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atpsnty · 1 year

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┊𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

xavier thorpe ; wednesday

pairing: xavier thorpe x hispanic!normie!fem!reader

warnings: light swearing, overpowered fluff, dramatic teens

request: pt.2 to the small encounters (can be read as standalone, though there are a few references to pt.1)

summary: you’ve leveled up from the accidental run-ins with Xavier

a/n: due to the reader being hispanic, there are a few character descriptions to get that across: mention of hispanic food & a bit of spanish dialogue.

character credit: wednesday series

w/c: 2k

For a little while longer, you stare out the window. People watching has always been one of your favorite activities, so you can’t help but analyze the passerby as they make their way across the various Pilgrim World attractions.

You sip your hot chocolate as you do so, your thumb unknowingly running across the numbers that the no longer mystery boy has written along the cup sleeve. You have yet to enter the digits into your phone, signifying the act of adding Xavier into your contact list. You have never seen someone act so bold, yet alone someone you can’t seem to keep your eyes off of.

Does he wanna be friends?

Is he interested in you?

Are you interested in him?

For the next hour or so you interchange these actions: gazing outside, doing a bit of homework, and trying your fucking best not to stare at Xavier as he dances around your table, wiping off other surfaces and interacting with the flow of Weathervane customers. You peek at him a few – too many – times, taking in the newfound persona that comes with your long awaited introductions.

Introductions…

“Cielos, ni siquiera le dije mi nombre,” you sigh quietly to yourself, “who taught me how to interact with people?”

You rest your forehead on the table beside your laptop, contemplating whether or not you should abandon all hope of progressing this new…friendship? You were sure that after Xavier realizes your lack in basic social skills and not-so-cool stature, the boy would probably move on to one of the other hundreds of girls you’re positive are fawning over him back at the academy.

“Is everything alright?”

Once again, the long-haired Nevermore boy has impeccable timing.

“Bell…”

“Hm?” He tilts his head as he eyes you with a questioning gaze.

“A bell,” you sigh and lift your head, “I’m going to buy you one so I have time to mentally prepare myself when you’re around,” you mumble, though loudly enough that he could hear every syllable. Losing the look of defeat etched across your face, you swiftly smile up at the boy towering over your hunched frame.

“Yes, everything is alright Xavier.”

He chuckles softly, acknowledging the fact that you called him by his name for the first time, before lightly shaking his head and walking off.

‘Can we circle back around to the Mother Teresa possibility, because there’s no way’ you think as you cross your arms along the table and drop your head back down with a groan.

–

Once deciding that the probability of you embarrassing yourself once more was higher than the probability of you having a normal evening while in Xavier’s presence, you decide to take a walk around the grounds.

Like you said before, you didn’t really enjoy learning about white heritage and the different flavors of fudge, but you would rather that than ruin whatever you have with Xavier before it even starts.

You visit a few of the Pilgrim World…attractions? They weren’t really attracting to you per se. After so many years the supposed “community event” is repetitive, and you swear the aura around the whole thing gets gloomier every year.

While wandering, you see various Nevermore students. Growing up in such a town, you’ve learned the different types of beings that live behind the school’s old walls, and you’ve gotten rather good at guessing who is what; a sort of special edition of your people watching interest.

There are two girls in pilgrim costumes: one with blacked out circular sunglasses balancing on the ridge of her nose, most likely a vampire, and another dark skinned girl with super bright eyes, who’s so alluring that you’re positive she’s a siren. You see a girl and boy together through the window of the town antique shop. The lumpy beanie covering the guy’s head makes it pretty obvious he’s a gorgon, but the girl doesn’t seem to give off any of the major power/creature stereotypes. You sit and ponder it for a minute, glancing at her colorful hair and bright nails, before taking the loss and continuing on.

You’re walking past the old pillories when you spot the same dark-haired girl from earlier, noticing that she’s wearing the black-clothed pilgrim get-up.

‘It oddly compliments her,’ you think as you watch her wipe down the shirt of a nerdy looking boy. She doesn’t look like the type to do the whole “helping hand” thing, so it’s quite intriguing to say the least.

You find out from one of your classmates who’s working that the jobs are divided into two separate shifts, one of them ending in about thirty minutes. You chat for a bit before making your way back to the cafe.

‘I definitely should not be doing this.’

–

You’ve been sitting on a bench outside of Weathervane, wondering whether you should actually go inside or just stay out here.

What you wanted to do was ask Xavier to walk around after his shift. This seemed like the perfect place to hang out for the first time: entertainment, food, things to talk about, and other people.

Heavy on other people. The more people around, the less likely you were to embarrass yourself…again…for like the fifth time.

‘If I go inside, I’ll probably end up blabbering about why I left, just to come back not even 2 hours later. If I stay outside, he’ll probably think I’m a creep who’s been peeping through the windows.’

Decisions, decisions.

‘Or option 3, I get up right now and pretend I was never here…yeah imma go with that one.’ You grab your bag and small pouch of fudge that you purchased – you said you didn’t like learning about it, not that it wasn’t delicious – and walk right past the door just as it opens.

“Funny seeing you here.”

You stop in your tracks, scrunching your face in a “the world hates me” type of manner before turning around.

“Oh yeah. I was just in the neighborhood. Small town, you know?” You shift back and forth on your feet as you come face to face with your outcast acquaintance for the first time, both of you standing at your full heights. “Gosh, you’re tall.”

“So I’ve been told,” he chuckles before nudging towards your bag of fudge, “I see you went exploring…find anything interesting?”

“Nope, pretty much the same as every year. Dead white guys, how dead white guys used to treat people slightly differently than them, and fudge that could probably give a small village their needed sugar intake,” you say and jostle the bag, “though I will admit my tia’s flan could do just about the same.”

He laughs, and all you could think about is how good of an alarm it would be.

‘Totally creepy Y/N, knock it off.’

You catch sight of the girl with the colorful hair just behind Xavier, and once again wonder what her whole ordeal is.

“Hey, so totally random,” you start and point your finger in the girl’s general direction, “you know people from your school right? Do you think you could tell me what her power is? The girl who looks like she’d eat cotton candy for its nutritional value.”

He turns around, glimpsing at the girl.

“That’s Enid. She’s a werewolf I believe. Why do you ask?”

“Oh, I was just guessing everyone’s abilities while walking around earlier and could not guess hers for the life of me.” You announce dramatically before smiling, noticing he’s smirking right back at you.

“Guessing abilities huh? Okay then, let’s see what you’ve got.” He makes a sweeping gesture towards the crowd mixed with normies and outcasts.

“Okay bet.”

–

After that, the flow of conversation becomes easy.

You start off with the ability guessing game, before making your way onto various topics ranging from the pilgrim world exhibits to a storytime about how you once got detention for eating flan in class.

“It wasn’t my fault! If anything, it was my teacher’s fault for making the class stay back 10 minutes from lunch because someone else was talking,” you exasperate, “I wouldn’t have had to eat it in class if I was given my allotted meal time.”

It seems as though the entire time, Xavier is staring at you. I mean yeah you’re having a conversation, and that would be proper etiquette, but still. He wasn’t just looking at you because you guys were talking, but he was actually attentive; taking in what you’re saying and staying engaged.

“You know, that’s the second time you’ve mentioned this flan. I might just have to try it one day.”

You smile up at him, feeling your face heat up at the simple fact that he has been listening to you this whole time. With how much you guys were talking, you hardly noticed how long you’ve been walking around.

“Do you wanna sit down for a bit? I think we’ve learned about every dead white guy who’s ever lived here,” he smiles softly and raises his eyebrows towards the same bench you were panicking on not too long ago.

‘Ay, it’s like he can read my mind. Literally what is happening right now.’

You take your previous seat, and he follows, sitting beside you. You glance around Pilgrim World, the crowds starting to dissipate as the day passes.

“You never guessed what my ability was,” Xavier says, looking straight ahead.

“I’m not really sure to be honest. I don’t think you transform into anything, and I’m sure you can’t read minds,” and you thank Jesus for that. “I’m thinking more of a physical ability. Maybe something creative? You have this whole…lone wolf artsy guy type of vibe going on,” you say and gesture towards him.

He’s silent for a moment.

‘Oh shit did I say something wrong?’

“It’s so easy to tell when you're internally panicking,” he drops his head with a chuckle before looking back at you, “you’re right though.”

“That wasn’t funny Xavier.” You push him with your shoulder and giggle a bit.

He raises his hands in a surrendering gesture before continuing.

“My bad, it’s just funny to see you all riled up and flustered.”

“Funny…” you say and side-eye him.

“Adorable, actually.”

Your face heats up.

“Anyways…so you’re into art? I remember seeing you at the store a few weeks ago and it looked like you were buying art supplies.”

“Surprised you could tell. You know, with you hiding behind your computer and everything.”

You give him a straight stare.

He lightly puffs out air before continuing with a grin, “I dabble in art a bit. I can sorta make my drawings move a bit? Like an animation sort of. It’s hard to explain.”

“You should show me sometime,” you say with no hesitation or regret. Hey, there’s a first time for everything.

He gives you a small nod and a “oh yeah, for sure” before glancing to the side. All the Nevermore students are starting to get together to leave back to campus.

You both stand and start taking slow steps towards the group. Xavier stops when you’re still a few feet away from everyone else and faces you.

“Text me, yeah? I wanna have your number so we can keep talking without having to randomly run into each other.”

You nod and wave him off, your cheeks left hurting from smiling for hours. You grab your phone from your back pocket, along with the cup sleeve that has the phone number written across it. You punch in the number, create a contact, and type a small message.

Sent

–

Xavier’s POV

I’m sitting in the back of the bus; glancing out the window as we drive past the town buildings, heading towards the forestry marking our descent to the academy. It’s only been a few minutes since I’ve left Pilgrim World when my phone vibrates in my lap: a message from an unknown number.

‘You know what sounds fantastic right now…flan - Y/N’

I chuckle quietly to myself, adding Y/N to my contacts before looking back out the window with a content sigh.

This is so much worse then the first one (I cannot do dialogue oml)...also I take it back I’m not gonna do a taglist bcs I realized how tiring it is to keep track of those once they get longer (but I tagged the few who asked already).

If I end up making a part 3, it will include the confession!

I no longer support Percy Hynes White and will no longer take request for Xavier Thorpe.

taglist (not open,, will be deleting)

@betray-jaes @moatsnow @godess-of-mist @l4venderia @gengen64 @rayliz793 @honey-with-tea

#xavier thorpe #xavier thorpe x reader #wednesday #wednesday addams #wednesday show #xavier thorpe x you #y/n #fem!reader #ff #imagine #oneshot #escapism #x reader #atpsnty #fanfiction #drabble #xavier thorpe oneshot #hispanic!reader

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kookieswan · 11 months

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Handlebars - Seven Days a Week

Biker!Jungkook x Receptionist!Reader

Word Count: 1.3k

Genre: Biker AU, Gang AU, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff, Angst. MV inspired.

Warnings: No actual smut but MC and JK have dirty mouths (dirty talk).

Notes: I’m still on hiatus but I wrote this for the release of Seven and wanted to post it so here it is. Enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You sigh as the lights continue to flicker, a pen gripped between your teeth as you go over the paperwork. There’s been an obscene amount of people coming into the shop lately, the summer months bringing in more than enough patrons to keep the place busy. With that, it’s brought on even more work for your sorry ass and it’s been keeping you past your designated shift.

The little bell above the doorway jingles suddenly, letting you know that someone decided to brave the horrible storm for their vehicle. Glancing up, there’s no way to prevent the growing retail smile from dropping into a snarled frown, the pen loudly falling from your mouth. Of course he dragged his out of hiding in the middle of a tornado watch.

There stands Jungkook fucking Jeon, your boyfriend and also a complete clown. He smiles at you warily, hair slightly sticking to his forehead as small droplets drip down onto the floor. He pulls his arm out from behind his back, a bouquet of likely once beautiful flowers now drowned in his hand.

“What the fuck Jungkook.” The pout is instantaneous at your accusatory tone, lips pursed as he steps further into the shops waiting room. He shakes his long hair lightly, the water flying from it and making your eye twitch.

“Aw, come on doll. Don’t be like that! I almost got hit by a car for these.” He plops the wet flowers on the counter with wide eyes, his leather jacket squeaking slightly as it runs against the surface. Letting out a huff, you pull your paperwork together and away from your very wet (and annoying) boyfriend, tossing it toward your work laptop before sitting back in the fun spinny seat.

“You never showed up for our date! All of that food I made was wasted; I even cooked stuffed chicken for your ungrateful ass.” Stuffed fucking chicken of all things and he missed it. You barely even cook for yourself, so the fact that you cooked for an ungrateful ass man and he skipped out pisses you off greatly. Jungkook leans over the counter, voice gentle as he draws closer.

“I’m sorry baby, I really am. I had some business to take care of with the boys and I lost track of time. I sent a text but I don’t think I went though…” Ah, so that’s it. He and the crew were off doing some shady shit and he didn’t want you to know about it. You scoff and stand up, deciding that it’s time to pack up your stuff because honestly you don’t want to hear it.

“Oh yeah? And what were you and the boys up to? What had you so busy, huh?” Maybe he’ll tell the truth, maybe he’ll just let you in because that’s all you really want. You know what they get up to, you know how illegal and bad some of is… And you don’t care, not really. You just want the truth, that’s all. You’ll never judge him for it.

Jungkook stares at you until you pause and look back at him. His face is tense, nostrils flared and it’s clear a million thoughts are running through his mind. It finally cracks, and suddenly his eyes can look at everything but you.

“… It’s nothin you need to be concernin your pretty head with.” Wrong fucking answer. Grabbing your bag and coat from the back of the chair, you throw them both on quickly because you’re definitely not here for this bullshit. Walking around the desk, you ignore the booming thunder from outside along with wide doe eyes and start to walk toward the door.

“I apologized! I really feel bad, what more could you want?” He grabs your shoulder gently as you try to walk by, but lets it go as you pull away. Turning to look back at him, it’s hard to keep your voice level as emotions continue to run wild.

“For you to tell the damn truth! You all seem to think I’m so naive and have no clue what’s going on but I’m not fucking dumb.” The lights flicker again, this time turning off for a few moments before turning back on. Jungkook doesn’t really look mad, just… Uncomfortable maybe? You can’t quite place it.

“Oh, come on. I never said you were dumb! I just don’t want your ass getting caught up in our shit, there’s too much at stake. We’ve talked about this.” Clenching your jaw, your turn around without another glance and go for the door. There’s nothing nice to say to him right now, and so you won’t say shit.

“Babe- baby where the hell are you goin?! It’s stormin real bad out there!” And you don’t fucking care. Flinging the door open without a second thought, you step into the downpour with open arms. It’s not long before the enthusiasm dies, but you don’t falter.

“Away from your secretive ass! Leave me alone, I don’t want to talk to you right now.” You yell it back to him, hoping that he wouldn’t be crazy enough to follow you into the shitstorm you just walked into. Of course, the front door doesn’t even get a chance to slam shut before he’s flying out after you like a bat out of hell. Jungkook follows you as you start the ten minute walk toward your apartment, easily catching up as he yells over the white noise.

“God you’re so fuckin stubborn. I promise I’ll make it up to you, give me a chance and the rain won’t be the only thing makin you wet babydoll.” A laugh escapes you, both humored and baffled by his annoying ass. The shit that comes out of his mouth sometimes really shouldn’t surprise you anymore… And it also shouldn’t be quite as oddly endearing as it is. Fucking Jungkook.

“You really think I want to fuck you right now? Really?” Stopping in place, he nearly tramples over you as you push an accusing finger into his hard chest. The first thing you notice is how his muscles are very obviously there beneath the soaked shirt, his skin warm and a biting underneath your hand as you flatten it out.

The second thing you notice is that he’s very clearly changing the subject to something else. Maybe it’s for the better, maybe you should let it go. You’ve had this fight with him a million times over and it always ends the same. He leans in close to you, hair falling into his eyes as he attempts to look you in the face.

“Yeah, I really do. We fuck seven days a week sweet thing; I think make up sex is the obvious answer to our spat.” Rolling your eyes, you slap his boob lightly, the corners of your mouth quirking up as you hear his giggles over the rain. It’s quiet for a moment then as he grabs your hand, gently holding it in his own.

“Seriously, I am super fuckin sorry. We can just go back to my place and cuddle if you want? I can make you some hot chocolate or some shit after we have a hot shower.” Such a romantic. He grips your hand a little tighter, swinging it back and forth a few times before tugging you forward and hopefully toward his dry car. You start to follow because really, how could you possibly stay mad at your idiot of a boyfriend?

“… Fuck, you’re lucky you’re so adorable Jeon. Alright, we’re going back to your place and fucking till you’re a whiny mess.” He just laughs loudly, arm wrapping easily around your shoulder. His voice comes out low and husky, just barely carrying over the rain.

“In your dreams baby.”

#handlebars #jungkook x y/n #jungkook x you #jungkook x reader #jungkook fluff #jungkook angst #bts x y/n #bts x you #bts x reader #bts angst #bts fluff

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whirligig-girl · 5 months

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Actually how big would my two moons appear on Tlaloc (The name of the planet) appear in the sky? I would use SE or US but I don't think my new laptop could handle SE and I can't buy US due to me not having online money currently. I know both of Mars moons can hypothetically be seen in the sky so I was wondering what much bigger objects would look like. I really wish I had a reference photo or something.

i dont think you sent information about their distances in your last ask.

remember, use the small-angle cosine approximation which is:

angular diameter in radians = diameter of object / distance to object (in the same units)

the answer will be a really small fraction of a radian. Convert that to a slightly larger fraction of a degree by multiplying by 180°/π.

The Moon is half a degree, so you can compare your answers with the Moon to get a rough idea of what they'd look like.

For example, Phobos is 26km wide and 5979km away from Mars' surface.

26km/5979km = 0.00434855327 radians 0.00434855327 * (180°/π) = 0.249153749°

so about 0.25°, or half the apparent diameter of the Moon as seen from the Earth.

Here's Deimos and Phobos as seen from Mars (not hypothetically--this is an actual photo taken by Curiosity iirc) versus the Moon as seen from Earth, to scale. Except that you'd never see the Moon that big in the sky, without a telescope.

Hold your head back from the screen and hold your pinkie out at arm's length so that your pinkie nail can cover the moon entirely. That's how small the Moon really is in the sky. Note that Phobos is still visible as a disk, but Deimos is reduced to a dot. In reality it would still be a very bright dot, like, probably much brighter than Venus. But not resolvable as a disk without incredible eyesight or binoculars/small telescopes.

You can make a similar size comparison on a piece of graph paper (or on the computer). Maybe set one grid unit equal to 1/10th of a degree, then draw a 5-unit diameter circle for the Moon, then use your answer to the angular size calculation to figure out the diameters of the other planets.

Also, consider using Celestia if you can't use Universe Sandbox^2 or Space Engine. Celestia won't procedurally generate any surfaces for you, but it can still show you what your system should look like in 3D if you learn to make configuration text file mods for it.

There are probably open source gravitational simulators that are free, but they'll surely be harder to pick up and use.

#astronomy #planetary science #worldbuilding

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jaaduse · 2 months

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wrienne · 1 year

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My Cheating, Amnesic Fiancé

Chapter 35: Double Dates

It was nearly a whole eleven hours later by the time your eyelids finally peeled open. With a loud yawn, you sat up in bed and stretched your upper body before dragging yourself to the kitchen. The extra bed was empty as you passed it, and as you poured up a glass of water, you saw that there were already dishes in the kitchen sink.

“Jungkook?” you called out dubiously.

Nothing. He wasn’t there.

Even though you were instantly relieved at the realization, you would be lying if you said you weren’t a little bit wistful. After all, it had suddenly gotten lonely eating breakfast by yourself.

And despite yesterday’s decision, you still wanted to see him.

The most probable scenario was that Jungkook had gone to left for dance practice with the rest of BTS, especially since it had become so much of a routine he no longer told you he would be gone for a majority of the day. But you thought you might as well check your phone for messages, just to be safe. And so, after making yourself some hot oatmeal to satiate your ravenous hunger, you brought the bowl back to your room.

With a swift yank, you detached your phone from its charger and dropped it into your pajama pocket. You then placed your oatmeal next to Jungkook’s laptop and headset where they lay on top of your unusually cluttered desk surface before sinking down onto your swivel chair. You found your feet only barely touching the ground from where you sat, however, and you rolled your eyes as you readjusted the swivel chair and its armrests to match your height.

“He needs to play his games somewhere else,” you muttered for yourself as you then stacked Jungkook’s other gadgets on top of his computer and carefully balanced all of his stuff in your arms before lowering them onto the extra bed.

Returning to your chair, you switched on your desktop computer, ready for a day of arduous studying, free from distractions at least for a few hours more. As the computer gradually came alive, you checked the notifications on your phone. There were a few program updates, which you initiated, a message from Se-Eun regarding the upcoming essay and even an email from one of your professors addressing a minor error in one of the compendiums your class was working with. There weren’t any texts from Jungkook, but you didn’t have time to think - or overthink - what that might - or might not - mean.

Because you had gotten a text from Jung-Hyun.

*23.53 (Yesterday) - Are you available for dinner tomorrow?*

You gulped. You were suddenly not hungry anymore.

What were you supposed to answer?

*11.19 - How so?*

You pressed send before you could regret it, and chewed at your bottom lip as you slowly put your phone on the desk, screen facing upward and locked. Almost as soon as you had dropped it, you picked up your phone again, determined to add something - anything - to the conversation, but then sighed and simply let it be.

Seeing as you had a whole lot to study, you would have to forget about it, at least until Jung-Hyun replied.

Your appetite had vaporized, but you were adamant on getting down all your oatmeal, well aware that you were straining your body enough already. You peered over your monitor, and frowned as your reflection frowned back at you through the thin mirror set up between the desk and the wall. Your reflection had a bleary-eyed look to it, with noticeable, dark semi-circles underneath its eyes, clearly indicating a lack of regular sleep.

But you just didn’t have time to think about your health at right then.

About five hours - and a budding headache - later, you decided to quit studying. While you were gathering some of the notes you had taken on your work, you uncovered your phone beneath a pile of them. You hadn’t touched it at all after you had sent your text, and wasn’t shocked to find that Jung-Hyun had since long responded.

*13.01 - Circumstances all but demand that we should get better acquainted with one another.*

You grimaced. He was undoubtedly true. You didn’t know anything about him that wasn’t superficial, and this was coming from his fiancée, which probably also was a discussion to be had. You didn’t know when the two of you were supposed to marry, but you had a feeling it would be soon, seeing as he already knew about it. If it was his mother or yours who had spilled the beans, you had no idea, but it didn’t really matter.

Because really, the only question of importance was if Jung-Hyun knew the whys of your engagement.

If you had been unsure of if you wanted to see him again so soon, this settled things. You needed to know how much he knew about the circumstances surrounding your sudden engagement. Hoping that Jung-Hyun was most likely having an ordinary dinner between two individuals in mind, you tapped a reply.

*16.29 - Sorry for the delay. If it’s not too late, I’ll gladly have dinner with you.*

“Gladly” might be a bit of an exaggeration, but without it, the sentence sounded way too condescending. You sent the text and was just about to get some more water when your phone buzzed.

*16.30 - Jong-Yeol has offered to drive us. I will see you at six.*

You pursed your lips. If Jung-Hyun’s message meant what you thought it meant and that he would come to pick you up with Jong-Yeol, there was a large chance that Jung-Hyun and Jungkook would meet in a mere hour and a half. And considering how both brothers had been surprisingly reluctant to see each other, you were equal parts anxious and concerned. Though Jungkook had kind of explained his reasons, you couldn’t even guess at Jung-Hyun’s train of thought. You didn’t remember him being such a difficult person to read, not compared to Jungkook, but that might have well been simply because you had barely met with him during the course of your life.

Like you needed more stuff to deal with.

After sending a confirmation that you had read Jung-Hyun’s message, you recommenced on your mission to get some water. It was getting later than usual for Jungkook to not have gotten back yet, and so you decided to call him if he wouldn’t show up within the next hour. You were on your way back to your room from the kitchen when the front door abruptly unlocked.

“(Y/N)! You home?”

You backtracked into the entryway and found Jungkook crouched and unwinding his shoelaces. He glanced up at you, and though his brown eyes were heavy with fatigue, his lips formed a crooked smile. “Did I just wake you?”

“It’s Saturday,” you retorted automatically. “Who cares if I’m wearing pajamas all day. You look exhausted,” you then added, a little softer.

Jungkook snorted. “Hoseok-hyung is a tough teacher,” he replied as he rose and wiggled out of his boots. “But nevermind that - I’m starving and I stink. Let me have a shower before we warm up anything.”

“About that…” You averted your gaze as a pair of curious brown eyes instantly focused on you. “I have plans tonight.”

“Oh?”

You scratched your arm. “Yeah. With Jung-Hyun-oppa. He’ll pick me up around six.”

“From here?”

You nodded stiffly.

“Alright. Seems I’ll have to eat leftovers all by myself, then.”

You looked up, stunned, and saw Jungkook smiling back at you before he darted past you and into the bathroom. You didn’t know what kind of reaction you had expected, or even if you would have preferred some kind of emotional response instead of what he just displayed, which was just… nothing special. There hadn’t been even a blink of hesitation as he replied. But then you cursed yourself for letting such thoughts take root in your mind. You had made a decision, and you needed to stick with it.

If not for you, at least for Jungkook.

You made a quick detour to the second bathroom and took a shower, washing your hair as well, before you got back into your room to figure out what to wear. This was the first dinner date with a sole, male participant you had had in your whole life. It took you quite a while to piece together an outfit that was adequate for the evening, being neither too casual nor posh. You settled for a significantly dressier look than usual, however, because even though you felt absolutely no pressure to impress Jung-Hyun, you had a feeling “dinner” for him meant more than just takeaway or fast food. And frankly, wearing a nice outfit gave you that special boost of confidence only a nice outfit could provide. Confidence, which was much needed in regards to Jung-Hyun and his unreadable face, seeing as you would have to spend at least two hours with him.

After getting into your clothes, you locked yourself into the second bathroom to get ready the rest of the way. It was already half past by the time you had dried and styled your hair somewhat, and you were starting to sweat inside the steamy bathroom when your makeup finally came out satisfactorily. With one last glance in the mirror, you pressed a soft tissue between your lips before you headed out.

The bathroom door had barely glided open when your eyes locked with Jungkook’s, who probably only had been on his way to your room to grab his computer or something. You froze as he stopped, his familiar brown eyes scouring you up and down and then back up again in complete silence. You swore you could hear your heart smacking against your chest, over and over again as the moment prolonged, and so violently you almost thought you should call an ambulance.

It was the first time Jeon Jungkook had looked at you, and with nothing but a staggering amount of desire. Desire and absolute ardor.

You couldn’t meet such a gaze.

And immediately, Jungkook’s voice, casual and light, broke the spell that held your heart in such a terrifyingly mighty and unconquerable grip.

“Who told you that toilet paper is the new look?”

You blinked, needing a second to gather yourself before you could will your body to obey. “This,” you began after you carefully removed the tissue from your lips, “is just to take off excess product.”

Jungkook smiled crookedly. “A girl thing?” he asked teasingly, his eyes holding none of the fire they had but a moment ago.

“A lipstick thing,” you amended with a shrug that came off as stiff, your senses still a bit unresponsive due to your earlier shock. “Want to try it?”

“I’ll pass,” said Jungkook and glanced down at his phone. “It’s already past six. You sure it was supposed to be today?”

“I sure hope so,” you replied and gestured toward your face and hair. “Or I did all this for nothing.”

Jungkook raised his gaze and a flicker, a mere spark of his earlier flame erupted in his eyes. His lips parted, but before he could reply, there was a ringing from the door.

You started toward the entryway. “Must be him,” you called over your shoulder.

“Really?” Jungkook was frowning when he fell into step besides you. “But how did he get through all your security measures?”

“Good question,” you said with a furrow of your own brows. “Jong-Yeol might have come along as well.”

“I doubt it. Isn’t he and that car of yours attached?”

“Idiot,” you said even though you grinned. “Like you haven’t seen him drive me around in different cars.”

Jungkook shrugged. “Who says car-people-hybrids cannot change their car part.”

You shook your head, though your smile remained. “All that fast food is really dumbing you down, isn’t it?”

“Don’t tell me you haven’t had the same thought, at least once.”

“Nope.”

When the two of you reached the entryway, you were almost too nervous to touch the handle of the front door. Despite knowing you were merely postponing the inevitable, you checked your appearance once, twice in the mirror and adjusted a hair strand or two.

“Stop fuzzing, and just open the door. How difficult can it be?”

Jungkook stood leaning against the wall opposite the mirror, arms crossed over his chest as he waited for you to assemble your frazzled nerves. You had caught him staring at parts of your body several times, and fleetingly wondered if this was the way Jungkook had felt like the night of the karaoke disaster, when he had looked like a model, ready for a photoshoot. You had all but gaped looking at him.

You ignored him as you turned and twirled to view your outfit one last time. Surprisingly, the door didn’t ring a second time even while you felt the seconds slip by, turning into almost a minute. Se-Eun would have probably began spamming your door by then.

“Okay,” you mumbled underneath your breath, satisfied with your appearance. You smoothed out a few final folds, and saw Jungkook rolling his eyes where he waited behind you. “I’m ready.”

“Great,” he said sarcastically.

You didn’t respond. Instead, you tiptoed over the linoleum leading up to the front door, and twisted the lock before pushing down the handle. You peered out into the elevator foyer, and though you had expected none other than Jung-Hyun, you almost dropped your jaw at the sight of him.

Dressed immaculately in suit and tie and polished leather dress shoes, Jung-Hyun stood outside your parents’ apartment looking like he was ready to hit up the red carpet. He was freshly shaven, revealing a fully clean jaw, and his black hair was swept stylishly sideways along a side part that cut neatly across his head. The smell of male cologne and aftershave mixed with the sweet scent of flowers that came from a big bouquet of red roses he held in his left hand. You spotted gold in his cuffs and silver and black leather around his left wrist, indicating a watch, and probably an expensive one at that.

Compared to how he had looked yesterday, you thought for a beat that you were hallucinating.

Jung-Hyun inspected you, too, but seemed unfazed when your eyes locked. “Good evening,” he greeted you in that somber, stiff voice of his.

“Hi,” you replied bluntly. “Is Jong-Yeol also here?”

“He’s waiting in the car.” Jung-Hyun took a step closer to you and handed you the flowers. “Here. They are for you.”

The bundle of roses was surprisingly heavy, and the flowery fragrance nearly overpowered your nose from such a close proximity. Each and every petal was deep crimson, the leaves were perfectly moss green and although the stems bore thorns, they were soft enough for you to not to pierce your skin on them. You didn’t dare guess how expensive the bouquet must have been, or how he even had found a store that sold such high quality flora, seeing as he just returned to Seoul.

“Thank you,” you managed. You had never received flowers from a guy before, and you were almost stunned by the gesture. “They’re wonderful.”

Jung-Hyun nodded, once. “Indeed,” he said.

“Would you like to come in?” you asked lightly. “I need to get these--” you patted gently on the pink paper that was encapsulating parts of the bouquet. “--in water anyways.”

The flowers were merely a justification for your question. You knew Jungkook was still in the entryway because you could feel the weight of his gaze in the back of your head. His continued silence was concerning to say the least, and so you wanted to give him and Jung-Hyun an opportunity to finally meet again.

Jung-Hyun gently pushed aside his cuff, revealing an expensive wristwatch with a well-known name inscribed into its tiny face. “We are going to be late,” he said in a neutral tone.

“Five minutes,” you insisted stubbornly as you swung open the door fully. “Wait inside at the very least.”

Jung-Hyun looked as if though he wanted to protest further, but something - or rather, someone - inside the apartment caught his eye. His expressionless guise didn’t change, but there was a slight shift in the atmosphere as his gaze found Jungkook’s.

Suddenly, you wondered if it really was that good of an idea inviting Jung-Hyun inside.

“Hyung.”

Jungkook stepped closer to where you stood by the front door. His expression also remained steadfast, but you hinted a touch of old fury in his eyes, fury which had nothing do with you and your new engagement at all. There was iron in his tone, and ice in the small smile he sent his older brother. You knew that Jungkook and Jung-Hyun had never been close, especially after the latter had split from the family to study in Seoul, but you had never expected witnessing such outright, unadulterated hostility in Jungkook.

“I haven’t seen you in so long,” continued Jungkook. “How have you been?”

“Just well,” said Jung-Hyun curtly. “And you?”

“I don’t really remember,” replied Jungkook coolly. “But you would know - you don’t look too surprised seeing me here.”

“I’ve been told the details surrounding your amnesia,” explained Jung-Hyun matter-of-factly. “How does it feel?”

“‘How does it feel’?”

Jungkook had gritted his teeth as he spoke, and nudged your shoulder unwittingly as he lifted his arms, crossing them angrily over his chest. You looked up at him with a gentle plea in your eyes, not wishing for an argument between him and his brother. He acknowledged your glance and let out a small breath to the side, as if letting out steam from his system, before he went on. Jung-Hyun remained quiet, his eyes gauging both you and Jungkook meanwhile.

“It’s a living hell, hyung,” said Jungkook with a grim smile. “I wouldn’t wish this upon anyone.”

Jung-Hyun didn’t respond, though his gaze stayed locked with Jungkook’s. The tenseness in the air grew thicker. It was clear Jung-Hyun didn’t want to enter, and Jungkook’s presence by the door didn’t exactly amend that situation.

“I’ll be just back,” you told Jung-Hyun as you slowly stepped around Jungkook in order to get to the kitchen.

Again, he didn’t reply.

After getting the flowers into a vase large enough to hold them, you returned to see Jung-Hyun standing by the elevator with his phone, completely ignoring Jungkook. You gave Jungkook an inquiring look as you put on your shoes and jacket, but he wordlessly shook his head. Even though he tried to hide it, however, you could see the anger bubbling underneath the surface of his otherwise rather calm face.

But you refrained from prodding, well aware of the complicated relationship between him and his brother.

“(Y/N).”

You were already out the door when Jungkook’s quiet voice reached your ears. Glancing over your shoulder, you raised your brows. “What?” you asked. “Did I forget something?”

“Nah.” Jungkook reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind your left ear and smiled. You saw his anger subsiding as his familiar brown eyes held yours. “Just wanted to say that you look great. I forgot to, earlier.”

“Thanks,” you murmured back, your cheeks ablaze at the compliment. “I’ll see you later, Jungkook.”

“Yeah.” His smile stiffened, but remained. “Bye.”

Jung-Hyun had already called the elevator, and waited inside of it, eyes glued to his phone. Face hot, you prayed to a higher power that he wouldn’t notice as you tried to calm your cheeks down. Surprisingly, it was a silent ride to the ground floor. As you glanced sideways at Jung-Hyun, he didn’t even seem to notice you as his eyes followed something on the screen.

“Where are we headed?” you asked carefully as you tried not to scratch the skin off your arm due to nervousness.

“To an old friend of mine’s restaurant,” he answered without looking up.

“Oh.” You looked down at your clothes, and then at his. “Am I underdressed?”

“Not at all.” Jung-Hyun finally raised his gaze, and his eyes, so familiar yet not, met yours. For the first time, you thought you saw something change in that inscrutable expression of his. It was as subtle as the lights of an airplane against a starlit sky, and disappeared quicker than lightning.

“You are very pretty, (Y/N).”

You blushed again. “You look good, too,” you told him. “Amazing, actually.”

His face was impassive again, but you thought you saw the left corner of his mouth tug upward. It was a startling but altogether not unpleasant development. “I hope it isn’t too much,” he said quietly as he slid his phone into a pocket.

“No,” you said truthfully. “It really suits you. I was just a bit surprised, that’s all.”

It wasn’t a smile, nor a half-smile, but Jung-Hyun’s lips curved slightly. As the elevator reached the ground floor, you no longer felt as anxious and jittery as you had before Jung-Hyun had arrived. You were actually kind of looking forward to getting out into the city you loved, something you hadn’t had the time to do as of late. Partly because of your studying and partly because Se-Eun had been too busy as of late to hang out, but mostly because of Jungkook. You couldn’t deny it - you had definitely missed out of a whole spectrum of your social life due to his presence in your life. And though you didn’t particularly mind, especially since he doubtlessly needed you, you knew you couldn’t cling onto your current lifestyle.

You needed to move on.

When Jung-Hyun and you exited the building, you spotted Jong-Yeol, parked and waiting inside the car. But instead of heading toward him, Jung-Hyun stopped at the end of the concrete stairs and unpocketed a small, red, paperboard package. It was an automatic action, you could see it, in the way he brandished a lighter from the same pocket and held it up to the cigarette he already had tucked between his lips.

“Wait,” you blurted. “You can’t smoke here.”

Jung-Hyun glanced at you. “Why not?” he murmured around his cigarette.

You peeked over your shoulder at the security guards outside the front entrance. “It’s illegal,” you said after making sure they weren’t paying you any attention.

Jung-Hyun didn’t speak, but his lighter stopped midway to his lips.

“I’m not kidding,” you continued. “It’s illegal practically everywhere public.”

“I see.” He hurriedly lowered the lighter and squeezed the cigarette into his chest pocket. “Where else can I go?”

“Er.” You scratched your cheek and looked about sheepishly for a smoking booth. You found none. “Good question.”

Jung-Hyun looked to his right and then left. His eyes narrowed, and he beckoned you to follow him. Frowning, you obeyed, but paused first to signal Jong-Yeol to wait five more minutes. By the time you caught up to him, Jung-Hyun had passed two shallow alleyways without giving them as much as a look. Then, without any hesitation, he headed into the third alley.

There was a group of young men smoking in the middle of the long passageway, and people walked passed in the other end without caring. The men exchanged curious looks with each other as they saw you and Jung-Hyun nearing them, but eventually lost their interest when Jung-Hyun halted a few yards away and held up his cigarette to his mouth. The soft glow of the flickering flame brightened his face for a few seconds as he lighted the cigarette, and he inhaled deeply, his expression softening a notch as the nicotine filled his system.

“How did you know?” you asked, your nose wrinkling at the harsh smell.

Jung-Hyun gestured toward the ground. “Look,” he said after breathing out, a whisper of gray slithering out from the right corner of his mouth.

Your gaze dropped to the asphalt. It was peppered with cigarette butts and gum all the way from the pavement. “Right,” you said as you looked back at him.

You found that he was already regarding you. “You can wait around the corner if you’d like to,” he said. “I’ll be done soon.”

“It’s alright,” you lied.

Jung-Hyun didn’t reply, but he shifted his focus elsewhere, apparently accepting your answer. It wasn’t exactly an uncomfortable silence between you as he continued smoking, but as he finished his cigarette and tossed it to the ground, he was quick to produce another one from his pocket. As he lighted the second cigarette, you couldn’t help but ask him something to fill up the void.

“Why do you smoke cigarettes instead of cigars?”

Jung-Hyun grabbed the butt end of his cigarette and held it briefly so that he could respond clearly. “What’s wrong with cigarettes?”

“Nothing.” You cringed at what you had just said. “I mean, of course there’s something obviously wrong with cigarettes, but that’s besides the point. It’s just, why buy cigarettes when you can obviously afford cigars?”

He regarded you for a beat. “Cigars are worse to your health,” he then said simply.

“How much worse?” you wondered. “Considering that you’re smoking at least two cigarettes at a time.”

“Anywhere from ten to twenty times worse.”

“Ouch.”

“I guess you could say that.”

Silence again. During the time it took Jung-Hyun to finish, you browsed absentmindedly through the news on your phone. You wondered what must be running through his mind regarding the whole marriage thing, and what his stance toward you was. Although it had been a process of years for you to get to your current state of mind, meaning you knew that marriage only had a practical function when you came from a family like yours, Jung-Hyun had probably not been aware of it until… well, after Jungkook’s accident. Yet he had looked unperturbed as he told you yesterday that you were getting married, which was odd to say the least.

After all, who liked to walk upon a path they had not chosen themselves?

And then there was the obvious issue he had with Jungkook. Or rather, it was the opposite. Now that you had the time to reconsider the scene, it dawned upon you that the hostile feelings was almost exclusively aimed at Jung-Hyun. So was this something you would do better to discuss solely with Jungkook? But then again, how were you the one supposed to solve their relationship? Not only was Jungkook difficult to talk to regarding personal stuff unless he opened up himself - Jung-Hyun was about as talkative as a rock, and just as difficult to read.

But you couldn’t just watch them. Not when one was your friend and the other, your soon-to-be husband.

“Let’s leave,” said Jung-Hyun abruptly, waking you from your musings. He dropped the remainder of the cigarette onto the asphalt and started back toward Jong-Yeol.

“Okay.” You fell in step with him, thoughts lingering.

A twenty minute journey through heavy traffic later, you were startled to find yourself outside the doors to “The Monarch”. It was a well-known and very expensive Italian restaurant, popular in particular among the upper class. Your mother frequented the place as often as her schedule allowed her to.

As Jung-Hyun took the initiative up the few steps leading up to the entrance, and held up the single glass door, you sent him a bemused look. “Is this really your friend’s business?” you asked, admittedly dubiously, as you entered the softly lit interior of the restaurant.

There were already a number of patrons filling up the tables and booths, people that were dressed almost as well as Jung-Hyun and drinking from bulbous wine glasses. Even though this technically was your crowd, you felt nervosity slip back into your spine, tensing your shoulders.

“Yes,” said Jung-Hyun simply, entering after you. “Chang Young-Eun bought and renovated this place about ten years ago. She might be in tonight, if you’d like to speak with her.”

You waved your hands no. “I believe you,” you said quickly. “I was just a little taken aback, I guess.”

“Are you certain you don’t want to meet her? She can affirm everything I say.”

“No, really,” you blurted, exasperated, before you caught the slight curve of Jung-Hyun’s lips. That smile of his that you weren’t sure even was a smile.

Had he… did he make a joke just then?

A hostess spotted you and Jung-Hyun, and started toward you with a welcoming smile. After exchanging some polite words and confirming Jung-Hyun’s information with their database, she led you to a table for two near the windows before departing. While you shrugged out of your jacket and purse, you noticed that Jung-Hyun was pulling out your chair for you. With a grateful smile, you draped your jacket and purse over the chair before seating. He then wordlessly went to sit opposite to you, his eyes grazing your shoulders and hair briefly before his attention moved away from you and to the waitress, who was approaching the two of you.

“Would you like something to drink?” she asked when she had drawn near, a polite smile on her face, pen ready.

“Water,” you said. “Just plain, not sparkling, please.”

“A bottle of red,” said Jung-Hyun. “Anything that Young-Eun chose herself will be alright.”

The waitress’ smile widened, but she said nothing of it. “I’ll be right back.”

“What did that mean?” you asked as soon as she had left.

You didn’t have to elaborate. “Young-Eun loves wine,” replied Jung-Hyun as he browsed the menu. “You can trust that whatever she serves, be it at her house or here, it’ll be a good wine.”

“But a whole bottle?” you wondered, raising a brow.

“Should I have ordered one for you as well?”

Though his expression or tone didn’t change, you thought you caught a glimmer of humor in his eyes when they hastily darted up to meet yours. “No thank you,” you amended, even though it concerned you that Jung-Hyun apparently expected to drink a whole bottle of red wine by himself. “Water is my personal vice.”

“I see.”

You spread open the menu as well, but already knew what you wanted to eat. Your mother’s favourite dish at The Monarch was pasta served with sauce made of urchin eggs, and so you opted for that. By the time the waitress returned with your beverages, you and Jung-Hyun were both ready to order. She took your menus, and as you watched Jung-Hyun pour himself a glass of dark red liquid, you decided to start a conversation that hopefully would lead to a little more clarity regarding both your marriage and Jungkook. It took you a few precious minutes to work up your courage and place your thoughts in right order, but then you went for it.

You decided to start the conversation with an easy subject. “How was Europe?”

Jung-Hyun had been quietly observing the interior design of the restaurant, and continued to while he responded. “Warm,” he began. “And dirtier than I imagined. But also very beautiful during the most unthinkable of times.”

“How come?” you prodded.

“I did a lot of hitchhiking with my group of friends,” he said, raising the glass of wine to his lips. He sipped slowly, eyes distant, before he went on. “We made mistake after mistake, but oddly enough, we never fought nor argued. I didn’t realize it at the time, but looking back, I can see that it was simply too wonderful living in the moment for anyone of us to get angry. The sky was different, somehow, and thus everything beneath it also seemed different.”

“I think that’s the longest I have ever heard you speak,” you couldn’t help but tease.

Jung-Hyun’s eyes regained their focus, and he examined your face for a moment. You almost thought you had made him irritated, but then he spoke. “I don’t mean to be quiet. I just am. I apologize if that makes you uncomfortable.”

“You shouldn’t be sorry for that,” you said hurriedly, eyebrows furrowing. “Why would you even think that?”

A flash of old, buried pain suddenly appeared in Jung-Hyun’s brown eyes, and you felt an icy jolt throughout your body. Because you recognized the agony - you had seen it once before.

Jungkook had the same look when he thought of his father.

Jung-Hyun was quiet. He sipped his wine again, face unreadable, and you saw his fingers twitch toward the pocket he had his cigarettes in. Before you could say anything, however, to either mend or perhaps further the conversation at hand, the waitress returned with food for both of you. While your pasta smelled delicious of seafood, olive oil and tomatoes, Jung-Hyun had ordered a sturdier meal with red meat as the main focus. The waitress left, and the two of you began dining.

“It’s delicious,” you said in lack of other things to say.

Jung-Hyun nodded. “Young-Eun is a perfectionist,” he said curtly.

You recommenced eating for a few more minutes, feeling as if though you had accidentally tore up a wound, which, metaphorically, it probably was. Though you knew what had transpired between Jungkook and his father and sympathized greatly with him, you had never even once thought about whether Jung-Hyun’s early move to Seoul and separation from his family had something to do with his father on a more personal basis, exempt from all the general misery drinking and gambling could produce. If so, it must have been just as bad - if not worse, since he was the oldest kid, than Jungkook’s situation.

You wanted to help Jung-Hyun, if not as a fiancée or friend, but as a mere humanitarian. But you had no idea how.

You twirled some pasta around your fork as you mused. But then, since Jung-Hyun felt like the straightforward type, you decided to stop beating around the bush. You wanted to get your answers as well as get familiar enough with him so that you could be, if not a happy couple, at the very least a content one.

“I know we don’t exactly know each other,” you began. “But I hope we can try to make this marriage work.”

“So do I,” said Jung-Hyun firmly, to your bewilderment.

Your eyes widened. “You do?” you asked incredulously. “Why?”

“It’s a very good arrangement, wouldn’t you say?”

If those words would have come out of any other mouth than Jung-Hyun, you might have thought it was a joke or some spiteful comment. It might have been a bit blunt, but nothing about his tone, expression or even body language said he meant it any other way than he had said it. You fleetingly wondered whether he, too, had a hard time lying to people close to him, before you smiled. “Well, yeah. But you’re forced to marry against your will. Isn’t that kind of a heavy price to pay?”

“Not in comparison, no.” Jung-Hyun sipped his wine. “But I cannot say I wasn’t surprised when my mother contacted me.”

You grimaced. “About being exchanged with Jungkook? I can understand. It must have felt really weird.”

“No. About Jungkook having cheated on you.”

He lowered his glass and resumed cutting his meat, and probably didn’t see your expression falling. “To think that he was in an apparently committed relationship outside your engagement… I couldn’t believe what I heard.”

“Yeah,” you said quietly as you, too, looked down onto your plate. “Neither could I when I discovered it. But it’s true.”

You sensed Jung-Hyun’s focus on you, but you didn’t meet it. “I was told,” he started, “by your mother that you didn’t want Jungkook to know that you and he had been engaged previously, however. And she was specific that nobody must tell him.”

He hadn’t worded or voiced it like a question, but you felt it nevertheless, hovering in the air; he wanted to know why.

“About that…”

You scratched your arm as you told Jung-Hyun everything that had happened that momentous evening, starting at the stadium when you had been invited to a concert all of a sudden by Se-Eun and ending with the talk you had had with Sejin at the coffee machines the next morning. He listened without reaction, neither chiming in nor questioning your decisions and actions, and when you were done, he nodded thoughtfully.

“I see.”

You drank some water. “That’s how it stands,” you reaffirmed. “I don’t want to muddle up his mind with details of the past. He needs to focus on his future.”

Then came the inevitable inquiry.

“What happens if he suddenly remembers everything?”

“I don’t know,” you answered after a long pause. “I’ll have to deal with it then. Until now, I have to help him as much as I can until he’s well enough to restart his idol life.”

“You’re a good friend.”

“I don’t know if I am, actually,” you admitted. You thought of Yoongi, and what he had told you. It had put a seed of doubt in your heart, but you had trod far too long down the path to return. If you told Jungkook now that the two of you had been engaged, your work thus far would have all been for naught. And your decision still made sense to you.

As long as he didn’t remember.

“I’m glad he has someone like you.”

You blinked, all your musings vaporizing. Jung-Hyun appeared unmoved, however, as he continued eating underneath your shocked gaze.

“Excuse me?” you managed, not sure if you had heard correctly.

“Jungkook,” said Jung-Hyun patiently. “I’m glad he has someone like you by his side. He needs it.”

“Oh.” You were blushing, but the snooping part of you took the chance to investigate. “Why do you say that?”

Jung-Hyun paused for a substantial amount before replying. “He has a lot of things to be unhappy over. Things from the past.”

“What ‘things’?" you asked gently.

He didn’t speak, but he didn’t need to. The silence said enough. Yet a stubborn part of you wanted to push Jung-Hyun on the topic - to be more specific, how he had been affected by his father.

“What about you?” you went on carefully.

Jung-Hyun’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly as they scrutinized your face. “You know about Jungkook,” he said.

You averted your gaze.

“For how long have you known?”

He didn’t sound accusatory, or angry. No, instead, there was something more familiar, something you, too, felt in regard to Jungkook’s… childhood.

“Too long,” you replied stiffly. You didn’t like to be reminded of your guilt and so you retorted automatically, defensively with a, “You?”

“Likewise.”

And when your eyes met his, you saw that it was there. Shame, endless remorse and guilt. It reflected a part deep within you, so much so that you almost couldn’t bear to look at him.

But you forced yourself to. Because if you hated it, so did Jung-Hyun. Yet he was brave enough to stay his ground.

The dinner ended shortly after that. You found that neither of you had to pay - Young-Eun, the owner, had supposedly seen the two of you eat together and had decided to put your bill on the house, since Jung-Hyun was an old friend. Jong-Yeol arrived surprisingly fast, but that’s when you realized you two had somehow already spent two hours at The Monarch. It was a total of three hours later until you reached the building of your parents’ apartment again.

“I need to smoke,” said Jung-Hyun as the Audi came to a soft halt outside the entrance, presumably to Jong-Yeol since he was driving him back to the hotel.

“I’ll keep you company,” you said after the two of you had stepped out of the car. You shuddered in the frosty wind that whipped against your face and legs as you headed around it to reach the pavement where Jung-Hyun stood.

“It’s cold,” said Jung-Hyun with a quick glance at you.

“And?” you asked as you wrapped your arms around your torso. You knew you should have grabbed a warmer coat than the one you were wearing at the moment. “Haven’t you seen Frozen?”

“Is it a new show on TV?”

You gaped. “Do you seriously not know what Frozen is?”

Jung-Hyun simply looked at you, unfazed.

“Am I going to have to sing to remind you?” you wondered, still stunned. You hummed the tune when he remained expressionless until the relevant words came up, and when even that didn’t work, you started on a long explanation that involved the characters and the setting and the story. Although you weren’t a Frozen fan per se, you had seen it and knew how popular it was, or at least had been. You just couldn’t believe he didn’t know about it.

It was too late when you caught the security guards staring at you as if you were mad in your peripheral vision, and far too late before you discerned the small smile on Jung-Hyun’s face in the dark of the evening.

You stopped yourself before you could embarrass yourself even further, dropping your gaze to the asphalt. “Of course,” you muttered. “You were just acting out a joke.”

There was a gentle weight on your head, and you glanced up to see Jung-Hyun withdraw his hand slowly. His lips were still curved, and his eyes were evidently amused. “People tend to do that.”

“I know,” you said half-sullenly.

“I don’t look the type.”

“No,” you said firmly, causing his brown eyes to retract a notch. “You’re just too good at it.”

His smile widened infinitesimally. “I see.”

Before you could say anything, Jung-Hyun went on. “Go inside, (Y/N). You don’t need to breathe in smoke for my sake.” He hesitated. “Would you like to meet again?”

When you smiled at him, it was without even a touch of exaggeration or forced enthusiasm. Even though a voice in the back of your head reminded your that what you felt for Jung-Hyun was a speck of dust, a mere shadow of a flicker compared to who your heart truly desired, you knew that you could respond without lying. He wasn’t a bad guy, despite what Jungkook’s feelings toward him might say. And though the evening hadn’t gone completely without bumps, Jung-Hyun had been nothing but a gentleman.

Also, you were marrying him. Even if you hadn’t wanted to meet him anymore, you had to.

“Of course,” you said. “Next week?”

“I’ll contact you.”

And with that, Jung-Hyun and you parted. You told Jong-Yeol goodbye before heading up the elevator and into your parents’ apartment. Strangely, it was quiet, though the lights in the hallway were still on, which indicated that Jungkook at least hadn’t gone to sleep yet. Nonetheless, you grabbed a kitchen knife as quietly as you could, ready for round two of a potential home intruder as you padded around the apartment. It wasn’t until you reached your room - just like last time you bore a knife around your home, oddly enough - that you heard him.

Jungkook talking - and chuckling.

With your heart pounding inside your chest, you pressed yourself against the wall before you peeked into your room. There, you saw Jungkook lying prone on the extra bed, faced away from you, fortunately, and with his phone in his hands, earbuds in his ears. You couldn’t really see from that distance, but it was clear that there was a face on the screen.

And it was a face you recognized.

“Sorry,” said Jungkook unapologetically and all of a sudden. You could hear the smile in his reply.

He chuckled after a beat, and went on. “Good. I would hate to have the conversation just end like that.”

You walked away before you could hear anything more. Returning to the kitchen, you put away the knife and then made extra care to make noise as you pretended to enter the apartment for the first time after your dinner, slamming the front door to begin the charade. You had made your way to the kitchen and was pouring up a glass of water by the time Jungkook appeared.

“(Y/N)!” he said with a smile, clearly in a better mood than earlier. “How was your evening?”

“It was lovely,” you replied. It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t exactly the truth either. “We ate at one of Seoul’s best Italian place for free, since Jung-Hyun is good friends with the owner.”

“I didn’t know he had a friend like that,” said Jungkook, his smile fading.

“Neither did I.” You shrugged. “How was your evening?”

You tried to keep your expression as normal as possible, and it seemed to work. Jungkook didn’t seem even the slightest bit suspicious as he replied.

“I…” He rubbed his neck gingerly. “I called Yi-Jae finally.”

“Great.” The word practically jumped out of your mouth, which was good since you didn’t know what else you might have said if you had had the time to ponder it. “How did it go?”

Jungkook’s smile returned, and you couldn’t explain how much it hurt. Not with words - perhaps with sounds. “It went really well, actually. I can’t believe how forgiving she was, considering how we… split.”

You remembered. It had been awful to witness her expression after Jungkook completely shut her down.

“Great,” you repeated intelligently. You cleared your throat, and lowered your gaze when the sound caught Jungkook’s attention. “Seems like it went well for both of us.”

“Yeah.”

“How long did you guys talk?” you wondered.

“Probably more than two hours,” said Jungkook sheepishly.

“Nice,” you said as you tried to ignore the increasing sense of despair in your stomach. “That’s practically a date.”

Jungkook snorted, but his smile was intact.

“Perhaps.”

#MCAF #Ao3 #Wrienne #bts fic #bts x reader #bts fanfiction #bts jungkook

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technophia · 23 hours

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Microsoft anuncia los nuevos Surface Pro y Surface Laptop: sus primeros Copilot+ PC con chips Snapdragon X

Microsoft ha presentado sus primeros Copilot+ PC: los nuevos Surface Pro y Surface Laptop. Estas son sus principales características. Este lunes, Microsoft ha anunciado una nueva categoría de ordenador llamada Copilot+ PC, donde la inteligencia artificial juega un papel crucial. Los de Redmond han presentado los primeros dispositivos del catálogo Surface que caen dentro de este segmento: se…

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anhometech · 9 days

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AnHome 65W USB C Gan Fast Wall Charger Block, 3 Ports Foldable Plug Type C 65 Watt PD Charging Brick USBC Compatible with MacBook Pro/Air/iPhone 11/12/13/14/15 Pro Max, Tablets Laptop and More

High-Speed Charging for Macbook Pro/Air: Connect to either 65W USB-C port to charge flagship notebooks including MacBook Air 2020, MacBook Pro 13'', Dell XPS 13 9380, ThinkPad X390, and more at high speed.

Powered by GaN II Tech: By swapping out silicon for gallium nitride (GaN), we’ve reduced the size of our chargers without compromising power. Now with GaN II, we can keep pushing the limits of mobile power even further.

Compatibility: with Notebooks and Tablets, MacBook Air 2020, MacBook Pro 13'', Dell XPS 13 9360/9380, ThinkPad E490, HP Spectre Folio, ThinkPad X390, Google Pixelbook, Microsoft Surface Book 2, and iPad 2018 and later. Phones and Accessories: iPhone 13 / 13 Mini / 13 Pro / 13 Pro Max / iPhone 12 / Pro / mini / Pro Max / SE 2020 / 11 / 11 Pro / 11 Pro Max / XS / XS Max / XR / X / 8 Plus / 8 / 7 Plus / 7 / 6 Plus, iPad mini 5 / 4, iPad Pro, Galaxy S21 / S21+ / S21 Ultra / Galaxy S10 / S10+ / S10e / S9 / S9+ / S8 / S8+, Note 20 / 20 Ultra / 10 / 9 / 8, Pixel 3a / 3XL / 3 / 2 XL / 2, and More, Google Pixel 3 and later, Sony XZ3, Sony Xperia 1, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, AirPods, and magnetic wireless charger with USB-C cable.

Travel-Friendly: Compact Design: Thanks to a cutting-edge GaN chip, AnHome 65W USB-C charger is 50% smaller than the original 61W USB-C charger.

Foldable plug provides more portability and a better travel experience.

#anhome #android #iphone #AnHome 65W USB C Gan Fast Wall Charger Block

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ujjinatd · 16 days

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Las nuevas Surface Laptop y Surface Pro de Microsoft apuestan por la IA, e Intel se queda fuera El proces... https://ujjina.com/las-nuevas-surface-laptop-y-surface-pro-de-microsoft-apuestan-por-la-ia-e-intel-se-queda-fuera/?feed_id=632881&_unique_id=664c35ac4a3db

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arielmcorg · 3 months

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#Radiogeek - Apple enfrenta una demanda en Estados Unidos - Nro 2465

Al parecer Estados Unidos, se suma a Europa en base a las demandas contra Apple, y las mismas tienen la misma relación, temas de monopolio, ademas; nuevas Surface de Microsoft anunciadas; Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile disponible en Android ; mucho más… Aclaración, el smartphone que voy a probar es el Redmi Note 13 Pro, no el 14. Los temas del día: Microsoft presenta el nuevo Surface Laptop 6,…

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#cultura geek #diario tech #Instagram #meta #noticias tech #PODCAST #podcast tech #PODCASTING #PORTADA #radio tecnología #RADIOGEEK #redes sociales #Samsung #tecnología #Threads #x

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it-online · 2 years

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Microsoft lança novos dispositivos e acessórios Surface para elevar a experiência do utilizador

A Microsoft apresentou hoje os mais recentes dispositivos da família Surface, concebidos para elevar a experiência do utilizador, reunindo todo o potencial do PC, cloud e Inteligência Artificial: Surface Laptop 5, 50% mais potente que o seu antecessor; Surface Pro 9, com até 50% mais desempenho que o modelo anterior e Surface Studio 2+, que duplica o desempenho gráfico do modelo anterior. Além…

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#Educação #Microsoft #Microsoft Adaptive Hub #Microsoft Adaptive Mouse #Microsoft Audio Dock:#Microsoft Presenter+#Surface Laptop 5 #Surface Pro 9 #Surface Studio 2+#Windows 11 SE

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polovnilaptopovi · 5 months

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7 saveta za izbor: Najbolji polovni laptopovi u 2024.

Vreme nam je, ukoliko nas je nešto naučilo, pokazalo da novije nije nužno i bolje. U svetu računara, to često znači plaćanje značajne premije kako biste postali beta tester hardvera. Kupovinom starijeg polovnog laptopa (korišćenog ili obnovljenog), ne samo da ćete platiti manje, već ćete smanjiti i elektronski otpad.

Takođe, nećete mnogo izgubiti u pogledu performansi i vijeka baterije. Od 2017. godine, kada su Intel i Nvidia predstavili četvorojezgarni hyperthreaded U-series i heksa-jezgarni

hyperthreaded H-series procesore, performanse laptopa su bile vrlo solidne. Dakle, ako je budžet ključna briga, postoji dobra šansa da će laptop iz 2017. ili 2018. zadovoljiti sve vaše potrebe, a u nekim slučajevima, posebno kada su u pitanju priključci, stariji modeli mogu biti čak i bolji!

Čak i ako idealan laptop za vaše potrebe više nije dostupan direktno od proizvođača, to ne znači da ga ne možete nabaviti. Uvek možete prona��i polovne i obnovljene laptope lako na eBay-u, forumima poput NotebookReview, Reddit-u, Amazon-u (možete filtrirati rezultate za "Polovno"), kao i lokalnim oglasima na Craigslist-u. Takođe, možda imate lokalne prodavce obnovljenih uređaja u blizini, pa pretražite mape da biste ih pronašli.

Tabela sadržaja:

Kako kupiti polovan/stariji laptop

Cena, performanse, reputacija i ekran

Najbolji polovni ultraprenosivi laptopovi

Dell XPS 13 9360

Dell XPS 13 9370 ili noviji modeli 16:9 ekrana (9305)

Najbolji polovni poslovni laptopovi

Lenovo ThinkPad T480

Dell Latitude E7480

Najbolji polovni tanki i lagani ultrabukovi

Dell XPS 15 7590

Najbolji polovni gejmerski laptopovi

Acer Predator Helios 300

Lenovo Legion 5

Najbolji polovni laptopovi ispod 500 dolara

Acer Swift 3

Najbolji polovni 2-u-1/konvertibilni Windows računari

Microsoft Surface Go 2

Microsoft Surface Pro 5

Jedan od ključnih faktora koji se uzimaju u obzir prilikom odabira laptopa da bi se našao na ovom popisu jeste da mora biti značajno jeftiniji od novog laptopa slične opreme koji bi danas koštao. Generalno, tražit ćemo laptope koji se mogu nabaviti na tržištu rabljenih uređaja za iznos između 250 i 700 dolara.

Što se tiče performansi, Coffee-lake (8. gen) i Turing (10. gen) procesori i grafičke kartice označili su trenutak kada je snaga mobilnog računarstva napravila korak naprijed. Od tada su povećanja performansi i efikasnosti bila znatno inkrementalna. Dakle, za performantne laptope, idealno bismo trebali tražiti ultrabookove s najmanje 8. generacijom procesora i gaming laptope s najmanje GTX 10xx serijom grafičkih kartica. Većina laptopa od 2017. nadalje zadovoljit će ove zahtjeve.

Međutim, postoje neka odstupanja od pravila četverojezgrenih procesora. Ako vam zaista treba laptop samo za osnovni rad, tada možete uštedjeti odabirom ultrabooka s procesorom iz serije U treće do sedme generacije (Stariji ThinkPads obično dobro zadovoljavaju ovu nišu). Tableti su također općenito izuzeti zbog veće potrošnje energije 4-jezgrenih/8-niti procesora u tako malom kućištu s ograničenim kapacitetom baterije.

Jedna od glavnih prednosti kupovine rabljenog ili drugačije starijeg modela laptopa jest saznanje o tome koji laptopovi imaju dobar/loš ugled. Imate prednost retrospektive: prašina se slegla, dugoročne recenzije i masovni korisnički povrat dostupni su, a greške i osobitosti uređaja poznate su. Generalno je jasnije što ćete dobiti s starijim laptopom nego s novijim.

Naposljetku, najvažniji zahtjev za ekran ne-gaming laptopa bit će rezolucija 1080p (FHD) koristeći IPS tehnologiju i pristojnu reprodukciju boja.

FHD IPS standard je već neko vrijeme, pa će većina laptopa koje danas pronađete također zadovoljiti naše zahtjeve za zaslonom. Međutim, postoje iznimke, neki Dell i Lenovo laptopi isporučeni su s lošim 1366 x 768 TN zaslonima kao načinom smanjenja troškova za korporativne klijente.

Za zaslon gaming laptopa, osim ako će se uvijek koristiti spojen na TV ili monitor, vjerojatno ćete htjeti 120Hz+ (posebno za pucačke igre ili druge natjecateljske igre). Neki od ranijih 120Hz+ zaslona mogu biti blijedi ili isprani, pa su IPS i 300 nit+ svjetlina dobre karakteristike na koje treba obratiti pažnju ako ih možete dobiti.

Sada kada su zahtjevi ispunjeni, prijeđimo na prijenosna računala.

Najbolji rabljeni ultraprijenosni laptopi Dell XPS 13 9360 (Affiliate link) Ako tražite izuzetno kompaktan ultrabook s dugim vijekom baterije i solidnom performansom po pristupačnoj cijeni, XPS 13 je na vrhu mog popisa.

Dobro:

Može se pronaći za 450-550 američkih dolara na eBayu. Posljednji XPS 13 s USB-A i Thunderbolt 3 priključcima. Dostupan s Intel 8th generacijom 4-jezgrenih/8-nitnih procesora. Veća baterija nego kod kasnijih generacija. Izvanredan vijek trajanja baterije s i5 i FHD zaslonom (više od 9 sati stvarne upotrebe). Dijelovi su lako dostupni, pa je relativno jednostavno nadograditi/popraviti s dijelovima iz 9350/9360 modela. Loše:

Kamera je u donjem lijevom kutu. Ograničena GPU performansa. TB3 priključak ima samo dvije staze. Dell XPS 13 9360 posljednji je XPS 13 s USB Type-A priključcima i može se pronaći i s Intel 8th generacijom 4-jezgrenih/8-nitnih procesora.

Saveti:

Provjerite da li dobivate i5 ili i7 8th generacije Intel čipove. S i3 ili ranijim Intel čipovima poput i7-7500U, odrekli biste se polovine jezgri. Također provjerite trebate li laptop za važne video prezentacije, jer ta kamera u donjem lijevom kutu može biti problem. Još uvijek se šale sa mnom kolege kad je koristim. Ako ga trebate koristiti cijeli dan za posao, i5/FHD SKU je najbolji izbor. Izbjegavajte QHD/Touch/i7 konfiguracije ako vam treba više od 4-5 sati vijeka baterije. Dell XPS 13 9370 ili kasniji modeli 16:9 (9305) (Affiliate link) Ako vam nije potreban USB-A, ali vam treba Thunderbolt 3 s punom brzinom, ili (bolje) postavljena kamera, možete razmotriti noviji XPS 13 9370 ili druge modele (9305) koji i dalje koriste 16:9 dizajn zaslona.

Dobro:

9370 se može pronaći za 450-650 američkih dolara na eBayu. Dva Thunderbolt priključka s četiri staze, jedan USB 3.0 Type-C priključak (s izlazom na zaslon). Maloljetniji i tanji od XPS 13 9360. Puni se putem USB-C. Dostupan s 4-jezgrenim/8-nitnim do 6-jezgrenim/12-nitnim procesorima. Intel Xe Graphics bit će mnogo puta brži od prethodnih generacija Intel HD grafičkih kartica. Windows Hello IR kamera Kamera na 9305 konačno je iznad zaslona. Izvanredan vijek trajanja baterije s i5 i FHD zaslonom (više od 9 sati stvarne upotrebe). Dijelovi su lako dostupni, pa je relativno jednostavno nadograditi/popraviti s dijelovima iz 9370 i kasnijih iteracija XPS 13 s omjerom 16:9. Loše:

I dalje ima nose-cam na 9370. Ograničena GPU performansa. Nema USB Type-A priključka. WiFi kartica je lemljena od ove generacije nadalje. XPS 13 XPS 9370 je malo tanji i lakši od 9360, ali nema USB Type-A priključaka.

Saveti:

Tražite varijante s i5/FHD za najbolji omjer cijene/performansi/vijeka baterije. Izbjegavajte i3 ili 4 GB RAM konfiguracije. Kamera će i dalje biti na dnu osim ako ne dobijete 9305, što će biti skuplje.

Najbolji rabljeni poslovni laptopovi Lenovo ThinkPad T480 (Affiliate Link) ThinkPads su odavno odličan izbor za radne prijenosnike. Iako su stari stalni modeli poput X220/230/250/260/270 i T450/460/470 i dalje dobri izbori za osnovne radne laptope, nedostaje im četverojezgrenih procesora s hiper-niti. Preporučujemo T480 jer je to posljednji ThinkPad s izmjenjivom baterijom. Naša recenzija serije ThinkPad T480S dostupna je ovdje.

Dobro:

Može se pronaći za oko 500 dolara na eBayu. Robustan. Popravljiv. Visoko nadogradiv, s modularnom memorijom, WiFi, pohranom i baterijama. Zamjenski dijelovi lako dostupni na eBayu ili drugim web stranicama. Odličan izbor priključaka. TrackPoint. Loše:

Ekrani nisu najbolje kvalitete. Tipkovnice mogu imati problema s miješanjem ako ste brzi tipkač. ThinkPads su poznati po svom ikoničnom dizajnu i TrackPoint-u.

Saveti:

Trajanje baterije ovisit će o tome koristite li produženu bateriju ili tanku. Za cijelodnevnu upotrebu željet ćete produženu bateriju, koja će povećati težinu i veličinu, pa to imajte na umu. Provjerite da ne kupujete model s groznim 1366 x 768 TN zaslonom, osim ako nije vrlo dobar posao i namjeravate kupiti drugi zaslon i nadograditi sami. Dell Latitude E7480 (Affiliate Link) Dellovi Latitude laptopi često su zanemareni zbog popularnosti ThinkPada, ali čine izvrsne radne poslovne laptope po cijenama koje je teško nadmašiti. Postoji velika napomena ovdje: ako vas smeta šum zavojnice, E7480 možda neće biti na vašem popisu. Ako imate vrlo ograničen proračun i ne trebate četverojezgreni procesor, razmislite o E7470, koji se može pronaći za manje od 200 dolara na eBayu.

Dobro:

Jeftiniji od usporedivih ThinkPada. Robustan. Dijelovi lako dostupni. RAM/WiFi/Pohrana sve se može nadograditi. Ima nub s gumbima sličnim TrackPoint-u. USB Type-A i Thunderbolt 3 priključci. Loše:

Šum zavojnice navodno može biti problem. Posebno loši zvučnici. E7480 Iako manje kultni, Dell Latitudes ima posvećenu bazu zagovornika i odličan su izbor za poslovni prijenosnik.

Saveti:

Izbjegavajte ako ste osjetljivi na šum zavojnice ili testirajte uživo prije kupnje. Provjerite da ne dobivate model s 1366×768 TN zaslonom.

Najbolji Korišćeni Tanki i Lagani Performantni Ultrabook-ovi Dell XPS 15 7590 (Affiliate Link) Ako tražite dobro očuvani prenosni računar koji izgleda sjajno, obavlja sve zadatke i nije previše skup, pogledajte XPS 15 7590. Iako nije tako modernog izgleda kao noviji XPS 15 9500, XPS 9510 ili XPS 9520, performanse su i dalje teško nadmašene u takvom obliku. Skuplji je od gotovo svih drugih laptopova na ovom spisku, ali ako želite nešto snažno, privlačno i kompaktno za CPU ili grafičke zadatke (čak i za igre), ovo je verovatno vaša najbolja opcija.

Naši pregledi različitih XPS 15 modela tokom godina dostupni su ovde.

Dobre strane:

Privlačan oblik. Grafičke performanse (Nvidia GTX 1650) dovoljne su za igranje na srednjim detaljima. Snažne CPU performanse kod i7 modela. RAM, WiFi i SSD mogu se nadograditi. Dobar izbor priključaka (1X USB Type-A, 1x TB3, 1x MicroSD, 1x HDMI) Delovi lako dostupni putem eBaya. Odličan vek baterije sa 97WHr baterijom i FHD ekranom (preko 10 sati stvarne upotrebe). Loše strane:

Skuplji od sličnih laptopova namenjenih gejmingu. Može biti kapriciozan/bugovit: pogledajte prethodne recenzije na ovom sajtu za više informacija. 4K UHD ekran je lep, ali troši bateriju. OLED ekran pokazuje artefakte trakastog efekta. XPS15 XPS 15 7590 je stari standard u kategoriji "prosumer" prenosnih računara.

Saveti:

Ako zaista želite dodirni ekran i najlepši ekran koji možete dobiti na prenosnom računaru (IPS UHD), potražite FHD model. Izbegavajte OLED ekran zbog problema sa sivim trakama i povećane cene. Izbegavajte i3 i i5 CPU-ove ako vam je potreban heksa-core CPU. Razmotrite konfiguraciju i5/GTX 1650 samo ako želite lep laptop za igranje i ako dobijate zaista dobar deal. Pratite moj vodič ovde o termalnoj optimizaciji vašeg XPS 15 kako biste produžili njegov vek trajanja i povećali performanse. NE NADOGRAĐUJTE BIOS IZA 1.5.0 ILI MOŽETE TRAJNO IZGUBITI MOGUĆNOST UNDERVEROLTINGA. Serija XPS 15 se zagreva zbog svoje tanke konstrukcije, a undervolting je izuzetno koristan za postizanje najboljih performansi.

Najbolji Korišćeni Gejming Laptopovi Acer Predator Helios 300 (Affiliate Link) Acer-ova "Predator" linija gejming računara (pogledajte našu recenziju) možda nije toliko poznata kao Dell-ov Alienware, ali su zadivili recenzente i igrače u proteklim godinama nudeći snažne, visokoperformantne i pristupačne gejming laptopove. Njihova estetika i veličina/težina moguće su prepreke za osvajanje lepote, ali po ovim cenama na tržištu polovnih laptopova, teško ih je nadmašiti.

Naši pregledi različitih Predator Helios 300 modela tokom godina dostupni su ovde.

Dobre strane:

Robustan dizajn. Može se nadograditi. Odlične performanse. Loše strane:

Manja baterija (58Wh). Nema Thunderbolt. Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315 53 2 Acer Predator Helios 300 je odlična opcija za igranje većine savremenih naslova bez suvišnih dodataka.

Saveti:

Ako vam je budžet na nižem nivou (400-500 dolara), pogledajte starije modele Predator Helios sa Nvidia 10-serijskim GPU-ima. Čak i GTX 1060 je obično brži od GTX 1650 i biće sasvim dovoljan za igranje modernih igara na srednjim podešavanjima. Ako ćete koristiti laptop sa eksternim monitorom za igranje, ne brinite se o ekranu. Verovatno ne želite modele sa AMD RX560, jer je performansa daleko ispod Nvidia GTX 10-serije. Ako nije apsolutno jeftin, proverite da li dobijate Intel i7-8xxxH CPU kako biste iskoristili prednost 6 jezgara. Lenovo Legion 5 (Affiliate Link) Lenovo Legion 5 je prvi laptop na ovom spisku koji koristi AMD-ove Ryzen 7 čipove, što znači da će ovaj korišćeni laptop biti bolji od drugih laptopova sa Intel-ovim ponudama u zadacima koji zahtevaju mnogo procesorske snage. Ima prilično modernu estetiku za gejming laptop sa pristupačnom cenom, potpuno je nadogradiv i jedan je od najboljih korišćenih laptopova za gejming koje možete dobiti trenutno.

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Ryzen 7 CPU je nadmoćan u odnosu na Intelove 6/8-core čipove. Lep dizajn. Može se nadograditi. Odlična vrednost. Loše strane:

Nema Thunderbolt. Gumeni premaz se čini da se oguli/ljušti. Biserna okviri ekrana. Lenovo Legion 5 može se naći sa Intel ili AMD CPU-ovima.

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Ako vam je CPU performansa najvažnija, potražite konfiguracije sa Ryzen 7. Za gejming, bilo koji će biti u redu. Nvidia GTX 1650Ti ili GTX 1660 će obe biti dobre GPU opcije za savremeno igranje na srednjim detaljima.

Najbolji Korišćeni Laptopovi Ispod 500 Dolara Ova kategorija je prilično konkurentska jer odgovor zavisi više o tome šta vam je potrebno od laptopa nego o ceni. Međutim, pošto smo već pomenuli XPS 13 u kategoriji "Najbolji Korišćeni Ultra-prenosni", imamo drugačiju preporuku za najbolji korišćeni laptop ispod 500 dolara koja vas može iznenaditi:

Acer Swift 3 (Affiliate Link) Ako niste čuli za Acer Swift 3, ne krivimo vas. Godinama, Acer je uglavnom bio sinonim za jeftine laptopove koji štede na materijalima kako bi pružili najnižu cenu za specifikacije. Međutim, u poslednjih nekoliko godina, Acer je zaista napredovao u dizajniranju laptopova sa boljom izradom, materijalima i dizajnom, a serija "Swift" prednjači u segmentu ultra-prenosivih računara. Voleli smo naše Swift 3, smatrajući izgled, performanse i iskustvo kucanja iznenađujuće dobrim. Potražite verziju iz 2019. godine za najbolju vrednost.

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Dobre performanse. Snažan vek baterije. Odlična vrednost. Tanak i lagan. Dostupan u veličinama ekrana 14/15" sa različitim rasporedima tastature. Dostupan sa GeForce MX grafikom. Odličan izbor priključaka. Aluminijumsko kućište. Loše strane:

Dizajn nije impresivan. Može se zagrejati. Ekran se najbolje opisuje kao "adekvatan". acer swift 3 2019 big1000 21567667124 Nije toliko elegantan kao Dell XPS 13, ali pruža više nego gotovo bilo koji drugi laptop u cenovnom segmentu ispod 500 dolara.

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Proverite da li kupujete željenu veličinu ekrana i raspored tastature. Model od 15.6" ima numeričku tastaturu sa pomeranim touchpad-om. 2020/2021 osveženja takođe su veoma povoljna, pa ako želite noviji dizajn, vidite možete li pronaći dobru ponudu na eBay-u ili Craigslist-u.

Najbolji Korišćeni 2-u-1/konvertibilni Windows PC-jevi Microsoft Surface Go 2 (Affiliate Link) Pre nego što dođemo do zvaničnih preporuka za "korišćene" uređaje, postoji dobar argument za Microsoft Surface Go 2. Tehnički gledano, to nije stariji laptop jer je to poslednji jeftini Surface tablet koji je Microsoft napravio, ali već je bio prisutan preko godinu dana i cena mu je pala malo.

Međutim, po mom skromnom mišljenju, nije baš najbolji tablet uopšte zbog svog skučenog ekrana i vrlo slabe performanse sa nižim Pentium/eMMC konfiguracijama, ali ako tražite jeftin konvertibilni Windows uređaj, možete mnogo gore proći. Samo obratite pažnju na specifikacije i pratite savete za kupovinu ispod, jer će vaše iskustvo sa ovim tabletom značajno varirati u zavisnosti od toga koju konfiguraciju kupujete. Pogledajte na eBay-u da biste videli da li možete pronaći dobar dovoljno povoljan deal.

Ažuriranje: Postoji noviji Surface Go 3 dostupan u međuvremenu. To je u suštini hardversko unapređenje Go 2, ali sa primetnim poboljšanjem performansi na osnovnim Intel Pentium konfiguracijama. Međutim, ako tražite bolje specifikacije u ovakvom malom formatu, i dalje bih razmotrio Go 2, pogotovo ako ga možete pronaći po sniženoj ceni.

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Mali i lagan. Slatkast dizajn. Veoma lep 3:2 ekran. Slot za MicroSD karticu omogućava proširenje skladišta. Loše strane:

Mali ekran i tastatura mogu biti skučeni za produženu upotrebu. Prosečno trajanje baterije. Konfiguracije sa m3/i3 CPU-ovima su neophodne za više od osnovne upotrebe. Sporo eMMC skladište (na osnovnom modelu). Teško se koristi na krilu. Surface Go 2 Ako možete pronaći dobar deal na Surface Go sa tastaturom i 8 GB RAM-a, može biti odličan sekundarni ili tercijarni Windows uređaj.

Saveti:

Bez obzira na ostale specifikacije, pobrinite se da dobijete model sa 8 GB RAM-a. Izaberite verziju sa Intel m3 CPU-om Go 2 ako planirate da radite više od veoma osnovnih zadataka. Izbegavajte modele sa sporim eMMC skladištem.

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