#so try again this year ig 🤡

[bitterie-sweetie]

Fake it til you make it

Pairing: Jeonghan x reader Genre: fluff, fake dating WC: 6.5k Warnings: alcohol A/N: yes it's about vday buuut it's actually for @syuperseventeen's bdayyy!!! surprise surprise! happy birthday nat, i hope this year is even better and filled with many things to look forward to <3

Your Valentine’s date with Jeonghan is coming up and yet the only thing on your mind is how to break up with him. Of course breaking up with someone is difficult, but you’d argue that what’s more difficult is breaking up with someone you never even dated.

Jeonghan is a prankster. 

Growing up, you’d often be on the receiving end of his pranks at school. Third grade “initiation” had you drenched in water after he told you to pin a cup against the wall with a straw, and in ninth grade you had tears streaming down your face after eating an entire scoop of wasabi—not the matcha ice cream he said it was. Then there was the time he did something to make your first crush hate you, which, in hindsight, was a good thing because the guy turned out to be a total asshole. 

It wasn’t Jeonghan’s fault entirely when you were too willing to fall for his pranks because being the target of a prank meant having his attention, and that’s something that you wanted. Jeonghan had a way of making everyone feel special, and his attention was a limelight that you never wanted to step out of. 

Honestly, you might’ve kept up with it if he kept going. But then that fateful day came and it was like you were suddenly on his side, working with him instead of being the victim to his antics, and you’d say that that’s what has kept the two of you together after all these years. 

Well, at least until now.

“Hey,” you greet in a rush, looking around the table at everyone and seeing that you’re truly the last one to arrive. Usually, you’d give that place to Lee Chan; he’s the most popular of your friend group and almost always has a prior appointment to your meetups. “Sorry I’m late. My train was delayed and—oh, did you already order for me?” 

Jeonghan slides a sealed bubble tea across the table and sets it in front of your seat—the one empty chair right beside him, no less. When you glance at him questioningly he shrugs and tilts his head towards the crowd at the front. “The line was too long so I ordered yours with mine. Hope you’re feeling like your usual today.” 

Indeed, the sticker on the cup shows that it’s your go-to order. “Aw, that’s so sweet of you. Thanks, babe.” 

Today’s meet up with your friend group is the first of the year and it’s also the first time you’re seeing everyone since Chan’s wedding… including Jeonghan. You would’ve spent Christmas and New Year’s with him had he not cancelled on you, and now that bit of distance has manifested into a larger uncertainty for you over the past while. Even now, the ‘babe’ seemed to come out awkwardly, sticking to your throat.

“Wow, you guys are actually disgusting. I hope you know that.” Seungkwan makes a face at you, and beside him, Soonyoung nods a few times in agreement. 

You plaster on a smile. “It’s okay to just say you’re jealous.” 

The only response you get is an eye-roll from Soonyoung, and then everyone moves on, thankfully. Mingyu asks you what you’ve been up to so you talk about your recent promotion at work and some new habits you’ve started in the new year, and when you sense that the conversation is starting to approach the territory of your future with Jeonghan, you gently steer it towards Chan. After all, he’s the one that got married just a few months ago, and you know he would never miss the chance to talk about his amazing honeymoon and how great this new chapter of his life is going.

There is truly nothing like adult friendships and its quarterly updates. 

Once there’s a bit of a lull in the conversation, Jeonghan turns to you. “What are you doing this week?” 

“Oh, this week?” Your heart speeds up tenfold at the uncertainty of what might come next. “Hmm well, it’s Valentine’s Day.” 

“Yeah, exactly.” He nods and much to your relief, there’s a hint of a smile at the corner of his lips. “So I’ll see you for our date then?” 

“Of course, babe.” 

“Can’t you guys do this somewhere else?” Soonyoung says as he stares daggers in your direction. You totally understand and sympathize with that though; today you’re turning up the sweetness more than usual to compensate for the distance you actually feel, unfortunately at the expense of your friends.

Jeonghan completely ignores Soonyoung’s complaint and doesn’t even look his way. “That’s good,” he says, leaning back in his seat and almost looking relieved at your answer. “I was afraid my darling might not have time for me anymore.”

“What? No way. Did you have anything in mind for our date?” 

“Hmm, yes but it’s a surprise. I’ll text you the details later.” 

“Well, uh, I have to run,” Chan says, slowly getting up from his seat. The rest of you hardly bat an eye, having gotten too used to his busy schedule. “It was nice seeing everyone. You guys should come over for my housewarming once everything is set up.” 

Mingyu stands up too. “Oh, I actually have to go too; got a dinner with Wonwoo later.” 

…On second thought, perhaps you overcompensated a bit too much with the cringe. Soonyoung and Seungkwan leave soon after getting a call from their roommate, Seokmin, and then it’s just you and Jeonghan at the table. Still seated side by side, your arm occasionally brushing against his. 

“How have you really been?” he asks in a low voice. 

“Decent, I guess, despite the winter blues and all. It’s pretty much what I said earlier.” You shrug when he remains silent. “Why do you ask? Do I look depressed or something?”   

“No,” he shakes his head with a laugh, “not depressed, exactly, but I wanted to see if you’re as sad as I am about not seeing each other in so long.” Then he leans in a bit closer, as if to whisper a secret. “I missed you, darling.”

It’s times like this when you feel like he’s toeing the line. There’s a small smile lingering on his lips and a softer look in his eyes, not at all like the overdone sweetness to the point of sarcasm from before, but you can never tell if he really means what he says or if this is just part of the act. 

Regardless, it makes your face feel hot and it makes you unable to look directly at him. 

“Oh… yeah,” you say, trying to make a quick recovery. “It’s too bad we missed out on the holidays but at least we get Valentine’s Day.” 

“Yup, that’s exactly why I have something special in mind for that day. I want to make it up to you, darling.” 

You give him a smile and then go to take a sip of your drink, and that’s pretty much the end of the conversation. Despite saying he misses you, it’s interesting how he doesn’t explain why he bailed on the holidays in the first place, and you don’t know whether you should ask about it at this point.

Or if you should even be curious about such a thing. 

Jeonghan pulls you out of your thoughts with a brush of his hand on yours. “It’s getting dark. Let’s head out?” 

You agree and then let him hold your hand, lace his fingers with yours, and then lead you out of the shop. He doesn’t let go until you cross the parking lot and get to his car. It’s strange, you think. You can’t seem to recall the last time the two of you held hands so naturally like this especially when there’s no one else around. 

In fact, when the two of you are alone, the sickening sweetness is always toned down but not completely dropped. Now, Jeonghan’s smiles are softer around the edges like they’re less exaggerated, less of a performance, and when he calls you darling, his voice is quieter and isn’t at all coated in the sticky honey you’re used to. When he hugs you goodbye at your door, it’s a loose hug and almost has a degree of uncertainty. 

Jeonghan steps back but lingers just for a second. “I’ll see you in a few days for our date, darling.”

“Of course,” you put on a smile, “I can’t wait, babe.” 

He waits until you get into your building before giving a little wave and then heading on his way. 

After you close the door behind you and collapse onto your bed, you heave a sigh and finally let the smile slip from your lips. So there would be a Valentine’s date this year after all; the anticipation makes your heart speed up the slightest but at the same time makes you all the more anxious. You thought that he really would end things today, and if not, that you should be the one to do so. But seeing him after so long, feeling the way the warmth of his touch lingers on your skin, basking in the brightness of his smiles, you simply couldn’t utter those words. 

Perhaps Valentine’s Day wouldn’t be the right time to do it either, or maybe your date won’t end up happening for whatever reason. You know that this is something you have to do, but the question is how exactly would you go about doing it? Because there is one major problem. 

You’re not dating Jeonghan at all. 

One moment in high school is what started this whole thing.

It was eleventh grade drama class—which Jeonghan thought would be fun to take as an elective—that resulted in the two of you being cast in the school play. Although neither of you landed a role that was remotely close to important, Jeonghan decided to have fun with it and improvise during your one minute of screen time and that somehow turned your insignificant cameos into a beautiful romance that had the audience rooting for you. 

And that very moment somehow managed to embed itself so deeply in your relationship with Jeonghan that it became a long running joke to this day. 

Today you’re sitting across from Soonyoung and Seungkwan again, with Mingyu beside you this time. Almost an exact replica of last week’s meetup, but Chan already has plans and Jeonghan is very obviously missing—something Soonyoung points out immediately.

“Wow, no Jeonghan today?” he says loudly even before the hostess is out of earshot. The people at the two tables nearby glance in your direction and you start to regret coming here at all. “We really won this one. Y/N, we should do this more often.” 

You definitely should not. “Um, yeah. Totally.” 

Last week’s meeting with your friends is what gave you the idea to consult with them about your situation. You first suggested the idea to Mingyu, and then used the prospect of free food to get Soonyoung and Seungkwan to come out, and naturally, Chan is busy so it ends up being the four of you at brunch. Which is better on your wallet, you think. You get the feeling that this quarterly meetup can totally happen more often if you were to make this offer every time. 

As for what you’re about to ask… well, truthfully, you still don’t know if you should even do it. You’ve gone so many years without saying a word that it’d simply be odd to ask now, plus you would run the risk of making everything weird. But if you don’t do it, you would only end up making it weird anyway because how much longer can you go on pretending?

Besides, it’s not only you and Jeonghan who are prolonging this inside joke for way longer than it should’ve lasted. All of your friends should be in on it if they treat the two of you like a couple too. 

The waiter comes by to take your orders, and you try not to wince at the entire list that comes out of Soonyoung and Seungkwan’s mouths. Mingyu gets the least, seemingly knowing that something is up if the worried glances he throws your way is anything to go by. 

Once the waiter leaves, that’s when the small talk stops and all eyes turn to you.

“So what did you want to talk about?” Soonyoung asks with a goofy grin. “Since Jeonghan’s not here, does that mean you need help with Valentine’s Day plans or something?” 

Beside him, Seungkwan has the complete opposite expression as he eyes you warily between sips of his americano.

You take a huge swig of water like it’s liquid courage, and then go for it. “This is going to sound weird…” you start, trying not to notice the way Seungkwan tenses up as if bracing for your words, “but I wanted to ask you guys what my relationship with Jeonghan is.” 

Silence. Complete, dead silence. 

Soonyoung freezes like he’s in a photograph while Seungkwan’s hand holding his americano hangs in mid air as a drop of the drink dribbles down the side of his lip. 

“Sorry, what?” It’s Soonyoung who recovers first. “I think I heard that wrong.” 

You shake your head. “Just tell me.” 

“You’re asking us what your relationship with your own boyfriend is?” 

“Boyfriend—exactly!” You have to hold back all the thoughts you have on the topic. “Yeah, that’s what I mean. So you think he’s my boyfriend? That we’re dating?” 

Soonyoung frowns but it’s Seungkwan who answers, exasperated. “Y/N, what are you trying to say here? Are you trying to say you guys broke up? Or do you think we don’t know you well enough and this is a test? Can you say whatever it is directly—” 

“Jeonghan and I aren’t together.”

There, you said it. Your biggest secret is out.

It should make you relieved to finally let out the secret you’ve been harbouring for years or it should at least alleviate some of the weight on your chest, but it doesn’t. The silence in the wake of your confession only closes in on you and makes it all the more suffocating.

“Any—anymore?”

“No. We were never together.”

The bit of silence from earlier repeats itself. Maybe you should become a speaker or presenter with your ability to draw such reactions from a crowd.

Seungkwan noisily sets down his drink and then leans forward with a frown. He’s still in denial, that much is obvious, and he narrows his eyes as he asks, “Is this a joke? A hidden camera? Are you trying to prank us like Jeonghan—”

“No, I’m completely serious. It’s really not what it seems, and this is why I’m asking you guys what you see us as because at this point I don’t even know the answer myself.” 

With a deep breath, you tell them the truth about this entire thing.

You tell them about the high school play and your impromptu acting, and how that led for the two of you to become the famous couple at school afterwards. Sure, it might’ve been a good thing because that meant your acting was believable. But to two people who were interested in just about anything except love at that age, it was annoying and gross. 

After the show when the shippers wouldn’t stop, the two of you decided to do what you do best—pull a prank. You spent that Valentine’s Day together as a joke and acted extra disgusting to mock couples while making fun of how stupid people were to believe whatever you showed them. In twelfth grade, the two of you did the same for Valentine’s Day and then even went to prom together as a joke. 

In recent years, however, the annual joke of a Valentine’s Day date has turned into his Christmas and your Lunar New Year, his cousin’s graduation, your coworker’s housewarming, and Lee Chan’s wedding. It’s made you on a texting basis with his sister and it’s made him familiar with all your favourite food spots and go-to orders. It’s turned him into someone who’s simultaneously as distant as an acquaintance yet closer than a best friend. 

And so, here you are, living an entire lie because you and Jeonghan had the whole world fooled.

“That’s insane,” Soonyoung says when you finally finish the story, unable to look your way and instead, stares into his drink with how mind blown he is.

Seungkwan, on the other hand, remains a bit skeptical. “Okay, but then what was with all that PDA?All the kissing? Is this some sort of situationship?” 

“Oh, um.” Immediately you can feel your cheeks heating up. You didn’t think this far at all but now it seems like the entire truth will have to come out. “All of it was fake. We’ve… never actually kissed.” 

That drama class has taught you more than you needed to know about manipulating angles and the audience’s perception, and Jeonghan is very good at it. Your fake kisses were often just a trick of the angle or occasionally using the thumb trick, and having seen the evidence captured in photos over the years, you know how convincing it can look.

Now, it’s embarrassing to admit for reasons you never would’ve imagined. Admitting to pulling a childish prank like this is one thing, but the realization that you and Jeonghan have faked it for so long without ever once making it real has you feeling almost dejected.

“I always knew Jeonghan was crazy but I didn’t know he’d be *this* crazy.” Soonyoung now has his head in his hands and is staring off into space. “This is the most insane story I’ve ever heard. I’m not sure if I should be happy for you or sad.” 

You give a wry smile. “Yeah, well, I get why you would think we were together though. You met us in college and wouldn’t have known about what happened in the past so I guess there would never be a reason to question it.” 

Beside you, Mingyu clears his throat and you turn to look at him. He’s been so quiet throughout your story that you were too busy focusing on the reactions of the other two, but looking at him now, his reaction is entirely different. Mingyu isn’t as surprised as he is concerned. “Actually, Y/N, a few years ago…” he says hesitantly, “there was a time when I asked him if you were actually dating.” 

“You did? What did he say?”

“He didn’t deny it.”

“Well, we all know how he loves to be ambiguous and leave things a mystery.”

Mingyu shakes his head. “No—see, that’s what I thought too, but it was different that time. At first he didn’t deny it, but when I pushed a bit more, he said that you’re dating. In actual words and with the most serious look I’ve ever seen on his face.” 

This is news to you. You always assumed that they were all in on the joke and would’ve never guessed that anyone actually asked Jeonghan, but the fact that he answered that way is all the more baffling. 

“I don’t get it. Why would he tell you that?” 

“Yeah, so,” Soonyoung says, “from then on we all thought that was fully confirmed, and he never said or implied otherwise.” 

“Right…”

Mingyu nudges you gently. “Y/N, are you telling us about this now because you’re planning on stopping the act? Has it been bothering you? Or did something happen?” 

“Is that why you wanted to tell us today?” Soonyoung lets out a dramatic gasp and leans all the back in his chair, hands over his mouth. “Don’t tell me—are you going to stop the act because you have a crush on someone?”

“What? No, definitely not. It’s not that, it’s—” 

Here’s the next part of your big secret being revealed, something you weren’t entirely ready for but you tell yourself that this needs to happen. 

It’s because of your feelings for Jeonghan. Your very real, very genuine feelings that have nothing to do with this prank.

Truthfully, you can’t pinpoint when you started feeling this way, much like you’re not sure how this joke was able to stick around for so long. It could be the most recent development—when your friend tried to convince you to hop on a dating app, all you could think about was how wrong it felt because you already had Jeonghan. Or maybe it was the Valentine’s Day just before college graduation when he leaned in so closely you thought he was going to kiss you, for real this time, and then only realizing much later that you were disappointed that it wasn’t real. 

Or perhaps it started way back, to the time he asked you to prom—he said he didn’t have a date only for you to later find out he’d already rejected two promposals from other people. All for your fake relationship, supposedly.

And now, for you, what has started as a harmless prank has turned into something much more than that over the years. 

Everyone looks like they're at a loss for words after that part, and even Soonyoung has lost his enthusiasm after hearing it. “Shit, that’s…” he starts. “Okay, yeah, I’m definitely sad for you.” 

Seungkwan and Mingyu have similar sentiments but you wave them off, eager to lighten the mood again after such heavy topics. The food on the table has been long finished and you’re beginning to feel like you’re overstaying your welcome when there’s a crowd waiting at the front of the restaurant. “It’s fine, it’s whatever. I just wanted to get this off my chest today so that I can figure things out before I see him in a few days.” 

A while later, you finish paying and then all head out together. 

The conversation continues to replay itself in your head, and you realize there is one thing you’re curious about. You turn to Mingyu. “By the way—Mingyu, why *did* you ask Jeonghan if we were actually dating?”

Mingyu stops mid-stride and freezes like a deer in headlights, clearly not expecting your question at all. “I—um, I was asking for a friend.” 

“A friend?”

“Yeah, Chan.” He nods a few times in a row. “I thought Chan had a crush on you and I was trying to help him out.”

Strange, seeing as you’ve probably interacted with Chan the least among your friend group. He’s simply too booked and busy to hang out with you, and has been all throughout your college years together. 

Oh, and he’s married.

“Like, before he met his wife?” you ask.

Soonyoung starts to cough furiously from where he is a few steps ahead while Mingyu’s cheeks redden the slightest bit. 

You vaguely remember the first time the two of you did this, and how it wasn’t anything like how it’s going now. 

Tonight is the night you’re supposed to go on your date with Jeonghan, and you’ve been buzzing with nerves since the night before. You have no idea what to expect for tonight since all he told you about it was to show up at his apartment, and that in itself was slightly concerning as you’ve never been to his home before nor has he been so secretive about any plans. Usually the two of you would be going to a casual place or would have the schedule shared ahead of time if it was a more formal event that needed preparation. 

Jeonghan buzzes you in when you arrive and before you can say you’ll wait for him in the lobby, he tells you to go up to his unit. Again, a bit strange. You do as he asks though, and then even go to knock on the door when there’s no sign of him coming out.

When he opens the door and steps aside, that’s when everything clicks—you’re not here so that he can get his car and take you to your date location. This *is* the date location.

Beyond the doorway, you can see that his apartment is completely decorated. Rose petals line the sides of the hall and lead to the dining table, covered in a deep red tablecloth and perfectly set for your meal. Beside it, a large bouquet of roses rests at the center of the sideboard surrounded by a row of flickering candles which light up the space.

Even without knowing what his home normally looks like, it’s obvious that all this would’ve taken a lot of effort to set up.

“Jeonghan, why did you prepare all this?”

He gives you a dazzling smile. “Because my darling deserves the best, of course. I told you I was going to make it up to you for cancelling Christmas.” 

“Babe, that’s too sweet of you. You really didn’t have to.” You try to return his smile but it doesn’t come easy when this whole situation is overwhelming. Then you let him take your coat and then guide you to the dining table where everything is set up. 

Only when you’re seated do you realize that his response doesn’t answer your question at all. 

The scent of the roses fill the room and looking at them gives you a pang in your heart. This is what the two of you used to make fun of—these big, romantic gestures, and the couples that willingly eat them up. Now it’s as if the tables have turned and you don’t know what to think. 

If this were in public, in front of your friends or other people, you would’ve said that it was another funny gesture that Jeonghan put up for the sake of making them cringe. Because the two of you were the perfect joking, prankster couple, right? 

Now that it’s just you and him here, it confuses you as to why he’s going to such lengths for a joke when it’s something that no one else would see, when there’s no audience to watch his performance. 

You watch as Jeonghan busies himself in the kitchen, serving the food that he’s prepared and pouring the wine into glasses while glancing your way every once in a while. He looks pleased, you note, and he should be if he got his space to look this beautiful. But you can sense that there’s something else too, almost like a nervousness that sits on his shoulder every time he breezes past you and makes eye contact for the briefest second.

After everything is ready, he finally takes a seat across from you and the dinner begins.

Making small talk is easy at first; you comment on your surprise at this type of date, talk about how cold it’s been lately and how it sucks that your company is forcing you to go back into the office. You ask him how his holiday went and how his family has been, and mention how cute his sister’s new puppy is after seeing a post about it on her social media. 

You know you’re just delaying the inevitable. Somehow you get the feeling he knows it too, judging by the way his answers are shorter than usual and how your conversation feels so superficial. So this time after there’s a lull in the conversation, you decide to go for it.

"Jeonghan, um…"

"Hmm?" He looks at you and waits for you to continue, but you don't. Or rather, you can't. "Ah, you're going to comment on how good this is, right?" he says instead, as if supplying you with a way out.

You're all too eager to grab onto it. "Wow, you read my mind." An enthusiastic nod, a slight look of surprise. "It's amazing. Did you make all this yourself?"

Jeonghan shakes his head and then follows up with a sheepish smile. "Partly. The rest is store bought."

Another nod, and then it just ends there again. Seated in this spot with the soft lighting of flickering candles cast against the wall and the heat of Jeonghan's gaze on you, the feeling of discomfort only grows. It's hard to remember what the two of you were like before, during the days when everything seemed so silly–when each move was a clearly defined act between two actors and the world was your stage. And most importantly, when each smile he showed you didn't send your stomach into somersaults or your mind into a loop of second guessing. 

The air is so heavy and stifling that you grab your glass and down a large gulp of the wine. At least when you're drinking, you wouldn’t have to speak, whether that might be responding to him in a way that gives away all of your thoughts, or completely spilling them out yourself. Maybe the alcohol will also drown out some of your anxieties and–

"Hey, slow down." Jeonghan glances at you with worry. "We have all night."

You set the glass down, albeit a bit reluctantly. "Right, sorry. This wine is just so good."

Yet another lie, but what's one more at this point? The wine is much too sour and leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. You would've much preferred a soda or bubble tea, and drinking something fancy like this during such a fancy occasion makes you feel like you're pretending to be someone you're not.

Which is exactly what you're doing, isn't it? You've been living a lie this entire time.

You briefly wonder if Jeonghan feels the same way—the two of you have never properly spent time alone in complete privacy, and to have your first time be in such a formal atmosphere must feel strange. But if he's uncomfortable, he makes no sign of showing it. Or maybe he's always been the better actor of the two of you.

“You know, since you mentioned seasonal depression, I was thinking that for Christmas this year we should go somewhere. Somewhere warm and sunny to get away from the cold.”

“Oh, this year?” you repeat stupidly when you can’t quite believe what you’re hearing. Jeonghan wants to continue this thing? And here you were, thinking that he was about to end it at any moment for the past few months. “Um, yeah. That would be nice.” 

“Or it could be a fall trip. Your parents have been wanting to go see the leaves change colour, right?” 

There’s no hint of sarcasm on his face and no playful twinkle in his eye, and even though no one can read him very well, you know enough to tell that he’s being serious. You also know that what he’s saying makes no sense at all.

“Right, yeah. They’ve been wanting to do that.” 

“Y/N, are you okay?”

“Yeah,” you reply automatically, and then reach for another long gulp of your drink. “Yup, all good.”

Jeonghan frowns, a tiny crease appearing between his brows. “Are you sure? If you want to talk about it, I’m here to listen.” 

It’s strange, the way he looks at you. Jeonghan, who dances around questions and deflects easily with humour and only shows people what he wants them to see, now has worry filling his eyes as he waits for you to continue. As if he *knows*.

You doubt Soonyoung and Seungkwan would have spilled your secret so easily, but there’s a great possibility that the two of them would be unable to act normal around him after what they learned, and unintentionally hint at the truth. Then there’s the other possibility that Jeonghan knew way before any of this. Because maybe he—

No, you don’t want to think about that.

“It’s just that,” you say, having to force yourself to pause and slow down your thoughts before something terrible comes spewing out. A slow inhale, a shaky exhale. “Why are we here, Jeonghan?”

His frown deepens, but now it’s turned into confusion. “What do you mean?”

“What are we doing? This date has been nice, but I’m just very confused over why you put so much effort into this when there’s no one else around to see it. Weren’t we doing all of this as a joke? As a prank? Pretending to be a couple so that we can fool the world since that’s exactly what they wanted to see, but joke’s on them because we’re not?” 

Jeonghan watches you silently with an unreadable look on his face. “Is that how you feel?”

“’Well, yes, because isn’t that the truth? And now, we’ve been doing so much together that it doesn’t feel like a joke anymore. How can it be when your mom is offering to give me homemade side dishes? Or—or when Chan’s wife was there, smiling at us on her wedding day like she wished we’d be just as happy as they are?” You pause to look at him and then proceed to look away. “How long are we going to continue lying to the world? Because I can’t stand the guilt.”

The last part of that may be true, but it’s not the full truth. 

“Yeah, you’re right. We don’t have to keep doing this.”

“W—what?” You stare at him, dumbfounded. 

Jeonghan sighs deeply and then meets your eyes, but then quickly looks away. “Yeah, we should’ve left this in high school. The joke has kind of gotten old, hasn’t it?” 

You have no idea what he means by any of that, but it feels like you’re better off not knowing. The tension in the air is thick, and even when you imagined your fake breakup hundreds of times in your head, this is not something you could have predicted. It’s as you’re on a precipice, and one wrong move will delete all those years, all that time you spent with him. 

And the worst part is that you don’t even want to break up.

“Jeonghan, look. I know all of this is supposed to be a joke, but why is it that it feels like you really do care?” One last deep breath before you make the jump. “And why is it that I *want* you to care?” 

That has him stunned for a second, so much that the expression is obvious on his face in a way that almost never happens. 

“Wait, what? I do care. No, I get that we started all this for fun back then, but that’s not how I feel about it now. Everything we’ve done is real—trust me, I wouldn’t have brought you to my family if that wasn’t the case. And I never thought I was lying to them. It’s exaggerated, yes, and much too dramatic, but I’m not a good enough actor where all that can be based on a complete lie.” 

You braced yourself for the final blow, only to be completely confused over his words. “What are you saying?” 

“Y/N, it’s always been real to me. All of it.” 

“But—but I thought you wanted to stop all this when you cancelled our plans for Christmas. Why did you do that?”

Jeonghan opens his mouth a little but then closes it again. “Do you remember last year at Chan’s wedding when you caught the bouquet?” 

You nod but don’t hide your confusion about where this is going.

“After you caught it, everyone was looking at you… and then at me. It was like they all expected us to be next, because well,” he shrugs, “everyone thought we were together. And that’s when I realized that this is more than simply feeling like it’s real. We were turning it into something real.”

“So you called off Christmas because you wanted to stop doing this? Because you hated how it was becoming real?” 

“No,” Jeonghan shakes his head. “The opposite. I was afraid of how much I liked that it felt real. That day at the wedding, I—I wanted to kiss you for real, Y/N. Not have to fake it.” 

“Oh…”

“If we did meet up for Christmas, I don’t know what might’ve happened. I thought it was safer to stay away for a bit and gather my thoughts.” He hesitates slightly and you can see the pained smile he has on. “But one day into the holidays and I was already regretting my decision.” 

You don’t know what to say to that. Your mind is hardly listening anymore when it keeps on repeating Jeonghan’s words like a broken record, screaming to you that it’s real, that all of it is real. That you’re not the only one who’s been feeling this way, and that you won’t need to stage a fake breakup for your fake relationship. 

“Are you okay?” he asks, breaking you out of your thoughts.

“I’m just—are you sure all this is real? Jeonghan, are you being serious?”

He breaks into a tender smile. “Don’t you remember? I already answered you back then, Y/N.”

“What do you mean?” 

“You asked me if I’d be your darling, even if thousands of miles may separate us, even if—” 

“—if the paths we walk may crumble,” you finish off. “Or something like that. I actually have no idea what we said back then.”

Those were the lines in the play that you did back in high school, the very lines that the two of you conjured out of thin air one day and the very moment that started this whole thing. 

“Yeah, that,” he says softly.

“Hmm, so, babe,” you put on your usual mockingly sweet tone, repeating the line that you said on stage many years ago, “are you going to kiss me?” 

Jeonghan holds back a smile like he can’t contain his happiness, and follows with his line without missing a beat. “If that’s what my darling wants.”

The smile only widens when he gets up from his seat and you go to meet him halfway, and it’s the last thing you see when he leans in closer and closer. Jeonghan gently slides his thumb between his lips and yours as he closes the distance, like how it was done the very first time, but this time you can feel it as he slowly moves it away. 

Then you’re kissing him, actually kissing him for real for the first time. His lips are soft and warm, and the bit of hesitance between you seems to completely melt away as you wrap your arms around him and he pulls you closer. You let yourself drown in his scent, the warmth of his touch, and the loud pounding of your heart now that you no longer have to be paying attention to the reactions of the people around you. Nothing else matters anymore, all that matters is what you have now.

You spend the rest of the night catching up, whether that’d be stories over the years of shared memories, or creating new memories to make up for the lost time. He tells you he loves you and that the trip suggestions were very much real, and the two of you laugh over how you’ve become the exact couple you once mocked. It’s easy to understand them now though, you think as Jeonghan gives you a sleepy smile as you’re cuddled up on the couch.

“Oh yeah, I wanted to ask something,” you say, and he looks at you in alarm at your abruptness. “Why did you tell Mingyu that we were together?”

Jeonghan stays silent for a bit, narrowing his eyes as if having difficulty recalling what you’re talking about. Then he finally answers. “Oh that?” He chuckles. “That was because I didn’t want him to think he had a chance with you.”

[cliowo]

In this essay, i will explain the reasons why sky children of the light has become an increasingly unwelcoming game to new players and veterans alike-

Yeah yeah i usually only share my words here but tumblr feels like a really comfy place for me to share unfiltered thoughts and i needed somewhere to vent ig (skip if you have no idea what I'm talking about)

When I first started playing in prophecy, sky was a really fun game. We didn't have the request for a guide function then and I'm actually really grateful for it because the joy was in exploring each of the different realms and season areas on my own and randomly stumbling across spirits whose stories were waiting for me to discover. Maybe it was because I was a dumb moth - i didn't even know how to access seasonal spirits trees - but the pressure to cr just wasn't as intense as it is for moths today. The back to back seasons and "days of" events seem to have sucked the fun of exploring the world of sky for moths because they're so focused on grinding for candles/hearts/event currency that they just dont slow to smell the in-game roses anymore. And the thing is I get it because there's just so many new cosmetics as well as older ones from past seasons and events to farm for.

I mean sure you don't have to collect every cosmetic but 1 cape costs like 70 candles on average, same for a pair of pants iirc, a prop/acessory at 40-70 candles (70 if its an instrument??) , and hair at around 40-50 candles; and the best part is you can only earn 20-21 candles max in 1 reset 🤡 Add all of that plus the need to look for event currency in fear of facing such prices in the event rerun and you get stressed out moths facing existential crises every 2 weeks when ts arrives😀 Sorry moths, the economy is bad irl and just as bad in sky.

And what of the veterans? Yeah, well, we get no friends as everyone starts to quit the game and those that stay live off copium revisiting the places we once visited with friends- Or maybe that's just me

New friends, you say? *cue flashback to moths begging for help with cr* we exchanged like maybe 5 sentences max at chat benches🥲 i have nothing against helping out but it does make it difficult to form a bond when they disappear right after and you fade into their constellation of ubers

And then we have the seasons.

... Honestly the only season that made an impression with me after aurora was the recently concluded season of the 9 coloured deer, which was also another collab season💀

I actually had to check the sky wiki for this:

Remembrance - ironically very forgettable. What was the story again? Was it the one with the group of spirits living in one specific hole in vault like why- vault is bigger than that sad hole- OH THE PLUSHIES okay maybe this one was passable... im trying okay

Passage - ??? Havent finished this season's quests so uh- so far it seems like... a cult..? In isle...?

Moments - if they wanted a camera in-game, they could have just added it to like the days of sunlight event (the camping one) or smtg. They did not have to force a season for a camera💀 imho the camera was the only thing worth mentioning abt this season and i don't even take pictures

Revival - i suppose aviary is pretty and it's nice that the spirits have somewhere to stay now. Not particularly impressed. Don't really remember the story in this one.

...i heard rumours of a furniture season after the 9 coloured deer. Looking forward to hearing what they'll name this one lmao

The quality of "days of" events is still acceptable to me. Just maybe ignore the numerous iaps and the fact that we have multiple umbrellas but only 1 is f2p (don't understand whats up w that btw)

And also the recurring bugs💀 I've been playing for at least 3 years and I've faced these bugs/problems multiple times:

1. Unable to light frends constellations because the screen just yeets itself into oblivion or some random environment feature where i cant press the button

2. Game crashes (after every update istg-)

3. Splitting servers

4. Sky discrimination and gate keeping, aka refusing to let me open the game

5. Being unable to collect currency/dailies (it's not my internet i checked)

The lack of compensation is another matter entirely

I don't know man I'm tired. The only reason why I still have it installed is because it's my only link to the people I used to have fun and relax with. Not everyone has discord or insta or some other social media.

If you made it this far thank you for coming to my ted talk. Feel free to leave your thoughts- just remember to be respectful

Tldr:

The sky economy is bad. For everyone. Moths (and maybe even vets) are stressed out and vets are losing friends. The seasons are increasingly dull and the long-lived bugs are frustrating.

[crosby-interesting]

Woah how I am just finding this page? I came looking for Paige drama cause her snark page got removed but there was always a lot of kappy tea on there too. I saw the recent post about Kappy Hayden. I have mutuals with both of them and Paige and always knew about this drama. I also know of a friend of a friend who has been talking to him for a long time last year this year probably last week even too. Seemed like the gf knows and was silly enough to think Kappy deleting his IG would stop him. This girls definitely not innocent.. but from the messages I saw Kappy totally pursued then manipulated/ lovebombed this chick. Im sure same thing to Hayden over and over again til she finally got fed up and exposed him last season so good for her. Hes so messy I keep trying to convince this girl to do the same to him but I guess I’ll just share the tea for her instead LOL woops!

Paige was the lucky one. She seems to have been in a good and stable relationship with the tennis player for over a year now and she doesn’t care about Kappy and his escorts🤡.

[leafbatraccoon]

sims tag game!!

i was tagged by @d4isy-nukes via reading her post oh well lets go

1. What’s your favourite sims death? in ts4: METEOR muahahhah

2. Alpha CC or Maxis Match? if i have to pick, maxis match, but im partial to maxis mix choices

3. Do you cheat when your sims gain weight? not usually, no, but i have done it by tweaking a bit in cas, rarely but i it happened

4. Do you use move objects? fuck yea, love that shit

5. Favorite mod? i loved gem's answers btw absolute same but hum... i really dont know.. the classics, wwhims for attraction system, zerbu's, don't wash dishes where you angry poop, lumpinou's rpo, i really cant pick, i use so many, it's giving me whats ur favourite kid energy

6. First expansion/game/stuff pack you got? GTW yall & i stand by it

7. Do you pronounce “live mode” like aLIVE or LIVing? the wrong way

8. Who’s your favorite sim that you’ve made? AGAIN WITH THE CHILD PICKING !!! no but really i can't pick favourites no matter what

9. Have you made a simself? not one that looks like me bc i don't even know what i look like tbh but i made a kind of avatar

10. What sim traits do you give yourself? self-absorbed gloomy geek 🤢

11. Which is your favorite EA hair color? depends on the sim

12. Favorite EA hair? all the sdx ones were pretty dope so far

13. Favorite life stage? the ones that are yet to come eheh

14. Are you a builder or are you in it for the gameplay? prolly gameplay which in ts4 i rely on mods for a lot, but ts4 made me more confident in building or at least decorating, it's very fun now and in ts2 i used to spend a lot of time in cas and the body shop

15. Are you a CC creator? no, but maybe one day

16. Do you have any simblr friends/a sim squad? i dont think so ?!

17. What’s your favorite game? (1, 2, 3, or 4) ts2&3 for different reasons, i never played the first one tho, i mean i did but not really

18. Do you have any sims merch? a phone charm that came with a promotional magazine for ts3 launch, i cant fine the magazine tho ;(

19. Do you have a YouTube for sims? i wouldn't know what to do with it

20. How has your “sim style” changed throughout your years of playing? i made a lot of long haired blondes with ballroom dresses in my ts2 era for some reason, i dont even know where i was getting cc from, really long hair and ballroom dresses on the toddlers too if you can imagine oh and i had mermaid tails from downloading oher sims so naturally i made a bunch of sirens all the time

21. What’s your Origin ID? i think it's gumbreath now

22. Who’s your favorite CC creator? oh gosh why did i decide to do this ??! humm cant pick one so shout out to @tudtuds merecido

23. How long have you had a simblr? circa 5 months so far

24. How do you edit your pictures? i use gimp the open-source queen, for my spellcaster legacy i was trying to do a scrappy photoset vibe, mystical motherhood im literaly just cropping and since ive reinstalled shaders i just use a preset for stardew moon bc i am nothing if not lazy ig

25. What expansion/game/stuff pack do you want next? none, id like them to fix the game we already have 😘 but if i had to ig faeries for gamepack, travel for expansion (with 3 decent worlds & hotels plz) and literally any stuff pack so they can say they didnt lie to us about it 🤡

25. What expansion/game/stuff pack is your favorite so far? im a sucker for sulani so island living for EP? although the mermaids deserved better, big cottage stan but wish goats and horses were on it so not on the podium & get together still has the best world; paranormal stuff pack by faaaaar, it was the least cash grabby SP ever i thought i was dreaming when they didnt call it a gamepack

ok so that is it, if you read this so far ... why ? /hj im doing the same and tagging whoever sees it IF THEY FEEL LIKE PARTAKING 🤍🤍🤍 OK BYEE

[mevekagvain]

Chapter 492 - Garda's turn to flex her clothes off 😑

- Geo's arm breaking and healing... that's more disturbing than any of the actual gore so far. Love to see it.

- Soooo. How exactly did First get data on nobles and werewolves again? Werewolves I can kinda get since him being aware of all the shit Crombel's been up to means he could probably hack into the werewolf systems easily too. But nobles? Closest I can think of is that he abducted nobles from the banished clans and uh. Makes me want to throttle him <3 Wait. Oh god, oh fuck. The DA-5 members probably came across innocent banished nobles too. That's who they killed. Fuck.

The scientists in noblesse are so shit because actually it likely isn't like this with just nobles who are innocents completely uninvolved with their clan leaders' sins and exiled unjustly. Their human subjects would be the destitute, the desperate, and when not they'd be kidnapping normal ppl, leaving their families grieving for a missing family member. Meanwhile with wws it's almost certainly always that latter case.

- 'Sacrifice' you didn't sacrifice shit First. You've committed atrocities against multiple species in your quest for power but that's not sacrifice. These humans who willingly became OP didn't sacrifice shit. They're monsters. Sacrifice is personal, it's something you give up. When it's something you make others give up (like, for example, experimenting on the unwilling), it's simply a crime, asshole.

Chapter 493 - Camaraderie

Chapter 494 - If the nobles didn't give humans a hard time then perhaps you shouldn't have experimented on them 🤡

- Oooh Lunark took off her cloak. One article of clothing saved from destruction :)

- Raizel doesn't even manage to get Frankenstein's name out because the latter is so eager to beat people up sjsjjsks. Maybe Raizel was ordering you to make some ramyeon and tea to have while spectating. Ever thought about that?

Chapter 495 - Yes please call First out Frankenstein. You are 100% right.

- Frankenstein is trying so hard to keep Raizel safe and yet his attacks keep targeting him as collateral damage. At this rate he'll be Raizel's cause of death.

Chapter 497 - The Third and Fifth Elders from over 1000 years ago... My beloveds 🥺😢😭 They just wanted to help humans! Genuinely! Not like the rest of the Union, both past and present! I like to think they were actually friends with Frankenstein. Rayko the calm reasonable one, and Albena always flicking Frankenstein's forehead because she thinks he gets too egotistical or annoying at times while also participating in the conversations between the three or with just him regally.

Chapter 498 - Now that looks cool. So is that actually skin with wires or is it silicon or-

Chapter 499 - Raizel has two wings again :D Good job on that Muzaka :3

- I like how Raizel destroying a satellite in space just makes the stuff ur-Hulda does seem reasonable. Like a lot of it does exceed even this level but anything feels believable after destroying something in space from down on Earth.

Chapter 500 - Exactly. Imagine the power a noblesse would have if modified. Like I don't think any noblesse would want that but imagine. Though ig ur-Hulda might be down if they manage to figure out how to convert idk, solar energy into lifeforce and the only way is through modifications. Definitely not if optional though. She isn't into that shit.

Chapter 501 - Mirai: "What the fuck is the use of being evil if we got 0 benefits out of it I swear this fucking shit has got to be *censored*"

Sidenotes - I've been wondering this since day 1 of like, reading/watching anything with characters that have extreme regeneration, but where do they get the energy and other components needed for regeneration. Like okay I'll suspend my disbelief about the speed, but what are you building an entire new arm out of?? With nobles I already have hcs that explain it even though only modified nobles heal fast enough to need an explanation anyway, but werewolves? They eat normally like humans. They're not losing anything in the other parts of their body and yet they can make new body parts? It's... yeah idk. My explanation would be to ignore canon and make it so that the more wws and humans regenerate, the weaker/thinner they get due to redistribution of the body's building blocks so even regeneration would have a limit (aka the exact opposite of Titan who gets stronger after regeneration). To make it fit in canon I guess the first few times the decrease in power would be negligible and that's why said decrease isn't noticed. And ofc afterwards they all have to eat loads to make up for losing an arm like three times. As for Titan... maybe the increase in strength is more like it gets desperate and puts in more effort than an actual increase?

- Why was Lunark an Elder again? Her, Urokai, and Zarga should make a club since they probably joined only due to Maduke and Roctis. Invite Eighth too since lord knows that cyborg wasn't elected for his work.

[chlorinecake]

Omg I just realized I never updated u on the hangout things 😭. Like ong I don’t think he likes me but idk cus we sit next to each other in class and we don’t talk like I try but it’s very awkward and shit and Like I do try to text him cus im more comfortable online and I remember I went to school early and he missed school the day b4 so I messaged him like “hey r u going to be at school 2day” cus yk like I kinda wanted to talk to him and cus I was also in the library where he usually is but uhm he ignored me and in class I saw him on IG but he was in purpose not looking at my text 😭. But oh well and then I ignored it for a few days and was like “oh he’s sick so maybe he’s just tired” and so I left it alone and like yesterday I asked him for Twice song recs cus I saw he liked them. And now im in a spot where tdy I bought him a CD to get closer to him and also to be like “Hey thanks for keeping up with my awkwardness” cus my awkwardness makes me rly shy and self conscious abt me talking but I felt brave to talk to this dude and Im kinda feeling self conscious again cus like I do want to talk to him and like he ignores me. Also I do want to talk to him when I immediately get into class but he always has his headphones in and I don’t want to disturb him and when he does take them out my teacher alr started teaching and we can’t talk and we barely do when we do hwk and it’s only to ask each other questions and I feel a bit judged. Like I remember one time when we got back a test, he looked over at my score and I think I got like 1 mark more than him and he was like “Oh u did better than me” in a very sad kinda judgy tone yk that one. And I was like “haha yea but it’s ok at least yk test aren’t worth much in this class”

sorry for the long thing Im just confused abt the situation 😭 and I kinda feel like a clown 🤡 cus I see him talk to this other girl in class smts and idk maybe they just bonded over them both being from the philippines. Idk like I don’t invite him to sit with me at lunch cus hon it’s awkward and also I feel him and my friend I sit with won’t get along and our humour is interesting and j feel he would be more uncomfortable and more awkward yk. But hon I feel bad cus I think he just sits with his brother in the library and like idk I feel bad for him cus like honestly I feel he doesn’t have many friends and this is the only class he rly talks from my observation and maybe i’m wrong cus he is a new student but it’s also almost done with them semester so like 5 months. Idk maybe i’ll talk to him more and ask him more questions and ig try to reschedule the hang out or idk maybe j should let go cus we ain’t vibing but also we have another class tgt next sem which makes it even weirder cus ong I have no one else ik abt but him 😭.

Ok so like, I’d never wanna encourage someone to pursue a one sided connection, bc that’s honestly what this is giving. He’s obviously making no efforts here, and I wish you didn’t spend your money on him already 😭 but like… I knew a guy for a year before he started giving back what I gave him, and now we’re super close, so it might work out for you in time, but it seems to me like for now, his mind is on other things than friendship. You can schedule another date with him if you like, but usually, I’d opt for returning the “silent treatment” until they start missing you 🤷‍♀️ it’s a bit manipulative but it works like a charm every time :>

Bc then even the part with him being sulky over the test like bro, you’ve got issues 😭 And not responding to your texts ? Yeah, drop him for a lil bit. Seek friendships in other people, put effort into those you will reciprocate your affection, bc chasing homeboy is just… it’s not it. Once he sees you living your life outside of him (genuinely ofc, not just for the sole purpose of getting his attention), he’ll get his head out of his phone more often. And if he doesn’t, oh well, you didn’t lose anything 🤷‍♀️ Personally, you seem like a really cool person and someone nice to talk to, and he obviously doesn’t appreciate that

[lamonnaie]

hi!! gmmtv anon again :)

it feels like they’re trying to catch up with all of their delayed stuff, which is good for them and for us ig. they’re already filming two of the announced shows, and phuwin said they are gonna start filming we are pretty soon - they have three q’s for wednesday club left and filming for we are should start soonish after he’s done with that. also, the interest has already been filmed i think. same goes for my precious which is apparently just a longer version of the movie from what i’ve gathered.

and i just saw that they dropped the wednesday club trailer which is supposed to start airing at the beginning of november (sidenote: i love how they air two eps a week for a lot of their het shows lmao). 23.5 is definitely gonna air in 2024 but we already knew that. cooking crush and last twilight might take over the slote of dangerous romance and only friends. so that would be another two unaired gmm23 shows out of the way.

pls fk also had me fooled. mostly bc they said they were gonna go on stage together and i mean they didn’t lie but damn was i disappointed when it was only for school rangers and the LOL announcement lol.

pond definitely said he was gonna focus on school next year, but idk about joong. i would love for him to do at least another show, preferably with dunk 🤡, since i don’t think he’ll play a huge part in ploy’s yearbook and his arc looks to be a adoptive siblings falling in love with each other story which i’m personally not a fan of.

i’m also very bad at predicitions but i think it’s mostly because i’m heavily biased when it comes to my faves 😭.

oh reddit is on another level fr. i saw the jossgawin rumor and was like oh that would be fun but never in a million years would i have expected them to actually pair them upx and don’t even get me started on the greatinn thing bc i read that post and was like 👁️👄👁️ when i was done

helloo :)

okay when u put it like that, it seems that they're not going too bad for scheduling so far (i'm so glad). wednesday club !!! absolute missed opportunity to not be airing it on wednesdays smh

also i find it so funny that taynew offgun got 2 new shows when their 2023 ones haven't even aired yet 😂😭 gmm rlly said 💲capitalism💲, they know there's a guaranteed audience there so they went for it lmao

WAIT WHAT i did not know it was a stepsiblings story 😭😭 i've seen plenty of that in taiwan, was not expecting gmm to go there hajskdjf. i definitely want more joongdunk, but i also wanna see joong in another het role because he was great in the warp effect (also i just like seeing people outside of their established cps :)) also joylada gang show when?? i wanna see the 4 of them act together so bad 😩😩 it could be the worst show ever and i'd STILL tune in

also its interesting that there were so many rookies cast in shows this time around, i don't think it's usually this many?

that's so real about ur favs tho, if u ask me to make predictions about any het series i will NOT have a clue lmao

honestly half convinced someone on reddit works at gmm at this point, i'm gonna lurk on there for a bit before the next part of announcements and i bet there'll be a guaranteed bingo on my bingo card 😆

[parkitaco]

for the asks!! 🛒, 🤡, and 🤲 if u have any !!

hi friend!!! i’m gonna answer this in the context of byler bc even tho i write other ships that’s what i’ve been writing the most lately and i assume that’s what you’re asking about <33

🛒 What are some common things you incorporate in your fics? Themes, feels, scenes, imagery, etc.

- ok i lovvvveee a good blue and yellow theory reference, i work it in a lot of the time and it’s not necessarily because i even believe in it all that much?? i just know it’ll make the shippers happy when they see it it’s like a little inside joke yknow.

- as for themes i don’t know that there’s necessarily a certain thing i try to work in, my fics are pretty standalone in that regard, unless you count gay panicking as a theme bc in that case that’s a theme in everything i’ve ever written ever.

- i do use certain settings a lot?? lately i’ve been writing a lot of senior-year post canon type of stuff for byler and for those i like to use the quarry and the wheeler’s basement

🤡 What's a line, scene, or exchange you've written that made you laugh?

- ok forgive me for being like. a little cocky with this ig but this entire fic that i wrote last week?? made me laugh the entire time and might be my favorite fic i’ve ever written, here’s my fav bit of it:

Will turns around, scowling. "Would you stop?"

"Why, does it mean something to you?" Mike asks, and Will flicks him in the forehead.

"I hate you," Will proclaims. "I actually- stop kicking my seat Mike, it's not-"

"Admit it meant something!" Mike hisses, kicking both feet against Will's chair at once. "Admit it, or I'll keep doing this all day-"

"Mike, you are so immature, I can't believe you think I would-"

"I don't think, I know that you-"

"Hey!" Max hisses, twisting around in her chair to scowl at them both. "If you two don't stop fighting like an old married couple, I am going to kill you both and be done with it."

🤲 Would you please share a snippet of a wip?

- oooh yes i love you for asking this bc i’m sooo excited about my wip!! there is not a even a smidge of plot just senior year shenanigans and i love it:

Will opens his mouth, then closes it again, wondering how he can possibly formulate an adequate response to this while Mike lies beside him, looking, for all intents and purposes, utterly unbothered by the whole thing. Will grabs his arm and shakes him. "Mike," he says desperately. "Can you please tell them that-"

"Yeah, yeah," Mike grumbles, sitting up and frowning down at the Party. "Guys, let me flirt with Will in peace, okay?"

The whole world stops spinning on it's axis for a second, and through the ringing in his ears Will can hear Max mutter a gleeful "oh, shit".

"I- Mike, that's not what I- what?" Will chokes out, staring at him.

Mike tilts his head to one side, smirking. "What, that's not what you wanted me to say? My sincerest apologies." He promptly flops back down and closes his eyes again, and Will does his best to act like his entire world hasn't just rearranged itself a little bit.

Dustin sighs. "You guys are the worst."

and this isn’t even established relationship can you believe?? i’ve said it before and i’ll say it again, writing byler pre-relationship is barely different from writing established byler, because they literally already act like a married couple. i hate them (affectionate)

[saintobio]

Know what? I was chill before Ch 10 dropped like heu I don't mind if I'd read this later because I was satisfied with out Ch 9 ended but after reading the update, now I can't wait for the next chapter because I'm so curious what Satoru wanted to talk with Y/N about "at home", IF either of them do go home 😄. I'm also curious about what he was about to tell Sera after chasing her because initially I'd think he would still console her, maybe tell her that he just had to say what he had to say but now I also remotely get the feeling that he'd finally end things with her. Like he'll tell her to stop ruining it for him when he's trying to win his wife back and that he didn't even want her there anyway 🤡

These two women were victims of his indecisiveness ngl but Sera manipulating him, too, kinda makes things worse for them?

The decision would have been easy, really, if she just let go but she doesn't want to.

"You deserve what you tolerate."

I found this trending in my country last year (ig?) and it kinda has a valid point don't ya think?

And what were these about 🧐—

—DINNER WITH THE GOJOs—

"Conception dream"

"Grandchild is coming along soon"

"Your husband's FACE TURNED PALLID"

"HE LOOKED LIKE HE WAS PANICKING INTERNALLY"

—BOWLING AREA—

"hand rested on HER BELLY" 🤨

Oh and that bit with Naoya and Toji did not totally reminded reminded of 🥺🥲

Thank you so much for putting great effort into making every chapter. Those 8k-13k words for each chapter you wrote didn't feel that long to me because I was too absorbed reading it that I didn't notice that I've read that much already! Please give yourself a pat on the back. I'm giving hugs too 🤗. I'm not into heavy angst because I do cry reading 'em but I still wait for your every update because I enjoy it 😅

—🌾

most of these will be answered on the next chapter so ig i'll leave it at that. chapter 10 is mostly a filler to the climactic arc that will begin soon. so probably the next 2-3 chapters are full of drama, then the next 2 will be calmer again, and then more drama until the last chapter :)

thank you for reading <33 8k-13k words may seem short to u guys, but it takes a collective 36 hours worth of sleep from me ahahah but it's ok i love writing for this series :D

[mycleverdetective]

since i broke up with paris guy, i am officially back on my bullshit as long as he’s not reaching out and i have updates!!

1. a man is back from the past !!!

i was just minding my business on my phone, watching tiktoks and i get two ig notifications from a guy i talked to almost two months ago when things were getting rocky with paris guy : let’s call him 6’3 !!

we had talked for about 30 seconds before he gave me his ig and immediately ask to meet up next time he was in my city, i told him i was busy but maybe another time then never contacted him again because paris guy was my #1

and now he’s back, i kind of want to see what he’s going to say lmao, i’m probably never actually going to see him but it’s still nice to speak to someone

2. a man from ancient times (not really!!) is back

my og man, the one i held onto for literal years, the one i thought i had feelings for (that was before paris guy happened 🤡). i have bumped into him THREE fucking times in less than a month.

the first time, it took me five minutes to put 2 and 2 together and then it was too late so i ended up texting him asking him if we had just bumped into each other.

second time, i’m still not 100% sure it was actually him.

third time, i was on the phone with my sister and he recognized me, said hi, asked how i was doing but kept walking, i think to the gym (typical!!), i even considered inviting him to grab food with me lmaoooo, that probably would’ve been so awkward but also a little fun to tell him about everything that happened since i told him about my crush, i mainly would’ve talked about switzerland guy and paris guy ofc

3. a new man has joined the roster these past few weeks!!

we’ve been talking for about two weeks i think.. he’s not really my type but i don’t know, he’s nice to talk to and he makes me laugh!

he’s really helped me with the whole paris guy fiasco, we messaged back and forth all day the day of the breakup, he comforted me when i told him i had ended things with paris guy and he’s been really sweet to me! lots of pet names, cute messages, etc.

i feel like he really cares about me but he’s trying to pull away too. he’s expressed that he doesn’t want me to end things because he’ll be sad, etc. my feelings are so confusing. i care about him but i also care about paris guy still.