Unspoken

it’s missing trent’s locs hours everyone clock in

there's a trent as pingu thread on twitter 😭

https://x.com/guysplzshave/status/1788536368169443453?s=46

you are in love

synopsis there is absolutely no doubt in chad's mind that he is so very in love with you, as much as you are in love with him, and he can't help but silently tell you in the way he knows best

a/n you know when artists film one take music videos and just go with it? that is exactly what this fic is <3 (ps recommended song for this one is, you guessed it, you are in love by taylor swift you cannot tell me that this doesn't give off the same vibes, it absolutely does)

Chad couldn’t hear a single word anybody was saying. He hadn’t heard them in a long time and they had yet to notice. To be fair, though, he wasn’t really making an effort to listen. He was much too preoccupied with his current situation.

He’d gravitated to you instantly, as he always did. The two of you had walked through the door of Sam and Tara’s apartment and it took a good amount of effort to unwind his arms from around your waist. And even then it was only after promising you’d be right there in just one second.

You’d been able to see him sitting on the couch perfectly clear. Once every twenty seconds he’d glance into the kitchen, where you were talking to Anika, like clockwork. Whenever you happened to catch Chad’s eye he’d give you the biggest grin ever with this little sparkle in his eyes but never once did he rush you. He did, however, start getting just a little bit more antsy and you could tell.

It’d been over two hours since you sat down next to him and he hadn’t moved at all. Chad was convinced now more than ever that this right here with you was his happy place. He was curled into your side, body scrunched into a little ball, with his head on your shoulder. He wasn’t too sure how long it’d been since he had zoned out of the conversation, and frankly everything else around him, but he couldn’t be more content.

He held your hand closest to him in his lap. One of his hands held yours gently while the other wandered. His touch was light as a feather as he traced up and down your arm first before moving to your hand when he saw the glint of your rings under the living room light. He twisted one of them, a pretty little one with a sun in the middle, one he’d bought you not too long ago after you lost your previous one, around for a while before moving on to playing with your fingers.

All the while you kept talking. Chad listened as you laughed. He could feel the way your body shook and glanced up only to watch your head fall back and your eyes crinkle, to see the way you smiled and giggled through whatever you had to add to the conversation. He let out a gentle and completely lovestruck sigh, before smiling himself and resuming his previous motions.

He let go of your hand briefly only to turn it so your palm was facing up. His touch turned a little heavier as he traced the lines of your palm back and forth. He followed the way they criss crossed and rose and fell and got deeper and eventually he felt the way you shivered a bit. Chad smiled again.

You moved for the first time since you’d sat down and it was only to turn and look at Chad a little closer. There was no doubt in your mind he was beaming down at the way he was holding your hand with not a single thought in that head of his. You let go of him and his movements stopped completely as he watched you move.

Really you couldn’t help yourself. You hooked a finger under his chin, slowly and gently tilting his head up so he could look at you. The two of you were so close in proximity that you could both see and hear the way his breath hitched when you held him and started gliding your thumb across his cheekbone.

And then you dared to make a move. You shifted a bit, giving you slightly better access to lean in and kiss him once. Twice. Then three times, each one soft and barely there as you looked right at him and his reactions the whole time. He chased after your lips with his own when you pulled away but you shifted, just out of reach again. But still, you never let him go.

Instead you traced his bottom lip with the pad of your thumb before smiling at him and declaring, “You’re so pretty, you know that?”

Chad almost forgot where the two of you were. The living room lights and the sound of your shared friends still talking all around him tore him back down to reality. He didn’t move and he could almost swear he was able to feel your heart beating as fast as his.

His hand, the one that had been holding yours for so long, reached up to cover yours. It felt almost empty without the weight of your hand in his anymore. And then he let his eyes flicker. They shifted across your features, ones he had memorized long ago, before flashing down to your lips and lingering there for a second. He almost leaned in again and it took every bit of control to not give in, knowing exactly what he’d do if he did.

Instead Chad looked into your eyes again and let out another soft sigh, along with the involuntary echo of this little noise. One that made you grin wildly at him. He kept staring at you. He was lost for a second before finally remembering how to form the words he so badly wanted to say. “Can we go home now?”

There was no other option than to give in to his request, there really, really wasn’t. You kissed him one more time. Harder, deeper, and slower. One that told him exactly what he was in for. Exactly how you felt.

You stood as quickly as you’d kissed him and took a step backwards, pulling him from his dazed position on the couch. “Hey, I think we’re gonna head out for the night.”

You paid no mind at all to the shouts and playful jeers that came from behind you as you started pulling him out of the apartment with no hesitation. All you did was laugh one more time, ignoring their questions and taunts while shouting a quick goodbye before shutting the door. Frankly, you were already much too preoccupied with the thoughts of what was to come and the way Chad wrapped his arms around your waist again tightly, still absolutely refusing to let you go.

reporting live

trent alexander arnold x fem!reader. fluff. Trent who was rather interested in the reporter than the actual report he had to give.

Time was ticking on a thin thread for you as your supervisor might call you within five minutes if you do not interview, at least, one player of liverpool. You have been in the reporting field for at least seven months and you now also have juniors yet for you to move like an amateur was hurting your pride.

You are social issues reporter, going around different cities, and write an interesting jaw-dropping report then, call it a day. Sport reporting was not your forte, it is almost like . . fork found in your backpack. Simply out of place. The million dollar question ringing in your head was why were you here in Anfield Stadium at the first place but you face-palmed yourself on accepting to cover for your senior who was in her maternity leave. You had always hated whenever you had to cover for a reporter doing sports. No particular reasoning, just childhood trauma.

You saw all the liverpool footballer players walking out from the dressing room after a hot win. You crossed path with the tall, charismatic dutch leader of liverpool to the small growing liverpool superstar Endo but you had your goal set on the biggest prize, the player with a fresh trim, and his headphone on as every reporter tried catching his attention.

Trent Alexander Arnold, the star of Anfield and liverpool. Your supervisor might as well, move you to the Sports section if you got to interview Trent; you were not looking forward to that but a lady has bills to pay. You sighed as you had to save your job before it slipped away from your grip.

Just one interview, anyway. What is the harm? You held the sleeve of his tracker suit lightly, you needed this, you needed a bang.

"Great win in Anfield, innit? Please let us know about how are you feeling about the win?" You asked reaching your microphone out to the man. His gaze froze, so did his feet in front of you. It could be the audacity to block his way toward the team bus or the glitch of mischievousness in his eyes that flickered on your red hue cheeks.

Trent chuckled as he moved slightly forward removing his headphone, your eyes set on the man completely compelled from the bridge of his nose, deep doe eyes to his captivating smile. Everything about the man was setting you up for a failure, realizing how much of a bad idea this was.

"Yeah, yeah it is great team win but to become the last scorer for the win is a different achievement, so I am proud and happy." Trent answered, his eyes never leaving yours for a minute. His heavy scouser accent oozed out every word as Trent kept his smile intact.

His eyes glanced at you, noting the rose hue on your cheeks, one hand slightly shaking to hold onto the microphone and the other holding onto the notebook. "Come here, love. Let me hold that for you." He mumbled gripping on the microphone as your fingers brushed on his and you were secretly praying to every god that was staring upon you to not show your slight jump after the touch.

"Okay so-" You paused, clearly out of the atmosphere as you were in no place to check out players nor drool out your delusional ideas when you have a very angry supervisor waiting on the clock and an impatient cameraman behind you. "Yeah, I cannot lie, you . . you were great in the field." You complimented him quickly but you were not lying about it. With the long passes, and all the chances Trent created for the team; anyone can tell he was born to become a football player who succeeds with legacy.

"You were watching?" Trent asked raising his eyebrows in question. Utterly confused, you paused to flip your notebook to look at the man in front of you. With the silent eye contact, your neck burnt hot. You nodded sternly, a thin smile on your face. "Of course, I was watching, I mean, I am a reporter, can't be missing out on the main point of the whole show."

Trent kissed his teeth, he smirked, "So, tell me more. How was I on the field? Did you like what you see?" He winked at your direction. Your mind went blank, in what position does he have to be to flirt openly with a camera panning on his face? The burning hot sensation on your back came straight up and your heart beating fast was not helping to form words, "Like . . like I said, you were great. You are the star of liverpool after all." You sweetly smiled.

Trent had the cheeky smile on his face, his eyes lingering on your lips before glancing upward to your eyes. He knew what he was doing to you moving closer to the barrier between the reporters and the players.

You cleared your throat. "You are also the player of the match." You trailed off; Trent leaned closer. Call it the stadium being loud for him to not hear you clearly or he simply wanted to be close to you, to mesmerize the small moles on your face, to engulf himself on your warm scent.

"Are you excited for your next big game against Manchester City?" You inquired. All the back and forth staring and silence with Trent will not colour your supervisor impressed at all. You need to interview someone else that will not . . leave you speechless in minutes.

"Well it depends, to be very honest with you. Will you be in the next game?" Trent further pestered.

You furrowed your eyebrows in slight annoyance at the player for making everything about you while the whole fanbase would want to know more about him.

The cameraman behind you almost dropped his equipment taken back by the question. You did not know . . how to respond to the player who was attacking you with his doe eyes. Nervously, you laughed, "I cannot be certain about that. Are you and your team ready? It is one of the anticipated game of the season." You diverted his topic back to what you needed at the first place.

Trent stared at you without responding to your question, you quickly started shaking your leg anxiously as your eyes lingered at almost all the players leaving to go back to the training ground from the stadium. Your chances were blowing every second Trent silent in front of you.

During this period, you started considering finding other jobs, as you started making mental notes. With thoughts looming around your head, you did not come to realize Trent walked a few steps toward you, nibbling on his bottom teeth. He removed the microphone away from his lips, coming forward for a conversation that is sealed between you and the liverpool player.

You flinched at his hot breathe hitting your skin, as he gently held onto your forearm to keep you in position knowing you will move away from his contact.

You coughed away from his grip. "Have a great day then. We cannot wait till what magic liverpool can bring to Anfield once again."

"And you too, have a great day but i did not quite catch your name." He inquired with his wicked smirk playing on his face. He wants me gone, jobless. Clearly, with zero intention to support my penniless lifestyle.

You smiled, "If you do goal against Manchester City, I will let you know."

"Should we seal the deal with a kiss then, perhaps?"

pep telling trent to join the academy group photo 😭❤️

changed my theme !

LOVE LESSONS

genre. fluff. mutual pining. whc1 w/o the angst au. warnings. they're both whipped. pairing. sieun x fem!reader. wc. 2.6k. (wish it was longer damn) request. no. a/n. happy birthday @yeonjuns-redhair i love you so so so so much you'd better enjoy it 🔪

Sieun hadn’t taken much interest in girls during his life. Other than the fleeting first crush he had when he was fourteen, girls had been the last thing on his mind as he focused all his energy into his grades. But there was just something about you that Sieun couldn’t ignore. Without realising it, he was falling head over heels in love with you and he didn’t even have the courage to speak a single word to you.

You sat a seat up from Sieun one row over, a spot which allowed him to admire you silently whenever he wanted (which was increasingly becoming the only thing he wanted to do). Whenever the window was open on a warmer day, the breeze would always reach your hair and blow in just the way to take Sieun’s breath away. He had become an expert at pretending to be absorbed in his notes like he always was, but his gaze always found its way to you eventually.

The first person to realise was Sooho.

“You like Y/n or something?” Sooho teased, dropping into the seat in front of Sieun, making him look up from his notes which hadn’t been added to in the past 20 minutes despite the pencil in his hand.

“Is it obvious?” Sieun said in a panicked voice, eyes glancing over the mostly empty room just to make sure no one was listening.

“Given that she has the power to take your attention away from your studies, I’d say so.” Sooho pointed out, grinning.

“What do I do?” Sieun sighed, dropping his pencil, dropping his head into his hands.

Sooho leaned back in his seat, pretending to think, “Ask her out, obviously.”

Sieun’s eyes widened, “What?”

“What?” Sooho echoed.

“I… I can’t ask her out.”

“Why not?”

Sieun flushed, “...She’s too good for me.” He mumbled.

Sooho raised his eyebrow at this, “Oh, you’re more whipped than I thought.” He gave Sieun a lopsided grin, finding the younger boy adorable. “Let me guess, you’ve never had a girlfriend before?” Sieun shook his head. “Don’t worry,” Sooho nodded as he spoke, “I can help you.”

“How?”

“Private lessons.” Sooho concluded, standing up and patting Sieun’s shoulder before walking out of the classroom. Sieun stared at him as he left, feeling the anxiety rising and he tried to gulp it back down.

//

Sieun’s first “private lesson” took place the next day. As he worked his part time job at the restaurant, Sooho gave all the advice he had to Sieun. Most of it went right over the smaller boy’s head, but he tried his best to at least write it all down on a notepad. He would need all the help he could get in order to even approach you, so he studied diligently. 

“Figure out what she likes first. If she likes strawberry smoothies, buy her a strawberry smoothie. If she likes stuffed animals, buy her one. But be nonchalant about it, like you just happened to know that it was her favourite. Girls don’t like it when boys are obsessed with them.” Sooho explained as he sorted cans of soda.

“Am I too obsessed with her?” Sieun said suddenly, halting the movements of his pen.

“No, no, don’t worry about that. She’ll love you, you’re very lovable once you open up.”

“What if she doesn’t?” 

“And what if she does? Stop overthinking it and write down what I say, okay?” 

Sieun left that first lesson overwhelmed. He had never thought so hard about how much eye contact to make or what pick-up lines to use. He was starting to feel like maybe he couldn’t do this. You were way out of his league and didn’t even know he existed. He was stupid to even try.

When he arrived at school in the morning, his head felt as cloudy as the sky outside. It was encroaching on a darkness but still clung to the cusp of a light grey. The clouds swirled around and hid the sun, a harsh breeze shifting the leaves on the trees.

Sieun opened his backpack to get out his notebook, but his attention was immediately drawn to a small bottle of mango juice. Sooho must have stuck it in. He grabbed it and found a sticky note with unmistakably Sooho’s handwriting scrawled on it.

I heard from her friend that this is her fav— remember what I told you ;)

Sieun sighed and peeled the sticky note off of the bottle, recalling all the steps Sooho had meticulously given him the previous day. Act cool, don’t try too hard, don’t act interested at first, etc.

Sieun busied himself with studying for the next hour, waiting for when you arrived to class so he could give you the juice. You walked in with a boy beside you and Sieun’s heart sunk. His eyes flickered between you and the boy who was clearly clinging to your side. Sieun thought that maybe you looked uncomfortable, but he didn’t know for sure. He just forced himself to look down at his paper, missing the way you instinctively looked at him, a mixture of disappointment in your face.

Sooho offered Sieun a ride home after school, eager to know if he had successfully made a move on you. “Did she like the juice?” Sooho asked brightly, passing Sieun the motorcycle helmet.

The other boy was silent as he put it on, still processing his disappointed emotions. Why did it make him feel like he was about to explode seeing someone else so close to you?

With the long pause, Sooho was quick to pick up on what had happened, “Don’t tell me you didn’t give it to her?” Sieun nodded quietly, affirming Sooho’s suspicions before sitting down on the motorcycle without another word. Sooho sighed and joined him, turning on the engine with a loud rev and entering the lane on the road.

//

You had known Sooho since your 5th birthday. He was that one kid who no one really knew why they were invited to the party, but ended up being the star anyway. He had caked you in the face on your 7th birthday as a prank, and now it was a tradition at every birthday. 

No one was really aware of how close you two were, since you didn’t spend much time talking at school. Sooho was always sleeping and you were always spending way too much time being distracted by the most beautiful eyes- studying. You were studying. 

It had been months of your studying being rudely distracted by this… certain someone, and your grades were realistically suffering because of it. You needed to do something about it, and luckily for you, Sooho was friends with this boy. It was like the stars had aligned.

“Sooho!” You sat down loudly at the desk in front of the sleeping boy, earning a tired groan as the boy attempted to wake up from his slumber.

“What?” He rubbed his eye lazily, waiting for you to bring up what was so important as to interrupt his precious sleep.

“I need to confess or else my grades will crash and burn.” You said dramatically, much to the confusion of the boy in front of you.

“Who are you confessing to?” He asked groggily but a bit more alert than before, thoughts of Sieun’s failed confession running through his brain immediately. What if you liked someone completely different? Should Sooho still encourage Sieun to confess to you?

“Sieun…” You muttered weakly.

“What?” Sooho’s eyes brightened when you repeated Sieun’s name in clarification. “I have a plan.”

Sooho’s plan was the most absurd thing you had ever heard. How the heck was randomly showing up to Sieun’s apartment going to achieve anything? What did he expect you two to do? Eat dinner?

Sooho had dropped you off 30 seconds ago and sped off on his motorcycle before you could figure out exactly where you were and bombard him with questions. He didn’t give you any instructions, any pointers. All he said was that Sieun had something to drink. You were confused and a little annoyed and scared. You would probably embarrass yourself in front of Sieun and then that would be the end of it. You wouldn’t have the courage to even look at the boy ever again.

You hesitantly knocked on the door since Sooho had threatened you in case you chose to run away instead of doing anything. As the door opened, you were faced with the pair of eyes that you expected. You watched as shock flickered over them.

You could practically melt right then and there just from looking at him. You had never actually seen him in clothes other than his school uniform, and while he looked good in it, he looked infinitely better in this; a soft crew neck and sweatpants. You could only imagine how comfortable it would be to hug him or even cuddle-

Your thoughts were shut down when Sieun spoke, a little timidly, “Do you want to come in?” His voice was soft like it always was. He never really talked much. Even when answering questions in class, he spoke in as few words as possible. You couldn’t lie, you found it endearing. 

You nodded and walked through the door, finding the apartment unsurprisingly clean. You took off your shoes, staying in just your socks. Sieun tried to look for a spare pair of slippers to give you, but the only pair was his dad’s which were comically too big for you. 

You gave up the search and walked to the couch to sit down. You could feel this warm feeling in the air, like some simmering tension. It wasn’t uncomfortable, in fact, it gave you the slight sensation of butterflies in your stomach.

Sieun sat next to you on the couch but not too close and you were both silent. You weren’t sure what to say or where to start. You had asked Sooho for help with confessing, but it would seem too abrupt to start with that. You wanted to warm up to Sieun first, though you weren’t sure how long you could wait before the words fell out of your mouth.

“Do you want a drink?” Sieun asked and you smiled. So Sooho wasn’t lying with that part.

“What are the options?”

“Uh…” He dropped his head, thinking for a second before running to the small fridge and pulling out a bottle of mango juice, “You like this… right?”

You nodded, “Yeah, I do.”

Sieun’s lips turned up into the cutest smile you had ever seen in your entire life. You felt like you were floating on clouds from the elated feeling. You made him smile. 

Once you had received a glass of mango juice, the conversation started flowing a bit easier. You talked about school and hobbies and your favourite foods. Though Sieun didn’t say much, you could tell he was always listening to what you were saying. That was a bit unusual to you. You were always used to being ignored or thought of as obnoxious when you talked, so you rarely felt comfortable saying what you wanted to. With Sieun, however, you felt like you could say anything and he would listen.

It was late in the night and Sieun was preparing a small dinner for you both. He had been overwhelmingly kind and considerate that you felt your will to not confess being slowly withered away. You were about to crack, you could feel it. As soon as he did one more thing to make your heart flutter, you would have to spill it otherwise you were sure you would explode.

Your resolve was finally broken while you were eating. You were sitting across from Sieun on the floor, food spread out as best as Sieun could make it. You had a small bit of sauce on the corner of your lip, and before you could notice yourself, Sieun had leaned across the table and wiped it off gently with his thumb.

Your cheeks flushed pink at the touch. You were lucky you didn’t have any food in your mouth otherwise you would’ve probably choked. You were stunned, staring at the boy in front of you. And then he smiled as if he was shy but happy to help. You could see his ears had turned pink at the tips, and then finally your mouth was spitting out words before your brain could catch up.

“I like you, Sieun.” 

//

“I’m nervous I’ll do it wrong.” Sieun whispered, head dropped to look at the floor. You could see his cheeks a bright red and you were sure that your boyfriend was the cutest thing this world had ever created.

“You won’t be able to mess up cuddling, I promise.” You reassured him.

“But I’ve never done it before… What if-”

“You’ve hugged me before.” You cut him off. He nodded. He had hugged you, many many times. He wanted to hug you right now. “It’ll just be like a prolonged hug… except more relaxed.” You understood how the thought of cuddling could feel daunting for him. He had been touch-starved his entire life. “I’ll show you how it works, but… you need to come here first.” You giggled and patted the spot next to you on the bed.

Sieun’s face flushed more and he joined you carefully, scooting next to you. You grabbed his wrist and tugged him even closer to you, “It’s hard to cuddle when there's a gap between us.” You explained with a smile.

You decided it would be best to make the first move, so you wrapped your arms around his waist and rested your cheek on his chest. He was even more comfortable than you could’ve imagined, and you wondered why you hadn’t done this before. He smelled clean and calming, your nerves instantly becoming soothed by being so close to him.

He had tensed up at first, not sure how to respond and hyper aware of how fast his heart was beating. You were so pretty and the fact that you were hugging him so closely? Sieun would probably never recover. He figured that wrapping his arm around your shoulder would be natural, and he soon discovered that the position was 10 times more comfortable that way as you snuggled even closer to him.

“Your heart is beating so fast… Nervous?” You mumbled, peering up at him with a small teasing smile.

“Yeah…”

“Me too.” You whispered, a smile growing as you could feel both your hearts beating at the same fast rate.

Sieun was an excellent cuddler, he just didn’t realise it. He naturally started rubbing your arm in a soothing way until his hand travelled up to your hair and started playing with it. You were sure you would become addicted to cuddling him after this. Maybe you would ask him to cuddle with you everyday…

“Can I kiss you?” You asked suddenly. Sieun’s hand stopped playing with your hair.

“I… I’ve never-”

“I know. Me neither.” You said shyly, “It just… seemed like the right moment, but if you don’t-”

“I do. I really really do.” He said firmly and smiled a little. Your heart was already melted from the cuddles, but it was as good as evaporated at the sight of his smile.

“Okay.” You cupped his cheek cautiously before leaning in, not quite touching his lips, waiting for him to lean in as well. He pressed his lips to yours softly, timidly moving them in case you were uncomfortable or he was doing it wrong.

Sieun was an excellent kisser as well.

↳  k-drama taglist: @yeonjuns-redhair

this is for Trent girlies

okay y’all i rewatched the hunger games in like a really long time and my feelings for both peeta and finnick have resurfaced (just like i do on here every few months)

but i suddenly got sm motivation to write for them so my reqs are open for these two!!

i mean just look at them 🙏🙏

Five star service

pairing: su-bong/thanos/player 230 x reader, fluff

summary: rollerblader!user heads to a nearby skate park to unwind, only to collide with skateboarder!Su-bong, a reckless skateboarder from your calculus class.

tw/cw: minor injuries, mild language, loser thanos, no squid games au, happens before thanos becomes thanos!!

author's note: i've had this idea in my head for a while but i've never really had the time. Also, this is my first ever fic and my first time posting smth on tumblr, so don't expect it to be the best</3

You hadn’t touched your rollerblades since the start of the fall semester. All those plans of skating to class every day? Dead on arrival the moment you discovered the university’s ridiculous no-skateboarding-or-rollerblading policy on campus pathways. Since then, you’d developed a special kind of hatred for the cyclists cruising by with smug ease.

Now, crouched under your dorm bunk, you unearthed your old pair of blades—the same ones you’d had since junior high. They were dusty, sure, but still functional and that was all you needed. Skating had always been your escape, the one thing you could rely on when everything else felt overwhelming. The wind rushing past, the steady rhythm of wheels against pavement—it was freedom in motion, and no other feeling came close.

With no classes for the day, you finally had a chance to check out the skate park near campus. Your friends had mentioned it, but until now, you hadn’t had the time nor the energy. This felt like a well-earned reward for surviving the semester so far.

At a nearby bench, you kicked off your shoes and slid your feet into your rollerblades, snapping the buckles closed with practiced ease. Standing up, balance returning like second nature, you headed toward one of the ramps.

Or, well, you tried to.

“Move!”

The pavement came up fast and hard. Your hands burned from the impact, and your knees felt like they’d been grated raw.

Someone else hit the ground ahead of you with a heavier thud—his skateboard flying off like it had somewhere better to be. A few people nearby laughed under their breath, offering zero help and even less concern.

“Ah... fuck.” The guy groaned, sitting up slowly as he inspected the tear in his oversized jeans. He stood, brushing off dirt, but avoided your gaze, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish expression. “Sorry, dude,” he muttered, more apologetic about his own clumsiness than about sending you sprawling.

You recognized him—Su-bong. The guy who spent calculus class beatboxing under his breath and pretending to DJ on an imaginary turntable. You’d barely exchanged more than a nod with him before, but you knew the rumors. He skipped most of his classes, somehow scraped by on exams, and had yet to be expelled—something about his father being part of the school board or whatever. You never cared enough to eavesdrop on stuff about him.

In his free time—which was basically all the time—Su-bong could be found rapping in alleyway battles or losing himself in the skate park, chasing the same thrill you craved, perfecting tricks like it was the only thing that mattered.

And now, he’d managed to ruin the one rare moment you had to yourself.

Still, you couldn’t help but stifle a laugh, remembering the way he’d face-planted into the pavement right after you.

Su-bong hadn’t looked at you once since standing up. Instead, he turned and jogged after his runaway skateboard.

You stood up again and sat back down on the bench before examining your winds. “Shit..” You mumbled under your breath, hissing in pain. 

The scrape on your knee was stinging but you focused on the scrapes on your hands. You whispered some insults towards Su-bong as you got a piece of tissue from your bag and wiped your hand. You sat there for a while, thinking about how you’d walk back to your dorm without being in excruciating pain but your thoughts were interrupted by someone shouting.

“Hey!” You turned your head to the voice and saw Su-bong running towards you, “Shit, sorry.” He apologized, out of breath. “I got a first aid kit from the pharmacy nearby.” He sat down beside you, clearly unsure of how close was too close before pulling out some gauze. “Do you have scissors?” You shook your head and he looked back then ripped the gauze at an appropriate length but when he was about to wrap it around your hand, you pulled away. 

“You’re meant to clean, disinfect, and then wrap the gauze.” You corrected, unconsciously leaning closer to him. He slowly looked up at her as his ears grew red. “R-right. Sorry. I’ve never done this before.” He blushed slightly before fumbling with the first aid kit and getting the things needed. “This is going to sting a bit, okay?” He warns once he pulls out the small alcohol spray.

You winced as the alcohol hit your skin. “Shit—that stings.” Su-bong flinched along with you, like he felt it too. “Sorry, sorry! I swear I’m not trying to torture you.” You shot him a look. “Are you sure? You seem suspiciously good at this.” He let out a nervous laugh. “Yeah, well, maybe I’m secretly a villain who ambushes people at skate parks just to… aggressively provide first aid.”

“Oh yeah? What’s your villain name? The Bandage Bandit?” you teased, biting back a smirk. He groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “Please, don’t give me a lame name. At least let me be something cool, like… Doctor Disaster.” You raised an eyebrow. “Doctor Disaster? That sounds like someone who’d forget to clean a wound before wrapping it.” He made a mock-wounded noise. “Hey! Low blow.” “Fitting,” You said, nodding at your stinging hands.

Su-bong chuckled quietly as he wiped the area with more care this time, his touch lighter. “Alright, alright, lesson learned. I’ll take ‘Bandage Bandit’ over ‘Doctor Disaster’ if it gets me forgiveness.”

You pretended to think about it. “Hmm. Maybe. Depends on how well you handle the knee next.”

He immediately perked up, determined but still flushed. “Oh, you’re challenging me now? Okay. Just so you know, I’m about to give top-tier knee care. Like, you’ll be recommending me to all your friends.” You grinned. “Can’t wait to leave a five-star review.” 

Su-bong knelt in front of you, reaching for the alcohol spray again. “Okay, ready for round two?” You eyed him warily. “Depends—are you going to Doctor Disaster this one too?” He gave you a lopsided grin, a little breathless. “Nope. This time, you’re getting premium Bandage Bandit service.”

You laughed, but as he leaned closer to reach your knee, you suddenly became very aware of how close he actually was. His hair fell slightly into his eyes, and you noticed the faint dusting of freckles on his nose—things you wouldn’t have noticed from across a classroom or skate park.

He focused on your knee, completely oblivious to the shift in the air. “Okay, this’ll sting a little,” he said softly, like he was trying not to spook you.

When the alcohol hit your skin, you sucked in a breath through your teeth, and his hand instinctively landed on your shin to steady you. The touch was light, but it sent a surprising jolt through you both. His eyes flicked up, meeting yours, and for a second, neither of you spoke.

“Uh—” he cleared his throat, pulling his hand back like your skin had burned him. “Sorry! I just didn’t want you to, like… kick me in the face or something.” You smirked, trying to shake off the heat rising to your cheeks. “Wow, that’s how low you think of me?” He laughed, clearly flustered but trying to keep it cool as he returned to patching you up. “I didn’t say that! Don’t put words in my mouth.” This time, when his fingers grazed your leg to secure the gauze, you both noticed—but neither of you moved away.

“So,” he said after a beat, voice quieter now, “still sticking with that five-star review?” You leaned back on your elbows, teasing, “Hmm. I might have to bump you up to four and a half stars.” He gasped, hand dramatically to his chest. “Four and a half? Harsh. What’d I do?” You grinned. “Docking points for almost breaking my hands earlier.” “Fair.” He shook his head, chuckling as he tied off the bandage. “I’ll earn that half-star back somehow.”

The silence that followed afterwards was no longer awkward and felt different. His hands lingered for a second longer than they should’ve on your knee, and when he finally sat back on his heels, his gaze flickered to your face, as if noticing something new.

He was taken out of the trance he was in by a loud “Oh! I know!” He focused and tilted his head “What?” He asks as he starts putting the things they had used back in the first aid kit. “You can carry my stuff back to my dorm and help me get there.” You smile proudly.

Su-bong blinked, then let out a soft, incredulous laugh. “Wow. Extortion. Classic villain behavior.”

You grinned wider. “I learned from the best,” He stood up, brushing off his jeans, then offered you his hand. “Alright, deal. But only because you’re injured. And because I’m feeling generous today.”

You took his hand, feeling the calluses on his palm as he helped you up. For a second, you swayed, the soreness in your knee making you wince, and instinctively, his other hand settled on your waist to steady you. The two of you froze—again—both painfully aware of how close you’d gotten. “…You good?” he asked, voice suddenly softer, almost nervous. 

You nodded, though your heart felt like it had decided to skate a half-pipe inside your chest. “Yeah. Just… don’t let go.”

His lips twitched into a lopsided smile. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

The words hung between you like static in the air, unspoken but heavy. Then, clearing his throat, he quickly stepped back, rubbing the back of his neck as if trying to shake off the tension.

“Okay, so—uh—your dorm?” he asked, voice cracking slightly. You bit back a laugh, enjoying his awkwardness a little too much. “Yeah. It’s not far. You can be my personal porter.” He mock-bowed. “Su-Bong at your service.”

As you handed him your backpack, your fingers brushed, and you swore you felt that jolt again. Maybe it was adrenaline. Maybe it was the pain meds kicking in. Or maybe it was just Su-bong being… well, unexpectedly kind of cute.