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straykidsreactions · 4 years

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Reaction To: Foreign S/O Debuts in a Kpop Group

S T R A Y K I D S R E A C T I O N T O : Foreign S/O debuting in a K-pop group + how you met

A/N: Thanks so much for requesting and being patient @lovemyhyunjinnie , and for supporting the blog!

Genre: Fluff

Chan:

You’d started seeing Chan a little over 8 months ago after meeting him completely by accident at a noodle shop down the road from your trainee dorm. You’d only been in Seoul for a little over a month at that point, after being accepted into the Big Hit Entertainment trainee program, and that noodle shop was the only place you could find that had pictures on the menu. At that point you could probably count on two hands the number of phrases you could say in Korean, so you’d resorted to nervously pointing at pictures on the menu to order your food- fortunately the older couple who ran the small eatery grew accustomed to seeing you late at night after long hours of practice and welcomed you despite the obvious language barrier. The night that you met Chan had been a particularly hard night, after 10 hours of dance and vocal practice with an additional 2 hour Korean lesson- you were feeling drained and at your wits end. It was probably around 2am at the time, and the shop was entirely empty save one tired, hardworking young man in the corner who was downing a large bowl of black bean noodles while working furiously on his computer. You didn’t pay each other any mind at first, but as you sat in front of your soup bowl with tears bubbling up in your eyes- feeling entirely alone and lost in the world- you’d felt a soft tap on your shoulder, only to look up and find the soft and sympathetic gaze of the strange young man as he extended a napkin in your direction. You’d gratefully accepted it and dried your eyes, trying to mutter through a somewhat cohesive sentence of gratitude in Korean before Chan had interjected- letting you know that he spoke English. Though it was already late when you met, it felt as though you talked for hours after that. He’d consoled you and encouraged you to keep going, despite how tough it was going to be. He’d given you his phone number at the end, after walking you back to your dorm, and told you that if you ever had time he’d like to see you again. That’s how it started and now 8 months later the two of you were closer than ever, despite both of your busy schedules.

Standing backstage at the Mnet Countdown show, you took nervous breaths as a stylist fitted a mic headset against your face. You were finally debuting and, though you knew your time as a trainee was short compared to that of other idols (especially to compared to your boyfriend’s), it had felt like a lifetime. Looking around at your group members, you felt a small ounce of consolation knowing that you weren’t the only foreign member- there were 3 of you in total- but still you were prepared for the backlash you might face. You’d already accumulated a large fan following as trainee’s through rookie showcases, especially overseas, but the nerves in your stomach were still overwhelming. Just as you heard the MC’s announcing your group’s name and you prepared to take the stage, you felt a tap on your shoulder reminiscent of that night so many months ago when Chan had helped you out of your darkest moment.Turning quickly, your eyes met the loving gaze of your boyfriend as a small smile flickered across your face, spinning you around in his arms as he took in how good your stage costume looked.

*blushing as you unintentionally breathed out a sigh of relief, something that had become a habit for you every time you saw Chan’s face*

“Yahh, what’re you doing here- we’re going on stage any second!”

*smiling as though he didn’t seem to care that you were short on time and his presence there at all was risky if any photographers happened to be near by*

“I don’t care, baby- you know I had to be here for this. God...look at you.”

*smiling shyly before turning away as you heard one of your member’s call your name and wave you over*

“I’ve gotta go, babe but...thank you for being here. Are you gonna stay and watch?”

*nodding as he patted your head lovingly, letting go of you so that you could join your other members*

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world, Y/N...I’m so proud of you.”

Minho:

You’d been in Seoul for a little over a year when you met he man who would later become your boyfriend and, ironically enough, you met him on an idol survival show. Of course Minho wasn’t a contestant on Produce 101, but he was brought onto the show for a couple episodes as a guest judge towards the end of the reality show filming. He appeared as a judge for the last 3 episodes- when there were only a handful of trainees left- and you were among them. Though you hadn’t interacted a ton during the production of the show, the moment that sparked your initial crush was during a rehearsal leading up to the final episode where Minho was overseeing and choreographing the dance practice. You’d almost mastered the difficult and demanding choreo, but as you lept into the air for what felt like the 100th time that day you felt your ankle weaken underneath you and in an instant your body collapsed into a heap on the floor. As your fellow trainees and friend’s gasped, it was Minho who had been the first to run to your side- the look of genuine concern evident on his face. He’d offered to help you out of the studio, away from the cameras, and to the designated nurse a few doors down. In the quietude of the hallway, as the young man slipped his arm around your waist to balance you as you stumbled, you couldn’t help but feel your heart rate quicken. You were far from fluent in Korean but you conversation skills were passable after having lived and trained in the country for a year, so you muttered out a polite apology as you continued to lean on him for support. In that moment, he’d stopped you for a moment, turning his body to face you as he propped your back against the wall, causing a small gasp to escape your lips. He didn’t lean in when he spoke, keeping a professional distance between the two of you, but his voice was like honey and it almost made you wish that he had leaned in just a little.

“Don’t apologize, Y/N...it’s my fault for pushing you too much during practice. I’ll take full responsibility.”

You shook your head, assuring him that you didn’t blame him and how sorry you were for taking up his time, to which he’d only smiled, helping you off the wall and towards the nurse’s door. Just as you were about to go inside and he was headed back into the practice room, he’d turned to you with that famous charismatic smile spread across his face. If his words hadn’t resonated with you so deeply, you almost would’ve not heard him over how focused you were on his ridiculously handsome features.

“Listen to the doctor, ok? Don’t give them a hard time just because you want to perform, you have to make sure you’re healed first...you have to win, Y/N, you deserve to win.”

After Produce 101 had ended and you had placed in the top 3, earning yourself a spot in the nation’s next big group, all of the winning contestants along with the judges and producers were invited to a large celebratory dinner at the company. After the dinner had finished and you and the other winning trainees were getting ready to head back to your dorm, Minho had pulled you aside and congratulated you on winning. That same night he’d asked you out- and it was the first and possibly only time that you’d seen him truly nervous. You’d been a bit taken aback at the time but one date turned into 3 months and, despite your relationship being a secret from the public eye and having to work around both of your busy schedules, you could honestly say it was all worth it.

Your group went on to begin training and preparations for your big and highly anticipated debut, and when the time finally came all of the fans that had watched your journey from Produce 101 were more excited than ever. Minho had texted you to say that he’d be watching your debut stage and to wish you good luck- and despite knowing how busy he was you had to admit that it stung a little knowing he wouldn’t get to see you on the day of your debut. It wasn’t until you were backstage with your members, 10 of you in total, waiting to take the stage when you heard the voice of the special MC announcing your group- a voice you were all too familiar with. Your eyes widened as your members whispered to themselves, wondering if it really was the same man who’d been a guest judge on your survival show a handful of months earlier. A blush filled your cheeks as you tried to focus, not wanting to get your hopes up on the off chance that you were just hearing things, but as you entered the performance stage and took your place as you awaited the cues from the cameramen, you couldn’t help but smile at the MC in front of you- none other than your proud boyfriend staring back at you.

“Everyone, please join me in welcoming the incredible new rookies on their debut- let’s show them a lot of love, ok?! Music, cue!”

It was only a flash of a smile that you caught before the music began and you refocused your attention on giving a flawless performance, but it was enough to give you the confidence boost you needed. After the show had finished and you were all on cloud 9 from your official debut performance, you searched backstage to find the man who’d given you so much confidence. You finally found him in his dressing room and the instant he saw you he’d light up, pulling you into a warm embrace despite the risk of cameras around. Laughing, you pushed him lightly as he only wrapped his arms around you tighter, shaking his head as the smile on his face only widened.

“You did so well today, Jagiya.”

*blushing as you stared down at the floor, finally loosing his grasp on you as he took your hand in his*

“You didn’t tell me you’d be MCing, Minnie.”

“I wanted it to be a surprise, hopefully it wasn’t too much for you.”

*smiling as you shook your head, squeezing his hand that was intertwined with yours*

“It was perfect. Do you think I’ll do ok though?”

*giving you a confused look as he played haphazardly with your fingers*

“Why...because you’re a foreigner?”

*nodding slowly as you bit your lip, despite having debuts the pressures as a foreign idol were weighing on you*

“You’ve made it this far, Y/N...if you can do that, you can do anything. Besides, I’m right here by your side. I won’t let anyone hurt you, I promise.”

Changbin:

You’d met Changbin after being in Seoul for only a handful of weeks, after being accepted into the trainee program at SM Entertainment, and you’d been taking private Korean lessons at a famous language center. It was a popular place for companies to send their idols and trainees who needed additional language lessons, usually for Korean and English classes, and it felt as though you basically lived there. When you weren’t training at the company you were at the language center doing everything you could to improve your Korean and, though you could feel yourself progressing, you also felt the immense pressures to push yourself even farther. It wasn’t until one evening when you were up late studying at the language center, that a young man had come up to you with several English textbooks in his arms. He was barely recognizable as an idol at that point, wearing glasses and an oversized hoodie with slight bags under his eyes from staying up so late, but his cautious smile was warm and inviting. He’d asked in somewhat broken English if you spoke the language, and when you responded in very broken Korean that you did, he’d sat down across from you in relief.

“I am trying to..uhmm..get better with my pronounciation. I think my English is..mmm, not that good. Is it ok if I talk to you?”

It had been the first time anyone had attempted to make conversation with you in English since you’d been in Seoul, and though you didn’t know him at all you felt compelled to help him. You flipped through your Korean textbook, showing it to him and asking him if he would help you in return, which he’d happily agreed to. The two of you had spent the rest of the night trying to make converse with your limited knowledge of the other’s language but, despite not having a fluent speaker between the two of you, you’d felt like the conversations came naturally and you almost didn’t want it to end. He’d walked you to the bus stop once the language center closed for the night, and had put his number in your phone so that you could meet back at the same place to practice the next day. it went that way for a month or two, meeting practically every night to study together- and you found that you picked up the language best when you were jut talking casually between the two of you. You got to know each other through the conversations you had, talking about anything from family and childhood stories to your current professions. You talked about what it was like to be a trainee and having Changbin as a someone you could confide in during those first couple months in Seoul became a huge source of motivation for you to keep going. The first date the two of you went on wasn’t even really a date, you’d just become so involved in your conversation that when the language center closed he’d suggested going to a convenient store across the street and getting food. It was the first time that you’d successfully ordered something in full Korean, and Changbin had been so proud of you that in the moment he’d pulled you into an embrace in the middle of the convenient store- making you blush. He’d apologized afterwards, stumbling over his words until finally he took a deep breath, admitting that he liked you (which he was able to do in fluent English). You’d responded in fluent, though probably still somewhat broken, Korean that you liked him as well- and the rest was history. That was two years ago and after all that time dedicated to practicing and rehearsing tirelessly- you’d managed to be selected for debut.

When you’d told your boyfriend, he was almost more excited than you were. He was so filled with pride that you’d achieved everything you’d set out to do- but it wasn’t until the night of the performance as he watched from backstage that he felt tears pricking at the corners of eyes. It would be a mix of pride and nerves for Binnie, knowing that you were so talented and deserved all the support and love in the world, but also being worried that you’d receive hate in the industry for being a foreign idol. He knew you were strong, but he also knew himself well enough to know that watching someone receive any kind of negativity would absolutely crush him. He wouldn’t bring it up to you, you knew what you were getting yourself into and he trusted that you could handle yourself despite being in such a tough industry. More than anything he was so proud, watching your absolutely flawless performance on your debut stage filled his heart with a sense of admiration he’d never felt before, and as you ran backstage after your performance with the other members of your group- you spotted him in an instant. He smiled, pulling you aside as the other 5 members of your group playfully teased the two of you, giving you some space.

“Did we do well, Binnie? You can be honest?”

*smiling as he cupped your face in his hands, staring at you in silence for a moment as he he shook his head*

‘it was perfect, baby....you were perfect.”

*lighting up you blushed slightly, prodding him further*

“Are you sure? You can say if it could’ve been better, I’ll work harder and I know there’s still so much I can do better I-”

*shaking his head as he pressed a thumb to your lips, interrupting you as he blinked back tears in his slightly misty eyes*

“Wahh, you see this, baby? Your performance was so good your boyfriend is gonna cry- isn’t that enough proof?”

Hyunjin:

You’d been in Seoul working as a trainee at JYP Entertainment for a year and a half, after being recruited from an international audition. Though you’d never met any of the members of Stray Kids (or any other JYP artist for that matter), you were very familiar with who they were and you looked up to them a lot. It wasn’t until a particular dance showcase that JYP announced he’d have an additional person watching the performances with him. You hadn’t even processed that it was Hyunjin walking through the door until he was practically seated at the supervisor’s table- all you could do was stand frozen as your heart rate quickened and your palms grew damp. He introduced himself politely and said a few encouraging words before sitting back down and calling the first group of trainee’s forward to perform the choreography. You were in the third group and, by the time he got to your name the butterflies in your stomach had only gotten worse. When he read your name of the list he paused for a moment, recognizing that it was not a Korean name. He looked up, his eyes landing on you immediately as the obvious owner of the foreign name. He smiled softly, waving you forward and you had no choice but to nervously approach the table. All eyes were on you as he leaned towards you slightly to speak in a soft voice.

“It must be difficult, huh?” You didn’t want to think of the way your face must’ve flushed when he made eye contact with you, so you just nodded softly and turned your gaze to the floor.

“Use it, ok? You’re always gonna stand out, but don’t let it be a bad thing. Just keep trying, you were accepted for a reason...”

It was the first time somewhat within the company had addressed your nationality in a way that was entirely encouraging and supportive- and it gave you the confidence you so desperately needed to perform your best at the showcase.

After the performance had ended you didn’t have an opportunity to thank Hyunjin for his kind words, but over the course of the next couple weeks you later found out that he’d been trying his best to find your schedule so he could run into you again. He convinced himself that it was just because he wanted to show you support since he imagined being a foreign trainee must be very difficult, but deep down he knew it was more than that. He was interested in you, and when he did finally manage to run into you at the practice studios late one night he took it as a sign that he had to at least try. He’d offered to run through some difficult choreography with you and, despite you insisting that you didn’t want to take up his time, he assured you that it was no trouble. The two of you stayed up practicing until the early hours of the morning- but it was by far the most fun you’d had since beginning your training and you were endlessly grateful for that. Just as the two of you had agreed to call it quits for the day and began packing up, he’d asked if you were allowed to have a cell phone. You’d told him that you did, since you were a foreigner you needed to have it for emergency contacts and translation apps, to which he just smiled. He asked if he could see you again, gesturing for you to give him your phone. When he returned it to you there was an additional contact in your phone book- under the name “Grandpa”. You laughed, giving him a quizzical look.

“It’s in case anyone searches through your phone- I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble because of me, Y/N...I-I probably shouldn’t even be talking to you, I know you’re not allowed to date anyone...but I wanna get to know you. I’m sorry if that’s too forward.”

Over the next handful of months you and Hyunjin became closer, mostly meeting late at night in the dance studio to practice and, though your language skills weren’t exactly fluent, you had enough conversational skills between the two of you to create a dialogue. It wasn’t perfect, the two of you didn’t have a proper date outside of the company building for the first several months that you were seeing each other, but it was enough. On your 6 month anniversary, sitting on the floor of the dimly lit practice room for what seemed like the millionth time, Hyunjin had stared at you with an expression on his face that you couldn’t quite place.

“Promise me something, baby.” You’d agreed, giving him a slightly confused look as he scooted closer to you.

“Promise me that when you debut, you’ll let me take you out on a proper date.” You’d felt slightly embarrassed at the time, saying that you didn’t know if you’d ever debut and that he shouldn’t wait for you if he didn’t want to, but he’d only smiled, cupping your face with his hands and assuring you that’d wait as long as it took.

A full year after that night in the dance studio- you’d finally been selected for debut. You were beyond excited and, though you knew it’d be tough being a foreigner, you also knew there’d be a lot of support for you from international fans. When you told your boyfriend, he was absolutely elated. That is, until you told him that your debut performance (which he’d been promising since you met that he would be there for) was on the same day as Stray Kid’s comeback performance. Despite both performing on Inkigayo, you were on completely stages recording at similar times which meant that Hyunjin couldn’t physically be there to watch your debut performance in person. The one saving grace, however, was that at the end of all the performances on the show that night- every artist was brought onto a central stage to film the closing scene and thank their fans for tuning in. You hadn’t noticed it at first, but as Hyunjin took the stage with his members, still slightly sweaty and dressed in his stage costume from his recent performance, he was also holding a bouquet of roses. He glanced in your direction just before the cameras started rolling, smiling brightly and giving you a small thumbs up. It wasn’t until after the cameras were rolling and Stray Kids had said their closing remarks, however, that Chan stepped forward to say one last thing.

“We’d also like to congratulate JYP’s latest group on their debut- we look forward to working with you more! Fighting!” Despite Chan being the leader, it was Hynjin who stepped out from his place and walked over towards your group, the five of you looking between each other in slight confusion as Hyunjin walked directly up to you. Handing you the bouquet of roses, he smiled and gave a polite bow. You were shocked by his bold action, though you were the leader of your group you’d never anticipated him handing you flowers on national television. Nevertheless, you returned the polite bow, thanking him.

*flashing you a knowing smile as your took the bouquet in your arms, trying your best not to blush while the cameras were still rolling*

“Congratulations on your debut, Y/N.”

Jisung:

When you first met Jisung, you weren’t even officially in Seoul yet. You’d just been recruited as an idol trainee at Cube Entertainment and were flying to South Korea to begin training. Your flight had a layover in Singapore where, coincidentally, Jisung also was after visiting some old friends at the international school he’d attended in western Malaysia. He was flying back to Seoul after taking a short vacation and, as it turned out, the two of you were on the same flight. You couldn’t speak a word of Korean outside of a few basic phrases, so when you heard the warm voice of a young man sitting down beside you speaking in English you felt a small sense of relief that you wouldn’t have to take out your pocket dictionary.

“Excuse me, would it be ok if we closed the blinds...just while the plane’s taking off? It makes me a bit dizzy.” You’d looked up to meet his polite, apologetic gaze and for a moment you almost couldn’t think straight. He was one of the most handsome men you’d ever seen, but you collected yourself quickly and nodded, closing the blinds as Jisung thanked you. That had been your first interaction however, after a completely chance delay on the tarmac for an additional 3 hours, your conversation slowly expanded as you began simple conversations with one another. He’d asked you why you were travelling to Seoul alone, and when you’d told him that you were a trainee his face lit up- explaining that he also worked in the industry and that if you needed advice or help with anything to let him know. By the time your plane actually took off the ground it felt as though you’d made a real friend- his amiable and laid-back demeanor felt welcoming in a world where everything else was so new and uncertain to you and you’d appreciated that. After an additional 6 hours in the air, however, watching a movie together and drifting in and out of sleep against Jisung’s shoulder- you felt that you’d made more than just a good friend. It was a completely chance meeting, and you weren’t sure when you’d be able to see him again due to your busy schedules, but you’d both felt in that moment that there was something between you worth not giving up on.

When you finally landed in Seoul it was late at night and, fortunately, no photographers had been tipped off that Jisung would be there. He helped you load your bags into the taxi, breathing out a nervous sigh at the realization that if he didn’t say something now he might never see you again. He’d hoped that it would be a bit smoother in his head, but as soon as he saw you opening the door of the cab he’d blurted out a jumble of nervous words.

“Y/N wait- listen I know you’ll be super busy and I’m always insanely busy too but I-I wanna see you again and I wanna keep talking to you because I-I think meeting you was really special and the best luck I’ve had in a while so maybe if-if it’s ok with you I could get your number?”

You felt a weight lifted off your shoulders at the realization that he felt it too, and you happily agreed. You hadn’t even arrived at the dorm when you received a text from Jisung apologizing for uncool he must’ve looked and promising that the next time he saw you he’d be more put-together. That had been your first meeting, and 3 years later you were still going strong.

You worked ridiculously hard at training and studying Korean in those 3 years, supporting your boyfriend over every comeback, and when you were finally approved for debut in the latest group at Cube Jisung was unbelievably excited. Knowing that he could be there to support you and your members on your journey would make his heart fill with pride, and he had to admit the added bonus of you no longer being under a dating ban would make going on dates a lot easier. He knew you’d have a hard time being a foreigner in the industry, it had been hard enough as a trainee, but he’d also been with you long enough to know that you were strong enough to take on any challenge.

When your debut stage finally came around, Jisung wouldn’t miss it for the world. His heart was practically beating out of his chest as he watched on the large monitor from the guest room backstage, his eyes becoming misty as he watched your effortlessly perfect performance. You were so incredible, and you were his. After your performance had finished and you’d come backstage with your members, it wouldn’t take Jisung long to wrap his arms around you and pull you aside, not paying any mind to all the people around you. You blushed as he pulled you towards him, sitting down near the back corner of the bustling room filled with tons of people all of whom were eager to congratulate you and your members on your debut. All you could focus on was Jisung, though, as he smiled sweetly with warm and pride-filled eyes.

“You did so well today, baby...you know that right? You did so so well.”

*blushing as he cupped your cheek in his hand, a small teasing smile playing on his lips*

“You’re an idol now, huh? Are you still gonna want to date me? There are gonna be a lot more guys asking you out from now on, you know.”

*rolling your eyes as you shoved him playfully, assuring him that he was the only guy you wanted to be with*

“I’m gonna hold you to that, super star.”

Felix:

You’d met Felix while training in Seoul, after being accepted into Pledis Entertainment about two months earlier, at a gaming cafe of all places. You didn’t have much time as a trainee who was also struggling to learn the language, but when you could you tried your best to work late nights at the gaming cafe around the corner from your dorm in order to earn a bit of pocket change. It just so happened that Felix had agreed to play a match with a few old friends from Australia when his personal computer died- leaving him with no other option but to find a 24 hour gaming cafe. It’d started as only a one time visit for Felix, he hardly had time to drive the 15 minutes to a gaming cafe when he had his own computer at the dorm, but after seeing that you were the one behind the check-in counter he decided the 15 minute drive might not be such a horrible thing. You hadn’t paid him much attention the first time, you spent most of your time behind the counter studying your Korean textbooks and watching playback videos of the dance practices from earlier that week, but after a few hours of gaming as Felix was finally leaving the cafe (having been the only customer there in the first place) you glanced up. He was standing in front of you, bare faced and smiling as he brushed his fluffy, unkempt hair away from his face and adjusted the hood of his plain black jacket.

“H-have a good night, sir.” You’d muttered in the best Korean you could muster at such a late hour, causing Felix to smile slightly as he raised a brow.

“How long have you been here? In Seoul, I mean.” When you gave him a confused look, surprised by his immediate switch into fluent English, he laughed slightly, apologizing for his straightforwardness.

“Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m a foreigner too- I’m from Australia. Don’t worry, it get’s easier, I promise.” You smiled slightly, nodding as you glanced over at the textbook on the counter. Felix followed your gaze, his face brightening slightly as he pointed to the book.

“Those books seem so childish, they really work though, I swear. I used the same ones.” You couldn’t place your finger on why exactly, but something about the stranger’s reassurance comforted you more than you’d known you needed.

“I’m Felix, by the way. What’s your name?” You’d replied with your name, taking his extended hand and shaking it softly as he smiled.

“Will you be here tomorrow, Y/N?” You nodded and, though he hadn’t asked, you noticed yourself telling him every night that you worked at the cafe. You knew it was a stretch, and that your interest in him must have been so obvious from the way you told a complete stranger your work schedule unprompted, but you almost hoped that maybe he’d come see you again. He did, of course, and he felt a little better about his obvious tactics at trying to get to know you better by the fact that you also seemed interested in him. One visit to the cafe turned into several, always late at night and almost always when hardly no one else was at the shop. After a few weeks of his frequent visits, Felix stopped pretending that he was coming there to even use the computers, instead opting to sit across from you at the counter and just have conversations with you. They were mostly in English, but he also did his best to help you with your Korean and for that you were endlessly grateful. Though you knew who he was, his face was fairly famous across Korea after all, you never brought it up because it never came up in conversation. It didn’t seem to be something Felix had any interest in talking about, instead you spent most of your time talking about your dreams, things you wanted in life, the biggest abstract concepts and those most minute details. Mostly you just found ways to make each other laugh, and though neither one of you realized it at the time you were an escape for each other. In the same way that Felix hadn’t discussed his work with you, you hadn’t discussed your real reason for being in Seoul with him. You’d told him that you were studying Korean and that you worked part time at the gaming cafe, but it never seemed relevant to bring up the fact that first and foremost you were a trainee. It wasn’t that you’d intentionally hid it from him, if he’d asked you directly you would’ve told him, but there was something innocent and nice about discussing other things besides just your everyday activities and lines of work. it almost felt like a movie.

In fact, the night that Felix asked you out properly (to grab noodles from the convenient store across the street), he still didn’t know that you were a trainee. He didn’t know for a few months after that either- you’d only told him when it came up in conversation as he was driving you somewhere (this time in the light of day) and he’d asked where to drop you off. You’d casually replied, telling him Pledis Entertainment, causing your boyfriend to laugh and give you the strangest look.

“Pledis? Yahh- Y/N! Are you not telling me something?” Fortunately your light-hearted boyfriend had found the humor in the situation, making you promise to not keep any big information from him like that and formally apologizing for also not talking about his work in the same way. It was only 6 months after that conversation that you were approved for debut.

Though Felix hadn’t been there for a good portion of your time as a training knowingly, he’d been there for you in the way you needed most. When your debut stage finally arrived he’d asked you if you wanted him to come, seeing as how he’d missed so much of your trainee experience. In all honesty you felt like your nerves might be too high if he were there and you didn’t want him to go out of his way, so instead you compromised and promised you could watch the debut stage together the next day when it aired. He’d agreed, meeting up with you at the cafe where you’d met that fateful evening several months ago and warmly pulling you into an embrace. After watching the stage performance on one of the computers several times over and pausing on every close up of your face to shower you with compliments, he turned to you with bright eyes and a wide grin plastered on his face.

“Babe..just- wahhh....Wow. Oh my gosh.”

*giggling as you smacked him lightly, insisting that he was just hyping you up as he continued to tease you*

“My (girlfriend/boyfriend) is a celebrity, huh? Wahh, that makes me so cool. And you’re so talented too...Will you let me come to your next performance, baby? I’ve missed so much already, I really wanna watch you perform this live.”

Seungmin:

You’d been a trainee at KQ Entertainment for just under 3 years when you met your soon-to-be boyfriend. You’d just walked into a small coffee shop located on the outskirts of Seoul after a long day of training in hopes of getting something to warm you up. Seungmin also happened to be there, though not for the reasons one might think. He was dressed in full barista attire, standing calmly behind the counter with his phone in his hand as he snapped a few pictures of himself. A few crew members were staggered about the coffee shop, along with a few elderly customers who didn’t see to mind the intrusion. He was there taking photos for a comeback concept- but as you entered the shop and immediately focused your attention on the menu, you hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary about the young, handsome man behind the counter.

“Can I get a latte please, and also maybe one of those muffins?” You gestured towards the baked goods on display, not paying much attention to face staring back at you with a small smile flickering across his lips. Just as one of the crew members was about to step in and assure you that the man you were talking to was, in fact, not a qualified barista in any sense- Seungmin waved them off. He nodded, placing your muffin in a small box and handing it to you, his heartbeat a little faster than he would like to admit. Though your eyes hadn’t met yet, he was looking directly at you- and something about you was alluring to him. He blushed slightly as he tried desperately to think of what might go in a latte, ultimately resorting to pressing several different buttons on machines that he had no idea how to work. Coffee began pouring out of every orifice of the machine, and loud whirring noises let him know that whatever he’d done it was horribly wrong. He gasped, cursing under his breath as the crew rushed in to help him. Only then had you looked up, eyes wide at the odd spectacle of several grown men trying to subdue a rogue coffee machine. Stifling a laugh, you got Seungmin’s attention and pointed towards the power cord, which he then hastily unplugged. The whirring came to a halt and half-brewed coffee stopped spewing- and in an instant the two of you were chuckling to yourselves. The crew members left to get cleaned up, leaving the two of you alone for a moment as you looked at the man who’s crisp white button up was now covered in coffee stains. Smiling softly, he apologized for the commotion, admitting that he didn’t actually work there.

“I’m here for a..uhm, a photoshoot...thing. I, I don’t know the first thing about coffee.” You’d laughed gently in response, assuring him that it was ok.

“Hmm, can you make tea?” Butterflies rose in his stomach when you looked at him with a playful smile, and he’d nodded, locating the hot water and pouring some into the cutest mug he could find. Placing the small bag of herbs into the water, he handed you the mug and warned you that it was hot. You’d thanked him, paying for your beverage and taking a seat near the back of the cafe. Only a few minutes had passed before you were joined by the same smiling man, asking if he could sit with you and- though you didn’t know the first thing about him- you’d agreed. Maybe it was his trustworthy eyes or the fact that you couldn’t supress the heat that rose to your cheeks whenever he smiled at you- whatever it was something made you feel compelled to keep his company. You talked for a while, though it wasn’t long before the crew members came back and started rushing Seungmin out of the shop. He apologized for having to leave so suddenly, and as you stood to watch him go you’d called out to him.

“W-wait..I know you’re probably way too busy but- well...” You didn’t have the nerves to ask if you could see him again, though you desperately wanted to. He read the emotions on your face, smiling as he was guided out of the shop by the staff. Motioning towards your mug of tea, he gave you a thumbs up and just before he was out the door he gestured for you to call him. Then, in a flash, he was gone. You stared down quizzically at the mug of tea he’d prepared for you, and after a moment of staring at it blankly you noticed the small tag on the end of the tea bag had small writing scribbled on the backside. You couldn’t help the ear-to-ear grin that formed on your face when you realized that it was a phone number.

From the inception of your relationship with Seungmin, things had been very secretive and under-wraps. You met when you could, always late at night and in the oddest places possible to avoid cameras, especially since you were still a trainee and technically under a dating ban. On top of that, the tabloids would have a field day if Seungmin was spotted with not only a trainee, but a foreign trainee. It had only been a few days after you’d been approved for debut, one year after that fateful night in the coffee shop, that you and Seungmin were caught by one of the managers at KQ Entertainment. You’d only been having a simple meal together, but of course the two of you were in a mountain of trouble. Because you’d technically already been approved for debut they were a bit more lenient with you, but nevertheless your phone was temporarily confiscated and the two of you had to agree not to let your relationship get caught by photographers or anyone else outside the company. In the few weeks preparing for your groups debut you weren’t allowed to go anywhere without supervision and Seungmin was no longer invited to your debut stage. That being said, Seungmin had a way of getting what he wanted- and there was nothing that he wanted more than to see all of your hard work come to fruition.

The day of the debut, you and your members were already on edge, rehearsing in your dressing room over and over again as giddy nerves bubbled up on your stomach. You wished that your boyfriend could be there with you, as he always knew exactly what to say to calm your nerves, but you knew he’d be thinking of you and that was enough. Your performance, of course, went smoothly without a single hitch, and you almost didn’t want to leave the cheering audience as you and your members took a bow, exiting the stage. It wasn’t until you wer backstage, however, that one of the assistants came up to you with a look of urgency on her face.

“Y/N? This is for you.” Handing you a small coffee cup, you gave the woman a confused look. Asking who ti was from, the woman only shrugged, stating that she only knew it was supposed to go to you and not to let anyone else have it. You frowned, definitely hesitant to accept a drink from a stranger. In fact, you’d almost thrown it away until you saw small scribbled handwriting on the side of the cup- trying your best to read it without drawing attention to yourself.

3rd floor dressing room A16, down the hall on the right.

Love, your favorite barista

Smiling, you clutched the cup to your chest, letting one of your members know that you were going to use the restroom as you quickly made a dash for the back stairs. When you made it to the mostly quiet 3rd floor and found the correct dressing room, you opened the door to see a completely empty room, save your boyfriend smiling from ear to ear. He ran up to you, pulling you into a bear hug and placing his hand over your head as he stroked your hair. You could tell from his casual attire that he’d tried really hard to get into the building without being noticed, teasing him slightly as you adjusted the hat on his head.

“You did all this just to see me after the performance?”

*nodding as he smiled widely, blushing slightly at his bold move that was definitely putting both of you at risk for getting in trouble if anyone found out*

“I have my ways, Jagi- I had to see you. On of the producers let me watch from the soundroom...you did so well today!”

*humbling deflecting his compliment, assuring him that it was a group effort as he stepped closer to you, his bright smile never wavering*

“Baby, give yourself credit, hmm? You were amazing out there. I know how hard it’s been for you, but everything was perfect.”

“You mean it, Seungminnie?”

*nodding and flashing you a wide smile to assure you that he was being serious*

“I mean it, Y/N...now aren’t you proud of me for sneaking in here?”

Jeongin:

You met Jeongin after training at P-Nation Entertainment for a little over a year and a half and, though your Korean skills were still developing you had a decent grasp on the language and managed to get by fairly well. Besides being a trainee at P-Nation you were also a backup dancer for some of your label’s big name solo artists and, on the particular occasion where you met Jeongin, you were backup dancing for Hyuna. The solo star had just comeback with her latest single and was performing it on Mnet, coincidentally the same day that Stray Kids was also promoting a comeback on the same show. You’d been in the dancer’s dressing room amongst a sea of other dancers for various artists performing on the show that day- all of you in a variety of different costumes and aesthetics. Being that you were a backup dancer for Hyuna (who is famously known for her sleek and sexy concepts on stage), your garment was a little on the revealing and tight side. It was flattering, of course, but nevertheless it was a little out of your comfort zone. You had just finished getting ready and were standing in the hallway of the backstage area as you waited for the other dancers- when several idols began walking past. You could feel their eyes on you as they passed by, making you slightly uncomfortable as you tried your best to place your arms over your body. You tried to adjust the fabric so that it would cover you a bit more, but it was no use. You didn’t mind it on stage because that was part of the job, but just standing still with stranger’s eyes on you made you feel a bit embarrassed. It wasn’t until you felt a gentle tap on your shoulder that you pulled your gaze away from the floor, looking up to see a young man with a sympathetic smile and warm eyes in front of you. He was clearly dressed and ready to perform, a mic pack was already attached to him and his hair was perfectly styled, yet he was extending his arm towards you with a jacket in hand. You gave him a quizzical look and he just smiled bashfully.

“Oh, um..I’m sorry. I saw you standing here and you look a bit, um, uncomfortable? You can wear this if you like.” He gestured again to the oversized leather jacket in his hand that had clearly been a part of his stage costume just moments earlier. You smiled softly, feeling heat rise in your cheeks but this time in a positive way. Shaking your head, you insisted that you shouldn’t accept the jacket when he was supposed to wear it on stage, but he persisted.

“No, it’s fine really! It’s too heavy to perform in anyway. Just wear it until you have to go on stage, you’re a dancer right?” You’d nodded, telling him that you were going on stage shortly for Hyuna’s comeback. He laughed slightly and nodded his head, though there was something you really appreciated about the fact that his gaze never drifted below your eye level.

“That explains the costume. Here, wear the jacket until you have to go on stage. You can return it to me at the end of the show, deal?” You’d hesitanttly agreed to the kind stranger’s proposal, putting the large jacket on and immediately feeling more comfortable. You thanked him and he waved it off casually, leaving to get ready for his own performance. After the show when you returned the jacket to him, he admitted that it looked much better on you and that he’d hoped you would keep it. When you insisted that you couldn’t dream of keeping a stranger’s jacket he’d just grinned from ear-to-ear and, though his nerves were bubbling up inside him, he kept a cool and collection disposition when he replied,

“Hmm, maybe we don’t have to be strangers then.” He apologized almost immediately afterwards for the bold line, but when he saw the way it made your face light up he couldn’t help but push it one step farther, asking in a slightly more bashful tone if you’d like to get lunch sometime. You’d agreed, and the rest was history.

A year later, P-Nation Entertainment announced it’s first group was scheduled to debut, and you were among the members. Jeongin would be so incredibly proud of you, feeling an array of emotions at the fact that his (girlfriend/boyfriend) was finally debuting. Dating in secret over the past year had been especially difficult for Jeongin, since he knew that if you were caught it would especially risk your career since you hadn’t debuted yet- and on top of that he’d hate hearing the comments you received for being a foreign idol trainee. Though there was a lot of support as well, Jeongin desperately wanted to speak up publicly and shame those who had negative comments to say towards you, but he couldn’t when your relationship was a secret. The night of your debut, as Jeongin watched from backstage in a private viewing room, he knew in his heart that you were more than just someone special to him. He’d wanted to be someone who could protect from the moment he met you and gave you his jacket and, despite any criticism the two of you might face, he wanted to be that person for you publicly. After your debut as Jeongin pulled you into a warm embrace, showering you with praise for your incredible performance, he took a deep breath, whispering softly as he took your hand in his.

“Jagi...I-I wanna be your boyfriend, publicly. For the whole world to see.” When you gave him a confused expression, he’d explain.

“Not right now, I know you only just debuted...but someday. When I’m worthy of it.”

*blushing softly as you insisted that he was by no means unworthy of being your boyfriend*

“Innie you know I’d love that...but it’s just so hard to say with something like that, what if people don’t like us together or-”

*shaking his head as a smile rose on his cheeks, interjecting*

“When we win Album of the Year. How about that, hmm Y/N? Once...once Stray Kids has won album of the year...and once your group has won Rookie of the Year. How does that sound?” You’d laughed at the time, feeling that awards were still so far off in the future for your newly debuted group, but nevertheless you agreed.

A mere six months later, taking the stage with your 6 other members at the MAMA’s to accept your very first Rookie of the Year award, you felt your heartbeat quicken and butterflies rise in your stomach as you looked out of the crowd as they applauded. You caught your boyfriend’s eyes as he proudly stared up at you. It wasn’t even an hour later that Stray Kids took the stage to accept their 3rd and most prestigious award of the night- Album of the Year. As each member gave a short acceptance speech of gratitude and love, Jeongin expressed much appreciation towards his fans, his family and his members. He hadn’t told you that he’d received permission from the company, so despite your promise 6 months earlier you weren’t expecting anything grand during his speech. That’s why it took you by surprise almost as much as the rest of the audience, when he called out your name.

“Uhm, actually- there is one more person I’d like to thank. (She’s/He’s) helped me through so much over the past year and a half, and I’m very lucky to have (her/him) in my life. Truthfully, I-I don’t know if I’m good enough for (her/him)...but I promised this person that if we won Album of the Year we would stop hiding our relationship, so thank you Stay’s for making this dream of mine come true. And Y/N...thank you for being such a good (girlfriend/boyfriend)- congratulations on Rookie of the Year, Jagiya.”

#stray kids reactions #straykidswriters #thekpopnet #bang chan #lee minho #lee know #seo changbin #hwang hyunjin #han jisung #han #kim seungmin #yang jeongin #i.n #kpop reactions #stray kids x reader #stray kids x idol!reader #stray kids gender x gn reader #gender neutral reader

474 notes · View notes

dontmeantobepoliticalbut · 4 years

Text

"Workers at General Motors, Toyota Motor, Target, and Macy’s in the Lone Star State will maintain face-covering protocols at work, the companies announced Tuesday, according to Reuters."

Restaurants in Dallas-Fort Worth requiring masks:

8 Cloves at the Dallas Farmers Market

AllGood Cafe in Deep Ellum

Armadillo Ale Works in Denton

Armoury D.E. in Deep Ellum

Asian Mint in Dallas and Richardson

The Basement Lounge in Fort Worth

The Bearded Monk in Denton

Bendt Distilling Co. in Lewisville

Beto & Son in West Dallas

Billy Can Can in Victory Park

Bisous Bisous Patisserie in Uptown

Black Coffee in Fort Worth

Blackland Distillery in Fort Worth

The Blue Fish in Allen, Fort Worth, Irving, Plano, Galleria Dallas and Lower Greenville in Dallas

The Boiled Owl Tavern in Fort Worth

Boulevardier in Bishop Arts

Braindead Brewing in Deep Ellum

Brown Bag Provisions

Burgerim in the West End

Cattleack Barbeque in Dallas/Farmers Branch

Cedar Springs Tap House in Dallas

CiboDivino Marketplace in West Dallas

Cindi’s NY Deli in Dallas and Carrollton

CocoAndre Chocolatier in Oak Cliff

Cold Beer Company in Deep Elum

Cookie Society in Frisco

Cox Farms Market in West Dallas

Cris and John in Far North Dallas

Cultivar Coffee in East Dallas

Detour Doughnuts and Coffee in Frisco

Division Brewing in Arlington

Double Wide in Deep Ellum

Dream Cafe on Mockingbird Lane and in the Quadrangle, both in Dallas

Dude, Sweet Chocolate in Oak Cliff

Dugg Burger on Garland Road and Walnut Hill Lane, both in Dallas

Easy Slider in Deep Ellum and Grapevine

Fat Straws in Dallas, Plano and Richardson

Fiction Coffee near downtown Dallas

The Fillmore Pub in Plano

Flying Fish in Addison, Arlington, Fort Worth, Garland, Plano and all Dallas locations

Flying Saucer in Fort Worth, Rockwall and Coppell

Four Bullets Brewery in Richardson

Four Corners Brewing in the Cedars

Full City Rooster in the Cedars

Funky Picnic Brewery & Cafe in Fort Worth

Gemma in East Dallas

Gold Rush Cafe in East Dallas

Golden Boy Coffee Co. (Denton, Coppell, Plano)

Goodfriend Beer Garden and Burger House in East Dallas

Goodfriend Package in East Dallas

Halcyon on Greenville Avenue in Dallas

Haute Sweets Patisserie in Lake Highlands

Hillside Tavern in East Dallas

Hive Bakery in Flower Mound

Homewood near Highland Park

Houndstooth Coffee on Henderson Avenue, Sylvan Avenue and North Central Expressway at Walnut Hill, all in Dallas

Invasion in East Dallas

Khao Gang (the takeout restaurant in place of Khao Noodle Shop) in Old East Dallas

Korean Street Eats in Carrollton

Las Almas Rotas in Exposition Park

La Casita Bakeshop in Richardson

Leaves Book and Tea Shop in Fort Worth

Liberty Burger, all five locations

The Local Oak in Oak Cliff

The Londoner in Addison

Los Vaqueros in Fort Worth and Weatherford

Lucia in Oak Cliff

Mario Bros. Tacos in Dallas and Plano

Marugame Udon in Carrollton and Dallas

Meddlesome Moth in Dallas Design District

Medieval Times near the Dallas Design District

Melt Ice Creams in Fort Worth and Dallas

Miriam Latina Cocina in Uptown

Nature’s Plate in Plano and Dallas, on Preston Road and on Northwest Highway

Neighborhood Services

Nickel City in Fort Worth

Niwa Japanese BBQ in Deep Ellum

Noble Coyote Coffee Roasters in Exposition Park

Nobu in Uptown

Nori Handroll Bar, Dallas

Oddfellows in Oak Cliff

Off the Bone Barbeque in the Cedars

One90 Smoked Meats in Lake Highlands

Opening Bell Coffee in the Cedars

Osuba Hibachi Sushi and Bar (Waxahachie, Cedar Hill)

Parigi on Oak Lawn Avenue

Partenope in downtown Dallas

Peaberry Coffee in Oak Cliff

Pho is for Lovers in Dallas and Richardson

Proper in Fort Worth

Rapscallion on Lowest Greenville

Resident Taqueria in East Dallas

Ricky’s Hot Chicken in Richardson

Rodeo Goat in Fort Worth, Dallas, Plano, Rockwall and Coppell

Roots Chicken Shak in Plano

Round-Up Saloon near Oak Lawn

Ruins in Deep Ellum

Sachet near Highland Park

Salsa Limon in Fort Worth and Dallas

Salum near Uptown

S&J’s Hot Chicken in northwest Dallas

Sandwich Hag in the Cedars

San Martin Bakery & Restaurant in Uptown Dallas

Single Wide on Greenville Avenue in Dallas

Slow Bone BBQ near the Dallas Design District

Smallcakes on Northwest Highway in Dallas

Society Bakery in East Dallas

Spiral Diner in Fort Worth, Dallas and Denton

Sprinkle’s Cupcakes (all locations)

Stevie’s Diner in Fort Worth

Streets Fine Chicken near Oak Lawn Avenue

Swizzle on Lowest Greenville

Szechuan Chinese Restaurant near the Medical District

Tacodeli in Plano and Dallas

Tarantula Tiki Lounge in Fort Worth

Tasty Tails in Richardson and Addison

Teasom in Uptown

Ten Bells Tavern in Oak Cliff

Thunderbird Station in Deep Ellum

Trova Wine Bar near Highland Park

True Kitchen + Kocktails in downtown Dallas

Twilite Lounge in Fort Worth

Uchi and Uchiba in Uptown

Urbano Cafe in Old East Dallas

Urban Taco at Mockingbird Station in Dallas

The Usual in Fort Worth

Val’s Cheesecakes on Greenville Avenue and Maple Avenue, both in Dallas

Vector Brewing in Lake Highlands

Veritas Wine Room in East Dallas

Vitality Bowls in Frisco, Las Colinas, Plano, Southlake and Dallas’ Preston Hollow

Wayward Coffee in Oak Cliff

Westlake Brewing Company in Deep Ellum

Whisk Crepes in West Dallas

Wits End in Deep Ellum

Xaman Cafe in Bishop Arts

Zaap Kitchen on Fitzhugh Avenue, Buckner Boulevard and Greenville Avenue, all in Dallas

Zen Sushi in Oak Cliff

62 notes · View notes

sunshine-shitposts · 3 years

Text

Twenty Second

Sunnie takes Dio out to dinner, unusually happy for some reason, and they enjoy good food together. Pure fluff.

TW: some drankin

Nights in the suite were usually lazy, with Sunnie either gaming or watching movies with Dio. He enjoyed their time together, and watching her slowly open up was quite rewarding.

Tonight, however, she was in her room.

He didn't question it as he read a particularly interesting book Sunnie had given him: The Elegant Universe, which discussed something called string theory. It was incredibly well-written, and he was about to turn another page when he heard her hum brightly as she opened and shut her bedroom door. She began walking down the hallway, some nonsense tune she'd invariably made up floating through the air.

She sounded like she was in a good mood.

She then stood in front of him, grinning widely and twirling the blue carabiner that she had her keys on with her finger, her other hand fisted on her hip.

"I'm in a good mood!" Sunnie said happily.

Ah, so she was.

"So," she continued, bouncing on her heels, "You should get dressed. We're going to my favorite sushi place."

"We are?" He asked, an eyebrow quirked upwards.

She nodded. "We are!"

And that was how Dio, dressed in a soft black button-up shirt (the first few buttons undone, of course), black slacks, and some new shiny shoes he'd purchased, was in the shotgun seat in Sunnie's oddly spacious little blue car.

The music in the car, in contrast with the heavy rock music he'd heard her playing in her room from time to time, was bright—some infectious dance tune that had her head bobbing and body swaying in time with the beat as she drove, smiling excitedly as she softly chanted "soosh, soosh, soosh" at various intervals. Dio wondered what exactly it was that had made her so happy, but chuckled amusedly as she bounced in her seat and pulled off onto a ramp heading north, and the music changed to something lower tempo, but still electronic. She hummed along with it, and a little while into the song, she began to giggle.

"Aaaaaah, here it comes, here it comes!!" She wiggled, and began singing with the music, "I promise to build a new world for us twoooo, with youuuu in the middle…"

And then the song exploded into bright, excited pulsing and drums, and she danced in her seat accordingly, grinning widely the entire time. He was impressed with her apparent skill at seat dancing while driving, he had to admit, but seeing her express her happiness so openly and so genuinely brought a smile to his face as well.

Fifteen minutes later or so, she'd pulled off the highway and onto a street that led them to what appeared to be a group of stores that were predominantly Asian, with a large grocery store that seemed Asian in nature as well. There were at least two dim sum restaurants that he could see, what looked like a small Korean bank, among other things like salons and cell phone stores. Sunnie took a left and drove to the outer section of the shops and neatly parked the car.

"We're here!" She chirped, shutting the car off and unbuckling herself, getting out of the car.

"A nice and easy drive," Dio remarked, exiting the car as well.

"Ever been to a revolving sushi place before?" She asked, shutting her car door.

Dio followed her as she trotted excitedly across the parking lot and through the light autumn rain to a door beneath a lit sign that said 'Kitsune' with a cute brushstroke fox next to it. "I have not, little bird," he hummed, "What's the occasion, if I may ask?"

"Oh, I got the courage to shut Vinh out of my bank account today," she laughed, face absolutely beaming, "so the meal's on me!"

He looked at her with a sly smile on his face. Good for her.

They reached the door, which Sunnie pushed open and they walked through, but not before Dio caught various people who were milling about in front of the stores and restaurants gawking at him–good, he always did love a little ego boost. The young man in all black at the front welcomed them and Sunnie happily gave her name ("Green, party of two, booth reservation!") and an employee came up to receive them and guide them through the restaurant.

It was dimly, yet warmly lit, the wood stained beautifully and the seats padded with dark leather, and, to his mild surprise, a winding conveyor belt throughout the main room. On the belt, plates with sushi covered by clear domes snaked their way around the room at a casual pace. Most of the seats were bar-style, but Dio saw, as they walked, several booth tables tucked away towards what seemed to be the beginning of the conveyor line.

The waitress sat them down at one of the booths and placed two drink menus on the table.

"Hi there, m'names Marissa, and I'll be helpin' you tonight!" She said in a sugary sweet voice, "Have y'all been here before?"

"I have," Sunnie smiled back as Dio inspected the moving plates with interest, "I'll explain it to him."

The waitress nodded. "I'll be back in a second for your drink orders!"

As she turned and left, Sunnie patted the table happily, turning his attention from the plates making their way past them to the small woman across from him. "So! Figure out what you wanna drink–"

"I already know what I want, my dear. Explain to me how this," he pointed his clawed finger up and twirled it around in a few circles, "works."

"Oh! Well, here's the revolving part of 'revolving sushi'," she said, gesturing to the moving sushi plates, "They're under these domes, see, but all you gotta do is grab the plate right here, under this little spot–" she reached up and grabbed a plate with her thumb under a semi-circle cutout on the dome, and the dome easily lifted up and she pulled the plate away and to the table, sliding it to Dio. "When we're done with it, we slide it into this spot down here," she pointed at a slot at the base of where the table met the wall, "and it tallies up the cost based on the number of plates. Simple?"

"Delightfully so," he responded, taking a pair of chopsticks out of their paper packaging, "Do you want one of these…" he looked down at the sushi in front of him and tilted his head.

"Kappamaki," Sunnie told him, getting her own chopsticks as well, "It's just a cucumber roll, nice and refreshing. But you can have those, I have a little ritual to carry out first…" she sat up on her knees and looked at a touch screen, scrolling through options and making a selection, "I always start out with niku udon. You make the selection on here and it comes to you on the linear conveyor belt above the sushi one. They have things like karaage, ramen, and you can also order specific sushi if they keep vanishing by the time they get to you, but since we're near the front of the line, that won't be a problem."

Dio picked up his first piece of kappamaki and popped it in his mouth, the bright crunch of the cucumber just as refreshing as Sunnie had said it would be.

"Is it good?" She asked, eyes sparkling, and he nodded.

"It is indeed," he responded, reaching for a shallow dish and pouring some soy sauce for himself, "If all of the choices are of this quality, tonight will surely be a feast."

Sunnie laughed. "No worries there, big guy, they're all really good, from what I know."

Marissa came back around and took their drink orders—Sunnie ordered a lemonade, and Dio opted for 'an entire bottle of your most expensive sake', and when Sunnie shot him a glare, he added sweetly, 'to celebrate'—and by the time their drinks arrived, Sunnie's niku udon had zoomed towards them on the linear conveyor belt. It was in a smallish stoneware bowl with handles and a second bowl on top, which she unclipped and removed to reveal a savory-looking broth filled with thick noodles, thinly sliced beef, scallions, and what Sunnie said was a 'kamaboko slice'. Dio smiled as she said an excited, "jaa, itadakima～su!" and immediately began digging into her dish, and he poured himself his first glass.

"So," Dio asked, sipping the sake, "Is this a date?"

She choked a bit on her udon, and he laughed as she swallowed, her face red and brows furrowed.

"Asshole!!!" She gestured accusingly at him with her chopsticks, "That noodle nearly went up my nose! Fuck you!!"

"You can take your time answering, dear, I don't mind."

"It's not that!! It's—you say things that throw me off!!"

He grinned smugly. "I do?"

She slammed her elbow on the table and pointed right at him, rising on her knees to stare him down closer. "Don't be a little shit. You know you do," she growled, narrowing her eyes at him.

His grin only widened, and his canines glinted in the low light.

"See??" She slapped the table, pointing again with eyes burning just as bright as her blush, "See??? You DO know!!!"

Dio laughed again, eating the second piece of kappamaki. "I do."

Sunnie sat back in her seat, leveling him with an intense glare before slurping down more udon and tearing almost viciously into a piece of beef, grumbling to herself.

"...So, is it a date or not?"

"No!!"

"If you say so."

"It's just to celebrate, and you're my friend. So I brought you," she stated, slurping up more noodles.

"Why not ask your other friends? You've said that you miss them," he asked, not taking his eyes off her as he pulled another plate of sushi without even glancing at the type.

Sunnie paused, brows furrowing in thought. "It's… I mean, it's just that you're basically the first person I can really share my whole life with." He raised an eyebrow, smirking, and she flushed again. "Not like that, Dio. Like… you know what's going on in my life. A lot of them don't, because I don't want to involve them. I don't have to hide that from you."

"You don't have to hide anything from me, Sunshine. Not your scars, not your bruises, not your Stand," he said softly, "Though at this point, I feel like it's in your nature to hide."

She stared at him blankly, tapping the end of her chopsticks on the table for a few seconds before breathing in, looking at her bowl, and slowly breathing out. "...You're not wrong." She slurped up the last noodles in her bowl, picking it up and draining the broth. "I've had to hide parts of myself my entire life. You know, 'don't tell people about what you can do, Sunnie. They wouldn't understand. People might try to hurt you'—remember, we're in the south. I'm not sure how much you know about things down here, but we've got an oddly high number of megachurches, especially in this area. There are plenty of people out there who, if they knew, would probably want to try to exorcise me. Not to mention, my parents worked for years to be able to adopt me. I overheard them a few times; they were scared I'd be taken by like, the government or something. I couldn't put them through something like that."

Dio watched her like a hawk as she reached up and grabbed a plate of three pieces of sushi before they passed by. "I didn't grow up with a Stand, actually," he said, pouring a little more sake into his cup, "I've never considered the implications of having such abilities from birth. It must have been hard to navigate, as a child."

Sunnie shifted in her seat, popping a piece of nigiri in her mouth and chewing for a moment before swallowing. "I mean, yeah, sort of. When you're a kid, imaginary friends aren't that weird, and the shit you say gets written off as you being over-imaginative. I only started understanding Windy's power and that no one else could actually see her when I was like, four, and by the time I was five, I knew to keep her hush-hush. I felt like a freak. Like in some way, I could never truly get to know anybody." After taking a long sip of lemonade, she sighed. "It's kind of alienating, y'know. There was always something that I would know but I couldn't say. I couldn't really be honest with my classmates."

"Was keeping such a big secret from them difficult for you?"

She shrugged. "I read a lot of comic books as a kid. Superheroes and stuff, y'know? And a lot of them had to keep secrets too. I always thought Superman's design was a bit basic, but I figured that if a country bumpkin journalist nerd could grow up without people knowing he could fly and shoot lasers from his eyes, I could do it too, so to speak."

He figured that made sense. As they took a few minutes to eat, he found himself looking back up at her over and over, before another question made its way out of his mouth before he could stop it.

"So," he broke the silence, an interested twinkle in his eye, "Tell me, aside from your spectacular secret keeping, how did you handle being a child with superhuman abilities?"

Sunnie, who was sipping her lemonade from a straw, nearly choked on her drink with snorting laughter. "Fuck, dude are you kidding? I was a menace!!" She grinned widely, snickering to herself. "So I have these family members, right? They call themselves Catholic, but they're this… like, really extreme…? I don't know how to describe it, but fuck I hate them. Except for one, she's kinda crazy in a good way. Anyways, so like," she settled back in her seat, absolutely beaming as she recalled the past events, "Carrie Anne, who's like my dad's cousin or something, she likes to pinch your cheeks and baby talk you and be weird and shit, so one time when we were staying over at their place when I was, like, six, I had Windy start to move things here and there. Small but noticeable, you know? A picture frame turned backwards, some flowers on the other side of the table. It drove her nuts. She rushed us out and cut the reunion short so she could try to get an exorcism or something."

Dio let loose a deep laugh. "Was it just them that you bothered?"

"Fuck no! Imagine, you're a wild child with the ability to not only control wind, but to also pull the sickest pranks of all time. That's exactly what you gotta do!" Her eyes sparkled mischievously. "At that point, it's an obligation. Rolling pencils off desks, tripping people I didn't like, just small little ways to make things fun and amusing for myself."

He leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table and resting his chin on the top of his interlocked fingers. "Just small?"

"I mean, I did lose control a couple of times. Once when I was in second grade, some third graders made fun of one of my friends, so I climbed on top of the giant cement tube on the playground and waited to ambush them when they walked through it. We got into a fight, three guys against me, and after scrapping a bit with them, I blew them all off of me when the teachers ran up to separate us. It wasn't that bad, but it just sort of… happened."

"Heat of the moment?"

"Yeah." She ate another piece of sushi, chewing it thoughtfully before swallowing. "No one got hurt. Well, besides their pride. A girl a whole year younger than them took them all on. It was the talk of our grades for like a week. They didn't talk shit after that, though." She looked at him curiously, her head tilting to the side. "I know you're like, evil vampire man and all, but have you ever done anything dumb with The World?"

He hummed, eyes narrowing mirthfully as he took another sip of sake. "I once scared a French man shitless by repeatedly moving him down the stairs in stopped time when he'd try to ascend."

She barked out a laugh. "No one should hold that against you. He was French."

Dio chuckled, shaking his head.

The rest of the dinner was spent with good food and good company. Finally feeling full, Sunnie chose plain cheesecake as a dessert, and Dio indulged in some as well, at his companion's insistence. After the bill was paid (Sunnie's eyes bugging when she saw the price of the sake, then sighing and telling him 'You're lucky my job pays well, asshole'), they left the restaurant and drove back, the remaining sake in a brown paper bag that Dio happily carried. The return trip was spent conversing as well, music playing in the background and the occasional bout of Sunnie spitting frustrated curses towards particularly poor drivers.

When she crossed the threshold into their shared suite, Sunnie happily kicked off her shoes and took off her hoodie. "That was a fucking good meal," she hummed, satisfied.

"Indeed it was," he agreed, taking his shoes off as well and mussing his hair, "Here, little bird," he added, holding the bag with the sake out towards her. She looked at him and then the bag, surprised.

"Oh?"

"A gift," he continued, "A celebration of your new slice of freedom."

Her eyes met his again and her expression was blank for a moment before her face soured comically. "So you had me buy my own gift, basically."

"Yes," he chuckled as she took the bag from him, rolling her eyes.

"Welp. It's the thought, I guess. I'm gonna drink some of it, then." Placing her backpack on the hook she'd installed, she swept off to the bar. "You want a glass, big guy?"

"No thank you, dear," he responded, sitting by his favorite arm of the sofa and grabbing The Elegant Universe back up, opening to his bookmark, "I've had my fill for tonight."

"Right-o," she signaled, getting a small cup and heading towards the sofa as well, "How d'ya like that book, by the way?"

"It's quite fascinating, if I'm to be honest," he said, shooting her a dazzling smile, "Greene has a fantastic way with words."

"He does!! He's a lot like Carl Sagan, in that sense," Sunnie grinned back, pouring herself a bit of the sake and downing it easily, eyebrows raising. "Wow, smooth. But like, Greene is able to speak about complex scientific concepts in a very accessible way. It's something I strive for, especially when I was a STEM teacher. You can't introduce people to the wonders of science if they can't understand what the fuck you're saying."

"I suppose not," Dio nodded, "Is there any reason why you chose this book in particular for me, though?"

She shrugged, a sheepish look on her face. "I mean, you are from an alternate dimension. I thought it might interest you."

He considered her explanation for a moment, then tilted his head, amber eyes glittering with appreciation. "You thought correctly."

The next hour and a half was spent discussing various scientific topics as Sunnie made her way through some of the sake, relaxing more and more as time progressed. Her cheeks were beginning to become rosy, the tip of her nose a cute pink, and her words were blurring slightly into each other—but only a bit.

"See, so that's like, what I've always wanted to do," she stated matter-of-factly, chomping down on another sea salt and vinegar chip. "It's dumb but I wanna do it."

Dio shook his head as he looked up, shoulders shaking lightly with laughter. "Navel bacterial cultures," he said, amused, and she immediately puffed up to defend herself.

"It's interesting!! Everyone's belly button microflora is different!!" She thought for a second, and her eyes lit up. "Probably their ass cracks, too!!!"

Dio let out a deep and resounding belly laugh. "Darling," he said once he caught his breath, "I don't know how many willing volunteers you would get for a swab of their ass crack."

"I could do it if I paid 'em," she said indignantly, a smile on her face nonetheless, "Money. S'the great motivator."

"That's true," he hummed, laying back against the corner of the sofa. There was a comfortable silence for a minute between them before Sunnie spoke again.

"Happy fuckin' birthday to me," she mumbled happily as she took another long swig of the sake, finishing her cup, and Dio's eyes shot up to her, surprised.

Birthday? Did he hear correctly?

"It's been an insane journey around the sun this round, but I'm in a better place now, I think," she continued, eyes unfocused, "Better job, I'm away from that shitbag… Yeah, I'd say I'm doin' pretty well."

"Why didn't you say it was your birthday before, Sunshine?" Dio asked, confused. She just laughed warmly and waved her hand dismissively.

"Naaaw, well it isn't much of a big deal, is it," she responded, getting up to pour herself a glass of chilled vanilla rum. "Just another rotation around our closest star, another year on this complicated ball of rock… time passes. I get older. That's just how it is."

She walked back over to the sofa and took a drink of her rum before plopping back down.

"Hey, Dio," she looked at him expectantly, "Can we watch a movie?"

He regarded her for a quick moment before nodding. "Of course, darling."

"A horror movie?"

"Anything you wish."

She grinned and turned the TV on, pulling out her phone and switching to one of her apps. "Good, 'cause I have a good one. It's called Coherence. I mean, it's not horror horror, but it's a thriller. Horror themes. Sci-fi, too. It's an excellent low budget film." Her phone connected to the casting device, and Windy popped out, switching the lights off before returning into Sunnie. Dio was mildly surprised, however, when Sunnie scooted right up against him, snuggling into his side as she took another few gulps of rum. The movie began to load, and she looked up at him, cheeks flush from drink and contentedness. "Thanks, man. Tonight's been great."

Strange woman.

"It's always my pleasure, Sunshine," he replied, smiling. She hummed and turned to the TV, settling comfortably against Dio, who huffed a small laugh and brought his arm around her as the movie began to play.

The Twenty Second of October.

He'd make note of it.

#ANOTHER ONE UP HOLY SHIIIIIIIIIIIT #JESUS FUCKING CHRIST I'M ON A ROLL #AHAHAHAHAHAJAJBGKDHSHF #SunnieD #my writing #sunnie writes

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purplesurveys · 3 years

Text

1236

survey by lasertine

10 How's

How did you get one of your scars? I keep recounting the story of my eyebrow scar, so I’ll share something else...I have several scars on both my knees since I was the neighborhood’s clumsiest kid and ALWAYS tripped/stumbled when I played outside. I used to be extremely insecure of my legs, but started to stop caring as I gradually noticed that no one really gives a shit about scars from childhood accidents.

How did you celebrate your last birthday? I went to work, being the workaholic I am. I only celebrated in the evening, when I bought a week’s worth of food for my family and I to feast on. I was honestly fine with it; it was exactly how I wanted my birthday to go as I’ve stopped wanting to make a big deal out of it haha.

How are you feeling at this moment? Weirdly relaxed for a Sunday. The gloomy and cozy weather is probably helping with that.

How did your night go last night? As a fangirl, good! Got lots of new content which is always fun. As a person (lol), it was just fine. I like being able to recharge on weekends and I can never really complain even if I don’t end up doing anything productive.

How did you do in high school? I was a bit all over the place. I exerted some level of effort in my favorite classes but didn’t really do the same for subjects I didn’t care for as much, like home ec, chemistry, math, etc; but on average I managed to get good grades all throughout. Overall, I kinda acknowledged very early on that high school grades weren’t going to matter in the real world so I didn’t make it a point to overexert myself and just focused on having fun and making fond memories in those teen years.

How did you get the shirt you're wearing? I got it from Artwork, a local brand that sells various apparel sporting designs produced by local artists. The branch I got it from has since shut down but I believe the brand is still alive and well.

How often do you see your best friend? I used to see Angela once in a blue moon mainly because our schedules always clashed back when we were still students, but ever since forming our little Army friend group with Reena I’ve been seeing her nearly every week.

How much money did you spend last month? LOL June was actually my worst and most shameful performance when it came to spending...let’s move on...

How old do you want to be when you get married? Kinda happen it would happen by the time I’m in between the ages of 28 and 30, kind of losing hope on it.

How old will you be at your next birthday? 24.

NINE What’s

What is the most important part of your life? I’ve said this several times but it’s really work. I’m aware of my weaknesses at my job and I want nothing more than to improve on those just because my perfectionist ass can’t bear being bad at something I’m supposed to be contributing to lol.

What did you do last weekend? Last Saturday I watched BTS’ concert in Sao Paulo and had my first session at my Korean class. Last Sunday I mostly chilled at home but I also went to Starbucks to work for a bit but to also just relax before the week started.

What did you last cry over? Watching Angela and Reena’s graduation ceremony this afternoon. It’s hilarious because I didn’t even cry during and was mostly indifferent towards my own grad, but I surprised myself by breaking into tears while watching theirs. I’m guessing the emotions simply welled up from me being very grateful for our friendship, which formed when I needed it the most.

What are you worried about? I always get Monday anxiety on Sundays, so let’s go with that.

What is your mother’s name? Abby.

What always makes you feel better when you’re upset? BTS, for one.

What would you rather be doing? It’s not a matter of what I would rather be doing, but where I would rather be. And right now, I wish I was back on a Friday evening with the weekend just about to start.

What’s the most important thing you look for in a significant other? Patience.

What did you have for breakfast? My mom cooked up a feast for today’s breakfast for no reason - we had fried rice, tocino, I think bangus(?) and if not bangus then it was some other kind of fish, corned beef, cheese omelette, glazed ham, bacon strips, and the leftover chicken wings from last night’s dinner.

EIGHT Have You’s

Have you ever done something outrageously dumb? I probably do something of the sort at least once a day.

Have you ever had sex on the beach? No. I think I might feel uncomfortable doing so, even if you told me it would be a private beach lol.

Have you ever been backstabbed by a friend? Yes.

Have you ever been out of the country? Yup, but it’s been a while. :( I haven’t traveled abroad since 2016.

Have you ever dated someone younger than you? It barely counts; she was only like a month and half younger.

Have you ever liked someone who already had somebody? That hasn’t happened.

Have you ever been brokenhearted? Of course.

Have you ever read an entire book in one day? Many times.

SEVEN Who’s:

Who is the last person you saw? My dad. He was watching the evening news in his room when I heard the report playing Permission to Dance so I rushed in there to see what the news was going to be about, hahahaha.

Who is the last person that you texted? ...also my dad. I was just asking him where he was since I had been craving chapaguri the other day and was gonna request if he can quickly pass by the Korean mart near our village. He never replied so I just cooked the instant noodles that we have at home, which in hindsight was I guess for the better because at least I got to save the money I would’ve paid him with.

Who called you last? The Lalamove driver I mentioned on the previous survey.

Who is the last person you hung out with? Angela, Reena, and Hans.

Who did you hug last? Angela, right before I left from her place last Tuesday.

Who is the last person that texted you? Not sure.

Who was the las person you said "I love you" to? Yumi, when I congratulated her on her graduation post.

SIX Where’s:

Where does your best friend live? The city next to mine.

Where is your favorite place to be? Either a coffee shop or our rooftop.

Where did you sleep last night? My bed.

Where did you last hang out? Mega with the three aforementioned friends.

Where do/did you go to school? UP.

Where did you last adventure to? ...Mega. So repetitive hahaha but I don’t really go out much these days for obvious reasons.

FIVE Do’s/Does:

Do you ever wish you were someone else? Not someone else in particular but I will sometimes daydream about having a different reality/situation, like being able to play an instrument or being more capable of affording more things.

Do you think anyone despises you? Possibly.

Do you like someone right now? Nopes.

Does the future scare you? It doesn’t scare me so much as it’s increasingly starting to make me feel lonelier whenever I start thinking about it.

Do you have any secret powers? Erm, no.

FOUR Why’s:

Why are you best friends with your best friend(s)? They’ve both been there through the thick and the thin and the ugly with me and have never once left my side.

Why did your parents give you the name you have? As for both my names, they just liked the sound of them.

Why did you get a myspace? Because I noticed it was popular and I wanted to see what the fuss was about.

Why are you doing this survey? Countdown surveys are always a fun format.

THREE If’s:

If you could have one super power what would it be? Time travel.

If you could go back in time and change one thing, would you? If it comes down to it, as irresistible as it seems, probably not.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be? Somewhere with winter/snow.

Two Would-you-ever’s:

Would you ever shave your head to save someone you love? I’m struggling to think how that can action save someone, but I guess if it ever does boil down to it then yeah, in a heartbeat. It grows back and if the situation was that drastic, hair would be the least of my concerns.

Would you ever get back together with any of your exes if they asked you? Depends.

Last one:

Are you happy with how your life has turned out? Very.

#survey #surveys

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nigahamyeon · 4 years

Text

hearts awakened

i. a man's heart

Yisoo woke with the first rays at the break of dawn. Her eyes still closed, she could feel the beginning warmth of the sun on her face. Slowly, she raised her head, opening her eyes and blinking a few times. The window of her small room was facing east, and her bed was standing right in front of it, so she could feel the first sunbeams on her, everyday.

After a few moments of just looking outside, she raised her shoulders, sat up, and extended her front legs into a long stretch that she could feel through her entire body. Then she rolled onto her back, then onto her legs again and jumped out of bed.

Yisoo was a Gumiho, in Korean legends known as the nine-tailed fox, a kind of shifter. And she always slept as a fox. She could never really figure it out how to sleep in her human form, every position felt awkward, she never really knew what to do with her legs in relation to her torso – she had read about different sleeping positions, of course, but it all just felt so unnatural, and she was never able to relax. As a fox, however, sleeping was intuitive. Just curl up into a ball, tails around you, head on your hind legs. Easy. Sleep guaranteed.

It took a few moments until Yisoo fully transformed into her human form. Right after waking up she had difficulties getting her ears and tails to fully vanquish, especially since she felt herself weaken again. But she had already taken care of that, tonight she'd get stronger again. When her body turned into a slender figure of average height, she stretched out her human arms while standing on tiptoes.

First the fluff brush – she used it every morning to get rid of all her fur that she left behind on her bed when sleeping as a fox. Second, washing up, brushing the hair and styling it into a loose braid. Then clothes, and lastly, putting on make-up. Objectively, she wasn't in need of any kind of make-up as Yisoo was more beautiful than the common Korean girl, but she just loved the way a winged eyeliner made her slanted eyes look, and she could make her face look a little bit less fox-like.

She put on her necklace, a simple golden one with a blue-shimmering bead pendant, also known as yeowoo guseul – just that it didn't hold her powers and intelligence, like in the legends, but her very soul. It was the most important part of her, and if she was separated from it too long, she would die. Well, not instantly, but she’d get gradually weaker until she couldn’t keep up her human form anymore. And if someone were to destroy it… well, she didn’t actually know what would happen then. But she’d probably die as well.

By the time she was finished with her morning routine it was already half past 7, and she had barely time to eat something for breakfast.

“Good morning,” Jongho greeted her as she was rushing into the pathetic excuse of a kitchen that was part of the apartment. He had a cup of coffee in hand, handing it over to her to take a few sips.

“Thanks,” Yisoo mumbled and opened the fridge, just to see that it was almost empty. Not even the yoghurt that she had saved was there any more, one of her many roommates must've eaten it. She hated most of them. Except Jongho.

“I heard Outside Conformist are playing tonight at the Flask tonight, you wanna come?” he asked her, trying to lean casually against the counter.

“I can't, tonight is the night, you know? I already prepared everything,” Yisoo looked apologetically at him.

She really liked Jongho, even though he was a werewolf. Generally, Yisoo disliked all kinds of canines, even though she was, technically, also one. Never, in her whole life (and she had lived for a long, long time), had she had any good experiences with any kinds of wolves, dogs and the kind. But Jongho was different, maybe it was because he wasn't part of a pack (he used to be, but was shunned by them for a reason he never told her) or maybe because he was generally just different. Either way, Yisoo wasn't blind nor stupid, she had picked up on the fact that he showed signs of romantic interest in her. She could smell the pheromones he produced, and she could read the body language. It was more than obvious.

“Oh, I forgot,” he said, “does it have to be tonight, though? The hunters have been really active lately.”

“Yeah, they've been onto me for a while now,” Yisoo sighed, “but it has to be tonight. Can't throw away weeks of preparation, you know.”

“Yeah, I'm just worried is all,” he looked at the bottom of his cup.

“Let's go out tomorrow night, all right? Outside Conformist may not be playing, but we'll find something else to do,” she said and his face instantly lit up. With a look at the clock, she said her goodbyes and see you laters, took her coat and bag and made her way to the subway station.

It was a very usual morning, a lot of traffic and Yisoo made it just in time to catch the subway. It was crowded and it stank after sweat and kimchi. With her nose and ears being more sensitive than those of a human, she had always a hard time riding the subway, or the bus, or actually any kind of public transportation. But she did her best to live a life as ordinarily human as possible. Even enrolled into university and studied some random subject that she found vaguely interesting.

When she arrived at university, she still had enough time to get a cappuccino from the campus coffee shop and got into the lecture hall at the same time as her professor did. He smiled painfully obvious towards her, and she feigned a cheeky smile back at him. Some harmless flirting, but it'd make sure to help her grade a bit. Yisoo scanned the room for an empty seat, and sat somewhere in the middle next to a girl that she already knew. Kind of. They saw each other frequently and maybe they had talked, once or twice. She was a nice girl, very fun to be around and it seemed like she had a lot of friends. Yisoo sometimes imagined being friends with her, with a human. What it would be like, she wondered. During all her years, she had ever really been close to mythical creatures, like herself.

For lunch she went to a ramen shop near the university that was run by a Fae. Yisoo could only wonder why no one ever picked up on the fact that he was so painfully obviously not human. It was nothing she thought about too often, much rather she'd eat up her bowl of noodles and not think about anything.

After that, more university and then she'd go to her own part-time job – an employee at a gas station in a rather shady part of Seoul. She could've gotten a better job, at a better location that paid her better, but Yisoo chose this gas station for a reason. It was in a district that was rather problematic, a lot of humans, almost no otherworldly creatures. Many of the people that lived here were social outcasts, criminals of all sorts and really just the scum of society.

It was perfect.

She did meet a lot of drunks here, sex offenders and abusers. Yisoo was not afraid of them, there really was no human who could ever meet eye-to-eye with her when it came to fighting. But, as she still was a Gumiho, she had to consume a human heart every so often – and she stopped killing just about anyone, no. With the hunters being as active as they were, and Gumihos being classified as dangerous and therefore being actively hunted by them, she couldn't murder blatantly obvious. Also, she just didn't want to. Since she developed consciousness, Yisoo started to just look for her prey in men that she considered the scum of the earth. So, actually, she was doing the world a favour in eating their heart. And, of course, with these types of people it took a long time before someone found out they're missing and start looking for them. Win-win.

Her shift was over at 10pm and her date, or rather dinner, for the night was already waiting for her. He looked like he didn’t even really try, wearing the clothes he usually wore when he went to buy liquor late at night. One might’ve thought that he wanted to impress her in some way, but it didn’t look like it. For him, it was an easy way to get laid, since she planted the seeds for some daddy issues and other things that could make girls potentially go for pathetic older guys. They walked from the gas station to - what he thought - was in the direction of her apartment. In reality, though, Yisoo was luring him into the forest where no one would be at night to hear him scream.

They were walking at a rather slow pace, he was telling her about his time in the Korean army, she pretended to care and laughed from time to time. He didn’t even notice that they were walking past trees and trees and even more trees, slowly deviating from the path. It was pitch black, and he only realised it when Yisoo suddenly stopped. Manipulating men was just too fucking easy. And yet, even though she was extraordinarily careful in choosing her prey, she still felt bad for him. A little. He was talking to her, and Yisoo felt his pulse rising, his heart pumping faster and faster. Funny, she didn’t take him for someone who was scared so easily. Just a bit of darkness and a mysterious lady inside a forest were enough to trigger his flight instinct. A shame, really, Yisoo thought as she felt her hands slowly turn into claws and her animalistic instincts growing louder and louder. She did like it when they tried to fight her.

It was over before it even started. With the swift motion of her claws she pierced through his chest, an agonising cry of pain leaving his mouth but before he could finish it she ripped his ribcage open. The heart was still beating for a few moments, and Yisoo transformed fully into a nine-tailed fox before feasting on his heart. She knew of some Gumihos who actually ate the heart in their human forms, and she could never understand why. Human teeth weren’t made for chewing the strong muscle of a raw heart.

By the time she was finished it was probably around 10:45pm, she thought. Maybe she even got home in time for the new episode of one of the dramas she watched at the moment. And maybe was Jongho also home already, and they could watch it together. Still a fox she was digging a whole with her fore-paws. It was just faster that way. Plus, it was necessary, just because no one was looking for him didn’t mean that no one could find him. Leaving the corpse of a man out with just his heart missing? Not such a good idea. Yisoo grabbed him by the collar and dragged him into the hole, covering it up with the dirt and some leaves. Should do well enough.

That’s when she heard the snapping of a twig - followed by the sound of an arrow piercing through the sky. But it was too late - by the time she could react she already felt the sharp pain of the bolt in her thigh - it had gone right through. Yisoo yelped, bit the arrow head and pulled the whole thing out before running for her life. Her leg was throbbing, she felt the blood drooling out and the pain was so strong she could barely put her paw on the ground. As she was speeding through the forest and had almost reached the city, she felt the pain pass and her leg getting stronger again. Once she turned into a side street and hid behind a giant trash container, she quickly turned into her human shape again, hoping they wouldn’t recognise her this way and giving herself a bit more time. For a few moments, she just stood there, back pressed against the cold stone wall, and listened. Nothing.

The hunters were onto her. Never had it been this close before. How could this have happened, she had been so careful all this time. Yisoo felt her heart beating frantically in her chest. Her fingers were closing tightly around her yeowoo guseul - and she took the pendant and put it deep in her cheek pouch. Yisoo felt the cool surface against her teeth and mucous, and the magic of her very own soul pulsating in her mouth. For just a second she wondered what would happen if she would just… swallow it. It would still be with her - inside her gastrointestinal tract, to be precise. But she didn’t swallow it. Once again she listened closely but she couldn’t make out any sounds that might belong to the hunter. Cautiously, but as casually as possible, she started walking out of the side street and nearer and nearer towards the main road. Yisoo scanned every person that she saw and kept her ears on high alert for any alarming sounds. Her heart was still pounding in her chest.

She crossed the street and was now only one block away from the well lit main road. Two guys, all in black, were suddenly just a few feet away, right in front of her. Yisoo could smell blood, and a distinct smell that she never smelled before, but was told of. The smell of not one, but two hunters. It was a gamble. Would they know that she was the Gumiho that they were looking for? Or would they only be alarmed if she changed her behaviour now? One step, two steps. Her eyes followed the guy who was next to her. Time seemed to stand still for the moment that they were passing each other. Yisoo could feel her blood hammering inside of her. In the corner of her eye she saw him moving his arm inhumanly fast, and a sword appearing out of nowhere. Yisoo was faster and leaped away. Right into the arms of the second hunter, who was suddenly behind her, his fingers clawed into her shoulder.

Then she felt the sharp edge piercing through her flesh. And her heart. A deep grunt escaped her throat, her knees giving up under her, her body hitting the concrete ground. Even through the pain, she kept her jaw shut tightly. When he removed the sword, she grunted again. The blood was pooling out of her. And then it stopped.

“What. the. fuck.”

#ateez #ateez writing #ateez au #ree

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hollywooduniversityalumnus · 4 years

Text

5. headhunter

🎬🎬🎬🎬🎬

Another day, another lecture.

Thomas paced in front of his students, having abandoned his stance before the lectern more than half an hour ago. With only fifteen minutes left until class ended, and still much to cover, he spoke at a slightly faster speed than usual. He doubted his students noticed; most of them had packed away their notebooks already and were distracting themselves with their phones held in their laps.

Fools, he thought. Do they think I don’t know what they’re doing?

He didn’t have time to raise hell for their insolence; he had a meeting to attend. So, as much as he hated letting things slide, he gritted his teeth and pressed on.

“The more credited ‘writers’ a film has, the worse it will be. The sheer number of revisions a screenplay must go through to rack up six, seven, eight writers . . . it’s appalling!” He rubbed his temples with his fingers, as if trying to erase the memories of his time trying to – and ultimately passing on - play script doctor for an action-adventure franchise that had employed no less than eight writers to cobble together the final, nonsensical storyline that effectively alienated large droves of the franchise’s fans.

Checking his watch, he mentally cursed at the time before heading right for his desk.

“Remember, your papers on prewar and postwar experimental cinema are due next class. Any submissions sent in later than precisely nine o’clock in the morning will be deducted points. None of you could stand to lose any points, if the grades so far for this class this semester are any indication. Class dismissed.”

Thomas turned his attention to packing up his things and hightailing it out of the lecture hall. Yet, beyond the rush of feet moving towards the door and mindless chatter about what people’s plans for the evening were – did I ever consider Wednesday nights party nights in college? he wondered briefly – he could hear a few distinct voices among the din.

“Since when does Hunt check with you before he does something?” he heard Ethan Blake say.

He paused in the middle of stashing away his laptop.

After a pause, Miss Schuyler said, “I just meant . . . don’t you think he’d tell the class before-”

“Are we really discussing this in front of him?” Miss Sinclair stage whispered.

He lifted his head to find the three students still standing by their desks, looking directly at him. Upon capturing his attention, they started at being caught and leapt into extremely unnatural stances: Ethan Blake rubbed the back of his neck with one hand while staring pointedly upwards, Miss Sinclair focused intently on the palms of her hands, and Miss Schuyler . . . was still looking at him, but had pasted a terrifyingly wide smile on her face.

He glanced again at his watch. He truly didn’t have time for this.

Rolling his eyes at the trio, he headed straight for his office to grab his jacket and keys. Then, it was off to the inanely named restaurant where he’d be meeting the faculty recruiter of Southern California University’s film school.

🎬🎬🎬🎬🎬

“Don’t you think he’d tell the class before ditching us in the middle of the year?” Margot asked. “He isn’t the type to cut and run. I just know he isn’t! We can’t let him leave!”

Ethan’s eyebrows rose. “You’re awfully emotional about this news.”

Margot glared at him over the table grill of Grilling Me Softly, a Korean barbeque restaurant that opened twenty minutes away from the university. Their platters of pork belly, lemon-and-herb marinated chicken, chadolbagi, and bulgogi had arrived, and it was her turn to do the cooking. She tweaked with her hair, which she’d pulled up into Sailor Moon-like buns to keep the long locks from enticing the flames.

The sight of her with metal tong poised in the air and her glare piercing him from across the circular table had Ethan quickly changing his tune.

“It’s good that you care,” he backtracked. “I just . . . if there’s any professor who would evoke that kind of response from me if there were rumours of them leaving, it would be, like, Moriyama. Someone with a heart.”

Addison, who was already digging into her portion of their wild mushroom japchae starter, nodded, cheeks bulging with food.

“He did defend me in my hearing, or have you forgotten?” Margot picked up a few pieces of meat from each plate and dropped it onto the grill, reveling in the satisfying sizzle and steam that instantly came out upon contact. “He’s not so bad.”

Addison dabbed at the corners of her lips with a napkin. “Okay, but how are we going to convince him to stay?”

A body slid into one of the seats next to Ethan so suddenly that the agent nearly leapt from his. Crash, smiling broadly, immediately reached for a bowl of soft rice and egg, chopsticks at the ready in the blink of an eye.

“Convince who?” he asked.

“Jesus, Crash,” Ethan said, pressing a hand over his heart to calm it.

“We’re convincing Jesus?”

Margot rolled her eyes. “Where’s Lisa? Didn’t she give you a ride here?”

Crash, around a mouthful of egg, mumbled something about paparazzi. Margot craned her head around just in time to see her pink-haired friend arrive, settling into the seat beside her while keeping her gaze focused on one of the booths in a corner of the restaurant.

“Hey, Lisa,” she said, turning the meat over with precision.

Lisa wrangled her hair into a high ponytail, securing it with an acid-green scrunchie that clashed horrendously with her outfit and made Addison mentally weep at the fashion faux pas. She finally tore her gaze away from the corner and shot them all a look.

“Hunt’s here,” Lisa said.

Margot’s eyes widened. “Here? In a place called Grilling Me Softly? There’s no way.”

Ethan snickered. “I feel like he’d disintegrate before he’d set foot in a university student hangout, much less one with a punny name.”

“Maybe it’s another man who wears a suit every minute of every day,” Crash suggested.

“Uh, this ‘university student hangout’ is more expensive than our usual fish and chips or burger joints,” Lisa pointed out. “Still, isn’t it strange? And who is that woman he’s with?”

Margot’s cheeks flushed at the mention of a woman.

Not that she had any claim on him whatsoever. She wasn’t even sure of her feelings for him anymore. Sure, they had . . . something, but it wasn’t clear what it meant to him, and she didn’t want to act like a fool for him if he was solely focused on being her instructor.

Maybe he’s a friend now, she considered. He’s done some friendly things. He’s held his umbrella over me, drove me home after the date auction, and comforted me on the movie set. He didn’t have to do those things, but he did.

He also kissed me, she reminded herself, and she quickly busied herself with replacing the meat on the grill with new slabs, distributing the cooked pieces to her hungry friends.

Meanwhile, with the subtlety of a bull in a china shop, Ethan maneuvered his head until he caught a glimpse of the professor sitting in the corner booth. He squinted at the person he was seated across before turning back to his friends, a mixture of awe and shock on his face.

“Penelope Locke,” he said in a hushed voice. “Headhunter for Southern California U.”

Lisa’s eyes flashed with excitement. “Like an assassin?”

“Who would eat dinner with their assassin?” Ethan replied.

Crash smiled. “I would, just to say I did.”

“You wouldn’t have survived-”

“Guys.” Margot turned her attention back to Ethan. “A headhunter, eh? So he really must be considering leaving Hollywood U.”

Her stomach twisted. Though the smell of the sizzling beef and pork belly was intoxicating, she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to eat any of it knowing that Professor Hunt was sitting across the room possibly planning his escape.

And then the dak kalguksu she ordered came, and her stomach untwisted itself in anticipation of the noodle soup she’d been craving for weeks.

🎬🎬🎬🎬🎬

Across the crowded restaurant, Thomas tasted the plum wine Penelope Locke ordered for them both and sighed. It wasn’t scotch, but it would tide him over until he could get home and have a few fingers from his favourite bottle before bed.

The woman sitting across from him knew his game already, but still pitched him on an open faculty position at SCU Cinematic Arts. But mostly, she kept her expression serious, even when they endured the forty-five minute “meeting” with mostly small talk and occasional glances at the paparazzi waiting for . . . whoever was important enough to be present and photographed at a place called Grilling Me Softly.

Eventually, the bill arrived. Penelope tucked a credit card into the black leather booklet quickly and handed it back to them. Thomas polished off his wine before slipping out of his seat.

“Thank you, Penelope,” he said quietly.

“Anything for a friend.” Penelope’s face was carefully blank as she added, “The paparazzi was a nice touch. They’ll hear about this meeting in no time.”

“Perfect.” He pulled on his coat. “Though I admittedly didn’t plan that part.”

He turned his head to survey the room, searching for the person who had attracted the photographers outside like moths to the table grill’s flames. A shock of pink hair that he usually saw in a bedhead disarray caught his attention, and he groaned internally at noticing that Miss Schuyler and her entourage (including the celebrity in question, Lisa Valentine) were stuffing themselves with near-reckless abandon.

“Do you know them?” Penelope asked, tilting her chin towards the group.

Thomas grimaced. “Yes. I’ll admit I’ve never seen them eat before. It’s . . . rather disturbing.”

Penelope laughed. “Good thing we arrived when we did. They might bankrupt this restaurant yet.”

🎬🎬🎬🎬🎬

The week after his meeting with Penelope, Thomas settled behind his desk in the lecture hall as his Hollywood 101 class filed in slowly. He had already laid out the grading rubrics for the students presenting their midterm projects that day. And, as the presentations began, he immediately regretted staying out a little later than usual the night before, catching up with an old colleague who had since become Hillview Film Academy’s recruiter.

Seriously, Thomas thought, Lance’s continued attendance at this university is inconceivable. Who does a midterm presentation on “glossy, tangle-taming hair masks for the modern male model”?

When it came to Miss Sinclair’s presentation, however, he was admittedly impressed by the line of men’s business suits she had come up with. Though he felt she should have cited a more recent point of inspiration than Mad Men or Sex and the City, he marked her accordingly, noting the special craftsmanship and detail-conscious care that she had put into every suit on display.

I wouldn’t mind wearing the gray one . . .

Clearing his throat authoritatively, he spoke up. “I’m surprised at your drastic change in artistic direction, Miss Sinclair. I hope you have defended your decisions in the accompanying write-up.”

Miss Sinclair nodded.

Thomas checked his list. “Finally, Mister Yamaguchi.”

Spencer Yamaguchi grinned, already making his way to the door. “All right! I’ve got it all set up in one of the auditoriums. It’s a one-man show about a plucky hero, who struggles with his-”

“Save it for the show, Mister Yamaguchi.” Thomas sighed as he looked at his neatly organized desktop. “And in future, please inform us beforehand if we are to move locations for project presentations. That goes for all of you.”

Grumbling, Thomas picked up his rubrics and laptop and herded the class to the auditorium. While they settled into their seats, Mister Yamaguchi disappeared behind the red velvet curtains that obscured the stage. Among the murmuring of the students waiting for the show to begin, Thomas could hear a microphone check and a five-second snippet of music being tested on the sound system.

The lights went down.

The curtains came up.

A spotlight turned on, illuminating a backdrop of two-dimensional high-rises and streets edged with trees and parked cars.

And the song that had begun to play as part of the sound system check began and continued as the protagonist appeared.

🎬🎬🎬🎬🎬

“Welcome to The Many Adventures of the Amazing Arachnid Boy!” crowed Crash from where he dangled from the ceiling, parallel to the stage. “I’m your host, Arachnid Boy himself, and this is the story of . . . me.”

From behind her, Margot could hear Professor Hunt snort. Hearing such an undignified sound from him made her smile.

The hip-hop beat kicked in, and Crash began climbing a cardboard skyscraper, freestyling about his new superpowers without stumbling over his words. His dark red leather jacket had an iron-on spider-shaped patch on the back, and he turned around to show the audience it as the song slowed down for a melancholy bridge.

“No one knows my pain, no one knows the strain,” Crash sang, “on my mental health, gotta be so stealthy . . . I know I seem witty, ‘cause I fly above the city, but when I stop, I can’t stop, I won’t stop . . .”

The beat kicked back in, and he jumped around and immediately leapt to the next cardboard building with exuberance.

“I can’t risk someone getting the drop on me, finding out my identity, putting the serenity of my family at risk . . . ya hear me, villains? Take a shot at me, you’d better not miss!”

As Crash’s show continued, Margot snuck glances over her shoulder at the professor. He seemed more shocked than anything else, and his pen was moving at lightning speed over the paper he had balanced on a clipboard.

Hopefully those are good notes, she thought.

🎬🎬🎬🎬🎬

After Mister Yamaguchi’s self-insert rip-off of an existing superhero defeated its archenemy, the Emerald Elf, the audience around Thomas jumped to its feet in raucous applause. Thomas brought his hands together twice before returning to his notes, jotting down some last-minute observations – rhymed “city” with “litty”; did the Emerald Elf need a self-deprecating R&B solo? – and then ushering the class back into the lecture hall.

“Our presenters for next class are Miss Valentine, Miss Stone, Mister Ortega, Miss Perez, Jayden, and Miss Schuyler. The remaining students will be presenting the following class. Until then, class dismissed.”

As Thomas unlocked his laptop to begin inputting grades, he sensed someone sidling up to him. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who might be approaching him.

“Hello, Professor,” Miss Schuyler said softly. Her bag was already slung over her shoulder. A quick glance to the door indicated that her friends were leaving her behind; he almost wished he could call them back in, to make sure that whatever it was she had to say was said in front of witnesses.

After the Fairy Kingdom Formal, he’d felt odd whenever he so much as looked at her. He wasn’t sure what to make of the new sensation. He worried that it meant something. But it couldn’t, could it? She was a decade younger than him. She was his student. It couldn’t be-

She told you about her childhood, he reminded himself. She confided in you. It’s not love. It’s you worrying over how she lived when she was younger. That’s all.

He wanted his thoughts to stop right there, but they kept coming anyway, like a second inner voice had joined the conversation to argue a different opinion.

You knew it was her at the masquerade. You spoke with her. You danced with her. You kissed her.

Stop.

You took care of her when she was hungry, cold, and sad. You slept in the same bed as her.

It meant nothing. It was nothing-

You drove her to her dorm after Chris Winters left her in the aquarium. She told you she thought you mattered to her, and you lived off that feeling for days after.

Stop-

You held your umbrella over her. You helped her get to her ride home with little incident.

That doesn’t mean anything-

You like her.

Stop-

You might even love-

“Professor?”

He blinked and found himself staring up at a very concerned Margot.

“Are you all right?” She adjusted the strap on her shoulder. “I was just . . . did you like Crash’s musical?”

He felt a bit dizzy. “It was interesting,” he said slowly.

“Good interesting?”

He cocked his head to the side, which didn’t help the vertigo. “I always find it fascinating when students suddenly decide that their passions have changed, Miss Schuyler.”

And, though she was an admittedly talented actress, Margot did not hide her nervousness. “Oh, yeah. I see how that could be interesting.”

“Might you know anything about Mister Yamaguchi and Miss Sinclair’s newfound passions?” he asked, mostly to see her squirm.

There, see? he told himself. I revel in making her uncomfortable, in treating her just like all my other students. This “love” theory is absolute bull-

“Maybe.” Her eyes widened comically. “I mean. Um. That’s all. Bye.”

She sped-walked out of the hall, and Thomas took a minute to gather himself before turning back to his laptop.

Sifting through his notes, he took extra time with Miss Sinclair and Mister Yamaguchi’s rubrics. They had both delivered impressive projects, ambitious if a bit contrived, but if her reaction was anything to go by, Miss Schuyler had something to do with their sudden fascinations in suits and musical theatre.

🎬🎬🎬🎬🎬

He can’t leave. He just can’t.

Margot had been standing in the main building of the university with her friends, rehashing Lisa’s surprise operatic performance as well as her own avant-garde film she directed, when she saw him hurrying towards a clearly marked administrator’s office. Though his stride was purposeful, and he attracted attention wherever he went due to his being Thomas Hunt and all, something about him radiated the energy of a man who did not want to be seen.

Before knocking on the door, she watched the professor take a deep breath.

And then he stepped through the doorway and out of view, leaving her to draw her own conclusion.

“I hope we did enough to convince him to stay,” she said quietly.

Lisa placed a hand on her shoulder. “If my rendition of Pavarotti didn’t convince him, I doubt anything could.”

“He did like your film, Margot,” Addison said reassuringly. “He didn’t trash it or anything!”

“Sad how that’s a good sign, isn’t it?” Ethan lamented.

🎬🎬🎬🎬🎬

The first class after the midterm project presentations was mostly silent. Thomas had planned it that way; after hearing some of the most illogical projects from this class, he wanted a break from them in a way that still kept them on track with the semester work. He was playing a series of short silent films on the projection screen while he finalized the midterm grades, and apart from some minor whispering – another thing he’ll temporarily turn a blind eye to, as he simply did not have the energy after faking so many recruitment meetings the past ten days – it was peaceful.

“Any word about Hunt’s job situation?”

Or not.

Before Miss Sinclair could reply, Thomas cleared his throat.

“Miss Schuyler. Care to share with the rest of us what you were about to ask Miss Sinclair?”

He’d never seen Miss Schuyler’s cheeks so red. They almost suited her, drawing attention to her high cheekbones-

Stop.

“Not with the rest of the class, no, Professor,” she murmured.

He raised an eyebrow at her. “Then perhaps you will share it with me . . . after class. My office.”

She nodded, turning her attention back to her worksheets.

And, as he similarly went back to his own work, he fought to keep the grin off his face.

🎬🎬🎬🎬🎬

“You wanted to see me?”

He leaned back in his chair, setting his arms on the structured arm rests of his chair. “I know what you and your friends have been doing. Don’t play dumb. Miss Sinclair designing suits, Mister Yamaguchi doing a musical, Miss Valentine singing opera.”

She winced. “I guess we were kinda obvious.”

He rolled his eyes. “Extremely obvious.”

“Did it work? Are you gonna stay?”

Was he imagining the eagerness in her voice? The hope that permeated those questions, as if she wanted him to remain at the university, to continue being her professor? He worried he was projecting, but there was something about the way she was looking at him that made him feel . . .

Made him feel.

“Do you want me to?” he asked.

She shook her head hard enough that her earrings clacked against her neck. “No. No, I – don’t leave.” She caught herself and added, in a much less emotionally wrought voice, “In my opinion, anyway.”

He looked at her, taking in her slightly trembling hands.

She looked at him, noting the curiosity in his eyes.

Desperate to know what the other one was thinking, but afraid of what they might be thinking of, they stared for a long moment in silence, trying and failing to read each other simply from body language.

Finally, he said, “Then it’s a good thing I was never planning on leaving anyway.”

She let out a sigh – of relief? he wondered – and sunk into the chair opposite him. Instantly relaxing into his own seat, he watched her take a few calming breaths before looking back at him with a new question burning in her eyes.

“Wait, so if you were never planning to leave, then why did you meet with those admins from other schools?”

He smirked. “For leverage during salary negotiations, obviously. I only do it when I feel it’s necessary, and this past year has been quite trying, particularly due to some students.” He looked pointedly at her, and she feigned shock.

“Crash’s musical was ingenious,” she argued.

“Stan Lee’s estate is on its way with a lawsuit as we speak,” he said dryly. “Dr. Seuss could – and has – written better verses.”

“Those are fighting words, Professor.” Margot’s eyes twinkled. “Crash could write The Cat in the Hat, but Dr. Seuss could not write ‘Emerald Elf Hates His Emerald Self.’”

#thomas hunt #thomas orson hunt #only fools fall for you #hollywood u #fanfiction

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vandnana · 4 years

Text

Loving You Is Easy

Part One

When I decided to leave home at eighteen, I knew that things would never be the same. But then again, that’s exactly what I craved. Living with them made me realize that I was never home. Talking to them made me realize that my words were locked. Listening to them made me realize that I didn’t know who I was. So many moments between my creators could have easily led to this epiphany, but one conversation sent me out the door with no other thought except escape.

“If you just applied for a school closer to here, then things would be easier for you.”

My mother stared at me, her eyebrows furrowed in slight annoyance.

I glared back at her with the same visible annoyance.

“Easier for me, or easier for you? Why can’t you just let me be on my own?”

I could see her eyes enflame, but she closed them to calm herself.

“Because you can never be on your own. You need me. You always have. Who pays for your school now? Who pays your insurance? Who clothes you and feeds you and lets you live in this house? Show some respect. I’m your mother.”

I remember looking at her, stunned.

Isn’t that what a mother is supposed to do? Aren’t mothers supposed to give their unconditional love to you? Aren’t they supposed to clothe you and feed you and shelter you? I understood the privilege of having my school and insurance paid for, but those basic, bare minimum things...do I really owe her so much for fulfilling her responsibility as a mother? Do I really have to be chained to her side because of her choice to keep me alive?

I remember walking away from her without a word, and after that, I left the house with a single bag and money I had saved in my piggy bank. I left no note and no notice. I knew that if I didn’t leave right then and there, my tether would grow tighter and tighter until my own inevitable suffocation.

Despite that house being filled with people, people that were meant to encourage me and love me and cherish me, I was always lonely. But stepping out of that door forever, made that loneliness leave me.

I booked a plane to the concrete jungle, where no one would bat an eye at me, no one would wonder what my story was, no one would care what I was doing, where I was going. Only I would care. I truly thought that I wanted to be this selfish with my choices because I was never able to before. I had to think about what everyone else wanted before myself. I had to choose with the ideas of my mother and father in mind. But loneliness found me soon again as I wandered the streets for days.

No home. No family. No one but myself to keep me company. I took refuge in a decent motel, but as I stayed longer, the more expensive it got. Yet, still, I couldn’t ignore the possibilities for me. They were so endless and I was lost. So engrossed in this feeling of misguided direction that I started to believe poisoned thoughts I created in my own head. I believed that was how I would be lost forever- my punishment for leaving the one thing that was familiar to me. My mind was poisoned with the thought that this misguided freedom was the worse alternative to the material things that my parents had given me. I tried my best to shake that thought away for a while, but it never fully left me.

Only when I was cloaked with sudden kindness in the middle of an Asian bakery, so unassuming and so fractal, did that feeling fade away.

I remember the morning was cold. I checked out of the motel I was staying in and walked out into the early bustle of the city. I aimlessly walked around, not knowing what to do with myself. I knew I needed a job, but I needed a place to stay too. I let myself pretend that I had some grand destination and increased my pace to match those beside me, people that actually had places to go.

Somehow I ended up in Korea Town, and I observed the shops and restaurants around me. I wanted to eat inside of this one noodle restaurant, but I didn’t want to sit alone. Looking out into the street, a bakery caught my eye.

The bell dinged as I stepped through the door, and instantly the head of an older Asian woman came out to greet me. Just like all older Asian ladies, she sensed that I was practically starving and offered me more than I had paid for. She looked at me with such genuine concern, a look I still wasn’t used to. I ate quietly on a stool by her display window, but watching me eat was not enough to satisfy her worries. She pulled up a chair next to me and asked me who I was, where I came from, my whole life. I hesitated to tell her the whole truth, but being truthful to a stranger was more comforting than talking to anyone I’d ever known.

Immediately, she offered her place to me and told me that I could work in her shop. I couldn’t process her kindness at all and I sat there looking at her with wide eyes. She took that as a yes.

Her apartment was conveniently right above the shop. She led me to the back of the shop where the stairs leading up to her place were. They were wooden creaky stairs with rails that I didn’t trust. She still held them though. The ceiling was not that high, but both me and her didn’t have the height to prompt crouching. We reached the last step, and I looked around her apartment that was surprisingly spacious.

Greeting us at the top of the stairs was a shrine for the Virgin Mary, ornate with rosaries, prayer books, and a sizable statue of the Lady right in the center. She began her tour, walking me through the kitchen which acted as an extended hallway to her small dining area. Unlike the kitchen I had left behind, this one had no island in the middle and no dishwasher. The refrigerator and oven were on the left with two countertops separating them. On the other side, were four more counters and the sink. Above them were cabinets that I assumed held dishes, glasses, and containers of butter that were meant to be tupperware.

Onward, she led me to her table with four chairs, where she told me we would eat breakfast together everyday. I smiled at the thought. We weaved our way through another open area that had a desk and multiple racks only filled with hangers, past her bedroom (which she pointed to), and back to the main hallway near the stairs and shrine. Leading me toward the right part of her apartment, she showed me her living room, which had windows that were just above the front of the shop and then she pointed to a door adjacent to the windows.

“That will be your room,” then she gave directions to the bathroom on the other side of the wall.

The whole time, I was silent, still speechless over her kindness. She remained with me in the living room, waiting for me to say something, probably knowing that I was overwhelmed. I felt comforted by her presence though, not daunted.

“Th-Thank you,” I started, “You have no idea how much this means to me.”

She smiled at me warmly and patted my back, and as she looked at me I realized something.

I didn’t even know her name.

She started to walk away, her hand motioning for me to enter the room, but I stopped to ask her name.

“You can call me Mrs. Park. I’ll be down in the shop if you need me.” She beamed, walking away toward the stairs.

My heart was grateful, and I wanted her to know that I wasn’t taking advantage of her.

I dropped my bag off in the room quickly, barely taking in what it looked like, and went downstairs. Finding an apron hanging on a rack near the kitchen, I put it on.

“Mrs. Park, I want to help you!”

She peeked out from the kitchen with that same warm smile from before.

“I knew that you were a good girl from the minute I saw you! So, how are you with cash registers? I’ll need you at the front because of your good looks.”

I laughed at her lightheartedness, and made my way to the front. Luckily, I already knew what all of the pastries were in the shop, and I knew how to speak Korean if I needed to, so I wasn’t worried.

It was around five in the afternoon. The rush of customers passed quickly, and people were looking for a meal, rather than a light snack. Still, I was at the front tending to customers that came in here and there. Some just wanted to ogle at the pastries with no intention of buying anything, an act I usually found annoying. Yet, my heart was warm, the warmest it had been in a long time. And I didn’t think i could feel a warmer feeling in my life. Of course, I was wrong.

I was peering into the display, taking note of the pastries that would need to be replaced soon, when the door swung open and I heard a deep, velvety voice resonate throughout the entire place.

“Halmeoni, did you miss me?”

Looking up from the display, I saw a tall guy that looked about my age wearing a black hat that covered his facial features slightly. The only feature I could fully see were his ears, which promptly stuck out of his hat. I could tell that he was smiling though. He had his long arms deep in his dark blue bomber jacket and he wore loose pants and black converse. He met my eyes for a second and I smiled at him, before Mrs. Park practically threw herself into his arms. He hugged her tightly, and I went into the back to let them have their moment. It seemed they hadn’t seen one another in a long time.

Minutes passed while they caught up with each other. I let myself wander through the kitchen, observing everything. Earlier in the day, she gave me a tour, showing me all the necessary components and gadgets and thingies I needed to know about, but I never took it all in.

Mrs. Park was a neat lady. I could tell that everything, from a dish towel hung on a rack to a knife placed on the counter, was meticulously placed. Most of her appliances all matched in shiny silver, but her utensils, cookware, and even her towels, all had cute characters on them. A rolling pin dusted in flour had laughing frogs plastered on the handles, and the cutting board underneath, was lined with dancing sheep around its perimeter. I made my way to the other side of the area, a sweet smell drawing me toward the pastry warmer. Maybe it was because I was getting hungrier by the minute, but up until that moment, I didn’t notice how amazing the bakery smelled. The sweetness in the air engulfed my senses, and it was all I could focus on, until Mrs. Park called out to me.

“I was wondering where you went! Come and meet my grandson!” She exclaimed, grabbing my hand gently and leading me back to the front of the store.

Sitting at the same stool I was just hours before, he turned his head to look at me and grinned sweetly. His hat was off, and I could finally see what he looked like.

His face didn’t match the deep, silkiness of his voice, but I was charmed by it. Everything about his face was kind, but looking in his eyes there was something else inside of him, something that I couldn’t put into words back then.

He got up from the stool to shake my hand, and when our hands touched, an overwhelming warmth from his hand embraced the coldness of my own. He made no comment about the contrast, and introduced himself.

“I’m Chanyeol, her most handsome grandson.” He greeted, the tone of his voice shocking me again.

Mrs. Park chided him by slapping his arm, and he winced playfully. She rolled her eyes and I laughed.

“I’m June.” I greeted, looking down at our interlocked hands that kept in contact for longer than usual.

For some reason it didn’t really feel awkward that our hands remained together, and it felt endless. We smiled as we looked down at them, as if they were meant to be this way--together.

Mrs. Park snapped us both out of our trance by talking about me living with her and we quickly separated, that overwhelming warmth still lingering in my palm.

I expected Chanyeol to withdraw his warmth completely and protest his grandma’s kindness toward me. He was here for a reason, and I had just noticed the suitcase at his side. In my mind, I readied myself to leave.

“It’s fine if I stay too right? I’ll take the couch.” He said, that new, yet familiar homeliness still clung to his voice.

I was shocked, a shock that only I was aware of in the now empty shop. I questioned where I was in space and time.

Did people this kind really exist? Am I really in the midst of them?

I put my hands up in protest, “No, you take the bedroom. I’m lucky to even be staying here at all.”

Chanyeol began his interjection, but was interrupted by his grandma, who slyly revealed her own ulterior motives.

“Why don’t you two just share the bedroom. It’s big enough for the two of you.” She said with a suggestive tone coated in feigned innocence. I could tell that she enjoyed watching us both interact, and because she is both a grandmother and Asian, she noticed how long our hands were glued together.

Chanyeol and I laughed at her forwardness, and memories of the place I left suddenly rushed in my brain. I remembered the rules that I had almost forgotten, those rules that I always liked to ignore when they weren’t around. And as I remembered how much I ignored that fine line my parents set between boys and girls, I hardly noticed Chanyeol touching the back of his neck shyly as he looked at me.

I didn’t mind sharing a room with him, and I couldn’t refuse the suggestion of the woman that was kind enough to let me stay in her home. Once I agreed, I looked at Chanyeol, who was visibly relieved, and it was only then that I noticed his nervousness, which I mistook as embarrassment, not endearment toward me. I laughed at the thought of him being insecure about something like his loud snoring.

Once we all realized we were intensely hungry, Mrs. Park decided to close the shop early. I offered to clean up the shop while she cooked dinner, but she protested, insisting that Chanyeol do it. He decided to compromise, saying that we would clean the shop together. Her smile showed her satisfaction and she directed me to a clean-up list posted on the kitchen wall. Chanyeol and I looked it over as she made her way up the stairs.

We decided to divide the work in half, and I asked him what he wanted to do. He put his finger up to the list, mulling over his six options, when I noticed a cut on the top of his hand.

“Actually Chanyeol, I’ll wash the dishes, wipe the counters, and throw away the trash.” I decided, walking away toward the sink, leaving him stunned in front of the list.

He eyed me quizzically at my sudden decisiveness. “What if I wanted to do the dishes?”

Piling up what needed to be washed already, then setting them down in the sink, I walked over to a cabinet and grabbed the first-aid kit. Ripping open an alcohol pad and a band-aid, I held up his hand, the warmth wrapping around my own, cleaned his cut, then smoothed the band-aid over it.

“You have a cut on your hand.” I said simply, letting his hand go before I returned to my dishes.

More focused on cleaning the shop well, I hardly talked to Chanyeol after that. I was too grateful to his grandma to make small talk that I thought would distract me from doing my best work. There was a moment in my head where I felt inclined to talk to him, thinking that Mrs. Park would be pleased to hear that we were getting along, but this was the way I had always thought. Everything I had ever done was influenced by the opinions, the praises, the considerations of other people. Even though I had cut the tether, I still felt suffocated. My true thoughts were clouded by the restricted way of life that distorted my mind, and while there were rules I ignored when they weren’t around, that was just a rebellion only I ever knew about. I didn’t know how to reconcile who I was with them, and who I was alone. I still wanted to know him, and I wanted him to know me, even though I wasn’t sure who that was.

I didn’t notice Chanyeol’s many glances at me and the many attempts he made to get closer to talk. Every step he took, I walked away, ready to clean the next thing, completely oblivious by his efforts. Yet, he wasn’t turned off by my focus or my silence, rather curious and amused.

He spent a good while looking at the band-aid I had put on him, deciding right there, that he liked me.

It didn’t take us long to finish, and the last thing to do was throw away the trash. There were three bags in total, and Chanyeol was happy when I finally uttered words to ask for his help. Going back inside, I rolled Chanyeol’s suitcase toward him, motioning him to go upstairs as I closed all of the lights. Unlike his grandma and I, he needed to crouch as he ascended the stairs, and even at the top, his stature towered over everything.

The smell of Mrs. Park’s cooking permeated through the entire apartment, sending me into a daze over the day. I walked to the bedroom and Chanyeol following me silently, so silently that I hit him with the door as I tried to close it. I opened the door to find him holding his forehead with his eyes closed. Immediately I touched his cheeks worried, like I’d known him long enough to have permission to do so.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to do that. God, your steps are so quiet. Are you okay?” I asked, concern falling over my furrowed eyebrows. He took his hands off his forehead to put them over mine.

“Yeah, I’m good. You’d think that a tall guy like me would have louder steps right?” He laughed, and I was reassured.

I let myself sigh in relief and I took my hands off his cheeks. If I was more observant, I would have noticed his ears turning red. But, I was too engulfed by my own embarrassment to notice the effect I had on him.

He wheeled his suitcase in, then sprawled out onto the bed with a huge sigh. I walked to my bag I had thrown on the floor, rummaging through it for a hair tie and tying my hair up into a ponytail. I looked around the room closely for the first time, taking in everything. The walls were painted white and the floor had tan carpeting. The bed, adorned with a cute bedding that matched Mrs. Park’s kitchenware, was in the middle of the room, big enough for both Chanyeol and I.

I let my mind wander at the thought of what it would be like to sleep next to him, to have him hold me tightly around my waist or to lay against his chest. These thoughts didn’t arise because I wanted to do these things with him specifically. It was just easier to imagine him in this daydream. I had a feeling I wouldn’t be sleeping next to him because we weren’t anything to each other. We were barely friends. But, it was a nice thought that overwhelmed my feelings about what I had been through. I was always lonely where I used to live and having someone hold me was only ever a fantasy, not a possibility. He could feel me staring and quickly sat up to meet my gaze, which I averted toward the lamp next to the bed. He tilted his head curiously at me, and I expected him to make a comment about my staring, but he didn’t.

I continued to observe the room, turning my head toward the dresser across the bed, a small TV atop it with a few picture frames carefully placed on each side of it. I turned in place as I looked at the walls, which had posters of people that I assumed were Korean celebrities and singers.

Chanyeol noticed me observing the room and got up from his position on the bed. He started naming all of the people in the posters, who were all musicians he looked up to, the biggest poster being of Lee Moon Sae, his childhood hero. His eyes grew bigger in excitement as he explained all of his favorite musicians to me, his many talents and hobbies, his passion for music, and it was then that I realized Chanyeol wasn’t a shy person at all. I learned more about him in five minutes than friends I had known for years. Those friends I believed were friends at least.

“This used to be my room when I was in high school. My grandma’s lived in New York since I was seven and I left Korea to live with her. She never took my posters down, but I guess she couldn’t wait to change the bedding.” He explained, smiling at the sheets with happy animals holding hands.

“Hmm, I really would have thought these sheets would be your first choice.” I teased, walking over to sit on the bed. Amused by my teasing, he laughed, then sat dangerously close to me, his hands leaned back and his knees touching mine.

He looked at me, and unlike before, I met his gaze, our eyes fixated on each other. I felt like looking away, like I wasn’t allowed to stare at him, but somehow I let myself be engulfed by the atmosphere we had suddenly created. The bubbly warmth he created with his stories remained, but another magic entered the air and circled around us. I found myself smiling dumbly at him, not knowing what else to do. He smiled back even bigger, and that sweet, sweet magic in the air became harder to ignore, but more difficult for me to dissect.

There was something about him that charmed me, and I could feel his warmth beginning to infect where my doubts and apprehensions tried to devour me. Those usual thoughts somehow lost me as his eyes marveled at me with a glowing expression. Unsaid words danced around the room as we stared into each other’s eyes, and I was confused.

Confused about why he was looking at me this way, and why I didn’t want to look away from him. Confused, because I wasn’t on the outside looking in, I was fully there with him. Confused that it was easy to just be with him and say nothing at all. A comfortable silence surrounded us, almost consuming us fully until the sudden bang of the door swinging open sent Chanyeol flying to the ground in shock.

Mrs. Park entered the room shouting that dinner was ready, her eyes finding Chanyeol on the floor.

“What are you doing on the floor? Get up! It’s time to eat!” She urged, oblivious that she was the reason for his dramatic reaction.

I couldn’t control the sudden rupture of laughter that formed quickly in my throat. I held my chest in an attempt to control the sudden fit, but I failed. I fell to the floor next to Chanyeol and we laughed obnoxiously together. Mrs. Park’s voice rang through her apartment again, her second shouts threatening to take our food hostage.

We got up, and Chanyeol gently pushed me out of the door, the ever-growing smell of Mrs. Park’s cooking triggering my stomach’s rumbles.

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