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Jeon Woong side profile pt. 12

Are they going to finish??

Doesn't really matter, 'cause I love him :))

A bit... hotter (?) photos. I mean, more than usual anyway :))

Jeon Woong side profile pt. 11

Going ahead too fast? Probably, yeah...

Why are there so many photos of his profile, anyway??

Jeon Woong side profile pt. 10

I'm already at part 10... in 1 (one) day.

Is that even normal??

A few pre-debuts photos too :))

Jeon Woong side profile pt. 9

Yeah, other photos :))

Don't hate me plz ㅠ.ㅠ

Jeon Woong side profile pt. 8

So, you know when I told you I would stop for a while?

Well, it was actually a lie ehehe.

Another part here, for my soley joy

Someone stop me plz

woong’s signature heart “pang!!”

Bonus: woong told cix’s bx to do his signature heart

Jeon Woong side profile pt. 7

Yeah, the last one was the 6th :).

Here I am again.

I think I finished the photos, for now, so.. Idk??

I'm officially done by now hehe :))

Jeon Woong side profile pt. 6(?)

I think it's the 6th, I lost count though..

Anyway, I'm here to show you other beautiful photos of a beautiful man :))

Will there be a next part? Yes there will.

Hahahhah, I don't even know if I put the same photos more than once..

Jeon Woong side profile pt. 5

I think this will be the last part.. for now

Just joking, it's not the last post. I have other photos..

LOVE YAAA

Jeon Woong side profile pt.4

Another part... yes.

I think this or the next one will be the last one. Don't know yet.

Another part, I guess.

Hehe <3

Jeon Woong side profile pt. 3

Part 3 is hereeeeee

I have too many photos of him, ops...

More of Woong side profile pics and gifs, 'cause he's beautiful again and again

Jeon Woong side profile photos pt. 2

Part two here gurls :))

He's honestly so beautiful, I'm so sad bcause of him, save me plzzz

Jeon Woong side profile photos pt. 1

'Cause why the heck not?

He has a beautiful side profile, and everyone should see it :))

Look at his side profile, it's perfection.

He's outstanding, astonishing, beautiful. Feel free to add more :))

the second episode of brand new boys actually made me so emotional… this entire time i thought woong left yg willingly but he was actually kicked out? i mean i know yg smokes crack cause he let so many other gems go including jihoon but damn… imagine training at two of the biggest agencies… watching your friends debut before you for 6 years… watching new trainees debut with your old friends… it must hurt and it’s crazy to see how woong always tries to be positive and smile and laugh in front of ab6ix members even though he was feeling so much pressure the entire time. he truly deserves the world 😭💓

I love one (1) man

woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie woongie

you’re welcome!

Woong: It’s Donghyun’s punishment yet why am I the one getting embarrassed?? 😂😩

AB6IX Natal Chart Placements

Im Youngmin (Leader, Lead Rapper, Vocalist)

December 25, 1995 in Seoul, South Korea (though his hometown is Busan)

Sun in Capricorn Moon in Aquarius Mercury in Capricorn Venus in Aquarius Mars in Capricorn Jupiter in Sagittarius Saturn in Pisces Uranus in Capricorn Neptune in Capricorn Pluto in Sagittarius

Dominant Signs: Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces Dominant Planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus Dominant Elements: Earth, Air

Cardinal Dominance

Jeon Woong (Main Vocalist, Lead Dancer)

October 15, 1997 in Daejeon, South Korea

Sun in Libra Moon in Aries Mercury in Libra Venus in Sagittarius Mars in Sagittarius Jupiter in Aquarius Saturn in Aries Uranus in Aquarius Neptune in Capricorn Pluto in Sagittarius

Dominant Signs: Sagittarius, Aquarius, Libra Dominant Planets: Venus, Mercury, Mars Dominant Elements: Air, Fire

Mutable Dominance

Kim Donghyun (Lead Vocalist, Visual)

September 17, 1998 in Daejeon, South Korea

Sun in Virgo Moon in Leo Mercury in Virgo Venus in Virgo Mars in Leo Jupiter in Pisces Saturn in Taurus Uranus in Aquarius Neptune in Capricorn Pluto in Sagittarius

Dominant Signs: Virgo, Pisces, Sagittarius Dominant Planets: Jupiter, Mercury, Sun Dominant Elements: Earth, Fire

Mutable Dominance

Park Woojin (Main Rapper, Main Dancer, Vocalist)

November 2, 1999 in Busan, South Korea

Sun in Scorpio Moon in Leo (but if he was born after 1:07pm, he will have a Virgo moon) Mercury in Sagittarius Venus in Virgo Mars in Capricorn Jupiter in Aries Saturn in Taurus Uranus in Aquarius Neptune in Aquarius Pluto in Sagittarius

Dominant Signs: Aquarius, Scorpio, Capricorn Dominant Planets: Saturn, Uranus, Sun Dominant Elements: Fire, Air

Fixed Dominance

Lee Daehwi (Lead Dancer, Lead Vocalist, Maknae)

January 29, 2001 in Seoul, South Korea

Sun in Aquarius Moon in Pisces (if he was born after 1:35pm, he will have an Aries moon) Mercury in Aquarius Venus in Pisces Mars in Scorpio Jupiter in Gemini Saturn in Taurus Uranus in Aquarius Neptune in Aquarius Pluto in Sagittarius

Dominant Signs: Aquarius, Pisces, Capricorn Dominant Planets: Uranus, Saturn, Venus Dominant Elements: Air, Water

Fixed Dominance

short descriptions and other more posts will be made soon! need to focus on other stuff i’ve already pre-written. 💙

too good at goodbyes (cover) - jeon woong

yall dont understand like ive been waiting for woongs debut since i saw him in stray kids survival show and now that hes debuted im so proud and im gonna support as much as i can and throw woong the FATTEST uwus

little forest.

You’ve always looked back on most of your childhood memories fondly, especially those vacations spent at your great-aunt’s home in the countryside. But now that you’re visiting your old summertime retreat for the last time, you find out how much has changed since you left all those years ago. It’s as if you’ve been transported back to the past, forced to relive all of the memories that you had pushed away for so long — including those of your best friend, now friends no longer. (Inspired by the movie “Little Forest”)

Masterlist

You weren’t always a city girl. In the small town of Komori, nestled in between the mountains far off in the countryside, you had spent the majority of your summers caught up in the gentle flow and patterns of the residents who lived there. 

Each season brought with it a familiar tradition: rice planting in the spring, fishing by the river in summer, rice harvesting in autumn and warm nights roasting chestnuts in winter. 

As a child, summers also meant visits to your great-aunt. She lived alone in a small, old-fashioned house that had been owned by your family for decades, much of the house having been repaired time and time again. She had even installed electricity and an indoor bathroom in her house after your first visit, when you were five years old and scared about having to run outside to the outhouse to use the restroom. 

Now as you stared out the train window, you leaned against the sill. You hadn’t thought of Komori in years. The last time that you had visited your great-aunt had been in high school, your last summer before starting college. 

She had bid you farewell with tears in her eyes, hands cupping your cheeks as she kissed them both. “Be careful, okay?” 

You nodded, your own vision blurry with tears. A figure wearing glasses stood a few ways off behind your great-aunt, hands in his pockets as he watched both of you.

With a flinch, you startled upright. You hadn’t thought of him in a while. The woman sitting beside you gave you a fearful glance before scooting further away. Oblivious to her, you pulled your knees up onto the seat, resting your chin on top of them. 

Already on the train back to Komori, and your first thoughts were of him. 

You willed yourself to think of something else: your tiny apartment that you had left behind in the city, the phone call that you had with your mother before boarding the train, the flowers that your great-aunt always had growing near her front door. 

But of course, thinking of your great-aunt led your thoughts to him as well. 

You remembered how every summer, without fail, he would come and meet you at the train station. Long, sweltering days were spent giggling by the river or running through the tall grass. Shouts of “Kyungsoo, hurry up!” and “Slow down!” were always heard by the others in town. You two were an inseparable pair, a friendship born out of the radiance of summer. 

He had always chased after you, until one day, he didn’t. 

Sleep gave you an escape from the old memories of Kyungsoo that kept coming to mind. But as soon as you awoke, you were clutching to the windowsill, blinking away the sleep in your eyes. 

The familiar rice paddies greeted you as the train sped past, hunched figures plucking the weeds out. The sun beat down on them, sweat beading on their faces even as they wore large hats. 

The rest of the train ride was spent watching the emptiness of the countryside turn into the more crowded town of Komori. Your fingers tightened around the strap of your backpack, nervous about finally stepping off. This train had been your haven for the past half-day, and leaving it would mean having to face your past once again. 

Your great-aunt had passed away during the spring, just when the flowers were beginning to bloom. Her funeral service was held a couple of weeks later. You had cited a busy schedule at work as an excuse not to show up, although you had certainly mourned for your favorite relative in private. Although you truly were busy, you also were afraid of returning and having to face Kyungsoo after the many years that you had been gone. 

And so, you had hid out in the safety of the big city, listening to your mother as she talked about everyone that came at the funeral. “Kyungsoo and his brother showed up. What was his name?” she had asked. 

“Jongin,” you replied, the answer a reflex. While you hadn’t been on terrible terms with Jongin, you were sure that he wouldn’t be happy to see you either. After all, you had cut off all ties with him and his brother.

But no excuse could save you this time as you stepped off the train, your luggage in one hand and your backpack slung over your shoulders. As your great-aunt’s favorite, she had left her house to you. Almost everyone that you knew had urged you to sell it. “The property is old, and you can sell it for a good price! You don’t even like living in the countryside anyways.” But something in you had whispered to go back one last time, to say goodbye to the place that had practically been your second home. 

Begrudgingly, your father had called his old friends in Komori and told them that you would be returning for a couple of weeks. Knowing the small town, everyone would end up hearing about this. 

The train doors opened, and you took in a deep breath. Everything about this was the same as every other train ride to Komori that you had taken before. It was if you had never left. 

With shaky steps, you followed the other passengers off of the train. Immediately, the people waiting outside ran to greet their loved ones. Couples met in warm embraces, parents met their families with a beaming smile. But your usual companion was missing.

You swallowed back a lump in your throat, taking deep breaths. Of course he wouldn’t come. You had made sure of that, years of friendship gone in the blink of an eye as the result of a particularly nasty fight. Sure, you and Kyungsoo had fought while growing up, but that last fight had been different. A heated discussion had quickly turned into a lovers’ spat, even though neither you nor Kyungsoo had ever had the will to confess to each other.

Both of you had always known that you favored living in the busy city, especially since your small town offered little opportunity in terms of success. Most of the jobs available here were agricultural, something you had never shown interest in. You dreamed of becoming a photographer, capturing amazing moments from behind the lens of your camera. But just as you were set on living in the city for the rest of your life, Kyungsoo was just as equally set on living a calm, peaceful life on his grandmother’s land. 

“I don’t understand,” he had huffed out impatiently on that fateful day. “You’re just leaving for college. Why are you acting like you’re leaving forever?”

“Because I’m not planning on coming back, at least not for a good while. I just got accepted to a good school, and I’m finally gonna be able to start working towards my dream job,” you emphasized. “And I don’t want to be stuck in this same pattern forever, farming and harvesting, and then repeating the same thing over and over!” 

“What’s so wrong with that?” Kyungsoo asked, voice raised as his eyes grew wide in anger.

“Everything! Don’t you get it? Not everyone wants to be a farmer like you, Soo. That’s all there is to do in this tiny town. I don’t want to be stuck here for the rest of my life!” you had yelled at him, tears welling up in your eyes. “There’s nothing for me here.” 

Immediately, he had frozen in shock, eyes widening for a second before being replaced with a cold, blank look. He always had been a good actor. “Fine. If that’s what you want,” he had spat out, turning and walking down the dirt path of your great-aunt’s house. 

You should have ran after him, told him that you didn’t mean the latter part of what you had said. Perhaps if you did, you wouldn’t be waiting here alone, a stranger in what you had once considered your town. 

“Y/N?” 

You turned around, hoping that your sorrow wouldn’t be evident on your face. Upon seeing who had called you, your mouth dropped open in surprise. “Jongin?” 

The tall boy that you had known as a child had grown even taller, if that was possible. Gone were the basketball shorts that he had worn every single day, now replaced with faded jeans and a dark sweater. He towered over you, a tiny smile playing at his lips. “How was your ride?” 

The surprise of seeing him there had you frozen in place, staring at him blankly before you were able to gather yourself. “I… it was good. What are you doing here?” 

“I’m here to pick you up. My grandma told me you’d be coming today.”

“You didn’t have to come get me.” 

He gave you a knowing look, sympathy written all over his face. “Yeah, I did. Come on, we gotta hurry before it gets late.” 

Jongin led you to his car, carefully putting all of your belongings in the back as you settled into the passenger seat. When he joined you in the car, you let out an awkward cough.

“Thanks for picking me up. Now that I think about it, it’s been so long that I probably wouldn’t be able to find my way back to the house.” 

Jongin chuckled softly, his fingertips tapping aimlessly against the steering wheel as he backed out of his parking spot. “I know what you mean.”

“You don’t live here anymore?” you asked, taken aback by his response.

“I stay at college most of the time. I usually only come home during winter and summer breaks. I’m in my third year,” he announced proudly. 

“Wow,” you replied, awestruck. Jongin had been 15 when you left, and now he was in college. If so much could have happened to him, how much had changed in Kyungsoo’s life?

“Kyungsoo’s doing well too,” Jongin spoke up, as if he had heard your thoughts. “He graduated last year, in Agricultural Studies. He stays home and keeps grandma company, helps out with farming and taking care of the house.” 

You stayed silent, unsure of how to pry more into Kyungsoo’s life without being so apparent. “Is your grandma okay?” you finally asked. 

“She’s been better. She’s living at the senior center now, Soo goes to visit her every weekend.” Jongin gave a small giggle. “All of the grandmas there love him.”

You couldn’t help the smile that rose to your face as well. Kyungsoo had always been doted on by the older women in town, most of them stopping to give him a bit of candy or fruit whenever they saw him. Of course, he had always shared with you. 

“It gets lonely though, staying in that house by himself. I wish I were able to come by year-round.” Jongin glanced at you, a friendly grin on his face. “I’m glad you’re back. Now he won’t be moping around all the time.” 

Stiffening in your seat, you chose to look out the window instead. “I don’t think he’s going to want to see me.” 

Jongin let out a sigh, his shoulders slumping. “I know, but it’s been years. And I know you’ve missed him too.” 

You couldn’t argue with that. Even now, being back in Komori, the only thing you wanted to do was to check up on your old friend. 

“Just give him a chance, please? For me?” 

Groaning in response, you lazily turned your head back to face Jongin. “Fine.”

“Great! Oh, and uh… you’re staying over at our place.”

“I’m what?” you exclaimed, sitting upright and glaring at Jongin. To your benefit, he cowered under your gaze, ignoring eye-contact.

“No one’s paid the electric bills since Auntie Minju passed away, and our house is right next to yours!” he meekly explained in defense. 

“I’d rather stay in a house with no working electricity, it’s not like I haven’t done it before.” This was especially true during your first year out of college, when you had barely gotten any work and was barely living from paycheck to paycheck.

“Y/N, please,” Jongin whined. “Just for this night, at least. Tomorrow morning, I’ll go with you to pay the bills. I’ll even help you move your stuff in and clean the whole house.” 

“You promise?” 

“Yes!” 

You shook your head, annoyed and yet slightly impressed by Jongin’s plan. You couldn’t believe that after so long, this kid still managed to rope you into his plans so easily. “Alright. But only for tonight, okay? And we’re waking up early in the morning.” 

“Got it!” Jongin replied. 

The two of you spent the rest of the car ride in silence, you anxious about sleeping in the same house as Kyungsoo, and Jongin worried about telling his brother that you would be staying over. 

As the car finally reached the familiar area where you lived, you stared in wonder at the houses perched atop the hills. Everything seemed the same, from the dirt pathways and simple homes looming over you. 

Jongin drove up to his house, your great-aunt’s home the next one over. One of the lights was on in Jongin’s house, his kitchen light, if you remembered correctly. 

“Okay, when we go in, let me do the talking,” he whispered to you.

“Why? What aren’t you telling me?” you asked, eyes narrowed.

“Well… Soo doesn’t really know that you’re staying here.” 

“What do you mean he doesn’t know?!” you screeched. 

Jongin was quick to shush you, a finger coming to his lips. “I didn’t tell him before I left because I didn’t want him to say no.”

“And you’re so sure that he’ll say ‘yes’ now?”

“It’s you. He could never say no to you.” 

You scoffed, rolling your eyes as well. “That’s not true.” 

“Oh yeah? Prove it.” Before you could protest, Jongin was out of the car, quickly moving to the back to grab your stuff. With no other choice, you simply followed along.

Every step up the cobbled walkway seemed to feel like an eternity, Jongin’s figure leading the way. He got the door open, your suitcase in his hand as he called out to his brother. “I’m back!” 

A clattering sound could be heard from the kitchen, soft footfalls coming closer until a man came out to greet Jongin. He was just as handsome as you remembered: kind eyes set in a round face, his cheeks flushed from staying in the hot kitchen for so long. Even his smile was the same — full lips turned upwards in glee as he came closer. The smile fell, however, once he saw you. 

“Hi,” you muttered, giving him a weak wave. 

He simply stared at you, giving nothing away in those usually expressive eyes of his. He continued to stare at you from behind his round glasses until looking towards Jongin, one eyebrow raised. 

“Here, Y/N,” Jongin spoke up. “Take your bag upstairs, I’ll bring the rest of your stuff too. Do you remember which one is the guest room?” 

“Yeah.” You awkwardly shuffled past both of them, your arm brushing against Kyungsoo as you passed. Neither one of them spoke, even as you headed up the stairs. Once you reached the top and were out of sight, you stopped to listen.

“Why did you bring her here?” you heard Kyungsoo ask, his voice as deep as before. Hearing him speak after so long physically pained you, your chest tightening and your breaths coming out in short gasps. 

“You didn’t see her at the station,” Jongin told him. “She looked so sad. You know that thing she used to do when she would cry? Her eyebrows would get wrinkly and her lips would be all pouty?” 

“I remember,” Kyungsoo cut him off abruptly. 

“She looked like that when I picked her up. Just let her stay tonight, please? I even told her I’ll help her move back in to Auntie Minju’s house tomorrow morning.” 

You heard Kyungsoo sigh. “Fine.” It was silent for a tense moment, and then you heard heavy footfalls against the floor downstairs. “Dinner’s almost ready,” Kyungsoo said. 

“Make sure you give Y/N a big serving,” Jongin told him. You dashed away from the top of the stairs, rushing to the guest room before Jongin found you eavesdropping on him. 

You dropped your bag on the floor, totally forgetting that the rest of your luggage was still downstairs. Leaning back, you let your head thump against the door, taking in deep breaths as you closed your eyes. How could you have let Jongin talk you into staying here as if everything was normal? Kyungsoo was clearly just as uncomfortable as you were with these arrangements. Just one night, one night Y/N. After that, you could just pretend that he didn’t even exist. 

Letting out a moan of frustration, you sat down on the floor, resting your head in your hands. This was going to be a long two weeks. 

Dinner was just as awkward as you had expected it to be. 

Jongin sat beside you while Kyungsoo sat across from you, not even sparing a glance in your direction. He focused on the bowl of food before him, his glasses sliding down his nose every so often until he pushed them back up. Jongin, the sweet soul that he was, repeatedly made attempts to stir up some conversation. 

“So, are you working?” he asked you. 

“Yeah. Uh, I’ve been working with a small company for a while. I’ve been helping friends out with their work too — weirdly enough, someone asked me to act in a short film they’re making.” 

“That’s great! You have to let us know when we can see it!” 

You blushed, eyes dropping to the spoon in your hand. “I don’t even like looking at myself in pictures or videos. It just feels weird, I prefer being behind the camera instead of in front of it. I’m barely even decent at acting.”

Jongin nudged your elbow playfully, waiting to chew on his mouthful of food before he answered. “Hey, stop being modest. You’ve always been talented. Talented and pretty,” he tacked on jokingly at the end. 

A sharp clinking of a spoon hitting a bowl interrupted you, both you and Jongin looking towards Kyungsoo in surprise. He stood up, face stony as he picked up his now empty bowl and placed it in the sink. Without another word, he headed upstairs, sock-covered feet thumping softly against each step. 

“This was a bad idea,” you whispered aloud, fidgeting nervously in your seat. 

“No, it wasn’t. Soo’s just being moody, give him some time.” Jongin continued eating cheerily, as if his brother hadn’t just stomped away. 

Rolling your eyes, you copied Kyungsoo’s earlier actions and placed your bowl and spoon in the sink as well. You headed for the front door, slipping your shoes on. 

“Where are you going?” Jongin called out.

“Outside, just for a little bit. Don’t worry, I won’t be too far.” Before Jongin could protest, you were out the door, stuffing your hands in your pockets as you breathed in the night air. 

You could make out the faint spots of light in the other houses further away, each house an island in the midst of grass and vegetation. To be honest, you had often found yourself missing the quiet nights in the countryside. Out here, you were never truly alone. The moon was always visible in the sky, along with the sprinkling of stars to keep it company. You were lucky to catch a glimpse of these once in a while in the city, but sights like these were a nightly occurrence in Komori. 

Settling down on the grass, you brought your knees up to your chest as you stared up at the crescent in the sky. With your aunt’s house next door and the moon shining down on you, you felt less alone.

Once Kyungsoo had heard the door slam shut, he ventured back downstairs. He flinched backwards when he saw Jongin finishing up his food, having expected the kitchen to be empty. As the younger boy got up, Kyungsoo followed him over to the sink. Jongin immediately began washing the dishes, while Kyungsoo stood beside him, ready to rinse them. It was a routine they had fallen into, both of them finishing the last of the day’s chores. 

“You know,” Jongin spoke up. “It wouldn’t kill you to at least try to be nice to her.” 

“I made her dinner.” 

Jongin held back a sigh, passing Kyungsoo a soapy bowl. “You know what I mean. Just… say something, at least.” 

Kyungsoo remained silent, rinsing the bowl carefully and placing it in the drying rack. 

“Will you at least help her clean the house with me tomorrow?” Jongin tried again. 

Kyungsoo met his eye, and Jongin could read all of the hesitation, the fear that rested there. “Fine,” Kyungsoo replied reluctantly. “But you owe me. You’re weeding the rice fields for the next week.” 

“Okay!” Jongin agreed, willing to deal with working in the sun for hours if it meant bringing his brother and childhood friend back together. It’s not like he hadn’t done either one before. 

“And stop flirting with her.” 

“I’m not! Wait, are you jealous?” Jongin scooted closer, a knowing twinkle in his eye.

“No,” Kyungsoo barked out, ignoring his brother’s approach. He snatched the spoons out of his hands and focused on rinsing them. 

“You totally are!” Jongin shook his head in mock surprise. “You act all cold to her, but then get mad at me for being a decent human being.” 

Ouch. Kyungsoo’s movements faltered, the spoons in his hand forgotten as Jongin’s words sank in. “You’re right.” He cleared his throat, continuing on as if nothing had happened. 

“I am?”

“Shut up before you start annoying me again,” Kyungsoo teased lightly, struggling to hide the smirk on his face. 

“The man smiles, what a surprise.” 

Before Kyungsoo could fight back, he was cut off by the sound of the front door opening. A few seconds later, he and Jongin turned around to catch you hesitating in the kitchen doorway. 

“Can I help you guys with anything?” you asked timidly, one foot tracing patterns into the floor as you waited for a response. 

Jongin stared pointedly at Kyungsoo, waiting patiently for him to answer. 

Kyungsoo shook his head, nerves overcoming him and making it hard for him to think of any coherent sentences. “We’re fine, thanks,” he mumbled lamely.

You nodded, as if you had been expecting this answer all along. “Okay. Well, I’m just gonna head upstairs and shower. Good night.” You straightened up, already having taken a few steps towards the stairs when Kyungsoo called out to you. Eyes wide, you glanced back into the kitchen, worried about what he might have to say.

Kyungsoo stared back at you, gaze unwavering as he met your own. He opened his mouth once, then closed it, a pink flush starting to dot his cheeks. “Good night,” he finally stammered out.

Frozen by this sudden gesture, it took you a moment to respond, settling for a small nod of agreement before dashing up the stairs. 

Jongin smiled to himself, knowing all too well the effects that you and Kyungsoo still had on each other after all these years. “You’re quite the charmer, Soo.” 

Kyungsoo immediately got his revenge by splashing cold water onto Jongin’s shirt.

You were awoken the next morning by the sound of frenzied chickens running around outside. Sitting up in alarm, you glanced at your phone only to find that you had slept past what you had originally planned for. You hastily made your bed, washed your face and threw on some old clothes that you didn’t mind getting dirty. Farm life wasn’t sympathetic to fancy, tailored clothes. It was a given that at the end of the day, you were going to end up messy and sweaty no matter what you did. 

Jongin cast you a smile as you dashed into the kitchen, setting food out on the table for breakfast. “Good morning.”

“Why didn’t you wake me up earlier?” 

“It seemed like you needed the rest.” Before you could question this, his grin became playful. “You were snoring all night.” 

“I do not snore!” 

Jongin shrugged, continuing on with his chores while you hovered by the kitchen table, unsure of how to help. 

“Where’s Kyungsoo?” 

“Out feeding the animals. He should be back soon.” Jongin looked over his shoulder at you. “You’re free to go help him.” 

You avoided his gaze, picking at the skin of your thumb while you considered it. 

“You still do that?” 

Startled, you turned around, not having noticed the presence of another person in the room. Kyungsoo stood there in faded blue overalls, a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead and neck, seeping through the collar of his shirt. When you didn’t answer, he nodded towards your fingers. “You’re gonna make your fingers bleed if you keep picking at them like that.” 

You tucked your hands behind your back instantly, trying to hide your nervous tick. Even as a child, you had been prone to picking at the skin of your thumbs when you were stressed. Your great-aunt had even tried to scare you out of the habit, telling you that your thumbs would fall off. 

Kyungsoo shook his head, knowing full well that you were continuing to mess with your thumbs. He took a seat at the table, eyes curving into small crescents behind his glasses as he sent Jongin a grateful smile. He dug into his food right away — doing chores on a farm really worked up an appetite.

Seeing as there was really no other course of action, you took the seat across from him, similar to last night. Jongin chose to eat while standing, leaning against the counter. “I called the electric people earlier,” he told you between bites. “They said your mom paid the bill already.”

You let out a sigh of relief, mentally thanking your mom for being one step ahead of you. “Thanks for calling for me. You really have grown up after all.” 

Jongin whined at this while a corner of Kyungsoo’s lips lifted, only to drop back down right after. Spurred on by this reaction, you cleared your throat. “Thank you for letting me stay in your house. I really appreciate it.” 

Kyungsoo stilled, chopsticks frozen in his hand before he gave a small nod, eyes still on his food and continuing as if nothing had happened. Jongin literally facepalmed where he stood, going unnoticed by you and Kyungsoo. 

“Jongin told me you’ve been taking care of your grandma. How has she been?”

“She’s okay.” 

You waited, thinking that Kyungsoo would elaborate on this. When no further explanation came, you resorted to picking at your food. 

“So, you’re staying for two weeks?” Jongin spoke up, voice too loud in this stifling silence.

“Yeah, so I can figure out what to do with the house. It doesn’t make sense to just keep it without doing any actual farming on it. The rice fields would end up going to waste, and I’d feel bad letting the weeds take over.”

“You could always rent it out to people and come back whenever you have free time?”

“My work schedule’s too unpredictable, I wouldn’t want to have to kick someone out earlier than expected. And I spend most of my time in the city, anyways.” 

“But you wouldn’t want to come back once in a while at least?” Jongin pressed. 

Kyungsoo finally looked up, both of you staring at each other as the memories of your last fight washed over you. You could practically see the unspoken question in his eyes: Is there still nothing left for you here?

You were the one to break eye-contact, unnerved by the strength of his stare. “I don’t know. I guess that’s what I’m here to find out.” 

Despite not being back for half a decade, you were still able to find your way around your great-aunt’s house fairly easily. Doors were left open to let the house air out, rays of morning sunlight filtering into the rooms and bringing the building out of its long slumber. You strolled through the rooms, touching an object here and there while Jongin and Kyungsoo went to go make sure that the water was running properly. The photographer in you was itching to document everything that you saw, but you had left your fancy equipment packed up in one of your bags. It probably wouldn’t be a good idea to bring such an expensive camera over while you were cleaning anyways. 

You settled for your phone, trying your best to keep your hand steady while you snapped a few pictures of old trinkets that you recognized from long ago. Your parents would be pretty happy to see these as well, and you made a mental note to send them to your mom later. 

“Water seems fine,” Jongin yelled out from upstairs. 

“Same here,” Kyungsoo echoed from outside, watching a feeble stream of water as it flowed from a faucet attached to the side of the house. 

With utilities accounted for, the three of you brought the few belongings that you had inside. You left them in your old room, planning on putting things away later. Right now, the most important task was getting as rid of as much dust as possible and sanitizing surfaces. Jongin and Kyungsoo were more than helpful, taking every set of directions from you and putting in more work than expected of them. 

Although all of you started off in the living room at first, each of you started to stray off to different parts of the house as various things caught your fancy. You found yourself lingering in the hallway upstairs where your aunt had hung up old family photos. With each wipe of your washcloth, more of the picture underneath the glass frame was revealed. You smiled at a photo of you as a toddler, all rosy cheeks and chunky legs while your great-aunt held onto your hands. 

During your walk down memory lane, Kyungsoo had made his way upstairs, joining you by the wall of pictures. He kept distance between both of you, but was still close enough to see the same picture. It didn’t bother you - Kyungsoo had known your great-aunt for as long as you had, you figured he had just as much right to look around her house as well. Both of your continued your small journey down the hall, until you stopped at one frame in particular. You leaned in closer, wiping at the glass pane with a curious furrow to your brow. “Is that…” you trailed off.

“Us,” Kyungsoo filled in. He moved closer, eyes softening as he studied the photo. 

In it, you and Kyungsoo were knee-deep in one of the rivers, both of you absolutely drenched from playing in the water. Your eyes were screwed shut as you laughed, Kyungsoo’s mouth open in a yell as he splashed water towards you. A toddler version of Jongin stood near the edge, laughing along as he watched. “How old do you think we were?” you asked. 

Kyungsoo thought over it in silence, staring unblinkingly at the photo. “Maybe six or seven? I remember wearing that shirt a lot at that age.” 

“Oh, you’re right!” Leaning closer, you let out a soft giggle as you recognized the character on Kyungsoo’s shirt. “You did love that Digimon shirt.” 

Kyungsoo snorted at this, completely taking you off guard. Sure, he was still more reserved and quiet around you, but he was starting to open up more, bit by bit. It was more than you could have hoped for.

Jongin peeked out from the restroom, long gloves on his hands from where he had been cleaning the floor. “What’re you guys looking at?” 

“Old pictures. Come look!” you told him. 

Jongin peered over your shoulder, face lighting up as he reminisced. “I remember that! You guys didn’t let me play with you, you were so mean.” 

“Water fights were our thing, huh?” You directed this towards Kyungsoo. 

He wore a fond smile, nodding in agreement. “Every summer, without fail. Even when we got into high school.” 

You grinned back, a warmth spreading throughout you as Kyungsoo’s smile grew wider. “Those were the times.” 

Kyungsoo’s face fell a bit as he looked away from you and back to the photo. “Yeah, they were.” He stepped away, mumbling something about going to grab some more washcloths from downstairs. 

“Don’t worry about him,” Jongin tried to reassure you. “It’s just… been a while.” 

You truly had been gone for a while, and though you had known that your return wouldn’t exactly be smooth, it didn’t mean that Kyungsoo’s distance didn’t hurt any less. “Jongin, how come you’re not mad at me for leaving?”

He leaned against the wall, a pensive smile on his lips. “At first I was. You hurt Soo pretty bad, Y/N. And me.”

You looked down at your hands, the guilt settling in again. It seemed like that was going to end up being a daily occurrence at this rate.

“But I realized I couldn’t be mad at you when I basically did the same thing.” Jongin gave a chuckle, eyes soft as he dug through his memories. “As soon as I graduated high school, I left home and only came back once in a while. Soo didn’t talk to me for a couple of weeks. But as much as I love this place, it’s not the best place for a dancer to make a living. I wouldn’t be half as good as I am now if I had stayed here. And Soo sees that too.” 

You could feel Jongin’s eyes on you, trying to coax a reaction out. 

“I don’t think he’s mad at you for leaving,“ he spoke slowly. "I think he’s mad at you for not coming back. He was in love with you. You know that, right?” 

Your heart tightened in your chest at Jongin’s use of the past tense. “Yeah. I loved him too.” 

“So let him know.“

“What?” you exclaimed, caught off-guard by his blunt reasoning. “Wait, I can’t just do that.”

“Why not? He liked you, you liked him. Makes sense to me.” 

“Yeah, well not everyone is as courageous and charismatic as you. And that was years ago, everything’s different now.” 

Jongin shrugged to himself, a pout on his lips. “Yeah. But some things are still the same.” He crossed his arms over his chest, still wearing his cleaning gloves. “You’ve always been the only one for him.” 

“You know, I’d probably be able to take you more seriously if you weren’t wearing those.” You nodded towards the gloves even in your embarrassment, the color a hot pink. In fact, you cheeks were in danger of becoming just as pink. 

“Stop trying to change the subject,” Jongin shot back, although he dropped his arms and hid them behind his back. “I’m serious, Y/N. Just talk to him.” 

Sighing, you gave him a weak nod. “I’ll think about it.” 

“Which means you’re not gonna do it,” Jongin deadpanned. “You and Soo are so similar, I swear.” He headed back to the restroom, most likely to finish the rest of his cleaning. 

You were left in a stupor, thinking over his words. If Kyungsoo still liked you, you were positive that you would know. 

Right? 

You avoided Jongin after that, staying downstairs and sorting through old items. Most of the things here were unfit to be shoved into the bottom of a basement and forgotten. The cupboard in the living room held a small collection of teacups that your aunt had picked up over the years, each one of them different from the rest. Books with faded covers sat on the bookshelves, eager to be read once more. You were even thinking of giving the furniture away. They would be better off in someone else’s house, where they’d actually be used. 

“I think I’m just gonna give away whatever my parents and I don’t want to keep,” you mused aloud. 

Kyungsoo glanced over from where he was drawing back the curtains, letting in more natural light. “You don’t want to keep all of it?” 

“Only a few things. Most of this stuff would just end up collecting dust if I brought it back home. I’d rather know that Auntie’s things were being used and loved in a new home. I don’t know where to drop them off though.” 

“You could always take them to the charity shop in town. A lot of people like looking around in there, I’m sure Grandma and her friends would stop by too.”

“They would?” A new idea hit you. “I’ll let them have whatever I decide not to keep, then.”

One of Kyungsoo’s eyebrows lifted up, adding another curve to his already rounded features. “Are you sure?”

“Of course. A lot of them were Auntie’s friends anyway. I’m sure they’ll take good care of her things.”

Kyungsoo’s face softened, a warm look coming into his eye. “I’ll let Grandma know. If you want, I can take whatever you’re giving away into town.” 

“Can I go with you?”

Both of you were surprised by your sudden proposal, your cheeks ablaze as you looked away, all too focused on a stray piece of lint resting on the counter. “It’ll probably be a lot of stuff, and I feel bad asking you to take it all by yourself,” you mumbled by way of explanation. 

You heard Kyungsoo cough, the sound much too gruff before he spoke again. “Okay. Whenever you want to head into town, let me know.”

Neither one of you spoke after that, letting the silence that was lingering in the house take over as both of your resumed cleaning. It wasn’t nearly as awkward being in the same room as Kyungsoo anymore, his once cold demeanor replaced with hints of an old familiarity. 

Although the day was filled with mere cleaning and sorting, time seemed to pass by in a flash. By the front door sat a large pile of boxes, filled to the brim with small items to give away. You and Kyungsoo had agreed to go into town together tomorrow morning, right after he was done with the morning chores. The furniture would stay in the house for the remaining two weeks, then be picked up by a shop in town. The sun was high overhead as you stood in the yard, hands on your hips as you surveyed the house. 

“What are you doing?” Jongin asked as he and Kyungsoo brought the last couple of boxes out.

“Wait here, I’ll be back!” Without answering Jongin’s question, you rushed back to his house, leaving him and Kyungsoo to share a confused look. 

The run wasn’t too far, seeing as you guys were literally next-door neighbors. In a few minutes you came rushing back, cradling your camera protectively in your hands. “Can I take a picture of you two?” 

“Here? But this is your house,” Jongin insisted, holding a hand out for the camera. “I’ll take your picture instead.” 

Shaking your head, you swatted his hand away. “As much as I love you, I don’t trust you with my baby. You’d drop it as soon as I handed it over.”

Jongin sulked, going to stand by Kyungsoo anyways while his brother patted his shoulder. “She’s right,” he told Jongin with a knowing smile. “And Y/N’s the professional anyways.” 

“Of course you’d take her side,” Jongin grumbled, letting out a yelp as Kyungsoo pinched his earlobe. 

The boys continued to bicker playfully while you worked through your camera’s settings, the steps as familiar to you as the back of your hand. You had the sunlight to factor in as well, and you spent a good minute asking Kyungsoo and Jongin to turn a certain way so that the light would be in their favor. “Alright,” you called out once you had everything set the way you wanted. “On three, cheese!” 

Jongin threw his arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulders, beaming radiantly while Kyungsoo settled for a tiny smile. Even with your view of him obscured by your camera, every little detail of Kyungsoo’s seems to be highlighted in this moment. The wrinkle of his nose as he laughed at Jongin was endearing, the sunlight bringing out the hidden hues of brown amongst his jet black hair. 

You were used to photographing beautiful people, have met your fair share of beauties who were truly otherworldy. But none of them stood a match against Kyungsoo. Even after so many years, you could honestly say that Kyungsoo may be the most beautiful person you’ve ever had the pleasure of photographing. 

Giving a small shake of your head, you forced yourself to focus on the task at hand. “Ready? One, two, three!” 

Jongin and Kyungsoo clamored close to you afterwards, both of them curious about how the picture turned out. Jongin let out a whistle of appreciation, while Kyungsoo stared at you in awe. “How did you make us look so good?” he asked.

“It’s just a lot of fiddling with the settings and having really good lighting. Having great models is a huge plus too,” you replied sheepishly, unused to such praise from him.

“I’ve never seen your photos before.” He continued to stare at the small screen of your camera, in wonder at how two faces that he knew extremely well could appear so full of life in a two-dimensional photo.

“You’ll have to come into the city someday, then. I’ll even give you a special VIP tour of the company studio if you actually make the long journey over there,” you joked. 

Kyungsoo thought for a second, face breaking out into a content grin. 

“Sounds like a deal.” 

Surprisingly enough, you were sad when it came time to part ways with Kyungsoo and Jongin. That night was spent alone in your aunt’s house, the emptiness not as suffocating as you  had thought it would be. The laughter from earlier that day coupled with all of the good memories in this house comforted you like a warm blanket. It was if your aunt was still there, asleep in her room down the hallway she like always had been. 

You stared up at the ceiling, body covered by a spare blanket that you had found. “Auntie, tomorrow Kyungsoo and I are going down to the senior center to see your friends. I haven’t seen them in so long. I’ll make sure to talk to every one of them just for you.” 

It was silly to wait for a response when you were talking to yourself, but you did so anyways. “I don’t know what to do about the house. If I kept it, who would take care of it? But if I sold it, what if the new owners just decided to tear it down?” 

You whined in frustration, hands coming up to cover your face. “No matter what I choose, it’ll end up being the wrong decision. I know you would want me to keep it, but…” Your hands slid down from your face. 

“I don’t even know what I want anymore.” 

Having learned from yesterday morning, you made sure to set up multiple alarms so that you would wake up bright and early. But even after getting ready and eating breakfast in record time, Kyungsoo was still ready ages before you were. 

Both of you hauled the boxes of donated goods into the back of his truck, walking back and forth from your house to his. Over the years, people had crossed from one property to the other, leaving behind a bare dirt path within the thick grass. On your last trek back to your house, you looped your camera bag over your shoulder. 

“Why do you have your camera?” Kyungsoo asked, one brow raised. 

“I told my dad I’d take pictures of people at the center. A lot of the elders were the same adults that helped raise him when he was growing up here. I guess it really does take a village to raise a child.” 

Kyungsoo made sure all of the boxes were secure in the bed of the truck before getting behind the wheel. He glanced at you through the back window, eyes widening when he saw you begin to swing a leg over and into the truck bed. “You’re gonna get squished by the boxes if you sit there,” he warned. 

Hesitating, you glanced from the cramped space to the seats in the truck. Finally, you let your foot drop back down to the floor. “Party pooper,” you grumbled. 

Kyungsoo gave a cough of laughter, one hand covering his mouth while the other still rested on the steering wheel. “Hurry up and get in,” he told you with a grin.

In surprisingly good spirits, the two of you began your drive into town. Every bump along the old road sent the boxes sliding into each other, items hitting one another and causing you to cringe every time. 

“Sorry,” Kyungsoo said, noticing your reaction. “Everyone always says we should redo these roads, but no one ever gets around to doing it.”

“Troubles of living in a small town, huh? People get so used to living in the past.” 

“Yeah. But Komori’s been becoming more modernized lately. The actual town attracts a lot more tourists than ever before. They’re even building a McDonalds.” 

“Wow, a McDonalds. What’s next, a Starbucks?” you teased. Kyungsoo rolled his eyes with a smile. 

“I know it doesn’t seem that amazing, but this is the most change a lot of us have seen in years. Maybe more people will start to stay instead of moving.” 

Like me, you thought. 

Kyungsoo seemed to have the same train of thought too, judging by the way he cleared his throat and focused solely on the road ahead. “Look!” he spoke up after a moment of awkward silence. “There’s a new bakery, it opened up a few months ago.” 

You got lost in thought while Kyungsoo continued on, amazed by how even driving with him was a new experience after so long. Gone were the innocent drives from home to school, both of you wearing your school clothes and singing along to the radio. It was like becoming friends all over again, learning how to navigate around each other. 

“Y/N?” Kyungsoo asked.

“Yeah? Sorry, I um, zoned out for a second.” 

“I could tell.” Kyungsoo was never one to pry, but you could tell that he was itching to figure out what had kept your mind so preoccupied. 

“I was just thinking about how we used to drive to school together, all those years ago.” 

Kyungsoo snorted, hands relaxing their grip on the wheel. “It hasn’t been that long. We only graduated like 6 years ago.” 

“Even one year feels like a lot, especially in a town as sleepy as this.” 

“You’re right,” he admitted. “Time seems to drag on for ages, and then eventually it catches up to us out of nowhere.” He paused for a second. “Did you know Chanyeol got married?” 

“No way,” you exclaimed. You and Chanyeol had never been very close, both of you only having Kyungsoo as a mutual friend. But he and Kyungsoo had been like two peas in a pod at school, both of them sharing in interest in animals and agriculture. Even with your limited knowledge about him, you would have never guessed that Chanyeol would be one to marry early. 

“Yeah, just last month,” Kyungsoo confirmed. “They eloped to Dubai, of all places. They’ve got their own farm now too.” 

“Wow. He’s really starting early on this whole ‘adulting’ stuff.”

Kyungsoo hummed uncertainly. “I don’t know about that. I wish being married made him more mature. He still acts like the same Chanyeol, just with a ring on his finger now.” 

This had you bursting into a fit of laughter, Kyungsoo beaming beside you with his heart-shaped smile. “Well, I’m glad to know that at least Chanyeol’s still the same.” 

Kyungsoo made a turn, the area much less crowded than when you had been driving through town. “The center’s just down the road. Grandma’s excited to see you.” 

“You told her we were coming today?”

“No, but everyone’s been talking about you since we found out you were coming back. She kept calling me every couple of days to see if you were here yet. When she finally out what day you were coming, it was like Christmas had come or something.” 

This time, you couldn’t find it in yourself to laugh along. Kyungsoo had known what day you would be here, and still hadn’t shown up at the train station. Tradition be damned, he had still left you alone. 

But then again, the tiny voice in the back of your head whispered. You had left him alone too. 

Oblivious to your inner turmoil, Kyungsoo had parked the car in front of the center and had already made his way to the trunk bed. You followed along woodenly, arms and legs stiff as you let him lead the way. 

He managed to get the door open for you, even with a heavy box in his hands. His arms strained from the effort, and you made sure not to let your eyes linger for too long. 

You took slow, timid steps inside, even as people paid little attention to you. A man was being wheeled past by a younger man, while you could spot an elderly woman playing chess with a nurse in the recreational room to your left. Others wandered about, each at their own pace. Once Kyungsoo stepped in beside you, someone gave a small shout of surprise.

“Kyungsoo! Junghee’s been waiting for you.” An older man walked over, eyes twinkling at the sight of a familiar face. He paused for a second as he studied you, bushy eyebrows low over his eyes as he thought. “And who’s your friend?”

“This is Y/N, Grandpa Sungshik. Do you remember her?” 

The old man leaned closer, gaze sharp as he thought. His face suddenly lit up, revealing a toothy smile. “Ah, Minju’s girl! The one who used to come every summer.”

“That’s me,” you admitted sheepishly. 

“Minju never could stop talking about you.” Sungshik gave a cough of laughter. “Every other sentence was always Y/N this, Y/N that. You’ve grown up well. Minju was always proud of you.” 

You felt a tickle of happiness at these words, grateful for this praise. “Thank you,” you answered sincerely. 

“Here, Junghee will scold me if I keep you two away from her any longer.” Sungshik led you and Kyungsoo into the recreational room and over to a table where two women in wheelchairs chattered excitedly between themselves. One of them looked up as your group came closer, wide eyes similar to a pair that you knew all too well.

“Kyungsoo!” she exclaimed, arms outstretched. Grandma Junghee cooed over her grandson while Kyungsoo went to give her a hug, mindful not to put too much weight on her. 

“Hi, Grandma. Are you doing okay?” He knelt by her side, a hand on her knee as he stared up at her reverently. 

“I’m as fine as usual.” She glanced over to you, a curious look on her face. “And you brought Y/N?” 

“Hi,” you greeted weakly. As close as Grandma Junghee was to your great-aunt, she had always held a small grudge against you for leaving Komori behind. Your great-aunt had told you once that Junghee had hoped to marry off one of her grandsons to you, seeing how close the three of you were. The woman had a lot of willpower, especially in her old age. 

Junghee studied you for a long minute, silent while her eyes narrowed. “I didn’t think we would see you again for a while.” 

“I wasn’t sure when, or if I’d return,” you answered honestly. “But Auntie trusted me with her house, so it’s up to me to figure out what to do with it.” 

Junghee nodded, seemingly satisfied with this answer. “She told me you’re a photographer now. Is that your camera?” She pointed towards the bag hanging from your shoulder. 

“It is. Do… do you want me to take your picture?” 

A grin washed over Junghee’s face. “Would you really? Hey, everyone!” she called out to whoever was listening. “Minju’s niece is here to take pictures!” 

The room was instantly filled with excited chatter, people coming to gather around. Others peeked in from the hallway to see what the commotion was about and came to join in as well. You and Kyungsoo exchanged a stunned look. Neither of you had expected the elders to get so excited over getting their picture taken. 

“Uh, hold on!” you called out. “Let me get my camera set up.” 

While you got your equipment ready, Kyungsoo helped to arrange everybody so that no one would be cut out of the picture. Once he was done, he stood beside you, an amused smirk on his face. “Sorry, Grandma always goes crazy when it comes to taking pictures. Actually, that goes for most of the people here.” 

“It’s fine, I’m just glad they’re so enthusiastic about it. Hey, you get in there too!” You shooed Kyungsoo towards the front.

He stumbled over to his grandmother’s side, sitting on the floor beside her. Kyungsoo placed a hand on the armrest of her wheelchair, and Junghee immediately held onto it. 

Seeing Grandma Junghee’s hands cradling one of Kyungsoo’s had you choking up, the tender show of affection causing the familiar burn of unshed tears in your eyes. It reminded you if your great-aunt, and how she used to hold your hands the same way. 

“Oh god, I’m sorry. I — I need a second,” you stammered out. You took off your camera, placing it on a table close by before rushing out of the room. Ignoring the whispers behind you, you sped down the corridor, pushing past the back doors and settling down on the low steps there. Lucky for you, the back area of the center was barren of people. Your head hung low into your hands, lips trembling as you cried. 

When your great-aunt had passed, you were sure that you had done all the grieving that you had possibly could. Your aunt was one of your biggest supporters, calling you at least once a month to check up and see how her sweet Y/N was doing. You were taken aback by the flash of jealousy that arose when you saw Grandma Junghee and Kyungsoo together. It wasn’t fair that your aunt had passed away earlier than anyone had expected. She should have been around for longer, long enough for you to return to Komori to make up for years of being gone. 

The doors opened a few seconds later, heaving breaths echoing behind you. “Y/N?” you heard Kyungsoo ask. 

With a sniff, you wiped at your eyes with your hands and tried your best to give Kyungsoo a smile. “Hey.” 

Kyungsoo’s eyes grew wider, if that was even possible. He took a seat beside you, no longer trying to keep his distance. “Are… are you okay?” 

“Yeah, I am.” You gave a soft laugh at his skeptical glance. “Really, I am. It’s just… I didn’t fully realize how much I missed Auntie until I came here. I mean, I cried and everything when I found out that she passed away. But seeing all of her friends here, it feels unfair that she passed so early.” 

“I get that.” Kyungsoo’s eyes were trained on his shoelaces as he spoke. “I used to feel like that about Mom and Dad.” 

Kyungsoo and Jongin hadn’t always lived with their grandmother. After a devastating accident when they were both very young, their grandmother offered to take them in. But the emptiness of having two parents taken away much too early did leave a heavy weight over them for a while, just as the loss of your great-aunt did with you.

“How did you get over it?” you asked. 

“Honestly, I don’t know. It felt like things wouldn’t get better for a long time. I felt guilty every time I smiled or laughed, like I wasn’t allowed to be happy again.” Kyungsoo looked over at you. “But I had Grandma and Jongin. And you.” 

“Me?”

“You were my first best friend. You didn’t pity me like everyone else did, and you just treated me like any normal kid. I wouldn’t have been half as happy if I didn’t have you around, coming to visit every summer. I always looked forward to summer because it meant I’d get to see you again.” 

You were stunned by Kyungsoo’s words, never having heard such a lengthy and heartfelt speech from him before. “I always loved summers too. Coming here was one of the highlights of my childhood.” 

Kyungsoo smiled widely, cheeks rounded and teeth showing as you gave a tiny grin in return. “Well, everyone’s glad to have you back.” 

Your smile faltered, eyes falling to the floor. “I’m sorry I left. I’m sorry it took so long for me to come back,” you confessed. “And I’m sorry for hurting you, all those years ago.” With this, you gathered up the courage to meet Kyungsoo’s eyes. 

For a second, he was speechless. But that wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Kyungsoo was much more careful with words, whereas you were very free with yours, a cheerful chatterbox. But just because he was silent, didn’t mean that he hadn’t heard you. 

“I’m sorry too,” his low voice rumbled out. “As much as I knew how much it meant for you to go to school in the city, I didn’t want to say bye. I was scared,” Kyungsoo admitted lowly. “Scared of being left behind, first by my parents, and then you and Jongin. No one stays here, everyone’s always looking for the next opportunity to leave and make it big somewhere else. I let my fear get the best of me though. I’m sorry for hurting you too.” 

Your eyes started to get glassy with tears again, and you tried your best to blink them away. “Oh no, now you’ve got me crying again,” you teased with a shaky laugh. 

Kyungsoo chuckled along. “Don’t cry,” he cooed. 

“I can’t help it when you’re being so nice to me.” 

Rolling his eyes, Kyungsoo held his arms out to you. “Come on.” 

Tentatively, you leaned forward, letting Kyungsoo’s arms wrap around you while you rested your head on his shoulder. He let you cry, one of his hands patting out a steady rhythm on your back. 

“Never in a million years did I think I’d be back here,” you mumbled into his shoulder. “But I’m glad,” you quickly added, knowing Kyungsoo might misinterpret your meaning. “I’m glad that I get to see you again.” 

“I’m glad too.” Most people would have also said “I missed you”, but Kyungsoo wasn’t one to say things like that aloud. Although he didn’t say it, you knew he meant it in the way that he took care of you, even when you had first shown up on his doorstep after so long. 

There truly was no one out there quite like Kyungsoo. 

“I’m ready to head back,” you told him eventually, pulling away and sniffing back any stray tears.

He watched you warily, as if worried you would start crying again. “Are you sure?” 

“Yeah. If I stay out here any longer, I might end up crying all night,” you joked in an attempt to lighten the mood. 

Kyungsoo stared at you a moment longer, his all-knowing gaze piercing through you until he nodded. Whatever he had seen must have been enough to reassure him. “Okay.”

You cleared your throat, hoping your voice wasn’t hoarse from crying. Kyungsoo followed you back inside, his presence enough to calm you. Even when you faltered by the door to the recreational room, Kyungsoo placed a hand your back and nudged you forward. “Don’t worry. I’ll be here the whole time.”

And true to his word, he was. To your surprise, there wasn’t much questioning about your sudden escape. It was as if you had never left the room at all, the familiar adults greeting you with smiles once more. 

This time as you readied your camera, your hands were more firm, more sure in their hold as you waited for everyone to be ready. And as you counted down, everyone else was looking straight at the camera while Kyungsoo’s eyes were on yours. Steady and reliable as always. 

The elders cooed over the pictures you had taken, each one passing the camera around to the next person. Each once complimented you, even as you became flustered and try to insist that really, it was nothing. "I haven’t even developed the pictures yet,” you spluttered out. 

“Nonsense,” Grandma Junghee had scoffed. “Although people can take pictures, it takes an artist to make pictures stand out from the rest. Minju was right — you truly are talented.”

You were overjoyed by Grandma Junghee’s praise, valuing her comments even more knowing that she wasn’t one to lavish praise easily. In that respect, she and Kyungsoo were very similar. 

“Do you work by yourself?” A man nearby asked, gray mustache moving slightly as spoke. 

“No, I work for a company. I’ve only been working with them for a year, but I’ve learned so much.”

“I’m sure they’re very happy to have you working for them.” The older man gave you a kind smile before walking away, joining some friends across the room. 

As soon as the man left, Kyungsoo was by your side, having just finished talking to someone else. “I heard what Grandma said to you,” he said with a grin. “Congrats." 

You rolled your eyes, knowing that he was teasing you. "Thanks. I was so worried that she wouldn’t like the pictures.”

Kyungsoo chuckled, shaking his head. “I know Grandma can be scary sometimes, but she really does care about you. She wouldn’t say anything to hurt you, especially with how long our families go back.”

“I know, but still. Having her approval really means a lot to me. I’d take one of Grandma’s praises over any from my superiors at work." 

Kyungsoo stared pensively, mulling over his words. "Is it really that stressful at work?”

You sighed, blowing a few strands away from your eyes. “It’s hard. Working for a company ensures that I’ll always have a client lined up, but I don’t get a lot of creative license. Sometimes, customers aren’t 100% satisfied with the end product and I feel like a dumbass for getting things wrong. But if I left, I’d have to sacrifice stability for creativity. Opening up my own studio is expensive, and I’m not even sure I’d have enough clients to keep me in business. All I’ve ever wanted to do was make people happy with my pictures.” 

“You do. I mean, look at how happy you made my grandma and everybody else back there.”

“They’ve only seen these pictures,” you argued. "And they’re not that great anyways, not without studio lights and retouching.”

“That’s not the point. You made them happy, regardless.“

You were about to argue back when Grandma Junghee called out to you, waving you over. Kyungsoo followed along, the two of you already joined at the hip once again.

"I know that you’ve come back to Komori to clean out and sell your house, but are you free any other time before you leave?” she asked.

“I’m pretty much free most of the time, I’m almost done with everything back at the house.”

“Are you free this Thursday? Eunbi’s daughter just had her baby, and they’ve been looking for a photographer to come around and take family pictures. I heard that they’re willing to pay well for these pictures,” Junghee added in a whisper.

“Me? Are you sure they’d be okay with me taking their pictures?” You began to worry — family pictures were extremely valuable, and you’d need to make sure that everything was absolutely perfect.

“Of course! We haven’t had a good photographer in town for a while. I’m sure there’s many people around in need of your talents,” Grandma Junghee said with a wink. "Come, I’m sure I have Eunbi’s number in my room somewhere." 

You offered to push Grandma Junghee back to her room, glancing over your shoulder to where Kyungsoo remained. He flashed you a bright smile, along with a small thumbs-up. With a soft giggle, you gave him a thumbs-up of your own.

If only getting gigs like this in the city were this easy.

After you finished the pictures for Eunbi’s family, much to their delight and gratitude, you found yourself with more than enough requests for you to take pictures. The owner of a market wanted your help getting newer pictures to add some life to the store, while a couple had asked for you to take pictures at their wedding. Your services had even been requested at town hall, and you had spent the good part of a day taking pictures of the council members to be on display in town hall. And of course, there were many requests by families for you to take their pictures. 

For the next week, you barely saw Kyungsoo and Jongin, even though they literally lived next door. Jongin was back at college for a couple of days to meet up with friends, and you were often taking on jobs around town, snapping pictures for anyone who asked. It was fun going around and taking photos, but the hard part was getting them developed. Thankfully most of your clients wanted the finished products given to them electronically, whether by email or USB, but there were still the few customers who were requesting glossy, physical prints. You didn’t have the equipment to develop the pictures on your own, and you promised that once you got back to the city and had them printed, you would send them by first-class mail. You felt bad for making these certain clients wait later than others because you couldn’t develop the photos, but all of them were extremely understanding. 

One afternoon as you biked back to your house, you spotted Kyungsoo working on his front yard, tending to the flowers. 

"Soo!” you called out, using your old nickname for him. You hopped off of your bike, leaving it to rest against the grass as you walked over. You left your back of equipment beside it, much more carefully than you had with your bike.

Kyungsoo startled upright, turning around with eyes wide. Once he saw it was you, the corners of his lips lifted upwards in a gentle smile. “Hi stranger.”

"I was just thinking the same thing.” You sat down on the grass beside him, cross-legged as you surveyed the flowerbed. “I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“How are the pictures coming along?” Kyungsoo took off his gardening gloves, leaving them atop the dirt and wiping the sweat off of his forehead with the back of his hand. For a moment, you were so distracted by this that you forgot to answer. 

“Uh, they’ve been coming along pretty well. I’m happy with the results. And everyone’s been super nice as well, so that’s always a plus. How’ve you been?" 

Kyungsoo shrugged. "Same as usual.”

“Nothing exciting?”

Kyungsoo’s teeth pulled at his bottom lip as he thought. “Actually, one of the horses had her foal.”

“Really? Can I see?”

He turned to you in surprise. “Really?” he echoed. 

“Yeah! Come on, lead the way.” You jumped up from your spot, offering a hand to Kyungsoo. His hands were dirty with soil, but you didn’t care. 

The two of you walked hand in hand to the small barn, Kyungsoo’s hand steady while your fingers seemed to be thrumming with electricity at the contact. You hoped that your hand wasn’t sweaty, though you knew that even if it was, Kyungsoo wouldn’t mind or say anything about it. 

To your regret, Kyungsoo let go once you reached the barn so that he could get the doors open. “After you." 

"Thank you, sir.” You added a playful curtsy, giggling to yourself when Kyungsoo laughed. 

Like the house, Kyungsoo’s barn looked almost exactly the same way it did when you were last in Komori. The green paint on the walls was a bit faded, but still a vibrant forest green. His family didn’t own many animals, the barn only housing one cow and a handful of horses. You moved closer to one stall, your fingers running over a placard with an animal’s name on it. “You still have Lucky?”

“Of course.” Kyungsoo peeked into the stall, face breaking into a proud grin when he caught sight of the horse. “Come here girl,” he called out to Lucky. 

The horse came over until she was right in front of Kyungsoo, only the stall door separating them. She nudged her nose against the bars, letting out a huff. She only calmed down once Kyungsoo reached out, petting her silky coat through the door. 

“Lucky had a foal? But isn’t she old?” you asked, trying to peek inside for a glimpse of the foal. 

Kyungsoo giggled, shaking his head. “Not Lucky.” He gave the horse one last pat before heading down the row of stalls. “Clover had her foal.” He peeked inside a different stall before waving you over. “Come take a look.”

Inside lay a dark-brown colored horse, with a foal of the exact shade lying beside her. Both horses looked up at you, their light eyes taking in the appearance of a stranger in their barn. 

“She’s beautiful. They both are,” you breathed out in awe.

“They are,” Kyungsoo agreed. He gazed at them with immense warmth in his eye, much like that of a father looking at his child. 

“You really love them like they’re your own kids,” you mused aloud. 

“Of course,” Kyungsoo exclaimed, as if there was no suggesting otherwise. “I take care of them, and without me even asking, they care about me too.” Kyungsoo’s face lit up as the foal stood, skinny legs taking tentative steps as she came closer to the door. 

“Oh my god,” you said, a sudden idea coming to mind. “Wait here!”

Kyungsoo’s brows crumpled in confusion as he watched you sprint out of the barn. “Where are you going?” you heard him shout. 

You gasped as you ran back to the front yard, catching sight of where your bag lay forgotten beside your bike. Scooping it up, you began running back to the barn, making sure that you had the bag safely in your arms. When you got back, you were greeted by a concerned glance on Kyungsoo’s face.

“You okay?” he asked.

Holding one hand up, you set your bag on the floor while you struggled to catch your breath. “Can I take your picture?” you asked.

“Me? Why?" 

"Because this is a really special moment, I want to capture it forever.”

Kyungsoo hesitated, but to your surprise, gave a firm nod. “Okay.”

“Really?”

He rolled his eyes, despite his growing smile. “Hurry up before I change my mind.”

By now, both of you had gotten used to your routine of setting up. Kyungsoo continued to coo and talk to the horses through the door while you looked up every so often, touched by his gentleness.

“Okay, I’m ready!” you finally called out.

Kyungsoo looked at you over shoulder, confusion on his face. “What do I do?”

“Just… be casual, you know? Do what you always do.” 

Kyungsoo scoffed at this vague direction, but continued to talk to the horses nonetheless. He truly looked at peace here with the animals, whispering soft words to them as they listened to him attentively. At this point, the foal was right next to the door, trying to nuzzle at Kyungsoo’s outstretched hand despite being too short to reach.

“You can go inside if you want to. I mean, if that’s okay with you,” you spoke up.

But even as you were speaking, Kyungsoo was working on getting the latch undone. “Be careful,” he warned. “Clover’s still a bit sensitive when it comes to her baby." 

You kept your space, staying outside of the stall and watching as Kyungsoo carefully approached the foal. He crouched down, an arm resting on his knee while he held a hand out to the foal. It nudged at his hand with its head, and Kyungsoo began to stroke the foal’s hair. Even Clover was calm around him, her kind eyes following his every movement as he tended to her baby.

"Have you named her yet?” you asked in between pictures.

“No. I wasn’t sure what to name her. Jongin wants to name her Hay because ‘Horses eat hay’, but I told him it was a dumb name.”

You snorted at this, almost ruining one picture. “You’re not wrong. What have you been calling her then?”

“Nothing, really. Sometimes I just call her 'Clover’s baby’, but then I feel bad.”

“Because that’s not a real name?” you teased.

Kyungsoo sent you a flat look. “Thanks,” he deadpanned.

“I’ll let you know if I think of any good names for her.” You stood up, having taken the last shot with one knee on the floor. “That’s the last one.”

Kyungsoo gave the foal a parting kiss, his forehead brushing against her head before he got up, locking the stall behind him. “Do I get to see the pictures?

"Not yet,” you replied, much to his shock. “I want them to be a surprise for now. I’ll give them to you when I get a chance to print them back home.”

“Ah,” Kyungsoo stiffened. “Right, you’re going back at the end of the week.”

“Yep.” You lamely fiddled with the strap of your camera, unknowingly picking at the skin of your thumb. 

Without a word, Kyungsoo came closer, covering your hand with his own. You froze at the sudden contact, unable to look away from him. “Stop,” he mumbled. “You’re going to hurt your hand.”

“Sorry,” you whispered. “Nervous tick." 

Kyungsoo opened his mouth, then closed it, letting out a sigh of frustration. "You’re leaving on Saturday?”

“Yeah, four more days. It’s final, I’m really selling the house.”

He nodded, bangs brushing against his forehead as he did so. “I see.” You caught a glimpse of something in his expression, but before you could point it out, it was gone.

“I’m going to check on the chickens,” he said suddenly. Kyungsoo let go of your hand, letting it drop back to your side. “Don’t wait for me.” And with that, he left the barn, his boots thumping against the floor until you couldn’t hear them anymore. 

Kyungsoo’s words haunted you for the rest of the night, and even now as you were working with a client. 

“Y/N?” she called out, a worried look on her face. “You okay?”

You nodded, an immediate response. “Yeah. Sorry, just spacing out.”

Your client for today, Jina, was an art teacher at the high school in your small town. You hadn’t taken any classes with her when you were in school, but you remembered seeing her around. Jina had asked for you to come in and photograph some of her students’ work so that she could keep copies for future students to study and use as reference for certain projects. 

Jina looked through her vast collection of student artwork, pulling out certain pieces from drawers and cabinets to be photographed. So far, your photos had contained a vast array of sculptures, watercolor paintings, and still life drawings. You were intent on preserving the beauty of each individual piece of art through your photos, only pushing you even more towards achieving perfection. Every angle had to be right, as well as the lighting. You had been so relieved when Jina expressed her delight at your photos, grateful that she liked them. 

“You know, Y/N,” Jina spoke up. “We haven’t had a good photographer here in a long time. Have you seen the old studio in town?“

"No. I didn’t even know there was a studio here,” you asked, intrigued by this new tidbit of information.

“It’s behind the old newspaper place. I don’t think anyone’s owned it for a decade, at least. I mean, the technology in there would be pretty old and it would need a lot of fixing up, but I think you’d be the best one for the place.” 

You had been hooked as soon as Jina even mentioned the existence of a studio, but the rational part of you soon took over. Sure, it would be great to have a studio of your own, but would you be able to make enough money? How would you even get money in the first place to renovate the area? What if all of your hard work ended up going down the drain? "I don’t know,” you admitted. “It’s a lot of work.”

“It is, but I don’t think that’s what you’re really scared of. Teacher’s intuition,” she explained while tapping at her head with a finger.

You sighed, setting your camera down and leaning against the table beside you. “I’m more scared that I’ll regret it. What if I just end up wishing that I had kept my job instead?”

“You might. But you’ll never know unless you try it out. That’s the scary thing about life, but sometimes it’s worth it to take those risks. I don’t think you’ll have any problem finding work out here. I heard you’ve already gotten a bunch of requests this week.”

“Yeah, but that was this week. What happens after the rush dies down and no one wants any pictures?”

“Y/N, there’s always going to be someone in town who wants their pictures taken. Trust me,” Jina reasoned. “Especially these teens nowadays. They’re even becoming interested in becoming photographers themselves. Hey,” Jina straightened up as a new idea came to mind. “You could have classes too, if you wanted.”

“Classes? Like, hold my own photography classes?” you asked in disbelief. 

“Sure, why not? You know, Komori may be a tiny town with some old habits, but there’s been lots of change too. You might be the change that this town needs.”

You bit down on your lip, ruminating over her words. “I don’t know, I’ll have to think about it.”

Jina nodded, going back to rummaging through her students’ work. “Of course, take your time.”

You had to admit, Jina’s proposition did sound appealing. Even if your studio did fail, which hurt to even think about, there was another alternative, a back-up plan. All of this, plus your lingering doubts about selling your great-aunt’s house was making it hard for you to leave Komori once and for all without any lasting regrets. Then there were your friends: friends you had taken up with again after so long as well as the ones you had made in these past couple of weeks. 

And of course, Kyungsoo. 

Kyungsoo stared out the window, ignoring the show playing on the TV. You would be leaving tomorrow, and Kyungsoo wasn’t sure he’d be able to say goodbye to you again. He hadn’t talked to you since the incident in the barn, and even Jongin had noticed that something was off about him.

“Why do you keep staring at Y/N’s house?” he had asked at dinner last night, turning around to see what had captured his brother’s attention.

“I’m not,” Kyungsoo had answered sullenly.

Doubtful and concerned as he was, Jongin knew when to interfere and when to leave Kyungsoo alone. 

Now in the lazy hours of the afternoon, Kyungsoo yawned. He turned off the TV, stretching his arms out above his head from sitting for so long. A glance at the clock showed that it was still only 3 o'clock. Kyungsoo rummaged through his mental to-do lists, only to find that he had already completed most of the things that he had meant to do today. He had planned on going fishing tomorrow, but since he had time…

He ventured to where the fishing rods lay in the closet, along with the rest of the fishing gear. Just as he was slipping his boots on, a knock came at the door. 

Half-expecting it to be Jongin at the door complaining about losing his keys, Kyungsoo was taken off guard when he saw it was you instead. “Hi,” you greeted shyly, biting down on your lip as you hid your hands behind your back.

“Hi,” Kyungsoo copied, wary about your sudden appearance. “What’s up?”

You hesitated, unsure of how to break your big decision to him. Peeking over his shoulder, you noticed the old fishing poles leaning against the wall. “Are you going fishing?”

Kyungsoo followed your line of sight, only growing more confused by your deflection. “Yeah.” After a moment’s silence, “You wanna come?”

Instantly, your face lit up, and Kyungsoo would have agreed over and over again if only to see your face like it was now. “Sure!” you agreed. 

You offered to carry something, anything to help out, but Kyungsoo wouldn’t hear of it. He walked beside you with both poles in one hand and his box of gear in the other. Neither one of you spoke as you traveled along the dirt path, the walk leading you through a little forest of trees and to a river downhill. It was enough to simply be in each other’s presence, especially after ignoring each other for the past couple of days. You kept your eyes on both of your shadows as you walked, Kyungsoo’s wide-brimmed hat making his shadow stand out. 

Soon enough, you heard the soft trickling of water as you neared the river, a break in the trees revealing the serene river and miles of farmland on the other side. You watched as Kyungsoo set down the equipment, getting both fishing poles ready with an assurance that only came from fishing for so many years. Feeling like you weren’t being of enough help, you sat down on a large rock serving as a boundary between the grass and the water. You took off your sandals and let your toes brush against the flowing current of the river before putting your feet in all the way. 

“Here,” said Kyungsoo, breaking you out of your daze. He held out one fishing pole to you, face blank. 

“Thanks.” Before you could add anything else, Kyungsoo was walking further downstream, choosing a rock settle further into the water. Without hesitating, he cast the line into the river, strong hands holding the pole firmly in place as he began the waiting game. You on the other hand, didn’t have as much experience and needed a couple of tries before you felt that you had cast the line correctly. 

Time passed slowly, Kyungsoo sitting atop his rock with his back to you, posture steady as he waited for a fish to bite. Even with your own fishing rod, you were beginning to grow bored after a few minutes. Fishing had never been your thing, anyways. 

Especially when you had good news to share.

Setting your fishing rod down on the grass, you crept over to where Kyungsoo was still sitting. He hadn’t noticed your approach, his fingers drumming against the fishing rod as he hummed lowly to himself. Crouching down, you let the tips of your fingers touch the flowing water of the river. A wicked grin found its way onto your face, and you suddenly lifted both hands, sending droplets of water on Kyungsoo’s back.

Immediately, he turned around, mouth open in surprise. “What are you doing?” he asked, looking you up and down as if you had lost your mind. 

“What does it look like? I’m starting a water fight, silly.” With that, you reached down to gather up more water, flicking it lightly onto his nose. 

Some of the water managed to hit the brim of his hat, water rolling off of the edges as Kyungsoo closed his eyes. He let out a deep sigh, and you began to worry that you had gone too far this time. “If it’s a water fight that you want,” he warned. “You have no idea what you’ve gotten into.” His eyes shot back open, and in a flash, Kyungsoo tossed his fishing rod behind him, flinging it into the river as he began splashing you. 

You shrieked in surprise as Kyungsoo continued to splash you, his joyous laughter echoing in your ears. “Oh, you’re going to pay for that!” Soon you were splashing him back just as earnestly, water spraying back and forth and covering you both from head to toe. 

No one seemed to be getting the upper hand, both of you evenly matched even as you began to get tired. It was either continue to splash Kyungsoo and hope that he got tired before you did, or take matters into your own hands. 

With a yell, you tackled Kyungsoo, knocking you both onto the grassy bank beside the river. Kyungsoo shouted as both of you fell, his arms wrapping around your waist to hold you close to him, bracing the fall for you. He let out a groan as his back hit the ground, your own body bumping into his.

Laughing giddily, you tried to catch a glimpse of his face, not noticing how he continued to hold onto you. 

“You’re absolutely crazy, you know that?” he joked in between heaving breaths. 

“And you wouldn’t have me any other way.” You smiled down at him, placing your hands on his chest as you pushed yourself up to get a better look at him. 

As if just now realizing the position you two were in, Kyungsoo’s eyes flickered from your face to your hands, licking his lips nervously. “Y/N,” he said, much more serious that before. “Don’t leave. Please,” he whispered. “I know this is all still up to you, but as much as I try, I can’t help but be selfish.” 

“What do you mean?” you asked, completely awestruck. 

He sighed, breathing shaky before answering. “I’m going to miss you. I don’t think I can say goodbye again.”

You reached up, pushing the wet strands of hair back from his face so that you could admire him fully. Everything about him was honest, from the strong edge to his brows, to the shine in his eyes whenever he came back home, happy and content from the day’s work. The same shine that he had now as he stared back at you. 

“Then don’t,” you replied simply. 

“Don’t?” he repeated, brows raising in confusion.

“Don’t say goodbye, Soo.” You continued to trace the features of his face as you spoke, starting with the edges of his hairline. “Because I’m staying here.” 

Kyungsoo didn’t blink for a while, staring at you as if you had just told him you were moving to Mars. “You’re staying here?” he repeated again in disbelief. “But what about your job?”

“I can take pictures anywhere, as long as I have a good studio.” Noticing the unspoken question in Kyungsoo’s eyes, you continued. “One of my clients told me that the old photo studio in town is up for sale, if I wanted it. And… I think I’m gonna take it.”  

“But your dream,” Kyungsoo argued weakly. As much as he really did want you to stay, he also knew how important your job was to you. “We all know the city is a better place for your job.” 

“For my job, but maybe not for me. No matter where I go, I can take pictures. But it doesn’t matter without inspiration, without love. I haven’t felt this alive in a long time. And of course,” you leaned closer, hand coming to cup Kyungsoo’s face. “I feel happier here. I feel more like myself in the past two weeks than I have in years.”

“You’re really staying?” he asked.

In response, to pressed your lips to his. Kyungsoo froze, and you worried that you had been too rash in your movements, but suddenly he was kissing you back, his hands wandering up your back and coming to cradle the back of your head. You sighed against his mouth, feeling a rush of delight when Kyungsoo shivered beneath you. 

“You’re staying,” he repeated, letting out a hushed laugh of amazement. “Please don’t let this be a dream.”

“Nope. 100% real.” You punctuated each word with an additional kiss to his lips, giggling when Kyungsoo kissed you back, each touch of his lips as soft and gentle as you had dreamed. He took his time, appreciating each brush of his lips against yours. Kyungsoo was about to protest when you pulled away once more, a whine caught in his throat. 

“I have to take care of things back in the city first,” you told him. “Get things settled with my boss and all that stuff. I have to save up money too, even with the loan that I’m applying for.”

“How long?” Kyungsoo asked, worry slipping into his voice. 

“Not too long, only a few months at tops. But,” you added, sensing his discomfort. “I’ll call you everyday. You won’t be able to go a single day without hearing my voice,” you teased.

“I could never get tired of listening to you,” he replied seriously, owlish eyes tracing your features, memorizing them for the inevitable separation. 

“I’ll be back before you know it,” you tried to console both him and yourself. “And in the end, it’ll all be worth it.”

“Y/N, you’re not just staying for me, right? You… you hate farming, and everything about living in Komori,” Kyungsoo mumbled, worried about your motivation for staying. 

“I don’t hate farming,” you began, voice trailing off when Kyungsoo stared at you skeptically. “I don’t! Really. And I don’t hate Komori. I just didn’t like the idea of being stuck in a town that’s trapped in the past. But I didn’t realize how wrong I was, how much Komori is changing, even day by day. I was scared of being forced to live a life where each day, each year is a repeat of the last. But after coming back, I can’t believe how much is different, how much I’ve changed in the course of only a couple weeks. And I like the changes that I see. I want to see what new adventures are ahead for me… and you.”

Kyungsoo stared blankly at this sudden confession, and you were sure you had overwhelmed him this time. “Soo?” you asked, running your thumb across his cheek in an attempt to coax some sort of reaction out of him. 

You yelped in surprise as Kyungsoo turned both of you over, until your back was against the grass and he was kissing the life out of you. “Soo,” you giggled in between kisses. “Soo, talk to me here.”

“I love you,” he whispered against your lips, pressing kisses to your forehead, your cheeks, before coming back to your lips. 

“I love you too,” you replied, just as quietly. “I always have. I never stopped. Not even when I left.”

Kyungsoo paused, his eyes shiny with tears, a reflection of your own. “Me too. When you came back, I couldn’t believe it, it was like you had never left. Like I was still falling for my best friend.”

You hummed, leaned up to touch your nose against his. “Like your best friend loved you back.”

Kyungsoo was there for you every night for the next few months, the sound of his voice a constant lullaby as you laid in bed after a day of work. He was with you in spirit as you broke the news to your parents, when you anxiously waited for your loan to be approved, and cheered with you once all of your plans, one by one, fell into place. And of course, Kyungsoo kept you updated on progress in Komori. Summer was turning to autumn, and the rice would be ready to be harvested. You were most excited to hear that he had finally named Clover’s foal, a skittish, energetic horse by the name of Cocoa, for the rich brown hue of her coat. Kyungsoo had called you one day to say that he had gotten the prints of your pictures in the mail, the ones that you took of him in the barn. His pictures had been the first ones that you had printed upon return to your apartment, hands running over the smooth finish of the photoprinting paper before you sent them off to him, tucked carefully in an envelope. 

“You’re coming back,” he whispered into the phone one night, a week before your return to Komori.

“I’m coming home,” you corrected, giggling at the thought of it, the reality of all that you had worked towards finally coming true. 

“I can’t wait.”

Neither could you, as you sat on that same train that had brought you to Komori at the beginning of the summer. This time, you had more things with you, and the rest of your belongings coming by moving truck later on this week. But your heart was the lightest it had ever been, filled with hopes and expectations for your final return to Komori.

And when the train stopped at the familiar train station, you felt the nervous fluttering of butterflies in your stomach as you got ready to alight. With your belongings in hand, you stepped off onto the platform and looked for the face you had missed so dearly.

“Y/N!”

You spun around, dropping your bags at the sight of Kyungsoo, eyes wide and and a look of euphoria on his face. He ran over to you, enveloping you in his arms as he held you tightly to him. You hugged him back just as tightly, tears of happiness falling onto the soft cotton of his T-shirt. “I missed you so much, Soo,” you mumbled into his shoulder.

Kyungsoo only held you tighter, pressing a kiss to the side of your head. “I missed you too, love. Welcome home.”

A/N: after what seems like a century, I’ve finally finished this! I got hit with serious writer’s block halfway through, and then school got in the way, but I’m really happy with where this ended up. I hope you all enjoy this!

Nice and Innocent Pt.1

- Rating: PG-13 -

- 4K words -

- A blind date with Kyungsoo -

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