Work Text:
- Purely Academic
You’re not even seated yet when your name gets called.
“Y/N… and Chwe Vernon.”
A few heads turn. You hear someone softly gasp. Someone else whispers, “Wait, them? Together?”
You blink, standing mid-limp-walk through the packed lecture theatre. Your bag is still tangled around your wrist when you spot Vernon from across the room—hood up, earbuds still in, entirely unbothered. He meets your gaze, offers a single upward nod like he just found out you’re both going to war, and you’re allies now.
Great.
Professor Cho scans her list, flicks the pages. “Thesis topic: Cognitive and behavioral changes in intimate relationship contexts. A mixed-methods self-study approach.”
You are absolutely going to die.
When you sit down—because yes, you do sit next to him—he pulls out a pen and writes on the back of his handout like you don’t both have laptops in front of you.
vernon:
do we have to fake date now or what
You snort, scribble back on the margins of his sheet.
you:
only if it’s for science.
He nods. “Cool.”
Cool.
—
[Case File Entry #1 – Joint Notes]
Participants:
Chwe Vernon + Y/N
Objective:
To examine the effects of simulated romantic partnership on academic focus, cognitive functioning, and routine behavior.
Ground Rules:
1. All data collected must be genuine.
2. We are NOT actually dating.
3. If anyone asks, we are.
4. No kissing. (Added by Y/N.)
5. Unless necessary for research purposes. (Added by Vernon.)
—
The first 24 hours go smoothly.
Which is to say: Vernon shares his Google Calendar with you, you send him your daily planner, and somehow he’s already added "Coffee — 9am, black, oat milk?" under tomorrow’s schedule.
The next morning, he shows up with your order.
“I guessed,” he shrugs. “You seem like an oat milk person.”
“You seem like someone who lives off water and existentialism.”
He raises an eyebrow. “I do drink water.”
You don’t mean to smile. It just happens. He sees it.
And of course, someone takes a picture.
—
[@PsychExperimentWatch]
DAY 1
yall. yall. Y/N just SMILED at him like he discovered sunlight.
her little laugh?? his stupid tiny grin?? this is NOT fake i’m going to eat a wall.
scientific method: observe → hypothesize → CRY
—
You're halfway through the “Relationship Metrics” spreadsheet when the first meme hits the group chat.
[Group Chat: Psychos with Phones]
Seungkwan
:
[pic of you two walking side-by-side in the hallway]
Me: they’re probably just talking about their project.
Also me: THEY’RE IN LOVE AND GETTING MARRIED TOMORROW.”
Minghao:
She’s gonna fall first.
Vernon:
You all know I can see this, right.
Seungkwan:
AND WE WILL BE WITNESSES TO YOUR DOWNFALL.
—
Vernon’s laidback until your third "fake" study session.
It’s his idea to watch movies—relationship dynamics, he says—and somehow you’re two episodes into a drama before you realize he hasn’t taken a single note. He’s just watching you react.
You nudge him with your sock-covered foot. “Scientific observation?”
He hums. “Trying to record how proximity affects mood regulation.”
“Right.” You raise an eyebrow. “And what’s the mood data say?”
He looks at you, and for a moment, there’s no joke in his voice.
“You look happier around me.”
You forget how to function for an entire five seconds.
He blinks. “Sorry. That was... a weird thing to say.”
You clear your throat. “No, it’s fine. We’re... collecting data.”
Totally fine. Absolutely. Perfectly platonic. You definitely didn’t just have a full-blown hormone crisis over the way he looked at you.
—
[Observation Log – Week 1 Summary]
- Increased texting frequency: from 1x per day → 12+
- Eye contact duration: uncomfortable
- Laugh count: 19 (Vernon: 6, Y/N: 13)
- Hug count: 0
- Proximity behavior: trending dangerously toward couple-core
- Danger level: 6.5/10
—
Later that night, you check the fan account. Another post just dropped.
—
[@PsychExperimentWatch]
LIVE UPDATE: they watched a romance drama together. she LAUGHED at his jokes. he LOOKED at her like she hung the moon. if this is science, then i’m majoring in feelings.
admin2 is currently sobbing into her lab report. send snacks.
—
- Fun for the Hypothesis
By Week 2, you have a system.
You meet every Tuesday, Thursday, and one day on the weekend. You each record “relationship diary entries” as self-reflection, document physiological data (“Does my heart rate increase when Vernon touches my shoulder?” Yes), and update the shared spreadsheet that now includes a tab called “Flirting? Maybe?”
That tab is 89% filled by you.
Meanwhile, Vernon color-codes his logs in neutrals, and sends you 3am voice memos like:
Hey. Just remembered—today you smiled after I opened the door for you, so I think… maybe we should test more physical behaviors? For data. Yeah. G’night.
Your group chat, on the other hand, has become pure anarchy.
—
[Group Chat: Psychos with Phones]
Seungkwan:
alright. who is this “for science” actually benefiting. society? the department? MY STRESS LEVELS??
Mingyu:
she said “we’re not dating” and then called him honey when she thought no one was listening. be serious.
You:
i called him “honestly so annoying”
Joshua:
that’s not what the fan account caption said.
You:
THE WHAT.
—
Yes. It’s still live.
[@PsychExperimentWatch]
BREAKING: today’s footage features shared earbuds, matching sneakers, and vernon laughing at something she whispered. i don’t know what it was but my skin is glowing and my crops are thriving.
—
You call a Rule Meeting.
“You’re flirting with me,” you say, the moment Vernon walks into your dorm study space.
He blinks, genuinely confused. “I brought you coffee.”
“That’s Rule #2,” you scold, pointing at the whiteboard.
KISS ME, IT’S FOR FUN – EXPERIMENT RULES
- No real feelings.
2. No gifts, food, or acts of service.
3. No kissing (still here).
4. No compliments unless sarcastic.
5. No cuddling.
6. We stop if one of us catches feelings.
7. We definitely don’t post about this.
8. No one else is supposed to know it’s fake.
Vernon sips his iced Americano. “Okay. But technically this isn’t a gift. It’s... hydration.”
You glare. “That’s not how caffeine works.”
“Also,” he says, setting the cup down next to your laptop, “I’ve broken at least four of these rules.”
“I know.”
“Do you want me to stop?”
You hate how your heart stutters. “No,” you say quietly. “I just needed it written down.”
He doesn’t push. Just nods once, flipping open his notebook like he didn’t just ask you if he should stop being sweet.
Later that night, the fan account posts again.
—
[@PsychExperimentWatch]
Y/N updated the experiment whiteboard. Vernon brought coffee. the lines between real and fake are BLURRING and so are my tears. update soon before i start writing fanfiction.
—
[Case File Entry #4 – Diary Notes]
You:
He makes it too easy. This was supposed to be academic, controlled, safe. Now I’m thinking about what he smells like when he leans in too close. I don’t want this to become real. That’s not the point.
Vernon:
Sometimes I think she’s acting. Sometimes I think she’s not. Either way, she laughs like she means it. I haven’t figured out if that makes this better or worse.
—
The most dangerous moment comes on a Thursday.
You’re walking through the campus hallway, mid-argument over emotional labor in romantic partnerships (Vernon insists, insists, that he’s pulling equal weight in your dynamic), when you trip over your untied shoelace.
Vernon catches you with one hand on your waist and the other on the wall behind you—cliché, cinematic, entirely not okay.
You’re breathless. Too close.
He doesn’t step back.
You whisper, “Is this for the data?”
And Vernon says—completely serious—“I don’t know.”
—
[SECRET TEXT THREAD: The Livebloggers]
admin1:
THEY ALMOST KISSED.
THE HALLWAY CAM CAUGHT IT.
why do i feel like i’m in love?
admin2:
i can’t believe this started as a joke account.
now i’m emotionally invested.
and i bought merch.
my tote bag says “kiss me, it’s for fun” and i cry every time i use it.
admin1:
do you think they know we know?
or are they too busy FALLING IN LOVE IN REAL TIME.
—
You don’t kiss him.
You don’t even mention it.
You both step back, pretend it didn’t happen, and spend the rest of the day arguing about color theory and attachment styles just to fill the silence.
But Vernon keeps brushing your hand with his when you walk.
And you don’t stop him.
—
- The Secret Observers
It starts with a campus post.
A blurry photo. Your back turned, Vernon’s face angled down to yours, maybe mid-sentence, maybe about to do something that would ruin your entire academic career.
Caption:
Saw these two in the psych wing hallway. Can confirm: not fake. No way. Not with that look.
You don’t even know where it came from.
But within hours, it’s reposted to stories, DMs, and, of course—
—
[@PsychExperimentWatch]
anonymous submission alert: hallway photo unlocked.
look at how he LOOKS at her. i’m calling this now. it’s over. they’re gonna marry each other and make it part of the final presentation.
this is better than my last relationship. and more emotionally fulfilling.
—
You slam your laptop shut so hard Vernon flinches.
“We are being STALKED,” you hiss across the table. “They have a fan account. They’re live-posting our entire experiment and I swear one of them knows my coffee order.”
Vernon chews his straw. “It’s kind of impressive. Like… anthropologically.”
You stare. “Is that your takeaway?”
“Well, also,” he says, pushing his notes across to you, “we’re accidentally proving how real relationships affect social perception. So technically we’re winning.”
“Technically,” you echo, numb, “we’re going to combust.”
—
[Case File Entry #6 – Witness Logs]
Anonymous Submission Portal – Excerpts:
- He carries her books now. Even when she protests.
- Saw her fall asleep on his shoulder in the library. Real.
- Vernon looked at her like she hung the constellations and then sighed like he was in a 2007 indie romance.
- Can I be their thesis? Please.
—
[Group Chat: Psychos with Phones]
Seungkwan:
I CANNOT BELIEVE I’M SEEING THE BIRTH OF A ROMCOM LIVE.
@Joshua write a wedding speech. You’re the officiant. I decided.
Joshua:
Too late. I’m the flower girl.
Dino:
If I knew college was gonna be like this I would’ve majored in
drama.
Vernon:
should I be worried that half of our classmates are in love with our fake relationship
You:
worried? I AM UNWELL. I SAW A FAN EDIT. I SAW IT WITH MY OWN TWO EYES.
Seungkwan:
drop the link 👀
—
[SECRET TEXT THREAD: The Livebloggers]
admin1:
okay hear me out: should we leak the flowchart
admin2:
no bc then they’ll know we’ve been tracking their hand holding frequency
admin1:
too late
[attaches file: “are they dating flowchart.png”]
admin2:
it’s so detailed
i’m proud
are we the villains
admin1:
no. we’re the narrators.
—
But the worst part—the most dangerous, unhinged, butterfly-inducing part—comes when Vernon starts texting you like this:
Vernon:
Do you think it still counts as fake if I miss you when you’re not around?
You:
That’s not a scientific question.
Vernon:
Yeah, sorry. Just hypothesizing.
You stare at the screen.
You do not respond.
Instead, you go for a walk. You make tea. You spend twenty minutes re-reading your own data logs and end up highlighting the phrase "proximity triggers comfort behavior" seventeen times before deleting the whole sentence.
You are in so much trouble.
—
[Case File Entry #7 – Diary Notes]
You:
He texts like he’s trying to ruin me gently. I don’t know what’s real anymore. I don’t know when I started liking it. Or if I ever didn’t.
Vernon:
She stopped answering for a bit. Maybe she’s tired of pretending. Maybe I am too.
—
You avoid him the next day.
You think you’re subtle—slipping into class late, booking solo study rooms—but by 5pm there’s a knock at your door.
You open it to find Vernon standing there with two cups of tea and an absolutely wrecked expression.
He doesn’t say anything. Just holds out a crumpled piece of notebook paper.
DATA POINT
When she’s not around, I get anxious.
When I see her, I forget why.
Conclusion(?): I think I’ve stopped pretending.
You read it twice.
Then again.
You’re still holding it when he says, soft and honest:
“I like you.”
You could say something. Anything. But your brain short-circuits into static.
So instead you ask, “Does this mean we have to rewrite the thesis?”
And Vernon laughs—actually laughs—and says:
“Only if you want to.”
—
- You, Me, and the Thesis Defense
You did not plan to kiss Vernon.
It’s not on your schedule. It’s not in your experiment. It’s not even on the Post-It list taped to your desk that says “DO NOT FALL FOR YOUR FAKE BOYFRIEND (again).”
But somewhere between arguing about your final presentation and Vernon saying, “I meant what I wrote, you know,” you stop thinking.
You kiss him.
In the middle of the psychology hallway.
And someone gasps.
You freeze. Vernon blinks at you. His hand is still on your hip.
Then—
“WHAT DID I JUST SEE.”
It’s Seungkwan.
You’ve never seen someone drop a bubble tea so fast in your life.
He’s already texting.
—
[Group Chat: Psychos with Phones]
Seungkwan:
THEY KISSED.
I SAW IT WITH MY OWN EYES.
IN THE HALLWAY. PUBLICLY.
I NEED A MINUTE.
Dino:
pics or it didn’t happen
Seungkwan:
I WAS TOO SHOCKED. I COULDN’T BREATHE.
it was romantic and borderline illegal
Joshua:
illegal? 😭
Jeonghan:
be honest. did you cry
Seungkwan:
NO… (yes)
anyway i’m starting a fanclub. who’s in
Mingyu:
i’ll design the merch
You:
SEUNGKWAN YOU CAN’T JUST
Seungkwan:
TOO LATE. I’M THE FOUNDER. VICE PRESIDENT IS TRAUMA.
you kissed. you’re basically married. give me rights.
—
Vernon laughs the whole walk home.
You’re still short-circuiting.
“Hey,” he says, nudging you, “you good?”
“Sure,” you say. “I’ve just kissed you, broken three social contracts, and now there’s a fanclub.”
“Technically the kiss helped our thesis.”
“That was not scientific!”
He shrugs. “I’d argue it was a natural outcome of extended exposure and increased intimacy.”
You squint. “Is that your way of saying you liked it?”
He grins. “I really liked it.”
You black out for a minute.
—
[Case File Entry #8 – “Emotional Spillover”]
You:
The kiss was… more than fake. More than a hypothesis. It felt like gravity.
Vernon:
If this is what being in a relationship for science is like… I’m ready to fail for it.
—
Meanwhile, in a secret corner of the internet—
—
[SECRET TEXT THREAD: The Livebloggers]
admin1:
THEY KISSED. THEY. KISSED.
admin2:
WE HAVE TO GO LIVE. WE OWE THIS TO THE PEOPLE.
admin1:
they’re my parents now. i’m emotionally compromised.
admin2:
i wrote a poem
“Two nerds kissed in a hallway / And we, humble observers, wept”
admin1:
should we add a kiss counter?
admin2:
i’m coding it now
—
You wake up the next day to an updated thesis draft in your inbox.
From: Vernon Chwe
Subject: Revised conclusions 😳
Attachment: “The Relationship Thesis – Final Draft”
You open it.
The abstract reads:
This paper began with an experiment. It ends with something real.
We observed how relationships may affect daily life.
What we found: sometimes, they change everything.
Also, she kissed me back.
You nearly choke on your toothpaste.
—
[Group Chat: Psychos with Phones]
Seungkwan:
this thesis is a romcom. i’m gonna cry again.
Joshua:
i heard someone asked to cite your relationship in their presentation
Dino:
can i be in the sequel
You:
stop. STOP. we still have to present this thing.
Vernon:
should we kiss again for dramatic effect?
You:
…text me
—
- The Thesis Defense (And Also Confessions)
You show up to the psychology building in a blazer that feels like armor and shoes you immediately regret. Vernon’s waiting outside, holding two coffees and a nervous smile.
“You ready?” he asks.
You glance down at your shaking hands. “Define ready.”
He hands you the coffee. “We kiss during the conclusion, right?”
You almost throw the cup at him.
—
[Graduation Presentation Schedule]
Group 17 – “Relationship as Experiment: A Case Study”
Presenters: Vernon Chwe & Y/N
Supervisor: Dr. Ryu
Time: 3:00PM
Note: Please refrain from PDA. This is still an academic institution.
—
The classroom is full.
Too full.
Someone’s brought a sign that says “#teamchweyn4ever.”
Seungkwan is in the front row. He has sunglasses on and is dabbing his eyes with a monogrammed tissue.
“Just ignore him,” Vernon whispers.
“Impossible,” you whisper back.
—
You click through the slides. You explain your method. Your research design. The controls. The gradual shift from fake to real that everyone noticed before you did.
You say things like:
“What began as an academic trial evolved into an emotional reality.”
And:
“Unexpected variables—namely affection and sincerity—interfered with our ability to remain neutral.”
And finally:
“We conclude that relationship proximity may alter academic performance. And emotional stability. And also… everything.”
You pause.
The room holds its breath.
And then Vernon says—
“Also, I love her.”
The crowd gasps .
Seungkwan screams .
Joshua stands up and yells “TAKE NOTES, EVERYONE.”
You drop the clicker.
—
[Group Chat: Psychos with Phones]
Seungkwan:
HE SAID I LOVE HER
I’M ON THE FLOOR
I CAN’T BREATHE
Dino:
they’re like if enemies-to-lovers went to uni
Jeonghan:
i told you it wasn’t fake. my matchmaking senses tingled.
Joshua:
does this mean they’re endgame?
You:
YOU’RE TEXTING THIS IN REAL TIME?!?
Seungkwan:
love is meant to be witnessed. now kiss.
—
And yes.
You kiss him.
Again.
In front of your thesis supervisor, the entire cohort, and someone livestreaming it on Instagram.
It’s ridiculous.
It’s academic malpractice.
It’s perfect.
—
[Final Case File Entry – “Post-Experiment Reflection”]
You:
I thought I was writing a thesis. Turns out I was writing my first love story.
Vernon:
I signed up for a case study and left with a girlfriend. Best trade I’ve ever made.
—
[Graduation Day, Two Weeks Later]
There’s confetti in your hair.
A graduation cap on your head.
And a fanclub booth run by Seungkwan right outside the psychology building.
It has stickers. It has buttons. It has a poster that reads:
“THEIR LOVE WAS PEER-REVIEWED.”
You don’t know whether to scream or sob.
Vernon takes your hand. “I say we let them have this.”
You sigh. “At least the merch is cute.”
—
[SECRET TEXT THREAD: The Livebloggers]
admin1:
do we shut it down now?
admin2:
we started as science. we ended with soulmates.
this account belongs to them now.
admin1:
you’re so dramatic
want to start a new one for Joshua’s situationship?
admin2:
absolutely.
—
You and Vernon sit under the university sign, your gowns tangled and hands still linked.
“We really did it,” you say.
“Graduated?” he asks.
“Kissed. Fell in love. Wrote a paper about it.”
Vernon bumps your shoulder. “So… next thesis?”
You roll your eyes. “If you say babies and attachment theory I swear—”
He laughs, and it’s the sound of summer and the start of forever.
—
One year later.
You thought graduation was the peak of your public embarrassment.
You were wrong.
Because Seungkwan , multimedia psychology menace and full-time sentimental gremlin, enters a documentary short film competition with a 7-minute video titled:
“LOVE UNDER OBSERVATION: A Case Study in Emotional Discovery (And Also Hot People Kissing).”
It is:
- Scored with dramatic violins
- Cut together like a K-drama finale
- Includes a slow zoom on Vernon saying “I love her” mid-thesis defense
- Ends with you two kissing as the screen fades to black and the words “hypothesis confirmed” appear in cursive
He sends it to everyone before the award ceremony.
—
[Group Chat: kissme_itsforfun_stanclub]
Seungkwan:
I HAVE SOMETHING TO SHOW U ALL
IT’S MY FINEST WORK. MY MAGNUM OPUS.
MY EVERYTHING.
Joshua:
…did you use my crying face as a reaction shot again
Dino:
I was NOT consulted about my cameo
Jeonghan:
10/10 would stream again. When is the sequel?
You:
I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU DID THIS
Vernon:
lowkey kind of a banger edit tho
You:
VERNON.
Seungkwan:
oh btw
IT WON
—
He wins first place in a national competition.
His film is shown at a small, respectable indie theater.
You sit next to Vernon in the back row while strangers around you sob and whisper things like,
“They were just… doing a thesis? That’s so romantic.”
When the lights come up, you’re handed flowers and a microphone.
“I didn’t agree to a Q&A,” you whisper.
Vernon smirks. “Then I’ll answer for you.”
He walks to the front and says:
“Yes, we’re still together. Yes, we’re gross. And no, we’re not taking academic questions unless they involve marriage as longitudinal data.”
The crowd screams .
Seungkwan bows like he’s just won Best Director.
—
[Final Case File: Follow-Up Observations – 1 Year Later]
Subject 1 (You):
Emotionally stable. Still terrified of public attention. Falls harder for Subject 2 every time he says something accidentally romantic.
Subject 2 (Vernon):
Emotionally mysterious. Still says “it’s for the thesis” before kissing Subject 1 in crowded places. Cannot believe he’s in love with someone from his stats tutorial.
Result:
Relationship remains ongoing. Study has expanded into real-life cohabitation, travel planning, and bickering over who uses all the oat milk.
Conclusion:
Sometimes, the most unpredictable variable is love.
—
And somewhere in your shared apartment is a framed certificate that reads:
“Best Depiction of Emotion in a Scholarly Context”
Presented to Seungkwan Boo
For “Love Under Observation”
(ft. Vernon Chwe & Y/N L/N, unwilling stars)
It sits next to your joint thesis.
Right between Vernon’s annotated copy and your highlighted one.
Proof that your love story might’ve started as a study.
But it ended as a phenomenon