “Unless you want to go back to the party. I have to drop off the car back at the garage anyway.”
“We’re patrolling on foot?”
“I always do.”
He contemplates it for a second. “Yeah, let’s go.”
The two of you somehow manage to avoid Jihyo and her horde of interns when Flashfire returns the car and while you scrape through your skin for remaining shards. Your party outfit and phone are somewhere on your living room floor, haphazardly covered with a throw blanket in case someone, namely Jihyo, comes searching. After all those calls and messages, she must be.
But you fulfilled your end of the bargain: you stayed until the press interviews finished. You have no idea what Flashfire’s contract entails, but he didn’t seem too bothered by your suggestion. That might be because of who he is though and not necessarily because of a legal obligation.
You weave through the streets and alleys with efficiency, stopping to wave at gawking passersby. Less than discreet phone cameras take pictures of you and your PR stunt. When a teen girl asks you why you aren’t at the Hero Face party, you loudly reply that herowork is more important. Someone nearby whistles in agreement.
The girl mercifully asks Flashfire, “Did Heart make you come with her?” instead of “Are you dating Heart?”
You look at him with the same question on your face. He willingly came, but if he wants to keep up his persona, he’ll say otherwise. A similar concern must have crossed his mind since he replies, “Don’t forget that I’m a hero too,” not quite answering the question.
It’s a satisfactory response for them.
“We have to keep moving, but thanks for coming out to say hi,” you tell them. You take long strides forward, Flashfire following behind, and a path opens. Some thank you for your work, and a sense of fulfillment wells up inside you. This part of being a superhero you love—the people’s joy and their warmth.
“They really love you,” Flashfire remarks as he glances back. A few curious stragglers lurk by, but they’re too shy to approach when two heroes are walking side by side, their steps purposeful and their eyes watchful. “I think that man almost fainted when you smiled at him.”
“They love you too.”
“Not in the same way as you. Is this your usual route?” he abruptly asks. Dressed in his tight-fitting all-black costume, he’s difficult to make out beneath the shadows of the tall buildings.
“It changes every time,” you answer, “so no one knows my patterns. Jihyo wanted me to stick to one for publicity, but screw that. How do you do it in Busan?”
At the mention of his home city, he brightens a bit. “I stick with one route in the day, mostly so I get lunch at this deli. They’ve got the best bulgogi in the world. The grandma that runs it always gives me some extra.”
“The perks of being a superhero, getting free food,” you say, thinking back to the café. The scent of grilled meat wafts out from a Korean barbeque joint, and as if on cue, your stomach growls. “You wanna get dinner at the SeoulHero café when we’re done? They’ve got the best chicken sandwich in the world.”
“Yeah. We can finally go on that date everyone thinks we were on.” He sighs. “You know, my mom called me that night and asked me if it was true. ‘If it can’t be IU, then Heart is just as good.’”
The comparison makes you wince, but you make a noise of acknowledgement.
A small scuffle in an alleyway catches your eye, but Flashfire beats you to the scene first, illuminating the dim corridor with a flickering flame in the palm of his hand. The harsh light reveals two waitstaff wrestling a giant trash bag into an already full dumpster. They nearly drop the bag in an effort to say a greeting.
“Keep up the good work, gentlemen,” Flashfire says before extinguishing his fire. When he steps back onto the main sidewalk, he furtively glances back. “Are you a little disappointed that it wasn’t a fight?”
“How very on-brand of you to say that,” you tell him even though you wished it was as well. You want to feel useful, like being a superhero nowadays isn’t all just appearances and fake dating.
“Well, it wouldn’t have been on-brand if you said it.”
You laugh, and for a few glorious seconds, you feel a little lighter. Meanwhile, Flashfire looks pleased with himself that he elicited something other than exasperation from you. The moment of unfiltered happiness, however, disappears when a black car pulls up to the curb and rolls down its tinted windows.
Sitting in the passenger seat is your current bane of existence. “Get in the car, Heart. A rep from Chiffon just called and said they’re interested in you being on next month’s cover. Their editor-in-chief is at the party, so you need to go back now.”
There are too many people around for you to spit a retort back. Flashfire looms underneath the street sign, waiting for you to take the lead.
“I’m not done with patrol yet,” is all you can get out.
“Flashfire can handle it.” When she sees that you’re standing steadfast, she adds in a whisper, “Look, once I get promoted, you won’t have to deal with me anymore, so just go back to the party and talk with her for a while. Then you can do whatever you want. Call off the relationship, drop that soju sponsorship, whatever. I’ll even let you change your hero costume to whatever you want. I know you hate it.”
In an equally low tone, you reply, “And no more threatening me with probation either. Or putting me on probation, for that matter.”
She rolls her eyes. “Fine.”
“We’re adjusting my contract to reflect that.”
“Fine. Now get in before she decides you’re not worth her time.”
You step backwards, aligning yourself with Flashfire, who looks amused at this turn of events. “I’m finishing patrol first. I’ll be at the party later.”
“You can handle it,” Flashfire cheekily says to Jihyo before starting down the block. “Let’s get a move on it, SweetHeart. The world needs some saving.”
You run after him, hiding the triumphant grin you have on.
You’re not a liar, so you returned to the party and chatted with Chiffon’s editor-in-chief, a woman dripping with jewels who did not seem too perturbed that you arrived in your costume instead of formal outfit. Now you’re splayed across your living room couch, dressed to the zeros in sweats. The TV plays reruns of a bad drama. You watch with glassy eyes as the CEO’s superpowered wife intentionally freezes his phone.
The editor-in-chief was kind. She also asked enough questions to warrant you feeling like you were being interrogated. How Flashfire answered everything with an air of nonchalance, you have no clue. All you can hope for now is that she likes you enough to have you on the cover of her magazine. Then Jihyo can leave you alone forever.
The loud chime of your doorbell snaps you back into reality. You pad across the foyer and open the door, revealing a smiling Flashfire holding a bag from the café. He offered to pick up dinner after noticing how sullen you were on the elevator ride down, and you readily accepted.
“I didn’t know you could look like death with your powers,” he teases. He shuts the door behind him and follows you to the dining area.
You’re far too interested about what he brought back to say something snarky back. You peer into the bag and retrieve your favorite item, sighing with pleasure when you realize that he got your order correct. “How’d you know about the pickles and sauce?”
“I asked the head chef to give me two orders of whatever you like. You know they have a framed photo of you in the kitchen?” He takes a bite out of his sandwich. “Mm, this is good. It’s got just enough spice.”
The aforementioned framed photo was a joke to celebrate your status as the café’s most beloved customer. You signed the back of it, calling it an investment for the chef.
“You want to go out on the balcony?” you ask. “It tastes better when you’re cold.”
When he nods, you slide open the glass and step out onto the polished wooden slats. As expected, they’re freezing, and you hold your warm sandwich even tighter. If you squint a bit, the traffic lights and lit-up windows are excellent replacements for stars.
A flash of orange catches your eye, and you look at Flashfire with confusion when he holds a large flame. It burns white for a moment and disappears. However, he seems pleased by what he has produced.
“What was that for?” you ask.
Humming to himself, he further peels back the sandwich wrapper. “Promise you won’t tell?”
“What’s to tell?” you first say and then add, “I won’t, I promise. Is it that secretive though?”
“It is when it deals with my powers. I use my own body heat to create fire, so my body temperature drops after. I have to be careful or else I’ll die, but you know, normal superhero things. And you said it tastes better when it’s cold, so I thought it would be best to make myself colder.” He pauses for a beat. “So what’s your drawback? If you even have one, that is.”
While you stay quiet, wondering if you should reveal it, Flashfire continues eating his dinner, the crunch of the chicken and lettuce intermingling with the sounds of traffic.
“Rapid regeneration hurts,” you finally say. “Even more so than getting injured. From least to most pain, it goes skin, muscle, bones, organs.”
His face is panicked as he remembers how he burned your wrist. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s fine, I’ve been through worse. If we’re apologizing, I’m sorry about dragging you into my mess with Jihyo and being very not-Heart. PR stuff usually doesn’t get me this upset, but… yeah.” You fill your mouth with food before you can continue rambling.
“Your entire hero persona is about PR. I’d be pissed if my hero name had to fit the company slogan,” he muses. “I mean, I picked mine when I was sixteen, and it’s kind of dumb, but it’s mine at least.”
You hesitate at first, but soon, your hand moves of its own accord toward him. You raise your pinky finger up. “Promise you won’t tell anyone?”
He hooks his pinky with yours and presses his thumb against yours. “I’m very trustworthy. What’s this about though?”
Jihyo’s words to you from two years ago ring in your head, her voice as clear as day when she warns you not to tell the truth. It’s going to damage your reputation, she said, so keep your mouth shut. I’ll take care of everything else.
“I was allowed to pick my name,” you slowly begin. “Jihyo had been assigned to me when I first got accepted and told me I had to choose my hero name before the end of the internship period. I worked under Miss A during my internship, and because I was the rookie, I got all the undesirable jobs. One night, she sent me to the red light district in Miari to patrol, and there was a girl getting beat by a man in an alley. She was bleeding from her head and holding up her arms in defense. I stepped in to stop him, and he turned on me to ‘teach me a lesson for being nosy.’
“I told the girl to run, and she did. He didn’t chase after her. After a few punches, he saw that I wasn’t dying, so he summoned knives from his body. Turns out he had superpowers too. He started slashing and stabbing at me, and I couldn’t fight back that much since I was in so much pain. He started panicking when he realized that it wasn’t enough, and I’ll spare you the details. He cut out my heart. Then he ran off.
“I passed out.
“Miss A found me an hour later when I didn’t come back to company headquarters in time. I was healed, but I was still on the floor, unconscious. Apparently, she saw my old heart from the street and decided to check out the alley. I told Jihyo when I woke up that I wanted my name to be Heart. You should have seen her face. I think she started working on all those nicknames that morning. She told me she would take care of the rest, and when I debuted, I found out that she made up a fake story for my name.
“SeoulHero cleaned up the mess, and I found out later that Miss A got fired for endangering a rookie and because she wasn’t supposed to send me to red light districts. Their reasoning was that I was too young, but it was probably because they couldn’t have the next IU be associated with brothels. I’m technically not even supposed to be telling you all this.” You take a large bite, unsure of what to say next. Even with the sounds of the city, it’s unsettlingly quiet.
Flashfire offers you a wry smile. “If it makes Jihyo mad, it’s worth it, right? Heart, that’s hardcore. What happened to the guy?”
“Miss A handled him. It was her last mission before she got fired.” Your sandwich is gone, so you crumple up the wrapper into a tight little ball. Flashfire incinerates his and cups the dust between his hands before the wind can send it across the sky. Environmentally conscious. SeoulHero would love him. “Thanks for going along with everything tonight and before that too. You’re a surprisingly chill person for someone who uses fire.”
He punctuates your comment by unleashing a small, thin flame. It dances on his fingertip like a will o’ wisp, and he blows it out with a puff.
It makes you laugh, and you quickly add, “And for the record, I think Flashfire’s a pretty cool name, not dumb at all.”
He leans against the railing, his public persona melting away when he smiles a wide, gummy smile at you. “You really think so? Hey, did you know that we’re the same age? You can call me Jeongin. Can I call you by your name instead of Heart?”
How brazen, and how very Flashfire-like of him to ask. “Yeah, why not?” You introduce yourself to him as your true self, and a shy blush creeps up your cheeks. It’s been so long since you’ve been anyone but Heart.
“We’ll stay in touch, right? If you ever need to go scorched earth”—he makes a flame burst and pop in his hand—“I’m your hero.”
“I think I’m good, but thanks, Jeongin.”
His powers don’t hold a candle to the way he beams. It’s only when he leaves, saying good night with your name attached, do you realize that he’s one of the few heroes that knows your real name. It’s silly, but it makes you feel a lot better about your job, like you’re less alone in the red tape of the superhero business. You don’t think any other hero has seen you lose it like he did.
You go to bed that night with a lighter conscience and are ready to face whatever nonsense SeoulHero has drummed up for you the following day. When you finally power your phone on, bracing yourself for the early morning emails and hopefully a goodbye message from Jihyo, a horrifying news alert pops onto your feed.
SEOULHERO CONFIRMS THAT SUPERHEROES HEART AND FLASHFIRE ARE DATING.
Blood thrumming in your ears, you flick away the notification only for it to be replaced by a text from Jihyo, asking if you enjoyed her parting gift. You don’t reply. Instead, you dial Nayeon’s number, pace around your room, and plot the demise of your career. SeoulHero might not want you afterwards, but maybe another company will.
“Heart?” comes Nayeon’s sleepy voice. “Everything okay?”
“I need Flashfire’s number now, and every single news reporter you can get your hands on.”
“Why?”
“I have something important to announce.”
In case any of you wanted to see all the fake tweets I made for the banner:
You did a great job ignoring those who disliked you, you thought you were great at it, specially woth Jeongin, that until college work forces you to work together.
This is a work of fiction, people mentioned or involved are actual human beings and none of this work is based on actual facts over the celebrities mentioned nor is intented to portray them in a realistic way.
Some themes are not factually acurate, any problem detected on the information given may be comunicated to me via DM.
