#chinese and korean dramas have a set amount of episodes and you get the full story and then its done

[the-marathon-continues-nip]

I was in the supercorp team… but you all are giving me fandom envy

hey buddy!!!! I haven't seen supergirl but I've always loved the gifs of super Corp, Kara seems sweet and lena seems so kickass!

and haha, the grass is always greener I think however the mdzs/wangxian fandom is pretty fun. it's so large that I can literally just lurk, read fic and Have Brain Rot.

the story is so expansive that once you realize you like it, you're in too deep. I always recommend giving it a go because there is something for everyone. there are excellent fic writers too and a lot of them a wlw who write the ship as is and also as f/f so it's like you have the most popular fic writers who also write f/f content (we are so spoiled in this fandom!)

just fyi most ppl watched the Netflix show, however its based on a novel that is the 'real' story...the series of Netflix had to be adapted to censorship so the plot line is a bit different but the overarching themes are there. there is also a donghua (chinese animation/cartoon) version and YouTube should have free episodes as well (the cartoon is great with the supernatural stuff, the cgi in the live show isn't the best but the actors in the live action sold their relationship even with censorship!)

[blackhatclubblog]

Top Ten Shows with #s in the titles

Because there are many ways to divide dramas, and this is one. XD The K2 Oh, yes, let's start with the one that should have been so much cooler. What should have been the core of the story: is it possible for a good, if terribly broken (kudos to the show for portraying PTSD), man to save a bad, and equally broken, woman with the power of his friendship? Unfortunately, they thought a ridiculous lot of action, a few good actors, and the potential for awesome could save an 11th hour gutting of the best parts of the drama in favor of an absolutely idiotic (and entirely inappropriate) loveline with a actress who could not hold her own against the other leads. It did not work. I will say the action scenes are still fun and the OST is one I still enjoy, though. Right along with the glorious speculation on what could have been. XD 7th Grade Civil Servant ...'k, and this was a DNF. It was a stupid, slapstick spy comedy that even fans of such (of which I am not one) did not enjoy. I was hoping, because it had Joo Won in, but...no. I could barely make it through the beginning. Two Weeks Okay, I liked this one. It is a drama not really for children or the undiscerning...but a good story in multiple ways. It’s one of those incredible redemption stories that I adored but that which is slightly harder to recommend to everyone indiscriminately. Basically, the MC made a terrible choice in attempting to protect someone he loved, and his life was destroyed. When the story starts, he is in a very bad place, and the story doesn't shy away from the depths to which he has sunk. When his ex-girlfriend finds him and tells him that she actually had the baby he demanded she abort, and that baby is now a young girl dying of leukemia who needs him donate stem cells...his life takes a different turn. Watching him fight step by step to believe that he can change, that he can become the person those he loves need so desperately, and come to a full understanding of what exactly he has done in the past...it's incredible. {There is a scene where he ends up helping a stranger deliver her baby, and the moment it truly hits him what he almost forced his girlfriend to do and that he might never have met his daughter if his girlfriend had followed through...gah.} This ^ scene, sure, might lose a few points for why is a man on the run from the police and the bad guys helping a random lady deliver a baby of all things? and is this too on the nose in forcing him to make up for not supporting his own family when he should have done so? But it all depends on how you feel about symbolism. XD Also, I just discovered, doing my usual fruitless search for a good MV of Two Weeks, that Japan has also done a version, which stars Miura Haruma. Which A) brb, watching that now, and B) that leads directly into: 5 Minutes to Tomorrow A man enters the twisting reality of a highly concerning pair of twin sisters...which one died and which one came home as his wife?  This also counts as a DNF, I guess, because I have tried to watch this movie 2-3 times and fallen asleep promptly every time, which is not a great recommendation for any kind of murder mystery. To be fair, the Chinese or Japanese movies I have watched have been few and far between. All of the latter, however have been the fault of the following drama: Bloody Monday 1-2 This is totally cheating and I really don't care. There are rare Korean or Japanese shows with seasons, so I'm utilizing that unique aspect. XD Anyway, it's been a while since I watched it, but I highlight it for 2 reasons: Miura Haruma and Sato Takeru.   Okay, just kidding. But I keep checking out and then dropping Japanese films and shows in hopes of one or the other of these two will be in another show as brilliantly addicting as this one. So far, Sato Takeru is the only one who has managed it. What made Bloody Monday so good? Plotting, pacing, characters. It is a j-drama/dorama, so be warned that compared to the k-dramas I tend to watch it is a little more graphic in terms of language, death, clothing choices, subject matter...but if you're looking for a fight-the-terrorist-save-the-world story utilizing a genius hacker and his best friends and a brilliantly charismatic villain..this is it. The villain subconsciously inspired a decent amount of my Contract to Time Travel character Ja-Il - his intelligence, his charisma, his relationship with his siblings...but one of the main reasons I love it is that the MC is so resoundingly true. When it comes down to saving his country or betraying his principles, what choice will he make? Tactically he may be stupid, but he's still practically a child, and the strength of his convictions matters to me. Also, I loved that season 2 did not pick up with everyone the same. It showed how people were hurt, how people were changed, how people grew up, from season 1. It hurt, but it felt real. Queen for Seven Days Speaking of watching new dramas because of who is in them...Park Min Young SLAYS in every drama I've seen her in (including rom com, which I DO NOT EVEN WATCH but which I have watched for her and pretty much died laughing over)...and Yeon Woo Jin (who...now that I think about it...I have watched a rom-com with him in it too...yikes...this is not me...) Maybe I'm an idiot for wanting to ruin the two rom-coms I've enjoyed in my life by seeing two of their leads in a tragedy, but...I have heard nothing but high praise for every aspect of this drama except the trailers, and once I get past my current stack of tragic historical dramas, I'm definitely going to watch this one. Five Fingers This one is on hold...to be honest, I only ever wanted to watch it because of the opening sequence of piano music, which I watched. All I know is it's about pseudo-brothers and revenge and pianos? And there's a fire in there somewhere? Which sounds like a fun combination, but I'm not sure as a story that has enough weight to pull me completely in. I might do better with my time to just learn some piano music for myself.... 38 Task Force Okay, for something not a revenge tragedy...this weirdly named show is for fans of Leverage and Seo In Guk. The relationships weren't quite so well done as I'd hoped, and the cons (which then became the point of it all) were minimally memorable. I remember one of them involved the main conman giving a speech at a fancy place...and another involved him coming up with a car out of thin air...and another had something to do with antiques and throwing money everywhere. So. I remember enjoying it enough to watch it...but not much else. Rating: Eh. School 2013 Aw...one more drama that is neither tragedy nor romance. It's a school drama about guilt, honesty, dreams, the impact of adult role models on troubled children, and a David-Jonathan friendship that went horribly wrong. As such it is a lot less weighty than most of the others on this list...yet while you're watching it you forget that the only thing at stake is the friendship of some high school boys and possibly their futures. Which I think is something Korean dramas sometimes excel at - is the tragic destruction of a friendship going to destroy the world? No, but when you're in the situation it might feel like it is, and the drama manages to pull you in so that you feel what they're feeling. Six Flying Dragons Sooooo....back to tragedies....*cough* Caveat: I have not yet finished this. But just the first few episodes plunged me into the founding of a nation and the creation of a man - I love how Korean dramas are not afraid to spend the time setting up the world and showing you exactly what choices were made to make someone the person they became. And maybe it’s a bloody mess of history but it’s tragic and fascinating and even if largely fictionalized there is so much to learn from history, let alone about story-telling. I’m looking forward to watching this one as a whole.   What is your favorite drama or movie with a number in the title? Which of the above have you watched? XD

[cyjprojectarchive]

accidentally | youngjae

a cyj fic fest 2017 entry prompt: birthday - piñata in which you’re at a mutual friend’s birthday party and it’s his turn to hit the pinata but you really wanted some more food so you pass by what you thought was fast enough but you get hit with a golf club instead. genre: fluff, college!au  words: 5705

i hope you enjoy the first fic i wrote for this fest! it’s quite long but i had fun writing this for a couple of days, it was a cute concept in my head and i hope i did it justice. 10 days more ‘til youngjae’s birthday! c:

It was stupid, really. Since Jackson didn’t go back to Hong Kong for spring break, he still wanted to celebrate his birthday at his apartment. For the three years you have known the Chinese man, he always returned home during this time, so you already had a set routine for yourself  for the two weeks he’s gone. It would’ve been a waste to go home yourself since you have work, and a lot of people request day offs so they can spend their vacation not working, so you had always stayed.

Not like you have anything else to do at home, anyway.

You had developed a quick friendship with Jackson when you met him at an International Welcome Week as he was assigned to your care, and you clicked instantly. He was already fluent in English, and more importantly dead set with learning a lot from you seeing your credentials. Thinking he would be too much of an extrovert compared to your quiet demeanor, you actually experienced a lot of new and exciting things from Jackson as well. You two balance each other out, and the fact that you and him are still friends up until junior year of university says a lot.

You had just arrived at your own apartment from an early night shift, excitement bubbling inside as you can finally continue watching Weightlifting Fairy: Kim Bok Joo. You’d ask Jackson to watch with you, but he was probably off doing whatever social activity he hasn’t checked off his bucket list yet. All of your other friends had gone home, sadly, so it was only you, a bag of chips and eight one-hour long episodes of fresh, fun and not to mention heart fluttering K-drama.

As soon as your hands prepare themselves to hear the air deflating out of the unhealthy bag of junk food, your phone rings. Rolling your eyes, you set aside the chips and grab your phone from the coffee table.

You already know who it is.

“No, I am not coming with you,” you tell Jackson immediately, propping your legs on the table, making yourself comfortable. “Drag Mark along, or Bambam-- he hasn’t flown back to Thailand yet, right?” Interestingly so, most of the close friends you have formed were the people you met alongside Jackson during that welcome week for international students.

“I haven’t said anything yet!” Jackson whines, and you can already imagine his doe eyes and pouting lips.

“I already know what you’re going to say, Seun. And I don’t have the money for it.”

“Aren’t you working?”

“Some of us have loans to pay off before we die,” you counter. “So, what are you doing this time? Kart racing? Surfboard classes?”

“Actually, you butthead,” Jackson replies, a teasing tone to his voice. You groan at the pet name, but let him continue. “I’m hosting a party tonight-- for my birthday! You’re invited, duh,” he exclaims, probably flailing his arms in joy. You raise an eyebrow in suspicion--a birthday party?

“I thought we were just going out to dinner tonight with the others? You promised you would make it simple and private,” you defend, remembering that one conversation you had with him on how to spend his birthday this year that he’s staying. He already had a ton of things planned for his birthday week which you were excited about--for him, that is. You had to beg him not to include you in any of the (expensive) festivities he booked. You and him are already attached to the hip on a daily basis, he should understand when you need time for yourself--and your wallet.

“I did...before everyone else encouraged me to throw a birthday bash instead!” Jackson protests, and you roll your eyes at how easily he can be convinced when the word party or  bash is mentioned.

Everyone else was the organization he had joined specifically for international students, and he’s living in one of their designated dorms so he is pretty close with almost all of them. Jackson, and your few mutual friends, usually hung out at your place since they had the transportation available and you were just running on your feet, the free shuttle system or your worn out bike.

But it was understandable--Jackson was more on the fortunate side, in terms of finance. Most of the international kids were enrolled with scholarships in their name, so you could see how they wouldn’t spend that much money on airplane tickets just for less than two weeks of break.

Sighing, you give up in reasoning out that you would much rather enjoy a peaceful evening with the friends you’re close with. Remembering this was Jackson’s birthday, and not yours, you comply.

“Fine, what time should I--”

“Great! I knew I can count on my best friend!” Jackson cuts you off, then you hear him call out someone’s name in Chinese, and you had a hunch on who it was. He comes back to the phone and adds, “Mark will pick you up in about thirty minutes so get ready. Don’t forget my gift!”

And there goes the line.

Some minutes past thirty goes by, and you are smoothing out the pastel blue faux leather skirt you decided to wear. A small black and white patterned paper bag rests on the table and you made sure to put your name somewhere on it. You hear the familiar sound of the KKT ringtone pop, and you read the text from Mark saying he’s parked right in front of your door when you were already making your way outside, gift in hand.

Mark nods his head in acknowledgement, and you salute back. As soon as you close the door for the passenger seat, he starts driving off.

“What’d you get him?” Mark interrupts the quiet, increasing the volume of the radio at the same time. You look down on your present, pretty pleased with the outcome after only so many tries. You hadn’t used your watercolor materials in a while, so painting Jackson the landscape of the Hong Kong skyline gave you the much needed practice, anyway.

“Why? Stealing my idea before he finds out you haven’t gotten him a gift yet?” You chide playfully, side eyeing the Taiwanese man with a grin. Mark scoffs, shaking his head in amusement before saying, “Yah, I bought almost everything he needed for the party. And besides, I wouldn’t be able to recreate what you made him in less than a few hours.”

You gape at him. “How’d you know I made his gift?”

Marks glances at you, lips smirking that makes the female lowerclassmen you pass by on campus swoon over. “Oh, I know.” You huff a breath, turning your head towards the window to hide your flushed cheeks. You hear Mark laughing to himself before saying, “Jackson is going to love it,” pertaining to your small painting.

Your smile grows on your face.

You weren’t expecting this many people at the party.

Apparently, Jackson was friends with almost everyone, especially the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean students since he was pretty good at conversing with all of their languages. You kind of envied the dude since he has been exposed to a life of different colors and cultures early on, but you know how tiring it can get for him always being the life of the party.

When you saw him waiting for you outside the clubhouse, though, he seemed relaxed and laid back. Arms wide open for you to embrace him back, Jackson looks...happy.

And you’re glad--the only reason he has always been adamant in returning to Hong Kong was to be with his parents again. Being the momma and papa’s boy he is, you always catch him staring absentmindedly at his lockscreen--that is a picture of his parents.

So when he told you he wasn’t leaving this time, you were slightly worried. But not anymore, as you can tell from the carefree smiles he has been wearing since you arrived at the scene that he felt comfortable.

Mark had swiftly hidden your gift among the others because both of you knew he wouldn’t be able to wait to open it. Surprisingly, he didn’t even ask for it as he started introducing you to friends you have only heard of from his own recollections. Your hand feels dry and your confidence deflated after meeting so many people at once, so you ask Jackson where the food was, and he points out a long table full of different kinds of dishes as he kisses you on the cheek before hurrying off to interact with new guests arriving.

You spent almost forty five minutes hanging out by the concessions table, trying out each and every type of food available. You really liked the takoyaki with an excessive amount of sauce spread all over it. You also had a bowl of tteokbokki, and mustered up the courage to try some chicken feet--which was the bomb, by the way.

Most of the guests were at the main hall either dancing silly or playing some games, and you preferred making yourself full for three days in the spacious area of the dining hall. You found Bambam earlier, beating everyone at limbo, and you had met his best friend, Yugyeom, who was killer on the dance floor. While finishing up your feast, Jinyoung had approached you with a quiet Jaebum in tow and you had a lovely conversation--more like nostalgic rants--on Jackson’s energetic vision for life, and how you guys have been partners in crime for most of them in separate occasions.

You went back to the living room to watch people try and destroy the piñatas attached to the ceiling, and you asked Mark what was inside. He chuckled and zipped his lips, refusing to tell you what they were. You smack him on the shoulder lightly, but proceeded to watch with amusement anyway as people attempt and fail most of the time.

Jackson was the host, per se, “volunteering” people to join and encouraging them all the way--Mark gave you a clue in saying that Jackson did most of the stuffing of the party prop, so you can only imagine what kind of goodies he has in store for his guests tonight.

You were quietly enjoying your bingsu, cubed mangoes with condensed milk flavored shaved ice freezing your mouth with pleasure. You had debated whether or not to get more drizzle on your dessert, and seeing as the piñata game had paused to find new members, you ought to make your way past the center of the room to get back to the dining area.

Everyone was crowding around the piñata, so you had to squeeze in bodies of people and scurry out of the noise, making sure your frozen treat was unharmed. Students around you start chanting for a certain name to finally crack open the massive bird-shaped piñata overhead, so you quicken your pace. Back hunched with both hands holding onto your bowl, you quickly make your way through.

Hollering and flailing arms proceed to distract your way out, but before you notice a certain gap emerging from where you were standing, you had already dropped the bowl and feel yourself falling onto the floor with a loud thud, head spinning all of a sudden.

The lighting from the ceiling becomes a gradient of white to gray to extreme blackness. You notice the green piñata was nowhere to be seen from up there, so you turn your head--which you groan outwardly in retaliation (you don’t hear it clearly, so you think you only imagined yourself crying for help)--to inspect your surroundings, watercolors washing away the clarity of your vision. It takes a string of voices to strain your line of already disorganized thinking, and you will yourself to speak up, reach out, breathe normally, but you succumb to the sudden invitation of sleep in the end.

“I don’t want to go back to Korea now!”

“What the hell are you talking about, Jae?”

“Oooh, good bye music scholarship, hyung!”

This is all you hear--or understand for the matter--since the next words being uttered by a range of different voices become incomprehensible. You feel yourself waking up, though your eyes are still shut  due to the brightness hitting the back of your eyelids, only causing your forming migraine to grow more quickly. You try and listen in to the conversation, putting in certain phrases you have heard from someone before--Korean, it’s Korean.

Finally, you identify Jackson’s low and concerned voice, spewing Korean and English messily in his sentences. Another person answers him, more calm and organized in his speech--even though it was in Korean--and you surmise it may have been Jinyoung as you vaguely remember speaking to him sometime today before…

Before what?

“She’s awake.” That was Mark, and you don’t know how he managed to notice your consciousness, but you do begin swatting Jackson’s arms wrapped around you in a frenzy.

“Don’t die on me yet! What about your loans?” He shrieked, managing to keep you in his grip.

“J-Jackson, I c-can’t--what--” you squirm in place, that seems to be a… plush mattress.

“She just got injured, Jackson-ah. Let her breathe,” Jinyoung warned, and you strain your eyes to look for him in the room. As you spot him on your left with crossed arms, Mark is seated next to him on the chair, and Jaebum standing idly behind, eyes focused on his phone. Jackson finally lets you go, and you capture Bambam and Yugyeom’s worried expressions standing at the foot of your bed.

Your eyes wander to your very right where a woman in all white is watching you with a friendly gaze, chart in hand and a glass of water in the other. Another guy--probably a student your age--fidgets next to her, head full of thick black hair in your sight as he refuses to look at you. His pale fingers intertwine and release simultaneously, and you wonder who he is.

“How are you feeling, butthead?” Jackson asks, this time with a more relaxed demeanor. You shift your gaze towards his presence, nodding your head carefully before muttering, “I’m… uh… what exactly…” You couldn’t even finish your train of thought as your migraine continues hammering your head. Squirming outwardly, Jackson tries to reach out to your fragile being but someone holds him back.

“Don’t try and strain yourself, you’re still feeling weak,” the woman in white chimes in, walking closer to the bed. You lift up your hand with the little strength you have and place it on your forehead, only touching a rough texture preventing you from doing so.

“You have a bandage wrapped around your head. You experienced a mild concussion from getting hit on the back of your head a few hours ago. Your friends, well, Jackson specifically, carried you all the way here to get it checked out immediately--not like it’s a far walk, but that’s not an easy feat for someone carrying another person,” she explains, and although it may have been information overload, her voice was mellow and slow--which made you understand the situation a bit more.

“I’m Sana, by the way, your attending nurse! Here’s some painkillers and water to gulp it all down. I expected you’d wake up by now, so I called all the boys in--if you don’t mind,” Sana adds, placing the medication on the palm of your hand which you swallow in a second. You gingerly take hold of the glass and drink in the water in three gulps.

“You may be feeling faint tonight, and out of your element for a few more days, but after spring break you’re sure to recover completely. Just don’t overexert yourself for now, okay?” The nurse tells you, and you frown at her last statement.

“We already called your work, they’re willing to give you the days off,” Mark informs you and reflexively you shoot Jackson a look who shares you an innocent grin. You don’t think you’re allowed to argue right now, heck, your eyes are starting to droop once again.

“I’m going to have her stay in the night and when she’s a bit more capable, I can let her go tomorrow morning. I’ll just call either one of you, is that okay?” Sana asks the boys, but your head slightly turns to the right, wanting to know who the other one is who still had his head down.

“Call me first! I’m on her official emergency contacts list, and I already cleared everything for tomorrow so I’m free to help her out,” Jackson exclaims.

Someone scoffs and says something in Korean which made Jackson whine in response. Everyone starts leaving and you catch Mark asking Jackson if he’s fine on his own with you, then Bambam asking about the party, then Jinyoung wishing you a safe recovery but you’re too exhausted to wave your hand and say your thanks for now.

Eyes half closed, you watch Sana approach the guy in a black sweater and gray sweatpants, patting his shoulder and whispering in his ear at a safe distance. He lifts his head up ever so slightly, eyes red and brimming with fresh tears. He sniffles them away and with his sweater paw, rubs the side of his cheek vigorously to which Sana responds with a reassuring smile. She looks at Jackson one more time, then you, and eventually heads out of the room.

“Who…” you croak out, attempting to sit up. The guy in question perks up, shoulders tense and ears flaming red.

“There was an accident at the party--when we were trying to destroy the piñata,” Jackson explains for you, but you dismiss him with a slight wave of your hand still resting on the bed. You’re slowly figuring out what caused for you to suffer slight head trauma and make you technically jobless for the rest of spring break. You wanted to be frustrated knowing you went out today for your best friend and in turn, have a good time--not end up in the infirmary.

“In Youngjae’s defense, I suggested we use the golf clubs no one ever does for a stick, and I did spin him too many times before letting the club swing.”

“Youngjae?” you repeat, testing the name in your tongue. Again, his breath hitches and you see his twiddling fingers tremble. “Did you hit my head with the golf club?”

You don’t know whether he spoke fluent English or not, so with much desperation you wanted to ask Jackson to translate for you, but after a few moments he finally spoke up, eyes big and watery staring right into you.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t--you… You you were there the moment I stopped spinning and the golf club was so heavy in my grasp so I wasn’t able to properly hold it and the next thing I know I just swayed it in whatever direction and I-I heard a loud noise and so I dropped the club and I-took the blindfold off but it was t-too late..you… You were already on the floor and Jackson hyung already carrying you and--”

Youngjae’s voice was on the verge of cracking, dark brown orbs aching with regret and so is his tone, sweat trickling down his temples and onto his collarbone showing, the oversized sweater on him too constricting, too hot for his body running on pure desperation for forgiveness.

If he wasn’t this troubled (and cute) in apologizing, you would have sued. No, you’re kidding-- it’s the meds. EIther way, he seemed apologetic enough, and assuming his one of Jackson’s friends you really didn’t want to go hard on him.

“It’s okay, Youngjae,” you manage to mumble, the painkillers engulfing you in its effects too soon. “I appreciate you coming here to see me.”

“I-I had to. I wanted to! I wanted to know you’re okay and not badly hurt. I’m really, really sorry,” he continues on, a voice so smooth like honey tainted with drops of sadness. Now you feel bad for making him worry.

“Really, Youngjae. I’m--I’ll be okay. Just need...s-some….rest.”

And then you pass out again.

The second time you wake up, the room was dimly lit. Headache gone, you are finally aware of your surroundings, maybe even hyperaware. You sit up in panic, breath heaving in long and loud intervals, the beating of your heart and thumping of your veins ringing in your ears.

“What-what happened? Are you okay? Are you hurt? Should I call Nurse Sana?” A familiar voice calls out to your panicking figure, and you whip your head to the sound. It was Youngjae, his face illuminated by the moon shining above his head out the window. It was like he was glowing, radiating in front of you--or maybe it’s the side effects of having a concussion.

“Youngjae? What- what are you still doing here?” You ask abruptly, gulping down the anxiety that attacked you. Only then did you realize Youngjae had held onto your hands as one of his own scratch the back of his neck in embarrassment. You are still entranced with the way the moon’s glimmer accentuates his soft features to feel his hand squeezing yours.

“I-I stayed. Jackson’s party continued on after we--he carried you here. He wanted to keep you company the whole night but he had people to thank and he also felt guilty letting the others clean up afterwards. He was in great conflict, but I told him I can watch over you,” Youngjae relays to you, voice a bit hoarse and dry but you didn’t mind--it still made your stomach churn in confusing delight to hear him speak. You know he’s trying his best to speak English with the way he carefully rolls the letters out of his tongue with words either too tricky or too long--it was cute.

“I see,” was all you could reply, feeling the heat flushing your cheeks. You make the mistake of glancing downward to your entwined hands, and so Youngjae abruptly retracts his grip, but you pull it back in.

“No, I..um.. I like it that way. If it’s okay,” you mumble, bringing his hand back down to your side, cupping his palm with your cold fingers. You feel him stiffen at your touch, but as his shoulder relaxes so does his hand before reconnecting the gaps between your fingers and his. You feel at ease again.

“I’m sorry if I startled you. I got alarmed when I realized the lights were out,” you confess, looking around as your vision adjusts to just the availability of natural light hitting the room.

“Do you want me to turn the ceiling light on?”

“No, no. This is fine. I can see you perfectly fine,” you reassure him, debating whether or not to smile at him to know you were really content with your situation. If you did, you might just blush harder at his concerned expression; if you didn’t, you don’t know how much you can take in the the waves of whimsical emotions coursing through you.

“Oh, I refilled your glass,” Youngjae points out, taking the cup from the bedside table. He offers it tentatively, but you nod your head in approval as you purse your lips towards the object. Youngjae tilts his head in confusion, not quite understanding what you wanted from him.

You giggle softly. “My hand is kind of preoccupied right now,” you remind him, eyes momentarily narrowing at your intertwined hands before bringing them back up to see Youngjae grinning bashfully at you.

“You have another one over there,” he plays along, pursing his full lips to your free hand which you hid underneath the sheets. You raise your eyebrows knowingly, and it’s the first time you hear him chuckle--throat still scratchy from being awake at probably three in the morning, but a beautiful sound nonetheless.

“It’s a bit unavailable at the moment,” you conclude, shrugging one shoulder.

Shaking his head, Youngjae laughs breathlessly this time before closing in on you, body mere inches from yours and the glass of water ready for you to intake. Opening your mouth slightly, he dips one corner downward, a stream of distilled water going down your throat as you gulp. You try not to notice his eyes watching your every sip, even his lips mimicked your own and you swore you saw his tongue dart out for a second too long.

You finish the glass, and Youngjae sets it back down the table, other hand never leaving yours. You mutter a soft thanks to which he grins with his lips, eyes crinkling and your heart fluttering even more.

“So, uh, you’re not mad at me anymore?” He asks you. You shake your head. “I never was, Youngjae. Well--I was frustrated when I first woke up but it was more due to the fact of losing consciousness. Other than that, I didn’t get angry. It was an accident,” you confirm.

“It was my first time trying to wreck a piñata, actually. I admit I got too excited. Hyung has always celebrated his birthday back in Hong Kong, so I was really happy he decided to stay this year,” Youngjae admits, and you nod in understanding. It was cute that Youngjae kept Jackson’s honorific despite speaking in English; you wonder why the Chinese man never introduced you to him before.

“Not to offend you or anything, but why have I only met you now? I mean, I don’t talk to the other as much as I do with Jackson, Mark, and Bam but Seun had personally introduced me to them before,” you comprehend.

“Oh, I guess we never got the chance to. I always hang out with the Music major kids like myself, and Jackson hyung and the others coincidentally go to classes close to each other,” Youngjae says sheepishly. “And as far as I know, you rarely hang out over here and I usually spend time with them more back in the dorms.”

“That sucks. I would’ve been interested in hearing you play the instrument you’re focused on,” you say quietly. “If you were comfortable with that, of course!” You feel like you had to point that out, with the hand holding at the moment and what not.

“No, yeah. I’m still a bit shy with playing the piano by myself, but I’ll be glad to show you a piece or two that I’ve been working on,” Youngjae simply admits, and you glance up at him to see his eyes shimmer in the incandescence of the night. He sounds genuine, and nervous-- but you appreciate the honest show of emotions for you, too, are a hot and flustered mess right now.

“Who do you normally play with?” You ask instead.

“Sometimes, when I want to hear the guys’ opinions, I have Jaebum hyung to help me sing some part while playing the piano. It eases my nerves, but I know I have to learn how to perform by myself, and not shrivel up in a ball every time I do so.”

“That sounds like something I’d do,” you say, lightening up the mood. “But I’m sure you’ll get there, Jae--” you place your free hand on your mouth, not believing the nickname slipped out so… effortlessly. Youngjae doesn’t seem to be bothered as he gives your hand a light squeeze. “You can call me, Jae,” he reaffirms as your hand back track from your lips.

You spend the rest of the late night chatting and getting to know each other more, but you had seen Youngjae yawn a few times in conversation, and you were too afraid to tell him that your migraine was coming back. Fortunately, he noticed when your hand involuntarily creeps up onto your bandaged forehead to massage the area only to find out the barrier keeping you away from it.

“So, I literally kept telling him I didn’t want anything grand on my birthday, but lo and behold what shows up on my doorstep? A puppy! A freaking puppy--oh my god, how are you doing that?” You were in the middle of recalling the first birthday you celebrated knowing Jackson when a foreign yet calming sensation runs through you from your entwined fingers. Youngjae was still looking at you, intently listening to your stories before realizing you had asked him a question. He stops rubbing his thumb over the sweet spot, and you frown.

He laughs with the sound you had instantly fallen in love with (already, you think) and says, “It’s a technique I learned from a class I took last semester. There’s an area on the back of your hand that is somehow connected to headaches or migraines, so if you put just the right amount of pressure on that specific spot it helps with the pain.”

“That’s--that’s useful information,” you sigh comfortable, leaning into your bed. “I’m sorry our conversation has to be cut short.”

“We have time to catch up.” Youngjae chuckles, letting his thumb push into your skin and you yawn for the nth time that night. You don’t know how many hours had passed since you woke up for the second time. You don’t figure it out as you enter sleep for the third time in less than twenty-four hours with Youngjae’s warm touch sending you to dreamland.

You wake up comfortably this time, expecting the same hands resting themselves in between yours. But as you collect your conscience, you feel… bare.

“Good morning, butthead.” Only one person in the world called you that and was ever allowed to. Your eyes flutter, seeing Jackson in a tank top and basketball shorts hovering next to you, a tray of savory smelling breakfast food in hand. “Nurse Sana said it was complimentary,” he adds with a grin.

Sitting up gingerly, you rub your eyes with the hand that lost its warmth. You pout, wondering where Youngjae went-- probably home as he wasn’t obligated to stay with you for that long, right?

“I’ve been holding this breakfast tray for so long now, so if you’re not eating then I will!”

You roll your eyes-- Jackson already at his element so early in the morning wasn’t a rarity, but someone’s absence was really making you all kinds of confused and frustrated.

But you hear your stomach growl quietly underneath the white sheets, and Jackson notices before placing the tray on your lap, demanding you get your nutrients for the day. You decide to distract your mind with food--it usually works.

You share breakfast with Jackson, asking him what went on at the party after you left. Everyone seemed to be worried, he recalled, but someone was finally able to crack open the piñata and the energy resurged. You asked him what was inside and he made you guess, twinkles in his eyes.

You snort, thinking of the best yet impossible thing he could ever put into those piñatas. “Organic green tea bags?”

Jackson stops biting his scrambled eggs midway as he looks at you surprisingly. You give him the same look, swallowing before letting the laugh escape your lungs. You were right--of course.

After you finish eating, Jackson returns the tray outside while Nurse Sana returns to check if everything has been going well for you. She instructed to take the pain medications when you feel it is at a level seven, giving you the paper bag with the prescription inside. Repeating her warning about not overworking yourself, you nod vigorously.

You are ready to head home. You already feel icky with your clothes, so you want to take a shower as soon as possible. You receive a text from Jackson saying he is waiting outside with Mark, ready to drive you home. Thanking Nurse Sana yet again, you make your way outside the patient room.

Opening the door, you don’t look when you advance head first, someone in your way. Luckily, they grab you by the shoulders to push you back, avoiding another collision. Are you really that careless to get another concussion?

“Easy,” Youngjae chuckles, and it takes you a second to realize he’s back. He’s here… with different clothes?

“I don’t want to give you another concussion,” he jokes, letting go of your shoulders. Blinking rapidly at him, you shake your head and gush, “No, no. This time it’s my fault! Sorry.”

Giving him a quick scan, his black hair was damp and face looking fresh and cleaner. He notices you staring, embarrassingly, but he explains, “Oh, I-- I went back to my dorm this morning to shower and change. You didn’t seem like you were waking up soon so I thought I had time before you did.”

Putting a hand over your mouth, you’re suddenly conscious of your own hygiene--you haven’t brushed since last night, good lord. It was also a way to hide the blush warming your cheeks, but talking to Youngjae in the morning was a different sensation all over.

During the moonlight, his presence was a calm sea of waves washing over you. In the morning, he was bright and blooming--making the sun drop to its knees at how vibrant Youngjae appeared to be.

“So, are you going back to your place?”

“Y-yeah. I need to shower too,” you blurt out, voice mumbled from your hand. He nods, stepping back so you have space to come forward.

“I saw Mark hyung’s car outside with Jackson hyung. They’re probably waiting for you,” Youngjae surmises. You frown behind your hand--you don’t want to go, better yet you want Youngjae to stay with you.

“Do you want to come with?” You say in a small voice, removing your hand but making sure he can hear you. “I mean, the guys are probably going to hang out at my apartment for a while, so do you want to join us?”

You really didn’t know what he would say, considering that you did just meet a day ago. But the conversation last night made you long for more, and you have high hopes Youngjae feels the same.

“I guess this is us catching up,” Youngjae beams, sending your mind in a frenzy with a flash of his smile. “I’d love to come with.”

And that is just the start.