05 // meeting them
►►running after you
this one's kind of long, so be ready XDD
Dongwoo looks over his shoulder at the now closed door with a content smile. He gets into the van with the other four boys and stretches.
Sungyeol is slumped against Myungsoo in the backseat, snoring loudly as sleep had claimed him as soon as he had become comfortable.
Hoya was sitting in the front seat with their manager, head resting against the window peacefully.
Dongwoo smiles at his friends for a moment before he pulls out his phone.
‘had fun 2nite. dont stay up 2 late thinkin about me ;)) u have work.’
He grins and sends it. There’s almost an instant vibration indicating a reply. He blinks and opens his phone.
‘lol whateverrrr. as if. u should go 2 sleep as soon as u get back k? u need 2b energetic 4 ur schedule. k?’
Dongwoo laughs quietly and replies quickly.
‘ill make some kind of gesture or sth just 4u and do it a bunch during the show. k?’
‘crazy boy. you’ll get caught like that.’
‘i think that’d be okay with me... i like you a lot...’
Dongwoo stopped before sending that last message. He bites down on his bottom lip and his phone vibrates again even though he hadn’t replied to the text from earlier. He opened it.
‘go to sleep, silly. we’ll talk again soon :)’
He closes his phone with a contented sigh. Today was going to be one of his favorite memories. Of this, he was positive.
---
You groan and roll out of bed as the alarm goes off.
This was the first day of your new job. Your stomach was doing flips as you rake a hand through your hair, eyes staring down your closet which lacked doors.
You shake your head and slap your cheeks in an attempt to get mentally prepared and reached forward. You were positive you were ready for this.
---
You had settled on a comfortable look that morning. Your hair was tied into a messy bun atop your head and oversized glasses sat at the bridge of your nose. You wore a pair of khaki-colored jeans that were tucked neatly into a pair of flat, black boots that matched your oversized black shirt.
You push your glasses up the bridge of your nose and let out a frustrated sigh before blowing at your bangs. You had been standing in line to get coffee for the writers, producers and directors among other staff that had been setting up in studio 297.
You had been assigned to assist where needed, even though you were initially hired for translation purposes only.
Finally, the line had moved and it was now your turn.
And now you had to figure out how to balance twenty-one coffees without spilling any.
Why so many? One of the producers requested you had bring some back for the guests as well.
You gasp loudly as you step on your foot strangely and brace yourself, ready to let the coffee tumble to the floor. But it never happened.
“Are you alright, miss?”
You open your left eye slowly in order to see what was going on, and saw a male with eyes curving into one of the most adorable eye smiles you had ever seen. He was holding the coffee that was about to fall in his arms.
You stutter a bit, “Th-thank you so much! I thought I was a goner for sure!” You adjust the coffee in your hands and squint at the male a bit, “You look so... familiar...”
He laughs as if you had made a joke, “Kim Sunggyu of Infinite. Let me help you take these wherever you were headed.”
“S-Sunggyu..?” You look down bashfully, “I can’t ask you to help... I appreciate the offer, but I must decli- Hey!! You don’t even know where you’re supposed to take those!”
He’s already walking away and looks over his shoulder at you, “Your nametag, Miss Jieun, says you’re going to studio 297. Which is actually where I happen to need to be anyway. Shall we?”
You pout and stomp your feet a bit in protest, but end up jogging to catch up, “Thank you for helping...”
He grins, that cute eye smile returning, “No problem. We’ll just say it was my excuse to talk to a pretty lady.”
You blush and stay quiet for a while.
After walking for a few minutes you chance looking at him, “So wait... Are you alone today? Or are the rest of Infinite here today too?”
He glances back at you, “Ah. The other members are all probably there already. If not, they’re on their way.”
You bite down on your lip PRAYING Dongwoo and the others wouldn’t recognize you. How would they react?
Sunggyu smiles and holds the door open for you. You nod in appreciation and set the coffee on the break table. A producer wanders over to Sunggyu, who was standing beside you. She crosses her arms and shakes her head, “I apologize for her, sir. This is Jieun’s first day. She didn’t realize who you were, I’m sure.”
The boy holds up his hands, “Ahh! No, you have it all wrong. She didn’t ask for help. I forced her to let me carry half of the load.”
The producer looks at you, eyes narrowed, “Is this the truth?”
You nod, looking at the ground. It was the truth, but would she believe you?
She shrugs and walks away with her hand ushering Sunggyu over to where you could only assume he was to get ready. He looks over his shoulder at you and smiles when he makes eye contact. You can’t control your small, fangirlish giggle, but quickly look down before you can see him laughing at you.
---
You push your glasses up the bridge of your nose once again as the director called for cooperation from the set as the filming was about to begin. You cross your arms and lean against the break table, watching as the interview went on.
You bite down on your bottom lip, keeping a close eye on Dongwoo. What would he do if he noticed you? You shudder at the thought and feel a hand on your shoulder.
The producer from earlier hands you seven water bottles, “They’re going on a few minute break. As soon as the director yells clear, give those to the members.”
“But-”
“...Don’t test my patience.”
You nod and walk to the side of the stage. A buzzer goes off and the director calls for a three minute break.
You shake your head. Now or never, right?
With a smile on your face, you walk onto the stage and bow to each member as you hand them a bottle. Sungjong was first. You hadn’t met him yet, so he simply smiled and bowed back before mumbling a quiet thank you.
You hand the next one to Myungsoo. He looks at you and squints. After a moment, his eyes widen and he coughs a bit. You shift uncomfortably and bow, handing him his water. He takes it and looks away without another word.
Sungyeol takes the next one and smirks at you, “Thanks.” You bow a bit.
Hoya seems surprised as you hand he and Dongwoo both a water bottle, stopping their conversation for a second. Dongwoo swallows a bit and leans forward to get a better look at you, “J...Jieun?”
You laugh nervously, “That’s me! Hahaha...haha...ha...”
He ruffles your hair cutely and winks before nodding to the last two, letting you know your secret was safe with them.
You smile thankfully and move to Woohyun and Sunggyu.
Woohyun runs his thumb over his bottom lip, a small smirk curving, “You must be tired.”
You blink and tilt your head, “Why would you say that?”
“Because you’ve been running through my dreams all night.”
You wrinkle your nose in disapproval and Sunggyu steps in, whacking him over the head, “Don’t hit on her!”
He groans a bit, “But whyyyy?”
“Because. I don’t want you to taint her.”
His smirk returns, “Does LeaderGyu have a thing for her?”
You bow quickly and move to leave, but there’s a hand on your arm. You look down at it and follow the arm up to Sunggyu’s face. He smiles, “Don’t listen to Woo. He’s a player who’s always looking to make things more complicated than they are.”
You feel the blood rising to your cheeks, but then remember Dongwoo is in the same area. You glance at him. He notices you’ve caught him looking over and he quickly turns his head. He looks flushed and embarrassed, but there was something else in his eyes.
You bow to Sunggyu again and pull away from him, moving back over to the break table. Well THAT was awkward.
---
You clap with the rest of the staff as filming ends and look down at your watch. Your producer steps over after assisting the boys back into their changing room and sighs. She shakes her head at you, “Your first day and you’ve already done so many things wrong.”
You bow your head in apology, “I-I’ll work harder from now on.”
You hear her chuckle and decide to look up. She smiles at you for the first time today, “You did well for your first day, to be honest. I think we’re going to let you train under performance stages too.”
“Performance stages?”
“Mm.” She taps her chin with a pen you hadn’t realized she had been holding, “You know, on the weekends? Those live shows at night when the idols perform their new songs.”
You blink, “So I... did well?”
She smirks, “If you keep this up, you’ll be in the translation wing in no time.”
You beam and bow, “Thank you so much! I don’t know how to show you how much I appreciate it!”
The woman walks away and you stand there, staring into space as you think about the possibilities of the future.
---
Dongwoo walks from the changing room first, fixing the hem of his t-shirt. He looks up and sees you across the room.
You have a big smile on your face and your hands are resting on your cheeks. He chuckles thinking something good must’ve happened. His heart drops a bit as Sunggyu walks past him and towards you. He stays still, curious as to what the older male was planning.
You snap out of your daze when you feel a finger poking at your forehead. Sunggyu’s face comes into focus and he’s laughing at you. You pout and look down, “I didn’t realize I was daydreaming.”
Sunggyu grins, “It was cute.”
You thank him quietly and move to walk around him. You look up and see Dongwoo, who quickly looks away. You frown, “Why is he being like that?” You move to go talk to him, but remember you aren’t supposed to know him. And then you feel Sunggyu tugging at your sleeve, flashing you an eyesmile, “Why were you spacing out, anyway?”
“Oh, uh. My producer complimented me.” You look down at your phone and write a quick text to Dongwoo.
‘hey... did i do something wrong? u seem upset...’
Dongwoo’s a little surprised to recieve this text. He looks up to see you glancing at him every so often while Sunggyu tries to hold a conversation despite your answers being short.
Your phone vibrates and you open it without hesitation.
‘nah. just tired. i’ll call you or sth when i get back to our dorm tonight. k?’
You look over to him and he sneaks a wave and a smile before leaving the room. Sunggyu waves his hand in front of your face. You blink and look at him, seeing his expression has changed into more of a concerned one, “Are you alright? You seem super out of it.” He reaches up and holds the back of his hand over your forehead, “You’re not warm or anything... How are you feeling?”
You blink at him before laughing, “I’m fine. I have work to do, though...”
He frowns, “Should you really be working if you’re not feeling right?”
You’re about to retort, but Woohyun has made his way over with Sungyeol and Myungsoo trailing close behind. He rubs his strong jaw bone with a sly smile, “You two make a cute couple.”
You hold up your hands, stomach churning, “I-It’s not like that at all. I like...” You put your hand over your mouth to keep from speaking.
Sunggyu sighs and tugs on Woohyun’s sleeve, “We’re making her uncomfortable. Let’s go.”
You can’t help but notice how the tone in his voice was a bit upset. Woohyun waves to you and winks, “See you around, pretty lady.”
Myungsoo crosses his arms and shakes his head while Sungyeol pats your back, “You don’t like Sunggyu now? I thought he was your favorite member.”
“H-he is... I just don’t like him like that.”
“...You like Dongwoo, don’t you?”
You look at Myungsoo and choke a bit, “I-I...” You place your hands on your face, “I just met him the other day... That wouldn’t be possible.”
Myungsoo rolls his eyes and walks towards the exit, knowing too well exactly how you were feeling.
Sungyeol grins, “Cute.” He moves to leave, but pauses, “Could I see your phone for a minute?”
You furrow your eyebrows, and he takes the phone out of your hand before you can answer. He dials a number and puts it to his ear. There’s a soft voice at the other end. He pouts, “Yah! SunMi! How come you’ll answer when Jieun calls and you won’t answer my texts?!”
You can’t help but laugh out loud.
After a few minutes of arguing over the phone, he hands it back to you, hanging it up properly, “Thanks. Oh and, she demands you explain everything to her tonight as to why I had your phone.”
You smile and give him a thumbs up, “Good luck with your next schedule.” You feel a pat on your shoulder and Hoya gives you a slight finger wave before nonchalantly wrapping his arms around Sungjong, who had just walked over, and Sungyeol’s shoulders, steering them to the exit.
You glance around the empty room and sigh. At least you could go home and sleep now. You shook your head, remembering Dongwoo said he would call.
---
After you had explained the day’s events to SunMi, she claps loudly and squeals, “It’s like something out of a fanfiction! Ugh! Love triangle! You lucky, lucky girl.”
“Love triangle?”
“Uh, hello. Sunggyu is CLEARLY attracted to you. I would say Woohyun too, but he’s always been a greaseball.”
You wrinkle your nose at the mention of the latter, “How do you know?”
“Hell-O. I’m a fan, remember? I watch their shows on youtube all of the time.”
You nod in understanding and sigh before you look down at your phone.
SunMi smirks, “Waiting for his call?”
“What? No.” You huff at her, “Oh. I meant to ask! What’s going on with you and Sungyeol?”
She pouts, “He likes to tease me for being his fan. He took my phone and basically forced me to take his number.”
You laugh loudly, “Forced?”
“Well... You know. But I ignored his texts because he was teasing me. I wasn’t expecting him to call me on your phone.”
You laugh again and pinch her cheeks, “D’awww. SunMi’s so flustered.”
“Sh-Shut up. I’m going to bed.” She stands and crosses her arms, “Don’t stay up too late waiting for his call, okay?”
You nod and wave at her retreating back.
You wake up from the vibrations of your phone going off against the wood of your desk. You wipe your mouth and stretch for a second and answer the phone in a groggy tone, “Mmm~ Hello?”
“Ah, sorry. It’s late. Did I wake you up?”
You sit up and rub your eyes, “N-No! I was just uh... just uh...” You sigh, unable to think of an excuse, “What time is it, anyway?”
“It’s one in the morning.”
You frown, “You should sleep.”
“If I sleep now, I won’t be able to wake up to run with you.” You smile a bit and he continues, “Besides, I said I’d call when I got home. So...yeah.”
You stretch and yawn loudly over the phone, “It’s fine. Go to sleep. We can run together another time. We kind of saw each other earlier anyway.”
He laughs awkwardly, “Oh yeah...” There’s a pregnant pause before he clears his throat, “You know, Jieun. If you like Sunggyu, I’m okay with it.”
“...Huh?”
“I mean, if you like him... I-I don’t blame you.”
You try not to laugh, “Ahh. Sunggyu is my favorite member, afterall.”
“Yeah, haha.” He sounds a bit upset, but continues, “I’m just saying. It’s not like we’re dating or anything, so don’t hesitate to like him back, okay?”
“Dongwoo. He’s my favorite member, but...” You swallow a bit, “but... but he’s not you.”
There’s silence and you laugh awkwardly, “I’ve gotta go. I’ll talk to you soon? Maybe? I don’t know... Uh. Yeah, bye!”
You hang up quickly and toss your phone onto your desk before climbing into bed and forcing your eyes shut. Your face was bright red, you could feel it. You could kill yourself for being so awkward.
---
Woohyun stares at Dongwoo, mouth agape and looking for something to say.
- a few minutes prior to the phonecall-
Dongwoo had rushed into the building, leaving the other members with raised eyebrows as they exited the van. The rapper huffed, bouncing on his feet as he waited for the other members to hurry up so they could unlock the door.
Sunggyu rubbed the back of his head and sighed, “How are you so energetic at one in the morning?”
Dongwoo’s eyes widened, “I-it’s already one?”
Sungyeol stretched and yawned behind them, “Uh, yeah. What time did you think it was?”
Their manager unlocked the apartment and the seven boys went in, Dongwoo leading the pack.
The boy rushed into the bathroom and closed the door. He opened his phone and took a deep breath before dialing your number.
“Mm~ Hello?”
He felt his chest tighten at how tired you had sounded. He wondered to himself if you had stayed up waiting for him, ““Ah, sorry. It’s late. Did I wake you up?”
“N-No! I was just uh... just uh...” He smiled at how flustered you sounded “What time is it, anyway?”
“It’s one in the morning.”
There’s a short pause before your response, “You should sleep.”
Dongwoo sat on the edge of their bathtub, “If I sleep now, I won’t be able to wake up to run with you.” He his lips and looks down at his feet, “Besides, I said I’d call when I got home. So...yeah.”
You yawn and he’s tempted to coo at the pure cute vibe he’s getting from you, but restrains as you respond, “It’s fine. Go to sleep. We can run together another time. We kind of saw each other earlier anyway.”
He laughed awkwardly remembering earlier. It made his chest heavy, “Oh yeah...” He rubbed the back of his neck and cleared his throat. He was standing now, looking out the small window of the bathroom and hadn’t noticed Woohyun walking into the small space behind him, “You know, Jieun. If you like Sunggyu, I’m okay with it.”
“Huh?”
“I mean, if you like him... I-I don’t blame you.”
“Ahh. Sunggyu is my favorite member, afterall.”
He feels his heart drop again, “Yeah, haha... I’m just saying. It’s not like we’re dating or anything, so don’t hesitate to like him back, okay?”
Woohyun steals the phone from Dongwoo, scaring the rapper silly, and puts the call on speaker.
“Dongwoo. He’s my favorite member, but... but... but he’s not you.”
Woohyun’s eyes were wide open as he stared open-mouthed at Dongwoo. Dongwoo turned the color of a tomato as he tried to steal his phone back as quietly as he could.
Woohyun slapped his hands away, holding the phone out of his reach.
“I’ve gotta go. I’ll talk to you soon? Maybe? I don’t know... Uh. Yeah, bye!”
“NO WAIT, JIEUN-”
“Woah, woah, woah. Wait. Jieun? As in the girl from earlier? Wow you move fast. No wonder she wasn’t into me.”
Dongwoo glares at Woohyun, “Don’t talk about her like that. And I’ve known her for a while.”
Woohyun scoffs, “But it WAS the one from earlier, right?”
Dongwoo looks down, defeated, “Y-yes.”
The greasy male shakes his head, “Sunggyu’s gonna be so upset. He had a thing for her.”
“YOU CAN’T TELL HIM YET.”
Woohyun stared down at the desperate boy, “What’s in it for me if I don’t tell?”
“I... what do you want?”
“Hmm.” He smirks, “Let me think on it. I’ll keep it a secret until I decide what I want from you.” He throws Dongwoo’s phone back to him, “How many other people know?”
“...Myungsoo, Howon and Sungyeol....”
Woohyun shook his head, “Tsk. You’re so bad at keeping secrets. Lock the door next time and you might not get caught.” He exits the bathroom and Dongwoo looks down at his phone. What was he supposed to do now?
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