songs to listen to
New Year's Day | I'll Keep You Safe

///

NEW YEARS DAY | 2023

It’s nearing three in the morning and compared to three hours prior, the ambience of the night has aged. There’s glitter on the floor, empty glasses on the counter next to just as empty champagne bottles and a tabletop covered with polaroids taken during the duration of the night.

After being passed out on the couch for a good hour, Seungwan releases a tiny whine when Chanyeol gently shakes her shoulder.

“Honey.” He cups her cheek with his warm palm and her eyelids begin fluttering open from his touch. “Come on, let’s go home.”

He tugs on her hand and although she can barely keep her eyes open, Seungwan naturally sits up and wraps herself on Chanyeol’s dependable back when he crouches down in front of her. With her heels dangling from his hands, he effortlessly lifts her up so Seulgi can help wrap her jacket around her.

“Just saying,” Jongin shrugs as he crumples a handful of metallic gold streamers in his hand into a tiny ball. “You guys are more than welcome to stay in our guest bedroom.”

Chanyeol chuckles and shakes his head as he shifts Seungwan so she can be more comfortable. “She’s gonna want to wake up in her bed and besides, it’s no big deal. See you guys for brunch in a few hours! Happy New Years!”

“That’s if she can even wake up in time for it of course,” Seulgi mumbles as Chanyeol is walking out the door and Sehun snorts besides her. She turns to him when he slides his hand around her waist and naturally smiles at the sight of the grin on his face.

“Shall we head home too?” He asks his lovely fiancee and she nods. “Alrighty. Nini,” Jongin shoots his head up from behind a couch when he hears his nickname. “We’re gonna head out too now. Jung-ah!”

“Yeah?!” Soojung shouts from the kitchen while she empties out all the unfinished bottles of champagne.

“We’re leaving!” Sehun announces before Soojung quickly emerges from the kitchen.

“Drive home safe you guys,” she says and they both nod as Sehun is leading Seulgi out with his hand on the small of her back.

“Have a good night!” Jongin chirps on his way to join them at the door. He rips out a yawn as he snakes his arm around Soojung’s shoulder. “Thanks for coming.”

“Wouldn’t miss it for anything,” Sehun snickers, knowing their long history of wild New Year's Eve celebrations. “Alright, Happy New Year’s. See you guys in a bit.”

“I’ll text you when we get home,” Seulgi tells Soojung and she nods before the two turn to leave down the hall towards the elevator.

Once the door snaps shut, Jongin turns to Soojung in the dim light of their entryway and for a long moment, they say nothing before he reaches over to pull her into a sweet kiss.

“Let’s just finish cleaning up tomorrow,” he suggests but Soojung shakes her head and pulls him back into their living room by the hand. “Baby, it’s nearly three. We have to be up in a few hours for brunch, we should at least get a little bit of sleep.”

“Alright, alright,” Soojung grunts. “But let’s just as least put in the glasses in the dishwasher before we head to bed?”

He nods and releases her hand as she begins to walk away from him. Sighing, Jongin takes a moment to digest the current state of their apartment and accepts the reality that what his wife means by putting away a few glasses is not actually just putting away a few glasses so he turns on some music and heads to the closet to fetch a broom to try and sweep up all the glitter on the floor.

“Honey?”

Jongin stops on his way back from the closet and leans against the kitchen entryway when Soojung calls for him. “Yeah?”

He immediately steps over to take the plates from her hands when she begins reaching for one of the higher shelves and carefully places them back for her instead.

“Can you message Junmyeon oppa to make sure they got home fine?” Soojung asks as he motions for her to hand him the remainder of the plates on the drying rack. “My phone is dead and I actually don’t know where it is right now…”

Jongin chuckles as he nods and quietly closes the cabinet door. “I found it by the fireplace earlier, it’s charging in the bedroom now.”

“What would I do without you,” Soojung sighs and he shoots her a soft grin as she rips out a big yawn.

“I’m going to sweep up what I can of the glitter in the living room,” Jongin begins. “Why don’t you head to bed first?”

Soojung yawns again as she leans against his bulky arm. “I like that idea.”

Together they quickly tidy up what’s left to do in the kitchen before heading to the living room together. Soojung is about to head first for the bedroom as suggested by Jongin when a certain song comes a shuffle, stopping the newlyweds in their tracks at once. She turns on her heel and Jongin is already shooting her a knowing smile when she catches his gaze across the room. The broom in his hand is immediately abandoned as he extends a hand out for a dance.

“We can’t not dance to our song,” he explains with Soojung agreeingly slipping her smaller hand into his and he pulls her in until her curves fit right into his.

“I’ll keep you safe,” she sings softly as they gently begin swaying together under the dim light of their living room. “Try hard to concentrate.”

Jongin smiles as he leans into press his forehead against hers while also quietly singing along. “Hold out your hand, can you feel the weight of it? The whole world at your fingertips.”

Quietly chuckles fill the room when Jongin sends her into a series of spins before she retracts right into his arms. Although he was worried about time earlier, time has come to a standstill at the moment and Jongin hopes it will never come to an end. With Soojung tucked perfectly under his chin, her warmth mixing in with his, their bodies swaying in unison to the lyrics of a song that has guided them during hard and beautiful times of their relationship, Jongin can’t think of a better way to start the new year.

“You’ll be an architect

So pull up your sleeves

And build a new silhouette

In the skylines up ahead

Don’t be, don’t be afraid

Our mistakes they were bound to be made

But I promise you I’ll keep you safe

I’ll keep you safe”

NEW YEARS EVE | 2013

This music is all trash, Jongin thinks as he squeezes through the sweaty bodies to get to Soojung who is scanning the room nervously for him. It’s been about two months since they first met at Kris’s birthday party and ever since, they’ve been practically inseparable. She’s different from every girl he’s ever found interest in and although it’s a bit early especially with it being they aren’t even an official couple yet, he thinks— no, he knows she’s the one.

“Soojung-ah!” Jongin shoots a hand into the air to alert of his location in the sweaty mess and a look of relief washes away the nervous one she was wearing seconds ago. She chuckles when he comes stumbling out of the crowd before coming into a complete stop in front of her.

“People really need to put on deodorant,” he mumbles which makes her laugh and it takes Jongin a moment to calm his heart down. His eyes carefully take in the sight of her beautiful smile and how she still manages to outshine everyone in the room while in a simple t-shirt and jeans. “You look beautiful tonight by the way.”

A different shade of blush washes over the one she’s wearing on her cheek as she grins shyly. “Thanks. You don’t look so bad yourself.”

“Thanks to a special lady, of course,” he winks and she giggles again. “Hey.”

Soojung looks up from her feet and her heart skips as he leans in close to whisper into her ear.

“You wanna grab a drink?”

She fights back a smirk but surprises him when she slips her hand into his. “Show me the way.”

After mixing them each a drink to their liking, they don’t get very from the kitchen. Seated on the countertop, Soojung is in a fit of never ending laughter with Jongin’s lame jokes coming right after another. The distance between them is almost nonexistent with Soojung laughing into his shoulder, her hair brushing his neck and breath skimming ear. His hands that were on the counter are now around her waist and if he leaned in just a bit more, his lips could be against hers. Soojung can see the temptation in his eyes but she’s not about to give in so fast just yet. She cups his warm face with her two hands and leans in to press her forehead against his so she can control the distance. When their noses brush slightly, Jongin releases a small whine with a large pout.

“You’re horrible,” he groans with his pink cheeks as she snickers mischievously.

Second by second, the music in the living room begins to drown out with the loud beating of their hearts. Jongin gazes at her intensively in a beautiful mixture of awe and disbelief. The heat of her forehead on his is sizzling hot but he refuses to have it any other way. After a moment of studying upclose the beauty of Soojung’s features, Jongin closes his own eyes and now it’s just him and Soojung, lingering in their own created silence of tranquility. She tightens her arms that are wrapped around his neck and Jongin inches closer but he keeps the small distance between their lips because he’s afraid he’ll ruin the beauty of this moment. Although no words are being exchanged, so many things are being said in this very second. This moment is more intimate than any physical touch could ever be and now Jongin is more than convinced, Soojung is the girl he’s going to spend the rest of his life with.

“Whoa.”

Soojung nearly kills Sehun with her glare when she turns to him after he and Seulgi decided to ruin their little moment.

“Cute,” he teases which makes Soojung all the more aggravated. “Anyways, it’s about to be midnight in like two minutes so get your asses out there.”

Sensing the disappointment from Soojung, Jongin gently runs his hands along Soojung’s sides and he swears he felt her shiver slightly.

“Alright, we’ll be out,” Jongin says which is enough to send the lovebirds away.

“She’s so smitten,” Soojung teases after Seulgi vanishes behind the door.

Jongin shoots her a playful look. “And you aren’t?”

She returns her gaze to him and tilts her head as she bites down on her lip to fight back the current reality because she is smitten—completely smitten by Kim Jongin. “Shhh.” She places finger on his lips. “You’re not supposed to know that.”

Her response sends them both back into a fit of laughter which only comes to a sudden halt when they realize that everyone in the living room is counting down the last seconds to a midnight. Before they can even consider running out to join their friends, they’re down to three seconds and Soojung quickly turns back to Jongin. He meets her blank stare with a few clueless blinks then the house erupts with cheers and the old grandfather clock in the hallway strikes twelve which means the new year has finally arrived.

Soojung laughs first before Jongin—who refuses to let the opportunity slip by—cups her tiny face with his hands and brings her in for the perfect New Year’s kiss. It’s electrifying and it’s more intense than the fireworks playing on the screen at the moment. Soojung doesn’t give a damn to how smitten she is with this boy because she knows there’s never going to be someone who can ever make her feel his secure and safe like the way Jongin does so naturally. It’s like he was made to for her and she just knows it.

It’s around two in the morning when Jongin sends her home. He squeezes her hand three times in the back of the taxi and every moment feels like a dream. When they pull to a stop in front of her dorm, Soojung asks him to stay the night and so he does. Although the twin bed provided by the school is hard and barely big enough for two, it was the most peaceful slumber ever, falling asleep together in a web of limbs and each other’s warmth.

NEW YEARS DAY | 2023

Soojung recognizes the look Jongin is shooting her through the reflection of the mirror as they’re brushing their teeth. She shoots him a curious brow and as expected, he playfully bumps her in the hip with his and she scoffs at his forever childish antics but ends up chuckling still. She watches him turn away from the mirror to look at her directly while slightly leaning on the countertop.

“What?” Soojung asks with at thumb swiping away the toothpaste at the corner of her lips.

Jongin giggles as he shakes his head. After a second, he pulls his toothbrush out out his mouth. “You’re cute, that’s all.”

She tilts her head in that particular way that she does whenever he says something that catches her off guard and it makes his heart warm.

“I know,” she replies sassily and Jongin laughs. “Tell me something I don’t already know.”

“I love you,” he laughs and turns around to rinse his mouth.

“I know that too,” she adds before rinsing.

When she finishes, Jongin is already done and staring at her in that particular way what never fails to make her stomach flutter with butterflies, even after ten years.

“You’re supposed to say it back,” he says just before he leans in to kiss the corner of her lips on the way to their bedroom.

Grinning, she turns on her heels to follow him with a hand flicking off the bathroom light. “I love you too.”

NEW YEARS EVE | 2014

They got into a fight and they’re late but Jongin likes to think that if they’re there before the clock strikes twelve then they’ve pretty much made it in time but Soojung thinks otherwise. She has a reason to be mad though because she told him not to drop $1000 bucks on a limited edition Gundam figurine but what does he do? He drops $1000 on the limited edition Gundam figurine and now he’s got about four bucks left in his savings. Jongin at saving and Soojung knows that and ever since they started dating, she’s helped him a ton by helping him cut down on things he doesn’t need to be buying or splurging on but he just couldn’t help it this one time. He REALLY wanted it.

“Babe…”

“Not now,” Soojung releases a long sigh as she stays facing the window, arms crossed and wanting nothing to do with him at the moment.

Jongin frowns. “I’m sorry.”

“Not now I said,” Soojung groans. “I can’t believe you…”

“I won’t do it again,” Jongin insists with a guilty expression.

Soojung heaves another sigh. “Jongin, do you know why I’m mad?”

He gulps and wonders if he it’s a trick question. “Um.”

She slowly turns from the window to face him with eyes full of disappointment. “What are you going to do in the case of an emergency? I know we’re young and we want to have fun while we still can but we also have to learn how to be responsible, Jongin.”

Jongin doesn’t say a word as they pull up to the shared house of Luhan, Minseok and Jongdae. He parks his car around the corner and remains still for Soojung to continue.

“I’m not saying you couldn’t buy it,” Soojung explains. “Just not now. It took you forever to save up that money and you were so proud.”

He thinks she sounds a lot like his mother and older sisters but for some odd reason, it really upsets him that she’s disappointed in him. Being the woman that he loves, he only wants her to see good things in him and the more he thinks about it, the more ashamed and embarrassed he is.

There’s a short moment of silence before Soojung sighs. “Let’s not talk about it anymore.”