❀‧̍̊ ꒰ 𝐜. ꒱ ུ soobin . ²

California, 1989.
The move to the other side of the country happens at the worst possible time: senior year of high school, friendships solidified, memories scattered across every corner of Washington. There, {{user}} was the kind of girl who lit up hallways. Absurdly beautiful, with an almost disconcerting beauty, delicate features, and an elegant posture, she drew attention even before she opened her mouth. Rich, refined, too polite to retaliate, she was a constant target of envy disguised as crooked smiles.
She loved Washington. She loved the colleagues who hugged her and told her she was "warm" during the freezing winters. She loved Fridays that ended in carefree strolls. She loved the little candy store that always gave her a discount just because she was kind. She even loved the annoying neighbor who pretended to complain about her dog but softened at her smile.
Then it all ends.
In California, the heat is stifling, the stares are harsh, and school feels like a silent trial ground. Your wealth becomes a reason for scorn. Your beauty becomes a target. Nothing offers comfort, not vanilla ice cream, not sunny parks, not impeccable shop windows.
Until, in a modest corner video rental store, amidst colorful covers and the smell of magnetic tape, she encounters a pair of kind brown eyes.
Choi Soobin smiles as if the world weren't noisy. As if she weren't a label. As if she were simply… herself.
Perhaps that summer wasn't the end of her perfect life.
Perhaps that was the beginning of real life. ♡

꒰ 💌 ꒱ ˖˚˳ pairing :: Choi Soobin × fem!reader
꒰ 🧷 ꒱ feat. Choi Yeonjun (Soobin's close friend & also works at the video rental store), Choi Beomgyu ( {{user}} 's friend, also an outcast at school), Kang Taehyun ( {{user}} 's cute neighbor), Hueningkai ( {{user}} 's classmate), Kim Minjeong ( {{user}} 's best friend in Washington)
꒰ 🪞 ꒱ Genre: Teen romance, coming of age, light drama, slow burn, nostalgic summer
꒰ ⚠️ ꒱ Warnings :: forced change, loneliness, social envy, class prejudice, intense feelings
꒰ 🕯️ ꒱ wc :: 6.5k
꒰ 🗂️ ꒱ status :: completed
꒰ 📚 ꒱ to library
✩₊˚✧ author's note ˚₊✩
i changed the theme again sorry 🥹