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xoxiu · 7 months

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baby, it's you - ot7 x reader

chapter one

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summary: you get kidnapped while on a school trip to korea and get sold into south korea's luxury littles market. the most famous idol group wins your auction.

tags/warnings: forced infantilism, little!reader, diapers, noncon drug use, kidnapping, minor ed behaviors, attempted sa (cocsa?), spanking, diapers, caregivers!bts, force-feeding, language barriers,

Namdaemun market seemed never ending. So many vendors lined the streets with delicious street food and handmade clothing and accessories. You and your three friends walked the market together under the buddy system, a mandatory requirement put in place by your teacher. It was made very clear that when left to your own devices, be in a group of at least three people, and less than six. Although there were a manageable number within your group, you still found yourself doing a headcount every other minute.

"Oh my gosh, y/n, this would be so cute on your baby sister!" Marissa exclaimed, making a beeline to a small stand selling child-size hanboks. You and the rest of your group quickly followed behind, shaking your heads at Marissa's actions. The entire time you were in the market, she was constantly running off to various vendors.

The hanboks were obviously all handmade by the older woman running the stand- you admired the intricate design of a pale pink piece in particular.

"They all look too big- Lainey is only 2 years old..." your words trailed off as you looked amongst the various color options. All of the hanboks were much too big for your sister, being mostly toddler sized.

The more you and your friends stood at the stand, the more weird you felt. Perhaps it was just your imagination, or paranoia, but you couldn't help but feel someone watching you. The fact that every time you glanced at the old shopkeeper she would immediately dart her eyes away from you was not helping anything. Finally, the woman spoke up as you began to walk away.

"I have smaller sizes in the back, if you'd like to look," she said, making your group all look over in her direction. The four of you were silent for a minute, exchanging questioning glances, before Marissa spoke up.

"You go find Lainey's size; we'll wait for you out here."

The woman ushered you inside rather enthusiastically. She followed you into the building, and closed the door behind her. The rather loud 'thud' made you jump and turn to face her, curious as to why she would suddenly close the previously open door. Before any words could be exchanged, you felt arms wrap around you, pulling you into a back room of the shop.

You tried to scream out for help, but the hand around your mouth muffled any attempt to cry out. Quickly you felt yourself go into full panic mode, hyperventilating and squirming to try and escape the grip on your body. There had to be at least two men holding you, as you felt arms around your waist and arms, as well as various hands all over. What you could only assume was a pillowcase was slipped over your head, making the already dark room even darker. At some point the hand over your mouth was removed, now holding your wrists together behind your back.

"Calm down, calm down," they kept repeating, but you had no idea what they were saying due to the language difference. You could, however, hear the desperation in their voices. All you could do was cry, letting out sobs and pleas to be let go.

You could feel the tightness and tackiness of duct tape being wrapped around your wrists, leaving you unable to move them beyond maybe half an inch. Your mouth was soon covered as well, leaving your lips tightly shut from the tape.

Hands gripped you under your armpits, lifting you up onto a platform of sorts. With the freedom you still had, you kicked your dangling legs wildly, making it harder for the men to tape your ankles as well. A sudden stinging and tingling in your cheek made you freeze out of concern. The sound of the slap did not register in your head from the pure adrenaline in the moment. Only the pain broke through your focused senses.

The men used your stunned stillness to tape your ankles. Once they were sure the tape would hold, they jumped onto the platform next to you. You felt the shakes and bounces from their jump- you were in a truck trailer. And there were easily four men pulling your body further into the trailer.

You were pushed down onto your stomach with a boot resting on top of your back. Nevertheless, you continued to squirm to the best of your abilities, desperately trying to do something. What that something was, you weren't entirely sure. All you could think about was getting free and running far, far away.

As you squirmed in pain and whimpered, the men above you were having a casual conversation in Korean, even having the audacity to laugh and joke around.

The foot was removed from your back as the engine started up. The men all sat down along the walls of the trailer, watching and laughing as you were forced to slide and roll with every jerk and turn along the road. One particularly harsh stop caused you to tumble your way into two of the men. You cried and squirmed harder, not wanting to knowingly be so close to your abductors.

A sharp pain shot down your arm as you were stabbed with a needle in your upper arm. You panicked more, not liking being injected with some unknown drug. Another jab was made in your lower back, and soon you felt your body go numb. Your sobs and squirms soon died down as the drugs took full effect.

———

The sound of feet shuffling on the floor and people talking greeted you as you slowly came to. You groaned, not appreciating being awoken from a comfortable slumber. It took you a moment to open your eyes due to your exhaustion and the brightness of the room you resided in. Everything was a blinding white- the lights, the walls, everything.

With half lidded eyes, you turned your head to look at the two other people in the room. Neither of them paid you much attention, failing to notice that you had awoken. Your body had been drained of all energy, allowing you to only release a small, pitiful moan instead of the loud scream you wanted to make.

Two pairs of eyes turned to face you- the man was rather shocked to see you awake, while the woman looked pleased. All you wanted to do was jump off the exam table and run as far as you could, but the fact that you couldn't feel your fingers or toes ruined that plot.

"y/n, it's so nice to see you alert and awake!" The woman said, walking towards you. She bent down to be eye level with you, running her hand through your hair. Although she was speaking English, you still had a hard time processing her words.

"Doctor Park is going to be examining you to make sure you're all good and healthy, is that okay?"

You desperately tried to shake your head and let out a 'no'. Out of every possible situation in the world, having to be examined by a strange man had to be one of the worst. Especially when you are unable to move or speak.

The man, Dr. Park, said very little to you. He sat down in his chair and rolled his way over to you, quickly taking your vitals. He spoke in Korean, mainly addressing the woman from what you could tell. Everything was just overwhelming- the finger heart monitor, the blood pressure cuff, and the ear thermometer all happening at once made your head spin out of fear and confusion.

"y/n, you need to stop shaking your head, dear." You hadn't even realized you were moving anything, better yet your head. Ultimately you listened to the woman, fearful of what would happen if you didn't cooperate.

As the examination went on, you felt your stomach ache more and more. Closing your eyes and turning your head away from the doctor helped slightly, but the urge to vomit still remained.

The door to the exam room opened, allowing a nurse pushing a cart into the room. You strained your eyes to try to see what was on the cart. Various small bottles and needles were scattered across the cart, with what appeared to be a pacifier inside a clear plastic container.

You quickly made the connections to what was going to happened. Not liking it, you began to whine and whimper more, violently shaking your head and trying your best to move the rest of your body. No one paid you any mind, however, and continued on with the procedures.

The nurse picked up the pacifier box, and took out the pale pink pacifier. Despite your best efforts, she easily popped the soother into your mouth. You tried your best to spit it out, but your tongue felt too heavy to properly push the pacifier out with it.

You watched as the doctor began to prepare the syringes, not entirely sure what was inside of each bottle. Not wanting to watch the needle enter you, you tightly closed your eyes until you saw random colors. Surprisingly, you didn't feel a single poke of the needles. You slowly relaxed your eyelids as you felt a comforting warmth fill your body. Your breathing began even and calmer, and soon you felt yourself fall back asleep.

#bts fanfic #bts x reader #kim namjoon #kim seokjin #min yoongi #jung hoseok #park jimin #kim taehyung #jeon jungkook #bts #namjoon x reader #seokjin x reader #yoongi x reader #hoseok x reader #jimin x reader #taehyung x reader #jungkook x reader #bts little space #baby its you

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fatehbaz · 1 year

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If you wanted to know more about the saga of protests and resistance against Canada’s open-pit copper mining in Panama:

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Screenshot and headline from: “Canadian firm blames Panama for closure of copper mine.” AP News. 16 December 2022.

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Headline from: “Panama: Canadian mining company First Quantum denied to expand copper exploitation area for alleged failure with environmental commitments.” Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. 26 January 2023.

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Headline from: Valentine Hilaire. “Panama won’t allow Canada’s First Quantum to expand its copper mine operations.” Reuters. 26 January 2023.

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Headline by: The Associated Press. “Panama reaches 20-year deal with Canadian copper mine.” As republished at ABC News. 8 March 2023.

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An excerpt and explanation:

In Panama, a dispute has emerged of a type that is common to countries in Central and South America: a huge transnational company has invested in the country’s resource wealth, resulting in a conflict over suitable payments to the government that draws in officials from the company’s nation of origin in defence of corporate profits. In this case, the company in question is First Quantum Minerals, a mining giant with lucrative investments across the Global South -- and the country of origin is Canada.

This summer [2022], Panamanians rose up in nationwide protests against the neoliberal status quo imposed on the country by the government of Laurentino Cortizo. Beginning on July 1, these protests brought together diverse groups including teachers, students, trade unionists, farmers, and Indigenous organizations [...]. The causes of the summer 2022 protests go back decades and help illustrate the dynamics of the current conflict between First Quantum (and their backers in Ottawa) and the Panamanian state.

Throughout the 1990s, Canada aggressively pushed for states in Central and South America to adopt neoliberal reforms that would permit more foreign investment and fewer regulations for transnational companies. [...]

Several protest movements emerged in Panama in the 2010s in opposition to the effects of free market reforms generally and the predominance of Canadian mining specifically. At the heart of these resistance movements is the Canadian-owned Cobre Panamá mine, which is the largest foreign investment in the country [...].

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Cobre Panamá was owned by the Toronto-headquartered Inmet Mining until 2013, at which point it was acquired by Vancouver-based First Quantum. In 2011, the Martinelli government attempted to limit the Indigenous Ngäbe-Buglé nation’s rights to autonomy and self-government in order to grant mining companies access to minerals on their land. Meanwhile, Martinelli repealed a law that prevented foreign governments from investing in the mining sector -- a gift to Canada’s Inmet Mining, which at the time was seeking financing from the sovereign wealth funds of Singapore and South Korea.

These moves sparked protests that continued into 2012. Martinelli responded to demands for the annulment of mining and hydroelectric concessions on Indigenous territory with violence by dispatching riot police. The police killed one protestor, injured thirty-two, and detained forty. The protestors did not budge; instead, they blocked the entrances to Cobre Panamá and another mine owned by the Canada’s Petaquilla Minerals. Eventually Martinelli relented and vowed not to approve mining projects on or near Ngäbe-Buglé lands.’

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During the 2011-2012 conflict, nobody in the Canadian government issued a single statement on the matter. When protestors took to the streets again in 2022, Ottawa released a statement that totally omitted the reasons behind the uprising.

Following the economic shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cortizo government declared that Panama’s recovery would rely on incentivizing foreign investment in the mining sector. Social movements have by and large rejected this new arrangement due to the history of corrupt collaboration between state officials and foreign companies and the weakness of environmental protections.

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For example, in April 2022 the Panama Worth More Without Mining Movement -- which arose in opposition to the Canadian-owned Cobre Panamá mine -- released a report that found over 200 “serious” breaches of environmental commitments by the project managers, including the breaking of reforestation promises, “the felling of 876 hectares… in an area of high biodiversity and international importance,” and “the discharge of waste from the tailings tank into natural bodies of water without official endorsement.”

Following the summer 2022 protests, the Cortizo government announced plans to reform the mining sector by instituting greater regulations on foreign companies. In the meantime, the Panamanian state and First Quantum were in the process of negotiating a renewed contract. Jason Simpson, CEO of Canada’s Orla Mining (which is hoping to begin extraction at its Cerro Quema gold project), said, “The biggest story in Panama is Cobre Panamá, so as the government works through their renewed contract law for First Quantum’s asset there, that’ll take priority… We’ll be patient for that to be resolved and then we hope to get working on construction in Panama.”

The negotiations for the renewal of the Cobre Panamá contract began in September 2021. The two parties agreed that First Quantum would provide Panama with between 12 and 16 percent of its gross profit, a new rate that would replace the previous two percent revenue royalty. [...]

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Much like Ottawa jumped to the defence of Centerra Gold following Kyrgyzstan’s nationalization of the Kumtor gold mine last year, the Trudeau government has taken a keen interest in Cobre Panamá and, according to the unnamed Reuters source, is actively backing the mining company’s position. Given Canada’s long history of support for neoliberal reforms and transnational investment in Central and South America, Ottawa’s support for First Quantum in these negotiations should come as no surprise.

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Headline and text by: Owen Schalk. “Ottawa backs Canadian mining giant in dispute with Panama.” Canadian Dimension. 26 December 2022. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph contractions added by me.]

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wen-kexing-apologist · 2 months

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Love in the Big City: Part Four- Regret, Rain, Love, and Loss

Well, it’s official. Love in the Big City, Part Four may have been short but it cemented itself as my favorite portion of the book. I asked @antonhur when he was so graciously answering questions what his favorite scene in the book was, and I can see why he said when they were lying in the rain in Bangkok; Late Rainy Season Vacation indeed. When I first started this book, I was talking with a few mutuals like @bengiyo and @lurkingshan wondering how I would feel about Young by the end of this book, because I was not a huge fan of his character in Part One. But I have very much enjoyed seeing his progress across these parts. I said already in my post about Part One that my biggest struggle with Young and the thing I think primarily contributes to the change in his friendship with Jaehee is that he cannot be serious, he cannot, does not allow himself to feel. And in Part Four, he’s finally admitting to it.

“I was too late to put things back the way they’d been” “That is how my memories of him are preserved under glass, safe and pristine, forever apart from me” “I’ve no choice but to stand at arm’s length”

Part Four is my favorite part of this novel because Part Four is full of ghosts. Not only the ghost of Gyu-ho, but the ghost of all that came before. The rooftop party with Gyu-ho where he got plastered on whatever alcohol he could, where now he sits and drinks champagne, a ghost of both his relationship and the way he spent his college years. Going through Habibi’s wallet, a ghost of when he snuck a look at Hyung’s secrets all those years before. The text messages Young saw on Habibi’s phone about a family member with cancer, a ghost of his mother’s own diagnosis. Habibi himself, getting unexpectedly deep for only a moment before forcing the conversation away from anything real, a ghost of Young himself, and all the times he just could not bring himself to be open and honest with the people around him.

Just like learning about the HIV diagnosis recontextualizes everything that came before it (see a wonderful essay about that by @twig-tea here) ending this book with the admission that his only wish a year ago was for Gyu-ho recontextualizes my understanding of how aware Young was about his own modus operandi. I operated under a much different assumption that Young didn’t know what he had until it was gone, that Young was not aware of how far his fears ran, of how distant he had made himself. I assumed Part Four was where Young starts to realize himself the way he’d behaved in the past and how that contributed to the downfall of his relationship to Gyu-ho. But now I think he knew it all along and he just didn’t trust us enough to say it until the end. Because I’m not quite sure even by the end of this book Young trusts us enough to be completely honest.

I talked in my post for Part Three about HIV treatments and prevention methods, and mentioned Truvada, (generic name: emtricitabine-tenofovir) which is a pre-exposure prophylaxis medication that can be taken to prevent someone without HIV from getting HIV should they have an exposure. I mentioned there that at the time of Young’s relationship with Gyu-ho, Truvada was not available on the market in South Korea. But as it turns out, Teno-Em (tenofovir-emtricitibine), a generic PrEP medication, was available in Bangkok by 2015. In Part Four, Young describes going to a pharmacy and getting a generic medication, and he writes the errand in such a way as to make the whole thing seem shady. And maybe it was. But maybe he was just afraid, and that fear colored his own perceptions of what was going down:

My expectation had been that the place would be hidden away in some seedy alley, but it was right there on the main street. The interior was almost the same as any other pharmacy. I showed the pharmacist a picture of the generic version of what I needed. The pharmacist, if he really was a pharmacist, took out a bottle of pills and explained to us, in English, how they worked. He said that taking just one a day at a set time was enough to perfectly prevent the disease. He really said the word “perfectly.” How could he be so confident? He added that taking two of the pills before risky intercourse and then a pill every twenty-four hours for two more doses was enough to prevent transmission.

The facts are these: the pharmacy was on a main street, the pharmacy looked like a pharmacy, the pharmacist was able to explain how the medication worked, and the pill regimen for prevention was accurate to the pill regimen for PrEP.

Could they have still been shady? Sure. But I think it is far more likely that Young and his historically terrible experiences with medicine have colored his perception of healthcare and placed doubt in his head over the legitimacy of this medication. Which, learning that Young and Gyu-ho have unprotected sex in Bangkok, makes me wonder if Young’s doubts about the pharmacy added another reason for him to let Gyu-ho go to Shanghai alone, if the meds they got in Bangkok weren’t real, if they didn’t work, then he likely gave Gyu-ho HV.

Young talked about stains in this part, about permanency- the soy sauce on the mattress, the crack in the toilet and he talked about fleeting things- immediately losing the shape of Habibi’s face when he stepped outside the door, the lantern burning up and turning to ash with all the dreams, all the wishes Young had, or just the one. Regret seems to hold a permanent place in Young’s spirit, as does loss. Love is something I think he thought did not exist, or if it did then it was fleeting. He loved Jaehee and lost her, his first boyfriend died, the obsession he had over Hyung could only be described as dickmatized. But when he gave away Gyu-ho’s love, when he let Gyu-ho go to Shanghai alone, it was one of the few times in the entire novel we saw Young grieve. He fully collapsed under the weight of it all, barely leaving bed, not having the energy to maintain his typical routines, trying to root out the memories of Gyu-ho in his head by writing him out, and killing him over and over and over again.

I find myself stuck, thinking about what is perhaps my favorite line in the book:

“Sometimes his very existence to me is the existence of love itself”

Gyu-ho’s existence is Young’s idea of love; to kill Gyu-ho, to remove him from existence is to kill Young’s idea of love. “The made-up Gyu-ho in my writing got hurt or died many times, and is always resurrected, as if love saves his life- whereas the real Gyu-ho lives and breathes and keeps moving on.” Young’s regret is a permanency in his life, just as his love for Gyu-ho is a permanency. All he wished for was Gyu-ho, but Young’s inability to be honest, deeply, emotionally honest, all the fear, all the emptiness, all the pain got in the way. I am not a person who minds a melancholy end, regret, remorse, grief, love. These are all a part of life. The only thing I hope is that one day Young can lay down in the pouring rain and feel peace the way Gyu-ho did that day in Bangkok.

#litbc #litbc book club #love in the big city #love in the big city book club #very much looking forward to seeing these television adaptations #thank you to shan and ben for the brilliant idea to have a book club #it has been so much fun participating in this event!

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bunnyrhe · 2 years

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Demon's Head: Mafia Boss CG Yoongi x Little Space Reader

"Where are you? I'm here in the market where you told me to come find you." You spoke into the static receiver of your cheap disposable phone. When you got no response, you had to hang up, you were already low on credit.

The traditional red and cream coloured paper lanterns strung across rope connecting different stalls, loomed on the moon soaked horizon . The sky was an oily black, few stars pockmarked the endless expanse, the light pollution of the night market drowning their iridescence.

The market was busy with throngs of people weaving in and out of stalls, their chatter competing with the music on the radios that few people had. A cold south westerly wheezed a terrible chilling wind, the lanterns must have been affronted by it and leaned back to get out of the way. The night air brought the smells of saline and a distinct, crisp, fishy smell of salmon and squid. Then the warm hearty aroma of the ramyun stalls and oriental cuisine stalls followed on its heels, they were delicious smells to your rumbling stomach. The steam and sizzling smoke from cooktops billowing into the winds.

You saw him sitting on his car, a sleek and shiny black S-class, brooding against the bonnet. You laid eyes on the King.

He wore his face the way a thousand of his ancestors did since the Joseon dynasty, with a single cut through his right eye. It was symbolic. It made his eyes similar to the cross hair of a gun, it made him look like he was scratched by the wild cat of his family crest. The intensity in his eyes took my breath away. He was tall, handsome and radiating wealth, prestige and honour.

And danger. He was a dangerous man above all else, only 29 but was the head of the Korean crime empire-The Demon’s Head Clan. This was the oldest living clan in Korea, rivalling the age of even the 6Eye clan run by the Jeon Family.

Min Yoongi was the only living successor of his Clan. He was revered in the streets as the King, less commonly known as silverfish. He was a ruthless, sadistic murderer, hidden under his deceptively unbothered, bored even plucky exterior.

It was his reputation that made him a walking contradiction.

His predecessors knew little and cared less about the new breed of technological men who came to dominate the crime syndicates. They grew to be creatures of habit, skin pallid and dusty from their environment, clinging to their glory days limpet-like to whatever toe-hold of wealth they could get. They were used to the comfort of illegal gambling and local arms trades and for that their family name was losing the prestige it once commanded. The Min name was quickly fading from tapestries and great annals of history.

That was before Min Yoongi.

Min Yoongi represented a new blood for Korean crime-expansion into the international arenas of gun and drug cartels, and military level technological warfare, uranium trades to countries of the highest bidders. All with casinos, bars, hotels,restaurants and tech companies to launder all the bills. His plan was laughed out of the Min palatial estate for being to ambitious for his weak stature.Min Yoongi became a fine new school, built and skilled at denigrating the old ways, rejecting the past and arousing in new recruits the lust for golden dreams in the industrial millennium.

For that he became the black sheep.

He ascended to the pinnacle of leadership of the Clan by erasing all dissenters. Within one night he had single handedly slaughtered his relatives, effectively eradicating all competing interests for the throne. Then his enemies’ blood spilled afterwards.

It was an impossible task. A job no one could have pulled off. The bodies he eviscerated that day laid the foundation of what he is now. Min Yoongi was focused, angry beyond measure and he had a burning desire to prove himself. The folklore around the event arose, fanned out like an uncontrollable flame. It's alleged that he compiled the corpses, stacked up to the ceiling. When all the ones he spared found the gorey sight in the familial palace, he was sitting picking his nails. He gave himself the mark of the King-the eye cut- and never looked back.

He was only 19.

From the most lordly government officials to the littlest children in the playgrounds knew him now, knew his strength. The children made a story about him- the whale and the silverfish. The moral of the story was not to be a bully as all children's stories and songs go. The whale, Yoongi’s family ,was the master of the world until it espied a stranger in their domain: a big gleaming silverfish. Yoongi was the silverfish that refused to acknowledge the whale’s mastery. The whale grew angry and slapped the interloper with his tail. That was the whale’s fatal error because the silverfish was actually a torpedo. Yoongi's family made the mistake of not acknowledging or appointing him, now they would suffer from the grave.

You gasped when Yoongi's eyes flicked up, noticing you standing in the middle of the crowd looking terribly out of place.You were playing with the hem of your lavender sweater, keeping your eyes on your grey boots. His face was bright with the light of his cellphone. He released the breath of smoke, letting the grey whisps curl around his nose before stomping out the cig. If he wasn't mafia, his lineage should have been dragon. He held eye contact with you, feline eyes watching how you bristled. Everything he did held this mystique and a level of awe and fear inspiring brilliance.

You almost missed all the cars flanking it in the dark for how clearly they reflected the night sky. Yoongi wore an all black custom tailored suit with a matching trench coat. It seemed very cloak-and-dagger. There were similarly dressed men flanking him, some smoking, the red embers of cigarette lighting up like a half-dozen tiny red rat eyes in the dark, a few reloading handguns, one carving an apple into wedges with an absurdly large hunting knife.

He rapped twice on the hood of the car, and you watched the men assemble with precise, practised efficiency.They walked over keeping instep with Yoongi, shrouding him like a horde. They crossed the lot with graceful, careful steps like it was a scene right out of a movie. Yoongi was so casually sexy. The cronies spread out among the market crowd like black scaly tentacles fanning out around the Demon's Head. But Yoon wasn't a demon, at least not to you. Around you he could finally relax, break the staccato tone and his grim reaper appearance. He could smile and be warm with you.

Yoongi was your boyfriend with you.

"H-Hello," you waved to him, curling into yourself to keep warm and make yourself shrink under his gaze. Yoongi looked over your posture with disdain, thinking about starting posture training with you to make you stand confidently af his side.

"Jagi. You're gorgeous tonight, kitten.”

You felt a wave of colour rise to your cheeks but quickly recovered, giving him a slightly ironic look as though rejecting the sincerity of his words. For all your lauded beauty, you had painfully thin skin. Yoongi however was suave with unmatched confidence and charm, he doled out compliments to you in spades because it didn't diminish him. He called you beautiful like it was your name. Care and confidence sparkled in his eyes and radiated from the chiselled contours of coiling muscles visibly straining the Hérmes silk as he bent his arms behind his back.

"Here, I brought you gifts. You can have the one in my right hand or the one in my left."

"Awww Yoonie, I feel bad now! I don't have anything for you, I can't accept this."

Yoongi nodded. Fuck.

He instantly felt awful and guilty for saying that. It was his job to spoil his kitten, and your reaction made him feel ashamed for even refusing you gifts. Real men spoil their women, he reprimanded himself. "I was joking, they're both yours. Don't worry about Daddy,"

He gave you the Shooky plushy with the sassy mouth and strong eyebrow."I know you love these, I bought the company that manufactures-"

Your eyes widened filling up with stars, jaw dropping. He remembered! You had said off handedly once that you loved these plush toys but the originals were ridiculously expensive. It was so precious to you that he would remember, even going through all this trouble for you. You felt impossibly softer when he cupped your cheek,stroking it softly.

"There's that smile, do you like your gift?"

"SHOOKY!"you grinned, scooping him into your arms to cradle him to your cheek. "Thank you daddy, I love him."

"I got you a necklace too, " he flicked the Tiffany box open, showing off the opulent jewellery- a gold Cuban link chain encrusted with white diamonds." I thought we should start simple for you first time. May I?"

He chuckled watching you talking animatedly to the pillow sized Shooky, throwing him up in the air and catching him, kissing him all over his face. You were so absolutely enamoured with the plushie you were in another world. He smiled at how soft you looked, voice getting higher and more garbled and childish. You were having a conversation with him, wiping any fuzz from his eyes so he could see.

He tucked the necklace away. It wasn't very age friendly right now. It was a pocket full of promise with the jewellery put away for later. It would mean there would be a place you could go that was safer than the night market to put it on you. Yoongi smiled internally, he knew the perfect spot.

"Come hold my hand, little one. Let me protect you, don't wander off." He held your hand to lead you around, to the various stalls. His hands were rife with veins, cold like rivers in the night, calluses on his palm like stones. These hands had spilled blood, but I trusted them completely. You held his hand, wrapping around his arm. He kissed your knuckes softly, watching your blush creep north to your hairline, goosebumps on your flesh. While your Shooky held your attention, he was subtly accepting his monthly installation of protection money or kickbacks from vendors.

You shivered and he gave you his trench coat, retaining his suit jacket. The sleeves cascaded far past your fingertips to make sweater paws. You giggled, paddling them to make them dance and dangle in the wind.

"Kitty, kitty rawr." You pointed. You could see the large tattoo on his hand- a tiger tattoo wrapped around a sword- the insignia of the Demon's Head Clan. His people were revered there, treated royally and loyally. The clan moved en masse, avoiding and spewing out other rival clans like a selective plasma membrane.

It subsumed abandoned orphans and adults alike. The children lived in the dormitories or apartments for free, receiving a high quality of education, eating and being clothed for free, some ran errands to earn pocket money, others ran their own block by the time they were 18. The clan gave you the opportunity to leave or stay without repercussions but many stayed for familial ties and a sense of belonging. Afterall, children who weren't given love on a silver spoon learned to lick it off knives. That's when they took the black and tattooed the tiger and sword onto their hands. They belonged to the Demon's Head forever.

At least that was what your parents told you about Yoongi's world, the dark underbelly of the Korea that Yoongi ran like monopoly. He was the zenith of power. A God walking among mortals.

" I like your necklace, daddy, it's pretty ,"there were a simple blue and purple beads that was a gift from Jung Hoseok,the other was a thick gold chain. Jung Hoseok wasn't so much mafia as an independent contractor, he was more of a human resource manager within Yoongi's world. He was a one man team, supplying people to do anything from waste management to prostitution.

Gold Rings and bracelets jingled on Daddy's wrist,he looked so gorgeous and well adorned. One ring caught my attention,it was gold with a panther's open maw, holding a bright red gem with green veins. Something was so fascinating about it, all the other stones in his jewelry were diamonds or tiny clear crystalline blues.

"It's called bloodstone. It protects from excessive bleeding."

"It's beautiful,"

"Yeah? " Yoongi smiled subtly, covering it up with a lip bite. He'd seen dozens of reactions to his ring: morbid fascination, hatred, his men thought it was logical but never this. Never just pure appreciation, almost an infantile sense of love for it. He felt so proud of you, so accepted by you. "Maybe it's time to get this kitten some more jewellery of her own, maybe a collar…definitely a new wardrobe. "

He noticed the way your dress rode up because you'd outgrown it and the tiny hole in the wrist. It was so thin that he gave her his trench, aside from wanting her to smell like his outer layer of his natural aroma and cologne, keeping his suit jacket imbibed with the everlasting scent of Iron and death. He wanted to wrap her up in his embrace and take you away from this world. Or alternatively, burn the world down just to keep you warm.

"I'd get you draped in silks and the best brands in this world if you wanted me to, I can make the call right now."

"Yoon," you called to him sweetly, blushing furiously, your head laid on his stomach. He chuckled breathily a tiny purr escaping his throat as you two snuggled tightly a the lonely corner of the market.

“When was the last time you went shopping?Just to treat yourself?”He asked, his face leaning into yours, nose nudging the pulse point below your ear.

“I dunno, people don't remember that type of stuff.When was the last time you went shopping, huh?”

“A month ago, I bought an airline.”

You visibly wilted, your sweet cherry smile turning acidic. You were hurt.

"Shhh kitten, let Daddy take care of your expenses yeah?"

"Uh uh I'm a big girl now, I can do it,"

"No you're not, stop pretending to know things. Daddy will take care of expenses, kitten. Welcome to my world, baby." He kissed behind my ear, making me blush and giggle loudly.

He bought you hotteok and banana milk, then split a tuna sushi tray in one of the stalls in the night market that he owned. You watched wordlessly when the two customers that were eating rose from their seats mid-meal when you arrived and left after bowing to him. He kept your face pressed into his suit chest, arm over your shoulders. Yoongi was very secretive about you, going to lengths to secure your personal safety. The owner himself retreating outside once he prepared your food.

"Why are the people being weird, daddy? Are we in danger?"

"No baby, daddy's the danger baby. If you'd have let me, I would have brought you to a nice restaurant, spoiled you rotten." He hummed watching you eat, head resting on his palm.

"I can't afford that right now,"

"I know losing your job can be difficult, but maybe it's just for the best? Some people aren't meant to work. "

You were about to ask him how he knew about that when he plucked you up, letting you sit in his lap at the table, feeding sushi to you. He kept stuffing your face full of foods- peeled shrimp in perilla leaves, rice, sushi pieces. You welcomed it all with an open mouth, hardly being able to chew and swallow your chubby full cheeks worth of food. He enjoyed seeing you eating and maintaining a healthy appetite. He liked to know you were keeping on top of your eating schedule and taking care of your health. You swivelled to feed him, "choo choo daddy ,"

"Min-ssi. Your phone sir, from the Mayor Kim." One of his men interrupted, not making eye contact, holding an old fashioned telephone with a rotation dial. I knew that it was the business line, not a social call on his cell. Not that there were social visits in his world.

"Choo choo!" You insisted. Your daddy had created a spoiled brat that demanded attention.

As private as Yoongi was, a part of him was loving the attention once it was from you. He loved feeling needed. He hadn't known this much of your true nature, that you were this soft and gentle and receptive of his care that you would melt into him. He wouldn't know where he ended and you began without his tattoo. You were a pleasant plot twist.

"Tell Namjoon I will return his call later tonight." He accepted the rice, watching as your mouth opened and closed mimicking him chewing. You always thought he ate very prettily. All he could think about while watching you was how much he had changed since meeting his precious little kitten.

He usually only thought of family, his duty and honour code that were enshrined in his mind's temple. He was the leader of this family business that was the lifeblood of a nation, he upheld any moral that came along to facilitate the family business like a malevolent shrine.

He was a soldier, a warrior but here you were a goddess when you smiled. Emperors would have fallen across the ages for such a smile. A smile that could destroy worlds and rebuild them. A smile Yoongi would lay down his life for. He'd worship at your altar if you let him.

He gave you eat more of the food and stone pot rice. He offered a sip of his plum juice then you fell in love with it, leaving your orange juice untouched. He chuckled, watching you struggle to hold the bottle in your little space. He reached inside his coat for a small black leather bag with a sippy cup for you. "There now my princess can eat and drink in peace without accidents. "

He held you across his lap,your head tucked into the crook of his arm while he fed you juice from your sippy. You stared up into his eyes blinking softly at him, your hand pressed under the top buttons of his shirt to feel close to him. You raised your hand to his head. Yoongi pulled away, giving you his chin the way all big cats do to reject touch.

“Please?”

Never would you have believed that Min Yoongi, the King the silverfish could ever purr. If the world could see him now, enjoying head scratches eyes shut in pleasure, a tiny smile on his face. He shut his eyes tipping his head to you to let you scratch behind his ears, nuzzling the palm of your hand when you pulled away. He was pink in the cheeks when he smiled after his scratching.

"Can we get icey cream?"

"Course we can cub,"

His men brought Ice cream to you, hands trembling and set it down in front of you. Bowed and left the room. He left you eating ice cream happily while he washed out your sippy cup. You cooed at him, trying to get his attention.

"Do you want your paci?''

You thought hard, wiggling your hips,"Uh uh....wait yes yes please."

You were quite content dipping paci in your ice cream then sucking on it, leaving Yoongi to deal with the runny strawberry in the cup. He ate his coffee flavour, accepting your ice cream covered paci when you offered it to him.You dipped it in the ice cream, holding it up to daddy. You pressed it to his lips, letting him enjoy it. He didn't dare eat it, wiping it off when you weren't looking.

"Mm thank you cub, but it's your paci okay? Daddy has his spoon. You're sucna good girl for sharing. " He watched you turn rosey from all the praise, giggling and buzzing with excitement. "Nobody else should get to see you smile like that. Nobody else. Only ever with me."

Yoongi came out of the tent with his coat folded neatly over his arm. And an old pocket knife he found in your shoes, on his person. (It was tiny, almost adorable, were you trying to flirt with him?) And his kitten snuggled deeply into his pectoral, perched on his hip snoring and content and drowsy from what he put in her ice cream.

"Bring the car around, Hyojong I'm bringing my baby home,"

Hyojong reached for his piece on his hip, seeing an unknown woman under his leader, immediately assuming the worst and not recognising you. His teeth bared at the unusual scent. "Go on bare your teeth, I'll pull them out one by one."

He barreled through his men, pulling you closer to him. He meant it when he said nobody else deserved to see you smile.

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eepuniverse · 10 months

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Hexel's World Tour Week 6 – Seoul

Everyone, I'm home. I know it sounds so cliche, but the moment I got off the plane in Seoul, I felt like I was coming home🇰🇷❤️. I already knew I could speak Korean, so getting through the airport and to the main city was a breeze (but can we talk about Incheon airport? It is so cool. I could literally spend a whole day at just the airport). I quickly got to my hotel in the middle of Seoul and it is way too nice. I feel like an imposter staying here hahaha.

There are some parts of the city that feel so familiar to me, even though I can't fully remember them. One day, I ended up just walking instinctively to this hole-in-the-wall kalgooksu restaurant and had the best noodle soup ever! 🍜(or I think it's the best I've ever had. It also felt so familiar!) Another place that felt super familiar was Dongdaemun and the Design Plaza. It kind of looks like a spaceship, but I knew exactly where to exit the subway station to get there. It was like instinct. The markets in Dongdaemun are so nice! They have so much fashion and accessories 👗 it was all so overwhelming. But I was able to buy gifts for Georgia while I was there

Talking about cool shops, I just wandered around Insadong for like half a day. There are so many side streets with cafes and small shops that you wouldn't even know were there unless you went to explore. From Insadong, I ended up walking to Bukchon traditional village. Both Insadong and Bukchon are known for their traditional hanok houses. And you all, I could LIVE in one of these. They're so beautiful and smell amazing like wood and paper! I found a place in one of these hanok houses called Aromind which lets you design your own perfume scent! It was so cool and I made one for Krista (hope she likes it!) 🎁

I also wrote down all the food places I loved to go with Dustin if we ever come to Seoul together, including this place that does bbq ribs DIPPED 🍖🧀 in melted cheese and a jjajangmyeon place that handrolls their noodles! I wanted to get Dustin a whole package of Hanwoo--prime Korean BBQ beef (did you know you could buy those?!)--but I was worried about getting it through customs, also, it was a lot to ship back to the US. So I got Dustin some green tea from Ossulloc 🍵, I know it's not technically food, but it's food adjacent! And their tea house in Gwanhun-Dong was so gorgeous with all the traditional ceramics and the little displays about how the teas are roasted! Plus, they're right by Jogyesa Buddhist Temple. They told me Jogyesa is the chief temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. The building dates back to the late 14th century! And you can write your wish on a piece of paper and hang it like a little flag. All the wishes fluttering in the air were so beautiful!

I didn't mean to organize my tour around Seoul based on buying the perfect gifts for my friends, but it turned out that way. So I knew I had to find something amazing for Mac, and I did in Gangnam! That neighborhood kind of reminds me of midtown New York with all the skyscrapers and the fancy hotels and buildings. They have the flagship store to this amazing sunglasses store called Gentle Monster. But they don't just sell sunglasses, they also have amazing art displays that the store clerk told me rotates regularly! In fact, lots of the cool high fashion stores do fun artsy displays in Seoul! From there, I just popped over to Lotte World Tower and bought ALL the duty free skincare! I can't wait to try all my facemasks with the band! Apparently Lotte World Tower is the tallest building in South Korea. And they even have an aquarium in there!

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coimbrabertone · 17 days

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Cautiously Optimistic - Liberty Media Buying MotoGP

So, Liberty Media, owners of Formula One, are officially trying to buy MotoGP. This has been rumored for the last few months, with Dorna Sports - the parent company of MotoGP and World Superbike - had spent the last few years making the kind of moves you'd make before a big sale. The launch of sprint races in MotoGP, appointing a new CCO in the form of Dan Rossomondo, and expanding the calendar with new races in new markets.

Nevertheless, there were always question marks over whether Liberty Media could own both MotoGP and Formula One, because precedent suggested they could not. As Simon Patterson reported for the Race, in 2006, CVC Capital Partners acquired Formula One and thus European regulators ordered them to sell off MotoGP. Thus, MotoGP was sold to another private equity firm, Bridgepoint. Bridgepoint would then acquire World Superbike in 2013, and evidently owning the two premier global motorcycle racing series didn't seem to bother any regulators at that point.

I can't help but combine that with a quote from Dan Rossomondo made at some point while being the Chief Commercial Officer of MotoGP. Rossomondo said, essentially, that MotoGP doesn't just compete with other racing series, it competes with going out for a walk, listening to music, and all the other things you could do on a Sunday instead of sitting down and watching a motorcycle race.

Was that more than just an innocuous quote? Maybe it's a hint of how Dorna and Liberty will make their case to various regulatory bodies to justify this merger.

Whether or not that's true, Liberty Media seems confident that they're going to pass regulatory approval. How exactly that'll happen remains to be seen - some have suggested that World Superbike will be sold off as a sort of sacrificial lamb to allow this to happen - but it now seems like MotoGP and F1 will very likely end up under the same ownership.

So...what does that mean for MotoGP?

Well, it means that the company that turned F1 into this trendy giant of a series is going to give some of that marketing love to MotoGP. That can only be a good thing - MotoGP is fantastic racing and it deserves more attention.

Will MotoGP see a move from historic venues to chase new markets? I would argue that it already has. Dorna has already been chasing emerging markets and a simple look at the calendar will show that - Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, India, etc, etc. Not only that, but that's arguably a necessary decision for MotoGP because, quite frankly, those are the countries that are buying motorcycles these days. 1000cc sport bikes? Not necessarily, but quite frankly, KTM doesn't even make a 1000cc sport bike, so MotoGP has become more of a showcase of the motorcycle industry rather than a marketing tool for a particular type of motorcycle.

Will this result in MotoGP chasing street circuits like F1 did? Well, Liberty Media has already said no, and as much as the word of giant corporations is worthless in 2024, simple safety concerns make it unfeasible. MotoGP needs a ton of space and big gravel traps to stop the bikes - and more importantly, the riders - in the kind of dramatic crashes that can happen in this sport.

What do I think will happen? Well, in the short term, not much, but come 2026, 2027 when circuit contracts start expiring, I suspect we'll lose a few existing venues - having four races in Spain presents an obvious opportunity for some trimming - and probably gain another race in the US (likely that Flatrock track in Tennessee) and if I had to guess, another one in East Asia, most likely China.

Maybe India will pave the way towards MotoGP reviving old, disused F1 tracks, and we could see the likes of South Korea and Istanbul Park added to the MotoGP calendar. If not MotoGP, then WSBK with a Turkish star in the form of Toprak Razgatlioglu really ought to consider it.

Anyway, the way I see it, the legitimate criticisms that F1 fans have with Liberty Media - being greedy, chasing new venues at the expense of historic ones, pushing the teams hard by constantly expanding the schedule - is all stuff that Dorna has already been doing. Even the complaints about the Drive to Survive drama, Dorna has tried two different DTS clones and neither one moved the needle. If you're going to be doing these things anyway, you might as well do them with the company that has at least been successful with it.

For now though, I have MotoGP coverage through Max and TruTV in the US, commercial free, and that's a dramatic improvement over how I had to watch the series last year. Dan Rossomondo's team has made MotoGP far more accessible and pleasant to watch already, and if that can continue under Liberty Media's ownership, then I hope this series that I've fallen in love with over the last year and a half can grow.

Thus, the overall verdict is...I'm cautiously optimistic.

#motogp #f1 #formula 1 #formula one #liberty media #motorsports #racing

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the-greatest-fool · 1 month

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I personally find it very, very strange people chalk up American foreign policy wrt the PRC to Sinophobia. I preface the rest of this creed by stating that I believe there are racists in the government and especially on the right, BUT nonetheless that American competition or even outright hostility to China IS JUSTIFIED.

I begin with a story. When TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew was asked, as were Mark Zuckerberg and other tech CEOs, to testify in front of Congress, there was special scrutiny to TikTok’s treatment of content the CCP would find problematic. Chew, a Singaporean citizen educated in elite American universities, was asked a disappointingly naive line of questioning from Senator Tom Cotton.

Tiktok is owned by ByteDance, headquartered in Beijing and incorporated in the Cayman Islands (famously for scrupulous business). He was repeatedly asked if he had or any point had any relation to the Chinese Communist Party, to which he replied, facially bemused, “Senator, I’m Singaporean.”

This went viral. Online, people commented (somewhat accurately) on Cotton’s racist questions—for instance, asking if Chew was himself Chinese. However, this story seems to have undergone a game of telephone. In the midst of American discussions in Congress over whether TikTok should be banned conditional on being owned by a Chinese company, some TikTokers, aside from blaming the American Israeli lobby for (in my strong opinion) short-sighted and misguided reasons, blamed this on Congressmen “mistakenly” taking TikTok for a Chinese enterprise when it “is Singaporean, Senator.”

This is insanity. I wish to remind readers of TikTok’s empirical bias towards CCP-aligned content; of its promotion of denial of Chinese genocide and violence against the Uigher Muslims, Tibetans, and other Hui; of its tendency to promote anti-American and otherwise anti-social content; and the strong, strong incentive the PRC has (and the great example it has in Russia’s well-documented manipulation of media) to amplify messages that let the American public become complacent to its agenda to invade and destroy a democratic, sovereign nation (Taiwan).

This is no Sinophobia. Listen to your Chinese American peers (at least the ones not so drunk on racial resentiment they’ve begun supporting foreign authoritarians). China is NO MODEL for democracy, social equality, or liberal rights. It despises free expression outside its party mandate. It cracks down on artists too deviant, too *queer*, and too fluid for it to control. It actively bans Western influence and seeks to maintain a monopoly on public discourse. It abhors the notion of freedom. It hates especially that Asian neighbors have adopted liberal democratic agendas perfectly fine, contrary to its extremely racist argument that Eastern Peoples are not suited for democracy, which it claims is a Western concept for Western people. Hong Kong’s streets have never been the same. Do you wish for the bloody sights in Ukraine to be seen again in Taipei? What of the people of Japan, South Korea?

How is it that we’ve decided criticism of such a regime is comparable to criticism of Chinese descended people, who are of countless different faiths, nationalities, and political orientations? How dare my fellow Americans (white and or well off and or privileged) prostrate themselves to China in a disgusting attempt to cleanse themselves of their liberal guilt? (“I recognize I am a settler. I am White. I have sinned. I pray that my Evil home be defeated by these Orientals.”) How dare they turn a matter of geopolitics—because like it or not, our allies in Asia (billions of people) would prefer China not become an aspiring revanchist, toppling nations and conquering waters as it seeks now, and American attempts to contain it, to prevent it from meddling in elections or our market place of ideas are justified—into their social melodrama

You have *no* idea how much it hurts. The largest country in Asia rejects my existence (queer, ethnically Asian but American, etc.). It hates me. And you think that somehow, conceding to it will…what? Oh, it’s for The Cause. “It’s capitalism,” you argue. “It’s colonialism.” Oh yeah? What is TikTok?

Perhaps a rightist would say, “China is no saint.” I say, it is a long running empire built on conquest, bloodshed, repression, and inequality. Of course I hope China one day liberalizes. I hope its people are happy. But I cannot turn a blind eye to Americans who wish to forget its evils to smooth over their own. That is immature at best, diabolical at worst.

China loves for the diaspora to get angry. It loves for liberal and leftist White Americans to “empathize” and be “allies”, to “Stop Asian Hate.” It loathes genuine, factually-based analysis of its policies and of its treatment of its people. Support freedom for all people. Criticize inequalities and injustices at home all you want, but acknowledge there’s a reason why liberal democracy cannot be accepted across the Pacific—and not for a good reason.

This isn’t some ideological game. Wake up and put yourself in the shoes of the people who live on peninsulas and islands surrounded by waters that could one day be filled with hostile submarines ships ready to tear their freedoms away.

#china #asian #asian american #tankies #im drunk sorry #long #long post

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mothmiso · 8 months

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서울 | Seoul (2) (3) (4) by Tony

Via Flickr:

(1) (2) (3) Brisk, chilly sunny January morning on a street in Yongmun-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Korea. (4) Mapo-gu.

#people #city life #roaming the streets #market stalls #storefront #chairs waiting #south korea #seoul

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athenaismdb · 2 months

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loveisnotovertae · 2 months

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Love Is Not Over

✏️Taehyung x OFC ✏️Friends to Lover AU 🛑 Rated 18+ 📖WC:1613 ⚠️Mentally abusive and controlling ex, stalking, mention of anxiety cheating, COVID, drinking, drunk hookup, masturbation, oral, accidental marriage, accidental pregnancy⚠️

Mae always wanted to go to South Korea and visit all the places her Aunt and Uncle used to tell her stories about. So after catching her fiancè cheating, she did just that. Her two month trip turned into a permanent stay thanks to covid lockdown. A friendly neighbor turned best friend, who just so happened to be part of the biggest music group in the world. A drunken night that changed her life forever.

Chapter 21

Mae walked the busy streets of the Gwangjang Market as she visited the various shops and snacked on the delicious street food. This was her little reward for the stressful week she had. She’d just left her realtor after getting the keys to the new official Wander location. She fell in love with the store as soon as she arrived to look at it. The shop was in one of the busier shopping districts and close enough to the Han River that she could see it out of the large windows.

She could see her security team out of the corner of her eye while she looked at some fabric swatches. The two who'd been assigned to her when she’d first gotten back. But there were a few more that’d joined their little group after Taehyung’s live, three days ago. They were trying their best to stay inconspicuous, but Mae could still see them. No one said anything to her about adding more security so she figured it was for training.

The phone vibrating in her pocket drew Mae’s attention from the small piece of fabric she’d stuck on her “like pile”. She smiled as she read the congratulation text from both Taehyung and Jimin’s parents . But the smile soon fell when she looked at the unread message she sent to Taehyung letting him know she got the place. The last time she heard from him was the day after his livestream. He texted and said that his schedule would be packed for the next few days and he would try to make time to check in, but it wasn’t looking good.

Mae took the bag of swatches she was given and thanked the woman who’d helped her, before she let her stomach and her nose lead her to her next stop.

“Would either of you like a hotteok?” Mae asked her bodyguards from under her mask, when they stepped in behind her as she walked with the noisy crowd of people.

“No thank you,” they both said in unison.

“I forgot you two are robots,” Mae quipped sarcastically, earning a chuckle from the two men.

She sped up a little once her eyes landed on a vendor who was selling her favorite snack. She’d been so busy since she returned, she hadn’t been able to go out and get any, so she was going to buy enough to put herself in a hotteok coma.

Mae looked around aimlessly while she waited in line. She could see her guards a few shops away as they pretended to look at the things that were being sold. Just on the other side of the hotteok stand were two others who were sitting at one of the small restaurants eating while they looked over the crowd.

Once she was done ordering two of every kind and paid, Mae stepped to the side as she waited for her assortment of goodies to be ready.

She was jostled forward a little when she was bumped from behind.

“Sorry,” she barely heard the man say.

“It’s o-” Mae stopped talking when the man walked away and disappeared in the crowd.

She grabbed her order and looked to her left again. Something suddenly felt off. She glanced at her two guards and mouthed the word “home”. The men nodded their heads and started walking toward her as she turned to leave the stand.

The crowd around her suddenly became too much as the mans’ voice echoed in her head. Something about it was familiar; she couldn’t put her finger on it but it sparked something in her she hadn’t felt in almost three years. Anxiety.

Her steps quickened and she desperately wanted away from everyone as her fight or flight instinct took over her body. She needed safety. She needed to be around people she trusted. She needed to feel protected.

Mae froze and looked around for her two guards, hell at that point she’d take the ones that she wasn’t supposed to know were there. She just needed someone, and right then they were the only people she could trust and feel safe with.

As she was looking she felt someone grab a hold of her arm and pull her with the flow of the crowd. She thought it was one of the guards, she desperately needed it to be one of the guards. When she saw the worried eyes of not only her personal escorts, but the other two as they tried to fight their way through the crowd to get to her, Mae turned to look at who held her arm and her stomach dropped.

Tyler.

His hat and mask covered his face but she could see his light brown birthmark just below his ear. The birthmark that she used to think was cute. But now it filled her body with panic. She tried to tug her arm out of his grip but he just held onto her tighter. The pain of his fingers digging into her bicep sent another wave of anxiety through her. This was the first time he’d been physical with her.

Mae looked behind her again trying to find the security guards, but Tyler was walking so fast it seemed like they kept getting further away. She scanned the overly crowded area. She knew there had to be more than just the four of them. But her frantic eyes didn’t find anyone.

When the slight breeze and sunlight from the entrance of the covered market hit her, a voice shouted out in her head. A voice that made her stand a little taller as she dug deep for courage and used everything in her to force the anxiety and panic to the side.

Taehyung’s father’s voice was demanding and loud. “Do not let him see your fear, daughter. He thinks you’re weak, but you are not. If he approaches you, act like you don’t know who he is. Act like his presence does nothing to you.”

Mae looked at the bright afternoon sun that was getting closer, lowered her mask and took a breath of fresh air. “Who are you? What do you want?” she asked, trying to take her arm back again.

“Don’t play dumb, Mae.” Tyler answered, tugging her roughly to the side to avoid a group of people walking slower.

“I honestly have no clue who you are. Are you from the company?” she wanted to piss him off enough that he’d stop walking and maybe even take off his mask.

“Will you stop asking questions?”

“No, I have the right to know who you are and why the hell you won't let go of my arm.” This time she grabbed his wrist and tried to release herself. Tyler's grip got even tighter as he walked faster, causing her to stumble a little at the change of speed.

“I see you’ve gotten stronger since you left me.”

“I left you? Who the fuck are you?” Mae squinted when the last pull of her arm brought her out into the open sunny street. “I have never left anyone in my life. Now let me fucking go before I get the police.” she removed her hand from around his wrist and patted down her pockets to try and find her phone.

“Are you looking for this?” Tyler asked, holding her phone with his other hand. “I’ll keep a hold of it for now.” she watched as he put it in his pocket. “I’ll get rid of it before we leave. You won’t need it after today.”

Something in her snapped at his words and she began to hit him as hard as she could, wherever she could. “I don’t know who you are, but you better let go of me you worthless piece of shit!”

Tyler abruptly stopped, swung her to stand in front of him and took off his mask. “I’m the piece of shit? You’re the one who disappeared on me without a word. I’m the piece of shit after everything I did for you? The life I gave you!”

Mae laughed, she couldn’t help it, and when she saw the mixture of confusion and anger on his face she laughed even harder. “The life you gave me? You mean the life where you cut me off from everyone who cared for me? The life that you fucking controlled every minute of? The life where you made it your mission to make me feel like shit everyday? The life where I played the role of your brainless fiance while you whored around?”

Mae hadn’t realized a crowd had formed around them until she heard the gasps when Tyler slapped her.

“You’re one to speak,” he hissed, stepping closer to her. “Running off to a foreign country and fucking the first piece of shit that talked to you.”

Mae clenched her fist at her side. She wanted to hit him. She wanted him to feel the pain he’d caused her. But she knew that’s what he wanted and if she did he’d use it against her somehow.

“Don’t you dare speak about my husband! You know nothing about our relationship and what the past three years have been like!”

“He’s not here so I’m assuming it’s not going very well. He must not have liked the truth he read in my interview.”

“That was you?” She brought her hand to her mouth as she faked being shocked at his confession. “Why would you do that? How did you know about everything?” She hoped she’d poked his ego enough that he’d expose himself. Right now he was so blinded he didn’t even notice the crowd. Or her security team who’d finally broken through the herd of people with some police officers behind him.

“Of course it was me. Who the fuck else would it be? I’ve had people searching for you since you left Connecticut. Imagine my surprise when you popped up married to some Korean Idol. Do you have any idea how easy it is to find personal information about him online? And then your information started spreading like wildfire once his creepy little stalker fan girls found it.”

“So does that make you my creepy stalker fan boy?”

“You know, I liked you better when you kept your mouth shut and did everything I said.”

“What about the annulment? Why did you make that up?”

“I didn’t make that up, my sweet Mae. He really filed for one. That poor secretary was so desperate for attention. Just like you were. All it took was me making the same promises I made you and she started talking and gave me all the information I needed. Wait,” Tyler cocked his head to the side as he thought. “Is that why your so-called husband isn’t here? He left you didn’t he? You really can’t keep a man can you? Even when you get him drunk enough to marry you.”

Mae opened her mouth to speak but was cut off when she felt someone press up against her back and a familiar scent filled her nose, causing her body to relax.

“I think you’re done talking to my wife now.” Taehyung’s voice was polite yet demanding.

The evil smirk that was on Tyler’s face quickly fell when he not only saw Taehyung but also realized the crowd that was standing around them. The crowd who were now witnesses to everything he’d done and said.

Mae tried her hardest to fight the smile that was threatening show when one of the men from the restaurant stepped up behind Tyler.

“Tyler Johnson?” the man asked, getting his attention.

“Yes, who are you?”

“I’m from the US Embassy. I think you should come with me and my colleague.” The man’s partner opened up his jacket and pulled out a pair of handcuffs.

“We should get out of here,” the taller of Mae’s bodyguards said, stepping in front of her to block her view of Tyler and his protest.

Mae looked down at her hand when she felt Taehyung’s finger intertwined with hers, “Let's go home,” he said softly in her ear. She turned to look at him, nodded and allowed him to lead her through the crowd to the car waiting on the street. “Are you okay?” he asked once they were safely in the car.

“I think I will be, yes.” she said with a sigh after buckling herself in.

The car fell quiet as the driver slowly made his way through the crowd. Five minutes had passed before Mae looked at the man next to her and finally asked, “What are you doing here? You weren’t supposed to be back for two more days.”

Taehyung didn’t look at her. He just reached over and took her hand in his again. “The company called my manager earlier in the week. Evidently, your security team was concerned. They said they’d seen a man matching Tyler’s description on more than one occasion following you guys around. So they assigned a few more people to keep an eye out. They made a positive ID the day I went live. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I only found out when I went to take the phone we use to livestream back. I told him to adjust my schedule because I was booking the next flight here. I wanted to surprise you.”

“I mean, you did.”

Taehyung turned to see Mae smiling at him. “That’s not the way I wanted it to happen though.” He shook his head. “I’m glad you got to stand up to him.”

“Me too, it felt almost freeing.”

“Almost?”

Mae adjusted the bags at her feet. “It would’ve been more freeing if I’d punched him in his ugly ass face.”

Taehyung laughed. “That would’ve been nice to see.” The smile on his face faded when he saw the small cut on her lip. “Does it hurt?” he asked, cupping her cheek with his free hand and gently touching her swollen lip with his thumb.

“A little. So does my arm.” Mae adjusted in her seat so that she could pull up her sleeve and examine her arm. The bicep that was between them had four little bruises forming on the skin from Tyler’s fingers.

Taehyung sucked in a sharp breath, “I’m going to kick that bastard's ass.”

“Not until after I do,” she said, pulling her sleeve back down.

Mae stared out the window as the car ride became quiet once again. Judging by the traffic they still had a while before they got back to Taehyung’s apartment. She felt herself begin to get tired the more her body relaxed. The stress and anxiety had completely drained her. Without a second thought she placed her head on Taehyung’s shoulder and closed her eyes.

“Get some sleep, Mae. I’ll wake you up when we get home,” he whispered against the top of her head before he kissed it and adjusted so that she could lay more comfortably.

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