#did you know that every single time a new company announces a new group there will always be the flood of 'rip their old groups' | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

Visit Blog

Explore Tumblr blogs with no restrictions, modern design and the best experience.

Fun Fact

In February 2021, Tumblr had 518.6 million blog accounts.

#did you know that every single time a new company announces a new group there will always be the flood of 'rip their old groups'

batshit-auspol · 5 months

Text

So a bit of background first for our international followers: Clive Palmer is one of Australia's many mining billionaires who like to meddle in our country's politics, and as such he is utterly despised by all of Australia.

Picture for context:

He is most commonly known online by the title "Fatty McFuckhead", (problematic as it may be) because he tried to sue a youtuber for $500,000 for calling him that - and he lost. So the name stuck.

Up until his most recent foray into parliament, the legally certified Fuckhead was best known for his batshit business ventures, such as attempting to build "The Titanic 2" (failed) and trying to build a dinosaur theme park (also failed, but at least nobody got eaten by a T-Rex in this one).

For a very long time Clive played the role of sugar daddy to Australia's largest conservative party, the ironically named Liberal Party, until they had a falling out in 2012 after Clive claimed there was too much money influencing politics (lol), at which point he started his own party, days after saying he totally quit and wasn't fired and he only left because he didn't want to be a distraction.

His initial run at parliament was actually kinda successful, with Palmer's group winning 4 seats, plus a member from the "Motoring Enthusiasts Party" joined them too after accidentally getting elected and not knowing what the fuck to do.

Despite this initial success however, Palmer's party (which ran on basically no platform other than "I'm rich") hit an iceberg (titanic 2 achieved) and seven elected state and federal politicians quit within the first year.

By the time the next federal election rolled around, only one Palmer party candidate was still running for re-election. The most successful of this group - Jaquie Lambie - quit to sit as an independant and is still in parliament today.

Here she is with a painting of herself strangling Clive (she sells signed copies of this)

And here the senator is posting about liking sausage:

Anyway, we're getting to the point: which is the yellow posters. By the 2016 election, just two years after forming, the party was in complete freefall. It won just 0.01% of the vote at their second election, and it was announced shortly after that Clive was quitting politics and the party was being shut down. Australia breathed a sigh of relief.

It was, of course, short lived.

Clive, in desperate need of attention, restarted the party for the 2019 election, fielding candidates in every seat and spending $60 million in advertising in an attempt to win votes.

Every single candidate lost.

It was in this campaign however that Australia really started to fall out of love with Palmer, because most of that $60 million went towards putting up the world's least compelling marketing billboards on almost every single free space in the country.

For a good six months this was basically the only thing you would see in Australia if you went outside:

Clearly Graphic design is his passion. And yes, the genius did just straight up try and copy Trump's homework while changing a few words, hoping nobody would notice.

Very quickly these all got vandalised and it seemed the ad companies didn't care enough to replace them.

We could go on posting examples, there are thousands, but the best is definitely the one Ikea put up shortly after Clive lost the election:

In 2022, Clive's party contested the election AGAIN, this time also opting to send millions on spam text messages to every person in Australia begging for people to vote for him, as well as buying almost every youtube ad for a year, at the cost of $100 million.

He won a whopping one seat.

During this election Clive ran on an anti-lockdown, anti-vax platform with the slogan "freedom, freedom, freedom". That message, however, was slightly undermined when his goons, dressed in 'Freedom!' shirts, made national news for trying to beat up a protester who turned up at a rally dressed as an annoying text message, shouting "pay your workers" at Clive.

As if that wasn't bad enough, at another rally Clive knocked himself unconscious while trying to jump up on stage, and then a few weeks later was rushed to hospital with covid, while his anti-vax ads were still in regular rotation on TV, at which point it was also leaked to the press that Palmer had been alledgedly trying to buy Hitler's car.

Utterly humiliated, the party deregistered again shortly after the election.

Can't wait until he runs again in 2025.

Anyway, on the other "Clive tweeting Miss Kobayashi's Dragon" thing, we have no idea what that means but here's a screencap:

#australia #auspol #history

5K notes · View notes

imagine--if · 1 year

Note

hi! i saw that u write for aib and i was wondering if i can request a chishiya x reader, where they get separated in the middle of a difficult game and ends with the reader badly hurt by another player? idk why but i want something really angsty with a fluff ending (established relationship if possible) <3

A/N: Sure; I followed the concept as much as I could, I hope this is okay!! I need to start writing moreee aghhh I'm doing this final project for my course so it's been a bit hectic haha 😅 sorry for the wait! Enjoy 🖤 WORDS: 1.6K

Chishiya x Reader Oneshot; Smartass

Spades and Diamonds.

You already knew which person had to go where, which one between you and your partner was best for the very different survival games. One was all about using your head, outsmarting everyone to come out alive, and the other was about using your fists, your fight, physical strength rather than mental. And although you wouldn't say that you're the most physical person, especially in the Borderlands, you knew that in all the Borderlands, Chishiya Shuntaro could probably outsmart every single player. Maybe every gamemaster.

It was one of the first things you'd said to him when you met. During the Jack of Hearts, while the numbers of players were dropping on the screen, until it was just you and a handful of apprehensive, strange survivors left, Chishiya had stalked up to you and suggested you team up. The smirk that radiated self-confidence and amusement with the world, barely taking it seriously, but winning every game anyway, just because he could.

"Why don't you go solo?" You had questioned him with a raised brow, slightly defensive after he had called out your behaviour of just tagging along with the group but barely saying a word. You knew that trust was a priceless thing in the Borderlands, let alone in a Hearts game, and no one was worthy of it. "If you're such a smartass."

You thought that might get him annoyed, give him another reason to try and eliminate you from the game apart from being a survivor in the way of finding the Jack, or that you were the Jack yourself. But, if anything, his smirk grew, and those deep brown eyes looked almost curious as they glanced up and down at you.

"If I'm so smart, then what might you be?"

You scoffed under your breath, shrugging and looking away. "Wouldn't you like to know."

"Maybe I would," was Chishiya's answer, and you looked up at him, taken aback. But you could see that he meant it, that curiosity shining through his otherwise blank, assessing features, and so, after getting out of that game alive, and many others with him suddenly at your side, he did know. You both started to know each other, more and more, until you were practically inseparable.

No one announced that you were together. There was no proposal, no question of going out, no massive gesture. You were together before you were together. It only took one sealing kiss, where you were both alone in another long, tense night that somehow seemed a bit relaxed with your company. Chishiya always seemed so unbothered, so humoured by the world and people around him, like it was playing out for his amusement. But now, as you're faced with a dilemma that's hardly a dilemma, he doesn't look so amused. He looks almost as apprehensive as the players around you look when you and Chishiya breeze through the challenges, working together flawlessly. Chishiya found it odd how easy it was to know what the other was thinking almost all of the time during games, to find an interest in someone new and different, until it unfolded into something deeper and more loving. The whole thing was completely alien to the both of you, but you loved it, and let it blossom.

But now, as the large fluttering images of the face cards are dragged through the sky by fat blimps, Chishiya's brows twitch unapprovingly, searching for a solution that will guarantee both of your safety.

"Go," you urge him, and he knows what you mean immediately, staring at you thoughtfully. "It's your game, Chishiya. Go beat the King of Diamonds. I'll manage, I will."

Chishiya doesn't answer for a stretched-out few moments, still looking for another option, a way for you to stay at each other's side like you always do, but there isn't anything. You can't risk losing a Diamonds game, and Chishiya can't risk getting beaten at a Spade game.

"You will," Chishiya says finally, though he's not agreeing. He's making you promise him, convincing himself as well as yourself. You know that he'll have no interest in returning to the real world without you, and by this point, you can't imagine living any way without him. You don't want to, and you won't.

"I will," you repeat, and he nods, not fully satisfied. But it's the best you can do.

"Good luck," he says with a smirk that doesn't quite quirk up fully, and his hand lingers in yours until Arisu and Usagi come over to get you.

Chishiya nods again, letting your hands fall apart, and goes over to Arisu, walking up close to him and muttering some words in his ear. Arisu looks straight at you, then at Chishiya, and nods with a half-smile. Then, he wanders off casually, blonde locks tangling with the light breeze, and you watch after him, hands going cold and lips vaguely swollen.

"Come on," Usagi tells you with a smile, patting you on the back, "let's go."

You do go. And you do the best you can do. You feel like Chishiya's watching you every step of the way, like he watches the Borderlands' events in half-hearted amusement. It's like he's leaning forward in his seat, pools of deep brown searching the screen you're running through, dodging attacks and bullets and shielding your ears from the bangs and cracks of the King's gun. There's so much blood, more blood than you thought was possible to come out of anyone. The stinging smell of iron makes you feel sick, all the while you fight to the death. Usagi and Arisu and everyone are beaten and broken, right up until the King is defeated. But by then, everyone is defeated.

Even you.

You feel almost guilty, along with the rush of other emotions; shock, dread, fear, pain, desperation. You can't bleed out on him now. Not when you've come so far. Not after you promised.

Arisu and Usagi make it towards you, helping you up and practically carrying you out of the game zone, Arisu screaming for help, help for another person, despite his cuts and bruises and blood staining his skin. Overhead, you hear two blimps boom up in flames, falling apart and to the ground in crashes, the card images flailing and burning, as dead as the countless bodies sprawled on the floor.

Two booms.

You smile despite yourself. You knew he'd do it. The smartass.

"Chishiya!" you hear Arisu scream, and Usagi supports your weight as Arisu stumbles over to the blonde-haired man, grabbing at his arm. "Help us. Help her. I tried, but there was so much..."

So much blood. So many bullets. Arisu had tried, and he hadn't failed. But now, as your blurring sight latches onto that all-too-familiar figure who walked quicker than normal to get to you, you feel as if you've failed. All in a moment, one shot from the King at the nearest moving thing was all it took to make you collapse, all of a sudden losing the invincibility you had with your other half.

The blurring made the Borderlands and its sounds fade in and out, in and out, until you were able to blink a neutral, albeit run-down room into view. It was the back room of some kind of shop, with you lying back atop a table, your shot wound being patched up with delicate, expert hands and concentrating, meticulous eyes. Those eyes flick up to meet yours before they're back on the wound, and Chishiya's white, plastic-gloved hand pulls out a bullet. You wince, expecting more pain than you get, and watch him groggily.

"Isn't this supposed to hurt?" you find yourself whispering, and Chishiya shakes his head, not looking up.

"I gave you some pain relievers I found. Don't fidget, I'll mess this up."

You smile and roll your eyes. "I won't argue with a doctor."

"Good," he says with an absentminded, small smirk, carefully stitching up the hole and pulling a bandage closer to the table. "I know what I'm doing. Fortunately for you, the shot missed a vital organ, though the blood loss could have cost your life if I didn't stop it when I did."

You bite your lip, peering at your flushed, angry skin around the wound. "Oh. Thank you."

He hums in acknowledgement, putting the needle and thread down to unravel the bandage. "Stop fidgeting, you little annoyance."

You bite back a smile at his amused, fond tone, one you'd grown to love hearing, and started hearing more and more. But your smile fades as your thoughts run away with you, until you end up blurting them out.

"I'm sorry."

Chishiya glances up at you. "What for?"

"Getting shot," you mumble. "I know I promised. It was just really... I didn't die."

"You didn't die," Chishiya confirms. "That's what matters, isn't it? You kept your promise. And life and death here isn't something you can so easily promise."

"No," you agree. "I know. But you can. You're such a smartass, I knew you'd waltz out of that game alive and alone."

Chishiya smirks properly at that. "I'm still the smartass? I thought you would have started treating me nicer now I've saved your life and you've saved mine."

You frown at the last statement, confused. "I saved your life? How?"

Chishiya simply smiles, fastening the bandage and admiring his work. "You have. Maybe not from a gun. But you have."

You're lost for words for a short while, blinking at him. "Really?"

Chishiya nods, sitting beside you and reaching out hesitantly, stroking a piece of your hair so delicately, like you could break with a single hard tap.

"Really. You," he whispers dramatically, as if he's telling you his biggest secret, "are my biggest and best reason."

And then, just like that, he's back up and packing the medical aids away, looking over his shoulder at you with his usual, infuriating amusement and perceptiveness.

"You're blushing."

You scoff at him, rolling your eyes.

"Smartass."

441 notes · View notes

misslavenderlady · 3 months

Text

Lost Boys - TransFem Au

Part 2: Growing up in Phoenix

Ladies and gentlemen, her 💕

Mikayla Emerson

Here's a bit of backstory for our lovely lady~

part 1 HERE , part 3 HERE

Back in Phoenix:

Growing up, Mikayla always felt awkward being around the boys in her class. They were so rude and gross in her eyes, and found herself glancing over to the girls groups. She worked up some courage to join them, enjoying their company far more. It just felt right, and it was the starting point of her journey.

As a child, she loved to watch her mom do her hair and makeup every morning. It was a great bonding time, as Lucy provided life advice and stories for her. Mikayla truly looked up to her mom and wanted to be like her one day.

When Sam came into the picture, Mikayla used him as a stand-in for her desires to be "pretty". She would put clips in his hair, dress him up in costume jewelry and use some tools from Lucy's makeup bag. She was too nervous about trying it all for herself, but cute little baby Sam would go along with it.

Now, her father was not having this. He was a workaholic who expected his wife to set his sons straight and stop all the "girlie shit" when he wasn't there. Lucy would not do such a thing, opting to help her children be happy. Whenever Lance was home he would say very hurtful and homophobic things to Mikayla. Tell her she better start acting like a "man" or he'd make her sorry. It scared her beyond belief.

We all know Lucy, aka best mom ever, was apart of the hippie movement back in the day. When her eldest child confided in her one day about being a girl, Lucy had all the love and support in the world. She never wanted her daughter to feel like she had to be anyone other than herself.

Mikayla's transition began in middle school. She begged her mother to help her be who she wanted to be. It wasn't easy, especially given the decade. Back in that day, Mikayla's identity was referred to as "transsexual". Lucy went searching through dozens of doctors office, trying to find one that would be willing to help. When she did, both of them were incredibly relieved.

Lucy enrolled Mikayla into a new school, doing all she could to help her daughter get the fresh start she wanted. Mikayla was so grateful to have girl friends and be herself. She still had to be careful, opting to go into the bathrooms to change for gym class and taking self-defense classes after school in case any bullies tried to hurt her (Lucy lied to Lance and said it was boxing).

When Mikayla got to high school, she joined the cheerleading team. She was incredibly athletic, and enjoyed having such sweet teammates to call her friends. Though the other cheerleaders were all bubbly and outgoing, Mikayla was still a little shy and reserved. She didn't like drawing too much attention to herself.

This went on for a few years until all hell broke loose at home. Lance had been in another fight with Lucy over Mikayla's identity, and had announced he was going to send her to military school to "force the sissy out". Lucy had finally had enough. She filed for divorce, packed up everything, and moved her children all the way to California. Before she left, she told Lance "I hope every day you're away from your little girl you feel every single bit of shame you deserve." That was the last time Mikayla and Sam saw their father. He wouldn't be missed.

#transfem Michael Emerson #the lost boys #michael emerson #mikayla emerson #lavender lady rambles #tlb au

20 notes · View notes

neoyuno · 2 years

Note

I just read it wasnt me and i am so curious to know how jaehyun and ready met? since she was his celebrity crush, hope you are doing well luvv!! xx

The first time he saw you, he became utterly infatuated with every single thing about you. The curves of your body, the sparkle in your eyes, the shape of your lips, your strong gaze—every detail about you made his insides churn in an unexpected feeling.

When he heard your voice, he lost himself in the sweet sound, imagining things far from heavenly coming from between your lips.

Heavenly. You were heavenly, but the things you made him feel were enough to book a ticket straight to the pits of hell.

He had always been a big fan of your work, he had covered your songs countless times. The sensual lyrics never failed to bring heat to his raspberry-tinted cheeks. Everyone would always say that the harmony his voice created above yours was almost perfect—everyone seemed to think this but you, since you didn’t seem to know who he was.

Jaehyun was well known in his home country, South Korea. His group did very well and the few solo projects he had in the past were well received by the audience. It wasn’t until recently that they started promoting overseas, “big” was too small to describe his excitement to try new things, new genres, new languages, and new audiences.

Everything about trying new things excited him, he was a man of challenges, always pushing himself to do bigger and better than “past Jaehyun”. He never thought of anyone as competition, the only competition was himself.

This excitement, however, was replaced with so much more when they were told one of the biggest record labels in America wanted to sign with them. He wasn’t excited because the company was going to give him opportunities to collab with some of his favorite artists from outside Korea—but because it was your record label.

After signing the contract with your record label, Johnny would always tease him, saying things like “maybe the love of your life will finally notice you.” or “now that we’re signed here, you can start a secret romance with her.” He would even say things like “maybe you can make your fantasy come true in her studio.”

“Hyung, I already told you, I won’t make a move on her. She probably doesn’t even know who I am.” He sighed and fixed his jacket.

“Your loss, I heard she like tall guys, anyway…” the older boy clicked his tongue, earning himself a piercing stare from Jaehyun.

“If I’m not trying anything, neither are you. Okay?” His voice sounded agitated, irritated. “Okay.”

Johnny chuckled and spoke again, “Whipped.”

In the corner of the room, their manager popped up from the doorway. He wore a disappointed expression directed towards the newly brown-haired boy.

“Bad news, _____ won’t be attending the event. Something came up and she won’t be able to make it.”

The room went silent as the other 9 boys stared at Jaehyun. He stared at the floor before scanning the room and seeing all the eyes were on him.

“What? It doesn’t matter. Like I said, she doesn’t know who I am, anyway.”

Returning to get his hair fixed, he overheard the blue-haired guy whispering. He had moved to the manager’s side, curious about something.

“Does that mean I will have to present it by myself?” Taeyong asked, concerned.

“No, she asked corporate to make a regular announcement later this month.”

“Announcement? Didn’t we just have a comeback?” Jaehyun asked.

“Uh,” making him anxious was the last thing they needed, which is why the fact that you’d be producing and writing for their next album was kept a secret from him. “Announcement for our... new… merch.”

Jaehyun hummed at the mildly believable excuse his older member gave him.

Just a few months ago they had traveled to Los Angeles, the day they signed their contract. That very same day he had rehearsed his greeting in front of the mirror over and over—and over again.

“My name is Jaehyun.” Looking at his reflection he saw a creepy wide smile, obviously, he couldn’t approach you that way. “My name is Jay. No, it’s not.”

The accumulated nervousness had his hands sweaty and his ears permanently red. He was scared, scared of fucking it up and having you think he was weird, or in the worst-case scenario, disrespectful.

His nerves were short-lived when he scrolled down his Instagram feed and saw you posted a story, of what seemed like a vacation, in Puerto Rico.

Things like this made him wish his company gave him more freedom. Freedom to travel and have vacations more often.

He wanted to have the freedom he was not allowed in Korea, going out whenever he wanted to, having his own apartment, having creative freedom over his music—dating was a plus, especially if it was you.

He begged and begged to be excused from his schedule to attend a concert you had in Seoul, yet every time the answer was ‘no’. Every time he had the opportunity to meet you, he was met with disappointment.

Now, he saw himself facing yet another heartbreak at the fact that he was not going to meet you. Again.

Disappointed, he walked next to his members, each getting into a black van at a time. The ride to the record label building was longer than he would’ve wanted, the slight makeup covered the prominent eye bags that have been with him for the past few months.

He was exhausted, his eyes carried almost 5 months of accumulated fatigue. The one thing that had him going was that he was finally going to meet you, but of course, that wasn’t a motivation anymore.

Upon their arrival at the building, a long red carpet decorated the way, a few labelmates had their pictures taken while the others socialized amongst the others.

“C’mon guys, stop at each panel to get your shots taken and then help yourselves to anything you want at the lounge.” Their PR said while pointing over at the red carpet.

It all felt surreal for Jaehyun, seeing himself surrounded by many of the artists he loved, all the artists that were loved by many people around the world—and he knew deep inside that soon, he was going to be in the same place.

“Did you hear that?” Mark squealed. “He said he wants me to rap in one of his songs, man! How cool is that?”

“Man, I’m so happy we were able to come here alone. It’s less suffocating.” Johnny pointed out.

After a few minutes, they had been welcomed by many other people. Staff, artists, makeup artists, corporate—everyone seemed fond of the 10 guys present.

Jaehyun smiled at the story a fellow producer was saying. It had been 1 hour since they walked the red carpet over to the small parking lot turned lodge. A few other artists were still walking, the media interviewing them and taking a few photos.

“You guys are amazing, we got presented your music last year. Corporate fell in love with you and decided to take on the recommendation of one of our artists.”

The statement took them back, as far as they knew their record label in Korea had been looking out to sign them with an international label.

“Excuse me, recommendation? Someone from the label actually presented us to corporate?” Mark asked, eyes wide open.

“You guys didn’t know? Very lucky, I must say.” He took a sip from their drink while nodding.

“Excuse me, I gotta use the restroom, will be right back!” Jaehyun said and excused himself as the people in front of him nodded.

“But who would know us from the label?” Johnny asked. “I mean before we were signed.”

“They really didn’t tell you anything?“ He asked. “____ presented y’all to corporate.” The rest of the guys turned to look at each other, not believing the information their dimpled friend had just missed.

“Since she is one of the main producers here as well, she had the opportunity to recommend an artist and she chose you guys.” The guys gasped softly and smiled. “She was talking about y’all non-stop. Always blabbering and blabbering about how great and handsome Jaehyun was.”

Johnny and Mark let out a loud laugh, they couldn’t believe his friend’s dream was a reality and he had just missed hearing about it.

“No way…” Taeil chuckled. “He is literally always talking about her too, drives me nuts!” He joked making the producer laugh.

“Sounds like they were made for each other then… cause she drives me nuts too.”

“Last call, are you coming with me? I got some things you’ll want to see, tell all your boys that you’re busy…” a voice sang from down the hall.

Jaehyun stopped in his tracks at the sound of a very familiar voice and let alone, an extremely familiar song—with different lyrics.

“Love how that body feels on me… ah, I’m so tired.” He heard the soft voice say, a yawn following afterward.

His heart started racing and his palms got sweaty. He had to be dreaming, this was not happening. He was not prepared. He couldn’t believe he was hearing the most angelic voice in real-time—hell, in real life!

He heard a door opening and tried to escape, but he didn’t know where exactly the door was—and boy, did he go the wrong way.

You exited the bathroom just to bump into a hard chest, causing you to scream and so he did too. “OH MY GOD! You just scared the shit out of me-“ you stopped when you looked up at the owner of the toned chest, your eyes almost popping out of your face as you gasped.

Jaehyun’s whole face was as red as a tomato, his mind couldn’t just process what was happening, you were supposed to not be here.

“I-I am so-so so-sorry… I j-just, uhm… I-I-I was lo-looking for the…” he said. “The uhm… the… shit, how do you say 화장실 in English?” He asked himself but was talking out loud. “Jaehyun, pull yourself together!” He whisper shouted.

“The men’s bathroom is the other way…” you giggled softly at his blushed cheeks. He was absolutely breathtaking. His hair was styled beautifully and his outfit was just, oh so hot.

On the other hand, you looked like a bum, but to him, you looked like a whole goddess. Your bare face looked so soft and glowy that he had to fight the urge to caress it. But you, you couldn’t stop yourself, cause there was absolutely no way the most perfect man in the world was standing before you.

Jaehyun felt something poke his cheek, looking down to see it was your index finger.

“You poked my face.” He whispered. Shit, you actually did it—but you were quick to not let your embarrassment show.

“I know, you had something on your cheek.” You whispered back and smiled.

“Oh, thank you.” He said and if he thought he couldn’t blush even more—he was very wrong.

He stood there staring at you, he couldn’t believe that the love of his life was actually real and standing before him. His mind couldn’t process just how beautiful you were.

“This is not how I rehearsed this moment.” He said and you chuckled lightly while his heart was about to burst.

“I’m _____.” You said with a wide smile and offered him your hand to shake.

“I’m Jay…” he smiled and accepted your hand. “Well, that’s my nickname, my name is-“

“Jaehyun. I know.” You smiled and he did too.

“Never in my life would I have thought you knew who I was…” he confessed and you pouted.

“Hun, you are in one of the biggest boybands in the world—which is also my favorite.” You assured. “Of course, I’d know who you are! Plus we are both ambassadors for the same designer.”

He smiled and scratched the back of his neck. “Your favorite, you say?” He raised an eyebrow and smirked.

“Ooh, ego boost?” You clicked your tongue and shook your head while still holding a smile.

“So, who’s your favorite member?” He asked and leaned on the wall.

“Not you.” You smiled widely and he gasped while holding his chest.

“Ouch.” He pouted.

“You know… you should introduce me to Johnny.” he frowned a bit at the memory of the tall man saying he would make a move on you if he didn’t—but he never expected for you to like the tall man.

“Uhm, yeah… I can do that…” he said softly, a pink blush over his pretty cheeks.

“You know I’m kidding, right?” His face lit up and you scrunched your nose at his cuteness.

“Yeah, I knew that.” He shrugged and you laughed. He couldn’t help but smile at such a pretty sound. He had made you laugh! He, Jeong Jaehyun, had made the prettiest girl in the world laugh!

“You’re my favorite.” You said and squished his cheeks before walking away, leaving him breathless. “See you around, handsome!” You winked and waved before leaving to the studio.

Jaehyun stood there for a few seconds after you disappeared at the end of the hallway. His hand subconsciously reached to touch his cheek, you had squished his cheeks. He couldn’t believe that actually happened.

The man was left speechless at how quickly you went from sweet to suave. On top of that, you called him handsome—of course, he has had many people call him that before but they didn’t seem to matter as much as you saying it. Plus, you knew a lot about him, embarrassment sank in when he thought of you probably knowing about his insane crush on you—but he was too happy to care.

“Dude, where have you been? Did you get lost?” He heard a voice call.

“What?” He looked back to the man, hand still on his cheek.

“It’s been like 10 minutes, were you crying or something?” Johnny teased and Jaehyun hit him softly. “I got some news for you that will make you very happy.”

But Jaehyun knew nothing he said would make him happier than how he felt at that exact moment. You laugh replayed in his mind and the touch of your hand still lingered on his cheek. He missed his chance to ask for your number, but something in his heart told him he would have you in his life for a long time—little did he know you had the same feeling too.

NEOYUNO 2022

I really hope you like this!!! Please feel free to request any other idol!jae x celebcrush!reader scenarios <33

#nct #jaehyun smut #nct 127 smut #nct smut #jaehyun fluff #nct fluff #nct 127 fluff

332 notes · View notes

bebepac · 2 years

Text

Trust Fall

This is @choicesmonthlychallenge day 26 for “Sorry” which will appear in bold.

This is also chapter 4 of the Blue Honey Cafe, if you need to catch up please click:

The Blue Honey Cafe Masterlist

The Book: TRR: No Royals Pairings: None, TRR MC is single Rating and Warnings: Teen / Sexual innuendo Word Count: 2647 Song Inspiration: Diva by Beyonce

Summary: Riley goes with with her coworkers on a team building retreat.

Original Post: 05/25/22 at 10:10PM EST.

“I’ve legit never thought I would be a part of a company that did things like this. I’ve legit only seen this mess on television.”

“Well apparently Bertrand got a great deal, for a Team Building Retreat. We get money from Corporate every month to do activities. When Liam left it was my responsibility, it’s hard to figure out what would bring the best turnout. So this is what we’re doing this weekend. This allows us to use up the previous month’s funds and do something big. All the activities Liam does, there’s always a big turnout.”

“Which is why Liam will be taking back over that responsibility.”

“I don’t mind at all.” Liam commented, smiling at the group.

“My SUV seats 4 rather comfortably, if anyone would like to ride with me to Emerald Isle please let me know.”

Liam’s eyes were on Riley the whole time, he hoped that she would be one of the people that would take the offer to carpool.

After his announcement she approached him.

“Would you like a travel buddy? I can ride shotgun and be your Navigation specialist, or keeper of the snacks? Whichever you prefer.”

Liam smiled.

“I’ve got GPS on board cadet, so I think your keeper of the snack foods, and hydration specialist will be what I need. One has to stay hydrated and fueled for a trip across the state.”

“You can count on me.” Riley gave a little salute.

“Good to know Riley.”

That evening Riley packed a little bit of everything for her trip. She wanted nice, cool and comfortable clothes for the trip but she was torn about bathing suits. She went to her favorite fashion blogger’s site

to see if she had some advice on it, and of course, she did, complete with pictures. So Riley packed a few tasteful bathing suits with cover ups and none of her “I’m living my best life” string bikini bathing suits for her work retreat. She did not know if there would be a formal dinner, but she did pack a few nice summery dresses and heels which the Fashionista Blogger highly recommended.

When Riley was done packing, her suitcase was heavy with items, but she felt she had planned adequately for multiple scenarios.

Riley arrived early by Liam’s standards, that next morning and she was the first one there that would be riding in Liam’s vehicle.

“I wondered who’s vehicle this was. It’s nice.”

“Graduation gift from my father. Instead of showing up to my graduation, he had a vehicle delivered with a red bow on it to my graduation party. His card said, ‘Enjoy the superior driving experience of German technology’, not happy graduation.”

“Yikes…. But on the flip at least he got you a car. Wish my dad had gotten me a car for graduation or… ever.”

The look on his face made Riley realize the error of what she had just said, her smile quickly fading.

“I’m sorry, your dad must be one of those, that instead of showing up, sends gifts when he doesn’t.”

“Yeah he is. I should be grateful for all the things he’s given me, but my mom is my rock. She has always been there for me. Dad just drops in, when convenient for him. He didn’t want a family, he didn’t want us. He wanted possessions. His contribution to the family wasn’t quality time, it was just money.”

“That’s sad. I’m sorry.”

“It taught me, when I find the woman that’s meant to be my Queen,

I will know how to treat her the right way. Which is basically the opposite of how my father treats a woman. Let me help you with your bag.”

Liam went to pick up her bag and was surprised.

“Damn Woman!!!! What on earth did you pack? You do realize that we’re only going to be gone for a weekend, not opening a new coastal office right!?!?!”

“I didn’t pack that much, but you know, I prepared for all possible scenarios.”

“What a tsunami, fire rain, the zombie apocalypse?”

“Pretty much.”

Liam laughed hard and let out a small grunt as he swung Riley’s bag into the trunk.

“And this?”

“The cooler stays with me. I take my job as Keeper of the snacks and Chief Operating Officer of Hydration Services very seriously.”

“You brought snacks for me?”

“I did. Hopefully you’ll like what I picked for you.”

“I will definitely eat anything you put in my mouth.”

Riley nervously giggled. Liam most definitely had a way with words. The way he looked at her, made her temperature rise.

“You look a little warm Riley, how about, I’ll start the car, and let you cool off a bit.”

Riley nodded as Liam started the vehicle and opened the door for her to get in.

Liam got in the vehicle a few moments later.

“Is this music fine with you for now? Maxwell is going to take over when he gets here with his ultimate road trip playlist.”

Smooth jazz was playing softly on the speakers.

“I really like it.”

“I’m glad.”

Before long Maxwell and Hana arrived and they were beach bound and just like Liam had mentioned Maxwell’s kooky road trip playlist was running through the playlist, it was an eclectic mashup of songs past and present made to make you sing and dance. One minute they were rocking out to Queen, the next song Eminem, and currently they were singing the Village People’s YMCA.

When the song ended Riley went into her cooler. She handed Liam one of the healthy juice drinks she had seen him drink in the office.

Liam tried not to smile as she cracked the seal a little and handed it to him.

“C.O.O. of Hydration Services at your beckon call.”

She had taken notice of his likes and dislikes.

“I think it’s also snack time too.”

She opened the snack pack for Liam.

“Did you really buy me a mickey mouse snack pack with grapes, cheese cubes and pretzels?”

“It’s all the things I’ve seen you eat, and it’s packaged together in one container for traveling convenience. So yes. What would you like first?”

“Grapes.”

Liam knew he was perfectly capable of driving and eating but something about Riley being so attentive to him he loved.

“Thank you Riley.”

“Do we get snacks back here too?” Maxwell asked.

“We can stop at the store for you Max.”

“Even better.”

While Hana and Maxwell were in the store, Liam glanced at Riley.

"Are you seeing anyone Riley?"

"Of course, I'm not blind, I'm looking at you right now."

Liam laughed at her joke.

"Cute Riley. I meant romantically."

"Oh I know what you meant Liam Ryerson. Not currently, but I am taking applications to set up interviews."

"How does one submit an application to be considered if they are interested?"

"Didn't you ever hear the saying never get your honey and your money in the same place?"

"Well, you already told me you're going to take my job."

Riley laughed.

"I believe you to be a woman of your word."

"I am."

"So that doesn't apply here. I would like to be considered for the position."

"And what position is that?"

"I'm very versatile, so any position you need that satisfies the task at hand; I aim to please."

Riley laughed out loud. He was the master of the double entendre.

"Management already has your file Liam."

Liam's smile widened.

“So, when do you think I might be called for my interview?”

“How do you know you’re not already on it?”

“But how do you prepare for a surprise interview?”

“Management will be in touch Liam.”

"But…"

Riley slipped on her sunglasses to cover her eyes.

"Management will be in touch Liam."

When they finally reached the small island resort they were pleasantly surprised at the cute little two person bungalows.

“Before we check into our rooms, I have something special for everyone. Something that signifies that we're a team and a strong one at that.” Bertrand handed everyone packages with their names on it, and all the staff tore into their packages.

“Do we really have matching wind suits? Green suits?”

“Green signifies money which we are all going to make a lot of, and it was on sale.”

“Um if we’re playing red light green light, and these are numbered, I’m gonna have to call HR unless I have 456!"

"This is not The Squid Game Miss Brooks, however, once we all get dressed we do have our first team building activity with another company. Meet me back here in ten minutes."

They met Bertrand in the check-in lobby, everyone in their green jumpsuits.

"We're really doing tug of war?”

“I don’t know how I feel about this. None of you other guys have seen The Squid Game?”

Liam had a big smile on his face.

“Only Liam, Bertrand and I? I’m telling you guys, nothing good can come of this, and how is this team building?"

"Because we're gonna CRUSH the other group as a team!"

Hana screamed as she made throat slicing motions as she stared at the other team.

"Bertrand, they're not wearing matching jumpsuits.”

“They’re not as strong as a team as we are.”

Wouldn’t you know it? Team Mean Green actually took the win. After the game, the Team Builder coach had them all sit in a circle and share one thing about them.

Liam’s was by far the most profound. Liam shared that though he had the opportunity to be the right hand to his father in the family business, he had decided not to. Money did not mean everything to him.

A clear conscience, for an honest job well done, was more important.

Riley looked around the room before she spoke, she decided to share something personal about herself and her life, as Liam had.

“I’ve never lost anyone I considered to be close to me before. I have all my grandparents, even my pet I had as a teenager is still alive. People say loss makes you stronger and develops your character, and I haven’t had any of that. Sometimes I wonder if I’m walking through life with glasses with rose colored lenses, because I feel like life has been incredibly good to me, and nothing truly awful has ever happened to me.”

Now Liam understood why Riley always had a smile on her face, how she was so optimistic, and why he was so drawn to her. She was his polar opposite.

“Good news team, the afternoon is yours to explore and go to the beach, or use the amenities here. This will be your evening to do whatever you wish, tomorrow after team building we’ll have a group dinner at the local watering hole here Sand Castles for dinner and Karaoke.”

Riley opted for the amenities around the bungalows, to relax at, the pool and pool bar. She was sitting on the bar stool in the water sipping her pina colada when she heard Liam’s voice.

“I thought I would be the only one not hitting the beach this afternoon.” He waded in the water over to where she was sitting in a brightly colored Hawaiian shirt that was open revealing this bare chest and finely chiseled physique proving Liam Rys worked hard at the gym and his blue matching swim trunks.

“Mind if I sit next to you?”

“Not at all! It’s hot, and I have my umbrella drink and my floppy hat, nice refreshing water to kick around in. This is nice. Besides, I love to stroll on the beach at night.”

“So if this is my interview can I just say, I too like long romantic walks on the beach.”

“Noted Liam."

When the bartender asked Liam what he would like he opted for a pina colada as well, and mentioned that Riley needed refill. She smiled, letting him buy her another drink.

“You have to have at least one umbrella drink or a coconut at the beach right?”

“Exactly.”

Well, one drink turned into several more during the afternoon and early evening, and the flirting between the two became a little more and more off-color. Riley went to rest her head in her hand to coyly side glance at Liam, but her elbow slipped making her off balance, of all the things to grab, instead of Liam, she grabbed her drink before she fell, before Liam could fully understand what had happened. At the last second though, before she hit the water, Riley lifted her arm. The only thing currently above the water at that point was Riley’s hand and her drink.

When she jumped up the first thing out of her mouth was “Whooo, I saved the drink. That’s all that matters.” she took a sip for good measure.

The people around them cheered.

Liam laughed, “That you did. And we should cut ourselves off. No more umbrella drinks for either of us. Let’s get some dinner?”

“Are you driving?”

“No, we’re going to get something delivered, my treat along with the bottles of water we’re going to drink with our meals.”

“That sounds great.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes but first we finish our drinks. Mama said ‘never waste alcohol’!”

They decided on ordering from the local Mexican restaurant and after their food arrived, they decided since it had cooled off considerably outside, to eat at one of the picnic tables. Liam went to get ice for their waters, Riley went ahead and dug into her food. Liam sat back down and looked through the bags, he paused when his eyes met Riley's.

"What's wrong?"

“Um… Riley, you’re eating my food. I ordered the steak burrito.”

She abruptly stopped mid bite.

“Oh shit! What the hell am I doing? It’s really good though.”

Liam smiled, “Guess the taco salad is mine now.”

“I’m just looking out for you Mr. Washboard abs. You enjoy that salad.”

“Then my steak burrito is feeding those curves. This definitely works out, and besides, that means the next time we have dinner, it’s your treat Riley.”

“I could do that.”

Sounded like Riley just consented to a date with him.

“If this is the worst thing that happens this trip, I think we’re doing alright.”

It was not the worst thing.

“How the hell did you not catch her?!?!” Liam screamed.

“I wasn’t ready! Wasn’t she supposed to give a warning?!?!?!”

“She’s not a falling tree Maxwell, she wasn’t supposed to scream timber when she fell?”

“No! It’s a trust fall, you’re supposed to fall and trust the person standing behind you will catch you.”

“I didn’t know!!!!!! This is why I asked for us not to be first!” Maxwell hollered.

Liam crouched down on the ground next to Riley. She had hit the ground hard and was still unconscious.

“Is there a medic? We need a medic stat.” Bertrand said to the instructor.

“What the hell is happening right now? Are we in World War One??” Drake inquired.

“Can someone get me some pain relieving tinctures from the Apothecary post haste?”

Everyone looked at Riley still laying on the ground.

“I’m fine guys.” she grumbled.

Riley opened her eyes and Liam’s panicked face was the first one she saw.

“You should lie still Riley, you fell hard.”

“Thanks a lot Maxwell.”

“I’m sorry!!! I wasn’t ready!!!”

“I hear that a lot from men.”

“Then you’re falling for the wrong ones. You should try falling for me next time. I promise I’ll catch you. Check out these guns.”

Liam flexed his muscles; A slow smile spread across her lips.

“Double meaning, noted.”

"You sure you're alright?" Liam' s voice was riddled with caring concern.

"I'm fine."

"Let's get you up from there."

Liam effortlessly pulled her to her feet, and Riley still off balance fell against his chest.

"I got you Riley." He whispered.

Riley smiled at him. "Welcome to the second round of interviews Liam Ryerson."

Definitely not the worst thing.

#bebepac writes #the blue honey cafe #trr liam #trr mason #trr riley brooks #trr riley #trr mc x liam #trr mc x oc?#choices fic writers #trr fanfic #trr fandom #choices fanfiction

75 notes · View notes

babbimetal · 2 years

Text

recent developments in the babymetalverse if you haven't been on twitter or if you're just on tumblr plus big rant towards the end

k**a did an interview with pmc recently about babymetal and the metalverse and what direction they would be going in(i'll talk more about it later on)

it was announced that k**ametal(NOT Key Kobayashi a.k.a his real name) would be appointed as director of kulture co., ltd, and a part of the statement said that babymetal would be the forefront of that by using nft blockchains in regards to the metalverse

a shareholders meeting was held at amuse and the bm fans who were there straight up said that they didn't want the metalverse thing and wanted live shows for babymetal, and were concerned that other amuse groups are planning live shows while babymetal had none; it seems that amuse or bm's management(p.s i'm assuming koba was not there) are aware that on social media people are asking for live shows, and that they would have plans for it. (a fan that attended also said that they got a glimpse of a new music video as well, but of course we don't know anything as of now.)

k**a's pmc interview was finally translated, and there was a specific part of that interview that pissed a lot of people(including me) off. if you want my opinion on it, it's on my twitter(same username as this one)

i'm just gonna add more of my thoughts. this man went from saying that live performances are essential to now doing nft crap that nobody cares about for some digitalization bullshit. this man was running the bm fandom DRY last year with the budokan shows and the fuckton of merch that dropped. now all of a sudden he acts like it never happened.

i find it very hard to believe that you can't find ANYBODY in a country of 125 MILLION people that you can re-hire for babymetal, while other amuse groups have been pushing out content or at least SOMETHING for the past two years. i have seen other groups go on tour this year and everything went okay. japan is slowly but surely opening up again for concerts and foreigners. (a group that i stan called seventeen recently had a fanmeeting in japan and it was PACKED)

you work for amuse, probably one of the biggest companies in japan!! they make a shit ton of money!! you have the resources right there??? USE THEM??

and also you just had live shows last fucking year?? do you remember the budokan shows?? with the incredible stage design, lighting and effects?? during the peak of the panfried chicken?? you had to have a team or somebody to make the black box, or other things regarding babymetal that came out literally TWO MONTHS AGO??? also no one is asking you to do an international tour?? just do something in japan??

i am so sick and tired of this man, and i have been for almost three years now. (i got back into bm in late 2019) this fandom is so sick and tired of you. you keep feeding us scraps. you keep making all of these stupid descions for no reason. we just want music! we just want su and moa!

and why are YOU the only one that is able to do out of character interviews? why are you the only one who is able to do appearances? you're so goddamn strict about your fucking lore when it comes to su and moa where they can't be seen out of character, and you and bm's managment or whoever the fuck probably dished out nda's to yui, the avengers, the chosen seven, the kami band, and every single person who has come in contact with bm so they can't mention them in the slightest, but when it comes to you it's radio silence?? aren't you also a part of lore?? how does that work?

yeah, you can make the arguement that su and moa don't want to do interviews or that it's in their contracts to have a social media ban but, isn't that so fucked? they can't post one tiny picture out of character because of some fuckass lore? they can't post anything in general? 'cuz i know moa probably doesn't want her face to be censored every time her friends hang out with her on social media. it's so stupid.

in conclusion, pls stop driving babymetal into the ground. if you can't manage babymetal anymore then just quit. it's so sad seeing babymetal reduced to just buisness and nfts instead of a functioning band that can interact with their fandom, because your an old dude who wants to do crypto or whatever.

and if any old dudes in this fandom want to make an argument about lore, lore and more lore, or "doing this and that messes up the lore," stop. i think this fandom is pass that by now. it's over. we just want babymetal to be a band. that's it.

#yeah this is mostly word vomit at the end of this post but i really don't care #FUCK KOBA #AND FUCK BM'S MANAGEMENT #i could add more but i'm too pissed off to do that #like i'm tired of this i really am #babymetal #sumetal #moametal

52 notes · View notes

mew-light · 2 years

Note

...which basically confirmed that a huge portion of all the scenes we've been waiting for are going to air in the FINAL EP, I'm 110% sure they're going to end the show on a cliffhanger, announce season 2 in Impact Arena and I'll be left feeling empty for around a year (if not more)...

I mean, most BLs take about 3-4 months to film. If I'm not mistaken, KP started filming around November and finished in March and began airing in April.

I don't think finding the time to film is the problem, if anything, it's organizing the casts' schedules and the locations (if I'm not mistaken, one of the locations, the Main Family's headquarters, was closed to the public because of Covid and that's why they were able to film so much there and that could inevitably change since the world is slowing crawling out of the pause Covid put us in) that could present a challenge since this is totally out of the directors' control .

The good thing about this cast, is that none of the actors are super famous (with the exception of, like, Jeff who is in a different company than BOC and Perth, who's a fan favorite, but his character died) therefore its not like they have obligations or commitments with other promotional stuff, sponsors and such and therefore scheduling them and organizing all the actors so that they're all available simultaneously to film isn't too much of an issue.

Then the matter of personal time off and whether the actors and/or the directors themselves have any projects or whatever, or they want to take some personal time off/a Vacay instead of throwing themselves back into filming, which seems more likely, to be honest, than anything I mentioned above.

After all, they're humans and they also deserve some rest especially after such a successful series.

First of all, Hi~~

Yeah, usually thai shows take that much to film. They film in queues (usually from Q1 till Q20something and if things don't go as planned they add Qs, Cutie Pie finished at Q30something if I'm not mistaken). I remember that while the first EPs of KinnPorsche were airing, they were shooting/reshooting some scenes (not really sure if they were shooting or reshooting, because their schedule did get pushed back and they had to add a bunch of Qs).

I totally agree on you with the schedule thing, I myself manage a 13-member group and doing the schedule is a HUGE responsibility and it's hard af.

As for locations, I don't really know how permissions work in Thailand, but if it's similar to how it works here, issuing a single permission to shoot on a certain location can take up to a few months, and the cost can be insane, depending on the amount of Qs they want to do and how many crew members will be present.

Now, for personal time, half of our boys took around 2 weeks off recently, I'm suspecting that the rest of the boys will take some time off before Impact Arena (if they haven't done so already because they keep moving around so fast and it's hard to keep up). I think that's totally reasonable, the boys should rest, and tbh BOC is doing pretty well on those kinds of stuff, I can see the boys are travellering and taking time off, AS THEY SHOULD.

For Jeff and Perth, although they are not in BOC, up until now they've been treated with nothing but respect and that's what they deserve. Perth's had a pretty hectic schedule since last year, and he's also doing streams and YouTube, I hope he rests a bit before Impact Arena. Jeff's been releasing new music every few months, ffs human! REST!

With the mention of Impact Arena, let's bring in the KP World Tour, July 24th and 25th are just the beginning, tours of this kind can take MONTHS to complete and considering how much they've been preparing and the amount of sponsors they have (and who those sponsors are) I don't think they'll kick off the tour and finish it in one big trip. What I have in mind is that they'll go by continent, for example, start with one part of Asia, rest for a bit, and then go to the next one. Until the tour is complete, I don't think production will be given a green light, and if it does, it's not going to go straight to filming.

As far as I know the writers of the books are involved in the script writing process for the sequel. A possible casting may be needed because we're definitely going to need new actors for any new characters that may appear in the sequel of the show. Newcomers bring the need for acting classes and workshops, workshops can take up to 2 months to complete. Also we don't know if P'Khom, P'Pepsi and P'Pond would be down to directing the sequel or if any of the crew members would be able to come back, which means that they may need to work on that as well.

I'm not going to talk about the possibility of BOC looking for new investors and sponsors, just because a show is popular, it doesn't mean everything goes smoothly like butter (no pun intended).

So yeah, according to my calculations, if we do get a sequel or a season 2, however you guys want to call it, the shortest amount of time for it to be ready to air is a year. Why? Because I don't think that BOC would throw away their hard work by rushing with a 2nd season that is nowhere near the quality of the 1st one.

Is it going to hurt waiting? Sure! Do I believe it's totally going to be worth it? HELL YEAH!

Anyway, I hope they come to Europe for the tour, I really want to meet them~

Spread the love~ 💕

#kinnporsche the series #kinnporsche the series la forte #kinnporsche

21 notes · View notes

sleepykittypaws · 1 year

Text

2022 Christmas Ads

What the Super Bowl is for U.S. commercials, Christmas is for most of the rest of the world, particularly Britain, where holiday ad campaigns are so highly anticipated they have teasers and drop date announcements.

These mini-movies provide the perfect bite-size dose of holiday joy, as much or more than so than selling a product. Clever, often tear-jerking sales pitches, sure, but also so much more.

It’s long been an annual part of our seasonal viewing to rewatch favorite ads from year’s past, as well as explore the new batch. To make that a little easier for my family, and yours, I’ll do my best to compile the best holiday adverts here, just as I did in 2020, and 2021, too.

Unlike my TV and theatrical listings, not trying to catalog every single Christmas commercial out there, just the ones I feel are worth a watch, for a little bonus dose of the festive feels.

In alphabetical order by company name

Updated: December 13, 2022

Aldi “Feast of Football” - Now-classic character Kevin the Carrot returns in this preview ad

Aldi “Kevin’s Home Alone” - Kevin’s main appearance for Aldi this season involves being left behind from a Paris vacation…sound familiar?

Aldi Australia “You Can’t Overcook Christmas” - A holiday politeness battle.

Amazon “Joy is Made” - A snow globe inspires a father in this musical Amazon ad.

Amazon Australia “The Playmakers Save the Holiday” - Stop-motion animated short, starring Charli Robinson and a staff of kid toy reviewers, promoting Amazon AU’s top 100 toys and helping to raise money for the Starlight Children's Foundation

An Post “Send from the Heart” - Sending love at Christmas in this Irish postal ad.

Apple “Share the Joy” - Stylish dance-filled holiday.

Argos “They’re Coming” - The joy and horror of holiday guests.

Asda “Have Your Elf a Merry Christmas” - People are going nuts for this Elf ad, but I found it super creepy. There’s also a “Making Of” for those interested.

Barbour “One of a Kind-ness” - Paddington Bear offers a grumpy neighbor a gift in this classic clothier brand’s annual animated ad.

Belvedere Vodka “Belvedere Presents Daniel Craig” - The former Bond channels director Taika Waititi for this not specifically holiday, but very fun, ad.

The Binge “Christmas with the Cat” - The pets celebrate the holidays.

BMW “Holidays are Here” - One of those ridiculous luxury-car-as-gift commercials, with a fun twist.

Boots “Joy for All” - Upbeat holiday happiness.

Burberry “The Night Before” - Shakira and Burns Boy rep the luxury line.

Cairngorm Coffee “For Those Who Care” - This one is sad in a way, I’m not the makers actually intended.

Celebrations “Bring Back Bounty” - The Lonely Bounty is back.

Chevrolet “Mrs. Hayes” - This extended ad is effective at stirring sentiment and how memories can be tied up in things.

Chick-Fil-a “The Snow Globe” - Long form animated ads set in the fictional “Evergreen Hills” have become a tradition for the fast food chain and this one is a much more serious, direct sequel to 2019′s “The Time Shop.”

Clogau “Christmas” - Simple holiday story of giving.

Coca-Cola Brazil “Christmas Always Finds a Way” - Sweet story of memory and holiday tradition

Coca-Cola France “Les Petits Mondes De Noel” - An estranged couple finds themselves reconnecting thanks to holiday cheer

Coca-Cola Mexico “Alma” - A worker at a holiday decor factory must rediscovery her own Christmas spirit

Coca-Cola U.S. “Christmas Bites” - Santa Claus squares off against a vampire with a grudge

Cole’s Christmas 2022 - Celebrating the return of gathering together again for an Australian Christmas

Debenhams “Christmas Starts Now” - Rhyming department store holiday ad.

Dior “The Atelier of Dreams” - Anna Taylor-Joy takes you on a luxe holiday journey.

Disney “The Gift” - It’s Disney, they know what they’re doing, and you’re bound to cry. (Or, at least I am.)

Erste Group “Believe in Christmas” - This insurance group’s animated ads have become an annual must-see.

FOX Soccer “’Tis the World Cup” - Jon Hamm, Mariah Carey, Ellie Kemper and Tom Brady headline this star-studded ad series.

FOX Soccer “’Tis the World Cup” - Another Jon Hamm as Santa trying to compete with the World Cup.

Frito-Lay “Soccer or Football” - Another World Cup ad, starring Peyton Manning and David Beckham, directed by Michael Bay.

Fussy “Deck the Halls” - The deodorant brand gets, umm, creative for Christmas

Gucci “Gift” - Stylish holiday journey.

Heathrow “The Gift” - Heathrow has put together many memorable ads and this one is simpler but just as sweet.

Hobby Lobby “Christmas is What You Make It” - Sweet, wordless story of cooperation

J&B “El Ruso de Rocky” - Touching Spanish story about a grandfather giving his granddaughter the ultimate gift—acceptance and understanding.

JD Sports “King of the Game” - Holiday fantasy fun

John Lewis “The Beginner” - The John Lewis Christmas ads are a holiday tradition in the UK, and while this one is more simple than most, its touching, unexpected ending hits you in the feels.

Kroger “The Magical Cookbook” - An Up style tear-fest that accurately embodies the connection between meals and memories.

LEGO “Build a Playful Holiday” - Imagination runs wild with Katy Perry

Louis Vuitton “The Holiday Season” - A bear and a Beatles cover from the luxury brand

Lidl “The Story of Lidl Bear” - A furry star is born in this very charming ad.

Manscaped “Season’s Groomings” - Pete Davidson is very…Pete Davidson in this ad with his mom.

Meta Quest 2 “Wish for the Extraordinary” - The VR headset has a clever Christmas ad touting its immersive abilities.

M&S “Fairy is Back” - Jennifer Saunders returns and is joined by Dawn French in this big-budget extravaganza.

M&S “Gifts That Give” - Musical ad promoting M&S’s charitable giving

Manor “Cosmic Christmas” - Bouncy, musical holiday one-up-manship from the Swiss retailer.

Matalan “The Christmas Cupboard” - Be prepared for the holidays

McDonald’s “The List” - Sweet, simple story of a little boy’s holiday wish list. One of the best of the season so far.

Morrisons “Farmer Christmas” - Exploring where your holiday treats come from.

The National Lottery “Just Imagine” - Extremely sweet mini-movie about strangers falling love and trying to find each other

O2 “The Snowgran” - Animated ad that somehow makes cell phone data charming.

Old Navy “Matchy Matchy” - Jennifer Coolidge stars in a fun series of ads for the retailer.

Old Navy “Gifting” - Jennifer Coolidge stars in a fun series of ads for the retailer.

Paddy Power “Gareth Southgate Christmas Jumper” - Inside baseball ad—or more accurately football—but still sports-fan-relatable worldwide.

Paddy Power “Where Were You in ‘22″ - World Cup meets Christmas

Paddy Power “Crouchy Conducts the Classics” - Another funny, very English football (a.k.a. soccer) ad.

Penny “The Rift” - Very emotional and powerful mini-movie. Follow-up to last year’s equally moving, “The Wish.”

Pepsi “That is One Dirty Soda, Santa” - Lindsay Lohan channels her inner Laverne.

PETA “Toby the Turkey” - Effective animated ad.

Phil Beastall “A Little Help” - “alternate” John Lewis ads have become a thing in recent years with filmmakers offering short holiday films to tug hearts and make a name for themselves.

Planters “Whittle Nut Bowl” - Brief, but cute.

Posten “Father Christmas and Mother Earth” - The Norwegian Postal Service is back with an ad that looks at the impact of Christmas on the environment after their ground-breaking Santa romance last season.

RSPCA “Join the Christmas Rescue” - Bring all the tissues.

Sam Teale “The GoKart” - another of the “alternate John Lewis” offerings.

Sainsbury’s “Once Upon a Pud” - The grocer puts a medievally royal spin on the classic British Christmas dessert.

Shelter “Brave Face” - Touching charity appeal.

Smyths “We Really Want to go to Smyths” - An original, catchy jingle that feels very retro.

Spam “We Wish You a Figgy Christmas” - The Hawaii-favorite canned meat offers up a very cute stop-motion ad for its own limited edition holiday offering.

Spar “Finding Christmas” - Folksy, lovely holiday feel that shows Christmas is all a matter of perspective.

Sports Direct “Football Starts Here” - Celebrate the holidays with soccer stars

Teleflora “Leave No One Out This Holiday” - Does anyone ever think about how Mrs. Claus spends all her Christmases alone.

TK Maxx “Christmas Nailed” - The British version of TJ Maxx dances through the holidays.

Tesco “The Christmas Party” - The British grocery chain tackles the “happiness shortage” in this campaign that’s a literal political campaign spoof.

Waitrose “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” - Celebrates the all-year work that goes into Christmas

The Warehouse “Nigel’s Christmas Wish” - Charming story of holiday triumph.

White Stores “Norbet the Nutcracker” - A signature design

Woolworths "Get Your Woolies Worth” - A down-home Australian Christmas

10 notes · View notes

changbeens · 2 years

Note

Hey Bee!

Hot topic opinion!🔥

What do you think about Kim Garam?

she should never have debuted. hybe should have done their research when people first started talking about her when it was discovered she was a trainee

hybe were in such a rush to debut this group that they didnt and still dont really care. their original plan to redebut izone fell through cos only sakura and chaewon would sign with them and then they rushed into debuting a group they hadnt planned for. thats a different matter, but it is also part of why they've not done anything about this situation until now

promotion should be coming to an end. they've been on all the shows, got all the wins, now they've announced her hiatus cos the work (and damage...) has all been done and the group would have been on rest for a while anyway. any kind of publicity while a group is promoting leads to the group being talked about which ultimately leads to views. people will want to see this girl thats causing such controversy, gossip and news channels will use clips from the video for their reports which means someone has to go and watch that mv to find the clips they want (which boosts the views and as kpop twt keeps telling us, every single view counts)

"she's a minor" is not an excuse and anyone following me that thinks her being young when it happened is an excuse can unfollow me. of COURSE she was young when it happened, thats when school bullying takes place, when someone is young and in school. her victim was also a minor at the time (i dont know how old either are at this point), why does the victim's age not matter? yes, all of this coming out HAS given kim garam a bad name, AS IT SHOULD. we should not be praising her and letting her think she can get away with what she did without consequence. she's being rewarded right under her victim's nose

anyone that doesnt see how harmful it is to have someone like kim garam as an idol needs to sit and put themselves in the position of a victim. imagine seeing the person that caused you harm having love showered upon them, imagine how it would make you feel to see the person that made you feel small and insignificant or maybe even caused you physical pain be given music show wins. that is why these stories come out when groups are active, it brings back trauma

this got wordy. sorry. long story short, she needs to go, voluntarily or by the company withdrawing her. the allegations are too strong, she cannot be allowed to carry on as if nothing happened

#we cannot have people excusing this kind of behaviour and dismissing it so easily because of age

7 notes · View notes

epicwin64 · 3 months

Text

The best (and worst) time for gaming

The 2020s decade, even though it’s been largely defined by the pandemic and the world continuing to adjust in its aftermath, saw the quality of video games rise to a level that hadn’t been seen since I’d say 2017. That year had landmark titles like Zelda Breath of the Wild, Mario Odyssey, and Persona 5 to name a few, but obviously due to COVID affecting the gaming industry (along with every other industry for that matter), the amount of great games had to be cut down. A shame too, since many great games released in 2020 (Hades especially, which should’ve won game of the year). Now, it’s 2024. After surviving yet another year, we’ve been supplied some great games. Tears of the Kingdom, Baldur’s Gate 3, Hi-Fi Rush, Armored Core 6, the Resident Evil 4 remake, Alan Wake 2, Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Final Fantasy XVI just to name a few. And while those games are great and deserve all the praise they have got/are getting, keep in mind that this year saw dozens of layoffs, the Embracer Group buying every single company under the sun, and a lot of games that shouldn’t even exist (like the Gollum game). But those are emblematic of a bigger issue, the gaming industry stagnating. This is also apparent when you look at the exclusive libraries for the Xbox Series family and the PlayStation 5. Sure, the PS5 is getting major exclusives like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Stellar Blade this year, but while those look promising (and Rebirth actually giving people a reason to buy a PS5), it’s a far cry from the PS4 era. And no God of War Ragnarok and Horizon Forbidden West do not count because they also released on PS4. The Xbox Series family’s exclusive library is also very sparse. Starfield and Redfall, which were poised to be flagship games for the Xbox were not the critical masterpieces Microsoft probably wanted, the only thing keeping them afloat is Game Pass. “What about Nintendo?” I hear you asking. Well, I’m talking about the 9th generation of video games, and while the Switch is still competing with those systems, it’s a generation behind. I love the Nintendo Switch, but even as a die hard Nintendo fan, I’m willing to admit that Nintendo cannot sustain itself on the Switch forever. I know Nintendo prioritizes fun over the PlayStation patented cinematic third person action adventure game, but they at least need to put up a fight if they’re going to continue to make compelling exclusives that could really give Sony and Microsoft a run for their money.

Man this was a long one, eh? Sorry I’ve just been having this on my mind for the past day or so. I bring a lot of this up for one reason: Metroid Prime 4. Announced all the way back in June 2017, all we know about the game is that it exists. And with many people speculating that Nintendo’s new console is coming out this year at the very least, I’m thinking MP4 will end up like Breath of the Wild and Twilight Princess did. Because if Nintendo wants a title like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth or Avowed (what appear to be the PS5 and Xbox Series’ flagship titles in 2024), I think that’s the obvious step.

#venting about the video game industry #gaming #nintendo #playstation #xbox #in the console wars i’m switzerland #if you get it you get it

0 notes

httpknjoon · 2 years

Text

friends with history | ksj; 2

plot | You and Jin broke up. It’s a mutual decision. Another decision you shared was to stay friends, considering you two are in a single friend group. It’s easy, you thought. Both of you just have to act like you did not have a seven-year relationship while you hang out with your other friends every Saturday with your new dates.

chapter summary | Chocolate milk, dinner night, and a couple of announcements.

words | 3.5k

genres | tiny fluff, angst, exes!au

pairing | seokjin x reader

warnings | like a single curse

note | will definitely be followed by like a 2.5 chapter or something like that. anyways, enjoy reading! i would love to hear some thoughts from you :))

main masterlist | previous | series masterlist

“That would be two dollars.”

Jin slipped a hand in his pockets to get his wallet. He smiled at the cashier as he handed her the bill. After declining the offer to put the item in the paper bag, Jin walked out of the convenience store with a chilled, chocolate milk in his hand. He eyed his wristwatch before hopping back to his car and placing the bottle on the passenger seat.

Unending streetlights were greeting him as he passed by them. The glowing moon was starting to make its appearance in the lead-colored night sky. No traffic was ahead of him, making it easier and faster for him to reach his destination. He exhaled with how peaceful everything seemed to be, even though it’s surely not. He knows that maybe a couple of hours later he will feel the opposite of what he feels now. His foot pressed the brakes smoothly as he stopped in a parking lot in front of a building.

Should I text her? Should I just go there? Or maybe I’ll just wait here?

His teeth tugged on his bottom lip as he stared at the entrance of your company building. He clutches on the steering wheel while his legs shake up and down unconsciously. He picked what he thought was the best choice: to send a message. Although he was unsure if you still have the same number, he began typing with unclear thoughts.

Good evening– Too formal.

I’m here outside– Too cold?

Jin bit the corner of his thumb as he tried to think of a message starter. Maybe I should just call? No. What if she’s busy? She also hates receiving calls without notice. He simply rests his chin on the top of the steering wheel with thoughts running inside his mind. He kept his sight on the entrance of your building.

Maybe he’ll just wait for you.

He just doesn’t want to do anything wrong after a month of not having anything with you. He noticed how inactive you were everywhere. Even in your group chat. Nonetheless, he was glad that you did not block him in any of your social media accounts. The same photos were still posted on your Instagram feed. None were archived nor removed. Your last post was a snap of a meal he cooked for you three months ago. With a caption: My freelance personal chef made me this! His lips curved into a smile when he remembered that moment.

“A perfect ten just for the inviting aroma!”

Like a little seal, you clapped your hands together as you inhaled the smell of his meal. Jin just shakes his head with your cuteness. He placed a fork beside your plate. He waited for you to finish typing in your phone before speaking,

“Food was supposed to be eaten.”

You held the fork and winked at him, “I just want to share with everyone I know that I have a personal chef.”

Jin simply chuckles and points his index finger on your plate, “Eat.”

After having your first mouthful of his spaghetti, you were squirming on your seat. He simply watched you with a smile. Even though you have the same happy gasp or humming tone every time he cooks for you, he always found you adorable. Sometimes, you would even try to say something. But with your mouth full, you were indistinct. Jin will just nod and giggle at whatever you said.

“Teach me your recipe,” you told him after consuming water.

“Baby, it’s just basic spaghetti and meatballs.” he grinned while you rolled your eyes.

“You know, when you say it like that, you sound cocky,” you uttered. “I tried the recipe from that link you sent me before. It didn’t taste anything like this.”

“Well, maybe you should add little emotion to it. Like, love– Oh!”

He caught the table napkin you threw at him before he can finish his teasing. He laughed at your sulking expression.

“That’s bullshit. You’re just saying things because you don’t want to share your very own recipe. If you won’t teach me anything, you would cook for us, for me in our whole remaining lifetime.” you tried scaring him.

But he just smiled and wiped the tomato sauce above your upper lip with his thumb, “It’s fine. I don’t mind cooking for you as long as I can.”

Too lost with recalling that event, Jin did not notice you walking out of the building. He just heard a couple of soft knocks on the passenger side. When he tilted his head in that direction, he saw you standing there with your bag clung to your shoulder. You just nod at him before he opened the lock. The familiar vanilla scent entered his nostrils as you sat on the seat.

“How long have you been here?” you asked, removing your bag from your shoulder and placing it on your lap.

He doesn’t know. He lost track of time ever since he arrived.

“Not too long.” he just replied before turning the key, starting the car.

“You should have texted me. I was already free an hour ago.” you expressed, still using the same bland tone you used earlier in the morning. “Anyways– Wait, where can I put this?”

Jin cocked his head in your direction to see what you were talking about. You were holding the bottle of chocolate milk he bought before he picked you up. It seemed like it was no longer chilled. He looked at your plain expression first before he glanced back to the road.

“Uhm… I bought– It’s for you,” he stuttered as he felt blood rushing through his ears.

“For me?”

He felt his heart beating faster when your voice did not even sound surprised nor curious. Just plain and impassive. He swallowed the imaginary lump in his throat before he explained,

“Ah, yes. I saw you buying a cup of coffee earlier. It will probably make you have trouble sleeping later. I thought… Uhm, maybe your favorite chocolate milk will help you to have a good sleep.”

Silence took over for a few moments, making Jin more anxious as he felt sweat forming on his forehead even though the car was airconditioned. The heavy beating of his heart was too loud for him to look at your reaction.

“Uh, thanks,” you spoke out softly and almost inaudibly.

“No problem.”

Another minute of uncomfortable silence passed by again. Jin felt like he was stuck in a small box. His moves were limited and he cannot breathe properly. Until you clear your throat to break out the silence.

“So… About the dinner.” you began. “How are we going to tell them that… that we broke up?”

Straightforward as always, Jin thought. One of the innumerable reasons why he liked you in the first place. You were always direct with your words and actions. You always have the heart to confront people around you. You present yourself as an open book and never hide behind a facade. Whatever you’re feeling, it shows.

“Jin?” your cold calling of his name pulled him out of deep thought.

“Yes?”

“I said, should we tell them after or before dinner?” you repeated.

Is that even a thing? It’s crazy to think that you two still have to prepare for this. Like you two were some A-listers celebrities who need to share such a thing with the public. He wanted to ask you but it felt like a dumb question to ask. You seemed pretty ready to announce it to everyone. He wondered if you already told your family. How did they react? Did they respond well? Did you even tell them the reason why? Between you two, he is aware that you are the one who has the guts in everything. He still hasn’t told his parents about anything because how would they react? They already considered you as their daughter since Jin is the only child. He knew how much they love you.

“Jin, I need you to answer. I am not a mind reader.”

Again, you snapped him out of his thoughts. Finally, you had some emotions with your tone. But, it was a tone of slight annoyance.

“I’m sorry,” Jin spoke out. “We… We can tell them after dinner.”

You nodded as you chewed on your bottom lip. It became quiet again until he stopped the car in front of Younhee and Hiro’s suburban house. He was removing his seat belt when you noticed you not moving from your seat at all. Your eyes dart at your friends’ home outside your window. He can see your chest heaving slowly while your finger slightly shakes on your lap. He wanted to reach for your hands but stopped midway, thinking if it was the right thing to do. Silently shaking his head with his conflicting thoughts, he placed a hand on your yours. He almost shivered with how cold it was. You turned your gaze at him and he remembered the same eyes you have when he picked up his things from your house a month ago.

“Let’s go?” he tried to say it the softest that he can.

He can tell that you were having second thoughts when you pursed your lips and looked back at the house then to your hands. He knows you too well to notice that small habit of yours, fidgeting on your ring finger. He winced when he also noticed that it was empty. Like you would keep the ring.

Jin cleared his throat, making you look at him again, “We don’t have to tell them now if–”

“No.” you cut him off with your voice stern. You ran your palms on your cheeks as you breathed out, “Let’s… Let’s just do this now.”

You said it like you were already desperate to get it out of your chest. He watched as you clung your bag back to your shoulder even though he told you that you can leave it in the car. Every step to Younhee and Hiro’s front yard felt like a step to deep, heavy mud. Jin gulped as he walked by your side. He took a glance at you, only to see you looking more nervous. The waves of laughter and chatters inside the house didn’t help. So, he stopped and turned to you, who paused too. He tried to read anything from your expression. Your eyes were purposely avoiding his while beads of sweat formed on your forehead. Your lips were red from all the biting you did while spacing out. Ever since he saw you earlier this morning, he already knew.

You’re tired. You’re worn out. He just wants to–

“What?” you asked him with eyebrows scrunched together.

“We don’t have to do this tonight if–”

“I told you, I’m fine, Jin. I want to do this today— tonight! So, let’s go–”

He just went for it. He wrapped you in his arms and he immediately felt your body tensing down. You did not say anything except a couple of sighs. Jin ran his hand up and down on your back, hoping to calm you down. He doesn’t know if this is the right thing to do with an ex. But he was your friend too. He was your friend first and he cannot stand seeing you like this.

“Oh, gosh. The lovebirds are here!”

Still having you in his arms, Jin turned at the front door. Two of your friends, Kaori and Nico, stood there.

“Come on in! The dinner’s almost ready!” Nico said.

Jin simply nodded while you slowly moved a distance from him. The other two walked back inside. He looked back at you again, you tried taming your hair and fixing your face with no mirror. You locked your eyes with him.

“How do I look?

Still a bit tense but more relaxed. Jin smiles softly, “Good.”

You walked ahead of him and he quietly followed behind. As soon as both of you got in, you were greeted by your friends. Some are still wearing their work clothes too like you. The dining table is all set, only waiting for the food to be served. Jin sat on the solo sofa in the living room while Anne and Younhee chats with you on the spacious orange couch. He tried to avert his focus on some type of movie Kaori played on the TV. But when he heard you chuckle, even it was short and almost forced, it still plays like a melody to his ears. All of the dialogues in the movie became indistinct while he hid his interest in listening to whatever topic you and your other friends have.

You only let out gasps and small chuckles with their stories. Jin wanted you to tell something about yourself since he wants to know how are you, especially this last month. Because when he asked you about it earlier this morning, you answered way too far from his question.

“How… How are you?”

“Off to work.”

He was supposed to get his coffee in the same shop you came from, which surprised him when he saw you there since you once said before that you hated that shop. But decided to just go back to his house. He thought of ordering some fast food breakfast again, just like what he’s been doing since you broke up. He lost interest in cooking outside his workplace. He rarely goes out either. When Hiro and Nico invited him to have some drinks a week after you two ended, he lied, saying he was busy at work. The truth is he was just spring cleaning at his house for the first time in his years of living there. Simply because he doesn’t feel at home in his own house.

The moment he got home after taking his things from your place, he noticed how uncomfortable his bed was. He found it weird like he was laying on a stranger’s bed. His blankets were too thin while his pillows are too soft like marshmallows. He felt like drowning when he rests his head on it. He was so used to the mixed smell of lavender and vanilla of your fabric conditioner that he became new with his usual one. He almost turned his place upside down with the amount of cleaning he did. In the corner of his bedroom, he has a box filled with your (probably) forgotten knick-knacks, a couple of lipsticks, and even some clothes. He never dared to message you about it.

“Dinner’s ready!” Hiro’s voice was heard from the kitchen.

Everyone stood from their places and walked to the dining table. Since you’ve been doing this for years, all of you already have some unspoken designated seats. Kaori and Nico sat on both ends of the table while Hiro, Yeonhee, and Anne sat together on the same row, leaving you and Jin sitting together.

“What’s with the one space apart?” Anne pointed out the blank space between you and him.

Jin looked at you silently and you nodded like you were letting him be close to you. After he took the space, everyone began telling stories again. You two laughed with their jokes and tried to get along while saving your so-called announcement for the last. When their plates were almost empty, Younhee went back to their kitchen and came back with desserts.

“Oooh, this tastes good! What is this?” Kaori asked since she’s the first one to dig in the tub.

“Oh, it’s a gelato I’ve been craving for some time now,” Younhee replied while Hiro stood beside her.

Jin reached for an empty cup while you stared at the cold dessert with curious eyes. He asked you if you want some but you answered with a short wait.

“What’s the flavor?” you asked your friend.

“Sweet corn!” Younhee replied again.

Hearing that, Jin felt your eyes on him. But he just continues scooping.

“Jin,” you called him like a warning.

But when he filled the cup, he handed it to you, “It’s for you.”

Your lips formed a thin line as you accepted the cup. He stopped himself from smiling when he sees you smile after tasting the gelato. You unconsciously left the same cream above your lips. Instead of wiping it himself, Jin gave you the table napkin. You cleaned up your lips and looked at him. Not in a good way. But in a way that translates like we should tell them now. The warm feeling in him faded, now replaced with coolness starting from his feet going up. Although his heart beats wildly, Jin sighs and nods.

“Uhm, guys.” Your voice was careful as you called your friends’ attention. “We have something to tell you.”

Jin avoided the confused eyes of your friends. Underneath the table, Jin noticed your hands shaking on your lap. His hands felt cold but he still chose to hold yours too. It got your attention to him.

“Oh, um, we’re announcing something too!” Younhee exclaimed, breaking the eye contact between you and Jin,

“Oh, okay. We have some announcements now.” Nico quipped. “Who should go first?”

You and Younhee eye each other. She smiled. It seemed like a piece of great news. Seeing this, Jin felt your grip tighter on his hand. He knew you were having second thoughts now. But Jin squeezed your hand tighter.

“Let’s play rock paper and scissors!” Kaori recommended.

Anne joined in, “That’s a bit childish. But yeah, let’s do that!”

Younhee was quick to agree with Hiro supporting her. She placed her fist in the center. You looked at Jin and he nodded. With both of you unsure of what to do, he just decided to go with the flow. You two stood and you put your fist in front of Younhee’s. Like a tournament, everyone chanted the rock paper and scissors line. After two tries, she won.

“Okay, to our couple who won, Hiro and Younhee, please declare your announcement,” Nico told them like he’s introducing a royalty, making everyone laugh except you and Jin.

The two looked at each other with wide smiles before turning to everyone, “We’re having a baby!”

What the fuck?

Jin did not expect that kind of announcement. Yes, it’s a good thing. But, he thought maybe it’s some kind of promotion or another success with their other things. It’s a fucking great news. How are you going to tell about your breakup when such an event happened? Everyone ran to the couple and hugged them while Jin looked at you. He can see your glassy eyes as you bit your inner cheek. Jin squeezed your hand again, hoping to give you some encouragement even though he already felt messed up himself. You shake your head at him.

“I… I can’t.” your voice shakes and your fragile image from a month ago flashbacked on his mind. “I can’t do this.”

“Let’s just go?” Jin asked, not caring about the consequences of it. He can only think of you at this moment. You looked down and nodded. Tears were already dripping down your cheeks when he pulled you up from your seat.

“Where are you two going?” Nico called out. “Don’t you say you can’t stand losing to that–”

He paused when you turned around. Their smiles faded when they saw your expression while Jin looked down.

“What happened?” Younhee, being the motherly figure she is, worriedly walked to you two.

But you spoke out, “No, please.”

Jin watched you wipe your cheeks with the back of your hand. You cleared your throat as you tried to fix your posture in front of them.

“We don’t have to tell them now,” Jin whispered but you just shook your head again.

“Tell us what?” Kaori asked, shoving a bite of gelato in her mouth.

“Webrokeup.” you announced so quickly that it became inaudible.

Anne broke the silence, “I’m sorry, what? I think I misheard that. You did not say you broke up, right?”

Instead of answering, you avoided their gaze. So, Jin answered, “Yes, we broke up. A month ago.”

Just like an audience to a show, your friends gasped loudly. Younhee covered her mouth while Hiro supported her from her back. Kaori almost dropped her cup. Annie’s eyes widened. Nico’s eyebrows were raised above.

“Is this a prank?–” Kaori spoke out. But her brother, Hiro, shushed him. “I’m just asking. Maybe they are just playing–”

“No, it’s not a prank. It’s true. We already broke up.” you finally spoke.

Jin felt you letting go of his hand. Everyone watched as you hugged Younhee. You whispered something to her and she replied with,

“Yes, of course, it’s fine.”

You walked back to Jin and mouthed, “Let’s go.”

With no question, he nodded while you walked out with your bag. But, he gave a hug to both Hiro and Younhee while saying his congratulations to them. He also apologized and they just showed a small smile. He simply nods to their other friends, who are still surprised and just watched everything. Expecting to see you waiting for him outside, he was greeted by nothing but the warm summer air. Furrowing his eyebrows, he looked around the place until he felt his phone dinged in his pockets.

From Y/N

Thank you for the drive. I’m taking the bus. Take care.

PERMANENT TAGLIST

@dunixxd @cixrosie @victoryscreech61 @moonchild1

TAGLIST

@jnshjjt @lilachaeyo @bringmetheksj @effielumiere @claricedelune @arisud @kianamj @teamtardis-notdead @circleroomtalk @rjsmochii @akshstudios @sojurnmichael @tan-dulset @agustdxjiminx @my-current-mood-is @cestlabellemort @nadiaislas @mrsdoradominguez-barnes @betysotelo18 @kissme-ornot @ccygll @dopedreamfireparty @satorinnie @delusionalsnack

#bts angst #bts fluff #bts x reader #bts established relationship au #bts exes au #bts imagine #bts series #jin angst #jin fluff #jin exes au #jin imagine #jin series #friends with history ksj

112 notes · View notes

serafilms · 3 years

Text

enhypen with an idol s/o !

↳ pairing – enhypen x gn!idol!reader

↳ genre – fluff; crack; headcanons; gender neutral reader

↳ warnings – none

heeseung !

your biggest fan? yeah no that’s just him

will 100% buy multiple copies of your albums for no reason

“hyung why did you buy so many?”

“i nEED TO SUPPORT MY BABY”

actually lets out a squeal if he pulls your photocards

stars in his eyes when he watches you perform

and when he sees you speaking english

will copy your accent lmao

and pretty much when you do anything

will post dance covers of your comeback on tiktok

surprisingly fans have yet to find evidence that you're dating him

all they can confirm is that heeseung is a fan who has a fat crush on you

luckily that means he can have heart eyes for you whenever he sees you at award shows

he will always be the first to support you no matter what

jay !

mans has a cool guy façade to keep up

but you're really out here trying to bring it down

literally everything you do

sexy concept? he'll probably pass out

cute concept? would not be able to hold back his squeals

cool concept? would drool on the floor

you posted a dance cover of drunk-dazed on tiktok after it dropped and jay messaged you immediately after to praise you and fanboy over you

so so so soft for you and will give you all his uwus

would probably send reaction memes of both you and himself and you're just like "??????"

it's a thing now

you send memes of him from twitter and anywhere else and he sends memes of you

sometimes it's a while before either of you can reply but it's a good way to feel closer to one another

jake !

kinda memey vibes

aussie idols just........ yeah y'all get it

y'all were guest mc's together and there was this bit where you both had to speak english to one another

you messed up the line and you both just started giggling

everyone else was confused but y'all just couldn't stop

the producers had to separate you two after because you laughed every time you made eye contact

fans were a little sus after that but they just wrote it off as idol interactions

recite memes and vines together ("deez nUTS")

will always support you

his secret stan acc is mainly enhypen and your group

will always message you even when he's busy to make sure you're getting enough rest and eating properly

if he suspects something's wrong he'll contact your leader or manager to make sure they sort it out

is always ready to fight your company if they mistreat you

top tier idol bf material

sunghoon !

power couple vibes

think kai and jennie (rip jenkai) but make it 4th gen kpop

loves having a say in your comebacks

like he doesn't need an s/o that's super talented or perfect but we all know from i-land my dude laughs at people who aren't good

he'll give advice on how to do a dance move better or help you with lyrics or vocal techniques

also tells you what hair he thinks you should try and feels a swell of pride when you send him a photo of it after getting it done

begs your stylist to let him choose your outfits sometimes

they said yes just to shut him up but the fits ended up being surprisingly good

fashionista couple

you two are shipped together even without any interactions because of your similar personalities and great sense of style

you're both a little bit more quiet than other people but towards each other it's just constant teasing

he will clown you for every meme he finds of you on any form of sns

but don't let that fool you, he has your pc in his wallet

sunoo !

heart eyes #2

your biggest fan in the whole world

has predebut photos of you that your family sent him and sends them to you to squeal about how cute you were

will message you after every single thing you put out there

a new sns photo, a teaser photo, mv, performance?

sunoo's already on it

"y/n you look so pretty" "y/N YOU DIDN'T TELL ME YOU DYED YOUR HAIR"

would send you recordings and spoilers of enhypen’s new comebacks to try and bribe you into spoiling yours for him

you gave in very easily

it was fun at the time but now you're both struggling

it's hard enough to try and not spoil your own comebacks, let alone each other's

so now you're both just trying so hard not to let anything slip but it's too late to get out of the arrangement because you still want spoilers

jungwon !

so professional that nobody will ever suspect you two are dating

as far as netizens can tell you two are just acquaintances

like would bow at each other at awards shows but no further interaction

little do they know behind the scenes at award shows you and jungwon will meet up near the waiting rooms and eat snacks together

it's very important to him to make sure you're getting enough to eat so he always brings extra and hides them from his members

even if you two are on a variety show together you're so good at faking that you don't know each other

seriously you guys need to star in a drama

at this point you could literally be spotted outside the hybe building and they'd be like "no no she's probably just taking a walk in the area"

so subtle that if you announce you're dating the whole internet would blow wide open

niki !

puppy love

that's all i have to say

you're both so shy when it comes to pda

just like jungwon they'll never suspect you're dating

4th gen dance power duo

you did a performance stage together and the edits went on for months

the behind the scenes were so cute too

you two had to pretend you didn't know each other but couldn’t keep away from each other either

sharing glances across the room and playing around when the cameras were off

fans have noticed that you two were on your phones a lot but they never suspected that you were just texting each other across the room

but learning the dance together and practicing it was really fun even if you couldn't openly be a couple

after it was aired you two went out to get food together

it was dark so nobody saw you but you still got scolded at the dorms

but it was worth it

teen idols in love :')

517 notes · View notes

inmyownlaine · 3 years

Note

Hi,love your writing and was wondering if I could request a John Murphy fluff/angst based on season 2or3 where the reader and him get in an argument about him ‘being with Emori’ but he likes the reader?

John Murphy x Reader: Promises

*Absolutely! Thank you for the suggestion. Also, let's just act like I haven't been MIA for literal months :)

GIF//

Warnings: None to my knowledge!

Word Count: 2078

────────────────────────────────────────────

“Don’t go,” you begged, grabbing Murphy’s hand as it swung carelessly behind him. When your fingers touched his skin, Murphy stopped immediately. He inhaled heavily through his nose, trying to control the sadness and desire that you sent rippling through his body.

“Murphy, please,” you whimpered.

Murphy’s shoulder dropped as he let the single strap of his backpack slide down his arm. Your eyes lit up, hoping that was a positive sign. Hoping that you were enough to make him stay.

“I can’t.”

“You can,” you said assertively. “Why are you doing this to yourself?”

“You wouldn’t understand,” he replied, apologetic eyes looking at you between half-closed eyelids. He was right. You didn’t understand. He had nothing to apologize for. He didn’t have to prove himself to you. Or ask for your forgiveness. None of the things that his blue eyes seemed to convey.

“You don’t need redemption.”

“But if I go now, maybe when I come back-”

“What?” you interrupted. “Everything will suddenly be different?”

“Is it so wrong to want that?” he questioned softly, a shaky sigh leaving his body. You tightened your grip, white knuckles against red calloused ones. Just another casualty of his bad temper.

“Of course not. But you’re not going to fix anything by leaving. You need to stay. Stay and show them who you can be. Don’t leave and prove them right.”

Murphy dropped his head, fixated on your two hands intertwined. There was a lot more going on than the surface discussion. You danced around being in love by using double meanings and knowing glances. This wasn’t about him leaving to find himself. It was about him leaving you.

Glassy eyes meet together in a flurry of uncertainty and passion. The pit of your stomach churned as Murphy leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on your lips. They barely touched before he pulled away, eyes closed. It was a kiss that you never wanted to experience, especially being your first.

You knew he was leaving.

“Don’t cry,” he told you, hearing a sniffle escape. His eyes still rested, he quietly spoke, “I will be back. I promise. I have something to come back to.”

“Murphy, I-”

“I promise.” He now faced the reality of the situation, confronting his fears head on as he stared into your bloodshot eyes. There was no way he would ever be the cause of this again. He just needed one chance to make you proud. To clear his name.

“I promise.”

────────────────────────────────────────────

The taste of dirt and sweat caused you to gag as you were manhandled into the unknown. You had no idea why you were the target of a kidnapping. If anything, you laid low and kept to yourself. Regardless, you followed the directions given to you, fearing what would become of your life if you didn’t.

“I’ve brought you some company!” the voice behind you bellowed. You jumped at the sudden noise, interested in the way he practically sang the announcement.

“Who?” another voice asked, seeming alert and slightly panicked. You knew this voice anywhere and it quickly became clear why you were here. Even still, you obeyed the commands given. If you spoke a word, made any noise, it would be the end of your life.

“Worried, are we?” The man started to laugh heartily as you continued to walk. Every thundering step matched the beating of your heart. What would happen when you finally stopped?

There was no response, so the man began to speak. “Someone who wouldn’t shut up about you. Scared for you. Desperate to see you.”

As if being captured weren’t enough, this was just plain humiliating. He didn’t have to recount all the times you pined after Murphy while he was gone. You lost track of the months it had been since you last saw him. This was not how you wanted to reunite.

“Who. Is. It?” Murphy asked yet again. It was dark and menacing. A resemblance of a person that he used to be. You knew that would always be a part of him. Especially when it involved people that he cared about.

“A girlfriend?” the man guessed. You cringed hearing that word, tormenting and taunting you of what never was. But how Murphy replied was even more heartbreaking.

“Emori?” The man began to cackle once more as Murphy cursed and threatened his life. It was terrible to hear the intensity of his love. How much he cared for someone else while you turned others down, waiting for him.

The man gave you one last shove, causing you to fall to your knees. Through minute gaps in the woven sack over your head, you finally caught an amber hue of light. You groaned in pain, trying your best to stay upright with your hands tied behind your back.

There was a brief moment of silence before another outburst broke out. This time, you heard the scuffling of feet against the floor. Fabric harshly rubbed against a scratchy surface. It sounded like an attempt to escape.

“Let her go!” Murphy yelled.

“Why would I do that? I have everything I need, now. Except for the information.”

“Just let her go and I’ll tell you, okay? I’ll tell you everything,” Murphy frantically said.

“But I’m having so much fun. Maybe just one...little…” A cold blade touched your neck, causing a shriek to escape your throat. He put an ounce of pressure against your rapidly thumping artery.

“I swear to God if you hurt her I will kill you!” Murphy’s voice was full of anguish as it broke here and there. It was a frequency in which you had never heard from him. It was harrowing to witness.

The knife was removed from your neck. In a series of exchanges, Murphy gave him the answer to every single question he asked. When the interrogation was over, you were picked up and moved to a new area. Here, you were tied once more around my stomach.

Then, without warning, the bag was removed from your head. You could barely take in my surroundings before Murphy called your name. Tears fell from your eyes as you saw, for the first time in months, John Murphy. Though you had to admit, he looked worse for wear.

“Murphy,” you cried back, wanting more than anything to be able to touch him. To hug him. To take in his scent. You had been without this man for way too long.

“That’s sweet,” the man, who you could now identify as Titus, interrupted. “But I’ve got what I wanted. For now.” And with that, he turned on his heel and exited the room, leaving you and Murphy alone.

“Oh my God, are you okay?” Murphy asked immediately.

“I’m fine,” you replied. “But you don’t look good at all.”

“Yeah, well, being tortured does that to a person.”

“He tortured you?” you questioned, breath leaving your body. Picturing someone hurting Murphy made you sick.

“A few times,” he shrugged.

You wanted to be happy. You wanted to ask him about his trip. You wanted to know if he discovered himself. If he found who he truly was. But you couldn’t get past the fact that he said another girl’s name.

You never claimed to be anything more than friends, but you thought it went without saying. A person doesn’t just kiss someone before they leave. Or promise that they would come back to you.

“I hate that I have to see you like this,” Murphy finally said, breaking the silence. “I always imagined coming back to camp with Jaha’s group. We just saved the human race, or something like that. But it didn’t matter, because I was looking for you.”

“Not Emori?” you mumbled, mustering up the courage to be so bold. Murphy’s eyes grew wide as he avoided your haunting gaze.

“Look, it wasn’t supposed to- she just- we were,” he tried to explain, slumping over in the process.

“I waited for you. Every day,” you admitted. “The last thing I did before I went to bed was look out the gate for you. Every morning I woke up with the hope that it would be the day you came back to me.”

You started to sob, recounting the loneliness that you felt. And the fear of not knowing Murphy’s fate. Were you holding out for someone who was dead? Was it hopeless to wish that he would keep his promise?

“I turned people down. I kept faith in you. I told everyone how proud I was. And then to know that you weren’t keeping me with you at all. I wasn’t even a passing thought.”

“It’s not like that,” Murphy said.

“But it is. She’s your girlfriend.”

“I don’t- love her,” he said softly, swallowing hard enough to make his entire throat bob up and down.

“Then what?” You were at the tipping point with Murphy. Exasperated with his short answers and frustrated with the secrets he was holding. If he wouldn’t be honest with you now, there was no way you would ever be with him in the future.

“I’ve been through a lot. More than I expected.” He stared into the distance, seemingly void of emotion. It was like he was lost, trying hard to remember something that he pushed away. “I was trapped. By myself. 86 days. You know how I spent that time?”

You shook your head in response. He was still burning holes in the wall, but somehow knew that you replied. He smirked slightly before saying, “I thought about you. And how good it would feel to see you once I was out. Granted, I went absolutely crazy in there, but you kept me as sane as I could be.”

You couldn’t help but to chuckle at this. “I can’t imagine you any more psychotic than you are now.”

“Is that so?” he bantered, catching you out of the corner of his eye.

“You’re a freak,” you teased.

“Why? Because I’ve killed a few people?”

“Yeah, that probably contributes.” The two of you shared a smile, falling back into old patterns. You missed having a person that you could shamelessly be yourself around. The quick wit and sly comments were always absorbed and thrown back by Murphy. No one else stood a chance against you.

“When he said he had someone,” Murphy carried on, “you’re the first person I thought of. But it seemed impossible until I saw you. I don’t know what came over me. I- I was blind with rage. I tried to fight my way out. Because if he hurt you-”

Murphy couldn’t bear to finish the sentence. You didn’t need him to. You knew what was left to say. You heard the distinct difference, the silence that fell, when he realized you were the captured person and not Emori.

“I know that doesn’t make any of this right, but I just wanted that feeling of safety that you gave me. And Emori was there. I misplaced it. And I’m sorry,” Murphy apologized.

“What about Emori, then?” you pressed.

“She’s a good person, and she will understand. I just couldn’t live with myself if I left you again.”

“You mean that?” Murphy simply nodded, outstretching his fingers in your direction. Even though you couldn’t hold hands, the sentiment remained as you reflected his actions. You were two people trying to make your own light in the darkest of situations.

“I love you,” you managed to choke out, taking in the dried blood on his hairline and the bruises on his skin. His pant leg was ripped at the cuff and his hands were caked in dirt. You needed him to know that no matter what happened, now and forever, that he could carry this with him. Even after death, if fate so decided.

“I love you, too,” he said, without hesitation or a second thought. It was something he wished he had told you the night he decided to leave. The only thing he regretted once he left the compound.

But he had the chance to fix all of that. And in that moment, he swore that once you escaped, he would always be there to protect you. He would always console you and your wondering thoughts. He would love you the way that he should have a long time ago.

He promised he would always find a way to come back to you.

He promised he would never leave.

He promised.

**Hey, it's Lainey. Slightly embarrassing but I am back from the grave! I hope you all enjoy this and still love Murphy as much as I do <3

#john murphy #john murphy fanfic #john murphy imagine #john murphy x reader #the100 #The 100 #the100fanfic #the100fanfiction #the100fic #johnmurphyfic #love #writing #john murphy fanfiction #johnmurphyimagine

157 notes · View notes

just-come-baek · 3 years

Text

body rhythm

Pairing: Taeyong x reader | mentions of Seulgi x Irene | mentions of Johnny x almost everybody

Themes: smut | fluff | dance!au

Word count: 14.8k

Summary: Taeyong and Seulgi participate in a nationwide dance competition. However, due to unfortunate scheduling, she has to drop out of it, suggesting you, out of all people, fill in. Taeyong isn't pleased with how things manage to fall out of place, but he is in no position to be whiny about it. For him, it's either learn to work with you or lose yet another time to his arch-enemy.

A/N it's my entry for song association event, I hope you like it, and also don't forget to check out other entries ^^ they must be all out by now lol

“Are you ready?” Johnny inquired as he set his fourth coffee of the day on his desk and plopped onto the swivel chair in a cubicle next to mine. It was a really long day at work, and we both had trouble sitting through the end of it. Heaving a deep sigh, I looked at the pile of documents that required my attention, groaning before I sprawled across my workspace.

“I thought it’s canceled tonight,” I spoke as I looked at my wristwatch, wincing when I realized there was still one more hour until Johnny and I could finally clock out.

A few months ago, our lovely firm, instead of giving us a well-deserved raise, had decided to provide us with a variety of extra activities. Though I’d rather get some monetary benefits, together with Johnny, we chose dance classes. Our company was paying for it, so we might’ve as well attended.

Ever since then, every Thursday, we would go to a dance class to sweat out all of the pent-up frustration. I didn’t have plenty of expectations, still bitter after the company’s decision, but the dance class turned out amazing. Seulgi was our teacher, and although she was a bit demanding, she was patient enough to teach us some sick moves. If that didn’t scream talent™, I had no idea what did.

“Well… last week, she said she might be absent today, but I got a text from school that someone will fill in,” Johnny spoke matter-of-factly. I sighed, checking my phone, reading the same text message from the studio. I really didn’t have energy for dance classes, but there was no way Johnny would let me skip.

“Do you want to grab a drink after? I think I need one, or a few,” I proposed as I sat back in my chair, trying to let my eyes rest from the computer’s screen.

“Does a bear shit in the woods?” Johnny asked rhetorically, smiling at me as if I just read his mind. It was almost Friday at this point, and we deserved a little treat.

Though it felt like an eternity, the clock finally struck 5 p.m., letting us leave our claustrophobic cubicles. Tomorrow we would come back for another dose of torture, but right now, we were free. Only for a few hours, though.

Quickly, I returned home to get my gym bag. Thankfully, I lived within walking distance from both – my office and the dance studio, so it wasn’t as troublesome to commute as it was for Johnny, who got stuck in traffic almost every day.

A few minutes before the dance class, I was already changed into my gym attire, waiting for Johnny. Though no one was texting me, I stared at my phone, furiously typing away. Moon Taeil, also known as my secret crush, was leaning against the wall on the other side of the corridor, and I tried every single trick my mind could come up with not to look desperate.

“At this point, he must think you hate him,” Johnny commented as he conjured in front of me out of nowhere. “You should hit on him instead of trying to bolt every time he approaches you,” he added, and I rolled my eyes at his yet another one shitty advice.

“Can you remind me why I don’t take dating advice from you?”

“Why are you attacking me? I just wanted to help. There’s no need to get so aggressive,” Johnny defended his case, not really answering my question. Johnny was a self-proclaimed love expert, but to me, he was more of a pathological playboy. Either way, he seemed to understand the secrets of flirtation to pick up girls whenever he set his mind to it.

“I am just trying not to be obvious,” I commented, stealing a glance at Taeil. It was a silly crush, and though Johnny encouraged me to go for it, I never decided to act on my feelings. Taeil probably didn’t feel this way about me, so remaining idle actually saved me embarrassment after an inevitable rejection.

“Speaking of which, I figured out why Seulgi is so resistant to my charms,” Johnny announced proudly, and I raised my eyebrow, waiting for the big reveal. Everybody in our group knew that Johnny was attracted to Seulgi, but every time he tried to approach her, she would brush him off.

“By figured out, you mean you stalked her, right?” I commented when Johnny handed me his phone, showing me Seulgi’s profile. According to what Johnny dug out in social media, Seulgi was getting married to Irene – her girlfriend of five years. “Huh,” I mused as I gave him back his phone, trying not to laugh at him. Seulgi was already madly in love with someone else, no wonder she could resist his charm.

“Call it whatever you want,” Johnny started, putting his phone away. “Just don’t hold me down when FBI finally recruits me for my impeccable detective skills,” he argued, and I laughed as I imagined him leaving our lovely company. That would be a shame; I couldn’t imagine anyone else sitting in the cubicle next to mine.

“The room should be open,” someone hollered, mentioning for us to open the doors and get inside. I had seen him a few times around the school, so I deduced he must’ve been our substitute teacher today.

Once everybody took their spot on the dance floor, the man cleared his throat. “Hello everybody, my name is Taeyong. Together with Seulgi, we run this school, and I hope we will have a lot of fun today with new choreography,” he announced politely with a practiced professionalism. Perhaps Taeyong didn’t seem as cool as Seulgi, but we had to give him a chance to prove us wrong.

Taeyong was intimidating. I wouldn’t want to be left alone with him. When he showed us a few moves, he was immensely focused on delivering one hundred percent. It was impressive and admirable, but at the same, Taeyong gave off a scary fierce aura. Though he was a great dancer and teacher, Seulgi was just better.

“I think I have a heart attack,” I panted, gasping for air. The new choreography required lots of jumping, and I didn’t expect so much cardio today. I wasn’t out of shape; however, after dancing to Taeyong’s choreography, I had some doubts.

“We should’ve skipped,” Johnny commented, bending over with his palms on his knees, supporting his huge body. Taeyong’s dance routine was too much for us, and we weren’t the only people struggling to breathe. Thankfully, next week Seulgi would be back.

***

“You’re not gonna believe this,” Johnny announced, craning his neck to look inside my cubicle. Heaving a sigh, I put my pen down, giving him my full attention.

This better be good.

“What is it? Who are you stalking this time?” I inquired, giving him the attitude. Johnny was spending too much time on his phone during working hours, but I couldn’t really frown upon it because I often caught myself doing the same thing.

“First of all, I thought we agreed to call it researching, not stalking,” Johnny clarified, and I rolled my eyes. “And second of all, it’s Seulgi. She and the other guy from the dance studio qualified for some dance competition. Check this out,” Johnny explained, handing me his phone.

Seulgi and Taeyong rocked the stage. Though I had nothing to compare their performance to, they just oozed charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent. Without any shred of doubt, they would make it to the grand finale.

“Wow,” I mused, not sure how to appropriately respond. I was happy for their success; after all, their performance was broadcasted during prime time on national television. At this point, Seulgi and Taeyong were celebrities.

“I can’t wait for today’s class,” Johnny added in excitement, hiding his phone away inside the pocket of his jacket. “I have to congratulate her.”

“Them. You have to congratulate them,” I corrected Johnny as he seemed to forget about Seulgi’s dance partner. It wasn’t a solo competition, so both Seulgi and Taeyong deserved praise. “And as if you’ve forgotten, Seulgi is not and will never be interested in you. You gotta let this one go, man,” I added, hoping Johnny would stop his relentless flirting with Seulgi. Though it was funny at the beginning, it was evident Seulgi would appreciate it if he stopped.

“I am all over her. Trust me,” Johnny reassured me, and I let out a shallow sigh, wanting to believe him. “Do you know Wendy from the HR department? I think I’m gonna ask her out. I am all over Seulgi,” he added, and it actually convinced me. Although Johnny didn’t seek anything serious at this point in his life, and when something didn’t go according to his plan, he would shake it off and forget all about it.

“Ok, I believe you,” I said, giving him a genuine smile. “Oh, and I was thinking… how about some beer and chicken after dance classes today? I’ve been craving them the whole day,” I offered, and Johnny enthusiastically nodded. It did sound like a solid plan.

Thankfully, this week Seulgi was back, and everybody appreciated it. Taeyong was a great teacher, but we were a group of beginners, and it was difficult for us to follow his routine. We just weren’t ready for such complex choreography.

Everybody had so much fun today. At first, we practiced some old routines, working on synchronization. Later on, Seulgi taught us a few new moves, which I recognized from her television performance. Admittedly, they weren’t as difficult as they looked. Maybe it was a little bold of me, but I was thinking I was doing a pretty good job today.

At the very end of the class, Johnny delivered a dramatic congratulatory speech, making people laugh out of utter cringe. It was a nice gesture, and Seulgi’s embarrassment was adorable. She would cover her blushed cheeks and turn around, hoping the ground could swallow her up. In all honesty, it seemed to be the only way to shut up Johnny.

Just when we were about to be dismissed, I heard someone calling my name. Surprisingly, it was Seulgi. She must’ve wanted to discuss something with me. Damn it, was she going to scold me for not improving? Or was it because I sat half of the song out? I just needed a short break; I had no idea it would get me in trouble.

“I am sorry,” I apologized even though I wasn’t sure what for yet. Seulgi would enlighten me in a second, so I cleared my throat to apologize to her once again. However, when she giggled instead of yelling at me, I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

“I’ll wait for you outside,” Johnny hollered before he strolled out of the practice room.

“Am I in trouble?” I asked, and Seulgi smiled, shaking her head.

Great, it was a relief.

“Actually, I may sound crazy to you,” she started, fidgeting a little. It was strange, Seulgi was a strong and confident woman, but right now, she seemed rather bashful. “Would you like to participate in a dance competition?”

Her question took me aback.

“What?” I asked, trying to wrap my head around the topic.

“Let me explain,” she offered, and I reluctantly nodded.

By the look on her face, I could tell it wasn’t going to be a quick chit-chat. Seulgi had a lot of things to explain, so we decided to sit on the floor before she began her speech.

Patiently, I listened to everything she wanted to tell me.

Seulgi and Taeyong wanted to participate in a dance competition ever since they had decided to open up a dance school together. Last week they really thought they were going to achieve their dream. Unfortunately, as soon as they qualified and received the schedule, complications started to follow.

Maybe it was a little bit overconfident of them to think they’d make it to the finals, but it still made them anxious. Regardless of their talent, they wouldn’t be able to perform in the grand finale. Apparently, on the very same day, Seulgi was getting married.

At first, I wanted to interject that they could reschedule, but Seulgi beat me to it.

“It would be the third time we reschedule it, and I just can’t let that happen. I don’t want Irene to think I prioritize dancing over her. She means the world to me, and I’d quit a thousand times to get married to her,” Seulgi confessed, and I tried my best to contain my feels. There was something raw and pure about Seulgi’s love, and it moved me.

Seulgi’s proposition was genius in its simplicity. Together with Taeyong, she would perform, climbing up the rankings. And if by any chance, they would make it to the final round; she wanted me to fill in. Given I had been dancing at their studio for about four months I couldn’t comprehend why she chose me.

I was a rookie, for crying out loud!

Finding a substitute dancer made a lot of sense, actually. Instead of dropping out, they could find a replacement. This way, Taeyong could still make his dream come true. And next year, together with Seulgi, they could try to defend the title.

However, once again, Seulgi read my mind and answered my question before I voiced my doubts. She must’ve really thought this through before approaching me. It seemed she had rehearsed all possible inquires and came up with perfect answers.

“All of our dancer friends either compete against us or failed during qualifications,” she declared, and I hummed in response. “Unfortunately, people who already attempted joining can’t fill in for other dancers.”

“That sucks,” I commented, and Seulgi dryly chuckled.

“I think you would be a perfect fit,” she started, and I held my breath, wanting to hear what made her think I’d be able to rise to the challenge. “Everybody can memorize moves, but you have a natural passion for dancing. I can see it in class. Maybe you can’t see it yet because dancing is a hobby to you more than anything else, but I can tell you have the it™ factor.”

I was speechless. Seulgi, the dance prodigy, was praising my dancing skills. I couldn’t believe my ears. What kind of self-indulgent dream was it? Why couldn’t I dream like a normal person? I had tendency to toot my own horn sometimes, but it was just too much.

“I bet with proper training, you and Taeyong could win.”

“Let me think about it, okay?”

“Sure, of course! No pressure!” Seulgi replied enthusiastically, giving me enough space to clear my mind and think about it.

“See you next week.” I waved at her, exiting the dance room. Absentmindedly, I changed out of the gym clothes and walked out of the building, almost walking past Johnny.

“Hey, what did Seulgi want?” Johnny asked, grabbing my wrist, pulling me out of trance.

“She wants me to dance in her place if she and Taeyong ever make it to the finals.”

“What?!”

***

At first, I was hesitant about this whole thing. I wasn’t a professional dancer, and I really didn’t want to contribute to them losing the competition. However, Seulgi really made a point that they would have to drop out anyway, so in some twisted way, my participation gave them a slimmer of hope for victory.

Once I explained everything to Johnny, he really insisted I should help them out, spitting nonsense about fame and recognition and how I couldn’t doubt myself and just go with the flow. Opportunities like this rarely occurred, and I ought to welcome them with excitement.

So I did.

Every Saturday and Sunday, I dropped by the dance studio for practice. Taeyong still intimidated me, but I could deal with it. Seulgi was always around me to nag him whenever he demanded too much from me. They balanced each other very well, and it was fun working with them. Even though each practice left me with sore muscled, I was still excited. It was tangible proof I was improving.

Seulgi and Taeyong smoothly went through the contest, winning each battle with ease, slowly climbing in the ranking. There was still plenty of work until the grand finale, but everything looked they were to make it to the very top.

Unfortunately, the closer to the D-day, the less time Seulgi had to help us during practice. With her wedding coming up, she had a lot of preparations to deal with. As a result, Taeyong and I had to practice the dance routine on our own.

“No, you’re doing it all wrong,” Taeyong yelled in irritation when for the nth time, I turned to my right instead of my left. “Do it again; five, six, seven, eight,” he added, playing the song from the very beginning.

To say I was frustrated was an understatement of the century. I was aware that Taeyong really wanted to win the competition, but he didn’t have to be a dick about it. With no Seulgi to supervise him, he was unbearable.

“I think I need a break,” I declared once I turned to the wrong side again before Taeyong managed to scold me for it. Even though he shouted something again, I ignored it. With a deep sigh, I walked over to my gym bag to get my water bottle.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Taeyong asked, staring down at me with his arms folded across his chest, his demeanor dominant. His eyes were drilling holes in my head, his jaw was tightened – it was evident I was driving him up the wall. It was just a matter of seconds before Taeyong would snap, lashing out at me.

“I am taking a break,” I answered quickly, ignoring his angry stare. I was at my limit. If Taeyong didn’t back off, it would be the end of the practice for today. One more mean word and I’d storm out of the studio. I was here voluntarily. I was doing him a favor, and I didn’t deserve this type of treatment.

“Is it a joke to you?” Taeyong carried on, and I rolled my eyes. Of course, it wasn’t a joke to me. But at the same time, I was sick and tired of his shenanigans. I wanted him to win, but not when my mental health was on the line. He was pissing me off, and I wouldn’t let him walk all over me. “I thought you decided to help us out, but you’re not trying at all.”

He did not just say that.

“What?” I rhetorically asked, standing up, poking his chest with my forefinger. “I am trying my best here. You’re the one who makes it impossible to have fun dancing. You’re making it a chore, sucking all the fun out it.”

“Then tell me what I should do for you to finally make some progress? We’ve been stuck at this part for two weeks, and you still haven’t learned how to turn right!”

“Then go ahead and find someone else who can put up with your shit. I’m out,” I spoke, bending down to pick up my stuff, ready to leave the studio. Unfortunately, before I managed to exit the practice room, the doors opened, and Seulgi walked in with a confused expression on her face.

“Hey, what’s going on here?” She asked in worry, trying to put two and two together. It wouldn’t be the first time Taeyong and I argued, but it seemed to be the most intense one so far. It didn’t sit right with her. “Please don’t tell me you fought again.”

Briefly, I summarized what happened, and Seulgi looked down at Taeyong disapprovingly. I was glad Seulgi took my side; after all, she knew Taeyong could be too demanding.

“I am a dancer, but why does it feel I am a couple counselor? You two really have to learn how to work together when I’m not around,” she scolded us, making her point. If this whole arrangement was to work out, we both needed to establish some ground rules and learn how to put our differences aside. “I have an idea.”

Oh, no.

There was something mischievous in her tone, and I didn’t particularly like it.

“Let’s finish for today,” she proposed, and I smiled, thinking it was a great idea. Taeyong and I needed some time to chill, and calling it a day seemed like an appropriate way to do it. “Let’s go out clubbing instead!” Seulgi added cheerfully, clapping her hands in excitement.

“What?” Taeyong and I asked in unison, a bit surprised by Seulgi’s statement.

“That’s my prescription for the two of you,” she started, and I rolled my eyes. Taeyong and I didn’t get along as well as she wished for us to, but it wasn’t that bad. We didn’t need to bond over a few drinks in a crowded club. We would do just fine if Taeyong learned to go easy on me. “I believe we all can benefit from clubbing.”

“How come?”

“First of all, it will remind Taeyong that dancing is about fun, not overworking oneself,” Seulgi spoke, and I hummed, agreeing with her. “Second of all, it’ll give you a chance to loosen up. Your moves are still a bit stiff during intimate parts of the choreography,” she added, and Taeyong nodded in agreement. “And I really need something to drink because wedding planning is stressful as fuck.”

Not even thirty minutes later, we were inside the club.

“It’s a very sensual song. And you two really have to work hard to convey emotions through your dance,” Seulgi started as she sipped her tropical cocktail. “You must feel comfortable around each other and just ooze longing and sexual attraction,” she added, and I almost choked on my drink.

Performing with Taeyong was going to be more difficult than I had anticipated. When Seulgi and Taeyong showed me the choreography, I was amazed. Absolutely blown away. The way their bodies moved in synchronization left me speechless, but at the same time, I was a little bit nervous because I didn’t see myself living up to their level.

I wouldn’t consider myself particularly sexy. It made me feel awkward when I thought how seductive the dance routine actually was. I wasn’t sure I could pull this off, but Taeyong still had a lot of time to teach me.

“Take her to the dance floor,” Seulgi elbowed Taeyong, almost spilling his drink. Unenthusiastically, Taeyong looked at me before standing up and extending his arm.

Drunken people were jumping around us to the rhythm, and I awkwardly swayed from side to side, staring at Taeyong. With godlike precision, he moved, getting lost in the music. One could tell straight away Taeyong was a professional dancer.

Upon noticing how stiff I was, Taeyong shook his head, yanking me against his lean body. “How about you take a five-minute break to get that stick out of your ass? You look like you have no joints,” he yelled into my ear, his breath tickling my sensitive skin.

“I’ve had too little alcohol,” I replied, but Taeyong wasn’t having it.

“When we perform on the stage, will you need alcohol to let loose too?” Taeyong challenged with a playful smirk, and I rolled my eyes, too prideful to admit he was right. I couldn’t participate in that competition drunk. We wouldn’t win if I wasn’t able to come out of my shell and show everybody I had a sensual bone in my body.

“No,” I yelled into Taeyong’s ear. “How do I let loose?” I asked, hoping to hear some words of wisdom from him.

“Mirror what I’m doing,” Taeyong guided, and I nodded, focused on my new task. I could do that. I had been mirroring Seulgi’s movements during our classes, and I was pretty good at doing it. I could copy Taeyong’s moves.

At first, Taeyong danced a few classic moves we usually did during our warm-up routine. It was easy, and I think I nailed it. Later, he wiggled his upper body, feeling the rhythm. With envy, I observed how his body executed every single move, owning it. I wish I was half as good as Taeyong. Next to him, I probably looked like a crippled kid.

Upon noticing my struggle, Taeyong began jumping around, throwing his hands in the air. He looked ridiculous, but I remained focused on my task, dancing as if I was his shadow. Our bizarre moves earned some attention from other people, but our eyes were trained on each other, slowly getting lost in our own bubble.

I was sober, and I was on my way to owning the dance floor. I couldn’t believe it was happening. Maybe Taeyong’s charisma overshadowed my poor attempts of showcasing mine; however, I was sure I made a big step in the right direction. Slowly, I was improving.

“How about we spice it up a little bit?” Taeyong shouted into my ear, and I cocked up my eyebrow, thinking what he meant by that. “Don’t be shy,” he added, yanking me against his body. Taeyong was so close I could feel his legs rub against mine. “Come on, sweetheart. Touch me, tease me, feel me up,” Taeyong snickered, getting on my nerves. Not only Taeyong was smug for no reason, but he also quoted the song, which I was slowly growing to hate.

Taeyong must’ve assumed I’d back out. Surely, he didn’t expect me to follow his instructions and actually run my hands across his chest, shoulders, and back while simultaneously swaying my hips, earning approving stares from impressed men on the dance floor. At first, he was surprised he talked me into it, but a second later, he smirked, resting his palms on my sides, slowly exploring the valley of my butt.

I had no idea I had it in me, but Taeyong helped me discover it. We were basically grinding against each other, and it somehow didn’t feel awkward at all. We were just two people having fun.

“I’m sorry I was so harsh on you,” Taeyong apologized, shouting in my ear. “I’m just stressful all the time, and I think I may sometimes take it out on you,” he added, and I looked at his face, which was dangerously close to mine.

“It’s understandable,” I replied as I wrapped my arms around Taeyong’s neck, finding it much more comfortable. Now with our bodies pressed together, it was easier to have a conversation. “I know how much you want to win this competition. I’ll try harder,” I promised, and Taeyong released a relieved chuckle.

Who would’ve thought an adult conversation would work better than shouting at each other?

“Thank you,” Taeyong spoke genuinely, and I pulled away, staring at his face. His eyes were trained on mine. No matter how many hours we had spent at the dance studio, his gaze still intimidated me sometimes.

“Ekhm, I need a break,” I said in a desperate need to break eye contact with him. The dance floor was crowded, and it was making me dizzy. I was getting dangerously hot, and it seemed like heaven to get back to our booth and finish our drinks.

“Of course, you need a break,” Taeyong teased, sending me a lopsided smirk. “It’s okay, though. We still have plenty of time to work on your stamina,” he added as he grabbed my hand, leading me out of the crowd. Carefully, we zigzagged around drunken people, trying to make it safely to Seulgi.

Unfortunately, by the bar counter, someone walked into Taeyong, almost knocking him down.

“I’m very sorry,” a man shouted, but I could sense the words weren’t genuine.

“Doyoung,” Taeyong spoke, gritting his teeth, staring at the other man. Taeyong’s grip tightened around my hand. I figured he didn’t particularly like Doyoung.

“Taeyong,” Doyoung sighed, checking Taeyong out from head to toe before his gaze shifted to me. There was something spiteful about his lingering eyes, but I couldn’t pinpoint it. For sure, there was some bad blood between two men, and I suddenly felt an urge to know more. Inquisitiveness got the best of me.

Taeyong and Doyoung kept glaring at each other almost as if it was a competition. The tension was so intense one could cut it with a knife. I cleared my throat in a poor attempt to break their stare contest, but they didn’t even acknowledge my presence.

“I saw your last performance,” Doyoung finally spoke, scoffing. “You’re getting out of it, and here I expected to kick your ass in the finale. I wouldn’t be surprised if you and your partner got eliminated next week.”

I thought I had seen Taeyong furious, but right now, I was proven wrong. The way he looked at me whenever I was a handful during our practice was nothing compared to the way he glared at Doyoung. Taeyong was scary, and I decided to not get on his wrong side ever again.

“I’d gladly kick your ass here, but I’d rather wait for the finale. You know what people say about prolonged gratification,” Taeyong talked back, and I gasped, trying to comprehend what I just heard. Taeyong was getting cocky, and it made me nervous. I was already stressed about the possibility of performing, and he just added more pressure on my shoulders.

“We’ll see about that,” Doyoung replied, focusing his scrutinizing gaze on me. “But I have to say I kinda look forward to seeing you cry again. The way I beat you the last time was spectacular.”

“Let’s go, Taeyong. Don’t waste your breath on him. He’s not worth it,” I exclaimed, pulling Taeyong’s hand, reminding him I was there the whole time. I couldn’t listen to Doyoung talk trash about Taeyong. If Taeyong wasn’t going to walk away by himself, I had to intervene and pull him aside. Doyoung was provoking him.

“And who is that?” Doyoung asked in a mocking tone, displeased by the way I looked at him. Though I didn’t know the back story, I took Taeyong’s side. At least, Taeyong didn’t try to humiliate his rival, while Doyoung had already tried a few tricks to tick Taeyong off.

“You’re right,” Taeyong said, looking at me. It was evident he was holding himself back, trying his best not to take the bait. “Let’s go,” he added, pulling me away from Doyoung.

“Who was that?” I asked as we approached our booth. Unfortunately, I didn’t get my response. Upon arrival, we noticed that Seulgi was sprawled on the table, giggling to herself.

“Is she always like this?” I inquired, concerned about how drunk Seulgi got in such a short amount of time. We were gone for thirty minutes tops, and she was barely conscious after drinking her and our drinks.

“Aww… there you are… my dear friends,” she cooed cutely, trying to attack Taeyong with cuddles. She was adorable, but it was kind of irresponsible to drink by herself when we were on the dance floor. Thankfully, nothing happened. We returned just in time to collect her and escort her home.

“I can’t believe my plan worked,” Seulgi grinned, pointing her finger at Taeyong. “You no longer have a stick up your ass,” she exclaimed at Taeyong, too drunk to realize she should be talking to me. “And look at you! You were having fun!” Seulgi yelled, extending her arms to hug me. “I am so proud of you!”

“I should take her home,” Taeyong reasoned, considering it the safest option. He could call an Uber for Seulgi or just phone her fiancée to pick her up but bringing her home himself seemed to be the most rational solution. “Will you be alright by yourself?” He inquired, and I nodded right away. It was sweet of him to look after me too. Thankfully, I barely touched my cocktail; I could get home safely on my own.

“Don’t worry about me,” I replied casually, sending him a reassuring smile. “Just make sure Seulgi makes it home safe,” I added, warming up at the way Taeyong hauled up Seulgi, carefully leading her out of the club. It made me wonder if Johnny did the same to me. Probably. He wouldn’t be that gentle, though. If anything, he’d throw me over his shoulder like a bag of potatoes. Or just drag me out like a corpse.

“Give me a call once you get back home,” Taeyong demanded before we parted ways.

***

“You went clubbing without me?” Johnny dramatically asked after I told him everything that happened on the weekend. Despite my detailed narration, it seemed as if that was the only thing he caught on to. “How could you?”

“Relax, dude,” I rolled my eyes, shuffling around my desk, getting ready for work. It was Monday morning – it was about time we start our gossip routine.

“And I was wondering… would you mind helping me researching this shady dude? There’s some conflict between him and Taeyong. And I need to know what happened,” I started, wondering if Johnny would cooperate with me and put his stalking abilities to good use.

I was too embarrassed to ask Taeyong about Doyoung. Besides, I had a hunch he would either brush me off or scold me.

“Do you know anything about this dude besides his name?” Johnny pulled out his phone, no questions asked. “Please, don’t tell me that’s the only thing you know.”

“I mean… he’s probably a dancer,” I added with a sheepish smile, making Johnny heave a deep sigh. “He must be a big deal, though. Apparently, Taeyong lost a competition to him.”

“I’ll try to find some dirt, but it may be difficult given how little info you gave me,” Johnny declared as he began his thorough research.

It took Johnny five minutes to find the correct Doyoung. It was remarkable. If it wasn’t enough for the FBI to hire him, I’d gladly present them a recommendation letter. Quickly, I opened Doyoung’s profile on my phone, scrolling through his feed.

At first glance, Doyoung seemed to be a regular bratty internet star with an overgrown ego. His follower count was impressive. Studying his profile, I learned a lot about him. Unfortunately, it had no value. There was nothing specific about his conflict with Taeyong.

“How was your date with Wendy?” I asked Johnny as I gave up on my research. Whatever was the root of their bad blood would have to remain a mystery.

“It was fine,” Johnny started, but I could tell he wasn’t entirely honest. His disappointed tone betrayed him. “She left before the waiter brought the dessert. Apparently, she didn’t particularly like when I kept calling her Wanda.”

“Ouch.”

“No hard feelings, though,” Johnny shrugged it off, trying to focus on the positive aspect of their terrible date. “At least, I’ve had two slices of cheesecake. Besides, I’m kind of into Sooyoung from the creative team now. I think she is the one.”

“Every girl you’re into is the one,” I interjected, rolling my eyes, done with his antics.

“Oh, by the way, I’ve forgotten,” Johnny chimed in, staring at me in excitement. “Taeil asked me about you,” he revealed, and I almost spat out my morning coffee.

“What?”

“Are you still into him, though?” Johnny inquired, rubbing his temple in deep thought. “I haven’t heard you gush about him these days,” he pinpointed, and I wondered if my crush on Taeil was still as intense as it was a few months ago.

Taeil was insanely hot. I kept drooling whenever I saw him operate the printer. It was inappropriate to check him out whenever he bent down to change the ink, but I couldn’t help myself. Or whenever we met by the vending machine.

Good old times.

Right now, though, I rarely caught myself thinking about him. At first, I thought it was due to a hectic schedule. I was either at work or at the dance studio or getting shit-faced with Johnny on another wild adventure with him and his friends.

It was difficult to comprehend how easily my crush faded into thin air. Taeil was still sexy as fuck, but while I appreciate his looks, I wasn’t daydreaming how to get into his pants. At this point, I was just admiring his attributes in the most nonsexual way imaginable.

Apparently, the lack of response on my part was everything Johnny needed to confirm his suspicion.

“So what? Are you into Taeyong now?” Johnny asked boldly, and now, I actually choked on my coffee, thinking I heard him wrong. How did he jump to that conclusion?

“What?”

“Don’t get me wrong, but it kinda looks like you’re into him,” Johnny commented, playing with a pen. “You talk about him all the time with lots of passion. I think there’s something going on between you two. Is he single?”

“I talk about him all the time because I live to complain, and recently he’s the sole reason why I gotta vent,” I defended, but Johnny didn’t seem convinced. “And I don’t know if he’s single. I don’t really care,” quickly, I rejected all accusations, but in all honesty, his words got me wondering.

Was I attracted to Taeyong?

Surely, Taeyong was ridiculously attractive. He danced well, too. Unfortunately, we didn’t click much. There was passion between us, but it wasn’t romantically stemmed. We just kept annoying each other. I wouldn’t consider it sexual. We were just getting on each other’s nerves often, unable to properly solve our differences.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, honey,” Johnny teased, and I fought the urge to throw the stapler at him. “I bet fifty bucks you’ve imagined him naked, fucking you dumb.”

What the fuck, John???

I did not imagine Taeyong naked!

Not until now, at least.

“I seriously hate you right now,” I complained, deciding it’s about time I focus on work.

***

After Johnny had planted naughty thoughts in my mind, each dance practice was unbearable. My mind was running wild, coming up with different scenarios involving Taeyong and me in intimate situations. It was wrong on so many levels, but I couldn’t bring myself to stop.

After months of practicing the dance routine, we decided it would be best to make some changes to the choreography. Though it was still sensual as hell, with our hands roaming each other’s bodies, we found it crucial to accentuate Taeyong’s talents.

It was a strategic plan. While typically male dancers helped the female dancers shine, we put a little twist to it. Though our performance was still pretty balanced, Taeyong had a few crucial parts of choreography, in which he would snatch everybody’s hearts.

Seulgi didn’t object to our strategy. Well… she was never there, to begin with. Seulgi was a ghost, never present during our practice, always busy doing some last-minute wedding prep.

“Let’s take a five,” Taeyong hollered as he turned off the music, sending us off to a short break. It sounded weird when it came out of his mouth, but I didn’t complain. We’ve been practicing nonstop for the past hour. At this point, I was panting.

Lying down onto the floor, I rested my head on my towel, reaching for my phone. Quickly, I unlocked it to see a series of notifications from Johnny. He had sent me a link to a video, telling me in all caps to watch it.

Having left the earphones in the locker room, I played the video quietly through my phone’s speaker. It was a short film with Doyoung. It must’ve been his performance from last year’s competition. Jamming to the music, I studied his moves.

Doyoung was really good. I mean… it wasn’t professional expertise, but I could tell he had talent. His body control was impeccable, his hip thrusts must’ve impregnated plenty of women in the audience, but his shoulder rolls were just otherworldly. Along with the female dancer, they showcased quite the performance. From the beginning to the very end, I couldn’t look away, failing to notice Taeyong approach me.

“What the hell are you doing?” Taeyong shouted, tearing my phone from my hand, double-checking what I was watching. “Why are you watching this?” He angrily asked, locking the device, wishing for it to stop playing music.

It was difficult to explain.

I couldn’t exactly tell Taeyong that I asked my best friend to do research on Doyoung in hopes of finding out what was the root of their conflict. Though we had never found anything substantial, Johnny would send me more footage to check out. However, regardless of how much stuff Johnny had provided me with, I was still clueless.

“Why are you shouting at me?” I spoke, biting on my bottom lip. I was in big trouble, so it was only logical to play dumb.

Taeyong stared down at me, demanding a genuine answer. His jaw was tensed, his knuckles around my phone turned white. It was just a meaningless clip, but it got him fuming at me. Regardless of what I’d tell him, he wouldn’t like the answer. I figured this much.

“Why were you watching that?” Taeyong yelled, raising his hand, almost smashing my phone against the floor. Thankfully, he held back and gently put it on my bag.

It was incredible how much the video affected Taeyong. The movie worked on Taeyong like a red rag to a bull. One moment he seemed fine, but once he figured out what I was watching, he snapped.

“You really want to know?” I challenged as I rose to my feet, staring at him. It was my turn to raise my voice. If he kept shouting at me, I was going to give him the same treatment. “Ever since that night at the club, I was curious. You were basically throwing daggers at each other, and I really wanted to know what happened between you two. You never bothered to explain it, and I didn’t want to push you.”

“Do you have your answers now?” Taeyong exclaimed, and I rolled my eyes, agitating him even more with my fed-up behavior. He was scary right now, but I refused to let him intimidate me. “Or do you want to read my diary too?!”

I resisted the temptation of saying yes to his offering. Taeyong wasn’t the type of person to write a dairy. He was exaggerating, but I didn’t want to provoke him further. At any mention of Doyoung’s name, wrath took control over Taeyong, turning him into his destructive self.

“If it makes you feel any better, I know shit about him,” I confessed, throwing my hands in the air. “I wanted to know what he did to you, but I came up with nothing. And believe it or not, the way he treated you that night made me worry. You’re my dance partner, and I care about you a lot, and it really hurt me seeing you in distress,” I spat, not thinking about consequences. I was talking without filter, probably spilling too much information.

My verbal diarrhea confused Taeyong. His huge eyes were staring at me in astonishment. He was studying my expression, wondering if everything I said was true. Oh, no! My reckless words made him uncomfortable. He must’ve grown to hate now.

In embarrassment, I looked down at my shoes. I felt terrible, and I needed to come up with something clever to say to save my dignity and ease the tension. However, before I managed to voice my sincere apology, I felt Taeyong’s hands cup my cheeks as he surged forward and kissed my breath away. It was sudden, but I reciprocated the kiss in an instant.

Stress, anxiety, anger, sexual frustration, and probably many other factors led us to this very moment. I had been daydreaming about Taeyong’s mouth on mine for a while now. And when it finally happened, I eagerly swept my tongue across his lips, deepening the kiss. Though I had tried my best to withstand the tension between us, I wasn’t oblivious to it.

Taeyong already knew almost every inch of my body, so his hands naturally began roaming across my skin. Moaning into the kiss, he held me closer, keeping me pressed against him.

“Taeyong,” I breathed out as I pulled away, only for Taeyong to smash his lips against mine again, successfully shushing me. This time around, the kiss was even more passionate, making my knees weak. In a rush, Taeyong pushed me against the wall, pushing his thigh between my legs. “We shouldn’t,” I spoke, but my tone wasn’t convincing at all. I wasn’t even sure who I was trying to convince that it was a bad idea.

“Shut up,” Taeyong demanded as he tilted his face, sucking on my bottom lip. His hands were on my butt, kneading my flesh, trying to make me moan into his mouth. In all honesty, it worked. Maybe, I whimpered incoherent sounds, but it’s was just a poor attempt to encourage him to keep kissing me.

Regardless of how much he was to gift me, I needed more. I wasn’t going to stop until I’d take everything Taeyong was willing to give.

I craned my neck to the side, and Taeyong quickly caught on, leaving a wet trail down my neck. His lips were delicate, careful not to leave a mark, while his hips were grinding against me, letting me feel how stiff he already was.

“Legs,” Taeyong ordered, gently slapping my thigh. Obediently, I spread my legs apart, letting his hand cup my sex. It was ridiculous how horny he was making me. Once his raspy voice echoed in my ears, I fulfilled his wish, waiting for another command in excitement.

“Please,” I begged, needing more of him. Whatever he planned on doing to me, I needed it now. Whether he was to tease me with his beautiful fingers or fuck me raw with his cock, he better do it now.

“Patience, sweetheart,” he whispered against my skin, pressing feather-like kisses along my collarbone. His touch was driving me insane. His hands were everywhere but where I wanted them the most. This type of teasing should be illegal.

It was more than I could take, so I took matters into my own hands. I could play this game, too. With a mischievous smirk upon my face, I hooked my forefinger under the band of his tracksuit bottoms. Unfortunately, Taeyong quickly swept my hand away.

“You’re such a bad girl,” Taeyong commented before he captured my lips again, sliding his tongue into my mouth, knowing I’d talk back to him. “You have to do everything your way. Would it kill you if you listened to me at least once?” Taeyong muttered, staring into my eyes.

Yes, I was a brat. Taeyong wanted me to submit to him, and I would do it eventually, but not before I’d tease him first. What was fun in that?

“Don’t answer that,” he added, and I rolled my eyes. Though we barely hung out outside the dance studio, Taeyong learned a lot about me. Having an answer to everything was one of those things he had the pleasure of discovering.

“Just fuck me, please,” I said nicely, staring into his eyes, hoping it would be enough to make him cave. “I can’t take it any longer,” I added, rubbing my loins against his restrained cock, making him let out a guttural moan.

My plan was working. Slowly, Taeyong was giving in, probably taking his time to think about the consequences of letting me experience instant gratification. Orgasm would’ve been sweeter if he made me wait a bit more, but it was difficult for him to control his urges.

Without any doubt, Taeyong wanted to bury his cock inside of me as much as I wanted him to fuck me dumb. We withstood so many practices without jumping at each other – I should consider it foreplay.

“Fine, but I’m gonna eat you out first,” Taeyong spoke, and I almost lost it by just imagining his jaw going between my thighs. Swiftly, he knelt in front of me, pulling my leggings down to my ankles in one fluid motion. Having kicked off my gym shoes, I wiggled the fabric off my feet, sending it flying across the dance studio.

Taeyong ran his fingers across my panties, inspecting how soaked they already were. With a smirk upon Taeyong’s face, he pressed a chaste kiss against my skin above the waistband before he yanked the undergarment down.

“Beautiful,” he said under his breath before he surged his face, taking my clit between his gorgeous lips, making me tilt my head in pleasure. Frustration got me sensitive. Even the slightest touch got me purring in delight.

Taeyong licked and nipped at my entrance, and I run my hands through his hair, encouraging him to keep going. He flicked his tongue, and I buckled my hips, wanting more.

“I need your fingers,” I pleaded, looking down at him. Taeyong looked breathtaking, with my juices were dripping down his sharp jaw, with his lips turned into a satisfied smirk. He was proud of how he was making me feel. His glistening skin was the very evidence of his skillful moves. “Taeyong, please, I am so close.”

Though I didn’t expect him to, Taeyong listened to my humble request. His middle finger slid right it, making me purr in satisfaction. I could finally feel him inside of me, and it was heavenly. His palm moved quickly, working me up.

The first orgasm was building up. Taeyong was fucking me now with two fingers while his mouth was fiddling with my clit. If it wasn’t for Taeyong’s palm, holding me still, I’d buckle right into his face for more friction.

“I’m about to come,” I declared, shutting my eyes close. As tempting as it was to peek at the mirror on the other wall and check out the view of Taeyong eating me out, it was more than I could take. My instinct to squeeze my eyes shut and welcome the orgasm was too much.

Unfortunately, it didn’t happen.

Before tiny tingles of electricity could unite and explode, shooting through me like a lightning strike, Taeyong pulled away, denying me of my orgasm. It physically hurt when instead of a blissful peak, I felt nothing.

“What the fuck?” I barked angrily, ready to pull him by his hair against my sex and press him against me, so he could finish the job.

“We’re coming together, or we’re not coming at all,” Taeyong sternly replied, standing up. His lips were swollen from all the work he was doing, and they looked even more kissable.

“I’ve never pegged you for such a teaser,” I stated matter-of-factly, still a little bit butt-hurt over the way how smug he was about not letting me come first. Maybe I was a handful most of the time, but I didn’t do anything wrong to deserve such treatment.

“I’m not,” Taeyong chimed in, biting down on his lip. “There’s just something about you that makes me want to punish for your misbehavior,” he explained, and I got it where it came from. I wasn’t the best student he could work with. “Isn’t it the sweetest torture?” Taeyong challenged before he surged forward, smashing his lips against mine again, raising my thigh and giving it a gentle rub.

“Please, Taeyong, I need you inside of me,” I begged as I ground my sex against his rock-hard cock. I couldn’t comprehend how self-disciplined and patient he was; his budge was throbbing underneath his pants. It must’ve been painful for him, and he did all of that to teach me a lesson. “Fuck me, already.”

“Relax, sweetheart. I got you,” he softly spoke as he hoisted me up, pressing me tightly against the wall. “To be honest, I expected you to lose it sooner,” Taeyong added, and I hoped he was talking about my sanity. I endured more than enough; his teasing was too much.

“How should I fuck you?” Taeyong asked, looking around the practice room, seeking a perfect spot to stuff his cock inside of me. We didn’t have a lot of options, but I didn’t care. He could fuck me in the middle of the room, and I’d eagerly spread my legs for him. “Screw it,” he cursed, gently lowering me down onto the floor. “Do you mind?” Taeyong inquired, and I shook my head as I wrapped my legs around his hips, pressing him against me.

“Strip,” I ordered, and Taeyong smirked before he pulled his T-shirt over his head, revealing his lean physique. My eyes marveled at his beautiful shoulders and toned muscles. I had touched him more than I could count, but I never saw him bare, and when I finally did, I gawked.

“What about you, sweetheart? Come on, I am waiting,” Taeyong teased, and I took off my T-shirt. I was only in my sports bra, and Taeyong bit his lip, staring down at me, admiring my simple beauty. With no further comment, Taeyong leaned in, attacking my collarbone. It was hot how attentive he was, but right now, all I needed was his cock buried deep down my cunt.

Desperately, I reached to his sweatpants, palming his erection through the fabric. As soon as I touched him, Taeyong released a needy growl, rolling his hips into my hand, finally giving in to the pleasure. He lost his self-restraint, and now, he seriously needed to fill me up with his throbbing length.

“Take them off,” I breathed out, pulling by the hem of his pants. With a lowered head, Taeyong tsked before he yanked them down to his knees, wriggling out of them. Just as I expected, his cock urgently entailed my attention.

Though the thought of blowing him crossed my mind, I eventually decided not to entertain this idea too much. It was apparent Taeyong wanted to him inside of my pussy. I’d suck him dry on a different occasion. Hopefully, it would happen soon.

“Fuck me, Taeyong,” I moaned as I trembled when the tip of his cock brushed against my folds. I was embarrassingly sensitive after his ministrations, and he dared to tease me again. “Please,” I begged as I gave his length a few gentle strokes, aligning it with my entrance.

“Aaahh…” Taeyong growled, slowly pushing his dick inside of me. Inch by inch, he filled me up, stretching my walls. A lot of different sinful noises came out of his mouth as he began steadily thrusting his hips.

Taeyong’s stamina was no joke. It was hard to believe how long he could snap his hips without messing up his rhythm. His low voice mixed with my desperate moans echoed inside the room, creating a wicked symphony along with the sound of our sweaty bodies smashing against each other.

He was fucking me hard, and I was in seventh heaven. Taeyong was filling me up so good; I could come undone on his cock anytime.

“Taeyong,” I moaned his name as I watched him fuck me. Though it was hot to look at his cock disappear in my pussy, it was even sweeter to stare in the mirror. With my head turned to the side, I studied the whole picture how Taeyong was fucking me.

“I am coming,” I screamed as I felt the bliss approach. Taeyong was panting, struggling to maintain his tempo with the way my walls tightened around his sensitive cock. Once he hit my sweet spot, I was a goner. After a few thrusts, I came, digging my nails in his back.

“Fuck,” Taeyong cursed, shouting my name as he shot his load inside of me, collapsing on top of me. We were a breathless mess, our bodies sticking together, but neither of us minded. At this point, we were too spent to care. “You were incredible,” Taeyong whispered as he pulled out, rolling to the side.

“You weren’t that bad yourself,” I panted, giggling, still recovering from the mind-blowing orgasm. Thankfully, Taeyong didn’t pay much attention to my playful jab. “I meant it what I said,” I added, turning around to look at him.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you,” Taeyong started, staring into my eyes, showing me his sincerity. “I just can’t help myself but get angry when I see him or hear about him,” he continued, and I nodded my head, letting him know I was willing to listen.

I didn’t expect that Taeyong would agree to vent to me, but when he did, I patiently heard him out. After all, I was pretty sure we were at least friends now.

“It all happened about a year ago. We were competing in the same contest, and he made my dance partner quit. Doyoung seduced her, toyed with her, and once the trophy was his, he dumped her. Because of him, I was disqualified, and she quit dance altogether.”

Listen to his story made me both sad and angry. Doyoung had been a dick to interfere like that – he must’ve known he hadn’t stood a chance against them in a fair fight. My blood was boiling in my veins as I put all the pieces together.

Sadness took over next. The way Doyoung had manipulated Taeyong’s dance partner was upsetting. The wound had been cut so deep, she couldn’t have forced herself to keep going. Doyoung had wrecked two lives, and it made my blood boil, too.

“We’re gonna beat him. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure we do,” I spoke, reassuring him. It was impossible to tend the wounds, but the least I could do is help Taeyong win. For what he had done, Doyoung deserved punishment. If I were Taeyong, I’d not hesitate to beat him up.

“I hope so,” Taeyong muttered, reaching for my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “It’s still fine if we don’t. I’m pretty sure karma will get to him eventually,” he added with a sigh.

“I’ll work harder,” I declared, feeling an extra wave of determination wash through me. “I’ll try my best,” I said, and Taeyong smiled fondly, content to hear me say it.

“Thanks. It means a lot to me.”

For a while, we were staring at each other. It felt nice and somehow more intimate than all the fucking we had done. If we were in bed, I could do it all night. Unfortunately, we were still lying on the uncomfortable floor.

“Let’s get washed up before we get too sappy,” I added, trying to ease the tension. I really enjoyed it, but it was getting a little too much.

“I hope you don’t mind sharing the shower with me. You know… water bills are a bitch,” Taeyong spoke, and I giggled at his bullshit excuse, finding it incredibly cute, considering what we had been doing a few minutes ago.

“Of course they are,” I deadpanned, chuckling. Though his excuse was lame, I liked Taeyong enough to go with it. “Come on. Let’s go. I don’t want anyone to catch me naked.”

***

After that one time at the dance studio, Taeyong and I made it a regular thing. However, we kept it civilized. We wouldn’t jump each other’s bones in the open like animals like we had done the first time. Usually, we would go on small kind-of-dates, which consisted of picking up food, going to my or his place, and then rolling in the sheets.

We were having lots of fun. It was a perfect way to de-stress. After all, the finale was this Saturday, and we were nervous as hell. In all honesty, I was still scared, but these orgasms were numbing my anxiety.

“I think that’s it,” Taeyong spoke, and I smiled brightly, unable to contain my joy. It was the first time Taeyong ever approved of our performance. Most of the time, he was nitpicking, complaining about the slightest mistake, but finally, he was satisfied with it.

I was ecstatic; I never expected to live up to Taeyong’s approval. Through hard work and persistence, I managed to earn his eulogy.

“What should we do now? How about we order some food?” I asked, feeling in a celebratory mood. Maybe it was a little bit too early to drink to this small success, but it’s still worth a shot.

“We should do it again. We should dance it flawlessly at least a couple of hundred consecutive times before celebrating,” Taeyong seriously replied, and I rolled my eyes. Despite his painstaking nature, a couple of hundred times, it was a bit too much. Even for him. “Don’t give me that look. Let’s start again; five, six, seven, eight.”

Though usually, I’d complain and try to force him into a five-minute break, right now, I was oddly energized. We were dancing for the past two hours, and I was panting out of exhaustion. Nevertheless, the thoughts of finally mastering the choreography kept me going.

“I’m pretty good at this,” I confidently commented while roaming my hands across Taeyong’s shoulders before he twirled me around to the rhythm. I could tell that Taeyong was just waiting for an excuse to pause the music and scold me for making a mistake. However, much to his dismay, I executed every move impeccably. “I had a pretty good teacher,” I added, stroking his ego. The D-day was approaching, and Taeyong obviously needed an extra boost of confidence.

“I must admit you were a piece of work. I have no idea what kind of sorcery is this,” Taeyong teased, staring into my eyes. We had practiced the routine plenty of times; we could probably perform it in blindfolds and not make a single mistake. “I must be a magician or something.”

“Don’t push it,” I warned him in a very non-threatening tone, making him smirk. “But it’s only partially your success. Seulgi told me I have the it™ factor,” I proudly said, cracking Taeyong up, messing the choreography. “Is it a student-has-become-the-master kind of moment?” I asked, laughing at Taeyong. For the dance prodigy, he was getting distracted way too easily. It was suspicious.

With a broad smile upon his face, Taeyong grabbed my wrists, making me look at him.

“How about we finish up for today? I have a surprise for you,” Taeyong said, and I cocked my eyebrows, biting my bottom lip. “Not that kind of surprise,” he added, rolling his eyes at me. “We might get it on later, though.”

“What kind of surprise then?”

“Wait a second,” Taeyong spoke, quickly jogging out of the practice room. In a minute, he was back with a garment bag in his hands. “Here, that’s for you. Seulgi came in the morning to drop it off for you,” he explained, and I pulled down the zipper. It was going to be my costume for the contest, and I was curious how it looked.

I was speechless. At first, I thought it was a joke. I wouldn’t be able to perform in that. However, the more I looked at it, the more sense it made. It was a simple white suit shirt, but when mixed with a leather body harness, high-waisted shorts, and boots, it fitted the concept beautifully.

“Do you like it? I thought it was too revealing, but Seulgi insisted you would look amazing in it. I mean… it fits the mood, but if you’re not comfortable with it, we still have some time to find something else,” Taeyong blabbered, and my heart swelled. It was very sweet of him to consider my comfort above anything else.

“It’s skimpy, but it’s fine. I like it,” I replied, having no idea where my confidence was coming from. A few months ago, I’d be anxious to even try it on in the confines of my bedroom. However, now I was planning on showing a lot of skin on national television during prime hours on the weekend. I must’ve gone insane.

“Do you want to try it on?” Taeyong challenged, pulling the hangers out of the bag.

“You mean… here?!”

“Come on, it wouldn’t be the first time you took off your clothes in the middle of the practice room,” Taeyong concluded, smiling at me mischievously.

“Pass,” I firmly rejected his dare, even though it felt tempting. “It’s not fun when I’m doing it alone,” I added, and Taeyong grabbed the hem of his T-shirt, more than ready to discard his clothes in a blink of an eye. “Don’t fool around,” I warned him, placing my hand over his before he managed to take his T-shirt off.

“You’re right. Let’s go to my place first,” Taeyong agreed, zipping the bag before he grabbed my hand, leading me out of the practice room.

***

On the day of the performance, I woke up with a terrible stomach ache. No matter how much fantastic sex Taeyong and I had, I was not mentally prepared to perform in front of the whole nation. I felt sick, almost as if my body was telling me to quit before I’d embarrass myself on national television. Stress was eating me from the inside.

“What are you doing up so early? Let’s go back to bed,” Taeyong purred in his raspy morning voice as he sneaked his arm around my waist, pulling me against him. “You need to be rested before the performance. Trust me, you don’t want a camera to catch you yawning,” he added, nuzzling his nose in the crook of my neck, breathing hot air against my skin.

“Thanks for giving me one more thing to stress about,” I deadpanned, heaving a deep sigh, staring at the ceiling. It was a mistake. I should have never agreed to Seulgi’s proposition in the first place. What the hell was I thinking? “I think it’s a bad idea. We should quit.”

Taeyong wasn’t in the mood for my nagging so early in the morning; he was having none of it. “You’re being ridiculous. We’ve practiced so much. We’re gonna win it with ease,” he declared, pressing a featherlike kiss against my jaw. “But for real,” he added, climbing on top of me, trapping me between his thighs, “we’re going to win. And even if we don’t, it’s fine. Really, if somehow we lose to Doyoung and his partner, I’ll just punch him backstage.”

“How can you say that?” I said with a sigh, running my hands across his thighs, finding it rather calming. “I know you said we should rest, but how about…” I trailed, and Taeyong smiled before eagerly capturing my lips, reading me like an open book.

“Say no more,” Taeyong whispered before his hands traveled under my shirt.

Unfortunately, Taeyong’s phone started buzzing on the nightstand before he managed to pull my panties down. With a groan, he extended his arm, staring at the screen.

“It’s Seulgi.”

“What are you waiting for? It’s her wedding day. Pick it up,” I yelled at him as I fell on the pillow, admiring his handsome face when he was talking to Seulgi.

“Please, not you, too,” he barked, rubbing his face in annoyance. Though I barely could make out what she was saying, I figured this much Seulgi and I were suffering from the same stress-fuelled illness. It was her wedding day, after all. Even if it was obvious she loved Irene with a burning passion, she wasn’t immune to pre-wedding anxiety.

Seulgi was talking her stress away, and Taeyong just hummed and nodded his head, registering her words. For some reason, the pressure didn’t seem to bother Taeyong at all. It was weird, but at least he was the voice of reason, which could help me and Seulgi cope.

“Breath in, breath out,” Taeyong spoke when Seulgi made a pause long enough for him to interject. “I know it’s a big deal, but there’s nothing to worry about. You’re getting married to Irene. You love her so much,” Taeyong reminded her, winking at me, expecting Seulgi to end the call soon. “Everybody’s a little nervous; it’s completely normal.”

It was beautiful how close Taeyong and Seulgi were. They had each other’s backs in all types of situations.

About ten minutes later, Seulgi finally calmed down. Taeyong’s reassuring words swept the anxiety away, and she was more than ready to get married to the love of her life.

Once Seulgi hung up, Taeyong threw his phone on the bed and secured my legs around his hips before he leaned forward, giving me a quick kiss. “Seulgi says hi, by the way,” he added, sneaking his hand under the hem of my panties.

“What?”

“What do you mean what?” Taeyong looked down at me, creasing his eyebrows in confusion.

“She knows?” I yelled, unable to comprehend how, on Earth, Seulgi figured out I was in Taeyong’s bed. She couldn’t know. She wasn’t even there when our romance bloomed. “How?”

“Yeah, is it a bad thing, though? You didn’t want to fuck me in secret, did you?” Taeyong challenged, not really answering my inquiry. Did Seulgi figure it out on her own? Or did Taeyong told her about us? And, the biggest question mark was: what were we to begin with? “Seulgi must have some sort of sixth sense. She was bothering me about the sexual tension between us since day one of your training.”

“I wouldn’t call it sexual tension per se, but there was something going on,” I replied, reminiscing how rocky our beginning was. “But I think we were interrupted…” I reminded him, and Taeyong with a playful smirk on his face dived right between my thighs.

***

The streaming should begin at 8 p.m., but we had to arrive before 5 p.m., so the make-up artists and stylists could prepare us for the performance. Sitting in that chair and waiting for all pampering to be over with was stressful as fuck. I tried to preoccupy myself with an idea of Taeyong, but whenever someone threw a question in my direction, I was being pulled out of my train of happy thoughts.

I wanted to get on the stage and be done with it. Unfortunately, whoever funded that contest didn’t think of the mental health of its participants when making today’s schedule.

Punctually, the show began its transmission at 8 o’clock. However, at the very beginning, the MC had to introduce all sponsors. Going through them took him about twenty minutes. Then, they interviewed some of the eliminated dancers, asking them questions either about their experience in the competition or simply who they thought would win.

Later, they decided to rewind the contestants’ moments in the show. At first, they showed Doyoung and his partner, and a few experts analyzed their performance, wondering what the odds of them winning were.

When the host announced the rewind of Taeyong’s and Seulgi’s stages, the jury only talked about the sudden switch up, confirming it was the first time it ever happened in the grand finale. It startled a lot of people why would Seulgi drop out, but Taeyong explained it in a brief interview.

“It was a crazy coincidence, but Seulgi couldn’t participate today because she is getting married today,” Taeyong revealed, and the audience cooed loudly, obviously supporting her choice. “I was stressed at first, but Seulgi found an amazing dancer to take her spot. She really chose well,” he added, and I looked at him, trying not to cry in front of everyone.

It was almost impossible to fish out a compliment from Taeyong during practice, but right now, he did it on his own accord, melting my heart with his words.

“Everybody is dying to know more about your partner,” the MC started, shifting his attention to me. I didn’t particularly like to be put in the spotlight, but before I managed to spit some nonsense, Taeyong butt in, rescuing the day.

“Although she doesn’t have much experience in dance competitions, I think she’s a great dancer. To think of it, she is my secret weapon,” Taeyong added, and I almost ran into his arms, feeling too overwhelmed by his speech.

“Alright then, let’s see what you got after a short commercial break,” the MC cheerfully announced before I bolted out of the stage as I felt the stress crept into my head.

“Calm down,” Taeyong softly spoke as he approached me, holding my hand, drawing circles with his thumb. “You’ve got this. Just focus on me,” he added, flashing me a reassuring smile before kissing my knuckles.

“Awww… isn’t it adorable?” Someone snickered, and I didn’t need to turn my head around to know it was Doyoung. He was like a venomous snake, trying to sneak into our subconscious and make us even more anxious. It couldn’t be fair play.

“Buzz off,” I barked as I didn’t want to let him tick Taeyong off. Taeyong was my safety pin, and I didn’t want him to go full rage on Doyoung. Their backstage battle would make it to the news, but I’d rather prevent it from happening.

“With Seulgi on your arm, I was giving you a five percent chance of winning,” Doyoung started, ignoring my warning. “Now, when she’s gone, I won’t even have fun beating you on the stage,” he added, and I almost surged forward to punch him. If it wasn’t for Taeyong, who held me in my place, I’d definitely rearranged Doyoung’s face.

“Don’t let him get into your head,” Taeyong whispered into my ear, and I nodded my head, sighing. Then, it struck me. Doyoung’s motive wasn’t to mess with Taeyong but with me. He knew I was the weakest link, and he wanted to guarantee his victory by making me doubt myself. His words rung in my head, but one look at Taeyong helped me relax. We had practiced it a thousand times; there was not a chance I would make a mistake.

“Come on. Let’s go. They’re calling us out,” Taeyong mused, pulling me towards the stage.

The silence filled the auditorium when we got on the stage, taking our respective places. I stole a glance at Taeyong – he was mouthing words of encouragement seconds before the MC announced our performance.

I can hear it callin'

Loving the way you wanna talk

Touch me, tease me, feel me up

Callin', something in the way you wanna talk

On two sides of the stage, we moved to the rhythm, telling the story of two strangers lusting over each other from afar. With hunger in our eyes, we tried to seduce each other with sharp movements, showcasing our attributes.

You got me sayin', you got me sayin'

How you doing? Tell me what's your name (Ey, tell me what's your name?)

What's your sign? Feeling like you are into me

Taeyong ran up to me like a man enchanted by the siren’s voice, rolling his body against mine. It was his moment to shine; everybody’s eyes were on him as he owned the stage with his overflowing charisma.

Baby, we're two distant strangers

I know you don't speak my language

But I love the way she's talking to me (Talking to me)

I can hear it callin' from where you are

Loving the way you wanna talk

Touch me, tease me, feel me up

It was a classic game of cat and mouse. Though our bodies were so close to each other, we moved in perfect synchronization, careful not to brush against each other. The chemistry between us was undeniable, and the feeling of yearning was visible from the very last row.

Max, max, max, we can have it all (To the max)

If you back, back, back, back, back it up (Back it, back it)I'll take you where you wanna, got the gas in the tank (Wow)

If you really wanna make it last (Git, git, git)

Finally, as the song slowly progressed to the end, we were showing intense frustration. We were portraying two individuals, yearning for intimate contact, who were hastily losing their minds over uncontrollable passion.

I can hear it callin' from where you are (Callin', woo)

Loving the way you wanna talk (Love the way you talk)

Touch me, tease me, feel me up (Yeah, yeah)

Touch me, tease me, feel me up

The song was to end soon. The last chorus rolled in – it was our cue. After all teasing, we finally made the connection, ready to combust out of raw craze. After three minutes of painful longing, we were to reach completion.

I can hear it callin' from where you are (Callin', woo)

Loving the way you wanna talk (Love the way you talk)

Touch me, tease me, feel me up (Yeah, yeah)

Touch me, tease me, feel me up

It was all or nothing. We were finally together, touching each other with fervor. The audience was eating our performance up – particularly when Taeyong showcased his flexibility and body control.

Tell me how you like it babe (How you)

I don't even know your name (How you, ey)

I love the way you're talking to me

It was finally time to finish our performance with a bang; we needed to show something spectacular, something Doyoung wouldn’t ever think about. As the singer began the last verse, it was my cue to run into Taeyong’s embrace. The second the last syllable rolled of the singer’s tongue, Taeyong caught me in his arms, and the lights went out to add a dramatic twist to our performance.

For a while, the audience was silent. However, a few seconds later, they roared in excitement, clapping loudly, showing how much they enjoyed our stage.

The MC was congratulating us, but I was too thrilled to register his words. I still couldn’t believe I performed on national television and didn’t trip and smash my face.

I had no idea how I found myself backstage, but there was a high chance Taeyong led me off the stage. I was too overwhelmed to do it on my own.

I even forgot that Johnny, together with Yeri – the love of his week, had backstage passes. I only remembered that when he wrapped his arms around me in a bear hug, congratulating me.

“You gotta quit that office job and start dancing professionally,” Johnny ordered, and I smiled, glad that he enjoyed my performance. “We both gotta quit. You’ll be dancing, and I’ll be a badass FBI agent.”

“You two were great,” Yeri politely said when Johnny let me go. “Thank you so much for letting me backstage.”

“No problem,” Taeyong replied as he grabbed my shaking hands. “Are you okay?” He asked, cupping my face, making me look at him. “You rocked the stage,” he added before he leaned forward to peck my lips.

Ignoring Johnny’s perplexed expression, I wrapped my arms around Taeyong in a comfortable hug. I hadn’t suitably introduced Johnny to the concept of me dating Taeyong, but hopefully, our interaction got the message across.

Emotions were slowly fading away, but I still needed Taeyong’s support. I was a rookie, and I had no experience with this type of stress. Something was calming about Taeyong’s aura; I couldn’t pinpoint what exactly, but I wasn’t going to question it.

“Anticipation is killing me,” I muttered against his skin. “Can he already go on that fucking stage?” I yelled, wondering why Doyoung’s performance didn’t start yet. I knew the MC was building up tension, but it was too much for me to handle.

“We could always skip,” Taeyong casually spoke, and I pulled away to look at him. What the hell was he talking about? I hadn’t agreed to help him out, so we didn’t wait until the end. “If we lose, we lose. If we win, your friend can accept the prize, can’t he?”

“Are you insane?”

“Maybe a little bit,” he answered with a bright smile, brushing stray hair off my forehead. “I just want to know the result already so we can go to Seulgi’s wedding and congratulate them,” he added, and I nodded my head. Though we couldn’t participate during the ceremony, the least we could do was to show up ridiculously late to the reception.

“Can they hurry the fuck up now?” I craned my neck, trying to find Doyoung and his partner. They were arguing about something right behind the curtain. Everything seemed they weren’t in the right headspace.

“I don’t think I want to see their performance,” Taeyong whispered, tightening his grasp on my waist. “How about a quickie in the dressing room? What do you say?” He proposed, and I smacked him, telling him to behave. It was tempting, but we really shouldn’t. I wouldn’t walk up that stage with messed-up post-sex hair.

“Get a grip,” I added, gently elbowing him. “Let’s just hit the snack table. I am hungry,” I spoke, pulling him away when the MC invited Doyoung and his dance partner onto the stage.

While munching on snacks, we stared at each other fondly. In some weird way, we were helping each other cope with anticipation and stress. Though it was tempting to check out their performance, we decided it was for the better if we didn’t.

They performed to “Hips Don’t Lie,” and it was almost impossible to turn my head around to check out Doyoung’s sick moves. Having considered all the videos I had seen of him, I was sure he looked gorgeous.

“What about a little peek?” Taeyong questioned, unable to control his urge to see his rival’s performance. “I thought I could endure it, but I can’t,” he added, and I nodded, giving in. Instantly, we ran to the nearest screen to watch their stage.

It was everything I imagined. Their moves were executed with precision and grace, but entertainment-wise, I was bored. They had the skills, but something about the general concept didn’t fulfill my expectations.

No matter how great of a dancer Doyoung was, he just could not pull this song off as the original artist did. Regardless of how hard he swayed his hips, it just didn’t live up to its potential. Though I wasn’t educated enough to give an honest review, it felt meh.

The audience in the studio whistled and shouted once they finished their performance, giving them a round of applause. With genuine smiles, Doyoung and his partner bowed before they ran off the stage.

Now, only thirty minutes of aggressive advertising, and we would know the winner.

“Is it too late to agree to that quickie?”

“You should’ve said so earlier,” Taeyong answered with an innocent smile as he reached to hold my hand. “The best I can do is cuddles,” he added, leading me to the couch, letting me rest my head on his shoulder. “It feels nice.”

“It does, but it doesn’t take my mind off things like a quickie would.”

“Don’t even try. I am not going on that stage with a boner in my pants,” Taeyong warned, peeling my hand off his thigh, pressing a delicate kiss against my knuckles.

Though it wasn’t as preoccupying as sex, it was still nice. And most importantly, it took our minds off the unbearable anticipation. A staff member actually needed to gently shake Taeyong’s shoulder to remind us that the MC was calling us to the stage.

Taeyong’s hand didn’t leave mine once we were waiting for the big reveal. It was fine if we lost. Next year, Seulgi and Taeyong would definitely make it to the top.

When the MC announced the winner, a few confetti bombs exploded. The audience roared in excitement, but I had no clue what was going on. Uncertainty was over – one of us won.

Stress, anticipation, and anxiety slowed down my reactions. However, I figured it would be weird if Taeyong picked me up and spun me around in his arms if we lost. It could only mean one thing – we did it.

We won.

Taeyong’s acceptance speech was short and simple. He thanked everyone who succored him discover his passion for dancing, who supported him throughout his dream, who directly helped him get this far, and me.

When I was handed the microphone for the first time that evening, I basically rephrased Taeyong words. Maybe it wasn’t my dream, but it felt damn good to assist Taeyong in achieving his. It was a bumpy road, but overall, it was all worth it.

The MC handed me a statue after shaking my hand, congratulating me once more. Taeyong, on the other hand, was gifted a huge check for 20 thousand dollars.

“Let’s go,” Taeyong whispered to me, running off the stage with me.

***

It was shortly before midnight when the Uber parked in front of the hotel where Seulgi’s and Irene’s reception took place. It was beautifully decorated with lights and flowers, making it look like a magical castle.

Though the security didn’t want to grant entrance, one of Seulgi’s aunts recognized Taeyong and told the man to let us in. She was nice enough to help us out, but she still found some time to glance disapprovingly at my stage costume. I wouldn’t be surprised if she gossiped to her entire family I was a prostitute.

As soon as we walked into the ballroom, Seulgi noticed us. She was sitting by the table, eating the wedding cake with Irene. In an instant, she rose from her chair and ran up to us, throwing herself on Taeyong’s neck.

“You won! I knew it!” She shouted as she gave Taeyong a bone-crushing hug. “Irene and I sneaked out for a while to watch your performance. You smashed them,” Seulgi added before she turned to me, congratulating me too.

“You were amazing,” Irene approached us, sending a polite smile. Unlike Seulgi, Irene was much calmer and collected.

“You are finally married,” Taeyong spoke, beaming. “You better have everything recorded. I gotta know every embarrassing thing that I missed,” he added in a teasing manner, earning a playful jab from Seulgi. “I bet you cried during your vows.”

“Congratulations,” I chimed in, breaking their friendly banter before it properly started. It was Seulgi’s wedding day, after all.

After we caught up, Seulgi and Irene walked off to the dance floor, leaving us by the table alone. For a while, we admired them. They looked absolutely stunning in their white suits, dancing, basking in happiness.

“Do you know where the gifts are held?” I inquired suddenly, looking around.

“Why? Did you have time to get them anything?” Taeyong asked before he stuffed his mouth with a chocolate glazed strawberry. “Or are you thinking of stealing some?”

“I just want to give them my part of the prize,” I started, making Taeyong choke on the fruit. “Seulgi’s the rightful winner, and I think it’s only right.”

“Are you sure? It’s a lot of money.”

“Yeah, I know, but I really want to do that,” I replied, fiddling with my fingers. “I don’t need this money, so I want to give it to her.”

“You’re so hot right now,” Taeyong said, making me turn my head in embarrassment. “If that’s what you really want to do, do it. But remember, you earned it.”

“I am sure.”

“Then let me spoil you with my prize,” Taeyong offered, staring into my eyes. At first, I thought he was joking, but when his gaze didn’t even falter, I understood how serious he was. “Well… look at that. What are the odds?” Taeyong spoke as a familiar melody echoed within the walls of the grand ballroom. “It’s our song. Shall we dance?”

Having glanced at Seulgi, who whispered something to the DJ, I smiled at Taeyong. Though I was sick and tired of Love Talk already, it was kind of our song. We had been listening to this song too much, and regardless of how good it was, the prospect of it being our anthem terrified me.

“One last time,” I gave in, accepting Taeyong’s invitation, letting him lead me to the dance floor. Despite having mastered the choreography to it, I just wrapped my arms around his neck, slowly waltzing to it.

“That’s nothing like we practiced,” Taeyong pinpointed, and I chuckled, shaking my head. “I don’t mind, though. It’s comfy,” he added as his hands found purchase on my hips.

“Seulgi doesn’t look pleased. She didn’t expect us to perform, did she?” I whispered into Taeyong’s ear, hugging him closer. “Also, it can’t be our song. We have to change it; the sooner, the better,” I complained, but Taeyong just chuckled into my ear, humming softly.

Instead of giving me an actual answer, Taeyong decided to sing it.

“I love the way you're talking to me.”

#taeyong smut #neosmutsongs #neosmutcollective #nct smut #taeyong #lee taeyong #nct u smut #nct 127 smut #nct fluff #taeyong fluff #dance au

296 notes · View notes

ah-ga-seven · 3 years

Text

Till The End of Summer - Chapter 14 (The Finale)

>> series masterlist <<

Pairing: Choi Yeonjun x Reader

In a Nutshell: College!AU, Rich Kids, Friends to Lovers, Fuckboy athlete Yeonjun, Overprotective Best friend Soobin, contains all of TXT and other Idol cameos, Omnipresent perspective.

Synopsis: You and Yeonjun are caught up in a cat and mouse game because of unspoken feelings and endless pining for each others’ attention. With the summer break approaching and lots of college parties, will you finally get a chance to explore your feelings for each other; even though the world and Yeonjun’s reputation makes things complicated?

Word count: 12,3K

Idol Cameos: NCT Johnny, ITZY Ryujin, ATEEZ Wooyoung, Stray Kids Hyunjin, Enhyphen Sunghoon, Heesung and Jay.

Genre: Fluff, SMUT, angst if you squint.

Warnings: explicit mature content, I put a bolded warning sign at the start and end of it so you can skip through if you want.

Month 1.

Yeonjun went back home to save the reputation of Choi Enterprises by dealing with Lita’s attempt to overthrow him and his mother.

Apparently, she did a lot more than the things she was locked up for initially.

Lita and her husband bribed members of the board, making promises they obviously couldn’t keep. “When we have the company, the world is yours” but those days never came. and the board members that were bribed were fired effective immediately.

Each and every one of them got disposed of, with their assets included like they were last weeks’ trash. And if that wasn’t enough, Lita’s unjustified psychosis stemmed from the fact that she used to sleep with Yeonjun’s father. Lita felt like she was entitled to the Choi’s fortunes because according to her; the only woman Daniel Choi ever loved, was her.

The revelation had Yeonjun sick to his stomach as he sat next to his mother in court. Lita looked at him with pleading eyes, claiming to really love him as her own son before the judge announced her 15-year prison sentence for fraud, spying, embezzlement, and attempted murder.

Somehow Yeonjun felt nothing as he looked at her. He really didn’t. If anything, he was glad to close this chapter of his life for good, and look ahead of the road to recovering his soul.

You, on the other hand, were completely overwhelmed with your new surroundings. You threw yourself into your work to forget about your heartache and didn’t dare to talk to Yeonjun in case it’d open up your wounds again. It would cause for you to lose focus, and you simply couldn’t afford that distraction right now.

Month 2

The first month passed without any contact between the two of you, but that changed when you wished him a happy birthday. His heart thumped in his chest on his way to his 6th therapy session as he looked at your message.

He was even more surprised to see that you sent him a cute card with a Polaroid picture of the two of you; all happy and smiley in the park.

It was reassuring to him that you were still thinking of him, and that you hadn’t completely forgotten about him or moved on so easily, because lord knows he hadn’t.

When you asked him about Lita’s trial a few days after his birthday, you two started to slowly talk again from time to time. You’d check up on each other and made small talk, but it was nothing like it used to be.

There was no depth, and the core of your conversations always had to do with how both of your studies were going, if you were taking care of yourselves or if you’ve had dinner already.

You both figured it was for the better this way, otherwise your break up would have been for nothing if you didn’t use this time apart from each other to heal, especially since you promised to be better individually so you could be even better together.

If that was still what both of you wanted upon your return of course.

He missed you so much, and he was finding it incredibly hard not to check your socials at least once a day, especially when he realized how male-dominated your studies were at Brown.

Your Instagram feed and stories indicated that you were having the time of your life when you could. You were happy despite the crazy hours you spent in a lab with your research team. A team that quickly became your new group of friends at the University.

There were 2 other guys and one other girl in your team. The girl’s name was Giselle, you seemed to be the closest to her out of all of them. One of the guys was named Chanhee who was quite obviously gay, therefore not a threat. But the second guy, Hwang Hyunjin… let's just say that Yeonjun wasn't a fan.

Month 3

Your almost daily texts and calls with your friends back home started to shift to communication on a weekly basis.

It was hard to keep up with your friends back home while having to entertain a new friend group here, all while you spent hours upon hours in the lab, working on a possible treatment for neurological disorders.

You knew that whatever you were getting yourself into with this exchange was going to be hard, but you didn’t imagine it to be this hard and frankly, you were feeling incredibly homesick by now.

You missed Soobin, the boys, Mia…Yeonjun. And one time when you came home at 10 PM after a long day that started at 8 AM; you broke down on the phone when Soobin called to check in on you.

He was so shocked at your tears that he was ready to jump on a plane, but you stopped him from doing so. Knowing that you needed to push through and confide in the friends you made, whom you’ve started to hang out with a lot more, especially with Hyunjin.

He reminded you a lot of Soobin, the way he was gentle yet in for dumb shit matched well with your own personality, and hanging out with him felt liberating. He introduced you to his friends and spent time with you and your lab partner and roommate Giselle whenever he could, which made your time at Brown a lot more bearable than you had anticipated.

Yeonjun was slowly starting to enjoy life again. He caught up with his studies, kept going to therapy, had regular calls with his mother, and spent time with his friends whenever he could. He started to pick up his neglected hobby of dancing again, finding comfort in the art form with Wooyoung and his crew.

Month 4

Yeonjun’s mother sold Choi Enterprises. She was completely done with the company as it wasn’t hers to begin with. The stock prices had risen for the first time since Daniel’s death paired with the whole Lita ordeal, so she took the chance to get rid of her past with a simple transaction.

She consulted Yeonjun about selling the company and the house he grew up in, for which he agreed, glad that they could finally close that dark chapter of their lives while getting a fresh start with new surroundings.

With all of this newly acquired money, she opened a new headquarters of her own luxury fashion brand, closer to Yeonjun; only an hour away to be exact.

She was determined to be a better mother and get to know her son, and the only way to do so was by actually trying. He was happier now that the burden of having to take over Choi Enterprises one day fell off of his shoulders.

For the first time in a long time, he held the reigns to his own future again and his mother assured him that she’d support whatever he wanted to do in life both mentally and financially.

From there on out things started to look up for them.

They went on café dates every Sunday, and sometimes he’d visit her for an entire weekend where they would bond by cooking or shopping together.

During one visit, Yeonjun helped her pick some pieces for Fashion week, which made her pleasantly surprised by Yeonjun’s out of the box and daring passion for fashion. She suggested he’d take a minor in fashion design next to his regular Business studies and after giving it a good thought, he did, enjoying it a little more than he thought he would.

Month 5

You were doing better too. The hard part of your research was over with, and you had a well-deserved break which you spent with Giselle, Chanhee, and Hyunjin. You decided on having a mini-vacation and go sightseeing, rent an Airbnb somewhere in the state, and just chill.

Everything was fine until the last night of your trip, where you got shitfaced drunk and ended up sleeping with Hyunjin.

You were single, so there was no reason to feel guilty, especially since the last time you even talked to Yeonjun was over a month ago, yet you still did.

Of course, you had to talk to Mia about it, who only told you to remember that when you’d return in a month; you’d probably never see Hyunjin again, and that was enough for you to start distancing yourself from him.

The guy obviously had feelings for you, and you felt bad for friend-zoning him after being intimate with him, but the fact of the matter was that you just didn’t feel the same way about him. None of it would matter in a few weeks anyway, because you’d be heading back home, to your friends...and to Yeonjun.

Month 6

Brown had offered you to stay and finish your studies at their facilities but you kindly declined. The experience was great, but you couldn’t put yourself through one more year of this type of curriculum, and you desperately wanted to see your friends' faces again by going back to the place you’ve called home for the past three years.

To your new-found friends’ disappointment, you were getting ready to leave as the weeks passed, packing your things little by little and meeting up with all of the people you met one last time before parting ways for good.

It felt bittersweet though. Not only did you learn a lot about neuroscience, but you learned a lot about yourself as well. You grew as a person, matured, and blossomed by being more independent. Not having Soobin or your other friends to fall back on really pushed you to become more self-dependent, which was one of the perks of being away from them for so long.

You respected yourself and put yourself first and promised that that’d be a piece of knowledge that you’d be taking back home too.

Now.

Yeonjun couldn’t believe half a year had passed already. But what he really couldn’t believe was that he’d be seeing you again tonight.

He stood in your apartment with the guys and Mia, organizing your things and cleaning up the place for your surprise welcome home party. Being in there felt weird, almost foreign to be exact.

It’d been half a year since he stepped foot in here, and even though you were gone for so long, the place still smelled like you. If it wasn’t for the empty shelves, missing bedsheets, and plastic covers over your furniture; it’d almost seem like you never really left.

He opened your bedroom door to see Mia struggling to make your bed and chuckled lightly at the sight. He walked over to her, grabbing the other ends of the sheets to help her out.

Mia gave him a faint smile and stopped her movements for a second to look at Yeonjun. “Are you excited?” She asks with a big smile. Lord knows she was, her best friend was finally coming back but Yeonjun didn’t really know how to answer Mia’s question.

“More nervous than excited. We checked up on each other from time to time but it’s not like we really talked or anything.”

Mia pouted at Yeonjun’s insecure facial expression. One she hasn’t seen from him that often. Especially lately. Mia and Yeonjun have gotten a lot closer in the past six months, which was a nice change for the both of them.

“It’ll be fine. Don’t worry. You’re not the same Yeonjun you were six months ago. And that’s a good thing. She’ll appreciate the change.”

“Gee, thanks.” Yeonjun snickers as he throws a pillow at Mia’s head. It hit her straight in the face, messing up her hair which made both of them erupt in loud laughter.

“Asshole,” Mia says straightening out her hair.

“What’s going on here?” Soobin asks with a big smile on his face as he enters your room.

Soobin hasn’t been able to wipe that damn grin off of his face all day. He was so excited for you to come back and honestly the mood with the boys and with Mia has been amazing lately.

“Yeonjun is back to his old ways,” Mia argues as she tries to throw the pillow back at him, but Yeonjun swiftly caught it, giggling to himself as he fixes it before putting it back on your bed, where it belongs.

“Well, quit messing around and hurry the fuck up, I’m picking her up in an hour.” Soobin says clapping his hands together to try and give orders, but neither Yeonjun nor Mia were phased by Soobin’s attempt to assert dominance. Both of them rolled their eyes before getting back to the task of making your bed.

It was adorable how stressed yet giddy Soobin was to see you again. Everything had to be perfect before you arrived so he could relax and make sure you’ll be able to relax after your flight too.

He ran around your apartment like a stressed mother; making sure the boys weren’t messing around too much so that everything planned out smoothly before the guests arrived.

Soobin waited for you patiently…at the wrong exit.

You immediately recognized his tall form when you were skimming the crowd, wondering why he wasn’t there yet, but when you saw his back facing the wrong arrival hall; you knew enough.

It’s so Soobin of him to face the wrong way. You smile to yourself as it gave you the perfect opportunity to scare him.

You chuckle as you walk towards him while pulling your suitcase with you. He was concentrated on the people exiting the gates, hoping to see you and growing more and more restless as you didn’t show up, but little did he know, you were right behind him.

“Who are we waiting for?” You ask in a serious tone as you stood beside him with your arms crossed while following his gaze onto the crowd.

Soobin’s head snapped into your direction so fast you swore you heard a bone crack.

His eyes widened before he smacked his bunny-like lips in confusion, looking you up and down before a huge smile crept upon his face that you could only mimic.

“YOU’RE HERE!” Soobin shouts in shock, relief, and joy at the same time while pulling you in for a tight hug. He inhaled your scent while twirling you around, and all you could do was giggle as he smothered you in his hold.

God, you missed him, and judging from the way he wasn’t letting go of you, you could tell he missed you too.

“Ugh, I missed you so much. How was your flight? And look at you! Did you change up your hair? You look good, happy, healthy. Ugh.”

You couldn’t even respond to anything he was saying as he wrapped you into his arms again. Normally you’d fight him for being so clingy, but this time you let him have his way for a few seconds…until it got hard to breathe.

“Soobin, I can’t breathe.” You protest softly as you tap his chest to let go which made him laugh in response, holding you at an arms-length. “Sorry y/n. I just…we’re never separating for that long ever again,” he says with a serious yet playful look on his face.

“Agreed.” you beam up at him as you link arms, walking towards the exit.

“Did you have a good flight?” he asks as he pets your hair, not believing that you were standing next to him right now.

“Mmh, there was some turbulence so I couldn’t really rest. I can’t wait till I’m home again so I can sleep,” you mumble before you let out a yawn as you drag your feet on the tiled floor of the airport.

Soobin gulped. He didn’t know how you’d feel about the hoard of people in your apartment right now, all ready to celebrate your return when all you really wanted was to get some rest after your long travels.

He felt guilty for a second but also knew that you’d probably forget all about your tiredness when you’ll see all of your friends again.

“Uhm, the car isn’t that far. Give me that,” he says as he takes your suitcase from your hold.

“Everyone quiet down! They’re coming up right now!” Taehyun announces while he cut the music.

Everyone frantically found a spot to hide. Some giggled as it got dark, some held on to each other cause they couldn’t see shit and some were nervous wrecks like Yeonjun.

You weren’t suspecting anything as you dragged your feet to your apartment. Soobin was acting weirder and weirder; fumbling with his keys, dropping shit, and constantly checking his phone, but you were too dense and tired to notice.

You struggle with your lock and let out a yawn. Soobin stood closely behind you, taking a deep breath as the door swung open.

Before you could even close the door behind you or find the light switch, all of the lights turned on in an instant, followed by a loud ‘SURPISE’ yelled out by at least two dozen people who were occupying your living space.

You flinch, your eyes nearly popping out of your skull and stumble backward, just so your back could hit Soobin’s tall form.

He laughed hysterically clapping his hands together like a seal, followed by everyone in the room.

“Oh my god.” Is the only thing that you were able to get out as you covered your face at the overwhelming sensation.

You didn’t even realize you had this many friends? I mean you knew all of them of course, but you didn’t comprehend the fact that they were all here to welcome you back.

The music turned back on and Mia was the first one to launch herself into your arms which had you immediately defrosting in her hold.

‘BITCH!!!” she yelped. “I MISSED YOU SO MUCH.”

She clung onto you and twirled you around making the adrenaline and confusion in your body shift to pure happiness at seeing their faces again.

You can’t believe they did this, and suddenly you don’t feel tired anymore.

“Y/N!” Beomgyu squealed your name as he hugged you, followed by Taehyun and Hueningkai who all patiently waited until it was their turn to hug you.

You were so caught up in shock and bombarded with love, that you didn't have time to scan the room for other familiar faces. Instead, you just let them come to you one by one as you stood glued to the floor, smiling, hugging and chatting away with all of the people that seemed to have missed you so dearly.

Yeonjun stood in the corner of your living room, watching the whole ordeal. A smile crept onto his face at how happy and healthy you looked. It’s almost as if he saw you for the first time again. Making him realize that love at first sight really was a thing…even in this form.

He took a sip of his drink, still watching you carefully until someone nudged his shoulder.

“Shouldn’t you go say hi to your girl?” The taller and older guy leaned against the wall next to Yeonjun after nudging him, making him look up at him.

“Hyung, I don’t even know what to say to her. She’s so happy right now, I don’t wanna ruin it.”

Johnny furrowed his eyebrows, cocking his head to the side. “You don’t think she’ll be happy to see you?”

“I don’t know anything right now.” Yeonjun sighed, watching you join Hueningkai and Beomgyu for a selfie with a big smile on your face. “When is the last time you two spoke?” Johnny asked, taking another sip of his drink.

“Like two months ago.”

“Damn…”

“I know.”

and just as the picture was taken, you spotted him across the room.

Your eyes locked, making Yeonjun freeze in place. “Shit,” he gulps, downing his drink in one go to calm his nerves which made Johnny laugh at his antics.

“Relaaaax. Did you see her eyes light up just now? I think she missed you too,” he assures him, throwing an arm around his shoulder for comfort.

This seems odd? Doesn’t it? Yeonjun and Johnny being all friendly with each other.

During Yeonjun’s never-ending therapy sessions, the school’s counselor wanted to connect Yeonjun with someone with a similar background. You should’ve seen both of their faces when they met during a group session, but after realizing they had such corresponding backgrounds, you know; the neglected rich kid kind, they haven’t stopped talking to each other and oddly became very close friends.

It was nice for Yeonjun to have an older brother figure in his life since he’s the oldest in his own friend group, and it was even nicer for Johnny to find out that Yeonjun wasn’t such a big dick after all. Oh, and the part of having someone who gets his struggle was great too, even in the form of Choi Yeonjun.

You couldn’t believe your eyes. You didn’t expect him to be here for some reason and the last thing you expected was seeing him with Johnny’s arm around his shoulder in a non-threatening way.

Mia chuckled as she followed your gaze. “Yeah…so, they started hanging out a few months ago.”

“How even?”

“I don’t know maybe they started to bond over being your rejects,” Taehyun says making Mia and Beomgyu cackle with him, but you couldn’t quite see the humor in it. You had only returned to your friends for 5 whole minutes and they were already being annoying.

Soobin noticed your slight annoyance and chuckled, rubbing your back in comfort as he was the only one to notice how nervous you really were to talk to him again after all this time. “Go talk to him, he’s just as nervous. Trust me.” Soobin says into your ear so only you could hear, and you give him a small nod in response. Smiling at the encouragement you so desperately needed.

You’re a bad bitch. You got this.

You look at him once more as he talked to Johnny.

For some reason, his whole aura changed from the last time you saw him. His features matured a bit, he lost weight and he completely embraced having a mullet. Ok…hot.

He was breathtaking. Even after all this time of being apart, he made you feel the exact same way and all it took to remind you of that feeling was one look from him.

He decided to man up and make his way through the crowd to greet you, but you beat him to it as your legs automatically walked over to where he was standing.

Johnny sensed the sudden electricity in the air as you approached and decided to go in for the hug first to give Yeonjun some time to collect himself. “Y/n!” Johnny coed as he enveloped you into a big bear hug. “It’s so good to see you again. How are you? How was your exchange?”

You’re snapped out of your trance, but you still feel Yeonjun’s eyes on you as you’re trapped in Johnny’s embrace. You collect yourself as you let go of him, trying to avoid Yeonjun’s gaze for now but it was almost impossible because of how close he was.

“I’m good, it was good. A lot of sleepless nights but it was totally worth it.” You give him the quickest answer possible; you weren’t quite sure where to start the conversation with Yeonjun but the longer the two of you ignored each other, the weirder the tension between you two was getting.

He took a deep breath, giving you a warm smile before averting his attention to Johnny. He not so subtly told him to leave with his eyes, which made Johnny suavely exit the conversation by announcing that he needed a refill.

“Hey…” you start.

Yeonjun’s eyes glistened as he looked at you with adoration. “Hey.”

You looked good. Your skin had a healthy glow, and your new haircut was working wonders for your features. He was entranced by your beauty for a second before realizing his stare might be creeping you out, though you didn’t even notice, cause you were staring at him too.

You were completely caught up in your own perception of time. Everything seemed to slow down now that you were looking into others eyes again after all this time and just as you were about to open your mouth to speak, some kid you didn’t know accidentally bumped into you roughly.

The sudden impact made you lose balance as you jolted forward, straight into Yeonjun’s arms. Luckily, he swiftly caught and stabilized you.

He looked at you in shock, making sure you were okay as he grabbed your shoulders before turning his attention to the random kid who somehow got an invite to be at your welcome home party, in your house, without you even knowing who he is.

He quickly apologized, but you feared for what was about to happen. The Yeonjun you left 6 months ago was a dick and a hothead, he’d make the kid regret running into you like that but to your surprise Yeonjun straightened out the freshman’s clothes and gave him a small side smile.

“Be careful kid, we just got her back,” he says in neutral yet friendly tone.

That’s it? No threatening glare? No sarcasm?

He seemed to notice your dumbfounded facial expression and chuckled. “Anger management classes,” he explains with playfulness evident in his voice.

“You’re kidding?” you scoff in amusement.

“Nope. I’ve turned into a complete softie, just for you.”

You teasingly shove his shoulder and laugh loudly. The sound made Yeonjun’s heart flutter as he watched your face contort into pure joy and cuteness. He felt the sudden urge to squish your cheeks together and litter your face with kisses but he withheld himself from doing so, and reciprocated your giggles with the sound of his own laugh as he raked his hand through his long locks.

This small moment of flirty teasing made the both of you realize just how much you had missed each other as you were quick to jump back in your old ways.

You both should’ve known that worrying about any awkwardness between you two was stupid. After all, you were friends before you even started dating; and luckily that dynamic returned quickly because he was just as big of a casual flirter as you were.

Suddenly it felt like you were starting all over again with him, it felt like the first time you tried to connect with him on that damn picnic that started the timeline of your relationship.

Somehow the universe granted you the opportunity to hit the reset button and do things right this time, and you couldn’t be happier now that you realize how stupid it was to worry about the inseverable connection you two seemed to have to each other.

Even after all these months and all those miles of distance, Yeonjun still felt like home.

He gave you a shy smile, realizing you were staring at him with hearts in your eyes while you expectantly gazed into his dark orbs.

His eyes weren’t hollow anymore, for the first time in ages his happiness felt genuine and you couldn’t wait for him to tell you all about it.

“How about we…ditch your party for a bit and go take a walk,” Yeonjun suggests, giving you a hopeful yet mischievous look as he held out his hand for you.

You boldly lace your fingers through his and lead him out of your apartment without a second thought, ignoring stares from literally everyone.

Oh my god, history really was repeating itself. Your mind flashes back to the walk you took with him that night at Johnny’s party; you lead him out of Johnny’s kitchen the exact same way right after the fight you had with an overprotective Soobin about trying to date Yeonjun.

You got Yeonjun a little flustered, which is a first, but he was happy with your directness. He couldn’t wait to be alone with you in a more private setting and if that meant leaving your own party, then so be it.

Fresh air hits your lungs as the chilly spring night welcomes you outside. Your apartment was way too crowded and way too hot which made you sigh contently as the cold wind created goosebumps on your skin.

Yeonjun looked at you and stopped in his tracks while diverting his gaze at your still intertwined fingers.

You look back at him, confused as to why he stopped walking, but before you could ask questions; he pulled you towards him, trapping you into his strong arms. One of his hands made its way to the nape of your neck to slowly pat your hair as he leaned his chin on the top of your head.

You just let it happen, wrapping your arms around his torso while burying your face in the crook of his neck. The familiar scent of soap mixed with his expensive Chanel Bleu cologne hit your nostrils and the butterflies in your tummy start to flutter again after being on rest for six months.

Whole. That’s how you feel in the moment.

“You have no idea how much I missed you.” You mumble into the hug, not wanting to look up at him out of fear that he might not have felt the same, but by the way he was holding you right now, you should know better. The insecurity of not being good enough still had its ways of fucking with your mind, even though you had no reason to be.

Yeonjun opened his eyes at your confession, not being able to hide how happy he was to hear that his feelings were mutual. He hid his grin by burying his face into your hair again as he giggled before pulling back slightly to see your face. You were trying incredibly hard to hide the heat that had risen to your cheeks but it was to no avail as Yeonjun mumbled something about how cute you were right now.

He was so worried you didn’t feel the same. He was convinced you forgot all about him at Brown. Your Instagram stories were filled with the countless parties you went to, the new people you met accompanied with the fact that your posts were littered with suggestive comments from guys he could only assume you met over there.

Yeonjun’s biggest fear relating to your return was that you utilized those six months away from him to move on, but as selfish as it sounds; he was so incredibly glad that you hadn’t.

“Look at me.” He tried to cup your face but you didn’t let him, giggling into his chest as you protested.

The two of you must look absolutely pathetic to bystanders right now. You were completely stuck in your own world, acting like high school kids who were brand new to love, but somehow that’s exactly what you were.

He chuckled lowly, as you tightened the hold you had on his waist. “Ah, whyyy…Look at me, come on.”

You do as you’re told, and when you look up you are greeted by the most beautiful smile you’ve seen in your life, making your breath hitch in your throat at how boyish yet manly he looked just now.

“Ok, I’m looking. Now what?” You challenge as you take a hold of his wrists as he cupped your face.

He didn’t know if he’d move too fast if he kissed your lips right now, so he decided against it while giving you a sweet kiss on your forehead instead.

“I just wanted to see your pretty face up close again. Instagram doesn’t do you justice, angel.”

“Oh, shut up.” You giggle, rolling your eyes as you push yourself out of his hold. You hate to admit it, but the little pet name made your heart skip a beat. You pretend to run from him, but he snatched you back in no time by tugging at your elbow with laughs and giggles. You give in and link arms with him as you resumed your walk through your neighborhood and look up at him to check if he was really here with you right now.

This whole thing just felt too good to be true. Here you thought he’d moved on from your relationship, but the confirmation that he hadn’t was nice, to say the least.

He looked down as he felt your eyes on him and smiles at you before looking at the path ahead of him.

“What?” he asks with an amused tone, but you just shake your head in response.

“You seem different.”

“How different?”

“Like you aren’t carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders anymore type of different.”

He nodded understandingly and stopped in his tracks to look into your eyes again. His hands traveled down to yours, lacing your fingers together once more before he sighed, tucking a stray piece of your hair behind your ear for you.

You gave him an expecting look, squeezing the hand that was still intertwined with yours to assure him of the fact that you’re listening, which earned you a small smile.

“It’s cause I’m not. While you were changing the lives of others with your research, I was changing my own. At first, I thought the whole therapy thing was a hoax. I didn’t understand why talking to some stranger would fix me, but it helped me come to terms with a lot. I learned about acceptance and moving forward. And I learned that in order to be able to love someone in a healthy manner, I’d have to love myself first. You know…on a deeper level than just my handsome face” he jokes trying to lift some weight off of his words.

You roll your eyes, but secretly love his arrogance, making a low chuckle escape from your lips before you return to seriousness again.

“I’m so proud of you.” you say, and you mean it. You’re amazed at how clear his mind seemed to be. It’d usually take Yeonjun a good minute to collect his thoughts before he could talk about how he felt with you, but right now it came out so naturally, it was almost odd.

He gave you a weak side smile, making eye contact once again. “I’m nowhere near the finish line though. I can’t promise you that I’ll never fuck up again because I’m learning as I go, but what I can promise you, is that my heart and my feelings for you are unchanged. I haven’t stopped thinking of you, not once. The thought of being with you again was my driving force and I need you to know that.”

He caressed your cheek while you let his words sink in and suddenly you feel tears prickle your eyes.

You were at a loss for words, completely lovestruck by his incredibly sweet and wise confession.

You hold onto his wrist for leverage, your breathing turned shaky and uneven as a tear escaped your eyes.

Here you thought he had completely moved on from your relationship. But god, you were so wrong, and you couldn’t be any happier.

“I promised myself to never make you cry again,” he joked lightheartedly as he wiped another tear away from your cheek, making you sniff in response, wiping them away with your sleeve quickly. “They’re happy tears.”

He looked into your eyes again, searching for answers and maybe even permission. He wanted to take things slow; give you time to reflect and time to adjust to being back home, but he simply couldn’t help himself.

When you leaned into his touch, he knew you basically gave him an okay to proceed.

He inched his face dangerously close to yours, lightly brushing his plump lips against yours. His hesitation made you smile, so you pull him down to your level by the back of his neck as you initiated the kiss.

He froze for a second at your dominance but quickly relaxed in your touch soon after he realized that you seemed to want this just as much as he did.

Kissing him was like muscle memory. It felt natural and blissful and suddenly you find yourself wondering about how you were able to live without this feeling of pure euphoria for over six months.

His love was like a drug, and all it took was one kiss to break your sobriety.

He pulled back, quickly assessing his surroundings before he realized the two of you were basically making out in the middle of the street.

He pulled you into an alleyway and pushed you against the wall of a random apartment building, his hands holding on to each side of your face delicately yet roughly as he kissed you with so much fervor, it almost made you dizzy.

“You really had me thinking I lost you forever,” he mumbles as his lips disconnected from yours.

You weren’t given the change to respond as his lips found their way to the soft spot in your neck. He still remembered every sensitive inch of your skin and used it against you all too willingly; wrapping his hands around your throat as he kissed and licked a pattern from your jaw to your neck.

A breathy moan left your lips as he started to suck possessive marks onto your neck and you instinctively wrap your arms around his waist, letting him do as he pleases, too entranced by the delicious feeling. You jumped up and he caught you by hooking his arms under your thighs, stabilizing you against the wall as you kept making out.

You giggled at his eagerness, a little flustered at the fact that you were in public; even though it was nighttime while being in a neglected alley; it still felt wrong.

He smirked against your neck when he felt you hesitate, and placed a soft yet wet kiss on your lips before letting go of you. He made sure you landed back on the ground safely, straightening out your clothes for you. “Maybe we should head back,” he says with a dark gaze, acting as if he didn’t just litter your neck with marks and bruises. He licked his pouty lips in amusement at the sight of what he had just done to you, knowing all too well that people would be able to see what happened while the two of you were gone.

You playfully shoved him aside, completely oblivious to how bad it really was but when you stepped into the elevator and saw your own reflection you gasped and shot Yeonjun a look of pure panic and distress. “YEONJUN!” you gasp loudly. “You can’t be fucking serious.”

“I’m sorry I just…couldn’t help myself.” he licked his lips again, cockiness emitting from his entire being. He inched closer to you to give you an innocent kiss on the top of your head and pulled the hair tie out of your hair, making your hair fall past your shoulders to cover the hickeys.

“This’ll do.”

“Oh my god, I hate you.”

He scoffed, casually smacking your ass in response.

On the remaining way back to your apartment you were constantly fixing your clothes and hair, trying to let it nonchalantly fall to the front but you knew it looked rather ridiculous.

You had hoped your friends were too intoxicated to notice but when you stepped foot in your apartment with Yeonjun closely trailing behind you, all eyes were on you again.

How long were you two gone for? 10, maybe 20 minutes?

“Hyung.” Taehyun grabbed Yeonjun by his collar, turning him around which made Yeonjun frown at the younger one.

“For fucks sake.” Taehyun sighs dramatically, wiping something pink from the corner of Yeonjun’s mouth with his index finger.

…it was your fucking lipgloss.

Yeonjun’s ears turned a bright red as he started to chuckle nervously. “Now I lost the fucking bet with Hueningkai. I thought it’d take at least a week before you two would start simping over each other again, it hasn’t even been an hour….AND OUTSIDE?” Taehyun sucks his teeth as a sign of disapproval, looking you up and down before his eyes lingered on your neck. “Animals. That’s it. That’s the description.”

“Pay up, loser. I told you.” Hueningkai cackles as he throws his arms around both Taehyun and Yeonjun’s shoulders.

“Y’all made a bet? An actual bet on our relationship?” you ask in pure disbelief. It was so like them to turn your emotional turmoil into their own amusement, but you couldn’t really be mad at them.

Your friends know the two of you better than anyone and probably saw this coming way before you did.

“Venmo me later.” Taehyun mumbles to Hueningkai in defeat while walking off, and you can’t help but chuckle at the irony of it all.

All of these months left in pure insecurity about your relationship with Yeonjun. Nights of pondering about your future, worrying if he had moved on or not. It was all for nothing

Yeonjun and you move like magnets, and no course of time could really drive you apart because when you’re reunited, you will always find your way back to each other. Always.

He looked at you a little dreamily, it still wasn’t sinking in that you were back. For good. And all his.

He snaked his arm around your waist as he stood behind you, resting his head on your shoulder as you told your friends all about your adventures.

He was clingy, you were clingy and neither of you was hiding it for anyone. You’ve had your fair share of secrets with Yeonjun and you were more than glad that those times were over with.

At around 4 AM most people left, and you were left alone with the boys, Ryujin and Mia.

You were on the couch, perfectly comfortable on Yeonjun’s lap as you leaned into his chest. One hand was rubbing your back in up and down motions while the other had found its way under your shirt and onto your waist. His cold fingertips grazed over your bare skin and suddenly it was way too hard to stay awake.

The chatter of your friends became background noise as your eyelids grew heavy. But you were shortly awakened out of your slumber as you felt Yeonjuns lips on your temple.

“You must be so tired after that flight and this whole circus,” he whispered with an empathetic pout, yet all you could do was nod as a response.

He chuckled at your cuteness and fixed a piece of your hair, kissing your forehead again before you buried your face in the crook of his neck.

“It’s funny how nothing has changed, yet everything is different,” Beomgyu says as he stares at you and Yeonjun with a loving smile.

Beomgyu might be a little shit with a smart mouth, but he cares for his friends. Seeing the two of you be so content in each other's presence made love emit from his pupils. Even though Yeonjun had been doing so much better the best couple of months, nothing compares to the pure happiness and giddiness that Gyu was seeing from him now, and that was all because you were together again.

Beomgyu wasn’t the only one to notice, because it was literally all of them, and especially Soobin.

Soobin who literally rebelled against any type of relationship between you and Yeonjun was smiling at the sight of you in his arms fondly. His two best friends finally found solace in each other after all the shit that both of you had been through together, and it made him sentimental.

A year had passed since the two of you started dating unofficially, though this was the first time in that whole year that Soobin was completely okay with it.

You were long gone and off into dreamland by now as Yeonjun looked at you with a small smile on his lips, but when he looked up to check why everyone had stopped talking, he was met with six pairs of twinkling eyes on him.

His pupils darted back and forth between them in genuine confusion. “Why? What’s wrong.”

“Nothing’s wrong.” Soobin sighed contently. “For once, nothing is wrong.” he says as he leans forward to hug Mia from behind who was sitting between his legs on the floor.

Taehyun chuckled at Soobin’s dramatic statement and Hueningkai hummed in agreement.

“Not to get all simpy or anything, but with her being back it feels like our little dysfunctional family is whole again.” Beomgyu mumbles as he let his head drop onto Ryujin’s shoulder.

“Let’s try to be less dysfunctional,” Hueningkai says with determination.

“We can be less dysfunctional if you can clean up after yourselves and fold your own damn laundry so I don’t have to start a fight with you every 5 seconds,” Taehyun argues as he throws a pillow at Hueningkai's face. Making him laugh as he got in in the face with full force.

“Why can’t we just…have one peaceful moment…just one.” Soobin says rubbing his forehead in agony.

Yeonjun chuckled at the banter of his little brothers and looked back at you. “I don’t know guys, maybe that’s our charm,” he says leaving all of them in pure confusion as they looked at him for clarification.

“What do you mean by that.” Mia questions as she raises a brow at him.

“We’ll literally walk through fire to be there for each other, right? We go through things individually but will never fail to be there for each other in times of need, and I think we need to embrace our worst mistakes and arguments so we can grow from them. After all we’ve been through, I know we’ll be together forever. So, I say cheers to being dysfunctional,” He says with a proud smile, picking up his drink from the side table to raise it up in the air for a collective moment of cheers.

Dumbfounded by Yeonjun’s odd display of maturity and wise words, they all comply, raising their glasses in the air followed by a loud cheer to being “dysfunctional.”

The sudden loudness of their voices woke you up, completely out of it and sleep drunk; you lift your head from Yeonjun’s chest, squinting your eyes at your friends as you rub the sleep out of your eyes.

“Did I miss anything?” you say, your voice laced with sleep and confusion.

They all burst out into laughter at your current state paired with your obliviousness and messy bed hair.

“Nah, just six months of incompleteness,” Yeonjun says as he pecks your lips.

Mia stayed over that night and helped you unpack and clean your whole apartment the next day, which you were super grateful for but...you’d be lying if you said you didn’t wish Yeonjun would’ve stayed the night.

The fact of the matter is that you haven’t had time for a serious talk with him yet, because you know, tongue punching each other was of higher priority than hashing things out with actual words. Which meant you hadn’t really talked about your relationship status or how things will be moving forward.

“The last game of the season is tonight. Are you going?” Mia asked as she plops down on your couch with you.

“The last one? Already?”

“Yeah we’re gonna go celebrate after.”

“Even if they lose?”

“Girl, you know they don’t lose.”

You roll your eyes and laugh at Mia’s overconfidence in her boyfriends’ team. You were about to give her a definite answer before your phone started buzzing.

[Yeonjun, 12.44 PM]: Hi baby.

[Yeonjun, 12.45 PM]: Is it ok if I come over? I’ll bring us coffees from that café you love so much. 😌

[Y/N, 12.45 PM]: Yesss please 🥺

You giddily smile at your phone, wanting to squeal with excitement but you hold it in and Mia seems to notice. “Oh god, is it him?”

“Yeah, so.” you glare at her with playful intent “Let me be happy. He’s changed so drastically; I almost couldn’t believe that last night’s Yeonjun was the Yeonjun I left six months ago.”

“Yeah, he’s been working super hard to change and the whole thing with his mom helped too.”

“His mom? What do you mean?” You ask in genuine confusion, Mia bit her lip as she furiously shook her head. “Listen, I’m never, ever going to meddle in your relationship ever again. When he gets here, I’m sure he’ll tell you all about it.”

You chuckle, nodding in agreement until your attention is averted to your phone again as it buzzes in your lap once more.

[Hyunjin, 12.46 PM]: Hey sweetheart, did you have a good flight?

Oh….

Your eyes shoot to Mia’s in panic and she frowns, taking your phone out of your hold to read the message.

“Oh my god…is this your little slip-up?” she asks with disgust evident on her features.

“What do you mean slip up? I am a single woman,” you argue, but Mia wasn’t having it.

“AM?”

“WAS? GIRL, I DON’T KNOW. It was a fling, nothing more.”

“Flings don��t call you sweetheart and ask you how your flight was.” Mia says squinting her eyes at you.

“Mia…”

She sighed, visibly irritated with how naïve you were being, but you couldn’t have known that you’d fall back into Yeonjun’s arms that fast, and it’s not like you ever dated Hyunjin. He was just a friend…who you’ve slept with once.

“Listen, girl. I love you...but after everything Yeonjun has put himself through to be a better man for you, you better ghost this motherfucker right now or else.”

“Jeez, I will. It’s not like I like the guy. And since when are you team Yeonjun?”

She relaxed at your statement, slouching back into the couch. “A lot has changed y/n. He was a good friend to me when you weren’t here, that’s all.”

You nod understandingly, realizing that Yeonjun and yourself have a lot to talk about; maybe even more than you had hoped for now that Hyunjin reminded you of his existence with a mere text message.

Mia left soon after, wanting to give Yeonjun and yourself some privacy for when he got here, which wasn’t long after she left.

You opened the door for him, and he smiled at you. He was wearing a black beanie, an oversized black t-shirt, and those damned gray sweatpants of his that you love so much. Your heart did a thing at the sight and he quickly kissed your cheek before he rushed his way into your living room, trying to find a place to set down the coffee cups that were burning his fingertips at the touch.

“Careful.” You mumble as you watch him struggle. When he put the coffees down on your salon table, he quickly made his way to you again to properly kiss you this time.

He cupped your face, pulling you into him as he started to steal chaste kisses from your lips. You giggled into the kisses as you tried to untangle yourself from him, slapping his chest playfully to shoo him away.

He let go with a smile, taking your hand to lead you to your couch. You could tell by his whole body language and the way he skipped through your apartment that he was happier than ever.

You hoped you wouldn’t ruin that happiness by telling him about Hyunjin, but it shouldn’t matter because he didn’t matter. You only wanted to tell him just so you weren’t keeping any secrets anymore; cause god knows how that went the last time.

“How’d you sleep?” he asks you as he hands you your coffee. You happily take it from him and keep your eyes on him as you take a sip. “Fine, it was weird being in my own bed again, I missed it though.”

“Yeah? Anything else you missed?” his gaze was piercing into you as he took a sip of his Americano, fully aware that he was fishing for an ego boost.

“Theres this guy I kinda missed, I guess his name is Yeonjun.” You shrug as you take another sip; your flirty playfulness is one of the things that he loved about you, it kept things spicy.

“Oh him? He wanted me to tell you that he kinda missed you too,” he says with an amused glimmer in his eyes.

You chuckle. “Good.”

Suddenly the two of you fell quiet, but it wasn’t an awkward quietness; it was more of a realization that your endless flirting had to turn into somewhat of a serious conversation.

“Yeonjun…”

“Hmm?” his eyes softened at the way you called his name, he set his coffee aside turning to you completely to show you that he was listening attentively.

You sigh, not knowing what else to say other than the following. “I love you and I want to be with you.”

His eyes grow in size, a little shook by your directness but he composed himself as he fixed his posture quickly. “Why do I feel a ‘but’ coming?”

“I mean it, but I need to be honest with you too,”

“About what?”

“While I was at Brown, I kind of…flirted off and on with one of my lab partners and well…I slept with him…once. I swear it was only once and I-” he cut you off by raising his hand so you’d stop your nervous rambling and sighed. He knew exactly who you were talking about, because he had seen that motherfucker all over Instagram and had honestly seen this confession coming from miles away.

He was glad you told him though, cause he'd feel worse if you tried to hide it from him.

Though you didn’t post about him, Hyunjin did post about you, and basically tagged you in all of his Insta stories or group pictures. Yeonjun shamelessly cyberstalked the guy. It wasn’t one of his proudest moments, but he had to just to stay sane.

“Baby, we were broken up. You don’t have to justify what you did or didn’t do at that time. It’s not like I expected you to turn into a nun.”

You raise your brows in surprise at his mature response. “You’re not mad?”

“No. As long as it’s over with.”

“It is, I promise.”

“Good,” he sucked his teeth as he watched you. “Also, it’s not like anyone can fuck you as well as I can,” he states with a devious smirk as he pulled you close, making you gulp in response to his choice of words.

He chuckles at how easily intimidated you were by him and takes the opportunity to tease you.

“Did he?”

“N-no.” you stutter, innocently staring up at him. “He didn’t”

“Good girl.” He says, biting his lip while letting his thumb ghost over your lower lip.

His choice of words made your stomach turn but you knew better than to let lust get the best of you once again.

“Yeonjun…” you breathe his name like a warning, trying to avert the tension. “We…we need to talk.”

“We can talk.” He shrugs, pulling your legs towards him aggressively so you’d slide down. Your back was now on the couch as he parted your legs, settling himself in between them before hovering over you to kiss over the bruises he left last night. “After I give you a little reminder.” He smiles against your skin, pulling your shirt over your bra so he could kiss a trail down to your belly button.

“God I missed you,” he says digging his nails into your waist. "So fucking much."

(Warning: heavy smut ahead!)

Your mind goes into overdrive as he unties the tie to your sweatpants, and as he does so you stare at the outline that had formed in his own.

He didn’t waste any time, pulling down the waistband of your joggers with one swift motion while you helped him by lifting your hips off the couch.

He discarded of your clothes faster than your mind could comprehend but then you noticed that he was fully clothed, when the only thing you were wearing by now were your panties.

You pouted, pulling at his waistband but he grabbed your wrist, pinning your hands above your head so he could look at you, beautiful, bare, and all his.

“Fuck, you’re so beautiful.” His lips found their way to the sensitive nub of your breast as he eagerly licked and sucked on it while his fingers found their way onto your still clothed heat.

He rubbed his middle and index finger over your clit, making you moan at the sudden stimulation.

He pulled away, making his way down to your core as he littered your inner thigh with more and more hickeys.

You were eagerly moving your hips by now, trying to get him to kiss you where you wanted him most, but he was taking his sweet time and you were losing your patience.

“Y-Yeonjun…” you moan his name. He finally rewards you by pulling your panties aside. Licking his lips at your glistening arousal, ready to feast on you as if it was the last meal he’d ever have.

“Fuck.” He says with admiration to no one in particular, placing a soft kiss on your pussy before he started to slowly kitten-lick your sensitive nub. He lowly hummed in approval at the taste of you and fastened his pace slowly.

You gasped, arching your back to give him better access as he started to eat you out like you’ve never experienced in your life.

His skill was baffling, he had your brain melting and legs shaking while he struggled to keep you still.

“Ah…” you arch your back once more, trying to get away from the overstimulation but he held you down with his strong arms.

“Who are you running from baby, stay still.” He ordered with a low voice before getting back to business, and with ten more seconds, he had you cumming in his mouth as the vibration of his low hums drove you over the edge. You cover your own mouth to muffle your loud cries, but he pulled your hands away from your face, wanting to hear you fall apart for him.

“That’s it baby.” he mused in approval, finishing you off with one last lick before he came back up to assess your fucked out state. “So fucking good for me.”

Your chest was heaving up and down rapidly as you were trying to catch your breath. Once again you lost to the charms of Choi Yeonjun, but he was nowhere near done with you.

He quickly got rid of his own clothes and pumped himself a few times while looking straight into your eyes.

This man is a god, and he knew it.

His mischief returned when he realized you were watching him. “I think I got you wet enough, right baby?”

You almost forgot about his grit, your mouth salivating at the sight. Any slick you could build with him was a gift, because the last thing you wanted was for him to start a fire down there, cause that’s just how big he was.

You sit up which surprised him, but when you spit in your hand and pumped him a few times to slick him up some more he chuckled lowly as he realized what you were doing. He moaned in the form of a sharp exhale as your pace fastened, but he didn’t let you take control just yet.

“Scared?” he teased, keeping his eyes on you as you twisted your wrist a little more.

“No.” you huff.

“Then turn around.”

You comply without a thought. You were both sitting up on your knees while your back leaned against his chest. You threw your head back and he kissed your forehead sweetly. guiding himself into you while his other hand held onto your waist to stabilize you against him.

You curse at the stretch, digging your nails into his thighs for leverage as he fills you up.

You both moan as your walls clenched around him. His arms snaked around you from behind as he took a hold of your neck, pinching down on the veins on each side of your throat as he slammed his hips into you continuously with long and deep strokes.

The choking sensation made everything so much more intense, especially when the fingers of his other hand started to rub circles on your still abused clit.

Your eyes rolled back as your vision got blurry, tears prickling your eyes at how good you were being wrecked right now.

He let go of your neck, putting his hand on the small of your back to push you down on the couch so your ass was up, and your face was down.

He started to pound into you mercilessly, his rhythm and pace perfectly alternating as he grabbed a fistful of your hair. “You’re mine,” he grunted as he felt himself getting closer and closer by the physical stimulation of your tightness and the mental stimulation of your moans and mewls.

It didn’t take long before you both reached your highs as he was prone boning you into heaven.

Your orgasm washes over you, and right after you came, he reached his own high.

He pulled out right before he busted, releasing himself onto your back with a loud growl.

Your eyes flutter closed; way too fucked out to function as you catch your breath. You feel his weight move off of you to grab one of the napkins on your side table that came with the coffees, and wiped his cum off of you with a cocky smile on his face.

You built up the energy to look back at him, and when your eyes meet all you can do is giggle with him at how ridiculous you two are.

“So…I guess now we can talk,” he says with a smirk.

- end of smut -

Once you fully recovered from having your back blown out…quite literally. You came out of your bedroom after a quick change of clothes.

You walk into your living room while you pull a clean shirt over your head.

Yeonjun was still on your couch, watching you with a big boyish smile on his face as his gaze followed you.

“All good?” he asks, opening his arms for you. You nod in response, excitedly making your way into his arms. He moved you on top of him so you were on his lap and kissed your cheek sweetly.

“Where do we even start.” You think out loud as you start playing with Yeonjun’s hair. He threw his head back in solace, letting you massage his scalp softly.

You chuckle at his reaction, stopping your actions which made him lift his head up immediately, giving you a kittenish angry face. “Why’d you stop.”

“Because it’s been an hour since you got here and all we do is dance around the subject,” you say as you move off of him. You turn sideways, leaning against the armrest of your couch while you drape your legs over his lap and sigh.

After deciding that Yeonjun would go first, he told you everything. From the progress he has made with his therapist to the baffling information of his mother selling Choi Enterprises and moving closer to the Uni for him. He told you about their relationship and his interest in the fashion industry. He’s been spending time with his friends in the dance studio again after years of neglecting his hobby and his grades are improving drastically compared to last year too.

He’s been doing well both mentally and socially. Even though he still has his bad days, he’s a lot happier than he was before. You listened attentively asking questions and making sure you understood every detail to your best ability.

When it was your turn to start talking, you realize just how sadistic your exchange was now that you’re explaining the details out loud. You told him about the crazy schedules, spending days from 8 am to 10 pm in the lab, neglecting your health just to forget about your heartache. You were being brutally honest, and you saw Yeonjun’s jaw clench at the revelation.

If he knew you were having such a hard time, he would’ve contacted you more, but you explained to him how the experience made you stronger, harder and less of a cry baby.

You spoke about your new gained independence and soon realized that, where Yeonjun needed emotional cradling, you needed to be hit with the real world without the safety net that your friends and parents always provided for you.

The two of you had been talking for over two hours, and finally came to the inevitable question.

“So…what does that make us.” You sigh as you played with his fingers.

“Really, the ‘what are we’ question?” he chuckled, watching you play with the ring on his index finger.

“Well. Do you have an answer?” you mumble, letting go of his hand.

“I’m yours,” he says, putting his hand on your thigh while his other hand tugged on your chin to make you look up at him.

Your eyes grew in size, swallowing harshly when his fingers moved from your chin to caress your cheek. “And I don’t want to take things slow anymore, I love you too much to relive the dating phase."

“Me too,” you agree with determination. He smirked contently, leaning into you to feverishly kiss you on the lips.

“You know what that was?” He asks as he pulls away with his face still in close proximity.

“What?” you question with a giggle.

“Our first kiss as boyfriend and girlfriend.”

You slap his chest, bursting into laughter at his cheesiness. The sound of your laughs and giggles filled the room as he started to kiss you all over your face and neck, leaving you breathless and ticklish at his touch

“I love you, Choi Yeonjun, but I think you have an important basketball game to get to.”

Of course they won.

Yeonjun made the winning point which meant he had something to brag about all night.

You were at a local diner with all of the boys, their teammates, and respective girlfriends or boyfriends. Drinking, talking, and overall having a good time.

When Mia, Ryujin, Soobin, Taehyun, Beomgyu and Hueningkai heard the news about your new relationship status, they basically congratulated you as if you announced that you were getting married.

The whole thing was just way too funny, and Yeonjun dragged you around all night to introduce you to everyone.

The freshman on the team were so confused when Yeonjun introduced you as his girlfriend because they had never heard of or seen you before.

“Hyung, Imma be honest with you, I kinda thought you were gay.” Sunghoon admits as he apologetically scratched the back of his head.

“…S-same” Heesung states, looking at you both with apologetic eyes as well.

Yeonjun looked at them a little funny as he burst into laughter, pulling you closer to him. “Why?”

“Because well, we haven’t seen you with a girl all year, and with the way you look, I don’t know. 1+1 was gay I guess.” Jay, another freshman explained their point of view a little further, which had you cackling at the situation.

“Oh my god, so you little shits were the ones spreading rumors about me and Wooyoung!?”

“N-no! NO!” The kids protested, but Yeonjun was already playfully grabbing them by their collars to scold them.

You laughed at the whole ordeal, love emitting from your eyes as you watched Yeonjun be in his popular guy element again.

You zoned out for a bit, absentmindedly listening to how Beomgyu and Hueningkai were telling a story about that one time they took Yeonjun’s car for a joyride in the middle of the night without his permission.

Yeonjun noticed your mental absence, wrapping an arm around your shoulder to pull you into his chest, softly kissing your temple.

“What’s wrong?”

You shake your head, sentiment getting the better of you. This is the most complete you’ve felt in a while.

You kissed him with fervor, your hands lacing through his dark locks before you pulled away to place a small kiss on the corner of his mouth.

“I’m just really happy right now,” you say as you smile at each other lovingly.

1 year later.

Graduation was around the corner.

It was insane how fast time flew. You celebrated your first-year anniversary with Yeonjun the night before and were now laying in his bed the next morning, slowly waking up just to feel the soreness of what he did to you last night.

You groaned in agony at the bright light, even after all this time; you still weren’t a morning person.

You noticed how Yeonjun was missing from the bed, so you got up to look for him. Putting on his large shirt to cover yourself as you made your way to the boys’ living room.

Soobin was on the couch with Taehyun and Hueningkai looking you up and down with disapproval.

“Jesus. Did you get hit by a truck in there?” Taehyun asks as he clicked his tongue.

“Shut up smart-ass. Where’s Yeonjun?”

Taehyun chuckled, being completely used to your grumpiness in the morning by now. If Yeonjun wasn’t staying at your place, you were staying at theirs; so they were more accustomed to having you around like this.

“He said he had to run a quick errand; he’ll be back soon,” Soobin replies with light amusement in his eyes at how roughed up you looked.

“Hey, next time…be a little more quiet.” Beomgyu tells you as he walked out of the kitchen and into the living room.

“My room is next to Yeonjun’s you know.”

“Oh shut up hyung, I hear you and Ryujin almost every night,” Hueningkai says rolling his eyes, which made you crack your first smile of the day.

“Oh nooo, not my pure baby Hueningie” Soobin pouted as he trapped Kai in between his legs for a hug.

“Hyung, you’re gonna have to let go soon. Literally. When you guys graduate you don’t get to live here and baby me anymore.” Hueningkai protests as he tries to push Soobin off of him.

Soobin pouted, making you immediately feel bad for him.

When Yeonjun and Soobin would move out, Jay and Heesung would move in, which meant that Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Hueningkai had to hold down the fort as seniors for one more year until they graduated, and the thought alone made Soobin feel uneasy.

Soobin and Mia were officially moving in together after graduation. They had planned their whole futures together and both had job offers in the city from their internships.

“I’ll still come over…every…weekend. You know, just to make sure.”

You drift off into thought, realizing how Yeonjun and yourself have been living your lives in the moment without concrete plans for the future together.

Since your apartment was off-campus you still got to live there after graduation. You had gotten an amazing job offer because of your research at Brown, which had major corporations battle it out with outrageous contracts, salaries, and promises to your favor so your options were most definitely open.

Your future looked bright, as did Yeonjun’s who’d be working as a Creative Director for his mothers’ luxury brand...but how did you two miss the mark on planning a future together?

Were you that caught up in your own world to realize that adult decisions had to be made soon?

Yeonjun walked in, interrupting your thoughts. “Oh, hey guys.”

He set his keys on the kitchen counter, giving you a funny look. “I texted you to get ready.”

“Oh..shit, I didn’t check my phone, Sorry. Give me 20 minutes.”

You didn’t question why he wanted you to get ready, he’d probably take you out for breakfast or some shit, so you weren’t suspecting anything, but Yeonjun could sense that something was off about you.

During the car ride to your unknown destination, he looked at you as you stared out of the window. You were lost in deep thought about the whole graduation thing and didn’t even notice how the houses on the streets were starting to get ridiculously big as you drove further and further into a random neighborhood

He grabbed your hand, kissing the inside of your palm while rubbing those comforting circles into your skin.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, trying to look at the road while also looking at you from time to time.

“I’m just…worried about life after graduation. I don’t like change.”

Yeonjun raised his brows in surprise, a soft smile tugging at his lips as he turned the corner into a brand-new built street filled with massive villas.

The neighborhood looked peaceful, not too flashy and private. Maybe even a little too perfect to be real.

He pulled up to a random house, parking his car on the driveway. The confusion was evident on your face as he opened the door for you, reaching out to take your hand.

He helped you out of the car and you give him a look, chuckling at his awkwardness. “Uh…are we here to see someone?”

He sighed, back hugging you and leaning his head on your shoulder as the both of you looked up at the house.

“What do you think of this place?”

“It’s…beautiful. But I don’t really get why we’re here.” You giggle as you feel him kiss your neck and you turn around to face him, trying to find answers in his eyes.

“If you want…we can stay here.” He bit his lip nervously. “You know, after graduation.”

“W-what? I’m confused. Like Till The End of Summer?”

He shook his head, laughing once again while snaking his arms around your waist at your innocence and obliviousness. “You’re so cute,” he muses, pulling out a set of keys from his pocket and suddenly realization hit you as pure shock takes over your features.

He bought the fucking house.

He couldn’t help but laugh at your shocked Pikachu face. He had been planning this behind your back for so long and it was incredibly hard to keep this a secret, especially since literally everyone knew about it but you.

You didn’t know what to do or say, completely frozen and shocked as you look at the house with big watery eyes.

He pulled you in for a deep and passionate kiss, giving you the keys to the front door with a big smile.

“Till the End of Our Lives.”

Bonus Chapter 15