#Loan After Bankruptcy

[kentuckybats]

Kentucky Mortgage After a Bankruptcy

Chapter 13 bankruptcy can impact your ability to qualify for various mortgage loan programs like FHA, VA, USDA, and Fannie Mae.

Buying a Home after Bankruptcy Chapter 13 bankruptcy can impact your ability to qualify for various mortgage loan programs like FHA, VA, USDA, and Fannie Mae. Here are the details for each program regarding waiting times, credit score requirements, down payment, and qualification criteria after a Chapter 13 bankruptcy: FHA Loan after Chapter 13 Bankruptcy: Waiting Time: Typically, you’ll need…

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[gustanchomortgage]

Although it can be difficult, getting a mortgage after bankruptcy is possible. For borrowers who have emerged from bankruptcy, completed a waiting period, and satisfying other eligibility conditions, several lenders have created rules.

It’s critical to comprehend how bankruptcy affects your capacity to obtain a mortgage and which mortgage programs are accessible to you if you want to purchase a property following the bankruptcy procedure.

[freeleyenrashespeakstruth]

By Kitty Werthmann

“I am a witness to history.

“I cannot tell you that Hitler took Austria by tanks and guns; it would distort history.

If you remember the plot of the Sound of Music, the Von Trapp family escaped over the Alps rather than submit to the Nazis. Kitty wasn’t so lucky. Her family chose to stay in her native Austria. She was 10 years old, but bright and aware. And she was watching.

“We elected him by a landslide – 98 percent of the vote,” she recalls.

She wasn’t old enough to vote in 1938 – approaching her 11th birthday. But she remembers.

“Everyone thinks that Hitler just rolled in with his tanks and took Austria by force.”

No so.

Hitler is welcomed to Austria

“In 1938, Austria was in deep Depression. Nearly one-third of our workforce was unemployed. We had 25 percent inflation and 25 percent bank loan interest rates.

Farmers and business people were declaring bankruptcy daily. Young people were going from house to house begging for food. Not that they didn’t want to work; there simply weren’t any jobs.

“My mother was a Christian woman and believed in helping people in need. Every day we cooked a big kettle of soup and baked bread to feed those poor, hungry people – about 30 daily.’

“We looked to our neighbor on the north, Germany, where Hitler had been in power since 1933.” she recalls. “We had been told that they didn’t have unemployment or crime, and they had a high standard of living.

“Nothing was ever said about persecution of any group – Jewish or otherwise. We were led to believe that everyone in Germany was happy. We wanted the same way of life in Austria. We were promised that a vote for Hitler would mean the end of unemployment and help for the family. Hitler also said that businesses would be assisted, and farmers would get their farms back.

“Ninety-eight percent of the population voted to annex Austria to Germany and have Hitler for our ruler.

“We were overjoyed,” remembers Kitty, “and for three days we danced in the streets and had candlelight parades. The new government opened up big field kitchens and everyone was fed.

“After the election, German officials were appointed, and, like a miracle, we suddenly had law and order. Three or four weeks later, everyone was employed. The government made sure that a lot of work was created through the Public Work Service.

“Hitler decided we should have equal rights for women. Before this, it was a custom that married Austrian women did not work outside the home. An able-bodied husband would be looked down on if he couldn’t support his family. Many women in the teaching profession were elated that they could retain the jobs they previously had been re- quired to give up for marriage.

“Then we lost religious education for kids

“Our education was nationalized. I attended a very good public school.. The population was predominantly Catholic, so we had religion in our schools. The day we elected Hitler (March 13, 1938), I walked into my schoolroom to find the crucifix replaced by Hitler’s picture hanging next to a Nazi flag. Our teacher, a very devout woman, stood up and told the class we wouldn’t pray or have religion anymore. Instead, we sang ‘Deutschland, Deutschland, Uber Alles,’ and had physical education.

“Sunday became National Youth Day with compulsory attendance. Parents were not pleased about the sudden change in curriculum. They were told that if they did not send us, they would receive a stiff letter of warning the first time. The second time they would be fined the equivalent of $300, and the third time they would be subject to jail.”

And then things got worse.

“The first two hours consisted of political indoctrination. The rest of the day we had sports. As time went along, we loved it. Oh, we had so much fun and got our sports equipment free.

“We would go home and gleefully tell our parents about the wonderful time we had.

“My mother was very unhappy,” remembers Kitty. “When the next term started, she took me out of public school and put me in a convent. I told her she couldn’t do that and she told me that someday when I grew up, I would be grateful. There was a very good curriculum, but hardly any fun – no sports, and no political indoctrination.

“I hated it at first but felt I could tolerate it. Every once in a while, on holidays, I went home. I would go back to my old friends and ask what was going on and what they were doing.

“Their loose lifestyle was very alarming to me. They lived without religion. By that time, unwed mothers were glorified for having a baby for Hitler.

“It seemed strange to me that our society changed so suddenly. As time went along, I realized what a great deed my mother did so that I wasn’t exposed to that kind of humanistic philosophy.

“In 1939, the war started, and a food bank was established. All food was rationed and could only be purchased using food stamps. At the same time, a full-employment law was passed which meant if you didn’t work, you didn’t get a ration card, and, if you didn’t have a card, you starved to death.

“Women who stayed home to raise their families didn’t have any marketable skills and often had to take jobs more suited for men.

“Soon after this, the draft was implemented.

“It was compulsory for young people, male and female, to give one year to the labor corps,” remembers Kitty. “During the day, the girls worked on the farms, and at night they returned to their barracks for military training just like the boys.

“They were trained to be anti-aircraft gunners and participated in the signal corps. After the labor corps, they were not discharged but were used in the front lines.

“When I go back to Austria to visit my family and friends, most of these women are emotional cripples because they just were not equipped to handle the horrors of combat.

“Three months before I turned 18, I was severely injured in an air raid attack. I nearly had a leg amputated, so I was spared having to go into the labor corps and into military service.

“When the mothers had to go out into the work force, the government immediately established child care centers.

“You could take your children ages four weeks old to school age and leave them there around-the-clock, seven days a week, under the total care of the government.

“The state raised a whole generation of children. There were no motherly women to take care of the children, just people highly trained in child psychology. By this time, no one talked about equal rights. We knew we had been had.

“Before Hitler, we had very good medical care. Many American doctors trained at the University of Vienna..

“After Hitler, health care was socialized, free for everyone. Doctors were salaried by the government. The problem was, since it was free, the people were going to the doctors for everything.

“When the good doctor arrived at his office at 8 a.m., 40 people were already waiting and, at the same time, the hospitals were full.

“If you needed elective surgery, you had to wait a year or two for your turn. There was no money for research as it was poured into socialized medicine. Research at the medical schools literally stopped, so the best doctors left Austria and emigrated to other countries.

“As for healthcare, our tax rates went up to 80 percent of our income. Newlyweds immediately received a $1,000 loan from the government to establish a household. We had big programs for families.

“All day care and education were free. High schools were taken over by the government and college tuition was subsidized. Everyone was entitled to free handouts, such as food stamps, clothing, and housing.

“We had another agency designed to monitor business. My brother-in-law owned a restaurant that had square tables.

“Government officials told him he had to replace them with round tables because people might bump themselves on the corners. Then they said he had to have additional bathroom facilities. It was just a small dairy business with a snack bar. He couldn’t meet all the demands.

“Soon, he went out of business. If the government owned the large businesses and not many small ones existed, it could be in control.

“We had consumer protection, too

“We were told how to shop and what to buy. Free enterprise was essentially abolished. We had a planning agency specially designed for farmers. The agents would go to the farms, count the livestock, and then tell the farmers what to produce, and how to produce it.

“In 1944, I was a student teacher in a small village in the Alps. The villagers were surrounded by mountain passes which, in the winter, were closed off with snow, causing people to be isolated.

“So people intermarried and offspring were sometimes retarded. When I arrived, I was told there were 15 mentally retarded adults, but they were all useful and did good manual work.

“I knew one, named Vincent, very well. He was a janitor of the school. One day I looked out the window and saw Vincent and others getting into a van.

“I asked my superior where they were going. She said to an institution where the State Health Department would teach them a trade, and to read and write. The families were required to sign papers with a little clause that they could not visit for 6 months.

“They were told visits would interfere with the program and might cause homesickness.

“As time passed, letters started to dribble back saying these people died a natural, merciful death. The villagers were not fooled. We suspected what was happening. Those people left in excellent physical health and all died within 6 months. We called this euthanasia.

“Next came gun registration. People were getting injured by guns. Hitler said that the real way to catch criminals (we still had a few) was by matching serial numbers on guns. Most citizens were law-abiding and dutifully marched to the police station to register their firearms. Not long afterwards, the police said that it was best for everyone to turn in their guns. The authorities already knew who had them, so it was futile not to comply voluntarily.

“No more freedom of speech. Anyone who said something against the government was taken away. We knew many people who were arrested, not only Jews, but also priests and ministers who spoke up.

“Totalitarianism didn’t come quickly, it took 5 years from 1938 until 1943, to realize full dictatorship in Austria. Had it happened overnight, my countrymen would have fought to the last breath. Instead, we had creeping gradualism. Now, our only weapons were broom handles. The whole idea sounds almost unbelievable that the state, little by little eroded our freedom.”

“This is my eyewitness account.

“It’s true. Those of us who sailed past the Statue of Liberty came to a country of unbelievable freedom and opportunity.

“America is truly is the greatest country in the world. “Don’t let freedom slip away.

“After America, there is no place to go.”

Kitty Werthmann

[simpxxstan]

lunch

pairing: elementary school teachers lee seokmin x f.reader

genre: fluff, fluff and some more fluff. a tiny pinch of angst.

summary: as a veteran at sebong elementary school, you don't let any of your juniors get too close to you. the new science teacher, lee seokmin, doesn't seem to get the note, though.

word count: 9.6k words

rating: pg 13 

warnings: use of a few profanities, mention of alcohol and illegal gambling. reader is a bit cold in the beginning. slight age gap.

a/n: SO MUCH FLUFF my body hurts but it was so nice to just write good guy dokyeom after all that angst for wonwoo. i'm sorry to any hyungwon fans who may be reading this though T_T

would love to hear feedback!! reblogs and comments are so so much appreciated <3

this is part of the boys over flowers series featuring booseoksoon + chan! this is the first instalment in that series.

It was a day of much ruckus and excitement. The teachers and students were all waiting eagerly to meet the four new teachers who were joining Sebong Elementary School that day. Children with bright cherub faces peeped from their classroom windows, some crowded in the corridors, and teachers whispered loudly, as they all waited to see the four faces of the new teachers emerge from the Principal’s office. And when they finally did, a loud, collective gasp was heard rippling through every room and corner of Sebong Elementary School. And then the bubble broke, as loud whispers and giggling overtook every other noise, as the four men smiled at the kids and adults gathered through the school. They shone brighter than the tubelights on the ceiling-

“Okay, I think you’re exaggerating, Sohee. I’m sure they don’t have 1000 watt smiles.”

“Oh, Y/N, but they do! Even an ice queen like you is going to melt when you see them. They just exude warmth, kindness, and handsomeness. They look like idols, really!” 

“Now you’re definitely exaggerating. Park carefully, and don’t daydream please. I’ve been nervous from the moment I let you drive my car.”

“It’s a third-hand car. I should, in fact, smash it, so that you can buy something better. The government’s just moments away from declaring it as junk.”

“This is all I can afford, Sohee.”

“Car loans exist!”

“Bankruptcy exists!”

Sohee huffs, and you meticulously check the rear view mirror to ensure she parks neatly. Once done, (read, once Sohee has finished touching up her lipstick and her mascara, and put a few cute hairclips in her long brown hair, cute by her metrics), you both step out of the car. The heat has become harsher, and you’re a little taken aback by the sting of sunlight on your skin. But it feels good to be out again after that stupid bout of fever which had kept you away from school, and consequently, your life. 

You meet several students getting out from the bus in front of the school, some smiling and already chattering with their friends, others shyly holding on to the fingers of their parents. Some of them wave hi to you, others loudly squeal their welcome backs. Your morning grumpiness is slowly wearing away, and you can feel energy bubbling in. It’s barely been the start of the year, and the little ones are very, very gradually warming up to the idea of being away from home for longer than three hours. It’s a trying time for their teachers, and you’re grateful that you don’t teach the youngest class. 

On the short walk from the parking area to the school, and it’s such a miracle that Sohee doesn’t start talking about the four new teachers, because you’re frankly tired of hearing about them. It feels like they don’t exist, and even if they do, they’re going to be massive letdowns compared to Sohee’s descriptions. Sohee does have the habit of hyperbole. 

But you fall headfirst into it as you slide open the door to the staffroom. Everyone stands up and greets you, as you’re one of the earliest members of the staff. You’d like to think that their greetings are out of affection, and not just respect, but you don’t mind. Majority of the staff is quite young, and people look up to you as the sunbae, and it’s a position of respect you crave and enjoy. It’s not like you’re great at showing how you love them either. You can just hope that they get to know about it from time to time, and don’t hate you for not being too affectionate.

As everyone stands up, you bow to the general crowd, and greet them back, but you’re also welcomed by four unknown faces. 

Oh. They must be the new teachers. 

Well, Sohee wasn’t really wrong-

Sohee immediately sparks up and begins talking about how you had really high fever, and every evening she found you lying inside your bed, covered in blankets like a burrito, messy in snot and sweat-

“Okay, that’s enough. Sohee, please spare them the details of my ugly illness.” You’re embarrassed and quite red all over, and out of the corner of your eye, you’re watching the reactions of the four new men. Sure, you may not care much about what other people think, but it’s your first impression after all. Everyone is quite vehemently cooing at you now, and the four men have confused, but concerned expressions on their faces. 

Minseo comes to the rescue, when she diverts the topic to introduce the new faces to you, and you’re grateful for the first time to hear about these new teachers. 

“This is our sunbae, Y/L/N Y/N! She’s one of the first teachers at Sebong Elementary School.” “Aaah, Minseo-yah! You make it sound like she’s old!” Sohee scolds, but you don’t mind. You sure feel old after the way that fever broke your immunity like a twig.

“Aah, sorry. And Y/N Unnie, these are our new joinees this year!” She gestures towards the men, and they bow. You bow in return, and take a full look at them, smiling back at them. 

“Hello! I’m Lee Chan, I’m a ‘99 liner! I’ll work hard and show my best side to you, sunbae!” “Good morning! I’m Boo Seungkwan. Nice to meet you!” “Oh, sunbae, hello! I’m Kwon Soonyoung, I’m also glad to meet you Y/N-ssi!” “And I’m Lee Seokmin! I’ll work hard, please take good care of me, sunbae!” They shake your hands like dominos, and your eyes linger a second too long on the last one, the tall one with the brightest smile. 1000 watt seems about right? “I’m happy to meet you too! Let’s work hard for a long time!” You smile back, and there’s a collective Fighting! through the room, before the school bell rings, and the cacophony of kids entering their classrooms breaks the silence of the school building. 

_

It’s lunchtime, and you’ve already forgotten their names. Sohee insists that you sit with them at the same table for lunch, but you’re not hungry enough to take lunch. It’s been a tiring day, and you just want to sip your iced americano and finish the pending work on your desk in the staffroom. Missing a week of school is as burdensome for teachers as it is for students. There are piles of things left to be done, and you assign yourself the task of finishing filling in the register with the names of the students for that lunch break. The staffroom is empty, and you’re happy to work in peace. 

You’re so focused on your work that you don’t even notice when a tall man walks into the staffroom sometime in the middle of the lunch break, peeps at you from his desk at the other corner of the room, and then leaves. 

_

It’s finally Friday, and that’s how you’ve spent the last four lunch breaks. You’re finally getting through the pile of work at a steady pace. On top of it all, the Principal has promoted you to the Head Teacher of Science Department, as the previous head’s tenure is over, and that means all the science teachers have to approve their lesson plans for this term through you and you’re also in charge of allotting field trips for scientific experiments. 

That’s why Lee Seokmin ambushes you when you’re about to leave at the end of the school day. “Sunbae, I was wondering if you could perhaps look at my lesson plan once? Maybe you could go over it during the weekend?”

You halt your actions of packing your bag, and carefully take the folder from the outstretched hand of the tall man towering over your desk. “Umm, I could look through it now.”

“No, I mean! I’m sorry I didn’t know how to approach you earlier, Sunbae. I’m sorry, I don’t want to keep you from heading home, I’m really sorry-”

“Please stop apologising, Seokmin-ssi. It’s not a big deal. It’s better for me to go through it now in your presence, rather than take it home. I’ll be able to discuss it more smoothly with you then, in case any changes are needed.” 

His puppy brown eyes become tiny slits as he smiles wide. You realise that his hair is draping over his forehead in black curls, and the white shirt he’s wearing reveals the column of his neck very elegantly. He does look good enough to be an idol, you think. 

“Seokmin-ssi, come take a seat here. I won’t bite, in spite of what you may have heard-”

“Oh no! The kids are all praise for you. I’m so thankful to be succeeding you in the classes, because you’ve set such a strong foundation for the students. You’ve made my job a cakewalk, truly.”

“I’m just thankful that you deal with the younger ones now. I enjoy teaching them, but sometimes they can…” You smile lopsidedly, and Seokmin grins. “I’ve heard that I have a lot of patience, sunbae…” “And you have a lot of fighting spirit that we tend to have when we’ve just joined the school. You’ll manage.”

And then the conversation halts. It flows in bits and pieces, as you flip through his lesson plan and discuss changes with him, speaking from experience of having taught these same classes six years more than him. His lesson plan book is very colourful, filled with stickers from cartoons, and brightly drawn smiley flowers. Something in you makes you think that maybe he’s not just doing this as a show for the kids, but also because he likes to do it. He’s very animated in every statement he makes, hand gestures all over his face, but he quietens down when he realises you’re no longer looking at his face, and would rather just get through the work quickly. You’re not annoyed at him, no. It’s just a little overwhelming to see all this energy being thrown at you, and it makes you tired, wondering how to reciprocate it. So you just silently finish your task, and bid him goodbye. He offers to drop you home, but then you say you have your own car, so he gives you another smile and with a natural ease, hops on to his electric bicycle and rides off into the road. 

_

Seokmin-ssi, you realise, doesn’t want reciprocation. He greets you cheerfully every morning, whenever you see him in the campus, whenever you’re making eye contact before leaving for the day, and whenever you both arrive at the same time at school. He doesn’t just say hello, but he also asks if you had a good weekend, if you had a good sleep, if you ate breakfast, if you’ve recovered fully from your cold, if you’re taking your vitamins. It makes you more uncomfortable than before, confusing you whether he’s just buttering you up as a sunbae or whether he’s genuinely this nice. It’s also a little worrying because it makes you feel like he’s trying too hard to be close and you don’t want to be a bother for him, so you hope he takes the hint. But he obviously doesn’t, because the next time you walk into the staffroom determined not to leave your desk, and instead enjoy the peaceful solitude of the staffroom to recharge your battery, you notice a very neat lunch tray sitting on your desk with a note attached on top, “Sunbae, please don’t skip your meals!” It takes you aback, and you stare at it for a good four minutes. Finally you realise you’re too flustered to eat it, and you just keep it aside and get back at your work. 

When Seokmin comes back from his lunch break, he makes the mistake of looking at your desk to see if you’ve eaten, and there. He makes eye contact with your razor sharp eyes looking at him from above your reading glasses. He walks up to your desk and says, “You didn’t eat, sunbae?”

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“I- I- just wanted to-”

“Firstly, Seokmin-ssi, I’m not skipping meals. Secondly, I don’t know if this is normal for you, but I’d appreciate it if we could be harmonious as colleagues. I don’t need you to be my mother for me and feed me. I’m an adult and I know when to eat.”

You can see him gulp and fumble, and for a second, you think you’ve been too harsh. You almost backtrack and apologise, scared that the little light in his eyes is going to go out, but he speaks faster, “I just don’t want you to fall sick again, sunbae. I’m sorry if I was too presumptuous. I’ll do better from now on.” And without another second, he turns and walks out of the room, leaving you speechless. The light in his eyes may not have gone out, but you sure were too mean. Afterall, he was just being nice to you, wasn’t he?”

_

So, the next week, when you’re finally on track and completed all your pending work, you walk into the cafeteria looking to take a lunch break. And you spot Seokmin sitting with Chan on one table on the teacher’s side of the cafeteria. Chan is a sweet boy, and you want to make amends with Seokmin, so you carefully walk across the room to their table and ask, “Can I have lunch with you?” You ask them both, and Chan instantly begins to clear space for you to sit down, but you’re distracted by how wide Seokmin smiles, and you know the ice has melted. He’s forgiven you, so you gently sit down next to him.

It’s a mistake. You hadn’t accounted for how broad he is, and how much he moves his body while speaking. His thighs inch closer to yours with every movement, although very much unconsciously. Even though you’re both sitting, he’s still taller than you, and it makes you shy.

You’re thankful when Soonyoung joins you across the table and you can distract yourself by speaking to him. “Sunbae, it’s so nice to see you in the cafeteria! We rarely ever see you outside the staffroom.” You smile as wide as you can, your mouth full of food. Chan joins in, “Yes, sunbae! Seokmin hyung’s been so-” “We’ve all been worried,” Seokmin interjects, and you’re hit by a pang of guilt. It is pretty natural for coworkers to care about each other. Especially since you’re their senior and they must be looking to make a good impression. 

“I’ve been a little busy with all pending work. The start of the year can be stressful for us senior teachers.”

“I hear Seungkwan hyung is being put in charge of the after-school creche duty?”

“You’ve heard right, Chan. He did apply for it, and given his congenial personality, I think he’d do well if he joined the creche roster.”

“A roster? That means he won’t have duty every day?” Soonyoung asks you.

“Yes, there will be two teachers alternating from Monday to Friday.”

“Oh! Someone lucky gets two days only!”

“We try to ensure even distribution through the month,” you say. “Plus, of course, there can be others volunteering from time to time. So for example, next month, there’s a storytelling week at the creche. Sohee and I will be volunteering for that week as storytellers- that way, the ones responsible for the creche can have a week’s leave from the extra duty.”

Soonyoung and Chan nod in understanding, but you’ve noticed Seokmin is extra quiet, uncharacteristically even. “Do you enjoy the cafeteria food, Seokmin-ssi?” you ask him, speaking softer so that Chan and Soonyoung can’t hear you. It must surprise him, because he looks up at you with wide, boba eyes, and he looks more like a puppy than ever. “I do! The variety is good.” “I’m glad. The caterers recently got changed. The previous ones were seriously falling behind on quality.” Seokmin smiles and eats a big bite of rice and soup, and you chuckle at the comical way his mouth fills up. 

_

You didn’t even think Seokmin would remember. In fact, you’d forgotten that you’d mentioned it yourself. 

But he does. He doesn’t just remember, but he also brings a bag full of old picture books.

You swear your heart stops the moment he enters the hall where the after-school creche is organized and hands you the bag. “These were books my mother had kept for ages even after I’d finished reading them a million times. Thought I’d use them somehow, instead of just letting them gather dust on shelves,” he says as he smiles that pretty, wide smile again. It’s been long enough into the new semester now for you to get used to both Seokmin’s smiles, so you can bask in it. The children bask in it too. Most of the tiny members of the creche know him from the class where he’s teaching about animals, and they squeal in excitement. “Aah, Seokmin-ah, you really didn’t have to. You could’ve gone home and rested for the weekend.” His smile drops, and you mentally slap yourself. You really should take care of your words better, so you rephrase it, “What I meant is… you don’t have to do this out of your way.” “I’m not… going out of my way. I just thought I’d come and watch you, sunbae. I want to learn how to handle little children even better.” 

So he sits in a corner of the hall, Byul and Jiwon sitting on his lap, while his eyes are fixed on you. You’ve taken the storytelling class two days this week, and this is your third day, so you really shouldn’t be so slippery, but something about how he’s looking at you so intently is making you stumble and fall over your words, and your pronunciation often comes out as jumbled as the three year olds sitting in front of you. You’re made even more aware of Seokmin’s presence when snack time arrives, and the kids are too distracted with the picture books to pay attention to their food and eat. Thankfully, Seokmin uses his charm and somehow gathers everyone to sit in a circle around the table. The children have incessant questions, some about the characters they met in the story, and some random questions too, like Are you married, Teacher Seokmin? It doesn’t matter that you pause in your movements to hear his response, a wide-eyed Minhyun looking confusedly at you, wondering why your hand holding his candy is stuck mid-air. It also doesn’t matter that your heart paces up when you see Seokmin glance in your direction before loudly proclaiming that he’s not married. 

The parents arrive soon after that, and then there’s only a crying Byul left, who’s wrapped in Seokmin’s arms as you three wait for her father to arrive. You wonder for a second, how did you ever handle kids, because when you see how Seokmin handles them, you think you’ve done it all wrong for years. He holds her two tiny hands in his own, places her in between his legs and quietly brushes her hair while whispering more imaginary stories about the elephant Byul saw earlier in the picture book. You feel unwanted in this perfect scene, Byul going perfectly silent as she listens to Seokmin talk. But then, honestly, who wouldn’t be in rapture of this beautiful young man?

Byul’s father arrives twenty minutes later, and Byul gives Seokmin a little peck on his cheek before she leaves his arms and goes off with her dad. 

“Sunbae, thank you for letting me be here! I had so much fun, and I also learnt so much from you.” You laugh, “I doubt, though. You’re such a natural with children.” He smiles, “That’s just because I have a lot of cousins. But it’s different handling kids at school. I always have to be extra-careful with them because I’m a complete stranger and not a relative.” “You’re right, and that shows in your care too, Seokmin-ah.” He blushes, and you smile as you lock up the hall and finally make your way to leave the campus. Your back hurts from sitting on the floor for so long and you’re surely glad to go home.

“Sunbae, did you bring your car?”

“Aah, no. Today was Sohee’s carpooling turn, she left early. I’ll just take the bus.”

“Let me drop you home, sunbae! It’s late already.”

You pause, and turn to look at him. His hopeful face, still radiant after the long day. And you feel that same overwhelming feeling take over you. Till now, Seokmin has only given and given, never expecting anything in return. He’s extended a helping hand without you asking for it, he’s reminded you for meals even when you’ve ignored him, he’s been nothing but kind to you. And if he’s doing this even after three whole months of him joining the school, then it can’t be just buttering tactics. 

“I don’t want to get you late, Seokmin-ah.”

“I won’t, sunbae. It’s not a worry, honestly.” He bites his lower lip, his eyebrows furrowed as he asks you again, “Please let me drop you, sunbae.”

It’s been years since a man has been this kind to you. Kind enough without coming off as a creep. A part of you is wary, but something in Seokmin’s eyes makes you feel guilty for ever mistrusting his intentions. 

“Alright, Seokmin-ah. Noona owes you one.” 

You can see the stutter in his eyes even before you hear it in his voice. 

“N-noona? Oh. Noona! I’ll drive you safely!”

And he does. Diligent, puppy-like, kind Seokmin drives you home quickly and safely. For the first time in years, you sleep with a smile on your face.

_

You enter the Principal’s office to find a very nervous-looking Seokmin standing next to the Principal. “Good Morning, Mr. Han. Is something wrong?” “Yes, good morning Y/N. I’ve just received a complaint from a parent, and as the head of science teachers, I’d like you to look into it once.” “Of course.”

Then you turn towards Seokmin, who is standing very upright, but you can see him nervously twitching his feet. “Seokmin-ssi, is the parent here in school, or have you received a written complaint?” Seokmin’s voice is barely audible the first time he speaks, so you take a couple of steps to be closer to him. “Don’t be so nervous. Please tell me everything so that I can help resolve this.” He looks at you, his eyes still wide, and the tension obvious in his face. But he takes a deep breath and says, “They’re here, in my science classroom.” “And can you tell me the gist of the matter?” “I… I… I had asked her daughter to not draw with crayons on the walls of the science classroom. And one time… I’d asked her daughter to bring more nutritious food to class instead of chips every single day.” He says softly, his eyes focused on the blue linoleum tiles on the floor. You take a deep breath. As you’ve grown more senior, you’ve eventually detached yourself from the classes of the youngest students, those below four years of age. So naturally, you’d not gotten into messes like this for a long time. But with your experience, you know just how to deal with such cases. 

So you excuse yourself from the office and walk down to Seokmin’s homeroom, gesturing him to enter as you both walk into the classroom. It is deserted, except for a very grim-looking gigantic woman standing next to a tiny girl with even tinier braids. “Good morning. I’m Y/L/N Y/N, Head of the Science Department.” “Yes, well, I’m hoping you’d be more competent about it all rather than Mr. Lee here.” 

You forcefully smile tightly and ask, “Please let me know the details of the matter.” “Where do I begin! Mr. Lee has been… very dictatorial with my daughter. First he forbids her from colouring, and then he forces her to starve herself! It’s absolutely ridiculous that a teacher can do such things!” Out of the corner of your eye, you see Seokmin shrink further away into the corner, his eyes wide. 

“Based on how well I know Mr. Lee, I can’t imagine him forcing a child to starve themselves. Correct me if I’m wrong, but did he ask her to bring a different set of food for lunch, rather than chips?” “Yes, but-” “And that was purely based on nutritional concerns, Ma’am. As teachers at Sebong Elementary School, we want to ensure our students receive proper nutrition at their growing age. And I can assure you that chips are not the most nutritious food your daughter can eat every day.” “I’m a working mother-” “I’m sure you can buy a fruit or toast a single slice of bread along with a slice of cheese along with the chips, if you’re so busy.” 

 The woman in front of you stands speechless for a second, before continuing in her boisterous tone, “But who are you to dictate what I feed my child?” “Nobody, truly. But Mr. Lee is a kindhearted man, who cares for every child in this school, and even his colleagues and peers like me. As a teacher, he has the best interest of his students in mind, you see.” “Certainly can’t be more than that of her mother.” “Of course, which is why I’d advise you too, as would any other paediatrician, that only chips is not the diet a four-year old child should be exposed to on a daily basis.” 

The woman takes a step back. Her grip on her daughter’s fingers loosen, and the child takes a step forward. “Miss, I really like the grapes Mr. Lee gave me the other day! That’s why I’ve stopped eating Eomma’s lunch!” She smiles at you, and you bend down on your knee to meet her at eye level. “Is that so? But darling, you should always eat what your mummy’s giving you. Good girls don’t skip meals, understood?” She nods her little head very seriously, so you pat her once on her head. Then you stand up again and look at her mother. “I see your daughter does enjoy eating grapes. Perhaps you could buy her some fruits for lunch.”

She tilts her head a little bit, looking fully like a kid who’s been punished for being too outspoken, and honestly you’re glad to have made that effect. Some people can be so entitled and so rude, and it leaves such a harsh impression on softer teachers like Seokmin. Which is exactly what you see when the parent does leave with her child a few minutes later, as the man, who hasn’t spoken a single word since entering the room, comes up to you gingerly. 

“Noona, thank you so much. I was so- so scared.” You smile at him as warmly as you can, “Please don’t be. It wasn’t your fault at all that some parents can misunderstand even the best intentions of teachers. It’s pretty common- as time goes on, people will just find more flaws, whether it be in your teaching skills or your child-handling skills. You just need to be less nervous when things like this happen. If you ever need help in these things, of course I’m always here… as are your other seniors. But it’s best if you learn to handle these things without taking them too much to your heart, unless you see there is genuine room for improvement for you.” He nods throughout, and his eyes have become round like a puppy’s eyes again. “I will introspect, Noona.” He laughs a bit, “This honestly isn’t the first time someone’s misunderstanding my intentions. But I will try harder to be more clear and not … not be presumptuous,” he says, looking deep into your eyes, before he bows and leaves the room.

As you stand there in the classroom, alone you realise that the situation oddly reminds you of a similar conversation you had with him at the beginning of the semester. When you’d asked him to keep his distance and not interfere … all while, he was just trying to be kind. Oh god. You’d been just as rude as the parent had been today, hadn’t you? Oh dear god. No wonder he’d looked so downcast and rejected after that.

_

Sohee’s thousand-day anniversary at the school is coming up so Minseo’s put on a surprise party at her house. It’s not a surprise to just Sohee, but also to you. “Oh, why didn’t you let me know earlier, Minseo-yah?” “We would, but you’ve just been so busy with the end of term reports and grades that we didn’t want to bother you.” “Well, that’s not something only I’m doing. I’m sure you all were busy too.” “But none of us are head of departments, you know?” She giggles, and you know it’s not a jibe. But it still feels bad to not be able to contribute when everyone is contributing in some way or the other. 

So you order a six-pound blueberry cheesecake for the party, knowing blueberry to be Sohee’s favourite flavour. And, as expected, it’s a party hit. It turns out to be the favourite flavour of a lot of people, even Seokmin, who helps himself to three slices, and you’re just glad to see them all enjoying it. There’s drinks, pizza and music playing in the background. And although the teacher community at Sebong Elementary School is not too big, you’re a lot of twenty-six people, and you’re thankful that Minseo comes from a rich family that has a big house. And yet, it feels cosy and familiar. You barely attend parties or social gatherings,  and unless it’s family occasions, having been out of the dating scene for years. But this type of party seems fun to you- perhaps it’s you growing old, perhaps it’s you no longer finding staying up late exciting, perhaps it’s you realising that getting wasted is not as interesting as you used to think it was in college. So you settle for being the woman who’s dressed in a sweater although it’s barely autumn, already mentally classified as a spinster for almost everyone you meet, thirty and with no life outside of work, and you’re happy. You’re happy right now, sipping a cocktail and eating the fried chicken Minseo’s airfrying and constantly supplying to the party, celebrating your closest friend, Sohee. You know that although Sohee’s a couple of months younger than you, and definitely has a more active love life, she’s just like you at heart, and she’s the sister you’ve never had. As she gets drunk (you can tell it’s the first time in a long time by the way she’s getting tipsy even faster than she usually does), she leans over to smooch you loudly on the cheek, and you laugh and give in to her. It creates a loud wave of cheers across the room, but it’s such a warm moment. She clinks her glass with yours and rests her head on your shoulder, while raising a toast to the teachers at Sebong Elementary School. There’s another round of cheers, and then your phone reminds you it’s ten pm, and you should be heading home because it’s a school day tomorrow. The buzz feels good, and you want to stay longer, but you’re not drunk enough to forget your responsibilities. And so the party gradually disperses. You hug Minseo and thank her for organising the wonderful party, and somehow Sohee manages to stand up on her feet steadily. Seungkwan takes the duty to drop Sohee home as he lives near her house, and before you can say anything, Seokmin takes on the responsibility of dropping you home. 

“I don’t want to impose-” “But I insist, Y/N Noona.” “Why do you always insist, Seokmin? I feel like I’m a burdensome sunbae, not a nice sunbae.” You try not to pout when he leads you to where his car is parked and opens the door for you. He giggles, his face red with the dopamine (and drinks) from the party. “You’re just fishing for compliments, Noona. You know I never think of taking care of you as a burden.” 

Perhaps drinking that third cocktail was a mistake. 

But you did drink it, so you lean over the centre console of the car and say, with a soft giggle, “If you say things like that, Seokmin-ah, people are going to misunderstand and think you like like me.”

“But I do like like you, Noona.” 

You almost miss his words while waving goodbye to the other teachers standing on the pavement in front of Minseo’s house, waiting for their rides. 

Almost. 

“What?” You spin your head so fast it gives you whiplash, and you feel like you’re instantly sober, the way you become alert instantly. Seokmin’s looking at the road as he drives into the main road, his eyes bright by reflecting the street lights. “I do, Noona.”

“No- no, you can’t. Are you serious, Seokmin-ah? Because if you are, you can’t.” 

“Why?” 

There’s a red light, and he’s looking at you, the street lights shining on his face and the gentle handsomeness of his features are glowing in their full glory. This isn’t the first time you’ve found him awe-strikingly beautiful, but right now, he looks positively angelic. His eyelashes form delicate shadows on his cheeks, and the way his hair gets swayed by the wind coming in from the open car windows makes him seem even prettier. 

“Because… you’re so… young. And fresh, and beautiful. And I’m thirty, I spend my days working and my nights reading romantic classics, and I’m so boring a-and you deserve better.”

His mouth twists bitterly, and he says, “But none of that is true, Noona.”

“It is, Seokmin-ah. You barely know me.”

“But I want to. I’m just asking for a chance.”

You stay silent for a long time. In the sparse traffic of the night, you’re reach your house quicker than you’d thought. 

“I don’t want you to make a mistake, Seokmin-ah. I shouldn’t be someone you like more than simply as a sunbae.”

He pauses, then replies, “If you don’t want to give me a chance, that’s okay Noona. I can make peace with it. But you can’t ask me to stop liking you, Noona. My feelings are mine.” 

You don’t say anything on the rest of the journey. You don’t have anything else to say. You can’t even be harsh to him because what he’s saying is logical. You cannot take away his right to like you, even if you don’t think it’s the right choice for him. You’re an adult, he’s an adult, you both have your own opinions and choices. 

It’s only when the car does reach your house that you attempt to say something. 

“I feel sorry for making you come all the way to my house to drop me. Do you want to come in to eat something? I had some dakgalbi made for tonight’s dinner before I got to know about the party.”

He looks at you for a long time. You can see the wheels turn in his head, before he says, “Okay.” 

_

Your flat is on the third floor, so you’re patiently climbing the stairs. Seokmin makes light conversation, breaking the ice, and you actively try to respond. You don’t want him to feel dejected, but you also don’t want to feel like you’re taking him to your house because you pity him after you outright rejected him. 

Your efforts go to waste when you see a figure sitting on the floor in front of the door to your apartment. 

“Hyungwon?” 

Seokmin pauses behind you, as you stand stunned on the last staircase before the landing, and the man you addressed looks up at the two of you. Even in the dim light of the single bulb lighting up the stairwell, you can see that he’s very wasted. “Y/N-ah! I- I’ve been waiting for you.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Oh, you haven’t changed, have you? Straight to the point. No hellos, no-”

“Yes, Hyungwon. What are you doing here?”

He sighs as he stands up. “I missed you.” 

Your head starts to spin. It’s like you’ve been transported back to 2022, when Hyungwon had confessed to you that he’d gambled away all your money, and that he’d been doing so for the last seven months, and that was where he was spending all his evenings at instead of the evening college you’d enrolled him into and whose fees you thought you’d been paying.

Your head spins again, and you’re stumbling back until someone catches you midway before you tumble down the stairs. 

“Noona!” that someone whispers in alarm in your ear, and you realise it’s Seokmin. 

Fuck. 

Fuck, fuck, fuck, not Seokmin. 

Why does Seokmin, out of all people, have to see this?

“Seokmin-ah, leave-”

“Ooh, who’s that?” Hyungwon takes a step closer, and takes a drink out of a soju bottle he’s holding in his left hand. “Boyfriend? You’re still into pretty boys, aren’t you?”

Seokmin pulls you closer to him, your back nearly touching his chest. “Who are you?”

“I’m Hyungwon, Y/N’s first love. You better get out of here, kid.”

“What do you want, Hyungwon? Don’t bullshit with me about missing me. No apology, no regrets, and now you’re suddenly at my doorstep?” You carefully break away from Seokmin’s gentle clasp, and walk towards your ex-boyfriend. “You want my money again.” The lanky man in front of you grins, that fucking lazy, pretty grin you’d fallen so hard for in college. 

“Y/N, where’s the love gone, jagi? Why are we talking about money?”

“Fuck off, Hyungwon. The love was gone long before I even broke up with you.”

He lifts his free hand and tries to reach out to you. “Jagiya-”

“I’m not your jagiya! Hyungwon, I’m not giving you anymore money, so you should just leave! And stop coming to me every time you want money, for god’s sake! We’re done, Hyungwon.” 

The man in front of you falls to his knees, “Please, I’m begging you, Y/N-ah! I’ll get into serious trouble if I don’t repay this debt by the end of this month! Y/N, for the sake of old times-”

“Hyungwon, please don’t! I’m not giving you any of my money, no matter how much you beg.”

His hand wraps around your leg, “Y/N-ah, please, just hear me out once! I am sorry for everything I did, and I’m so willing to amend my ways-”

“Please leave, Hyungwon-ssi, you’re making Noona uncomfortable.” Seokmin suddenly says from behind you, and you walk backward down the stairs until you’re again close enough to him that you can feel his body heat on your back. It makes you feel oddly safe.

“Who are you to say anything about Y/N, huh? You don’t even know her for long, I bet! Y/N and I dated for seven years!”

“It doesn’t matter how long I’ve known her, Hyungwon-ssi. What matters is that right now, she feels safe with me, and not around you. So please leave, Hyungwon-ssi.” You don’t even realise when his hands have come to wrap gently around you, not quite touching your body, but caging you away from the man who’s looking at you both with frantic and desperate eyes. You don’t know he knows that you’re feeling safe around him, but you’re so grateful. “If you don’t leave now, I’ll have to call the police, Hyungwon-ssi.”

The man in front of you gulps. “Fuck! I’ll be back, Y/N-ah. And then I’ll see where this boyfriend of yours will be!” And he storms down the stairs, cursing under his breath, and you’re still shaking in Seokmin’s grip. 

Five minutes pass before he asks you, gently whispering in your ear, “Are you okay?”

“Yes.” You slowly turn around and face him. You’re awfully close to him, and as you stand on the higher staircase, you’re eye-to-eye with him. “I’m so sorry you had to see that, Seokmin-ah.”

“No, Noona. I’m just upset thinking of what would happen if I hadn’t come up with you here tonight.”

“No, don’t be. He’s… harmless. He’s all talk and no action.”

“Has he been here before?”

You bite your lip. You don’t want to tell him things which will involve him deeper into this. He doesn’t know anything, he’s a complete stranger to it all, and yet, he is right, you do feel safe around him. But that doesn’t mean you burden him any further.

“Seokmin-ah, I don’t want you to get worried about this. I can take care of myself, it’s just Hyungwon. Like I said, he’s only bark and no bite.”

“Noona-”

“I’ll be fine, honestly! I’m sorry you had to see all this happen.” 

He opens his mouth to say something, but then he becomes silent again. 

“Do you want to come in-”

“No, Noona. I’ll just leave. I won’t take any more of your time. Have a good night, Noona.”

“Seokmin-ah, pl-”

“Goodnight, Noona. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

And then he walks away, and you’re left there, unarmed, uneasy and all alone, swimming in your own thoughts. You feel like you should run after him like in the movies, and stop him from leaving, but your legs feel like lead. There’s a sinking feeling in your heart and a sense of emergency, and it’s not because your ex-boyfriend came up to your door asking for money to waste again.

_

You don’t go to school the next day. The day after that is a Saturday, thankfully a holiday, and you can spend a day moping in regret, stuffing popcorn into your face and pretending like you’re not an adult anymore and you can live without worrying about responsibilities and keep time standing still. 

It doesn’t work. 

Sohee arrives to your door on Sunday morning, sunglasses perched on her head. “Where have you been, sweetie?” She doesn’t wait for you to respond and shoves herself into your flat. 

“Nowhere, Sohee.”

“You’re pouting, your bed isn’t made, and I can smell caramel popcorn. Something’s up. Tell me, baby.”

She sits down on the couch, pulling you down next to her, and taps twice on your shoulder prompting you to spill. So you do spill. 

You tell her every thought that has crossed your mind these last 48 hours. How Seokmin confessed that he likes you. How you’d turned him down instantly. How Hyungwon had turned up at your door and ruined the night after the party. How you’d practically shooed Seokmin away although he’d been nothing but protective and helpful to you. How you’d wallowed in regrets since then, having realised that you’re such a coward. 

“Yeah, you are a coward. In what right mind would you turn down Seokmin when you’re so down bad for him?”

“Huh?”

“Dummy. You can’t even realise your own feelings, and you act like you’re so mature. Age is truly just a number,” she sighs before digging into your bowl of popcorn. 

“I don’t… I don’t have feelings for Seokmin.”

“What makes you think so?”

“He’s… he’s just a hoobae.”

“So are Chan and Soonyoung and Seungkwan. Why do you always blush when you talk to Seokmin, even if it’s over something as mundane as lunch? Why do you so often go to his classroom and aid him in his lessons during your free periods, even though he doesn’t necessarily ask for it? Why do you talk more to him than to your other hoobaes?”

You stay silent for a second. 

“Y/N-ah, think carefully about this.”

“I shouldn’t think of him in this light… he’s so much younger.”

“You’re just three years older than him, Y/N! Stop acting like you’re so old!”

“But…”

“Oh fuck, this isn’t about age, is it? You feel like you’re going to be to him what Hyungwon became to you? Predatory?”

You’re left silent again. Sohee understands from your (lack of) actions, and jumps across the couch to hug you. “Oh, Y/N-ah. Stop beating yourself up for that. It’s been so, so long. Stop blaming yourself for something that’s not even your fault.” 

“But Seokmin deserves better, don’t you think?”

“And you deserve better than beating yourself over an ex like Hyungwon. You deserve a second chance at love too, baby.” She hugs you tightly, and you don’t know when tears have started rolling down your cheek.“I’m a coward, Sohee. I can’t get the courage to even accept my feelings.” “Then let Seokmin help you. Honestly, with the way he always looks at you like you spin his earth and you’re his god, I don’t think he’ll have any issues waiting for you to realise your feelings.” You blush and hide your face in her neck at her sly words. She’s too outspoken for her own good. 

“What if it’s just a crush for him, that’ll pass soon? There’s not much about me that will keep him interested in me after a few months.”

“You’ve got to stop being so pessimistic. Again, just because one guy was stupid and decided to rip off your hard-earned money and your blind trust in him, doesn’t mean another guy will! I’ll say it again, you deserve a second chance!”

The doorbell rings right then. You get up to open the door, to find a letter on the doormat. 

“It’s from the local police station.” You pick it up and show Sohee, who’s equally confounded as you are. “Well, open it, girl!” 

It’s a letter stating a level one restraining order has been requested for your protection against Chae Hyungwon, who has repeatedly disturbed you while drunk, and demanded money for illegal gambling purposes. 

And the request has been made from Lee Seokmin.

“So you just have to sign it and that’s it? Hyungwon out from your life forever?”

You nod, unable to reply, you’re still shocked by the letter. So is Sohee, it seems. Because all she can manage is, “Wow. Y/N, you’ve gotta marry him.”

“Who?!”

“Seokmin, of course. If this is his level of devotion-”

“You don’t think this was unnecessary?”

“Y/N, are you for real? He’s literally looking out for you and doing what you should’ve done ages back, and you think he’s overstepping boundaries? He’s one gem of a person seeing that he’s doing all this without even you prompting him and even after you literally rejected his confession.”

You take a deep breath. She’s right. She’s so right that your heart hurts and you want to bend down on your knees because your body feels limp. How much more does Seokmin have to give you for you to be able to start giving back to him? One voice in your head chastises you. Love isn’t quid pro quo! You fight back. Fair. But at least you’ve started admitting it is love. The voice laughs at you, leaving you vulnerable. 

“Well, he said yes.”

“What?” You spin your head to look at Sohee who’s holding your phone in her hand. 

“Seokmin. He said he’ll meet you at the park near school. In about an hour.”

“Did you just text him from my phone?”

“I did, for your own good. Because if it were up to you, you would have overthought yourself into a hole you’d dig for yourself and not made a move at all even when he’s literally played all his cards and proved his commitment.”

“Aishh, you’re so annoying,” you playfully shove her. 

“Your annoying friend just wants to see you happy,” she pouts cutely, and you laugh at the face she’s making. 

“Okay, now go get dressed. You have to finish this game now, Y/N. I’ll drop you to the park.”

_

When Sohee drops you a little far away from the park, kissing your forehead and wishing you fighting!, you find Seokmin already sitting on a bench on a relatively empty side of the park. He looks up at you as you get closer, and you wave at him. You feel so timid, so nervous, just walking up to him, his handsomeness hitting you with full force as you see him in more casual clothes than ever before, knowing that this man, this beautiful man likes you. And he wants you, and he’s proved how far he can go to care for you, even when you’ve rejected his care.

“Noona, how are you? We were worried after you called your day off on Friday.”

“I’m sorry… I wasn’t sick or anything.” You laugh awkwardly. “Just, taking some time to ponder over things myself.”

“Oh.” He sits down on the bench, the loose end of his checked shirt gently swaying in the breeze. 

“And I regret how I acted that night. I’m sorry for being so harsh-” he starts to say something, but you gently put a finger on his hand, and that makes him shush. “I’m not just talking about Thursday night. I’ve been harsh to you ever since the beginning of the year. You’ve been nothing but kind and generous to me. But… time has made me unnaturally wary and I find it so hard to accept attention or even kindness easily. Thus, time and again I’ve pushed you away, yet you’ve kept coming back. It’s true that I didn’t realise your intentions earlier, but I know, deep down in my heart, that I’ve liked you too for quite some time.”

His eyes are wide, and you move an inch closer to him on the bench.

“I thought it was silly, to have a crush on a man so obviously young like you. I’m thirty now, turning thirty-one in a few weeks. I’ll always be older than you, less energetic, more boring and to be honest, I think it’s not even age but just experience which has made me like this. And I denied myself your attention because I thought you deserved better. And I still do. You sent a restraining request to the police on my ex-boyfriend on my behalf. You… you’ve gone out of your way so many times, even when I’ve been so harsh with you. You’re the one who’s precious, you’re made out of stardust. I’m just a broccoli that’s stacked in the corner of the fridge because no one wanted to eat me when I was fresh and no one should eat me now because now I’m stale.”

“That’s a ridiculous comparison. Even Soonyoung comparing himself to a tiger is better than you comparing yourself to a broccoli.” He finally says, and you laugh before you realise it. 

“Stop calling yourself old, Noona. Three years of an age difference isn’t a big deal. If the reason you’re holding yourself back is Hyungwon-ssi…”

“It is, I won’t lie. Hyungwon and I started dating when we were in college. We were so good, for so long. Until the pandemic came and took his job. That’s when he started getting into these bad habits. He took to gambling, and to stop him, I enrolled him into an evening college, hoping he’d get more productive and use the time we were stuck at home to get himself more educated and get a better job soon. It turned out he was wasting all my money on gambling, again. Every fees I’d paid to him had actually gone down the drain at a local club. And he even had the audacity to refuse me when I told him I want to break up with him.”

“Well, but he eventually did. That didn’t stop him from coming to my doorstep ever three or four months, asking for cash. Sometimes I’d drive him away, sometimes I’d give in if I was too tired to argue with him and if he was sober and dangerous.”

“Would you have given him money that night… had I not been there?”

You look down at your hands in shame. “I may have. I don’t know.”

“Do you still have feelings for him, Noona? It’s okay if you do have feelings, you know.”

“God, no. I don’t have feelings for him. It’s just that… we were together for seven years. We’ve grown up together. Seeing him in a pitiful state like that makes me sad. And I hope each time, that this will be the last time he’s at my door asking for money.” You look away, too ashamed to look at Seokmin. But he uses a hand to gently grip your chin and turn your head towards him. 

“You’re too kind for your own good, Noona.” You blush at the proximity, and the gentle way he’s touching your face. “This is why I like you. Because you’re so human in a world where everyone is plastic. I don’t like you because you’re a sunbae I want to impress. I don’t like you because boys like me find older women hot. Well, I do find you hot-”

“Seokmin!” You haven’t heard someone call you hot in so long, and it makes your skin burn. 

He giggles, and slowly flattens his palm to cup your cheek. 

“I think the restraining order should do the trick, then. He’ll not harass you any longer.”

“Thank you. You’ve been brave when I’ve been a coward.”

“That’s what makes us a good team, Noona.” 

You finally make eye contact with him, gazing into his doe-like brown eyes which are crinkled at the edges with a hint of a smile and wide with hope. 

“Your eyes are so pretty, Seokmin-ah. Just like the rest of you. Especially your heart.”

“It’s pretty because it belongs to you, Noona.”

You blush harder, and turn your face away from him. “I’ll not like you any more if you’re cheesy like this.”

“But it feels good to make you blush like this. How dare you compare yourself to a broccoli, huh? You have no idea what you do to me- when you enter any room, you light it up with your aura, you make it so much warmer, so much brighter. And then a fucking broccoli?”

“Stop! I didn’t mean it to be so deep. It’s just what I ate for lunch because that’s all I had in my fridge.” He giggles again, and you giggle along with him. You realise you’ve both moved closer to each other on the bench, until your thighs are touching. 

“Then you’ve got to have lunch again. No one should exist by eating just broccoli.” 

“With you?”

“If you’d like that.” He cups your other cheek with another hand, and you can feel your skin on fire. His eyes are gently inching towards your lips so you slowly close your eyes. “If you’re going to kiss me, know that I don’t have much experience in that. I’ll be your hoobae in that regard, sunbae.” You hear a soft giggle, and the kiss doesn’t arrive, so you open your eyes again, just to see him blush all over. “God, you’re so pretty, Noona. I could look at you all day.”

“How about you tell me when you started liking me?”

“Umm, I think that time you came to eat lunch with us for the first time? I think it all started with me just trying to get you to eat meals on time. Good girls don’t skip meals, as I heard someone once say,” you playfully hit his chest lightly, and he laughs. “I don’t know, maybe it was before that. But that afternoon, I realised my crush on you was so serious. I was getting tingly all over every time our shoulders touched.”

“Oh! Well, thank goodness it wasn’t just me.”

“Really? From so long ago? Oh, Noona, if you’d just told me earlier…”

“Shh!” You giggle, “I didn’t even realise anything. I was just desperate to get you to forgive me.”

“But I was never angry at you. I could never be.”

You smile again, and he pulls you closer until your entire body is touching him. “So are you giving me a chance, Noona?” 

“Yes. I like you, Lee Seokmin, and I’m still shocked that you like me, after everything you’ve had to see.”

“Well, I do. I like you so much that I might be seeing stars over your head every time you come into my line of sight.”

You giggle again, your insides turning to mush. “Will you be my girlfriend, Y/N Noona?” His voice is, oh, so soft, like a melody. And his eyes so earnest, like an autumn leaf. “I’d be very honoured to, Seokmin-ah.” “May I kiss you?” You feel yourself getting red with anticipation as you quietly nod your consent. 

And so he kisses you. Like your very own Prince Charming, he kisses you, one hand on the back of your neck, and the other cupping onto your cheek, first gentle and slow, and then a little more passionate, as you pull him closer by holding on to his slender waist. “Fuck, Noona. You taste so sweet,” he says while taking a breath, and then attacks your face all over by placing tiny pecks all over your nose, cheeks and forehead. “I like you so much, I think I might die from it.” You laugh once again at his words, unable to say anything else because he’s effectively shut you up through his incessant kisses. When he finally moves his face away from yours, his 1000 watt signature smile bright on his face, you say to him, “Not before we have lunch together, though.”

a/n: read the stories of the other three boys here! lmk your thoughts <3

tagging: kokoiinuts

[aheathen-conceivably]

From the moment Jo and Antoine arrived back home it was clear that something was different. Antoine had grown quiet, contemplative even, while Jo’s newfound confidence was even more pronounced than it had been these last few weeks. She proceeded to the cabin and then the farmhouse, calling out for Gio and Zelda before walking away without an explanation to either. As she did so, Antoine remained outside, throwing branches into the bonfire and staring at them as they went up into flames.

That was the way Zelda found him - staring forward and unmoving even as she looked to him for acknowledgment. Her eyes roamed upward from him to Gio, who was on the opposite porch looking just as confused as she felt. A sort of sympathy passed between them alongside the knowledge that something had fundamentally shifted while they had sat alone in their houses, unincluded and unaware. Jo reached Antoine first, patting him familiarly on the shoulder as though to awaken them all from a dream.

She had a plan. That much was clear from the start. That, and the fact that the reactions she was eliciting would do nothing to change it. So she told them every detail of Hosa Grove’s offer without stopping to let anyone speak, until she had finished reciting each and every date, number, and location he had given her. But as soon as she did, Gio was the first to answer. “Jo, I-I don’t know about this…”

She interrupted him before he could go any further, “You got us into this mess, Gio. If this is what it takes to get us out of it then it’s what I’m going to do.” He dropped his eyes to the sand and went quiet, which was precisely her intention. “Now it's not the full loan amount, but it should be enough to get them off our backs for a while. I can’t imagine there’s a line of people waiting out the bank. Still, it's only enough with me and Antoine’s money combined, and I’m not putting any in unless I get part ownership in return.”

Gio turned toward her incredulously, his obedience momentarily forgotten. “You can’t be fucking serious. Why the hell would you want any of this farm? You hate it and you know my share is as good as yours…”

Her eyes set and the look on her face told them all that the conversation was over before she even said a word. She met Gio’s gaze straight on and lowered her voice into a cold, measured tone. “You offered Antoine half. It’s no different. He can’t pay the full share, but if we split it, then he and I each get a fourth of the ownership.” She paused briefly, letting the gravity of the choice sit on them all for a moment, “Otherwise we lose the house.”

The very fire seemed to cackle at him, punctuating her words and feeding into his guilt-ridden idea that this was simply retribution, some sort of divine justice that placed him neatly beneath the heels of her red shoes after he had tried to tuck them away at the back of their closet. “Fine,” he finally relinquished, the uneven tone of the word signifying that it was anything but, “The farm will go half into Duplanchier ownership, split evenly between the two of you.”

Jo finally turned her full attention to Antoine, leaving Gio’s defeated face happily in her periphery. “Now, Antoine, what about you? All of this is moot if you don’t agree.”

He knew that the question was rhetorical. Jo had already made an agreement with Hosa, and so he had very little choice in the matter. The deal was nothing without him, and it was the only thing standing between them, bankruptcy, and the fate of the Okies. Even knowing that, he didn’t want to do it. He wanted to stay there on the ranch during the day and wake up next to Zelda every morning. To go outside and see his daughter before she left for school, only to still be there when she returned. He wanted to be home.

But home would cease to exist if he didn’t leave it. His daughter’s dollhouse, his wife’s books, Gio’s fields, Jo’s vanity - their very lives fell on his shoulders and his unwillingness to say yes. Still, he knew he would never make the choice to leave if she didn’t as well, no matter what it cost them. He looked at her profile, which was staring wordlessly into the fire like his had been moments before. 

When Zelda looked back at him she misinterpreted the hesitation in his eyes as worry for her, so she did her best to put on a brave face and looked back at Josephine, “I meant what I promised you all those years ago. Both of you. When the time came for him, I’ll do whatever you need of me.”

With her words, the deal was sealed, and Antoine looked back at his sister with a begrudging nod. He and Jo were going on the road.

[cator99]

The thing about my living situation........ as I've previously established, Pins Girl took it upon herself to move her door-scratching babytalk bestie into the basement without telling the landlord. Months pass– suddenly a lightbulb pops over PGs head and she realizes that this could lead to some issues. She blasts into the landlord's email announcing that she would like to add someone to the lease. This comes across as less of a request and more of a...... well, it's not a request. LL says she will have to interview the tenant first. Everyone spirals. "She cant do that!!!!!"... and why can't she? Some time passes and PG is at the helm of the Demands brigade, crawling up the landlord's ass about things that dont particularly matter and should probably be set aside until the landlord is finished considering her first command. After a few weeks of this, and further pestering about the new girl (who has been an illegal tenant here for quite some time)– the landlord finally just tells us point blank that she isn't interested in any new tenants right now. Incredible. Immediately after this email, pins girl announces her departure. Amazing. Of course I'm interested to see how this will affect the whole "no new tenants" thing. But the real thing is that this is how these people are responding to all of this:

oh right the unemployed acab tattoo ftm is planning on declaring bankruptcy because he took out a 7.5k loan from some sketchy loan company at a 30% interest rate so that he could pay off his multiple debts (just over 2k) and immediately blew the rest on takeout, new tattoos, neutering his rabbit, and of course paying off that damn interest rate. I'm curious what he means by "I'm out". To where exactly? A homeless shelter? Get a damn job buddy rent is $400 you ain't gonna find that anywhere else in this city

Anyways. PGs legacy thus far: walked out on her job because she refused to stop wearing one billion pins after a complaint about her attire was spread on social media (someone thought she was an employee of the store we were doing week-long contract work for, although I'd hesitate to call what she was doing "work" and it was nice to finish the project with her out of the way), got on government neetbux, refused to speak to me for a week because I made a colloquial "bombed" comment, has said few words to me since, destabilized our situation by illegally moving one of her freaks into the basement and then out of nowhere regretting it and trying to backtrack thus making the situation worse....... and then, after everything, she's just gonna bounce. God I love it here.

[razorroy]

Foxconn: A Lesson In The Art Of Deal

$1.52 was the national average before 9/11

During Trump's time as president starting in January of 2017 the average national price was never lower than the national average since 9/11

The art of the deal is in fact the art of bankruptcy!

Trump Taj Mahal (1991)

Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino (1992)

Plaza Hotel (1992)

Trump Castle Hotel and Casino (1992)

Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts (2004)

Trump Entertainment Resorts (2009)

Trump is a lesson in bad business. Need more proof?

Trump Airlines — Trump borrowed $245 million to purchase Eastern Air Shuttle. He branded it Trump Airlines. He added gold bathroom fixtures. Two years later Trump could not cover the interest payment on his loan and defaulted. 

Trump Beverages — Although Trump touted his water as "one of the purest natural spring waters bottled in the world," it was simply bottled by a third party. Other beverages, including Trump Fire and Trump Power, seem not to have made it to market. And Trump's American Pale Ale died with a trademark withdrawal. 

Trump Game — Milton Bradley tried to sell it. As did Hasbro. After investment, the game died and went out of circulation. 

Trump Casinos — Trump filed for bankruptcy three times on his casinos, namely the Trump Taj Mahal, the Trump Marina and the Trump Plaza in New Jersey and the Trump Casino in Indiana. Trump avoided debt obligations of $3 billion the first time. Then $1.8 billion the second time. And then after reorganizing, shuffling money and assets, and waiting four years, Trump again declared bankruptcy after missing ongoing interest payments on multi-million dollar bonds. He was finally forced to step down as chairman. 

Trump Magazine — Trump Style and Trump World were renamed Trump Magazine to reap advertising dollars from his name recognition. However, Trump Magazine also went out of business. 

Trump Mortgage — Trump told CNBC in 2006 that "I think it's a great time to start a mortgage company. … The real-estate market is going to be very strong for a long time to come." Then the real estate market collapsed. Trump had hired E.J. Ridings as CEO of Trump Mortgage and boasted that Ridings had been a "top executive of one of Wall Street's most prestigious investment banks." Turned out Ridings had only six months of experience as a stockbroker. Trump Mortgage closed and never paid a $298,274 judgment it owed a former employee, nor the $3,555 it owed in unpaid taxes.

Trump Steaks — Trump closed Trump Steaks due to a lack of sales while owing Buckhead Beef $715,000. 

Trump's Travel Site — GoTrump.com was in business for one year. Failed. 

Trumpnet — A telephone communication company that abandoned its trademark. 

Trump Tower Tampa — Trump sold his name to the developers and received $2 million. Then the project went belly-up with only $3,500 left in the company. Condo buyers sued Trump for allegedly misleading them. Trump settled and paid as little as $11,115 to buyers who had lost hundreds of thousands of dollars.  

Trump University or the Trump Entrepreneur Initiative — Trump staged wealth-building seminars costing up to $34,995 for mentorships that would offer students access to Trump's secrets of success. Instructors turned out to be motivational speakers sometimes with criminal records. Lawsuits and criminal investigations abound. 

Trump Vodka — Business failed due to a lack of sales. 

Trump Fragrances — Success by Trump, Empire by Trump, and Donald Trump: The Fragrances all failed due to being discontinued, perhaps as a result of few sales. 

Trump Mattress — Serta stopped offering a Trump-branded mattress, again likely due to slacking sales. 

Your move bosshag66!

[mariacallous]

I wonder how much longer it’s going to take leftists to realize they’ve really killed their cause in America for the foreseeable future. Not only can’t leftist causes here survive without Jewish people, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people who’ve said some version of, “I used to call myself Progressive, but seeing how the left responded to 10/7 has repulsed me too much to call myself one anymore. My values remain the same, but I’m just calling myself a liberal now.”

Combine that with the recent news that the Progressive Caucus is telling its members to distance themselves from the protestors, but it feels like it’s too little, too late. And the DSA continues to barrel head-over-ass into bankruptcy after they drove out everyone not willing to deep-throat for terrorists.

Thankfully the Democrats have shifted significantly left in recent years and will still implement the progressive causes that appeal to normie voters (altho considering that leftists absolutely refused to ever take a W and give credit where it was due to the Democrats, I suspect they'll be more bearish about taking risks like student loan forgiveness in the future), but the leftist movement itself is pretty much dead, and leftists are in complete denial about this.

I think it depends on what or how we're defining as "the leftist movement".

[frogchiro]

hii!! i suddenly have a pierro brainrot that i have to share to you!!

it's a royalty au and i kinda imagine the setting to be like historical manhwas.

y/n's father is a noble but he has some debts to the throne. the harbingers are nobles who serves the throne directly. so y/n's father sold y/n as a betrothed for one of the harbingers expecting for her to be matched with either childe/pantalone/dottore. but turns out she's betrothed to pierro who's way older than her

i hope this makes sense 😭 ik it's rather cliche sorry

and if this emoji is not taken already can i be 🌸 anon? thank uu!!

hi love!! AND YES I LOVE THIS THANK YOU THANK YOU <333 also i think that this emoji is already taken :(( maybe you could come up with something different?

fem!reader, tiny bit of mentions of violence, age gap, shitty fathers and noble pierro thirsting after you

imagine that it was actually pierro who was secretly pulling some threads from behind the scenes. he knew that your father wasn't a very capable businessman and made some...questionable investments and deals and now he's indebted to the throne. the many loan papers stacked on his desk and the threat of the regrator finally calling in for the money looming over him, and while your father might not be the brightest he's very much aware that it will mean your family's bankruptcy and ultimately, your downfall.

if you're drowning you'll grab even the blade of a knife; when he was finally called into the palace about the repayment he was panicking, pleading his case,

'just a few more months i promise!' but his desperate words fell on deaf ears as everyone had enough of his worthless wailing.

this is where in the heat of the moment he blurted out that he has a daughter, a young daughter that's just of marrying age and he'd be more than wiling to graciously present his darling only daughter to one of the most esteemed harbingers in exchange for more time.

frankly speaking pierro thought it was pathetic, basically selling his only daughter like some cattle to settle a debt he himself got into.

the white haired man frowned, deep in thought. he knew about you, saw you on one banquet or two while accompanying your father and he had to admit, you were a true beauty. beautiful soft (s/c) skin, glossy well kept (h/c) hair, doe like (e/c) eyes and those beautiful luscious lips that kept him awake more often than he'd like to admit. and yet what truly captivated him was your personality; soft spoken and polite with a quick and witty mind, the round of chess he invited you to play with while won on his part, was the most difficult one he'd had in a long time.

'yes' pierro thought, 'she'll be perfect, my precious future lady wife'.

the man almost smirked at the bewildered look on your father's face when he announced that he was the one to take your hand in marriage, the fool looked like he was about to piss himself. pierro was no fool, he knew very well that he was getting old and your father dearest probably hoped for someone younger like that brat childe or even pantalone.

but no, absolutely not. pierro was a terribly jealous and possessive man, if he wanted something he'd get it no matter the cost. frankly, it wasn't that hard to get your papa to agree to his demands, the vivid vision of breaking him on a cross, cutting fingers off one by one or whatever dottore has in mind definitely helped him make the right decision.

pierro allowed himself to smirk only when he returned to his chambers for the night. soon he'd have you as his perfect little wife here with him to keep him company, warm his bed on cold snezhnayan nights and finally have someone to return to after a tiring day of harbinger duties.

and all it took was one ridiculously high loan.

[personwho1s]

White Leviathan: TYPE 1 Ogre manifestation

Host reached near bankruptcy after investments collapsed. After which, host sought aid from their father, the local mayor, and was set upon by loan sharks. Sin manifested after host broke into history museum and stole antique ship and drove it out to sea.

28 casualties. Time to execution: 10 hours 21 min

Made by my good friend and wondrous DM @braytheman

[nab-solutions]

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[kocherry]

Illicit Affairs

Pantalone x Reader

Summary: When a debt needs to be collected shall you pay by a gamble? Or by mora? Or would rather have paid with blood? The 9th Harbinger and the Gambling Queen plays a game of cards to decide who will pay for the debt. In the midst of their gamble, the former doesn't rely on luck and let his own schemes come into play.

TW: Gambling Addiction, Suicide Implication due to playing Russian Roulette, Mentions of Mutilation there is actually some fluffiness to this onshot xD

< 3.3k words under the cut >

The Regrator smiled ominously as the sound of his footsteps filled an empty hall. He is a tall raven-haired man wearing an all-black extravagant suit that could feed a family for generations. He is always dressed up for an occasion but today is a special day because he would visit his favorite person to hate in an underground gambling den.

Beneath Liyue's striving business harbor there is hidden paradise for those who love to gamble. The atmosphere of a thriving gambling den filled the entire grand hall. The Regrator find it rather deafening to hear agonizing cries and victorious laughs. Only the continuous clinking of mora are music to his ears.

The 9th Harbinger strides forward surprising the people that were gambling. Many had owed him a debt, to which he would someday demand. The Regrator only had one irritation in mind, a particular woman that caused a massive source of bankruptcy to gamblers in Liyue Harbor. Practically speaking, the Northland Bank is being questioned by the Tianqiuan because they were quite aggressive in collecting their debts to the people.

“Lord Harbinger, to what do I owe the pleasure of having you grace our presence?”

There you were in the middle of a table surrounded by men and women from the distinguished Wang family of Liyue Harbor. They all looked like their souls had been sucked out of their body by how pale they all locked. On your hand is a gun manufactured in Snezhnaya that was bought in an illegal market. You were placing it back at the center table since your turn had just ended.

Pantalone didn’t miss the blissful look of satisfaction from the thrill of this dangerous game on your face. His eyes were close and his lips were smiling, and you could tell the smile is out of frustration. “There is no need for such formalities Miss (Y/N), I want to talk, now would you kindly end this horrific game of shooting yourselves in the head?” He asks politely sitting down across you from the table with his hands intertwined.

“Ah would you like to join us Lord Harbinger?” You ask reaching out for the pistol but Pantalone beat you to it.

He examines the pistol and when he opens the revolver, there is only a single empty bullet, no wonder the Wang family already looked so pale because one of them would die soon. “I know these pistols like the back of my hand Miss (Y/N), you would lose against me so I might not be an interesting opponent.” He dismantles the weapon with one click dropping its parts on the floor.

“There’s lots of games to play and I wouldn’t mind if I would gain another fortune from you.” You didn’t mind if he interfered with the game, after all once the Regrator actually sits in a gambling table, it would mean something interesting is going to happen.

“Very well, give us some space.” He lets the frightened people you were gambling with make themselves scarce, to think that the arrogant family who loaned from the bank could fall into grace because of one woman. “It is rather unbecoming of the Wang family to be in deep trouble that is why I shall take matters into my own hands.” Had it not been for their massive debt being investigated by the Tianqiuan and the Millelith, he wouldn’t show his face here.

Since you were the source of their debt, he would like to see you squirm across him when he would utterly give you a taste of your own medicine.

“Oh? You’re helping them? That’s rather generous of you Lord Harbinger.” You ask looking at him weirdly, he seems to be in a foul mood so it was kind of weird he would offer help.

“Generous? You’re mistaken, I’m merely letting them sort themselves out.” Well nevermind he is definitely pissed off but not at them rather at you. “Seeing the doors of death may satisfy your gambling addiction but it would be terrible if our clients died because of it.” He places his elbows on the table and leans his chin to his hands that were still intertwined.

Somehow you seem to get the gist of how much trouble you were causing him and the Fatui, you grin at this. . “They still have a pending debt to me by 312 million mora, and since they already loaned 500 million mora from the Northland Bank they can’t pay us both.” You were beginning to follow up and since th  Regrator wants you to back off, he would have to work hard for it. “So how about this, if you win against me, they surely would have a will of hope to pay you back because I’ll let go of the debt that they owe from me.” You offered, after all having a Harbinger as your opponent would be a challenge.

But besides that, you want to wipe of the shitty smile on his lips.

“Now you’re rather a generous one.” He replies with an amused hum.

“Mora isn’t a problem to me after all, it’s a rare opportunity to play against you.” You shrug brushing off the fact you could lose a fraction of your savings.

Despite having different philosophies in the pleasures of life, the 9th Harbinger didn’t build his fortune through gamble. No, he would never do that, he is an articulate and precise individual who always get what he wanted because of a meticulous plan. Unless… he wants something from you.

“I’m not a man who would let luck guide my fate, I would rather have a plan and invest rather than gain fortune through gambling. I didn’t become a successful man just so I could play like a greedy pig, however your proposal is rather amusing.” Pantalone places both of his hands off the table while pushing his glasses upwards, then he slightly opens his eyes staring at you with a venomous glare. “Do you have that much confidence in yourself Miss (Y/N)?” His tone changed from the suave yet sickly sweet into animosity.

The Wang family were absolutely frozen from their places not knowing whether to be happy or not that the Regrator is choosing to deal with the Gambling Queen.

You absolutely were shaking on your seat, not from being intimated but from excitement, an angry Pantalone is unpredictable after all. “You’re a human who built an entire fortune ever since you were a poor little babe but Lord Harbinger, I’m not like you. You may think gambling will cost you everything but even so, I still gamble. You know why?” You taunt him while pointing a finger towards his direction. “Because I enjoy the thrill of losing everything.” The sound of delight you let out made everyone in the den absolutely concluded that you were insane.

“Only a lunatic would ever think that way. Very well since I do not enjoy backing down from a fight… I propose we bet on 800 million mora and I’ll play a game against you.” The Regrator closes his eyes again and smiles as he proposes a higher stake and from the look of pleasure in your face, he is glad you would take the bait.

“I accept, let’s gamble Lord Harbinger~!”

A random gambler is poorly picked by the Fatui since they have no involvement in both parties to make the game fair. The cards and chips were already being placed on the surface by the poor boy who kept shaking in his position. He then divided the 800 million mora into two so that he could divide the chips into 1 million mora each. Then each of you would have a total of 400 million mora worth of 400 chips each.

Both Pantalone and you would bet fractions of the declared mora divided and it is represented by a chip along with it are face-down cards. After looking at the card in secret, both of you would then receive a second card but without looking what it is as you both displayed it on your foreheads. The pair of numbers in each set will be followed by a pair of suits and one that has no match is called a pig. Gaining a pair of cards is a win and if it’s mismatched then it’s a lost.

To win the entire game, one must earn the entire half from the opponent and by the looks of the current game, the tie is about to break between the Regrator and the Gambling Queen.

“Call, twenty-two chips.” You push the chips towards the center, sweating a bit because you bet a lot of mora for this round.

“Call, thirty chips.” Pantalone is even bolder than you as he had higher stakes.

At the start the chips being betted barely reached ten but when you had bet higher than that and lost, it seems to have changed Pantalone’s hesitation to risk larger amount. Since the two of you were always tying with the amount of chips being lost and then gained, you decided to bet more chips.

“P-Proclamations have been declared please raise your cards!” The watcher squeaks.

“5 hearts, 10 hearts, a mark.” Pantalone declares confidently as he shows his cards.

“3 clubs, 7 diamonds, a pig.” You were supposed to feel frustrated but instead you were smiling at your lost as Pantalone’s subordinate collected the chips.

“610 million mora, do you plan on catching up again Miss (Y/N)?” Pantalone raised an eyebrow still smiling despite playing for almost an hour.

“Oh I do, call, one hundred and fifty chips.” You push half of them to the center causing a massive disruption from the audience who were watching.

“That’s more than half of your entire pile Miss (Y/N), are you really willing to take such a risk?” He asks, rather surprised about the stakes you were willing to cross.

“The game is getting boring for a while Lord Harbinger, it’s always a tie, so might as well change that eh?” You were trying to push his buttons to garner genuine reactions and your efforts to make him at least risk more chips are all for naught.

“Well, it would be a shame to back out from such a bold declaration.” He hums in delight through his fake smile, you lean closer as his hands went over his huge pile of chips. “Unlike you I don’t plan on losing, call, eleven chips.” He says teasingly as he throws over a really small amount causing you to groan in pain.

“P-P-Proclamations have been declared please raise your c-cards!” Somehow the watcher is even more intimidated by how heated the two of you were looking at each other.

“A shame, I have a pig, it’s six hearts and ten spades.” Pantalone calmly said.

The Wang family could feel their souls coming back because of how less of a risk taker their representative against the Gambling Queen. Everyone knows that Pantalone is provoking her to bet higher, at least that’s what they see anyway.

“Mark with two and four diamonds.” You slammed your hand onto the desk angered by the Regrator’s lack of enthusiasm and mockery. “Ugh seriously? Are you this boorish? Or are you that arrogant? Or perhaps, a coward the Lord Harbinger? I’m sure 800 million mora is nothing but a pocket money to y-”

The sound of chips clicking against each other and the pile on the center grew much bigger than the last bet. “Five-hundred and ten chips, call.” The look of surprise and utter confusion is something Pantalone would really relish this moment, your expression shifted into fear then into more confusion. “How adorable did I make the Queen of Gambling speechless? Did you honestly think I’m doing this half-heartedly? My dearest (Y/N), when mora is at stake, I don't need to take risks because I don't really believe in luck.” He is practically skipping in his words as he stands up drawing closer to you, his hands over your shoulders gently caressing them.

Suddenly everything seems to be a puzzle the moment Pantalone stepped into the gambling den, asking an audience with you, played a card game, letting most of the audience watch eagerly… letting all of the gamblers watch eagerly. You just noticed that no one is playing anymore as they were intrigued by a Harbinger and the Gambling Queen going against each other.

They started to bet on who would win and no one had even left the den.

‘No one left ever since we started playing… and then he bet on most of his chips… what is he up to?’

When you look at Pantalone his eyes were open as he leans close to your ear, lips touching your lobe, “Forgive me for this (Y/N) I promise to make it up to you later.” He looks apologetic as he steps away from the table and the Fatui soldiers brought out their weapons.

Your eyes suddenly widen as you finally had solved the puzzle! The damned Harbinger used you as a set up!

He lets go of your shoulder and said, “Go on, make your call.”

“No one is making anymore calls, arrest everyone who isn’t the Fatui.”

The Tianqiuan busted the door open, geo jade boulders floated in the air and beside her is the Yuheng who had drawn her sword imbued with electro. Then everything broke lose as the gamblers and the Wang family were being arrested by the newly arrived Millelith. No one resisted of course not when the Liyue Qixing and the Fatui had collaborated for the gambling den arrest.

“You snake! How dare you set us up like this?!” You draw a knife and pointed it at Pantalone’s neck but your blade is parred by Keqing who suddenly teleported in front of you blocking any attack that you would do to the Harbinger.

“I’m just cleaning up my business, after all the Wang family aren’t the only ones who owes the Northland Bank.”  Pantalone pushes his glasses upward, still smiling.

Ningguang approaches him as you were cuffed and taken away by Keqing, “As much as we hate to admit it, you did well Harbinger of Snezhnaya, we caught the source of the debt problem.” The Tianqiuan wasn’t quite genuine with her appreciation since there is something off about this whole operation. She then looked at you with utter dismay, “I’m disappointed in you Miss (Y/N), I’ll miss our tea sessions.”

Ignoring her is easy since you were still cussing at the one who played you, “You will pay for this Pantalone! I swear to the gods you despise so much I will kill you!” You growled angrily but the Regrator just wave a goodbye at you with such mockery you really want to break from your restraints and strangle him.

“That is enough Miss (Y/N), I don’t want to resort in using my vision against you so please come quietly and we will make sure to accommodate you properly. After all the main culprits in this are the Wang family so I suggest don’t make your punishment worse than it is.” Keqing suggested.

You nodded at her as you went along, “Fuck you Pantalone!” A middle finger is raised upwards as a last warning to him.

While you were being taken away, Pantalone is sure that your anger would soon go away once you understand his plan later when you escape your arrest.

Although later in the middle of the night, in his property just outside Liyue Harbor, he was currently sitting while writing paperworks on his desk… and he definitely had expected a knife thrown into the wall behind him almost hitting his cheek.

“PANTALONE!!!”

Usually, the sound of your voice is music to his ears but now he might go deaf. “Ah, have you come to kill me-Wait are you really mad at me, Darling?” He asks as he opens his eyes just noticing another knife flying right above his head hitting the wall behind him.

“Mad is an understatement! How do you think I felt when my own husband snitched on me to the Tianqiuan and the Yuheng?!” You stomped your feet, composure all drained because of how frustrated you are right now.

Pantalone stands up and walks towards you, his arms were around your shoulders as he leans his chin on your head. “Forgive me but I had no choice of the matter, they were already investigating gambling den. Those gamblers from Liyue Harbor were desperate enough to loan from the Northland Bank to pay their debt to the Gambling Queen.” He sighs when he could smell the scent of your hair still fresh which means you didn’t really fight your way out of your arrest.

“My subordinates have been relentless in collecting the mora they owed. Eventually the Tianqiuan caught up on why the Fatui is after them.” He pulls away from the hug because you were pointing a knife in his crotch area. “Wait Darling, you don’t want to do that.”

Now he’s getting nervous because you had an evil smile, “Does Lady Ningguang and Lady Keqing know of the Fatui's involvement in the den?” Your question strayed far from your objective in wanting to stab his dick.

Your husband backs away, even though he’s sure you wouldn’t hurt him, it’s still uncomfortable to have a knife threating to castrate him. “That is precisely why I set everyone up dearest. If I told you about the plan, you wouldn't garner such genuine frustration against us. So that the Wang family would take the blame and you... you're just the Gambling Queen in the Tianquen's eyes.” He raises his hands up in surrender because that was the best explanation he could come up with.

If it means saving the Fatui’s face in Liyue Harbor then you would understand… because after all you were working for Her Majesty as well.

“You have a point, if I knew it ahead then they would connect the dots that the Fatui is the real owner of that place.” You withdraw your knife and slump your shoulders in defeat because in all honesty, you just wanted a little warning ahead of time rather than on the spot.

Then you remembered that escaping your arrest means that you were officially banned from ever entering Liyue. Plus, it was quite an effort to escape the Yuheng’s eyes and you almost got caught if not for Pantalone’s help. “But fighting against Vision holders is difficult even for me. I barely escaped had even if you sent those treasure hoarders to disrupt the transport.” You pout while poking his chest relentlessly.

Pantalone deeply chuckles as he kisses your cheek, “I truly apologize for this incursion my dearest wife.” He then grabs your hand examining it as if to check if you were injured during your escape and much to his relief your clothes are the only ones that are a bit dirty.

“A verbal apology isn't enough.” You retracted your hand and folded your arms.

“Oh?” There is a dangerous glint in his opened eyes as he leans towards you. “Would you like to bet on that I can let you forgive me through non-verbal means?”

“I'd like to see you try.” You weren’t going to be mad at him anymore after tonight.

Pantalone removes his coat revealing his black sleeveless turtleneck, his sculpted chest and stomach is seen through the thin clothing. His arms trapped you between him and his desk, “Then you’re all mine tonight.” He leans down to capture your lips in a much-anticipated passionate kiss.

The two of you were having an illicit affair, in the eyes of the public you were both enemies to each other. You were the cause of most debts for the Northland bank and Pantalone lets you gamble happily if it means raising his fortune. The scheme you two made is only known to the both of you, having been married for a year now does help the tandem of your work relationship grow strong.

Despite being disciplined and meticulous, the Regrator found himself loving and eventually marrying a risk-taker and extemporaneous Gambling Queen.

A/N: This oneshot happened because of my convo with @pearlywritings about a secretly married trope and she suggested it would fit the Regrator the best thus... I made this fanfic ♡ If you guys want to understand the card gambling den and the card game please read here! Aaaand you guys would like to read my other works my masterlist is right here~!

[delicatefury]

I’m pissed. I am so pissed right now. (Super long, very personal rant below)

I’m an attorney. A lawyer. My job is to advise my clients to the best of my ability of what legal options they have and which acts may be in their best interest. That’s why one of the other names for my job is counselor.

It is not to get more clients. It is not to file more bankruptcies. My job, my ethical obligation, is to provide my professional expertise to clients in relation to pursuing a bankruptcy.

Which means sometimes my ethical duty is to advise clients that filing a bankruptcy is the worse option for their situation and other steps would serve them better to reach their goals.

So when a client who makes less than the median income (which is fairly low, especially with inflation) comes in owning their house in full (meaning lots of value in the house to pay off debts), it is my job, my ethical obligation, to warn her that filing bankruptcy will mean she has to pay every single cent of her debts back. That she will be handing over almost half of her pay every month to the bankruptcy court to pay back her creditors. Or else the bankruptcy trustee has the right to sell her house.

And after discussing her situation with the senior attorney, turns out that it’s actually a better option for her to take out a small home equity loan and negotiate for lower debt payoffs for her credit cards and personal loans. It’s a lower interest rate, she gets a lot more leeway before her house is at risk, it’s quicker, and it will preserve her credit score. In every conceivable way it’s a better option for her.

So I call her to discuss that there are other options for her before I sink hours into preparing her case.

This woman freaks the fuck out. She’s convinced the loan will lead to her losing her house. She demands to know why I would even suggest it. She implies I have no clue what I’m doing and am just trying to take advantage (which is… no? I’m telling you that you’d be better off not using our services). I try to calm her down and ask for a few days to put together the numbers to show her what her options will look like. She agrees to a phone call in two days.

Two days later, she sends me a basic email saying she no longer wants to go forward with the bankruptcy. Silly me thinks that means she’s given thought and realized that a 3.5-5% small loan and negotiating payoffs is better than 5 years at 8-18% interest plus attorney fees.

Wrong! She also emails one of the partners and writes a nasty message about me and how “incompetent” I am! Because I suggested a home equity loan! Because I did my ethical duty! And I found this out because I went to add a note to her file about giving her a refund and found a note from the partner about her complaints about me.

And I do not trust the partners to take my side. I did the right thing. I took the right actions. I know I did. And the Senior attorney will back me up! We literally just had a discussion that legal ethics requires that at times we have to advise clients not to file bankruptcy, even if that means we lose their business.

But I cannot believe that the partners will stand behind my actions. I can’t. Not after the last year. Too many times have they assured me that they have my back only to throw me under the bus the moment they actually have to prove it.

A client is rude and combative to me and my paralegal? Makes me deeply uncomfortable and keeps on insisting on coming into the office so he can attempt to railroad me by physical intimidation into doing what he wants instead of the actual correct legal actions? Partners says he understands and that he’s okay if we turn this client away. Then he calls the client, tells them I’m also on the line, and immediately rolls over because the asshole isn’t rude to him. And I have another month of near constant harassment and arguments and passive aggressive insults.

A client gives off creepy vibes? Again insists on coming into the office for every little thing? Has a criminal record for domestic issues and an active criminal case open against him for pedophilia? Oh well. He paid a lot up front so guess I have no choice but to keep representing him. For the next 5 years.

Client starts being threatening and aggressive to our paralegal before we even meet with him? Demands to be seen and threatens to come into our office even though we are booked all afternoon? Gives the former criminal prosecutor senior attorney bad vibes before she’s even seen him? Meet with him anyway! Oh he just lost his job because he threatened his HR? Has been arrested for domestic violence? Just attempted to physically intimidate his now former boss and had the cops called him? That’s fine! We have security concerns? Oh well, they’ll think about it during the partners meeting next month.

I’d like to take the time to learn how to do post filing work or how to file bankruptcies in the neighboring district that I actually live in? Tough. More front end work for a court that’s literally on the other side of the state! And if that doesn’t keep me occupied, they’ll send me front end stuff from the other side of the country!

So I really don’t trust that when I tell them I was doing my ethical obligation and making my client aware that there are better options that they will take my word over hers. I can’t. They’ve shown me that’s not how they think. It’s being a business first, with being a law practice a distant second, and mentoring new attorneys a far away third. Caring for our staff is barely a blip on the horizon for them.

But I know I did the right thing. And if that client wants to go to another firm and pay most of her paycheck to the trustee every month, fine by me. And if they try to lecture me about how I “handled it poorly” and should have just filed it without saying anything, I can’t guarantee I won’t just walk out.

I’ve got contract work. I’ve been approached by headhunters. One literally emailed me this morning. I like this work, but for once I’m not scared to walk away.

[1americanconservative]

@wendyp4545

I want to make sure that you understand what is about to happen so you can prepare. Biden canceled all of the Alaska drilling on Federal land. At the same time he stopped allowing liquid natural gas from being transported by train. That leaves the only mode of transportation by trucking. About 2 months ago the largest trucking company went out of business: Yellow, one of the nation's largest freight and trucking companies, announced it is shutting down, leading to one of the largest mass layoffs in recent history and potential shipping cost increases. The company is in bankruptcy just three years after getting a $700 million loan from taxpayers. So that is going to create a massive supply chain issue of liquid natural gas which means your utility bills as well as the price of gas is going to skyrocket. Biden used 300 million gallons of gas from our reserves to keep the gas prices artificially low. They can't do that anymore. They have set us up in every way to purposely make gas prices and utility prices skyrocket so fill all of your gas cans, buy propane ect NOW while you can still afford it.