Stray Kids Imagines

Beauty is Not Pain (Han)

"Where are you going looking like that?" your older brother asked.  "I thought you were just hanging out with Felix.

You winced as your bobby pin jabbed into your scalp, but you kept telling yourself beauty was pain.  Ignoring your brother, you slipped on your Chelsea boots that you usually only wore for special occasions.  Your brother raised a brow in interest, but you were out the door before he could slip a word in.

Felix lived in the same neighborhood, so walking wasn't a problem, but the extra inches on your boots were making your usual trek a little more tedious.  The back of your shoes dug into your heel, and you cursed mentally for forgetting to wear some bandaids, but beauty was pain.

Finally, you appeared in front of Felix's house, and you quickly checked your appearance on your phone camera.  Every hair fell in place, and as Felix opened the door, you smiled your brightest.  But even he backed up in shock.  

"You going on a date later?" he asked in a serious tone before breaking character and laughing at your appearance.  

"Shut up," you pouted, inviting yourself in.  "So, um, where's your brother?  I thought we were all hanging out together?"

"Jisung?  Oh, he's running an errand for Mom, but he'll join us later.  You ready for our picnic?"  

You nodded, but you were slightly disappointed.  By the time Jisung saw you, half your makeup would have melted off in the summer heat, and he'd probably catch you pigging out in the picnic food Felix had prepared.

The two of you set out for the park close by your neighborhood, laughing at some inside jokes or the other.  You and Felix had become friends in middle school, and you'd always seen his brother here and there whenever you came over to hang out.  But it was only when you and Felix entered high school that three of you began hanging out together. 

Jisung had seemed super average at first, but the more you got to know him, the more you fell for him.  It was safe to say that if he were in K-pop group, he'd take the cake for being a professional bias-wrecker.  Yeah, that super shy exterior had completely faded away after you had gotten him to open up.

The trees swayed with the passing zephyr, and the hum of the dragonflies calmed your nerves.  There was no time better than summer.  But the heat painted your cheeks pink, and your lipstick slowly smeared and faded away as you devoured Felix's special jam sandwiches.  Your other good friend Jimin, however, liked his sandwiches with no jam.

Just when you thought Jisung would be a no-show, you spotted his silhouette making its way across the green towards you.  He wore a navy trench coat and a button-up with slacks.  But even under the blazing summer sun, Felix's older brother wasn't breaking a sweat.  His dark hair was gently tousled by the breeze, and he plopped down right next to you.

Subconsciously, you began twiddling your hair around your fingers.  Usually, you would have rushed off to the bathroom to apply more lipstick and blush, but the park didn't really have any bathrooms to offer.  

"Oh, I totally forgot I needed to be somewhere.  You two finish up, and I'll meet you in an hour at the movies," Felix waved as he scurried out of the park.

Wow, that boy- you thought to yourself as you now smiled nervously at his older brother.  Jisung honestly looked just as startled as you were, but you quickly tried to recover by handing him a jam sandwich. 

"So, someone's all dressed up," you retorted, gesturing to his fancy getup, and he laughed.

"Yeah, you're one to talk," Jisung smirked.  "You have an event later?" 

"No, um, I just felt like it."

Jisung scooted a little closer, cocking a brow.  "So you dressed up for me?"

You swallowed hard.  The words got stuck behind the lump forming in your throat.  When did he get so close? 

His eyes darted to the backs of your heels that were bare since you had shed your Chelsea boots to lessen the pain.  The blood had dried up now, but as Jisung brushed a finger gently along your wound, it stung like a thousand bees.

"My gift to you before going off to college is going to be a nice pair of comfortable shoes," he noted.  "You have to take care of yourself.  A good pair of shoes can take you great places."

You watched as he fished some bandaids out of his trench coat pocket and applied them on your heels.  Every time his fingers brushed against your skin, your heart picked up a beat.  He paused and stared into your eyes, studying the way your pupils flitted around uneasily.

"Do I make you nervous?" Jisung lilted, and you mentally pinched yourself to see if this was real.  

"Maybe," you murmured in a daze.  "Wait, what are you doing?"

"I'm trying to see how you feel about me.  You never used to wear makeup when hanging out with Felix.  Or heels.  Or do your hair.  Either you're crushing on your best friend, or you're into me, right?"

You huffed.  How could he read you so easily?  You had tried really hard to maintain a poker face around him, but then again, he was right.  The way you dressed definitely gave it away.

"What if I do like you?"

Jisung tilted his chin in thought.  "Well, I guess I could help you confirm your thoughts."  Without hesitation, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against yours.

The boy pulled away instantly, and you stared at him wide-eyed and flustered.

"You didn't have to wear all those things to impress me, Y/N.  Without the boots that eat away at your heels or the makeup that must take you at least an hour to get perfect, you're really cute."  Jisung placed his hand on top of yours, laughing when he felt your pulse in your palm.  

Embarrassed, you yanked your hand away.  "But what makes me so appealing then?  I'm just your younger brother's best friend."

"The more I hung out with you, the more I wanted to know about you.  You were so open with Felix but so shy with me.  After you started opening up, I fell for your charms.  I was just pretty sure you had eyes for Felix, though."

You quelled his uneasiness by intertwining his fingers with his.  "I wish I had said something sooner."

"Me too," Jisung lamented himself.  "I watched you slowly transform.  You started dolling yourself up when you make my heart race just as fast in sweatpants and a t-shirt.  Beauty is not pain, Y/N."

You smiled hearing him say that.  You felt a lot more relieved knowing that you could be yourself around him.  It also showed you just how much he truly treasured you.  But the next time you saw him, you were definitely trading the skinny jeans for sweatpants and a hoodie.

"We have a movie to get to.  You think we can get away with holding hands?" Jisung toyed, and you almost choked on your saliva.

But you held your ground and surprised the boy by tracing the curve of his face with your finger.  "I think I'd rather hold an extra large popcorn."

Jisung giggled, pushing you away playfully.  "This is why I fell for you.  Come on, Felix is gonna get suspicious."

You thought of the way your best friend had hurriedly rushed off.  "Oh I'm sure he had everything all planned out perfectly to begin with."

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A/N:  Thanks skzlixxie for requesting this Han imagine!  When I was writing about him in the trench coat with his hair blowing in the wind, I realized why he's a professional bias-wrecker lolol!   

Question of the imagine:  Since it's the holiday season, what's your favorite activity to do during the holidays?  I think mine is hanging out with family and maybe traveling and seeing new places!  What about you guys?