#anyway. don't have time for this. have to finish a lecture for tomorrow. -_-

[liesonthefloordramatically]

sorry, I will keep kvetching about work to a minimum, but the extent to which everyone in my department is like, "we love and support you as a junior scholar <3" without doing anything to materially support me and ADDITIONALLY I have to chase them around to make sure that things are actually being done is. unhinged.

[captain-huggy-bear]

ahhh!!! congratulations on 1k!!

please know i am begging for "Here, you like [thing] right?" "How did you know???" "You talk about it all the time." and kess

-🍓 (if this emoji is not taken)

No anons have claimed an emoji so feel free to be 🍓 anon :) I made myself hungry with this one...now I really want apple pie...it also got away with me, this one gave me thoughts so enjoy! <3 1000 Followers Celly Currently ongoing 🥳🎉 Big requests/full fic/big idea requests are closed at the moment but drabble and prompt requests are still open. Writing Masterlist

Michael Kesselring is a friend...kind of...an acquaintance? The sort of guy who you spend time with when your friends drag you to a party at his place, the kind of guy you enjoy the company of but never really see except when everyone around the two of you is getting completely smashed. You're not strangers, but friends would spend time with each other outside of that scenario, right? So, you're not really friends either...you're in a weird sort of limbo. Not quite one, not quite the other.

You're at another one of those parties. Not Michael's but one of his roommates who's decided to throw it anyway despite it being a weekday. You've found yourself in the kitchen like you always seem to do, making yourself a soft drink because you're the designated sober friend of the night and have a lecture at 9am tomorrow...you cannot listen to a lecture on the Industrial Revolution while hungover. It's just not happening.

You're focused on finding a clean cup when Michael pops a plate down next to you. A little round plate with a perfect slice of apple pie and a dollop of vanilla ice-cream, the sort of dessert you adore, that reminds you of home. It makes you forget about finding a cup for a moment, looking up at Michael as he towers over you with a soft sort of smile.

"Here, you like apple pie, right?" He's dressed down, flannel over his shoulders, hair a little wet presumably from an after practice shower. He looks good, he smells even better, arms brushing yours as he stands a little closer than would normally be acceptable.

"How did you know?" You take the plate, the offered spoon, not being able to resist from digging straight in, practically moaning at the taste of caramelised apple and cinnamon, buttery pastry and vanilla ice-cream.

"You talk about it all the time." The smile he gives you is a little awkward, like he's embarrassed to admit that he pays attention to you at all. The admission makes you feel warm and fuzzy, smiling down at your plate.

"You remember that?"

"I remember everything you tell me..." There's a silence in which the two of you watch each other, unsure how to proceed, unsure where the line is with the two of you but feeling like it's nearly been crossed.

It has you taking another bite of your apple pie because what do you say when someone tells you they remember everything you say to them? What do you say when that person is an objectively hot hockey player who was nice enough to give you a slice of apple pie that you know no one else has been offered.

You try to break the silence once your pie is finished, plate being placed by the sink as you turn back to him. Michael's cheeks are flushed but he's got a can of coke in his hand rather than a beer.

"You're not drinking?"

"Game tomorrow...you?" He nods to the can you grab off the side, giving up on trying to find a clean cup in the madness of the kitchen which is littered in cans, bottles and other junk.

"Don't feel like it..."

"You wanna..." He gulps, adam's apple bobbing nervously, it seems strange that you can make him nervous at all, "you wanna chat outside?"

"Okay..." There's a nervousness in the air, an anticipation. It feels different as you follow Michael outside into the yard, as he invites you to sit next to him on a swing they put together hanging under a tree. There's enough of a glow from the lights of the house, from the moon, that it's not pitch black. The lighting is low enough to set a certain a mood, a feeling of intimacy that has you clutching your drink a little tighter.

"Um...so, you know how I said I...I always remember what you tell me?"

You hum back in the affirmative, eyes catching on his as he turns to you, his leg is bouncing up and down like he's anxious and full of too much energy, long fingers tapping on the side of his coke can.

"I guess...shit, I don't know how to do this..." You watch as Michael stands, pacing back and forth in front of you, free hand running through those dark curls like doing so will make the words easier to find.

"Michael?"

He heaves out a big sigh before turning on his heels to face you, hands out gesticulating like that might make you more agreeable to what he's about to say. He's all long limbs and soft eyes, the epitome of boyfriend material (not that you'd admit that to him).

"I really like you and I don't want to only talk to you at parties or see you once in a blue moon because your friends dragged you out. I didn't even want to be here tonight...but I came down from my room because...because I knew you'd be here." His cheeks a beet red, tips of his ears too and you feel it too, that flush to your skin, the warmth filling you because...because you'd never actually imagined that Michael might like you back. You'd always assumed that if he did he'd have said something by now, he was so confident, so loud. It seemed impossible for him to be scared of hitting on you.

"I didn't want to come tonight either..." You admit it as you stand from the swing, taking a few steps forward to close the distance between the two of you, leaving your can on the seat.

"So why did you?" Michael's toe to toe with you now, free hand clenching and unclenching like he wants to reach for you but stops himself. You wish he wouldn't hold himself back like that.

"Because the only time I see you is at parties and I...I wanted to see you." You admit, shifting your feet as you look up at him from underneath your lashes. The nervousness has started to fade from his face, replaced by a soft little smile that has a quiet sort of confidence. Like your words have filled him with it, it makes you bite your lip nervously because he's so centred on you, so utterly focused.

"Can I please have your number, sweetheart? You're going to kill me..."

"You could have asked months ago, y'know?" You hold your hand out for his phone, he gives it over unlocked without a moments hesitation. You're quick as you type your number into his contacts and send yourself a text.

"I...I didn't know if you...liked me like that, didn't want to make it weird." His fingers brush yours as he takes his phone back and slides it into his back pocket, that hand comes back to reach for yours. A subtle brush of his fingers that gives you the confidence to slip your hand in his. His hand is so much larger than yours to the point your hand looks tiny.

"Well, I definitely like you like that."

The smile you give him makes him want to kiss you, badly, and after a night of finding out he could have had this sooner if he just asked, it gives Michael a new sort of confidence. You wouldn't be out here, holding his hand if you weren't interested. So he takes a leap, a running jump.

"Can I kiss you?" He's dropped his can to the floor, it's empty and he'll clean it up later, but right now he's more concerned with that hand tucking your hair behind your ear and coming to rest at the base of your neck. His thumb rubbing gently under your jaw.

"Yeah..."

He pulls you towards him gently by the hand at the base of your neck and the hand still in his own, tugging until you're close enough for him to lean down and for you to reach up. It's not the easiest thing in the world. Michael is 6f 5" that always poses a bit of a challenge, but he doesn't mind the crick in his neck this time. He'd take a crick in his neck any day if he got to do this always.

His mouth slants over yours, lips soft, gentle, there's a hesitancy there, probing like he's testing the waters. But, the moment you press back, free hand reaching for the back of his neck, he starts to kiss you with confidence. It leaves you a little breathless, it's not a long kiss, it's not overly fiery, no tongue or teeth, but it takes your breath away because it's Michael. It takes your breath away because he kisses you like you're the most precious thing he's ever touch and it makes you confident in your decision.

You're not going to let Michael Kesselring be the one that got away.

[authorautism]

3 Steps Behind

Summary: Omega!Shikamaru x GN!Alpha!Reader an omegaverse fic where Shikamaru and his obsession have the right people but the wrong timing. Passing by one another only to meet again.

@animeomegas [she created the concept of Nara's and their obsessions and I love her writing]

Word count: 3.9K

Warnings: NSFW, Omegaverse, Canon typical violence, Pining, The School Sex Talk

"Alright settle down class, that means you Naruto. Today we have a new student, a young prodigy who was moved up due to their skills." Iruka sensei introduces me to the class. I was only two years younger then the class and my height showed that. The eyes on me allowed me to fit into the mind space of a prodigy with ease, these were not my peers but more people I would prove myself better then. "They may be younger than you but don't let that discourage you from seeing them at the same level as you." Iruka sensi finishes as he points out a seat in the front for me to sit.

Shikamaru who wasn't paying attention before only now takes notice of their new classmate. 'A prodigy? They aren't from any clan I recognize…' He thinks to himself before becoming bored of pondering the newcomer, though he will admit to himself that something was interesting about them…

At lunch two girls, an alpha and an omega are quick to jump me, flinging many questions at me. "What techniques are you good at?" The blonde omega asks while the pink haired alpha asks "What's your alignment?" at the same time.

"I'm good at lots of stuff but I want to specialize in stealth techniques, and I don't know my alignment because I haven't grown into it yet…" I explained, caught off guard by the pink haired alphas question.

“Oh wow really? And they still let you join our class?" The blonde omega says more to herself than me, before being interrupted by the pink haired alpha.

"Anyways, I'm Sakura and that's Ino." Sakura introduces them both, as is expected of an alpha.

"Yeah, we'll be your cool big kid friends." Ino says with flair, making me smile. These two would be fun to hang out with.

"Alright."

Soon the two girls showed me their favourite pasttime: stalking this guy named Sasuke.

"We know you may not understand, pup, but Sasuke is the hottest, cutest alpha/omega." They say at the same time, "How many times do we have to go over this billboard brow?!" Ino yells. It seems she was on team Alpha while Sakura was on team Omega. "What do you mean, Ino-pig?! He literally smells like an omega!" Then they both turn toward you. "What do you think?!" They yell in sync.

"I can't tell; it must be because I'm still basically a pup and don't even have my own scent." I lie; I had a guess, but it was not worth the two fighting.

"Guess we'll never know." Ino laments as all her energy seems to leave her as she slumps down. I'm rather surprised their yelling didn't attract any attention.

"We'll find out, and I know how." Sakura says, with a sly grin and a look in her eyes spelling trouble. She goes over her plans for tomorrow, and we return to finish the rest of class.

Going home from eventful days is always interesting. Iruka Sensi made me stay later to talk about my progress thus far; apparently, it was possible for me to graduate before my new class already. Though that must be more because of the war than anything. I passed by a blonde omega boy on the swing; he seems lonely. Oh well, I have my own things to deal with.

Unbeknownst to me, when I walk into class the next day, it seems Sakura and Ino have talked about me. Their eyes still linger on me as I walk in. I make eye contact with a neutral face well for the most part till I lock eyes with a boy whom Ino seemed to be lecturing. He's Nara, right? I mean, they are a pretty well known clan, unlike me. A natural-born and made prodigy. and not one of luck like me. In his eyes, the weakest embers of challenge and of being upstaged burn, but for the most part he seems disinterested. I was going to take my seat from last class when Sakura calls me over to sit with her and what I assume to be Ino, then class begins.School is easy; it always has been. Sakura agrees with me to a degree, while Ino frowns at us. Iruka Sensi is a good teacher despite the lonely blonde omega boy's outbursts.

"After lunch, we'll be sparring." Iruka Sensi announces dismissing us. This sadly fits perfectly into Sakura's plan from yesterday. I really did not want to be part of it.

"This works perfect! Don't you think, Pup?" Sakura asks excitedly, and I sigh as Ino squeals in delight. "So you're gonna fight Sasuke, and hopefully you're good enough to get him sweating, at which point we'll get his scent and know for sure." Sakura says as I nod along, "It's no use telling them that the old myth of scents is false.

Now face to face with the popular boy known as Sasuke, I quickly pick up two things, or rather confirm them: he's an Uchiha, and he is pissed at the idea that I may be better than him. Better not mess around with this. The fight begins. We're only allowed to use taijustu in the interest of being safe and sharpening that skill. Blows are exchanged quickly. Sasuke is no doubt stronger than me, and maybe even faster too. But he leaves holes in his defense and has poor weight distribution as he kicks. So after long enough for some sweat to show on both of us, I finally took him down by grabbing his kick and flipping him to the ground.

Everyone seems rather stunned for a second, all except for him the Nara, who's barely paying attention; actually, he's asleep? Iruka Sensi is the first to break away from his shock, declaring me the winner as Sasuke stands up angrily, staring at me with a frown. "Beginners luck." He says this while walking away, where some other girls are asking him if he's alright. While Ino and Sakura are all but snorting the air, trying to get his scent. Gross.

"Happy?" I ask the two, who both grin, having figured it out. "He definitely smells like an alpha/omega!" They yell once again conflicted while I facepalmed.

Class falls into the same category. Ino and Sakura continue to refer to me as Pup and drag me into their ridiculous plots against Sasuke. While Iruka sensi throws everything he can at me in terms of education. Well all except the Nara boy, when I asked Sensi why I hadn't spared him he simply stated he couldn't force Shikamaru to do it. Shikamaru was his name then? When he did have to participate, I found myself watching him from a distance for some reason; something about him made me nervous and shy. And, to my luck my two friends were quick to notice, and who were they to let the pup they took in suffer in a one-sided crush?

What I had assumed to be a normal lunch was quickly proven wrong as I watched Sakura and Ino all but push me towards Shikamaru; he seemed just as confused as me by the look on his face. His scent is nice; it smells like the plants that have suffered a terrible drought only to now be granted a cooling rain after months of blistering heat and suffering. Though under that is the smell of a carefully brewed white tea delicate yet potent. I feel my face heat. I was never one to pay much attention to the others scents, but with Shikamaru, it was different.

"What are you doing, Ino?" He asks, rubbing the back of his neck idly.

"Oh, I just wanted to make sure you met the Pup; you know, show them you're not some cool, quiet kid." Ino taunts, making Sakura laugh while I fumble for my own words.

"Hello." What the hell was that? I berate myself mentally.

"Yeah, hi. I'm gonna go now." And with that, Shikamaru takes his leave.

Both girls turn towards me while I use my hands to cover my face. "It seems Pup really does have a crush." Ino teases while Sakura tells me to cheer up: "After all, you can try again with him."

A week of me avoiding Shikamaru doesn't go unnoticed by the two girls I call my friends, even though me avoiding Shikamaru didn't change my routine too much. The teasing begins as soon as I enter the class.

"So, Pup, we couldn't help but notice you avoiding your boyfriend." Ino teases, lengthening the words as my cheeks heat.

"What are you on about?"

"Yeah, Pup, did you and Shikamaru have a falling out?" Sakura joins in the teasing.

"I don't even know him." I was exasperated as I ignored their prompting and sat down at our desks.

"Come on, Pup, no need to be shy after all; you know our crush." Ino says she puffs out her cheeks as she sits too.

"Yeah, so just admit it." Sakura adds, sitting in the seat beside me with Ino at my other side.

"There's nothing for me to admit."

"Wait, are you being like this because he's your first ever crush, Pup?!" Ino asks loudly as I shush her quickly.

"That's totally it, oh my god." Sakura says, and I can tell she starts thinking of a plan, or rather, a scheme, that involves me and Shikamaru.

Thankfully, class begins with a rather uncomfortable lesson. All my classmates have presented so it only made sense to have this lesson but I did not make it any less awkward.

"Alright today we're covering dynamics and mating, so be mature." Iruka sensi says as a few people laugh but he's quick to glare them down into silence. Then the awkward omega and alpha's talk began. Iruka sensi quelled any mocking laughter and answered questions before a knock at the door was heard.

"Perfect you're right on time Shikaku, I really appreciate you coming to talk about your clan." Iruka sensi says scratching his cheek, the higher ranked male made him nervous.

"It's no issue, best they know in class, any of them become my son's obsession." With those words, nearly the entire class, including myself, had their gaze fixed on Shikamaru. His face was flushed, but he pretended not to hear.

"Allow me to explain; some of you may be familiar with some clans having quirks, to say the least. Such as Inuzuka, being a very fruitful clan due to their connection with Nin-ken. The Nara's have something in that same vein called obsessions; when a Nara meets their obsession, it's life-changing and all-encompassing. This tells them who their perfect and only mate is. That's all you kids need to worry about." Shikaku finishes his explanation with a nod and leaves. The classroom is quiet before the blonde boys outburst breaks this atmosphere.

"Hey, Shikamaru, why didn't you tell anyone about that?" As our Sensi sighs, he yells, standing up, and soon the rest of the class joins in loud agreement. This new information has solidified my belief that my silly "crush" was doomed from the start. From now on, it was all about class and becoming an amazing ninja.

Throughout the next month and a half leading up to my early graduation, Ino and Sakura tried to get me to approach Shikamaru, but I avoided all their attempts with varying amounts of effort. I stood in front of the pair after class, ready to break the news that I was moving up and onward. That I would even participate in the Chunin exams soon too. I knew it was temporary, but yet I find myself hesitating just for a moment. Whether it was because of my two friends or my first crush, I did not think more about the topic.

"I graduated early, so this is our goodbye." After I said those words, the pair tackled me into a hug, knocking the breath from my lungs in one quick move.

"Oh, Pup, we're going to miss you." Ino says, putting her face on my shoulder as she wraps around me.

"Yeah, we really will, Pup." Sakura agrees, her face buried into the hair at the top of my head. Though I would never admit it to the two I would miss them too. Time seemed to start moving at light speed; after that, I was placed on a gennin team that had lost a member and then never truly accepted me as a member during my time with them I finally presented. An Alpha my Sensi said I was lucky, but I never felt lucky. My pup scent went away as my alignment took effect. Many changes happened: scars and wounds, tactics, and new jutsus. But even still, I outgrew my team. After passing the Chunin exams quickly, I was assigned to deep undercover Anbu, and with it a new name: Kōmori, the bat tricky to take down in the night yet finding ease in manoeuvring in the dark. Rather fitting due to my stealth specialization.

The missions are dangerous, but when my team gets placed as a plants in Sunagakure, we finally settle; things are rocky there, and Lord Third wants us to keep an eye on things. Suna becomes familiar as years pass, my team watches as their fifth Kazekage takes over. He's young, but I can make no comment on that myself. Eventually, we are sent back to Konohagakure, now under the new Hokage Tsunade.

Two more years pass all of my missions are assassinations, though a new member of my team, a suspected nepotism member, by me and the other members. Quickly decides that my time in Anbu is done, and I find little resistance against this. The slaughtering and the fights have worn me down, night terrors becoming commonplace in my sleep. Though a small part of me that I thought was gone lost to the cruel, unfeeling ninja I had become wonder about mates and pack, and wants that so badly.

Lady Tsunade grants me the rank of Jonin after reading through my file. Then I'm set up with lodging and asked to take it easy and adjust to village life after years of anything but. I am quick to tell the news of my staying to my Dam and Sire; I have visited them many times during my Anbu deployment, but it felt much more personal when I visited with news that I would be in the village full time for at least two weeks. They're happy for me asking questions about where I'm staying, what my plans are, the usually parental things, though soon my Dam mentions the thing I have been dreading.

"So dear, anyone you have you eye on for a mate now that you're gonna be in the village so much?" Dam asks glee in their tone.

"Baby, you can't just ask them that; they've only been in the village for what-a day or two? Wait a week and then we'll have news." My Sire chides happily.

"It's not like that," I pout, packing up the leftovers and fruits they gifted me as I make my escape.

"That child." They sigh.

I wander the streets at night, as despite the changes I still mostly look like me, though more grown up in ways when I am out for things during the day, a few villagers stop me to confirm that I really am that "Big shot village kid turned ninja," though that's mostly light jeering. During one such rare daytime excursion, I see him after all these years, my heart rate speeds up slightly before I rein myself in. Shikamaru is walking through the market opposite of me, list in hand, as he walks his eyes on the list. Before his attention is on me with an almost break neck snap. I'm stunned by the speed of his focus shift we lock eyes for several beats, the noise of the market is lost to me as I stare before I break eye contact.

"Hey, long time no see." I say, feeling awkward as he keeps staring at me. His gaze is intense and focused, a look I never saw during our brief academy time together.

"Its you," Shikamaru finally says. He seems astounded by this observation, and just as quickly his face flushes a bright red.

"Come with me." He says as he leads us away from the market and to a quieter area, following behind him, I catch his scent after the many years away from it. The familiar smell of rain-soaked plants and delicate white tea is strong in my nose, I am quick to gather that he's happy and excited. My heart leaps at the cause being me, while my mind rations that, that makes no sense.

Shikamaru says my name, seeing that my attention isn't on him, "You remember that lesson where my dad came in, right?" He asks once my focus is on him, the flush still on his face but lighter now he stands close to me, making it easy to smell and hear him.

"Yeah, wait are you saying that..."

"Yes, how I didn't know then is troublesome." He says frowning slightly before looking at me once more.

"Well, I hadn't presented at the time, and we weren't exactly close." At my words, he frowns more and whines, catching us both in surprise.

Shikamaru clears his throat before speaking again, "Where have you been?" He asks, but I can tell he has more questions then that on his mind.

"I was part of the Anbu till very recently." I answer honestly. "But that's behind me now..."

"I see..." He trails off with a frown before shaking his head as if to say troublesome once again. "When did you get back to the village?"

"Not very long just a handful of days really. It's been a big adjustment to say the least." I explain with a shrug Shikamaru's frown goes away quickly at my words and now I notice that he's slow inching closer towards me a slight flush on his face.

"Did you miss me..?" He asks his tone quieter as the same intense look in his eyes though with a more airy quality. It was very reminiscent of when Ino and Sakura would look at Sasuke but at least a thousand times more intense.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Nervous with the attention from my childhood crush turned obessioness? What was the right way to describe that perhaps simply my Nara no that felt too intense. I end my train of thoughts as I notice said Nara in question fidget a bit.

"What do you mean?" He asks seeming genuinely confused.

"It's the most intense way anyone has looked at me before." I explain he steps back at my words.

"Is it too much?" He asks nervous tears dotting at his eyes as he attempts to look away from me rather poorly.

"No, I actually find it really comforting." I explain with a smile. The way Shikamaru's face light up left me feeling fuzzy and accomplished.

After that day I was once again briefed on obsessions though this time in the Nara compound main house seated in the tea room across from Shikaku with Shikamaru sitting right beside me or rather on top of me at this point. As his dad explains the importance of taking things slowly so Shikamaru can acclimate properly I feel said omega freeze up.

"Now don't look at me like that." Shikaku scoffs a frown on his face.

"You can't even let go of them as is right now this is certainly more intense then with you mother." He sighs.

Though his words only stress out the omega more, he quickly turns to me for comfort, a barely concealed whine bubbles up his throat.

"Shika I'm sure it will all go fine I mean I've been gone for years before this and you were fine." I explain trying to be gentle I can tell the nickname worked but bringing up my prior absence brought as back to square one.

"No." Shikamaru says moving his face into my neck to start huffing my scent his father sighs once more leaving us alone in the tea room.

"Shika," I start again more cautious; "we have to do this ok I'll be right here with you ok." I coo to him which works perfectly as he removes his face from my neck to actually look at me.

"Promise?" He asks. "Pinkie promise." I say with a grin holding out my pinkie for him the promised now sealed we begin the regiment. If Shikamaru skips a day we have to start over so I make sure to remind him that we must be the first couple to complete this first try.

The first days are deceptively easy as Shikamaru is allowed to see me six hours the first day and one less each day after. When we reach the day where he isn't allowed to see me at all I can tell even though I haven't seen him yet today that he'll break. For his peace of mind I told him I was staying in my apartment all of the day, but surely an unprompted stroll wouldn't count.

Out walking I run into Naruto and Sakura returning from a mission, said woman screams in glee when she sees me charging at me full force. Just able to prep myself for the hug least we both topple over I smile as well. It had been too long.

Sakura also knowing this barrages me with questions of when I got back and if I was staying and such other things. Naruto makes his way to us saving me from Sakura's never ending questions.

"Good to see you." He says with the same grin he always wears though me and Naruto hadn't been close he would often praise me for beating Sasuke and would cheer for me when we'd spar.

"You too so much has changed around the village since I've been gone." I say as the three of us chat about what we've been doing and future plans. I feel eyes on me or rather the eyes of none other then Shikamaru.

"You know I know you're there." I say cutting off Sakura as she was telling me about the new kunai she bought.

"Who's where?" Naruto asks, looking around for anyone out of place.

"Shikamaru." I say both explaining and calling the omega out who comes out from his hiding place fuming. Well that's not the reaction I was expecting.

"Shika?" I question but his attention is on Naruto as he walks over growling and snarling.

"Oh I suppose I forgot to mention that I'm Shikamaru's obsession and that you two should probably leave now." I explain my tone not betraying the true anxiety I felt now. Quickly recalling what to do if Shikamaru had a jealousy flareup I begin pumping out my scent to try and cover up any omega scents on me.

"WHAT!?" The pair yell before Sakura drags Naruto away and the two book it. This gets another snarl from Shikamaru as he readies to chase after before I grab his arm carefully.

"Shika you're not leaving me your alpha are you?" I ask putting empathises on the fact that he had me. This works perfectly as said omega freezes in place before a whole body shiver overtakes him.

"Take me home." His voice just below a whisper and he moans softly clutching onto me now his grip intense on my arm.

[the---hermit]

25|02|2025

I have been debating on whether going to uni today or not, since instead of our normal lecture we were attending a book presentation sort of thing. I decided to go against my instincts and actually go despite it not being part of the exam materials, and the fact that I could have definitely used half a day of studying at home. I kind of regret my decision but also not. Don't get me wrong the presentation was very badly done, and it's not even the writer's fault, it was the other people on the panel. Anyway I ended up leaving early and going for a coffee with two classmates and ended up chatting for over an half an hour. It was a nice interaction, I had a good time and the coffe was good so the afternoon was not wasted. I have this class till the end of the semester, so I am very happy I am managing to make friends at the beginnig. As I have mentioned I struggle a lot with these things but this seems to go well so far so I'll be focusing on that.

14/50 days of productivity:

read first thing in the morning and finished my book (which means now I am going back to the grady hendrix book and hopefully I won't get stuck with it. I don't want to dnf it because I have read like two thirds of it and I want to know what happens but gods is it long and slow ugh)

continued working on the same spaces of knowledge document as yesterday which I'll definitely won't finish tomorrow but whatever

went to a book presentation disguised as a lecture which was honestly not great

practiced Irish on duolingo

📖: Walking Practice by Dolki Min

[inamagicalhallucination]

"Get up, Atsushi," Kunikida said, voice stern and sure. Despite them having been training together under the hot sun for hours, he barely broke a sweat. Atsushi, on the other hand, was laying on his back, tired and miserable. It made sense, Kunikida hadn't been the one being tossed around. Atsushi groaned, getting up slowly. He stretched his aching muscles and got into position again.

"Okay," he said, panted really, "I'm ready."

"One more time," Kunikida said, fixing his glasses, "and then we're done for today."

"Oh no," Atsushi protested, "I can do it for longer!"

"Rest is important, brat," Kunikida replied, frowning at him. He opened his mouth again, no doubt to start a lecture but Atsushi cut him off.

"I'm so close though! I can see it! I'm totally gonna get it this time!"

Kunikida huffed but if Atsushi squinted he could make do a smile.

"You'll get it easier if you're rested."

Atsushi lunged forward, preparing to grab and flip Kunikida over, like Kunikida had been teaching him. Just as his hands touched him, however, Kunikida had easily lifted and thrown him. Atsushi, motivated by spite and Kunikida's fond smile, pushed his legs off the ground, using the momentum to flip their positions.

"Great move, brat," Kunikida huffed, and then just as Atsushi almost beamed, flipped them back over, ending the match, "you're getting better."

"I still haven't won," Atsushi whined, feeling childish at doing so, but indulging anyway since it was just the two of them. Kunikida sighed.

"Come on, lets cool off," he said, grabbing Atsushi's arm and helping him up.

Kunikida was half way through his popsicle, and Atsushi was just starting his second, when Kunikida said, quietly, "It's not about winning."

"What?" Atsushi asked, tilting his head.

"Sometimes," Kunikida replied, "you don't win. But you still do what you need to do." And he let the conversation die with that.

/

Atsushi stared at his paperwork. He had been trying to do it for a while now, but his pencil wouldn't move. He couldn't think; he couldn't focus. He had failed his mission.

It had been so simple too. Atsushi had been confident, he'd been sure... and yet...

and yet, even at that, he'd been worthless. Useless.

A hand touched his shoulder and he jolted. He flinched and turned to look; Kunikida was standing there, a stern look on his face. No doubt, he'd heard of Atsushi's failure. No doubt he was regretting teaching him, taking him in, caring for him--

"Brat, what are you doing here?" Was that it? Was he supposed to leave? Had he finally used up all the good will the agency had?

"Er," he said, hesitently, "working."

Kunikida scowled.

"Office hours are done."

Atsushi blinked, and then glanced around, and no one was there. Just him and Kunikida. Oh. That was what Kunikida had meant.

"I just," Atsushi said, coughing and then continuing, "I just have a bit to do, still."

"You're hands haven't move for the past hour," Kunikida said, adjusting his glasses. "You're usually on top of your work, so this isn't an issue. Just finish it tomorrow."

"No-" Atsushi said, "I can, no I can finish; I just need to think--"

"Atsushi," Kunikida said, "you're not sick, are you?"

"No," Atsushi said miserably, hating that he was worrying Kunikida, "I'm just-- my mission--"

"Oh yes, I heard about that. Good job, you handled it all on your own--"

"It wasn't good!" Atsushi cried, feeling his eyes prickle, "I let him get away! I thought I could-- I thought I could do it; but I couldn't. I messed up. I failed--"

"You got the victims to safety, did you not?"

"I-I did--"

"And from what I heard, the cops were able to find the man soon afterwards."

"Yes," Atsushi confirmed, sniffling, "but I let him get away. I'm not cut out for this. I can't ever seem to--"

Kunikida's sigh cut him off. Kunikida leaned down, so they were seeing eye to eye.

"Sometimes what you have to do for your mission, and what the right thing to do aren't the same things, brat." Atsushi rubbed his face dry.

"You're mission was to catch the suspect, yes, but if you hadn't gone after the victims, they could've died. You did the right thing."

Atsushi sobbed, and Kunikida squeezed his shoulder and hesitated before leaning in more to give him a hug. Kunikida was stiff throughout it, but it made Atsushi feel better anyway.

"Seriously, brat," Kunikida said, ruffling his hair, "great move on the mission."

/

Atsushi clung to Junichiro as he sprinted, Kunikida's voice echoing in his ears loudly. He wanted to scream. He wanted to cry. He wanted to go back and fight or die alongside him. But he clung tightly to Junichiro and continued to run.

Great move, Kunikida's voice whispered in his head. He bit his lip, trying to stifle his sob. Just barely, he could feel the phantom touch of Kunikida's hand ruffling his hair.

[strawberrymochin]

Springtime Fushiguros♪

Context-: exploring the memories of childhood of fushiguros, marking the spring time of you and satoru gojo.

Gojo's cooking skills-: gojo cooks for the fushiguros while you are away. (Disaster)

Gojo frowns not being able to locate a pan in the kitchen. Megumi sighs at the sense of foreboding, it's already been 20 mins gojo's rummaging through the kitchen, just to find a single pan to cook. He could simply ask Tsumiki or Megumi but the guy believes in self reliance, thus asking help from the kids would feel like a betrayal to himself.

He wants to make you proud, by cooking for the kids, serving them the utmost savoury finger licking heavenly food. (Without the help of anyone)

'Tshh,' says Tsumiki drawing her brother's attention, 'Don't you think we should help gojo Sensei?' she whispers, keeping her voice low. 'And do you think he would agree?' replies Megumi fretfully.

You are out for work today, a rare occasion in this household. You work partime in a marketing firm that advertises a buisness good or service making it reach its desired market sale.

It haven't been much long since you joined this company, before moving in with gojo satoru you used to work 9 to 5 but now that you have the kids to take care of, you convinced your boss to work half-day. He agreed since you were only a part time employee. You normally go to work after the kids go to school and return before their arrival.

However today is a bit different, the work load is enormous for a special deal whose ad is supposed to be out tomorrow, which resulted in your boss asking you to do overtime. You agreed instantly, since gojo wasn't going on any missions today and the kids were on a special holiday. Moreover your boss has been too kind to you to refuse.

Gojo has reassured you that he won't need any help, even though you insisted him to call if he faces any problem. He didn't wanted you to work while stressing about them. Even after that, you had given atleast 3 lectures on how to take care of the kids, where the cooking materials are and about their likes and dislikes.

'How about you sneak in the kitchen, take the pan out of the shelf while I keep him occupied on something else?' Megumi raises a brow at Tsumiki's idea. He thinks it's waste of energy but agress anyways.

Both go according to the plan, Tsumiki drags gojo outside lying someone was on the door, while Megumi sneaks in the kitchen getting the pan out from the shelf.

'There's no one 'miki! You sure you heard someone?' Megumi hurries trying to place the pan on the counter at the sound of gojo's approaching steps, 'yes! Sensei! I'm sure. Why don't you come and check again!!' Tsumiki pulls gojo's hand dragging him to the front door again, when 'Megumi, what are you doing?' gojo asks nonchalantly as Tsumiki's eyes widen.

Megumi quickly places the pan on the top of the counter shutting the shelf sneaking out of the kitchen, when gojo picks him up in his lap, a pissed expression in his face.

Gojo's was nowhere near the kitchen a few seconds ago. He was standing with Tsumiki in the living room. Now Tsumiki is standing alone in the living room creeped out.

He drags a shocked megumi to the living room and settles him on the couch. He goes for Tsumiki next, settling her beside Megumi.

'you guys think you can surpass me? Tsk tsk tsk, I'm the strongest—' Megumi interrupts before gojo could finish. 'Did you just—teleported from the living room?'

'yup.'

'wow. So you can teleport! Can you do that too Megumi-chan?' says Tsumiki fascinated as megumi stares at his Sensei.

'megumi can do that too one day, if he works hard to keep up with me....and you have to now that you promised.' gojo ruffles megumi's hair annoying him again.

'now, you two don't interfere when I'm cooking, I gotta make y/n proud and prove i can take care of you guys without any lectures.'

Gojo strolls back to rummaging the kitchen, as the kids watch, turning their heads from the couch.

'megumi can do that too one day' said gojo to Tsumiki. 'I will do that too.' thought Megumi, he might not like his Sensei much, he might strongly believe he's unserious and annoying but he can't ignore the fact that his Sensei is the strongest. And it's the only thing he truly admires. He promised gojo to work hard and keep up with him. He promises to work hard again but this time not to gojo, but to himself. He will work hard and become like his Sensei one day.

'Would you like pizza instead?' gojo said apologetically. He ended up burning the Ginger chicken rice and salad he was making. The kids were starving till the pizza arrived.

The kids accepted the their fate, desperately wishing you to comeback and never go back. Atleast that meant good healthy food that actually tastes good. Megumi made a mental note never to learn cooking from his Sensei.

When you arrived late in the house expecting the kids fast asleep, you were instead greeted by a whining megumi, who was having digestion problems.

That's it. You are never leaving the kids with him again.

'Atleast, I fed him on time!'

'Yeah, and you fed him pizza, which is the reason he's having stomach ache. You said you would make them something healthy.'

'I did.'

'Then—wait don't tell me you—' you rush into the kitchen to see a burnt cooking pan and a couple of dishes stacked in the basin.

'well, it wasn't burnt, just a bit overcooked—that it turned black.'

'yeah, into ashes.'

'But love, i atleast tried.'

'Aww honey! You're so sweet. Now go do the dishes. Without breaking anything.'

[zinya]

How brothers would react to an MC with bad grades ?

Because we've all had bad grades one day and we all deserve to be comforted.

Lucifer:

Being one of the students in the exchange program he will look at your grades very closely , he may even be aware of your grade before you do.

If it's just one bad grade he will lecture you and probably ban you from certain activities so that you work more (You can say goodbye to video game nights with Levi)

If it's several bad grades he will start asking you questions about what you don't understand and will give you lessons.

Of course, if it's grades that start to weigh on your morale, once your homework is finished, you're welcome to his room to relax.

"I believe in you, don't be discouraged, my love"

Mammon

welcome to the club

If it's a bad grade in math don't worry, The Great Mammon can help you.

Don't be discouraged human, he also has bad grades and lives very well

If he sees that you are depressed because of your grades he will suggest that you go out somewhere with him to take your mind off things. Do you prefer to go shopping or maybe go party somewhere?

If you don't want to go out then he will take you into his room and watch a movie in his arms while he comforts you and cuddle with you

Leviathan

I am convinced that he will show you anime with heroes at school to remotivate you "Hey I have a new anime called "I have bad grades and then everything changed the day I made friends"

If you don't want to, you can always watch TSL with him

But don't get me wrong he will encourage you to work too but he will come get you to take a break if it's been a long time

I don't know if devildom has computer science, but in any case if it's this subject that you're struggling with, he can help you.

Satan

Literally become your personal teacher after all, all his knowledge is yours.

Will lend you textbooks and workbooks

He will always encourage you to do your best

Like mammon he will also offer to go out and clear your mind: Do you want to buy new books? Go drink something at the cat cafe? Maybe the park?

Will read books to you or recite lessons at night in his room when you sleep together

Asmodeus

Positive affirmations

Are you discouraged? Has your self-confidence taken a hit? Spend 10 minutes with him and none of this will happen

"Honey don't cry your pretty skin and your beautiful eyes will suffer "

Will ask you to go shopping with him and you will receive 2 or 3 gifts so he can see you smile

He will help you with the charms lessons (TP too perhaps XD)

You will have the right to take a bath in his bathroom with his products to relax

Beelzebub

Will give you food to comfort you

Would like to help you with potions classes but we all know how it will end

Will give you hugs to comfort you and take you to exercise (if you want of course) to clear your mind

If you decide to study more he will come see you like Levi to take breaks and he will often bring you water or snacks

He will cheer you to death like you do during his matches

Maybe give you a kind of lucky charm to bring you luck for the next exams

Belphegor

Cuddle time

Since it concerns you, he will listen to you talk, like Asmo, about what is wrong

Then he will take you to the top of the Attic to sleep and relax with him

When you revise he comes and sleeps in your bed to keep you company

If you can't sleep because of stress you know where his room is , just kidding, he's already next to you in your bed, can't you see him?

(I don't know who drew this but it's so beautiful.) Anyway, I wrote that instead of studying my exam for tomorrow haha 😅🥲

Sorry for the mistakes, English is not my first language and sometimes I don't understand your abbreviations or expressions🤣

Tell me if you want the others

And don't forget that the most important thing is to do all you can and to be proud of yourself.

Have a Good day 💋

[liminsendhelp]

Don't pet the flea cat

Price×f!reader

Tags: slight description of reader (chubby, muscular, strong, denying gender as a concept), possibly slightly sociopathic/autistic reader, profanity, denial of authority, evil scientist on the way to becoming.

tags and warns are the same as in the last post, srry, I don't have time to make it more civilized and readable

Enjoy

Part 1. Part 2. Part 3.

The draft work plan, as well as the topic, was approved a week ago. Dr. Moon didn't see fit to announce it for fear of your reaction. It was a smart move on her part. You'd just push the paperwork, which was wrong, too. After all, what could tell you more about the changing mental and physical state of the fighters than the fighters themselves?

Dr. Moon looked at you menacingly again in the morning. This night you lay down at 4 a.m., knowing you'd be up in two hours so you could intercept your test subjects early.

No interceptions. Dr. Moon smugly tells you that she's already hammered out an agreement for you to meet in person with their chief.

You actively pretend it doesn't bother you. Neither his agreement, nor her interference. Nor the fact that the situation is completely out of control.

Kudos on your paranoia and your irrepressible desire for adventure. You're prepared.

You had nowhere to start your investigation and no time at all. So at night, you tried to accomplish another feat. For the sake of experimentation with the local idiots could be socialized.

Going out for a smoke at three in the morning, you pretended that you couldn't light your lighter. You hoped that at the opposite wall your acting was taken for granted. The recruits on duty, watching you especially hard that night, pulled cigarettes out of their ugly mouths as you got closer.

I wonder if they've killed before or if they're just getting used to blood?

"Got a light?"

The soldier silently held out his hand with a lighter to your cigarette. You responded with a precisely calculated amount of gratitude in a smile so he wouldn't think you were flirting.

You took a couple puffs under their harsh stares. Your neck was starting to itch from the extra attention. You need to finish before you start blushing.

"Can you tell me who I was rude to today?"

"No."

You nod. Okay.

You stand in silence until halfway through your cigarette.

"Captain Price." Another voice. Slightly higher and calmer than the first. "You can automatically add to it a list of those who sat at the table with him."

"And the rest of his wives."

"What?"

Idiotic. Don't get me started, they wouldn't understand anyway.

You sigh, letting the smoke burn your throat before letting it out.

"In my defense, I apologized immediately."

"And still just as rude. You've been sheltered here. We have our rules on our turf."

You look him clearly in the eye for the first time all evening.

"We didn't ask. We were put on the spot, just like your management. That's one. Second, the territory here is not yours, it's theirs. Save your moralizing and lecturing, okay?"

You clamp the smoldering cigarette in your teeth, leaving your hands free. You're not yelling, judging by your tone you're just making conversation.

"I didn't do anything wrong, I even came to make up with you, even though you had nothing to do with the situation at all. So don't get worked up, lady."

The calmest of them all squeezes the shoulder of the guy breathing aggressively in your direction. Nice.

You throw the cigarette butt in the trash can and smile at the soldiers the way you smile at successful death jokes. As you walk away, you don't turn around, feeling your legs grow lighter with each passing second.

The unquenched thirst for the fight they've stirred up in you scrapes beneath your skin.

You do push-ups, squats, standing planks, wanking, brushing your teeth while you wash, and finally expel the unstoppable energy inside you. Closing your eyes you know that tomorrow you'll hate your decision to sleep in rather than spend two hours looking for information.

So at seven in the morning, Dr. Moon looks at your drained face with disapproval, and you stare at your laptop screen with annoyance.

There's no information on this Price guy.

Not even a Facebook page, not even a snippet in some archived newspaper.

You don't have access to local records yet, and--

You have to drink your coffee and take the first flight to the gym.

You think back to your high school days, standing here, behind the Captain's back while he lifts weights.

You're sure he must have sensed your presence, as long-serving military men often do.

But, since he decided to call you here (which by the way, caused you a lot of questions), you'll stare.

"Be polite. First impressions, dear. I beg of you, don't scare them off. The fact that you've been given a chance is already a huge breakthrough." Dr. Moon spoke. All day yesterday, before going out today.

But they already thought you were a stranger, didn't they? They've already seen the obvious fact that you don't fit into the narrow confines of the norm. So why try?

The muscles in his back were encased in a long-sleeved sweatshirt, his legs in loose athletic shorts pulling the fabric taut as he squatted with the barbell on his broad shoulders.

God, is that monster pumping his ass?

You snicker as he finishes his approaches. He catches your shameless stare in the mirror-you have nothing to hide. Let him not think you're better than you are.

His smirk lifts the neat bush on his face called a beard. He looks like a walrus.

You picture him in the shoes of that poor guy from 'Tusk' as the Captain wipes the sweat from his face with a towel.

"You're not in the database. I mean in yours, the institute's. You know about that?"

You don't answer, continuing to watch him walk. He reaches for the water bottle, apparently leaving you room to respond. You reluctantly take his offering.

"I cut myself out of it."

"Hacker, huh?" He grins skeptically.

His demeanor only triples your opinion of his treatment of you as entertainment. You bite your lip from the inside out, chewing on a piece of skin a little harder to taste the tang of blood.

"Can't find you either."

"Have you gotten to ours yet?"

"Negative, Captain." Blue eyes sparkle approvingly.

"Talked to someone, though. Good. I wouldn't have hoped so, given your performance the day before yesterday."

You remain calm. Expectedly, you need to settle things definitively now.

"I don't like the attention. I get nervous, I get creative. I find it easier to talk to work, not people." A little acting, a little honesty, a little understatement. He probably won't dig any deeper.

You step away from the wall, handing him a thin folder. There are literally two sheets in it, one of which is the cover page.

"A more detailed work plan, if you agree. I understand you'll be here for a couple more weeks." He pulls away from the text and looks into your eyes with a mute question. Even though he likes your idea, he's still deeply unconvinced of you himself. You flip to the first page and point your finger to the bottom corner. Right under Dr. Moon's signature.

"Yours?"

"Name, yes."

That's the payoff. A little information about you in exchange for your cooperation. Never mind that he could have gotten your name just by asking the guys who let you into the base a couple months ago. Or even easier, by approaching Dr. Moon directly, she wasn't exactly hiding, all loud and stern and friendly.

But, now that you've told him the name like that, like you're apologizing... He's gonna go along with this project, right?

"How's it gonna go down?"

Oh, yeah, like a sweetheart.

It's not going exactly as expected. You had hoped that, after yesterday's brainstorming session with Dr. Moon, where she criticized you to the hilt, your work wouldn't be questionable for at least some of the required research points. But, you argue while you walk to the shower, argue while he washes, argue through the locker room door.

You're easily obsessed. Work in particular.

And when someone tries to cut your already flawed work list down to two items, you can't stop. All calm goes to hell.

Although, it's worth noting that the Captain's not as hard-headed as you'd expect. It's like he's genuinely interested in getting results.

Why, then, is he trying to take the tool away from you?

You've been sitting in his office for an hour. You've finally gotten the real reason out of him for refusing certain interviews, certain data from the archive, and the amount of time to talk to you.

If you give in to him, you'll be left with two days of interviews, unable to observe his fighters or communicate with them outside of the interview on the officially approved form. Moreover, he's not willing to give you access to official paperwork other than medical records for the last seven years.

And you're not willing to do that. You're not a fortune teller. You can't take information off the top of your head. You're already conceding on your own, unable to verify everyone's word on a polygraph, and unlikely to be able to get videotapes of their interactions over the years within the walls of the base. For all that, you're delineated by geographic boundaries. Both facilities and countries.

And so, you can be lied to, miscommunicated, kept out, overlooked, disregarded, uncooperative, not tolerated for more than two days, and even with all of that....

"What do you mean they won't let you talk?"

"He won't, your max is his medical records. And that, he's cleaning up his information too."

Okay. Minus one. Whoever this Ghost-guy is. It's all the same.

"I need three days for an interview. I'm willing to chase you and your boys all over the place, But I need more time." You watch him scratch his chin. "Tell me who I don't need to approach and..."

"You won't believe this, missy, they're not exactly sociable either. It's easier to name the ones who won't be stressed by your meddling. Two days will be more than enough."

It was starting to smell like shit.

"How many."

"Five."

No yelling. No emotion. He's just probing you. Putting a price on you.

"Okay. Five people then, but a day each."

He whistles. His eyes sparkle like he's watching a lumbering animal. In that shitty uniform of his and his gleeful confidence. Santa fucker on steroids.

"Or, you give me three days and a group of fifteen men."

"What makes you think that..."

"Oh, I roughly understand how this works. You have a core squad and those who are on the backup. You can keep my head, but leave the tails. I need more data." Toward the end of your sentence, you speed up, biting your tongue to keep from saying too much.

"Ten."

"We're not in the bazaar."

The wrinkles in the corners of his eyes smooth out a little.

"And I'm not haggling. Ten fighters. Two days."

Fucker.

"Okay, what about the archives?"

"Nothing. You're not getting them."

"Put a watcher on me! Have someone control what I look at and what I report."

"There's no such person, missy. They're all busy."

"One day. I don't have to eat, I don't have to get out of my seat. Just the paperwork."

"Do you think a watcher can do that too?"

"I thought the military are supermen, sir, aren't they?" You say it so seriously that he's almost ready to start answering the question. Instead, he relaxes again, letting out a chesty chuckle.

"You'll need more days. At least one to organize all that pile of information."

"I'm a child of the internet. It'll all fall into place in my head."

"Still."

Price is looking at it, pricing it. You can hear the hands of the clock on his desk ticking. Your gut feeling is that it's about 9:00 in the morning. Give or take an hour, over your argument you weren't really keeping track of time.

"I'll give you three days. But from five to seven in the morning and maybe in the evening. With a condition."

"All ears."

What does he want? For you to do a backflip?

"You'll be eating in the common room this week."

"That's..."

"It's a prerequisite. If you're working with me, it's not appropriate for you to chase your mentor to carry your own food."

"It's not a matter of business. Don't think I'm going to consider it extra time for data collection. I'm not going to talk to them while they're eating. Suddenly they'll choke and I'll be charged with state treason."

"That's not the point. You want this to work out, don't you? Then don't separate yourself from them. They'll tell you more, and they'll give me less to think about. You come with me after morning at the archives, sit at the same table with us, explain to the guys what this is all about. If they agree to cooperate on their own, I won't interfere."

It sounded reasonable, actually. But you couldn't escape the feeling that he was just bossing you around.

"Coming with you so the other soldiers can smother me with a pillow out of jealousy?"

"I go to training from seven to eight. Suppose I took the little scientist under my mighty wing, eh? Besides, that's the way it is so far."

"Thinking of killing my sleep, then my body, and then my soul while I try to talk to your sharks?"

"I'm considered a worse shark than they are, and you're doing a great job so far."

You clench your fists under the table, bite your cheek, lean back, rub your face, and sigh. The blue of his stupid eyes hover on the back of your eyelids.

"You look like a walrus." You quietly bleat into your palms on your face. He laughs.

[crazylittlejester]

DAILY(?) BRAINROT

I'm feeling more like myself today, and have been getting through my Tuesday schedule as per usual. Right now I have a break before my last class of the day, so I'm taking a moment to yap. >:)

In my Portuguese textbook, there's a section on murder mysteries and I got to explain Sherlock Holmes to my classmate, which was great! The only bad thing is that Sherlock Holmes is one of my Yap Topics and I did not get to info dump about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. :( Anyway, that got me thinking about Agatha Christie, because they're both awesome mystery writers and even though I haven't specifically researched any potential relationships (friendly or otherwise) between the two, I believe they were writing around the same time. And of course, Agatha Christie is the author of And Then There Were None, so I'm champing at the bit to work on my silly little AU again.

If you would like to hear about Sir Arthur Conon Doyle's biography, just hit me up, I've got so much info on this guy.

Tragically, I have two meetings after this next class and I need to finish writing two news articles before the first one starts, so I don't really have the time to drag out my notes at this point, but maybe tomorrow. Maybe if the writing gods bless me.

On a side tanget, I just got out of a different class and my professor was lecturing on filter bubbles (AKA epistemic bubbles) and now I feel greatly inspired to write something involving that, because realizing you're inside one of those is kind of scary, and it raises an awful lot of big questions about everything you think you knew.

I’m so glad you’re feeling better dude!!

I loved the sherlock books when i read a few years and years ago, feel free to yap about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and/or Agatha Christie whenever you want I would genuinely love to hear it! (And Im still very excited for that au whenever you end up working more on it, it’s such a cool idea!!)

aw nooooo, i hope the writing gods will be good to you you deserve it

ooooooh! that would be very interesting

remember to get some water and foods after all your meetings and classes, take care of yourself dude 🫶

[deeyaacademia]

homecoming <3

hello people, i am officially back with a sparkle in my eye and promises to be consistent :D

i just finished my my first year final exams (woohoo) and i feel so happy that i'm already 1/3 done with college. 😭😭 anyway, here is what you must know:

(i) i passed ca foundation in my first attempt (jan 25)

(ii) i did not give the september attempt last year because i gave up on studying in june itself so i was really NOT prepared to give the exams in september. i did a lot of soul searching whether i genuinely wanted to pursue ca beacuse wdym i gave up after a week of studying, but i think i was just not feeling it then, with starting college and adjusting, and just locking in on a path in life. (pathetic, i am aware😭😭)

(iii) so after the september attempt passed me by, and lots of lectures from my very angry parents, i decided that i will give january attempt a try, and if i pass, i'll feel motivated to continue, and if i don't, i'll reaccess.

(iv) after barely studying much, and having my sem one exams side-by-side the foundation exams, (and having a veryyyyyyy stressful month) i just really locked in in the last 15 days and gave it my all.

(v) when the results came in march, i genuinely had no hopes of passing and when i saw that i passed i was so shocked?? like how?? this was insane?? but apparently my hardwork bore it's fruit after a few ups and downs. that's the story.

(vi) now, i know i should have started studying in march itself for my intermediate january 2026 attempt, but- i had sooooo many college exams, assignments and classes that idk how time went by and now it's june?? 😭😭 please i don't know what is happening to me, i swear i was not like this before. but, the past year has changed me alot and now I AM SO READY TO GET STARTED. better late than never hahahahahahahahahahahahahah (please support this affirmation amen)

starting today/tomorrow, i'll begin with a 75 day hard challenge (i need to lock in academically and in every other aspect of my life too, it's all a wreck heheh) or a 100 days of productivity challenge to feel an ounce of motivation and hope. i will catch up with the lost time this summer. so, wish me luck, and see you in the next one!

with love,

deeya.

[08.06.2025]

[frogofalltime]

i was inspired by @etherealspacejelly to journal about my adhd medication, so here we go !

day 1

i took the medicine after eating breakfast, so around 10:30 or 11am approximately ? i can't remember. then i got dressed and ready to leave the house

i realised i had forgotten my earplugs so i couldn't listen to music on the walk to the students union, but it's okay because my brain has a built in sound system that can play songs very loudly whenever it wants

i met my friend for lunch and i felt kind of weird ? i was listening but i didn't know how to reply (this is a regular occurrence for me because i'm autistic and often struggle with talking, sometimes i can't speak at all). and i also felt dizzy and not fully awake. but i get that a lot anyway so idk if it's the meds or just normal binya activities

then two more of my friends turned up and we tried to study together. of course studying with friends is distracting under any circumstances, but normally i manage to get quite a lot done. however today i felt much more restless and distracted than usual. i felt like the lecturer was talking too slowly even though i sped the recording up to 1.5x speed

maybe it's just because the content was particularly boring, but after revising my first lecture i was so restless that i had to go and walk around the park to get the energy out (also i wanted to say hello to the pigeons !!)

then i revised my second lecture of the day and it was equally annoying but i got through it. i finished that and went to take a break in the prayer room.

i went on my phone for the first time in hours (normally i am always compulsively checking my phone) and interestingly i didn't waste a bunch of time scrolling like i usually do. i just checked my notifications and then put it away and got up and did something else. this is very out of character for me !!

i got back from my break and was hungry so i had a snack while starting the third lecture. then i got distracted by my friend (not their fault, i was bored and willingly paused the lecture to chat) and we ended up chatting for like a further 4 hours. and i never finished the last lecture lol but it's okay i can do it tomorrow

i got home and realised i was extremely overstimulated from socialising for so many hours so i sat down in my room and switched off the light. i'm feeling dizzy again, my head feels kinda weird like i can hear the blood moving around inside ?? which happened when i started antidepressants too, so maybe this is just how my body reacts every time i start a new medication

i checked my phone and quickly looked through all my notifications, and the idea of scrolling aimlessly (which is usually very tempting) is strangely unappealing so i decided to make this post instead. my plan is to shower after posting this and then make dinner (i know it's late but i'm not really hungry yet)

i am very thirsty but they said that's a normal side effect of the meds. and i have a slight headache. i am drinking a lot of water so i'm sure it will be fine

even though i got up earlier than usual i don't feel sleepy. i will update tomorrow with how well i sleep tonight etc.

anyway that's all i can think of to mention so far, i'll try to do this every day for the next couple of weeks if i remember, or at least as often as possible :)

[alex51324]

Behold my success!

Today I went to a free "Intro To Archery" class that was being held at a nearby park. My goal for the session was to hit the target at least once, and behold:

I achieved that goal!

In other impressive news, well over half of the arrows I shot went as far as the target! I was honestly putting most of my effort into that, rather than aiming, since I have noodle arms. The last round I got all 5 arrows past the target, go me!

The class was for all ages 10 and up; I was a little worried it was going to be me and a bunch of kids, but it ended up being about evenly split between teens and adults. (Under-18's had to have a parent present, but most of them just watched, except for a dad with a teenage daughter who got a little too intense.) There was a short lecture portion, mostly safety procedures and how to hold the bow, and then we got into groups of 5 to take turns shooting.

There were five targets; one is behind the kid on the left. On each group's first turn, the park education guy walked us individually through taking our first shot--which took a while--and then we did our remaining four shots at our own pace. The following rounds we just did all five at our own pace. For safety reasons, each group of five had to go collect their arrows at once, so there was a fair bit of waiting around for the slowest person in each group to finish, but we got in three rounds per group in the allotted time. Some people stayed after to do another round or two, but I had promised Sophie a walk when the class finished--and I am fairly sure my arms are going to be extremely sore tomorrow--so I left it at that.

Anyway, I don't think I will be taking up archery as a hobby, but it was interesting and I'm glad I went! (And if you happen to live in Pennsylvania, you can check out the DCNR events calendar to see if they're running this program at a park near you! It's a fairly common one; I've seen it on the bulletin boards at various parks on my camping trips, just never for the days that I was actually there.)

Next up, I'm going to keep a very close eye on the events calendar for this park, and see if I can get a spot in the kayaking one!

[hypmicdaydreams]

Sasara and rosho hcs with a hyperactive daughter who doesent remember to drink water much, or doesent remember things easily? thankies☆〜（ゝ。∂）

I hope these are to your liking anon~ I wasn't entirely too confident about these,, but alas! they were fun writing. Please enjoy 🧡

-pairing: sasara nurude x f!reader, rosho tsutsujimori x f!reader

-genre: fluff, platonic/familial

sasara

well, you probably inherited some of your hyperactiveness from your father. not that sasara is too hyperactive, but i think he can definitely be too quick or excited at times? like he can also be all over the place, but more so in a somewhat organized way

anyway, point is, there's definitely a bit of your father in you. mayhaps you pick up some of his fidgeting habits too? unconsciously so

sasara can keep up with you, especially when you were younger and were more prone to running around everywhere, as tired as he gets; sasara may not be in the best shape, but he will always chase after you

he does find your hyperactivity a bit cute, like how you always seem to be full of energy and wanting to do something. though sasara does sometimes simply get too exhausted and has to tell you that daddy needs a rest

your guys' energy definitely bounces off one another. it's contagious, and honestly, you guys can become a bit too active with each other since sasara tends to match you

a bunch of (cute) menaces

he loves loves loves practicing his comedy routines with you or any new material sasara comes up with

you're always so receptive! and sasara's heart absolutely melts at the way you're laughing so hard and loud — truly contagious. his own daughter was his absolute favorite audience, and if you don't like a joke entirely, then he'd scrap it

with your tendency to forget or not remember things easily, sasara often had to remind you constantly. sometimes though, he can forget to do that though, oops..

(like father like daughter)

he always makes it a point to remind you of things in a cute, totally non-serious way. like with a joke or puns or something

or sometimes he simply overdramatizes the entire thing, jokingly of course

"you didn't drink water today?" he fake gasps, dramatically. "y'know, if you don't drink some right now, the ghost of waters time will take you away from me!"

does it work? not really, but sasara is always on you to take care of yourself. and actually, sasara always finds some smart, roundabout way to get you to actually do your tasks

you're not entirely sure how your father does it. but one moment, he's asking you for help with something, and the next, you're actually finishing up your homework that is due tomorrow in class. sasara has his mysterious ways..

overall though, sasara is totally a caring father! albeit he def matches your energy at times, but he's always making sure that you never forget what you're supposed to do

rosho

at first, rosho does have a bit of trouble keeping up with you. you were so all over the place and active! always running around. he's definitely gotten used to it over the years, but it has tired rosho out to some extent

i like to think that he also can't help but be a bit worried for you. given how hyperactive you were, rosho is a little nervous that you'd hurt yourself, bad

of course, he'd always be there to bandage you up, but he's simply worried for his only girl! (he goes pale as a ghost when you first come in, all bloody from cuts and bruises but still giddy nonetheless)

rosho does lecture you time and time again to be more careful. you can't keep giving your poor father a heart attack each time; it wasn't good for his weak heart, rosho sighs

he's always needing to remind you of things, whether it's drinking water or to actually finish your homework on time. you have gotten reprimanded for that before..

"did you drink water today?" rosho quirks a brow, though he already knows the answer with the way you sheepishly smile and rub your neck. he sighs and rubs his temples; gosh, sometimes his daughter couldn't help but worry him so

(he makes you drink a tall glass right then and there, not wanting you to be dehydrated especially if it was during the grueling summer)

you have gotten many (light) scoldings for always forgetting things such as appointments or schoolwork or self-care, but rosho is always there to remind you regardless. it's almost routine at this point

he also likes to check up on you throughout the day and text reminders, especially to drink water or eat since you often forget to do so

on the off chance you do remember one time or more, your father is certainly...surprised? well, it's more like he's totally flustered and taken aback

he does have to sometimes monitor you, when you were younger at least, to make sure you're doing your work; all that meant was checking up on you once in a while, really

rosho isn't overbearing by any means (ok he may be, but just a teeny tiny), but he just wants to make sure that you were on track given how you can easily lose focus

overall though, while you may certainly be a handful, it wasn't bad by any means! rosho still loves you so, as much as he fatherly scolds you to remember to drink more water

[blankwashed]

Sleepless Shadows (Part 3)

Chapter: I II III IV V VI VII

Recap: Satoru hugged your waist to try and bring you down. "It's okay it's no big deal. Just finish your meal and we'll be on our way okay? I don't like how people are looking at us with their judgmental eyes," he says to your ears.

You nod your head and try to finish your meal without getting stomach pains.

“All done?” Satoru looks at you after you slurped up the last bit from the stew, with a slight smile on his face.

You nod and try to bow your head to him as respect but he lifted your chin up.

“It’s fine darling, you can repay me in other ways. Like scoring a good score on our coming exams, okay?” He crooned, with a slight smirk on his lips.

Your face was red again as you were thinking of other ways you could repay him, ways that he will be gripping onto your hair, pushing you closer to him-. What?

“He’s just my lecturer, this is unethical as he says,” The thought nestled in your mind as you let out a sigh. If only you were a few years older, if only you were his type, if only you met him outside of class, if only-

His lips were glistening after he licked his lips, a bad habit of his.

“Let’s get back to the car, y/n.” He said, with a gleam in his eyes.

“Mm..” you didn’t want to go back home. You wanted to spend more time with him even though your body was crying out for sleep at this point, especially after eating so much at this time at night.

You dragged your feet to the passenger’s seat of his car which does not open for you this time, and you wondered why. As many times as you try to open the door, it won't budge. That's strange, it was fine before.

"Mr. Gojo? W-Why does my side of the door not work anymore? Could you help me from your side?"

Satoru quickly comes to you as he sees that you're having a dilemma. When he reaches the car, he pats his pockets and his face turned pale.

"Oh shit…" He swore, quite loudly. When the gears in your brain clicked, you realised. He left the car keys inside the car.

"Shit shit shit," He continued swearing with a worrisome face, which was quite different from his usual respected teacher-self. This did not help the situation at all as you didn't know what you could do.

"Shit, everyone is probably still sleeping and I don't want to wake them up…" He mumbles under his breath, still with a worried face.

You bit your lip, equally as worried but not so as you would be stranded with your favourite lecturer. Besides, you don't have classes the next day.

"Sir, I know this isn't the appropriate timing but I don't think you have classes tomorrow either. This predicament that we've gotten ourselves into is not really that bad? I'm sure you could call a tow truck or professionals to get your car opened tomorrow. " You try to make Satoru not worry that much, besides, you're sure that he's not married, right? No one would be waiting for him at home, right?

"I know, I know I just thought this night was going to be perfect, you know? Just me and you and-" He stops himself from continuing as he worries that he might scare you off.

Shucks, you were blushing. It was a chilly night, no doubt but you just felt that it was summer on your cheeks.

"I'm sorry, y/n. I should've known better and as your lecturer this mistake is very unacceptable for me to make," Satoru looks down at his feet while talking to you, as if he's a teenager again which you find quite cute.

"No big deal, sir. Anyways, I noticed that there's a motel nearby while we were driving here. We can sleep there for tonight, what do you think about that?" You adjusted your eyes onto his, making sure he's not sad anymore.

It took Satoru some time till he answered you.

"Sure, let's go get a room."

this was due weeks ago, ive just been really busy with uni and when im not busy, im either sleeping or playing games ;_; its sunday today and tomorrow i'll be back in uni grinding for i dont even know what lol.

[shummashum]

Klaus Goldstein Ch2 [11~15]

can't we just leave all this to the Ministry? but then again, perhaps Remb also knows that the Ministry is an incompetent group. that's why he asked S6 comrades to conduct an investigation; they have the ability but are easy to manage

I don't trust the Ministry in the first place, I felt their incompetence keenly during Mel's route they left dealing with the chaos caused by the villain to just Liz and Mel, while they were in charge of arresting the incapacitated villain who had already lost the will to fight! she was not even a Prefect but just a provisional student at that time!

I'll guess Zeus, immediately protests, saying like "What?! The leader should be someone like me!!" or something Hiro, makes a singular strike, just staring into space with that office worker face again Al and Cae, watches Klaus and Zeus arguing Remb, stops them

the heck zz Remb is so good at handling him

Anyway, Klaus announced that the investigation plan would begin when everyone gathered at the library after school tomorrow, and declared to disperse.

what can I say Remb seems like just an NPC who presents quests (with a lot of suspicious flavor added) until now

And they walked down the path.

a Prefect's perspective, you say… say, can't you tell her about the Prefect stuff? like the first time you being a Prefect, the first lecture you made… it's unreasonable to expect a decent answer to such a question from Zeus and Hiro, and she might be able to hear such things to Al or Cae, but I want to hear the story of someone who has already finished his job as a Prefect!

by the way, the thief… could the culprit be related to the person who controlled the Minotaur? although there's absolutely no evidence, there must be a villain that related to all of S6…

what's that

huh so it's not just a petty thief?

Anyway, as Liz telled him that she wanted to see it, Klaus raised up his wand, adding that the spell was quite peculiar.

? what

Then he told Liz to come closer.

ooh… this is lucky sukebe now I'm used to this now, cliche cliche

woah what's this conclusion what's this conclusion skipping too much of this intermediate process are you out of your mind ? ?

After a while, he mumbled something and she opened her eyes again.

erm hey you erm what are you what's wrong with her…

Anyway, Klaus told her to look at the moon, and when Liz followed his instruction, the scenery she saw was…

oh… quite a sight to see this is something I want to see in real life

anyway, something is steadily piling up their emotional arc revolves around the question of whether their feelings are merely a bond between seniors and juniors or if it truly involves affection and love? but it seems like their level of intimacy is already full

While she was looking at the scenery, they had already arrived at the dorm.

I have a question though where is Klaus staying now? since he is here as a member of the Ministry, has the Ministry provided him with accommodations? that red-haired guy is living in a building in front of the academy, I wonder if Klaus is staying around there too

Shall we "allure"?

tch it's no use let's go to bed

not happening! you're late!! I'll make her go and sleep

eh what can I say I feel like I get why he's so popular? he has a personality that works very well in romantic works besides he's way much sweeter than K1 route hmm,,

He broke the spell on her and left again… At least she (and I) expected that.

what wait wait stop shortening the distance that suddenly what are you doing it's still Ch2 so it can't be a kiss, then what is it hey,,,?

huh what does it imply what's… this… that guy just did "allure" erm… is this right

-Ch2 End-

[hanmi-xo]

CHAPTER 11: "Tell Me"

| My Happiness | Chapter List |

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I sat at the the living room with my notes scattered across the soban. I had an upcoming exam tomorrow, and I have been studying since I got home.

[Soban - Korean short tray table]

I can hear Suyeong on the phone with her friends in the kitchen while Sujun played video games in our room. Though our parents aren't around often, it was times like these that I did enjoy. We didn't have to hear them talk about money or complain about my siblings and I. We could be ourselves without them breathing down our necks.

They always hogged the living room, and they would often smoke. The scent would be strong after they leave the house. It was always annoyed to deal with, and I hated the smell of it. I always left the window open so we would have some air.

"Unnie! Did your boss say we can work at the restaurant!?" I can hear Suyeong call out to me.

I turned around to look at her. She was holding her phone up so the mic would be near her lips. In another hand she was holding metal chopstick. I want to assume her friends were asking about the possible job offer she was getting.

"Junhui told me that Mister Choi should be contacting me about it before the end of next week since he's considering it. Sujun just needs his work permit," I tell her.

I watched as her face narrowed before her eyes went to our bedroom door. We could hear Sujun yelling about needing heals towards his friends who probably were on his headset.

"What a dumbass," she says before talking towards her friend. "Minha, I think I'll get the job, but my dumb bother needs his work permit."

She turned back around while she continued her conversation with her friend. I looked back at my notes and textbook that laid in front of me. I thought back about the two boys that randomly appeared at the restaurant.

They both seemed more quiet than usual, but their friend on the other hand was very friendly and more enthusiastic than Chan. It was strange. I want to believe that they're probably tired and probably were surprised seeing me.

Then again, I wouldn't know.

I feel kind of bad not telling them about my job, but then again, a conversation about it never came up.

I don't even know if we're friends anyways.

It would be weird if I asked them. I'll just leave things be, I guess.

I don't want to think about it anymore. I already have an exam that I almost forgot about.

I should worry more about school than those two boys.

~

I sat in the lecture hall with tired eyes. I ended up sleeping at 3am and waking up at 6am to get ready for school. I would have pulled an all nighter, but I knew some sleep would be better than none.

"Hey, are you okay, Subin?" Chan asked me. He had a worried expression.

He came up to me with a hooded denim jacket before sitting next to me. He seemed like his usual self. I greeted him with a forced smile. I didn't want him to see me tired.

"I'm good," I lied.

He stared at me with brows low.

"Don't worry about it," I say. "I'm fine."

I didn't need him worrying about me. It'll only make me feel bad.

"Are you sure?" His words were soft as his expression.

I nodded my head while I tried to keep my eyes awake. "Yeah."

He hummed as though he'll set aside his worries towards me. I turned away so I can look back at my notes before our professor arrives.

Once I finish my exam for the next class, I'll be able to sleep. I just need to stay awake a little longer.

I closed my eyes to let them rest for a moment. I just need to get through class.

~

As I walked into outside towards the library, I saw Hansol in a distance. We locked eyes for a split second but it was like he didn't see me.

He began to walk a different direction like he was in a hurry. It was odd since he usually bothers me so he can accompany me to the library.

I guess from the way he's walking, he probably had to do something. Oh well, that just meant I'll actually have some me time. More study time and less noise.

I don't wanna deal with Hansol. He'll probably just bother me because he'll think it's funny or something.

I'll probably just see him around some other time.

~

I felt a rush of anxiety hit me. I don't know if I did well in the exam since there were questions that weren't on the study pack.

Calculus 1 shouldn't have to be this hard, but here I was struggling.

I walked out of the lecture hall with so much defeat. If I didn't pass the exam I knew how badly it would affect my grade.

I didn't want to think too much about it, but I couldn't help but feel like I already lost.

"Subin!" I heard Chan's voice grow closer to me.

I turned around and found myself outside. The sky has grown dark and I felt a rush of wind hit me.

When did I get out here?

I looked at Chan who was behind me. He looked a bit out of breath like he was trying to catch up to me. How long was he following me?

Chan had his hood on and he seemed somewhat surprised and concerned. Was he calling my name earlier?

I don't remember.

"Oh... sorry I didn't hear you," I apologize. My voice came out rather weak.

He lowered his brows at me. "I know I shouldn't meddle, but if there's something bothering you- you can always talk to me."

He sounded stern. He was acting as if I was going to die. He must be thinking I'm going through a terrible crisis, but little did he know it was just an exam.

Plus a bit of lack of sleep.

I felt a tickling feeling inside me. I couldn't help but smile from how worried he looked.

I wanted to tell him that everything was okay, but it's obvious by now that he can see though my lie. Like who am I kidding? It felt like something swallowed me and spat me out.

"I just did an exam," I mutter.

I didn't like how he was worried, but it also made me happy seeing how he is concerned about me.

His eyes grew wide. "An exam?"

"Yeah." I pulled my hood over my head. I didn't like how the wind kept messing with my hair. Plus, my cheeks felt so cold. I forgot to bring a mask. "The grades are supposed to come in next month since my professor will be grading them over the weekend."

"Ah," he said. It was like realization hit him. He smiled in relief without losing eye contact with me. "I'm sure you did fine. You did study right? It's not the end of the world."

I felt myself grow soft. He was trying to lighten the mood. I hid the smile that was forming on my lips and avoided his eyes. He came to my side and began to walk down the pavement. I knew where he might be heading and I followed after him.

I watched as he put his black face mask on. It was strange how he looked different without it. I know I shouldn't be admiring his features, but I couldn't help it.

He seemed different today. I'm not sure what it is, but it wasn't bad nor was it good. It was like he's been thinking of something, but I couldn't tell.

"Chan," I called out to him.

He hummed in response before looking back at me.

"You don't have to worry about me," I tell him.

His brows narrowed towards me. I looked ahead to avoid his sharp eyes.

"It makes me feel bad..." I half whisper.

It was nice, but it also wasn't. Chan always made me feel good inside but whenever I'm near him, it felt like I was taking that smile away from him. I didn't like it.

"Let... let me worry..."

I turned around to look at him. Did I hear that correctly?

He was looking ahead, but I couldn't see his face. Was he also avoiding my eyes like how I was with him?

"Chan," I called out to him. My eyes never left his figure.

He hesitantly looked over at me. His eyes glistened from the lamp posts. It was like his eyes showed sincerity.

I stared at those orbs. His eyes were always smiling or worried with me, but these were the few times they were different.

It was like that time in the library when he gave me a napkin.

I felt my gut flutter. The things he does to me. I don't know how he does it. He's just too... pure.

He stopped walking as so did I.

"Why?" I ask him.

I wanted to know. Does he worry about me because he knew me since we were little? Or was it because he worried like he did with everyone else?

Was Hansol telling me the truth about Chan? Does Chan actually like me?

Are we even friends?

A part of me wish I didn't ask him, but I also wanted to know.

Chan's eyes looked deeply into mine before wavering away. He looked down. He seemed to be looking for the right words to say.

"Because..." he says. His soft came out almost a whisper.

"Because?" I repeated after him.

His eyes wandered for a second before looking back into mine. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

It was like he was lost for words. He seemed nervous and anxious as I was.

What was he going to say? Is he scared of how I may react?

Are we not friends after all...

I felt my heart begin to hurt. Maybe I shouldn't have asked. Maybe he just saw me like he did with every other person he met before. We never did talk before college.

So why would he suddenly care now?

He has plenty of friends. So why bother with me?

"Never mind," I mutter.

I turned around with low eyes. I couldn't look at him. Not with the way I was feeling. I was a fool to think someone like him would actually like me.

Hansol, did you lie to me? Was this some sort of sick joke?

Memories of middle school flashed before me. Was this all for the moment? Was this all a lie?

I felt my forearm get tugged. I turned around to look at the culprit.

Chan stood behind me with narrow brows. Never have I seen this expression on him before. He looked scared, nervous, but also lost.

"Subin," he says my name. His voice was stern yet soft.

I stared at him- waiting for what he has to say. His grip remained on my forearm. He didn't want me to go.

"I-" he said. His eyes wavered for a moment.

I felt my heart begin to shake. It was like I was going to explode from anxiety. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes before look at me. He was trying to gain courage.

"I like you."

• • •

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