trope: tries to change himself for her but she likes him the way he is.
in the bustling cafeteria, you sat at the corner, absorbed in your phone. the chatter of students and the clinking of cutlery created a familiar background hum, but you barely noticed. your focus was on the screen when seokmin approached.
he paused a few steps from your table, his eyes scanning the room before settling on you. “hey,” you greeted, attempting to catch his eye with a warm smile.
seokmin’s response was not what you expected. “oh, it’s you,” he said, his voice colder than usual. “i thought you’d be with someone else.”
the unexpected chill in his tone made you blink in surprise. “what do you mean?”
“never mind,” he muttered dismissively, grabbing his tray of food with a swift motion and walking away without another glance. you watched him go, a pang of confusion settling in you.
you arrived at the library for your planned study session with seokmin. the library’s quiet atmosphere was a stark contrast to the cafeteria, but it did little to ease your growing unease.
seokmin was already there, seated at a table in the far corner, his back turned to you. as you approached, he barely looked up from his textbook.
“hi, seokmin,” you said, trying to keep your voice light as you set your books down beside him. “ready to start?”
“yeah,” he replied curtly, his eyes still fixed on the page in front of him.
you attempted to engage him in conversation, but his responses were clipped and distant. “maybe we should focus on studying,” he suggested, cutting off your efforts to make small talk.
his newfound coldness was wearing you thin, making each attempt to connect with him feel like a futile endeavor. you struggled to keep the conversation going, but his lack of warmth and interest only deepened the sense of discomfort between you.
a brief moment of softness crossed seokmin’s face as he glanced at you, but he quickly masked it with his usual stern expression. he didn’t offer an apology or an explanation.
feeling a mix of sadness and frustration, you packed up your things and left, the library’s silence now a stark reminder of the growing rift between you.
the rain poured heavily as you prepared to meet seokmin for coffee, the day having taken on a dreary tone. when you arrived at the café, seokmin was standing under the awning, his face etched with frustration as he waited for you.
“sorry i’m late,” you said, shivering from the cold. “traffic was a mess.”
seokmin’s response was sharp and unyielding. “always an excuse,” he said, “do you ever consider how much time you waste?”
the weight of his words sank into you. “i was doing my best to be here on time,” you said softly. “i thought we could enjoy the day together.”
“enjoy the day?” seokmin snapped. “maybe if you were more punctual and less distracted, you’d understand why this is frustrating.”
you stood there, feeling the full force of his anger. the rain fell harder, mingling with the tears you struggled to hold back. “i’m sorry,” you said quietly. “i just wanted to be with you.”
seokmin looked away, clearly torn but unable to express his feelings. you turned to leave, the rain echoing your quiet sobs.
you stopped abruptly, letting the umbrella slip from your grasp as you broke into tears. the sound of your crying was the only thing you could hear over the rain until you felt arms encircle you from behind. you didn’t need to turn around to know it was him.
“i’m sorry,” he said, his voice shaky as he pulled you into a hug. you didn’t even look up, your fists weakly pounding his chest in frustration.
“you were mean,” you cried out, each word punctuated by a sob. “why were you so mean to me?” you stopped hitting him, still avoiding his gaze. seokmin held you tighter, his apologies coming in a steady stream.
he took off his jacket and draped it over you, then picked up the fallen umbrella and held it over both of you. “come on, y/n,” he urged gently, guiding you toward a nearby shelter.
you resisted, unwilling to move until you understood why he had been so distant and harsh. but he insisted on getting to the shelter first, promising to explain everything once you were out of the rain.
—
seokmin paced nervously outside the small, unassuming office of the campus matchmaker, known around campus as the cupid. his friends had raved about the cupid's remarkable skills in matchmaking, and seokmin hoped for some guidance on how to win your heart.
after a deep breath, he knocked on the door and was ushered in by the cupid, a cheerful figure with an air of wise playfulness.
"seokmin, my boy!" the cupid greeted warmly. "what brings you here today?"
seokmin sat down, wringing his hands. "well, there's this girl i really like...y/n," seokmin went on telling the cupid about your personality, favorite shows, characters, and so on.
the cupid's eyes twinkled with interest. "sounds like you’ve done your homework. so, what’s the issue?"
seokmin hesitated, then spoke up. "i just don't know what to do to win her,"
the cupid leaned back thoughtfully. "hmm, well, from what you’ve described, she seems to appreciate gravitasness. perhaps you should try to be more serious," he said with a knowing smile. "you know, for her."
seokmin's brow furrowed. "more serious? but that’s not really who i am."
the cupid’s gaze softened. "you just gotta try something different, you get me?"
