#“DAD we’re going to the MALL so my STUPID SISTER can’t RUIN MY THINGS ANYMORE”

[bloodiedbeloveds]

no but actually we are so serious about bigender aggressively outdoorsy very southern john. someone else write this so we don’t have to

[szopenhauer]

Are you more positive or a debbie downer? Debbie Downer should be my name lol

What would you love to drink right now? I’m drinking water rn, second mug in a row, my belly is going to explode

Is that an alcoholic drink or not? it’s not this kind of water :P

Oh good. What would you love to eat right now? I’m not hungry...

How many meals do you eat a day? depends

Do you brush your tongue with your tooth brush? sometimes

What are you favorite type of jeans? I’d say skinny even tho I don’t wear jeans anymore ^^”

Do you eat your nails? wait what swallow? ewww I don’t even bite them :o 

Do you enjoy making or taking surveys? taking them more 

Name something that is blue that you like Sadness from Inside out

Name something pink that you like PYNK music video by Janelle Monae? XD

If you could have one more pet, what? meh

If you could sleep next to a tame wild animal what? woah 

Would you rather have an owl or a snake? both are cool

What would you name it? Bowl for owl and for snake either Ksysio or Wonsz żmieja?

Do you eat the ice in your drink? no

Have you ever been addicted to cigarettes? I had one cigarette in my whole life but I still keep a package in my room :x

Which do you use more? Facebook or Instagram? fb, I don’t care for insta 

Do you watch beauty videos on You Tube? nah

Do you like Star Wars? love

What kind of surveys do you like the most? interesting, not just YES or NO questions, I want to go deeper 

Have you ever dropped something down the garbage disposal on accident? omg luckily not 

What CD would you never buy for yourself? anything Justin Bieber for sure

Is sex a must in your life? absolutely not

Would you rather be cute and ugly or hot and stupid? cute and ugly? lmfao ok 

Are you evil in any way? everyone is, more or less

Would you rather be a clown or a garbage man? can’t decide :D

Would you rather be a rockstar or a librarian? librarian but rock star ain’t that bad of a choice ;)

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF LIFE? again? I just got this question on ask today and that really made me anxious

Did you and your mum ever have a big fight that caused you to move out? sigh... Has the last person you kissed ever been to your house? yep but not to my room as I’m super ashamed of it, it’s not what I really want, it’s more like a storage room for mine and my mom’s things, I wish I could move and out and do what I want instead of cleaning this mess just to have it ruined days after, not that I have money now to fix things the way I imagine my bedroom to be someday :( Have you had a good day today or was yesterday better? yesterday was better but today I got a T-shirt so that was a good moment Do you have any plans for the upcoming weekend? hospital

Could you date someone very attractive, but who thought they were better than everyone else? blergh, r u kidding me?... Do you always feel like you’re making mistakes? constantly Does anybody have a tattoo with your name on it? not because of me but someone somewhere definitely has that name on them for another reason How would you feel if you got the person you liked? I'm in a relationship Is there anyone who likes you? it seems If the last person you kissed saw you kissing someone else, would they be mad? of course  What’s the first thing you heard this morning? you mean a sound (doorbell) or words (I don’t remember)? If you fell pregnant to the last person you kissed, what would you think? not possible Are you young or old? young, at least according to my ID and being childish Are there always other fish in the sea? there are but maybe I don’t want them and/or they don’t want to be catched etc. What can your tongue do? pfft Do chickens have feelings? sorta Do you think the body is the most beautiful thing that was ever made? ...  So how are you feeling today? not good enough Where is your sister right now? don’t know nor care What do you smell like? it’s so hot, I smell like sweat and I can’t stand it but I can’t shower all day long What colour is your mum’s hair? grey  When was the last time you talked to one of your siblings? last week Do you like fire? as an element of magic in fantasy movies  Does your mum vacuum early in the morning while you’re asleep? she’s noisy in different ways Does wearing glasses really make people look smart? that’s a lame stereotype Do your band-aids have cartoons on them? they’re useless but one time I bought Moomin ones because I’ve been walking through the store and they fallen right under my feet and there was nobody around nor the shelf/aisle that they could come from so it was weird and I love Moomins so I took them home (I paid) and they’re probably stored somewhere  Have you ever kissed someone you shouldn’t have? what do you mean? Who’s the funniest drunk person you know? my gf apparently - in a cute way - that’s surprising for a teetotalist like me  What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up this morning? my tee came! When was the last time you saw your father? he just left for work and I was waving to him through the window which is our tradition  What if your partner went through your cellphone? I have nothing to hide Has anyone ever been with you while you were throwing up? my parents and sister

Robert Downey Jr. — Bet you have a crush on him. he’s handsome but I’d prefer to be him instead of having a crush on sex I’m not attracted to

What would you do if you were to get stuck on a ski lift overnight? ... freeze? and pee myself Have you ever received an anonymous gift? one time when we were really poor that we couldn’t afford food someone left a package under our door, knocked and ran, bless this person whoever knew we have hard times :* What kind of laugh do you have? many kinds that happen randomly Will you have a Valentine next year? I have a bigger chance than any other year before  Macaroon or a cupcake? cupcake Did you kiss or hug anyone today? hug my mom and my dad too Are you currently waiting on someone to do something for you/to you? kinda Do you know anyone, personally, who is in an abusive relationship? Are you? I’m not in an abusive relationship but I know those who are as it’s common and it’s really sad that ppl think only beating makes relationship toxic Are you planning on going anywhere with someone, some time today? I’ll stay home  Do you find your school to be loaded with hot guys or not so much? I remember E.W. once said that we have a lot of elves around because LOTR movie had very ugly ones as we did in high school, I tried to find that pic someone posted back in the day but I failed, it was from the council from what I remember 

Is there anyone you are currently trying to get out of trouble? Why? mostly I just keep my eye on my father and my mother all the time because of covid (and not only because of it) if that counts Are you plotting anything at the moment? another chapter of the book? Have you ever wanted your significant other to get rid of a friend? because they were evil to them, it wasn’t about ME If you have siblings, have they moved out or do they still live with you? she moved out :3

Do you have a therapist? no longer Have you ever gotten a good grade in math class? yeah, in middle school I was getting awesome grades in math class What do you think of the last person you texted? we’re dating Have you ever gotten a bloody nose from snorting cocaine? I’ve never done cocaine wtf

Do you post pictures were you look good but your friends look bad? I ask them first  Are you friends with any of your exes? me and one of my exes are together Are you a whiskey person? I’m a no alcohol person

Has anyone ever made fun of your taste in music? tiny bit, wasn’t that bad

Have you ever overflown a bathtub? I have not Have you ever thrown food at a stranger in a movie theater? not in a movie theater Are you somewhat of a perfectionist? somewhat Do you like sour candy? by Lady Gaga  not eat Do you usually wear sunglasses when you’re driving? but I don’t drive Is there ever a time that you enjoy cold showers? brrrr no way Are you good at painting nails? am not but it doesn’t matter Are you good at filling silence in awkward situations? doubt it What word should you really probably remove from your vocabulary? kurwa Do you rip out the page if you make a mistake writing, or cross it out? cross it out, if I ripped the page then there would be nothing left  Do you use a full length mirror daily? we don’t own one Can you walk in heels, or do you feel awkward in them? I think they don’t match my style and they’re uncomfy in a long term Mac or PC? PC Will you tell someone if there’s something in their teeth? sorry but probably not Do you ever actually make your bed? when I have guests Do you make an effort to eat healthy? yup The last time you kissed someone, what color of shirt were they wearing? black, that’s easy What’s something you want to purchase next time you’re at the mall? food If you had to choose between a million dollars or to be able to change a regret? money because one regret won’t help me and even might make things worse Are you taller than your mom? almost 10 cm What would you do if your best friend told you they were moving today? my gf - break up  my dad - try to stop him or move out with him You’re locked in a room with the person you last kissed, problems? no problems  Do you have any ‘naughty’ photos on your phone? 0 Could you handle living with a male roommate? my dad, no one else What were you doing at 10:00 this morning? waking up Why aren’t you texting the last person you kissed? who said we aren’t texting? Do you think you’ll actually live a happy life with somebody? don’t feed my paranoia Connection between you and the last person who messaged you? love Where is your biological father right now? bus/job already Who else is in the room with you? I’m alone Water with ice or no ice? no ice  Are you wrapped in a blanket? too hot for that

Has anyone done anything nice for you today? I’m thankful for all those nice things people do for me - big or small The last time you hung out with your sibling(s), what did you do? took a walk

Do you usually bring or buy a lunch for school? bring

The last time you had sex, was it in their bed or yours? their

How old were you when you figured out you were definitely straight, or bi, or whatever? middle school was the beginning 

Do you fit in at work or in school? I was always an outcast

Have you ever looked in the mirror and thought, “Oh God, Ew.”? 99% of time

Have you ever cried at a real wedding? nope

Is there someone you need to forgive? *annoyed sound*

What’s your brother(s) / sister(s) names? personal

Suppose you saw your crush/bf/gf kissing another girl/guy, what would you do? why tho

What is your favorite color for bridesmaid dresses? whatever bridesmaid wanna wear besides white

Do you have a secret crush right now? it’s no secret

Do you know anyone who doesn’t want to have kids? me

Would you rather visit Tokyo or Paris? dunno

Do you think you would like living in New York or Chicago? Why or why not? too overcrowded/loud etc.

Name 3 celebrities who are the same height as you. Lady Gaga, Ellen Page, Reese Witherspoon

Are you happy with your height? I’d like to be taller, not too much tho

Do you have big or small hands? small

Have you been baptized?  I have been 

Have you ever been abused in any way? sadly

Do you like unicorns? they’re fine

Is there one book you have read over and over again because it’s so good? if so, which is it? I don’t reread books

Do you play games on your phone a lot? recently I became obsessed with LOVE ISLAND game 

Have you ever had to put out a kitchen fire? my mom took care of it but it wasn’t a big deal tbh

Have you ever been kidnapped? wut

Do you have anything glow in the dark in your room? stars

Do you wear a scarf, if so, what does it look like? not rn

Is there a video or computer game that you can get lost in for hours? mhm but not too long

Do you get breadsticks with your pizza? breadsticks and pizza? it’s like bread with bread - no thx

Did you ever have a waterbed? I hate those

What toy from your childhood do you miss? rubber toys?

Did you sleep in late today? yes

When was the last time you were disappointed? this day

Do you like listening to love songs? I like a variety of music which includes love songs

In your group of friends, are you the smart one, athletic one, etc.? funny mom friend... ok, fine, a dad because my puns are daddy jokes

Has any of your friends’ family ever yelled at you? no but they said bad things about me behind my back

Did you ever watch the show Full House? with my sister What was the last thing that scared you? how I feel physically Do the librarians at your library know you by name? they do

What ten people would you most likely bring on a roadtrip? 10 ppl?! shoot me...

Is there anything you’re really stressed out about right now? health issues

What was the last thing that made you cry? I’m about to cry...

What are the last three songs you listened to? Crystal Castles - Suffocation  frnkiero andthe cellabration - neverenders  Major Lazer - Be Together (Feat. Wild Belle)

[youngmrkusuma]

The Naekawa Project - Part 9: The Least Terrible Time Of Year

Link to AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20079526

Summary: A Christmas Fic! (Released about 8 months too late. Fuck me sideways with a chainsaw) 

AO3 Notes: Hey guys. Been a while, hasn’t it? :P

OH GOD, I AM SO FUCKING SORRY. This was supposed to have been out soooo much sooner, but a whole bunch of bullshit happened in real life that I had to deal with. Two of my Uni group projects had me working with useless, lazy assholes who left me to do almost everything by myself. It was probably the most stressful semester I’ve had the misfortune of having to slog through. There was crapload of assignments to handle, presentations to prepare for, and to top it all off, more writer’s block. Fun.

All that is over and done with, in any case. I’ll be graduating a day from now, but I fully intend to go for a Master’s degree come November, so it’ll be back to school once again. But I’m sure you don’t care about that horsecrap or any of my excuses. On to the story.

Winter was a quiet, temperate affair that year in Japan. The winds that heralded its arrival were much milder than they had been in the seasons before, going about their way gently this time – as if apologetic for having intruded upon everyone’s lives. Snowfall for most of that period (so far) had come down in light dustings, bringing to mind the image of powdered sugar, dealt from a confectioner’s steady hand. Rather, that was what it looked like to Fukawa, whenever she peered outside her window. As the final week of December drew closer, it hadn’t taken long for the streets to be lined with fairy lights, tinsel and men in red padded suits. In a way she couldn’t quite understand, it seemed a sign of things to come. 

Christmas was – in Fukawa’s experience – usually the least terrible time of year (Usually being the operant word here). Not enough to be considered good, sadly, but you take your blessings where you can get them. One of the main reasons that made it bearable was that her parents were fond of taking vacations overseas during this period. Without bringing her along. Their personal enjoyment of these trips aside, this was meant to be another one of their passive-aggressive jabs at her; Poor Little Touko, Mom Number Two would have chimed, left alone in this big empty house during the holidays, tsk tsk.

But the truth of the matter was that Poor Little Touko couldn’t be happier being alone in that big empty house, because it was infinitely better than spending Christmas with any single solitary one of those fuckers. She didn’t have to lock herself up in her room while they sat downstairs in front of the TV, braying like hyenas at whatever brainless, vapid sitcom they felt like watching. She didn’t have to scurry around like some kind of dormouse in her own home, hoping to avoid contact with them while grabbing a snack or a drink. And she didn’t have to wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of them rutting like barnyard animals or arguing with each other about their stupid problems.

Instead, she could sit in the living room – on the sofa with her laptop, wrapped in a blanket and with a cup of warm tea – drinking in the peace and quiet. She could have her meals in silence and pace the halls undisturbed, losing herself to the soothing lull of her own thoughts. She could sleep soundly and blissfully, letting her dreams carry her away.

All of these were comforts she greatly relished when she moved out into her own apartment and away from her wretched parents. But the downside of being able to live like that after so many years of domestic misery was that it put things into perspective.

Christmas had lost its magic and become a day like any other. And spending it alone – while everyone else was out there having fun with loved ones, exchanging gifts and carving turkeys and whatever else it was that people actually did (she genuinely had no idea) – had become… well, lonely. Fukawa learnt that the hard way last year.

So when the holiday season rolled around this time, she gave her boyfriend a request.

Naegi, being Naegi, of course said yes. He spoke to his parents about it, and they readily agreed. Both of them really liked her, it seemed, for reasons entirely beyond Fukawa. His sister Komaru, as well. Everyone was eager to have her over for the holidays.

For now, anyway, she thought, drawing her gaze away from the living room window. It was not outside the realm of possibility that she’d wind up becoming an unwanted guest, even with the apparently good impression she had made with his family the last few times she was here. As far as Fukawa was concerned, she still needed to be careful with what she did or said. She wasn’t as worried about Komaru, since they were already friends and had spent all that time together on shopping trips or chatting it up online, but with Naegi’s parents… It was different, somehow. There was still some unspoken divide between them and her, perhaps in the same way that it was between adults and kids. Even at the onset of her twenties (and presumably, adulthood), Fukawa didn’t feel like she could open up and be herself around them just yet.

Then again, that was what it was like with her and just about everybody, so maybe she was just being silly.

Other fears came to mind. The presents she bought for his family, for example. Fukawa had virtually no experience with this sort of thing, having never received so much as a single goddamn greeting card all her life on Christmas. So if there were any taboos she was breaking or cultural faux pas she was committing, she wouldn’t know. She had gotten Naegi something she was reasonably confident he’d like – a stylish new hoodie, branded and expensive – but for everyone else, she was reasonably confident that she screwed up somewhere.

For his father Toshiro, she bought a men’s dive watch. It looked sleek and professional and all, but what if it turned out it was out of style and he didn’t like it?

For his mother Emiko – who was a fan of her work, she ordered hardcover copies of her three latest novels from her publishers and had them autographed. But she neglected to check if Emiko hadn’t already bought them for herself.

And for Komaru, she bought a dress. In spite of knowing sweet fuck-all about fashion or even Komaru’s size. Thinking about it now made her want to smack her own forehead. It was probably the stupidest thing she could have done. Knowing Komaru, she’d probably just smile sweetly and thank Fukawa anyway, but the poor girl’s Christmas would be ruined all the same. Damn it, what the hell was going through her mind when she decided on any of this cra-

No, Fukawa told herself firmly, taking a deep calming breath, like Naegi would have told her to do whenever she got like this. I’m not fucking doing this with you anymore. Shut the fuck up. Even after all the progress she had made with her anxiety issues, she still had major relapses like these. She was a lot less nervous around the Naegi residence house than she used to be – since none of her other visits here had ended badly – but not enough to eliminate her reservations completely, the way it was whenever she was around Makoto.

Speaking of her boyfriend…

He came into the living room holding a pair of steaming mugs and wearing an adorable sweater that matched his eyes. He was beaming brightly as usual.

“Sorry for the wait,” he said. “We’re out of tea, so Mom had to whip us up a batch of this instead.” He handed her a drink. The warmth of the mug chased away the cold from her fingers. A pleasant aroma wafted from it.

“Out of tea?” She raised an eyebrow, smirking. “H-How does something like that even h-happen?” Her own subdued reaction to it surprised her. Had he told her of this utter sacrilege two years ago, she would have been shrieking to high heaven. Must have been Naegi’s influence.

“Eheh,” he scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “It was on our shopping list when we went out to the mall yesterday. But there was so much to buy and carry that we ended up forgetting.” He was interrupted by a peal of laughter from the kitchen; it sounded like Emiko. “Komaru’s at the store right now, so she should be back with some pretty soon.” His smile was apologetic. “I hope this will do in the meantime.”

Fukawa’s attention returned to the mug and she took a sip. The sweetness of it caught her off guard. She tasted chocolate, and something soft and creamy melted in. Marshmallows, she realized, taking another sip.

Hm. Not quite as good as tea, but good all the same. Perfect for the weather, and better than memory served.

“I can’t remember the l-last time I had this,” she said.

“Really?”

“Mm-hmm.” She could vaguely recall having hot chocolate as a child, but not how or when. It certainly wasn’t at home; neither Dad nor her two Moms bothered making it for her, and tea was all she drank as soon as she was old enough to boil water by herself. The batch she had back then wasn’t all that great, either. It was cold by the time it got to her, and fairly diluted. (Must have been that store-bought, powder crap, Emiko would later tell her. Disgraceful. Real hot chocolate should be homemade)

“What about when you were younger?”

She shrugged, bringing the cup to her lips once more. She didn’t need to elaborate. Beside her, Naegi’s expression became sad. He hadn’t touched his drink this whole time, keeping it there in his hands as he watched her. It seemed to Fukawa that he had something on his mind. And she was right.

“Um… Touko-chan?”

“Y-yeah?”

“I… uh,” He faltered. It was rare to see him like this. He gave a nervous laugh. “Actually, forget it. Maybe this isn’t the best time to talk about it…”

“N-no, go on.” She moved to sit on the couch, and he joined her. Again, she was surprised by how subdued her own reaction was. There was a time when seeing him like this would have sent her into a panic; perhaps he was going to tell her that they should break up. Or maybe he was going to grill her about some stupid, embarrassing thing she had done. After all this time, however, Fukawa was pretty sure that neither wasn’t going to happen. Not after everything they’d been through. Both of them set their cups on the living room table in front of them.

“Your parents,” Naegi said, “they don’t treat you very well, do they?”

The next minute was nothing but pure, deafening silence. Then: “…What m-makes you say that?”

“Well, for one thing, you’d rather be spending Christmas here than at home with your family,” he said. “You’ve also never brought me to meet them. And Mom’s been hearing… stories about your folks.”

Ah. This was a recent development. Lately, there’d been rumours circulating both online and offline about how the much celebrated, multi award-winning author Touko Fukawa-sensei had had a very rough homelife. She didn’t know where they came from or how they first started, but they’ve recently been gaining traction.

“What sort of stories?” She asked.

“That your dad used to hit you, or that your mom says horrible things about you.”

Huh. Those stories made it seem way tamer than it really was.

“Moms, actually,” she said, “D-Did I ever tell you that? I have two of them.” A wry smile formed on her lips. “I honestly d-don’t know who they h-hate more; me or each other.”

Naegi’s eyes widened.

“So it’s true, then,” he said. “They really do abuse you.”

“Did abuse me,” she corrected, matter-of-factly. “It’s in the past now.”

The one thing rarer than seeing her boyfriend nervous was seeing her boyfriend angry. What she saw in his eyes now was far beyond anything she thought Sweet, Gentle Naegi was capable of.

“All the same,” he said, quietly. “They still hurt you, didn’t they?”

His right hand had balled into a fist, bunching the fabric of his jeans. It wasn’t like with her parents whenever they got started on their infantile temper tantrums; screeching like howler monkeys and throwing things everywhere. He was silent, and she could see what lay beneath that silence, bubbling away until it was ready to blow. It was – in complete honesty – frightening to see him this way.

“We have to do something about this.” He stood up quickly. “Talk to the police, or anyone that can help…”

“Why?”

He blinked twice, mouth agape. He could have sworn he misheard her. “…Why? Why?? What do you mean ‘Why?��” He was getting louder. “Doesn’t it bother you that those people haven’t been punished fo-”

Fukawa had slowly gotten up to her feet as he said all this. She wrapped her arms around his, her fingers caressing him gently.

“Naegi, it’s o-over now,” she said, soothingly. “I cut all ties with them the day I m-moved out. They don’t matter anymore. Just forget about them.”

Just forget about them. Two years ago, Fukawa would never have believed that she’d ever be able to sincerely say that about her parents. Not when pure spite was the only thing she had left to cling to. Now though… It was a change she was proud of.

But Naegi couldn’t just forget about them. Not with what he now knew. All this while, when he and Fukawa were in school, or hanging out with each other or going on dates, she was living with those… those savages. What had they done to her? How accurate were those stories Mom had heard? Did they beat her? Starve her? One of those rumours mentioned her being locked in a room for three days. Or maybe it was a closet. If even half of what people were saying was true…

You failed her, a voice inside him said. And he felt something white hot burn from within him.

She had been in trouble. Just like when she had been in trouble with Syo, except this time he couldn’t help because he was too freaking dumb even know what was happening, right under his nose. Child abuse tended to leave signs on the victim, both emotional and physical. He should have seen or at the very least suspected something whenever he was with her. Bruises, maybe. Or cane marks. Or cigarette burns on her arm. Something. Hell, the fact that she was – to put it mildly – such a neurotic mess when he first met her should have raised a red flag.

Yet he didn’t know. All this while she was suffering in that house with those people, and he didn’t. Fucking. Know.

Stupid, he cursed himself. You’re so goddamn stupid.

“How am I supposed to do that?” He turned to look at her, sadly now. “Just pretend like nothing happened and I didn’t notice anything?” He held her by the shoulders. “They hurt you,” he repeated, anger returning. “They’ve been hurting you this whole time and I didn’t even…” He gritted his teeth. “We can’t just let them get away with that.”

A contented sigh escaped her as she smiled. If there was ever a sign that he did truly care about her, this was it.

“They’re not getting a-away with it,” she said. “When I said I cut a-all ties with them, I d-don’t just mean cutting off contact. They’re not getting another cent from me.”

Naegi blinked again. “Huh?”

“My royalties,” she explained. “They used to m-make me split a portion of it with them for ‘rent and board’ or ‘weekly expenses’. Not anymore.” Her smile became sardonic. “H-Here’s something I’ll bet you’d never have guessed about my Dad; he’s a p-player. Can you believe that?”

He looked about ready to say something when she said “Actually, you k-know what? D-don’t answer.”

“Anyway, the dumb bastard always liked t-to go clubbing, you see. So he could p-pick up chicks and guzzle booze. And he spent a fortune on both. He always had to h-have the most expensive liquor, and he bought fancy clothes and w-watches, all so he could i-impress air-headed girls. Didn’t stop e-even after he got hitched.

“His spending got worse o-once I started publishing. N-New house, new cars, new f-furniture… My Moms weren’t m-making things any easier either, the fucking gold diggers.” Fukawa shook her head. “F-funny how they can’t stand each other when they’re both e-exactly the same. They w-wanted dresses and jewellery and weekly t-trips to five-star restaurants. All paid for b-by yours truly.

“But not anymore. You should have s-seen the look on their faces when I told them I was moving out; I kept it a surprise. The c-cash cow’s gone, and knowing them, t-they probably didn’t bother saving.”

Fukawa knew for a fact that their monetary habits did not change or even slow down a little once she left them behind. They had never been able to help themselves up on social media, constantly bragging to their friends about their lavish lifestyle. A look through their feed told her that they had been every bit as extravagant in their spending for the first few months.

And then everything fell apart. No more pictures of lobster and beluga caviar. No more pictures of chiffon dresses and Gucci handbags. In their place were vague ramblings about how life gotten harder, about bills and mortgages.

Soon, there were offers to sell used designer goods at discount prices. Offers to sell their car. And finally, radio silence.

“P-Probably in dire straits now,” she said. Mockingly: “Poor them.”

Much of Naegi’s anger was replaced with uncertainty. “…That might not necessarily be true, though. I mean, maybe they just started spending less. They could still be living comfortably off of your money.”

“Fair point,” she shrugged. Truth of the matter was, she couldn’t care less either way. At least, not anymore. It felt like it happened in another lifetime, to a different Touko Fukawa. Her past felt so inconsequential.

“Look, l-let’s not talk about them a-anymore, okay?” She said, softly. “It’s Christmas. People are supposed to be h-happy on Christmas.”

Her boyfriend remained tense for a few moments, then relaxed. “Alright. If that’s what you want.”

“It is.”

They sat back down together. As they did, Fukawa planted a kiss on his cheek. A small noise of surprise escaped him as she pulled him into a hug.

“T-Thank you.”

He was blushing. “What for?”

“For caring.” She squeezed him tighter. It was true that she didn’t want him worrying about her or getting up in arms about her shitty parents, but the fact that he did made her so, so grateful. “No one ever h-has before.”

Naegi returned the embrace. “Of course I care,” he said. “How could I not? I love you.”

She smiled at that. Love. It was a word she would have been so hesitant to use a year ago, even when she was at her happiest with him. Youngsters always think they know what love is, until the magic of it all wears off and they start drifting apart or eyeing someone else. She had seen it happen a thousand times before. And she had been terrified of getting so caught up in that magic that she’d end up becoming clingy and driving him away. After being with him for so long, however, she was sure of her own feelings, sure of what it was exactly that she shared with him.

“I love you too,” she said, without fear or reservation.

And the moment slowed as they leaned into each other, two halves longing to be made whole. Her heart was going a mile a minute, and she could feel the warmth of Naegi’s breath as they-

Click.

Both of them blinked at the same time.

Click.

Turned to the source of the noise: the living room entrance.

Click.

Emiko Naegi-san was standing there, holdng back giggles. She had her smartphone out, the camera in facing their direction. Komaru was there too, grinning from ear to ear. She stuck her thumbs up at them cheerily. Click.

Naegi’s cheeks turned beet-red again in record time. “M-Mom!? What are you-” Click.

“Oh no, don’t stop on our account,” Emiko said. Her smartphone clicked another three times in a row. “Please, by all means, continue.”

“Mom!” Click.

Beside him, Fukawa had turned into a stammering wreck. There wasn’t much else she had the presence of mind to do, except for bury her face in her hands. All that went through her mind for the next minute or so was Oh god oh god they saw us and there’s pictures oh god oh god oh god

A new voice rang out from behind Emiko and Komaru. Makoto’s father Toshiro, no doubt. “What is going on out there??”

“Young love!” Emiko cried out. “Our little boy is all grown up!” And Komaru squealed with laughter while her father emerged from the kitchen. Makoto looked on mortified as his mother showed Toshiro the pictures. “There, see? It’s like I was saying earlier; future daughter-in-law.”

“Wha-!?” Both Naegi and Fukawa blurted at the same time.

“They’ll be walking down the aisle before you know it!”

His father shook his head, though a smile crept across his face. “You keep acting like this and you’re going to scare her away for good, Emi.” He gave the pair a sympathetic look (as if to say to Fukawa: Please pardon my wife’s insanity), then turned back to Emiko. “Maybe we ought to give them some privacy?”

“And miss out on all this? Fat chance.”

“I’m not budging one inch,” Komaru said.

This went on for quite a bit before everyone decided that their time was better spent in the dining room instead, where a nice hot meal was waiting (half of which was comprised of traditional dishes and the other half comprising of KFC*). Neither Makoto’s mother nor sister had any intention of letting them live down what happened, unfortunately. The jokes and snarky comments continued well into the night – including one about a sprig of mistletoe that Fukawa didn’t understand but had her boyfriend in shambles.

And that was how, in spite of all her efforts, the worst happened after all. She embarrassed herself in front of Naegi’s family.

Yet somehow, she was completely okay with that. Somehow, this was still the best Christmas she ever had.

And she didn’t just mean the-best-in-comparison-to all the other semi-decent Christmases she had, oh no. Fukawa knew – even with the heat in her cheeks and the laughter at her expense – that this was going to be a night that she would look back upon very fondly for a long time to come. She was going to think back to Komaru giggling herself into a belly ache and Emiko playfully threatening to plaster those photos all over Facebook, and she was going to smile. She was going to think back to what happened in the living room and hearing the click of the camera and the softness of Naegi’s lips pressing against hers, and she was going to be glad it happened.

Glad to have been embarrassed. She must have finally gone mad.

More so than usual, that is. Either way, her mind was in a good place right now. Fukawa was enjoying a good meal in the company of good people. She couldn’t ask for anything better.

Definitely doing this again next year.

AO3 End Notes: As some of you have no doubt noticed, my portrayal of the Fukawa family is a bit different to what was hinted at in the DR AE - Genocider Mode manga released in January 2019 (Touko’s parents were… hoarders, it seemed like? It would explain her supposed bad hygiene). That’s because I was already done with the first half of this story and I wasn’t about to start changing it, especially since we’ve already diverged so much from canon anyway.

*Believe it or not, it is in fact a very popular Christmas tradition in Japan to celebrate with KFC, apparently thanks to some marketing campaign back in the 1970s. They’ve got the right idea, as far as I’m concerned; KFC is fucking delicious.

[lysyuta]

Begin — Jeon Jungkook (04)

Words: 2681

Warnings: none

Description: You’ve never met your father, so you finally make the decision to go meet him in Korea. But what you found there was more than just a father.

Prologue [01] [02] [03] [04] [05]

~

You walked down the stairs, a delicious smell instantly coming to your senses.

The smell led you to the kitchen, where there was a beautiful breakfast made.

Sitting beside the counter was Jin. He was eating while doing something on his phone.

Was he still mad at you?

“Good morning, Jin-oppa.” You spoke, mentally cringing. You remembered that one day last week, Jin told you that in Korea, girls call their older brother oppa. You didn’t really want to call him that, but you thought that in this situation, it would make him less mad (if he was still mad at you).

He looked up at you while chewing his food. “Morning.” He spoke, mouth half full. “There’s your plate.” He pointed to a plate of pancakes and bacon that was beside him.

“Thanks.” You said, sitting next to him so you could eat. Sitting next to him now felt awkward, so you decided to make small talk.

“Did Ji-yeon make this?” You asked.

Jin shook his head before swallowing the food that was in his mouth and speaking. “I made it.”

“Really? Well, it tastes really good.” You slightly smiled, complimenting him.

Jin hummed in response before continuing to eat.

The room was quiet, once again.

“Did they go to work? Dad and Ji-yeon?” You ask, trying to fight the silence.

Jin nodded. You thought he wouldn’t say anything after that, so you gave up on trying to make a conversation. But Jin did speak.

“Don’t worry. I didn’t tell them about what happened at the party.” He says, not making eye contact with you and just eating his food.

“Thanks.” You say. “Yeah. I mean, telling them would’ve been the right thing to do, but I didn’t. I’m sure they’d love to know about how you got drunk and grinded on some boy you just met.” He spoke, like it was no big deal.

Wow, Jin is really good at throwing shade, but you didn’t like that it was directed towards you.

The memories of the night of the party made you upset. You looked at your brother. “I don’t like it when you’re mad at me.”

“And I don’t like it when you do stupid things.” He says.

“Well, that’s what having siblings is like, right? They get mad at you for doing something stupid, but it’s fine because they’re your siblings and you love them anyways, right?” You spoke with hope, hoping that Jin would magically stop being mad at you.

Without saying a word, Jin stood up and placed his empty dish in the sink. He was about to walk away and you started talking.

“I’m sorry. I really don’t want you to be mad at me, Jin.” You spoke.

He kept walking until you spoke once again.

“I messed up badly, I know. And now you hate me. I disappointed the brother that I’ve only known for two weeks.” You sighed.

Jin stopped in his tracks and turned around.

“Hey, don’t say that.” He said. His eyes softened once he saw tears streaming down your face. “I don’t hate you. I could never hate you, y/n. You’re my sister.”

“Stop saying cliche stuff.” You told him, wiping your tears away, even though they kept coming.

“I don’t hate you, y/n. Yes, you messed up, but I don’t hate you. Yes, I’m mad at you, but I don’t hate you.” He tells you.

“Are you sure? By the way you were yelling at me yesterday, it really doesn’t seem like you like me.” You stood up, putting your dish in the sink.

“Yes, I’m sure. I only yelled at you because I was worried. Do you know what could’ve happen if that picture leaked? If people found out that you’re my sister, my imagine would be ruined. The boy’s images would be ruined.” He says.

You rolled your eyes before wiping the tears away once again. “So you only care about your image?” You asked him. “Do you even want people to find out that I’m your sister? Do you even want me to be your sister? Or are you too ashamed of me?”

“I never said that.” He answers. “Answer the question.” You say, looking up at him.

“If you’re just going to act like this, then why would I want people to know that you’re my sister? Why would I want you to be my sister?” He asks. After the words left his mouth, his eyes widened. He looked like he regretted everything he just said, but you didn’t care. The damage was done. “Oh my gosh. I didn't—” he started, but you spoke over him.

“You’re right. Your image could be ruined because of me. Maybe I shouldn’t be here anymore. Maybe I should just go back home.” You say, looking down at your feet, not wanting to look him in the eyes. “Maybe it’s best that people don’t find out that I’m your sister. You wouldn’t want your image to be ruined, right?”

“Y/n,” Jin sighed. You didn’t give him a chance to speak before rushing upstairs to your room and locking the door.

You laid on your bed, crying into a pillow.

What were you supposed to do now? Pack up and go home?

As much as you felt like you needed to get away, in this moment, you couldn’t bring yourself to get up and pack your bags. You didn’t want to. How were you going to let this one mistake ruin something that you’ve been waiting for your whole life?

After about 10 minutes, you heard soft knocks on your door. “Y/n.” Jin called you. “Open the door.”

You sat up, but you didn’t go to open the door. “Leave me alone.”

“Y/n, please. We need to have a talk. A brother-sister talk.” He says.

You just sat there, not getting up. “It’s obvious that you don’t want me as a sister, so what’s the point?” You clutched onto the pillow that was in your arms.

“Y/n, I didn’t mean to say that. You know that I didn’t mean to say that.” He spoke. “I don’t know anything.” You say.

You heard him take a deep breath. “Y/n, open the door. Please.”

You sighed and stood up, finally opening the door before returning to your seat on the bed. You looked down at the carpeted floor, not wanting to look at him.

He entered the room and closed your door, sitting beside you.

“I’m sorry.” He said almost immediately as he sat down. “I didn’t mean to say that. I didn’t mean it at all. I really do want you as my sister y/n. I love the fact that you’re my sister. I love you.”

You froze at his words. You felt your eyes getting watery again, so you pressed the pillow against your face, not wanting him to see you.

Jin chuckled at your actions, putting his hand on your back. “Yes, you messed up, but I love you. You’re my sister and I love you. If those pictures did leak, I wouldn’t hate you. I could never hate you. Yes, I would be really mad, but I wouldn’t hate you.”

He suddenly removed the pillow from your face, tossing it on the bed and hugging you.

You rested your head on his chest, wiping your tears.

“I should’ve never yelled at you before. I shouldn’t have made you feel like I hate you, because I don’t.” He tells you.

“I’m sorry for being such an idiot. It wasn’t Jungkook’s fault. I know he was supposed to be watching me, but I told him that I’d be fine. It’s my fault, not his.” You say.

“I don’t care who’s fault it is. I just don’t want this to happen again, okay?” He asked.

“Okay.” You nodded, looking at him. “So you’re not mad at me anymore, right?”

“No.” He shook his head.

“Good because I really want to go to the mall, but I need someone to drive me.” You smile.

Jin playfully rolled his eyes, removing his arms from around you and standing up.

“Lets go.”

~

“Well, we’re having a brother-sister day, so you can’t go ditch me with Jungkook again.” Jin laughed as you two entered the same store that you went into the first time you came to the mall.

As soon as the words left Jin’s mouth, someone spoke. “Hyung!” Someone called. You both turned around to the direction of the voice to see Jimin, Taehyung and Jungkook.

They were in the same store as you guys.

“What are you guys doing here?” Jin asked as the boys walked up to you.

“What does it look like? We’re shopping, duh.” Taehyung speaks, earning a hit on the arm from Jin. “Ouch.” He says, rubbing his arm.

“Since you’re here,” Jin starts, looking at Jungkook. “Don’t ditch me with my sister again, okay.”

“I can’t make any promise.” Jungkook says, smiling at you. You shyly smiled back, not knowing why you felt something funny in your stomach when he smiled at you.

Jin shook his head and chuckled.

“Ah, y/n. Starbucks has this really cool drink that we should try.” Jungkook tells you. “Then we should go get it.” You responded, looking at Jin to make sure you had permission. 

Jin nodded and smiled and with that, you and Jungkook were off to Starbucks.

Two security guards followed you once again.

You two got to Starbucks and got your drinks before leaving and walking around the mall. “So you and Jin made up?” He asked as you sipped your drink. “Yep. I swear I will never get that drunk ever again.” You tell him.

He nods before sipping his drink. “About that night at the party,” Jungkook stopped walking and you stopped and looked at him.

“What? Did something else happen?” You asked.

“Well,” he starts. “when you were drunk, like really drunk, you kind of—” He was cut off by someone calling his name.

“Jungkook!” It sounded like a teenage girl.

Turning your head to look at where the sound was coming from, you saw tons of fans coming at you guys.

A security guard pulled you and Jungkook away while another security guard tried to hold back the crowd.

“Does this happen every single time you guys come here?” You asked while the security guard led you two somewhere else.

“Yeah.” Jungkook shrugged.

What was it that he was going to tell you? Was it something embarrassing? You’d hate to find out another stupid thing that you did while you were drunk.

“Jungkook!” A girl yelled. Her yell seemed closer than the other ones. You turned to look at the source of the voice, but you were suddenly pushed away.

You tripped, luckily, you didn’t fall. You looked to see that a fan had escaped the crowd and rushed to Jungkook. On the way to him, she pushed you out of the way.

“Y/n!” Jungkook says, grabbing your hand as security guards got the girl away from the two of you.

You heard screams and cameras flashing constantly. You still wondered how these boys dealt with it.

“Are you okay?” Jungkook asks you. You nodded. “I’m fine.”

He intertwined his fingers with yours as you walked back to he store that the boys were in.

Once you got there, the security guards stood in front and you two walked in, almost immediately finding Taehyung.

“Oh my gosh, that looks so good.” The boy says, looking at the drinks you and Jungkook held.

“Jungkook let me try it.” Taehyung says. Jungkook gave him his drink and Taehyung sipped the drink before walking away with it.

“Tae!” Jungkook groaned. Taehyung walked down one of the aisles of the store and Jungkook just let him go.

You looked at Jungkook and laughed. “Ha. Ha. Very funny.” He says before taking your drink out of your hand and drinking it.

“Jungkook!” You whined. “Now you know how it feels.” He said.

You tried to take your drink away from him, but he held it up high so you couldn’t reach it. So, you just gave up trying and watched as he sipped your drink.

You started walking through the store, dragging Jungkook along. “What was it that you needed to tell me before?” You asked him as you looked at a cute shirt.

“It—uh—it was nothing. Forget it.” Jungkook stutters. You knew he was lying. “Stop lying. What were you going to tell me?” You looked at him.

“I-I was going to tell you that when we were in my car going to the hotel, you started singing really loudly and it was kind of annoying.” He speaks.

“Oh,” you giggled. “I’m sorry. Did anything else happen?”

“Hyung!” Jungkook calls, looking in a different direction and ignoring your question.

You looked to see Jimin and Jin walking up to you.

As Jin approached the two of you, he looked down and saw that your fingers were intertwined. Jin raised and eyebrow at this cleared his throat. You pulled your hand away from Jungkook’s once you saw how Jin was reacting.

“Do you want anything?” Jin asks you. You gave him the shirt that you had previously been looking at. “That’s it?” He asked and you nodded.

Jin left to go pay for your shirt and everything that he was buying, leaving you alone with Jungkook and Jimin.

“Jungkook, did you tell her? Is that why you two were holding hands? Aww that’s so—” Jimin what cut off by Jungkook hitting him in the stomach.

You raised an eyebrow, confused.

“Ah, so he didn’t tell you?” Jimin chuckled.

“Tell me what?”

“Nothing. Don’t listen to him y/n.” Jungkook tells you. “Jungkookie, why are you such a coward? Just tell her. It’s not like it didn’t happen.” Jimin tells his friend.

“Jimin-hyung, leave me alone.” Jungkook groans and Jimin just laughs.

“What does he mean?” You asked, looking up at Jungkook. “It’s nothing, y/n.”

“Jungkook, you’re going to have to tell her eventually.” Jimin smiles.

“Jimin—” Jungkook starts.

“Y/n, when you were drunk, you kissed Jungkook.” Jimin admits. “See? It wasn’t hard to say at all.” He says to his friend.

Your eyes widened. “I did what?” You say, turning back to Jungkook. “Y/n,” he starts.

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Oh my gosh.” You ran your fingers through your hair.

You were so embarrassed! How could you kiss Jungkook while you were drunk?

“I was going to tell you, I just—” he says, but you cut him of. “Forget it. Don’t worry about it, okay? I’m sorry.” You apologized.

“You don’t have to—” he started once again. “I-I’m gonna g-go find Jin.” You stuttered, embarrassed.

You walked away from the two boys and waited outside of the checkout line for Jin to finish.

“Hey, why do you look like you’ve just seen a ghost?” Jin chuckles as he walked up to you. “Do I?” You giggled awkwardly. “I just don’t feel good. Maybe we should leave.”

“Don’t you want to say goodbye to the boys first?” Jin asks you.

Say goodbye to them? You didn’t even want to talk to Jungkook right now. How could you embarrass yourself like that?

“No, it’s okay. I’m sure I’ll see them soon anyways.” You tell him.

Jin shrugged and you two left the store.

All you could think about on the way home is the fact that you kissed Jungkook.

It was your fault. You were drunk. It didn’t mean anything, did it?

Did you like Jungkook?

“Oh my gosh.” You said to yourself.

“What is it? Are you okay?” Jin asks, looking at you for a few seconds before looking back at the road.

“I just—I think—” You stuttered. You didn’t know what to say. “I just need to get home. I have a really bad headache.” You lied.

Jin nodded. “We’ll be home soon, don’t worry.”

You couldn’t believe it.

You liked Jungkook.