#jihyun kim platonic

[xelasrecords]

As Daylight Comes

Han Jumin x MC

Jumin and MC have been married for a while, and their friendship with Jihyun is stronger than ever, so what better way to spend their morning together than to have breakfast with a side of teasing and musing on life?

Challenging myself to write a fluffy domestic scene because I realised I rarely write one. I also wanted to write Jihyun with his good ending personality because I barely see it in fics, so here he is at his healthiest mentally.

Words: 3.8k

Masterlist Read on AO3

The two men's hushed laughter eased her awake, the morning sun a soft gleam behind her closed eyelids. The first voice was clear and deep, one that she heard every day and night spoken like an oath to her soul. The second was gentler, a pleasant lilting voice that she and her husband often heard in their regular calls. She smiled to herself and threw the covers aside; she had already known who she would see before reaching the doorway. They were the sounds that she knew well and loved.

At the dining table, Jumin, her Jumin, was sitting with his back facing her, the sleeves of his navy sweater rolled up. He was leaning forwards, engrossed in telling what she was sure to be a fascinating idea he had recently thought of and possibly should not ever be acted upon. Jihyun was sitting on the other side, his head ducked in an attempt to smother his laughter, mint hair catching the glimmer of sunlight that passed through the floor-length windows as he moved.

Her heart felt whole at the sight of their dearest friend. Finally, they were together. They did not have to painstakingly arrange calls that were always cut too short by their own lives anymore.

Watching them, she didn't think it was possible for them to be any less content than they were now and almost didn't want to intrude. Jumin's sincere laugh, the unrestrained kind only she could pull out, was floating across their spacious home. But she knew them, and knew that they would rather her join them and make their happiness complete. Time did not wear out their love for her, or her love for them. It strengthened their bond, pulling them in tighter than ever.

She could never grow tired of it. It was a feeling she had become accustomed to, yet still marvelled at the wonder, the near impossibility of it.

She padded across the room, the light granite floor cold beneath her feet, and slid her arm around Jumin's shoulders. "Wonderful morning everyone. I wasn't aware we had company." She pressed her lips against his mussed black hair, catching a faint whiff of fresh wild cedar. Jihyun, having seen her approach, visibly brightened and gave her a wide smile, one she graciously returned.

With one hand around her waist, Jumin pulled her onto his lap and kissed her shoulder, sliding up the thin strap of her loose top that had drooped down. "The company had stopped by unannounced."

Jihyun looked sheepish. "I'm sorry we woke you up. I thought we had been quiet enough."

"I'm honestly furious that you didn't wake me up earlier," she said good-naturedly. "Were you just going to leave if I didn't?"

"Jumin told me how you had to stay up all night for work. I didn't want to disturb you."

She waved it away and picked up a turkey sandwich in front of her, eating it with enthusiasm. "Disturb me all you want. I welcome it."

"Are you sure you don't need more rest?" Jumin murmured into her ear, both arms circling her waist. "I could force him to stay until you wake up later. Glue him to the chair with a powerful adhesive or a magic spell. I may not be the pioneer of creativity, but I have brought several creative projects to fruition. I could think of something."

"With determination comes great result?" she suggested.

"Exactly. There is no reason I can't attempt sorcery if nothing else works."

She turned around and winked. "I could help you with the enchantment."

He sighed into the crook of her neck. "This is why I married you, my exceptional wife. You are ever supportive and full of love."

Jihyun smiled despairingly into his slice of sandwich. "Why are you two the way you are?"

She and Jumin shrugged in one coordinated movement.

As she scanned the table for more food, she realised there were a variety of sandwiches and fruits spread across the marble top. Silently, she sent Jihyun her gratitude for bringing an abundance of anything other than pancakes. However much she loved Jumin, she was quite sick of slathering strawberry jam or maple syrup or even more strawberries on the pancakes he made.

The fruit assortment interestingly lacked strawberries too.

"This sandwich is good, Jihyun. Did you make this?" She examined her second helping of a toasted cheese sandwich in her hand. The cheese was still oozing when she bit into it.

He grinned. "Ah, it is?"

She performed a dramatic moan. "Orgasmically so."

She held back her laugh at the mischievous glint in his sea-green eyes. Truthfully, she might have sent a text to Jihyun to save her from a lifetime of pancake breakfast. And he might have responded to her plea with utmost seriousness and come to her rescue the very next day.

It was a possibility that they might have conspired on something that would have mildly offended Jumin, yes.

Some secrets were best kept as secrets.

But Jumin, blissfully oblivious, was studying her with extreme amusement. "I have to remind you that we skipped our morning sex. If you are heavily aroused, you only need to ask." His voice had dropped low, his breathing fanning her neck. "I will give you everything that you desire. It is what I wish for myself as well."

She leaned against his chest and whispered, "Make it an afternoon quickie. Let's do it later."

"So you're giving me the order to wait." His hands ran up the inside of her bare thighs until they reached the lining of her shorts, his clothed knees nudging her legs open. She suppressed a shiver; familiar was his touch to her, a pleasurable rush still spread across her skin whenever he did it. "What do I get in return? A fair bargain has to benefit both parties."

She squirmed against his thighs on purpose, knowing the friction would crack his composure. "You get a lesson in patience," she drawled, voice low and raspy, "and I get to watch you exercise your iron will. I will be satisfied. Didn't you want me to feel good?"

Jumin looked scandalised. "In nowhere would that be constituted as a fair deal, and patience is a virtue I have long been practising. I wish to propose an alternative."

"Shall I take my leave?" Jihyun interrupted. "I don't have to see to know what you two are doing down there."

"Nothing!" Hastily, she put away Jumin's hands and grabbed Jihyun's over the table before he could stand, ignoring Jumin's huffing. "Please stay. We are two very chaste adults."

Jihyun's smile was wry. "That's not what I heard about your sex life."

"You told him?" She whirled on Jumin. "I thought you'd have more respect for my intimate life. This is a breach of my privacy. I'd never got a betrayal of this magnitude, and from my own husband!"

"Interesting," Jumin said. "Would you like to know how he reacted when I recounted our latest session? He was not surprised. Not one bit. In fact, he was too ready to supply a reaction. I have to wonder if he had prepared himself beforehand."

She narrowed her eyes at Jihyun. "You traitor."

"I was just trying to be supportive, but I suppose Jumin has always been too good at reading my intentions." Jihyun shook his head regretfully.

"That's right," Jumin said, a smug tone in his voice. He was always proud when he could prove their decades of friendship through their mutual understanding.

With a scoff, she shifted to the chair beside him and scooped a handful of blueberries and an egg sandwich into his plate before doing the same for Jihyun. When she looked down, she saw that Jihyun had filled hers as well. For a while, the dining room was silent as they dug into their meal, save for the cutleries clinking against plates and fabrics rustling when they helped each other with more food and drinks.

She could live like this every day, she thought. It wouldn't be so bad to have Jihyun here more often. Jumin was one of the kindest people she had ever known, but he had edges that remained sharp and could only soften in the presence of his best friend. Jumin with Jihyun was fully at peace, and Jihyun was no different. He spoke his mind without holding back and did not hesitate to share his art with him. Between them was a sense of safety she never found between anyone else.

Anyone else except her own friendship with him.

Jihyun meant just as much to her, and she to him. They would sacrifice their sleep if one was ringing up the other in dire trouble, despite being on opposite sides of the globe. And sometimes Jumin would leave them to talk into the night while he slept, knowing they had things they were more comfortable sharing alone, though he would chide her for the black rings under her eyes in the morning and fuss over her.

Jumin was never jealous. Rather, he was delighted that his wife got along well with his best friend and had no qualms announcing it whenever he could, not caring if anyone thought it strange. To him, the joy of seeing the two people he loved the most being close surpassed other petty emotions. She could read it on his face. It would have broken his heart if they found each other's company distasteful.

She wondered if it was the same for Jumin, if he could see that she cherished Jihyun and had missed him too. She might have entered their lives later, but time did not dictate closeness. If someone were to be taken out of the equation, the other two would be left flailing, stranded with half of their string cut.

She felt the three of them were always better when they existed in the same space.

"Did you know why he came here?" Jumin cut through her thoughts and gestured at Jihyun. "He claimed to have forgotten his camera. Under normal circumstances, I would have accepted it as a reasonable excuse, except he has done this three times."

"You said it like it's a bad thing. Do you not want me to drop by?" Jihyun asked mildly.

Jumin raised his brows. "You're an artist. You could have come up with a more creative excuse."

She straightened up and looked right into Jihyun's lively eyes. They were the eyes that had freed themselves from the sorrow that plagued his younger, more foolish years. "Ignore this cynical guy. He doesn't know that joy is found in little things. I, for one, commend you for your intricate planning. That is some strategising and determination you have shown. Anyone who doesn't appreciate your effort shouldn't be eating your food." She glared at Jumin.

"Thank you for recognising my effort, but that isn't all." Jihyun paused. "I also missed you. I enjoyed my trip, but the places I visited made me yearn to come back because you weren't there. Of course, I speak including you, Jumin."

"I see I have been demoted to an afterthought," remarked Jumin.

"That is what you get for acting all mighty." She rose to fetch a glass of orange juice from across the table, Jumin holding back the front of her loose white top as she leaned, but Jihyun was faster. He had noticed what she had been eyeing before and placed the glass in front of her. She smiled gratefully at him; she doubted there was anyone more eager to help than Jihyun. It was a quality she and Jumin liked to discuss admiringly among themselves.

Jumin settled back into his seat and picked a grape from the centre platter. "I don't appreciate the poor translation of my intention."

"At least you know you can rhyme," she said and turned to Jihyun. "You have to know how much he pined for you. He stared out the window like a Victorian lady waiting for her husband to be relieved from his duty. I thought he was one second away from being locked in the attic." She shook her head solemnly. "So close to being driven to madness from yearning."

Jumin let out a flat gasp. "Why, I never."

"Nevertheless," she pounced on, "I am not without conscience and virtue to lock anyone away, especially when that person is someone of my own heart, so I had no choice but to persist. Have some pity on me, I beg you!" She clutched at her chest.

Jihyun burst into laughter, which produced a small smile from Jumin. "All right, I'll admit I missed you," Jumin gave in. "I could use seeing you more often."

A brief look of wonder flashed in Jihyun's eyes, searching Jumin's and was quickly reassured when they recognised the familiar fondness in his unwavering gaze. The steel in Jumin's grey eyes dared Jihyun to refute it, but he wouldn't, not this grown version of him.

Some people struggled with getting used to being loved unabashedly. She recalled when Jihyun was a younger boy and how he would rather stake himself than accept the love he was given, but that was long ago. Time and their persistence in loving him had encouraged him to be brave, and Jihyun himself had learned to allow people to love him. The vulnerability of baring your soul to love someone could be unbearable, but believing you were worthy of love could be just as unthinkable.

She was glad he had Jumin to rely on when they were children, and Jumin had him to be his true self with. What had been a constant, stumbling search for faith in each other had grown into intrinsic trust.

"How long can we do this still?" she wondered aloud. "Sometimes I feel like we haven't changed—we have eaten together like this more times than I could count—but we're not who we were anymore, are we?"

"Four hundred and five times," Jumin stated. "Barring other types of gatherings and casual hang-outs. A lot of things have happened since the first one." He lifted her hand against his lips and kissed the back of it reverently. She remembered the time before they fell for each other and how after they had, their connection had become more intimate than she had thought possible.

"You keep track, I should've guessed." Jihyun's voice held infinite softness. "It was an eternity ago. Goodness, we were such wide-eyed kids then."

"Perhaps the time we have left doesn't matter as much as the time we have shared together—the time we are sharing now," Jumin said. "But sometimes as I'm living in the present, I can already see how we will be entombed in history, though it's a memory that I will look back on fondly."

"Please don't say 'entombed'," she said. "Memories don't die just because they have passed. We keep them alive, just like this. We'll continue to talk about nonsense and eat good food and be there for one another. Otherwise, we wouldn't have anything to hold on to when life gets hard."

"Or maybe we won't do this forever. We can't tell what the future holds," Jihyun mused. "Change is the natural order of the universe, but in this life full of changes, I can always count on you two to be here for me, to make me happy." He smiled at them, the corner of his eyes crinkling. Jumin nodded contentedly, and she laid her head on his shoulder, sharing his peace.

"I certainly would be appalled if I stayed the same all these years." She shuddered. "I like that we change together, that our new shapes still fit each other somehow. I've grown out of enough friendships to know that this isn't always the case."

"I'm afraid I cannot comment much on friendships." Jumin frowned. "My friendship with Jihyun is the only true one that I have, but it wouldn't be complete if you never came into my life—our lives. I will always be thankful for that. You brought us all closer."

With an arm propped on the table, she watched Jumin's thoughtful expression and eased the crease between his forehead. He had spoken aloud of what she was thinking about earlier, the completeness of the bond between the three of them. It was funny, how sometimes it was as if his mind and hers were intertwined. The time they spent together has left an indisputable mark, seemingly without her notice.

Time was often like that. One day you clambered through life with cuts on your knees and found yourself standing on steadier ground, wiser but irreparably changed in the next. It did not beat on a steady rhythm; it sprinted and languished at the exact moments you wished it not to.

"Everything he said was true," Jihyun reached over the table to squeeze her hand. It was soft in her touch. "You're a blessing on earth. I was right to come here right away."

"Meeting us is always the right decision," said Jumin adamantly.

"Except if he's asking you to translate an ancient necromancy spellbook that's ninety-nine per cent fake, then maybe it isn't a good idea to be here," she added.

"Ninety-nine per cent?" Jumin sounded offended. "It's disrespectful to equate a book that holds mystical wonders unimaginable to mankind to a lousy disinfectant."

Jihyun ignored him and looked at her warily.

"He made me light up pungent-smelling candles around the house with him. I still don't want to know what kind of candles they were." She grimaced at the memory. "We had to move out for a few weeks until the smell disappeared."

Jihyun wrinkled his nose at Jumin. "What dead creature were you trying to raise?"

"A mouse that my bodyguard accused Elizabeth the Third has killed. Petty murders are below a lady as dignified as she," he declared with conviction. "I should know."

A look of surprise passed over Jihyun's face. "And you care enough about the mouse to call it back from death?" he asked slowly.

"I needed to put it under interrogation to extract the exact cause of its death," Jumin said. "It was imperative that I clear Elizabeth the Third's name."

"Naturally," she cut in cheerfully. "When one dies, one can simply be revived and questioned about one's lethal injury. No worries whatsoever that recalling the event might be traumatic to them."

"Did it, um"—Jihyun struggled to find the right word—"come alive?"

Jumin sighed in defeat. "I would have to try again another time."

"You would not." Her tone was severe. "You will either lose the truth of Elizabeth the Third's innocence or me. Your choice."

Jumin looked tortured, but she did not budge. Jihyun's eyes danced between them with amusement.

Eventually, Jumin splayed his hands out in resignation. "I shall comply with your wishes."

She patted his arm. "It's for the best. You don't want to accidentally exorcise the whole world with your corpse-raising activities. I can only support your hobbies up to a point, love."

At that, Jihyun chortled into his drink and Jumin shot him a betrayed look, though he still offered his handkerchief to him. "Not that I don't believe in you," Jihyun said when he calmed down, "but your experiments tend to be disastrous. Maybe you should consider those around you. We're the ones who have to deal with your mess."

Jumin crossed his arms. "You two have no loyalty towards me, especially you, dear lovely wife." He tilted his head at her. "You're supposed to be the love of my life. My sworn life partner for eternity."

She rolled her eyes. "Please, I did agree to glue Jihyun earlier. Was that not enough?"

"This is about me now?" asked Jihyun.

She produced a coy smile. "You're always in our hearts."

Jumin, seeing the opportunity to shift the blame, quickly said, "That's true."

"You two have sadistic hearts," Jihyun pointed out.

"Don't even try to deny that sadism isn't what you're into," she said and grinned when his cheeks heated up. "I know about your fantasies too."

Unfortunately, Jumin took this moment to inspect the table and made an astute observation, cutting off Jihyun's stammering. "It has occurred to me that we have too many sandwiches and no pancake in sight."

Her and Jihyun's attention snapped on each other, eyes widening in horror.

"Did you know how easy it is to make a strawberry pancake, Jihyun? We could eat it every day," Jumin went on.

"We could, yes," Jihyun said tactfully, "but it doesn't mean we should. Anything too much could make you sick, my friend."

"And I'm full," she chimed in. "Maybe next time?"

"She did eat a lot earlier," Jihyun said.

"Did you?" Jumin stared at her with suspicion.

She leaned back and rubbed her stomach. "A whole lot. If you force me to eat, I'd have no choice but to vomit everything onto your lap. That would disrespect Jihyun's hard work on packing all this food, and I'd be sick and have to eat again—which would be a major annoyance with a burned throat—and you'd have to change into stripeless pants."

Jumin looked puzzled. "But I have other striped pants."

"Not if I used all of them to clean up the vomit."

He sighed but relented. "If you say so."

When Jumin averted his gaze, she breathed out a silent air of relief and felt Jihyun nudging her foot beneath the table, a playful twinkle in his eyes. His lips were pressed into a flat line, fighting the smile threatening to break his sympathetic ruse. She prodded his foot back and gave him a light shrug.

Not long after, Jihyun would have to leave for yet another thing and she and Jumin would have to count the days until the next time they met. But it was not their concern yet. Right now, the murmurs of their talk and the music of their laughs were enough for her. There was nothing to complain about when they made her happy.

Distance and frequency of meetings did not matter. She could have one minute with them together and still be satisfied, however temporary the satisfaction might be. A mere minute would make her yearn for more until they piled up to make an infinite, but she was not demanding. Whatever little time they could carve out of their routine was enough.

This was good. They were happy and radiant and comfortable that she allowed herself to believe that it could last forever.

And it would. Their love would never wane.

-

Footnotes:

One thing I love about their friendship is how honest they are with their appreciation. They're not ashamed of showing that they care, and their elegant linguistic style (though V's is more casual than Jumin's) makes it easy to write their vulnerable feelings just as they are. They don't toughen up their words or purposely censor them when they get emotional. They're fluent in articulating their feelings, and I think this would be even more natural when they've all been close for a long time.

The domestic scene challenge was made easier since I was vibrating with giddiness to express more love for Jumin and V. I'm the happiest when I write about love and them. Grinning maniacally every time I type their story out.

Before anyone comes at me, I don't think Jumin would be jealous. He could be possessive when he's gripped by his darker thoughts, but in this phase of his life, he's stable. He's secure in his marriage, he has a grounded relationship that's nurtured over the years with MC, and he shares a safe emotional space with V. Everyone is at their best here. The three of them have complete trust and respect for each other.

When I first started writing here, I used to think I have to make the MC's personality neutral enough so that most readers could relate, but now it's free real estate. I do whatever I want.

I was nostalgic about my college days' friendship, hence the more sombre tone in the middle. It feels natural in my friendships to joke around and make sexual quips in one moment and reflect on life in the next. I wanted to recreate that safety and sense of belonging I used to feel.

This was supposed to be finished earlier but I suddenly went through a friendship breakup during the editing stage, so I couldn't find it in me to write about the joys of friendship when I just severed one of mine. She was my close friend for almost a decade. I still think about her from time to time.

[lilias300yearhusband]

Here’s my updated rules list. Sorry if it looks bad I’m not good at design.

I WILL block any accounts that are blank or don’t have age in their bio if you interact with me and are under 18. I know you’ll probably read my content anyways but don’t interact if you do, I don’t want to know about minors reading my fics. If you lie about your age then it’s not my problem because it isn’t my job to parent you.

Any character that is under 18 will be aged up for fics. Any characters like Luke or Ortho who look and are treated as young kids will be platonic only and you will be automatically blocked if asked otherwise.

Who will I write for?

Obey Me -

Lucifer (submissive only)

Mammon

Leviathan

Satan

Asmodeus

Beelzebub

Belphegor

Solomon

Barbatos

Simeon

Luke (PLATONIC ONLY)

Mystic Messenger -

Zen/Hyun Ryu

Yoosung Kim

Jumin Han (submissive only)

707/Luciel Choi/Saeyoung Choi

V/Jihyun Kim

Unknown/Saeran Choi/Ray

Twisted Wonderland -

To me NRC & RSA are actually collages for talented mages and not a high school so I will write as such. First years are 19, second years are 20, third years are 21 and Leona is 23 (except for Malleus and Lilia). No joke I constantly forget they aren’t collage age😭

Heartslabyul

Riddle Rosehearts

Cater Diamond

Ace Trappola

Deuce Spade

Savanaclaw

Leona Kingscholar

Ruggie Bucchi

Jack Howl

Octavinelle

(I will not write Jade and Floyd together in a romantic or sexual setting)

Azul Ashengrotto

Jade Leech

Floyd Leech

Scarabia

Kalim Al-Asim

Jamil Viper

Pomefiore

Vil Schoenheit

Rook Hunt

Epel Felmier

Ignihyde

Idia Shroud

Ortho Shroud (PLATONIC ONLY)

Diasomnia

Malleus Draconia

Lilia Vanrouge (both NRC and general Lilia)

Silver

Sebek Zigvolt

Ramshackle

Grim (PLATONIC ONLY)

NRC Staff

(I will write platonic and romantic for both but the reader will be aged up and not the prefect if it’s romantic)

Dire Crowley

Divas Crewel

Mozus Trein

Sam

RSA students

Che’nya/Artemiy Artemiyevich Pinker

Neige LeBlanche

While he doesn’t show up in game I am willing to write for Prince Rielle because I love mermaids.

Others

Rollo Flamme

—————————————

What will I write?

NB/Male/Trans man/Trans masc reader

Trans masc characters

Top/Dom/Sub reader

Bottom/Dom/Sub character

Fluff

Angst

Smut within reason (I’m open to almost anything just look at what I won’t write)

What won’t I write?

Fem/Trans fem reader

Trans fem characters (I love my trans sisters but I don’t understand their experiences and don’t think I could write them well)

Bottom reader

Top character

Anything romantic/sexual with Ortho and Luke

Teacher/Student relationships

Anything nonconsensual (consent nonconsent and dubious consent is ok)

Piss or Scat

Vomit in a sexual context (non sexual is fine but it won’t be overly detailed)

Incest

Demoncest

Self harm or suicide (unless it’s canon)

Pregnancy

Diavolo or Ashton Vargas I hate these bastards

Trey Clover, I just can’t pin down his personality

Rollo being weird/creepy towards reader or being jealous because reader and Malleus

[across-every-universe]

F/O list!

Romantic:

•—Main F/O —•

Kaeya Alberich [Genshin] — ❄️ knight in shining armor ❄️

•— Partners —•

Alhaitham [Genshin]— tag: 🌿

Simeon [Obey Me!] — 🕯️ the greatest story ever told 🕯️

Leviathan [Obey Me!]

Satan [Obey Me!]

•— Crushes —•

Welt Yang [Star Rail] — tag: 💫

Kieran [OC] — 🌘 burn them all down for you 🌒

Platonic :

•— QPP —•

Kim Jihyun [Mystic Messenger] — tag: ☀️ you are my sunshine ☀️

•— Friends —•

DiΙuc Ragnvιndr [Genshin] — tag: 🦉

Data [Star Trek TNG] — tag: 🪐

this one’s a secret — tag: 🌻

Familial:

•— Siblings —•

Charlie — tag: 🔭

[evaludate]

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EPISODE NAVIGATION:

Non-Series Specific:

01. So Many Sadboys (Common Character Tropes in the Otome Genre) | 02. We're Gay, it's Fine (The Ladies of Otome) | 03. Harvest Moon Speedrun (Relationship Mechanics in Social Sims) | 08. Satan isn't in the Anime (Your Spooky Questions!) | 15. JPEGS are Ephemeral, Friendship is Forever (Mobile Dating Sims) | 46. My Uncle Who Works at Capcom (Mechanics in otome games)

Hakuoki:

04. Pwease no Personal Responsibility :3c (Hachiro Iba from Hakuouki: Kyoto Winds & Edo Blossoms) | 05. Lesbian Ghost (Kazue Souma from Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds and Edo Blossoms) | 06. Let's Boogie! (Ryouma Sakamoto from Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds and Edo Blossoms) | 07. Helpful Background Lesbians (Discussing the New Additions to Hakuoki) | 09. Solid Snake; Model Murderboy (Okita Souji and Saito Hajime of Hakuoki) | 10. There's a Horse?! (Chikage Kazama and Toshizou Hijikata of Hakuoki) | 11. Platonic Goodfriends (Sanosuke Harada and Shinpachi Nagakura of Hakuoki) | 12. Vampire Poetry (Susumu Yamazaki and Keisuke Sanan of Hakuoki) | 13. Lap Equality (Heisuke Toudou of Hakuoki) | 14. A Game About Suffering (Hakuoki Wrap-Up and Final Thoughts)

Mystic Messenger:

16. Chihuahua Dot JPEG (Kim Yoosung from Mystic Messenger) | 17. Rabbit Coded (Zen from Mystic Messenger) | 18. Friendship Simulator (Kang Jaehee from Mystic Messenger) | 19. Cat in the Coalmine (Han Jumin from Mystic Messenger) | 20. @God, it's Me, Ya Boy (707 / Luciel Choi / Choi Saeyoung of Mystic Messenger, Part 1) | 21. Saeyoung Has Become Ex-Catholic (707 / Luciel Choi / Choi Saeyoung of Mystic Messenger, Part 2) | 22. Jihyun Buffet (V / Kim Jihyun from Mystic Messenger, Part One) | 23. Metaphors Did This (V / Kim Jihyun from Mystic Messenger, Part Two) | 24. Tinder Meets Discord (Ray/Saeran Choi from Mystic Messenger)

Code Realize:

(Guardian of Rebirth)

25. Public Domain (Code:Realize Guardian of Rebirth) | 26. Say It. Out Loud. (Impey Barbicane from Code:Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~) | 27. Non-Threatening Brunette Anime Boy (Victor Frankenstein of Code:Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ Part 1) | 28. Solid Snake is Not Involved (Victor Frankenstein of Code:Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ Part 2) | 29. Stop Saying Odd Shit (Saint-Germain of Code:Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~) | 30. Hell is Real (Saint Germain of Code:Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ part 2) | 31. Steampunk Heterosexual SasuNaru AU (Abraham Van Helsing of Code:Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ | 32. Code:Realize: Shippuden (Part 2 of Abraham van Helsing of Code:Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~) | 33. THE THEMES (Arsène Lupin of Code:Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~) | 34. Ladies Love Lockpicking (Arsène Lupin of Code:Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ Part 2) | 35. Is Divine Right of Kings Canon? (Arsène Lupin of Code:Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ Part 3) | 36. Blitzball Prison (Arsène Lupin of Code:Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ Part 4) | 37. Steampunk Spencer's Gifts (Code: Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ Wrap Up and Final Thoughts)

(Future Blessings)

38. What if We Kissed. . . In the Bathysphere? (Impey Barbicane, Code: Realize Future Blessings) | 39. The Anime Boy Panopticon (Victor Frankenstein, Code: Realize ~Future Blessings~) | 40. Hermes Trismegistus Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way (Saint Germain, Code: Realize ~Future Blessings) | 41. Chill Fun Times With Trauma Squad (Van Helsing, Code: Realize ~Future Blessings~) | 42. Bad Radio (Arsène Lupin, Code: Realize ~Future Blessings~) | 43. You Almost Did a Class Consciousness! (Code:Realize ~Future Blessings~ Extra Scenario) | 44. Problems Clown (Herlock Sholmès, Code: Realize ~Future Blessings) | 45. Plague Doctor CIA (Finis Beckford of Code: Realize ~Future Blessings)

Dandelion: Wishes Brought to You:

47. The Entire Periodic Table (Jiwoo of Dandelion: Wishes Brought to You) | 48. I Gave You All the Clues (Jihae of Dandelion: Wishes Brought to You) | 49. Catboy Oppression (Jiyeon of Dandelion: Wishes Brought to You) | 50. Sh*t Moratorium (Jisoo of Dandelion: Wishes Brought to You) | 51. All the Layers are Nasty (Jieun of Dandelion: Wishes Brought to You)

7'Scarlet:

52. Kaiba Brain (Hino Kagutsuchi of 7'Scarlet) | 53. The Pinky Finger of a Man (Isora Amari of 7'Scarlet) | 54. Hannah MonToa (Toa Kushinada of 7'Scarlet) | 55. Among Us LARP (Sosuke Tatehira of 7'Scarlet) | 56. Alexandria's Genesis (Yuzuki Murakumo of 7'Scarlet) | 57. Cinnamon Sins (Toa Kushinada of 7'Scarlet, True Route) | 58. There Was No Point (Hanate Yatsukami of 7'Scarlet and 7'Scarlet Wrap-Up)

Cafe Enchante:

59. So, No Head? (Canus Espada of Cafe Enchante) | 60. Found Family Speedrun (Canus Espada of Cafe Enchante, Part 2) | 61. Vennia Did Nothing Wrong (Canus Espada of Cafe Enchante, Part 3) | 62. Were-Wife (Ignis Carbunculus of Cafe Enchante) | 63. Furry Story (Ignis Carbunculus of Cafe Enchante, part 2) | 64. Don't Trust Catboys (Ignis Carbunculus of Cafe Enchante, Part 3) | 65. Have I Mentioned That I'm Old? (Kaoru Rindo of Cafe Enchante, Part 1) | 66. Bestie, Kill! (Kaoru Rindo of Cafe Enchante, part 2) | 67. Good Instructions (Il Fado de Rie of Cafe Enchante) | 68. The Otome Route Ever (Il Fado De Rie of Cafe Enchante, part 2) | 69. Pastel Chuuni (Il Fado De Rie of Cafe Enchante, Part 3) | 70. Heaven is a Fancy Murder Basement (Il Fado de Rie of Cafe Enchante, part 4) | 71. Time Prison (Misyr Rex of Cafe Enchante, Part 1) | 72. You Are All So Boring (Misyr Rex of Cafe Enchante, Part 2) | 73. Secret Good Misyr Route (Misyr Rex of Cafe Enchante, Part 3)

Bustafellows:

74. Murder Boy, Professionally (Shu Lyn O'Keefe of Bustafellows, Part 1) | 75. Chekov's and Other Guns (Shu Lyn O'Keefe of Bustafellows, Part 2) | 76. Why Does Teuta Call You Baby Girl? (Shu Lyn O'Keefe of Bustafellows, Part 3) | 77. A Mean Choice (Shu Lyn O'Keefe of Bustafellows, part 4) | 78. Longest Thread in the History of Forums (Helvetica Orsted from Bustafellows, Part 1) | 79. An Ocean of Spite (Helvetica Orsted of Bustafellows, Part 2) | 80. You're ALL Criminals (Helvetica Orsted of Bustafellows, Part 3) | 81. HIPAA Violation (Helvetica Orsted of Bustafellows, Part 4) | 82. Scarecrow Catholic Moments (Scarecrow of Bustafellows, part 1) | 83. Purse Chihuahua (Scarecrow of Bustafellows, Part 2) | 84. The Drowning Part (Scarecrow of Bustafellows, part 3)

[sillykenma]

— minors and ageless blogs do not interact, you will be blocked if you do so.

— fem aligned people can interact, i do not have a problem with it. i only ask that you do not interact with any post containing ftm content!

— i have frequent periods of writers block, so will be times where i do not post. i’ll try my best to at least post some drabbles/quick thoughts, but sometimes i can’t even do that.

— please, do not plagiarize, repost or edit my works here or on any other platforms.

— please do not spam like, it can get this blog shadow banned, reblog instead to show support!

— i write only for male/gender neutral!reader, find other blogs for fem!reader. smau’s will always be gender neutral!reader.

— i write for jujutsu kaisen, haikyuu, my hero academia, attack on titan, genshin impact, obey me! shall we date?, mystic messenger, my samurai romance, and 10 days with my devil!

— bold: most often, italics: second most often, regular text: occasionally. not every character will be included in posts, even with multiple parts!

• jujutsu kaisen —

fushiguro megumi, itadori yuuji, ryoumen sukuna, kamo chousou, kugisaki nobara, gojou satoru, uraume, getou suguru, yoshino junpei, zenin naoya, okkotsu yuuta, inumaki toge, iori utahime, nanami kento, fushiguro toji, mahito, ieiri shoko, haibara yuu, amani rikou (platonic only), ino takuma

• haikyuu —

KARASUNO: sawamura daichi, sugawara koushi, azumane asahi, nishinoya yuu, tanaka ryuunosuke, ennoshita chikara, kinoshita hisashi, narita kazuhito, kageyama tobio, hinata shouyou, tsukishima kei, yamaguchi tadashi, shimizu kiyoko, ukai keishin

NEKOMA: kuroo tetsurou, yaku morisuke, kozume kenma, haiba lev, shibayama yuuki

AOBA JOHSAI: oikawa tooru, hanamaki takahiro, iwaizumi hajime, yahaba shigeru, kunimi akira, kyoutani kentarou

DATE TECH: aone takanobu, futakuchi kenji, koganegawa kanji, sakunami kousuke

FUKURODANI: bokuto koutarou, akaashi keiji, konoha akinori

SHIRATORIZAWA: ushijima wakatoshi, semi eita, tendou satori, goshiki tsutomu, shirabu kenjirou

INARIZAKI: kita shinsuke, miya atsumu, suna rintarou, miya osamu

OTHER: sakusa kiyoomi, hoshiumi kourai, udai tenma

• my hero academia —

aizawa shouta, iida tenya, kaminari denki, kirishima eijiro, todoroki shouto, bakugou katsuki, midoriya izuku, monoma neito, shinsou hitoshi, shigaraki tomura | shimura tenko, takami keigo, todoroki touya (dabi), eri (platonic only)

• attack on titan —

eren yeager, levi ackerman, armin alert

• genshin impact —

MONDSTADT: diluc ragnvindr, kaeya alberich

LIYUE: zhongil — morax , rex lapis, xiao

INAZUMA: kaedehara kazuha, kamisato ayato, thoma, gorou

SUMERU: tighnari, cyno, wanderer, alhaitham

FONTAINE: neuvillette, wriothesley

NATLAN: kinich

SNEZHNAYA: ajax — tartaglia , childe

OTHER: dainsleif, scaramouche — kunikuzushi, kabukimono

• obey me! shall we date? —

lucifer, mammon, leviathan, satan, asmodeus, beelzebub, belphegor, solomon

• mystic messenger —

han jumin, choi saeyoung — luciel, choi saeran — ray, kim yoosung, hyun ryu — zen, kim jihyun — v

• my samurai romance —

sakamoto ryoma, okada izo, takasugi shinsaku

• 10 days with my devil —

kamui kakeru, kamagari satoru, kurobane shiki, amano haruhito, kamui meguru, isaka rein, shirai tsubasa

— characters have a possibility to be out of character, i try my best to match their canon personality as best as possible unless it’s on purpose! if it’s intentional, there will always be a note of it!

— characters most often/nearly always to be ooc:

• jujutsu kaisen — sukuna, naoya

• haikyuu —

• my hero academia — shigaraki

• attack on titan —

• genshin impact — dainsleif (because there isn’t much known about him)

• obey me! shall we date? —

• mystic messenger —

• my samurai romance —

• 10 days with my devil —

— my works are not spoiler free! i will put a warning for spoilers if the work contains them.

— my works are both canon compliant and not canon compliant! there will be a note depicting which it is.

— my requests will always be open unless stated otherwise!

— do not request for specific traits (hair color, eye color, etc) or fem!reader. any requests including so will be deleted.

— please do not explain the complete plot of your request, it leaves me less to work with. any requests doing so will be deleted.

— when requesting, please keep in mind that i cannot write super fast! drabbles and headcannons would take around 1-3 days (estimate) to complete, full fledged imagines would take at minimum 3 days to complete; more likely to take up to a week (estimate). you can suggest ideas for smau’s as well, but i will not guarantee that i will write it!

drabbles — one character, prompt, male or gender neutral!reader, include if it is ftm/afab!reader

headcannons — maximum of 3 characters for each prompt, male or gender neutral!reader, include if it is ftm/afab!reader

imagines — character(s) (re: poly relationship), prompt, max of 3 desired tags (not guaranteed to be included), male or gender neutral!reader, include if it is ftm/afab!reader

smau’s — one character, prompt, and max of 3 desired tags (not guaranteed to be included)

— poly ships (4 maximum; including reader), ftm/afab!reader, select dead dove: do not eat tropes, a/b/o / omegaverse

— male character x male/gn!reader, female character x ftm/afab!reader, male character x ftm/afab!reader x female character

— nsfw (including aged up minor characters), select kinks, yandere!character & yandere!reader (nothing extreme)

— fem!reader, female character x male/amab!reader, male character x female character (ex. gojo x shoko)

— ships not including reader, heavy/detailed gore, vore/cannibalism, and more. if a request has something i will not write that is not listed above i will make note of it.

#sillykenma: writing (non request)

#skrequest: writing (request)

#skask: regular asks

#skanswer: questions about the blog/writing in general

#sktalk: regular posts

#skrec: works i recommend

#skart: art i like

#jujutsu kaisen masterlist — ★ #haikyuu masterlist — ★ #my hero academia masterlist — ★ #attack on titan masterlist — ★ #genshin impact masterlist — ★ #obey me! shall we date? masterlist — ★ #mystic messenger masterlist — ★ #my samurai romance masterlist — ★ #10 days with my devil masterlist — ★: if you do not want to visit the specific masterlist post for each fandom, you can use the above tags to view the posts!

[of-spaceships-and-cats]

I am trying out a signature (probs should add it to my other pics). But anyway, here is ;;something;; (inspired by that couple meme) involving our Another Story boys: V and Saeran!

[spearminteye]

“oH yOuLl bE suCh a GoOd mOm” “i WaNt tO HaVe sO mAnY bAbIes wIth yOu” no no shut up ur breaking the fantasy, why the hell would i want kids

[kirishwima]

Could I request HC's about Jumin spoiling Jihyun? Their friendship is fucking amazing 💕

Yes!!! I love their friendship too, im always down for writing about them

* Jumin is generally one that loves to make grand gestures-and if you’re one of the selected few people he loves, hoo boy you got a big storm of gifts comin’ for ya

* Jihyun found this out first hand when they were kids, soon after they became friends

* He’d mentioned once that he saw a guitar that looked cool, and wondered if he could learn how to play it if given the chance. Jumin was right beside him, a pout on his lips as he created a mastermind in his head.

* The next day, he was over at Jihyun’s house, knocking on the door insistently.

* Jihyun walked downstairs bleary eyed, awoken from his noon nap, opening the door to see Jumin...and a group of burly looking security guards carrying the exact guitar he mentioned, along with a stand for it, a dozen books on theory of music, music sheets, tuners, different cases and decals for the guitar and another whole box of picks.

* He stared dumbfoundedly for a long time, until Jumin turned to him and asked “Well? Was this the exact guitar you saw? I can ask return it and bring you the one you wanted if you wish.”

* Jihyun had tried his best to refuse the gift, telling Jumin that there’s no need, that he only mentioned it it’s not that big a deal-but Jumin wouldn’t have it. He simply nodded to the men, telling them to take the items to V’s room.

* So, V has become accustomed to this behavior. It’s hard to get used to, definitely, but he accepts it as one of the many quirks his best friend has, and one that’s endearing at that. 

* He knows Jumin is absoloute-he does nothing in moderation, and love is one of those things. He’ll either give his all or nothing, and for his friends, he’ll give everything he’s got. Jihyun genially does admire that, and wishes he can be the same to Jumin too.

* Getting spoiled by your best friend in such a way at their age can get a little embarassing-he remembers a Valentine’s day before Rika, when he jokingly complained about the lack of chocolates or flowers he’d be receiving now that they’re adults, and lo and behold, his house was full to the brim with flowers, tons of blue roses, along with the biggest heart-shaped box full of chocolates of every kind you could imagine sitting atop his kitchen table.

* He actually had to sit Jumin down and make sure that this was a platonic gesture, completely confused as he sat admist the flowers, pushing petals that kept falling onto his hair away.

* All in all, he knows Jumin is a friend he can count on-no matter what.

[lumiilys]

These boys are best friends and they mean the world to me

[yotsubanoclover]

Hey! I saw in your request guidelines that you would do platonic pairings, so how about Seven and V with #20?? Btw I love how you write :)

Thank you so much! It means a lot to hear that

Prompt 20: “Shut up. You’re gonna be okay.”

V Route spoiler! (might not be accurate, since I haven’t played it, but got spoiled >

Seven and V (Platonic)

- Now that Seven manages to help V and MC escape from Magenta, he hears everything that’s happened from her.

- He knows Rika’s alive… he saw her himself, and she interacted with them on the chatroom multiple times already.

- That alone is already a big shock. But there’s more.

- The Hacker Ray… turns out to be Saeran.

- But why? He was supposed to be safe…

- “I’m sorry, Seven. I don’t know if it’s okay to tell you, but I think you deserve to know. Please don’t blame V. He’s trying hard.”

- Even if you say that… 

- Saeran is his other half, the person he loves more than life itself. He only survives this far because he believes Saeran is somewhere safe, and is surrounded with happiness.

- But now… that is a lie? What has V been doing all this time?

- Another curse escapes his mouth. 

- As he sulks alone on the side, he hears V writhing painfully in his sleep. Whatever he was drugged with… it’s making him suffer.

- “Saeyoung… I’m so sorry.” He talks in his sleep; his voice sounds pained.

- Seven moves closer, careful not to wake MC who is sleeping in the sofa.

- “It was my fault… Saeran…”

- Seven feels as if V has just punched a hole into his chest.

- Sure… it’s your fault. I shouldn’t have saved you. Get the hell up and explain everything!

- Despite his thoughts, it still pains him to see V in pain; there are tears in the older man’s eyes.

- Damn it…

- He starts to remember a lot of things.

- V was one of the first person who was kind to him.

- He always gave Seven some bread for Saeran.

- He recognized his talents in hacking.

- He gave him his shitty job. 

- He released him and Saeran from the prison which is their own home.

- The demon who is their own mom.

- Seven’s always seen him as the father he never had. 

- And even now, there are some parts of him that loves this man.

- V opens his eyes with a jump, like he has just seen a nightmare. “Saeyoung?”

- “Saeyoung… thank you for saving MC, but I-I don’t deserve-” His voice trembles, his breathing unsteady.

- Seven swears inside his heart that he will make V explain everything to him. That there will be no secret between them anymore.

- But for now…

- “Shut up. You’re gonna be okay.” He avoids looking at V’s mint-colored eyes. “Both you and MC are gonna be safe. I’ll make sure of it. We can have a long talk then.”

Hope you like it! ^^

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[xelasrecords]

All That Is Lost

Han Jumin x MC

Jumin is dying from cancer and there is nothing else you can do but wait. Featuring a minor appearance from Jihyun.

CW: Anticipatory grief

Words: 5.5k

Masterlist Read on AO3

When she was young, she used to think grief was reserved for death. And in the period of mourning, joy would not exist. Sorrow would engulf her whole and she would waste away alone in eternal darkness and nothing else would matter. However, time had revealed to her that nothing was ever as simple.

She was grieving for her living husband. Living, but dying. Jumin was behind the hospital door that she teetered in front of. It would lead her to a private patient room surrounded by beige walls and ivory curtains, and she would see Jumin putting on his best smile even as the lung cancer drained his strength. More often now, his best was a single tight smile that took him a lot of effort to manage.

She was always gripped by fear when she came here, wondering how much Jumin's health had deteriorated in the brief absence Jihyun switched with her to stay over. They had tried everything they could to treat him, but there was never any good news.

Time was not on their side.

Clutching her overnight bag, she straightened her posture and pushed the door open—and found that Jumin had been waiting for her. He was propped up on the bed and outstretched his hand when she crossed the threshold, reaching for her as he always did. In the warm hospital glow, she caught the weak smile on his pallid face and picked up her pace to clasp his free hand, one without an IV line attached. His slender fingers were always stiff and cold now, but a tiny relief fluttered in her chest when they finally touched.

She set her bag down beside the couch and kissed his cheek, careful not to knock the nasal cannula strung beneath his nose askew. "Jihyun isn't here? I thought he was with you when I called."

Jumin lifted his brows, but the humour in his sharp grey eyes betrayed his serious expression. "I see you care more about another man when I am right here."

"Only because you're here and he's not," she said lovingly. Though there were deep crevices around his eyes and his sunken cheeks had left a sharp edge to his jaw and cheekbones, he was still handsome to her, his thinning black hair falling just past his ears.

"As it should be," Jumin declared. There was a permanent rasp in his voice that appeared as his illness worsened. "He would have passed out from starvation if I didn't send him away. I never expected him to be so adamant about staying by my side. I was always the one who worried about him, not the other way around."

"He is stubborn," she reminded. She slid her fingers down to the inside of his wrist to feel his pulse. It confirmed what she sometimes feared her sight was fooling her—that he was already gone. "He's so much like you in that regard."

"Perhaps I should have let him stay. Having a roommate would not be so bad. We could even recreate the sleepovers we had as children." There was a certain melancholy in Jumin's eyes, one that often appeared when he talked about his friendship with Jihyun. "I don't know why we ever stopped. We used to stay over at each other's houses all the time."

"You grew up," she said, and squeezed his hand. It felt more brittle than she remembered. "But that change isn't permanent. You've been recreating it these days. Look at how he sleeps here when I can't. Thanks to me, of course," she added. "I graciously spared my precious time with you for him. You're welcome."

Jumin smiled and stared at her with deep, tender attention as if he wished to preserve and immortalise this exact moment before he left. She was familiar with that look. She watched him the same way when he was not looking. She knew all memories faded eventually, but perhaps she could keep some for herself if she tried hard enough. "What a noble sacrifice," he said. "I shall make sure he shows gratitude for your kindness."

She smiled back, trying to keep exhaustion from showing. "It's nothing. I just want to make you happy."

But nothing slipped past Jumin. He grazed her cheek with his knuckles and frowned. "Did you not sleep well?" he asked, unable to keep distraught from his voice. He studied her with the same intensity that never dimmed despite the illness. All these years, those eyes like dark storms that had been nothing but loving to her, were still loving her now. How safe and grounded she always felt looking into them.

"You think I look rubbish," she joked. It twisted her heart that Jumin still put her well-being before his.

"I think you look like someone who did not have a good night's sleep," he stated, and then it dawned on him. "You had been crying."

She nodded. It was not a question and she would not lie. After the first diagnosis, she had anticipated an intense, unstoppable streak of wallowing, but her reality was quite different. In the first few days when she was caught up in the whirlwind of trips to the emergency room and doctor appointments and looking after mundane matters, her emotions had taken a back seat. Only after Jihyun swept in to help that she could find the space to cry.

Even the tears came on intermittently. She was fine on some days, perfectly capable of executing her daily routine with a strength that stunned her. But in the moments she least expected, she would break down and find herself bargaining for more months, weeks, days with Jumin, begging on her knees while knowing there was no one out there who could, that there was no magical cure. She had put Jumin's spell book away and learned to tuck herself into a bed that was too empty for one.

Last night, she noticed that their housekeeper Sunja had placed one of Jumin's ties at a ten-degree angle in the drawer. She straightened it because surely it would irritate him and then it hit her that there was no point, he would never come home and open this drawer again, she would never get another chance to tie his tie before work and soon she would have to refer to this house as hers instead of theirs. He would go. He would go first. She slid down the glass cupboard and crumpled into herself, unable to stop the chest-heaving sobs breaking out of her.

In the morning, Sunja found her asleep on the cold granite floor clutching the blue-striped tie. It was Jumin's favourite tie from her for his first birthday that they celebrated together. It matched his eyes, she had told him. He loved to recount this story to anyone who would listen.

Sunja then guided her to the dining room while she followed in a dazed state. She brewed her a cup of tea and cooked her a light meal, which promptly brought forth another wave of tears. It was not Sunja's job to cook for her, she knew. Altruistic kindness from people who did not want anything from her was rare, yet here it was, served to her when she had not done anything to deserve it.

But she was not in the mood to tell Jumin the long tale of her breakdown, so she sat on the couch beside his bed and wiggled her eyebrows. "My sleeping problem could be solved if someone wants to sleep with me. Right now. I might even cry from ecstasy instead."

Jumin's stare lingered on her. She was aware he could see through her, but he only let out a defeated sigh. "Believe me, I want to," he played along. "I would bed you properly if I could, but my doctor has barred me from doing rigorous activities."

"Well, I can only imagine the horror if your heart stopped mid-act," she said. "Like, what would your tombstone say? 'He came so hard he literally saw heaven'?"

Jumin laughed. She took in his quirked brows, the impish glint in his eyes, and the rasp in his laughter and committed them to memory. "He might not find heaven to his liking and decide to come back down," he said.

"The press would have a field day during your burial. Your reputation would be ruined. Legacy, over."

"It's fortunate—"

But Jumin doubled over with violent coughs that rattled his frail frame before he could finish his sentence. She jumped on her feet and rubbed his back repeatedly, feeling powerless to do anything else. His shoulder blades were sharp through the thin hospital gown, and his arms and calves had barely any muscle left, skin clinging to limbs desperately. She thought she had more time. His change had seemed slow and gradual, but now she saw how much the illness had taken away from him.

Jumin brought his hand away from his mouth, revealing an alarming amount of blood. He tensed and she willed herself to swallow her panic. Quickly, she snatched a handful of tissues from the nightstand and wiped his trembling hand. Though Jumin was silent, she could feel his helplessness rolling off him as he watched her clean his blood-stained mouth. It was not the first time he had coughed up blood, but it had never been this much.

Jumin attempted a weak smile. "It's fortunate I won't be here to see my downfall."

"No, not fortunate." She closed her eyes and steadied her breath. "Because your downfall would be mine."

"My love." His fingers encircled her wrist, but his hold was so fragile. "I am sorry to have brought so much pain upon you. I wish I could ease it somehow."

She tossed the tissues aside and fixed her gaze on him. "And what of yours?" she demanded. "You just coughed blood, Jumin."

"My suffering will not last long, but yours will. It is my most desperate hope that it won't last forever." He shook his head when she started to refute. "You're shouldering this unfair burden of taking care of me while I am simply lying here, useless to be of any help. I feel myself tearing apart from the inside knowing that I am the cause of your tears."

"Let me cry for you. It's the evidence of my love, nothing unfair or burdensome in that."

"Do you remember my vow at our wedding? I promised to be there with you every step of the way, to never leave you when you are struggling." His face twisted in agony that sent a sharp pang into her heart. "But it appears that I have become your problem."

"I'd rather you be my problem than cease to be my anything," she said fiercely. "But as it happens, you're not. I worry because I care. I stay here because sleeping on this couch and waking up with a stiff back is better than losing sleep alone in our bedroom. That's our home, Jumin. You should be there with me to make it feel like one, and if you can't, then I'll go wherever you are. Don't be sorry that I love you. I chose you too, way back then, and I still choose you now."

The look Jumin gave her was haunted and unseeing. She had the sensation that he was peering into the years that stretched out behind them. "I never thought there would be a day where I'm completely reliant on you without the ability to give you anything in return. I never thought it would be so soon."

"You can do nothing and I will still love you." She sat on the bed and tucked a thin strand of hair behind his ear. "Tell me you wouldn't do the same for me."

"I can't." Jumin groaned in despair. "God, I can't. Even as my life is coming to a close, you still show me how wonderful you are." He buried his face into the dip between her neck and collarbone and held her tightly, as tight as his weakening body could muster. She put her arms carefully around him and laid her chin on the side of his head. This was her love, her love that she was losing. He no longer smelled like the expensive cedar cologne he sprayed on every morning before work. This Jumin was covered with a stinging antiseptic scent and it was terrifying. He was changing at a rate that she could not keep up. "How can I ever leave you?" he whispered, his voice caught.

Jumin sounded so broken it almost broke her. "I don't want you to leave either," she murmured. "I wish I could follow you instead of being here alone."

Jumin withdrew and held her at arm's length. "Don't you dare entertain that thought. You have a life here." His face grew stricken when she was silent. "You will not throw it away for me. I will not ever forgive you if you do."

She made a choking sound. "My life has no meaning without you, Jumin." She knew she was speaking out of hysterical delusion, that her real life was more than a single love, but he was the love she lived with, that lived in her. She knew the pattern of his breathing like her own, knew what cunning retorts would come out of him before he could speak them. How would she live without him? What would there be to live for once the person who put sense into her life was gone? "You've changed my life with your presence alone," she said. "I've always looked to you for peace and comfort. My highest happiness is amplified because you're here to share my joy, and my deepest sadness is pacified because you sit with me through it all. I hear your voice every day. I see your face every day. How do you expect me to lose all that? I don't want to learn to be alone, not yet."

Jumin held her face in the palm of his hand. "You won't be alone. Jihyun is still here. He will accompany you—"

"But he's not you!" she shouted. "Every day I'm grateful that he's here and I know how much he means to you, but he is not you. I love him in an entirely different way from how I love you. He's my friend, but you're my husband. You're irreplaceable, you hear me?"

To her surprise, there were tears in Jumin's eyes. "But you will survive. I know you. You have a tenacious soul that persists in the face of adversity, and you will have a good friend to lean on. I can think of no one better suited for emotional support than Jihyun. You will not be alone. That fact itself placates my heart more than anything."

She rested her forehead against his. His skin was so cold. "You always say you'll give me anything I ask from you. I have one now: stay a little longer. Your birthday is only a few months away. Stay until then." Her voice cracked. "Please."

Jumin looked at her with great sadness. "That is the one thing I cannot control."

At that, her emotions broke through. She wept and wept and wept and it was Jumin's turn to reach for the tissue and dabbed it across her face. She had not wanted to cry in front of him for the guilt it would induce in him. It felt cruel to seek comfort from him when he was in the most pain, but it was Jumin she thought of telling whenever she was hurt. It was Jumin she went to for everything good and bad. Years of habit could not be unravelled in an instance, but beyond that was the familiarity and trust that she could find in nobody else. He knew her so well and so intuitively that she knew that when he left, he would carve out something crucial of herself and take her with him.

Jumin laid her head on his chest and pulled her into the bed with him. In the haze of her crying, she was aware that she should not put her entire weight on him, that he already had enough difficulty breathing as he was, and she cried harder. She tightened her arm around his waist, relishing in the realness of him, dreading the day she could no longer feel the warmth of his embrace. But when she felt his tears falling on the top of her head, she knew that whatever illness that would separate them would not truly sever their bond. Together they mourned for the loss of their planned future, for the life Jumin would never have, for the loneliness that would come for her in the days without him.

"Do you know what my worst fear is?" Jumin asked hoarsely.

She lifted her head and wiped the tears from his face. She imagined her eyes were as red as his. "That I'm only pretending to be sad when I actually can't wait to inherit your wealth after you go?"

A small smile played on his lips. "Now don't you instil more fears in me." Jumin poked her nose without any real offence. If he noticed that she had been avoiding the word "die", he didn't let on. "I fear losing my possessions and everything I deem important. I know nothing is absolute in this world, but I harbour an irrational hope that I could protect them with the power I have accumulated." He gazed at her with adoration so deep that her heart could have cracked in half. "You are on top of that list."

She caressed his face, and he leaned into her touch. "You're not losing me now."

"I know, and I'm grateful for it. I can see with clarity that my worst fear will not come true, for you have never left me." Jumin took her hand and splayed it against his heart. She could barely feel it beating beneath her palm, but it was there. It had not stopped beating. That was enough. "You stand by me through my endless treatments. You don't recoil from me after witnessing me in my worst state. I know you love me. You don't have to say it to make it true. But..." He sounded constricted as he tried to get the words out. "I'm sorry you are going to lose me."

"You're still thinking about me. You still worry how I will fare without you." She bit back fresh tears that threatened to fall, hearing Jumin's concern beneath his words. She could not yet bring herself to imagine a life without him, preferring to hold on to the slightest hope that he might get better no matter how impossible, but it hurt her more to see him fearing for her. "I can't promise I'd cope well, but I'm never really going to lose you," she said. "I keep you close in my heart. You are my heart. You will always be alive in me."

A sad chuckle escaped from Jumin. "I laugh the most with you, did you know that?"

She blinked. "I know I'm moderately funny, but I don't see the connection with what I just said."

"You make me happy. You have made me so happy this whole time, love," said Jumin softly. "I can see myself through your eyes. I see how much I am loved. Thank you for loving me."

The memories from the past pierced through her like an arrow. She remembered the first time she came to Jumin's penthouse and he was quiet for a beat too long before saying, Sorry, I just stared into your eyes. Even then he had seen the truth she held for him. She remembered the day she was seasick on Jumin's private yacht so he sat with her in the cabin for the rest of the journey, holding her while she curled in his arms instead of enjoying the breeze. She remembered the park under the rain where they were salvaging their ruined picnic and a kid came over and told her she was very pretty and Jumin had flashed him a proud smile and praised him for being an excellent judge of beauty while suggesting him to find his own match in the same breath. Jumin had been very pleased for the rest of the day. He was the only person she wanted and would ever want. If she could not have him forever, then she would have no one at all.

"You deserve it, my darling. Loving you is the easiest thing I've ever done." She pressed a gentle kiss on his lips. They might be chapped, but they were more familiar to her than her own.

Jumin smiled against her mouth. His eyelids were fluttering close, but his fingers were tracing over her brows, her cheekbones, her ears as if he was trying to remember her. He mumbled a quiet I love you and she said it back, silently begging this would not be the last time they proclaimed it to each other. She was beginning to learn how resilient a heart was. How it could break and break yet never really shatter. How hers had been made invincible by the love she had for him and the love he returned tenfold.

Before she looked up, she already knew that Jumin had fallen asleep. His breathing was slowing to a steady but harsh, heavy rhythm. It frightened her. What should be effortless was painful to him, yet he never complained. She untangled herself from his arms, covered him with his blanket, walked towards the door, and paused. She turned around and gave him one last glance, in case it was the last time she could see him. It was a habit she had adopted since Jumin was admitted to the hospital.

Jumin's quiet presence used to have a strong, charismatic quality that pulled everyone's attention to him. Now her husband was a ghost of someone he used to be, a copy made by a printer running out of ink. The essence of what made him Jumin had not disappeared, but his defining marks had blurred. His calming confidence and childlike excitement felt out of reach. She could see them in her periphery, but she could not quite reconcile those traits and shape Jumin into the person he was, back when the fear of losing him was merely conceptual.

She also knew she would see Jihyun sitting outside the room because that was what he did. What they all did. They gave each other time with one another because there was never enough time.

Jihyun turned to her as she slid into the seat next to him and offered her a smile, but she did not miss the dark crescents under his dulled green eyes. Even his teal hair seemed unattended.

"Jumin's taking a nap," she informed.

Jihyun nodded and laced his fingers together on his lap. "He sleeps a lot now."

"That's good, right?" she said. "He should get as much rest as he can."

Jihyun stayed quiet and looked down at his hands.

She averted her gaze. There was not much time left. She was not so deep in denial as not to see it. "I know the signs of someone going away. I know."

She felt they were hurtling down the dark unknown faster than they were ready for. No matter how hard they resisted, they could not win. There were times when Jumin would seem better and a tiny hope flared between her and Jihyun, that perhaps they might not lose him after all. A chance of recovery was all they needed, but it never lasted long. By next week he would be worse than they ever imagined, and they would sit in fear and silence after discussing possible solutions with the doctors and among themselves and hitting another dead end. What else was there to do except to hope that he would not go so soon?

"I admire your strength and faith in his health," Jihyun finally said. "I feel as if we have switched roles. I used to do whatever I could to save the people I care about, but now that we have tried everything and will still lose him..." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I feel lost. I'd like to be more like you if I could."

She put her arms around herself. She was not sure if it was the cold hospital air or more likely, how much she needed to feel less alone in her own acute helplessness. "It's cowardice. I can't bear to accept the reality," she said. "If I stay hopeful, I don't have to move on to the next phase. I don't have to picture a life without him. I feel like vomiting every time I receive an update from the doctors. We've never got any good news since the first diagnosis."

Jihyun nodded slowly with the lethargy that always seemed to hang above him. What enthusiasm he used to have had faded. With a renewed cold dread she realised that in denying herself the acceptance of losing Jumin, she had failed to see that she was losing her friend as well.

"I regret not being more present for him," Jihyun said. "I travelled the world to search for my reasons to live, but it was right here all along. I lost count of the times Jumin had asked me to catch up with him over wine and I foolishly postponed them. I thought there would be a next time. He's the steady fixture in my ever-changing life, so I thought…" He shook his head. "I wasted so much time, and what was it all for?"

"You live for a lot of things," she said, making her voice as gentle as she could. "Your friendship is only one part of it. Jumin is glad that you found yourself through those travels. You know him. He doesn't think physically being there for him is the most important thing. You care about him even when you're not here, and now you've been trying to stay by his side every day. He notices that. There is nothing but gratitude and admiration whenever he speaks of you."

"Jumin is such a good person." Jihyun looked over at her, ocean-green eyes glazed with tears. "I cannot believe someone like him exists, and I'm even more amazed he chose me to be his best friend all those years ago."

"He's always had faith in you a great deal." She smiled. "That's one of the best things about him. He believes in the good of the people he loves."

"He believes in me when I cannot believe in myself. When I forget how to," he said in wonderment. "He has always done it for me and I didn't even know it."

When she thought about Jumin and Jihyun, she saw two men whose lives were so deeply entangled since they were boys that to be separated meant losing half a story that defined them as who they were. There was no part of their history that did not include one another in some way. When Jumin recounted their childhood stories and brought Jihyun up in conversations, he always spoke with a fondness that she had never heard for anyone else except her. Jihyun, she noticed, spoke with the same gentleness.

They were fortunate in a way that most people were not. She had seen one's whole face light up when the other visited, had noticed how Jumin sometimes would have something on his mind and relaxed after he talked to Jihyun. They never had enough time together. She hurt for them, for the time they had lost and could never get back, but was also relieved that Jumin was not as alone as he might think. He had someone who worried about him as much as he would if it was the other way around.

"Jumin made a request to me," Jihyun began.

"Awfully demanding even when sick, isn't he?" she interrupted with a laugh, but it sounded miserable coming out of her mouth.

"It's for you," he said. "He made me promise to be there for you after—after he's gone. I think he's trying to help by creating worst-case scenarios and backup plans. He is afraid you won't handle the loss well." He stared at the wall. "And that I would run off the cliff from madness if I don't do anything of help."

She locked the love in Jumin's plea away in her chest, a precious memory to recall when she missed him, and nudged Jihyun playfully. "'Run off the cliff'? Sometimes I can't tell whether you are repeating his dramatics or if it comes out right out of your head."

A flicker of amusement passed across his face. For one second, the past livelier Jihyun resurfaced. "It might have been both."

"I shouldn't have expected any less." She chuckled and sighed. "It sounds like he was tying up loose ends before he goes. I wish he wouldn't. He's in enough pain as it is. When was the last time he could walk more than a few steps without assistance? He can't visit his vineyard anymore. He can't hold the stitching needle without his fingers trembling. He hasn't met Elizabeth the Third for a while. She misses him." Her voice shook. "I'd bear all his suffering for him if I could."

Jihyun's arms came around her, and she let herself sink into them. "I'm sorry. Your misery must be greater than mine. Your life was upended when his was. It can't have been easy to get used to these extreme changes. You have built a life together, but now you lost everything that's been your normal for years."

"I wish I could go back to the person I was," she admitted, tears spilling over. "I miss loving him without the threat of death looming over us, when I could sleep and not think about how today might be the last time I see him. We were so happy—we are still happy, but this happiness is tainted with anxiety. We feel it even if we pretend not to notice."

"You can be sad for yourself," Jihyun said. "You lost that innocence, that peaceful ignorance of simply living when the thought of either of you dying is far-fetched. It didn't seem like it could catch up to Jumin when he's probably the most health-conscious person on earth. No one could have expected this."

Time did not heal all wounds. Every second of it pricked at her skin, a reminder that she could not save the person she loved the most. No matter how hard she steeled herself against the loss yet to come, nothing could prepare her for it. Last night she had a dream where she and Jumin sat side by side at a secluded beach on a quiet morning and they looked at each other's wrinkled faces and smiled, amazed that time had never worn out their love as their bodies had been. But Jumin's hair would always be black while hers would turn grey now.

"I will miss him so much," she whispered, and pulled back to wipe her tears. She used to wonder how people could cry and make a scene in hospitals without shame. She understood now. Shame did not matter in the face of loss. She would gladly make a fool out of herself if it meant she could save Jumin.

"So will I," said Jihyun quietly.

She thought of her nightly strolls with Jumin along their city that lit up in the dark, his arm around her waist and her head on his shoulder, steady bright lights guiding them home. Of the wine they spilt on their white carpet because Elizabeth the Third had jumped on them and Jumin chuckled because she must be jealous of his undivided attention for his wife. Of Jumin's pure, undistilled laughter that carried her through her darkest days. She would have to live with these memories alone.

She did not want the torturous waiting to end, no matter how exhausting it was. The pain was a reminder that she loved him, that he was real and still here. She was not a child anymore. She had grown into a capable adult, a loving and grieving woman, a wife soon to be without a husband.

This was grief, she thought. This. They wouldn't go back to how they used to be and Jumin wouldn't get to live out the rest of his life. This was it. The rest of his life was so short.

She held fast to Jihyun's hand and listened to the clock ticking.

-

Footnotes:

-I've seen a lot of fics about Jumin receiving the news that MC is rushed to the hospital or diagnosed with a terminal illness or his reaction to MC's death, so I wanted to focus on the aftermath of the panic. What happens when the drama dies down and the hopelessness of knowing someone you love won't be alive for long rises, and the things you do and feel when you're forced to sit in the quiet.

-I didn't plan to include Jihyun since I thought it'd be sadder if MC had no one left after Jumin died, but it didn't feel right for this story. Jumin's character has a best friend who has greatly influenced his life, and I wanted to show how grief is handled outside the dying person and the main loved one. I think it's important to have a support system when you're grieving. It's even better if you can talk to someone who understands how you feel because you're both losing the same person, even if the form of that love isn't exactly the same.

-And yet the loneliness is still there because, at the end of the day, you still go back to an empty home.

-I noticed that all my fics so far have the inherent optimism of everything may be shit but there is love and you've done your best so that's good enough including my breakup fics, so I gave this a twist of what if there is love and everyone has done everything right but it's still not enough?

-Mentioned Sunja Kim the housekeeper guest from the game because realistically if they could afford to hire one, Jumin definitely would. It would lessen MC's burden who's going through a hard time and still has to hold down the fort. It's also my personal experience that when I'm going through something horrible, the glimmers of hope that I get that perhaps life isn't all bad are when strangers randomly show me kindness. This is for them.

-But really I could only write this story because of my best friends' encouragement. One who inspired Jumin and Jihyun's friendship in The Love We Live For and one who inspired MC's friendship with Jihyun here. Mostly, I think of the latter when writing the waiting room scene. If you're reading this (and you will because I will force you and point it out if you skip this), thank you.

-MC saying "I love him in an entirely different way from how I love you." about Jihyun is probably the most unrelatable line that I've ever written btw. I love him in a very un-platonic way.

-I added the canon line by Jumin "Sorry, I just stared into your eyes" in later edits so it was a fun surprise when it connected with the previous line "I can see myself through your eyes. I see how much I am loved. Thank you for loving me." Then I quickly reworked the paragraphs to make them flow.

-Considered including a scene between Jumin and Jihyun but scrapped it due to length and POV constraints.

-The feeling of drowning in grief is what I went for in the header. The ocean-to-sky ratio is slightly off from the traditional rule of thirds to evoke an overwhelming feeling while also making it seem like it's about to engulf the "this was her love" line, the love being the sky.

-For the longest time, I didn't want to understand grief.

Buy me a glass of something that's definitely not coffee because I can't stand it but it is the website's name if my story touches you in some way? No worries if you don't. I'm still grateful you've read all the way through here.

[agirlandabear]

We were hiding from the storm in houses made of paper.

We were hiding from the storm in houses made of paper.  And how beautiful it was to think That the hurricane couldn't reach us If only we wished hard enough.

-Isaac Maul Tegin.

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

MC snorts when Seven slips on a stick of butter and falls on his ass. They laugh until their bellies hurt while the pie they're baking amidst a culinary whirlwind sits in the oven. There are broken eggs on the floor and cream on the walls.

They're best friends.

Maybe it's because he's the one that came for them, the one that came to their rescue when everything seemed lost. Maybe because he's the second member of the RFA she ever met.

Maybe because he sees Jihyun as his father figure.

They're best friends and they're having pie for dinner because nobody can stop them and calories don't count when you bake them yourself.

Seven makes a show of being exhausted lying on the floor and MC picks up the dreadful butter stick with two fingers while making a disgusted face.

"I'm gonna go wash," he says with a sigh. And it's a good idea, because his buttered sole is the least of his problems, given that his hair is basically white with flour.

"Nobody forces you to go about barefoot, you know?"

"FREE THE TOE!"

She keeps on laughing while Seven jumps on one foot, disappearing towards the bathroom.

MC shakes her head with a smile and returns to the small kitchen, cleaning a bit of the mess, knowing Seven will get poor Vanderwood to do it if she doesn't.

It's fun, albeit quite chaotic, to spend some time with Seven when Jiyun is on a work trip. Ever since he started painting, people all over the world have offered him to exhibit his works in their galleries, and MC's job doesn't always allow her to accompany him.

She visits Seven in these occasions, they have sleepovers and paint each other's nails and braid friendship bracelets.

MC starts when she hears Seven screech.

She runs to the bathroom where the door is open, and sees him jumping about, a cockroach running in circles between his wet bare feet, making him shriek like a little girl.

"I WAS WASHING MY HAIR WHEN I FELT SOMETHING TICKLE MY FOOT!"

"STOMP IT!"

"ARE YOU CRAZY!? I'LL GET COCKROACH PUDDING BETWEEN MY TOES!"

"SEVEN, GROSS!"

"KILL IIIIIIIIIIIIT!"

MC charges into the bathroom screaming atop of her lungs and desperately tries to step on the roach while Seven keeps on hollering in terror.

CRACK.

"Ewwwwwww!"

MC pales lifting her foot and finding white and black smeared on her heel, causing her to scrunch her nose with the most disgusted expression she's ever made.

Seven sees her and suddenly bursts out laughing nonstop, with tears streaming down his face, wheezing and clapping like a stupid seal.

MC takes off her shoe and throws it at him.

After a brief war torturing each other with the remains of the cockroach, the two exit the bathroom while still laughing when they smell something burning in the kitchen.

MC dashes to the oven and opens it, finding the pie acceptably charred.

She cuts two slices and sits on the counter to blow on hers before taking the first delicious bite. Seven does the same.

"Hot, hot, hot!"

She giggles and looks up.

And her blood freezes in her veins.

Seven had flour in his hair. Flour he hadn't gotten to shake and wash completely before the roach thing happened.

He was wetting his hair with the help of the sink.

So the messy waves have been slightly tamed.

It doesn't look combed.

But the difference is enough.

On top of that, he had taken off his glasses to put his head under the water, leaving them hanging from the neck of his shirt.

And suddenly it hits her like an icy wave.

Like a ghost.

Her hands start shaking and she drops the slice of pie. Her best friend starts and looks up.

"Gah! Was it too hot?"

MC stammers something and even she doesn't know what she was trying to say.

A million seconds flash in front of her eyes, a voice and a touch and a scent, words. And a question.

A question.

And she's so stupid.

She's so blind…

She's dizzy and doesn't notice the moment when she stands and walks on weak legs to where her bag is.

She doesn't hear Seven's words, but somehow in the middle of the wave of nausea she manages to brush off his concern. Tell him she doesn't feel good. Tell him she forgot the stove on at home. Tell him she has work to do.

She blurts ten different excuses in a row and almost literally runs.

The door of her car slams when she launches herself into it. The headlights illuminate Seven's confused form at the driveway.

No.

Not Seven's.

"MC! What's wrong!?"

She speeds away from there.

Going home.

The home in the hills she shares with V…

She pulls over not five minutes away from her place, not able to hold her vomit anymore.

She throws herself out of the car and empties her stomach by the side of the road.

She sees her hands trembling through her blurry vision.

She's crying.

Again.

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

MC doesn't sleep for the two following days. She doesn't answer her phone, not even to V. Not even to Seven.

Eventually one of the two becomes increasingly worried, and either sent by her fiancé or by his own choice, Seven knocks on the door.

It's a beautiful Sunday morning.

She'll never forget this day.

MC tries to ignore the insistent knocking, but Seven yells from the outside that he knows she's in there and that he'll spend the night outside if he has to.

So she drags herself to the door and opens it.

And she can't look at him in the eye.

He finds she hasn't been eating and scolds her for a good ten minutes while improvising some rice and sandwiches.

MC still doesn't look at him.

He tries to pry what's wrong for hours, but she won't bulge.

Seven calls Jaehee, and she drops by after work.

MC keeps saying she's fine, that nothing is wrong.

Jihyun calls Seven and asks him to put MC on the phone. He tells her he's heading back home immediately.

And it finally causes a reaction.

"No!"

"Wh-what? My love, what's wrong?"

"No, don't come home. Don't… I can't see you right now."

She can practically hear her fiancé's heart break.

Hours later she stands at the door, eyes still fixed on the ground, showing Seven out.

"Was it something I did?" He asks in a small, soft voice.

Her face snaps up and she gasps "No!" And she throws herself in his arms, holding him tighter than she ever did.

"Of course not! You've done nothing wrong, you idiot! I just… I… Seven… I need to sort my head out."

And he understands and is so relieved to know she doesn't hate him.

"Alright. Call me if you need anything."

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

Jihyun should already have returned but he has postponed his trip back home because MC hasn't picked up the phone yet.

And something is burning inside of her.

Something is killing her because she promised herself she would never hurt him.

But like his puzzles, things she didn't know the meaning of have started to fit together somehow. One by one, falling in place.

She finds herself driving west almost every day, but she never quite reaches the destination the back of her mind screams at her to go to.

She can just bury all of this…

She can just pretend she doesn't see the new pieces of the puzzle that fit with the old ones she saw four years ago.

Back when…

…

But she knows she can't.

She knows things will never be the same.

She knows she'll never again have a calm night of sleep if she doesn't find out the truth.

She feels herself frozen in place.

With just one question in her mind.

She cries herself to sleep.

Zen calls every day, and Jumin comes to visit feeling terribly worried.

Nothing changes.

Two days later, Yoosung knocks on her door.

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

He looks so much taller, and his hair is back to its natural dark brown, something MC will never get used to.

"Hey there. I thought of dropping by. Maybe we could watch a movie."

MC stares at him in absolute silence and doesn't move from the door.

"Umh… MC? Are you…?"

"When was the last time you saw Rika?"

The question is blunt and it throws him off balance. He blinks for a moment and frowns in confusion.

They don't talk about Rika.

She's a ghost for the others.

"… I visit every week."

"How is she?"

It's been four years since she was committed, and the whole RFA stopped asking about her within six months. V is the only exception. Yoosung updates him once a month in a handful of words: she's fine, still the same.

MC knows this, but she has gotten over it. She closed that chapter in her life and never looked back.

So why now…?

Yoosung repeats the ritual with V's fiancée.

"… She's fine… Still the same."

MC doesn't find this to be enough answer.

"Does she talk? Can she remember everything? Can she keep a conversation?"

Yoosung frowns.

"MC I don't unders-"

"Tell me!"

He starts almost scared.

"MC I don't know what's gotten into you, but you need help-"

He stops talking when he sees his friend's eyes get filled with tears.

"MC…"

"The only person who can help me right now… is Rika."

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

"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?"

"No, I… I'll be fine."

"Alright… I'll be outside."

"Yoosung?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

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

Rika's room is brightly illuminated by the afternoon sun.

The sheets are white and a bible rests next to the bed. By its side a plastic vase with fresh daffodils serves as the only decoration.

If it weren't for the bars in the window, maybe it could have looked like a normal room.

She doesn't acknowledge MC.

Instead, she keeps on looking up, outside the window.

A long silence passes between them.

"Rika-"

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

MC takes a deep breath. She reminds herself she needs this woman's help a hundred times before opening her mouth.

"The sun?"

"Yes… I love staring directly at it. I love that my room welcomes its warmth."

"I… I guess that's good."

"I can't do it for long, though. It hurts my eyes and blinds me for a short moment. So I have to be careful."

She turns away from the window, her pupils extremely contracted, still recovering from gazing at the burning orb.

"What do you want?"

"I'm here to… Ask you something."

Rika giggles softly to herself.

"Isn't that ironic? I'm the villain, but you're the one that only visits an old friend when you need something?"

"Please, Rika. This is serious."

"Is it about something he did? Something he didn't do? Did you come to ask me how to survive his perfect, scorching light?"

"No. No, I didn't come to talk about Jihyun, and I'd appreciate it if we didn't mention him."

"Oh? Even now you're sheltering him? My, my. What a lucky man… Well, then. If you haven't come to talk to me about V, then what do you want?"

MC holds her breath. She know she's come to ask this question, but now she simply can't voice it.

This is it.

This is the answer that can make everything fall apart.

And as she watches Rika observe her, she notices the other woman already knows.

Suddenly MC finds herself speeding towards a collision she can't avoid.

So she just closes her eyes and lets the words roll off from her tongue.

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

Jihyun has returned home.

He finds dust on the dining table and all the lights out.

And his feet move him forward, to the bedroom. Their bedroom, where they made love for the first time, where they spent countless hours holding each other close between the sheets, where he proposed…

He finds MC hugging her own legs, sitting on the blankets, and somehow it disturbs him.

Somehow he knows he should flee this house, but he can't.

"Darling… I'm home… I'm back…. I-I missed you…"

MC's face contorts in absolute pain and she hides it between her knees.

"D-darling? What is it? What's been going on…?"

She shakes her head softly.

V sits on the bed and reaches forward to touch her. To hold her.

"I went to see Rika," she says, her voice muffled. And he stops dead in his tracks.

When he says nothing, she continues.

"I asked Yoosung not to tell you."

"Ah… I'm not against it, but… it's been so many years. Why did you?"

"I had a question to ask her."

"A… A question?"

MC sniffles and hugs herself tighter.

"Dear… Love, please, tell me-"

"Have you ever lied to me, Jihyun?"

He stops talking.

She raises her head and glares at him, perfectly aware of the answer.

"Have you? Have you ever lied to me?"

He swallows thickly.

"What is this about, MC? Please, tell me. Please, let's fix this."

"Four years, V… How could you do something like that? What kind of person-? How can you sleep at night!?"

"MC, please calm down. Please, let me fix this. Please."

The tears fall freely from her eyes and she wipes them furiously with the heel of her hand.

"No, you can't fix this… It's too late… It's too late now, Jihyun… God… God, how could you…"

His eyes are misty now as well. "No, please. I know it's not too late. Please, I…"

She angrily brings out her phone, the screen glaring at him in the darkness.

The date is of over a thousand days ago. How has she managed to find this particular conversation, he doesn't know. But it must have taken her hours or days.

Her jaw clenches tightly.

"He asked you."

V suddenly realizes everything is crashing down on him.

"He asked you, Jihyun! And you lied to his face!"

Two letters.

"It's been four years, V! You didn't find a moment to tell the truth in four years!"

All it took was two letters.

Her voice becomes a strangled whisper.

"His brother has been dead for four years! And he doesn't know!"

The world ends.

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

MC hides her face in her hands. Not a sound has been spoken for the last two hours.

The first words are like venom.

"Rika says Seven visited almost daily for a year and stopped two months ago… But she said she didn't tell him."

V sniffs, his hand tight on his mouth, his tears falling.

"He'll find out any second now… It won't be hard… If he hasn't, it's because he suspects it and is avoiding confirmation…"

"God…"

"You're like a father to him, Jihyun… He'll lose his brother and his father all at once…"

He trembles and for the first time in many years…

He wishes he would just stop breathing.

"If there was any hope he found support in his friends to push through it, you've taken it from him…"

MC sobs into her hands.

"He won't even be able to hold a funeral for him…"

V's voice is broken and weak.

"P-please… Don't tell him."

"What…?"

"Please… It'll kill him."

MC turns to see his profile in the dim light and suddenly jerks up, enraged.

"HE'S BEEN LIVING ON BORROWED TIME, JIHYUN. RIKA KILLED HIM YEARS AGO AND YOU LENT HER THE KNIFE."

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

"I can't be with you right now."

And the sound of a zipper slashes through the air like a whip.

Please, please stay.

"I don't know if I'll ever trust you again. I mean, you've been staring straight into his eyes for almost half a decade with a poker face. Who knows what kind of secrets you're keeping from me."

And a suitcase wheels across the house.

She knows she's being unfair.

"If I ever get to forgive you for this, I won't be able to do it while staying under the same roof as you."

But truly, how do you come back from a thing like this?

How do you meet your lover's eyes after a thing like this?

She stops at the door and bites down hard on her lip one last time.

She turns around.

"I'm going to come back. Someday. Wait for me if you want to, or don't. But be alive when I return… Please… I never asked anything from you, so please just do this one thing…"

V doesn't understand why those words feel like a white hot iron piercing through his chest.

MC takes a shaky breath.

"Tell. Him."

He wants to look up but he's so ashamed, like a fire burning in the pit of his stomach and crawling into his throat, grasping his shoulders like a vice.

"It's only a matter of time… Lesser the betrayal. Make him understand before he draws conclusions… Be gentle… I'll… be there for him."

And she's gone.

And V claws and holds onto that request of 'keep breathing'.

I just…

I wanted to save him the pain…

God…

I…

I just wanted to save everyone…

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

'We were hiding from the storm in houses made of paper', by AGirlAndABear.

Word count: 2,903

Publishing date: 19-Sep-17

[vivlet-evergarden]

so how bout that highschool juminv ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[libra-kirishima]

hi, I know that requests are closed but I couldn't find a list of fandoms 📋to request from when they're open again!

Anon I'm so glad you asked because this ask encouraged me to rethink my content and write & post more! This will be expanded upon as I'm exposed to new media and hyperfixate on new things.

𝓛𝓲𝓼𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓕𝓪𝓷𝓭𝓸𝓶𝓼

My Hero Academia

The primary fandom I write for on this blog

The only characters I know I can't write for are Endeavor, Overhaul, and Monoma.

Any other character, if I haven't written for them before just ask.

Favorite characters to write for: Togata Mirio, Nejire Hadou, Iida Tenya, Midoriya Izuku, Kirishima Eijirou

Cowboy Bebop

The only character I can't write for is Vicious

Ed is a child so I'll only write platonic or familial relationships with her.

Favorite Characters to write for: Spike Spiegel, Faye Valentine

Mystic Messenger

I'll write for all characters

I'm a filthy Rika sympathizer so if you request for her I will kiss you.

I'm also a sucker for GE Saeran and I'll kiss you if you request for him too

Favorite characters to write for: Jumin Han, Rika, Saeran Choi (any version of him but I specifically have a soft spot for good ending Saeran), Jihyun Kim/V, Zen

Ace Attorney

Another one where I could probably write for every character

I've played the original trilogy and all of the Apollo Justice games so I can write for characters from both

Favorite Characters to write for: Phoenix Wright (especially college Phoenix), Apollo Justice, Mia Fey

[mysticgloryy]

Rules and info!

Hello! Welcome to the rule and info page!

I’ll be discussing some information and rules regarding requests, so things you shouldn’t request, etc. 

first things first!

Rules

- Please do not request any DDLG\ Reader acts as a baby. I am not comfortable with it what so ever

- Nothing underage please. I will not make any of the members date an underage reader, you are allowed to request sibling stuff though, or the reader being younger and platonic relationships is fine!

- NO ABUSE. There may be some talk and mention of mental health\ illness or past trauma but I will not make the RFA members abuse the reader. 

What you can request!

Literally anything other than stuff I've listed. You can request any gender, scenario, nsfw, etc!

i’ll be writing for 

Yoosung

Zen/ Hyun Ryu

Jaehee kang

Jumin han

707/ Saeyoung Choi

Saeran\Unkown

V \ Jihyun Kim

Requests are open!!

[gingrrfrog]

While We’re Young

summary: as far as jihyun can remember, she had always been around jaehyun. eating, bathing, and playing with each other since they were kids, she can’t help but to feel strange when she starts to see him in a different light. 

word count: 4.3k 

warnings: none :] just young teenage angst but it’s resolved at the end 

a/n: hello everyone! it’s been a while since I last posted to my main story but I’ve been thinking of a lot of prequel content for my jaehyun and jihyun pairing. I have another one written and I’m thinking about creating a masterlist for these little mini/prequel fics so I’ll keep you all posted! In the meantime, feel free to visit my These Nights masterlist where you can read more :]

Jihyun had standards and anyone Jihyun even considered dating was to be considered a blessing.

She supposed that she wasn’t entirely at fault for her insane standards in boys, what with every little move being romanticized by dramas and the rising kpop boy groups she found herself in love with. All throughout middle school she rejected confession after confession, realizing that she wouldn’t marry anyone who wasn’t her favorite member of her group, in which her father had generously bought her tickets to see anytime they had a concert.

Her father also had to do with her standards. Ever since Jihyun opened her eyes, she was doted on endlessly. Anything Jihyun wanted would arrive to her in hours via her father’s henchmen or her older brother’s, a new dress, toy, something to eat--it was all hers as Jihyun walked on gold tile with polished black shoes.

All this could account for her pickiness towards men. It was unfair, of course, to compare the 12 year old boys from her class to grown men on TV, but she didn’t care. Ever since she was little, her father embedded it in her that she deserved nothing but the best from anyone who expected a favor from her.

And for Kim Jihyun, dating was to be considered a favor in her regard.

Things changed, however, as she entered high school and she was surrounded by a larger mass of people. She made friend’s outside of her father’s worker’s children, and had fun with other seemingly normal girls who were also filthy rich with the exception that their father’s were lawyers, business men, or doctors. At that time, Jihyun liked to think that she had changed for the better, her attitude hidden and concealed whenever she talked to boys until she realized they weren’t anything like she wanted.

That was, however, until her second year in high school, when things started to look different to her.

It should be mentioned that Jihyun never once looked at Jaehyun with anything other than platonic friendship. They grew up together, they bathed together when they were kids, and Jaehyun was always so snotty and gross that Jihyun would dare dream of being anywhere near him in a romantic setting.

So when Jaehyun entered high school with her, she was suspicious.

She had heard talk of the newest freshman with good looks and an idol-like personality, with deep dimples and a deep voice that was stark in comparison to his soft face. Jihyun snorted at these comparisons, and even remembered calling Jaehyun the next day to talk about it and asked him if she knew of anyone of his class with these ridiculous features.

Naturally, Jaehyun said no.

Jihyun and Jaehyun always ate lunch together with Taeyong and Doyoung, chatting and munching away until Jihyun was pulled away by one of her friends, their eyes wide and their hands covering their mouth.

“What?” Jihyun grumbled, cranky that she was taken away from her lunch.

“How do you know the freshman?”

Jihyun raised her eyes, “which freshman? What are you talking about?”

“Jung Jaehyun, the boy we’ve been talking about for a week now?”

Jihyun choked on a wad of rice and stared at her friend incredulously, “Jaehyun?! You were talking about Jaehyun this whole time?!”

Jihyun pushed her friend to the side to go back to her meal, a bit peeved that she immediately asked Jaehyun for his phone number. Not to be possessive, but Jaehyun was her friend, someone she didn’t share with anyone else, someone who was supposed to be her best friend and her best friend only.

“What happened?”

“Do you want Hera’s number?”

Jaehyun raised an eyebrow, “no? Why would I?”

Good, she thought to herself. That’s what I thought.

It only got worse the more popular Jaehyun got. He was every girl’s dream date and every boy’s worst enemy as nasty rumors of illicit business spread through the school faster than he could deny them. Of course, they were true, but no one needed to know that. The illicit ties only seemed to feed into girl’s fantasies more as they were heavily intrigued by Jaehyun and his secret family background. He would glance at Jihyun whenever he needed help, something similar to puppy eyes until Jihyun shooed them away and hooked her arm with his.

They weren’t dating just yet, but Jaehyun was already so head over heels at this point that it was a wonder how she didn’t notice.

Jihyun would continue her jealous tirade for the rest of the semester until people finally got over the trend that was Jung Jaehyun’s look. She would laugh when it was all over, snorting at the girl’s who all but drooled over her friend whenever he smiled and whenever he laughed. She would laugh whenever girls stare at him with big eyes whenever they tripped in front of him and he would lend a hand in attempts to get just a moment’s worth of affection from someone who doesn’t even wash their hair. She would laugh only because she knew that at the end of the school day, Jaehyun would walk her home, Jaehyun would carry her bag, and buy her after school snacks.

“Jihyun,” her mother called one day after Jaehyun had left her at her house. Jihyun walked to find her mother in the kitchen, waving at Jaehyun who was walking away from their front step before she told her daughter to take a seat.

“Be careful with your intentions.” She scolded, her eyes narrowing as Jihyun raised an eyebrow.

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re giving that boy mixed signals”

Jihyun scoffed, giving her mother an incredulous look, “what do you mean? Jaehyun is my friend, he’s just...Jaehyun.”

“Why do you make him carry your bag?”

“He offers--”

“Jihyun, why do you make him walk you all the way home when you know your father can arrange for someone to pick you up? You’re inconveniencing him.”

“What--? Where is this coming from? Mommy, Jaehyun’s just a friend! We grew up together! We do things together all the time.”

Eunhye narrowed her eyes next and pointed a delicate finger at her daughter, “I’m warning you, Kim Jihyun. If I find out you’re doing this to mark your territory in your spoiled little green heart--”

“There’s nothing wrong with looking after my friend! They just don’t deserve him, that’s all!”

“How would you know that?”

“Because...they don’t? Don’t make this complicated, Mom. I’m going upstairs.” 

Eunhye would stay behind in the kitchen, watching Jihyun leave with a scoff before shaking her head, “what is wrong with her?”

The fall semester arrived much faster than Jihyun would’ve liked as she spent it in bed or watching TV by herself or with her older brother. She tried to ask her friends to hang out several times, but the vast majority of them were on lavish vacations in some other place in the world. Jaehyun was busy himself helping his father on jobs, barely being able to hang out with anyone except Jieun on occasion who was already so busy with child rearing.

When Jihyun stepped on the school campus, she heard whispering about Jaehyun again and rolled her eyes. Just when she began to think it was all over, it started up again with the same nonsense from last time. She frowned and quickly joined Taeyong until she heard her name called, Jaehyun waving at her with a smile as he ran towards her.

“Jihyun noona!” Jaehyun called, his hand reaching for her forearm as she stood shocked.

She never remembered having to look up at Jaehyun when she spoke to him, she also never remembered Jaehyun’s voice being as deep as it was now. Of course, it was deep before, but it seemed to drop a few more octaves as he spoke to her. It also seemed that he lost a considerable amount of face fat, his jawline sharp as it flexed and relaxed as he spoke to her.

Oh no, she thought to herself. Oh god, who is this?

“...I’m really sorry that I didn’t get to hang out with you this summer but maybe we can hang out after this semester! My dad said I get to…”

Jihyun gulped, nodding and laughing nervously as her face turned redder with every second. She looked over at Taeyong, who grinned knowingly as he pulled Jaehyun along on their walk.

Even after they went their separate ways to their respective classes, Jihyun couldn’t calm her heart pounding in her chest. Was Jaehyun wearing fucking cologne?

“What’s with you?” Hera asked, scooting next to her friend and bumping her shoulder. “Did you see Seojun before you came to class?”

Her crush on Seojun was quickly forgotten as Jihyun took out her compact and fixed her makeup, “No.”

“Then who?”

“No one,” she defended. “It’s just hot.”

Jaehyun performing his acts of service felt different to her now. Of course the conversations and the banter would be the same, but she felt her face running hot every time his hand brushed her shoulder or whenever he would pull her against his chest in a tight hug. The hug would be loose, but she felt like she was suffocating with every touch, her head spinning.

“Do you want to go out for tteokbokki?” Jaehyun asked her on their walk home. His hand was on her shoulder as he took her bag in his hand.

“You...don’t have to carry my bag, Jaehyun, your bag is pretty heavy.”

Jaehyun shook his head and smiled, flexing his arm muscle, “see these? I got these from working this summer. Your dainty little bag is no match for these.”

Jihyun snorted and shoved him, “you’re such a dork.”

“Tteokbokki then? My treat?”

“Fine, let’s go.”

The two sat outside a random bench and chewed their snack happily as they chatted about their schoolwork. Jihyun had quite a bit to complain about this time around, groaning and huffing and puffing about her teachers while Jaehyun listened happily, nodding his head and stealing from her food every so often as she barely ate.

“Fuck Jaehyun, the math is so fucking hard i don’t know if I’m going to--” Jihyun froze when Jaehyun lifted his hand and reached for the hair behind her ear. He looked concentrated, his finger brushing the tip of her ear as he picked a bit of stray dust. Jihyun swallowed as he ran his fingers through her hair, flicking the trash off of his finger tips before he looked up at Jihyun.

“Sorry, it was bothering me,” he smiled. “What about math?”

“Um, the math…” Jihyun clenched her eyes, struggling to remember her point. “The math…”

“Was hard. Right?”

Jihyun opened her eyes and watched Jaehyun give her a small grin, to which she replied with a roll of her eyes. “Yes, the math is hard.”

Jihyun had restless nights after that day, her head spinning everytime she caught a whiff of his cologne on her uniform or on her backpack. It didn’t take a genius to know what was going on, but she told herself she would deny it. Maybe it was just a phase.

Two week later, however, it was proved to not be a phase.

Jaehyun had a girlfriend.

According to Hera, Jaehyun had been helping his girlfriend (whatever her name was, she didn’t care to find out) with English until they started dating. Jihyun all but begged for information, Hera narrowing her eyes and giving her the same shit-eating grin everyone had been giving her ever since the semester started.

“What brings curiosity?”

“Fuck you, you know what brings the curiosity. Tell me or else.”

Seeing the proof hurt more than hearing about it. Seeing Jaehyun hold hands with another girl made Jihyun sick to her stomach. Seeing Jaehyun walk another girl home sent strikes of sadness through her as Jihyun finally asked to start being picked up from school. The attention from guys when the car arrived was nice, but it didn’t feel any bit better when she saw Jaehyun wrap an arm around his girlfriend’s shoulder with the same dimpled smile that belonged to her.

“Jihyun?” Her father called, placing his newspaper on his lap. “What’s wrong? Why did you ask me to pick you up?”

It took three seconds for Jihyun to start wailing in her father’s arms, cries muffled in his expensive suit as Jinho barely understood but comforted anyway. That same night, Jihyun’s mother sat on the heartbroken girl’s bed, pouring her a cup of tea as Jihyun watched the liquid pool in the delicate cup.

“Aren’t you going to tell me you told me so?”

“Why would I do that?” Eunhye asked, handing her a cup. “I’m on your side.”

“Why do I feel so…” Jihyun’s eyes threatened to pool over again as she looked at her mother. Eunhye sighed and kissed her forehead.

“Remember what you told me a few months ago? When you said the other girls don’t deserve Jaehyun?”

Jihyun nodded, rubbing her eyes and sniffling in her shoulder.

"I don’t think you noticed that it’s him that doesn’t deserve you. What kind of boy deserves the second most beautiful girl in Korea?” 

Jihyun laughed as she wiped her tears with the back of her hand, “who’s the first?

“Me,” Eunhye smiled upon hearing Jihyun’s giggle, “there’s no way you could be the first if I’m your mother.” 

Jihyun laughed again, placing her teacup on the nightstand as her mother smoothened the hair on top of her head.

“A long time ago, when your father and I broke up for a while, the first thing I did was visit the salon and go out to buy myself something nice. Let’s skip your cram schools tomorrow, let’s go straight for salon.”

And so they did.

Saturday morning Jihyun jumped in the car with her mother as the driver drove them to the salon, where they chatted about hairstyles and different ideas until Jihyun made the decision to cut off her hair to her shoulders. There’s no doubt that she would grieve over it considering it was her pride and joy, but her mother reassured her that it would grow back, giving her strength to sit in the chair and watch as the hairdresser chopped hair continuously.

After the haircut was the mall as her mother led her through store after store, their driver barely being able to carry their bags as Jihyun watched her mother swipe her father’s card endlessly. Stopping on a bench for a break and for a smoothie, Jihyun noticed a familiar pair across from her enjoying their date, the same sinking feeling in her stomach arriving as Eunhye quickly noticed.

“Chin up, Jihyun,” her mother said sternly. She found it difficult to do so, but Jihyun raised her chin and looked her mother in the eye.

“Never let them see you upset,” Eunhye said but all Jihyun felt like doing was crying.

“Let’s go get some lunch, hm?” Her mother prompted, “before he sees us and performs an introduction.”

Jihyun nodded and felt her arm being dragged to the nearest cafe, she made the mistake of looking behind her, catching Jaehyun’s eyes as he furrowed them in realization. He looked almost guilty, but Jihyun didn’t give him the chance to say anything, following her mother’s pace and walking inside.

Of course, the next day in school Jihyun’s haircut was the talk of the school. Her friends grieved the loss of her hair as Taeyong admired the short cut, ruffling her hair as she smacked her hand away with a smile.

“It’ll grow back! You guys are being dramatic!” Jihyun laughed, hooking her arm with Hera’s as they walked to class.

“Oh shit, 12 o’clock,” Hera said, quickly turning the two around until they found out it was too late. Jaehyun had called out for Jihyun who was waiting in her hallway, looking strangely bashful as he tried to catch up with them.

“Noona, hold on!”

“Keep walking!” Hera hissed in her ear, “you know how many girl’s are his noona here?”

“Jihyun noona!”

“Fuck!” Hera cried, “run!”

“This is stupid, let me just, hey-!”

Jihyun was shoved into the classroom, Hera sliding the door behind her as she stood outside. She pressed her ear to the door, listening to Hera give excuses.

“Oh? What’s up, Jaehyun?”

“Um, I kind of wanted to talk to Jihyun noona--”

“Oh! Is that who you were calling for? I thought you were talking to me!”

Jihyun could hear the confusion in his voice as she palmed her forehead in second hand embarrassment.

“...but I said Jihyun?”

“Hera and Jihyun sound the same sometimes. I always get the mixed up! Ha-ha! Silly me!” Hera snorted, “you can talk to Jihyun in a second but I have a question-”

The school bell rang just in time before Jaehyun could speak to her, Hera pushing herself through the small crack she allowed for herself to get in, “dang it! That’s the bell! That’s too bad! Maybe after school, Jaehyun? N-not today though, I think Seojun is walking her home today.”

“But--?”

“See ya!”

Hera closed the door behind her and pushed Jihyun to her desk, “crisis averted!”

“You call that aversion!? You made it worse!” Jihyun whined, her head falling onto her desk.

Jaehyun stood shocked at the door, swallowing hard before he bit his lip, kicking a random eraser in front of him as he walked down the stairs and towards his homeroom.

“Seojun huh?” Jaehyun scoffed, “he does seem like her type.”

Of course it would be Jihyun’s luck to stay behind and clean the classroom. Hera offered to stay behind, but Jihyun quickly dismissed her after telling her it would be a while, taking advantage of this time alone to think things through. She sighed deeply as she swept the room and cleaned the blackboards, throwing trash in the garbage and jumping when she saw Jaehyun standing behind her.

“Fuck!” She gasped, clutching her chest, “can’t you make yourself known?”

“Sorry,” he smiled sheepishly. “I wanted to talk to you this morning, but you didn’t hear me.”

Jihyun bit her lip, “I had my earbuds in. I wasn’t able to hear you, sorry.”

“It’s...cool. I guess,” Jaehyun cleared his throat, “I just...I just wanted to say that I like your haircut. It’s pretty.”

“Thanks, it feels nice.”

Jaehyun nodded, chewing on his lip as it appeared that he was dancing around something. Jihyun raised an eyebrow and kept from sweeping to watch him, “why are you here? Don’t you usually walk your girlfriend home?”

“Not always. I’ve only been doing it because you’ve been picked up lately. Kyungshim doesn’t live that far too, so it’s not that bad.”

Kyungshim? Ugly name. Jihyun snorted internally. “Oh. Cool.”

“Do you want to walk home together today? After you’re done?”

“I don’t...know. I kind of don’t have the right shoes to be walking--”

“You can wear mine,” Jaehyun said quickly. Jihyun felt her heart pound in her chest and watched as Jaehyun’s ear began to fuse into a soft pink. “I...I've been bringing extra shoes lately...just in case.”

“Just in case of what?”

Jaehyun shrugged, “I dunno.”

Jihyun sighed and nodded, “I’m done here. Let’s go.”

“Oh--do you want the shoes--?”

“No.”

“O-okay.”

The walk towards Jihyun’s house was filled with idle chit chat. The pace of the conversation seemed forced, almost as if Jaehyun was trying to avoid the awkward silence that came from friends that haven’t talked in about a week.

“Are you doing anything for White Day?” Jaehyun asked, clearing his throat and looking at the ground.

“No. Why would I?”

Jaehyun shrugged, “I was just asking.”

Jihyun didn’t want to ask about his plans for white day, so she just left it at that.

They arrived at Jihyun’s home faster than he expected much to his disappointment, watching as Jihyun stood in front of the steps and watched as Jaehyun struggled to say what he wanted to say next.

“Let’s walk home tomorrow again too,” he said. “It’s been a long time.”

“It’s been a week.”

“Yeah, well, that’s a long time considering I used to see you everyday.”

“Won’t your girlfriend get mad?”

Jaehyun shook his head, “no. Why would she? You’re important to me too.”

“I wouldn’t feel comfortable knowing that my boyfriend was walking around with his friend that was a girl.”

“Well, she knows it’s not like that, so it doesn’t matter.”

Jihyun stifled a wince, “right. It’s not like that.”

“I mean--it’s--you’re my friend and--”

Jihyun gave a sad laugh and shook her head, “why are you trying to explain yourself? You’re right.”

Jaehyun frowned and nodded, “yeah. I guess.”

Jihyun took a deep breath and looked at the front door, “I’ll let you know tomorrow if I can walk with you. Hera might have something planned.”

“Sure.”

Jihyun waved to Jaehyun as the latter returned the wave with a small smile, waiting until she was inside the house until he fell behind the bushes, groaning into his hands and shaking his head.

“God, I’m so stupid, I’m so fucking stupid!”

“Do you usually sit outside my house and call yourself stupid, Jaehyun?”

Jaehyun’s eyes widened as he stood up almost instantly, his knees cracking in protest as he made eye contact with Jihyun’s father, who gave him a stern look.

“No, sir! This is the first time, sir!”

“Make it the last, Jaehyun.”

Jaehyun nodded, “yes sir. H-have a good night sir.”

A week later, Jihyun found herself smiling and accepting gifts on white day. She thanked those who gave her gifts and turned her head to the side to a few confessions, noticing Jaehyun on the other side of the courtyard talking to a few of his own friends. It seemed like he was single again as he received a few confessions of his own but it also seemed that he ignored them for the most part, smiling them away until he looked over at Jihyun, who quickly looked at her lap.

Jaehyun watched as Jihyun laughed with Hera and Taeyong, noticing Seojun walking towards her with a big box of expensive looking chocolate. He gritted his teeth as Seojun handed her the box with his million dollar smile, watching as Jihyun returned the smile and gave him a high five. He scoffed, looking to the side and poking at his box of chocolates.

His gift sat heavy in his hands, nervous as he picked at his fingernails the entire day until school ended, waiting at the front entrance for Jihyun to step out. So she did, with Seojun, causing Jaehyun to frown and back off until he bumped into Taeyong, who clicked his tongue and pushed him towards his friend.

“Wait--hyung-”

“No more waiting, Jaehyun. I promise you that it’s you she wants to walk home with. Go!”

Jaehyun swallowed as Taeyong pushed him into Jihyun’s direction, walking away smoothly as Jaehyun managed to interrupt her and Seojun’s conversation.

Seojun raised an eyebrow and looked at Jihyun for an explanation, who was expecting the same.

There were two options here.

One, he could let his voice crack in front of his seniors and get laughed at by Seojun and his pack of numb skulls for the rest of his high school career

Or

Two, he could prove himself, here, now, in front of said senior to the girl he was in love with. He took a deep breath and opened his mouth, only for Jihyun to interrupt.

“Yes, let’s go. Now.”

Huh?

Jaehyun watched in confusion as Jihyun clasped his hand together with hers, walking in the direction of their homes as Jaehyun’s heart slammed against his chest. He was holding hands with Jihyun and it didn’t look like she was letting go anytime soon.

They passed Jihyun’s house and walked towards Jaehyun’s house instead, watching Jihyun in confusion as Jaehyun stood in front of her.

“I have something to say,” she said.

“Wait- I have something to say too--”

“Mine is more important!”

“I really doubt it-”

“Jaehyun i’m older you have to let me speak--”

Perhaps it was the bravery of not being in front of Jihyun’s house that led him to do so. It could also have to do with the fact that he was sick and tired of Jihyun being approached by people like Seojun who wanted nothing to do with her except place her on a podium and regard her as the pretty girlfriend when she was so much more than that.

Jaehyun pressed his lips on hers before Jihyun could finish her own sentence, his hands on her face as Jihyun gave a surprised, muffled yelp in response. Jaehyun pulled away after what seemed like an eternity, holding Jihyun’s face in his strong ones as Jihyun’s face spun from the cologne over again.

“I like you, Kim Jihyun. I’ve liked you since we were kids and I think...I think...I love you.”

Jihyun’s face burned under his gaze, her lips pressing in a tight line to hide a smile, “what do you know about love, Jaehyun?”

“Nothing. Not a single thing, but if I learn anything about love, I want it to be from you.”

Jihyun’s heart could fly and flip if it would leap out right now. Her breathing shallowed as Jaehyun pressed his lips to hers again, this time earning her arms wrapping around his neck as a reward, forgetting that they were in public and that Jisung had a big mouth.

“Uncle Jinho! Jaehyun hyung is eating Jihyun’s face!”

“He’s what?!” Jinho’s voice boomed from the house, causing Jaehyun to pull away with wide eyes.

“Saturday? Date? With me?”

Jihyun smiled widely and nodded, watching as Jaehyun mirrored her expression before he pressed a quick kiss to her lips.

“Jung Jaehyun!” Jinho roared, Jihyun running after her father as she pleaded with him to calm down.

Jisung was on Jaemin’s back, the two boys watching in amusement as Jaehyun jumped over obstacles to avoid her father’s wrath.