#misunderstandings are hard for me to handle and I can't think of a single way this scene could possibly end well

[vixymix101]

Why Bluey x Jean-Luc Works

So! Sense I've been in a Blueluc mood as of late, I'd like to make an extensive post on why I love this pairing, and why it works so well!

(Please note this is my personal opinion, and isn't meant to attack or shame other shippers who don't ship this pairing!)

Now! Let's begin!

First off, where did this pairing even begin?

Blueluc started after Jean-luc's first debut in the episode, Camping. His first and only major role in the show-- but this single episode was enough to spark one of the most popular ships in the Bluey fandom!

The first thing we learn about Jean-luc is that he speaks French and cannot understand English, but despite this language barrier, it doesn't deter these two from playing together and instantly hitting it off! They immediately start to connect without even understanding a word of what the other is saying.

It's just the fact that they connect and bond so fast and become such close buddies in such a short time span, if they get along that well in just a few days, who knows how much further their relationship could go and grow if they were able to spend more time with eachother.

A thing to take notice is we see the two build a little make-shift hut, and to me, feels like a metaphor of building a home together. Now it could be reachy but it's definitely something to take note of! They made something special together, something only for them.

But that isn't the only thing I'd like to point out--

Second case in point-- the touches--

These two are already so comfortable holding hands and making physical contact even after, what? A day or two? For most people it can take a few weeks, even months or years to be this comfortable with physical contact like this-- now yes, they are kids and kids usually don't really care but even so, it's still a big leap even for people their age--

Plus, it's just so adorable-- look at them!! Little bbys!! Holding hands!!

Another thing I'd love to point out is the tree and how it's a metaphor of their growing relationship.

While I could be reaching with the building-a-home metaphor, this one is undeniable meant to be a visual representation of their relationship with eachother, as it holds such a large role in the episode, but I'll go more into detail later after it's done growing!

For now, let's take a moment to point out why they get along so well, and how it'd work for any romantic relationship that may form for their future.

As we all know, Bluey is a bit bossy when she plays games with other kids-- that trait likely stems from the fact that she's a Heeler, a herding dog, which could explain why she feels the need to take charge.

And not to throw shade, but her personality type just doesn't mesh well with someone like Mackenzies-- they're both hard headed, stubborn and feel the need to take charge when they can. That headstrong attitude just wouldn't work well for a serious relationship.

But it does work for someone like Jean-luc, who was more than happy to follow along with her games, simply just wanting to play and have fun, not even being told what to do-- just saw that Bluey was collecting sticks and went to help her and play with her.

I'm not saying that he's a "follower" by any means, but I am saying is that he's willing to accommodate with her, a true gentleman I must say! Just a wittle sweetie!

(Plus again, they got so close so quickly and easily--)

And that's not to say Bluey doesn't do the same in return! Again, she can get pretty bossy when she plays, so I think it's worth pointing out how well she handled the minor miscommunications she has with Jean-luc is a pretty big thing for her-- instead of getting upset at Jean-luc or stop playing with them because they can't understand eachother, she instead shrugs it off, and comes up with a way where they can both understand eachother via the drawing on the rock!

She was willing to think of a different way to communicate and get over their misunderstanding so Jean-luc could get it. Most people don't do that, especially for someone they've only known for around a week--

Now, let's talk about THIS scene, now this? This just simply broke my heart on first watch, and even harder on rewatches--

It truly amazes me how they fit so much genuinely good chemistry between two characters in the span of a single episode that most shows can't even do in the span of 2 seasons--

The writers truly out did themselves, there's a good reason so many people cry at this scene and after--

Speaking of after! The time skip!

Now ik many debate if this scene is even canon but there isn't any indicator it isn't a flash forward, so I'd say it very much happened.

Now remember that tree I was talking about earlier? Here's where we pick up where that left off--

It shows that their relationship stayed strong even when they were apart, the tree fully grown and in bloom, symbolizing how their relationship only grew with time, even as they got older.

It's one of my favorite aspects about the episode, and my favorite piece of symbolism for these two.

I could go on and on about them and why their relationship just simply works, but I think just simply watching the episode will do all the talking for me-- that and the fact this is the most popular ship in the fandom lol--

But I think I've made all my points clear! If you'd like to discuss further, go for it!

Thank you for reading!

[triptychgrip]

Viktor's (post-canon) turmoil around Yuuri's retirement

I've often thought about how Viktor might handle the realities around Yuuri's eventual retirement from competition, both from a coach standpoint, as well as a partner standpoint.

I'd imagine that his idealized version could be summed up by the following thoughts:

1) "Wow! My darling Yuuri (and beloved husband) has so much to be proud of!"

2) *Runs through an internal list of Yuuri's many accomplishments, including his gold medal win at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Games, which will probably be followed by another gold medal at the 2022 Beijing Games*

3) "He's come so far, by way of his own tenacity and hard work, as well as the strength he derives from the relationship we have on and off the ice. I feel so privileged to support him as we navigate this next chapter of our lives."

4) "I can't wait to partner with Phichit to co-plan a retirement party that is perfectly fitting with his tastes (i.e. as much as I'd really like to invite the entire country of Japan to attend, as well as hold a week-long parade in Hasetsu marked by 20 feet tall floats of Yuuri in every single one of his Free Skate program costumes over the years, I'll exercise restraint)"

But the reality?

I honestly think Viktor would be a mess, and there's a good chance that such a big change in their lives would trigger his own insecurities.

I have some pretty bleak headcanons around Viktor's past, and believe he probably has some form of complex PTSD from childhood emotional neglect/trauma. Perhaps he was able to blunt a lot of this pain through avoidance (i.e. immersing himself totally and completely into the impossibly high demands of an elite figure skating career), but he's likely had to work on healing by way of being in a serious, long-term relationship with Yuuri.

But no matter how much healing we've done, trauma can manifest in surprising and disconcerting ways.

In thinking about the end of his tenure as Yuuri's coach, it could very well be that Viktor starts to panic. When he's no longer in such a role, will he still be 'useful' to Yuuri?

Will he still be able to hold his husband's interest? What will happen if Yuuri suddenly finds him boring when their lives don't involve the high-pace rigor of competition and training anymore? Could he forget how to "surprise" him?

Thinking about this transitional period in their lives motivated me to write a 55K Viktor POV story set during the summer before Yuuri's impending retirement (right after the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games). While it has a somewhat crack-y premise (i.e. Viktor convinces Yuuri to become his pole-dancing "coach"), you'll find that this story contains some major feels as it pertains to Viktor trusting Yuuri with his insecurities.

It's part of my larger 2018/2022 Olympic Games fic series, but I think it can still be enjoyed even without having read the other parts of the series (and in the beginning author's note, I relay some important context that'll help folks if they haven't read the main fic).

Below is an excerpt from Chapter 2, when in attempting to inform their friends that Yuuri will become his pole-dancing coach, Yuuri's drunkenness leads everyone to misunderstand, thinking that 1) he's planning on becoming Viktor's skating coach and 2) that Viktor is "unretiring", lol.

Note of context & content warning: 1) Yuuri and Viktor now live in Fukuoka, Japan, and Viktor coaches both Yuuri and Yurio (Yura) at the same rink as Minami Kenjirou and 2) this excerpt contains mentions of alcohol consumption

I hope it piques your interest!

----

Yuuri was now blinking at Ryuichi, looking puzzled. Without warning, he slapped his hand down on the table, making a good number of them jump.

“I’m gonna be Vitya’s coach!” he crowed, his eyes growing huge and sparkly.

Instantly, Viktor was reminded of that life-changing Sochi banquet night when the love of his life had humped his thigh while begging for him to come to Hasetsu.

Pffffftttttt!

A spray of sake just narrowly missed Yuuri, but, unfortunately, Niko and Kenjirou weren’t able to escape Yura’s spewing.

Sharp yelps and choice swears overlapped, and a few seconds of confusion ensued, during which time nobody seemed to know where to direct their attention.

“Viktor-sensei, you’re coming back to competition?” Izumi shrieked in his direction, while patting at Niko’s face with some napkins. (Actually, she was missing completely and patting her shoulder instead, as she didn’t seem to be able to take her eyes off of him).

“What the fuck, geezer, don’t tell me you’ve finally lost it?!” Yurio spluttered next, staring daggers at him.

He seemed largely unbothered by the fact that Kenjirou was using the sleeve of his t-shirt to wipe his face.

“You’re like a million years old, there’s no way you can do this,” his student continued, heatedly. “But more importantly: LIKE HELL YOU WILL, YOU’RE MY FUCKING COACH NOW. There’ll be none of this double-duty nonsense that you tried to pull four years ago!”

“Oooh, I hadn’t given much thought to competitions yet,” Yuuri then interjected, with a blissful, silly grin, while Ryuichi gaped at him.

He looked a bit horrified, as if Yuuri had suddenly announced that he found katsudon repulsive.

Viktor let his heart-shaped smile take over his face, thoroughly enjoying their friends’ shocked reactions to his husband’s drunken miscommunication. It wasn’t as if he was reluctant for them to find out that the ‘coaching’ Yuuri had mentioned was in reference to pole-dancing, and not figure skating. After all, his spouse’s local popularity as a pole instructor was hardly a secret, and Viktor knew for a fact that if they had more time in their schedules, both Izumi and Wakaba would be interested in taking some classes. Rather, it was simply more fun to see what the reactions to his “unretiring” were.

He half-expected Yura to FaceTime Yakov somewhere in the next twenty seconds, begging their former coach to rage at him until he saw sense.

“Yuuri-senpai, you know I think the absolute world of you,” Kenjirou began, still patting his face while gesturing emphatically in his idol’s direction. “But isn’t this a bad idea? Are you really sure you want to coach Viktor-sensei? You’re not even retired yet!”

Yuuri’s vacant, silly grin disappeared, and he appeared to give up on trying to fish out the lemon slice from his shochu cocktail.

The glint of determination that Viktor so adored began to dance fiercely in his dark eyes, and Kenjirou gulped, looking appropriately intimidated.

“Oh, I see, you don’t think I’m up to the task? You think I’m just a softie, that I’ll go easy on him because I love him?” Yuuri asked, sharply, his words having lost that soft, hazy patina of inebriation.

At this accusation, Kenjirou’s eyes widened, but before he could correct this assumption, Yuuri went on, locking eyes not only with Kenjirou, but with each of their friends, who were staring at him, looking wary. Even the ever-stoic Otabek looked a bit unnerved.

[fedorahead]

i'm hyperfixating on 2014 aesthetic because real life is too fucking much rn tbh

a friend offhand dismissed something i had to say last week and i had a whole ass breakdown where i cried so hard i fucked up my inner ear and couldn't stand up straight for 24 hours. and he like, apologized, and i get that he didn't mean to hurt my feelings but it went deeper than that because not only did he misunderstand my entire premise but he also made the worst possible assumption given the way he misunderstood me and it just served to remind me that the second i let my guard down and stop putting 100% of the effort i have in me to communicate, people will completely misconstrue what i say and there is no amount of communicating clearly and putting in extra effort to make sense to them that will ever create a lasting enough impression of who i am that in those situations they would be able to fall back on it and understand that no, this interpretation must be inaccurate, because fedorahead would never think that way because for some reason the majority of people cannot fathom the way i think and this friend in particular i have always had that vibe about, like he does not understand a damn thing i'm saying and is just very good at playing along and since he's nice enough it's very rarely an issue.

and then, while i was still ignoring his apology and processing all that (and i told a friend who had been in the conversation what was going on with me and he said he'd handle it if anyone thought i was upset about the idea being dismissed rather than the terror of never being able to speak in a way that others can comprehend) the next day suddenly he came over because my partner had invited him to watch tombstone. and we started the movie and i was like this is dumb because everything is dumb when i'm in that mood. and the movie was actually good and i cheered up but the issue was never really settled because i was in a room with three other people (our roommate came out to watch too) and my mask was on though i probably wouldn't have said anything at that point either because there's no way to address "i had an existential crisis that isn't quite over yet because of what you said" to someone who probably won't understand you in the first place.

and then like two days ago he came over again to smoke weed with my partner and roommate and while i was trying to game and stuff i ended up joining them outside because another roommate got home and closed all the blinds and i hate this house when it's dark and she always does that as soon as she gets home and i can't see in here with the curtains closed so i went outside and kept being kinda friendly or whatever.

and there's no way to resolve this and he's coming over again sometime this week to watch 7 samurai or something and then in a few weeks we're going on a road trip to a LARP campout in new mexico (we're in washington state) and i'm gonna have to be in a car with my partner, rooommate, and this friend for over 24 hours and then camping and then in a car again.

and that's just, like, one single issue i'm dealing with that isn't even a fraction of the whole "life is a fuck" that is my anhedonia and the awful side effects of being 19 weeks pregnant

blargh

[wingsyliveblogs]

There we go! Luz has officially learned her lesson... but I can’t properly focus on it because every single line out of Lilith in this scene is making me say “oh no” out loud. She’s so excited about the prospect of being able to help Eda! She cares about her! She genuinely wants to help her! But she doesn’t understand what’s really going on here and it’s slowly killing me!

Luz, please explain in words she’ll actually understand that Eda is, at present, not in control of her own body, and that you are, in fact, Eda’s student and not Eda herself, and that I’m almost wondering if there might be any truth in what Lilith is saying, seeing as Eda really should have known better than to leave Luz unsupervised in her body when there was a significant chance that she’d be arrested. 

[instasiswetrust]

In Glory, In Ruin (Part 8)

Previous || First || Next

----

At first, Steve doesn't say anything. A minute, then two go by, as he thinks and thinks and thinks. Lets the pros and cons tumble around his brain while he examines the options he has, and how far he can push it without making a mess of it all.

In his hands, the bread roll is finished and a second one is grabbed, picked at in much the same way he did the other. It's both an anxious response to his frantic thinking and the knowledge that he always sparred better when on an empty stomach.

"I won't ask you to fit at Court because I myself am not accepted by Court." The true gamble starts here. At this moment, the fate the Goddess has decided for them will fall into place. "Play it how you want it, and make them believe you're going along with what they want."

---

“Pups.” Billy says, blunt and unrepentant.

He thinks he hears more than a few servants gasp at the boldness, but really, with the current conversation and the way he looks? It should have been its own warning. It should’ve been heeded.

He sighs, then chooses a line he’s left untouched for far too long.

“Did you really mistake me for an alpha?”

---

Steve all but chokes on the piece of bread he's just put inside his mouth.

Pups. He wants pups. Oh for all things holy, Goddess give me strength.

It takes him an entire minute to regain a semblance of composure, desperately reaching over for a goblet of watered-down mead and doing his best to down it all without choking again. A hard feat really, because his brain won't stop replaying that single word on loop.

He loathes to think how much his scent must be betraying him right now.

"Okay. Yep. If that's how you wanna do this." He manages to croak out, forehead pressed against the cool surface of the wooden table. It feels as if his skin is on fire, just on the edge of melting into a puddle under him. "Goddess above, you're going to be the death of me aren't you?"

Billy’s question does give Steve pause, head tilting to the side so now it's his cheek pressed against the wood and he can somewhat look up at Billy. "I did. Is that too hard to believe?"

---

In truth, it's a very simple misunderstanding. It's not that Billy wants pups — it's that pups are going to be the thing wanted of him by the court and kingdom. This is obvious, isn't it? He's chosen by the prince and he has the right parts, and will likely be his only redeeming quality in their eyes, because he sure as hell won't wear a face of khol and powder and dance with them kindly.

The kingdom's going to know his mask. Not his face.

(But Billy knows that for all he had to be to survive the streets, there were unrepentant aspects of his omegahood that shone like stars through the gloom. He collected and protected children. He kept so many safe.)

(He nestmakes. Naturally.)

"The typical response is people assume beta with a knot-complex. Scent hiding under grime and practically applied fish guts." Billy answers plainly as he idly watches the red flush across Steve's ears and the sliver of neck he can spy through shiny-fluffy hair.

Cute. He thinks. He's cute. Easily flustered.

"It's not very safe for omegas on the street, y'know?"

---

"I'm more afraid of an Omega with a purpose than of an Alpha looking for a fight"

Shrugging while in the position he's in is awkward but Steve does not dare move in case his skin truly decides to melt into a puddle. Of course, he doubts it will, but looking Billy in the eyes right now is also not something he believes he can handle.

"And 'm not good with scents anyway."

It's only half a lie, really. The problem is not that he's not good with scents, it's that he can't pick up scents at all. Most people assume the former though, and he's learned to roll with that. Make them believe he's not entirely a lost cause.

(His chest aches with the pain of never knowing what his own scent is like. How Dustin, his little brother, smells. Nancy. Robin.)

(Billy and the pups they might have.)

---

"That's because you have a brain." Billy’s seen the results of fights between all types of people. The guts and glory both, splattered on the pavement in the aftermath. Alphas are brutally strong, yes. Betas are indomitably steady, yes. But fully frenzied omega doesn't stop until someone is dead.

(He knows this first-hand. The blood had tasted like wine.)

There's something about the way Steve admits to the fault — not good with scents — that doesn't settle right. Billy supposes it doesn't matter. The prince didn't press on his own issues so he'll return that courtesy. Tit for tat.

Billy reaches for another of the many full bowls of colorful foods he has no names for, not the dish, not the ingredients. He eats slow and marvels at the feeling of being full.

"Etiquette first." He decides. Dancing feels like it'd be close to fighting. Close enough that he can put it off. Manners and court composure will be harder. If he wants to cut the court in their own language …

---

Billy doesn't ask and Steve is glad for that. Knowing it, living with it, is manageable. He can deal and not complain. Admitting it though, seeing the pity in somebody's eyes or the disgust, how they start to walk on eggshells around him.

No. He's better off with people assuming what they want.

"I'll let Nancy know. Or you could I guess since I'm assuming she's going to stop by your rooms later today."

There's only so much of his schedule he can ignore in one day, and if he skips Robin's sparring session today, he knows the Alpha will come find him no matter where he is. He shudders just thinking about it.

"Let me know when you're done here and I will escort you back to your chambers. As much as I might want to take a leisure day, my instructors will only allow me so much."

---

"You aren't going to eat?" Billy gestures with a fork of potato, head inclined to the left. The prince had greeted everyone in the kitchens' with the warmth of family. And then he picks at nothing but bread-

Why?

---

"Sparring lessons." Steve explains simply, ignoring the slight rumble of his stomach. There was still dinner later today, he could fill himself up then. "I've found it's much better going at it on an empty stomach."

And I find it much more enjoyable just watching you eat.

---

Billy makes a face at that admission. Steve has never known lasting hunger. He doesn't know, so of course he thinks it makes him strong.

"You should take me sometime." He decides to sidestep the pitfall there. Polish off his bowl. Move on to the next plate. "I'd like to see."

A wry smirk steals across his face.

"See how well you fare."

---

Steve rolls his eyes at that knowing full well how he will fare. He's better with a club than he is with his hands, and Robin’s been trying to fix that lately. It's going awful for him and his ribs can attest to that.

"Sure. But only if you promise not to make fun of me later over it."

Around a mouthful, Billy smiles, all innocent and unassuming and everything Steve knows he isn't.

"Only if you don't mind me fighting dirty."

"Bold of you to assume I ever considered you fighting fair."

"Good. I hate being underestimated."

Gods. There must be something very wrong with Steve because the idea of fighting Billy shouldn't be as hot as it is.

“I'll speak with Robin about it and let you know.”

[itsuki-minamy]

WONDERFUL SCHOOL DAYS: MY PRECIOUS RED

CHAPTER 2: SPRING

Translation: Naru-kun Raws: skyflyinginaction

* Gakuen K (List of Chapters) * Projects & Chapters

"Oh! It's over!"

At the same time the bell rang, Yata stood up vigorously.

However, at that moment, the chalk released by Anna-sensei hit Yata's forehead so badly that it was creepy. Yata turned around and was surprised by the gaudy sound.

"Guh! It hurts!"

"Misaki. Class is not over yet."

"Hey... the doorbell rang, isn't it over?"

"Class doesn't end until the teacher says it's over. Have a seat."

"Don't bother. It's over."

She tried to tell him that it wasn't okay. However, on the way, when Anna-sensei caught him, Yata shook his shoulders and mouth.

"Tsk. Sit down quickly."

"What? Monkey!"

"Misaki."

"I understand."

Yata clicked his tongue and sat up savagely.

"Class, so far for today. Don't forget your homework, preparation, and review."

"Wow! This time it's over!"

Yata stood up again and Anna-sensei stopped him again.

Kukuri, who was sitting next to Saya, stood up, touching her arm a bit.

"Come on. The next thing is physical education. First we have to change clothes."

"Oh, it's true."

Oh, so is that why Yata was so tense?

She quickly cleaned her desk and got up with her gym bag.

"Look, Wagahai-chan will go too. Oh, I'll lend you a bag. I'll bring it to you. Saya-chan, your left hand is burned. It hurts, right?"

"It hurts, but it's okay like this."

She shook her head, "Okay then." She replied softly.

"Physical education is often separated by gender, but today it is the same. It is a physical fitness test."

"Oh, is today the fitness test?"

[Physical education for the first and second semesters is decided by a physical fitness test.]

"Yes, it's correct."

"Is Saya-chan good at exercising?"

"Normal. If you say simple tasks like 'run' and 'swim', I'm good at it, but when it gets complicated I tend to think too much and I'm not very good at it. I need a strategy."

"Oh, basketball or volleyball?"

"Yes. I'm not good at team sports. How about you, Kukuri-chan?"

"Me too. I'm neither good nor bad."

"Neko seems to be good at exercising. She moves her limbs well."

Glancing back at Neko as she opened the locker room door, the strange-eyed girl smiled a big smile and shook her head vigorously.

"I like to move my body, but I'm not good with rules!"

It was exciting to her.

"Today we will do a physical fitness test. Everyone, do your best to get a better score than last year!"

Claudia Weismann, a physics teacher with a soft and beautiful beauty, shook the board and screamed.

"You know the first event to measure, right? Each group, after the measurement, go clockwise to the next event. When they have finished the tour, go to the schoolyard!"

"Us first, what was that?"

"Grip strength. No, it's below average, isn't it?"

Kukuri sighed.

Fushimi sighed as well, saying, "That's annoying... Do you want to do things correctly?" She had made a mistake, right? She remembers hearing that the blue club was a super elite group who behaved well.

When she accidentally looks back, he glares at her. "Sorry.". She felt a murderous aura.

"Yes. Next. Yata-kun. Come here."

She suddenly looked back at Claudia's voice.

Yata's face at Claudia's call was surprisingly bright red.

"Kukuri..."

She opened her eyes and rubbed them at the strange answer.

The event was the long seat forward lean. Claudia had just told him to sit in front of the digital measuring instrument... It is true that they will sit close enough to touch, but that's it. That's. However, Yata seemed to be going through a difficult time.

"Yata-kun, even if Claudia-sensei is the other party, he's nervous."

When she coughed, Kukuri turned around and smiled a bitter smile.

"It's like that except for Anna-sensei. He's not good with girls anyway. He hasn't talked much about it either."

"Oh? Is that so?"

"Yes. If you answer 'Oh', do I feel that communication went well today?"

Hey? Was it really like that?

She stared at Yata, who was away from Claudia, because he couldn't concentrate.

It was certainly a digital measuring instrument that a single person can measure. Even if Claudia was out, she could measure it, but she... she already understood. That was Yata, he really was shy.

Little by little, her chest grew warm.

Although he wasn't that good with girls, he looked directly into her eyes and apologized.

And he said that he would "protect" her.

It was Yata who suggested that they take her to the Kusanagi´s bar.

She finally understood how cool he was. That's how it is. All of that was something he had a lot of trouble doing. What should she do? She was happy!

How much of the flame she burns was originally from Yata? What's more, she was a different Strain.

"Hey. It's Saya-chan's turn! What? You're smiling."

"It's nothing. I'm sorry."

She shook her head hastily, pressed her red cheeks together and went to Awashima-sensei.

"Yes. Grip strength meter. Start with the right hand. You should not use the left hand."

Awashima-sensei, a frozen beauty math teacher, presented you with a grip strength meter.

"I think it's okay..."

"But it hurts if you push yourself, right? You can't push yourself too hard. What did the nurse say? Did you go to the hospital?"

"Oh, sure, I was told not to move too much."

"So, let's stop the left hand. We'll only measure the right hand. Now, hold it. Lower your hand parallel to your body. Yes. Hold it as tightly as you can."

As she indicated, she squeezed the grip strength gauge.

At that moment, a destructive sound echoed through the gym.

"Eh?"

"Eeeeeeh?!"

Awashima's eyes widened. She was confused too, and she looked down at her right hand.

The needle jumped, and that was not enough, the grip piece was broken and had come off. Was it the handle part? Subjection? Anyway, the part she grabbed was broken.

Eh? Maybe she over-squeezed the grip strength gauge?!

"I wonder if it is old."

"Sensei. It's painful."

She didn't think it was easy for an aluminum alloy that wasn't rusted to break because it was old.

She understood that she should take care of herself, but she couldn't.

When she shook her head forcefully, Awashima scowled sheepishly, "That's right."

"Is it because of my ability?"

"Yes, maybe. No, maybe it is."

"Konohana-san. You still don't know your abilities, do you? I have received reports about it."

Reports from whom?

She wondered that, but it was definitely true, so she took it firmly.

"Let's try again for now."

"Eh? Is that okay?"

"Things can be firmly measured this time."

"But I could break it again, right?"

She had gambled a bit, but it was true that her abilities were so unstable that it didn't seem like she was going to continue (or rather, she hadn't had that experience yet), so she was quietly receiving a new strength meter from grip.

Suddenly, the whole class was looking at her. Of course, Yata too.

"Wow..."

She couldn't bear the attention and her face turned red.

"That's right. Konohana-san."

"Oh, yeah."

Like before, she lowered her hand vertically, but unlike before, she tried to hold it a little lighter.

However, at that moment, she heard a loud buzzing sound again and closed her eyes tightly.

(Wow, ah! Why is it continuously activated only right now?), she thought.

"Sorry! Sorry!"

Awashima shook her head and asked Kukuri to fetch a new grip strength gauge from the warehouse. Then she turned her eyes back and tilted her head a little.

"The record is over 100 kilos. Is it okay if it can't be measured?"

"I can't measure it, please!"

This was only the result of the skill activation.

Her own grip strength wasn't as good as a gorilla's, it was normal! Because she was normal!

"Hm. It seems the newcomer's skills are excellent. Unlike you."

When she returned the broken grip strength gauge and tilted her head, she heard Fushimi's tongue click from behind.

When she took a breath and turned around, Fushimi had a haunting smile on Yata. Yata also turned his fierce gaze towards Fushimi, saying, "What?"

(Ah, wait!), She thought.

He immediately mistook her for such an atmosphere.

When she looked at Awashima, she said, "Well... oh, you two...", and gave them a lecture.

Then, to stop the fight that was about to start, she started walking towards the two of them, but at that moment, the third "bang" echoed through the gym.

They all looked at her as if that sound was coming from her.

"Kya, kyaa, ah!"

Her wide eyes were stained evenly and astonishingly. With the board broken in half, she quickly bowed her head.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'm sick and my hands are getting stronger!"

"It's okay. You two…"

Looking back, Awashima smiled gently and turned her eyes to Fushimi and Yata.

And when she points her thumb at them, she heard a pleasant voice.

"If you don't stop fighting now, you will stay like this too."

"Eh?!"

(I mean... I broke it that way. I mean, I won't do that!), she thought.

She tried to deny it hastily, but when she saw the two of them choke on the words, she thought reflectively.

(Maybe it is better not to solve the misunderstanding to fit in this place?)

However, she would like to deny that "If they're going to fight here, they'll end up like this.".

When she saw them, they clicked their tongues at the same time and turned away from her.

When she looked at Kamamoto as she was about to cry from the pain of being "the last demon chief", Kamamoto also hid his smiling mouth with a deliberate throat clearing and turned away from her.

When she gave a great sigh, before Awashima who returned in front of what was broken in half, she bowed deeply.

++++++++++

Rang the doorbell.

Once she stepped inside, the wooden floor squeaked.

"Welcome. Oh. Yata-chan, you can escort properly."

Kusanagi, who was cleaning the glasses, gave him a mischievous wink when he saw them.

"You took her bag and opened the door... Yeah, great. Did you keep up with the girl?"

Yata blushed a little.

"I can carry my luggage, but..."

"Oh, I am your servant until the burns heal!"

"Why do you say…"

She was embarrassed, she wondered if it was okay, but regret the words.

Saying that while she was thinking about her request, Kusanagi laughed and showed the counter seat.

"Miss, sit down. What do you want to drink? Soda, tea, orange juice..."

"Oh, never mind. I didn't get the price of the parfait yesterday either."

"Okay, don't worry. Part of the cost of the material is deducted exactly from the cost of the apartment. Don't hesitate."

Is that so?

"Well then tea. Um... please use china that can break."

Kusanagi widened his eyes in amazement.

"Break up? Why…?"

"Because she could crush him."

"What?! Crush it?!"

"Yes."

"Konohana-san, it was impossible to measure with a grip force of more than 100 kg."

"Yes?!"

Kamamoto's words surprised everyone, not just Kusanagi.

As she looked around her, she looked at Kusanagi with a glance and breathed softly.

"It seems the ability has been activated... I smashed two grip strength gauges."

Kusanagi lost his complexion, perhaps even imagining a broken grip strength gauge.

"Well, Saya-chan. Is it possible to use a stainless steel cup? The color of the black tea worsens."

"Of course it's okay. Thank you."

"I would like to thank you. But what is your ability, Saya-chan?"

Kusanagi tilted his head as he set the kettle.

"Here we go…"

"Isn't it the power to manipulate the flame? That pillar of fire…"

"If that's the case, she won't run out of oxygen surrounded by flames. She'll burn."

Suoh, who was lying on the couch, denied the words someone said with a yawn.

"And that's Yata's flame."

"So maybe because the quality of the flame was different? It was Homura's flame, so it burned out."

"It's not impossible, but... hmm."

Totsuka, who was playing with the camera at the end of the counter, looked up.

"That's too conspicuous for Yata's flames to escape, isn't it? So I think Konohana-san's abilities are working somehow... but because she acted on the flames, I manipulate the fire. Is it premature say skill?"

So cut off his words, and Totsuka lowered the camera and looked at her.

"Don't you think you could have multiple abilities? You protected yourself from the knife, (maybe) acted on Yata's flames and broke the grip strength meter, all of which are abilities of different quality."

Everyone except Suoh took a breath and stared at each other at the Totsuka words.

Eh?

She wasn't familiar with these abilities in the first place, so she didn't understand why everyone was so shocked, she opened her mouth and looked at Totsuka.

"Ah, is that unusual?"

"Yes. At least I haven't heard of that."

"Truly?"

When she looked around, everyone shook their heads evenly.

"Is that so."

"I don't know. I don't know if you really have multiple abilities, but it certainly looks different in quality."

"If so, right? Konohana-san's specialty as Strain isn't just that she was born off the island."

Coughing, Totsuka wiped the smile from his lips. Then, he made a thoughtful gesture and called her "Konohana-san.".

"Oh, yeah!"

"That's what happened in PE class, right?"

"Yes, that's true. It was in PE class this afternoon."

When she shook her head vertically, Totsuka and Kusanagi looked at each other.

"Not good."

"Eh?"

"That's right... what should I do? I'm sure he noticed it too."

Totsuka covered his mouth with his hand and stared at the amber counter.

That boy? Who was he?

She bow my head, but no one said anything. Did everyone know?

Suddenly, when she saw Yata, he bitterly distorted his face and stared at the bottle on the back of the counter in silence.

The identity of "that boy" was immediately revealed.

To be exact, the next day. When she went to the bathroom alone after lunch.

"Hey."

As she put her handkerchief in her pocket, he approached her as she walked back to the classroom.

She turned around and looked back quickly.

"Ah, Fushimi-kun?"

"Are you really going in there?"

"What?" Before asking, she was surprised to hear him speak to her.

She turned to Fushimi and smiled, "Um...".

"What place is that?"

"The red club. Why are you in such a place?"

"Why..."

"I've never heard of a Strain with multiple abilities."

The words surprised her.

Maybe "this boy" was the one Totsuka was talking about...

"Do you think you can elucidate your abilities and control yourself in such a place? They do not perform any activities. You will just soak in warm water every day."

"Oh, that..."

"Anyway, are you just drinking tea and talking?"

She wondered why? It was as if he knew the red club. That crossed her mind.

By the way, Totsuka had called him "that boy", wasn't it a way of calling a person that you only know his face?

Maybe it was because she didn't answer him that Fushimi clicked his tongue.

She shook her shoulders and lifted her face from him.

"That…"

"Someday someone may be in danger. It's too late. Do you think so too? Your abilities must urgently be clarified and you must learn to control them."

She thought he was correct.

But for some reason, she couldn't obediently control it, and when she rejected it again, Fushimi clicked his tongue again.

"You are a Strain full of irregularities. It's strange. You can't do it alone. You should still be under the supervision of the blue club, for the good of the school and the students."

Under surveillance...

The words bit her lips involuntarily.

There was nothing wrong with what he said. Rather, that was correct. Very correct.

But…

With pursed lips, she touched the bandage on her left hand with her right hand.

But nobody in the red club said that.

"The captain cares. If something happens outside the school, regardless of whether it is inside the school, we may not be able to respond quickly. The meeting place for the red club is outside the school."

Then Fushimi kept talking.

But after all he was correct. It could be wrong. Because she cannot control it, her abilities can be revealed outside of school. At that time, it would be possible that there was no one from the red club nearby. She would have no way to stop the damage.

She couldn't do it alone, she thought. There was no rumbling sound. She certainly hurt people in the past.

Because Fushimi was right, she couldn't argue, she was just scared.

It was at that moment that...

"Stop it!"

A high-pitched scream echoed down the hall. At the same time, intense footsteps were heard.

When she raised her face to turn around, a reddish-brown haired boy jumped in front of them.

At that moment, her heart made a loud noise and she covered her mouth with both hands.

"Don't say what you want!"

Yata yelled as he stepped between her and Fushimi.

"What's wrong? You shouldn't come to school to act like this!"

He said with a high-pitched cry without hesitation.

Her chest warmed with his back wider than she expected, wrapped in a black school uniform.

He was there to protect her.

Fushimi was very right, but he still held him back.

She knew that she shouldn't be happy. There was no reason to rejoice. She was not a good person to protect. If she really thought of everyone, she should abide by Fushimi's words.

However, she was excited, in a selfish way.

"Yata-kun..."

Kamamoto squeezed her shoulders coughing. He gently supported his large, warm hands.

"How dare you intimidate her?! Do you know the word 'rights'?"

Faced with Yata's anger, Fushimi maintained his usual nasty and annoying demeanor. He looked at Yata with a ridiculous laugh on his lips.

"Hmm...! What?"

"Always talking, and what right do you have? Don't say warm things. It's too late after an irreparable disaster. I don't think the red club can handle it."

"Shut up, bastard!"

Yata yelled at Fushimi's words.

"Don't be silly! Idiot! What do you think that girl is?"

"A Strain, so what? This place is full of them."

Obstructing Yata's words, Fushimi took a breath.

Then, with a provocative mausoleum again, he narrowed his eyes and looked at Yata.

"You will end up being killed, Misaki. You seem like an incomparably idiotic person, right?"

"Bastard!"

Yata grabbed onto Fushimi's chest as if he couldn't take it anymore.

At the same time, the battle was dry. The lid of the memory that was desperately stored in the depths opened, making a rattling noise.

What revived in her mind was a noise and a scream. It was a schoolyard where tears flew.

A blue sheet put on the floor. The red lights of the ambulance that came all the time.

And a bloody person lifted off the ground.

The faces of the students on the gurney overlapped with Yata's.

"Ah!"

At that moment, terrible nausea hit her. She held her mouth with both hands and sat there.

"Konohana-san!"

Kamamoto's voice rang out. He quickly knelt beside her and hugged her shoulders like she cared, but she couldn't lift her face. She was trying to hold back the nausea.

Her whole body was trembling terribly.

It was an unmistakable horror.

Yes, it was. Fortunately, there were no deaths at the time, but she was lucky. After all, there were many serious injuries.

(I don't know what it will be like next time! This time I can kill people!), she thought.

Kukuri, Neko, Shiro, her classmates, and the red club members as well. Even Yata!

"Are you okay? Konohana-san!"

"Kamamoto! Get away!"

Dark horror stained her eyes black.

With the sharp shout of Konohana and Yata, Kamamoto's hand detached from her shoulder, and the signal fell far away.

Immediately after, she was strongly drawn and her body floated in the air.

"Ah!"

When she opened her eyes as she held her mouth with both hands, Yata's face was at her side.

She realized that Yata was holding her and her heart ignited.

"Are you ok?!

She was happy.

Oh, but no. She wanted Yata to let her go, she was afraid of hurting him.

"Uya!"

"Don't talk! Now let's go to the infirmary."

The fiery eyes no longer saw Fushimi, they only stared straight ahead.

Her profile was very sad.

At the same time as her heart beat, it became painful.

(No. It's not good, Yata-kun. Let me go.), she thought.

But she didn't get her voice out of it. Her consciousness was swallowed up by the darkness just as she was.

Suddenly, consciousness arose from her.

When she slowly opened her eyes, she could see the cloudy white ceiling.

She couldn't understand the situation for a moment, and looked mysteriously around her, but she could only see the white partition curtain.

Oh, but she notices that the curtain rail was covered with her uniform jacket and this was the bed in the infirmary room.

When she got up, you probably noticed it from the sound of the bed. She opened the dividing curtain and the infirmary teacher looked at her face.

Instead of being kind, the teacher, who felt like a trustworthy mother with deep nostalgia, smiled and took off her lab coat to get closer to her.

Her smile makes her feel relieved for some reason.

"I…"

"Yes. You fell. Don't you remember?"

"Remember…"

Oh, it's true. That had happened.

"Oh, that's good. Afternoon class is over, so go home today."

"Eh?!"

Oh, was it over?

"Did I sleep that long?"

"It's a few hours, even if it's long, right?"

No, but...

"They should pick you up, so go home today. Get some rest."

"What? Pick me up?"

When she tilted her head as she combed her hair with her hand, the door to the infirmary opened instantly as if could hear her, and Kamamoto said, "I'm sorry.".

"Oh, you came."

The infirmary teacher looked at the door and beckoned.

Then, Yata and Kamamoto came out from behind the curtain and looked at her anxiously.

"Are you ok?"

"Aren't you shaking anymore?"

Their voices made her feel very relieved.

"Yes, thank you.", she said smiling. Yata's face turned bright red.

And as he was, he retreated into the shadow of the curtain. "Yes?"

"Oh, Yata-kun?"

"Yata-san didn't mind carrying you, take it easy."

"Shut up!"

Just as she was, she heard the rattling sound of the door. So did he come out?

"Huh? Hm?"

"Oh, don't worry. Maybe she's waiting outside. Konohana-san, can you get up?"

Kamamoto shrugged and put a bag on the bed.

"This is a bag. Rest assured that Yukizome cleaned it up. It should have what you need. If you can get you up, let's go home. I'll send it to the bedroom."

"Oh, thank you. Maybe it's okay."

It was time to get out of bed and get up.

She fixed the wrinkles in her skirt and put her shoes back on. She looked good.

"Especially, it feels awkward, they're not there, are they?"

"Yes. There are none. Take it easy."

"But the expression was dark. Really?"

Eh?

She involuntarily looks at the teacher.

"Is your body really okay?"

"My body is fine..."

Eh?

The teacher shrugged and said, "Then go home."

Kamamoto removed the sack from the curtain rail and handed it to her. She grabbed it and put it on.

"Then, thank you."

Ready to go, she bowed to the nursing teacher.

When she bowed firmly to her voice that told her "Take care." and she came out of the infirmary with Kamamoto, as Kamamoto said, Yata sat in the hallway and waited.

"Yata-san..."

"Oh, give me the bag."

"Eh? I can carry it."

"I'm going to do it."

Yata extended his hand with slightly red cheeks and looking away.

"Then, please."

"Oh. Then take out your PDA."

Eh? PDA?

"PDA? Why?"

"Because it's okay, get it out."

As she tilted her head, he took out his PDA, and Yata pointed his own PDA.

A bang was heard and Yata's contact information was recorded on her PDA.

"This…"

"If something happens, give me a call! Okay? Do it!"

Yata's face turned red as soon as he saw her.

Her cheeks warmed when she noticed him. She was very happy.

Because... huh? Didn't he care at all what Fushimi said?

(I can't control my abilities, right? I might hurt Yata-kun. It's not an impossible story, because I've done it in the past.), she thought.

She try to speak correctly.

But it wasn't just about being there. He will try to protect her, it was also very natural.

Why? Why did he worry so much?

It was like a dream. Was that really the case?

"If I call you, will you come?"

"Oh, that's the natural thing to do!"

He wasn't looking at her as usual, but he didn't hesitate or stagnate at her words.

"No matter what happens, hurry up and do it right away!"

Simple words that can be clearly understood without lying.

She was so happy.

(Oh what's up with this? Why am I such a happy monster?), she thought.

She tried to email "Yata-kun" while she hid her face that had turned bright red with the PDA.

Yata, who was alerted by the ringtone and lowered his eyes to his PDA, turned his eyebrows on her saying "Oh?", and finally looked back at her.

"Yes, call me, but not for something silly!"

"Oh? I'll send you an email, if you don't have anything to do..."

"Ok, that's fine."

Kamamoto turned away from Yata, who averted his eyes from his as he endured laughter.

Yata wandered for a while and then quickly turned his back on her to hide his red face from her.

"Hey, I'm not going to answer you if it's something stupid!"

++++++++++

"Yes? You guys. If you get a red dot in the middle and end of the period, you won't be allowed to enter here for a while."

At Kusanagi's sudden declaration, they all yelled at once: "Huh?!" Oh, everyone except her, Suoh, and Totsuka.

Yata, who was sitting on the sofa with her, raised his hand, also stopped and looked at Kusanagi in a stunned way.

"Eh?! I won't, it's stupid. Nobody says I can get good points. Just tell me to avoid the red dots. It's the lowest line."

"But they are all themes, right?"

"It's still normal. Hey, I'm thankful I didn't say that in the skill test in April. The range is fixed at the middle and end of the period. It shouldn't be difficult."

"He can't help but show that he is our idiot, Kusanagi-san."

"I'm not trying to do that, stupid."

Kusanagi sighed and put the polished glass on the counter.

"By the way, Saya-chan, how did your skill test go?"

"Huh? Oh, the average score was only 80 points. Math was a bit difficult."

The inside of the tent was so cold that everyone looked at her with surprised eyes.

Yata's hand also stopped again.

"What? I haven't taken those numbers."

"Oh, no, at my other school, the transfer exam was really difficult."

Eh? Was that so?

(But I haven't taken the transfer exam, have I? I got a letter of recommendation and I just...), she thought.

Thinking of that, Totsuka suddenly looked at her and looked at her left hand.

"By the way, your burns, don't you have to go to the hospital anymore?"

"Oh, yeah. Thanks. All I have to do is be careful not to leave marks."

Yata applied to her a vitamin C ointment and lotion to the back of her hand and bandaged it.

He put a gauze on and taped it up. He had repeated it many times since April and he was used to it.

Yata who usually had a hard time talking to her, much less touching her, had a calm face when he did that treatment, probably because it was a treatment. He would ask things like "Are you okay?" or "Are you no longer in pain?"

When everyone made fun of him, he turned bright red and got angry, but he didn't stop doing it after all.

"Will the scars disappear?"

"There is no problem with the right knee. It seems that the left hand thing will disappear cleanly if care is not neglected. It will take some time, but it will still be clean in the summer."

"Yeah I'm glad."

Totsuka smiled as if he was relieved.

"Hmm. Left hand, finished. Is the bandage not tight?"

Yata propped up the scissors and looked at her.

She slowly opened and closed her hand, shaking her head.

"It's okay."

"So next is the foot. Put your foot up."

Yata hit the couch, pointing at it.

When she lifted her leg up as he told her to, Yata took off her shoe and put it on her lap. Then he released the bandage on her right knee.

"No matter how many times I watch it, it's erotic, right?"

"Aha. But Yata doesn't see it with evil eyes like you do, Chitose."

"No, Saya-chan doesn't either. She lets a man's hand apply ointment or lotion."

"That's why Konohana-san doesn't have an evil idea like Chitose."

She could hear them.

No, she wasn't embarrassing now, but she was really embarrassing at first.

She had gotten used to it a bit lately, but not that she wasn't embarrassed at all.

But more than that, Yata was desperate... It wasn't Yata's fault, but he was desperate to make it up to her and do what he could.

So she was very happy.

"How about the pain?"

"Most of it is gone, it's just turning red. Maybe I can use a lotion."

"Hmm. But don't overdo it, should I apply a little more salve?"

"Yes."

"Isn't that conversation too erotic to listen to?"

"Shut up, Chitose."

"Saya. I'm off topic. The guy who got a red dot in the middle and end of the period is banned from coming for a while. That's absolutely unreasonable."

Kusanagi stopped the talk by hitting a bread. Yes, that was the story.

Yata's hand stopped again. Maybe for Yata it was quite dangerous?

"If you don't study properly, you won't be a professional."

"You don't want to study because you want to be like Mikoto?"

"No! Go study! Even now!"

Yata sighed as he opened the cap on the lotion.

That was it. It was so dangerous that he sighed.

When she laughed, she softly made a noise to Yata, who was in a gloomy state.

"Let's do our best."

++++++++++

"Are you studying correctly?"

While she was doing her homework in her room, it suddenly occurred to her to email Yata.

She went into the kitchen, boiled water, made instant coffee, and returned to the study table with hot mug in hand, and had already received an answer.

She sat in the chair and enthusiastically opened the message.

"I was in Homura a while ago."

Only those words, but she was very happy. Yata answered the message correctly even though he said that he would not reply nonsense.

It was blunt and a short sentence, but he answered correctly the right way every time.

She was happy to send an email even though she had no problem.

Today was certainly a study session at HOMRA.

Some people were playing games, but Yata was studying hard.

When she casually showed Yata, who scratched his head, he turned red and didn't speak properly, but when the problem was solved, he said quietly, "Thank you.".

When he asked her over and over again, "Tell me...", "Tell me this..." and "Tell me that...", Kusanagi, who was watching them, said, "These idiots. Couldn't they study elsewhere?", but he was happy.

At HOMRA, the red club was very warm.

It was so much fun mingling with everyone and being happy.

"I have to do it in the bedroom. Aim! Avoid the red dots!"

She sent a reply to Yata and wrapped both hands around the mug.

The sweet, warm coffee made her heart feel warm.

She never dreamed that she could spend her days with that feeling even though her abilities had been revealed to everyone. She believed that it was all thanks to Yata and everyone in the red club.

Was she really good? She was having a quiet day like that.

The PDA shook to notify her of an incoming call.

When she opened the email she received, she saw the words "I'm upset."

"Hm, you don't have to be upset, Yata-kun. Maybe you're just blocked, aren't you? Let's do our best together. Ok?"

She texted while she smiled.

He immediately responded with an "Ok."

That made her feel like it was the end of the conversation, so she thought about it for a moment and asked, "Let's study in the library instead of going to HOMRA tomorrow."

She thought that he would probably hate studying in the library, but the answer was, surprisingly, "I can do that.", and she was shocked.

Eh?! Was it okay to go study in the library? Wouldn't he go to HOMRA?!

Oh, she didn't think he would return that answer. Yata really wanted to avoid the red dot.

She was happy in another way and said, "Let's do our best! If you have any questions, ask more and more. If I can understand it, I will show you."

Yata's response was: "I don't know, there are a lot of things I don't understand."

Yata's worried face seemed to appear before her eyes, and it erupted irresistibly.

"Hahaha. Yes. Yes... I see... Hehehe."

She laughed and wrapped both hands around the PDA.

But still, she told him to study together in the library without giving up.

"Well. If that happens, I'll ask you to avoid the red dot. Homura without Yata-kun is alone."

She put down the PDA and picked up the mechanical pencil again in a new mood.

++++++++++

"If that is."

Awashima-sensei announced with the ringing of the doorbell.

They all responded at once. A great chorus of "Yes!" echoed through the classroom.

"Turn over the answer sheet."

She placed her answer sheet on the stack of paper that came from behind and turned it forward.

Awashima received it, counted the number, and confirmed it. And when she finished, she looked around and smiled.

"Yes. Good work."

"Good luck! The test is over!"

The screams increased. She too took a breath and sank down on the desk.

After all, the math was difficult. She was not good at it. The last problem, she could not write it, although the final score would be high.

When she was narrowing her eyes, Kamamoto's voice, "How did it go, Yata-san?", jumped into her ears.

(Oh yeah! Yata-kun!), she thought.

She snapped her eyes open and woke up.

And when she got up on the same impulse, she went with Yata and the others.

"How was it? Do you think you can pass?"

"Oh, maybe it's okay."

Kamamoto smiled. Looking at Yata, he was a bit confident.

"What about, Yata-kun?"

"No! No, that..."

When she looked into Yata's eyes, he blushed a little and walked away.

But soon, he coughed, "Well, I was able to write more than usual... I have hope."

"Really?! So..."

"Well, I hope it goes well. But, I think it can be avoided."

"Hooray! That's good! You did the best you could!"

They didn't have the result yet, but she was relieved. She didn't want Yata to be banned from the bar.

When she clapped her hands, Yata flashed a goofy smile, "Oh!"

That was irresistible and she warmed her chest.

"Oh that's right. Hey, Yata-kun. This morning's email…"

"......!"

She was worried about it since morning, but she finally asked a question that she couldn't ask because she thought it shouldn't disturb his concentration on the exam.

At that moment, Yata patted her on the back and his overreaction made her narrow her eyes. That? That reaction.

In fact, when she woke up this morning, she was surprised to receive an email from Yata.

Because he, until today, he almost always responded to her emails, but Yata never spoke first. That day for the first time, Yata sent her an email. She had been impressed since the morning.

But that was a slightly confusing email.

There was no topic or text. It was just an email with a photo of the crepe shop attached. She at first she thought it was a wrong email.

Because she knew him well, Yata wasn't very good at sweets.

It was strange to think of Yata sending her a photo of a crepe shop. She felt something was wrong.

So, she thought about asking what happened after the test was completed, so she put it on hold... Hmm? Wasn't that a mistake?

"Email?"

Kamamoto tilted his head and looked at her.

When he spoke to him because he didn't want to say something, Kamamoto turned his gaze to Yata, "Did you send it?"

"Well, well!"

Yata stepped out of Kamamoto's line of sight and said that.

(Oh, after all, he sent it to me. Not a mistake.), she thought.

What did that mean?

Suddenly, she put her finger on her lips and thought.

(That email. What if he couldn't write the topic or the text?)

What if attaching a photo was the best thing the shy Yata could do in front of a girl?

Oh, maybe that was it?

"……!"

Her heart made a loud noise.

Ah, she wished it were so.

But what if it was different? If it was a coincidence? She was thinking too much.

(But what if…? In this case…), she thought, and her face turned red.

Was it okay to say that? If it was different, it would be a shame, but... but!

She clenched her hands tightly and looked at Yata.

"Oh, that... if you want, can you take me? No, I want to go!"

"……!"

Yata turned his back on her at her words and looked away.

When she laughed again, his cheeks turned bright red as she looked at him. She then she thought that she was not wrong, (Ah! It can't be! Yes, that was it!).

She ducked involuntarily, hugging her knees.

"What?! Konohana-san?"

She couldn't raise her face at Kamamoto's voice of surprise. Because her ears were bright red and she could understand him.

(Oh, I get it! Yata-kun is great and I like him!), she thought.

Even though he wasn't good at talking to girls, he emailed her and everything.

Of course, inviting a girl must have been a huge hurdle for Yata.

Yata, who wasn't good at sweets, went to the trouble of looking it up and bravely emailed her, right? She always wanted to see it, and she could have Kamamoto translate it!

"Eh? What's wrong? Yata-san. What happened to Konohana-san?"

"I don't know. I don't know anything."

"Huh? What's wrong? Am I the only one in the group?"

"Shut up. You have to keep up with yourself."

Eh? There, Kamamoto always goes where Yata went, but...

"But no. If so, okay?"

"Huh? Hey, Konohana-san."

Face down, she shook her head and refused to explain.

"Yes?"

It wasn't that hard to tell, was it? "I invited you to a crepe shop.", "I invite you.", is a story that can be done, right? Also, if she went to the crepe shop later, she could make a rough guess, right? Still, she didn't want to say why.

Yata invited her, she wanted to keep that impression.

It could be for a short time, but she wanted to keep it.

She knew Yata was embarrassed, but when she saw him refuse to talk to Kamamoto in the same way, she even felt the same way. She also tickled her and she was happy.

That "happy" accumulated and he made her happier. Yata was amazing. She felt sorry for Kamamoto, who kept it a secret.

Oh, but after all, she wanted Yata, who had the courage to send that photo, to be with her.

++++++++++

"Hey, how about the crepe shop?"

"It was delicious!"

With a big smile on his forehead, Kusanagi said, "I'm glad."

"That's why the three of us are late. I see, it's too early to be relieved."

"Of course. You know that, right?"

"I don't know. I don't think so when I see him frolicking behind me."

Yata, Kamamoto and everyone else were talking about the athletic festival around the couch where Suoh was sleeping.

It's basically a class competition, but after all, there seems to be a competition that uses skills to compete between special clubs, and they were all on fire.

Above all, the extreme tag game that takes place at the end of all competitions, it is a competition that can be said to be the flower form of the school athletic festival, and it seems to be very exciting.

Everyone was motivated to beat the blue club this year.

"Saya-chan, will you participate?"

"Eh?"

Suddenly, Kusanagi said that to her and looked back.

"……?"

"Sports day. If you go to the competition as a member of the red club, yes."

At Kusanagi's words, everyone stopped talking and looked at her.

"Eh, what?"

She notices that everyone's eyes were shining as if they were saying, "Let's do it!", and she shook her head hastily, also with both hands.

"Yes, yes, refrain!"

"Eh? Why? Do it!"

"Chitose-san. No, I refrain from doing it! I'm afraid of competitions that use my abilities. I can't control them."

In the first place, she had never tried to develop her abilities on her own. She didn't want to use them at all, but just hung out.

Did they want her to use her abilities voluntarily when she didn't even know what her abilities are? What a terrifying thing. Just thinking about it made her shiver.

"I don't know what will come out in the first place, so there's a good chance it won't work."

"Oh, never mind. I'll keep helping you..."

Yata's little cough made her eyes widen.

"It did not matter?"

Even having seen that pillar of fire, the stone pavement that was sandwiched between them, the broken grip strength meter, and the broken recording board, she was surprised that Yata could say that normally.

She really couldn't tell him anything.

Wasn't Yata afraid of him? Doesn't he think she will ever hurt him?

She didn't want him to be afraid of her. Of course, she didn't want him to avoid her.

She was very happy that he treated her like a "normal girl".

She was so happy that she trembled, but still she responded.

"But I don't know what will happen..."

Still, she was afraid to "use" her abilities voluntarily. It could affect the competition and the athletic festival itself. Especially if she hurt someone.

When she shook her head and looked at Yata, Yata coughed, "Oh, I get it.", and turned his back on her.

"No, if you don't like it, no. I'm not trying to force you. But if you're enjoying school life, join us."

"Join..."

"Oh, I'll help you. I'll follow you as much as I can."

"Ah..."

A word spoken without hesitation.

Maybe he wasn't very smart, but he was warm and kind and cool.

Although he looked closely at what she had done, he was able to say it without a small bet.

The masculine side of him was great.

(Oh, I see. I'm so happy!), she thought.

"Yes, thank you. Ordinary competitions are aggressive. Oh, that's right. Let's take first place in class grades, Yata-kun. I'll do my best too. I'll enjoy it!"

Rubbing away the burning dependency, she regained her composure and clenched her fist.

"Let's get the trophy! Yata-kun, you can win right?"

With expectations, she looks directly at him.

Looking back over his shoulder, Yata shook his head with his usual awkward smile.

"Leave it to me."

++++++++++

Sports festival. Joyful cheers filled the playground.

It was an ideal sunny day for a sports festival. The blue sky was tinged with cloudless blue. She was cheerful enough to sweat even if she didn't move.

Without disappointing the expectations of the class, Yata participated in quite a few competitions and was producing good results.

She never tired of looking at Yata, who was running like the wind.

Speaking of not getting tired of looking, Suoh was also looking. He had a completely different attitude than Yata.

What's the point of walking calmly, he wasn't even running? Burning obstacles in an obstacle course? Very surreal.

Kusanagi took a break from the store and came with a large package. She was surprised not to know that. Oh, but the rice balls and omelette were delicious! Why was everyone's lunch box so delicious?

The appearance of installing a video camera on a tripod was like someone's parents, and she laughed with Totsuka.

But it seems like he was filming with a lot of energy, and he really wanted to see it with everyone at HOMRA.

"Next is the final competition. It is an extreme tag team game against special club activities."

That was the announcement that echoed down the hall. She closed the cap on the mineral water she was drinking and hurried back to the cheering seat for the special club activities.

"Oh, come here, Konohana-san."

Totsuka, who noticed her, motioned for her to come with him.

She sat next to him and looked at the executive committee that was cleaning up.

"Speaking of which, I was wondering, but what is extreme etiquette?"

"Hmm? Oh, the one in last place wins the competition."

Eh? What was that? Kill each other or something?

In response to the answer that was diagonally above her expectations, she instinctively looked at Totsuka in confusion.

"Eh?"

What did that mean?

"Specifically, it's a competition where five players from the special club are sent to compete. One of the five is wearing a special club color ribbon. If it is stolen, or if it is undone, if it is burned, if it is cut... Anyway, if they take it out of your head, you will lose."

"Hey..."

"The remaining four people protect the people who are hovering anyway. So, surprisingly, it's a competition where strategy is more important than skill."

"I see. Well, maybe."

"That's right. I'm a bit weak at that. It seems that the blue club has won many championships even in the past. That's because it is controlled like an army."

Sensing what she meant, Totsuka smiled.

That's right, uh...?

"Oh, that? I think the silver club had three members in the first place. But is it a competition where five representatives are selected?"

"Oh, the silver club will not participate. Last year there were fewer people. The silver club just marks the beginning of each year."

Eh? Was that so?

"Oh, hey, does it start?"

Shiro came out with a smile and turned the starter pistol towards the sky.

After a moment, he rang out a loud electronic sound signaling the start of the competition.

The players all began to move at the same time. A great ovation enveloped them.

"No matter how many times I see it, that rabbit is surreal."

"That's right. But Yata will go."

Yata, the commander of the red club unit, rushed straight into the enemy camp.

There was no strategy. Really, it was attacking directly from the front.

Kamamoto and Chitose followed.

Suoh didn't move.

He stood silently and stared at Munakata, the leader of the blue club.

"Ah. okay!"

Everyone around him raised their fists and shouted loudly.

When she turned his gaze towards Yata, Yata also struck a gutsy pose with the best smile. Apparently, he managed to burn the rabbit-faced headband.

He had a cheerful expression. Immediately, he brought his lips together, harbored a fierce flame in his eyes, and plunged into a new enemy.

"......"

She was fascinated with him.

He do not doubt it and challenge from the front, facing the enemy directly.

There was no alteration of the plan, nor any calculation. He didn't even think about winning.

He just believed in himself and his friends, and ran.

His appearance was very stringy.

To her, who had run away from various things, he looked very bright.

She intensely yearned for him.

(Oh, he's amazing. Amazing! Yata-kun is amazing!), she thought.

"The green club, left! The rest are from the red and blue club! This year was also a unique match!"

The announcement heated the place even more.

Then, turning his back on the comment, Yata started running towards the blue club, who was solidifying his defense.

The opponent was the blue club, which is good at tactics and strategy. Involuntarily she breathes, then clasp her hands and pray that Yata won't get hurt and will win.

Yata's hand was engulfed in flames and the members of the blue club held his swords.

Five beautiful leaves that roared in the sunlight.

She was surprised at how sharp they were, she got up and yelled.

"Yata-kun!"

At that moment, Yata's flame swelled tens and hundreds of times. It grew big enough to burn the skies, swelled up like a living being, and attacked the blue club.

"……!"

The blue club took a breath and faced a sudden attack that was completely different from what they expected.

That momentary delay was fatal. The flame burned the headband.

"Ah! Wah?!"

The scorch broke and fell to the ground without a sound.

"The winner is the red club."

Big applause in the hall at the exciting announcement.

Everyone in the red club stood up and raised a voice of joy.

"I did it! Saya-chan! I did it!"

"Yes! You won!"

Everyone clapped and rejoiced.

"Yata-kun! Great!"

"You did it! Yata!"

Kamamoto and Chitose ran towards Yata, who was somewhat confused.

Yata, who was hugged, looked at Suoh for some reason.

For some reason, Suoh and Fushimi were looking at her.

Beside her, who noticed the line of sight and tilted his head, Totsuka put his finger on his chin and narrowed his eyes.

"I see."

[y00ngiverse]

THE ONE I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR

Pairing: Kim Taehyung x female reader

Genre: angst, fluff, friends to lovers AU

Warnings: Toxic relationship in some way I guess? Totally SFW.

Word count: 3.4K

Summary: After a messy breakup, you realised that the one you've been looking for has been in front of you for so long.

A/N: Hi guys, so this is my first time trying to write something. There might be dialogues or references from TV shows/movies. Please show some support!!

You have been in a relationship with Hyunwoo for the past 5 years. You always thought Hyunwoo was the one, but you were wrong.

You met Hyunwoo in college, he was in the same class as you. It started with being project partners and then you found yourself staring at him occasionally. He was sweet, calm and understanding, basically everything that a girl could look for in a guy. It took you 2 years to realize and finally confess that you liked him. Luckily, he liked you too. Since then you went on small dates, it could be a fancy restaurant or a trip to an ice cream shop or even a movie date in a blanket fort, but you enjoyed every moment you spent with him, he was everything you ever wanted.This was until he was met with the addicting taste of alcohol. For quite a while, he could handle it well, but his traumatic childhood caused him to drink booze everyday. His mother used to beat him, compare him to his friends and say that he was the worst son a mother could get. You felt bad for him, you really did, you also tried everything in your power to relieve him of his trauma, but it didn't work, none of it worked. After that he became a different person. He would go to parties every night and return at around 4AM, that pissed you off. You both hardly spent time together. But you ignored it, because the next morning, he would come to you and apologize with that face of his, that face which made you fall in love with him.

You have been best friends with Taehyung since the 4th grade. He was there for you every single time that you needed him. You both got into the same college, but he took a different major. You would sometimes wonder what you did in your past life to deserve a friend like him. There were times when you had arguments, but there were no bad intentions behind them. Like the time you both had an argument because you think that mint chocolate flavoured anything tastes amazing, and Taehyung strongly disagrees with that statement even till today. There were also times when you guys would argue and not talk for a day or two. But it hasn't been once that you stayed away from each other for more than 2 days. One such argument has happened once, when you pulled a prank on Taehyung. Well lets just say, he was really upset but all it took to resolve this argument was a bucket of ice cream and an avengers movie :)

You have spent a lot of time together, but since you guys have careers now, it is hard to meet very often. But you both still talk, because none of you can even think of living without the other. You owned a clothing app. It has less customers , but you're hoping to make it bigger. Taehyung is a fashion photographer. You both have become a bit busy these days, but Taehyung isn't gonna leave your side so easily and neither will you.

He never liked Hyunwoo. The first time they met, all that Taehyung did was roll his eyes, discreetly of course, But you noticed. You loved Hyunwoo and you decided that you would convince Taehyung that Hyunwoo loved you too and that he's a great guy. Taehyung didn't think that he was a bad guy, he was just a bad guy in his life, because he had feelings for you.

And it hurt, it hurt everytime you would come and tell Taehyung how Hyunwoo caused butterflies in your stomach for the millionth time. But he couldn't do anything because he didn't want to take away your happiness.

FLASHBACK

"Hey Y/N, would you like to go out with me again?" Hyunwoo asked, emphasizing on the word 'again', since you had a study date last weekend. "I would love to! Say, Saturday?" You replied with the widest smile of yours. "Sure! See ya!" He said and you walked away while waving at him, all the while internally screaming.

As you went out, you saw Taehyung sitting on a bench just outside your university. You ran to him, grinning like a maniac. Nothing could take away your happiness at this moment. You felt like the happiest person.

"Oh! hey Y/N" he said with his boxy smile. "Hi!" You said. "I needed to tell you something." Taehyung said, his smile glued to his face. "Oh my god wait, listen to me first, do you know what happend!?" You almost said screaming, almost. Taehyung smiled, "No I don't, but thanks to you, I will now." He chuckled.

"So! Hyunwoo asked me out again!! He's so sweet, I think I like him, a lot." You said with dreamy eyes. Taehyung's heart dropped to his stomach. He was gonna tell you that after all these years, he had started liking you. When you first told him about the study date you and Hyunwoo had, he never thought it would turn into something serious. But a second date….

His smile faded, but the corners of his lips turned upwards again, as if on reflex, because if you were happy, he was too. Of course it was more of a sad smile. "I'm so happy for you! Go get him Y/N!" He said as you chuckled. "Anyways what did you wanna tell me?"

That I like you. "Oh nothing! I just found this new ice cream shop! We should go there!" He said, all the while thinking, if only you knew Y/N.

"Yeah sure! We can go on Sunday maybe!" You replied and he nodded. He knew. He knew that

It was too late…

END OF FLASHBACK

When you started telling him about the fact that Hyunwoo probably had an alcohol addiction, He knew something was wrong. He could feel it, he tried warning you, but you always replied with "No, Hyunwoo's a great guy, he wouldn't do anything wrong."

Right?

You loved Hyunwoo, but that didn't mean you were going to trust him over Taehyung.

So when Taehyung said that you should be careful, you were cautious, looking out for any red flags.

Present

1:42AM

The clock read. This was normal for you now, you were used to waiting for Hyunwoo. The keys jingled, you were surprised. It's too early for Hyunwoo to be here. That's odd. Hyunwoo entered and closed the door behind him, you could smell the strong scent of the alcohol. He faced you now. "I love you Y/N." You furrowed your brows once you saw his teary eyes, his messy hair, his messed up clothes. But the thing you saw next was the biggest shock of your life, your eyes widened once you saw the purple marks on his neck. Hickeys. "No.." Your eyes started tearing up. It has to be a misunderstanding, you thought. " I really love you Y/N, I'm sorry I'm so sorry!" He sobbed. You just couldn't believe it. He cheated on you.

"Hyunwoo, I-"

"Listen to me babe, I'm sorry I didn't mean to, the girl, I thought it was you, she was wearing the same dress as you." He said and you noticed his eyes looking groggy. Just as he finished his sentence, he fainted, due to the alcohol, but you held him just in time and put him on the couch.You were still shocked, you couldn't move, your feet glued to the ground. Your heart was thumping at a rapid rate in your chest, you could hear the blood rushing through your veins. You decided to talk to him about this the next morning. You ran to your room, shut the door, and fell on the ground. This has to be a nightmare, it has to be...

You thought. You couldn't control all the pain anymore, so you let it all out. You cried and you cried, louder and louder, not caring about Hyunwoo waking up, but he didn't, he was passed out, completely drunk.

Millions of thoughts crossed your mind. All the memories you both spent together flashing in front of your eyes. You thought if you should forgive him or not. He was drunk, it's just a mistake. Right? A part of you thought. But the greater part of you knew, that you couldn't forgive him. You couldn't live like this, him partying all night while you're at home making plans with him which will never take place. You really wanted to help him with this problem, you really did, but nothing was working. He was addicted and you couldn't do anything anymore. You both rarely were together now. It was sickening. The thought of breaking off this relationship, that lasted for 5 years, it was sickening. It made you cry all over again. You couldn't sleep that night, you couldn't sleep knowing what you'd have to face the next morning. So you packed your bags, ready to leave.

The next morning

You woke up, not realising that you had fallen asleep. You still couldn't believe it, you were hoping that all of last night was just a bad dream, but looking at the bags that you had packed told you otherwise. You didn't want to do this. You loved Hyunwoo, you really did, but what he did couldn't be forgiven. You went to take a bath and went out after getting dressed up. You saw Hyunwoo sitting on the couch, rubbing his temples. You couldn't bear the sight of him after his disgusting actions, so you started tearing up again. No, you can't cry in front of him. You thought. As he saw you coming, he got up. "Y/N, I'm so sorry i-" you cut him off and raised your palm signalling him to stop. "I know Hyunwoo, you didn't mean to, you thought the girl was me, but what's done is done. You cheated on me Hyunwoo."

You said, eyes glassy with tears. His eyes softened, realising what he had done to you. He broke you. He could see it in your eyes. He really loved you, but he knew that what he did was wrong. As he saw your suitcases, his eyebrows furrowed. "You- you're leaving?" He asked, his voice breaking. "Do you expect me to stay, after all this you expect me to stay?" You answered, anger visible in your eyes. He looked down to his feet, he couldn't expect you to stay, he had no right, but it's not wrong to have hope."I loved you Hyunwoo, I still do, but apparently that wasn't enough to make you stay." You said, tears now falling. "I'm sorry.." he said, after all he couldn't say anything else. You started walking away. Just as you reached the door, "Can I kiss you, for the last time?" He asked, his voice heavy with tears. You wanted to, you wanted to kiss him one last time. "No Hyunwoo, I can't, not after knowing that those lips have kissed someone else." You said, voice breaking. "I-i understand." He said. "Goodbye Hyunwoo." "Goodbye Y/N, I'm so sorry." You nodded, him being able to see just the back of your head. And you left, you walked out of his life just because of his one mistake. You left.

Since you had nowhere to go, you went to Taehyung, he was your only support, your last light of hope right now. You knocked on the door. He opened the door, his eyes widening. "Y/N?" He could see the bags under your eyes, your stained cheeks. He knew something was wrong. "Why did you bring your suitcases?" He asked. You didn't answer. You walked up to the couch and sat there, saying nothing. He bought your bags inside, closed the door and came to sit beside you. At the moment, you felt numb. You were speechless, it was too much to take in. You hugged him tight and you cried as loud as you could in his arms. Then the realisation hit him. "What did he do?" He said through gritted teeth. He couldn't see you like this, he couldn't see you broken like this. You didn't say anything, you were still crying. He caressed your hair, letting you cry as much as you wanted to. "It hurts Taehyung, it hurts, plea- please make it stop, it hurts!" You cried out. He felt tears rolling down his cheeks, you shouldn't be going through this, he wished it would've been him instead. After what felt like an eternity, you stopped crying, and he gave you a glass of water. You couldn't even gulp it down, everything made you nauseous. You told him everything. After listening to you, All he could think of was to ruin the pretty face of that jerk. "It's gonna be okay, I'm here for you, everything will be alright." He took you in his warm embrace again.

Few months later

All these days, Taehyung has taken care of you, handling you like a delicate doll which could break anytime. For a while, everything made you think of Hyunwoo. It hurt so much. He hurt you deeply. You had gotten over Hyunwoo, but just a little. You couldn't get over him so quickly, after all you lived with him for 5 years. It was sickening. Taehyung did everything he could to make you feel better. He even called your other friends; Jimin, Jungkook, Jin, Namjoon, Hoseok and Yoongi. They stayed over for many nights. You had sleepovers with pizza, ice cream and classic movies. Getting over Hyunwoo was going to be tough, everyone knew that, they loved you and hence, they did whatever they could. It was better now. Your friends were by your side every moment, and it made you feel better. You had these amazing people as part of your life and it made you happier. You had almost gotten over Hyunwoo, almost.

2 years later

After these years, your clothing app has become much more famous. Taehyung's career has grown much more too. He has been getting offers to photograph for the biggest brands. You both still live in the same apartment. You have gotten over Hyunwoo. It has been long, and you don't even think about him anymore. But since these past few days, you've been feeling different around Taehyung. It's a feeling similar to the one you felt around Hyunwoo. Everytime you see him, you feel butterflies in your stomach, and your cheeks get heated up. Is it possible that you like him? No, stupid Y/N, you're probably just sick, hahaha. Before going to sleep, he's the only thing on your mind. You go to sleep with a smile on your face just because of the thought of him. That definitely means you like him, maybe even love him. You're screwed.

And as for Taehyung, he still likes you and he thinks it's safe to say that he loves you now.

Present

"Hey Y/N, should we go to the beach tonight? We can watch the stars, we haven't done that in so long!" Taehyung asked, excited just by the thought of spending more time with you. "Yeah sure, but before that can we have dinner in that cafe nearby!?" You asked, more excited than him. "YES!" he replied a bit too enthusiastically. You both chuckled.

Before Taehyung came back from his shoot for the day, you started getting ready. You were making a mess of your closet and your bed right now. "I have nothing to wear!" You whined and lay down on the bed. Ooh, I could wear the dress Taehyung gifted me! You thought and you rushed to remove the burgundy coloured fit and flare dress that he gifted you and paired it up with white sneakers. You also wore the matching bracelets you both had and you left your hair open. You put on a simple make up look, not trying to look extra and you put on your favourite perfume. "I haven't looked this good in a while, muah!" You said to yourself in the mirror and giggled. You have decided, you will tell Taehyung that you have feelings for him today. You can do it.

You heard the door of the apartment opening, Taehyung came back from the shoot. "Y/N! I'm home!" He said.

You replied from your bedroom "Yeah okay! You can freshen up and get ready!".

"Sure thing!" He rushed to his bedroom and removed his best outfit. He decided to wear his black and white hoodie along with his jeans and a pair of sneakers. He never removed your guys' friendship bracelet, so he was also wearing that.

Taehyung got ready and called you down. "I'm coming!" You came down the stairs and he stood with his mouth agape. "Wow, you look- beautiful Y/N!" he said. For the first time in a while, you looked and felt alive, you looked happy. You both got into his car and drove to the cafe. After having dinner, you are now laying on a blanket that you placed onto the cold sand, the cold being felt through the blanket. For some reason, he looks more attractive than usual today and it isn't going too good for you. All that was being heard were the waves crashing onto the land and the sound of the birds. After a while you've finally decided to speak up. You got up and sat, Taehyung's eyes following your movements. "I-i need to say something." You said while fiddling with your fingers. Taehyung sat up, facing you. "Mhm, go ahead." He said. He was wondering what was making you so nervous. "So. Taehyung, we've been friends for decades. You've been there for me when no one else was. You've always supported me, you've helped me stand up for myself and it's because of you that I could pursue my passion today. You were the one who convinced my parents for letting me do the things that I love. Even after my breakup, you've taken care of me for a long time and I truly appreciate that. After all these years, I've realized that the one who I have been looking for has been in front of me for so long and I just couldn't see it. I'm sure of this because whenever I see you I feel butterflies in my stomach and I feel safe with you, I feel secured in your arms and I feel happy whenever I'm with you. Kim Taehyung, I love you." You finished with a sigh and you looked up seeing a shocked Taehyung. His mouth is wide open and he is very surprised. Did you screw this up? "Tae, will you say something?" You asked, moving your hands in front of his face. He coughed, coming back to his senses. "You don't know how long I've been waiting to hear this from you Y/N. I can't believe it, you love me? I've been in love with you since 7 years. I've been waiting for you Y/N, because I love you too much to let you go. I love every single thing about you. To me, you are perfect. Y/L/N Y/N, I love you too."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner!?" You asked, you were really happy at this moment. "Because that guy asked you out on a second date on the day I was gonna confess." He said, referring to Hyunwoo, with his signature boxy smile. You squealed and hugged him tightly. It felt so safe, so good to be in his warm embrace. "I wish we could be like this forever." You said. "I promise you, we will." He replied. You could feel his heartbeat. You pulled away from the hug and looked up at him. You saw his eyes flickering from your eyes and down to your lips. You pecked him on the lips and quickly pulled away, giggling, feeling the heat rushing to your cheeks. He pulled you back into the kiss, you could feel him smiling into the kiss. You had been waiting for this, and you immediately melted into the kiss. It was a passionate yet sweet and gentle kiss. You pulled back,

"I love you Tae, and I will, forever." You said.

"I love you too Y/N, and I will never let you go" He said and he pulled you back into his warm once embrace again.

You were sure of it. He is the one you've been looking for.

A/N: Hey guys, this was my first and last oneshot and I hope y'all liked it. Feel free to give your honest opinions in the comments. Give me your suggestions and I will truly appreciate that.

[zoffra]

Chapter 4 - What is betray

The taxi brought Machi, Nobunaga, and Kortopi back to the hotel in a tense atmosphere.

'But yes, he's with us... Stop roaring, Phinks!... I can't understand a word, see you later.' Nobunaga hung up and sighed deeply.

He glanced at Kortopi in the rear-view mirror, sitting in the back seat, 'You should have left a note, at last! What the hell is wrong with you? Leaving one of your copies, Sharnalk almost had a stroke!'

'You're losing sight of what's important. He shouldn't have gone out at all.' Machi answered in a tired voice.

Faced with Kortopi's silence, the swordsman lost what little patience he had left, 'Answer when someone speaks to you, kid.'

'Leave it, Nobu,' Machi intervened and tapped the child's thigh, 'He'll speak when he's ready.'

Nobunaga bristles, 'Stop always defending him, you're not doing him any favors. I can tell you he's lucky we got to him before the others. And drinking too! Phinks was so pissed that he lost his words, and the ones I understood don't sound good.'

Machi grinned at the thought of the trio waiting for their return.

.....

No sooner had they entered the hall doors than Feitan and Phinks rushed at them. Feitan lifted the child by his collar, shaking him hard enough to make his teeth tremble, while Phinks blocked the way of the swordsman who wanted to get in his way.

Kortopi opened his mouth to speak, but Feitan cut him off. 'Don't bother,' he scolded 'Your fault. Party ruined. '

Kortopi, mortified, hung limply in his arms as tears streamed down his cheeks. Feitan softened immediately and put him down again. He ran his thin fingers through his own hair, embarrassed, 'You going to kill us. Lot of concern for you. Don't redo.'

He walked to the elevator and gently pushed the child down his lower back, inviting him to walk with him. Machi deactivated his Nen and followed them, closely followed by Nobunaga who released his fingers from the handle of his katana.

.....

The next day, Kortopi woke up with a start.

In three days, meet at 5 pm in front of this subway station, alone. I repeat it to you one last time, I forbid you to speak about our interview to your friends, if you try to deceive me I'll know.

Kortopi, consumed with guilt, had followed Wedy's instructions and hadn't picked up a word since the day before.

Am I betraying the spider?

At this thought, he thought of his dead companions. Uvoguine had died for the spider by refusing to pass on information, and ironically, Pakunoda committed suicide in order to bring it to the other members. Korutopi's thoughts were reorganized around a single goal.

I must protect my comrades, even if it means betraying the spider

The child wondered how he could fool the troops when he saw Sharnalk's head sticking out of the doorway, 'How about a game of cards, Sleeping Beauty?'

.....

'Revolution.' Shizuku revealed his four cards as his friends pulled the grin.

'Eh, we said we don't play with wild cards!'

'You're making it up, we never said that!'

'Forget it Bono, Shizuku never remembers something she's forgotten.'

A little later, Kortopi went to a secluded room, feverishly pressing the keys of the phone he'd borrowed from the manipulator. The misunderstanding that troubled their card game had given him an idea.

'- ...Hello? ♠'

'- I-it's Kortopi, I'll be quick. I know you've left the troupe, but as a former companion I-I'd like to ask you a favor.'

'- It has the merit of being direct... but no. Only the fight with Chrollo interests me and I've negotiated with the exorcist to that end. Don't delude yourself into thinking it was for the brigade. Bye ♠'

'- W-Wait! Just give me the number of the needle-man, the one who passed himself off as you in York-shin, that's all I ask!'

Hisoka had never intended to hang up, Kortopi's direct call had already aroused his curiosity but he wanted details.

'- Oya, oya... ♥ I listening you.'

Kortopi gave him a detailed report of the situation. He told him about Wedy, the notebook, and the fact that the brigade was potentially next on Kira's list. The child couldn't see him, but on the other end of the phone, the room the magician was in was filled with a sinister aura.

She wants to break my toys?

Kortopi's little voice brought Hisoka back into the conversation.

'- Done deal ♦ I'll contact him for you, but don't call me from the blondie's phone anymore.'

Kortopi breathed a sigh of relief when a new realization hit him, 'Will you ask him... if I can pay in installments?'

'- Little boy ♠ Even if he let you pay in a hundred times, you still couldn't afford it. I told you I'll take care of the rest. Just get a phone.'

.....

'- 'Hello, this is Illumi Zoldyck. Apparently, you need my services.'

When he heard his identity, Kortopi felt an icy wind go through his body. To the world, the Zoldyck family is a feared and respected family of assassins, but in the spirit of the brigade, the patriarch is still the one who killed a comrade in the past.

Faced with Kortopi's silence, Illumi spoke in a reassuring tone, 'Listen to me, I know the brigade has a history with father. But he had his mission, and I've mine. I'm calling you to set up the terms of my contract, nothing more.

* Three days later, day of the meeting *

Illumi came out of the bathroom of the hotel dressed in Kortopi's clothes. He looked at his new appearance in the mirror, mumbling to himself, 'You're really tiny...'

The child couldn't help but stare at Illumi with admiration, appreciating his talent for transformation. However, there was still a hint of doubt in his mind. He wondered why an assassin of his rank had accepted such a mission. He would be paid, but much less than an assassination contract. The higher the risk, the more he was paid, Kortopi knew that.

'If you have something to ask me, now is the time.' Illumi glanced in the mirror at the child while readjusting his tunic and pants.

'Why are you giving me a hand?' The question had been burning his lips for hours.

'It's not a helping hand since I'm getting paid.' The murderer replied instantly, in a neutral tone, combing his hair to reveal only one eye.

'I'm pretty sure you had more interesting contracts on hand. You had nothing to gain by accepting this mission.'

Illumi sighed, resignedly, 'Let's say this is my way of thanking you for what you did.' The child looked at his double with even more curiosity.

'Remember the kids you took hostage at York-Shin? One of them is my brother, I saw you when you stepped in to protect him.'

Thank you

He doesn't say.

[freedom-of-fanfic]

I can't for the life of me understand the weird overlap between ace discoursers and kink discoursers on Tumblr. It makes sense with homophobic Christians, but not on a place like Tumblr fandom. How do discoursers put these together, rhetorical styles aside?

What a good question.  Let me see if I can explain my understanding of this in less than a 10K-word essay for once.

A one-sentence summary of the overlap would be kinky people and ace people are both seen as invaders of LGBT spaces. (I’ll be using ‘LGBT’ as opposed to ‘LGBT+/queer’ to refer to non-straight/non-cis spaces that exclude people who identify as queer.)

This concept that kink communities and ace people are suddenly trying to get in on the LGBT fun is ahistorical.  Having a kink doesn’t make you queer, but kink communities have long been a haven for LGBT+/queer people and have many non-straight/non-cis people in their clubs, bars, and communities. they provide good spaces for questioning people to explore their sexual/romantic interests.  And ace people, frequently identifying themselves as bisexual as the ace identity was so invisible, have long been part of LGBT+/queer communities. 

However, this is how exclusionists perceive them. They see kinky people and ace people as kind of like flip sides of a coin, so the talking points for each group are strikingly similar:

kinky people & ace/aro people don’t experience social stigma or harm for being kinky/ace. ‘nobody cares about your sex life,’ exclusionists scoff, while simultaneously caring a lot about their sex lives. (This is predicated on misunderstanding ace identities as being synonymous with celibacy or sex-repulsion. In reality, asexuality is simply not experiencing sexual attraction to others.) In reality, both kinky people and ace/aro people experience lots of social stigma, and ace people are sometimes singled out for harm because of their identity.

kinky people & ace/aro people can both be ‘cishet’, so they do not belong in LGBT spaces. kinky people may be only attracted to the ‘opposite’ gender & identify with their birth-designated sex & gender. ace people may be only romantically interested in people of the ‘opposite’ gender and identify with their birth-designated sex & gender. Because some ace/kinky people are like this, all kinky people and all ace people are either outright excluded or carefully screened for the proper qualifications to be LGBT.

kink communities and ace/aro communities create alternative spaces where ‘real’ LGBT people are encouraged to deny their true identity.  to ensure LGBT people are forced to come to terms with their true identity, the communities they hide in must be kept distinct from LGBT spaces. This is ironic because kinky spaces have long provided a space for questioning people to explore non-straight or non-cis experiences without being forced to immediately ‘choose a side’, and ace communities are frequently very encouraging of people to move in and out of the identity as they discover themselves.

the fresh rise of purity culture in the US through a combination of factors causing ’abnormal’ sexual acts and ’abnormal’ sexual desire to be perceived as  forbidden, scary, and dirty in a way it wasn’t for a decade or two has had its own weird part to play in this. (Though ‘abnormal’ no longer always includes monogamous cis mlm and wlw the way it used to.) the tl;dr version is ace people are overly prudish and kinky people are overly sexual rather than staying between the Acceptable Sexual Interests/Displays boundaries.

sexual myth 1: ace/aros think LGBT people are disgusting for wanting sexual relationships but want to be in the LGBT Cool Club anyway. through a combination of factors including but not limited to misunderstandings of what asexuality is, some ace people making bigoted or unthinking statements that have been virally spread, and the pure/prude dichotomy of being perceived as sexually abstinent (sex is dirty, but not wanting sex is inhuman), ace-identifying people have a reputation for looking down on and disdaining LGBT people for being ‘dirty allos’ while simultaneously wanting in on the ‘special’ status of LGBT circles. This is a weirdly self-contradictory myth - why would you want to be part of a community with people you despise? - but there you are.

sexual myth 2: suggesting a minor may be asexual is inappropriately sexualizing them. asexuality is the realization of an absence of sexual desire, which can make it hard to identify. some people argue that implying a minor can identify as asexual is inappropriate. Minors aren’t yet sexually aware enough of themselves to make that assessment. If a minor thinks they might be asexual, it’s more likely they just haven’t matured enough to have sexual interest.  In reality, a minor might already know - and if not, they are always free to identify differently later.

sexual myth 3: kink communities are entirely made up of sexual abusers and their self-deluded prey. In this reductive and mistaken view, all kinky relationships are abusive. clg and ddlg are indistinguishable from csa, bdsm is physical abuse, pet play is beastiality … and you’ve exhausted the concepts of ‘kink’ that most anti-kink people have. LGBT circles aren’t safe spaces for these abusers!  But in reality kink is much more broad than these circles and when handled and negotiated correctly, clg/ddlg/bdsm/etc are enjoyable and safe for all participants.

sexual myth 4: public LGBT+/queer demonstrations, parades, etc should always be child-friendly/safe spaces, so kink is unwelcome. ace/aro people are too prudish for LGBT communities, but kinky people are too flamboyant. the example I see over and over again is ‘imagine a kid going to a pride parade and seeing a guy on a leash and collar crawling around on all fours. How will you explain that to them!?’ This shows some severe lack of awareness of how nsfw Pride demonstrations could once get!  But when you take away the alarmist ‘think of the children!’ language, it’s clearly a game of respectability politics - specifically, Pride making itself respectable to the straight, cis(, non-kinky) majority. A kinky mlm couple - while gay, and clearly LGBT - would not find it is acceptable to be kinky in a public Pride space anymore because the image of Pride has cleaned up. 

All this care about how sexuality is expressed in LGBT+/queer spaces is because in its most mainstream form, Pride is no longer presented as counter-culture. Pride displays are more often aimed at ‘we’re just like you [cishets]!’ acceptability now, rather than the sometimes vulgar displays demanding recognition that they exist (and aren’t going away).

(This is also why shedding the ‘queer’ label is important. ‘Queer’ has come to represent ‘people who aren’t straight and/or cis, but also aren’t necessarily fitting any label.’ These are mostly people still struggling against invisibility, being counter-culture to keep from fading from existence - but they’re not helping the respectability angle too much.)

long story short, both kinky people and ace people are socially unacceptable to LGBT exclusionary groups for mirroring reasons, resulting in vetting practices that harm questioning people and purity demands that weirdly echo … well, homophobic Christians.

(All that to get right back where we started.)

[funkymbtifiction]

Is it an unhealthy use of Fi if ever the user doesn't think about how other people feel when there's so much turmoil on the inside that the user can't even fix? An example of this would be me figuring out how to control my emotions towards someone that I don't get to think about how my actions are actually causing him to feel uncomfortable. I just thought that the feeling I have towards him and giving to him isn't really a problem until he told me he feels uncomfortable because of it.

This is extremely common in Fi types, but you know what? I don’t think it’s necessarily unhealthy. I think it’s normal. I’m not really thinking about how you may feel in response to my answers as I write this; I’m just focused on answering you!

The natural preoccupation of an introverted function is pointed toward one’s internal mechanics. Introverted Feeling therefore is preoccupied with how it feels over the needs of others, simply because what is going on inside the Fi user is so incredibly intense, it’s hard to divert energy outside oneself when one is having strong emotions. If I am upset, or depressed, or hurt, it is extraordinarily difficult for me to tune in to other people or to notice how I am making them feel. In truth, I simply do not care. I feel like I am dealing with a hurricane inside me; they can wait until I have figured out how to find the eye of the storm.

That does not make me a bad person, unless I am being horrible to them.

I found myself in a bad mood the other day and snapping at people. I did not like it, so I stepped back and asked, “Okay, girl, what is REALLY going on? You know damn well that the things you’re mad about today do not really upset you. 99% of the time, you are super chill and nothing upsets you.” Turns out, I was anxious about my kitten’s first trip to the vet and channeling that anxious energy into “anger.” I directed it into taking issue with minor problems, nitpicks, insults, and misunderstandings instead of saying: “I’m anxious, but it will all be fine.”

Here’s my take, as a Fi user / my life emotional mantra:

Your emotions are your responsibility. You cannot control how others treat you, but you can control how you respond and how you treat other people. If your feelings are out of control or causing pain, you have to reign them in.

Your mental well being takes precedence, because you are all you have. Guess who the one person you are going to spend your entire life with is? You. Thus it is in the best interest of yourself to take care of your mental health. If this means staying away from toxic people or those who bring out the worst in you, so be it. If this means you need alone time to deal with your feelings, so be it. If this means you have to stand up for yourself, so be it. But you owe it to yourself to be the healthiest person you can be, emotionally; so it’s up to you to find out what works, what you believe, what matters most to you, and stand by it.

You should value other people’s feelings as you value your own. Since you automatically have a Fi thing where you think, “But I wouldn’t want someone to treat me like that,” you probably already have an idea of how to treat other people as human beings with feelings. Part of respecting other people is listening to them even when you are in pain and learning and abiding by their boundaries. If someone says, “Please don’t do that to me, it makes me uncomfortable,” you need to stop doing it out of respect for them.

I had a bad habit as a teenager (call it my “rebellious” phase) where I would push my dad’s buttons all the time for kicks. I never once thought about how he might feel; I was too wrapped up in my own moodiness. Once I matured, and felt guilt for being unnecessarily rude, I realized what I was doing was causing him anguish and was unnecessarily cruel, and I would not like others doing that to me – and I stopped. I now direct those energies (my natural intuition into how people tick) into being a peacemaker between him and my brother, who also pushes his buttons but not intentionally; I use it to solve their communication problems and diffuse anger before it erupts. The feeling that leaves me with is so much more amazing than the selfish emotions I had from causing trouble.

There’s a reason Fe’s think Fi’s are “selfish.” Plain truth: it’s hard for us to look beyond ourselves to other people, and our compassionate treatment of others is often tied to our own wants, beliefs, and desires. (”Well, I would not want to drive that far, so she doesn’t want to drive that far, either.”) The “selfishness” is something we cannot help, in the sense that we have literally no choice but to deal with our emotions and our morals FIRST. Because we are not “tuned in” to other people emotionally, when we people please (to avoid conflict, so we don’t have to deal with other people’s emotional angst)… we get it wrong. The solution is effective communication and to train yourself to actually think about how the other person feels by asking them what they want.

I had a miscommunication this week with a friend, where I realized she thinks she has to take a day off from work to visit me whenever she drives out. When she worried that she could not get a day off (and therefore could not come) this weekend, it was an enormous relief to her to have me say, “Come anyway, we can have fun over a single night.” She thought I always wanted her for two nights, because that’s how it’s always been. I, meanwhile, thought SHE always wanted to come for two nights. I never imagined she thought that my invitation to come hang out only referred to two night stays! I had never invited her for one night, because I would not want to make that long drive just to stay one night. I was thinking about how I would feel, and assuming she was the same; when she is the opposite. As an SFJ, she would be happy with one night, so long as she got to see me, and talk, and do things, and have a brief break from work.

I am gradually learning to tune in to my friends… and ask them questions. I think sometimes my fear of conflict or hurting their feelings is unnecessary; because open, emotionless, curious conversation does not hurt feelings and in this case, could have saved her endless angst (”Can I get time off???”). 

Ideally, a Fi needs to figure out how to handle and deal with their own emotions in ways that do not cause collateral damage; they need to mature to the point where they know what battles to fight and what insults to take personally, so they have more energy to divert toward paying attention to their friends and family’s emotional responses. A Fi will never “read” the emotions the way a Fe does, but a Fi CAN learn to be socially appropriate and ask what the other person wants. If anything, Te users like to have their cards on the table, but a high Fi can be too shy to ask, “What do you want from me? From this relationship? Am I giving you what you want and need?”

But sometimes, asking is what the Fi needs to do.

- ENFP Mod

[peachymess]

1/3 Hi Peachy! I was just wondering what is your take on authors who can't take feedback or criticism? I'm not going to use their names but yesterday, I saw a reviewer (I know for a fact is a cancer patient) say to an author that Armin felt a little out of character, and that one of the important bonds of the story had a loose end. However the author instead of being respectful, was right out rude and disgusting.

2/3 Told them they shouldn’t read the story anymore. Told them not to read any stories like this. The reviewer I know has trouble leaving comments, and hell, I was even surprised with this author. Not just that either, the author’s friend I think, jumped in when the reviewer felt the need to apologize and had a go at the reviewer too. The words they used with just awful.

I waited a bit for 3/3 but either my inbox ate it, or you settled for 2/3 haha. I’m sorry for the wait. 

Look, I’m just going to start out saying this: I do not know this particular situation, and since I’m sure there are more angles to this, I don’t think I have good enough insight into this particular situation to claim I know where the fault lies - if anywhere. Obviously, both parties are feeling wounded, from what you’re telling me. I think more than likely, these kinds of situations arise from misunderstanding, a feeling of being attacked or insecurity. 

You ask for my opinion, and I’ll give you a generalized one (since I don’t know, am not, and do not want to be part of that particular drama): people should aim to behave in such a way that they do not purposefully hurt other people. This goes for everything. Just, simply put: be nice. This does, however, not mean that you cannot give constructive criticism where it’s due. If an author is writing out of a wish to develop, they should open up for feedback once their confidence can take it. An author should also be aware that when they put their works out there for the public to see, the default idea is that authors want feedback, and thus should add a disclaimer for readers to see if they do not wish any form of developmental feedback. If the reviewer in your example left an honest, polite feedback, the author should not have behaved the way you say they did - but then again, I do not know whether the reviewer worded it harshly or otherwise - or whether the author felt like it was meant well or not. However, if the review came across as ambiguous in nature, I’d have suggested to the author that they leave a short message saying they don’t want feedback or felt a little hurt by the comment and could need an elaboration. Or anything that in a civil way either ends or clears up the conversation. Instant retaliation is rarely the best option in these cases - not even for the author, whose work is out there, leaving them emotionally vulnerable. 

Now, this next thing might sound harsh, but as we hear from your cautionary tail, it’s perhaps best: if you’re a reader/reviewer who’s a little bit on the insecure side, or you rarely dare to leave comments, I think it is a good idea to start out with less weighty comments than constructive criticism; very often, people are less open to criticism (even of the good sort) than they think themselves, and it can cause situations where - without thick skin - both parties end up feeling hurt in some way. If your reviewer - whose condition should not play a role in this and what we deem as acceptable behavior to/from them, by the way - is insecure, I think the best way to build up their confidence in commenting, is by leaving comments that undoubtedly warrants them positive feedback. They could, for instance, make a short comment about their favorite part of the story, or let the author know how they felt at the climax, etc. The comment does not have to be well thought out, because just a single positive sentence will be enough to make the author very happy - and a reply of the “thank you UvU” sort will be enough to give the commenter positive acknowledgement as well. A positive circle. Now, I’m not saying they should refrain from leaving feedback if that is what their heart burns for, but I’m saying they should take into consideration what they are able to handle, and what the risks are. I’m not saying that a reviewer is “asking for” trouble, though; I’m just saying that they should be aware of the high risk they expose themselves to by skipping the training wheel steps. I’m sorry that they got hurt in this instance, but I’m more sorry that this has possibly scared them away from leaving feedback in the future. Two more things before I’m done: 1. You open up by asking what I think about authors unable to take feedback. My short answer: they should either leave a disclaimer that they don’t want any, or treat friendly critiques a civil way. 2. As I re-read the question, I got a feeling that this might be about a fic of a different pairing than ere.min, and that the reviewer was talking (albeit politely) about the ooc portrayal of the canon/platonic ere.min bond. If this is the case, I feel like this situation is a little bit different: ship wars have left any opposing ship and its shippers in a bit of a tense relationship, and I think it’s a very hard task to try to convince a non-ere.min shipper that your feedback focusing on ere.min isn’t somehow a stab at the other ship, or a backhanded way of selling in your OTP. You might have the heart in the right place, but I’d say it’s near impossible to feed a ship-charged feedback to someone who doesn’t ship it. Let’s take as an example an ere.mika fic. In my experience, since this is a fic and a ship story, the author’s focus has gone into tweaking and perfecting the part of the story they care about - in other words, the bond between Eren and Mikasa specifically. They might also have written this with the purpose of enriching the ere.mika fandom, and thus possibly doesn’t care much about developing as a author personally - thus not really minding that they get non-ere.mika aspects of the story wrong, as they are not the point of the work. Leaving a comment about how they misinterpreted Armin’s role in the trio could easily be seen as feedback they 1. don’t even care about, because it’s not what they want to focus on 2. a way of saying “Eren and Armin’s bond is better”, or 3. an attempt at picking up the torch in the ever ongoing ship war between (among others) ere.mika and ere.min. Now, I realize this this might not have been the case with your situation, and that this turned into a pointless ship thing, but if so, I hope it can be seen as an additional guideline for anyone wanting to go out there and get their feedback caps on: be civil, mix some good feedback into the criticism, and if this is a ship fic, stay in the lane of the author. I sincerely hope that situation of yours got sorted out.