#bts interior designers is something i never knew i needed

[purplesurveys]

1850

1 - When was the last time it snowed where you live? Do you like snowy weather or is it just a pain? Uh... Anyway, cold weather is definitely preferred. We're reaching high 40s now and will still go up to the 50s in May, and it is not only uncomfortable but also starting to get very inconvenient.

2 - Are you expecting any parcels in the mail right now? Not for a while. I ordered J-Hope's album but was already informed in advance that I probably won't get it until June since my shop ships stuff from Korea in bulk. Which is fine. With BTS on hiatus I've considerably calmed down when it comes to merch lol.

3 - How long is it until your birthday? Do you have any plans for the day? Like, 363 days haha. I just celebrated my 26th last Sunday, and all I did was watch a Spongebob movie with my sister in the morning, slept all afternoon, then went to my favorite hotel buffet for dinner with my family.

4 - What was the last thing you had to drink? Coffee. The Spanish latte I got tonight had a cracked lid so my jeans are now all soaked.

5 - Do you need to do any laundry right now? Yup.

6 - Who was the last person you got a notification from on social media? Is this person a close friend of yours? That would Alex, just a dude related to work. No, I wouldn't call him a friend but he is genuinely one of the nicest people I know.

7 - Do you regularly buy things on credit? If so, how much do you owe on credit cards right now? No. I got a surprise credit card in the mail a few weeks ago (I say 'surprise' because apparently I said yes when I got surveyed years ago...? then I just forgot about it I guess LOL), but I absolutely refuse to use it. It's not even activated yet. I don't want to form a habit around paying things on credit.

8 - When was the last time you got a call from an unknown number? Did you answer or call them back? Can't be bothered to check when exactly, but I know it was a few weeks ago. I probably answered it because at the time I knew it would be someone work-related calling.

9 - When was the last time you got off work early? What was the reason and did you do anything fun with your extra free time? I don't do that, I always do the full 8 hours. Earlier this month though I did file a morning leave to attend a watch party for Wrestlemania.

10 -  What do you typically eat for Christmas Dinner? Are you the one who cooks or does a family member do the cooking? My family is never consistent when it comes to Christmas spreads lmao, it's always different meals every year! For the longest time it was my mom and grandma who did the cooking; but now that I could afford to treat my family (and can't cook hah) I buy platters and trays of all kinds of stuff so that everyone can get what they want.

11 - What time did you wake up this morning? Did you get out of bed right away? I needed to wake up earlier since I already had a meeting scheduled for 9 AM. I think I started to wake up around 7:30.

12 - Do you have any plans for the weekend? Are these plans typical for a weekend or are you doing something different? Saturday will be for rest as I have back to back events on Sunday. I'd say at this point it is pretty typical for work to eat up what little free time I have - it also comes with the higher role - but I'm hopeful this phase would stop soon. I have no weekend events booked yet for May onwards so that's looking like a good sign.

13 - Would you like to work a job that involves going in and out of other people’s homes all day? (Like care work, painter, decorated etc.) That'd be cool, but I wouldn't know what kind of related job would fit me best. I did always have an interest in interior design – I like trying to look into people's living rooms when we drive by them in the village (but tbh this is also because I live around rich people and they all have super big minimalist mansions lol), and when I was younger all I wanted to do in GTA was to have a cheat code that would let me in people's homes lmao.

14 - When was the last time you had an injury? Was it a minor cut/scrape or something more serious? What happened? Sprained my ankle two years ago. I had one drink too many and ended up tripping in a bad way over some steps on my birthday, hehe... 15 - Do you ever watch movies or TV shows that require you to read subtitles? I mean I like having subtitles around in general. It's obviously helpful when watching foreign-language shows/movies, but even for English I prefer having them turned on because I hate it when actors mumble or have too-thick accents.

16 - What accents are your favourite? Don't have any.

17 - How many people have you texted today? Are these people friends, family members or something else? People I've messaged today, outside of work, would be Angela, Lei, my mom, and sister. 3 out of 4 of these people are family.

18 - Are you any good at DIY? What was the last DIY project you finished? I'm not good at any DIY or arts or crafts, period.

19 - When was the last time you had a haircut? When was the last time you dyed your hair (if you ever have)? Hair cut: Year and a half ago. Dye: Around six months ago.

20 - Do you prefer wearing tight-fitting or loose-fitting clothes? I prefer the baggy/oversized fit now.

21 - Are you currently warm, cold or just right? Is the heating or air conditioning on to contribute to that feeling? I'm quite warm, but it's not as bad as the TERRIBLE weather earlier today. It's evening so it's a lot more manageable, but that's not to say I've stopped sweating because I still fucking am.

22 - What was the last piece of good news you received? Was it expected? Pharmacist licensure exam results came out today and I saw that my cousin passed. Yes, I always knew she was going to kill it.

23 - What colour socks are you wearing right now? Maroon.

24 - Do you prefer hot coffee or iced coffee? What about hot tea or iced tea? Iced coffee, iced tea.

25 - What are some of your favourite Christmas songs? What time of year do you start listening to Christmas music? Christmas Love by Jimin :) Kelly Clarkson also has that bubbly song but I'm blanking out on the title. I usually start to listen around the 2nd week of December, then go into overdrive between the 24th and 25th haha.

26 - If you see cats wandering about in the street, do you stop and fuss them? No.

27 - Speaking of cats, do you own a cat? Are they a particular breed or just a moggie? Would you ever want a specific breed of cat at all? No.

28 - When was the last time you moved furniture around to clean behind or underneath it? Do you need someone’s help in order to do that? Just a few weeks ago. No, it's just a decorative chair in the living room so it's easy to move around.

29 - Do you have any medications that you need to take daily? Is this something you’re going to have to do for the rest of your life? I don't.

30 - Do you know how to start an open fire and keep it burning without using loads of wood? Is this a skill you use on a regular basis at all? I don't know how to start fire.

[joonsbees]

run bts episode 148: a moodboard

[lemon-boy-stan]

SINGULARITY

summary: a millennium ago, your heart was broken by the only boy who loved you. a forever later, his heart was broken by the only girl he ever loved. genre: angst, vampire and witch!au (y/n is a witch). warnings: none, heartbreak. a/n: listen to/loop ‘singularity’ while reading.

The old birch door swung open with a creak, the rusted sign clattering in the eerie wind. You sighed. This place was old, and there might not be any Wi-Fi here. But it was your only shot at getting a good night’s sleep without the possibility of  being murdered or robbed.

The empty road was dangerous at night and you were almost out of fuel, deserted in the middle of nowhere, miles away from Seoul. It was spooky so quiet. 

There was a soft ring as the door shut and a different kind of ambience filled the velveteen walls with a ghostly light and you felt at home. A pale woman with a hunched back and greying hair appeared at the front desk - which was also birch. Birch and rusting. Like the wood was so old it rusted like metal. 

A cold breeze blew and the lady frowned, raising up her tortoiseshell glasses to her face. “We haven’t had any visitors for a long time... especially since... gosh, it’s been a while. He’ll be very happy, yes, you do look quite like her. Perhaps... perhaps the time has come... a millennium, she said... perhaps it is now time for me to rest... if only...” she appeared to be talking to herself.

You took a step back. You didn’t like this place as much as you originally did. It wasn’t as fancy, more scary. It didn’t help that the woman was really, really creepy, either. 

Despite your discomfort, the lady smiled, clearing her throat, the attention of her gazed eyes turning to you. “But of course, it’s far too dangerous for you to stay outside! Especially not at night...” she shivered, like she’d been reading your earlier thoughts. 

“Follow me, dear, there’s a room down the hall. Unfortunately, you will have to share, as the other six have been occupied for quite a long time, if I do say so myself...” she chuckled at her own joke, though you didn’t really understand it. The place looked kind of empty. “We can move your things inside once you’ve settled in.”

“Oh, no,” you interrupted her quickly, “thank you, but I’ll just be staying overnight.” you might not even stay the whole night. You’d probably find a way to sneak out later without offending the old woman, she looked lonely.

The lady chuckled sadly, “that’s what they all say, isn’t it? He always lures them here, looking for her. Poor man. Feasts on all those pretty girls. In and never out, just like clockwork. Leaves the rest for his hyungs. You’re different, though. Perhaps there is something about you, he might like, hmm? I wish you farewell and good luck, dear, this is your stop. I hope you enjoy reading.” with a tilt of her hand she waved, and then she was gone.

The door swung open by itself, whistling in the air. It was pretty spooky, and it wasn’t even Halloween yet, it was May, but the interior designers obviously didn’t think so. 

The Victorian walls were laced with black swirls that looked like cobwebs. The mirror on said wall was round and coloured an ominous black shade. The bed was black and ghastly, with black and red sheets. Above it hung a black clock that seemed to be broken. 

You checked yours, and it appeared to have stopped as well. You clicked your phone but the screen remained dark. You began to back out of the room, instincts shouting danger. The door slammed shut. The candles, scattered all over the room in black mantles, flickered, their flames swaying in the breeze as a lump formed in your throat. Whoever was here was trying to scare you, and it was working.

“Aren’t you a pretty little thing?” a thick, chocolatey, hollow voice oozed out with warmth, making you jump. The voice chuckled at your surprise obnoxiously. You turned to the corner of the room, where a man with dark hair, pale skin and a ruffled white collar sat at a writing desk, returning his fountain pen to the pot of ink. 

The beautiful man smiled, getting up. “Chaewong really outdid herself this time...” he murmured the words quietly, taking a step forwards, approaching you carefully. “What a brilliant witch she is, hmm?” the woman at the front desk was a witch? Now, that didn’t make any sense. 

“Am I high?” you didn’t mean to say. The man glared at you and you were afraid you’d offended him but thankfully, he sighed, uncrossing his arms. 

“Your generation... you’re all so naïve.” he scoffed at his own words, prancing around you like a predator stalking his prey; as if he were some kind of higher power. You frowned. What did he mean, ‘your generation’? You were the same age as he was, if not a few months younger. Anyone could tell. 

“Look,” you went with your guts. “I get that this is a joke. So, you got your eomma into it somehow, and got a bit of technology for it, too. I gotta say, great job on the set. But this is getting really creepy, and I just really need a place to stay. I don’t mind sharing a room with you, but if you don’t mind just backing off for a bit -” 

Your own eomma had always said you were bad at choosing words of speech. The man growled before huffing and uncrossing his arms again. “You always were the same, weren’t you? Stubborn. Forgetful. Ignorant.” he laughed at forgetful and you clenched your fists; you really didn’t like this guy’s vibe.

“Alright, that’s it. I’m going to call the police. You’re going to jail for harassment. See here? I’m going to call the police on you.” you wove your phone around even though you’d been having trouble turning it on. 

The man sighed sadly, “that won’t work.” he hung his head low, sniffing. The voice that dripped confidence now dripped misery. “I’m sorry, Y/N... I learnt my lesson. I really did. I love you forever. I didn’t mean to court her. I only ever wanted you; only you.”

“How do you know who I am?” these serial killers were dangerous on a whole new level. The black-haired man sighed, pushing back his dark locks. “Magic doesn’t stop time,” he murmured sadly, “but love does.” He stepped closer, hoping, praying, that you recognised those words. All you recognised, however, was that you needed to get out of here, and fast.

“Magic always came with a price,” the man continued on, “but you won’t remember that.” you felt sorry for him, perhaps he had a bad case of amnesia. “You’re the one under a memeory spell! Your own, if I do recall.” could everyone here read your thoughts? “Yes,” he crossed his arms, “yes, we can.”

“‘We’?” you thought out loud. The tall man grumbled loudly. “You used to know them. And it’s your fault you forgot them. They are members of our kingdom’s court.” now he was talking nonsense. “I am not talking nonsense,” he retorted, “merely the truth. You knew them, once, and you left them. But nevermind that. You’re here now, and right now all that really matters, is us. You and I, together again.” 

He advanced, and before you could object, hooked an arm around your waist, and placed a kiss on your lips. You gasped, but not from the kiss.  A white light flashed through your mind at an instant; a thousand memories tumbling into you all at once, pouring the heart back into your soul.

The boys at the palace were brats. They had you set the table only for them to mess it up again. They would send you to fetch things, only for them to tell you to return them shortly after. You went to school, hoping to make friends, only for them to have spread a rumor about you weeks before.

They did get better throughout the years, though, and began treating you as an equal. As their friend. And you didn’t mind, being the only girl in a group of eight. You liked it. 

But you liked one of them in particular, more than the rest. He was kind, quiet, beautiful, and he felt absolutely heavenly. His soft voice always sung you to sleep. His warm heart always comforted your broken one. He was the closest that you’d ever been to someone. He was -

“Kim Taehyung.” you spoke into the breath, gasping out the tears. You felt like someone had torn you open, pulled out your heart, thrown it away for years, only for you to find it again. “I’m sorry,” he choked, “I didn’t mean to. She. I was helpless, she...” only to find it broken again. “Please, please forgive me.” the words stung. “You let her,” your voice broke, “you let her make you a monster.” Taehyung flinched at your words.

“She made me,” he insisted, still holding you tight. “She made me. I couldn’t let her get to you, I couldn’t. I couldn’t let her turn you into...” he choked again, “into what I am.” 

Suddenly cold, you turned around, back facing him, taking a step forwards. “No!” his voice towered through the walls. Chairs and tables worked together to form a barrier that trapped you in with him. “Please,” his thick voice was shaky, “please let me love you.”

A single tear bit your cheek on its way down. That was as much as you would allow yourself over this man. He’d broken your heart one too many times. “I’m sorry, Taehyung,” you shook your head, shaking silently with tears. “But I love you too much.” 

He moaned with such misery that you wanted to break down and cry on him, just like you used to all those years ago. “At least break the curse,” he pleaded, “none of those girls are anything compared to you.” your heart screamed at you. Your lip trembled, “it’s already broken.” you knew he was frowning, “true love’s kiss.”

BTS MASTERLIST // TXT MASTERLIST

[tataswish]

❝   familiarity  /  one.

━   ♡ ・  paring:  kim taehyung x reader. ━   ♡ ・  genre:  soulmate!au, non idol!au, fluff (with a little angst!). ━   ♡ ・  word count:  2.7k.   ━   ♡ ・  summary:  you didn’t believe in soulmates. once. that all changed when you met yours; all thanks to one little drawing.

author’s note:  hi! i haven’t written in a while so excuse the small mistakes, but i hope you enjoy! if you’ve played bts world before, some of the stuff in this chapter might seem a little... familiar (no pun intented). i also plan to have the reader be connected to every member somehow in this fic, so they will come soon! hope you all enjoy, feedback is always appreciated. <3

“Shit,” you murmured under your breath, glancing at the rows of baked dough that were left in the oven for a little too long. Rather than its usual glossy, golden brown finish—it was dull, and… sad.

It’s been almost a year since you’ve been miraculously hired as the pastry chef’s assistant at Hotel Mudrin. You say miraculously, because even without any sort of culinary knowledge outside of cooking shows, you still managed to land the job. The chef was somehow impressed by the basic strawberry pancake dish you presented during your interview, and instantly saw growth potential in you.

That was also when you met your best friend, Seokjin. He was a newly hired intern at the time, and with the two of you being the only staff members in the hotel within the same age bracket, it didn’t take that much time for a bond to form. Seokjin was always getting into trouble by his boss Mr. Im, because to him, this intern could never do anything right. But with you there, you were able to lend a helping hand when tasks got a little too overwhelming—and things got a little easier from there. You and Seokjin began to spend time together on and off the clock since.

You weren’t sure if it was the adrenaline or the mixture of raging hormones from being together, but the two of you decided to give dating a shot not too long after. It lasted for a solid two months—and while it had to come to an end, you both concluded that you were happier as friends.

And it was true. You and Seokjin have been inseparable since.

“____,” you heard the head chef call out your name, which instantly reeled you back to reality. Glancing down at the burnt dough on the tray, you felt a surge of warmth rush through your cheeks, knowing that you were about to be scolded at any second. “Are you okay? Ever since you came back from your lunch break, something’s been off.”

“No chef, nothing’s wrong,” you lied, walking over to the nearby garbage can to throw the current batch of dough away. A reassuring smile soon formed across your lips. “Just tired.”

If it wasn’t for you spiraling during your lunch break after Seokjin had left, maybe you would be in a better head space. But of course, spending the last ten minutes of break thinking about what went wrong in all of your relationships didn’t exactly help anyone at all.

The head chef could see through your lies too. And rather than questioning it, he only continued piping cream on the freshly cooled pastries on his side of the counter. “Maybe you need some fresh air,” he added with a shrug of his shoulders, eyes concentrated on his work. It was evident he was still invested in the conversation with you, though. “There should be a shipment of mangoes coming in in about twenty minutes, do you mind bringing those boxes in here? Take all the time you need. I’ll work on making another batch of dough.”

“I can make the dough, chef!” you tried to protest, mostly as a way to convince your boss that you weren’t feeling too off (when in reality, you were). “It’s okay, the mangoes can wait.”

As you were about to reach for the measuring cups in a nearby counter top, you were met with a look from the chef that clearly said: Go get some fresh air. Now.

So, rather than questioning it, you did.

After washing your hands and hanging your apron by the door, you made your way outside of the kitchen and into the main hallways of the hotel. It was emptier than usual—mostly because it was a weekday afternoon, and the guests who were staying at the hotel were out. It was also the midst of October, and the influx of guests don’t usually start to come in until around Christmas-time. Which was fine, because you weren’t met with the stress of having to make hundreds of fruit tarts in a span of an hour. Instead, you were able to step out and take a small stroll, which was always nice.

Upon exiting the area where the stairs were (staff weren’t allowed to use the elevators, per Mr. Im’s orders), you finally arrived at the ground floor. You always felt so out of place in the main lobby, with or without your work uniform. With the spacious area matched with gray marble flooring and sleek interior design, it was never a place you imagined yourself staying in. Only the richest of the rich could afford even one night in this place, and you? Couldn’t even afford a proper meal for dinner on some days. Hotel Mudrin was known to be a hub for millionaires, celebrities, or rich families alike—not for struggling university graduates like yourself.

But sometimes, it was nice to dream.

Quietly humming to a tune of a song you heard in the radio earlier this morning, you casually strolled through the floor, making your way towards the back door where the shipments would be. The subtle smell of lemon from the newly mopped floors was an odd favorite of yours. From time to time you’d flash a friendly smile towards the guests or staff members you’d pass by. But before you could exit through the back and meet with the shipment truck, you decided to take a small pit stop to the front desk and say hi to your best friend.

“Dude,” you began the minute you saw Seokjin behind the front desk. His eyes were on the computer screen in front of him, typing and clicking away, but you knew him well enough to know that he was probably playing a game of Minesweeper like he always does. Crossed arms resting on the desk, you then rest your chin on them as your eyes look up to your friend on the other side of the counter. “Remember when I wanted to cry because I realized I’ll probably be single and alone forever? Well my boss—”

As you continued to ramble on, Seokjin’s eyes finally met with yours. They weren’t eyes that meant he was ready to listen to you vent, no… they were wide. Like he was in a state of shock.

He quickly began to shake his head, which caused you to raise an eyebrow in slight confusion. Did he want you to stop talking? Shut up? Right as you were about to say something though, his lips began to mouth the words ‘I’m busy’ over and over again.

That was when you knew, you fucked up.

The truth was, Seokjin was still busy tending to a guest, and you interrupted him actually working. Turning around, you briefly spotted the guest he’s been helping, and god—it was obvious by the look of your face that you had just embarrassed yourself into the next century.

“Sorry sir!” you apologized quickly, heat beginning to rush through your cheeks while you bowed for the hundredth time in the span of thirty seconds. Rather than making proper eye contact like any normal person would, your view was glued to the floor. “I honestly didn’t see you, and I know I should’ve, but—”

“It’s okay! Don’t worry about it,” he soon interrupted by providing reassurance. Once you heard a string of laughter from his end, you knew that he was understanding enough of the situation. “I get it.”

While you still couldn’t find the strength to really look him in the eye, you only returned with a sheepish laugh. It wasn’t every day you found yourself acting like a complete fool in front of a hotel guest (that was more of Seokjin’s speed in all honesty), so you didn’t exactly know how to fix the situation. Instead, you ended up sitting there in silence until Seokjin rescued the conversation.

“Alright!” he chimed in with the clasp of his hands, which was obviously your cue to slowly walk away. “You’re all checked in until the 31st, Mr. Kim. Let me grab your bags and take you to your suite.”

As you were about to leave, of course, you couldn’t go without embarrassing yourself one last time. Just as you were about to make a beeline towards the break room—also known as the place you were going to scream in—you managed to bump into this guest in full force.  

Looking up, you finally had the chance to take a good glimpse of the person in front of you. He was tall, muscular, with ash blond hair that was parted in the center. His almond eyes were practically gleaming behind his silver frames, and it paired well with the two dimples perfectly placed on each cheek.

In other words, he was gorgeous. And completely out of your league. Which is probably another reason why you were feeling flustered beyond belief at this very moment.

“Are you okay?” he asked softly. It felt like a movie—with both of his hands gently placed on each of your arms to provide support, gentle eyes locked on yours. You could’ve sworn you felt your heart stop, whether if it’s from being embarrassed or… swooned, even.

Swallowing thickly, you managed to let out a small “yeah,” before fixing your stance. He eventually let go, and the two of you were able to laugh it off for a little. “But are you okay, sir?”

“Didn’t even hurt,” he reassured, flashing that smile that accentuated his dimples really well. An open then was reached out as an offer. “You can call me Namjoon. Do you work here?”

But before you could even keep the conversation going, of course, Seokjin had to butt in. Literally. “Let me help you with that, Mr. Kim,” he urged with a friendly, yet painful smile as he walked in between you and Namjoon. He then reached down to pick up the leather suitcase that was sitting right beside the guest’s leg. Eventually, Namjoon had to retract his hand.

You took it as your cue to leave, so you excused yourself from the two without saying goodbye.

Thankfully there wasn’t anyone in the break room to look at you quietly take a moment to freak out over what just happened. If Namjoon wasn’t so good-looking and one hundred percent your type on paper, maybe you would’ve shrugged the interaction off by now. But you kept thinking over and over about how you were going to run into him again in one way or another—especially since he plans on staying at the hotel for over three weeks. All he had to do is walk into the hotel’s dining area to have dinner, and you’d be there. Not even as you off the job, but you in that stupid apron and chef’s hat.

Head dug into your arms as you leaned on the table, you tried to think of something—anything to get your mind off of what just happened. Letting out a deep exhale, you decided to take your phone out of your pocket and scroll through your e-mails. The first thing that caught your attention was an opened one, the one you received from that psychic about your soulmate.

Your soulmate is a man who is hard-working and bright, he will constantly continue to prove that he can be trusted and counted on by your friends and family…

Your eyes continued to read through the reading the photo was attached to, which was oddly comforting. To know that there was someone out there who could potentially be everything you’re looking for.

He is understanding, forgiving and respectful, even when you sometimes make mistakes…

Deciding to skim through the rest of the reading, you opened up that picture once again. You couldn’t help but notice something you didn’t the first time you saw it, and that was the small details on his facial features. He has three beauty marks: one sitting on the bottom of his eye, on his cheek, and one placed perfectly on the tip of his nose. You could’ve sworn those weren’t there before.

“And I thought I was the one who’s always the embarrassment at work,” you heard the familiar voice barge inside the break room, which obviously belonged to Seokjin. He walked over to where you were sitting and rested his chin on the top of your head, arms dangling from each side of your shoulders. “Jesus Christ bubs, you were a mess out there.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” you murmured grumpily, placing your phone back in your pocket. “Do you think he’s going to tell Mr. Im? I can’t be blacklisted from this place, I need my job.”

Seokjin only laughed. “Stop being so dramatic. He seems too nice to do that.” Shaking his head, he sighed. “Plus, I’m eighty-five percent sure he was hitting on you.”

“Ha ha, very funny,” you retorted while rolling your eyes. “As if he found my dirty uniform and the flour in my hair sexy.”

“You’re right, there’s nothing sexy about you,” he playfully joked back, which made you elbow him in the stomach. And all he did was laugh after. “What are you doing out here, anyway? Aren’t you supposed to be helping Chef Seong making those pies for tonight’s desserts?”

You sighed, nodding your head in response. “I’m supposed to be bringing a shipment of mangoes in from the back. Are you on your break? Do you want to come help me?”

With your best friend agreeing to accompany you to your trip to get the mangoes, the two of you head out of the break room and towards the back entrance of the hotel. As you opened the door to go outside, you noticed that the truck was already parked in front, with a few boxes of mangoes neatly stacked on top of one another. So, you decided to get to work and grabbed the first two boxes you see.

“Are these all of it?” you heard Seokjin ask (possibly the driver of the truck). You couldn’t really see, because the boxes were obstructing your view.

“There’s two more left,” the other person, who sounded like a man, replied. “Let me get those out.”

You made about two rounds in and out of the hotel before all of the boxes outside were brought in. Seokjin had to do the absolutely most as usual bringing way more boxes in than he could carry, and while he tried to play it cool as much as possible, you could tell he was struggling. His trembling arms were a clear tell that he could drop everything at given moment.

“Are you sure you don’t need any help?” you asked him, trying to suppress the laughter bubbling inside you.

“Does it look like I need your help?” Seokjin scoffed, which only made it harder to keep your laughter in. He couldn’t even look at you as he tried walking inside, because he was far too concentrated in keeping all of the mangoes inside these boxes. “Go away, you’re distracting me and my strength.”

As he continued to carry the boxes inside, you watched a couple of mangoes fall out and roll on the ground in front of you. He didn’t even seem to notice, because he kept walking. You only shook your head before bending down to quickly pick them up before they get too dirty.

Assuming that you’ve picked everything off the ground, you stood up and tried to catch up to Seokjin, who was already by the door. But rather than joining him, you were stopped. “Excuse me, miss!” you heard the foreign voice enter your ears. “You forgot these!”

You turned around to grab the mangoes out of the driver’s hands. “Thank you,” you replied with a soft smile. “Sorry about my friend, he’s—”

When you looked up to meet his gaze, it was as if what you were about to say next was thrown at the window. The person standing in front of you looked familiar. Even with the brim of his large straw hat hovering over his eyes, you could clearly see the prominent beauty marks on his features that resembled the ones of your soulmate in that one drawing.

It was him. It had to be.

[thebiasrekkers]

Make It Right [BTS Mafia!AU]

Plot: “It’s always darkest before the dawn…” It’s a dog-eat-dog world in Seoul, South Korea. One has to dwell in the shadows in order to reach for the light. What are you willing to sacrifice in order to feel the sunlight on your face? What will it take to drag you back into darkness? How long will the journey be to make it right?

Rating: NC-17 // NSFW

Genre: Series | Mafia!AU | Crime!AU | Angst | Romance/Fluff | Smut

Pairings: Jin x OC | Taehyung/Hoseok x OC | Yoongi/Jungkook x OC

Warnings: Graphic Violence, Heavy Language, Angst, Slow Burn, Smut

Previous Chapters: Prologue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39

Links: FAQ || BTS Masterlist || Admin E’s AO3 || Admin E’s WP || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

Word Count: 3,006

Tag List: @prisczero​, @pinkpjmin​, @btsaudge​, @flowerwrites06​, @unoriginal-username15432, @halussali​

Chapter 39: Not Today

“Today we’ll never die. The light will pierce through the darkness.”

© thebiasrekkers (Admin E). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

Seoul – Myeongdong; Jung District South Korea

It was the calm before the storm.

Hoseok could feel it in his bones to the point where he swore that they creaked with each step he took. He barely heard what Namjoon was telling him as they approached the large building in downtown Myeongdong. He wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince him to change his mind; to postpone this meeting for another day. Or if it was something else entirely. Hoseok was only vaguely aware of the noises on the streets as they passed pedestrians on the path to their destination.

There was too much simmering beneath the surface for him to focus on anything outside of reaching his destination.

When he’d received the call from Taehyung a couple of days ago, Hoseok knew it was time for him to make his move. Yoongi falling ill and being hospitalized, even for a day, should have been the metaphorical straw that broke the camel’s back. Truth be told, Hoseok was in and out of meetings for most of the days during the week and had little time to spare outside of his business practices. Things were starting to look good. Things were finally beginning to take a positive turn, just as they planned.

Even with the instances that the Jade Fangs did show up, they were minor inconveniences at most. Hoseok was made aware of the slight against Eden, Jungkook’s girlfriend. He offered to have her monitored, but at Jungkook’s behest, he didn’t follow through. Eden was apparently a woman who valued her personal life and her privacy. The last thing she wanted was anyone shadowing her unnecessarily, even if it was for her own protection. From what he was told, Eden was also a woman who could more than handle herself if it came to a rough and tumble fight.

Hoseok did not pull his eyes back from Raelyn, even if she was seeing Taehyung now. There was always the chance that something could happen and at a moment when everyone least expected it. If she were ever made aware of it, he would apologize for it later. In this case, it was better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.

Old habits die hard, as they say…

Feet shuffled to a halt as he stood in front of the large building, Namjoon at his side. The two of them looked up at the high-rise, the sun already sinking beyond the horizon and down below the tree lines. The twilight hour was upon them and the world was still just as busy buzzing with life. As it would continue to do for many days to come.

Clearing his throat, he began to move forward – approaching the sliding glass doors. “Let’s go,” he said just as the doors opened to grant them entrance.

Two security guards approached them from either side, causing the two men to stop in the main lobby. Hoseok lofted a brow at each of them and Namjoon shuffled just a little bit closer to him. His tan trench coat hung off his shoulders while he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his pin-striped slacks. Lifting one hand from the pocket, he undid the button on the matching suit jacket as he slid his aviators off his face.

“Im Changkyun is expecting me,” came his even reply as he put the shades into the inner pocket of his jacket, “so be good boys and step aside.”

Hoseok didn’t bother hiding his irritation. He wanted it known that this wasn’t some pleasant little business meeting or a check-in visit. This was nothing of the sort.

This…was personal.

A phone rang at the secretary’s desk, snapping her out of her momentary trance at the small incident that was stirring in the lobby. The two security guards continued to block Hoseok’s path, but then the woman quickly stood from her seat and bowed before hanging up the phone. She clapped her hands to get the guards’ attention.

“Chairman Im said to let them through.”

The guards stood there a little while longer before finally stepping to the side, giving both Hoseok and Namjoon a clear path. They approached the desk where the young woman handed Hoseok a keycard. She bowed in apologies before pointing to the corridor off to the right.

“If you take that hallway, there are sets of elevators. The key card will give you access to the Chairman’s office on the top floor.”

Hoseok flashed her a polite grin, waving the card at her clamped between his fingers. “Thank you.”

And without so much as a second glance, he began heading toward the hallway. Namjoon followed behind him, making sure that the two security guards weren’t intent on doing something stupid. Hoseok didn’t see his friend visibly relax until they were alone in the elevator.

He slid the keycard through the card reader, waiting for the elevator to begin lifting them from the ground floor. When it jerked slightly upon its initial ascent was when Namjoon finally spoke.

“Hoseok-ah? Do you think—”

“Don’t, Namjoon-ah,” he interrupted, staring ahead at their muddied reflections on the elevator’s stainless-steel doors, “not now.”

“We didn’t even discuss this with the others.”

There was concern in Namjoon’s voice, which was well-warranted. It was rare for Hoseok to go rogue. When he did, it was usually something small. He never made moves like this without discussing it with the others first. Seokjin always made it a point to ensure that everyone was on the same page so that none of them could get blind-sided. Strategizing and prioritizing situations before others was what helped the Golden Jackals climb up the ladder of success so quickly. Impulsivity had no place in their lives back then and it shouldn’t have now.

However, this time, Hoseok wanted to be selfish. He’d earned the right to be selfish. He deserved and had every right to be as livid as he was at that moment. Anyone who tried to tell him otherwise was delusional.

“This doesn’t concern them right now.” He cast a sidelong glance to Namjoon, brows furrowing deeply. “Honestly, I don’t even like that you’re with me. You should have stayed in the car like I told you to.”

Namjoon blinked at him, clearly jarred by his words. Or that he’d suddenly grown a second head. “You thought you’d just waltz into Im Changkyun’s business office alone, huh?” He snorted. “Yeah, no. Jin Hyung would have my head and I’m a pretty big fan of it staying attached to my neck.”

Hoseok grinned. “That’s not like you, Namjoon-ah. You’re usually the first one to show your guts.”

“Yeah, well that was then. This is now.”

The elevator dinged softly as they reached their destination. The steel doors slid open slowly, revealing a long hallway with a black and red carpet leading from the elevator to a pair of double doors at the very end of the long stretch. There was someone standing just outside the door, but they were too far away to be made out easily.

Hoseok stepped out and strode forward, Namjoon matching his pace. The closer they got to the end of the hallway, the more the person’s face standing just outside the door came into view. When they were only a couple of yards away, they could now tell it was Shownu. He looked between the two of them, a satisfied smirk etching his features. Hoseok peered up at the man who was older and slightly taller than him. His image from five years ago overlapped his current one and a phantom ache throbbed at Hoseok’s side from when he’d been kicked by the man in the rainstorm.

Shownu politely stood away from the door, gesturing toward it. “He’s waiting for you, Jung Hoseok.”

He nodded, casting his gaze over toward Namjoon. “Wait here.”

Namjoon looked like he was about to protest, but then Shownu placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Let’s get a drink, hm? I’m sure they’re going to have a lot to discuss.”

Again, Namjoon looked reticent. But Hoseok nodded, his earlier expression dissolving into a softer one. He saw his friend blink in surprise. He could only imagine what his face looked like, but it probably reflected an old version of himself he hadn’t shown in quite some time. After a moment, he watched Namjoon sigh before nodding.

“If you need anything, call me.”

Hoseok nodded again. “I will.”

He waited, watching the two men make their way back down the hall. Shownu turned off to the left, entering a room and Namjoon followed. But not before he met his gaze one more time. Hoseok took a breath, promising to apologize to Namjoon later, and opened the doors.

The interior of the office was what Hoseok would have expected. Pristine. Clean. Modern. There was the traditional name plate sitting on top of a black polished desk made of expensive and imported wood. The marbling on the floor was flawless and the furniture held a business design with sectionals surrounding a glass and metal coffee table. Elegant art pieces decorated the walls and off to the right was a large window that overlooked the entire downtown area of Myeongdong from hundreds of feet in the air. A wet bar was situated near the small nook near the back.

Hoseok wasn’t impressed, however. This was to be expected of Im Changkyun, the Wolf of the Jade Fangs. He hadn’t climbed up in the ranks and obtained his title of “leader” if he wasn’t capable of this level of eloquence and prestige. His ambition suited his taste in decorating.

Instead of stepping further inside, he remained near the entrance as the doors closed behind him. Changkyun was seated at his desk, immersed in a book of some sort. The computer monitor was situated, visually, to Hoseok’s right. When their eyes met, Hoseok didn’t smile even though Changkyun did.

“Oh, Hoseok Hyung,” he said, closing the book and sliding it just to the side of him, “welcome. I’ll admit, I was a little surprised when I received your call. It’s not often you take the time to come visit me.”

Hoseok heard the bitter edge to the statement but made no effort to acknowledge it. He gave a slight shrug, remaining where he was until he saw Changkyun slowly rising from his plush leather chair. The wheels shifted along the marble floor and it was in that moment that Hoseok reached behind him to turn the deadbolt on the door – synchronizing it to match the sound of the chair’s movements.

“Your boys have been paying mine little visits here and there,” he said, stepping away from the door, “I figured that I should return the favor.”

Changkyun flashed an open-mouthed grin. “Ah, yes. Yes, they have.” He reached up to brush his dark hair out of his eyes. “Is that the reason for this, Hyung? Are the boys getting in your way?”

Hoseok scoffed. “Hardly.”

“Hmm, well that’s no good. I was hoping that was why.”

Slowly, Hoseok made his way to the left of the sectionals in the center of the office. “Because?”

“Because I’m still trying to figure you out, Hyung. I have questions and you haven’t answered them all yet.”

Changkyun’s words didn’t match his expression. Instead of looking inquisitive, he had the look of a man who appeared to have already won the game. It was a look that Hoseok remembered from many years ago – before the Golden Jackals were formed. Before they truly began to understand what the criminal underworld really looked like.

Before Im Changkyun killed the previous leader of the Jade Fangs in cold blood.

“Then let me give them to you.”

Hoseok’s body moved in a blur – matching the speed of his youth which was fueled by his anger alone. He knew he wasn’t in his twenties anymore. He hadn’t been fighting every day like he had years ago when his brothers and he first arrived in Seoul. Their lives were harder, but they were much simpler back then. When they were happier and driven to reach a future they could all obtain together.

He tapped into that feeling and rushed Changkyun’s desk – his trench coat flying off his shoulders and landing on the ground just as he went airborne. Just like that rainy night five years ago, during the gang war on the streets of Gangnam, he watched Changkyun’s smug look melt away as sudden realization washed over him instead. Hoseok cleared the chair at the head of the coffee table and landed on Changkyun’s desk in a crouch.

Jerking his right arm, the switch blade slid from the sleeve of his jacket and landed in his hand. He flicked the blade free, aiming straight for Changkyun’s neck. However, he knew that this wouldn’t be enough for the leader of the Jade Fangs. There was a reason he’d earned the nickname Wolf all those years ago. And it was because of his primal instincts.

Those very instincts came into play as he reached up to catch Hoseok’s wrist. Changkyun tried to pull his arm away from his body, attempting to keep the blade as far from his neck as possible. But just like Changkyun earned his moniker, so had Hoseok. The Death Claw didn’t back down from a fight because he’d looked The Grim Reaper in his face and spit in it.

Hoseok used his free hand to grab at his wrist, fingers locking over Changkyun’s and then pushing his weight forward. What distance was gained was soon minimized as Hoseok leaned in, the tip of the knife moving up and casting a shadow over Changkyun’s face. If he wouldn’t let him take his throat, he would jam the blade straight into his eye socket.

“H-Hyung,” growled Changkyun through clenched teeth as he glared up at Hoseok, “what do you think you’re doing?”

He could feel his arms trembling with the amount of force he was exerting. Changkyun was putting in just as much effort, causing a horrible stalemate that was on the verge of fracturing. The odds evened out as Hoseok watched him reaching up with his free hand to brace against his own wrist – mimicking each other.

“What does it look like?” Hoseok replied, his eyes narrowing darkly, “I’m answering your questions.”

He watched him blinking up at him in confusion. He was a young man Hoseok once believed to be full of potential and drive. Someone Hoseok admired years ago. Before he discovered the depth of his said ambition.

Silence stretched between them, neither of them easing off their stance or their grips. Hoseok felt a bead of sweat slip down his temple just as he saw one sliding down to drip from Changkyun’s chin. There were the occasional grunting sounds as one attempted to overpower the other, but outside of that, no words were spoken.

Changkyun finally let out a choked-out scoff, bitter disappointment evident on his features. Yet he smirked, regardless. “So, this is your answer, Hyung?”

Hoseok mirrored his gaze. “Yes, Changkyun-ah, it is.”

Something passed over the younger man’s face. But it was so brief, Hoseok couldn’t place it. At least not then.

“That’s a shame, Hoseok Hyung. A real shame.” He let out a shaky breath. “But if this is your answer, then I guess I have no choice but to continue the game without you.”

And then he moved faster than Hoseok could have anticipated. He released his hold and Hoseok felt all his weight collapsing forward. The blade nicked Changkyun’s cheek, but it was a sacrifice he willingly made. Hoseok realized this when he saw knuckles sailing toward his face. He pivoted in mid-air, changing his trajectory and his shoulder landed hard on the desk. Changkyun moved to elbow-drop him, but Hoseok whirled his legs into the air to block the assault, slamming his knee into Changkyun’s shoulder before rolling completely off the desk.

However, as he landed on the marble flooring, he felt pain exploding across his back and causing him to stumble forward. He quickly pivoted on his heels just as he saw Changkyun lowering his arm from where he’d had it extended – noting that his punch had, in fact, successfully connected. The two of them heaved, inhaling a lungful of air. Hoseok reached up to dab at the sweat on his brow with the back of his wrist.

A full minute passed before both men lowered their stances, silently agreeing that this discussion was at its conclusion. Hoseok turned to head toward the entrance, scooping up his trench coat along the way. Just as he made to unlatch the doors to the office, he heard Changkyun popping his neck before a breathy chuckle escaped.

“You’ve made yourself clear. So now I’m going to make myself clear.”

Pausing, Hoseok turned to look back at the leader of the Jade Fangs. But he chose to say nothing. Changkyun continued.

“What I do from this moment on, you no longer play a factor into it. What happens after today is a result of the answer you’ve given me. And I’m going to make good on it.”

Hoseok scoffed. “Is that right?” He rolled his eyes, unlatching the door. “We’re done playing this game with you. Do what you want.”

The grin that Changkyun gave him was the most wolfish he’d ever seen and it caused his spine to lock up uncomfortably, even for just a moment.

“Oh, I will. Trust me.” He folded his arms across his chest. “Just remember that it’s nothing personal, Jung Hoseok.”

Dropping the honorific was expected. Hoseok wasn’t surprised. So, instead of giving it credence, he simply exited the office and slammed the doors behind him. He needed to breathe. He needed air. So, for now, he would simply text Namjoon to come out when he was ready and that he’d be waiting in the car.

After he vomited his anger into a nearby bush somewhere.

[animeniacss]

6 Years - Hoseok x Reader - Chapter 19 - The Emotions of a Child

Synopsis: 6 years. That’s all it can take to take another look at someone and see that they have completely changed. You were once an eager 20-year-old, with your dreams all in view, and Jung Hoseok at your side to view them with you. However, after a break up the end of your junior year of college, everything seemed different. Now, you’re a recently divorced single mother of two, and your life is nowhere near what you thought it would be. However, after reuniting with Jung Hoseok, you may just be able to capture a little bit of that exciting youth you once knew so long ago.

Feat. BTS Members, Nayeon (TWICE), and Yuna (itzy) 

Genre: Romance, SingleMother!AU, Past Relationship, Drama, Some Depictions of Violence/Domestic Abuse

Length: approx. 5.5k words 

Chapter 19 - The Emotions of a Child 

           “Mommy! Look!” Min Ja cheered as she saw you by the front entrance of her school with both Hoseok and So-Hee. The three of you had been talking together as you waited for the kindergarteners to be let out, and we alerted by the sound of their shouting. Min Ja ran up to you, a paper clutched tightly in her hands. It had been one week since Min Ja had her off day since Weong-Bin had tried to sink his controlling teeth in his little girl. Though he wasn’t giving up just yet, Min Ja had pretty much returned to her normal self, despite a few setbacks. Maybe Hoseok was right, she was going through a separation phase from her Dad. As your daughter finally reached you, you knelt down to meet her as she practically jumped into your arms.

           “What is it?” You asked curiously. Min Ja held out the rolled-up paper in her hand to you, and you took it, standing up to roll it open. So-Hee was doing the same with San-Ha’s picture. Upon opening it, you saw the family portrait she had drawn. The one with you, her, and Hyo Bin, and Weong-Bin standing by his house. As you looked it over, you noticed something that wasn’t there the morning you had placed it into her backpack. Beside Min Ja, stood a man with some wavy dark hair, and a little heart-shaped smile as he and Min Ja held their little stick figure hands. On top of the paper was a big star and smiley sticker placed there by the teacher for a job well done. “Oh wow…” you smiled. “You did such a good job!”

           “Show Mr. Hobi too!” She begged. Without even waiting, she took hold of Hoseok’s arm. “Mr. Hobi, look!”

           “Okay, okay.” He smiled, leaning over to take a glance at the picture. “Wow! A star and a sticker? Augh, I’m jealous!” He said and saw out of the corner of his eye, Min Ja’s eyes light up. As he continued to look, he noticed the little stick figure depiction of himself and blinked. For a moment, he felt his chest tighten a bit, and he glanced up at you. You looked over at him too, giggling. “Aww, you added me in there too?”

           “Yeah, I did.” Min Ja said happily. “I did it right before school, so it’s a little bit smudgy. I’m sorry.” Hoseok chuckled, kneeling down and offering Min Ja a smile. She smiled back at him as she fixed her two pigtails. “Do you like it still?”

           “I love it~.” He said happily, offering his arms out. “You��re the sweetest.” Min Ja, of course, didn’t hesitate and jumped into Hoseok’s arms just like she always did. So-Hee also looked over her shoulder at the picture, then to you.

           “Oh my God, my heart…” she sighed. “That’s so precious.”

           “I know.” You said, rolling the picture up. “I’m so glad the girls like him…”

           “Tell me you’ve mentioned moving in.” She begged softly, so Hoseok wouldn’t hear. The thought of it made you let out a frustrated sigh, and you glanced at her.

           “Hoseok thinks she’s going through a bit of a separation phase since she doesn’t see her dad a lot. She keeps asking me about him and when he’s going to come back into our family, it’s been going on all week. I don’t know what to do. But Hoseok thinks moving in now will make it worse, so we’re going to wait.” So-Hee sighed as well, just hearing that made her sympathize.

           “That must be so rough. But I’m sure she’ll get through it. San-Ha went through something similar when her father started going on more business trips last year. Constantly sad, asking about him every minute of every day, wanting to call him. She even tried to pack her bags and move in with him.” You chuckled.

           “Yeah, but your husband is a good man who still comes home. My ex is the exact opposite. I just don’t know the best way to help her.”

           “Ever think about family counseling?” she asked.

           “I tried.” You said. “Right before the divorce, I tried. Didn’t work.” So-Hee smiled,

           “Well, I’m here if you need me.” She offered, placing a supportive hand on your shoulder. It made you comfortable, and a smile formed on your face. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” She said. “San-Ha, time to go.” She called, and the girls looked up.

           “Bye, Min Ja.” San-Ha waved. Min Ja waved back before watching her friend hurry up to her mom. “Bye, Miss. Cho.” She said, looking up to you. You offered her a wave, before watching her take her mother's hand and the two-headed off.

           “Mommy, can we hang up a picture in my room?” Min Ja asked curiously, taking your hand.

           “Of course, we can~.” You said happily, her hand clutched tightly in yours as the three of you headed off school grounds and back to the house.

           After picking up Hyo Bin and arriving back home, the four of you just took some time to relax after a long day of work. Hoseok had found himself napping on the couch before having to go in for his afternoon lessons, and you had helped Min Ja hangs her picture up in the bedroom. She was very picky though, wanting it in the perfect spot, leaving you shuffling side to side for a good ten minutes as she examined it with a fine eye, like an interior designer.

           “Right there!” She finally shouted, and you had to quickly shush her so she wouldn’t wake up Hoseok. “Sorry…” she whispered. As she watched you tape up the picture, she picked up Hyo Bin as high as she could and walked over to it. “Look, Hyo Bin, that’s me, and that’s you.” She said. Hyo Bin looked up at the picture, which was at a level low enough for Min Ja to see pretty well, but Hyo Bin needed to be lifted. “See? And there’s Mommy and Mr. Hobi.” Hyo Bin looked at the picture, before pointing to Weong-Bin on the other side.

           “Daddy!” She said quickly. Min Ja shuffled over, struggling to hold her toddler sister. “There’s Daddy!” You took this moment of the two of them occupying themselves to sit on the floor and watch them. You didn’t do it much, but you just loved it when you could sit and watch them do whatever it was sisters did. Up until your mother remarried and you gained Taehyung as a little brother, even then it wasn’t really little, you were 15 and he was 14, you were an only child. These moments of childlike bliss with a sibling were something you never got to experience, but you were glad to be finally able to give Min Ja someone like that through Hyo Bin.

           As you sat and watched the duo look at the picture, Min Ja looked over at you.

           “Mommy…” she hummed as she walked over to you, and fit herself perfectly into your lap. “Can I call Daddy?” You blinked, glancing down at her. “I want to tell him all about school.”

           “…Okay.” You dug into your pocket and pulled out your cellphone. “I think he’s at work still, but we can try.” Min Ja waited anxiously as she watched you dial his number, then handed her the phone, which she pressed to her ear. You listened in too, until you heard the muffled “Hello” from Weong-Bin, and saw Min Ja perk up in excitement.

           “Hi Daddy!” She said happily, and Hyo Bin was soon to follow with her greeting. Weong-Bin laughed a bit.

           “Hi, girls. What made you want to call me?”

           “I miss you, Daddy…” Min Ja said. “So, Mommy said I could call you.”

           “Aww, that’s really nice, I miss you too.” He said. “But I’m at work right now, so we can only talk for a few minutes, okay?” Min Ja agreed, before quickly diving into her entire school day with him, not leaving out any detail that came to her mind. She told him about her friends and her playing outside, all the news words they learned how to write, and how she got a star and a sticker on her family picture. She just seemed so happy talking to him, she always was. But this time felt so different, for some reason. You really couldn’t put your finger on why, but it didn’t seem like it was only this phase that had her so eager to be around her dad. She always seemed pretty content with her life, though she never fully seemed to understand the situation revolving around your divorce. As a few minutes ticked away, Weong-Bin let out a sad sigh. “Okay, honey, I need to go.” He heard Min Ja and Hyo Bin whine on the phone. “Awww, I know.” He said. “I promise, I’ll call you both later. Plus, this weekend is our weekend so I’ll see you really, really soon!”

           “But that’s a few days away, I want to see you now.” Min Ja pouted.

           “I know, honey, but remember what we talked about right?” He hummed gently. Min Ja looked over her shoulder at you, and you offered her a kind smile in return. “I promise I’ll see you really, really soon.”

           “Okay, bye Daddy.” Min Ja said.

           “Bye, Daddy.” Hyo Bin repeated. Weong-Bin bid his own farewell before Min Ja hung up the phone and handed it back to you. When she turned to face you, you could see her eyes were turning red and her lip was quivering. Setting the phone down, you ran a hand through Min Ja’s hair.

           “Min Ja, what’s wrong?” you asked softly, holding her close to you.

           “I just really miss Daddy…” she sniffled into your chest. “I wish I could see him every day like I see you….” You felt a tug at your heartstrings, a wave of guilt wash over you as you held her close, rubbing her back. You didn’t know what you could possibly say to her in hopes of improving her mood.

           “I…I know you do, honey. I’m sure he wishes the same thing. But…things happen that sometimes we can’t control, you know?” Min Ja sniffled, and you knew you weren’t in a proper headset to have an emotionally taxing talk with your daughter right now. All you could do was rub her back and try your best to calm her down a bit.

           That night, Hoseok had come over after his meeting and an impromptu dance lesson with his favorite group of college dancers and was drained. He had arrived after the girls had fallen asleep, so you heated him up something to eat and both of you had collapsed in bed. You had told him about Min Ja, and how she had been upset the rest of the day after her phone call with Weong-Bin. You also told him that no matter how hard you had tried; you couldn’t explain the situation to her in a way that seemed to help. When you tried to explain that you and Weong-Bin were divorced, it only made her sadder. You didn’t even dare bring up Hoseok, even though she did know the two of you were dating, she didn’t seem to fully understand that Weong-Bin coming back and having Hoseok remain in their lives were two things that could not co-exist. Hoseok soothed you about it, assuring you that it would all blow over, and Min Ja would grow out of it as she got older, and the two of you fell asleep.

           In the next room, Min Ja stirred around 3 a.m. Her eyes flew open, and she stared into the dark room, trying to get her mind together as best as she could. She couldn’t remember what woke her up if it was a dream of just her own body, but all she knew was that she was shaking. Quickly, she got out of bed and hurried into your bedroom. She tried to be quiet as she pushed the door open enough for her to slide in. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw two figures in bed. She knew one was you, but when she saw the other, she felt a sense of excitement wash over her.

           Daddy? She thought as she went to that side of the bed. She quickly turned on the bedside lamp, light shining into the room. She heard a grunt, and she when looked over, she saw Hoseok roll over to face her. That excited feeling, she had washed away for a moment, and Hoseok sat up.

           “Min Ja…” he said softly, rubbing his eyes.  He glanced over to you, seeing that despite the entrance of light in the room, you remained undisturbed, deep in sleep. When he saw that, he quietly exited the bed and knelt down. “What’s wrong?” He could see her eyes were glossy now.

           “I…thought you were my Daddy…” she said softly. Hoseok sighed softly, reaching out to wipe her eyes.

           “I’m sorry, Min Ja.” he said. After a moment of silence, he smiled. “How about we go to the kitchen and have some warm milk, hm? That always puts me to sleep.” Min Ja nodded a bit, and Hoseok got up, turning off the light in the room and quietly leading her out into the kitchen. Once inside, she took a seat at the table while Hoseok put some milk in the microwave for her. While it warmed up, he knelt down beside her. “Now, what woke you up in the middle of the night?”

           “I don’t know. I just woke up and my heart was hurting. I think I had a nightmare…” she said, her voice cracking slightly. “But I can’t remember…” Hoseok smiled.

           “Aaah, I hate when that happens.” He said.

           “You get nightmares, Mr. Hobi?” she asked curiously.

           “Of course. All the time. Your Mom even has to help me get over them sometimes, when they’re really scary.” Min Ja giggled a bit. Right before the microwave let out a high-pitched beep, Hoseok got up and opened the microwave, taking out the milk and setting the cup by Min Ja. “Careful, just in case it’s a bit hot.” He said. Min Ja sat and looked at the milk silently for a few moments, before her little hands finally reached out and took it, lifting it up and taking it to sip. “Good?” he asked. Min Ja nodded, and Hoseok pulled up a chair beside her. “Good~.” He sat for a few moments, watching her silently drink the milk. “…Min Ja.” he hummed softly, and she looked over. “Is there anything else I can do to make you feel better?”

           “I don’t know. My head hurts and I don’t know why…”

           “Mommy told me you had a rough day after school today. Is that maybe why?”

           “Maybe…” she said softly. “But I think I’m being sad a lot now.”

           “Is it because you still miss your Dad?” He asked. Min Ja hesitated, but eventually gave a slight nod.

           “Yeah, a little. I see him soon, and I’m excited. I miss him a lot. When I don’t see him, it makes me really, super sad.”

           “Awww, well, I’m sorry to hear that.” He said.  “But other than that, you don’t know why you’re so sad?” Min Ja shrugged. In a way, she may know, but she couldn’t put it together yet. All she knew was that she was sad right now, but she was also happy. It was weird. “Maybe your Mom can help you. Do you want to talk to her tomorrow?”

           “Mommy got sad today too, because I was sad. I don’t want her to be sad, too…” she said sadly. Hoseok smiled, ruffling her hair.

           “Well if you ever find out why you’re sad, we’re here to listen to you and make you feel better, okay?” he said. Min Ja nodded, and she took another sip of her milk. Hoseok could see her eyes were getting heavy after a few minutes, and he stood up. “Let’s get you back to bed.” He suggested, lifting her up in his arms. She nuzzled into him as her eyes began to close more. Hoseok lied her in bed, pulling the covers over her and making her that she was holding her stuffed animal as she began to fall asleep. “Goodnight.” He said gently. She mumbled an incoherent goodnight, and it wasn’t long until she was back to sleep. Feeling content, Hoseok left the room and returned to yours. Upon entering, he saw that you were sitting up, rubbing your eyes.

           “Is everything okay?” you asked softly. Hoseok smiled, crawling back into bed and kissing you quickly.

           “Everything is fine. Just go back to sleep for now.” He assured. You watched him lie back down and turn off the lights. As you lied down as well, you closed your eyes again.

           The minute that light turned on, you were snapped right awake. With the house being so small and so quiet, you heard everything the two of them were talking about. It killed you that you didn’t know what to do.            

----------------

           “So-Hee, I don’t know what to do.” You said, leaning back in your chair. So-Hee had come over for a playdate, and Nayeon had stopped by as well, and the three of you found yourselves in the kitchen while the girls were in the playroom together. You all were talking over a cup of tea, well, it was mostly you, So-Hee and Nayeon was just listening. “I want to help her but she keeps saying she wants Weong-Bin to do that. I’ve tried to explain why he can’t, but…I guess I’m not getting it across to her.” You ran a hand through your hair. “Min Ja is a smart girl, I know she’s seen me and Weong-Bin fighting before I just…I know it’s still her father but how do I tell her he can’t come back?” Lowering the cup of tea from her lips, Nayeon took a deep breath.

           “You’re going to have to be straight forward with Weong-Bin, has he said anything to her about this?” She asked curiously.

           “I have no idea.” You said. “They’re seeing him this weekend so hopefully he will try to explain it to her. Whenever I do, she just starts freaking out and asking even more questions.” The girls could see how stressed and overwhelmed this was starting to become for you as you rest your elbows on the table, digging your hands in your hair.

           “Hey…” So-Hee hummed, reaching out to take your hand out of your hair and grip securely onto your hand. “It’s going to be fine. Stressing out is not going to make Min Ja anymore secure. If she sees you’re getting anxious, it’ll only make the girls more anxious.”

           “I know, I know…” you groaned. “I just wish I knew what I could do to make her understand. What am I supposed to say? ‘Your Daddy slams me against walls and calls me horrible names, he’s lucky he doesn’t see you, girls, through a plate-glass window in a prison?’” You heard your friends chuckle a bit as your attempt of a joke, and it made you force a smile of your own. “Every time I try to explain it, I just think…what will Weong-Bin say when he finds out?”

           “Weong-Bin is a lot of things, but he seems to love his kids a lot. I’m sure if you explain to him that she’s feeling this way and it’s making her anxious, he’ll do what he has to so she stops feeling that way.” Nayeon said simply. “All you can do is talk to him and the two of you come to an agreement on how you’ll help Min Ja through this. You may be divorced, but you’re both still her parents…”

           “Alright…” you said softly. “I’ll talk to him when he picks up the kids Friday night…” you said softly. “That’s all I can do. I want her to move on from this because I don’t want to make it worse for her if I ask Hoseok to move in with us again.” Nayeon smiled.

           “It’ll all happen in time. Hoseok isn’t going anywhere.” She assured.

           “I know…” Just as you leaned back in your seat, you lifted up your cup and put the tea to your mouth, taking a sip, you heard the door to the girl’s room open. Glancing over, you saw Min Ja, Hyo Bin, and San-Ha rush out the door, giggling constantly. When they came into view, they were dressed head to toe in whatever they could grab from the girl’s dress-up box. Min Ja had on a colorful tutu, her neck covered in about 3 different colored beaded necklaces, and a sideways crown on her head. She wore an old pair of shoes that you gave them when they got too small for you, and each ring looked like it had a ring on it. Hyo Bin was only in an oversized dress, her entire body swallowed up by the massive fabric. San-Ha was in a princess veil, massive green sunglasses, and long purple gloves. They were unable to stop their laughter as they spun around to show you their outfits.

           “Look Mommy!” Min Ja shouted. “We’re playing dress-up!” Seeing her wide, gap-tooth smile made you unable to hold back one of your own.

           “Wow, you look so pretty! I love glasses, San-Ha.” The little girl giggled.

           “I need a picture.” So-Hee laughed, grabbing her phone and kneeling down to snap a photo of the three girls. You lifted up your phone and did the same, making sure to send one to Hoseok, in hopes of giving him a pick-me-up to get through work. He and Jimin were swimming in business meetings and other discussions about monthly budgets and competition funds, so he was pretty busy recently, and you tried to share pictures when you could to get him through the day.

           “Can we have pizza for lunch, Mommy?” San-Ha asked curiously.

           “Pizza?” So-Hee asked, checking the time. “That sounds good. How about we all go out and get some?” The girls cheered in excitement as So-Hee turned to you. “My treat?”

           “Oh stop, I invited you here, let me pay.” You sighed. “Girls, go take off the dress-up clothes and then we’ll go.” With the excitement of pizza filling their heads, they hurried back into the playroom, Hyo Bin shuffling behind in her long dress before Min Ja went back to take her hand and help her inside. Getting out of your seat, you collected the teacups and put them into the sink. You were hoping that talking to Weong-Bin would help you handle this situation more, and would help Min Ja settle whatever confusing emotions were inside of her.

           God, I hope Weong-Bin can be civil just this once so we can handle this in peace.

-----------------

           The sound of the doorbell ringing through the apartment almost sent you into cardiac arrest. It sounded so much louder this time than it normally did. As you got up from the couch, you saw Min Ja bolt to the door and reach to unlock it, flinging it open to see her father standing at the door.

           “Daddy!” She shouted in glee, pouncing on him. He grinned as he scooped her up into his arms, spinning her around. “I missed you so, so much!”

           “I missed you too, honey.” He said, looking up. He saw you standing by the door as well. “Where’s Hyo Bin?”

           “Mr. Hobi is helping her put everything into our bags.” Min Ja smiled happily. You immediately saw Weong-Bin frown a bit, his eyes falling to you.

           “…Min Ja.” you said quickly. “Why don’t we go tell them that it’s time to go, huh?” Min Ja nodded, looking at her dad.

           “I want to show you my picture from school.” She said, grinning as Weong-Bin smiled.

           “Okay, lead the way.” He set her down, and she took his hand as she led him inside her bedroom, you following right behind. Upon entering the room, you guys saw Hoseok and Hyo Bin sitting on the floor, Hyo Bin running back and forth as she kept handing him things. If it was good to pack, he put it in the bag, if it wasn’t, he would fling it behind his back, making Hyo Bin burst into laughter. She had just run up to him, handing him one of her pillows.

           “Hm…nope!” He grinned, flinging it behind his back. Hyo Bin let out a burst of guttural laughter as she hurried back to her bed. When Hoseok saw you three enter the room, he looked up. “Oh, hello~.” He smiled happily. When he saw Hyo Bin's approach, he saw her holding her blanket. “Okay, here we go. Let’s put this in and you’re all set, okay?” Hyo Bin nodded, and Hoseok playfully poked her nose, making her giggle. Weong-Bin took a deep breath as he saw Hoseok walk over to him. “Hello, Weong-Bin.” He said simply. Weong-Bin nodded.

           “Hello…” he said.

           “Daddy, look!” Min Ja tugged at his arm as she pointed to the picture on the wall. Weong-Bin walked over to it, lifting Hyo Bin up in his arms so she could look too. “My teacher really liked my picture! She said it was very detailed.” His eyes scanned the picture, and he saw four people standing in front of the house, a boy and three girls. Then, he caught a glimpse of the other male on the other end of the picture, standing alone in front of a big house with a brown briefcase. That must be him, which meant the male holding Min Ja’s hand was Hoseok. He glanced over, seeing Hoseok and you standing by the front door and watching as Min Ja show her father every detail about her picture.

           “That’s lovely, Min Ja.” he said, putting a hand on her head. She glanced up at him and smiled happily. “Alright, we should get going, okay? Say goodbye.” Min Ja said her goodbyes to you and Hoseok, giving you both tight hugs. When you walked to the door, watching Weong-Bin gather the girl's belongings and helping them put on their shoes, you stopped.

           “Weong-Bin, I need to talk to you.” You said quickly, and he glanced up. A smile formed on his face as he knelt down, putting Hyo Bin on the floor before you led him into the hallway, towards your bedroom. Once you knew that the kids were out of earshot, you turned to him. “Min Ja has been…acting really weird recently. At first, she was all soft-spoken and reserved, and I guess Hoseok talked to her and it started to help. But she’s starting to get weird again.” You said. “I’m sure you’ve noticed; she wants to call you more often and she’s always asking me when she can see you.”

           “You think that’s weird?” He asked, and you could hear the annoyance in his voice.

           “N-not weird.” You said. “Just…well, she’s been acting strangely in general. She asks me why you can’t come live with us anymore.”

           “What have you told her?”

           “I’ve tried to explain it to her, but I don’t think I’m getting it through to her. I think she’s going through a separation phase, that’s what Hoseok said. Could you maybe just talk to her? Try to explain it to her in a way she can understand. I want us to be on the same page with this, it’s really starting to heighten her anxiety. Just tell me you’ll talk to her.” Weong-Bin felt a grin wanting to form on his face, but he forced it away.

           “I’ll talk to her.” He assured, putting a hand on your shoulder. You let out a deep sigh and nodded, smiling at him a bit. With that set, the both of you headed inside the living room again. “Okay! We ready?” He asked, and his girls nodded. “Awesome~. Alright, guys.” He took both of their hands, and they all said their goodbyes before heading out. Hoseok closed the door and turned to you. He could see you looked a bit uneasy, so he walked over to you, pulling you into a tight hug.

           “Aaah, it’ll all work out. Don’t worry about it.” He assured. You nodded, tightening your grip on him.

           “I just hope he says the right things to her.”

----------------

           That night, when Hyo Bin had fallen asleep, Weong-Bin sat Min Ja down on her bed and set himself beside her. He ran a hand through her hair, and she rested up against him. He was listening to her read a few of her books to practice her fluency, but he was also thinking. Though it seemed what he had told Min Ja was working, Hoseok was trying to undo whatever Weong-Bin was trying to set into place. Whether it was intentional or not, having Hoseok around Min Ja was going to make everything and anything he said to his daughter render worthless.

           Damn that stupid grin of his. He thinks he’s some fucking saint. He thought to himself. As he heard Min Ja finish up her story, she closed the book and set it aside.

           “Good job, sweetie.” He said, smiling down at her. “Now, I and you need to talk again, okay?” Min Ja looked up at her dad and frowned.

           “Oh no…” she said softly. “Did I do something bad?”

           “Something bad? No, no.” He assured, rubbing her back soothingly. “But we have a problem. Mommy wants me to talk to you. She said you’re telling her that you want me to move back in.”

           “Yeah, I’m sorry…” she said, remembering his request not to say anything.

           “No, that’s good!” He said quickly, making her lookup. “I want to move back in with you and Mommy, so if you say it too, it might change her mind about it. We just can’t tell her that we’re talking about it in secret.” He could see the wheels in Min Ja’s head beginning to turn, so he continued. “Hobi is making it very, very hard for me, Min Ja. I think he’s doing it on purpose.”

           “…On purpose?”

           “Yeah. He doesn’t want us to be a family anymore…” He sighed, looking down at her. “He doesn’t know how lonely I am here, and how much I miss you.”

           “Well…then maybe you can tell him that. Mr. Hobi is really, really nice when I tell him things that make me sad. Like once, he screamed during a movie and it woke me up. I told him not to do it anymore, and he promised he wouldn’t.” Weong-Bin groaned, and when Min Ja heard it, her heart began to race.

           “Well, this is different.” He said simply. “Mr. Hobi and I both love your Mommy very much, but I loved your Mommy first. Mr. Hobi is being very selfish with what he’s doing…” He held her close. “I just wish I could see you every night, and we could lie down like this until you go to bed all the time, and read stories. Wouldn’t you like that?” Min Ja felt a lump in her throat.

           “Y-yeah…” she said softly. “But Mr. Hobi is nice, I….” she looked down at her lap, remembering what he had told her a week ago.

           I know I’m not your dad, but you and Hyo Bin mean a lot to me.

           “Min Ja.” Weong-Bin said simply. “Didn’t I say it makes me sad when you don’t trust me?” he asked gently. Min Ja nodded again and ran a hand across her eyes. “I only want what’s best for you, and that would be us being a family again. I can’t spend any more nights at home all by myself, it makes me really sad…” Min Ja glanced up at him. “And I’ve known Mr. Hobi a long time, so I know him really well and it makes me even sadder that you don’t trust me…when all I want is to make us a family again…” Min Ja couldn’t hold her tears back anymore.

           “I’m sorry, Daddy…” she said softly. “I trust you. I really, really do. I’m sorry.” Weong-Bin looked down at her, wiping her eyes as she sniffled and whimpered.

           “I’m so happy you do, Min Ja. You know I love you very much, right?” he asked. Min Ja nodded, hugging her dad tightly. “I promise, really soon I’ll be living in your house again and we’re going to be a happy family.”

           “Okay, Daddy…” she said softly, nuzzling into his hug. As she felt Weong-Bin lie her down in bed, and kiss her goodnight, he left her alone. As she lied in her bed, staring at the ceiling, she felt her heart racing. She thought that everything was okay now, she had felt a lot better after she drew Hoseok in her picture, and everything felt as if it was going back to normal.

           Why did her Daddy make everything in her heart and head hurt so bad?

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Next / Previous

[minniepetals]

String Of Fate 02

— summary: they set fire to the world around them but would never let a flame touch her.

— pairing: bts x reader

— genre: fluff, angst || poly!au, soulmate!au, mafia!au

— word count: 4.2k

— warnings: none

╰ Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 / Part 9 

In a lone room Jin had taken you in, you sat on a chair across from Jin as he examined your arm. The room didn't distracted you, although you wished it did despite its lavish designs and gorgeous, exquisite interiors, but you were instead entranced by Jin's concentrated face. 

His brows were furrowed and you could tell he was angry but rather than looking scary like Hoseok, he held those back in (for your sake). When he asked you what had happened, you told him the story of both the wounds and he took it much better than Hoseok—not that you were expecting him to. 

"Why didn't you go to the hospital?" Jin asked, allowing you to look down with pursed lips.

"I don't like the hospital," you told him truthfully. 

A lopsided smile formed at the corner of his lips. You never did. There wasn't much of you that had changed, you were still that same girl he had fallen in love with and Jin was glad for it. 

"And besides," you continued, "those doctors are nosy. If I were to go, they'd ask how I got this gash but I can't tell them about that night otherwise we'd both be in trouble."

He knew that you hated being questioned, that you'd rather deal with your own problems than to be asked several questions even you didn't know the answer of. He knew you didn't liked random people talking to you so of course you wouldn't like them invading your own business.

"Even if you did get in trouble, we'd help you," Jin said softly as he caressed the arm he held. "They're all afraid of us. They'd have to get through us before they can get to you and that, is never happening."

Again, why say those words? You couldn't understand why they were so sweet to you. There was something you were missing, you knew, and you wished so badly that you could just have all the answers. But you didn't and that made it all the more frustrating.

"Well," he reverted back to your arm with pursed lips, "looks like we'll have to stitch this up."

That got your attention. "What?!" You gasped and immediately pulled your arm away from him, carefully holding it before you were afraid he'd take it and actually stitch you up. You shook your head furiously, vehemently opposing to the idea. "No, please don't," you whimpered and some tears appeared at just the thought of being stitched up. 

Jin then gasped. "No, don't cry. Please don't cry," he quickly begged as his hands went up to cup your face. His thumbs light brushed along your eyes to wipe away your small tears. "I won't stitch you up," he promised. "I won't hurt you, so please don't cry."

There was a strange feeling that came through his promise, telling you that you could trust his words. So you calmed down and stopped holding onto your arm for dear life, letting his take it back into his grasp. "So then, what will you do?" you pouted.

He gave you a smile. "Do you trust me, Y/N?" 

The call of your name made your heart fluttered just as Hoseok did and you nodded. "Yes, I do."

With that answer, Jin's heart melted. You trusted him even though you didn't know. Perhaps fate wasn't really that cruel. Even if it meant starting your relationships all over again, as long as you were alive and well, Jin couldn't care any less about the other factors. You were there in front of him, trusting him and not running away.

Yet while it did made him happy, he felt a bit nostalgic as well. You trusted him even though your memories were still lost and they...

He didn't know what to do. Just staring at your doe eyes as they stared back, showing complete trust, he was reminded of the last time he had saw you. You still loved them despite everything, despite them thinking otherwise. You proved your love a long time ago, now it was their turn to fix what they had done and show their love for you.

Jin knew they couldn't mess it up again. They couldn't lose you again. You were soulmates for goodness sake, and soulmates were made for each other through an everlasting lifetime.

"Jin?" Your voice called and it brought him out of his daze. You looked at him with worried eyes but Jin could only give you a facade smile, hiding the sadness behind it. Maybe you knew, maybe you didn't, but nonetheless, he ignored your worries to bring his attention back to your arm. 

"Close your eyes," he told you and you did just that. Once your eyes had fluttered shut, Jin couldn't help but to linger just a little longer, staring at your beautiful features. His heart started aching once more and with a quiet sigh, he held a hand over your wound.

He couldn't heal the past but at least he was given a second chance to heal your heart. And there was no way he'd mess it up this time. 

And that went for the rest of them.

~~

"Y/N's here, isn't she?" Taehyung asked the second Hoseok appeared in the living room where the rest of them were. "I can feel her presence, hyung." Without further ado, he tried to walk past his the older man, only to be stopped. 

"Don't," Hoseok warned. "She doesn't need to be overwhelmed by all of us again. If you saw the state she's in, you'd only scare her and we don't need that."

"What do you mean? What happened to her?" Jungkook abruptly stood up, the only thought being concerned with what had happened to you and ignoring everything else. 

Sighing, Hoseok shook his head to dismiss the conversation. "She'll be fine, Jin hyung's with her."

But still, the only thing the two youngest could hear was that you were hurt and that they felt the need to check on you. "If Y/N's with Jin hyung, then it must be serious. I'm—"

"Stop," Hoseok growled, pushing back Jungkook and Taehyung who followed suit. "Do you think I'm not desperate to see her either?" He countered, the anger clearly shown in his tone of voice. "As much as I want to go to her and hold her and check if she's alright or not, I'm going to first respect her needs. And right now, she doesn't need us hoarding around her," Hoseok said, allowing the two boys to calm their anxiety a bit. 

"Give her space," he added in a little more softer. "Let fate do its job, she'll soon understand everything and return to us."

"But hyung," Jimin began, finally speaking up since Hoseok's arrival as he sat still on the sofa, elbows propped against his thighs with a conflicted look. "Will she still love us?" He asked almost inaudibly, afraid of the reality as he kept pondering on that question since the second he saw your tears that night.

"What are you talking about?" Walking in on the conversation after overhearing it, Yoongi leaned his body against the wall, arms crossed against his chest as he furrowed at Jimin's question, while Namjoon walked in after him, just as concerned. "Why wouldn't she still love us?" Yoongi scowled.

"Don't you remember the reason why she lost her memories in the first place?" Jimin inquired as he looked up at them all, brows knitted yet besides the frustration shown on his face, there were clear regret and sorrow of the memory. 

As much as the others wanted to argue Jimin's point, they couldn't because they knew the truth behind his words. That regretful past was engraved in their minds forever whether they liked it or not so it was something they'd never forget. You were special to them, their precious girl, their soulmate, and all that beautiful moment ended all because of them. They blamed themselves ever since the incident, knowing it'd be hard to find you and have you returning to them again—if you wanted to return to them. The latter was hurting them yet what else could they do? 

Whether the eight of you were bonded by a string of fate or not, in the end, it all came down to decisions on staying or deciding to leave. They'd accept whatever decision you would make, of course, but they couldn't promise that they'd be alright. Even though they had each other for love and support, the guys knew it wasn't going to feel complete without you, in fact, that was the exact feelings they felt since they lost you and the feelings they felt at the moment. 

It was hurting them.

If having to feel so empty and helpless as they searched for you for far so long, then they couldn't ever understand how it'd feel if you were to leave their side for good. It would hurt much more than what they were imagining. 

"I'm not losing her," Taehyung declared firmly. "Not again."

"Don't be selfish." Although he knew what Taehyung was feeling, Namjoon still knew he had to consider your feelings as well. 

"But she has to love us, hyung," the younger man argued in a tone combined with frustration and whining. "We need her too. She completes the whole heart. What's the point of the string of fate if she wouldn't love us? What's the point of fate itself if she doesn't choose us?" He asked before answering his own question. "There'd be no point at all."

"Taehyung's right," Jungkook agreed with a nod. "Why connect us with the string of fate if that bond won't allow us her love? The universe doesn't work like that. It doesn't make mistakes. From the second we were born, the eight of us were chosen to be each other's soulmate. Eight," he exaggerated. "Which means losing one won't complete the circle. We need her too."

"I know," Namjoon acknowledged yet was still stubborn and thinking more of the blames he placed upon himself. "But consider her feelings too because it matters the most at this point. The universe didn't make a mistake, we did," he said before adding in, "I did."

Out of all the boys, Namjoon blamed himself the most, feeling the most responsible for having to lose you in the first place. He didn't blamed anyone else but him, believing and thinking it was only his fault for the tragic loss. If only he could go back and fix the things he said and did to you, if only he could go back and reassured you that he loved you, if only he could fix his mistake...if only.

But reality was, he couldn't. 

"We were given another chance," Yoongi said gently as he laid a hand on his boyfriend's shoulder, watching him with adoration and trying his best to comfort him. "We can fix this. She'll love us," he promised, "I know she will. We just have to trust her and believe she'll come back."

Trusting in you, that was all they had to do. As all of them shared an understanding look of Yoongi's words, they nodded, knowing exactly of what he meant.

Minutes later, when the door opened and the six guys invited themselves into the room Jin and you were in, they paused at the scene in front of them. 

"Hyung, what did you do?" Namjoon asked in a cautious and shocked tone as he stared at you who was lying in bed, eyes closed and sleeping as Jin stood beside you, arms crossed and brows furrowed and conflicted. 

When he heard Namjoon's voice, the man finally broke his eyes away from your body to see the rest of the guys filling up the room and staring just as horrified as Namjoon. When they looked down at Jin's hands, Jimin gulped. "Hyung..."

"What was I supposed to do?" Jin said shakily as he ran his fingers through his hair. "She teared up at the thought of stitches and looked even more terrified than she did that night. I can't resist her tears, you know I can't." Breathing a bit shaky, Jin dropped his head back and scrunched his face, not knowing now of what to do when you woke up.

"It's okay, it's okay," Namjoon tried assuring as he went on to hold Jin in his arms to try and calm him down. "Y/N's tears had always been our weakness."

"But look what I've done. I ruined this. I—"

"No, you didn't," he hushed him softly, rubbing his palm up and down the older man's back. "We'll think of something."

"It's okay, hyung," Hoseok added in. "Seeing Y/N's tears is worse than this, even though..." he slowly trailed off at the thought of the possible responses from you. What if you ran away before they could explain themselves? What if you were even more scared of them than you were before? What if you wanted nothing to do with them or straight up decided to hate you?

Lightly slapping Hoseok's arm, Taehyung mouthed, "You're not helping."

"I messed up," Jin concluded regretfully.

"Don't say that," Namjoon said. 

"She's going to run away."

"Stop."

"She's going to leave our lives."

"Jin—"

"We're going to lose her again!" Jin shouted in frustration as he backed away from Namjoon's arms, only to turn around cautiously at your sleeping form and hoping you wouldn't wake up from that. His wish came true yet nothing was helping as the tears began to form at the thought of losing you. "And it's all because of me."

Seeing the eldest's tears forming instantly alarmed the rest of them and they were quick to run over to him. Yoongi cupped Jin's face to brush away the tears that had fallen down. It had always been hurtful to see one of their other soulmates crying and their hearts dropped at the sight of Jin's tears. But the guys understood, because that was probably what Jin had felt when he saw your tears even if it was for a smaller cause. Still, any kind of tears was painful to see. 

"Don't blame yourself, babe," Yoongi comforted in a soft tone. "We're not going to lose Y/N again. It's our fate as soulmates to accept one another and to stay together for an everlasting period."

Mumbling to himself, Jin pouted. "But with the situation we're in.."

"I know, I know," Yoongi nodded. "Y/N's not going to understand right away but I know her, you know her. She's kind and willing to understand even if things may be difficult. She's always been that forgiving, kind hearted girl," he assured. "Even though others take advantage of that," he added in more like a side comment. "But she's not going to leave us because of this."

"Remember when you first helped her out?" Jungkook chimed in. "She was astonished and maybe a little scared but nonetheless, she never ran away and thought you were abnormal or scary."

"The situation might be a little different from now," Jimin acknowledged, "but Y/N's heart isn't easily swayed towards the dark and assumes the worse out of people just because of a simple thing."

Taehyung nodded. "You helped her out, hyung. You didn't hurt her. She'll understand."

In a way, saying those words out loud, even though it was meant to be comforting words to Jin, had also been comforting for the rest of them as well. Because saying those reassuring words was reassuring them that you'd stay and be willing to understand and still accept them for who they were. It helped them to remember the kind and forgiving heart you had even though sometimes that would hurt you a lot and you'd wish that could change in certain situations. Still, remembering the you before was reassuring their worries of you leaving.

"We're not going to lose her," Hoseok affirmed, placing a light kiss on Jin's head before turning to stare at your sleeping form. "We're not going to lose Y/N."

Silence fell upon the group as they laid their eyes on you, eyes filled with grief but also adoration and love for you. They felt serene just watching you sleeping there. Listening to your calm breathing, it reminded them of the times when everything was right, when you were there in their arms and they woke up to your beautiful face every morning. 

Things were different now and it was going to be a complicated road, they knew, but they guys were willing to go for it if it meant being with you again. After all, your sacrifice could never beat whatever they were going through now. Seeing you sleeping there without any fear or concern, they knew you must have been hurting a lot inside, although you yourself didn't know the reason. The pains were inevitable and the guys all wished they could emit that from you.

But they couldn't. At least not now.

Maybe that was there punishment, for putting you through those pains, they were punished to live without you and had your memories taken away. They knew it was fair, yet it still hurt them to know that you were going through the pain as well, and worse, without even knowing your source. 

"She's going to wake up soon," Jin said. "The gash wasn't that major to deal with." Turning back to the others, he ushered them to go. "I'll fix this."

They all looked at him with hesitation. "Are you sure?" Namjoon asked.

He nodded firmly as he wiped away his tears. "I did this, I should fix it. And besides, if she sees you all in here, it'll only freak her out more."

They understood his point which was why they didn't questioned Jin and longer and only reluctantly stepped back. With one last glance made your way as you began to stir awake, the six guys made their way out—well, five. 

As the others walked out the room, Yoongi snuck behind to stay in the room.

Reaching out a chair to sit on, Jin leaned over to lightly brush away the extra strands of hair that covered part of your face. "Y/N," he called softly and you began to blink awake. Your eyes roamed around the unfamiliar ceiling drowsily before turning your head to the side and coming face to face with Jin. 

The two of you stayed there staring into each other's eyes. No words were spoken, the only sound you could hear was the sound of calm and comforting breathings. Being so close up to him felt heart pounding. It was a little different from the atmosphere from your first meeting, when you had first came face to face with Kim Seokjin. It was different because he was closer, and no one was dying around you, no creepy feeling, no scary thoughts of what he could do to you. You could only feel his warmth and secure.

And that was the best feeling in the world. 

You had always told yourself that being with a man who made you feel safe and sound was far better than a man who only made your heart excited and pounding so fast. The feeling of security was much better than the feeling of excitement, and you felt safe there. 

It was ironic, he was a mafia, the worst mafia of them all and yet he was the one to make you feel safe more than any other man you've encountered before. You felt like you could trust him, like he was a safe haven, like he was...a soulmate.

"How are you feeling?" The man asked you in the most gentle voice. 

"Jin..." Your brows furrowed a bit and holding up your wrist in front of you, you stared at it in confusion before looking back at him. You still remembered what had happened, how could you forget?

Jin's face fell at the sight, an uneasy feeling filling his stomach as he saw that you clearly remembered what had happened. Were you scared? Afraid of him? Why weren't you saying anything? "You can leave if you want," he said almost inaudibly but because you were right next to him, you heard what he said. Although Jin didn't liked the suggestion, he knew you had the will to choose. 

Whatever it was, he had to accept it. "If you're scared of me, you can leave."

Even with his words, you did nothing but stared at Jin for a prolonged time, no words exchanged, just strange eyes staring into his. He was dying to know what you were thinking, why you weren't saying anything and just staring. 

It wasn't that you were scared of him, you couldn't find yourself to feel scared around Jin's presence even though you knew he was a mafia. You didn't know exactly what to feel, what you should be feeling. Should you be afraid of him and run away? Should you be angry and hate him? Or should you feel thankful for what he had done? 

He was so mysterious, they all were. Now with what you had witnessed however long ago, more questions swarmed around your head and all you wanted to do was to just sleep and think nothing of anything. You wanted to believe everything had been just a dream but the fact that you had just woken up in front of a handsome mafia told you otherwise. 

But then again, how could he do what he had just done? A part of you told you were seeing things, but another part of you wondered how in the world had it been an illusion when, clearly, your arm was fully healed? A part of you wanted to open your mouth and ask him every question that had been swarming like bees in your head, yet another part of you just wanted to forget about everything and leave. 

Leave.

But a tug from your heart kept you from doing so. 

Watching you carefully from where he was hiding, Yoongi held his gaze on yours as you reached out a hand to slowly and softly caress Jin's face. Maybe you knew what you were doing, maybe you didn't, but nonetheless, soft clear tears were falling against your delicate cheeks. 

It was then when Yoongi felt the desiring urge to appear before you nod to hold you in his arms, lightly brushing away your tears and giving you soft kisses on your head—but he stopped himself. He knew that if he were to make his appearance, things would only get more complicated and hard for you. 

Your tears had always been their weakness and Yoongi hoped so badly to be in his boyfriend's position so that he could assure you with gentle words that everything was going to be alright. 

Because Jin wasn't doing his job. 

He too was in a trance as he stared back into your eyes. Perhaps you hadn't realized that you had begun crying, and perhaps Jin didn't realized the state both of you were in either..both lost in your own little worlds.

That was, until a sudden ring brought you both out of your daze. 

You gasped a little and let go of Jin, jolting right up to sit on the bed as you realized it was your phone going off. Reaching for it on the desk near, you supposed, Jin's bed, you grabbed for it and saw your best friend's name on the screen. As a drop of tear rolled down onto your phone screen, it was then when you realized you had actually been crying. 

You took a moment to wipe away your tears before looking over at Jin, phone still going off. His eyes looked perplexed and you knew then that you had to make a decision; to stay or to leave. 

Something told you to stay, to shut your phone off, to ignore your friend just this time. Maybe it was that string tugging at your heart and telling you to not leave them because you had that urge to know them, to learn more about them. Although strangers, you felt so connected. 

But you couldn't stay. 

You couldn't. 

You stared back down at your phone after the call disappeared and instead a text replaced your screen. 

Dahyun: Y/N, I need a shoulder to cry on.

And that was enough to have your decision made up. 

"Please tell me where the exit is," you asked and he told you. 

He allowed you to leave. 

And you did; running out the door and towards the outside world as quick as you could. Jin and Yoongi watched you silently, wondering why they hadn't stopped you. They could've if they wanted, they were far more stronger than you, but they didn't. A part of them felt you were going to leave, but perhaps it was only a wishful thinking that you'd stay.

You wondered, if Dahyun hadn't texted you, would you had stayed with them? Tell Jin that you weren't afraid? Tell him that it felt just right to stay with him? 

Maybe. Maybe not.

But perhaps now, maybe things were ending with them, that you'd never see them again. 

Maybe. 

Or maybe this was just the beginning.

[vminni]

Besties Pick Bae

“I just don’t understand why we have to do this,” Jisung whined, knocking his heel against the leg of his chair. “It’s stupid.”

“We’re doing this because you need a man and you have terrible taste.”

“I do not,” Jisung huffed, crossing his arms over his chest as he glared at Seungmin. “My taste is fine.”

“Your taste is trash,” Jeongin chimed in. “Trust us on this one.”

“Excuse me.” The camera director looked like he’d aged 20 years in the last five minutes, “I’ve asked three times. Could you please just introduce yourselves?”

“Oh right, sorry,” Seungmin didn’t look the least bit sorry. “Our bad.”

“Just your names and ages for now please. Starting with Jisung.”

Jisung eyed the camera sullenly, “Hi, I’m Jisung and I’m 19.”

Seungmin waved brightly, “I’m Seungmin and I’m 19 years old.”

“And I’m Jeongin and I’m 18,” Jeongin’s smile was blinding.

The camera director sighed, “Jisung, could you try to look like you want to be here?” “I don’t want to be here,” he rolled his eyes, but plastered on a fake smile anyway. The faster he got this over with, the faster he could go home and plot his revenge on the two idiots he called his best friends. “Hi! My name is Jisung and I’m 19.”

“Better, now talk a bit about why you came on the show.”

“Basically, my friends think I have shit taste in men and signed me up for this without my knowledge because they think they know better than I do. They’re wrong and I can’t wait to prove that today.”

The camera director rubbed tiredly at his temples, “You know what? Fine. That’ll be our angle for this episode. Be as bitter as you want, we’ll just run with it. Next question. What’s your type?”

“I don’t have a type,” Jisung shrugged. “Just boys.”

“Wrong,” Seungmin piped up. “Jisung’s got a superiority complex. His type is people he thinks are below him. He doesn’t want anything to do with anyone who’s better looking or more talented than him. He only goes after people he knows will worship him.” “That’s not true!”

“It is,” Jeongin agreed. “So today we want to find him someone he would never pick for himself. Someone who’ll push him out of his comfort zone and make him a better person.”

“Jisung is super creative, so we want someone like that for him. Someone who does something in the arts, whether it’s music, dance, sculpture, paint. Anything like that.” Seungmin smirked at the camera, “And preferably super hot.”

Jisung smacked him on the arm and the two of them squabbled for a bit as Jeongin stayed smiling at the camera.

The director rolled his eyes and cut the scene. “Alright, Jisung, take this blindfold and put it on. We’re going to move your chair so your back is to the stage. Seungmin and Jeongin you can stay there. Once all the boys are in, the blindfold can come off.”

Jisung did as he was told, resettling into his seat once it had been moved. He clutched at his bopping knees, nerves starting to set in now that this was actually happening. He hadn’t been on a date in a while and he never been on a date with a stranger. Especially not one his two idiot friends were choosing for him.

“Alright, guys. Come in and line up, then we’ll start with introductions.”

Jisung could hear footsteps and shuffling as his potential dates all settled into place behind him. He could also barely make out Seungmin and Jeongin whispering to each other, but their actual words were lost in the noise.

“You can take off the blindfold.”

Jisung did so, resisting the urge to turn around and ruin the whole thing. His heart was starting to beat a little faster and he wondered if his face was as red as it felt. This whole thing made him feel vulnerable, and it was not a feeling he enjoyed. Jisung liked being in charge. Today everything was out of his hands.

“Please introduce yourselves.”

“Hi, my name is Chris, but you can call me Chan if that’s easier. I’m 21 and I’m a swimmer.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Hyunjin.” There was a bit of shuffling from Seungmin and Jeongin at that point and Jisung could tell from their smirking faces that Hyunjin was hot. He dropped his head into his hands and sighed. “I’m 19 and I’m studying to be an interior designer.”

“My name is Changbin, I’m 20 years old and I’m a rapper.”

“Hello, I’m Woojin. I’m 22 and I like to sing.”

“G’day, I’m Felix. I’m 19 and I’m a third degree black belt in taekwondo.”

“Hi, everyone,” the boy giggled slightly and Jisung lifted his head up, suddenly intrigued. “I’m Minho. I’m 20 and I’m a dancer. I used to backup for BTS.”

“He sounds cute,” Jisung breathed, not even realizing he’d said it out loud until he heard that pretty giggle again.

“Thank you,” the smile was obvious on Minho’s voice. “You sound cute too.”

Jisung flushed and looked down, twisting one of his rings around as he did his best to avoid his best friends’ gazes. He glanced up briefly and Jeongin shot him a wink and two thumbs up. Jisung flipped him off in return.

“So far everyone sounds really good. Everyone is artistic, which is one of the major things we’re looking for. Jisung is into writing and producing music, so we definitely want someone creative. There’s a couple people that stand out right now, but we’ll have to see how it goes.” Seungmin clapped his hands together, “I’m excited. First question, thoughts on horror movies?”

“I’m not much of a movie person.” Jisung had already forgotten half the contestants names, but he imagined they were answering in the same order they had introduced themselves in. “I don’t really have time for them.”

“I don’t like horror movies.” That was Hyunjin. He could tell just from the way Seungmin and Jeongin were looking at him. He had no doubts they were going to try to keep him around for as long as possible, even though his first answer already went against Jisung’s.

“I like horror movies!” Jisung knew that was the boy who said he was a rapper, but his name was escaping him at the moment.

“I also like horror movies.” Jisung had no idea who that was.

“I hate scary things. Comedy is more my style.” That was the boy with the deep voice and the English name.

“I love all movies!” Jisung knew that was Minho. He straightened a bit at his voice and heard Jeongin giggle lightly at his obvious interest. “Horror movies are great because they lead to more opportunities for cuddling. And I really love cuddling. ”

“Jisung is a big horror movie fan,” Seungmin tapped his finger against his lip. “I’m really sorry, but we’re going to have to let you go Felix.”

The eliminated boy stepped down and exited the room, walking past Jisung as he did so, “Good to meet you, mate.”

“You think he’d be interested in rapping?” Jisung asked once he disappeared. “That voice is killer. Maybe I should get his number later.”

“Focus.” Jeongin wiggled a bit in his seat, “Okay, second question. How do you feel about skinship?”

“I’m a big fan of skinship.” Chan! That was his name.

“I like skinship if I’m comfortable with the person.” Jisung noticed that both his friends were looking at Hyunjin with heart eyes. At this rate he was gonna end up with him just so they could get his number. Pouting, he sunk down into his seat and crossed his arms.

“It really depends.” That was the rapper boy again, “It’s all about my relationship with that person and how I see them. It’s definitely not something I’m into with people I barely know.”

“I like it sometimes.” Jisung wracked his brain and finally came up with a name. Woojin. The singer.

“I love skinship! Like I said before, cuddling is my favorite. Especially with someone cute and tiny. Like Jisungie.”

Jisung almost jumped out of his seat to defend himself, remembering at the last second that if he did the whole thing would be ruined. Instead he chose to whine, “What makes you think I’m small?”

Minho giggled prettily, “Your head doesn’t show above the chair.”

“Hmph,” Jisung was highly insulted. “This is just a big chair, I’m perfectly normal sized”

“If you say so.” There was a clear flirtaious lilt to Minho’s voice, “I’ll guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

“You’re all probably taller than Sungie, except for Changbin.” Ah, that was the rapper’s name. “Unfortunately we have to eliminate someone once again.” Seungmin leaned towards Jeongin and the two of them whispered back and forth for a bit, “This has nothing to do with your height, but Changbin, we’re sorry. Jisung is huge into skinship, in fact it’s probably killing him to be sitting there right now without touching anyone.”

The chosen boy stepped down, saluting Jisung as he left, “Maybe we could collab sometime. Give me a call.”

“Now, onto our third question.” Jeongin eyed the remaining contestants, “Would you consider yourself talented?”

“I like to dabble in a lot of different things, like music and art and dance. But I wouldn’t say I’m talented. I’m not awful, but I’m definitely not the best.” Chan’s tone was humble, “Except for swimming. I’m good at swimming.”

“I love to dance, but I’ve gotten to where I am today because of hard work. Not talent.” Jisung wasn’t even sure his friends were hearing Hyunjin’s answers, they were both too busy drooling over him.

“Want me to sing for you right now? I can prove I’m talented.”

“I danced with BTS, if that doesn’t tell you that I’m sexy and incredible, what will?” Minho’s voice turned sultry, “I’m very talented. I know exactly what I’m doing with my body. I’ll prove it to you later, Sungie.”

“Alright, let’s keep this rated PG,” Seungmin quickly jumped in to stop Minho. Jisung pressed his hands to his flaming cheeks and hoped his insane blush wasn’t being picked up on the camera. “Jisung has a bit of a superiority complex. He’s confident and talented, but he doesn’t like to date other people who are because he always wants to be the best. Which is total bullshit and Jeongin and I will not stand for that. So I’m sorry, Chan. We need someone who’s a bit more confident and willing to put this idiot in his place.”

Chan stepped down, flashing a peace sign and a dimpled smile as he disappeared.

“And then there were three.” Seungmin rubbed his hands together gleefully, “If you win the honor of taking our baby Jisung on a date, what would your plan be?”

“Dinner and a movie, I guess.” Jisung rolled his eyes at Hyunjin’s boring answer and the way his friends were lapping it up, “The movie first so we’d have something to talk about during dinner.”

“A fried chicken picnic at Han River.”

“I don’t know if baby Jisungie could handle it, but I’d take him to a club. We could dance up on each other in the darkness and I’d let him touch me anyway he wanted.”

Seungmin let out a delighted cackle, “You should see Jisung’s face right now. He’s so red. It’s incredible. You pass just for that.”

“I think we’re going to have to eliminate Woojin this time. I’m sorry,” Jeongin apologized. “Jisung hates fried chicken.”

Woojin gasped as he approached Jisung, hand clutching his heart, “How could you?”

Jisung rolled his eyes, “I don’t hate fried chicken. These two idiots just want to keep staring at Hyunjin.”

Woojin laughed, “Fair enough. He’s pretty hot.”

“Time for the final question. Drum roll please.” Jeongin made the noises as Seungmin continued speaking, “Why should we pick you?”

“Um,” Hyunjin hesitated. “I don’t know? I’m nice, I guess.”

“You should pick me because clearly Jisung is interested. He’s been reacting to my answers all day. And if what he just told Woojin is right, you two have only been hanging on to Hyunjin because you like him, not Sungie. Pick me, I’ll treat him right.”

“Fair point. Congrats, Minho. You’re the winner.”

Hyunjin exited the stage and Jisung saw him for the first time. He understood why his friends were so enamored, but the boy definitely wasn’t his type.

“Give Seungmin your number before you go or I’ll have to hear about it for the rest of my life,” Jisung offered Hyunjin a small smile, and the other boy returned it before sneaking a shy glance over his shoulder at Seungmin. Jisung’s friend grinned at him and a slight pink dusted Hyunjin’s cheeks as he hurried out.

“Sungie, put your blindfold back on. It’s time to meet your man.”

Jisung did as he was told, his hands trembling slightly as he slipped the material back over his eyes. He stood up, took a deep breath and straightened the edge of his shirt.

“Cute,” Minho’s giggling voice was close. Too close. A hand brushed his face and suddenly Jisung could see again, the blindfold lifted away.

He blinked once. Then twice. Then a third time.

“Holy shit, you’re beautiful,” he breathed before flushing red and clamping his hands over his mouth.

Minho just laughed and reached out to poke one of Jisung’s warm cheeks, “And you’re the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen.”

Jisung batted his hand away and Minho caught his wrist, twining their fingers together loosely as he grinned at Jisung. Jisung couldn’t fight back his own smile and he gave Minho’s hand a gentle squeeze as they stared at each other.

“This ended shockingly well,” the camera director removed his headphones and nodded to the four boys in front of him. “Thank you all for your participation.”

Minho started to walk out, tugging on Jisung’s hand, “So can we start our first date now? Or is that too soon? Do you just want to exchange numbers and met up later? We can go to the club later. Or we don’t have to, if you don’t want to. We can watch a movie and cuddle. Your friends said you like skinship. I do too, so that’s great. Or we could go for a walk by the river. That could be fun. You could meet my cats. I have three. Or we could…” Minho trailed off to stare at Jisung, who was doubled over in hysterics, their fingers still tangled together. Minho pouted, “Why are you laughing at me?”

“You were so confident before! What happened?”

“Shut up,” Minho knocked Jisung’s hip with his own, smiling sheepishly at the other boy’s continued laughter. “It was easier to flirt with you when I couldn’t see you! Stop laughing, I’m sensitive.”

Jisung got his laughter under control, but lost it again when he looked up into Minho’s pouting face. This time, Minho joined in, giggling softly before breaking into full on belly laughs, one hand on his stomach and the other still holding tight to Jisung’s.

“Idiots,” Seungmin smiled at the two boys fondly. “It looks like Jisung has finally met his match.”

“We did great,” Jeongin agreed, high fiving his friend. “And you got Hyunjin’s number.”

-

“So,” Minho hooked his chin over Jisung’s shoulder, tightening his arms around the younger boy’s waist, “was it worth it?”

Jisung leaned back into his touch, ignoring the movie that played out on the screen in front of them. Him and Minho had decided on a horror movie marathon with extra cuddles as their first date and Jisung would never admit it to his friends, but they’d done great.

“Definitely worth it,” Jisung tilted his head back and offered the other boy a soft smile. “If I had met you in real life, I never would have gone for you. You’re too pretty. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but those idiots were right.”

“To be fair, you picked me out yourself as soon as you heard my voice. I think your friends would have chosen Hyunjin if you weren’t so obviously into me.”

“This is why you’re my new favorite,” Jisung settled more comfortably into Minho’s hold, tipping his head back to press a sloppy kiss to the curve of the older boy’s chin. “I do have fantastic taste. They were right about one thing though.” Jisung batted his eyelashes seductively at Minho, “I do have a superiority complex. So please worship me accordingly.”

[purplesurveys]

1220

The person you had the strongest feelings for dies, do you care?  I imagine so, yeah. I’d check up on her family and help in any way I can, if it’s still welcomed.

Is there something you’re happy about at the moment?  I share this all the time in surveys at this point but I’m just really giddy that it’s a Friday evening hehe. Also, I’m seeing Angela, Hans, and (finally!!!) Reena later! We’ll be going to UP to shoot some photos since Angela and Reena are graduating this year and we wanna take pictures with the sunflowers in the campus before they die out. I also never got to take sunflower photos when I graduated last year, so it will be my chance to do so as well.

Do you want someone dead?  Wow, no.

Do you ever wonder what your ex is up to?  It almost never crosses my mind, honestly.

Have you ever fed or taken care of a stray animal?  I’ve fed many of them before, yup.

What is something you tend to worry about?  Pending deliverables at work, especially ones that are out of my control.

What is something you do that is unhealthy?  Be in front of a screen as soon as I’m awake until the second I turn in.

What is something you do that is good for you?  I’m no longer afraid to prioritize myself when necessary.

What last caused you to force a smile?  Ooh I’m not sure. I haven’t had to do that in a while, which is a good thing. What was the last video game you played? Was it fun?  Probably Mario Kart on the Switch, but it’s been a WHIIIIIIIIIIIIIILE. Yeah it’s one of my favorite series for a reason.

What is something not many people know about you?  The fact that I’m obsessed with anything classic Hollywood and I’m a big Audrey Hepburn fan. The topic never gets brought up so I don’t really get the chance to say anything about that interest of mine.

What word describes your basic style?  Casual, laidback. I’m more than happy with just a simple t-shirt and denim jeans these days and I think I’m over my jumpsuit/romper phase haha.

Have you ever been told you were going to Hell?  It was referred to/threatened to me, but not directly with these words.

Have you ever wanted to kill yourself?  It was a regular occurrence before.

If yes, what convinced you not to go through with it?  I think overall I was just scared of fucking it up and fucking up my brain for life as a consequence. Also I knew no one was going to take care of Kimi as well as I do, and I would never leave him behind.

Have you ever rejected a guy, only to have him push the issue by asking “why?” and insisting that you just need to get to know him better?  Nope.

Is there something that you believe everyone should do and you can’t believe that some people don’t do it (e.g., recycle or go to the dentist regularly)?  It’s definitely an Asian thing but it will sometimes hurt my chest when I see people wear shoes in their homes.

Regarding the last good choice (healthy choice, kind choice, selfless choice, etc.) you made, what was your real motivation behind it?  I wanted to be kind to myself and finally let go of what had been keeping me from starting to be happy and pleased with where I am and have.

What is something that you have had to practice at to get the hang of it? If you can’t think of anything, that’s okay, what’s something you are currently practicing at and trying to master?  This is such a shallow answer lol but I’ve recently gotten into this rhythm game called Rhythm Hive that I found impossible to master at first, but after weeks of practicing I now breeze through all the songs at their hardest level.

Have you ever gone to the store to buy something, like a video game, when it came out at midnight?  I haven’t done that, but I’ve watched a movie premiere at midnight - for both times the Breaking Dawn movies came out.

Regarding the last novel you read, was there a romance included? If so, was it central to the plot?  Yes and yes.

Have you ever done relaxation meditations or listened to relaxation guides or positive-thinking/healing recordings?  Nope, they don’t really work on me. I have my own outlets that help me relax.

Do you have any interests that are also often shared by children?  Coloring is one. Also animated movies; I never grew out of those.

Is there something that could be a solitary activity but you really only like to do it with other people (e.g., watching movies, playing video games, etc.)? Definitely eating out. I’ve done it a couple of times before by myself and it does feel nice, but I also always can’t help but think it would be a lot more fun and that I would be much happier if I was sharing the experience with someone else.

Are you satisfied with the interior design or decoration in your home? Or do you think it needs a total home makeover?  Ugh god I need to rearrange and upgrade my room STAT. My K-Pop merch are starting to pile up but they’re all currently in just lazy heaps scattered around in my room since I don’t have any shelves or anything to properly display them on.

Is there something that you’d like to own but you can’t find it anywhere? If not, can you a remember a time when you wanted something? Did you ever end up finding it or did you eventually stop wanting it? This is always me with BTS merch...

Who makes you smile the most?  My friends.

What piercings do you want/have?  Just one on each earlobe. I’m not looking to have any more.

What's your favorite website?  Twitter.

Do you own a fish tank with fish?  We never had one, no.

Do you like the movie 300?  I’ve never seen it and will probably never have plans to. It’s not my cup of tea.

Do you pop your knuckles?  When I feel stressed or when my knuckles feel strained, yes.

Do you have Photoshop?  Nope, I have no use for it.

Do you use tinypic or photobucket?  Way back in the day. I’m not even sure if those websites still exist.

What’s your favourite song from the 1980s?  Heaven Is A Place On Earth.

How about the 1990s?  I’m not sure I have one.

Have you won anything recently?  Yeah we played this online game over Google Meets with my co-workers just this afternoon, before clocking out. My team won twice.

How often do you make Excel tables? What for?  Oh everyday. I work on a handful of sheets every single day at work, but I also like making spreadsheets for personal use haha. Right now the one I’m currently super invested in is my tracker for all the merch I’ve been buying so I can keep note of my pending payments and which ones I should already be asking for updates on.

What was the last baby animal you saw in the wild?  Not sure, I’m barely outdoors.

Are you always available or online?  Yup.

Do you have dietary restrictions? Or do you just eat what you like?  No allergies or restrictions.

Do you prefer gold, silver or steel jewelry? Or no jewelry at all? Silver.

Have you been binge-watching any shows lately? If so, what?  Not really. I’ve stopped watching Hwarang for now, but I do have plans to come back to it someday. I guess I just haven’t been in a K-drama binge-watching mood lately.

If you dye your hair, do you do it yourself or go to a salon?  I’ve never had my hair dyed.

If you have any, do you like your in-laws? I don’t have any. < Same.

Would it bother you, if your partner had cut contact with their parents?  It depends on the story behind it, but mostly no. How close they are with their family isn’t a priority matter for me.

Have you ever wondered whether you were adopted? All the time, especially as a teenager who wasn’t getting any emotional support at home.

What’s the best physical feeling in the entire universe?  When you work on something and expect mediocre results and feedback, but it ends up getting praised instead and you feel all the hard work pay off.

Have you ever grown a berry bush?  Nope.

Have you done something new to your hair recently?  It’s been untouched since the very start of the pandemic. My sister actually suggested that since I had it cut right when the pandemic started, I should wait out till the end of it and see how long it’ll reach. It sounded intriguing enough so now I’m indefinitely growing it out hahaha.

Do you have bad anxiety? If so, do you take any kind of medication for it? I’m sure I have it, I’ve just never been diagnosed before.

One thing you’ve experienced that you thought you never would have?  Managing to get over a rough breakup quicker than I ever expected to.

What was the last thing someone said to you that kept repeating over & over in your head?  It was when I was leaving Angela’s house yesterday and an “I love you” to her parents rolled out of my tongue so naturally I almost didn’t notice it; and when they said it back in a heartbeat. It’s when I realized that her parents are really like my second parents and that her house is a second home at this point. My heart was filled the entire drive home.

How often do you have late nights out?  Never because we still have a curfew.

If you could, would you work from home? Do you think that would make you more or less productive?  I don’t have a choice; it’s the set-up we’re required to live in. I’m pretty productive here at home but then again I don’t have a point of comparison considering I got my first job already in the midst of the pandemic.

If you had the ability to change the weather, what would you change it to right now?  I would like to bring snow to the Philippines.

Is there something that you really need to do, but can’t seem to get motivated to do it?  Upgrade my room and invest in shelves and other home decor/interior design stuff that would make the space more comfy and homey. Right now it just looks like a warehouse with my merch piled up in scattered places.

Most disturbing movie you have ever seen?  Eraserhead or I’m Thinking of Ending Things.

Has a life goal or dream ever come true for you yet? If yes, what is it? If no, do you think you’ll achieve it?  I have multiple life goals - some of them I’ve achieved, like getting into my dream university and simply getting employed, and some of them I’m still working my way towards, like getting a promotion. Yeah I feel like I’ll achieve my goals someday. I don’t like losing LOL so when I want something I usually put it above everything else.

Have you ever had food poisoning?  Yup.

What are you listening to?  Blue & Grey by BTS.

Do you think there will be a WWIII? I find it inevitable at some point down humanity's future. People are too hateful for it not to eventually. < Yeah, let’s go with this too.

Has anyone ever asked you if you were emo?  No.

Has someone ever liked you that you never thought would?  Yes. Tbh I never expect anyone to like me so I’ve always been surprised when I hear about someone who does.

In all honesty, can a person be too nice?  Yes, especially if they’re starting to be taken advantage of.

Has one of your friend’s boyfriends ever tried to cheat on them with you?  No.

Is mental abuse really as bad as physical abuse?  Any abuse is bad. :/

Do you shop at Sephora for make-up?  Nope.

Zelda: Twilight Princess or Ocarina of Time?  Twilight Princess only because I grew up with it and never got to play Ocarina of Time.

Do you own a rosary?  I did - I went to Catholic school. But I lost mine all the time because I didn’t really care for them lol I always had to buy new ones at the school bookstore.

If you were homeless, how would you cope? I don’t know.

[faithtrustkookiecrust]

The Taste of You

PAIRING: Kim Seokjin x Female Reader

GENRE: Romance, fluff

WORD COUNT: 5,2k

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Hello. I am very excited to share another BTS AU story! This is a special one, since I use a friend as an inspiration for Y/N (even though most details are fiction, of course) I promised her months ago to write a Seokjin story, so finally the long wait is over. Bare in mind: English is not my first language, so I apologize in advance if you come across any errors. Enjoy. x

DESCRIPTION: Seokjin having a night off, is exploring the night life of the tropical city where BTS is shooting their next MV. By chance he stumbles upon Y/N, who’s backpacking her way around the world. They seem to be from separate worlds and lead such different lives, which makes Seokjin curious about Y/N. Wonder what it’d be like to have such freedom to travel around on his own... or to travel with Y/N. Who is this mysterious stranger and why can’t Seokjin get her out of his mind? 

Seokjin couldn’t believe it. They’d been given a night off from filming their abroad shooting and had a couple of hours to kill. Unlike his brothers and group members who’d chosen to stay at the hotel to rest and catch up on some sleep, he’d decided to go outside to see what the city had to offer. He didn’t have a goal or a destination and for once he enjoyed the fact that he was completely free. No cameras, no staff, no curfew and no rules (Well, within reasons of course). He wasn’t planning on doing something crazy that would end up being the next trending thing on social media. For this one night, he wanted to be himself. Not Jin of BTS, Mr Worldwide Handsome (Even if he knew he couldn’t escape the fact that the nickname was a perfect match) but Kim Seokjin. That’s nothing wrong about that, right?

The sun was already setting, leaving the sky in a beautiful shimmer of orange and purple. It was a beautiful sight, Seokjin thought as he lowered his gaze to take in the city’s pulse. He was surrounded by the lights of restaurants and bars that were opened and the streets were moderately crowded with groups of people. It wasn’t too crowded, not too dead. It was a warm atmosphere, and not just due to the weather. He closed his eyes for a bit and took a deep breath. Yes, this is what it must feel like to be able to just blend in. To have a normal life. Even though he was incredibly grateful about the immense of luck life had given him, he couldn’t help but to miss being able to go out at night, any night, and being able to relax without thinking about being careful. To have to plan your destinations, covering clothes and exit plans in case things would get out of hand. Tonight, he could take a break from all that. During the last couple of days they had been on their tropical destination in the middle of nowhere, no one had really paid them much attention, let alone treat them any differently. It was a nice change from visiting larger cities where no one saw them as nothing but idols. Not humans, celebrities. Celebrities that owed everyone their time, autographs and selfies. Providing it all with enormous smiles and a will to be at service of others 24/7. It could get really suffocating at times. Seokjin tried to shake off the feeling of the responsibilities of having to put up a facade and just be… well be. Just being a man in his late 20s having a chill night off from work, going out to explore a new place. Let’s get it!

He had been wondering for a while, enjoying the city views, having nice, short chats with strangers (using his simple english), jokingly interacting with some drunk people and suddenly felt the urge to quench his own thirst. Most bars were now too crowded for his liking so he kept on walking into a slim alleyway in hopes of finding a smaller place. It didn’t take long before he stumbled across a sign that caught his eyes. ”Charles’ Tavern”. Sounds alright.

”I’ll give this a go.”, he said to himself.

While inside he was welcomed by a calm atmosphere. There were some friend groups and couples sitting at the tables placed along the walls, but they were all so consumed by their own conversations that they didn’t realize that one of the biggest K-pop idols had just entered the building. The dark, wooden interior were western inspired and was a contrast from the tropical theme from outside. It was a nice change. Seokjin smiled to himself and followed the clear path right up to the bar counter. He made a few glances towards a couple sitting close to the bar. They were heavily infatuated by one another and couldn’t seem to keep their eyes off each other. They had that kind of glow that he wished he could find someday too. To experience love. And not just for one night… even if those nights were lovely, too. It had just become more of a hassle to initiate even one night stands. Having to find a girl he clicked with, escort her somewhere more private without getting noticed and then asking her not to mention it ever again. It would be nice to find something more long-lived. He switched his focus back on the bar. Behind the counter, there was an older man meeting his gaze. It would have been intimidating if the man didn’t have such a friendly face.

”Welcome, my friend!” the man says.

”My friend, hello!” he replies with a cheerful voice.

”My name is Charles and I am the owner of this place. If there is anything you need, just let me know.”

The man continues the conversation and Seokjin freezes up. He couldn’t help himself. His english skills are limited. It’s the only downside of walking around on your own, where is Namjoon when you need him?

”I’m sorry, I don’t english well.” he says.

”No worries! What drink can I give you?” Charles asks.

Seokjin orders some drinks to get the edge of his nerves. He was left alone for a while, which was nice. He got his phone up and started to go through his pictures from the trip so far. They were mostly funny pictures of the members being silly or sleeping, but he enjoyed them just the same and even thought about framing some of them for the member’s birthdays. There weren’t that much RJ merch left to hand out. He looked down at his RJ shirt. He was so proud of his creation and thought it was so cute. Yeah, the alcohol had really started to get to his head. 

”Who’s your friend?” a voice said out of nowhere.

Seokjin looked up. Without him realizing, a woman - you, had taken the seat two chairs down from him. Or had you been there all along? He couldn’t remember…

”What?” he managed to reply.

You smiled.

”Your friend. The one your patting.” you made a gesture towards his shirt.

He looked down and realized that he in fact was patting RJ, and immediately stopped. He cleared his throat and looked back at you, who was looking at him most amusingly. You were very beautiful in his eyes. You were a bit petit with dark and curly hair that reached down a bit below your shoulders. He focused on your warm and brown eyes that had a bit of a mischievous spark in them. The thing that really caught his attention was your smile. You gave off a friendly aura that made him relax and feel comfortable straight away. Who were you?

”His name is RJ.” he managed to reply. ”He is mine.”

”He’s yours? Did you design him?” you responded and raised an eyebrow. Not in a mocking way, but with admiration.

”Yes. I draw him.” he said slowly and made a drawing hand gesture. ”That’s pretty cool. Hello, RJ!” you said with a cheerful voice and waved.

”Can I get you two something else?” Charles said as he returned to his place behind the counter.

Seokjin gave you a nervous look. He was curious about you and wasn’t ready to leave just yet.

”I’ll have a White Russian.” you ordered.

Seokjin felt his heart flutter. You ordered something. Did that mean you wanted to stay and talk with him? Why did his heart flutter? Must be the alcohol running through his body.

”I will have the same.” he replied.

Charles smiled and started mixing your drinks.

”So, what’s your name?” you asked as you patted the empty seat in between them.

Seokjin scooted over. ”My name is… Jin.” he replied as he tensed up. Would you recognize him? Did you already know who he was? ”Hi Jin. I’m Y/N.”

”Y/N.” he copied.

You laughed.

”Here you go! Let me know if you need a refill.” Charles said as he put the drinks in front of you and you both gave your thanks as occupied himself with other things to not be a disturbance.

”So, Jin, where are you from?”

Seokjin hesitated.

”I am from Korea.”

”Korea? Really? Wow. I have never been there. I’ve always wanted to go.”

”Ah, you must go Korea, okay? Very beautiful! Good food!”

”I love Korean food!”

And just like that the conversation was flowing. Seokjin almost forgot about his lack in english, it felt so natural speaking to you, or maybe it was just the alcohol. He honestly couldn’t tell. He found out that you were a backpacker who had quit your job to travel the world and see places you’d wanted to see for ages. He understood most of the things you said and you could tell when he had a hard time to follow along, so you slowed your pace and explained some words if necessary. Seokjin kept observing you and the way you held her body, how you kept playing with your glass with your fingers and how you looked down at the counter and smiled as you passionately talked about yourself and your travels. You were beautiful. His eyes kept falling back to your lips, since you had a habit of biting them every now and then. It made him curious about what it would be like to kiss them, to taste them. You continued sharing stories from your travels and he was reminded of how little time he had to properly experience the places he visits. He wished he had the freedom to travel and to actually be able to explore more whenever they travel whilst being on tour. They hardly had time to leave the hotel rooms. Wonder what it would be like to travel alone like you… or to travel with you. Your voice suddenly got him back to reality.

”What?”

”What do you do for a living?” you repeated.

”Oh…” Seokjin said a bit startled.  

What should he say? Should he make something up? Be honest? ”Hello, I’m a worldwide superstar and might very well be the most famous person you will ever meet…” What kind of a reply would that be? Would you run away? ”I… I… ”

”Jin!” a man exclaimed.

They both looked up at a young man behind the counter.

”The singer!”

Seokjin’s heart dropped. He didn’t know how to feel about being recognized, but it all felt so sudden. He had been so immersed in the conversation that he’d almost forgot about the risk of being recognized. ”You sing! You dance!”

”Ah… yes.”

”Millions of views on Youtube! Incredible!”

”Yes… thank you.”

Seokjin’s face had turned red and he felt his ears heat up, as they always tend to do when he got embarrassed. Maybe he could blame it on the alcohol. He almost didn’t have the nerve to face you, but he was desperate to see your reaction. Were you scared? He made a little peak. You were sitting there with your hand covering your mouth, trying to keep laughter down. You found this amusing. That made him feel a little better. At least you were still sitting there. You could might as well have made a run for it.

”Can I have your autograph?” the young man asked, holding out a pen and napkin ready.

”Ah, yes.” he said as he received the things.

”Marco!” Charles exclaimed. He took the towel he had thrown over his shoulder and snapped it at him. ”Don’t disturb our guests.” It almost felt like Charles was rooting for Seokjin to get to know you. Like a personal match maker. ”I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” the young man said.

”It is okay.” Seokjin replied as he handed back the napkin.

”Go back to the dishes!” Charles said. ”I am sorry for the disturbance.”

”It’s okay. Really.” Seokjin assured the bar owner.

You couldn’t keep your giggles down. Seokjin turned to you. What would you possibly have to say about all of that?

”So…” you started.

”So…” he copied.

”You’re an idol.”

Seokjin felt his pulse raise. He was getting nervous. Why did his Mr Worldwide persona have to abandon him right now?

”I thought you looked familiar, plus you were way too cute to just have an ordinary office job.” you jokingly said as you took a sip of your third White Russian.

”Yes, I am K-pop idol.” he affirmed. ”You think I am cute?”

”I mean… Not in an obvious way like your friend RJ here…” you pointed towards his shirt and accidentally touched RJ’s face and thereby Seokjin’s chest. He automatically made a shy shrug back from the touch. You removed your hand with haste and pretended like it hadn’t happen. Seokjin couldn’t help but to smile.

”What group are you in?” you innocently asked to ease the tension.

”Erhm… Bangtan Sonyeondan… BTS.” he replied as he drank from his glass. Here it goes.

”I’m sure I’ve heard of you.” you responded as you took a big gulp of your drink, it ended with you downing the whole thing.

Seokjin’s nerves were calming a bit, now he could tell that you were nervous too. He was used with people being shy and nervous around him, but he usually didn’t pay much attention to it. But it was different with you. You were cute.

”I think you are cute too.” he admitted. You looked up at him with a shocked expression. Seokjin realized that maybe you weren’t used to hearing comments like that. The shocked expression suddenly exchanged to a mischievous smile. Seokjin could hardly read your face. Your eyes sparkled. Maybe the alcohol was getting to you too?

”Do you want to go for a walk?” you asked.

”Let’s go.”

The night sky was now dark and glistening with stars. The air was still warm, but a bit clearer than during the day. A swift wind caressed Seokjin’s face as he walked beside you by the water in the harbor. He couldn’t help but to take a look around, he couldn’t be too careful. No one else was in sight, but some muffled sounds from the crowds in the city reached you every now and then, die to the waves from the water being too overpowering. Seokjin smiled to himself. He was actually walking with a woman. Outside. And he didn’t feel threatened, even though his company would probably suffice him to not be out in the open. He suddenly got a bit nervous. Will they find out? His strain of thoughts were disrupted as you sat yourself down on a bench and urged him to do the same.

”The fresh air is doing magic to my head… I might have had a bit too much to drink.” you confessed.

Seokjin sat himself next to you, leaving a small gap between you to respect your personal space.

”How long are you here for?” you asked as you looked at him with a curious look.

”Just a few days. Work.” he replied. ”Where will you fly to… ah… next?”

”I haven’t decided yet. I have a few places in mind.” you replied and switched your gaze towards the horizon.

You both sat in quiet for a couple of seconds… There was something lingering in the air.

”Do you have any hobbies? Except singing and dancing?” you asked as you observed the gentle waves coming crashing in and smashing across the stonewall below you.

”Singing and dancing is work. Hard work.” he explained.

You laughed.

”I get it, so what do you do for fun? To relax?”

Seokjin got quiet. What did he do with his rare free time?

”I…I play games. On the computer, you know?”

You nodded.

”And I like to eat too…” ”Food is always delicious!” you added. ”Very delicious… I have show, ah, broadcast.” ”A food show? Like mukbangs?”

Seokjin was a bit baffled by how genuinely interested you seemed.

”Yes… like mukbang. Eat Jin.”

”I have to check that out, then.”

”I also cook.” ”You cook? Wow.” You were impressed.

”You no cook?” Seokjin asked.

”Well, I know how to keep myself alive… but no, I don’t really have the talent. I want to learn.” you responded.

”Maybe I can teach.” he said without realizing his chosen words. There was no possibility of that becoming a reality. You lived in separate worlds. He got quiet. It was a foolish thing to say.

As if you could read his mind, you picked up on his doubt and wanted to light the mood.

”And let me burn your precious food? I wouldn’t want you to scold me…” you said as you hid behind your arms.

”Ahh! Me is nice! I no shout. Don’t worry.” he assured with a laugh.

You both started to laugh and Seokjin relaxed a bit more. This was nice. Just hanging out with someone he felt comfortable with. The company could say whatever they liked.

”What… do you miss when you travel?” Seokjin decided to ask. He was curious about you and wanted to hear more of your travels.

”It’s weird, I really miss baths to be honest… and I’m not a bath person. And sleeping in my own bed…”

”Ah…” Seokjin could relate to that.

”…and fucking.”

Seokjin’s heart stopped. Did. He. Just. Hear. You. Right.

”Excuse me?”

”Fucking.” you repeated with a sigh. ”Being close to someone.”

Seokjin didn’t know what to answer.

”Fucking…” Seokjin echoed. Were you implying that that was a possibility?

”You know…” you said and turned towards him. He could tell you were filled with a newfound confidence. ”… we could always…” You let the words linger in the air.

”Are you drunk?” Seokjin asked. The last thing he needed was to have it leaked that he’d taken advantage of a drunk woman.

”My mind is perfectly clear… well, the White Russians may have provided some courage. I don’t usually say things like this. You could always follow me home, if you want to, that is…” ”I…” Seokjin didn’t know what to say. Of course he wanted to follow you home! You were a beautiful woman. He had had a wonderful time with you tonight and he wasn’t ready for it to be over.

”Oh my god… Did I sound too desperate? I’m sorry… I haven’t slept with someone for 18 months and I guess it’s starting to get to my head!” You blurted out in a fast pace. Seokjin had trouble to catch every word, but he managed to get the general idea of what you were saying.

”Where do you live?”

You shut up and looked into his eyes. He responded your gaze with a sincere look. His lips formed a half smile, indicating that he was willing to come along.

”Follow me.”

Your hands kept touching as you walked close to each other on the way back to your Airbnb. The hands were warm to the touch, and left tingling feelings with you both. The anticipation was sky high, still the nerves wouldn’t go away. The night breeze was warm and embracing, yet Seokjin couldn’t help but to have trouble breathing. Why was he so nervous? He’d done one night stands before, why did this feel different? There was something about you he couldn’t put his finger on… but he was dead set on trying. He followed your steps as you guided him up some wooden stairs to reach the second level of a building.

”This way.” you as you gestured which way to go next. Seokjin took the lead down the porch and stopped when you tapped on his shoulder.

”We’re here.” you indicated as you unlocked the door to the small apartment.

The Airbnb wasn’t big, but it had all the main things you needed on your stay here. The kitchen and living room were merged together, leaving more place for the double bed… that you’d left unmade. ”Wait here.” you urged and made your way to the bed and through the covers up in the air and let it land neatly. Seokjin observed you and laughed. He thought it was nice to not be in a hotel room for once, to see how other people lived, even if it was just for a couple of days. He guessed he would get something similar if he was the one backpacking… well, he could wish.

What would be your next move? You couldn’t light any candles… and you didn’t have a good sound system for music. Did you have any alcohol? Did you need anymore alcohol?

”Hey…” you heard him say.

You looked up and met his gaze. He gestured you to come over. You felt a bit playful and shook your head. Instead you nodded him over. He smiled and slowly started to make his way closer.

”Show me.” you said.

”Show you… what?” he asked.

”You’re a dancer… please dance with me.” you smiled and reached out a hand towards him.

Seokjin started to laugh.

”I am no good dancer.” he laughed.

You still held out your hand, once again gesturing him to take it.

”I don’t believe that.” you replied with a smirk.

He found your disbelief quite amusing and took your hand. A choreographed dance routine with six other members is still very different than a dance with a pretty lady. He gulped as you came closer. It’s been a while since he felt the close heat of a woman. They had had work up to their necks, with the new comeback coming closer, new album release and all the planning for their current music video shoot. He’d almost forgot how much he’d missed this. Being close to another person. They were standing dancing in a slow circle on the spot. Seokjin’s whole body started to ache for more. Suddenly his pants started to feel tight. He cleared his throat and decided to twirl you under his arm to give himself a moment to breathe. It became a beautiful smooth dance move. You raised an eyebrow.

”I’m impressed.” you said as you once again came closer to him. You were standing with your body against his. It was hot, yet not uncomfortable. You could tell that his breathing had picked up and you observed how his beautiful skin had started to glisten. You imagined he’d be used to these sorts of arrangements, being an idol and all. Women must come and go like the sun and moon switched places with each other. Or was that just a prejudice? You didn’t feel like asking and ruining the mood, and for right now - you didn’t really care. All you could focus on was the man in front of you. He met your gaze with the same intense stare. The tension hung heavy in the air. Who would make the first move? ”What the hell.” you thought to yourself and made a swift move to reach up to him. Seokjin felt his throat tense up, leaving him breathless for a moment. This was it. He leaned down to meet you halfway. The tension became unbearable. You both closed your eyes and awaited the moment you both had been waiting for these past hours, to taste each other. As you came closer you could feel his growing need in his pants. You smiled as your lips touched. It started off small and became more intense as your hunger for more grew stronger. You grabbed hold of his neck and pushed him towards you. He didn’t mind. Your lips molded together perfectly, even if he had to strain his back and neck to reach you due to the height difference. His erection kept digging into your stomach, so you felt your hand reach down and gently stroke it through the fabric of his clothes. He exhaled and opened his eyes. His eyes met yours. They were filled with such an intense hunger that he felt the urge to taste your lips again. You kept stroking him and he let out moans in your mouth. Was this really happening?

”Can I say hello to your friend? I think he’s eager to meet me.” you said as you let your fingers rest at his belt.

Seokjin nodded and you didn’t wait any further before you dug into his pants to release him from his underwear prison. You grabbed hold of him and started to pump him. ”Does it feel good?” you asked with a teasing voice.

”Yes.” he answered as he gulped.

”I think my mouth wants to say hello too…”

The sun shun bright through the window and hit Seokjin in the face. It took a few seconds for him to orient himself and sort his thoughts out. Where was he? Some moments later, he recognized the room that was now lightened by the morning sun. He turned and looked at the beautiful, naked woman sleeping next to him. Flashbacks from the night before hit him. He could still feel your body on him, riding him into oblivion. Or when he laid on top of you, sheltering you from the world and hitting places within you that made him think he’d stumbled across Nirvana in physical form. ”Was sex always supposed to feel that way?” Seokjin thought to himself as he raised a hand to gently massage your back. He didn’t know what time it was, but he knew he had to leave soon to avoid suspicion. How would he say goodbye to you, though? He felt connected to you, and not just cause the sex was amazing. Last night had given him memories to live off of for the next couple of months. An empty feeling hit his gut. He didn’t want to leave. It hurt to imagine you going your separate ways, him continuing his endless work and you heading off to your next destination on your backpacking journey. For a brief second, he’d imagine what it’d be like if he would run away from his obligations and follow you on your travels… He scoffed as he came down to earth. It would never happen. You two could never be. But it’s for the better, right? Who could ever deal with the circus that is his life? He put his face down into the pillow and sighed loudly. It all seemed so unfair.

”I thought you’d snuck out by now.”

Seokjin got startled. He thought you were sleeping.

”I…” he started off. ”No worries, I can pretend to sleep while you get dressed and sneak out.”

He stared at you while his newly awoke brain tried to translate your words in his mind. You were a funny one, weren’t you?

”You want me to go?” he asked, his hand still stroking your back. You turned to face him. ”I was only kidding.”

”You… you funny.” Seokjin laughed and tickled you.

As you started a tickle war, a phone rang. Seokjin froze. Reality is calling. You took notice in his change in posture and realized that your little bubble had to burst sooner or later. You watched as he reached for his phone that still was in his pants next to the bed. He ignored the call.

”I… have to… go.” he sighed. He scratched the back off his head.

”I understand. I really do. Go.” you replied as you sat yourself up, covering yourself with the duvet.

He looked back at you and smiled.

”Urgh!” he said as he playfully shoved himself backwards and landed on your knees.

You laughed and stroke his hair away from his face. He really was beautiful. ”Well, this will be something to tell the grandkids…” you joked.

”No! No tell… anyone.” Seokjin burst out as he sat himself up again.

”No, it was a joke! I get that I can’t tell anyone. What we had… is between us.”

”Between… us.” he copied.

You looked into his eyes and smiled. He came closer and left a kiss on your bare shoulder.

”Have to go.” he repeated and turned around to leave the bed. You quickly reached out and grabbed his hand and yanked him back. Before he could react, you gave him a peck on his cheek.

”Now you can go.” you said and released him. ”Return to your group. Rock the world with BTS!”

He smiled back at you and left the bed. You watched him as he got dressed and put his phone in his back pocket.

”I guess this is it.” you said and guided him to the door, still covered only by the duvet.

You couldn’t help it, but you felt an empty feeling overwhelm you. You were going to miss him.

”Hey…” he said as he noticed that you were somewhere else mentally. ”Thank you…” he said slowly and let his right hand rest on the side of your face for a few seconds. ”… for everything.”  

”You too…” you responded and touched his hand against your face. This was silly, you were strangers. He’d forget all about you within days and carry on his idol life. Get a grip, you thought to yourself. You watched him as he went down the porch. Suddenly he turned around.

”Hey… do you know BTS?” he asked with a foolish voice and eyes filled with mischief.

”I do…” you whispered. ”… with all of my heart.”

EPILOUGE

A couple of nights later, Seokjin found himself at the airport with the rest of his members and staff. They were going back to Seoul and was currently stuck in line due to a delayed flight. They usually wait for their flights in the VIP section, but due to the airport being so small, they had to wait in the regular line.

”Hey, Namjoon-ah, are you sure you haven’t forgotten anything now?” Seokjin asked.

”No, hyung. I appreciate your concern, but why didn’t you ask me that back at the hotel?” Namjoon scoffed.

”Cause I wanted to see you run like The Flash!” Seokjin said and applauded himself. ” Plus, it’s boring to wait in line…”

”I know, hyung. We’ll be on the plane in no time. And when we get back, we’ll have some samgyeopsal, okay?”

”Okay, if you’re buying then I’ll…” he cut off mid sentence. He couldn’t believe his eyes. There you stood in the middle of the line, with your big back packs and everything, making you appear even smaller and cuter than normal. He was taken aback, he never thought he’d see you again. Suddenly the line started to move, and Namjoon noticed that Seokjin was standing still.

”Hyung, the line is moving.” he said.

”Yeah… I’ll catch up.” Seokjin replied as he took off in your direction. A staff member tried to stop him, but he put his hand up to make sure everything was okay. The staff member stood still but kept on observing if he needed to call for backup.

Seokjin continued to make his way through the crowd. Your eyes were locked on your phone screen and therefore unaware of your surroundings.

”Hey.” he said, startling you and almost made you lose your phone and boarding pass from your grasp. Seokjin jumped a little by your reaction.

You looked up at the man that suddenly stood before you. No way. The handsome idol guy? ”Seokjin?” you said in shock.

”Yes.” he confirmed and smiled. ”It is me.”

”Wow, hey…” you responded. This was insane. What were the odds?

”Where are you… eh… going?” Seokjin asked, trying to sound his best to impress you.

You immediately took notice of it and felt your confident and flirty side coming out to play.

”Well, I thought to myself… I’ve never been to South Korea…”

[kathiemnq]

Coffee Break

Title: Coffee Break Group: BTS Pairing: Min Yoongi x Reader Genre: Fluff Type: Photo-based snippet Requested: No

Note: Omg this is my first BTS scenario. I don’t know why I’m quite nervous about posting this. I want Mother Earth to gobble me up ugh huhuhu.

This is quite crappy though because it’s been a while since I wrote something (I was busy for my thesis and I still am). I just needed a little mental exercise so that’s why I wrote this. Aaahhh, spare me! It’s my first time writing a BTS fanfic snippet. 

By the way, this is in reader’s POV. *hides*

It was one of the rare privileges that I had: spending time with my boyfriend even though both of us were working. I decided to work inside his studio of our shared apartment even though I had my own office. He had a day off but he still decided to work on his music as always, and I—being a fashion designer and having my own clothing line—had some emails that need urgent responding and had some new ideas to work on.

I was sitting on his couch with my laptop on his coffee table, silently scrolling through my email inbox and clicking the emails that needed urgent responses. My hands immediately went to the keyboard and started typing my replies. The loud sounds my keyboard typing filled the quiet studio. I was normally fast at typing, and an aggressive one at that (as what my mom would say and would even complain that one day, one of my keyboard keys would fly off).

It didn't even take long for me to hear Yoongi clicking his mouse, probably arranging some instrumentals of his another song. Just as much as I was fast at typing my replies, he was also quick on arranging music. I'd say he was a prodigy, like he was definitely born and destined to create music. And that's what made me fall in love with him. He was an inspiration and a role model for people especially who're passionate about their dreams like me.

Another click from his mouse was heard and immediately, a demo music blasted through his speakers. Both of us just casually listened to it; Yoongi just leaning back to his computer chair while I just continued reading and responding to emails regarding about the design projects that are due two weeks from now. I took my bullet journal that was on top of my portfolio designs beside my laptop and started scribbling my schedule for next week.

Seeing how much I was going to be busy, I sighed, a habit I’ve always done whenever I'm frustrated. I felt Yoongi's gaze on mine but I didn't pay any attention to it and just continued answering emails. I opened another website and booked my flight to London next week because my boss had messaged me that I needed to run some errands (which was just going to a company factory to check some progress). I sighed once again, out of habit. It was going to be a busy week, next week.

Yoongi suddenly started rapping the lyrics he scribbled in his little notebook, then pausing the song halfway to hunch over his table and scribble some changes or adding the missing words in between. Then I heard him dropping his pen on the table and started playing the song again. I unknowingly closed my eyes and listened to his raps. If there was one word to describe Yoongi's rapping, it's versatile. One moment, he'd be breathing fire with his aggressive raps then the next, it would be extremely laid-back and chill. Currently, it was the latter. And I could seriously listen to it the whole day.

Well, if it weren't for a notification that rang on my phone. I was snapped out of my reverie and I immediately opened the notification. I groaned louder than intended, once again out of habit. One of the newbie assistant designers of my clothing line business had messed up and I had to fix it somehow. I sighed and dropped my phone on the sofa. I closed my laptop and leaned on the back rest as I stared at the ceiling. For the umpteenth time, I sighed out of habit.

"Babe?" Yoongi called, pausing the music, "Are you okay? You seemed more stressed than I am."

I sat up straight and looked at him, giving him a wry smile, "I'm fine,"

He raised his eyebrow, "You don't look fine," he stated a matter-of-fact and that's when I knew I couldn't hide it from him. It was his turn to sigh now as he stood up from his seat. He then grabbed his black jacket that was hanging on the backrest of his computer chair, "You look like you need some caffeine. Come, we'll talk this over coffee."

"But what about your work?"

Yoongi said my name, prolonging the last vowel of my name in a slightly frustrated tone. "Work can wait, both yours and mine. For now, let's take a break. We could both use one, you especially."

"I can't say 'no' to you, can I?" I chuckled as I stood up from his couch.

"You can't because I'm irresistible." Yoongi confidently declared and I jokingly slapped his arm, the both of us laughing afterwards.

We went to our favorite coffee shop that was a ten-minute walk from our apartment. It had a modern vintage ambiance which helped us relax, whether we brought our laptops here to work or just drink coffee leisurely. The smell of grounded coffee wafting through our nose had already eased my tensed emotions. The ceiling lights enclosed in a symmetric and industrial cage design has always satisfied my inner interior designer self. And a coffee shop interior wouldn't be complete without quotes and drawings about coffee hanging on the brick wall.

Yoongi skimmed through the menu and started ordering. He ordered black coffee as always and I told him I wanted mocha latte and strawberry cream puffs. In the process of de-stressing, I always get hungry. But he never complained anyway. He just obliged and insisted that it's his treat even though I could manage to pay for my orders. He always does that and it left me feeling like I'm leeching his money even though I could earn as much for a living.

"I told you, you're not leeching my money." He whispered after taking his change from the cashier and putting it in his wallet. Did my facial expression looked that transparent to the point that he could read my mind? "I'm treating you like how a girlfriend should be treated by his boyfriend."

My heart fluttered. He was too sweet and I don't deserve him.

He pulled me to our usual seat by the window where we could enjoy the view of the sky and the city while having long talks as we waited for our order to arrive. As soon as the both of us sat on the comfy cushioned seats, Yoongi started talking...or more like interrogating.

"So, what's stressing you out lately?"

"Work, as usual," I answered.

"Please be more specific."

"Well," I began then sighed. Here we go. Once I started rambling, there's no stopping me now, "It's just that I have a hectic schedule next week, with all of the designing projects and stuff. I'm going to fly over another country because of some errands, then there's a slight conflict that happened with a newbie assistant designer in my business,"

Somewhere along my rants, a waiter had arrived, carrying our orders. He set our coffees first then he gave me my strawberry cream puffs next. Yoongi and I muttered a small but genuine 'thank you' to the waiter and he bowed in return. As soon as he left, Yoongi took a sip of his black coffee as I resumed rambling.

"It's not that it's quite stressful, I mean we always have those. But, it's just that I won't be home next week—two weeks to be exact—because I'll be flying all over the world just for some business errands and you'll have your comeback weeks from now and it's so frustrating that we won't be able to spend some time together. I know it's part of the adulting life where our work schedules will have a conflict with our personal schedules and we couldn't spend time with each other that much but it's quite frustrating because I miss our lazy days just cuddling in bed, watching either romantic, comedy, tragedy, or horror movies, and—"

My rants were halted when I heard Yoongi chuckling...no, laughing. He was laughing at my rambles to the point that his eyes were crinkled into crescent shapes. I puffed my cheeks and glared at him. "Why are you laughing?!"

"Is that it?" He asked in between the chuckles.

"What do you mean 'is that it'?"

"I mean if you wanted to spend some time, all you have to do is ask." He paused and leaned closer, "I can always re-adjust my schedules for you,"

I shook my head, taking the ceramic cup and took a sip of my latte. "You can't do that. You're already as busy as I am. Hell you're even busier than I am."

"It's fine. I can always make time for you,"

"No, Yoongi. I don't want us to reach to the point that we're arguing just because of our hectic schedules," I sighed as I leaned to the backrest of my seat. I took a cream puff and started munching while staring at the view, "Asking to spend some time together, I will sound like a clingy girlfriend. I admit, I'm clingy as a koala. I just don't wanna go back to work with my energy drained because I didn't get to spend some quality time with my boyfriend.

"It may sound cheesy and cringy but even just a day with you recharges me. The reason why I always look forward to work is because of you, Yoongi. You have no idea how much you've inspired me."

Silence wrapped the atmosphere...well, not really because the coffee shop was playing some chill music. Yoongi stared at me as he took another sip of his black coffee. I could feel his gaze looking through my soul, and I don't know why I suddenly felt uncomfortable. Maybe it's because we're in public.

"Wow, you're just as workaholic as I am," He commented, breaking the silence between us.

I groaned, "Out of all the things to comment about, Yoongi," I whined and I heard him laugh. But before he could even retort, I sat up and looked straight into his eyes, "I can't blame you though. No matter how stressful it is, once you love your work, you'll always bound to do your best everyday."

"Then I'm in the same boat," He replied as he held my hand and gazed back into my eyes. "You're also the reason why I always look forward to doing my best at work everyday—you and ARMYs to be exact." He added, his thumb caressing my hand. I looked at him and he gave me the sweetest gummy smile he could ever muster.

"Which is why as soon as we finish our coffee break, you and I are going to spend the remaining days, hours, minutes, and seconds together. We'll make every moment worth it."

[k-n-e-o]

all of them?

I love doing these 🥰

what’s the best thing that happened to you today?

Talking with you

2. where do you see yourself living in 10 years?

I don’t know where I’d be living but I know that I’ll be happy (that’s the goal at least)

3. apartment or house?

Apartment in the beginning and house later on

4. has your aesthetic changed at all in the last year?

Yes I think it has. It used to be quite dark but I think it’s become a bit more colourful

5. what is something you’re proud of?

Staying as strong as I have for as long as I have

6. name three books that changed your life.

I don’t think I’ve found any yet

7. do you have a favorite podcast?

I like to just turn on the try guys try pod in the background when I write or work

8. what three songs can you not get enough of right now?

Wonderland by ATEEZ

Savage by Ace

Burned by the love by juke Ross

9. favorite quote?

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result

-Albert Einstein

10. state an unpopular opinion that you have.

Pineapple and black olives on pizza is good

11. if you could live in any other decade, when & where would you choose?

When the dinosaurs were alive, I think it would’ve been interesting.

12. describe your ideal date?

Chill, comfortable, probably at a cafe or walking around a place or something.

13. are you currently crushing on anybody?

...yes 🙈

14. if you could have dinner with anybody, who would it be?

My grandparents on my dads side. I never got to meet them and I think it would be cool

15. what time do you usually go to sleep & wake up?

Go to sleep around ten and wake up at six or earlier

16. what’s your favorite instrument?

I can’t choose, I love them all

17. what song do you love dancing to?

Tip toe by Jason derulo or better in colour by Lizzo

18. what’s a topic that you wish you knew more about?

Interior design or sculpting

19. got a random fact you’ve been holding on to?

I’m afraid of swing sets

20. favorite fruit & vegetable?

Garden cucumbers and watermelon

21. what’s your favorite dish to cook?

I make a mean Mac and cheese lol

22. favorite beverage?

Water

23. how are you feeling in this moment?

Not terrific but not horrible

24. are you reading a book at the moment? what do you like about it?

I like the dynamics of the characters

25. name three songs that stir up the deepest emotions.

She’s in the rain by the rose

Skin by Dijon

Sleepwalk by the ventures

26. what’s your favorite season & why?

Winter, I’m not as anxious, and I like the cold

27. when is your birthday?

May 21st

28. what do you do when you need to de-stress?

I reorganize my work space or go on a purge of my stuff

29. do you prefer spontaneous or pre-arranged plans?

Depends on what it’s for

30. name an experience in your life you wish you could do over?

I would say my whole childhood but I’ll be more realistic and say the second grade

31. do you like the name you were given? if not, is there a different one you’d prefer?

I think I like the name I was given

32. what’s your favorite weather?

Clear blue sky with frosty trees and the snow glittering under the sun

33. are you satisfied with how your life is going right now?

Yes and no, I think it’s better than it was for sure but I think I need to work a little harder still

34. describe a time that you were brave.

I pushed myself out of my comfort zone three years ago when I accepted the invite to do a solo. My anxiety was hitting the fan but I managed to do it.

35. is there a movie you like better than the book it was based on?

No, I think I do end up liking the books better

36. do you have a place you go to when you feel stressed/sad?

My room

37. what was the last thing that made you laugh?

My friends and family

38. what time is it where you are?

9:14pm

39. what is something you’re excited for?

I’m getting any guitar tomorrow

40. got any summer plans?

Working and going to Vegas

41. when was the last time you intentionally went out to see the sunrise?

This summer when I went camping

42. favorite film genre?

Comedy or thriller

43. coffee or tea?

Tea

44. describe your body without using any negative adjectives.

Rectangular, sturdy, muscular, petite(?)

45. is there a cover song that you like better than the original?

I did really like a remake of senorita I saw once I can’t remember who it was by tho

46. are you on good terms with your parents?

Yes

47. are you in a relationship? if not, are you looking to be?

No and yes kind of, maybe? (Probably not if I can’t decide lol)

48. do you typically look for a partner with the same traits as you or someone to complement yours?

Someone to complement mine, I think if we were to be too similar I would feel weird

49. describe your aesthetic.

Converse, subtle colours, slight vintage, babies breath, big windows, sunlight, sunshine rain, corduroy, mustard yellow, navy blue, olive green.

50. put your music on shuffle and list the first 10 songs to play.

Universe by exo

Nap of a star by txt

O sole mio by sf9

Without you by Nct u

Victory song by stray kids

Roller coaster by txt

Epiphany by bts

Stay by ATEEZ

Sori by Lee suhyun

Um oh ah yeh by MAMAMOO

[sturlsons]

jaywalkers FAQ + extras

(( spoilers! please don’t open this unless you’ve finished reading pt24 ))

HELLO. first of all, if you’ve made it this far, i want to say thank you for sticking with the kids right until the very end! thank you, thank you, thank you.

as always, my FANTASTIC team: teddy ( @soodyo ) and ksenya ( @fyolette ) without whom this would not have been a thing.

i’m going to ramble a bit about the series here, with some extras and questions like the packaging says! without further ado:

general

≫ jaywalkers tag // jaywalkers fanart tag (excluding teddy’s fantastic work which is in the main tag)

≫ my askbox if you have any more questions // my twitter // my instagram (locked but i’ll accept all requests!)

≫ previous FAQ post

playlists

≫ jaywalkers titles // all the songs i borrowed fic titles from, in order

≫ le petit ____ // a café playlist

≫ god of disc jockeying // a vertigo playlist

≫ raspberry muffins and existentialism // kuroo and tsukki

≫ one thousand three hundred and seventeen // akaashi and bokuto

≫ boxes // bokuto and kuroo

≫ jaywalking

questions

≫ will you be writing more haikyuu!! fic? nope! jaywalkers was my present/contribution to the fandom, and while it’s been a fantastic ride, i won’t be writing anymore! you can now find me in my BTS sandbox.

≫ le petit ____? le petit writer-is-still-an-asshole.

≫ WHO IS Iwaizumi the Angry Review Guy’s EDITOR, DAMN IT. iwa-chan’s editor is The Dog Park. as in, Do Not Approach The Dog Park.

≫ Hinata the Hug Guy? happy as ever! the world always needs hugs; his career is flourishing. his scooter, not so much, but it was totally not kageyama and bobby pin’s fault, okay.

≫ OIKAWA? IWAIZUMI? they couldn’t do it. the condoms were rilakkuma. it set them back by five years in terms of getting their shit together, but they do eventually get their shit together. ushijima has to intervene; i’ll leave you to imagine how that happened.

≫ USHIJIMA? TENDOU? ushijima is very happily uninterested in romance and relationships. tendou clocks this after a few misguided attempts at wooing him. neither disheartened nor disappointed, he instead takes up an elective in literature and vows to become ushijima’s BFFL. it works.

≫ Gecko Tooru? Count Dracula? they continue to be worshipped; they are immortal.

≫ what is kuroo’s reaction to seeing bokuto’s project? they aren’t sure which one of them cried harder, but kuroo likes to think it’s bokuto and bokuto likes to humour kuroo.

≫ what are their careers? tsukki actually ends up landing that actuarial management job, but he also has a double master’s in economics because he’s greedy about education, which eventually leads to him being a visiting lecturer at universities. kuroo works his way up the ranks of a conglomerate to make a place in the executive suite. bokuto is an obnoxiously whimsical fashion photographer whom the industry hates and loves in equal amounts. akaashi is a simply terrifying and efficient engineer with a company the country probably can’t do without.

suga teaches dance, and daichi works at kuroo’s rival company, something he never shuts up about. yamaguchi stays in education the longest, ten years from the day he first started university. he opens up a small clinic of his own eventually, and yachi and gou do the interiors. kageyama and hinata go pro, because what else were they supposed to do, study?

oikawa earns the most out of all of them, which would be just fine if someone knew what the fuck he does for a living.

≫ does tsukki get his headphones back? nope! tsukki progresses to earphones, and kuroo keeps the headphones safe. in a velvet lined box in the bottom drawer of his study desk, first in his campus abode and then in every progressively larger apartment he and tsukki move into.

≫ brah they what OF COURSE THEY MOVE IN TOGETHER. in tsukki’s second year and kuroo’s final year of their bachelor’s degrees. it’s a splendid disaster at first, which is amazing because you’d think they’ve gotten used to each other’s habits by now, but no. kuroo uses approximately thirty hair products and tsukki’s tiny basic colour-protect shampoo bottle is lost among them, much to his chagrin. tsukki has the terrible habit of midnight snacking that personally offends kuroo, who follows a military regimen during the week so that he can drink his bodyweight in screwdrivers during the weekend. they both initially hate someone being in the same bed as them. but they work it out, they work it all out, because they’re kind of embarrassingly in love and refuse to do without each other.

≫ k,,  ur o tsu kk ki ,, same. what do u wanna know? ask me anything, i know everything about their lives.

they move in during their bachelor’s degree. kuroo graduates with a master’s in management and companies looking to recruit him before he even sends in his application. tsukki gets a chance to do a one-year master’s program abroad and hesitates to take it because he’s too attached to everyone and everything and he doesn’t want to take off just when he’s gotten everything together. it leads to the longest and worst fight he’s ever had with kuroo (sneering, screaming, sarcasm; everything that they’re so horribly ashamed of later), one that kuroo wins. when tsukki comes back, he thanks kuroo for forcing him to grow, and he gathers kuroo up in his arms, and he promises himself that he’ll never forget this lesson that he’s learned.

when tsukki moves out of his childhood home for good, there’s one final night when he and akiteru are sitting on opposite ends of the couch, watching a movie they both used to love as kids. halfway through, akiteru hunches over with his hands to his face, and tsukki sits quietly, still watching the screen. they’ve never had a single fight for all the wrong reasons, and they’ll never have a single one for all the right ones.

kuroo proposes when he’s twenty-seven and tsukki’s twenty-five. says “i love you so much that it changed my life. will you let me use the rest of it to tell you that every day?” and tsukki’s so busy hyperventilating that he doesn’t even say yes, something kuroo points out when tsukki indignantly sobs “why are you still on the floor? get up!” pay attention, tsukki, you’ll never get your doctorate this way.

(before that, kuroo stumbles through asking akiteru for tsukki’s hand, talking about how he’s been expecting this promotion and when he gets it— akiteru cuts in with a gentle “kuroo, as far as i am concerned, you had my approval six years ago.” so when kuroo gets that promotion, he calls akaashi up because they’re on the same sartorial wavelength, and bokuto is very offended at not being invited to ring-shopping.)

the wedding is fantastic. bokuto brings up the bubble butt video in his best man’s toast, kuroo cries his eyes out, tsukki laughs, there’s a raspberry muffin on a plate in front of the god-knows-how-many-tiered cake. even akaashi cries.

man, they love each other. kuroo the hotshot young managing director bakes tsukki dinosaur cookies in their high-end kitchen and brags about him at fancy business parties. tsukki calls him tetsu and carries him to the car when he falls asleep on the couch during poker night with the boys. no one lives as happily as they do, because no one’s happiness is as hard-earned.

≫ bo .. o k ku  a ka ? ? bokuto’s one of those genius photographers who makes it big all of a sudden because his talent is spotted. the problem is, he’s kind of too fucking dense to register his success (ever). one evening he brings home two mcdonald’s happy meals like “keiji, keiji, i scored a shoot with this one magazine”, and akaashi indulges him, smiles, takes a sip of his fanta, says “that’s nice. what magazine would that be?”

“l’officiel!”

akaashi chokes on his fanta.

it’s not all rainbows and butterflies, though; bokuto earns a reputation for being a temperamental photographer, which, well, is entirely accurate. they recruit a personal assistant for him, this girl with a death glare and a high ponytail who takes exactly none of bokuto’s shit. (he never thought he’d meet someone even half as terrifying as akaashi, but life is always throwing new things his way.) he also has to deal with a shitton of temperamental models, whom he complains about when he puts on his reading glasses and balances his laptop on his knees in bed, waiting for akaashi to get in and listen.

bokuto still wears his polos but he also wears glasses now. adult, put-together, just as obnoxious as ever. akaashi’s definitely the more frightening one of the two with his blueprints and ironed shirts, but no one bokuto works with is ever willing to believe that his muse is an industrial engineer. (they are, however, very welling to believe that bokuto met said muse because he took over a thousand pictures of him. one thousand three hundred and seventeen, to be precise. that they are very willing to believe.)

no photographs bokuto takes of akaashi are ever released, despite everyone wanting to see. bokuto pronounces akaashi as the love of his life very publicly, and then spends the rest of his time making sure no one takes pictures of akaashi. vicious, protective, expensive clubs with VIP entries, glitter and glamour yet bokuto still stutters if akaashi says something cutting enough, and akaashi smiles to himself like yep, still got it.

going to the country house with kuroo and tsukki once a month is a ground rule. meeting up with the rest of the gang once a month is a ground rule. being efficient but ridiculous, silly but ambitious is a ground rule. living life to the fullest is a ground rule.

≫ ARE THEY ALL HAPPY? THEY’RE ALL HAPPY. daichi and suga get married first, followed by kuroo and tsukki. bokuto and akaashi don’t even consider it for the longest time; do it almost as an afterthought because the idea of rings is nice. kenma goes into research, iwaizumi goes into journalism, yachi goes into design.

shimizu is as beautiful as ever, michimiya is as whipped as ever. asahi and nishinoya never have more than that one dance at suga’s new year’s eve party, but nishinoya promises to always be ready to fight if someone ever upsets asahi. (himuro and izuki, on the other hand, have several existential crises when granrodeo breaks up and they go into different lines of music production, before they realise that not making music together doesn’t mean they can’t make music together.) gou and tanaka are constantly voted cutest couple wherever they go, and end up getting matching tattoos because no one informed them that’s too corny to be legal. saeko shows up at one point with a hot russian girlfriend, and bokuto gets another pitcher turned over his head for the trouble of asking if said russian girlfriend would like to come to one of his photoshoots. (it’s iced tea, which bokuto considers progress.)

they’re all happy. friends are forever if you reach out, the world is beautiful if you reach out. these kid always reach out. kuroo and tsukki always reach out.

≫ I’M ALL UP IN MY FEELINGS NOW. I’M ALL UP IN MY FEELINGS NOW.

THAT’S A WRAP, FOLKS. i will always be answering questions about jaywalkers, whether it’s headcanons or other extras or behind-the-scenes re: the writing process. like i said, just because this is where i stop telling the tale, it doesn’t mean that this world no longer exists! it always will, and you can revisit it whenever you want.

thank you for sticking with the kids, and with me as i improved! 2016 taught me a thing or two about writing, and i want to show what those things were in 2017, so i hope to see you around for my writing endeavours for the year.

thank you once again! see you.

[nationaldoorstep]

16 Insightful Questions Property Managers Should Ask Every Prospective Resident

1. “How long will you live here?”

Unless you are in a transient business, always look for residents who indicate they are planning on staying in the unit long-term. After all, in the most real sense, they are our business partners. Because turnover and vacancy can be a couple of the most expensive things an PM goes through, they should be avoided when possible. If the applicant writes down anything less than a year, that is probably your sign that they are not a good candidate.

2. “What pets do you have?”

Whether you allow pets or not in your units, this question is phrased in such a way as to not appear negative. If you were to ask, “Do you have any pets?” they may write “no,” thinking a “yes” will immediately disqualify them. Asking “what” instead of “do you” increase the chances of their being honest with this question.

3. “How many evictions have been filed upon you?”

PM's should phrase the question like this: “How many evictions have been filed on you?” Such wording will require the resident to think and not write an automatic “no.” Yes and no questions are much too easy to falsify, and residents are used to questions being phrased that way. Also, an eviction filing identifies an irresponsible resident as far as an eviction that proceeded to the point of the Sheriff escorting them out the door. Both are consequences of bad behavior that you don’t need to deal with. Having them write an actual number also takes away their ability to claim they misunderstood the question.

4. “How many felonies do you have?”

Once again, phrasing this question “how many,” rather than “do you have” requires the resident to stop and think about how they answer. Obviously, this information will be available on the resident’s background check, but by asking it here, you can determine whether or not the applicant is the honest sort or someone who has no problem falsifying answers to get what they want.

5. “Have you ever broken a lease?”

This information should also be discovered when gathering your resident’s references, but by asking here, you again will be able to determine your applicant’s honesty. If they have broken a lease, find out the details from the previous PM and be prepared to require additional securities should you decide to rent to them.

6. “Do you smoke?”

A qualification standard may state that all applicants must be non-smokers to be approved. This may be a relatively new standard, and it may seem harsh, but it became necessary after getting unit after unit back that had smoke permeating the walls and carpet, despite having a “no smoking” policy.  Smoke gets into everything and can only be remedied by re-painting with oil-based paint and replacing the flooring. Sometimes you may even need to oil-base prime the floor underneath your new carpet to seal out the odor. It’s a hassle, and it’s expensive. When we realized a “no smoking” policy was not enough, we took it one step further and eliminated smokers altogether. A “yes” to this question on the application will result in immediate disqualification from us—unless it’s for medical marijuana, which we may have to accommodate, though specific locations outside the interior of the home can be designated.

7. “How many vehicles do you own?”

Do you want that resident to be the one with four vehicles in the parking lot and may have two inoperable cars? Neither do we. It’s good to find out before you approve them how many vehicles they plan to bring with them. It’s also a good idea to have a limit to the number of cars they can have on the property.

8. “Is the total move-in amount available now?”

The answer to this question gives you a good indication of whether your applicant is financially responsible and plans ahead. If they knew they would be moving and have gone so far as to apply for your rental, they should have had adequate time to prepare for the move-in money standards.

9. “When would you like to move in?”

If your applicant answered “today,” or “ASAP,” be very careful during your screening process. A resident wanting to move quickly could mean a few things:

They are being evicted. Their PM asked them to leave They do not plan ahead They are not currently renters (everyone needs a place to live—where are they now living and why?), A variety of other reasons that don’t bode well for you. Another answer to be aware of is if they write a date in the distant future. For example, if they apply for your vacant rental in April saying they would like to move in come July, that’s probably not going to work for you. It’s highly unlikely it would be financially advantageous for you to hold your rental for three months! The answer you will want to see to this question is anywhere from 1–4 weeks out. Anything else you will want to scrutinize carefully.

10. “How did you hear about this community?”

This question helps you track what parts of your marketing are working and what parts are not.

11. “For what reasons could you not pay rent on time?”

If a resident states any reason other than “death,” it should be noted. Again, you are looking for a resident who is financially responsible, and while a lot of residents live paycheck to paycheck, you don’t want someone with the mentality that as soon as something goes wrong, the PM doesn’t get paid. Things go wrong all the time for everyone; plans change, cars break down, jobs are lost, medical emergencies happen, but even with these unexpected (but guaranteed) events, you want a resident who pays their bills and doesn’t let hardships interfere with their rent. The correct answer to this question is “nothing.” If they answer differently, it doesn’t mean they are going to be bad residents, but it does indicate a mentality that you should be wary of when making your decision to approve or deny them a tenancy.

12. “Do you have a checking account? Do you have a savings account?”

When screening your potential residents, always find out whether they have a checking or savings account. Having a bank account does not magically make your prospective resident more responsible; however, not having a bank account is a definite sign that something might be amiss. Chances are, the reason they don’t have a bank account isn’t that they just never got around to it. It may be a sign of an irresponsible financial life—maybe they couldn’t handle a bank account and got tired of all the bounced checks or overdraft fees—or it could also be a sign of garnishment due to judgments or illegal sources of income. A bank account versus no bank account is probably not a deal killer, but something to keep in mind during your screening process.

13. “What is the balance of your checking and savings account?”

This may seem like it’s none of the PM’s business, but remember, we are asking questions that determine the applicant’s suitability for the rental based purely on business reasons. If they have $20 in their checking account, things are not looking good for either of you. Job and income stability, income source, credit and background checks, and PM references are sufficient to tell you whether they are the responsible sort, but again, if they are living paycheck to paycheck, then some unexpected financial emergency happens in their life, it’s going to be difficult for them to make the rent payment. Look for residents who have a comfortable amount of funds to their name.

14. “Who is your emergency contact (including to contact regarding rent or tenancy)?”

Every PM has experienced a resident (or many residents) who are late on their rent and bury their heads, making it impossible for the PM to communicate with them. That’s where the emergency contact comes into play. Most applicants will list someone close to them, such as a parent or a close friend. These are people you want to know. Because you specified that the emergency contact was also a contact for rent or tenancy, you may contact that person in the event the resident doesn’t pay rent or has some other tenancy-related issue that a kick in the pants from the emergency contact may help solve.

15. “Why should we rent to you?”

With this question, the resident has the opportunity to tell you what makes them the best choice for a lease. What every PM/PM wants to hear is: “I have great rental references and solid, consistent income. I always pay my bills before they are due, and I love the home you have available for rent. I would love to make it my permanent home. I also have a halo and wings and volunteer at the children’s hospital every Saturday.” OK, maybe not that last part. If they answer, “I don’t know,” or “I need a place to live ASAP,” they aren’t very confident in their attributes as a resident, are they?

16. “Is there any additional information we should know?”

As stated on the application itself, the applicant is invited to “Please use this optional space for additional information, comments, or explanations.” This is where a resident can explain why they have evicted two years prior or the fact. This can give you a little more insight into the person you are screening.

 Credit: BT