#k now I GOT to do my schoolwork

[ryann-44]

[mrchiipchrome]

Parents

W.C. - 3 k

“Fuck!”

“Language” Lucy replies.

Joining Barcelona at the age of 14 last season had changed your life for the better, sure the balancing of schoolwork and professional football was difficult to say the least but you had the most amazing women around you helping. You moved from a small club in the south of Spain to the giants during the summer transfer window, over the moon as soon as you got the call that they wanted to sign you. Your parents gave you the ‘okay’ for the move, though their jobs were too important to leave so you would get placed with a teammate as a solution.

So when you had packed up what little you needed from your childhood bedroom in your backpack, you set off for the train. One tearful goodbye with your parents later and you stepped foot on the train taking you to the city of dreams.

When you arrived, you got picked up by a member of staff and directly to the training grounds where you would meet the team for the first time and sign the paperwork. It felt like it took 1000 years to sign all the papers but when you were finally done, you could feel the excitement coursing through your veins. 

Meeting your teammates was a success and the prospect of living with any of them had you excited. You instantly got the hint that you would live with the two English women when they were asked to stay after practice. Not making too much of a fuss when they realized they had a teen to take care of was good for you, the two of them already having known that you would join their residence for a couple weeks. And so you moved in, creating an unbreakable bond by the end of the first week with the two women.

—

“Can we go out for ice cream after training? I finished all my assignments.” No one could ever resist your puppy dog eyes, infamously adorable, so when you threw them into the mix you were sure that you would get your sought after ice cream. Lucy slings her strong arm around your shoulder, walking a little faster than she normally would to be able to keep the pace of your long lanky legs. Keira slips her arm around your waist at your other side, the two older women sandwiching you between them as they ‘think’ about your offer.

“Sure, but only if you promise to brush your teeth extra carefully tonight. Wouldn’t want you to get cavities-” Your cheers cut her off as you suddenly take off in the direction of some of the younger players, happy that you would get your sweet treat. 

The two women left walking look at each other with a certain softness expressed through their eyes. They hadn’t been expecting to be thrown into ‘parenthood’ so suddenly but life works how it does for a reason, and to be fair Keira did have a bit of experience, dealing with Georgia and all.

Later that day, Lucy’s followers are blessed with a picture of you sitting across from them at the ice cream parlor eating your ice cream before a picture of her and Keira doing the same. It was a sweet moment between the small family, you had really found your true parents in the two women.

—

Trekking around with a knife and an apple was not an uncommon feat at the Walsh-Bronze household, especially not recently. Keira had banned you from using knives after you had accidentally cut off the tip of your pinky while cooking and had to go to the hospital to have it reattached to the rest of your finger. So now you were stuck with the ugly bandage on your hand and another reason for Keira to not let you do something, but you’re sure that she’s been looking for a reason to ban your use of knives for a while now.

You had already looked everywhere for the midfielder, Lucy had gone out to grocery shop so Keira was the only choice but you had exactly no idea where she was. Just as you’re about to break the hard imposed rule she had set and cut the apple yourself, you hear talking from the living room.

Walking into the room, you immediately spot Keira sitting on the couch talking to someone. At first, you don’t know who’s on the other line, but that is before you hear the heavily accented raspy voice of Keira’s best friend. Leah Williamson.

Both Keira and Lucy think your obvious crush on the defender is hilarious, always teasing you and speaking about introducing the two of you. Yet you had always been able to escape the premises before Keira had ever pressed the button under Leah’s name, going over to Vicky’s or in dire cases your captain’s house.

Your eyes widen drastically, but with Keira not noticing your obvious presence you slowly start to back away and out of the room. You see how Keira’s head snaps up in your direction as you accidentally step on one of Narla’s squeaky toys, producing a sound akin to that of a dying pig. Looking down at your feet and the offending device, the only thing you can think about is how the next few minutes are going to be pure hell and embarrassment for you. The next time you look up at the redhead she’s staring back at you with a teasing look in her eyes and a smile full of mirth, and you just know she’s thinking of ways to torture you.

“Y/n, just the person I was looking for! Come say hi to the people” Her eager movements indicating she wanted you to come closer simply don’t give you another choice, especially now that they know it’s you who entered the room. Walking over to the couch which she sits at, you’re careful with the knife still in your hand as you flop down beside her.

“Need help with my apple, please.” Without even responding, she hands you her phone while taking the things from your hands in a swapping gesture. The first thing you notice is how Leah's face only takes up half of the screen instead of the whole screen, clueing you in on what Keira meant by ‘the people’, it wasn’t a facetime call but an instagram live.

“Hi Y/n, I've heard a lot about you, all good things I promise” The wink she throws you isn’t a flirting one by any means, it’s one of those you throw out haphazardly at the end of one of those sentences like the one that just fell from her lips. And like anyone would in your situation, you stutter out a reply all while a blush overtakes your face.

“H-hey Leah” You pair with a wave as you hear Keira sigh beside you at your obvious awkwardness around people you thought of as attractive. “Keira talks about you all the time, so I’ve heard a lot about you too.”

“Keira was just telling me about her new habit of banning things around the house-“

“I have nothing to do with that-“ Keira cuts you off before you can continue lying about your clear involvement in doing things that you later get banned from.

“Excuse me, wasn’t it you who just had to spend nearly two hours in the ER to reattach the tip of your pinky after an accident in the kitchen? Wasn’t it that whole ordeal that made me ban your use of knives in the first place?” Her exposing you had the blush on your face turning a deeper shade of red as you relent, holding up your non-dominant hand covered in bandages from your wrist up to the tips of your pinky and ring finger. 

“To be fair, it wouldn’t have happened if Luce hadn’t distracted me in the first place. She’s too good at that.” If Lucy hadn’t made you look up by calling your name, then you wouldn’t have sliced through your finger instead of the cucumber and Keira wouldn’t have needed to pick up the bloody piece of flesh to put on ice while the distractor herself wrapped your finger tightly in a kitchen towel.

“What about the time before that, huh? The oven incident? Who’s fault was that?” She speaks as she hands you the now cut up apple and takes her phone from your unsteady hand, the phone displaying Leah’s clearly amused expression at the bickering happening in Spain.

“Gracias Kie” You cut yourself off as you take a bite of the juicy apple you’ve waited for so long before continuing what you were about to say. “That was mostly my fault, but how was I supposed to know that the baking sheet had been in the oven when there were no indications of it being hot” Keira just rolls her eyes at that, having told you multiple times before you picked up the metal that it was hot.

“As clumsy as Alessia then, are you?” Leah reminds you of her presence with the rapidly strung together sentence, and while you just look on confused as you hadn’t ever met any of Keira and Lucy’s national teammates she understands exactly what the blonde means.

“No, Alessia’s more clumsy clumsy while this one” She points at you with her thumb, “is dangerous clumsy. Less trips and falls over her feet casually, this one is barely allowed to use the butterknife ‘cause she might accidentally cut herself. Yeah, them two together would be chaotic. We would need double the manpower to keep them from injuring themself.”

Just as you’re about to retort, you hear the front door open and Lucy calling out for you. Sighing, you begrudgingly say goodbye before taking your leave to help Lucy with the groceries. You hear Keira say a quiet “She has the biggest crush on you” to Leah, but you simply can’t be bothered to react.

—

“Lucy, Luce, Roberta, wake up damnit” 

Being shaken awake by a frantic 15 year old is not something many do, usually at that age you’re more sophisticated and careful as you wake people if you do at all. And yet, Lucy finds herself in the predicament of having to decide whether to wake up or not, but as she hears the fast breathing and feels the hands on her still she decides to wake up.

“Hey, hey, calm down. I can’t help you if you don’t calm down, you know.” Now sitting up and more alert, Lucy pulls your shaking form down onto the bed she shares with the other English woman who has miraculously managed to stay asleep through all the ruckus. Holding you in her arms, she feels you calming down little by little until you’re completely still in her hold. She’s nearly convinced that you’ve managed to fall asleep as your steady breaths puff against her neck, but as you speak her assumptions are proven wrong.

“Had a bad dream, I wanted to make sure you and Kie were alright. If it’s not too much to ask for, could you tell me the story of the moon and the sun again?” Lucy had to hold back from letting the exclamation of adoration out at you immediately looking for her and Kiera after experiencing a nightmare. She remembers telling you the story her own mother had told her when she was a kid.

"Of course I can, it’s no problem” She waits for you to stop shifting around so much and to find a more comfortable position in between her and her girlfriend. When you finally still, she starts retelling the story she’s heard so many times before.

“Before there was anything, before me and you and everyone else on this planet existed there was a moon and a sun. Every night right before the moon would go to bed, it would notice the sun lighting up the sky with its incredible glow. As the moon woke up, the sun would go to sleep and its shine would be gone, the moon would miss the very thing it so longed for. So the moon devised a plan, a plan to not miss the bright light of its long lost love, a plan of great excellence and intrigue. And so the night of the plan came, the moon waiting for the rays of sunshine to overtake the dark of the sky it had been so used to. As the sky lit up with soft rays of orangey yellow, the moon couldn’t think of anything other than how much more beautiful everything was when it was lit up by the sun.” 

Lucy felt the way you had slumped against her halfway through the story, now sure about your unconscious state.

“You’re good with her” Keira speaks from the other side of your body and Lucy smiles at the sound of her voice.

 “Thank you”

—

When you heard that team bonding would take place at the zoo, you couldn’t have been more excited. On the contrary, both of your team moms were less than happy about the choice of location for the activity knowing they were going to have a hyperactive Y/n on their hands. But as luck would have it, the kiddie leash they had ordered for these occasions had come in the week prior. It was one of those backpacks with the leash attached to the back of it that you would see parents with unruly children use. 

After a bit of bribing, they got past the initial protests of you not being a child and got you to put on the dinosaur backpack, they tightened it to make sure it wouldn’t fall off before walking out of the house together.

They made sure to use the backpack function as well, stuffing it with your drinks and snacks. You’re nearly at the zoo when they realize the absence of the memory of you taking your medication that morning, and at that moment they are incredibly thankful for making you wear the backpack.

Watching as you flip Mapi off for making fun of your new accessory, they don’t have the heart to tell you off for the obscene gesture. Not when it was their fault you were getting made fun of in the first place. 

Like always, you gravitate towards the younger members of the team while Keira does the older ones. This leaves Lucy to go with you to your friends and Keira to walk over to hers. 

“Vicky look at my backpack, isn’t it cool?” You skip over to her, clutching onto the fabric hanging over your shoulders as Lucy tries to keep up with your overly energetic self.

“It’s really cool Y/n” Vicky’s words mean a lot to you, her becoming a close friend and a sisterly figure for you with her being so close in age. 

When everyone is rounded up, they buy their tickets one by one and wait on the other side of the gates for the rest. Once inside, you’re rushing around buzzing to see all the animals that you can’t see normally. Like the saying goes, time goes faster when you’re having fun, you soon find yourself eating lunch with half the day being spent with different animals. You and Lucy are throwing teasing comments at each other like usual when an innocent comment starts an onslaught of funny statements.

“Y/n when I was your age-” She doesn’t get to finish her sentence before you start.

“Luce, when you were my age I wasn’t even born yet. In fact you made your senior debut for Sunderland a year before I was born.” That shut her up, not knowing that you had done your research on her. 

The rest of the day goes off without a hitch and as you walk home, you can’t help but wonder why life has been so good to you lately. But you don’t think for too long, instead being happy with the course your life has taken.

But everything everyone can talk about when the pictures of the day are released is how you had to wear the kiddie leash. 

—

Lately you’ve been using TikTok a bit more often, not much more than before but there was a difference. This meant that you had discovered new trends and edits of your teammates, you had even followed a couple of accounts making videos of your teammates to show them later. 

But when you saw the video on your recommended page, you just knew it would be perfect for you to use with Lucy and Kiera. The perfect opportunity to strike comes up when they ask you to join them for a walk with Narla later that day, to which you agree. 

You let them walk in front of you as you slow down, TikTok open on your phone ready to record the interaction. You hold your thumb on the red button as you start by recording yourself mouthing the words before turning it to them and recording them in time with the sound.

Slipping your phone back into your pocket, you decide to edit the clip later and enjoy the walk you currently were on. 

Arriving home, you go to your room and type out the in video caption of ‘when they take you out on walks with their dog’. Before posting the video you type the usual caption, ‘walks with Robert and shaKeira (narla was there too)’.

An hour later the two victims barge into your room and unexpectedly hug you, expecting them to be ‘annoyed’ at you but that wasn’t the case.

“You think of us as your parents?” You see Lucy discreetly wipe a tear from her eye, but you pretend not to notice it.

“Well yeah, you guys have been more like my parents these last few months than my biological ones have been all 14 years they had me around.” The two just embrace you harder at that, and you can feel their love seeping through their actions.

“So I take it you like my mama y papa video then?” The two of them just press a kiss to either side of your face, and you feel truly happy for the family you have gotten since you moved to Barcelona.

Nearly took longer to post this, my hand is burnt. Hope you enjoyed, this was a pretty shit one. Promise the next one is Lessi

[marblemoonstones]

🩵 catharsis ~ chapter four

sorry everyone, it’s been a while! been busy, but I hope you enjoy reading 🤎

I apologize if there are any minor holes or grammatical errors. Feedback is welcome, but please be respectful. :)

*any similarities to other fics are accidental*

Main Masterlist

Series Masterlist

bts ot7 x reader

collegestudentreader!au 

*warnings: ❗️any characters in the story have nothing to do with their real life counterparts❗️f reader, reader with glasses, reader gets yelled at briefly, use of word bitch

word count: ~4.4k

The next couple weeks passed by in a blur, and before I knew it it was almost time for school to start up again. I’m going into my junior year at Seoul National University (sorry, super basic college) and am majoring in Education, as I want to be a teacher like Namjoon. But, unlike Namjoon, I don’t want to teach high schoolers. I want to be an elementary school teacher. (Sorry, I know it’s a pretty big time skip but I wanted to actually get to the college scenes lol)

The boys convinced me (more like begged me) to stay with them for school and said that “Your presence is payment enough!” (Minus Hoseok of course, as we’re still not on good terms for whatever reason) I finally relented after seeing the prices for dorms. Why were they so high for broke college students? Through these few weeks I have gotten to know the boys better.

Namjoon and I have gotten close because of our similarity in careers. We both are avid learners and want to help others learn and have bonded over many cups of tea. I know that I can go to him for any help with my schoolwork, and he says he will come to me for ideas because I am “younger and know what’s hip these days.” We also both love to read and have exchanged books frequently. He is more of a science fiction and fantasy type reader while I adore romance books (again, sorry if you don’t like these types of books). While I admit that his books are fascinating, I still prefer my cheesy, k-drama worthy books. There’s nothing better than us two sitting on my balcony reading all afternoon with some treats Jin or I baked.

Jin and I have become better friends through our cooking and baking. He is a master chef and much better than I will ever be, but it’s still fun to learn from him. It often makes me wonder why he is an actor and not a cook, but people can have more than one avid interest. My baking skills are modest at best, but I do still love to make different types of cookies as my mom taught me and to make cute mini lunchbox cakes for the boys to take to their work for a sweet treat. 

More often than not I catch Yoongi looking at my treats longingly so I make more and send them with him to work. He is especially fond of my coffee cookies as I found him secretly eating them as a midnight snack one night. Yoongi and I have a mutual understanding where if we both need to relax for second and just breathe, we’ll seek out each other. I sometimes sit in his studio, just zoning out and giving myself a minute. And he sometimes will come find me in my room and just lay down next to me as I continue watching my show. These moments make me feel content.

Times that I do not feel content are whenever I’m with Hoseok. I genuinely want to at least be acquaintances, but he seems to want to be enemies forever. I try to reach out but every time he ignores me. More often than not he finds some excuse to not be in the room with me. I know the boys have noticed, but they haven’t said anything to me about it. I can only hope that with time he and I will eventually be able to tolerate each other. 

With Jimin it has been a little harder to connect, but we eventually got to the point where we are now. While I’m not as close to him as the maknaes or even Yoongi, we still have a good bond. It all started when I asked if I could use the dance studio in the house (rich people, am I right?) for fun. I danced all through high school at a recreational studio and I enjoy it occasionally to keep me exercised. I was stretching when Jimin walked in and asked if he could watch. I was nervous at first but then once I got started I fell into my own world. Jimin applauded afterwards and I bowed, embarrassed. We both then danced together and that’s how our friendship started. 

My friendship with the youngest two grew during those couple of weeks. After the shopping trip they decided that we were now a ‘trio of trouble’ and that we were besties. I’ll admit, sometimes I did feel a bit like I was third-wheeling them but for the most part it was great to have genuine friends. Sure, I had friends but they were mostly college friends that I didn’t see outside of school. But with Tae and Kook I felt that I could truly be myself. Endless hours of binging movies, playing video games, and doing stupid challenges/dares kept me entertained until my first day back. 

Which is today. I’m not nervous, but I always get a small pit of dread in my stomach. I only have two classes today, Foundations of Education and Psychology (not me stealing these class names off a random college website haha). Foundations of Ed is in late morning, then I have a short break before Psych which is early afternoon. I have these classes three times a week, but they’re my only classes on those days. 

I roll out of bed and rub my eyes before grabbing my glasses groggily. I knock on Jungkook and I’s shared bathroom and don’t get a response so I turn the knob and no one’s in there. I know today is also Jungkook’s first day of senior year but I’m fairly certain that he has a class around the same time as me. I wonder why he’s not up yet? Knowing him he overslept. That boy needs to learn to get a better sleep schedule. I lock both connecting doors and then carefully place my glasses on the counter. After showering I hop out, put my glasses on (bad vision is a curse, and this author knows the struggle, trust me, but at least glasses/contacts exist) and after drying off I change. 

I put on jean shorts and a pink shirt, and after going into my bedroom I grab my backpack and double check that I have all of my supplies. A couple notebooks, binders, and of course a pencil pouch that’s all stocked up. Notebook paper as well as folders are also neatly lined up. I zip it up and then make my way downstairs. 

Namjoon, Hoseok, Jimin, and Yoongi are all at their respective jobs. Jin is taking a break from acting, so he’s mostly here and Taehyung has a shoot later in the afternoon so I know he is also around. 

Sure enough, Jin’s cooked me a ‘back to school breakfast,’ which is super sweet of him. 

“Thank you so much Jin! You really didn’t have to do this,” I say to him.

“Of course I did! It you and our maknae’s first day back so you deserve a special breakfast,” Jin replies. “Speaking of, where is the little brat? He shouldn’t be sleeping because he has to get ready and take you both to school!” 

“He’s still sleeping,” Taehyung says, walking down the stairs.

“Ugh, that kid will be the death of me. I’ll go get him. Eat up!” Jin goes upstairs, mumbling under his breath about how annoying Jungkook is.

I laugh, then sit down with Taehyung and start eating. Taehyung grins his boxy smile and says, “I wonder if Jungkookie will be late on his first day. If he is, I can take you to school.”

“I don’t think that Jin will let Kook be late,” I say, thinking of the father-like eldest.

“True. He’ll probably drag Jungkook by his hair if that means he gets up,” Taehyung says, laughing.

About ten minutes later a weary looking Jungkook and an irritated Jin come walking down the stairs.

“See, this is why you need to be more like y/n! She gets up on time and is actually prepared for school,” Jin scolds.

“Yeah yeah whatever hyung,” Jungkook says sleepily, sitting down at the table and eating a few bites of the now cold breakfast. 

“Don’t ‘whatever hyung’ me, you have to promise that whenever you have school you’ll actually be ready,” Jin says.

“Okay fine I promise. Y/n you ready to go?” Jungkook says, standing up from the table and going to get his shoes on.

“Yep,” I reply, going to put on my white converse.

“Bye! Have a good first day!” Jin and Taehyung say as we leave. 

Jungkook drives a nice sedan today instead of one of the rich luxurious cars they normally drive.

“Are you excited?” I ask Jungkook, “You’re almost done with school!”

“I’m excited to be done with it,” Jungkook agrees. We pull up and he parks then we get out and get ready to head to our respective classes. 

“Well have fun with your Foundations of Ed class. You don’t need a ride home after, right?” Jungkook asks me.

I shake my head. “Nope. I’m going to chill here through lunch until my Psych class then I’ll take the bus home.” 

“You know you can call any of us to take you home right? We wouldn’t mind,” Jungkook says. 

I know they wouldn’t care but I don’t want to bother them with me. 

“Oh, you’re all busy people so don’t worry about it! Here come some of your friends so I’d better go.” There are a couple guys and girls who are walking up to Jungkook. 

“Hey Jungkook!” 

“Good to see you bro!”

“How was your summer?” 

“Who’s this?”

The last question comes from a snobby looking girl. Her inky black hair is up in a high ponytail and she looks at me with disdain. 

“Oh, this is y/n. She’s the one who’s staying with me and the boys for a while,” Jungkook says, introducing me. 

“Hi y/n, I’m Felix.” He waves at me and I wave back.

“I’m Jackson,” says the next boy, grinning at me. 

“I’m Hwasa,” says the girl next to the snobby one. 

“And I’m Haneul,” says snobby girl. 

“Nice to me you all,” I say.

“So you’re the girl who’s too poor to stay at a dorm!” Haneul says sweetly.

“Haneul,” Felix says through gritted teeth, “That’s not true.”

“I’m sure it is though, Felix. Isn’t that right, y/n?” Haneul now has the biggest fake smile I’ve ever seen. 

“Oh, well I supposed so,” I say, deflated at the thought that the boys think I’m just a ‘girl who’s too poor to stay at a dorm.’

“Um, y/n that’s not what-“ Jungkook starts, sensing my change in mood.

“I’ve got to get to class! Bye everyone, it was nice meeting you.” I interrupt Jungkook. Turning on my heel, I swiftly walk away from the group, hearing Haneul whisper under her breath, “I told you she was poor.” 

I find my building and classroom and walk in. It’s a decently sized room with partner desks in neat rows. Some students are already sitting in desks chatting with each other.

I find a seat in the back right corner by the window so I can see outside. I can only hope no one will sit by me, but that seems to not be the case as a couple minutes later a tired looking boy asks if he can sit next to me. I say yes and he flops into the seat and lays his head on his arms. 

“Oh, by the way my name’s Seungmin,” he mumbles before closing his eyes.

I smile, amused at his tiredness and turn my attention to the professor as she walks in. 

“Good morning class and welcome to Foundations of Education. We will be learning the basics of education and teaching in this class. My name is Professor Shin. Now, let’s take roll.” As she starts calling names, I turn my attention to my sleeping deskmate. I wonder if I should wake him up? 

“Choi y/n?” 

“Here,” I say.

Eventually she gets to Seungmin. 

“Kim Seungmin?” 

I nudge his elbow but he doesn’t stir. Then I poke him. Hard. This makes his head shoot up and then sees everyone staring at him. 

“Oh, uh, here.” 

“Mr. Kim, if you could please refrain from sleeping in class that would be much appreciated,” Professor Shin says with an annoyed look on her face. She then continues on with attendance. 

“Hey, are you okay? You look super exhausted,” I say to Seungmin, seeing how his eyes are red and have dark circles underneath them. 

“I’m fine I just stayed up way too late last night,” he says.

I nod then turn back to the professor, who is now passing out a slyllabus. I take a deep breath then focus for the rest of the class.

After class I bid goodbye to a still sleepy Seungmin and head out to get lunch. There are picnic tables around campus so I grab something to eat then go sit at an empty one. I enjoy the breeze through my hair and the peacefulness of the trees. Until I see someone coming up to me out of the corner of my eye. I look and it’s Hwasa and Jackson. 

“Hey y/n, can we sit here?” She asks.

“Sure.” 

They sit and pull out their own lunches.

“We’re sorry about Haneul this morning,” Jackson says after chewing and swallowing, “She can be a bit…blunt sometimes.”

“Who’re we kidding Jackson, she’s blunt all of the time,” Hwasa says with an eye roll. 

I appreciate these two apologizing for their friend’s action and like them immediately. 

“You guys really don’t have to apologize. I mean, I am poor enough to not be able to afford a dorm,” I say.

“Even if it’s true, that doesn’t mean she needs to be so bitchy about it, and besides, dorms are expensive for anyone,” Hwasa points out.

“Can we not talk about Haneul now please? I’m trying to eat,” Jackson complains. Hwasa and I laugh and we change the subject to school and finish our lunches. 

“Thanks for letting us join you for lunch y/n,” Hwasa says as we clean up and throw away our trash. 

“Of course. It’s nice to meet some of Kook’s friends!” I say, genuinely glad to have made more friends.

“Aww, you called him Kook. Are you two super close? You can tell us. We’ve been his best friends for ages now,” Jackson says.

I want to trust them, so I reply “I guess you could say that. We definitely have gotten closer these past couple of weeks.” 

“Ooh, have you now?” I hear a horrible voice behind me. Of course it’s Haneul. 

“You see, you may have gotten closer to Jungkook but I’ve known him since he was little. No one knows him better than me,” Haneul says, trying to intimidate me. 

It’s true that I still know little about the boys’ background and upbringings, but I am still surprised that Jungkook would hang out with someone like Haneul. The boys also haven’t mentioned her at all.

“You only hung out because your parents were good friends with his,” Hwasa explains with yet another eye roll. 

“Are you jealous Haneul?” Jackson teases, enjoying the glare in Haneul’s eyes.

“No, of course not. Why would I be jealous of a stupid nobody like her?” 

Wow, straight to the point. I can try to ignore it, but I’m not sure if I can deal with another person hating me. Hoseok is more than enough.

“Excuse me, I need to get to my next class.” I leave as gracefully as I can but my body still reacts to her calling me stupid. I take a deep breath and try to calm my shaking hands and racing heart. Eventually I am calm enough to walk into my next class, but my hands still tremble. 

I step into my Psychology hall, a big airy room made for a lot of students. There’s only a couple people in there as I am early because I was escaping from Haneul. 

I take a seat near the middle because I want to be able to see the board. Soon the hall starts filling up with students. A girl sits to my left and eventually a guys sits on my right. Neither of them look at me and continue to talk to their friends around them. 

The professor comes in, a kind looking man. He introduces himself as Professor Kim (so many Kims) and starts to talk. The class goes by quickly and then I’m free. First day of school done. I make my way out of the crowded hall and back into the sunlight. I check my phone and see that I have a couple missed text from Jungkook.

I’m sorry that Haneul said those things. I know ur not poor and I apologize for her words.

Y/n? Ur probably in class, but I just wanted to remind u that any of us would be happy to take u home after ur last class.

I smile at his Haneul text, but text him back to tell him that no one has to take me home.

I’m a big girl Kook, I can take myself home. But thanks :) 

I am about to round the corner of the building when I hear Haneul talking. I stop when I hear that she’s talking about me. 

“Honestly y/n probably just wants the boys money. She’s just a gold digger that acted all pitiful and the boys are too sweet to say no to her. I feel bad for her because as soon as the boys figure this out she’s going to be kicked out of their house. Actually that’ll be super funny!” 

I hear tittering laughter and turn around to go the other way, eyes slightly glassy. Is this what everyone thinks? That I’m a gold digger? If they think that, then I won’t accept anymore gifts from the boys. Them letting me stay is more than enough and I don’t want them to hear these rumors because it will impact their reputation. 

I blink the tears away and then continue to the bus stop. I check my phone to see that Jungkook has texted me again. 

Look, I know u can handle urself but I don’t want anything happening to u. Hobi-hyung is free now and I sent him to pick you up. Just this once bc it’s the first day ok? :) 

Great. I can’t let Hoseok see me like this. I sniff then blink and make sure I look okay before seeing a car pull up that has Hoseok in the driver’s seat. I text Jungkook back.

Ok just this once but no more after today Kook 

I go up to the car and open the passenger door, climbing in to a stoic Hoseok.

“Hi Hoseok. Thanks for picking me up. You don’t ever have to do this again. I told Jungkook I will be taking the bus for the rest of the year.”

“That kid didn’t even think that I have dance today, so I’m taking you to my studio. We can then go home together afterwards with Jimin,” Hoseok says with his usual coldness.

Oh boy. Going to his work? This is great. Just great.

The rest of the car ride is silent except for the light music of the radio. 

We pull up to a modern looking building that says Epiphany. I get out and follow Hoseok inside. The receptionist greets us and then Hoseok tells me to wait out here.

“My class ends in an hour and so does Jimin’s. We’ll leave after that so just wait here patiently.” He then leaves and I’m left to sit in the rather comfy chairs. The receptionist smiles at me and tells me to tell her if I need anything. 

There are two big glass windows and I can see into the studios. I see Jimin in one of them, leading stretches to younger looking children. I smile as they talk and laugh while doing their splits. I look to the other one and there’s Hoseok leading some college looking dancers in stretches too. 

The front door swings open and in walks none other than Hwasa and Haneul. 

“Oh my gosh, we’re late! Let’s go before Hobi kills us!” Hwasa says hurriedly, rushing to the studio with Hoseok in it. “Hi y/n!” She calls as she darts last me. 

Haneul is in less than a rush than Hwasa. “Oh hello y/n. What are you doing here? Surely you aren’t here for class? Only the best of the best come here.” 

“I’m just waiting for Hoseok and Jimin to finish their classes,” I say, trying to be polite even though I heard her hurtful words earlier. 

“Oh you can’t even drive? That’s rough. Or is it that you don’t have a car?” Haneul asks with a look of pity on her face.

“I can drive perfectly fine, but I don’t have a car as of right now. Anyways, aren’t you late to your class?” I ask as nicely as I can.

“Oh yeah, guess I’d better head there. Have fun sitting!” Haneul bounces away and I sigh. She’s everywhere, so I guess I better get used to her and her rude words. 

I turn my attention back to Jimin’s class. He’s leading the kids through the five ballet positions, walking around and fixing their legs and arms. His cheerful and encouraging smile makes me smile, and I can feel my heart flutter a bit. But, just as every time before, I push it away and remind myself that the boys are off limits. They all have each other and are happy. You’re just going after the first attractive people that you see y/n. And it just so happens to be your housemates. I can’t help that these are the kindest and most beautiful boys I’ve ever seen. They’re strictly friends to me and will stay that way. 

I look at Hoseok’s class, seeing that they’re now done warming up and move on to dancing hip-hop and free styling. While most of the class is good, my eye is drawn to Hoseok. This makes sense, as he is the teacher, but for some reason I can’t tear my eyes away. He looks up as he’s dancing and our eyes lock on each other. I quickly look away, my cheeks burning as he probably doesn’t like me staring at him. But then I see that his eyes are turned away too, and there is a hint of a blush on his cheeks. Or it could just be that he’s tired and sweaty from dancing. 

After both classes finish, I stand and stretch my arms from sitting for an hour. Hwasa comes out of the locker room and asks me, “What did you think? Were you impressed by my amazing dance skills?” 

I laugh and reply, “Yes of course. I didn’t know that you could dance like that!”

“Well, there’s a lot of things you don’t know,” Hwasa teases, “Like how you don’t know that Hobi was staring at you during class?” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” I say, dropping my voice to a whisper-yell, “He wasn’t looking at me! He hates me! And he’s dating six other boys!”

“Whatever they all like girls too…Unfortunately I have to go now, but give me your number and text me if any updates happen!” Hwasa swiftly grabs my phone and types her number in it, winks, and then saunters out. 

That girl! Thinking Hoseok was staring at me…that’s ridiculous. She’s crazy. But I think that we’re starting a great friendship. And the boys also like girls? That’s new to me.

“Hi y/n! What did you think of our class?” That awful voice again. Haneul.

I force a smile before saying, “It was great! You all are so talented.” 

“Why, thank you. I like to think so. I’m sure you’re good at something, right? Even poor people have some use in this world.” 

This girl. Honestly, if poor is the worst insult that she can come up with, it could be much worse.

“Look, Haneul-“

“Did you just call y/n poor?” A voice behind us asks. We both look to see Hoseok, standing with his arms crossed and a duffel bag slung over his shoulder. 

Haneul smirks, and I know that she is thinking that Hoseok is going to agree with her. She’s probably right.

“Yes, I did call y/n poor. I mean, come on Hobi, we all know that she’s just leeching off of the boys and your money and that-“

“Haneul, even if I don’t particularly like someone that doesn’t mean I talk bad about them and call them names to their face and behind the back. That’s just rude. Don’t be a bitch.” 

Haneul is shocked and storms out of the studio. 

I turn to Hoseok to thank him. 

“Thanks Hoseok. I really appreciate it, and I’m sorry-“

“Stop apologizing. No one deserves to be bullied by others,” he says bluntly. 

“Look, can I just ask you one question? Why do you hate me?” I burst out, frustrated because he defended me but still is coldly talking to me.

“I don’t hate you. I just don’t like change,” Hoseok says, sighing. 

“Okay, well I just wish that you would’ve told me beforehand. I’m sorry for being change in your life and-“

“God y/n! Stop apologizing!” Hoseok shouts. I avert my eyes to the ground, as this is my usual tactic when someone yells at me. I try not to think of my ex. 

I hear Hoseok apologize, low and slow. 

Then he says, quieter, “Look, I don’t hate you and I wish that you would stop apologizing for things that aren’t your fault. Let’s get this out of the way; we may not like each other but let’s try to get along for the boys’ sake. Does that sound okay?” 

I take a deep breath and nod. 

“Sure, Hoseok.”

He does a small smile for the first time at me and holds out his hand. 

“Getting along?”

I shake it. 

“Getting along.”

I was going to write more, but I thought it was better to end here! looks like y/n and hobi are finally going to maybe get along! what do you think of haneul? and stray kids, hwasa, and jackson cameo! much love y’all. have an amazing day or night wherever you are 🫶🏼🩷

[iluffyouxo]

hꪮᥒꫀᥡ ᥣꫀꪑꪮᥒ ᖯᥣᥲᥴk tꫀᥲ || jꫀꪮᥒ jᥙᥒgkꪮꪮk

방탄소년단 — jeon jungkook x black, female oc

It was a bright morning, almost nippy when the wind blew at a certain pace. The pavement glistened like a carpet of crushed diamonds in the early morning sunshine. Though, the few grey clouds that dotted the sky made a promise of rain later on in the day—and, if the weather report is reliable enough to go off of, that later would be sooner than noon.

However, despite those warnings, I decided to go on my Saturday morning walk to gain inspiration for my artwork.

I had been in a slump for months now and, if I’m being honest with myself, it’s mostly due to my poor life balance between school, work and my own sanity. So, maybe a long walk through campus will do me some good…hopefully.

“Kyoko? What’re you doing out here so early?”

A familiar voice and a pair of steps sounded from behind me. “Zenni and Chae Yeong? Hey!” I smiled as my two closest friends walked up to me in cropped hoodies and sweats. “I’m going on a walk, and you?” Zenni smiles back at me, “Same here.”

“It’s too pretty of a morning not to,” Chae Yeong finished, “How about we walk together?” I nod, “Yeah, that sounds fun.”

•

“So, have you seen him…?” Chae Yeong mumbles to us as if she’s telling the world’s darkest secret. I raise an eyebrow at her. “Seen who?” Zenni voices my thoughts.

“The new student? Jeon Jungkook?”

My eyes grow wide and I gasp, “No way. The Jeon Jungkook…? Nope…never heard of him.” I chuckle as Chae Yeong huffs and slaps my arm. “I’m being serious Kyoko!”

“Okay, so who’s this ‘Jeon Jungkook’ you speak of?” Zenni asks between amused snickers. Chae Yeong’s eyes sparkle as she begins to explain.

“I first met him in Professor Mae’s class. She was in the middle of explaining our social marketing project when he ran in panting and apologizing. And he sat down next to Bin Mi-Gyeong, lucky bitch. He has dark hair, a tattoo sleeve and wears all black. From what I gathered he’s a gamer on YouTube from Busan with over twelve million subscribers and eight million followers on Instagram. He curates at least one point two million likes between both platforms almost every day—Instagram, of course, gaining the most the fastest.”

Chae Yeong pulls out her phone and shoves it into our faces, my eyes forced to see a rather aesthetically pleasing Instagram page of an almost bunny looking, doe eyed boy.

“And he’s talented at everything he does. Just name it! Dance, singing, drawing, photography, boxing! He’s good at it all!”

I cross my arms. “And you just found out all of this…today?” The brunette only nods as she begins scrolling through the guy’s pictures—of which I’m sure she’s done a million times in the past hour.

“Come to think of it, I have heard of him,” Zenni starts, “Frankie Lennox was gossiping about him to her group of friends in class yesterday.”

“He just got here and he’s already making a fuss? I dunno if I’mma like this Jungkook guy,” I grumble. Chae Yeong just waves me off. “Oh, please, you say that now. But, wait until you see him. He missed most of his classes yesterday, but you share all of his morning courses.” Zenni laughs, “Be sure to say hi to him for me.” I roll my eyes, “Whatever.”

•

“Bak Yong, is that him? The one everyone’s been gawking over?” She sends me a dirty look but nods before returning back to her schoolwork.

Truthfully, I couldn’t help but to feel a bit curious. The boy had been the talk of the town lately. He and his friend, Bak Jimin, were rising in fame at the school rapidly. It was almost scary how far looks alone could get you. That’s definitely something I could never relate to. I sigh. “Someone like him would totally end up with someone like Zenni or Chae Yeong…maybe even Yoko.”

Yoko was my younger sister of two years. But, even so, I seemed like the youngest. She was more beautiful and more talented than I ever was. And it had always been that way. Though, I had never been jealous of her…I could only ever be proud of her accomplishments. Proud of the fact that she had never ended up like me.

In a weird way, I guess that makes me kind of pathetic.

•

Another day had passed and I found myself in my pajamas eating ramen with Zenni and Chae Yeong. “You saw him today, right?”

“For damn near five hours.”

“What was your reaction?” I sigh, “I only thought of how he would be a perfect match for Yoko.”

There was a long pause after that (the only sound cutting the silence was the slurping of my noodles).

“Yoko? Why do you think so highly of her?” Zenni questions, and I could hear the faint trace of frustration in her voice. I shrug. “I’m just proud of who she’s become. I am her older sister after all.” Chae Yeong growls, “You know she doesn’t think the same of you.” I only shrug again. “What does that matter? She’s better than me in every way…and that’s okay.”

“And do you really think that?” Zenni raises an eyebrow at me. I nod. “Of course, why wouldn’t it be?” I smile at her before looking down at the empty broth of my cup noodles.

It is okay, right?

•

“Now that I’ve explained your semi-finals project, I’ll be calling out the groups I chose. Since the class is uneven, there will be one team of three. Sītú Chan-juan and Kim Nabi, Ahn Min Jeong and Cha Ga Eul, Jeon Jungkook and Kangjeon Kyoko, Seok Nari and Asaki Luan—“

The world sat still for a moment. Everything went mute. And I could only focus on the fact that Professor Nam had just announced that Jeon Jungkook was my art project partner.

I could practically feel the hundreds of jealous eyes burning holes into every side of my head. I gulp.

I am so dead.

“Bak Yong, Bak Jimin and Seonghun Min. Please, go sit next to your partners. These will be your new assigned seats for the remainder of the year since you will have the same partners for the finals. Get started when you’re ready and remember to have fun, okay?”

“Yes, ma’am!”

The months of effort I put in to ignore him just so I could avoid a situation such as this one went down the drain as soon as Jungkook sat down in what was once Bak Yong’s seat. I groan, “What a disaster.”

“What’s a disaster?” He blinked at me with innocent eyes and a cheerful grin. “Hi, I’m Jungkook, nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” I mumble. “Kyoko.”

“So, you’re Yoko’s older sister, huh?”

At the mention of Yoko’s name I sit up straight in my seat and turn all the way to face him. “You know Yoko?” He nods. “Yeah, we’re close friends. She told me that you think the world of her so, mentioning her would get me on your good side. You’re really scary and cold, did you know that?”

I glare at him. “How do you know Yoko?”

“She’s a really popular singer on YouTube these days. We met playing Among Us during a livestream with some mutual friends.” I purse my lips, “Well, if you’re good enough to be Yoko’s friend then, I guess you’re okay.”

“She said you’d say that, too…but, she doesn’t speak very highly of you.” I shrug. “So? Anyways, let’s get working on the project.”

•

A week. An entire week has past since I became Jungkook’s desk mate and project partner.

An entire week of threats and bullying. An entire week of bloody fights and teacher conferences.

An entire week of no motherfucking peace.

And yet Jungkook sat in front of me with the most carefree smile and, truly, wholeheartedly, I wanted to deck him in his pretty face so damn bad. But, instead, I grind my teeth together and continue searching for a reference for the portrait we decided to work on.

“Kyoko…?” His voice is soft as he murmurs my name. I glance up at him. “Yeah?”

“Can I…use you as reference for the portrait?” He’s shy as he asks. It really made me want to punch him even more.

“Why? Just use Yoko,” I reply dismissively.

“But, I—“

I glare at him.

“I wanna draw you.”

I sigh and sip my coffee. What the hell for? Though, as I continue to stare at him, I couldn’t bring myself to voice my thoughts. “Alright, fine, but don’t be upset with me when the painting gets ruined.”

And in turn his infamous bunny smile is directed at me as a faint blush dusts his cheeks. “Thanks.”

•

At some point honey lemon black tea—that and iced coffee—became my favorite drink to sip on while perfecting my art skills. And I had shared my newly found obsession with Chae Yeong, Zenni, Yoko and Jungkook.

It wasn’t long before him and I began sharing one cup with two straws of the sourly sweet flavored tea as he sketched me in his notebook more times than I cared to remember and as I sketched out different backgrounds for the easel.

“Y’know…you’re really pretty, Kyoko.”

“Stop mumbling nonsense.”

Jungkook had also become a lot more bolder and a lot more frequent when it came to voicing his nonsensical thoughts. Which, more or less, were compliments directed at me.

“But, it’s not nonsense. I really think so,” he continued confidently.

I put down my pencil with a sigh. “You don’t have to lie to me to get on my good side, Jungkook, I already like you.”

The ravenette blinks harshly at me before his nose scrunches up disapprovingly, “You can’t even tell a compliment from an insult. Does everyone really think that lowly of you?” I only shrug. “When you have the most perfect and beautiful younger sister, you’re kinda always compared. And…I’m okay with that.”

It’s silent for a moment too long, and I think the conversation is over, when he lets out a frustrated groan.

“I know we’ve known each other for barely a month now but, I’ve known your sister for two years and I think that—“ He cuts himself off, his face flushing a potent bright red. I raise an eyebrow at him, a gesture that he continue his sentence.

“…I think you’re more worth it than she is.”

“Worth what?” I breathed.

“Everything that she has and more.”

I glance up at him for a while. Trying to grasp onto every word he’s stated. I’m worth that much to him? That thought alone caused me to smile at him. “Whatever,” I chuckle, “Just get back to work.”

I pick up my pencil again, ready to begin drawing, when his next words caused me to drop it on the floor and abruptly stand up from my chair, “I like you, Kyoko.”

My fists begin to quiver as I glare down at him. “Alright, dude, you can stop now. Do you really think I’m that gullible? I can’t believe you.”

I hastily grab my things and rush out of the main campus library. “What an idiot,” I huff.

•

I didn’t see him for the next few days after that. We occasionally sent pictures of our progress to the project and some times, every now and then, he’d send a voice memo of him singing American slow jams.

Other than that…the weekend was quite boring.

“It hasn’t even been a month since we started talking to each other, do you think he actually likes me?” I voice my thoughts to Zenni as she smacked on some cereal she had ordered from abroad. Chae Yeong was in her room cussing out some poor fella on her team in Apex.

“Kyoko…he’s liked you far longer than that,” Zenni speaks as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “What the hell makes you say that?”

“He came up to us not too long before your project began, asking us if you hated him and if there was a way to make sure you two became partners. He said that Yoko gave him a misinterpreted version of yourself and that you’re the exact opposite of who she said you were.”

“It sounds as if Yoko is jealous of you,” Chae Yeong interjects. “She wanted to make sure Jungkook never liked you. Guess that backfired.”

Chae Yeong turns around from where she had been rummaging through the fridge. “So, are you gonna call him?” She takes a sip of her beer before heading back inside her room.

•

The phone rang once…twice…, “Hello? Kyoko?”

My breath hitches at the sound of his voice. This is the first time we’ve spoken on the phone. I clear my throat. “D’you wanna go to the gaming basement with me?”

I hear him take in a quick breath before humming. “Uh…yeah, sure. That sounds fun.”

“Yeah? Okay. Does around twelve sound good?”

He hums again. “Yeah, that’s fine. C’ya then.”

•

Somehow, in the middle of playing COD, his lips met mine after a well-deserved victory. “You didn’t push me away,” he breaths. I chuckle, “Don’t worry, I thought about.” I sit back in my seat and hum. “But, you’re a damn good kisser, Mr. Jeon.”

He blinks, shocked by my bluntly honest answer, “Really? Well—uh—thanks.”

I lean in close with a small grin, poking his nose, “Lemme kiss you again, okay?” Jungkook begins coughing with wide eyes and leans away. “Eh!? You can’t just say stuff like that Kyoko!” I laugh, “Why not? I liked it so, naturally, I’d wanna do it again.” I lay my head on the table and grab his hand.

“I kinda like you…I wanna kiss you more than once.” Being so honest was foreign to me, however, I didn’t mind it all that much.

After getting over his initial shock Jungkook laid his head down next to mine. “Then, do me a favor—“ he pecks my lips, “—become my girlfriend.” I hum. “Sure, why not? I’d be doing you a favor.” He chuckles and grips my hand back, “Yeah, you would be.”

•

“WHAT? He’s your boyfriend now!?” Chae Yeong yells in my face. She squeezes my shoulders. “The progress happened so quickly!”

“Yeah, it did,” I smile to myself.

It was a cloudy morning as Chae Yeong and I walked around campus. We were meeting up with Zenni and Jimin (who had began dating not too long ago) at our local coffee shop Honey Lemon. Kind of an ironic name. “Kyoko!”

I perk up at the voice that beckoned me. “Kookie.”

Chae Yeong waves happily at him as his steps sync with ours. “Heading to the cafe?” He grabs my hand and intertwines our fingers. I nod. “Yeah.”

“Then, let’s go together.”

I grin, “Mmmm. Yeah, let’s go.”

“You guys are such love birds,” Chae Yeong cackles, “But, I totally called it.”

[eber-moren]

Howdy ho! Been a while, huh XD

Just a small update for now.

I’ve been thinking a lot (I mean, it’s all I really do lmao). The topics vary, but one of them that appears often in the future. To be completely honest, much of it is doubt that I’ll continue my creative endeavors throughout university. There’s little incentive to keep going other than self-motivation, as I only draw my own characters for a world and story that few might ever get to actually see. The minuscule amount of people who really acknowledge that I exist doesn’t provide incentive to continue the project, so I’ve been running on my own wish to make something worth people’s time someday.

The issue is that when I go to university, what will become of creativity might not be what I would prefer. Considering the chance that I might be swamped, I could end up dropping the arts to do my schoolwork.

If I did feel a stronger reason to keep going, I could maybe improve enough river time to make a worthwhile story, but k never really got that chance lol

Okay, so that garbage aside, what have I been up to? Two things: making at least a half-decent redesign and experimenting with background.

So that’s pretty much it since I’m super tired. See ya soknfffh

[le-amewzing]

attuned

Yet another fic in which Jake gets to be the third wheel again. X'DDD

Fic: "attuned" [FFN] [AO3]

Pairings/Characters: Jake Madden & Hartley, pre?onesided?Hartley/Amy Madden

Rating: K

Words: ~710

Additional info: friendship, humor, romance, 3rd person POV

Summary: While studying together, Hartley's phone goes off. Jake's got a few questions about her choice of ringtones.

      Jake frowned at his open notebook and reached across the table to tap the end of his pencil against Hartley's open textbook. "Hey, did you copy down yesterday's diagram in chemistry? I thought I got all of it, but I swear I'm missing some molecules…"

      Hartley nodded and slid her notes his way. "Flip to the yellow paper clip in the middle."

      "You have got to be the most organized person in this school," Jake remarked, flipping to the aforementioned section with ease.

      Hartley chuckled. "Ha, organized. Yep. Th-That's me."

      He quirked an eyebrow at his friend at the stutter in her sentence, but—

      "…aMIEEE, what you wanna do~? I think I could stay with you, for a while, maybe longer—"

      "HOLY CR—!" Hartley yelped, jumping out of her skin at the sudden interruption. It came from deep inside her backpack on the chair beside her in the school library. She yanked the main compartment open and sent her backup pencil pouch flying until she got to her cellphone and silenced the noisy device.

      Jake, in the meantime, dodged the flying pencil pouch, caught it, and set it on their study table between their schoolwork. When Hartley zipped her bag back up and faced him, he settled her with a concerned look.

      "Well, that's enough excitement for the day. After all, nothing's more important than studying!"

      He raised an eyebrow at that. "Hartley, chill. Don't forget we have a substitute librarian today, so you won't be flambéed for making a little noise in here right now."

      She blinked at him and peeked around the closer book stack to check. When no one came running to tell her off or worse—haul her off to the principal's office—Hartley heaved a sigh of relief.

      "But I'm definitely wondering about that ringtone. Is that an actual song?"

      Curiously, Hartley turned raspberry red. "I, um. It is. It's called 'Amie,' actually—'Amie' for Amy." She froze. "But, uh, that's not spelled the same way as Amy's name, you see, it's with an 'e' and it's an old song. I don't even really listen to the group; my grandma does. But! I like the song anyway, and—"

      Jake stared the longer Hartley babbled about the song, but he made note of her odd reaction and tucked his observation away for later. He shook his head, which helped Hartley screech to halt. "All right, so what do you have the rest of us set to?"

      She relaxed at his question and even laughed, back to her usual sunny self. Hartley unzipped her backpack once more and dug out her phone, unlocking it and digging into her settings. "You Maddens are a tricky bunch," she admitted. "I haven't settled on one for Colby yet, but your dad—" She tapped a button on her screen, and an ominous "dun-dun-DUNNN!" growled from her speakers.

      Jake shared in her grin. "That fits Dad."

      "He's a big bad villain, after all," Hartley whispered.

      "He likes to think he is," Jake corrected. "He's happier when he's holed up, inventing new stuff. Half his stuff never sees the light of day—not very villain-y of him." He motioned to her phone with his chin, their study session long forgotten. "All right, so you've settled on a sound effect for Dad. What about Mom?"

      Hartley scrolled down and tapped a different selection. The little zzzt reminded Jake of a bug zapper, and Hartley shrugged, her grin smaller this time. "A reference to her powers. After all, it's hard to find music for all your names."

      Jake nodded.

      "Although, I came close with you?"

      He furrowed his brow.

      But Hartley was all bright eyes and that big smile as she opened up her music app. "Yeah, there's a band called Less Than Jake, so I picked one of their songs and set it as your ringtone." Without prompting, she played a sample of the rock–jazz hybrid that…frankly, Jake couldn't wrap his head around.

      So…

      His parents got sound effects, Colby was undecided, Jake got a less-than-stellar band reference…and Amy got a song practically named for her.

      Jake groaned and returned to copying a bewildered Hartley's chemistry notes, mumbling to himself about Amy receiving special treatment yet again….

Well, jeez, Jake, they are best friends…! ;D That bit of Amy's ringtone on Hartley's phone rly is the chorus from Pure Prairie League's song, "Amie," tho; every now and then, it gets stuck in my head, and thinking about it this time made me smile when I thought about Hartmy in the same moment, *lol*. (The song is smthg of a love song in the soft/country rock genre, so Hartley's deffo crushing hard here, if it ain't requited. XD) Poor Jake, tho, the friend having to deal with/watch his friend and sis be so them yet again (ngl, I wanted to write smthg happier after "a taste of your own medicine"); altho the band Less Than Jake is v much real—I was thinking of the song "Lie To Me" off their 2020 album, Silver Linings. Also Easter egg at the beginning: His comment on Hartley's organization skills is a laugh for those of us who remember the ep with her bedroom. XDDD Final thoughts… Well, I've been writing for a long time and have seen trends come and go in fic, and lemme just say: This felt like writing a songfic without writing a songfic, *lol*. But 'twas fun!

Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave an anon/unsigned review via the FFN link or comment via the AO3 link at the top of the post, especially if you enjoyed this!

~mew

[yuuniee]

♦️ Oh, This Bitter-Sweet Flavor..! 🌸

A/N: Since Masterchef Cater and Rook was dropped, and the event has ended, I wanted to share this. It was in my drafts, but since I was busy with my schoolwork, it took me longer than I anticipated... Anyway, enjoy your reading!!

C/W: None! Just tooth rotting fluff with a little bit angst sprinkled~

Taglist: @kreldeprince @glowingsleepystarry @helplessnight

Renée had been applying to judge ever since this masterchef event had started. She wanted to taste everyone’s cooking... Though it was out of pity, she gave honest comments with tiny suggestions at the end while smiling at them. It was his turn, Cater’s turn, to join masterchef courses. She knew that he would join either to actually learn how to cook, or for Magicam. She closed her eyes as she sat on the table with ease, wondering how the current contestants make a work of art at the moment. She closed her eyes as she waited patiently, looking around with her usual smile, wondering when the food would arrive as the other judges, Kalim and Vil, made their arrival.

Not long after, the food arrived on the table. She took out her fork and took a bite elegantly. It was delicious alright, but the pasta was saltless and the fries were a bit more crispy. But overall, it was good. She ate all of it while she looked at them, and raised a sign.

“A six..?!” She saw Cater mouth as he looked at Rook, who was also surprised.

As soon as it was her turn to say something, she sighed and smiled at them.

“I believe the pasta was a bit saltless. I took it you forgot to add?” She said, looking at both of them, “...And the fries were a bit too crispy. Oh, please do not get me wrong! I do not really lower points for minor mistakes such as these! ...But overall, it is still a good meal... I enjoyed it quite a lot, ehehe~”

She noticed them whispering at each other.

“...Thanks for your effort, you two...”

“What we did not expect was that you gave us too much points, Dame Observer.” Rook chuckled and whispered, “...We both appreciate it.”

“That’s right, Renée~ You gave us so many points from the start that we were kinda baffled!”

...As they left to go to the kitchen again, she could feel Vil’s gaze on her. She shuddered for a moment as she collected herself, and noticed that her cheeks felt like they were burning up.

“Is it really that bad that I gave too many points as a judge..?” She mumbled as she fidgeted her fingers.

— — —

It was now the second time she came as a judge. This time, she was with Lilith and Ian, her fellow Ramshackle members. She sat on the chair as she tapped her fingers on the table in excitement.

“Hey, what are you so excited for?! It is only some tasting and stuff!” Lilith, who was sitting beside her, scolded her, “It’s not that exciting..”

“Well, to me it is! You get to taste others' cooking and how well they did!” Renée chimed, “...Besides, I don’t think I have seen you being selected as a judge before... Is there any reason you applied for this?”

“Probably because of Rook.” Ian, who was sitting beside Lilith, replied in awe, “...We all know how much she talks about ‘that eccentric monkey’, right?”

“I-Ian, do not DARE to spit a sickening lie about me! I have told you a thousand times already, I do NOT like him!” Lilith glared at Ian, who was smiling innocently.

“Fufu~ Lilith Aries Fontana, in love with Rook Hunt, how scan-- Oh, my! Be careful~!” Renée smirked at the girl with two toned hair as she got punched on the shoulder lightly.

“Rook and Lilith, under a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” Ian chuckled as he too, was punched on the shoulder shortly after.

“You two will be the death of me, I swear...” She grumped as she looked to the side as Renée giggled, “...There is someone other than me who refuses to admit they are in love though...”

“So you do admit it!” Renée chimed again as she threw her hair back.

“Uhh, no I don’t!” She stared at her with anger.

“Wait, who is that person?” Ian asked as he looked at Lilith as well.

“The one who refuses to admit? None other than Little Miss Renée, of course!” She grinned as she looked at the person in question, who was now looking like she was glued in place with pink tinted cheeks.

“Okay, I admit that the way I feel towards Cater is different than the way I feel towards other people, but that doesn’t really mean I’m in love.” She blurted out, “We are in a school for Christ’s sake..!”

“But if what you feel is not love, then... why are your cheeks pink, Renée?” Ian curiously asked as a smile tugged his lips.

“...I really don’t know if it’s love...” She mumbled as she looked at the ceiling, “But it feels.. strange. I feel like I’m under a spell... Do you think he put a spell on me?”

“A spell? Suuuuuure~” Lilith smirked as she seated herself as well as Ian did, “Sure you are. You are totally not in love with this ginger from Hearts dorm~”

“Shhh, keep your voice down! They’ll hear us!” Renée lightly sneered back as she heard footsteps coming towards their direction, causing Lilith to grin and Ian to chuckle.

Here they come, act natural.. She thought to herself as she sighed and tried to stop her cheeks from going red.

“Well then, let us get started.”

— — —

“Rennie, everyone.. Gimme a moment please!” Cater stopped as they were about to eat their meals. He grabbed the ketchup bottle and began to add ketchup to the pasta. He drew a flower on their pastas, but the one he drew on Renée’s was a little different. It was but a simple rose, and he had drawn a small heart near it. Then he took out his phone, much to Lilith’s dismay, and took a picture of them.

“Here you go, enjoy your meals~☆” He beamed as he went back to Rook’s side, who was smiling at him.

“I didn’t know you’ve had such an artistic side, Monsieur Magicam.” He whispered.

“I just wanted their meals to look cute,” He replied with a smile, “I think it kinda does.”

“It does, of course. Especially Dame Observer’s.” He said, his smile turning into a smirk.

“W-well, you see...” Cater sputtered for a moment, but then spoke again, “...Nevermind.”

— — —

As they tasted the food again, she noticed that it was even better than the first time.

Ah! They seem to have improved a lot..! It tastes like something out of heaven!!

She closed her eyes as she savored her bite, and finished her plate with a smile. Her eyes were sparkling as she raised her sign; a solid ten.

Lilith also raised her sign; a seven.

Ian, who also gave ten, stood up and bowed his head.

“It’s so delicious! Thank you for the meal!” He yelled as his brown eyes sparkled and he smiled at them.

“Pas de problème, Monsieur Hibou. That is what we are here for.” Rook replied as he smiled back at him.

Cater was now smiling from one ear to another, along with Rook smiling as well. Why was Cater smiling like that? Who really knows~?

—— (After Masterchef) ——

.

.

.

“Rennie~!” A voice chimed as the owner of it walked to the prefect who was sitting under a tree.

“Ah, Cater..! I see you are back from the Masterchef course, how did it go?” She smiled at him while fidgeting her fingers.

“It went quite well, if you ask me... But the potatoes... It’s kinda hard to make a dish with them. You gotta make sure they’re washed, peeled and cooked well, or else the meal won’t be delicious... and totes not Magicam worthy!..” He let out a chuckle as he sat beside her, “What about you? Did you miss Caycay~?”

“Well, I kind of missed your presence. It is rather.. calming... to me, at least.” She said as she took out something from her bag and gave it to him, “...You must be hungry, though. I only have one sandwich left, which I saved for you. But no potatoes, I promise!”

“...Rennie, you are the best!” Cater beamed as he eagerly snatched it out of her hand and unfolded the paper bag. Inside of it was nothing more than a sandwich with a thick slice of well made steak, some greens and onions. As soon as he took a bite out of it, his green eyes sparkled with amazement.

“Th-that’s amazing..!” He looked at her with awe with his mouth full.

“...Thanks, Cater...” Her cheery tone dropped a bit as she stared at the clouds with a forced smile.

“Renée... A-are you alright..?” He anxiously asked as he looked at her, swallowing his bite.

“Why, of course I am... It’s just...” She looked away, and then down to her feet and asked, “...Would you like me to share a secret with you?”

“I share a bit with you, so... I really wouldn’t mind getting to know you a bit better~♪” He beamed as he got closer to her.

“...I actually know a lot of things about cooking, that’s why I’m not joining as a contestant, but as a judge...” She looked down, “...My mother was the one who put me in an all inclusive cooking course when I was in middle school. She wanted me to cook perfectly, so she would make me practice for hours. Even in the minor mistakes, she would yell at me... She would tell me what I had forgotten to do, or what I was supposed to do...”

Cater, who was beaming earlier, now looked at her with wide eyes as he listened to her talk.

“...Whether it was saltless, sauceless, or even without any garniture... I would get yelled at either way...” She sighed as her smile returned, “...But, if you like it, you can gladly have it! I mean, it’s all in the past, right? I can leave it behind, I’m a strong girl after all! I can understand everything, I can solve everything, I can be perfect at everything! I can--”

“...That’s enough, I understand...” Cater cut off her sentence as he pulled her in his arms, the paper bag with the sandwich inside now resting beside them.

“Cater..?” She stuttered as she looked at him with wide and watery eyes.

“...You don’t really have to be perfect at everything, you know?” He said while looking at the sky, “I know your mom wanted you to be perfect and all, you were the one who told me after all... But even so, nobody can be perfect... Some people can be perfect just the way they are.”

“B-but...” She sniffled as she trembled, “...But doesn’t that mean I... I will never be able to be perfect..?”

“Like I said earlier, nobody is perfect. Everyone and everything has flaws...” He closed his eyes, “...I think you should try embracing them.”

“...That will make me cry though...” Her lips trembled as she looked away while muttering it, which Cater clearly heard.

“...You said that your mom also told you that crying is pathetic before, right..?” He grabbed her chin and looked her in the eyes, “I don’t really think so…”

As soon as he finished his sentence, he noticed that the girl was sobbing already. He slid a hand to her back and pat her until she was better.

“Shhh, there there...” He muttered as he hugged her tighter, “...Cry here all you want... Nobody’s gonna call you pathetic here…”

(• • •)

After he comforted her, Renée looked up at Cater’s face, nose and cheeks tinted in a heavier shade of pink as her blue eyes were teary and her cheeks wet.

I screwed up... Why couldn’t I hold myself back for a while longer?! She thought to herself while taking out a tissue to wipe her tears and runny nose. After doing so, she looked away as she opened her mouth to mutter an apology. But Cater was quicker, and he grabbed her head and lightly pressed it against his chest.

“C-Cater...” She said while slowly wrapping her arms around his torso. Then she put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

“You are way too precious for this world, Renée...” He muttered as he closed his eyes as well, relaxing himself at the sounds of two birds happily singing and students chattering in the background.

“Cater...” She spoke up as she looked at him, head still on his shoulder, “...You are always by my side whenever I need you... You never fail to make me smile... I wonder if I’m helping you as much as you do to me...”

He froze up for a moment as he remembered that moment he finally decided to open up to her.

“...I had no idea that you were entirely a different person...” I heard you mutter. I knew it, you are definitely gonna hate me...

I look at your shocked face, but I can’t really read your expression. I don’t know how you feel... Oh, if you wouldn’t have pressured me to get to ‘know me better’... m-maybe you wouldn’t... wouldn’t know what kind of person I really am...

“...It’s fine with me though...”

...What?!

“I still think you are cool either way, ehehe~”

Don’t... Don’t do this to me...

“Caycay, Cater, Cater Diamond... All are the same person... but in different names...”

I feel your arms wrap around me... You always hug people like that, don’t you..?

“I don’t really mind if you are not who you seem like... Not like it will make you feel better, but still... That’s all I can do myself...”

...That’s all I ever wanted...

Why are you so sweet, so loving to me..?

...Strange, I feel so.. fuzzy..? I feel like I’m more drawn into you right now... It’s scary...

I close my eyes as I let myself sink into your embrace...

“...I care about you a lot, you know?”

I can feel you pat my head while I tear up... But you don’t let me go... Instead, I feel you kiss my head while my sobs turn into a cry...

“I-I-- ...I... It’s okay, I’m here for you, Cater...”

...You have no idea what you are doing to me...

“...Thank you...”

I manage to let that out before I cry more... You comfort me with that gentle smile, though…

Cater looked at her as he kissed her head like she did back then.

“You do help me more than you think~♪” He beamed as he looked at her in the eyes, and smiled —for the first time, from the bottom of his heart— then pat her head, “...Your little gifts, your smile, your hold... Everything you do feels so good~♪”

She hesitantly looked away for a moment, then she turned her gaze to him again.

“You are being too humble...” She breathed out as she tucked a strand of her hair and mumbled, “...I don’t really deserve compliments like this...”

He let out a chuckle, “You deserve all the best things!.. To me, at least~”

“N-no...”

“Oh yeah? Well, your nose and cheeks are flushed from crying... You look like a bunny.”

“H-hey, that’s--”

“It’s kinda cute though~♪” He smiled at her again, “...Too cute, honestly...”

Her face flushed as she flicked his forehead, and huffed while looking away.

“E-excuse you, Mister ‘I-know-it-all’!” She puffed as she let him go and sat beside him.

“...Hey, if you wanna have a talk like this again, I’ll gladly listen to you. Okay?” He pat her head as he took the paper bag with the sandwich in it to his lap.

“...I’ll try not to bother you too much though...” She replied with a nervous smile while looking at the cloudy sky.

“Aww, you are never a bother to me!” He replied with a small smile.

“...I will try not to become one though...” She looked away with a pout as she hugged her knees.

“Whatever you say, Rennie~” He winked when he finished that sentence.

She let out a small giggle as she looked at Cater, her heartwarming smile returning again.

At that moment, both of them had thought the same thing.

(I think I’m in love...

🌸: ...But I really hope he feels the same way as I do...)

♦️: ...But I hope she likes me too…)

[kirakiraaa42]

Chapter I - Chance encounter

JANUARY 2023

THURSDAY

Seoul, South Korea

It was 2 pm in the afternoon, in a coffee shop. A certain young man is just sitting at his table, with an iced choco drink beside a pile of what seemed to be like schoolworks.

A certain woman was also in the coffee shop as well. She just finished dance practice with the other members of her group, and was feeling hungry after hours of doing routines and correcting some errors in the choreography.

After she grabs her coffee and doughnut from the counter, she notices the young man at his table. While holding the plate of doughnut and iced coffee, feeling bold, she comes up to the young man and tries to strike up a conversation with him.

"Hello! Is this seat taken?" The woman says, pointing at the empty seat next to him.

The young man looks up at the woman, and responds politely.

"Eh? Oh, uh... sure! Please sit down." The young man moves the empty seat slightly to give space to the woman.

"Thank you very much!" The woman then sits down beside the man, and responds back politely. A few seconds of awkwardness fills the air for a while.

While enjoying her iced coffee, the woman just looks around the coffee shop with her big, beautiful eyes. She then looks at the young man beside her, just doing his schoolworks.

"Hey!" She taps his shoulder lightly. "I see you've been busy."

The young man turns to her, and drops his pen for a while. "Oh, sorry... I was so caught up in my schoolwork that I forgot you were there, haha."

"It's okay! I know you're pretty hardworking and smart, just by looking at that pile of paper you got over there, hehe." The woman points to the pile of paper that the young man has on his table.

"Oh, by the way..." She brushes a few strands of her hair to the side so that the young man could see her glowing face. "I'm Momo. Hirai Momo." She offers her hand for him to shake, while looking at him with those big and beautiful eyes again.

The young man was a bit astounded at the woman's beauty. Though, he managed to be friendly and welcoming towards her, as he shook her hand. "Oh, you're Momo? From that K-pop girl group, TWICE?"

"Yes, I am Momo from TWICE. It seems you are already familiar with me, though! Are you ONCE?" She asks as she lets go of his hand.

The young man does the same. "Only familiar. But I'm not, like, a K-pop fan or something like that. I do listen to a few K-pop songs, but I'm not really like a die-hard fan, or "ONCE," as you may call it." He responds to her honestly.

Momo gives the young man a soft smile, realizing that he isn't ONCE, but she doesn't get disappointed at him for his honesty. "Oh, it's okay! It's good to know that there are some people out there who know us, even though they aren't fans."

Momo then widens her eyes, as she realizes she hasn't asked the young man's name yet. "Oh, sorry for being so impolite! By the way, what's your name?"

"Axelle. Axelle Hutchison is the name." The young man smiles at her softly.

"Ooh! Axelle! Your name sounds so cool." Momo says, with a smile. "So are you working, by the way? What have you been up to?"

Axelle looks at the papers on his table, answering Momo's question.

"Oh, it's schoolwork, haha. I have already done a lot for today. Especially those ones from the Finance subject, haha."

"Ah, you're a college student!" Momo nods. "So what course did you take up?"

"Business Administration, Entrepreneurship major. I want to become a businessman someday."

Momo nods, delighted to hear that the man she is talking to right now has ambitions in life. "That's really cool! What business do you wanna set up in the future?"

The young man thinks about it for a while... then he answers her question. "I don't know... maybe food or... shoes... I don't know... I'll probably think about it when I graduate in a few months..."

"That's all right! I'm sure you will be a great businessman someday!" Momo smiles at him sweetly, sipping her iced coffee.

"Thanks, Momo." Axelle nods at Momo, then he turns back to his paper, picking up his pen again and continues to jot down answers on his answer sheet.

After a few minutes of more talking, Momo then speaks up.

"Hey... soooo... do you have something to do later after?"

"No... why?" The Brit asked curiously.

"Well... I wanna introduce you to a fellow member of TWICE back at the JYP building. I want you to come with me... but if you're super busy at the moment, I understand." Momo says, with a soft smile. She really does want Axelle to come with her. It's still the first day that they have met, and yet she feels somewhat attached to him.

"Eh? I mean... I only have one work left to finish, and then I'll be free after... but why at your company's building, though?" Axelle asks.

Momo shrugs. She doesn't know why she would bring someone she just met at the JYP building, but she just wants to go along with it anyway. "I just... I don't know... I mean, I have found a new friend now... so why not introduce you to her?"

"But would they even allow guests at JYP?" Axelle asks.

"Of course they would. I'll be informing the staff of your visit once we refer to the front desk. Besides, I'm right here beside you, so there's no need to worry!" Momo says to Axelle with a soft smile, looking at him with her big, beautiful eyes. It has become a signature trait of her to charm people with her eyes now.

Even the young man was taken aback at this move again. But nonetheless, he is also curious to find out what it's like in the JYP building.

"Yeah, sure, I'll come along. Wait..." Axelle then picks up his things from the table, and puts them in the bag. "Let me just put these in the bag."

Once all of his things are kept inside the bag, Axelle then wears it, then he stands up. Momo does the same.

"Let's go, Axelle! I'll lead the way!" Momo then takes Axelle's hand, and leads him out of the coffee shop, and into the streets of Seoul.

While walking through the streets of Seoul, Axelle then looks at Momo while her hand is holding his. "This is just the first time that I have met a K-pop idol... yet I didn't expect her to be this friendly to me..." Axelle thinks to himself.

They stop at a pedestrian crossing, as soon as the signal shows the 'stop' symbol. Momo looks at Axelle, smiling at him, before turning her focus on the streets again.

"Wow... I mean she is pretty, I'm not going to lie..." Axelle thinks to himself again, looking at Momo.

She tilts her head, still looking at Axelle with those eyes. "Hey... why are you looking at me like that?" She giggles.

He shakes his head, looking away at her, trying not to think about Momo's beauty. "It's uh, nothing..."

The pedestrian signal shows the 'walk' symbol, and she holds Axelle's hand again, continuing to walk along the streets.

A few minutes later, the two arrive at the JYP Entertainment building. Axelle looks up at the building amazed. "Woah... that building is amazing. I mean it's not like really, really large, but at least that's what I think..."

Momo chuckles. "Hehe. You're so funny, Axelle. But yes, the building is amazing."

Momo then refers to the front desk to refer Axelle to the company as a visitor. After that, she leads Axelle into the entrance. He was mezmerized at the building's interior. There were a lot of staff walking in and out of the building. One of the staff was even greeting Momo as soon as she passed by.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Hirai..."

"Good afternoon to you, too!"

Then the two went up to the third floor through an elevator. They are about to enter the hallway leading to the practice room, where Momo and the other members would usually do the dance routine, or sometimes just hang out there.

As the two enter into the practice room, Axelle looks around with curiosity. "Whoa... this room is too big..."

"Welcome to the practice room, Axelle! And yes, it is big enough for the 9 of us to practice in, which is really helpful."

The other members who were just sitting on the sides, noticed Axelle coming into the practice room. To avoid awkwardness, Axelle then bows politely. The girls give a little wave at him.

One of the members, Jihyo, then goes near to Axelle. "Oh... who are you, mister?"

Momo notices Jihyo speaking to Axelle. But before Axelle could even show courtesy, Momo goes near the two.

"Oh! Sorry, Jihyo. This is Axelle, a new friend that I made!" Momo says excitedly.

"Hello. I'm Axelle Hutchison. Nice to meet you..." Axelle bows politely.

Jihyo nods, somewhat approving of Khlyd's politeness. "Nice to meet you Axelle! I'm Jihyo, the leader of TWICE! So what brings you here?"

"I-uh-"

Momo then interrupts Axelle before he could say anything. "I'm going to introduce Axelle to Nayeon. Where is she?"

"Nayeon? She's over there." Jihyo points to Nayeon, who is reading a magazine just in the corner.

As soon as Momo sees Nayeon, she beckons Axelle to come over. The two gather around her, and just stand there awkwardly.

Nayeon puts her magazine down on her lap, then looks up at Momo and Axelle. Nayeon was a bit surprised at the sight of Axelle standing there. To Nayeon, Axelle looked so much like a tall skyscraper just by looking up at him.

And that was exactly what she said.

"Woah... I thought I saw a skyscraper here..." Nayeon looks at Axelle, then she turns back to Momo. "Who is this guy?"

"Oh, Nayeon, this is Axelle! A new friend of mine. I thought I could introduce him to you!" Momo says, smiling at Nayeon.

"Hello... nice to meet you... uh..."

"Nayeon. Call her Nayeon-ssi, if you want to be more polite." Momo whispers to Axelle.

Axelle nods. He does the greeting again, now remembering Nayeon's name. "Hello. I'm Axelle Hutchison. Nice to meet you, Nayeon-ssi." He bows politely.

Nayeon softly smiles at Axelle's manners. "Hi, Axelle. Come sit down. I wanna talk to you two."

Momo sits beside Nayeon, while Axelle sits in front of them. Funnily enough, it feels like he's been interrogated by the police.

"So... you're Momo's new friend?" Nayeon folds her arms, saying in a stern, but a bit welcoming way, to not threaten Axelle (kind of).

"Yeah... we met randomly at a coffee shop, haha." Axelle says, and adds a slight chuckle to not make it awkward.

"So what happened? How did you two meet?" Nayeon turns to Momo.

"Well, I saw an empty seat beside him. I felt bold enough to ask him if I could sit beside him. Luckily, he let me, and then after a while, we then began to talk." Momo explains.

"Yeah. It was a random meeting, but I got to warm up to her eventually. It was a bit overwhelming at first because she suddenly just started to talk to me, haha." Axelle adds.

Momo chuckles at the thought of just suddenly talking to a random stranger that she just knew. "Yeah... I mean, I had to... because... you're pretty interesting to me, Axelle. I know we just met, but I think you're a really friendly guy, you know?" Momo then softly smiles at Axelle.

Axelle smiles back at Momo. "Thanks. I think you are a friendly person, too, Momo."

Nayeon looks at the two of them. She puts her hand on her cheek, signifying that she seems to be more intrigued about Axelle now.

"So, Axelle... what do you do currently, if I may ask?"

"Oh, I'm a foreign exchange student from the UK. I have been living here in Seoul for 5 years."

Nayeon nods. "That makes sense... your Korean is actually fluent. Not bad for someone who has lived here for 5 years."

(To reader, just assume they are speaking Korean right now. I mean they are speaking in Korean, but everything is just translated into English.)

"Thank you very much." Axelle bows politely again. "I am just trying my best to speak the language for the sake of communicating with other people here."

Nayeon then points out that Axelle is too polite, and just wants him to be a bit more casual now. "Hey, no need to be too polite, Axelle, haha. But I'm glad you were able to interact with the people here."

Nayeon then asks another question to Axelle. "So how did you end up here in Korea? Why did you decide to study here?"

"My Mum left me a house here in Seoul. She commissioned her Korean friend to build a house for me. Then Mum left me her fortune here. I was also taken care of by a neighbor here until I became 20 years old, and then I began to become an independent person."

Nayeon nods, seemingly interested at Axelle's story.

Momo then adds another question. "But Axelle... does your Mum provide for you? Like paying your college tuition and stuff like that?"

Axelle nods at Momo. "Yeah, she does. The remittance money is used for tuition. Then I usually get commissioned for designing shoes and other footwear as a sideline."

"Oh, so aside from being a student, you're also a freelance footwear designer... That's pretty cool!" Momo says with a smile. "I would love to see your designs someday, and hopefully buy your shoes that you designed."

Nayeon agrees with Momo's statement. "I agree. We probably need new kicks especially when we are practicing choreos."

Nayeon then switches topics, now looking at Axelle and Momo. "Okay, let's switch things up, shall we?"

She then turns back to Momo only. She still seems to be genuinely curious about Momo's sudden meeting with him. "Why did you randomly meet Axelle, Momo? Was it because he sparked your interest? Or... is there another... reason...?" She narrows her eyes teasingly.

Momo notices this, and then answers Nayeon's question. "Okay... let me clarify to you, Nayeon, and you too, Axelle..." She clears her throat, then she begins to tell her story.

She clears her throat, then she begins to tell her story.

"Prior to meeting Axelle... I have been seeing him everywhere around Seoul. When he's talking to other people... he was like, so sweet and so polite.  And I figured, 'why shouldn't I talk to him?' He just seems so genuine ... so caring,  and..."

Axelle blushes when he hears Momo complimenting him like this. He isn't used to receiving this much compliments from people.

"And... I don't know. I figured I should just be polite and friendly to him, and that's why... I... sat with him at that coffee shop..." Momo seems to be very shy now, indicated by her scratching her cheek softly with her index finger, and her blushing.

Nayeon smiles at the sight of both Momo and Axelle blushing, so she takes advantage of the situation and teases the two of them. "You two look really cute together! You'd make a really great couple, hehe."

Axelle and Momo look at Nayeon. Next, the two look at each other, and then look away, still blushing.

The man cleared his throat. "It's not like that, N-Nayeon-ssi..."

"Yeah, Nayeon... stop teasing us like that..." Momo gulped.

"Yeah, yeah, sure, you two, I am TOTALLY convinced that you aren't falling for each other now..." Nayeon says sarcastically, rolling her eyes at the two.

"No, we're not, we just met, though!" Momo and Axelle utter. They gaze at each other again after realizing they had both said something jointly, but then blush and turn their heads away. Nayeon's words indeed sank in.

"You two are just so cute to watch, haha!" Nayeon laughs whilst she claps.

Momo then looks down, as she fidgets her hands like a child. Axelle sees this, and then thinks to himself again. "Cute..."

The three continue to talk with each for a few hours more, until the dusk falls. It was then that Axelle would have to leave the practice room and go home, accompanied by Momo.

Before Axelle walks out the door, Nayeon then lightly taps his arm. "Hey, Axelle! I gotta tell you something." She then turns to Momo. "Turn around for a bit, Momo... I'm going to say something to Axelle first."

"Okay..." Momo then turns around.

"Bend over a bit, Axelle, you're too tall, haha!" Nayeon says to Axelle, because she can't reach his ear. Once he does exactly that, Nayeon then begins to whisper something to him.

"Take care of Momo for me, okay? Hehehe. Don't tell her what I said though."

Axelle widens his eyes as soon as Nayeon says that, which means that that exact sentence says something along the lines of "I ship you and Momo. You'd make a great couple."

Nayeon then giggles, then turns back to Momo. "Okay, Momo! You can turn around now."

Momo turned around and faced the blushing young man. "All right. Axelle, let's go?"

"Right. Lead the way, please."

Nayeon then waves at Axelle. "Nice meeting you, Axelle! See you!"

"You too, Nayeon-ssi." Axelle gives a little wave at Nayeon before turning front again, where Momo would lead him out of the practice room, all the way back to the exit of the JYP headquarters.

As soon as Axelle and Momo exit the building, they can easily notice that it is really now dusk, just by looking at the sun about to set.

Momo then stops, and she turns to Axelle who is right behind her. "Hey... soooo... you going home now?"

Axelle shrugs. "Probably. How about you, Momo?"

"Well, I... um..."

Axelle notices that Momo is looking down on the ground, exuding her shyness.

"Please do tell, Momo. I'm listening." Axelle says softly.

"I wanna hang out with you a bit more... I don't wanna go back inside the JYP building yet." Momo says.

Axelle looks at Momo for a few seconds, then he turns his head around, looking for a place so that they could hang out for a bit longer.

"Why don't we sit down at that bench over there?" Axelle points at a metal bench sitting not too far away from the JYP building.

It would be nearing sunset at this point. The two went to the nearby bench where they would just sit down and look at the view of the city while the sun was setting. Despite how awkward it was back there at the JYP practice room, Axelle and Momo managed to find comfort in each other in the short amount of time that they have known each other.

Axelle then begins to speak to Momo, looking at the sunset sky. "Sunsets are beautiful aren't they?"

"Yeah, I agree. Especially when combined with the view of the cityscape." Momo smiles, looking at the sunset as well.

The two just bask in the silence of their environment right now. There was nothing for them to talk about just yet.

Axelle notices a pigeon flying above them, and it was about to drop bird poo on Momo. When it did, he uses his fast reflexes and sharp eyes to catch the bird poo with his right hand.

"Hmmm? Axelle? What happened?" Momo asks him.

Axelle was hesitating to tell Momo what happened. He doesn't even move his hand.

That was when Momo smelt the stench of bird poo. "Axelle... do I smell..."

"Yeah, you are literally smelling it right now. The bird was about to... land a dropping on you. So... I- I caught it." Axelle is now feeling disgusted by the texture of the bird dropping on his hand. "Momo, please help me out. Do you... have a-"

"Yeah, I have tissues here in my purse. I also have sanitizer..." Momo grabs a sheet of tissue and sanitizer from her purse. "Just show me the hand with the thing on it..."

Axelle slowly puts his right hand down, then Momo puts sanitizer on it. With his left hand, he wipes the bird poo off his hand with the tissue, and throws it off the nearest bin with a perfect shot.

"Wow, that was a perfect shot, Axelle!" Momo claps her hands.

"I will never get over this moment..." Axelle sighs, rubbing his forehead in distress (He's using the left hand) "That bird dropping was the most disgusting I've ever felt in my life..."

"It's all right, Axelle. And I'm glad you saved me from that little mishap, haha." Momo lightly chuckles, but also feeling grateful for Axelle.

Axelle begins to smile sheepishly at Momo's comment. "I'm glad you had your sanitizer and tissue, so you basically saved me as well, haha."

Then the two continue to look back at the sunset sky, until it was almost evening. When the evening comes, he then begins to speak to Momo once more.

"I have to go home now, Momo... I guess I'll see you soon, then?"

"Me too. I have to go back to JYP and continue practicing. I'll see you soonest, Axelle."

The two give each other soft smiles, before they stand up from the bench and go their own separate ways. Axelle goes back to his house, while Momo goes back to the JYP headquarters to continue practicing with the other TWICE members.

9:00 PM

Axelle just took a little break after he had done the rest of his schoolworks. Laying his head on the cool surface of the table, he thought about what happened earlier, from meeting Momo, to seeing the sunset with her a few hours ago. The swirling memories that he had been retracing, lingered like it was the fresh, delicate scent of newly-cooked food.

"I should've gotten her number at least..." Axelle lightly taps the table with his knuckle. "She's... lowkey cute."

A gentle sigh escaped his lips as he said the words “lowkey cute”, which made the young man contemplate the image of her face that showed various emotions, from bold and brave to shy and cute. Even the lighting on his room seemed to match what he felt this almost silent night. 

Even if he hadn't gotten her number, he hoped he might see her again by chance.

9:00 PM

Momo has finished practicing with the other members of TWICE. She has already showered, the confines of her dorm room waiting for her as she got ready for bed. But before she could even drift off to sleep, she began to think about what happened earlier, when they sat on that bench under the setting sun. 

Fate brings people together. A simple and peculiar saying, yet it tells a thousand interpretations. That was what Momo believed in, and that saying significantly deepened her belief even more as she reflected on what happened on this glorious day. Despite living the glamorous spotlight of stardom, she had found peace and comfort with Axelle, hoping that it would be the same when she would meet him again.

"He's someone I would definitely hang out with..." Momo thought to herself, the bedside lamp illuminating her red face. "He's... dreamy..."

She had envisioned the possibility of meeting him again, while also wondering why he hadn't gotten her number, which she had expected to happen. But that wasn't even a big deal in the least, because she upheld the concept of fate.

Their thoughts went vastly beyond even the boundaries of their distance between each other, reaching out across the well-lit streets. Staring at their own ceilings, they separately began to think out loud, hearts beating with anticipation, a smile forming on their lips.

"I want to see her again, she is an interesting person, an amazing one at that."

"I want to see him again, he is one of the sweetest people that I have met..."

TO BE CONTINUED

[sharons11]

The art of letting go: Learning to release what no longer serves you

We've all heard that we should move on from certain situations in our lives. Whether it be from a romantic relationship or an unfortunate event, but what do you think moving on is? How do you know that you've moved on from that moment in your life? Well, moving on is often used to tell the person to let go or to get over that situation that has happened to them. Moving on varies per person and how they perceive it; it applies to many situations also.

Moving on is an essential aspect of personal growth and development. It is the process of letting go of past experiences, emotions, and relationships that no longer serve our best interests. One of the primary benefits of moving on is that it allows us to gain closure and find peace of mind. When we hold onto past hurt and resentment, it can consume us and prevent us from moving forward in life. By letting go and moving on, we free ourselves from the negative emotions that hold us back and allow ourselves to embrace new opportunities and experiences.



"Bestfriend to Strangers"

It's been a long time since I asked my friend if he remembered the days when we didn't think of any problems. He's been my friend since 2018, and we always play basketball, but one day my friend's parents decided to go to the province. He said they went on vacation and could visit their relatives there, and he made new friends there, but he still hasn't forgotten me because we always talk on Facebook. It's been a few years since they returned to the province, and until now, he still doesn't see his friend. When we talk sometimes, he tells us that he has new friends. and I accept that we may not meet again.

And there are times where we apply our process of moving on from our little crushes.

"Destined to meet but not for each other"

 When I was young, I had a childhood crush on someone who I had a crush on from grade 4 to grade 11. I liked him because he was neat, smart, and had a goal in life. I had hope every time he gave a mixed signal with what he was doing. Then one day I realized that we are not meant for each other because I feel that I cannot agree with him on what he wants to do in life. Then that day, I started avoiding him. I find something to do that makes me busy so that I don't go out of our house so that I don't see him. And when I go out, I avoid him, and then I stop myself if I rely on him. I find it better knowing I can get away from him. The pandemic is also a big help because I also chatted with other men, so my attention is no longer focused on him. Then one day, when I was no longer with him, I felt like I had no use for him anymore; I felt like I had moved on even though we weren't together. I was just being too assuming in the part where I was relying on his mix signal.

Sometimes we get past the crush stage and date people; that's when the unfortunate happens and the happy moments end.

"Me first before You"

At first, I felt lost and alone. I had spent so much time focusing on my relationship with K that I had lost touch with myself. But slowly, I began to rebuild my life. I started spending more time with friends, focusing on my schoolwork, and pursuing my hobbies. Looking back on my experience with K, I realized that sometimes the only way to move on is to let go of what's holding you back. It's not always easy, but it's necessary for growth and healing. And sometimes, when we let go of what's not meant to be, we open ourselves up to something even better.

And some things aren't even in our control; sometimes it just happens.

"Hardwork"

The hardest thing for me to move on from is when I got a 75 grade in one of my subjects. I was in 11th grade at that time. I already mentioned this on our vlog, but I'm still going to talk about it since that was the time when I felt miserable. It's hard to accept that I got a 75 when I did my best in that subject. I tried to ask and talk to my teacher about it, but he was out of reach. I also tried to ask my advisor about my grades, but I got none. In the end, I got tired of reaching out to them persistently. Now I regret it. I should have nagged them more until I got the reason why I got that grade. Now, I feel like I will not be able to get an honor because of that 75. At the same time, I don't have a choice but to accept it and move on. My goal right now is to make up for the grade I got when I was in grade 11. Moving on from that scenario is not easy. I was upset with everything and it greatly affected my life. Instead of getting upset about it. I chose to move on and think of other ways to improve my grades this school year. Life is too short to be upset with one thing. I chose to move on and be positive in life

Sometimes those events that aren't in our control hurt the most.

"My dear Uncle"

Losing a loved one is the hardest and most difficult thing you can experience and no matter how many times you experience it, it will never be easier to accept and move on from that kind of situation. How can I move on? How do I continue? How can I move forward into the next chapter of my life? Always a question in my mind that is trying to find an answer. My uncle suffered for years because of his disease, he went to the hospital alive and sadly he did not return home alive. It hurts so much, and I feel so sad that something is missing from me and I don't know how to accept it.

My eyes are very swollen from crying, I don't know how to wake up in the morning without my uncle who gave us everything, made us experience everything, in short, he is the person who spoiled us. I love my uncle very much, he is very kind and he is like my second father, that's why I felt the pain when he died. His death is really painful and it made my heart broke into pieces.

As the days pass, I learned to accept the fact that my uncle and I will no longer be able to spend time together in this world. I have always believed and think that he will no longer experience pain and that he is now happy together with our other relatives and with the Lord. I know he is still thinking and watching us from above in what we do and how we fulfill our dreams. It's hard to move on yes but we have to accept the fact that they are gone and we have to learn that all of us are not alive forever, we will also die and disappear from this world, so every moment should be appreciated and treasured. While we still have time to be with them, let's make time for them, let's always make them feel that we love them and we're happy that they're a part of our lives.

Many of us are moving on in our own unique ways.

We may experience stress and heaviness as a result of dwelling on the past. When we're always reflecting on what has happened in the past, it can be difficult to enjoy the moment. But there is no going back in time; the past is final and permanent. It might be tough to let go of the past, but doing so is crucial for our mental health. You'll be able to embrace new ways of living as well as fresh viewpoints and outlooks if you let go of old habits. Your viewpoint will alter along with you. To achieve your goals, let go of outdated ideas and take action.

We don't need to rush or force ourselves to forget everything that happened; there is a process on how you can move on from everything. Remember that everything happens for a reason and that there are things that need to happen so that you can learn more, grow, and be on the right path. Yes, it hurts, but you also have to accept the things that happened in order for you to move forward. It’s really hard to move on, but trust the process and trust yourself that you can do it, remember that if it's meant to be, it will be.

PHINMA-SAINT JUDE COLLEGE

Senior High School Department

Submitted by : HUMSS 2-12-11 Group 1 SHARONS

Aclan, Lance

Agotilla, Andrea Nicole

Anasarias, Syrah

Biso, Kirby

Bucalig, Luis Sebastian

Bulacsao, Reynalyn

Bongato, Glaiza

Cabacungan, Ashley

Centeno, Shaniah

Cerbito, Mariella

Estimar, Randrick

Submitted to: Ms. Audrey Pedrosa (HUM 002: CREATIVE NON-FICTION)

[nadineselfships-archived]

Got sent home time to nap on the couch and think about mutual pining with John 💕

[eunchancorner]

C-Can I request a ShinKami tk fic? Shinso is having really bad insomnia and has for the past week, so Denki is there to help tire him out. Might be the best sleep he has in a while UwU

Thanks for the request! Awww ofc you can! I love ShinKami very much :3

  Ler Kaminari, Lee Shinsou

Warning: VERY GAY (then again when are they not lmao)

Word count: 570

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

Shinsou sighed as he laid back onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. Yet again another sleepless night, that would no doubt affect his schoolwork. Of course. He let out another sigh as he rolled onto his back and stared at the wall.

Soon his purple gaze shifted to his phone and he sighed for a third time. He picked it up, unlocking it and texting his first contact; his hyperactive boyfriend who he had no doubts was also still awake for very different reasons.

Denki, was, in fact, still very much awake and had been raiding the fridge for a late night snack when he got the text.

Denki… can’t sleep… help

He smiled softly at the small screen and did what any good boyfriend would. He went to Shinsou’s room and opened the door without even knocking, walking over and flopping beside him. “Hiii, baby,” he greeted after already getting into the bed, to which Hitoshi responded by snuggling up to him.

“Mmmm… can’t sleep…” he mumbled, shoving his face into Kaminari’s chest, who ran his fingers through the purple locks of the taller student.

“Aww, my poor baby…” the blonde murmured, falling into thought briefly.

“Damn insomnia…” Shinsou mumbled, “it’s been like this for the past week…”

“Hmm…” he smirked a little as a thought came to mind. “Well… I do have a way of helping you. You ok with that, though?” he asked, cupping Shinsou’s cheek and making him look at his face.

He didn’t know what Denki had in mind, but it was probably better than not being able to sleep now and being stuck in sleepy hell tomorrow, so he nodded.

Kaminari smirked and quickly dug his fingers into Shinsou’s ribs, surprising the teen and pulling laughter from him in a matter of seconds.

“K-Kamihihihi! Quihit, that tihihickles!” he got out around his laughter, pushing at the blonde’s hands and squirming underneath the ticklish touches. “Nohohoho! Ehehehehe!”

“Tickle tickle tickle~” Kaminari whispered into Shinsou’s ear, his breath making him scrunch up as it tickled his ear and made everything worse.

“Nohohoho! Whahat are you dohohohoing!” Hitoshi asked, kicking his feet as he felt Denki’s hand slowly travel lower.

“Well, I have to tire you out, babe. And what better way than with… THIS!” He punctuated his sentence by drilling into Shinsou’s hips.

The scream he let out probably woke the entire dorm.

He fell back into cackles, arching his back and pushing at Kaminari’s hands, unable to do much, his strength already gone from how much laughing he had been doing.

“KAHAHAMIHIHI STAHAHAP THAT TIHIHIHICKLES!!”

“You tired now, Shinsou? Sweetie? Love of my life?” Kami asked, his breath still ghosting over Shinsou’s ear and making him let out the most adorable squeals.

“YEHEHES! PLEHEASE NO MOHOHORE!” he begged, and, suddenly, it stopped. He felt Kami pulling him against his chest again as he let out his loose giggles and gasped for air, suddenly feeling incredibly sleepy. He pressed against his blonde boyfriend, letting out a happy hum as he stopped giggling.

“Thanks, babe…” he mumbled.

“My pleasure, kitty, now sleep,” he heard Kaminari say. And, whether he wanted to or not, he did, falling into one of the most restful sleeps he’d had in a while.

He’d have to ask Kaminari to do this more often.

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

I wanted to get the done on National Tkl Day #2 But I put it off, soooo here.

[zegumi]

Ushijima Wakatoshi SFW alphabet

alphabet template here

fluff I sfw I gn reader I hcs

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

at first he's quite hesitant on showing affection, wondering if you're comfortable with him being that close to you. he starts off easy: holding hands, letting you rest on him... etc.

once he feels more comfortable with you, he starts placing his head in your lap and giving you little kisses here and there

his favourite forms of affection are: forehead/cheek kisses, back hugs, holding pinkies, and resting his head on your shoulder

when you’re not around he shows affection by talking to you to his closer teammates but subtly, he brings up your name once in a while and a teammate will tease "ooo somebody's in looove" and he starts blushing profusely, asking if they can go back to practice, but the thought of you never leaves

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

being best friends with ushijima seems very rare, he's pretty selective with letting people close enough to earn that title

with you it was unexpected, you weren't afraid or cautious of his stoic upfront. you sat next to him in class and tried to make conversation with him, making sure to include him in conversations and asking how he's doing once in a while. he lets his guard down a little and you guys get even closer, he even invites you over to help with some schoolwork and suddenly you guys are spending more time together outside of school

he's kind of hesitant to call you a best friend, but when he sees that you’re okay calling him yours, he adopts the same title

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

yes yes yes and yes

he is always behind you, resting your head on top of his. if not he'll be facing upwards, lying on his back, your head will be resting on his shoulder and he'll have his arm wrapped around your waist.

he's definitely 99% always the big spoon

but on the rare occasion he wants to be the little spoon, he has both his arms wrapped around your waist, with his head on your chest, your hand running through his hair while your legs are intertwined absolute bliss

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

hell yeah

he's a sucker for the domestic life, waking up with you in your sub-urban house, a train ride away from the city. making cakes with you in your green painted kitchen which took you way longer than it needed to bc you kept messing around

he can cook, oh my, he buys some cookbooks and you guys spend some time with each other

I feel like he wants kids, some mini him and you running around, if not he'll adopt some

him teaching his kids to play volleyball in the backyard, him brushing their teeth and reading them bedtime stories and them giving them a little kiss goodnight cuteness overload

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

definitely depends on the reason why you're breaking up, but in this scenario, let's say he hasn't been home enough and you guys feel like you're not with each other enough pain

he really dreads having to break up with you, but he knows you deserve more than someone who is barely home. he's not harsh about it, he sits you down at a time when you guys are both free and explains why, "maybe the time isn't right, right now"

even though he broke it off, he still thinks about it quite a lot, he really hopes that you guys will find your way back to each other one day even if he knows that it won't be possible bc right now you're happier with someone else :( i love angst

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

his volleyball career kinda gets in the way of him wanting to commit to you, but he wants to show you that you mean the world to him, so i think he proposes in his mid-late twenties

his proposal isn't really that over the top, but he takes you out first for a fancy dinner with the excuse 'can't i treat you once in a while'. it's quite dark outside and you guys are looking over the city, you turn around to ask him something and you see him down one knee lovely

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

he is very gentle... probably bc of his strict upbringing, but he makes sure not to hurt you in any way

he becomes so much more gentle with his words, careful of saying the wrong words because he can't stand the thought of losing you

physically, he tries to make sure not to accidentally knock into you bc this man is so big and if you get ill ushijima is doing anything in his power to get you better, he tries not to get sick in the process, but having you care for him doesn't seem like the worst idea

emotionally, he tries to support you, but he's not the greatest at dealing with emotions, but when supporting you he tries comforting you rather than trying to solve your problems

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

at the beginning of the relationship, i think his hugs are kind of stiff-ish, but once you guys get more comfortable he goes all in

he's such a good hugger. he doesn't do half-hugs, it's all of it or nothing, he engulfs you with his strong arms a little bit too tight but who needs air

if he feels extra clingy back hugs. he loves the feeling of having your figure pressing against his, sometimes his hands grip onto your waist and he'll sway you back and forth while humming to his favourite song

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

as I've mentioned before, you're the first one to say ily in the relationship, but he says it back straight after

i like to think this happens about 5/6 months into the relationship, just when you guys start getting really comfortable around each other

as for using the L-word, he doesn't really say it that often, he believes when something is overused it isn't as special. he only uses it when it needs to be said

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

he doesn't really get jealous easily bc he's kind of oblivious or chooses not to pay attention to it

but when he catches on to whatever's going on, his eyebrows furrow and he'll just give the stare, he'll come near you and put an arm around your waist and slyly try to join the conversation

he knows what he's doing and so does everyone else

the person you're talking to gets a bit intimidated and tries to end the conversation as quickly as possible

you'll try to tease him for his jealously and he'd just change the subject and starts blushing a little, if you try to bring it up later he'd be like 'huh what was that sorry i don't remember'

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

I'm not good with this type of stuff ahh

he's actually pretty good at kissing. he likes soft kisses and little pecks on the shoulder and forehead.

when he's rough or needy, he gets really handsy like hands cupping your cheeks, in your hair, hands pulling your waist in - just very intimate

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

lazy mornings bc who likes being productive all the time

he likes sleeping in on days he has nothing to do, so he’ll be behind you hugging your waist and his head resting on your back, you try to stand up so you can get breakfast done but he pulls you back and says 'come on, just a little more', you know that means another hour but you still get sucked back into his warm embrace

you end up falling asleep and wake up with noises coming from the kitchen. you walk in on him wearing just an apron and his pajama pants, dancing to the radio while making pancakes for breakfast

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

again lazy evening edition bc why not

he comes home early that day, brings home your favourite snacks and asks if you want to watch a movie with him

he grabs a few blankets from your room and you guys decide to watch 13 going on 30 one of my comfort movies

halfway through the movie, he places his head on your laps asking for you to play with his hair, he lies down and you throw some popcorn and skittles in his mouth every few minutes, you tried pouring water but he started choking and spat water all over your shirt

it gets pretty late and cold so he changes you into his hoodie and carries you over to the bedroom. you guys fall asleep to the hums of the city below

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

he's a very reserved person, and i think it's just the way he was raised, talking about feelings wasn't normal in his home growing up

i think with you it takes him some time to open up, he reveals a few things about him and his childhood here and there but nothing major

he doesn't talk about how he feels enough, so it kinda relies on you being able to notice a change in his behaviour which might I say seems extremely hard

i think if you start being more open to him, then he follows on

he gets more comfortable with his emotions around you first and then starts being more open to his team - just give him some time he gets there

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

oh he's so patient, so patient

it takes a LOT to anger him, i don't think you ever have or ever will see this man angry, tbh i don't think you would want to

if you ever lash out at him, he'd sit down and understand where you're coming from, he'd try to calm you down and give you a second to let it all out

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing or do they kind of forget everything?)

he remembers everything, literally everything

you mentioned that you liked mangos yesterday, and boom you've got a lifetime supply in your kitchen /s

he keeps a little note in his notes app just making sure he doesn't forget anything, he has your favourite orders, skin/hair care products you use, and little stuff like your favourite show in there

he does this bc he loves how your eyes beam after realising he remembers the little details

R = Remember (What is their favourite moment in your relationship?)

this one hc is why this took so long, so I decided not to do bc my brain isn’t responding

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

ushijima isn't the overprotective type although he is protective

he doesn't care what you wear or how you present yourself, as long as you’re comfortable, you will have his full support

if he sees someone making you uncomfortable, he is always quick to jump in and say "you're making them uncomfortable can you please excuse yourself". if he sees a situation is making you feel uneasy he will take you and leave, to calm you down or to clear your mind, which ever one is the best choice in that moment

he doesn't feel the need to be protected, he believes that hes strong enough for the both of you sometimes he needs a little help so pls do step in

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

such a big try hard, he puts so much effort into dates, anniversaries, and even mundane everyday activities.

even far into your relationship he still pulls up at your door with a suit and a flower bouquet which he seems to never forget

he always wants everything to be perfect so you'll never forget

he enjoys surprising you with little gifts to remind you that he still cares. he seems like the type to buy you a promise ring, and oh my is it beautiful

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

this is hard bc in my eyes this man can't do any wrong, but its probably how he can't express his emotions very well

everyone gets in a bad mood once in a while, but for ushijima its different, the stress of volleyball gets to him and he just ends up shutting everyone out, including you. he was never taught how to properly talk abt how he feels so he just holds it in with never intending to let it out

if you try to ask him whats wrong then he just grunts and shrugs it off

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

he isn’t insecure for how he looks physically, he works out and maintains a healthy lifestyle, and he was blessed with that beautiful face of his *chefs' kiss

he's always hygienic (bare minimum), he cuts his hair regularly, keeps his hands nice and clean, with his nails well-trimmed

he likes to keep his appearance up and always looks like he should be on the front cover of a magazine but so effortlessly

bonus: he smells so good, he wears expensive cologne and zooweemama its so tasty, you'll hug him and never want to let go just because

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

he wouldn't necessarily feel incomplete with out you, he'd feel a bit empty

he forgets how much he misses you when he goes abroad for matches and he can't see you for a week straight. he makes sure to send videos and voice notes rather than texts so you can send some back. he video calls everyday, no matter the time difference just so he can see you in real time

if you guys take a break in the relationship, he finds his self drifting back into his stoic shell. he tries his best not to bc he knows how much he loves the person you've helped him become

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

doesn't know how to flirt hehe

he tries to use a smooth pick up line once in a while but they all end up with him in a flustered mess before he can even finish a sentence, i think we should leave the flirting to you

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

liars/dishonest people

he can't stand it when somebody lies to him, its agitating when someone he cares for feels the need to lie to him, it makes him feel like they don't trust him enough

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habit of theirs?)

he's a quite a light sleeper and wakes up pretty easily. he also looks dead when he sleeps, for example most days he sleeps pretty early bc he's worn out and you come into the bedroom and see him lying down on his back, his chest isn't even moving like it should be, but you'll get into bed with him and his first instinct is to wrap his arms around you and give you a kiss

i think he sleep talks, omg just imagine ushijima whispering about the weirdest things in his dreams. you recorded him once and showed him when he woke up and he got a bit embarrassed and started laughing

here's the hcs for mornings with ushi

this took me so long omg >o< I really hope I portrayed his character well bc he’s such a lovely person

make sure to take care of yourselves :)

reblogs are very much appreciated <3

requests are open

[honey-milk-depresso]

Azul with an adorable Mer-Dumbo Octopus that turns scary when pissed

@beth-bethar00 ^^ Inspired by your oc, hope you don’t mind!! ;-;

Oh my god-

Man is happy you are an octopus shorter than him.

Both mer form and human form-

And your so cute!!

He literally can’t get you involve in his fishy business.

and you’re so sweet, like ?????

MMMMMMMM

And you always seem to brighten his day.

With your adorable smile

and you just dcsdjcbjdbjsdd

Your so perfect he can cry tears of joy

and like die happy

Okay, Azul we love you,

but please don’t die on us-

So now,

when did he discover your scary personality?

Consider he was having a chatting with you in Monstro Lounge

and Monstro Lounge was still open,

so people were inside.

And you know, you two were laughing and chatting all the way while doing paperwork and schoolwork and all of a sudden-

“B A N G”

Ah shit.

Those Savanaclaw delinquents are causing a ruckus again-

but before Azul could even stand up, or Jade or Floyd could even approach them,

you walked straight up to them.

“Hi, could you three keep the noise down? I don’t think the rest of us want to be disturbed!” you smiled a little.

“HAH! What are you gonna do about that Barbie? Tell us on a teacher? As if !!”

Your eyes immediately darkened. “I’ll tell you again. Quit acting like little bratty girls who didn’t get their princess toys, or I’ll play mother and discipline you.”

“HUH?! You think YOU can tell us what to do?? I think the only toys that could make us go away,” his hand was about to grab your chest, “Is YOU, BAR-”

In a flash, you grabbed his hand, twisted it with the sound of cracking afterwards, before you elbowed his face and threw him aside.

The two others tried to aim at you, but you dodged and punch their eyes and kick their legs, sweeping them off the floor.

“I told you, we don’t tolerate bratty children. So take your sad excuse of an attitude back to your dorm.”

Azul was   s h o o k.

And everyone else was deathly silent too.

The atmosphere got colder.

Jade and Floyd immediately took care of the rest,

and you went back to the table you and Azul were sitting on.

“Azul~ where were we?~ Hehehehe~ sorry you had to see me do that..”

Oh honey, 

he thinks you’re hot-

like wtf you so badass-

he doesn’t get you involve with his business still, but let’s you take charge of disciplining rowdy students in the Lounge.

He loves you so goddamn much-

AHHHHHHHHHHHH-

[rhenuvee]

PDA (Fred Weasley x reader)

A/N: So I’ve seen a lot of headcanons for Fred that he is big on PDA with his s/o, so here is a fic about it. Lightly based on the song PDA by Scott Helman- WOW who would’ve known. 

Warnings: If it wasn’t obvious already- a l o t o f M A K I N G O U T, and George being done with your BS x5

*I realized I’m an idiot for not doing this sooner so tell me if you’d like to be tagged in my future fics. I write for 3 fandoms so please specify which one!*

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

It was your seventh year at Hogwarts and you had mixed feelings about it. Last year was overwhelming with the events of the Triwizard Tournament, you hoped that this year would be better (aha sike bich). The thing you did look forward to however, was seeing Fred.

The two of you actually just started dating after he asked you to the Yule ball. In fact, he was a little overwhelming himself... in a good way though. He was never shy to show affection, even when others were around which was embarrassing sometimes.

He would hold you close by wrapping his long arm around your shoulder while walking together in the hallways, cuddling in the common room, give you hugs that would squeeze the life out of you, and good lord- the snogging especially made you red-faced. The hot intimacy between the both of you did not leave room for keeping your hands off each other.

Or as George corrected, your faces.

You walked down the hall with the destination of the entrance of the great hall fixated in your mind, surprisingly not noticing the two redheads sticking out of the crowd of students, until-

“WHERE IS MY GORGEOUS GIRLFRIEND?! I CAN’T SEEM TO FIND HER, (Y/N) DARLING WHERE ARE YOU?!” yelled your boyfriend being obnoxiously loud and attracting weird looks and giggles from other students. Your eyes immediately found him and started marching towards his and his twin’s direction with both your hands covering the sides of your face, like a horse with blinders. As if that made the situation any better.

“Fred..!” you whisper scolded him. You already predicted the mischievous smirk that appeared on his face. 

“Yes love, what’s the problem?” he said rather neutrally trying to sound naive. You deadpanned. 

“You were just a tad too quiet there.” you said sarcastically.

“Really, should I say it louder-”

“No Fred-”

“Well what did you expect, for him to shut up?” asked George scoffing and earning a hit to his arm by his twin. You giggled. 

“Not like you could do any better,” retorted Fred. “Go in already.” George shook his head in annoyance as he was shooed away into the great hall. You were about to head in as well when Fred’s hand stopped you and turned you around back to face him.

“Not going to leave me hanging without a kiss are you?” he asked with his hand on your waist. You subconsciously walked closer to him, it felt warm in his embrace. You pecked him on the lips trying to be cheeky, but when you were about to pull back quickly, he was faster and brought you back to his lips with his hand lightly on your cheek.

You gave into the kiss, you really had missed him. And you could tell he did too by the way he was kissing you. He deepened the kiss, his lips tasted like chocolate. But you could feel that almost everyone was in the great hall already, and that you were going to end up with bruised lips again and tardiness. 

You were running out of breath- but that’s just how Fred liked it. Kissing you until you’re completely breathless and had to lean against him for support. 

“F-Fred...” you said in between breaths trying your hardest to resist the urge to kiss him more. He pulled away slowly with a huge grin on his face, still holding you close to him. He chuckled at how much you looked like you needed an inhaler. 

“Fine, to be continued then.” he said grabbing your hand and walked with you to the Gryffindor table to sit. 

The table looked full from the view from the entrance, but once Fred spotted where his twin was, there was an empty space saved for the two of you. It wasn’t long before you and your boyfriend were immersed in the conversation and laughter with your friends around you. It also wasn’t long before George lost his appetite after seeing you and Fred getting all mushy. 

Everyone paused their talking and eating when Dumbledore came up to announce the new changes in staff. The lady in pink who you now know was Dolores Umbridge. She seemed... interesting...

“-I’m sure we’re all going to be very good friends.” she said with her hands clasped.

“That’s likely.” the twins said rather loud enough for it for others to hear it. You hit them both lightly at the same time while shaking your head, as if scolding them. They giggled at your reaction.

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

Your high hopes that this year wouldn’t be chaotic really did you a bamboozle. You tried your best to remain positive, and that maybe Umbridge would turn out to be a good teacher but she really did prove you wrong.

On the particular day that you got the lines etched into your own skin, you felt a mixture of anger and sadness. Before, you could feel your grades getting lower, your assignments and classroom performance getting sloppier and just overall not like you at all. The blood quill was just the cherry on top.

The thoughts worsened when you thought about how Fred would react. You knew he would be furious, seeing as he was already frustrated when many others close to him had to write lines with the blood quill.

“Just tell him (y/n), you can’t keep something like this from him.” said Hermione putting a hand on your arm. You shook your head and covered the hand with the scars by pulling your sleeve up. Harry and Ron were also there to comfort you while the common room was bustling with the people still up.

Not much longer, Fred, George and Lee walked in from the portrait hole. You tensed up and suddenly felt stiff. Hermione gave you a reassuring look to try and ease your nerves. The trio then went to do their own things so they wouldn’t be pressuring you.

“Hey doll, why the long face?” he said plopping right next to you and tilting your chin with his index finger to face him. You smiled attempting to mask your real feelings.

“It’s nothing Freddie, just tired.” you said pecking his cheek. A frown appeared on his face as his hand moved to run through the bunches of hair that came loose.

“I can tell when you’re lying love, please tell me what’s wrong.” he pleaded. How could you say no to those eyes?

“I-It’s just that I’m not doing too well on my schoolwork, and I don’t feel like I’ll get my dream job and I don’t know maybe I’m just not working hard or doing enough-“

“Darling.” he said sternly interrupting your rambling. You could feel tears prick at the corner of your eyes.

“I don’t want to hear that you think that you’re not enough or any crap like that. Umbridge’s stupid rules and methods aren’t worth a single tear from your pretty face. So please love, don’t be so hard on yourself.” he said sweetly, wiping the tears away with his thumb. You wiped your face with your sleeve, but that’s when Fred saw it. He felt better knowing that he cheered you up somehow but it went back to concern as he saw the lines on your hand as your sleeve stretched up.

“What did she do to you.” he said not drifting his gaze away from your eyes. Uh oh. You gulped and pulled your hand away quickly, not wanting him to observe your hand any longer. He grabbed your arm back, pulled up the sleeve, then stood up like he was about to leave. You felt nauseous, your boyfriend was nothing but wrath.

“I swear I will-“

“Fred, no!”

“And why not?!” he shot back quickly. People’s attention were now at the two of you.

“Because there’s no way to fix it Fred! It will only make things worse, and I don’t want you to get hurt!” you cried, grabbing his hand trying to prevent him from doing something he would regret. You winced at the memory of the day he had to write lines.

Fred hated to admit but you were right. There wasn’t anything he could do. He especially did not want to make you upset. He messed up his hair with his hands stiff in frustration and sighed.

“You’re right darling, I’m sorry I got mad. It’s just I can’t stand Toadface hurting you...” he trailed off, sitting back down with you.

“If it makes you feel better, you look hot when you’re mad.” you said in his ear getting closer to him. He was surprised at your words, but it didn’t take long for him to get cocky again.

“You really think so?” he asked smirking and running his hand through his hair again. He always knew how to get you riled up.

You could tell that was not the end of it. His mouth opened and you knew he was about to yell it out. You covered his mouth with your hand and his announcement came muffled. Both of you laughed before Fred removed your hand.

“What was that for darling? I wasn’t gonna say anything.” he said.

“Yeah right, knowing how much of a clown you are I really don’t think so.” you said.

“You wound me darling, really.” he said putting his hand to his chest. He then remembered the scars on your hand and frowned at the sight of them. He rubbed his thumb on them lightly as if to soothe them.

“Hey, why don’t we just cuddle here tonight.” you said trying to distract him from your scars. A grin appeared on his face.

“That might’ve been the best idea you’ve had all day love, cmon then.” he said opening his arms for you to dive into.

———————————

You were really sad the day Fred and George flew out of Hogwarts. Yes, you were over the moon to see Umbridge’s face running away, and you were especially proud of the twins. But you couldn’t help but for your heart to feel empty without Fred.

They’ve told you first when planning the prank. Fred was particularly upset at himself that he had to leave you, but you reassured him that you wanted him to follow his dream, and that you wanted so bad to see the shop. The long lasting kiss you had before he left was his motivation to make the shop a success.

Finally, the day came when you were able to see the shop of the first time. Ginny, Hermione, Harry and Ron agreed to go with you.

“(Y/n), slow down!” Shouted Ginny from the distance. But you couldn’t- you couldn’t wait to see Fred much longer. You ran the whole way to Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, not caring that you were running out of breath quickly.

You swung open the door and took in the view of the shop- it was amazing.

“(Y/n)!” a familiar voice called out from the top of the stairs. Your eyes were immediately fixed on the bright figure- your Fred.

You both began to run and dodge through the crowd to find each other. You missed him, and he missed you.

“Freddie!” you called out, able to see his fiery red hair moving quickly. Like in those muggle movies, you both ran towards each other and Fred twirled you around before kissing you. It was cheesy, but you didn’t care anymore, you were together again.

You almost crashed into each other when you embraced and had a passionate kiss that was long overdue. It was sloppy, and his hands were everywhere. But that was just how he liked it- kissing you until you were breathless and leaning on him for support. Suddenly running was not such a good idea.

“Oooookay ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for the minor inconvenience, if everyone could just take a precaution and swerve away from the lovebirds, you will be fine.” announced George to the people.

Both you and Fred pulled away with lips very bruised. Customers made weird faces, and parents steered their kids out of your way. I mean, you were kissing in the middle of the shop.

“Sod off, mate.” said Fred, his voice slightly quieter since he was out of breath. George only shrugged.

“I will, don’t want to throw up in the middle of the store do I?” questioned George. You giggled and Fred rolled his eyes.

“Oh, and (y/n), it’s really good to see you,” he said hugging you. “We missed you a lot, not sure if you could tell.”

Your eyebrows raised at Fred who looked the other direction and whistled pretending not to know again. And with that, George winked and turned on his heel to leave.

“Well, for once he wasn’t wrong.” admitted Fred. Looking at the way your lips were puffed in the middle of the shop, he definitely wasn’t.

“Now where’s my grand opening gift?” he asked playfully. You realized that you hadn’t prepared anything. You felt embarrassed that you didn’t get your boyfriend a present for his shop that was clearly a success.

“I’m kidding love, just a kiss will do.” he said bringing his large hand to rub the side of your neck. Getting a closer look at him, you could see slight differences from the last time you saw him. His hair was messier, and the red really stood out from the colours of the shop. You could see his freckles and dimples much clearer now.

Fred was about to lean in to kiss you again when George purposely bumped shoulders with him with a flimsy piece of cardboard in his hands.

“Oi, George what the hell?” asked Fred. George said nothing but turned and flipped the piece of cardboard to reveal the words ‘NO PDA’ on it. Oh, it was a sign specifically for you two.

“No need to be such a party pooper, Georgie. This is Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, not Wealsey’s Wizard Gheezers.” said Fred earning a hearty laugh from you.

“Your constant lip-locking is making the customers disgusted, and honestly I am too.” he grumbled.

“Maybe he’s feeling lonely...” you whispered to your boyfriend.

“I’m not lonely!” George protested. Oops, he heard you.

“(Y/n) does make a good point, maybe we should contact Angie-“ teased Fred. You smiled at the thought. You remembered back then when George was swooning over her, but never acted upon it.

“Don’t you dare.” said George with this eyebrows crossed but a light pink evident on his cheeks.

You felt giddy as you watched your boyfriend and his twin bickering. You could only imagine how happy you’d be hanging around the shop-

However, you’d have to find a way out of that ‘NO PDA’ sign.

———————————————————

Link to pt2: Part 2

[btssaysstudy]

Cheap Sunglasses || jjk

Pairing: Jeon Jungkook (BTS) x reader

Note: Inspired by cheap sunglasses by John K || do let me know if you liked it :)

Summary: Being a teaching assistant for college definitely has it monetary perks but who knew it had other perks in meeting a potential significant other.

Warnings: swearing, mentions of injury (not the reader), angst, jungkook being an annoying player at times, mentions of over-exhaustion from schoolwork

“Thanks y/n!” Mingyu grinned, reaching out for a fist bump. You laughed, returning the gesture. “No problem, just doing my job.” 

“I’ll treat you for a meal soon, you can count on it! I’ll see you around!” He gave you a quick side hug before leaving the lecture hall. You got up from your seat, packing your belongings to head off for lunch. 

“y/n! Could you help me compile the outline for the chapters to read for the semester?” Your professor approached you, handing you the list of chapters that class had to read. “Sure, when do you need it by?”

“Preferably by the end of this week? No rush! As long as it’s before midterms.”

“Okay, sure!” You glanced at the list, it was the same reading list as last semester, you just had to use your own outline for this semester. You smiled, thankful that nothing much changed with the syllabus so you had less work to do as a teaching assistant.

Your professor thanked you and left the hall. “You know, one definite perk of being a TA is tutoring hot students. Mingyu was definitely hitting on you.”

“No he’s not. We’re friends, I already met him for one of my classes last semester.”

“Mm, yea don’t believe you. Anyway, let’s hurry go, I’m starving.” Sooyoung rubbed her stomach and you grabbed your bag, leaving the hall with your friends. 

One definite perk, which was not what Sooyoung said, of being a TA was that you get paid and you definitely needed the money. It was tough to juggle being a TA at first and you weren’t sure if you were cut out for it, but 2 semesters later, you’ve been a TA every semester and it’s become a part of your schedule.

“Chan-mi!” A loud bright voice called out for other friend. The three of you stopped, turning around to find the boy who was dubbed as the “sunshine” of your college.

“Yes?” Chan-mi clearly unfazed by his loudness. Hoseok grinned, saying a brief hello to you and Sooyoung. “Our club manager just texted me that we have an upcoming gig. Just a little insider info for you, you’re on the performing team.”

Chan-mi nodded her head with a short laugh, “He texted me too actually.”

“What?! I thought i’ll be the good news bearer.” Hoseok pouted, his group approached him, patting him on the shoulder to rush him for lunch.

“I’ll see you at next practice then!” Chan-mi waved goodbye as he was being dragged away by his friends.

His friends. That group.

That group was popular and they knew it. They don’t seem to bask in it but they would slip some of the times — easily charming people to get what they need, having girls praying that they’ll become their girlfriends. It was no surprise that they have quite a list of girls they dated.

Despite the list,their reputation wasn’t that bad. They would make it clear to the girls they take out on dates — that they’re not looking to commit. You figured it was the least they could to do the poor girls who were pining for them, laying out the facts immediately.

“So what are we eating? I’m about to die any second.” Sooyoung grumbled once more.

—

“If you’d like to book my TA, I’ve sent you an email with a google sheet for you to find a slot. She’s a popular one so better book a slot asap if you need her help.” Your professor announced to the class, making you feel shy from her comment, your eyes glued to your screen as you felt the stares.

You’d be lying if you said you didn’t know that you were a popular TA. You did put in the effort to help others since you were being paid after all, so, you did deserve the credit.

Throughout class, you could do your own things since you didn’t need to pay attention to the lesson. Halfway through the class, you clicked on the google sheet link to see that your upcoming week has been almost fully booked.

‘maybe i need a pay raise’ you thought to yourself, opening your own calendar to update your own schedule. Your eyes landed on a particular name, shocked that he even bothered to book a slot. 

Jeon Jungkook.

You stopped yourself from whipping your head around to find him. He was part of that group and known to be the very athletic one. You guessed you stereotyped him to be those athletes that didn’t care about studies. You felt slightly uneasy, knowing his reputation in college and the girls.

‘It’s okay, it’s just one time slot.’

Once you noted the ones who booked a time slot with you the upcoming week, you contacted each of them to settle the venue & confirm the timing.

We can meet at my place :) - Jungkook

Yea, I’m not entirely comfortable going to a stranger’s place - y/n

Relax, it was a joke. How about near your place? So you don’t have to travel so much. - Jungkook

That works fine, there’s a cafe near mine. I’ll text you the address later. - y/n

Once class ended your two friends rushed to your seat. “So how’s your schedule Ms. Popular?”

“Really busy.”

“I saw the sheet, Jeon Jungkook booked a slot with you? Perks of being a TA is definitely helping cute students.” Sooyoung giggled like a little pre-teen girl.

“You don’t even need to be a TA to get cute guys, you have so many admirers.” Chan-mi made a very true remark.

“I’ll admit, you’re not wrong. But y/n’s snagging boys of a different league.”

“Stop idolising them like they’re gods.”

“They’re looks are god-like.” Sooyoung countered.

“You’re unbelievable.”

—

“Hey,” someone tapped your shoulder, taking out your earpiece to greet Jungkook. “Hey.”

He was dressed in a typical tired college student, in grey sweats and a black hoodie. Yet, you had to admit he looked cute in them.

“Sorry, did I make you wait long?”

“Oh no, I just came early to make sure we get a good spot. Not too near the rest of the customers.”

“I see you want a little privacy.” Jungkook grinned cheekily, clearly implying something else. You raised a questioning eyebrow at him, “Sorry, just kidding.” He quickly apologised, taking the seat opposite you.

“Anyway, we can just begin immediately. Do you have any questions?”

Jungkook nodded his head, taking out his laptop. “I do actually. Quite a long list if you don’t mind.”

“Well you have me for an hour. Go ahead.” 

Throughout the 2 hours, you realised you really stereotyped him a great amount. You assumed he barely paid attention in class but he did — he even had a list of questions to ask. You honestly enjoyed helping these type of people the most, those that made their own effort to help themselves. 

“You know,” Jungkook spoke, coming back from ordering his drink. “For the past hour and a half, I gotta admit, I stereotyped you to be a super uptight and socially awkward person. Then again, having to help tutor a lot of people would need social skills as well.” 

With a chuckle, you shrugged your shoulders, “I stereotyped you too, so I guess we’re both guilty.”

Curious, Jungkook rested his weight on his arms as he leaned closer to you, “Oh really? What did you stereotype me as then?” A playful smirk clearly threatening to appear on his lips. 

“A dumb jock.” You mischievously grinned back at him, his smile dropped, clearly not expecting that answer. It felt good to bruise that ego of his, even if it was just a split second. “Since I’m asking you to tutor me, I’m not gonna argue that.” He leaned back, regaining his composure and confidence.

You could feel his entire presence exuding with confidence, though he did have something to be confident about. In fact, he had a few things to be confident about - athletically gifted, popular and handsome. Anyone would call you a liar if you said you didn’t think he was handsome. 

“If you don’t have anymore questions, we can wrap this up now.”

Jungkook nodded his head, “Thanks for helping me. Appreciate it.” He reached out his hand, offering a handshake. “A handshake?”

“Are you afraid of a little physical contact?” He teased.

Rolling your eyes, you reached out to give him a firm shake. “Glad I could help you.” He gave you a cute bunny smile, grabbing his things and leaving you behind in the cafe. You stayed for a few more minutes before heading back to your place to prepare dinner for your guests.

Cooking always seemed to make time pass by quickly because before you even realised, your friends were spamming your doorbell, rushing you to let them in. “How was he?” Sooyoung questioned the moment she entered your house. 

“I had a good day thank you.” You sarcastically replied, grabbing a cup for them. “He was alright, he actually came prepared with questions.”

“That’s surprising. I honestly thought he booked a slot just to flirt with you.” Chan-mi commented as she helped you set up the dining table. “Come on, he wouldn’t waste his time on me.”

“Why not? You’re a great catch.” Sooyoung argued.

“Pretty sure I give off the vibe of “date to settle” and not “date for the fun”. So obviously, he won’t even bother.” 

“Mm, you do have a point for that.”

“Anyway, enough about my tutees, let’s just enjoy girls night.” You raised your shot glass of soju, Sooyoung grinned excitedly, “Cheers to us”

-

As every week’s slot was released in the online sheet, Jungkook was always one of the first few to book. You couldn’t help but be surprised every time you saw his name on the schedule. 

“So you picked up the sport by accident?” You clarified again as you took another sip. Jungkook nodded his head, leaning back into his chair. “Seokjin was the one who wanted to learn it, he dragged me to the trial class and the rest was history. He takes credit for it.” He laughed, a reminiscing look on his face.

“From your stories, you guys seem like brothers.” You watched an endearing smile creep onto his face, “They really do seem like it.”

His phone started vibrating and he checked the caller ID before sighing, silencing the call. You furrowed your eyebrows together, “What’s with that annoyed look?”

Jungkook shook his head, running his fingers through his hair, “Nothing much, just someone I went out with a week ago.”

“Trouble in paradise?” You joked.

“There’s no paradise. It was just a date, nothing more to it.” He nonchalantly dismissed it. You felt a bit offended of how casual he was treating their feelings. “If you don’t want to, you don’t have to go out with them, you know? You’re just giving them false hope.”

Jungkook sat upright, “That’s not true. I clearly tell them that I don’t mind going out on a date but that’s nothing. Nothing more than a date out. So it’s on them for still going for it.”

You sighed, “But you already know these people are dating you and hoping that they’ll be the one who will change your mind about the idea of commitment.” Jungkook shrugged, “Maybe that’ll happen one day.”

Narrowing your eyes at the boy in front you, you wondered if that was what he had been secretly hoping for whenever he went out with these girls. “Do you want that to happen? Is that why you’re more than glad to go out on dates?”

He didn’t answer immediately, staring at you as if he was thinking of a reply. Clearing his throat he adjusted his sitting position, “I didn’t say that. I just said maybe it’ll happen.”

“Yea but are you hoping for it to happen?”

Jungkook casted a soft glare, “Okay enough about my love life. How about you? Aren’t you single as well?”

You leaned back, nodding your head, “Yea, what about it?”

“Well, why aren’t you attached?”

Pressing your lips into a thin line as you thought carefully of your answer. “Unlike you, I date to settle.” Jungkook jutted out his bottom lip, internalising your reply as he nodded his head in response. “Interesting. You’ll probably click well with Jimin.”

“Your friend Jimin?”

“Yea, he has the same thought as you. Always nagging at me about the same thing you just did.” Jungkook chuckled to himself, shaking his head as he recalled the countless times Jimin was talking about Jungkook’s active love life. 

“He’s right you know… Doesn’t it get lonely always meeting different people?”

There was a short pause in the conversation, Jungkook’s eyes shifting away, his gaze fixed on the table. “To be honest, yea. But at the same time it’s what keeps me from feeling lonely. Doesn’t make sense, I know.”

You smiled, “It’s cool, I kinda get it. But after our numerous study sessions together, I’m certain you deserve to be in a good relationship.”

Jungkook shrugged, “Thanks but I don’t think I’m cut out for it.”

Confused, you questioned for an explanation. Jungkook’s eyes wandered around as he thought of a response. The athlete randomly took out his pair of shades. “Are the shades part of your answer or something?”

“It’s cheap.”

“Okay?” Your response sounded for confused, wondering if he was trying to change the topic. If he was, it was a very weird way.

“I buy the cheap ones because I know i’m going to lose them sooner or later. Can’t keep the good ones. That’s how I feel about my love life. Sometimes it feels like I can’t have nice things.”

“Man.” You breathed out, leaning back into your seat. “That’s a great analogy and all but don’t be so bleak. Between the two of us? You’re probably going to be first one who gets into a solid relationship.”

Jungkook chuckled, “Thanks for the faith TA. Do you have the same amount of faith in me for this module?”

You pursed your lips jokingly, “I think you’ll need more consultations for the same level of faith.” Breaking into a chuckle right after and so did Jungkook.

The popular athlete reached out his tattooed hand once again, for a handshake. By then, you were used to this gesture, chuckling as you reached across the table to shake his hands. “Tell you what, let’s take a pause on tutoring. You should meet the rest.”

“The rest as in your group?”

“Yea,” He stood up, throwing his backpack over his shoulder and stuffed his hands in his sweatpants’ pockets. You liked his laid-back look, he always wore that similar style whenever he was meeting you and you assumed it was to get comfortable enough to study. 

“Are you going to keep staring at me?” Jungkook smirked. You rolled your eyes, standing up to get your bag. “Come on, don’t be so mean to me.” He playfully pouted and he looked cute. You felt yourself feel shy just from that, “I am not.”

“Yes you are, you always mock me or insult me. Where’s my compliment?”

You pursed your lips, bringing your finger to your lips as you pretended to ponder. “You’re doing well with this class.” 

Unsatisfied, he grumbled, “That’s not a compliment.”

“Of course it is.” You grinned cheekily at him, patting his shoulders. “But alright, you look cute in sweats.” Even though you clearly sounded nonchalant, your heart was racing from admitting that and you hoped that your face wasn’t getting hot. You kept your composure, and made the first move to leave the cafe. 

You realised that you didn’t know where you were going to meet his friends, “Oh yea, where are we going?” You turned around to see Jungkook still standing in place. He cleared his throat and adjust his bag strap. “R-Right, just follow me.”

You didn’t want to tease him further but you clearly saw a pink hue on his cheeks. “Cute.” You muttered to yourself as he led the way.

—

“You want a snack? My treat, for all the tutoring you’ve been giving me.” 

“Jungkook, you don’t have to—“

“Okay I’ll get you your usual.” He winked at you before heading off to the counter. You smiled to yourself, watching his figure walk away. You continued on your own work as you waited for him to come back. 

Jungkook happily came back as if he won a prize. “Guess who just got free cake? We did!” Jungkook cheered, pushing his stuff aside to make way for the food. “Free cake? Why?”

“So the lady who we always see here apparently owns this place. She’s at the counter today and she randomly gave me this cake for us to celebrate Valentine’s Day.”

Confused, you looked at your calendar. “Oh, it’s Valentine’s Day.” “yea it is, didn’t you know?” “Clearly didn’t.” You shrugged, “But you should’ve told her we’re not together. I feel bad for the free cake.”

“No no, you should feel flattered she called us a cute couple. It means you’re cute.” Jungkook’s body froze for a moment realizing what he had just said. You laughed, “Yea right. Good joke, kook.” 

Jungkook frowned, “I’m not joking. I think you’re cute.”

You pointed your pen in his direction, “You know, when I was young I heard that cute meant adorable but ugly.”

“That’s obviously not what I mean. You’re not ugly, that’s for sure.” Jungkook argued without hesitation. You felt flustered this time, retracting your pen. “T-Thanks, I guess.”

The two of you not only spend weekly 2h sessions together, but also became “study buddies”. Jungkook was unsurprisingly super concentrated whenever he started studying. You realised it was his character to always give it his all even if it was something he wasn’t too fond of — like studying. You also noticed his eyebrows would furrow as he tried to comprehend the materials, or sigh and scold himself whenever he found himself stuck. 

He had a lot of endearing habits while studying, you couldn’t help but smile every time you noticed it. 

“It’s Valentine’s Day, why aren’t you on a date today?”

“Because we arranged a study session today.” Jungkook answered as if it was so obvious. 

“It’s just one day of not studying, you could’ve just told me. Plus, I’m sure many girls were hinting you to ask them out.”

“You’re not wrong about that.” He smugly answered and it made you feel a tinge of jealousy that Jungkook saw these girls as “date potential” while you were just his “study buddy”. “Tone down your ego—“

“But I’d rather study with you than go out on a date.”

You found yourself speechless, not knowing how you should be replying to that. Sensing that you were lost for words, Jungkook smiled, “Did I just take your breath away?”

“Shut up.” You snapped out of it, throwing your pen at him.

—

Hey y/n! Sorry i’ll be a bit late later, at the clinic so it might take a while before I’m let off! - jk

Are you sick? We can just reschedule! - y/n

No no! Just sprained my ankle during practice, that’s all! - jk

that’s all?! you’re not traveling today. what’s ur address? i can go over instead - y/n

You bit your lip, wondering if you were overstepping by insisting that and quickly sent another text.

if you’re alright w that of course - y/n

sure i just didn’t want to suggest it in case you weren’t, i’ll text u my address in a bit! - jk

On your way to his place, you felt nervous but you shrugged it off, blaming it on your usual ‘first house visit jitters’ — just like any other time you visited a place for the first time. Or so you told yourself. You ignored that feeling as you rang the doorbell, waiting for the injured athlete to answer the door.

“Hey.” Jungkook greeted you with a smile. You took a good look at his casted ankle, his weight resting on his crutch. A wince crept on your face, “Ouch, looks bad.” 

“Thank you for asking, I feel fine.” 

You stepped in, eyes taking your time to wander around his place. It was cozy, not cluttered as you had assumed. Jungkook pointed to the table placed by the window, well-lit for a good place to study or to wind down and have a meal. “Nice place.”

“Thanks. Didn’t have much time to tidy up the place before you came.”

“It’s alright, looks neat to me.” Your eyes glanced back down to his ankle, “Are you sure you want to have this session today? I feel like you should be resting—“

“You’re already here. I can take a little revision. Don’t underestimate me.” He teased, gently shoving your shoulder. With a light laugh, you nodded and sat down at the table. You watched Jungkook as he tried to find a comfortable position for himself, especially with his injury. Dropping his crutch on the floor, he settled down quickly to begin the session.

“So how do I know which case to use?” 

“It depends on the scenario prof sets for finals. Just a tip, prof loves answers that argues both sides. So, it’s best if you argue with both cases but conclude with which is more relevant or stronger for the scenario.”

Jungkook nodded his head, his bottom lip jutted out once again as he took down your response in his notes. “Thanks, I’m glad I started consultations with you since the beginning of the semester. I would be drowning will all these laws and cases if I didn’t.”

“I’m sure you would’ve managed fine. Your friends are managing well too. Jimin’s pretty good with this module.” You made an off-handed comment about Jimin as you started to pack up your belongings. You failed to catch the slight furrow in his eyebrows and that irritated twitch in the corner of his lip at the mention of Jimin. He knew you two would match well, which he should be happy for Jimin, but instead, he felt annoyed that Jimin was having consultations with you.

He couldn’t help but ask, “He meets you too?”

“Oh yea,” You nodded, your eyes still not meeting his as you scrolled through your schedule, “He meets me lesser than you though, just once a week.”

Just once a week. He repeated your reply. That was enough to get close to you. Hell, he meets you three times a week almost every week. One would question if he really needed that many consultations a week. Jungkook would argue against that, defending that he needed it. But deep down inside, he knew he was lying. 

You thought the same. Chan-mi and Sooyoung would make remarks on why Jungkook needed three sessions a week, hinting that he just wanted to find excuses to meet you. You would deny it every time, saying that he would always come prepared for each session with questions, proving that he really took those sessions seriously. But just like Jungkook, you too had a feeling that it wasn’t true. 

“Anyway, hope your ankle gets better soon. I better give you time to rest.” You checked the time on your phone. Jungkook did the same time, quick to respond, “Do you want to stay for dinner? I’m going to be ordering delivery anyway. You know... With my ankle. You could have dinner before you leave.” He shrugged his shoulders, trying to be casual about it. Jungkook wasn’t sure what was making him particularly nervous to suggest that. He normally wasn’t nervous with his dates. Why was he nervous around you when it was not even a date to begin with?

You contemplated, imagining your schedule in your mind. The pause made him grow nervous, “You don’t have to—“

“I’m down for dinner. My schedule’s not too busy tonight.” You smiled, settling your bag down back on the chair. Jungkook returned an eager grin. “My treat. For coming all the way here to tutor me.”

“Enough with the treats—“

“No negotiations on this one. I really owe you for traveling here, especially on such a last minute notice.” Jungkook shook his head, scrolling through the list of possible food options.

“Alright, thanks kook.” 

That nickname made his lips tug upwards as he tried to fight the smile. “No problem. What do you want to have?”

—

Dinner didn’t take long to arrive, you helped him collect the delivery and set it out on the coffee table. Jungkook had convinced you to watch a movie with him while waiting for dinner. Sinking yourself back onto the couch, the two of you happily enjoyed dinner while watching the movie he had chosen. 

“That’s cute.” You commented as the credits rolled. The movie was a short light one and it helped the both of you de-stress from the upcoming finals season. You really needed that self-care. 

“Thanks for the dinner and movie. I honestly needed it. Haven’t had much time to wind down lately.” 

“Too busy with your consultations?” 

You nodded your head, letting out a long sigh. “Yea, don’t get me wrong. It’s rewarding helping others, especially with the pay. But it’s just during this killer period that makes me regret it.”

Jungkook frowned, sitting upright, “I’m sorry I keep booking you.”

You chuckled, “Don’t be sorry. That is my job anyway. Plus, you’re always prepared for the sessions. I hate sessions when they don’t even know why they booked it. Drives me mad.”

Jungkook hummed, agreeing with you. “That must suck.”

“Yea,” your eyes trailed back down to his ankle once again. “What happened with your ankle anyway?”

“Training today. It’s been tough as well for me. Coach has been increasing the intensity and we don’t really get enough rest with studies as well. I wasn’t in the greatest condition today so I slipped.” 

“Yikes. Hope it heals fast though.” You smiled cheekily, “Do I get to sign it?”

Jungkook laughed, “That’s so childish. No one signs casts anymore.”

“Please? I’ve never done it before!” You pouted, doing your best to convince him to let you vandalize his cast. You didn’t need to do much to convince him, he was willing to give in pretty much from the first time you brought it up. “A-Alright. Just don’t draw a dick or something.”

You hummed, feigning consideration. “I wasn’t planning to but now that you mentioned it...”

He glared, grabbing his throw pillow to toss it at your face. “Don’t you dare.”

“I was kidding.” You laughed, rushing to the table to grab a pen, sitting back down close to him to draw on his cast. 

Don’t flunk my module.

“Done!” You added an “A+” next to it, willing yourself to not draw a heart which you almost did. You pulled away from the cast, looking at your work proudly. Jungkook snorted, “Don’t flunk my module? I won’t. Definitely not after all our sessions together.”

“You better.” You turned to look at him, suddenly aware of how close your faces were next to each other. You watched his gaze drop to your lips before flickering up to meet yours, “May I...?”

You nodded slightly, overcome by the adrenaline and fluttery feeling that was consuming you. You both leaned in, gently kissing each other, making sure you don’t put so much weight against him to avoid hurting his injury. Jungkook’s hand found your waist as he pulled you in, the other cupping your cheek. With your arms snaking around his neck, you both deepened the kiss.

Something in you snapped and made you pull away abruptly. “I-I’m sorry. We shouldn’t have done that.” You quickly got up to take your belongings.

“W-Wait, what do you mean—“ Jungkook called after you, struggling to get up fast with his crutch.

“You’re just going to end whatever we’ll have if we try. We’re looking for different things remember?” You rubbed the nape of your neck, “L-Look, could we just pretend this didn’t happen? I don’t want anything to be awkward between us.”

“W-Wait but...” Jungkook sighed, noting how resolute you were with your suggestion. “If that’s what you want.”

“Thanks Jungkook... Anyway, I should probably go. Get well soon.” You shifted your bag on your shoulder and sent yourself out the door.

After that incident, your schedule you had planned went down the drain. Your brain was foggy and your focus out the window the entire night as you kept thinking about that kiss. How it felt and how happy you felt. But you also reminded yourself that Jungkook was not looking to settle and you didn’t want to put yourself through that. 

You just hoped things would be the same after that day.

—

I’m guessing the usual cafe? :) - jk

Where else would we go? - y/n

Maybe my place? - jk

Good try - y/n

Worth a shot - jk

You couldn’t help but smile to yourself every time you conversed with him. Your usual 2h slot with him would drag on if you didn’t have anything that day. It wouldn’t drag on because of questions, you two would just be talking and enjoying each other’s presence. Ever since you met his friends, you met him more outside your 2h slot with him. Though, it was always off-campus. 

The incident at his place was as if it didn’t even happen. As if it was just a wet dream of Jungkook. You were thankful he stuck to the agreement and acted as if nothing happened. However, a part of you felt that it was the wrong move. 

You look great today btw - jk

But that doesn’t mean you look bad on other days - jk

Just extra great today - jk

Feeling that familiar fluttery feeling in your heart, you chose to ignore the message, promptly closing your chat. You reminded yourself about their reputation with relationships, they weren’t into a serious commitment. You didn’t want to waste your own time either. For some reason you could feel someone staring at you and you could bet anyone 10 bucks that it was Jungkook. 

After that moment, class went by fast and it was finally time for lunch. “Y/n! Do you want to grab lunch sometime this week? I promised I’ll be treating.” Mingyu flashed a very charming smile that made you smile back automatically. Behind him was Sooyoung and Chan-mi approaching you. 

“You really don’t have to treat me, I’m just doing my job—“

“I insist, yn. I still owe you for carrying me on your back last semester for the other class.” He chuckled. “Come on, you pulled your own weight.” You shook your head with a laugh. You glanced at your two friends who were patiently waiting for you and possibly eagerly eavesdropping. Just as you were about to turn away, Jungkook’s group walked behind them.

You could’ve sworn that you made eye contact when you gave him a smile to which he coldly ignored, looking away and leaving the hall with his friends.

“We can go for lunch but you’re not treating me.”

Mingyu reached out to pat your shoulder, “We’ll see! I’ll get you again soon!” He winked at you and headed off. Your two giddy best friends reached out to pull you along with them. “Is that a date?”

“N-No it’s not!”

“Why are you stuttering?” Chan-mi teased, poking your sides. You took a few steps in front of them, turning around to face them as you walked backwards. “I swear it’s not a date. We’re just friends.”

“Alright, alright, now walk properly before you hurt yourself Miss-I-have-a-date-with-Mingyu.” Sooyoung turned you around by your shoulders. Just as she strongly whipped you around, your eyes met with Jungkook’s.

Your mouth opened to say hi but nothing happened when he once again, looked away, not acknowledging your presence. “Hey y/n!” Jimin happily greeted you, pulling you in for a hug. “Thanks for tutoring me yesterday.”

“No problem, just doing my job.” You grinned at him but your thoughts still on Jungkook ignoring you.

Jimin chuckled, ruffling your hair, “You’re cute when you’re humble. Anyway, see you around!” You said bye to the others, noting that Jungkook didn’t say a single word to you. It was as if you weren’t right in front of you and you felt offended.

“Did something happen between you and Jungkook?” 

“No, nothing happened.” You denied as the memory of the kiss flashed in your mind.

“Are you sure?” Chan-mi questioned and you sighed. “Sorry, can we not talk about him? Let’s just have lunch.”

You didn’t notice your two friends sharing a look before collectively agreeing to drop the topic.

—

“Hey.”

“You’re late.” You commented, staring at your screen as you continued your assignment. “Yea sorry, I was on a date with someone and it kinda over ran.”

Oh. A date with someone. “O-Oh, how did it go?”

“Pretty well.” Jungkook took a sit, taking out his laptop, ready to fire his questions. “That’s good!” you sounded happy for him. You weren’t sure if your eyes were just trying to make you feel better but it was as if Jungkook seemed disappointed with your reply, as if he was hoping for a different reaction. 

“Yea... Anyway, I don’t have much questions today so it should be a fast one. If you want, we could go get an early dinner?”

“I don’t think I can... I have quite a lot of things to do today.” 

“Oh... That’s cool.”

Moving on from the topic, you two went through the questions he had smoothly though there was something nagging at the back of your mind. Why was he so cold towards you that day? Why is he acting as if he wasn’t being such a dick towards you that day? 

“You good?”

“Hmm?” You glanced up to see genuine concerned eyes that made your heart flutter once again. “Y-Yea I’m good.”

“You sure? You seem quite out of it today. Are you unwell? Is something bothering you?”

You shook your head, getting frustrated. “Why were you ignoring me today in school?”

“W-What?” Jungkook pulled away, taken aback by your question. You sighed, “You know what I’m talking about.”

Jungkook shook his head, “I was just having a bad morning.”

“A bad morning.” You scoffed, “Right, so a bad morning would make you ignore my entire presence. I’ll take mental note of that.” Jungkook himself got annoyed, crossing his arms as he countered, “You didn’t seem to care about anyone else either when you were chatting up with Mingyu. Didn’t think my moody morning would even be noticed by you.”

You blinked a couple times, processing what he had just said. “W-What? I was just talking with him. Why are you even bringing this up?”

He didn’t answer this time, sighing as he packed his laptop in his bag. “I’m sorry, I can’t do this.” Jungkook got up and so did you. “You can’t do this? Are you jealous or something?”

“What? Of course not.” Jungkook frustratedly ruffled his hair. Not wanting to cause a scene at the cafe, you took your own stuff, chuckling dryly to yourself. “Well, you need to sort out whatever shit’s going on with you. I’m not here to guess how you’re feeling.”

“You’re not here to guess?” Jungkook whisper-yelled. “You were the one who suggested to ignore what happened. I’m here trying to keep my shit together because of that.”

“Jungkook, look. Let’s not talk about it here. Can we just drop it please?” ”Whatever.”

You walked away, not looking back to see Jungkook’s regretful look on his face.

—

Jungkook didn’t contact you after that day and you didn’t want to contact him either. Jimin, on the other hand, was trying to find out what happened between the two of you. 

“He always shuts the conversation down the moment one of us brings you up.” 

You sighed, “Nothing serious happened.”

“If that’s true, you guys wouldn’t be ignoring each other like the plague again. I had to lie to him about where I am today.”

A part of you, admittedly, would want Jungkook to reach out to you to just come clean about snapping at you the other day. You couldn’t understand how he could go on a date and then get pissed that you were talking to Mingyu. 

“You shouldn’t have lied to him.”

“It’s nothing.” Jimin shook his head, “What really happened between you two?”

Defeated, you told Jimin what happened that day at the cafe. “You two are just plain stupid. That poor boy likes you. You like him. Case solved.”

“If that’s true, he wouldn’t have gone on a date right before meeting me.”

“Yes, I agree that part’s fucked up. He just sucks at admitting his feelings to himself. Don’t worry, I’ll sort him out for you.” Jimin draped his arms around your shoulder, “you can count on me to give him a good nagging.”

“Thanks Jimin but you don’t have to do that—“

“Jimin? Y/N?”

The two of you turned around, Jimin immediately retracting his arm when you saw Jungkook standing right behind you. “Oh Kook!”

“I thought you said you’re meeting your Tinder date.”

“R-Right about that—“

“No, forget it, it’s clear who’s your Tinder date. Enjoy.” Jungkook shut him down and walked pass the both of you. Jimin sighed, “Looks like it’s time for me to fix this mess.”

“I think he’ll beat you up if you go after him. I’ll talk to him. You’re right, we need to talk.” Jimin gave you an encouraging smile, patting your shoulders, “Good luck.”

You needed that.

You hurriedly followed after him, calling out to him to stop and wait for you. It wasn’t that hard to catch up to him with his injury as well. 

Jungkook looked hurt and cold, as if he was building up his wall against you. “We weren’t on a date. Jimin didn’t want to tell you that he’s meeting me because apparently you get pissed every time you hear my name. I swear.”

“You don’t need to explain anything—“

“Yea of course I don’t, because I should just leave it to you to make wild assumptions every time some shit happens. I don’t get it. One moment, I think you may like me and the next moment you’re out on a date with someone else. Just tell me what is it and we can stop having this misunderstanding.”

Jungkook ruffled his hair, looking around the campus. “Can we talk somewhere else? And not here in public?”

You gestured with your hands, asking him to lead the way. Jungkook led you to a more secluded area, not too far away from where you bumped into him. You both couldn’t take walking together without clearing things up. 

Jungkook didn’t waste any time, immediately diving straight into it. “I do like you. Hell, there’s nothing to even doubt especially after that night. I wanted to kiss you for so long. I never admitted that to myself until that very moment. But then you said you wanted to drop everything and I thought it was just in the heat of the moment for you so I agreed. I rather be friends than back to strangers.” Jungkook breathed, taking a short pause, “But then I see you with Mingyu, with Jimin, and I know these men are your type. The ones that settle down with the right partner. The ones that don’t go on many dates. But that’s been me. So i figured you regretted it when you said that i didn’t want the same things you wanted. But fuck, i want to settle down with you. Take things slow, see where the future takes us. Three sessions with you was over the top for my studies but I did it because I love our time together. I love studying with you, going off topic and talking about other things. I love teasing you just to see your reaction because it makes me smile. I love it when you tease me back just to annoy me. You annoy me but I love it.” He sighed, looking at the floor before meeting your watery eyes.

“But I know I’m not the type of guy you’re looking for. You made it clear yourself that night when you asked to drop it. So there. That’s why I went on that date before meeting you. Because I was so nervous about seeing your face, I needed to get my mind off of you. I admit, I’m sorry for doing that because that just further proves your point about me.” He trailed off, as the realization sinks in of how he had just fucked up his own chances of being with you.

You didn’t bother interrupting him at all, your heart pounding loudly against your chest as you took in every single word he said. Your brain and heart having a civil war with each other. Not knowing what should your next move be. 

“I’m guessing silence means I’m right.” He spoke after receiving no response from you. “I’ll see you around. Take care of yourself.” He gave a pained smile as he headed off back to his place.

Your knees felt weak as you leaned back against the wall that was hiding the both of you from the others. Your hand brought up to your heart. 

What were you going to do?

With a heavy heart, you made your way back to your place. As you settled your dinner, you aimlessly browsed through the shows on Netflix as Your mind was busy thinking about Jungkook’s confession. 

Why didn’t you go after him? Why didn’t you say anything? Were you scared that it was all words? Were you scared of ruining the friendship you two had established? What was stopping you from doing what you wanted?

You knew you couldn’t leave things there. You had to do something before you regret. You liked Jungkook. A lot. You were willing to take the risk with him. Just as he was as willing to prove to you that he’s serious. 

You reached out for your phone and key, making your way out the door and to where you needed to be.

Once you had arrived, you were knocking on the door profusely, “Jungkook!” You called out.

The door opened, “W-What are you doing here—“

“I like you too. You’re wrong. I don’t regret that night. I regret saying that we should forget about it. Because i couldn’t. I didn’t. I thought about it everyday. I’m willing to take things slow with you if you’re willing. I don’t want to regret this as well.”

The smile on his face grew as you admitted your own feelings to him, Jungkook pulling you in with his free hand as the other still held on to his clutch.

“I mean it as well. I have zero intentions to play around with you. I’m serious and I’ll prove it. I’m not going to lose you, you’re not cheap sunglasses to me.”

“I trust you.” You said with a laugh, recalling his metaphor as his grin only grew wider. “You just made me a really happy man.”

“Really? I couldn’t tell with that wide grin on your face.”

“You’re annoying.” Jungkook said with no malice in his tone as he leaned in for a kiss. Both of you had been wanting to do that again ever since that incident. Your leg kicking the door shut as you pulled yourself closer to him. 

“I could get used to this.” You smiled as you pulled away. 

“Well, you should. I’m going to be kissing you for a long time.”

[aeonghaseyo]

Under the Streetlight - Alexandra Trese x Reader

Song fic based on the song “Mixtape: OH” by Stray Kids

A/N: It’s actually my first time writing a song fic, and one using the English translation of a K-pop song I love so much. Please stream Mixtape: OH in Youtube! Btw, I tried my best for the reader to be of any gender haha

T/W: imagery of blood

-----

You were just a college student in Manila, trying to get by this one year in your program that seemed as if it was out to kill you. Why not though, with all the shit ton of schoolwork you had to do as well as org work you willingly volunteered to do? 

As you waited by a jeepney stop by a streetlight that might as well have been like a spotlight hovering upon you, you pondered upon a lot of things in your head and stopped to make a note to yourself. 

‘Note to self: I should really work on saying no once in a while. If I say yes to so much work during this sem I might be dead faster than I think.’

Even making this note to yourself made you feel stressed all the more, with your body automatically fidgeting, and you, conscious enough of your own habits when faced with stress and anxiety, tried your best to fend it off either by forcing yourself to stay still or by letting your thoughts wander to more exciting scenarios.

One scenario in mind played: you on your knees under that same streetlight, with a woman clad in a black coat wielding a curved blade that seemed to gleam its own light even in the darkness. This undaunted, short-haired lady in a defensive stance, aiming to keep you from being kidnapped by the aswang in your area that would risk even the secrecy of their existence in the estero’s out of hunger they never bothered to control. Your entrails would have been their main course, and your soul their dessert, until the infamous Alexandra Trese came to your rescue within a split-second, not even giving you time to scream out loud for help.

As there were only two of the aswang who were going to salvage you to satisfy their hunger pangs, it only took mere moments for Alexandra to take them both down without a drop of blood on you. Even while she was splashed with blood, you looked upon her in awe and admiration. 

The mere thought of her figure post-rampage painted your cheeks red, as you also recalled the memory of her holding out a hand to you to help you up. The fear brought about by that near-death-by-aswang experience really made you literally weak on your knees, so at first you struggled to stand up right after you shakily gripped her hand.

When I get my hands on you

When I set my eyes on you

I get breathless and I’ve never felt this way before

I can’t explain this

It feels so different

So I want it more

No doubt, something coursed through you back then that made you gain just a little bit of strength to momentarily stand on your own two feet. You had that strength, alright, but you didn’t look it with the paleness of your face giving your state of weakness away to the woman in front of you.

“You’re safe now, you don’t have to be scared,” you heard Alexandra reassure you, and once again your knees were jelly.

So you stumbled. 

Blessed by her swift reflexes, your savior caught you effortlessly, and you couldn’t help but hold on to her arms and look into her unwavering black orbs. Another moment passed as she helped you back on your own two feet, her hands still on your shoulders as if to give you a sense of security amidst a relatively dangerous area.

You muttered an “I-i’m so sorry, ma’am,” to which the babaylan-mandirigma corrected you, “Call me Alex. You don’t look well enough to commute, and the streets are especially dangerous at this time of night. Let me take you home.”

I just want to whine

I’ll stop being calculative

I want you to notice how I am feeling

As if you would notice that I was lying

I don’t want to just be around you like the scent

She saved your ass from being a part of the aswang’s menu, and you thought that was just the bare minimum you deserved at that moment. You clearly didn’t expect her to help you up while you were definitely still weak on your knees, and you didn’t expect her to suddenly take you home.

So your mind momentarily went blank. 

Just like a PC that has been restarted, you began processing Alexandra’s offer to take you back home, and your feel yourself getting conflicted between letting her take you home for you to finally let another person help you from the ordeal you had sustained, or refusing her help just so you could prove you can still handle your own. 

But you were left with no choice as Alexandra said, “I insist. You’re much safer with me.”

With one speechless nod from you, she led you to the car where her two bodyguards were waiting and helped you settle at the back of the car, where she usually took her place.

I thought I knew

I was so confident that I knew everything

But I didn’t know, with you

As I get close to you, it gets more complicated

Even when I have something to say, my head goes blank

At the end of the day, I’m saying just meaningless words

“Another rampage, bossing?” one of the bodyguards, who was driving the black Sedan you were in, asked. “Those aswang sure are relentless.”

“At least you didn’t need to call us for help though,” remarked the other bodyguard, who looked like he was the twin of the man who spoke earlier. 

Right beside you, Alexandra let out a sigh for self-relief and responded, “Those aswang were easy prey. They were reckless enough to just corner a helpless passerby out in the night without any calculated plan of attack.”

The long-haired man at the wheel then replied, “Too hungry to even think, eh? ‘Yan tuloy.”

You paid no mind to the rest of the conversation between Alexandra and her bodyguards, instead finding yourself thinking about how secure you felt as the babaylan-mandirigma helped you up on your feet earlier under that streetlight. To you, her expression was nonchalantly serious, with a slight hint of concern that never escaped your perception. 

That concern never appeared for your eyes to see, but you felt it. It was there. Just for you, at that very moment after she saved you.

The train of thought halted to a stop in your head as Alexandra finally turned to you and said, “I never got your name. Do you want to tell me what it is?”

Turning to her with an expression akin to that of a child talking to their first crush, you stuttered, “I-it’s (Y/N). T-thanks again, for s-saving me back there, I t-thought I was gonna be a goner!”

Her eyes never leaving your form, she then replied, “It was a relief that I got to you before those monsters did.”

“Serves me right for waiting for a jeepney at an area without people, huh?” you remarked with a nervous chuckle, as a sign that you’ve finally found your keenness in freely attempting a conversation with Alexandra Trese, of all people. 

You thought she would reply to what you would refer to as a careless remark, but it seemed that you were wrong as one of the twin bodyguards replied to you instead.

“You were easy bait for those aswang, but no worries. Bossing got to you just in time.”

When I hold your hand

I feel like being a baby again

And I go whining and saying, “Don’t look at me like that”

I look you in the eye and take one step closer to you

No matter how much I plan and prepare

When I’m with you, I’m just a baby

Finally arriving at your place, Alexandra ordered her bodyguards to wait for her by the Sedan and turned to walk you to the front entrance. Out of gratitude, you finally mustered to thank your savior once again, which she answered with a nod and her replying, “Take care of yourself next time,” before she finally turned to where her vehicle was parked. 

You felt your heart sink then as she walked to the car by herself. What has gotten into you? She just saved you from an aswang attack, as is her duty as the mediator between humanity and the creatures of the underworld, and she probably doesn’t have the luxury of time to be the subject of anyone’s interest or courtship. So what was the matter? Why were you feeling as if you wanted, scratch that, needed to see her again?

Countless times before, you swore to yourself that you were the type of person not to fall for just anyone, regardless of how extraordinary they seem, regardless of whether they stood out in your eyes or not, out of fear of this weakness being exploited anyway and you being set up for disappointment in the long run. No, you would never let fragility get the best of you just because someone outright snagged you from a close call of an aswang attack.

Regardless of your distaste for showing weakness, that beating heart of yours nagged at you to call out her name and spend a few more seconds with her anyway.

Driven by your own resounding heartbeat, you called out to her while race-walking towards her, “Alex!”

Ey (I’m a)

Can I call you baby?

Ey (I’m a)

In front of love, I’m just a baby

Just like that, you got her phone number, along with a reminder from her to call her when you need help with anything out of the ordinary, which is pretty much another way of referring to supernatural occurrences or anything involving the supernatural realm. 

Under that same spotlight by the jeepney stop at night, still alone, you exited to your phone’s main menu and find your thumb almost grazing the contacts icon at the bottom of your screen. You pressed on that Contacts icon and found Alexandra Trese’s name right under the “A” list in your contacts, underneath a bunch of registered numbers without any proper names to them. With longing, you stared at that name along with her number.

‘I have your number, Alex. Can I call you anytime then, even when I’m not in trouble?’

I know I shouldn’t whine about it

I know it well that you’re everything in my mind

My heart wants you

I want your love

This feeling is so toxic

You’re the only antidote

“Fancy seeing you here again, (Y/N).”

The heart that was already fluttering in your chest skipped a beat upon hearing that familiar voice. Quickly, you turned to the owner of that special voice right beside you, belonging to none other than the person who has been plaguing your thoughts since that fateful night. As if by instinct, you smiled lightly and greeted her, “It’s good to see you again here, Alex. What brings you here tonight?”

I’m sure about my feelings but I can’t control them

The way I talk to you, treat you, and behave towards you

Is so immature

Mature person, Mature love

Mature man, I thought it would be easy

Everything is difficult in front of you

Alexandra filled you in on her agenda for tonight, “I was wondering if there was going to be something unusual happening tonight that concerned the aswang clans that have gone out of control. Strangely, nothing has been happening in this particular street, unlike the last time I saw you here.”

Your (e/c) orbs gone soft, you looked upon her as you replied with a chuckle, “And then you found me instead.”

Her own eyes slightly widened, the woman before you cleared her throat and answered, “Yes I did. And I’m relieved to know you’re safe tonight.”

Time passed, and the silence between you and Alexandra remained as she stayed vigilant and prepared for a possible aswang attack that could happen right where the two of you were standing right now. Worried, you checked the digital clock on your phone once again, which read, “11:43 PM.” Upon being aware that it was actually past your bedtime, your features manifested a look of both worry and frustration, and Alexandra seemed to have noticed it herself.

“Are you okay, (Y/N)?”

“I am, it’s just,” you let out a tiny whimper as you continued, “it’s past my bedtime already, I had to stay behind in school to help out with an org activity the day after, and I haven’t even studied for my exam tomorrow. I hate it when I can’t ride a jeepney right away going home.”

Hold your horses. Did you just rant to Alexandra Trese about your current predicament?

What should I do?

Am I under the illusion?

Will this end easily?

(Oh na na na na what should I do)

Closer (Oh na na na na what should I do)

I want to come to you and get to you

Out of embarrassment from the complaint you just uttered to the person who once saved you from the aswang, the person who brought you home out of kindness, the person you have admired for a long time but never had the chance to tell out of fear of rejection and quite possibly your own consideration for her duties to both the human and otherworldly realms, warm blood rushed to your cheeks and you covered your face as you apologized, “Sorry Alex, I didn’t mean to bother you about my own personal troubles. I can handle it by myself, I promise.”

A hand on your shoulder finally prompted you to look right at her, your head finally unobscured by the hands which formerly shrouded the remains of your embarrassed demeanor.

“Want me to take you home again, (Y/N)?”

This was your one chance to be with this one hell of a woman yet again, like the last time you both were under that same streetlight by the jeepney stop.

What made the current circumstance different from before was that you were not afraid to accept her offer this time. You were hell-bent on getting Alexandra to remember you as much as you continued to remember her and savor that special memory with her.

(Baby)

(I want to come to you and get to you)

No matter how much I plan and prepare

When I’m with you, I’m just a

With an unexplained expression driven by a growing fondness for the babaylan-mandirigma before you, you finally replied to her, “Of course Alex. Thanks again, I appreciate it so much.”

Alexandra then took you by the hand and led her to where that same black Sedan was parked. Cherishing the warmth of her hand, you slightly tightened your hold as if to say, ‘I love holding your hand, and I don’t plan on letting it go anytime.’

I look you in the eye and take one step closer to you

No matter how much I plan and prepare

When I’m with you, I’m just a baby

Ey (I’m a)

Can I call you baby?

Ey (I’m a)

In front of love

I’m just a baby